No matter what silent movie "It Girl" Clara Bow thought about her speaking voice on film, history has shown that during her four years in talking pictures, the screen's first major sex symbol actually was very pleasant to listen to. Unfortunately, the same thing can't be said for a lot of her movies which suffer either from the creakiness of early sound or bad scripts that didn't show the cute redhead to her best advantage. One of her worst was "No Limit", a film with an extremely slow moving story that barely resembles a plot. Clara makes the most of what she is given, and is truly adorable. The film was so dull that I really couldn't remember any other details then how difficult it was to stay awake through.
What exists of the slim, staticky drama is the tale of a movie usherette (Bow) who happens to become involved with Norman Foster, the owner of a gambling house and overhears his involvement in a crime. In between are moments between the various characters which do not move the plot along at all. The most interesting elements of this pre-code drama is some of the New York location photography (particularly a shot of an elevated subway train) and the one scene where Bow stands frantically in the background as she realizes the truth about Foster. Comic great Stuart Erwin is wasted in a romantic buffoon part, while Dixie Lee (the first Mrs. Bing Crosby) and Thelma Todd play stereotypical depression era tough girls. Without Clara, this would be a total bomb.
What exists of the slim, staticky drama is the tale of a movie usherette (Bow) who happens to become involved with Norman Foster, the owner of a gambling house and overhears his involvement in a crime. In between are moments between the various characters which do not move the plot along at all. The most interesting elements of this pre-code drama is some of the New York location photography (particularly a shot of an elevated subway train) and the one scene where Bow stands frantically in the background as she realizes the truth about Foster. Comic great Stuart Erwin is wasted in a romantic buffoon part, while Dixie Lee (the first Mrs. Bing Crosby) and Thelma Todd play stereotypical depression era tough girls. Without Clara, this would be a total bomb.