Joan Marion Movies
- 1956
In this comedy, a custodian names the apartment boilers he maintains "Mavis and Ethel." The trouble begins when he loses his job and then finds himself sought after by a wealthy man who needs him so he can close an important deal. Meanwhile, temperamental Ethel begins to go haywire. Fortunately, the janitor is found at the last minute and his beloved boiler and the building around it are saved. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1940
This lightweight but elaborately produced musical melodrama was originally released in Great Britain as Premiere. While watching the opening night of a Parisian stage extravanganza, the show's principal backer is murdered. Inspector Bonnard (John Lodge) deduces that the fatal shot was fired from the stage-meaning that everyone involved in the production is a suspect. Bonnard demands that the cast and crew restage the play so that he can witness the proceedings and ascertain the killer's identity. One thing is certain: heroine Carmen (Judy Kelly) is not the guilty party, though she should have shot whoever designed her unflattering costumes and makeup. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Lodge, Judy Kelly, (more)
- 1939
A case of mistaken identity is the basis for this drama. The trouble begins when a rich entrepreneur is accused of being the notorious thief, Jean Pelletier, who performed his infamous robberies in the years preceding the war. A court battle ensues. The industrialist states that he suffered amnesia during the war. His fiance found him from a newspaper picture. Pelletier's ex-lover then testifies that the man is indeed Pelletier. Another man swears that he had witnessed the robber's death during the war. The accused is acquitted and goes home. The witness waylays him and tells the man that he lied, and that if he doesn't pay him a large ransom, he will tell the court. The poor businessman is truly confused. His amnesia was quite real so there is a definite possibility that he is the thief. He becomes fixated with discovering the truth. He goes to Pelletier's ex-love, and the thief's mother. They convince him. He really is Pelletier. The man decides to turn himself in, but his lawyer convinces him not to do it. In the meantime, the mistress learning that the blackmailer is planning to spill the beans anyway, takes matters into her own hand. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Leslie Banks, Joan Marion, (more)
- 1939
Rex Harrison plays a young Englishman who suffers periodic bouts of amnesia. When the plane he is riding in crashes, Harrison blacks out again and awakens in Paris. He is told that for the past ten days he has been involved in espionage of some sort or other--and now his life isn't worth two francs. Based on the novel The Disappearance of Roger Tremayne by Bruce Graeme, the seriocomic Ten Days in Paris served as the inspiration for a multitude of future reluctant-spy escapades. The film was released outside Great Britain as Spy in the Pantry and Missing Ten Days. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rex Harrison, Kaaren Verne, (more)
- 1939
The success of the British Q Planes spawned a brief cycle in airborne espionage pictures--at least until all British aircraft was impounded for actual combat use. The title Spies of the Air tells all: The central character is a test pilot who turns out to be in the employ of The Enemy. Since the film is adapted from Jeffrey Dell's stage play Official Secrets, much of the action takes place on the ground. The flight sequences blend stock footage and newly-shot aerial scenes with acceptable expertise. Spies of the Air was filmed in 1939, but not released until 1940--by which time its topicality had increased tenfold. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Barry Barnes, Roger Livesey, (more)
- 1938
A once-popular stage melodrama by Gordon Sherry was the source for the 1938 British film Black Limelight. Raymond Massey plays Peter Charrington, who early in the proceedings is charged with murder. Escaping from the authorities, Peter desperately tries to keep in touch with his distraught wife Mary (Joan Marion), who believes in his innocence. Meanwhile, an overly unctuous fellow named Lawrence Crawford (Walter Hudd) watches from the sidelines as Peter eludes the police. Crawford has a vested interest in the outcome of the chase; he is, after all, the real murderer. Reviewers in 1938 enjoyed Black Limelight, but carped over the fact that neither Raymond Massey nor Joan Marion seemed inclined to scale down their stage characterizations for the more intimate demands of the screen. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Raymond Massey, Joan Marion, (more)
- 1937
In this British comedy, set during the Boer War, a foot soldier saves his major's life. The officer is most grateful and puts the soldier in line for a Victoria Cross (a medal for valor). Unfortunately the well-meaning major's actions cause the soldier to be extradited back to England where he must stand trial for a series of crimes he committed before he joined the military. Later the major scours the British jails in search of the heroic lad. He finally finds him recruiting soldiers for WW I. The major offers to raise the soldier's son along with his own grandson. The boys are totally different. The soldier's son is a budding juvenile delinquent while the major's grandson is a perfect angel. The major hopes that the latter will have a good influence on the former, but this does not turn out to be the case. Twenty years pass. Goody-two-shoes is now serving time, while the soldier's son lives quite well on the spoils of his illegal activities. He also takes good care of the elderly major, who does not know the truth about his grandson ( he thinks his grandson is living in America) because the soldier's son refuses to tell him. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Walls, Ralph Lynn, (more)
- 1936
Future Connecticut governor John Lodge stars in the British crime drama Sensation. Lodge plays a hotshot reporter who devotion to his job is messing up his private life. Despite warnings from his girl friend that she'll walk out if he follows up one more hot scoop, Lodge tries to flush out the murderer of a waitress. A packet of incriminating love letters is the "maguffin" in this one. Based on a play by Basil Dean and George Munro, Sensation packs an awful lot of story in its 54 minutes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Lodge, Diana Churchill, (more)
- 1934
In this mystery, a detective looks into the death of a man involved in the occult. Although the obvious evidence points to the dead man's niece as the killer, the detective doesn't believe it. Sure enough he proves her innocence and justice prevails. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1933
After 2 aristocrats become engaged, they fall in love with people in a lower class in this romantic comedy. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1933
In this melodrama, a despondent woman attempts to kill herself after she is named co-respondent in a messy divorce case. She is saved, and several years pass. She is next seen as a high-ranking employee at a department store and is engaged to the boss' son. She soon jilts him when her ex-lover, the one that involved her in his messy divorce, reappears. She marries him. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1933
In this drama, an established composer falls in love with an aspiring one and takes her sonata, which she plans to use in competition, and makes it into a musical comedy. Naturally her work is rejected by the contest committee. Fortunately, it is purchased by a theatrical producer. The woman forgives the man and happiness ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1932
Marital strife forms the basis of this comedy. The story begins when a husband and wife have a major tiff. The enraged wife huffily leaves the house and grabs the first cab she can get. She quickly finds that she is sharing the cab with a bank robber on the run. She soon becomes entangled in his life. Her husband later comes to the rescue and all is well. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1932
In this comedy, a naive Cockney lass begins believing that her river house is haunted until she discovers that her "spooks" are actually fugitive gangsters who have been trying to scare her away so they can use her place as a hide out. Unfortunately for them, she is much tougher than they are. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
