Klondike - 1932 ****

This film was a bit of a revelation for me, mostly because it is the first film I have ever seen with Thelma Todd. I am at the moment reading a biography of her tragic death and felt that as a movie buff I really needed to have watched something with her in. Well to be honest I felt exactly the same way I felt when I first watched Jean Harlow in 'Public Enemy.' Although she didn't have a huge part she shone through and was the highlight of the film for me. Thelma was like this here. The actual story is pretty weak and the acting of most of the other characters is quite poor, but Thelma brightened up every scene she was in, and I found her presence both fascinating and sad at the same time. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. One of those stars who by her death was nearly at the top of her game, and then it was taken away from her before she had a chance to get there. As far as her acting goes she is actually very like Harlow in many ways. Notably her charisma, her humor and her gentle nature. If she hadn't been in this (despite the fact that she had limited scenes) it would of been a pointless watch, but happily she was, so it gets another star from me.