Illicit 1931 - Stanwyck exudes raw sensuality

IMDB Link
IMDB rating: 6,2

Director: Archie Mayo
Main Caast: Barbara Stanwyck, James Rennie, Ricardo Cortez, Natalie Moorhead, Charles Butterworth, Joan Blondell

"'Nearly every girl I know is either unhappily married or unhappily divorced' -  a no-nonsense Barbara Stanwyck tells prospective father-in-law Claude Gillingwater in an early scene in this frank society drama from Warner Bros. Despite rumors of an illicit affair with handsome James Rennie, Gillingwater's son, Stanwyck remains doubtful of whether marriage is for her. And amazingly to viewers accustomed to post Production Code films, there is indeed an illicit affair going on here, what with Miss Stanwyck and her prospective groom lounging about at all hours in their night attire. They do of course get married but almost immediately lose that special spark that comes with a new romance. Rennie begins to dally with mature femme fatale Natalie Moorhead and Stanwyck, despairing at being turned into the shrewish wife, demands that they start afresh, and in separate apartments. Needless to say, the couple come to their senses before the obligatory happy ending, but that didn't pacify scores of local censorship boards, some of whom refused to permit even the film's title. Borrowed from Columbia and suffering a slight case of miscasting, Barbara Stanwyck nevertheless gives yet another of her patented standout performances, adding a bit of street smarts to her Long Island debutante. She is matched in most scenes by the unfairly forgotten James Rennie, a stage actor from Canada, who is best remembered today as the husband of Dorothy Gish. Based on a risqué 1930 play by Edith Fitzgerald and Robert Riskin, Illicit was remade by Warners in 1933 as Ex-Lady, this time starring Bette Davis." - www.allmovie.com

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(Double feature with Girl Missing 1933)

Svengali 1931 - Under John Barrymore's spell

IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022454/?ref_=nv_sr_2
IMDB rating: 7,0

Director: Archie Mayo
Main Cast: John Barrymore, Marian Marsh, Donald Crisp

"The George du Maurier novel Trilby, about a hypnotist who controls a female musician, was originally filmed as Trilby, a 1920s silent. In the 1931 talkie, the emphasis shifts from the music student to the teacher, Svengali. John Barrymore gives a scenery-chewing performance as Svengali, who is originally seen tutoring Honori (Carmel Myers). Trilby (Marian Marsh) is making her living as a nude model, but she wants to use her musical talents to earn money and hopes to settle down with Billee (Bramwell Fletcher). Unfortunately, his upper-class family simply wouldn't approve. Svengali falls for Trilby and starts teaching her music while manipulating her hypnotically. Eventually, she becomes so dependent on him that she can't perform outside of his presence. This film became so well-known that the word 'Svengali' became incorporated into the English language, meaning 'someone who, with evil intent, tries to persuade another to do what is desired'.
Two components contribute to make Svengali a classic: John Barrymore's performance and the famous surrealistic sets (Trilby's art-deco-bedroom!). Barrymore's acting diverts from some stiff direction. At first he looks like a crude caricature with his tog, make-up and thick german accent (when Alec Guinness played Fagan in a similar way, he caused a scandal because it looked anti-semitic), but soon his eye-twinkling charm enchant the viewer and near the end his performance becomes nearly soul-stirring. Critics had not one good word for Marion Marsh, but the central premise - singing arias under hypnosis - is impossible to play, because a singer needs temperament, which a puppet has not.
An interesting story: Barrymore's fourth wife fell so completely in love with him after watching Svengali, that she chased him by train, plane and even via radio-address until he finally said 'yes'.
A British version of the film was released in 1955."

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The doorway to hell 1930 - Early crime melodrama with memorable gangster cliches

IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0020836/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
IMDB rating: 6,5

Director: Archie Mayo
Main Cast: Lew Ayres, James Cagney, Dorothy Mathews

"In this early talkie, a vicious crime lord (played by Lew Ayres in a rare villainous role) decides that he has had enough and much to the shock of his colleagues decides to give the business to his second in command (James Cagney in his second film role) and retire to Florida after marrying his moll. Unfortunately, he has no idea that she and Cagney are lovers. Part of the reason the don wants to leave is to keep his young brother, who idolizes him, from learning the awful truth about his avocation. Soon after moving down to Florida, former rivals kidnap the brother and kill him, causing the reformed gangster to come back for deadly revenge. This was an innovative film and featured a lot of elements that would become standards in the gangster genre including tommy guns carried in violin cases, terrible shoot-outs, and lots of rum-running rivalry." - http://www.allmovie.com/movie/the-doorway-to-hell-v89811

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It's love I'm after 1937 - A delightful little gem

IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029058/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
IMDB rating: 7,9

Director: Archie Mayo
Main Cast: Leslie Howard, Bette Davis, Olivia de Havilland, Patric Knowles, Spring Byington, Bonita Granville

"Unjustly neglected, It's Love I'm After is a delightful romp that provides an excellent showcase for the often equally neglected comedic talents of its trio of stars. While Love falls just shy of true classic status - the screenplay is slightly off the mark in a few places and its dialogue occasionally lacks the effervescent sparkle that is a requirement of the genre - it's still a little gem of a picture with an abundance of laughs. Fleetly directed by Archie Mayo, Love's greatest assets are its players. Bette Davis, looking quite stunning, is the epitome of imperious haughtiness, tossing off insults and slights with wicked delight and a deliciously true aim. Leslie Howard is every bit her match, chewing up every inch of scenery that comes his way and creating a gloriously amusing portrait of the quintessential hammy actor. And Olivia de Havilland is a darling embodiment of a ridiculously moonstruck maiden. If Bonita Granville is slightly grating, she's more than compensated for by Eric Blore, and the rest of the supporting cast is solid throughout. Love is a great pick-me-up and well worth searching out." - http://www.allmovie.com/movie/its-love-im-after-v96952/

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