Patric Curwen Movies

In this melodrama, a fisherman begins studying to be a doctor. Although he isn't finished with medical school, he begins treating his landlady's daughter who is believed to have a terminal illness. He seems to cure her, and the case draws a lot of attention, some of it negative because he was unlicensed when he treated her. He still does not have a degree when he marries the daughter and begins practicing osteopathy. He soon finds success and happiness until he begins having an affair. Later he jilts his mistress and she kills herself. During the autopsy he is appalled to learn that it was actually his misdiagnosis of her illness and the resulting medical treatment that caused her to die. The distraught osteopath then takes off and does not return until his wife, whose disease has come back, begs him to help her once again. He succeeds and their happiness resumes. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

In this drama, a farmer marries an uptown chorus girl and tries to help her settle down to the simplicity of farm living by giving her a little heifer. Unfortunately, she does not settle down right away and begins spending their money so freely that the farmer soon loses everything. When it looks like all is lost, the woman takes off on her horse. She ends up suffering a fatal fall, leaving her hapless husband destitute and filled with guilt. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

In this drama, an average man of average income finds his life abruptly changed when the securities he purchased from a speculator pan out and he is rich. Unfortunately, the turn out to be securities are worthless and the newly rich man and the speculator lose everything. Unfortunately, by this time, he has developed a taste for the high life and this leads to his making a foolish decision. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

The Yellow Canary was one of several wartime collaborations between British producer-director Herbert Wilcox and Hollywood's RKO Radio Pictures. The film stars Wilcox's wife Anna Neagle as pretty aristocrat Sally Maitland. Having alienated many of her friends with her prewar Nazi sympathies, Sally continues hobnobbing with the Third Reich once war has been declared. Actually, her pro-German activities are a sham; she's actually working hand and glove with the British government to smash an Axis spy ring in Canada. Along for the ride is British intelligence officer Jim Garrick (Richard Greene), who ultimately falls in love with Sally. There's a "mystery" angle to the plotline of The Yellow Canary, but it is largely ignored when the story takes a melodramatic turn in the last few reels. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A proud but aging WW I war-horse is deeply offended when his offer to lead during WW II is rejected by the government that once lauded his bravery with a series of medals. Embittered and despondent over their callousness, he heads back to his isolated country estate where he plots his permanent escape from the cold cruel world. When the government sends six mischievous cockney youths to stay with him during the bombing of London, the despondent old man must abandon his suicidal musings and attend to the ensuing chaos of the rambunctious rapscallions. This touching British drama follows the tough general's attempts to control and understand the energetic little hellions. As he comes to know them, he reluctantly begins to care and in so doing, finds renewed zest for life ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Don't Take It to Heart is an amiable entry in the 1940s cycle of "ghost comedies". A British castle is rocked by a German bombing raid, releasing a jaunty wraith (Richard Greene) from his house-haunting job. As long as he's got the run of the castle, the ghost decides to take a hand in the romance between mistress-of-the-house Patricia Medina and young researcher Richard Bird. Also in line for ghostly visitation is the nasty landlord who holds the local townsfolk in his avaricious clutches. Don't Take It to Heart received almost uniformly good reviews from the British press, which during wartime was often resistant to comedy films. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The Shipbuilders is a rare film of true merit from prolific British "quota quickie" director John Baxter. Clive Brook heads the cast as the owner of a shipbuilding firm, presently dedicated to the War effort. Though naturally concerned that his business will flag once the war is over, it is shown that Brook has nothing to worry about, so long as diligent, patriotic men like riveter Morland Graham are on his payroll. The film's message is clear: While it's important to think of one's service to the present National Crisis, it is equally important to take the Future into consideration. Actual footage shipbuilders at work give this hastily assembled patriotic exercise a veneer of reality. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A delightful film that begs to be rediscovered, Return to Yesterday was adapted from Goodness, How Sad, a play by Robert Morley. Clive Brook is ideally cast as Robert Maine, a famous movie star who longs for the simpler days before he became the idol of millions-and before he was trapped into a loveless marriage with his present wife. Maine takes a sentimental journey to the provincial repertory theatre where he got his first break, only to discover that the little troupe is teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. Without revealing his true identity, he joins the actors and helps to get them over their financial hump. He also happens to fall in love with ingenue Carol Sande (Anna Lee, the wife of director Robert Stevenson), but realizes eventually that she will be better off without him. Dame May Whitty heads the hand-picked supporting cast as Mrs. Truscott, the troupe's garrulous character woman, who is wise enough not to say anything when she overhears Maine letting Carol down gently by replaying a scene from one of his earlier stage triumphs. Long ignored by movie historians, Return to Yesterday was given an honored spot in William K. Everson's affectionate volume Love in the Film (1979). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this anti-war drama, set in England during its Depression, a demobilized major from WW I, tries to a veteran's reunion that is to include soldiers from all sides of the conflict. To do this, the major loses everything to no avail. Just as the despairing pacifist is about to end his life, an old army orderly, now a noncommissioned officer appears, cheers him up, and helps make his dream become reality. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Actress Geraldine Fitzgerald once complained that the sum total of her dialogue during her ingenue days was a petulant "But, Daddy, it's my birthday." Fitgerald is spared this line in the British Department Store, though this doesn't mean that the film is cliché-free. The story involves a crooked store manager who mistakenly hires an ex-convict thinking he is the son of the store owner. When the ex-con becomes privy to the manager's perfidy, he dare not say anything, lest he be accused of criminal activity. How our hero solves his dilemma forms the climax of this 65-minute quota quickie. Department Store was reissued, ill-advisedly, as Bargain Basement. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this mystery, a master of disguises commits a series of crimes. He is so good, that no one knows what he really looks like. He even masquerades as a doctor and kills his own partner who has been under police protection because he agreed to lead him to the crook. Later it is revealed the chameleon like criminal was out for revenge against the partner as he killed the fellow's sister. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi