1930s

  • William Clemens – Devil’s Island (1939)

    Drama1931-1940ThrillerUSAWilliam Clemens

    For treating a wounded revolutionary, respected brain surgeon Dr. Gaudet is sentenced to the hellish French penal colony on Devil’s Island. There, he rebels against the inhuman conditions and incurs the wrath of the brutal commander, Colonel Lucien. When Lucien’s daughter is injured in an accident and only Gaudet can save her, the tables are turned.Read More »

  • Edward Sedgwick – The Passionate Plumber (1932)

    1931-1940ClassicsComedyEdward SedgwickUSA

    IMDB:
    Elmer Tuttle, a plumber in Paris, is enlisted by beautiful Patricia Alden to help her make her lover Tony Lagorce jealous. Tony, however, is two-timing Patricia with Nina Estrados. Elmer, with the help of his friend Julius, hopes to use the high-society contacts he’s made with Patricia to find a market for his new invention, a pistol with a range-finding light. But Elmer’s attempts to interest a military leader are mistaken for assassination attempts, and with Tony and half the male uppercrust of France challenging Elmer to duels, he is in hot water not even his plumbing skills can drain away.Read More »

  • Lau Lauritzen & Alice O’Fredericks – Fröken Julia jubilerar (1938)

    1931-1940Alice O'FredericksComedyLau LauritzenSweden

    Julia, who is a cashier at a piano factory, goes on a skiing trip with some friends. Her boss discovers at the same time that there is money missing. But Julia doesn’t care…Read More »

  • Richard Oswald – Die Blume von Hawaii (1933)

    1931-1940ComedyGermanyMusicalRichard OswaldWeimar Republic cinema

    Suzanne, aspiring artist working in a Parisian night club, is hired by two foreigners to be partnerin for the main singer, on the condition that they must travel to Hawaii. When they arrive, the American governor is aware that the islanders, headed by Prince Lilo Taro, might become rebellious.Read More »

  • William Wyler – Dodsworth (1936)

    1931-1940DramaRomanceUSAWilliam Wyler

    After selling his Ohio auto-parts plant, Sam hopes to celebrate his retirement by taking his wife Fran on a romantic getaway to Europe. Instead, Sam and Fran begin to grow apart, realizing they want different things from life…Read More »

  • Glenn Tryon – Beauty for the Asking (1939)

    1931-1940DramaGlenn TryonRomanceUSA

    Synopsis:
    Denny drops fiancée Jean and marries Flora who is worth ten million dollars. When Jean is fired from her job she decides to market the face cream she invented. She goes to Jeffrey and he sends a sample of the product to 12 selected rich women. Only one woman invests in the business and Jean is happy until she learns that it is Flora – but she takes the money. As Denny has no job, the girls give him an office at the factory. The business takes off, but Jean finds that she is still in love with Denny and Denny seems to forget he is married to Flora. So Jean and Flora send him to California for six weeks to open the West Coast branch of Jeanne Varelle. Written by Tony FontanaRead More »

  • Albert S. Rogell – Air Hostess (1933)

    1931-1940AdventureAlbert S. RogellClassicsUSA

    Quote:
    Air Hostess is a 1933 American Pre-Code aviation-themed melodrama based on a serial published in a 1919 True Story Magazine article called Air Hostess by Grace Perkins, also known as Dora Macy. Director Albert Rogell who had moved from shorts to B-films, had been interested in aviation having already helmed a similar feature, The Flying Marine (1929). In Air Hostess, the studio had attempted to merge flying and romance. Advertising stressed, “A date in the skies … a rendezvous in the heavens…where love zooms with thrill after thrill … but finds a happy landing!”Read More »

  • Sam Wood – A Day at the Races (1937)

    1931-1940ClassicsComedySam WoodUSA

    Quote:
    Hugo Hackenbush (Groucho Marx) is a veterinarian who masquerades as a lead doctor at Standish Sanitarium to aid the wealthy patient Emily Upjohn (Margaret Dumont). In order to save the financially failing sanitarium and its beautiful owner, Judy Standish (Maureen O’Sullivan), Hackenbush, employee Tony (Chico Marx) and jockey Stuffy (Harpo Marx) must find ingenious ways to help Gil Stewart (Allan Jones) and his inept racehorse, win the big race.Read More »

  • Franz Osten – Achhut Kanya (1936)

    1931-1940DramaFranz OstenIndia

    Along with Franz Osten and Himanshu Rai, Niranjan Pal was extremely important in the making of this film. A synopsis from his memoirs:

    This story was about “the ill-fated love of a Brahmin boy for a scheduled caste girl. As no equivalent film title could be found for Level Crossing, Himansu agreed to Achhut Kanya much to my disgust. The film was shot, edited and readied for release in just eight weeks and turned out to be an outstanding success. The Congress leader, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, specially came to Bombay to see the film at the Roxy cinema and gave it unstinted praise. Devika was hailed as the Queen of the Indian screen, though Ashok Kumar was to wait for a few years before having a similar distinction.” (Such is Life), ed. Lalit Mohan Joshi and Kusum Joshi, p. 240).Read More »

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