Margot Grahame Movies

Gregory Ratoff is listed as sole director of the 1949 Orson Welles starrer Black Magic, but it is now common knowledge that Welles directed most of this lavish costumer himself. Told in flashback, the film recounts the life and times of notorious 18th-century hypnotist/magician/scam artist Cagliostro (played, but of course, by Welles). Learning the secrets of hypnosis from Dr. Mesmer (Charles Goldner), Cagliostro exploits this skill to gain wealth, prestige and, on occasion, romance. His downward slide begins when Cagliostro enters into an Anastasia-like scheme to substitute a young lass named Lorenza (Nancy Guild) for French queen Marie Antoinette. The charlatan's partners in crime are gypsies Gilbert (Akim Tamiroff, who manages to out-ham Welles in some scenes) and Zoraida (Valentina Cortese). Longer on style than substance, Black Magic is a wickedly delightful cinematic exercise, with Welles at his overbaked best. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this comedy, a rebellious son of a powerful industrialist returns home to prepare to take over the company. While their he marries a boarding-house servant because she helped him heal from a hangover. His actions enrage his family. The rest of the movie chronicles the sly father's attempts to destroy the relationship. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this British gangster movie, a Chicago gang goes to cool their heels in London. There they try to overtake the town. Meanwhile the mob boss searches for the perfect job. He convinces a millionaire, the owner of a department store, to help his gang rob the store blind. The plot fails and the gangsters battle it out with the bobbies. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

This musical parody follows the exploits of American performers in Hungary. The story begins as a Yankee wrestling trainer becomes friends with a gringo singer who works in the same Budapest nightclub as a female ventriloquist. When the singer is dumped, the trainer offers to help him with his romantic life. The singer then gets involved with the ventriloquist who is married to a notorious swordsman who has successfully killed 40 men in duels. Trouble ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

True love makes French buy the film company that owns the contract to his love, actress Margot Grahame. Grahame isn't the only one happy with this purchase; the company was in financial straits and everyone is please with the results. ~ All Movie Guide

George Raft plays Lucky Nick Cain, a successful American gambler who acts as an advance man for a posh Italian casino. Colleen Gray is a tourist who loses all her money at the casino, but Cain falls in love with her and tries to make good her debts. Cain and the girl find themselves in jeopardy when both are framed for a murder. The gambler does a little detective work on his own, and traces the killing to a gang of counterfeiters. Lucky Nick Cain was one of several "tax shelter" European films made by the notoriously improvident George Raft. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A woman framed for a bond theft gets out of prison and takes a job at a waterfront cafe, where she witnesses a murder. She is in love with the man the victim was going to meet and is reluctant to talk. He tells her that he was going to haul a load of gold bullion for the victim, and soon they are caught between cops and crooks after the gold. ~ Steve Huey, All Movie Guide

In this comedy, the routines of two British army barracks are disrupted when they are invaded by a Hollywood film unit while their CO is away. Trouble ensues when he returns unannounced. Now the filmmakers must convince him to allow them to keep filming. To do so, they employ the charms of a full-bodied blonde starlet. Filming finally resumes, but then a larger military impresario decides to drop by for a snap inspection; the film crew is unable to offer an acceptable explanation for their presence in the camp. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

The first of the wonderful Aldwych Theater farces to hit the silver screen was the frantically hilarious Rookery Nook. The title refers to a country house where Gerald Popkiss (Ralph Lynn) heads for a good long rest. Gerald sends word to his wife Clara (Margot Grahame) to join him then retires for the night. Meanwhile, pajama-clad Rhoda Marley (Winifred Shotter), who has been thrown out of her home by her stepfather, takes refuge in the Rookery Nook living room. It isn't long before Gerald's cousin Clive (Tom Walls), sent to the country house to make certain that Gerald behaves himself, makes the acquaintance of the startled Rhoda -- and that's when the fun begins. Best bits include the lifeboat drill presided over by the scatterbrained Poppy Dickey (Doreen Bendix) and such dialog exchanges as "I'm a man of peace"/ "You'll be a man of pieces in a minute". Filmed exactly like a photographed stage play, Rookery Nook is hardly an advance in the art of the cinema, but that doesn't stop it from being unbearably funny. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The venerable Warwick Deeping story Sorrell and Son was dusted off again for this 1934 screen incarnation. Repeating his role from the 1927 film version, H.B. Warner plays Captain Stephen Sorrell, a WW I hero reduced to scrubbing floors in a hotel. This he does for the sake of his beloved son Kit (Hugh Williams), who thanks to his father's sacrifices becomes a successful surgeon. The film's emotional undercurrents boil over in the climax, when Kit must decide whether or not to put his father out of his misery when the old man is stricken with a fatal disease. The most memorable characterization is delivered by Wally Patch as a sadistic bellboy, whose bullying of Sorrell senior literally makes the flesh creep. Featured in a minor role is Louis Hayward, just before embarking upon his Hollywood career. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Arizonian came at a time when Richard Dix's popularity was slipping, providing a welcome shot in the arm for the star and plenty of coin at the box office. Dix plays Clay Tallant, a territorial marshal assigned to Silver City, Arizona. Tallant's chief antagonist is crooked town boss Jake Mannen (Louis Calhern), who doubles as an outlaw chieftain. In his ongoing battle against Mannen, our hero finds an unlikely ally in the form of ex-outlaw Tex Randolph (Preston S. Foster). Scripted by frequent John Ford collaborator Dudley Nichols, The Arizonian was remade in 1939 as the George O'Brien western Marshal of Mesa City. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Laurence Olivier makes his singing debut in this lively adaptation of John Gay's 18th century theatrical piece The Beggar's Opera. Olivier stars as Captain MacHeath, the leader of all bandits and cutthroats in England. MacHeath is in love with Polly Peachum (Dorothy Tutin), the daughter of beggar king Peachum (George Devine). He has also dallied with Lucy (Daphne Anderson), the offspring of corrupt constable (Stanley Holloway) Lockit. Since it is in the best interest for both Peachum and Lockit to rid the world of MacHeath, the two conspire to imprison and hang the scoundrel, but an unexpected turn of events rescues MacHeath from the executioner's noose. Adapted for the screen by Dennis Canaan and Christopher Fry, The Beggar's Opera manages to retain the raffish charm of the stage original while still being wholly cinematic in approach and execution. The same basic story was later retooled by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill as The Threepenny Opera. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Cecil B. DeMille's The Buccaneer stars Fredric March, complete with curly hair, pencil moustache and florid "Sacre Bleu!" French accent, as 18th century pirate Jean Lafitte. Operating out of a "buccaneer's haven" of the coast of New Orleans, Lafitte plunders all passing ships for their wealth, but refuses to attack any vessel flying the American flag. During one seafaring skirmish, he rescues Dutch maiden Gretchen (Franziska Gaal) from a sunken ship. Gretchen falls madly in love with the dashing Lafitte, but he has eyes only for aristocratic Louisana belle Annette (Margot Grahame). During the War of 1812, Lafitte is offered a pardon by Andrew Jackson (Hugh Sothern) if he and his pirates will fight on the American side. As good as his word, Lafitte stands shoulder to shoulder with Jackson as they ward off the British at the Battle of New Orleans. During a Victory Ball in his honor, Lafitte is confronted with evidence that he unknowingly caused the death of Annette's younger sister Marie (Louise Campbell) during a previous act of piracy. The assembled guests are all for hanging Lafitte on the spot, but General Jackson offers the pirate an hour's head start out of New Orleans, provided he never set foot on American soil again. This naturally costs Lafitte the love of Annette; fortunately, Gretchen is awaiting him on board his ship with open arms. From the opening scene in which Dolly Madison (Spring Byington) rescues the Declaration of Independence during the burning of Washington to the closing clinch between Lafitte and Gretchen, The Buccaneer is one of DeMille's most exhilarating films. It was remade less successfully in 1958 under the direction of Cecil B's son-in-law Anthony Quinn, who played the supporting role of Beluche in the original film. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide