George Owen Movies
- 1943
This backstage musical offers a peek at vaudeville behind-the-scenes. The story centers on a recently divorced woman who decides to use her generous alimony settlement to stage an old fashioned vaudeville show. Unfortunately her chief backer insists on being the star. Fortunately, at the last minute, a very talented person replaces the no-talent backer. Songs include: "I Always Knew," "Hasta Luego," "Lotus Bloom," "Something to Shout About," "Through Thick and Thin." The song "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To," was nominated for an Academy Award. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Don Ameche, Janet Blair, (more)
- 1942
The three stars of Universal's The Spoilers -- Marlene Dietrich, John Wayne and Randolph Scott -- were reunited for the pageantlike adventure yarn Pittsburgh. As indicated by the title, this is a saga of the steel industry, with longtime buddies Pittsburgh Markham (Wayne) and Cash Evans (Scott) rising from the ranks of miners to run their own foundry. Ruthlessly devoted to his work, Pittsburgh eventually has a falling out with Cash and also jeopardizes his romantic relationship with beautiful Josie Winters (Dietrich). Thanks to his duplicitous business practices, Pittsburgh loses both Josie and his steel mill; but when America enters WW II, he redeems himself by signing on as a common workman with Cash's still-thriving organization. Well acted and directed, Pittsburgh nonetheless lacks the extra spark which transforms a good film into a great one. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Wayne, Marlene Dietrich, (more)
- 1937
Scott Colton, a good-looking young fellow whom Universal was grooming for stardom (unsuccessfully as it turned out) heads the cast of Wildcatter. Colton plays "Lucky" Conlon, who makes his living as a wildcat oil rigger, taking his young wife Helen (Jean Rogers) to wherever he can find work. Lucky falls under the spell of temptress Julia Frayne (Suzanne Kaaren), who arranges a job for our hero with her oil-magnate dad (Russell Hicks). The rest of the wildcatters resent this sort of favoritism and gang up on Lucky, who realizes at long last that he'll soon be "Unlucky" Conlon if he remains with Julia. Billed third as a corpulent oil worker named Smiley is Jack Smart, who as J. Scott Smart later starred on the radio series The Fat Man. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Scott Colton, Jean Rogers, (more)
- 1931
Madeleine Carroll plays a dual role "sort of" in the WWI comedy French Leave. When her husband Harry (Haddon Mason) marches off to the Front, Dorothy Glennister (Carroll) can't stand the idea of being separated from him. Sooooo, she sneaks into the French town where Harry is stationed and poses as a local coquette named Juliette. Unfortunately, her little stratagem backfires when she's suspected of being a German spy. Virtually every British officer depicted in the film is a pompous idiot, making one wonder how they ever won the war. Originally released at 100 minutes, French Leave was pared down to an hour for its American release -- and judging by what was left, those missing 40 minutes were no great loss. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Madeleine Carroll, Sydney Howard, (more)
