Charles G. Clarke Movies
Charles Clarke invented a battery-operated camera during the silent era that became standard equipment for film studios the world over. He also devised techniques for matte photography and was known for his ability to work in harsh conditions. He was nominated for an Academy Award several times. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide- 1929
In her first important screen role, Mae Clarke is cast as Jackie Lee, a saucy vaudeville dancer. Jackie comes between acrobat-partners Bert (Robert Ames) and Johnny (William Harrigan), despite their promises to one another never to let a "dame" break up their act. Much of the dialogue is comprised of show-business slang, which must have been confusing to 1929 filmgoers but provides an endless source of enjoyment to the contemporary movie buff. The musical numbers were imaginatively staged, notably a "post-card" routine in which a photograph suddenly comes to life (and this was 12 years before this bit was "introduced" in Citizen Kane!) Filmed in New York, Nix on Dames features several Broadway performers in the supporting cast, including Gilbert-and-Sullivan specialist George McFarlane and African American actress Louise Beavers, here dropping her usual "maid" characterization to offer a soulful spiritual. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mae Clarke, Robert Ames, (more)
- 1929
In this early, early talkie containing only 15 minutes of spoken word, an aging nightclub performer takes a young woman under her wing and rescues her from the suspicious fellow she hangs around with. The two women get very close; soon they discover they are long-lost mother and daughter who were separated when the older woman was widowed. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- June Collyer, Louise Dresser, (more)
- 1930
This sprightly romantic comedy chronicles the delightfully unlikely and tempestuous relationship between an opera diva and a sneak thief. They meet after he breaks into her home and attempts to chloroform her. She awakens and arrogantly warns him that the drug could destroy her beautiful voice. The thief then recognizes her as his very favorite singer. The two become friends. She attempts to have him take voice training so that she can reform him from a crook to an opera star, but he hates it and so prepares to resume his previous vocation. This causes her to ask him to marry him, but he refuses until she agrees to give up her career. Unfortunately, their married life is anything but blissful and eventually, he leaves her. Fortunately, they are reunited in the story's romantic conclusion. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1957
Edward Chodorov's stage farce Oh, Men! Oh, Women! is somewhat unnecessarily overburdened by star names in this 1957 film version. Dan Dailey plays psychiatrist Arthur Turner, who is somewhat put out when he discovers that one of his patients is the ex-boyfriend of his supposedly "normal" fiancée, Myra Hagerman (Barbara Rush). Having always prided himself on keeping his professional and personal life separated, Dr. Turner finds that he's just as mixed up as any of his patients in matters of the heart. Nominally, David Niven and Barbara Rush are the stars, but top billing is bestowed upon Dan Dailey and Ginger Rogers as bickering married couple Arthur and Mildred Turner, two secondary characters in the original play. Director Nunnally Johnson's screenplay also fleshes out the roles played by Dailey and Rogers with a lengthy, amusing "fantasy" sequence wherein Ginger offers a highly fanciful version of her marital life. In his motion picture debut, Tony Randall is hilarious as Cobbler, Myra Hagerman's neurosis-ridden former beau. Watch for Franklin Pangborn and Roy Glenn Sr. in unbilled cameo roles. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dan Dailey, Ginger Rogers, (more)
- 1926
Real-life college gridiron hero Red Grange heads the cast of the football drama One Minute to Play. Though his father wants him to attend Parmalee College, Red Wade (Grange) opts for Claxton U because the latter school has a better football team. Once he's enrolled, however, he is persuaded by his father (Charles Ogle) not to go out for football, but to concentrate on his studies instead. En route to Claxton by train, Red gets mixed up in a fight, and upon awakening he finds himself at Parmalee. Once he meets cutie coed Sally Rogers (May McAllister), Red decides to stick around -- and it isn't long before he breaks his promise to his dad and joins the football squad. Enraged, the elder Wade threatens to cancel a promised endowment to Parmalee if Red continues to play. Realizing that the college needs the money more than it needs him, Red pretends to go on a drunken binge so that the coach will kick him off the team. But when his football-hating father suddenly develops a love for the game during the annual Parmalee-Claxton confrontation, Red manages to make amends with the coach in time to score the winning touchdown. In addition to Red Grange, University of Washington football star George Wilson also appears in One Minute to Play. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Red Grange, Mary McAllister, (more)
- 1939
A sequel of sorts to 1938's Meet the Girls, Pardon Our Nerve stars as Lynn Bari and June Gale (replacing June Lang) as intrepid chorus girls Terry Wilson and Judy Davis. Unable to find any showbiz work, our heroines take jobs with a dating service. Before getting fired as usual, Terry and Judy overhear a telephone conversation wherein society matron requests the services of a prizefighter for a novelty party. The girls talk a dimwitted waiter named Samson Smith (Guinn Williams) into posing as a pugilist, leading to a successful career in the boxing ring-at least until the authorities find out that they've been flummoxed by Terry and Judy. Chester Clute has a good comedy part as a hapless bill-collector who invests his life savings in Samson's ill-fated career. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1955
Screenwriter Philip Dunne doubled as director on the elaborate filmed biography Prince of Players. Richard Burton stars as the eminent American tragedian Edwin Booth, whose life and career is thrown into turmoil after his younger brother John Wilkes Booth (John Derek) assassinates Abraham Lincoln. The film begins as the younger Edwin assists his alcoholic, ailing father Junius Brutus Booth (Raymond Massey) during a tour of the American hinterlands. When Junius dies just before a performance, Edwin goes on in his stead, thereby launching his own starring career. In danger of becoming as much of a drunk and carouser as his father, Edwin eventually pulls himself together, but his brother's act of violence turns the audience against the name of Booth. Almost booed offstage during a performance of Hamlet, Edwin stands his ground, finally earning the respect of his rowdy audience. Not exactly packed with fast action, Prince of Players will appeal most to lovers of theater in general and Shakespeare in particular. Highlight: Richard Burton and Eva LeGalleine performing the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet in the courtyard of a brothel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Burton, Maggie McNamara, (more)
- 1935
Cruelly separated from his mother (Dorothy Peterson), little Donald McCoy (Scotty Beckett) is being robbed of his childhood by greedy relatives. Taking pity on the boy, pilot Mitchell (Chester Morris) "kidnaps" the kid and sets out to return him to his mom. Detective Maxine (Sally Eilers), assigned to bring Donald back to his legal guardians, instead joins Mitchell in his efforts to do what's best for the boy. Along the way, the three fugitives disguise themselves in blackface, a scene that has often been cut from TV showings. Pursuit is based on Lawrence G. Blochman's mini-novel Gallant Highway. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chester Morris, Sally Eilers, (more)
- 1952
Richard Widmark plays a firefighter for the US Forestry Service, a brave man who nevertheless does not believe in taking foolish risks. Widmark is branded a coward by a rookie fireman (Jeffrey Hunter) who holds Widmark responsible for the forest-fire death of the rookie's father. All passions are swept aside when a particularly brutal fire strands Widmark and his men in the middle of unprotected forest. Widmark then realizes that he must attempt to lead the others to well-being. Red Skies of Montana represents the film debut (in an unbilled role) of future TV and film star Richard Crenna. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Widmark, Constance Smith, (more)
If anything, this star-studded sequel is even sillier than the original, adding to its problems by completely recasting all the roles, combining several of them into existing characters. Carol Lynley is the heroine this time, and she leaves Peyton Place for New York to write a book about the hypocrisy of her hometown. The book causes lots of trouble back home, getting Mike (Robert Sterling) fired as principal, angering Lynley's mother (Eleanor Parker), and stirring such horrible memories in Selena (Tuesday Weld) that she brains her new boyfriend with a fireplace poker, thinking he is her dead rapist stepfather. The film really belongs to Mary Astor, in a hilarious turn as a smotheringly possessive mother. She tries to come between her son and his new bride (Luciana Paluzzi) in some unintentionally hilarious scenes, causing Paluzzi to fling herself down a ski slope in an attempt at a self-induced miscarriage. Overwrought and overblown, the film is still a treat for fans of campy "suburban sin" melodramas. Look for Bob Crane as an unctuous talk show sidekick. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carol Lynley, Jeff Chandler, (more)
- 1928
All evidence suggests that Riley the Cop was a delightful vehicle for John Ford "regular" J. Farrell McDonald. New York policeman James Riley is asked to retrieve neighborhood boy Joe Smith (David Rollins), who skipped town after being falsely accused of theft and is now living a sinful life in Berlin. It isn't long before Riley himself succumbs to charms of the German metropolis, whereupon he magnanimously allows Joe to stay in Berlin long enough to win the heart of aristocratic Mary Coronelli (Nancy Drexel). Riley himself also finds romance, in the form of gawky German damsel Lena (Louise Fazenda). Little does he realize that Lena is the sister of his hated rival -- police officer Hans Krausmeyer (Harry Schultz). If the synopsis is any indication, the present unavailability of this John Ford comedy is a real loss. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Farrell MacDonald, Louise Fazenda, (more)
- 1941
The Cisco Kid rides again, this time in the person of Cesar Romero. Cisco and Pancho (Chris-Pin Martin) come to the aid of proud but ageing cattle king Pedro de Cordoba. Posing as deCordoba's nephew, our hero snoops around in search of those who'd do the old man dirt. The villain turns out to be a close relative of hitherto spotless reputation. We won't reveal the ending of Romance of the Rio Grande, though we'll plant a few hints by noting that the cast includes Patricia Morison, Ricardo Cortez, Trevor Bardette and Tom London. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cesar Romero, Patricia Morison, (more)
- 1938
In this entry in the Jones Family series of domestic comedies, the trouble begins when con artists attempt to convince Mayor Jones that the local swamp is chock full of valuable minerals. Mayhem ensues, and just as the crooks think they will be able to pull off their scam, some of Jones' children fall into the muck and the truth is revealed. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jed Prouty, Shirley Deane, (more)
- 1949
Novelist Will James, a specialist in horse stories, wrote the yarn upon which 20th Century-Fox's Sand was based. Mark Stevens plays horse breeder Jeff Keane, who loses his prize stallion in a train accident. While the stallion roams wild and free, Keane enlists the aid of rancher Joan Hartley (Coleen Gray) in searching for the animal. Once the horse is located, it is clear that it has developed a mean streak, the result of various cruelties inflicted upon it by humans. Jeff and Joan combine their efforts to regain the horse's friendship. Veteran Native American actors Iron Eyes Cody and Jay Silverheels make significant supporting appearances. Sand was attractively filmed in Technicolor on location in Colorado. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mark Stevens, Coleen Gray, (more)
- 1933
Sally Eilers plays Sandra, a secretary who falls for her boss in this passable marital drama from Fox. The attraction is mutual and when Carter Cavendish (Ralph Bellamy) learns that his wife, Betty (Helen Vinson), is having an affair, he divorces her and marries Sandra. But Betty wants sole custody of their young daughter, Patsy (Karol Kay), a potentially wealthy child prodigy, and does what she can to embarrass her former husband. Sandra, however, calls her bluff and the greedy Betty is eventually forced to relinquish custody of the child. Second Hand Wife was based on a serialized novel by Kathleen Norris. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sally Eilers, Ralph Bellamy, (more)
- 1935
In her American film debut, British stage luminary Constance Collier dominates MGM's Shadow of Doubt as wealthy, reclusive Aunt Melissa, a character obviously based on "witch of Wall Street" Hettie Green. Emerging from a 20-year seclusion, Melissa announces her intention to disown her nephew Sim (Ricardo Cortez) if he marries temperamental actress Trenna (Virginia Bruce), who has been implicated in a double murder case. A ubiquitous presence throughout the picture is Sim's best friend, eternally inebriated columnist Reed Ryan (Regis Toomey), who's more than a little anxious to crack the case -- or so he claims. But the person responsible for the film's happy ending is none other than Melissa, who turns out to be a sweet old gal after all. Shadow of Doubt was one of a brief mid-1930s cycle of "female-detective" films, which included the Hildegarde Withers and Nurse Sarah Keane mysteries. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ricardo Cortez, Virginia Bruce, (more)
- 1928
George O'Brien stars as George, a footloose sailor who adheres to a philosophy of "love 'em and leave 'em." While on leave in Morocco, George makes the acquaintance of fiery French dancer Lorette (Lois Moran), who of course falls madly in love with him. Regarding Lorette as just another diversion, George soon discovers that he can't get rid of the girl -- in fact, she follows him all the way back to America. Amused by George's predicament, his two best buddies Tom (Noah Young) and Jerry (Tom Dugan) fix it so that our hero will never be able to avoid Lorette. As a result, the hero surrenders to the inevitable and marries the girl -- to the surprise of absolutely no one. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George O'Brien, Lois Moran, (more)
