Walter Morosco Movies

Flighty Denise Lake (Irene Rich) tries to be faithful to her husband Howard (Huntley Gordon), but while vacationing in Hungary she falls for a shabby violinist named Tade Adrian (Victor Varconi), who claims to be of noble birth. Her understanding hubby allows Denise to have her fling but arranges to reveal Adrian as a phony before he can complete his seduction. Even after learning her lesson, however, Denise can't avoid winking at the next handsome fellow who passes by. Silken Shackles represented the directorial debut of Walter Morosco, who later became a producer for 20th Century-Fox. Featured in the cast is former Sennett comedian Kalla Pasha, who enjoyed a healthy career until the early 1930s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Playwright Maxwell Anderson's domestic comedy drama Saturday's Children was adapted for the screen three times between 1929 and 1940, each time by Warner Bros. The first version, a part-talkie, starred Corinne Griffith and Grant Withers as youthful sweethearts Bobby Halevy and Jim O'Neill. A self-styled "ladies' man" with big plans for his financial future, Jim balks when Bobby suggests that they marry and settle down in their sleepy hometown. Eventually, Jim walks out on Bobby, whereupon our heroine resorts to "women's tricks" -- the selfsame stratagems that she's condemned all her life -- to win her sweetheart back. Despite the directorial dexterity of Gregory LaCava, not much could be done to hide the fact that Corinne Griffith's voice did not match her screen image. Incidentally, the "Charles Lane" who plays the heroine's plot-resolving father is not the same Charles Lane who later played Homer Bedloe on TV's Petticoat Junction. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this early talkie that contains very little talking, an Austrian showgirl working in a cabaret moonlights as a thief. When she is caught in the act, a young lawyer offers to defend her. Unfortunately, he isn't very good and loses the case, causing her to spend several months in jail. Fortunately, the two have fallen in love, and he promises to wait for her. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Silent screen sweetheart Corinne Griffith, who originally wanted to retire when talkies came in, proved the wisdom of her earlier decision when she starred in the clunky musical drama Lilies of the Field. Griffith is cast as Mildred Harker, who loses custody of her child in a messy divorce settlement. Leaving her hometown in disgrace, Mildred heads to New York, where after a crash course in the school of hard knocks she joins the chorus of a Ziegfeld-like musical revue. Now a full-fledged gold-digger, she enjoys the favors of backstage johnnies and elderly sugar daddies, but finally finds true love in the form of Park Avenue socialite Ted Willing (Ralph Forbes). Alas, Mildred is damaged goods, and soon she's back in the gutter whence she came. A remake of a 1924 silent film which also starred Corinne Griffith, Lilies of the Field is distinguished by a bizarre musical number in which the star is dressed (just barely) as an art-deco automobile hood ornament! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this British drama, a colonel is upset to learn that his daughter is planning to leave her dishwater-dull husband in favor of his male secretary. More trouble ensues when the colonel learns that his secretary is the son of his butler. He decides to end the affair and heads for Paris where he does just that. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Corinne Griffith, the stunningly attractive "orchid lady" of the silent screen, originally intended to retire when talkies came in. The wisdom of this decision was demonstrated in her handful of sound-picture appearances, of which Lily Christine is among the least memorable. While driving along in her touring car, Lily Christine (Griffith) breaks her glasses. Since her travelling companion Rupert Harvey (Colin Clive) can't drive at all, he and Lily are forced to spend the evening at Harvey's home. It's all quite innocent, but Harvey's wife Muriel (Anne Grey) suspects that her husband and Lily have been canoodling around, an opinion also held by Lily's own husband Ivor (Jack Trevor), an inveterate philanderer who has been looking for an excuse to divorce his wife. Disgraced in the eyes of the world, Lily attempts to kill herself, but there's a happy ending in the offing for herself and Harvey -- who, as it turns out, has loved her all along. Lily Christine was based on a considerably racier novel by Michael Arlen. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The crackerjack director/cinematographer team of Harry Lachman and Rudolph Mate (Dante's Inferno, Our Relations) brought an extra veneer of class to the 1932 Gertrude Lawrence vehicle Aren't We All. She plays a shy and retiring lass who harbors a secret past indiscretion. Her "shameful" secret is revealed just as she plans to marry wealthy Owen Nares. The future husband expresses outrage, but his father Hugh Wakefield comes to Lawrence's rescue by exposing one or two of Nares' past peccadillos, and by inviting the girl's former lover to state his case. This British drawing room comedy was based on a stage play by the prolific Frederick Lonsdale. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Cisco Kid attempts to prove that reports of his death are greatly exaggerated in this western programmer. Cisco (Cesar Romero) and his sidekick Gordito (Chris-Pin Martin) ride into town to discover that the word on the street is that the great Cisco Kid has died -- and what's worse, before his passing, he tried to swindle Susan Wetherby (Sheila Ryan) out of her land. Cisco soon learns that the dirty deeds are actually the work of Kate Brewster (Janet Beecher), a female outlaw adept at covering her tracks. The Gay Caballero marked Cesar Romero's third screen appearance as the Cisco Kid, with three more to follow. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

This back-stage romantic comedy pokes fun at Hollywood cowboys as it tells the story of a champion rodeo rider who is contracted to work in a series of low-budget westerns. He has rootin' tootin' fun until he meets a spoiled, volatile actress. He decides to personally take responsibility for "gentling" this tempestuous mare and that is when all the fun begins. Unfortunately, she is not easily broken, he gets fed up and returns to being a real cowboy. Fortunately, by that time, the gal has developed a few feelings for him and decides to go with him. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this comedy, a popular radio marriage counselor tends to ignore his own advice and his wife to boot. One day, a handsome fellow sees the wife while on his boat and casually invites her to spend the day with him. She does, and they end up falling in love. This naturally disturbs her husband, who is soon inspired to prove that he does indeed love and need her. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this sentimental drama, a real estate executive tires of his privileged life working for his wealthy father-in-law and decides to leave his job and family to become a WPA ditch digger. While laboring, he meets a lovely immigrant, with whom he falls in love. He then begins working to help the residents of a slum better their lives. He even manages to convince his wife's father to help him. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Ubiquitous 20th Century-Fox contractee Lynn Bari is the heroine of The Perfect Snob. Carefully raised by her social-climbing mother Martha (Charlotte Greenwood) to seek out a millionaire husband, debutante Chris Mason (Bari) throws herself at wealthy Freddie Browning (Alan Mowbray) during a Hawaiian vacation. But Chris secretly intends to follow the advise of her doctor father (Charles Ruggles) and marry for love rather than money. In this spirit, she pledges her troth to the handsome but apparently impoverished Mike Lord (Cornel Wilde). Much to everyone's surprise and delight, Mike turns out to be the owner of a thriving sugar plantation! Still several years removed from film stardom, Anthony Quinn goes through the "other man"paces generally reserved for Ralph Bellamy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide