Saturday, March 8, 2025

Naughty Marietta (1935)


Pretty cookie-cutter, but it probably felt more original 90 years ago. A French princess (fictional) during the reign of Louis XV boards a ship to New Orleans to avoid an arranged marriage. She falls for one of the frontiersmen who saves her after the ship is captured by pirates on the way over. One solid joke at the end, but hard to recommend overall.

8 to go...

Saturday, February 15, 2025

One Foot in Heaven (1941)

 

Such a bizarre choice for a story. Nothing happens. It's the story of a pastor - nothing remarkable, just a pastor. The end. No idea why anyone would feel the need to make this movie.

9 to go...

Thursday, February 13, 2025

Flirtation Walk (1934)

 

An irreverent private army stationed in Hawaii falls for the visiting commanding officer's daughter. She rebuffs him so that he won't desert. He then applies to West Point to turn his life and career around (and to put thoughts of the girl behind him). They meet again at his graduation four years later.

It's fine. Pretty standard '30s rom com, dated, but with some funny moments.

10 to go...

Sunday, August 11, 2024

One Hundred Men and a Girl (1937)

 

This movie was surprisingly delightful. The lead girl could be a bit much, but I was smiling from beginning to end. Great use of misunderstandings for both humor and to advance the plot.

The daughter of a struggling musician runs around town trying to create a new orchestra from all the unemployed musicians her father knows.

11 to go...

Wednesday, July 24, 2024

The House of Rothschild (1934)

 


I haven't done a deep dive into the history yet, but the bullet points seem to be correct. This is the story of the beginnings of the Rothschild banking family and how they helped fund the war against Napoleon all while dealing directly with an anti-Semitic Europe.

I was surprised how engaging and quick paced it was. This probably ranks pretty highly among all the movies from the 1930s for me.

12 to go...

Thursday, July 11, 2024

The Hollywood Revue of 1929 (1929)

 

Do yourself a favor and don't watch this movie. It's not even really a movie. It's just a filmed stage variety show with yawn-inducing song and dance numbers. A torturous two hours to get through. 

13 to go...

Saturday, June 29, 2024

Skippy (1931)

Feels more like a community theater production than a professionally made movie. But, after a rough start there's actually a fairly solid story involving Skippy helping a boy from the shanty town try to save his dog. Skippy's own father looms as a specter over shanty town.

Also kinda neat that Jackie Cooper goes on from playing Skippy to Perry White in the Christopher Reeve Superman movies.

14 to go...