Alibi (1929)

43% of critics liked it
(7 reviews)
47% of users liked it
(192 ratings)

Director Roland West was a moody and mysterious Hollywood character, who insisted upon making his pictures in utter secrecy and filming only at night. This may explain the overall foreboding atmosphere of Alibi, West's first talking picture. Chester Morris portrays a ruthless gangster who must… More Director Roland West was a moody and mysterious Hollywood character, who insisted upon making his pictures in utter secrecy and filming only at night. This may explain the overall foreboding atmosphere of Alibi, West's first talking picture. Chester Morris portrays a ruthless gangster who must establish an alibi after pulling off a warehouse robbery. Regis Toomey and Pat O'Malley are the detectives assigned to get the goods on Morris. Full of vicious bravado when he's on top of a situation, Morris turns into a craven coward when he's trapped--but not before coldbloodedly gunning down true-blue policeman Toomey, who then launches into one the longest and most lachrymose death scenes in the history of movies. Alibi was based on the play Nightstick, written by John Wray, J.C. Nugent and Elaine Sterne. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 30 min.
Directed By: Roland West
Written By: Roland West
Genres: Drama, Action & Adventure, Mystery & Suspense, Classics

In Theaters: Apr 20, 1929 Wide
On DVD: Sep 4, 2007

Critic Reviews

Variety Staff, Variety
Lots of reliable excitement, de luxe production values and general audience satisfaction.
Mordaunt Hall, New York Times
It is by far the best of the gangster films, and the fact that it is equipped with dialogue makes it all the more stirring.
, TV Guide's Movie Guide
Gritty, exciting low-budget crime melodrama.
Fernando F. Croce, Slant Magazine
Alibi is awkwardly suspended between the gliding camera of silent cinema and the stagnant medium-shot of early talkies.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
The story pales when viewed in modern times and the acting that was thought so wonderful at the time, is simply atrocious by modern standards.
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Sharply uneven, due to the fact that it was reshot for sound after production was completed, this early crime-gangster film was nonetheless nominated for Best Picture Oscar and established former child actor Chester Morris, as a lead man.
Michael W. Phillips, Jr., Goatdog's Movies
Hampered by almost universally bad acting and the obvious onus of converting from silent to sound in mid-production.

Read all 7 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

AJ V

Although the movie has some good cinematography, it was 29 so there were some sound problems, and most of the actors aren't as good as they could be. The story is predictable for the most part, but the ending was pretty good. Overall, it's okay.