A Bonnie and Clyde tale predating Gun Crazy (1950) by eleven years. Persons in Hiding is the first of four movies adapted from J. Edgar Hoover’s book of the same name. Electrifying debut by Patricia Morison with J. Carrol Naish strong opposite her.
Classic Movie Reviews by Cliff Aliperti
Spoiler-free reviews of movies from Hollywood's Golden Age, especially the 1930s. Most reviews also include research into background of the film and, when relevant, the history surrounding the subject of the movie.
The Cat and the Canary (1927) – Old Dark House Classic Starring Laura La Plante
Settling in for silent old dark house classic The Cat and the Canary (1927) starring Laura La Plante. Same story as the 1939 movie with Bob Hope, though the earlier movie is more thriller than comedy.
White Woman (1933) Starring Charles Laughton and Carole Lombard
The boys play rough in White Woman (1933) with Charles Laughton and Charles Bickford upstaging Carole Lombard at every turn. Poor Kent Taylor seems to be more in peril than Lombard. Jungle terror from a Malaysian rubber plantation run by Laughton’s “King of the River.”
Arsène Lupin (1932) Starring John and Lionel Barrymore
John Barrymore and Lionel Barrymore share the screen together for the first time in MGM’s Arsène Lupin (1932). Excellent mystery also includes strong work from Karen Morley.
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.
Born to Be Bad (1934) Starring Loretta Young, Cary Grant
A pre-Code entry released so late into the period that it was boycotted and even banned. Loretta Young plays another customer’s girl in Born to Be Bad, co-starring Cary Grant and Jackie Kelk. One of fewer than two dozen 20th Century Pictures entries before they merged with Fox Films.
H.M. Pulham, Esq. (1941) – King Vidor Brings John P. Marquand Bestseller to Life
Comparing King Vidor’s adaptation of H.M. Pulham, Esq. (1941) to the novel by John P. Marquand, and why both tellings are wonderful. Excellent performances from Robert Young and Hedy Lamarr trickle down throughout the entire cast, most of who are perfect representations of the characters Marquand created on the page. It’s a quiet story that tells a lot in the end.
The Films of Helen Twelvetrees – Capsule Reviews of 20 Movies
The films of Helen Twelvetrees. A page providing capsule reviews of 20–and counting–Helen Twelvetrees movies. Pre-Code stardom through late 1930s decline.
Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932), Universal Horror With Bela Lugosi
Universal’s 1932 horror adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s Murders in the Rue Morgue made quite a few changes, the best of which was inclusion of Dr. Mirakle, the villain played by Bela Lugosi. Lugosi covered extensively, plus comparisons of the story to the film, and an overall positive appraisal of the movie as it was made. Except for the ape.
The Mad Doctor of Market Street (1942), Universal Horror With Lionel Atwill
An early B movie from director Joseph H. Lewis, The Mad Doctor of Market Street (1942) is a minor Universal horror entry highlighted by horror icon Lionel Atwill’s performance.
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- …
- 29
- Next Page »