May Robson Movies

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

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

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

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

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

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

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