1931-1940

  • Julien Duvivier – Le paquebot Tenacity aka S.S. Tenacity (1934)

    Drama1931-1940ClassicsFranceJulien Duvivier
    Le paquebot Tenacity (1934)
    Le paquebot Tenacity (1934)

    Paris, at the time of the Great Depression. Bastien, a manual worker, persuades his timid friend, Ségard, to leave with him for Canada, to start a new life in a country where, according to the publicity films, everything is possible. The two men arrive in the port of Le Havre, ready to depart on the ocean liner Tenacity. They take lodgings at a boarding house where they both fall under the spell of the charming serving girl Thérèse. When the boat’s departure is delayed, Bastien takes advantage of the hiatus to court Thérèse. One evening, he gets her drunk and lures her into bed with him, without his friend knowing. The next day, Bastien has made up his mind to stay in France with Thérèse…Read More »

  • Nick Grinde – Sudden Money (1939)

    Nick Grinde1931-1940ComedyDramaUSA
    Sudden Money (1939)
    Sudden Money (1939)

    Synopsis:
    Promises of happier times dawn for the financially distressed Patterson family when father Sweeney and brother-in-law Archibald “Doc” Finney win a $150,000 grand prize in the sweepstakes contest. With their windfall, each member of the family decides to pursue a dream. Drummer Sweeney reorganizes his old high school ragtime band, while Doc bankrolls his own horse betting system. Mother Elsie, who won an art contest in high school, takes up the easel and paint brush, while daughter Mary enrolls in finishing school in hopes of snagging a rich husband, and Junior is shipped off to military school. Grandpa Casey Patterson, meanwhile, thinks that the whole brood has taken leave of their senses. Clouds begin to darken the family’s dreams when Sweeney hires the comely Yolo to spice up his band, and Mr. Jordan, the wealthy father of Mary’s suitor, Johnny Jordan, pays a surprise visit to the family and is shocked to find Yolo balancing on Sweeney’s back.Read More »

  • Charley Chase and Jefferson Moffitt – Nurse to You! (1935)

    Charley Chase1931-1940ComedyJefferson MoffittShort FilmUSA
    Nurse to You! (1935)
    Nurse to You! (1935)

    Nurse to You! is another big winner from Charley Chase’s two-reel comedy series. Directing himself towards the end of his run at Hal Roach, Chase injects a real freewheeling sense of fun into this, without losing any of the tightness and compactness of his comedy construction.Read More »

  • S. Roy Luby – Race Suicide AKA Victims of Passion (1937)

    1931-1940CrimeDramaS. Roy LubyUSA
    Race Suicide (1937)
    Race Suicide (1937)

    A district attorney goes after an illegal abortion ring that preys on desperate young girls.Read More »

  • Jack Conway – Arsène Lupin (1932)

    Jack Conway1931-1940MysteryRomanceUSA
    Arsène Lupin (1932)
    Arsène Lupin (1932)

    Synopsis by Mark Deming
    John Barrymore plays a burglar and his brother Lionel Barrymore is the detective trying to catch him in this cleverly cast drama. An upscale thief who works under the name of Arsene Lupin is making the rounds of the homes of the wealthy and privileged, and Detective Guerchard (Lionel Barrymore) is determined to track him down. What he doesn’t know is that the suave and sophisticated Duke of Charmerace (John Barrymore) is actually the man behind the robberies. Will Guerchard find out the thief’s true identity before he can execute a daring theft from the Louvre Museum? Karen Morely co-stars as Sonia, the Duke’s love interest.Read More »

  • James P. Hogan – Sons of the Legion (1938)

    USA1931-1940DramaJames P. HoganRomance
    Sons of the Legion (1938)
    Sons of the Legion (1938)

    A father who received a dishonourable Army discharge hesitates to get involved with the formation of a youth group.Read More »

  • Lloyd Bacon – Racket Busters (1938)

    1931-1940CrimeDramaLloyd BaconUSA
    Racket Busters (1938)
    Racket Busters (1938)

    Manhattan gangster Pete Martin enters the trucking business in an effort to control the produce market. When he catches popular trucker Danny Jordan robbing the gang’s office to provide for his pregnant wife Nora, Martin forces Jordan to join him. As the other truckers come around Martin appears to have wonRead More »

  • Phil Rosen – It Could Happen to You (1937)

    Phil Rosen1931-1940ActionAdventureUSA
    It Could Happen to You (1937)
    It Could Happen to You (1937)

    (1937, Republic) Alan Baxter, Andrea Leads, Owen Davis, Astrid Allwyn. Captivating story of two brothers, one good, one bad. The good one becomes a lawyer while the bad one resorts to crime and ultimately…Read More »

  • Stuart Heisler – Straight from the Shoulder (1936)

    Stuart Heisler1931-1940CrimeDramaUSA
    Straight from the Shoulder (1936)
    Straight from the Shoulder (1936)

    Curt Hayden (Ralph Bellamy), a witness from the mob, is hidden away in a remote mountain cabin for his own safety. Accompanying Hayden is his young son Johnny (David Holt), who resents his father for planning to remarry. But Johnny loyally rushes to his dad’s defense when a pair of gunmen invade the cabin during Hayden’s absence. As the assassins await Hayden’s return, Johnny concocts a deucedly clever scheme to disarm them. This tension-laden climax is the best part of the picture, which otherwise is a traditional crime melodrama with romantic undertones. Plot Synopsis by Hal EricksonRead More »

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