George K. Arthur Movies

The premise is clichéd -- it's the usual tale of a pretty girl from the sticks trying to break into movies -- but this satire gives it a number of unexpected turns. In addition, just about every star in Hollywood -- not just those at Paramount, the releasing studio -- has a cameo at one point or another during the film's eight reels. Ironically, nearly all of the lead actors are unknowns (although George K. Arthur would become a noted character comedian). Angela Whitaker (Hope Brown) of Centreville is convinced she has a chance in Hollywood -- all her friends tell her so. So she heads West with her Uncle Joel (Luke Cosgrave) in tow. But Angela has no luck in Tinseltown, while her uncle starts landing roles left and right because of his curious image. Eventually the rest of the family, including Angela's sweetheart Lem Lefferts (Arthur), her grandmother (Ruby Lafayette), and her aunt (Eleanor Lawson) come to Hollywood. All Angela's relatives get movie work because they're character types. Finally a screenwriter tries to help Angela out, but Lem winds up landing a role instead. He becomes a star, which suits Angela just fine because she has married him. The couple have twins, and the babies -- not to mention the couple's pet parrot -- wind up in films, while Angela remains at home. The most notable cameo in this picture is Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, who had been shunned in motion pictures since the 1921 scandal surrounding a Labor Day party that allegedly resulted in the death of starlet Virginia Rappe. Here he returns as a man standing in a casting line. When it's his turn to come up to the window, it is shut in his face and a "closed" sign put out. Unfortunately this gag turned out to be all too true; Arbuckle was not seen in front of a camera again until 1932. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

John Gilbert felt his talents were being wasted at Fox, and he was very vocal about his feelings towards the studio. But this film, made about a year before he moved over to MGM, gave him a rare opportunity to play an interesting character. Jaca Javalie (Gilbert) is a thief and a swindler who robs the rich. For a year he has been planning a major heist of a collection of jewels belonging to millionaire Theodore P. Banning (Wilton Taylor). To make inroads into Banning's world, he pretends to be an evangelist and accumulates a number of converts. His plans go awry, however, when he falls in love with Banning's daughter Nanette (Billie Dove). His relationship with the girl changes him into an honest man, and Banning, realizing the young man intends to go straight, protects him from the law. Featured in a bit part as a dancer is Julanne Johnston, who would make her small mark on cinematic history playing Douglas Fairbanks' leading lady in The Thief of Baghdad. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

This low-budget production -- Josef von Sternberg's first directoral effort -- earned praises from Charles Chaplin and was released by United Artists. (Chaplin also used the female lead, Georgia Hale, in The Gold Rush.) The Salvation Hunters was a highly unusual film for its era. Its moody cinematography, symbolism, and purposely ugly backgrounds just did not exist in other films (except for Erich von Stroheim's Greed). In spite of Chaplin's high praise, however, this wasn't a film that audiences of the 1920s found appealing, and nowadays, when von Sternberg's once innovative techniques have become integrated into modern filmmaking, it seems heavy-handed. The story focuses on a boy (George K. Arthur), who is a failure and a coward; a girl (Hale), who is used to the rough life on the riverfront; and a child (Bruce Guerin), whose parents have been killed by the dredge on which the girl lives. In order to "get away from the mud," the boy convinces the girl to take the child and accompany him to the city. There they meet up with the brute (Olaf Hytten), who offers them shelter only because he fancies the girl. The brute takes them out to the country, where he begins to abuse the boy, who finally drops his cowardice and overcomes him in a fight. The girl, who was disgusted by the boy's weakness, is now thrilled with his valor, and they look to the future with new hope. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

Just as Reginald Denny could only play an all-American boy until talkies revealed his British accent, Conrad Nagel could only have played a hillbilly with his glorious voice silenced. He's the star of this silent drama, based on the play by Lula Vollmer. Lucille LaVerne, who played Ma Cagle on stage, repeats her role here. Ma Cagle, a mountain woman of the Carolinas, has lost both her father and her husband to lawmen and, firmly believing in "an eye for an eye," waits for her son Rufe (Nagel) to reach maturity so he can exact revenge. But the World War breaks out and Rufe goes to fight in France. He is reported to be killed in action, and Ma's only comfort is a young stranger (George K. Arthur), who has deserted from a nearby training camp. Only later does she discover that the youth is the son of the man who killed her husband. Rufe, it turns out, has not been killed, but he returns home a changed man. He no longer believes in killing for revenge, and much to Ma's disgust, he refuses to shoot the stranger and lets him go free. But Rufe's ideals are put to the test when his sweetheart, Emmy Todd (Pauline Starke), is raped by Sheriff Weeks (Sam DeGrasse). He is tempted to revert to the ways of the hills, but he overcomes his baser emotions and instead marches the sheriff off to jail. This picture was Edmund Goulding's directorial debut. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

Constance Talmadge was at the peak of her career when she made this comedy; she was also near the end of her career. The star would only make a handful of films after this one before retiring in lieu of switching over to talkies. Helen Weyringer (Talmadge), a nice but slightly dowdy housewife, has a sister, La Perry (also Talmadge), who is a notorious dancer. When Helen has an argument with her husband Joseph (Ronald Colman), she walks out on him. She runs into her sister and they plot to vamp Joseph and teach him a lesson. Posing as La Perry, Helen flirts outrageously with Joseph until he can no longer resist her charms. Joseph's friend Robert (George K. Arthur) falls for her too. After much trickery, Helen as La Perry convinces Joseph to run away with her. Only then does he discover that he has been carrying on with his wife. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

To impress his wealthy uncle Hiram (Tom Ricketts), Billy Winthrop (George K. Arthur) and his wife Ethel (Dorothy Revier) overextend their bank account and rent a posh apartment. Knowing full well that he will inherit Uncle's fortune provided he has become a success in life, Billy puts on quite a show for the old man's benefit, even unto posing as his own butler -- and maid. While dressed in female drag, Billy falls into the clutches of a gang of crooks, one of whom, Joe Carter (Harry Depp), is likewise disguised in women's clothing. Uncle Hiram flirts outrageously with both "ladies," leading to the film's uproarious conclusion. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

According to playwrights Frederic and Fanny Hatton, The Waning Sex was the male -- and this hypothesis was carried over to the film version of the Hattons' stage comedy. Norma Shearer stars as female lawyer Nina Duane, who has quite a time overcoming the chauvinist "good old boy" network in the legal system. Much to the chagrin of District Attorney Phillip Barry (Conrad Nagel), Nina manages to win an acquittal for flirtatious widow Mary Booth (May McAllister), accused of killing her husband. But our heroine's legal know-how backfires when Mary makes a play for the DA, whom Nina secretly loves. Ultimately winning out over the predatory Mary, Nina so impresses Barry that he offers to make her a full partner -- in life as well as in business. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Mack Sennett veterans Marie Prevost and Trixie Friganza enliven the proceedings of Almost a Lady. Prevost plays a model who uses the fancy clothes that she's paid to wear to crash into society. She very nearly crashes out when her ruse is exposed, but love, in the form of handsome Harrison Ford conquers all. Ms. Friganza chews the scenery as a doyenne, while George K. Arthur supplies extra laughs in one of his "faithful pal" assignments. Almost a Lady was inspired by the Frank R. Adams short story "Skin Deep". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Josef von Sternberg had been the original director of Exquisite Sinner, but MGM was dissatisfied with the picture and refused to release it. When the film finally surfaced in 1926 (a full year after its completion), it had been radically altered by staff director Phil Rosen. Adapted by Alice Duer Miller from a novel by Alden Brooks, the film concerns a young man (Conrad Nagel) who forsakes the humdrum business world for the bohemian life of an artist. Renee Adoree co-stars as "The Gypsy Maid" who leads the hero merrily astray. Myrna Loy makes a brief, barely clothed appearance as "The Living Statue," the first of Josef Von Sternberg's many beautiful "mannequins," the most famous of whom would be Marlene Dietrich. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This early William Wellman directorial effort stars George K. Arthur as the title character, an incredibly naïve farmhand named Peter Good. Spurned by Amy (Gertrude Olmstead), the girl he loves, Peter sets out to prove that he isn't a boob. He joins a posse hunting for a gang of bootleggers, and sure as shootin' he rounds up the bad guys single-handedly. The film's highlight is an elaborate production number set at a burlesque theater, where scores of contract starlets have their clothes removed with the help of wires and pulleys. Billed third in the cast is Joan Crawford, whom MGM was obviously preparing for bigger and better things. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Even without the benefit of sound, The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg seems to be inundated by Franz Lehar's unforgettable songs. Director Ernst Lubitsch fashioned a gloriously schmaltzy, delightfully artificial rendition of the 1924 Lehar opera, which in turn was based on the 1902 play In Old Heidelberg. Ramon Novarro plays the title role, an ever-carousing young monarch who falls in love with ebullient barmaid Norma Shearer. Fully willing to forsake his crown for her sake, Novarro chooses duty over love when his country is threatened with revolution. He tries to let Shearer down gently, but it is clear that she will never quite get over her summer romance. Such is the genius of Ernst Lubitsch that the 1927 version of Student Prince seems a lot more alive and far less dated than the 1954 Technicolor remake. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Winsome Lois Wilson stars as The Gingham Girl in this cinemadaptation of the popular musical comedy of the same name. Wilson plays Mary Thompson, the sweetheart of small-town wise guy Johnny Cousins (George K. Arthur). Hoping to strike it rich, Johnny heads for the Big City, while the more level-headed Mary opts to remain in her own back yard. Starting a cookie-baking operation in her kitchen, Mary's burgeoning business is financed by city slicker Pat O'Day (Charles B. Crockett), who has designs on our heroine. Meanwhile, Johnny returns home, evidently having failed to make a dent in New York. In an astonishing and thoroughly unbelievable climactic twist, Johnny turns out to be a representative for a big-time cookie manufacturer, who offers Mary an enormous amount of money to sell her business. She does, whereupon Mary and Johnny settle down for a blissful -- and wealthy -- marriage. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide