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438,339 | 306,861 | 47,867 | 7 |
A Tale Of A Duck & A Bear
|
A Walt Disney DONALD DUCK Cartoon . Beekeeper Donald is infuriated when a BEEZY BEAR from neighboring Brownstone National Park begins stealing his honey . This humorous cartoon was one of a series to feature Humphrey Bear & Ranger J . Audubon Woodlore . Always an enjoyable duo , they starred in a short series of cartoons but ultimately disappeared into animated obscurity . Clarence " Ducky " Nash supplies Donald's voice , while Bill Thompson does the honors for the Ranger . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Bambi , Peter Pan and Mr . Toad . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off .
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437,424 | 306,861 | 233,404 | 7 |
Wrestlemania With The Little Rascals
|
An OUR GANG Comedy Short . Waldo , as the Masked Marvel , is to wrestle Wildcat Alfalfa for the possession of a new football . It's here CAME THE BRAWN , however , when Butch takes Waldo's place so he can beat-up Alfalfa himself ( something to do with Darla's affections ) . Things are likely to get mighty serious for our skinny hero , mighty fast . . . A few laughs in this little film . Alfalfa is funny , as usual . Once again , Darla's fickleness is a bit wearying .
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437,933 | 306,861 | 21,906 | 7 |
Another Nail In John Gilbert's Cinematic Coffin
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A dying gangster reveals himself as the true father of a young society man , thus turning that GENTLEMAN'S FATE completely upside down . . . According to cinematic legend , all the talkie MGM films starring John Gilbert were dreadful - the result of a bitter hatred between Gilbert ( the highest paid star in Hollywood , with a $1 . 5 million contract ) & studio boss Louis B . Mayer . A determination on Gilbert's part to fulfill the contract , and a campaign instituted by Mayer to destroy Gilbert's career - including spreading the rumor that Gilbert's voice was ' high & feminine ' , culminated in several unwatchable movies . Not entirely true . The Studio had a huge financial investment in Jack Gilbert and was not going to completely cut its own throat by showcasing him in nothing but dreck . However , of the 8 MGM talkies in which he appeared as solo star ( 1929 - HIS GLORIOUS NIGHT ; 1930 - REDEMPTION ; WAY FOR A SAILOR ; 1931 - GENTLEMAN'S FATE ; THE PHANTOM OF Paris ; WEST OF Broadway ; 1932 - DOWNSTAIRS ; 1933 - FAST WORKERS ) most , including GENTLEMAN'S FATE , were rather ghastly . Poor editing , a tawdry story line about unpleasant people , unattractive sets and a depressing climax all work together to sink the film . Poor Gilbert seems deflated , obviously embarrassed by appearing in such a poor film . His rather cold appearance & demeanor make it hard to sympathize with his character . What makes matters worse is that he is continually upstaged by Louis Wolheim , who actually gives a noteworthy performance as Gilbert's older , plug-ugly brother . ( That these two could actually be siblings is one of the script's most unbelievable contrivances . ) Two lovely ladies , Leila Hyams & Anita Page , grace the film with their presence , but they are sadly wasted . Their romantic tribulations are meaningless to the audience because it is so difficult to warm up to Gilbert , the object of their affections . Paul Porcasi , Frank Reicher & John Miljan all strive to make their small roles meaningful , but they are largely defeated by the unforgiving script . Marie Prevost has some good moments as a slatternly moll , but it is very sad to see her scenes with Gilbert . One is inevitably reminded that both their lives would be cut short by acute alcoholism , her final circumstances being especially atrocious . Finally , about The Voice . There was nothing at all strange or unnaturally high about Gilbert's voice . As a matter of fact , it was of medium range & rather cultured & refined . That was the crux of the problem , of course . While it is possible that no voice could have ever matched the perfect one viewers heard in their minds while watching his strong , virile silent roles , the reality was very different from what they wanted to hear ( imagine Robert Montgomery's voice coming out of Clark Gable's mouth . ) Gilbert was doomed from his first scene in his debut talkie ; his war with Mayer only intensified the agony . He would die in 1936 , forgotten by most of his former fans , at the age of only 36 .
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437,196 | 306,861 | 23,812 | 7 |
A Cartoon Strictly For The Birds
|
A Walt Disney SILLY SYMPHONY Cartoon Short . The BIRDS IN THE SPRING are kept busy building nests & hatching their eggs . One particularly adventurous young fledging wanders from home , tangles with a frightful serpent and brings back a swarm of angry bees . Papa Bird has a forceful way of showing his displeasure . . . Not much plot in this little film , but it did give the Disney animators an exercise in animating comic birds . The SILLY SYMPHONYS , which Walt Disney produced for a ten year period beginning in 1929 , are among the most interesting of series in the field of animation . Unlike the Mickey Mouse cartoons in which action was paramount , with the Symphonys the action was made to fit the music . There was little plot in the early Symphonys , which featured lively inanimate objects and anthropomorphic plants & animals , all moving frantically to the soundtrack . Gradually , however , the Symphonys became the school where Walt's animators learned to work with color and began to experiment with plot , characterization & photographic special effects . The pages of Fable & Fairy Tale , Myth & Mother Goose were all mined to provide story lines and even Hollywood's musicals & celebrities were effectively spoofed . It was from this rich soil that Disney's feature-length animation was to spring . In 1939 , with SNOW WHITE successfully behind him and PINOCCHIO & FANTASIA on the near horizon , Walt phased out the SILLY SYMPHONYS ; they had run their course & served their purpose .
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437,503 | 306,861 | 233,304 | 7 |
Just The Facts With The Little Rascals
|
An OUR GANG Comedy Short . To impress Darla , Alfalfa tells her he's a famous bear tamer . Her dad , a circus owner , just happens to have a bear costume ; now he's determined to get Alfalfa's real BEAR FACTS . . . This little film tries hard for laughs and delivers a few . Highlight : Alfalfa's dance with the ? bear ' .
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437,427 | 306,861 | 24,005 | 7 |
John Gilbert's Swan Song
|
Two steelworker buddies are real FAST WORKERS when it comes to romancing & dumping the women in their lives - until a loose lady with a shady past shakes up their complacency & threatens their friendship . According to cinematic legend , all the talkie MGM films starring John Gilbert were dreadful - the result of a bitter hatred between Gilbert ( the highest paid star in Hollywood , with a $1 . 5 million contract ) & studio boss Louis B . Mayer . A determination on Gilbert's part to fulfill the contract , and a campaign instituted by Mayer to destroy Gilbert's career - including spreading the rumor that Gilbert's voice was ' high & feminine ' , culminated in several unwatchable movies . Not entirely true . The Studio had a huge financial investment in Jack Gilbert and was not going to completely cut its own throat by showcasing him in nothing but dreck . However , of the 8 MGM talkies in which he appeared as solo star ( 1929 - HIS GLORIOUS NIGHT ; 1930 - REDEMPTION ; WAY FOR A SAILOR ; 1931 - GENTLEMAN'S FATE ; THE PHANTOM OF Paris ; WEST OF Broadway ; 1932 - DOWNSTAIRS ; 1933 - FAST WORKERS ) most were certainly rather ghastly . FAST WORKERS was a sad end to Gilbert's MGM contract . Although it boosts some fine moments in the alarmingly vertiginous opening scenes atop a skyscraper ( for once using decent rear projection ) , back on the ground it descended into turgid romantics which were a waste of the stars ' talents . Unattractive & depressing , the film could easily be subtitled The Tawdry Lives Of Unpleasant People . Gilbert was always trying to push himself as an actor , attempting to produce the best performance possible . But the script and the cheap production values gives him no assistance . It is to Mayer's eternal shame that the actor who was the most popular male star at the end of the silent era and who made a great deal of money for MGM , should be treated in such a shabby , humiliating way at the end of his career . The film was also a Studio letdown for director Tod Browning , who had helmed several splendid silent Lon Chaney shockers and whose talkies included the classics Dracula & FREAKS . His career would soon spiral into obscurity . Robert Armstrong and a funny Sterling Holloway offer fine support to Gilbert , as do Mae Clarke , Muriel Kirkland , pretty Muriel Evans and unbilled Herman Bing & Nora Cecil , but it's all to no avail . The picture was doomed & John Gilbert was out the door , his contract expired . It must be stated that there was nothing at all strange or unnaturally high about Gilbert's voice . As a matter of fact , it was of medium range & rather cultured & refined - which was the crux of the problem , of course . While it is possible that no voice could have ever matched the perfect one viewers heard in their minds while watching his strong , virile silent roles , the reality was very different from what they were expecting ( imagine Robert Montgomery's voice coming out of Clark Gable's mouth ) . Gilbert was doomed from his first scene in his debut talkie ; his war with Mayer only intensified the agony . At Garbo's insistence , John Gilbert would return to MGM later in 1933 to appear as her love interest in QUEEN Christina , but she was the star and Gilbert received below-the-title billing . He would make only one more film - THE CAPTAIN HATES THE SEA for Columbia in 1934 . Then he retired to his villa to live a life of drunken , sybaritic obsolescence . He was planning to return to the screen to costar with his last lover , Marlene Dietrich , in THE GARDEN OF ALLAH when he suddenly died on January 9 , 1936 of heart failure , forgotten by most of his former fans . John Gilbert was only 36 years old .
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438,143 | 306,861 | 28,296 | 7 |
Sneakin ' Around With The Little Rascals
|
An OUR GANG Comedy Short . It's SPOOKY HOOKY time for all concerned when Spanky , Alfalfa , Buckwheat & Porky break into the schoolhouse one dark & stormy night to retrieve a faked doctor's note left on teacher's desk . . . A few laughs here , but the Short is too short to really develop the chills . Highlight : Buckwheat meets the skeleton .
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437,679 | 306,861 | 45,696 | 7 |
A Duck Tale With Gators
|
A Walt Disney DONALD DUCK Cartoon . Donald tricks his Nephews into believing he's been magically reverted into an infant after discovering DON'S FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH . The always enjoyable Duck gives a humorous performance in an otherwise routine film . Clarence " Ducky " Nash provides Donald's unique voice . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Dumbo , Bambi & Peter Pan . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off .
|
438,195 | 306,861 | 21,786 | 7 |
Ramon Novarro Romance Film of Old Vienna
|
When a young Imperial Officer offhandedly insults the poor girl he's smitten with , it precipitates her into the arms of a bullying , rich old gambler . Trying to win her back , the Lieutenant becomes greatly in debt to her new lover . Will the young man retain his honor & his life , come next DAYBREAK ? The plot is a bit musty , but the performers do what they can with the material . Ramon Novarro , always a good actor , provides the latest in a series of ethnic impersonations - this time playing a highborn Austrian . Helen Chandler is a pretty love interest , especially good in the Grinzing wine garden scene . Jean Hersholt provides quiet menace as the heavy . As always , Sir C . Aubrey Smith is nothing less than excellent , this time playing a gruff old general - watch him imperiously send an impecunious young officer off to commit suicide . Morally , this is definitely a pre-Production Code movie . Casual sex is implied , much of the action takes place in a fancy brothel and just why is Novarro's manservant wearing Novarro's drawers ?
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438,192 | 306,861 | 21,780 | 7 |
A Little William Haines Romantic Comedy
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The American nephew of an English nobleman is appalled at the prospect of an arranged marriage . To prove to his uncle that all girls are not sweet & innocent , he disguises himself as his intended's paid dancing companion , to see if she'll have an affair with him . To his surprise , he falls in love with her . When she catches on to the trick , will she acknowledge her hidden love for him , or will she continue to treat him as JUST A GIGOLO ? William Haines , always enjoyable to watch , sparks this little pre-Production Code comedy , in which his silly-billy antics are toned down a bit . He's particularly fun in the climaxing scenes at the San Sebastian Inn , when he thinks Irene Purcell has surrendered a wee bit too far to his charms . Miss Purcell gives a pert performance as a spoiled young noblewoman in need of firm handling . Wonderful old Sir C . Aubrey Smith is excellent as a crusty lord who has much to learn about modern youth , circa 1931 . Haines was one of the art directors on this picture . The following year , with his dismissal from MGM , he would start a new & very successful career as a Hollywood interior decorator .
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438,194 | 306,861 | 28,353 | 7 |
Jeeves & Wooster - Sir P . G . Wodehouse's Classic Creations
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When muddleheaded Bertie Wooster - London playboy & man about town - gets himself into trouble , he can always rely on the inimitable Jeeves , his gentleman's gentleman , to extricate him from the plight . When Bertie becomes involved with a beautiful mystery woman , Jeeves must utilize brawn , not brain , to rescue him from a dangerous gang of international thieves . Hopefully , Wooster will once again be able to say , ' THANK YOU , JEEVES ! ' Very loosely based on one of his novels , Sir P . G . Wodehouse's immortal characters come alive in this , the first of two Jeeves films produced by 20th Century Fox . At only 57 minutes long , the film wastes no time in getting into its funny business . Fans of the short stories & novels will notice that liberties were taken with the characters . Jeeves is less of the all-knowing automaton ; in fact , he uses not his cerebral matter but a knowledge of fisticuffs to catch the villains . Bertie is still rather zany , but his ( eventual ) success with the fair sex has noticeably improved . Having played butlers so often , Arthur Treacher here has the plum role of his career . He is perfect as Jeeves : tall , with forbidding intellect - but not afraid to unbend and sing a rousing hunting song or swing a mean battle-ax . David Niven is a lot of fun as Wooster , vague & a bit befuddled , but loyal & brave in defending his lady love . She is played nicely by Virginia Field . Willie Best has some very funny moments as a stranded saxophonist who adds to the hilarity .
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437,680 | 306,861 | 45,756 | 7 |
Going Goofy At Home
|
A Walt Disney GOOFY Cartoon . Goofy tries coping with the child , the pets and all the housework during FATHER'S DAY OFF . Here is a cautionary little film for any male who's ever thought his wife had it easy around the house . Pete has a tiny cameo at the end as a police detective . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Dumbo , Bambi & Peter Pan . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off .
|
437,755 | 306,861 | 41,867 | 7 |
No Mutton Tonight
|
A Walt Disney PLUTO Cartoon . SHEEP DOG Pluto has enough difficulty guarding his flock without the unwanted interference of two hungry coyotes . This little film is fun , but quite unremarkable . The mangy coyotes , Bent-Tail and his none-too-brilliant son , Bent-Tail , Junior , were featured in a short series of Disney cartoons , only to vanish as quickly as they came . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Bambi , Peter Pan and Mr . Toad . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off .
|
438,341 | 306,861 | 38,978 | 7 |
Pluto's Pests
|
A Walt Disney MICKEY MOUSE Cartoon . A couple of chipmunks believe they have SQUATTER'S RIGHTS in Mickey's mountain cabin . This enjoyable , albeit unremarkable , cartoon was the second to feature the Chipmunks - although they had yet to completely metamorphose into Chip ' n ' Dale . Their dialogue is almost completely unintelligible . Pluto gets most of the screen time - Mickey is left with just the bits & pieces . The last gag is strangely cruel . Nominated for an Academy Award . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Bambi , Peter Pan and Mr . Toad . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off .
|
437,107 | 306,861 | 23,669 | 7 |
Not Little Shirley's Finest Hour
|
A SHIRLEY TEMPLE Short Subject . It can get mighty rough at Buttermilk Pete's Cafe when the local contingency of diaper-clad WAR BABIES come in for their midday milk break . This primitive little film - a spoof of military movies - provides a few chuckles , but little else : tiny tots talking tough can begin to pall in a short time . Shirley Temple , playing a duplicitous hip-swinging French miss , hasn't much to do in this pre-celebrity performance . Highlight : the real signs of toddler temper when a few of the infants unexpectedly get well & truly soaked with milk . Often overlooked or neglected today , the one and two-reel short subjects were useful to the Studios as important training grounds for new or burgeoning talents , both in front & behind the camera . The dynamics for creating a successful short subject was completely different from that of a feature length film , something akin to writing a topnotch short story rather than a novel . Economical to produce in terms of both budget & schedule and capable of portraying a wide range of material , short subjects were the perfect complement to the Studios ' feature films .
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437,802 | 306,861 | 32,264 | 7 |
Shirley Temple's Last Child Role
|
An obnoxious girl , unable to find joy in her life , is sent by an elderly fairy into the Lands of the Past & the Future to seek for THE BLUE BIRD of Happiness . Her search will change her life profoundly . . . Fantasy is the most difficult genre for film to create successfully . All the elements have to come together just right , and then , more often than not , success is a happy accident . Fantasy is not replicable ; note the number of failed sequels . If 20th Century Fox was trying to emulate MGM's THE WIZARD OF OZ ( an initial box office flop , it should be remembered ) , it was not a wise endeavor . Given its troubled production history , OZ should have been a disaster . That it was not still puzzles & delights film historians . THE BLUE BIRD's ultimate failure is not complete . There are several very good things about it . The main trouble seems to be in the casting of Shirley Temple in the lead role . The greatest child star of them all was now aging , and prepubescent Shirley seems to depend a bit too much on the gracious memories of her devotees . She's still cute , but this time that's just not enough . Also , it must have been awkward acting such a nasty role , one doomed to be disliked by the audience for much of the film . Gale Sondergaard , as the Cat , has much the same problem . She tries hard , but the role is very unsympathetic & we are never told why her character is so wicked - indeed , capable of murder . It's interesting to note that both Temple & Sondergaard were important contenders for major roles in OZ , but were instead rejected for Judy Garland & Margaret Hamilton . There are several cast members that do an excellent job with their material : Spring Byington , tender as Shirley's mother ; wonderful old Jessie Ralph as the fairy ; Eddie Collins , often very funny as the Dog ; Nigel Bruce & Laura Hope Crews , giving ripe performances as Mister & Mrs . Luxury ; and dear Cecilia Loftus & Al Shean as Shirley's lonely , dead grandparents . Some of the minor casting is also very effective , witness Thurston Hall as Father Time , Edwin Maxwell as Old Man Oak & Sterling Holloway , on screen only a few seconds as Wild Plum . That's Scotty Beckett , from the old OUR GANG Comedies , as one of the Unborn Boys . The use of Technicolor is very eye-appealing , although its initial entry into the film lacks the dramatic punch produced in OZ . The forest firestorm sequence is very well done & the Unborn Children scenes have genuine pathos .
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437,355 | 306,861 | 21,759 | 7 |
Will Rogers Goes Time Traveling
|
A radio man visits a spooky old house at night . There he briefly meets the strange inhabitants , including a mad scientist who tries to use radio waves to tune into the past . An accidental bang on the head sends the radio man back to King Arthur's Court . So starts this version of the oft-filmed Mark Twain tale , this time re-worked for the personality of Will Rogers - who certainly doesn't sound like a Connecticut Yankee . In fact , Will is the main reason to watch this early talkie . His humor - one suspects much was ad-libbed - was always refreshing . Fox obviously spent a lot of money on the Camelot scenes ; they look very good . Many of the performers , however , have trouble with their stilted dialogue . Myrna Loy looks beautifully evil , but her part is not developed . The always lovely Maureen O'Sullivan is totally wasted in a small role . William Farnum does the best he can as Arthur , but the other male co-stars are much hampered by the script or just plain immature acting . Will Rogers , as always , is wonderful - delivering his lines in his soft , shy , Oklahoma drawl . He had star presence without even trying . It is terrific fun seeing him win a joust with a knight by using his excellent roping & riding skills . Mark Twain's Ghost must have smiled . . .
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437,055 | 306,861 | 21,703 | 7 |
Early Disney Animation
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A Walt Disney SILLY SYMPHONY Cartoon Short . Toiling together , THE BUSY BEAVERS have devised many ingenious ways to complete their dam . After retiring to their lodges , a mighty flood threatens to wipe out all their hard work . Only one lone beaver has the energy to save the day . . . This black & white entry in the series is an exercise in dealing with the movement of light & dark forms ; action & reaction . The SILLY SYMPHONIES , which Walt Disney produced for a ten year period beginning in 1929 , are among the most interesting of series in the field of animation . Unlike the Mickey Mouse cartoons in which action was paramount , with the Symphonies the action was made to fit the music . There was little plot in the early Symphonies , which featured lively inanimate objects and anthropomorphic plants & animals , all moving frantically to the soundtrack . Gradually , however , the Symphonies became the school where Walt's animators learned to work with color and began to experiment with plot , characterization & photographic special effects . The pages of Fable & Fairy Tale , Myth & Mother Goose were all mined to provide story lines and even Hollywood's musicals & celebrities were effectively spoofed . It was from this rich soil that Disney's feature-length animation was to spring . In 1939 , with SNOW WHITE successfully behind him and PINOCCHIO & FANTASIA on the near horizon , Walt phased out the SILLY SYMPHONIES ; they had run their course & served their purpose .
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437,922 | 306,861 | 32,288 | 7 |
Drinkin ' Medicine With The Little Rascals
|
An OUR GANG Comedy Short . After drinking unmixed digestive powders , Alfalfa gets BUBBLING TROUBLES . When his abdomen swells tremendously , Spanky and the Gang are certain he's swallowed some of Butch's ' liquid dynamite ' . Now if they can only get Alfalfa home without his exploding . . . Few real laughs in this otherwise innocuous little film . Made after MGM got direct control of the Gang , and with the kids themselves noticeably growing up , it bears scant resemblance to the Rascals ' classics of yesteryear .
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437,675 | 306,861 | 21,720 | 7 |
A Feline Nightmare From Disney
|
A Walt Disney SILLY SYMPHONY Cartoon Short . It's dark and THE CAT'S OUT for the evening . A night spent screeching on the fence & stalking birds takes a strange turn when an accidental bang on the head throws kitty into a world of nightmare . . . This black & white cartoon is pleasant without being noteworthy . The SILLY SYMPHONIES , which Walt Disney produced for a ten year period beginning in 1929 , are among the most interesting of series in the field of animation . Unlike the Mickey Mouse cartoons in which action was paramount , with the Symphonies the action was made to fit the music . There was little plot in the early Symphonies , which featured lively inanimate objects and anthropomorphic plants & animals , all moving frantically to the soundtrack . Gradually , however , the Symphonies became the school where Walt's animators learned to work with color and began to experiment with plot , characterization & photographic special effects . The pages of Fable & Fairy Tale , Myth & Mother Goose were all mined to provide story lines and even Hollywood's musicals & celebrities were effectively spoofed . It was from this rich soil that Disney's feature-length animation was to spring . In 1939 , with SNOW WHITE successfully behind him and PINOCCHIO & FANTASIA on the near horizon , Walt phased out the SILLY SYMPHONIES ; they had run their course & served their purpose .
|
437,125 | 306,861 | 19,715 | 7 |
Early Our Gang Short Featuring Wheezer
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An OUR GANG Comedy Short . When a new little arrival comes to Wheezer's home , he finds himself neglected & depressed . Unable to get any positive attention ( making breakfast pancakes out of Plaster of Paris only makes matters worse ) and wanting no more BOUNCING BABIES around the house , he decides to take his new brother back to the hospital and ask the nurse to return him to Heaven . This is an adequate little comedy , but nowhere close to any of the Rascals ' classics . Chubby is funny as a Halloween demon with a spooky voice . Wheezer has a very interesting way of getting himself & Pete across the very busy street near his home - but it makes you wonder why his mother would allow the tiny tyke so close to such dangerous traffic .
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437,612 | 306,861 | 23,578 | 7 |
Taking Care Of Baby With Mr . Laurel & Mr . Hardy
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A LAUREL & HARDY Comedy Short . The Boys make THEIR FIRST MISTAKE when Stan convinces Ollie to adopt a tiny baby in order to placate his ferocious wife . Arriving home with the infant , the Boys discover that Mrs . Hardy has left him for good - leaving Stan & Ollie to look after the baby . This , of course , is something they are spectacularly ill-equipped to do . Not much plot in this little film - plenty of sight gags , though . Stan's preparation to milk the baby is hilarious . That's Billy Gilbert as the process server & Mae Busch as Mrs . Hardy .
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438,338 | 306,861 | 39,209 | 7 |
Donald Goes Buggy
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A Walt Disney DONALD DUCK Cartoon . An elderly BOOTLE BEETLE recalls his encounter years earlier with bug collector Donald Duck . This enjoyable little film was the first in a very short series to feature the Bootle Beetles . Although undeniably cute , they did not make an impression on the viewers and quickly retired from the screen . Clarence " Ducky " Nash supplies Donald's voice . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Bambi , Peter Pan and Mr . Toad . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off .
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437,068 | 306,861 | 34,874 | 7 |
A Dog & His Horse
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A Walt Disney GOOFY Cartoon . The Goof demonstrates HOW TO PLAY BASEBALL in the worse possible way . In this " How To " entry , the National Pastime is subjected to much good natured ribbing . The jokes and animation are both fine , though unremarkable . John McLeish narrates in his best documentary style . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Bambi , Peter Pan and Mr . Toad . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off .
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437,652 | 306,861 | 212,030 | 7 |
Big Times At The Mega Studio
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An MGM Short Subject . A large group of very special businessmen arrive in Los Angeles and are given extra special treatment by the Hollywood hierarchy of MGM Studios . This little film was made as a souvenir record of the 1937 MGM Convention , attended by the sales force , distributors , theater managers & various high muckety-mucks from the New York City office of Loew's Inc . - MGM's parent company . Never meant to be seen by the public - hence the unedited profanity - it was rushed through production so as to be ready to be shown at the Convention's opening night banquet . Basically , it is an exercise in quiet tedium . The inebriated Conventioneers , looking distressingly like a crime family and acting silly with the pretty girls supplied by the Studio , are seen passing time on the Westward heading train . We are then treated to a rather glutinous welcoming speech by Louis B . Mayer , after which comes seemingly endless footage of the relentlessly cheerful hordes disembarking their buses at the Studio . Oscar material , this isn't . Because of the film's extremely rapid gestation , there is no time for some of the expected niceties . Especially missed is any identification given to individuals in the crowd of sullen stars who eventually show-up , leaving the viewer to quickly ID them as they parade past the camera ( ' Isn't that Charles Boyer dressed as Napoleon ? ' ' Look ! There's little Freddie Bartholomew ! ' ' That has to be Oliver Hardy ! ' ) The film's humorous opening credits claim Leo ( the Lion ) as the entire creative & production crew .
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437,945 | 306,861 | 34,886 | 7 |
Sonja Skates - Script Sinks
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A pretty miss in ICELAND falls for an American Marine corporal stationed there temporarily during World War Two . Sonja Henie was Norway's ice queen when she won Olympic gold medals for skating in 1928 , 1932 & 1936 . After going professional , she began a celebrated movie career at 20th Century Fox in 1936 with her American film debut , ONE IN A MILLION . Beautiful & talented , as well as being a natural in front of the cameras , she carved out her own special niche during Hollywood's Golden Age . Although Miss Henie's ice routines may look antiquated by comparison to modern champions , there was nothing antique about her dazzling smile or sparkling personality . In this regard , some of today's snowflake princesses could still learn a great deal from her . As her career progressed , it became increasingly difficult for 20th Century Fox to find decent stories for Miss Henie and the excuses for the lavish ice dancing numbers were often implausible . No matter . Audiences did not flock to her films to watch Sonja recite Shakespeare . The movies were meant to be pure escapist fantasy , plain & simple . ICELAND is no exception and its story is often quite ludicrous . However , the skating episodes are pleasing and there is a generous amount of band music supplied by the Sammy Kaye Orchestra , which introduces ' There Will Never Be Another You , ' by Mack Gordon & Harry Warren . Thanks to the script , John Payne's romance with Sonja is kept a rather dull affair . As Payne's sidekick , Jack Oakie comes across as loud & annoying . Felix Bressart , a fine actor when given something decent to work with , plays Sonja's silly Papa . Fritz Feld makes the most of his few minutes as an inquisitive Icelandic functionary . Movie mavens will recognize an oddly uncredited Sterling Holloway , who is very funny as Sonja's erstwhile suitor . Ultimately , though , this is Sonja's show . She glides effortlessly into the viewer's heart , while balancing on a thin edge of silver , suspended over frozen water .
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436,997 | 306,861 | 21,533 | 7 |
Way Out West With William Haines
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Although he's all but forgotten now , in 1930 , Hollywood's first full year of talkie films , William Haines was king of the box office . His movies - he starred in three of them - made more money than those of any other male star . WAY OUT WEST is one of those films . Haines plays a carnival shyster who cheats some cowboys out of their money with a crooked roulette wheel . They retaliate by kidnapping him , taking him back to their ranch and forcing him to work off the debt . There are some of the usual silly-billy antics you expect from a Bill Haines film . But there are also lapses into very serious areas as well . The look on Haines ' bleeding face after he's been roughed-up by a big cowboy , without a word spoken , speaks volumes . Also appearing are Leila Hyams , one of MGM's pretty starlets of the early 1930's ; Francis X . Bushman , Jr . ; the ubiquitous Polly Moran ; and little Cliff Edwards , who gets to play his ukulele & sing .
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437,749 | 306,861 | 39,263 | 7 |
A Duck Tale With Chipmunks
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A Walt Disney DONALD DUCK Cartoon . CHIP AN ' DALE make Donald's life miserable after he cuts down their tree for firewood . The story & animation are routine , but the film is significant in that it is the first in which the Chipmunks are named , hence the title . Clarence " Ducky " Nash supplies Donald's voice ; the little rodents are often unintelligible . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Dumbo , Bambi & Peter Pan . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off .
|
437,052 | 306,861 | 21,534 | 7 |
One Of The Dreadful Films John Gilbert Made For MGM To Fulfill His Contract
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Here comes the Merchant Marine , the toughest seamen afloat . Sailing into every sea , a job in every port , a girl in every bar . Out of the way there ! Here they come , up from the docks , looking for some shore leave . Look out ! Make WAY FOR A SAILOR ! According to cinematic legend , all the talkie MGM films starring John Gilbert were dreadful - the result of a bitter hatred between Gilbert ( the highest paid star in Hollywood , with a $1 . 5 million contract ) & studio boss Louis B . Mayer . A determination on Gilbert's part to fulfill the contract , and a campaign instituted by Mayer to destroy Gilbert's career - including spreading the rumor that Gilbert's voice was ' high & feminine ' , culminated in several unwatchable movies . Not entirely true . The Studio had a huge financial investment in Jack Gilbert and was not going to completely cut its own throat by showcasing him in nothing but dreck . Of the 8 talkies in which he appeared as solo star ( 1929 - HIS GLORIOUS NIGHT ; 1930 - REDEMPTION ; WAY FOR A SAILOR ; 1931 - GENTLEMAN'S FATE ; THE PHANTOM OF PARIS ; WEST OF BROADWAY ; 1932 - DOWNSTAIRS ; 1933 - FAST WORKERS ) most were certainly rather ghastly . WAY FOR A SAILOR falls into that unfortunate category . Gilbert tries hard throughout the film , but it never comes together . Atmospherics are of the ' B Movie ' variety , and while the rescue at sea sequence is exciting , it's not enough to save the film . Even wonderful Wallace Beery , bluff & hearty , can't pull it off , though he certainly is entertaining & manages to steal every scene he's in . And lovely Leila Hyams is boring , thanks mostly to a lackluster script . Look fast and you'll spot Doris Lloyd & the inimitable Polly Moran , both enjoyable as dockside floozies ( Polly wields a mean mallet ) . Movie mavens will recognize Sojin as the Oriental procurer ; quick-eyed viewers may spot an uncredited Ray Milland as a ship's officer . Finally , about The Voice . There was nothing at all strange or unnaturally high about Gilbert's voice . As a matter of fact , it was of medium range & rather cultured & refined . Which was the crux of the problem , of course . While it is possible that no voice could have ever matched the perfect one viewers heard in their minds while watching his strong , virile silent roles , the reality was very different from what they wanted to hear ( imagine Robert Montgomery's voice coming out of Clark Gable's mouth . ) Gilbert was doomed from his first scene in his debut talkie ; his war with Mayer only intensified the agony . He would die in 1936 , forgotten by most of his former fans , at the age of only 36 .
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437,948 | 306,861 | 30,321 | 7 |
Robert Louis Stevenson Adventure Film
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A young Scotsman , on his way to becoming laird of his family property , instead finds himself in the very thick of his country's rebellion against the English , hunted & harried & in constant peril , after his evil uncle has him KIDNAPPED . This is a fairly good adventure film which , now and again , actually includes some of the original plot as penned in the famous novel by Robert Louis Stevenson . Action scenes are well done , but the wholly unnecessary romantic subplot gets very much in the way . Warner Baxter is completely miscast as the great literary hero , Alan Breck ; he doesn't even attempt to act Scots and his accent is pure Yankee . One wonders what Fox Studio had in mind . In the supporting cast was a star from silent screen days , British actor Ralph Forbes , who could have given the role more authority & punch . Instead , Forbes is given a tiny part & disappears quickly . Freddie Bartholomew does a fine job as young David Balfour and there is an excellent supporting cast of sterling character players of the period : John Carradine , Nigel Bruce , Mary Gordon , Halliwell Hobbes , E . E . Clive , Montague Love , H . B . Warner & Eily Maylon . Reginald Owen is especially good as an old rapscallion of a sea captain , while Sir C . Aubrey Smith scores as a wise old duke .
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437,586 | 306,861 | 32,038 | 7 |
Learning The Importance Of School Work With The Little Rascals
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An OUR GANG Comedy Short . With the help of his dad , Alfalfa imagines what it would be like in college , when , as a football hero , he is ineligible to play in the big game because he neglected his TIME OUT FOR LESSONS . This little movie with a moral , made when the Rascals were a bit older , is thoroughly unfunny . Only the jitterbugging scene - with Darla belting out ' Swinging The Jinx Away ' - has any pep to it .
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437,644 | 306,861 | 30,123 | 7 |
Eatin ' Birthday Dinner With The Little Rascals
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An OUR GANG Comedy Short . Darla's dad is celebrating his 32nd birthday & wants nothing more than a quiet evening at home with his family , enjoying his mock turtle soup , roast chicken & cake . Serenity is shattered , however , by the arrival of Alfalfa , Percy & Porky . To his infinite disgust , all Mr . Hood can do is FEED ' EM AND WEEP . . . This little film has a few good moments , mostly dealing with the Rascals . Johnny Arthur , as Papa ( a champion whiner ) , actually turned 55 the year this was filmed . Wilma Cox is levelheaded Mama . Alfalfa warbles ' Many Happy Returns Of The Day ' .
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437,754 | 306,861 | 39,596 | 7 |
A Frozen Pup Tale
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A Walt Disney PLUTO Cartoon . Crossing the chilly wastes to Quagmire Airport , MAIL DOG Pluto is hampered in his mission by a rabbit desperate to get warm . Fun though unremarkable , this little film features Flutter Foot the rabbit in his only Disney appearance . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Bambi , Peter Pan and Mr . Toad . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off .
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437,153 | 306,861 | 25,803 | 7 |
Joan Blondell Dishes Out The Diced Carrots
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A bored & beautiful SMARTY enjoys goading both of her husbands into fits of jealous rage . This very bizarre little comedy from Warner Bros . , which sneaked in under the wire before the imposition of the Production Code , actually espouses physical abuse as the secret ingredient needed in keeping the romantic spark alive in marriage . This distressful assertion is promoted by skillful players and smug dialogue , but to no avail . Joan Blondell , as blonde & curvaceous as ever , is portrayed as an intensely annoying young virago with all the charm of an acid bath . Endlessly nagging , the script gives her one shrill note to play , which she does with unnerving tenacity . In most of her other roles of the period she played a smart & sassy gal who has to fight her way to happiness by final fadeout . Here , Blondell starts with everything and seems determined to claw her way to the bottom again . Must be some sort of mental aberration . Patrician Warren William & nervous Edward Everett Horton supplied wonderful moments in dozens of Golden Age films . Here , as the two men caught in Blondell's web , although they make valiant efforts , they seem out of place in the rather sordid storyline . Rounding out the cast as two friends seemingly without meaningful lives of their own , viewers will probably find Frank McHugh to be distressingly simpleminded and pretty Claire Dodd vindictive & catty . Neither exemplify the sort of friend one would want to have during a time of domestic crisis . Perhaps it would be well to quote a single paragraph from celebrated journalist Harriet Hubbard Ayer's essay ' What Not To Do , ' published in CORRECT SOCIAL USAGE ( The New York Society Of Self-Culture , 1903 ) ' Don't nag ; there's nothing in it but hateful thoughts for all concerned , and such thoughts are germs that breed deceit on one side and ungovernable temper on the other . At the end of the road is division of hearts , often a divorce court . ' Blondell & Company should have paid heed .
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438,186 | 306,861 | 24,320 | 7 |
Comic Characters in College Campus Comedy
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An outrageous liar , pretending to be Baron Munchausen the famous explorer , arrives in new York City with his lowbrow companion . They proceed to defraud everyone in sight , before finally settling in at Cuddle College - where they plan to give the coeds the opportunity to MEET THE BARON . In the early 1930's , Jack Pearl was a huge success on radio as Baron ( ' Vas you dere , Charley ? ' ) Munchausen , the champion fibber . MGM decided to groom him for film stardom , playing his famous character . Here , in the first of two films - HOLLYWOOD PARTY ( 1934 ) was the second - he is surrounded by first rate talent : the great Jimmy Durante as his sidekick ; fluttery Zasu Pitts ; the inimitable Edna May Oliver as the college dean ; and Ted Healy & the Three Stooges . The movie , while no classic , is enjoyable . Pearl , Durante and Misses Oliver & Pitts all have good moments . Fans of the Stooges will appreciate their contributions to the lunacy of the plot . Film mavens will want to look fast for Robert Greig & Lionel Belmore as explorers and Mary Gordon as the college washerwoman . ' Clean As A Whistle ' has to be the strangest song ever included in an MGM movie - it takes place entirely in the college shower room . . .
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437,947 | 306,861 | 22,412 | 7 |
Adventures In India With Ramon Novarro
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A handsome young merchant prince must fight first for his life and then for his identity . But when he struggles to keep the love of a beautiful young American , he is reminded that he is still but a SON OF INDIA . This is a decent little film , with good production values and MGM lavished a lot of care in making it look exotic . As regards the plot , Ramon Novarro is practically the whole story . Here he adds another portrait to his long series of ethnic interpretations . Silent screen star Conrad Nagel appears as Novarro's American friend & a lovely Madge Evans plays his sister , Novarro's love interest . Marjorie Rambeau is given little do to as their unsympathetic aunt , while old Sir C . Aubrey Smith has a tiny role as a wise old English doctor .
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437,516 | 306,861 | 43,428 | 7 |
A Duck Tale With Chipmunks
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A Walt Disney DONALD DUCK Cartoon . The two tiny CORN CHIPS ( Chip ' n ' Dale ) turn Donald's snowy front yard into a battlefield as they fight him for control of his popcorn . Here is another routine Duck versus Chipmunks film , but the antagonists are always a pleasure to watch . Clarence " Ducky " Nash supplies Donald's voice ; the Chipmunks are often unintelligible . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Bambi , Peter Pan and Mr . Toad . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off .
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437,987 | 306,861 | 45,269 | 7 |
Chipmunks After Dark
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A Walt Disney CHIP ' N ' DALE Cartoon . There's lots of rodent romance going on at the Acorn Club when TWO CHIPS AND A MISS get together . Here is a very routine Chipmunks film which ( rather embarrassingly ) puts their pint-sized canoodling on display . The lovely Clarice , for all her furry allure , would make only this one film appearance . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Bambi , Peter Pan and Mr . Toad . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off .
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437,919 | 306,861 | 32,249 | 7 |
Makin ' A Movie With The Little Rascals
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After thoroughly disrupting the opening of a new Hollywood movie , the Gang decides to make their own film , The Misterryus Mistery . At THE BIG PREMIERE , with the neighbor kids in attendance , cinematic chaos ensues . . . Few real laughs in this otherwise innocuous little film . Made after MGM got direct control of the Gang , and with the kids themselves noticeably growing up , it bears scant resemblance to the Rascals ' classics of yesteryear .
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437,296 | 306,861 | 27,916 | 7 |
Makin ' Lemonade With The Little Rascals
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An OUR GANG Comedy Short . Nasty Leonard & his equally repulsive dad , new owners of a neighborhood fruit stand , see to it that the lemonade cart belonging to little Scotty Beckett & his grandpa is thrown off THE LUCKY CORNER where it's stood for years . Moving into a less-frequented alley , business looks bleak . It's a good thing Spanky & The Gang are on hand to drum up some more customers . A funny little film , with spunky Spanky , Buckwheat ' on ice ' and Alfalfa crooning ' Little Brown Jug ' the highlights . Leonard Kibrick was the quintessential tough redheaded kid in many films of the 1930's , often without credit . That's Gus Leonard playing Grandpa .
