Donald Cook Movies
Entering vaudeville in the early 1920s, Donald Cook matriculated to Broadway in 1926 and came to films in the first years of the talkies. He was a leading man in most of his earliest movie appearances; he played the protégé of crippled ballet impresario John Barrymore in The Mad Genius (1931), Bette Davis' love interest in The Man Who Played God (1932), and so on. By the mid-1930s, Cook had settled into secondary roles, often neurotic in nature (the best of these was the tormented husband of mulatto Helen Morgan in Show Boat [1936]). He often appeared in murder mysteries, where no matter how helpful and cooperative he was to the investigating detectives, the words "I DID IT" were practically emblazoned on his forehead. Throughout the 1940s, Cook alternated his increasingly standardized film roles with solid leading assignments in such Broadway plays as Claudia and Private Lives; he forsook films entirely in favor of stage work in 1950. In 1959, Donald Cook was a regular on the teen-oriented TV sitcom Too Young to Go Steady. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1950
Joyfully preparing for her high-school graduation, and her 18th birthday, Gail Macauley (Ann Blyth) stumbles across a family secret. Contrary to what she's been raised to believe, Gail's parents (Jane Wyatt, Donald Cook) are not her biological parents; she was adopted. Setting a precedent that would be followed by many adoptees of the 1970s and 1980s, Gail will not rest until she tracks down her natural mother. A soap opera deluxe, Our Very Own should not be too closely scrutinized in terms of plot and logic. It is best to revel in the performances by such surefire veterans as Ann Dvorak (as Gail's biological mother) and Gus Schilling (as a flustered television installer), and by such talented "youngsters" as Joan Evans, Phyllis Kirk and Natalie Wood. And as a bonus to Baby Boomers, the film offers a glimpse of the legendary "Indian Head" TV test pattern (yes, it goes back that far!) Our Very Own was written by F. Hugh Herbert, produced by Sam Goldwyn, and directed by David Miller, none of whom make a false move throughout the film's 93 minutes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ann Blyth, Farley Granger, (more)
- 1947
Though not readily apparent at first, The Unfaithful is a remake of the 1940 Bette Davis vehicle The Letter, which in turn was adapted from the play by W. Somerset Maugham. The locale of the Maugham original has been shifted from the jungles of Malaya to the cozy confines of a middle-sized American town. Ann Sheridan stars as Chris Hunter, who late one night shoots and kills a man who tries to attack her in her own home. At least that's her story: it turns out that the dead man had once had an affair with Chris while her serviceman husband Bob (Zachary Scott) was overseas. When it appears as though Chris might have internationally murdered her assailant, faithful family friend and attorney Larry Hammaford (Lew Ayres) puts his career and reputation on the line by suppressing a valuable piece of evidence. Shorn of the class and race consciousness -- not to mention the eroticism and bitter irony -- of the Maugham original, The Unfaithful is able to move more logically to a happy (or at least satisfying) denouement. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ann Sheridan, Lew Ayres, (more)
- 1945
Donald Cook plays a fading actor whose son, Donald O'Connor, has just started his own theatrical career. It transpires that both Cook and O'Connor are up for the same part in a Broadway show, and the son is the winner. This results in jealousy from the father--and confusion from the audience, in that the stolid Cook and the loose-limbed O'Connor would never be considered the same "type" in any real-life situation. All is eventually forgiven, and as a bonus both father and son find the loves of their lives: Cook is paired with Frances Dee, and O'Connor gets Peggy Ryan. While Donald O'Connor is virtually the whole show in Patrick the Great, he is given formidable scene-hogging competition from supporting actress Eve Arden. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Donald O'Connor, Peggy Ryan, (more)
- 1945
Blonde Ransom revives a plot that dates back at least to Broadway's David Belasco era. Virginia Grey plays Vicki, the niece of irascible old scoundrel Uncle William (George Barbier). When Vicki's boyfriend Duke (Donald Cook), owner of a Broadway nightclub, needs $63000 in a hurry, Vicki fakes her own kidnapping to raise the ransom money from her uncle. Things get sticky when the phony abduction turns real, but nothing really bad ever happens in a Universal musical comedy. TV buffs might get a kick out of comedy relief Pinky Lee, performing several of his tried-and-true burlesque routines. As proof that everything old is new again, the storyline of Blonde Ransom was reworked as late as 1997 for the Alicia Silverstone vehicle Excess Baggage. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Donald Cook, Virginia Grey, (more)
- 1945
At 88 minutes, Here Come the Co-Eds is one of the longest of Abbott & Costello's Universal starring vehicles, and though not necessarily the best, it manages to sustain a high comic content throughout. The scene is a financially strapped girl's college, where professional dancer Molly (Martha O'Driscoll) lands a scholarship. Molly's manager-brother Slat (Bud Abbott) has arranged this as a means to publicize his sister's showbiz career, which angers the college's chairman of the board (Charles Dingle), who threatens to foreclose on the school. To keep tabs on Molly and also find ways of raising the mortgage money, Slats and his pal Oliver (Lou Costello) takes jobs as school caretakers, immediately running afoul of ill-tempered groundskeeper Johnson (Lon Chaney Jr.) One of Slats' schemes involves a championship basketball game, in which Oliver, hypnotized into thinking that he's petite female student "Daisy Dimple", effortlessly sinks one basket after another (Costello, a top high school athlete, performed these scenes without the aid of a double). What ultimately saves the college is a concert by Phil Spitalny and his all-girl orchestra, featuring "Evelyn and Her Magic Violin." While the obligatory chase scene in Here Come the Coeds (this time involving a sailboat on wheels!) is a disappointment, several of Abbott & Costello's comic setpieces are hilarious, notably the time-honored "Jonah and the Whale" routine and the "oyster in the chowder" bit. Funniest line: while performing a musical duet with costar Peggy Ryan, Costello sighs "I feel just like Donald O'Connor." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, (more)
- 1944
Two Bowery vaudevillians compete to be the first to produce shows on Broadway. They might be friends were they not so convinced that each has stolen ideas from the others. This bouncy musical chronicles their rivalry and the success they find after they finally team up. Unfortunately the success is short-lived when one of them suddenly departs to work for a beautiful woman. This time the feud erupts with a vengeance. Fortunately, their paths again cross and a happy ending follows. Songs include: "Just Because You Made Dem Goo Goo Eyes at Me", "There'll Always Be a Moon", "Coney Island Waltz", "Yippie-I-Addy-I-Ay", and "Wait Till the Sun Shines Nellie". ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Maria Montez, Jack Oakie, (more)
- 1944
Set in a brooding old home, this musical mystery chronicles the endeavors of a young couple attempt to solve a mysterious murder that occurred there. The victim was the first husband of the new bride. The groom was the victim's best friend. After the murder, the house was abandoned and rumors abounded that the place was haunted. The couple are determined to quell the rumors and solve the mystery themselves while holding a housewarming party. Unfortunately, soon after the guests arrive, the murders begin. Murder in the Blue Room was filmed twice before as The Missing Guest and Secret of the Blue Room. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anne Gwynne, Donald Cook, (more)
Beware of Ladies is a lightweight attempt at romantic comedy from the Republic studio mills. Donald Cook, who'd just finished playing Ellery Queen in Republic's Spanish Cape Mystery, is as stalwart and firm-jawed as Mr. Queen in the role of a crusading lawyer. Reporter Judith Allen assigned to cover Cook's bid for the post of District Attorney, falls in love with her subject. Allen's no-good husband, seeking evidence in his divorce suit, snaps a photo of her and Cook in a compromising position. His political hopes in the dumpster, Cook strives to clear Allen's name. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Donald Cook, Judith Allen, (more)
- 1937
Two Wise Maids was an attempt by Republic Pictures to recapture the magic of MGM's Marie Dressler-Polly Moran vehicles. Dressler, alas, had died, but Republic was able to secure the services of Moran, teaming the raucous comedienne with the magnificent Alison Skipworth. The two leading ladies are cast as Prudence and Agatha, a pair of old-fashioned schoolteachers in an old-fashioned small town. Disdaining the wimpy theories of "progressive" education, Prudence and Agatha stick to the reliable "Three R's," often teaching to the tune of a hickory stick. Though ridiculed for their so-called outmoded methods, the heroines manage to turn out quite a few prize students, earning the undying gratitude of the local citizenry. The obligatory romantic subplot involves school principal Bruce (Donald Cook) and substitute teacher Ellen (Hope Manning, later billed as Irene Manning). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alison Skipworth, Polly Moran, (more)
- 1937
June Travis plays a trapeze star who becomes the romantic bone of contention between Robert Livingston and Charles Jerome. Silent movie veterans Betty Compson and Charlie Murray lend their expertise to this Republic 7-reeler. The aerialist scenes are performed by the Escalante Family Troupe, who also contributed their breathtaking skills to such Hollywood films as Tarzan, the Ape Man (1932),and the Marx Bros.' At the Circus. One of the scripters of Circus Girl was Bradford Ropes, author of the quintessential backstage yarn 42nd Street. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- June Travis, Donald Cook, (more)
- 1936
From low-rent company Invincible comes this hardy survivor, a cheap-looking but fairly engrossing account of a convicted bank robber who, about to be deported, escapes from Ellis Island with the assistance of a mystery man with less than altruistic motives. Enter immigration official Gary (Donald Cook) and his comic sidekick, Kit (Johnny Arthur), who together with the escaped man's daughter, Betty (Peggy Shannon), go up against a gang of desperados willing to commit murder to achieve their goal. Bradley Page, Joyce Compton, and Maurice Black also appear in this low-budget caper directed by genre specialist Phil Rosen. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1936
The Calling of Dan Matthews is a modernized and sanitized version of Harold Bell Wright's muckraking novel. Minister Dan Matthews (Richard Arlen) wants to rid his community of its seamy "Old Town" district, a breeding ground for prostitution and other crimes. Most of the property in question is owned by leading citizen J. B. Strong (Frederick Burton), who is ignorant (or chooses to be) of the appalling conditions in his tenements. Mathews convinces Strong that changes must be made, but is still compelled to whale the tar out of Hardy (Douglass Dumbrille), the evil vice lord of Old Town. The good reverend also wins the hand of Strong's daughter Hope (Charlotte Wynters). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Arlen, Charlotte Wynters, (more)
- 1936
This second film version of the Edna Ferber/Jerome Kern/Oscar Hammerstein II musical Show Boat is considered by many film buffs to be the best of the three. Covering nearly four decades (was there ever an Edna Ferber novel that didn't?), the film stars Irene Dunne as Magnolia Hawks, a role she'd previously played on stage, though not in the Broadway version. The daughter of showboat impresario Captain Andy (Charles Winninger, who was in the Broadway original), Magnolia is swept off her feet by dashing gambler Gaylord Ravenal (Allan Jones). Yearning to appear on the showboat stage, Magnolia gets her chance when Captain Andy's leading lady, the tragic Julie (Helen Morgan, likewise a holdover from Broadway), is ordered not to perform by a small-town sheriff because she is Mulatto. Julie's husband Steve (Donald Cook) loyally walks out with his wife, thereby leaving the leading-man position open--but not for long, since Gaylord Ravenal agrees to take over for Steve, the better to stay close to Magnolia. Despite the disapproval of Magnolia's mother Parthy Hawks (Helen Westley), Magnolia and Ravenal are married. Later on, the couple has a baby girl named Kim. At first, the young family is blissfully happy, but as Ravenal's gambling debts begin to mount, things turn sour. Unable to support Magnolia and Kim, Ravenal walks out on them both. Desperately, Magnolia tries to get a job as a singer in Chicago. She auditions at a night spot where, fortuitously, Julie is the featured attraction. Hoping to give Magnolia a break, Julie gets drunk, forcing the manager to hire Magnolia as a replacement. During her New Years' Eve debut, Magnolia "chokes up" in front of the raucous audience--and then, who should emerge from the crowd but lovable Captain Andy, who gives Magnolia the encouragement she needs. Magnolia goes on to become a famous musical comedy star, as does her grown-up daughter Kim (played as an adult by Sunnie O'Dea). On the eve of Magnolia's retirement from the theater, she is reunited with her now-contrite husband Gaylord Ravenal. While the second half of Show Boat departs radically from both the novel (in which Ravenal never returns ) and the Broadway show, the film manages to capture the spirit of its literary and theatrical ancestors. Of the original score, "Cotton Blossom," "Ol' Man River," "Where's the Mate for Me?" "Make Believe," "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man," You are Love" and "Bill" are retained, while most of the other songs are heard as background accompaniment. Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II penned three new tunes for the film version: "Ah Still Suits Me," "Gallavantin' Around" and "I Have the Room Above." As in all stage and screen versions of Show Boat, the Charles K. Harris standard "After the Ball" is heard in the New Year sequence. In addition to the aforementioned Dunne, Jones, Winninger, Westley, Morgan, and O'Dea, the Show Boat cast includes the magnificent Paul Robeson as Joe (his rendition of "Ol' Man River" can still induce goosebumps), Hattie McDaniel as Queenie and Sammy White and Queenie Smith as the engagingly second-rate vaudeville team of Frank and Ellie Schultz. Though James Whale of Frankenstein fame seems an odd choice for director, he brings a vibrant theatricality to the proceedings that is lacking in other versions. Show Boat literally saved the financially strapped Universal Pictures from receivership--but not soon enough to prevent the ousters of Carl Laemmle Sr. and Jr. in favor of a new administration. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Irene Dunne, Allan Jones, (more)
- 1936
The ambitious Republic melodrama The Girl From Mandalay was based on Tiger Valley, a novel by Reginald Campbell. The title character is Mandalay resort entertainer Jeanie, played by Kay Linaker. When his aristocratic sweetheart gives him the air, Britisher John Foster (Conrad Nagel) marries Jeanie on the rebound. This sparks a minor scandal when Foster's best friend Kenneth Grainger (Donald Cook) assumes that Jeanie is Foster's mistress instead of his wife and treats her accordingly. It takes the invention of a fever epidemic and a marauding tiger to wash away all misunderstandings and hurt feelings, though the audience is left with the feeling that Jeanie would be better off if both Foster and Grainger got out of her life. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Conrad Nagel, Kay Linaker, (more)
- 1936
The second screen version of Anna Katherine Green's 1878 whodunit stars Donald Cook as Dr. Truman Hartnell, a dedicated physician who after declaring old Silas Leavenworth (Frank Sheridan) fit for fight is appalled to learn that the wealthy broker is found dead, an apparent suicide. But Silas, who had bandied about the idea of leaving his ill-gotten gains to charity, had plenty of enemies within his own household. And sure enough, as Detective Bob Gryce (Norman Foster) soon learns, the mean old geezer was murdered by a person or persons unknown. Among the suspects: Henry Clavering (Gavin Gordon), Silas' disgruntled business partner; Eleanor (Jean Rouverol), Leavenworth's pretty niece; and Phoebe (Maude Eburne), the victim's cranky old-maid of a sister. A pet monkey also figures prominently in the plot but the original denouement was too gruesome for the British censors and Republic filmed a copout ending for foreign release versions. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Donald Cook, Jean Rouverol, (more)
- 1936
This musical satire parodies Southern living as it follows the exploits of a traveling medicine show that ends up on a bankrupt plantation. It is just as well as Doc Gurgle and his daughter have just lost their show. The plantation is run by a Kentucky colonel. Young Miss Gurgle and her pa decide to help save the plantation by putting on an amateur show in the stately mansion. She is assisted by the enthusiastic plantation workers. Songs include: "Uncle Tom's Cabin Is a Cabaret Now." ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jane Withers, Helen Wood, (more)
- 1936
Ring Around the Moon was based on the once-popular novel by Vera Hobart. The story endeavors to invite comparisons between the high-toned romantic adventures of wealthy Gloria Endicott (Erin O'Brien-Moore) and more earthy amours of low-born Kay Duncan (Ann Doran). Caught between both ladies is confused hero Ross Graham (Donald Cook). In her first major feature-film role, Ann Doran was drubbed by the critics, but she survived to become one of Hollywood's busiest character actresses (best remembered as James Dean's mother in Rebel Without a Cause). Produced by failing Chesterfield Pictures, Ring Around the Moon was released by up-and-coming Grand National. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Donald Cook, Ann Doran, (more)
- 1935
Behind the Evidence is a standard Columbia crime programmer, directed with verve by veteran Lambert Hillyer. Norman Foster plays a millionaire who takes a job as a reporter after he's wiped out in the Stock Market. Foster's managing editor Samuel S. Hinds considers the young upstart to be a pain in the neck. But all is forgiven-at least until next time-when Foster solves a series of puzzling robberies. Shortly after Behind the Evidence went into the theatres, Norman Foster eschewed acting to become an accomplished director (Trivia note: Foster was the husband of actress Sally Blane, the former husband of Claudette Colbert, and the brother-in-law of Loretta Young. Just thought you'd like to know). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Norman Foster, Donald Cook, (more)
