Alice Calhoun Movies

Though the names have been changed to protect the guilty, this romantic crime drama offers a relatively factual account of the life of Arnold Rothstein, an infamous bookie and is based upon a story by his widow. The story tells how he gambled his way to the top of his profession. Though he originally promised his wife that he would stop gambling once he made $200,000, he became addicted and decided he had to make $300,000 more before he could be happy. Soon his greed leads him to crooked gambling. Things get worse when he openly carries on an affair with a singer. The bookies dirty dealings get him into trouble and his wife is kidnapped while he is out of town. While rushing back to save her, he has a car accident and his lover is killed. By the time she is rescued, the wife has decided enough is enough and takes off to get a European divorce. The greedy gambler finds himself utterly lost without his two lovers and so after selling his wife's jewels takes out a large insurance policy upon himself. On an interesting footnote: Inez Norton, Rothstein's real-life widow, has a bit part in the film, as does then-ingenue Susan Fleming, AKA Mrs. Harpo Marx. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Taking time off from his busy directorial career, venerable action star Charles Hutchinson topped the cast of the comedy-melodrama Hidden Aces. When a Russian princess pays a visit to New York, her every move is monitored by a handsome crook (Hutchinson), who covets the lady's jewels. To realize his goal, the crook strikes a deal with the princess' far-from-honest major domo. The rest of the picture finds the two thieves double-crossing each other, with the "hero" eventually reforming for the sake of his sweetheart, lady-thief Alice Calhoun -- who happens to be the princess' lady-in-waiting! Didn't Robert Wagner and Susan St. James used to do this sort of stuff on It Takes a Thief? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Savage Passions was produced by Nat Levine, long before his fruitful association with Republic Pictures. Set in the hills of Tennessee, the story concerns a long-standing feud between two moonshining families. As much as the rival clans hate each other, they hate the Law even more. After reels and reels of bitter fighting and bloody shooting, the audience is primed for an all-stops-out violent climax. Instead, Savage Passions wimps out by having the feud settled in court, with hugs and handshakes all around. Alice Calhoun, who spent most of her career in "B" pictures like this one, headed the cast. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

William Fairbanks couldn't hope to convince audiences that he was in the same league as his namesame Douglas Fairbanks. Even so, Fairbanks had his public, who remained loyal even as their favorite with farther and farther down the movie-studio chain. The appropriately titled Down Grade was one of several quickie Fairbanks vehicles directed by Charles Hutchinson for bargain-basement Gotham Studios. In this one, Our Hero hopes to thwart the plans by the villains to destroy his dad's railroad line. The film is tolerable only during the action sequences, involving such props as souped-up cars, motorcycles and airplanes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

It's a little hard to believe that James Oliver Curwood wrote all the stories attributed to him on film. Allegedly inspired by a Curwood yarn, Tentacles of the North is set somewhere near the Arctic circle. From what can be gathered by contemporary reviews, it's the story of a bold adventurer (Gaston Glass) who wins a pretty girl (Alice Calhoun) despite the twin threats of an evil villain and a raging snowstorm. Some of the cinematography was attractive, but for the most part the story was a bore. Tentacles of the North was produced by Ben Wilson, a onetime serial star who specialized in "B"-grade actioners of this nature. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Movie-serial maven Charles Hutchison handled the directorial responsibilities of the thrill-a-minute Flying High. While taking a joyride with his sweetie Alice Calhoun, daredevil pilot William Fairbanks witnesses the aerial hijacking of a mail plane. He gives chase after the bandits and recovers the stolen money sacks. But that's only the beginning: soon Fairbanks is mixed up with a Mata Hari type (Cecile Callahan) who is in turn involved with a gang of society thieves. The climax finds Fairbanks hopping from one plane to another in mid-air to rescue the heroine from the crooks. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Orson Welles wasn't the first one to bring The Magnificent Ambersons to the screen. Vitagraph produced Booth Tarkington's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel during the silent era and slapped on the very 1920s title Pampered Youth. The Ambersons are the wealthiest family of a small Midwestern town. Isabel (Alice Calhoun), the daughter of Major Amberson (Emmett King), loves Eugene Morgan (Allan Forrest), but he disgraces himself in a drunken spree and leaves town. So Isabel marries Wilbur Minfer (Wallace McDonald), even though she doesn't really love him. She lavishes all her affection on her son, George (Ben Alexander), who, as a result, grows up into a spoiled young man (Cullen Landis). George's careless extravagance uses up the Amberson fortune. After Minfer dies, Morgan, now a successful automobile manufacturer, returns and takes up with Isabel once again. George resents the relationship and believes that Morgan is beneath him, even though he loves his daughter, Lucy (Charlotte Merriam). When Major Amberson dies, George is forced to go to work, and he learns to respect his fellow man. Morgan, meanwhile, saves Isabel when her home catches fire, thus cementing their romance. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

The Other Woman's Story begins as Bennett Colby (Robert Frazer) is convicted of the murder of Robert Marshall (Mahlon Hamilton). As Colby sits on death row, he recalls the events leading to his present sorry condition in a series of flashbacks. Meanwhile, the hero's sweetheart Miss Prentiss (Helen Lee Worthing) uncovers evidence that Colby's faithless wife (Alice Calhoun) was the killer. Presenting this evidence is prostitute Mildred Van (Gertrude Short), who heretofore had kept mum because she was certain no one would believe her. By rights, Mrs. Colby should take her husband's place in the electric chair, but the producers of The Other Woman's Story decided that no audience would stand to see a woman being executed, so the film ended with the homicidal wife being released in her husband's custody! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Sydney Chaplin -- older brother of Charles Chaplin -- specialized in films in which his character wound up dressing in drag at some point during the picture. This comedy, very loosely adapted from the novel by Harold McGrath, was released not long after Chaplin appeared in the very successful Charley's Aunt. Bob Warburton (Chaplin) is financing an invention by Lampton (Theodore Lorch), which both the government and foreign powers are anxious to get. But Lampton becomes convinced that Warburton is having an affair with his wife (Kathleen Calhoun). Warburton is forced to flee and poses as a groom for Betty Annesly (Alice Calhoun). To keep his eye on the foreign emissaries, he disguises himself as a French maid. Eventually Warburton is able to save the plans for the invention, unmask the spies (one of whom is played by the film's director, Charles "Chuck" Reisner) and, of course, win Betty's heart. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

More a romantic melodrama set on a western ranch than an out-and-out sagebrush tale, this Vitagraph silent features a couple of also-ran stars of the era, Alice Calhoun and John Bowers. She is the visitor from the East, he the handsome ranch foreman with whom she falls in love. There's a jealous fiancee (Alan Hale) and an equally resentful mountain girl (Charlotte Merriam), but in the end true love conquers all. One of Vitagraph's final stars, Alice Calhoun was noted for playing Lady Babbie in The Little Minister (1922). John Bowers, however, is remembered more for his spectacular suicide from drowning (he is said to have been the inspiration for the character of "Norman Maine" in A Star is Born) than for any of his many silent programmers. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

This old-fashioned melodrama based on the play by J. W. Harkins Jr. was packed with fun and thrills. Silas Carrington (Joseph Kilgour) murders Thornton shortly after being made executor of his estate. He then tries to woo the widow, but Mrs. Thornton (Alice Calhoun) will have nothing to do with him. Finally, to get away from his attention, Mrs. Thornton takes her little girl and tries to flee, but she dies in an auto accident. The child is rescued but disappears. Her maternal grandparents, the Tilwells (George Pierce and Kittie Bradbury), spend years searching for her, as does Carrington. She turns up under the name of Sparkle (also played by Calhoun), a waif who runs a newsstand with the help of a crippled orphan, Aggie (Maxine Elliot Hicks). Carrington's attempt to destroy the papers, which identify Sparkle as the heir to the Thornton estate, are foiled by handsome fireman Harry Westmore (Percy Marmont). Carrington falls to his death while trying to escape a fire, the Tilwells reunite with their granddaughter, and Sparkle falls in love with Westmore. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

This confusing maritime drama is divided into four parts; the ages of stone, iron, barbarism, and civilization. As the story begins, Dick Halpin (Cullen Landis) takes the blame for stealing the school's athletic funds to protect the real culprit, the brother of his sweetheart Mabel (Alice Calhoun). The sailor decides to become a civilian and is followed by his friend Lieutenant Breen (Earle Williams). Dressed as civilians, the two go to a saloon where Breen tries to dissuade Dick from deserting. In the saloon, Dick and Breen are given knock-out drops and shanghaied. After he regains consciousness, Dick informs the captain he is a member of the United States Navy and demands to be put ashore. Breen refuses to acknowledge Dick is a sailor, revealing himself to be in league with Captain Bilker (Jack Curtis). Further distaff interest is provided by Wanda Hawley, who appears with Martin Turner, Dick Sutherland, and Jack Curtis. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide