Guy Standing Movies

Paramount's "Bulldog Drummond" series got off to a start with 1937's Bulldog Drummond Escapes. Up-and-coming Ray Milland stars as soldier-of-fortune Hugh "Bulldog" Drummond, who on this occasion comes to the aid of pretty heiress Phyllis Clavering (Heather Angel). The heroine is being held against her will by scheming "family friend" Merridew (Porter Hall), who hopes to get his mitts on her inheritance. With the help of his silly friend Algy (Reginald Denny) and Scotland Yard inspector Nielsen (Sir Guy Standing), Drummond manages to rescue Phyllis several times -- and, reciprocally, is rescued by her on one occasion. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Lloyds of London traces the rise to prominence of the venerable British insurance company, as seen through the eyes of fictional 19th-century Londoner Jonathan Blake (Tyrone Power, in his first starring role). A lifelong friend of naval hero Lord Nelson, Blake puts his job (and the future existence of Lloyds) on the line when he announces Nelson's victory at Trafalgar -- before it takes place. For those not interested in policies and premiums, the script serves up a romance between Blake and the lovely Lady Elizabeth (Madeleine Carroll), the unhappily married spouse of snotty aristocrat Lord Everett Stacy (George Sanders). Among the few real-life historical personages depicted in the film is Lloyds founder John Julius Angerstein, played by Sir Guy Standing. A box-office bonanza, Lloyds of London proved that 23-year-old Tyrone Power could carry a picture -- and that the recently-formed 20th Century-Fox was truly a major Hollywood studio. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Previously filmed in 1928, the old Willard Mack stage melodrama The Noose was updated and streamlined in 1936 as I'd Give My Life. Hoping that his son Nick (Tom Brown) will follow in his footsteps, jaded gangster-gambler Buck Gordon (Robert Gleckler) arranges to have the boy thrown into reform school. The kid is saved from a life of crime when Buck's ex-wife (Janet Beecher) marries Governor Bancroft (Sir Guy Standing). Enraged that his plans have been thwarted, Buck blackmails his former wife, threatening to reveal her shady past to her present husband. Rushing to his mother's defense, Nick shoots and kills Buck then refuses to explain his motives -- even as he is sentenced to hang for his crime. Frances Drake co-stars as Nick's sweetheart Mary, the role played on Broadway by Barbara Stanwyck. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Tom Brown and Richard Cromwell, who'd previously played military-academy classmates in Tom Brown of Culver (1932), were reunited in Paramount's Annapolis Farewell. Brown plays Click Haley, a wise-guy naval cadet who learns the hard way to tow the line and honor the traditions of the academy. Cromwell is cast as Click's more serious roommate Boyce Avery, and it perhaps goes without saying that the two heroes have a falling out over the affections of heroine Madeline Deming (Rosalind Keith). The film's most compelling character is Manila Bay veteran Commander Fitzhugh (Guy Standing), who spends much of his time basking in past glories. In a climactic scene that will either move the viewer to uncontrolled laughter or copious tears, Commander Fitzhugh, distressed that his former ship will be used for target practice, stoically dons his old uniform and gallantly goes down with the doomed vessel! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Inspired by the eccentric, reclusive Wendel Family of New York's Fifth Avenue, Elizabeth MacFadden's stage melodrama Double Door was adapted for the screen in 1934. Set in 1910 Manhattan, the film stars Mary Morris and Anne Revere, repeating their stage roles as domineering, calculating Victoria Van Brett and her weakling sister Caroline. The title refers to the door guarding the Van Brett's secret vault, wherein are stored the family jewels. Years earlier, Victoria, the only member of the family who knows the vault's combination, locked Caroline in the dark, airless chamber, literally frightening her into madness. At present, the misleadingly sweet-natured Victoria has embarked upon a campaign to destroy Ann Darrow (Elizabeth Allan), the new bride of her half-brother Rip Van Brett (Kent Taylor). When her efforts to accuse the girl of having an affair with doctor John Lucas (Colin Tapley) fail, Victoria does her utmost to lure Ann into the vault, intending to lock her in and drive her insane. Perhaps it goes without saying that the heroine will survive, and that Victoria herself will be forever entombed behind that double door. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this courtroom thriller, a hypnotic psychic uses his gift for dubious ends by running a gambling den. The trouble begins when he accidentally hypnotizes his daughter's beau while threatening to kill a corrupt politician. The mesmerized lad actually commits the crime. He is later defended by a retired attorney who comes forth after other lawyers refuse to represent the young man. He believes that the boy really was hypnotized. A fascinating trial ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Eagle and the Hawk is a "war is hell" saga slightly reminiscent of All Quiet on the Western Front. Fredric March plays a British World War One flying ace suffering from emotional fatigue. March's happy-go-lucky pilot buddy (Cary Grant) tries to help his friend forget his problems by accompanying him on leave in London. March meets a beautiful young lady (Carole Lombard), to whom he pours out his problems and with whom he has an implicit affair (made even more discreet when this film was edited for reissue). Tortured by the memory of the his fallen comrades and by the men he's killed in battle, March finally breaks and commits suicide. To save his friend's reputation, Cary Grant props March's body up in the cockpit of his plane, flies the craft into the air, and makes it appear that March died while shooting it out with a German ace. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

William Faulkner's novel Sanctuary was a notorious bestseller upon its publication in 1931, and while it was successful enough that Paramount Pictures quickly snapped up the film rights, they were forced to change enough of the story to make it fit for the screen (even in the "pre-code" era) that by the time it reached theaters the title had been changed to The Story of Temple Drake. Temple (Miriam Hopkins) is a free-spirited girl being raised by a well-respected judge (Guy Standing) after the death of her mother. Temple has a wild streak and a taste for liquor and men she can bend to her will, and while principled lawyer Stephen Benbow (William Gargan) wants to marry her, she's not willing to settle down. While joyriding with Toddy Gowan (William Collier Jr.), a young man with more bravado than sense who wrecks their car, Temple ends up in the decaying home of Lee Goodwin (Irving Pichel), who with leering, sharp suited gangster Trigger (Jack La Rue) makes and sells moonshine. While Lee's life Ruby (Florence Eldridge) and dim-witted helper Tommy (James Eagles) try to protect Temple, cold-hearted Trigger shoots Tommy, rapes Temple and takes her away to the city, where she falls into a relationship with the gangster governed by both attraction and fear. While the most sordid aspects of Sanctuary were excised by screenwriter Oliver H.P. Garrett and director Stephen Roberts, The Story of Temple Drake was still quite controversial on its initial release, and within a few months of its release, Will Hayes and Joseph Breen overhauled the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America's production code and strengthened enforcement of its guidelines on content, making it virtually impossible for a major studio to make a film like it again until the 1960s. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Ne'er-do-well Gary Cooper is so desperate for quick cash that he's willing to sell the custody rights of his own daughter (Shirley Temple), whom he's never seen. Cooper's girlfriend Carole Lombard is shocked by this callousness and walks out on him, but when Cooper meets his daughter and has a change of heart, he reclaims the little girl and is reunited with Lombard. Still, Cooper can't hold down a job. Another get-rich-quick scheme ends unhappily when Cooper is forced to participate in a jewel robbery. After fighting it out with his confederates, the wounded Cooper begs the victim of the robbery, a wealthy and loving woman, to adopt his daughter and give her the sort of life he is unable to provide. Now and Forever would have been mighty turgid stuff without the combined star power of Gary Cooper, Carole Lombard, and six-year-old Shirley Temple. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi