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.
Safe in Hell (1931), Talkie Triumph for Tough Dorothy Mackaill
Safe in Hell (1931) nearly starred Barbara Stanwyck, but no matter as Dorothy Mackaill makes the part her own. A bit about the film and what happened to this otherwise forgotten star.
The World Changes (1933) Starring the Many Faces of Paul Muni
Paul Muni stars in First National’s 1933 multigenerational film The World Changes. Also starring Mary Astor. Muni earns a fortune in the meat-packing industry but is led too far from his roots and watches his children stray even further from what he considers a good life.
The Conquerors (1932) Starring Richard Dix and Ann Harding
I watched a pair of Richard Dix films this week, the Oscar winning Cimarron from 1931 and The Conquerors released the following year. This review focuses on the film I liked better.