| The Hole in the Wall | |
| Director: | Robert Florey |
| Starring: | Claudette Colbert Edward G. Robinson David Newell |
| Music: | Gerard Carbonara W. Franke Harling |
| Cinematography: | George J. Folsey |
| Editing: | Mort Blumenstock |
| Distributor: | Paramount Pictures |
| Runtime: | 63 minutes[1] |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
The Hole in the Wall is a 1929 pre-Code mystery drama film directed by Robert Florey, and starring Claudette Colbert and Edward G. Robinson. This early talking picture was the first appearance of Edward G. Robinson in the role of a gangster, and "can be viewed as a dry run for his eventual success (in 1931 in Little Caesar)". It was also one of Colbert's first film appearances.[2] [3]
The film was shot at Paramount's Astoria Studios in New York. The film is a remake of an earlier 1921 silent The Hole in the Wall.
The Fox, a con man, teams up with Madame Mystera, a fake fortune teller, to bilk naive people of their money. When Madame Mystera dies in an elevated train derailment, the Fox hires Jean Oliver to replace her. However, over time, he comes to believe that Jean actually does have supernatural powers.
According to critic Troy Howarth, the film "is an interesting amalgam of gangster melodrama and horror, one in which Edward G. Robinson steals the show." Colbert's "character becomes more complex as the picture unfolds, and the actress keeps up just fine." He commented that Florey's bizarre set designs for the medium's den looked as if they were inspired by the German film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.