A Holy Terror

1931 "He knew horses -- but she knew MEN!"
5.3| 0h53m| NA| en| More Info
Released: 19 July 1931 Released
Producted By: Fox Film Corporation
Country:
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Info

Eastern millionaire's son Bard finds his father murdered and flies west to see rancher Drew who may know something about it. En route he crashes his plane into Jerry's bathroom; she falls in love with him which makes her suitor Steve jealous.

Watch Online

A Holy Terror (1931) is currently not available on any services.

Director

Irving Cummings

Production Companies

Fox Film Corporation

AD
AD

Watch Free for 30 Days

All Prime Video Movies and TV Shows. Cancel anytime.
Watch Now
A Holy Terror Videos and Images

A Holy Terror Audience Reviews

Redwarmin This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place
VividSimon Simply Perfect
Megamind To all those who have watched it: I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do.
Ginger Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.
utgard14 Unholy bore is more like it. Creaky western about a greenhorn (George O'Brien) who heads west to find some answers surrounding his father. It's a "modern western" meaning it takes place during the era in which it was made, not the 1800s. Notable only for an early appearance by Humphrey Bogart (his first western). It's interesting to see Bogie still wet-behind-the-ears, acting-wise. He does nothing to impress here, really, but nothing to embarrass either. George O'Brien is as exciting as tooth decay. Sally Eilers plays the girl O'Brien and Bogart both lust after for reasons unknown to me. This is a really boring movie, even for a B western made during this period. Add to that the usual negatives that burden early talkies and you've got a dud on your hands. Favorite scene is the most moronic meet cute ever: O'Brien crashes his plane into Sally Eilers' bathroom!
adrianswingler I'm beginning to think that the biggest haters of Spaghetti Westerns are the fans of Hollywood Westerns. It would explain the mediocre reviews on this one. I'm just the reverse, and really enjoyed this movie.An early "talkie", there's no soundtrack as that concept didn't exist yet. Bogart's fifth full length movie, I liked his character in this one much more than usual. I'm not a fan of Bogie movies. Having him as the villain of the piece and a nasty one at that fits him much more, imho. He's constantly rejected by his love interest, not swooned over. Much better!I would argue that this movie shows that the Spaghetti Western style of Western was the natural progression, but that was derailed by the Hollywood Production Code and those in Hollywood that thought they had to be the conservative moral saviors of the country. It's not so much the cinematography and there's no musical score, it's more the way common Western elements are handled. I got a DVD with some Spaghetti Westerns on it the other day and an insert had some classic Western characters on it with the caption, "My heroes have always been cowboys". That made me realize how that's so Hollywood and very much the opposite of the Spaghetti genre. Bogart plays a SW type cowboy, not a Hollywood styled one. Revenge and mystery are the plot drivers, so, I really don't think it's a stretch to compare it to the Italian variety. The plot is solid and moves the action along. The acting is good. Being 85 years old it's interesting just to look at things from the point of view of a picture that was totally contemporary at the time.
classicsoncall You'll want to see "A Holy Terror" if you're a Humphrey Bogart fan, but it would be incorrect to consider this a Bogey film. George O'Brien stars and portrays Anthony Woodbury, the socialite son of a father who legally changed his name twenty five years ago, and at the same time had William Drew (James Kirkwood) placed under surveillance. Adverse to publicity and never allowing a photo, Thomas Woodbury/John Bard (Robert Warwick) is seen only briefly on screen when he is shown going for a hidden weapon as Drew arrives at his estate home to force a confrontation. When Tony learns of his father's hidden past, he's determined to learn more about William Drew and the circumstances of his father's death.The film's most interesting scene occurs when aviator Tony literally crash lands his plane into the home of Miss Jerry Foster (Sally Eilers). She begins a cat and mouse relationship with Anthony, who begins using the name Bard once he reaches Wyoming.The plot of the movie gets muddied when William Drew asks his ranch foreman Steve Nash (Bogart) to bring Bard to the ranch unharmed. Nash has an underhanded side, and involves his partner Butch Morgan (Stanley Fields) in the endeavor. Since Anthony wants to meet with Drew, and Drew is paying Nash a thousand dollars to bring Anthony to him, there's no reason for Morgan to pistol whip Bard and carry out the request like a kidnapping. Obviously done as a dramatic element for the film, the tactic doesn't make much sense, other than to provide a reason for Anthony to arrange his escape in a dramatic ride on horseback, with a rather effective looking leap over Devil's Gulch that the baddies won't risk attempting.The astute viewer can figure out the payoff - William Drew and John Bard were once in love with the same woman, who married Bard. But Anthony's father was really William Drew, and on that note the film ends rather abruptly."A Holy Terror" clocks in at just fifty three minutes, and that's probably a saving grace. The performances are rather stilted with not much more than the characters going through their motions. Bogart's turn as a bad guy is of some interest, building on the con man turn in his prior picture "The Bad Sister". It would be five more years before he gets his hands on a real meaty role as the villain Duke Mantee in "The Petrified Forest".
Ale fish The only reason that most people will track down this minor Western is the presence of Humphrey Bogart in one of his earliest roles. The Old West was never really looked right on Bogie and this performance, his first with Stetson and Six-gun, could be seen just as a dry run for his appearance as Whip McCord in the James Cagney vehicle 'The Oklahoma Kid'. In fact it was the first time Bogart ever appeared on the wrong side of the law and his depiction of a violent, shiftless man with no moral centre shows that he had this kind of role down pat five years before his breakthrough in 'The Petrified Forest'. He even manages to engage a little audience sympathy when constantly rejected by the virtuous heroine, a fact that also provides a little character motivation, unusual in a picture of this type. It almost goes without saying that he is really the only reason to watch.Elsewhere George O'Brien tries hard to be handsome and charming in the lead role but is merely stiff and wooden, whilst Sally Eilers does a little better as the heroine. The story holds few surprises, and very little in the way of action or thrills, but the resolution is more original than expected. Technically, it's a little basic but some location work and the use of a few crane shots help a little.If it weren't for Bogart this picture would probably be long forgotten and it really won't hold much appeal outside of his loyal fanbase.