Jack Daugherty Movies
Best remembered as one of silent screen star Barbara La Marr's many husbands, handsome Jack Daugherty (or Dougherty as it was sometimes spelled) began his career starring in minor action melodramas for low-budget producer Benjamin F. Wilson. Although most of Wilson's cheap fare only played the grind-houses, Daugherty came to the attention of Universal who paired him with newcomer Laura La Plante in a series of Western two-reelers. But true Western stardom eluded him and he did much better in serials, of which he made no less than nine, seven of which were produced for {@Universal). But La Marr's sensational death from an apparent drug overdose would forever taint Daugherty's reputation and he was playing supporting roles, mostly villainous, by the end of the decade. A second marriage to former WAMPAS Baby Star Virginia Brown Faire ended in divorce after only one year and Daugherty was all but forgotten by moviegoers when he committed suicide in May 1938. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide- 1938
Penitentiary was the first of two remakes of Howard Hawks' 1931 prison flick The Criminal Code (the second remake was 1950's Convicted). Sent to prison on a manslaughter charge, young William Jordan (John Howard) is befriended by the man who sent him up, Judge Mathews (Walter Connolly). The judge sees to it that Jordan is given every opportunity to rehabilitate himself, though he's a bit uncomfortable when his own daughter Elizabeth (Jean Parker) falls in love with the young convict. All of this extra effort goes out the window when Jordan, adhering to the "criminal code" of never snitching on a fellow con, allows himself to be implicated in the murder of a stoolie. Jordan is saved from the hot seat by the last-minute confession from the real killer, a hard-bitten but honorable "lifer" named Finch (Arthur Hohl). In the original Criminal Code, Walter Huston, Philips Holmes, Constance Cummings and Boris Karloff essayed the roles played in Penitentiary by Connolly, Howard, Parker and Hohl. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Walter Connolly, John Howard, (more)
- 1937
Richard Thorpe's comedy Double Wedding (1937) marked the seventh screen pairing of William Powell and Myrna Loy, known for their popular appearances together in the Thin Man series. Powell is Charlie Lodge, a bohemian artist who lives in a trailer, camped in an auto parking space in a busy city. Lodge believes that work is meaningless - that life should be full of entertainment and relaxation and nothing else. Loy is Margit Agnew, a stylish dress-shop proprietor who constantly works herself into the ground. Margit has picked a suitable husband for her younger sister Irene (Florence Rice), a rather dull and ineffectual young man named Waldo Beaver (John Beal). While together, Irene and Waldo happen upon the improvident Lodge. Charlie subsequently encourages the girl to break free of the oppressive constraints of her fiance and sister, and to pursue her dreams of heading out to Hollywood and becoming an actress; Irene immediately fancies herself in love with Charlie. Loy intervenes by confronting Powell --and anyone who can't guess who's going to fall in love at this point should be drummed out of the theater. This amusing and affable by-the-numbers MGM comedy was based on a play by Ferenc Molnar. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Powell, Myrna Loy, (more)
- 1928
A young woman grows up innocent of the fact that her gentlemanly father is the head of a notorious ring of thieves. This romantic drama follows what happens when a young attorney decides to investigate the crook. The lawyer's quest for truth gets temporarily derailed after he falls in love with criminal's lovely daughter. It is further disturbed when the crook flees the country to escape a murderous/treacherous gang member. he ends up joining the American Expeditionary Force as does the lawyer. The two finally confront each other when they accidentally meet in the trenches. The villain knows the lawyer is among those seeking his destruction, but doesn't realize that the attorney is involved with his daughter until he hears the youth whisper her name in the midst of a delirium. Following the war's end, the lawyer marries his true love. Meanwhile, both believe the crook died in the trenches until many years later when a tattered stranger shows up at their door. The girl does not know him, but her canny husband realizes that the battle scarred wreck standing before them is her father and that he has comeback to see his girl one more time before dying. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Santschi, Betty Blythe, (more)
- 1928
A prize-fighter and a professional wrestler meet in a benefit match in this routine comedy-drama. Believing boxer Jack Townsend (Jack Daugherty) is his romantic rival, fortune hunter Peyson Turner (Wilbur Mack) places a stolen bracelet in his dressing-room during the match. Townsend escapes the police to search for the real thief, who turns out to be none other than the wrestler (George Kotsonaros). Virginia Brown Faire, who was named a WAMPAS Baby Star in 1923 (an award given by the Western Association of Motion Picture Advertisers to promising young actresses), had played Tinkerbell in Peter Pan (1924), and was cast as hero Daugherty's socialite girlfriend in this late-silent from Universal. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Daugherty, Virginia Brown Faire, (more)
- 1928
Although not quite the epic its title suggested, this 10 chapter Western serial from genre specialist Mascot was certainly star-studded. Nine former Western stars was added to the line-up by enterprising producer Nat Levine: Jack Perrin, Eileen Sedgwick, Jack Daugherty, Yakima Canutt, Leo Maloney, William Fairbanks, Helen Gibson, Fred Church and Bob Burns. All had been popular at various times in the 1920s but were now at large in a fast-changing Hollywood at the advent of sound. Perrin played Jack Marvin, a fugitive from justice attempting to rescue little Wally Lee (Mickey Bennett) from the clutches of an evil uncle. There is a mysterious fortune at stake but Jack manages to save both the boy and the fortune in the appropriately named final chapter, "The End of the Trail." The Vanishing West, however, was merely the beginning for the enterprising Mascot studio, which continued to grind out serials until swallowed up by Republic Pictures in March of 1935. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1927
This minor racetrack drama was directed by King Baggot, at one time a prominent silent-film leading man. Robert Agnew stars as Marty Kruger, a jockey who is forced to starve himself to qualify weight-wise for the Big Race. This Kruger does at the behest of his nasty trainer Devlin (Lincoln Plummer), who cares only about winning, and hang the consequences. Winning the big race, Marty passes out from malnutrition, and in so doing reveals Devlin to be a no-good rat. As compensation, our hero is comforted by heroine Katie Kelly (Marion Nixon), who has long held a torch for him. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marian Nixon, Jack Daugherty, (more)
- 1926
Writer Frank Spearman was famous for his railroad stories, so Universal was wise to use one of them (The Nerve of Foley) to make this intense melodrama. While the plot itself was nothing exceptional, the climax was as thrilling as they come. Engineer Joseph Foley (Jack Daugherty) is in competition with Sandy McPherson (Tom O'Brien) to run the Limited. Foley lands the job, but McPherson knocks him out so he can take his place. McPherson, however, has an even more evil brother, an outlaw by the name of Blackie (William A. Steele). Blackie is planning on robbing a gold shipment on the train, so he drugs the engineer, not realizing it's his brother. He also causes the dam to break and it washes out the bridge on the Limited's route. The unmanned train heads for destruction, and on board are Foley's mother (Madge Hunt) and the girl in the story (Blanche Mehaffey) -- plus the gold shipment. Foley comes to and races a horse alongside the train. At the last minute he leaps aboard the engine and stops the train at the precipice. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- 1925
The Robin Hood legend reached the West with this exciting oater starring the veteran William Desmond. Desmond plays a Wall Street tycoon who escapes to the West after being dumped by a girl. He becomes a highway robber known as "The Meddler," stealing from rich travellers to help the poor. That is, until he meets lovely Dolores Rousse and falls in love. Although she sympathizes with his noble cause, Rousse manages to persuade Desmond to live a less strenuous life. The Meddler had a better-than-average supporting cast, including former Keystone starlet Claire Anderson as the Eastern girl, the always dependable Albert J. Smith as a villain, and, as Miss Rousse's weakling brother, young Jack Daughtery, a handsome action lead whose volatile marriage to Metro star Barbara La Marr created headlines for months. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Desmond, Claire Anderson, (more)
- 1925
After crashing his plane in the wilderness, a young airborne forest ranger is nursed back to health by a mountain man and his pretty daughter in this 18-chapter serial from Universal. The Marshalls, father William Welsh and daughter Eileen Sedgwick, have been hiding out in the hills for years following a killing. As ranger Terence O'Rourke (Jack Daugherty) discovers, the Marshalls were framed by their erstwhile foreman, "Topaz" Taggart (Bud Osborne), who is now stealing them blind. Released in May of 1925, The Fighting Ranger was yet another attempt by Universal to turn handsome Jack Daugherty into a viable action star, the studio counting on the actor's much publicized marriage to Metro star Barbara La Marr. Rumors of drug abuse, however, got in the way and Daugherty never quite made the grade. The Fighting Ranger should not be confused with an ultra low-budget Al Hoxie oater of the same title and release year. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1922
Serial star Ben Wilson produced and directed this lively potboiler. Ann Little plays the daughter of self-sacrificing military officer Norval McGregor. When he runs out of money, McGregor mortgages the family home so that Little can complete his education. She returns the favor by disguising herself as a jockey and winning a plot-resolving horse race. Chain Lightning was photographed by Harry Gersted, later a mainstay of low-budget 1950 TV productions. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anna Little, Norval MacGregor, (more)
