Eugene Jackson Movies
Rising to fame as Pineapple in Hal Roach's Our Gang shorts in the mid-1920s, comic child actor Eugene Jackson performed in vaudeville in addition to his film work, and later continued to work alongside such comic icons as Redd Foxx. Born in Buffalo, NY, in 1916, Jackson got his break in show business while performing the shimmy for a bag of groceries at Central Avenue's Rosebud Theater in 1923. Winning the competition for three weeks in a row, his mother recognized the youngster's talents and soon took him to Hollywood to attempt a career in the entertainment industry. Soon signed to a two-year contract by Roach (who dubbed the child Pineapple due to his afro-frizz), Jackson made his Our Gang debut in The Mysterious Mystery! Later working for Mack Sennett and alongside Mary Pickford, Jackson made a successful transition into talkies with his role in the 1928 musical Hearts in Dixie, and toured in vaudeville when adolescence took hold. Later turning up on television in both Julia and Sanford and Son, the former child-star published a biography titled Eugene Pineapple Jackson: His Own Story in 1998. Jackson also established studios in both Compton and Pasadena, where he taught dance. Eugene Jackson died of a heart attack in Compton, CA, on October 26, 2001. He was 84. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
While often regarded as one of America's greatest novelists, William Faulkner produced work that did not always translate well to the screen; it's ironically appropriate that this movie, based on several of Faulkner's short stories, is often regarded as one of the best films based on his work, though not especially accurate to the original source material. Ben Quick (Paul Newman), a sullen but self-confident drifter, arrives in a small Mississippi town where his father had a bad reputation as a firebug. Will Varner (Orson Welles), the town's patriarch, still holds a grudge against Quick's dad, and when the young man decides to stay in town and sharecrop on Varner's land, Will goes out of his way to make his life difficult. However, Will develops a grudging respect for Quick's guts and determination, and he wishes that his weak-willed son Jody (Anthony Franciosa) could be more like him; Jody's wife Eula (Lee Remick) happens to agree. In time, Will gets the idea that Quick might be a good match for his daughter Clara (Joanne Woodward) and a better choice to take over his business dealings than Jody. However, neither Clara nor Quick care to be told what to do, and besides, Clara already has a beau -- though Alan Stewart (Richard Anderson) is even more of a milquetoast than Jody and is led by the nose by his mother (Mabel Albertson). However, sparks begin to fly between Clara and Quick, and when Jody fears he may lose his place as heir of Will's estate, he takes drastic action, trapping his father in a barn, setting it on fire, and planting evidence that would suggest that the blaze was Quick's doing. The Long, Hot Summer was the first film that Newman and Woodward made together, and they got married the same year. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, (more)
- 1957
Kim Novak is clearly out of her depth as legendary Broadway actress Jeanne Eagels, but one can't fault her for trying very hard. As this filmed biography gets under way, wide-eyed Eagels finds herself stranded in a tank town by a smooth-talking traveling salesman. Carnival operator Sal Satori hires Eagels as a kootch dancer, but her ambition is to become a serious dramatic actress. When she and Sal reach New York, she signs up for acting lessons under the tutelage of a Mme. Neilson (Agnes Moorehead). Before long, Jeanne is understudying on Broadway, and in 1922 she takes audiences and critics by storm with her unforgettable portrayal of Sadie Thompson in Rain, a role she landed by ruthlessly double-crossing the actress originally slated for the part (Virginia Grey). When her rival commits suicide, the chastened Jeanne turns to booze and drugs to assuage her conscience. The real-life Jeanne Eagels died of narcotics addiction in 1929, a fact that the Hollywood version skims over. Eagels' family sued Columbia Pictures over the "distortions" offered in Jeanne Eagels. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kim Novak, Jeff Chandler, (more)
- 1948
Though the title sounds like something from a Big Band era tune, it actually refers to commands used during the training of mules. Young Snug Dominy has just purchased a pair of strapping mules. With no available cash, he must work for their previous owner to pay them off. Snug lives with his callous stepmother Judith, who spends all her time and attention with his stepbrother Stretch. This creates an escalating tension between the two youths that their father is unable to stop. Meanwhile, Snug toils long and hard to keep possession of his muleteam, as the farmer who owned them tries to get them back. Things get really sticky when Snug falls in love with the farmer's lovely daughter. Look very closely and see a young Marilyn Monroe paddling a canoe in one sequence. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Guy Beach, Walter Brennan, (more)
- 1943
Beverly Ross (nn Miller) is a would-be radio personality, but the closest she gets to being on the air is running the switchboard at a local station. Worse yet, the blustery station owner Mr. Kennedy (Tim Ryan) wants no part of programming "jive" (i.e., swing music) that she loves, preferring the classics. But she manages to con Vernon Lewis (Franlin Pangborn), the host of the station's early morning classical show, into believing that he needs a vacation and slips into his time-slot at 5 am, where she starts running records by Bob Crosby's band, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Frank Sinatra in place of Beethoven and Mendelssohn. The soldiers at the local army base pick up on the new show, and two of them, wealthy candy company magnate Barry Lang (William Wright) and his former chauffeur Andy Adams (Dick Purcell, decide they want to meet this new disc jockey, and as luck would have it her brother (Larry Parks) is in their platoon and invites them to his home. But the two men decide to switch identities, Barry denying his wealth and pretending to be Andy, and Andy presenting himself as the candy heir Barry -- and as if matters aren't complicated enough for Beverly, coping with their antics, she has to fight to keep her radio show. But when the soldiers listening to her start writing in by the thousands, and Barry suggests she call her 5am show "Reveille," she takes it one step further and "Reveille With Beverly," and becomes a smash. But can she sort out the intertwining romantic overtures of the two men in her life? ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ann Miller, William Wright, (more)
- 1943
Ann Miller goes through her usual twinkle-toed paces in the quickie Columbia musical What's Buzzin', Cousin? The pencil-thin plotline involves attorney Jimmie Ross (John Hubbard), who moonlights as a singer with the Freddie Martin Orchestra. Using his legal and showbiz know-how, Jimmie revitalizes a broken-down hotel owned by Ann Crawford (Ann Miller) and her family. Musical highlights include Freddie Martin's swing rendition of Liszt's second Hungarian Rhapsody, and Ann Miller's terpsichorial interpretation of the bond-rally standard "18.75." Were it not for the presence of Miller and Martin, What's Buzzin' Cousin? would be utterly forgettable. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ann Miller, John Hubbard, (more)
Cecil B. DeMille's Technicolor historical spectacle Reap the Wild Wind was to have starred Gary Cooper, but Cooper's prior commitment to Goldwyn's Pride of the Yankees compelled DeMille to recast the leading role with John Wayne. The film, set in the mid-19th century, centers around Key West, Florida, where piracy reigns unchecked. Wayne plays the captain of a salvage business, working on behalf of Raymond Massey to rescue valuables from the merchant ships wrecked by pirates. During one expedition, Wayne is rescued from drowning by Paulette Goddard, the hoydenish manager of a rival salvage firm. Goddard arranges for Wayne to go to work for her boss, Ray Milland, and a romantic rivalry ensues. Later on, Goddard's cousin Susan Hayward is lost at sea when her ship is attacked by pirates. Wayne is accused of engineering the wreck, thanks to the duplicity of Massey, the real brains of the pirate operation. Wayne and Milland both don deep-sea diving gear and swim to the bottom in search of evidence. When Milland is attacked by an octopus, Wayne saves his rival's life at the expense of his own. Massey is exposed, and Milland wins Goddard. Essentially a standard maritime meller, Reap the Wild Wind takes on the veneer of importance thanks to DeMille's epic treatment of the material. Though competition is fierce, Ray Milland steals the show with a truly offbeat characterization (he even gets to indulge in a little ventriloquism!) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ray Milland, John Wayne, (more)
- 1942
The Harlem Tuff Kids, African-American counterparts to Monogram's East Side Kids, star in the morale-boosting comedy-drama Take My Life. It all begins when the Kids-Johnny (Freddie Jackson), Bill (Eugene Jackson), Icky (Paul White), Stinky (Eddie Lynn) and Shadow (Monte Hawley)-disdainfully disregard their patriotic responsibilities as America enters WW2. Our hoodlum heroes are brought into line by tough-but-kindly Sergeant Holmes (Jack Carr), who gives them a crash course in what it means to be a "Real American". Before they've been completely won over, however,the Tuff Kids are sucked into a murder-mystery subplot. Curiously, the fact that most black American citizens in 1942 were routinely denied the very freedoms they were expected to fight for is sidestepped in this cheap but lively programmer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Freddie Jackson, Eugene Jackson, (more)
- 1941
The Hollywood "establishment" had been waiting a long time for maverick director Gregory La Cava to fall from grace, and when his Unfinished Business failed to live up to its expectations, La Cava's enemies swooped down like vultures. Seen today, the film is hardly one of the director's best efforts, but neither is it his worst. Irene Dunne stars as aspiring singer Nancy Andrews, who falls desperately in love with playboy Steve Duncan (Preston Foster). When it becomes clear that Steve isn't about to take their casual relationship seriously, Nancy marries his brother Tommy (Robert Montgomery) on the rebound. After a fun-filled honeymoon, the couple can't seem to adjust to the "normalcy" of married life; as a result of this and Nancy's ongoing fascination with older brother Steve, the disillusioned Tommy walks out on her and joins the army. Only when Nancy deals with the "unfinished business" of her unrequited love for Steve can she and Tommy find true happiness. There are many deft LaCava-esque directorial touches in Unfinished Business, but for the most part the film could have been made by any Hollywood director; still, the film does not deserve its current tarnished reputation. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Irene Dunne, Robert Montgomery, (more)
- 1940
Directed in 1940 by S. Sylva Simon, Sporting Blood stars Robert Young as racing stable owner Myles Vanders. Shortly after traveling back to his ramshackle family estate in Virginia, he stirs up a long-term family rivalry with Davis Lockwood (Lewis Stone), who runs a neighboring stable. Vanders (Young), in order to get under Lockwood's (Stone) skin, initiates a romance with Lockwood's daughter Linda (Maureen O'Sullivan. As the big race approaches, however, Vanders slowly realizes he truly loves Linda. Though a stable fire harms his best racing prospect, Vanders' cockiness has waned significantly, and he enters Linda's best nag in the race against her father's stable. Following the competition, Vanders attempts to mend fences between himself and Lockwood. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Young, Maureen O'Sullivan, (more)
- 1939
The "Lady" of the title is horse-farm owner Penelope Hollis (Ellen Drew), but during the first half of this film, bookie Marty Black (George Raft) only has eyes for Penelope's prize two-year-old. After losing his gambling joint, Marty finds himself with half ownership of the horse as his sole asset. He tries to persuade Penelope to continue racing the horse, but she will have none of this and packs the nag back to her Kentucky farm. Through Marty's persistence, the horse is entered in an important stake race, but in the process is "ridden out" and rendered useless. The enraged Penelope refuses to have anything to do with Marty again unless he changes his reckless ways-which of course he does. The best moment in The Lady's From Kentucky comes at the end, when supporting players Hugh Herbert ("Woo woo!") and ZaSu Pitts ("Oh, dear, oh, my") imitate each other's catch-phrases, a gag repeated the following year by Mae West and W.C. Fields in My Little Chickadee. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Raft, Ellen Drew, (more)
- 1939
In this espionage drama, an inventor creates a way to send television broadcasts across the country and finds himself pursued by international spies. Eventually the enemy succeeds in stealing the plans. But in the end, he gets it back and even falls in love with his former partner's daughter, with whom, thanks to his new television, he has a long-distance romance. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Henry, Judith Barrett, (more)
- 1939
Like many all-black films of the 1930s, Reform School is shabbily produced and unevenly acted, but still a rewarding experience for those patient enough to sit through the seedier passages. The magnificent Louise Beavers, so often wasted in maidservant roles, heads the cast as Mother Barton, a reform-minded matron who strives to improve conditions in a run-down reformatory. The youthful inmates at first resist her efforts, which include an Honor System, but they prove themselves to be good kids at heart by solving a robbery for which the middle-aged heroine has been arrested. The young reform-schoolers are billed as the "Harlem Tuff Kids", in obvious emulation of the Dead End Kids. The supporting cast includes Reginald Fenderson, one of the featured players in the original Broadway production of The Green Pastures, and Eugene Jackson, formerly "Pineapple" in the silent Our Gang comedies and later a member of the singing Jackson Trio. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Louise Beavers, Reginald Fenderson, (more)
- 1938
Cecil B. DeMille's The Buccaneer stars Fredric March, complete with curly hair, pencil moustache and florid "Sacre Bleu!" French accent, as 18th century pirate Jean Lafitte. Operating out of a "buccaneer's haven" of the coast of New Orleans, Lafitte plunders all passing ships for their wealth, but refuses to attack any vessel flying the American flag. During one seafaring skirmish, he rescues Dutch maiden Gretchen (Franziska Gaal) from a sunken ship. Gretchen falls madly in love with the dashing Lafitte, but he has eyes only for aristocratic Louisana belle Annette (Margot Grahame). During the War of 1812, Lafitte is offered a pardon by Andrew Jackson (Hugh Sothern) if he and his pirates will fight on the American side. As good as his word, Lafitte stands shoulder to shoulder with Jackson as they ward off the British at the Battle of New Orleans. During a Victory Ball in his honor, Lafitte is confronted with evidence that he unknowingly caused the death of Annette's younger sister Marie (Louise Campbell) during a previous act of piracy. The assembled guests are all for hanging Lafitte on the spot, but General Jackson offers the pirate an hour's head start out of New Orleans, provided he never set foot on American soil again. This naturally costs Lafitte the love of Annette; fortunately, Gretchen is awaiting him on board his ship with open arms. From the opening scene in which Dolly Madison (Spring Byington) rescues the Declaration of Independence during the burning of Washington to the closing clinch between Lafitte and Gretchen, The Buccaneer is one of DeMille's most exhilarating films. It was remade less successfully in 1958 under the direction of Cecil B's son-in-law Anthony Quinn, who played the supporting role of Beluche in the original film. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fredric March, Franziska Gaal, (more)
- 1937
Jim Turner (Barton MacLaine) loves "wine, women and horses," though not always in that order. Our hero's revelry is interrupted by his shrill and prudish wife Marjorie (Peggy Bates), who tells him to stay away from the racetrack or she'll walk. Presumably to the cheers of the audience, Turner ultimately dumps her, enjoying a happily-ever-after denouement in the arms of down-to-earth Valerie (Ann Sheridan), who has loved Jim all along, warts and all. Critics looked down their noses at this harmless bit of frivolity, but like most Warner Bros. programmers of the period the film posted a profit. On the strength of its title alone, Wine, Women and Horses was included in a popular 1970s book devoted to the worst films of all time (though one suspects that the authors never bothered to see the picture). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Barton MacLane, Ann Sheridan, (more)
Guns and Guitars could have served as the title of any Gene Autry picture released in 1937. In this one, medicine-show entertainer Gene runs afoul of a crooked town boss who moonlights as an outlaw. The villain murders the local sheriff and pins the blame on poor Gene. With the help of comical sidekick Smiley Burnette, our hero breaks out of jail to clear his name. Though Guns and Guitars contains more action than usual for an Gene Autry picture, it pales in comparison to such superior 1937 Autry vehicles as Rootin' Tootin Rhythm and Boots and Saddles. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gene Autry, Dorothy Dix, (more)
Singing cowboy Gene Autry stars in this formula western as Gene Autry (so far, so good), who teams up with his buddy Frog Millhouse (Smiley Burnette) to investigate a series of accidents which have stopped construction of a dam being constructed by Sam Flint (George Baxter) and claimed the lives of much of the work crew. The progress of the damn is also thwarted when Bull Dural (George Cheseboro) and his gang attempt to steal the payroll; Gene and Frog suspect Bull may also be behind the deadly dirty tricks campaign before discovering he's just a pawn in a bigger game. Autry finds time to sing five tunes during the proceedings, inclusing the classic title song.
~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, (more)
- 1936
The Lonely Trail, directed by Joseph Kane, stars John Wayne as veteran Union officer John Ashley. Ashley (Wayne), upon his return to his hometown in Texas, finds his presence unwanted by his former neighbors, who have all sided with the Confederacy. Law and order is being maintained by the smooth-talking Benedict Holden's (Cy Kendall) armed troopers. Though initially duped by the seedy northerner, Ashley realizes that Holden (Kendall) is merely a carpetbagger who, without the knowledge of the governor, is killing, stealing, and taxing the local ranchers out of their property under the pretense of state authority. In an attempt to thwart Holden's continuous betrayal of the Texas citizens, Ashley himself enlists in Holden's troops. The Lonely Trail also features actors Sam Flint, Bob Kortman, and actress Anne Rutherford. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Wayne, Ann Rutherford, (more)
First-time director Lew Ayres performs miracles on a tiny budget in the Civil War drama Hearts in Bondage. The story offers a romanticized version of the events leading up to the battle between the "ironclads" Monitor and Merrimac. Northern naval officer Kenneth (James Dunn), the nephew of Monitor designer John Ericsson (Fritz Leiber) is dishonorably discharged when he sinks the Merrimac instead of burning it, as ordered. He is restored to duty as a crew member on the Monitor, and in the ensuing sea battle with the recommissioned Merrimac he kills Confederate officer Raymond (David Manners), the brother of Kenneth's fiancee Constance (Mae Clarke). The estranged sweethearts are ultimately reunited with the help of Abe Lincoln himself! Both James Dunn and Mae Clarke are miscast in their roles, but they do their best under the circumstances to make their material "work" -- and often succeed. The real stars of Hearts in Bondage are Republic's special-effects mavens Howard and Theodore Lydecker, whose splendid utilization of scale models in the climactic Monitor-Merrimac confrontation is both exciting and convincing. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Dunn, Mae Clarke, (more)
Gene Autry's first starring Western, Tumbling Tumbleweeds sets the pace for the 98 or so Autry oaters to come. As he would for the remainder of his screen career with only one exception, Gene plays Gene Autry, cowboy troubadour, who, upon his return west with musical friends Smiley (Smiley Burnette) and Eightball (Eugene Jackson), not only learns that his father has been murdered but that his childhood friend, Harry Brooks (Cornelius Keefe), is the most likely suspect. Naturally, Harry proves innocent while the real culprit is once again to be found among the town's more notable citizens. Gene, Burnette, and the Sons of the Pioneers (one of whom is the screen debuting Leonard Slye, soon to become Roy Rogers) perform Bob Nolan's title tune, along with "That Silver-Haired Daddy of Mine," by Gene Autry and Jimmy Long; "Ridin' Down the Canyon," by Autry and Smiley Burnette; and "Corn Fed and Rusty," by Burnette. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, (more)
- 1931
Sporting Chance is a prime example of how once-prominent silent screen personalities ended up grasping at straws on Poverty Row. The story is built around a championship steeplechase, on which the futures of jockey Terry Nolan (Buster Collier), his sweetheart Mary Bascombe (Claudia Dell) and his romantic rival Phillip Lawrence Jr. (James Hall) are hinged. Reportedly, this film represented the first time that a steeplechase was specially staged for the cameras, though this fact took second place in the ads to the film's theme song, Old Playmates, which is sung twice too often by Claudia Dell. Only former "Our Gang" member Eugene Jackson, cast as a stablehand, seems comfortable around his equestrian co-stars. Sporting Chance was written by King Baggott, who in better times had been an important actor/director/producer but who was largely limited to bit parts in the talkie era. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mahlon Hamilton, Hedwig Reicher, (more)
- 1931
Clark Gable went from supporting actor to star in the space of one year with Sporting Blood, adapted from a novel by Frederick Hazlitt Brennan. Gable is top-billed as a gambling house proprietor named Rid Riddell. When the owner of a prize thoroughbred loses heavily in Riddell's establishment, he is forced to give up the horse to the gambler as security. Rid enters the horse in several honest races, then pulls the animal during a crucial race in order to collect big money on the losses; then he plans to dope up the horse to assure future wins. But when the horse loses, the gambler, deeply in debt to mobsters, transfers ownership to one of his female dealers (Madge Evans), and then drops out of the plotline. Clark Gable isn't really the lead in Sporting Blood--actually he's something of a rat--but he's the one whom everybody in the audience remembers long after the final fadeout. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Clark Gable, Ernest Torrence, (more)
- 1931
A faithful filmization of the play by William Gillette, Secret Service stars Richard Dix as a Civil War espionage agents. Dix is dishonorably cashiered from the Union army, but this is a ruse to allow him access to Confederate secrets. Shirley Grey plays the daughter of a Southern general who falls in love with Dix. When duty takes second place to romance, the Northern spy ends up in a Southern stockade. Like most of William Gillette's plays, Secret Service concentrates its action highlights in the second act, with the final scenes weighted down by illogical plot twists and the endless exchanging of "vital letters". The 1931 film is watchable, but reportedly not as visually stimulating as the silent version of 1919, which starred Robert Warwick in the Richard Dix role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Dix, Shirley Grey, (more)
Hoping to repeat the success of its 1929 musical spectacular Rio Rita, RKO Radio reteamed leading lady Bebe Daniels and the comedy team of Bert Wheeler & Robert Woolsey for the equally lavish Dixiana. Set in antebellum Louisiana, the film casts Daniels as the title character, a lovely and charming circus entertainer. Dixiana is loved by Carl Van Horn (Everett Marshall), the son of plantation owner Cornelius Van Horn (Joseph Cawthorn). Though Cornelius approves of his son's choice, his imperious wife (Jobyna Howland) orders Dixiana out of her house, much to the delight of crooked gambler Royal Montague (Ralf Harolde), who has his own wicked designs on our heroine. Fired by her circus, Dixiana is forced to go to work at Montague's gambling establishment, and it is here that the love-struck Carl catches up with her. Hoping to bankrupt Carl and force him to relinquish the deed to the Van Doren plantation, Montague engages the young man in a crooked card game, but Dixiana turns the tables on the villain. Elected queen of the Mardi Gras, Dixiana is kidnapped by the disgruntled Montague, who intends to goad Carl into a duel, knowing full well that the boy's guns have been tampered with. Dixiana is the film debut of Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, who performs a "stair dance" routine during the Technicolor Mardi Gras finale. Incidentally, the film's final color reels were for many years considered lost, with only the black-and-white scenes remaining: thus, many TV prints of Dixiana come to an end long before the plot has been resolved. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bebe Daniels, Bert Wheeler, (more)
Cimarron was the first Western to win the Oscar for Best Picture--and, until Dances with Wolves in 1990, the only one. The film begins on April 22, 1889, the opening day of the great Oklahoma Land Rush on the Cherokee Strip. Boisterous Yancey Cravat (Richard Dix) is cheated out of his land claim by the devious Dixie Lee (Estelle Taylor). Instead of becoming a homesteader, Cravat establishes a muckraking newspaper, and with pistols in hand he becomes a widely respected (and widely feared) peacekeeper. He also displays a compassionate streak by coming to the defense of Dixie Lee, who is about to be arrested for prostitution. Cravat's insistence on sticking his nose into everyone's affairs drives a wedge between him and his young wife Sabra (Irene Dunne), but she stands by him--until he deserts her and her children, ever in pursuit of new adventures. Sabra takes over the newspaper herself, and with the moral support of her best friend, Mrs. Wyatt (Edna May Oliver), she creates a powerful publishing empire. Cimarron makes the mistake of placing most of the action early in the film, so that everything that follows the spectacular opening land-rush sequence may feel anti-climactic. While it's always enjoyable to watch Irene Dunne persevering through the years, it's rather wearing to sit through the overblown performance of Richard Dix, who seems to think that he can't make a point unless it's at the top of his lungs. Cimarron creaks badly when seen today, but it still outclasses the plodding 1960 remake. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Dix, Irene Dunne, (more)
- 1929
Together with MGM's Hallelujah, Fox's Hearts in Dixie is historically significant as one of the first all-talkie, big-studio productions to boast a predominately African-American cast. The ineluctable Clarence Muse, all of forty years old, stars as elderly Grandpap Nappus, a former slave whose beloved daughter Chloe (Bernice Pilot) marries the shiftless Gummy (comedian Stepin Fetchit, in his only "straight" role). After Chloe's death, Grandpap determines that his grandson Chinaquapin (Eugene Jackson) will not follow in Gummy's footsteps. He intends to send the boy North for a proper education, a move that is strongly opposed by the no-good Gummy. Essentially a white man's view of the Black South, Hearts in Dixie may strike modern viewers as stereotypical and demeaning, but its intentions were honorable, and the end result was quite pleasing to both black and white audiences in 1929. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Clarence Muse, Eugene Jackson, (more)
