James Kirkwood Movies
Durable American actor James Kirkwood opened up his film career at the Biograph studios in 1909 and closed it out with 1962's The Ugly American. The curly-haired, dependable-looking Kirkwood (described in an early Photoplay article as "one of those regular film 'troupers' who never fall down") occasionally interrupted his acting career for a spot of directing; in 1912 alone, he wielded the megaphone for nine pictures featuring Mary Pickford. Lacking the drive and organizational skills to excel as a director, Kirkwood willingly switched back to acting full-time by 1918. His silent film acting credits include D.W. Griffith's Home, Sweet Home (1914) and That Royale Girl (1926), costarring with W.C. Fields in the latter picture. Among Kirkwood's talking films were Over the Hill (1931), Charlie Chan's Chance (1933) and Joan of Arc (1949). His talkie roles frequently found Kirkwood on the wrong side of the law, as in the Tom Mix western My Pal the King (1932), wherein Kirkwood trapped boy-king Mickey Rooney in a rapidly flooding cellar. James Kirkwood's third wife was actress Lila Lee; their son was James Kirkwood Jr., co-author of the Broadway long-runner A Chorus Line. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1932
In this romance, a homely country girl makes herself over into a gorgeous New York Fashion model. Suddenly men flock to her and one night she is in a speakeasy when she meets a suave, handsome and rich fellow. The cops raid the place and after she gets out of the hoosegow, the woman goes to Paris, and for some strange reason takes on the name of the man she met in the nightclub. The man has followed her to Europe and is so persistent that her friends begin to think they are married. Word spreads back to the States, and the poor girl tries to rectify the misunderstanding by claiming that the marriage disintegrated. Things only get worse when the truth finally comes out. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joan Bennett, John Boles, (more)
- 1932
The moral of this drama could very well be for people to exercise caution with what they wish for as they just might get it. So it is with the lovely young woman who wins a beauty contest and the love of a millionaire, two things she had aspired to for ages. Unfortunately, her wealthy hubby is terribly possessive and occasionally, completely insane. One night, the husband really goes nuts and tries to feed his bride to the dogs. Fortunately, he slips and ends up dead himself. Later the sadder but wiser girl goes back to the man who has really loved her all along. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joan Bennett, Spencer Tracy, (more)
- 1932
Warner Oland's third appearance as humble oriental sleuth Charlie Chan was in the 1932 release Charlie Chan's Chance. This time, our hero has a personal reason to solve the murder at hand; he himself was the intended victim, but another man was killed by mistake. Keeping one step ahead of both the New York police and Scotland Yard, Chan tracks down the man responsible for the murder, who turns out to be the mastermind of a vast criminal empire. One of the film's biggest surprises was that perennial "hidden killer" Ralph Morgan was not the culprit. Charlie Chan's Chance is one of four early "Chan" talkies which no longer exist, though outtakes have shown up in various video "blooper" reels. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Warner Oland, Alexander Kirkland, (more)
- 1932
A sequel to the 1931 George O'Brien western Riders of the Purple Sage, The Rainbow Trail picks up where the earlier film left off -- sort of. In Riders, fugitive from justice Jim Lassiter (O'Brien) and his sweetheart Jane Withersteen (Marguerite Churchill) escaped to the "lost valley," sealing themselves off from civilization with the aid of a huge boulder. In the sequel, O'Brien assumes the role of Lassiter's nephew Shefford, who has been assigned to search for his missing uncle; thus, in effect, the actor spends the early portions of the film chasing himself. Shefford's search is interrupted by a confrontation with his uncle's old nemesis Dyer (W. L. Thorne), now a masked bandit. On a more pleasant note, our hero inaugurates a romance with the lovely Fay Larkin (Cecilia Parker, in her film debut). Unfortunately, it is necessary to be familiar with Riders of the Purple Sage to be able to follow the convoluted plotline of The Rainbow Trail (both properties, of course, were based on the works of Zane Grey). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George O'Brien, Cecilia Parker, (more)
- 1932
This crime drama chronicles the relationship between a jewel thief who has gone straight and his estranged son who is determined to be a criminal. The story is set aboard a ship. The ex-thief is hunting for $375,000 worth of stolen pearls. He also tries vainly to prevent his son from becoming a thief. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Thomas Meighan, Charlotte Greenwood, (more)
- 1931
In this western, a wealthy eastern returns from a polo match to find that his father has been murdered. Later, he is riffling through his father's papers when he discovers that his family may have had a different name. He then finds evidence that causes him to suspect that a certain western rancher may be implicated in the killing. He hops in a plane and heads West, but he doesn't make it as he plane ends up crashing into the bathroom of a pretty woman. She falls in love with him, but this causes great friction with her lover, a ranch foreman. Meanwhile the bad rancher orders the foreman to bring the son to him--unarmed. Fortunately, the young man escapes and goes to meet the rancher for a final showdown. He then learns that he is his real father. The rancher then tells him that the other man's death was accidental, that he had only gone back East to confront him as he had stolen his wife and son. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George O'Brien, Sally Eilers, (more)
- 1931
In this drama, a wild young punk is assigned to spend time with a man who specializes in helping juvenile delinquents. The boy is a tough nut to crack and the two engage in complex psychological and physical games. At one point, the man sticks the rebellious youth alone in a mountain cabin. Much to the delight of the lad, his girl friend sneaks up for a visit. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Thomas Meighan, Hardie Albright, (more)
- 1931
Inspired by Will Carleton's lachrymose 19th century poem about parental sacrifice, Over the Hill stars Mae Marsh as the mother of two children. Marsh gives her boys everything their little hearts desire, at great cost to herself. She is forced to work in one menial job after another so that her children will never go without. Marsh's efforts are "rewarded" by callous indifference; her grown-up son (Olin Howlin) connives to ship her "over the hill" to the poorhouse. The stooped, white-haired woman is finally rescued from her miserable existence by her kinder, more compassionate son, played by James Dunn. The third film version of this moth-eaten tale, Over the Hill is elevated by the artistry of 38-year-old star Mae Marsh, who'd been a film actress since 1912. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mae Marsh, James Kirkwood, (more)
- 1930
Nancy Carroll brings a touch of freshness to the well-worn plot convolutions of Devil's Holiday. Ms. Carroll plays a manicurist who woos and weds wealthy Phillips Holmes. She tells herself that she harbors no mercenary notions, but when Holmes' family offers to buy her off if she'll leave, Carroll accepts the offer. The girl's basic loyalty surfaces when Holmes goes temporarily insane; Carroll reneges on her cash deal with the family and returns to her husband. Devil's Holiday is one of those class-conscious early 1930s pictures that always scored a hit with middle-class filmgoers, who liked to believe that they, too, would behave as altruistically as Nancy Carroll if given the chance. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nancy Carroll, Phillips Holmes, (more)
- 1930
In this melodrama, a young man loses his sight during a plane crash and swears to get revenge upon the man whose company built the unsafe plane. First he pretends to be dead. No one, not even his lover knows the truth. He then begins working for the plane manufacturer and convinces the company to pay for his eye surgery. Meanwhile, his lover accepts the company owner's proposal of marriage. By this time, the young man's sight has been restored. When the owner realizes that his new bride still loves the young man, he does the honorable thing and hurls himself from a flying plane. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1930
This third film version of Rex Beach's rugged Yukon novel The Spoilers was also the first talkie adaptation. This time, Gary Cooper and William "Stage" Boyd are cast as gold prospector Glennister and crooked Alaska politician McNamara. In partnership with Dextry (James Kirkwood), Glennister is the proud owner of the Midas gold mine, but McNamara and the corrupt Judge Stillman (Lloyd Ingraham) conspire to gain control of the mine, using legal but highly unethical maneuvers. Preparing to shoot each other full of holes, Glennister and McNamara are temporarily dissuaded by Glenister's sweetheart Helen (Kay Johnson), who suggests that the courts handle the dispute. But saloon owner Cherry Malotte (Betty Compson), jealous of Helen, lies to Glennister, telling him that Helen and McNamara are conspiring to cheat him again. Matters come to a head when Glennister and McNamara settle their differences with a spectacular fistfight. During filming of The Spoilers, the stars of the 1914 version William Farnum and Tom Santschi showed up frequently on the set, ostensibly to serve as "technical advisers" for the climactic set-to (one suspects that their advice was merely for the benefit of the Paramount publicity department). The Rex Beach story would be filmed again in 1942 with John Wayne and Randolph Scott, and yet again in 1955 with Jeff Chandler and Rory Calhoun. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gary Cooper, Kay Johnson, (more)
- 1929
Produced in Hollywood by Herbert Wilcox, who had been unable to obtain sound equipment in London, this "haunted house" (actually "haunted houseboat") mystery-thriller was nevertheless Great Britain's first "all-talkie." John Loder, the only Englishman involved besides Wilcox, and Mary Brian find themselves invited on board a mysterious, fog-bound houseboat. Soon, several of their fellow passengers fall victim to a disguised madman, who proves to be none other than their host, the Reverend Eph Kelly (veteran matinee idol James Kirkwood). Written by John Willard, the author of the classic The Cat and the Canary, and featuring innovative dialogue scenes, Black Waters ultimately suffered in comparison with Alfred Hitchcock's Blackmail (1930), the first "all-talkie" filmed entirely in England. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Kirkwood, Mary Brian, (more)
- 1929
In this musical comedy, an egotistical ex-college football star had little time for a plain-jane coed while he was in school. When they later find work at the same investment house, he finally begins to notice her, especially since she excels at the job. The boss is about to fire him when he notices that the fellow has a way of charming women into doing whatever he wants. He decides this is a useful talent and assigns the ex-jock to sell bad bonds to susceptible women. The crooked boss then plans to have the fellow take the fall when the con-game is exposed. Fortunately, the jock's female colleague intervenes and the fellow is able to reimburse the women he cheated. He then gets revenge by selling the bonds to the boss's wife. Songs include: "I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now," "Collegiate," "Doin' the Raccoon," "Fashionette," "Jack and Jill," "How Many Times," "Everything I Do I Do for You," and "If You Could Care." ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Grant Withers, Betty Compson, (more)
- 1929
In this romance set in Russia, a fisherman's daughter is jilted by her true love and instead marries a baron. Time passes and the two men meet each other in Siberia where they have both been exiled. When the poorer man has the opportunity to come home, he changes places with the baron so that he can return to his wife. Unbeknownst to him, she has gone to the frozen wasteland to search for him. Instead she meets her old love, and they soon find themselves once again involved. The distraught baron tries to get revenge by killing himself. The lovers then are united at last. The film was created with two different happy endings. In one, the couple returns to their home and live in freedom. In the other, they remain together in captivity. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dolores Costello, Grant Withers, (more)
- 1928
Paramount's popular screen team of Charles "Buddy" Rogers and Mary Brian were once again cinematically united in 1928's Someone to Love. Rogers plays William Shelby, a struggling young sheet-music salesman, while Brian is Joan Kendricks, his wealthy sweetie. Thanks to a series of bizarre coincidences and misunderstandings, Joan is led to believe that the virtuous William is a no-account fortune hunter and skirt-chaser. But he redeems himself by using his salesmanship to put a bankrupt girl's school back on its financial feet. Not only does William get the girl, but he also falls heir to 20 million bucks. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles "Buddy" Rogers, Mary Brian, (more)
- 1926
Ninety percent of the silent films of director Edward H. Sloman have been lost to the ages, and Butterflies in the Rain is no exception. The story is set in London, where spoiled-brat heiress Laura LaPlante is the bane of her aristocratic family's existence. When a family of wealthy "commoners" moves next door to her estate, LaPlante goes out of her way to insult them then stages a dinner party for the express purpose of humiliating their new neighbors. Despite the snubbing, James Kirkwood, the neighboring family's son, falls madly in love with LaPlante. Eventually they get married, but LaPlante has a lot of trouble overcoming her initial negative reaction to Kirkwood's presence. The problem is resolved when the hero and heroine lose all their money, forcing them to realize how deeply they care about each other. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edwards Davis, Robert Ober, (more)
- 1926
Belle Bennett, the unforgettable star of the original Stella Dallas (1926), again suffers nobly through the "mother love" melodrama Reckless Lady. Just to make Bennett feel at home, she is here reunited with her Stella Dallas co-star Lois Moran. Bennett is cast as the prodigal Mrs. Fleming, whose mounting gambling debts oblige her to have an affair with wealthy Russian nobleman Feodor (Lowell Sherman). Mrs. Fleming's husband (James Kirkwood) files for divorce, demanding custody of the couple's daughter Sylvia (Lois Moran). With Sylvia in tow, our heroine flees to Monte Carlo, where she is able to recoup her gambling losses by intelligently playing the gaming tables. Mrs. F. is on the verge of getting back on her feet financially when who should re-enter her life but Feodor, who now makes a play for the virginal Sylvia. When Mrs. Fleming begs him to leave Sylvia alone, he laughs and threatens to tell the girl everything about her mother's checkered past. At her wit's end, Mrs. Fleming loses her money and contemplates suicide, but her ex-husband, who still loves her, shows up in the nick of time to straighten everything out. This high-gloss soap opera was based on a novel by Philip Hamilton Gibbs. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Belle Bennett, James Kirkwood, (more)
- 1926
George Marion Sr. plays a carnival huckster who decides to turn pennies into dollars by passing himself off as a hellfire-and-brimstone evangelist. He is assisted in this enterprise by jaded Betty Compson, a hard-boiled egg who believes in nothing except money. Inevitably, however, Compson is reformed by the love of a good man, whereupon she embraces religion for real. Apparently inspired by the career of such celebrity Bible-thumpers as Aimee Semple McPherson and Billy Sunday, Wise Guy ran into a great deal of censorship trouble even in such sophisticated regions as New York and Chicago. By the time the blue-noses finished wielding their scissors, the storyline made no sense whatsoever. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Kirkwood, Betty Compson, (more)
- 1925
The stars and director of Sally of the Sawdust, namely Carol Dempster, W. C. Fields and D. W. Griffith, were reunited in That Royle Girl. Dempster heads the cast as Daisy Royle, the daughter of a small-time crook (Fields, of course). When Daisy's jazz-musician boyfriend Fred Ketlar (Harrison Ford) is implicated in the murder of his wife, our heroine also falls under suspicion. District attorney Calvin Clarke (James Kirkwood), assigned to investigate Daisy's case, can't help but fall in love with the girl. She likewise falls for him, then sets about to prove herself worthy of his affections. Adopting a disguise, Daisy tries to find out on her own who was responsible for Mrs. Ketlar's murder. Nearly trapped by the actual killer, Daisy manages to escape with the help of a convenient cyclone! Through it all, her unregenerate father continues trying to bilk as many suckers as he can lay his hands on. Alas, That Royle Girl is now considered a lost film, so it's difficult to determine the extent of W. C. Fields' contributions to the proceedings (contemporary reviews indicate that he was something of a square peg in a round hole). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carol Dempster, W.C. Fields, (more)
- 1925
Actress Hope Hampton plays a New England girl who heads to the titular island, yearning for romance. After nearly falling for the wrong man, she ends up with the right one (James Kirkwood). As always, Ms. Hampton plays her part as though no one else on screen exists. Fortunately, the supporting cast of Lover's Island is populated by such inveterate scene-stealers as Louis Wolheim and Flora Finch. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hope Hampton, James Kirkwood, (more)
- 1925
This romantic drama was based on the novel by Ethel M. Dell, a very popular author of the day. Her work doesn't seem to translate to a modern-day mentality, however, especially here where the hero seems decidedly unsympathetic. At least he's played effectively by James Kirkwood, who actually has a dual role. Because of her domineering stepmother (Mary Mersch), Sylvia Ingleton (Anna Q. Nilsson) leaves her home in England and heads for South Africa, where she plans to marry her childhood sweetheart, Guy Ranger (Kirkwood). But Guy's cousin, Burke (also Kirkwood), tells her that he has become a hopeless drug addict. Sylvia and Burke grow close and she promises to marry him if it's in "name only." But over time Burke grows to love Sylvia and is tortured by the thought that she still loves Guy. He imagines that they are involved, and he sends them out in a flood to die. But Sylvia returns to tell Burke that she loves him, not Guy. Guy, meanwhile, perishes in the flood. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anna Q. Nilsson, James Kirkwood, (more)
- 1925
This muddled murder mystery-comedy was based on the Max Marcin stage play The Night Cap. Bank president Robert Andrews (James Kirkwood) has loaned someone money out of the bank funds and he wants to distract the bank examiner from examining the books and discovering the shortage. So he invites him, and the directors, over to his house. All sorts of intrigue happens at the gathering -- Andrews argues with Jerry Hammond (Tom Ricketts), who is in love with his ward, Anne Maynard (Madge Bellamy). Lester Knoles (Arthur Stuart Hull), meanwhile, is jealous of Andrews' friendship with his wife (Rosemary Theby). In addition, we discover that Andrews has a life insurance policy that will cover the shortage should he die. Not too surprisingly, after some strange goings-on, Andrews is found dead in Mrs. Knoles' room. The police investigate and everybody seems to have a motive to kill Andrews. A lot of confusion ensues, until it is discovered that Andrews isn't really dead after all, and the man who he loaned the money shows up and straightens things out. It's also revealed that the bank examiner has given up his job in favor of selling real estate. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Kirkwood, ZaSu Pitts, (more)
- 1925
Veteran matinee-idol James Kirkwood starred in this low-budget melodrama from poverty row organization Gotham Productions as Officer Jim Ryan, whose girlfriend, Alice (Edna Murphy), proves a dead-ringer for noted criminal Dorothy Stone. When Jim refuses to arrest Alice for a crime actually committed by Dorothy (also Edna Murphy), Jim faces suspension from the police force. In order to find evidence to clear herself, Alice impersonates Dorothy but the ploy fails and she is kidnapped by gang. She is saved in the nick of time by Jim, who proves once and for all that Dorothy and not Alice is the head of the crime ring. Brunette Edna Murphy was one of the many also-ran "flappers" appearing in the wake of Colleen Moore and Clara Bow. She was at one point married to director Mervyn LeRoy. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Kirkwood, Edna Murphy, (more)
- 1924
Gerald Cranston (James Kirkwood) is an extremely wealthy factory owner and Lady Hermione (Alma Rubens) has a title but no money. They agree to a marriage of convenience -- he for the social prestige and she so that she and her young son will have financial independence. Gordon Ibbotsleigh, a former lover of Lady Hermione's (Walter McGrail), mocks the marriage and tries to resume relations with her. Out of respect for Cranston, who has financed Ibbotsleigh's upcoming African safari, she turns him down. Hermione goes to the country and while she is away, her cousin, Angela (Marguerite de la Motte), chases after Cranston, using all her feminine wiles to convince him to make love to her. She even follows him to Paris. Hermione returns, knowing that she is beginning to love Cranston, but when she hears of the Paris incident, she believes he has been untrue. Workers from Cranston's factories rebel and a mob attacks him. Angela tells Hermione that Cranston has been faithful all along, so she goes to him. She offers the entire fortune he gave her and her little boy if it will save him from ruin, and the couple are reunited. This drama was based on the novel by Gilbert Frankau. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Kirkwood
- 1924
A very young Norma Shearer and a fine supporting cast that includes Adolphe Menjou and Mae Busch all suffered from a hackneyed screenplay in this silent society melodrama from Metro-Goldwyn, the forerunner of MGM. Shearer plays Grace Durland, a debutante forced to leave college when her father (George Fawcett) goes bankrupt. Reduced to working for a living, Grace falls in love with married Ward Trenton (James Kirkwood), whose disagreeable wife (Winifred Bryson) refuses to grant him a divorce. But when Ward sustains severe injuries in a car accident and may not be able to work again, Mrs. Trenton promptly begins divorce proceedings. Happily, Ward makes a full recovery and proposes to Grace. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
