This week’s mystery movie was the 1928 Universal film Lonesome, with Glenn Tryon, Barbara Kent, Fay Holderness, Gustav Partos and Eddie Phillips.

Story by Mann Page.

Adaptation and scenario by Edward T. Lowe Jr.

Dialogue and titles by Tom Reed.

Photographed by Gilbert Warrenton.

Edited by Frank Atkinson.

Directed by Paul Fejos.

Further information on Lonesome is available from the AFI Catalog.

Lonesome is available on Blu-ray from Critics’ Choice Video.

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After striking out last week in my search for films set at Coney Island, I found Lonesome, which features some sequences of Coney Island, plus more footage from Ocean Park. It is “sound on film” with a musical score and sound effects, but only brief bits of spoken dialogue, which were added later. As Sylvia pointed out, Lonesome was added to the Library of Congress National Film Registry in 2010. Raquel Stecher’s essay is here in pdf format.

Now that summer is over, our fling with films about amusement parks (and roller coasters) must come to an end. It’s time to look elsewhere. And where shall we go next? That’s to be decided!

This is fairly early for a New York Times review. I’m guessing Mordaunt Hall?

We are firmly in Mordaunt Hall territory and he does not care for Lonesome (October 2, 1928):

Dr. Paul Fejos, producer of that unusual film The Last Moment, is responsible for Lonesome, the production with which Universal has re-opened the Colony Theatre. This current attraction suggests an O. Henry story without that author’s keen insight into human nature. It is agreeable and interesting, a relief in many respects from the cut and dried picture formula so frequently set forth as a narrative. But there are a number of episodes where Dr. Fejos’s imagination seems stunted. Sometimes it looks as though he did not know what to do with his characters; he also sounds the same note too often.
The rigid direction has its effect upon the acting, particularly on the performance of Barbara Kent, who charming as she looks when smiling, is hardly expected to appear as cheerful as she does in most of the scenes.
The prolonging of some sequences, the culmination of which is by no means surprising, does not add to the strength of this effort and hoped-for ideas fail to flame forth. It is a story that could have been pictured with more fervency, truth and originality. Dr. Fejos’s fancy of taking his characters to Coney Island does not help his narrative, for with all his knowledge of camera tricks the scenes of that popular resort are not very different from those beheld in countless other pictures.

For Monday, we have a mysterious switchboard operator and an enigmatic caller.

Update: This is Mrs. Louise Emmons with Barbara Kent as Back of the Head Woman.

For “Tricky Tuesday,” we have still another mysterious amusement park (several mystery amusement parks appear in our mysterious movie).

Update: This is Dragons Gorge at Coney Island.

Brain Trust roll call: Anne Papineau (mystery movie, Monday’s mystery caller and Back of the Head Woman), Sylvia (mystery movie, Monday’s mysterious caller and Back of the Head Woman), Mike Hawks (mystery movie, Monday’s mystery caller and Back of the Head Woman), Allie (mystery movie and Monday’s mysterious caller) and L.C. (mystery movie, mysterious cast and one mystery amusement parks).

A historic image of Dragons Gorge, Shelby White and Leon Levy Digital Library.

For comparison, Dragon Gorge at Ocean Park.

And Dragon Gorge at Revere Beach, Mass.

For “Hm Wednesday,” we have a mysterious fellow. The leading man has been cropped out because of insufficient mysteriousness and will appear Friday.

Update: Adding our mysterious leading man.

Update: This is Andy Devine, left, and Glenn Tryon.

Brain Trust roll call: Anne Papineau (mysterious roller coaster and amusement park), Chrisbo (Monday’s mystery woman), Stacia (mysterious roller coaster and amusement park), Roget-L.A. (mysterious roller coaster and amusement park, but another movie) and Sylvia (mysterious roller coaster and amusement park, mystery camera techniques).

For “Aha Thursday,” we have this mysterious masher.

Update: This is Eddie Phillips and Barbara Kent half out of the frame.

And we have a mysterious woman. The leading lady has been cropped out and will appear tomorrow.

Update: Adding mysterious leading lady.

Update: This is Barbara Kent, center, and Fay Holderness.

Brain Trust roll call: Megan and Thom (Wednesday’s mysterious guest), Stacia (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery guest), Chrisbo (mystery movie and Man Cropped Out Because of Lack of Mysteriousness), Roget-L.A. (mystery movie, Monday’s mysterious caller and Back of the Head Woman and Wednesday’s mysterious fellow), B.J. Merholz (Wednesday’s mystery guest), and Sylvia E. (Wednesday’s mystery guest).

For Friday, we have our mysterious leads in color – with spoken dialogue!

Update: This is Barbara Kent and Glenn Tryon.

Brain Trust roll call: Eve Golden (Monday’s mysterious caller), Anne Papineau (Wednesday’s mysterious future TV actor and Thursday’s mystery guests), (Sylvia (Wednesday’s mysteriously cropped out leading man and Thursday’s mysterious guests and cropped-out leading lady) and Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mystery guests).