Fred C. Thompson Movies
- 1966
After their grandfather dies, horrible relatives search for his hidden treasure in this drama. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1937
Legendary British musical-comedy favorite Jessie Matthews chalks up another winner with Head Over Heels in Love. The ever-charming Matthews plays Jeanne, a Parisian entertainer who manages to get herself in hot water with the French version of Actors' Equity and is forced to take a series of jobs under a series of assumed names. Meanwhile, a romantic triangle involving American film star Norma (Helen Whitney Bourne) and gangsters Pierre (Robert Flemyng) and Marcel (Louis Borrell) spells big trouble for all concerned -- including the plucky Jeanne. Highlighted by six sprightly song numbers, Head Over Heels in Love is our girl Jessie's vehicle all the way, and never mind the "main" plot. The film was directed by Sonnie Hale, who just so happened to be the star's husband. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jessie Matthews, Louis Borell, (more)
- 1935
No Limit is purely and simply a vehicle for chipmunk-cheeked British comic George Formby. He plays a provincial auto mechanic who dreams of the Main Chance. He gets it when he decides to soup up an old dirt-bike and enter the vehicle in an upcoming championship race. The climactic road sequences were picturesquely filmed on the Isle of Man. Supporting George is Florence Desmond, one of the foremost celebrity impressionists of her time. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Formby, Florence Desmond, (more)
- 1935
Ratoff is a lion tamer who hears that a rival of his has died by a lioness. Ratoff adopts the daughter of the deceased man, and he buys the lioness that killed him. As time goes on, he becomes increasingly jealous of the men who pay attention to the girl, who has grown into a beautiful woman. As his fame at the circus is being surpassed, he demands the woman marry him. She becomes involved with the very one surpassing his fame, however, and this pushes Ratoff too far. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gregory Ratoff, John Loder, (more)
- 1934
In this comedy, an upstanding judge marries a woman whom he believes is much younger than she really is. To keep the illusion alive, the woman dresses her adult son as a boy. The truth is finally revealed during a wild music hall party. Fortunately, the judge is willing to accept them as they really are and happiness ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1934
Hollywood favorites Charles Farrell and Gregory Ratoff head the cast of the British romantic comedy Falling In Love. The film's real star, however, is young Mary Lawson, here making her cinema debut. The plot concerns a famous film star (Farrell) who seeks shelter from his mobs of fans by hiding out on the top of a London double-decker bus. Alas, he hasn't the proper fare, so our hero must rely upon the kindness of strangers -- or specifically, a stranger, pretty shopgirl Lawson. Eventually falling in love with the star, Lawson is disillusioned by manager Ratoff, who informs the girl that Farrell is not only a love-'em-and-leave-'em type, but is already married. A happy ending does come about, however, thanks to a last-minute chase between an ocean liner and a tugboat (such sequences were a matter of course for the film's director, former silent-screen comedian Monty Banks). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Farrell, Gregory Ratoff, (more)
- 1932
In this comedy-mystery, an ex-vaudevillian becomes an amateur sleuth and begins helping the police locate an international ring of smugglers who have been sneaking diamonds into the US inside coffee cans. Scotland Yard nabs a female gang member. They then have the ex-music hall performer impersonate the crook and use him to entrap the other smugglers. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Betty Boyd
- 1928
Silent western star Fred Thomson's second film for Paramount, The Pioneer Scout benefited from glorious locations in California's Mojave Desert. The story of a wagon train braving dangers on its trek to California was as old as the desert sand, however. Thomson plays the scout of the title, who romances a pretty lass along the way when not entering a race in the town of Last Chance or battling an evil saloon keeper (Tom Wilson) suspected of a series of fake Indian attacks. Thomson's horse, Silver King, plays a large role in the film, not only winning the Big Race for Thomson but also saving his master from Wilson's henchmen. Like many times before, the screenplay to this Thomson oater was provided by one Frank M. Clifton. Hiding behind the pen-name was none other than Thomson's wife, screenwriter Frances Marion. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fred C. Thompson
- 1928
Fred Thomson plays a dual role (sort of) in The Sunset Legion. Thomson is cast as a Texas ranger who poses as a cowardly firearms salesman in order to infiltrate a lawless town. By night, our hero assumes the guise of "The Black-Robed Stranger" to bedevil the villains. Heroine Edna Murphy is mad about The Black-Robed Stranger but has no time for the firearms peddler, never realizing that the two men are one in the same. The Zorro-like plot line wends its way toward an exciting conclusion, as Thomson takes on saloon owner (and outlaw leader) Harry Woods. At this point, he reveals his true identity to the wide-eyed Murphy, leading to mucho hugs 'n' kisses for the finale. The Sunset Legion was directed by Lloyd Ingraham, who helmed most of Fred Thomson's Paramount vehicles. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Courtwright, Edna Murphy, (more)
- 1927
Fred Thomson's first film of 1927 told the exciting story of Don Miguel, part Spaniard, part Irish, who rescues a party of settlers stranded in the desert. The leader of the group, Pettingell (Noah Young), pays him back by filing a claim against Don Mike's land and making lewd overtures toward his girlfriend (Ruth Clifford). When the local mayor (Albert Prisco) is found murdered, Don Mike is blamed and forced to flee. He returns disguised as a monk and unmasks the real killer, none other than his old enemy Pettingell. Thomson's horse, Silver King, earned second billing in this film and was even awarded a character name: "Rey de Plata." Like most of Thomson's FBO Westerns, Don Mike was written by the star's wife, Frances Marion, under the pen name "Frank M. Clifton." ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Silver King
- 1927
Silent cowboy star Fred Thomson raised quite a bit of controversy by portraying the famous outlaw in a sympathetic vein -- there were still a few oldsters around in those days who remembered the furor raised by the James gang. This role was a surprising turn for Thomson, whose films were generally known for their non-violent, clean-living heroes. Here, he polishes up Jesse James' character, gives him a love interest (Nora Lane), then uses the better part of the film to do what Thomson always did best -- perform elaborate tricks with his horse Silver King. The only difference from his prior films was a higher production value -- this was his first film for Paramount. While Hollywood features, for the most part, have dispensed with history in favor of drama (or the star's or director's whims), Thomson's take on Jesse James was not taken lightly, and this disapproval was quite a turnaround from the widespread esteem the actor was used to receiving. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nora Lane, Montagu Love, (more)
- 1926
The most interesting aspect of this Fred Thomson western is the supporting cast. Playing the Spanish heroine is a very young Bess Flowers, who, as every film buff knows, became Queen of the Hollywood Dress Extras. (Flowers is the handsome and beautifully coifed, grey-haired dowager seen in nearly every party scene from the 1930s to the 1950s.) Thomson's father is in the film played by veteran stage star Tyrone Power, whose son Tyrone, Jr. would become a leading matinee-idol of the 1930s and 1940s. And then there is the villain Tom Santschi, a tough-looking screen veteran whose terrifically staged brawl (or was it staged?) with William Farnum in The Spoilers (1914) became part of Hollywood lore. Hands Across the Border itself was a pleasant if unremarkable story of a millionaire's son whose infatuation with a beautiful below-the-border belle brings him on a collision course with a gang of drug smugglers. He masquerades as a bandit to infiltrate the gang but is discovered and captured along with the girl and her father (Clarence Geldert). Aided by Silver King the Wonder Horse, Thomson escapes to alert both the U.S. and Mexican armies. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fred C. Thompson
- 1925
Silent screen cowboy star Fred Thomson plays a drifter arrested for vagrancy in this above-average oater from FBO. On his way to jail, Thomson gets a chance to show his prowess in a local rodeo and proves to be such a success that he's hired on the spot by a local rancher. Unfortunately, Thomson's unknown past makes him a perfect suspect in a Wells Fargo robbery, and the stalwart hero must use all his cunning to unmask the real culprit, the crooked ranch foreman. This fine Thomson Western was the first of five directed by former actor David Kirkland. Kirkland replaced Del Andrews, who found himself demoted to the less prestigious Bob Custer series, reportedly because of drunkenness. The villainous ranch foreman was played, surprisingly enough, by Elmo Lincoln, a brawny actor best remembered as the screen's first Tarzan. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1925
Although (falsely) accused of robbery and murder, Tom Bailey (Fred Thomson) is nevertheless granted amnesty for one day in order to ride in the rodeo and judge a baby pageant. The winner of the contest (Mary Louise Miller) is the brother of Esther Lacy (Helen Foster), whose stepfather, Hartigan (Harry Woods), is the actual killer. Eluding the law, Tom goes in search of the villain -- who, at one point, almost has the baby killed by an runaway train meant to maim Tom -- before the inevitable happy ending. Baby Mary Louise Miller (later to be seen as one of Mary Pickford's Sparrows (1926)) almost steals this pleasant western which, according to Moving Picture World, was "As good an action picture as money can buy." ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fred C. Thompson, Helen Foster, (more)
- 1925
Silent Western star Fred Thomson inaugurated his own production unit with this fine Western, which, in addition to the magnificent horse Silver King, also featured Thomson's pet bull Murro and frequent leading lady Hazel Keener. Veteran villain Frank S. Hagney plays Eagle Eye, an Indian who cross-breeds one of rancher Harbison's (Herbert Prior) prime cows with a bison. The creature, known as Diablo, spreads terror in the valley exactly as the evil Indian had hoped. The government sends heroic Dan Allen (Thomson) to investigate and, with Harbison's pretty daughter (Keener) by his side, Dan manages to prevent Diablo from hurting anyone else. Photoplay Magazine said at the time, "Fred Thomson and Silver King again prove that their Westerns are different." ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fred C. Thompson, Catherine Bennett, (more)
- 1924
Western star Fred Thompson was, for many years, the biggest single moneymaker for the small-scale production firm of FBO. The Thompson vehicles enabled the tiny studio to expand to the point that it was attractive enough to be gobbled up by prestigious RKO Radio Pictures. All of this was still five years in the future when, in 1924, Thompson played the title role in Galloping Gallagher. Although released subsequent to The Mask of Lopez and North of Nevada, this fine silent western was most likely the first Fred Thomson oater filmed. Very much in the tradition of Tom Mix, this good-humored little silent melodrama features Thomson as a happy-go-lucky drifter who is elected sheriff of Tombstone on account of his fine horsemanship. He falls for a lady minister (Thomson regular Hazel Keener) and unmasks the town's banker as a notorious bandit known as "Lily Finger." More important than that, Thomson gets to exhibit his much-admired mount Silver King, who plays a major role in the proceedings. Rumor had it in 1920s Hollywood that the consistently high quality of the Fred Thompson westerns was due to the uncredited input of Thompson's wife, award-winning screenwriter Frances Marion. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fred C. Thompson, Hazel Keener, (more)
A visually stunning if somewhat overblown melodrama, The Love Light was directed by Mary Pickford's close friend and confidante, screenwriter Frances Marion. Pickford is Angela, a young Italian lighthouse keeper who can only watch while both her brothers (Jean De Briac and Eddie Phillips) and a village admirer, Giovanni (Raymond Bloomer), go off to war with Germany. While mourning the news of the older brother's death, Angela rescues a stranger who has washed up on the beach. Dressed in an unfamiliar sailor's uniform, the boy (Fred Thomson) introduces himself as Joseph, an American whose ship had left him behind. Fearing that he may be mistaken for a deserter, Angela agrees to harbor the young man and they quickly fall in love, Angela sending her secret husband signs of love every night from the lighthouse. When Angela discovers that Joseph is a German spy, and that the nightly messages of love may have caused the drowning death of her returning younger brother, she gives him up to the angry villagers. Grieving over her dead brothers and the treachery of the man she loved, Angela finds comfort only in her newborn baby. But Maria (Evelyn Dumo), who has lost both her husband Pietro (Albert Prisco) and their newborn son, convinces the local nuns to hand over Angela's child to her. When Angela realizes what has happened, Maria flees in a boat operated by Tony (George Regas). In the ensuing storm, Angela's baby almost drowns but the little girl is saved in the nick of time by her mother's "love light." Reunited with a blinded Giovanni, Angela and her baby have finally found a safe harbor. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mary Pickford, Evelyn Dumo, (more)
