Arthur Hoyt Movies

In this newspaper drama, a star reporter learns that prominent city officials are covering for a bootlegging crime lord. Naturally the corrupt politicos attempt to prevent him from publishing; this leads the disillusioned reporter to join a small, independent paper. There he is finally able to expose the wicked group and bring them to justice. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In his second talking picture, Richard Dix is cast as British officer Capt. Leslie Yeullat, at present on leave in London. Falling in love with Ruth Dangan (Esther Ralston), the wife of his commanding officer (O.P. Heggie), Yeullat does the gentlemanly thing by suppressing his own emotions for the sake of the Regiment. He goes so far as to resign from his commission and returns to India as a civilian. The paths of Yeullat and Ruth cross again when he is called upon to rescue the heroine, and several other British subjects who have been trapped in a Buddhist monastery by Indian insurrectionists. The plot is resolved by a curious combination of traditional stiff-upper-lip heroics and Buddhist mysticism, the latter dispensed by unctuous high priest Tseuring Lama (Nigel de Brulier). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this low-budget romantic comedy, a beautiful model from Paris sets her sights on the heart of an American ex-lover and so sets sail to stop him from marrying his newest girl friend. During the long voyage, the model must evade the persistent romantic advances of a passenger head-over-heels in love with her. After much chaos and many merry mix-ups involving all four main characters the proper romantic alignments are reached and marital bliss ensues all around. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Originally titled 10 Modern Commandments, this sophisticated romantic comedy-drama was the third directorial effort by Dorothy Arzner -- not to mention her third picture of 1927. Unabashedly a "woman's" picture, this is the story of Kitten O'Day (Esther Ralston), a humble maidservant in her aunt's boarding house. Kitten falls for impoverished boarder Tod Gilbert (Neil Hamilton), a would-be composer who has yet to sell a song. Kitten takes it upon herself to visit the office of big-time Broadway producer Disbrow (Arthur Hoyt), immediately endearing herself to the man when she socks tempestuous stage star Sharon Lee (Jocelyn Lee) in the nose. Disbrow hires Kitten as a "buffer" between himself and the troublesome Sharon; in exchange, she entreats the producer to listen to Tod's compositions. Alas, Tod has by now moved out of the boarding house, so Disbrow is unable to sign him to a contract or secure a release for the use of his songs. Meanwhile, Disbrow's latest musical goes into rehearsal, with Kitten in the chorus. The other hoofers decide to have some fun with the show-biz naif by "initiating" her in the Ten Modern Commandments of Broadway -- all of which are "Get Your Man!" Putting up with the teasing, Kitten eventually ingratiates herself with her fellow chorines by once again punching out the show's star, the obstreperous Sharon Lee (Jocelyn Lee). And what of Tod? Hanging around at the stage door, still waiting for an interview with Disbrow, Tod is hired as a backstage piano tuner. Unaware that Kitten is a member of the cast, Tod works up enough gumption to invade the star's dressing room and demand a hearing of his tunes. He is deflected from this when he hears one of his compositions being played backstage -- a minor event which snowballs into a series of misunderstandings, culminating with Tod's mistaken belief that Kitten has succumbed to the Ten Modern Commandments and has become producer Disbrow's mistress. Kitten saves the day by strong-arming Sharon into performing Tod's songs in the show; by film's end, all is explained, all is forgiven, and everyone is happy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Though Will Rogers was still packing 'em in on Broadway, he was considered a Hollywood has-been when he starred in the independently produced A Texas Steer. Rogers also wrote the screenplay of this "topical comedy," in which he plays Texas rancher Maverick Brander, who is maneuvered into politics by his status-seeking wife Ma (Louise Fazenda). Unfortunately, Maverick finds himself at the mercy of a trio of corrupt political hacks who want our hero to use his influence to push through a piece of questionable legislation. The opponents of the bill contrive to abduct Maverick, but he escapes in time to strike a blow for honesty in Washington. The level of humor in the film can be gauged by such character names as "Bossy Brander," "Dixie Style" and "Fairleigh Bright." A Texas Steer had its moments, but Will Rogers would have to wait until talkies arrived to fully blossom as a film star. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Joyce Brandon (Laura La Plante) is in love with Jack Sturdevant (Tom Moore), but he doesn't even know she's alive. As a means of getting closer to Sturdevant, Joyce poses as the widow of Jack's best friend, a popular novelist. Thanks to her masquerade, our heroine finds herself in line for a huge insurance settlement, which not only poses a moral dilemma but also brings her in close contact with rapacious villain J. A. Creelman (Bryant Washburn). In the end, Joyce confesses to her deception, only to find that Jack still loves her. Most of The Love Thrill was shot indoors, suggesting that the weather must have been fairly inclement around Universal City. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This rugged Richard Dix vehicle casts the star as rough-and-tumble sea captain Jim Bucklin. Landing at a Chinese port, Bucklin and his passengers are threatened by a marauding war lord, who intends to kill the captain and hold the others hostage as part of his campaign of destruction against all white men. Rallying the passengers and a few nervous hotel guests, our hero decides to "hang tough" and hold out against the bandit hordes. The climax finds Bucklin and the principal heavy fighting to the death, while several feet underwater! Mary Brian and Jocelyn Lee provide glamour as, respectively, the virginal Mary and the been-around Shanghai Rose (guess which one survives?) Shanghai Bound was partially remade, again with Richard Dix, as Roar of the Dragon (1932). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the tradition of the venerable stage comedy The Gold Diggers, Footloose Widows zeroes in on two girls who hope to land millionaire husbands. Department-store models Flo (Louise Fazenda) and Marian (Jacqueline Logan) set their sights on wealthy young soft-drink magnate J. A. Smith (Jason Robards). Through a misunderstanding, they pick on the wrong J. A. Smith (John Miljan), a fortune hunter himself who assumes that Marian is a wealthy widow. Meanwhile, Marian falls for the real Smith, never dreaming that he's the millionaire. This merry melange was remade several times under several titles by Warner Bros. in the talkie era. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Directed in the manner of a lamp-lighted melodrama by Louis J. Gasnier, That Model From Paris was based on the old Goveneur Morris play The Right to Live. Heroine Marceline Day lands a job as a model at a fancy dress shoppe, through the auspices of wealthy rake Craufurd Kent. Coincidentally, Day's arrival at the shop occurs the same day that a famous French model is expected to arrive. Mistaken for the Frenchwoman, our heroine becomes the toast of the town, pursued by every wealthy bachelor in town -- including Kent, who's been trying to bed the girl from the beginning of the picture. But Day retains her virtue, finally finding true love in the form of solid and upright Bert Lytell. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

If Eve's Leaves has the "look" of a Cecil B. DeMille production, it's because DeMille himself functioned as producer. Salty sea captain Robert Edeson tries to keep his daughter Leatrice Joy away from men, but the rambunctious Joy yearns to experience such forbidden pleasures as kissing. When Edeson's ship docks at a Chinese port, both Joy and seaman William Boyd are captured by river bandits. The bandit chieftain hopes to take Joy as his bride, and to secure her compliance he binds Boyd hand-and-foot and prepares to subject the poor boy to torture. Joy takes this opportunity to steal a kiss from the helpless Boyd, whereupon a melodramatic scene becomes a comic one -- just as the stage play upon which this film was based was essentially a comedy. Captain Edeson rescues the lovers in the nick of time, admitting that it was a big mistake to keep his daughter locked up and agreeing to allow her to live her own life from now on. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

T. Roy Barnes was a comedian whose most memorable appearances were as support to more illustrious comics such as Buster Keaton (in Seven Chances) and W.C. Fields (in It's a Gift). The pictures in which he himself was the star are pretty much forgettable, such as this low-budget light comedy. Barnes plays Gusty Gale, a charming bluffer who can fool everyone but his father-in-law, Mr. Barker (Burr McIntosh). Gale seems to have a new job every other day, even though his bank account doesn't reflect any great source of income. In addition, he likes going out, but his wife, Money (Marjorie Gay), prefers to stay home. Gale goes dancing anyway with a neighbor, Linda Betts (Gertrude Short) -- her wimp of a husband (Arthur Hoyt) doesn't put up a fight. When the couple doesn't return from their night on the town, their spouses go looking for them, only to have their car break down. When they return home, Gale and Linda are already there and accuse them of a romance. Money angrily goes home to her folks, but then her father discovers that Gale owns some swampland that he needs for his own business interests. Gale sells the land to his father-in-law for a hefty sum, and is reconciled with his wife. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

Imported from the USSR to direct the vehicles of silent-screen diva Pola Negri, Dmitri Buchowetzki eventually found himself working with such lesser (but in fact more popular) stars as Laura LaPlante. Set in pre-revolutionary Russia, the story gets under way when both the Grand Duke Sergius (Pat O'Malley) and banker Ivan Kusmin (George Siegmann) falls in love with American-born ballerina Olga Balashova (Laura LaPlante). For her part, Olga has eyes only for handsome young military cadet Alexei Oroloff (Raymond Keane). When the Grand Duke is found in an innocent but compromising situation with Olga, the infuriated Alexei strikes the man down -- whereupon he is arrested and sentenced to be executed. Desperately, Olga goes to Kusmin, begging him to use his influence to save Alexei. Instead, Kusmin lures Olga aboard his yacht, intending to seduce her. She is saved from that famous Fate Worse Than Death by the Grand Duke himself, who proves that he's a regular guy by rescuing Alexei from the firing squad in the nick of time. Based on a novel by Lauridas Brunn, The Midnight Sun was originally released as a "road-show" attraction, complete with reserved seating and an intermission. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Pola Negri is her usual overstated self in the outlandish comedy-melodrama Crown of Lies. Negri plays Olga, an immigrant girl who finds work as a domestic in a New York theatrical boarding house. Aspiring to become an actress herself, Olga studies the various boarders and mimics their behavior. This amuses car salesman John Knight (Robert Ames), who falls in love with Olga and invites her to accompany him to the mittel-European kingdom of Sylvania, where he is to open a dealership. But before they can start their journey, Olga is accosted by a servant of Sylvanian Count Mirko (Noah Beery Sr.), who is convinced that our heroine is the long-lost daughter of the Queen (shades of "Anastasia"!) She is spirited off to Sylvania with her boyfriend John in tow and is promptly installed in the royal palace, where she uses her "theatrical training" to pose as a noblewoman. So convincing is her performance that the peasants overthrow the present Sylvanian regime and install Olga on the throne. In the end, however, Olga gives up her regal splendor for a less glamorous but more fulfilling life as the wife of ever-patient John Knight. No, no one believed this one in 1926, either. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide