''The Wrecker'' is a 1933 American

Pre-Code Pre-Code Hollywood was the brief era in the American film industry between the widespread adoption of sound in film in 1929LaSalle (2002), p. 1. and the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code censorship guidelines, popularly known ...

action-romance film directed by

Albert S. Rogell Albert S. Rogell (August 21, 1901 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma - April 7, 1988 Los Angeles, California) was an American film director. Rogell directed more than a hundred movies between 1921 and 1958. He was the uncle of producer Sid Rogell. Filmogr ...

and starring Jack Holt, Genevieve Tobin and George E. Stone. The screenplay was by

Jo Swerling Jo Swerling (April 8, 1897 – October 23, 1964) was an American theatre writer, lyricist and screenwriter. Early life and early career Born Joseph Swerling in Berdichev, Ukraine, Swerling was one of a number of Jewish refugees from the Tsarist ...

. The film was produced and released by

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...

Cast

* Jack Holt as Chuck Regan * Genevieve Tobin as Mary Wilson * George E. Stone as Sam Shapiro * Sidney Blackmer as Tom Cummings * Ward Bond as Cramer *Irene White as Sarah *Russell Waddle as Chuck Regan, Jr. *

Wally Albright Wally Albright (born Walton Algernon Albright Jr.; September 3, 1925 - August 7, 1999) was an American actor, water sportsman, and businessman. As a child actor, he was best known for his role in the '' Our Gang'' film series. Career The son o ...

- Chuck Regan, Jr. *P. H. Levy as Hyam *

Edward LeSaint Edward LeSaint (January 1, 1871 – September 10, 1940) was an American stage and film actor and director whose career began in the silent era. He acted in over 300 films and directed more than 90. He was sometimes credited as Edward J. Le Sa ...

as Doctor *

Clarence Muse Clarence Muse (October 14, 1889 – October 13, 1979) was an American actor, screenwriter, director, singer, and composer. He was the first African American to appear in a starring role in a film, 1929's ''Hearts in Dixie''. He acted for ...

as Chauffeur

Critical reception

A contemporary review in

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

described the film as an "old-fashioned melodrama" that is "clumsily staged," with a " ory

hat A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...

follows the lines of least resistance and the direction is loose," with the result being "suspense throughout is light, mostly puffing up suddenly and petering out as rapidly in the following sequence." With respect to the acting, the review notes "Holt's standard characterization," Tobin's and Blackmer's "perfunctory performances," and that "Stone's interpretation of the junk man is all right, but much of the dialog given him is not."

Preservation status

* A print is held by the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library ...

Packard Campus for Audio-Visual Conservation The National Audiovisual Conservation Center, also known as the Packard Campus for Audio-Visual Conservation, is the Library of Congress's audiovisual archive located inside Mount Pony in Culpeper, Virginia. Establishment From 1969 to 1988, th ...

.''Catalog of Holdings The American Film Institute Collection and The United Artists Collection at The Library of Congress'' (<-book title) p.212 c.1978 the American Film Institute

References

External links

* * 1933 films American action films American romantic drama films 1933 romantic drama films American black-and-white films Columbia Pictures films 1930s English-language films Films directed by Albert S. Rogell Films with screenplays by Jo Swerling 1930s American films {{1930s-romantic-drama-film-stub