Grace Bradley Movies

Anything Goes is a fun-filled but hardly faithful adaptation of the same-named Cole Porter Broadway musical, with additional songs by Hoagy Carmichael, among many many others. Set on a luxury liner, the story gets under way when Moonface Mullins (Charlie Ruggles), Public Enemy No. 13, slips on board disguised as a bishop. As he weaves in and out of the story, Billy Crocker (Bing Crosby) romances Hope Harcourt (Ida Lupino), titled Englishman Evelyn Oakleigh (Arthur Treacher) also pursues Hope, and brassy entertainer Reno Sweeney (Ethel Merman) chases after Sir Evelyn. Critics in 1934 complained that the original Broadway production's Victor Moore was replaced by Charlie Ruggles, but none could fault Ethel Merman's rendition of "I Get a Kick Out of You", nor her duet with Bing Crosby, "You're the Top" (the only two songs retained from the Porter score!) Anything Goes was remade in 1956, again with Bing Crosby, and again with little fidelity to the original (this remake required MCA Television to retitle the 1936 version as Tops is the Limit). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Philip Wylie, a writer best known for his "anti-Momism" work A Generation of Vipers, was responsible for the Paramount "leg show" Come on Marines. Lucky (Richard Arlen) and Spud (Roscoe Karns) are among the Marine troops dispatched from San Diego to the Philippines to rescue a group of "shipwrecked children." Upon their arrival, the leathernecks are both amazed and delighted to discover that the "children" are a bevy of gorgeous 18-year-old debutantes, among them such promising starlets as Ida Lupino, Toby Wing and Clara Lou (later Anne) Sheridan. The sort of silly escapist film that regularly confounds the "auteur" devotees of director Henry Hathaway, Come On, Marines was obviously made for the sole purpose of showing off its pulchritudinous female cast members in various states of undress. The film's giddy high point is leather-clad Grace Bradley's hotcha dance solo, performed before a collection of floor-length mirrors! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this crime drama a high-school principal's principles are put to the test when he, also a member of a parole board, is given the ultimate power to decide whether his son, a brutal criminal is to be paroled. The others do not know about the inmate's relationship to their colleague and the son tries to use this to his advantage. Sure enough his blackmail works and the heartless crook is freed to go on an unparalleled crime spree with his moll until his father comes forth and gives him final justice. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this comedy, a Tennessee lad, enrolled in art school wins a scholarship to paint in Paris. He is thrilled until he arrives and discovers that his style is hopelessly passe and is considered trashy. The enterprising artist immediately changes style and begins painting highly abstract moderns. His masterpiece wins an award and he becomes terribly popular. No one seems to notice that the beloved work is hanging upside down. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Larceny on the Air is a Republic B-plus picture "drawn from today's headlines." In this instance, the news event pounced upon was the mid-1930s Federal crackdown on patent-medicine quacks. Robert Livingston stars as a doctor who takes to the radio airwaves to campaign against cure-all charlatans. Livingston's mission is compromised when he falls in love with Grace Bradley, daughter of the medicine-racket ringleader. Somehow Larceny on the Air found the time to accommodate a musical number, "Sittin' on the Moon" (from the 1936 Republic picture of the same name). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this musical campus comedy, trouble ensues when a meddlesome, overprotective father enrolls in the same college as his son so he can watch over his love life. The son soon finds himself involved with a conniving golddigger who dumps him when she discovers that his family fortune has been squandered on a bum business deal. Songs include: "Old Man Rhythm," "I Never Saw a Better Night," "There's Nothing Like a College Education," "Boys Will Be Boys," "When You Are in My Arms," and "Come the Revolution, Baby." ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Though its title suggests yet another rip-off of It Happened One Night, Republic's Romance on the Run is more accurately classifed as a crime caper comedy. Private detective Barry Drake (Donald Woods) gives chase when jewel thieves Lily (Grace Bradley) and Cooper (Craig Reynolds) skip town and high-tail it to the sticks. Along the way, Drake begrudgingly accepts the help and advice of dizzy Dale (Patricia Ellis), with whom he falls in love (hence the film's title). Much of the film takes place in hillbilly country, with Drake and Dale running afoul of comic-strip hillbillies. Edward Brophy has a few choice moments as a dyspeptic gangster. Romance on the Run was directed by Gus Meins, a graduate of the "Our Gang" comedies. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This drama is set within a carnival and centers on a young woman who falls in love but is unable to act upon her feelings because she is married. Her husband, the owner of the carnival, is a real louse. The whole mess comes to a head one day when a tiger escapes and gets into the house of the owner and the woman. Their baby is in the house, and the owner does all he can to save his child. Unfortunately, the tiger ends up consuming the villain. Suddenly a fire erupts, and, to save her baby, the mother stuffs it in the refrigerator and flees the house. Later the babe is discovered safe and sound with a necklace of weenies around its neck. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

At their best, the Republic musicals of the 1930s could hold their own against anything turned out by MGM or Warner Bros. Republic's Sitting on the Moon is an excellent showcase for second-echelon stars Roger Pryor and Grace Bradley, here cast as songwriter Danny West and fading movie star Polly Blair. Hoping to jump-start Polly's career, Danny breaks up his partnership with lyricist Mike (William Newell), who finds some comfort in the arms of Polly's wisecracking pal Mattie (Pert Kelton). Hoping to tear Danny away from Polly, Mike contrives to have blonde seductress Blossom (Joyce Compton) pretend to be Mike's sweetheart, but all misunderstandings are forgotten during the climactic musical production numbers. Originally released at 66 minutes, Sitting on the Moon was cut to 53 minutes for television, with no discernible loss of continuity. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this bouncy musical, a sax-playing ex-convict joins a swing band and embarks upon a cross-country tour. He does really well until an old friend tries to tempt him into becoming a criminal again. The convict refuses the offer so the "friend" retaliates by doing the job anyway and leaving the con to take the rap. Then the band is kidnapped by a powerful person desiring a private concert. The ex-con saves the band by informing on the crook. He is then allowed to play with them again and musical happiness ensues. Songs include: "Would There Be Love," "Let's Spill the Beans," "I Never Had a Man to Cry Over," and "Fagin Youse is a Viper" (Mack Gordon, Harry Revel). ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Harold Lloyd plays Ezekial Cobb, a missionary's son who has spent his entire life in China. Cobb is sent to his father's home church in California, where it is hoped he will find a wife. A true babe in the woods, Cobb is befriended by politician Jake Mayo (George Barbier). Mayo is a cog in a crooked political machine whose bosses plan to set up a "reform" candidate for mayor, so that they can continue their underhanded activities unmolested. The candidate drops dead, so Mayo sets up the innocent Cobb as the mayor-to-be--a "cat's paw" to deflect attention from the system's corruption. But once elected, Cobb takes his duties quite seriously and begins to clean up the town. The machine frames Cobb with planted evidence of wrongdoing, destroying the lad's political career. Undaunted, Cobb remembers the story of an ancient Chinese leader, who, similarly disgraced, took the law in his own hands and executed all known criminals in his last days of power. Cobb orders that every crook in town be rounded up and brought to a dark cellar. He insists that they confess their crimes or face instant death--and backs up his words by "beheading" two of the crooks on the spot! Actually, these executions are cleverly designed magical illusions, and no one is really killed; but the terrified criminals are so hoodwinked by Cobb's apparent cold-bloodedness that they literally climb over one another to confess. Cobb is exonerated, and honesty is restored to his administration. While not Harold Lloyd's best feature film, The Cat's Paw is definitely his most unorthodox. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Invisible Killer was the second effort from Producers Distributing Corporation, the enterprising poverty-row movie firm that would eventually matriculate into PRC Pictures. Based on Carter Wayne's novel Murder for Millions, the story concerns a trio of mysterious murders, each committed in the same bizarre fashion. Girl reporter Sue (Grace Bradley) and her police-officer boyfriend Jerry (Roland Drew) suspect that all three killings were perpetrated by the same murderer (duh!), and set about to prove it. The gimmick is a tiny poison pellet concealed in a telephone receiver, which is released into the air when the victim-to-be answers the phone. But knowing how it's done isn't quite the same thing as knowing who, and that's what Sue and Jerry want to find out. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this romantic musical, a carnival knife thrower's assistant falls for a Parisian tour guide who earns money wearing a sandwich board that says "Is Your Heart Happy? No? Consult Professor Bibi, 17 Rue Canton." After a few romantic mishaps, true love eventually ensues. Songs include: "Lover of Paree," "Lucky Guy," "In a One-Room Flat," "The Way to Love," "It's Oh, It's Ah, It's Wonderful" (Ralph Rainger, Leo Robin). ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide