Beau Geste 1939   N/R, 114 min.
Genre: Action / Adventure / Drama
Director: William A. Wellman
Cast: Gary Cooper, Donald O'Connor, Ray Milland, Robert Preston, J. Carrol Naish, Susan Hayward, Charles Barton, Brian Donlevy, Albert Dekker, Broderick Crawford, James Stephenson, Heather Thatcher, James Burke, G.P. Huntley, Harold Huber
The Geste brothers–Beau (Gary Cooper), John (Ray Milland), and Digby (Robert Preston)–flee the country after Beau takes the blame for the theft of a family jewel that their aunt, Lady Brandon (Heather Thatcher) stole. They join the French Foreign Legion where Beau and John end up under the leadership of brutal Sergeant Markoff (Brian Donlevy). Tragedies ensue when the Arabs attack, and Beau is seriously wounded. Unbeknownst to the brothers, Markoff believes that Beau has the family jewel in his possession and searches Beau for the jewel. Beau kills Markoff and then dies. By story's end, John is the only surviving brother, and he returns home to give his aunt a note from Beau explaining why he ran away. Brian Donlevy received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
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Calling Philo Vance 1940  N/R, 62 min.
Genre: Mystery
Director: William Clemens
Cast: James Stephenson, Margot Stevenson, Henry O'Neill, Edward Brophy, Ralph Forbes, Donald Douglas, Martin Kosleck, Sheila Bromley, Jimmy Conlin, Edward Requello, Creighton Hale, Harry Strang
This updated remake of the successful "The Kennel Murder Case" brought this series of Philo Vance films to an end, with a new Vance (James Stephenson). Another, shorter series would follow in 1947. A designer of warplane equipment is murdered and Vance, who is now a government investigator, is on the trail of the killer.
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The Cowboy from Brooklyn 1938  N/R, 80 min.
Genre: Musical
Director: Lloyd Bacon
Cast: Dick Powell, Pat O'Brien, Priscilla Lane, Dick Foran, Ann Sheridan, Ronald Reagan, Emma Dunn, Elisabeth Risdon, James Stephenson, Hobart Cavanaugh
As a ploy to obtain a radio job, a young singer (Dick Powell) pretends he is really a cowboy.
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Devil's Island 1940  N/R, 65 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: William Clemens
Cast: Boris Karloff, Nedda Harrigan, James Stephenson, Adia Kuznetzoff, Rolla Gourvitch, Will Stanton, Edward Keane, Pedro de Cordoba, Al Bridge, Earl Dwire
A French doctor, Charles Gaudet (Boris Karloff), treats a treasonous soldier and is punished with imprisonment on Devil's Island where his presence provides the means to save a young girl's life.
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A Dispatch from Reuters 1940  N/R, 90 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: William Dieterle
Cast: Edward G. Robinson, Edna Best, Eddie Albert, Albert Bassermann, Gene Lockhart, Otto Kruger, Nigel Bruce, Montagu Love, James Stephenson, Walter Kingsford
This is the biography of Julius Reuter (Edward G. Robinson) who began with a fleet of carrier pigeons and ended up with the first news wire service.
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 International Squadron 1941 N/R, 85 min.
Genre: Adventure
Director: Lewis Seiler
Cast: Ronald Reagan, Olympe Bradna, James Stephenson, William Lundigan, Joan Perry, Reginald Denny, Cliff Edwards, Julie Bishop, John Ridgely, Selmer Jackson
A young American becomes a hero when he flies with the Royal Air Force in the days before America entered World War II.
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King of the Underworld 1939 N/R, 69 min.
Genre: Mystery
Director: Lewis Seiler
Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Kay Francis, James Stephenson, John Eldredge, Jessie Busley, Arthur Aylesworth, Raymond Brown, Charles Trowbridge, John Ridgely, Pierre Watkin
After mobster Joe Gurney (Humphrey Bogart) gets Dr. Carol Nelson (Kay Francis) to treat him, she becomes a suspect in her husband's murder.
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 The Letter 1940  N/R, 97 min.
Genre: Mystery / Drama
Director: William Wyler
Cast: Bette Davis, Herbert Marshall, James Stephenson, Frieda Inescort, David Newell, Gale Sondergaard, Victor Sen Yung, Bruce Lester, Cecil Kellaway, Doris Lloyd, Elizabeth Inglis, Willie Fung, Tetsu Komai, Leonard Mudie, John Ridgely
Somerset Maugham's play is brought to the screen in this film about circumstances following Leslie Crosbie's (Bette Davis) supposed self-defense murder of her lover, Geoffrey (David Newell). Geoffrey's widow (Gale Sondergaard) appears on the scene and says she has a letter from Leslie inviting Geoffrey to visit and that he was Leslie's lover. Leslie pays the $10,000 in blackmail money that is being demanded for the letter. The trial convenes, and her lawyer's (James Stephenson) defense proves Leslie innocent. Now, her husband Robert (Herbert Marshall) discovers that $10,000 is missing from his bank account, Leslie confesses, and Robert forgives her. But, everyone has not forgiven her, and a surprise visitor is lurking in Leslie's garden. The film received seven Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Actress (Davis), Supporting Actor (Stephenson), and Director. Remade in 1947 as "The Unfaithful" and in 1982 as "The Letter" for TV.
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Murder in the Air 1940 N/R, 55 min.
Genre: Action
Director: Lewis Seiler
Cast: Ronald Reagan, John Litel, Lya Lys, James Stephenson, Eddie Foy Jr., Robert Warwick, Dick Rich, William Gould, Victor Zimmerman, Kenneth Harlan
Government agents "Brass" Bancroft (Ronald Reagan) and Saxby (John Litel) fight espionage threats to the country.
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Nancy Drew - Detective 1938 N/R, 66 min.
Genre: Mystery
Director: William Clemens
Cast: Bonita Granville, John Litel, Frankie Thomas, James Stephenson, Frank Orth, Helena Phillips Evans, Edward Keane, Charles Trowbridge, Mae Busch, Dick Purcell
This is the first of a short series of Nancy Drew stories based on Carolyn Keene's teen sleuth books that were popular in the 1930s. This entry is taken from "The Password to Larkspur Lane" with Nancy (Bonita Granville) and her boyfriend Ted (Frankie Thomas) investigating the disappearance of a wealthy woman. The trail leads to a nursing home. Enjoyable fare, especially for the young set.
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The Old Maid 1939 N/R, 95 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Edmund Goulding
Cast: Bette Davis, Miriam Hopkins, George Brent, Donald Crisp, Jane Bryan, Louise Fazenda, James Stephenson, Jerome Cowan, William Lundigan, Rand Brooks, Cecilia Loftus, Janet Shaw, William Hopper, Sidney Bracey
Based on Edith Wharton's novel, this is the story of the aftermath of a love affair between Charlotte (Bette Davis) and Clem (George Brent). When Clem dies while fighting in the Civil War, Charlotte is left alone to face unmarried motherhood. Her solution is to give their daughter (Jane Bryan) to a cousin (Miriam Hopkins) to raise as her own. Now, Charlotte watches as her daughter grows up but must remain as an outsider.
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 The Sea Hawk 1940  N/R, 124 min.
Genre: Action / Adventure / Romance
Director: Michael Curtiz
Cast: Errol Flynn, Brenda Marshall, Claude Rains, Flora Robson, Alan Hale, Donald Crisp, Gilbert Roland, William Lundigan, Montagu Love, Francis McDonald, Henry Daniell, Una O'Connor, James Stephenson, Julien Mitchell, J.M. Kerrigan
Errol Flynn is definitely at his swashbuckling best as 1850s' British pirate Geoffrey Thorpe leads the Sea Hawk pirates on raids and captures more than 50 Spanish ships. In the process, he learns that the Spanish are planning to attack England and have placed spies in Queen Elizabeth's (Flora Robson) court. But, Elizabeth does not approve of Thorpe's pirating tactics and demands that he change his ways. Meanwhile, Thorpe falls in love with Dona Maria (Brenda Marshall), and now he must expose the treachery to save his country and win the love of Dona Maria. 1 User Review
| User Review |
| | brilliant film and well directed | tommo 1949 10/23/2007 | | |
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Secret Service of the Air 1939 N/R, 61 min.
Genre: Action
Director: Noel M. Smith
Cast: Ronald Reagan, John Litel, Ila Rhodes, James Stephenson, Eddie Foy Jr., John Ridgely, Rosella Towne, Larry Williams, Anthony Averill, Bernard Nedell, Morgan Conway
This film began a series of four "Brass" Bancroft films about the work of the Secret Service. In this first episode, Lieutenant "Brass" Bancroft (Ronald Reagan) leads the government in the fight against illegal immigration.
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Shining Victory 1941 N/R, 80 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Irving Rapper
Cast: James Stephenson, Donald Crisp, Montagu Love, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Barbara O'Neil, Sig Ruman, G.P. Huntley, Bruce Lester, Leonard Mudie, Doris Lloyd
A psychologist is so involved with his research that he has no time for his research assistant who is devoted to him.
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| 1. Beau Geste (1939)
2. Calling Philo Vance (1940)
3. The Cowboy from Brooklyn (1938)
4. Devil's Island (1940)
5. A Dispatch from Reuters (1940)
6. International Squadron (1941)
7. King of the Underworld (1939)
8. The Letter (1940)
9. Murder in the Air (1940)
10. Nancy Drew - Detective (1938)
11. The Old Maid (1939)
12. The Sea Hawk (1940)
13. Secret Service of the Air (1939)
14. Shining Victory (1941)
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