Dishonoured Lady - 1947 ***

I hope no one ever forgets how wonderfully accomplished Hedy Lamarr was, not just in her acting but in her other pioneering pursuits; without her we wouldn't have wireless communication. Madeleine is the beautiful and accomplished art editor who is careless in her relationships. She goes through man after man, but when her latest partnership fails she attempts suicide. Thankfully she is not successful, and after being blackmailed by her previous lover she retreats to a quiet life, hoping to be untraceable. However soon her new life is disrupted when two of her ex partners track her down. 

Lamarr is electrifying and I adore her voice. (I also love that she chose her surname from silent star Barbra La Mar). One of her most well known films and deserves to be seen.

(Obsession) The Hidden Room - 1949 ****

Psychiatrist Clive believes his beautiful wife Storm (what a name!) is having an affair, and his fears are justified when he arrives home one evening and, standing in the shadows, sees his wife come in with her lover Bill. Once Clive confronts them it is clear his motives are dangerous and when he invites Bill out for a walk to 'discuss things' (it's the middle of the night) Storm is adamant that Bill will be killed. What she doesn't know is that Clive has taken Bill to a secret bunker-type room underground round the corner, and is keeping him chained to the wall. He tells Bill that it's only a matter of time before he disposes of him, but won't say when.

It's incredibly atmospheric and tense, and I love how calm the two men are around each other, nothing like being spurned by your wife for a younger lover and having to keep your cool. Sally Gray is gorgeous and Robert Newton is suitably suave but creepy in equal measures. I watched this years ago and never forgot it.

The House on 56th Street - 1933 ****

The first Kay Francis movie I had ever seen, but it certainly won't be the last. 

Francis plays Peggy, a showgirl who falls desperately in love with a wealthy man named Monte. They move into an extravagant house on 56th street and set about starting a family. However, not long after her daughter is born, Peggy is confronted by an old lover who was spurned by Peggy a while back, resulting in a violent row and the lover dying. Peggy is arrested and sent to jail for a considerable amount of time. During this time her daughter is told that her mother is dead, and Monte is killed during the war. When she is released from jail she gets a job in a gambling house, which with cruel irony is the house she used to live in with Monte. In an even more twisted and tragic irony, her daughter gets herself into horrible trouble at the gambling house, whilst Peggy can only sit back and helplessly watch. 

I found this to be a really enthralling story, and enjoyed watching Kay Francis. She's a very passionate actor and positively lights up the screen with every word she speaks and every look she gives. 

Those We Love - 1932 ***

'For Those We Love' is rather tragic, because for once it shows what can happen when paranoia and suspicion gets too much when really there is nothing going on.
Mary Astor plays May, a pretty and sweet woman who buys the very first copy of a novel published by aspiring author Freddie (Kenneth MacKenna). They fall in love, get married and have a son, but Freddie becomes the object of affection for a desperate neighbour who is unhappy in her own marriage. Ever the gentleman, Freddie resists all her advances. Wrongly believing that Freddie has been unfaithful after coming home early and finding Valerie's coat draped over a chair, May leaves immediately with their son, with no word of an explanation and giving Freddie no chance to explain. This leads him to finally give in and have an affair with Valerie. Very sad really. Wonderful to watch Mary Astor in a role like this whilst being aware of her own colourful and unfaithful personal life where she got through man after man right under her husband's nose; and kept a diary of all her exploits that was eventually published in the newspaper!

Young Bride - 1932 ***

Helen Twelvetrees is yet again walked all over here, but this time by a poncy idiot who looks like he's wearing too much mascara. Her character Allie, is a timid and shy librarian, who is persuaded by her party-loving friends to go out one evening to try and cheer her up after mourning the death of her mother. Once there, she meets a loutish cad named Charlie, who has ridiculous and unrealistic expectations about life, love and money. When he first tries to seduce her, she refuses which sends him into a rage. But over time she is sweet-talked by him, and eventually succumbs, all the time being told by Charlie that he is on the verge of a big break that will make him rich. When Allie announces that she is pregnant, this doesn't go down well with Charlie, and he does what any pathetic weasel of a man does in a tricky situation - he goes after another woman, leaving Allie devastated. The lead man comes across as being almost identical to a young Jimmy Cagney, which probably boosted his career no end. Twelvetrees is worth a watch alone.

Millie - 1931 ****

Going out on a limb, beautiful redhead Millie marries a prominent businessman, expecting a life of glitter and glamour. By the time she has had a daughter she realises that the life she hoped for will never materialise, and when she discovers that her husband has been playing away, she leaves him, and plunges headfirst into a life of affairs, drinking and careless love. Sadly however, she is always betrayed, let down or disappointed, but things really take a turn for the worse when one of her old flames (a man of now advancing years) makes a pass at her beautiful daughter.

Helen Twelvetrees is a bit of a revelation for me. I had only heard very briefly of her but am amazed how 'modern' her attitude is and how much I like her acting. She has a definite air about her that keeps me mesmerised by ever scene she is in, and she really is very beautiful. Some critic once remarked that she had 'the saddest eyes in all of Hollywood' and although she smiles constantly, you can see exactly what that critic meant. 

Double Harness - 1933 ***

Great fun to discover even more actresses from the 30s I have never heard of before. Ann Harding being another one. I had always assumed that William Powell simply acted with either Loy or Francis, but he actually has pretty good chemistry with Harding in this enjoyable romp. 

After finding out that her sister is about to get married, Joan starts to panic that she will be an old maid forever, and manages to persuades the dashing, philandering John to marry her, without him realising that it's actually just for his considerable wealth. By the time he does discover Joan's true intentions she genuinely has fallen in love with him, but is it too late?

I love William Powell so I'm incredibly biased about this film. It might not be the best plot or the best quality, but it's lovely to see anyway.

Police Patrol - 1933 ***

Madge Bellamy. The name I had often heard but never seen on screen until now. To say she's a cutie is an understatement. She had a quality that mixed Harlow's naughty sex appeal, with Marion Davies and Constance Bennett's sense of humour, added with a touch of Kay Francis. She doesn't have a huge window to show off her talents here, but what she does have she portrays well, and you can't help but stare. Being a famous star of the 20s, it would be fair to say that she is maybe past her peak here, but still enjoyable to watch. She plays a good natured girl named Lil, who has to contend with two cops who both fall for her, and trick each other into getting into trouble in order to keep her. Standard film of it's time, but fun to watch nevertheless. 

Lady in a Cage - 1964 *

Starts off well, but then descends into something half mad and half hilarious as Olivia de Havilland flails about in her rickety and broken lift, talking to herself and screaming like a moron at a tramp who breaks into her house to make off with her toaster and horrendous porcelain figurines.
Some scenes were so preposterous I laughed out loud, which I doubt wasn't the director's intended idea. The whole scene where de Havilland keeps ringing the 'emergency bell' which is located outside and goes unnoticed was excruciatingly embarrassing. The direction of this film is awful, and I have no idea why de Havilland would have stooped so low as to have her name associated with it.