Deluge (1933)
1h 10m | PG-13
A massive earthquake strikes the United States, which destroys the West Coast and unleashes a massive flood that threatens to destroy the East Coast as well.
Director: Felix E. Feist
Studio: RKO Radio Pictures
Genre: Science Fiction, Drama, Thriller
Video: 720p
Cast
Lois Wilson
as Helen Webster
Sidney Blackmer
as Martin Webster
Peggy Shannon
as Claire Arlington
Matt Moore
as Tom
Fred Kohler
as Jepson
Edward Van Sloan
as Professor
Reviews
The civilised USA of the 1930s is reduced to rubble by a massive natural occurrence that requires man to live a more rudimentary, though not exactly Jurassic, existence. This could have been quite an interesting story, but instead is a rather lolling melodrama as boy meets girl, saves girl from marauding gang of hoodlums before an ending that is really quite twee. Some of the special effects at the start are decent enough (for 1933); but the story and characterisations are flat - nether Peggy Shannon ("Claire") nor Sidney Blackmer ("Martin") bring much to the party - indeed they could have been the precursors of "Dumb and Dumber" and Fred Kohler ("Jepson") seems to think he's an extra in a "Tarzan" film. It flows along well enough but it largely just washed over me...