Drama > 1934 Drama

This Lady is a Tramp

Advantages: Early Bette Davis classic
Disadvantages: Film quality sometimes scratchy

Of Human Bondage is a film made in 1934 starring Leslie Howard and Bette Davis. It is based on the novel by W. Somerset Maugham. Howard stars as Philip Carey, a man born with a club foot and a sensitive, artistic nature. He is an aspiring artist who decides to go to medical school when told by a mentor he is a mediocre artist. He first meets Mildred (Davis) in a café where she waitresses and is instantly smitten. In the early scenes of the film the ...
...becomes clear that this vision of her is one only seen by Philip. Her sharp, demanding personality is evident on their first date. She is blatantly coy and manipulative with him, using his obvious attraction to her benefit right from the start. She gives new meaning to the phrase playing hard to get. Her token response to his advances, to great amusement and effect, is "I don't mind." When Philip asks her to see him again, or if she has any feelings ...

venice105 12.09.2006 · Read full review
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Review of Of Human Bondage (DVD)

It's The Good Ship Lollipop

Advantages: nice little kiddie drama with Shirley Temple and Jane Withers
Disadvantages: Its Shirley Temple , so maybe not for you but might be for your kid

When my daughter was five, it was not the easiest thing in he world to find some quality entertainment for her to watch that wasn't animated. Recalling several childhood Sunday afternoon with TV repeats of old Shirley Temples, I thought she might enjoy seeing a girl of similar age having adventures, being girly, and singing away. This is one of the very first film of Shirley's we rented, and I have to say I had forgotten what a nice little piece ...
...film has since been well colourised, which actually suits it quite well. Poor Shirley Blake's father was an aviator, whose plane "cracked up", leaving her and her mother penniless. Her mother Mary had taken a job as a maid at the mansion of a quite well to do family who also have a daughter, to whom little Shirley's character is to act as a playmate. The other aviators at the field have made a pet out of Shirley, and her godfather, aviator James ...

Shroud 01.10.2008 · Read full review
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Review of Bright Eyes (DVD)

Judge Priest

Advantages: Period piece
Disadvantages: Not PC!

Judge Priest is a film that has perhaps outlived its usefulness. It is a racist film, but the sad, sad thing about the racism of this film is that it is all utterly unintended. It stars Will Rogers Anita Louise and Stepin Fetchit and Hattie McDaniel and it was directed by John Ford in 1934. It tells the story of Judge Priest (Will Rogers) who is an amiable judge in a Southern town. A black man played by (Stepin Fetchit) is arrested and put before ...
...for her boy. Whilst the Judge is chatting to his wife at her graveside, the judge catches a glimpse of local blacksmith Bob Gillis laying flowers by the grave of the mother of Ellie May. Later, three young men foolishly cast aspersions as to the honour Ellie May in public, Gillis (who is well out of the first flush of youth) lays into the lads and fights with them. The leader of the three yobs, Talley, decides to prosecute Gillis in court. Since ...

Martinscholes 11.12.2005 · Read full review
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Review of Judge Priest (DVD)

Before We Had Colour TV...

Advantages: Clever dialogue, decent plot, classic Hitchcock
Disadvantages: Simply too dated for 99% of people

...films deemed too irrelevant for the common movie-goer. Alas I just can't seem to give this DVD the thumbs up. You see, the thing is -if a black and white film, handicapped with the inevitable restrictions of movie-making in yesteryears, is to be an enjoyable experience for an audience today, it must have certain qualities of timelessness to it. Casablanca, The Seventh Seal and The Lady Vanishes are adored, remastered and distributed widely today ...
...to people still. I watched The Lady Vanishes (Hitchcock's last British film before he moved to America to make such international blockbusters like Vertigo and Psycho) prior to this DVD and found that to be suspenseful enough despite it being made around the same time with this film. However I must say that The Man Who Knew Too Much proved just too boring and sketchy for me despite having such a promising plot and such a decent cast. Vintage Hitchcock ...

habitualdamnation 06.07.2005 · Read full review
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Review of The Man Who Knew Too Much (DVD)

The other Mr Wong

Advantages: fun little adventure mystery, Lugosi
Disadvantages: Not much of a mystery to it

The Mysterious Mr. Wong is often confused, and said to be part of, the series of Mr. Wong films starring Boris Karloff made in the 30’s and 40’s by Monogram studios. This film predates the first Mr. Wong (the detective) film by three years and stars another of the major monster/horror stars of the 1940’s… Bela Lugosi. Made in 1935 The Mysterious Mr. Wong is 60 minutes long and is very typical of many of the B movies of that era. B movies were the ...
...of cinema. A trip to the cinema back then would consist of a major movie, a b movie, a cartoon and a newsreel as well. No short trip to see one film and then back home again, trips to the cinema took most of the night, especially if you took in a meal as well. B movies were often the proving ground for up and coming stars who were on the studio payroll, to build an audience for them before moving them into the major movies or the last hurrah for ...

Ailran 15.09.2009 · Read full review
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Review of The Mysterious Mr Wong (Remastered) (DVD)