Lila Lee Movies
A pretty, apple-cheeked WAMPAS Baby Star of 1922, Lila Lee had been a performer since childhood and was widely known as "Cuddles," one of the stars of Gus Edwards' kiddie troupe. She was brought to Hollywood by Paramount's Jesse Lasky and headlined in her very first film, The Cruise of the Make Believe (1918). In typical silent screen style, she played a poor girl secretly supported by a rich admirer and the New York Times thought she had a "limitless future before her."After appearing as the servant wench in Cecil B. DeMille's Male and Female (1919), Paramount began to see the newcomer as a potential successor to that popular film's star, the elegant Gloria Swanson, and embarked on a hefty publicity campaign. Lee's detractors, however, were quick to point out that her work never really lived up to the ballyhoo. "She seemed permanently neutral," as one critic pointed out. Her co-starring turn opposite Rudolph Valentino in the immensely popular bull-fight melodrama Blood and Sand (1922) was still far from persuasive but her jet-black hair, severely braided in coils over each ear, created a trend and the fan mail kept pouring in. Her tumultuous marriage to matinee-idol James Kirkwood, very much an "A Star Is Born" affair, created additional headlines that lasted until their divorce in 1931.
Lila Lee's up-and-down screen career was bedeviled by severe bouts with what was euphemistically referred to as tuberculosis but whispered to be the results of acute alcoholism. As Lon Chaney's leading lady in The Unholy Three (1930) , she was positioned to become one of the new sound era's first major stars but a series of bad judgments and, again, highly publicized bouts with illness, led to supporting roles in Grade-B films. In 1936, she was a witness to the suicide of playboy Reid Russell and the resulting headlines reportedly made her camera shy. There were several aborted stage comebacks in the 1940s, a short-lived marriage or two, and appearances on early television soap operas in the 1950s. Her son with Kirkwood, James Kirkwood Jr., became a noted author and playwright but Lee did not live to see his crowning glory, the legendary Broadway musical A Chorus Line. Retiring from performing after playing country singer Margie Bowes' hayseed mother in the Florida-lensed Cottonpickin' Chickenpickers (1967), the veteran star died of a stroke at Saranac Lake, NY, in November of 1973. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi
- 1967
Hayseeds abound in this musical comedy, two star-struck hoboes hop what they think is a west-bound train that will land them in Hollywood. Well, it's going to Hollywood all right, but unfortunately its destination is Hollywood, Florida. The two become so hungry along the way that they are forced to ditch the train. They end up somewhere in the deep South and eventually try to swipe a hen. Unfortunately, they get caught by the Zickafoose family who chase them all about. Soon white lightning runners are also after them and all sorts of chaos ensues. Songs: "Cottonpickin' Chickenpickers," "This Must Be the Bottom," "Comin' On Strong," "Dirty Ole Egg Suckin' Dog," "Not Me," and ""Messed Up."" ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1937
Produced by the Halperin Brothers, the folks responsible for the early-talkie horror classic White Zombie, Nation Aflame is one of several 1930s exposés of such hate groups as the KKK, the Silver Shirts and the Black Legion. The bigoted aggregation depicted in this film, a fictional group called the Avenging Angels, is shown to be just another racket, controlled by big-city mobsters for their own financial gain. The principal villain is gangster Sandino (Noel Madison), who has the state's governor (Harry Holman) in his pocket, along with several other political leaders. When the governor rebels against his corrupt colleagues, Sandino orders his assassination, prompting the governor's daughter Wynne (Norma Trelvar) to team with her former fiance, crusading DA Burtis (Roger Williams) to arrange a frame to discredit Sandino and his ilk. She lures the crooks into a drunken orgy, whereupon Burtis' lieutenants break down the doors and arrest everyone in the joint. The DA destroys the Avenging Angels and their hooligans once and for all, which proves immensely beneficial to his career. Alas, poor Wynne cannot share the fruits of his victory -- she is, after all, a "fallen woman" (remember that this was 1937, not 1997!) Incredibly, Nation Aflame was ostensibly based on a story by Thomas Dixon, the virulently racist author of such pro-KKK, anti-black literature as The Clansman and The Leopard's Spots; if the film was indeed a faithful adaptation of a Dixon original, it would have represented a complete 180-degree shift in his own political beliefs. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Noel Madison, Lila Lee, (more)
- 1937
Two Wise Maids was an attempt by Republic Pictures to recapture the magic of MGM's Marie Dressler-Polly Moran vehicles. Dressler, alas, had died, but Republic was able to secure the services of Moran, teaming the raucous comedienne with the magnificent Alison Skipworth. The two leading ladies are cast as Prudence and Agatha, a pair of old-fashioned schoolteachers in an old-fashioned small town. Disdaining the wimpy theories of "progressive" education, Prudence and Agatha stick to the reliable "Three R's," often teaching to the tune of a hickory stick. Though ridiculed for their so-called outmoded methods, the heroines manage to turn out quite a few prize students, earning the undying gratitude of the local citizenry. The obligatory romantic subplot involves school principal Bruce (Donald Cook) and substitute teacher Ellen (Hope Manning, later billed as Irene Manning). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Alison Skipworth, Polly Moran, (more)
- 1936
The "ex" of the title is daffy mystery-writer Jean Arthur, former wife of urbane doctor William Powell. When Powell becomes the prime suspect in a murder case, Arthur endeavors to solve the case herself -- and to reclaim her ex-hubby in the process. After a well-directed semiclimax at a race track, the killer is revealed during one of those expository scenes in which all the suspects are gathered together in one room. The murderer attempts to escape, and Powell is knocked cold in the process. When he awakens, he discovers that Arthur has set up some projection equipment, and is running a film of a minister reciting the wedding vows. Curses! Trapped again! Like William Powell's previous RKO effort Star of Midnight, The Ex-Mrs. Bradford was an attempt to cash in on the popularity of Powell's Thin Man films. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- William Powell, Jean Arthur, (more)
The zany vaudeville comedy team of Ole Olsen and Chic Johnson was still one year away from their smash Broadway hit Hellzapoppin' when they starred in Republic's Country Gentlemen. The daffy duo plays a couple of gold-stock swindlers who try to fleece the citizenry of a small town. They end up purchasing a vacant lot for $4000, which they try to pass off as an oil field. A group of local WWI veterans invest heavily in Olsen and Johnson's latest venture, meaning that the boys will be in for quite a lot of lumps if the expected "gusher" doesn't come in. Thanks to good influence of heroine Lila Lee, our heroes change their crooked ways -- but not quite in the nick of time! Critics weren't keen on the notion of middle-aged Ole Olsen being cast as a romantic lead, but everyone was satisfied with the supporting performance of perennial "dumb blonde" Joyce Compton as the team's Girl Friday. Originally released at 66 minutes, Country Gentlemen is presently available in its 53-minute TV reissue form. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ole Olsen, Chic Johnson, (more)
- 1935
Preston S. Foster is the "hero" of The People's Enemy only in the sense that his is the largest male role. Foster plays a detestable gangster who works his way up to millionaire status. To gain a veneer of respectability, he marries lovely Lila Lee. But when the going gets rough, he deserts both his wife and his young daughter (Sybil Elaine). Upon Foster's arrest, noble and upright Melvyn Douglas is on hand to comfort Lee and her child. The People's Enemy was independently financed by Select Productions and released through RKO Radio Pictures. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Preston S. Foster, Lila Lee, (more)
- 1935
A pre-Charlie Chan Sidney Toler stars in Champagne for Breakfast as The Judge, a philosophical racetrack tout. Though eternally broke, the Judge manages to smooth the path of life for Vivian Morton (Joan Marsh), a nice girl to whom he's taken a fancy. By and by, the Judge brings together Vivian and handsome young Bob Bentley (Hardie Albright), then rescues Vivian's sister Natalie (Lila Lee) from the clutches of lecherous villain Osborne (Bradley Page). Though top-billed, Mary Carlisle has comparatively little to do as socialite Edie Reach. All things considered, Champagne for Breakfast is really Sidney Toler's film, and it's nice to see this perennial supporting player in a major role for a change. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Mary Carlisle, Hardie Albright, (more)
- 1934
No relation to the 1949 20th Century-Fox melodrama of the same name, Columbia's 1934 Whirlpool stars Jack Holt as a shifty carnival promoter. He is incarcerated for a major crime just after learning that his wife is pregnant. Released after twenty years behind bars, Holt is anxious to make contact with his daughter (Jean Arthur), who knows nothing of his existence. This benighted reunion leads to tragedy for Holt, which he shoulders manfully (no one ever caught Jack Holt crying, no sir). Jean Arthur gave her best performance to date in Whirlpool, though her gift for comedy would remain untapped for a few years more. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jack Holt, Jean Arthur, (more)
- 1934
Adapted by director Paul Sloan from the novel by Will James, Lone Cowboy is an "outdoors" epic tailored to the talents of young Jackie Cooper. Actually the title character is not played by Cooper but by character actor Addison Richards, cast as a grizzled old rodeo rider named Dobe Jones. Placed in charge of Eastern lad Scooter O'Neal (Cooper), Dobe forms a strong friendship with the kid, but this does not dissuade him from his main purpose in life -- to track down his runaway wife Eleanor (Lila Lee) and her lover Jim Weston (Gavin Gordon). Finally catching up to the errant couple, Dobe shoots and kills Weston, a violent outburst that also seriously wounds Scooter. Evidently a more sombre ending was planned for Lone Cowboy than the hastily tacked-on happy denouement. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jackie Cooper, Lila Lee, (more)
Based on an idea by Will Rogers, the story concerns the efforts by the President of the United States to get the public's mind off the Depression. To this end, he appoints Broadway impresario Lawrence Cromwell (Warner Baxter) to the new cabinet position of "Secretary of Amusement." Wasting no time, Cromwell sets about to nationalize the entertainment industry, organizing singers, dancers, actors and other variety artists into batallion-like touring units. Cromwell is fought at every turn by a cartel of wealthy industrialists, who've been profiting from the Depression and have no desire to see America pull itself upward. Happily, every effort to bribe or cajole Cromwell into giving up his mission is thwarted and the Department of Amusement goes on to help the the country at a time when its citizens most needed it. Among the highlights are an energetic "revival-meeting" musical number by Aunt Jemima (Theresa Gardella), and 6-year-old Shirley Temple's rendition of "Baby Take a Bow." Originally released at 80 minutes, Stand Up and Cheer was edited to 69 minutes for reissue, then to 65 minutes (removing most of Stepin Fetchit's scenes) for television: it was this last version which was computer-colorized in 1987. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Warner Baxter, Madge Evans, (more)
- 1934
Ex-convict Steve Nichols (Onslow Stevens) may be a free man, but it looks like he'll never be able to escape the onus of his past life. Unable to get a legitimate job, Steve decides to become as crooked as everyone imagines him to be. Before he makes this terrible mistake, however, the truth about the shady stock transaction for which he was originally jailed finally comes to light. Typical of the low-budget fare prevalent in the 1930s, I Can't Escape is bogged down with banal dialogue and substandard production values. Onslow Stevens is good, though, as is his "B"-picture supporting cast, including Lila Lee and silent-movie vets Otis Harlan and Clara Kimball Young. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Onslow Stevens, Lila Lee, (more)
- 1934
Like many Chesterfield-Invincible films of the era, In Love with Life is built around the talents of a prominent character -- in this case, curmudgeonly Claude Gillingwater Sr. Having disowned his daughter Sharon (Lila Lee), mean old millionaire Morley adopts his grandson (Dickie Moore), the only person he truly cares about. Comes the Wall Street crash, and Morley's fortune is wiped out. It is then he realizes how much he loves his estranged daughter, leading to a tearful reconciliation. Onslow Stevens co-stars as "The Professor," emphasizing the bookishness of his characterization with a pair off ill-fitting spectacles. In Love With Life isn't exactly a barrel of laughs, but it gets by on its sentimental value. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Lila Lee, Dickie Moore, (more)
- 1933
In this romance, two travelling sign painters find themselves inspired by a young woman's lovely smile. Soon her face is found painted on signs and barns throughout New England. Eventually one of the painters and the girl get married. Soon after the wedding, the painters are offered job in New York. There they are challenged to paint an enormous sign. Again, it is the bride's lovely face that inspires them. Meanwhile, the lonely bride decides she cannot bear to be away from her love. By herself, she travels to the Big Apple and finds him on her very first day there. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Spencer Tracy, Marian Nixon, (more)
- 1933
In this drama, a bright young mill worker is left in charge of his late employer's estate. This causes many hard feelings from the surviving family. He forces the boss's son and daughter to work in the factory. They do not want to. For revenge they begin divulging trade secrets to a competitor. They only stop after the daughter falls in love. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Reginald Denny, Lila Lee, (more)
Police officer Tom Malone is the only honest man left who can salvage his crooked city after his partner is killed on his motorcycle by a wealthy playboy on a careless joyride. With criminals and crooked city officials at every turn, it will take courage, duty, and decency for Tom to make right what has for so long been terribly wrong. ~ Cammila Collar, Rovi
- Starring:
- Charles Delaney, Robert Ellis, (more)
- 1932
It took nerve for low-budget producer M.H. Hoffman to update Gustave Flaubert's 19th century novel Madame Bovary and relocate the story to Rye, New York. It was equally nervy to retitle the film as Unholy Love and to cast Joyce Compton, usually cast as a dumb blonde, in the central role. Compton plays Sheila Bailey, a selfish young woman who enters into a financially beneficial marriage with Jerry Gregory (Lyle Talbot), the son of highly respectable Dr. Gregory (H.B. Warner). Unable to adjust to her new husband's conservative lifestyle, Sheila begins playing the field with other men, resulting in disgrace and tragedy for everyone around her. The tacked-on happy ending finds young Gregory being reunited with his childhood sweetheart Jane Bradford (Lila Lee). No question about it: Vincente Minnelli's 1949 Madame Bovary, despite the censorial restrictions imposed upon it, is infinitely more faithful to its source. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- H.B. Warner, Lila Lee, (more)
- 1932
This thriller involves a shipboard murder, castaways on a desert island, another murder, a wild man, and the hapless hero who must deal with it all. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Monte Blue, Lila Lee, (more)
- 1932
A multi-character drama set in a suburban neighborhood, The Night of June 13th takes place in four households. One of these is inhabited by unhappy husband Clive Brook, who is accused of murdering his wife. Actually, she has committed suicide, but those neighbors who could provide Brook with an alibi remain silent for selfish reasons of their own. Leavening the dramatic content is the comedy relief of Mary Boland and Charlie Ruggles as a married couple with in-law problems. Brook is saved at the last minute by an elderly neighbor who blasts the cowardice of the other suburbanites. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Clive Brook, Lila Lee, (more)
- 1932
In this melodrama, a sleazy plastic surgeon from Chicago bungles an operation and causes the amputation of his patient's legs. Naturally, she takes the quack to court. Unfortunately she loses the case. The enraged patient then fatally shoots the doctor. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Lowell Sherman, Peggy Shannon, (more)
- 1932
The concept of radio patrol cars was still brand-spanking new when this fast-moving programmer came off the Universal assembly line. Robert Armstrong and Russell Hopton star as Bill Kennedy and Pat Bourke, a pair of radio cops assigned to protect the payroll of a meat-packing company. Their job is complicated by a crooked officer who is "on the take." After undergoing a grueling training program, our heroes get a chance to prove their worthiness in a climactic set-to with the villains. When the smoke clears at fade-out time, four of the five main characters have been killed, which may have been something of a record back in 1932. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Robert Armstrong, Russell Hopton, (more)
- 1932
In this war drama, a brave reporter tries to remain detached while covering the war in Shanghai. While there, he falls for an ex-streetwalker, but must compete with a mercenary pilot for her love. By the end, the correspondent loses his objectivity after he helps the pilot save the woman from the enemy. The rescue costs the pilot his life. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jack Holt, Ralph Graves, (more)
- 1931
This second of four film versions of Ralph Spence's stage comedy-melodrama The Gorilla stars legendary Broadway comedian Joe Frisco, he of the eternal cigar and funny stammer. Frisco and former Keystone Kop Harry Gribbon play Garrity and Mulligan, a pair of dumb detectives who are summoned to an old dark house to protect heiress Alice Denby (Lila Lee) and zoologist Cyrus Stevens (Edwin Maxwell) from harm. Several killings have taken place in the vicinity, and the most likely suspect is a huge gorilla, recently escaped from its trainer. But in their own inimitable, bumbling fashion, Frisco and Gribbon prove that the murderer is actually a human being in gorilla guise -- but not before dressing up in monkey suits themselves. Fourth-billed Walter Pidgeon plays his role as if longing for his agent to tell him that his Warner Bros. contract has expired. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Lila Lee, Joe Frisco, (more)
- 1931
When European princess Lee comes back to her Midwestern hometown, she is thought to be a seamstress and goes along with the ruse in this comedy. ~ Rovi
Rating Systems
Blockbuster
BLOCKBUSTER name, design and related marks are trademarks of Blockbuster L.L.C.
2013 Blockbuster L.L.C. All rights reserved.
Portions of Content Provided by Rovi Corporation. 2013 Rovi Corporation.