FISHERMAN'S WHARF (1939) Bobby, Breen, Leo Carrillo & Henry Armetta | Adventure, Drama | B&W
Fisherman's Wharf is a 1939 American drama film directed by Bernard Vorhaus from a screenplay by Bernard Schubert, Ian McLellan Hunter, and Herbert Clyde Lewis. The film stars Bobby Breen, Leo Carillo, Lee Patrick, and Slicker, "the silly seal". Produced by Sol Lesser for RKO Radio Pictures, who also distributed the film, it was released on February 3, 1939.
SYNOPSIS
Carlo Roma and his foster-son, Toma, and their friend Beppo, are living a happy fisherman's life in San Francisco until Carlo's widowed sister-in-law, Stella, shows up with her brat-son, Rudolph, and takes over. Poor Toma gets his feelings hurt and the idea he "isn't wanted" and runs away.
Carlo Roma has a happy household with his son, Tony, despite being widowed. The two enjoy a very deep bond. Along with a pet seal, Julius, the father and son live with one of Carlo's business partners, Beppo, and a housekeeper, Angelina. Beppo has been romantically interested in Angelina for decades and is constantly proposing to her, which she always declines. He runs a successful fishing fleet of three boats, one of which Beppo captains. His other two equal partners are Luigi and Pietro.
When Stella, Carlo's widowed sister-in-law, moves in with her son Rudolph, the harmony of the home is disrupted. First, Stella banishes Julius from the house. Stella then drives both Beppo and Angelina from the house. After leaving, Angelina finally consents to Beppo and the two marry. Stella, not being satisfied with the money being made from Carlo's fishing enterprise, convinces him to demote his three partners to simple employees. Disgruntled, the three leave to begin their own fishing business.
As a last straw, Rudolph has been extremely unkind to Tony. When Rudolph learns that Tony is not Carlo's biological son, he cruelly tells him. The disheartened child runs away from home, taking Carlo's fishing boat. Carlo finally understands what has been happening in his house, and orders Stella and Rudolph to leave. With the help of Beppo, the two track down Tony and the family is reunited.
CAST & CREW
Bobby Breen as Tony Roma
Leo Carillo as Carlo Roma
Henry Armetta as Beppo
Lee Patrick as Stella
Rosina Galli as Angelina
Tommy Bupp as Rudolph
George Humbert as Pietro
Leon Belasco as Luigi
Slicker, the seal as Julius
Dorr's St. Luke's Choristers
Directed by Bernard Vorhaus
Written by Bernard Schubert, Ian McLellan Hunter, Herbert Clyde Lewis
Produced by Sol Lesser
Cinematography Charles Schoenbaum, William Dietz (backgrounds)
Edited by Arthur Hilton
Music by Victor Young
Production companies Bobby Breen Productions, Principal Productions
Distributed by RKO Radio Pictures
Release dates January 25, 1939 (Premiere-San Francisco), February 3, 1939 (US)
Running time 72 minutes
Country United States
Language English
NOTES
An August 1938 news item let the public know that Breen was attached to the picture, which went on to state that production would begin on September 15 of that year. In October it was reported that Bernard Vorhaus would helm the film. And by late that month, Leo Carillo's participation had been announced. Armetta was added to the cast in early November,[6] while other cast members announced in November included Slicker the seal and Lee Patrick. The Reverend Neal Dodd, who performed hundreds of screen wedding ceremonies, would conduct his three hundredth in this film, overseeing the screen nuptials between Beppo and Angelina.[9] In December it was announced that the St. Luke's Episcopal Church Choristers, also known as Dorr's St. Luke's Choristers, would be appearing in the film. Fisherman's Wharf premiered in San Francisco on January 25, 1939. In attendance were the three stars, Bobby Breen, Leo Carillo, and Henry Armetta, along with Sol Lesser.[1] The film opened nationwide on February 3, 1939. The National Legion of Decency rated the film a class A-1, making it suitable for all audiences.
Reception
Harrison's Reports called the picture a "pleasant mixture of comedy and drama, with deep human appeal." They felt it was one of Breen's best performances to date, and lauded both Carillo and Armetto for excellent performances. They also enjoyed Galli's musical performance in the film, as well as the contributions of the trained seal, Slicker. The Film Daily described it as a fine sentimental comedy, which had all "the ingredients of a sentimental tear jerker, but..." the producer decided to emphasize the comedic aspect instead, which they felt was a good move. They complimented both the cast and the direction. Motion Picture Daily, in their review of the film, lauded the acting skills of Carillo, Armetta, and Breen, and called the song, "Songs of Italy", with words and music by Frank Churchill and Paul F. Webster, "outstanding." Overall, they felt the film was a "charming picture of a father and son's mutual devotion."
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THE FLYING DEUCES (1939)Trailer - B&W
The Flying Deuces, also known as Flying Aces, is a 1939 buddy comedy film starring Laurel and Hardy, in which the duo join the French Foreign Legion. It is a partial remake of their short film Beau Hunks (1931).
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THE FLYING DEUCES (1939) Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy & Jean Parker | Comedy, War | COLORIZED
The Flying Deuces, also known as Flying Aces, is a 1939 buddy comedy film starring Laurel and Hardy, in which the duo join the French Foreign Legion. It is a partial remake of their short film Beau Hunks (1931).
SYNOPSIS
Ollie has fallen in love with the innkeeper's daughter in Paris. The only problem - she's very much in love with her husband. To forget her he joins the Foreign Legion with Stan. Bad idea.
During their sojourn in Paris, Ollie and Stan, temporarily distanced from their usual fish market work in Des Moines, Iowa, find themselves entangled in a romantic imbroglio. Ollie becomes enamored with Georgette, the daughter of an innkeeper, yet remains oblivious to her matrimonial ties to Francois, a Foreign Legion officer. Rejected by Georgette due to her existing marital commitment, Ollie experiences despondency, contemplating drastic measures until he is dissuaded by Stan's musings on reincarnation. Following Francois' suggestion, the duo enlists in the Foreign Legion, purportedly to alleviate Ollie's romantic woes.
Their legionnaire duties entail menial labor, met with resistance owing to their aversion to the meager wages offered. Subsequently sentenced to rigorous tasks, Ollie gradually relinquishes his romantic affliction amid the toil. Eventually, disillusioned by their laborious predicament, they incite chaos, inadvertently setting the laundry ablaze before expressing their disdain through a defiant letter.
Encounters with Georgette reignite Ollie's hopes, leading to a misunderstanding culminating in his arrest upon Francois' revelation of Georgette's marital status. Sentenced to death for desertion, Ollie and Stan find themselves incarcerated, their fate seemingly sealed until a fortuitous escape opportunity emerges. Inadvertent actions by Stan, however, divert their path to Francois' abode, igniting a pursuit culminating in an airborne escapade that concludes with Stan encountering a talking horse, purportedly embodying Ollie's reincarnated spirit.
CAST & CREW
Stan Laurel as Stan
Oliver Hardy as Ollie
Jean Parker as Georgette
Reginald Gardiner as Francois
Charles Middleton as Commandant
Jean Del Val as Sergeant
Clem Wilenchick as Corporal
James Finlayson as Jailor
Directed by A. Edward Sutherland
Written by Ralph Spence, Charley Rogers, Fred Schiller, Harry Langdon
Produced by Boris Morros
Cinematography Art Lloyd
Edited by Jack Dennis
Music by John Leipold, Leo Shuken
Production company Boris Morros Productions
Distributed by RKO Radio Pictures
Release date November 3, 1939
Running time 69 min
Country United States
Language English
NOTES
As Laurel and Hardy did not have an exclusive contract with Hal Roach, they were able to appear in films for other studios as they pleased. A remake of Beau Hunks, The Flying Deuces was released by RKO Radio Pictures and was made by independent producer Boris Morros. Director A. Edward Sutherland and Stan Laurel did not get along during filming, with Sutherland having reportedly commented that he "would rather eat a tarantula than work with Laurel again".
At the beginning of the film, the innkeeper's daughter is seen looking at a framed photograph of Ollie. The same photograph can also be seen in the short film Our Wife (1931), where the sight of it prompts the father of Ollie's fiancé to forbid the wedding.
The "laundry scene" in The Flying Deuces was filmed on the Iverson Movie Ranch in the Chatsworth section of Los Angeles, California, considered to be the most often used outdoor shooting location for films and television shows. In the scene, the characters played by Laurel and Hardy, having disrupted training camp soon after joining the Foreign Legion, are forced to do a massive amount of laundry—seemingly the laundry for the entire Foreign Legion. For the shoot, a facsimile of a huge pile of laundry was built on top of one of the giant sandstone boulders of Iverson's Garden of the Gods, which is now a park. Aerial footage of the scene, including a large spread consisting of laundry hanging on lines, was shot for the movie, and was used briefly in the final flying scene as the set-up for a gag where the pair's cockpit is pelted with laundry. The footage later turned up in a number of other productions, including the Republic serials Manhunt of Mystery Island (1945) and Radar Patrol vs. Spy King (1949), along with the Allied Artists movie The Cyclops (1957).
The Flying Deuces is one of two Laurel and Hardy features in the public domain; the other is Atoll K. As such, it regularly appears as part of inexpensive DVD or video compilations. Turner/Warner Bros. currently possesses the original negative but has not released the film.
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THE FOUR FEATHERS (1939) Ralph Richardson & June Duprez | Adventure, Drama, Romance | TECHNICOLOR
The Four Feathers is a 1939 British Technicolor adventure film directed by Zoltan Korda, starring John Clements, Ralph Richardson, June Duprez, and C. Aubrey Smith. Set during the reign of Queen Victoria, it tells the story of a man accused of cowardice and his efforts to redeem his name. It is widely regarded as the best of the numerous film adaptations of the 1902 novel of the same name by A.E.W. Mason.
SYNOPSIS
A timid 1880s British Army officer resigns, burning his last-day summons to war in Egypt. Accusing him of cowardice, his girlfriend and three friends give him white feathers. To gain redemption, he shadows his friends to save their lives.
In 1895, the Royal North Surrey Regiment is called to active service to join the army of Sir Herbert Kitchener in the Mahdist War against the forces of the Khalifa. Forced into an army career by family tradition and fearful he might prove a coward in battle, Lieutenant Harry Faversham resigns his commission on the eve of its departure. As a result, his three friends and fellow officers, Captain John Durrance and Lieutenants Burroughs and Willoughby, show their contempt by each sending him a white feather attached to a calling card. When his fiancée, Ethne Burroughs, says nothing in his defence, he bitterly demands a fourth from her. She refuses, but he plucks one from her fan.
Harry confides in an old mentor and former surgeon in his father's regiment, Dr. Sutton, that he now realises he did act out of cowardice and must attempt to redeem himself. He departs for Egypt. There, he disguises himself as a despised mute Sangali native, with the help of Dr. Harraz, to hide his lack of knowledge of the local languages.
During the army's advance, Durrance is ordered to take his company into the desert to lure the Khalifa's army away from the Nile so that Kitchener's army can sail past. Durrance is blinded by sunstroke, but hides it from his men. The company is overrun. He is left for dead, while Burroughs and Willoughby are captured. Faversham takes the delirious Durrance across the desert and down the Nile to the vicinity of a British fort. As he is putting something into Durrance's wallet, Faversham is spotted and mistaken for a robber. He is placed in a convict gang, but escapes.
Six months later, the blind Durrance has returned to England. Out of pity, Ethne agrees to marry him. At dinner with Ethne, her father, and Dr. Sutton, Durrance relates the tale of his miraculous rescue. He pulls out a keepsake letter from Ethne, the only thing he had in his wallet during the "robbery". A white feather and his card drop out, revealing to the others that his rescuer was Faversham. Nobody has the heart to tell him.
Burroughs and Willoughby are thrown into a dungeon in Omdurman with other enemies of the Khalifa. Still playing the addled Sangali, Faversham surreptitiously gives them hope of escape and passes them a file, but arouses the suspicions of the guards. He is flogged and imprisoned with the others. He reveals his identity to his friends and organizes an escape during Kitchener's attack. Faversham leads the other prisoners in overpowering their guards and seizing the Khalifa's arsenal, which they hold until the arrival of Kitchener's forces.
Durrance learns of Faversham's deeds from a newspaper account and realises who saved him. He dictates a letter to Ethne, releasing her from their engagement on the false pretext of going to Germany for a prolonged course of treatment to restore his eyesight. Later, Harry attends a dinner with his friends and Ethne. Ethne asks him what act of bravery will make her take back her feather. Faversham interrupts General Burroughs, Ethne's father, in the midst of his favourite war story about the Battle of Balaclava and corrects his embellishments (Faversham's father was there too); the general complains that he will never be able to tell that story again.
CAST & CREW
John Clements as Harry Faversham
Ralph Richardson as Captain John Durrance
C. Aubrey Smith as General Burroughs
June Duprez as Ethne Burroughs
Allan Jeayes as General Faversham
Jack Allen as Lieutenant Thomas Willoughby
Donald Gray as Peter Burroughs
Frederick Culley as Dr Sutton
Clive Baxter as Young Harry Faversham
Robert Rendel as Colonel
Archibald Batty as Adjutant
Derek Elphinstone as Lieutenant Parker
Hal Walters as Joe
Norman Pierce as Sergeant Brown
Henry Oscar as Dr. Harraz
John Laurie as the Khalifa Abdullah
Amid Taftazani as Karaga Pasha
Directed by Zoltan Korda
Written by R. C. Sherriff, Lajos Bíró, Arthur Wimperis
Based on The Four Feathers 1902 novel by A.E.W. Mason
Produced by Alexander Korda
Cinematography Georges Perinal
Edited by Henry Cornelius
Music by Miklós Rózsa
Color process Technicolor
Production company London Films
Distributed by United Artists
Release dates 20 April 1939 (UK), 4 August 1939 (U.S.)
Running time 130 minutes
Country United Kingdom
Language English
Budget $1 million
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THE FOUR FEATHERS (1939) Trailer - TECHNICOLOR
The Four Feathers is a 1939 British Technicolor adventure film directed by Zoltan Korda, starring John Clements, Ralph Richardson, June Duprez, and C. Aubrey Smith. Set during the reign of Queen Victoria, it tells the story of a man accused of cowardice and his efforts to redeem his name. It is widely regarded as the best of the numerous film adaptations of the 1902 novel of the same name by A.E.W. Mason.
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FRONTIER PONY EXPRESS (1939) Roy Rogers, Lynne Roberts & Raymond Hatton | Western | B&W
Frontier Pony Express is a 1939 American Western film directed by Joseph Kane and starring Roy Rogers, Lynne Roberts (as Mary Hart) and Noble Johnson as the lead villain.
SYNOPSIS
As Yankee and Rebel forces contend for the allegiance of California, Pony Express rider Roy and his sidekick must round up a pack of villains before Roy can turn his attentions to the girl.
At the start of the American Civil War in 1861 the Pony Express is of vital importance to the United States. A Confederate secret agent, Brett Langhorne, is working undercover by purchasing the newspaper in the town of St. Joe. Accompanied by his sister they meet Roy Rogers, a Pony Express rider, who rescues her from a runaway stagecoach. Brett unsuccessfully tries to get Roy to work for money to help the Confederacy.
Brett's local contact is Senator Calhoun Lassiter who Brett and the Confederacy believe will assist in bringing California into the Confederacy. But Lassiter betrays both the United States of America and the Confederacy as he wants to make California an independent "Republic of the Pacific" that he will despotically rule. To this end, Lassiter commissions outlaw Luke Johnson and his gang to steal, by force, critical documents being transmitted through the town of St. Joe by Pony Express. Roy risks limb and life to protect the mission of the Pony Express against the vicious outlaws, unaware of the Confederate agents supporting them. He finally learns the full extent of the plot when Lassiter and Langhorne have a falling out, and Lassiter shoots the young man in the back; and Langhorne confesses the plot to Roy as he dies. Rogers, the Pony Express officials, and the cavalry then work out a plan which brings an end to the machinations of Lassiter and Johnson.
CAST & CREW
Roy Rogers as Pony Express Rider Roy Rogers
Mary Hart as Ann Langhorne
Don Dillaway as Brett Langhorne
Noble Johnson as Luke Johnson
Edward Keane as Sen. Calhoun Lassiter
Raymond Hatton as Horseshoe the Trapper
William Royle as Dan Garrett
Ethel Wales as Mrs. Murphy (Langhorne's housekeeper)
Jack Kirk as Cavalry Captain
Monte Blue as "Cherokee", a rider
Directed by Joseph Kane
Written by Norman S. Hall (original story and screenplay)
Produced by Joseph Kane
Cinematography William Nobles
Edited by Gene Milford
Distributed by Republic Pictures
Release date April 12, 1939
Running time 58 minutes
54 minutes (American edited version)
Country United States
Language English
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GIRL FROM RIO (1939) Movita, Warren Hull & Alan Baldwin | Action, Crime, Drama | B&W
Girl from Rio is a 1939 American drama film directed by Lambert Hillyer from a screenplay by Milton Raison and John Thomas Neville. The film stars Movita, Warren Hull, and Alan Baldwin.
SYNOPSIS
A girl who is a famous singer in Brazil comes to New York to help clear her brother, who has been charged with arson and murder.
Marquita Romero is a singer in Rio de Janeiro, is engaged to an American newspaper reporter, Steven Ward. The day before she is to have her theatrical singing debut in Rio de Janeiro, she receives a call from New York City. Her brother, Carlos, has been arrested and charged with murder. She decides to rush to his side. When she arrives in New York City, she talks to Carlos' wife, Annette Templeton, and learns that the charges stem from the fire which engulfed the club where they were both performing. Carlos and Annette had been fired shortly before the fire, due to the club owner's jealousy over Carlos and Annette's relationship. The day after he fired them, Mitchell, the club owner, asked to speak with Carlos at the club. After their meeting, Carlos leaves, and the club burns down, which also results in a death. When Marquita goes to discuss the case with Carlos' attorney, she finds out that the attorney believes Carlos to be guilty, and has no plans to offer a significant defense.
Ward has followed his fiancé to New York. Learning the story from Marquita, he engages the help of an old friend, Robert Montgomery, who is a renowned New York attorney, and Montgomery agrees to represent Carlos. Ward uncovers the fact that Mitchell has had several clubs burn down, and has collected numerous insurance claims on the fires. With this evidence in hand, he approaches the investigator for the Pyramid Fire Insurance Company, Dennis Slater, hoping that he would dig deeper. However, Slater does not take up the investigation, instead demanding that Ward find more incriminating evidence.
Stymied, Marquita goes undercover at another one of Mitchell's clubs as a singer. Shortly after she arrives at the club, Mitchell's girlfriend becomes jealous, and decides to look into her history. She uncovers the fact that Marquita is Carlos' sister, and tells Mitchell about her. Mitchell confronts her in his office, and is threatening to kill her, when Marquita grabs Mitchell's gun and fires it at him. She misses, but the incendiary rounds in the weapon start a fire, which uncovers how Mitchell started all the other fires. As the fire spreads, Ward arrive to rescue Marquita. The following day Mitchell is arrested, and Marquita and Carlos return to their home in Rio de Janeiro.
CAST & CREW
Movita as Marquita Romero
Warren Hull as Steven Ward
Alan Baldwin as Carlos
Kay Linaker as Vicki
Clay Clement as Mitchell
Pamela Blake (credited as Adele Pearce) as Annette Templeton
Soledad Jiménez (credited as Soledad Jiminez) as Lola
Richard Tucker as Roger Montgomery
Dennis Moore as Collins
Directed by Lambert Hillyer
Written by Milton Raison, John Thomas Neville
Produced by E. B. Derr
Cinematography Paul Ivano
Edited by Robert S. Golden, Russell Schoengarth
Production company Monogram Pictures
Release date August 7, 1939
Running time 63 minutes
Country United States
Language English
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THE GORILLA (1939) The Ritz Brothers, Anita Louise & Lionel Atwell | Comedy, Horror | COLORIZED
The Gorilla is a 1939 American comedy horror film starring the Ritz Brothers, Anita Louise, Art Miles, Lionel Atwill, Bela Lugosi, and Patsy Kelly. It was based on the 1925 play of the same name by Ralph Spence.
SYNOPSIS
When a wealthy man (Lionel Atwill) is threatened by a killer known as The Gorilla, he hires the Ritz Brothers to investigate. A real escaped gorilla shows up at the mansion just as the investigators arrive. Patsy Kelly portrays a newly hired maid who wants to quit because the butler, played by Bela Lugosi, scares her.
CAST & CREW
Jimmy Ritz as Garrity
Anita Louise as Norma Denby
Harry Ritz as Harrigan
Al Ritz as Mulligan
Patsy Kelly as Kitty
Lionel Atwill as Walter Stevens
Bela Lugosi as Peters
Joseph Calleia as the Stranger
Edward Norris as Jack Marsden
Wally Vernon as a Seaman
Paul Harvey as Conway
Art Miles as Poe the Gorilla
Directed by Allan Dwan
Written by Rian James, Sid Silvers
Based on The Gorilla 1925 play by Ralph Spence
Produced by Harry Joe Brown
Cinematography Edward Cronjager
Edited by Allen McNeil
Music by David Buttolph. David Raksin, Cyril J. Mockridge, Alfred Newman
Distributed by 20th Century-Fox
Release date May 26, 1939
Running time 66 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $175,000
NOTES
By October 1938, 20th Century-Fox bought the rights to Ralph Spence's play The Gorilla. Fox wanted production on the film to start in January, which would be when The Ritz Brothers finished their tour. The studio wanted Kane Richmond to play a part in the film, but Richmond was replaced by Edward Norris after Richmond signed on for the film Charlie Chan in Reno. Fox signed on Bela Lugosi for the film as the butler. This character was originally meant for Peter Lorre.
The death of the Ritz Brothers' father caused production of the film in January to be delayed. Fox placed a $150,000 suit against the Ritz brothers for a breach of contract as the film was stated to start production on January 30, but was halted when the Ritz Brothers did not show up. They were reluctant to appear in a B picture. By March, the film began shooting again with the Ritz brothers returning to the film. The Gorilla became the last film made for Fox by the Ritz brothers.
The Gorilla premiered on May 26, 1939. A negative review of the film was written in The New York Times stating, "It's all supposed to be either really funny or shockingly thrilling, depending on how you look at it. We couldn't see it either way." Describing the Ritz Brothers performance in the film as "perhaps best appreciated by those who find the antics of The Three Stooges to be of too high an order of wit," critic Craig Butler wrote in AllMovie that "shameless scenery chewing from Patsy Kelly ... can't distract from the baldness of some of the plot machinations or from the fact that many of the comic moments are shoehorned in with little rhyme or reason." Writing for Turner Classic Movies, critic Jeff Stafford described the film as "interesting primarily for Lugosi's tongue-in-cheek performance," but that the Ritz Brothers "come off like a poor man's version of The Marx Brothers," and that "Patsy Kelly's shrill performance as the terrified maid can also grate on your nerves."
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GULLIVER'S TRAVELS (1939) Animation, Adventure, Comedy | 4K UHD | TECHNICOLOR
Gulliver's Travels is a 1939 American animated musical fantasy film produced by Max Fleischer and directed by Dave Fleischer for Fleischer Studios.[3] Released to cinemas in the United States on December 22, 1939, by Paramount Pictures, the story is a very loose adaptation of Jonathan Swift's 1726 novel of the same name, specifically only the first part of four, which tells the story of Lilliput and Blefuscu, and centers around an explorer who helps a small kingdom who declared war after an argument over a wedding song. The film was Fleischer Studios' first feature-length animated film, as well as the second animated feature film produced by an American studio after Walt Disney Productions' Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, as Paramount had commissioned the feature in response to the success of that film.[5] The sequences for the film were directed by Seymour Kneitel, Willard Bowsky, Tom Palmer, Grim Natwick, William Henning, Roland Crandall, Thomas Johnson, Robert Leffingwell, Frank Kelling, Winfield Hoskins, and Orestes Calpini.
SYNOPSIS
A doctor washes ashore on an island inhabited by little people.
CAST & CREW
Sam Parker as Gulliver
Max Smith as Gulliver (singing voice)
Pinto Colvig as Gabby, Snitch, Gulliver (water gurgling sounds)[6]
Jack Mercer as Prince David,[7] King Little, Twinkletoes, Snoop, Horses, Royal Chef
Lanny Ross as the singing voice of Prince David
Tedd Pierce as King Bombo, Sneak, Villagers
Lovey Warren as Princess Glory
Jessica Dragonette as the singing voice of Princess Glory
Joe Oriolo as Italian Barber
Margie Hines as Lilliputian Woman, Princess Glory (some crying and sobs)
Carl Meyer as Lilliputians
Directed by Dave Fleischer
Animation directors: Seymour Kneitel, Willard Bowsky, Tom Palmer, Grim Natwick, William Henning, Roland Crandall, Thomas Johnson, Robert Leffingwell, Frank Kelling, Winfield Hoskins, Orestes Calpini
Written by Dan Gordon, Cal Howard, Tedd Pierce, Edmond Seward, Isadore Sparber
Based on Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift
Produced by Max Fleischer
Cinematography Charles Schettler
Music by Victor Young, Leo Robin (songs), Ralph Rainger (songs), Al Neiburg (songs), Winston Sharples (songs), Sammy Timberg (songs)
Production companies Paramount Pictures, Fleischer Studios
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release date December 22, 1939
Running time 76 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $700,000
Box office $3.27 million
Max Fleischer had envisioned a feature as early as 1934, but Paramount vetoed the idea based largely on their interests in maintaining financial solvency following their series of bankruptcy reorganizations. However, after the success of Walt Disney Productions' Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Paramount wanted to duplicate the Disney success and ordered a feature for a 1939 Christmas release, which would be Paramount's very first animated feature. When the story was first written in New York, Popeye the Sailor had originally been cast as Gulliver. This was scrapped, however, and the story was restructured once the West Coast team of Cal Howard, Tedd Pierce, and Edmond Seward came aboard (although Popeye would later be cast as a Gulliver-like character in an abridged version of the story called "Popeye's Travels", made for the 1960s Popeye the Sailor television show).
One of the major challenges for Fleischer Studios was the 18-month delivery envelope, coming at a time when Fleischer Studios was relocating to Miami, Florida. While Snow White was in production for 18 months, it had been in development for just as long, allowing for a total of three years to reach the screen. To meet this deadline, the Fleischer staff was greatly expanded to some 800 employees. Animation training classes were set up with Miami art schools as a conduit for additional workers. Experienced lead animators were lured from Hollywood studios, including Nelson Demorest, Joe D'Igalo, and former Fleischer Animators Grim Natwick, Al Eugster, and Shamus Culhane, who returned after working for the Walt Disney Studios.
Several West Coast techniques were introduced in order to provide better animation and greater personality in the characters. Some animators adapted while others did not. Pencil tests were unheard of in New York but were soon embraced as a tool for improving production methods. While the majority of the characters were animated through conventional animation techniques, rotoscoping was used to animate Gulliver, Glory, and David.
Fleischer Studios delivered Gulliver for Paramount's planned Christmas release schedule, opening in New York on December 20, 1939, going into general release two days later. Considering the potential demonstrated in the two Popeye specials, Gulliver's Travels lacked the built-in brand recognition of those shorts. This much-anticipated feature produced by Max Fleischer was still met with by an eager public and started out well, breaking box-office records in spite of the inevitable comparisons to Snow White.
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THE GREAT COMMANDMENT (1939) John Beal, Maurice Moscovitch & Marjorie Cooley | Drama, Romance | B&W
The Great Commandment is a 1939 American Christian film directed by Irving Pichel, which portrays the conversion to Christianity of a young Zealot, Joel, and the Roman soldier Longinus through the teachings of Jesus in his Parable of the Good Samaritan. It was co-produced by Rev. James K. Friedrich and released by Cathedral Films in 1939. Its theatrical release was in 1941 by Twentieth Century Fox.
SYNOPSIS
n Jerusalem young Zealot Joel wants to fight the Roman conquerors and hopes that Jesus will be their Jewish king. But Jesus is crucified, and Joel becomes an early Christian, learning to live by the divine command, ‚Love thy neighbor.'
The film takes place in 30 A.D. Judea in a fictional village near Jerusalem. The protagonist is Joel, the elder son of the village rabbi Lamech. Lamech wants Joel to follow in his footsteps as a scribe and rabbi, but Joel is secretly a zealot leader, believing that more must be done to help his nation than studying the Scriptures. He is also secretly in love with Tamar, the daughter of the carpet merchant Jemuel, and he overhears his father and Jemuel arranging a marriage between Tamar and one of Lamech's sons. Unfortunately for Joel it turns out to be his younger brother Zadok, an impetuous zealot, whom Joel has to protect from his own recklessness. A crisis is brought about by the arrival of a troop of soldiers led by a centurion, Longinus, who issues the demand for a special tax to be collected by a tax collector traveling with them. Zadok and other zealots organize the release of prisoners taken by the soldiers, which moves Longinus to plan a massacre of the men of the village. Zadok wants to attack the Romans right away, but Joel feels that a larger resistance is needed through someone reputed to be the coming Messiah of the Jewish people, Jesus Christ. Joel runs afoul of his father in declaring his love for Tamar, whom his father wants wedded to Zadok, and in revealing that he is a zealot leader.
With the sword of the zealots entrusted to him, Joel goes out to find Jesus in order to enlist His leadership of their cause. [Jesus is not presented directly in this film, but only as a reflection in water, as the glow of light on His listeners, and by way of the voice of Irving Pichel, the director.] Joel meets Jesus' disciples, Andrew and Judas Iscariot, who have two different ideas about Jesus' mission. Judas, like the zealots, thinks that Jesus should be a military and political leader who would lead his people against the Romans. Joel confronts Jesus with the sword of the zealots, and Jesus declines his invitation with the words of Matthew 26:52 "all who take up the sword will perish by the sword."
Longinus sends word for his soldiers to meet him at the inn, and he has the soldiers arrest Joel and take him to prison in Jerusalem. In prison Joel misses the Passion of Jesus. Tamar is allowed to visit him. They are met by Longinus, who tells Joel that he had him arrested for his own protection from the village mob. He tells him of another wonder: he was a witness of Jesus' crucifixion, and he was the soldier who thrust the spear in His side to make sure He was dead. Longinus throws down the spear, and he, Joel, and Tamar return to the village to witness their Christian faith.
CAST & CREW
John Beal as Joel
Irving Pichel providing the voice of Jesus
Maurice Moscovitch as Rabbi Lamech, Joel's father
Albert Dekker as Longinus
Marjorie Cooley as Tamar
Warren McCollum as Zadok, Joel's brother
Lloyd Corrigan as Jemuel
Olaf Hytten as Nathan
Ian Wolfe as tax collector
Anthony Marlowe as wedding singer
Lester Scharff as first zealot
Marc Lobell as Judas Iscariot
Harold Minjir as Andrew
Earl Gunn as wounded man
Albert Spehr as second zealot
George Rosener as a merchant
John Merton as Roman officer under Longinus
Perry Ivins as first elder
D'Arcy Corrigan as the blind man
Max Davidson as the old man
Stanley Price as second elder
Belle Mitchell as Jemuel's wife
Directed by Irving Pichel
Written by Dana Burnet
Produced by John T. Coyle
Cinematography Charles P. Boyle, A.S.C.
Edited by Ralph Dixon
Distributed by Cathedral Films, Inc.
Release dates 1939 (by Cathedral Films), June 13, 1941 (by 20th Century Fox)
Running time 78 min
Country United States
Language English
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THE GORILLA (1939) The Ritz Brothers, Anita Louise & Lionel Atwell | Comedy, Horror | B&W
The Gorilla is a 1939 American comedy horror film starring the Ritz Brothers, Anita Louise, Art Miles, Lionel Atwill, Bela Lugosi, and Patsy Kelly. It was based on the 1925 play of the same name by Ralph Spence.
SYNOPSIS
When a wealthy man (Lionel Atwill) is threatened by a killer known as The Gorilla, he hires the Ritz Brothers to investigate. A real escaped gorilla shows up at the mansion just as the investigators arrive. Patsy Kelly portrays a newly hired maid who wants to quit because the butler, played by Bela Lugosi, scares her.
CAST & CREW
Jimmy Ritz as Garrity
Anita Louise as Norma Denby
Harry Ritz as Harrigan
Al Ritz as Mulligan
Patsy Kelly as Kitty
Lionel Atwill as Walter Stevens
Bela Lugosi as Peters
Joseph Calleia as the Stranger
Edward Norris as Jack Marsden
Wally Vernon as a Seaman
Paul Harvey as Conway
Art Miles as Poe the Gorilla
Directed by Allan Dwan
Written by Rian James, Sid Silvers
Based on The Gorilla 1925 play by Ralph Spence
Produced by Harry Joe Brown
Cinematography Edward Cronjager
Edited by Allen McNeil
Music by David Buttolph. David Raksin, Cyril J. Mockridge, Alfred Newman
Distributed by 20th Century-Fox
Release date May 26, 1939
Running time 66 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $175,000
NOTES
By October 1938, 20th Century-Fox bought the rights to Ralph Spence's play The Gorilla. Fox wanted production on the film to start in January, which would be when The Ritz Brothers finished their tour. The studio wanted Kane Richmond to play a part in the film, but Richmond was replaced by Edward Norris after Richmond signed on for the film Charlie Chan in Reno. Fox signed on Bela Lugosi for the film as the butler. This character was originally meant for Peter Lorre.
The death of the Ritz Brothers' father caused production of the film in January to be delayed. Fox placed a $150,000 suit against the Ritz brothers for a breach of contract as the film was stated to start production on January 30, but was halted when the Ritz Brothers did not show up. They were reluctant to appear in a B picture. By March, the film began shooting again with the Ritz brothers returning to the film. The Gorilla became the last film made for Fox by the Ritz brothers.
The Gorilla premiered on May 26, 1939. A negative review of the film was written in The New York Times stating, "It's all supposed to be either really funny or shockingly thrilling, depending on how you look at it. We couldn't see it either way." Describing the Ritz Brothers performance in the film as "perhaps best appreciated by those who find the antics of The Three Stooges to be of too high an order of wit," critic Craig Butler wrote in AllMovie that "shameless scenery chewing from Patsy Kelly ... can't distract from the baldness of some of the plot machinations or from the fact that many of the comic moments are shoehorned in with little rhyme or reason." Writing for Turner Classic Movies, critic Jeff Stafford described the film as "interesting primarily for Lugosi's tongue-in-cheek performance," but that the Ritz Brothers "come off like a poor man's version of The Marx Brothers," and that "Patsy Kelly's shrill performance as the terrified maid can also grate on your nerves."
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THE GORILLA (1939) Trailer - B&W
The Gorilla is a 1939 American comedy horror film starring the Ritz Brothers, Anita Louise, Art Miles, Lionel Atwill, Bela Lugosi, and Patsy Kelly. It was based on the 1925 play of the same name by Ralph Spence.
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GULLIVER'S TRAVELS (1939) Animated Feature I 4K UHD I Remastered
The original digital print we were working from is the Thunderbean Blu-ray release that Steve Stanchfield spent nearly a year on the project, scanning three 35mm Technicolor prints and then working frame-by-frame to restore the film. The lion's share of the work here is from Thunderbean and we would like to recognize the enormous work and effort they put into this film.
Gulliver washes ashore on Lilliput and attempts to prevent war between that tiny kingdom and its equally minuscule rival, Blefuscu, as well as smooth the way for the romance between the Princess and Prince of the opposing lands. In this he is alternately aided and hampered by the Lilliputian town crier and general fussbudget, Gabby. A life-threatening situation develops when the bumbling trio of Blefuscu spies, Sneak, Snoop, and Snitch, manage to steal Gulliver's pistol.
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HERITAGE OF THE DESERT (1939) Donald Woods, Evelyn Venable & Russell Hayden | Western | COLORIZED
Heritage of the Desert is a 1939 American Western film directed by Lesley Selander and written by Norman Houston and Harrison Jacobs. The film stars Donald Woods, Evelyn Venable, Russell Hayden, Robert Barrat, Sidney Toler, C. Henry Gordon and Willard Robertson. It is based on the 1910 novel The Heritage of the Desert by Zane Grey. The film was released on June 23, 1939, by Paramount Pictures.
SYNOPSIS
Easterner John Abbott heads west to investigate the trouble on the ranch he owns. Abbott's manager Holderness is the culprit and has his man shoot Abbott and leave him for dead. But Abbott recovers, and practicing with a gun, will be ready the next time.
John Abbott returns to the desert land he owns, and after being wounded by hired gunman Chick Chance, he is befriended by rancher Andrew Naab and his son, Marvin. Naab's daughter, Marian, falls in love with John but is about to marry Snap Thornton to keep a promise made by her father. She runs away on her wedding day but is captured and held hostage by outlaw Henry Holderness. John, the Naabs and fellow ranchers rush to her rescue.
CAST & CREW
Donald Woods as John Abbott
Evelyn Venable as Miriam Naab
Russell Hayden as David Naab
Robert Barrat as Andrew Naab
Sidney Toler as Nosey
C. Henry Gordon as Henry Holderness
Willard Robertson as Henchman Nebraska
Paul Guilfoyle as Snap Thornton
Paul Fix as Henchman Chick Chance
John 'Skins' Miller as Postmaster John Twerk
Reginald Barlow as Judge Stevens
Directed by Lesley Selander
Screenplay by Norman Houston, Harrison Jacobs
Based on The Heritage of the Desert by Zane Grey
Produced by Harry Sherman
Cinematography Russell Harlan
Edited by Sherman A. Rose
Music by Victor Young
Production company Paramount Pictures
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release date June 23, 1939
Running time 73 minutes
Country United States
Language English
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LOVE AFFAIR (1939) Irene Dunne, Charles Boyer & Maria Ouspenskaya | Romance, Drama | COLORIZED
Love Affair is a 1939 American romance film, co-starring Charles Boyer and Irene Dunne, and featuring Maria Ouspenskaya. It was directed by Leo McCarey and written by Delmer Daves and Donald Ogden Stewart, based on a story by McCarey and Mildred Cram.Controversial on concept, the official screenplay was re-tooled and rewritten to appease Hollywood censorship and relied on actor input and improvisation, causing long delays and budget extensions.
The movie became a surprise hit of 1939, showing McCarey's versatility after a long career of comedic films, and launching the surprising team-up of Dunne and Boyer. Academy Award nominations include Best Actress for Dunne, Best Supporting Actress for Ouspenskaya, Best Original Song, Best Writing (Original), and Best Picture. Its popularity was later dwarfed by McCarey's 1957 remake An Affair to Remember, which spawned its own remakes with 1994's Love Affair and a few Indian adaptations.
SYNOPSIS
A French playboy and an American former nightclub singer fall in love aboard a ship.
One December, French painter (and famed womanizer) Michel Marnet meets American singer Terry McKay aboard a liner crossing the Atlantic Ocean. They are both already engaged, he to heiress Lois Clarke, she to Kenneth Bradley. They begin to flirt and to dine together on the ship, but his worldwide reputation makes them conscious that others are watching. Eventually, they decide that they should dine separately and not associate with each other. At a stop at Madeira, they visit Michel's grandmother Janou, who bonds with Terry and admits wanting Michel to settle down.
As the ship is ready to disembark at New York City, the two make an appointment to meet in the new year, six months later on top of the Empire State Building, giving Michel enough time to decide whether he can start making enough money to support a relationship with Terry. His paintings fail to sell, so he finds work designing advertising billboards around the city, while Terry breaks off her engagement to Kenneth and successfully negotiates a contract with a Philadelphia nightclub to perform through to June.
When the rendezvous date arrives, they both head to the Empire State Building. However, Terry is struck by a car on a nearby street and is told by doctors she may be paralyzed for the rest of her life, though that will not be known for certain for six months. Not wanting to be a burden to Michel, she does not contact him, preferring to let him think the worst. Meanwhile, Michel, who waits until closing time, travels to Madeira to discover his grandmother has recently died, and continues working in New York City. Terry is overheard singing in the garden of her physiotherapy by the owner of a children's orphanage, who hires her as a music teacher.
Six months pass by, and during Terry's first outing since the accident, she and Michel meet by accident at a theater on Christmas Eve, though since she is already seated, Terry is able to conceal her disability. The next morning on Christmas Day, after the children visit Terry at her apartment, Michel makes a surprise visit and finally learns the truth.
CAST & CREW
Irene Dunne as Terry McKay
Charles Boyer as Michel Marnet
Maria Ouspenskaya as Grandmother Janou
Lee Bowman as Kenneth Bradley
Astrid Allwyn as Lois Clarke
Maurice Moscovitch as Maurice Cobert, art dealer
Directed by Leo McCarey
Screenplay by Delmer Daves, Donald Ogden Stewart
Story by Leo McCarey, Mildred Cram
Produced by Leo McCarey
Cinematography Rudolph Maté
Edited by Edward Dmytryk, George Hively
Music by Roy Webb
Production company RKO Radio Pictures
Distributed by RKO Radio Pictures
Release date April 7, 1939
Running time 87 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $860,000
Box office $1.8 million
NOTES
The initial screenplay was rejected by the Production Code Administration, accusing the story of endorsing adultery. Another related argument believed Terry had not been punished for her kept behavior, while Michel had been given redemption, so this led to Terry's paralysis. "You dissolved to her in a hospital with her realizing that God hadn't wanted her to meet [Michel] until she was sorry for what she had done before," explained Donald Ogden Stewart.
Initially a period piece set in the 1850s about the tragic romance of a French ambassador, the final draft of the script was complete and filming was announced to begin September 15, but it was later pushed back a month. Due to concerns of a potential war in Europe, the French embassy wanted stronger allyship with the United States and had concerns about a movie about a French diplomat and an American woman having an affair. McCarey and Daves reworked the story as a modern tale, with Terry's characterization now based on a woman Daves met on a cruise who was rumored to be returning to the United States after hiding in Europe for being caught as the mistress of a small-town government official.
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GULLIVER'S TRAVELS (1939) Trailer - 4K UHD | TECHNICOLOR
Gulliver's Travels is a 1939 American animated musical fantasy film produced by Max Fleischer and directed by Dave Fleischer for Fleischer Studios. Released to cinemas in the United States on December 22, 1939, by Paramount Pictures, the story is a very loose adaptation of Jonathan Swift's 1726 novel of the same name, specifically only the first part of four, which tells the story of Lilliput and Blefuscu, and centers around an explorer who helps a small kingdom who declared war after an argument over a wedding song. The film was Fleischer Studios' first feature-length animated film, as well as the second animated feature film produced by an American studio after Walt Disney Productions' Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, as Paramount had commissioned the feature in response to the success of that film.[5] The sequences for the film were directed by Seymour Kneitel, Willard Bowsky, Tom Palmer, Grim Natwick, William Henning, Roland Crandall, Thomas Johnson, Robert Leffingwell, Frank Kelling, Winfield Hoskins, and Orestes Calpini.
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HARLEM RIDES THE RANGE (1939) Herb Jeffries & Lucius Brooks | Drama, Western, Black Cinema | B&W
Harlem Rides the Range is a 1939 American Western race film directed by Richard C. Kahn. It followed the groundbreaking 1937 Western musical film Harlem on the Prairie.
SYNOPSIS
A cowboy and his sidekick try to help a homesteader from being cheated out of his property.
Bob Blake (Herb Jeffries) and his sidekick Dusty (Lucius Brooks) are two cowboys riding across the countryside in search of adventure. They come across a ranch where it appears a murder has taken place but they find the victim of the crime, Jim Dennison (Leonard Christmas), still alive. Dennison is hiding in fear of his life after what had taken place at the ranch. Bob sees a picture of the rancher's daughter Margaret (Artie Young) and falls in love at first sight; he cannot stop talking about how beautiful the girl in the picture is. Bob drops a glove when he leaves the ranch, which causes problems later.
The villain, Bradley (Clarence Brooks), wants to seize the ranch after terrorizing Dennison. Bob sets out to save Margaret and narrowly escapes a plot to frame him for the murder of one of the ranch foremen, Jim Connors (Tom Southern). Bradley uses Bob's dropped glove as part of the frameup. Bob is sent to jail, but is able to escape and tries to find Margaret. After a fight, Bob saves Margaret and they enjoy the romantic moment Bob had imagined when he first saw her picture. The ranch is saved; the story ends with Bob and Margaret together at last, and Bradley put in his place.
CAST & CREW
Herb Jeffries as Bob Blake
Lucius Brooks as Dusty
F.E. Miller as Slim Perkins the Cook
Clarence Brooks as Bradley
Spencer Williams as Mr. Watson
Tom Southern as Jim Connors (Watson's foreman)
Artie Young as Miss Margaret Dennison
Leonard Christmas as Jim Dennison
Wade Dumas as Dog City Sheriff
John Thomas as Cactus, Watson Cowboy
The Four Tones as Singing Group
Directed by Richard C. Kahn
Screenplay by F.E. Miller, Spencer Williams
Story by Spencer Williams
Produced by Richard C. Kahn, Alfred N. Sack
Cinematography Roland Price, Clark Ramsey
Music by Lew Porter
Distributed by Sack Amusement Enterprises
Release date February 1, 1939
Running time 56 minutes
Country United States
Language English
NOTES
Sets for all-black movies (especially Westerns) were difficult to come by; Harlem Rides the Range (and other Herb Jeffries films) were shot at the 40-acre Murray's Dude Ranch in Apple Valley, California. Originally established to give urban youth and their families the western experience, the ranch fell on hard times during the Great Depression and had become an interracial dude ranch which catered to film stars as well as ordinary families. The ranch's renewed popularity again enabled the Murrays to return to their original mission of helping inner city youth.
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HERITAGE OF THE DESERT (1939) Donald Woods, Evelyn Venable & Russell Hayden | Western | B&W
Heritage of the Desert is a 1939 American Western film directed by Lesley Selander and written by Norman Houston and Harrison Jacobs. The film stars Donald Woods, Evelyn Venable, Russell Hayden, Robert Barrat, Sidney Toler, C. Henry Gordon and Willard Robertson. It is based on the 1910 novel The Heritage of the Desert by Zane Grey. The film was released on June 23, 1939, by Paramount Pictures.
SYNOPSIS
Easterner John Abbott heads west to investigate the trouble on the ranch he owns. Abbott's manager Holderness is the culprit and has his man shoot Abbott and leave him for dead. But Abbott recovers, and practicing with a gun, will be ready the next time.
John Abbott returns to the desert land he owns, and after being wounded by hired gunman Chick Chance, he is befriended by rancher Andrew Naab and his son, Marvin. Naab's daughter, Marian, falls in love with John but is about to marry Snap Thornton to keep a promise made by her father. She runs away on her wedding day but is captured and held hostage by outlaw Henry Holderness. John, the Naabs and fellow ranchers rush to her rescue.
CAST & CREW
Donald Woods as John Abbott
Evelyn Venable as Miriam Naab
Russell Hayden as David Naab
Robert Barrat as Andrew Naab
Sidney Toler as Nosey
C. Henry Gordon as Henry Holderness
Willard Robertson as Henchman Nebraska
Paul Guilfoyle as Snap Thornton
Paul Fix as Henchman Chick Chance
John 'Skins' Miller as Postmaster John Twerk
Reginald Barlow as Judge Stevens
Directed by Lesley Selander
Screenplay by Norman Houston, Harrison Jacobs
Based on The Heritage of the Desert by Zane Grey
Produced by Harry Sherman
Cinematography Russell Harlan
Edited by Sherman A. Rose
Music by Victor Young
Production company Paramount Pictures
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release date June 23, 1939
Running time 73 minutes
Country United States
Language English
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THE LITTLE PRINCESS (1939) Shirley Temple I 4K UHD I Restored Trailer - TECHNICOLOR
The Little Princess is a 1939 American drama film directed by Walter Lang. The screenplay by Ethel Hill and Walter Ferris is loosely based on the 1905 novel A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett. The film was the first Shirley Temple movie to be filmed completely in Technicolor. It was also her last major success as a child star. This film was the third of three in which Shirley Temple and Cesar Romero appeared together, second was Wee Willie Winkie (1937) and Ali Baba Goes to Town (1937).
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THE LITTLE PRINCESS (1939) Shirley Temple, Richard Greene, Anita Louise | Drama | TECHNICOLOR
The Little Princess is a 1939 American drama film directed by Walter Lang. The screenplay by Ethel Hill and Walter Ferris is loosely based on the 1905 novel A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett. The film was the first Shirley Temple movie to be filmed completely in Technicolor. It was also her last major success as a child star. This film was the third of three in which Shirley Temple and Cesar Romero appeared together, second was Wee Willie Winkie (1937) and Ali Baba Goes to Town (1937).
Although it maintained the novel's Victorian London setting, the film introduced several new characters and storylines and used the Second Boer War and the siege of Mafeking as a backdrop to the action. Temple and Arthur Treacher had a musical number together, performing the song "Knocked 'Em in the Old Kent Road". Temple also appeared in an extended ballet sequence. The film's ending was drastically different from the book.
In 1968, the film entered the public domain in the United States because the claimants did not renew its copyright registration in the 28th year after publication.
SYNOPSIS
A little girl is left by her father in an exclusive seminary for girls, when her father fights in the Second Boer War. Later, when he is presumed dead she is forced to become a servant.
CAST & CREW
Shirley Temple as Sara Crewe
Richard Greene as Geoffrey Hamilton
Anita Louise as Rose
Ian Hunter as Captain Reginald Crewe
Cesar Romero as Ram Dass
Arthur Treacher as Hubert "Bertie" Minchin
Mary Nash as Mistress Amanda Minchin
Sybil Jason as Becky
Miles Mander as Lord Wickham
Marcia Mae Jones as Lavinia
Deidre Gale as Jessie
Ira Stevens as Ermengarde
E. E. Clive as Mr. Barrows
Beryl Mercer as Queen Victoria
Eily Malyon as Mrs. O'Connell the Cook
Rita Paige as Minnie the Cook's Helper
Clyde Cook as Attendant
Keith Kenneth as Bobbie
Will Stanton as a Groom
Harry Allen as a Groom
Holmes Herbert as a Doctor
Evan Thomas as a Doctor
Guy Bellis as a Doctor
Kenneth Hunter as General Robert baden powell
Lionel Braham as Colonel
Directed by Walter Lang
Screenplay by Ethel Hill, Walter Ferris
Based on A Little Princess 1905 novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Produced by Darryl F. Zanuck, Gene Markey
Cinematography Arthur C. Miller, William Skall
Edited by Louis Loeffler
Music by Charles Maxwell, Cyril J. Mockridge, Herbert W. Spencer, Samuel Pokrass
Distributed by Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
Release date March 10, 1939
Running time 93 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget over $1 million or $1.3 million
NOTES
After filming was completed, Daryl Zanuck of Fox requested additional scenes shot totalling $300,000 pushing the cost over $1 million. This made the movie the most expensive Shirley Temple film to date.
As part of the preparation for the movie, great pains were taken to make sure every aspect of it was true to 1899 and England, the time period and setting of the story. Props such as the doll had to be to the exact specifications of a doll made at that time. Clothing also had to be precise. Production was held up after it was discovered that one of the costumes Temple wore used snap fasteners that were not invented until 1908.
During the scene where Temple dumps ashes on Marcia Mae Jones' character, the original plan was to do it in one take. Temple, however, who was angry about the attention received by Sybil Jason in a previous scene, wanted to repeat it after the first take, likely just to "let off steam", but when she asked director Lang for a second ash-dump take, he said it was not necessary.
For the ballet dance scene, Temple was trained by ballet dance instructor Ernest Belcher. Temple rented her pony Spunky to the studio to simply lie down in the stall. The artificial green coloration of the straw (which was green so it would show better in Technicolor) however caused the pony to become restless and resulted in him being removed and Temple losing his appearance fee.
As a way of fitting in with the rest of the crew, Temple wanted to have her own punch card for punching in and out of work for the day and was initially rebuffed. The director Lang eventually relented and gave her a card to use. IBM caught word of Temple's enthusiasm and provided a special custom-made punch card recorder embossed with her name along with punch cards with her photo on them. The machine sat unused while Temple continued using the regular machine. Her time cards were likewise ignored by the studio payroll person.
Janet Maslin, writing for The New York Times 44 years later, on the occasion of its VHS release by Media Home Entertainment, called it "antiquated enough to seem charming" and concludes that "[t]he movie's music, its corny but likable histrionics and its rousing patriotism (it was made in 1939) culminate in a happy ending sure to make even grown-up viewers cry".
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HEROES IN BLUE (1939) Dick Purcell, Bernadene Hayes, Frank Sheridan | Action, Adventure, Drama | B&W
Heroes in Blue is a 1939 American crime film produced by T.R. Williams for Monogram Pictures, directed by William Watson and starring Dick Purcell, Bernadene Hayes and Frank Sheridan. The screenplay was written by Charles Williams from an original story by Charles Williams and Charles Curran.The film was released on November 7, 1993.
Moran, a gangster, hires Joe Murphy to make a large wager on a horse race, but he doesn't make the bet in time. The horse wins, but Moran's men believe Joe is about to run off with the payoff, and one of them is killed in an argument with Joe. Joe's father Mike, who is a night watchman, tries to make a deal with Moran but it backfires. Joe's policeman brother, Terry, has to go after his brother who is now wanted for murder, while also making sure Moran ends up behind bars.
SYNOPSIS
Gangster Moran gives Joe Murphy several thousand dollars to bet on a horse race, the horse wins and Joe takes off with the money. Moran informs Mike Murphy, Joe's father, that no harm will come to Joe if Mike doesn't interfere with the robbing of stores on his beat. Joe's policeman brother, Terry Murphy, learns of the plot and sets out to free his father and brother of Moran's threats.
Former cop Mike Murphy (Frank Sheridan) works as a night watchman, having left the police force for a safer line of work. One of his sons, Terry Murphy (Dick Purcell) is a police officer trying to get a promotion so he can marry Kathleen (Julie Warren). The other son, Joe Murphy (Charles Quigley), works for a shady businessman named Moran (Edward Keane) who owns a trucking business.
Moran sends Joe to the racetrack with $2000 to make a bet on a horse called Running Wild for a $10,000 payoff, and he also sends Blackie to keep an eye on Joe and make sure he comes back with the money, a cab driver named Moe, who also works for Moran, drives them there. After Joe overhears other men talking badly about Running Wild he calls Moran's office to confirm the name of the horse and is not able to make the bet in time. Joe uses the money to bet on a different horse but loses. After the race is over Joe knows he's gonna be in bad trouble if he doesn't give Moran the payoff, so he tries to call Daisy just before attempting to slip away. Blackie accuses him of trying to run off with the money, Joe tries to explain but Blackie's gun goes off and he is killed by his own gun.
Joe and his wife Daisy (Bernadene Hayes) go into hiding at a hotel, and then Daisy asks Kathleen for her help which she agrees to. Terry is asked by the police captain to bring Joe in for questioning and he knows he has no choice. But first he has to find his brother. Stunned by the recent bad news, Mrs. Murphy (Lillian Elliott), Terry and Joe's mother, has a heart attack and is hospitalized. Mike tries clear Joe's debt with Moran, and he ends up agreeing to look the other way while Moran's men burglarize a warehouse on Mike's beat while he is on his night watchman shift. Mike then goes to Joe's hotel to tell him he took care of his debt and urges him to visit his mother in the hospital, which he does while Kathleen happens to be there. Terry shows up and the two men argue, and Joe takes off. Terry discovers that Kathleen is somehow involved in helping Joe, and she tells Terry where Joe is hiding out which leads to his arrest.
Joe is convicted of murdering Blackie, and Daisy turns to Terry for help in clearing Joe's name. Moe, the cab driver, is the only witness that can attest to Joe's innocence, and Daisy promises Terry she will find out some information. Moran threatens to tell Terry that Mike looked the other way during a burglary unless Mike lets Moran's men burglarize again, this time a jewelry store. This time Terry is nearby and tries to prevent the heist but is shot by one of Moran's men.
The day Terry returns back to work, Daisy tips him off about a burglary at a warehouse on Mike's beat that will be happening that night and Terry makes sure he is there. Terry and Mike discover an unlocked warehouse and enter through different doors. Mike tries to get Moran and his men to leave the warehouse, and Terry overhears Moran telling Mike that it was him that let them in. Terry attempts to arrest the men but there is a shootout and Mike is shot by one of Moran's men and is able to shoot Moran just before he dies in order to save Terry's life.
CAST & CREW
Dick Purcell as Terry Murphy
Charles Quigley as Joe Murphy
Bernadene Hayes as Daisy
Edward Keane as Moran
Julie Warren as Kathleen
Lillian Elliott as Mrs. Murphy
Frank Sheridan as Mike Murphy
Paul Fix as Henchman
Directed by William Watson
Written by Charles Williams, Charles W. Curran
Produced by T.R. Williams
Cinematography Harry Neumann
Edited by Bruce Schoengarth
Distributed by Monogram Pictures
Release date 7 November 1939
Running time 61 minutes
Country United States
Language English
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IN OLD CALIENTE (1939) Roy Rogers, Lynne Roberts & George 'Gabby' Hayes | Drama, Western | B&W
In Old Caliente is a 1939 American Western film directed by Joseph Kane and starring Roy Rogers.
SYNOPSIS
Americans come West to California in the hope of peaceful settlement.
Set after California's Statehood but before the American Civil War, Roy Rogers is working for a wealthy Spanish family. One of their men is secretly betraying the arrival of targets of opportunity to a group of Anglo American bandits but puts the blame on Roy.
The film has several unusual sequences such as having several scenes shot on a beach and having bandits after a giant sphere of gold. There is only one mention made of Caliente, California.
CAST & CREW
Roy Rogers as Roy Rogers
Lynne Roberts as Jean Marshall
George "Gabby" Hayes as "Gabby" Whittaker
Jack La Rue as Sujarno
Katherine DeMille as Rita Vargas
Frank Puglia as Don José Vargas
Harry Woods as 'Curly' Calkins
Paul Marion as Carlos Vargas
Ethel Wales as Aunt Felicia
Merrill McCormick as Pedro
Directed by Joseph Kane
Written by Norman Houston (story), Norman Houston (screenplay) and Gerald Geraghty (screenplay)
Produced by Joseph Kane
Cinematography William Nobles
Edited by Edward Mann
Distributed by Republic Pictures
Release date June 19, 1939
Running time 57 minutes, 54 minutes (US edited version)
Country United States
Language English
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INVISIBLE KILLER (1939) Grace Bradley, Roland Drew & William Newell | Mystery | B&W
The Invisible Killer is a 1939 American mystery film directed by Sam Newfield and starring Grace Bradley, Roland Drew and William Newell. It was one of the earliest films made by Producers Releasing Corporation, a low-budget outfit concentrating on second features.
SYNOPSIS
A fiendish killer uses sound waves to commit his murders.
CAST & CREW
Grace Bradley as Sue Walker
Roland Drew as Lt. Jerry Brown
William Newell as Det. Sgt. Pat Dugan
Alex Callam as Arthur Enslee
Frank Coletti as Vani Martin
Sidney Grayler as Lefty Ross
Crane Whitley as Dist. Atty. Richard Sutton
Boyd Irwin as Mr. Cunningham
Jean Brooks as Gloria Cunningham
David Oliver as Llewellyln Worcester, Sutton's Valet
Harry Woth as Tyler, Sutton's Secretary
Ernie Adams as Squint, the Croupier
Kernan Cripps as Plainclothesman
John Elliott as Gambler
Al Ferguson as Detective Guarding Tyler
Larry Steers as Sue's Boss
Directed by Sam Newfield
Written by Joseph O'Donnell
Based on The Fox and the Hound by Maxwell Shane
Produced by Sigmund Neufeld
Cinematography Jack Greenhalgh
Edited by Holbrook N. Todd
Music by David Chudnow
Production company Sigmund Neufeld Productions
Distributed by Producers Distributing Corporation
Release date November 14, 1939
Running time 63 minutes
Country United States
Language English
42
views
JAMAICA INN (1939) Maureen O'Hara, Robert Newton & Charles Laughton | Adventure, Crime | COLORIZED
Jamaica Inn is a 1939 British adventure thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and adapted from Daphne du Maurier's 1936 novel of the same name. It is the first of three of du Maurier's works that Hitchcock adapted (the others were her novel Rebecca and short story "The Birds"). It stars Charles Laughton and Maureen O'Hara in her first major screen role. It is the last film Hitchcock made in the United Kingdom before he moved to the United States.
The film is a period piece set in Cornwall in 1820, in the real Jamaica Inn (which still exists) on the edge of Bodmin Moor.
SYNOPSIS
In Cornwall, 1819, a young woman discovers she's living near a gang of criminals who arrange shipwrecks for profit.
The film is set in 1820 (at the start of the reign of King George IV, as mentioned by Pengallan in his first scene).
Over and above its function as a hostelry, Jamaica Inn houses the clandestine rural headquarters of a gang of cut-throats and thieves, led by innkeeper Joss Merlyn. They have become wreckers. They are responsible for a series of engineered shipwrecks in which they extinguish coastal warning beacons, causing ships to run aground on the rocky Cornish coast. They then kill the surviving sailors and steal their cargo.
One evening, a young Irish-woman, Mary Yellan, is dropped off by coach near the inn, at the home of the local squire and justice of the peace, Sir Humphrey Pengallan. She requests the loan of a horse so she can ride to Jamaica Inn to re-unite with her aunt Patience (the wife of Joss Merlyn). Despite Pengallan's warnings, she intends to live at Jamaica Inn with her late mother's sister. It transpires that Pengallan is the secret criminal mastermind behind the wrecking gang; he learns from his well-to-do friends and acquaintances when well-laden ships are passing near the coast, determines when and where the wrecks are to be caused, and fences the stolen cargo. He uses the lion's share of the proceeds to support his lavish lifestyle and passes a small fraction of them to Joss and the gang.
Meanwhile, Pengallan learns of a ship full of precious cargo which is due to pass the local coastline. He informs Joss and the gang, who go to the beach, and there extinguish the coastal warning beacon, as they wait for the ship to appear. However, Mary re-lights the warning beacon, and the ship's crew avoid the treacherous rocks and sail by unharmed. The gang angrily resolves to kill Mary as revenge for preventing the wreck, but Joss, who has developed a reluctant admiration for her, rescues her and the two escape by horse-cart. Joss is shot in the back and collapses when they reach Jamaica Inn. As Patience is about to tell Mary that Pengallan is the secret leader of the wrecking gang, Pengallan shoots and kills Patience from off-camera. Joss dies of his wound as well. Pengallan then takes Mary hostage, ties and gags her, and tells her that he plans to keep her now that she has no one else in the world. He drives her, still tied up and covered by a heavy cloak, to the harbour, where they board a large ship going to France.
CAST & CREW
Charles Laughton as Sir Humphrey Pengallan
Leslie Banks as Joss Merlyn
Maureen O'Hara as Mary Yellen
Robert Newton as James 'Jem' Trehearne - Sir Humphrey's Gang
Marie Ney as Patience Merlyn
Horace Hodges as Butler
Hay Petrie as Groom
Frederick Piper as Agent
Herbert Lomas as Tenant
Clare Greet as Tenant
William Devlin as Tenant
Emlyn Williams as Harry the Pedlar
Jeanne de Casalis as Sir Humphrey's friend
Mabel Terry-Lewis as Lady Beston
A. Bromley Davenport as Ringwood (credited as Bromley Davenport)
George Curzon as Captain Murray
Basil Radford as Lord George
Wylie Watson as Salvation Watkins
Morland Graham as Sea Lawyer Sydney
Edwin Greenwood as Dandy
Mervyn Johns as Thomas
Stephen Haggard as The Boy, Willie Penhale
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Written by Sidney Gilliat, Joan Harrison, Alma Reville, J. B. Priestley
Based on Jamaica Inn 1936 novel by Daphne du Maurier
Produced by Erich Pommer, Charles Laughton
Cinematography Bernard Knowles, Harry Stradling
Edited by Robert Hamer
Music by Eric Fenby
Production company Mayflower Productions
Distributed by Associated British Picture Corporation
Release date 15 May 1939
Running time 108 minutes
100 minutes (original US release)
Country United Kingdom
Language English
61
views