Dodsworth - 1936

This film was selected to the National Film Registry, Library of Congress, in 1990.

The play opened on Broadway on 24 February 1934 and had 315 performances. Walter Huston, Harlan Briggs and Charles Halton reprised their stage roles in the film, but Halton's footage was cut from the final print. Also in the opening-night cast were Fay Bainter as Fran Dodsworth, Hal K. Dawson, Beatrice Maude (also in the film), Ivan Miller, Kent Smith, Ninetta Sunderland (Huston's real-life wife) and Frederick Worlock.

David Mamet, in his book "Bambi vs. Godzilla", cites this film as one of his favorites.

William Wyler spent a whole afternoon shooting the sequence where Fran (Ruth Chatterton) burns a letter from her husband; he wanted the letter to specifically blow gently along the terrace, stop for a moment, and then continue to flutter as the scene faded to black as a metaphor for Fran and Sam's failing marriage.

Mary Astor wrote in her memoirs that Edith Cortright was her favorite role, also reflecting that she channeled her struggle of her public divorce into her role: "When I went into court and faced the bedlam...that would have broken me up completely, I kept the little pot boiling that was Edith Cortright."

At the time of filming, Mary Astor was going through a very public and very scandalous divorce from her husband, who used Astor's diary to prove that she had been having an affair with playwright George S. Kaufman. With the press constantly stalking her, she sometimes slept on the set to avoid confrontation. Many of the cast sided with Astor throughout the ordeal, including William Wyler, Samuel Goldwyn and Ruth Chatterton, who appeared as a character witness on Astor's behalf.

The original Broadway production opened at the Shubert Theater and ran for 147 performances.

Cast of Dodsworth

Walter Huston ..... Sam Dodsworth
Ruth Chatterton ..... Fran Dodsworth
Paul Lukas ..... Arnold Iselin
Mary Astor ..... Mrs. Edith Cortright
Kathryn Marlowe ..... Emily Dodsworth McKee
David Niven ..... Captain Clyde Lockert
Gregory Gaye ..... Baron Kurt Von Obersdorf
Maria Ouspenskaya .....Baroness Von Obersdorf
Spring Byington ..... Matey Pearson

Swing Time - 1936

The film originally began with a musical number, "It's Not in the Cards," which was cut due the film's length and because the number was judged as not very good. Only a bit remains in the final version. The music is also used in the background during the first few scenes.

The shadow dance idea for "Bojangles of Harlem" occurred to choreographer Hermes Pan and Fred Astaire during rehearsals, when three different light sources illuminating Astaire produced three shadows.

The climax of "Never Gonna Dance" took 47 takes in a single day and required many demanding spins of Ginger Rogers; her feet bled.

In "The Way You Look Tonight", Ginger Rogers is seen to be washing her hair. The crew tried various soaps, shampoos, and even egg white, but it always ran down her face too quickly. They achieved success with whipped cream.

This was Ginger Rogers' favorite of her films with Fred Astaire.

Fred Astaire always insisted that his dance routines be filmed in one continuous camera shot, showing the dancer(s) from head to foot. However, in the "Never Gonna Dance" number, there is an obvious moment when 'Astaire and Rogers' reach the tops of their respective winding staircases that the camera shot changes quickly to reflect the fact that the filming camera had to be brought upstairs to shoot the close-up finale of the dance number.

In 2007, the American Film Institute ranked this as the #90 Greatest Movie of All Time. It was the first inclusion of this film on the list.

44th American President Barack Obama referred to a quote from the movie in his inauguration acceptance speech on 20th January, 2009.

The sixth (of ten) dancing partnership of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

Cast of Swing Time

Fred Astaire as John "Lucky" Garnett
Ginger Rogers as Penelope "Penny" Carrol
Victor Moore as Edwin "Pop" Cardetti
Helen Broderick as Mabel Anderson
Betty Furness as Margaret Watson
Georges Metaxa as Ricardo Romero
Landers Stevens (George Stevens' father) as Judge Watson

Modern Times - 1936

Supposedly was to be Charles Chaplin's first full sound film, but instead, sound is used in a unique way: we hear spoken voices only when they come from mechanical devices, a symbol of the film's theme of technology and dehumanization. Specifically, voices are heard from: - The videophones used by the factory president - The phonographic Mechanical Salesman - The radio in the prison warden's office.

The singers in the restaurant are also heard, and some scenes include sound effects.

The Little Tramp's last words: "Smile! C'mon!" (it is easy to read Charles Chaplin's lips at the very end of the film).

Charles Chaplin allows the Tramp to speak on camera for the first time during the restaurant scene, but insisted that what the Tramp says be universal. Therefore, the song the Tramp sings is in gibberish, but it is possible to follow the story he tells by watching his hand gestures.

Paulette Goddard's character's name is Ellen Peterson.

The film originally ended with Charles Chaplin's character suffering a nervous breakdown and being visited in hospital by the gamin, who has now become a nun. This ending was filmed, though apparently only still photographs from the scene exist today (they are included in the 2003 DVD release of the film). Chaplin dropped this ending and shot a different, more hopeful ending instead.

This was one of the films which, because of its political sentiments, convinced the House Un-American Activities Committee that Charles Chaplin was a Communist, a charge he adamantly denied. He left to live in Switzerland, vowing never to return to America.

A full dialogue script was written for the film, as Charles Chaplin had intended to make a complete talkie. According to a documentary on the DVD release, Chaplin went so far as to film a scene with full dialogue before deciding instead to make a partial talkie.

Discounting later parodies and novelty films, this was the last major American film to make use of silent film conventions such as title cards for dialogue. The very last dialogue title card of this film (and thus, it can be said, the entire silent era) belongs to The Tramp, who says "Buck up - never say die! We'll get along."

Co-star Paulette Goddard actually made significant story contributions.

According to a fall 1935 issue of Variety, Charles Chaplin was expected to run behind schedule on the release of the movie as he tweaked the soundtrack. He also wanted to chop over 1,000 feet of film from his then existing cut.

According to Paulette Goddard, Chaplin was deeply and profoundly involved in the recording of the musical score. He spent days upon days in the recording studio writing themes, and only left when Paulette begged him.

In 2007, the American Film Institute ranked this as the #78 Greatest Movie of All Time.

During filming, Paulette Goddard was still working for less than $100 a week as a chorus girl for the Goldwyn Studios.

Shown as the opening film at the newly restored Silent Movie Theatre (Los Angeles), by Charles Lustman' on November 7th, 1999.

Cast of Modern Times

Charlie Chaplin as a factory worker (the Tramp)
Paulette Goddard as a gamine (Ellen Peterson)
Henry Bergman as a café proprietor
Chester Conklin as a mechanic
Stanley Sandford as Big Bill
Hank Mann as a burglar
Stanley Blystone as the gamine's father
Al Ernest Garcia as the president of the Electro Steel Corp. (Credited as Allan Garcia)

The Little Colonel - 1935

Shirley Temple memorized every line of dialogue in this movie, and while filming a scene with Lionel Barrymore, the veteran actor forgot a line. When Temple prompted him, Barrymore flew into a such a rage that one crew member took Temple away for fear that Barrymore might harm her. He later apologized to her, and they remained friends for many years.

This movie features Shirley Temple's famous "staircase dance" with Bill Robinson.

Bill Robinson claimed that the idea for his "staircase dance" with Shirley Temple came to him in a dream. He later recalled of the dream, "I was being made a lord by the King of England and he was standing at the head of a flight of stairs. Rather than walk, I danced up."

Nyanza Potts was so nervous about acting with Shirley Temple that he often missed his cues and forgot his lines. Temple took him aside and helped him rehearse, and afterward, no longer nervous around her, Potts performed perfectly.

Performing their "staircase dance" together in this film made Bill Robinson and Shirley Temple the first interracial dancing couple in American movie history. This scene was cut when the film played in the southern United States.

The party scene at the end of the movie was the first time that Shirley Temple was filmed in color. Color shooting required Temple to wear makeup for the first time in any of her films.

To market the movie, the original book by Johnston, Annie Fellows was re-printed by the A.L. Burt Company. Called "the Shirley Temple Edition", the book contained nearly a dozen photos from the movie, including a production still of Shirley siting on Barrymore's lap while wearing a costume not featured in the film.

Cast of The Little Colonel

Shirley Temple as Lloyd Sherman, the daughter of Elizabeth and Jack Sherman, and granddaughter to Colonel Lloyd
Lionel Barrymore as Colonel Lloyd
Evelyn Venable as Elizabeth Lloyd Sherman, Jack Sherman’s wife, little Lloyd’s mother, and Colonel Lloyd’s daughter
John Lodge as Jack Sherman, Elizabeth’s husband and little Lloyd’s father
Bill Robinson as Walker, Colonel Lloyd’s butler
Hattie McDaniel as Mom Beck, Elizabeth’s housekeeper
Avonnie Jackson as May Lily, little Lloyd’s friend
Nyanza Potts as Henry Clay, little Lloyd’s friend

Broadway Melody of 1936 -1935

Reportedly, Eleanor Powell did not want to be in this film but was too polite to directly tell MGM executives. She asked for the leading role and an exorbitant salary, and MGM accepted her demands.

Buddy Ebsen's first movie.

When retakes were needed, director Roy Del Ruth was already working on Thanks a Million (1935), so W.S. Van Dyke directed the retakes.

The radio announcer who introduces Jack Benny is Don Wilson, the announcer on Benny's real-life radio program.

The singing voice of Eleanor Powell was dubbed by Marjorie Lane.

Preceded by The Broadway Melody (1929) and followed by Broadway Melody of 1938 (1937) and Broadway Melody of 1940 (1940). Another film in the series was planned, "Broadway Melody of 1943" starring Eleanor Powell and Gene Kelly. However, that project was abandoned, and a dance number filmed by Eleanor Powell was edited into Thousands Cheer (1943).

Cast of Broadway Melody of 1936

Jack Benny as Bert Keeler
Eleanor Powell as Irene Foster
Robert Taylor as Robert Gordon
Una Merkel as Kitty Corbett
Sid Silvers as Snoop Blue
Buddy Ebsen as Ted Burke
June Knight as Lillian Brent
Vilma Ebsen as Sally Burke
Nick Long Jr. as Basil Newcombe
Robert Wildhack as Hornblow
Paul Harvey as Scully
Frances Langford as Herself
Harry Stockwell as Himself

Call Of The Wild - 1935

The World Premiere was held at the Carthay Circle Theatre in Los Angeles. However, the public would not accept the killing of Jack Oakie at the end so a new ending keeping Oakie alive was filmed before national release.

Like many films of the era, this production was originally slated to film in the Southern Sierra Nevada near Sonora. In fact, production had already begun when a warm front melted the snow and forced a hasty and expensive move to Washington state.

Loretta Young had a romance with Clark Gable while making this film, resulting in the birth of an out-of-wedlock daughter, Judy Lewis. For years, Ms. Young claimed she went away for a while, found the girl and adopted her. In 1994, Judy Lewis revealed the truth (which had long been the subject of speculation because of her resemblance to both parents) in her book "Uncommon Knowledge."

Madeleine Carroll was originally set for the female lead, but it was eventually given to Loretta Young.

Cast of Call Of The Wild

Clark Gable as Jack Thornton
Loretta Young as Claire Blake
Jack Oakie as 'Shorty' Hoolihan
Reginald Owen as Mr. Smith
Frank Conroy as John Blake
Katherine DeMille as Marie
Sidney Toler as Joe Groggins
James Burke as Ole
Charles Stevens as Francois
Lalo Encinas as Kali
Thomas E. Jackson as 'Tex' Rickard

Curly Top - 1935

When Edward sings "Curly Top" to Elizabeth, he says that her eyes "make the heavens proud to be blue." Shirley Temple's eyes were brown.

Madame Chiang Kai-Shek, the First Lady of China, was such a fan of this film that she arranged for repeat private viewings.

Upon its 1935 release, this film was banned in Denmark because of unspecified "controversy." It was also banned in Switzerland and Italy because Elizabeth's behavior was setting a bad example for children.

This was the first film to pair Shirley Temple with Arthur Treacher; they would appear together in three more movies.

After the success of Jean Webster's 1912 novel, "Daddy Long-Legs," she adapted it to a play which opened on Broadway in New York City, New York, USA on 28 September 1914 and closed in May 1915 after 264 performances. The opening night cast included Ruth Chatterton, Charles Trowbridge, Charles Waldron and Cora Witherspoon.

Neither the play nor the novel is mentioned in the screen credits, but most reviewers at the time recognized the similarity, and there was an item in the Los Angeles Examiner in January, 1935, announcing that Miss Temple was to star in a film based on "Daddy Long Legs." Fox owned the rights to both the novel and the play, having produced earlier versions for the screen.

This was the first film in which Rochelle Hudson sang a song.

Cast of Curly Top

Shirley Temple as Elizabeth Blair, an orphan, about 6 or 7 years of age, and an inmate of the Lakeside Orphanage. Her parents were actors before being killed in an automobile accident but Elizabeth is not entirely alone when the film opens: her older sister Mary, an attractive young woman of 18 or 19 years of age, lives in the orphanage and works in the kitchen, laundry, and dormitory. Elizabeth also has a trick pony named Spunky and a white duck named Betsy who are housed in the orphanage yard. Elizabeth is a favorite with her fellow orphans but a trial to Mrs. Higgins, the superintendent of the establishment. Young, handsome, rich trustee Edward Morgan intervenes when Elizabeth is about to be reprimanded, and adopts her. Elizabeth lives in his Southampton beach house and enjoys a life of luxury and plenty but cannot forget the friends she left behind at Lakeside and spearheads a Gala Charity Bazaar to buy toys for the children. The event gives Elizabeth the opportunity to display her vocal and dance talents. She is thrilled when Morgan and her sister Mary are united at the end of the film.

John Boles as Edward Morgan, a bachelor millionaire lawyer and a newly created trustee of the Lakeside Orphanage.

Rochelle Hudson as Mary Blair, Elizabeth’s sister. Mary is an attractive young woman about 18 or 19 years of age who works in the orphanage kitchen, laundry, and dormitory. When handsome bachelor Edward Morgan finds an opportunity to speak alone with Mary, he discovers they share an interest in musical composition and he falls in love. When Morgan makes plans to adopt Elizabeth, he decides to take Mary into his home as well. At Morgan’s Southampton beach house, Mary lives the life of a chic young lady, swimming and sporting on the beach with other elegant young people, dining by candlelight with Morgan and his Aunt Genevieve, and taking coffee on the terrace in the evening. On a moonlit night, she confesses to Morgan she is indescribably happy and Morgan's love deepens but he remains silent. As the summer days pass, Mary attracts the serious romantic interest of Jimmie Rogers, a handsome navy pilot. Mary is in love with Morgan and declines Jimmie’s marriage proposal, but is humiliated when she overhears Morgan tell his Aunt he only allowed Mary into their home because the sisters would not be separated. Mary then accepts Jimmie’s offer, but later, breaks the engagement realizing she doesn't love him. Morgan then steps forward, declares his love to Mary, and the two are united.

Esther Dale as Genevieve Graham, Morgan’s aunt. Aunt Genevieve lives in Morgan's home and believes her nephew is “tetched” when he suggests adopting a child but she comes to love the Blair sisters. Aunt Genevieve functions as a “sounding board” for Morgan‘s plans through the film, and is the first to recognize Jimmie as Morgan’s rival for Mary’s love. Aunt Genevieve goads Morgan into admitting his love for Mary, and presses him to take action.

Arthur Treacher as Reynolds, Morgan’s English butler. The character makes his first appearance mid-way through the film when the Blair sisters arrive at Morgan’s beach house. Reynolds takes a great liking to Elizabeth, but is sometimes astonished with her gauche manners, and spends much time teaching her to use a finger bowl. Following the Gala Bazaar, Reynolds joins Morgan’s cook in a reprise of “When I Grow Up” in the beach house kitchen.

Jane Darwell as Mrs. Henrietta Denham, a heavy-set, elderly matron at the Lakeside Orphanage. Mrs. Denham is a kindhearted woman who can be strict with Elizabeth when necessary. Morgan takes her into his confidence when he makes plans to adopt Elizabeth. Mrs. Denham cries with sorrow at losing the Blair sisters to Morgan, but takes joy that the two will not be separated. Mrs. Denham attends the Gala, telling Aunt Genevieve that “wild horses couldn’t keep me away.”

Rafaela Ottiano as Mrs. Higgins, the severe, thin-lipped superintendent of the Lakeside Orphanage. In the early scenes of the film, Mrs. Higgins hopes new trustee, millionaire Edward Morgan, will be favorably impress with Lakeside and will double his donation. Mrs. Higgins is stern and unyielding with the Blair sisters, and considers the high-spirited Elizabeth a genuine trial, but cries happily when Morgan adopts the girls.

Etienne Girardot as James Wyckoff, a stern, elderly, penny-pinching trustee of the Lakeside Orphanage and the manufacturer of Wyckoff’s Cough Mixture. On a visit to the orphanage, Wyckoff discovers Elizabeth singing, dancing, and mimicking him for the amusement of her fellows, and is outraged, calling Elizabeth incorrigible, and threatening to send her to a public institution. Morgan intervenes, promising to withdraw his financial support of the orphanage if Elizabeth is sent away.

Maurice Murphy as Jimmie Rogers, a handsome navy pilot who falls in love with Mary Blair. Following the Gala Bazaar, Jimmie proposes to Mary nut she declines his offer and ends the conversation when Jimmy suggests Morgan is his rival. Mary is indeed in love with Morgan, but overhears a conversation indicating he has no romantic interest in her. Mary then accepts Jimmie’s proposal, but breaks the engagement later when she realizes she doesn’t truly love him.

Gold Diggers of 1935 - 1935

In a luxury hotel stage director Nicoleff stages a show to get the money to pay his bills. Mrs. Prentiss, who is backing the show wants her daughter Ann to marry the millionaire T. Mosely Thorpe, but Ann falls in love with Dick Curtis, while Dick's girl friend marries Ann's brother Humbolt. But the hotel secretary Betty knows a way to avoid dificulties with old Mrs. Prentiss.

The songs in Gold Diggers of 1935 were written by Harry Warren (music) and Al Dubin (lyrics), and the two production numbers were staged by Busby Berkeley.

"I'm Going Shopping with You," - Sung by Dick Powell to Gloria Stuart, this is a montage of scenes of Stuart shopping for everything from lingere to jewelry, much to the dismay of her penny-pinching mother, Alice Brady.

"The Words Are in My Heart" - This elaborate Busby Berkeley production number utilized 56 white grand pianos, which were moved around the sound stage by male dancers underneath the piano-shells, dressed in black.

"Lullaby of Broadway" - One of the most famous Busby Berkeley numbers is actually a short film-within-a-film, which tells the story of a Broadway Baby who plays all night and sleeps all day. It opens with a head shot of singer Wini Shaw against a black background, then the camera pulls back and up, and Shaw's head becomes the Big Apple, New York City. As everyone rushes off to work, Shaw returns home from her night's carousing and goes to sleep. When she awakens, that night, we follow her and her beau (Dick Powell) from club to club, with elaborate large cast tap numbers, until she is pushed off a balcony to her death. The sequence ends with a return to Shaw's head, as she sings the end of the song.

In the scene where many people pay 25 dollars each for tickets to the charity musical (59:10 into the film) the money being paid is very clearly in pesos. In fact, each of the top bills clearly states 'Vente Pesos' and are obviously not American bills. Yet, all the dialog keeps referring to 'dollars' and there is no indication that Lake Waxapahachie, where the resort is located, is anything but an American resort.

Note: Gloria Stuart, who appeared in this film, is the same Gloria Stuart who played "Old Rose" in Titanic.

Cast of Gold Diggers of 1935

Dick Powell as Dick Curtis
Adolphe Menjou as Nicolai Nicoleff
Gloria Stuart as Ann Prentiss
Alice Brady as Matilda Prentiss
Hugh Herbert as T. Mosely Thorpe III
Glenda Farrell as Betty Hawes
Frank McHugh as Humbolt Prentiss
Joseph Cawthorn as August Schultz
Grant Mitchell as Louis Lampson
Dorothy Dare as Arline Davis
Wini Shaw as Winny

Naughty Marietta - 1935

The original operetta opened in London on 24 October 1910.

Much to Frank Morgan's annoyance, he was required to shave his mustache, which he hadn't done for 17 years.

Robert Z. Leonard was the original director of the movie, but asked to be relieved of the assignment after the first day of shooting.

Although Victor Herbert's songs were used for this movie, the plot is not the same as that of the original musical, due to the censorship restrictions of the Hays Office.

The two crucial missing characters are the Governor's effeminate son Etienne and the Gypsy girl with whom he has fallen in love. They form an alternate love match which was completely eliminated from the movie version because in the stage version, Etienne is actually a notorious pirate.

Anachronisms: The 17th Century French nuns have plucked eyebrows and wear make-up and lipstick.

The song "Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life" was used in Mel Brooks' 1974 comedy "Young Frankenstein," with parts of the refrain sung by the characters played by Madeline Kahn and Terri Garr.

Cast of Naughty Marietta

Princess Marie de Namour de la Bonfain (Marietta Franini) — Jeanette MacDonald
Captain Richard Warrington — Nelson Eddy
Governor Gaspard d'Annard — Frank Morgan
Madame d'Annard — Elsa Lanchester
Prince de Namour de la Bonfain (Uncle to Princess Marie) — Douglas Dumbrille
Herr Schuman — Joseph Cawthorne
Julie — Cecilia Parker
Don Carlos de Braganza — Walter Kingsford
Frau Schuman — Greta Meyer
Rudolpho — Akim Tamiroff
Abraham "Abe" — Harold Huber
Ezekial "Zeke" Cramer — Edward Brophy
Servant to Princess Marie's uncle (the real Marietta Franini) — Helen Shipman

A Midsummer Night's Dream - 1935

Mickey Rooney broke his leg during filming, and was wheeled around behind bushes on a bicycle during filming.

Mickey Rooney is usually thought to have been eleven when he made this film. He was actually 14 during filming.

Olivia de Havilland was cast in the film after successfully playing Hermia in the Hollywood Bowl production.

Film debut of Olivia de Havilland, although it was released after her next two films, Alibi Ike (1935) and The Irish in Us (1935).

William Dieterle had full charge as director for about a week because of a breach-of-contract suit filed against Max Reinhardt by a French film company. The judge found in favor of Reinhardt, and lifted the restraining order.

The movie was banned in Germany by the Nazi government because Max Reinhardt and Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy were Jews and considered undesirable.

The first stage production of this play was in London, about in 1595.

None of Ernest Haller's photography is in the finished film; he was fired and replaced by Hal Mohr, who re-did everything that Haller had shot.

When the forest that Max Reinhardt designed could not be lit properly, cinematographer Hal Mohr thinned the trees slightly, sprayed them with aluminum paint and covered them with cobwebs and tiny metal particles to reflect the light. As a result, he became the first (and only) write-in winner of an Academy Award.

Composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold was personally chosen by director Max Reinhardt. Both agreed in an early production stage to use the original incidental music written by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy as the film's soundtrack. (Reinhardt did a stage production of the play before and used Mendelssohn's music.) As the film runs over two hours it was obvious that Mendelssohn's composition would be too short. Instead of just repeating several musical cues to fit the film's final length Korngold adapted the incidental music and parts of some other compositions by Mendelssohn, re-orchestrated them for a larger orchestra and choir (most notably heard in his Wedding March version at the end) and composed some short musical bridges by himself. Thus he created a complete symphonic score for the movie based on Mendelssohn's music. However, he chose to remain uncredited as a composer and insisted on giving full musical credit to Mendelssohn.

The first Shakespeare adaptation to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture.

First Shakespeare adaptation to be nominated for Best Picture (*one of its two Oscars was a write-in winner).

Many of the actors in this version had never performed Shakespeare before and never would do so again, notably Cagney and Brown, who were nevertheless highly acclaimed for their performances. All critics agreed that Dick Powell was horribly miscast as Lysander, and Powell himself concurred with the critics' verdict.

Olivia de Havilland originally auditioned for the role of Puck in Reinhardt's legendary stage production of the play at the Hollywood Bowl. Although the cast of the stage play was mostly replaced by Warner Brothers contract players, de Havilland and Mickey Rooney were chosen to reprise their original roles.

Avant-garde director Kenneth Anger claimed in his book Hollywood Babylon II to have played the changeling prince in this film when he was a child, but in fact the role was played by child star Sheila Brown.

Cast of A Midsummer Night's Dream

Ian Hunter as Theseus, Duke of Athens
Verree Teasdale as Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons, betrothed to Theseus
Hobart Cavanaugh as Philostrate, Master of Revels to Theseus
Dick Powell as Lysander, In love with Hermia
Ross Alexander as Demetrius, In love with Hermia
Olivia de Havilland as Hermia, In love with Lysander (as Olivia de Haviland)
Jean Muir as Helena, In love with Demetrius
Grant Mitchell as Egeus, Father to Hermia
Frank McHugh as Quince, the Carpenter
Dewey Robinson as Snug, the Joiner
James Cagney as Bottom, the Weaver
Joe E. Brown as Flute, the Bellows-mender
Hugh Herbert as Snout, the Tinker
Otis Harlan as Starveling, the Tailor
Arthur Treacher as Epilogue
Victor Jory as Oberon, King of the Fairies
Anita Louise as Titania, Queen of the Fairies
Nini Theilade as Fairie, Attending Titania (as Nina Theilade)
Mickey Rooney as Puck or Robin Goodfellow, a Fairy
Katherine Frey as Pease-Blossom
Helen Westcott as Cobweb
Fred Sale as Moth
Billy Barty as Mustard-Seed

Anna Karenina - 1935

Aware that her co-star Fredric March was notorious for seducing his leading ladies, Greta Garbo reportedly wore garlic under her clothes and purposely had bad breath in order to stave off his advances.

Greta Garbo initially formed a very close relationship with Freddie Bartholomew until the 11-year-old asked her for an autograph for his uncle one day. After that their relationship was strictly professional. For the rest of his life he was dismayed at suddenly losing her friendship.

In a separately filmed trailer sequence, Freddie Bartholomew talks to the audience and tells them about the picture.

Crew or equipment visible: Shadows of equipment are visible in the scene where Karenin confronts Anna.

Continuity: During the drinking game, while under the table, the officer who is in front of Vronsky disappears.

Continuity: When Anna arrives in Dolly's room, they hold hands, which then changes in the next shot.

Continuity: The way Vronsky holds his hat changes while talking with Anna in the garden.

Anna Karenina is a critically acclaimed 1935 drama film, directed by Clarence Brown. It is based on the novel Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. The film stars Greta Garbo, Fredric March, Basil Rathbone and Maureen O'Sullivan. It made $2,304,000 at the box office.

Greta Garbo received a New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress for her role in this film. In addition, the film was ranked #42 on the American Film Institute's list of AFI's 100 Years... 100 Passions. (In a separate AFI poll, Garbo was chosen as #5 of the Top 25 American female screen legends.)

Cast of Anna Karenina

Greta Garbo — Anna Karenina
Fredric March — Vronsky
Freddie Bartholomew — Sergei
Maureen O'Sullivan — Kitty
May Robson — Countess Vronsky
Basil Rathbone — Karenin
Reginald Owen — Stiva
Reginald Denny — Yashvin
Joan Marsh — Lili
Ethel Griffies — Mme. Kartasoff
Harry Beresford — Matve
Mary Forbes — Princess Sorokina

A Tale of Two Cities - 1935

Charles Dickens' classic story of two men in love with the same woman during the French Revolution.

Actor Ronald Colman agreed to play the role of Sydney Carton with the sole condition that he not also be required to play the role of Charles Darnay, as was usually expected in adaptations of the Dickens novel. The plot of 'A Tale of Two Cities' turns on the physical resemblance between the two characters.

Anachronisms: Sydney Carton attends Christmas Eve services ca. 1780 during which "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing" is sung to music by Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847), and John Francis Wade's Latin hymn, "Adeste fideles," is sung in Frederick Oakley's (1802-1880) translation as "O Come, All Ye Faithful."

Anachronisms: Close up of a paper reporting arrest of Charles Darnay shows a Reuters report. The action takes place in 1785...Paul Reuter was born in 1816 and did not set up his eponymous news agency until 1850.

Cast of A Tale Of Two Cities

Ronald Colman as Sydney Carton. Colman had long wanted to play Sydney Carton on film.
He was even willing to shave off his moustache.
Elizabeth Allan as Lucie Manette
Edna May Oliver as Miss Pross
Reginald Owen as Stryver
Basil Rathbone as Marquis St. Evremonde
Blanche Yurka as Madame De Farge
Henry B. Walthall as Dr. Manette
Donald Woods as Charles Darnay
Walter Catlett as Barsad
Claude Gillingwater as Jarvis Lorry
H. B. Warner as Gabelle
Fritz Leiber as Gaspard
Lucille La Verne as The Vengeance
Mitchell Lewis as Ernest De Farge
Isabel Jewell as the Seamstress
Tully Marshall as a Woodcutter
Fay Chaldecott as Lucie Darnay, a child
Billy Bevan as Jerry Cruncher
Eily Malyon as Mrs. Cruncher
Donald Haines as Jerry Cruncher, Jr.
E. E. Clive as Judge in Old Bailey
Robert Warwick as Judge at tribunal
Lawrence Grant as a Prosecutor
Ralf Harolde as a Prosecutor
John Davidson as Morveau
Tom Ricketts as Tellson, Jr.
Barlowe Borland as Jacques

The Lives of Bengal Lancer - 1935

Henry Wilcoxon was initially cast as Lt. Forsythe but was dissatisfied with the role and was replaced by Franchot Tone. The official reason was that he had a scheduling conflict with the movie The Crusades (1935). Four days of retakes with Tone were required.

Paramount hired hundreds of Paiute Indians from nearby reservations and Hindu fruit and olive pickers from California's Napa Valley and Imperial Valley to play the Afridi tribesmen in the battle sequences.

This is the film where Douglass Dumbrille says, "We have ways of making men talk," although everybody remembers it as, "We have ways of making you talk."

One of over 700 Paramount Productions, filmed between 1929 and 1949, which were sold to MCA/Universal in 1958 for television distribution, and have been owned and controlled by Universal ever since.

Cast of The Lives of A Bengal Lancer

Gary Cooper as Lieutenant Alan McGregor
Franchot Tone as Lieutenant Forsythe
Richard Cromwell as Lieutenant Donald Stone
Guy Standing as Colonel Tom Stone (as Sir Guy Standing)
C. Aubrey Smith as Major Hamilton
Kathleen Burke as Tania Volkanskaya
Douglass Dumbrille as Mohammed Khan
Monte Blue as Hamzulla Khan
Colin Tapley as Lieutenant Barrett
Akim Tamiroff as Otamanu, Emir of Gopal
J. Carrol Naish as Grand Vizier
Noble Johnson as Ram Singh
Lumsden Hare as Major General Sir Thomas Woodley
Jameson Thomas as Hendrickson

Captain Blood - 1935

Robert Donat was cast in the title role, but didn't turn up at the start of shooting. Warner Brothers scrambled to find a replacement, asking Brian Aherne to take the role, but he refused. Warners decided to take a gamble on an unknown Australian named Errol Flynn.

No full-sized ships were used in the battle scenes. It was created by a combination of process shots, miniatures, and footage from the silent film, The Sea Hawk (1924), which was based on another Rafael Sabatini novel.

Because, Erich Wolfgang Korngold had only three weeks for scoring this picture, he used portions of two tone poems by Franz Liszt for some of the action scenes. However, he insisted on the screen credit "Musical Arrangements by" although still 90 % of the score was original.

In his biography, "My Wicked, Wicked Ways" Errol Flynn (an infamous prankster) states that he played many pranks on Olivia de Havilland. One of them was leaving a dead snake in her underwear, which she found when she went to put them on. After that she lived in terror of what prank he would pull on her next.

The Academy Awards that year allowed write-in votes. Based on write-ins alone, Michael Curtiz would have won the Oscar for best director, but on the night he lost to John Ford for his work on The Informer (1935). Composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold and writer Casey Robinson also failed to be properly nominated, though they both received large numbers of postal votes for their work.

This was a big gamble for Warner Brothers in 1935 as it was a big expensive production costing $1 million without any household names (both Flynn and de Havilland became stars after the film's release).

The first screen duel between Errol Flynn and Basil Rathbone, to be replayed three years later and to grander effect in The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938).

His first major starring role, Errol Flynn was so nervous during the initial shooting that director Michael Curtiz had to re-shoot his early scenes much later into the production, by which time Flynn had gained a level of confidence.

Although they worked together a total of 12 times, Errol Flynn and Michael Curtiz disliked each other intensely.

The first film to feature a musical score by Erich Wolfgang Korngold, one of Hollywood's greatest composers. Korngold was given three weeks to score the film, although during the day he was working on adapting the score of an operetta for Paramount called Give Us This Night (1936). He worked nights on his Captain Blood (1935) score.

Lord Willoughby is a combination of Lord Julian Wade and Lord Willoughby, the two nobleman characters from Raphael Sabatini's book.

The first talkie to be based on a novel by then popular novelist Rafael Sabatini.

The first of nine movies made together by Warner Brothers' romantic couple Olivia de Havilland and Errol Flynn.

Basil Rathbone felt miscast as a French pirate.

The card game Bronson and Whacker are playing is Cribbage.

Cast of Captain Blood

Errol Flynn as Peter Blood
Olivia de Havilland as Arabella Bishop
Lionel Atwill as Colonel Bishop
Basil Rathbone as Levasseur
Ross Alexander as Jeremy Pitt, Blood's friend and navigator
Guy Kibbee as Hagthorpe, another crewman
Henry Stephenson as Lord Willoughby
Robert Barrat as Wolverstone
Hobart Cavanaugh as Dr. Bronson
Donald Meek as Dr. Whacker
Jessie Ralph as Mrs. Barlow
Forrester Harvey as Honesty Nuttall

Ruggles of Red Gap - 1935

One of over 700 Paramount Productions, filmed between 1929 and 1949, which were sold to MCA/Universal in 1958 for television distribution, and have been owned and controlled by Universal ever since.

Edward Dmytryk, the film's editor, said that Charles Laughton became so emotional during the scene in the saloon where he recites the Gettysburg Address that it took director Leo McCarey 1-1/2 days to complete shooting it.

While rehearsing for this movie, Charles Laughton was hospitalized for several weeks for a rectal abscess.

Nazi Germany banned the release of any German-dubbed version of this film because of the Gettysburg Address speech.

Charles Laughton referred to his reading of the "Gettysburg Address" in the film as "one of the most moving things that ever happened to me" Laughton recited the address to the cast and crew of Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) on the last day of shooting on Catalina Island and again on the set of The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939).

According to the autobiography of Elsa Lanchester, Charles Laughton's wife, Paramount bought the story and appointed Leo McCarey as director at Laughton's request. Before the film began shooting, Lanchester states, Laughton worked with McCarey and the film's writers on the script, and hired an old friend, 'Arthur MacRae', who later became a playwright in England, to add the "necessary Englishness" of Ruggles.

The original Broadway production of "Ruggles of Red Gap" by Harrison Rhoades opened at the Fulton Theater on Decemebr 25, 1915 and ran for 33 performances.

Cast of Ruggles of Red Gap

Charles Laughton ... Marmaduke Ruggles
Mary Boland ... Effie Floud
Charles Ruggles ... Egbert Floud (billed as Charlie Ruggles)
ZaSu Pitts ... Prunella Judson
Roland Young ... George Vane Bassingwell, the Earl of Burnstead
Leila Hyams ... Nell Kenner
Maude Eburne ... 'Ma' Pettingill
Lucien Littlefield ... Charles Belknap-Jackson
Leota Lorraine ... Mrs. Charles Belknap-Jackson
James Burke ... Jeff Tuttle
Dell Henderson ... Sam, bartender (as Del Henderson)
Clarence Wilson ... Jake Henshaw, reporter

Les Misérables - 1935

Les Misérables is a 1935 American drama film based upon the famous Victor Hugo novel of the same name. It was adapted by W. P. Lipscomb and directed by Richard Boleslawski. This was the last film for 20th Century Pictures before it merged with Fox Film Corporation to form 20th Century Fox.


The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture and the Academy Award for Film Editing. The National Board of Review named the film the sixth best of 1935.


The plot of the movie basically follows Hugo's novel, but there are a large number of differences.

Jean Valjean, a Frenchman of good character and great strength, is convicted of stealing a loaf of bread, an act that sets in motion a lifetime of misery for Valjean, as he is pursued by the uncompromising and brutal lawman Javert.

Cast of Les Misérables

Fredric March as Jean Valjean/Champmathieu
Charles Laughton as Inspector Émile Javert
Cedric Hardwicke as Bishop Myriel
Rochelle Hudson as Cosette
Florence Eldridge as Fantine
John Beal as Marius
Frances Drake as Éponine
John Carradine as Enjolras
Ferdinand Gottschalk and Jane Kerr as the Thénardiers
Marilyn Knowlden as Young Cosette

Tabu - 1931

Matahi is a native man living in Bora Bora, a small island in the South Pacific. One day, he meets the beautiful Reri and falls in love with her. Shortly after they meet, the Tribal Elders (led by Hitu) arrive from the surrounding islands. Their maid to the gods has died and they choose Reri as a replacement because of her unparalleled beauty. If any man so much as casts a lustful gaze at her, they are to be put to death. Matahi however is unwilling to let her go; at night, he sneaks her off the Elders' ship and the couple escape the island by canoe. Eventually, they arrive on a French Colony, where Matahi becomes the community's most successful pearl diver. He is happy with his new life, but Reri remains fearful that the Elders will find them. In pursuit of the couple, Hitu visits the island and tells Reri she has three days to give herself up or Matahi will be put to death. Without telling Matahi of Hitu's threat, Reri tries to buy a ticket for them to escape to the mainland. However, Matahi has no concept of money and they find themselves so far in debt they are unable to pay for passage on a ship. That night, Matahi decides to go out and obtain a pearl from a shark-infested region of the reef in order to pay off his debt. While he is away, Reri writes a farewell note to Matahi, and Hitu comes to collect her. When Matahi returns, he finds her note and tries to swim after Hitu's boat. After grabbing a rope along the edge of the boat, Hitu cuts it loose; Matahi continues swimming after them and drowns.

This film was selected to the National Film Registry, Library of Congress, in 1994.

The film was censored upon release to remove nudity involving natives on the island.

Producer/Director/Co-writer F.W. Murnau died in a car accident a few days after starting work on the music for this film. The film had its New York premiere a week later.

Originally conceived as a co-venture with documentarian Robert J. Flaherty. As work on the project progressed, it became increasingly clear to Flaherty that F.W. Murnau did not adapt well to co-directing and that he was being squeezed off the film. A factor helping Murnau in this was that he was one of the chief financiers.

Cast of Tabu

Matahi — The Boy
Anne Chevalier — The Girl (as Reri)
Bill Bambridge — The Policeman (as Jean)
Hitu — The Old Warrior
Jean — Policeman

The Informer - 1935

The day before shooting Gypo Nolan's trial scene, John Ford told Victor McLaglen that he wouldn't be needed the next day so he should take a break, enjoy himself, and not worry about his lines. McLaglen proceeded to go out drinking - which Ford knew he would do - and the next day was forced to film the scene with a terrible hangover, which was just the effect Ford wanted.

Is the first film and only film to win the New York Film Critics Circle award for Best Picture by a unanimous vote on the first ballot.

The premiere took place aboard the French transatlantic liner "Normandie".

This was the first of RKO's three-picture deal with director John Ford and despite its deserved reputation and multiple Oscars, it was a low budget production. Its negative production costs came to a mere $243,000.

Ford was concerned that the scene where drunken "King" Gypo goes into the brothel for Katie would not pass censors. The studio came up with the idea to "put the cats in hats", that is have all the prostitutes wear hats indoors, thus dissuading the censorship board from thinking they were prostitutes.

A number of references suggest the possibility that Ward Bond appears in a bit part in this film, and it has also been rumored that J. Farrell MacDonald does so as well. However, frame-by-frame analysis of the film indicates that neither appears in the film in any capacity, and indeed, both were rather more substantially well known at the time than a passing bit role would suggest as likely, even for their friend John Ford. In one scene, in the fish-and-chips shop, an extra appears who has a slight resemblance to Bond, but it is definitely not he. And J. Farrell MacDonald's name might well have been mistaken for J.M. Kerrigan, who does indeed have a substantial role. Kerrigan, though, is already billed in the credits. Bond and MacDonald are not in The Informer.

Dudley Nichols became the first person to decline an Oscar, turning it down because of Union disagreements. Academy records indicate that Nichols had taken possession of his Oscar by 1949.

A presentation copy of the script was recently found on a garbage pile in Madison, Wisconsin. It was brought on to the show "Antiques Roadshow" where it was appraised for about $4000.

RKO was highly dubious about the project, given the depressing subject matter and the pathetic lead character. However, following the success of Ford's "The Lost Patrol", they agreed to stump up the budget for the film, provided it didn't cost any more than $250,000. Ford had to forego his own salary to ensure that the film met that budget restriction. The film came in at $243,000.

Initially a box office failure, the film made millions when it was re-released after its multiple wins at the Academy Awards.

Another reason why RKO was reluctant to make the film was because a version of the story had already been filmed in the UK in 1929.

Ford kept Victor McLaglen continually off-balance (and thus in character) by getting him drunk, changing his schedules, verbally abusing him on and off the set and filming scenes when he'd told McLaglen that they were only rehearsing. For the crucial rebel court scene, the story goes that Ford reduced the actor to a trembling wreck by promising him the day off only to bring him into the studio early and extremely hungover, insisting that he spit out his lines. McLaglen was so furious with Ford over this that he threatened to quit acting and kill his director.

John Ford had been highly impressed by F.W. Murnau's "Sunrise" (1927) and wanted to bring an element of German Expressionism to his film.

In later years, in interviews with fellow director Peter Bogdanovich, Ford conceded that he felt that "The Informer" lacked humor.

Dudley Nichols wrote the script in six days.

Shot in 17 days.

Director Samuel Fuller's favorite film.

Cast of The Informer

Victor McLaglen - Gypo Nolan
Heather Angel - Mary McPhillip
Preston Foster - Dan Gallagher
Margot Grahame - Katie Madden
Wallace Ford - Frankie McPhillip
Una O'Connor - Mrs. McPhillip
J. M. Kerrigan - Terry
Joe Sawyer - Bartly Mulholland (as Joseph Sauers)
Neil Fitzgerald - Tommy Connor
Donald Meek - Peter Mulligan
D'Arcy Corrigan - The Blind Man
Leo McCabe - Donahue
Steve Pendleton - Dennis Daly (as Gaylord Pendleton)
Francis Ford - "Judge" Flynn
May Boley - Madame Betty

David Copperfield - 1935

David O. Selznick dearly wanted to film David Copperfield, as his Russian father Lewis J. Selznick had learned the English language through it, and read it to his sons every night.
A recreation of 19th century London was constructed in the MGM backlot. The scenes set outside Aunt Betsey's house atop the white cliffs of Dover were filmed at Malibu. MGM even filmed the exterior of Canterbury Cathedral, which only appears in the film for less than a minute.

Charles Laughton was originally cast in the role of Mr. Micawber. After two days of work, he disliked his performance in the dailies and asked to be replaced. Selznick let him go, and Laughton recommended comedian and Dickens scholar W. C. Fields for the part, who was borrowed from Paramount Pictures. A clause in Fields' contract stated that he had to play the part with a British accent, but as he had difficulty learning the lines he had to read off cue cards and thus speaks in his own accent in the role. His defense: "My father was an Englishman and I inherited this accent from him! Are you trying to go against nature?!" This is the only film where Fields doesn't ad lib (although he did want to add a juggling sequence, and when this was denied, an anecdote about snakes, which was also denied). The result was one of the finest performances of that year.

The film was well-received on its release in January 1935. One New York Times critic called it "The most profoundly satisfying screen manipulation of a great novel the camera has ever given us". It was nominated for three Academy Awards, including Acadamey Award for Best Picture (losing out to Mutiny on the Bounty), and was nominated for the Mussolini Cup for Best Foreign Film at the Venice Film Festival (losing out to Anna Karenina).

It is still shown in many countries on television at Christmas. It is rated with four out of four stars every year in Halliwell's Film Guide.

This was selected by The New York Times as one of the 1000 greatest movies ever made.

In another significant film, Gone with the Wind, which was also produced by Selznick, Melanie Wilkes (Olivia de Havilland) reads aloud from the novel David Copperfield while she waits for the vigilantes to come home from the raid. In Margaret Mitchell's novel, Melanie actually read Les Misérables at this point.

Cast of David Copperfield (In Order of Appearance)

Edna May Oliver as Aunt Betsey
Elizabeth Allan as Clara Copperfield
Jessie Ralph as Peggotty
Freddie Bartholomew as David Copperfield as a boy
Basil Rathbone as Mr. Murdstone
Lionel Barrymore as Dan'l Peggotty
Una O'Connor as Mrs. Gummidge
W. C. Fields as Mr. Micawber
Lennox Pawle as Mr. Dick
Frank Lawton as David Copperfield as a man
Hugh Williams as James Steerforth
Lewis Stone as Mr. Wickfield
Madge Evans as Agnes
Roland Young as Uriah Heep
Maureen O'Sullivan as Dora

Mutiny On The Bounty - 1935

MGM wanted Cary Grant to play Byam, but Grant was under contract to Paramount, which refused to release him.

2nd unit assistant cameraman Glenn Strong died when a barge with 55 crewmen and staff members capsized while shooting exterior scenes.

Charles Laughton, playing William Bligh, who performed one of the world's greatest feats of navigation after having been cast adrift at sea by the Bounty mutineers, was in reality terrified of the ocean and was violently seasick throughout most of the filming.

Clark Gable had to shave off his trademark mustache for this film for historical accuracy. Mustaches were not allowed in the Royal Navy during the time the story takes place.

Actor James Cagney was sailing his boat off of Catalina Island, California, and passed the area where the film's crew was shooting aboard the Bounty replica. Cagney called to director Frank Lloyd, an old friend, and said that he was on vacation and could use a couple of bucks, and asked if Lloyd had any work for him. Lloyd put him into a sailor's uniform, and Cagney spent the rest of the day as an extra playing a sailor aboard the Bounty.

An additional tragedy nearly occurred during filming when an 18-foot replica of the Bounty with two crewmen aboard separated from its tow and was adrift for two days before being found by a search party.

Wallace Beery turned down the role of Capt Bligh because he didn't like Clark Gable and didn't want to be stuck on a long location shoot with him.

The only film in Oscar history that had three nominees for Best Actor: Clark Gable, Charles Laughton, and Franchot Tone. They all lost to Victor McLaglen for The Informer (1935), the only nominee not in this film.

Irving Thalberg cast Clark Gable and Charles Laughton together in the hope that they would hate each other, making their on screen sparring more lifelike. He knew that Gable, a notorious homophobe, would not care for Laughton's overt homosexuality and would feel inferior to the RADA-trained Shakesperaean actor. Relations between the two stars broke down completely after Laughton brought his muscular boyfriend to the island as his personal masseur. They were an obviously devoted couple and would go everywhere together, while Gable would turn away in disgust. In addition, Laughton felt that he should have won the Best Actor Oscar for The Barretts of Wimpole Street (1934). In the event, he was not even nominated and the award went to Gable for It Happened One Night (1934).

The last winner of Best Picture Oscar that won no other Oscars.

Clark Gable was initially disappointed when Franchot Tone was cast as Byam. The two actors had been bitter rivals for the affections of Joan Crawford, and did not like each other at all. However, during filming Gable surprisingly became close friends with Tone when they discovered a mutual interest in alcohol and women, both of which were abundantly available in Avalon, the island of Catalina's famous pleasure town.

Franchot Tone's role was originally intended for Robert Montgomery.

The "Pacific Queen" shown in this film is actually a 19th-century ship, originally called the "Balclutha" (although later renamed the "Star of Alaska"). This ship, renamed to its original "Balclutha", can now be found at the Hyde Street Pier in San Francisco as part of the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park.

Years later, in a conversation with playwright George S. Kaufman, Charles Laughton remarked that he had given such a good performance in this film because he came from a long line of seafarers. Referring to Laughton's performance in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939), Kaufman dryly commented, "I assume, then, that you also came from a long line of hunchbacks?"

In order to break the ice before shooting, Clark Gable, apparently unaware of co-star Charles Laughton's homosexuality, took him to a brothel. Laughton's wife Elsa Lanchester always said that Laughton was nevertheless "flattered" by this gesture.

The character of Dr. Bacchus, who was a highly-functioning alcoholic, shares his name with the ancient Greek God of Wine.

Clark Gable disliked wearing knee-breeches, because he found them "effeminate."

The film was MGM's most expensive production at the time, costing around $2 million.

Since all three leads were nominated for the Best Actor Oscar, the Academy introduced a Best Supporting Actor Oscar shortly afterward to ensure this situation would not be repeated.

Clark Gable initially felt he was badly miscast as an English naval lieutenant in an historical epic. However, he later said he believed this was the best movie he had starred in.

During filming Clark Gable and Franchot Tone were said to have become romantically involved with Mamo Clark and Movita, who played their girlfriends in the movie.

Cary Grant eagerly sought the role of Midshipman Roger Byam, but the part went to Franchot Tone instead.

The film was based on a trilogy written by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall: "Mutiny on the Bounty", "Men Against the Sea" and "Pitcairn's Island", although events in the last book weren't filmed. Director Frank Lloyd wanted to film a sequel called "Captain Bligh" with Charles Laughton about Bligh's career as governor of an Australian penal colony, but that film was never made.

The sterns of the larger ships in the harbor at the beginning of the film are first rate ships of the line that are similar to the HMS Victory. The producers tried to make these scenes as accurate as possible and it shows.

The only film to have three performers nominated in the Best Actor category at the Academy Awards.

The last film to win Best Picture without winning any other Academy Awards.

Cast of Mutiny On The Bounty

Charles Laughton - Capt. William Bligh
Clark Gable - Lt. Fletcher Christian
Franchot Tone - Midshipman Roger Byam
Herbert Mundin - Smith
Eddie Quillan - Seaman Thomas Ellison
Dudley Digges - Dr. Bacchus
Donald Crisp - Seaman Thomas Burkitt
Henry Stephenson - Sir Joseph Banks
Francis Lister - Capt. Nelson

The 39 Steps - 1935

Director Cameo: [Alfred Hitchcock] about seven minutes in, tossing some litter as Richard and Annabella run from the music hall.

The 62 imported sheep, upon arriving at the sound stage, immediately went to work on the bracken and bushes that had been brought with them. The infuriated crew had to replace the real plants with ones hastily bought from a local nursery.

Director Trademark: [Alfred Hitchcock] [stairs] Pamela listening to a conversation from the top of a staircase.

Visa de censure en France (1951): #11533/D.

One day on the set Alfred Hitchcock handcuffed Robert Donat and Madeleine Carroll together and pretended for several hours to have lost the key.

The music that the chorines dance to after Mr. Memory is shot is "Tinkle, Tinkle, Tinkle" written by Harry M. Woods.

Madeleine Carroll suffered at the hands of Alfred Hitchcock's quest for realism, right down to the real welts on her wrists from the long days of being handcuffed to Robert Donat.

According to one of his sons, John Buchan (upon whose 1915 novel the film was based) was impressed with the film, despite its departures from his original plot.

Cast of The 39 Steps

Robert Donat as Richard Hannay
Madeleine Carroll as Pamela
Lucie Mannheim as Annabella Smith
Godfrey Tearle as Professor Jordan
Peggy Ashcroft as Margaret, the crofter's wife
John Laurie as John, the crofter
Helen Haye as Mrs. Louisa Jordan, the professor's wife
Frank Cellier as Sheriff Watson
Wylie Watson as Mr. Memory

Bride of Frankenstein - 1935

Not long before filming began, Colin Clive broke a leg in a horse riding accident. Consequently, most of Dr. Frankenstein's scenes were shot with him sitting.

When filming the scene where the monster emerges from the burnt windmill, Boris Karloff slipped and fell into the water-filled well. Upon being helped out, he realized he had broken a leg in the fall. The metal struts used to stiffen his legs (for the famous "monster lurch") helped keep the bones in place until they could be properly set.

The musical soundtrack for this film proved so popular, it was used again in the Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers serials starring Buster Crabbe.

Editing after previews resulted in the loss of a subplot in which Karl imitates the Monster's murderous modus operandi to eliminate his miserly aunt and uncle and direct the blame away from himself.

Shot in 46 days at a cost of approximately $400,000.

Boris Karloff sweated off 20 pounds laboring in the hot costume and makeup.

In the opening and closing credits the cast list says "The Monster's Mate" followed by a question mark.

The "body count" in the original cut was 21. This was trimmed to 10 after pressure from the censors.

Director James Whale originally did not want to do a sequel to Frankenstein (1931).

For a time, Universal considered producing a sequel to Frankenstein (1931) without the involvement of James Whale. One possible story included an educated monster continuing Henry's research, while another chronicled Henry's creation of a death ray on the eve of a world war.

Director James Whale was once derided by a disgusted audience member for laughing during a screening.

Production of this sequel to the original Frankenstein (1931) was publicized as early as 1933 by both Universal Studio press releases and the trade paper "Daily Variety", but director James Whale did not begin work on it until late 1934. With a budget under $300,000, it was originally entitled "The Return of Frankenstein".

Universal badgered James Whale for four years before he agreed to make this sequel to Frankenstein (1931).

One of James Whale's criteria for taking up the director's reins on the film was that he would have complete artistic freedom. This was easily achieved, as Universal's studio head Carl Laemmle Jr. was vacationing in Europe at the time.

As a result of audience reactions from the film's preview screenings during the first week of April 1935, the film was extensively re-edited. Many scenes were deleted and trimmed, and at least one, the scene where the Monster stumbles into the Gypsy Camp, was added in. As a result of the editing, the original uncut film was approx. 15 minutes longer than its official release length of 75 minutes.

Valerie Hobson, who plays Dr. Frankenstein's fiancé/bride in the film, was only 17 years old when she appeared in the film (Colin Clive, who portrayed Dr. Frankenstein, was 35.)

Elsa Lanchester was only 5'4" but for the role was placed on stilts that made her 7' tall. The bandages were placed so tightly on her that she was unable to move and had to be carried about the studio and fed through a straw.

Boris Karloff protested against the decision to make The Monster speak, but was overruled. Since he was required to speak in this film, Karloff was not able to remove his partial bridgework as he had done to help give the Monster his sunken cheek appearance in the first film. That's why The Monster appears fuller of face in the sequel.

Marilyn Harris, who played Maria, the girl The Monster accidentally kills in the original Frankenstein, appears uncredited as another young girl.

It is considered inaccurate to refer to the Monster by the name "Frankenstein" rather than "Frankenstein's Monster", however in the prologue, Lord Byron actually does attach the name Frankenstein to the monster.

The original trailer promises "a lifetime of entertainment in two hours". The final edit ran 75 minutes.

Among the actresses under consideration by director James Whale to play the role of the monster's mate were Brigitte Helm and Louise Brooks.

Though virtually all of Billy Barty's scenes (as the little baby in the bottle) were deleted, he can still be briefly glimpsed in a wide shot of all the bottles on Dr. Pretorius's table (as well as in still photographs).

Elsa Lanchester's shock hairdo was held in place by a wired horsehair cage.

Elsa Lanchester said that her spitting, hissing performance was inspired by the swans in Regent's Park, London. "They're really very nasty creatures," she said.

The role of the monster's mate was originally offered to Brigitte Helm but she had recently married and refused to leave Germany.

"The Bride", the most obscure of Universal Studios' Classic Monsters, is on screen for less than five minutes and is the only "Classic Monster" never to have killed anyone.

2007: The movie's line "We belong dead" was voted as the #63 of "The 100 Greatest Movie Lines" by Premiere magazine.

During the "bottle" sequence in Dr. Pretorius' apartment, the Doctor, while showing Dr. Frankenstein the miniature "devil" character, makes a wry comment that he sees a "certain resemblance" between him and his tiny creation. In fact, the miniature devil in the bottle was played by Peter Shaw, who was actually actor Ernest Thesiger's stand-in/film double in the picture.

The tiny mermaid in Dr. Pretorius' bottle was Josephine McKim, a member of the 1924 and 1928 U.S. Women's Olympic Swim Teams and one of the four members of that team to win the 1928 gold medal in the 400-Meter Freestyle Relay. McKim was also Maureen O'Sullivan's body double in the infamous nude swimming scene of the previous year's Tarzan and His Mate (1934).
Claude Rains was offered the role of Dr. Pretorius but he was unavailable due to filming Mystery of Edwin Drood (1935).

There was an epilogue to this movie featuring Elsa Lanchester as Mary Shelley, but it was cut from the final film.

Elsa Lanchester was not the only person to have a dual role in this film. In addition to her role as Minnie, Una O'Connor also appeared in the prologue, as Shelley's maid who is holding the leash as the dogs go off screen.

Doctor Pretorious' full name is "Septimus Pretorious"; this is actually Latin and means "royal seven", a reference to the seven deadly sins - as well as an indicator of his true nature.

>>> WARNING: Here Be Spoilers <<<

Trivia items below here contain information that may give away important plot points. You may not want to read any further if you've not already seen this title.

SPOILER:When the castle is self-destructing, the Doctor can be seen against the far wall. Yet he is next seen outside in the arms of his beloved, watching the explosions. There were two endings originally: the first had Doctor Frankenstein dying within the castle and this was filmed. But the producers judged this a bit harsh and wanted a happy ending, so they shot the extra footage (too expensive to re-film the explosions).

Cast of Bride of Frankenstein

Boris Karloff The Monster (as Karloff)

Colin Clive Baron Henry von Frankenstein

Valerie Hobson Elizabeth von Frankenstein

Ernest Thesiger Dr. Pretorius

Elsa Lanchester Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley / The Monster's Bride (as ?)

Gavin Gordon Lord Byron

Douglas Walton Percy Shelley

Una O'Connor Minnie - Housekeeper

E.E. Clive Burgomaster

Lucien Prival Albert - Butler

O.P. Heggie Hermit

Dwight Frye Karl

Reginald Barlow Hans

Mary Gordon Hans' Wife

Anne Darling Shepherdess (as Ann Darling)

Ted Billings Ludwig

rest of cast listed alphabetically:

Jack Curtis A Hunter

Michael Mark Ludwig (archive footage)

Helen Parrish Communion Girl (scenes deleted)

Robert Adair A Hunter (uncredited)

Norman Ainsley Little Archbishop (uncredited)

Billy Barty Little Baby (uncredited)

Frank Benson Villager (uncredited)

Maurice Black Gypsy (uncredited)

Walter Brennan Neighbor (uncredited)

Mae Bruce Villager (uncredited)

A.S. 'Pop' Byron Henry VIII: Little King (uncredited)

John Carradine Hunter at Hermit's Cottage (uncredited)

D'Arcy Corrigan Procession Leader (uncredited)

Grace Cunard Villager (uncredited)

J. Gunnis Davis Uncle Glutz (uncredited)

Kansas DeForrest Little Ballerina (uncredited)

Elspeth Dudgeon Gypsy's Mother (uncredited)

Helen Jerome Eddy Gypsy's Wife (uncredited)

Neil Fitzgerald Rudy (uncredited)

Brenda Fowler A Mother (uncredited)

John George Villager (uncredited)

Helen Gibson Villager (uncredited)

Marilyn Harris Girl (uncredited)

Rollo Lloyd (uncredited)

Josephine McKim Little Mermaid (uncredited)

Torben Meyer Man Being Strangled by the Monster in Flashback During Prologue (uncredited)

Edward Peil Sr. Villager (uncredited)

Sarah Schwartz Marta (uncredited)

Peter Shaw Little Devil (uncredited)

Mary Stewart Neighbor (uncredited)

Frank Terry A Hunter (uncredited)

Dorothy Vernon Maid (uncredited)

Lucio Villegas Priest (uncredited)

Joan Woodbury Little Queen (uncredited)