Two Seconds

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Trailer—Two Seconds

Two Seconds

Edward G. Robinson stars as a nice guy construction worker who meets and falls for a dance hall girl who gets him drunk and tricks him into marrying her. Robinson and his buddy argue over her on the job and his buddy falls to his death. Grief stricken, Robinson is unable to work and his wife goes back to her old ways to support him. A fantastic performance from Robinson anchors a fairly okay, hyper-melodramatic film that ultimately suggests it should be okay to your murder your wife if she turns to prostitution to support you. (Not really an opinion that stands up these days.)

"Two Seconds" is a relatively minor film by "Warner Bros." The story is fairly basic and low key. The cast is quite small and the entire film was made on soundstages. It is the performance of Edward G. Robinson that makes "Two Seconds" so memorable. He gives a truly in-depth performance that is a mixture of humour, tension and then despair. The film's plot is mainly a flashback, with Robinson looking back on the circumstances that led to his being incarcerated in the first place. He is unfortunate enough to be in the hands of a callous and vindictive woman and he can only tolerate her for so long..... I particularly enjoyed the scene where Robinson talks to the camera, to give the impression that he is addressing a person. His monologue lasts for a few minutes as the camera slowly draws closer to Robinson and the set goes dark apart from one light that is focused upon him. It is a powerful scene and captivating. The film isn't a long one and the time races by.

The movie, itself, may not be the finest available for viewing entertainment. However, the outstanding acting skills of Edward G. Robinson are fulling exploited and beautifully captured. And, that talent, that genius, makes "Two Seconds" a must see. Robinson shows the depth of his talents and the emotions he is capable of demonstrating. Ah, that contemporary actors could act so well. Watch the expressions on his face, watch his hands, watch his walk, watch the pain -- this is not melodrama, this is a thespian par excellence showing the world how it is done. Alas, the movies does not appear to be available for purchase, but this is one outstanding film that should be in any collection of those who are serious about studying drama and acting skills.

I caught this movie last night when I couldn't sleep.Not being a fan of Edward G Robinson I decided to watch for the kitch appeal I guess I was expecting to see him play some world weary mob gut who would say funny things that I could repeat at work,well about 30 minutes in I was absolutely gob-smacked It was like watching a train wreck I could not take my eyes off it. I am not exaggerating when I say I will always remember this movie and be haunted absolutely haunted by the riviting almost painful job done by Mr.Robinson I thought I knew who this man was I thought I could judge his body of work with out ever seeing this movie I was wrong This movie will stay with me for a long long time

This was a wow film from the start. Edward G. Robinson was just a fantastic actor. He made this one eminently watchable. Hats off to Vivienne Osborne as the girl from the wrong side of the tracks who's mission it is to hook a sucker into marrying her so she can leech off of him. She plays the role so well, in the beginning you don't know if she's genuine or not. The only one who does know she's a leech is Robinson's roommate and coworker. He doesn't even have to meet her to know she's trying to rope his buddy in. I won't spoil the ending folks, cause it's a darn good one. I was even surprised by it. Let's just say you reap what you sew and I'll leave it at that. Try this one and don't be fooled by the year it was made. It could fall right into today's abundance of junk films and come out on top...by a wide margin. Just an amazing performance by Edward G. Robinson. Don't miss this one.

There's no chance a movie like this is coming out of Hollywood this decade or the previous decade or in the nineties or eighties. Two Seconds is the story of an unhappy steel worker and his squalid little life. At times, Edward G. Robinson is very over the top, but when it matters, his performance is crackling with authenticity and passion and it is clear why this small and unattractive man became a huge Hollywood icon. His fire is undeniable. Unpredictably plotted in the way many pre-code B pictures were, this piece is always engaging and alive and perhaps a bit too short. It contains an absolutely searing monologue that you will never forget and overall the work is a dirty window through which the desperation of life for the lower class in 1930 American can be gleaned. A good film and a rich portrait. (I saw 35mm prints of the movie at Film Forum, N.Y. on two occasions.)