Movie Listings by Genre

Director: Raoul Walsh    More Info
Starring: John Wayne, Marguerite Churchill, El Brendel, Tully Marshall, Tyrone Power Sr., Ward Bond, Helen Parrish, Frederick Burton, Ian Keith, Charles Stevens

 In John Wayne's first starring role, he plays Brick Coleman who guides a wagon train pioneering the Oregon Trail. Along the trek, the wagon train confronts desert heat, steep cliffs, a fierce storm, an Indian attack, and swollen rivers. Brick fearlessly leads the wagons while still finding time to romance Ruth Cameron (Marguerite Churchill)–despite competition from gambler Bill Thorpe (Ian Keith) and villain Red Flack (Tyrone Power Sr.).

Director: A. Edward Sutherland    More Info
Starring: Richard Arlen, Mary Brian, Francis McDonald, Sam Hardy, Charles Sellon, Tully Marshall, Irving Bacon, Clara Blandick

 Race drivers Lou Larrigan (Richard Arlen) and "Bullet" McGhan (Francis McDonald) compete both on and off the race track. Larrigan risks lives daily with his all-out attitude for winning. But, he finally cleans up his act just before the Big Race finale. Exciting photography in this early "talkie" film.

Director: Robert Z. Leonard    More Info
Starring: Norma Shearer, Chester Morris, Conrad Nagel, Robert Montgomery, Florence Eldridge, Helene Millard, Robert Elliott, Mary Doran, Tyler Brooke, George Irving

 Shortly after their whirlwind courtship and marriage, Jerry (Norma Shearer) discovers that her husband Ted (Chester Morris) is having an affair with Janice (Mary Doran). Jerry's solution is to kick Ted out of her bed and sleep with Ted's best friend Don (Robert Montgomery). Now, other lovers become part of Jerry's life until she finally returns to Ted and all is forgiven. While this film was nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Writing, it was Norma Shearer who walked away with the Oscar for Best Actress for 1929/30.

Director: Scott Pembroke    More Info
Starring: Jack Benny, Betty Bronson, Eva Novak, E. Alyn Warren, Billy Butts, Adolph Milar, George E. Stone, Tom Dugan, Vadim Uraneff, Dorothea Wolbert

 The Medicine Man, Dr. John Harvey (Jack Benny), meets Mamie (Betty Bronson) and her brother, Buddy (Billy Butts), when they attend his medicine show as it passes through their town. Mamie's abusive father, Goltz (E. Alyn Warren), tries to force her into a marriage for money, and, when she asks Harvey for help, he comes to her aid.

Director: Ernst Lubitsch    More Info
Starring: Jack Buchanan, Jeanette MacDonald, Zasu Pitts, Claud Allister, Lionel Belmore, Tyler Brooke, John Roche, Albert Conti, Helen Garden, Donald Novis

 Countess Vera von Conti (Jeanette MacDonald) is engaged to Prince Otto von Seibenheim (Claud Allister), but she does not love him. So, just before the scheduled wedding, Vera heads for Monte Carlo where she loses, time after time, at the casinos. She meets a mysterious man (Jack Buchanan) who asks if he may touch her hair for luck. He strokes her hair, but it is Vera's luck that changes, and she asks him to stay by her side. What Vera does not know is that he is actually the very wealthy Count Rudolph Falliere who is posing as a commoner in order to be near Vera. The Count plays his game until he ends up winning her heart, and they live happily ever after. Among the songs MacDonald sings is, "Beyond the Blue Horizon."

Director: Victor Fleming    More Info
Starring: Warner Baxter, Myrna Loy, Noah Beery, Gregory Gaye, George Cooper, C. Henry Gordon, Bela Lugosi, Colin Chase, Noah Beery Jr., Claire Du Brey

 Four volunteers–Deucalion (Warner Baxter), Machwurth (Noah Beery), Mordiconi (C. Henry Gordon), and Biloxi (George Cooper)–leave their unit in the French Foreign Legion. They join forces with a beautiful spy, Eleanore (Myrna Loy), which is a decision that leads to tragic consequences.

Director: Charles Chaplin    More Info
Starring: Charles Chaplin, Virginia Cherrill, Harry Myers, Florence Lee, Hank Mann, Jean Harlow, Al Ernest Garcia, T.S. Alexander, Henry Bergman, Eddie McAuliffe

 This highly entertaining film is classic Charlie Chaplin fare. The plot involves the Little Tramp's love for a blind, flower girl (Virginia Cherrill). The story involves a comedy of mistaken identities in which an eccentric millionaire (Harry Myers) only recognizes the Little Tramp when he has been drinking. After a night of drinking, the millionaire gives the Little Tramp $1,000 for the flower girl's rent. After a few misadventures involving burglars in the millionaire's home, the Little Tramp gives the flower girl the money to pay for her rent and an eye operation. The operation is performed, and, later, the Little Tramp sees her through her window and shyly smiles. She goes outside and gives him money and a flower. She recognizes him as her benefactor and all ends happily when she tells him, "I can see."

Director: Otto Brower    More Info
Starring: Hoot Gibson, Sally Eilers, Hooper Atchley, George Mendoza, Robert Homans, Edward Peil Sr., Edward Hearn, Eva Grippon, Maston Williams, Jack Byron

 Bank cashier Lafe Kildare (Hooper Atchley) has been stealing from the bank, and when the bank president Jim Fremont (Edward Hearn) begins to suspect Lafe, Lafe kills Jim and becomes the bank president. Jim's brother Curt (Hoot Gibson) arrives in town posing as a cowardly drifter to investigate his brother's murder. He does his investigating at night, posing as Mexican bandit El Capitan in order to solve the murder, which he does, bringing Lafe to justice. Meanwhile, he wins the affections of a rancher's daughter, Mary Lou Moran (Sally Eilers–Hoot Gibson's wife at the time).

Director: Josef von Sternberg    More Info
Starring: Marlene Dietrich, Victor McLaglen, Gustav von Seyffertitz, Warner Oland, Lew Cody, Barry Norton, Davison Clark, Wilfred Lucas, Bill Powell, George Irving

 Magda (Marlene Dietrich) takes on the role of spy X-27 working for the Austrian Secret Service during World War I. She succeeds in her first assignment of tracking down information on Austrian Col. von Hindau (Warner Oland), and he commits suicide. On her next assignment, she falls in love with Lt. Kranau and allows him to escape. When her actions are uncovered, X-27 is caught and sentenced to execution. Problems arise at the execution when the Court Martial officer (Barry Norton) says that he cannot shoot a woman. There is a short respite followed ultimately by her execution.

Director: Leo McCarey    More Info
Starring: Gloria Swanson, Ben Lyon, Barbara Kent, Monroe Owsley, Arthur Lake, Maude Eburne, Henry Kolker, Nella Walker, Harry Watson

 Wealthy Jerry Trent (Gloria Swanson) tries to keep her past from current beau Tony (Ben Lyon). Enter sister with a former boyfriend of Jerry's, and the "fun" begins. Gloria got big bucks for this one, but even she couldn't bail it out from the weak script and songs.

Director: Ernst Lubitsch    More Info
Starring: Maurice Chevalier, Claudette Colbert, Miriam Hopkins, George Barbier, Charles Ruggles, Hugh O'Connell, Janet Reade, Lon MacSunday, Elizabeth Patterson, Granville Bates

 This story takes place in Vienna where Lt. "Niki" von Preyn (Maurice Chevalier) shares an apartment with his lover Franzi (Claudette Colbert). When King Adolf XV (George Barbier) visits the city, his dowdy daughter Princess Anna (Miriam Hopkins) falls in love with "Niki," and he is forced to marry her. But, "Niki" refuses to consummate the marriage–until good-hearted Franzi performs a makeover on Anna, and "Niki" falls for Anna. The film received an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture.

Director: Frank Tuttle    More Info
Starring: Stuart Erwin, Bing Crosby, Leila Hyams, Sharon Lynn, George Burns, Gracie Allen, Kate Smith, Mills Brothers, Cab Calloway, George Barbier

 This movie began a series of films projecting radio personalities onto the screen. The story involves Leslie McWhinney's (Stuart Erwin) effort to improve his radio station's financial situation. His solution is to host stars on a special broadcast. Young singer Bing Hornsby (Bing Crosby) croons several tunes, and Kate Smith, Cab Calloway, the Mills Brothers, and others are also featured. Meanwhile, George Burns and Gracie Allen perform comic routines.

Director: William Nigh    More Info
Starring: Harry Carey, Kathleen Collins, George "Gabby" Hayes, Niles Welch, Olive Carey, Albert J. Smith, Merrill McCormick, Art Mix, Tetsu Komai, Jack Gallagher

 Jim Gray (Harry Carey) is accused of murdering his friend Bud Brandon (Art Mix) and is arrested. He breaks out of jail with help from Neil Denham (Jack Gallagher) and sets out to prove his innocence. Later, Neil is killed, leaving Marcia (Kathleen Collins) a widow, and she becomes Jim's sidekick while Jim assumes Neil's identity. Jim joins forces with "Dude" Sanders (George "Gabby" Hayes), and they go off in search of the mysterious "The General" (Tetsu Komai) who is the Chinese leader of bandits. The bandits are vandalizing cattle hoping to stir up discontent among the ranchers so that they will not be noticed smuggling dynamite across the border. Surprises lie in wait–including who is the real leader of the bandits.

Director: Clarence Brown    More Info
Starring: Marie Dressler, Richard Cromwell, Jean Hersholt, Myrna Loy, John Miljan, Leila Bennett, George Meeker, Purnell Pratt, Barbara Kent, Kathryn Crawford

 An elderly nanny, Emma (Marie Dressler), raised the Smith children. Following the death of their mother, she marries their father Frederick Smith (Jean Hersholt). Frederick dies, and Emma is the sole inheritor of his fortune. The children then accuse Emma of murdering their father. Emma is put on trial and is acquitted. She leaves the Smith family and goes to work for another family. Dressler was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar.

Director: Frank Borzage    More Info
Starring: Gary Cooper, Helen Hayes, Adolphe Menjou, Mary Philips, Jack La Rue, Blanche Friderici, Henry Armetta, Mary Forbes, Paul Porcasi, George Humbert

 This Ernest Hemingway story about an ill-fated romance during World War I is brought to the screen with Gary Cooper starring as the ambulance driver Lt. Frederic Henry and Helen Hayes in the role of nurse Catherine Barkley. Frederic and Catherine meet and fall in love in war-torn Italy. Their romance leads to Maj. Rinaldi (Adolphe Menjou) becoming jealous and having Catherine transferred to Milan. When Frederic is wounded and taken to Catherine's hospital, the romance resumes. Later, Henry returns to the war while the now-pregnant Catherine travels to Switzerland. Rinaldi intercepts Catherine's letters to Frederic, but when the war ends, Henry goes to Switzerland in search of Catherine.

Director: Edmund Goulding    More Info
Starring: Greta Garbo, John Barrymore, Joan Crawford, Wallace Beery, Lionel Barrymore, Jean Hersholt, Robert McWade, Purnell Pratt, Rafaela Ottiano, Tully Marshall

 This anthology won the Academy Award for Best Picture of 1931-1932. The story takes place in Berlin following World War I and involves guests of the Grand Hotel. Among those visiting are a ballerina (Greta Garbo), a jewel thief (John Barrymore), and a young stenographer (Joan Crawford).

Director: Mack V. Wright    More Info
Starring: John Wayne, Sheila Terry, Harry Woods, Erville Alderson, Otto Hoffman, Martha Mattox, Blue Washington, Slim Whitaker, Bud Osborne, Ben Corbett

 John Mason (John Wayne) receives a weird message telling him to return to a mine that his father left him half interest in. He arrives with his sidekick Clarence (Blue Washington) and finds the deserted Sally Ann mine–an abandoned mine shaft with secret passages. But the mine is already occupied by Joe Ryan (Harry Woods) and his gang of bandits who are holed up trying to claim the mine's gold. Also in the mine is a mysterious phantom who spies on the goings on through holes in the wall. Who is the phantom, and will John be able to thwart the bandits? Throughout the adventures, love blooms between John and Janet (Sheila Terry) whose father had discovered the mine years ago.

Director: Rouben Mamoulian    More Info
Starring: Maurice Chevalier, Jeanette MacDonald, Charles Ruggles, C. Aubrey Smith, Myrna Loy, Charles Butterworth, Elizabeth Patterson, George "Gabby" Hayes, Blanche Friderici, Joseph Cawthorn

 This Rogers and Hart musical is a delight. It is the story of a tailor Maurice Courtelin (Maurice Chevalier) who pretends to be a Baron in order to gain the romantic attentions of the beautiful Princess Jeanette (Jeanette MacDonald). Chevalier sings the classics "Mimi," "Lover," and "Isn't it Romantic."

Director: Clyde Bruckman    More Info
Starring: Harold Lloyd, Constance Cummings, Kenneth Thomson, Sidney Jarvis, Eddie Fetherston, Robert McWade, Louise Closser Hale, Spencer Charters, Harold Goodwin, Lucy Beaumont

 Kansas boy Harold Hall (Harold Lloyd) is a big movie fan and sends a letter to Hollywood asking for a movie role. His letter is confused with another from a talented performer, and Harold soon gets an invitation to come for a screen test. Now the slapstick fun begins when the bungling Harold tries to break into the movie world.

Director: Karl Freund    More Info
Starring: Boris Karloff, David Manners, Zita Johann, Edward Van Sloan, Arthur Byron, Bramwell Fletcher, Noble Johnson, Leonard Mudie, Eddie Kane, Henry Victor

 Boris Karloff takes on the title role in this classic horror film about a third-millennium Egyptian mummy who comes to life. A curse had been placed on anyone who disturbs his tomb when he was buried alive. Now, the tomb is disturbed, the mummy comes to life in the persona of an Egyptologist, and sets out to reincarnate his lover from 3000 years before. He falls in love with Helen Grosvenor (Zita Johann) who he believes is the shadow of his lost love. He abducts her and plots to kill her so they can be reunited forever in the Hereafter. Only Frank Whemple (David Manners) and Dr. Muller (Edward Van Sloan) can save her, but will they arrive in time?

Director: Josef von Sternberg    More Info
Starring: Marlene Dietrich, Clive Brook, Anna May Wong, Warner Oland, Eugene Pallette, Lawrence Grant, Louise Closser Hale, Gustav von Seyffertitz, Emile Chautard, Claude King

 In the midst of civil war, the notorious Shanghai Lily (Marlene Dietrich) meets and falls in love with Captain Donald Harvey (Clive Brook) during a trip on the Shanghai Express. One of the train's passengers is the warlord rebel leader, Henry Chang (Warner Oland), waiting for his rebels to ambush the train and take hostages. Among the hostages will be Shanghai Lily and her Captain Harvey.

Director: Victor Halperin    More Info
Starring: Bela Lugosi, Madge Bellamy, Joseph Cawthorn, Robert Frazer, John Harron, Clarence Muse, Brandon Hurst, George Burr Macannan, Frederick Peters, Annette Stone

 Monsieur Charles Beaumont (Robert Frazer) is the wealthy owner of an island, and he uses zombies led by "Murder" Legendre (Bela Lugosi) to control his world. Charles convinces Madeleine (Madge Bellamy) and Neil (John Harron) to get married on his plantation. Then, Charles gets Legendre to turn Madeleine into a zombie. Using Madeleine as a hold over Charles, Legendre refuses to release her soul. A grieving Neil, with help from missionary Dr. Bruner (Joseph Cawthorn), searches for and rescues Madeleine from a Living Death.

Director: Lloyd Bacon    More Info
Starring: Warner Baxter, Bebe Daniels, George Brent, Una Merkel, Ruby Keeler, Guy Kibbee, Dick Powell, Ginger Rogers, George E. Stone, Allen Jenkins

 Busby Berkeley's musical numbers highlight this entertaining film about what goes on behind the scenes of the Broadway musical show, "Pretty Lady." The show's director Julian Marsh (Warner Baxter) is in poor health but wants to enjoy one more hit before he retires. When the show's temperamental star, Dorothy Brock (Bebe Daniels) breaks her ankle on the night of the show's opening, chorus girl Peggy Sawyer (Ruby Keeler) fills in and takes over the lead. Featured numbers include" "You're getting to Be a Habit with Me," "Shuffle off to Buffalo," and "42nd Street." The film received an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture.

Director: Phil Rosen    More Info
Starring: Esther Ralston, Alexander Kirkland, Hale Hamilton, Gavin Gordon, Don Alvarado, George Walsh, Theodore Lorch, Eddie Fetherston, Al Bridge, John Larkin

 Black Beauty has been raised by the loving Cameron family and is being trained to run in the steeplechase race. But, after a series of problems, the Camerons are forced to sell Black Beauty. The cruel Captain Jordan (Gavin Gordon) purchases the horse and then mistreats it. But, Henry Cameron (Alexander Kirkland) recovers the horse and brings love back into Black Beauty's life–and his own as he now will live happily ever after with Leila (Esther Ralston). Based on Anna Sewell's classic novel.

Director: Frank Lloyd    More Info
Starring: Diana Wynyard, Clive Brook, Ursula Jeans, Herbert Mundin, Una O'Connor, Beryl Mercer, Irene Browne, Frank Lawton, Margaret Lindsay, Billy Bevan

 This film, an Oscar winner for Best Picture, is Noel Coward's story of the effects of World War I on the British Marryot family (Diana Wynyard and Clive Brook) over a 30 year period–before, during, and after the war. Frank Lloyd also won an Oscar for Best Director. A third Oscar was received for Art Direction.