Walter Mycroft Movies

The celebrated stage farce 3DThe Middle Watch3D was the basis of the maritime comedy 3DGirls at Sea3D. While briefly in port, the British battleship 3DScotia3D, hosts a wild party, brimming over with wine, women and more women. Three of the female revellers-Mary (Ann Kimball), Jill (Mary Steele) and Antoinette (Nadine Tallier) are inadvertently left on board when the 3DScotia3D sets sail. It's up to the ship's by-the-book captain (Guy Rolfe) to keep the ladies safe-and out of sight-as the 3DScotia3D engages in maneuvers off the coast of Italy. Michael Hordern has some dryly amusing moments as the hapless Admiral, who suspects that something's amiss-but never suspects that it's 3Dthree3D misses. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Not a remake of the famous Cecil Hepworth silent film, Comin' Thro' the Rye is the life story of 18th century Scottish poet Robert Burns. Within an incredibly brief 55 minutes, director Walter C. Mycroft manages to pack most of the significant events in Burns' existence, "illustrating" certain transitional scenes with still pictures and narration, and throwing 19 songs based on Burns' best works into the stew. Most of the film is shot silent, utilizing actual locations and nonprofessional actors. Burns himself is played by Terrence Alexander, who seems to have been cast primarily on the basis of his resemblance to the original. More of a valentine to the Robert Burns Society than a feature film, Comin' Thro' the Rye was evidently never intended for a mass audience. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Eden Philpotts' "provincial" comic novel and play The Farmer's Wife was first filmed in the silent era by Alfred Hitchcock. The 1940 talkie version was directed by Leslie Arliss, son of stage star George Arliss. The story remained the same: A middle-aged widower attempts to select a wife from his rural district's eligible females (Basil Sydney). Three unsuccessful dalliances later, the farmer settles for his housekeeper, whom the audience has been rooting for all along. The Farmer's Wife is a prime example of the sort of fare that struck a proper chord with British filmgoers, but whose appeal would be lost to any other nationality. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this old-joke-filled farce, a married couple has to put up with an obnoxious mother-in-law whose husband gets caught necking with a young actress, a traveling salesman, and a piano being mistaken in a conversation for an illegitimate child. ~ Steve Huey, Rovi

Another cheeky entry from the Aldwych Theatre farceurs, Banana Ridge is based on a play by Aldwych perennial Ben Travers. Alfred Drayton plays a wealthy, respected gentleman suddenly confronted with old flame Isabel Jeans. She shows up out of nowhere, claiming that her illegitimate son is his. The possibility of scandal creates a brouhaha with Drayton's wife Adela Dixon, and daughter Nova Pilbeam. Old chum Robertson Hare offers to help Drayton out--and nearly wrecks his own marriage in the process. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

As part of a reciprocal deal, teeny-tiny PRC Pictures released several Associated British-Pathe films to American theaters. One of these was Castle of Crimes, featuring Kenneth Kent as A.E.W. Mason's famed professional sleuth Inspector Hanaud. The story concerns a wealthy recluse (Louise Hampton) who is convinced that her avaricious relatives intend to murder her. In turns out that she's right, but Hanaud refuses to jump to the "logical" conclusions in determining the guilty party. The murder weapon is a rare, almost undetectable type of poison-but not too undetectable for our hero. Castle of Crimes was originally released in Great Britain in 1940 as The House of the Arrow. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Originally released in England in 1938 as Murder in Soho, this moody melodrama was advertised in America as "The rapid-fire story of an underworld mobster with a social bee in his bonnet and a rod on his hip"(Whew!) The mobster in question is Steve Marco, played with appropriate sneering menace by Jack LaRue. Booted out of Chicago by the feds, Marco sets up a respectable nightclub in London as a front for his many criminal activities. When a murder is committed in the club and the body deposited in the street, Scotland Yard inspector Hammond (Martin Walker) suspects that Marco is responsible. With Hammond's unofficial blessing, nightclub hostess Ruby Lane (Sandra Storme), the dead man's widow, and inquiring reporter Roy Barnes (played by Bernard Lee, later to gain worldwide fame as "M" in the James Bond series) go undercover to get the goods on the social-climbing mobster. Though Murder in the Night could have gotten by on its own merits, the bravura performance of Jack LaRue truly "makes" the film. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This lightweight but elaborately produced musical melodrama was originally released in Great Britain as Premiere. While watching the opening night of a Parisian stage extravanganza, the show's principal backer is murdered. Inspector Bonnard (John Lodge) deduces that the fatal shot was fired from the stage-meaning that everyone involved in the production is a suspect. Bonnard demands that the cast and crew restage the play so that he can witness the proceedings and ascertain the killer's identity. One thing is certain: heroine Carmen (Judy Kelly) is not the guilty party, though she should have shot whoever designed her unflattering costumes and makeup. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This historical documentary makes use of both archive footage and dramatic re-enactments to show the rise to power of Adolf Hitler. ~ Tana Hobart, Rovi

Dapper musical comedy favorite Jack Buchanan is practically the whole show in The Gang's All Here. Buchanan plays John Forrest, top investigator for the Stamford Insurance Company. Retiring from the firm, Forrest intends to devote the rest of his life to writing detective fiction, but this plan goes out the window when his former employers are robbed of $1,000,000 in jewels belonging to foreign potentate Prince Homouska (Walter Rilla). With the help of his befuddled brother Treadwell (Edward Everett Horton), Forrest follows the trail of clues to American gangster boss Alberni (Jack LaRue), capturing his quarry with a variety of slapsticky subterfuges. Released in the US by PRC Pictures, The Gang's All Here remains one of Jack Buchanan's best-loved vehicles. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this comedy, a battleship captain has a large party to celebrate their next voyage and is dismayed to find that two glamorous women are still aboard after they set sail and cannot turn back. To protect them, and himself, he hides the unwilling stowaways in his quarters. Unfortunately, they are too soon discovered and mayhem ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

A case of mistaken identity is the basis for this drama. The trouble begins when a rich entrepreneur is accused of being the notorious thief, Jean Pelletier, who performed his infamous robberies in the years preceding the war. A court battle ensues. The industrialist states that he suffered amnesia during the war. His fiance found him from a newspaper picture. Pelletier's ex-lover then testifies that the man is indeed Pelletier. Another man swears that he had witnessed the robber's death during the war. The accused is acquitted and goes home. The witness waylays him and tells the man that he lied, and that if he doesn't pay him a large ransom, he will tell the court. The poor businessman is truly confused. His amnesia was quite real so there is a definite possibility that he is the thief. He becomes fixated with discovering the truth. He goes to Pelletier's ex-love, and the thief's mother. They convince him. He really is Pelletier. The man decides to turn himself in, but his lawyer convinces him not to do it. In the meantime, the mistress learning that the blackmailer is planning to spill the beans anyway, takes matters into her own hand. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi