Cinematic Era: Before 1950 Vintage

A girl from a small village goes to the big city to realize her dream of driving trains.

A mystery writer and his sweetheart are held hostage by a fugitive gangster, who hopes to enlist their help in devising the perfect murder.

In this Edgar Wallace adaptation, Sergeant Elk (a lugubrious Gordon Harker) sets out to unmask the Frog, the evil mastermind heading up a mysterious network responsible for a litany of sensational crimes. Wallace was one of the first British authors to capitalise on the potential of cinema to increase his already considerable celebrity. His luridly titled thrillers depicting shady underworlds remained popular film sources long after his death in 1932. This lavish production boasts a distinguished cast and delivers on all fronts: from romance and exotic cabaret acts, to heaps of tension and a dramatic reveal.

Yvonne von Krutz, a Belgian, lives with her German husband Karl, whom she was forced to marry, and her spirited little brother Jacques in a farmhouse on the Belgian countryside. With the German invasion of Belgium, Karl joins the German forces, and Jacques is taken to a reformatory to be trained as a munitions worker. When Karl is taken prisoner, Capt. Jefferson Strong, an American engineer, assumes the German's identity and discovers an underground supply of explosives near the von Krutz farm. By means of a tunnel, the Americans plan to mine the explosives. To save Jacques and a group of children from the munitions factory, however, Jefferson sends them across the American lines through the tunnel, but they lose their way, and he is forced to disable the mine. Jefferson is court-martialed, but King Albert of Belgium, who has befriended little Jacques, intercedes on his behalf. Learning that Karl has been killed, Jefferson pursues his budding romance with Yvonne.

This beautiful, atmospheric Chilean movie (made by an Argentinian director) was unfortunately "cannibalized" by Jerry Warren, who kept about a third of the original footage, together with another third of "La dama de la muerte" (another superb Chilean movie of the same period, made by Argentinian director Carlos Hugo Christensen), then added his own senseless "additional sequences" with John Carradine and Katherine Victor, the final result being the atrocious CURSE OF THE STONE HAND.

A British short comedy about two married couples whose romantic entanglements lead to farcical complications. When the original director Hugh Croise fell ill, Alfred Hitchcock and Seymour Hicks completed the film. Released in 1923 as a remake of the 1914 Leedham Bantock version, only one of its two reels is known to survive.

Tim is dismissed from the Rangers for letting his friend Kane who is accused of murder escape. When newspaper editor Alexander dies, Tim takes over to continue that fight against Heston and his stooge Sheriff. He also hopes to find the notorious leader of an outlaw gang and to also help Kane prove his innocence.

Good-natured troublemaker "Cyclone" Tom Saunders is hired by a ranchers' association manager to investigate recent cattle rustling at one of their ranches and to see if a pair of nesters have anything to do with it. After discovering the nesters, pretty Betty Powell and her rickety old father, are incapable of rustling, Tom instead turns his attention to the huge, swaggering bully of a foreman, Nate Lenox.

Though he fought for the North in the Civil War, John is asked by the Governor of Texas to get rid of some troublesome carpetbaggers. He enlists the help of Holden before learning that Holden too is plundering the local folk.

Roy Rogers takes on crooked wartime profiteers in the musical western Ridin' Down the Canyon. Posing as solid citizens, the crooks spend their evening hours stealing horses from local ranchers, then selling the steeds to the government at exorbitant prices. The head of the bad guys runs a dude ranch where Rogers and his pals (The Sons of the Pioneers) are employed.

Long-missing Bill Cardew returns to find his wife Vicky remarried...and in no hurry to settle for just one husband.

A cowboy arrives to help a girl who has a note due. He plans to sell her cattle to raise the money but they are stampeded and most are killed. Knowing who stampeded them gives him another plan to get the money.

November 1941. One by one, the men leave, leaving only old men, women and children in the village of Bykovka. Ivan Vybornov, the chairman of the collective farm, is also raring to go to the front, but, obeying party discipline, remains in the village and continues to skillfully and energetically lead the collective farm, mobilizing fellow villagers to send bread for the front and starving cities.

Yet another fast-paced western featuring the "Three Mesqueteers," pulp writer William Colt McDonald's trio of sagebrush heroes, Lone Star Raiders finds Stony Brooke (Robert Livingston), Tucson Smith (Bob Steele) and Lullaby Joslin (Rufe Davis) defending elderly rancher "Granny" Phelps (Sarah Padden) from greedy neighbor Henry Martin (George Douglas).

The peaceful life of an exemplary collective farm is being rent asunder by shortages and dissent, and a commissar is sent to uncover the source of the problems, unaware that their is actual sabotage involved.

A potpourri of features involving Hollywood celebrities. The Columbia University football team, winner of the 1934 Rose Bowl game, visits the Warner Bros. Studios and is greeted by several stars; Margaret Lindsay, Guy Kibbee, and Dick Powell work at a gold mine; Joan Blondell, recovered from a recent illness, thanks her fans; songs from the movie Harold Teen (1934) are performed by the songwriters and the film's stars.

John Howard Payne leaves home and begins a career in the theater. Despite encouragement from his mother and his sweetheart, Payne begins to lead a life of dissolute habits, and this soon leads to ruin and misery. In deep despair, he thinks of better days, and writes a song that later provides inspiration to several others in their own times of need.

Poor Walter Catlett messes up the wedding of Joyce Compton and, after botching his suicide attempt, rides along on her honeymoon at Aguas Caliente. Can he get for himself some CALIENTE LOVE at the Casino, or will someone give him the sound thrashing he needs?

House detective of the Hotel Omigosh, Cyril Fromage and his hotel switchboard operator sweetheart attempt to thwart a dastardly thief, "The Weasel," who is on the loose in the hotel, assisted by a sultry vamp. Plenty of hilarious gags along the way; including the operator taking a call from an irate lodger, so hot that it makes the switchboard steam. Taking advantage of the situation, she pulls out the offending plug and curls her bangs. The MGM lion even puts in a guest appearance.

Chick Crandall, half owner of the Flying A Ranch, returns home after a five-year absence and, because he is suspicious of his foreman Sam Curtis' activities, decides to proceed incognito. Disguised as Harold Montague, his partner's son, Chick works among the ranch hands and discovers that Curtis is rustling cattle and is responsible for driving Barbara Hampton and her aunt from their home.

The impoverished Harlow family of New England is forced to take in summer boarders. Teenaged niece Tressie welcomes the change and promptly falls in love with a wealthy young guest named Norman Minot. Although Norman returns Tressie’s affection, he is driven away by a fortune-hunting mother who wants him to marry her daughter. Robert Kitteridge, a scheming artist friend of Norman's, takes Tressie on a sailboat outing, during which they narrowly escape death when their boat is rammed by a steamship. After being put ashore the next morning in Boston, MA, Robert takes Tressie to his studio and attempts to seduce her.

"The Living Corpse" - Fedor Protasov is tormented by the thought that his wife Liza never really made a clear choice between him and Victor Karenin, a more conventional rival for her hand. He wants to kill himself, but doesn't have the nerve. Running away from his life, he falls in with Gypsies, and into a sexual relationship with a Gypsy singer Mascha. Meanwhile, his wife Liza, presuming him dead, marries the other man, Victor.

Don Diego is a large ranch owner, the uncle of Dolores and the guardian of a young American, Steve Randall. Steve has just delivered a large herd of cattle to the ranch, where Don Diego has just found out that he must pay the local tax commissioner, Harkness a fine for unpaid taxes on a herd of over one-thousand cattle. Steve offers to drive the cattle to the commissioners office, even though he fells the fine is unjust. Arriving at the office, Steve learns that Harkness (who he has never met), who has a reputation for dishonesty, is out. Dropping by the cantina, Steve gets into a fight with Harkness, and Harkness swears vengeance on Steve, especially after Steve stampedes the cattle through the town.

A young woman inherits a newspaper whose editor refuses to hire lady reporters.

A poor shoemaker and his wife have only a stale donut and a cup of coffee left to share. An elf drops by, and they offer to share with him. He teaches them (in song) to dunk the donut in the coffee. Later, as they sleep, he brings several other elves back, and they work through the night making shoes in humorous ways. The shoes are a success. Soon, the shoemaker and his wife are quite prosperous. They treat the elves to a feast of donuts and coffee, and the elves treat us to another chorus of "Dunk! Dunk! Dunk!".

Loni is a femme fatale who lives a depraved life with several lovers. She plunges her husband to ruin without any remorse. The film was banned shortly after the opening night.

Adaptation of Marcel Pagnol's 1931 play Fanny.

Depression Era story set in London about a wealthy shop owner who goes bankrupt and is forced to fire his faithful staff.

Lydia (Danielle Darrieux) is a student, poor and orphaned, who pretends to be the daughter of a famous writer.

A writer and an actress meet and marry without really knowing each other--they are even unaware that both bride and groom are equally famous. During the honeymoon, all hell breaks loose as a comedic war of the sexes leads inevitably to love.

Bugs Bunny finds and rubs Aladdin's lamp and decides to follow the genie to Baghdad, where they battle Mad Man Hassan.

A young model is set up with her own fashion business by a crooked financier, who sells worthless bonds.

Genial Irish NYC policeman Tom O'Hara is looking forward to the arrival of his wife and their young son, Shandy from Ireland. Several days before the ship is to dock, O'Hara gets a radiogram informing him that his wife has died at sea. That night a burglar breaks into the Antigue & Second Hand Shop ran by Sol Bloom, directly below O'Hara's flat. The burglar shoots O'Hara, who has rushed to his friend's aid, and, with his last breath he asks Sol to take care of Shandy. When Shandy arrives, Sol immediately makes him a member of the family, which also consists of a very mischievous motherless boy named Joey Bloom, whose pursuits consist of stealing oranges from fruit-dealer Tony, and playing hookey from school. Tom Varney, the young beat cop, is in love with Ruth Sneider, whose mother runs a Cleaning and Dyeling establishment. Ruth, however, is momentarily dazed with worthless Dave Haller.

A prison chaplain (John Litel) rescues a young convict (Glenn Ford) on a misguided mission of revenge.

Deputy Sheriff John Steele recruits bandit Sonora Joe to help him find out who's been bumping off all the local lawmen and rustling the cattle.

Kalmus is after the freight contract held by Summers. When his gang kill Summers, Tex and Duke step in to help Madge keep the freight line going. When they foil the gang's further attempts, Kalmus gets the Judge to jail the two.

Texas Ranger Bill Storm is sent to El Paso to ferret out a gang of counterfeiters thought to be working there and, on the way, gives a ride to New York socialite Beverly Dix, whose car has been wrecked on the road to El Paso. Bill quickly comes to suspect Earl Hanway and Lefty Waterman of passing bad bills; taking Beverly's father into his confidence, Bill identifies the counterfeiting plant, arrests Hanway and Waterman, and finds himself with his arms full of Beverly.

A historical revolutionary film depicting the struggle of peasants and the Baku proletariat against landowners and Musavatists in 1919.

Two people go to Coney Island to find romance and wind up in jail.

Dr. Blum, a Jewish manufacturer, is falsely accused of a murder. Even when the real killer’s identity becomes evident, the state prosecutor refuses to accept Blum’s innocence.

First World War animated propaganda short, extolling Britain's naval history and mocking the German navy.

Ivan Kouznetsoff, a Russian engineer, recounts during World War II his stay in England prior to the war working on a new propeller for ice-breaking ships. Naïve about British people and convinced by hearsay that they are shallow and hypocritical, Ivan is both bemused and amused by them. He is blunt in his opinions about Britons and at first this puts off his hosts, including the lovely Ann Tisdall, whose grandfather runs the shipbuilding firm that will make use of Ivan's propeller. The longer Ivan stays, however, the more he comes to understand the humor, warmth, strength, and conviction of the British people, and the more they come to see him as a friend rather than merely a suspicious Russian. As a romantic bond grows between Ivan and Ann, a cultural bond begins to grow as well, particularly as the war begins and Russia is attacked by Germany.

Eleven Gilbert & Sullivan numbers are melded within the murder-mystery plot of "Girl on the Spot", with a result that either G&S and/or the plot are always seemingly on stage-wait or in the wings awaiting a cue. Lois Collier is the girl-on-the-spot of the title because she was on the scene of a murder. The police conclude she didn't do it and they use her to set a trap for the real killer, a G&S addict, by financing a Broadway production starring Collier.

Beautiful high society type Doris Worthington is entertaining guests on her yacht in the Pacific when it hits a reef and sinks. She makes her way to an island with the help of singing sailor Stephen Jones. Her friend Edith, Uncle Hubert, and Princes Michael and Alexander make it to the same island but all prove to be useless in the art of survival. The sailor is the only one with the practical knowhow to survive but Doris and the others snub his leadership offer. That is until he starts a clam bake and wafts the fumes in their starving faces. The group gradually gives into his leadership, the only question now is if Doris will give into his charms.

In the age of priests and warriors which the film denounces, a woman revolts after she is sold as a prostitute.

Nancy Raynor (Georgia Hale) is arriving from the East to see her dying uncle. Clint Beasley (Oland) and his gang are determined to kidnap her before she reaches him.

A Tornado in the Saddle starred Russell Hayden as the new sheriff of Crestview. Hot on the trail of a gang of claim jumpers led by Dalton and Slim, the novice lawman also has to deal with hotheaded wrangler turned deputy Bob Wilson, whom he is constantly forced to fight, but only after prudently removing his sheriff's star.

In this short, a youthful Buffalo Bill Cody joins the newly-formed Pony Express as a station hand and replaces the regular rider when he is shot.

A hungry indian tries to cook bugs, yet Bugs outwits him yet again. Banned for offensive depiction of Native Americans.

Adapted from four different Russian folk-tales, this early Soviet fantasy film tells the story of Emelya the Fool, who, fishing one day, catches a talking pike who pleads for his life and in return grants Emelya wishes for a life spared.

A modern girl suddenly intrudes into a widower's family home.

She dragged out a more than mediocre life in the port of Antwerp; he is a renowned pianist-virtuoso. These two solitary beings, totally different, meet by chance on a liner and gradually realize that they complement each other harmoniously.

Tomas Eckert, a civil servant, is subjected to a violated woman's revenge. It happens to be his boss's wife, Märta Palm. Tomas is accused of having abused Mrs.Palm. She also reveals that Tomas's wife is morphine addict. He collapses and is forced to accept early retirement, diagnosed "epilepsy with mental changes"

A young doctor is determined to expose the killer when a surgeon is found stabbed to death in a hospital elevator.

1945 Japanese movie

The evils of drink cause a man to separate from his family. In time he becomes sober and prosperous. Then he meets and falls in love with a young woman, and they become engaged. Unbeknownst to him this young woman is his own daughter.

No relation to the 1950 John Ford classic of the same name, Rio Grande is yet another rubber-stamp Charles Starrett western from the Columbia assembly line.

In the Po Valley during the 19th century, a rich girl engaged to a well-to-do farmer ends up penniless and is forced to work for her fiancé’s relatives. Peasant unrest, carried to extremes by both workers and landowners, leads to violence and tragedy.

Three American soldiers help a young girl deliver a secret message across enemy lines.

The stooges are three fish peddlers who, looking for a new business opportunity, open a beauty salon south of the border. Their first customers are some chorus girls from a local night club. After the stooges completely ruin the girls' hair, and their manager finds out, the boys must leave on the run.