Kathryn Carver Movies
- 1929
Although his popularity eroded with each successive talkie appearance, silent-film favorite Monte Blue fulfilled his Warner Bros. contract to the letter in such trifling vehicles as No Defense. In this one, Blue is cast as Monte Collins, foreman of a bridge construction crew. Monte's romance with wealthy engineer's daughter Ruth Harper (May McAvoy, in her final starring appearance) is endangered when the bridge collapses and Monte is held responsible. The actual culprit was Ruth's no-good brother John (William Desmond), who clears our hero's name in the final reel. A "part-talkie," No Defense's 60 minutes were evenly divided between silent scenes and dialogue passages. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William H. Tooker, William Desmond, (more)
- 1929
Look up "suave and sophisticated" in the dictionary, and one might very well find a picture of Adolphe Menjou. In His Private Life, Menjou is cast as Georges St. Germain, whose sexual peccadilloes are so frequent and plentiful that he is forced to bribe practically every civil servant in Paris to keep mum. At present, Georges is fascinated with virginal American tourist Eleanor Trent (Kathryn Carver), who is visiting Paris in the company of her more worldly friends Yvette and Henri Bergere (Margaret Livingston, Eugene Pallette). Our hero does his utmost to seduce Eleanor -- even engaging an entire section of a fancy restaurant for this purpose -- but she is not so easily won over. Ultimately, Georges does win the heroine, but only on her terms. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Adolphe Menjou, Kathryn Carver, (more)
- 1928
Corinne Griffith stars in this 1928 remake of the 1922 melodrama Outcast. Both films were based on a play by Hubert Henry Davies, originally written as a vehicle for Elsie Ferguson (who starred in the 1922 version). Worn-out prostitute Miriam (Griffith) links up with dissolute playboy Geoffrey (Edmund Lowe). Their relationship has a positive, redemptive effect on both hero and heroine. Miriam forsakes her sinful ways, promising to dedicate her life to Geoffrey's health and happiness. Alas, his fickle ex-fiancee Valentine (Kathryn Carver), who callously dumped him to marry another, now wants Geoffrey back. But Miriam outfoxes the fox by proving that she herself is far more virtuous than the "respectable" Valentine. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Corinne Griffith, James Ford, (more)
- 1927
Based on the play by Ernest Vajda, Service for Ladies was directed by Harry D'Arrast, one of the wittiest and most talented of the would-be Lubitsches of the 1920s. Adolphe Menjou stars Albert Leroux, the handsome headwaiter of a posh French restaurant. Falling in love with aristocratic Elizabeth Foster (Kathryn Carver), Albert decides to pay court to her on her own high-society level. With the help of King Boris (Lawrence Grant), a friendly monarch who owes Albert several favors, our hero poses as a dashing European prince. But it's all for naught: Turns out that Elizabeth would have been in love with him no matter what his station in life. Service for Ladies was remade in 1931 with Leslie Howard in the lead. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Adolphe Menjou, Kathryn Carver, (more)
- 1927
Handsome doctor Bryant Washburn specializes in the ailments of women -- more specifically, wealthy widows. Washburn's girlfriend Laura LaPlante is jealous of the doctor's good-looking patients, and not without reason. Heading to the mountains to get married, LaPlante and Washburn are intercepted by predatory widow Kathryn Carver, who intends to land the doc for herself. LaPlante fails to see the humor of the situation and walks out on Washburn, only to return, meek and contrite, just as the doctor is being marched down the aisle by Carver. Pretty location photography manages to obscure some of the lapses of logic in the storyline. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Laura La Plante, Paulette Duval, (more)
- 1927
Harry D'Abaddie D'Arrast, one of the busiest of Hollywood's Ernst Lubitsch imitators, warmed the director's chair for Serenade. Adolphe Menjou is cast as Franz Rossi, a brilliant composer blessed with a beautiful wife, Gretchen (Kathryn Carver). For reasons that defy explanation, Rossi insists upon "playing the field" with other women, and this is why he endeavors to keep Gretchen at home and away from his "work." Eventually, however, Gretchen finds out what her husband has been up to, whereupon she completely disappears from view. Following a thin (and carefully planted) trail of clues, Rossi catches up with his wife at a fancy hotel, where all evidence points to the possibility that Gretchen herself is enjoying the favors of a gentleman caller. What he doesn't know is that Gretchen has stage-managed a phony liaison to teach her errant husband a lesson. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Adolphe Menjou, Kathryn Carver, (more)
- 1926
Jether (William Collier Jr.), a young man of Old Testament days, tends his father's sheep and longs to visit the big city. A caravan passes his way, and one of its members, Tisha, a priestess of the pagan goddess Ishtar (Greta Nissen), is attracted to the sheepherder. The wicked Tola (Ernest Torrence) convinces her to persuade Jether to ask his father (Tyrone Power Sr.) for his share in gold so he can join them. Jether spends all his money in wild living and completely ignores the prophet's warning of imminent destruction. When the young man's money runs out, Tisha casts him out, and during a banquet to Ishtar the city is destroyed. Jether, who never renounced God, is saved and he winds up tending swine for a rich man, and subsisting on the husks meant for the pigs. He finally shows up at his father's home and at first he is turned away. His father finally welcomes him home and kills the fatted calf to celebrate his return. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- 1926
Yellowstone National Park was the setting for this delightful Tom Mix western that also featured a two-color Technicolor fiesta scene starring leading lady Olive Borden. Of mixed parentage (from Mexico and New England a title explains). Mix's Paul Wharton is paymaster of a railroad construction gang who will have nothing to do with his maternal heritage. That is, until he falls for the beautiful senorita Manuelita, whose honor is about to be violated by a gang of cutthroats. "In all, this is the best Mix western that has come along in some time," the trade-paper Variety acknowledged. Leading lady Borden found her career waning after the changeover to sound. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Mix, Olive Borden, (more)
