James A. Starr Movies

Republic Pictures trotted out some of their popular Western stars -- including Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, Trigger, Allan Lane and Don "Red" Barry -- for this backstage musical starring the company's newest singing cowboy, Monte Hale. To top it all off, the studio "inaugurated" Trucolor, which, in reality, was the old Magnacolor system under a more enticing name. Hale played himself, a cowboy seeking employment with "Globe Pictures" along with such other newcomers as little Bobby Blake (later Robert Blake) and his dancing horse Pardner. Monte and the horse are hired to appear in the newest Rod Mason (John Dehner) Western extravaganza, but the self-important Mason grows increasingly jealous of Monte's success and engages in a bit of sabotage. Pardner is slightly injured as a result, and although he is wanted for a series of his own, Monte takes time out to heal the animal's wounds. Mason immediately accuses his rival of not only kidnapping the horse but mistreating him as well. Assisted by Foy Willing and the Riders of the Purple Sage, Monte eventually forces Rod and his henchman Ace (Fred Graham) to admit their culpability in Pardner's injuries, doing so the oldfashioned way -- by brute force. In addition to offering an enticing glimpse behind the scenes at Republic Pictures in its heyday, Out California Way also included such songs as Boogie Woogie Cowboy, Rose of Santa Fe, Little Bronc of Mine, and the title tune. Columnist and occasional screenwriter Jimmy Starr appeared briefly as himself. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi

This early Judy Canova vehicle was conceived along the same lines as the 1937 20th Century-Fox musical Kentucky Moonshine. A movie studio sends its talent scouts to hillbilly country, there to find a new singing star. Actually it's all a publicity stunt; the studio has planted a Hollywoodite in the hills to await a phony discovery. But the scouts come upon genuine mountain girl Judy Canova instead, and it is she who makes the grade in Tinseltown. Canova's crowning moment in Scatterbrain is the scene in which she washes a floor gliding about on roller skates with brushes tied to them, while singing that top-40 favorite "Benny the Beaver". ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A midwestern girl heads for Hollywood in hopes of becoming a star. She is accompanied by two good buddies and this comedy chronicles their adventures in Tinseltown. It all begins when the new arrivals enroll in a bogus acting school run by two con artists. A wealthy entrepreneur shows up looking to invest his money. One of the greedy grifters persuades him into financing a film starring the new girl from Peoria, but he gives one condition to the businessman: if the film fails, the conman gets to keep the money. To insure failure, the fellow hires a washed up boozer of a director. The director takes the job seriously and wants to prove that he is not a has-been. This doesn't set well with the "producer" who has his partner take the starlet to a remote cabin and leave her stranded after he gets drunk and passes out. By this time, the director has fallen in love with the girl. Meanwhile, her buddies have found that they'd rather go home and resume their old jobs. The director begins looking for the girl so he can save her and his career. Her buddies hear of her predicament and they too rush to her rescue. It is they who return her safe and sound to the studio. The director makes his film and it is a smash hit. The girl becomes a star and the conmen go to jail. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

This thriller begins in 1889 as a lover kills another in a mansion. The film then jumps ahead to 1929 as an eccentric antique dealer, his daughter, maid and butler are moving in to the same mansion. Upon the arrival of the daughter's fiance, a reporter, a series of strange murders start. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

So many silent favorites had fallen by the wayside with the comic of talkies that one shouldn't be surprised that canine star Rin-Tin-Tin had to content himself with fourth billing in The Man Hunter. The plot is typical of Rinty's silent vehicles, with the doggie hero tracking down villains, aiding the hero, and rescuing the heroine. The film's singular novelty is its setting: Darkest Africa, where Lady Jane Winston (Nora Lane) has arrived to find out what's been delaying her ivory shipments. It turns out that her overseer is a crook, whereupon Rinty, with the help of nominal human hero George Castle (John Loder), swings into action. The Rin-Tin-Tin features, once a mainstay of the Warner Bros. operation, steadily lost money after the advent of talkies, which is why Rinty ended his movie career starring in serials for low-budget Mascot Pictures. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This wonderful Warner Bros. epic was one of the earliest talkie musicals with a Hollywood background -- and the last of its kind until 1933's Sitting Pretty. Alice White stars as pert chorine Dixie Dugan, a character she'd played in 1928's Show Girl (and one which would spin off into a long-running comic strip). This time, Dixie is brought to Hollywood to appear in a music titled The Rainbow Girl. Thanks to the urgings of her egotistical director (John Miljan), the normally down-to-earth heroine begins acting like a haughty screen queen. Her temperamental behavior causes a shut-down of the production, ruining the comeback attempt of fading star Donna Harris (played by Blanche Sweet, who at 36 looks far younger than her "over-the-hill" character, who's supposed to be 32!) When Donna nearly commits suicide, Dixie realizes what a jerk she's been, and the show -- er, the movie -- goes on. A surprisingly accurate scene from Show Girl in Hollywood, showing a musical number "in production" on the sound stage has since been excerpted in several TV documentaries on the early sound era. The film originally ended with a Technicolor sequence depicting the premiere of the fictional The Rainbow Girl, with several Warner Bros. employees (Al Jolson, Ruby Keeler, Loretta Young and Walter Pidgeon) in attendance. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this frothy musical, a lovely young woman is wooed by two men. One of them meets her father's approval so it is only natural that she attempt to elope with the other. Fortunately the good guy catches up with them before it is too late. Songs include: "Spring Is Here in Person," "I Married an Angel," "Yours Sincerely," "Rich Man, Poor Man," "Baby's Awake Now," "With a Song in My Heart" (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart), "Cryin' for the Carolines," "Have a Little Faith In Me," "Bad Baby," and "How Shall I Tell?" (Sam Lewis, Joe Young, Harry Warren). ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

In this comedy, a meddlesome and grouchy publisher pushes his son and his wife a little too hard to make a few grandchildren and nearly causes them to divorce. It seems the wife is almost unnaturally bonded with her poodle and has no interest in children. Their marriage nearly disintegrates during a sojourn to Paris. The two then go to divorce court where a wise judge sees that they are still in love and helps them realize it. More happiness ensues when the grandfather learns that his daughter-in-law is expecting twins. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Inimitable, top-hatted clarinetist Ted Lewis stars in Is Everybody Happy? (the title, of course, was a Lewis catchphrase). Lewis plays Tod Todd, a Hungarian-emigre violinist who disdains the classics in favor of jazz, much to the dismay of his traditionalist parents (didn't we already see this plot in The Jazz Singer?) Upon discovering that his son is playing in honky-tonks and not with the New York Symphony, Todd's old-world papa Victor (Lawrence Grant) blows his top and disowns the boy. All is forgiven when Todd is headlined in a jazz concert at Carnegie Hall. Surprisingly, such trademarked Ted Lewis tunes as "When My Baby Smiles at Me" and "Me and My Shadow" are not included in Is Everybody Happy? ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

That intrepid German Shepherd Rin Tin Tin is his usual ruff-n-ready self in this adventure that has him trying to deal with jewel thieves who have hidden a priceless diamond necklace in his collar. They lose the dog, after a terrible car crash. Fortunately, Rin is saved by fellow who takes him home. The dog's new master has no idea what the collar contains until the desperate thieves kidnap him. The hapless fellow is assisted by the dog, and a soft-hearted moll who wants to go straight. Action ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Onoto (Myrna Loy) is slated to be sold to a wealthy Mandarin, but is rescued from the auction block by white fugitive from justice Gregory Kent (John Miljan). Onoto falls in love with Kent, and he with her, but this is 1928, and marriage between races is still taboo. Gallantly, Onoto forsakes Kent so that he may marry his white sweetheart Nadine Howells (Leila Hyams), then sadly disappears into the night. Asian actress Anna May Wong, who by rights should have played the leading role, is consigned to a glorified bit part. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A largely silent musical, My Man is primarily a showcase for the enormously popular Ziegfeld Follies star Fanny Brice who plays the owner of a costume shop who tries to deal with her free-spirited troublesome sister while simultaneously trying to hang onto her relationship with a homeless physical culture demonstrator. Brice and he decide to marry and as they prepare for their wedding, her sister gets jealous and tries to seduce him. Though the story isn't much, Brice does perform some of her most famous sketches and even sings a couple songs. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi