Adventures of Sherlock Holmes 1939 N/R, 71 min. Genre: Drama / Mystery / Thriller
Director: Alfred L. Werker Cast: Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Ida Lupino, Alan Marshal, George Zucco, Terry Kilburn, Henry Stephenson, E.E. Clive, Arthur Hohl, Mary Gordon, Holmes Herbert, Mary Forbes, May Beatty, Frank Dawson, Peter Willes
Clever detective Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and his faithful cohort, Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce), are trying to foil an attempt by Professor Moriarty (George Zucco) to steal England's Crown Jewels. When Moriarty sends a death threat to socialite Ann Brandon (Ida Lupino), Holmes and Watson are sidetracked while Moriarty goes on with his plot to steal the jewels. Now, Holmes and Watson must split up to prevent murder as well as the theft.
|  | |
Baby Face 1933 N/R, 70 min. Genre: Drama
Director: Alfred E. Green Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, George Brent, Donald Cook, Margaret Lindsay, Douglass Dumbrille, John Wayne, Arthur Hohl, Robert Barrat, Nat Pendleton
Lily (Barbara Stanwyck), a.k.a. "Baby Face", is a beautiful woman who uses sex in exchange for financial gain and uses her unique charms to attain security.
|  | |
Blackmail 1939 N/R, 81 min. Genre: Drama
Director: H.C. Potter Cast: Edward G. Robinson, Ruth Hussey, Gene Lockhart, Bobs Watson, Guinn "Big Boy" Williams, John Wray, Arthur Hohl, Esther Dale, Joseph Crehan, Victor Kilian
In another good performance, Edward G. Robinson plays an innocent man who is blackmailed and sent to prison.
|  | |
The Cheat 1931 N/R, 70 min. Genre: Drama
Cast: Tallulah Bankhead, Harvey Stephens, Irving Pichel, Jay Fassett, William Ingersoll, Robert Strange, Hanaki Yoshiwara, Willard Dashiell, Edward Keane, Ann Andrews, Porter Hall, Arthur Hohl, Millard Mitchell, Henry Warwick, Jimmy Granato
The year is 1931 when Elsa Carlyle (Tallulah Bankhead) loses $10,000 gambling and tries to hide the loss from her husband Jeffrey (Harvey Stephens). She takes money from a charity and invests in the stock market. That plan also fails. Now, Elsa is forced to accept money from wealthy Hardy Livingston (Irving Pichel), but when Jeffrey finds out he gives Elsa the money to pay him back. Hardy is trying to possess Elsa and refuses the money, so Elsa shoots him. Jeffrey takes the blame and goes to court. Just as he is about to be convicted, Elsa shouts out the truth, and Jeffrey is saved.
|  | |
Cleopatra 1934 N/R, 103 min. Genre: Drama / Romance
Director: Cecil B. DeMille Cast: Claudette Colbert, Warren William, Henry Wilcoxon, Gertrude Michael, Joseph Schildkraut, Ian Keith, C. Aubrey Smith, Irving Pichel, Ian Maclaren, John Carradine, Arthur Hohl, Edwin Maxwell, Eleanor Phelps, Leonard Mudie, William Farnum
Good performances enhance this excellent film that won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography and was nominated for Best Picture. Claudette Colbert easily handles the title role of the seductive Cleopatra, the Queen of Egypt, who uses her wiles on the Roman emperor Julius Caesar (Warren William). Then, after Caesar is killed, she turns her attentions to Caesar's rival, Marc Antony (Henry Wilcoxon), and enters into a romance destined for tragedy.
|  | |
The Devil-Doll 1936 N/R, 80 min. Genre: Horror / Thriller
Director: Tod Browning Cast: Lionel Barrymore, Maureen O'Sullivan, Frank Lawton, Henry B. Walthall, Robert Greig, Lucy Beaumont, Pedro de Cordoba, Rafaela Ottiano, Arthur Hohl
Lionel Barrymore plays a fugitive who, after escaping from prison, uses tiny "devil dolls" to avenge past actions against him.
|  | |
The Frozen Ghost 1945 N/R, 61 min. Genre: Mystery
Director: Harold Young Cast: Lon Chaney Jr., Evelyn Ankers, Milburn Stone, Douglass Dumbrille, Martin Kosleck, Elena Verdugo, Tala Birell, Arthur Hohl, Eddie Acuff, Leyland Hodgson
This movie was part of the "Inner Sanctum" series. The story is about a hypnotist who, under the influence of two men, begins to fear the powers of his profession.
|  | |
The Hunchback of Notre Dame 1939 N/R, 114 min. Genre: Drama
Director: William Dieterle Cast: Charles Laughton, Maureen O'Hara, Cedric Hardwicke, Thomas Mitchell, Edmond O'Brien, Alan Marshal, Walter Hampden, Harry Davenport, George Zucco, Fritz Leiber, Katharine Alexander, Etienne Girardot, Arthur Hohl, Minna Gombell, Helene Whitney
The bell ringer of Notre Dame Cathedral, deformed hunchback Quasimodo (Charles Laughton), falls in love with beautiful gypsy Esmeralda (Maureen O'Hara) when the Chief Justice of Paris Jean Frollo (Cedric Hardwicke) sends him to abduct her. The abduction plan fails when Captain of the Guard Phoebus (Alan Marshal) saves her, and Quasimodo is sentenced to a flogging. Now, Esmeralda is the only one willing to bring water to Quasimodo while he is being held captive in the public square. But, more problems develop, and Quasimodo's love for Esmeralda will end in tragedy. A great movie.
|  | |
Island of Lost Souls 1933 N/R, 70 min. Genre: Horror / Thriller
Director: Erle C. Kenton Cast: Charles Laughton, Bela Lugosi, Richard Arlen, Kathleen Burke, Leila Hyams, Arthur Hohl, Stanley Fields, Randolph Scott, Tetsu Komai, Alan Ladd
Adapted from the H.G. Wells story, "The Island of Dr. Moreau," this film is about a mad scientist who turns wild animals into monster humans. Better than the more recent versions, despite its age. That's young Alan Ladd and Randolph Scott as ape-men.
|  | |
Jimmy the Gent 1934 N/R, 66 min. Genre: Comedy
Director: Michael Curtiz Cast: James Cagney, Bette Davis, Alice White, Allen Jenkins, Arthur Hohl, Alan Dinehart, Philip Reed, Hobart Cavanaugh, Ralf Harolde, Dennis O'Keefe
This offbeat gangster comedy has Cagney trying to find heirs for unclaimed fortunes. The two stars invigorate a weak script.
|  | |
Lady by Choice 1934 N/R, 78 min. Genre: Comedy
Director: David Burton Cast: Carole Lombard, May Robson, Roger Pryor, Walter Connolly, Arthur Hohl, Raymond Walburn, James Burke, Henry Kolker, Mariska Aldrich, William Faversham
After the success of "Lady for a Day" the previous year, May Robson was cast in a similar role–this time as Patsy Patterson, a drunken, feisty derelict. Brought before a judge, she is sent to an "old ladies" home. At the same time, "Alabam" Lee (Carole Lombard) is brought before the judge for her racy, fan dancing performance. Alabam's agent thinks her image will be improved if she has a mother, so it's off to the old ladies' home to choose one. Of course, she picks Patsy, and both are helped by the choice.
|  | |
Man's Castle 1933 N/R, 70 min. Genre: Drama
Director: Frank Borzage Cast: Spencer Tracy, Loretta Young, Glenda Farrell, Walter Connolly, Arthur Hohl, Marjorie Rambeau, Dickie Moore, Helen Jerome Eddy, Harvey Clark, Kendall McComas
Trina (Loretta Young) and Bill (Spencer Tracy) are a young couple trying to cope with the Great Depression. She becomes pregnant, and Bill turns to the criminal world to support Trina and her expected family.
|  | |
One Frightened Night 1935 N/R, 66 min. Genre: Mystery
Director: Christy Cabanne Cast: Charley Grapewin, Mary Carlisle, Arthur Hohl, Wallace Ford, Evalyn Knapp, Lucien Littlefield, Regis Toomey, Hedda Hopper, Clarence Wilson, Rafaela Ottiano, Fred Kelsey, Adrian Morris
Eccentric millionaire Jasper Whyte (Charley Grapewin) has a dilemma: if his long-lost granddaughter can't be found, he must leave his estate to "lesser" relatives and friends. So he calls the greedy group together with the news. But now TWO girls show up claiming to be the granddaughter. When one is poisoned and the other barely escapes murder, the hunt is on for the killer. A mixture of humor and mystery make this a fun film to watch.
|  | |
Private Detective 62 1933 N/R, 67 min. Genre: Mystery aka: Man Killer
Director: Michael Curtiz Cast: William Powell, Margaret Lindsay, Ruth Donnelly, Gordon Westcott, James Bell, Arthur Byron, Arthur Hohl, Irving Bacon, George Brent, Sheila Terry
A former undercover man (William Powell) is hired to frame a gambler (Margaret Lindsay) in Paris. As he sets out to perform his task, he finds himself falling in love with his victim.
|  | |
The Scarlet Claw 1944 N/R, 74 min. Genre: Mystery / Drama / Thriller
Director: Roy William Neill Cast: Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Gerald Hamer, Paul Cavanagh, Arthur Hohl, Ian Wolfe, Miles Mander, David Clyde, Olaf Hytten, Victoria Horne, Kay Harding, George Kirby, Clyde Fillmore, Eric Wilton
Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and Doctor Watson (Nigel Bruce) travel to Canada to investigate murders in which the victims' throats have been ripped out. Residents tell Holmes that a legendary monster haunts the area, and they believe that the monster has been killing their neighbors. But, Holmes suspects that the killer is an actor, Potts (Gerald Hamer), who is a master of disguises, and Holmes sets a trap to identify the killer. One of Rathbone's and Bruce's very best.
|  | |
The Sign of the Cross 1932 N/R, 118 min. Genre: Drama
Director: Cecil B. DeMille Cast: Fredric March, Elissa Landi, Claudette Colbert, Charles Laughton, Ian Keith, Harry Beresford, John Carradine, Ferdinand Gottschalk, Arthur Hohl, Nat Pendleton
The fiddling of Roman Emperor Nero (Charles Laughton) while Rome burns and Christians seeking religious freedom while facing the threat of being fed to the lions are depicted in this Cecil B. DeMille drama, which was cut down and reissued in 1944 with a World War II prologue added.
|  | |
Slave Ship 1937 N/R, 90 min. Genre: Adventure
Director: Tay Garnett Cast: Warner Baxter, Wallace Beery, Elizabeth Allan, Mickey Rooney, George Sanders, Jane Darwell, Joseph Schildkraut, Miles Mander, Arthur Hohl, Minna Gombell
It's adventure on the high seas as Captain Lovett (Warner Baxter) wants to get out of the slave trade, get rid of the crew, and start over in respectable shipping. But–the crew won't have anything to do with that idea, and the rebellion is underway.
|  | |
Son of Fury: The Story of Benjamin Blake 1942 N/R, 98 min. Genre: Adventure
Director: John Cromwell Cast: Tyrone Power, Gene Tierney, George Sanders, Frances Farmer, Roddy McDowall, Kay Johnson, John Carradine, Elsa Lanchester, Harry Davenport, Dudley Digges, Halliwell Hobbes, Marten Lamont, Arthur Hohl, Pedro de Cordoba, Heather Thatcher
In England during the reign of George III, an orphaned heir to a dukedom, Benjamin (Roddy McDowall), is being raised by his abusive uncle, Arthur Blake (George Sanders), who uses Benjamin as a bonded servant. Ten years later, Ben (now played by Tyrone Power) rebels and eventually sets sail for South America. Aboard ship, Ben meets a sailor, Caleb Green (John Carradine), and, together, they amass a fortune diving for pearls off a Polynesian island. During this period, Ben falls in love with an island girl he calls Eve (Gene Tierney). With his new wealth, will Ben have the courage to say farewell to Eve and return to London to claim his inheritance?
|  | |
The Spider Woman 1944 N/R, 62 min. Genre: Mystery aka: Sherlock Holmes and the Spider Woman
Director: Roy William Neill Cast: Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Gale Sondergaard, Dennis Hoey, Mary Gordon, Vernon Downing, Alec Craig, Arthur Hohl, Stanley Logan, Harry Cording
Gale Sondergaard is the Spider Woman whose game is to drive gamblers to the point of suicide so that she can collect on their insurance. Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) puts an end to her evil deeds in this good episode.
|  | |
The Whole Town's Talking 1935 N/R, 95 min. Genre: Comedy
Director: John Ford Cast: Edward G. Robinson, Jean Arthur, Wallace Ford, Donald Meek, Arthur Hohl, Edward Brophy, Arthur Byron, Etienne Girardot
A quiet, retiring clerk, Arthur Jones (Edward G. Robinson) is mistaken for a mobster, "Killer" Mannion (Edward G. Robinson), and his whole life changes. A good John Ford effort.
|  | |
Wild Boys of the Road 1933 N/R, 68 min. Genre: Drama / Adventure
Director: William A. Wellman Cast: Frankie Darro, Dorothy Coonan Wellman, Edwin Phillips, Rochelle Hudson, Ann Hovey, Grant Mitchell, Sterling Holloway, Charley Grapewin, Ward Bond, Arthur Hohl, Minna Gombell, Claire McDowell, Robert Barrat, Willard Robertson, Wade Boteler
California teenagers Eddie Smith (Frankie Darro) and Tommy Gordon (Edwin Phillips) find their families suffering during the early Depression era and run away to find work. They hop a train and meet others on their trip east, including Sally (Dorothy Coonan Wellman) and Grace (Rochelle Hudson). The mobile group of teens turns into outlaws, and they become involved with other teens, just like themselves, in a quest for survival during desperate times.
|  | |
The Woman of the Town 1943 N/R, 90 min. Genre: Western
Director: George Archainbaud Cast: Claire Trevor, Albert Dekker, Barry Sullivan, Henry Hull, Marion Martin, Porter Hall, Percy Kilbride, Beryl Wallace, Arthur Hohl, Clem Bevans, George Cleveland, Russell Hicks, Teddi Sherman, Herbert Rawlinson, Marlene Mains
Partially based on fact, this film is an account of Bat Masterson's (Albert Dekker) experiences in Dodge City. When unable to get a job as a newspaper reporter, Bat becomes the marshal of the town. Bat falls in love with dance-hall girl Dora (Claire Trevor) who works hard behind the scenes to look after the welfare of the town's citizens. When Dora is gunned down by cattle baron King Kennedy (Barry Sullivan), Bat not only takes care of King but also honors Dora for her efforts to clean up the town. The film received an Academy Award nomination for Best Musical Score.
|  | |
The Yearling 1946 N/R, 129 min. Genre: Family / Drama
Director: Clarence Brown Cast: Gregory Peck, Jane Wyman, Chill Wills, Forrest Tucker, Claude Jarman Jr., Clem Bevans, June Lockhart, Henry Travers, Margaret Wycherly, Arthur Hohl
A young farm boy (Claude Jarman Jr.) raises a pet fawn in the post-Civil War era. Academy Award nominations included Best Picture, Actor, Actress, and Director. Claude Jarman Jr. won a Special Oscar for his performance.
|  | |
| 1. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939)
2. Baby Face (1933)
3. Blackmail (1939)
4. The Cheat (1931)
5. Cleopatra (1934)
6. The Devil-Doll (1936)
7. The Frozen Ghost (1945)
8. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939)
9. Island of Lost Souls (1933)
10. Jimmy the Gent (1934)
11. Lady by Choice (1934)
12. Man's Castle (1933)
13. One Frightened Night (1935)
14. Private Detective 62 (1933) aka: Man Killer
15. The Scarlet Claw (1944)
16. The Sign of the Cross (1932)
17. Slave Ship (1937)
18. Son of Fury: The Story of Benjamin Blake (1942)
19. The Spider Woman (1944) aka: Sherlock Holmes and the Spider Woman
20. The Whole Town's Talking (1935)
21. Wild Boys of the Road (1933)
22. The Woman of the Town (1943)
23. The Yearling (1946)
In The News
|