Herbert Wilcox Movies
One of England's top producer-directors from the '20s until World War II, Herbert Wilcox was born in Ireland and worked as a journalist before serving as a flyer with the British during World War I. He entered the movie business as a distributor in 1919, and three years later began producing movies. Wilcox was one of the few producers in England during the '20s with a Hollywood-style flair for showmanship, and occasionally imported American stars such as Dorothy Gish for his films. He made his greatest single contribution to films in 1926 by founding Elstree Studios, which remained a major production facility right into the '80s. As a producer, he had no peer during the '20s, and was rivalled in the '30s only by Sir Alexander Korda. Korda quickly succeeded in international production on a scale that Wilcox found hard to top, but in England, Wilcox remained a major figure, especially in connection with the movies he directed and produced for actress Anna Neagle, his future wife. Sixty Glorious Years (1939) was a groundbreaking film, as a dramatization of the life of a British monarch. He went to Hollywood in the wake of the latter movie, but was not able to repeat its success, and returned to England, where he was never able to repeat his pre-war success, although he did co-produce one superb film, The Beggar's Opera (1954), starring Laurence Olivier and directed by Peter Brook. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
- 1933
In this comedy, a portly stable boy ends up buying a Derby-winning horse from his financially ruined boss. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sydney Howard, Mark Daly, (more)
- 1933
In this actioner, a married pair of stunt pilots encounter turbulence when the husband becomes afraid of flying after a crash. When his wife cannot fly during an important race, the husband overcomes his fear and races in her stead. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1933
In this drama a shy music teacher attempts to become more outgoing by taking a "How to Succeed" course. Later his girlfriend's father puts him in charge of his hotel. Trouble ensues when the establishment's books do not add up and the quiet fellow is accused of embezzling. The shy guy proves his innocence when he catches his accountant doing the dirty deed himself. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1933
After 2 aristocrats become engaged, they fall in love with people in a lower class in this romantic comedy. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1933
A classy woman has an affair with a rake after she learns that she has a terminal disease in this British melodrama. When the cad dumps her, the woman's husband soon learns of her shenanigans, but he forgives her. She then gets even better news when her doctor tells her that they have finally found a cure for her disease. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1933
In this British comedy, a groom must somehow find his bride's missing garter. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sydney Howard, Winifred Shotter, (more)
- 1933
In this comedy, a quiet bank clerk inherits a fortune, quits his job, and tries to become a major theatrical producer. He then falls in love with a chorine and spends most of his money on a lavish production designed to make her a star. Unfortunately, the show is a bomb. To save the performance of the overly dramatic drama, the would-be producer hops up onstage and begins earnestly trying to play the lead. The audience goes into paroxysms of laughter for he is too awful to be taken seriously and soon he is heralded as a comic genius. The next time the show is listed as a comedy and becomes a hit. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ralph Lynn, Winifred Shotter, (more)
- 1933
The first of two film versions of Noel Coward's operetta, 1933's Bitter Sweet stars British favorite Anna Neagle and continental star Fernand Graavey (who spelled his name "Gravet" in Hollywood). The wisp of a plot finds Victorian Neagle persuading Graavey to march her to the altar. A brilliant musician, Graavey is unfortunately also a chronic gambler. He is killed in a duel of honor, but his legacy lives on in his music. The already obscure 1933 Bitter Sweet was all but confined to oblivion by Hollywood's 1940 Nelson Eddy/Jeanette MacDonald version. The earlier film was produced and directed by Herbert Wilcox, whose long professional association with his star Anna Neagle culminated in marriage in 1943. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anna Neagle, Fernand Gravey, (more)
- 1933
Dapper song-and-dance man Jack Buchanan was both star and director of That's a Good Girl. Hoping to replenish his bank account, Jack Barrows (Buchanan) tries to marry his female cousin off to a wealthy American. This plan is sidetracked when Barrows, wandering backstage at the Milan opera house, is mistaken for a chorus singer and forced onstage, starting an altogether new plot tangent. None of this nonsense dissuades lady detective Joy Dean (Elsie Randolph) from tracking down Barrows on behalf of his creditors. That's a Good Girl is the film version of a popular stage musical which also teamed Jack Buchanan with Elsie Randolph. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Buchanan, Elsie Randolph, (more)
- 1933
In this romantic drama a struggling composer tries to protect his wife from the lecherous Lord Quilhampton. The nobleman is producing a anonymously written stage show, and to win the wife's affection, wants to use her as his star. Fortunately for the marriage, the unknown author of the production is the composer and this gives him the final say when it comes to casting. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1933
Based on a play by George A. Birmingham, General John Regan is a remake of the 1921 film of the same name. Henry Edwards, who also directed, stars as Dr. O'Grady, general practitioner of a small Irish village. As a gag, O'Grady convinces a visiting American newspaper publisher (played by future Superman villain Ben Welden) that a resident of this village was General John Regan, liberator of Bolivia. This harmless prank mushrooms into a major headache when the American spreads this "fact" to the rest of the world. Co-starring with Henry Edwards is his actress wife Chrissie White, whose last film this was. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Henry Edwards, David Horne, (more)
- 1932
The Love Contract was based on Chauffeur Antoinette, a French stage comedy. Wealthy Antoinette (Winifred Shotter) loses all her money in the stock market, whereupon she puts her mansion up for sale. The first potential buyer turns out to be Neville Cardington (Owen Nares), the stockbroker who inadvertently brought about Antoinette's ruin. Upon learning that Cardington, a married man, intends to use the mansion as a trysting place for himself and his mistress, our heroine plots a diabolically clever revenge. But she forgets all this when her nemesis turns out to be a decent sort who eventually falls in love with her. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Winifred Shotter, Owen Nares, (more)
- 1932
The Barton Mystery was adapted from a play by Walter Hackett, previously filmed as a silent in 1920. Carried over from the earlier version is veteran British stage actor Lyn Harding, cast as a slimy blackmailer. When Harding is murdered, suspicion falls upon one of his extortion victims. To save this unfortunate fellow, the woman he loves confesses to the crime. But everything ends up happily when the real killer fesses up. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1932
In this war drama, a British naval lieutenant performs heroically during a raid upon a Chinese fort, but then gives all the glory to his friend who promptly gets promoted while the real hero is branded a coward. Eventually another officer realizes the mistake and the hero gets his due. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Henry Edwards, Peter Gawthorne, (more)
- 1932
A general's son, Buchanan, calls off his engagement to countess Bland when he falls in love with flower girl Neagle who becomes an opera singer. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Buchanan, Clive Currie, (more)
- 1932
In this musical drama, an amnesiac composer is comforted by a helpful bandleader who uses music and reminiscences to help his friend remember his past. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1932
In this farce, a playboy falls for a nightclub dancer who is being blackmailed by the club owner over a necklace she borrowed. The playboy and an Irish cop ensure that everything turns out OK. ~ Steve Huey, All Movie Guide
- 1932
Thark is a lively British filmization of a popular theatrical "old dark horse" satire. Aldwych Theatre stalwart Tom Walls directs the film and stars as real estate agent Sir Hector Benbow. The peer sells mysterious Thark Manor to Mary Brough, who has good reason to suspect that the joint is haunted. To prove her wrong, Benbow and his confreres (Ralph Lynn and Evelyn Bostock) spend the night in Thark Manor. Ben Travers, who along with Tom Walls virtually lived at the Aldwych Theatre, was the playwright responsible for this goosepimply gagfest. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ralph Lynn, Tom Walls, (more)
- 1932
In this drama, a wealthy social worker locates an unemployed trombone player and cons him into running for mayor. Of course she supports him. When he wins, he immediately begins tearing down the slums owned by the incumbent. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1932
In this British thriller, a hapless fellow learns that he has chosen to stay in a problematic hotel when he learns that the stockbroker in the adjacent room has died and a woman is being blamed for the death. It is son revealed that the hotel manager, and another are attempting to keep the killing quiet until they can arrange the clues just so. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1932
The credits for the 68-minute programmer Blue Danube are rather more impressive than the film itself. The picture was produced and directed by British cinematic giant Herbert Wilcox, the script is by veteran actor/director/playwright Miles Malleson, and the stars are the formidable Austrian-born stage actor Joseph Schildkraut and one-time Metropolis leading lady Brigette Helm (this was a German-English co-production). The story casts Helm and Schildkraut as European gypsies whose romance is broken up when both fall in love with aristocrats. It is Schildkraut who finally awakens to the old bromide "stay in your own backyard." Blue Danube is not a remake of the 1928 film of the same name, even though Joseph Schildkraut starred in both. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joseph Schildkraut, Dorothy Bouchier, (more)
- 1932
In this lively romance, an aristocratic agent from the Foreign Office finds himself falling for an enigmatic woman during one special weekend. Unfortunately, she never tells him her name, and he spends much of his life looking for her before giving up and marrying his boss's daughter as a career move. On the night before his marriage he is sent to the south of France on business. It is there that he again sees the mysterious woman. This time, he does not let her go. Wedding bells ring out. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ellis Jeffreys, Anne Grey, (more)
