The Black Legion ☆1937 Movie Trailer☆

Oh, those violent men! Their violence has wrecked havoc on our world since Cain slew his brother. They pursue the proceeds of incessant drudges-while raping and pillaging and frequently murder is their ultimate game
Throughout history, men manipulate violence as effortless as breathing. Occasionally, they exhibit a desire for backup, those that are disposed to aid in messages of power and violence.
These cowards can't operate alone, divesting their confidence in an army of men advocating fear--voila, the creation of the gang hurls its way through history.

Gangs started innumerable aeons (Homer used aeon to indicate a lifespan) ago, and they will linger on our earth until our sun emits its last rays of life. From the mercenaries ravaging countries in the middle ages to the average pharmaceutical representative selling on their neighborhood corner, persistently ravaging our cities today--these atrocious gentlemen commit such vile actions for one reason, because they can!


Our story begins with Frank, full of rage for losing a promotion. His compulsion requires an urgency to attribute his failures to the flawed human race. An immigrant holds the promotion he hungered for, and now growing feelings of vengeance and hate are replenishing the love once held in his heart.


He joins the Black Legion whose hatred for those pesky immigrants match his own animosity (their slogan should say: "We're children of immigrants, yet we hate all the huddled masses swarming from across the pond" or words to that effect), but along the way, he discovers these radicals aren't playing around.

Humphrey Bogart appears to give a wonderful performance, displaying his excitement in joining the gang, and subsequently disclosing,  through his sadness and terror, the eagerness to escape and the difficulty in departing from this brutal faction.
The movie trailer includes hooded gang members, violence against women, racism, prejudice, pillaging, regret, violence, secrets, hate, fireside chats about murder and drama, drama, drama.


I can't envision a desire to watch a movie about gangs in hoodies drunk with hate and power from the 1930's, so I'm giving it a big thumbs down.





Here is review from the 1937 New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9807E0DB1638EF3ABC4052DFB766838C629EDE

Big City ☆1937 Movie Trailer☆

Picture a young woman, bored with her existence, maintaining a weekly vigil at the theater. She doesn't care what's showing, as long as she's transported to another dimension, free of her everyday troubles, especially if romance contributes to the illusion.
When the realization finally came to light that people in this time period would accept any movie available, I understood why numerous films of the thirties, forties and fifties appear dreadful. Hollywood studios apparently took random scripts laying about and forced stars (through their contracts) to act in movies that had the capacity to produce a profit. Big City appears as one of the scripts forced on the stars involved.

A love story exists between Tracey and  Luise Rainer. She has a way of speaking in a petulant baby voice that's completely annoying.  It's difficult to ascertain whether the film consists as a comedy or drama. She's having a baby, and Tracey strongly laments. "if it's a girl--call the whole thing off." The line appears amusing, except he states his opinion in dire seriousness.
Difficulting in understanding the story line of the trailer occurs when Spencer Tracy appears on the screen. One minute his attire would put him to work on the docks, and in another he's impeccably dressed and carousing with the mayor.

I must confess that I pursued insight beyond the trailer in search of hard facts to understand the movie's storyline.
Wikipedia, how did the world exist without your vast repertoire of knowledge? Apparently, Spencer and his true love own a fleet of cabs and the city charges them with the crime of starting taxi war. The words "taxi war" resonates somewhere between the absurd and hilarity.
I can see it now, World War III: The Taxi Wars. Taxis are pumped up with special equipment and roam the cities of the world, killing humans who have the audacity to choose a competing cab company. Humanity ends not with a bang or a whimper, but to a ticking of a cab's meter.

Films concentrating on taxi companies does not make an appearance on a list of my movie wants. If only a scene occurred of Spencer Tracey kicking the mayor down a large abyss and shouting, "This Is Sparta A Taxi War!" Unfortunately, that scene is ominously missing and brings back my original assessment of "no."

A rating of 6.4 occurs on IMDb, and four members of Rotten Tomatoes  gave a combined score of fifty percent.
I'm compelled to bestow a colossal thumbs down to Big City.

The Bride Wore Red ☆1937 Movie Trailer☆

Joan Crawford dwells in my memory as the maniacal mother in  Mommy Dearest. The difficulty occurs while envisioning a young and beautiful Crawford revealed in the trailer, and challenging to perceive the mutation of a future villain in her gracious disguise.
We learn her true nature from the book, written by her daughter, and made into a movie starring Faye Dunaway (tip: if you're ever transported to the past, never hang up clothes with a wire hanger in the vicinity of Crawford) and all her early work appears extinguished by this reveal.

The film tells a story, old as time, of a woman aspiring to marry for money. The story can yield two options, she actually falls in love with the rich man, or there's a poor man lurking about the kingdom, and she falls in love with love and money be damned.
Crawford has the rich man and the poor man loving her, what's a girl to do, live in splendor or live without.
I'm assuming she favors the poor man, since sympathetic feelings for love is infinitely Hollywood, and their stance on the "happily ever after" theme.

Two critics on Rotten Tomato gave a review, and one--a green splat of repulsion, and the other an  intact red tomato of adulation. Mere mortals on the site gave the movie 60%, and it has a rating of 5.8 on IMDb.
I bequeath to this film a thumbs down, as I feel I would be bored to tears watching all the close up of Crawford's face and not to mention the story line. If they had thrown in a zombie or two, perhaps I might surpass my negativity and adjust the thumb into a upward position.

Bullets or Ballots☆1936 Movie Trailer☆

Suit Up would surpass the title of Bullets or Ballots--a universe where the entire race of men (except the average police officer) wears a suit and a fedora. This creates the complication of discerning the good guys from the bad. 
The men appear quite clonish (a word that I've created, meaning the propensity to be a clone), because each man repeatedly appears similar to the next man. At the time, the audience had the ability to differentiate this problem--after 79 years that knowledge is lost to us me.

The scenes from the trailer, present groups of men in cramped rooms, exhibiting immense anxiety disorders-- screaming at each other furiously. Several state they're the boss of the mob, but it's difficult to understand if anyone is indeed in charge. 
I would ask if it's worth the angst and high blood pressure--meanwhile happiness is but a fleeting thought? 
How could people live this way? Why not relinquish the futile frustration and move to a ranch in Montana, where children and cattle can be raised, and live happily ever after? 

After watching the trailer several times, I realized that the movie simply deals with the major issue of organized crime, and the true story (Hollywood's truth) of one man who brought the syndicate down, and not just loud men running amok.

This film receives a complete thumbs down, as I would only watch it for food if I were starving, I received large sum of money, or to save the life of a loved one. 
A film dealing with the mob, made in the thirties, in black and white and containing an insufficient story line, will not be in my immediate future, though the parts showing Edward G Robinson knocking down grown men, with the effort of a child, are quite humorous.

Born To Dance ☆1936 Movie Trailer☆

Jimmy Stewart was a man of considerable acting skills, and appeared in countless movies which are highly regarded in the industry. Twenty eight years old in 1936, he acted in eight movies that year, including The Thin Man, and thus we have the problem with Born To Dance, and to sum it up, I ask, "what was he thinking." The thought of Jimmy Stewart singing and dancing in a musical feels quite puzzling, and unbelievable. I might not protest so hardily except that he's terrible at singing--something he admits in a later interview (video below trailer).

The problems don't end with his performance--the concept of the story revolves around a sailor and a tap dancer, and she's gotta dance, which disappoints him (he may have wanted her home in the kitchen). I believe Powell was a well loved star in the thirties, though she's not a name I recognize.

The trailer offers the development of several love interests, though any enthusiasm, to satisfy my urges, to watch the romance in this movie are nonexistent. Expand this mixture to incorporate extravagant show tunes-- singing, dancing, countless men playing tubas, and scene after scene of exaggerated smiling--this movie recipe doesn't interest me in the least.
100% thumbs down!

Anna Karenina ☆1935 Film Trailer★

Two people commit the same unforgivable social faux pas in 19th century Russia, though one is completely shunned by society, and the other one keeps their standing in the community.
What did the unfavorable person do to lose their position by all those forcing their judgments and mores? Her one unforgivable transgression--she was born a woman, and throughout history men were forgiven or revered for the same actions which destroyed the opposite sex.
Poor Anna's no exception to this sexist rule, and when she leaves her harsh, unloving husband for her lover, she must endure the hardship of living without friends--no one will allow her into their home, and if she arrives at a public event, the whispers and intolerable glances will drive her away.

I've read the book in the distant past, and the haunting sadness is carried over to the movie. Greta Garbo portrays Anna and her sorrow is felt each time her haunted face appears on screen.
Tolstoy created a monster in Anna, and the only way to destroy the character he brought to life--her death by suicide.  She threw herself under a train, and the problem of what to do with Anna was instantly solved to everyone's satisfaction.

Feelings of sadness, repress my desire to watch another movie where a woman's power is nonexistent, and her struggles to survive are overpowered by crushing defeat, and for this reason I've designated a thumbs down for the film, though I believe it's an excellent, flawless movie.

Ah, Wilderness (1935 film trailer)

The trailer promises the movie is "the greatest soul thrill of our lives." I'm concerned this promise may prove deceptive, since watching the trailer proved my soul thrilling aspirations may not reach the same heights as the trailer predicts.

The story transpires in a small town or suburb, though I assume the title represents the chronicles of a young boy's transforming into a young man, and the mental wilderness he must trek through.
One scene shows a woman (prostitute?) in his lap forcing her lips on his without any reluctance on his part. Apparently, his fling exposed aspirations for increased contact, and suddenly he's appealing to his girlfriend for a kiss, which shocks her to her core, and forces her to say a resounding no.



There's a generous amount of actors employed in this film, including Lionel Barrymore and Mickey Rooney, though unlimitled actors couldn't save this film.  The story doesn't interest me, nor the characters (plus, let's not forget the soul thrilling letdown), and I believe boredom would consume each second I forced myself to watch. I give this a confident thumbs down!