About Face 1952 N/R, 94 min. Genre: Musical / Comedy / Romance
Director: Roy Del Ruth Cast: Gordon MacRae, Eddie Bracken, Dick Wesson, Phyllis Kirk, Joel Grey, Virginia Gibson, Larry Keating, John Baer, Aileen Stanley Jr., Cliff Ferre
Set to music, this is a remake of 1938's "Brother Rat" about three cadets at Virginia Military Institute who try to conceal a forbidden marriage that would mean dismissal from the cadet corps for one of them if it was discovered.
|  | |
The Alligator People 1959 N/R, 73 min. Genre: Sci-Fi / Horror / Thriller
Director: Roy Del Ruth Cast: Beverly Garland, George Macready, Richard Crane, Lon Chaney Jr., Frieda Inescort, Bruce Bennett, Ruby Goodwin, Douglas Kennedy, Hal K. Dawson, Dudley Dickerson, Bill Bradley, John Frederick, Vince Townsend Jr., Lee Warren
Paul and Jane Webster (Richard Crane and Beverly Garland) are newlyweds riding on a train when Paul receives a telegram. He gets off at a station, and the train leaves before he re-boards. Jane spends years searching for Paul. She finally finds him in the Louisiana bayou country and discovers that Paul has been given reptile genes as the means to bring him back to health, and he is now transformed into an alligator mutant.
|  | |
Always Leave Them Laughing 1949 N/R, 116 min. Genre: Comedy
Director: Roy Del Ruth Cast: Milton Berle, Virginia Mayo, Ruth Roman, Bert Lahr, Alan Hale, Jerome Cowan, Lloyd Gough, Max Showalter, Iris Adrian, Wally Vernon
Comedian Kip Cooper's (Milton Berle) career has endured as many highs as lows. This story was remade as "Mr. Saturday Night" with Billy Crystal as the star.
|  | |
The Babe Ruth Story 1948 N/R, 106 min. Genre: Drama
Director: Roy Del Ruth Cast: William Bendix, Claire Trevor, Charles Bickford, Sam Levene, William Frawley, Paul Cavanagh, Mark Koenig, Mel Allen, Harry Wismer, Lloyd Gough
William Bendix is a good George Herman "Babe" Ruth in this biography of the famed slugger but–the "Babe" is portrayed as a self-centered child who never was forced to grow up and take responsibility for his actions.
|  | |
Blessed Event 1932 N/R, 84 min. Genre: Comedy
Director: Roy Del Ruth Cast: Lee Tracy, Mary Brian, Allen Jenkins, Ruth Donnelly, Isabel Jewell, George Meeker, Frank McHugh, Tom Dugan, Ned Sparks, Dick Powell
Newspaper columnist Alvin Roberts (Lee Tracy) specializes in reporting on "blessed events" which are started before marriage. When he announces the pregnancy of Dorothy (Isabel Jewell), it changes the lives of both Alvin and Dorothy. Behind the humor is a powerful story.
|  | |
Blonde Crazy 1931 N/R, 78 min. Genre: Comedy
Director: Roy Del Ruth Cast: James Cagney, Joan Blondell, Louis Calhern, Noel Francis, Guy Kibbee, Ray Milland, Charles(1) Lane, Maude Eburne, Nat Pendleton, Russell Hopton
Bert and Ann (James Cagney and Joan Blondell) are a couple of con artists who go from town to town cheating people out of their money. After being tricked out of their own money, they plot to get it back. This is sort of an early version of "The Sting."
|  | |
Born to Dance 1936 N/R, 105 min. Genre: Musical / Comedy
Director: Roy Del Ruth Cast: Eleanor Powell, James Stewart, Virginia Bruce, Una Merkel, Sid Silvers, Frances Langford, Buddy Ebsen, Reginald Gardiner, Raymond Walburn, Alan Dinehart, Dennis O'Keefe, James Flavin, Jonathan Hale, Barnett Parker, Harry Strang
Sailors Ted (James Stewart), Mush (Buddy Ebsen), and Gunny (Sid Silvers) romance their girlfriends Nora (Eleanor Powell), Peppy (Frances Langford), and Jenny (Una Merkel) while on shore leave. This musical revue, highlighting the creative talents of the great Cole Porter, features delightful dance scenes. "I've Got You under My Skin" was nominated for an Oscar for Best Song.
|  | |
Broadway Melody of 1936 1935 N/R, 110 min. Genre: Musical
Director: Roy Del Ruth Cast: Jack Benny, Eleanor Powell, Robert Taylor, Una Merkel, Sid Silvers, Buddy Ebsen, Paul Harvey, Frances Langford, June Knight, Vilma Ebsen, Nick Long Jr., Robert Wildhack, Harry Stockwell, Luana Walters
A feud between conniving newspaper journalist Bert Keeler (Jack Benny) and Broadway show producer Robert Gordon (Robert Taylor) erupts when Keeler prints a story about one of Gordon's performers (Eleanor Powell) buying her way into a starring role in the show. This musical was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. The good songs include "You Are My Lucky Star," "Broadway Rhythm," and Taylor's rendition of "I've Got a Feelin' You're Foolin."
|  | |
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.
|  | |
Bulldog Drummond Strikes Back 1934 N/R, 80 min. Genre: Mystery
Director: Roy Del Ruth Cast: Ronald Colman, Loretta Young, Warner Oland, Charles Butterworth, Una Merkel, C. Aubrey Smith, E.E. Clive, Mischa Auer, Halliwell Hobbes, Creighton Hale
Retired British military officer Bulldog Drummond (Ronald Colman) uncovers the deception of a woman pretending to be an heiress.
|  | |
Bureau of Missing Persons 1933 N/R, 73 min. Genre: Mystery
Director: Roy Del Ruth Cast: Bette Davis, Lewis Stone, Pat O'Brien, Glenda Farrell, Allen Jenkins, Hugh Herbert, Ruth Donnelly, Alan Dinehart, George Chandler, Marjorie Gateson
Police officer Butch Saunders (Pat O'Brien) falls in love with fugitive Norma Phillips (Bette Davis) and helps prove her innocence in a murder charge.
|  | |
Du Barry Was a Lady 1943 N/R, 96 min. Genre: Musical / Comedy
Director: Roy Del Ruth Cast: Red Skelton, Lucille Ball, Gene Kelly, Virginia O'Brien, Rags Ragland, Zero Mostel, Donald Meek, Douglass Dumbrille, George Givot, Louise Beavers
This musical comedy is the film adaptation of a popular Broadway show. Although most of the musical score was dropped from the movie version, two classics "Friendship" and "Do I Love You?" were saved and add to the lighthearted entertainment of this enjoyable film.
|  | |
Kid Millions 1934 N/R, 90 min. Genre: Musical
Director: Roy Del Ruth Cast: Eddie Cantor, Ann Sothern, Ethel Merman, George Murphy, Warren Hymer, Paul Harvey, Edgar Kennedy, Paulette Goddard, Lucille Ball, Stanley Fields
After inheriting a fortune, a kid (Eddie Cantor) from Brooklyn goes to Egypt to claim his inheritance. Lucille Ball is one of the "Goldwyn Girls" in this movie.
|  | |
Lady Killer 1933 N/R, 74 min. Genre: Comedy
Director: Roy Del Ruth Cast: James Cagney, Mae Clarke, Leslie Fenton, Margaret Lindsay, Raymond Hatton, Henry O'Neill, Willard Robertson, Russell Hopton, William B. Davidson, Douglass Dumbrille, Robert Elliott, Marjorie Gateson, Douglas Cosgrove
This film brings back the stars (James Cagney and Mae Clark) of the smash hit "Public Enemy." In this go-around, an underworld crook (Cagney) goes from usher to hotshot hood to movie star.
|  | |
The Little Giant 1933 N/R, 74 min. Genre: Comedy / Drama
Director: Roy Del Ruth Cast: Edward G. Robinson, Helen Vinson, Mary Astor, Kenneth Thomson, Russell Hopton, Shirley Grey, Don Dillaway, Berton Churchill, Selmer Jackson, Dewey Robinson, Louise Mackintosh, Rolfe Sedan, Joan Barclay, Guy Usher, William Worthington
Prohibition has ended, and Chicago gangster Bugs Ahearn (Edward G. Robinson) and chief lieutenant Al Daniels (Russell Hopton) head west to Santa Barbara where Bugs plans to gain respectability. Bugs rents a mansion from Ruth Wayburn (Mary Astor) and hires her as his personal assistant and social secretary. Meanwhile, Bugs falls in love with socialite Polly Cass (Helen Vinson) and asks her to marry him. But, Polly, without Bugs' knowledge, continues her affair with John Staley (Kenneth Thomson), and her family swindles Bugs out of his ill-gotten fortune. When Ruth, who has fallen in love with Bugs, finally tells Bugs about Polly's family's activities, Bugs calls in the mob to help him out.
|  | |
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."
|  | |
On Moonlight Bay 1951 N/R, 95 min. Genre: Musical / Comedy / Romance
Director: Roy Del Ruth Cast: Doris Day, Gordon MacRae, Leon Ames, Rosemary DeCamp, Billy Gray, Mary Wickes, Ellen Corby, Jack Smith, Esther Dale, Eddie Marr
Based on Booth Tarkington's "Penrod" series, this film is set in Indiana just prior to World War I. It is the love story of Marjorie Winfield (Doris Day) and about-to-be soldier William Sherman (Gordon MacRae). Great songs by Doris include the title song. Followed by "By the Light of the Silvery Moon."
|  | |
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."
|  | |
Private Number 1936 N/R, 75 min. Genre: Drama
Director: Roy Del Ruth Cast: Robert Taylor, Loretta Young, Patsy Kelly, Basil Rathbone, Paul Harvey, Monroe Owsley, George Irving, John Miljan, Jane Darwell, Marjorie Gateson, Joe E. Lewis
Richard Winfield (Robert Taylor) falls in love with, and marries, his mother's household servant, Ellen (Loretta Young). Then, to protect the family's social status, they keep the marriage secret.
|  | |
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.
|  | |
Starlift 1951 N/R, 103 min. Genre: Musical
Director: Roy Del Ruth Cast: Janice Rule, Ron Hagerthy, Dick Wesson, Richard Webb, Gary Cooper, James Cagney, Virginia Mayo, Ruth Roman, Doris Day, Gordon MacRae, Gene Nelson, Hayden Rorke, Howard St. John, Virginia Gibson, Phil Harris
This film is a patriot tribute to those who served in the Korean War. Starlet Nell Wayne (Janice Rule) is accompanying Doris Day and Gordon MacRae (playing themselves) to perform in a variety show at Travis Air Force Base. A soldier, Cpl. Rick (Ron Hagherthy), falls for Nell, romance blooms, and the press makes a big deal of it. But, Rick has misled Nell about his military duties, and the romance begins to fail–until Rick really does volunteer for combat duty. The film features cameo appearances by many movie stars.
|  | |
Taxi! 1932 N/R, 70 min. Genre: Drama
Director: Roy Del Ruth Cast: James Cagney, Loretta Young, George E. Stone, Guy Kibbee, Leila Bennett, Dorothy Burgess, David Landau, Ray Cooke, Matt McHugh, George Raft
Tough Matt Nolan (James Cagney) leads the fight for independent cabbies on the streets of New York City–to the dismay of his girlfriend (later his wife), Sue (Loretta Young). Interesting view of life in the depression era.
|  | |
The Terror 1928 N/R, 80 min. Genre: Mystery / Horror
Director: Roy Del Ruth Cast: May McAvoy, Louise Fazenda, Edward Everett Horton, Alec B. Francis, Matthew Betz, Holmes Herbert, John Miljan, Otto Hoffman, Joseph W. Girard, Frank Austin, Conrad Nagel, Reed Howes
Edgar Wallace's play is brought to the screen in one of the first "talkies." A mysterious killer is on the loose and is now present at a dinner with assorted guests, including an undercover Scotland Yard investigator. Remade in 1938.
|  | |
Thanks a Million 1935 N/R, 85 min. Genre: Musical / Comedy / Romance
Director: Roy Del Ruth Cast: Dick Powell, Ann Dvorak, Fred Allen, Patsy Kelly, Raymond Walburn, David Rubinoff, Benny Baker, Andrew Tombes, Alan Dinehart, Paul Harvey, Edwin Maxwell, Margaret Irving, Charles Richman, Lynn Bari, Harry Stubbs
Eric Land (Dick Powell) is the leading man in a traveling musical show whose manager Ned Lyman (Fred Allen) talks him into taking the place of an alcoholic candidate and running for the office of Governor of Pennsylvania. The campaigning proves disastrous for Eric's relationship with his girlfriend Sally (Ann Dvorak), and Eric wants out of politics. However, the people now love Eric, and he wins the election–and Sally as well.
|  | |
Topper Returns 1941 N/R, 85 min. Genre: Comedy / Fantasy / Mystery / Romance
Director: Roy Del Ruth Cast: Joan Blondell, Roland Young, Carole Landis, Billie Burke, Dennis O'Keefe, Patsy Kelly, H.B. Warner, Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, George Zucco, Donald MacBride, Trevor Bardette, Rafaela Ottiano, George Lloyd, Duke York, Eddy Chandler
Cosmo Topper (Roland Young) is back in this final episode of the series. The fun-loving ghost of Gail Richards (Joan Blondell) seeks the aid of Cosmo in finding her killer before the killer finds her friend who was the intended victim. The search ends up in a dark, old house with all the creepy attributes. Some very funny scenes. A Special Effects Academy Award nomination was received.
|  | |
The West Point Story 1950 N/R, 106 min. Genre: Musical
Director: Roy Del Ruth Cast: James Cagney, Virginia Mayo, Doris Day, Gordon MacRae, Gene Nelson, Alan Hale Jr., Roland Winters, Wilton Graff, Jerome Cowan, Frank Ferguson
After agreeing to direct the annual West Point cadet revue, Elwin Bixby (James Cagney) learns what it means to live life on the Hudson as a West Point cadet.
|  | |
Winner Take All 1932 N/R, 66 min. Genre: Drama
Director: Roy Del Ruth Cast: James Cagney, Marian Nixon, Guy Kibbee, Clarence Muse, Virginia Bruce, Dickie Moore, Allan Lane, Ralf Harolde, John Roche, Alan Mowbray
Prizefighter Jim Kane (James Cagney) recuperates from tuberculosis and regains success in the ring and the love of Peggy (Marian Nixon).
|  | |
| 1. About Face (1952)
2. The Alligator People (1959)
3. Always Leave Them Laughing (1949)
4. The Babe Ruth Story (1948)
5. Blessed Event (1932)
6. Blonde Crazy (1931)
7. Born to Dance (1936)
8. Broadway Melody of 1936 (1935)
9. Broadway Melody of 1938 (1937)
10. Bulldog Drummond Strikes Back (1934)
11. Bureau of Missing Persons (1933)
12. Du Barry Was a Lady (1943)
13. Kid Millions (1934)
14. Lady Killer (1933)
15. The Little Giant (1933)
16. The Maltese Falcon (1931) aka: Dangerous Female
17. On Moonlight Bay (1951)
18. On the Avenue (1937)
19. Phantom of the Rue Morgue (1954)
20. Private Number (1936)
21. The Star Maker (1939)
22. Starlift (1951)
23. Taxi! (1932)
24. The Terror (1928)
25. Thanks a Million (1935)
26. Topper Returns (1941)
27. The West Point Story (1950)
28. Winner Take All (1932)
In The News
|