ronrobinson3 Reviews

Winner Take All (1932)

Any film that has James Cagney in it is going to be good and this story is no exception.

[9/10 · 23 May 2024]

I think I am now confident in saying that any film that has James Cagney in it is going to be good. And this story is no exception.

Cagney plays a boxer at the top of his game. But for health reasons he must go to the desert until he is better. While at a health resort, he meets Marian Nixon and her young brother who are also there for their health. She is running low on money to stay there so Cagney returns to the city early to do some fights and earn some cash.

While in the city, he is wooed by Virginia Bruce, a rich socialite, who finds Cagney fascinating and a distraction from her boring pampered life. Cagney falls for her and forgets all about Marian Nixon. But Bruce is only keeping Cagney around for amusement. She becomes bored with him and plans to run away with another of her lovers.

The story is nothing outstanding, but it works as a whole very well because of Cagney's acting. Nixon and Bruce do a very good job too. All of the characters are real. You do not feel like you are watching actors, but real people playing out their lives.

Watch James Cagney and you will become a big fan of his work too. Get Classy with this Classic!!

Lady and Gent (1932)

This is a Classy Classic gem. It is worth finding it and giving it a chance!

[9/10 · 21 May 2024]

Another unknown hidden gem. The film starts off in one direction and, once you think you understand where the story is going, it takes another turn in another direction.

Wynne Gibson is perfect as the girlfriend for this dumb and slow boxer played by George Bancroft. Bancroft's career as a boxer is fading and finally he is defeated by a young newcomer. John Wayne is the newcomer and you only see him in the ring and then in a short scene much later. So, if you are looking for a good John Wayne picture, this is not it.

Bancroft's manager had all his savings riding on Bancroft's winning, but, since Bancroft lost, he has lost everything. He attempts to steal the money but is killed in the attempt.

Bancroft and Gibson find out the manager had a son so they find him and realize the mother died a long time ago and the manager was all the boy had to take care of him.

In an almost comic way, Bancroft and Gibson slowly become domestic "parents" to the kid. The transition is slow and believable. There is such "heart" in the film. There is a sad scene where someone from the past bumps into Gibson and is shocked to see how plain and worn out she now is from being a "Mom" and chores, etc. It is a well played scene. It made me think about all the parents out there who lose their goals, lives, hobbies, fun, etc. When they have a child to consider (or at least some parents!)

This is a Classy Classic gem. It is worth finding it and giving it a chance!

Unashamed (1932)

Attend this intense court room drama and watch the Classy Classic called "Unashamed". You will LOVE Twelvetrees!

[9/10 · 16 May 2024]

Once again, if you don't know who Helen Twelvetrees is, then you had better get acquainted. She was a big star in the early thirties. With a name like "Twelvetrees", how is it I never heard of her before either?? I have now seen her in over 9 films, "State's Attorney" (1932), "A Woman of Experience" (1931), "Her Man" (1930), are just a few examples, with "A Woman of Experience" being excellent!

The reason I recommend this film is so you can experience the great acting job Helen Twelvetrees does in her transitioning between types of personalities in her life. It is almost as if she is playing four different characters.

First she plays a young innocent in love and blind to what she is getting into. Then she has to play cold and hard and a woman who would turn her own brother over to death row. Then she becomes crazed and frantic as she starts to see the error of her ways. And finally she does the best performance of all when she takes the witness stand and becomes a lady with no morals and brash.

The plot is "simple". She loves a man (Monroe Owsley) who is only after her for her money. Everyone sees it but Twelvetrees. Her father (played very well by Robert Warwick) forbids the marriage and so the Owsley takes her to a hotel over night, knowing it will ruin her reputation in society and her father will then force them to marry. Twelvetrees' brother (Robert Young) tries to help her out of the situation but she insists her lover is good and she loves him. Finally Young turns on Owsley and exposes him for the mercenary liar he is. The lover punches Young. Young returns with a gun and in a rage shoots the lover dead.

Twelvetrees, still in love, turns on her brother and says that she will see him go to the electric chair for what he has done. Lewis Stone plays the defense attorney for Young. But when Twelvetrees takes the stand and swears it was cold blooded murder, it looks dark for Young.

I won't spoil the end. Watching for the first time, I truly did not know if Twelvetrees was going to come through and do the right thing. You will have to see for yourself. It makes a good ending!

As a footnote, I have also been seeing a lot of Louise Beavers too in recent films. She makes an appearance in the court. It is a small part and almost unnecessary, but the studios seemed to like putting her in films wherever they could. They even had a publicity photo done with her behind Young that is not in the film. But it is good to see them promoting her either way.

So attend the intense court room drama and watch the Classy Classic called "Unashamed". You will LOVE Twelvetrees!

Red-Headed Woman (1932)

Okay, I can't help it. I have fallen for Jean Harlow.

[9/10 · 11 May 2024]

Okay, I can't help it. I have fallen for Jean Harlow. If you look at some of my reviews, you will see that I can't stop praising her work. So far, she has played the part of girl navigating her way through the world of men who only want her for her looks and what she can offer them. Normally, her character is strong because she knows from the "get go" what men are like and what they are after. Being wise to their ways keeps her strong and in charge.

In "Red-Headed Woman", Jean Harlow turns her role upside down. She knows she is sexy and totally exploits that to get ahead in life. She knows how to drive men crazy and she unloads that weapon on any man she wants to conquer. That man is usually an older, rich society man. Her past roles have been a "good girl" or a naughty girl with a heart of gold, but this time she is just all out BAD. I should have had a clue it would be different when she starts the film by going to a salon and having her blonde hair dyed a bright red. Too bad this film is not in color!! She looks at the results in a mirror and says: "So gentlemen prefer blondes, do they? Ha!"

Shortly after that, she even has another great line. While trying on dresses, she stands in front of a window with the sun coming through and asks the saleslady, "Can you see through this?" The saleslady says: "Yes!" and Harlow responds: "Good! I'll take it!" Those short opening scenes tell you so much about her character and where this film is going.

When we start the film, she has her eyes on a married man played by Chester Morris. He tries to resist her but when she presses herself up to him, he can not resist. It seems corny but the sex appeal is played so believably that you believe she really can get any man. She is truly a siren luring men and then destroying them.

The wife is played by Leila Hyams. She is perfect in the role showing despair, then strength, then resolve. We are also delighted by the acting of Harlow's roommate and best friend played by Una Merkel. Merkel is a delight in anything she does. She is so real and fresh.

Round the cast off with Lewis Stone (of Judge Hardy fame), May Robson (from the film "Lady for a Day"), and even a small part of a chauffeur that is played by Charles Boyer. I didn't even recognize Boyer in the part!

Why should you see the film? The team of Harlow and Morris work well together, and Harlow is outstanding in this! You want to believe she is a good girl deep down like so many other roles she has played, but there is NOTHING redeeming about her character!! She is mean and selfish through and through. But you will love her.

This film was made before the Production Code, so expect to see some pretty passionate love scenes. There is also a scene where Harlow catches her roommate Merkel wearing her brand new silk pajamas and demands she strip them off right then and there. She does and it is clear she is wearing nothing under them. Meanwhile, Harlow strips down and puts them on with a few gratuitous skin shots also! Just warning you!

Be sure to watch the film all the way to the end. There is a very short scene with Harlow driving off with her new conquest, a shaggy bearded old man, and there is a surprise in the limo. It is perfect!!

So, another Classy Classic you should check out!! Because I said so!! :-)

Two Seconds (1932)

It is so good and full, you just want more!

[9/10 · 16 April 2024]

Very rarely do I say "That film was NOT long enough!!", but in the case of this film, I must say I was enjoying it so much I wish it had been longer. Now, don't assume the film is only 2 seconds as the title says. The film clocks in at just over 60 minutes.

The film is dark and angry and sad. Don't think you are going to get any laughs or warm fuzzy feelings from this story. In fact, the film begins right away with Edward G. Robinson's character being brought in to a room of witnesses to watch him be electrocuted for the crime of first degree murder. The doctor that is explaining the procedure to the nervous audience that is there to witness the execution tells the witnesses present that when a man is executed he lives for about 2 seconds. And in that brief time, the man's whole life can flash before his eyes. When the electric current begins, we cut away to Robinson's last month of memories until we return an hour later to the electric chair - "2 seconds later".

Robinson's character is so sad. He has hopes and dreams and is a nice guy trying to do good. But then he meets Vivienne Osborne's character. Osborne is amazing playing the part of a "ten cents a dance" girl that is sick of her life. You don't know whether she is good or bad in the beginning. Or just a harden waif who sees Robinson as a ticket to a better life.

Much takes place. Truths come out. Death. Betrayal. Murder.

In the end, Robinson is complaining because when was down and a rat, society let him live. But when he has finally done something to show he is a man and cleaning up his act, they decide to end his life. At his trial, he tells the judge: "It isn't fair! It isn't fair to let a rat live and kill a man! It isn't reasonable! It don't make sense! I won't let you do it!"

There is MUCH more I can say, but I will spoil the film and its ending. Edward G. Robinson can do NO wrong in his films. Every scene, he owns!! But Osborne also gives him a run for his money when it comes to great acting.

So see this Classy Classic and tell me if you did not find yourself wishing the film were longer. It is so good and full, you just want more!

The Mouthpiece (1932)

This Classic will make you Classy for seeing it! A MUST see!!

[9/10 · 7 April 2024]

I never heard of this film, but here is another unknown (to me) hidden gem! The story flows very well. You never look at the clock wondering "how much longer?" The film is a full and well presented narrative.

Warren William borders on a "John Barrymore" portrayal, and I am sure they competed for some of the same parts in film, but Warren William is so good. He gives his character warmth and depth and likability. John Barrymore only gives a caricature. Thank goodness Barrymore is NOT in this film, but Warren William is and does an amazing job.

There are so many good performances in this film. Sidney Fox plays the sweet ingenue that is a lot deeper and wiser than expected. But, of all the female leads, Aline MacMahon is the true stand out. She was in "The Five Star Final" with Edward G. Robinson as her first film part and she was amazing in that too. MacMahon has a real talent for playing it real and hard. Every scene she is in is played perfectly and she steals focus without even trying. She has an Eve Arden toughness and tenderness that works so well for her part.

The story is quite good too. Warren William plays a prosecuting attorney. But when he sends a boy to the electric chair and then finds out the boy is innocent, William is devastated and can't continue practicing law. When he finally comes around, he is bitter and decides to switch to a defending attorney and defends gangsters and mobsters, doing anything to get them off. He is quite successful and finds out that the money is gained by doing such sleazy jobs and getting the bad guys off from serving justice.

But when a sweet innocent girl played by Sidney Fox starts to work for him, he sees himself, corrupt and jaded, compared to her trust and faith in good and William begins to wonder if he is happy and doing the right thing.

But you can't take my word for it. You MUST see this classic for the story, the acting, for Warren Willam, Aline MacMahon, and Sidney Fox. And for me!!

So Big! (1932)

If you are not in love and a big fan of Barbara Stanwyck, you will be after you see this film.

[8/10 · 3 April 2024]

If you are not in love and a big fan of Barbara Stanwyck, you will be after you see this film.

The film covers a lot of territory. It starts with Stanwyck as a young girl who is wise beyond her years. When her father suddenly dies, she takes a job as a school teacher in a very small Dutch community. The life is harsh and all about hard work and poverty. She marries a cabbage farmer and tries her best to make a life for her husband and, later, a little son that she calls "So Big". "How big is my little boy? So big!!"

Stanwyck's husband gets ill and then he too dies. She gathers her wits and puts all her money and knowledge into asparagus. There is more profit in it and over time, her asparagus becomes famous. This part of the film where she struggles to make it in a man's world for farming and marketing reminded me of the many films that Sally Fields has done like "Places in the Heart".

Meanwhile, "So Big" gives up his dreams of being an architect and goes the easy route of playing a playboy to society married woman. While doing this, he encounters an artist played by Bette Davis. Bette Davis does not like "So Big" because he is lazy and does not have any dreams or ambitions.

Eventually, "So Big" comes home to see his neglected mother and, despite not wanting to recognize it, Stanwyck realizes her son has failed and will never be a success. One of her old Dutch students comes back for a visit and he is a success because he followed his dreams. The comparison between this ambitious young man and her own son is so striking that she finally admits the difference and accepts it with grace.

Stanwyck goes from a innocent young girl to a hard woman in a man's world to an aged but content woman who knows she worked hard and did the best she could do with the cards that life dealt her. She didn't settle and never felt sorry for herself. She made the most of her life, even if her own son did not. It was an honor to watch Stanwyck's performance in her transformation in character and transition into an aging woman at peace with her life.

Bette Davis has a very small role and it is not very well acted. She was just starting out in the film and it shows. Lucky for her, Hollywood did not give up on her but gave her more and more chances to show she could become the mega star she ended up to be!! This is NOT one of Bette's best.

But it is certainly one of Barbara Stanwyck's shining roles!! She is Classic and Classy in this one and worth the time to watch this film.

Night Court (1932)

Follow my court orders and see "Night Court" from 1932!

[9/10 · 28 March 2024]

This is a very good film. I have always loved Walter Huston and he does a great job in this film too. You will love to hate his character. Don't think this is a comedy like the better known TV series by that name. This movie gets heavy and dark.

Huston is a corrupt judge sitting on the bench of the night court. He gives off the air of being just and kind, but he is being paid off by the mob to release gangsters. He is making lots of money which he hides and shares with his sleazy girl played by Mary Carlisle. He is thought to be a saint by the city while he grows rich off his corrupt use and perversion of justice.

Phillips Holmes and Anita Page play a sweet couple that just had a baby. They have the bad luck of becoming acquainted socially with Huston and Carlisle. When Page is suspected that she is starting to "get wise" to Huston's corruption, Mary Carlisle and Huston set up a frame job where Page is set up in a "compromising" position. She is arrested for prostitution and comes up in court against Huston. He sends her to six months of hard labor to get her out of the way. The sad part is that Page is innocent and really does not suspect Huston or Carlisle at all. Anita Page does a great job as she screams her innocence, cries out for them to get her husband, pleads to see her baby, and all the nightmarish emotions that would come from such a set up on an innocent sweet girl.

Phillips Holmes is perfect. He can't believe his wife would sleep with a man for money, even though they are having a hard time making ends meet. He runs to the court with his baby in his arms to save his wife. He is too late. She has been sent away screaming earlier that day. To make it worse, Huston orders the baby to be ripped out of his arms and placed in an orphanage "for the baby's best interest".

The film does a great job of showing the nightmare unfolding for first Anita Page and then it shifts to the nightmare unfolding for Phillips Holmes. He tries so hard to fight his disbelief in the overwhelming evidence that is wife solicited for sex. He wants to keep his faith in her but it is hard when everyone is telling him the opposite. He has a scene where he talks to himself in a mirror and lays out how he feels and fights with his trust in his wife and the horrible guilty facts of her "double life". Good stuff. Good scene. Good acting.

Does justice prevail? Does Anita Page get out of jail? Does Philips Holmes keep his sanity? Does the baby get returned? Does Huston get his comeuppance?

For all the above answers, you should see the film. It is worth it. It is classy and classic and you know I ONLY post movie reviews of movies you really should see. So follow my court orders and see "Night Court" from 1932!

Scarface (1932)

When you have a chance to see ANY film that stars Paul Muni, get ready to see a great performance. Muni NEVER disappoints.

[10/10 · 19 March 2024]

When you have a chance to see ANY film that stars Paul Muni, get ready to see a great performance. Muni NEVER disappoints.

This is the FIRST version of Scarface way before the better known Pacino's portrayal ("Say "hello" to my little friend!") If you see this 1932 version, you may wonder if this is not the better version of the two!

Muni is amazing how he completely becomes a character, no matter what the part is. The film had a hard time getting through the censors. It is gritty, violent, and puts a spotlight on the thrill of being a gangster during the Prohibition Days.

Ann Dvorak plays Scarface's sister. Just look at those wide eyes she has! Karen Morley is great as the smooth vamp that enjoys the power and thrills too.

The film has TWO endings. The original has Scarface cornered and gunned down. The censors thought he should "come to justice" instead so another ending was filmed where Scarface surrenders and is put on trial to hang. I saw the latter one without knowing there was another ending. I looked up the original ending and I liked that better where he is just gunned down. The alternate ending stretches it all out too long just to make a moral statement about "crime doesn't pay".

The censors also changed the role of his suffering Mother. She was written to be all loving and proud of her son and enjoying the money he gives her. In the film, she is ashamed of him and despises what he has become. Darn those censors! But they wanted the film to get approval to be released.

Check out this Classy Classics and see what you think of this version of Scarface. I hope you too will be a big fan of Paul Muni. There are many more of his films to come soon!

The Wet Parade (1932)

Watch the film not knowing anything about it and enjoy the journey of discovery.

[9/10 · 12 March 2024]

I am not a big fan of Robert Young, but he is quite good in this film. Dorothy Jordon is outstanding. Jimmy Durante is there for comic relief. Myrna Loy is seductive and evil. And even Neil Hamilton, who always comes off too stuffy and arrogant in films I have watched before, is perfect in this role. Clara Blandick (Auntie Em!!) is stellar also.

With a title of "Wet Parade", I had no idea what to expect. I had never heard of this film. It was just the next chronologically on my list to watch. I liked Upton Sinclair's writings so I knew it had to have some good characters in it at least. And it does!

The story is about alcohol and what it does in families, relationships, and careers. It also serves as a great history lesson in how the prohibition came about. I did not know that the Prohibition Movement started with the theme of "Don't Waste Ingredients to Make Whiskey, etc When It Could Be Used to Make Bread and Food Products for Our Fighting Men Overseas". With such a theme, people of America voted to "prohibit" the use of such elements to create alcohol. But the theme turned more political, religious, and moral when the theme turned into "Alcohol Is Bad!" But with Prohibition came Organized Crime and even more people dying because of poisonous bootleg being created and mobs fighting each other. One police chief says "Now there are more speakeasys than any number of taverns and bars that we had before, thanks to Prohibition." It made me think about a lot of the good and bad of such a movement. Some even question that if you want alcohol banned, do so in your own home but don't force all the homes in America to do so too.

But the history lesson comes through the venue of this entertaining and poignant screen play and all the characters play their parts perfectly.

There were some surprises and even "shocks" in the film but I won't spoil that part of it. Watch the film not knowing anything about it and enjoy the journey of discovery. Classy and a Classic!

The Crowd (1928)

It may be silent but the message and power of the film comes through loud and clear!

[10/10 · 6 March 2024]

Back to silent films with this one. The film wasn't available to watch when I was reviewing 1928 films so I am doing a bit of a "catch-up" with this one. But it is worth talking about!

This is a King Vidor film which usually means the film is going to be a classic and, in this case, it is so true.

Eleanor Boardman has had my praise in past films I have watched such as "The Great Meadow", "The Circle", "Tell It To The Marines", and more. But, in this film, she is amazing. She under plays her character making her authentic and believable. James Murray adds to the great acting as her loser husband who believes the world owes him something.

The film follows the couple as they struggle to make ends meet. The husband feels like he is on the brink of something great, but never quite succeeds. The wife is the ever loving wife that props him up and makes him feel that she believes in him, even though there are moments when she lets her guard down and you see how see truly feels.

The film touches on the egos out there that have the belief that they "stand out" from the crowd and are something different and special. The film does not disagree that this is a bad trait, but it shows what happens when that belief brings up other personality traits that end up pulling the person down. Ego is a strong motivator, a strong muse, but it can also be a strong enemy.

The film starts off with a "light" tone. Everyone is jolly and happy. You feel happy with them as you watch the couple dating, falling in love, and, even, the awkwardness of the honeymoon night on a train. It slowly turns darker. So slowly that at first you are not aware how serious it is getting. There are very tragic moments that I won't reveal so as not to spoil the "shock" effect. But the moments are well done and very realistic once again.

The use of the camera and the clever shots make the film have a very classic artistic look. French director Jean-Luc Godard, when asked in the 1960s, why more films were not made about ordinary people, he responded, "The Crowd had already been made, so why remake it?" So true. So true.

Why Eleanor Broadman was not nominated for an Academy Award, I don't understand. She is perfect in this role.

Unfortunately, James Murray gave way to alcohol and depression soon after starring in this film and, in a few years, was panhandling on the streets to make a living. Shortly after that, he committed suicide. Sad.

So, if you can enjoy a silent film, this is the one to watch!! It may be silent but the message and power of the film comes through loud and clear! I can't stay "silent" about how great this Classy Classic truly is!!

Alias the Doctor (1932)

Do "two wrongs make a right"?

[9/10 · 12 February 2024]

I love Lucille La Verne. She supplied the voice for the Evil Queen in the animated Disney film, "Snow White". She is always a delight to see. And this time, she gets to play a loving mother and even dresses up in nice clothes and looks elegant as her son does well in business.

This film is on my list of a good classic because it made me think. The film deals with a moral dilemma. And it makes you the judge of what should be done and what happens after the film ends.

Richard Barthelmess is an adopted son to La Verne. Her real son and he are going to medical school. He is also engaged to Marian Marsh. Her real son gets into trouble and performs surgery on a girl while he is drunk and does not have his license yet. To protect him, Barthelmess takes the blame saying it was him and not his brother because he knows how much his adopted mother wanted her son to be a doctor. It is her dream and she put them both through school even though she is poor.

The girl who was operated on dies and Barthelmess is banned from a license and even has to go to jail for several years.

When Barthelmess has served his time in jail, he comes home to find out his adopted brother has now died. Before dying, he tells his mother and sister the truth. Before he can try to clear his name, there is an emergency and he is forced to operate on a little boy pretending to be his "licensed" brother.

La Verne sees this as a way to have her dream of a son who is a successful doctor. He becomes a huge success and does most of his work without charging the poor and he saves many lives. But Marion Marsh still longs to be with Barthelmess and when they try to meet they realize, to the outside world, it will be looked on as incest.

There is a great scene between La Verne and Marsh where the mother is begging Marsh to give him up to help keep the charade going. But Marsh declares she is going to go to him and live with him in sin - not married and not caring if it appears as incest.

At some point in the film, all the truth must come out. When it does, the viewer is asked what should happen? Barthelmess is a successful and very talented surgeon. He has saved thousands of lives including those who could never afford a surgeon. But he is unlicensed and living a lie.

Nothing La Verne or Barthelmess have done has been done out of malice. They really wanted "the best" for all around them, but at what price? Are deception and lies justified if "good" is the result?

The movie ends very quickly and stops. At first, I thought this was an editing mistake, but now I feel it was done to leave the end up to me. It was abrupt in order to put the moral question in my hands.

So, this film will present you a morality play. It will, or should, make you think. Do "two wrongs make a right"?

Check out this Classy Classic and let me know how you judge what happens after the film ends.

The Beast of the City (1932)

I am glad I saw it. Would I watch it again? Maybe not.

[8/10 · 30 January 2024]

Before you get the impression that this is a horror movie, let me set you straight. It is not. The monster in this film is the mob and organized crime in the city. Walter Huston is out to clean the city of the corruption and mob boss reign of terror.

This film is not great, but it is good. If you are a fan of Walter Huston (and I am!!), you will enjoy this film. He does a great job showing a tough and yet tender police chief.

Jean Harlow is wasted in this. Harlow was longing to stop playing the used bad girl and she started getting leading roles in films like "Three Wise Girls" (see my review on that) that really showed her talents. But in this film, she is back to playing a vamp who is the girlfriend of the mob boss who does what she can to help him in his crimes no matter who she has to hurt. Don't get me wrong. Harlow raises her character to a worthy level, but it is just not her best role - though she does her best with it.

If you like seeing the good guys stand up to the bad guys, then this is the film for you. If you like Walter Huston, then this is the film for you. If you like seeing Jean Harlow in anything she does, then this is the film for you.

It is a classic. It is classy. But the story did not move me, except toward the end. I am glad I saw it. Would I watch it again? Maybe not. But you be the judge.

Three Wise Girls (1931)

Great film. Great job by Harlow. I think she is going to be a big star one day!!

[9/10 · 28 January 2024]

This film is the first time Jean Harlow has a starring role. It is a good thing they cast her in the film because she knocks it out of the park! She is perfect for the role. Harlow could have easily made this into a "piece of fluff" which is what the film seems to be destined for, but once she starts playing her part, she takes a "one note" character and fleshes her out into an amazing portrayal.

The plot has been over done and I was disappointed when the film began thinking it was another "girls in the city trying to find a rich husband" concept. But it is not that. And it is NOT that because of Harlow.

Three girls, Harlow, Mae Clarke, and Marie Prevost navigate life in the big city. Harlow's motivation at first was to get out of a small town and make a future for herself by landing a good job. Mae Clarke is wasted in the this film as a girl who is in love with a man who pours money onto her while having a wife too. And, finally, Marie Prevost is a plump comic relief that yearns for a man (any man) and can't understand why Harlow does not use her looks more to get ahead.

The men in the film don't come off very well. Harlow encounters some fawning cads who she trusts at first, but almost they instantly turn into wolves when she is alone with them. She is alluring but Harlow never uses that to get ahead.

Great film. Great job by Harlow. I think she is going to be a big star one day!!

Check out this Classy Classic!!

Broken Lullaby (1932)

I can NOT recommend this film any higher than I am. It is a MUST see!!

[10/10 · 18 January 2024]

If you are ready to ball your eyes out, then try this film. The film does not force the tears. It is not overly melodramatic. It just WORKS and when it works, the tears flow.

I was always on the fence about Phillips Holmes acting roles, but he nails this one. It was written for him! The plot is based on a book by Lubitsch titled "The Man I Killed". In fact, the title for the film was called that but before release they changed it to "Broken Lullaby". I was not sure what the title had to do with the film, but it all became clear at the end of the film.

Holmes, a Frenchman, has killed a man, a German, during the great war (WWI). He is so riddled with guilt that he finally decides, after the war is over, to go find the parents of the soldier he killed and beg for their forgiveness.

When he finds the father (Barrymore) and mother (Louise Carter), they are still grief stricken but completely come alive when they think Holmes was a friend of their son and knew him right at the end. Seeing how happy they are and hopeful, Holmes continues the façade and tells them how wonderful their son was. It reminded me of "Evan Hanson" where the lie gets out of hand and makes it harder for the truth to come out.

The Germans hate the French, so the whole village snubs Barrymore when he accepts the man into his family and begins to consider him to be his second son.

Nancy Carroll was engaged to their son and she enjoys the stories too. Without trying, Carroll and Holmes fall in love. But it is tearing Holmes apart living a lie. He finally tries to run away but Carroll stops him and begs to know why he is so distraught. He decides to tell her the truth that he killed her fiancée and their son. He then decides to go tell the parents.

What happens next would be a spoiler so I will leave you to watch it. Barrymore, Carroll, Carter, and Holmes are all outstanding.

I do have to share some lines with you. There is a scene where the village is snubbing Barrymore and he has a GREAT speech aimed at them and their anger: "No one here can tell me the meaning of death or the meaning of hatred. I have drunk deep of both of them. And so, I tell you, have the French.

Who sent that young man out to kill Germans? And who sent my boy and all of your boys? Who gave them the gas, the bullets, and the bayonets? WE! The Fathers! Here and on the other side. We are too old to fight but we are not too old to hate!

WE are responsible!!

When thousands of other men's sons were killed, we called it victory and celebrated with beer. And when thousands of our sons were killed, they called it victory and celebrated with wine.

FATHERS drinking to the death of SONS!!

I stood in front of this hotel when my son marched by. He was going to his death .... and I cheered."

So get your hankies out and see this very good, very moving, and very thought provoking film. Once again I can NOT recommend this film any higher than I am. It is a MUST see. A true Classy Classic!

Forbidden (1932)

I am so glad to have seen it now and you must too!

[10/10 · 11 January 2024]

I don't know where I have been! I don't know how I missed ever seeing this GREAT film. I am so glad to have seen it now and you must too!

Barbara Stanwyck is brilliant in this Frank Capra film. She starts off as a shy introverted librarian who has never experienced life. She takes out all her savings in order to have one crazy madcap adventure on a cruise to Havana. On the way, she meets Adolphe Menjou. They fall in love.

The story then follows their relationship for over 25 years.

First, she finds out Menjou is married. Then she finds out that, even though he truly loves her, he can't leave his wife because the wife is an invalid from a car accident he caused. Stanwyck is too in love to give him up and tries to make it work, but then she finds out she is going to have his child. Menjou is a rising politician and this would kill his career so Stanwyck runs away and has the baby in secret. At first she doesn't want the baby, but finally she comes around and raises it on her own.

Menjou is still in love with Stanwyck and searches for her until he finds her and the child. She confesses it is his. They begin seeing each other again, but when they are seen together meeting in a park and the baby calls Menjou "Papa" in front of a reporter, Stanwyck pretends she is only a governess. To cover, Menjou adopts the baby and brings her to his home and wife to live and hires Stanwyck to be the governess and keep the lie going. But Stanwyck can't take it all and quits.

The story continues as the baby grows up and Menjou's career goes from District Attorney to Mayor to Governor. But, just as Menjou is about to be elected Governor, the true story is about to come out and ruin the child's life and future and Menjou's future of being Governor.

The story gets really tense. I won't say more. I hope you will watch this for yourself. Everyone in the film is great. Stanwyck is such a great star and it comes through in this film. And you want to hate Menjou but you can't. He is actually sympatric and likeable.

This is a pre-code film so any woman who is unmarried and has a baby is NOT allowed to have a happy ending. You will see what I mean if you watch this. BUT, why is it only the woman who is not allowed a happy ending? Why not the man too? Why doesn't he get punished? He is just as involved and guilty in the affair. It doesn't seem fair, does it?

Anyway, please, please, please give this film a try. You will fall for Stanwyck and this Classy Classic! Seeing it is not "Forbidden"!! Not at all.

Union Depot (1932)

Get your train tickets and get "all aboard" for this Classy Classic. Enjoy!!

[9/10 · 9 January 2024]

If you are a fan of "Grand Hotel" then you will LOVE this film, "Union Depot". The setting of the depot becomes the main character for most of the film. The camera pans around and shows different families and persons in the activities that take place in a very busy New York depot. In fact, much of the fun of the film is catching a cameo, a glimpse, or even just a one-time quick closeup of many stars who come in and out of the depot. You will spot many and I don't want to give a long list. In fact, some of them I was sure were going to have a bigger part in the film, but the closeup or the glimpse is all you get. And that is the fun of the film!

The main story involves Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. And Joan Blondell. I am becoming a big fan of Blondell. I only knew her from more recent films and she always played a comical and over the top character. But she is really good when she has a lead role and even better when paired with someone like Fairbanks, Jr. What a great pair they make.

Fairbanks is charming, handsome, natural, and spot on. You can't help but like his character. He just has "star" power and it shows. And Blondell does a great job keeping up with him.

The plot is almost unnecessary to enjoy the actors and the film. But even the plot is good. It involves counterfeit money. Perverted dirty old men. Loose women. Police. FBI. And so much more!! It is light fare but not really a comedy.

So get your train tickets and get "all aboard" at the Union Depot. All aboard for this Classy Classic. Enjoy!! I only recommend films that are really good or great, so trust me on this one!!

Emma (1932)

You will become a fan and fall in love after a viewing of this film.

[8/10 · 5 January 2024]

Marie Dressler is perfect in the film "Emma". She was nominated for her performance. As you watch her in the movie, you feel that Dressler is given a part to play and Dressler completely absorbs the character and the situation. Her dialogue sounds as if it is coming out of her character and NOT from a script. Every line and reaction are "spot on" to what is needed for the film to be as good as it is.

Dressler plays a house keeper, Emma, to a widower with 4 children. They are a handful. But Emma is perfect for the job. She rules with a very firm hand founded on a strong love. Years later, the kids are all grown up and the widower turns to Emma for companionship. He decides they should marry and keep each other company as they grow old together.

Shortly after marriage, the widower dies and Emma gets all the fortune that would have gone to the children. The children turn on her and accuse her of poisoning their father. They treat her horribly.

There is a trial and .... well, you must see the end for yourself. It is a very emotional ending and fitting. Not a happy end and, then again, not sad. Just perfect.

Myrna Loy plays one of the spoiled rich daughters and gets a chance to show how cold she can play.

So a great film. If you are a Marie Dressler fan, you will LOVE it. If you are not a fan, or not familiar with this wonderful actress, you will become a fan and fall in love after a viewing of this film.

A Classy actress in a Classy Classic. You MUST see it!

Frisco Jenny (1932)

You will become a fan of Ruth Chatterton!! Trust me!

[10/10 · 1 January 2024]

I have been a big fan of Ruth Chatterton since being moved by her excellent performance in "Dodsworth". This is a film of hers I had not seen until now.

The movie is all about Ruth Chatterton's character. There are other players in the film, but the story is all about Chatterton's character of "Frisco Jenny". The plot moves quickly so that you are not really sure where it is going. Chatterton is a tough woman trying to make it in a man's world. She takes charge of her life and won't make any decisions based on what others tell her.

Chatterton gives a superb performance. Why she did not get a nomination for an Academy Award is beyond me.

Chatterton is beautiful in this film and yet she is NOT afraid to go without makeup when the scene calls for it. Most women of her day would never allow themselves to look less than glamorous, but Chatterton is clear that she is here to play the role as needed, even at the expense of "looking good".

I don't want to give away the plot, but by the time you reach the end, you will be, at least, misty-eyed and moved and a big Chatterton fan!

Finding a great film like this is why I do what I do. I had never heard of this film. I am so glad I have now. Take my research and recommendation and see this Classy Classic and you will become a fan of Ruth Chatterton too!! Trust me!

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)

Don't be torn between your good and bad self!! See this and be good!

[8/10 · 22 December 2023]

This version of "Jekyll and Hyde" (1931) was quite well done! Rose Hobart plays a financé to Jekyll and keeps the part from being played too much as a helpless victim. She is strong and yet loving.

Fredric March is perfect in the lead role. He is charming as Jekyll and disgusting as Hyde. His transformation is something to be studied by all fans of visual special effects. As he morphs, certain filters were removed from the camera lens and with each removal his face changes in shadows and shapes. It is an outstanding effect even compared to today's effects.

The most outstanding character is played by Miriam Hopkins. I don't care for a lot of Mariam's acting in other future films. She plays her roles too much over the top and "hammy" (example, "Old Acquaintance"). But, in this film, she is perfect. Her looks of disgust matched my own as Hyde is pawing all over her. She is a true victim and Miriam Hopkins plays this part at the right level. March was nominated for an Academy Award but I am surprised Hopkins was not.

So don't be torn between your good and bad self!! See this Classy Classic and be good!

Strictly Dishonorable (1931)

It is a piece of fun fluff but it is still a Classy Classic to be enjoyed.

[7/10 · 18 December 2023]

There is no need to go on and on about this film. The plot is pretty simple and I don't even want to spoil that. Trust me in saying the film is funny, has great characters, and both Fox and Lukas work well together.

I do not know Sidney Fox's career but after seeing this, I look forward to more viewings of her. She has a Southern accent in this film, and I am not sure if it is for the part, or that was just her. Unfortunately she only had a career from 1931 to 1935. She deserved more recognition.

The story moves smoothly. You will recognize Lewis Stone, who later was known as "Judge Hardy". He plays a judge in this film too.

I found myself laughing out loud at certain situations and lines. Lewis Stone is called a "barfly" in one scene and his reaction to this characterization is hilarious. They just don't make "fun" movies like this any more.

Check it out. It is a piece of fun fluff but it is still a Classy Classic to be enjoyed.

Men of Chance (1931)

Not great, but worth watching!

[8/10 · 16 December 2023]

The title of this film is deceiving. The film is really about Mary Astor and her involvement with the "Men of Chance", John Halliday and Ricardo Cortez. Cortez and Halliday are both gamblers on the horse races. They are shady and fix the races. But they are in rival associations and compete. Halliday has lost hundreds of thousands due to Cortez's trickery and he wants his money back and revenge.

Halliday brings in Mary Astor to find out what Cortez is up to and to fix the bets so the odds are against Cortez. At first Astor goes along, but then she ends up falling in love with Cortez.

The film is not great but it is very good as it kept me guessing as to Mary Astor's character's motives. Is she really helping Cortez or Halliday? If you are not familiar with Mary Astor's work, she will show you what she can do in this film! She is great. And really kept me guessing.

I fell in love with Mary Astor when I first experienced her in "Dodsworth". And now I really look forward to films where she has a role, no matter how small. But, in this film, she is the central character.

So, I recommend this Classy Classic! It is just on the border of being great, but it is worth the viewing!

Mata Hari (1931)

Let Garbo take you on a journey in Mata Hari!

[9/10 · 15 December 2023]

When watching "Mata Hari", even though it has Ramon Novarro and Lionel Barrymore in it too, you see nothing but Greta Garbo. That is because she is so stunning and completely takes over any scene she is in, even if she has no lines or action except to be on camera. The camera loves her face and she deserves all the attention and praise it gives her!

The film is based on a true character from WWI, who was a spy for the Germans. Whether she was a spy and traitor in history has always been a debate. This film takes the "basic" information and romances and dramatizes it to make a story of love, intrigue, and espionage.

The film really kicks into high gear in the last half of the film. Garbo gets to play out the character showing her talents and beauty. Greta Garbo said that the role of Mata Hari was one of her favorites. It was also a big box office success.

Gretta Garbo has a great line where she tells Novarro that her eyes are all he needs. He can use her eyes to see and experience life. So I encourage you to let Garbo take you on a journey and try seeing this Classy Classic through her eyes or your own. Either way, you will love it!!!

Arrowsmith (1931)

Good? Yes. Academy Nominated? Yes. Helen Hayes? Yes.

[9/10 · 14 December 2023]

Nominated for an Academy Award, the story is quite good and moves well. Helen Hayes is great as the suffering and dedicated wife. Ronald Colman makes for a dashing handsome lead man, but his scenes as a romancer come across technical and cold. His stiff manner of acting and speaking works great when confronting danger or lecturing to a medical board, but when he starts the charm with Hayes, it falls flat. But, luckily, the film is not a romance. It is about the drive and will that it took to make strides in the world of medicine and finding a cure for the Bubonic Plague. And for that role, Colman shines.

There is an appearance of Myrna Loy, but it ended up being a small part and forgettable. I am sure it was meant to be a bigger part in the film, but it must have not made the final cut. Loy looks fantastic in the film.

The piece is all about Martin Arrowsmith and his research and drive. The other characters are good, but they are only there as props for Colman's role as Arrowsmith. Even the plague takes second stage to the story. But the over all film works very well and I can easily see why it was nominated.

Good? Yes. Nominated? Yes. Helen Hayes? Yes.

What more could ask for?

See this Classy Classic.

Under Eighteen (1931)

But what is great about this film is that it is not preachy. We learn what life is all about along with Marian Marsh.

[9/10 · 11 December 2023]

Despite the title and the "suggestive" picture to promote the film, the movie is not about a girl "going bad" as much as it is about a girl becoming wise and trying to survive in a world of men and the Depression.

Marian Marsh is perfect in the role of the innocent who watches life taking place around her and tries to figure out what is right for her and her future. Regis Toomey plays her loving boyfriend. At first, he is a little too "up" and happy, but he transitions during the film to a believable and important character.

Marsh sees her sister, played by Anita Page, marry and then end up miserable with a free loading husband, babies, and actual physical abuse. Marsh decides that marriage is not for her even though she adores her sweet boyfriend who keeps asking her to marry him.

Marsh works in a high-end dress shop and sees how the models who work there use their charms and looks to get ahead. They have become mistresses to many of the clientele. But later, when Marsh needs to borrow some money, she finds out they are really broke despite the jewels, limos, and lifestyles. They are nothing more than a dog on a leash and have no finances of their own. Also, Marsh learns how short the happiness of such a lifestyle is. Youth doesn't last. Looks fade. Then the "sponsors" lose interest in their "pet" and move on to another.

But what is great about this film is that it is not preachy. We learn what life is all about along with Marsh. We wise up as she wises up. We see what she sees. It is really a great presentation so we can all make our own judgements.

The film moves along very well so you won't be bored. I won't give more of the story away. It should be experienced along with Marsh in order to enjoy.

Marian Marsh is classy in this. So check her out and this Classy Classic. Learn, experience, and enjoy!