María Corda Movies

In this drama, a Russian dancer marries a shell-shocked WW I veteran. She has a baby, but it belongs to the fellow's best friend. The story was adapted from a popular 1920s novel by Countess Barcynska. The film was originally made as a silent. Later a soundtrack was added. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Setting the standard for his later light-hearted biopics The Private Life of Henry VIII and Rembrandt, producer-director Alexander Korda steadfastly refuses to take any of The Private Life of Helen of Troy seriously. Maria Corda, wife of the director, plays the title character as a fetchingly underdressed coquette, oblivious to all the political turmoil she's causing when she allows the handsome Paris (Ricardo Cortez) to kidnap her. Meanwhile, poor King Menelaus (Lewis Stone), Helen's husband, stands by in stoic silence, just as he's done on previous occasions when his wife succumbed to the charms of various sexy suitors (one of whom is played by future cowboy star "Wild Bill" Elliot). Finally galvanized into action, Menelaus reclaims his bride, who seems none the worse for wear for her experiences. Just in case the audience missed the fact that the film isn't meant to be taken seriously, the producers have inserted a number of wisecracking subtitles, juxtaposing stilted "ancient" prose with up-to-date slang. And during the film's New York engagement, the scene in which the Trojan Horse appears was accompanied by an orchestral rendition of Horses, Horses, Horses! The Private Life of Helen of Troy was supposed to have been based on a novel by John Erskine, but don't you believe it. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Originally released as Madame Wunscht Keine Kinder, this Alexander Korda production served as a showcase for the producer-director's actress wife, Maria Corda. The star is cast as a carefree Parisian belle who falls in love with a somewhat stuffy bachelor. Though the heroine wants to keep up her hectic social life, her new husband prefers domesticity. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Filmed in Germany in 1924, Michael Curtiz' Die Slavenkoenigen was intended for an American release that same year, under the title Moon of Israel. That release was suppressed by Cecil B. DeMille, who worried that his own The Ten Commandments would be compared unfavorably to the German film (By the time it arrived in the U.S. in 1927, director Curtiz had been hired by Warner Bros., largely on the strength of this one film) Set in ancient Egypt, the film recounts the oppression of the Jews under the despotic rule of Pharaoh Menapta (A. Weisse). With Divine Retribution, God punishes Menapta and his subjects by bringing about the Seven Deadly Plagues. Against this backdrop is played the romantic story of Hebrew girl Merapi (Maria Corda), the "Moon of Israel," and Prince Seti (Adelqui Miller), heir to the Egyptian throne. Suffering nobly at the hands of Menapta, Merapi survives the ordeal to become the wife of Seti, who promises fairer and more equitable treatment of her people. Die Slavenkoenigen was distributed in the U.S. by FBO Pictures, the energetic little precursor to RKO Radio. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi