Forgotten February – Thirteen Women (1932)

Thirteen Women
Release date: September 16, 1932

Cast:
Myrna Loy as Ursula Georgi
Irene Dunne as Laura Stanhope
Ricardo Cortez as Barry Clive
Jill Esmond as Jo Turner
Mary Duncan as June Raskob  

Based on the novel by Tiffany Thayer
Screenplay by Bartlett Cormack & Samuel Ornitz
Directed by George Archainbaud

Plot:
A half-Asian woman seeks revenge on the thirteen women whose bigotry forced her to leave a school they were all attending.

Richard’s Thoughts:
I stumbled upon Thirteen Women years ago while looking at the film selection iTunes had at the time. I remember enjoying it then but had very little memory about it. Now, I’ve revisited this pre-Code film and look at it very differently after having watched Myrna Loy play Nora Charles in The Thin Man series.

First, you must understand that Loy does play a half-Asian character at a time it was acceptable for white actors to do so. If you’re able to look beyond that and obvious stereotypes, you can truly enjoy Loy as the evil Ursula. Her hatred for the women who wronged her is present in every moment on screen. It certainly does take a dark turn at times with themes such as child murder and suicide. However, it moves along at a brisk pace, clocking in at under an hour, so you never stay in any dark corner for too long.

If there is any disappointing aspect of this film it’s the ending. We’re building up to a great climax with Loy holding a hypnotic sway over one of her victims as she’s driving her to suicide. Then, as she moves toward young Bobby’s room to apparently kill him too, she’s confronted by the police and rushes to her doom. The end comes far too quickly and would have benefitted from a long and more dramatic chase to match the rest of the film.  

Thirteen Women has been overlooked for years and with the racial stereotypes present in the film, it’s not likely to have a renaissance any time soon. That’s unfortunate as there is a lot to appreciate in this fun little film. I recommend you seek it out and judge for yourself.    

Karla’s Thoughts:
I didn’t care for this film at all. It was really hard to see Myrna Loy in such an evil role that is so far from her Nora Charles character. She was so mean, cruel and truly unhinged over an incident from so long ago. Going after the young boy was a line crossed that was too far for me. I wouldn’t watch this one again.   

Trivia:
You never actually see thirteen women on the screen as two characters were left on the cutting room floor, along with expanded scenes from other characters, when the film was cut from its original running length of 73 minutes to 59.

One of the subplots removed from the film involved Hazel Cousins, played by Peg Entwhistle, and her relationship with a woman. Despite this being pre-Code, the studio requested those scenes cut. Sadly, this was Peg’s only film as she committed suicide two days after the film was released by jumping off the H in the Hollywoodland sign.

Availability:
Thirteen Women is available on DVD from the Warner Archive Collection.

Forgotten February – The Mad Genius (1931)

The Mad Genius
Release date: November 7, 1931

Cast:
John Barrymore as Vladmar Ivan Tsarakov
Marian Marsh as Nana Carlova
Charles Butterworth as Karimsky
Donald Cook as Fedor Ivanoff
Luis Alberni as Sergei Bankieff 

Based on the play by Martin Brown
Screenplay by J. Grubb Alexander & Harvey Thew
Directed by Michael Curtiz

Plot:
A crippled puppeteer rescues a boy from a life of abuse and turns him into a world famous ballet dancer. Years later, his grip on the boy tightens when they both fall in love with the same woman. 

Richard’s Thoughts:
Coming months after Svengali, it’s impossible not to see the obvious comparisons. Tsarakov is clearly the Svengali of this film. He doesn’t have the hypnotic powers but does have control over Fedor, the young boy he saved from an abusive Boris Karloff. He also has an almost hypnotic sway over the character of Sergei, serving the role of drug dealer to maintain his dominance.

John Barrymore turns in another fantastic performance despite the similar, and not quite as effective, character and plot. The twist here is that he controls not a woman for love but a boy he sees as a son who can fulfill all of his dreams that he was unable to achieve. Of course, there’s also the woman they both love. In some ways, this is a more polished film but that ultimately is what causes it to lack a little something in my opinion. The darker and seedier character of Svengali helped that film while Tsarakov never quite reaches those depths, despite coming very close at times.

The Mad Genius certainly deserves to be seen and talked about more than it has. I suspect most people come to it seeking out Karloff and coming away disappointed that his role is so small. However, if you go into it looking for Barrymore, you’ll enjoy it much more. Despite a rather lackluster performance from Donald Cook as Fedor, this is an enjoyable piece of cinematic history worth watching at least once. I also personally prefer this ending as Tsarakov meets a rather nasty but well deserved end, something Svengali managed to escape on some levels. I recommend everyone seek this one out!

Trivia:
Boris Karloff had a cameo role as Fedor’s father in the opening scene.

Availability:
The Mad Genius is available on DVD from the Warner Archive Collection.

Recommended:
Tune into episode 202 of the DieCast Movie Podcast to hear Steve Turek and Greg Mank talk about Svengali and a little about The Mad Genius. Be sure to tell ’em Monster Movie Kid sent ya!

Classic Horrors Club – Die! Die! Sweet Charlotte

In episode 93 of the Classic Horrors Club Podcast, Jeff and I revisit the Hagsploitation subgenre with two films…Hush…Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964) and Die! Die! My Darling! (1965). We enjoyed both but one more than the other. To find out which is which, you’ll have to tune in and listen!

Be sure to check out the video companion on our YouTube channel. Put faces to the words… if you dare!

Tell us what you think… about the movies, about the podcast, about classic horror! Call us at (616) 649-2582 (CLUB), email or send a recording to classichorrors.club@gmail.com or join our Facebook group page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/classichorrors.club/!

We’d also appreciate if you’d give us an honest rating on Apple Podcasts or SoundCloud. Thank you!

We now have an Instagram account! Look for us at classichorrorsclubpodcast. We look forward to adding more content and connecting with all of you there!

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Classic Horrors Club
Codex Omniversa

Next month on episode 94, it’s time for another one of our actor retrospectives as we enter the world of Tod Slaughter! We’ll take a look at all of his films with a deeper dive into Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1936) and Horror Maniacs aka The Greed of William Hart (1948)!

Forgotten February – The Man Who Was Sherlock Holmes (1937)

The Man Who Was Sherlock Holmes aka Two Merry Adventurers
Release date: December 31, 1937

Cast:
Hans Albers as Morris Flint
Heinz Ruhmann as Macky McPherson
Marieluise Claudius as Mary Berry
Hansi Knoteck as Jane Berry
Hilde Weissner as Madame Ganymere  

Written by Karl Hartl & Robert Stemmle
Directed by Karl Hartl

Plot:
Two travelers pose as the legendary Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson as they attempt to solve a crime with many twists along the way.

Richard’s Thoughts:
I first discovered The Man Who Was Sherlock Holmes after seeing people post about it on Facebook when Kino Classics released it on Blu-ray. Oddly enough, I had not heard of it before despite being a big Sherlock Holmes fan. After viewing it, I see why it may not fit quite into the Sherlock Holmes genre or nicely into any specific film genre for that matter. Is it comedy or mystery? And what’s up with that musical number?

There are some very odd moments early on in the film that suddenly pull you out of a mystery film mode. Some very lighthearted music is played numerous times throughout the film that immediately remind you of a comedy. Then, there is the oddly entertaining musical number performed by the Morris and Mackt characters as they are each taking a bath. It was then that you knew this wasn’t just a normal mystery.

So, there’s no real spoiler here that Morris and Macky are not Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. That’s revealed very early on. That said, Hans Albers actually could have pulled off a Holmes performance. However, I don’t think Heinz Ruhmann could have been Watson, at least not convincingly. But their performances here are quite entertaining and help the film move along at times that it starts to drag.

At nearly two hours, the film does indeed drag. There really was enough story here for a 90 minute run time, maybe even 100 minutes. But it definitely suffers from padding with a two hour run time. It’s also a bit disjointed in what it wants to be. It’s clearly playing off as a lighthearted mystery but with the highly comedic moments, such as that bath time song routine, it throws you onto a different path that leaves you scratching your head. Also, with the various plot twists and multiple storylines, getting to the conclusion where it all comes together can be a little off putting at times. And if there was any doubt about confusing the audience, the finale gives us some breaking the fourth wall moments for good measure. All that said, the only part that really bothered me was the reveal of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle looking very unlike the real author.

I’m glad I discovered The Man Who Was Sherlock Holmes and, like Karla, I think I’ll enjoy it even more on a second viewing. My only advice to those of you who decide to watch it for yourselves is to go in with an open mind and be prepared for a bit of a journey. Think less of Holmes and Watson and I think you’ll find this a forgotten gem that needs a little more recognition.

Karla’s Thoughts:
I enjoyed this but it was definitely hard to follow at times. There seemed to be several different storylines moving along but playing out in a very odd way. There was a good story here and equally good performances. Now that I know how it all comes together in the end, I might watch it again and even enjoy it more than the first time.

Trivia:
Legend has it that a copy of this film was discovered in Hitler’s bunker in 1945. The other film was The Hound of the Baskervilles (1937).

Availability:
The Man Who Was Sherlock Holmes is available on Blu-ray from Kino Classics.

Forgotten February – Svengali (1931)

Svengali
Release date: May 22, 1931

Cast:
John Barrymore as Svengali
Marian Marsh as Trilby O’Farrell
Donald Crisp as The Laird
Bramwell Fletcher as Billie

Based on the novel by George Louis Du Maurier
Screenplay by J. Grubb Alexander
Directed by Archie Mayo

Plot:
Svengali possesses the power of hypnotism and he uses it to control the young and beautiful Trilby. He turns her into a renowned singer but her boyfriend follows them in hopes of exposing Svengali.

Richard’s Thoughts:
I first discovered this film years ago through a recording from Turner Classic Movies. Unfortunately, I don’t remember anything about that first viewing. Thankfully, Svengali was recently discussed on the Diecast Move Podcast as host Steve Turek welcomed his guest, the legendary author and historian Gregory William Mank. Their discussion led me to revisit this film and I see it now for the forgotten classic it truly is.

When one thinks of a forgotten film, there are many reasons why it can be forgotten or overlooked. Sometimes, an actor or director may have fallen out of favor due to scandal. It could also be because of rights issues that prevent it from being released on home media. However, in the case of Svengali, I don’t believe either of those reasons are why this film is forgotten. I think it’s been overshadowed by two other films released that same year of 1931, Frankenstein and Dracula.

Neither of those films are anywhere similar to Svengali. After all, the lead character is a human being, not a monster or vampire. But the Universal marketing machine has been pushing those films for nearly 100 years now. Svengali wasn’t marketed in the same way when it was released, nor was it as successful at the box office. Legalities with the Barrymore estate also prevented it from being re-released into theaters and it didn’t get shown on television until 1961, by which time the more popular Universal films had been playing on TV for years as part of the Shock Theater packages, not to mention various theatrical revivals. Even today, with the film widely available on DVD, it is on the lesser Alpha Video label.

Svengali is well worth discovering for the first time or re-discovering it if a previous viewing failed to leave an impression, as was my situation. John Barrymore turns in a wonderful performance as Svengali, an evil hypnotist who uses his powers to control the object of his affection, the beautiful Trilby. Unfortunately, he can’t make her fall in love with him and her boyfriend is pursuing them across Europe in an attempt to expose him and rescue his love.

The film moves along briskly with a running time of 81 minutes, never dragging or failing to entertain. You may not find vampires, mummies or monsters lurking in the shadows but what you will discover is an interesting film and the opportunity to see John Barrymore in one of his most memorable roles. As his control over Trilby gradually weakens, we see the once powerful Svengali diminish before our eyes, a testament to the great acting caliber of John Barrymore. This is a pre-code film, so it does turn darker as it moves along and ends on a rather bleak note. Don’t expect the usual lighthearted ending often found in movies from this time period.

Highly recommended! Thank you Steve and Greg for bringing this movie out of the shadows and back into the spotlight it deserves.

Trivia:
John Barrymore was one of the first actors to wear contact lenses to enhance their visual performance.

Availability:
Svengali is available on DVD from Alpha Video. However, I recommend you check it out on YouTube. That version is complete and more visually appealing.

Recommended:
Tune into episode 202 of the DieCast Movie Podcast to hear Steve Turek and Greg Mank talk about Svengali and tell ’em Monster Movie Kid sent ya!

The Black Museum – A Can of Weedkiller (1952)

Let’s enter the Black Museum once more time and listen to Orson Welles as he unveils another tale of murder and suspense.

Tune into my special YouTube playlist featuring five episodes of The Black Museum. Next up…A Can of Weedkiller from 1952! 

“Now until we meet again in the same place and I tell you another tale of the Black Museum, I remain, as always, obediently yours.”