Tag Archives: 1930s

After a detective is assaulted by thugs and placed in an asylum run by Professor Baum (Oscar Beregi), he observes the professor’s preoccupation with another patient, the criminal genius Dr. Mabuse the hypnotist (Rudolf Klein-Rogge). When Mabuse’s notes are found to be connected with a rash of recent crimes, Commissioner Lohmann (Otto Wernicke) must determine how Mabuse is communicating with the criminals, despite conflicting reports on the doctor’s whereabouts, and capture him for good.
Read More »

A wealthy theatrical producer entices a desperately poor young woman to visit his penthouse. The innocent girl doesn’t realize that the lecherous fellow is planning to do much more than have a drink with her. Fortunately, her friend the grocery boy isn’t so naive and manages to arrive in the nick of time.
Read More »

A summertime daytrip along the railway line Rome-Orvieto on a special-fare train, a group of diverse and lively characters. Families, old couples, an unfaithful husband and his jealous wife, a forlorn girl, a nerdy white-collar worker and his flirtatious date, and a handsome, eagerly wholesome young man. Their stories merge and intersect in the beautiful scenery of a Medieval small town in central Italy.
Read More »

There were very few commercial feature films made during the Italian fascist era that were as openly propagandistic as this famous (notorious?) dramatic paean to the Blackshirts. The story takes place in a small village in Italy in October of 1922, on the eve of the fascist “March on Rome”, in which King Victor Emanuel III was persuaded to consign power to Benito Mussolini. Gianfranco Giachetti is Dr. Cardini, a doctor at the local psychiatric hospital, where a strike has been called by the local socialists. Cardini turns to the fascists to help avert the strike. His son Roberto (Mino Doro) rounds up fascist friends to fight those aligned with the strikers and the town’s socialists.
Read More »

In this sci-fi film, a scientist invents a prescient machine that can tell people when they will die. Oddly enough, the people do not want to know and therefore begin to riot…
Read More »

Prominent lawyer shoots unfaithful girlfriend during quarrel, has to establish alibi.
Read More »

Calvin Churchill, a confidence-man, and his sidekick/stooge, “Clip” McGurk, are being pursued by an Internal Revenue agent, Henry Potke, for their failure to file an income-tax on the advice of a shyster lawyer. They are hiding out at the Desert Springs Hotel-Resort, where Calvin is working a scam by posing as a stratosphere-flyer who is looking at making Desert Springs the base of his operations. A rich airplane manufacturer sees a chance to get rid of a stratosphere balloon that he built for an unsuccessful expedition at a great loss. Calvin intends to take the money and run but his estranged wife, Alice, now a tennis instructor at the resort promises to come back to him if he will reform. Alas, reformation does not come easy for Calvin, especially when “Clip” is around, and Henry is closing in.
Read More »

Death decides to take a holiday from his usual business to see what it is like to be a mortal. Posing as Prince Sirki, he spends 3 days with Duke Lambert and his guests at his dukal estate. Several of the women are attracted to the mysterious prince, but shy away from him when they sense his true nature. But Grazia, the beautiful young woman whom the Duke thought was to marry his son, loves him even when she knows who he is.
Read More »

After a quarrell at their 25th wedding aniversery, Joe and Aggie Bruno decide to divorce each other, and both leave for Reno. So do their daughters Prudence and Pansy, but they want to get their parents back to gether. Joe and Aggie, accidentally, are becoming clients at the same lawfirm, Wattles and Swift, which is the biggest and most succesful in town. But being on the opposide sides in the same case is not the only problem for Wattles and Swift, the cocurring lawfirm Jackson, Jackson, Jackson and Jackson, has started a price war and one of its member has just been appointed judge, furthermore, there’s Ace Crosby, whose ex-wife got her divorce with the help of Wattles and Swift, who vowed to shoot Wattles for this. Wattles disguises as widow Hanover, Joe’s co-respondent. Crosby, waiting at the office-turned-casino, wins too much at the pokertable, so Wattles tries to lure him away, after he and Joe have beem seen by Aggie. Aggie, who has met Judge Jackson, who told her that she and…
Read More »

1865. Katharina goes to a ball in Moscow. There she meets again Tchaikowsky, her first and only love. The young, who is now married to wealthy Michael Iwanowitsch Murakin, a man she does not love, has not forgotten Piotr Illich, the (not yet) famous composer. Both are still in love with each other but Piotr is engaged to Nastassia, a dancer, while for her part Katharina cannot leave her husband. Tchaikowky’s first love then decides to sacrifice her happiness to the success of the composer, sponsoring him in secret. Something Piotr will learn only years after. When Katharina finds herself free at last it is too late: Tchaikowsky is dying of cholera and she only has time to close his eyes.
Read More »

Le procureur Andreiv requiert sévèrement contre un criminel qui a tué l’amant qui le trompait. Andreiv prétend que dans cette infortune le mari devait disparaître. Or, voici qu’une situation semblable se réalise au foyer du procureur. Il découvre l’amour que se portent mutuellement un jeune avocat, Serge Rastoff, et sa femme, Lisa. Après une discussion, le procureur disparaît au bord de la Neva. On repêche son corps défiguré, et une lettre d’Andreiv indique son intention de disparaître. On conclut au suicide. Mais un jaloux substitut, sur certains indices, accuse Serge et Lisa d’avoir tué le procureur. Ils comparaissent aux Assises et vont être condamnés lorsque Andreiv reparaît. Il s’est engagé dans l’armée. Son témoignage innocente Lisa et Serge, et il repart aux tranchées chercher la mort dans le combat.
Read More »

After Michael Carter’s fiancée commits suicide, Michael vows to seek revenge on his wealthy family, who sabotaged their marriage. He drives across the country angrily, and lands up at a saloon, where he is shot by an Indian, Pete. Pete’s girlfriend, Tonita nurses Michael’s wound and falls in love with him. Michael realizes this, proposes marriage to Tonita – a perfect revenge for his prejudice family. They marry and he takes her to New York, in full Indian dress hoping to embarrass the family. The press and society mock the Carters – to Michael’s delight. Tonita’s confused as to why Michael doesn’t want to consummate their marriage. At a coming out party for Tonita, set up by Diana (Michael’s sister), Tonita’s a big hit. Michael becomes angry for his family has “won”. Tonita realizes the true reason for their marriage, and finds comfort with Bob, Diana’s lover. Diana catches Tonita and Bob together and kills Bob, but, Tonita takes the blame and is arrested, for this is the perfect …
Read More »

Étienne Ranson is the black sheep of his family. Having made his fortune in Tunisia, he returns to France and receives a cool reception from his uncle, Achille Guéroy, the owner of a glove factory in Grenoble. Guéroy is astounded when his nephew returns the money he had lent him and immediately looks at Étienne in a new light when it becomes apparent that he is now a very wealthy man. However, when Ranson is arrested for his involvement in a bloody riot in Tunisia, the family is quick to disown him again. When the charges against him are dropped, Ranson returns to Grenoble and intervenes to end a strike at the factory. Ranson then learns that his cousin Jacques has lost the company’s entire cash reserves through high-risk speculation. Aware that the Guéroys face ruin and dishonour, Ranson agrees to bail them out, on one condition: that he can marry his adopted cousin Geneviève. But she is already engaged to another man…
Read More »

Daro un Milione was another felicitous collaboration between director Mario Camerini and his favorite star Vittorio de Sica. Read More »

The film starts in the rural town of Shinshu in 1923. A widow, Tsune (O-Tsune) Nonomiya (Choko Iida), works hard at a silk production factory to provide for her only son, Ryosuke. When Ryosuke’s teacher Okubo (Chishu Ryu) persuades her to let her son continue to study beyond elementary school, she decides to support her son’s education even until college. Her son promises to become a great man…
Read More »