Murdock MacQuarrie Movies

This first sound version of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic morality tale starred Fredric March as the kindly, philanthropic Dr. Jekyll, who makes the fatal mistake of delving into secrets that Man Should Never Know. Fascinated with the notion that within each man lurk impulses for both Good and Evil, Jekyll develops a drug to release the wickedness in himself. The result: the lecherous, lycanthropic Mr. Hyde (one has to keep reminding oneself that the handsome, soft-spoken March plays both roles; small wonder that he won the Academy Award). Jekyll is the honorable suitor of the virtuous Muriel Carew (Rose Hobart), while Hyde is the brutish pursuer of the sluttish "Champagne Ivy" Pearson (Miriam Hopkins, as sexy as she'd ever be in films). It isn't long before the kindly Jekyll is unable to control the wicked Hyde, with tragic results. Director Rouben Mamoulian could often seem like the Brian De Palma of his time, showing off like a first-year film student instead of telling a story. But Mamoulian's excesses work beautifully in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, notably the dizzying first transformation scene (that heartbeat you hear on the soundtrack belongs to Mamoulian himself). Withdrawn from circulation when MGM refilmed the Stevenson novel in 1941, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde resurfaced in the early 1970s, albeit only in the heavily censored version prepared for the 1938 reissue. The current video version restores most of the missing scenes--including the famous opening reel, photographed from Jekyll's point of view with a subjective camera. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This French epic chronicles the French Revolution as seen by Rouget de Lisle, the man who composed the French national anthem. In addition to many scenes of angry peasants, the film also feature's many songs by Lisle. The film makes no claim for historical accuracy. Songs include: "Song of the Guard," "Maids on Parade", "For You," "Can It Be?" "It's a Sword," "You, You Alone," and "La Marseillaise." ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Producing and directing his own films, Leo Maloney almost always used the talents of Ford I. Beebe to compose his scripts. Beebe knew every cliche in the book and used several of them in this minor western, which Maloney released through the Pathé organization. On the way to claim his inheritance, Maloney is held up by a villain who proceeds to take over his identity. Maloney himself, meanwhile, is jailed for the villain's crimes but is able to escape and capture the impostor. Beebe later used everything he learned from Maloney to embark on a long and fruitful career helming "B"-Westerns and such serials as Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars (1938) and The Green Hornet (1940). ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi

There's very little jazz in Jazz Girl, and not a whole lot of logic, either. Edith Roberts stars as lady detective Janet March, who dedicates herself to breaking up a rum-running gang. Along the way, she enlists the aid of her boyfriend, reporter Rodney Blake (Gaston Glass). Inevitably, Janet gets in way over her head, obliging Rodney to come to the rescue. Several crime-film "regulars" are in attendance in the supporting cast, ranging from apelike Dick Sutherland as a speakeasy chef to wizened Ernie Adams (usually cast as a ferret-faced stoolie) as a detective. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Jailed for a robbery he didn't commit, Bullets Bernard (Art Acord) enlists an alcoholic jailhouse lawyer (Paul Weigel) to defend him. The lawyer sobers up just enough to be effective, and Bernard is set free -- not a minute too soon. It turns out his girlfriend Shirley (Vane Truant) has been kidnapped and the villain, in cahoots with a crooked attorney, proves to be none other than the man who framed Bullets in the first place. The "Vane Truant" listed in the cast of this obscure silent Western is most likely Acord's real-life wife, actress Louise Lorraine, moonlighting from her steady job at Universal Studios. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi

Veteran western performers Harry Carey and Marguerite Clayton appeared in three films together from 1923-1924: Desert Driven, Tiger Thompson and, perhaps their best, Canyon of the Fools. Produced by Film Booking Office, this action-packed silent western overcame a miniscule budget by throwing stock footage of a flood into an otherwise common story about a bandit reformed by the love of a good woman. Both leads had done this already then-stale plot many times before, Carey as Universal's top western ace in the 'teens (until his position was usurped by Hoot Gibson), and Clayton opposite early cowboy star Broncho Billy Anderson. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi

Universal's rather dishevelled cowboy hero Hoot Gibson once again played a cowpoke with girl trouble in this above-average silent Western directed by John Ford. Gibson depicted Jeff Bransford, whose girlfriend Marian (Molly Malone) rejects him because he lacks ambition. Unbeknownst to Marian, however, Jeff prevents the girl's married sister (Fritzi Brunette) from running away with a bounder. The latter instead steals $5,000 from Elinor's husband, kidnapping Marian along the way. She is rescued by Jeff and finally realizes how much she loves the shy but brave cowpoke. Comedy relief in this Western was provided by 7-year-old Breezy Eason, Jr., the son of director B. Reeves Eason. Little Breezy died tragically later that year after being hit by an out-of-control vehicle on the set of the Harry Carey Western The Fox. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi

When Robert Dunning (William Clifford) comes to financial ruin at the hands of unscrupulous broker Thomas Philborn (Murdock MacQuarrie), Robert's wife Marcia (Madlaine Traverse) swears revenge. To achieve this, she gets a job running the roulette wheel at a gambling parlor, and cheats the broker's son, Dick (Lew Zehring). When Dick runs out of money, he robs his father. But before Marcia can congratulate herself on a job well done, she discovers that her own daughter, Edith (Mary McIvor), has secretly married Dick. Loaded with remorse, she goes to her two bosses to ask for Dick's money back. One partner refuses, but the other one, Duke (Herbert Hayes), who has fallen in love with Marcia, offers to stake his share against his partner's. He loses, and Marcia now has to stake herself against the winning partner. She's kept from using the magnetic ring with which she cheated Dick, but luck is on her side, and she wins everything back. Dick is saved from prison when Marcia returns the stolen money, and she wins a husband in Duke. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi

The first collaboration between producer Joseph M. Schenck and his wife Norma Talmadge was also their first huge success. The film's title character (played by Talmadge) is a pianist graduate of the Moscow Conservatory. An evil Baron (L. Rogers Lytton) lusts after her, and through his machinations she winds up in jail. She escapes, only to be shipwrecked on the coast of England, where she meets and falls in love with Gerald Mordaunt (Earle Foxe), who is also a classical pianist and composer. They marry, but to finance the performance of a composition of Gerald's, Panthea is forced to become involved with the Baron. The Baron dies, however, and Panthea is re-arrested upon returning to Moscow. She and Gerald wind up in Siberia together, with the hope that the English consulate will get them a formal release. According to Anita Loos, Norma's mother, Peg Talmadge, came up with the idea of acquiring the Monckton Hoffe play from which this film was made. But it doesn't matter, really, who thought of combining Norma Talmadge with the role of a beautiful, long-suffering woman -- the shoe fit, and she wound up specializing in such roles for the rest of her career. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi

Director Murdock MacQuarrie keeps the action moving quickly in this complicated drama -- a good thing, since the story lacks any credibility whatsoever. When the Thompson family is making their way out West, they are attacked by Indians and the parents are killed. The children, Joe and Mary, are adopted by prospector Bill Jenkins (director MacQuarrie), who later becomes the town's sheriff. Joe grows up (to be played by Norbert A, Myles) and, unbeknownst to either Jenkins or Mary (Edythe Sterling), becomes a bandit. He is wounded during a stagecoach robbery and makes his way back home, where he confesses his crimes to Mary, who offers to help him if he leaves the money behind. Reluctantly he agrees and, to avoid suspicion, they check into a hotel as husband and wife. But Joe is finally caught and sent to jail. Mary, meanwhile, meets and marries a young inventor (Millard K. Wilson), who soon makes a fortune. Joe escapes from prison and takes up burglary. Mary's husband, meanwhile, takes up with a cabaret singer (Dorothy Nash), who had the room next to Joe and Mary during their flight from the law. She tells the inventor that Mary is married to a criminal and he starts divorce proceedings without hearing an explanation from his wife. Joe picks another home to rob, which turns out to belong to the inventor's attorney. Mary is also there, trying to steal some papers, and when the police arrive, she is wounded. Finally she insists on telling her part of the story and she and her husband reconcile. Joe, helped out by the inventor, reforms. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi