Reginald Mason Movies
This film is not only a revealing glimpse into the workings of the O.S.S. (Office of Strategic Services) during WW II, but it is also a full-fledged spy thriller. An excellent cast includes James Cagney, Karl Malden, E.G. Marshall, and Red Buttons. Cagney stars as an O.S.S. training officer, bent upon discovering a German traitor within his ranks while at the same time completing highly dangerous espionage assignments. The risks increase when one of his men is murdered from within, and Cagney, convinced he knows who the murdering infiltrator is, vows revenge. Authentic O.S.S. film footage make this film historically significant as well as entertaining. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Cagney, Annabella, (more)
- 1936
Suzy is the film in which Cary Grant, overcome by the beauty and vivacity of Jean Harlow, sings her a love ballad! This lighthearted moment aside, Suzy, adapted from a novel by Herbert Gorman is a standard-issue love triangle, set against the tapestry of World War I. Harlow plays a London showgirl, married to Irish engineer Franchot Tone. When foreign spy Benita Hume shoots Tone, mistaking him as a threat against her mission, the terrified Harlow flees into the night, certain that she will be accused of her husband's murder. After the war breaks out, Harlow, believing herself a widow, falls in love with handsome aviator Cary Grant. She marries the well-bred but irresponsible young ace, only to discover that Tone has not been killed after all! This being an idealized World War I film, somebody is going to end up sacrificing his/her life on behalf of somebody else, but we're not about to reveal any more. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean Harlow, Franchot Tone, (more)
One of the landmark "screwball" comedies of the 1930s, My Man Godfrey offers the radiant Carole Lombard in her definitive performance as flighty young heiress Irene Bullock, who on a society scavenger hunt stumbles on Godfrey (William Powell), an erudite hobo residing in the city dump. Godfrey becomes the family's butler, much to the dismay of Irene's father Alexander (Eugene Pallette), who thinks his household is crazy enough without another apparent lunatic under his roof. Halfway through the film, we discover that Godfrey isn't a penniless bum at all, but the scion of a wealthy Boston family. Having been burned by an unhappy romance, Godfrey dropped out of life, taking up residence in the dump. Here his faith in humanity was restored by his fellow indigents, who managed to survive and remain optimistic despite the worst deprivations. Meanwhile, however, he wants to straighten out the Bullock family, who he feels are a basically decent bunch beneath all their pretensions and eccentricities -- and along the way, of course, Irene determines that Godfrey will be her husband. While Godfrey's ultimate "solution" to the exigencies of the Depression seems more of a placebo, My Man Godfrey is all in all a totally satisfying jolt of 1930s-style wish fulfillment. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Powell, Carole Lombard, (more)
- 1934
Inspired by the Titanic tragedy, Whom the Gods Destroy is a tour de force for character actor Walter Connolly. The star is cast as theatrical entrepreneur John Forrester, who finds himself on board an ocean liner crippled in a shipwreck. At first he behaves courageously, but as the ship goes down Forrester panics and dons women's clothes to ensure himself a seat on the lifeboat. Rescued at sea, he hides out in a tiny fishing village for several years, then returns to New York under an assumed name. Upon discovering that he is celebrated as a "dead" hero, Forrester realizes that he can never reveal his true identity lest he be exposed as a craven coward. Standing on the sidelines, he watches as his son Jack (Robert Young) rises to success on the Broadway stage, all the while secretly helping the boy get ahead in his career. Forrester's wife Margaret (Doris Kenyon) finally recognizes her husband, forgives him, and offers to take him back, but by now Forrester himself feels it is too late and retreats into the shadows, never to be seen again. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Walter Connolly, Robert Young, (more)
- 1934
In this drama, a woman goes mad with grief after her lover dumps her. Many years pass and the woman remains embittered and vengeful against the cad. When she learns that he has become an officer at her local bank, she withdraws her fortune from it. She really goes over the edge when her son falls in love with her ex-lover's daughter. Fortunately, in the end, the woman changes her mind and mends her ways. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- May Robson, Jean Parker, (more)
- 1934
Warner Oland made his fifth appearance as wily Honolulu-based detective Charlie Chan in Fox's Charlie Chan's Courage. Hired to deliver a valuable necklace, Chan shows up at a ranch estate, posing as a servant. His task is complicated when Victor Jordan (Jack Carter), the man who engaged his services, is murdered the moment he shows up at the ranch. Maintaining his servant guise, Charlie monitors the movements of the many suspects, eventually unmasking the hidden killer. Among the supporting players are several Chan-movie "regulars," some of whom turned out to be murderers in other series entries. Charlie Chan's Courage is a remake of the 1928 silent film The Chinese Parrot, in which Chan was played by Japanese actor Sojin; alas, neither film is available for viewing today. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Warner Oland, Drue Leyton, (more)
- 1934
Before retiring from films to become Mrs. Charles Boyer, actress Pat Paterson was a popular and appealing Fox Studios leading lady. In Call it Luck, Paterson plays Pat Laurie, the daughter of humble London cabbie Herbert Bigglewade (Herbert Mundin). Thanks to a winning sweepstakes ticket, Pat is catapulted into great wealth, thereby becoming easy prey for a team of con artists. Suckered into buying a broken-down race horse, our heroine nonetheless emerges a winner thanks to some quick thinking by her crafty dad. The nominal love interest is played by Charles Starrett, who went on enjoy a longer association with horses as star of Columbia's "Durango Kid" western series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pat Paterson, Herbert Mundin, (more)
- 1933
In this melodrama, a female physician encounters professional and personal turmoil when she finds herself having an affair with an alcoholic peer. He impregnates her and she travels to Paris to have the baby in private. As she is returning to the States, the baby dies from infantile paralysis. This does not prevent her from saving the lives of two other children aboard the same ocean liner. When she returns, she discovers that her lover has divorced his wife and wants to marry her. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kay Francis, Lyle Talbot, (more)
- 1933
Producer David O. Selznick's adaptation of Marcel Pagnol's satirical play Topaze stars John Barrymore, delivering a peerless comedy performance a full year before Howard Hawks allegedly "discovered" Barrymore's comic potential in Twentieth Century. Barrymore plays a French science teacher who is dismissed because he refuses to compromise his integrity by passing the student of a wealthy man. To console himself, Barrymore tinkers in his laboratory, where he stumbles upon the formula for a health tonic. Hired by unscrupulous tycoon George Mason to market the drink, Barrymore finds himself becoming as dishonest as his fellow businessmen. On the road to redemption toward the end, Barrymore wins the love of Mason's mistress Myrna Loy, who likewise seeks to change her ways. Eschewing much of the cynicism of the Pagnol original, Topaze aims more for whimsical chuckles than knowing nods. The property would be remade with most of its sardonic humor restored by Fernandel in 1951 and Peter Sellers in 1963. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Barrymore, Myrna Loy, (more)
- 1933
Horror film icon James Whale directed this well-detailed thriller about a man questioning his wife's honesty after a friend begins to doubt his own. Dr. Paul Held (Frank Morgan) is an attorney who has been asked to come to the aid of his old friend Walter Bernsdorf (Paul Lukas); Bernsdorf has been accused of killing his wife, and he wants Held to defend him in court. Bernsdorf admits to shooting his spouse, but he tells Held that he lost control when he found out his wife was having an affair. Held takes on his friend's case, but as he pours over the facts in the Bernsdorf slaying, he finds himself wondering about the fidelity of his own wife, Maria (Nancy Carroll) -- and begins to seethe with jealousy when he find that she has indeed been sleeping with another man. A Kiss Before The Mirror also features actress Gloria Stuart; James Whale would remake the same story six years later, under the title Wives Under Suspicioun. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nancy Carroll, Frank Morgan, (more)
- 1933
Perennial sidekick George E. Stone is given the leading role in The Big Brain. Stone plays a small-town barber, short of stature but a giant in the world of stock promotion. As his bank account grows, Stone's ethics diminish, and soon he's playing fast and loose with other people's money. Disgruntled investor Fay Wray is the one who finally blows the whistle on the prevaracating hair-snipper. Reportedly based on the career of real-life swindler Charles Ponzi, The Big Brain also owes a great deal to the 1931 Edward G. Robinson vehicle Smart Money. This RKO programmer was released in Great Britain as Enemies of Society. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George E. Stone, Phillips Holmes, (more)
- 1933
A nightclub singer with a strong work ethic marries a freeloading heir in this romantic drama. Trouble ensues when the singer, desiring that her new spouse learn the value of work, convinces his father to cut off his allowance. The ploy does not work, and the young man ends up spending most of his days at the racetrack. In frustration, the singer leaves. As a result, the son changes his life and his name. He begins working at a new, challenging job. The singer's helpful boss at the nightclub intervenes and forces her to meet with her estranged spouse. She is impressed with him. Happiness ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carole Lombard, Gene Raymond, (more)
