Trapped by Television

An artifact of rare appeal: TV explored like a sci-fi gimmick, just as the first commercial sets hit the market and began their decades-long climb to ubiquity. But whatever the potential, the result unfortunately is badly acted, badly shot, and dull to boot. It has a "filmed stage play" quality common in early talkies that neglected visual storytelling, but it's not even really early enough a talkie to fall back on that excuse.

A very contemporary film as Lyle Talbot is a TV engineer about to strike gold. If only he had some funds for parts to finish his television. And that's where Mary Astor comes in serving as a agent and getting a investor. Nat Pendleton is there as comic relief and delivers a few laughs. So far the story isn't very exciting so they throw in a few gangster who don't want Talbot's TV to work. And that's it. Not very suspenseful, but easy digestible entertainment with likable characters.