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437,500 | 306,861 | 26,007 | 7 |
Odd Mix Of Vulgarity & Romance
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Welcome to the WONDER BAR ! Your host , Al Wonder ( Al Jolson ) promises you the finest music & entertainment Paris can offer in this wonderful year of 1934 . Our featured dancers , Harry & Inez ( Ricordo Cortez & Dolores Del Rio ) will thrill you with their passion ; they say that Inez adores Harry , but that he , a true gigolo , loves only money . Seated on the sidelines is a wealthy married woman ( Kay Francis ) who is supposedly giving Harry diamonds for his affections . Al loves Inez , as does his boy bandleader & crooner Tommy ( Dick Powell ) . And if you glance over at the bar you'll see a French Captain ( Robert Barrat ) , bankrupt , disposing of his last cash & valuables , hinting darkly that we should not miss tomorrow morning's newspapers . Al himself will of course entertain us with a selection of tunes sung in his inimitable style . Yes , I think we can promise you an evening you won't forget , full of waltzes & romance , love & hate , murder & suicide ! Right this way , mesdames & messieurs ! Released just prior to the imposition of the Production Code , this neglected film is an example of too much talent & not enough taste . Sex in several illicit forms seems to preoccupy much of the dialogue & plot ( watch the reaction on Jolie's face as the two young men dance past him ) . Some of the references are a bit sly , others obscure , but the decadence lingers on . . . That having been said , the film does have strengths . Jolson is wonderful to watch . His outsized personality was too big for any screen to hold ; nonetheless , his talent to entertain was immense & he doesn't stint here . Francis ( she has little to do ) & Del Rio are both lovely and Powell is in good voice . The comedy is handled by two American couples , Guy Kibbee & Ruth Donnelley and Hugh Herbert & Louise Fazenda , who bicker and flirt and have almost nothing to do with the rest of the plot . Al Dubin & Harry Warren provided some good tunes for the picture . Powell sings ' Why Do I Dream Those Dreams ? ' & ' Wonder Bar ' - while Jolson sinks his teeth into ' Welcome To My Wonder Bar / Vive La France . ' Busby Berkeley was the dance choreographer and he provides one of his finest creations , ' Don't Say Good-Night ' ( featuring the talents of Powell , Del Rio & Cortez ) , with the Berkeley hallmark : identical blonde chorus girls in swirling precision movements filmed from above , this time endlessly magnified by mirrors . It is gorgeous . On the other hand , Jolson , Berkeley , Dubin & Warren must take responsibility for one of the most outrageous sequences of the decade ( looking back with hindsight ) . ' Goin ' To Heaven On a Mule ' , which makes the Celestial City look like a honky-tonk Harlem populated by the Hall Johnson Choir , is amazingly racist & fascinatingly vulgar , a definite smudge on First National / Warner Bros . reputation .
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438,280 | 306,861 | 39,870 | 7 |
More Nephew Trouble For Donald
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A Walt Disney DONALD DUCK Cartoon . Donald runs a crooked shooting gallery at the Carnival , until some real STRAIGHT SHOOTERS - his three Nephews - happen by . This is another in a long series of cartoons in which The Donald gets punished for his bad behavior . The story is unremarkable , but the animation is well done . However , the Nephews disguising themselves as a curvaceous duck vamp in order to attract the romantic attentions of their somewhat lecherous Uncle has rather disturbing implications . . . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Bambi , Peter Pan and Mr . Toad . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off .
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438,136 | 306,861 | 20,307 | 7 |
Playin ' On Trains With The Little Rascals
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An OUR GANG Comedy Short . While playing in the train yard , Fat Joe Cobb , Farina & the Gang go RAILROADIN ' in a runaway train , which none of them knows how to stop . . . A funny little early talkie . Due to its age , some of the dialogue is difficult to hear . Highlight : Farina on the tracks . Fat Joe & Chubby are so obese it's painful to watch them .
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438,209 | 306,861 | 27,999 | 7 |
Wheeler & Woolsey Go Crazy In Egypt
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Two zany ditch diggers join an expedition intent on returning a cursed treasure to the burial chamber of Egyptian King Pharatime . But when a crazed killer starts spreading comedic terror in the tomb , who will come rescue the MUMMY'S BOYS ? This starts out as a suspense tale , with mysterious deaths & a Pharaoh's curse , but it soon becomes a typical Wheeler & Woolsey comedy ( Bert Wheeler is the one with the curly hair ; Robert Woolsey has the cigar & spectacles ) . The Boys are always fun to watch and this film is no exception , even if the plot is exceptionally silly . Unlike Laurel & Hardy , who relied heavily on slapstick & physical humor , Wheeler & Woolsey's comedy derived largely from the dialogue . Their best bit here : the ' twenty miles as the crow flies ' routine . Barbara Pepper is Wheeler's love interest here ; Willie Best adds to the craziness .
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438,190 | 306,861 | 22,198 | 7 |
William Haines & Jimmy Durante Score Big in Comedy Crime Caper
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James Rufus Wallingford , master swindler , returns to America - cheating suckers & dodging the law . But then he falls in love with the daughter of an old man he wants to defraud . He needs to watch his step , or there won't be any NEW ADVENTURES OF GET RICH QUICK WALLINGFORD . William Haines was perfectly cast as a smooth-talking operator in this , his fastest-moving , most densely plotted film . Leila Hyams is cute as his love interest , but she doesn't have a lot to do but look pretty or distressed . Clara Blandwick , as her mother , acts like a tough old customer . Guy Kibbee is fun as the detective waiting for Wallingford to slip-up . As Haines ' accomplices in crime , Ernest Torrence and pickpocket Jimmy Durante are especially good . This was Durante's film debut and he soon would be a top Hollywood star . By the way , for many decades this movie ( based on a character already established in short stories in Cosmopolitan Magazine & a couple of silent films ) held the distinction as the Hollywood film with the longest title .
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437,525 | 306,861 | 33,448 | 7 |
Lost In The Links
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A Walt Disney MICKEY MOUSE Cartoon . Pluto acts as CANINE CADDY for Mickey's golf game - with predictable results . Good animation is the highlight of this otherwise unremarkable little film . The Pup has far more screen time than The Mouse , especially after the arrival of the requisite tiny critter - in this instance a gopher - into the plot to plague Pluto . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Bambi , Peter Pan and Mr . Toad . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off .
|
437,770 | 306,861 | 22,117 | 7 |
A Movie In Possession of Two Fine Comedy Stars
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A penniless society girl living by her wits finds herself falling in love with the handsome sheriff's man sent to keep an eye on her belongings . What will happen if one of her suitors discovers that the fellow masquerading as her butler is both her lover and THE MAN IN POSSESSION ? This is a pleasant little drawing-room comedy which spotlights two stars of the past in serious peril of becoming forgotten . Robert Montgomery was both dashing & debonair . He handles the title role with much natural charm . Long-legged Charlotte Greenwood is a delight . Her delivery & timing are as fresh as today's coffee . The rest of the cast is equally good : lovely Irene Purcell ; sweet , elderly Beryl Mercer ; plus Reginald Owen & Alan Mowbray as a couple of pompous twits . Sir C . Aubrey Smith is excellent as Montgomery's gruff , blustery father . As he normally played roles of great dignity , it is tremendous fun here to see his reaction when a platter of parsnips & gravy is smashed into his vest . This is very defiantly a pre-Production Code comedy - Montgomery & Purcell go to bed together only hours after meeting . The sight of Purcell's torn chemise lying at the foot of her bed would never have been allowed a few years later .
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437,346 | 306,861 | 20,439 | 7 |
On The Race Track With Bill Haines
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Love & revenge , thrills & spills . A cocky young man . A beautiful young lady . A nasty celebrity racer and a decent old driver with a bad heart . They will all come together for the great Decoration Day Race at the Indianapolis SPEEDWAYThis is a fairly typical William Haines silent comedy . He chases pretty Anita Page throughout , engaging in antics so annoying they'd get him arrested today . Haines ' personality is a bit much at times , but he is never anything less than entertaining . He benefits here by much location shooting at the famous Raceway . The supporting cast is good : Ernest Torrence & Eugenie Besserer are the old driver & his wife who've taken Haines in like a son ; Karl Dane is a good-natured , if slow-witted , mechanic ; John Miljan is properly repugnant as the bad guy . The ubiquitous Polly Moran scores in her one scene as a frowzy hash house waitress .
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437,505 | 306,861 | 234,884 | 7 |
Boat Racin ' With The Little Rascals
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An OUR GANG Comedy Short . When Darla's affections turn from Alfalfa to Waldo & his miniature yacht , it's time to fight back . Challenging the verbose twerp to a boat race , Alfalfa skippers a floating contraption of his own , crewed by Buckwheat & Porky . Are these THREE MEN IN A TUB really up to the contest ? Not a lot of laughs in this little film . Waldo's persiflage & Darla's histrionics become rather annoying . Highlight : the three-duck power engine .
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437,960 | 306,861 | 24,224 | 7 |
A Broadway Brevity
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A Vitaphone Short SubjectA handsome South American lieutenant has his KISSING TIME with a beautiful American traveler rudely interrupted by his uncouth general , who wants the lady for himself . . . Although this short film can boast little beyond its ludicrous lovemaking , the songs are sung nicely , and the characters of the obese general and fey Englishman are slightly humorous . The unusually dense plot , with its ghostly , bell ringing hermit & unhappy ending , makes this musical somewhat atypical for its time . Operettas were idea subject matter for early talky two-reelers . They were swiftly paced , colorful ( even in black & white ) and rather cheap to produce , utilizing as they did the sets & costumes of the feature films . Their brief length negated any need for character exposition and the stories were easy to follow , even when sung by heavily accented voices . Best of all , they were full of Sound , and that was still enough of a novelty to keep most audiences from becoming overly critical or expectant of anything smacking of real art .
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437,670 | 306,861 | 20,906 | 7 |
Disney Peeps Under The Sea
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A Walt Disney SILLY SYMPHONY Cartoon Short . The FROLICKING FISH at the bottom of the ocean are having a wonderful day , swimming & darting about . The arrival of a hungry octopus , however , seriously threatens to disrupt their fun . . . With virtually no plot to speak of , this black & white cartoon is another exercise in action / reaction animation . The SILLY SYMPHONIES , which Walt Disney produced for a ten year period beginning in 1929 , are among the most interesting of series in the field of animation . Unlike the Mickey Mouse cartoons in which action was paramount , with the Symphonies the action was made to fit the music . There was little plot in the early Symphonies , which featured lively inanimate objects and anthropomorphic plants & animals , all moving frantically to the soundtrack . Gradually , however , the Symphonies became the school where Walt's animators learned to work with color and began to experiment with plot , characterization & photographic special effects . The pages of Fable & Fairy Tale , Myth & Mother Goose were all mined to provide story lines and even Hollywood's musicals & celebrities were effectively spoofed . It was from this rich soil that Disney's feature-length animation was to spring . In 1939 , with SNOW WHITE successfully behind him and PINOCCHIO & FANTASIA on the near horizon , Walt phased out the SILLY SYMPHONIES ; they had run their course & served their purpose .
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437,517 | 306,861 | 48,768 | 7 |
Another Duck Tale With Chipmunks
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A Walt Disney DONALD DUCK Cartoon . Logger Donald finds himself UP A TREE after he attempts to cut down Chip ' n ' Dale's home . Here is another routine Duck versus Chipmunks film , but the antagonists are always a pleasure to watch . Clarence " Ducky " Nash supplies Donald's voice ; the Chipmunks are often unintelligible . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Bambi , Peter Pan and Mr . Toad . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off .
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438,175 | 306,861 | 20,987 | 7 |
Wheeler & Woolsey's Comic Misadventures in Hotel Management
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A couple of scam artists go legit to help a young lady run the dilapidated hotel she's inherited . Over time they turn the place into a swanky high-society hot spot . But when mobsters , a crooked lawyer & a phony countess arrive , the Boys find themselves in trouble HOOK , LINE AND SINKER . This slight comedy features the always watchable team of Wheeler & Woolsey . ( Bert Wheeler is the one with curly hair ; Robert Woolsey is the skinny fellow with glasses . ) Their one-liners fly faster than the bullets which climax the movie . Dorothy Lee , their frequent co-star & Wheeler's perpetual love interest , is still kewpie-doll cute . The massive Jobyna Howland is great as Woolsey's lady love - a ferocious female not to be fooled with . Hugh Herbert , usually so much fun , is given little to do as the ineffectual hotel detective .
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437,955 | 306,861 | 22,882 | 7 |
Fun On The Water With William Haines
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William Haines is a fast-talking ex-sailor with big ideas for building the world's fastest speed boat , winning the love of a rich man's daughter and foiling the plots of a crooked young banker . Maybe some of his dreams will come true , if he can only slow down his hectic FAST LIFE . The story is silly , as were most of Haines ' pictures , but he's always enjoyable to watch . Extensive location shooting around the Catalina Island waterfront gives the film a boost . Haines is his normal antic , brash self , doing all he can to annoy Madge Evans , as the love interest . Conrad Nagel is the banker , in a pleasant departure from his usual good guy roles . Little Cliff Edwards is funny as Haines ' buddy . Karl Dane appears uncredited in a bit part as a wharf watchman . Only a few years before he'd been one of MGM's silent stars , but his thick Danish accent didn't pass the grade in the new world of talking pictures and he quickly faded . He would die a suicide two years after FAST LIFE was released . This was also to be William Haines ' last MGM film . He & Louis B . Mayer had loathed each other for years and Haines was finally given the shove . After a couple of films at a minor studio , he would become a very successful interior decorator .
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438,283 | 306,861 | 45,038 | 7 |
Not Enough Cake At This Party
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A Walt Disney MICKEY MOUSE Cartoon . With all the young mice in the neighborhood invited to PLUTO'S PARTY , no wonder the affair turns into a complete shambles . A mildly humorous , although completely unremarkable , cartoon . No attempt whatsoever is made to delineate any of the small rodents . Listen carefully and you'll hear Mickey clearly name Donald's nephews , Huey , Dewey & Louie , as among the expected party guests , but apparently the little ducks had second thoughts about attending . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Bambi , Peter Pan and Mr . Toad . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off .
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437,348 | 306,861 | 25,263 | 7 |
An Invitation From Mr . Jimmy Durante
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That romantic & devilishly handsome movie star , Jimmy Durante , decides to throw the HOLLYWOOD PARTY every celebrity in town will want to attend . And he does , with somewhat mixed results . This nonsense film ( no directors are credited , but several important ones were involved ) was an excuse for MGM to show off , somewhat ostentatiously , its comedy talent . Enough talent , indeed , to waste . Laurel & Hardy show up for a scene with Lupe Velez and it is hilarious . The ubiquitous Polly Moran , Charles Butterworth & Arthur Treacher are generally worth watching . Ted Healey & The 3 Stooges , Jack Pearl & Eddie Quillan are hampered by inadequate material . Even Robert Young appears for a few moments , playing himself and looking a wee bit silly . Apparently having wandered over from another studio , Mickey Mouse shows up unexpectedly , in animated form & voiced by Walt Disney . He proves he can hold his own in trading wisecracks with Durante and then introduces a fairly good Disney Technicolor cartoon , ' Hot Chocolate Soldiers ' and it's enjoyable . If you get invited to this party , try hanging out with Stan & Ollie , or The Mouse . They're where all the fun is .
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437,070 | 306,861 | 36,269 | 7 |
The Tale Of A Hound & A Critter
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A Walt Disney MICKEY MOUSE Cartoon . It is PLUTO AND THE ARMADILLO he encounters that provides the excitement during Mickey's brief stopover in Belem , Brazil . This is one of the many films in which Pluto gets to interact with a small critter of some sort . The gags are routine . That's Brazilian star Carmen Miranda that The Pup spoofs for a few moments with the fruity headgear . Mickey's appearance is little more than a cameo . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Bambi , Peter Pan and Mr . Toad . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off .
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438,191 | 306,861 | 29,609 | 7 |
Jeeves Returns in Crime Caper Comedy
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When a couple of swindlers convince Jeeves , that impeccable gentleman's gentleman , that he is the long-lost heir to the fortune of Sir Francis Drake , he embarks with them to New York , where he is immediately embroiled with bank robbers & mobsters . To get yourself out of this pickle , you'll need to STEP LIVELY , JEEVES ! In this , the second of two Jeeves films ( following THANK YOU , JEEVES ! - 1936 ) , Arthur Treacher once again has a field day as the world's most famous butler . He is always great fun , with his icy stare & nasal tones . Too bad the plot doesn't give us more of him . With three sets of crooks & a couple of snoopy reporters , Jeeves sometimes gets lost in the proceedings . This is also a different Jeeves from the one created by Sir P . G . Wodehouse . Bertie Wooster is nowhere to be seen , nor is he even mentioned . Also , the Movie Jeeves is much too easily duped by the criminals - the Literary Jeeves would have sent the fellows packing with a flea in their ear . The Movie Jeeves gets falling-down drunk , unthinkable for his Literary Counterpart . The Movie Jeeves also claims his first name is ' Rupert ' - whereas from the novels we know his real name is ' Reginald ' . Ah , ha ! An impostor ! In the supporting cast , George Givot has some funny moments as a phony Russian prince . Franklin Pangborn shines in a tiny role as a headwaiter ; too bad he has no scenes with Treacher .
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437,762 | 306,861 | 163,666 | 7 |
Heated Hysteria
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A Warner Brothers VITAPHONE VARIETIES Short Subject . Lost in the HOT SANDS of Death Valley , a honeymooning couple make a strange pact with three strangers in order to survive . Billy Wayne & Thelma White star in this incredibly silly little film which strains mightily for the few chuckles it tries to elicit . But , of course , it's a difficult task to find anything very convivial about attempted cannibalism . Often overlooked or neglected today , the one and two-reel short subjects were useful to the Studios as important training grounds for new or burgeoning talents , both in front & behind the camera . The dynamics for creating a successful short subject was completely different from that of a feature length film , something akin to writing a topnotch short story rather than a novel . Economical to produce in terms of both budget & schedule and capable of portraying a wide range of material , short subjects were the perfect complement to the Studios ' feature films .
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437,050 | 306,861 | 20,796 | 7 |
Totally Mad Short Subject
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An MGM Colortone Novelty Short . A prospective patient takes a tour of the Lame Brain Sanitarium . It only takes a few minutes in the CRAZY HOUSE to show him that everyone , staff included , is insane . A completely inane little film , with jokes so bad it becomes quite funny . During his short stroll , Benny Rubin meets Karl Dane , Cliff Edwards & the ubiquitous Polly Moran . Dancer Snake Hips performs a remarkable routine which proves he has no bones in his body whatsoever . And ending the film with four murders is supposed to be the biggest joke of all . It's rough to see actor Karl Dane be subjected to humiliation & ridicule , even in fun . A comic star in silent films , his thick Danish accent would soon sabotage his talkie career and within a few years he would die a suicide .
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437,954 | 306,861 | 20,799 | 7 |
Aged Wheeler & Woolsey Musical
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A kidnapped heiress & a daring pilot . A wicked baron & an evil gypsy king . A wealthy matron & a cute young Romany . Not to mention a couple of fake psychics who are as crazy as THE CUCKOOS in any clock . This ancient musical was Wheeler & Woolsey's 2nd film ( Bert Wheeler is the little curly-haired guy ; Robert Woolsey is the skinny bespectacled one ) . The Boys are always fun to watch , and they've got some good songs , but when they're off screen the film groans badly . However , it must be said that the massive Jobyna Howland is a great Dumont-esque foil for them & more than holds her own . The Boys ' frequent kewpie-doll co-star , Dorothy Lee , is on hand - and in Wheeler's arms . Ivan Lebedeff is OK as the villain . The romance between June Clyde & Hugh Trevor is dull stuff . Three early Technicolor scenes are included and they are easy on the eyes . Some of the musical numbers seem to exist solely for the purpose of exhibiting the RKO chorus girls in various stages of undress . Wondering what a band of Eastern European gypsies are doing in Northern Mexico ? In films like this you don't ask questions like that . . .
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437,280 | 306,861 | 23,034 | 7 |
Football Film Trounces Ramon Novarro
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A young steelworker earns a scholarship to Yale , where he eventually joins the prestigious football team . But will he ever get to HUDDLE with the best player's upper-class sister ? Ramon Novarro , MGM's chameleon star of the 1920's & ' 30's , gives this minor film the old college try , but is ultimately defeated by the plot & story line . His acting is good , as usual , and he even gets to sing a little , but he's simply too old to be playing a university football hero ( he turned 33 in 1932 ) . The real difficulty , however , is that the film tries for some degree of social consciousness in its dealing with class struggle , but the framework is just too flimsy for such a weighty , albeit noble , subject . It is difficult to get much solemnity out of a sports film , especially when sprinkled with such ludicrous scenes as Novarro drunk in a public restroom or fist fighting with his coach . The game sequences seem a trifle interminable and MGM didn't help by giving the movie rather cheap production values . One expects action & romance from a Ramon Novarro picture , not a message film , but the Studio was obviously losing interest in its star . Novarro had become a relic from a bygone era , his private life was always a worry to the front office , and by 1935 his career at MGM would be over . Novarro's costars , although rather boisterous , are ultimately defeated by the script as well . Pretty Madge Evans is the girl Novarro pines after for four years . John Arledge plays Novarro's loyal roommate ; their scenes together , perhaps unconsciously , tend to be a mite gynandrous . Frank Albertson ( an actor who deserved major stardom , but never achieved it ) is a college buddy , while Kane Richmond is Novarro's nemesis . Ralph Graves , who was actually a year younger than Novarro , gives a fine performance as Yale's football coach . Una Merkel is a Southern doll with an almost impenetrable accent . Henry Armetta & Ferike Boros add more than a dash of ethnicity as Novarro's Italian-American parents . Finally , Ramon Novarro still remains the principle reason to watch most of his MGM sound films . As a young immigrant , he had persevered over much hardship to become a major silent screen star . Charming & talented , it is a shame that today Novarro is remembered chiefly for the manner of his death rather than his contribution to American movies .
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437,678 | 306,861 | 44,878 | 7 |
Pooch Problems For Goofy
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A Walt Disney GOOFY Cartoon . Goofy brings home MAN'S BEST FRIEND and his life is completely changed by the mangy mutt . While the animation is unremarkable , the film remains humorous and will ring true for any viewer whose life has ever been dominated by a dog . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Dumbo , Bambi & Peter Pan . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off .
|
437,669 | 306,861 | 20,647 | 7 |
Disney Journeys Across The Ice
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A Walt Disney SILLY SYMPHONY Cartoon Short . The denizens of the North Pole are engaged in ARCTIC ANTICS . The penguins , seals , polar bear , and even a large walrus are marching about , jumping & dancing & slapping their bottoms an amazing number of times . . . This black & white cartoon has an invisible plot and is basically an exercise in action / reaction animation . The Disney animators seem to know a curiously large number of posterior gags . Notice that the face of the polar bear cub enjoys a remarkable resemblance to that of Mickey Mouse . The SILLY SYMPHONIES , which Walt Disney produced for a ten year period beginning in 1929 , are among the most interesting of series in the field of animation . Unlike the Mickey Mouse cartoons in which action was paramount , with the Symphonies the action was made to fit the music . There was little plot in the early Symphonies , which featured lively inanimate objects and anthropomorphic plants & animals , all moving frantically to the soundtrack . Gradually , however , the Symphonies became the school where Walt's animators learned to work with color and began to experiment with plot , characterization & photographic special effects . The pages of Fable & Fairy Tale , Myth & Mother Goose were all mined to provide story lines and even Hollywood's musicals & celebrities were effectively spoofed . It was from this rich soil that Disney's feature-length animation was to spring . In 1939 , with SNOW WHITE successfully behind him and PINOCCHIO & FANTASIA on the near horizon , Walt phased out the SILLY SYMPHONIES ; they had run their course & served their purpose .
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437,130 | 306,861 | 29,403 | 7 |
Playin ' Tackle Football With The Little Rascals
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An OUR GANG Comedy Short . While away at military academy , Alfalfa has lied in his letters to Darla about his nonexistent football prowess . So , upon his return home , THE PIGSKIN PALOOKA finds himself the only hope for Spanky's All Stars in the big game against Spike's Tigers . . . Not many laughs in this little film . Alfalfa is the whole show here & he doesn't even get to sing !
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438,343 | 306,861 | 44,699 | 7 |
A Goofy Tale
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A Walt Disney GOOFY Cartoon . Mr . Geef bids farewell to his old office job and HELLO ALOHA to the soothing peace of a Polynesian isle . Routine animation illustrates this typical Goofy tale . The portrayal of the Hawaiians is rather negative , albeit amusing . Harry Owens and his Orchestra supply the silky music . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Bambi , Peter Pan and Mr . Toad . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off .
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437,520 | 306,861 | 46,989 | 7 |
A Routine Duck Tale
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A Walt Disney DONALD DUCK Cartoon . Peanut vendor Donald tries to cheat THE FLYING SQUIRREL who helps him in a park - with predictable results . This little film is unremarkable , but still enjoyable . The title character is undeniably cute , but would not return for any subsequent Disney cartoons . Clarence " Ducky " Nash supplies Donald's voice . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Bambi , Peter Pan and Mr . Toad . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off .
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438,214 | 306,861 | 22,689 | 7 |
Love , Romance & A Volcano
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A young man , sailing the South Seas with friends , is saved from a shark by a lovely chief's daughter . They fall madly in love , only to have him learn that his beautiful BIRD OF PARADISE is destined to be sacrificed to Pele , the volcano god . Essentially a piece of fluff , this film is enhanced by the performances of Dolores Del Rio & Joel McCrea . They handle the romantics quite nicely ( her skinny dip providing proof this is a pre-Production Code movie ) . The rest of the cast , which includes Lon Chaney Jr . & ' Skeets ' Gallagher , exist purely to provide support to the stars . Location filming in Hawaii and a beautiful , evocative score by Max Steiner emphasize the languid mood of the plot .
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437,522 | 306,861 | 40,260 | 7 |
A Baby Roo And Donald , Too
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A Walt Disney DONALD DUCK Cartoon . For some unfathomable reason , Donald yearns to become a DADDY DUCK and adopts Joey , an unruly baby kangaroo . This is a fun , but completely unremarkable , little film . Although cute & full of spunk , young Joey would not appear in any other Disney cartoon . Clarence " Ducky " Nash gives voice to Donald . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Bambi , Peter Pan and Mr . Toad . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off .
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437,489 | 306,861 | 28,219 | 10 |
A Little Hammett - A Lot Of Ham
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A cynical private eye becomes entangled with a gang of dangerous criminals trying to find a fabled ram's horn . SATAN MET A LADY is an alternate movie version of Dashiell Hammett's ? Maltese Falcon ' and has received much criticism because it isn't closer to the Bogart model . This is unfortunate , as the film has much going for it and should not be placed into unfair comparison with the more famous film . Here is a lighthearted , comedic take on the story , full of snappy dialogue and a few good laughs . It is quite able to stand on its own . Although she receives top billing , Bette Davis is rather overshadowed by the over-the-top acting of her costars . Her mystery woman character gets to act suitably dangerous , but her talent is seldom really engaged . Indeed , this would be one of the films which would soon put Davis into rebellion against Warner Bros . in her demand for better roles . Warren William plays detective Ted Shayne ( no Sam Spade here ) in a wonderfully sardonic manner , always ready to puncture the balloons of pomposity around him , whether they be from client , criminal or cop ; here he even turns a graveyard murder site into the location for a few deadpan utterances . With his patrician profile and glib delivery , William was always enjoyable to watch ; it is a shame this very fine actor is so obscure today . British character actress Alison Skipworth steals her few scenes as the elderly Madame Barabbas , the grandmotherly criminal mastermind with the looks of a sweet old lady and the instincts of a born killer . Arthur Treacher is marvelously droll as an English gentleman crook , apologetic & polite , seeking the ram's horn . Pert & pretty , Marie Wilson scores in her role as William's ditzy secretary . Winifred Shaw plays the glamorous widow of William's late partner . An uncredited Maynard Holmes appears as Miss Skipworth's gunsel nephew .
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437,200 | 306,861 | 41,855 | 10 |
Come Play In This Garden
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A strange little girl finds peace for her troubled heart after confronting the mystery of THE SECRET GARDEN . Based on the classic novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett , this family film is a perennial favorite , in no whit dimmed by more recent , flashier versions . The excellent production values by MGM allow the viewer to experience the weird atmosphere of Misselthwaite Manor and the joyous fecundity of the Garden . The movie can be enjoyed for the plot alone , but there are other , deeper , levels which can be appreciated as well . Most of the main characters are desperately unhappy when the film begins , but the spontaneous love of life exhibited by the Sowerby family - which leads directly to the discovery of the Garden - ultimately brings about the redemption of several ( but not all ) of the others . This Joy is not altogether of our world . If the viewer senses the unseen Presence of Something Bright & Beautiful in the Garden , so be it . The film's main drawback - and this is a small quibble - is the intent to increase tension by adding a possible murder mystery to the plot ( How did Colin's mother really die ? Did Archibald Craven kill her ? ) . This is quite unnecessary , the story has enough conflict already . But the desire to add additional menace to the Dark Old House theme probably proved irresistible - as well as giving the excellent British actor , Herbert Marshall , more dramatic gristle on which to chew . The plot revolves , as it should , around the experiences of three children , each peculiar in their own way . Margaret O'Brien , Dean Stockwell & Brian Roper flesh out their roles most agreeably . The adult roles are so well cast that one tends to forget that they are mostly caricatures : Dame Gladys Cooper as the wicked , frustrated housekeeper ; Elsa Lanchester as the irrepressibly happy maid ; dour Reginald Owen as the elemental gardener . Even the small cameo performances sparkle : Billy Bevan as an overheated British soldier in India ; Dennis Hoey as Marshall's stern valet ; Aubrey Mather & George Zucco as young Stockwell's doctors ; and Norma Varden as his wise nurse . Movie mavens should recognize Elspeth Dudgeon in the tiny role of Dickon's mother & the wonderful Marni Nixon as the dubbed singing voice of Miss O'Brien - both uncredited . The film makes very judicious use of Technicolor to heighten appreciation of the distinctive nature of the Garden .
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437,901 | 306,861 | 26,276 | 10 |
Dietrich , A Devious & Dangerous Delight
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A young Spanish radical in old Sevilla learns that THE DEVIL IS A WOMAN , when he falls hopelessly in love with a mysterious female . Mesmerizing & hypnotic , this is a film which arouses all the senses . Dreamlike in its visuals & nightmarish of plot , it presents imagery so persuasive as to be practically palpable . Director Josef von Sternberg & writer John Dos Passos constructed a miniature madhouse for the mind , in which the viewer gladly finds himself consigned . Fascinating , coy , deceptive , utterly alluring , Marlene Dietrich dominates the film as an icy-hearted harlot who strews her pathway with the broken bodies & wasted lives of the men she's betrayed . With heavily lidded eyes peering out of her disturbingly beautiful face , she is the very picture of sardonic seduction . Wisely , the film allows her a moment of amusement ( for the viewer ) , letting her perfectly sum up her philosophy in the comic song ? Three Sweethearts Have I . ' Dietrich's two leading men are both excellent . Lionel Atwill , sadly ignored today , once again exhibits the depth of his acting talent ; Hollywood's propensity to place him in horror films often obscured his abilities . Here , he shows us a man fully aware of his complete degradation . Cesar Romero , in one of the finest roles of his early career , more than adequately carries on the tradition of the Latin Lover , but with a twist - here is a romantic hero who is not strong enough to escape from the web of the female spider . Peevish & pompous , Edward Everett Horton is thoroughly amusing as a flustered Spanish bureaucrat . Two wonderful English character actresses enliven the proceedings in small roles : Alison Skipworth as Dietrich's disreputable matriarch and Tempe Pigott as an old one-eyed harridan . Movie mavens will spot Edwin Maxwell as the manager of the cigarette factory and Charles Sellon as a professional letter writer , both uncredited . Von Sternberg created a masterwork of cinematic symbolism , with innuendo so rife it is incredible it passed the Production Code . In every way , the film is a worthy follow-up to his previous collaboration with Dietrich , the orgiastic SCARLETT EMPRESS ( 1934 ) .
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438,267 | 306,861 | 15,310 | 10 |
A Splendid Silent Swashbuckler
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A brave English knight , betrayed by his brother , kidnapped by pirates , and captured by Spaniards , takes up a new identity under the Moors as ' Sakr-el-Bahr , ' - the Sea Hawk - to become the scourge & terror of the Spanish navy near Gibraltar . Although sadly neglected for years , this is a splendid swashbuckler , full of action & romance , which should please the fans of silent cinema adventure . Much more faithful to Rafael Sabatini's original novel than the Errol Flynn 1940 version , this is a film which can stand on its own worthy merits . Given excellent production values by First National , the rousing sea battle sequences are especially worthy of mention . Using full scale ships , they possess an aura of authenticity not possible with models . Indeed , some of these nautical scenes were extracted for years for use in other films . Milton Sills gives a grand performance as the hero . Although lacking in bravura athletic skills , he becomes almost Fairbankian by the film's conclusion . ( He even resembles Fairbanks in the shipboard scenes , surely no mere accident . ) Appearing in movies since 1914 , this was the film which made Sills a major star , and he would be given other popular , courageous roles before his career - and life - were ended by a heart attack in 1930 , at the age of 48 . Although he had appeared in 85 films , Milton Sills is all but forgotten today . Beefy Wallace Beery , blustering & bullying as usual , steals all his scenes as a pirate captain who becomes Sills ' toady . Enid Bennett is beautiful as the young Cornish woman beloved by the Sea Hawk . Lloyd Hughes gives a good performance as Sills ' faithless half-brother . Wallace MacDonald is the very picture of a violent young bully . Lionel Belmore appears briefly as a friendly magistrate . Elderly Frank Currier & young William Collier Jr . both do well in roles that exude Moorish duplicity . Quick eyed movie mavens may spot George O'Brien as a galley slave . Although the film has been tinted & toned , notice the nice extra touch during the 3 shots of the Basha's nighttime visit to the Sea Hawk , in which the flickering torches have been hand colored a theatric yellow . Composer Robert Israel has given the film's restored print a very fine organ score which interpolates familiar melodies from as far afield as Gilbert & Sullivan .
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437,523 | 306,861 | 41,853 | 10 |
A Bird & His Bug
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A Walt Disney DONALD DUCK Cartoon . Elderly SEA SALTS Donald Duck & " Mac " Bootle Beetle have shared many seafaring adventures - especially when they were castaway on a deserted island back in 1926 . . . Although the animation in this little film is routine , the story is still quite engaging , showing , as it does , the affectionate bond between The Duck & The Bug . This was the second of only three cartoons to feature the Bootle Beetle ; his popularity never caught fire and stardom remained an elusive dream . Clarence " Ducky " Nash supplies the voice for Donald . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Bambi , Peter Pan and Mr . Toad . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off .
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437,629 | 306,861 | 47,834 | 10 |
As Pertinent As Ever
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The inhabitants of ANIMAL FARM - sorely distressed and downtrodden - unhappily trade one form of dictatorship for another . George Orwell's wise fable comes alive in what is supposedly Britain's first animated feature . The tale of totalitarian treachery is well told with stark visuals highly reminiscent of Soviet poster art of the 1930's . Not meant for children , this is a cartoon geared for grownup appreciation . It should be pointed out that Orwell wrote his satire after returning from a sojourn in the Soviet Union , much disillusioned by the evil & corruption he saw there . He wanted to express his views in the form of a fantasy and , hence , ANIMAL FARM was born . So , Farmer Jones is a symbol of the Czar , Old Major is Marx , Napoleon is Lenin , Snowball is Trotsky & Squealer is Stalin . The other creatures are symbols of the Russian people . The ending of the film , which is different from the book , is strangely prophetic of the events which would start to unfold in Eastern Europe in 1989 . Gordon Heath narrates the film ; all of the animal voices are performed by Maurice Denham .
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437,905 | 306,861 | 213,655 | 10 |
Birds Of A Feather Showoff Together
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An MGM Oddity Short Subject . A menagerie full of fabulous fowls preen their FINE FEATHERS for the camera . Birds of all sorts , from the flamboyant Manchurian Crane to the ordinary Barn Owl , from the exotic Victoria Crown Pigeon to the unprepossessing Vulturine Guinea Fowl , are on exhibit in this humorous early Technicolor film . Explanatory remarks are by the ever-eccentric Pete Smith . Often overlooked or neglected today , the one and two-reel short subjects were useful to the Studios as important training grounds for new or burgeoning talents , both in front & behind the camera . The dynamics for creating a successful short subject was completely different from that of a feature length film , something akin to writing a topnotch short story rather than a novel . Economical to produce in terms of both budget & schedule and capable of portraying a wide range of material , short subjects were the perfect complement to the Studios ' feature films .
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437,103 | 306,861 | 33,045 | 10 |
Quiet , Unassuming , Perfect
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Much about love & life can be learned from watching the folks at THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER . Ernst Lubitsch had another quiet triumph added to his credit with this lovely film . With sparkling dialogue ( courtesy of his longtime collaborator Samson Raphaelson ) and wonderful performances from a cast of abundantly talented performers , he created a truly memorable movie . Always believing in playing up to the intelligence of his viewers , and favoring sophistication over slapstick , the director concocted a scintillating cinematic repast seasoned with that elusive , enigmatic quality known as the ? Lubitsch touch . ' Although the story is set in Budapest ( and there is a jumble of accents among the players ) this is of no consequence . The beautiful simplicity of the plot is that any great American city or small town could easily be the locus for the action . Jimmy Stewart & Margaret Sullavan are wonderful as the clerks in love with romance and then with each other - without knowing it . Their dialogue - so adeptly handled as to seem utterly natural - perfectly conveys their confusion & quiet desperation as they seek for soul mates . Theirs is one of the classic love stories of the cinema . Cherubic Frank Morgan has a more serious role than usual , that of a man whose transient importance in his little world is shattered when he finds himself to be a cuckold . An accomplished scene stealer , he allows no emotion to escape unvented . Additionally , Morgan provides the film with its most joyous few moments - near the end - when he determines that his store's newest employee , an impoverished youth , enjoys a memorable Christmas Eve . Joseph Schildkraut adds another vivid depiction to his roster of screen portrayals , this time that of a toadying , sycophantic Lothario who thoroughly deserves the punishment eventually meted out to him . Gentle Felix Bressart has his finest film role as a family man who really can not afford to become involved in shop intrigues , yet remains a steadfast friend to Stewart . Sara Haden graces the small role of a sales clerk . William Tracy is hilarious as the ambitious errand boy who takes advantage of unforeseen developments to leverage himself onto the sales force . In tiny roles , Charles Halton plays a no-nonsense detective and Edwin Maxwell appears as a pompous doctor . Movie mavens will recognize Mary Carr & Mabel Colcord - both uncredited - in their single scene as Miss Sullavan's grandmother & aunt .
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438,035 | 306,861 | 39,100 | 10 |
A Flustered Duck Tale
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A Walt Disney DONALD DUCK Cartoon . A desperate Donald tries to keep a mother bird from tracking up the WET PAINT on his convertible . The main attraction in this little film is watching the Duck engage in yet another temper tantrum . This was Susie the Bird's only appearance in a Disney cartoon . Clarence " Ducky " Nash supplies Donald with his unique voice . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Dumbo , Bambi & Peter Pan . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off .
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438,085 | 306,861 | 26,289 | 10 |
Mr . William's Comedy Capers
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DON'T BET ON BLONDES is the lesson New York City's most eccentric insurance broker learns the hard way . Fast-moving & fun , this is another example of the comedy crime picture that Warner Brothers was so expert at producing . Casts & plots could be shuffled almost endlessly , with very predictable results . While this assembly line approach created few classics , audience enjoyment could usually be assured . Suave and sophisticated , Warren William dominates this enjoyable little film with his debonair manner and slightly sardonic sense of humor . Playing a topnotch bookie who seamlessly switches to the more legal insurance racket , William is never less than absolutely in command of his performance . His pursuit of lovely Claire Dodd , even though she's the subject of his client's offbeat policy , illustrates his character's single-minded determination to get exactly what he wants . Whether in comedy or drama , Warren William was a most enjoyable actor to watch and it is a shame that he is almost forgotten now . A sturdy cast of costars gives fine support to William . Cuddly Guy Kibbee plays a Kentucky colonel desperate to retain his daughter's largess . Quick-tempered William Gargan is William's numbers expert , while Spencer Charters is his wise old company doctor . Clay Clement is a somewhat larcenous lawyer who has his eyes on Miss Dodd ; Walter Byron portrays a prissy hypochondriac actor . Mary Treen is William's no-nonsense secretary ; Hobart Cavanaugh plays a little man anxious to ensure his pregnant wife against having twins . Look fast for Herman Bing as a man with a dog . A young Errol Flynn , looking earnest & eager , plays a potential suitor for Miss Dodd ; he would become a major movie star very shortly . Wonderful Maude Eburne steals her scenes as a champion husband caller from Iowa . Movie mavens will recognize W . C . Fields ' longtime accomplice , Tammany Young , as an uncredited betting tout in the open scene .
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437,944 | 306,861 | 28,203 | 10 |
Top Stars In Lavish , Intelligent Production
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ROMEO AND JULIET , the scions of old Verona's two most powerful families , become the playthings of fate & the fools of fortune . This was a Very Big Film for MGM in 1936 . No ( reasonable ) expenses spared . Not only was the Studio tackling The Bard for the first time in a major way , but the extreme celebrity of the original play guaranteed a great deal of public attention . Several choice roles were available for MGM's brightest stars and the part of Juliet would be the desire of every young actress on the lot . Almost predictably the role went to Norma Shearer , who , as Irving Thalberg's wife , could almost pick & choose what she ( or Irving ) wanted . However , it should be stated at once that she is splendid in the role . Sweetly demure , innocent , apprehensive , fiercely protective of her love & recklessly heedless of her fate - she is Shakespeare's heroine . She is matched by Leslie Howard's Romeo . A bit giddy at first with puppy love , he quickly matures into a tender lover & vengeful killer , finally willing , like Shearer , to forego all of his Catholic teaching and commit self-murder , thus dooming himself to Perdition . Although decades too old for their roles ( Juliet was 12 , Miss Shearer 34 ; Romeo about 16 , Mr . Howard was 43 ) they understand and speak their lines much more beautifully & proficiently than any teenager . Shakespeare's lines are really verse of a high order and demands skill & maturity . Howard & Shearer certainly have no problem there . Nor were they the only members of the cast whose ages were rather past the prime . In his only feature length Shakespearean film , John Barrymore amply displays his celebrated talent in a bravura performance as an aging , sottish Mercutio . Barrymore understood the character thoroughly and he turns this strange , brilliant man into one of the film's chief treasures . Interestingly , much of his dialogue is rather scatological & gross , but being Shakespeare it seems to have flown under the radar of the Hays Office . Edna May Oliver steals nearly every scene she's in as Juliet's waspish , eccentric Nurse . Basil Rathbone makes a fiery , insolent Tybalt . Reginald Denny adds a touch of distinction in the throwaway role of Benvolio , while wonderful old Sir C . Aubrey Smith & Violet Kemble Cooper are colorful as Juliet's parents . At first blush , Andy Devine seems an odd choice for a Shakespearean production , but he is very competent as the Nurse's simpleminded servant . Somewhat lost in this excellent cast is English actor Ralph Forbes in the rather thankless role of the County Paris . His is a somewhat sad story . Although replete with talent & charm , he still never quite reached the top echelons of stardom . He would have made a great Romeo . Movie mavens will spot Katherine DeMille as the fair Rosaline ( her cousin Agnes de Mille was the film's choreographer ) and Ian Wolfe as the impoverished apothecary , both uncredited . The film has wonderful production values - the sets , costumes and background score ( borrowing themes from Tchaikovsky ) all of the highest quality . For a small chuckle , watch closely during Juliet's dance at the Capulet ball - one of the dancers behind her steps on her dress hem and nearly trips . It's very fast , but worth catching .
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437,487 | 306,861 | 30,595 | 10 |
They Bring ' Em Back Alive
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A Walt Disney DONALD DUCK Cartoon . POLAR TRAPPERS Donald & Goofy are hunting for wildlife to bring back to civilization . . . Here is a very funny little film from Disney's Golden Age . The Goof's hunt for a walrus is humorous , but hungry Donald's interaction with a colony of penguins he hopes to eat is hilarious . Clarence Nash provides the Duck with his unique voice . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by pictures & drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew comic figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Dumbo , Bambi & Peter Pan . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that childlike simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off .
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438,138 | 306,861 | 26,292 | 10 |
Three Stars Shine In This Light Comedy
|
An ordinary businessman is appalled when his no-talent wife becomes infatuated with amateur theatrics , propelling Mr . DOUBTING THOMAS into a bizarre world populated by stage-struck eccentrics . Will Rogers is perfectly cast as the perplexed husband with the wry , homespun humor , bursting balloons of pomposity at every turn . His was a unique personality - always a joy to watch . His dialogue gives him ample opportunity to charm the audience & show once again why he was one of Hollywood's - and America's - favorite personalities . Will is given two female co-stars worthy of him . Billie Burke , as his wife , is her usual wonderful , flighty self , perfectly playing one of the air head parts she practically patented . Monumental Alison Skipworth , formidable as the play's directress , all but steals the entire picture in her hilarious role . It is a shame this splendid actress is almost forgotten today . It's also a pity that young Frank Albertson , as Will's son , is given no chance to display his considerable musical comedy talent . The rest of the cast - Gail Patrick , Sterling Holloway , Johnny Arthur , John Qualen - are all given moments to shine .
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437,844 | 306,861 | 23,932 | 10 |
Fine Performances Propel Melodrama
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A young husband has his DAY OF RECKONING when he's sent to prison for embezzlement . Fine performances raise what is essentially a soap opera above its material and provides some dandy entertainment along the way . While the subplots grow a little thick , all is resolved in time for an idyllic , if somewhat bittersweet , ending . Leading man Richard Dix sheds his usual in-charge persona for a much more vulnerable characterization . Although they share few scenes , he is given firm support by perky Una Merkel playing his devoted Southern maid . She easily upstages pretty Madge Evans as Dix's conflicted wife . Stalwart Stuart Erwin plays the friendly milkman in love with Merkel . Some fine character actors do quite well in smaller roles . Conway Tearle is the family friend who takes advantage of Dix's absence . Isabel Jewell is properly distraught as Tearle's former mistress . Raymond Hatton is effective as a prison trustee who befriends Dix . James Bell is noteworthy as a prisoner driven crazy by worry over his wife's supposed infidelity . Samuel S . Hinds manages to become suitably repellent in his brief screen time as a crooked lawyer . Tiny Spanky McFarland , of OUR GANG fame , turns on the charm as Dix's infant son . Movie mavens will recognize an unbilled Clarence Wilson as a bail bondsman .
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437,309 | 306,861 | 39,080 | 10 |
Engrossing Tale Of Homicide
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THE VERDICT in a vicious murder case impacts the lives of several London citizens . Massive Sydney Greenstreet & diminutive Peter Lorre team once again in another suspenseful crime film from Warner Brothers . This Laurel & Hardy of the Sinister could always be counted on for their good acting and enjoyable scene stealing antics . While two of the movies they made ( in conjunction with Humphrey Bogart ) are undisputed classics , their lesser forays into the shadows are no less welcome . Corpulent Greenstreet portrays a discredited former Scotland Yard superintendent , who , with the aid of eccentric artist Lorre , privately investigates the stabbing of a neighbor . Like a cello and violin duet , these two performers made a delightful team , their very different personas eliciting ominous music from their partnership . British character actress Rosalind Ivan gives a vivid performance as Lorre's hysterical landlady . Others in the supporting cast also acquit themselves well : George Coulouris as Greenstreet's befuddled successor ; Holmes Herbert as the stern head of Scotland Yard ; Arthur Shields as a distressed clergyman ; Morton Lowry as a playboy & Paul Cavanagh as a Member of Parliament , both with secrets to protect ; and little Clyde Cook as a helpful burglar . Movie mavens will recognize an unbilled Ian Wolfe appearing as a murder trial jury foreman .
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437,528 | 306,861 | 8,827 | 10 |
Another Peek At America's Sweetheart
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Spunky little AMARILLY OF CLOTHES-LINE ALLEY has two suitors - her longtime bartender beau and a frivolous society boy . With whom would she be most happy ? This urban fairy tale , with romance , heartbreak & happiness all wrapped-up into a neat package , was exactly the sort of movie that Mary Pickford's legions of fans loved to see her in . America's Sweetheart was only too happy to oblige , constantly replaying the image of a resourceful little girl or adolescent at odds with a cruel world or snobbish society . This is no disparagement or faint praise . By expertly giving the public what it wanted , Pickford became the most powerful person in Hollywood . Here , she has a fairly straightforward story line , without too many kinks in the plot . As always , Mary is imminently watchable . Whether dancing enthusiastically across a crowded floor , selling cigarettes to the ' swells , ' or reacting frantically to an accidental shooting , she never lets the viewer forget that the reason we watch a Pickford film is Pickford herself . William Scott gives excellent support as Terry the bartender ; the feelings he has for Mary are palpably real & true . Norman Kerry , full of boisterous high jinks , is fine as the society fellow who wishes to ' better ' her . Special mention should be made of jolly Kate Price as Pickford's mother , the very picture of an Irish washerwoman . Her round , jovial face bespeaks the goodness of her character's soul . Pickford produced this film herself and she was ably abetted by screenwriter Frances Marion , her best friend and Marshall Neilan , her favorite director . Neilan had started his movie career as a romantic lead , but eventually moved behind the camera & Pickford considered him to be superior even to the legendary D . W . Griffith . Neilan's major failing were the frequent delays caused by his drinking , however he never failed in charming himself back into Pickford's good graces . This talented trio's collaborations continue to delight audiences today .
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437,719 | 306,861 | 28,190 | 10 |
Taut , Tight Little Film Packs A Punch
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Framed for crimes they did not commit , two young men are sentenced to five years at hard labor on a Southern prison's brutal ROAD GANG . Here is a fine example of the type of crime film which Warner Bros . produced so well . Although there are no big stars in the film , the acting is generally good , the stifling atmosphere is well maintained and the production values - especially in the prison camp / mine sequences - are of a high standard . Donald Woods makes a sturdy , stalwart hero ; made to endure various humiliations & punishments , he never wavers in his fight for justice . This is quite typical of the fine performances Woods gave during his career . Kay Linaker is enjoyable as his courageous fiancée . The film is sparked by a handful of noteworthy performances among the large cast : Carlyle Moore Jr . as Woods faithful , tragic buddy ; Henry O'Neill as a slick , utterly corrupt politician ; Edward Van Sloan as a shyster lawyer ; Olin Howlin as the lethargic prison doctor ; and Charles Middleton as the Blackfoot Mine's vile warden . ROAD GANG was a partial re-make of Warner's ' hit film from four years earlier , I AM A FUGITIVE FROM A CHAIN GANG ( 1932 ) , starring Paul Muni . In the days of the studio factory system , when churning out one picture after another in an almost endless supply was vitally important , it was not at all unusual to recycle the plots of successful A movies . The B pictures department would change elements here & there ( ROAD GANG has a much happier ending than the Muni film ) , and release an entirely new picture , hoping for another winner . This was the first film scripted by the young Dalton Trumbo , destined to be famous for more than just his celebrated screenwriting abilities .
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438,330 | 306,861 | 47,862 | 10 |
Military Overview
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An MGM Short Subject . THE BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG in 1863 was a turning point in America's history . This short film , narrated by Leslie Nielsen , relates the story of the great pivotal battle during the War Between The States . Dispassionate & evenhanded , it deals with its subject in a noncontroversial manner . Touching upon each of the major aspects of the days of engagement , the film ends with Abraham Lincoln's beautiful Gettysburg Address . Often overlooked or neglected today , the one and two-reel short subjects were useful to the Studios as important training grounds for new or burgeoning talents , both in front & behind the camera . The dynamics for creating a successful short subject was completely different from that of a feature length film , something akin to writing a topnotch short story rather than a novel . Economical to produce in terms of both budget & schedule and capable of portraying a wide range of material , short subjects were the perfect complement to the Studios ' feature films .
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437,579 | 306,861 | 47,864 | 10 |
Looking For That Long Winter's Sleep
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A Walt Disney DONALD DUCK Cartoon . Humphrey is BEARLY ASLEEP for the Winter when his snoring gets him ostracized from the ursine cave . Will Ranger Duck be persuaded to give him more salubrious hibernation accommodations ? This was one of a short series of cartoons to feature Humphrey . The film is quite routine , but the Duck and the Bear are always humorous to watch . Clarence " Ducky " Nash supplied Donald's unique voice . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Dumbo , Bambi & Peter Pan . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off .
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437,347 | 306,861 | 26,249 | 10 |
Historical Spectacle - DeMille Style
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A playboy king & a beautiful princess . A holy hermit & a sacred mission . Intrigue & romance & sin & spectacle . In fact , another Cecil B . DeMille history lesson . This time , DeMille takes on THE CRUSADES , a highly complex military & political enterprise that actually played out over 200 years . He focuses on one episode : The Third Crusade & England's King Richard the Lionheart's thrust to claim Jerusalem & the Holy Land from the Seljuk Turks in 1188-1192 . Interestingly enough , DeMille gets a lot of his historical facts correct , but he does spend quite a bit of time detailing Richard's lustful , wanton ways . Literature & film have tended to wildly romanticize Richard . In historical fact , he was a bad king interested primarily in his own glory . He spent only 6 months of his reign in Britain , he bankrupted the Treasury with his Crusading schemes and he abandoned his young wife . But such is the power of Romance that he is generally seen as the beau ideal of kingliness . Henry Wilcoxon is a good , sturdy , if unspectacular , Richard . Loretta Young is beautiful , as always , as the Princess he marries . Sir C . Aubrey Smith is magnificent as the Holy Hermit who is the spiritual leader of the Crusade . Others in the fine cast are Alan Hale , Joseph Schildkraut , Mischa Auer & John Carradine ( pay close attention to find him ) . As a master of spectacle , DeMille really comes through towards the end of the film with the siege & capture of Acre ( north of present day Haifa in Israel ) . All the stops are pulled out to show the full panoply & horror of mediaeval battle .
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437,780 | 306,861 | 32,544 | 10 |
High , High Up In The Sky
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A Walt Disney GOOFY Cartoon . The most dangerous place in the air may well be GOOFY'S GLIDER . There are plenty of chuckles in this the first of the Sports Goofy cartoons . Some pertinent information about gliders is actually given in between the Goof's attempts to get airborne . John McLeish narrates in his best documentarian manner . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by pictures & drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew comic figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a storm of naysayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Dumbo , Bambi & Peter Pan . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that childlike simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off .
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437,934 | 306,861 | 32,550 | 10 |
May Robson Rides The Range
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A rowdy , straight-shooting old lady turns amateur sleuth to discover the murderer of her granddaughter's ex-husband . There's bound to be plenty of gunplay when both ladies become prime suspects . Every bit as rambunctious as its elderly heroine , GRANNY GET YOUR GUN is a very pleasant bit of film fluff - light and easygoing . It's a shame the film is hard to find & seldom seen , as it gives a rare chance for senior citizen stars to shine for a blessed change . The movie is a showcase for the talents of 82-year old veteran character actress May Robson . The old darling is nothing less than delightful . Born Mary Robinson in 1858 in Melbourne , Australia , Robson had began appearing in movies in 1915 . By the time of GRANNY , Robson had given solid support in some of Hollywood's finest films from its Golden Age ( LADY FOR A DAY , A STAR IS BORN , BRINGING UP BABY , etc . ) . Playing grumpy or gracious equally well , Robson never failed to entertain . Here , she pushes her five feet , two inches into one amusing situation after another , whether prospecting for gold with mule & chauffeur-driven limousine , or stealing a jalopy to dash after a dangerous killer . The scene where she disguises herself as a gentle , soft-spoken , sweet-tempered old lady , so as to beat a murder rap , is hilarious . Miss May Robson would appear in four more films after GRANNY . She died in 1942 . Old-timers Harry Davenport ( as Robson's lawyer beau ) , Clem Bevans ( as an old codger who loves reading true mystery magazines ) and Vera Lewis ( as Robson's elderly companion ) all add to the fun of the proceedings . Erle Stanley Gardner , creator of Perry Mason , contributed the original novel , The Case of the Dangerous Dowager , upon which this film was based .
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437,085 | 306,861 | 19,574 | 10 |
Thoughtful Silence
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Spreading from island to island , the WHITE SHADOWS IN THE SOUTH SEAS corrupt every culture they encounter . This unfortunately obscure film , produced by MGM right at the cusp when the Silent Era was giving way to Sound , is a fascinating look at the vanishing way of life to be found in the South Pacific Islands . Its beautiful , vivid photography justly won the Oscar for Best Cinematography . This ' Camera Record ' was directed by W . S . Van Dyke , the Studio's on-location master . The film's prologue states " Produced and photographed on the natural locations and with the ancient native tribes of the Marquesas Islands in the South Seas . " The footage depicting the pearl divers and the coconut tree climbers is particularly noteworthy . Monte Blue gives a very fine performance as a derelict doctor who finds himself acclaimed as a white god on an island of gentle , friendly natives . His despair at the arrival of brutish Caucasian traders in this idyllic paradise is riveting . Mexican actress Raquel Torres , in her film debut , is poignant as the island maiden who captures Blue's heart .
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437,051 | 306,861 | 26,252 | 10 |
Little Shirley Invites You To Join Her For A Snack Of Animal Crackers
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A spunky little orphan , who brings happiness into the rather bleak institution where she lives , shakes her CURLY TOP and wins the heart of a young bachelor millionaire . Her beautiful older sister doesn't do so badly , either . . . Shirley Temple is in her prime in this delightful family film . Her infectious smile & sparkling personality are ample indications as to why she was Hollywood's box office champ for years . Replete with talent & abundant charm , Little Miss Temple is a constant joy to watch & a source of never-failing amusement . Up against a champion scene stealer , the romantic leads in Shirley's films never got a great deal of attention and it is no different here . Although both are attractive and more than competent , John Boles & Rochelle Hudson are the latest duo to sacrifice themselves on Temple's altar . Each are even given pleasant songs to sing , but the viewer squirms impatiently , wishing the story to return to The Real Star . Shirley always found much stiffer competition from the wonderful character actors who populated her films . Here she's up against some heavy hitters . Sweet Jane Darwell & peppery Rafaela Ottiano appear as the matrons of the orphanage . Etienne Girardot plays a nasty-tempered trustee . Most especially there's the inimitable Arthur Treacher , adding another comic butler to his resume . This tall , imperious Englishman with the properly stiff upper lip was always a memorable cinematic companion to Miss Temple and he was more than capable of holding his own against the little moppet in the four films they shared . Movie mavens will recognize the great Billy Gilbert as Boles ' comic cook . Shirley gets to sing ' When I Grow Up ' & her classic ' Animal Crackers . '
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438,262 | 306,861 | 19,563 | 10 |
Another Triumph From Mr . Lon Chaney
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Somewhere WEST OF ZANZIBAR , a crippled magician insanely plots revenge on the ivory hunter who ruined his life . . . Lon Chaney dominates this fascinatingly bizarre little silent movie . More than just a ? horror actor , ' Chaney was a consummate craftsman who , here using a minimum of makeup , could sway an audience with the slightest facial twinge or glance from his haunted eyes . Completely convincing as a cripple , dragging his dead legs behind him across the floor , he becomes more a monstrous aberration than a human being . Lionel Barrymore , Warner Baxter & lovely Mary Nolan all give excellent performances in supporting roles , but this is really Chaney's picture all the way . The fine production values , courtesy of MGM , only enhance its star's dominance of the medium . With Tod Browning , Chaney's frequent collaborator , as director , it is fascinating to speculate how much Chaney's physical performance here later influenced Browning's vision in his masterwork , FREAKS ( 1932 ) .
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437,930 | 306,861 | 32,571 | 10 |
Sir Seymour Hicks Shines In British Mystery Movie
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A titled amateur detective & his mystery-writing bride spend a BUSMAN'S HONEYMOON when a murdered corpse is discovered in their new Devonshire home . Beginning with its first release in 1938 and for several years thereafter , MGM maintained a sister studio in England . In this way she could take advantage of the wealth of British acting talent available , and also get around the UK restriction on the import of foreign films . American stars were often sent over to take the top roles , an increasingly dicey maneuver as the Atlantic became dangerous with Nazi U-boats . BUSMAN'S HONEYMOON ( called HAUNTED HONEYMOON in the USA ) was one of those films . BUSMAN'S HONEYMOON , while not unpleasant to look at , is not without its flaws . The mystery isn't all that enthralling , but the main difficulty seems to lie in Robert Montgomery's portrayal of Lord Peter Wimsey . It just doesn't click . This very fine actor made a career from playing suave , sophisticated characters , which Lord Peter should be , but you can never for a moment forget that this is only Robert Montgomery playing a role ; nor for an instant do you believe that this is Lord Peter come to life . And the American accent surely doesn't help , either . The lovely Constance Cummings , as Lady Harriet , suffers much the same fate . A fine gaggle of British actors , including Robert Newton , Leslie Banks & Googie Withers , appear in supporting roles . But the real joy in watching this film is reveling in the rare opportunity to see the marvelous old actor Sir Seymour Hicks , who portrays Bunter the butler . Sir Seymour ( 1871-1949 ) had been one of the great actor-managers & dramatists of the turn of the century . With his plumy voice & broad , impish face , he easily steals scene after scene with his stagy intonations & mannerisms . It would take the passage of several decades & the arrival of a completely new medium - television - before Dorothy L . Sayer's hero received superlative interpretations from actors Ian Carmichael & Edward Petherbridge .
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437,804 | 306,861 | 23,896 | 10 |
Lee Tracy Excellent In MGM Debut
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Flash ! Urgent ! CLEAR ALL WIRES ! Buckley Joyce Thomas ( Lee Tracy ) , ace reporter of the Chicago Globe , after returning from captivity in the Moroccan desert , now lands up to his ears in danger in Soviet Moscow . Hoping to interview New Russian citizens - and perhaps be seen hobnobbing with Stalin - he finds himself in intense trouble with dames ( Benita Hume & Una Merkel ) and suspected by the Secret Police of attempted murder ! Will this be Buckley Joyce Thomas ' last dispatch ? This is an enjoyable , fast-moving , if somewhat corny film , with dialogue & situations that let you know it was definitely produced pre-Production Code . It is interesting to see Hollywood's take on Red Russia only 15 years after the Revolution . Lee Tracy , having recently become a star at Warner Brothers , began his short stint at MGM with this film . He would appear in 4 MGM films in 1933 , and was well on his way to becoming the Studio's answer to Cagney , when he suffered a spectacular fall from grace the following year & was immediately fired from MGM . It is a shame he is almost forgotten today , as he was an exciting actor to watch : pushing the limit , rough edged , perfectly cast as nosy reporters , shyster lawyers or shady talent agents . The other members of the cast all do a fine job . Special mention should be made of James Gleason as Tracy's faithful factotum , and Ari Kutai as a Russian gofer . Movie mavens will spot Mischa Auer as a Moroccan prince & Akim Tamiroff as a sleazy Moscow hotel manager , both uncredited .
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437,028 | 306,861 | 26,262 | 10 |
A Glimpse Of Hades
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An amusement pier attraction based on DANTE'S INFERNO helps change the life of an unscrupulous concessionaire . Spencer Tracy dominates this nifty little drama , which keeps its audience satisfied with good acting and special effects . Two disasters ( the first on the pier and the second aboard a luxury party liner ) add punch to the plot . Between them comes a remarkable 9-minute tour into the depths of the real Inferno , populated by scores of naked extras writhing in anguish . The Depression Era viewers which first saw this film certainly got their money's worth . Tracy , always entertaining as he schemes & plots his way to unsavory success , is well served by his supporting players : lovely Claire Trevor as his loyal wife ; gaunt Henry B . Walthall as Trevor's saintly father ; little Scotty Beckett ( one of the OUR GANG kids ) as Tracy's innocent son ; and Alan Dinehart as a faithful friend . That's Rita Hayworth as the featured dancer aboard the S . S . Paradise .
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437,772 | 306,861 | 26,266 | 10 |
Mr . Dickens ' Characters Come To Life
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A young boy grows to manhood in Victorian England . He will learn to deal with the early deaths of his parents . He will be cruelly abused by his sadistic stepfather . He will be betrayed by false friends . He will experience a brief , tragic marriage . He will also be showered with tenderness and affection from hearts good & true . He will grow to be a man made strong by adversity , but still wondering if he'll turn out to be the hero of his own life . He is DAVID COPPERFIELD . Charles Dickens ' masterpiece comes to marvelous life in this triumphant translation from literary classic into film . Enormous care was taken by MGM to get the look & feel just right - to make the viewer believe they were seeing the novel spread out before them , without a false moment from start to finish . ( The Studio even went so far as to use special on-location exterior filming at Canterbury Cathedral , a segment that only runs for a few seconds . ) The all-star cast is remarkable : Freddie Bartholomew , newly brought from England by his aunt , is perfect in the role of Young David ; his anguish at the death of his mother is almost palpable . Replacing a reluctant Charles Laughton , W . C . Fields proved a triumph in the comic role of the penniless Mr . Micawber , always confident of something ' turning up . ' ( You might think Fields ' American accent & mannerisms would tend to be grating , but he turns in what is arguably his finest performance . Fields had loved Dickens ' novels for years and always kept a few in his vaudeville trunk . He knew the role and how to play it . Here he takes the character of Micawber , tweaks it slightly , and delights us . ) Lionel Barrymore , as the old fisherman Dan'l Peggoty , adding yet another exceptional portrait to his gallery of character parts . Edna May Oliver is unforgettable as the stern , yet loving , Aunt Betsey , forever chasing donkeys off her property - fiercely defensive of those she cares for . Basil Rathbone as Mr . Murdstone , dark & dangerous , full of passions & fury . Maureen O'Sullivan as darling Dora , sweet & doomed . Roland Young as an oily Uriah Heep , sniveling & devious . Lewis Stone , Elizabeth Allan , Una O'Connor , Lennox Pawle , Elsa Lanchester , Violet Kemble Cooper , Madge Evans , Frank Lawton - all perfectly cast . ( Look for E . E . Clive , Lionel Belmore & Arthur Treacher in tiny uncredited roles . Sir Hugh Walpole , the celebrated English novelist who adapted the novel for the screen , appears as the Vicar . ) Savor this wonderful film again & again .
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437,286 | 306,861 | 23,891 | 10 |
Hepburn Soars
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Sir CHRISTOPHER STRONG , staunch family man and Conservative MP , finds himself falling in love with a free-spirited aviatrix . Given splendid production values by RKO Radio Pictures , this high-class soap opera proved to be an excellent showcase for the talents of young Katharine Hepburn . Tall , angular , tomboyish , in a role patterned after Amelia Earhart , Hepburn is utterly fascinating as the woman who's never loved . Whether striding about in men's clothing or swathed in an outrageous moth costume , she makes the heartache & jubilation of her character play across her expressive features . It is almost painful to try imagining anyone else in the role . Her final scene , as she gives the ultimate sacrifice , is especially poignant . Colin Clive seems an unlikely choice as the object of Hepburn's passion , but he acts his part with great earnestness , deftly underplaying what could have easily been a stiff & cardboard characterization . In a serious role , the wonderful Billie Burke skillfully delineates the agony of the unloved wife . Like Hepburn , she remains in the memory long after the film ends . Helen Chandler & Irene Browne , as Clive's daughter & sister respectively , do well with their portrayals of socially irresponsible females . Ralph Forbes , as an upper class philanderer , also resonates in an important supporting role ; here was an actor with the talent & charm to have become a major Hollywood star , but it was not to be . Pioneering director Dorothy Arzner includes subtle suggestions of the sapphist in Hepburn's character , to be rejected or respected by individual viewers . As it is , certain situations in the plot show its pre-Production Code status .
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437,460 | 306,861 | 28,167 | 10 |
A Portrait Of A Genius - By A Genius
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REMBRANDT Harmenszoon van Rijn ( 1606-1669 ) , overcomes personal tragedy & great sorrow to be revered as the world's greatest painter . Sir Alexander Korda's production of the life of the celebrated artist is beautifully presented on screen . Chief among its assets - and the main reason for its success - is the magnificent performance by Charles Laughton . Eccentric & temperamental , Laughton could be difficult to work with . But once fascinated by a role he gave it the full vibrato of his own extensive genius - here he makes Rembrandt an equal member of his continuing roster of fascinating portraits from the decade : Henry VIII , Bligh , Quasimodo . Laughton had the remarkable ability - like the English actor George Arliss , working in the American cinema - of using his physical ugliness to great advantage , his eyes in particular offering glimpses of his characters ' souls . At various points throughout the film - a monologue of Woman's Mysteries ; reading from The Scriptures - Laughton's beautiful , soothing voice reaches beyond the screen and down the years to caress the listener . Making a rare screen appearance , stage legend Gertrude Lawrence plays Rembrandt's shrewish housekeeper & companion , Geertje Dirx . Laughton's wife , the luminous Elsa Lanchester , is unforgettable as Hendrickje Stoffels , the housemaid who wins her employer's love and becomes his greatest defender and champion . The wonderful actor Roger Livesey , almost unrecognizable behind a bushy beard ( but there's no disguising that unique voice ) is memorable as the ragged beggar Rembrandt hires to model the Old Testament despot Saul ; Livesey's scenes with Laughton are among the best in the entire film . John Bryning turns in a sensitive portrait as Rembrandt's son Titus . Sir John Clements has the small role as Govert Flinck ( 1615-1660 ) , Rembrandt's disaffected apprentice and eventual rival . Movie mavens will recognize an uncredited Wilfred Hyde-White in a tiny cameo as an officer of the Amsterdam Civic Guard . The film is given first rate production values , with marvelous interior sets & costumes . The exterior Amsterdam sets are visually striking , with the camera angles and the stark angularity of the buildings making them look almost expressionistic . These contrast nicely with the simplicity with which the brief outdoor rural scenes are depicted . Some important dates in the life of Rembrandt : 15 July 1606 - born in Leiden , The Netherlands , to the local miller . 1620-21 - attends University of Leiden . 1631 - moves to Amsterdam . 1634 - marries wealthy Saskia van Uylenburgh . 1639 - purchases large Amsterdam house . 1641 - son Titus is born . 1642 - Saskia dies ; Rembrandt paints ' The Shooting Company of Captain Franc Banning Cocq ( ' The Night Watch ' ) . ' 1649 - hires Hendrickje Stoffels as housekeeper ; she becomes his common-law wife . 1654 - Hendrickje , pregnant with daughter , is censured by church council for living in sin . 1656 - Rembrandt declared insolvent ; house & goods auctioned to pay debts . 1663 - death of Hendrickje . 1668 - death of son Titus , aged 26 . 4 October 1669 - dies in Amsterdam . Rembrandt produced approximately 300 etchings , 600 paintings and 1 , 400 drawings .
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