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The Dark Horse

Play trailer Poster for The Dark Horse 1932 1h 15m Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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Tomatometer 1 Reviews 57% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
The Progressive Party needs a candidate for governor, and, when its top picks drop out, it settles on dim-witted Zachary Hicks (Guy Kibbee). Party secretary Kay Russell (Bette Davis) has a crush on political strategist Hal Blake (Warren William) and believes he could improve Hicks' chances. But Hal is in jail for not paying alimony to his ex-wife, Maybelle (Vivienne Osborne). The party bails him out, and he gets to work. Then a vengeful Maybelle shows up, and the campaign takes a wild turn.

Critics Reviews

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Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews The cynical, daffy pic plays better as farce than satire. Rated: B Jul 21, 2015 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (5) audience reviews
Steve D Really entertaining and often funny. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/29/24 Full Review Audience Member Surprisingly sharp little parody of vapid campaigns filled with empty promises and blather, run by cynical sharpies with no real ideals other than ambtion. Feels more fresh, alive and modern than you might expect for a picture of it's vintage, though some of it's the '30s mores are amusingly cornball. A terriffic cast, with Bettie Davis at her most alluring, and the goofy jocularity of Guy Kibbie chewing the scenery. Warren William is especially funny and charming as the rascally political operative and put upon loverboy. An underrated little pleasure, Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/10/23 Full Review Audience Member Minor but decent programmer is worth catching more for it's cast, including a young Bette Davis, than it's average story. The under-appreciated Warren William is good in the lead. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Audience Member so so pre-code early talkie with davis the main reason to check this one out Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member strip-poker, alimony payments, electoral politics, a perfect pre-code comedy. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/21/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Dark Horse

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Movie Info

Synopsis The Progressive Party needs a candidate for governor, and, when its top picks drop out, it settles on dim-witted Zachary Hicks (Guy Kibbee). Party secretary Kay Russell (Bette Davis) has a crush on political strategist Hal Blake (Warren William) and believes he could improve Hicks' chances. But Hal is in jail for not paying alimony to his ex-wife, Maybelle (Vivienne Osborne). The party bails him out, and he gets to work. Then a vengeful Maybelle shows up, and the campaign takes a wild turn.
Director
Alfred E. Green
Producer
Samuel Bischoff
Production Co
First National Pictures
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 11, 2016
Runtime
1h 15m