Mae Tinee in the Chicago Tribune (1927):

     Joan Crawford's Jane is a character played with charm, force and restraint.

Robert E. Sherwood in Life (1927):

     It is an amusing, exciting picture, well played by Mr. Gilbert, Ernest Torrence and Joan Crawford, and competently directed by Jack Conway.

Motion Picture Magazine (Oct. 1927):

     The reviewers drive home two points in their reports on this picture -- the fact that Ernest Torrence just about steals the show and that the film breaks the bounds of what might be called movie tradition by having a sad ending. Aside from this, the critics are, as a whole, of the opinion that TWELVE MILES OUT contains qualities which will command the interest of theater patrons, in spite of the fact that they don't go out of their way to praise it. This is the film, according to report, that Gilbert himself was greatly dissatisfied with, but, all in all, his reported fears are not sustained by the reviewers.

     TWELVE MILES OUT, says Edwin Schallert in the Los Angeles Times, "is a picture that has certain fundamental weaknesses because of its plot and the setting of the story, and because several very improbable incidents are introduced. It is, however, an interesting picture. . . The tragic finish is more of a shock than a surprise." Mr. Schallert is reminded of Captain Flagg and Sergeant Quirt of WHAT PRICE GLORY when he sees Gilbert and Torrence, as the promoters of contraband, wrangling over this and that and then over the society girl with whom the bootlegger-hero falls in love.

     Although he finds that the film is "fairly satisfying" program fare, Martin Dickstein, writing in the Brooklyn Eagle, asserts that, "the suspicion persists, somehow, that it could have been much better." Mr. Dickstein says the film is less entertaining than the stage play.

     Asserting that TWELVE MILES OUT boasts one of the most hectic fights that has ever been filmed, Regina Cannon, the American's reviewer, finds that "Gilbert registers brutality throughout, evincing only a few tender moments at the end. He has been so much better before that his 'not so good' stuff here may be attributed to characterization that permits very little variation in temperament or tempo."

     The reviewers regard Miss Crawford as quite easy on the eyes and opine that the direction is good.

New York Review (1927):

     Joan Crawford is lovely as Jane, and though her part affords her little variety, she makes a lot out of it, and scores a pronounced success.

Stephanie  (January 2006)

Rating:   - 1/2  of 5

I wonder if different versions of Twelve were released in Europe and in the U.S. My French print is about 58 minutes long and several plot points vary from the synopsis in the entry in the Films of Joan Crawford book, which lists the running time as 85 minutes. My print could just be missing the first reel, but that wouldn't account for plot variations that also occur later in the film...

At any rate, my print begins with the rum-running Jerry (John Gilbert) and gang making a mad dash from the US Coast Guard and taking refuge in a home occupied by the upper-class Jane (Joan) and her snooty, weak fiance. When the couple threatens to report Jerry upon his departure, he takes them prisoner aboard his boat. After a few confrontations between the cowardly fiance and the good-at-heart Jerry, and a few piercing glances between Jane and Jerry (truly, no one can compare to Joan Crawford and Jack Gilbert when it comes to Intense Stares), Jane realizes she loves Jerry. (At which point the fiance inexplicably disappears---I've watched the film twice now and still can't figure out what happened to him! Did he fall overboard?!)

Once the spark between Jane and Jerry is kindled, though, the real trouble ensues when Jerry's old bootlegging rival and sometime buddy Red (Ernest Torrence) shows up. This hulking brute immediately starts trying to manhandle Jane and claim her for his own. To protect her, Jerry first devises a drinking contest, hoping to force Red to pass out and forfeit the girl. When this doesn't work, Jerry secretly sends an SOS to the Coast Guard, even though this means he'll give up his own freedom...

This film is all Gilbert's. Sorry to say, I haven't seen him in anything besides this aside from Queen Christina, but I was captivated and impressed with his performance here. He's a hearty, confident physical actor who's also capable of great facial expressiveness and subtlety. Granted, sometimes the Intense Stares are a tad bit over-the-top, but these are more than countered by other thoughtful moments when he's quietly looking at Jane, or grinning at her engagingly, or exhibiting disappointment with himself.

I've got to admit that Joan seems slightly overpowered onscreen by his charisma. And the camera notices, too: There are many more close-ups of Gilbert than of Joan, which doesn't just have to do with the fact that he was the bigger star; in this film at least, he is simply more interesting to look at. Joan doesn't have much to do here except stand around a bit stiffly (with the occasional fainting spell), looking at first disdainful and then sadly in love, and, finally, frightened by the Red menace. All of which she does more than competently; it's just that she seems a bit boyish or kid-like here, without the raw glamour and sex appeal that Gilbert exudes.

Another powerful presence here is Ernest Torrence (also Joan's co-star in '28's Across to Singapore and '29's Untamed). Egads, what a big, leering galoot of a man! His scenes with Gilbert, whether they're brawling or trying to outwit each other, are intense and interesting because of both the psychological and physical acting power each possesses. As described in the Films of JC book synopsis, the first part of the movie focuses on Jerry and Red's rivalry, as they compete for money, women, and daredevil glory around the globe. Maybe seeing more of this psychological backstory of the two men would have made this a 3-star rather than 2-1/2-star film for me. As is, it's a decent adventure tale, simply plotted, with a love interest thrown in, with points given for the acting chops of the two male leads.

Joan would have to develop for a few more years before she'd have the onscreen wattage of Gilbert (or of Lon Chaney, for that matter, whom she also co-starred with in 1927). By the time she began appearing with Clark Gable in 1931, she had definitely summoned the inner resources necessary to hold her own and project against a strong, charismatic male co-star. Here, though, she's still a bit of a lightweight.