Patricia Farr Movies
Brunette starlet Patricia Farr worked as an usherette at a Los Angeles movie theater when she signed with Paramount. After numerous bit parts, she was awarded the female lead in Universal's 12-chapter action serial Tailspin Tommy, about gangsters attempting to gain control of Three Point Airlines. Although pretty and vivacious, the studio nevertheless replaced her with blonde Jean Rogers in the 1935 sequel Tailspin Tommy in the Great Air Mystery. Rogers went on to immortality as Dale Arden in the Flash Gordon serials. Farr starred or co-starred in such forgotten fare as Speed to Spare (1937) and All-American Sweetheart (1938). ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
Though billed fourth in This Gun For Hire, Alan Ladd was catapulted to stardom in the role of Phillip Raven, a ruthless professional killer with a long-suppressed streak of decency. After successfully pulling off his latest murder, Raven reports to his boss, effeminate fifth columnist Willard Gates (Laird Cregar). He collects his $1000 fee, only to discover later that Gates has double-crossed him with marked bills. This was done at the behest of Gates' boss, crooked business executive Alvin Bewster (Tully Marshall), who wants no loose ends left around to connect him with a plot to sell poison gas to the Axis. As Raven ducks and dodges the police, detective Michael Crane (Robert Preston) is hot on the trail of Bewster and Gates. Crane talks his girlfriend, nightclub singer-musician Ellen Graham (Veronica Lake), into taking a job at Gates' nightclub. While on the train to the club, Ellen makes the acquaintance of the escaping Raven. Gates boards the train, spots Ellen innocently sitting next to Raven, and assumes that the two are in cahoots. Later, Gates kidnaps Ellen and spirits her away to his mansion, intending to do away with her the first chance he gets. Instead, Raven, still seeking revenge for being set up, bursts into the mansion in search of Gates. Having previously been impressed by Ellen's kindness, he rescues her, though he intends using her as hostage should the police catch up with him. As they hide out together in the rail yards, Ellen and Raven get to know each other. Learning of Raven's miserable, abusive childhood, Ellen tries to chip away his murderous veneer, hoping to reform him. But when the cops arrive, Raven reverts to his instincts, shooting his way out of his hiding place. As Crane escorts Ellen out of harm's way, Raven rushes towards a bloody showdown with Bewster and Gates. Based on Graham Greene's A Gun For Sale, This Gun For Hire was remade in 1958 as Short Cut to Hell, then again under the original title as a 1990 made-for-TV film. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Veronica Lake, Robert Preston, (more)
One of the first big-studio productions to acknowledge America's entry into WW2, 20th Century-Fox's To the Shores of Tripoli was filmed with full the cooperation of the US Marine Corps. John Payne plays Chris Winters, a wealthy, wise-lipped young Marine recruit who learns the true meaning of "Semper Fidelis" the hard way, courtesy of tough-as-nails drill sergeant Dixie Smith (Randolph Scott). Chris also falls in love with Navy nurse Mary Carter (Maureen O'Hara in her first Technicolor appearance), which leaves his poor hometown sweetheart Helene Hunt (Nancy Kelly) in the lurch. By film's end, Chris is one of the Few and the Proud as he and his buddies are shipped off to combat overseas. Portions of To the Shores of Tripoli were filmed in Hawaii just before the Pearl Harbor attack; according to studio publicity, some of the cameramen managed to capture portions of the Japanese raid on film, though none of these scenes seem to have made their way into the final release print. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Payne, Maureen O'Hara, (more)
- 1941
In this romance, a hospital nurse marries a West Point football hero. She soon gets pregnant, but this doesn't stop her from annulling the marriage so as not to interfere with her husband's military career. Though she keeps it a secret, her plan is to marry him again after he graduates from the academy, which forbids students to marry. She doesn't tell a soul about her pregnancy either. Trouble ensues when an enamored intern learns that she has a baby girl. He too keeps mum until her husband graduates. Unfortunately, by that time, he is no longer interested in marrying her, so she ends up marrying the intern instead and happiness ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anne Shirley, Richard Carlson, (more)
In Hitchcock's rare foray into comedy (courtesy of a wittily risque script by Norman Krasna), Mr. Smith (Robert Montgomery) makes the mistake of telling Mrs. Smith (Carole Lombard) that if he had it to do all over again, he might not have married her. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Smith discovers that his marriage is invalid. Rather than say goodbye, the newly aroused Mr. Smith attempts to entice Mrs. Smith into the bedroom, thrilled at the prospect of an "illicit" romance. But Mrs. Smith has also been apprised that her marriage is no more--and, remembering Mr. Smith's "second thoughts", she kicks him out of the house. This comedy of misunderstanding rolls merrily along from this point onward, accommodating an uproarious scene at a fancy restaurant, a near-liaison between Mrs. Smith and new beau Gene Raymond on the World's Fair parachute jump, and a farcical denouement at a ski lodge, with Mrs. Smith's conjugally crossed skis symbolizing the carnal pleasures ahead for both Mr. and Mrs. Smith. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carole Lombard, Robert Montgomery, (more)
- 1941
Claudette Colbert and Ray Milland, stars of the 1940 hit Arise, My Love, were immediately reteamed for Skylark. Adapted from the play by Samson Rafaelson, the film stars Colbert as the wife of a neglectful businessman Milland (her role had been played on Broadway by Gertrude Lawrence). Brian Aherne is a handsome bachelor who hopes to win Colbert away from her husband. At first enjoying her vacation from marriage, Colbert finds she can't keep up with Aherne's peripatetic lifestyle, and returns to Milland. Skylark's comic highlight is a slapstick sequence in which Colbert tries to prepare lunch in a yacht during a storm. The scene was shot in a single take, an accomplishment in which the actress took justifiable pride. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Claudette Colbert, Ray Milland, (more)
- 1941
Also released as The Great Awakening, New Wine purports to recreate an incident in the life of Austrian composer Franz Schubert. Though the real-life Schubert was chubby and homely, he is played on screen by the slim-and-handsome Alan Curtis. Unable to convince the world of his talent, Schubert is on the verge of starvation when he is rescued by a gorgeous patron: Countess Anna, portrayed by Curtis' then-wife Ilona Massey. In the film's most memorable scene, Ludwig Van Beethoven (Albert Basserman) advises Schubert to finish that Unfinished Symphony. It's that kind of picture. At least New Wine is full of glorious music, written by Schubert and his contemporaries and only slightly Hollywoodized in the arrangements. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ilona Massey, Alan Curtis, (more)
- 1938
Joan Bennett plays a young woman who believes she's killed bigtime crook Sidney Blackmer. She changes her hair color from blonde to brunette and escapes from San Francisco to parts unknown. Police detective Fredric March is hired to track down Bennett, which he does in the company of two assistants, wisecracking Ann Sothern and dimwitted Ralph Bellamy. March's chase takes him all over the world (courtesy of back-projected shots of Tay Garnett's recent worldwide vacation); when he catches up with Bennett, he falls in love with her. Still, when they reach Frisco again, March turns Bennett in to the authorities, convincing Bellamy and Sothern that their boss is a no-good rat. But it's actually a clever ploy by March to bring the real murderer out in the open. Trade Winds was produced by Joan Bennett's future husband Walter Wanger, who noted the popularity of Bennett's new brunette status and advised her to stay that way...which she did. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fredric March, Joan Bennett, (more)
- 1937
Columbia's Criminals of the Air is another entry in the "alien-smuggling" movie cycle -- and as such includes the obligatory scene in which the airborne smugglers escape detection by pulling a lever and disposing of their human cargo. Hoping to collar the crooks, detective Mark Owens (Charles Quigley) poses as a down-and-out pilot looking for work. He is hired by the "Honeymoon Express," ostensibly designed to transport newlyweds across the Mexican border and back again, but actually a front for smuggling activities. Fearless girl reporter Nancy Rawlings (Rosalind Keith) covertly covers Owens' activities, ultimately landing in a heap o' trouble when the crooks catch on. In one of her last "B"-picture assignments, Rita Hayworth plays a voluptuous Latina dancer in a Mexican cabaret sequence. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rosalind Keith, Charles Quigley, (more)
- 1937
If Charles Quigley never became Columbia's answer to Clark Gable (which seemed to be the studio's intention), it wasn't for lack of trying. In Speed to Spare, Quigley plays champion racecar driver Tommy Morton, eternal rival to less-ethical speed king Skids Brannigan (Eddie Nugent). What no one knows is that Tommy and Skids are actually brothers, separated at birth. Driven by a filial devotion that he can't explain, Tommy tries to dissuade Skids from recklessness, only to be "repaid" when Skids tries to steal away Tommy's sweetheart Eileen (Dorothy Wilson). It takes a near-fatal crack-up for Skids to straighten up and drive right -- and to patch things up with Tommy, whom he now recognizes as his own brother. Much of the racecar action in Speed to Spare is filmed against a process screen. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Quigley, Dorothy Wilson, (more)
- 1937
While drunk at a party, millionaire Stephens Cormack (Neil Hamilton) playfully marries footloose Clarice Andrews (Patricia Farr). Sobering up the next morning, Cormack hurriedly tells his lawyer to arrange for an annulment, then retreats to South America. What Cormack doesn't know is that Clarice was already married, making him a bigamist in the eyes of the law should anyone find out. Clarice's helpful sister Paula (Sally Eilers) offers to pose as her sibling for appearance's sake, moving into Cormack's mansion until the annulment is finalized. Paula's life is made a living hell by Cormack's bratty children (Marice Mae Jones and George Ernest) and snooty servants -- not to mention Clarice's disreputable hubby Michael (Joseph Schildkraut) -- until everything is straightened out in the final footage. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Neil Hamilton, Joseph Schildkraut, (more)
- 1937
In this crime drama, an evil ex-con makes his living selling cheap booze masked under expensive labels. He runs a drugstore as a front and also sponsors a girl's baseball team. The story is split between the gangster's illegal activities and the action on the baseball field where the lovely players practice. Trouble ensues when one of the dishonest ex-con's prison buddies appears. To protect his scam, the ex-con kills his friend. Later, the team catcher is poisoned during a game. A dullard cop is assigned the case as a brainless rookie reporter. The ex-con ends up attempting to sell his drugstore and illicit booze in order to escape them. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Quigley, Rita Hayworth, (more)
- 1937
While Rita Hayworth was one of many starlets signed to one-year contracts at Columbia in 1936-37, she was one of the few who made the "cut" when option time rolled around. One of those who didn't was Patricia Farr, who starred in All-American Sweetheart before the Columbia execs showed her the door. Farr's top billing is perplexing, since the film's main characters are all male, all members of a college rowing team (an athletic endeavor utilized in no fewer than four 1930s films). The storyline of All-American Sweetheart involved the compromising of certain student rowers, courtesy of bribe-dispensing gangsters. One gets the impression that Columbia would have inserted gangsters into a movie about ping-pong. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patricia Farr, Scott Colton, (more)
- 1936
Three of a Kind was also released as Mistaken Identity, which pretty much says it all. Chick Chandler, Berton Churchill and Richard Carle star respectively as confidence tricksters Jerry Bassett, Con Cornelius and F. Thorndyke Penfield. Each of the crooks thinks that the other two are wealthy, thus they spend most of the picture trying to swindle one another. Eventually, Jerry pulls out of the game when he falls in love with Penfield's pretty daughter Barbara (Evalyn Knapp). Faster-moving than most Invincible Pictures releases, Three of a Kind should please fans of such latter-day conning-the-conners epics as The Sting. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chick Chandler, Evelyn Knapp, (more)
In this drama, a manicurist is mistaken for the winner of a large sweepstakes and finds herself pursued by fortune hunters. One of them wants to marry her for the publicity and a stage contract. The trouble really begins when the real winner shows up. She is more than happy to let the manicurist get all the attention, provided she gets the money. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patricia Farr, William Bakewell, (more)
- 1936
Three confidence men set up in a luxury hotel, but wind up as their own victims when several swindles backfire. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- 1935
In this drama, an impoverished dreamer saves a group of people during a terrible storm by leading them to shelter in a ghost town containing but one ancient resident. The stranded travelers are surprised by the high-style in which the codger lives. Soon they learn that the man and the drifter's grandfather co-owned a gold-mine. Unfortunately, the old resident cannot find it. The young dreamer finds it for him, and then marries an heiress who was among the travelers. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Arlen, Madge Evans, (more)
Lawyer Oliver Keith (Reginald Denny) in love with his secretary Ella Carey (Patricia Farr), but refuses to do anything about it during office hours. Thus, it's up to Ella to ardently pursue Oliver in her spare time. Their romance is temporarily shelved when Oliver and Ella combine forces to solve two seemingly unrelated murders. Lady in Scarlet is yet another spin on the Thin Man formula, this time from low-budget Invincible Pictures. No one expressed much enthusiasm over the film, though Reginald Denny garnered some of his best reviews in years. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Reginald Denny, Patricia Farr, (more)
- 1935
The title may be Orchids to You, but the plot is motivated by a camellia -- to be exact, Camelia Rand (Jean Muir). About to be ejected from her thriving flower shop when a developer plans to tear down the building, Camelia confronts Thomas Bentley (John Boles), the lawyer representing the developer. Despite her anger, Camelia can't help but take a liking to Bentley, though she refuses to entertain any romantic notions because the lawyer is already married to Evelyn (Ruthelma Stevens). Later on, a stranger enters Camelia's shop and orders a dozen orchids for Mrs. Bentley. Not wishing to hurt Mr. Bentley, Camelia refuses to mention Mrs. B's name in court when ordered to do so, and as a result spends 10 days in jail on a contempt charge. All-around comedy relief Teddy Stuyvesant (Charles Butterworth) shows up in time to solve everything, and the film ends with the philandering Mrs. Bentley out in the cold and Camelia in Mr. Bentley's arms. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Boles, Jean Muir, (more)
- 1934
A young auto mechanic gets a job with Three Points Airlines, and helps to get them a government mail contract in this action serial. The head of a rival cargo airline, angered that he didn't get the contract, plots the destruction of Three Points in order to take over the contract. ~ Brian Gusse, All Movie Guide
- 1931
The Secret Call is adapted from The Woman, a play by William C. DeMille (brother of Cecil B.) Peggy Shannon plays Wanda Kelly, the daughter of a disgraced politician. Reduced to working as a switchboard operator, Wanda is privy to the many secrets and indiscretions of the clients of a big-city hotel. She also finds romance in the form of handsome Tom Blake (Richard Arlen). The huge cast of characters comes in handy for the film's multitude of subplots, none of which ever get their wires crossed. Peggy Shannon acquits herself nicely in her first major role, but by the end of the decade her career was in decline. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Arlen, Peggy Shannon, (more)
