Nick Grinde | The Devil's Cabaret / 1930

the hell of it

by Douglas Messerli

 

Unknown writers, Nick Grinde (director) The Devil's Cabaret / 1930

 

This 16-minute short film represents the very essence of the early days’ laxity of enforcing the Hollywood Production Code. By 1934 such musical bon-bon’s as The Devil’s Cabaret could never have been released.

    If fact, this work itself is a remnant of what was supposed to be a feature movie with the The Three Stooges, and a host of film and Broadway stars of the day, Gus Edwards, Fay Templeton, Marie Dressler, Van and Schenck, DeWolf Hopper Sr., Buster Keaton, Albertina Rausch and her dancers, Polly Moran Cliff Edwards, Benny Rubin, Ramon Novarro, Bing Crosby, the Duncan Sisters, Barney Fagan and Raquel Torres. The film, The March of Time, directed by Charles Reisner, was shelved after the failure of Reisner’s The Hollywood Review of 1929, which featured many of the same figures, and which I reviewed of being of gay interest for the 1920-1929 volume of My Queer Cinema. The failure of that film and the general waning interest in film musicals in general meant closing down this work before it was even finished. A few of the lavish scenes were repurposed for inclusion in other films or, as this one, were presented revised as stand-alone works.

     This sketch has never been listed among the several gatherings of LGBTQ films, but certainly belongs there.

     Howie Burns (Edward Buzzell) works as the right-hand man at “Satan & Co.” where Mr. Satan (Charles Middleton) is burned up over the fact that too many people are going straight up to heaven rather than down to his neck of the woods. He tells his secretary, Impy (Mary Carlisle) to call in Howie for a chat.

    When Howie shows up for work, Impy passes on the news, Howie picking up the phone says, “Give me the devil,” but quickly discovers that Satan is in conference, Burns suggesting that he’s simply raking someone over the coals. That someone later turns out to be a newcomer, nuisance fire-eater, who is a danger down in the land of flames.

     Meanwhile, Howie dictates a letter to his good friend Pete (St. Peter) to complain of stealing his customers, explaining that it costs a lot to keep the old fires burning, and they’re in the red. He may be up to “Golden Gate” later tonight and “I’ll drop in to see you. I may be a little late so don’t wait up for me. Just leave me the key under the mat.” Presumably they’ll settle things in bed. Clearly that’s how Impy reads it, suddenly mistaking the invitation to be for her instead of Pete. Howie sets her right.

     As Howie moves to leave, a hot flare briefly torches his ass, Imply asking in some shock, “What was that?” Howie turns and in a fey voice and a slight limp of the wrist declares, “Just an old flame of mine.”

     Burns is finally let in to see his boss, who explains his dilemma. The quick-moving dialogue goes something like this:

 

-" . . . this business of going to Heaven has got to stop. Now isn't there some way that we could direct the traffic down here?"

-"Well, we might add a few detours on the straight and narrow path, or widen the road to ruin."

-"But suppose that didn't work?"

-"Then you'll just have to raise the wages of sin."

 

     Together they consider some likely candidates, including the creator of miniature golf courses. Certainly, Howie Burns would like to “bring him down.” Satan is keen on getting a noted radio announcer. But insists that there should no stockbrokers let into Hell. “It’s bad for business.”

   But Howie does have a good idea. Arriving at a nightclub in front of which a Preacher (Nelson McDowell) warns the people who dare to enter of losing their souls to Hell, Howie offers them far more fun and entertainment inside, no sweet music and a harp, but hot music, hot jazz. He previews a short number as several of the women, vaguely dressed as Puritans, gradually strip to their undergarments. As the girls dance in, all the others rush in behind them.

   There they get the lavish musical number which must have been featured in The March of Time. what can only be described as a satanic ballet.

   After the rather remarkable performance, Howie demands that all men go to the dormitory of the left, and women to female dormitory on the right. The entire crowds out “No.”

    Howie argues, didn’t I show you a good time tonight? “Yes,” they all agree. But one woman, who stutters, asks, but what’s the meaning separating us.

     Howie’s face lights up in gleeful delight: “Ahhhh. That’s the hell of it,” hinting that it was where the fun really lies. The women group together, as do the men dancing their way to the credits.

 

Los Angeles, January 7, 2026

Reprinted from My Queer Cinema blog (January 2026).