Nigel de Brulier Movies

The 12-episode Universal serial The Adventures of Smilin' Jack is based on the Zack Mosely comic strip of the same name. The title character-minus his trademarked pencil moustache-is played by Tom Brown. Departing radically from the characters and situations of the original funny-paper version, the serial concerns itself with an effort by the Axis powers to find a secret route from India to China known only by the rulers of the (apocryphal) city of Mandon. Sidney Toler, then concurrently starring in the Charlie Chan series, plays a ruthless Asian general, while future Make Room for Daddy star Marjorie Lord is the plucky heroine. The serial's highlight sequence has Our Hero proving his mettle by walking barefoot over a pit of hot coals. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A Clarence Buddington Kelland story was the source for the mildly farcical For Beauty's Sake. If he wants to inherit a fortune, bookish astronomy professor B. E. Dillsome (Ted North) must operate his aunt's beauty parlor for a two-year period. Business is very, very slow, prompting Dillsome's girlfriend Dime Pringle (Marjorie Weaver) to bring in a hot-shot press agent Jonathan B. Sweet (Ned Sparks) to publicize the establishment. Before long, our benighted hero finds himself mixed up in a murder plot and a blackmail scheme. The raucous comedy relief of Joan Davis and the patented deadpan asides of Ned Sparks more than make up for the film's plot deficiencies. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this melodramatic historical drama, the lives of Mexico's Maximilian and Carlotta are chronicled. The story follows their brief reign as figureheads for Napoleon III. The two doomed rulers were terribly naive and had no idea that they were universally despised by the native population. Upon her return to Europe, Carlotta goes mad with grief when she realizes that her beleaguered husband, trapped by a rebel uprising in Mexico City, will receive no aid from their backers. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

While Cesar Romero could usually be relied upon to ladle out the charm in his film roles, Romero's handful of appearances as O. Henry's "Cisco Kid" were disturbingly cold and distant. In Viva Cisco Kid, the "Robin Hood of the Old West" and his sidekick Pancho (Chris-Pin Martin) save a stagecoach from being held up. Cisco falls in love with pretty passenger Jean Rogers, little knowing that the girl's father (Minor Watson) is one of the masterminds behind the robbery. Actually papa is under the evil influence of bigwig Stanley Fields, who intends to kill everyone associated with him and escape with the booty. Cisco prevents Fields from further indiscretions and wins the girl in the bargain. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A frequent visitor to contemporary TV cable services, Monogram's Mutiny in the Big House affords stalwart supporting player Charles Bickford top billing as a prison chaplain, with jailhouse-flick veteran Barton MacLane billed second as a hardened con. The nominal hero, however, is fourth-billed Dennis Moore, sent "up the river" for forging a check. Bickford tries to save Moore's soul, while MacLane attempts to toughen up the "new fish" and involve him in a breakout scheme. Though this is the prison picture that is parodied in the like-titled Lenny Bruce comedy routine, Mr. Bruce took considerable liberties with the source material (including recasting the leads!) The film was produced by actor Grant Withers, who at one time was married to Loretta Young, and based on a story by Martin Mooney, a journalist who'd spent a few months "in stir" himself; credited for the script was Robert D. Andrews, best known for dreaming up the premise for the 1932 all-star anthology If I Had a Million. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Basil Rathbone's real-life son, John Rodion, has his head chopped off early on in this historical melodrama often mistakenly referred to as a horror film. Yes, a second-billed Boris Karloff does stomp about on a club-foot as the Duke of Glouchester's chief executioner, Mord, but Karloff's presence is really more colorful than horrifying. Rathbone is the main villain here, as the Duke of Glouchester, the deformed second brother of Edward IV (Ian Hunter), whose throne he covets. But before he can place himself on that exalted chair, there are quite a few relatives and pretenders to be rid off. The exiled Prince of Wales (G.P. Huntley) is dispatched during a battle, and his father, the feeble-minded Plantagenet King Henry VI (Miles Mander), who steadfastly refuses to gracefully die of old age, is murdered by Mord. Half-brother Clarence (Vincent Price), meanwhile, is drowned very picturesquely in a vat of Malmsey wine and when Edward IV dies of natural causes, only his two young sons remain. To the horror of Queen Elizabeth (Barbara O'Neil), Glouchester is named their protector -- which of course means that Mord the executioner will be working overtime once again. But the evil duke, now Richard III, has not counted on the heroic John Wyatt (John Sutton), who, by looting the treasury, is able to bring back from exile in France yet another pretender, Henry Tudor (Ralph Forbes). The latter's invasion proves victorious at the famous battle of Bosworth Field and the brutal reign of Richard II, and his executioner, comes to an end. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi

Actually it's the great-grandson of legendary 19th century do-gooder Zorro who rides in this 12-chapter Republic serial. Villainous modern-day tycoon Marsden (Noah Beery) supervises the activities of a western outlaw gang from the plush confines of his Manhattan skyscraper. It is Marsden's hope to grab control of a new California-to-Yucatan railroad, and there isn't any low to which he will not stoop to get what he wants; he even deploys a modernistic machine gun and an art-deco twin-prop fighter plane. Recalling the heroic exploits of Zorro, a group of beleaguered Californians send for the masked hero's great-grandkid James Vega (John Carroll), only to find out that he's an airheaded playboy, more interested in his golf score than saving humanity. But like his famous ancestor, Vega rises to the occasion, adopting the mask, cape and whip of Zorro to settle Marsden's hash for good. Outside of its usual quota of thrills and spills, Zorro Rides Again is one of the few serials that can boast a theme song ("Zorro rides again -- riding along, singing a song" etc.) ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

As the Panama Canal is under construction, a group of doctors try to find a cure for yellow fever, or "Yellow Jack," a deadly disease taking its toll on the canal workers. A pet monkey accidentally frees disease-bearing mosquitoes, resulting in the death of Dr. Fontaine (Ferdinand Gottschalk). However, this leads Dr. Murray (Ian Keith) to the belief that the disease can be carried by someone who shows no symptoms. ~ Bill Warren, Rovi

In this murder comedy, a young woman is no sooner acquitted of poisoning her father when she finds herself suspected of poisoning another. A pushy, over-eager reporter attempts to badger her into a confession, but he changes his tune after he falls in love with her. This results in the loss of his job. The man is then determined to prove that the girl is innocent. After much searching, he succeeds in finding the real killers and clearing his true-love's names. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Marlene Dietrich stars as the noble Domini Enfilden in this third film version of Robert Hichens' 1904 novel. After caring for her dying father, Domini is told by her Mother Superior (Lucille Watson) that she should go to the Algerian desert to rest and seek sanctuary. On her way to the town of Beni-Mora, Domini meets the ill-tempered and mysterious Boris Androvsky (Charles Boyer), a Trappist monk who has forsaken his vows and also seeks the Algerian desert for salvation. Domini is attracted to this moody monk, but continues on. Her desert guide, Batouch (Joseph Schildkraut), takes Domini to a cabaret, where a riot breaks out during a production number. Boris re-appears to rescue her from the trashed club. Domini and Boris fall in love, marry, and travel to the desert for their honeymoon. There the newlyweds encounter a unit of the French Foreign Legion, whose commander, De Trevignac (Alan Marshal), holds a secret to Boris's past. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

As much a horror film as a murder mystery, Charlie Chan in Egypt is one of the best entries in the "Chan" series. The story is motivated by a King Tut-like curse, which has apparently befallen the members of an archeological expedition. Charlie Chan (Warner Oland) is brought into the case when a French museum wants to find out how several valuable Egyptian artifacts, originally slated for museum exhibition, have ended up for sale to the highest bidder. Arriving in Egypt, Chan must first figure out the modus operandi for two murders in which neither a weapon nor a wound was found. The solution to the killings involves a certain musical pitch played on a violin (a familiar mystery-movie device of the period). Though the screenwriters do a good job concealing the identity of the villain, Fox Studio's typecasting policy tends to give away that identity somewhat ahead of schedule. Prominent among the supporting players is black comedian Stepin Fetchit, whose stereotyped routines may offend the sensibilities of modern viewers. Originally released at 72 minutes, Charlie Chan in Egypt is currently available only in its choppy, shortened reissue version. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A far from factual filmed biography of Mexican patriot Pancho Villa, Viva Villa! was written by lengendary screenwriter Ben Hecht. We first meet the young Villa when his father is beaten to death after protesting Diaz' seizure of the Mexican peons' land. Pancho exacts a temporary revenge by knifing one of his father's killers, then heads for the hills, where he organizes a band of renegades. As he "matures," Pancho is played by child actor Phillip Cooper and adult star Wallace Beery. Though ruthless in his treatment of the rich, Pancho is a hero to the poor, who receive the spoils of Villa's raids. Befriended by American reporter Johnny Sykes (Stuart Erwin), Villa becomes internationally famous thanks to Sykes' articles concerning his exploits. Pancho also finds a strong ally in Don Felipe de Castillo (Donald Cook), who introduces the rebel bandit to Madero (Henry B. Walthall), the leader of the peon revolt. Madero convinces Villa to join forces with him, the better to oust the Diaz regime. His principal rival in this goal is ambitious General Pascal (Joseph Schildkraut), who intends to set up an even more despotic regime once Diaz is eliminated. Emerging victorious in his fight against the federales, Villa is encouraged to go back home by Madero. Illiterate and dangerously naïve, Villa quickly runs into trouble with the new government, giving Pascal a chance to humiliate his former "comrade in arms." Later, Pascal shows his true colors by assassinating Madero and assuming control of Mexico. Thirsting for revenge, Villa and his men go on a bloody rampage, culminiating in the ritualistic murder of the treacherous Pascal (he is staked out on an anthill and covered with honey). Made president of Mexico upon the elimination of Pacal, Villa once more finds himself in over his head. Unable to deal with political infighting, Villa retires to his ranch. One day, after running into his old friend Johnny Sykes (Stu Erwin), Villa is shot and mortally wounded by his onetime friend Don Felipe, who holds Pancho responsible for the death of his sister Teresa (Fay Wray). As he dies, Villa begs Johnny to tell him what his epitaph will be. Improvising quickly, Johnny tells of Villa's love for Mexico and his many accomplishments. Partially filmed on location in Mexico, Viva Villa was plagued with a multitude of production problems, not least of which was the diplomatic gaffe committed by Lee Tracy, the film's original Johnny Sykes: While standing on a balcony watching a military parade, an inebrieated Tracy relieved himself on the troops below and was immediately fired. Another crisis arose when the Mexican government objected to star Wallace Beery, on the grounds that Beery usually played villains or buffoons. Despite these and other setbacks, Viva Villa was finally completed under the assured directorial hand of MGM troubleshooter Jack Conway and the expert supervision of David O. Selznick. Though some critics objected to the film's violence, Viva Villa was a financial success. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi