The light of Western stars 1930 - A Zane Grey story on the screen

IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021070/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2
IMDB rating: 7,3

Directors: Otto Brower, Edwin H. Knopf
Main Cast: Richard Arlen, Mary Brian, Harry Green, Regis Toomey

"The Light of Western Stars goes a long way towards using Paramount's fledgling sound system creatively; some scenes are filmed in complete darkness, allowing voices and sound effects to carry the day. Otherwise, this is a pleasantly familiar western concerning the relationship between drunken-cowpuncher Richard Arlen and new ranch-owner Mary Brian. Arlen's best friend was Brian's brother, who was killed under suspicious circumstances. Fred Kohler is the villain, but he's not as easily subdued as Arlen would prefer. Light of Western Stars was co-directed by Otto Brower and Edwin H. Knopf, but there seems to have been no dissension between these two journeymen; it was based on a novel by Zane Grey, which had previously been filmed twice and was good for another go-round in 1940." - http://www.allmovie.com/movie/the-light-of-western-stars-v29322

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Stanley and Livingstone 1939 - The great explorer and the Victorian saint

IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031973/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
IMDB rating: 7,2

Directors: Henry King, Otto Brower
Main Cast: Spencer Tracy, Cedric Hardwicke, Nancy Kelly, Richard Greene, Walter Brennan, Charles Coburn, Henry Hull

"Stanley and Livingstone is perhaps more faithful to its historical source than most Hollywood biopics, but even so it completely whitewashes the character of Henry Stanley. This is particularly true at the end, when Stanley returns to Africa, presumably a changed (and religiously inspired) man. It's totally false as history, but it makes for a great movie; for once, the studios' insistence on adding significant amounts of fiction to their fact-based products produced good drama. And Stanely is definitely a good drama, as well as a rousing adventure and an intriguing character study. The team of screenwriters have crafted a narrative that is totally engaging and peopled it with characters that leave their impressions on you, none more so than the two title characters. Henry King has directed with finesse, making sure that there's an excellent balance of action, adventure and inspiration, and even making the extraneous romantic subplot work fairly well. Of course, he's aided enormously by Spencer Tracy's towering yet nuanced performance. Tracy gets to play it both rough and pious, the adventurer and the thinker, the amoralist and the moralist, and he does so superbly. No other actor could combine gusto with restraint in the way that Tracy could, and watching his transformation from the beginning of the film to the end is a true treat. Cedric Hardwicke is also in top form as Livingstone, celebrating the man's deep religious faith without ever commenting upon it. The supporting cast is good, the cinematography evocative (even if the rear screen projections are occasionally obvious to modern viewers)." - http://www.allmovie.com/movie/stanley-and-livingstone-v46460/

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