Unraveling truth and myth in the life of character actor Stanley Fields. Born Walter L. Agnew, you’ll know him from Cimarron, Little Caesar (1931), Island of Lost Souls (1932), Algiers (1938), and several other major 1930s Hollywood releases.
Popular Posts
Movie Star Biographies
Barbara Stanwyck, Biographical Beginnings to Baby Face and Beyond
A Barbara Stanwyck biography that leaps over Hollywood highlights in favor of her early days as Ruby Stevens, including the popular theory about her name change. Following that a jump forward to look at Stanwyck’s later career. A brief case is made for Baby Face (1933) as her defining performance.
Joe Donahue, “World’s Greatest Dancer” and Sunny Co-Star
Digging into Joe Donahue, talented vaudevillian dancer who replaced his late brother, Jack, opposite Marilyn Miller in the film version of Sunny. He also appeared in Expensive Women and two Dorothy Mackaill titles during his stay with First National, 1930-31. Piecing together some of the mysterious Donahue’s life and discovering, once and for all, the date he died.
Ralf Harolde, Expert Portrayer of Lowlifes and Junkies
Appraisal of Ralf Harolde’s talents as ultimate pre-Code lowlife with biographical bits assembled where possible. Busy character actor of the 1930s-40s, who made his mark in films such as Night Nurse, Safe in Hell, and Picture Snatcher.
Eugene Pallette – Brief Biography with Additional Trivia
A look at Eugene Pallette, the heavyset character actor with the gravelly voice. Did he retire due to ill health or did charges of racism run him out of the movies? A brief biography includes a look at Pallette’s ranch in Oregon.
Cecilia Parker Biography: From B-Westerns to A-Support to Marian Hardy
The most complete Cecilia Parker biography you’re going to find. Corrects her marriage record and follows her career from B-westerns to Marian Hardy.
Movie Reviews & Articles
The Devil’s Holiday (1930) Starring Nancy Carroll
A look at early Paramount talkie The Devil’s Holiday (1930). Written and directed by Edmund Goulding, but saved from being stale by Nancy Carroll’s Academy Award nominated performance.
My Woman (1933) Starring Helen Twelvetrees, Wallace Ford
Wallace Ford’s head swells after wife Helen Twelvetrees helps make him a radio sensation in Columbia pre-Code My Woman (1933) Also starring Victor Jory, Claire Dodd. Directed by Victor Schertzinger. Article excerpted from Helen Twelvetrees, Perfect Ingenue.
Woman Wanted (1935) Starring Maureen O’Sullivan and Joel McCrea
MGM’s Woman Wanted (1935) stars Maureen O’Sullivan as a wrongly convicted murderer on the run and into Joel McCrea’s arms. With Louis Calhern, Adrienne Ames, Lewis Stone, and Edgar Kennedy.
Death on the Diamond (1934) – Baseball, Murder and Robert Young
MGM’s baseball murder mystery Death on the Diamond (1934) stars Robert Young and Madge Evans. A decent mystery and a strong baseball movie at the same time. Directed by Edward Sedgwick and also featuring David Landau, Paul Kelly, Nat Pendleton and Ted Healy.
Personal Property (1937) Starring Jean Harlow and Robert Taylor
A look at Jean Harlow’s penultimate film appearance, opposite Robert Taylor in MGM’s Personal Property (1937), a remake of 1931’s The Man in Possession also starring Reginald Owen, E.E. Clive, Henrietta Crosman, Una O’Connor, and Forrester Harvey.
Special Investigator (1936) – Richard Dix Stars in Erle Stanley Gardner Story
Big-city mouthpiece Richard Dix seeks to bring his brother’s killers to justice in a Nevada mining town in Special Investigator, a 1936 RKO “B” entry based on an Erle Stanley Gardner story.