Elisabeth Young Movies
- 1935
A diverse group of ship passengers end up marooned on an isolated South Pacific island. Unfortunately, the contents of the hold, a number of potentially dangerous wild animals, also survived the wreck. Among the survivors is a criminal who proves to be just as big a threat as the lions and tigers. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Bickford, Elisabeth Young, (more)
- 1934
In this melodrama, a devoted father begins feeling unappreciated at home and so embarks upon a clandestine friendship with a former employee. The children see them together and assume it's an affair. They beg him to end the relationship. Later the woman herself talks to the kids, assuring them that the friendship is platonic and chiding them gently on their thoughtless behavior towards their dad. In the end, the family reconciles and the woman goes on with her life. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Frank Morgan, Binnie Barnes, (more)
- 1933
If Queen Christina is not the best of Greta Garbo's films (as many Garbo fanatics insist), it is certainly the most luxuriously romantic of her talkie features. The star is cast as 17th-century Swedish queen Christina, who feels that she can best function in a male-dominated world by adopting men's clothes and attitudes (this cross-dressing element adds a subliminally gay subtext which curiously makes the subsequent events all the more poignant). Fiercely devoted to her country and the welfare of her people, Christina has long since abandoned all thoughts of pursuing any kind of a romance -- but changes her mind when she meets and falls in love with Spanish envoy Antonio (John Gilbert). After an idyllic night together, Christina and Antonio are compelled to part, but the Queen vows then and there to relinquish her throne in favor of marriage to the envoy. Alas, the complex political machinations between their two countries permanently separate the two lovers, leaving Christina more alone in the world than ever. The chemistry between Garbo and Gilbert -- who as the whole world knew in 1933 had once been real-life lovers -- is positively mesmerizing, especially in the classic scene wherein Christina, after consummating their passion, walks dreamily around their room, touching and memorizing every detail (so persuasive is her pantomime in this scene that her last-minute explanation as to what she is doing is not only unnecessary, but downright jarring). Equally unforgettable is the final shot of Garbo staring enigmatically past the camera, allowing the viewer to "fill in" her thoughts (director Rouben Mamoulian always claimed that he ordered Garbo to think about "absolutely nothing," but one wonders). While some of Garbo's earliest talkies tend to creak a bit, Queen Christina is as fascinating today as it was nearly seven decades ago, and will undoubtedly continue to remain just as fascinating for the next seven decades. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Greta Garbo, John Gilbert, (more)
- 1933
The Big Executive is Ricardo Cortez, to whom success is less important than the pursuit of success. Having lost as many fortunes as he's gained, Cortez again teeters on the verge of bankruptcy. His principal business rival, who'd like nothing better than to see Cortez standing on a street corner selling apples, is Richard Bennett. Complicating matters is the fact that Cortez is in love with Bennett's daughter, Elizabeth Young. Paramount Pictures dressed up the low-budget proceedings of The Big Executive with high-class art direction; the film was scripted by Laurence Stallings, best known for such war dramas as The Big Parade. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ricardo Cortez, Richard Bennett, (more)
