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.
Popular Posts
Movie Star Biographies
Una Merkel – Biographical Notes and Quotes
A critique of the 2012 TCM Una Merkel birthday schedule along with highlights of her biography and several quotes attributed to her throughout her career.
Freddie Bartholomew Complete Biography of the 1930’s MGM Child Star
The most complete Freddie Bartholomew biography in existence. Now a single entry, over 10,000 words with bibliography about MGM’s popular child star of the 1930’s. What happened to the star of David Copperfield, Little Lord Fauntleroy and Captains Courageous after he grew up? It’s all here.
Hugh Herbert – Woo Woo Man vs. F. Hugh and Other Biographical Corrections
A complete biography of Woo Woo! man Hugh Herbert that reestablishes many writing and directorial credits previously given to F. Hugh Herbert and reveals his wife, Rose Epstein, and co-star, Anita Pam, were the same person. Hugh’s early vaudeville days dating from 1911 are covered as well as his earliest work at the film studios.
Lennox Pawle – The Career of Copperfield’s Mr. Dick
A brief biography of Lennox Pawle, best remembered as Mr. Dick in MGM’s 1935 adaptation of Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield. A stage actor of some prominence in London and New York, Pawle only appeared in 12 movies, including Copperfield.
Marian Marsh – Forever Trilby, Biography of the 1930s Screen Beauty
Marian Marsh will always be first recalled as John Barrymore’s Trilby in Svengali but don’t overlook her in Beauty and the Boss and Crime and Punishment. A biography of the gorgeous young actress of the 1930s.
Movie Reviews & Articles
Fritz Lang’s Fury (1936) Starring Spencer Tracy and Sylvia Sidney
Spencer Tracy breaks out in Fritz Lang’s Fury from MGM in 1936. MGM gives Tracy his most important role to date in Fury, co-starring Sylvia Sidney.
The Murder Man (1935) Starring Spencer Tracy
Reviewing Spencer Tracy’s first film on his MGM contract, The Murder Man, underrated by virtue of Tracy’s starring performance. Also starring Virginia Bruce, with Lionel Atwill and James Stewart in his feature film debut.
The Witching Hour (1934), Hypnotized by John Halliday
Paramount’s 1934 version of The Witching Hour is light on stars and, despite the title, isn’t even a horror movie. An early Henry Hathaway film based on the 1907 hit play by Augustus Thomas and featuring strong performances from John Halliday and Sir Guy Standing. It’s all covered here.
Midnight Mary (1933) Starring Loretta Young, Ricardo Cortez, Franchot Tone
William Wellman directs and Loretta Young stars in MIDNIGHT MARY (1933) a fast-paced MGM pre-code movie that inherits a Warner Brothers feel from director, cinematographer and star.
RKO’s Hell’s Highway (1932) Beats Other Chain Gang Movie to Theaters
It’s tempting to call RKO’s Hell’s Highway (1932) a knockoff on I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang. However the Richard Dix movie came first. A long essay looking at Hell’s Highway, Dix, the Etude Ethiopian Chorus and that other Chain Gang movie.
Peggy Hopkins Joyce, W.C. Fields, et al., in Paramount’s International House (1933)
International House, billed in its day as The Grand Hotel of comedy, found Eddie Sutherland directing a cast headed by W.C. Fields, Burns and Allen, and Bela Lugosi, with top bill actually going to socialite Peggy Hopkins Joyce in what was the final film of her sporadic movie career. The films’ everyman is played by […]