Pauline Frederick

In this crime drama, a girl whose father was murdered by gangsters wants to marry into a rich family. Her fiance's mother hates the idea, but consents to the marriage so that she can break it up later. However, she changes her mind about the whole thing when it is revealed that her other son was involved with the murder. ~ Steve Huey, All Movie Guide

Though she certainly didn't need the money, silent film favorite Colleen Moore made a comeback bid during the 1933-34 film season, appearing prominently in four productions. The least prepossessing of these was Columbia's Social Register, in which Moore is cast as good-natured chorus girl Patsy Shaw. Our heroine falls in love with wealthy Charlie Breene (Alexander Kirkland), but his snobbish parents oppose the relationship. To prove Patsy's unworthiness, Charlie's parents invite her to a high-society party. Turning the tables, Patsy wins over the hoity-toity crowd with her down-to-earth ebullience. As a last-ditch effort, Charlie's mother (Pauline Frederick) tries to frame the girl in a compromising position, but at the last moment the old lady relents and accepts the girl as her daughter-in-law. The whole thing was remarkably similar to MGM's The Girl From Missouri, but not so similar as to constitute plagiarism. Humorist Robert Benchley makes a brief but hilarious appearance as "himself." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Gary Curtis, aka Farnsbarns (Richardo Cortez), is really a former hoodlum hired to retrieve some compromising letters from gold digger Jenny Wren (Karen Morley). She, in turn, announces her retirement, but not before cajoling noted banker Priem Andes (H. B. Warner) into hosting a farewell party at his estate near Crestwood, "El Casa Andes." Also invited are three additional former "clients" of Jenny's: William Jones (Gavin Gordon), Senator Herbert Walcott (Robert McWade) and Eddie Mack (Richard "Skeets" Gallagher), all of whom are unaware of the purpose of the party and are therefore blithely bringing wives and girlfriends along. Also present at the Andes retreat are Jenny's kid sister Esther (Anita Louise),her boyfriend Frank (Matty Kemp, who just happens to be Andes' nephew, Jenny's wry maid Carter (Hilda Vaughn), and the banker's disdainful sister Faith (Pauline Frederick). The retiring gold digger's real purpose is revealed after she regales her former sugar-daddies with the tragic story of how her latest conquest, penniless, young Tom Herrick (Tom Douglas), threw himself off a cliff in the Adirondacks after she turned down his proposal of marriage. Victory, however, proves all too brief and the blackmailing gold digger is soon confronted with what appears to be the unfortunate young suitor's ghost. Soon, darts are flying everywhere, bodies fall, and trapdoors reveal hidden passageways. But Curtis, who arrives in the nick of time accompanied by assorted hoodlum friends, is never fooled by the fake Phantom of Crestwood and can reveal the real murderer shortly before the law arrives. The Phantom of Crestwood was based on the popular NBC "Hollywood-on-the-Air" radio program and the denouement of the film was the winning entry in a country-wide contest. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

In this early sound film, adapted from a play by Somerset Maugham, a WW I veteran is left crippled after a plane crash that occurred on his wedding day. He must spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair. Meanwhile his loving wife begins an affair with his brother. When his mother finds out about it, she kills her invalid son so he will never know of his wife and brother's treachery. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

