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.
Guy Kibbee Biography – Character Actor Played Sugar Daddies, Goofballs, and Patriarchs
Biography of 1930s and 1940s character actor Guy Kibbee, who starred in over one hundred Hollywood films. Lovable Kibbee could play lecherous sugar daddies and folksy patriarchs with equal skill.
The Life and Death of Dr. George Washington Kibbee (Guy Kibbee’s Grandfather)
The fascinating life and times of Dr. George Washington Kibbee, the grandfather actor Guy Kibbee never knew. A 19th century hustler and hero of the Yellow Fever epidemic that claimed his life.
Girl Missing (1933) Starring Glenda Farrell, Mary Brian
Murder-mystery GIRL MISSING (1933) ignores its murder and telegraphs its mystery, but Glenda Farrell manages to carry the day anyway. An excellent pre-Code showcase for the actress. Good support from Guy Kibbee, Helen Ware, and Ferdinand Gottschalk.
Blonde Crazy (1931) Starring James Cagney and Joan Blondell
A wild pre-Code con man romp directed by Roy Del Ruth for Warner Bros. and featuring the great chemistry of James Cagney and Joan Blondell. Blonde Crazy released in November 1931. Supporting cast highlighted by Louis Calhern, Noel Francis, Guy Kibbee, Polly Walters, and a very young Ray Milland.
The Mouthpiece (1932) – Warren William Becomes a Star; 1932 William J. Fallon Cycle Begins
Warren William has his breakthrough role in The Mouthpiece, first and best of the 1932 cycle of William J. Fallon inspired lawyer films. Background on Fallon and his legacy included.
Winner Take All (1932) from Warner Archive’s Latest Wave of James Cagney
James Cagney stars as boxer Jimmy Kane in Winner Take All, a 1932 Warner Bros. release. This post takes a look at the Rocky II-like double knockdown from the film in order to revisit its inspiration, a real-life 1912 lightweight title fight. Also starring Marian Nixon and Virginia Bruce.
I Married a Doctor (1936) Attempts to Update Main Street
Main Street by Sinclair Lewis was published in 1920. In 1936 Warner Bros. attempted to update the Lewis story with I Married a Doctor, starring Josephine Hutchinson and Pat O’Brien. The movie is entertaining but it is no Main Street choosing to focus more on the love angle than it does Carol’s battle against the small town.
City Streets (1931) Starring Gary Cooper and Sylvia Sidney
A look at the most stylized of the 1931 gangster movies, Rouben Mamoulian’s City Streets (1931) from Paramount, starring Gary Cooper and Sylvia Sidney.
Brief Impressions: King for a Night (1933) – Big Hearted Herbert (1934) and Father Is a Prince (1941) – Confessions of Boston Blackie (1941)
Enjoying a key scene between Chester Morris and Grant Mitchell in King for a Night (1933) leads to more Morris in a Boston Blackie entry plus Mitchell’s own starring vehicle, Father Is a Prince (1941), itself a remake of Big Hearted Herbert (1934), which is also discussed.
