artman-8
A Bizarre, far-fetched, wholly unrealistic bit of nonsense! Conrad Nagel's performance is so overripe it is actually hilarious! And what the hell was with that mustache of his? As most of the other reviews have said, the one saving grace is the presence of beautiful Loretta Young, who was obviously adapting to making talking films much better than her co-stars! The film is so crudely constructed and acted that i cant help but wonder if it was made earlier and sat on the shelf for a while? I cant agree tho that one should avoid this film, it is def an early talkie curiosity and because of Nagel's outrageously overwrought performance, almost a must-see!
Maliejandra Kay
The Right of Way is a film that was made several times during the silent era and was based on a novel. It concerns a lawyer named Charles Steele (Conrad Nagel), a man whose marriage with a society woman (Olive Tell) is falling apart and whose brother in law is going down the wrong path in life. Steele goes to defend his family against a group of ruffians who beat him up and throw him in the river to die, but a man he defended in a murder trial finds him and takes him to his home in the mountains. Unable to care for the man alone, he enlists a young lady from the village named Rosalie (Loretta Young) to nurse Charles back to health. When he awakes, Charles has no recollection of his former life and begins a new one in the mountains.This film is short, but it is hardly sweet. Nagel is the biggest ham in this movie, constantly overacting in scenes that need subtlety. Young is beautiful but somehow and obvious novice in her scenes, which is strange because she made so many wonderful pre-codes. Perhaps the direction was not up to par.One might enjoy this film simply to make fun of the acting, but the dramatic story might make one uncomfortable in doing so. The movie isn't meant to be a comedy, but it was certainly made to be that way by the acting.
malcolmgsw
I fell asleep whilst watching this utter load of bilge and so went and watched most of it again.Where does one start.The court scenes are laughable.After all how could a barrister walk out of court whilst a Judge sums up.If he misdirects then how is the barrister to know.However the most ridiculous moment comes when Nagel is told his true name having lost his memory,and because of this suddenly regains his memory.It all comes back to him in an instant!Other than Loretta Young it is clear that the actors do not have a clue how to act for the talkies.We have gestures and looks and abysmal attempts at accents.This is a film to avoid unless you want a cure for insomnia
Ron Oliver
A beautiful young woman influences a callous lawyer into regaining THE RIGHT OF WAY to moral decency.Conrad Nagel dominates this little soap opera, based on Sir Gilbert Parker's novel, with his highly melodramatic performance as a hardhearted Quebecois lawyer who exhibits an enormous distaste for nearly every other human being. His behavior would repulse the viewer, were it not that his acting is so over the top that it becomes quite a bit of fun to watch.Beautiful Loretta Young appears rather late in the story and ushers in the best scenes of the film, when Nagel is suffering from amnesia. Their moments together, as she cares for him, are touchingly tender.A small group of character actors add much to their supporting roles: Olive Tell as Nagel's distraught wife; William Janney as her pathetic brother; Fred Kohler as the backwoodsman who saves Nagel's life; Halliwell Hobbes as a benevolent seigneur who loves Miss Young; little Snitz Edwards as a village tailor; and George C. Pearce as a kindly priest.
AD
