Orville Caldwell Movies

Just Around the Corner is the film in which little Shirley Temple ends the Depression all by herself! The story starts realistically enough, with 10-year-old Penny Hale (Temple) sharing a basement apartment with her widowed father Jeff (Charles Farrell, in his final Fox film). Once a prosperous architect, Jeff has been working as a hotel janitor-engineer ever since the Wall Street Crash. Ordered by pompous hotel concierge Waters (Franklin Pangborn) to keep her place, Penny nonetheless has fun wandering the lobbies of the posh establishment under the watchful and protective eyes of her friends, Kitty the maid (Joan Davis), Gus the chauffeur (Bert Lahr) and Corporal Jones the doorman (Bill Robinson). Having been told by her dad that the only person who can pull the country out of the Depression is Uncle Sam, Penny becomes convinced that goateed billionaire tycoon S. G. Henshaw (Claude Gillingwater Sr.) is Uncle Sam come to life. Charming her way into the heart of the irascible Henshaw, Penny convinces him to help the economy get started again. Not only does Uncle Sam accomplish this by creating thousands of new jobs, but he also manages to give Penny's father Jeff a new start in life, much to the delight of Jeff's sweetheart Lola (Amanda Duff). The film's highlights are Shirley Temple's always-delightul dance duets with Bill "Bojangles" Robinson; less easy to take when seen today is the closing "Buttons and Epaulets" production number, performed by a chorus of servile blacks. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Spencer Tracy won his second Oscar for his portrayal of Father Edward J. Flanagan--then promptly turned the statuette over to the real Father Flanagan out of gratitude. The priest's philosophy that no boy will grow up bad if given a chance in life culminates in his formation of Boys Town in Omaha, Nebraska. Unable to raise funds through "proper" channels, Flanagan finds that his staunchest supporters are the workaday folks who have faith in him; none is stauncher than Jewish pawnbroker Henry Hull, who digs deep into his pockets to help Flanagan realize his dream. The story of the struggle to get Boys Town on its feet paralleled with the regeneration of punkish Mickey Rooney, the younger brother of criminal Edward Norris. At first a wise-guy rebel, Rooney rises to a position of authority, responsibility and respect in Boys Town's self-maintained government. Boys Town, by the way, is the source of the classic line "He ain't heavy--he's my brother." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Orville Caldwell, who registered well as Marion Davies' leading man in MGM's The Patsy, was afforded star billing in FBO's The Little Yellow House. A backwoods drama, the story details the tribulations of the Milburns, a farming family headed by an irresponsible alcoholic (William Orlamond). A wealthy relative offers to help out the Milburns, but the proud patriarch refuses to take charity. Fed up with her shabby existence, young Emily Milburn (Martha Sleeper) walks out on her family and heads to the Big City, where she is nearly violated by all-around cad Wells Harbison (Freeman Wood). Emily is rescued just in time by her hometown sweetheart Rob Hollis (Orville Caldwell). She returns home, vowing to make the best of things despite her dad's shiftless ways. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Although Virginia Valli is given top billing in this drama about World War I, Orville Caldwell has the biggest role, and the performance of nine-year-old Frankie Darro eclipses them both. Caldwell plays Brant Dennison, a roustabout inhabitant of the Kentucky hills. Although he is a hard drinker who has little use for education, he allows his kid brother, Tad (Darro), to go to school. Margaret Dix, the schoolteacher (Valli), has a positive influence on both of them. When the United States enters the Great War, Brant turns yellow when he sees how badly Jeb Marks (Frank McGlynn Jr.) has been shot up. He tries to avoid enlisting, but Tad has been taught patriotism by Margaret, and he helps rout out his reluctant older brother. Brant distinguishes himself overseas and returns a hero. The whole town waits anxiously for him to come home, but he steps off the train disgustingly intoxicated and proceeds to return to his drinking buddies. Only through Tad does Brant decide to straighten up and change his ways. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

The action in Flame of the Argentine is evenly divided between New Orleans and South America. Movie newcomer Orville B. Caldwell plays Department of Justice operative Dan Prescott, at present on the trail of a valuable emerald necklace. Evelyn Brent co-stars as Inez Ramirez, sexy dancer in a seedy New Orleans cabaret. What Inez doesn't know is that she's the daughter of Donna Aguila (Florence Turner), owner of a vast Argentine emerald mine. But villain Emil Tover (Frank Leigh) does know this, and he intends to put Inez out of the way so that he can lay claim to the mine himself upon Donna Aguila's demise. Meanwhile, Dan Prescott poses as an adventurer-for-hire, waiting for the right opportunity to reveal that he's one of the Good Guys. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This homespun little drama is nicely done, though unoriginal. Dan and Hester Taylor (Orville Caldwell and Renée Adorée) are a young married couple who make their home in the country. Dan is struggling as a farmer, and although Hester loves him, she yearns for something more. That "something more" is symbolized by the train that barrels through the town at 6:50 every evening on its way to the city. One night the train wrecks and three passengers with minor injuries are brought to the Taylor's farm. One of them, a widow, invites Hester to come to New York and visit her, so Hester finally gets her wish. But when she arrives she realizes that she got more than she bargained for. She meets up with one of the other passengers, lawyer Mark Rutherford (Niles Welch), and he chases after her. Meanwhile, back at home, Dan senses that their drab home life could chase his wife away permanently, so he works hard, builds a creamery, and becomes a force in the community. Hester, who has already begun to view her old home a lot more positively, returns much more appreciative of her life on the farm. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

This tiresome soap opera featured the beautiful but not particularly talented Katherine MacDonald. MacDonald is Dora Mason, who loses her job as a clerk. The illness of her little sister, Molly (Jean Miskimin), is also a strain on her emotionally and financially. After helping Jessup Barnes (Stuart Holmes) redecorate his home, he offers the place to Dora while he is out of town. Dora is grateful for his offer, but then he arrives home early. Barnes' wife (Edith Lyle) shows up, and, finding the two of them together, believes her husband is having an affair. A friend offers to put Dora up in his hunting lodge, and she meets lawyer Lawson Dean (Orville Caldwell). They marry after the death of Dora's sister. Dean runs for district attorney, and his opponent happens to be Barnes. The opposition threatens to reveal that Dora lived with Barnes unless Dean withdraws. When confronted with this, Dora admits she lived at Barnes' home, but Dean refuses to listen to the rest of her story, which explains that she didn't live with him. Dora goes to Barnes to force him to tell the truth. He refuses at first, but finally withdraws from the race. Dean ultimately acknowledges that Dora was an innocent party, and the couple is reconciled. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide