John Arledge Movies

A horse and a dog share the same birthday in this exciting children's drama. Both are born in captivity, but end up escaping to the wilderness where they become close friends. Later when wolves attack a herd of wild horses, both team up to save them. Later they return to domesticity where the horse is trained to race. A wicked gambler attempts to stop the horse from winning. Fortunately, his pal the dog intervenes and the horse proves himself a champion. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Warner Bros.' Devil Dogs of the Air is very much a "formula" picture -- but what a wonderful formula it is! James Cagney plays reckless stunt flyer Tommy O'Toole, who is encouraged to join the Marine Flying Corps by his old Brooklyn buddy Lt. William Brannigan (Pat O'Brien). An undeniably talented flyboy, Tommy is also brash, obnoxious and pugnacious, quickly earning the enmity of his fellow trainees. He even falls out with Brannigan over the affections of pretty waitress Betty Roberts (Margaret Lindsay). Very nearly "washing out" of the service, Tommy is eventually brought into line by the combined efforts of Brannigan, Betty, and the rest of the "devil dogs." After earning oodles of money for Warners during its first release, Devil Dogs of the Air proved equally as successful when it was reissued six years later, just before America's entry into WW II. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this musical campus comedy, trouble ensues when a meddlesome, overprotective father enrolls in the same college as his son so he can watch over his love life. The son soon finds himself involved with a conniving golddigger who dumps him when she discovers that his family fortune has been squandered on a bum business deal. Songs include: "Old Man Rhythm," "I Never Saw a Better Night," "There's Nothing Like a College Education," "Boys Will Be Boys," "When You Are in My Arms," and "Come the Revolution, Baby." ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

This musical drama stars Dick Powell as the son of an admiral (Lewis Stone), who'd rather sing than go to sea. Through the genteel pressures of Powell's girlfriend and nightclub partner Ruby Keeler, Powell dons Navy garb and becomes a hero. Busby Berkeley had nothing to do with this one; the direction was in the capable hands of sentimentalist supreme Frank Borzage. The Borzage touch was particularly noticeable in a heartrending--but non-maudlin--scene in which Ross Alexander is "washed out" as an Annapolis cadet. Shipmates Forever proved to be a treasure trove of background music for the Warner Bros. cartoon department. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler reunite once again for this musical salute to the West Point Military Academy, including many scenes shot at West Point with "the full cooperation of the United States Army." Powell is Canary Dorcey, a private at a Hawaiian army post where he meets the perky Kitt Fits (Ruby Keeler), and she proceeds to flirt with him. Unable to handle the love games, Canary escapes Hawaii by getting an appointment at West Point, where he diligently pursues his studies and tries to forget about dames. But four years later, Kit shows up at West Point with her father, General Jack Fitts (Henry O'Neill), who has accepted the position of the new West Point commander. After some sparring and hedging, a visit to the Kissing Rock along the Flirtation Walk turns the two little lovebirds around, and soon enough they are appearing in the annual West Point musical revue, all forgiven. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

In this romance, a homely country girl makes herself over into a gorgeous New York Fashion model. Suddenly men flock to her and one night she is in a speakeasy when she meets a suave, handsome and rich fellow. The cops raid the place and after she gets out of the hoosegow, the woman goes to Paris, and for some strange reason takes on the name of the man she met in the nightclub. The man has followed her to Europe and is so persistent that her friends begin to think they are married. Word spreads back to the States, and the poor girl tries to rectify the misunderstanding by claiming that the marriage disintegrated. Things only get worse when the truth finally comes out. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Often referred to as an imitation of Warner's legendary prison drama I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang (1932), RKO's stirring Hell's Highway was actually released a few months earlier. The two films were in production at the same time, but RKO was determined to beat the competition (which also included Universal's Laughter in Hell, 1933) and not a few corners were cut. All three films were set in a generic Southern state (read Georgia) and depicted a horrid penal system more akin to the Middle Ages than the supposedly enlightened 1930s. In Hell's Highway, the chain gang prisoners wear uniforms with a large target printed on the back and the torture instrument du jour is a so-called sweatbox, in constant operation so that unscrupulous contractor Billings (Oscar Apfel) may construct his "Liberty Highway" on time and under budget. When a prisoner dies from exposure in the dreaded contraption, Duke Ellis (Richard Dix) concocts a plan to escape. The escape comes to an abrupt halt with the sudden arrival of his kid brother, Johnny (Tom Brown). The latter ends up in the sweatbox, but Duke has the kid transferred to office duty by using a bit of blackmail. There is a climactic prison riot, during which Duke is killed after saving his brother once again. Or at least that was what a preview audience saw. The death of the film's hero proved so shocking that RKO hastily filmed an alternative ending and Hell's Highway, as it survives today, concludes with Billings being charged with murder (the sweatbox situation) and Duke asked to testify against him. Typical of pre-code Hollywood, Hell's Highway features an openly gay prisoner (who bats his eyes at the prison guards), several scenes of torture, an appearance of near equality between black and white inmates, a bible-quoting polygamist (Charles Middleton), a wife-murdering guard (Warner Richmond), and, for added verisimilitude, a handicapped character who, when mortally wounded during the riot, signs his farewell to this world. Hell's Highway may not have enjoyed the status of I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang, but it remains a powerful indictment of the Georgian penal system of 1931 and a fine, well-acted film in its own right. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

In this romance, a recently impoverished but formerly wealthy young woman ends up working as a nightclub hostess. There she meets a handsome, sophisticated and wealthy fellow who hires her to help him spice up his weekend parties. She begins helping him and regains her lost wealth and posh lifestyle. Unfortunately, her starving-artist boyfriend knows nothing of her secret life. Trouble ensues when he learns the truth, but by the end the two reconcile and happiness ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this drama, a wild young punk is assigned to spend time with a man who specializes in helping juvenile delinquents. The boy is a tough nut to crack and the two engage in complex psychological and physical games. At one point, the man sticks the rebellious youth alone in a mountain cabin. Much to the delight of the lad, his girl friend sneaks up for a visit. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Janet Gaynor plays a teenaged orphanage waif who protects the younger children from the harshness of the supervisors. One of the orphanage's trustees is millionaire Warner Baxter, who spots Gaynor while visiting the home, is impressed by her tenacity, and decides to secretly adopt the girl and pay for her education. Baxter is determined not to become emotionally involved with Gaynor, but the exigencies of the plot bring the two of them together. Now that she has grown into a lovely young woman, Gaynor is a more than eligible candidate for marriage. Hoping to wed Baxter, Gaynor must first go to her guardian for consent...and imagine her surprise when she finds out the true identity of her benefactor. Based on a popular novel by Jean Webster, Daddy Long Legs was remade in 1935 as the Shirley Temple vehicle Curly Top, then filmed again under its original title as a Fred Astaire/ Leslie Caron musical in 1955. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide