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437,681 | 306,861 | 227,852 | 10 |
Learning With Mr . Cricket
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A Walt Disney Cartoon . Jiminy Cricket delivers pertinent facts about YOU AND YOUR SENSES OF SMELL AND TASTE . This was one of a short series of little films in which Disney educated his young viewers about the workings of their remarkable bodies , with comparisons & examples drawn from the world of nature . Did you know butterflies taste their food with their feet ? Jiminy is voiced by the inimitable Cliff Edwards . 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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437,009 | 306,861 | 227,853 | 10 |
Fun Physical Facts From Disney
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A Walt Disney Cartoon . Jiminy Cricket delivers pertinent facts about YOU THE HUMAN ANIMAL . This was one of a short series of little films in which Disney educated his young viewers about the workings of their remarkable bodies , with comparisons & examples drawn from the world of nature . Did you know that Humans are the only living beings with chins & flexible thumbs ? Or that our abilities to think , reason & speak make us absolutely unique ? Jiminy is voiced by the inimitable Cliff Edwards . 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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437,305 | 306,861 | 33,371 | 10 |
A Goofy Tale With Magic
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A Walt Disney GOOFY Cartoon . The unexpected contents of a magician's trunk cause complications for train station baggage handler Goofy . BAGGAGE BUSTER is an amusing little film , with the magical trunk , top hat & cape disgorging a veritable Noah's Ark of creatures to bewilder the hapless Goof . The Bull is oddly reminiscent of Ferdinand , star of Disney's 1938 Oscar winning cartoon . 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 .
|
438,051 | 306,861 | 35,524 | 10 |
Superman Battles The Forces Of Nature
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A SUPERMAN CartoonAfter slumbering for 300 years , the volcanic isle of Monokoa erupts in molten fury . The world watches anxiously as scientists race to protect the lovely town at the mountain's foot from imminent destruction . When intrepid reporter Lois Lane finds herself in danger of being immolated , it's time for Superman to get involved . But can even the Man of Steel fight the awakened fury of the VOLCANO ? This was another in the series of excellent cartoons Max Fleischer produced for Paramount Studio . They feature great animation and taut , fast-moving plots . Meant to be shown in movie theaters , they are miles ahead of their Saturday Morning counterparts . Bud Collyer is the voice of Superman ; Joan Alexander does the honors for Lois Lane .
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437,892 | 306,861 | 20,253 | 10 |
Ramon Novarro's Final Silent Film
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Henry Shoesmith is THE PAGAN , a happy , handsome half-caste , perfectly attune with his South Seas home . Henry is also the owner of the largest cocoanut plantation on the island , which arouses the greed of an unscrupulous white trader with a beautiful native ' ward ' . . . Ramon Novarro is charming in this , his final silent film . Once again , MGM has their Mexican star playing another in his wide range of ethnic roles . Here he is a Polynesian , but he plays his part so well , and is obviously having such a good time , that he gives one of his most entertaining of performances . He is served well by his excellent supporting cast . Dorothy Janis is Novarro's beautiful love interest - innocent , vulnerable & passionately in love . Donald Crisp is superb as the villainous white trader , consumed with lust for the girl he calls his ' Christian duty ' and embittered with hatred for Novarro . His final fate is most proper & welcome . Renée Adorée scores as the island harlot , a staunch friend to both Novarro & Janis . Directed by peripatetic W . S . Van Dyke , the location filming in & around Papeete , Tahiti enhances the story greatly . Coming as it did at the very cusp of the new talkie era , this is essentially a silent film with an effective soundtrack that includes musical interludes & background dialogue . Novarro croons ' Pagan Love Song ' ( by Nacio Herb Brown & Arthur Freed ) to good effect - giving Hollywood one of its first hit tunes - and his fine singing voice would be heard again in forthcoming films .
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437,221 | 306,861 | 22,197 | 10 |
East Is East And West Is West
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A young San Francisco shipping magnate learns that NEVER THE TWAIN SHALL MEET when he falls in love with a passionate South Seas maiden . Celebrated MGM director W . S . Van Dyke took his love of foreign locales , mixed it with some stock footage of the Pacific Islands and created this obscure little pre-Code film which features fine performances embedded into a somewhat silly plot . There is more than a faint whiff of snobbish racism in the story which may interest modern viewers . British actor Leslie Howard gets an emotional workout as the man jarringly confronted with his lover's unfamiliar culture ; his slow dissipation is convincingly portrayed . Spanish teenager Conchita Montenegro gives an energetic & lively performance as the uninhibited child of nature who entices him to leave his wealth & position behind . Together they make a most interesting movie couple . Marvelous old Sir C . Aubrey Smith steals his scenes as Howard's concerned father . Lovely Karen Morley plays Howard's emotionally aloof girlfriend ; hearty Hale Hamilton is their arch reporter friend . Bearded Mitchell Lewis is most memorable in his one scene as a leprous sea captain ; Clyde Cook adds some color as an English derelict on Miss Montenegro's island . The phonograph which Miss Montenegro plays in her bamboo shack is a recording of ' Pagan Love Song ' ( by Nacio Herb Brown & Arthur Freed ) which became a big hit when sung by Ramon Novarro a couple of years earlier in another film directed by Van Dyke , MGM's THE PAGAN ( 1929 ) . Freed also composed the melody ' Islands of Love ' which is heard throughout NEVER THE TWAIN SHALL MEET .
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437,163 | 306,861 | 47,511 | 10 |
Old Lion - New Jungle
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A Walt Disney Cartoon . Looking for a little fame , a particularly SOCIAL LION gets transferred from Africa to the wilds of New York City . Undeservedly obscure , this little film is packed with sly wit and good humor . Produced in the limited animation style , its depiction of the Lion's encounters with unimpressed New Yorkers , their traffic and the subway is very funny . The very brief look at the native bearers in the African safari at the beginning of the film is a little bit racist . 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 .
|
437,490 | 306,861 | 31,820 | 10 |
Toons For Supper ?
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A Walt Disney Cartoon . With his younger brothers in danger of becoming a pork pie , THE PRACTICAL PIG must have a final showdown with the Big Bad Wolf . This amusing & lively little film was the last theatrical cartoon to feature the Three Pigs & the Wolf , following THREE LITTLE PIGS ( 1933 ) , THE BIG BAD WOLF ( 1934 ) & THREE LITTLE WOLVES ( 1936 ) . The Wolf's sons return for this outing and prove themselves to be every bit as rapacious as their father . The tune which the ' mermaid ' is strumming on the harp is ' Frankie and Johnny . ' 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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437,432 | 306,861 | 12,314 | 10 |
Sensual , Exotic German Silent Epic Begins
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A jealous & vindictive Rajah sends a powerful Yogi to entice a famous English architect into constructing a marvelous mausoleum in which to inter the prince's faithless wife . THE Indian TOMB : THE MISSION OF THE YOGI is a perfect example of the grand German cinema epics created during the silent era . Berlin film mogul Joe May turned the full resources of his modern Maytown studio over to the production , using 300 workmen to create the lavish sets necessary to tell such an exotic tale . May contracted with authoress Thea von Harbou to write the script for THE Indian TOMB , based on her 1917 novella . May assigned young Fritz Lang as her co-writer . Lang , who married von Harbou after starting the writing project , desired to direct the films , but he was deemed too inexperienced for such an important project by the financiers and May enthusiastically became the director himself . Furious , Lang left May's employ ; it would be more than 35 years before he was able to direct his own Indian TOMB films . THE Indian TOMB : THE MISSION OF THE YOGI was an artistic triumph , presenting wonderful vistas & sequences to delight the viewer's imagination . Right from the eerie prolog , when an Indian holy man is literally disinterred from his living grave , the film grips the audience with a promise of high adventure & mysticism . Further scenes , including those set in the Tiger Arena adjoining the Maharajah's Palace , or the Cave of the Penitents situated below it , add intricate strokes to the broad canvas which is THE Indian TOMB . Conrad Veidt is mesmerizing as the troubled Rajah . With large , hypnotic eyes set in a bony face , he seems forever contemplating terrible memories . Veidt gives a measured , stylized performance , moving very slowly and deliberately , almost somnambulistic in his actions . The one short scene where he lets his longing & heartbreak push through to the surface is startling just from the sheer pent-up passion released for a few seconds - as if a mighty dam is breached and almost immediately sealed again . Today , Conrad Veidt is remembered in America almost entirely for his villainous Major Strasser in CASABLANCA . This is a shame , as there was so much more to his life . Cultured & sophisticated , Veidt was considered to be one of the best ( and one of the most handsome ) actors in Germany , and he was a tremendous matinée idol in the 1920's . Later , he became courageously outspoken in his anti-Nazi sentiments and he found it safer to relocate to England and eventually to America . In Hollywood , Veidt continued to denounce the evils of the Third Reich . Tragically , he was not to live long enough to see the inevitable defeat of Hitler . Completing only one further film after CASABLANCA , Conrad Veidt died of a heart attack while playing golf on April 3 , 1943 . He was 50 years old . Equally intriguing is Bernhard Goetzke as the mysterious , implacable Yogi . Imparting menace in every movement , he is a worthy henchman to the Rajah . Olaf Fønss as the architect & Mia May ( the director's wife ) as his courageous fiancée , present a refreshingly middle-aged view of romantic love . The story was originally presented as a filmed diptych . THE Indian TOMB : THE MISSION OF THE YOGI ( 1921 ) was followed by THE Indian TOMB : THE TIGER OF BENGAL ( 1921 ) . A box office disappointment in Germany & a failure in America , the films quickly passed into obscurity . However , down through the decades their reputations scored a renaissance . After much painstaking effort both films were archivally restored to their original luster . They have been released together on home video & DVD . If only for the striking performance of Conrad Veidt the films would be significant . But their epic proportions & high adventure set in a remarkable culture are a window into the very best which German cinema had to offer in the 1920's .
|
437,326 | 306,861 | 45,314 | 10 |
Splendid Oscar-Winning Disney Nature Documentary
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A Walt Disney TRUE-LIFE ADVENTURE Short Subject . Through the use of beautiful photography , this Academy Award-winning film looks at the strange & colorful lives of the WATER BIRDS . Several species are examined and the ways in which they have habituated themselves to seashore , lake or stream are noted . Highlight : the rhapsodic finale . ' This is one of a series of TRUE-LIFE ADVENTURES presenting strange facts about the world we live in . In the making of these films , nature is the dramatist . There are no fictitious situations or characters . ' Winston Hibler is the narrator .
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437,430 | 306,861 | 12,313 | 10 |
Sensual , Exotic German Silent Epic Concludes
|
The jealous & vindictive Rajah of Bengal continues to manipulate the fates of his three English captives in his mad scheme to punish his faithless wife . THE Indian TOMB : THE TIGER OF BENGAL is a perfect example of the grand German cinema epics created during the silent era . Berlin film mogul Joe May turned the full resources of his modern 50-acre Maytown studio near Berlin over to the production , using 300 workmen to create the lavish sets necessary to tell such an exotic tale . May contracted with authoress Thea von Harbou to write the script for THE Indian TOMB , based on her 1917 novella , assigning young Fritz Lang as her co-writer . Lang , who married von Harbou after starting the writing project , desired to direct the films himself , but he was deemed too inexperienced for such an important project by the financiers and May enthusiastically became the director . Furious , Lang left May's employ ; it would be more than 35 years before he was able to direct his own Indian TOMB films . ( After their divorce , von Harbou became Nazi Germany's official screenwriter ; because of his Jewish ancestry , Lang felt it wisest to settle in Los Angeles . ) THE Indian TOMB : THE TIGER OF BENGAL was an artistic triumph , presenting wonderful vistas & sequences to delight the viewer's imagination . The eerie Yard of the Lepers , for instance , with extras sporting real deformities , offers moments of terror & suspense as chilling as anything Hollywood had to offer . Further scenes - the Tiger Arena , the Suspension Bridge - add intricate strokes to the broad canvas which is THE Indian TOMB . Conrad Veidt is mesmerizing as the troubled Rajah . With large , hypnotic eyes set in a bony face , he seems forever contemplating terrible memories . Veidt gives a measured , stylized performance , moving very slowly and deliberately , almost somnambulistic in his actions . The scene where he suddenly appears masquerading as an androgynous temple deity underscores the subtle sexual ambiguity of his nuanced portrayal . Today , Conrad Veidt is remembered in America almost entirely for his villainous Major Strasser in CASABLANCA . This is a shame , as there was so much more to his life . Cultured & sophisticated , Veidt was considered to be one of the best ( and one of the most handsome ) actors in Germany , and he was a tremendous matinée idol in the 1920's . Later , he became courageously outspoken in his anti-Nazi sentiments and he found it safer to relocate to England and eventually to America . In Hollywood , Veidt continued to denounce the evils of the Third Reich . Tragically , he was not to live long enough to see the inevitable defeat of Hitler . Completing only one further film after CASABLANCA , Conrad Veidt died of a heart attack while playing golf on April 3 , 1943 . He was 50 years old . Equally intriguing is Bernhard Goetzke in the tiny role of the mysterious , implacable Yogi . Although his role is unfortunately much smaller than in Part One , he is still a worthy henchman to the Rajah . Olaf Fønss as the architect & Mia May ( the director's wife ) as his courageous fiancée , present a refreshingly middle-aged view of romantic love . Their defiance of the Rajah & desperate flight to escape gives the film its most exciting sequences . ( Joe & Mia May would also flee to Hollywood , where , after the end of his directing career , they would eventually operate a popular German restaurant . ) The story was originally presented as a filmed diptych . THE Indian TOMB : THE MISSION OF THE YOGI ( 1921 ) precedes THE Indian TOMB : THE TIGER OF BENGAL ( 1921 ) . A box office disappointment in Germany & a failure in America , the films quickly passed into obscurity . However , down through the decades their reputations scored a renaissance . After much painstaking effort both films were archivally restored to their original luster . They have been released together on home video & DVD . If only for the striking performance of Conrad Veidt the films would be significant . But their epic proportions & high adventure set in a remarkable culture are a window into the very best which German cinema had to offer in the 1920's .
|
438,141 | 306,861 | 50,837 | 10 |
Excellent Disney Nature Fantasy
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A Walt Disney TRUE-LIFE FANTASY . This is the story of PERRI , a female forest squirrel . We follow her life through the seasons of one year , learning the incredible struggles her kind must make to survive . We watch her deal with fierce predators & a devastating wildfire , before eventually finding a mate . This is a splendid family film , based on the book by Felix Salten , the author of ' Bambi ' . ( In fact , Bambi makes a live-action appearance ) . Using great nature photography - and a little bit of Disney special effects magic - it is a heart warmer that is sure to stay in the viewers ' memory . Highlight : Perri's wintertime dream . The story , told entirely in verse , is narrated by Winston Hibler .
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437,234 | 306,861 | 26,094 | 10 |
A Disney Gem
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A Walt Disney MICKEY MOUSE Cartoon . THE BAND CONCERT which Mickey is conducting in the City Park becomes a titanic contest of wills & determination as the Mouse lets absolutely nothing stop his little group from completing their performance . Mickey Mouse made his Technicolor debut & Donald Duck became a full-fledged cinematic star in this truly classic cartoon . It is easy to read so many things into this little film - Mickey as the standard bearer for stubborn authority & Donald as the leader of the coming revolution , for example - but perhaps it's safer to leave the philosophizing to the greybeards . Walt Disney and his animators wanted nothing more than to entertain an audience for a few minutes before the main picture began . What we now recognize as one of animation's seminal moments didn't even earn an Oscar nomination at the time . It is with hindsight that true appreciation grows . Perfection can be found in the details : Mickey's look of fierce resolve as he struggles to conduct in his oversized uniform jacket ; Donald's insouciant legerdemain as he produces an endless supply of fifes ; the naughty little bee which causes musical mayhem ; the absorption with which Clarabelle Cow ( flute ) , Horace Horsecollar ( percussion ) & Goofy ( clarinet ) relentlessly continue their performances ; the tornado , perfectly cued to the band's music , frightening away not only the audience , but their park benches as well ; Mickey , perched on his box , being swept through the storm's debris ( including the detritus of a destructed home's living room ) without ever missing a measure of the music . Any of these moments would have been the pride of a lesser film ; here , they are simply individual gems strung together to create a stunning whole . It is worth noting that Donald was originally slated to appear as the band's saxophonist , but Walt wanted his part expanded . The rest is history and the Duck ( his unique voice supplied by Clarence Nash ) never looked back . For the record , the music heard during the opening credits is from the 1831 opera Zampa , by the Frenchman Louis-Joseph-Ferdinand Herold ( 1791-1833 ) . Mickey's main offering , of course , is the Overture to the 1829 opera William Tell , by the Italian Gioacchino Antonio Rossini ( 1792-1868 ) . ' Turkey In The Straw ' is the triumphant tune played by the Duck . THE BAND CONCERT is the perfect short subject to watch before viewing either FANTASIA ( 1940 ) or FANTASIA 2000 ( 1999 ) . 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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437,481 | 306,861 | 20,246 | 10 |
More Music From The Little Mouse
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A Walt Disney MICKEY MOUSE Cartoon . Although rundown and practically decrepit , you can still expect an evening of lively entertainment at Mickey's OPRY HOUSE . This is an energetic little film , without dialogue , the very minimal plot being driven by the visuals & soundtrack ( music mavens will recognize " Yankee Doodle , " " Pony Boy " and snatches from Bizet's Carmen ) . Although a poster on the building's exterior promises Minnie as part of the Yankee Doodle Girls , she never appears . Instead , the belly dancer doing the vigorous hootchy-kootch turns out to be Mickey , who ends his performance with an unfortunate Jewish caricature . Mickey then closes the film with a forceful impersonation of Polish pianist Ignace Jan Paderewski . 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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438,021 | 306,861 | 24,100 | 10 |
Exceptional Undersea Drama
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The crew of an American submarine discover it's HELL BELOW while fighting in the Adriatic in 1918 . Although nearly forgotten , this excellent war film still delivers solid entertainment , thanks to a literate script , superior performances and highly believable action scenes . Robert Montgomery & Walter Huston play submarine officers under the stress of war who quickly are at odds with each other , with dramatic and tragic results . Since Montgomery is in love with Huston's daughter , Madge Evans in a well-played role , the situation becomes even more complicated , both on shore and beneath the waves . The viewer is torn between the two strong characters , one of whom is governed by his heart and the other by the rules . Robert Young makes an effective appearance as Montgomery's buddy . Sterling Holloway creates a brief , vivid , portrait of a doomed seaman . Eugene Pallette as the torpedo master & Jimmy Durante as the sub's cook make for a very funny comedy team and provide the story with plenty of laughs . Durante's nose comes in for lots of ribbing and his obsession with amateur dentistry leads to some chaotic encounters with British tars . Movie mavens will recognize Babe London as an obese Italian miss ; Maude Eburne as the wife of a British admiral & Paul Porcasi as an Italian admiral - all uncredited . MGM has given the film absolutely first-class production values , with the undersea sequences especially well produced . Both the claustrophobic compactness of the ship and the inevitable tension associated with submarine warfare are accurately portrayed . Other moments of unexpected drama ( Montgomery & Miss Evans caught on top of a stalled Ferris wheel during an air raid ) and hilarity ( Durante boxing a kangaroo ) are expertly threaded into the fabric of the movie to provide a totally satisfying viewing experience .
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437,882 | 306,861 | 52,751 | 10 |
Discovering God's Alphabet
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A Walt Disney DONALD DUCK Cartoon . While looking for true adventure , DONALD IN MATHMAGIC LAND learns a great deal about the vital importance of mathematics in the Universe . Loosely based on Lewis Carroll's ALICE books , this short film uses fun & fancy to teach some pertinent facts about the wonder of mathematics . Some of the ideas of Pythagoras are examined , the mysteries of the ' Golden Rectangle ' are explored and the mathematical principles of the games of chess & billiards are exposed . The voice of Paul Frees as the Spirit of Adventure makes a fine counterpoint to Clarence Nash's vocalization of the 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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437,241 | 306,861 | 47,518 | 10 |
Harkening To The Voice Of Child Psychology
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A Walt Disney DONALD DUCK Cartoon . Donald receives compelling advice to SPARE THE ROD in dealing with his Nephews ' bad behavior and , instead , join in their games . Here is another little film in which Donald matches wits with Huey , Dewey & Louie - a plot line which Disney had been using for the better part of two decades at this point . Even so , it's fairly entertaining , largely due to Donald's never boring personality . 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 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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437,734 | 306,861 | 24,279 | 10 |
Disney Animates A Baby's Dreams
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A Walt Disney SILLY SYMPHONY Cartoon Short . A tiny dreaming tot finds he & his toy dog in LULLABY LAND , where powder puffs & rattles grow on the vegetation and potty seats march over the quilted hills . Then there's the small matter of the bogeymen . . . This is an utterly charming little film , which entices the eye of the viewer to pick out all the baby motifs . 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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437,131 | 306,861 | 22,088 | 10 |
Gettin ' Mushy With The Little Rascals
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An OUR GANG Comedy Short . Jackie & Chubby have LOVE BUSINESS on their mind : they both are infatuated with their teacher , Miss Crabtree . When they each try to declare their passion on the same evening , things get a bit complicated . . . A very funny little film . Highlights : Chubby & Dorothy's dialogue ; eating the moth ball soup . The inimitable Stymie also has some choice moments . That's June Marlowe as pretty Miss Crabtree . This is the film that provides the famous shot of Chubby kissing ' Garbo ' . Sharp-eyed movie mavens will recognize Charley Chase & Thelma Todd in the large movie poster behind Chubby .
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438,150 | 306,861 | 22,085 | 10 |
Not Many Laughs For Joe
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A LOCAL BOY MAKES GOOD when a shy botany student joins the University of Ohio's track team to impress the beauty queen he idolizes . Comic Joe E . Brown does the best he can in this not-very-funny collegiate comedy , going over the same ground Harold Lloyd plowed to greater effect during silent days . It is not Brown's fault , the script is almost unrelenting in denying him any significant laughs . Not until the final sequence , when Brown must prove himself at the big track meet or forever live in ignominy , does he come into his element - with the help of a pretty girl's kiss and a strong shot of alcohol . Even the intensely annoying rear screen projection cannot destroy the fun of watching Joe ham it up . Dorothy Lee , temporarily escaped from Wheeler & Woolsey , plays the girl of Joe's dreams . As ever , she is kewpie-doll cute and it is great to see her , but her role as a psychology student desperate to engage with Joe's emerging libido is rather bizarre and a bit risqué . Easier to swallow is lovely Ruth Hall , the coed who admires Brown in silence . Edward Woods is Miss Lee's bullying boyfriend who can't wait to dig his spikes into Brown's flesh . Edward J . Nugent plays the team captain who befriends Joe after witnessing his remarkable sprinting ability . Movie mavens will recognize Maude Eburne as a sympathetic maid .
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437,093 | 306,861 | 24,285 | 10 |
Mickey's Horrible Adventure
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A Walt Disney MICKEY MOUSE Cartoon . Brave Mickey tracks THE MAD DOCTOR who has kidnapped Pluto to a spooky old castle of horrors . This fascinating little black & white film was considered so frightful and inconsistent with other Mouse cartoons , it was hidden away for decades in the Disney vaults . Heavily influenced by the horror films of the early 1930's , there are some truly eerie moments as stalwart Mickey searches the castle and must deal with the dangerous skeletons that follow him , while poor Pluto is strapped down in the laboratory and threatened with a hideous fate by the deranged Doctor . Besides the plot , the animation is excellent , with the artists getting to entertain the viewers with intriguing experiments in light & shadow . Walt Disney 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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437,839 | 306,861 | 22,086 | 10 |
Horton's Hoo
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The strange connection between a passionate lawyer and a vaudeville impersonator leads to romantic complications for their LONELY WIVES . Edward Everett Horton , that nervous fuss-budget who enlivened so many films as a top character actor during Hollywood's Golden Age , here gets a rare starring role and a chance to really flex his comedic muscles . Although it's a little difficult to think of Horton as a romantic idol - - even a funny one - - he certainly has the lovely ladies adoring him in this lively Pre-Code farce . Providing double trouble , Horton plays the dual roles of a stern lawyer who ? blooms ' into a Don Juan every evening at 8 PM and the talented mimic who wishes to impersonate the lawyer on the stage . Add the lonely wives - - Esther Ralston & Laura La Plante - - and you're likely to get a merry marital mix-up . Patsy Ruth Miller plays the lawyer's too flirtatious new secretary . Spencer Charters staggers through the role of the household's increasingly inebriated butler . Best of all is elderly Maude Eburne , an underappreciated actress with considerable comic skills , who tackles the role of Ms . Ralston's boisterous mother . Chubby Ms . Eburne easily holds her own with either Hortons and gets to utter the film's final , funniest line .
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438,128 | 306,861 | 12,512 | 10 |
All Aboard The Comedy Train With Mr . Lloyd
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A Hal Roach HAROLD LLOYD 3-Reeler . A young fellow must suddenly care for an infant on a very eventful overnight train trip . Harold Lloyd has a field day in this wonderful short silent film , NOW OR NEVER . His athletic prowess was never in more demand than here where - with half his right hand missing and disguised by a glove - he jumps , crawls , runs , leaps and squirms his way all over , under and through a passenger train . Along the way he must contend with thieving hobos , belligerent passengers , unfriendly bullies , suspicious conductors and the demands of a precocious tiny tot , charmingly played by little Anna Mae Bilson . Through all perplexities & befuddlements , and a lot of real physical danger , Harold is never less than astoundingly funny . Pretty Mildred Davis plays the infant's nursemaid ; Miss Davis ' association with Harold Lloyd was at this time turning to romance and would soon culminate in marriage . Robert Israel has composed an excellent film score which perfectly complements Harold's antics on the screen .
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437,609 | 306,861 | 25,873 | 10 |
Off In A Trailer With Mr . Laurel & Mr . Hardy
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A LAUREL & HARDY Comedy Short . Poor Ollie is suffering painfully from gout . His doctor advises rest , country air & lots of fresh water . So the Boys rent a trailer and head up into THEM THAR HILLS . Picking a quiet spot , they are unaware that the well has been tainted with many barrels of bootleg liquor . Drinking the water while fixing their dinner , they quickly become inebriated . They are suddenly visited by a bickering couple who've run out of gas . Playing host to the wife , Stan & Ollie share their water with her and she is roisteringly drunk by the time her husband returns . . . This is a very funny little film & should be seen in conjunction with its follow-up , TIT FOR TAT . The slapstick fight between the Boys & Charley Hall , as the furious husband , is hilarious . Mae Busch is the wife ; film mavens will recognize Billy Gilbert as the doctor .
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437,253 | 306,861 | 156,031 | 10 |
The Debut Of A Christmas Legend
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A JAM HANDY PICTURE Cartoon Short . On a particularly foggy Christmas Eve , RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER turns his humiliating birth defect into a beneficial asset . . . Two decades before Rudolph came to the small screen , Robert L . May's enduring creation was given the Max Fleischer special touch in this nostalgic cartoon . Johnny Marks ' infectious song leads into the well-known story of Santa's Winter weather troubles & how the bullied little deer saved the day / night . A few of the graphics are reminiscent of Fleischer's splendid SUPERMAN series . The cartoon adds some new details to the story - Mama Rudolph in a dress & apron is a rather strange sight - but basically this version , narrated by Paul Wing , laid the groundwork for later adaptations . While rather obscure , if uncovered this would make a fine addition to a family's Christmas Eve viewing .
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438,122 | 306,861 | 37,784 | 10 |
Goofy On Ice
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A Walt Disney GOOFY Cartoon . It's HOCKEY HOMICIDE as the Loose Leafs battle the Ant Eaters for the championship . Here is another Goofy Sports film ; the animation is routine , but the story is humorous as it skewers the popular icecapade . Doodles Weaver is the highly excitable narrator . 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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437,871 | 306,861 | 156,030 | 10 |
Not Your Ordinary Western
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A Warner Brothers Short Subject . An American cowboy tries to foil the abduction of the young king of Avania during THE ROYAL RODEO he's presenting at the castle . This pleasant Technicolor diversion , a sort of Grustark Goes West , mixes the elements of court intrigue and rodeo performers with a couple of songs and a little action . John Payne plays the cowboy hero , Cliff Edwards ( sans ukulele ) is his sidekick , and Scotty Becket is the boy monarch . 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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437,071 | 306,861 | 39,711 | 10 |
Pluto Hits The High Notes
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A Walt Disney PLUTO Cartoon . Spring is here and Pluto is just full of inner music which he can't seem to express - until inspiration strikes . . . Nominated for an Oscar , PLUTO'S BLUE NOTE is an enjoyable cartoon with very little plot . That's Frank Sinatra being spoofed at the end of the film . Sharp eyes will spot Fifi , who was Pluto's doggie girlfriend during the 1930's , among the enthusiastic canine females at the conclusion . This was her final cartoon appearance . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Bambi , Peter Pan and Mr . Toad . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off .
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437,049 | 306,861 | 179,475 | 10 |
Keats Said It Best . . .
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An MGM COLORTONE MUSICAL Short . Once upon a time , there was a kindly old man who was THE SPECTACLE MAKER for his village . He is challenged to create a marvelous Glass , through which only Beauty can be seen . Reading the Bible shows him the meaning of true Beauty and , so , he creates the Glass . Instant fame is his , but then he's challenged concerning Truth . . . Not much as far as musicals go , and uneven dramatically , but as a morality tale it has charm . The Technicolor is very pleasing to the eye , as well .
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437,366 | 306,861 | 33,460 | 10 |
Isn't It Delicious ?
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A Walt Disney DONALD DUCK Cartoon . Home kitchen CHEF DONALD is trying to mix up a batch of mouthwatering waffles . Too bad he doesn't know his batter is full of rubber cement . . . This is a very funny little film , with watching Donald's expectations of a wonderful breakfast turn to extreme exasperation at the strange behavior of the unruly batter a real joy . Old Mother Mallard is a hilarious spoof of the cooks who broadcast during radio's Golden Age . The legendary Carl Barks was one of the writers on this project ; Clarence Nash once again does yeoman service in supplying the voice of the 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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437,156 | 306,861 | 12,543 | 10 |
Mr . Keaton Brings Home The Wampum
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A BUSTER KEATON Silent Short . Cheated of their land grant by unscrupulous white men , the members of an Indian tribe vow to murder THE PALEFACE who next enters their village - and here comes butterfly collecting Buster . . . Keaton delivers more elaborate chase sequences in this slightly racist , but still very funny , little film . Once again , some of Buster's stunts make the viewer wonder what kept him from busting his neck . Big Joe Roberts plays the beefy Indian Chief . 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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438,344 | 306,861 | 31,905 | 10 |
Duck Tales At Sea
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A Walt Disney DONALD DUCK Cartoon . Young SEA SCOUTS Huey , Dewey & Louie must try to save their Uncle Donald when the officious Duck has a dangerous encounter with a hungry shark . This is a very fine little film , with excellent animation and a humorous storyline . The Disney artists were able to make use of several of their favorite posterior gags . Clarence " Ducky " Nash supplies the voice for Donald . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Bambi , Peter Pan and Mr . Toad . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off .
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437,099 | 306,861 | 31,907 | 10 |
Sonja Skates , Tyrone Schemes , Rudy Sings , But Edna May Steals The Show
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A publicity agent finds himself playing SECOND FIDDLE when he fabricates a phony romance for a lovely new movie star he secretly adores . Sonja Henie was Norway's ice queen when she won Olympic gold medals in 1928 , 1932 & 1936 . After going professional , she began a celebrated movie career at 20th Century Fox in 1936 with her American film debut , ONE IN A MILLION . Beautiful & talented , as well as being a natural in front of the cameras , she carved out her own special niche during Hollywood's Golden Age . Although Miss Henie's ice routines may look antiquated by comparison to modern champions , there was nothing antique about her dazzling smile or sparkling personality . In this regard , some of today's snowflake princesses could still learn a great deal from her . As her career progressed , it became increasingly difficult for Fox to find decent stories for Miss Henie and the excuses for the lavish ice dancing numbers were often implausible . No matter . Audiences did not flock to her films to watch Sonja recite Shakespeare . The movies were meant to be pure escapist fantasy , plain & simple . SECOND FIDDLE is no exception and its story is often quite silly . Also , Sonja is not given nearly enough skating time to really satisfy her fans . However , Sonja's costars do offer some compensation . Although the role was certainly not one of his best , Tyrone Power is a lot of fun as the agent who must sublimate his own desires for the good of the Studio . Consequently , he has almost no romantic time with Sonja whatsoever , so instead he makes his somewhat unappealing role as charming as possible . His best moments are with marvelous character actress Edna May Oliver , playing Henie's sharp-tongued aunt , watching rather helplessly as she steals her every scene . Rudy Vallee is onboard mostly to sing a few songs , but he deftly underplays what could have been a boring good guy character and makes him standout well in contrast to the much more manic Power . Lyle Talbot has the small role of Sonja's Minnesota suitor . Movie mavens will recognize the voice of Charles Lane as that of the Studio Chief . Irving Berlin composed the songs , all of which are pleasant , but none of them come close to being counted among his best . Notice the sly script reference to ' Ferdinand . ' This would be an allusion to Ferdinand the Bull , the somewhat less than masculine hero of Munro Leaf's 1936 story ( and made into an Academy Award winning cartoon by Walt Disney in 1938 ) . Since the line is spoken to Power , it could be that the scriptwriter had more than one inference in mind . . . Ultimately , though , this is Sonja's show . She glides effortlessly into the viewer's heart , while balancing on a thin edge of silver , suspended over frozen water .
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437,368 | 306,861 | 45,550 | 10 |
History As Told By A Mouse
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A Walt Disney Cartoon . Amos the Philadelphia church mouse greatly influences Ben Franklin and the founding of the American Republic . Robert Lawson's classic 1939 story BEN AND ME comes to life in this delightful short film . Celebrated children's author Bill Peet penned the script and left in the original's sense of whimsy and good fun , featuring a slightly bumbling Ben and a remarkably astute Amos - whose ideas become some of Franklin's most famous inventions . The voice cast is perfect , with Sterling Holloway as Amos , Charles Ruggles as Ben & Hans Conried as Tom Jefferson . 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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437,758 | 306,861 | 12,532 | 10 |
Silent Spectacle
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Two ORPHANS OF THE STORM caused by the French Revolution desperately search for each other in the violent chaos of Paris . History's sweeping drama comes alive in this powerful epic film from legendary silent movie genius D . W . Griffith . Although much happens on a broad canvas , the director never loses sight of the intimate details of the heroines ' pitiful plight . In denouncing tyranny , Griffith always manages to keep the viewer engrossed in how the State's insidious evil affects the individual . Much of the film's success is due to the remarkable acting of the Gish Sisters , Lillian & Dorothy . Acclaimed for her comedic talents , Dorothy here gives an almost completely serious performance , portraying a blind girl cruelly separated from her beloved sister and forced to beg in the streets . Lillian , her classic face mirroring a myriad of emotions , plays the sibling persecuted by both lecherous aristocrats and rapacious revolutionaries . The scene in which Lillian , in an upper chamber , hears Dorothy singing in the alley below but is unable to reach her , is almost unbearable in its emotional intensity . A young Joseph Schildkraut plays Lillian's blue-blooded suitor , giving the viewer an intimation of the very fine character actor he would become with the advent of talking pictures . Lucille LaVerne steals more than a few scenes as the filthy harridan who enslaves and terrorizes Dorothy . Frank Puglia makes a poignant mark as Miss LaVerne's pathetic , downtrodden son . Comic actor Creighton Hale gives a lively performance in a small role as a mischievous , periwiged servant . A fascinating aspect of the film is its vivid rendering of two historical characters of great significance in the history of France . Georges Danton was probably not as noble as he is portrayed by Monte Blue , nor was Maximilien Robespierre necessarily as evil as Sidney Herbert depicts him . What is certain is that both men were responsible for the deaths of thousands of individuals during the Reign of Terror . Fittingly , each man had his own rendezvous with Madame Le Guillotine in 1794 . Movie mavens will recognize an unbilled Louis Wolheim as the executioner awaiting Miss Lillian on the scaffold . Griffith handles the sequences involving surging masses of extras with admirable dexterity . He also freely borrows a few plot elements from Dickens ' A Tale of Two Cities . In fact Miss LaVerne , with scarcely a costume change , would play the role of The Vengeance in MGM's 1935 version of that classic , violent novel .
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437,410 | 306,861 | 28,063 | 10 |
Sonja Henie Glides Into Her American Movie Debut
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A pretty ice skating Swiss Miss has a ONE IN A MILLION chance to become a road show star , but she will jeopardize her chances for competing in the 1936 Winter Olympics . Will a young American reporter help woo her into making the right decision ? Sonja Henie was Norway's ice queen when she won Olympic gold medals in 1928 , 1932 & 1936 . Quickly going professional , she began a celebrated movie career at 20th Century Fox in 1936 . ONE IN A MILLION was her American film debut . Beautiful & talented , as well as being a natural in front of the cameras , she carved out her niche during Hollywood's Golden Age . Although Henie's ice routines may look antiquated by comparison to modern champions , there was nothing antique about her dazzling smile or sparkling personality . Some of today's snowflake princesses could still learn a great deal from her . The Studio surrounded 24-year old Miss Henie with an experienced supporting cast : Jean Hersholt as her gentle father ; Adolphe Menjou as a penniless , brash road show impresario & Arline Judge as his plain spoken wife ; Don Ameche as the American reporter who falls for Henie ; acerbic Ned Sparks as a cantankerous photographer ; and Montague Love as a mysterious stranger . Fans of the Ritz Brothers will appreciate their routines ; Russian Borrah Minevitch and His Harmonica Gang are zany enough to almost make you forget how talented they were . Ultimately , though , this is Sonja's show . She glides into the viewer's heart , while balancing on a thin edge of steel over frozen water .
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437,637 | 306,861 | 29,751 | 10 |
Shirley Temple in Rudyard Kipling Tale of British India
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India - the 1890's - the North-West Frontier . Precocious young Priscilla arrives with her widowed mother to live with the grandfather they've never met , a stern old Army Colonel . Gaining the nickname of Private WEE WILLIE WINKIE , the little girl quickly charms nearly everyone around her , including a tough Scots Sergeant . But it is her influence with the local bandit chief that portends the greatest impact on all their lives . This was arguably Shirley Temple's finest film . It is certainly her most lavish . Fox & director John Ford fashioned a mini-epic with great atmosphere and much to please family viewers . The detailed sets & huge cast of extras do the picture proud . Shirley is wonderful , as usual , in her own unique way , but this time she has a couple of co-stars that can hold their own with her . Victor McLaglen is every inch the embodiment of a bluff British sergeant - and well he should , given his real-life background as a boxing champion and Provost Marshal of Baghdad . Gruff & tender by turns , he gives an unforgettable performance . As Shirley's grandfather , marvelous old Sir C . Aubrey Smith gives another sterling portrayal as the archetype of the colonial officer class - crusty & domineering . The rest of the cast is equally enjoyable : Cesar Romero as the chieftain ; June Lang & Michael Whalen as Shirley's mother and her new lieutenant friend ( fortunately their romance is unobtrusive ) ; Willie Fung as the giggling , treacherous house boy ; and Constance Collier as the waspish wife of a brigade officer .
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437,529 | 306,861 | 14,440 | 10 |
The Return Of A Silent Swashbuckler
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Fleeing from the wrath of the vengeful Nobility , a young Frenchman joins a troupe of actors . Winning fame as the clown SCARAMOUCHE , the stalwart fellow finds himself drawn into the events surrounding the start of the Revolution . Following his big movie hit of the previous year - 1922's THE PRISONER OF ZENDA - director Rex Ingram discovered that cinematic lightning could indeed strike twice with this very fine adaptation of Rafael Sabatini's swashbuckling novel , " Scaramouche . " Metro gave the production a high gloss , with excellent atmospherics , richly detailed exteriors & rousing mob scenes . It is always refreshing , in any epic film , to see every penny the studio invested represented on the screen . Ingram reunited his principal cast from ZENDA - Ramon Novarro , Lewis Stone & Alice Terry - as stars for SCARAMOUCHE . Novarro , taking the hero role this time , proved he was no flash in the pan . Equally adept as sensitive lover or dueling revolutionary , with this performance Novarro was catapulted to Hollywood's upper ranks . Stone gives a finely nuanced performance as the villain of the story , slowly revealing layers to the man's personality not readily apparent at first . Miss Terry , who was Ingram's wife , is lovely , but the plot gives her little to do except look distressed or frightened . In the supporting cast , special note should be given to George Siegmann , striking in the historical role of Danton . Edward Connelly , as the King's Minister , makes a marvelous grotesque . It is interesting to note that Italian-born British author Rafael Sabatini ( 1875-1950 ) had been a novelist for many years before striking gold with " Scaramouche . " Its popularity with the public , to say nothing of this acclaimed movie adaptation , pushed it permanently onto that small shelf of fiction ( and films ) - " A Tale of Two Cities , " " The Scarlet Pimpernel " & ORPHANS OF THE STORM - forever associated with the French Revolution . Sabatini also wrote the swashbuckler adventure novels " The Sea Hawk " & " Captain Blood . "
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437,335 | 306,861 | 45,545 | 10 |
First Rate Disney Nature Documentary
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A Walt Disney TRUE-LIFE ADVENTURE Short Subject . This excellent nature documentary examines a year in the life of the residents of BEAR COUNTRY . While we see that most of the creatures must work hard to find food and avoid being eaten , it is shown that the lordly bear has a wild bounty spread before him . The relationship between mother bears & their cubs is also examined . Highlight : bears & their itches . ' This is one of a series of TRUE-LIFE ADVENTURES presenting strange facts about the world we live in . In the making of these films , nature is the dramatist . There are no fictitious situations or characters . ' Winston Hibler is the narrator .
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437,396 | 306,861 | 29,747 | 10 |
Way Out West With Stan & Ollie
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Would you send Mister Laurel & Mister Hardy off to the wilds of the Old West to deliver an important inheritance document to a young lady they've never seen ? Probably not . But that is the hinge upon which this whole wonderfully goofy movie swings . As always , the Boys are a pure joy to watch , whether they are trying to bust into a saloon in the dead of night , scuffling with the bad guys for a valuable scrap of paper or breaking into a delightful soft-shoe dance . James Finlayson is very funny once again as the Boys ' nemesis . Sharon Lynn , in a hilarious scene , gets to tickle Stan silly . At one point Ollie begins to sing ' On The Trail Of The Lonesome Pine ' in his clear high tenor . He had a beautiful voice , warm & nostalgic . Just like the rest of this film , one of Laurel & Hardy's best .
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437,876 | 306,861 | 25,919 | 10 |
Don't Close The Iron Door On This Classic
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Down but not quite out , a megalomaniacal theatrical producer schemes to get his former star & lover back under contract during a wild ride on the TWENTIETH CENTURY Limited racing from Chicago to New York City . Directed by Howard Hawks from an inspired script by Ben Hecht & Charles MacArthur , this is one of the seminal screwball comedies which would set the high-water mark for years to come - zany characters , living at a frenetic pace , throwing outrageous lines at each other . While the situations are completely unrealistic it makes no matter . Films like this were calculated to lift Depression audiences out of their troubles for an hour or so ; today , we long for them to work that old magic again . In a large & spirited cast there is one eminence , one name above the title , one peak ascending over the smaller hills . John Barrymore , a lifetime of theatrical history and private dissolution etched on his remarkable face , is a grade A ham as the unspeakable Oscar Jaffe , willing to break any convention , law or dogma to get what he wants . Cajoling , pleading , threatening , cooing like a dove , screeching like a banshee , Barrymore is utterly mad , unspeakably obnoxious & thoroughly delightful . He doesn't just dominate the film , he overwhelms it like a thick wave of brimstone & honey . Watching him infuriate his players by chalking their movements on the floor , disguise himself as an elderly Southern gentleman in order to sneak aboard the train , or arranging his own fake death scene to serve his egotistical ends , is to watch a master of the acting art play a comedic role worthy of him . Carole Lombard is lovely , but completely overshadowed by Barrymore . Her character , while that of a great star , is pitched at a more normal tilt and exists to react to his enormities . While she's wonderful to watch , it's impossible to forget to whom the film really belongs . The rest of the cast is first rate . Barrymore's two faithful factotums are played by dyspeptic Walter Connolly and sardonic , boozy Roscoe Karns , both of whom have learned to deal with The Master's dictums in different ways . Hatchet-faced Charles Lane plays a director who becomes Barrymore's theatrical blood rival . Edgar Kennedy burnishes his few scenes as a private eye who's no match for an enraged Lombard . Handsome Englishman Ralph Forbes plays against type as a spoiled society boy who thinks he's in love with Lombard . And for sheer looniness there's chittering little Etienne Girardot , playing a benignly mad gentleman wandering about the train plastering large REPENT stickers on every available surface . Movie mavens will recognize Herman Bing & Lee Kohlmar as the uncredited & hilarious Passion Players from Oberammergau .
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437,413 | 306,861 | 28,070 | 10 |
Mr . Laurel & Mr . Hardy Invite You To Join Them In Double Trouble
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A couple of ordinary fellows find that life can get very complicated when they are mistaken for their long lost identical twins . Laurel & Hardy are a delight once more in OUR RELATIONS , an enjoyable film which lets the Boys simply do what they did best - just act silly . Looking very much like an expanded short subject , the fast moving plot rushes from one absurdity to another , pulling the happy viewer along with it . Highlight : in the tiny phone booth . Stan & Ollie are given great assistance from a supporting cast of old pros : Daphne Pollard & Betty Healy as their long-suffering wives ; Arthur Housman in his familiar role of a hilarious drunk ; Sidney Toler as a ferocious ship's captain ; and no-nonsense Alan Hale , very humorous as a burly waiter encountered by the Boys at a local beer garden . Funny James Finlayson , the Boys ' frequent foil , has a meatier role than usual as a parsimonious Scots .
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437,275 | 306,861 | 28,069 | 10 |
Too Many Mice
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A Walt Disney Mickey Mouse Cartoon . The ORPHANS ' PICNIC hosted by Mickey & Donald quickly becomes a complete shambles - thanks to the multitude of naughty little rodents . The Duck dominates this funny little film , with Mickey relegated to supporting player . The animators liked to use the Orphans ' rare appearances almost like a force of nature - relentless , uncontrollable & completely undisciplined . Walt Disney provides the voice for the Mouse ; Clarence Nash does the same for Donald . 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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438,291 | 306,861 | 175,122 | 10 |
A Rudyard Kipling Classic Come To Life
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RIKKI-TIKKI-TAVI , the Indian mongoose , takes on the responsibility for keeping the big bungalow belonging to an English family safe . But with the deadly great cobras Nag & Nagaina on the prowl , how long will Rikki be safe himself ? This is a very fine adaptation of one of Rudyard Kipling's non-Mowgli tales from The Jungle Books . Directed , produced & written for the screen by master animator Chuck Jones , the story sticks quite faithfully to the original and keeps the requisite cartoon silliness to a minimum . Much credit should go to Orson Welles , who narrates as well as voicing Nag & the nervous muskrat ; also to June Foray who gives voice to all three female roles . Together , these two old pros add a great deal to the success of the film . In order to maintain the ' cuteness quotient ' Rikki is not drawn exactly to scale . Any mongoose who could fit effortlessly in a child's breakfast spoon would certainly be no match for an enraged , adult cobra . The Indian gray mongoose , or Herpestes edwardsi , can commonly live more than 20 years in captivity , with a head & body up to 26 inches long . They are indeed renowned for attacking large poisonous snakes , and they usually win these battles due to their great agility & speed , as well as their very thick coats , through which the snakes ' fangs have trouble penetrating . There are many species of mongoose - among them the African meerkat . Children enraptured by Rikki should know that mongoose importation into America as pets is prohibited , due to these little carnivores predilection for hunting & destroying useful animals & birds .
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437,725 | 306,861 | 37,820 | 10 |
Karloff Most Effective In Psychological Thriller
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In 1912 , a stern old Greek general finds himself trapped on the ISLE OF THE DEAD after an outbreak of the dreaded plague . When the front office at RKO Pictures informed producer Val Lewton that Boris Karloff had been procured to appear in his next suspense film , he wasn't entirely pleased . Karloff was famous for his portrayal of horrific monsters & mummies , sensationalist creations not at all in tune with the psychological thrillers for which Lewton was noted - - with very low budgets , he was able to fashion fascinating films in which the atmosphere was every bit as important as the plot . Luckily , Karloff turned out to be an inspired choice . Determined to show that he was a skilled actor ( actually , he was a very fine & talented performer ) he was completely in sync with what Lewton envisaged , giving a nuanced portrayal of an essentially decent man who finds himself slowly driven to a sort of despair by the forces around him . He becomes the heart of a film which wisely saves its shocks for the last few minutes , having built up to the eerie climax slowly & inexorably . Lewton was very pleased with Karloff's work and arranged two more collaborations . With only two weeks left in filming ISLE OF THE DEAD , Karloff had to be hospitalized for serious back problems . On his release from hospital , he found Lewton was all prepared to film THE BODY SNATCHER ( 1945 ) . Karloff gave another wonderful performance , before finally finishing ISLE OF THE DEAD . The following year Karloff starred in Lewton's BEDLAM ( 1946 ) , completing the trio of very tidy thrillers . Karloff's co-stars give him good support , especially Ernst Deutsch as a military doctor ; Alan Napier & Katherine Emery as a British consul and his invalid wife ; Helen Thimig as a superstitious Greek peasant ; and little Skelton Knaggs , who in a tiny scene with only a few words is able to make his Cockney tinker character come alive . Ellen Drew & Marc Cramer handle the romance , which fortunately does not intrude too much on the story . The viewer , in the course of watching ISLE OF THE DEAD , will discover much about the medical state of catatonia , as well as the monstrous vorvolaka , part vampire - part werewolf , which haunts Greek nightmares . Lewton based his ideas for this film on a painting he had seen as a boy in Russia , Arnold Böcklin's darkly allegorical Island of the Dead ( 1880 ) , which is shown behind the opening credits of the film . This somewhat sinister painting was also the inspiration for Sergey Rachmaninoff's celebrated symphonic poem , ? The Isle of the Dead ' ( 1909 ) . Incidentally , the conflict which is the background to the film was the Balkan War of 1912 , in which the Balkan League ( Greece , Serbia , Bulgaria & Montenegro ) attacked the Ottoman Empire and destroyed most of its hegemony on the European continent . Begun in October and ended in December , it was short & bloody . However , troubles in Constantinople started hostilities up again in January of 1913 . It finally ended in May , with the Turks once more decisively defeated . Although the Empire was left very much weakened , the War solved very little else . In June , the victorious parties began fighting amongst themselves , with Greece & Serbia trouncing Bulgaria by August . Greece ended the two short Wars with Crete and parts of Macedonia & Epirus added to her territories and the new state of Albania was carved out of old Ottoman lands . But ancient animosities were aroused and the entire Peninsula lay waiting for the next international incident , which obligingly took place 10 months later at the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo .
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437,404 | 306,861 | 14,429 | 10 |
Hanging Around With Harold Lloyd
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The " human fly " antics which ends this movie is undoubtly the most famous sequence in all of silent cinema . It is also the most hilarious . Breathtaking , heart-stopping & very funny , it is the element that you remember the longest . While THE KID BROTHER was Harold Lloyd's masterpiece , SAFETY LAST was & is his most famous movie . But don't overlook the rest of the film in which he plays a lowly store clerk ( dealing with frantic female shoppers and an imperious floorwalker ) who tries to convince his rather gullible girlfriend - played by real-life wife Mildred Davis - that he's actually the store manager . Throughout , Harold Lloyd is beyond praise . His comic genius makes it all look so easy . And his athletic daredeviltry is even more amazing when you realize that 2 of the fingers on his right hand are fake - he lost the real digits in a freak studio accident .
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437,422 | 306,861 | 24,316 | 10 |
Getting To The Church On Time With Mr . Laurel & Mr . Hardy
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A LAUREL & HARDY Comedy Short . Ollie is marrying the boss's daughter this morning and he has no time for any nonsense . Then Stan shows up with an absolutely irresistible jigsaw puzzle . . . Although a one-note comedy , ME AND MY PAL is still very funny . Highlight : Ollie's face as he listens to the radio announcement . That's James Finlayson as Peter Cucumber & Charlie Hall as the flower delivery boy .
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437,624 | 306,861 | 25,907 | 10 |
Wallace Beery Waves The Jolly Roger
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The most famous pirate in English literature sets sail across the High Seas of Adventure - bound for TREASURE ISLAND . Robert Louis Stevenson's wonderful 1883 tale of devious deeds , derring-do & hidden doubloons is given a first rate production by MGM in this swaggering , boisterous film . Although many of the lead actors are American and make no pretense of hiding their Yankee accents , this in no way hinders the enjoyment or appreciation of the film's many qualities . The story has been necessarily streamlined a bit , but the excisions are judicious and the robust flavour of the original novel remains . Bulbous & bulgy , with a gimlet eye & a baby's grin , Wallace Beery makes a unique Long John Silver . As willful as an infant and as ruthless as a Mafia don , he completely manages to steal every scene he's in . Acting as innocent as any cherub , he gleefully commits murderous mayhem at every turn , while hobbling about on his crutch in feverish pursuit of Flint's buried treasure . Beery had the rare - and enviable - ability to take a wretched sinner like Silver and transform him into a lovable old rogue . He makes this role his own and is unforgettable in it . OUR GANG star Jackie Cooper makes a sturdy Jim Hawkins . His screen chemistry with Beery , so important to the plot , is still as good as it was previously in THE CHAMP ( 1931 ) . Cooper was a talented child actor and could easily go from excited high jinks to blubbery tears with ease . Here , he gets to personify every lad's dreams of fabulous exploits & personal glory . A trio of accomplished performers portray young Cooper's three friends : Otto Kruger as noble Doctor Livesey ; Nigel Bruce as blustery , big-hearted Squire Trelawney ; and Lewis Stone as sternly courageous Captain Smollett . All three acquit themselves very well . Consummate character actor Lionel Barrymore adds another portrait to his gallery - that of the bullying , rumsoaked Billy Bones , whose possession of the treasure map is the instigation of the film's problems . Although the role is really quite brief , Barrymore makes the most of it , slashing wildly about with his cutlass and singing ? Fifteen Men On A Dead Man's Chest ' with passionate fury . It is a shame the plot gave him no scenes with Beery - they would have been memorable together . Stevenson's story creates a few small , choice cameo roles which are here delightfully delineated - Charles McNaughton as the scurvy Black Dog ; William V . Mong as the fearsome Blind Pew ; and a terrific Charles ? Chic ' Sale as canny old Ben Gunn , all jerks and fidgets and ridden with fleas . Dorothy Peterson , a fine actress , plays Mrs . Hawkins . The seafaring scenes on board the Hispaniola , filmed along the coast of California , are particularly well produced .
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437,072 | 306,861 | 39,712 | 10 |
Pluto Problems
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A Walt Disney PLUTO Cartoon . PLUTO'S HOUSEWARMING of his splendid new home is hampered somewhat by a tiny turtle who is determined on moving in , too . Here is a rather routine Pluto cartoon , in which he gets to interact with yet another small , cuddly critter . That's Pluto's nemesis Butch who shows up in the second half of the film . 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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438,275 | 306,861 | 8,687 | 10 |
Faithful , Antique Look At An American Classic
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Mark Twain's immortal TOM SAWYER flirts with Becky Thatcher , goes rafting with Huckleberry Finn on the Mississippi River & generally makes life a sore tribulation for the law-abiding citizens of St . Petersburg , Missouri . Produced only seven years after the death of Mark Twain , this rousing , action packed silent film remains faithful to the original classic novel . The fine production values lavished upon it give it the feel of an old photo album . Many of the favorite episodes from the first half of the book are included and filmed with much charm . Jack Pickford gives a hardy , robust portrayal of Tom , the eternal companion of millions of American boys . Although a bit tall & old ( he was 21 ) to be an authentic portrait of the real Tom , he comes close enough . Tattered , begrimed Robert Gordon as Huckleberry Finn also scores in his small role . The film concludes with the boys interrupting their own funeral , after being assumed drowned while river rafting . Director William Desmond Taylor decided to film the rest of the book and release it as a sequel , which he did the following year as HUCK AND TOM ( 1918 ) . Four years later , in 1922 , Taylor's still unsolved murder would give Hollywood one of its most sensational scandals . Almost forgotten today , Jack Pickford , Mary's younger brother , was a movie star in his own right , appearing in 106 films between 1909 & 1928 . Lacking his sister's intense dedication & drive , he gave his life over to riotous living - to the detriment of his career . Personal tragedy & dissipation would haunt him until his death in 1933 at the age of 36 .
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437,551 | 306,861 | 35,342 | 10 |
Into The Wild Blue Yonder With Private Duck
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A Walt Disney DONALD DUCK Cartoon . Assigned to peeling potatoes at Mallard Field , Donald wants more than anything to take to the air as a SKY TROOPER . Maybe Sergeant Pete can change his mind . . . Here is one of Donald's wartime cartoons , with lots of laughs and physical comedy . Pete has finally found his niche as a military noncommissioned officer . The legendary Carl Barks was one of the writers involved in this little film ; Clarence Nash provides the Duck with his unique voice . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by pictures & drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew comic figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Dumbo , Bambi & Peter Pan . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that childlike simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off .
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438,322 | 306,861 | 35,343 | 10 |
When Pluto Met Dinah
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A Walt Disney PLUTO Cartoon . Who is THE SLEEPWALKER that's taking all of Pluto's best bones to the pretty new female dog next door ? This enjoyable little film is notable chiefly as the debut of Dinah the dainty dachshund , who would appear as Pluto's heartthrob in 5 cartoons from 1942 until her retirement in 1950 . 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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437,203 | 306,861 | 37,792 | 10 |
A Plea For Tolerance
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An RKO Short Subject . A group of rowdy little bullies are given a lesson in tolerance by crooner Frank Sinatra , who compares America to THE HOUSE I LIVE IN . This little film delivers a pertinent message about the evils of prejudice & bias . Sinatra is an absolute natural in front of the camera ; intense & sincere , he is the perfect spokesperson for the values espoused here . Sinatra sings ? The House I Live In , ' by Lewis Allan & Earl Robinson . This fine tune , with a solid , pro-American message , is being given something of a comeback since the horrendous events of September 11 , 2001 . 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 neighborhood 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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437,585 | 306,861 | 24,291 | 10 |
Mickey Flies The Skies
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A Walt Disney MICKEY MOUSE Cartoon . Mickey , THE MAIL PILOT , knows his precious cargo must get through - even when menaced by Pete in his bat-like plane . This is a fine little black & white film , with lots of detail in the animation . Especially good opening shot of the busy airport - notice the hapless autogyro . 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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437,083 | 306,861 | 37,794 | 10 |
Another Spooky House For Holmes & Watson
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Gathered in THE HOUSE OF FEAR , the members of a strange tontine begin to meet violent & mysterious deaths . Once again , Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's celebrated consulting detective , Sherlock Holmes , tackles the problems pervading an Old Dark House . This time it's the Good Comrades Club and their rapidly dwindling membership , and Universal Studios supplies all the proper atmospherics to provide plenty of chills & suspense . Basil Rathbone , as the cerebral sleuth , and Nigel Bruce , as his amiable sidekick , have already reached perfection in their roles . Rathbone , with his wonderful voice , always commands attention , and Bruce is especially good in the sequence where Watson finds himself alone in Drearcliff House , surrounded by unseen menace . Together , their film partnership has become screen legend . Dennis Hoey returns in the role of Inspector Lestrade of Scotland Yard , always several steps behind Holmes in his use of deductive reasoning . The seven Good Comrades are played by cherubic Aubrey Mather , gaunt Paul Cavanagh , Holmes Herbert , Harry Cording , and the unbilled Wilson Benge , Cyril Delevanti & Richard Alexander . Also appearing without credit is that most versatile of British character actresses , Doris Lloyd , playing a Scots innkeeper . This film , which was very loosely based on Conan Doyle's The Adventure of the Five Orange Pips , followed THE PEARL OF DEATH ( 1944 ) and preceded THE WOMAN IN GREEN ( 1945 ) .
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437,179 | 306,861 | 20,432 | 10 |
The Men Who Made The Music
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An MGM Short Subject . Melody masters get to briefly shine in front of the cameras for THE SONG WRITERS ' REVUE . Jack Benny - - his humor definitely a matter of taste - - introduces eight of the famous composers working for mighty MGM Studios at the dawn of the talkie age . Some of their tunes are presented to give an extra punch to the proceedings : Fred Fisher ( ' Peg ' O My Heart ' ) performs his ' Dardanella . ' Ray Egan ( ' Till We Meet Again , ' ' Ain't We Got Fun , ' ' Sleepy Time Gal ' ) plays his hit ' Japanese Sandman . ' Gus Edwards ( ' By The Light Of The Silvery Moon , ' ' In My Merry Oldsmobile ' ) sings his ' School Days . ' Russian immigrant Dave Dreyer ( ' Back In Your Own Backyard , ' ' There's A Rainbow Round My Shoulder ' ) plays his ' Me And My Shadow . ' Fred Ahlert & Roy Turk ( ' I'll Get By ' ) present their ' Mean To Me . ' Nacio Herb Brown & Arthur Freed ( ' Broadway Melody , ' ' You Were Meant For Me , ' ' The Pagan Love Song ' ) perform their ' Wedding Of The Painted Doll . ' 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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438,264 | 306,861 | 50,770 | 10 |
A Tale From Old Indochina
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NIOK , the little forest elephant , is befriended by a young village boy . They will enjoy their delightful camaraderie , until the day a wily Chinese merchant takes the small pachyderm away . . . This French short subject is a fine family film . Children should love Niok , a most charming creature . The sparse narration is a bit stiff , but does not encumber the story . The ambiance is helped considerably by location filming at Cambodia's massive monastery complex at Angkor Wat .
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437,302 | 306,861 | 41,213 | 10 |
The Pup's Gummed Up
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A Walt Disney PLUTO Cartoon . Pluto and a persistent bee engage in a vigorous struggle over the control of some purloined bubble gum balls . While breaking no new ground , BUBBLE BEE is still an enjoyable little film . This was the second of seven cartoons , produced by Disney between 1948 & 1952 , to feature Buzz-Buzz the bee , usually as an antagonist for Donald 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 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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438,061 | 306,861 | 20,445 | 10 |
Disney's Salute To The Seasons , Opus One
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A Walt Disney SILLY SYMPHONY Cartoon Short . It is SPRINGTIME at the marsh , and the joy of the season is causing the various birds & bugs to dance about rapturously and eat each other up . . . This black & white cartoon is basically an exercise in action / reaction animation . The Disney artists seem to have an unending supply of posterior gags , often rather vulgar . The tuneful soundtrack with its familiar themes pushes the action along - most notably Ponchielli's ' Dance of the Hours , ' which would be showcased to great effect eleven years later in the Studio's FANTASIA . 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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437,777 | 306,861 | 12,499 | 10 |
Out On A Girder With Mr . Lloyd
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A HAROLD LLOYD Short Subject . A lovesick young man must NEVER WEAKEN when he unexpectedly finds himself in a most precarious & dangerous situation . Here is one of Harold Lloyd's thrill pictures , which offers quick-moving comedy and genuine suspense . The first half of the film has Harold trying to roundup patients for his girlfriend's boss . The second half puts Harold up on the framework of a building under construction - clutching , crawling & careening out over empty space . His obvious athletic ability is made even more remarkable by the fact that he was using only half of his right hand , his disfigurement , caused by a studio accident , hidden by a glove . Pretty Mildred Davis , who would soon become Mrs . Harold Lloyd , plays the object of his affections .
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437,110 | 306,861 | 37,800 | 10 |
A Pure Joy
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It's a shame that so few people have seen this gem of a movie during the last half century , as it is a little masterpiece , perfectly honed and crafted , without an unnecessary scene or line of dialogue . This is the kind of neglected film you dream about discovering , but so rarely do . Of all the celebrated productions given the world by the multi-talented team of Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger , this is the one that should stand as their monument . The story , in its very bare bones is this : a stubborn & headstrong young woman of Manchester travels to Scotland's Inner Hebrides to marry her very rich fiancé on the remote island he's rented . Foul weather strands her on the Isle of Mull where she meets a rather dashing , if somewhat penniless , laird . Then . . . you'll have to see the rest for yourself . Suffice it to say that the plot includes a ruined castle , an ancient curse , and the terrifying whirlpool of Corryvreckan . . . Dame Wendy Hiller & Roger Livesey are perfect as the main characters . The excellent supporting cast includes Walter Hudd as a highly efficient private secretary , Finlay Currie as a craggy old fisherman , Capt . C . W . R . Knight , F . Z . S . as an eccentric English colonel with a passion for raptors , Pamela Brown as a no-nonsense Islander , gentle Jean Cadell as the Tobermory postmistress , Catherine Lacey & Valentine Dyall as a slightly boorish English couple tenanting a large castle , young Petula Clark as their serious little daughter , Nancy Price as an elderly aristocratic Scotswoman with wonderful memories & John Laurie as a boisterous soldier celebrating his parents ' Diamond Anniversary . The splendid Glasgow Orpheus Choir appears as performers at the Campbell Céilidh . The production is greatly enhanced by location filming on Mull , and Erwin Hiller's special photographic effects .
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438,166 | 306,861 | 28,091 | 10 |
Our Gang Fractures Shakespeare
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An OUR GANG Comedy Short . When Spanky & the Gang put on a presentation of ' Romyo and Jullet ' out in the barn for the neighborhood kids , the audience is told they can ' PAY AS YOU EXIT ' if they like the show . But chaos ensues - especially after Alfalfa's onion-munching drives away leading lady Darla . A fine little film , short and to the point . Spanky's strongman routine is cute and if you ever wondered how Buckwheat would play Juliet's Balcony Scene , this is the place to look . That's Fat Joe Cobb as the big kid in the audience .
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437,852 | 306,861 | 24,211 | 10 |
George Brent Romances Kay Francis In Old Havana
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Peeping through THE KEYHOLE we find an unhappy wife who sails to Cuba to shake off a blackmailing former lover , not knowing that her millionaire husband has sent a handsome detective to compromise her . . . This elaborately plotted little picture is a very fine example of the kind of film Warner Bros . produced so effortlessly in the 1930's . Frothy , a bit silly & fun , it boasts entertaining performances and good production values . Depression audiences sat through scores of movies just like this , generally well made , but with interchangeable plots & stars . Kay Francis & George Brent handle the romantic situations very nicely . Sophisticated & charming , they keep their stock characters from ever becoming dull . The humor is supplied by brassy blonde Glenda Farrell as a gold digging shill & dumb-as-dirt detective Allen Jenkins . Henry Kolker as the suspicious husband , Helen Ware as his elderly , sympathetic sister , and Monroe Owsley as the oily Lothario , all add to the fun in their supporting roles . Especially enjoyable is little Ferdinand Gottschalk , appearing in only one scene as a comically flirtatious old banker . Movie mavens will recognize sour-faced Clarence Wilson as the head of the detective agency .
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437,363 | 306,861 | 24,213 | 10 |
Frightful Fun With The Little Rascals
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An OUR GANG Comedy Short . Uncle George comes to town , bringing the Wild Man he's brought with him from Borneo . When the Gang goes to visit , Stymie's candy awakens the savage within him ( ' Yum-Yum ! Eat ? em up ! ' ) and he chases them all back to and through Spanky's house . A very funny film - lots of wild slapstick here - but the sight of the drunken fellow pursuing little kids with a big knife is a bit unsettling . Highlight : Spanky feeding the Wild Man . Query : why does the film treat Spanky's Mom so harshly at the end ? That's John Lester Johnson as the Wild Man .
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437,391 | 306,861 | 41,094 | 10 |
Two Wild - And Very Different - Rides
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From English and American literature come two fabulous characters who will forever excite readers with THE ADVENTURES OF ICHABOD AND MR . TOAD . This was the last of Disney's compilation or anthology films - a form necessitated by the exigencies of the War years - and is actually a double featurette . Both halves would eventually be spun off into individual short subjects and work very well independently of each other . Their connections are quite tenuous : besides featuring ' fabulous characters ' each story showcases a celebrated wild ride - one of which would , indeed , provide a long-lasting ' dark show ' attraction at Disneyland . First up is THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS , which gives a drastically shortened & much revised view of Kenneth Grahame's classic book , focusing entirely on the chapters dealing with the exploits of the marvelous Mr . Toad and the troubles arising from his fixation with motorcars & speed ( although much more time is spent showing him in his canary-coloured gypsy cart ) . As such , it is a fine introduction to Toad Hall , but one can only wonder what Disney would have done with a feature length animated film that included the bucolic charm of the novel , the glories of the Riverbank & the terrors of the Wild Wood as well as the high jinks . The production values are excellent , with narration by the inimitable Basil Rathbone , and Eric Blore & J . Pat O'Malley obviously have a high time voicing the wanton Toad and his equine pal Cyril Proudbottom , but a true fan of Grahame's original creation can't help longing for a little more . . . Washington Irving's famous story , THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW , comes alive in the second half of the movie . Bing Crosby's singing narration and the top-notch animation tell a tale of humor and genuine fright . Ichabod Crane , the pedantic pedagogue , is a triumph of the animators ' art , while the film's climax - the ride through the Hollow & the appearance of the hideous Hessian - is a celebration of pacing and stylistic understatement . Based on material much shorter than Grahame's , the plot fits into the half hour time slot more easily and still has the luxury of introducing a wholly original & hilarious minor character in the chubby little Tilda , who completely steals the dancing sequence . It is the Horseman , however , who should remain the longest in the viewer's uneasy dreams - the embodiment of every Halloween nightmare .
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437,589 | 306,861 | 28,104 | 10 |
Singing On The Radio With The Little Rascals
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An OUR GANG Comedy Short . The Kids are interested in winning the $50 offered by a local radio station for the best amateur children ? s performance . Holding an audition amongst themselves - which Alfalfa tries to rig - Darla is selected for her Baby Rose Marie-like rendition of ? I ? m In The Mood For Love . ? When she doesn ? t make it in time to the station , however , it gives Alfalfa the perfect opportunity to become celebrated as THE PINCH SINGER . . . A funny little film . Spanky runs the audition like a pint-size Major Bowes . Buckwheat ? s ? whistling ? is hilarious - as is Alfalfa ? s attempts at vocalizing . . .
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437,195 | 306,861 | 29,795 | 10 |
Walt Disney's Delightful Big Band Satire
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A Walt Disney SILLY SYMPHONY Cartoon Short . This cartoon portrays a typical evening at the WOODLAND CAFÉ , that popular insect hot spot . A wide assortment of ugly bugs are kept entertained by apache dancers ( a spider & a fly ) and dancing to Big Band music . A delightful little cartoon . The Disney animators show their versatility once again in their depiction of all things buggy . The film is also a spoof of Swing in general & Cab Calloway in particular . 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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437,426 | 306,861 | 31,995 | 10 |
Another Shirley Temple Crowd Pleaser
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A young girl , the only survivor of an Indian attack , becomes involved in the life of the Canadian Mounted Police officer who rescued her . An aging Shirley Temple ( she was 12 ) brings her special charm to this pleasant , if predictable , programmer . Although her glory days were behind her as Hollywood's top box office star , the mighty moppet still had the power to delight audiences with her appealing personality . If at times it seemed as though she was straying a little too near the hammy or histrionic , who can blame her ? For years she had been one of the industry's hardest working troopers , tirelessly promoting her movies , Fox Studios and the many efforts to raise the American people's spirits during the Depression . And she did it all with that marvelous , megawatt smile . By the time she appeared in SUSANNAH OF THE MOUNTIES , one of her last ? little girl ' roles , her spot in cinematic history was secure & unassailable . Stalwart Randolph Scott & pretty Margaret Lockwood deal with the romantic subplot , which fortunately is not allowed to intrude too much . Victor Jory , as usual , plays his villainous role well . Splendid character actor J . Farrell MacDonald , as an old Irish Mountie , shares some tender moments with Shirley . The film's action scenes are well done , with lots of shooting & excitement . While an attempt is made to show some of the conflict from the viewpoint of the Indians , having them all speak in pidgin English , even to each other , is a bit wearying . Members of the Blackfeet Nation appear throughout the film , adding greatly to its authenticity .
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438,304 | 306,861 | 24,221 | 10 |
Another Winning Film Starring George Arliss
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Wise & benevolent , a king sporting the heart & soul of a common man is forced by revolution to abdicate . He returns to the wife & daughter he hasn't seen in 18 years , but soon discovers it is no easy task to reclaim the life of an ordinary man . Now a royalist plot may restore him to the throne , making the King's retirement merely THE KING'S VACATION . George Arliss , that most watchable & urbane of movie actors , is utterly charming in this short , sweet film . Delivering a drama lesson with every glance & gesture ( watch him in the scene in which he must meet the largest family in his kingdom ) , Arliss is - as always - a pure delight . It is a shame that he is all but forgotten today . Kudos should also go to Florence Arliss , for her sensitive portrayal of the Queen . A frequent costar of her husband's , Mrs . Arliss graced her scenes with a quiet dignity . Dick Powell also appears - but does not sing - in a small role as a mechanic in love with the King's daughter . Fine production values tremendously help the impact of this lovely film .
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437,570 | 306,861 | 29,797 | 10 |
A Classic Mouse Tale
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A Walt Disney MICKEY MOUSE Cartoon . THE WORM TURNS as Mickey's magic potion helps smaller creatures gain the aggressive advantage over their tormentors . Lots of fun in this very well made little film , which begins as a spoof of the old mad scientist movies . The excellent animation bounces the swift moving story right along to its crescendo - a confrontation between Pluto and dogcatcher Pete . For the record , the ingredients necessary for the Courage Builder formula are Tigerus Marrow , Spiritu Bravado , Stimuli Valorus & Lionus Tonicio . Walt Disney provided Mickey with his 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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437,242 | 306,861 | 35,445 | 10 |
A Triumph For Three Actresses
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Letitia ? TISH ' Carberry enjoys nothing more than controlling the lives & romances of all around her , aided and abetted by her two dearest friends - Lizzie Wilkins and Aggie Pilkington . The popular characters from the stories by Mary Roberts Rinehart come alive in this funny , nostalgic ( and nearly forgotten ) film . Helping immeasurably in the movie's success is the casting of a trio of Hollywood's finest comedic character actresses . Bossy & down-to-earth , Marjorie Main tackles the title role and wrestles it into submission , her ever-present Swear Box ready to accept the coins she must deposit whenever she unlooses one of her colorful , G-rated oaths . As sensible Lizzie , Aline MacMahon brings a patrician respectability to her part , although that doesn't keep her from sitting on a rowboat's leak at a crucial moment . ZaSu Pitts becomes vague , fluttery Aggie , who still writes a hilarious memorial poem on the anniversary of her sweetheart's death . Guy Kibbee is very droll as the judge whose life is made a misery by the feminine triumvirate . Among the young persons in whose lives they interfere are pretty Susan Peters & Virginia Grey . Movie mavens will recognize an uncredited Nora Cecil as one of the old ladies at the boarding house . The film benefits from MGM's typically fine production values . The story becomes unexpectedly serious near the end , but by the closing moments hilarity reigns again as Tish once more starts to meddle .
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437,760 | 306,861 | 165,504 | 10 |
Music Mania
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A VITAPHONE VARIETY Short Subject . A highly energetic bandleader excites the crowd with his SWING CAT'S JAMBOREE . Tooting on his trumpet , popular musician Louis Prima leads his 5-man combo while presenting three popular tunes . First up , songstress Shirley Lloyd warbles ' I Can't Give You Anything But Love . ' Next , Mitzi Dahl and the awesomely limber Ted Gary dance to ' You're An Education In Yourself . ' Finally , the whole room starts to jive during Prima's rendition of ' Loch Lomand . ' 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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437,037 | 306,861 | 18,218 | 10 |
A Hot Time In The Old Town
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A dastardly Chinese criminal in OLD SAN FRANCISCO schemes to possess a lovely señorita and her Spanish land-grant rancho . Although replete with racial stereotyping , it must be admitted that this vintage Silent film is an awful lot of fun . Produced just before the onset of Talkies , the movie represents the high degree of expertise the Studios had attained in telling a story through the medium of filmed pantomime . Excellent production values , an exciting story and very good acting are all part of the mix in the film's success , while the climaxing special effects depicting the great 1906 San Francisco earthquake & fire are satisfying both visually and as plot development . Beautiful Dolores Costello is exceptional as the privileged young lady who must survive a terrible adventure into San Francisco's criminal depths , her lovely face & eyes conveying every emotion her character experiences . Joseph Swickard gives a noble performance as her proud , patrician grandfather . High-spirited Charles Emmett Mack ably fills the requisite hero's role as the courageous young Irish lawyer who loves Miss Costello . Looking like evil incarnate , Swedish actor Warner Oland steals a few scenes as the malicious malefactor who plots Miss Costello's undoing . Exotic Anna May Wong appears briefly as an Underworld minx . Tiny Angelo Rossitto is memorable as Oland's dwarf brother . Movie mavens will recognize Sojin as a Chinatown elder , John Miljan as a slightly craven Spanish-Californian , and Willie Fung as a smiling servant , all uncredited .
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438,293 | 306,861 | 31,973 | 10 |
Splendid Historical Narrative
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A brash young newspaper reporter is sent into the unexplored regions of Central Africa to find a highly revered missionary-explorer who has seemingly disappeared . This is the account of their meeting - a fateful encounter which would not only transform the young man , but would profoundly change the history of Africa itself . This is the story of STANLEY AND LIVINGSTONE . Here is one of the excellent adventure films from the golden year of 1939 & it is a very enjoyable evening's entertainment . More than just that , though . It is rare for Hollywood movies of the period to show actual spiritual epiphanies in the lives of their protagonists . That STANLEY AND LIVINGSTONE makes that significant attempt only adds to its prestige . Spencer Tracy does an admirable job as Stanley , who - in the movie , at least - is basically moved or motivated by the whims of others . The two men who control his destiny , his publisher and Livingstone , could not be more different ; yet each help prepare him for a profound spiritual turnabout in his life . Stanley's infatuation with a pretty English woman he meets in Zanzibar is also destined to lead only to inspiration , not love . Tracy's great skill as an actor helps make all these changes in Stanley's life clear to the audience . His delivery of one of the most famous greetings in history - ' Dr . Livingstone , I presume ? ' - is perfect , spoken with just the right mixture of relief , awe & absolute weariness . Walter Brennan has great fun with the role of an old Indian scout sent along to protect Stanley . Brennan - like Tracy , already a double Oscar winner - effortlessly walks away with several of his scenes . His colorful performance is a good counterpoint to Tracy's more mannered interpretation . Best of all is the quiet , understated performance of Sir Cedric Hardwicke as the saintly Livingstone . With his comely , calm voice , Sir Cedric , who does not appear until late in the film , easily captures the attention of the viewer . He makes his character come alive and helps us understand why Livingstone was so important and revered a figure in the 19th Century . He is the very picture of vital , vibrant , muscular Christianity . Leading his native converts in a spirited rendition of ' Onward ! Christian Soldiers , ' Sir Cedric gives the film its most delightful moments . ( This rousing hymn , with words by the Reverend Sabine Baring-Gould , was not set to music by Sir Arthur Sullivan until 1872 , so it's not possible Livingstone could have sung it in 1871 . A small quibble - it's still a great scene . ) The rest of the fine cast - Richard Greene , Charles Coburn , Henry Hull & especially Henry Travers - offer splendid support in small roles . To their great credit , 20th Century Fox actually sent a crew to British East Africa to film authentic safari footage which was then interspersed with shots of the actors . These on-location scenes , under the supervision of chief white hunter Captain A . J . Klein , add a great deal of veracity to the movie , providing views of natives , wildlife & scenery not possible to replicate in a Hollywood studio . ( Some of the resulting rear projection shots , with Tracy or Brennan superimposed over the real African film , are rather annoying in their fakery , but this is a very small irritation . ) As STANLEY AND LIVINGSTONE deals with the lives of two men who had a profound impact upon the Victorian world , a little check of the actual historical facts is in order . David Livingstone was born to a poor Scots family in 1813 . One of seven children , Livingston's family lived in a single room atop a tenement for laborers . Although working 14-hour days in a cotton mill , he eked out the time to educate himself . Becoming a committed Christian early in life , by the age of 20 he had determined to become a medical missionary . After studying in Glasglow , he was sent by the London Missionary Society , at the age of 27 , to South Africa in 1841 . Upon arriving , Livingstone walked the 600 miles to his mission station on the edge of the Kalahari Desert . He spent the next eight years very hard at work there and at his new mission at the headwaters of the Limpopo River , marrying a missionary's daughter and beginning to raise a young family . Then , feeling God wanted a change in his life , Livingstone began to explore the interior of the continent . If proper maps could be made of this vast unknown territory , he reasoned , Africa could be opened to missionaries , educators , scientists & geographers - all enhancing civilization , spreading Christianity & bringing about an end to the hideous Arab slave trade . Thus began a life of trekking that would take Livingstone over 29 , 000 miles . In 1849 & again in 1851 ( this time with his family ) Livingstone crossed the Kalahari , making contact with the natives of the Zambezi region . Sending his family back to Britain in 1852 , Livingstone spent the next four years trying to find a connection between the Zambezi and either African coast , in the hopes of opening up the interior to civilizing commerce . Although he failed in his quest , Livingstone became the first European to traverse the entire width of the Southern continent and to see the tremendous falls on the Zambezi , which he named Victoria Falls . Returning to England in 1856 to much laud & acclaim , he was given an audience with the Queen and met with enthusiastic crowds wherever he appeared . His book , Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa , was a bestseller . Back to Africa in 1858 , ( with an official appointment as Her Majesty's Consul for the East Coast of Africa ) Livingstone's next expedition - up the Zambezi by steamboat - was met with tragedy . Members of the party , including Mrs . Livingstone in 1862 , died of malaria and the river proved ultimately unnavigable . Livingstone was ordered home to London in 1864 . Livingstone remained a hero to the public and the publication of his new book , Narrative of an Expedition to the Zambezi and Its Tributaries , only enhanced his reputation . In 1866 , under the auspices of the Royal Geographic Society and with the new appointment as British Consul for Central Africa , Livingstone began his last great quest - the search for the true source of the Nile . Spending the next seven years in fruitless wandering , and appalled by the sufferings of the slaves he encountered , Livingstone was broken in health and out of communication with England for nearly five years . There was enormous public interest as to his fate . It was at this point that Stanley tracked him down , in the village of Ujiji on Lake Tanganyika , in the Autumn of 1871 . After exploring near the Lake together , Stanley left in March of 1872 . Livingstone stayed behind , but continued his search , although in very ill health . He died while kneeling at prayer , on May 1 , 1873 , at the age of only 60 . As per his request , his heart was reverently buried in Africa . His porters carried his mummified body nearly a thousand miles to the sea , where it was returned to London . On April 18 , 1874 , Dr . David Livingstone was buried in Westminster Abbey . His epitaph , which includes a verse from St . John's Gospel , reads ' Brought by faithful hands over land and sea , here rests David Livingstone , missionary , traveller , philanthropist , born March 19 , 1813 , at Blantyre , Lanarkshire , died May 1 , 1873 , at Chitambo's village , Ulala . Other sheep have I which are not of this fold ; them also I must bring . ' Stanley was not , as many believe , American . Neither was he English , as the movie oddly insists . In fact he was Welsh and he was born John Rowlands in 1841 , to unmarried parents . After a wretchedly humiliating youth spent in a workhouse , he sailed as a cabin boy in 1859 to New Orleans . Taking the name of an early benefactor , Henry Stanley managed to fight on both sides of the American Civil War before being discharged for dysentery . After spending some time on Atlantic merchant ships , Stanley cultivated his flair for writing and became a newspaper correspondent in 1866 , traveling with the U . S . Cavalry in its conflicts with Midwest Indians . In 1867 Stanley joined the New York Herald and soon accompanied the British in their successful excursion against the self-proclaimed Emperor Theodore II of Ethiopia . From 1869 to 1871 , Stanley journeyed for the Herald to Suez , the Crimea , Persia & India before undertaking the assignment to find Livingstone . ( It was on this expedition that Stanley began the harsh , often cruel punishment of African resistance which would stain his reputation . ) The film is correct in depicting the British geographical hierarchy's disinclination to initially believe his claims as to finding the old doctor . Stanley's 1872 book , How I Found Livingstone became a bestseller and answered his critics . After reporting on the 1873 British assault against the Ashanti Kingdom on the Gold Coast , Stanley began his most ambitious & dangerous expedition yet : to fill in the blank spaces left by Livingstone's death in the knowledge of Central African topography . From 1874 until 1877 , Stanley traveled across the entire width of the continent from East to West , beginning in Zanzibar and finishing up at the mouth of the Congo . In betwixt , he circumnavigated & explored Lakes Victoria & Tanganyika , and traveled the lengths of the Lualaba & Congo Rivers . He survived a horrendous cannibal attack , virulent disease and the drowning & desertion of many of his native bearers . He once again showed his ruthlessness in dealing with defiance , at one point shooting dozens of villagers that showed hostility . Of the 359 individuals that started the trip with Stanley , only 108 finished it . His 1878 book , Through The Dark Continent , answered many questions in European minds about African geography . The major colonizing powers were not slow to take notice . In 1879 , Stanley undertook the interests of Belgian King Leopold II and spent 5 years helping to open the Congo region to commerce , as described in his 1885 book , The Congo And The Founding Of The Free State . Working for the British Crown , Stanley undertook the dangerous mission in 1888-89 to resupply & rescue the British Pasha of the Egyptian Sudan , who was surrounded & threatened by the fundamentalist Islamic forces of the mad Khalifa . This assignment , although with great loss of life , proved successful , as Stanley described in yet another book , In Darkest Africa , 1890 . Having lived through enough thrills for ten men , Stanley married in 1890 and began a series of lecture tours . In 1895 he entered Parliament and made his last tour of Africa in 1897 , which resulted in his final book , Through South Africa , 1898 . Henry Morton Stanley was knighted by Queen Victoria in 1899 for his services to Britain . Sir Henry died in 1904 & was also buried in Westminster Abbey . Together , Livingstone & Stanley hold the greatest responsibility for the exploration of Central Africa . The knowledge they gave to the world promoted Christianity in the region and helped to crush the slave trade . They also initiated the Scramble for Africa , in which the major European powers all took a chunk of the continent for themselves . This huge colonial land grab was completed by the time of Stanley's death . However , Livingstone's beneficent treatment of the Africans and his championing of their rights in no small measure helped directly influence their eventual nationalistic drives for self-determination & independence .
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438,188 | 306,861 | 28,118 | 10 |
Shirley Shines in Soap Suds Musical
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The precocious & incredibly talented little daughter of a widowed soap merchant dreams of living like a normal child . On her way to boarding school , she loses herself in New York City , changes her name and ends up living with a couple of ex-vaudeville performers . With spunk & vitality , the child makes them all stars of a radio show sponsored by her father's greatest business rival . Will she continue to enjoy her new freedom , or will her identity be revealed so that she once again becomes a POOR LITTLE RICH GIRL ? Shirley Temple is in top form in this winning film which gives her ample opportunity to display her many charms . She lights up the screen with her youthful joy . It's no wonder she was Hollywood's biggest star for several years . Shirley is given fine support from Jack Haley & Alice Faye as her musical partners , and Michael Whalen & Gloria Stuart as her father & his new lady love . Claude Gillingwater is very good as the crotchety business rival who is melted by Shirley's affection . That's Jane Darwell as Shirley's nanny & Henry Armetta scores as an Italian organ grinder . Film mavens should keep an eye out for Billy Gilbert , in a tiny bit as a hilarious waiter . Shirley sings ' Oh , My Goodness ' , ' When I'm With You ' & ' But Definitely ' and joins with Faye & Haley in ' You Gotta Eat Your Spinach , Baby ' & " Military Man " .
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437,554 | 306,861 | 52,909 | 10 |
Oops ! Again
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A Walt Disney Cartoon with DONALD DUCKDonald demonstrates HOW TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT AT WORK . This informative little film cautions against wearing loose clothing near dangerous machinery , unsafe behavior around flames and the need for constant concentration . A follow-up to HOW TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT IN THE HOME ( 1956 ) . Daisy has a cameo as Donald's blasé spouse ; Clarence Nash provides the Duck with his unique voice . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by pictures & drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew comic figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Dumbo , Bambi & Peter Pan . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that childlike simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off .
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437,332 | 306,861 | 28,119 | 10 |
Little Sailor Man Still Enthralls
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A POPEYE Cartoon . POPEYE THE SAILOR MEETS SINDBAD THE SAILOR when our spinach-munching hero pilots his ship too near the isle of the bearded braggart . After being attacked by Sindbad's foul pets , and with Olive Oyl in the clutches of the villain , it's time for Popeye to go into action . . . This was the first in a series of 3 excellent two-reel cartoons , created by Max Fleischer , in which Popeye & his friends are interpolated into the classic stories of The Arabian Nights . They feature great animation - notice the fascinating 3-D backgrounds - and taut , fast-moving plots . Meant to be shown in movie theaters , they are miles ahead of their Saturday Morning counterparts . Jack Mercer is the voice of Popeye ; Mae Questel does the honors for Olive Oyl .
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437,428 | 306,861 | 28,120 | 10 |
Another W . C . Fields Comedy Classic
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It's 1883 and Professor Eustace P . McGargle , charlatan extraordinaire , arrives in the bucolic berg of Green Meadow . There he will attempt to deceive the local rubes into believing his beautiful daughter POPPY is heiress to an unclaimed fortune . Once again , the inimitable W . C . Fields manages to merge the lovable & the larcenous into a highly amusing package designed to delight even the most jaded audience . Watching him perform his classic routines - the temperance lecture , the croquet game , the instrumental solo - is to be in the hands of a comic master . And has cinema produced funnier frauds than The Talking Dog or Purple Bart's Sarsaparilla ? Probably not . Fields had played the flimflamming professor before - on Broadway in 1923 and in D . W . Griffith's silent SALLY OF THE SAWDUST and he had made the role his own . But Fields ' health was now at a low ebb after years of alcoholic overindulgence and he needed 10 months of rehabilitation and a sojourn in a sanitarium before beginning POPPY . And the filming itself was not without incident : his scene on the ? ordinary ' bicycle - which could have been handled by a stunt man - resulted in a fall that broke a vertebrae , leaving him in much pain . This is not apparent in his performance , however . ( Another accident after filming ended sent him back for a further stint in the hospital . ) Fields ' co-stars also do much to add to the high entertainment level of the film : Catherine Doucet & Lynne Overman play a conniving countess & shyster lawyer who have their own plans for getting their greedy hands on the envied greenbacks ; Maude Eburne is a fiercely protective old lady who befriends Poppy ; and skeletal Bill Wolfe is very droll as a gardener who refuses to be cheated by one of Fields ' scams . Movie mavens will recognize Dewey Robinson as the calliope driver who is one of Fields ' early victims . As the young lovers , you could scarcely have done any better than Rochelle Hudson & Richard Cromwell . Having both lit-up many a film during the 1930's , they bring a great deal of charm to their roles , even in scenes which spread on the sticky sentiment a bit too thick . And Miss Hudson supplies the film with its loveliest moment when she sings ? A Rendezvous With A Dream , ' a tune which definitely deserves to be revived . Fields , of course , dominates everything . Which is as it should be . However it is sad that the contributing factor to his eventual death - dipsomania - was already starting to destroy his body when he made this very funny film .
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437,560 | 306,861 | 39,762 | 10 |
A Serious Snow Plight
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A Walt Disney PLUTO Cartoon . RESCUE DOG Pluto is not at all amused when his precious keg of brandy is turned into a plaything by a friendly seal . Here is another in a long list of cartoons in which Pluto encounters a much smaller creature and is typical of all the rest - ordinary animation & a few good laughs . Although undeniably cute & frisky , this was to be Salty the Seal's only appearance in a Disney cartoon . 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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438,335 | 306,861 | 20,410 | 10 |
Garbo Sins
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A young woman defies THE SINGLE STANDARD of morality which allows males freedom while restricting the behavior of females . Greta Garbo stars in this late silent trifle from MGM . Her flawless beauty is thawed somewhat by a script that allows her a sly sense of humor and a more approachable demeanor . Playing a character torn between the duties of a wife and the passions of a lover , she is always entertaining , even if the film isn't terribly significant . Nils Asther , who could almost match Garbo's exoticism , gives a fine performance as the celebrity artist whose adventurous lifestyle & romantic allure prove such a temptation to Garbo . Handsome Johnny Mack Brown gives a touch of nobility to his rather small role as the dull husband willing to sacrifice everything for Garbo's happiness . Elderly character actress Zeffie Tilbury scores as an observant society matron who speaks her mind . In unbilled roles , Robert Castle grabs the viewers ' attention as Garbo's tragic chauffeur and Wade Boteler provides a few chuckles as the merry masher who confronts Garbo in the rain . Movie mavens will recognize a young Joel McCrea as one of the trio of philandering husbands whose antics amuse Garbo in the film's opening moments .
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437,895 | 306,861 | 134,935 | 10 |
In The Shadow Of Sugar Loaf
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An MGM TRAVELTALK Short Subject . Sailing in under striking Sugar Loaf Mountain , this film introduces us to RIO DE JANEIRO , CITY OF SPLENDOUR . We visit some of the beautiful parks & gorgeous beaches , as well as view the intriguingly intricate patterned sidewalks . Finally , we are shown examples of the butterfly industry , in which tiny bits of the luminescent wings are glued together on glass to form pictures - the perfect souvenir of Rio . 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 narration . These films were produced & narrated by James A . FitzPatrick .
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437,301 | 306,861 | 41,112 | 10 |
Donald Goes Nuts
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A Walt Disney DONALD DUCK Cartoon . Donald's latest business enterprise - a roadside shop to make & sell his homemade walnut butter - attracts the hungry attentions of Chip ' n ' Dale . ALL IN A NUTSHELL is a humorous little film , but no different from the many others that pit the temperamental Duck against the feisty chipmunks . Clarence Nash provides Donald with his unique voice ; Chip ' n ' Dale are largely unintelligible . 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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437,440 | 306,861 | 25,926 | 10 |
Mickey Tames The Wild West
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A Walt Disney MICKEY MOUSE Cartoon . When Miss Minnie is menaced by Bandit Pete , it's TWO-GUN MICKEY who comes riding to her rescue . Exciting & funny , as well as being a wonderful Western spoof , this was one of the best of the Mouse's black & white films . Sharp-eyed viewers will notice that the animators couldn't remember which leg Pete had pegged - it keeps switching from side to side . Walt Disney supplied 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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437,674 | 306,861 | 20,414 | 10 |
The First Silly Symphony Cartoon
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A Walt Disney SILLY SYMPHONY Cartoon Short . The powers of darkness are abroad one dark & stormy night . In a lonely churchyard , graves are opened and THE SKELETON DANCE is performed by four bony fellows who exhibit terpsichorean skills of the most sepulchral sort . The crowing of a cock signals the approach of daybreak and the ghastly hoofers hie themselves back into their grave . Carl W . Stalling , Disney's music director in the early days , arranged Grieg's ' March Of The Dwarfs ' as musical accompaniment to this first entry in the Symphonies series . With Ub Iwerks ' masterful drawing , this black & white cartoon still packs a punch today . In 1929 it proved to be completely different from the Studio's Mickey Mouse productions . Indeed , some theater owners found it to be too macabre and refused to show it . 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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437,704 | 306,861 | 31,982 | 10 |
The Story Behind The Prize
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An MGM John Nesbitt's PASSING PARADE Short Subject . The life of the celebrated inventor dynamite , and his attempt to stop warfare and influence the nations for peace , is portrayed in this moving short film . Paul Guilfoyle has the title role ; the Soldier's Mother is portrayed by Eleanor Wesselhoeft . 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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438,235 | 306,861 | 33,473 | 10 |
A Cautionary Tale
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An MGM CRIME DOES NOT PAY Short SubjectA crooked car dealer sells COFFINS ON WHEELS , used cars which are dangerously unfit to be on the road . This little film served as an admonition to car buyers to only purchase vehicles from reputable dealers . It is well made and fast moving , getting its message across effectively . Darryl Hickman plays the tragic young Billy . Allan Lane is the determined police lieutenant . The vile car dealer is performed by Cy Kendall and his sleazy salesman by an uncredited John Gallaudet . 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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437,859 | 306,861 | 22,058 | 10 |
Puppy Love With Mr . Laurel & Mr . Hardy
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A LAUREL & HARDY Comedy Short . Stan & Ollie are sharing a room in a boarding house with their cute canine , LAUGHING GRAVY . Trouble is , mutts aren't allowed on the premises and what the Boys go through to keep theirs hidden shouldn't happen to a dog . . . A hilarious little film , one of the best , although ending with a suicide is a bit much . Highlight : Stan & Ollie on the roof . That's Charlie Hall as the ferocious landlord .
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438,240 | 306,861 | 22,056 | 10 |
Miss Oliver & Mr . Herbert Aim To Please
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The no-nonsense wife of a whimsical , unemployed inventor knows it's impossible to LAUGH AND GET RICH . This mildly amusing little movie is blessed with the talents of two of Hollywood's finest character actors - Miss Edna May Oliver & Mr . Hugh Herbert . As usual , they both give their full effort , wringing all they can out of their lines . Alas , the script gives them scant support , indecisive as to whether it wants to be a domestic comedy or a drama . Much of the time is spent dealing with the characters ' financial woes and it is difficult to get many laughs from penury . But the two leads are worth watching , irregardless , if only for their one wonderful scene , in which an inebriated Oliver & compliant Herbert joyously compel an entire party of stuffy society types to unbend and romp about the room to the music of ' Pop ! Goes The Weasel . ' Kewpie doll-cute Dorothy Lee ( doubtless on parole from Wheeler & Woolsey ) plays their daughter , a young lady replete with all the requisite romantic difficulties . Oliver's boarding house tenants include elderly , deaf Charles Sellon & Italian immigrant George Davis , an artist handicapped by his inability to paint anything but cows . Movie mavens will recognize teenager Rochelle Hudson at the country club dance and Ivan Lebedeff as the oily Count at the party , both uncredited .
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437,767 | 306,861 | 24,240 | 10 |
Frank Capra's Cinderella Story
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An old apple seller on Broadway panics when she learns her daughter is returning to New York City with her European fiancé . What will happen when the girl discovers her mother is not a high society matron , as she supposes her to be ? Only a notorious racketeer can help her become a LADY FOR A DAY . May Robson is superb in this early Frank Capra film . She steals every scene she's in as Apple Annie , the harridan sidewalk vendor . This was a plum role & Miss Robson knew how to exploit it to the limit . Glenda Farrell & Guy Kibbee are both excellent in supporting roles - she as a nightclub owner and he as an eccentric judge . Walter Connolly is fun as a suspicious Spanish Count . Warren William is good as Dave the Dude , the criminal boss who comes to Annie's aid because her apples are good luck for him . Halliwell Hobbes is all proper British decorum as Annie's borrowed butler . Acerbic Ned Sparks & dense Nat Pendleton are both enjoyable as the Dude's henchmen . That's an uncredited Ward Bond as the mounted policeman at the very beginning of the film . This film is bursting with charm .
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437,472 | 306,861 | 25,982 | 10 |
Elopers , Take Warning !
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The Dover Road takes two pairs of adulterous lovers to the eccentric mansion WHERE SINNERS MEET . Based on a play by A . A . Milne ( the creator of Winnie-the-Pooh ) , this forgotten little film will come as a surprise & delight for discriminating viewers who enjoy sophisticated repartee & witty dialogue . Virtually no action occurs , but there is almost endless talk on a rather high intellectual level . Except for the opening & closing scenes , the entire plot takes place at the house and grounds of a rather splendid residence in the South of England . While this only heightens the feeling of watching a filmed play , all is forgiven amid the pleasure of enjoying what the characters are saying . Clive Brook stars as the mysterious Mr . Latimer , who enforces a gentle morality upon his indiscreet house guests . Brook was an elegant actor , excellent with dialogue , who could communicate his feelings with the bare minimum of inflection or movement . Here he's given a wonderful opportunity to show his skills to advantage , starting with his eccentric entrance heralded by marching , regimented servants . Diana Wynyard , cool & crisp , adds her no-nonsense presence as a charming young woman literally halted on her road towards making a big romantic mistake . Blustery , bellowing Reginald Owen & fluttery , smothering Billie Burke portray a noble couple who each attempt to escape from their stultifying marriage . They are vastly entertaining . Alan Mowbray plays a decent yet boring chap who still has a few lessons to learn in the game of love . Gilbert Emery is properly droll as a butler with unusual skills .
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437,856 | 306,861 | 35,422 | 10 |
Superman Saves The Circus
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A SUPERMAN Cartoon . The Circus has come to town and girl reporter Lois Lane has been assigned to cover it . It's all pretty routine , until Gigantic , the huge & terrifying ape , escapes and spreads TERROR ON THE MIDWAY . With the enraged simian menacing Lois , it looks like a job for Superman . . . This was another in the series of excellent cartoons Max Fleischer produced for Paramount Studio . They feature great animation and taut , fast-moving plots . Meant to be shown in movie theaters , they are miles ahead of their Saturday Morning counterparts . Bud Collyer is the voice of Superman ; Joan Alexander does the honors for Lois Lane . And isn't that the voice of Jack ? Popeye ' Mercer as the first sideshow barker ?
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437,825 | 306,861 | 45,464 | 10 |
Happy Fingers
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A small boy plots to upset the grand performance by THE 5 , 000 FINGERS OF DR . T . to be held in the sinister Terwilliker Institute . The whimsical world of Dr . Seuss first saw expression in a Hollywood feature film in this fast-paced fantasy which examines a child's musical nightmare . Although it was a financial & critical disappointment when initially released , it has established itself comfortably as a nostalgic favorite for Baby Boomers who first discovered it decades ago . Dr . Seuss ( Theodor Seuss Geisel , 1904-1991 ) wrote the original story , co-authored the script and penned the lyrics in his own inimitable style . The action plays itself out over vast , curvaceous sets which will immediately seem familiar to readers of his books , while the brightly colored costumes make the players look like characters from the good Doctor's stories come to life . Completely dominating the movie in the title role is the marvelous character actor Hans Conried ( 1917-1982 ) , gleefully breathing life into the part of the mad piano teacher who schemes to force 500 little lads into performing his compositions at a gigantic keyboard . Conried is wonderfully funny , striding about , leering , snorting & chortling as he plots his nefarious plans . He attacks the role with relish , nasally enunciating every syllable with his unique diction , softening his villainy with a thin veneer of unctuous civility . This was Conried's finest on-camera performance , but 1953 would also present him in the part for which he is perhaps best remembered , voicing Captain Hook in Disney's animated PETER PAN . The other three performers in the movie : Tommy Rettig as the much beleaguered boy attempting to thwart the evil Terwilliker ; Mary Healy as his lovely , albeit mesmerized , Mom ; and Peter Lind Hayes as a friendly , deadpanned plumber , all do very well with their roles , but their ordinariness , like that of Dorothy in Oz , make them pale in comparison beside Conried . The film , which delivers perhaps an unnecessarily nasty knock to piano teachers , does come across with some fine songs , ranging from Rettig's plaintive ' Because We're Kids ' to Conried's hilarious ' Dressing Song . ' Also on view is the bizarre Dungeon Dance , in which kidnapped male orchestra members present one of the most unusual terpsichorean displays ever seen in a kiddie film .
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437,011 | 306,861 | 35,411 | 10 |
A Pup Tale With Butch
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A Walt Disney PLUTO Cartoon . Pluto attempts to turn Butch's tasty snack into a T-BONE FOR TWO . This is another formula Pluto film - fun , but without much to distinguish it from many other Pup cartoons . 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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437,812 | 306,861 | 22,054 | 10 |
Tribute To The Lost Generation
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Four former flying aces , scarred both physically & emotionally , make THE LAST FLIGHT through the bars of Paris & Lisbon with an eccentric American girl . Well-crafted & poignant , this film tells the sad tale of American World War One buddies whose lives are essentially over with the cessation of the conflict . Aimless & drifting , but seemingly very well financed , they stagger from bar to bar , looking for the forgetfulness that comes with drunken oblivion . If not for the noble loyalty they feel for each other their story , and the sundering of their quartet , would be almost unremittingly lugubrious . Director William Dieterle was given fine service by his cast : silent screen star Richard Barthelmess , leader of the band , as a pilot sensitive about his burned hands ; gunner David Manners dealing with a nervous tic in his left eye ; country boy Johnny Mack Brown letting high jinks and alcohol define his new existence ; and sharpshooter Elliott Nugent , shell-shocked into extreme lethargy . Helen Chandler is remarkable as the highly unusual young woman who is allowed to become an essential part of the fliers ' lives . Her kooky vagueness and affection for pet turtles is most endearing . Walter Byron gives an effective performance as a caustic reporter who tags along with the others for his own motives . At one point in the story Mr . Barthelmess & Miss Chandler visit the cemetery of Père-Lachaise in Paris , where he tells her something of the history of the tragic lovers Pierre Abélard ( 1079-1142 ) and Héloïse ( 1098-1164 ) , who lie interred there . Barthelmess mentions the terrible revenge visited upon Abélard by the Canon Fulbert , the uncle of Héloïse , without actually saying what it was . Even with Pre-Code liberality , forced castration was not a subject to be broached lightly .
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438,120 | 306,861 | 43,063 | 10 |
A Duck Tale With Chipmunks
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A Walt Disney DONALD DUCK Cartoon . Donald's TRAILER HORN alerts Chip ' n ' Dale to his attempts to enjoy a quiet vacation camping under their tree . Here is another routine Duck versus Chipmunks film . The animation is unremarkable , but the antagonists are always fun to watch . Clarence " Ducky " Nash supplies Donald's unique voice ; the Chipmunks are virtually unintelligible . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Dumbo , Bambi & Peter Pan . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off .
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437,807 | 306,861 | 35,415 | 10 |
Check The Pockets For Fine Entertainment
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The movements of an accursed tail coat about the Big City , and the lives of those who use it , becomes part of the TALES OF MANHATTAN . Fox Studios and director Julien Duvivier fashioned this most enjoyable film . The idea of the tail coat never becomes silly or gets in the way of the plot , which doles out equal amounts of irony , suspense , pathos & comedy . The all-star cast gives worthy performances which keeps the viewer's attention right to the very end . SEQUENCE ONE An actor and his lover ( Charles Boyer & Rita Hayworth ) are confronted by her quietly sadistic husband ( Thomas Mitchell ) . Eugene Palette plays Boyer's loyal valet . An unbilled Robert Greig appears as the corpulent creator of the elegant tail coat . Most of the action in this sequence takes place at an estate outside of Manhattan . SEQUENCE TWO A shy fellow ( Henry Fonda ) tries to help his friend ( Cesar Romero ) out of a jam with his suspicious fiancé ( Ginger Rogers ) . Gail Patrick appears as Rogers ' nosy gal pal ; Roland Young plays Romero's protective valet . A quite different tail coat is the center of the plot here , which can become a bit confusing . SEQUENCE THREE A poor composer ( Charles Laughton ) finally has the opportunity to conduct his magnum opus at a concert . Radiant Elsa Lanchester appears as Laughton's adoring wife . Christian Rub plays a friendly cellist , while Victor Francen is very believable as the noble Bellini . An unbilled Dewey Robinson plays the bullying owner of a small café . Laughton is magnificent , as is to be expected , giving another master class in how to turn a small part into something very special . SEQUENCE FOURAfter being spiffed-up and accoutered in the tail coat , a skid row bum ( Edward G . Robinson ) makes a poignant appearance at the Waldorf-Astoria for his college's 25-year class reunion . James Gleason plays the kindly parson who runs a rescue mission ; silent screen star Mae Marsh appears as his sweet-natured wife . Harry Davenport appears as a wise old professor ; George Sanders snarls his way through his role as Robinson's old antagonist . Robinson & Gleason do some impressive acting , making their characters come alive . SEQUENCE FIVEAn eccentric professor ( W . C . Fields ) gives a temperance lecture to a gathering of high society swells , not knowing that the coconut milk has been liberally spiked . Phil Silvers shines in the brief role of the secondhand dealer who sells the tail coat to Fields . The monumental Margaret Dumont enlivens her scant appearance as the matron sponsoring Fields . Before the film's initial release , there was consternation from some of the other major stars concerning Fields ' large salary . The clamor grew to the point that Fox weaseled out by simply excising the sequence entirely . Rumor was allowed to grow that the removal was due to an inept performance from Fields . This is tragic , in that it was to be one of Fields ' final appearances on film and he is hilarious , as is Phil Silvers ( who has the distinction of being practically the only person in film history who ever managed to both outtalk & hoodwink Fields ) . After more than half a century , this sequence has finally been reunited with the rest of the film - - the only problem , for anyone that cares , being a slight one of continuity , as it is not shown how the tail coat returns to the Santelli Bros . shop in time for the burglary that opens Sequence Six . You have to be quick to read the painted sign on the Santelli Bros . window : WE TAKE AN ABSOLUTE LOSS ON EVERY TRANSACTION WE'RE ECCENTRICSEQUENCE SIXIn the film's most photographically stylish sequence , a shanty town full of impoverished farmers rejoice when the tail coat - - and its pocket full of cash - - literally falls out of the sky . J . Carrol Naish plays the airborne robber who loses the coat . Paul Robeson & Ethel Waters are the couple who find it . Eddie ' Rochester ' Anderson is their gently conniving preacher ; an almost unrecognizable Clarence Muse appears as a greedy old grandfather . Members of the wonderful Hall Johnson Choir lift their voices as the jubilant townsfolk . Once again , the action in this sequence mostly occurs far from Manhattan . The short song at the very end is the only occasion Robeson and The Hall Johnson Choir ever sang together on film - - and , unbelievably , Miss Waters isn't allowed to sing at all . Director Duvivier and stars Boyer , Robinson & Mitchell would travel to Universal Studios to make another sequential film , FLESH AND FANTASY , in 1943 .
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437,659 | 306,861 | 28,141 | 10 |
An American Travesty
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Falsely imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit , THE PRISONER OF SHARK ISLAND tries to maintain his dignity under vile circumstances . This is director John Ford's exciting and passionate tale of real-life Dr . Samuel Mudd , who , having set John Wilkes Booth's broken leg after Lincoln's assassination , was swept up in the hysteria following the President's death . Convicted of conspiracy , Dr . Mudd was sentenced to incarceration at Fort Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas south of Florida , a hellish , mosquito-infested prison where savage brutality was commonplace and escape attempts futile . In one of his best roles , Warner Baxter gives a searing portrait as Dr . Mudd . While some of the plot situations are purely fanciful , Baxter never lets the viewer forget that this is the story of a real man unfolding before us . Whether vociferously proclaiming his innocence , vainly struggling to escape his hideous confinement or valiantly attempting to fight back an onslaught of yellow fever , Baxter is never anything less than completely compelling . Equally fascinating is John Carradine as the sadistic prison sergeant who torments Mudd ; with his gimlet eye and sadistic grin , Carradine sets the seal on the sinister persona he'd project for the rest of his career . The beloved silent Western cowboy star Harry Carey plays the warden of Fort Jefferson with realism & good grace . Gloria Stuart as Mudd's valiant wife and Claude Gillingwater as his fierce old father-in-law give firm support . Vivid character portrayals are given by O . P . Heggie as the prison's doomed doctor , Francis McDonald as Booth and Paul Fix as his accomplice David Herold . A cast standout is Ernest Whitman as Buck , Mudd's faithful field hand who attempts to rescue him . Movie mavens should recognize Jan Duggan & Dick Elliott as the performers on stage at Ford's Theatre and Our Gang's Matthew ? Stymie ' Beard as the lad come to fetch the Doctor to a birthing - all uncredited . Director Ford's love of American history is plainly manifest in this frequently factual film . His reconstructions of the death of Lincoln ( movingly played by Frank McGlynn Sr . ) and the execution of the conspirators all have the look of antique illustrations . The entire film has excellent production values , with the Fort Jefferson sets being particularly well conceived . The film depicts three of Booth's conspirators being executed for the murder . Actually , four individuals were hung on 7 July 1865 : Lewis Powell ( he stabbed & wounded an invalided Secretary of State Seward ) , George A . Atzerodt ( he was assigned to murder Vice President Johnson ) , David E . Herold ( who had accompanied Booth on his flight from Washington ) and Mrs . Mary Surratt ( she owned the boarding house where Booth met with his gang and may have been completely innocent ) . Two other men , along with Dr . Mudd , were given life sentences . The stagehand who held Booth's horse at the back of the theatre was given eight years . And what of the other three people in the presidential box at Ford's Theatre that fateful night ? Already emotionally fragile , Mrs . Mary Lincoln would eventually go mad and have to be placed in an asylum by her son . The Lincolns ' guests were Miss Clara Harris and her fiancé Major Henry R . Rathbone . They would marry , but Henry would also go insane and murder Clara in a fit of rage . Dr . Mudd's health was permanently affected by his time at Fort Jefferson , and , although released , he would die in 1883 , the year of his 50th birthday .
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437,491 | 306,861 | 22,074 | 10 |
A Cinematic Vienna Torte
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Beat until thick a highly libidinous young officer of the Guards . Sift together and stir in a pompous little king and his dowdy princess daughter . Whip in gradually a lovely female violinist . Gently fold in some beautiful music and a liberal amount of highly suggestive dialogue . Lightly bake in a mythical kingdom for 88 minutes . The results - THE SMILING LIEUTENANT . Director Ernst Lubitsch created a triumph in this scintillating pre-Code film which is as light and airy now as it was when first released . Replete with wonderful performances & an effervescent script , it is still sophisticated and remarkably frank . Lubitsch relied heavily on the intelligence of his audience . He knew that a delicate touch would be appreciated by those able to anticipate & understand the nuances of his humor . The fact that this worked so beautifully with both his dialogue and the film music - ( songs and background music , which serve to move the plot right along ) - only one year after Hollywood fully embraced sound pictures shows the genius of the director's craft . Oozing Gallic charm , Maurice Chevalier lets his musical skills and highly facile face telegraph to the audience exactly what kind of an amorous rogue his character is . Madly in love with the beautiful Claudette Colbert , but forced to wed the ( slightly ) frumpy Miriam Hopkins , he is highly amusing as he watches his romantic house of cards come crashing down . The ladies also add greatly to the fun , with sleek Colbert advising pouty Hopkins in song to jazz up her lingerie if she wants to win Chevalier's attentions . ( The idea that Hopkins must transform into a wanton woman to entice her husband to commence his connubial responsibilities is dubious at best . ) George Barbier plays the easily offended corpulent King of Flausenthurm . Wonderful character actor Charlie Ruggles is hilarious in the small role of the officer who wishes to woo Colbert first . Movie mavens will recognize an uncredited Elizabeth Patterson as the elderly baroness attending on the Princess .
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438,042 | 306,861 | 227,995 | 10 |
A Yuletide Gift From Thomas Alva Edison
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THE AVDENTURE OF THE WRONG SANTA CLAUS begins when two very different fellows - an amateur detective & a robber - both don Santa suits . . . This is an agreeable little film , with some pleasant romantic touches at the end . Notice how the items on the shelves of the toy shop are blowing around quite vigorously - a sure sign that the scene was filmed out of doors on one of Edison's primitive roofless one-wall sets . Al Kryszak provided the score for the video compilation A Christmas Past , in which this film appears .
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437,364 | 306,861 | 25,961 | 10 |
Comin ' Clean With The Little Rascals
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An OUR GANG Comedy Short . Rich kid Waldo is supposed to be practicing his violin , but he's actually playing football with the Gang on the vacant lot next door . But chaos is assured when his friends ( and Pete the dog ) invade his mother's Ladies ' Club card party . A funny little film . Highlights : Spanky as a football referee ; Pete & the monkey . The title WASHEE IRONEE refers to the kid from the Chinese Laundry Spanky enlists to deal with Waldo's soiled ( and shrunken ) clothes . That's Tiny Sandford as the hapless traffic cop ; Billy Gilbert dubbed the Butler's sneeze .
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