- 1933
In this military adventure, a Navy lieutenant is stripped of his rank and booted out after he fires at communist ships in China. These circumstances make it almost impossible for him to find a job. He then ends up saving the life of a beautiful young socialite. The girl immediately likes him and when he finally gets a job on a freighter, the plucky lass disobeys her father and stows away to be near her true love. The boat is carrying arms for the Mandarin government, and when the brave former lieutenant saves the shipment from commie raiders, he becomes a hero, regains his rank in the Navy and marries the girl. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Spencer Tracy, Fay Wray, (more)
- 1933
This musical comedy stars Maurice Chevalier as (what else?) a Parisian playboy with a song and a kiss for every beautiful woman in sight. His libertine ways are stemmed when Chevalier finds himself saddled with an abandoned baby. Because he is perceived to be the father of the infant, Chevalier finds his lovemaking activities severely diminished. At fadeout time, Chevalier finds lasting romance with Helen Twelvetrees, the baby's governess. Though he was probably uncomfortable sharing scenes with a scene-stealing toddler, Chevalier manages to deliver his usual sly, winking performance. A Bedtime Story was the screen debut for Baby LeRoy (later W.C. Field's perennial nemesis), playing (again, what else?) the troublesome baby. The film is based on Roy Horniman's story Bellamy the Magnificent, which had previously been filmed as A Gentleman of Paris (27). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Maurice Chevalier, Helen Twelvetrees, (more)
- 1933
In this drama, a young surgeon and his driver must combat the racketeers who have taken over the hospital where he works. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Wynne Gibson, William Gargan, (more)
- 1933
Baby Face is a good example of the kind of spitfire lead female characters that appeared in the cinema of pre-code Hollywood. Lily Powers (Barbara Stanwyck) works as a barmaid in her father's factory-town saloon where she learns to deal with the unwanted advances of male customers. When her father dies, she moves to New York City with her maid, Chico (Theresa Harris), to become a ruthless gold digger. First she meets office boy Jimmy McCoy (a young John Wayne in an uncharacteristically clean-cut role) who helps her get a job at the Gotham Trust Company. From there, she seduces and discards various men (George Brent, Donald Cook, Henry Kolker) as she sleeps her way to the top of the company. Jealously between the men causes a murder scene, so Lily takes her furs and jewels and moves to Paris with Chico. The production code censors tacked on an ending that featured Lily giving away her money and returning to her home town with Brent. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Barbara Stanwyck, George Brent, (more)
- 1932
Life Begins is an episodic Warner Bros. programmer about one unusually busy night in a maternity ward. Loretta Young is the central character, a convicted murderess who has been impregnated by her gangster boyfriend. She is moved to the hospital to give birth, sharing ward space with hard-boiled Glenda Farrell, who's willing to sell her unborn child, and several other mothers-to-be from various walks of life. Under the benign supervision of head nurse Aline MacMahon, most of the babies are born safely, though the repentant Young dies in the process. Based on a play by Mary McDougal Axelson, Life Begins was remade as A Child Is Born (1940), which was not nearly as effective (or as frank) as the original. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Loretta Young, Eric Linden, (more)
- 1920
This fluffy Constance Talmadge vehicle is based on the play by Anthony Wharton. Lilliums Blair (Talmadge) is an ambitious chorus girl with expensive tastes. To help her stage career, she welcomes the attentions of Reggie Clonberry (Reginald Mason), but she discovers he's a wolf when he takes her to a road house. After struggling with him and hurting her hand, she escapes to a nearby home. The butler dresses her wound while telling her that the large house is owned by three bachelors: Kenneth Maxwell (Conway Tearle), Jimby Lewis (George Fawcett), and Billy Crane (Templar Saxe). When the three men return from their golf game, Lilliums pretends to be an old friend of Lewis' and is invited to stay. The men protect her from Clonberry and she keeps things exciting around the house. Eventually Maxwell is won over by her charms. But then his mother shows up and concludes that Lilliums is a schemer. Maxwell believes his mother, but when he takes this up with Lilliums, she lets him have it. He finally declares his love for her and she allows him to win her. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
