Adventures of Huckleberry Finn 1939 N/R, 90 min. Genre: Family / Adventure / Drama aka: Huckleberry Finn
Director: Richard Thorpe Cast: Mickey Rooney, Rex Ingram, Walter Connolly, William Frawley, Lynne Carver, Jo Ann Sayers, Minor Watson, Elisabeth Risdon, Victor Kilian, Clara Blandick, Wade Boteler, Irving Bacon, Frank Darien, Roger Imhof, E. Alyn Warren
This is a very good remake of the Mark Twain classic as the innocent boy, Huck (Mickey Rooney), and runaway slave Jim (Rex Ingram) meet adventures and become friends as they raft down the Mississippi River. During their trip, Huck and Jim run into con-men "the King" (Walter Connolly) and "the Duke" (William Frawley) who impersonate royalty as part of their swindling schemes. True to Twain's story.
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Banjo on My Knee 1936 N/R, 95 min. Genre: Musical
Director: John Cromwell Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Joel McCrea, Helen Westley, Buddy Ebsen, Walter Brennan, Walter Catlett, Tony Martin, Katherine DeMille, Minna Gombell, Spencer Charters, Victor Kilian, George Humbert, Hilda Vaughn, Cecil Weston, Louis Mason
Life on a riverboat during the 19th century is the theme in this fine musical.
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Belle of the Yukon 1944 N/R, 83 min. Genre: Musical
Director: William A. Seiter Cast: Randolph Scott, Gypsy Rose Lee, Dinah Shore, Charles Winninger, Bob Burns, Florence Bates, Guinn "Big Boy" Williams, William(2) Marshall, Robert Armstrong, Victor Kilian
Randolph Scott stars as a dancehall owner who attracts not one but two women (Gypsy Rose Lee and Dinah Shore) in this forgettable film.
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Blackmail 1939 N/R, 81 min. Genre: Drama
Director: H.C. Potter Cast: Edward G. Robinson, Ruth Hussey, Gene Lockhart, Bobs Watson, Guinn "Big Boy" Williams, John Wray, Arthur Hohl, Esther Dale, Joseph Crehan, Victor Kilian
In another good performance, Edward G. Robinson plays an innocent man who is blackmailed and sent to prison.
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Blood and Sand 1941 N/R, 123 min. Genre: Drama
Director: Rouben Mamoulian Cast: Tyrone Power, Linda Darnell, Rita Hayworth, Anthony Quinn, Alla Nazimova, J. Carrol Naish, George Reeves, John Carradine, Pedro de Cordoba, Lynn Bari, Laird Cregar, Monty Banks, Vincente Gomez, Fortunio Bonanova, Victor Kilian
In this remake of the 1922 film, popular Spanish bullfighter Juan Gallardo (Tyrone Power) finds his performances lack their previous daring now that he is in the middle of an affair with the beautiful Dona Sol (Rita Hayworth). In an effort to regain the love of his wife, Carmen (Linda Darnell), and to regain lost popularity, Juan Gallardo makes the fateful decision to fight just one more bull.
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Dangerous Passage 1944 N/R, 60 min. Genre: Drama / Thriller
Director: William Berke Cast: Robert Lowery, Phyllis Brooks, Charles Arnt, Jack La Rue, Victor Kilian, Alec Craig, John Eldredge, William Edmunds, Will Wright
Joe Beck (Robert Lowery) inherits a fortune, but he must sail from South America to the U.S. in order to claim his money in Texas. On the voyage, he falls in love with sultry singer Nita Paxton (Phyllis Brooks) and, at the same time, finds himself the victim of attempts on his life by another traveler who wants the inheritance.
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A Date with the Falcon 1941 N/R, 68 min. Genre: Mystery
Director: Irving Reis Cast: George Sanders, Wendy Barrie, James Gleason, Allen Jenkins, Mona Maris, Victor Kilian, Frank Moran, Hans Conried, Edward Gargan, Alec Craig
A stolen formula for synthetic diamonds and its murdered inventor are the bases of this case for the Falcon (George Sanders).
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Dillinger 1945 N/R, 74 min. Genre: Drama
Director: Max Nosseck Cast: Lawrence Tierney, Edmund Lowe, Anne Jeffreys, Eduardo Ciannelli, Elisha Cook Jr., Marc Lawrence, Ralph Lewis, Ludwig Stossel, Dewey Robinson, Selmer Jackson, Elsa Janssen, Constance Worth, William B. Davidson, Victor Kilian, Lou Lubin
Gunned down by police in front of Chicago's Biograph Theater in 1934, John Dillinger had been the FBI's Public Enemy Number One. Lawrence Tierney takes on the Dillinger role, but Edmund Lowe gets the more interesting role of gang chieftan Specs Green in this story tracing Dillinger's criminal career, which extends from petty thefts to bank robberies.
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The Flame and the Arrow 1950 N/R, 89 min. Genre: Adventure
Director: Jacques Tourneur Cast: Burt Lancaster, Virginia Mayo, Robert Douglas, Aline MacMahon, Frank Allenby, Nick Cravat, Gordon Gebert, Norman Lloyd, Victor Kilian, Lynn Baggett
Dardo the Arrow (Burt Lancaster) leads a revolution against the warlord, Ulrich (Frank Allenby). In the process, he frees Lombardy from Ulrich's rule and falls in love with Ulrich's niece, Anne (Virginia Mayo).
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I Shot Jesse James 1949 N/R, 81 min. Genre: Western / Drama / Romance
Director: Samuel Fuller Cast: Preston Foster, Barbara Britton, John Ireland, Reed Hadley, J. Edward Bromberg, Victor Kilian, Barbara Woodell, Tom Tyler, Tommy Noonan, Byron Foulger, Margia Dean, Eddie Dunn, Jeni Le Gon, Phillip Pine, Robin Short
In Samuel Fuller's directorial debut, he puts together a dark, fictionalized tale of Bob Ford (John Ireland) who killed his friend Jesse James (Reed Hadley) for the reward money. As a result, he loses his girlfriend Cynthy (Barbara Britton), is reduced to making money by acting out his killing in bars, and finally must run from would-be killers who seek to kill the man who killed Jesse James.
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Kismet 1944 N/R, 100 min. Genre: Adventure / Fantasy aka: Oriental Dream
Director: William Dieterle Cast: Ronald Colman, Marlene Dietrich, Edward Arnold, Florence Bates, James Craig, Joy Page, Harry Davenport, Hugh Herbert, Hobart Cavanaugh, Robert Warwick, Morris Ankrum, Harry Cording, Yvonne De Carlo, Victor Kilian, Pedro de Cordoba
In this Arabian Nights tale, the Baghdad "King of Beggars" Hafiz (Ronald Colman) disguises himself as a prince and romances the queen of the castle, Jamilla (Marlene Dietrich). Meanwhile, his daughter Marsinah (Joy Page) is interested in a gardener who is really the Caliph (James Craig). By story's end, fate steps in–Hafiz finds true love with Jamilla, and Caliph and Marsinah live happily ever after. Remade in 1955 as a musical.
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Meet Me in St. Louis 1944 N/R, 113 min. Genre: Family / Musical / Romance
Director: Vincente Minnelli Cast: Judy Garland, Margaret O'Brien, Lucille Bremer, Mary Astor, Leon Ames, June Lockhart, Harry Davenport, Marjorie Main, Tom Drake, Chill Wills, Joan Carroll, Hugh Marlowe, Robert Sully, Darryl Hickman, Victor Kilian
In 1903, the Smith family must deal with moving away from St. Louis and the World's Fair, which means leaving friends behind when the father, Alonzo (Leon Ames), has plans to relocate to New York City. The children Esther, Tootie, Rose, and Agnes (Judy Garland, Margaret O'Brien, Lucille Bremer, and Joan Carroll) represent an earlier, more innocent era of childhood in this classic musical.
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Only Angels Have Wings 1939 N/R, 121 min. Genre: Drama
Director: Howard Hawks Cast: Cary Grant, Jean Arthur, Thomas Mitchell, Richard Barthelmess, Rita Hayworth, Noah Beery Jr., Sig Ruman, Allyn Joslyn, Don "Red" Barry, Victor Kilian
This is the story of American pilots delivering mail in South America. They encounter danger as well as love while sharing loyalty to each other and their missions.
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The Ox-Bow Incident 1943 N/R, 76 min. Genre: Western / Drama
Director: William A. Wellman Cast: Henry Fonda, Harry Morgan, Dana Andrews, Anthony Quinn, Mary Beth Hughes, William Eythe, Jane Darwell, Marc Lawrence, Harry Davenport, Frank Conroy, Matt Briggs, Paul Hurst, Victor Kilian, Chris-Pin Martin, Willard Robertson
Cowboys Gil Carter (Henry Fonda) and Art Croft (Harry Morgan) ride into a small Nevada town and have a drink at a bar. The next thing they know, they are in the midst of a barroom brawl, which sets them apart from the locals. The sheriff is out of town, and a lynch mob forms, led by Major Tetley (Frank Conroy), when the news is revealed that a rancher has been killed by rustlers. The cowboys ride out of town and witness the mob hanging three men. When they learn that no rancher was killed, the cowboys' reaction is to search for the truth and bring justice to the killing of three innocent men. This film presents a psychological view of mob violence and its aftermath and is based on a true story that took place during 1885 in Nevada. A great Western that received an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture.
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Prison Break 1938 N/R, 72 min. Genre: Mystery / Drama
Director: Arthur Lubin Cast: Barton MacLane, Glenda Farrell, Paul Hurst, Constance Moore, Ward Bond, Edward Pawley, Edmund MacDonald, Guy Usher, Victor Kilian, George Cleveland, Frank Darien, Glenn Strange
Tuna fisherman Joaquin (Barton MacLane) is wrongfully convicted of murder and sent to prison. He is up for early parole after being a model prisoner, but when he finds out that his movements will be limited, and he will not be allowed to marry his fiancee, he breaks out of prison and searches for the real killer.
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Riffraff 1935 N/R, 85 min. Genre: Drama
Director: J. Walter Ruben Cast: Jean Harlow, Spencer Tracy, Una Merkel, Joseph Calleia, Mickey Rooney, Victor Kilian, J. Farrell MacDonald, Roger Imhof, Juanita Quigley, Paul Hurst
Union leader Dutch (Spencer Tracy) fights for the rights of tuna fishermen but has problems settling disputes with cannery worker Hattie (Jean Harlow).
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Rimfire 1949 N/R, 63 min. Genre: Western
Director: B. Reeves Eason Cast: James Millican, Mary Beth Hughes, Reed Hadley, Henry Hull, Fuzzy Knight, Victor Kilian, Chris-Pin Martin, George Cleveland, Margia Dean, Ray Bennett, Glenn Strange, I. Stanford Jolley, John L. Cason, Jason Robards Sr.
After thwarting a stagecoach robbery, Tom Harvey (James Millican) rides into a New Mexico town presumably looking for work–but we know that he's a Secret Service agent investigating stolen gold. Hired as Deputy Sheriff, Tom soon becomes involved in a case of multiple murders that some superstitious townsfolk believe are the result of a hanged man's ghost. Tom is able to solve both his case as well as the town's problem.
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The Road to Glory 1936 N/R, 95 min. Genre: Drama
Director: Howard Hawks Cast: Fredric March, Warner Baxter, Lionel Barrymore, June Lang, Gregory Ratoff, Victor Kilian, Paul Stanton, John Qualen, Paul Fix, Julius Tannen
During World War I, a French regiment under the command of Captain La Roche (Warner Baxter) is in the midst of trench warfare, giving and taking one foot at a time. The heavy-drinking captain is in a love triangle involving his lieutenant (Fredric March) and a nurse (June Lang) when along comes his father (Lionel Barrymore), the oldest private, to join the regiment as a replacement. Based on a French film and co-written by William Faulkner.
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Secrets of the Lone Wolf 1941 N/R, 62 min. Genre: Mystery
Director: Edward Dmytryk Cast: Warren William, Ruth Ford, Roger Clark, Victor Jory, Eric Blore, Thurston Hall, Fred Kelsey, Victor Kilian, Marlo Dwyer, John Harmon
A pretty good episode in the series as our hero's trusty butler (Eric Blore) is mistaken for his boss by jewel thieves. The butler is forced to aid in the theft of the Napoleon jewels, which have been entrusted to the Lone Wolf's protection during a steamship voyage.
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Seventh Heaven 1937 N/R, 102 min. Genre: Drama / Romance
Director: Henry King Cast: Simone Simon, James Stewart, Jean Hersholt, Gregory Ratoff, Gale Sondergaard, J. Edward Bromberg, John Qualen, Victor Kilian, Sig Ruman, Thomas Beck, Georges Renavent, Mady Christians, Rafaela Ottiano, Rollo Lloyd, Edward Keane
Diane (Simone Simon) is exploited as a prostitute by her sister Nana (Gale Sondergaard) and then thrown out of the house. A Parisian sewer worker, Chico (James Stewart), rescues Diane, and she moves into his slum apartment. World War I breaks out just as Chico realizes that he is in love with Diane, but he is drafted and leaves for the front. Four years later, Chico, blinded during the war, returns to a loving Diane who is waiting for him.
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Torrid Zone 1940 N/R, 87 min. Genre: Action / Comedy / Adventure
Director: William Keighley Cast: James Cagney, Ann Sheridan, Pat O'Brien, Andy Devine, George Tobias, Helen Vinson, Jerome Cowan, George Reeves, Victor Kilian, Frank Puglia, Grady Sutton, John Ridgely, Paul Porcasi, Frank Yaconelli, Dick Botiller
Central American planter Nick Butler (James Cagney) is a plantation foreman working for Baldwin Fruit Company executive Steve Case (Pat O'Brien). Butler is preparing to head back to Chicago and leave his plantation job behind, but he encounters problems from Case who wants O'Brien to work on another plantation. Butler does agree and goes to the plantation where problems lie ahead in the form of Gloria (Helen Vinson) who is the wife of former foreman Bob Anderson (Jerome Cowan), sexy nightclub singer Lee Donley (Ann Sheridan), and Latino bandits led by Rosario "Rosie" La Mata (George Tobias).
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Unknown World 1951 N/R, 70 min. Genre: Sci-Fi
Director: Terry O. Morse Cast: Victor Kilian, Bruce Kellogg, Otto Waldis, Jim Bannon, Marilyn Nash, Tom Handley, Dick Cogan, George Baxter
With bomb shelters being "the thing" in the 1950s, this film comes up with a sure winner for a shelter: the center of the Earth. A team led by scientist Jeremiah Morley (Victor Kilian) builds a giant drilling machine to do just that. And the expedition begins, with hazards sure to lie ahead.
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Young Tom Edison 1940 N/R, 82 min. Genre: Drama
Director: Norman Taurog Cast: Mickey Rooney, Fay Bainter, George Bancroft, Virginia Weidler, Eugene Pallette, Victor Kilian, Bobby Jordan, J.M. Kerrigan, Lloyd Corrigan, Clem Bevans
This is the first half of two films planned by MGM about the life of Thomas Edison. It was followed by "Edison, the Man." Mickey Rooney stars as the inquisitive teenager, Tom, in his days before fame and fortune. Spencer Tracy took on the title role in the second film about an older Thomas Edison.
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| 1. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1939) aka: Huckleberry Finn
2. Banjo on My Knee (1936)
3. Belle of the Yukon (1944)
4. Blackmail (1939)
5. Blood and Sand (1941)
6. Dangerous Passage (1944)
7. A Date with the Falcon (1941)
8. Dillinger (1945)
9. The Flame and the Arrow (1950)
10. I Shot Jesse James (1949)
11. Kismet (1944) aka: Oriental Dream
12. Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)
13. Only Angels Have Wings (1939)
14. The Ox-Bow Incident (1943)
15. Prison Break (1938)
16. Riffraff (1935)
17. Rimfire (1949)
18. The Road to Glory (1936)
19. Secrets of the Lone Wolf (1941)
20. Seventh Heaven (1937)
21. Torrid Zone (1940)
22. Unknown World (1951)
23. Young Tom Edison (1940)
In The News
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