David Copperfield 1935 N/R, 133 min. Genre: Drama
Director: George Cukor Cast: W.C. Fields, Freddie Bartholomew, Frank Lawton, Elizabeth Allan, Basil Rathbone, Roland Young, Lionel Barrymore, Maureen O'Sullivan, Madge Evans, Edna May Oliver
Mr. Mudstone (Basil Rathbone), Wikins Micawber (W.C. Fields), and Uriah Heap (Roland Young) are all there as David Copperfield starts out as a poor boy and grows up to be a wealthy man in London. The young David is played by Freddie Bartholomew, while Frank Lawton plays the older David.
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Dinner at Eight 1933 N/R, 110 min. Genre: Comedy / Drama / Romance
Director: George Cukor Cast: Marie Dressler, John Barrymore, Wallace Beery, Jean Harlow, Lionel Barrymore, Lee Tracy, Edmund Lowe, Billie Burke, Jean Hersholt, Madge Evans, Karen Morley, Louise Closser Hale, Phillips Holmes, May Robson, Grant Mitchell
Millicent Jordan (Billie Burke) arranges a dinner party that she believes will help her husband Oliver's (Lionel Barrymore) career. Among the guests are business executive Dan Packard (Wallace Beery) and his wife Kitty (Jean Harlow) who just happens to be having an affair with another guest, Dr. Wayne Talbot (Edmund Lowe). Also at the dinner party are matinee idol Larry Renault (John Barrymore), who is involved with the Jordans' daughter Paula (Madge Evans), and aging stage actress Carlotta (Marie Dressler). The personal lives of the guests at this dinner party are scrutinized, and the result is a highly entertaining, sophisticated comedy.
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Greeks Had a Word for Them 1932 N/R, 77 min. Genre: Comedy aka: Three Broadway Girls
Director: Lowell Sherman Cast: Madge Evans, Joan Blondell, Ina Claire, David Manners, Lowell Sherman, Phillips Smalley, Sidney Bracey, Betty Grable, Louise Beavers, Ward Bond, Creighton Hale
Three New York City women–Polaire (Madge Evans), Schatze (Joan Blondell), and Jean (Ina Claire)–set out to find wealthy husbands. This story has been made several times, including "How to Marry a Millionaire."
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Hallelujah, I'm a Bum 1933 N/R, 83 min. Genre: Comedy aka: Happy Go Lucky The Heart of New York Lazy Bones
Director: Lewis Milestone Cast: Al Jolson, Madge Evans, Frank Morgan, Harry Langdon, Chester Conklin, Edgar Connor, Tyler Brooke, Tammany Young, Louise Carver, Dorothea Wolbert
Bumper (Al Jolson) is a happy-go-lucky tramp in NYC's Central Park. When he rescues June (Madge Evans) from a suicide attempt, he finds she has amnesia, and she falls in love with him. His life is changed for the better, but when June comes out of her amnesia and realizes she is the mistress of the mayor (Frank Morgan), she has second thoughts. The film highlights the life and times of people during the Depression and is unusual in that nearly all dialogue is written in rhyme. The music of Rodgers and Hart is excellent. Some versions are edited.
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Hell Below 1933 N/R, 105 min. Genre: Drama
Director: Jack Conway Cast: Robert Montgomery, Walter Huston, Madge Evans, Jimmy Durante, Eugene Pallette, Robert Young, David Newell, Charles Irwin, Sterling Holloway, Paul Porcasi
Walter Huston is commander of a submarine in World War I in the midst of a secret and dangerous mission. He also feuds with one of his lieutenants (Robert Montgomery), who is after the skipper's daughter. After the lieutenant's best friend is left topside while diving to escape German destroyers, things get even tougher. Good action scenes.
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The Mayor of Hell 1933 N/R, 90 min. Genre: Drama
Director: Archie Mayo Cast: James Cagney, Madge Evans, Allen Jenkins, Dudley Digges, Frankie Darro, Dorothy Peterson, Charles C. Wilson, Hobart Cavanaugh, Robert Barrat, Harold Huber, Sheila Terry, William V. Mong, G. Pat Collins, Edwin Maxwell, John Marston
This unusual story involves ex-gangster Richard 'Patsy' Gargan (James Cagney) who is appointed Deputy Commissioner of a reform school. He takes the position after the nurse (Madge Evans) at the school confides in him about the inhumane treatment being inflicted on the boys. He works to improve conditions at the reform school and the way the kids are being treated. But, Gargan leaves the reform school to kill a rival gangster, and then he goes into hiding. Meanwhile the poor conditions return at the reform school, and when the boys learn that Gargan is really a ruthless mobster they lose faith in him. But, Gargan returns, gets the warden Mr. Thompson (Dudley Digges) kicked out, and regains the boys' respect.
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Pennies from Heaven 1936 N/R, 80 min. Genre: Musical
Director: Norman Z. McLeod Cast: Bing Crosby, Madge Evans, Edith Fellows, Donald Meek, Louis Armstrong, John Gallaudet, Tom Dugan, Nana Bryant, Charles C. Wilson, Harry Tyler
The title song, "Pennies from Heaven," was nominated for an Academy Award in this film in which Bing Crosby plays a poor minstrel who befriends an orphan and her grandfather.
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Sinners in Paradise 1938 N/R, 64 min. Genre: Drama / Adventure
Director: James Whale Cast: Madge Evans, John Boles, Bruce Cabot, Marion Martin, Gene Lockhart, Charlotte Wynters, Nana Bryant, Milburn Stone, Don "Red" Barry, Morgan Conway, Willie Fung
Lost in a storm, a China-bound seaplane crashes and tosses its nine passengers into the sea. All have personal problems that they bring with them when they wash ashore on the island where only a recluse named Jim Taylor (John Boles) lives with his servant, Ping (Willie Fung). Taylor isn't ready to let them use his boat to get help, and the group finds that they must actually work together in order to escape not only from the island but from their past problems as well.
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Sporting Blood 1931 N/R, 80 min. Genre: Drama
Director: Charles Brabin Cast: Clark Gable, Ernest Torrence, Madge Evans, Lew Cody, Marie Prevost, Harry Holman, J. Farrell MacDonald, John Larkin, Hallam Cooley, Eugene Jackson
This is the story of a horse that is rescued after being mishandled. With proper training, it shows its championship form and wins the Kentucky Derby.
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Stand Up and Cheer! 1934 N/R, 80 min. Genre: Musical
Director: Hamilton MacFadden Cast: Warner Baxter, Madge Evans, James Dunn, Sylvia Froos, Shirley Temple, Ralph Morgan, John Boles, Nigel Bruce, Stepin Fetchit, Dick Foran
To help bring the country out of the Great Depression, a new Cabinet post–Secretary of Amusements–is designed. It has little impact until young Shirley Dugan (Shirley Temple) shows up. Temple sings "Baby Take a Bow."
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| 1. David Copperfield (1935)
2. Dinner at Eight (1933)
3. Greeks Had a Word for Them (1932) aka: Three Broadway Girls
4. Hallelujah, I'm a Bum (1933) aka: Happy Go Lucky aka: The Heart of New York aka: Lazy Bones
5. Hell Below (1933)
6. The Mayor of Hell (1933)
7. Pennies from Heaven (1936)
8. Sinners in Paradise (1938)
9. Sporting Blood (1931)
10. Stand Up and Cheer! (1934)
In The News
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