Plot Summary - An RKO Pathe Picture. Precode yarn set in a lumber camp. Beefy Buck Gannon (William Boyd) is a lumberjack with a girlfriend named Honey (Ginger Rogers) - she's a singer on "Delacey's Carnival Boat", a travelling showboat that arrives on the river near the camp now and then, apparently, and clears the men of their ready cash with the boat's featured gambling, booze, and women. Jim Gannon (Hobart Bosworth), Buck's dad and head of the camp, doesn't want the men leaving to go to the carnival boat. Soon to be given a "good rest" by the boss, Jim has ambitions for his son to take over as head of the lumber camp when he's retired, so wants Buck to take his work more seriously and stop thinking about women! Trouble in camp when ambitious dad drives a "double loaded" train with bad brakes down the hill plus later a river log jam emergency, both driving heroic Buck to save the day.
Review - This was an okay b-movie, but dragged just a bit. Well done effects and photography makes for some excitement in the runaway train and log jam scenes. Some of the acting is fudgy - but I did think both Ginger Rogers and silent star Hobart Bosworth were quite good. The film also gave a bit part to silent actress Marie Prevost, who plays river boat gal/sidekick "Babe". Ginger Rogers is given one short song to sing, backed by a chorus of not so talented dancing showgirls, and she delivers her vocals in a rather "Betty Boop" style, with high-pitched voice. Edgar Kennedy and Harry Sweet add some kind of lame humor to the mix as "Baldy and Stubby", two goofball lumberjacks who are sort of bickering pals. I would think this film would be more appropriately titled something like "Timber!", since the Carnival boat itself receives a rather small part in the film. Rating - 6.5/10 stars
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