Min and Bill (1930)
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Min and Bill Movie Review
Min and Bill is a 1930 comedy drama film directed by George W. Hill and starring Marie Dressler and Wallace Beery. It’s such an amusing, sweet movie.
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“Sure, I trust you.
You are too dumb to be anything but honest.
That’s the same way I feel about you Min, too“
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The overall story can be a bit too melodramatic, especially in a couple of overly dramatic sequences. I also found the movie too short and not as effective in its first act. It did not have a strong build up plus it needed better crafting overall.
With that being said, it still features some powerful moments with that heartbreaking, emotional ending being the highlight. I also loved that fight between the two old fools, it literally became a physical confrontation and it was hilarious in that fun slapstick comedy of the era kind of way. It pleasantly reminded me of silent movies.
The movie is filled with terrific character interactions and I found the central relationship particularly strong and wonderful. Nancy is not too memorable, but is an essential character. But Bella is overly silly in her characterization and simply not believable.
The titular two are a great couple and two very believable, beautifully realized characters. I loved their interactions and those made this movie as good as it is, whenever it focused on others and not them, it was simply not as strong.
Wallace Beery started his very strong career in the early thirties with this movie and his streak was glorious from here on, especially with the Oscars and Oscar movies. He’s so good here and I found him both endearing and realistic.
But Marie Dressler steals the show and this is her movie of course. She is always great in every movie that she made, but here she really got a meaty, long role and she basically plays the protagonist. That was great to witness as she killed it in the role, delivering both in terms of humor and genuine emotion. She’s believable, very amusing and her final scene was just so powerful.
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That’s why she entirely deserved her Oscar win for this memorable role and I am so glad that they gave it to her. The movie is otherwise short and simple, a bit too short, but moving somewhat briskly. I loved the dialogue, but there was too much yelling in it, and of course the sound quality is as poor as you’d expect from a 1930 flick.
Min and Bill is a bit too short in runtime and overly melodramatic in some sequences, but the titular character interactions are amusing, the final scene is quite emotional, the movie is endearing throughout and it benefits from a strong turn from Wallace Beery and a particularly terrific, wonderful performance from Marie Dressler who entirely deserved her Oscar for this great role.
