Alfred Allen Movies

Filmed at glorious locations on the Navajo reservation at Tuba City and in Flagstaff, AZ, this Zane Grey adaptation stars square-jawed Jack Holt as a lawman going undercover to ferret out a notorious cattle rustler. In his second American film, aristocratic British actor John Loder plays the villain, a foppish rancher-turned-cattle rustler. Sunset Pass was remade in 1933 as a vehicle for Randolph Scott, and again in 1946, starring James Warren. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

Flying Fleet was one of the first script-writing efforts of Lt. Commander Frank "Spig" Wead, who came to Hollywood after the crippling accident that ended his naval career (Wead's life story was later romanticized in the 1957 John Ford picture The Wings of Eagles). Evidently, Wead's favorite story involved two military men who have a falling out over a beautiful woman. In this instance, six U.S. Naval Academy graduates argue over "dames" while attending flying school. Foremost among the cadets are Tommy (Ramon Novarro) and Steve (Ralph Graves, who showed up in several Wead films), while the romantic bone of contention is Anita (Anita Page). The rate of attrition amongst the six would-be flyboys is astonishing, and as a result only Tommy and Steve are able to complete the training process. In time-honored tradition, our heroes forget their personal problems when lives are at stake. The film is distinguished by its first-rate aviation scenes, superbly photographed by Charles A. Marshall. A silent film, Flying Fleet was released with a synchronized music and sound-effects track; a "restored" version of the film debuted over the Turner Classic Movies cable service in the mid-1990s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Fate is a funny thing: If young physician John Graham (Reginald Denny) had not been stuck in a faulty elevator overnight with stage star Molly O'Day (Marian Nixon), the two might never have met and fall in love. Once the couple is rescued, John and Molly legalize their union at City Hall. At this point, Molly discovers that her contract stipulates a salary decrease in the event of her marriage, so with John's consent she keeps her wedding a secret. Soon after, Molly joins her theatrical troupe on a steamship journey to England. Not wishing to be left behind, and still anxious not to reveal his marital status, John signs on as the ship's doctor. The laughs come pouring in as both Molly and John are afflicted with the "green-eyed monster" thanks to the intervention of several would-be sweethearts. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This Blanche Sweet vehicle was directed by John Griffith Wray, who outside of her own husband Marshall Neilan was Sweet's favorite director. The star is cast as dance-hall girl Dolly Wall, who invests her life savings in an oil well. A gusher comes in, enriching not only Dolly but her ne'er-do-well socialite sweetheart Royce Wingate (Warner Baxter). While Wingate hobnobs with the Upper Crust, poor Dolly is left home alone, stigmatized by her "scandalous" past. Driven to distraction by Wingate's indifference, Dolly threatens to disfigure his face with a vial of acid, but the terror-stricken Wingate shoots the bottle out of her hand, wounding her in the process. Only as Dolly lies bleeding does Wingate realize that he's truly in love with her (and please don't try this at home!) Singed was based on Love O' Women, a story by the celebrated Adela Rogers St. John. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The felicitous star-director combination of Reginald Denny and William A. Seiter served up another moneyspinner for Universal with Rolling Home. Denny plays young businessman Nat Alden, who is fired from his job when one too many of his surefire business schemes fizzles. He is given a lift home by his old pal Dan (Ben Hendricks Jr.), who happens to be the chauffeur of Nat's ex-boss Grubell (E. J. Ratcliffe). When his neighbors see Nat alighting from Grubell's Rolls-Royce, they naturally assume that our hero is a huge success. Thanks to this surge of public confidence, Nat is able to float one more business deal, which turns out to be a financial bonanza for all concerned. As an added fillip, he wins the love of local beauty Phyllis (Marion Nixon) -- but only after convincing the down-to-earth heroine that he's not a millionaire! Incidentally, both of Denny's leading ladies during his Universal period, Laura LaPlante and Marion Nixon, became the wives of director Seiter (though not, of course, at the same time). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

After being raised in England, Ann Church (Laura La Plante) sails back to her parents in Bombay. She meets Major Anthony Seymour, a British officer (Eugene O'Brien), and falls for him. Years before, Seymour had fallen in love with Ann's mother (Hedda Hopper), not realizing she was married. The memories hurt, so he avoids Ann until Gilchrist (Jean Hersholt) puts her in a compromising situation. To save her, Seymour proposes and Ann accepts. Back home in India, however, the match causes problems because Mrs. Church, her pride damaged, asks that the marriage be delayed. Gilchrist tries to ruin Ann's romance by implying that Seymour only wants to marry her to remain close to her mother. Ann decides to go back to England, but Mrs. Church enlists the help of Seymour, who gives Gilchrist the thrashing he deserves. Gilchrist admits he was lying, and Ann reunites with Seymour. A side note: Star Laura La Plante married director William Seiter a year after making this picture with him. This romance was based on the popular novel Ann's an Idiot by Pamela Wynne. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

This collection shows Valentino in a number of short films. ~ All Movie Guide

Viola Dana stars in this rags-to-riches comedy-drama. She plays Martha Mason, who is such an underdog in her little home town that when she graduates from school, she doesn't get a diploma because there aren't enough to go around. Having inherited 2,000 dollars, Martha convinces her father (Bert Woodruff) to let her study art in New York City. Seven years pass, in which time she becomes a huge success and is surrounded by loads of admirers. One young man in particular wants to marry her, but her only thought is of going back home, to show up all the naysayers and to reunite with her childhood sweetheart, Ben Colwell (David Butler). She returns, only to find the place as dreary as before, and Colwell -- who has never taken her seriously -- engaged to Anne Paisley (Eva Novak), daughter of the town's most wealthy citizen (Alfred Allen). Colwell has become a lawyer playing dirty politics, and Martha hands this information over to a dying local newspaper in need of a scoop. This creates the "noise" referred to in the film's title, and Colwell is chased out of town. Martha, redeemed, returns to New York to accept the proposal of the city guy she left hanging. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

One of three early 1920s westerns starring veterans Harry Carey and Marguerite Clayton, Desert Driven was the story of a man -- accused of a crime he didn't commit and wounded by the posse -- who hides out on a desert ranch. Obtaining work as a ranch hand, the hero falls for the rancher's daughter (Clayton). The crooked foreman (Charles LeMoyne) recognizes him, alas, and alerts the law. A last-minute confession by the real murderer (George Waggner) saves the innocent man from a second encounter with the noose. Both Carey and Clayton had worked in westerns since the earliest days of California filmmaking, he as a star for Universal, she as Broncho Billy Anderson's perhaps best-remembered leading lady. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

This virile drama, produced by William Randolph Hearst's Cosmopolitan Pictures, was based on the novel by then-popular author Peter B. Kyne. After serving in Siberia during the Great War, Don Mike Farrell (Forrest Stanley) returns to California to discover that his father has died and the family ranch is now in the hands of John Parker (Alfred Allen). Parker's daughter, Kay (Marjorie Daw), falls in love with Farrell and tries to help him get his rights back. Her attempts, however, are in vain. Parker is working in partnership with Okada, a Japanese land speculator (Warner Oland), who is determined to have the ranch for himself. Farrell has to use all his resourcefulness to defeat the two men. First, he raises the necessary money through chasing down one of his father's debtors, and raises the rest at the racetrack. He then bluffs Parker and wins back his land -- along with Parker's admiration and Kay's hand. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

The great silent western hero William S. Hart was no longer in his prime when he produced (for Paramount-Artcraft) this moralistic tale of a Mountie chasing down the murderer of a saloon keeper. Along the way, the lawman encounters a gang of robbers and, to gain their confidence, pretends to rob a bank himself. The ruse works, and he is admitted to the gang's mountain lair. There, he falls for the sister (Eva Novak) of one of the bandits (Antrim Short). A jealous rival (Leo Willis) gets wise to the ruse, however, and the Mountie is sentenced to be hanged by the gang leader. He is rescued, in the nick of time by the girl and her brother. As it turns out, the boy is the wanted killer of the saloon keeper. Rather than arrest the brother of his beloved, officer Hart nobly resigns from the force, returning, as an inter title explains, " to his loved one no longer O'Malley of the Mounted." In accordance with changing tastes, the usually reticent Hart added several scenes of rodeo excitement to this otherwise average potboiler. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide