Harold Simpson Movies
- 1941
Louise Hanson's poem Man at the Gate was the inspiration for this 48-minute oddity. Having lost so many of her loved ones to the Sea, Mrs. Foley (Mary Jerrold) begs her husband (Wilfred Lawson) to give up the life of a sailor for the sake of their son George (William Freshman). But when war breaks out, Mr. Foley has no choice but to set sail, with the expected tragic results. Eventually young George answers the inevitable call of the sea, leaving Mrs. Foley alone with her memories and regrets. Man at the Gate is reminiscent of John Millington Synge's Riders to the Sea, which was likewise converted into a 4-reel film. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Wilfred Lawson, Mary Jerrold, (more)
- 1938
American leading lady Marian Marsh plays the title character in the British Girl Thief. Actually, the biggest thing young Juliet (Marsh) steals is the heart of Bill (Anthony Bushell), the best friend of her fiance Allan (Claude Hulbert). It is subsequently a considerable source of discomfort when Bill is asked to serve as best man for Allan and Juliet's wedding. Everything turns out OK when it's revealed that Allan is himself still carrying a torch for an ex-sweetheart. This charming but utterly forgettable frivolity was originally released in England as Love at Second Sight. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marian Marsh, Anthony Bushell, (more)
- 1938
In this crime drama, an insurance detective goes undercover to try to bring in a jewel thief. He poses as a gangster and joins a gang. They end up stealing his passport and leaving him unable to return to the US. To get back he must pose as a crewman aboard a ship. He then discovers the purloined gems have been replaced by fakes and falls in love with a female gang member. Eventually his love reforms her and she helps him solve the mystery. He in turn, saves her life. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bebe Daniels, Ben Lyon, (more)
- 1937
Romance in Flanders is the American title of the British Lost on the Western Front. Set during WWI, the first part of the story dwells upon the rivalry between Sergeants John Morley (Paul Cavanaugh) and Rodd Berry (Garry Marsh) over the affections of fetching mademoiselle Yvonne (Marcelle Chantal). She favors Morley, but when he's reported missing and presumed dead, she marries Berry. Years pass: during a British Army reunion, Yvonne suddenly spots a battlefield guide named Dick, who is the living image of her beloved Morley. Berry scoffs at the possibility that Dick and Morley are one of the same -- but they are. Not wishing to come between Yvonne and her husband, Morley feigns amnesia, but this doesn't weaken Yvonne's resolve to leave Berry and run off with her rediscovered Romeo. Suddenly, Morley's mind snaps, and he vows to kill Berry and claim Yvonne for himself. But a last-minute plot twist averts bloodshed and sets things right -- not happily right, but right all the same. The film was inspired by Mario Fort and Ralph E. Vanloc's best-selling novel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Cavanagh, Marcelle Chantal, (more)
- 1936
Hollywood star Richard Barthelmess, who's about as French as a hot dog with mustard, plays the title character in the British costume melodrama Spy of Napoleon. Based on a novel by Baroness Orczy (The Scarlet Pimpernel), the plot focuses on the animosity between Napoleon III (Frank Vosper) and Prussian chancellor Bismarck (Lyn Harding). Certain that he is surrounded by traitors (which indeed he is), Napoleon dispatches his illegitimate daughter Eloise (Dolly Haas) to flush out the turncoats. It happens that the girl is married to exiled French patriot Gerald de Lanoy (Barthelmess), who though he despises Napoleon loves his country and agrees to help her in her mission. Francis L. Sullivan wins the acting honors as the Emperor's sinister chief of police Toulon. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Barthelmess, Dolly Haas, (more)