First filmed 1917, the Elmer Rice play On Trial was remade as a talkie eleven years later. The original stage version was hailed for its innovational use of flashbacks, a technique faithfully carried over to the screen. Bert Lytell stars as Robert Strickland, who as the picture opens is standing trial for the murder of his best friend Gerald Trask (Holmes Herbert). A young attorney (Jason Robards, Sr.) hopes to make a name for himself by mounting a spectacular defense for Strickland, but he is nearly defeated by his overeagerness and inexperience. During flashback testimony, however, it is revealed that the murder was justified, as it was committed to preserve the good name of Strickland's wife May (Lois Wilson). On Trial was remade again in 1939 with John Litel as Strickland, but by that time the property had lost its novelty value. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Nest was based on Les Noces d'Argent, a play by Paul Geraldy. Having sacrificed all for her children, staid Mrs. Hamilton (Pauline Frederick) is aghast when her daughter Susan (Ruth Dwyer) marries an insufferable social-climber. Even worse, Mrs. Hamilton's son Martin (Reginald Sheffield) opts for a life of crime. In hopes of forgetting her domestic difficulties, Mrs. Hamilton heads to Paris, where she undergoes a glamor treatment and emerges as the most beautiful and desirable woman in Europe. In this incarnation, she finds happiness by marrying Richard Elliot (Holmes Herbert), the executor of her late husband's estate. Out of love for his new wife, Elliot takes on the daunting task of "reforming" her two wayward children. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Pauline Frederick plays the title role in this cinemadaptation of Kathleen Norris' novel Josselyn's Wife. Jilted by her artist lover Pierre Marchand (Armand Kaliz), heroine Lillian (Pauline Frederick) marries Thomas Josselyn (Holmes Herbert) on the rebound. Though she loves her husband, Lillian has never quite gotten over Pierre, and when her ex-sweetheart returns to the U.S. in the company of his new wife Ellen (Josephine Hill), Lillian is tempted to succumb to the charms of the flirtatious artist. She even offers to pose for him at his studio -- but when he tries to seduce her, she indignantly knocks him down and stalks out. Later on, Pierre is found murdered, whereupon Lillian, believing that she is responsible for his death, confesses to the crime. But during the emotion-charged courtroom finale, the truth is revealed, and Lillian and Josselyn are happily reconciled. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Smouldering Fires is a first-rate silent "soap opera," immaculately performed by its superb cast and brilliantly directed by Clarence Brown. Pauline Frederick plays a highly efficient middle-aged business executive, whose motto is "Let No Man Be Necessary to You." She discards this edict when she falls in love with her much-younger employee Malcolm McGregor. Though McGregor sincerely loves Frederick, her younger sister Laura LaPlante assumes that the man is a fortune hunter. After Frederick and McGregor are wed, LaPlante comes to realize that her new brother-in-law is sincere. She also realizes uncomfortably that she has fallen in love with McGregor, and he with her. Out of consideration for Frederick, the younger couple keeps their mutual attraction secret, and promise each other not to act upon their feelings. But Frederick eventually figures out the situation. Magnanimously, she declares that the marriage was a mistake, and that she'll seek a divorce before anyone is hurt. The aftermath of this triangular situation is subtly hinted at by a carefully arranged medium shot of the three principals. Never stooping to cliché or wallowing in phony sentimentality, Smouldering Fires is an honest tale about realistic people with genuine emotions. Most available prints are from the American release version; the slightly longer European version is even better, with some remarkably mature (albeit non-lurid) setpieces. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Even though director Ernst Lubitsch had only been in the U.S. for a little over a year, his soon-to-be-famous "touch" was already making itself known. This sophisticated society drama has a number of subtle, lightly humorous moments before the drama intensifies. The womanizing Edmund Lamont (Lew Cody) is being hounded by his creditors, so he's happy to make the acquaintance of wealthy widow Mabel Wilton (Pauline Frederick). He woos her and they are about to marry when Mabel's 18-year-old daughter, Jeanne (May McAvoy), shows up. Lamont immediately turns his attention to the young girl and unceremoniously dumps her mother. After putting Jeanne in a compromising position, Lamont marries her, but it isn't long before she suspects he isn't the most faithful husband that ever was. Soon it is revealed that he's been involved with another woman this whole time. The woman, Harriet (Marie Prevost), lets Jeanne know that Lamont once romanced her own mother. Mabel, meanwhile, tries to convince Lamont to divorce Jeanne, but his only response is to threaten a scandal. Mabel finally kills him, but when she reveals Lamont's background on the stand, she is acquitted. Jeanne is now free to marry the man who really loves her, Fred Armstrong (Pierre Gendron). ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

Not just any actress would allow herself to portray a homely spinster for the better part of a feature film, but dramatic actress Pauline Frederick did here -- of course, in the last reel she transforms herself from an ugly duckling into a swan. After the man she loved was stolen by a vamp, Clementina Wing (Frederick) focuses on a career painting portraits and tries to forget about love. But then a young artist friend, Tommy Burgrave (Edward Hearn), brings in his widower uncle, Quixtus (Edward Martindel), to pose for her. Clementina takes Tommy with her to the seaside where she falls ill, and his romance with a young girl begins to make her feel old. Then Quixtus arrives and when it looks as if he's going to fall victim to the same woman who destroyed Clementina's life, she springs into action to make herself more attractive than the vamp. This sparks Quixtus's interest and he falls for her. A child is left in the care of Clementina and Quixtus after the death of its father, and the two of them marry. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

This drama has Pauline Frederick portraying a surprisingly independent woman for 1921. Dorothy Keith (Frederick) marries Joel Gant (Clyde Fillmore) because she loves him. But that love dies when Gant is forced to give up his mining company and becomes a mean-spirited bootlegger who drinks up all his profits. Dorothy, who has been raised in luxury in the East, winds up taking in washing to make ends meet. Living with the unhappy couple is Gant's ten-year-old niece, Chrissy (Evelyn McCoy). One night when Gant comes home drunk, he sets out to beat Chrissy with a whip. Dorothy, who has had enough of Gant's brutality, points a revolver at him and ties him up. Then she lets him have it with his own whip and turns him out of the house. He is arrested for bootlegging, and she returns East, where she finds work at a mining company. She becomes very successful and a lawyer wants to marry her. Gant eventually comes sniffing around, but Dorothy refuses to have anything to do with him. He resolves to reform, and his efforts impress Dorothy so much that they are reconciled. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide