Leon M. Lion Movies

Crackerjack tells the story of Jack Drake (Tom Walls), who is seemingly an ordinary, foppish member of England's idle rich, a true ne'er-do-well. He has a secret, however (actually, several) -- the first being a heart of gold and a social conscience, which motivate him to help the less fortunate; the second is an array of special, stealthy skills that permit him to be a master thief, so masterful that he can even steal from other thieves without their knowledge. His exploits, attributed to a master thief known as "Crackerjack," are even chronicled in an anonymously authored bestseller entitled Crackerjack (which even the Scotland Yard superintendent is reading). Its royalties are all directed to a charity. As he explains to his valet/social secretary, Burdge (Charles Heslop -- the only person who knows his secret), he never steals from anyone who would actually miss the money in any material way, and he does it because they're "too mean to give it away themselves." He is also in love with the Baroness Von Haltz (Lilli Palmer) and the two interests converge at a costume party thrown by Mrs. Humbold (Muriel George) -- he plans to court the baroness and steal the Humbold pearls. But all plans of romance are swept aside when the quartet of American entertainers at the party turn out to be armed robbers who kill one of the guests. Now a cat-and-mouse game ensues: Crackerjack on the one side trying to steer Scotland Yard to the American gang, the gang trying to get a line on Crackerjack to get the Humboldt pearls, and Scotland Yard caught between them, and on top of that, baroness is in jeopardy. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi

Amazing Quest was the original British release title of the 1937 comedy Romance and Riches (aka Riches and Romance). Making a rare return trip to England, Cary Grant plays the heir to a huge fortune. Alas, Grant is miserable, because he's never worked for his money. Determined to prove his worth, Grant makes a wager than he can earn his keep for a full year without ever touching the family millions. He loses his bet when he must draw upon his money to wed poverty-stricken Mary Brian, the better to save her from an unhappy marriage of convenience. Still, his experiences among the working classes have left an indelible impression; turning his back on his "equals," Grant invites all of his newly acquired lowborn friends to his wedding reception. Like His Girl Friday, Penny Serenade, and Charade, Amazing Quest is one on the ever-growing list of Cary Grant films that have lapsed into public domain, and thus are more readily available than when first released. Amazing Quest was based on a novel by E. Phillips Oppenheim. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this drama a Chinese mandarin admits that he stole a secret treaty. He does this to protect the true thief who is his friend's wife. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

In this teary drama, a married couple remember their lives together. Heart-wrenching flashbacks ensue. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

The British Hard Times ran a scant four reels, which in 1915 translated to about 60 minutes' screen time. It was hardly enough time to do full justice to its source, the multiplotted Charles Dickens novel of the same name, though it can't be faulted for trying. The basic storyline remains the same: a thief robs his brother-in-law's mill and arranges to place the blame on one of the weavers. The leading role of Tom Gradgrind was played by Leon M. Lion, later a prolific playwright and screenwriter. According to contemporary reviews, Hard Times was updated to 1915, which was closer to Dickens' time than the film itself is to ours. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi