28 November 2020

Five New Filmshots by Film Weekly

In March this year, EFSP did two posts with five series of Filmshots cards. These b/w cards were produced as a supplement for the British magazine Film Weekly. Each series presents a Hollywood film of the early 1930s. These five Filmshots series are from the collection of Ivo Blom.

Roman Scandals (1933)


Eddie Cantor and David Manners in Roman Scandals (1933)
British postcard by Film Weekly. Eddie Cantor and David Manners in the pre-Code film comedy Roman Scandals (Frank Tuttle, 1933).

David Manners and Gloria Stuart in Roman Scandals (1933)
British postcard by Film Weekly. David Manners and Gloria Stuart in Roman Scandals (Frank Tuttle, 1933).

When the kind-hearted delivery boy and self-acclaimed authority on ancient Rome Eddie (Eddie Cantor) is thrown out of his home-town of West Rome, Oklahoma by scheming and corrupt politicians, he protests that nothing of the sort would have been allowed to happen in ancient Rome. On his way out of town, he imagines that he is back in Imperial Rome, where he is sold in a slave market to good-natured tribune Josephus (David Manners). Eddie soon discovers that Roman society was just as corrupt as in his own town and when he decides to do something about it, he becomes involved in court intrigue and a murder plot against the evil Emperor Valerius (Edward Arnold) himself.

Eddie Cantor in Roman Scandals (1933)
British postcard by Film Weekly. Eddie Cantor in Roman Scandals (Frank Tuttle, 1933).

Eddie Cantor and Edward Arnold in Roman Scandals (1933)
British postcard by Film Weekly. Eddie Cantor and Edward Arnold in Roman Scandals (Frank Tuttle, 1933).

My Weakness (1933)


Lilian Harvey and Charles Butterworth in My Weakness (1933)
British postcard by Film Weekly. Photo: Fox. Lilian Harvey and Charles Butterworth in the pre-Code musical romance My Weakness (David Butler, 1933).

Lilian Harvey and Lew Ayres in My Weakness (1933)
British postcard by Film Weekly. Photo: Fox. Lilian Harvey and Lew Ayres in My Weakness (David Butler, 1933). The other woman could be Susan Fleming.

The pre-Code musical romance My Weakness (David Butler, 1933) was the second of four films made by the British-German actress Lilian Harvey in Hollywood. A wealthy, spendthrift young man, Ronnie Gregory (Lew Ayres), who always has a harem of women around him, bets his uncle Ellery (Henry Travers), owner of a bras factory, that he can transform a clumsy cleaning lady, named Looloo Blake (Lilian Harvey), into a glamorous fashion plate, then marry her off to his bachelor cousin (Charles Butterworth), the ugly uncle's son Gerald. With the help of Ronnie's harem, in particular brunette Jacqueline Wood (Susan Fleming), for whom this is all just fun, the makeover of Looloo into a classy, well-mannered lady is so complete, that Ronnie, Gerald, friend Maxie (Sid Silvers), and even uncle Ellery fall in love with her. Apparently, Cupid has shot too many arrows around. Moreover, imitating the London upper-class's caprice, Looloo has become a little diva...

Sid Silvers, Lilian Harvey and Lew Ayres in My Weakness (1933)
British postcard by Film Weekly. Photo: Fox. Lilian Harvey, Lew Ayres, and Sid Silvers in My Weakness (David Butler, 1933).

Lilian Harvey, Henry Travers and Lew Ayres in My Weakness (1933)
British postcard by Film Weekly. Photo: Fox. Lilian Harvey, Henry Travers, and Lew Ayres in My Weakness (David Butler, 1933).

Peg O'My Heart (1933)


Marion Davies and J. Farrell MacDonald in Peg O'My Heart (1933)
British postcard by Film Weekly. Photo: M.G.M. Marion Davies and J. Farrell MacDonald in Peg O'My Heart (Robert Z. Leonard, 1933).

Marion Davies and Onslow Stevens in Peg O'My Heart (1933)
British postcard by Film Weekly. Photo: M.G.M. Marion Davies and Onslow Stevens in Peg O'My Heart (Robert Z. Leonard, 1933). NB. the other woman may be Irene Browne as Mrs. Chichester.

Marion Davies stars in the Pre-Code film Peg O'My Heart (Robert Z. Leonard, 1933) as a poor Irish girl who stands to inherit a fortune if she satisfies certain conditions. Peg (Davies) and her father Pat (J. Farrell MacDonald) live a simple life in an Irish fishing village. One day Sir Gerald (Onslow Stevens) arrives at the village to tell Pat that Peg is heir to the estate of her grandfather, who hated Pat. The upshot of the will is that she must go to England for 3 years to learn to be a lady and that Pat can never see her again. Pat does not tell Peg about his part of the will and sends her to live with Mrs. Chichester (Irene Browne) for her education. Peg soon finds that Alaric (Tyrell Davis) needs to marry her, but she wants Gerald who is engaged to Ethyl Chichester (Juliette Compton) who wants Brent (Alan Mowbray) whose wife (Doris Loyd) will not divorce him. The film was based on the eponymous play by J. Hartley Manners. Director Robert Z. Leonard, a renowned director from the silent era, was uncredited. According to IMDb, the film was a solid success and Davies' partner William Randolph Hearst's favourite film with her.

Tyrell Davis, Marion Davies, Juliette Compton, and Alan Mowbray in Peg O'My Heart (1933)
British postcard by Film Weekly. Photo: M.G.M. Tyrell Davis, Marion Davies, Juliette Compton, and Alan Mowbray in Peg O'My Heart (Robert Z. Leonard, 1933).

Marion Davies and Robert Greig in Peg O'My Heart (1933)
British postcard by Film Weekly. Photo: M.G.M. Marion Davies and Robert Greig as butler Jarvis in Peg O'My Heart (Robert Z. Leonard, 1933).

Hell Below (1933)


Robert Montgomery and Walter Huston in Hell Below (1933)
British postcard by Film Weekly. Photo: M.G.M. Robert Montgomery in the American pre-Code film Hell Below (Jack Conway, 1933).

Robert Montgomery, Edwin Styles, Walter Huston and Madge Evans in Hell Below (1933)
British postcard by Film Weekly. Photo: MGM. Robert Montgomery, Edwin Styles, Walter Huston, and Madge Evans in Hell Below (Jack Conway, 1933).

Robert Montgomery was the star of the American pre-Code film Hell Below (Jack Conway, 1933). The film deals with the submarine war during World War I. Lieutenant Thomas Knowlton (Montgomery) meets and falls in love with Joan Standish (Madge Evans), but she happens to be the daughter of his superior, the ruthless commander T.J. Toler (Walter Huston), who sacrifices his men in missions, including Knowlton's best friend Brick (Robert Young). Knowlton finds out Joan is married to a war victim, Herbert Standish (Edwin Styles), but she confesses she loves Thomas. After an attack on enemy submarines, Knowlton loses six men because of his callous behavior and is court-martialed and discharged. He wants to elope with Joan but when hearing her husband will be healed he steps out and sacrifices himself during a hazardous submarine mission.

Robert Montgomery and Madge Evans in Hell Below (1933)
British postcard by Film Weekly. Photo: M.G.M. Robert Montgomery and Madge Evans in Hell Below (Jack Conway, 1933).

Robert Montgomery, Madge Evans, and Robert Young in Hell Below (1933)
British postcard by Film Weekly. Photo: M.G.M. Madge Evans, Robert Young, and Robert Montgomery in Hell Below (Jack Conway, 1933).

Christopher Strong (1933)


Katharine Hepburn and Colin Clive in Christopher Strong (1933)
British postcard by Film Weekly. Photo: RKO. Katharine Hepburn and Colin Clive in Christopher Strong (Dorothy Arzner, 1933). Hepburn's famous form-fitting costume in this scene was by Walter Plunkett.

Katharine Hepburn, Ralph Forbes, and Desmond Roberts in Christopher Strong (1933)
British postcard by Film Weekly. Photo: RKO. Katharine Hepburn, Ralph Forbes, and Desmond Roberts in Christopher Strong (Dorothy Arzner, 1933).

In Christopher Strong (Dorothy Arzner, 1933), Katharine Hepburn stars as Lady Cynthia Darrington, who dreams of a career as a pilot. She falls in love with a rich, older gentleman, Christopher Strong (Colin Clive). Their secret meetings end, when the man decides to go back to his family. When Cynthia discovers she is pregnant she is afraid Strong will leave his wife to marry her instead. She first obtains a world record as a pilot and then kills herself.

Katharine Hepburn, Helen Chandler and Ralph Forbes in Christopher Strong (1933)
British postcard by Film Weekly. Photo: RKO. Katharine Hepburn in Christopher Strong (Dorothy Arzner, 1933). Also Helen Chandler as Strong's daughter Monica and Ralph Forbes as her lover and later husband, Harry Rawlinson.

Katharine Hepburn and Colin Clive in Christopher Strong (1933)
British postcard by Film Weekly. Photo: RKO. Katharine Hepburn and Colin Clive as Christopher Strong in Christopher Strong (Dorothy Arzner, 1933).

Check out the earlier Film Weekly posts of 7 March 2020 and 14 March 2020.

Sources: a.o. Wikipedia and IMDb.

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