Carmel Myers Movies
Those latter-day historians who deride director D.W. Griffith for his alleged anti-Semitism should take note that one of his most famous protégées was Carmel Myers, the daughter of a San Francisco rabbi. Making her film debut with Griffith's Triangle company in 1916, the bewitchingly beautiful Myers went on to star opposite such luminaries as Douglas Fairbanks, John Barrymore, and Rudolph Valentino. She developed into one of screendom's most alluring "vamps," never more so than as Iras in the 1926 version of Ben-Hur. Surviving the talkie revolution, she played a number of good character parts, notably as Barrymore's cast-off mistress in Svengali (1931). Officially retiring in the mid-'40s, Myers resurfaced as a Los Angeles TV hostess in the 1950s; her 15-minute interview series The Carmel Myers Show was picked up by the ABC network in 1951. She continued sporadically accepting acting roles into the 1970s, showing up as herself on an episode of TV's Sanford and Son, and joining dozens of other movie veterans to play a cameo role in the 1976 feature Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood. The sister of screenwriter Zion Myers, Carmel Myers was also the mother of novelist Ralph Blum and actresses Susan Adams Kennedy and Mary Ufland. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1976
- PG
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This spoof makes fun of a certain famous German shepherd movie star from the 1920s. The mayhem begins when the head honcho of a financially struggling studio turns a lost dog into a legend. The story features a number of old stars making cameo appearances. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce Dern, Madeline Kahn, (more)
- 1946
In this drama, Mary (Ava Gardner) returns to her small town after she becomes a success in the city. Meeting up with her old love, Kenny (George Raft), she discovers that he is still the unambitious, lazy man he was when she left, and she begins an affair with nightclub owner Lew Lentz (Tom Conway). When a jealous rivalry arises between Lew and Kenny, the results could be deadly. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Raft, Ava Gardner, (more)
- 1945
Like the same-named 1934 and 1935 films, RKO Radio's 1945 musical George White's Scandals uses the eponymous Broadway revue as a framework for a fabricated plotline. The main story concerns the romance between stage comedienne Joan Mason (Joan Davis) and back-bay Bostonite Jack Williams (Jack Haley), which is staunchly opposed by Jack's spinsterish sister Clarabelle (Margaret Hamilton, who of course had previously costarred with Haley in The Wizard of Oz) A secondary romance involves the hot-and-cold relationship between British socialite Jill Martin (Martha Holliday) and Tony McGrath (Philip Terry), the assistant to Broadway impresario George White (played not by the real White but by Glenn Tryon). Musical specialties are provided by Gene Krupa and his band, organ virtuoso Ethel Smith and pianist Rose Murphy. The film's highlight is "Who Killed Vaudeville?", a tour-de-force for Joan Davis and Jack Haley which was later excerpted in the RKO musical pastiche Make Mine Laughs (prompting a lawsuit from Haley!) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joan Davis, Jack Haley, (more)
- 1941
The unlikely combination of John Wayne and Joan Blondell adds a bit of vinegar and spice to the so-so costume drama Lady for a Night. Blondell is cast as Jenny Blake, owner of the Memphis Belle-not a WW2 bomber, but a gambling ship moored just outside New Orleans. Jenny's partner and erstwhile suitor is local political boss Jack Morgan (Wayne). She loves Morgan, but decides to marry for money and prestige, and to that end weds "black sheep" socialite Alan Alderson (Ray Middleton). Her new in-laws are infuriated by this marriage of convenience, and do everything they can to ruin Jenny in the eyes of society. When Alderson dies suddenly, his vengeful mother Julia (Blanche Yurka) accuses Jenny of poisoning her husband. Throughout the subsequent trial and scandal, Morgan stands loyally by Jenny's side, convincing her at long last that he's been the "right man" for her all along. Hattie Noel, who two years earlier lost the role of Mammy in Gone with the Wind to Hattie McDaniel, essays a neat Mammy-like characterization as Jenny's all-knowing maidservant. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joan Blondell, John Wayne, (more)
- 1934
One of the lesser-known directorial efforts of cinematographer Karl Freund, The Countess of Monte Cristo stars Fay Wray as the title character. A lowly extra in a Viennese movie studio, young Janet (Wray) gets fed up with her lot in life. Hoping to have one final fling before trudging off to the poorhouse, Janet steals a fancy automobile and a fur coat from the movie studio and heads off to a coastal resort, where she registers as the Countess of Monte Cristo. Janet's best pal and reluctant travelling companion Mimi (Patsy Kelly) is certain that they'll both be exposed as phonies within a day or so, but our heroine manages to carry off the ruse with great success, even attracting the attentions of two well-heeled gentlemen, Rumowski (Paul Lukas) and The Baron (Reginald Owen). Alas, Janet's holiday comes to an abrupt end when it turns out that her two suitors are actually international jewel thieves! The Countess of Monte Cristo was remade on a considerably reduced budget in 1948. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fay Wray, Paul Lukas, (more)
- 1932
A 1930 stage play by William A. Grew was the source for the 1932 Universal film Nice Women. Sidney Fox stars as Bess Girard, one of the contrariest heroines in movie history. At first the long-suffering naif daughter of a mercenary social-climber (Lucille Webster Gleason), Bess is smart enough to outsmart worldly gold-digger Dorothy Drew (Carmel Myers). But she isn't smart enough to see through the dishonorable intentions of her wealthy, middle-aged beau Mark Chandler (Alan Mowbray). By the time Chandler has genuinely fallen in love with Bess, she's thrown him over in favor of bloodless leading man Bill Wells (Russell Gleason, the real-life son of Lucille Gleason). Frances Dee, an infinitely better actress than Sidney Fox, is wasted in the role of the heroine's sister. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Frances Dee, Alan Mowbray, (more)
- 1932
Though produced by Supreme Pictures and distributed by Artclass, the poverty-row sex drama Pleasure is neither supreme, arty, nor classy. Conway Tearle stars as a wealthy, conservative author who is saddled with libertine wife Carmel Myers. Bored by her husband, Myers inaugurates an affair with Paul Page, Tearle's starving-artist brother. In true "tit for tat" fashion, Tearle subsequently falls in love with Page's model, Lina Basquette. Even at 53 minutes, Pleasure moves with the swiftness of molasses; its main purpose seemed to be to extend the careers of several former silent-film favorites. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Conway Tearle, Frances Dade, (more)
- 1932
Crusading district attorney Jerry Bennett (Gilbert Roland) would give anything to get the goods on unscrupulous criminal lawyer Clyde Corbin (Noah Beery). Alas, Corbin proves too slippery a target -- and besides, he's got too many irons in the fire to be bothered by Bennett. Halfway through the picture, Corbin temporarily leaves the legal world behind by masterminding a race track swindle, targeting lovable Pop Everett (Otis Harlan) as his fall guy. Bennett teams with lady detective Emilia (Carmel Myers) to save Pop from losing his money, but the DA's girlfriend Carol (Barbara Kent), Pop's daughter, misunderstands the situation and walks out on Bennett. This sets the stage for a comic denouement straight out of the The Front Page. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gilbert Roland, Noah Beery, Sr., (more)
Chinatown After Dark is where you'll find Madame Ying Su (Carmel Myers), a "dragon lady" type who'll stop at nothing to get her hands on a rare dagger belonging to the Royal House of Lee Fong. Unbeknownst to the authorities, the dagger contains a priceless jewel, the owner of which will be able to wield untold power over all of Chinatown. American Jim Bonner (Rex Lease), in love with Lee Fong's ward Lotus (Vera Reynolds), is set up as the fall guy when the dagger is stolen and a man is murdered. Bonner spends the rest of the picture trying to prove his innocence to a sneezing comic-relief detective (Billy Gilbert, in one of his first important feature-length roles. "See what happens in the underworld dens after dark!" entreated the ads for this fast-moving cheapie. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rex Lease, Barbara Kent, (more)
- 1931
Lion and the Lamb takes place in Columbia Pictures' idea of London. Upon returning home after a long absence, globetrotting playboy Dave (Walter Byron) finds that he's inherited an Earldom. Thanks to a case of mistaken identity, however, Dave is intercepted en route to his ancestral estate by a criminal gang, headed by Moriarty look-alike Tottie (Montague Love). Perceived to be a notorious criminal, Dave is ordered to kidnap heiress Madge (Miriam Seegar). Managing to escape from the gang, Dave sets about to rescue Madge and foil the villains. The basic story, by workhorse wordsmith E. Roberts Oppenheim, is a good one, deserving of better treatment than it receives here. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Walter Byron, Carmel Myers, (more)
- 1931
More of a follow-up than a sequel to 1931's popular Svengali, this drama centers on the attempts of a club-footed and insanely bitter dance instructor to cling to his protege. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Barrymore, Marian Marsh, (more)
The George du Maurier novel Trilby, about a hypnotist who controls a female musician, was originally filmed as Trilby, a 1920s silent. In the 1931 talkie, the emphasis shifts from the music student to the teacher, Svengali. John Barrymore gives a scenery-chewing performance as Svengali, who is originally seen tutoring Honori (Carmel Myers). Trilby (Marian Marsh) is making her living as a nude model, but she wants to use her musical talents to earn money and hopes to settle down with Billee (Bramwell Fletcher). Unfortunately, his upper-class family simply wouldn't approve. Svengali falls for Trilby and starts teaching her music while manipulating her hypnotically. Eventually, she becomes so dependent on him that she can't perform outside of his presence. This film became so well-known that the word "Svengali" became incorporated into the English language, meaning "someone who, with evil intent, tries to persuade another to do what is desired." A British version of the film was released in 1955. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Barrymore, Marian Marsh, (more)
- 1930
In this high-seas adventure, a ship's steward goes 'round the bend, mutinies, throws the captain into the briny, and turns into an utter tyrant. He is protected by the simple-minded, enormously strong cook. Fortunately for the crew, the crazed steward goes completely mad and ends up leaping to his own death. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Conrad Nagel, Kay Johnson, (more)
- 1930
In this melodrama, a husband gets on with his life after his wife goes to Europe to get a divorce. Thinking the deed done, the husband marries another. Unfortunately, his first wife returns and tells him that she never went through the procedure and that she has no intention of ever freeing him. His second wife becomes distraught and attempts to kill herself. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Conrad Nagel, Genevieve Tobin, (more)
- 1929
Filmed back-to-back with the similar The Broadway Hoofer, Broadway Scandals marked the first musical production from then-Poverty Row company Columbia Pictures and the feature film debut of popular Broadway emcee Jack Egan. Egan plays Ted Howard, a vaudevillian left stranded in a tank town. A local girl, Mary (Sally O'Neil), proposes to finance a new act with her savings and the team succeeds in a minor way until Ted is discovered by Broadway femme fatale Valeska (Carmel Myers). Not wishing to stand in her partner's way, Mary nobly resigns from the act and instead accepts a minor role in the show. She proves a sensation on opening night, however, and a jealous Valeska demands her ousted. But Ted, who is in love with Mary, reorganizes their old act and they begin a new life together as man and wife. Despite such songs as "Can You Read in My Eyes", by Sam Coslow, "Kickin' the Blues Away", by David Franklin, and the inimitable "Does Elephants Love Peanuts?", Broadway Scandals failed to make much of an impact and played mainly in the hinterlands. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sally O'Neil, Jack Egan, (more)
- 1929
The Careless Age was based on Diversion, a play by John Van Druten. Douglas Fairbanks Jr. plays Wyn, a headstrong young British aristocrat whose escapades cause no end of headaches for his father Sir John (Holmes Herbert). Although married to Muriel (Loretta Young), Wyn begins courting a gold-digging musical comedy actress named Ray (Carmel Myers). But when our hero is falsely accused of murder, Muriel stands nobly by his side. The film suffers from the usual early-talkie deficiencies, but the performances -- especially from the younger members of the cast -- are vibrant and enthusiastic. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Loretta Young, (more)
- 1929
This early talkie, set in French Indochina, centers around the conflict between a French magistrate's wife and his lecherous boss who requires that all wives sleep with him before he will promote their husbands. This wife refuses. Instead she marches into his office and demands an explanation. Her hasty actions do not help matters and she is just about to let him have his sleazy way with her when a native, who was hiding in the closet, is found. The men scuffle and the boss is killed. Unfortunately, it is her husband who is assigned the case. He does not know his wife witnessed the whole thing. It doesn't take him long to start drawing conclusions; suddenly he suspects his wife was unfaithful, but eventually she convinces him otherwise and justice is done. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Billie Dove, Antonio Moreno, (more)
- 1929
The Ghost Talks was based on Badges, a theatrical comedy-melodrama by Max Marcin and Edward Hammond. Broadway expatriate Charles Eaton stars as Franklin Green, who by guess and by gosh manages to graduate at the head of his class in Private Detective School. For his first case, Eaton ventures into the traditional "old dark house," where a malevolent ghost is supposedly running amok. In true "Scooby Doo" fashion, our hero proves that the villain is of the Live Human variety, but not until the audience has been treated to an abundance of "scare" comedy. Helen Twelvetrees, who fared better in tear-stained soap operas, bravely barges her way through the role of the imperiled heroine, while additional comedy relief was provided by black performers Stepin Fetchit and Baby Mack (whose material, need we say it, was racist in the extreme). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Helen Twelvetrees, Charles Eaton, (more)
- 1928
Starring Joan Crawford and John Gilbert, this suspenseful, silent crime-drama follows the exploits of a gangster who does his time for manslaughter and emerges from prison determined to reform. Unfortunately, he soon finds it is easier said than done when his former colleagues pay him a call. Fortunately, his loyal gal gives him enough love and support to see that he succeeds. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Gilbert, Joan Crawford, (more)
- 1928
The venerable French stage drama Adrienne Lecouvreur was redressed by MGM as the Joan Crawford vehicle Dream of Love. It's a rags-to-riches yarn, as a fiery gypsy girl (Crawford) becomes an internationally popular actress. Loved by thousands of fans, Adrienne Lecouvreur is unable to find true love for herself until she makes the acquaintance of roguish Prince Mauritz (Nils Asther). The more overt sexual implications of the original play were toned down by screenwriter Dorothy Farnum, much to the disappointment of Joan Crawford's fervent fans. Like most of MGM's late-1928 releases, Dream of Love was outfitted with a William Axt musical score. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joan Crawford, Nils Asther, (more)
- 1928
The "certain young man" of the title is Lord Gerald Brinsley, played by Ramon Novarro. A carefree young bachelor, Lord Gerald enjoys the company of married women, which makes him exceedingly unpopular with married men. After dallying with such women of the world as Henrietta (Renee Adoree) and Mrs. Crutchley (Carmel Myers), our hero falls genuinely in love for the first time with the unattached -- and decidedly unworldly -- Phyllis (Marceline Day). The fact that Willard Louis, who died in 1926, was prominently featured in the cast should have been a tip-off that A Certain Young Man was not precisely fresh off the shelf. Sure enough, the film had been completed in 1926, but withheld from release for two years while MGM subjected the property to endless retakes and re-edits. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ramon Novarro, Marceline Day, (more)
- 1927
Lew Cody and Carmel Myers, previously co-starred in MGM's The Gay Deceiver, were reteamed by popular demand in The Demi-Bride. Actually, Cody and Myers appear in support of Norma Shearer, cast as Criquette, the stepdaughter of randy Parisienne Madame Girard (Myers). Trouble begins when Mme. Girard steps out on her husband (Lionel Belmore), Criquette's father, to fool around with rakish Phillippe Levaux (Cody). When Monsieur Girard finds out, Criquette saves her stepmother from scandal by tricking Levaux into a hasty marriage. Both Criquette and her stepmom are ultimately disillusioned by Levaux when he takes up with a third girl! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Norma Shearer, Lew Cody, (more)
- 1927
Though in real life she was the daughter of a San Francisco rabbi, Carmel Myers was convincingly cast as the title character in The Girl From Rio. Myers plays Lola, a Brazilian cabaret dancer who is also the "kept woman" of Antonio Santos (Richard Tucker), the most powerful man in Rio De Janeiro. In addition, Lola is the object of desire for her dancing partner, Raoul (Eduoard Raquello). Somehow, true love triumphs in the form of English coffee-trader Paul Sinclair (Walter Pigeon), who falls for Lola even though he has a fiancee back home. The economically produced The Girl From Rio managed to attain critical notice by virtue of its costly Technicolor opening sequence. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carmel Myers, Walter Pidgeon, (more)
