Fred Duprez Movies

This farce is the third movie version of Fred Duprez's play. A newlywed with a dominating mother-in-law attempts to surprise his wife with a baby grand piano, but when she overhears him talking about it, she mistakes it for an illegitimate child, particularly when his old flame shows up. ~ Steve Huey, Rovi

This British comedy pokes fun at Chicago gangsters as it chronicles the rivalry between to gangs battling it out aboard an ocean liner over the kidnapping of a millionaire's son. The gangs are thwarted by a porter, an ex-teacher. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Filmed in Ireland, Kathleen is a fanciful bit of blarney predicated on the ballad "Kathleen Mavourneen". American actress Sally O'Neill stars as Kathleen O'Moore, the romantic bone of contention between Michael Rooney (Tom Burke) and Dennis O'Dwyer (Jack Daly). The two rivals team up to rescue Kathleen from her nasty aunt Hannah (Ethel Gryffies), who has arranged a loveless but profitable marriage for the girl. Several prominent Irish stage actors, notably Sarry Allgood and Denis O'Neal, are cast in pivotal roles. The story of "Kathleen Mavourneen" had previously been filmed several times, once with movie vamp Theda Bara in the lead! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Legendary British musical-comedy favorite Jessie Matthews chalks up another winner with Head Over Heels in Love. The ever-charming Matthews plays Jeanne, a Parisian entertainer who manages to get herself in hot water with the French version of Actors' Equity and is forced to take a series of jobs under a series of assumed names. Meanwhile, a romantic triangle involving American film star Norma (Helen Whitney Bourne) and gangsters Pierre (Robert Flemyng) and Marcel (Louis Borrell) spells big trouble for all concerned -- including the plucky Jeanne. Highlighted by six sprightly song numbers, Head Over Heels in Love is our girl Jessie's vehicle all the way, and never mind the "main" plot. The film was directed by Sonnie Hale, who just so happened to be the star's husband. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Remember the 3 Stooges Movie Maniacs, in which Curly, Larry and Moe are accidentally put in charge of a movie studio? Apparently, Britain's "Crazy Gang" remembered the Stooge film as well, since the same plotline pops up in Okay for Sound. Originally three separate comedy teams organized for a single act at London's Palladium in 1935. The Crazy Gang was the rough equivalent to Hollywood's Marx Brothers, though their particular brand of insanity was distinctly British. Billed as "studio disorganizers," our six heroes -- Jimmy Nervo & Teddy Knox, Bud Flanagan & Chesney Allen and Charlie Naughton & Jimmy Gold -- are mistaken for a group of wealthy investors and are given full run of the studio owned by the ulcerated Goldberger (Fred Duprez). The boys manage to disrupt the super-production directed by bombastic German filmmaker Guggenheimer (Meinhart Maur), and to chase away the real investors, all the while performing their peculiar stage specialties. Okay for Sound was the first of five hilarious Crazy Gang vehicles produced between 1937 and 1954 (the team would remain intact until 1962!) ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Hollywood's Conrad Nagel heads cast of the British Ball at Savoy. The tux-garbed Nagel plays a baron who, while vacationing in Cannes, falls in love with opera star Marta Labarr. The prideful Labarr will have nothing to do with Nagel because of his wealth, so he poses as a waiter. When he's accused of being a thief, Nagel learns that there's two sets of justice, one for the rich, another for the poor. This 1936 remake of an earlier German film, was based on a novel by Alfred Grunwald and Fritz Lohner-Beda. Distribution of Ball at Savoy was handled in Britain and the US by RKO Radio Pictures. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The all-purpose title The Big Noise was dusted off twice in 1936, once by Hollywood's Warner Bros. and once by 20th Century-Fox's British facilities. The British Big Noise stars Alastair Sim as the milquetoast clerk in a huge oil company. When it looks as though the oil executives will be apprehended by the authorities for their various misappropriations, the execs conspire to find a fall guy. Sim is elected, but once he's placed in a position of authority, he manages to rout the scoundrels and save the firm. To avoid confusion with this Big Noise, Hollywood's Big Noise was retitled Modern Madness. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A clergyman is deeply dismayed to discover that his parishioners are more interested in investigating his past than to worshiping in the comedy. The congregation is so obsessed with their gossip mongering, that have little energy left to listen to his words of wisdom. Finally the good man must leave. He ends up working with the drunken bums of skid row. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

The Queen of Hearts stars Lancashire's own Gracie Fields as Gracie Perkins, a seamstress who is mistaken for a wealthy patroness of the arts. The fun begins when Gracie is approached to back a new stage show. Hoping to crash society -- or at least land a part in the show herself -- she keeps up her masquerade. To absolutely no one's surprise, she's the hit of the show and as icing on the cake ends up winning the heart of leading man Derek Cooper (John Loder). Queen of Hearts was directed by comedian Monty Banks, who happened to be Gracie Fields' brand-new husband. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this British crime drama, a jealous man seeks to murder his brother. He plans on electrocuting him, but slips up and fries the wrong fellow. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Movie star-turned-bandleader Buddy Rogers heads the cast of the British tunefest Dance Band. The star is appropriately cast as singing orchestra leader Buddy Morgan, whose great rival is female bandmaster -- or bandmistress -- Pat Shelley (June Clyde). That hero and heroine will forget their differences and fall in love is a "given," but there's many a complication along the way thanks in great part to crooked business-manager Lewes (Fred Duprez). The plot is merely a peg upon which to hang a variety of toe-tapping musical numbers, delivered with gusto by a gaggle of talented specialty artists. In addition to its entertainment obligations, Dance Band helped to introduce Austrian actor Steve Geray to English-speaking audiences; within the next few years, Geray would develop into one of Hollywood's most dependable character players. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Bachelor Henry Kendall convinces his friend's wife Kathleen Kelly to pretend to be his fiance in order to collect his inheritance from his wealthy uncle. ~ Rovi

In this sentimental musical, a singer traverses all of England in search of her husband and son who abandoned her in favor of careers singing on the streets. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi