May Robson Movies
Born Mary Robison. In her late teens she moved to the U.S. with no intention of becoming an actress; a few years later she became a widow, and in 1884 she took up acting to support her three children. She played both leads and supporting roles on the road and on Broadway, and over several decades she became highly respected as a character actress. From 1914-19 she appeared in a few silent films (sometimes billed as Mrs. Stuart Robson), then returned to the screen for good in 1926 and fourished in the subsequent sound era. She was usually cast as crusty, gruff, domineering society matrons or grandmothers. For her portrayal of Damon Runyon's Apple Annie in Frank Capra's Lady for a Day (1933), one of her rare starring roles, she received a Best Actress Oscar nomination. Ultimately she appeared in more than 60 films, the last of which was released the year of her death. ~ All Movie Guide- 1915
Marguerite Gale plays Molly, an Irish colleen who lands a job as a newspaper reporter. Molly's editor assigns her the task of interviewing as many New York theatrical celebrities as possible. She not only accomplishes this task, but takes a record-breaking airplane flight from Connecticut to New York in order to meet her deadline. The raison d'etre for How Molly Made Good was to show off a cornucopia of Broadway luminaries. Among those stage stars making cameo appearances are May Robson, Julia Dean, Henry Kolker, Henrietta Crossman, Mme. Fjorde, Mabel Fenton, and legendary female impersonator Julian Eltinge. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1916
Despite director Frank Capra's claims that he "discovered" May Robson for his 1933 production Lady for a Day, the venerable Robson had already been in films for two years when she starred in 1916's A Night Out. The actress plays a lonely crotchety old lady whose well-ordered lifestyle is turned topsy-turvy when her grandsons Jonas (Charles Brown) and Waldo (George Cooper) pay her a visit. The two young sprouts persuade "Granmum" to accompany them on a night on the town. At first resistant, the old lady's resolve is weakened by a few sips of champagne, and by the end of the evening she's having a high old time. Having created this role on the Broadway stage, May Robson had no trouble repeating her theatrical triumph on celluloid. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1919
This farce comedy was based on the play by Lawrence Irving Rising. Moving Picture World, expressing the delicate mores of the era's movie audience, asserted, "it is not, after all, the sort of picture to flaunt in the face of an innocent debutante," in part because one of the characters reveals an identifying mole -- on her ankle! Alice Brady has a dual role, as the mischievous Vi Playfair (the one with the mole), and her tamer twin sister Tiny. Vi is about to marry Joe Damorel (Edward Earle), but first she wants to have a secret meeting with a former suitor, Lent Trevett (James L. Crane). Tiny -- who's more than a little in love with Trevett herself -- is shocked at her sister's plan, and goes to meet him herself. After receiving the kisses and affection meant for her sister, Tiny sends him on his way, but the next day, after the wedding, Trevett shows up in an attempt to convince Vi to run off with him. Tiny is furious when Vi agrees, and since there is a second dress identical to the wedding gown, she puts it on and goes off with Damorel. Now it's Vi's turn to become incensed, but after a lot of confusion, husband and wife get back together, while Tiny and Trevett decide they're happy with each other. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- 1926
Prominent Viennese stage star Rudolph Schildkraut (Joseph's father) heads the cast of Pals in Paradise. Schildkraut plays a Jewish storekeeper who sets up shop in a small desert gold-rush village. When time comes to elect a sheriff, Schildkraut wins the appointment by default. Though he's determined to rule the town with an iron hand, the old sheriff proves to be a softie at heart by helping along the romance between young miner John Bowers and pretty heiress Marguerite de la Motte (the real-life Mrs. Bowers). He also prevents the girl from marrying an oily crook, who in the end turns out to be the murderer of the heroine's father. Pals in Paradise was based on a story by Peter B. Kyne, of "Broncho Billy" fame. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rudolph Schildkraut, Marguerite de la Motte, (more)
- 1927
Based on a real-life incident, Maurine Watkins' semi-satirical novel and play Chicago was first brought to the screen in 1927. Phyllis Haver was ideally cast as gum-chewing dance-hall girl Roxie Hart, who shoots her lover full of holes and then is forgiven by her faithful -- if not entirely honest -- husband Amos (Victor Varconi). Put on trial for murder, Roxie comes to enjoy the publicity, and soon willingly becomes the darling of the media (it helps that she's convinced herself that no jury in their right mind will condemn a "celebrity"). Feeding upon this, Roxie's flamboyant defense attorney Flynn (Robert Edeson) likewise revels in the hoopla stirred up by enterprising reporter T. Roy Barnes. The only person who doesn't enjoy the spectacle is Amos Hart, who becomes so fed up that he tosses Roxie out of their house, finding comfort in the arms of housemaid Katie (Virginia Bradford), who has loved him all along. A cleaned-up but no less rowdy version of Chicago was filmed by William Wellman in 1943 under the title Roxie Hart; three decades later, the property was revived as a Broadway musical, which has flourished on the road-show circuit ever since. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Phyllis Haver, Victor Varconi, (more)
Having scored big-time box office with his first Biblical epic, The Ten Commandments (1923), Cecil B. DeMille hoped to top this success with his 1927 The King of Kings. Inasmuch as he was now dealing with the life of Christ, DeMille had to be careful to serve up equal amounts of showmanship and reverence. The first creative challenge: how to "introduce" Christ in a tasteful manner? The answer: as a blind child is cured through Jesus' intervention, DeMille cuts to the child's point-of-view, slowly fading in on the kindly countenance of H.B. Warner as the Son of Man. Still, DeMille remained DeMille, especially in his handling of the character of Mary Magdalene (Jacqueline Logan). No longer a tattered streetwalker, Mary Magdalene is now a glamorous courtesan, replete with legions of gorgeous slave girls (one of whom is "bubble dancer" Sally Rand) and dressed in revealing Hollywood-style gowns. In fact, the film opens on this character, as she ruminates over the defection of her favorite customer, Judas Iscariot (Joseph Schildkraut), who is spending far too much time with Jesus of Nazareth. Upon visiting Jesus herself, she immediately repents, casting off all her prior sins. Once again, the efficacy of the Cecil B. DeMille formula is proven: redemption has no dramatic value unless the film shows viewers why the sinner needs to be redeemed. Once he's gotten his box-office considerations out of the way, DeMille adheres faithfully to the particulars of Jesus' life, betrayal, trial, Crucifixion, and Resurrection. (Again, however, the director improves a bit upon his source material: the storm that follows the Crucifixion is of the same spectacular dimensions as the parting of the Red Sea in Ten Commandments, while the Resurrection is filmed in vibrant Technicolor). To back up the authenticity of his images, DeMille -- with an assist from scenarist Jeannie Macpherson -- utilizes Scriptural quotes in his subtitles. And to avoid any untoward publicity while filming, DeMille required all of his actors to sign legal documents preventing them from indulging in any sort of "sinful" activity; this meant that poor old H.B. Warner had to steer clear of alcoholic beverages for nearly a year, though he more than made up for lost time after his contract ran out. Prepared to mercilessly lambaste The King of Kings, DeMille's critics were disarmed by his reverent, tasteful approach to the subject. Years after the film's release, a specially prepared 60-minute version of the 18-reel King of Kings was making the rounds of religious groups, church basements, and Easter-weekend telecasts. The film was remade in 1961 by producer Samuel Bronston and director Nicholas Ray, with Jeffrey Hunter as Jesus. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- H.B. Warner, Dorothy Cumming, (more)
- 1927
Previously filmed in 1914, the popular turn-of-the-century stage farce Rejuvenation of Aunt Mary was remade in 1927. This time, the title character was played by May Robson, repeating her original Broadway role. A priggish spinster, Aunt Mary (Robson) kicks up her heels when she is reunited with her childhood sweetheart. Visiting a nightclub for the first time in her life, Auntie proceeds to get royally plastered, culminating in her arrest when the cops raid the joint. Dragged into night court, Aunt Mary is brought before the judge -- who, of course, is none other than her old boyfriend. For the rest of the picture, Aunt M. and her erstwhile beau are kept apart by the rowdy antics of her ne'er-do-well nephew, who for all that is the fellow who brings the two old folks back together in the final footage. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- May Robson, Phyllis Haver, (more)
- 1927
Glamorous Broadway actress Babe (Leatrice Joy) is cast as a Salvation Army lass in her latest musical. For research purposes, she pays a visit to a Lower East Side S. A. Mission, dons a uniform, and goes to work on a street corner, complete with tambourine and contribution pot. This upsets her sweetheart Jerry Wilson (Victor Varconi), who feels that Babe is poking fun at the Army and its good works. But the lovers are reunited when Babe's experiences make her a better and more reverential person. Angel of Broadway was the last silent-film effort of pioneering female director Lois Weber, who unfortunately was unable to finance another film project until 1934. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Leatrice Joy, Victor Varconi, (more)
- 1927
Those who believe that It Happened One Night was the first film to tap the comic potential of "auto courts" (later known as motels) are referred to the 1927 film Rubber Tires. It all begins when the Stack family sells all its worldly possessions, invests in a car, and heads to California. Every possible disaster befalls them, from flat tires to busted radiators, but the family is always rescued by Bill James (Harrison Ford), the erstwhile sweetheart of Mary Ellen Stack (Bessie Love). Upon arriving in the Golden State, Pa Stack (Erwin Connelly) finds that a promised job has fallen through, but fortunately the manufacturer of their car gives the family a huge cash reward for proving the durability of the auto. Rubber Tires was filmed on locations ranging from Monterey Bay to the coast of Carmel; according to co-star Frank "Junior" Coghlan, one scene was filmed in the tiny chili stand owned by future "restaurateur-to-the-stars" Dave Chasen. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bessie Love, Erwin Connelly, (more)
- 1927
A Harp in Hock proved to be a felicitous reteaming of veteran Austrian stage star Rudolph Schildkraut and juvenile favorite Junior Coghlan, who'd previously co-starred in The Country Doctor. Upon arriving in New York, Irish lad Coghlan discovers that his mother has just died. Coghlan is unofficially adopted by May Robson, his mom's tenement neighbor, but when the feisty orphan takes a poke at Robson's bullying son, he is turned over to the cops. Likeable Jewish pawnbroker Schildkraut assumes custody of Coghlan during the boy's probation, but after a second confrontation with Robson's son, the kid is shipped off to an orphanage. Escaping, Coghlan makes a beeline to Schildkraut's hockshop, where in a tearful conclusion the old man decides to permanently adopt the boy. In recalling A Harp in Hock in his autobiography, Frank "Junior" Coghlan noted that director Renaud Hoffman insisted that the young actor speak in an Irish brogue while on the set -- even though the film was silent! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rudolph Schildkraut, Junior Coughlan, (more)
- 1928
Cecil B. DeMille functioned as executive producer for the derivative romantic melodrama The Blue Danube. Leatrice Joy stars as Marguerite, a Budapest tavern girl, who falls in love with young baron Erich (Nils Asther). When WWI breaks out, Erich is called back to his regiment on the eve of his wedding to Marguerite. This provides a golden opportunity for Ludwig (Joseph Schildkraut), a deformed, embittered violinist who is secretly in love with the heroine. Intercepting her mail, Ludwig convinces Marguerite that Erich has been unfaithful, whereupon the girl agrees to marry the violinist on the rebound. Only the unexpected return of Erich prevents villainy from triumphing over virtue. The Blue Danube was written by future director John Farrow. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Leatrice Joy, Joseph Schildkraut, (more)
- 1930
In this heart-tugging musical, a Southern boy loses his parents during the Civil War and is forcibly wrenched away from his beloved mammy and sent to New York to live with his Yankee grandma. At first the family resents the rebel upstart, but soon he charms them into loving him with his singing ability. The story is also called Rainbow on the River. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bobby Breen, May Robson, (more)
- 1931
Based on the stage play Mother's Millions, She-Wolf is one of several 1930s films inspired by the life of the reclusive "Witch of Wall Street" Hetty Green. Though a millionairess several times over, financial sorceress Harriet Breen (May Robson) lives like a pauper and expects everyone around her to do the same. In her single-minded pursuit to destroy stock manipulator William Remington (Edmund Breese), whom she despises beyond words, Harriet neglects her two grown children, Tom (Lawrence Gray) and Fair (Frances Dade). But unlike her real-life counterpart, Harriet proves to have a sentimental streak, and when Tom and Fair demonstrate their unswerving loyalty to their mother, she reciprocates by helping them find lasting happiness with the sweethearts of their choice. Despite what director Frank Capra may claim in his autobiography, She-Wolf represents the talking-picture debut of that grand old trouper May Robson. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- May Robson, James Hall, (more)
- 1932
A remarkably smooth 110-minute adaptation of Eugene O'Neill's marathon eight-hour play, Strange Interlude was advertised as "the picture in which you hear the characters think," a nod to O'Neill's technique of having the characters speak their innermost thoughts out loud between dialogue passages (on-stage, the actors stood stock still while delivering their soliloquies; in the film, their thoughts are heard on the soundtrack). Norma Shearer plays Nina Leeds, who during WWI is talked out of marrying her soldier sweetheart, Gordon Shaw (Robert Young), by her professor father (Henry B. Walthall). When Gordon dies two days before the Armistice, the embittered Nina rebels against her father, escaping his dominance by marrying faithful Sam Evans (Alexander Kirkland). Upon discovering that there is a strain of insanity in the Evans family, Nina, desperate to have children, enters into a romance with Dr. Ned Darrell (Clark Gable). She bears his child, a son named Gordon (Tad Alexander as a child, Robert Young as an adult), assuring Evans that the baby is his. Gordon grows up idolizing Evans and despising Darrell, even though the boy is unaware of the circumstances of his birth or his true parentage. Her love for her son bordering on the obsessive, Nina does everything she can to dominate the boy even into adulthood, trying to scare away her son's fiancée, Madeline (Maureen O'Sullivan), by bringing up the insanity issue. Hoping to make up for past misdeeds, Darrell orders Nina to stop poisoning Madeline's mind against Gordon. By the time Evans suffers a fatal heart attack, Nina and Darrell have lost whatever love they shared between them. Through it all, Charlie Marsden (Ralph Morgan), a family friend who has long harbored an unrequited love for Nina, stands on the sidelines vicariously living his life through Nina and Darrell. Of necessity severely cut due to time and censorial constrictions, Strange Interlude still manages to distill the essence of the O'Neill play in its comparatively brief running time. The film's major flaw can also be found in the original play: though the characters age only 25 years or so in the course of the story, by the film's end they are seen doddering around like nonagenarians. The "speaking one's thoughts" gimmick in Strange Interlude was parodied in such comedy films as Animal Crackers, Me and My Gal, So This Is Africa, and even the Walter Catlett two-reeler Get Along Little Hubby. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Norma Shearer, Clark Gable, (more)
- 1932
Jack Conway complained about being assigned to direct this comedy, claiming that a woman like the title character had almost ruined his own marriage. In a way he had a point , but only Jean Harlow could have made gold digger Lil Andrews a sympathetic protagonist. And Katherine Brush's racy novel (which first appeared, serial-fashion, in the Saturday Evening Post) could only have been filmed in the pre-Code days of the early 1930s. Helping both star and story is the snappy dialogue written by Anita Loos. Lil is the classic girl "from the wrong side of the tracks" -- she's a secretary with a bootlegger boyfriend and a wisecracking roommate named Sal (Una Merkel, who was a delightful foil to Harlow in several films). But Lil has ambitions -- she's "strictly on the level, like a flight of stairs," as one character says. She plans to snag Bill Legendre (Chester Morris), son of the venerable company head (Lewis Stone) -- no matter that he's happily married to his childhood sweetheart, Irene (Leila Hyams). Lil throws herself at Legendre until he can resist no longer and she snares him. But things don't work out as planned. Instead of making a big splash in society, she bombs -- so she casts her attention ever upwards to Gaersate, a coal king (Henry Stephenson). But a wrench is thrown into her scheme when she goes mad for his French chauffeur (Charles Boyer). "I've fallen in love and I'm going to be married!" she gleefully tells Sal, before explaining that it's the chauffeur she loves and Gaersate whom she will marry. However, Legendre Sr. has put a detective on Lil's trail and he shows Gaersate a handful of compromising photos. It looks like her game is up, but the last we see of the mercenary miss, she's leaving a fashionable Paris racetrack with a bearded old sugar daddy -- and her beloved chauffeur driving them away. In spite of all her blatant manipulations, Harlow gives Lil a childlike appeal, which makes her actions nearly forgivable (it also helps that the men are such dolts). But not everyone was able to accept a movie bad-girl who did not pay for her sins and, in fact, actually benefited from them -- the film was banned in Germany and England. It may not have gotten much play in France either, but certainly not because of Lil's wantonness. Charles Boyer, who was a star in his native country, was embarrassed at his failure to make a splash in America and didn't want his fellow Frenchmen to see him play a tiny bit-part. Depending on the source, he reportedly convinced MGM to either 1) release the film in France with his parts edited out (which would have made it quite confusing) or 2) not release the film there at all. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean Harlow, Chester Morris, (more)
- 1932
Based on a novel by Marie Belloc Lowndes, this drama chronicles the tangled web woven by a poisonous New York socialite who tires all her means to escape the unwanted attentions of a would-be lover before resorting to murder. Joan Crawford stars as the title character whose travails begin during a South American vacation after she meets the handsome Emile (Nils Asther). For her own amusement, she dallies with him and even writes him a few passionate letters before boredom overtakes her and she decides to return to the Big Apple--without her new lover. Unfortunately, Emile has become obsessed with her and to force he to stay threatens to use her impassioned letters to socially embarrass her back home. This only increases her icy determination to return home. On the long cruise northward, she meets and falls in love with Robert Montgomery and they get engaged. Crawford has no idea that Emile has taken a plane to New York so he can greet her at the dock. He then begins stalking her and constantly threatening her with those damning letters until she decides she has had enough and puts a permanent end to his badgering. Unfortunately, her action is not without repercussions and ultimately, she must put her trust in her fiance and her mother with whom she has been emotionally estranged. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joan Crawford, Robert Montgomery, (more)
- 1932
Based upon the phenomenally successful Harold Gray comic strip, Little Orphan Annie covers a lot of ground in its short 60 minutes. Annie (played by 12-year-old Mitzi Green) is a spunky and spirited child who runs away from the orphanage where she is mistreated and manages to come under the watchful eye of Oliver "Daddy" Warbucks (Edgar Kennedy), one of the wealthiest men in the world -- or he is until the stock market crash ruins him. Having plenty of spunk and determination himself, Warbucks leaves Annie to go out West and search for gold. Annie helps another young orphan get adopted, goes through an animated dream sequence, and is eventually reunited with Warbucks, who has succeeded in rebuilding his fortune. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mitzi Green, Buster Phelps, (more)
- 1932
Based on a story by Robert Andrews, If I Had a Million is a multipart comedy-drama employing Paramount's top directorial and acting talents. Refusing to leave his fortune to his grasping relatives, dying millionaire Richard Bennett selects several people at random from the phone book and bestows upon each of them a check for one million dollars. The first recipient is henpecked husband Charlie Ruggles, who cheerily enters his former place of employment, a china shop, and smashes every bit of crockery in the place. Prostitute Wynne Gibson uses her money to escape from her sordid lifestyle and finally sleep in a bed all by herself. Forger George Raft finds that he can't convince anyone that his check is genuine, and ends up handing the check to a flophouse manager--who promptly burns it. Husband and wife W.C. Fields and Alison Skipworth, dismayed that their new car has been destroyed by a "road hog," utilize part of their million dollars to purchase a fleet of cars and then smash up every road hog in sight! Convicted murderer Gene Raymond hopes that his million will help finance a new trial, but the execution is carried out on schedule. Newly rich clerk Charles Laughton calmly makes his way through a series of offices, reaches his boss' desk, and delivers a loud Bronx cheer. Gary Cooper, Roscoe Karns and Jack Oakie play three brawling marines who think the check's a joke and sign it over to an illiterate lunch-counter owner. The last million-dollar recipient is May Robson, an elderly woman confined to a dismal nursing home. She spends her money to turn the home into a joyful resort for old people, forcing the formerly repressive nursing-home staffers to earn their paychecks by sitting all day in rocking chairs. The millionaire who started the plot rolling is given a new lease on life by May Robson's example, and he recovers from his "fatal" illness. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gary Cooper, Charles Laughton, (more)
Based on the Broadway hit by George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber, Dinner at Eight is a near-flawless comedy/drama with an all-star cast at the peak of their talents. Social butterfly Mrs. Oliver Jordan (Billie Burke) arranges a dinner party that will benefit the busines of her husband (Lionel Barrymore). Among the invited are a crooked executive (Wallace Beery), who is in the process of ruining Jordan; his wife (Jean Harlow), who is carrying on an affair with a doctor (Edmund Lowe); a fading matinee idol (John Barrymore), who has squandered his fortune on liquor and is romantically involved with the Jordan daughter (Madge Evans); and a venerable stage actress (Marie Dressler), who since losing all her money has become a "professional guest." Nothing goes as planned, due to various suicides, double-crosses, compromises, fatal illness, and servant problems. But dinner is served precisely at eight. The script by Herman Mankiewicz, Frances Marion, and Donald Ogden Stewart is a virtual enclyopedia of witty lines and scenes, right down to the unforgettable closing gag. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marie Dressler, John Barrymore, (more)
- 1933
Lionel Barrymore plays one of those selfless general practitioners that seem to exist exclusively in the movies in One Man's Journey. Though his efforts go unappreciated by his patients and even by his own family, the far-from-wealthy Dr. Eli Watt (Barrymore) continues to dedicate his life to medicine, ultimately inspiring his son Jimmy (Buster Phelps as a child, Joel McCrea as an adult) to follow in his footsteps. As a result of his tireless efforts to pull his community through a deadly epidemic, Dr. Watt is at last honored at a testimonial dinner, where his richer and more famous colleagues lift their glasses in praise of our hero. Of course, Watt also finds time to patch up the romance between his son Jimmy and Jimmy's sweetheart Joan (Frances Dee, Mrs. Joel Crea in real life). One Man's Journey was remade by director Garson Kanin as A Man to Remember (1938) -- a rare instance in which a remake was actually better than the original. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lionel Barrymore, May Robson, (more)
May Robson plays Apple Annie, a slatternly Broadway apple peddler. Annie has a curious setup whereby she is able to finagle other street merchants and beggars to pony up part of their weekly earnings to her--yet she never seems to spend any of the money on herself. This is because Annie has a daughter named Louise (Jean Parker), who has been supported in luxury all her life by her mother. Louise has no idea who Annie really is; so far as she knows, her mother is Mrs. E. Worthington Manville, a Manhattan society matron. When Louise sends Annie a letter telling her that she's become engaged to a young Spanish nobleman named Carlos (Barry Norton), Annie is aghast: once Louise brings her fiance to New York, the jig will be up. Coming to the rescue is high-rolling gambler Dave the Dude (Warren William), who considers Annie his good-luck charm. With the help of his nightclub-thrush girlfriend Missouri Martin (Glenda Farrell), Dave arranges a huge society reception for Louise -- and a complete fashion makeover for Annie. To do this, a few strong-arm methods are required, notably the kidnaping of several society reporters; also, it's necessary to pass off down-and-out Judge Blake (Guy Kibbee) as Annie's well-connected husband. Lady for a Day is the film with which Frank Capra hoped to enter the Big Leagues by taking home a shelf-full of Academy Awards. His subsequent embarrassment at the 1934 Oscar ceremonies has now passed into Hollywood legend, but he made up for this debacle with his Oscars sweep for It Happened One Night. Lady for a Day was remade by Capra as 1961's Pocketful of Miracles, with Bette Davis as Apple Annie. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Warren William, May Robson, (more)
- 1933
A remarried war widow's attempts to raise her son to be a pacifist are thwarted when a second world war (this film was made well before the real WWII) erupts. Up until then, her new husband, the Secretary of State, supported his wife's crusade, but with a war on, he becomes a strong supporter in the fight that culminates in the exciting bombing of the Empire State Building. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Diana Wynyard, Phillips Holmes, (more)
- 1933
Broadway to Hollywood is a through-the-years saga about a show business family. Frank Morgan and Alice Brady play vaudeville headliners of the 1880s whose fame is eclipsed by their son (played as a youth by Jackie Cooper, then as an adult by Russell Hardie). Morgan and Brady are reduced to bit roles in a musical starring their son and his wife (Madge Evans). Alas, Sonny spoils it all by drinking and philandering, while his wife dies in a freak accident. After Hardie is killed in World War One, Morgan and Brady raise Hardie's son, who grows from Mickey Rooney to Eddie Quillan and becomes a temperamental movie star. Grandpa Morgan gives Quillan a remonstrative on-set speech about professionalism, then drops dead as his chastened grandson goes back to work. Broadway to Hollywood is principally a showcase for several elaborate musical numbers originally filmed for MGM's abandoned 1930 extravaganza The March of Time. While the plotline veers towards the ridiculous, comedy buffs are advised to stick with the film for an uncredited appearance by Moe and Curly of the Three Stooges, both dressed in bizarre clown makeup and speaking in weird German accents. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alice Brady, Frank Morgan, (more)
- 1933
Based on the 1909 novel by F. Marion Crawford, The White Sister stars Helen Hayes as an aristocratic Italian girl who spurns the potential husband chosen by her father in favor of a handsome army lieutenant (Clark Gable). When her lover is reported killed in World War I, Hayes renounces the world to become a nun. After taking her vows, the lieutenant shows up very much alive. He implores her to give up the Order, but she refuses. The lieutenant is later injured in a bombing raid; he dies, with Hayes lovingly at his side. The White Sister was previously filmed in 1922, with Lillian Gish and Ronald Colman. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Helen Hayes, Clark Gable, (more)
Virtually everybody except President Roosevelt was in the lavish MGM backstage musical Dancing Lady. Joan Crawford stars as Janie Barlow, an impoverished dancer reduced to working in a seedy Manhattan burlesque house. While on a slumming party with his society friend, wealthy young Tod Newton (Franchot Tone) spots Janie in the burleycue chorus line and immediately falls in love with her. When the joint is raided, Tod pays Janie's bail, but she resists his entreaties to become his mistress, promising instead to pay back every cent she owes him "honestly." With Tod's help, Janie is able to secure work in a big-time Broadway musical being staged by Patch Gallegher (Clark Gable), who is certain that the girl is an untalented opportunist and does everything he can to sabotage her audition. When he realizes that the girl "has something," he refuses to admit it but does, grudgingly, hire her for the show. Through a combination of skill and damned hard work, Janie ends up as the star of the show, whereupon Tod, worried that he'll lose the girl to the Great White Way, buys the show and promptly closes it. But Janie, who's fallen in love with Patch, teams with her new sweetheart to restage the show with their own meager savings -- and surprise of surprises, it's a smash hit. Truly an embarrassment of riches, Dancing Lady introduced Fred Astaire to the movie-going public, solidified the popularity of MGM's new tenor Nelson Eddy, and offered a wide berth for the comedy antics of Ted Healy and his Three Stooges -- Moe Howard, Curly Howard and Larry Fine (Larry, performing his role in a Jewish dialect, has a wonderful double-take bit with a jigsaw puzzle which turns out to be a portrait of Adolf Hitler). As a bonus, the film offers spectacular musical production numbers, not to mention the enduring song hit "Everything I Have is Yours." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joan Crawford, Clark Gable, (more)
