Kathrin Clare Ward Movies

In this lively adventure aimed at youthful audiences, a wiseacre fireman soon finds himself in trouble with his fire captain after the smarty pants begins dating the captain's sister. Mayhem ensues, culminating in a fist fight. In the end, the young fireman saves the captain from certain death in a great fire and the two reconcile their differences. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Stage Struck is one of the least known of Busby Berkeley's Warner Bros. musicals, chiefly because there are no major production numbers. The plot is that old saw about young, unknown hopefuls who put on a Big Show and become overnight stars. Alas, the magic didn't work for leading lady Jeanne Madden, who disappeared from films shortly after this brief bid for fame. The film's highlight is a satirical number by the Yacht Club Boys, a "nut" singing group best described as the Gentile Ritz Brothers. The songs for Stage Struck were written by E. Y. Harburg and Harold Arlen, whose talents would be displayed to better advantage in 1939's Wizard of Oz. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Produced independently by Edward Small, this surprisingly realistic gangster yarn stars stalwart Richard Arlen as Mal Stevens, an attorney recruited by the newly organized Federal Bureau of Investigation. After Mal and a couple of fellow recruits, Van Rensseler (Harvey Stephens) and Tex Logan (Gordon Jones), foil a plot by Joe Keefer (Bruce Cabot) to kidnap Eleanor Spencer (Virginia Bruce), the trusting debutante foolishly secures Joe's parole. From the outside, Keefer then masterminds a prison break for some of his pals and together they begin a reign of terror. Eleanor's brother Buddy (Eric Linden) goes undercover on behalf of Stevens and is killed by Keefer, but Eleanor, still denying that Keefer, her former chauffeur, is a gangster, blames Stevens. To avoid detection, Keefer kidnaps Dr. Hoffman (George Pauncefort), a noted plastic surgeon, who goes to work altering his appearance. His usefulness over, the good doctor is summarily executed but Hoffman manages to avenge himself from beyond the grave: when the bandages are removed, Keefer's features have been mutilated and his initials carved into the scarred face. Led to the hideout by Keefer's jilted moll Lola (Dorothy Appleby), Stevens confronts the disfigured gangster and there is a final struggle. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

The Secret Bride is Ruth Vincent (Barbara Stanwyck), the daughter of Governor Vincent (Arthur Byron). Attorney general Robert Sheldon (Warren William) falls in love with Ruth and they marry, but Sheldon insists that their marriage be kept secret. It seems that the Governor has been accused of accepting $10,000 in bribes, and Sheldon doesn't want to be accused of complicity while he investigates the matter. In the course of events, two murders occur, and it's up to Ruth to straighten the mess out. But how will she be able to manage this without involving herself or her secret husband in the scandal? It's funny how the various TV cable services tend to trot out The Secret Bride whenever a real-life political scandal bursts onto the scene. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Columbia's Once to Every Woman was the first of A. J. Cronin's medical novels to be adapted for the screen. The drama of the piece hinges on the conflict between brilliant young surgeon Barclay (Ralph Bellamy) and crusty hospital head Dr. Selby (Walter Connolly). On another, less-crucial front, Barclay and playboy physician Preston (Walter Byron) vie for the attentions of pretty nurse Miss Farnshawe (Fay Wray). The story comes to a tension-laden climax as Barclay prepares for a delicate brain operation -- a revolutionary procedure which has been opposed by Dr. Selby throughout the picture. Once to Every Woman was scripted by frequent Frank Capra collaborator Jo Swerling. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this drama, a fighter's fiancee refuses to marry him until he can overcome his insane jealousy. He does and they marry. The jealousy resurfaces when he finds his wife and her boss in a hotel room. He goes mad with rage and kills her boss. His wife is blamed for the killing. Just before the verdict is announced, the guilt-ridden man confesses and himself receives the death-penalty. Time passes and his finally hour arrives. He asks the attending priest to offer him a 10-count. Just as the priest hits nine, his voice becomes that of a referee and the boxer is seen slowly awakening from being knocked on conscious during a fight. The whole story was but a dream. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Hoping to immediately cash in on its blockbuster hit King Kong (1933). RKO Radio commissioned producers Willis O'Brien and Ernest B. Schoedsack to hastily slap together a sequel. Son of Kong begins where King Kong left off, with foolhardy entrepreneur Carl Denham (Robert Armstrong) facing hundreds of thousands dollars in lawsuits from the damages inflicted by the mighty Kong on the city of New York (remember?) Denham's partner Captain Englehorn (Frank Reicher) suggests that they escape to Malaya, where they make the acquaintance of Hilda (Helen Mack), the daughter of drink-besotted circus-owner Peterson (Clarence Wilson). When her father is killed in a fire caused by Norwegian sea captain Helstrom (John Marston), Hilda is comforted by Denham, who has taken a liking to the unfortunate girl. It turns out that Helstrom was the sailor who sold Denham the map to Skull Island, where King Kong once ruled unchecked. Hoping to escape prosecution for the fatal fire, Hellstrom claims that there's a fabulous treasure buried somewhere on Skull Island and offers to lead Denham and Englehorn back to the Pacific flyspeck. With no place else to go, Hilda stows away on Englehorn's boat and joins the expedition. After an unpleasant confrontation with the natives whom Kong trampled and chewed up in the earlier film, Denham and Hilda explore another part of the Island -- and there they find Little Kong, a 12-foot-high white gorilla who is as lovable as his "old man" was nasty. As the treacherous Hellstrom meets his doom elsewhere on the island, cute Little Kong protects his new friends Denham and Hilda from a variety of marauding dinosaurs, ultimately sacrificing his own life to save the human hero and heroine from a native war party. Largely played for laughs (at one point Little Kong makes an "Oy vey" gesture, as the soundtrack plays a snatch of a Jewish dance!), Son of Kong is nowhere near the classic stature of its illustrious predecessor. On the other hand, the stop-motion photography is quite impressive, at times even better than the animation seen in the original King Kong. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this detective drama, a gumshoe falls in love with a torch singer who is unfortunately, involved with a crook. The two lovers then take off to Bermuda, but not before the crook double-crosses his own gang. The detective is then persuaded into following the two and bringing the traitor back to his gang. He does so, but just as the gang is about to double-cross and kill him, motorcycle cops intervenes. Justice prevails, and romance ensues as the remaining two begin to finally fall in love. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this melodrama, a starving orphan deliberately breaks a store window in hopes that she'll be tossed in jail and get a hot meal. The arresting officer does feed her, but then he gets her a job dancing in the Follies. Eventually the girl falls madly in love with the policeman. Unfortunately, he seems to have only a professional interest in her welfare and does not return her affection. This angers the frustrated girl. To try and get the cop's attention, the girl begins dating a notorious local sleazebag who tries to lure her to his bed. Fortunately, she escapes. Later the gigolo is found dead and the girl stands accused of the crime, forcing her beloved cop to arrest her. Later, he proves her innocence and marries her. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

The Conquering Horde is a remake of the 1924 western epic North of 36, using generous amounts of stock footage from the original. The story takes place in post-Civil War Texas, where the local cattlemen are suffering from their inability to get their livestock to market. Dan McMasters (Richard Arlen), a Yankee war hero, is sent from Washington to help set up a safe and efficient passageway for the cattle drovers -- thereby earning himself the enmity of the local land barons who've been charging the cattlemen exorbitant fees to trek across their land. A romantic subplot involves McMasters and Yank-hating rancher Taizie Lockhart (Fay Wray). The Conquering Horde was remade in 1938 as The Texans, which like its predecessor was heavily reliant upon action highlights from North of 36 (including the spectacular panoramas of the last major cattle drive in the United States). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Ten Nights In a Bar-room is as corny and hackneyed as its title, but that doesn't mean it isn't fun to watch. Based on the warhorse cautionary stage play by Edwin Waugh (previously filmed six times during the silent era), the story concerns Joe Morgan (William Farnum), a highly respected business executive and family man who throws his life away by consuming mass quantities of booze. His sweet little daughter Mary Morgan (Patty Lou Lynd) wanders into the saloon, tugs her tosspot father by his tattered sleeve and whines "Daddy, won't you come home with me now?" This proves to be the first step (of 12, perhaps?) towards Morgan's redemption, but first he has a score to settle with Simon Slade (Tom Santschi), the double-dyed villain who dragged him to degragadation. The film's highlight is a knock-down, drag-out fistfight between William Farnum and Tom Santschi, in emulation of their famous battle in 1914's The Spoilers. Ten Nights In a Bar-Room was distributed through the auspices of the Women's Christian Temperance Union, who were blissfully unaware that audiences were more prone to laugh at the antiquated production rather than renounce Demon Rum. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A successful female writer finally finds true love in this romance. The story begins as the writer's cousin prepares to marry her fiancé. The wedding is called when the groom finds his bride-to-be a tad domineering for his tastes. He is returning home on the train when he encounters the writer. Neither knows who the other is, and they end up falling in-love. The jilted bride also finds a new dreamboat and happiness ensues all 'round. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

No, Richard Barthelmess doesn't don women's apparel in the 1929 talkie The Drag. Barthelmess plays a Vermont newspaper editor, happily married to Alice Day. That is, he was happy until the day his wife's troublesome in-laws (Lucien Littlefield, Katherine Ward) came to visit. Wifey's parents stay, and stay, and stay--and what a drag it is. The title could also refer to the film itself, since The Drag drags along at an excruciating 118 minutes (plus two arbitrarily inserted songs). This yawn-inducer was based on a (hopefully) more entertaining novel by William Dudley Perry. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide