Ball of Fire 1941   N/R, 111 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Howard Hawks
Cast: Gary Cooper, Barbara Stanwyck, Dana Andrews, Richard Haydn, Oskar Homolka, Henry Travers, S.Z. Sakall, Allen Jenkins, Tully Marshall, Elisha Cook Jr., Leonid Kinskey, Dan Duryea, Aubrey Mather, Ralph Peters, Mary Field
Burlesque dancer Sugarpuss O'Shea (Barbara Stanwyck) moves into the home of seven professors, led by Bertram Potts (Gary Cooper), who are writing the "Encyclopedia of Slang." Comedy abounds when the professors learn slang first hand from their new resident and her gangster cohorts. Barbara Stanwyck received an Oscar nomination. 1 User Review
| User Review |
| | One of my favorite comedies | 1fatts 03/26/2007 | This comedy, famously modelled on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs places the great Barbara Stanwyck doing the "heart of gold tramp" in the middle of seven ivory tower professors living a monastic life, dedicating themselves to the writing of a new encyclopedia. (You remember written encycolopedias; you used to be able to find them in libraries near the microfiche.)
The professors are a splendid gathering of the best of the character actors of the time: "Cuddles" Sakall, Henry Travers, Hichard Haydn and on and on. Their leader and chief egghead is Gary Cooper playing wonderfully against type. (He did this in a great comic western once: See "Along Came Jones" when it comes along.) The result is funny and charming; and, yes, we really are touched by the innocence of long ago and far away.
For those who don't know the work of the young Barbara Stanwyck, this is a good one to serve as introduction. She really is a ball of fire. |
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Charlie Chan in Black Magic 1944  N/R, 67 min.
Genre: Mystery / Drama / Comedy
aka: Black Magic
Meeting at Midnight
Director: Phil Rosen
Cast: Sidney Toler, Frances Chan, Claudia Dell, Mantan Moreland, Jacqueline deWit, Edward Earle, Joseph Crehan, Helen Beverly, Geraldine Wall, Ralph Peters, Frank Jaquet, Harry Depp, Dick Gordon, Charles Jordan
Charlie Chan's (Sidney Toler) daughter Frances Chan (Frances Chan) attends a seance held by bogus fortunetellers William and Justine Bonner (Dick Gordon and Jacqueline deWit). During the seance, William is killed, and Frances becomes a suspect. The butler Birmingham (Mantan Moreland), who used to be Charlie's chauffeur, calls Charlie to investigate. Charlie arrives at the creepy mansion and, with help from Frances, solves the mystery.
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Death Rides the Range 1940  N/R, 58 min.
Genre: Western
Director: Sam Newfield
Cast: Ken Maynard, Fay McKenzie, Ralph Peters, Julian Rivero, Charles King, John Elliott, William Costello, Sven Hugo Borg, Michael Vallon, Julian Madison, Kenneth Rhodes, Murdock MacQuarrie
Spies intend to gain control of Letty's (Fay McKenzie) ranch in order to mine a secret reserve of Helium on her property. But undercover agent Ken (Ken Maynard), posing as a cowboy drifter, comes to the rescue.
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Flaming Lead 1939  N/R, 57 min.
Genre: Western
Director: Sam Newfield
Cast: Ken Maynard, Eleanor Stewart, Walter Long, Tom London, Ralph Peters, Carleton Young, Reed Howes, Bob Terry, Dave O'Brien, Kenne Duncan, Ethan Allen, John Merton, Carl Mathews
While stranded in Chicago, Clark (Ken Maynard) takes a job at a nightclub as an entertainer performing rope and gun tricks in order to fund his way back home. He meets horse rancher Gordon (Dave O'Brien) who needs Clark's aid in stopping a gang of rustlers who are stealing his horses. Clark agrees to help, and heads West to take care of the situation.
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Irish Luck 1939 N/R, 58 min.
Genre: Comedy / Mystery
Director: Howard Bretherton
Cast: Frankie Darro, Mantan Moreland, Dick Purcell, Lillian Elliott, Sheila Darcy, Dennis Moore, James Flavin, Howard M. Mitchell, Maxine Leslie, Ralph Peters
A hotel guest is murdered, and hotel bellhop Buzzy (Frankie Darro) hides the suspect, Kitty (Sheila Darcy), at his house while he and friend Jefferson (Mantan Moreland) find the real killer after a series of misadventures.
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Outlaws of Sonora 1938  N/R, 58 min.
Genre: Western
Director: George Sherman
Cast: Robert Livingston, Ray Corrigan, Max Terhune, Jack Mulhall, Otis Harlan, Jean Joyce, Sterlita Peluffo, Tom London, Edwin Mordant, Ralph Peters, George Chesebro, Jack Ingram
The Three Mesquiteers return with Robert Livingston in the role of Stony (after John Wayne went on to bigger and better things). Stony and his cohorts (Ray Corrigan and Max Terhune) take on the job of delivering cattlemen's money to the bank. But gang leader Dude (also played by Livingston), knowing he is a Stony look-alike, captures Stony and disguises himself as Stony. After shooting a banker, Stony and crew get serious about bringing justice to the gang leader.
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Trail to San Antone 1947 N/R, 67 min.
Genre: Western
Director: John English
Cast: Gene Autry, Peggy Stewart, Sterling Holloway, William Henry, Tristram Coffin, Dorothy Vaughan, Edward Keane, Ralph Peters, Johnny Duncan, Frankie Marvin
Gene Autry jumps out of the saddle and into a plane to recover a racehorse that has run off with a wild stallion. Meanwhile, he must also pump confidence back into the jockey, who is to ride the horse in the big race, after an accident crippled him.
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You Belong to Me 1941 N/R, 93 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Wesley Ruggles
Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Henry Fonda, Edgar Buchanan, Roger Clark, Ruth Donnelly, Melville Cooper, Maude Eburne, Ralph Peters, Renie Riano, Mary Treen
Following an accident on the ski slopes, romance blooms between Helen (Barbara Stanwyck) and Peter (Henry Fonda) in this lame comedy.
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| 1. Ball of Fire (1941)
2. Charlie Chan in Black Magic (1944)
aka: Black Magic
aka: Meeting at Midnight
3. Death Rides the Range (1940)
4. Flaming Lead (1939)
5. Irish Luck (1939)
6. Outlaws of Sonora (1938)
7. Rovin' Tumbleweeds (1939)
8. Trail to San Antone (1947)
9. You Belong to Me (1941)
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