Viewed as the first “talkie”, 1927’s Jazz Singer became a massive success and changed Hollywood forever. However, that didn’t mean silent films vanished immediately, and 1929’s Why Be Good? offers an example from the tail end of that era.

Pert Kelly (Colleen Moore) loves to dance, and she proves skilled enough to win competitions that focus on the popular styles of the day. However, these also bring her into contact with some shady characters.

The son of the department store where Pert works, Winthrop Peabody Jr. (Neil Hamilton) falls for her, but when his father (Edward Martindel) questions her reputation, the younger Peabody encounters a dilemma. This leads the couple on a romantic journey to see if Pert can live up to her beau’s ideals.

Well, that sounds dated and chauvinistic, doesn’t it? Of course, the premise fits the attitudes of the late 1920s – and an awful lot of periods since then as well.

So archaic as the basic plot might sound now, it suits historical (double) standards. The question becomes whether or not Why manages to do much with its romantic comedy.

Maybe? On the negative side, the story seems fairly thin and it doesn’t get much room to go anywhere beyond the basics.

Still, Why comes with some charms, most of which stem from the vibrant lead performance give by Moore. She offers a dynamic turn that allows Pert to seem strong even within the patriarchal theme of the story.

Hamilton seems less interesting, but he comes across as just charismatic enough to offer a reasonable foil for the dynamic Moore. While the two don’t generate immense chemistry, they bring a decent connection.

Even at a brief 81 minutes, Why can feel a bit elongated, as the story just doesn’t do much to justify that length. This means the tale drags, especially since the viewer can likely figure out the ending well in advance.

Still, Why offers a decent diversion, one with enough charm to keep the viewer moderately interested. Outside of its leading lady, nothing about it excels, but it usually connects.

Why Be Good? appears in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. The image seemed more than acceptable for a 95-year-old movie but nonetheless came with some issues.

Sharpness held up acceptably well, though not with consistency. We got a range of fairly accurate shots and others that felt somewhat soft.

No issues with jagged edges or shimmering occurred, and I saw only slight edge haloes in some high contrast shots. The movie feature ample grain.

Print flaws manifested with some frequency, as a mix of scratches, lines and marks popped up through the film. Though these didn’t dominate, they created some distractions.

Blacks tended to seem crushed, and the film felt too bright a lot of the time. Given the flick’s age, I still thought it merited a “C+”, but I’ve seen plenty of movies from this era that offered superior visuals.

Though technically a silent film, Why Be Good? featured a synchronized Vitaphone soundtrack. Here reproduced as DTS-HD MA monaural, the audio sounded about as dated as one might expect.

Music heavily dominated the mix, and the score sounded thin but decent. While these elements lacked range, they also failed to suffer from obvious shrillness or distortion.

Effects played a minor role, usually little more than applause in a few scenes. These components tended to sound rough, but given how infrequently they appeared, this didn’t matter much.

Background noise became a moderate distraction, though one that varied from scene to scene. Ultimately, this track seemed acceptable given the flick’s age.

Although no Why-specific extras appear here, it comes paired with a second silent film: The Boob from 1926.

Despite a slight story and a generally uninspired vibe, Why Be Good? manages moderate entertainment value. This occurs largely thanks to a solid lead performance from Colleen Moore, as she carries this thin project. The Blu-ray comes with adequate picture and audio but it lacks supplements related to the movie itself. Expect a decent but unexceptional mix of comedy and romance.