The prisoner of Zenda 1937 - Romance and adventure to thrill you!

IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029442/?ref_=nv_sr_1
IMDB rating: 7,8

Directors: John Cromwell, George Cukor, W. S. Van Dyke
Main Cast: Ronald Colman, Madeleine Carroll, C. Aubrey Smith, Raymond Massey, Mary Astor, David Niven, Douglas Fairbanks Jr.

"One of Hollywood's most entertaining adventure stories of any era is a triumph of swashbuckling swordplay, careful direction, and reliably professional acting. Ronald Colman and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. are at their best in this David O. Selznick production of Arthur Hope's classic novel about a British commoner on holiday in Ruritania who poses as his cousin, the king, in order to thwart a plot by rebels against the monarchy. Costuming, photography, and sword-fight choreography are all top-notch under the direction of John Cromwell. Hope's story had been filmed twice before during the silent era, in 1913 and 1922, and there would be two later versions; but critics agree that this is the best rendering." - http://www.allmovie.com/movie/the-prisoner-of-zenda-v39281/

DVD links (with the 1952 version):

San Francisco 1936 - A major Hollywood spectacle from the 30's

IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028216/?ref_=nv_sr_1
IMDB rating: 7,4

Director: W. S. Van Dyke
Main Cast: Clark Gable, Jeanette MacDonald, Spencer Tracy, Jack Holt, Shirley Ross

"San Francisco had removed Miss MacDonald from the wooden Nelson Eddy and right into the arms of Clark Gable, with Spencer Tracy as her guardian angel, of sorts, to boot. MGM had assigned the dependable W.S. Van Dyke to direct this the company's second blockbuster of 1936. Nominated for both The Great Ziegfeld and San Francisco, Van Dyke ended up competing against himself at the Academy Awards, eventually losing to Frank Capra (Mr. Deeds Goes to Town). Perhaps that was fair enough. If Mr. Deeds stands as a testament to Capra's genius (and writer Robert Riskin's), both San Francisco and The Great Ziegfeld remain crowning achievements of the studio system, MGM-style. Quite a few writers worked on the screenplay to San Francisco, including Herman J. Mankiewicz and Anita Loos, but only the latter earned an onscreen credit. While Van Dyke obviously stood for the major portion of the direction, everyone from special effects designer James Basevi to, reportedly, D.W. Griffith had a hand in there, the latter often credited with helming MacDonald's rousing pre-earthquake rendition of Gus Kahn, Bronislau Kaper, and Walter Jurman's famous title song. Had there been an award for Best Special Effects in 1936, Basevi would almost certainly have won, San Francisco's earthshaking tremors remain far more effective than such later 'spectacles' as Earthquake (1974), Panavision and Sensurround notwithstanding. Then again, maybe not -  nominated for Academy Awards in four categories, San Francisco lost in all of them, including Spencer Tracy as Best Actor, an honor which instead went to Paul Muni of The Story of Louis Pasteur." - http://www.allmovie.com/movie/san-francisco-v42760/

DVD links:

The thin man 1934 - A marvelous adaptation of the Hammett novel with great chemistry between Powell and Loy

IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0025878/
IMDB rating: 8,2

Director: W. S. Van Dyke
Main Cast: William Powell, Myrna Loy, Maureen O'Sullivan, Nat Pendleton

"Filmed on what MGM considered a B-picture budget and schedule (14 days, which at Universal or Columbia would have been considered extravagant), The Thin Man proved to be 'sleeper', spawning a popular film, radio, and television series. Contrary to popular belief, the title does not refer to star William Powell, but to Edward Ellis, playing the mean-spirited inventor who sets the plot in motion.
The Thin Man works because of the chemistry between stars William Powell and Myrna Loy (which would be adroitly exploited by MGM in several subsequent films, including five additional Thin Man mysteries produced between 1936 and 1948), and because screenwriters Albert Hackett and Frances Goodrich had the good sense to transfer Dashiell Hammett's source novel to the screen without substantial alterations to the story. Planned by MGM as a lower-profile release, the film nonetheless featured first-rate talent in front of and behind the camera, including director W.S. Van Dyke, cinematographer James Wong Howe, art director Cedric Gibbons, and sound engineer Douglas Shearer. The supporting cast features consistently good performances, with Maureen O'Sullivan the standout.
Surprisingly popular at the box office, The Thin Man was nominated for four Oscars, including Best Picture." - http://www.allmovie.com/movie/the-thin-man-v49456

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