Change Your Image
tournier
Reviews
Women of All Nations (1931)
The sequel to *What Price Glory?*
The film depicts the picaresque adventures of career Marines Sgts. Quirt and Flagg, played by Victor McLaglen and Edmund Lowe and directed by renowned helmsman Raoul Walsh. Because it is so episodic, it does tend to drag somewhat and, yes, Bogart's scenes were left on the cutting room floor. But, it offers Bela Lugosi an excellent supporting role as Prince Hassan in the last segment of the film, who catches Quirt and Flagg (as well as comedian El Brendel) invading Bela's harem to assignate with his #1 sweetie, played by the lovely Norwegian blonde actress Greta Nissen. Lugosi gets to ham it up in a comic vein, speaks some Hungarian and meows like a cat to try to catch the three rapscallions and in general livens up the proceedings. Not to mention that for those of us who are his devotees, he looks rather luscious in his Middle Eastern duds.
With Byrd at the South Pole (1930)
Classic documentary depiction of Byrd's 1928 expedition and flight over the South Pole
A classic documentary in glorious black and white, the film is mostly silent, with a musical score added. There is a sound introduction by Byrd himself and a narrator describes the section showing the actual flight over the South Pole (though his narration is hurried). The film is beautifully photographed and won the Academy Award for cinematography in 1930. Helpfully, the print that I watched on Canadian TV was clear and crisp, making the film a visual treat to watch. I highly recommend this film over any newer versions of Byrd's story which would intercut the vintage film clips with modern material. This version gives a great feel for the immensity of the original expedition, with tidbits both momentous and minor.
Such Men Are Dangerous (1930)
A rich but homely man fakes his suicide, gets plastic surgery and is able to win his wife's heart.
Warner Baxter is the lead, homely but rich Ludwig Kranz. Catherine Dale Owen is his bride. She is so turned off by his ugliness that she runs out on him on their wedding night. He fakes his suicide and turns up at the clinic of famous plastic surgeon Dr. Gutman,played movingly by Bela Lugosi. Lugosi realizes that his patient is actually the man who had endowed his clinic years before, to help rehabilitate the men who were maimed in WWI. He operates on Kranz and turns him into handsome Warner Baxter. Baxter's plans for revenge on his wife are abandoned when she falls in love with him, and all ends happily.