Elissa Landi Movies

Always Goodbye was credited to two directors: Kenneth MacKenna told the actors where to move and when to speak, while William Cameron Menzies concerned himself with the overall production design. Elissa Landi plays Lila, who has been jilted by practically every man she has ever met. Middle-aged diamond dealer Lewis Stone falls in love with Landi, but she spurns him until convinced that he intends to extend the relationship to the altar. While wearing a few of Stone's diamonds just for a lark, Landi is mistaken for an heiress by callow John Darrow and crooked Paul Cavanaugh. Darrow pursues Landi for her looks, while Cavanaugh goes after her for her gems. 20th Century-Fox's 1938 programmer Alway Goodbye is not a remake. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This melodrama tells the tale of young American pilots who felt strongly about WWI before the US intervened. These men decided to do their part by working with the Royal Air Force. The German forces are using observation balloons to gather information about allied activities. Several American pilots are sent to destroy the balloons and one flier (played by Humphrey Bogart) is lost. His friend (played by Charles Farrell) says that Bogart was responsible for the success of the mission. Farrell also attempts to locate the widow of the slain flier. He finds a woman who claims that is she. The two of them begin a romance. Soon she is pegged as a German spy who has cost many fliers their lives. When the truth is discovered, that somebody else is responsible for tipping off the Germans, the young lovers are reunited. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

After directing three of Universal's finest horror films, James Whale shifted gears with the elegant romantic comedy By Candlelight. Though quite miscast, Paul Lukas successfully conveys the role of Josef, ultra-dutiful valet to the libidinous Count Von Bommer (Nils Asther). Falling in love with Marie (Elissa Landi), whom he assumes to be a countess, Josef poses -- quite convincingly -- as his rakish master. The catch: Marie is herself a poseur, a mere maidservant to Count and Countess Von Rischenheim (Lawrence Grant, Dorothy Revier). Based on a play by Siegfried Geyer, By Candlelight is chock full of delightfully double-entendre pre-Code dialogue and dextrous directorial touches. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Outdistancing all competing studios, tiny PRC managed to register the title Corregidor for copyright within hours after the surrender of the Allied forces at the real-life Corregidor. PRC even ponied up the money to commission a poem specially written for the film by the great Alfred Noyes. The film finds female Red Cross doctor Royce Lee (Elissa Landi) in love with a colleague named Michael (Donald Woods). Royce in turn is loved by Dr. Jan Stockman (Otto Kruger). But when the Japanese lay siege upon Corregidor, the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans. Actual combat stock footage (not from Corregidor) is intermingled with staged scenes of hand-to-hand combat between the Allies and the Japanese. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Elissa Landi plays an opera star (she's dubbed by Nina Koshetz) who marries arrogant millionaire Cary Grant (dubbed by himself). Grant's dreams of connubial bliss are shattered when he's forced to trail along while Landi tours the world with a huge entourage; he's also not happy with his wife's frequent temperamental outbursts. The limit comes when Cary is ordered to walk his wife's dog while she schmoozes with the press. He files for divorce, finding solace with lovely Sharon Lynne. Landi craftily arranges for the new couple to attend her first performance of the season, where Grant immediately falls under her spell again. Promising to be more attentive in the future, Landi wins Cary back. Enter Madame was hurried into production to capitalize on the success of Columbia's films with real-life diva Grace Moore. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Romance novelist and self-styled moral arbiter Elinor Glyn was credited for both the screenplay and direction of the bodice-ripping Knowing Men. A graduate of convent school, wealthy Korah (Elissa Landi) has been promised in marriage to wealthier George Vere (Carl Brisson), whom she's never met. Exercising his male-chauvinist prerogative, George has already had an affair with Delphine (Jean de Casalis). To learn the truth about the man she's supposed to marry, Korah sneaks away from her Aunt (Helen Hay) to visit George. She learns more than she bargained for when George anxiously tries to retrieve several incriminating love letters from Delphine. Though critics never took Elinor Glyn seriously, her over-heated novels were devoured by her public; one might call her the Barbara Cartland of her day. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

La Novia de Primavera (Spring Bride) was based on the popular Argentine radio serial of the same name. Maria Duval stars as the title character -- or at least she poses as that character. To impress friends and family, Duval pretends to be the fiancee of best-selling author Roberto Airaldi. When Airaldi shows up in town, he good-naturedly agrees to keep up the pretense, with amusing if predictable results. La Novia de Primavera appealed most to fans of the original radio show, of which there were precious few outside of Argentina. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The overlong but absorbing MGM "B" melodrama Mad Holiday stars Edmund Lowe as vacationing movie idol Philip Trent. Tired of starring in murder mysteries, Trent discovers he can't escape typecasting even on an ocean voyage: one of the passengers is murdered in our hero's cabin. The killing is tied in with a stolen diamond and a seemingly unending supply of suspects. To avoid being arrested himself, Trent teams up with pretty detective novelist "Peter" Dean (Elissa Landi) to solve the mystery. As Trent's wisecracking press agent Mert Morgan, Ted Healey has a wonderful moment when he stumbles over a corpse and asks nonchalantly, "What's the matter with him, he crocked?" ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this melodrama, a woman is blamed for another's suicide and ends up deported to Germany. Just as WW I erupts she marries a German commandant's son to keep from being sent to an alien prison camp. While her husband sells classified information to the British in order to pay her way back to England, she has an affair with another officer, causing her husband to kill himself. The young widow then tears up his note to preserve his honor and leaves Germany in the hope that she will again see her lover. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Few famous novels have been filmed as often as Alexandre Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo--and few versions are as enjoyable as this 1934 adaptation starring Robert Donat. Donat plays Edmond Dantes, wrongly accused of a plot against the post-Napoleonic French government. Condemned to a prison cell in the impenetrable Chateau D'If, Dantes vows vengeance against the four conspirators who framed him. He is particularly anxious to give his ex-friend Mondego (Sidney Blackmer) his comeuppance, since it was Mondego who married Dantes' fiancee Mercedes (Elissa Landi). Twelve years pass; with the help of ancient fellow prisoner Abbe Foria (O.P. Heggie), Dantes digs his way out of the Chateau D'If and escapes. He finds the treasure of Monte Cristo, which makes him the wealthiest man in the world. He uses his riches to put his plan of revenge into motion, methodically destroying every one of his enemies. Though he lives for vengeance, Dantes--alias the Count of Monte Cristo--has his humanity restored by the love of Mercede, who despite her marriage has always remained spiritually faithful to him. According to publicity, the 1955 TV series based on The Count of Monte Cristo was filmed on the standing sets from the 1934 film. This might well have been true, since both film and series were produced by Edward Small. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

When a smuggler rescues a gypsy girl, Elissa Landi, from a storm he falls in love with her. Unfortunately for him, she is in love with her injured friend. ~ All Movie Guide