Frederick Sullivan Movies

The old British musical-hall ditty "The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo" provides the title for this lightweight Ronald Colman vehicle. Colman, playing a refugee Russian prince, is the "man" in question, and the owners of the "broken bank"--that is, the proprietors of the Monte Carlo casino where Colman scored the big win--are anxious to get their money back. They dispatch the beautiful Joan Bennett to lure Colman back into the casino. He falls for her and loses his winnings in the process, but she has pangs of remorse when she learns that Colman had been gambling on behalf of his impoverished countrymen. Bennett joins Colman as he merrily heads off to chase another rainbow. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

W.C. Fields stars in a remake of his silent comedy So's Your Old Man. Fields plays Sam Bisbee, an erstwhile inventor who is the laughingstock of his small town. Returning in defeat from a disastrous big-city demonstration of his latest invention, Sam makes the acquaintance of a beautiful young woman (Adrienne Ames) who happens to be an incognito foreign princess. After Bisbee tells her of how he'd like to be a success for the sake of his family, the princess decides to use her celebrity to Sam's benefit. She arrives in his town and lets it be known of her high regard for the downtrodden Bisbee. Suddenly Sam is the town's big shot, enabling him to merchandise his inventions and do right by his wife and daughter. Sam earns the respect he's so long deserved--but he's never completely convinced that the princess is who she claims to be, and keeps congratulating her on her "racket." Based on a story by Julian Street, You're Telling Me is climaxed by a sidesplitting recreation of W.C. Fields' Ziegfeld Follies golf routine. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this 1933 Marx Brothers film, the mythical country of Freedonia is broke and on the verge of revolution. Mrs. Teasdale (Margaret Dumont), Freedonia's principal benefactress, will lend the country 20 million dollars if the president withdraws and places the government in the hands of the "fearless, progressive" Rufus T. Firefly (Groucho Marx). At his inauguration, Firefly shows up late, insults everyone in sight, and sings a song about how he intends to abuse his power. Naturally, the crowd cheers wildly. Meanwhile, Ambassador Trentino (Louis Calhern) of neighboring Sylvania schemes to oust Firefly and take over Freedonia himself. To gather enough evidence to discredit Firefly, he sends his most trusted spies, Chicolini (Chico Marx) and Pinky (Harpo Marx). Five minutes after they show up in Freedonia, both spies become important members of Firefly's cabinet, though Chicolini keeps his day job as a peanut vendor. Firefly eventually declares war on Sylvania, an absurd farrago with Firefly changing uniforms from scene to scene, Chicolini going to the other side because the food is better, and Pinky parading around the battlefield with a sandwich board reading "Join the army and see the navy." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

An eerie early-talkie mystery, Murder by the Clock spends most of its time in a cemetery. The matriarch (Blanche Frederici) of a wealthy family is haunted by the notion that she'll be buried alive. To avoid this contingency, she has a horn installed in the family mausoleum, to be activated in case she arises from her casket. The lady is murdered, and shortly after her internment the horn blows at regular intervals. Each time the horn is heard, the dead woman is seen wandering the cemetery, and each time one of her relatives winds up dead. These "supernatural" events are actually being orchestrated by a covetous family member (there's a large legacy involved of course), who uses the services of several homicidal confederates. Murder by the Clock was perhaps more frightening in 1931 than it is today, but a TV revival is long overdue. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The title character, played by Ian Keith, is wealthy diamond merchant Rupert Endon. Falling in love with gorgeous Eve Marlay (Aileen Pringle), Endon battles over her affections with far-from-wealthy squire Lord Adrian (Tyrrell Davis). Though Eve is fond of his lordship, she allows her head to be turned by Endon, but soon finds that money can't buy happiness. By this time, however, the story has ventured into Somerset Maugham territory by transplanting Eve and her husband into the steaming jungles of Africa -- with the usual results. It's hot, do you hear? Beastly hot! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this early talkie from director John Ford, a Scottish captain and his regiment are sent to India during WW I and assigned to quell a native uprising in the Northern mountains. Unfortunately, soon after arriving, he gets drunk and seemingly kills another officer during a barroom fight. He escapes capture and disappears into the crowd. Now wanted as a renegade, he involves himself with a beautiful but sadistic native princess, a direct descendant of Alexander the Great. He cozies up to her and learns that she is planning to send her troops to attack the British through Khyber pass. Though she correctly suspects that the fugitive soldier is really a spy, she cannot help but fall in love with him, thereby sparing him the usual torture and castration she forces upon other captured British soldiers. Unfortunately her love causes her downfall in the exciting conclusion. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Having achieved fame and fortune in a series of bucolic country-boy roles, Charles Ray decided he was ready to become his own producer. For a while, Ray did all right by himself, turning out "typical" vehicles that pleased his fans. Then he became fatally ambitious-and the result was the infamous fiasco The Courtship of Miles Standish. It's the old story, as set down by Longfellow, of John Alden's (Ray) suit for the hand of Priscilla Mullens (Enid Bennett) on behalf of his tongue-tied friend Miles Standish (E. Alyn Warren). Oodles of money were spent on this costumer, but seemingly no effort was exerted to make the story interesting or involving. The film bankrupted Charles Ray, forcing him to become a "hired hand" for other producers; by the 1930s he was a has-been, reduced to bits and extra roles. Though Courtship of Miles Standish no longer exists, viewers can still get a few yocks out of Hal Roach's 1924 two-reel parody, Courtship of Miles Sandwich. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Bob (Gordon Griffith), John, and Edward all grow up in the same neighborhood. John and Edward are neglected by their parents, but Bob's father (Edward Cecil) takes him aside to lecture him about life and sex. He even takes him to the hospital -- not to the maternity ward, of course, but to the ward where men are being treated for various sexual diseases. Bob learns his lesson and grows up (to be played by Jack Mulhall) and becomes engaged. His pals also have sweethearts, but they come to tragic ends. John (as an adult played by Leo Pierson) contracts syphilis and goes to a quack doctor to cure it. The treatment is not successful and he is forbidden to marry. Edward goes insane from self-abuse. After engaging in criminal activity, he is arrested and declared to be mentally incompetent. Bob is the only one who escapes these dire fates and the film's final frames show him to be very happily married. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

Florence LaBadie has a dual role in this drama. As Grace, she grows up in poverty and marries a factory worker. Her husband creates an invention that makes them wealthy and when he dies, he leaves her and their daughter, Florence (also played by LaBadie), in comfort. But Grace's poor beginnings have made her greedy, and Florence grows up to be a spoiled young lady. She selfishly steals rich Alfred Griffin from another girl and throws over her own sweetheart, a poor artist. It doesn't take her long to figure out her new husband is a womanizer and a spendthrift. He kills himself, and tries to make it look like murder so that Florence will be arrested for the crime. But the butler, who saw Griffin's deed, comes forth and reveals the truth. After this incident, it finally dawns on mother and daughter that money isn't everything. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

Florence LaBadie stars in this suspense drama. Margery Carew (LaBadie) and her widowed sister Anna Prentice (Ethyle Cook) work in the same office. William Cleves, the senior partner, tricks Anna into coming to his home, where he attacks her. Anna kills him, and Margery, worried about her absence, shows up at Cleves' house just in time to see her dashing off. Because Anna has a child, Margery insists on taking the blame for the murder and flees westward. She marries and settles down, but Anna and her child die in an accident, and the murder charge comes back to haunt her. On business, her husband travels to the city she fled, and his watch -- which contains a photo of her -- is stolen. When the thief is caught, the authorities use the watch to trace Margery. She is arrested, and a case is being made against her when James Gray, an old suitor, shows up and claims to be the murderer. Margery protests, but Gray explains that he is terminally ill and has only a month to live, so she accepts his help. She is released and goes back to her happy life in the West. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide