Brief look at Paramount pre-Code THE GIRL IN 419 (1933), gangster movie and hospital drama starring James Dunn with Gloria Stuart, David Manners, and William Harrigan. Directed by Alexander Hall and George Somnes.
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.
Man Wanted (1932) – Charles Kenyon Updates The Office Wife (1930)
A look at the similarities between Man Wanted (1932) and The Office Wife (1930) with a brief focus on Charles Kenyon who wrote each screenplay. Man Wanted stars Kay Francis and David Manners.
RKO’s Jalna (1935) Inspires Craving for More Mazo de la Roche
Jessie Ralph plays 99 year old Gran in RKO’s 1935 movie adaptation of Jalna, the first of the Mazo de la Roche Whiteoaks novels. Also starring Kay Johnson, Ian Hunter and David Manners. Directed by John Cromwell.
Dracula (1931) – Bela Lugosi and the Dark, Still Chilling
Matching the Universal horror classic Dracula (1931) starring Bela Lugosi against non-genre films of 1931 and turning perceived weaknesses into strengths.
Stranger in Town (1932) – Chic Sale Takes on a Big Grocery Chain
The small grocery Chic Sale runs in Boilsville is threatened in Warner Brothers’ Stranger in Town (1932) when a big competitor comes to town. Also starring Ann Dvorak, David Manners, and Noah Beery.
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.