 Bad Company 1931  N/R, 76 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Tay Garnett
Cast: Ricardo Cortez, Helen Twelvetrees, John Garrick, Paul Hurst, Frank Conroy, Frank McHugh, Edgar Kennedy, Kenneth Thomson, Emma Dunn, William V. Mong, Harry Carey, Arthur Stone, Wade Boteler, Jack Mower, Harry Semels
Mobster Goldie Gorio (Ricardo Cortez) wants to get the scoop on rival Markham King's (Frank Conroy) operation. So, why not have his lawyer Steve Carlyle (John Garrick) marry Markham's sister Helen (Helen Twelvetrees)? Gorio treats them to a lavish wedding and other extravagances. It isn't until Steve is wounded in a police raid that Helen realizes that he is a gangster, and now she stops at nothing to release him from his ties to the gang so that they can escape from the criminal world.
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Behind Office Doors 1931  N/R, 82 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Melville W. Brown
Cast: Mary Astor, Robert Ames, Ricardo Cortez, Kitty Kelly, Edna Murphy, Catherine Dale Owen, Charles Sellon, William Morris, George Irving, Lon Poff
A secretary, Mary (Mary Astor), is the force behind the company president (Robert Ames) and is the real reason he has achieved such success. She is taken for granted, and so, finally, Mary becomes romantically attached to another executive, which forces the president to look at her in a different way.
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The Big Shakedown 1934 N/R, 64 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: John Francis Dillon
Cast: Charles Farrell, Bette Davis, Ricardo Cortez, Glenda Farrell, Allen Jenkins, Henry O'Neill, Robert Emmett O'Connor, Dewey Robinson, John Wray, Renee Whitney
When a young pharmacist (Charles Farrell) is drawn into the drug kingdom, his wife (Bette Davis) decides she cannot live in his new world.
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The Californian 1937  N/R, 59 min.
Genre: Western
aka: The Gentleman from California
Director: Gus Meins
Cast: Ricardo Cortez, Marjorie Weaver, Katherine DeMille, Maurice Black, Morgan Wallace, Nigel De Brulier, George Regas, Pierre Watkin, Jim Farley, Edward Keane, Gene Reynolds, Ann Gillis
During 1855, Ramon Escobar (Ricardo Cortez) returns to California after completing school in Spain and discovers that corrupt politicians are using tax collectors to force old Californians off their land. Ramon takes on the cause to bring justice back to the area.
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The Case of the Black Cat 1936 N/R, 65 min.
Genre: Mystery
Director: William C. McGann, Alan Crosland
Cast: Ricardo Cortez, June Travis, Jane Bryan, Craig Reynolds, Carlyle Moore Jr., Bill Elliott, Nedda Harrigan, Garry Owen, Harry Davenport, George Rosener
Ricardo Cortez takes on the role of Perry Mason in the fifth entry in the series. Perry is called to a client's estate at night to write the client's granddaughter out of his will as an incentive to keep her from marrying a suspected fortune hunter. The client is killed in a suspicious fire, the gardener is murdered, and a treasure hunt for missing jewelry follows. The granddaughter's boyfriend is accused of the murders, but with Perry on his side, the real culprit will soon be identified. Director Alan Crosland was killed in an auto accident; the film was completed by William McGann.
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Charlie Chan in Reno 1939  N/R, 70 min.
Genre: Drama / Mystery / Comedy / Thriller
Director: Norman Foster
Cast: Sidney Toler, Ricardo Cortez, Phyllis Brooks, Slim Summerville, Kane Richmond, Victor Sen Yung, Pauline Moore, Robert Lowery, Eddie Collins, Kay Linaker, Louise Henry, Charles D. Brown, Hamilton MacFadden, Iris Wong, Morgan Conway
Mary Whitman (Pauline Moore) goes to Reno seeking to divorce her husband Curtis (Kane Richmond) and checks into a hotel where Jeanne Bentley (Louise Henry), who is also divorcing her husband, is found murdered. Police suspect Mary, and she calls on the services of Honolulu detective Charlie Chan (Sidney Toler). Chan shows up with Number 2 son Jimmy (Victor Sen Yung) and, while investigating the murder, engages in a battle of wits with local sheriff Tombstone Fletcher (Slim Summerville) who questions Chan's investigating abilities.
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Flesh 1932 N/R, 95 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: John Ford
Cast: Wallace Beery, Ricardo Cortez, Karen Morley, Jean Hersholt, John Miljan, Vince Barnett, Herman Bing, Edward Brophy, Ward Bond, Nat Pendleton
A German wrestler (Wallace Beery) comes to America to seek fame in the ring but falls for a mobster's girlfriend, Lora (Karen Morley), which results in major problems.
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Frisco Kid 1935 N/R, 80 min.
Genre: Action
Director: Lloyd Bacon
Cast: James Cagney, Margaret Lindsay, Ricardo Cortez, Lili Damita, Donald Woods, Barton MacLane, George E. Stone, Addison Richards, Joe King, Robert McWade
Good fast moving action as Bat Morgan (Cagney) is on the loose in San Francisco. From Bat's arrival as a poor sailor through his rise to money and power and ill-fated romance, the well-made movie of mayhem and vengeance is entertaining.
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Heaven with a Barbed Wire Fence 1939 N/R, 62 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Ricardo Cortez
Cast: Jean Rogers, Raymond Walburn, Marjorie Rambeau, Glenn Ford, Ward Bond, Richard Conte, Eddie Collins, Irving Bacon, Kay Linaker
Joe (Glenn Ford) thumbs rides to Arizona, and along the way, he meets other Depression-era people with their own hard-luck stories.
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 The Inner Circle 1946  N/R, 57 min.
Genre: Mystery
Director: Philip Ford
Cast: Warren Douglas, Adele Mara, William Frawley, Ricardo Cortez, Will Wright, Virginia Christine, Martha Montgomery, Ken Niles, Dorothy Adams, Robert J. Wilke, Edward Gargan, Fred Graham
Private detective Johnny Strange (Warren Douglas) is framed for the murder of a popular radio personality. Johnny's solution: reenact the crime at the radio station using the suspects as participants and see if the truth can be sorted out.
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The Last Hurrah 1958  N/R, 121 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: John Ford
Cast: Spencer Tracy, Jeffrey Hunter, Pat O'Brien, Basil Rathbone, Donald Crisp, James Gleason, John Carradine, Edward Brophy, Dianne Foster, Wallace Ford, Willis Bouchey, Basil Ruysdael, Ricardo Cortez, Frank McHugh, Carleton Young
Politics in big cities is the theme of this compelling story, which is based on the tenure of Boston Mayor James Curley. Mayor Frank Skeffington (Spencer Tracy) tries to assist the people of his city and even deals in corruption to achieve his goal. When banker Norman Cass (Basil Rathbone) refuses to give Skeffington a loan, Skeffington uses his political clout and blackmails Cass into giving him the money. Skeffington's nephew, reporter Adam Caulfield (Jeffrey Hunter), admires Skeffington, but even he cannot ignore the devious methods employed by his uncle to achieve success. This film is well worth watching for anyone interested in the inner-workings of U.S. politics and for the great job by the seasoned cast.
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 The Maltese Falcon 1931 N/R, 80 min.
Genre: Mystery
aka: Dangerous Female
Director: Roy Del Ruth
Cast: Ricardo Cortez, Bebe Daniels, Dudley Digges, Una Merkel, Robert Elliott, J. Farrell MacDonald, Oscar Apfel, Thelma Todd, Walter Long, Dwight Frye
Although not as popular as the Humphrey Bogart version 10 years later, this first (of three) filming of Dashiell Hammett's story, is good. Private Eye Sam Spade (Ricardo Cortez) takes a case for Ruth (Bebe Daniels), whose sister is missing. Ultimately, it becomes a case of looking for a valuable statuette (with others also in pursuit) and pursuing the murderer of his partner. The 1936 version is titled "Satan Met a Lady."
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Man Hunt 1936 N/R, 65 min.
Genre: Comedy / Drama
Director: William Clemens
Cast: Marguerite Churchill, Ricardo Cortez, Charles "Chic" Sale, William Gargan, Dick Purcell, Olin Howland, Addison Richards, George E. Stone, Maude Eburne, Milton Kibbee, Russell Simpson, Eddie Shubert, Anita Kerry, Nick Copeland, Kenneth Harlan
Schoolteacher Jane Carpenter (Marguerite Churchill) is bored with her dull, small town, so she tries to spice up the classroom with tales of Old West outlaws. When bank robber Frank Kingman (Ricardo Cortez) escapes and hides in the school, Jane helps him. As the town's newspaper and citizens become interested in the case, Jane discovers that outlaw life is not so glamorous.
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Mandalay 1934 N/R, 65 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Michael Curtiz
Cast: Kay Francis, Lyle Talbot, Ricardo Cortez, Warner Oland, Lucien Littlefield, Ruth Donnelly, Reginald Owen, Rafaela Ottiano, Halliwell Hobbes, Etienne Girardot
In an attempt to flee her corrupt life in Rangoon, Tanya (Kay Francis) manages to obtain passage on a boat to Mandalay where she finds redemption.
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Midnight Mary 1933 N/R, 75 min.
Genre: Drama / Romance
Director: William A. Wellman
Cast: Loretta Young, Ricardo Cortez, Franchot Tone, Andy Devine, Una Merkel, Frank Conroy, Warren Hymer, Harold Huber, Charley Grapewin, Halliwell Hobbes, Ivan F. Simpson, Sandy Roth, Martha Sleeper, Robert Emmett O'Connor, Louise Beavers
While Mary (Loretta Young) is on trial for murder, her story is told through flashbacks. She grows up in poverty, and when she reaches adulthood Mary gets mixed up with Leo the Rat (Ricardo Cortez) and his gang of crooked gamblers (Warren Hymer, Harold Huber, Una Merkel, and Sandy Roth). After meeting wealthy lawyer Tom and becoming romantically involved with him, Mary tries to straighten out her life. But, she finds it difficult to escape her past, and she is torn between "good" Tom and "bad" Leo. Good Wellman and Young efforts.
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Mr. Moto's Last Warning 1939 N/R, 71 min.
Genre: Mystery
Director: Norman Foster
Cast: Peter Lorre, Ricardo Cortez, Virginia Field, John Carradine, George Sanders, Robert Coote, John Davidson, E.E. Clive, Holmes Herbert, Leyland Hodgson
A plot to disrupt agreements between France and England over the Suez Canal is thwarted by Mr. Moto (Peter Lorre).
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Murder Over New York 1940 N/R, 65 min.
Genre: Mystery
Director: Harry Lachman
Cast: Sidney Toler, Marjorie Weaver, Robert Lowery, Ricardo Cortez, Victor Sen Yung, Donald MacBride, Melville Cooper, Kane Richmond, Joan Valerie, Clarence Muse
During a police convention in New York City, Charlie Chan (Sidney Toler) is called on to investigate espionage and possible sabotage at an airplane plant.
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Postal Inspector 1936 N/R, 58 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Otto Brower
Cast: Ricardo Cortez, Patricia Ellis, Michael Loring, Bela Lugosi, Wallis Clark, Arthur Loft, David Oliver, Guy Usher, Spencer Charters, Hattie McDaniel, Harry Beresford
Gambling debts force nightclub owner Gregory Benez (Bela Lugosi) into a life of crime. When he hires a beautiful singer (Patricia Ellis) to perform in his club, she and Benez are put under the watchful eye of U.S. Postal Inspector Bill Davis (Ricardo Cortez).
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Special Agent 1935 N/R, 78 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: William Keighley
Cast: Bette Davis, Ricardo Cortez, George Brent, Jack La Rue, Henry O'Neill, Joe Sawyer, Joseph Crehan, Irving Pichel, Robert Strange, J. Carrol Naish
A detective (George Brent), posing as a reporter, tries to get information on a racketeering boss (Ricardo Cortez) via his bookkeeper (Bette Davis).
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Ten Cents a Dance 1931 N/R, 80 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Lionel Barrymore
Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Ricardo Cortez, Monroe Owsley, Sally Blane, Blanche Friderici, Olive Tell, Pat Harmon, Martha Sleeper, David Newell, Phyllis Crane
Barbara (Barbara Stanwyck), a dance hall hostess, marries the wrong guy and lives to regret her choice of husbands.
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Thirteen Women 1932 N/R, 73 min.
Genre: Horror / Thriller
Director: George Archainbaud
Cast: Irene Dunne, Ricardo Cortez, Myrna Loy, Jill Esmond, Florence Eldridge, Kay Johnson, Mary Duncan, C. Henry Gordon, Peg Entwistle, Harriet Hagman
Years after her alienation from a group of sorority sisters, a woman (Myrna Loy) is determined to seek revenge for their callous racial biases.
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Tomorrow We Live 1942 N/R, 66 min.
Genre: Action / Drama
aka: At Dawn We Die
Director: Edgar G. Ulmer
Cast: Ricardo Cortez, Jean Parker, Emmett Lynn, William(2) Marshall, Rose Anne Stevens, Ray Miller, Frank Hagney, Rex Lease, Jack Ingram, Jane Hale
A gangster, The Ghost (Ricardo Cortez), blackmails ex-con "Pop" Bronson (Emmett Lynn) into storing his mass of stolen tires. But, when "Pop's" daughter, Julie (Jean Parker), learns what is happening, she tries to save her father. Her efforts fail after a rival gang beats up The Ghost. The Ghost thinks that "Pop" Bronson is responsible and exacts revenge by shooting him in front of Julie.
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Torch Singer 1933 N/R, 70 min.
Genre: Musical / Drama
Director: Alexander Hall, George Somnes
Cast: Claudette Colbert, Ricardo Cortez, David Manners, Lyda Roberti, Baby LerRoy, Florence Roberts, Charley Grapewin, Sam Godfrey, Virginia Hammond, Mildred Washington, Ethel Griffies, Albert Conti, Cora Sue Collins, Helen Jerome Eddy, Albert Conti
Sally Trent (Claudette Colbert) works as a host on a children's radio show during the day and doubles as nightclub singer Mimi Benton at night. Sally has given up her daughter for adoption but wants to find her. Mike Gardner (David Manners) is the father of Sally's child, and, when he returns from China, he tries without success to reunite with Sally. Later, through her radio broadcast, Sally does find her daughter living with Michael, and they reconcile. Songs include "Don't Be a Cry Baby," "The Torch Singer," and "It's a Long Dark Night."
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The Walking Dead 1936 N/R, 62 min.
Genre: Drama / Horror / Thriller
Director: Michael Curtiz
Cast: Boris Karloff, Ricardo Cortez, Marguerite Churchill, Barton MacLane, Warren Hull, Paul Harvey, Robert Strange, Eddie Acuff, Edmund Gwenn, Henry O'Neill, Joe King, Addison Richards, Joe Sawyer, Kenneth Harlan, Miki Morita
Corrupt attorney Nolan (Ricardo Cortez) leads a group of gangsters and frames John Ellman (Boris Karloff) on a trumped-up charge of murder. Ellman is found guilty and is executed. Now, after learning that Ellman was innocent, Dr. Edmund Beaumont (Edmund Gwenn) brings Ellman back to life. Ellman is intent on avenging his untimely demise, tracks down the gangsters, and scares them to death. Finally, Nolan and his cohort, Loder (Barton MacLane), kill Ellman, but then their car crashes into a power line, and they are also killed.
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| 1. Bad Company (1931)
2. Behind Office Doors (1931)
3. The Big Shakedown (1934)
4. The Californian (1937)
aka: The Gentleman from California
5. The Case of the Black Cat (1936)
6. Charlie Chan in Reno (1939)
7. Flesh (1932)
8. Frisco Kid (1935)
9. Heaven with a Barbed Wire Fence (1939)
10. Illicit (1931)
11. The Inner Circle (1946)
12. The Last Hurrah (1958)
13. The Locket (1946)
14. The Maltese Falcon (1931)
aka: Dangerous Female
15. Man Hunt (1936)
16. Mandalay (1934)
17. Midnight Mary (1933)
18. Montana Moon (1930)
19. Mr. Moto's Last Warning (1939)
20. Murder Over New York (1940)
21. Postal Inspector (1936)
22. Special Agent (1935)
23. Ten Cents a Dance (1931)
24. Thirteen Women (1932)
25. Tomorrow We Live (1942)
aka: At Dawn We Die
26. Torch Singer (1933)
27. The Walking Dead (1936)
28. West of Shanghai (1937)
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