Cinemateca » Drama

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923)

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:01:54 +0000

Early adaptation of the novel by Victor Hugo starring Lon Chaney. In fifteenth century Paris, Jehan, the evil brother of the archdeacon, plots with the gypsy king to foment a peasant revolt, which eventually leads to the peasants storming the Cathedral of Notre Dame. Meanwhile, Jehan’s slave, a freakish hunchback named Quasimodo, falls in love with the young gypsy queen, Esmeralda, who in turn is in love with Phoebus, a gentleman soldier and a rogue with the ladies. Phoebus’s gallant side is awakened by the beautiful peasant girl, and he soon returns her love. Unknown to him, his love is dangerous, because Jehan lusts for Esmeralda and is willing to kill the handsome soldier to possess her. But the hunchback will tolerate no harm coming to her, not even if it comes from his own master.

Drama | History

Lon Chaney	…	Quasimodo
Patsy Ruth Miller	…	Esmeralda
Norman Kerry	…	Phoebus de Chateaupers
Kate Lester	…	Madame de Condelaurier
Winifred Bryson	…	Fleur de Lys
Nigel De Brulier	…	Don Claudio (as Nigel de Brulier)
Brandon Hurst	…	Jehan
Ernest Torrence	…	Clopin
Tully Marshall	…	El Rey Luis XI
Harry von Meter	…	Mons. Neufchatel (as Harry Van Meter)
Raymond Hatton	…	Gringoire
Nick De Ruiz	…	Mons. Le Torteru (as Nick de Ruiz)
Eulalie Jensen	…	Marie
Roy Laidlaw	…	Charmolu
Ray Myers	…	Charmolu’s Assistant (as W. Ray Meyers)

Adventures of Don Quixote (1933)

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:01:49 +0000

In Spain, in the sixteenth century, an elderly gentleman named Don Quixote has gone mad from reading too many books on chivalry. Proclaiming himself a knight, he sets out with his squire, Sancho Panza, to reform the world and revive the age of chivalry, choosing a slut to be his noble lady Dulcinea. He mistakes inns for castles, a play about chivalry for the real thing, flocks of sheep for armies, convicts for wronged prisoners, and windmills for giants. While he and Sancho are off on their adventures, his niece, her fiancee, and the local priest think up a strategy to get him back home. Written

Adventure | Musical | Comedy | Drama

Feodor Chaliapin Sr.	…	Don Quixote
George Robey	…	Sancho Panza
René Donnio	…	Carrasco (as Donnio)
Renée Valliers	…	Dulcinea
Emily Fitzroy	…	Sancho Panza’s wife
Sidney Fox	…	Maria the niece
Miles Mander	…	Duke of Fallanga
Wally Patch	…	Gypsy King
Oscar Asche	…	Police Captain
Lydia Sherwood	…	Duchess of Fallanga
Frank Stanmore	…	Priest

Little Princess, The (1939)

admin2 — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 00:06:08 +0000

When her father, Captain Crewe, goes off to fight in the Boer War, young Sara Crewe is placed into the care of Amanda Minchin, the head of an exclusive private school for girls. Sara lives a wonderful life of a privileged child and is quite happy in her surroundings. When her father is listed as missing in action however, her life goes from one of plenty to that of a poor house maid. Mrs. Minchin agrees to keep her on at the school, but in the absence of her tuition payments, she has to work for her keep. She is soon cleaning out the fireplace and scrubbing floors and is dubbed the little princess by her former schoolmates. She also refuses to accept that her father is dead and prowls the hospitals in the hope of locating him. Luck – and Royal intervention – assist her in her quest.

Comedy | Drama | Family | Musical

Shirley Temple	…	Sara Crewe
Richard Greene	…	Geoffrey Hamilton
Anita Louise	…	Rose
Ian Hunter	…	Captain Crewe
Cesar Romero	…	Ram Dass
Arthur Treacher	…	Bertie Minchin
Mary Nash	…	Amanda Minchin
Sybil Jason	…	Becky
Miles Mander	…	Lord Wickham
Marcia Mae Jones	…	Lavinia
Beryl Mercer	…	Queen Victoria
Deidre Gale	…	Jessie
Ira Stevens	…	Ermengarde
E.E. Clive	…	Mr. Barrows
Eily Malyon	…	Cook

The Sheik (1921)

admin2 — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 15:02:48 +0000

Sheik Ahmed (Valentino) desperately desires fiesty British socialite Diana (Ayres), so he abducts her and carries her off to his luxurious desert tent-palace. The free-spirited Diana recoils from his passionate embraces and yearns to be released. Only after being kidnapped by desert bandits does Diana realize how much she has grown to love Ahmed, who comes to her rescue in the nick of time.

Romance | Drama

Rudolph Valentino	…	Sheik Ahmed Ben Hassan
Agnes Ayres	…	Lady Diana Mayo
Ruth Miller	…	Zilahl (a marriage market prospect)
George Waggner	…	Yousaef (tribal chieftain) (as George Waggener)
Frank Butler	…	Sir Aubrey Mayo
Charles Brinley	…	Mustapha Ali (Diana’s guide) (as Charles Brindley)
Lucien Littlefield	…	Gaston (French valet)
Adolphe Menjou	…	Raoul de Saint Hubert
Walter Long	…	Omair (the bandit)

The Private Life of Don Juan (1934)

admin2 — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 14:49:03 +0000

What do women want? Don Juan is aging. He’s arrived secretly in Seville after a 20 year absence. His wife Dolores, whom he hasn’t lived with in five years, still loves him. He refuses to see her; he fears the life of a husband. She has bought his debts and will remand him to jail for two years if he won’t come to her. Meanwhile, an impostor is climbing the balconies of Seville claiming to be Don Juan. When a jealous husband kills him, the real Don Juan sees a way to avoid jail and get some peace. He hides as Captain Mariano in a small town. After six months, he’s ready to return to society: can he measure up to the legend, will women find him attractive, and what about Doña Dolores?

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Douglas Fairbanks	…	Don Juan
Merle Oberon	…	Antonita, a Dancer of Passionate Temperament
Bruce Winston	…	Cafe Manager
Gina Malo	…	Pepita, Another Dancer of Equal Temperament
Benita Hume	…	Dona Dolores, a Lady of Mystery
Binnie Barnes	…	Rosita, a Maid Pure and Simple
Melville Cooper	…	Leporello
Owen Nares	…	Antonio Martinez, an Actor as Actors Go
Heather Thatcher	…	Anna Dora, an Actress as Actresses Go
Diana Napier	…	A Lady of Sentiment
Joan Gardner	…	Carmen, a Young Lady of Romance
Gibson Gowland	…	Don Alfredo, Carmen’s Poor Husband
Barry MacKay	…	Rodrigo, the Impostor, a Man of Romance (as Barry Mackay)
Claud Allister	…	The Duke, as Dukes Go (as Claude Allister)
Athene Seyler	…	Theresa, the Innkeeper, a Middle Aged Lady of Young Sentiment

The Manxman (1929)

admin2 — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 13:07:00 +0000

Poor fisherman Pete falls in love with Kate, the daughter of a landlord on Man island. Pete decides to leave on his ship to earn some money and then to marry the girl. Before leaving, Pete asks his friend Philip to take care of Kate, but the young man is in love with her too. There comes the tragic news: Pete’s ship is wrecked. Philip and Kate have to hide no more and they plan to marry; however, Pete is not dead.

Drama | Romance | Thriller

Carl Brisson	…	Pete Quilliam
Malcolm Keen	…	Philip Christian
Anny Ondra	…	Kate Cregeen
Randle Ayrton	…	Caesar Cregeen
Clare Greet	…	Mother (as Claire Greet)

The Hurricane Express (condensed version) (1932)

admin2 — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 12:38:32 +0000

The Wrecker wrecks trains on the L & R Railroad. One of his victims is Larry Baker’s father. Baker wants to find the evildoer, among a host of suspects, but it will be difficult since the Wrecker can disguise himself to look like almost anyone.

Adventure | Crime | Drama

John Wayne	…	Larry Baker
Shirley Grey	…	Gloria Stratton, aka Gloria Martin
Tully Marshall	…	Howard L. Edwards, Railroad manager
Conway Tearle	…	Stevens, Railroad attorney
J. Farrell MacDonald	…	Jim Baker, Railroad engineer
Matthew Betz	…	Tom Jordan, Railroad engineer (as Mathew Betz)
James P. Burtis	…	Det. Hemingway, Matthews, assistant (as James Burtis)
Lloyd Whitlock	…	Walter Gray, Airline manager
Joseph W. Girard	…	Detective Matthews (as Joseph Girard)
Edmund Breese	…	Frank Stratton, Gloria’s father
Al Bridge	…	Carlson, Plainville station agent (as Alan Bridge)
Ernie Adams	…	Henchman Barney, Machine gunner (as Ernie S. Adams)
Charles King	…	Henchman Mike
Glenn Strange	…	Henchman Jim
Al Ferguson	…	Henchman Sandy – The ‘Wrecker’s’ pilot

The House I Live In (1945)

admin2 — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 12:33:24 +0000

A young Frank Sinatra is in the studio with a full orchestra. He records a take of “If You Are But a Dream,” then breaks for a smoke. From the studio, he steps into an alley where he sees nearly a dozen kids chasing one smaller boy. Frank stops them, asks why, and they tell him it’s because of the boy’s religion. So Frank asks them if they’re Nazis and explains a few things about America, blood banks, World War II, and teamwork. Then he sings “The House I Live In” for them. Off the lads scamper, and the kid Frank’s saved gives him a look of gratitude.

Short | Drama | Music

Frank Sinatra

…

Himself

The First of the Few (1942)

admin2 — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 09:27:30 +0000

By the late 1920′s aircraft designer R.J. Mitchell feels he has achieved all he wants with his revolutionary mono-planes winning trophy after trophy. But a holiday in Germany shortly after Hitler assumes power convinces him that it is vital to design a completely new type of fighter plane and that sooner or later Britain’s very survival may depend on what he comes to call the Spitfire.

Action | Biography | Drama | History | War

Leslie Howard	…	R.J. Mitchell
David Niven	…	Geoffrey Crisp
Rosamund John	…	Diana Mitchell
Roland Culver	…	Commander Bride
Anne Firth	…	Miss Harper
David Horne	…	Mr. Higgins
J.H. Roberts	…	Sir Robert McLean
Derrick De Marney	…	Squadron Leader Jefferson
Rosalyn Boulter	…	Mabel Lovesay
Herbert Cameron	…	MacPherson
Toni Edgar-Bruce	…	Lady Houston (as Toni Edgar Bruce)
Gordon McLeod	…	Major Buchan
George Skillan	…	Mr. Royce
Erik Freund	…	Messerschmitt
Fritz Wendhausen	…	Von Straben (as F.R. Wendhausen)

Son of the Navy (1940)

admin2 — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 16:25:35 +0000

A sailor hitchhiking to his base at San Pedro and an orphan boy who has taken along his dog in a search for a mother and father meet up on the road. The sailor decides it would be easier to get a ride if they pretended to be father and son; the boy has other ideas.

Drama | Comedy

Jean Parker	…	Steve Moore
James Dunn	…	Chief Gunners Mate Mike Malone
Martin Spellman	…	Tommy
Selmer Jackson	…	Capt. Parker
William Royle	…	Capt. Moore (as Wm. Royle)
Sarah Padden	…	Mrs. Baker – Landlady
Craig Reynolds	…	Brad Wheeler
Dave O’Brien	…	Nelson (as Dave O’Brian)