A second look at pre-Code classic Three on a Match (1932) includes an appraisal of early Humphrey Bogart movies, contemporary reaction, and a checklist of stars. Plus Warren William.
Babbitt (1934) Starring Guy Kibbee, Aline MacMahon
The second film adaptation of Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis was released in late 1934. Guy Kibbee is well cast in the title role with Aline MacMahon as his wife Myra Babbitt. Directed by William Keighley for First National-Warner Bros.
The Widow from Chicago (1930) Starring Alice White
Edward G. Robinson in an early gangster role that’s supposed to take a backseat to early talkie attraction Alice White. Film works for fans of both.
Wild Boys of the Road (1933) Meets “Boy And Girl Tramps of America”
Contemporary reaction to William A. Wellman’s Wild Boys of the Road (1933), plus writer Danny Ahearn, and a peek at Thomas Minehan’s study “Boy and Girl Tramps of America.”
Lightning Review: Registered Nurse (1934) Starring Bebe Daniels, Lyle Talbot
Brief look at Registered Nurse (1934) a pre-Code hospital drama from Warner Bros.-First National. Directed by Robert Florey. Starring Bebe Daniels, Lyle Talbot, and a host of familiar supporting players.
The Patent Leather Kid (1927) Starring Richard Barthelmess and Molly O’Day
Silent film from First National Pictures, directed by Alfred Santell. The Patent Leather Kid is a boxing-war-romance that earned Richard Barthelmess and Academy Award nomination and features a breakout performance by Molly O’Day.
The Mind Reader (1933) Starring Warren William
Warren William stars as a Depression-era hustler who turns carnival psychic until the love of a good woman tames him. He can’t pay the bills selling brushes though so his old partner lures him back into the mind reading racket. Warren William stars in The Mind Reader (1933) with Constance Cummings, Allen Jenkins, and Clarence Muse. Directed by Roy Del Ruth.
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.
One Night at Susie’s (1930) – Movie Compared to Short Story, Plus Helen Ware Biography
A look at First National’s One Night at Susie’s, a 1930 crime film starring Billie Dove and Douglas Fairbanks Jr., but really showing off Helen Ware to advantage. Frederick Hazlitt Brennan’s 1929 short story from Liberty magazine is discussed and a biography of Miss Ware is also included. Plus, just exactly how long is this movie?
She Had to Say Yes (1933) Starring Loretta Young
She Had to Say Yes is a pre-Code film so outrageous that it’s bound to bother men and women alike. An expose on the life of the “customer’s girl,” the Depression era’s version of a high class call girl in business circles. Starring Loretta Young, who manages to be pawed by Regis Toomey, Lyle Talbot, and Hugh Herbert, all in the same movie.
