Endre Bohem Movies

The Boys of Paul Street is an antiwar allegory set in the streets of Budapest. Two rival gangs of young boys lay claim to a vacant lot. The hostilities escalate yet never quite boil over into actual violence. Just when things do get out of hand, however, the problem is "solved" by the city government, which takes over the lot for future development. Based on a story by Ferenc Molnar, The Boys of Paul Street was filmed in Hungary then picked up for American distribution by 20th Century-Fox. A 1934 version of the story was produced by Columbia under the title No Greater Glory. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This melodrama tells the tale of a great battle between the French Foreign Legion and the rebellious Arab tribe, the Tuaregs, who fight it out upon the blistering Sahara sands. Just before the Legionnaires embark upon their dangerous mission, the commander discovers that he is being cuckolded by his lieutenant. Because the mission is urgent, there is no time to fight over the commander's wife. Unfortunately, as they travel, the tension between the two mounts and they begin squabbling over how to plan the attack. Their inability to work together results in tragedy. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

After killing his partner Harry Bent (Paul Lambert), outlaw Fred Myers (Robert H. Harris) and his wife Jennifer (Julie Van Zandt) abscond with their stolen loot and set up a "legitimate" business in Dodge City. But if Fred thinks he's out of danger, he hasn't taken into consideration Harry's good friend Tobeel (Frank DeKova), a solemn-faced Indian who persistently dogs the Myers' trail. When another murder occurs, Tobeel is accused of the crime--but Matt (James Arness) uses his own knowledge of Indian traditons to trap the genuine killer. This episode is based on the Gunsmoke radio broadcast of November 28, 1953. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

One of Dodge's finest citizens is shot down in cold blood on Front Street. Marshal Matt Dillon (James Arness) soon discovers that he himself was the intended target, and that the killing was masterminded by an old enemy. But as the story unfolds, it turns out that there's a third man involved in the conspiracy. One of several episodes directed by frequent John Wayne collaborator Andrew McLaglen, "Spring Term" is based on the Gunsmoke radio broadcast of June 13, 1953. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This modern-day "Faust" variation benefits from a superb cast. Thomas Mitchell plays Joseph Foster, an honest judge who wants to become governor. Blocked by corrupt political forces, Foster would practically have to make a deal with the Devil to reach his goal. Enter Nick Beal (Ray Milland), a diabolically handsome gent with a slick line of patter and a smooth, infallible method of getting things done. Failing to recognize his benefactor's true identity (after all, Nick has no horns or cloven hooves) Foster agrees to the deal when Nick assures him that the end result is for the good of the people. To bind the bargain, Nick sends out one of his most trusted associates, Donna Allen (Audrey Totter), to keep Foster in line. When Foster finally realizes that he's sold his soul, there seems to be no way out..but that's when the forces of Good, represented by Foster's wife Martha (Geraldine Wall) and his clergyman friend Thomas Gaylord (George Macready), switch into high gear. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This hospital drama chronicles the exploits of four nursing students enrolled in a three-year training course. One of them decides that she will have a brilliant young doctor, but then she changes her mind and begins pursuing a wealthy playboy. Unfortunately, the playboy loves another nurse. A railroad disaster interrupts the romantic shenanigans. Later the flaky nurse and the doctor get married. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Through a miscarriage of justice, John Ingram (Edward G. Robinson) is convicted of a crime he did not commit and sentenced to a long stretch on a chain gang in the deep South. In time, Ingram flees to Oklahoma, where he makes a living fighting oil fires under an assumed name. Several years later, he has a successful business, a loving wife (Ruth Hussey), and a child. But he still lives in fear that his secret will be revealed, and one day he's visited by William Ramey (Gene Lockhart). Ramey admits that he committed the crime for which Ingram was convicted; he proposes that they meet with the authorities together, and Ramey will sign a confession that will clear Ingram's name. But Ramey instead double-crosses Ingram, putting him back on the chain gang while Ramey lays claim to his business. Before long, Ingram learns that his wife and child are nearly broke thanks to Ramey's gutting of his once-thriving business, and he decides that he must once again escape if he is to protect the safety of his family. Blackmail marked one of Edward G. Robinson's first "good guy" roles after making his name in a series of gangster epics; a year later, he would be starring in prestigious biopics, such as Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet and A Dispatch From Reuters. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Harold Gray's long-running comic strip Little Orphan Annie was first brought to the screen in 1932, with Mitzi Green as Annie. This 1938 version was produced by Paramount, with Ann Gillis (best known for her performance as Becky Thatcher in Selznick's Adventures of Tom Sawyer) as Gray's resourceful, saucer-eyed heroine. Surprisingly, there's no "Daddy Warbucks" in this story of Annie's efforts to help the impoverished residents of a tenement neighborhood. Befriending would-be boxer Johnny Adams (Robert Kent), Annie persuades the tenement dwellers to subsidize Johnny's pugilistic career, with the promise that they'll be compensated with his championship prize money. Unfortunately, the loan sharks who've been terrorizing the neighborhood get wind of Annie's scheme, and it looks bad for both Annie and Johnny until a group of angry housewives come a-marching to the rescue! Needless to say, this Little Orphan Annie bears zero resemblance to the hit Broadway musical of the 1970s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Two Wise Maids was an attempt by Republic Pictures to recapture the magic of MGM's Marie Dressler-Polly Moran vehicles. Dressler, alas, had died, but Republic was able to secure the services of Moran, teaming the raucous comedienne with the magnificent Alison Skipworth. The two leading ladies are cast as Prudence and Agatha, a pair of old-fashioned schoolteachers in an old-fashioned small town. Disdaining the wimpy theories of "progressive" education, Prudence and Agatha stick to the reliable "Three R's," often teaching to the tune of a hickory stick. Though ridiculed for their so-called outmoded methods, the heroines manage to turn out quite a few prize students, earning the undying gratitude of the local citizenry. The obligatory romantic subplot involves school principal Bruce (Donald Cook) and substitute teacher Ellen (Hope Manning, later billed as Irene Manning). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The ambitious Republic melodrama The Girl From Mandalay was based on Tiger Valley, a novel by Reginald Campbell. The title character is Mandalay resort entertainer Jeanie, played by Kay Linaker. When his aristocratic sweetheart gives him the air, Britisher John Foster (Conrad Nagel) marries Jeanie on the rebound. This sparks a minor scandal when Foster's best friend Kenneth Grainger (Donald Cook) assumes that Jeanie is Foster's mistress instead of his wife and treats her accordingly. It takes the invention of a fever epidemic and a marauding tiger to wash away all misunderstandings and hurt feelings, though the audience is left with the feeling that Jeanie would be better off if both Foster and Grainger got out of her life. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Desert Nights was the last silent film made by MGM's resident heartthrob John Gilbert -- and the last of his truly successful efforts. The melodramatic plot revolves around the robbery of a diamond mine, masterminded by Steve (Ernest Torrence). The criminals have taken Rand (Gilbert), the mine's manager, hostage, spiriting him off to the desert waste. Hopelessly lost, Steve turns to Rand, who knows the territory like the back of his hand, to lead the crooks back to civilization. Rand refuses but relents for the sake of Steve's partner-in-crime Diana (Mary Nolan). A spectacular climactic sandstorm effectively eliminates the villain and facilitates a happy ending for Rand and Diana. Likewise spectacular was the precipitous fall from popularity of John Gilbert after it was revealed that his voice, though pleasant enough, did not match his dashing screen image -- but this revelation was still several months in the future when Desert Nights was released. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide