 Anchors Aweigh 1945  N/R, 140 min.
Genre: Comedy / Musical / Romance
Director: George Sidney
Cast: Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Kathryn Grayson, Jose Iturbi, Dean Stockwell, Leon Ames, Edgar Kennedy, Steve Brodie, Pamela Britton, Grady Sutton, Rags Ragland, Billy Gilbert, Henry O'Neill, James Flavin, Sharon McManus
This story revolves around two sailors, Joe Brady (Gene Kelly) and Clarence Doolittle (Frank Sinatra), on shore leave who help aspiring singer Susan Abbott (Kathryn Grayson) get an audition. Love blooms between Joe and Susan. The highlight of this film is Kelly's dance with the animated mouse, Jerry. Among the nominations this film received for Academy Awards were Best Picture, Actor (Gene Kelly), Cinematography, and Song ("I Fall in Love Too Easily"). It won for Best Musical Score.
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Arabian Nights 1942 N/R, 85 min.
Genre: Action / Adventure
Director: John Rawlins
Cast: Sabu, Jon Hall, Maria Montez, Leif Erickson, Billy Gilbert, Edgar Barrier, Richard Lane, Turhan Bey, John Qualen, Shemp Howard, William "Wee Willie" Davis, Thomas Gomez, Jeni Le Gon, Robert Greig, Charles Coleman
After his brother Kamar (Leif Erickson) tries and fails to kill him, Haroun-Al-Raschid (Jon Hall) is nursed back to health by the sultry Scheherazade (Maria Montez). Now–with help from Ali Ben Ali (Sabu), Sinbad (Shemp Howard), and Aladdin (John Qualen)–Haroun-Al-Raschid sets out to regain his position as the legal heir to the throne of the Kalif of Baghdad.
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Block-Heads 1938  N/R, 58 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: John G. Blystone
Cast: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Patricia Ellis, Minna Gombell, James Finlayson, Billy Gilbert, William Royle, Zeffie Tilbury, Huntz Hall, Harry Strang
World War I had ended years ago, but Stan Laurel was still sitting it out on the Western Front until Oliver Hardy found him and–mistakenly believing Laurel unable to walk as the result of war injuries–takes him home where the fun really begins.
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Broadway Melody of 1938 1937 N/R, 110 min.
Genre: Musical / Romance
Director: Roy Del Ruth
Cast: Robert Taylor, Eleanor Powell, Judy Garland, Sophie Tucker, Binnie Barnes, Buddy Ebsen, Billy Gilbert, Raymond Walburn, George Murphy, Charley Grapewin, Charles Igor Gorin, Robert Benchley, Willie Howard, Robert Wildhack, Barnett Parker
Steve Raleigh (Robert Taylor) needs funds to stage his Broadway show, and the leading lady, Sally Lee (Eleanor Powell), he wants to cast happens to own a race horse. The horse wins the big race at Saratoga, provides the money to back the show, and all ends happily. This musical features Judy Garland's classic rendition of "Dear Mr. Gable," which is without a doubt the highlight of this film.
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Down Among the Sheltering Palms 1953  N/R, 87 min.
Genre: Musical
Director: Edmund Goulding
Cast: William Lundigan, Jane Greer, Mitzi Gaynor, David Wayne, Gloria DeHaven, Billy Gilbert, Jack Paar, Lee Marvin
An army officer, stationed on a South Seas island in the late 1940s, has two love interests: a missionary's daughter (Jane Greer) and a beautiful native (Mitzi Gaynor). Look for Lee Marvin in a bit part.
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Five Weeks in a Balloon 1962 N/R, 104 min.
Genre: Adventure
Director: Irwin Allen
Cast: Red Buttons, Fabian, Barbara Eden, Cedric Hardwicke, Peter Lorre, Richard Haydn, Herbert Marshall, Henry Daniell, Barbara Luna, Billy Gilbert
Based on Jules Verne's story, this film is about Professor Fergusson's (Cedric Hardwicke) planned balloon trip in 1862 to claim territory in Western Africa.
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Fun and Fancy Free 1947 N/R, 73 min.
Genre: Animation / Family / Musical
Director: Bill Roberts, Jack Kinney, Hamilton Luske, William Morgan
Cast: Cliff Edwards, Walt Disney, Billy Gilbert, Clarence Nash, Luana Patten, Dinah Shore, Anita Gordon, Edgar Bergen, Pinto Colvig
Two Disney animated movies are represented in this 1947 film: (1) "Mickey and the Beanstalk"–Mickey, Donald, and Goofy (voices of Walt Disney, Clarence Nash, and Pinto Colvig) bring their version of the famous tale. Edgar Bergen and his dummies Charlie McCarthy and Mortimer Snerd tell the story to a young girl (Luana Patten) (2) Bongo the circus bear is not happy with his current "job," so escapes into the forest. He finds that life on the outside is tough, but eventually finds his true love. Dinah Shore provides the narration and songs. Jiminy Cricket (voice of Cliff Edwards) provides the transition between the two stories.
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 The Great Dictator 1940  N/R, 127 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Charles Chaplin
Cast: Charles Chaplin, Paulette Goddard, Jack Oakie, Reginald Gardiner, Henry Daniell, Billy Gilbert, Emma Dunn, Maurice Moscovitch, Grace Hayle, Bernard Gorcey
Political satire about the Third Reich abounds as Charlie Chaplin plays dual roles of dictator Adenoid Hynbel as well as his look-alike: a Jewish barber.
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The Kissing Bandit 1948  N/R, 102 min.
Genre: Comedy / Musical / Western
Director: Laszlo Benedek
Cast: Frank Sinatra, Kathryn Grayson, J. Carrol Naish, Mildred Natwick, Mikhail Rasumny, Billy Gilbert, Sono Osato, Clinton Sundberg, Edna Skinner, Vincente Gomez, Carleton G. Young, Byron Foulger, Ricardo Montalban, Ann Miller, Cyd Charisse
When Ricardo (Frank Sinatra) returns to California to take over his deceased father's hotel business, he learns that his father was a "kissing bandit." Deciding to carry on in his father's tradition, Ricardo kisses the lady victims after robbing them. When he meets Teresa (Kathryn Grayson), who just happens to be the daughter of a governor with tax problems, Ricardo's talents for kissing and the offer of money gained from his thievery pay off, and Teresa is smitten.
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Mr. Wise Guy 1942 N/R, 70 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: William Nigh
Cast: Leo Gorcey, Bobby Jordan, Huntz Hall, Billy Gilbert, Guinn "Big Boy" Williams, Douglas Fowley, Joan Barclay, Warren Hymer, Ann Doran, Gabriel Dell, Jack Mulhall, Bobby Stone
The East Side Kids are wrongly accused of stealing a truck and are summarily sent to reform school. Meanwhile, Bill (Douglas Fowley), the brother of Danny (Bobby Jordan), is falsely accused of and sentenced to death for a murder. The boys come up with the solution to the crimes–and just in time.
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 A Night at the Opera 1935 N/R, 96 min.
Genre: Comedy / Musical / Romance
Director: Sam Wood
Cast: Groucho Marx, Chico Marx, Harpo Marx, Kitty Carlisle, Margaret Dumont, Allan Jones, Sig Ruman, Walter Woolf King, Edward Keane, Robert Emmett O'Connor, Gino Corrado, Frank Yaconelli, Billy Gilbert, Al Bridge, Jonathan Hale
When the Marx Brothers become part of the hoity-toity opera world, comedy abounds in this Marx Brothers' classic. In an attempt to reunite with his lover Rosa (Kitty Carlisle), Ricardo (Allan Jones) joins up with Fiorello and Tomasso (Chico Marx and Harpo Marx) to stow away on a ship headed for New York. They are prepared to pull out all stops to get Ricardo a job as the leading tenor in the New York Opera Company where Rosa is starring as the leading lady. They arrive in New York, but the authorities, who want to catch the stowaways, are on their trail, and they join up with Otis P. Driftwood (Groucho Marx) in their attempt to stay one step ahead of the authorities.
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On the Avenue 1937 N/R, 90 min.
Genre: Comedy / Musical / Romance
Director: Roy Del Ruth
Cast: Dick Powell, Madeleine Carroll, Alice Faye, Al Ritz, Harry Ritz, Jimmy Ritz, George Barbier, Alan Mowbray, Cora Witherspoon, Walter Catlett, Douglas Fowley, Joan Davis, Stepin Fetchit, Sig Ruman, Billy Gilbert
Gary Blake (Dick Powell) produces a Broadway show that satirizes the wealthy Caraway family. Mona Merrick (Alice Faye) plays the role of "The Richest Girl in the World," and when Mimi Caraway (Madeleine Carroll) sees the show, she goes backstage and convinces Gary to ease up on the satire of her. But the plan doesn't work, and the Caraway family buys out the show, and giant changes ensue. Among the Irving Berlin songs is "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm."
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One Hundred Men and a Girl 1937 N/R, 85 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Henry Koster
Cast: Deanna Durbin, Adolphe Menjou, Alice Brady, Eugene Pallette, Mischa Auer, Billy Gilbert, Alma Kruger, Jed Prouty, Jameson Thomas, Howard C. Hickman, Frank Jenks, Leopold Stokowski
When musician John Cardwell (Adolphe Menjou) finds himself struggling financially, his daughter Patricia (Deanna Durbin) steps in, forms an orchestra from John's unemployed musician friends, and convinces Leopold Stokowski (himself) to conduct. The concert is so well-performed that it leads to a radio contract, and all ends well. The film won an Academy Award for Best Score and was nominated for four others, including Best Picture. For her work in this film, Deanna Durbin won a special Academy Award for her "spirit and personification of youth."
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One Night in Lisbon 1941 N/R, 96 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Edward H. Griffith
Cast: Fred MacMurray, Madeleine Carroll, Patricia Morison, Billie Burke, John Loder, Dame May Whitty, Edmund Gwenn, Reginald Denny, Billy Gilbert, Marcel Dalio
An American pilot, Dwight Houston (Fred MacMurray), is in Lisbon during World War II and falls in love with an English woman, Leonora (Madeleine Carroll), who he meets when both seek shelter during an air raid.
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Pack Up Your Troubles 1932 N/R, 70 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: George Marshall
Cast: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Don Dillaway, Jacquie Lyn, Grady Sutton, Tom Kennedy, Paulette Goddard, Billy Gilbert, C. Montague Shaw, James Finlayson
Laurel and Hardy are inept soldiers, involved in espionage, who look for a certain Mr. and Mrs. Smith using no other clues than the telephone book. Look for Paulette Goddard in a bit part.
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Peck's Bad Boy with the Circus 1938 N/R, 78 min.
Genre: Drama / Comedy
Director: Edward F. Cline
Cast: Tommy Kelly, Ann Gillis, Edgar Kennedy, Benita Hume, Billy Gilbert, George "Spanky" McFarland, Grant Mitchell, Nana Bryant, Wade Boteler, Harry Stubbs, Fay Helm, Mickey Rentschler
In this sequel to "Peck's Bad Boy," Tommy Kelly takes on the role of Bill Peck. Bill joins the circus and–with his gang (including "Spanky" McFarland)–creates havoc in and around the big top.
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Reaching for the Sun 1941 N/R, 90 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: William A. Wellman
Cast: Joel McCrea, Ellen Drew, Eddie Bracken, Albert Dekker, Billy Gilbert, George Chandler, Regis Toomey, Bodil Rosing, James Burke, Charles D. Brown
A country fisherman moves to Detroit to find work in a factory for which he plans to earn extra cash to spend on his fishing boat in this amusing film.
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Safari 1940 N/R, 80 min.
Genre: Adventure
Director: Edward H. Griffith
Cast: Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Madeleine Carroll, Tullio Carminati, Lynne Overman, Muriel Angelus, Billy Gilbert, Thomas Louden, Frank Godoy, Jack Carr, Frederick Vogeding
Good lead players and OK scenery enhance this run-of-the-mill jungle story.
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Seven Sinners 1940 N/R, 85 min.
Genre: Action
Director: Tay Garnett
Cast: Marlene Dietrich, John Wayne, Broderick Crawford, Mischa Auer, Albert Dekker, Billy Gilbert, Oskar Homolka, Anna Lee, Samuel S. Hinds, Reginald Denny
Bruce (John Wayne) is a young Naval officer who, along with Dr. Martin (Albert Dekker), fights for the love of Bijou (Marlene Dietrich), a young cafe singer in the South Pacific.
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Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs 1937  N/R, 83 min.
Genre: Animation / Family / Musical / Fantasy
Director: David Hand
Cast: Adriana Caselotti, Harry Stockwell, Lucille La Verne, Moroni Olsen, Billy Gilbert, Pinto Colvig, Otis Harlan, Scotty Mattraw, Roy Atwell, Stuart Buchanan, Eddie Collins, Marion Darlington, James MacDonald
This prototype for Disney animated films tells the story of Snow White (voice of Adriana Caselotti) who escapes the clutches of her evil stepmother and finds refuge with seven dwarfs–Grumpy, Happy, Doc, Bashful, Sneezy, Sleepy, and Dopey. Walt Disney received an honorary Oscar (actually an Oscar and seven miniatures) for significant screen innovation. An all-time great–and still good.
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The Star Maker 1939 N/R, 94 min.
Genre: Musical
Director: Roy Del Ruth
Cast: Bing Crosby, Louise Campbell, Linda Ware, Ned Sparks, Laura Hope Crews, Paul Stanton, Thurston Hall, Billy Gilbert, Clara Blandick, Oscar O'Shea
This is the film biography of Gus Edwards (Bing Crosby) who was in the business of training and then getting talented kids into show business.
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This Day and Age 1933 N/R, 82 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Cecil B. DeMille
Cast: Charles Bickford, Judith Allen, Richard Cromwell, Edward J. Nugent, Ben Alexander, Harry Green, Fuzzy Knight, Samuel S. Hinds, Wade Boteler, Billy Gilbert
Following a gangster killing, local teens take the law into their own hands and mete out justice. Interesting Cecil B. DeMille effort.
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Tin Pan Alley 1940 N/R, 92 min.
Genre: Musical
Director: Walter Lang
Cast: Alice Faye, Betty Grable, Jack Oakie, John Payne, Allen Jenkins, Esther Ralston, Fred Keating, Billy Gilbert, Ben Carter, Elisha Cook Jr.
During 1915, songwriters Harry Calhoun (Jack Oakie) and Skeets Harrigan (John Payne) find success when they team up with singing sisters Katie (Alice Faye) and Lily Blane (Betty Grable). Then a rift develops when a new tune is given to a more famous singer, and the sisters leave for England. But Harry and Skeets soon enlist in the army, are shipped overseas, and find Katie and Lily in England. Excellent Academy Award-winning musical score.
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Valley of the Sun 1942 N/R, 84 min.
Genre: Western
Director: George Marshall
Cast: Lucille Ball, James Craig, Cedric Hardwicke, Dean Jagger, Peter Whitney, Billy Gilbert, Tom Tyler, Antonio Moreno, George Cleveland, Hank Bell
When a good Indian scout (James Craig) and an evil Indian agent (Dean Jagger) fall in love with the same woman (Lucille Ball), trouble is bound to result.
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The Villain Still Pursued Her 1940  N/R, 66 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Edward F. Cline
Cast: Hugh Herbert, Anita Louise, Alan Mowbray, Buster Keaton, Joyce Compton, Richard Cromwell, Billy Gilbert, Margaret Hamilton, Franklin Pangborn, William Farnum, Charles Judels, Walter Tetley
In this spoof of the popular stage melodrama "The Drunkard," Edward the Hero (Richard Cromwell) is lured by Cribbs the Villain (Alan Mowbray) into drinking rum, which plunges poor Edward into the gutter. Gribb's goal is to win the affections of Edward's long-suffering wife, Mary (Anita Louise), but along comes the real hero, Frederick (Hugh Herbert), who foils Cribbs' plan. Despite the presence of Buster Keaton (who has some good lines), the joke is on the audience.
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Weekend in Havana 1941 N/R, 80 min.
Genre: Musical / Comedy
aka: Week-End in Havana
Director: Walter Lang
Cast: Alice Faye, Carmen Miranda, John Payne, Cesar Romero, Cobina Wright, George Barbier, Sheldon Leonard, Leonid Kinskey, Billy Gilbert, Chris-Pin Martin, Hal K. Dawson, William B. Davidson, Hugh Beaumont
After Nan Spencer's (Alice Faye) ship gets hung up on a reef while she is headed for a Caribbean vacation, the company sends Jay Williams (John Payne) to escort her on a tour of Havana. While enjoying the local hot spots, Nan meets gambler Monte Blanca (Cesar Romero), and before the vacation ends both Monte and Jay become romantically interested in her.
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| 1. Anchors Aweigh (1945)
2. Arabian Nights (1942)
3. Block-Heads (1938)
4. Broadway Melody of 1938 (1937)
5. Down Among the Sheltering Palms (1953)
6. Five Weeks in a Balloon (1962)
7. Fun and Fancy Free (1947)
8. The Great Dictator (1940)
9. The Kissing Bandit (1948)
10. Mr. Wise Guy (1942)
11. A Night at the Opera (1935)
12. On the Avenue (1937)
13. One Hundred Men and a Girl (1937)
14. One Night in Lisbon (1941)
15. Pack Up Your Troubles (1932)
16. Peck's Bad Boy with the Circus (1938)
17. Reaching for the Sun (1941)
18. Rio (1939)
19. Safari (1940)
20. Seven Sinners (1940)
21. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
22. The Star Maker (1939)
23. This Day and Age (1933)
24. Tin Pan Alley (1940)
25. Valley of the Sun (1942)
26. The Villain Still Pursued Her (1940)
27. Weekend in Havana (1941)
aka: Week-End in Havana
In The News
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