Sharyn Moffett Movies

Former child star Margaret O'Brien is Betty Foster, the "all growed up" heroine of Her First Romance. Hoping to rendezvous with handsome teenager Bobby Evans (Allen Martin Jr.) at a fancy summer camp, Betty bamboozles her parents into sending her there. Once she's arrived, Betty proves her devotion to Bobby by committing a robbery on his behalf. She reasons that since she's robbing her own father's safe, her crime is none too serious. Boy, is she wrong! A curious blend of comedy, melodrama and sentiment, Her First Romance failed to establish Margaret O'Brien as an adult box-office favorite, though the film itself is easy to take. Featured in the cast are Jimmy Hunt, of Invaders from Mars fame, and future TV-series perennial Elinor Donahue. Margaret O'Brien's parents are played by Ann Doran and Arthur Space, who'd later be reteamed on the weekly TVer National Velvet. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Fed up with crowded big-city living, advertising executive Mr. Blandings (Cary Grant) decides to seek out a big, roomy house in the country. Armed with more enthusiasm than common sense, Blandings causes many a headache for his lawyer/business manager Melvyn Douglas, who tries to keep the costs within a reasonable amount. Alas, Blandings bulls ahead on his own, first purchasing an estate on the verge of collapse, then opting to build his dream house from scratch. An unpleasant legal squabble over the fact that Blandings purchased his new property without checking with the prior owners throws even more good money after bad. The construction of the new Blandings digs is slowed down to a walk by doors and windows that don't fit, plumbing that fails to function, doorknobs that break upon contact with human flesh, temperamental workmen, and various and sundry other homeowners' nightmares (if all this sounds like the much-later Tom Hanks/Shelley Long comedy The Money Pit, it only shows to go how little has changed in forty years--except, of course, for the costs of things). Attempting to keep a level head throughout the proceedings is Mrs. Blandings (Myrna Loy), though even she is guilty of pretensions and excess, especially in the classic "choice of colors" scene. The humor in Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House springs so naturally from the central situation that it seems intrusive when the scriptwriters throw in an arbitrary French-farce scene wherein Blandings suspects that his wife and his lawyer are fooling around (a plot point that the original Eric Hodgins novel did just fine without). One of the best bits comes near the end, when Louise Beavers, the Blandings' cook, saves the day for everyone by ad libbing "If you ain't eating Wham, you ain't eating Ham." Why should we spoil your enjoyment by explaining that line? Now you'll have to see the picture. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this sentimental children's yarn, a little girl is orphaned when her father, a Georgia plantation owner, is trampled by a frightened horse. Now the child and her beloved dog Banjo must reside with her cold, unfriendly aunt in Boston. The proper old woman will not allow the dog in her house and sends it back down South. The young girl, unable to bear life without the pooch, runs away to find him, causing the aunt to reconsider her position. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Setting something of a record for flashbacks within flashbacks, The Locket recounts the mental disintegration of bride-to-be Laraine Day. As a child, Day was accused of stealing a locket at a fancy party. She has spent her life getting even for this false accusation by becoming a kleptomaniac and ruining the lives of those around her. She drives one man (Robert Mitchum) to suicide, and stands by as another man is executed for a murder which she has committed. Assuming her revenge on the world is complete when she becomes engaged to the son of the woman who'd accused her of thievery, Day is overtaken by the demons within her and collapses on the altar. The Locket is difficult to follow at times, especially when seen in commercialized chunks on the Late Late Show. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Filmed extensively on location, The Falcon in San Francisco is one of the best of RKO Radio's "Falcon" series. This time around, amateur sleuth Tom Lawrence (Tom Conway), aka The Falcon, comes to the aid of 10-year-old Annie Marshall (Sharyn Moffet). While trying to solve the murder of Annie's nurse, Lawrence is accused of kidnapping the kid. Several beatings, warnings and murders later, Lawrence discovers that the solution of the mystery is tied in with a gang of silk smugglers, headed by none other than?.Oh, no! The surprise ending isn't going to be tipped off here! Director Joseph H. Lewis' occasional utilization of "cinema verite" techniques would later develop full-blown into such noir classics as Gun Crazy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this adventure the young lively daughter of wealthy Virginia parents bridles under the stern tutelage of her new English nanny who insists she forego her tomboy ways and act like a perfectly lady. This nanny runs the household with an iron hand and the little girl is terribly unhappy until she finds a lost German shepherd. While following the wanderer, the girl tumbles into a well. The dog gets help. The girl names him "Wolf" and is delighted to have a new best friend. Naturally, the nanny is terribly upset because the dog is terribly disruptive. One day, the nanny finds out that Wolf is an AWOL Army dog and sees that he is returned. Brokenhearted, the girl runs away to Washington, DC to have a private audience with the secretary of war. Tearfully she tells how her parents neglect her and how lonely she is without wolf. The secretary is moved but explains that Wolf has a more patriotic role to play. The girl understands and returns home filled with pride for Wolf. Things get better at home when her relieved parents fire the hated nanny and start spending more time with her. As an added bonus, the secretary sends the girl a brand new puppy that looks just like wolf. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide