Did anyone actually understand a word anyone said?

I, otoh, didn't misunderstand a single word. Expected the old, worn-out, low dynamic-range mono track to be hard to make out, but it was just fine.

Many current, major network shows are harder to follow than this was due to overly hot music tracks over terribly recorded voice tracks.

not a single word!

When there's no more room in hell, The dead will walk the earth...

I had to use the subtitles on the DVD and read the movie. I also thought the movie was awful, the performances were forced and the dialogue was poorly written. I felt like I was watching a bad high school play. Side 2 of the DVD had 'Smart Money' with Edward G. Robinson, which was done one year later (1931) and is easily an 8 star movie.

Sometimes it's nice that all movies are subtitled here in Sweden :D. I had no problem hearing what was being said, but too much slang that I have never heard before.

I honestly didn't have a hard time hearing/understanding the dialogue. In fact, I thought their speech was a bit slow.



What do you think the teacher's gonna look like this year?

What's all the rumpus? You saps slay me, couldn't finger a palooka from a tomato. Now scram, you're gonna get the bum's rush if ya don't get on the trolley so you can be the cat's pajamas like me, see?

I had no trouble at all. It's really not that hard to understand and a lot of the idioms are still used today. My dad always says, "make it snappy." I know most of the early 20th century American slang because I've read a lot of Dashiell Hammett and Bugs Bunny cartoons during my early childhood was a good foundation to learn early Americana.

It's a sad commentary on the state of our culture that there are Americans who can't make sense of the dialogue in this film. The slang isn't that dated, and not at all hard to figure out.