vincentlynch-moonoi
Main Title: Ronald Colman, The Stud Sub-Title: The Usual SuspectsThe attraction here is seeing the (relatively) young Ronald Colman in action. Colman had made 29 silent films, more than half of which have not survived...at least 1 in 1925 was one of the earliest Technicolor films. "Unholy Garden" was only Colman's 5th talkie, and what a wonderful and distinctive voice he had.Here, a too suave English thief (Colman) escapes to a sleazy settlement in the Sahara Desert, where he accidentally meets up with an accomplice -- an all too dumb Warren Hymer, whom you'll probably recognize. He and other crooks at the decrepit desert hotel soon find a new target -- an old and blind baron who may have his own stash of stolen money. Colman sets out to grab the money, but to do so begins romancing the daughter -- Fay Wray (sans King Kong, and at the peak of her career). But word of his plan escapes, and Colman begins to seriously fall in love. No surprise there! Colman gets the money, but gives it to the daughter, and then separates from her.As young and studly as Colman seems to be here, he was already 40! But he is smooth and sophisticated, as always. The main drawback to this film is the supporting cast of thieves. All so very clichéd. And to think that this group would end up at a hotel in an Arabian desert...preposterous. It's a decent film, but decidedly old-fashioned and very dated film (hence the rating of "6"). If we were living in the 30's I would rate it as a "7". The real reason to watch this film is, as usual, Colman.
jcravens42
The acting style is dated, the production is low-budget, the characters are cartoonish, and the story is quite silly... but there is something about this movie I adore. There's no comparing Colman in RAFFLES to this role in THE HOLY GARDEN, as other reviewers have done - in the former, he's distinguished, elegant and urbane, an adorable, tame scoundrel any woman would be quite safe to be around (except for her heart, of course), but in THE UNHOLY GARDEN, the undercurrent of sexuality in his character will be a shock to anyone who is used to Colman in much less sensual, much more gentle roles. I'm used to seeing Clark Gable get this physical and sexual with his leading ladies, but Ronald Colman? Awesome! The dress-hooking scene with Estelle Taylor is delicious... If you are a Colman fan, you will adore this movie. If you're not, you may be one by the end - but don't expect to see him in other films in a role quite like this. In addition - lots of laugh-out-loud lines. What a shame the rest of the movie isn't as good.
Neil Doyle
RONALD COLMAN spent a fair share of his early career as a criminal on the loose. RAFFLES and THE UNHOLY GARDEN are some prime examples. Unfortunately, neither one of these films is rated high on any list of Colman's film resume.THE UNHOLY GARDEN gets its title from the swarm of criminals and thieves residing at a seedy hotel in the Sahara Desert, where a beautiful young girl (FAY WRAY) is trying to keep her father's hidden wealth from the prying hands of a bunch of hoods determined to get their hands on the loot. Along comes gentleman RONALD COLMAN, himself a thief, who charms the girl but makes the mistake of falling in love with her. He finds his conscience before the final reel.It's all played in a wildly overacted fashion with actors given to the kind of emoting that went out with silent pictures. Colman is credible in the lead but everyone else seems to be playing to the balcony.The plot is similar to many other such crime capers, one in particular being a film made around the same time called SAFE IN HELL, whereby a young woman runs away from authorities to a South Seas island and must stay at a run-down hotel surrounded by unsavory criminals.Nothing distinctive here about the story's treatment. Its only interest is giving the viewer a chance to see the young Ronald Colman playing a romantic lead.
Spondonman
This is a pretty oddball film, plot-wise and characters. I've seen it a few times now and still can't make up my mind on how good it is - or not. It is dated of course, but who cares when you can be ogling Fay Wray at her peak!Just how unlikely is the basic situation - a hotel in the middle of the Algerian desert full of cut-throats and thieves plus one trigger-happy old blind man and his beautiful daughter sitting on but protecting a useless fortune for years. The brainy fugitive rascal Colman appears and the cut-throats' plans to rob the old man suddenly coalesce and are dependent upon our dashing anti-hero finding the loot for them. All of the characters without exception are dislikeable but I'm afraid I don't know how faithful this is to the original book, or whether it was simply designed for the movie that way. Never mind, Colman uses the opportunity splendidly to woo Wray, and the two couldn't look more beautiful as when splashed by the Goldwyn moonlight - others would have burst into song! He later goes Noble in a tortured climax, but hey that's Love!To the Faithful: well worth watching - after "Raffles" it's definitely my next favourite Goldwyn Colman potboiler. To the Unbeliever: you won't get it, wait for a violent remake.
AD
