Madeleine Carroll Movies

In this romance, a wealthy woman is duped by a charming conductor. Later she ends up using him so she can remain in France. In the end, the sparring partners fall in love for real. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

The time is WWI. British guerilla fighter Col. Duncan Grant (Brian Aherne) makes his way behind enemy lines to foil the Germans' plans to destroy those towns presently controlled by the Allied Expeditionary Forces. The Germans have planted a series of mines throughout the countryside, in a pattern resembling the letter "W" hence the film's title The W Plan. Assisting Grant in his mission is his pre-war sweetheart Rosa Hartman (Madeleine Carroll), German by birth but sympathetic to the Allied cause. Based on a novel by Graham Seton, The W Plan was distributed in the U.S. by RKO Radio. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Madeleine Carroll plays a dual role "sort of" in the WWI comedy French Leave. When her husband Harry (Haddon Mason) marches off to the Front, Dorothy Glennister (Carroll) can't stand the idea of being separated from him. Sooooo, she sneaks into the French town where Harry is stationed and poses as a local coquette named Juliette. Unfortunately, her little stratagem backfires when she's suspected of being a German spy. Virtually every British officer depicted in the film is a pompous idiot, making one wonder how they ever won the war. Originally released at 100 minutes, French Leave was pared down to an hour for its American release -- and judging by what was left, those missing 40 minutes were no great loss. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Financially strapped Stuart Rome sells all of his horses except one colt which goes on to win the big race giving him the needed capital to get back on his feet. ~ All Movie Guide

In this espionage drama an international spy goes searching for secret papers hidden within an isolated inn. He is accompanied by various spies and detectives. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this early talkie, Capt. Matt Denant (Gerald du Maurier) is a former war hero who intervenes when he sees a crooked detective threatening a woman on the street. Denant and the detective soon fall into a brawl, and the detective is accidentally killed. Sentenced to five years in prison at hard labor, Denant finds that he cannot stand the indignities of life behind bars and escapes. A number of friends and compassionate strangers help him hide from the law, but when Denant goes into hiding in a church, he puts the pastor in the difficult position of having to lie about him in order to protect his safety. Escape was the first production for RKO Radio Pictures' British branch; leading man Gerald du Maurier is the father of famed novelist Daphne du Maurier. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Nearly 70 years before James Cameron made the Titanic tragedy his own personal property, E. A. DuPont offered his own spectacular spin on the same story in the landmark early talkie Atlantic. Adhering to the classic three-act structure, the first portion of the film concentrates on the passengers -- both above and below deck -- of a huge luxury liner on its maiden voyage. The middle portion deals with the liner's collision with an iceberg and the reactions of the passengers, ranging from mild annoyance to outright panic. Dupont reserves the best for last, as the great ship Atlantic begins its final descent amidst the terrified cries of the passengers as they try to crowd into too few lifeboats. Stalwart courage and craven cowardice come head to head in the climactic scenes, but in the final summation it is the special effects, rather than the behavior of the characters, that linger longest in the memory. Amazingly, the film fades before the ship sinks beneath the waves, which may be why Atlantic came nowhere near the box-office success of Cameron's Oscar-winning Titanic (besides, who had a billion dollars back in 1930?) In addition, too much time is spent on a comedy-relief steward, as if the death of the great ship was some sort of Broadway musical revue. Based on a stage play by Ernest Raymond, Atlantic was simultaneously filmed in English, French and German-language versions. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This British WWI drama was directed by Sinclair Hill, who also penned the original screenplay. Henry Victor stars as John Grimlaw, a ruthless armaments manufacturer. Grimlaw is in love with Diana (Madeline Carroll, in her film debut), while she in turn is partial to Clive (Donald McArdle), an army officer. Even so, Diana wavers between both men, unable to make a commitment even as they march off to the battlefields of France. Under fire for the first time in his life, Grimlaw loses his nerve, much to the delight of Clive. Taunted mercilessly by his rival, Grimlaw regains his courage, saving his entire company and losing his eyesight in the process. Returning home at wars' end, Grimlaw single-handedly settles a strike at his old factory. Impressed by his surfeit of new-found bravery, Diana chooses Grimlaw as her husband. Future film favorite Hermione Baddeley shows up in a minor role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide