John G. Bachmann Movies
Former New York public accountant John G. Bachmann entered films in 1916 with Paramount and went on to produce such films as Josef von Sternberg's The Last Command (1928) and The Docks of New York (1928). He became a talent agent shortly after the advent of sound but returned to produce Double Cross (1941), a low-budget police drama from PRC. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
In this action film, an officer is thrown off the force by his father the chief of police. The bitter ex-cop then joins a racketeering operation. The ring leader assigns him to drive a truck-load of armed hoods to ambush his father. Unbeknownst to the crooks, the ex-cop is still active on the force. The whole affair was a ruse to capture them. The brave cop succeeds in warning his peers of the ambush and the bad-guys die in a hail of bullets. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kane Richmond, Pauline Moore, (more)
- 1935
Steamship captain Steve Andrews (Ralph Bellamy) is demoted to second officer when Marge Walker (Ann Sothern), daughter of Steve's boss, insists that her boyfriend Roy Dale (John Buckler) be put in charge of the ship. Dale's first assignment is to deliver a valuable cargo to Shanghai within a designated date. Marge stows away on board to be nearer to Dale, which earns her the unbridled scorn of the embittered Steve. During a violent storm at sea, Dale panics and leaves his post, obliging Steve to take over command of the ship. As a result, it is Steve who guides the vessel safely to Shanghai -- and instead of being brought up on charges of mutiny, he wins the love of Marge at fade-out time. Here as elsewhere, Ralph Bellamy and Ann Sothern work so well together that one might assume they were married in real life (which they weren't). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ann Sothern, Ralph Bellamy, (more)
- 1933
Junior Durkin who burst upon the movie scene as Huck Finn in 1930's Tom Sawyer, is the teenage star of Man Hunt. Durkin plays an aspiring detective (courtesy of a correspondence school) who decides to take on the case of a robbery/murder. He uncovers a cache of stolen diamonds, and is nearly rubbed out by a mysterious baldheaded assailant. Junior's leading lady is Charlotte Henry, who'd previously costarred with the boy in Huckleberry Finn (31) and would have her bid for stardom later in 1933 with Alice in Wonderland. Man Hunt was an independent production (obviously so, given the tattiness of the sets and camerawork), distributed to the Saturday-matinee market by RKO. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Junior Durkin, Charlotte Henry, (more)
- 1933
Goldie dreams of being a movie star. One day she decides to leave her New Jersey home and her boy friend to head for Hollywood. She eventually arrives, but not before having a close call with a crooked beauty contest promoter. Once in Tinseltown, the is surprised to discover that her old boyfriend got their first and he is a major star. Wasting no time, she becomes one too, but by that time, the luster of stardom has worn off for the fellow and he exchanges the excitement for the quiet life back home. Will Goldie go too? ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lili Damita, Charles Morton, (more)
- 1932
In this crime drama, two corrupt financiers conspire to fake the murder of their boss and leave a hapless chauffeur to shoulder the blame. Their scheme works and the driver is given the death penalty. Fortunately, on the day of his execution, the "dead" man shows up and saves him. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1926
Aspiring playwright Lila Lake (Alice Day), gypped by a phony theatrical agency, finds herself stranded in New York. Meanwhile, the mother (Ethel Clayton) of wealthy Jimmy Duval (Charles Cruze) tries to save her son from the clutches of a predatory female. Thanks to clever lawyer Philip Thorne (Theodore von Eltz), the lives of Lila and Jimmy converge. The title makes no more sense than the plot, since the "New York Wife" -- who briefly hires Lila as a personal secretary -- is but a minor character. Critics were amused by the unbelievable behavior of the characters, especially a pair of funny-paper private detectives. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alice Day, Theodore Von Eltz, (more)
- 1926
The title Romance of a Million has precisely nothing to do with the plot. Glenn Hunter stars as a lifelong reformatory inmate who is sprung by his millionaire uncle. This does not sit well with the old boy's other nephew Gaston Glass, who assumed that he was in line to inherit the family fortune. Uncle arranges for both Hunter and Glass to receive $500,000 each, on the proviso that if either nephew brings disgrace to the family, he will automatically forfeit his money. Naturally, Glass turns out to be the more dishonest of the two, sneakily arranging for Hunter to get in trouble by planting stolen items in the latter's bedroom. Glass even goes so far as to disguise himself as a Russian countess (!) to coerce Hunter into selling the stolen goods. But the villain is hoist on his own petard through the intervention of Hunter's clever sweetheart Alyce Mills. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Glenn Hunter, Gaston Glass, (more)
- 1926
Gawky American teenager Daphne Carroll (Edith Roberts) is shipped off to an expensive education in Paris. By the time she returns, Daphne has metamorphosed into a sleek, poised fashion plate. She has also picked up a few "radical" notions about love and fidelity, which embarrass her hometown sweetheart, politician Curtis Lee (Harland Tucker). Worried that Daphne might hurt his chances at re-election, Curtis begins neglecting her. She gets even by crashing one of Curtis' dinner parties, posing as escaped lunatic Sally Long (Louise Carver). Worried about Daphne's bizarre behavior, Curtis puts her under the care of a nurse -- who turns out to be the real Sally Long. Rescued from a grisly fate, Daphne promises to behave more conservatively in the future -- but one detects a gleam in her pretty blue eyes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edith Roberts, Harland Tucker, (more)
- 1926
Happily married Robert Agnew tries to put a little variety in his life by taking dance lessons. He spends so much time learning the intricacies of the Charleston and Black Bottom that he begins to neglect his wife Lillian Rich. The limit comes when Agnew begins falling for seductive dance instructress Helene Chadwick. In retaliation, Rich steps out with bachelor Forrest Stanley, and soon she's cutting a pretty mean rug herself. Ultimately, both husband and wife realize the error of their ways and waltz themselves home. A well-staged car crash is the highlight of this easy-to-take domestic drama. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Helene Chadwick, Lillian Rich, (more)
