June Collyer Movies
The daughter of an actress and a prominent New York lawyer, June Collyer made her first film appearance as "herself," appearing with several other debuting debutantes in 1927's Broadway Nights. Collyer's sophistication served her well in such early-talkie roles as Amy Spettigue in Charley's Aunt (1930) and Mrs. Reynolds in Alexander Hamilton (1931). By the mid-1930s, she was limited to grade-"B" fare along the lines of One Frightened Night and Murder by Television. It hardly mattered, however, since she was more devoted to her off-screen "role" as the wife of actor Stuart Erwin than her screen career. After fifteen years' retirement, Collyer re-emerged in 1950 to play "Mrs. Erwin" on the long-running TV sitcom The Stu Erwin Show (aka Trouble With Father). June Collyer was the sister of TV game show host Bud Collyer and film editor Richard Heermance; her niece was Wisconsin TV and radio personality Cynthia Collyer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A homicidal hunchback known as The Fiend is stalking a theater company in this ultra low-budget whodunit ostensibly based on a short story The Great Mono Miracle by Peter B. Kyne. Looking into the mysterious goings-on, Reporter Frank Gordon (Lloyd Hughes) joins drama editor Jean Monroe (June Collyer) and intrepid, but bumbling, photographer Elmer (Al St. John) in an attempt to flush out the murderer. One of the actors, Reardon (Jack Mulhall), makes himself the prime suspect by behaving highly suspicious, but he, too, is murdered. The Fiend, as Elmer learns the hard way, is someone else entirely, someone who holds a deep-rooted grudge against the company. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
Lost in the Stratosphere is one of three Monogram vehicles for James Cagney's look-alike brother William (later a successful producer). Inspired by the U.S. Army's recent experiments with atmospheric balloons, the film stars Cagney and Edward Nugent as inveterate practical jokers Cooper and Wood. Their friendship cleft in twain by the arrival of pretty Evelyn (June Collyer). The climax occurs when one of the boys' pranks misfires, sending both of them aloft in a fragile weather balloon. By the time they've managed to land the darned thing, they've become heroes. The film's laughable special effects (one can see the process-screen clouds "bleed" through the actors) are counterbalanced by the overall energy and enthusiasm of its stars. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Cagney, Eddie Nugent, (more)
One of Bela Lugosi's least remembered films, this ultra low-budget whodunit with science fiction overtones features the murder of a professor who had recently perfected the new invention of television. Suspects are plentiful and include Bela Lugosi's rivaling academician Dr. Perry. Alas, the good doctor proves yet another Red Herring and is soon enough found stabbed to death himself. Or is he? Perry suddenly appears to have risen from the grave and the real culprit quickly confesses. Produced by perhaps Hollywood's cheapest entrepreneur, William Pizor, Murder by Television was filmed at the low-rent Talisman Studios and came complete with a song, "I had the Right Idea", composed by future Academy Award winning songwriter Oliver Wallace and performed by June Collyer. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1934
In the first of Columbia Pictures' "Inspector Trent" whodunits, the inspector (Ralph Bellamy) is called in to investigate the death of Edward Arnold (William Jeffrey). Although the young doctor in charge, David Marsh (Arthur Pierson), maintains that Arnold died of natural causes, a family curse causes Trent to become suspicious. The good inspector becomes even more alarmed when the victim, who has indeed been poisoned, proves to be one John Fry, the real Arnold (Claude Gillingwater) having changed places with an old friend in order to defeat the curse. But who killed Fry? Was it the Japanese houseboy, Kono (Otto Yamaoka)? Or the family attorney (Bradley Page)? Suspicion also centers on Arnold's beautiful ward, Janet (June Collyer); Fry's widow, Mavis (Betty Blythe); and sundry other more or less sinister characters lurking about the family's cavernous Forest Lake estate. Before Midnight was followed by three additional "Inspector Trent" mysteries: One Is Guilty, The Crime of Helen Stanley, and Girl in Danger, all released in 1934 and starring the affable Ralph Bellamy. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ralph Bellamy, June Collyer, (more)
- 1934
In the tradition of the classic scare piece Banquo's Chair, The Ghost Walks features one phony spectre and one supposedly real wraith. An actor is hired for a high-society gathering to pose as a ghost. It's all part of a plan by a struggling playwright to stir up interest in his latest production. But just as the "faux" phantom is putting on his sheet, he's scared off by a genuine spook. A murder plot is at the bottom of these weird occurrences, as we discover in reel seven. The Ghost Walks was another one-set wonder from pinchpenny Chesterfield Studios. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Miljan, June Collyer, (more)
- 1934
Formerly known as Allied Pictures, M. J. Hoffman's Liberty Pictures turned out quite a few potentially interesting programmers in its brief two-year existence. The Cheaters stars a pre-Hopalong Cassidy William Boyd as Steve Morris, a habitual jailbird who vows to go straight. This may prove difficult when Steve falls in love with another ex-con named Kay Murray (June Collyer). Though innocent of the crime for which she was jailed, Kay intends to prove to the world that she's as bad as everyone says she is, and to that end sets about to coerce wealthy K. C. Kelly (William Collier Sr.) into marriage. With a bigger budget and better writing, The Cheaters might have been a truly memorable effort; as it stands, it's not bad, but not terribly good either. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- June Collyer, Dorothy Mackaill, (more)
- 1933
A notorious crook and a Parisian ballet dancer get involved with international intrigue in this low-budget action-adventure from Poverty Row company Mayfair Pictures Corp. It is all about an important manifesto that may re-establish President Alarcon as the ruler of the Republic of Luvania. The manifesto ends up in the hands of Boris Krinsky (José Crespo), and, to trap him, dancer Landra (June Collyer) sets up a meeting with the Luvanian conspirators at her castle above Monte Carlo. After quite a bit of derring-do, Krinsky is brought to the castle's torture chamber, where he is whipped by Alba (Lloyd Whitlock), his former captain in the Luvania Foreign Legion, but is rescued in the nick of time by New York gangster Spike Maguire (Wheeler Oakman), an old friend. In love with Landra, Krinsky removes a signature that may incriminate her and hands over the manifesto to the Luvanian delegation. Revenge at Monte Carlo was also released in a Spanish language version, Dos Noche, with Conchita Montenegro replacing June Collier and Antonio Cumellas standing in for Lloyd Whitlock. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- June Collyer, José Crespo, (more)
- 1931
Two of Paramount's best contract comedians made a rare joint appearance in Dude Ranch. Jack Oakie heads the cast as Jennifer (sic!), the head of a travelling troupe of repertory actors. Finding themselves on the premises of a dude ranch, Jennifer and his actors strike up a deal with ranch proprietor Chester Carr (Stuart Erwin). The thespians will stage a "Wild West" extravaganza, complete with a phony hold-up, to entertain the tourists. Naturally, a bunch of gangsters try to take advantage of the actors' presence to knock off the local bank -- and just as naturally, it is the faux Westerners who save the day. Some of the film's best moments are provided by Eugene Pallette who, as the acting troupe's resident character man, is forced to double as a mustache-twirling villain and a stoic Indian, with some bizarre costume juxtapositions along the way. Elements of Dude Ranch later worked their way into the script of Jack Benny's 1940 comedy Buck Benny Rides Again. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Oakie, Stuart Erwin, (more)
- 1931
In this musical, based on a famed operetta, a humble shop girl jilts her lover because his aristocratic family disapproves of the match. She then goes on to become a renowned opera star. Only then is she able to marry her lover. Songs include: "Kiss Me Again", "The Mascot of the Troop", "The Time, the Place and the Girl", "When the Cat's Away", "I Want What I Want When I Want It", and "Love Me, Love My Dog". ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bernice Claire, Walter Pidgeon, (more)
Most existing prints of the 1931 melodrama Drums of Jeopardy are in pretty bad shape, but it's worth enduring the tinny soundtracks and messy splices just to watch Warner Oland in his full villainous glory. Oland plays a mad scientist who seeks revenge on the aristocratic family responsible for the death of his daughter. He travels from Russia to New York in search of any and all descendants of the hated Petroff family, using four rubies (the "drums" of the title) as instruments of death. Rising above its poverty-row origins, Drums of Jeopardy contains a high level of suspense, as well as several cunningly designed camera angles courtesy of cinematographer Arthur Reed. Trivia note: Warner Oland's character name is Dr. Boris Karlov! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Warner Oland, June Collyer, (more)
- 1931
Before establishing himself as a top western star, Charles Starrett bided his time in such boiled-shirt dramas as Damaged Love. Determined to land Jim (Starrett) as her husband, footloose Nita (June Collyer) contrives to get herself pregnant by him. Jim wants to do the "right thing" -- trouble is, he's already married to Rose (Eloise Taylor). Eventually, the scheming Nita is left holding the bag, as it were, and Jim returns to his wife. Featured in the cast in a character role is Betty Garde, later one of the stars of the radio serial Front Page Farrell. Damaged Love was cheaply filmed in the New York converted-garage studio of talking-picture pioneer Lee De Forest. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Betty Garde
- 1931
The vaudeville and Broadway comedy team of Eddie Dowling and Ray Dooley (husband and wife, despite Dooley's masculine moniker) star in the 1931 musical Honeymoon Lane. Based on Dowling's 1925 stage vehicle of the same name, the story is set in motion when the king (Armand Kaliz) of the mythical European nation of Bulgravia visits an American health resort. Hero Tim Dugan (Dowling) appoints himself the king's unofficial protector, saving him from the larcenous designs of crooked gambler Arnold Bookstein (Grant Whitlock). As Gerty Murphy, Ray Dooley attempts to repeat her trademarked "bratty kid" characterization for the screen, with variable results (Dooley was at the time in her mid-30s). Incidentally, Eddie Dowling later went "legit" as the director-star of the original 1944 production of Tennessee Williams's The Glass Menagerie. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eddie Dowling, June Collyer, (more)
- 1931
Arguably John Ford's weakest film, The Brat was based on a popular 1917 stage play written by and starring Maude Fulton, which in turn was made into a popular comedy for Alla Nazimova in 1919. Although vivacious and pretty, Sally O'Neil was hardly in Nazimova's league but here she is in the title role, a 17-year-old street urchin taken in by wealthy novelist MacMillan "Mack" Forester (Allan Dinehart), whose household she continues to aggravate with her street-smart wisdom. Soon enough, however, the Foresters begin to admire the girl, especially young Steven Forester who has fallen head over heels in love. "The Brat" loves the much older Mack, whose live-in girlfriends (Virginia Cherrill and June Collyer) become instantly jealous. In the end, however, the Brat realizes that Mack's infatuation with her is insincere and decides instead to marry Steven. The Brat was remade a second time by Fox in 1940 as The Girl From Avenue A, a vehicle for juvenile star Jane Withers. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sally O'Neil, Alan Dinehart, (more)
- 1931
Alexander Hamilton was not precisely the life story of America's first secretary of the treasury--in fact, it doesn't even depict the most portentous moment of Hamilton's life, his fatal duel with Aaron Burr. Instead, Alexander Hamilton concentrates on Hamilton's efforts to pass the "Assumption Bill," which required the federal government to assume the debts incurred by the 13 states during the Revolutionary War. Hamilton's enemies attempt to blackmail him into silence by calling forth a Mrs. Reynolds, with whom the married Hamilton had had a brief affair while in London. Hamilton confounds his enemies by admitting publicly to the affair and condemning his opponents for compromising the goodwill of the country with such sordid tactics. George Arliss, who'd played Alexander Hamilton on stage, here revives the role, in the company of Alan Mowbray as George Washington (delivering a memorable "farewell to the troops") scene, Montagu Love as Thomas Jefferson, Morgan Wallace as James Monroe, and June Collyer as the hapless Mrs. Reynolds. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Arliss, Doris Kenyon, (more)
- 1930
This historical drama, set in 18th-century England, chronicles the romance between a free-spirited coquette and a highwayman. They meet when the lass goes on vacation to Bath. Music and romantic mayhem ensue. Songs include: "Tally-Ho," "Highwayman Song," "Song of the City of Bath," "Drunk Song," "Pump Song," "Dueling Song," "My Love," "You-oo, I Love You," and "Peggy's Leg." ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Claudia Dell, Ernest Torrence, (more)
- 1930
This melodrama follows the lives of three sisters. One dies while giving birth, another gets married and goes to the US, and the last one gets involved with a Viennese musician. The two survivors become wealthy, and seem to forget about their impoverished mother back in Italy. Unbeknownst to any of the parties, the money the good daughters send home is being taken by a third party. That person's identity is discovered when the women and their spouses come to Italy to visit. They later leave the poor woman with a nice retirement fund. Songs include: "Italian Kisses" (L. Wolfe Gilbert, Abel Baer), "Lonely Feet," "Hand in Hand," "Keep Smiling," "Won't Dance," "Roll on Rolling Road," "What Good are Words," "You Are Doing Very Well" (Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II). ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Louise Dresser, Tom Patricola, (more)
- 1930
The marriage between Jim and Esther Hamilton (Owen Moore and Dorothy Christy) spirals downhill rapidly when Esther purchases a sable coat for herself. Hoping to live up to her expensive accessory, Esther begins imagining herself a glamorpuss and soon is keeping company with caddish Morrell (Jameson Thomas). Jim brings his wife's galavanting to an abrupt end by committing suicide. All of this is related by the sadder-but-wiser Esther as an object lesson for young Alice Kendall (June Collyer), who out of love for her sweetheart Fred Garlan (Lloyd Hughes) returns the fur coat that she's bought on impulse. The only thing "extravagant" about this pinchpenny Tiffany Studios production is its title. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Owen Moore, June Collyer, (more)
- 1930
This first talkie version of the evergreen Brandon Thomas stage farce Charley's Aunt stars Charlie Ruggles, obviously having the time of his life in the leading role. Though updated to 1930, the film adheres to the familiar plot as set down by Thomas back in 1895. Two Oxford undergraduates, Charley Wickeham (Hugh Williams) and Jack Chesney (Rodney McLennon), anxiously await the visit of their respective girlfriends Amy Spettigue (June Collyer) and Kitty Verdun (Flora Sheffield). Trouble is, the ladies have no chaperone, and this will never do in the hallowed halls of Oxford. Anxiously, Charley and Jack persuade their twittish school chum Fancourt Babberly (Ruggles) to pose as Charley's aunt Donna Lucia D'Alvadorez (Doris Lloyd) -- "from Brazil, where the nuts come from." Poor Babbs is forced to remain in drag as both Jack's father Sir Francis Chesney (Phillips Smalley, repeating his role from the 1925 version of Charley's Aunt) and Amy's uncle Stephen Spettigue (Halliwell Hobbes) unexpectedly show up. The scenes in which Chesney and Spettigue ardently court the "Aunt" are hilarious, as is the inevitable moment when the disguised Babbs comes face to face with the real Donna Lucia (Doris Lloyd), whose ward Ella Delahay (Flora le Breton) had previously been our hero's shipboard sweetheart! A revised ending allows Charlie Ruggles to perform a farcical death scene that's every bit as funny as what has gone before. Charley's Aunt would be remade several times in the future, most memorably by Jack Benny in 1941 and by Ray Bolger in the 1952 musical adaptation Where's Charley? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charlie Ruggles, June Collyer, (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)
- 1929
The old Winchell Smith-Victor Mapes stage comedy The Boomerang was the source for the Richard Dix vehicle The Love Doctor. Dix plays Dr. Gerald Sumner, an expert on romantic relationships. The story inevitably evolves into a case of "physician heal thyself" when Sumner falls head over heels in love with pretty nurse Virginia Moore (June Collyer). Typical comedy situations include the old one about the hero being caught without his trousers when the heroine comes a-calling. Some crackling good dialogue by Guy Bolton, Herman Mankiewicz and J. Walter Ruben helps this creaky early talkie over its rough spots. Billed last in The Love Doctor is Gale Henry, a once-popular star of comedy shorts here making one of her only talkie appearances. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- June Collyer, Richard Dix, (more)
- 1929
Carlee Thorpe (Buddy Rogers) and Claire Jernigan (Nancy Carol) enjoy considerable success with their vaudeville magic act. Offstage, Carlee thrives as a solo, performing various bits of sleight-of-hand at fancy society parties. At one such function, he falls in love with Hilt (June Collyer), the daughter of wealthy social-climber Jake Schmidlap (Knute Erickson). Heartbroken, Claire breaks up her act with Carlee and signs on as a "human target" for stage sharpshooter Magus (Rychard Cramer). Her depression deepening over Carlee's affair with Hilda, Claire suicidally replaces Magus' blank pistol cartridges with real bullets, hoping to be killed in the course of their act. Sure enough, Claire ends up being wounded on stage, but when she awakens in the hospital, the repentant Carlee is at her bedside. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles "Buddy" Rogers, Nancy Carroll, (more)
- 1929
In this melodrama set in the South, a plantation owner's son finishes his education in Philadelphia and returns to his father's land. There he falls in love with a pretty belle and gets engaged; he does not realize that her younger sister is also in love with him. Trouble begins when his fiancee's ex-love comes to break them up after he is released from jail; he challenges his wealthy rival to a duel, which the rival declines as he finds it old-fashioned and silly. Unfortunately, his father and the rest of his family take it quite seriously and the dishonored father sends his son away. The banished son then begins drifting down the Mississippi where he experiences many adventures. At one point, he meets a notorious cad who becomes his mentor. When the young man unwittingly knocks out a local creep, he becomes a legendary hero; he then assumes the alias "Col. Blake," and heads for home to avenge his honor and marry the girl. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles "Buddy" Rogers, Henry B. Walthall, (more)
- 1928
In one of his last silent films, Conrad Nagel stars as Charles H. Cook, a sober-sided young man who is persuaded by his buddies to visit a nightclub. Partaking of spirits for the first time in his life, Cook proceeds to get totally plastered and ends up passing out on the floor. Upon awakening, he is informed that he has sullied the reputation of good-time-girl Miss Scott (Sharon Lynn). It's all a hoax, of course, but Cook doesn't know that -- and even worse, he's got a less-than-understanding wife (June Collyer) at home. Things really get dicey when Mrs. Cook insists the next evening that her husband take her out to dinner -- at the selfsame nightclub where her hubby made a fool of himself the night before. When the title Red Wine failed to click at the box office, Fox Studios changed it to the somewhat less subtle Let's Make Whoopee. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- June Collyer, Conrad Nagel, (more)
