Mary Boland Movies

Previously filmed in 1918 and 1923, Harry Leon Wilson's novel achieved movie classic status when it was remade by Leo McCarey in 1935. The story opens in Paris, circa 1908. Ruggles, beautifully underplayed by Charles Laughton, is the ultra-obedient manservant to the bibulous Earl of Burnstead (Roland Young). During one of the Earl's nocturnal forays, nouveau riche American cattle baron Egbert Floud (Charles Ruggles) wins Ruggles in a poker game. Terrified at the prospect of being bundled off to the Wild West, Ruggles' resolve is weakened somewhat when he and the raucous but ingratiating Egbert spend a wild night on the town. (The besotted butler's periodic exclamations of "Whoopee!" are priceless.) Back in the frontier "boom town" of Red Gap, a misunderstanding obliges Egbert's social-climbing wife Effie (Mary Boland) to pass off Ruggles as an aristocratic British army officer, immediately arousing the suspicions of priggish social arbiter Charles Belknap-Jackson (Lucien Littlefield). The longer he spends in America, the more Ruggles grows to like the concept of democracy and self-determination. Of the film's many highlights, two are standouts: the scene in which Ruggles silences a rowdy saloon crowd with his recitation of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, and the droll, semi-improvised vignette in which dancehall girl Nell Kenner (Leila Hyams) teaches the Earl of Burnstead how to play the drums. Ruggles of Red Gap was filmed for a fourth time in 1950 as the Bob Hope-Lucille Ball musical Fancy Pants. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Richard Dix plays the title-role, of a dashing highwayman and bandit in 1870's Australia, in this strangely delightful mix of swashbuckler and musical. But the real star is Irene Dunne as Hilda Bouverie, an impoverished serving girl who wants to sing. Left orphaned and homeless by the deaths of her parents, Hilda is now a servant in the home of the Clarksons, the wealthiest family in the province. Hilda is glad to have a roof over her head and three meals a day, but won't really be happy unless she gets a chance to sing, and she has the voice to match her aspirations. Mr. Clarkson (Henry Stephenson) is kind and encouraging enough to her, but his wife (Mary Boland) is a harridan who treats Hilda and her other maid Annie (Una O'Connor) as little better than slaves; and Mrs. Clarkson is especially jealous of Hilda, as she also aspires to a singing career (but is sorely lacking a voice), and is eagerly awaiting a visit by London-based composer and impressario Sir Julian Kent (Conway Tearle). And then in rides Stingaree (Richard Dix), a highwayman new to the province, who is already a legend elsewhere in Australia. The authorities, led by the boorish Inspector Radford (George Barraud), know he is there and are set to catch him, but he's smarter than they are and faster on his feet, and outwits them. Stingaree kidnaps Sir Julian and, learning of the Clarksons and their wealth, plans to rob them masquerading as Sir Julian. But when he chances to hear Hilda singing, and gets to meet her, he abandons his plan and, instead, decides to help her -- his ruse is uncovered, however, and he is forced to flee, and takes the unwilling girl with him. Together in his lair in the forest, Hilda discovers that Stingaree truly does love her -- he is a man who takes whatever he wants and wants everything, but, as he tells her, "You are as safe here as you wish to be." Stingaree arranges a daring raid on the Clarkson home that allows Hilda's singing to be heard by Sir Julian -- the impressario offers her the chance to go to London, and at a career as an opera singer. She's reluctant to accept because Stingaree has been captured, but the highwayman insists that she do it, telling her that he happily gave up his freedom to give Hilda hers. And she conquers the operatic stages of Europe, in a career that takes her to Berlin, the Paris Opera, La Scala, and London's Covent Garden, and leading roles in Trovatore, Martha, and the rest of the major operatic repertory of the period. But she can't forget the sacrifice that Stingaree made for her, or the love they share for each other, and decides that even if it means giving up everything, she must return to Australia to find him. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide

The "six" are Charlie Ruggles, Mary Boland, George Burns, Gracie Allen, W.C. Fields, and Alison Skipworth, who star in this cross-country comedy. Planning a motor vacation to California, J. Pinkham Whinney (Ruggles) and Flora Whinney (Boland) advertise for a couple to help drive and share expenses. That couple turns out to be George Edwards (Burns) and Gracie De Vore (Allen), accompanied by Allen's surly Great Dane. Whinney is driven to near-insanity by Edwards' intrusiveness and stupidity, but the worst is yet to come: thanks to a crooked co-worker, Whinney has been accused of stealing bank funds and is now an unwitting fugitive from justice. Sheriff Hoxley (W.C. Fields, who spends a priceless ten minutes explaining why he's called "Honest John") joins forces with hotel proprietor Mrs. "Duchess" K. Rumford (Alison Skipworth) in hopes of capturing Whinney and claiming the reward. After a zany night of everybody in the cast running in and out of hotel rooms, the real crook is captured and Whinney and Flora prepare to enjoy what's left of their vacation. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The musical picture that ended Lou Brock's career as an RKO Radio producer, Down to Their Last Yacht is almost festive in its awfulness. The nonsensical plot finds a group of impoverished socialites (including Sidney Blackmer and Marjorie Gateson) trying to raise money by renting out their yacht, offering themselves as crew members. When a nouveau riche family charters the yacht, everyone is marooned on the tropical island of Malakomokalu. Here blonde jungle queen Mary Boland rules the roost, demanding that the shipwrecked men make love to her and the island's hootchy-kootchy native girls, or suffer the consequence of being fed to the sharks. Once regarded as the worst film ever made by RKO, this legendary flop is actually a lot of fun in a "high camp" sort of way, with the love scene between Mary Boland and Sterling Holloway a particular highlight. Two future co-stars of Laurel & Hardy's Babes in Toyland, Felix Knight and Marie Wilson (her film debut), have small roles. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Pursuit of Happiness was adapted from the risque stage comedy by Lawrence Langner and Armina Marshall. Set during the American revolution, the film centers around the quaint 18th century custom of "bundling"--that is, having unmarried men and women share the same bed during cold weather, albeit fully clothed and with a wooden plank separating the bedmates. Joan Bennett is the American heroine, an innkeeper's daughter, and Francis Lederer the Hessian hero, who has deserted the English cause to experience American freedom--most notably the bundling practice. As Bennett's parents, Charlie Ruggles and Mary Boland perform their usual domestic comedy in period costume. TV Guide listings frequently confuse the 1934 Pursuit of Happiness with an altogether different 1971 TV-movie of the same name. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Based on a story by Bela and Samuel Spewack, Solitaire Man stars Herbert Marshall as Oliver Lane, a "diamond expert" (read: master jewel thief). During a plane flight across the English channel, Lane becomes aware that practically every member of his gang plans to double-cross him -- not that the crooks trust one another any more than they trust their boss. Even detective Wallace (Lionel Atwill), assigned to keep tabs on Lane, turns out to be a double-crossing scoundrel. Under the circumstances, Lane becomes the film's hero by default. Practically the only person worth caring about in the story is heroine Helen (Elizabeth Allen) -- and one has one's doubts about her. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In one of his first starring roles, George Raft plays Joe Anton, a tough but basically decent speakeasy owner who falls in love with Park Avenue socialite Miss Healy (Constance Cummings). Hoping to come up to the girl's social level, Joe starts taking lessons in speech and behavior from haughty dowager Mrs. Jellyman (Alison Skipworth). What he doesn't know is that Miss Healy pays attention to him only because he's living in the posh apartment where her family had resided before the Stock Market crash. Even so, the girl genuine falls in love with Joe when it appears as though he's about to desert her in favor of his ex-flame Iris Dawn (Wynne Gibson). A dreary retread of stock movie-drama themes, Night After Night would be utterly forgotten today were it not for the presence of Mae West, making her film debut. A scant few seconds after her first appearance, the generously bejeweled West is accosted by a hatcheck girl who coos "Goodness, what lovely diamonds." Swivelling those famous hips, La West replies expansively "Goodness had nothing to do with it, dearie." Commenting years later on Night After Night, George Raft, who suggested that Mae West be cast in the film, ruefully recalled "She stole everything but the cameras." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A multi-character drama set in a suburban neighborhood, The Night of June 13th takes place in four households. One of these is inhabited by unhappy husband Clive Brook, who is accused of murdering his wife. Actually, she has committed suicide, but those neighbors who could provide Brook with an alibi remain silent for selfish reasons of their own. Leavening the dramatic content is the comedy relief of Mary Boland and Charlie Ruggles as a married couple with in-law problems. Brook is saved at the last minute by an elderly neighbor who blasts the cowardice of the other suburbanites. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Ernst Lubitsch used Laszlo Aladar's play The Honest Finder as a springboard for one of his most delightful early-'30s Paramount confections. Herbert Marshall and Miriam Hopkins play Gaston and Lily, a pair of Parisian thieves, both disguised as nobility, who decide to rob lovely perfume company executive Mariette Colet (Kay Francis); Gaston gets a job as Mariette's confidential secretary, while Lily installs herself as the woman's typist. Love rears its head, forcing Gaston to choose between marriage to Mariette and a fast getaway with Lily. Filled with marvelous throwaway gags and sophisticated innuendo, Trouble in Paradise was described by one critic as "as close to perfection as anything I have ever seen in the movies." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this drama, a humble Irish lass from New York City's East Side, dreams of ascending the social ladder to escape her tumultuous family life. She attempts to live her dream by becoming a servant in upscale homes. Soon she finds that wealthy families are just as troubled as her own. Fortunately, her giving nature acts as a balm to the family's wounds and soon peace is restored. She then ends up marrying the family's eldest son. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

While Mary Boland is primarily known for portraying society matrons, occasionally she played against type to show the strength of her acting ability. Here she is Marion Farnham, the neglected wife of a young, ambitious doctor. She runs off with another man, deserting her husband and four-year-old daughter, Marna. The doctor moves to the country and instead of painting a negative picture of Marion, he instead tells Marna that her mother was a beautiful woman who died. The years pass, Marion's lover deserts her, and she becomes a desperate and destitute woman. The doctor becomes successful and she goes to his house to wheedle some money from him. But it is Marna (Lucy Cotton) who speaks to Marion, and she recites the story of her lovely, dead mother. Marion leaves without revealing her identity, but later when Marna marries a young writer (Harris Gordon), she goes to work for her as a nursemaid to the couple's baby. At one point, Marna contemplates running off with a friend of her husband's, but Marion hears of her plans and, by divulging her whole story, discourages her daughter from making the same mistake she did. Although the doctor finds out about all this, Marion won't go back to him. Instead she leaves in order to seek out other young people, to prevent them from going down the wrong path. This story (based on the novel Flaming Ramparts by Edith Barnard Delano) is maudlin to be sure, but it was a tour de force for Mary Boland. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

Mary Boland, best known for her scatterbrained comedy roles in talkies, made her screen debut as romantic lead Alma Clayton in Edge of the Abyss. Alma rejects poor-but-honest boyfriend Jim Sims (Willard Mack) to marry rich-but-neglectful attorney Neil Webster (Robert McKim). Bored with Webster, Alma tries desperately to woo back old beau. She is made to see the error of her ways by burglar Wayne
Burroughs (Frank Mills), who owes her husband a favor. Thomas H. Ince produced Edge of the Abyss, while C. Gardner Sullivan wrote the florid subtitles. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide