Viola Dana Movies

Basically a filmed vaudeville presentation, The Show of Shows was Warner Bros.' entry in the "all star, all talking, all singing and all dancing" sweepstakes of 1929. Though slightly better than MGM's Hollywood Revue of 1929, the Warners entry pales in comparison to Fox Movietone Follies of 1929 and Paramount on Parade, due mainly to the film's master of ceremonies, the insufferable Frank Fay. Some of the individual acts seen in Show of Shows were pretty good, notably Winnie Lightner's delightful Singing in the Bathtub (a spoof of Hollywood Revue of 1929's Singin' in the Rain) and John Barrymore's brilliant rendition of Richard III's soliloquy from Shakespeare's Henry VI. Also easy to take was "Floradora Sextette," featuring such luminaries as Myrna Loy, Patsy Ruth Miller and cross-eyed comedian Ben Turpin, and "Eight Sister Acts," including such Hollywood siblings as Dolores and Helene Costello, Sally Blane and Loretta Young and Shirley Mason and Viola Dana (also teamed in this number are Ann Sothern and Marion Byron, who were not sisters). But for the most part, the acts are on a par with "Skull and Crossbones," a boring production number showcasing entertainer Ted Lewis, and "Recitations," a one-joke affair in which three different anecdotes (related by Frank Fay, Louis Fazenda, Lloyd Hamilton and Bea Lillie) are melded into one. Show of Shows was originally released in two-color Technicolor but now exists only in black in white, save for the "Chinese Fantasy" number featuring crooner Nick Lucas and Warner Bros. contractee Myrna Loy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Director Frank Capra's first feature for Columbia Pictures, the silent That Certain Thing stars Viola Dana and Ralph Graves. Dana plays a poor girl who falls in love with wealthy Graves, the son of a millionaire restaurateur. When Graves declares that he has no intention of going into the family business, his father cuts him off without a dime. With nary a dime between them, Graves and Dana hit upon a moneymaking plan: they'll manufacture box lunches in Dana's kitchen, then sell them to construction workers from the back of her Model T. The box-lunch enterprise blossoms into a big business, driving dad's chain of restaurants into bankruptcy. All is forgiven when Father becomes Graves' junior partner. Lensed for less than $20,000 (the "prop" box lunches saved catering costs!), That Certain Thing was a hit, launching a long and rewarding association between Capra and Columbia. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Obviously inspired by the success of Norma Talmadge's Kiki, Naughty Nanette stars Viola Dana as Nanette Pearson, a movie extra with big ambitions. During her climb to success, Nanette allows herself to be the "good friend" of several wealthy sugar daddies, but she remains her old down-to-earth self. Our heroine shows she's a good kid when she befriends disinherited socialite Lucy Dennison (Helen Foster) and reunites the girl with her crusty grandfather (Sidney De Gray). One of the best of the "forgotten" stars of the silent era, Viola Dana remained as sharp as a tack well into her eighties, providing many a film historian with vital inside information about Hollywood's Golden Years. One suspects she had as much fun making such trivialities as Naughty Nanette as the audience had watching them. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Ralph Ince both directed and co-starred in FBO's Bigger Than Barnum. The story focuses on the Blandins, a family of circus aerialists. When their boss Carl Rabelle (Ince) insists that the family perform their high-wire act without a net, the better to attract customers, young Robert Blandin (George O'Hara) refuses out of concern for his adopted sister Juanita (Viola Dana). Rabelle then appeals to the vanity of Robert's macho-man father Peter (Ralph Lewis), suggesting that Robert is too "yellow" to work minus a net -- and further suggesting that the boy's cowardice reflects on the whole family. Peter spurns his son and insists upon going on with their death-defying act, while Juanita loyally joins her father high above the crowd. Inevitably, Peter plummets to the ground and is permanently disabled, which serves to heighten his resentment towards his son. But when Peter and Juanita are trapped in a burning building, it is the "cowardly" Robert who comes to their rescue. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Based on the musical comedy of the same name, Kosher Kitty Kelly stars Viola Dana in the title role. The story is a variation on the Abie's Irish Rose theme, detailing the marriage between an Irish Catholic and a Jew. Much of the humor is of the roughhouse variety, though there are a few touches of tenderness, courtesy of Nat Carr as Moses Ginsburg and Vera Gordon as Mrs. Feinbaum. In fact, "official" heroine Kitty Kelly generally takes a back seat to the wistful middle-aged romance between Carr and Gordon. Handling the directorial reins was James W. Horne, best known today for his collaborations with Laurel and Hardy and his gloriously silly Columbia serials of the 1940s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Stalwart Milton Sills stars in a role that's nearly as virile as the one he played in The Sea Hawk. Major John Craig (Sills) is a British Army surgeon who is based at an East Indian post. He knocks Colonel Carringford (Paul Nicholson) cold during a fight. When the Colonel is killed by a servant, Evelyn Beaudine (Rosemary Theby), a woman of questionable motivation and morals, accuses him of the murder. As a result, Craig flees India, leaving behind his former sweetheart, Gloria Gordon (Ruth Clifford), and heads for the South Seas. He becomes a successful pearl fisher and meets Pandora La Croix, a native dancing girl (Viola Dana). Craig gives a beating to Gorilla Bagsley, a pearl poacher (Tom Kennedy), when he bothers Pan. After that, Pan believes that Craig is hers, and they marry. Craig's real identity is discovered, and the British officials are notified. Gloria arrives with Watkins (Frank Leigh), who informs him that he has been proven innocent. Gorilla, who's still harboring a grudge against Craig, tries to kill him, but Pan steps in and takes the bullet. With her death, Craig and Gloria are reunited. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

Frank Lloyd, who directed The Sea Beast, tried to create another epic with this Rex Beach tale of the 1897 gold rush. The story, however, isn't all that interesting, and there are too many important characters that muddy the plot. Pierce Phillips (a miscast Ben Lyon) loses his stake in a shell game and winds up hiring himself out to carry goods for the McCaskeys to the next camp. He meets and joins up with Tom (Claude Gillingwater) and Jerry (Charles Crockett), two old prospectors, and also meets the beautiful Countess Courteau (Anna Q. Nilsson). Phillips helps her take her belongings through the rapids, but they are estranged when she reveals that she is already married. Phillips gets work as a gold weigher in a dancehall, where Laura (Dorothy Sebastian) tries to vamp him. When he turns her down, she teams up with McCaskey (Fred Kohler). They try to frame Phillips for a robbery. The Count (Philo McCullough) has gone to inform the police, but he is killed en route. Phillips is blamed for this too, but it's finally revealed that one of McCaskey's clan did the job. After all these confusing events, Phillips and the Countess find happiness. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

Ben Lyon and Viola Dana co-star in this heavy society drama -- not exactly the forte of either of these stars. Charming but irresponsible Dick Jerome (Frank Mayo) wins Frances (Gladys Brockwell) over his rival, the more responsible David Devanant (Thomas Holding). Jerome is a drunk and a womanizer, and in an attempt to straighten him out, Devanant sends him on an assignment to South America. He dies there, a victim of a brawl. Back home, Frances dies too, and she asks Devanant to marry her so that her son, Frank, will have a father. He agrees, and also adopts a girl, Shirley Holmes. Frank grows up (to be played by Lyon), and proves to be every bit as irresponsible as his father. He marries Hattie (Mary Thurman), an adventuress who wants money to annul the marriage. When Devanant refuses, some bonds are stolen from him. He accuses Frank and sends him to South America to earn back the money lost. Frank works hard until a friend insists that Devanant is only trying to get rid of him so he can marry Shirley
(Dana), who both he and Frank love. Frank returns to the States to stop the wedding, but Devanant reveals that he knew that Frank did not take the bonds -- he just wanted to make a man of him. Devanant has a heart attack and dies, so Frank and Shirley are able to wed. This picture was based on a book written by future Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Stephen Vincent Benet. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

Therese Duverne (Viola Dana) is bored with her even-tempered husband, Edmond (Adolphe Menjou). Isabelle Fevre (Gale Henry) suggests that Edmond go to the bicycle races and stay out all night. Then she takes Therese there and introduces her to manly Petit Mathieu, one of the racers (Maurice B. Flynn). Since he has just quarreled with his sweetheart, Lea (Jetta Goudal), he is glad to have Therese's attention and offers to run away with her after he wins the six-day race. Lea, meanwhile, is spending her time with Edmond. Therese eventually decides she doesn't care for brutes like Mathieu, and Edmond gains a temper and wins his wife back. Lea and Mathieu are reunited, while Isabelle goes back to helping her own alcoholic sweetheart, Igor (Raymond Griffith), break into the movies. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

Although Milton Sills was a leading man in his own right, he also supported many female stars of the silent era. In this crime drama he plays second fiddle to spunky Viola Dana. As "Angel Face Molly" O'Hara, Dana plays a part that is quite familiar to her fans -- that of a girl crook who reforms. Molly escapes when the police close in on the gang she's a part of and she finds a home with Mrs. Rand (Gertrude Claire). Mrs. Rand has a stock broker son, John (Sills), who is too preoccupied to realize that Molly has fallen in love with him. But then John gets involved in a crooked Wall Street deal and his partners frame him. Molly uses her expertise to break into John's safe so that she can steal a document that will save him. Mrs. Rand's influence has a positive effect on Molly, who becomes worthy of winning John's love. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

Viola Dana plays Ruth Ambrose, a citified interior decorator who expands her business to the country. The locals don't quite know what to make of the sophisticated Ruth, but she soon wins them over. After renovating a general store, Ruth finds true love in the form of farm boy Raymond McKee. Comedy relief is in the pudgy hands of Walter Hiers, while Tully Marshall goes through his "wizened rustic" repertoire. Along Came Ruth was released by Metro-Goldwyn, just before the company evolved into MGM. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide