Robert Emmett Keane Movies

The comic effusions of Hugh "woo woo" Herbert helps to keep this otherwise forgettable farce afloat. It all begins when Bob Wade (Tom Brown) and Rosalie Brown (Peggy Moran), are conned into buying a run-down vaudeville agency. Upon taking charge of the failing enterprise, they find they have a partner named Hubert (Herbert),who's likewise been victimized by con artists. Pooling their wits and resources, the three suckers put some life back into their agency by promoting variety acts for department-store window displays. A stupid misunderstanding nearly breaks up the budding romance between Bob and Rosalie, but helpful Hubert patches things up in his own inimitable fashion. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Woo-woo Hugh Herbert is the star of Universal's Slightly Tempted. Herbert plays a kleptomaniac who promises to go straight for the sake of his daughter Peggy Moran. But old habits die hard, and soon Herbert is lifting valuables at the home of wealthy widow Elisabeth Risdon. Fortunately, the old lady takes a liking to the loveable thief. A bunch of professional thieves complicate matters by trying to enlist Hugh in their ranks, but all's well when the film's 60 minutes run their course. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The lady in question in this delightful whodunit is Joan Bradley (Jean Muir), a former secretary who is about to marry her employer's son, Bob Pennison (Warren Hull). Mrs. Pennison (Georgia Caine) graciously lends her future daughter-in-law a priceless necklace, but when Joan returns to her apartment, she is met by what at first appears to be the ghost of her late husband, Rennick (Roger Pryor). He is no ghost -- but very much alive, in fact. Rennick grabs the necklace, shoves poor Joan away, and he's promptly shot and killed by...well, that is indeed the question. Brought into the case by accident (literally), former jewel thief-turned-master sleuth Michael Lanyard (Warren William) must once again cross swords not only with a dangerous criminal but with the ubiquitous foe, Inspector Crane (Thurston Hall). The Lone Wolf Meets a Lady was the third entry in the Lone Wolf series. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

This Roy Rogers vehicle was based on a Zane Grey story, previous filmed twice in the silent and early-talkie era. Rogers stars as young doctor Steve Kells, who after leaving New York in disgrace (it wasn't his fault) takes up residence in Idaho territory. Here he redeems himself by taking on a deadly outlaw gang, headed by a surly gent named Gulden (Joe Sawyer). Just so the audience knows that this is a "typical" Rogers picture despite its pedigree, the producers cast Gabby Hayes as Steve's sidekick Honest John Whittaker. Carol Hughes, who'd recently played Dale Arden in the third "Flash Gordon" serial, is Rogers' leading lady in this one. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this fourth film in RKO's series based on Leslie Charteris' modern Robin Hood "The Saint", George Sanders plays Simon Templar, alias the title character. The Saint's quarry is a ring of gamblers who have been fixing horse races. Inspector Fernack (Jonathan Hale), the Saint's friendly adversary, has been accused of accepting bribes to cover up the crooks' activities, prompting our hero to try to clear Fernack's reputation. Aided by his girlfriend (Wendy Barrie) and petty criminal Pearly Gates (Paul Guilfoyle), the Saint routs the gamblers, but not before nearly losing his own life. George Sanders would play the Saint twice more before leaving the series to become The Falcon, a Saint-like sleuth in another of RKO's B-picture series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Frank Capra's classic comedy-drama established James Stewart as a lead actor in one of his finest (and most archetypal) roles. The film opens as a succession of reporters shout into telephones announcing the death of Senator Samuel Foley. Senator Joseph Paine (Claude Rains), the state's senior senator, puts in a call to Governor Hubert "Happy" Hopper (Guy Kibbee) reporting the news. Hopper then calls powerful media magnate Jim Taylor (Edward Arnold), who controls the state -- along with the lawmakers. Taylor orders Hopper to appoint an interim senator to fill out Foley's term; Taylor has proposed a pork barrel bill to finance an unneeded dam at Willet Creek, so he warns Hopper he wants a senator who "can't ask any questions or talk out of turn." After having a number of his appointees rejected, at the suggestion of his children Hopper nominates local hero Jefferson Smith (James Stewart), leader of the state's Boy Rangers group. Smith is an innocent, wide-eyed idealist who quotes Jefferson and Lincoln and idolizes Paine, who had known his crusading editor father. In Washington, after a humiliating introduction to the press corps, Smith threatens to resign, but Paine encourages him to stay and work on a bill for a national boy's camp. With the help of his cynical secretary Clarissa Sanders (Jean Arthur), Smith prepares to introduce his boy's camp bill to the Senate. But when he proposes to build the camp on the Willets Creek site, Taylor and Paine force him to drop the measure. Smith discovers Taylor and Paine want the Willets Creek site for graft and he attempts to expose them, but Paine deflects Smith's charges by accusing Smith of stealing money from the boy rangers. Defeated, Smith is ready to depart Washington, but Saunders, whose patriotic zeal has been renewed by Smith, exhorts him to stay and fight. Smith returns to the Senate chamber and, while Taylor musters the media forces in his state to destroy him, Smith engages in a climactic filibuster to speak his piece: "I've got a few things I want to say to this body. I tried to say them once before and I got stopped colder than a mackerel. Well, I'd like to get them said this time, sir. And as a matter of fact, I'm not gonna leave this body until I do get them said." ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

For some reason, Hollywood movie musicals "discovered" Hawaii in the late 1930s. One of the lesser but still entertaining efforts in this realm was Universal's Hawaiian Nights, starring the personable Johnny Downs. The story centers on Ted Hartley (Downs), son of a wealthy hotelier. Rather than stick to the family business, Ted prefers to lead a band made up of hotel personnel. When his father (Thurston Hall) transfers Ted to his near-bankrupt Honolulu hotel, our hero takes the band along with them, and in so doing turns a losing operation into a winner. He also gets to romance heroine Lonnie Lane (Constance Moore), while band vocalist Millie (Mary Carlisle) settles for comedy-relief press agent Ray Peters (Eddie Quillan). Hawaiian Nights represents Universal's second successful teaming of Johnny Downs and Eddie Quillan, the first being Swing, Sister, Swing. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this drama, a the journalist and editor of a prison newspaper is good enough, that he even contributes to outside publications, but still encounters difficulty after he is released. With the help of a prison loan, he buys his own little printing press and begins attacking the crooked politicians who have been dictating what the major dailies can and cannot print. His heated essays result in the firing of the prison warden. Fortunately, the ex-con successfully helps the ousted warden become the next state governor. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

One Hour to Live affords John Litel, usually cast as rock-solid businessmen and incorruptable attorneys, the opportunity to play a double-dyed villain. Litel is cast as crooked fight manager Rudy Spain, who orders the murder of a boxer (Jack Carr) who has turned honest. By having his dirty work done by his sinister henchman Stanley Jones (Paul Guilfoyle), Spain remains above suspicion-to everyone but police lieutenant Sid Brady (Charles Bickford), who's still sore that Spain stole his girlfriend Muriel (Doris Nolan) away from him. Spain eventually manages to incriminate himself by trying to kill Muriel, but as it turns out, he is only a small cog in a much larger criminal machine. And when Lt. Brady finds out who's really the brains behind that machine, is he in for a surprise (as is the audience!) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Filmed on a budget of $77,000, Rookie Cop was another attempt by RKO Radio to transform canine star Ace the Wonder Dog into the new Rin-Tin-Tin. The title character is young Clem (Tim Holt), who tries to convince his superiors to utilize police dogs as a crime-solving device. Thrown off the force because of dereliction of duty (he had a good reason, of course) Clem redeems himself by rounding up a gang of hijackers-with the help of wonder dog Ace, of course. In the microscopic role of the police chief's daughter, Janet Shaw has practically nothing to do but get kidnapped in the last reel-in fact, she has less screen time than juvenile actress Virginia Weidler, who steals the film as Clem's precocious kid sister. In one of the film's more amusing moments, a fistfight takes place outside a movie theater decorated with a poster for Pacific Liner (1938)-likewise an RKO film. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this comedy set during WW I, two crazy vaudevillians try their new act out on their agent. He thinks it is a real dud and the boys end up working as mule skinners in France. While there, they meet a French officer's American daughter. Mayhem ensues when they are mistaken German spies necessitating their escape in a hot-air balloon. Unfortunately, the balloon ends up in Germany, and now the duo must get back to France. Along the way, they capture a German genera. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Paramount's Café Society applies a glossy new coat of paint to a wheezy old plotline. Madeleine Carroll plays a debutante named Christopher, who after a whirlwind courtship marries newspaper photographer Crick O'Banion (Fred MacMurray). But when Crick finds out that he's been rushed to the altar so that Christoper can win a bet with society columnist Sonny DeWitt (Allyn Joslyn) he vows to teach her a good lesson. With the sub rosa help of Christopher's wealthy uncle (Claude Gillingwater Sr.), Crick contrives a latter-day "Taming of the Shrew" scenario. It's all been done before and would all be done again, but the stars are attractive and the production values top-rank. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Every so often, the delightful Dorothea Kent would break away from dumb-blonde roles to play a "straight" romantic lead. One such instance was Universal's The Last Express, wherein Kent, as Amy Arden, finds herself unwillingly mixed up in a series of murders. At the behest of the district attorney, private detective Duncan MacLain (Kent Taylor) investigates the probability of corruption in high government circles. With his partner Spud (Don Brodie) and subway ticket-taker Amy, MacLain searches for a batch of incriminating documents, stolen right from under the noses of the authorities. Someone is willing to kill to keep these documents from resurfacing, and for a while it looks as though MacLain and his entourage are next on the "hit list". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide