Madam Satan 1930 - Musical, comedy, disaster, romance, epic? Decide for yourself

IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021106/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
IMDB rating: 6,7

Director: Cecil B. DeMille
Main Cast: Kay Johnson, Reginald Denny, Lillian Roth, Roland Young

"Cecil B. DeMille tried to cover a few too many bases in Madame Satan, with his reach definitely exceeding his (considerable) grasp - but that grasp was still strong enough to produce a film quite unlike any other. Chaotic and messy, this mélange of styles - a musical comedy disaster romance epic, if you will - never approaches coherence, but the second half of the film is fascinating. Of course, to get there one has to go through an awkward and often trying first half, during which song cues are not really set up and the dialogue scenes are played with little sense of style or humor. Once the film gets to the bizarre masquerade ball on the dirigible, however, things pick up; the latter half may not always convince as drama, but it's terrific entertainment. Visually, it's a sheer delight, with some truly incredible costumes and DeMille's practiced hand at crowd control very evident. Highlights include several unexpected and charmingly innapropriate musical numbers, including a bizarre 'Ballet Mechanique' featuring dancer Theodore Kosloff and Kay Johnson's 'Meet Madame' is also noteworthy. The destruction of the dirigible is very well done, with special effects that stand up reasonably well today, and which builds very successfully to a satisfying conclusion. In addition, the humor that is missing (or unintentional) in the first half finds flower in the second, with some wry asides from Roland Young scoring particularly well. Ridiculous and campy at times, Madame Satan is still a one-of-a-kind experience. Though DeMille carefully threw in every ingredient that he hoped would appeal to a mass audience, Madam Satan was one of his few box office flops." - http://www.allmovie.com/movie/madame-satan-v30670/

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King Solomon's mines 1937 - Rousing adventure in searching of the lost treasure

IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029081/?ref_=fn_al_tt_6
IMDB rating: 6,5

Director: Robert Stevenson
Main Cast: Cedric Hardwicke, Roland Young, Paul Robeson, Anna Lee, John Loder

"The first of three talkie versions of H. Rider Haggard's adventure novel was produced by British Gaumont. King Solomon's Mines is a grand adventure story boasting one of Paul Robeson's finest performances. Though H. Rider Haggard would probably be surprised to find that his original story had three songs tacked onto it, he'd most likely enjoy Robeson's performance of them. Unlike many other film versions of the classic tale, this interpretation pays particular attention to the African characters. There's a subplot to go along with the main quest, and the tech credits are fine, particularly Robert Stevenson's direction and Alfred Junge's production design." - http://www.allmovie.com/movie/king-solomons-mines-v27412/

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Topper 1937 - The film that set the standard for supernatural comedies

IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029682/?ref_=nv_sr_1
IMDB rating: 7,4

Director: Norman Z. McLeod
Main Cast: Cary Grant, Constance Bennett, Roland Young, Billie Burke, Eugene Pallette, Arthur Lake, Hedda Hopper

"By 1937, producer Hal Roach was hoping to wean himself away from the Laurel & Hardy-Our Gang slapstick on which he had built his studio's reputation by delving into the 'screwball comedy' genre. Roach selected the racy Thorne Smith fantasy novel Topper for adaptation, and the result was one of the most endearingly funny films of the decade, inspiring controversy on its 1937 release. The gentle, whimsical comedy about friendly ghosts was scorned by some for morbidness and for indulging in the supernatural. In fact, Topper was the first feature film about ghosts that succeeded both at the box office and among critics. A husband and wife killed in a car accident return as spirits, visible only to their friend Cosmo Topper. The ghosts are prone to misbehaving but are well-intentioned and helpful. Every Hollywood ghost story that followed owed something to Topper's clever spirit and fanciful imaginings.
Though special effects abound in Topper, most of the humor derives from the embarrassed reactions of Roland Young as he tries to fend off the flirtatious advances of the ghostly Marion and the benignly strongman tactics of the spectral George. Adding to the fun are Eugene Pallette as a flustered house detective and Arthur Lake as a pratfalling bellboy. The musical score by longtime Hal Roach composer Marvin Hatley is perfectly attuned to the zany goings-on (including snatches of background music from Roach's earlier Laurel and Hardy comedies), while Hoagy Carmichael appears briefly on screen to introduce the film's signature tune, 'Old Man Moon'.
Inspired by the Thorne Smith novel The Jovial Ghosts, Topper was a hit that remained popular for more than a generation, inspiring the sequels Topper Takes a Trip and Topper Returns and a 1950s television series. Cary Grant, Constance Bennett, and Roland Young are the three stars, with Young getting an Oscar nomination." - http://www.allmovie.com/movie/topper-v50462/

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The man who could work miracles 1936 - A parable on power and human conditions

IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029201/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
IMDB rating: 7,2

Director: Lothar Mendes
Main Cast: Roland Young, Ralph Richardson, Edward Chapman, Joan Gardner

"The Man Who Could Work Miracles is a cheerful excursion into somewhat whimsical science fiction - 'somewhat' because it is more the treatment than the subject matter itself that is whimsical. Indeed, the basic messages behind Miracles are familiar ones of H.G. Wells: that mankind must find some way to end its obsession with wars and pointless aggression, that the differences between people make it impossible for one point of view to always prevail, and that absolute power by itself cannot bring about a utopia. But director Lothar Mendes treats most of this with a very light touch, helping to keep some of the preachiness at bay and therefore rendering it all the more effective. The plot itself is rather delightful and the screenplay has a number of inventive elements, starting with the trio of gods that open the film. Miracles also benefits from the performance of Roland Young in the title role, who is perfect as the non-descript, average "little" man suddenly elevated to heights of unimaginable power. What may be a surprise to modern audiences is how well the special effects have held up. While not on par with today's computer-generated work, they are still quite impressive and add considerably to film's impact." - http://www.allmovie.com/movie/the-man-who-could-work-miracles-v31099/

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