ALIBI
Sc.: Roland West, C. Gardner Sullivan dalla pièce «Nightstick» di Elaine Sterne Carrington, J. C. Nugent, John Griffith Wray. F.: Ray June. M.: Hal C. Kern. Scgf.: William Cameron Menzies. Su.: Howard Campbell. Sincronizzazione musiche: Hugo Riesenfeld. Eff.sp.: Ned Mann, Harry Zech. Cast: Chester Morris (Chick Williams), Harry Stubbs (Buck Bachman), Mae Busch (Daisy Thomas), Eleanore Griffith (Joan Manning Williams), Irma Harrison (Toots), Regis Toomey (Danny McGann), Al Hill (Brown), James Bradbury jr. (Blake), Elner Ballard (Soft Malone), Kernan Cripps (Trask), Purnell Pratt (Sergente / Sergeant Pete Manning), Pat O’Malley (Detective Tommy Glennon), DeWitt Jannings (O’Brien), Edward Brady (George Stanislaus David), Edward Jardon, Virginia Flohri (Cantanti in teatro). Prod.: Roland West per Feature Productions; 35mm. L.: 2305 m. (7552 ft) D.: 84’ a 24 f/s.
Film Notes
Production on the silent film was just beginning when West had second thoughts and decides to turn Alibi into UA’s first talkie. […] there was no question that Alibi would be anything other than 100% talking, though an auxiliary silent edition was prepared simoultaneously. […] When production started in October, the thorough rehearsals were repeated before each take; then West would retire to a sound- proof, glassed-in tower where he could watch the take while monitoring the sound recording. The Movietone sound-on-film process was used. It is claimed that a secondary, wax disc was cut for an immediately playable reference check, but Hal Kern mantains that they never used wax but did have two sound-recording machines. Kern also indicated that they could mix their soundtrack electronically, that it was not necessary to record all music and sounds effects «live». Looping was still unknown, so West recorded Virginia Flohri, singing off-camera, while Irma Harrison silently mouthed the words. Harrison’s own voice, retained in the dialogue sequences, has a distinct Betty-Boopish quality.This is the precise technique that Hitchcock used in Blackmail […]; it must be said that West did precisely the same things in Alibi and he did them first.
Scott MacQueen, in Frank Thompson – edited by – Between Action and Cut: Five American Directors, Metuchen, Scarecrow Press
There are some loose ends and desultory passages in Alibi, but in general it has the tempo of a Missouri breeze and is punched with some gripping sequences. Third degree stuff is pregnant with melodrama. Police atmosphere and detail have realism and the ring of authenticity. Strong climax illustrating the spineless character of the gangster. Cop fires blank cartridges, with the gangster fainting, although untouched and uninjured. […] Roland West, who finances, produces and directs his own pictures, is the only entirely indipendent producer releasing throught United Artists. He can sleep in peace in the security that his investment is safe and his picture there.
«Variety», 10/04/1929