Margaret Seddon Movies

Running five reels, Famous Players' The Lady of Quality was a faithful adaptation of the same-named theatrical drama. Repeating her stage role of Clorinda was the magnificent Cecilia Loftus, while Geraldine O'Brien, House Peters, Hal Clarendon, Peter Lang and Dave Wall offered excellent support. The plot, which was considered old-fashioned even in 1913, charts the progress of the heroine from cradle to grave, devoting special attention to that "one wrong step" which threatens to destroy her reputation. The final portion of the story gives way to melodrama, as the desperate Clorinda tries to hide the body of the man she has murdered. Running 75 minutes or so, The Lady of Quality was cinematically unininspired, but nonetheless lauded by chi-chi critics as a "prestige" item. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this silent Western, popular genre star Fred Thomson was given a new sidekick in six-year-old Billy Butts, a fair-haired boy actor who could ride with the best of them. Fred, as Fred Saunders, rescues little Buddy, an orphan, from being trampled to death by a runaway horse. Saunders soon becomes so attached to the plucky tyke that he "kidnaps" him from the orphanage. The two of them recover money stolen from the collection plate at the local church and Fred falls in love with the minister's daughter, June (Lola Todd). Things turn serious, however, when little Buddy is kidnapped for real, this time by a gang headed by Con Carney (Robert McKim). The Western climaxes in a daring rescue of Buddy, who proves to be June's long-lost kid brother. Billy Butts went on to star opposite Fox cowboy Rex Bell and later replaced Jackie Morgan in the popular "Gumps" two-reeler. His waif-like qualities didn't survive into puberty, however, and Butts retired from films at age 17. Like so many of his FBO Westerns, The Tough Guy was written by Thomson's wife, Frances Marion, under the pseudonym "Frank M. Clifton." ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

Mary Philbin, best remembered as the heroine of the 1925 Lon Chaney version of Phantom of the Opera, stars in this murky low-budget melodrama. Philbin plays the daughter of truculent lighthouse keeper Russell Simpson. She goes ga-ga over society rake Edmund Burns, which greatly displeases her father. So put out is dead old dad that he goes after Burns with an axe, whereupon Philbin arms herself with a gun. Since most of After the Fog is set in a lighthouse, it is altogether appropriate that it was put together by Beacon Productions. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Set sometime during the 19th century, Blarney deals with the exploits of Irish prizefighter James Carabine (Ralph Graves). Aspiring to become the greatest bare-knuckle boxer in the world, Carabine stows away on a boat bound for America. On the verge of being discovered, our hero is rescued by another immigrant, Peggy Nolan (Rene Adoree), who pays for his fare. Instead of displaying gratitude, Carabine gives Peggy the heave-ho at the first opportunity, the better to dally with vixenish concert singer Marcalina (Paulette Duval). But when Carabine is defeated in his first bout by champion Blanco Johnson (Malcolm Waite), the fickle Marcalina shifts her loyalties to the champ. With the help and support of the still-loyal Peggy, Carabine gets back on his professional feet and defeats Johnson in a return match, whereupon he realizes that Peggy was the right girl for him from the outset. Based on a true story, Blarney more than lives up to its title by playing fast and loose with the facts. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This drama about Cuba's unsuccessful 1850 revolution was based on the novel by Joseph Hergesheimer. Andres Escobar (André Beranger) convinces his wealthy American friend, Charles Abbott (Richard Barthelmess) to join him in Cuba. When Abbott sees how poorly the Spaniards are treating the Cubans, he is more than happy to join in the battle for independence. He is helped by La Clavel, a Spanish dancer who is on the side of the revolutionaries (Dorothy Gish, in an uncharacteristic role). He manages to gather much valuable information before drawing the suspicion of Captain Cesar Y Santacilla (Anders Randolf), a Spanish officer. Santacilla lays a trap for Abbott and La Clavel and catches them. La Clavel dies in the struggle, but Abbott overpowers the captain. After rescuing several of his friends, Abbott gets involved in a duel with another Spanish officer, who ultimately takes pity on him and puts him on a ship bound for America. On board, Abbott is happy to find Escobar's sister, Narcisa (Mary Astor), with whom he has fallen in love. There are two newcomers to the screen in this First National release -- future silent star Jetta Goudal in a small role, and Edward G. Robinson in his only silent film appearance. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

Uriah Stone (Montagu Love) is a hypnotist who runs a sideshow. His assistant, Dorothy (Constance Binney), is under his spell -- when he gives her a hypnotic stare and waves a diamond ring in front of her, she becomes Becky, her evil alter ego. One of Stone's subjects advises Dorothy to run away. She escapes to a small town where she stays with Mrs. Arnold (Jane Jennings) and her son, John (Glenn Hunter). Dorothy falls in love with John, but when he proposes to her and flashes a diamond ring at her, she suddenly becomes Becky. Dr. Emerson, a nerve specialist (Frank McCormack), is called in to treat Dorothy, and he takes her to his sanitarium. Stone traces Dorothy there and tries to get her back by revealing papers claiming her as his daughter. Dr. Emerson suspects that Stone is really Professor Balzamo, who ran off with his wife and little girl many years before. Through his own mental powers, Dr. Emerson breaks Stone/Balzamo and restores Dorothy to her normal, sweet self. Dorothy, it turns out, is Dr. Emerson's daughter. Once again, John brings out the engagement ring, which this time only inspires a loving reaction from Dorothy. Edward Locke's play (which was staged by David Belasco) was brought to the screen once before, in 1915, and starred Blanche Sweet. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

Wade (George Nash) is a promoter of fake oil stock who sends two of his men, Dan Corvan (Thomas Meighan) and Larry Maddox (Laurence Wheat), down to the small Florida town of Fairfield to make a sale to the miserly Godfrey Queritt (Charles Dow Clark). When Corvan discovers that Sunday school teacher Margaret Leland (Virginia Valli) is friends with the old man, he romances her. He also helps out the local charities and endears himself to the local folk. Corvan is too good at his tricks -- all this hard-won trust is turning him into an honest man. When a dying old lady gives him money and asks him to make restitution for her thieving son, he realizes he can't go through with Wade's swindle, and he breaks with his boss to go straight. When he confesses to Margaret that he is not worthy of her, she says that she loves him anyway and the couple is united. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

Dancing Sweeties is set primarily in a Chicago dance emporium. During a dance contest, Bill (Grant Withers) and Molly (Sue Carol) meet and fall in love. Deciding to go professional, Bill drops Molly when she proves unable to memorize their dance routines. Finally, however, Bill realizes that there's more to life than a syncopated pair of tootsies, and he proposes to Molly. The film's four songs were hummable but forgettable: a fifth, "Dancing With Tears in My Eyes," was cut from the final release print but went on to become a hit thanks to incessant radio and jukebox exposure. The reviewer for Variety at the time of the film's release described Dancing Sweeties as typical of a genre in which the characters' brains were in their feet. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

David Copperfield was MGM's major Christmas release for its 1934-1935 season and also the first of producer David O. Selznick's major "literary" films for that studio. While a great deal of editing and streamlining was necessary to distill Charles Dickens' massive novel into 133 minutes of screen time, the end result was so successful that only the nittiest of nitpickers complained about the excised characters and events. Freddie Bartholomew plays the young Copperfield, who, after the death of his mother (Elizabeth Allan), is cruelly mistreated by his stepfather, Mr. Murdstone (Basil Rathbone). David's life brightens when he meets the ever-in-debt Mr. Micawber (W.C. Fields), and he is sheltered by Micawber's large and loving family until Micawber is carted off to debtor's prison. Forced once more to seek a home, David makes his way to the Dover estate of his Aunt Betsey (Edna May Oliver), where he meets another colorful cast of characters, none more so than the childlike Mr. Dick (Lennox Pawle). When Murdstone arrives, insisting that David be returned to him, Aunt Betsey and Mr. Dick form a united front to protect the boy. Flash-forward several years: the grown David (now played by Frank Lawton) is attending school, where he meets the lovely Agnes Wickfield (Madge Evans). David discovers that Agnes' businessman father (Lewis Stone) is under the thumb of the "'umble" prevaricator Uriah Heep (Roland Young) and the equally disreputable Steerforth (Hugh Williams). With the help of Mr. Micawber-who in a weak moment has taken a job working side-by-side with Heep-David proves Heep's treachery and rescues the Wickfields. By rights, he should marry Agnes, but David impulsively weds the empty-headed Dora (Maureen O'Sullivan). Only after Dora's death does David come to his senses, realizing that Agnes is the true love of his life. Originally, Charles Laughton was slated to play Micawber, but he pulled out of the production, worried that he wouldn't be funny enough. The casting of W.C. Fields was an inspired choice: although he injects his own established screen personality at every opportunity, Fields was born to play Micawber. Likewise, second-billed Lionel Barrymore fits his portrayal of crusty old Dan Peggoty like a glove. In fact, there isn't a false bit of casting in the whole production, and this, as much as Selznick's sumptuous production values, is the key to David Copperfield's enormous success. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This fourth entry in MGM's "Dr. Kildare" series once again stars Lew Ayres as Kildare, Laraine Day as his sweetheart Mary Lamont, and Lionel Barrymore as crusty Dr. Gillespie. In this outing, surgeon Gregory Lane (Sheppard Strudwick) begins pitching woo at Mary himself, much to Kildare's dismay. But when Lane is accused of incompetence in the wake of an unsuccessful surgery, it is Kildare who proves that his rival is blameless. One of the film's subplots involves an emotionally disturbed patient who is cured via shock therapy-a dubious procedure that held more water in 1940 than it does today. The usual comedy relief is provided by the usual Nat Pendleton and Marie Blake. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Though he'd fallen from the upper ranks of directors, James Young was still capable of excellent work in 1927. Young's low-budget Driven From Home recycles one of the oldest plots on record: the cruel father who orders his daughter out of the house when she elopes with the "wrong man." The girl (Virginia Lee Corbin) must not only contend with her father's rejection, but also with the lustful advances of opium-den proprietor Sojin. The blood-and-thunder aspects of the storyline are handled with taste and artistry by Young, who never gives the impression that he's "slumming". Driven From Home was produced by Chadwick films, one of several small companies that was later absorbed by Warner Bros.-First National. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The present unavailability of 1928's Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is especially frustrating for those who'd like to compare this first version of the classic Anita Loos comic novel to the 1953 Marilyn Monroe-Jane Russell remake. The blonde in question is Miss Lorelei Lee, a dumb-like-a-fox golddigger on the prowl for a rich husband. With her best friend Dorothy Shaw (Alice White), Lorelei takes a trip to Gay Paree, where among other adventures she gets mixed up with roguish old millionaire Sir Francis Beekman (Mack Swain). Eventually she finds that true love doesn't come with a price tag, or does it? Ford Sterling and Holmes Herbert co-star as Lorelei and Dorothy's middle-aged swains. Lorelei herself is played by Ruth Taylor, a onetime Mack Sennett bathing beauty who retired from films upon her marriage to a Manhattan stockbroker (life imitates art!) Incidentally, Taylor was the mother of humorist Buck Henry. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide