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438,114 | 306,861 | 20,049 | 10 |
Mickey's Musical Menagerie
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A Walt Disney MICKEY MOUSE Cartoon . Mickey shows true JUNGLE RHYTHM in the wilds , making merry music using the bodies of various & sundry creatures . This early black & white Mouse film is almost completely plotless , its action entirely driven by the soundtrack . Music mavens will recognize ' The Blue Danube , ' ' Aloha Oe ' & ' Yankee Doodle ' among other tunes . 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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438,325 | 306,861 | 25,771 | 10 |
A High Seas Swashbuckler With Mickey
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A Walt Disney MICKEY MOUSE Cartoon . Mickey & Minnie must try to escape after being SHANGHAIED by evil ship's captain Pegleg Pete & his nefarious crew . With the Mice already captive when the cartoon begins , this rollicking little black & white film wastes no time in delivering plenty of exciting action . The influences of Buster Keaton's THE NAVIGATOR ( 1924 ) , Doug Fairbanks ' THE BLACK PIRATE ( 1926 ) & Harold Lloyd's THE KID BROTHER ( 1927 ) are fairly apparent . Pete has never been more vile than here , forcing his foul attentions upon helpless Miss Minnie . Good thing our Mickey has never been more heroic . . . 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 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 will always pay off .
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437,526 | 306,861 | 215,062 | 10 |
Spirited Examination Of An Arctic Radar Installation
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An RKO-PATHÉ Short Subject . Standing near the top of the world , silent & strong , the POLAR OUTPOST is but one of a string of fortresses waiting for the approach of the flying enemy . Ever vigilant , armed to the teeth , its mere presence allows peaceful Americans & Canadians to sleep well , knowing that their airborne bodyguard never slumbers . This well-made & exciting 1957 documentary gave many North Americans their first look at the remarkable DEW ( Distant Early Warning ) Line , the air bases maintained near the Arctic Circle , in full cooperation between America & Canada , to guard against possible air attack over the North Pole from the Soviet Union . The film looks at the development of one typical base , as seen through the letter home of American Air Force Captain Richard Crane , from the initial selection of the site - right down to the eventual output of its bountiful kitchen . Some of the difficulties in maintaining a modern military community under such harsh environmental conditions are also examined . Made with the full cooperation of the United States Air Force , Eisenhower Era audiences were reminded by POLAR OUTPOST how their defense tax dollars were being well spent .
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437,199 | 306,861 | 134,880 | 10 |
A Visit To The International Exposition
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An MGM TRAVELTALK Short Subject . PARIS ON PARADE takes us on a dazzling exterior tour of the pavilions built for the 1937 Paris Exposition . The film ends with the wonderful waterworks & pyrotechnic display on and over the River Seine . This is one of a large series of succinct travelogues turned out by MGM , beginning in the 1930's . They featured Technicolor views of beautiful & unusual sights around the globe , as well as vivid , concise commentary . These films were produced & narrated by James A . FitzPatrick .
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437,981 | 306,861 | 24,446 | 10 |
W . C . Fields ' Short Subject Is Long On Laughs
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A MACK SENNETT Short Subject . Caught between his frightful female relations on the second floor & the rather odd customers down in the shop , THE PHARMACIST in a small town reacts with predictably irascible behavior . Initially conceived as a skit in 1925 for the Ziegfeld Follies by the inimitable W . C . Fields , THE PHARMACIST become one of a quartet of short subjects produced by Mack Sennett in the early 1930's . Fortunately , Fields was given full rein to control the film as he saw fit . The success of the shorts gave a new glow to Sennett's reputation , as many in Hollywood thought the old comedy master was washed-up with the end of the Silents . For Fields , this was the opportunity to paint large on a small canvas , going straight for the laughs ( based on his unique personality ) without any time wasted on character development or plot complexities . Elise Cavanna plays Fields ' ghastly wife & Babe Kane is his canary-munching daughter . ( Looking enough alike to be sisters , these two actresses were actually only seven years apart in age . ) Grady Sutton has a small role as the much-maligned Cuthbert .
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437,230 | 306,861 | 35,733 | 10 |
Old Folk Tale Gets Serious Update
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A Walt Disney Cartoon . Wily Foxy Loxey uses psychological chicanery to confuse dimwitted CHICKEN LITTLE - Step 1 in his plot to plunder the poultry yard . This unusual little film eschews a happy ending for a not-so-subtle warning against evil manipulators and gullible citizenry . Foxy Loxey could be the personification of either Hitler or Stalin and the quotes from his psychology book ( ' To influence the masses , aim first at the least intelligent , ' ' If you tell a lie , don't tell a little one - tell a big one , ' ' Undermine the faith of the masses in their leaders , ' ' By the use of flattery , insignificant people can be made to look upon themselves as born leaders ' ) are pure Marxism . As for Cocky Locky , Henny Penny , Goosey Poosey , Ducky Lucky & Turkey Lurkey - their human counterparts are only too easy to find everyday . Veteran Disney voice artists Florence Gill & Clarence Nash can be heard making various hen & duck noises . 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 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 will always pay off .
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437,074 | 306,861 | 22,496 | 10 |
Mickey Mouse , The Motor Menace
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A Walt Disney MICKEY MOUSE Cartoon . Mickey's TRAFFIC TROUBLES begin when he lets an extremely obese customer into his taxi . This is a fun black & white cartoon , although The Mouse is allowed to be rather cruel to the weaker animals he meets . The frantic , amply uddered bovine he encounters may be an early version of Clarabelle Cow . Peg-leg Pete & Minnie have small roles . Walt Disney supplies the voice for Mickey . 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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437,395 | 306,861 | 24,440 | 10 |
Beasts Run Wild
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A Walt Disney MICKEY MOUSE Cartoon . It only takes a few moments for THE PET STORE to be turned into a complete shambles by its new employee - Mickey Mouse . This funny little black & white film has a plot that's largely driven by its music : Mickey , Minnie and the entire menagerie dance around frantically to the soundtrack until the climax , which has a nice spoof of that year's KING KONG ( 1933 ) . Tony , the store owner , seems a very decent fellow , but apparently one encounter with the Mouse was enough - he never appeared in another Disney cartoon . Walt Disney supplied Mickey with his squeaky 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 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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437,576 | 306,861 | 20,041 | 10 |
A Mouse Tale With Music
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A Walt Disney MICKEY MOUSE Cartoon . Mickey's Big Road Show arrives with THE JAZZ FOOL himself as the star attraction . This is an enjoyable early black & white film , with the plot driven entirely by the musical soundtrack , which features elements of ragtime & Dixieland jazz . Horace Horsecollar gets to showoff his solo instrumentalist talents . The animators threw in a heavy dose of their favorite posterior jokes - even Mickey's piano has its bare bottom smacked . The title is a salute to two recent Al Jolson film hits , THE JAZZ SINGER ( 1927 ) & THE SINGING FOOL ( 1928 ) . Walt Disney performs Mickey's squeaky 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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437,015 | 306,861 | 33,544 | 10 |
Mr . Duck , Nature Photographer
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A Walt Disney DONALD DUCK Cartoon . DONALD'S CAMERA gets him into trouble in the forest when he attempts photographing a stubborn woodpecker . This unremarkable little film features a routine story & animation , but the Duck is always enjoyable to watch . The climax , where Donald discards his ruined camera and gets a gun instead is sometimes censored . Clarence " Ducky " Nash supplies 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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437,538 | 306,861 | 30,082 | 10 |
Rousing Adventure From Another Era
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A wicked Khan plans to use THE DRUM perched high up in his palace walls to signal the massacre of British soldiers invited to a banquet . Sir Alexander Korda's London Films was responsible for this lively Technicolor action film which boasted outdoor scenes shot near the North-West Frontier with the assistance of the Mehtar of Chitral . It blends excitement , humor & history - definitely from a British viewpoint - into an attractive package sure to entertain the viewer lucky enough to find it . Indian actor Sabu stars as the young Prince of Tokot who finds his life suddenly become very dangerous when he's forced to flee his usurping uncle and accept protection from the British Raj . Plummy-voiced Roger Livesey plays the Raj's stalwart envoy to Tokot who must find a way to stop the import of weapons to the evil new Khan , Raymond Massey , who is fomenting a rebellion . All three actors play their parts very well , with Massey especially attacking his villainous role with gusto . Also in the cast are Valerie Hobson as Livesey's courageous wife ; David Tree as a junior officer ; and corpulent Francis L . Sullivan as the local Governor in Peshawar . Alfred Goddard appears unbilled as the hapless private Kelly . Born Sabu Dastagir in 1924 , Sabu was employed in the Maharaja of Mysore's stables when he was discovered by Korda's company and set before the cameras . His first four films ( ELEPHANT BOY-1937 , THE DRUM-1938 , THE THIEF OF BAGDAD-1940 , JUNGLE BOOK-1942 ) were his best and he found himself working out of Hollywood when they were completed . After distinguished military service in World War II he resumed his film career , but he became endlessly confined for years playing ethnic roles in undistinguished minor films , BLACK NARCISSUS ( 1947 ) being the one great exception . His final movie , Walt Disney's A TIGER WALKS ( 1964 ) was an improvement , but it was too late . Sabu had died of a heart attack in late 1963 , only 39 years of age .
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438,177 | 306,861 | 27,686 | 10 |
An Enjoyable Ride , But No Brass Ring
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Warner Bros . trots out its Gold Diggers concept again in this amusing little musical which serves largely as a wistful reminder of the fun & vivacity of the original pre-Code feature . Perhaps Dick Powell's smarmy little mustache , seen immediately after the opening credits , should have been enough to signal that things were different now . The plot of every Gold Digger film is centered around its music . The songs here are pleasant , but unmemorable and the Busby Berkeley spectacle - - ' All's Fair In Love And War ' - - reveals the Master at his repose , his choreographed rocking chairs and banners not quite registering the requisite pizzazz one remembers from his earlier classics . Powell tries his hardest to ingratiate , but his preppy days appear to be passing and casting him as an insurance salesman is a bit of a ho-hum . Lots of fun , however , can be found with Warner's two sensational brassy blondes , Joan Blondell & Glenda Farrell , in their final film together . Still wisecracking & sassy , they grab the movie's best dialogue and run off with it , giving some laughter to their comedy duo swan song . Comic Victor Moore shines as a cranky impresario with a bad case of hypochondria . Sharp-eyed movie mavens will spot Fred ? Snowflake ' Toones as a shoe shine attendant ; Jane Wyman as an excited chorus girl at the station ; and Frank Faylen as a man shaving on the train , all unbilled .
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437,210 | 306,861 | 154,394 | 10 |
Lickety-split !
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An MGM SPORT CHAMPIONS Short Subject . Yachtsmen of a very special breed gather from all over America for a most unusual DESERT REGATTA . This fascinating little film from a bygone era shows the outboard motor speed record races which took place on Southern California's great Salton Sea , where even rocks float . The care & treatment of the small craft under these very harsh conditions is examined . The grueling race itself is shown , with the mood lightened by a dose of camera trickery . Pete Smith is the unconventional narrator . 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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437,959 | 306,861 | 24,433 | 10 |
Marion Davies ' Finest Role
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In order to gain a huge inheritance , young Margaret ( her father's PEG O ' MY HEART ) leaves her fishing village in the West of Ireland to live with an impoverished , but insufferable , noble family in England . This wonderful , heartwarming - although sadly neglected - film boasts a winning performance from the most misunderstood star of Hollywood's Golden Age . Marion Davies is delightfully playful and quite captivating , easily dominating her every scene . A natural mimic , Davies ' Irish brogue is natural & lilting , adding a further dimension to her entrancing character . For viewers unfamiliar with her expertise , Davies will come as a welcome surprise . In the supporting cast , J . Farrell MacDonald takes first honors as Davies ' father ; he is completely believable as a tenderhearted old fisherman who sorrowfully gives up his daughter for her own good . Onslow Stevens is well cast as the kind baronet who captures Peg's heart . Alan Mowbray , as a local cad , and Robert Greig , as a stuffy butler , both score in their roles . Tyrell Davis is very amusing as a giddy young gynandroid with absolutely no intentions of wooing Davies . Doris Lloyd as Mowbray's no-nonsense wife , and Nora Cecil as an elderly maid , shine in their cameo appearances . MGM , under the watchful eye of William Randolph Hearst , gave PEG a splendid cinematic treatment , with money lavished most especially on the production values of the fishing village scenes . The movie proved to be a hit with audiences , as was its signature tune ' Sweetheart Darling , ' by Nacio Herb Brown & Arthur Freed . This was Hearst's favorite of all Davies ' films . Although he realized it was time , at age 36 , for her to no longer play 20-year-olds , he campaigned relentlessly that she be given an Academy Award nomination . ( No MGM actresses were nominated that year , as it turns out ; Katharine Hepburn over at RKO got the Oscar . ) Time has not dealt kindly with Marion Davies . Almost forgotten today , when remembered at all it is usually as a sort of footnote to history or object of scandal . Her life certainly was colorful , and as chatelaine of America's most amazing private estate she did circulate amidst powerful circles . But to remember her as the bimbo blonde mistress of the country's mightiest media baron is patently unfair . While much of the blame can go to Orson Welles ' spoof of Davies in CITIZEN KANE ( which he was to admit he regretted towards the end of his life ) it must be stated emphatically that Marion was not a no-talent actress with few friends & even fewer brains , whose career was destroyed by her stammer leaving her to spend lonely years in great , hulking empty castles . In reality , Davies was a bright , vivacious lady who charmed & captivated such diverse guests as George Bernard Shaw & Winston Churchill throughout her 33-year liaison with Hearst . Adored by her friends , and a fierce cadre of fans , Davies was renowned for her tireless generosity and charitable good works . Her speech impediment never affected her screen acting and her undeniable talent was evident to any who were willing to access her performances honesty and look past the scandal . Davies had to have been embarrassed by the Hearst empire's relentless pushing of her career . She knew this left her open to ridicule & mockery , doubtless contributing to her scarcely concealed alcoholism . But she eventually relinquished her film pursuits in order to care for the aging Hearst , and after his death in 1951 she showed herself to be an astute businesswoman during the remaining ten years of her life . It is only now , with the passage of much time & the restoration of her old movies , that it is becoming easier to acknowledge the contributions & cinematic expertise of Marion Davies .
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437,082 | 306,861 | 20,034 | 10 |
Early Musical Soaper
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A sister act finds IT'S A GREAT LIFE in show business as long as they can stick together . MGM crafted this confection as a showcase for the talents of the Duncan Sisters , of Vaudeville & Broadway fame , and as such it's an interesting relic of its era . The sound quality is remarkably good , considering its age , one of the songs is quite good , and the antique color , which highlights a couple of stage sequences , is very pleasing to the eye . As a vehicle for screen stardom , however , the film proved a disappointment . The Sisters ' movie career was over almost before if could get started . Rosetta ( 1900-1959 ) and Vivian ( 1902-1986 ) do quite well as siblings who rise from performing in retail follies to the Vaudeville stage . Vivian , the pretty one , gets most of the film's few romantic moments , but Rosetta , who was an true clown able to do hilarious things with her face & body , steals the picture . When allowed to be silly she is enormous fun to watch . The script , unfortunately , keeps her character in a bad temper for much of the time , eventually wearying the viewer with her interminable fuming . She's so much more enjoyable when in a jolly mood , especially when teamed with sister Vivian . Their lovely duet , " I'm Following You , " is a genuine heartwarmer . Lawrence Gray , who had made a name for himself in comic Silent film roles , makes the most of his somewhat thankless part as the piano player who captures Vivian's heart . Jed Prouty , as the department store manager who quietly loves Rosetta , and Benny Rubin , playing a Vaudeville booking agent , both do well with their small roles . The opening scene , with the Sisters madly dashing down the street to work , hotly pursued by a cop and a mob of excited New Yorkers , is one of the movie's best and gets the proceedings off to a frenzied start .
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438,274 | 306,861 | 53,080 | 10 |
Animated Charmer
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Two little boys go for a secret nighttime adventure and have an encounter with a MOONBIRD . This absolutely charming little film is based on the ( apparently ) unscripted dialogue between two young brothers , Mark & Hampy Hubley . Created & designed by their parents , John & Faith Hubley , the effervescent quality of the conversation is matched by the limited-animation format which takes the simple story into flights of fancy . Winner of the 1959 Oscar for Best Animated Short .
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438,125 | 306,861 | 24,330 | 10 |
Minnie Blows Her Horn
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A Walt Disney MICKEY MOUSE Cartoon . MICKEY'S MECHANICAL MAN , a boxing robot , engages in the Battle of the Century against The Kongo Killer , who's a real ape . This little black & white cartoon is a lot of fun , with The Mouse trying to control his unusual contraption . Good animation throughout . That's Walt supplying Mickey's squeaky 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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437,747 | 306,861 | 24,329 | 10 |
A Big Night For The Little Mouse
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A Walt Disney MICKEY MOUSE Cartoon . The famed Grauman's Chinese Theater is the Hollywood location for MICKEY'S GALA PREMIERE , with a multitude of luminaries showing up for the occasion . This is a marvelous little black & white feast for movie mavens who get to try to spot & name as many of the caricatured celebrities as possible . With this film Walt Disney was signaling that both he & his little buddy had reached the big time with the rest of Hollywood , literally , at their feet . The film within a film , GALLOPING ROMANCE , is treated like an authentic , stand-alone Mouse cartoon ; featuring Mickey , Minnie & Peg-leg Pete , it is necessarily short , but fully up to Disney's standards . Walt supplies Mickey's squeaky voice . Many of the stars whose likeness appears in MICKEY'S GALA PREMIERE are now quite obscure , therefore making their identification a difficult procedure . Here then , as much as possible , is a listing of the celebrities , noting when they make their first appearance in the cartoon ( many show up more than once ) : Out in front of the Theater : The Keystone Kops - Ben Turpin , Ford Sterling , Mack Swain , Harry Langdon & Chester Conklin . Emerging from limousines : Wallace Beery & Marie Dressler ( she was box office queen at the time ) ; Lionel , John & Ethel Barrymore ( all costumed for their roles in RASPUTIN AND THE EMPRESS , 1932 ) ; Stan Laurel & Oliver Hardy ; Groucho , Chico , Zeppo & Harpo Marx . At the microphone : Maurice Chevalier ; Eddie Cantor ( costumed for his role in THE KID FROM SPAIN , 1932 ) ; Jimmy Durante ; Ginger Rogers , Joan Crawford ( costumed for her role in RAIN , 1932 ) & Bette Davis ; Harold Lloyd , Clark Gable , Edward G . Robinson & Adolphe Menjou . Entering the Theater : George Arliss , Sid Grauman , Joe E . Brown , Sir Charlie Chaplin ( costumed as The Little Tramp ) , Buster Keaton & Mae West ( costumed for her role in SHE DONE HIM WRONG , 1933 ) . Emerging from limousine : Mickey & Minnie Mouse , Pluto , Horace Horsecollar & Clarabelle Cow . Seated in the Theater : Chester Morris , Gloria Swanson & William Powell ; Will Hays ( dressed in regal robes and crown to spoof his position as Censorship Czar ) ; Greta Garbo ; Will Rogers ; Ed Wynn ; Bert Wheeler & Robert Woolsey ; Bela Lugosi ( costumed as Count Dracula ) , Fredric March ( costumed as Mr . Hyde ) & Boris Karloff ( costumed as Frankenstein's Monster ) . Rolling in the aisle : Douglas Fairbanks . 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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438,038 | 306,861 | 30,192 | 10 |
A Scientific Western
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A mining engineer , caught between a mighty gold syndicate and a group of stubborn ranchers , learns that GOLD IS WHERE YOU FIND IT when he meets the beautiful daughter of a powerful landowner . Warner Brothers had great hopes for this lavish Western , and the money that was spent certainly shows up on the screen . Unfortunately , the romantic attraction between stars George Brent & Olivia de Havilland never catches fire . This is largely the fault of the script , which seems strangely aloof from their involvement and makes their love scenes rather pedestrian . Alas , real life can be much the same way . . . In this case it is important to look at what strengths the film possesses . Chief among these is master actor Claude Rains , in a suave performance as Olivia's determined , courageous father . With his rich , silken voice , he could have simply read the script directly into the camera and made it compelling . Always a treat to watch & listen to , the movie is fortunate to have him . Good support is given by young Tim Holt as Rains ' amiable , tragic son ; Harry Davenport as a friendly old doctor ; Gabby Hayes & Willie Best as employees of Rains ; and Sidney Toler & Barton MacLane as the murderous syndicate president and mine foreman . The Technicolor photography - still rare & wonderful in 1938 - is pleasant on the eyes . The massed attack on the mine is well handled & exciting . Viewers of the film are likely to hear more about hydraulic gold mining than they ever knew before . Indeed , the environmental problems which the film depicts , with the immense runoff fouling the downstream waters & farmlands , are quite accurately depicted . The Golden Moon Mine in the movie could have easily been based , in part , on the great Cherokee Mine in Northern California's Butte County . Located at the base of Table Mountain , between the towns of Chico & Oroville , the Cherokee Mine attracted Argonauts from around the world ( as its cemetery still attests ) and became the largest hydraulic mining enterprise on earth . Nearby Butte Creek was dammed to provide a 300 acre supply of water for the Mine ( three smaller reservoirs were also created ) . Over 100 miles of conveyance were constructed to move the water to the Mine , where each day forty million gallons were needed for the eighteen immense monitors which directed their gush at the side of the Mountain . Sluices nine miles in length were ready to catch the particles of gold washed down from the bluff . In its few years of operation - 1880 until 1887 - two and a half million dollars worth of gold was found , as well as small amounts of platinum , topaz and even diamonds . Eventually the gold played out and the Mine was no longer cost effective to remain open . To this day , the scars still remain on the side of Table Mountain as mute witness to one of the engineering marvels of the 19th Century .
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437,420 | 306,861 | 24,335 | 10 |
Looking For Crime With Mr . Laurel & Mr . Hardy
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A LAUREL & HARDY Comedy Short . Novice cops Stan & Ollie are THE MIDNIGHT PATROL , guardians of the night . Their complete incompetence dealing with crime , however , soon leaves a trail of chaos & destruction . A funny little film , although ending it with two murders is a bit much . Highlight : Ollie in the fishpond . That's Frank Brownlee as the Chief , Walter Plinge as the gentlemanly crook and Charlie Hall as one of the tire thieves .
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437,431 | 306,861 | 25,799 | 10 |
Six Times The Fun
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Three zany couples , all SIX OF A KIND , become entangled in a madcap search for stolen bank loot . This is a lively , hilarious comedy , with the six stars - Charlie Ruggles & Mary Boland , W . C . Fields & Alison Skipworth , George Burns & Gracie Allen - all heartily engaged in doing what they did best : getting laughs . Ruggles & Boland make another of their film appearances as husband & wife - this time rather more amorous than usual . They were a perfect team - she the strident lioness , he the nervous rabbit - and they dominate most of the screen time here . From beginning to end , they are a delight . Burns & Allen continue the patter they originated in Vaudeville , perfected on radio & would eventually take to television , with George the perpetual straight man & Gracie the eternal fool . At times in the film she tends to go a bit over the top , but it's difficult to dislike her . Her heart was obviously made of solid gold . While Skipworth is given rather short shrift - only fragments of her formidable personality flash through - Fields is in his element as the disreputable sheriff of Nuggetville , Nevada . Whether explaining how he got the nickname ? Honest John ' or skulking about at night looking for the missing moola , he is never less than wonderful . Best of all , he gets to perform his entire classic pool routine , preserving it forever for a grateful posterity . Finally , he executes the near miraculous - he gets Gracie to shut up . Paramount was so pleased with the success of SIX OF A KIND that they wanted to hurry the principle players into another comedy . Only Fields demurred . He felt he had now arrived at the point where he no longer needed to share a movie with other celebrity comics . The Studio finally agreed and began preparation of Fields ' first solo starring feature , YOU'RE TELLING ME ( 1934 ) .
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437,649 | 306,861 | 20,030 | 10 |
Douglas Fairbanks ' Farewell To Days Of Silent Glory
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With his head encased in THE IRON MASK that hides his identity , the true king of France waits for the elderly D'Artagnan & the Three Musketeers to come to his rescue . . . Douglas Fairbanks , silent cinema's greatest swashbuckling hero , bid farewell to the glory days of the silent screen with this joyous romp of a film . As a sequel to Fairbanks ' earlier THE THREE MUSKETEERS ( 1921 ) , it more than surpasses its predecessor in lavish production values , good acting & nonstop action . Now 46 , Fairbanks seems none the worse for wear and his muscular athleticism is still called upon to win the girl , beat the foe & thrill the audience . Fairbanks had a natural spontaneity & authentic joie de vivre , both in his private life and in his screen persona , which audiences of the 1920's found absolutely irresistible . He was unique - unforgettable - utterly irreplaceable . Fairbanks is supported once again by a fine cast : lovely Marguerite De La Motte as the faithful Constance ; Dorothy Revier as the treacherous Milady de Winter ; William Bakewell in the dual role of the two princes ; Lon Poff as the sinister Father Joseph . That's the excellent character actress Vera Lewis in the tiny role of the Royal Midwife . The Three Musketeers themselves are rather more finely delineated than in the previous film . Léon Bary as Athos , Tiny Sandford as Porthos & Gino Corrado as Aramis all give good account of themselves throughout the flurry & turmoil of the lively plot . Special mention must be made of British actor Nigel de Brulier , once again playing the rapacious Cardinal Richelieu . Even though the character disappears half way into the film , de Brulier still manages to invest the Churchman with more than just villainy . He helps the viewer to glimpse the real person behind the facade and to understand some of the reasons for his tyrannical behavior . One of the versions in which this film is available has all the title cards removed & a rousing narrative read by Douglas Fairbanks Jr . substituted in their place . The opening credits state that the film's narrative was based on the story by Elton Thomas ( a pseudonym for Fairbanks ) , which was in turn based on Alexander Dumas ' ? The Three Musketeers ' & ? Twenty Years After . ' This is true , but all of the Man in the Iron Mask elements actually came from Dumas ' novel ? Ten Years Later ; or , The Vicomte de Bragelonne , ' ( 1848-50 ) . Thus , the events in the latter half of THE IRON MASK take place 30 years after the events in THE THREE MUSKETEERS . The first film is set in 1625 ; the second film starts in 1638 . Since important plot elements are not handled in THE THREE MUSKETEERS - for instance , Milady's evil behavior towards Constance - they are somewhat incongruously left dangling for 13 years until the beginning of THE IRON MASK . And some of the most fascinating elements of the later books - such as the Musketeers ' clash with Milady's malevolent son & the machinations of Richelieu's successor , the wily Cardinal Mazarin - are completely ignored altogether . But this is a mere quibble and should not detract from the immense enjoyment of a very fine film . It might be helpful to note , in passing , a few historical dates which deal directly with the plot : Louis XIV born September 15 , 1638 . Cardinal Richelieu dies December 4 , 1642 . Louis XIII dies May 14 , 1643 . Louis XIV is crowned King in 1654 , after attaining maturity .
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438,158 | 306,861 | 22,420 | 10 |
Disney Look At The Perils Of Buggy Romance
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A Walt Disney SILLY SYMPHONY Cartoon Short . It's showdown time for THE SPIDER AND THE FLY when the ugly arachnid attacks a pair of insect lovers . . . Good versus Evil in this early black & white cartoon . The Spider is one of the first Disney characters to show a hint of all the wonderfully wicked villains to come from the Studio in later years . Clever opening , with the swarm of flies frolicking on the upside down ceiling . 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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437,148 | 306,861 | 24,332 | 10 |
Fun With Pluto & Kittens
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A Walt Disney MICKEY MOUSE Cartoon . MICKEY'S PAL PLUTO rescues several tiny kittens from drowning and then becomes jealous of the way they are welcomed into Mickey's home . This black & white cartoon is another enjoyable example of letting the Pup deal with small cuddly animals invading his turf . Mickey & Minnie have supporting roles only , letting most of the action be carried by Pluto and the furry felines . 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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437,465 | 306,861 | 30,196 | 10 |
Into The Woods With Mr . Duck
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A Walt Disney DONALD DUCK Cartoon . Huey , Dewey & Louie are all GOOD SCOUTS , but their Uncle Donald is about to reveal the full range of his incompetence as Scoutmaster while leading them on a camping trip . Donald's Nephews made their second cartoon appearance in this very humorous , finely animated little film . The Disney artists were beginning to see definite possibilities with the little fowls - their mischievous behavior being a good catalyst for Donald's volatility . The story was written by the legendary Carl Barks ; Clarence Nash provides the voices for the entire Duck clan . 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 anMouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovatordWhen a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey , 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 . ' 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 will always pay off .
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438,284 | 306,861 | 43,402 | 10 |
The Chipmunks Are At It Again
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A Walt Disney CHIP ' N ' DALE Cartoon . Confusion abounds when Dale is mistaken for a newly hatched chick in the poultry yard . CHICKEN IN THE ROUGH is another typical Chipmunks cartoon - amusing , but unremarkable . 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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437,992 | 306,861 | 167,809 | 10 |
Big Trouble For A Little Bug
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A Walt Disney Cartoon . A hapless bee becomes a BUMBLE BOOGIE when it's caught in a bizarre world of Daliesque proportions . Wild & wonderful , this little extract from MELODY TIME ( 1948 ) allowed the Disney animators free rein to go wherever their imaginations carried them . Very fast moving . The music is a swing version of " The Flight of the Bumblebee " by Nicolai Rimski-Korsakov . 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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437,782 | 306,861 | 24,327 | 10 |
Kitchen Magician
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An MGM PETE SMITH Short Subject . A very silly housewife receives help with her dinner MENU - and a cure for her hubby's upset tummy - when a chef magically arrives in her kitchen . This fanciful little film is an enjoyable bit of early Technicolor fluff . The practical demonstrations , mixed up with the gentle humor , serve up a most pleasing result - almost as appetizing as the roast duck & baked apples . Movie mavens will recognize Franklin Pangborn as the dyspeptic husband , Una Merkel as his featherbrained wife , and Luis Alberni as the remarkable chef , all uncredited . Off-the-wall narrator Pete Smith would produce a reworked version of this story - with Oscar winning results - four years later in PENNY WISDOM ( 1937 ) . 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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437,004 | 306,861 | 35,820 | 10 |
Rubber Rationing For Mr . Duck
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A Walt Disney DONALD DUCK Cartoon . DONALD'S TIRE TROUBLE starts when the speed demon gets a flat on a lonely mountain road . There's lots of fun in this little film in watching the Duck deal with inanimate objects which seem bent on destroying him . Younger viewers may not understand Donald's exasperation with retreads , or the significance of rubber patches , but this cartoon was produced during wartime and poked gentle fun at the rubber shortage caused by rationing . Clarence " Ducky " Nash provides 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 will always pay off .
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437,340 | 306,861 | 24,325 | 10 |
Provocative Polemic
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While MEN MUST FIGHT wars , it is the women who wait and strive for peace . This is a fascinating film , all but forgotten now , which both pleads for peace yet urges action against violent aggressor nations . By supplying strong characters to voice both sides , sometimes changing their minds mid-film , MEN MUST FIGHT tries to please everyone without alienating anyone . Politics aside , it is possible to enjoy the film strictly on the basis of its good acting and compelling production values . Beginning during World War One , the movie quickly jumps to 1940 , where it tries to predict not only the fashions but also the geopolitics seven years hence from its production . Although the future enemy is called ? Eurasia , ' careful observation during the Coliseum anti-war rally clearly shows the Nazi swastika and the Imperial Japanese Rising Sun flag among the montage of dangers , eight years before America's entry into the still-distant World War Two , proving the prescience of the film's creators . Distinguished English actress Diana Wynyard is a standout as the woman who has seen too much of war's death and tries valiantly to convince others to renounce all warfare . She is well matched by Lewis Stone as her pacifist husband who must rethink his beliefs after high governmental office forces him to confront real dangers . These two excellent performers ably show the full force their decisions have on their most intimate relationships . Phillips Holmes gives a compelling performance as Wynyard's conflicted son - - caught between pacifism & patriotism , he shows the stress going through the mind of any young man facing a really difficult decision . Ironically , considering the film's conclusion , this fine young actor would be killed in a midair collision in Ontario in August of 1942 , preparing to fight the Nazis as a member of the Canadian Air ForceElderly May Robson makes one of her typically energetic film appearances as Lewis ' sharp-tongued mother . Pretty Ruth Selwyn does well with her undemanding role as Holmes ' patriotic fiancée ; stately Hedda Hopper plays her strong-minded mother . Robert Young makes the most of his very brief role as the flier who is the great love of Wynyard's life . Rotund Robert Greig steals a few scenes as Robson's spirited butler . Movie mavens will recognize Arthur Housman as a shipboard inebriate and Mary Gordon as a spectator during the Coliseum rally , both uncredited . The film's pre-Code status is well demonstrated by its gentle mocking of patriotism and the way in which the opening scenes frankly present Wynyard & Young as unmarried lovers .
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437,451 | 306,861 | 22,428 | 10 |
DeMille's Desert Saga
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An English aristocrat becomes ' THE SQUAW MAN ' after leaving Britain under mysterious circumstances and marrying an Indian maiden in the American West . At the end of the Silent Era , famed director Cecil B . DeMille signed a deal with MGM to produce three pictures over three years . For the first two - - DYNAMITE ( 1929 ) and MADAM Satan ( 1930 ) - - he pulled out all the stops to present lavish photoplays of New York high society , with a mine cave-in and a dirigible disaster to liven things up . For his third film at MGM DeMille returned to his favorite story , which he'd already filmed twice before as a silent . For this talkie version he kept the story simple , without special effects or unnecessary melodrama . He also made outstanding use of filming on location in Arizona . The result is a well-made film with a poignant storyline and an emotionally gripping conclusion . While Warner Baxter's American accent makes him rather unbelievable as an Englishman , this can be easily overlooked because of his fine performance . Steadfast & strong , he makes a sturdy hero . But acting honors go to Lupe Velez , who strips away all unnecessary technique & mannerisms to deliver an uncomplicated , heartbreaking portrayal of a primitive woman wholly devoted to the man she adores and their son . Without even trying , she completely dominates the film . The rest of the cast also make their mark in much smaller roles : beautiful Eleanor Boardman as the titled Englishwoman Baxter loves ; owlish Roland Young as Baxter's best friend ; shifty Paul Cavanagh as the feckless Earl of Kerhill ; and Julia Faye as a fox hunting American widow . Out West , the cast includes angry Charles Bickford as a murderous rancher intent on grabbing Buzzards Pass from Baxter ; bullying DeWitt Jennings as the corrupt sheriff of Maverick ; J . Farrell MacDonald as Baxter's loyal ranch hand ; and little Dickie Moore , one of the OUR GANG kids , as the lively son of Baxter & Velez . Wizened old Luke Cosgrave gives a few humorous moments as the cantankerous driver of a desert jalopy . DeMille's sojourn at MGM was not a commercial success for the Studio . His contract wasn't extended and he returned to Paramount , where he would soon commence on some of the most popular films of his career .
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437,449 | 306,861 | 22,402 | 10 |
Celebrity Soup
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A dogged police inspector searches Hollywood for THE SLIPPERY PEARLS purloined from Norma Shearer . Several of Tinseltown's brightest talents donated their time to this fund-raiser for the National Variety Artists Tuberculosis Sanitarium located at Savanac Lake , New York . Funds would be solicited from theater patrons after viewing this 20 minute short , which was ironically sponsored by Chesterfield Cigarettes . Distributed by Paramount Studios , some of the stars are embarrassingly bad in their tiny roles . The comedy team of Wheeler & Woolsey come off by far the best , although one wishes one could see more of Maurice Chevalier , Laurel & Hardy and the Our Gang kids . This little film is sometimes shown under its alternate title of THE STOLEN JOOLS ( 1931 ) . The closing credits obligingly give a cast list , particularly helpful in identifying the celebrities of yesteryear who've faded into obscurity : At The Police Station : Wallace Beery , Buster Keaton , Jack Hill , J . Farrell MacDonald , Edward G . Robinson & George E . Stone . The Law : Eddie Kane , Stan Laurel & Oliver Hardy . At The Victim's House : Our Gang's Allen ' Farina ' Hoskins , Matthew ' Stymie ' Beard , Norman ' Chubby ' Chaney , Mary Ann Jackson , Shirley Jean Rickert , Dorothy ' Echo ' DeBorba , Bobby ' Wheezer ' Hutchins & Pete the Pup . Also Polly Moran , Norma Shearer & Hedda Hopper . Tête-à-Tête : Joan Crawford & William Haines . On The Porch Swing : Dorothy Lee . At Breakfast : Edmund Lowe , Victor McLaglen & El Brendel . In The Hotel : Charles Murray , George Sidney , Winnie Lightner , Fifi D'Orsay , Warner Baxter ( as the Cisco Kid ) & Irene Dunne . At Lunch : Bert Wheeler & Robert Woolsey . In The Movie Studio : Richard Dix , Lowell Sherman & Claudia Dell . The Newsmen : Eugene Palette , Stuart Erwin , ' Skeets ' Gallagher , Gary Cooper , Wynne Gibson & ' Buddy ' Rogers . The Detective : Maurice Chevalier . Under The Tree : Douglas Fairbanks Jr . & Loretta Young . At The Car : Richard Barthelmess . At The Gate : Charles Butterworth . Couples At Home : Bebe Daniels & Ben Lyon , Frank Fay & Barbara Stanwyck . In A Movie Scene : Jack Oakie & Fay Wray . In A Beard : Joe E . Brown ( unbilled ) . In The Projection Room : George ' Gabby ' Hayes & Little Billy Rhodes . Solving The Mystery : Mitzi Green . An interesting comparison with THE SLIPPERY PEARLS is MGM's THE Christmas PARTY , released the same year and with some of the same cast ( Norma Shearer , Polly Moran , Wallace Beery ) . In half the time and with much better production values , it presents a rapid succession of some of MGM's biggest stars playing themselves in a Christmas greeting to their fans .
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437,785 | 306,861 | 51,115 | 10 |
The Old Dame Exposed !
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A Walt Disney Cartoon . By learning the real stories behind some of her rhymes we are able to discover THE TRUTH ABOUT MOTHER GOOSE . Andrew Lang once described nursery rhymes as ' smooth stones from the brook of time , worn round by constant friction of tongues long silent . ' They can also , in some cases , be tiny intriguing glimpses into past history , as they often made satirical reference to real events . This excellent little film examines two Mother Goose rhymes , Little Jack Horner & Mary Mary Quite Contrary , and a favorite nursery song , London Bridge . This is a fine example of the medium of animation's ability to painlessly instruct . Celebrated children's author Bill Peet was the writer on this project . John Dehner narrates and the Page Cavanaugh Trio add their talents to the proceedings . 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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437,344 | 306,861 | 27,726 | 10 |
Some Sweet Romance
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With their HEARTS DIVIDED by international politics , can a pretty American girl and the brother of the great Napoleon ever find true happiness ? This good-natured romance film has been rather harshly criticized as being bad history , which it is , instead of being appreciated for its simple aim to provide some escapist amusement in the form of a lavish movie starring Marion Davies . In this it succeeds . William Randolph Hearst , Davies ' powerful lover , saw to that , and what Hearst wanted he generally got . Although the plot is exceedingly silly at times , the film is still a pleasant entertainment . At 39 , Davies was too old for the part ( and older than her costar by seven years ) , but Hearst liked seeing her in the crinoline & lace roles , and she had little control of the matter . However , as was her custom , Marion charms the viewer with her buoyant spirits , willingness to please and genuine acting skills . She's more than able to hold her own with a talented supporting cast and appears quite happy to be in the arms of young Dick Powell . For his part , Powell needs do little more than exude boyish charm and sing a few times to cover his acting requirements quite nicely . As Napoleon , the great Claude Rains steals every scene he's in by very quietly underplaying his acting and only hinting at the tremendous power his character wields . Fascinating to watch even under heavy makeup , Rains makes a quality contribution to the film . The movie's humor is largely handled by a trio of excellent character actors . Droll Arthur Treacher , suspicious Edward Everett Horton & grumpy Charles Ruggles play Marion's erstwhile suitors . Constantly trying to upstage each other , their dialogue provides plenty of chuckles . Even in minor casting the film excels . Dignified Henry Stephenson and sharp-tongued Clara Blandick play Marion's father and aunt . Walter Kingsford & diminutive Etienne Girardot play the French officials assigned to keep an eye on Mr . Powell . Halliwell Hobbes lends gravity to his small role as Napoleon's Second Consul . Beulah Bondi brightens her single scene as the Bonaparte boys ' kindhearted mother . And the magnificent Hall Johnson Choir appears to lift its voice in song for a few moments . Time has not dealt kindly with Marion Davies . Almost forgotten today , when remembered at all it is usually as a sort of footnote to history or object of scandal . Her life certainly was colorful , and as chatelaine of America's most amazing private estate she did circulate amidst powerful circles . But to remember her as the bimbo blonde mistress of the country's mightiest media baron is patently unfair . While much of the blame can go to Orson Welles ' spoof of Davies in CITIZEN KANE ( which he was to admit he regretted towards the end of his life ) it must be stated emphatically that Marion was not a no-talent actress with few friends & even fewer brains , whose career was destroyed by her stammer leaving her to spend lonely years in great , hulking empty castles . In reality , Davies was a bright , vivacious lady who charmed & captivated such diverse guests as George Bernard Shaw & Winston Churchill throughout her 33-year liaison with Hearst . Adored by her friends and a fierce cadre of fans , Davies was renowned for her tireless generosity and charitable good works . Her speech impediment never affected her screen acting and her undeniable talent was evident to any who were willing to assess her performances honesty and look past the scandal . Davies had to have been embarrassed by the Hearst empire's relentless pushing of her career . She knew this left her open to ridicule & mockery , doubtless contributing to her scarcely concealed alcoholism . But she eventually relinquished her film pursuits in order to care for the aging Hearst , and after his death in 1951 she showed herself to be an astute businesswoman during the remaining ten years of her life . It is only now , with the passage of much time & the restoration of her old movies , that it is becoming easier to acknowledge the contributions & cinematic expertise of Marion Davies . Jérôme Bonaparte ( 1784-1860 ) was only 16 when he entered the service of Napoleon as a member of the Consular Guard . After being wounded in a duel he transferred to the French Navy . Leaving his ship in the West Indies , he entered the United States , ( Jérôme was not involved in the sale of the Louisiana Purchase to America ) where he fell in love with Elizabeth Patterson of Baltimore , Maryland . They were married on Christmas Eve , 1803 . After returning to Europe with his wife in 1805 , it was discovered that Napoleon had annulled the marriage and forbade Elizabeth to enter any of his domains . This decision was absolutely determinate . Elizabeth was returned to America and Jérôme was married to Princess Catherine of Württemberg and subsequently proclaimed King of Westphalia in 1807 , which included a wide territory east of the Rhine in addition to the former province of Westphalia . He abdicated in 1813 when Napoleon's powers began to decline , but he continued to serve as a loyal officer fighting for his brother until the Battle of Waterloo brought total defeat in 1815 . Jérôme then retired into self-exile and did not return to France until 1847 , when he entered the service of his nephew Napoleon III , the son of his brother Louis . Jérôme would eventually serve as Governor of the Invalides , Marshal of France & President of the Senate .
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438,182 | 306,861 | 22,404 | 10 |
Domestic Drama Well Acted
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A SMART WOMAN uses duplicitous ingenuity to attempt to win back her adulterous husband . Mary Astor shines in this sophisticated - - and unfortunately obscure - - little soap opera , which rewards its viewers with an intelligent script and fine acting . Crisp , cool & calculatingly composed , Astor uses her intelligence to get exactly what she wants . Inviting her spouse's mistress to spend the weekend in their country mansion may not seem like the usual tack to follow , but for Astor it's all part of her game plan . Robert Ames plays Astor's erstwhile husband ; Ruth Weston is his outspoken sister . Noel Francis is the gold digger after his money & Gladys Gale is her ambitious mother . All four offer good support , but the best fun comes from John Halliday as an affable English knight agreeably in tune with Astor's schemes and snippy Edward Everett Horton as Ames ' brother-in-law . As usual , Horton effortlessly steals his every scene .
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437,000 | 306,861 | 39,623 | 10 |
A Harried Mouse Tale
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A Walt Disney MICKEY MOUSE Cartoon . With Minnie already miffed by MICKEY'S DELAYED DATE to meet her , the Mouse scurries to get dressed & downtown , with assistance from Pluto . This little film has an amusing story and the animators have given Mickey a certain insouciant air ( when decked out in top hat & tails ) that quite suits the world's most respected rodent . 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 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 will always pay off .
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437,891 | 306,861 | 215,160 | 10 |
Visiting England's Halls Of Learning
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An MGM TRAVELTALK Short Subject . Our quick tour of SCHOLASTIC ENGLAND begins at Cambridge , continues on to Oxford & concludes at Eton . At all three institutions we see majestic buildings and hear a little about their histories . We conclude with scenes of a student cricket match & punting on the Thames . This is one of a large series of succinct travelogues turned out by MGM , beginning in the 1930's . They featured Technicolor views of beautiful & unusual sights around the globe , as well as vivid , concise commentary . These films were produced & narrated by James A . FitzPatrick .
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437,869 | 306,861 | 33,634 | 10 |
Comedy With A Touch Of Class
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A FREE AND EASY father and son are dependent upon the largess of rich ladies to continue living comfortable lives . Running less than an hour , this bit of inconsequential fluff is dignified by its fine cast . Nigel Bruce and Robert Cummings ( using a British accent ) are the father and son constantly on the prowl for wealthy women . Cummings provides an honest , appealing performance , as was his wont , while Bruce's usual cuddly persona is not tarnished a bit by his somewhat rakish behavior . Lovely Ruth Hussey is the penniless girl upon which Cummings sets his affections ; fusty , fuming Reginald Owen is her lover who wants no rivals . Marvelous old Sir C . Aubrey Smith appears as a horse-loving Duke who can't keep a secret . Best of all , Dame Judith Anderson plays Sir Aubrey's daughter , a plain-faced woman with an immense amount of money who dotes on Cummings . Portraying a female experiencing unexpected joy and terrible disappointment , Dame Judith gives the kind of beautiful performance one doesn't expect to find in a rather negligible comedy . Having displayed her formidable talent the year before in Hitchcock's REBECCA , and even though possessed of one of the Century's most remarkable speaking voices , it became quickly obvious that Hollywood really wasn't big enough to showcase her properly . Her greatest triumphs would be on the stage . This is a remake of MGM's BUT THE FLESH IS WEAK ( 1932 ) , which also starred Sir C . Aubrey Smith , along with Robert Montgomery , as the father / son duo . MGM had previously used the title FREE AND EASY in 1930 for a comedy starring Montgomery and Buster Keaton .
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437,272 | 306,861 | 43,420 | 10 |
A Chilly Pup Tale
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A Walt Disney PLUTO Cartoon . Fred Stork , looking for a warm home for the rest of the freezing Winter , decides to appropriate Pluto's doghouse . In COLD STORAGE the Pup struggles to retain his possessions from an interloper , a basic plot used several times before by the Disney animators . However , the Stork proves to be a worthy adversary and the little film provides a quiet chuckle or two . 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 will always pay off .
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437,202 | 306,861 | 33,636 | 10 |
Why We Fought Then - Why We Fight Now
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Gathered FROM THE FOUR CORNERS , military men arrive in London , prepared to fight against Hitler & the Axis . Produced in the United Kingdom before Pearl Harbor , this excellent , intelligent little film explores the real reasons why men from around the world should unite to fight , not for Mother England , but for the basic love of freedom & liberty they all hold dear . . By examining these values , the film focuses in on the commonality shared by all members of the English-speaking nations , including America . Pvt . R . Gilbert , a law student from Auckland , New Zealand , Cpl . W . Atkinson , owner of a bicycle shop in Sydney , Australia and Pvt . J . Johnston , a farmer near Vancouver , Canada , all do a very fine job playing themselves . They are joined by an uncredited Leslie Howard , who acts as the soul of the film - questioning , illuminating , tying it all together . Howard co-authored the script for what would be one of his final film appearances before his untimely death in June of 1943 .
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437,721 | 306,861 | 157,738 | 10 |
Turf Trotters
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An MGM SPORTS PARADE Short Subject . The training of a young trotter is observed from the time he's a colt until he competes in his first Grand Circuit race . This interesting little film explains the basics of harness horse racing , with emphasis on the trotter . The difference between diagonal verses lateral striding is discussed and the various leg & body accouterments are shown . This was one of the first directing assignments for Jacques Tourneur , who would later make his mark with stylish horror films at RKO . Pete Smith supplies the quirky narration . 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 like 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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438,127 | 306,861 | 43,421 | 10 |
Drumsticks For Two
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A Walt Disney PLUTO Cartoon . All Pluto & Milton the cat can think about is the COLD TURKEY sitting unguarded in the refrigerator . Milton and Pluto make a fine partnership in this funny little film , rather like a silent movie comedy team . However , Milton only appeared in a tiny handful of Disney cartoons before disappearing from the screen . The spoof of old-time TV wrestling and food commercials is especially humorous . 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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437,318 | 306,861 | 37,462 | 10 |
One of the best films of World War II
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This is the story of an American woman who marries into a rich English family in the early part of the 20th Century . We become involved in her experiences during the World Wars and see how these conflicts affect her family . Produced while the Second World War was still being fought , this film was intended to be both a morale booster for American audiences and as a salute to our British allies . The film boasts a great cast , each perfect in their role . Irene Dunne is the American lady ; Alan Marshal the dashing knight she marries . Roddy McDowall & Peter Lawford portray their only son at different ages . Bumptious Frank Morgan is Dunne's irascible father ; Dame Gladys Cooper is Marshal's aristocratic mother . Dame May Witty is the sweet old nurse . Van Johnson is a young American friend headed for war . Norma Varden is the proprietress of a London boarding house . John Warburton , Jill Esmond & Brenda Forbes are various English relatives . Wonderful old Sir C . Aubrey Smith is an opinionated retired Major . In the unbilled cast , film mavens should be able to spot George Davis , Tom Drake , Ethel Griffies , Lumsden Hare , Doris Lloyd , June Lockhart , Arthur Shields , a young Dame Elizabeth Taylor & Ian Wolfe . More than a MRS . MINIVER wannabe , THE WHITE CLIFFS OF DOVER has a charm all its own .
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437,089 | 306,861 | 35,838 | 10 |
Goofy Goes South American
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A Walt Disney GOOFY Cartoon . Transported to the Argentine Pampas , our Texas cowboy becomes EL GAUCHO GOOFY as he learns the ways of the South American vaquero . In 1941 , with so many European markets cut off by the War , the United States Government felt it would be wise to strengthen the country's ties with the nations of Latin America - culturally as well as commercially . Among those invited to travel South on goodwill tours was Walt Disney . Walt was dealing with his own problems at home , including profit losses from his animated features and an acrimonious strike in the Studio . When the invitation arrived from the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs at the State Department , Walt agreed to go on condition that the Government would sponsor his making of a Latin American feature , using the trip to get background material . The artists who accompanied Walt received much inspiration for future animation and Walt himself took some valuable home movies which , incorporated with the animation , resulted in the short feature SALUDOS AMIGOS ( 1943 ) , of which EL GAUCHO GOOFY was an extract and eventual stand alone cartoon short . SALUDOS AMIGOS ( which also had a nice role for Donald Duck ) was quite popular with audiences and the GOOFY short was responsible for part of that success . The animation is very good , the comic situations are humorous and there is still a good deal of authentic information to be gleaned amidst the chuckles . 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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437,291 | 306,861 | 24,361 | 10 |
Livin ' In A Boardin ' School With The Little Rascals
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An OUR GANG Comedy ShortIt's just MUSH AND MILK for the Rascals to eat at the Bleak Hill Boarding School , which is run by a wicked old crone . Her elderly brother , Cap , loves the kids and has promised them a good life if ever his back pension arrives . Spanky , Stymie & the Gang wonder if that day will ever come . . . This is a very funny little film . Highlights include Stymie & Dickie trying to milk a cow , Spanky's recitation of Mary Had A Little Lamb & Butch's crooning ' Just Friends ' . That's Cap Leonard as Cap , Louise Emmons as his dreadful wife and - hilariously - James Finlayson as the banker . This was to be the last OUR GANG appearance by Dickie or Wheezer . Richard ' Dickie ' Moore had been with the Gang for two years and was featured in 7 of their films . He appeared in several other movies before leaving the business in the 1950's . He's now married to actress Jane Powell . Bobby ' Wheezer ' Hutchins had become a Rascal at the tender age of two , and now , at the ripe old age of eight , had starred in 59 shorts . He made no more films . In 1945 he died in a military plane crash - he was only 19 years old .
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437,536 | 306,861 | 19,993 | 10 |
We Speak ! We Sing ! And We Sometimes Act Badly !
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THE Hollywood REVUE OF 1929 allows some important Silent stars to exercise their vocal chords . Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer , Hollywood's mightiest film studio , bowed to the inevitability of sound with this cinematic variety show which highlighted performances from most of their top talent . ( Conspicuous by their absence are Garbo , Chaney & Novarro , each of whom would make their talkie debut elsewhere . ) Like all the other studios , it was vitally important for box-office reasons that MGM establish the viability of their top performers in the new medium , even though some of those appearing here would find their film careers swept away almost immediately . This should be looked on as a representative of its time . Much of the humor is now flat and a few of the performances sag badly , but it should be remembered that this is a cinematic collection of scared individuals , desperate to make good in the frightening new world of talk . Naturally , MGM's own in-house composers are heavily relied upon in the film , with the tunes of Nacio Herb Brown & Arthur Freed and Joe Goodwin & Gus Edwards much in evidence . Highlights include songs by Marie Dressler , a dance by Buster Keaton and Cliff Edwards ' " Singing in the Rain . "
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437,957 | 306,861 | 24,360 | 10 |
Superior Little Shocker
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A madman commits a series of MURDERS IN THE ZOO , hoping to punish his adulterous wife and her lovers . Sadly neglected , this dandy little thriller comes from a studio & director ( Paramount , Edward Sutherland ) more noted for their comedy films . It holds its own , however , and offers several visual shocks which should more than satisfy its audience . Especially noteworthy are the opening credits which humorously compares the human stars with various zoo beasts , and sweeps immediately into an initial scene of unusually fiendish ferocity . From this point on , the viewer is hooked . . . Lionel Atwill adds another portrait of evil to his gallery of grotesques , here playing a villain not only morally twisted but positively vile . The gentle , daffy humor of top-billed Charles Ruggles might seem out of place in other horror films , but here it is a welcome anodyne to Atwill's monstrosities . The rest of the cast - Randolph Scott , Gail Patrick , Kathleen Burke , Harry Beresford - do very well in roles that are really little more than supporting parts . Movie mavens will recognize an uncredited Jane Darwell as a society matron at the Zoo Supper .
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437,060 | 306,861 | 22,448 | 10 |
An Intelligent Tale Of Adventure
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THE SUN NEVER SETS on the British Empire , which now must confront the menace of a millionaire madman broadcasting vile invective from a secret radio station somewhere in Africa . Here is an adventure story which asks unusually serious questions about duty & devotion , both to one's family & to one's country . The moralizing & heart searching is never allowed to throw the film off target , however . It simply gives it some extra depth . Basil Rathbone & Douglas Fairbanks Jr are well cast as two brothers who must face tough inner stresses , while attempting to fulfill their duties for the Colonial Office in the British Gold Coast - given the task to stop the lying lunatic only adds to their tribulations . It is good to see Rathbone in a heroic role ; with his excellent voice & patrician profile he fills it quite nicely . As his younger sibling , Fairbanks displays conflicted motives for his behavior , but the plot helps him resolve the problems of where his duty lies . As Rathbone's wife , Barbara O'Neil has some good scenes as a diplomatic spouse who loathes Africa & longs for England . However Mary Forbes , as the boys ' mother , is largely wasted in a modest role that calls for little beyond looking noble . Wonderful old Sir C . Aubrey Smith is terrific as the family patriarch who is the epitome of duty ; here is an actor who never disappointed and seemed incapable of giving a bad performance . Special mention should also be made of Lionel Atwill , adding yet another portrait to his gallery of grotesques , this time as an entomologist traveling about the African bush in a luxurious land yacht , studying ants & spouting the most frightful nonsense about disrupting human society . Because of the sort of roles he performed it is too easy to forget what an excellent & entertaining actor Atwill was . Melville Cooper , as a loyal Gold Coast functionary , & Cecil Kellaway , as the head of the Colonial Office - both very enjoyable actors - help to flesh out important smaller roles . Movie mavens should recognize an uncredited Lionel Belmore , hilarious as a Selection Board member questioning Fairbanks about mad dogs . The film's biggest debit is the lack of an explanation as to how Atwill's broadcasts could possibly spread riot & ruination around the world . But this is a small quibble . . .
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437,094 | 306,861 | 33,626 | 10 |
The Legacy Of Bob Mitchell
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A Warner Bros . Short Subject . The Robert Mitchell Choir School of Hollywood , California , provides a solid education for talented boys from ages 8 to 14 , giving them the chance to perform and excel academically & musically . Nominated for an Academy Award , FORTY BOYS AND A SONG is an informative & highly entertaining little film which spotlights a premiere American musical institution from years past . We watch the young fellows in the classroom , at play and at church . Always , music is being taught , performed & enjoyed and we get to hear the boys ' renditions of " Home On the Range , " " My Bonnie Lies Over The Ocean " & " Shortenin ' Bread . " Born October 12 , 1912 , Bob Mitchell showed an acute aptitude & appreciation of music at a very early age . In 1924 , when still only 12 , Bob started playing organ accompaniment to silent films , beginning a passion for silent cinema music that would last a lifetime . In the 1930's he started his Boys Choir , which gained much success ; the Mitchell Singing Boys would appear in scores of films , most notably GOING MY WAY ( 1944 ) with Bing Crosby . On his 90th birthday in 2002 , Bob Mitchell was still keeping very busy playing the organ for church and weddings , personal appearances and silent films - delighting new audiences with his gift of music . 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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437,320 | 306,861 | 18,051 | 10 |
One Of The All-Time Classics
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All silent movie buffs know about Chaplin's THE GOLD RUSH and Keaton's THE GENERAL . Strangely , THE KID BROTHER has been almost forgotten , which is a shame , as it is Harold Lloyd's masterpiece . Better known for the " human fly " sequence in SAFETY LAST , it is in THE KID BROTHER that Harold reaches the top level of silent comedy stardom , alongside Chaplin & Keaton . The story is a Western , set mostly on the ranch where Harold lives with his burly sheriff father and two older brothers . There's a dumb bully down the road , a very pretty young lady , a traveling medicine show and a nasty , bald bad guy . I don't want to give away any of the plot , but suffice it to say that Harold gets to showcase his famous athletic agility and there is a very complex & satisfying final showdown with Mr . Bad Guy at the climax . For pure romanticism , however , there are few scenes in any silent film that can beat the one where Harold climbs a tree , ever higher , for one more glimpse of the very pretty young lady . It's about as sweet as they come . . .
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438,263 | 306,861 | 30,162 | 10 |
Enjoyable Movieland Murder Mystery
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A studio stooge & the publicity girl who loves him become FUGITIVES FOR A NIGHT after he's accused of murdering an unpopular movie producer . One of the most interesting aspects of this minor mystery is the decidedly negative view it takes of the film business . Filmed at RKO ( here called Apollo Studios ) , Dalton Trumbo's screenplay portrays the entire organization to be populated by thoroughly unpleasant people . This probably explains the absence of cameo appearances by any big stars . The behind-the-scenes glimpses at the studio are very interesting , but the real reason to enjoy the film now is the energetic performance of Frank Albertson , as the resourceful , fast-talking stooge . Here is an actor who showed all the talent & charm early in the 1930's to have taken him straight to major stardom , but the breaks didn't fall his way . He continued working into the 1960's top-billing in B films or giving hardy support in secondary roles . He is best remembered as Jimmy Stewart's rich buddy Sam Wainwright in IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE ( 1946 ) . The rest of the cast also does well with their roles : Eleanor Lynn as the perky publicity gal ; Allan Lane & Adrienne Ames as conceited stars ; Bradley Page as an older actor on the way down ; Russell Hicks as the unfortunate producer ; Paul Guilfoyle as an obnoxious gossip ; and Jonathan Hale as the police captain . Movie mavens will recognize Ward Bond as a drunken gambler & Johnny Arthur as a suspicious service station owner .
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437,853 | 306,861 | 25,829 | 10 |
Shirley Temple - A Star Is Born
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With the country in the throes of the Great Depression , the President calls upon a celebrated Broadway impresario to become the first Secretary of Amusement , in the hopes that Americans can beat hard times by learning to smile , laugh , and , eventually , STAND UP AND CHEER ! It is always vital when examining old films to try to be sensitive to their context within their own time frames . Important movies of 70 years ago may look terribly trite now through absolutely no fault of their own . Judging by today's standards can often lead to pitfalls . That having been stated , however , it is difficult to appreciate this film without seeing it for what it is : undeniably silly . And racist . And even a bit bizarre at times . But it contains one great jewel . . . Earnest Warner Baxter & lovely Madge Evans certainly give the plot a try , but the script is dead set against them all the way , making him encourage hillbilly singers as the remedy for the nation's economic woes and having her mope about lovelorn & lonely . As Aunt Jemima , blackfaced singer Tess Gardella ( very popular at the time on Broadway's Show Boat ) and especially Stepin Fetchit are embarrassingly stereotyped . It should be noted , however , that this sort of racial belittlement was not unusual in the Hollywood of the 1930's . The physical , knockdown humor of Frank Mitchell & Jack Durant , playing a couple of zany U . S . Senators , is very odd & no longer funny . Odder still is the penguin that thinks he's Jimmy Durante . Familiar faces show up from time to time - Nigel Bruce , Ralph Morgan , little Our Gang kid Scotty Beckett , warbling John Boles - but they are quickly submerged by the plot . In the midst of all this clutter of mismatched parts , when all might be given up for lost , comes five-year-old Shirley Temple and she is an utter joy . Shirley had already appeared in a series of features & shorts . But it was here , singing & dancing - and completely obliterating poor James Dunn who played her father - that the situation was ripe for her to march straight into the nation's heart . In 1935 Shirley would begin to star in her string of classic family films , and , with the death of Marie Dressler in July of 1934 , the mighty moppet was to begin her reign as Hollywood's number one box office attraction . So , with the arrival of Shirley Temple , we do indeed have much for which to STAND UP AND CHEER !
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437,185 | 306,861 | 25,828 | 10 |
Danger & Duplicity By The Dardanelles
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During World War One a notorious German spy , on a STAMBOUL QUEST for naval secrets , finds herself falling in love with a most persistent young American . This enjoyable espionage thriller features plenty of romance and a convoluted plot which will not reward viewers who nap . The story is a mite ludicrous and obviously owes much to the real-life exploits of Mata Hari , who is mentioned but never seen ( footage of her character was deleted ) . The climax seems forced and contrived , as if the Studio was hurrying towards the expected happy ending , but it should please most of the audience irregardless . Myrna Loy plays the beautiful spy who finds her heart overruling her head during a most critical assignment . She engages in no great exhibition of acting skill , but her classically cool demeanor is so sophisticated & glamorous that she is a constant joy to watch . George Brent , over from Warner Bros . , has fun as the exuberant medical student who dogs Loy's footsteps until she can't help but succumb to his charms . Together , they make a pair of playful lovers . Lionel Atwill , an extremely fine actor who's not given the recognition he's due , integrates his usually sinister demeanor with flashes of humor in his role as Germany's spy master . C . Henry Gordon portrays a wily Turkish commander , while the ever versatile Mischa Auer takes on the role of his aide-de-camp . Movie mavens will recognize Leo G . Carroll as a double agent and Christian Rub as a dentist extracting more than bad teeth , both uncredited . The Dardanelles , which is spoken of throughout the film , is the strategic strait connecting the Aegean Sea with the Sea of Marmara , the body of water which separates European from Asiatic Turkey . It should not be confused with the Bosporus , which is further to the East and is the strait which connects the Sea of Marmara with the Black Sea . The famous siege of Gallipoli , in 1915-16 , was Britain's unsuccessful attempt to wrest control of the Dardanelles from the Turkish Empire . The ancient Greek name for the Dardanelles was the Hellespont .
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437,595 | 306,861 | 19,999 | 10 |
Digging Ditches With Mr . Laurel & Mr . Hardy
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A LAUREL & HARDY Comedy Short . Stan & Ollie have finally gotten themselves thrown into THE HOOSE-GOW . Having failed miserably in an escape attempt , they find themselves assigned to a road gang - digging ditches . Creating havoc all around them , the Boys even manage to assault the visiting State Governor , eventually involving prisoners , guards & VIP's in a frantic free-for-all with handfuls of boiled rice . This early talkie is rather unpolished in construction , but Stan & Ollie are always fun to watch . Slapstick humor abounds , especially in the finale . James Finlayson plays the Governor .
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437,819 | 306,861 | 24,353 | 10 |
Hypnotic Hepburn
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Will a young actress manage to become a lasting stage star or is she destined to be but a MORNING GLORY which will fade with the rising sun ? A youthful Kate Hepburn is mesmerizing in one of her first starring roles at RKO . She plays an aspiring and highly idealistic actress from Franklin , Vermont who will suffer anything , in all innocence , to reach her goal of celebrity in the New York theatre . Hepburn instantly grabs the viewer's attention and sympathy , as she gabbles earnestly about the letter from Bernard Shaw she keeps under her pillow or her resolve to commit suicide on stage at the height of her fame . The viewer understands that she is one of Nature's fragile flowers and needs protection from life's cruelties . At the end of the film , in what should be her moment of triumph , we are left uneasily troubled over what will happen to her next . Able support is given by a trio of fine male co-stars . Douglas Fairbanks Jr is the successful playwright who slowly comes to develop deep feelings for Hepburn . Adolphe Menjou plays the powerful and slightly caddish theatrical manager who takes advantage of Kate at a very vulnerable moment . Best of all , marvelous old Sir C . Aubrey Smith plays Kate's first New York friend , a gentlemanly English actor , reduced to performing small roles , who is bemused by Hepburn's zeal . Mary Duncan scores as a selfish , manipulative stage star . Tyler Brooke , as an alcoholic author , and Richard Carle , as an important newspaper critic , have a couple of good scenes , especially when they get Kate drunk at Menjou's fancy party , thereby loosening her inhibitions and giving her the courage to very ably enact some lines by Hamlet & Juliet . Early on , when Ms . Duncan compares Menjou & Fairbanks to ' Wheeler & Woolsey ' she was referring to RKO's comedy team of Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey . Although from 1929 to 1937 they starred in a series of 22 often hilarious movies they are now , sadly , almost forgotten .
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438,030 | 306,861 | 41,266 | 10 |
A Duck Tale Of Bygone Days
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A Walt Disney DONALD DUCK Cartoon . Donald is certainly CRAZY OVER DAISY , but Chip ' n ' Dale may drive him loony if they don't stop pestering him . The opening sequence of this film , with Donald pedaling about town on his ordinary while whistling the catchy title tune , has an amiable Gay Nineties ambiance ( look fast for cameos from Goofy as an iceman and Mickey & Minnie in an ancient jalopy ) . Once the little rodents arrive on the scene , however , it becomes just another Chipmunk cartoon . Clarence " Ducky " Nash provides 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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437,966 | 306,861 | 12,570 | 10 |
Mr . Keaton Brings Down The House
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A BUSTER KEATON Silent Short . You can expect a lively night when the Buster Keaton Minstrels entertain at THE PLAYHOUSE . This hilarious little film is a tour de force for Keaton , who is often devastatingly funny . The amount of obvious effort that went in to making the special effects work is also impressive . Highlights : the opening minutes , with Buster playing absolutely everyone in the theater , from an old lady to a little boy , and , a little further on , Buster's peerless impersonation of a chimpanzee . Born into a family of Vaudevillian acrobats , Buster Keaton ( 1895-1966 ) mastered physical comedy at a very early age . An association with Fatty Arbuckle led to a series of highly imaginative short subjects and classic , silent feature-length films - all from 1920 to 1928 . Writer , director , star & stuntman - Buster could do it all and his intuitive genius gave him almost miraculous knowledge as to the intricacies of film making and of what it took to please an audience . More akin to Fairbanks than Chaplin , Buster's films were full of splendid adventure , exciting derring-do and the most dangerous physical stunts imaginable . His theme of a little man against the world , who triumphs through bravery & ingenuity , dominates his films . Through every calamity & disaster , Buster remained the Great Stone Face , a stoic survivor in a universe gone mad . In the late 1920's Buster was betrayed by his manager / brother-in-law and his contract was sold to MGM , which proceeded to nearly destroy his career . Teamed initially with Jimmy Durante and eventually allowed small roles in mediocre comedies , Buster was for 35 years consistently given work far beneath his talent . Finally , before lung cancer took him at age 70 , he had the satisfaction of knowing that his classic films were being rediscovered . Now , well past his centenary , Buster Keaton is routinely recognized & appreciated as one of cinema's true authentic geniuses . And he knew how to make people laugh . . .
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437,694 | 306,861 | 217,569 | 10 |
Along Germany's Romantic River
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An MGM TRAVELTALK Short Subject . We begin our cinematic tour IN THE VALLEY OF THE RHINE with a stop in Cologne for a look at the mighty Cathedral . Then it is on to Bonn , where we are shown the birthplace of Beethoven . In Koblenz we are taken to a lively wine garden to watch the dancing & hear the orchestra . Finally , we arrive at the most famous & romantic stretch of the river - where the steep hills crowd in close to the water . We pass quaint villages & see the beautiful vineyards which extend right up the steep slopes . After seeing several castles , we end our short tour near the rock of the Lorelei , where Teutonic legend & the music of Richard Wagner hold sway . This is one of a large series of succinct travelogues turned out by MGM , beginning in the 1930's . They featured Technicolor views of beautiful & unusual sights around the globe , as well as vivid , concise commentary . These films were produced & narrated by James A . FitzPatrick .
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438,044 | 306,861 | 236,708 | 10 |
A Little Christmas Charmer
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On Christmas Eve , SANTA CLAUS beguiles two children with stories of what his life is like the rest of the year . This is a delightfully charming little film , an adroit mixture of nature photography & fantasy . With scenes actually filmed in Northern Alaska , we get to see St . Nick visiting his Eskimo neighbors & surveying his vast reindeer herd . Segments in the Workshop with the Elves are also well done and we finally get the lowdown on how Santa knows who's being naughty or nice . A lot of thought & finances went into creating this Holiday gem . Al Kryszak provided the score for the video compilation A Christmas Past , in which this film appears .
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438,180 | 306,861 | 24,359 | 10 |
Ruggles & Merkel Spark Mystery Thriller
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An amateur crime ? deflector ' finds his skills put to the test aboard a transcontinental train when there's MURDER IN THE PRIVATE CAR . All of the much-loved elements of the Old Dark House spook films can be found in this regrettably obscure little thriller - - damsels in distress , mysterious legacies , strange disappearances , hairy clutching hands , sudden death , terrible menace ( and , for a few delicious moments , a rampaging gorilla ) - - except here it all takes place in the fancy carriage car of a swiftly moving train . The plot moves just as quickly , catapulting the viewer along , with the climax especially fast & furious . The delightfully quixotic humor of comic actor Charles Ruggles is highlighted as his offbeat character relentlessly pursues the solution of the mystery . His bemused encounter with the denizens of a smashed circus train - - camel , kangaroo and MGM's Leo the Lion - - is especially funny . The teaming of Ruggles with pert & perky Una Merkel is inspired . Her sarcastic wisecracks , uttered in that wonderful Southern drawl , are the perfect counterpoint to Ruggles ' wry utterances . The rest of the cast offers good support : Mary Carlisle as a terribly endangered rich girl ; Russell Hardie as her stalwart boyfriend ; Berton Churchill as a slightly stuffy millionaire who's about to face enormous peril ; Porter Hall as a protective lawyer ; and Fred ? Snowflake ' Toones as a terrified train porter . Movie mavens will recognize Sterling Holloway as a gossipy office boy and Walter Brennan as a train yard switchman , both uncredited .
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437,025 | 306,861 | 32,071 | 10 |
The Last Of Disney's Very Special Series
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A Walt Disney SILLY SYMPHONY Cartoon Short . A gawky UGLY DUCKLING , only moments after birth , is hectored & harried from the family of ducks he was born into . Will he ever find happiness & learn his true destiny ? This is a pleasant cartoon , with the plucky personality of the protagonist firmly front & center ; the by-play between the duck parents is also amusing . Based on the Hans Christian Andersen classic , it is a remake of a 1931 black & white Symphony . The SILLY SYMPHONIES ended with this film , but they went out with a bang - like 6 of its predecessors , THE UGLY DUCKLING was awarded an Oscar for Best Animation . The SILLY SYMPHONIES , which Walt Disney produced for a ten year period beginning in 1929 , are among the most fascinating of all animated series . 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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437,262 | 306,861 | 24,380 | 10 |
Disney Animates Mr . Claus , Part Two
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' Twas THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS , and Santa arrives at a home with nine little children . Quickly he sets up a Christmas tree and takes a few moments to enjoy the toys ' tiny celebration upon the placing of the star . But now the noise has awakened the children . . . This follow-up to SANTA'S WORKSHOP ( 1932 ) is a very enjoyable cartoon . As in its predecessor , the March of the Toys is both colorful & fun to watch - although the playthings coming out of the bag are completely different from those we previously saw marching into it . ( Notice the Mickey Mouse toy which Disney cannily included . ) Query : do bad little kiddies live in all the many houses which Santa flies past & ignores ? The SILLY SYMPHONIES , which Walt Disney produced for a ten year period beginning in 1929 , are among the most fascinating of all animated series . 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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438,334 | 306,861 | 30,150 | 10 |
Lively & Complicated
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It will take FOUR MEN AND A PRAYER to save an old colonel's reputation from disgrace . Although its complicated plot is faintly ludicrous , this John Ford film offers plenty of action and some good acting to keep its viewers entertained . The production value is of a high order and there's a generous amount of heroics , which almost makes one forget that there's no really despicable villain to hiss . Barrister George Sanders , diplomat Richard Greene , military pilot David Niven , and Oxford student William Henry are the English brothers who unite to find their father's murderer and clear his good name . All do a fine job with what the script gives them , constantly dashing about and acting terribly energetic , with young Henry more than keeping up with his three better known costars . Greene actually has top billing , but Niven gets the best lines , getting to leaven a good deal of humor into his performance . Lovely Loretta Young does not fare so well . She's given the ridiculous role of a silly rich girl in love with Greene who follows him first from America to England , then on to Argentina and Egypt . Even witnessing a hideous massacre doesn't entirely sober her , as she begins to behave like a junior league Mata Hari to uncover information for the preternaturally patient Greene . One usually expects more than this from John Ford's heroines . The rest of the large cast offers able support , however . Wonderful old Sir C . Aubrey Smith graces his brief role as the men's tragic father . Stalwart Reginald Denny plays a captain with too much information for his own good . Affable Alan Hale has fun with his role as a millionaire arms dealer . J . Edward Bromberg is a squalid little South American general and , in a tiny role , John Carradine plays his suave & dangerous enemy . Blustery Berton Churchill plays the powerful tycoon father of Miss Young's character , while bantam Barry Fitzgerald steals his few moments of screen time as a boisterous little Irishman ready for a good fight .
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437,626 | 306,861 | 37,500 | 10 |
With Gun Through Darkest Africa
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A Walt Disney GOOFY Cartoon . Goofy's AFRICAN DIARY tells of his misadventures with some of the continent's most dangerous game . This humorous little film provides several chuckles as Goofy tries to act like a Great White Hunter . The depiction of the safari as tiny dots racing over a landscaped map of Africa is especially amusing , as is the sophisticated narration which is completely at variance with the on-screen action . The story was written by Bill Peet , later to become a celebrated children's author . 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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438,151 | 306,861 | 30,152 | 10 |
Tallyho !
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A Walt Disney DONALD DUCK & GOOFY Cartoon . Hunter Goofy and Master of the Hounds Donald are determined to turn THE FOX HUNT into a splendid day of sport - whether the fox likes it or not . This very funny little film from Disney's Golden Age is filled with excellent animation and great good humor . Notice Donald's use of bloodhounds , rather than the more traditional foxhounds . The other hunters , making only the tiniest of appearances , are Mickey & Minnie Mouse , Horace Horsecollar & Clara Cluck . Once again , Clarence Nash gives a superb performance as the voice of the irascible Duck . 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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436,989 | 306,861 | 24,368 | 10 |
Colorful Horror Film
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London after dark . A gallery of life-like wax figures . An argument , a fight & a fire . A man left to die in the flames . And as they melt , the figures seem to weep at their own destruction . So starts MYSTERY OF THE WAX MUSEUM , credited as the first horror film with a modern urban setting - New York City . Glenda Farrell is the brash , blonde reporter trying to help her pal Fay Wray discover the secrets of a new wax museum just about to open , and those of its director Lionel Atwill , who is confined to a wheelchair due to a past accident . Murder & mayhem & wax-covered flesh will all figure into the plot before the mystery is solved . This was one of Atwill's best roles , playing an artist driven to dementia by the destruction of the only things he ever really loved . His is a very special , nuanced performance . Like DOCTOR X the year before , MYSTERY OF THE WAX MUSEUM benefits from wonderful Anton Grot sets ( especially the wax bath ) and from having been filmed in early two-strip Technicolor , which makes all the ghastly figures seem to come alive . . .
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437,092 | 306,861 | 19,968 | 10 |
Mickey's Frightful Adventure
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A Walt Disney MICKEY MOUSE Cartoon . Mickey takes refuge one night in a spooky HAUNTED HOUSE and soon finds himself captured by the skeletons that live there . This little black & white film has some genuinely creepy moments , especially when Mickey first enters the house . The second half of the cartoon bears a striking resemblance to the first Silly Symphony , THE SKELETON DANCE , both released in August of 1929 . Walt Disney , who was probably strongly influenced by silent horror films , also contributed Mickey's quavering 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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437,532 | 306,861 | 32,080 | 10 |
Westward With Mr . DeMille & The Railroad
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Moving across the American wilderness , east to west , the mighty UNION PACIFIC Railroad stretches to meet its rival - the Central Pacific - taming a continent with steel rails . Overcoming Nature's disasters , hostile natives & corrupt politicians , the engines bring with them the people whose hopes are inextricably tied into the railroad's success or failure . In 1939 , Hollywood's Golden Year , kingpin director Cecil B . DeMille presented his biggest , flashiest film yet . It was to be nothing less than the story of how the American West was conquered by the great railroads & her indomitable builders . To realize DeMille's vision on the screen , Paramount allocated hundreds of extras & large coffers of money to the project . Authentic rolling stock was acquired . The president of the contemporary Union Pacific enthusiastically sent his finest track layers to work in the film . The movie would boost train wrecks ( two of ? em ) , Indian attacks , assorted villainies & a compelling love triangle . DeMille demanded scrupulous attention to detail and his crowd scenes are very well conceived & produced . His early reels tend to be a bit preachy in touting the virtues of the railroad , but action scenes quickly follow which amply compensate for this . DeMille's subject matter & obvious patriotism help him to avoid the lapses of taste & vulgarities in which he tended to stray in many of his other film forays . Even with a fake Irish brogue , Barbara Stanwyck charms in her role as a railroad postmistress & engineer's daughter . Feisty & volatile , always great fun to watch , it's easy to see why she's loved by both Joel McCrea ( the hero ) & Robert Preston ( the antihero ) . Both gentlemen give good rousing performances in roles that might have strayed into the stereotypical , but never do . Brian Donlevy , as the villain , gives another vivid portrait in what is rather a small role , but very much like the one he would play that same year in DESTRY RIDES AGAIN . Akim Tamiroff & Lynne Overman are especially enjoyable as McCrea's scruffy , rather repulsive security enforcers ; with whip & guns , these are two hombres you wouldn't want to tangle with . Robert Barrat as a murdering bully & Regis Toomey as a sweet-natured Irish worker , give impressive cameos . Anthony Quinn appears for a couple of scenes as a gambler who unwisely pulls a gun on McCrea , and lovely Evelyn Keyes has a scant few screen moments as a telegrapher's wife . Sharp-eyed movie mavens may ( or may not ) be able to spot among the uncredited players Monte Blue , Ward Bond , Iron Eyes Cody , Will Geer , Noble Johnson , Elmo Lincoln & Mala playing various Indians , gamblers or railwaymen . It would be most intriguing to run UNION PACIFIC in a double bill with John Ford's 1924 epic THE IRON HORSE , which tells the same historical story , but with a different artistic tack & fictional characters .
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437,384 | 306,861 | 204,200 | 10 |
A Visit To The Windy City
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An MGM TRAVELTALK Short Subject . Our whirlwind trip into CHICAGO , THE BEAUTIFUL will take us along State Street & Lake Shore Drive . We'll travel the Chicago River & see vast Lake Michigan . The Wrigley Building , the Palmer House and the grand Merchandise Mart are just a few of the mighty edifices we pass on our way , before looking at some survivors from the Great Fire of 1871 . This is one of a large series of succinct travelogues turned out by MGM , beginning in the 1930's . They featured Technicolor views of beautiful & unusual sights around the globe , as well as vivid , concise commentary . These films were produced & narrated by James A . FitzPatrick .
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437,142 | 306,861 | 362,923 | 10 |
Down Mexico Way
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A WARNER BROTHERS VITAPHONE Short Subject . A Minnesota Swede finds himself in big trouble in Mexico when he is forced to capture a notorious bandito . Dialect comedian El Brendel , who enlivened several films in the 1930's , finds a good outlet for his talent in OKAY , JOSÉ . The very silly plot - which includes Mexican music & dancing - allows him to give hilarious impersonations of a mustachioed outlaw and a flirtatious blonde señorita . The eye-pleasing Technicolor photography is still vivid and bright . 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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437,962 | 306,861 | 134,744 | 10 |
Effective World War Two Short Subject
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An MGM Short Subject . In a phone conversation with Hitler five months after Pearl Harbor , a delighted Devil describes how INFLATION can win the War for the Axis as easily as bullets & bombs . This is an imaginative little film which effectively alerted the American public to the 5 ways in which inflation could be unleashed on the economy : ? ? ? ? ? Impulse or overbuying ? ? ? ? ? Buying on the Black Market ? ? ? ? ? Hoarding food & supplies ? ? ? ? ? Breaking the price ceilings ? ? ? ? ? Cashing in War BondsEdward Arnold is at his most sardonic as The Devil ; playing his role as if Lucifer were a corrupt businessman , Arnold gets to ham it up most deliciously . In her first film role , Esther Williams plays a typical young housewife who learns about the evils of inflation from an FDR radio broadcast . After Pearl Harbor , Hollywood went to war totally against the Axis . Not only did many of the stars join up or do home front service , but the output of the Studios was largely turned to the war effort . The newsreels , of course , brought the latest war news into the neighbor theater every week . The features showcased battle stories or war related themes . Even the short subjects & cartoons were used as a quick means of spreading Allied propaganda , the boosting of morale or information dissemination . Together , Uncle Sam , the American People & Hollywood proved to be an unbeatable combination .
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437,691 | 306,861 | 20,210 | 10 |
William Haines Aims To Tease In His Debut Talkie Feature
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A silly , irresponsible sailor gives his new girlfriend a bad case of the NAVY BLUES when he loves her & leaves her , instead of offering marriage . Carrying on the Silly Billy antics he perfected in silent pictures , William Haines made his talkie feature debut in this piece of cinematic fluff , released 5 days before Christmas , 1929 . He would play variations of this character throughout the rest of his screen career . Just as important , in NAVY BLUES he showed himself well capable of being a talkie star . Although he acts like a complete cad , he does so with a certain amount of boyish charm , and that's what made money for the studios . And the very next year , 1930 , Haines would be Hollywood's male box office champ . The plot doesn't stand up to much scrutiny . Haines ' wild & flamboyant behavior , quite frankly , would make him a good candidate for a ' don't ask - don't tell ' policy , and a frequent inhabitant of the brig . His eventual rehabilitation seems suspiciously superficial . Anita Page , as his disappointed sweetheart , seems a bit too easily pushed into prostitution . Karl Dane , as a hulking Swede seaman , is given little to do except act exceedingly simple-minded . Still , in the final accounting this is William Haines ' film , and although his character is slightly repellent , Haines is never less than amusing .
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438,302 | 306,861 | 20,223 | 10 |
Forgotten Biblical Epic
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A young American living in France suffers severe emotional trauma after joining the Army during the First World War . Eventually he gains enormous comfort after listening to a saintly old Minister relate the story of NOAH'S ARK & The Great Deluge , showing that the evils of the present day will also be washed away . This movie epic is a wonderful viewing experience , with plenty of romance & excitement . Warner Brothers lavished a great deal of money on the film - and it shows . Produced right at the very cusp of the talkie era , this is a mostly silent film with some talkie sequences - which makes it quite fascinating from a technological point of view . While perhaps it would be easy to laugh at the somewhat gauche vocal efforts of some of the cast , this would be to miss the point . Talking pictures were brand new & the entire society of movie actors were scrambling to learn how to perform in the perplexing new medium . NOAH'S ARK shows the best efforts of these particular actors at that time . Actually , Noah Beery , as the villain , uses his dramatic deep voice to good effect . It was a favorite convention in lavish film epics of the 1920's to tell two concurrent stories : one modern & moralistic , the other from some far distant - and decadent - past . ( DeMille tried this format more than once . ) This gave the filmmaker the opportunity to both preach & serve-up generous quantities of sin . It also gave the actors , as here , the chance to play dual roles - each used as a counterpoint to the other . Rugged George O'Brien & sweet Dolores Costello do fine work as the romantic leads in both stories . Guinn Williams is a stalwart support to O'Brien . Noah Beery is detestable as the wicked villain , and Paul McAllister is memorable as the Minister / Noah . Young Myrna Loy has a small part as a dancer . Scriptural purity is not entirely adhered to in the Noah scenes ; elements from the stories of Moses & Samson are interpolated and far more attention is given to the evil outside the Ark than what went on inside it . The thrilling Deluge scenes are truly epic , however , and were just as dangerous to the extras as they appear .
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437,486 | 306,861 | 22,356 | 10 |
Forgotten Civil War Film
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Two brothers , both members of the Union's SECRET SERVICE , make their way behind Confederate lines to assist in the capture of Richmond . Based on a play by the celebrated American stage actor William Gillette , this nearly forgotten Civil War film offers an interesting espionage plot and three actors worth watching . Sturdy leading man Richard Dix provides a fine performance as a conflicted hero who would probably have gotten shot by both sides if captured . Even when the dialogue given him was substandard , Dix could always be counted on to instill some life into his character . Gavin Gordon plays the Virginia official , consumed with jealousy , who engages Dix in a deadly war of wits . Wonderful Clarence Muse brings real heart to his portrayal of a friendly slave whose good nature gets him into terrible trouble . The film has definite drawbacks . The romance Dix has with a Southern belle ( Shirley Grey ) is neither convincing nor compelling . The spy plot , dealing greatly with multiple coded telegraph messages , is rather difficult to follow . And the film fairly cries out for a background score to push the action along ( Max Steiner , later one of the big names in cinematic music , provides the scant score ) .
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437,965 | 306,861 | 33,727 | 10 |
Buggy Adventure A Pleasant Diversion
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When HOPPITY GOES TO TOWN he discovers nothing but bad news for his little insect neighbors in the Lowlands . Can this honest , good-natured grasshopper save his sweetheart , Miss Honey Bee , from the machinations of the evil C . Bagley Beetle - and also lead his friends to a safe new home - before it's too late ? While not one of the great animated features ( a very new art at the time this film was created ) HOPPITY is an enjoyable film which should bring pleasure to uncritical viewers . Technically it is well made , with animation of a generally high quality . The movie's main drawback is that none of the characters really have any ' heart ' - they don't come ' alive ' on the screen in the way Jiminy Cricket did a year earlier in PINOCCHIO . However , it is ultimately unfair to compare the Fleischer Studio output with that of Disney . Max & Dave Fleischer had their own star to follow ; their contribution - and it would be a considerable one - would be in the realm of the one-reel cartoon . With their POPEYE and BETTY BOOP series they created alternate realities as viable as any produced by other cartoon studios . HOPPITY was their second experiment with feature length animation ( after GULLIVER'S TRAVELS in 1939 ) , and henceforth they would expend their energies again on the cartoon short subject . In fact , the first in the highly acclaimed SUPERMAN series was already in release . HOPPITY'S story owes a great deal to Frank Capra , with it's energetic , go get ? em hero up against powerful societal forces . Indeed , the film's original title was MR . BUG GOES TO TOWN , which immediately puts one in mind of Gary Cooper or Jimmy Stewart and their Capraesque adventures . Jack Mercer , famous as the voice of Popeye , here speaks for two very different characters , old Mr . Bumble & Swat the Fly . Movie mavens should be able to catch veteran voice actors Pinto Colvig & Mae Questel , both in uncredited roles . The film has some pleasant songs supplied by Hoagy Carmichael & Frank Loesser , of which ' Be My Little Baby Bumble Bee ' is the most familiar . ' We're The Couple In The Castle ' is a fine romantic tune which deserves to be rediscovered . It is unfortunate that the film's initial animation , with its sweep out of the heavens and past the in-depth New York skyline , is obscured behind the opening credits .
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437,274 | 306,861 | 41,432 | 10 |
A Bug's Tale
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A Walt Disney DONALD DUCK Cartoon . Elderly Bootle Beetle recalls the time in his youth when he rashly ventured into THE GREENER YARD belonging to Donald Duck . This humorous little film marked the third and final appearance of the Bootle Beetle in a Disney cartoon , following BOOTLE BEETLE ( 1947 ) and SEA SALTS ( 1949 ) . Although cute & appealing , the wee bug never caught on with the public . Clarence Nash provides Donald with his unique voice , while Dink Trout does the honors for the Beetle . 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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437,005 | 306,861 | 167,760 | 10 |
Disney's Patriotic Message To Canadians
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A Walt Disney Commercial Cartoon . Parading in front of Ottawa's Parliament Building , a collection of Disney characters show they are ALL TOGETHER for buying War Savings Certificates to help win the war against the Axis . Commissioned by The National Film Board of Canada , this very short little film pulled no punches in its direct message to viewers to support their country's war effort by putting their finances into the fight . For the record , in the parade by order of appearance are : Pinocchio , Geppetto , Figaro , Donald Duck , Huey , Dewey , Louie & Pluto . On a vehicle rides Mickey Mouse , conducting his BAND CONCERT ( 1935 ) buddies - including Clarabelle Cow , Horace Horsecollar & Goofy - in Bagley's National Emblem March . Bringing up the rear are the Seven Dwarves : Doc , Grumpy , Happy , Sleepy , Bashful , Sneezy & Dopey . Of them all , only Donald speaks and his voice is provided by Clarence ' Ducky ' Nash . 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 will always pay off .
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437,650 | 306,861 | 29,992 | 10 |
A Triumph For Reginald Owen
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The wretched life of a disagreeable old man is forever altered one haunted Christmas Eve . . . Charles Dickens ' wonderful Yuletide story , A CHRISTMAS CAROL , is given the full MGM deluxe treatment in this superior Holiday film . The production values & acting are both excellent , with just enough sentiment to appeal to the tenderhearted , and with liberal doses of horror & hilarity stirred into the mix , until , like a fine Christmas punch , the result appeals to all . The film's rather short running time keeps the action moving along briskly , with one famous & beloved episode after another coming alive before the viewer's eyes . Reginald Owen , in his best film role , is perfect as the grasping , clutching , tightfisted , covetous old sinner , Ebenezer Scrooge . Replacing the ailing - and highly respected - Lionel Barrymore , Owen makes the part his own , revealing the old miser's misery & heartache , making the part thoroughly human . When he rejoices in his spiritual regeneration at the climax , so do we . The roles of Bob Cratchit , Scrooge's amiable clerk & Fred , Scrooge's friendly nephew , are both fleshed out more fully than in other versions . The acting skills of Gene Lockhart & Barry MacKay turn them into something very memorable . Special mention should also be made of Leo G . Carroll as Marley's morose Ghost ; Lionel Braham as an impressively jolly Ghost of Christmas Present ; and Kathleen Lockhart & Terry Kilburn as Mrs . Cratchit & Tiny Tim . All add fine brushstrokes to the overall picture . Movie mavens will recognize Billy Bevan as an officer of the Watch ; Forrester Harvey as an ebullient Fezziwig ; Halliwell Hobbes as a jolly Vicar ; and young June Lockhart , in her film debut , as Belinda Cratchit - all uncredited .
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437,979 | 306,861 | 27,791 | 10 |
An Early Peek At James Stewart
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An MGM MINIATURE Short Subject . The editor of the Cole County Clarion must decide what is the real IMPORTANT NEWS for his readers : an impending frost which may spell disaster to their crops , or the sensational shooting-down of a notorious gangster on their small town main street . This is an enjoyable little one-reeler , featuring a good performance by comic Charles ' Chic ' Sale . Today's viewers will perhaps be more interested in the appearance of uncredited James Stewart , as Sale's nephew / assistant . Slow talking & somewhat goofy , Stewart shows many of the attributes which would make him a huge star in a very short time . 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 like 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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437,971 | 306,861 | 25,617 | 10 |
Three Lonely Hearts In Old China
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Married to a distracted English scientist , a beautiful Austrian finds forbidden love beyond THE PAINTED VEIL in China . Based on a story by W . Somerset Maugham , this MGM film is soap opera of a high order , featuring excellent production values & acting . The dialogue is also refreshingly literate & thoughtful , something of a surprise in a film which might be pigeonholed as just an elaborate potboiler . Fascinating as always , Greta Garbo is at last showcased in a film whose backdrop & setting matches her for exoticism . Enervated by the overwhelming cultural saturation of pre-war China , she seems freed to be essentially herself - shorn of all needs to bewitch - and is able to give herself over to the seriousness & drama of her character's dilemma . What the viewer is left with is one of her best performances . The two men in Garbo's life are excellently portrayed by Herbert Marshall & George Brent . Neither characters are without faults , but the actors make them intimately human , revealing some of the loneliness in each man's heart . These actors had distinct similarities , making it something of a bold move for MGM to put them in the same film , but also enabling the viewer to understand why Garbo could love both . Excellent support is given by gentle Jean Hersholt as Garbo's kindly father ; Forrester Harvey as a happy-go-lucky embassy employee in China & Warner Oland as a sympathetic Chinese general . Movie mavens will recognize Keye Luke as a young doctor and Mary Forbes & Ethel Griffies as British ladies in Hong Kong - all uncredited . The Chinese scenes show MGM at what it did best - creating another world , utterly realistic , in its back lot .
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437,512 | 306,861 | 24,548 | 10 |
Strutting Her Stuff
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The glamorous hostess at a Gay Nineties Bowery saloon must face the realities of her protector's nefarious business dealings . Mae West , potent , vulgar & always fascinating , sashays through her best film , SHE DONE HIM WRONG , based on her hit stage play Diamond Lil ( 1928 ) . One of the great cinematic boundary pushers , West is obviously enjoying herself tremendously in this period piece , as she wins the heart of every male in the vicinity . The secret of her success was that she took her art ( sex ) very seriously , but never herself . She was quite willing to become a self-parody , if it made her ? modern ' ideas of sensuality more acceptable . She perhaps did not foresee the immediate results - the iron thumb of the newly enforced Production Code would descend heavily on her movie career in 1934 , making only her first few films true representations of her spirit . While West dominates the proceedings , it is important not to overlook the film's other players . Beefy Noah Beery gives one of his typically fine performances as the saloon owner & crime boss who is Mae's temporary lover ; Owen Moore , in a very small role , is excellent as a criminal driven crazy by his jealousy for Mae's affections . Italian character actress Rafaela Ottiano scores as a fierce Russian white slaver involved in Beery's nefarious plots . As Mae's maid , the wonderful Louise Beavers is able to steal a few scenes even from West . Pretty Rochelle Hudson appears as a desperate young woman betrayed by Ottiano & Beery . Dewey Robinson has one of his better roles as a big lug who is devoted to West . W . C . Fields ' frequent sidekick , Tammany Young , can be spotted as a saloon patron and that's Fuzzy Knight as the jaded piano player . Cary Grant , as a Salvation Army officer , and Gilbert Roland , as Ottiano's kept man , both have very little to do except act as handsome foils to some of Mae's best one-liners . Both do ? come up & see her sometime , ' but it should be noted that Roland is the only male in the supporting cast who elicits anything approaching true happy excitement from Mae , with his gift of diamonds . Grant's bestowal of a rather paltry ring in the film's final moments doesn't get nearly as much of a reaction . Movie mavens will recognize silent screen comic Heinie Conklin as a street sweeper , Arthur Housman as an inebriate & Mary Gordon as a cleaning lady , all uncredited . Mae West's attitude towards sexuality - forthright , unashamed and in control - could be perfectly summed up in her three solo songs : " I Wonder Where My Easy Rider's Gone , " " A Guy What Takes His Time " and " Frankie & Johnnie . " Coupled with her obvious talent , it is hardly a surprise that she became a Hollywood legend . What is not so often acknowledged is the high price she paid for her celebrity . Keeping up the facade of being the supreme Love Goddess for 60 years was not easy to do . Trapped by her fame , Mae was unable to live a normal life . She never experienced the wondrous joys of motherhood , true emotional contentment would not be found in an endless string of libidinous conquests and she had to increasingly fight back the relentless demands of Time on her body . In the end , ancient & enfeebled , even old age was not a comfort to her . The only release from her self-imposed imprisonment was death , which finally arrived in November of 1980 .
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437,265 | 306,861 | 25,641 | 10 |
Disney Visits Penguin Island
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A Walt Disney SILLY SYMPHONY Cartoon Short . Peter & Polly , a couple of PECULIAR PENGUINS , share a romance of frigid delights on Antarctica's Penguin Island . Their happiness is soon threatened , however , by the arrival of a ferocious shark . . . A pleasant cartoon with cute characters , but no great significance . This was the type of animation which , by this time , the Disney artists could do in their sleep . The SILLY SYMPHONIES , which Walt Disney produced for a ten year period beginning in 1929 , are among the most fascinating of all animated series . 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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437,213 | 306,861 | 45,261 | 10 |
Things That Go Bump In The Night
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A Walt Disney DONALD DUCK Cartoon . Donald learns the true meaning of TRICK OR TREAT when he infuriates a wee witch on Halloween . This funny little film is probably Donald's best cartoon of the 1950's . The animation , music & characterizations are all first rate . June Foray has a fine time voicing Witch Hazel , who unfortunately makes her only appearance in a Disney film here . Clarence Nash provides the unique voices for the Duck and his Nephews . For the record , Witch Hazel's recipe for the magic brew consists of eye of needle , tongue of shoe , hand of clock , neck of bottle , tail of pout ( a type of fish ) and whiskers from a billy goat . 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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437,154 | 306,861 | 37,549 | 10 |
Karloff & Daniell Haunt Old Edinburgh
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THE BODY SNATCHER who supplies fresh corpses for an Edinburgh doctor in 1831 soon adds blackmail & murder to his iniquitous deeds . This was one of a short series of horror films in which Boris Karloff starred for producer Val Lewton , the others being ISLE OF THE DEAD ( 1945 ) & BEDLAM ( 1946 ) . Lewton had the knack of producing films full of atmosphere & menace on a very low budget and THE BODY SNATCHER is no exception , getting most of its chills from the wonderful acting and the literate , intelligent script - although the climax is genuinely terrifying . Karloff is chillingly perfection in the role of the sly coachman who augments his salary with a little grave robbing . A gentle man who is kind to crippled children , yet can murder without a second thought , Karloff paints the cunning portrait of a very human monster . Every step of the way , however , he is equaled by Henry Daniell , a wonderful British character actor who never received due recognition for his skills . Playing a brilliant anatomist who feels he must continue to use Karloff's gruesome deliveries for the light they shine on solving medical problems , Daniell delivers an elegant portrayal of a deeply conflicted man who is pulled ever nearer the center of the vortex . In a relatively small role - his last with Karloff - Bela Lugosi is memorable as a greedy servant who tries blackmail at the worst possible time . Russell Wade as a medical student and Rita Corday as a young patient's widowed mother help move the plot along , but wisely no romantic subplot is allowed to develop . Edith Atwater does very well as Daniell's housekeeper , a woman with many secrets . Movie mavens will recognize elderly Mary Gordon , unbilled as the pathetic mother at Greyfriars graveyard . At one time , the bodies of executed prisoners supplied the medical schools of Britain with all the corpses they could use for the purposes of dissecting & lecturing . But judicial reform nearly dried up the flow of bodies from that source , while the proliferation of new schools and anatomy theatres made the shortage acute . The medieval laws still on the books made the legal acquirement of bodies almost impossible . The ghastly vocation of body snatching thus arose to fill this void . Body Snatchers - also referred to as grave robbers , resurrectionists , or Sack ' Em Up Boys - would haunt cemeteries by night , looking for the recently deceased to disinter . Often the caretakers in the graveyards would be in financial league with these hooligans , as well as the doctors at the medical schools . Prices paid for the bodies could be quite exorbitant , considering the risks that were taken . Leaving dogs or spring-loaded guns at the graveside were just some of the elaborate precautions taken by the friends of the deceased , who often kept vigil by the graves until enough time had passed to make the corpse no longer desirable . Eventually , it became quite difficult to count on the graveyards to furnish enough fodder for the grisly trade . ' The ruffian dogs , the hellish pair , The villain Burke , the meager Hare . . . Nor did they handle ax or knife To take away their victim's life . . . No sooner done than in the chest They crammed their lately welcome guest . . . ' Arriving in Edinburgh in 1827 , William Burke met fellow Irishman William Hare , who was keeper of a low lodging house . Scurrilous rascals both , when an old pensioner died there in November of that year , Burke & Hare sold the body to a surgeon for 7£ , 10 shillings . Delighted with this easy money , the nefarious pair soon took to hastening the deaths of their ' subjects . ' At least 15 hapless victims were lured into the lodging house and smothered ( so as to leave no sign of violence on their flesh ) , the bodies then sold to respected surgeon Robert Knox . On Halloween in 1828 , suspicious neighbors summoned police and enough evidence was found to immediately arrest Burke & Hare . At the trial , Hare turned King's evidence and admitted to the murders . He was released and promptly disappeared . In his confession , Burke completely exonerated Knox of any knowledge of the killings , but the doctor was hounded by the press & public and quickly relocated to London , where he carried on a successful career . Burke was hanged on January 28 , 1829 . His corpse was eviscerated and his skeleton is still on display in Edinburgh . A year after the events in the movie , the Anatomy Act of 1832 made it legal for the bodies of those dying friendless in poorhouses and hospitals to be given to local medical facilities for study and dissection . The film incorporates the story of Greyfriars Bobby ( called Robby in the movie ) but makes a muddle of the facts . In reality , Bobby was a Skye terrier that refused to leave the graveside of his master , an elderly , indigent shepherd , in the graveyard at Greyfriars Church in Edinburgh . Bobby stayed faithfully at his post for years and became a tremendous sentimental favorite of the city folk , before dying of old age . Today a statue near the church commemorates his memory .
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437,654 | 306,861 | 12,752 | 10 |
Fairbanks Brings Classic Adventure To Life
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In 1625 an ambitious youth joins forces with THE THREE MUSKETEERS to save the French Queen's honor from the machinations of the cruel Cardinal Richelieu . Douglas Fairbanks had one of his most popular roles as the swashbuckling hero of Alexander Dumas ' 1844 novel . Exulting in his sheer physical vitality , he never walks when he can run , never runs when he can leap . While a bit melodramatic & stagy , Fairbanks is obviously having a wonderful time and he wants his audience to enjoy themselves , too . As producer , as well as star , Fairbanks ensured fine production values & large sets to backdrop his stunts . Notice particularly the Parisian street scenes , how detailed & exact they are , with the crowds of extras looking as if they had real purpose in what they were doing . Also be mindful of the architectural staging , whether it be walls , rooftops or monumental staircases ; they were all built with Fairbanks ' physical dimensions in mind , so that he could run , creep or climb along them effortlessly . To such a degree does Doug dominate the drama , that the characters of the three Musketeers themselves remain largely undeliniated . Léon Bavy as Athos , George Siegmann as Porthos & Eugene Pallette as a most unlikely Aramis are mere window-dressing to showcase Fairbanks ' exuberance . Coming off rather better are British actor Nigel de Brulier as the rapacious Richelieu , beautiful Barbara La Marr as the Cardinal's evil agent Milady de Winter & Lon Poff as the sepulchral Father Joseph . Here are three villains worth watching . Lovely Marguerite De La Motte supplies Doug's love interest . Adolphe Menjou does well as the cold-hearted , vain Louis XIII . Not surprisingly , the original story has been streamlined & altered in various ways and at least a couple of notable deaths have been omitted so as to provide a happier fadeout . Fairbanks would continue the tale - and reprise the role of D'Artagnan - eight years later in THE IRON MASK ( 1929 ) . What were the facts surrounding the historical Richelieu & Buckingham ? Since the novel & films make much of their rivalry , a closer examination is in order . Both men rose from semi-obscurity to positions of enormous power & influence in their respective kingdoms . Each found it necessary to dominate the weak sovereigns whose patronage they enjoyed . Both endured the utter contempt & hatred of powerful domestic factions allied against them . And were there ever a flirtation between the French Queen Anne of Austria and Buckingham , it was of a very mild nature . There certainly was nothing resembling The Adventure of the Queen's Diamonds and all the derring-do associated with it . Armand-Jean du Plessis , Cardinal and Duke de Richelieu ( 1585-1642 ) , came from a minor gentry family which was saddled with enormous financial debt upon the death of his father . However , blessed with a very good brain & a manipulative mother , Richelieu used his intellectual charm to advance his ascent through the Byzantine levels of Church hierarchy . Once having caught the attention of Louis XIII Richelieu never looked back . Eventually wielding absolute authority , the Red Eminence took as his life's mission to thwart Spanish Habsburg hegemony in Europe and to crush all outbreaks of French Protestantism as they arose throughout the kingdom . For his part , George Villiers , 1st Duke of Buckingham ( 1592-1628 ) , had his extreme physical attractiveness to thank for grabbing the eye of James I - who liked to dance both ends of the ballroom - and later became the favourite of Charles I as well . The son of a knight , Buckingham soon rose to a lofty pinnacle of power and angered the English nobles by his monopoly of the king's affections and his arrogant accruement of great wealth . As a diplomat & military strategist , Buckingham was hopelessly inept and he needed the king's protection to save him from trial in the Star Chamber . Having failed disastrously in an attempt to succor the Huguenot of La Rochelle , France , he returned to England where he was quickly assassinated by a disgruntled naval officer . When news of Buckingham's death reached London the people rejoiced in the streets .
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437,746 | 306,861 | 47,187 | 10 |
How Rodents Won The West
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A Walt Disney CHIP ' N ' DALE Cartoon . When Western bank robber Pete escapes with his loot , it is up to THE LONE CHIPMUNKS to capture and bring him to justice . This is a funny little film , with the tiny rodents almost meeting their match in the burly Pete - an enemy much more dangerous than their usual antagonists Donald Duck or Pluto ; casting them together was an inspired idea . Both the title and the film's conclusion are spoofs of the very popular media hero , The Lone 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 , 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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438,285 | 306,861 | 51,014 | 10 |
A Message On Auto Sanity From Walt Disney
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A Walt Disney Cartoon . A modern metropolis puts automobiles on trial for highway homicide . THE STORY OF ANYBURG U . S . A . is Disney's humorous reminder that it is the human behind the wheel who is to blame for motor mayhem . Hans Conried steals the show with his ripe performance as the voice of the Prosecutor . Movie mavens should also recognize Bill Thompson as the voice of the Defense Attorney & Thurl Ravenscroft performing the voice of Cyrus P . Sliderule , the auto safety expert . 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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438,027 | 306,861 | 33,671 | 10 |
Cheap Amusements For Donald
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A Walt Disney DONALD DUCK Cartoon . Looking to have A GOOD TIME FOR A DIME , Donald wanders into a penny arcade and quickly begins having trouble with the machinery . Lots of humor can be found in this enjoyable little film . Daisy makes a most unusual cameo appearance as the artiste pictured in the Dance of the Seven Veils peep show . The iron claw & mechanical plane segments are also very funny . For the record , Donald only spends 8¢ in the arcade , not the dime suggested by the title . Clarence " Ducky " Nash provides Donald with his unique voice . Donald , THE VILLAGE SMITHY , has enough trouble just dealing with inanimate objects without the additional difficulty of trying to shoe Jenny , a most reluctant donkey . This humorous little film is a spoof of the classic poem by Longfellow . Jenny is very reminiscent of the tragic donkeys in the Pleasure Island sequence of PINOCCHIO ( 1940 ) . Clarence ' Ducky ' Nash provides 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 will always pay off .
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437,209 | 306,861 | 45,271 | 10 |
The Song Of The Open Road
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A Walt Disney GOOFY Cartoon . The Goof is looking forward to nothing but rest & relaxation during his TWO WEEKS VACATION - if he doesn't become road kill first . Hapless Goofy encounters all the hazards of the two-lane highway - road hogs , flat tires , dishonest mechanics and rundown auto courts - in this humorous little film . The short sequence with the finicky hobo is quite funny . 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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437,479 | 306,861 | 47,183 | 10 |
Much Joy From A Wee Boat
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A Walt Disney Cartoon . The tiny tugboat , LITTLE TOOT , just can't seem to get serious about the important work to be done with the big ships in the harbor . In fact , he's become quite a pest . . . Hardie Gramatky's classic children's book comes beautifully to life in this little cartoon . The humorous animation is excellent and completely appropriate to the original illustrations . The Andrews Sisters were the perfect choice to be the singing narrators . LITTLE TOOT was originally one segment in the musical compilation film MELODY TIME ( 1948 ) . 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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438,074 | 306,861 | 20,164 | 10 |
Miniscule Men Gambol In Early Disney Cartoon
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A Walt Disney SILLY SYMPHONY Cartoon Short . It is a lovely day and THE MERRY DWARFS are frolicking in their woodland home , playing with the tiny insects & getting very drunk , indeed . . . There's no plot in this very early series entry ; basically it's pleasant action / reaction animation . A comparison of the little fellows in this cartoon with Snow White's 7 companions eight years later reveals just how greatly Disney's artists improved during that time . The SILLY SYMPHONIES , which Walt Disney produced for a ten year period beginning in 1929 , are among the most fascinating of all animated series . 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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437,562 | 306,861 | 45,270 | 10 |
My Hero !
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A Walt Disney GOOFY Cartoon . Without even trying , silly TWO GUN GOOFY is more than a match for evil Pistol Pete . This funny little film is a fine spoof of Western movies & stories . Pete once again proves his adaptability , a quality which kept him as the top villain in the Disney shorts for decades . 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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437,584 | 306,861 | 20,167 | 10 |
Mickey Rides The Rails
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A Walt Disney MICKEY MOUSE Cartoon . MICKEY'S CHOO-CHOO takes Minnie on a dangerous ride on the roof into the countryside . This little black & white film has a plot entirely controlled by the soundtrack . Energetic & fast moving , it is still quite humorous to watch . Walt supplies Mickey's squeaky 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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437,682 | 306,861 | 33,668 | 10 |
A Scrambled Duck Tale
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A Walt Disney DONALD DUCK Cartoon . Donald looks for a fast profit selling the GOLDEN EGGS his hens have produced . Here is another ' Donald gets greedy ' film , but it's still fun just to watch The Duck get ever deeper into trouble . Clarence " Ducky " Nash supplies the voice of Donald ; the incomparable Florence Gill voiced the hens . 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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437,418 | 306,861 | 20,161 | 10 |
Pratfalls In The Park With Mr . Laurel & Mr . Hardy
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A LAUREL & HARDY Comedy Short . Sailors Stan & Ollie , two MEN O'WAR , are on shore leave . While strolling through the park , they meet & escort two silly young women . After a financial contretemps at the soda fountain , the Boys initiate a rowdy donnybrook on the boat pond . A hilarious little film , with a delightful sense of spontaneity , as if the performers were extemporizing much of their dialogue . This short is also refreshing in that the plot takes place entirely out of doors . Highlight : bedlam in the boat . The knickers sequence shows that this film was produced pre-Production Code . That's James Finlayson as the soda fountain / boat rental manager ; Anne Cornwall & Gloria Greer as the young women ; and Charlie Hall as the man in the canoe .
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437,564 | 306,861 | 25,657 | 10 |
A Dog's Life
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A Walt Disney MICKEY MOUSE Cartoon . The antics of PLAYFUL PLUTO causes trouble for Mickey in the yard , down in the cellar and around the house . This excellent black & white cartoon provides lots of sturdy laughs at the Pup's expense , who runs afoul of a whirlwind , a water hose , a flashlight , flypaper & a window shade . Walt Disney provides Mickey with his squeaky voice . It is excerpts from PLAYFUL PLUTO that Joel McCrea and the Hall Johnson Choir are watching during the emotional climax to Preston Sturges ' classic film , SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS ( 1941 ) . 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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437,273 | 306,861 | 45,276 | 10 |
A Duck Tale With Bugs
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A Walt Disney DONALD DUCK Cartoon . UNCLE DONALD'S ANTS arrive in force to filch a cake and a jug of maple syrup from his kitchen . This is an amusing little film , with watching temperamental Donald deal with the buggy depredation the main attraction . The decision to depict the wee insects as a foraging tribe of African natives adds a bit more interest to the story . 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 will always pay off .
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437,073 | 306,861 | 20,168 | 10 |
Musical Mice
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A Walt Disney MICKEY MOUSE Cartoon . MICKEY'S FOLLIES take place in the barnyard , with Mickey at the piano and the eager participation of many of the farm animals . Very little plot in this early black & white film . The Mouse gets to sing his theme song - " Minnie's Yoo Hoo ! " - but not with Walt's voice . That looks like Clarabelle Cow as one of the spectators . Disney's animators have included a full quota of the udder-posterior-underwear gags they loved so well . 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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437,429 | 306,861 | 213,002 | 10 |
A Quick , Vivid Glimpse Of Royal Indian Pageantry
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An MGM TRAVELTALK Short Subject . In this little film , produced years before Indian independence & the dissolution of the princely states , we are given a fascinating look at INDIA ON PARADE . After a quick glimpse of Agra , we are whisked away to view the private army of the Maharajah of Baroda . Unimaginable wealth is on display , as the sacred oxen & mighty elephants lumber by , covered with golden blankets & jewel-encrusted trappings . We are then permitted a peek at the Maharajah's favorite performing elephant & a troop of frisky monkeys . Finally , its back to Agra for a closer look at the wondrous Taj Mahal . The song heard at the end of the film is ' Pale Hands Beside The Shalimar ' - once upon a time reputed to be the favorite of silent screen idol Rudolph Valentino . His recording of it ( not heard here ) is the only sample of his voice in existence . This is one of a large series of succinct travelogues turned out by MGM , beginning in the 1930's . They featured Technicolor views of beautiful & unusual sights around the globe , as well as vivid , concise commentary . These films were produced & narrated by James A . FitzPatrick .
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437,686 | 306,861 | 24,451 | 10 |
Classic Poem Comes To Animated Life
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A Walt Disney SILLY SYMPHONY Cartoon Short . Hamelin Town is beset with an infestation of rats and the harried Mayor is only too glad to offer THE PIED PIPER a bag of gold to rid them of the plague . But once the rodents are removed , the Mayor reneges on his promise , leaving the Piper to take a most effective revenge . . . This cartoon offers a good interpretation of the story from the famous Robert Browning poem . Notice how some of the elements of the original have been altered by Disney : the rats no longer drown , they are simply made to vanish into thin air ; and the Hamelin children are shown to be used almost as slave labor by their parents , making their removal by the Piper more like a rescue . 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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