Ralph Ince Movies

American leading lady Marian Marsh plays the title character in the British Girl Thief. Actually, the biggest thing young Juliet (Marsh) steals is the heart of Bill (Anthony Bushell), the best friend of her fiance Allan (Claude Hulbert). It is subsequently a considerable source of discomfort when Bill is asked to serve as best man for Allan and Juliet's wedding. Everything turns out OK when it's revealed that Allan is himself still carrying a torch for an ex-sweetheart. This charming but utterly forgettable frivolity was originally released in England as Love at Second Sight. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this comedy, a private detective earns his license via a correspondence course and then sets off to pursue a ring of jewel thieves lead by the villainous "Vulture." He ends up following them to Chinatown, where the gumshoe masquerades as a Chinese and ends up bringing the crooks to justice. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

In this British thriller, a mild-mannered bank clerk has a sort of breakdown, gets tired of seeing other people always get the money, and robs the bank. He then sets up an elaborate scheme whereby it looks as if he felt so much remorse at his actions that he has ended his life by jumping overboard on an ocean liner. Unfortunately, while on board, a ship's steward finds his pre-written note, gets rid of it and steals the money. Later the steward is killed. Now the clerk is in real trouble until he meets a beautiful woman and tells her the whole sordid story. She, and a detective help him prove that he did not kill the steward. The real murderer is found, and both he and the clerk are imprisoned. While doing his time, the clerk is sustained by the knowledge that the beauty waits for him outside. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

When assistant Noel Madison kills professor J. Fisher White for his diamond formula, White's daughter Brook examines the case and gets into danger when she is saved by detective George Galleon. ~ Rovi

Adapted from a stage play by Maurice Braddell, It's You I Want is a vehicle for veteran scene-stealer Sir Seymour Hicks. The star is cast as Victor Delaney, a middle-aged roue who decides to take a break from girl-chasing. This proves impossible when Delaney's bachelor flat becomes a veritable pit-stop for cheating husbands, vengeful wives and dizzy mistresses. Time after time, Delaney is caught in innocent but compromising situations, paying off in loud and long laughter from the audience. Director Ralph Ince does little to "cinematize" his material; it's essentially the original stage play on the original set with most of the original cast. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

One man's attempts to convince his fellow jurors of the defendant's innocence provides the basis of this drama. The others point out that all the evidence presented proves his guilt, but the man is not swayed. Finally he asks them to reconstruct the crime. They do and find out that the holdout is indeed correct. They also find the real killer. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

A criminologist, who wishes to discourage his son from a career as detective, organizes a picture theft which the son manages to solve, proving that there truly was a burglary. ~ Rovi

Dapper, diminutive Monty Banks was a major comedy star in silent pictures, but his pronounced Italian accent proved a drawback in talkies. Accordingly, Banks' most successful sound vehicle was So You Won't Talk?, during which he utters only a handful of words. His silence is motivated by the terms of a will, wherein Tony (Banks) will inherit a huge fortune if he keeps his mouth shut for 30 days. Nor is he even permitted to write down his thoughts during this period: in other words, he's strictly incommunicado. Naturally, events conspire against our hero, placing him in several uncomfortable situations brought about by his self-enforced muteness. Very funny in spots, So You Won't Talk? may be a bit too thin to stretch across nine reels. Helping things considerably is the snappy direction of William Beaudine, who before his descent into "B" pictures was regarded as one of the best all-around craftsmen in the business. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Burly American character actor Ralph Ince both directs and stars in the British Blue Smoke. Ince plays a prizefighter whose greatest rival is gypsy Bruce Seton. Most of Ince and Seton's non-ring battles concern the affections of gypsy lass Tamara Desni. Seton wins that emotional round, and as a result Ince messes himself up professionally. Scripters Fenn Sherie and Ingram d'Abbes adapted their Blue Smoke screenplay from a story by perennial Hitchcock collaborator Charles Bennett. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this thriller, the co-owner of a rubber plantation finds himself in trouble after he rejects the advances of his partner's wife and she tries to poison him. Unfortunately, she poisons her husband instead, leaving the partner to take the rap. ~ Iotis Erlewine, Rovi

Mascot Films, the feisty precursor to Republic Pictures, was responsible for 1933's The Big Payoff. In a rare top-billed role, chameleon-like character-actor Lucien Littlefield plays an innocent man who has been railroaded to the electric chair. Coming to the rescue is Victor Jory, a disgraced police officer who redeems himself by locating the guilty party. More than one reviewer caught on that The Big Payoff resembled a western in modern garb. And small wonder, since the film was based on a short story by Peter B. Kyne. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi