Hearts and Diamonds involves a lovable fat man (John Bunny) out to marry a rich woman. Eventually it becomes all about baseball, which makes very little sense. It turns out the woman, played by Flora Finch, loves baseball so Bunny ends up holding a game to impress her.
Until the game, which drags on and on, Hearts is mildly amusing. Bunny’s a bit of a jerk; he kicks his daughters out to pose as a bachelor, he assaults his brother who mocks him for pursuing a wealthy spinster. He’s funny.
But the game is a complete drag. Baker’s direction of it is so limp, it’s hard to tell who’s on which team. The clearest sign is when Finch cheers, it’s for Bunny’s team. Except the rest of the spectators cheer regardless.
The contrived finale brings in an escaped lunatic.
Hearts could be worse, but it has nothing going for it.
Not Recommended
CREDITS
Directed by George D. Baker; written by Eugene Mullin; released by General Film Company.
Starring John Bunny (Widower Tupper), Flora Finch (Miss Rachel Whipple), Ethel Lloyd (Tupper’s Daughter), Ethel Corcoran (Tupper’s Daughter), Charles Eldridge (Toper Staggs), William Shea (Uncle William), Kalman Matus (Jack), Arthur Cozine (Harry) and Lennie Smith (Misty Catheson).
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