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438,048 | 306,861 | 20,708 | 10 | Kid Trouble With Mr . Laurel & Mr . Hardy | A LAUREL & HARDY Comedy Short . Stan & Ollie each have a look-alike young son and they're both a couple of BRATS . While the men are trying to have a quiet evening of checkers & billiards , upstairs the two tots are into every sort of infantile mischief - destroying furniture & inflecting bodily injury upon each other . . . A hilarious little film , with the Boys each playing a dual role . Good use of oversized props . Ollie ( who looks odd without his mustache ) sings ? Go To Sleep , My Baby . ' |
438,013 | 306,861 | 131,430 | 10 | Fast & Funny | A Vitaphone Short Subject . Tabloid snoop sister HOT NEWS MARGIE will go to any length to ensure she gets star football player Babe Booth's admission to a secret marriage . This exceedingly brief & lively little film wastes no time going for the laughs . Marjorie Beebe gives a very boisterous performance in the title role . Often overlooked or neglected today , the one and two-reel short subjects were useful to the Studios as important training grounds for new or burgeoning talents , both in front & behind the camera . The dynamics for creating a successful short subject was completely different from that of a feature length film , something like writing a topnotch short story rather than a novel . Economical to produce in terms of both budget & schedule and capable of portraying a wide range of material , short subjects were the perfect complement to the Studios ' feature films . |
437,027 | 306,861 | 29,339 | 10 | Disney's Innovative Classic | A Walt Disney SILLY SYMPHONY Cartoon Short . As evening draws near , the various creatures living in THE OLD MILL settle in for the night . Dark , fast-moving clouds , however , signal the arrival of a fierce storm . . . Winner of the 1937 Academy Award , this lovely cartoon was important for a couple of significant reasons . It exhibited the quantum leaps the Disney artists had taken since the early Symphonies in the animation of animals - the mice and birds are particularly well drawn . The cartoon also debuted the Studio's new multi-plane camera , a complicated and very expensive machine which was able to render an astonishing illusion of depth . - notice the opening traveling shot which moves through the spider web . The SILLY SYMPHONIES , which Walt Disney produced for a ten year period beginning in 1929 , are among the most fascinating of all animated series . Unlike the Mickey Mouse cartoons in which action was paramount , with the Symphonies the action was made to fit the music . There was little plot in the early Symphonies , which featured lively inanimate objects and anthropomorphic plants & animals , all moving frantically to the soundtrack . Gradually , however , the Symphonies became the school where Walt's animators learned to work with color and began to experiment with plot , characterization & photographic special effects . The pages of Fable & Fairy Tale , Myth & Mother Goose were all mined to provide story lines and even Hollywood's musicals & celebrities were effectively spoofed . It was from this rich soil that Disney's feature-length animation was to spring . In 1939 , with SNOW WHITE successfully behind him and PINOCCHIO & FANTASIA on the near horizon , Walt phased out the SILLY SYMPHONIES ; they had run their course & served their purpose . |
438,152 | 306,861 | 49,361 | 10 | Their Final Bow | A Walt Disney HUMPHREY THE BEAR Cartoon . The Little Ranger comes up with a sneaky plan to trick Humphrey & the Brownstone Bears into putting all the tourist litter IN THE BAG . This funny little film was the final theatrical appearance by both Humphrey the Bear & Ranger J . Audubon Woodlore ; although their cartoons had provided lots of laughs during the 1950's Disney now retired them permanently to Brownstone Park . The cartoon's title tune is a fine piece of swing music and is a good example of the care Disney took with providing just the right music for his projects . Watch for a cameo appearance by a Very Important Bear with a Very Important Message . Bill Thompson provides the Little Ranger with his puffy voice . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by pictures & drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew comic figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a storm of naysayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Dumbo , Bambi & Peter Pan . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that childlike simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off . |
437,998 | 306,861 | 12,278 | 10 | Mr . Keaton Saves The Day | A BUSTER KEATON Silent Short . Giving THE " HIGH SIGN " reveals members of the Blinking Buzzards , a nasty gang of ruffians who expect Buster to kill a wealthy old man - the same gentleman who's just hired Buster to be his bodyguard . Lots of physical comedy in this little film , as Keaton first fools around a shooting arcade and then gets to outwit the Buzzards in the old man's mansion . The ingenious cutaway set , showing at once four rooms on two floors , was sized specifically to Buster's proportions and it's fun watching him rapidly use the trap doors & secret panels while being chased by the villains . Born into a family of Vaudevillian acrobats , Buster Keaton ( 1895-1966 ) mastered physical comedy at a very early age . An association with Fatty Arbuckle led to a series of highly imaginative short subjects and classic , silent feature-length films - all from 1920 to 1928 . Writer , director , star & stuntman - Buster could do it all and his intuitive genius gave him almost miraculous knowledge as to the intricacies of film making and of what it took to please an audience . More akin to Fairbanks than Chaplin , Buster's films were full of splendid adventure , exciting derring-do and the most dangerous physical stunts imaginable . His theme of a little man against the world , who triumphs through bravery & ingenuity , dominates his films . Through every calamity & disaster , Buster remained the Great Stone Face , a stoic survivor in a universe gone mad . In the late 1920's Buster was betrayed by his manager / brother-in-law and his contract was sold to MGM , which proceeded to nearly destroy his career . Teamed initially with Jimmy Durante and eventually allowed small roles in mediocre comedies , Buster was for 35 years consistently given work far beneath his talent . Finally , before lung cancer took him at age 70 , he had the satisfaction of knowing that his classic films were being rediscovered . Now , well past his centenary , Buster Keaton is routinely recognized & appreciated as one of cinema's true authentic geniuses . And he knew how to make people laugh . . . |
437,860 | 306,861 | 22,630 | 10 | Fighting The Bad Guy With Mr . Laurel & Mr . Hardy | A LAUREL & HARDY Comedy Short . It's been a busy day for seamen Stan & Ollie . First they rescued a young woman from a forced marriage with her horrible boss . Now , low on funds , they must meet the vicious brute in a prize fighting match . But , it's ANY OLD PORT in a storm when you're destitute . A very funny little film . Highlight : the free-for-all at the Mariner's Rest Hotel . That's Walter Long as the villain . |
437,043 | 306,861 | 27,445 | 10 | Exciting Story of Commercial Aviation | A no-nonsense dreamer drives his men & machines to the breaking point in an attempt to establish a transpacific route for his flying CHINA CLIPPERS . Warner Brothers gives a rousing production to a story that is essentially , on analysis , a soap opera with wings . Based on the history of Pan American Airlines , the film is at its very best when it takes to the air , especially during the exciting prolonged climax with its race to beat the clock in the initial flight from California to Macao . Pat O'Brien gives a typically earnest , energetic performance as the tireless & tyrannical protagonist - a man who becomes increasingly obsessed with his lofty aviation goals , no matter what the cost in personal relationships . It's difficult to like the character , but O'Brien also makes it hard not to respect him . What is especially enjoyable in CHINA CLIPPER is to appreciate the performances of three members of the supporting cast . Henry B . Walthall , the pivotal star of silent cinema , the hero of D . W . Griffith's THE BIRTH OF A NATION ( 1915 ) , plays the gentle engineer who designs the great flying ship . His haggard appearance is not a result of makeup . He was genuinely ill with influenza and he would die two months before the release of the film . He was only 58 , although he looked far older . Warners rewarded him by ratcheting him down to 10th place billing . Ross Alexander & Humphrey Bogart play two friendly , dedicated pilots who chafe under O'Brien's dictates . These young actors had very similar acting styles & screen personas and it is quite interesting to see them perform together . Their fates , however , would be very different . Alexander had the necessary talent to become a major star , but the breaks simply didn't come his way , and , his private life spiraling out of control , he would be dead less than five months after the release of CHINA CLIPPER , a suicide at 29 . Bogart got the lucky breaks , and , with some good roles in the next five years , was on his way to eventually becoming a screen legend . Pretty Marie Wilson has a comical recurring role as a ditsy blonde enamored with Alexander . Movie mavens should spot Frank Faylen in an uncredited bit part as the company's weatherman in Columbia . |
437,109 | 306,861 | 22,635 | 10 | A Change of Pace for William Haines | Although this film starts off like a typical Billy Haines comedy , it quickly becomes deadly serious . Haines plays a very unhappily married man , who finds himself with a very dead body on his hands & few plausible explanations . This gives him a chance to play a role quite different from his usual silly billys . Haines ' character is a radioman and the scenes in and around the broadcasting studio are quite well done . An unusual number of lovely ladies can be found in support in this film : Anita Page , Madge Evans , Joan Marsh & Karen Morley . Jean Hersholt is also on hand to lend his grave presence to the proceedings . ARE YOU LISTENING ? was made only two years after Haines was king of the Hollywood box office . But his days at MGM were growing short . The following year , 1933 , would be his last at the studio . Today his movies are all but forgotten . |
437,660 | 306,861 | 31,242 | 10 | A Big Bang For Mr . Duck | A Walt Disney DONALD DUCK Cartoon . It just isn't bike messenger DONALD'S LUCKY DAY . It's Friday the 13th and the package he is to deliver by midnight is ticking ominously . . . This is a very funny little film , with poor Donald right in the thick of trouble as usual . Some older viewers will find the bicycle radio and the happy radio jingle itself to be quite nostalgic . The story was written by the legendary Carl Barks ; Clarence Nash provides Donald with his unique voice . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by pictures & drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew comic figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Dumbo , Bambi & Peter Pan . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that childlike simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off . |
437,994 | 306,861 | 31,241 | 10 | Birds Not Of A Feather | A Walt Disney DONALD DUCK Cartoon . DONALD'S COUSIN GUS Goose arrives with his inexhaustible appetite & bottomless maw . The Donald finally meets his match in this very funny & well-made cartoon . Clarence ' Ducky ' Nash supplies Donald's voice . Gus did not prove popular enough with viewers to justify his return as a featured player in further films ; when last heard from he was operating a tiny seafood restaurant in Redondo Beach , California . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Bambi , Peter Pan and Mr . Toad . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off . |
437,709 | 306,861 | 20,720 | 10 | Mickey To The Rescue | A Walt Disney MICKEY MOUSE Cartoon . Mickey Mouse - THE CACTUS KID - must try to save cantina hostess Minnie from the foul clutches of bandito Peg-leg Pete . Although Disney used this basic plot formula many times , this little black & white film is still fun to watch . The South of the Border soundtrack propels the action right along . Horace Horsecollar plays the Kid's faithful steed ; Walt Disney provides Mickey's squeaky voice . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Dumbo , Bambi & Peter Pan . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off . |
437,845 | 306,861 | 22,639 | 10 | Bravo To The Brothers Barrymore | A cranky police detective suspects a French duke of being the infamous thief ARSÈNE LUPIN . John & Lionel Barrymore costarred together for the first time in a motion picture in this intriguing crime drama . Alike and yet so different , they are the perfect counterpoint to each other . John plays his role with suave sophistication ( when not in disguise ) and Lionel is earthy & common in his portrayal , each obviously having a wonderful time trying to out act the other . Helped by a generous script , the outcome is pretty much a draw , with the viewer the clear winner . Although upstaged by the two male stars , Karen Morley is intriguing as the mystery woman John finds naked in his bed . Tully Marshall gives a colorful performance as a silly nobleman with much to lose to the master criminal . Henry Armetta & George Davis are very enjoyable as two seriously inept security guards . John Miljan provides a sturdy presence in his small role as the police prefect . Movie mavens will recognize an uncredited Mischa Auer as a guide in the Louvre during the climactic scene dealing with an attempted heist of the Mona Lisa . |
437,557 | 306,861 | 46,924 | 10 | A Real Page Turner | A Walt Disney DONALD DUCK Cartoon . DONALD'S DIARY chronicles his meeting with Daisy . . . and his descent into the horrors of matrimony . Daisy gives a terrific performance in what would prove to be her final significant role in a Disney cartoon . Huey , Dewey & Louie play her little brothers this time around , not Donald's nephews . Careful watching of the film shows that Donald & Daisy finally met in the Japanese Tea Garden of San Francisco's Golden Gate Park . Clarence Nash provides the voice for the male Ducks , but the entries to the Diary are read with a Ronald Colman-style sophistication , a nice touch . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by pictures & drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew comic figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Dumbo , Bambi & Peter Pan . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that childlike simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off . |
437,904 | 306,861 | 20,724 | 10 | Ramon Novarro Behaves Like A Cad | A brash cantina singer in Sevilla heeds the CALL OF THE FLESH when he romances a young postulant from a nearby convent . Sometimes movie studios make most unwise decisions , resulting in ramifications that can be quite detrimental to the careers of even their biggest stars . CALL OF THE FLESH is a case in point . Good production values & fine performances can not save this film from its one fatal flaw : it is difficult to like , or even tolerate , the hero . Ramon Novarro , usually quite the pleasant fellow , here is forced to play a repellent rogue who quickly irritates the audience with his cruel treatment of those who love him most . Oozing a smarmy charm , he alternately smirks & pouts his way through the plot , until his eventual - and much belated - regeneration . Novarro's undoubted acting abilities enable him to deliver a fine performance , but mischievousness mixed with too much meanness can result in viewer apathy . This did not help his career . The fad for the Latin Lover was wearing mighty thin already and would soon be completely eclipsed by the All American Hero , and Novarro's sexual ambiguity was always a bit of a problem for the MGM front office . The advent of Sound , while finally revealing his strong singing voice , also exhibited his Mexican accent , making it difficult to cast him in traditional roles . The Studio simply couldn't come up with a definitive screen persona for him , and so Novarro was made into their ethnic chameleon , playing everything from Chinese to Arab to Navajo . Novarro's costars come through very well . Dorothy Jordan is radiant as the innocent young woman who loves him with every fiber of her being ; she delivers a heart touching , memorable performance . Flamboyant & hammy , Scottish actor Ernest Torrence is terrific as Novarro's friend & mentor - although one has to wonder just why he was willing to put up with so much nonsense from the little squirt . Equally adept at drama or comedy , Torrence's theatrical mannerisms and the contortions of his great homely face make him both entertaining to the audience and an enjoyable contrast to handsome Novarro . French actress Renée Adorée , in her final film , stirs up the flames in her role as Novarro's musical partner & lover . ( Ill health would bring about the early deaths of both Torrence & Adorée in 1933 - he at 54 and she at 35 . Today , these two fine performers are virtually forgotten . ) Mention should be made of Mathilde Comont , hilarious as a rotund little diva turned landlady . Novarro is in good voice throughout , which is fortunate as the plot keeps him singing interminably . |
437,940 | 306,861 | 3,489 | 10 | Early Epic Still Grand | An evil Egyptian priest menaces a young Roman maiden while a blind slave girl shows great courage in attempting to rescue her beloved master , during THE LAST DAYS OF POMPEII . Produced less than two decades after the birth of cinema , this silent film is considered to be the first important historical epic filmed on a truly grand scale . It also heralded the arrival of the Italian movie industry as a force to be reckoned with , however briefly , in the halcyon days before World War One . Produced by prolific director Mario Caserini ( 1874-1920 ) , it features a completely static camera which has the effect of turning each shot into a living tableau . ( The only exceptions are a few pan shots of flowing lava which were inserted in the film's final moments . ) Caserini manages his early crowd scenes very nicely , in which everyone looks like they're actually doing something and have a reason to be in the shot . The use of light & shadow on the large sets is also most commendable . The final twenty minutes , when Vesuvius blows her top and destroys Pompeii , features special effects which are still quite impressive . After more than an hour of silver toned film , the abrupt switch to red tints at the instant of the eruption is a definite attention grabber . Much of the acting is very theatrical & overripe , but that was the style back then and was probably much affected by grand opera . Two performers should be noted - Fernanda Negri Pouget is quite touching as the tragic blind girl , and Ubaldo Stefani , as the hero , is unintentionally hilarious in the scene in which he drinks a witch's poisoned brew . The film's final moments embrace a mature sensitivity and highlight the latent power of the cinematic image . |
437,996 | 306,861 | 12,224 | 10 | Mr . Keaton's Mistaken Identity | A BUSTER KEATON Silent Short . Poor Buster becomes THE GOAT ( " scapegoat " ) for a dangerous escaped murderer . This is a wonderful , hilarious little film with Keaton at his absolute best . In what is essentially a series of chases , Buster gets to exercise his endlessly inventive imagination . Big Joe Roberts appears as the highly suspicious police chief . Born into a family of Vaudevillian acrobats , Buster Keaton ( 1895-1966 ) mastered physical comedy at a very early age . An association with Fatty Arbuckle led to a series of highly imaginative short subjects and classic , silent feature-length films - all from 1920 to 1928 . Writer , director , star & stuntman - Buster could do it all and his intuitive genius gave him almost miraculous knowledge as to the intricacies of film making and of what it took to please an audience . More akin to Fairbanks than Chaplin , Buster's films were full of splendid adventure , exciting derring-do and the most dangerous physical stunts imaginable . His theme of a little man against the world , who triumphs through bravery & ingenuity , dominates his films . Through every calamity & disaster , Buster remained the Great Stone Face , a stoic survivor in a universe gone mad . In the late 1920's Buster was betrayed by his manager / brother-in-law and his contract was sold to MGM , which proceeded to nearly destroy his career . Teamed initially with Jimmy Durante and eventually allowed small roles in mediocre comedies , Buster was for 35 years consistently given work far beneath his talent . Finally , before lung cancer took him at age 70 , he had the satisfaction of knowing that his classic films were being rediscovered . Now , well past his centenary , Buster Keaton is routinely recognized & appreciated as one of cinema's true authentic geniuses . And he knew how to make people laugh . . . |
437,484 | 306,861 | 25,497 | 10 | A Mouse Tale With Baby | A Walt Disney MICKEY MOUSE Cartoon . MICKEY PLAYS PAPA - with assistance from Pluto - to Baby Elmer , a foundling who's been left on his doorstep and absolutely will not stop whimpering . This is a very enjoyable little black & white film , which begins with some good suspense and quickly dissolves into comedy . The Mouse performs excellent impersonations of Charlie Chaplin & Jimmy Durante ( it's interesting to note that while ' Durante ' delights the wee nipper , the Little Tramp merely bores him . . . ) . Walt Disney supplies Mickey's squeaky voice . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Dumbo , Bambi & Peter Pan . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off . |
438,200 | 306,861 | 25,498 | 10 | A Mouse Tale With Nephews | A Walt Disney MICKEY MOUSE Cartoon . MICKEY'S STEAMROLLER creates havoc when commandeered by his two infant nephews , Ferdy & Morty . Good animation and a lively storyline help fuel this little black & white film , which features the only screen appearance by the dreadful duo , Ferdy & Morty . Considering the devastation caused by the runaway steamroller , why is Mickey still smiling at the end of the cartoon ? The Mouse's squeaky voice is supplied by Walt Disney . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Dumbo , Bambi & Peter Pan . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off . |
437,386 | 306,861 | 33,824 | 10 | Inside Pluto's Conscious | A Walt Disney MICKEY MOUSE Cartoon . Pluto must LEND A PAW to save the life of a drowning kitten - but is disgusted when Mickey welcomes the tiny feline into their home . There's much to enjoy in this Oscar-winning little film , with pathos , suspense & good humor all wrapped-up into one tidy package . The use of the Angel-Pluto & Devil-Pluto to express the Pup's thoughts is an amusing conceit . This was the second of only two appearances in a Disney cartoon made by Bianca the Goldfish , the other being MICKEY'S PARROT ( 1938 ) . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by pictures & drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew comic figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a storm of naysayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Dumbo , Bambi & Peter Pan . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that childlike simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off . |
437,620 | 306,861 | 20,683 | 10 | Al Jolson Stars In Unusual Film | If faithful Gus can only help the racehorse BIG BOY to win the Kentucky Derby the white folks who employ him will be saved from financial ruin . Strange , offbeat , bizarre , unique . All of these terms can describe this film which features legendary entertainer Al Jolson in blackface , playing a black man . While acted with tongue very firmly planted in cheek , and meant solely for lighthearted entertainment , this movie will definitely not be to every viewer's taste . Not until the final minutes does Jolson appear as himself , joking with the audience and reprising the film's dullest song yet once again . The movie obviously has its roots in the minstrel tradition in which a group of musical white men would perform , made-up as blacks . Also , Jolson's own career involved extensive use of blackface routines and he had become quite celebrated for them . For their time , these were all considered quite normal and not offensive ( to white audiences ) . It should also be noted that racial meandering was engaged in routinely in films for decades , with several top white stars ( Helen Hayes , Paul Muni , Kate Hepburn , Ramon Novarro , Edward G . Robinson ) playing Asian roles , although these were usually done for a serious , and not a comedic , purpose . Once past the initial oddity , it must be said that Jolson is certainly fun to watch and is obviously having a great time . Singing constantly ( none of his big hits , but he does well with a couple of old Spirituals ) , wisecracking and ad-libbing shamelessly , he is impossible to ignore . In his heyday , he was one of the most popular performers in the world and it's easy to see why . Although Jolson dominates the film , there are a couple of other performers worth noting . Wonderful old character actress Louise Closser Hale , always a joy to watch , plays the plantation matriarch . In a lengthy & superfluous flashback scene , beefy Noah Beery appears as a bullying braggadocio who harasses Jolson . It probably goes without saying that there is a fair amount of racism woven into the plot . |
437,677 | 306,861 | 49,376 | 10 | Jack & Old Mac Bring Down The House | A Walt Disney Cartoon . Mother Goose never imagined the Nursery Rhymes of JACK AND OLD MAC to be anything like this . . . This Is The House That Jack Built & Old MacDonald's Farm are given zany new interpretations in the flat , limited animation format which became so popular in the 1950's . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Dumbo , Bambi & Peter Pan . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off . |
438,266 | 306,861 | 131,409 | 10 | Pixar Does It Again | Old GERI'S GAME of chess is played with great flair and passion , against a most worthy opponent and for a very special prize . Full of small surprises & great imagination , this is a wonderful little film from the folks at Pixar . Besides the basic entertainment factor - watching the old geezer play chess is a joy - the boundaries have been pushed again in computer animation's ability to depict the human body & the natural world . Fascinating on every level . Geri would return in a cameo in Disney / Pixar's TOY STORY 2 ( 1999 ) as The Cleaner , voiced by Jonathan Harris . Winner of the 1997 Oscar for Best Animated Short . |
438,115 | 306,861 | 42,567 | 10 | Goofy & Humphrey | A Walt Disney GOOFY Cartoon . Foolish photographer Goofy tries to get a sleepy zoo bear to HOLD THAT POSE . . . This cartoon , full of silly fun , is quite routine in terms of story & animation . A few useful facts about photography are actually included in the story before Goofy disturbs the ursine menace . This was the first appearance by Humphrey the Bear ; his ferocity was excised for the remaining six cartoons in which he would appear . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Dumbo , Bambi & Peter Pan . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off . |
437,897 | 306,861 | 31,285 | 10 | Lots of Romance - Not Much Skating | Two rival journalists in Switzerland search for a missing Nobel Peace Prize laureate - but instead discover a lovely young nurse who teaches them that EVERYTHING HAPPENS AT NIGHT . Sonja Henie was Norway's ice queen when she won Olympic gold medals in 1928 , 1932 & 1936 . After going professional , she began a celebrated movie career at 20th Century Fox in 1936 with ONE IN A MILLION , which was her American film debut . Beautiful & talented , as well as being a natural in front of the cameras , she carved out her own special niche during Hollywood's Golden Age . Although Miss Henie's ice routines may look antiquated by comparison to modern champions , there was nothing antique about her dazzling smile or sparkling personality . In this regard , some of today's snowflake princesses could still learn a great deal from her . As her career progressed , it became increasingly difficult for Fox to find decent stories for Miss Henie and the excuses for the lavish ice dancing numbers were often implausible . No matter . Audiences did not flock to her films to watch Sonja recite Shakespeare . The movies were meant to be pure escapist fantasy , plain & simple . EVERYTHING HAPPENS AT NIGHT is no exception and its story is often quite silly . Also , unbelievably , Sonja is only given one skating sequence in the film . Incomprehensible omission ! One has to wonder what the bosses at 20th Century Fox were thinking ? On the plus side , the movie must be credited as one of the first of Hollywood's films to depict the Gestapo as evil villains - a full two years before America's entry into the Second World War . A couple of script inclusions may need a bit of elucidation . The BEN-HUR film which is suggested ( and rejected ) would be the silent 1925 MGM version starring Ramon Novarro ; by 1939 it would be considered quite passé . Also , notice the sly reference to ' Ferdinand . ' This would be an allusion to Ferdinand the Bull , the flower-sniffing hero of Munro Leaf's 1936 story ( and made into an Academy Award winning cartoon by Walt Disney in 1938 ) . Ray Milland & Robert Cummings are very enjoyable as the ambitious reporters ; viewers will be wondering which gentleman will walk away with Sonja at the fadeout - both are heroic , cunning and equally deserve her . A smattering of familiar faces fill small roles ( George Davis , Frank Reicher , Paul Porcasi , Christian Rub ) . Fritz Feld is especially humorous as an officious gendarme . Jody Gilbert steals a scene or two as an abundantly sturdy Swiss miss . Ultimately , though , this is Sonja's show . She glides effortlessly into the viewer's heart , while balancing on a thin edge of silver , suspended over frozen water . |
437,925 | 306,861 | 25,502 | 10 | Performin ' On The Radio With The Little Rascals | An OUR GANG Comedy Short . Billing themselves as The International Silver Screen Submarine Band , the Gang enters a prestigious radio talent hunt for youngsters . Arriving late at the studio , Stymie , Spanky & the Rascals create havoc - giving those around them a good case of MIKE FRIGHT . A fun little film , with interesting performances by kids not part of the Gang . Highlight : the Rascals perform ' The Man On The Flying Trapeze ' . |
437,527 | 306,861 | 20,686 | 10 | Jail House Classic Still Rocks | THE BIG HOUSE - prison of no hope - the last terminal for lost souls . Only the strong survive ; the weak crack or are corrupted . As the warden shrewdly tells a new arrival , the place won't make you go yellow , but it you already are yellow it'll bring it out . MGM was the only studio in Hollywood which would have let a female write the script for such a strong story . But in Frances Marion they not only had the most celebrated screenwriter in the industry , but also a person uniquely qualified to write about any situation . She headed off to California's notorious San Quentin Prison to observe the conditions & learn the lingo . Cheerfully deflecting the jibes & taunts of guards & prisoners alike , she reminded them that after being a frontline correspondent in the Great War there were few situations she couldn't handle . The result is a wonderful film , tough , hard-bitten & stark . MGM did itself proud by supplying a terrific cast and production values . The scene where belligerent Wallace Beery refuses to eat the commissary slop remains a classic . Chester Morris does a fine job as a resourceful crook who is actually helped by his time in prison , reformed against his will . This excellent actor is too often ignored when the histories of 1930's cinema are written . Wallace Beery , as murderous Butch , is absolutely unforgettable . Marion wrote the part with him in mind & it is difficult to imagine anyone else playing it . Lovable & dangerous in equal measure , he steals every scene he's in . THE BIG HOUSE would set Beery firmly on the road to major talkie stardom . Robert Montgomery , on the cusp of his own salad days as a sophisticated , romantic leading man , here plays quite a different role . As a weak , cowardly stool pigeon , he's cast very much against type . It would be 1937's NIGHT MUST FALL before he received another such finely-nuanced role . Lewis Stone is very effective in the small role as the tough-as-nails warden . Beautiful Leila Hyams is well-cast as Mongomery's spunky sister . George F . Marion & DeWitt Jennings are both memorable as elderly security guards . Champion stutterer Roscoe Ates provides a few moments of much needed comic relief . Karl Dane is easily spotted as a hulking convict in several scenes , but he is curiously mute . Doubtless , his thick Danish accent was already giving the Studio trouble . Even though he had been an important comic star in silent pictures , he was quickly relegated to talkie bit parts . He was eventually further reduced to selling hot dogs from a cart outside the MGM front gates . This was the final indignity . He committed suicide in 1934 . Preview audiences were curiously cool to THE BIG HOUSE , until MGM executive Irving Thalberg figured out that female viewers didn't like con Chester Morris romancing another prisoner's wife . Thalberg instructed Marion to rewrite a few scenes and refilming made it clear that Leila Hyams was Robert Montgomery's sister , not his spouse . This pleased the patrons and the movie was a big hit . |
437,786 | 306,861 | 16,895 | 10 | An Utter Delight From Mr . Lloyd | Uptown millionaire J . Harold Manners leads a life insulated by his immense wealth until he meets a very pretty young lady working with her father in a Downtown skid row mission . Comic genius Harold Lloyd had another tremendous success with FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE , a silent film very simple of plot but wildly delirious in terms of hilarious detail & inspiration . Harold had the enviable knack of making an audience like him immediately and empathize with his tribulations . They entered into and became a part of his gags , watching them build and grow , until the final explosion of laughter and the immediate start of his next comedic onslaught . Here , Harold has two of his finest sequences , two very different extended chases which illustrate his visual wizardry and perfect timing . In the first , Harold infuriates a growing crowd of enraged hoodlums , crooks and ne'er-do-wells into chasing him into the mission , so as to please the sweet young lady . In the second , which climaxes the movie , Harold races to his own delayed wedding , through crowded New York streets ( actually filmed in Los Angeles ) , while shepherding five very friendly and extremely intoxicated bums , culminating in a wild ride atop a runaway double-decker bus . Through it all , Harold exhibits his magnificent athletic ability , putting himself in real danger , a self-imposed peril made even more remarkable by the fact that he was missing half of his right hand . The production values in the film are absolutely first rate , even down to casting the ? faces , ' wistful & careworn , seen in the mission scenes . The logistics involved in filming the action sequences on actual city streets , involving crowds of extras and split-second precision timing for the stunts , is beyond merely impressive . Lloyd , who fathered the idea , put the film through five previews until he was sure he had it perfect . Jobyna Ralston once again amply fills the role of the girl of Harold's dreams . Diminutive Paul Weigel exudes saintly goodness as her father . Noah Young brings bullish bluster to his role of a tough gangster tamed by Mr . Lloyd . Robert Israel has composed an excellent film score which perfectly complements Harold's antics on the screen . |
438,257 | 306,861 | 16,123 | 10 | Things Go Bump In The Night With Lon Chaney | A belittled clerk uses his ingenuity as an amateur detective to track down THE MONSTER responsible for some rather eerie recent disappearances . This is a wonderfully creepy silent film . With very good acting & excellent production values courtesy of MGM , it is too bad this movie is not better known . The large amounts of humor help to lighten the load considerably and are very welcome . The Master , Lon Chaney , adds another portrait to his gallery of grotesques . Slyly underplaying his character and letting his marvelous face act for him , Chaney more than makes up for the fact that his role is rather small . It is certainly ironic that this gentle man & terrific actor should be remembered principally for his bizarre & monstrous creations . Comic Johnny Arthur receives co-star billing with Chaney and he deserves it , since he carries the bulk of the action . He does a fine job with his character , giving him backbone & spunk rather than allowing any milquetoast tendencies to ever predominate . With the coming of sound , Arthur would perfect a nervous , whiny persona . He made his last screen appearance in 1951 , the year of his death at the age of 68 . Special kudos should be given to Walter James , Knute Erickson & George Austin for their strong support as a trio of very odd lunatics , all quite different & memorable . THE MONSTER is considered by many to be the first in a long line of Mad Doctor films . It is also a prime example of the Old Dark House genre of spook stories . It certainly has many of the elements : a crumbling edifice , a distressed young lady , escaped madmen , bony hands appearing from hidden panels , secret passageways and sudden death . The Old Dark House has for long years been a respected avenue in literature & movies to maximize suspense & tension . Indeed , it's only a short walk from the Edwards Sanitarium in this film to Wuthering Heights , Baskerville Hall , Manderley & the Bates House . . . |
437,304 | 306,861 | 33,838 | 10 | Mickey's Big Breeze | A Walt Disney MICKEY MOUSE Cartoon . THE LITTLE WHIRLWIND which blows into Miss Minnie's yard stirs up nothing but trouble for hapless Mickey . This very humorous little film features good animation & a lively plot . Movie mavens should find the big Mama Whirlwind sequence to bear more than just a passing resemblance to the storm which shakes things up in Disney's 1935 classic THE BAND CONCERT , including the use of some of the same music from Rossini . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by pictures & drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew comic figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Dumbo , Bambi & Peter Pan . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that childlike simplicity of message and lots of hard work will always pay off . |
437,143 | 306,861 | 38,174 | 10 | Have Howdah , Will Travel | A Walt Disney GOOFY Cartoon . Big game hunter Goofy has no idea how much TIGER TROUBLE he's about to encounter in the jungle . The characters of the Tiger & Dolores the Elephant steal the show in this enjoyable little film , which depicts another truly brainless exploit by the Goof . Bill Peet , soon to become a celebrated children's author , was responsible for the story . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by pictures & drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew comic figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Dumbo , Bambi & Peter Pan . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that childlike simplicity of message and lots of hard work will always pay off . |
437,375 | 306,861 | 42,575 | 10 | Smells Like Fish | A Walt Disney DONALD DUCK Cartoon . A mangy Mountain Lion and his cub try to scrounge Donald's good looking catch of fish . It's great to see the Duck win one for a change , and he sure comes out on top in this funny little film , HOOK , LION AND SINKER . This was one of a handful of cartoons to feature the Mountain Lion ; here he has his rapacious little son with him . Clarence Nash provided Donald with his unique voice . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by pictures & drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew comic figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a storm of naysayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Dumbo , Bambi & Peter Pan . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that childlike simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off . |
437,176 | 306,861 | 205,070 | 10 | Vivid Version Of Old Russian Tale | A silly , greedy Tsar is taught a valuable lesson in humility by the six very peculiar friends who arrive at the Kremlin with THE FOOL OF THE WORLD AND THE FLYING SHIP . This old Russian folk tale , - produced by Cosgrove Hall , masters of the art of stop-motion animation - is most enjoyable viewing . The intricacy of the tiny costumes & sets are fascinating , while the amount of personality infused into each character model is quite remarkable . The boisterous humor of the scene depicting the banquet of the Forester's Wife is a special highlight . The production is helped tremendously by the splendid voice cast . David Suchet narrates , Jimmy Hibbert voices the hero Pyotr , while several old pros - Maurice Denham , Robin Bailey & Miriam Margolyes among them - lend their considerable talents . |
437,765 | 306,861 | 25,493 | 10 | Passion In Three-Quarters Time | The Monarch of Marshovia sends a romantic count to Paris to woo back THE MERRY WIDOW whose vast wealth is vital to running the tiny kingdom . Nine years after producing a non-talking film based on the Franz Lehár operetta , MGM mined the same material again , this time as a musical comedy . The Studio would give the film its trademark opulent treatment , with production values of the highest order . Celebrated lyricist Lorenz Hart was engaged to write words for the music . And , to make absolutely certain of success , director Ernst Lubitsch and stars Maurice Chevalier & Jeanette MacDonald were reunited to duplicate their previous triumphs at Paramount Studios . If , ultimately , the film does not have quite the effervescence of Lubitsch's previous pictures , this is probably understandable . MGM , while wonderful with epics and dramas , often took an unnecessarily heavy-handed approach to subjects which should have been given a lighter , airier treatment . Also , the film was released a few months after the imposition of the Production Code , which obviously had a significant effect upon the movie's final persona . Chevalier & MacDonald continue the on screen relationship already well established in their earlier films : she , the rather aloof and powerful female who needs a good man ; he , the social inferior who wins her with his enormous Gallic charm . Their singing is vivacious & charming and sometimes you can almost understand her words . Unlike the 1925 version of THE MERRY WIDOW , there is no villain here to provide dramatic tension . The costars , however , provide much comic amusement . Foremost among them is waspish Edward Everett Horton , very funny as Marshovia's nervous Ambassador in Paris . Rotund George Barbier & sprightly Una Merkel make the most of their small roles as the diminutive nation's conniving King and flirtatious Queen . Some of the smaller roles are also humorously cast : Sterling Holloway as Chevalier's loyal orderly ; Donald Meek as the King's gossipy valet ; and Herman Bing as Horton's dramatic factotum . Movie mavens will recognize Akim Tamiroff as the head waiter at Maxim's & Arthur Housman as a drunk ( what else ? ) trying to gain entry into that establishment , both uncredited . |
438,206 | 306,861 | 20,678 | 10 | Working In The Winter Weather With Mr . Laurel & Mr . Hardy | A LAUREL & HARDY Comedy Short . It's BELOW ZERO and the Boys ' attempt to make some money as sidewalk musicians has proven to be a spectacular failure . Then Stan finds a wallet loaded with cash lying in the snow . . . A funny early talkie . Highlight : the snowball fight . That's Charlie Hall as the street cleaner & Frank Holliday as the friendly cop . Ollie sings ' In The Good Old Summertime . ' |
438,100 | 306,861 | 36,011 | 10 | Mister Duck On The Alert | A Walt Disney DONALD DUCK Cartoon . Donald & his Nephews create havoc while stationed at their HOME DEFENSE listening post . While it is always fun to watch Donald , the plot of this little World War Two era film is incredibly silly . Younger viewers may not know that listening posts were used to try to hear the sounds of incoming enemy aircraft . The legendary Carl Barks was one of the writers for this film and Clarence " Ducky " Nash provided the voices for the entire Duck clan . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Dumbo , Bambi & Peter Pan . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off . |
436,999 | 306,861 | 25,481 | 10 | Forgotten Film Yields Gems | A small town barber hires a flirtatious out of work actress as his new manicurist - much to the chagrin of his longtime girlfriend . Undeservedly obscure , THE MEANEST GAL IN TOWN boasts plenty of pre-Production Code sauciness and several funny performances . It is a good example of a very competent little comedy which fell through the cracks into movie limbo . At the heart of the film , ZaSu Pitts & El Brendel make unlikely , but completely compatible , comedic companions . Fluttery fingered & vague , Miss Pitts brings her considerable experience into playing a businesswoman who is very tired of waiting ten years for her beau to propose marriage . Gentle , good-natured dialect comedian Brendel - the Swedish accent was fake - enlivened a handful of early 1930's films with his genial humor . He was always enjoyable to watch and his performance here is no exception , as he portrays a fellow whose greatest ambition is to have enough clients to enable him to add a second barber chair to his shop . James Gleason scores as the local ladies ' man , always ready with the sly innuendo . Pert Kelton practically steals the show as the flirty tart who knows how to get exactly what she wants from most men . Skeets Gallagher is perfect as the brash salesman who almost trumps her ace . Movie mavens will recognize John Carradine as a stranded actor , Robert McKenzie as a hotel manager , Harry Holmes as the mayor & Vera Lewis as a lady at the Chamber of Commerce luncheon - all uncredited . |
437,858 | 306,861 | 20,698 | 10 | Fooling The Wife With Mr . Laurel & Mr . Hardy | A LAUREL & HARDY Comedy Short . Stan & Ollie head for an evening at a ritzy nightclub , against the wishes of a furious Mrs . Laurel . After getting BLOTTO on a mixture of cold tea & Tabasco , the Boys make a noisy spectacle of themselves . But just wait until Mrs . L . shows up with a shotgun . . . A very funny little film . Highlight : Stan's laughing fit . The tearjerker sung by the crooner that gets the Boys crying is ' The Curse Of An Aching Heart ' , a popular ballad from 1913 . Mrs . Laurel is played by Anita Garvin . |
437,764 | 306,861 | 16,104 | 10 | They Had Faces Then | A romantic Prince from tiny Monteblanco attempts to woo THE MERRY WIDOW who once loved him when she was a poor dancer . Erich von Stroheim , the Teutonic genius who marched through Hollywood's Silent Days like a conquering general , had his final directorial stint at MGM Studios producing this lavish & brilliant film based on the operetta by Franz Lehár . The visuals are striking , with sets that look like actual locations - - a mountaintop village ; the Castellano Cathedral ; Maxim's in Paris - - and the occasional bizarre touch - - the blindfolded musicians sharing the Prince's seduction bed , for example - - which von Stroheim relished . The acting is flawless , with no need for dialogue . The actors ' faces speak all that need be said . Mae Murray & John Gilbert portray the passionate lovers whom Fate ( and the plot ) contrives to keep apart so successfully . Miss Murray ( she and the director loathed each other ) powerfully portrays a street-wise performer who , through a series of heartbreaks , becomes a vastly wealthy woman . Gilbert expertly plays a prince whose charm has always gotten him his way . Their scenes together , most particularly the waltz sequences , fairly blaze with unrequited sensual longing and desire . While it is entertaining to wonder what von Stroheim would have done with the role , it is difficult to imagine anyone better than Roy D'Arcy as the simpering , lusting , sneering Crown Prince ; he is pure villainy personified and his eventual fate is absolutely justified . Josephine Crowell gives a fine performance as the Queen . Tully Marshall , one of von Stroheim's favorite character actors , adds another portrait to his gallery of grotesques , this time playing a crippled baron with a foot fetish . The wonderful organ score which accompanies the film was arranged & performed by Dennis James . MGM would tackle THE MERRY WIDOW again nine years later and produce a vastly different film , this time directed by Ernst Lubitsch and starring Maurice Chevalier & Jeanette MacDonald . |
437,980 | 306,861 | 20,691 | 10 | An Epic , Trailblazing Western | A heroic young trail scout leads a large party of pioneers along THE BIG TRAIL to the West , with Indian attacks , natural disasters & romantic complications all part of the adventure . As sweeping & magnificent as its story , Raoul Walsh's THE BIG TRAIL is a wonderful film , as entertaining as it was more than seven decades ago . With very good acting and excellent production values , it lives up to its reputation as the talkies ' first epic Western . John Wayne , pulled from obscurity for his first important movie role , looks impossibly young , but he immediately impresses with the natural charm & masculine authority he brings to the hero's role ; he quietly dominates the film with the attributes which would someday make him a huge star . Marguerite Churchill is fetching as a lovely Southern belle who slowly warms to the Duke's attentions . Dialect comic El Brendel is great fun as a Swedish immigrant beset with mule & mother-in-law woes ; his appearance in a scene signals laughs for the viewer . Looking & sounding like a human grizzly bear , Tyrone Power Sr . , vast & repulsive , makes a wonderful villain . Slick cardsharp Ian Keith is a sophisticated bad guy . ( His famous physical similarity to John Gilbert is very apparent here . ) Silent movie character actor Tully Marshall is impressive as a wily old mountain man who helps guide the wagon train . Corpulent Russ Powell , as a friendly fur trapper , puts his vocal talent for making nonsense noises to good use . Sharp-eyed movie mavens will spot Ward Bond as one of the Missouri settlers . What will surprise many modern viewers is that THE BIG TRAIL was filmed in an early wide screen process , called Grandeur . More than living up to its name , the picture looks marvelous , with Walsh showing a mastery of the new technology . He fills the screen , every portion of it , with action . Notice during the crowd scenes , how everyone is busy doing real work , which adds so much to the verisimilitude of these sequences . Walsh deserves great credit for being one of the first directors to use wide screen . In addition , the film is blessedly free of the rear projection photography which blights so many older films . It should also be stressed that it is only natural that the soundtrack sounds a little primitive ; talkies were still in their cradle . That Walsh was able to use a microphone at all , with most of the scenes shot out of doors , is more kudos for him . THE BIG TRAIL was not a box office success . In 1930 , William Haines ' comedies were the big money makers and the public was looking for fare other than intelligent Westerns . Most of the cast slipped into obscurity , including Wayne . It would not be until 1939 , when John Ford rescued him in STAGECOACH , that John Wayne's legend would begin in earnest . And despite its grand & sweeping vistas , it would be another 25 years before wide screen caught on with Hollywood , largely as an answer to the economic threat from television . |
438,323 | 306,861 | 20,693 | 10 | An Outlaw Legend Comes To The Screen | British homesteaders in Lincoln County , New Mexico , find that their best protection against the local murderous sheriff is a shy young cowboy called BILLY THE KID . Director King Vidor produced for MGM one of the first epic talkie Westerns , with plenty of action and violence and frequent musical forays to explore the new medium of sound . The acting is good and the authentic outdoor locations are expansive & eye-catching . In one of his best roles , Johnny Mack Brown portrays Billy as a quiet , dependable fellow , deadly with a gun but reluctant to boast or brag , attractive to the ladies and a determined seeker for justice over evil . Everything one could want in a Cowboy Hero . He's also just a little bit dull . This allows Wallace Beery , as Billy's friendly nemesis Pat Garrett , to steal the film , using his doughy face and shapeless body to great effect . Beery was right on the edge of becoming a major movie star and it was roles like this that would push him over the edge . Lovely Kay Johnson is on hand as the wife of unfortunate Russell Simpson , one of the men Billy initially defends , but the demands of her role are few and she gets to do little besides look worried . Silent comic star Karl Dane & champion stutterer Roscoe Ates portray friends of Simpson & Billy , and they are both welcome additions to the film . Dane , however , is given very little screen time , his thick accent obviously a problem for MGM . Silent screen cowboy William S . Hart acted as creative consultant on the film , but his only contribution seems to have been the loan to Johnny Mack Brown of a pistol which had once belonged to Billy . BILLY THE KID was originally filmed in the 70 mm widescreen Realife process ( no copies are known to remain ) with two very different endings - one for American theaters in which Billy eludes capture and one in which he is shot dead , for European audiences . In the film's written prologue , New Mexico's Governor R . C . Dillon admits to the movie's ? liberties ' with the truth . Indeed , there are few true facts in the film . Most radically altered is the character of Billy himself , who in reality seems to have been a particularly loathsome human specimen , unsavory & disagreeable in almost every way . But early in production MGM's Irving Thalberg realized the studio would have a hard time promoting a film about a disgusting murderer and he ordered a radical rewrite on Billy's biography , turning him into a pleasant , noble hombre . Good entertainment , bad history . There are a lot of ambiguities about Billy . We know he was born in New York City on 23 November , but both 1859 & 1860 have been cited for the year . We don't even know the guy's real name . Was it William H . Bonney , Jr . , or Henry McCarty ? ( For awhile he muddied the waters further by calling himself Kid Antrim . ) Billy's family had moved West , and after the death of his father Billy had travelled with his mother's new husband to the territory of New Mexico , ending up at Silver City in 1873 . We may never know what toxic mixture of heredity & environment stained Billy's soul , but we do know that he became a hellion young . He claimed to have committed his first murder at the age of 12 - he would kill at least 27 men during his lifetime . Billy became involved in an outlaw gang that created havoc on both sides of the Mexican border , with robbery , murder & cattle rustling all part of the routine . At the end of the decade , Billy became a gun for hire in the so-called Lincoln County War , that particularly nasty confrontation between cattlemen , townsfolk & corrupt law officers . Billy ran a gang that killed a sheriff and a deputy , for which he was arrested by Pat Garrett in December of 1880 . Billy was sentenced to hang , but during a daring escape on 28 April 1881 , Billy murdered two more deputies before hightailing it out of town . After weeks on his trail , Garrett finally tracked Billy to a ranch house near Fort Sumner , N . M . and on 14 July Garrett killed him there . The punk was dead , but the legend was born . Patrick Floyd Garrett ( born 5 June 1850 ) had been a cowboy & buffalo hunter in his youth and moved to Lincoln County in 1879 , where he became deputy and then sheriff . After he killed Billy , Garrett became a rancher near Roswell , N . M . from 1882 until 1896 . Returning to law enforcement , he became first the deputy and then the sheriff of Dona Ana County from 1896 until 1902 . He was the collector of customs in El Paso , Texas from 1902-1906 . Garrett then bought a horse ranch near Las Cruces , N . M . , but a violent dispute over a lease left him gunned down in the road on 29 February 1908 . A fellow named Wayne Brazel claimed Garrett drew on him first , a witness agreed it was self defense , and Brazel was let go . Garrett was 57 years old . It was a nasty way to die for the man who got Billy the Kid . |
438,265 | 306,861 | 27,421 | 10 | Another Shirley Temple Family Film Classic | A vindictive truant officer attempts to wrest little Star from CAPTAIN JANUARY , the old lighthouse keeper who saved her from a watery grave . Shirley Temple captivates her audience once again in this , one of her most popular films . Aided by fine production values courtesy of Fox , the Tiny Tyke does not disappoint . Singing & dancing , laughing or crying , she once again exhibits all the talents which for years made her top of the Hollywood box office heap . It's difficult to imagine anyone other than cuddly Guy Kibbee in the title role . He's excellent , but he's also given firm support from old pros Slim Summerville & Jane Darwell . Sara Haden makes a nasty villainess , while OUR GANG bad boy Jerry Tucker is her obnoxious nephew . Pretty June Lang plays the sweet village schoolteacher . Amiable hoofer Buddy Ebsen joins Shirley in a wonderful song & dance number , ? The Cod Fish Ball . ' Tall & pliable , with plenty of goofy facial expressions , Buddy's performance gives a little idea as to how much he might have contributed to THE WIZARD OF OZ three years later over at Metro , had not health reasons forced him to withdrawal . Shirley also sings ? Early Bird ' and , in a delightful nursery fantasy , ? The Right Somebody To Love . ' |
437,967 | 306,861 | 12,253 | 10 | A Little Look At Mr . Keaton | A BUSTER KEATON Silent Short . After a spate of unusually HARD LUCK , Buster tries various imaginative ways to end his life - with no success . This very amusing little film is really a cinematic flight of fancy rather than a sustained story . After the failed suicides comes a fishing expedition , a fox hunt and a confrontation with a Western bad guy . That Buster was able to tie it all together , however loosely , bespeaks of his growing expertise behind the camera . The final gag with the Chinese wife & kids , one of Buster's favorites , exists only in a still photograph . Born into a family of Vaudevillian acrobats , Buster Keaton ( 1895-1966 ) mastered physical comedy at a very early age . An association with Fatty Arbuckle led to a series of highly imaginative short subjects and classic , silent feature-length films - all from 1920 to 1928 . Writer , director , star & stuntman - Buster could do it all and his intuitive genius gave him almost miraculous knowledge as to the intricacies of film making and of what it took to please an audience . More akin to Fairbanks than Chaplin , Buster's films were full of splendid adventure , exciting derring-do and the most dangerous physical stunts imaginable . His theme of a little man against the world , who triumphs through bravery & ingenuity , dominates his films . Through every calamity & disaster , Buster remained the Great Stone Face , a stoic survivor in a universe gone mad . In the late 1920's Buster was betrayed by his manager / brother-in-law and his contract was sold to MGM , which proceeded to nearly destroy his career . Teamed initially with Jimmy Durante and eventually allowed small roles in mediocre comedies , Buster was for 35 years consistently given work far beneath his talent . Finally , before lung cancer took him at age 70 , he had the satisfaction of knowing that his classic films were being rediscovered . Now , well past his centenary , Buster Keaton is routinely recognized & appreciated as one of cinema's true authentic geniuses . And he knew how to make people laugh . . . |
437,140 | 306,861 | 38,399 | 10 | A Baseball Tall Tale | A Walt Disney Cartoon . The prospects were grim for the Mudville Nine that day , but all might change with CASEY AT THE BAT . . . The famous poem by Ernest Lawrence Thayer is given a lively spoof by the Disney folks in this little film which was originally a segment of MAKE MINE MUSIC ( 1946 ) . The animation is colorful and full of good humor and the boisterous musical recitation by radio comic Jerry Colonna is a tremendous asset . Our baseball hero would return in the cartoon short CASEY BATS AGAIN ( 1954 ) . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by pictures & drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew comic figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Dumbo , Bambi & Peter Pan . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that childlike simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off . |
437,223 | 306,861 | 31,448 | 10 | The Game's Afoot | The world's most famous amateur detective tracks THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES , a notorious demonic fiend intent on destroying the last descendent of an ancient family . 20th Century Fox brought Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classic tale to vivid life in this excellent mystery thriller . Whether the setting is Baker Street's cozy study , the foggy lanes of London , or Dartmoor's moody wastes , the concise direction and superior production values transports the viewer into the world of Queen Victoria's 1880's . Sir Arthur's original story is altered somewhat to meet the requirements of the cinema , abbreviated in spots and fleshed-out in others , but this happens to nearly all literature when translated to the screen and does not diminish the enjoyment a whit . This was the first of what was to become fourteen films , the only American-made movie series based on Holmes ' adventures . Basil Rathbone as Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Dr . Watson would become forever identified with the roles and they were perfect : Rathbone with his aquiline features and haughty aristocratic mien , the absolute embodiment of a supreme intelligence ; and Bruce , bumbling & pudgy , but intensely loyal and good-natured ( and also cognizant of the fact that a little comic relief would help him hold his own in scenes with Rathbone ) . Richard Greene , who actually receives screen credit above that of Rathbone , makes a stalwart young hero - - the returning heir whose life is placed in danger by the devilish Hound . The rest of the cast is also most proficient , especially sinister actors Lionel Atwill & John Carradine ( as the Baskerville lawyer & butler , respectively ) . Beryl Mercer plays Atwill's spooky little spouse and Eily Malyon , as Carradine's wife , is quite effective as a woman with secrets to hide . Pretty Wendy Barrie , and Morton Lowry as her naturalist brother , portray Baskerville's neighbors on the moor , while old Barlowe Boyland provides some humorous moments as a highly litigious rascal . Smaller roles are equally well filled : Mary Gordon is perfectly cast as a grandmotherly Mrs . Hudson ; E . E . Clive as a London cabby with surprising information ; gaunt silent screen actor Nigel De Brulier as a fugitive convict ; and , in a flashback , Ralph Forbes as the infamous Sir Hugo , the first Baskerville to meet the Hound . The climactic attack by the implacable Hound is presented with real menace & suspense and the satisfied viewer is left ready for the next film in the series which would be THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES ( 1939 ) . |
437,035 | 306,861 | 159,620 | 10 | Sunny Science | A Frank Capra WONDERS OF LIFE film . OUR MR . SUN endlessly makes life possible on Earth . In the mid-1950's , AT & T and Bell Science teamed with famed Hollywood director Frank Capra to produce a series of CBS television science films to educate the public about the Universe around them . A far cry from the dreary black & white fodder so often foisted off on young scholars , the Capra films would both instruct and entertain with lively scripts and eye-catching visuals shown in Technicolor . The four films - OUR MR . SUN ( 1956 ) , THE STRANGE CASE OF THE COSMIC RAYS ( 1957 ) , HEMO THE MAGNIFICENT ( 1957 ) , THE UNCHAINED GODDESS ( 1958 ) - quickly became schoolhouse favorites , where they were endlessly shown in 16mm format . The star of the series was Dr . Frank C . Baxter ( 1896-1982 ) , an affable English professor at the University of Southern California . This avuncular pedagogue proved to be the perfect film instructor , genially imparting to his audience the sometimes complex facts in a manner which never made them seem dull or boring . Dr . Baxter , who won a Peabody Award for his achievements , continued making instructional films after the Capra quartet were concluded . OUR MR . SUN , which won an Emmy for its editing , presents the information known about our solar neighbor at mid-century , using spectacular photography , animation and gentle humor . Film star Eddie Albert appears as the Fiction Writer , looking to get an angle on how to present the sun's story . Marvin Miller provides the voice for the animated Mr . Sun . Strangely uncredited is Lionel Barrymore , one of America's best loved character actors , who gives the voice for Father Time . Barrymore had died back in 1954 , making this his very final performance . Movie mavens will also recognize Sterling Holloway as the voice of Chloro Phyll . The devotional sentiments spoken by Barrymore at the end of the film are completely in tune with the tenor & tone of the production . |
437,012 | 306,861 | 40,303 | 10 | A Frustrated Duck Tale | A Walt Disney DONALD DUCK Cartoon . A nighttime leaky faucet turns a very sleepy Duck into DRIP DIPPY DONALD . Here is another routine Duck cartoon - Donald is always enjoyable to watch , but nothing else about the film particularly distinguishes it . Clarence " Ducky " Nash supplies Donald's unique voice . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Dumbo , Bambi & Peter Pan . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off . |
437,237 | 306,861 | 29,260 | 10 | Into The Woods With Mickey & Friends | A Walt Disney MICKEY MOUSE Cartoon . Mickey , Goofy & Donald become the most inept MOOSE HUNTERS in history . There's much fun in the forest in this little film as the three pals quickly attract the attentions of the meanest moose males in the area . Goofy & the Duck act together as a team - their impersonation of a female moose is hilarious - while Mickey's rather peripheral role foreshadows his eventual eclipse as Disney's most popular cartoon star . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew comic figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Dumbo , Bambi & Peter Pan . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that childlike simplicity of message and lots of hard work will always pay off . |
437,550 | 306,861 | 44,606 | 10 | Into The Woods With The Goof | A Walt Disney GOOFY Cartoon . Goofy's boasting to his son takes on the smack of reality when FATHER'S LION wanders into their campsite . Here is a typical Goofy film - lots of physical comedy and few intellectual presumptions . This was one of a small handful of cartoons to feature the Mountain Lion and probably gave him his best role . After a few roles in the shorts , Junior would return years later in the Goofy animated features as ' Max . ' Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by pictures & drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew comic figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Dumbo , Bambi & Peter Pan . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that childlike simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off . |
437,372 | 306,861 | 33,985 | 10 | Puttin ' On A Show | A Walt Disney MICKEY MOUSE Cartoon . Mickey and his pals put on an ORPHANS ' BENEFIT for a theater full of little brats . This was a color remake of a black & white cartoon originally produced in 1934 . Donald's nursery rhymes , the acrobatic apache dance performed by Horace Horsecollar , Clarabelle Cow & Goofy , and Mme . Clara Cluck's operatic aria are all awfully funny . Florence Gill does the clucking for Clara , Clarence Nash provides Donald with his unique voice , Walt Disney does the honors for Mickey . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by pictures & drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew comic figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a storm of naysayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Dumbo , Bambi & Peter Pan . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that childlike simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off . |
437,436 | 306,861 | 29,257 | 10 | Donald Struts His Stuff As Solo Star | A Walt Disney DONALD DUCK Cartoon . A marvelous collection of MODERN INVENTIONS contrive to give Donald a very bad day . This is a wonderful little film , full of good humor & topnotch animation . The robotic butler ( voiced by Billy Bletcher ) and its penchant for appropriating headgear is especially funny . This was Donald's first solo star assignment and it also marked the arrival of the legendary Carl Barks as a story writer for the Duck's films . For the record , Donald runs foul of four inventions in the Museum Of Modern Marvels ( the Hitch-Hiker's Aid , the Automatic Bundle-Wrapper , the Robot Nurse Maid and the hilarious Barber Chair - voiced by Cliff Edwards ) while being deprived of six various hats ( his sailor's cap , a silk top hat , a Napoleon cocked hat , a Civil War military cap , a baby bonnet and a derby ) Clarence " Ducky " Nash supplies Donald's unique voice . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Dumbo , Bambi & Peter Pan . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off . |
437,632 | 306,861 | 40,298 | 10 | A Mighty Big Change For Mr . Duck | A Walt Disney DONALD DUCK Cartoon . DONALD'S DREAM VOICE - and all of its benefits - comes from a precious box of little red pills . There are a lot of laughs in this little film , especially as Donald frantically tries to retrieve the last of his pills . The Duck's splendid new voice is an obvious spoof of velvety-toned English actor Ronald Colman . The story was written by Roy Williams , later to be an important adult member of television's MICKEY MOUSE CLUB in the 1950's . Clarence Nash provides Donald with his ordinary voice . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by pictures & drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew comic figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Dumbo , Bambi & Peter Pan . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that childlike simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off . |
437,312 | 306,861 | 20,534 | 10 | Early Talkie Thriller | With death stalking the darkness , members of a doomed regiment spend THE UNHOLY NIGHT in an old mansion seeking a murderer . Fine atmospherics and good performances propel this creaky creeper from the very early days of talking pictures . The opening sequence ably depicts the oppressive emotional weight of an extreme London fog . The remainder of the film becomes an Old Dark House picture , with the cast claustrophobically caught in the clutches of a clever killer . Owlish Roland Young does very well as the gentle nobleman whose grand home becomes a house of horrors . Appreciated for his comedic abilities , Young shows he's equally adept at more serious drama . Ernest Torrence - - a very enjoyable character actor of the era whose career was cut short by an early death - - plays the friendly doctor trying to deal with the brutal deaths . Lovely Natalie Moorhead portrays Young's sister , a woman fascinated by the supernatural . Dorothy Sebastian appears as a beautiful & mysterious lady from the East with a strange story to tell . Blustery Major Lionel Belmore , and John Miljan as a badly scarred Major , are two of the ' Doomed Regiment . ' Polly Moran has a few good moments as a frightened maid . Exotic Sojin is most effective as a Chinese mystic . Movie mavens will easily recognize an unbilled Boris Karloff appearing as a sinister Turkish lawyer . Director Lionel Barrymore makes good use of the new sound technology with a few well placed screams and some hearty singing from the officers of the regiment . |
437,183 | 306,861 | 22,700 | 10 | Art Imitates Life | Marion Davies stars in this poignant MGM drama , directed by Edmund Goulding , which features excellent performances but is relentlessly downbeat . Writers Frances Marion & Anita Loos , two of the very best , really drag their characters through the Slough of Despond , piling emotional outburst upon painful heartache almost without relief . The writers also give Miss Davies a most curious scenario : that of a lively , vivacious showgirl , not very good at holding her liquor , who , as the mistress of a wealthy , older tycoon , is settled into a life of luxury . Sound familiar ? As the girlfriend of William Randolph Hearst , the nation's most powerful media mogul , and the chatelaine of San Simeon , America's most lavish private estate , Davies must have noted , and been amused by , the script's odd similarities to her own life . Billie Dove gives a fine performance as Davies ' oldest friend and bitterest rival , an insecure woman consumed by jealousy . Suave Robert Montgomery plays the object of both ladies ' affections and he is both polished and sophisticated . James Gleason steals a few scenes as Davies ' loving , work-weakened father . The incomparable ZaSu Pitts shines in the small role of Davies ' no-nonsense older sister . Sidney Toler ( a future Charlie Chan ) is her affable , lazy husband . Sinister Douglass Dumbrille plays a lecherous tycoon who likes blondes . Jimmy Durante appears very late in the film and then only in one scene , essentially playing himself as a guest at a Davies party . His lowbrow humor is a wonderful tension reliever , especially during the few moments he and Davies spoof John Barrymore & Garbo in GRAND HOTEL , which Goulding had directed earlier that same year . It's a shame Durante doesn't get to interact with Miss Pitts , but just having him around for five minutes is a real spirit lifter . Movie mavens will recognize Charles Williams & Billy Gilbert , both uncredited , as the sleazy producers who entice Miss Dove in the film's opening scene . |
438,102 | 306,861 | 42,680 | 10 | A Duck Tale With Danger | A Walt Disney DONALD DUCK Cartoon . Bad behavior from Donald's Nephews draws the unwanted attention of a hungry Mountain Lion . Huey , Dewey & Louie are up to their usual high jinks again in LION AROUND , a fairly routine , albeit humorous , little film . Coupled with the Mountain Lion ( making one of his infrequent Disney appearances ) they provide poor Donald with almost more antagonists than he can handle . Clarence " Ducky " supplies he voices for the entire Duck family . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Dumbo , Bambi & Peter Pan . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off . |
437,817 | 306,861 | 22,698 | 10 | Domestic Dietrich | Billed as The BLONDE VENUS , a sultry German cabaret singer will do anything to save her sick husband and care for their child . Acting under the flamboyant direction of her mentor , Josef von Sternberg , legendary Marlene Dietrich fascinates as a tender mother fiercely protecting her small child , who spends her evenings as a seductive stage siren , captivating audiences in America & France . She is equally good in both postures , her perfect face registering deep maternal love and sphinx-like allure . Dietrich is incredibly gentle crooning an old German lullaby at her son's bedside , while the contrasting image of her emerging from an ape suit to sing ' Hot Voodoo ' in a nightclub is one of the Pre-Code Era's most bizarre images . Two British actors compete for Marlene's attention . Distinguished Herbert Marshall , with a voice like liquid honey , is ideally cast as Dietrich's conflicted husband . Playing a chemist poisoned by radium , his face reveals his humiliation at having to be supported by his wife ; later , he manifests pent-up rage when he discovers her ' betrayal . ' Cary Grant , just on the cusp of becoming a major film star , plays a powerful political boss whose arrogance mellows as he pursues Dietrich's affections . Little Dickie Moore , one of the OUR GANG members , is terrific as the infant son who is the bridge between Dietrich & Marshall . Here was a kid who could really act and tug at the viewer's heartstrings . Sidney Toler is amusing as a low-key detective . Gene Morgan , as a talent agent , and Robert Emmett O'Connor , as a theater owner , very realistically portray denizens from the sleazy underbelly of the entertainment world . Movie mavens will spot some fine performers in unbilled cameos : silly Sterling Holloway as one of the student hikers in the first sequence who discovers Marlene skinny-dipping in the forest ; Clarence Muse as a stuttering bartender ; dear Mary Gordon as Marshall's informative landlady ; big Dewey Robinson as a gruff greasy spoon owner ; wonderful Hattie McDaniel as Dietrich's New Orleans maid ; and prim Marcelle Corday as Marlene's maid in Paris . Paramount gave the film lavish , and slightly decadent , production values . The live chickens flapping about in Dietrich's apartment during the French Quarter sequence are a nice touch . |
437,894 | 306,861 | 25,443 | 10 | Fine - And Funny - Historical Drama | MADAME DU BARRY , a wanton , vivacious young woman , catches the eye & the heart of the aging Louis XV and quickly becomes his mistress . Through guile & intelligence , she soon finds herself the most powerful woman in France . Dolores Del Rio shines in this funny , lavish & sadly neglected film . Her Mexican accent is more than compensated for by her fiery beauty & fine acting . She is perfectly matched by Reginald Owen as Louis , in one of his finest roles , somewhat ribald & ridiculously in love . An odd cinematic couple they may be , but they are never less than entertaining . An excellent cast supports them : Maynard Holmes & Anita Louise as the childish Dauphin & strong-minded Marie Antoinette ; Victor Jory , Osgood Perkins , Verree Teasdale , Henry O'Neill & Ferdinand Gottschalk as sundry court officials & hangers-on ; Dorothy Tree , Helen Howell & Joan Wheeler as Louis ' spiteful daughters ; Halliwell Hobbes as the English Ambassador ; and Arthur Treacher as the snooty Master of the Bedchamber . Movie mavens will spot , in uncredited roles , Doris Lloyd as the madam of the royal brothel ; and Robert Greig , as Louis ' chef , who shares a hilarious omelet-making scene with Reginald Owen . Curiously , the film takes great pains in making the Dauphin & Marie Antoinette into sympathetic figures , especially during their bizarre wedding night sequence , only to turn them into villains in the very last scene . Warner Bros . must have spent a pretty penny on this film - and it shows . Its pre-Production Code status is also very evident from the somewhat salacious content & dialogue . What really happened to Marie Jeanne Bécu , Comtesse Du Barry , after the death of Louis XV in 1774 ? She retired to a life of luxury in her private château and kept up a schedule of intrigues & dalliances throughout the reign of Louis XVI . With the outbreak of the Revolution , Du Barry escaped to England in 1793 . Foolishly , she returned to France & was arrested on charges of conspiracy against the New Order . Du Barry had her appointment with Madame Guillotine on December 8 , 1793 . She was 50 years old . |
437,369 | 306,861 | 10,146 | 10 | On The Lam With Mr . Lloyd | A Hal Roach HAROLD LLOYD Comedy Short Subject . Poor Harold is living FROM HAND TO MOUTH until he meets a very pretty rich heiress who's the target for kidnappers . There is much to enjoy in this little film which boasts excellent production values , some top notch chase sequences and a typically first rate performance from Harold . His future wife Mildred Davis plays the rich young lady , Snub Pollard is the comically wicked kidnapper & little Peggy Cartwright exudes winsome charm as the spunky waif . Fans will notice that Harold's right hand is intact ; this film was made shortly before his famous accident which left him with only half a hand . Robert Israel has composed an excellent film score which perfectly complements Harold's antics on the screen . |
437,543 | 306,861 | 194,340 | 10 | Diving For Pearls | An MGM Short Subject . Braving great perils , Tahitian boatmen paddle their spindly SEA SPIDERS out to harvest valuable pearl oysters . This very brief documentary film takes the viewer to idyllic Tahiti and shows us a bit of the indigenous culture , with slightly ironic narration . The gathering of coconuts for copra is shown , but most of the footage deals with the pearl divers , who must fend with collapsed lungs and dangerous denizens of the deep to win their prize . Often overlooked or neglected today , the one and two-reel short subjects were useful to the Studios as important training grounds for new or burgeoning talents , both in front & behind the camera . The dynamics for creating a successful short subject was completely different from that of a feature length film , something akin to writing a topnotch short story rather than a novel . Economical to produce in terms of both budget & schedule and capable of portraying a wide range of material , short subjects were the perfect complement to the Studios ' feature films . |
437,376 | 306,861 | 22,696 | 10 | Not The Nadir | A brash tabloid columnist turns his BLESSED EVENT style of gossip mongering into a sensation , but creates many enemies along the way . This is the film that made Lee Tracy an authentic movie star - the role and the actor were perfect for each other . For the next couple of years Tracy would specialize in fast talking shyster lawyers , agents , reporters & flimflam men . In the process , he became one of the most enjoyable performers of the era , always fresh & entertaining . However , after misbehaving in Mexico while under contract to MGM , he would be banished to the Poverty Row studios to continue acting in minor films . Today , regrettably , he is almost forgotten . But in pre-Code BLESSED EVENT Tracy is at the top of his form : exasperating , maddeningly irritating & wonderfully funny . Warner Brothers gives him an excellent supporting cast to bounce off of - acerbic Ned Sparks as a disgruntled tabloid reporter ; peppy Frank McHugh as an overeager publicity agent ; porcine Edwin Maxwell as a nasty gangster ; and Allen Jenkins as a softhearted criminal ( his ? electric chair ' scene with Tracy is a classic ) . Boyish Dick Powell , in his film debut , seems an odd choice to play Tracy's nemesis , but there's no doubt about his charm & fine singing style , both of which would soon make him a major movie star . Mary Brian is lovely as Tracy's girlfriend & Emma Dunn is sweet as his mother , but each tends to be a bit smothered by Tracy's oversized personality . His true co-star is tart-tongued Ruth Donnelly as his secretary . No slacker in slinging the dialogue around , she's able to match Tracy line for line . Movie mavens will recognize Charles Lane as a reporter ; Isabel Jewell , terrific as a much-abused showgirl ; and hilarious Herman Bing as a chef - all of them uncredited . |
436,988 | 306,861 | 15,881 | 10 | A Classic Reconstructed | In January of 1924 , director Erich von Stroheim gathered a small group of friends to view his magnum opus , a film which would become legendary . This was GREED & when the experience was over , all there agreed that they had just seen the greatest motion picture ever created . They were the only audience to see the film in its entirety . Von Stroheim was , with Griffith & Chaplin , one of the authentic geniuses of the silent cinema . He had an unerring eye for what was visual and how to transfer mere words into astonishing images on the screen . He was also terribly adept at spending other people's money . A notorious stickler for the most authentic minute detail , he ignored concerns for time & financial budgets . The original GREED ran somewhere between 8 and 9 ½ hours . While that would be fine for a modern TV miniseries , it is unworkable for a motion picture . The bosses at MGM had had difficulty with von Stroheim before and were in no mood to mess around . GREED was taken out of its director's control and hacked down to 140 minutes . All the excised footage was destroyed . This is the blackest spot on Irving Thalberg's memory . Von Stroheim mourned his lost masterpiece the rest of his life . The story , although incredibly detailed , is fairly straightforward . The corrupting influence of wealth is examined through the lives of seven individuals . The tragic marriage of Mac , a fake dentist & Trina , an innocent young woman , is compared & contrasted to the equally horrific relationship between the mad Maria & Zerkow the Junkman ; and to the beatific love between Old Grannis , owner of a dog hospital & Miss Baker , a sweet old lady . Shadowing Mac & Trina is her cousin Marcus , equally in love with her & the $5 , 000 she wins in a lottery . The story of Mac & Trina is the main focus & it is utterly compelling . Seldom has the destruction of a marriage been seen in such detail . Certain scenes stay in the mind a long time : the picnic lunch on the sewer ; their wedding , while a funeral procession marches by below ; their final bloody confrontation . The movie ends , as does the book it is based on , in Death Valley . Von Stroheim insisted on actually shooting there in summer . The heat was terrible & it shows on the faces of Gibson Gowland as Mac & Jean Hersholt as Marcus . The ending is as stark & unforgiving as the desert itself . Mr . Gowland & ZaSu Pitts give the performances of their lives , magnificent in every way . Mr . Gowland shows us the full extent of a simple man being driven insane , while Miss Pitts ' change from sweetness to a miserly shrew is truly frightening . Had the film not been butchered and their performances seen in their entirety , they surely would had ascended to the very heights of their profession . As it was , Gowland quickly descended back into obscurity , spending the rest of his career in mostly unbilled bit parts . Miss Pitts became a comedienne , whose vague manner & fluttery hands were seen in many comedies over the next 35 years . Von Stroheim continued with his excesses and finally met his directorial downfall a few years after GREED . He was able to continue on in films as a very good character actor , mostly in Europe . In 1999 , Turner Classic Movies had GREED reconstructed , using hundreds of still photographs taken during production , editing based on an original shooting script , an inspired use of color and tints & a new musical score . The result runs for 4 hours and is wonderful . At last we have a better understanding of Von Stroheim's blighted vision & wasted genius . |
437,112 | 306,861 | 16,641 | 10 | Silent Film Masterpiece | Subtitled " A Tale of the Christ " , this mixture of piety & adventure was MGM's grandest silent picture . The story tells how a Hebrew prince defies his Roman masters by beating them at their own game , literally , while becoming increasingly aware that the young Carpenter he met in Nazareth is the very Son of God and how that knowledge changes his life . Years in the making , with filming in Italy & California , and changes of script and leading man , BEN HUR could have been a disaster . Instead , it was a complete triumph , with the naval battle and chariot race scenes holding their own among the best ever filmed . This film should not be compared with the Heston remake ; it stands completely on its own merits . For decades , the only known prints of this film were 90 minutes long , in black & white . By great good fortune , in the 1980's an uncut version , over 2 hours and with the original tints and Technicolor scenes was discovered in Czechoslovakia . This is what we are able to enjoy today . Ramon Novarro got the plum male role of the entire silent period . He was a very fine actor and is excellent as Ben Hur . Sadly , the rest of his film career , in which he was typecast in every sort of ethnic role , from Chinese to Polynesian to Arab to Navajo , is virtually forgotten today . |
437,054 | 306,861 | 16,654 | 10 | Douglas Fairbanks Swashes His Buckle In Grand Fashion | A nobleman vows vengeance on the cutthroats responsible for his father's death . Becoming THE BLACK PIRATE , he joins their scurvy crew and quickly becomes their leader . But his plans for revenge become more complicated when he meets his first captive - a beautiful Spanish princess . Roistering , robust & richly detailed , this was one of Douglas Fairbanks ' greatest films . With enough excitement to satisfy any lover of adventure , one needs only read the film's prologue to get an idea of its delights : ' A page from the History and Lives of the most Bloodthirsty PIRATES who ever infested THE SOUTHERN SEAS . Being an account of BUCCANEERS & the Spanish MAIN , the Jolly Roger , Golden Galleons , bleached skulls , BURIED TREASURE , the Plank , dirks & cutlasses , SCUTTLED SHIPS , marooning , DESPERATE DEEDS , DESPERATE MEN , and - even on this dark soil - ROMANCE . ' Aside from the bleached skulls , everything else is there as promisedFairbanks is a joy to behold , exulting in his physical prowess , becoming a legend of the screen before the delighted eyes of the viewer . Can any other swashbuckler top the flair or élan of the sequence where Doug captures a merchantman single-handed , climbing up the forecastle & sliding down the slit sails on his dagger , light as any sprite ? No one else would have even dared . As the princess , Billie Dove is beautiful , but has very little to do except look frightened . Donald Crisp , in a change of pace role , is very enjoyable as a gruff one-armed Scots pirate who befriends Fairbanks . Anders Randolf & Sam De Grasse are the black-hearted pirate captain & lieutenant whom Doug must contend with and they are nasty indeed . A milestone in cinematic history , this was one of the first movies to be filmed entirely in Technicolor . In its restored version , it is very pleasant to the eyes , its antique hues perfectly complementing the richly textured art design , costumes & sets . For those interested in such things , there are explanations for the various special effects ( the underwater attack , for instance ) , but the reader will need to look elsewhere for them . Sometimes too many facts can spoil the illusion of daydreams so necessary for the enjoyment of silent cinema . Find this fabulous film & dream on . Too bad about the bleached skulls , though . . . |
438,034 | 306,861 | 31,431 | 10 | Duck On Ice | A Walt Disney DONALD DUCK Cartoon . Donald , THE HOCKEY CHAMP of Duck Swamp , gets himself into trouble when he brags of his prowess on the ice to his Nephews . This enjoyable little film boasts fine animation & a funny storyline . Early on , Donald does an impression of Norwegian skating queen Sonja Henie , a big movie star at the time , even replicating her trademark tiptoe ice dancing . Clarence " Ducky " Nash supplies the unique voices of Donald & the Nephews . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Dumbo , Bambi & Peter Pan . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off . |
438,053 | 306,861 | 25,448 | 10 | Searchin ' For Buried Treasure With The Little Rascals | An OUR GANG Comedy Short . Against his mother's wishes , Spanky takes Stymie & the Gang treasure hunting in a dark cave . What MAMA'S LITTLE PIRATE finds there will be a big surprise to them all . . . Lots of fun & adventure in this little film . Highlight : the attack of the Giant ( played by R . E . ' Tex ' Madsen , voice by longtime comedian Billy Bletcher ) . This was one of the films where Buckwheat is supposedly a female character . |
437,258 | 306,861 | 22,688 | 10 | Birds Everywhere | A Walt Disney SILLY SYMPHONY Cartoon Short . There is much flit & flutter in THE BIRD SHOP , especially after a vicious black cat gets in and goes after a baby canary . . . This is a fairly interesting little black & white cartoon , with lots of action / reaction animation . The pace really picks up with the arrival of the ferocious feline . Movie mavens will notice that four of the birds are spoofs of the Marx Brothers . The SILLY SYMPHONIES , which Walt Disney produced for a ten year period beginning in 1929 , are among the most fascinating of all animated series . Unlike the Mickey Mouse cartoons in which action was paramount , with the Symphonies the action was made to fit the music . There was little plot in the early Symphonies , which featured lively inanimate objects and anthropomorphic plants & animals , all moving frantically to the soundtrack . Gradually , however , the Symphonies became the school where Walt's animators learned to work with color and began to experiment with plot , characterization & photographic special effects . The pages of Fable & Fairy Tale , Myth & Mother Goose were all mined to provide story lines and even Hollywood's musicals & celebrities were effectively spoofed . It was from this rich soil that Disney's feature-length animation was to spring . In 1939 , with SNOW WHITE successfully behind him and PINOCCHIO & FANTASIA on the near horizon , Walt phased out the SILLY SYMPHONIES ; they had run their course & served their purpose . |
437,188 | 306,861 | 51,339 | 10 | A Visit To A Fishing Village In Japan | A Walt Disney PEOPLE AND PLACES short subject . This short film takes us for a fascinating look at a day in the life of a Japanese fishing village . We see how the lives of everyone is concerned in some way with the sea and harvesting its bounty . Special focus is given to the AMA GIRLS , those healthy young maidens who dive up to 60 feet beneath the waves in search of choice sea weed to sell . Scenes of domestic life are also shown , as well as how the entire village works together to process the valuable sardine catch . ' This film is one in a series presenting interesting PEOPLE and the PLACES in which they live . All scenes are authentic and the stories are factual . ' The narrator is Winston Hibler . |
437,080 | 306,861 | 22,685 | 10 | Barrymore , Hepburn & Burke , Oh My ! | A BILL OF DIVORCEMENT is only one of the problems to confront a man returning to his family after fifteen years in an insane asylum . Although this George Cukor-directed soap opera is chiefly remembered now for Katharine Hepburn's film debut , its other strengths should not be overlooked . The film was primarily crafted to be a showcase for the histrionic talents of John Barrymore and he certainly does not disappoint his audience . Charging his way through the range of emotions from giddy elation to utter despair , Barrymore , left profile firmly planted towards the camera , gives a wonderful master class in ham acting . This is in no way to disparage his performance - - he makes leaping a bit beyond the bounds terrifically entertaining . Hepburn is a sensation , of course , very fresh & unspoilt , giving real urgency to the plight of a headstrong girl who must make a wretched decision during a domestic upheaval . The viewer cannot help but think of the many decades to come in which she would continue to delight moviegoers . The trouble is that Kate's excellence makes it somewhat easy to forget the film's real female lead . In a rare serious role , Miss Billie Burke gives a splendid portrayal of a good woman torn between duty to a man she no longer loves and the possibility of joy with the man she now adores . In the scene where Barrymore forces her to make a commitment to him , Burke's body language painfully communicates the agony of her breaking heart . A fine supporting cast adds to the film's enjoyment : sensitive David Manners , one of the ablest young actors of the era , as Hepburn's loyal boyfriend ; gentlemanly Paul Cavanagh as Burke's fiancé ; waspish Elizabeth Patterson as Barrymore's strict sister ; and elderly Henry Stephenson as the wise family doctor . Movie mavens will have to look fast to spot the excellent young English actor , Bramwell Fletcher , unbilled as the fellow at the Christmas party who opens the windows for the carolers . |
437,731 | 306,861 | 20,484 | 10 | Disney Gives Us A Bizet Burlesque | A Walt Disney SILLY SYMPHONY Cartoon Short . A vile officer takes liberties with a barmaid , who is the girlfriend of EL TERRIBLE TOREADOR . The bullfighter then proceeds to proudly show-off his skills in the bullring . An interesting & somewhat violent little black & white cartoon , with a great many of Disney's obligatory posterior gags . Most of the music , appropriately , is from Bizet's Carmen . The surprisingly gynandrous bull could almost be seen as a precursor of the celebrated Ferdinand . The SILLY SYMPHONIES , which Walt Disney produced for a ten year period beginning in 1929 , are among the most fascinating of all animated series . Unlike the Mickey Mouse cartoons in which action was paramount , with the Symphonies the action was made to fit the music . There was little plot in the early Symphonies , which featured lively inanimate objects and anthropomorphic plants & animals , all moving frantically to the soundtrack . Gradually , however , the Symphonies became the school where Walt's animators learned to work with color and began to experiment with plot , characterization & photographic special effects . The pages of Fable & Fairy Tale , Myth & Mother Goose were all mined to provide story lines and even Hollywood's musicals & celebrities were effectively spoofed . It was from this rich soil that Disney's feature-length animation was to spring . In 1939 , with SNOW WHITE successfully behind him and PINOCCHIO & FANTASIA on the near horizon , Walt phased out the SILLY SYMPHONIES ; they had run their course & served their purpose . |
437,380 | 306,861 | 131,482 | 10 | A Cinematic Taste Of The Big Apple | An MGM Short Subject . Beginning at the Statue of Liberty , this delightful little film conducts us on a rapid tour of MIGHTY MANHATTAN , NEW YORK'S WONDER CITY . After gazing at the famous bridges spanning the Hudson & East Rivers , we travel along Broadway , Fifth & Park Avenues , visit the Empire State Building & Rockefeller Center , linger a moment in Chinatown & Times Square , and take a horse-drawn carriage through Central Park - where we get to enjoy feeding time at the Zoo . We finish our filmed excursion with an evening at the Starlight Roof , enjoying the music of Xavier Cugat . This is one of a large series of succinct travelogues turned out by MGM , beginning in the 1930's . They featured Technicolor views of beautiful & unusual sights around the globe , as well as vivid , concise commentary . These films were produced & narrated by James A . FitzPatrick . |
437,045 | 306,861 | 20,492 | 10 | A Small Triumph For Miss Wycherly & Mr . Lugosi | In British India , a séance in Calcutta leaves a dead man sitting in THE THIRTEENTH CHAIR . . . Under the able direction of Tod Browning , this antique talkie weaves a taut tale of murder & suspense . The oppressive atmosphere & limited use of sets creates a claustrophobic sense of eerie unreality . The excellent utilization of sound during the sequences of almost total screen blackout demonstrate the director's understanding of the potentialities of the new medium . Conrad Nagel & Leila Hyams receive top billing , but they have little to do beyond looking frightened or concerned . This they accomplish quite well . The film is dominated by two fascinating performances . Bela Lugosi makes a rather bizarre police inspector , his mesmeric eyes , claw-like hands & compelling voice giving an early demonstration of the qualities which would make him one of the screen's top monsters ( Lugosi & Browning would have to wait two more years for the huge success of their next collaboration , DRACULA ) . Elderly Margaret Wycherly , as a wily Irish medium , is a delight and easily steals scene after scene . It is she who comes up with the plan to ultimately unmask the killer . |
437,614 | 306,861 | 25,413 | 10 | Aboard A Haunted Ship With Mr . Laurel & Mr . Hardy | A LAUREL & HARDY Comedy Short . After helping a conniving captain kidnap seamen for his ship , Stan & Ollie end up shanghaied themselves . The trouble really starts , however , when the Boys accidentally ' kill ' one of their cabin mates . Dumping the body overboard , they are terrified to see THE LIVE GHOST stalking the decks . Lots of laughs in this little film . Watching the Boys ' reactions when they see the ' ghost ' is hilarious . That's Mae Busch as the captain's girlfriend . |
438,219 | 306,861 | 16,672 | 10 | Humor On The Range | A naive country boy desperately tries to rescue his silly sweetheart from the affections of a shyster lawyer . Unseen for decades , THE BOOB is a wonderful surprise , a delightful silent comedy Western , full of the right mixture of good humor & pathos . At barely an hour in length and with the support of an excellent new piano score by Arthur Barrow , it will inevitably invite favorable comparison with Harold Lloyd's masterpiece , THE KID BROTHER ( 1927 ) . Scots actor George K . Arthur , a popular MGM comic star at the end of the silent era , wins immediate sympathy with his sad face and diminutive stature . All decked out in cowboy duds he looks ridiculous , and the audience instinctively knows he'll have to endure much humiliation before the final fade-out . Character actor Charles Murray is hilarious as the boozy bowlegged old buckaroo who grubstakes Arthur - just watching his droll facial expressions is a joy . Special mention should be made of the uncredited African American lad playing the part of Ham Bunn , who , with his trusty mutt Benzine , faithfully shadows Arthur to keep him out of trouble . Pretty Gertrude Olmstead plays Arthur's fickle girlfriend ; Antonio D'Algy is all hair oil and suavity as the sinister lawyer . A very young Joan Crawford is rather incongruously cast as the undercover leader of a team of agents tracking dangerous bootleggers . Movie mavens will recognize an uncredited Edythe Chapman as the impoverished old lady befriended by Arthur . In a very funny sequence that has little connection with the rest of the film , soda jerk Hank Mann receives tips on etiquette from his enormous sweetheart , an unbilled Babe London , while dining at a swanky speakeasy . The film enjoys all the customary MGM spit & polish . |
438,294 | 306,861 | 25,409 | 10 | A Charming Keek At Auld Scotland | A mysterious & headstrong gypsy girl falls in love with THE LITTLE MINISTER called to pastor in a small Scots village . Soon her influence has him behaving in a most unclerical manner , with repercussions for the entire community . Although sadly neglected & overlooked , this fine , sentimental film , based on a 1891 novel by Sir James M . Barrie , features excellent performances and superior production values . RKO lavished care & money to get the details just right ; it is a fine example of how Hollywood films of the period could evocatively portray other times , other places . Katharine Hepburn has one of her most fetching roles in the exuberant Babbie . Full of boundless energy & good humor , yet fiercely protective of those weaker & less fortunate than she , Hepburn turns in a beguiling , always entertaining , performance . While there is really no mystery as to the true identity of her character , this in no way hinders Hepburn from continually delighting her expectant audience . In the title role , John Beal ( born James Alexander Bliedung in 1909 ) had doubtless the best role of his career in this , his second , film . By underplaying his scenes , he holds his own with the vivacious Hepburn . Exhibiting real star quality , it is unfortunate that the good movie roles failed to materialize . Beal did quite a bit of work through the years on the stage and had a triumph in television's THE ADAMS CHRONICLES in 1976 . John Beal died in 1997 at the age of 87 . A very fine supporting cast lends depth to the smaller roles : Andy Clyde as the lonely village policeman ; Donald Crisp as the local doctor ; Reginald Denny as a pompous army captain ; Mary Gordon as an elderly indigent ; Alan Hale as the community's repentant drunk ; Lumsden Hare as a strict & powerful church deacon ; Eily Malyon as a member of the aristocracy ; Beryl Mercer as Beal's devout mother ; and Dorothy Stickney as a fluttery maid . Mention should be made of Max Steiner's lovely score , which incorporates old & familiar tunes . A couple of historical notes : the Auld Licht ( Scottish for ' Old Light ' ) is mentioned many times in the film . This was the very conservative Church of Scotland , or Presbyterian Church in America , which had the allegiance of a majority of the Scots people . Barrie's original novel was of the Kailyard ( Scottish for a small cabbage patch near a cottage ) School of writing which had great favor in Scotland in the late 19th Century . This style featured highly idealized & sentimental representations of Scottish village life . Thrums in THE LITTLE MINISTER would certainly be a prime example . |
437,569 | 306,861 | 25,410 | 10 | Shirley's Star Maker | A tiny child , left as an IOU at a race track by her insolvent father , charms her way into the hearts of a group of hard-boiled gamblers . Shirley Temple - not quite six years old - became a full-fledged movie star with LITTLE MISS MARKER . Loaned out to Paramount for the one picture , she emerged as a top of the bill powerhouse prepared to return to Fox Studios and become the most popular performer in Hollywood for the next five years . With genuine talent & an infectious sparkle , she would carve out her unassailable niche in film history . To its credit , the fast moving script allows her to be a little less than saintly , with a normal dose of cranks & crotchets . Even so , her costars , as well as the audience , become her willing slaves in short order . Adolphe Menjou , as the cynical gambler who takes her in , and Charles Bickford as his tough boss , find themselves completely overwhelmed by the mighty moppet . Both of these gentlemen were abundantly experienced actors , used to controlling viewers ' attentions in their screen scenes ; it must have been somewhat odd for them to be reduced to so much stage dressing - but Shirley's ascendant flood swamped all other boats . The Damon Runyon story is well served by the rest of the colorful cast , but it is easy to regret every minute the Small One does not appear on screen . Shirley became quite close to pretty Dorothy Dell , playing a nightclub chanteuse involved with both Bickford & Menjou . The news of Miss Dell's tragic death in a car wreck soon after filming completed was kept from Shirley for some time . Movie mavens will recognize Willie Best as a friendly janitor & Tammany Young as a bettor , both uncredited . |
438,104 | 306,861 | 44,558 | 10 | A Duck Tale With Apples | A Walt Disney DONALD DUCK Cartoon . Donald's Delicious Apples is a thriving enterprise until Chip ' n ' Dale begin to eat a large percentage of the produce . DONALD APPLECORE is a fairly routine little Duck versus Chipmunks film - humorous , but all these characters have trudged this road before . The title refers to a rowdy old children's rhyme . Clarence " Ducky " Nash provides Donald with his unique voice . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Dumbo , Bambi & Peter Pan . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off . |
437,972 | 306,861 | 38,343 | 10 | Thoughtful Film Provides Atmospheric Chills | The Apothecary General of BEDLAM finds his asylum a convenient place to immure his personal enemies . This was the third of three RKO thrillers which Boris Karloff starred in for producer Val Lewton ( the other two being ISLE OF THE DEAD & THE BODY SNATCHER , both 1945 ) . Lewton had the knack of producing films full of atmosphere & menace on a very low budget . BEDLAM is no exception and Karloff gives an especially compelling performance . Gaunt & leering , calmly accepting death and torture as part of his grim business , he shows the monstrous depths to which brutish humanity is able to sink while yet retaining a veneer of civility . His behavior is the stuff of nightmares & his fate is thoroughly deserved . Anna Lee is spirited in the role of a nobleman's protégée who gradually becomes a champion of fairer treatment for the inmates . Richard Fraser quietly underplays his part as a stern Quaker stonemason who attempts to rescue Miss Lee from Bedlam . Billy House as an obese lord & Ian Wolfe as a barrister confined to Bedlam both offer fine support . Movie mavens will spot an unbilled Ellen Corby as one of the lunatics . Built as a priory in 1247 for the order of the Star of Bethlehem , the structure was first used as a hospital in 1330 . Mental patients began arriving by 1403 and Henry VIII made it exclusively a lunatic asylum in 1547 . At the time portrayed in the film , the Hospital of St . Mary of Bethlehem had been moved from Bishopsgate to Moorfields and the name had generally been corrupted to ? Bedlam . ' Great abuses did take place there during the 18th Century and members of refined society were allowed for a fee to view the inmates . Now located in Shirley , near Beckenham , it is known as the Bethlehem Royal Hospital and is England's leading facility for the treatment of the mentally ill . The term ? bedlam ' has come to mean ? a confused uproar . ' The paintings seen throughout the film are by William Hogarth ( 1697-1764 ) , whose 1735 series A Rake's Progress included a scene set in Bedlam . |
438,326 | 306,861 | 29,311 | 10 | Whimsical One-Reeler | An MGM ROBERT BENCHLEY Short Subject . Trying to quietly spend A NIGHT AT THE MOVIES isn't so simple for hapless Robert Benchley . Nominated for the Best One-Reel Short Subject Academy Award , this was one of a series of little films to feature the gentle humor of Robert Benchley ( 1889-1945 ) . Watching him deal with the unexpected difficulties of simply enjoying a movie elicits much quiet amusement . Often overlooked or neglected today , the one and two-reel short subjects were useful to the Studios as important training grounds for new or burgeoning talents , both in front & behind the camera . The dynamics for creating a successful short subject was completely different from that of a feature length film , something akin to writing a topnotch short story rather than a novel . Economical to produce in terms of both budget & schedule and capable of portraying a wide range of material , short subjects were the perfect complement to the Studios ' feature films . |
438,259 | 306,861 | 121,770 | 10 | The Story Of A Gem | An MGM MINIATURE Short Subject . THE JONKER DIAMOND , a marvelous 726-caret crystal discovered in the Transvaal in 1934 , brings happiness to all those associated with it . This quickly paced little film is both informative & entertaining to watch , as it succinctly unfolds the history of the fabulous gemstone ( although why it states the Jonker was cut into twenty smaller jewels , when the correct amount is twelve , is something of a mystery ) . It is also a good example of the early American work of director Jacques Tourneur , who would gain fame in the 1940's with his horror films at RKO . Movie mavens should recognize an unbilled Hugh Marlowe , in his film debut , as the younger Jonker . Often overlooked or neglected today , the one and two-reel short subjects were useful to the Studios as important training grounds for new or burgeoning talents , both in front & behind the camera . The dynamics for creating a successful short subject was completely different from that of a feature length film , something like writing a topnotch short story rather than a novel . Economical to produce in terms of both budget & schedule and capable of portraying a wide range of material , short subjects were the perfect complement to the Studios ' feature films . |
437,454 | 306,861 | 25,423 | 10 | Sandy Classic | THE LOST PATROL from the British Army in Mesopotamia desperately defends itself in a tiny oasis from Arab attackers . John Ford directed this powerful Great War tale of agonizing heartbreak and desperate perseverance . The film becomes a character study as the eleven soldiers succumb , inevitably , to madness and snipers ' bullets . Ford craftily keeps the Arabs unseen for an hour , making the implacable desolation of the sun scorched desert the men's worst enemy . British actor Victor McLaglen is the absolute backbone of the film . Beefy McLaglen - - who had his own distinguished military career in World War One - - is perfectly believable as the stalwart sergeant with the task of keeping his men alive at the water hole until relief can arrive . Bullying , blustering , brave , his is a heroic performance of a man fighting titanic odds . Gaunt Boris Karloff appears as a religiously fanatical private ; his final scene , carrying a large cross up a dune , is especially memorable . Also in the patrol are Wallace Ford as a lively music hall performer and Reginald Denny as a gentleman with a past . Among the other men are good-natured Billy Bevan , sturdy Alan Hale and naive teenager Douglas Walton . Max Steiner's powerful soundtrack propels the plot onward to its inevitable conclusion . |
437,717 | 306,861 | 293,536 | 10 | A Tale From Mother Russia Retold | The bizarre demand of a foolish Tsar is met in a most surprising way by THE FOOL AND THE FLYING SHIP - and five very peculiar friends . This old Russian folk tale is given a most lively interpretation by the folks at Rabbit Ears . Full of sound , color & good humor , it is sure to engage the imagination . Robin Williams provides a hectic , hilarious narration in dialect , perfectly underscored by the Klezmer Conservatory Band . Henrik Drescher's highly individualistic illustrations will delight or depress , depending on the mood of the viewer . |
438,268 | 306,861 | 84,868 | 10 | Graveyard Humor | Spooky young VINCENT Malloy wants to grow up to become Vincent Price , in the worst possible way . . . Darkly humorous , especially in shadowy black & white , this little stop motion animated cartoon is filmmaker Tim Burton's homage to his great friend , fright master Vincent Price ( 1911-1993 ) . With its bizarre characters , grotesque story line & eerie visuals , it is a direct forerunner of Burton's feature length A NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS ( 1993 ) . A treat for those who enjoy the macabre . Narrated with creepy perfection , appropriately enough , by Vincent Price . |
437,627 | 306,861 | 38,336 | 10 | Dirty Doings For A Clean Cat | A Walt Disney FIGARO Cartoon . As if BATH DAY wasn't bad enough , a pampered & pomaded Figaro the kitten has a most nasty encounter with the meanest alley cat on the block . This was one of a short series of cartoons that featured the little feline from PINOCCHIO ( 1940 ) . There's plenty of good humor here , with the mangy villain getting exactly what he deserves . Minnie Mouse has a small role as Figaro's hygienically obsessed owner . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by pictures & drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew comic figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Dumbo , Bambi & Peter Pan . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that childlike simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off . |
438,056 | 306,861 | 64,504 | 10 | Let's All Sing Like The Birdies Sing - With Disney | Winging into action , our feathered host leads us on a short flight into the world of all things avian . After learning about the vital impact - yet sad history - of our little flying friends , we are left with the inescapable conclusion that IT'S TOUGH TO BE A BIRD . This delightful Disney cartoon , winner of the 1969 Oscar for Best Animated Short , is great fun . It is most enjoyable to see the antique film clips & to be reminded of the old birdie tunes . But beyond the laughs are some important elements dealing with bird biology & preservation . Ward Kimball , authentic genius , master animator & one of Walt's Nine Old Men , co-authored & directed this short , infusing it with his unique brand of quirky humor . Movie mavens will spot him as the bird watcher holding the tape recorder . Richard Bakalyan does a fine job as the narrator with attitude ; that's Ruth Buzzi hilariously warbling ' When The Buzzards Return To Hinckley Ridge . ' Give yourself a golden goose egg if you can spot Donald Duck . |
437,735 | 306,861 | 22,659 | 10 | A Simple Little Cartoon From The Folks At Disney | A Walt Disney SILLY SYMPHONY Cartoon Short . THE BEARS AND THE BEES are enjoying the beautiful Spring day - the bees making honey & the bear cubs eating it - until the arrival of a fierce , cranky male bear threatens to ruin everyone's morning . . . This black & white cartoon is mostly filled with action / reaction animation and an amazing number of posterior gags . The SILLY SYMPHONIES , which Walt Disney produced for a ten year period beginning in 1929 , are among the most fascinating of all animated series . Unlike the Mickey Mouse cartoons in which action was paramount , with the Symphonies the action was made to fit the music . There was little plot in the early Symphonies , which featured lively inanimate objects and anthropomorphic plants & animals , all moving frantically to the soundtrack . Gradually , however , the Symphonies became the school where Walt's animators learned to work with color and began to experiment with plot , characterization & photographic special effects . The pages of Fable & Fairy Tale , Myth & Mother Goose were all mined to provide story lines and even Hollywood's musicals & celebrities were effectively spoofed . It was from this rich soil that Disney's feature-length animation was to spring . In 1939 , with SNOW WHITE successfully behind him and PINOCCHIO & FANTASIA on the near horizon , Walt phased out the SILLY SYMPHONIES ; they had run their course & served their purpose . |
438,010 | 306,861 | 27,562 | 10 | Mister Brown & Mister Kibbee Score Comedic Success | Alexander C . Botts - a natural born salesman - tries to sell EARTHWORM TRACTORS to a most unwilling businessman . Based on William Hazlett Upson's short stories for the Saturday Evening Post , this very funny , fast-paced film is an excellent vehicle for Joe E . Brown . His great rubbery face registering amusement , determination or frustration , Brown propels himself from one slapstick situation to another . His goofy antics - moving his girlfriend's house without her permission is just one of them - are genuinely hilarious . Human pepper pot Guy Kibbee is Brown's perfect foil . Eyes bulging & voice booming , he inevitably finds himself involved in Brown's more dangerous schemes . At one point , words utterly failing him , he discovers his only possible response to Brown's incredible behavior is a quick sock on the jaw . Mention should be made of laconic Olin Howlin , shoe polish guzzling Gene Lockhart & telephone operator Rosalind Marquis , each of whom add bright moments to the film . Alert movie mavens will spot two humorous goofs early in the film : 1 ) In the first scene , when rival Dick Foran parks his car in front of pretty Carol Hughes ' home , the cameraman & camera are perfectly reflected in the convertible's driver side window ; 2 ) A little later on , Joe E . Brown's white suit is mad-splattered when he tries to extricate lovely June Travis ' auto from a puddle - but when he jumps in with her moments later the fabric has miraculously laundered itself . |
437,271 | 306,861 | 31,386 | 10 | Goofy Takes Center Stage | A Walt Disney GOOFY Cartoon . GOOFY AND WILBUR , his tiny grasshopper buddy , go fishing and encounter danger in & out of the water . Goofy had his first solo starring role in this very funny little film . The animation is first-rate and the laughs are genuine as the Bug acts as bait to entice fish for the Goof to catch - the bullfrog & stork simply add to the fun . Although full of spunk and obvious talent , this was to be Wilbur's only appearance in a Disney cartoon . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by pictures & drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew comic figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Dumbo , Bambi & Peter Pan . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that childlike simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off . |
437,246 | 306,861 | 22,778 | 10 | Long , Long Ago | A banker in old Nebraska strives to turn his town into a bastion of civilization & civility . Like THE CONQUERORS of the West before and after him he lets nothing stand in his way . Here is a prime example of a very fine film which is virtually forgotten today . Unfairly compared to CIMARRON ( 1931 ) - with which it shares some of the same themes and performers - THE CONQUERORS is well able to stand on its own merits , among which first-rate production values and very fine acting are not the least . Certain sequences - the keelboat , the hanging of the outlaws , the opening of the new bank , the arrival of the first train - remain in the memory for a long time . Covering the years 1873 to 1929 , we watch the growth of Fort Allen , Nebraska , as seen through the life of banker Roger Standish , most effectively played by Richard Dix . This underrated actor creates a hero worth emulating , one who courageously strives to improve his society and protect his investors through the quiet dignity of his own character . As his wife , he is well-matched by actress Ann Harding , who provides a tower of strength and graciousness through every adversity . Much of the story's laughter - and heartache - is provided through the wonderful pairing of Edna May Oliver , as the no-nonsense owner of the local hotel , and Guy Kibbee , as her alcoholic doctor husband . These two inimitable character actors effortlessly steal all of their scenes - as they would continue to do time & time again throughout the rest of the decade . Movie mavens will recognize Elizabeth Patterson as Dix ' sympathetic landlady and Robert Greig as the blasé Englishman at Miss Harding's auction sale , both uncredited . David O . Selznick was the Executive Producer ; the rousing music was composed by Max Steiner . Slavko Vorkapich , the Master of the Montage , provided the transitional effects . |
437,141 | 306,861 | 35,858 | 10 | Hurry Up & Wait | A Walt Disney DONALD DUCK Cartoon . It's just FALL OUT-FALL IN for poor Private Duck , whose Army experience is becoming nothing but one long march . This World War Two era cartoon features better than average animation and a funny performance from the Duck . Clarence Nash provides Donald with his unique voice . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by pictures & drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew comic figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Dumbo , Bambi & Peter Pan . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that childlike simplicity of message and lots of hard work will always pay off . |
437,642 | 306,861 | 29,191 | 10 | Flirtin ' With The Little Rascals | An OUR GANG Comedy ShortAlfalfa , president of the newly formed He-Man Woman Haters Club , has MAIL AND FEMALE woes : he is frantic to retrieve a love letter he sent to Darla and if that means disguising himself as her Cousin Amelia , and flirting with Spanky & Spike , so be it . . . A funny little film . Alfalfa in drag is a fearsome sight to behold . |
437,121 | 306,861 | 22,782 | 10 | Hospital Fun With Mr . Laurel & Mr . Hardy | A LAUREL & HARDY Comedy Short . Ollie is blissfully relaxing in the COUNTY HOSPITAL with unspecified problems with his right leg . His peace is shattered when Stan arrives for a visit . After innocently proceeding to wreck the room & nearly killing the doctor , Stan sits on a hypodermic full of sleeping medication . He then attempts to drive Ollie home ( he's been thrown out by the infuriated doctor ) . Chaos ensues as sleepy Stanley proceeds down a very busy city street . A fine little film , though not in the same class as the Boy's classics . One has to wonder - again - how Ollie could engage in such rough physical comedy without breaking his neck . That's Billy Gilbert as the harassed & harried doctor . |
437,494 | 306,861 | 29,188 | 10 | Dumb Duck Versus Magical Mouse | A Walt Disney MICKEY MOUSE Cartoon . Donald Duck will live to regret the evening he decided to heckle the performance of MAGICIAN MICKEY . This is a wonderful little film from Disney's Golden Age , full of excellent animation and truly hilarious legerdemain . The pyrotechnic prestidigitation at the conclusion , involving stagehand Goofy , makes a spectacular use of Technicolor . Walt Disney provides Mickey with his squeaky voice ; Clarence Nash does the honors for Donald . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by pictures & drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew comic figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Dumbo , Bambi & Peter Pan . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that childlike simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off . |
437,444 | 306,861 | 20,591 | 10 | By The Sea With Mickey & Minnie | A Walt Disney MICKEY MOUSE Cartoon . Lifeguard Mickey saves Minnie from the ocean's WILD WAVES . Such bravery surely deserves a musical celebration and a little romance . This enjoyable early black & white film has a plot propelled entirely by its lively soundtrack . Walt Disney supplies Mickey with his squeaky speaking voice . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Dumbo , Bambi & Peter Pan . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off . |
437,619 | 306,861 | 20,589 | 10 | Garbo & Company Sizzle In Steamy Melodrama | During nights scented with the perfume of WILD ORCHIDS , a Javanese prince woos the beautiful wife of a visiting American tycoon . Although really little more than a story about a romantic triangle , the excellent acting & superb presentation make this a very enjoyable film . Greta Garbo , exquisite & serene , shows once again that she was more than just a perfectly sculpted face . She was also a very disciplined actress who used her tightly controlled body to convey emotional depths and subtle nuances . Even in what for her was a rather minor film , she is a marvel to watch , beyond superlatives , exhausting all adjectives . She is simply Garbo and that is enough . For sheer exoticism , few Hollywood male stars of the period could compete with Garbo . Nils Asther was one of these . Although Scandinavian , something about the bone structure of his face made him ideal for Asian roles . He had already enjoyed much success as a matinee idol by the time WILD ORCHIDS was filmed . A fine actor , he seems loath to accede all of the viewers ' attention to Garbo . ( Swedes both , they must have had some interesting private conversations on the set . ) Asther makes his characterization of the Prince a compelling blend of charm & cowardice - a creature quite capable of seducing his sultry costar into marital infidelity . The onset of talkies would prove difficult for Asther , his heavy accent making it hard for MGM to cast him effectively and he would eventually return to Sweden . However , when given the right role , as in Frank Capra's THE BITTER TEA OF GENERAL YEN ( 1933 ) , Asther was able to exhibit the natural talent he was seldom called upon to use . Lewis Stone is the solid fulcrum over which his two extravagant costars teeter . While they exude passion & sensuality , he revels in the simpler virtues - duty , dignity , and , when he finally catches on to the Prince's depredations , righteous wrath . He manages to infuse all this with a quiet sense of befuddled humor , which only makes his character all the more human . The film's first rate production values make the heat & hedonism of Java come alive for the viewer . The Javanese dancing is of particular interest . The use of sound effects in this late silent film is of some significance - they perfectly illustrate where some film purists thought the cinema should remain : with music and effects , but definitely no dialogue . |
437,144 | 306,861 | 42,747 | 10 | A Little Inadequacy Goes A Long Way | A Walt Disney Cartoon . Life is tough for MORRIS THE MIDGET MOOSE because of his stunted stature . This little film , while humorous , is a far cry from the great Disney classics of the past - the animation is routine and the plot is rather lackluster . Morris ' story is told by the Bootle Beetle , in the last of his four appearances in a Disney cartoon . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by pictures & drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew comic figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Dumbo , Bambi & Peter Pan . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that childlike simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off . |
437,641 | 306,861 | 22,761 | 10 | Takin ' A Train Trip With The Little Rascals | An OUR GANG Comedy Short . Disguised as orphans , six of the Rascals take a chaotic CHOO-CHOO train trip under the disgusted guidance of railway employee & first-rate nellie , Mr . Henderson . A funny little film , with the turmoil slowly building for the poor train passengers as the Rascals run amuck . |
437,851 | 306,861 | 48,980 | 10 | Wonderful Cinematic Gem | THE RED BALLOON rescued by a small Parisian lad will transform his life in unbelievable ways . This is a marvelous film , full of love & hope , searing sorrow & overwhelming joy . It is also a classic example of what can be done in a very limited time frame , with a compelling story and genius behind the camera . The special effects are still entrancing , with wonderful editing & camerawork which turns the byways & alleys of old Paris into the canvas on which this fantasy is painted . Director Albert Lamorisse's young son , Pascal , is the very fortunate star of this urban fairy tale . If the tribulations & persecutions of the Red Balloon appear to be a type of Epiphany , that is probably no coincidence . |
438,146 | 306,861 | 42,750 | 10 | Speed Demon | A Walt Disney GOOFY Cartoon . Even the most mild mannered pedestrian becomes afflicted with MOTOR MANIA when he gets behind the steering wheel of a car . This little film is not only humorous - in a bone-jarring sort of way - but it also deals with a serious problem : emotional drivers who are a danger to everyone else on the highway . This was the first of Goofy's car safety cartoons and would later be followed by FREEWAYPHOBIA NO . 1 and GOOFY'S FREEWAY TROUBLE ( both 1965 ) . John McLeish narrates in his best documentarian manner . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by pictures & drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew comic figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a storm of naysayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Dumbo , Bambi & Peter Pan . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that childlike simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off . |
437,628 | 306,861 | 33,951 | 10 | Back To The Past With Mr . Mouse | A Walt Disney MICKEY MOUSE Cartoon . Mickey & Minnie discover true love in THE NIFTY NINETIES - the 1890's , that is . This highly nostalgic little film is a delight , transferring Mickey & Minnie back about fifty years to the age of bloomers & bustles . In the vaudeville theater , the ' Father , Dear Father ' slide presentation is an unexpected hoot . The song and dance guys ( ' Two Clever Boys From Illinois ' ) are caricatures of the animators Fred Moore & Ward Kimball . Goofy and the entire Duck clan make quick cameos riding antique bicycles . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by pictures & drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew comic figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Dumbo , Bambi & Peter Pan . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that childlike simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off . |
438,165 | 306,861 | 27,569 | 10 | Disney's Cartoon That Failed | A Walt Disney SILLY SYMPHONY Cartoon Short . Little ELMER ELEPHANT has a crush on Tillie Tiger & his affection is reciprocated ( don't try to figure it out ) . Trouble is , the pint-sized pachyderm is beset by bullies who ridicule his trunk and make his life miserable . Then a conflagration breaks out at Tillie's tree house . . . A very cute little film , very nicely drawn , with a sound moral message . It could have been the start of a series of Elmer Elephant shorts , but , alas , that was not to be and Elmer & his friends went into almost immediate cartoon oblivion . The pelicans , for those too young to know , are spoofs of Jimmy Durante . The SILLY SYMPHONIES , which Walt Disney produced for a ten year period beginning in 1929 , are among the most interesting of series in the field of animation . Unlike the Mickey Mouse cartoons in which action was paramount , with the Symphonies the action was made to fit the music . There was little plot in the early Symphonies , which featured lively inanimate objects and anthropomorphic plants & animals , all moving frantically to the soundtrack . Gradually , however , the Symphonies became the school where Walt's animators learned to work with color and began to experiment with plot , characterization & photographic special effects . The pages of Fable & Fairy Tale , Myth & Mother Goose were all mined to provide story lines and even Hollywood's musicals & celebrities were effectively spoofed . It was from this rich soil that Disney's feature-length animation was to spring . In 1939 , with SNOW WHITE successfully behind him and PINOCCHIO & FANTASIA on the near horizon , Walt phased out the SILLY SYMPHONIES ; they had run their course & served their purpose . |
437,748 | 306,861 | 47,043 | 10 | A Duck Tale With Mountain Lion | A Walt Disney DONALD DUCK Cartoon . The Little Ranger enjoys his job as guide at the Grand Canyon , until tourist Donald and a ferocious Mountain Lion give him a really bad day . . . This enjoyable little comedy doubtless got its name as it was one of Disney's first releases in Cinemascope . It also marked the final appearance in a Disney cartoon of the Mountain Lion , who retired to a cave in California's Hollywood Hills . Clarence " Ducky " Nash provided the voice for Donald ; Bill Thompson did the honors for Ranger J . Audubon Woodlore . Walt Disney ( 1901-1966 ) was always intrigued by drawings . As a lad in Marceline , Missouri , he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper ; later , as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War , he drew figures on the sides of his vehicle . Back in Kansas City , along with artist Ub Iwerks , Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters . Always the innovator , his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe . Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923 , where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor . When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor , the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination , ensuring Disney's immortality . The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut , STEAMBOAT WILLIE ( 1928 ) , a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music . The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared , and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color , illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development , an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable . Mickey's feisty , naughty behavior had captured millions of fans , but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions : temperamental Donald Duck , intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto . All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films . Against a blizzard of doomsayers , Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White , Pinocchio , Dumbo , Bambi & Peter Pan . Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse , or that simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off . |
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