- 1935
S. S. Van Dine's intelligent, insufferable amateur sleuth Philo Vance is the protagonist of The Casino Murder Case. Paul Lukas plays Vance, who is brought to the mansion of a wealthy, eccentric widow (Alison Skipworth) by a mysterious unsigned letter. Several murders are committed in the elderly woman's home, with the evidence pointing to various red herrings before the truth is revealed. Rosalind Russell plays the old lady's secretary (and Vance's object of affections); Eric Blore is Vance's droll valet; and Ted Healy is the obnoxious Sgt. Heath, ever willing to slap the cuffs on the wrong person. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Lukas, Alison Skipworth, (more)
- 1935
In this musical, a songwriter goes to court to claim the rights to his song that was stolen by an unscrupulous music publisher. He brings his girlfriend with him. Also going to court are the Jubilee singers, hillbillies, and some cowboys and Indians who demonstrate that the composer wrote his song by rearranging four folk tunes. He wins his song back and $50,000 in damages. Songs include: "Heading Home," "Roll Along Prairie Moon," "Tender Is the Night," "You're My Thrill," "I'm Bound for Heaven," and "The Army Band." ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ted Lewis, Virginia Bruce, (more)
- 1935
Hoping to finish his latest play in peace, writer Ricardo Souchet (Gilbert Roland) loses his train of thought when dizzy blonde reporter Rita (Mona Barrie) invades his apartment. Before long, Rita has gotten Ricardo involved in a series of murders amongst the theater folk. When the police prove ineffective, our hero is obliged to turn detective himself. Laughs are provided by Herbert Mundin as Ricardo's super-efficient butler, while menace is provided by practically everyone else in the cast. Ladies Love Danger was based on a story by 23-year-old stage actress Ilya Zorn, who may very well have intended the film as a vehicle for herself. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mona Barrie, Gilbert Roland, (more)
- 1935
After a burst of creativity in 1933 and 1934, independent Majestic Pictures had settled into the usual "B"-picture rut by 1935. One of the last Majestic efforts was Motive for Revenge, starring Donald Cook as hapless bank teller Barry Webster. Plagued by a domineering mother-in-law (Doris Lloyd), Webster impulsively steals bank funds so that he may properly support his wife Muriel (Irene Hervey). It isn't long before the Law catches up with Webster, and soon he's doing hard time in prison. Holding his mother-in-law responsible for his present sorry state, our anti-hero plots a terrible revenge -- but is he too nice a guy to go through with it? Most of the prison scenes in Motive for Revenge were culled from stock footage, which only served to emphasize the overall cheapness of the whole enterprise. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Donald Cook, Irene Hervey, (more)
- 1935
Treasury agent Dave Elliot (Donald Cook) dedicates himself to smashing a crime syndicate, especially after his best friend is killed by the mob. This requires Elliot to go undercover, posing as a criminal. He gains the confidence of sadistic mob gunman Lefty (J. Carroll Naish), and it's nip-and-tuck from then on until the identity of the mysterious Mister Big is revealed. Evalyn Knapp is excellent as glib-tongued mob bookkeeper Maxine, and Warren Hymer is equally good as a stupid numbers runner. Confidential can be seen as a Mascot Pictures pocket version of Warner Bros.' Special Agent, which in turn was inspired by the tax-evasion downfall of Al Capone. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Donald Cook, Evelyn Knapp, (more)
- 1935
Based on a story by Vicki Baum, the Sigmund Romberg-Oscar Hammerstein operetta The Night is Young is set in Vienna during the Franz Josef era. To cover up an affair with the married Countess Rafay (Rosalind Russell), Archduke Gustave (Ramon Novarro), the emperor's nephew, feigns a romance with ballet dancer Lisi (Evelyn Laye). By the time Gustave realizes how much he truly cares for Lisi, the stern Franz Josef (played by Henry Stephenson) admonishes the young man to honor duty over love and to enter into a pre-arranged marriage of state. After a tearful rendition of "When I Grow Too Old to Dream," Gustave and Lisi bid one another their last farewell. This relentless parade of "Student Prince" cliches is relieved somewhat by the comic expertise of supporting players Una Merkel and Charles Butterworth. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ramon Novarro, Evelyn Laye, (more)
