Sidney Lanfield Movies

Norwegian skating sensation Sonja Henie made her Hollywood screen debut in the splashy 20th Century-Fox musical One in a Million. While preparing for the 1936 Winter Olympics, Swiss skater Greta Muller (Henie) is discovered by American theatrical entrepreneur Tad Spencer (Adolphe Menjou). This fateful meeting results in our heroine losing her amateur status, thereby disqualifying her from Olympic competition. But there's a happy ending for all concerned when Greta makes her spectacular New York bow at Madison Square Garden -- and wins the love of leading man Bob Harris (Don Ameche), to boot. Prominent throughout the proceedings are the zany Ritz Brothers, who reach their comic apogee with a roller-skating routine wherein the three silly siblings impersonate Captain Bligh, Peter Lorre and The Frankenstein Monster! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The "Caliban-Ariel" romance of fiftysomething John Barrymore and teenager Elaine Barrie is spoofed in this delightful 20th Century Fox musical. Adolphe Menjou plays the Barrymore counterpart, a loose-living movie star with a penchant for wine, women, and more wine. Alice Faye plays a nightclub singer hungry for publicity. Her agent (Gregory Ratoff) arranges a "romance" between Faye and Menjou. Eventually Faye winds up with Michael Whalen, allowing Menjou to continue his blissful, bibulous bachelorhood. Sing, Baby, Sing represented the feature-film debut of the Ritz Brothers, who are in top form in their specialty numbers--and who are awarded a final curtain call after the "The End" title, just so the audience won't forget them (The same device was used to introduce British actor George Sanders in Fox's Lancer Spy [37]). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Based on a story by Damon Runyon, Hold 'Em Yale is also more than a little beholden to O. Henry's Ransom of Red Chief. Spoiled-rotten heiress Clarice Van Cleve (Patricia Ellis) is enticed to New York by fortune-hunter Gigolo Georgie (Cesar Romero), who dumps her in the apartment owned by Runyonesque hoodlums Sunshine Joe (William Frawley), Liverlips (Andy Devine), Sam the Goniff (Warren Hymer) and Benny Southstreet (George E. Stone). Plotting to hold Clarice for ransom, the four hooligans figure that this "dame" will be easy to handle. Boy, are they wrong! Like the proverbial babysitter from hell, the temperamental Clarice is soon ruling the roost in the foursome's hideout. The beleaguered crooks offer to ship the girl back to her father, Mr. Van Cleve (George Barbier), only to find out that he won't take her back -- not even for free! In desperation, the four hoods try to marry Clarice off to college football-hero Hector Wilmot (Buster Crabbe), and to that end they try their best (?) to "fix" the annual Yale-Harvard game so that Hector will prove worthy of the hoydenish heroine -- which, as it turns out, was Mr. Van Cleve's plan all along. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Dying New England millionaire Cabot Barr (George Arliss) doesn't trust any of his relatives as they flock to his bedside, and not without justification. Barr realizes that there's a few roses among the thorns, notably his good-hearted granddaughter (Charlotte Henry) and his likeable adopted nephew (Frank Albertson), but the rest of the batch are whining, greedy and manipulative. With the covert aid of his secretary (Ralph Morgan) and his Runyonesque valet (Edward Ellis), Barr decides to teach his family a few lessons by manipulating them to do the opposite of what he pretends he wants them to do. As a result, the granddaughter and the nephew fall in love, while the less-appealing relatives are enmeshed in their own webs of deceit. The best, however, is saved for last. After Barr's death, the family discovers that he's left behind a "living will:" a reel of film in which the old gent jovially announces his bequests -- and with equal joviality settles a few old scores. This climactic "gimmick," later repeated in such films as 1979's Cat and the Canary and 1985's Brewster's Millions, is the highlight of this consistently charming and delightful George Arliss vehicle. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

By rights, Spencer Tracy should have played the leading role of prizefighter Johnny Malone in the 1932 romantic drama Society Girl. But at the time, James Dunn was a bigger name, thus Dunn was cast as Malone, while Tracy was relegated to the standard "best friend and severest critic" part of Johnny's manager, Briscoe (the sort of role that Tracy would later essay opposite top-billed Clark Gable when he moved from Fox to MGM). The film's title character is flighty debutante Judy Gellett (Peggy Shannon), with whom the oafish Johnny falls in love. Arriving at training camp, Judy manages to take Johnny's mind off his work to such an extent that Briscoe tries to intervene, explaining that boxing and dames don't mix. Angrily, Johnny tells Briscoe to take a hike, whereupon Briscoe does just that. Sure enough, the out of shape Johnny loses the big fight, but there are at least two surprising plot twists ahead for our thick-eared hero (and, by extension, for the audience). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Professional ballroom dancing provides the framework of this romantic drama. The story begins when two aspiring dancers fatefully meet. They soon agree to work as a team. They begin their career in the smaller dance clubs. They soon begin dancing in a really popular club where they become an instant hit. Unfortunately jealousy tears them asunder when the man believes that a wealthy cad is horning in on his partner. He decides to pursue a solo career and fails miserably. Eventually the partners reunite and fox-trot into the sunset. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Even before the Fox Studios merged with 20th Century Productions in 1935, the company was dedicated to the proposition that three leading ladies were better than one. The "Three Girls Lost" of the title are played by Loretta Young, Joyce Compton and Joan Marsh. Lovely Loretta and wisecracking Joyce do all right by themselves when they leave their home town for wicked old Chicago. Alas, Joan falls in with thieves and sharpsters, forcing the other two girls to help her out. Of particular interest is the presence in the cast of 24-year-old John Wayne, amusingly miscast as a well-groomed socialite. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Filmed in "Fox Grandeur," an early widescreen process, Happy Days was the immediate follow-up to Fox Studios' Movietone Follies of 1929. Most of the film takes place on the showboat of Mississippi entrepreneur Colonel Billy Batcher (Charles E. Evans). When the Colonel faces foreclosure after several failing seasons, soubrette Margie (Marjorie White) stages a fund-raising revue on the boat, enlisting the aid of all the big stars who got their start with Batcher. By an amazing coincidence, virtually all of the showboat alumni are under contract to Fox Studios! Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell perform "We'll Build a Little World of Our Own," Victor McLaglen and Edmund Lowe kid their roughneck screen images in the novelty number "Vic and Eddie," Sharon Lynn and Ann Pennington offer the "hot" dance routine "Snake Hips," and "Whispering" Jack Smith offers a rendition of the title tune. Also on hand are Will Rogers, El Brendel, Walter Catlett (who also staged the musical numbers), Lew Brice (Fanny's brother), Dixie Lee (Mrs. Bing Crosby) and Georgie Jessel -- not to mention an uncredited 14-year-old chorus girl named Betty Grable. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi