1931-1940

  • Lewis Seiler – Murder in the Air (1940)

    1931-1940ActionLewis SeilerThrillerUSA

    Plot: Enemy agents are everywhere and they are sabotaging all important war deliveries. The body of a hobo found in a train wreck had a money belt with $50,000 and a tattoo of a circle and arrow. This is a tattoo for saboteurs for hire and Brass must impersonate the dead man to find out what his orders are. As Steve Coe, he meets with the band of enemy agents in California and everything goes well until the wife of the dead ‘Hobo’ shows up. Luckily, Gabby is able to save Brass and Brass learns what is his assignment. He is to board the USN airship ‘Mason’, which is testing the super secret Inertia Projector, and destroy the airship. Written by Tony FontanaRead More »

  • Osamu Fushimizu – Shina no yoru aka China Night (1940)

    1931-1940AsianClassicsJapanOsamu Fushimizu

    Peter High wrote:
    Fushimizu Osamu’s immensely successful China Nights works the rich metaphorical possibilities afforded by the commonplace image of China as a disreputable “woman” in need of redemption. As early as 1911, popular historian Yamaji Aizan had characterized the nation as “not a powerless country like a single woman, but an infelicitous one like a prostitute.” Although it’s discretely muted, the film’s first scene introduces Ri Koran’s character as something perilously close to a “fallen woman”.Read More »

  • George Nichols Jr. – The Big Game (1936)

    Drama1931-1940ComedyGeorge Nichols Jr.USA

    Plot Synopsis
    Future best-selling novelist Irwin Shaw made his screenwriting bow with the modest RKO Radio sports drama The Big Game. The story revolves around the efforts by a group of crooked gamblers to fix the outcomes of college football games. When star quarterback Clark (Philip Huston) refuses to be bribed, the villains kidnap him on the eve of the titular Big Game. Clark is rescued by his burly teammates just in the nick of time, but the film’s not over yet: there’s a riot on the football field during the final scenes, reportedly inspired by a real-life incident during a 1935 NYU-Fordham game. Adding to the enjoyment of The Big Game is the presence of several genuine members of the 1936 All-American football squad: The University of Chicago’s Jay Berwanger, Notre Dame’s William Shakespeare, Southern Methodist’s Bobby Wilson, NYU’s Irwin “King Kong” Klein, Ohio State’s Gomer Jones, and Stanford’s Robert “Bones” Hamilton, Monk Moscrip and Frank Alustiza.Read More »

  • Jacques Feyder – Pension Mimosas (1935)

    1931-1940DramaFranceJacques Feyder

    After his father is sent to prison, a young boy, Pierrot, is adopted by the Noblet family, who own the Mimosas boarding-house on the French Riviera. Pierrot grows up to become a small-time crook and extorts money from his adopted family. He then becomes caught up in a frenzied love triangle with his mistress Nelly and the Noblet’s daughter Louise.Read More »

  • Pál Fejös – Sonnenstrahl AKA Ray of Sunshine [+ Maifest Wien 1932] (1933)

    Drama1931-1940AustriaClassicsPál Fejös

    Vienna as a light, modern city and a place that encourages improvisation of the mind. The jobless Hans Schmidt and Ann Berger become true champions in the city. However, setbacks and false interpretations underlie their attempts at economic stability. Hans gets involved in a serious accident, which renders him unable to work. Anna alone can’t the bill for the taxi. The community helps her. Hans and Anna become a part of Socialist Vienna.Read More »

  • Tenny Wright – The Big Stampede (1932)

    1931-1940Tenny WrightUSAWestern

    A number of John Wayne’s early westerns looked alike, but that’s not a criticism because the handful I’ve seen were
    all entertaining.
    That’s one similarity: others included the fact they only were about an hour long, had interesting (albeit strange)
    dialog, had a pretty lead female (here, Mae Madison) and a very talented horse named “Blue.” Of course, the men were
    all tough guys.
    There is a lot of action and interesting scenes packed into this one hour.
    My only complaint was that Luis Alberini’s character made the Mexicans look unnecessarily stupid.
    From IMDBRead More »

  • Edwin L. Marin – The Garden Murder Case (1936)

    1931-1940Edwin L. MarinMysteryThrillerUSA

    PLOT: Someone has shot and killed Lowe Hammle and everyone at his 22 room apartment is a suspect. The reasons are as varied as the number of people there. There is Dr. Garden, whose son Floyd was killed at the track in a mysterious way which is thought to be a suicide. There is Mrs. Fenwicke-Ralston who was supposed to complete a deal on a horse. There is the blackmailing Nurse Beeton and the niece Zalia, who knows that Uncle is trying to break up her relationship with Woode. Since there is no powder marks on the body, Vance knows that it is murder and believes that a woman did the job. But he has to find the killer and the motive. !Read More »

  • Edwin L. Marin – The Casino Murder Case (1935)

    1931-1940Edwin L. MarinMysteryThrillerUSA

    IMDB:
    When Philo Vance receives a note that harm will befall Lynn at the casino that night, he takes the threat seriously while the DA dismisses it. At the casino owned by Uncle Kinkaid, Lynn is indeed poisoned under the watchful eye of Philo. However, he recovers, but the same cannot be said for Lynn’s wife Virginia, who is at the family home. Only a family member could have poisoned Lynn and Virginia and everyone has their dark motives. Philo will follow the clues and find the perpetrator.Read More »

  • Various – Vintage Erotica Anno 1940 (2002)

    1931-1940EroticaFranceQueer Cinema(s)Various

    Continuing its exploration of the weirdest moments of cinema, Cult Epics brings us Vintage Erotica anno 1940 (aka Les Archives d’Eden), a collection of French porn vignettes covering the early years of celluloid sex from 1900 to 1940.Read More »

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