- 1927
This Blanche Sweet vehicle was directed by John Griffith Wray, who outside of her own husband Marshall Neilan was Sweet's favorite director. The star is cast as dance-hall girl Dolly Wall, who invests her life savings in an oil well. A gusher comes in, enriching not only Dolly but her ne'er-do-well socialite sweetheart Royce Wingate (Warner Baxter). While Wingate hobnobs with the Upper Crust, poor Dolly is left home alone, stigmatized by her "scandalous" past. Driven to distraction by Wingate's indifference, Dolly threatens to disfigure his face with a vial of acid, but the terror-stricken Wingate shoots the bottle out of her hand, wounding her in the process. Only as Dolly lies bleeding does Wingate realize that he's truly in love with her (and please don't try this at home!) Singed was based on Love O' Women, a story by the celebrated Adela Rogers St. John. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Blanche Sweet, Claude King, (more)
- 1949
Ex-navy pilot Slattery (Richard Widmark) works for a dope-smuggling ring. When he's not in the air, Slattery is making time with Dolores (Veronica Lake), the somewhat put-upon secretary of the ring's leader. Only upon meeting Aggie (Linda Darnell), the wife of his old navy buddy Hobson (John Russell), does Slattery entertain thoughts of changing his ways. As the film's title indicates, Slattery redeems himself during an outsized hurricane. Based on a story by Herman Wouk, Slattery's Hurricane was largely shot on location in Florida. The film represented a comeback attempt by Veronica Lake, who was then married to director Andre de Toth. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Widmark, Linda Darnell, (more)
- 1946
Smoky is a Technicolor adaptation of Will James' beloved horse story, first filmed in 1933. Fred MacMurray plays a cowboy who is intrigued by a wild black stallion which refuses to be tamed. MacMurray ropes the stallion and determines to train it. "Smoky" responds to MacMurray, and horse and man form a strong bond; both are mavericks in a sense, and neither wants to be tied down to responsibility. During a cattle raid, Smoky is stolen and sold to various cruel owners. MacMurray finally catches up with his horse during a parade, in which Smoky breaks free from the junk cart he's been forced to pull. A third version starring Fess Parker was filmed in 1966. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fred MacMurray, Anne Baxter, (more)
- 1930
Will Rogers' second starring talkie feature was a spiritual twin of the first, They Had to See Paris, albeit with a significant change of locale. Although newly rich Texas mill owner Hiram Draper (Rogers) intensely despises all things British (dismissing the country as the land of "marmalade eaters"), he is forced by business considerations to journey to London. Going along for the ride are his wife (Irene Rich, who had costarred with Rogers in They Had to See Paris), and his son Hiram Junior (Frank Albertson). Upon the family's arrival, Junior falls in love with Elinor (Maureen O'Sullivan), daughter of aristocratic Lord Percy Worthing (Lumsden Hare), whose opinion of "Yankees" is about as low and disdainful as is Hiram's attitude towards "Limeys." Through a series of amusing incidents, not least of which is a zany hunting expedition, Hiram and Lord Percy become friends, consoling themselves to the marriage of their children. Highlights in this episodic star vehicle include the famous early sequence in which Hiram, who was born in Oklahoma while it was still "Indian Territory", tries to get a passport without the necessary U.S. birth certificate; and the finale, in which the two proud fathers perform a "singing duel" of their respective national anthems. Based on the successful stage play by Arthur F. Goodrich (which had originally starred George M. Cohan), So This is London was remade eight years later as one of 20th Century-Fox's "Jones Family" B-pictures. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Will Rogers, Irene Rich, (more)
- 1929
In this drama, an early talky, a horse race determines a woman's romantic fate. The trouble begins when she finds herself falling deeply in love with a handsome songwriter. Unfortunately, she is already betrothed to a real cad. When her fiance finds out that she loves another, he decides to frame the conductor for a crime. When she finds about the crime, the girl believes him and her heart breaks. In hopes of being able to gracefully break off the engagement she makes a deal with her fiance: if her horse (whom she thinks is a sure thing) loses the Kentucky Derby, she will become his unwilling bride. Unfortunately, the horse does indeed lose and the woman must honor her bet. Fortunately, just before her wedding day she attends a concert and who should be conducting but her true love. Realizing that the conductor is innocent and romantic bliss ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
