Muriel Lawrence Movies

The life of Stephen Foster, one of America's greatest and best-loved songwriters of the 19th century, sets the stage for this musical biography. Foster (Bill Shirley) is a shy bookkeeper who writes songs in his spare time. He is madly in love with Inez McDowell (Muriel Lawrence), but she isn't interested in him, and she eventually gives him the brush-off. However, Inez's sister Jeanie (Eileen Christy) carries a torch for Foster, and in time, he finds happiness with her. Jeanie's inspiration leads Foster to write some of his best known songs, which brings him success in the music business and allows him to leave bookkeeping behind. Along with the title tune, the soundtrack features such Foster classics as "My Old Kentucky Home", "Swanee River", "Camptown Races", "Oh! Susannah", "The Old Folks at Home", "A Ribbon in Your Hair", and "I Still See Her in My Dreams". ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Allan Dwan's assured direction is the principal selling card of Republic's Belle le Grand. Based on a story by Peter B. Kyne, the film stars Vera Ralston as the title character, an ex-jailbird who becomes the gambling queen of old San Francisco. Upon meeting miner John Kilton (John Carroll), Belle increases her riches by selling shares of Kilton's silver lode. Despite Belle's anger over Kilton's dalliance with her younger sister Nan (Muriel Lawrence), she manages to save him from the evil machinations of all-purpose villain Montgomery Crane (Stephen Chase). Never much of an actress, Vera Ralston nonetheless delivers one of her better performances in Belle le Grand, though she is upstaged by such veteran barnstormers as Hope Emerson, John Qualen and Grant Withers. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi