A look at William Frawley in the years before he achieved his greatest fame as Fred Mertz on I Love Lucy. Special attention is paid to his baseball movies and his early days on the vaudeville circuit and Broadway. The article is illustrated with seven promotional photos from the 1939 film St. Louis Blues.
Popular Posts
Movie Star Biographies
Glenda Farrell Biography and 1930s Hollywood Heyday
An appreciation of Glenda Farrell’s 1930s Hollywood characterizations, especially Torchy Blane, combined with a complete biography of Farrell.
John Boles, Sinatra of the 30s and Elvis Presley of the Stone Age
John Boles appeared in Universal’s Frankenstein, three Shirley Temple films, and co-starred with many of Hollywood’s most beloved leading ladies. Do you remember him?
Chester Morris – Biography of the Boston Blackie Star
A biography of Chester Morris, Academy Award nominated actor for Alibi (1929), who starred in several pre-Code classics before going on to greatest fame in the Boston Blackie series of movies.
Loretta Young TCM Star of the Month January 2013 Centennial
A biography of Loretta Young, the January 2013 TCM Star of the Month on the centennial of her birth. Rare Loretta Young quotes and the entire TCM schedule along with images of vintage collectibles.
Kathleen Burke Wins Nationwide Contest! The Road to Panther Woman in Island of Lost Souls
A look at Paramount’s Summer 1932 nationwide contest to cast Lota, the Panther Woman in Island of Lost Souls. Focus on the eventual Panther Woman winner, Kathleen Burke. Lots of old news clippings.
Movie Reviews & Articles
Dark Hazard (1934) Starring Edward G. Robinson and Genevieve Tobin
Edward G. Robinson stars as a flawed yet likeable gambler who takes a shine to a champion greyhound in Dark Hazard, a 1934 pre-Code release from First National.
Frank Capra’s Broadway Bill (1934) Starring Warner Baxter and Myrna Loy
A look at Frank Capra’s follow-up to It Happened One Night, the 1934 holiday release Broadway Bill starring Warner Baxter, Myrna Loy and a horse named Broadway Bill. With comparison to 1950 remake Riding High and explanation of why Bill wound up out of circulation until 1992.
The Last Flight (1931) – John Monk Saunders Hijacks Hemingway’s Lost Generation
Upon publication reviews called John Monk Saunders anything from a hack to a plagiarist when his Single Lady cashed in as an inferior version of Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises. Adapted as The Last Flight, Saunders’s story emerges as perhaps the best of any film about The Lost Generation. Directed by William Dieterle, with excellent performances from Richard Barthelmess and Helen Chandler.
Moments of Horror as Boris Karloff Stars as The Mummy (1932)
An reappraisal of Universal horror classic The Mummy (1932) confirms original suspicions. A look at a horror masterpiece from both a personal and historical perspective.
Call Her Savage (1932) Stars Clara Bow as Pre-Code Dynamite
Celebrating my favorite movie starring the ‘It Girl’ Clara Bow, the talkie Call Her Savage, a 1932 pre-code release from Fox. With Gilbert Roland, Monroe Owsley, Thelma Todd, and Estelle Taylor among others.
The Woman Accused (1933) Starring Nancy Carroll and Cary Grant
Ten authors spoil the broth in Paramount pre-Code The Woman Accused (1933) starring Nancy Carroll and Cary Grant. Featuring one shocking scene with Grant, Jack La Rue, and a rawhide whip.