A history of Madame X concentrates on the 1937 film version starring Gladys George. Includes a biography of Gladys George with comparison to Ruth Chatterton’s 1929 performance.
Movie Star Biographies

Robert McWade – Brief Biography of the Grouchy Character Actor
A brief look at the career of 1930s character actor Robert McWade including images of him in some of his more famous movies. Son of a stage legend, he managed to upstage his father at the very end.

Dwight Frye’s Last Laugh – Before and Beyond Dracula and Frankenstein
Dwight Frye is legendary for his roles in the Universal horror classics Dracula and Frankenstein. The 1997 biography Dwight Frye’s Last Laugh chronicles the actor’s fast rise to surprising heights and even quicker fall.

Sara Haden – Charlotte Walker’s Daughter and Andy Hardy’s Aunt Milly
Character actress Sara Haden was stage and screen star Charlotte Walker’s daughter. Originally famed for playing cranks became Andy Hardy’s Aunt Milly in 14 of the Hardy Family movies.

Melvyn Douglas – Biography of the Two-Time Oscar Winner
A biography of two-time Academy Award winning actor Melvyn Douglas enhanced by several Douglas quotes from the 1960s and ’70s. Also, Douglas in Golden Age Hollywood.

Helen Vinson Biography – A Socialite Specializing in Socialites
Born Helen Rulfs in Beaumont, Texas, this biography traces Helen Vinson’s life and career through Houston to New York, Hollywood, and beyond. Born to money, Vinson excelled at playing icy socialites in the movies. Married three times including her 1930s union with Wimbledon champ Fred Perry.
Movie Reviews & Articles

The Voice of Bugle Ann (1936) Starring Lionel Barrymore with Maureen O’Sullivan
MGM’s The Voice of Bugle Ann (1936) with Lionel Barrymore provides a look at Missouri foxhunting. Post includes some background on American foxhunting and a bit about the quote Barrymore’s Spring Davis attributes to Senator Vest during his murder trial.

Pick-Up (1933) Starring Sylvia Sidney and George Raft
Paramount pre-Code Pick-Up (1933) is the first of three movies co-starring Sylvia Sidney and George Raft. Also features William Harrigan and Lilian Bond. Based on a story by Viña Delmar and directed by Sidney-regular Marion Gering.

Ronald Colman is The Late George Apley (1947)
In “The Late George Apley” we join the title character, played by Ronald Colman, in the Boston of 1912 … Apley, member of a Bostonian family dating back …
Viewing The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934) for Leslie Howard’s Birthday
Happy birthday to Leslie Howard (1893-1943) today. I celebrate with a viewing The Scarlet Pimpernel and sharing my thoughts on both the film and Howard in this space today, all illustrated by movie cards and collectibles.

Richard Dix Reckons Himself The Public Defender (RKO, 1931)
Richard Dix is a harmless playboy until trouble calls and with the assistance of Boris Karloff and Paul Hurst he becomes The Reckoner in RKO’s The Public Defender (1931).

The Man Who Played God (1932) Starring Mr. George Arliss
George Arliss is a concert pianist who loses his hearing in an explosion. After learning to read lips he overcomes depression and despair by using his new talent to eavesdrop and help strangers overcome their own misfortune. With Bette Davis in an early supporting role.