John W. Green Movies
Woody Allen's gentle and nostalgic tribute to the glory days of radio and coming-of-age during World War II plays like Fellini's Amarcord filtered through Neil Simon. The nominal star is Seth Green as Joe, a teenage Jewish boy, growing up with a house full of relatives in Brooklyn. Allen cuts between Joe's working class neighborhood of Rockaway Beach, Queens, and the glittery and glamorous world of radio in Manhattan. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mia Farrow, Seth Green, (more)
- 1936
Adventurer-for-hire Victor McLaglen is hired by a political faction in a mythical European kingdom. McLaglen's job is to kidnap the young prince (Freddie Bartholomew) so that his employers can take over the government. The prince enjoys the experience because it releases him from the confines of protocol. When the prince is reluctantly rescued, McLaglen is thrown in prison. He escapes upon the realization that the political party he'd been working for actually plans to kill the prince and set up a dictatorship. McLaglen rescues the prince and preserves the Status Quo--and his blossoming friendship with the affable young monarch. Curiously enough, Professional Soldier is based on a story by Damon Runyon, taking a break from his "Guys and Dolls" chronicles. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Victor McLaglen, Freddie Bartholomew, (more)
- 1927
After achieving success in the mid-'20s, Harry Langdon decided to emulate the silent era's premier comedian -- Charles Chaplin -- and turn auteur. He fired Frank Capra from his staff and directed this feature on his own. Although both writer (and future director) Arthur Ripley and director Harry Edwards stayed on with Langdon, the story line and directoral approach clearly indicate that Langdon was doing his darndest to encroach on Chaplin's pathos-laden terrain. It's a simple story, stretched quite a bit to fill out six reels -- Harry is a timid dreamer who longs for a wife and family. He believes he's achieved his heart's desire when he finds a pregnant girl (Gladys McConnell) in a snowstorm. Harry happily takes care of his new family -- until the girl's husband (Cornelius Keefe) finds her and takes her and the baby back home. Unfortunately, when Langdon directed this picture, he laid on the sentiment but forgot about the comedy, so there are few laughs to be had. Three's a Crowd was a commercial flop, as were the next two films that Langdon directed. After that, he was fired by his studio, First National, and he lost Ripley, who returned to Mack Sennett's studio. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gladys McConnell, Cornelius Keefe, (more)
