Alexander's Ragtime Band 1938  N/R, 105 min.
Genre: Musical
Director: Henry King
Cast: Tyrone Power, Alice Faye, Don Ameche, Ethel Merman, Jack Haley, Jean Hersholt, Helen Westley, John Carradine, Paul Hurst, Wally Vernon
Lots of Irving Berlin songs add to this major production that won an Academy Award for its musical score. The story follows Roger Grant (Tyrone Power) from his classical music training in San Francisco in 1915 through his shift to ragtime and the fortunes of the band he starts. Of course, there is the romantic interest with his lead singer (Alice Faye) and the rival (Don Ameche). The film also received five Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture.
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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.
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Bloodhounds of Broadway 1952 N/R, 89 min.
Genre: Musical
Director: Harmon Jones
Cast: Mitzi Gaynor, Scott Brady, Mitzi Green, Marguerite Chapman, Michael O'Shea, Wally Vernon, George E. Stone, Charles Bronson, Henry Slate
Based on Damon Runyan's story, this musical is about an innocent country girl, Emily Ann Stackerlee (Mitzi Gaynor), who arrives in New York City during the 1920s and becomes involved with bookmaker "Numbers" Foster (Scott Brady)–to the benefit of both.
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Charlie Chan at Treasure Island 1939 N/R, 75 min.
Genre: Mystery
Director: Norman Foster
Cast: Sidney Toler, Pauline Moore, Cesar Romero, Victor Sen Yung, Douglas Fowley, June Gale, Douglass Dumbrille, Donald MacBride, Sally Blane, Louis Jean Heydt, Wally Vernon, Charles Halton, Billie Seward, Trevor Bardette, Gerald Mohr
While traveling on the clipper from Honolulu to San Francisco, Paul Essex (Louis Jean Heydt) dies, and the police rule the death a suicide. Charlie Chan (Sidney Toler) investigates his friend's death, and the clues lead to a San Francisco Fair at Treasure Island and a spiritualist, Dr. Zodiac (Gerald Mohr). Charlie and son Jimmy (Victor Sen Yung) get help on the case from an illusionist, Rhadini (Cesar Romero), who wants to expose Dr. Zodiac as a phony who threatens his clients with blackmail. The investigation reaches a high point when a mystic, Eve (Pauline Moore), plans to use her psychic powers to name the killer.
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The Gorilla 1939  N/R, 65 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Allan Dwan
Cast: Al Ritz, Harry Ritz, Jimmy Ritz, Anita Louise, Patsy Kelly, Lionel Atwill, Bela Lugosi, Joseph Calleia, Paul Harvey, Edward Norris, Wally Vernon, Art Miles
Inept detectives (the Ritz Brothers–Jimmy, Harry, and Al) visit Peter's (Bela Lugosi) haunted house and become involved in solving a murder mystery.
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What a Way to Go! 1964 N/R, 111 min.
Genre: Comedy / Romance
Director: J. Lee Thompson
Cast: Shirley MacLaine, Robert Mitchum, Gene Kelly, Paul Newman, Dick Van Dyke, Robert Cummings, Margaret Dumont, Dean Martin, Reginald Gardiner, Roy Gordon, Fifi D'Orsay, Lou Nova, Maurice Marsac, Wally Vernon, Jane Wald
Poor Louisa (Shirley MacLaine)–every time she marries, her new husband dies. Eventually, she has a whole lot of money that she is trying to give to the IRS, but officials suspect that she is insane and send her to a psychiatrist, Dr. Victor Stephanson (Robert Cummings), Louisa's story unfolds as she tells Stephanson about her marriages. The first one involves her choice of poor shopkeeper Edgar (Dick Van Dyke) over wealthy Leonard (Dean Martin), but Edgar works himself to death. Next, Louisa marries inventor Larry (Paul Newman) who becomes wealthy and dies. Then, she marries business tycoon Rod (Robert Mitchum) who retires, becomes a farmer, and is killed by a bull. Finally, Louisa marries entertainer Jerry (Gene Kelly), and he becomes a star and is crushed to death by a mob of his fans. All died trying to make Louisa happy, and now she believes that the money they made is cursed.
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What Price Glory? 1952  N/R, 110 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: John Ford
Cast: James Cagney, Corinne Calvet, Dan Dailey, William Demarest, Robert Wagner, James Gleason, Harry Morgan, Craig Hill, Marisa Pavan, Max Showalter, Wally Vernon, Henri Letondal, Paul Fix
U.S. Marine Captain Flagg (James Cagney) and Sergeant Quirt (Dan Dailey) fight together in the trenches of World War I, but they find rivalry in the quest for Charmaine (Corinne Calvet).
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| 1. Alexander's Ragtime Band (1938)
2. Always Leave Them Laughing (1949)
3. Bloodhounds of Broadway (1952)
4. Charlie Chan at Treasure Island (1939)
5. The Gorilla (1939)
6. What a Way to Go! (1964)
7. What Price Glory? (1952)
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