Mary Astor Movies

Paula (Fritzi Brunette), a chorus girl, marries into an aristocratic family. Unfortunately, her husband is a drunk. When he tries to give some liquor to their infant son, she brandishes a pair of scissors at him. He wrestles them away from her, then falls down the stairs and stabs himself. Due to the perjured testimony of the maid and butler, Paula is convicted of murder and sent to jail. Her son, Danny (Ben Lyon), grows up to be a movie star. There is a controversy surrounding him because he refuses to do his own stunts. The reason he won't take any chances is that he is using all his money to get his mother out of jail. Finally, to redeem himself, he agrees to participate in a charity auto race, but his mother's hearing is scheduled for the race day. Somehow, Danny manages to attend the hearing, get his mother off, and make it to the race. He proves his bravery when the track gives way and he is injured. His courage wins him the girl (Mary Astor). ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

Reginald Denny seems to be doing a Harold Lloyd impersonation in this comedy, right down to the glasses, and maybe he was -- the plot concerns a hypochondriac, like Lloyd's 1923 hit Why Worry?. Although Rufus Billop (Denny) is convinced he will die at any minute, he has outlived his whole family with the exception of his Aunt Beulah (Lucille Ward). While visiting her he decides he desperately needs a doctor. After fighting against the tough manipulations of a towering woman chiropractor (Blanche Payson), he finds a " real" doctor (Clarence Geldert) who agrees that he needs serious care. The only thing holding Billop back from entering a sanitarium is a lack of funds -- he will inherit 750,000 dollars in three years, but if he dies any earlier all the money goes to charity. After the doctor assures a trio of lenders (Otis Harlan, William V. Mong, and Tom Ricketts) that there's really nothing wrong with Billop, they front him a hundred thousand if they will wind up with his whole fortune. So Billop happily takes on a full time nurse and lays in bed all day with a book and a thermometer. But when the first nurse, "Death Watch Mary" (Martha Mattox), doesn't work out, he is given pretty Dolores Hicks (a young and inexperienced Mary Astor). Billop falls in love with her, and when the maid (Helen Lynch) informs him that women like men who "aren't afraid of nothin'," he stops languishing in bed and starts racing cars and riding motorcycles. His brushes with death almost kill his lenders, who will lose their investment if he dies before he receives his inheritance. Dolores finally gets a lawyer to make out a fair contract, and she convinces the three men to sign it as they helplessly watch Billop painting a flagpole some 20 or so stories above a busy street. Although Denny's performance may owe something to Lloyd, this picture was actually based on the novel by Harry Leon Wilson. In addition a successful play about a hypochondriac, The Nervous Wreck, ran on Broadway in 1924, and it later became the musical Whoopee!, a stage and screen hit for Eddie Cantor -- clearly hypochondriacs were marketable entertainment at the time! ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

John Barrymore is virtually the entire show as 18th-century British fashion plate Beau Brummel. Thanks to his sartorial splendor and quick wit, Brummel is a favorite of the Prince of Wales (Willard Louis)--and with several ladies, though his heart belongs to the beautiful, unobtainable Lady Margery Avanley (played by 17-year-old Mary Astor, who during filming was carrying on a most passionate affair with her leading man). The arrogant Brummel falls from grace after insulting the Prince and then refusing to apologize. We last see Brummel in an asylum, dressed in rags, but with still enough pride to turn away his true love rather than allow her to throw her life away on him. John Barrymore is superb throughout, especially in the poignant sequences after his descent into poverty and disgrace. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The story to this romantic satire was penned by William Elwell Oliver, the winner of a writing contest that Universal Studios held for college students. Not surprisingly, it opens up on campus, where Bill Pendleton (Pat O'Malley) has made a bet with his fraternity brothers -- he will propose to any girl they select. The chosen young lady is Mary Brainerd (Mary Astor), an old-fashioned coed whose father is a missionary. Although she is secretly in love with Bill, Mary is insulted at being the subject of a bet and decides to go to her father in China. Meanwhile, Bill is expelled from school and his father disowns him, so he stows away on the same ship that Mary is taking to China. Fu Shing (Warner Oland), a revolutionary, kidnaps Mary, and Bill has to figure out how to save her. He enlists the help of friend Danny Daynes (Raymond Hatton), an alcoholic war veteran who is now an alcoholic general in the Chinese army. With the use of a couple of airplanes, the two rescue Mary in a thrilling climax. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

When wealthy Rockwood dies, he wills his fortune to his four grown children, providing they're all married by a certain date. Failing that, the money will go to charity. Three of the Rockwood siblings are quick to find matches but Tom Rockwood (Thomas Meighan) is determined to wait for true love. At last he finds it with Louise Halliday (Lila Lee), but her guardian is Milo Bleech (John Sainpolis) who is the family lawyer. Bleech would benefit if the fortune went to charity, so he tries to sabotage the relationship. He is nearly successful, and Tom leaves for Europe. Also on the boat is the unhappy English sweetheart of his brother Dick (Robert Agnew). Louise is there to see the girl off, but isn't able to disembark before the ship leaves port. She and Tom meet up and straighten out their differences. Then, when Dick is discovered on board as a stowaway, a double wedding is in order. Meanwhile, the sisters back home quickly marry their beaus and the fortune remains in the family. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

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

Moving Picture World sung the praises of this drama, adapted from the stage play by Adeline Leitzbach and Theodore Leibler Jr. "This picture has a soul," it raved, "a soul that will spell big money for the wise exhibitors." What it was, in reality, was the same old story of a drunken actor hitting the skids, making a comeback, and helping his grown daughter in the bargain. Stage star Brandon Tynan stars as Barry Carleton, a renowned Shakespearian actor and an alcoholic. His wife, Jane (Naomi Childers), finally leaves him, taking their little girl with her. Years pass and Carleton finds himself without friends or money. He applies for a job at a theater which is putting on King Lear, with his now-grown daughter, Rose (Mary Astor), in one of the leads. He finds out that the show's angel gave Rose the part in order to seduce her. Carleton saves his daughter, and her sweetheart, who also is on the verge of getting himself in serious trouble. To top it all off, the show's male star misses a performance and Carleton triumphantly steps into the role. With his true identity revealed, he and his daughter have a happy reunion. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

This fantasy tale uses the Salem witch hunts as its backdrop and was based on the play The Scarecrow by Percy Mackaye. Goody Rickby (Maude Hill) has a child out of wedlock, but it dies when the father, Gillead Wingate (Frank Tweed), refuses to acknowledge the child or help the mother get medical aid. Wingate becomes one of the foremost figures in the witch hunts, and Goody plots her revenge with Dr. Nicholas, who is really the Devil (Osgood Perkins). Dr. Nicholas breathes life into a scarecrow (Glenn Hunter), which he plans to marry off to Rachel, Wingate's ward (Mary Astor). When the truth is discovered -- that Lord Ravensband is a mere scarecrow brought to life -- Wingate will be charged with practicing witchcraft and put to death. But the scarecrow actually falls in love with Rachel and because of that he finds his soul. The plan of Goody and Dr. Nicholas is foiled, and the scarecrow gives up his life so that Rachel can marry her true love, Richard Talbot. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

Eugene O'Brien -- who was a better co-star for the likes of Norma Talmadge than he was a star in his own right -- has the lead in this comedy-drama. Upon being released from prison, where he was serving an unjust sentence, Lawrence Hilliard (O'Brien) takes the name of John Smith and looks for work. He finds a job as the head of the servant staff for the Langs (J. Barney Sherry and Ester Banks). Because of his charm, Smith is able to bring order to the unruly Lang household. He falls in love with Irene Mason, the social secretary (rising star Mary Astor), but is reluctant to tell her because of his past. Because Smith gains such an upstanding reputation, he earns the position of treasurer of a social organization. The funds turn up missing, however, and once again he finds himself in trouble with the law. Things get even worse when he becomes a murder suspect. It looks bleak for Smith until new evidence exonerates him. All this time, Irene stands by him, and they are united. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

This tale of the Canadian logging industry is compromised by a confusing plot, a lack of action -- and a scene that shows a Long Island billboard in the background. Harry T. Morey plays Robert Fisher Clarke, a promoter who comes to a small Canadian town. He harnesses the power of the rapids and builds a pulp mill. One of his employees, Jim Belding (Walter Miller), has a fiancée, Elsie Worden (Mary Astor), with whom Clarke falls in love. Behind the scenes, there is much intrigue going on amongst Clarke's backers. They order the factory closed, and the workers revolt. Belding is shoved into the rapids and has to fight for his life. The militia is called in and Clarke, who is at the mercy of the mob, is rescued. The bad guys are finally removed from the company, and Elsie comes to realize that she loves Belding after all. Clarke's job in this neck of the woods is done, and he leaves, taking with him a little girl he has adopted. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

Esteemed stage actor George Arliss became the screen's unlikeliest star at the ripe age of 53 in 1921. But the odd-looking, very mature Arliss had a rare talent and charisma, and younger, more attractive stars had to work extra hard to make their presence known next to him. In this drama, which was based on a play that came from a Gouveneur Morris story, he even portrays a romantic figure. John Arden (Arliss) is a highly respected musician who marries the much-younger Marjorie Blaine (Ann Forrest). He gives a private concert, and anarchists toss a bomb at a couple of the guests, who happen to be royal family members. The explosion renders Arden deaf, but he learns to lip read, which enables him to discover what others are saying. The words he reads coming out of a friend's mouth lead him to believe that he is a burden to his wife. He resolves to commit suicide, but Carter (Ivan Simpson), the family retainer, distracts him by urging him to look out the window. With the help of binoculars, Arden discovers some people talking and discerns that they are far worse off than he is. He decides to devote himself to helping others, but still he believes that Marjorie has stuck by him purely out of duty. Finally he realizes that she actually loves him very deeply, and a fall brings him back his hearing. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide