Interesting fact: Frederick's last name was Bickle. The studio thought that name would result in Bickle Pickle jokes. So...his Mother's last name was MARCHER...and he became Frederick March
Fredric March is pretty good even this early in his career. And Eugene Pallette as the police lieutenant certainly foreshadows whole chunks of his career.
Wm! Thank you so much for sharing this little gem. I really enjoyed watching it! Great cast awesome plot! Good to see the future “Charlie Chan”. The thunder or the storm is always so funny thinking of how it is done.😅. This is just a darn good movie! Appreciate your time in posting it!
Chester Conklin -- the Studio Gateman -- was a famous comedy actor in the silent film era. He made a rocky transition to talkies but his slapstick humor was less popular with audiences of the 1930s, 1940s and into the 1950s. At one point later in his life Conklin took a job as a department store Santa to help pay the rent. Enjoy a great performance by a wonderful actor who demonstrates there are no small parts, only small actors....
PLAY THESE AND MANY MORE FOR US AND ALL LIKE THE YOUNGER PEOPLE WHO HAVE NEVER SEEN THESE TYPES OF MOVIES. THEY ARE WORTH IT AND THANK YOU SO MUCH, TO ALL THAT HAVE CHANNELS AND DO THIS THING FOR HUMANITY..
For such an early talkie, this one had a bunch of future big stars! Neil Hamilton got all the handsome "juvenile" lead roles in that day. Eugene Palette with his craggy bullfrog voice actually recorded better than most all the others voices. That fact alone made him a favorite actor for the studios to use alot. Fun talkie! Thanks
Inherit The Wind with Spencer Tracy, Gene Kelly, Fredrick March and Florence Eldridge was one of Fredrick's and Florence's last movies together. That is an amazing movie with an unmatched cast of character actors we all know....Norman Fell, Dick York, Harry Morgan, Claude Akin and so many more.
I just saw him in a silent film. It was a Tom Mix film, Riders of the Purple Sage. Warner Oland played another bad guy, it was a good film to watch. ❤️ ~~ Sharon
A good little murder mystery. The "Studio" in question is a movie studio: a gem self-portrait slice of life backstage at a Hollywood fantasy factory, circa 1929. Full of show biz characters, one-liners, & laced with comedy. Lots of fun, & plenty of drama. Good cast, including a very young Frederick March & Eugene Palette.
Fun cast. I love very early talkies: the stiff delivery, long silences and crackles, the cloches and appearances of silent screen comedians. Did you know Florence Eldridge ("Mrs. Hardell") and Fredric March ("Mr. Hardell") were wife and husband in real life?
Everything is very bad in this movie, script, acting, delivering of lines, directing, pace, which make it very funny for some. That doesn't make it typical for early talkies, only typical for the bad ones. Have a look at this one, not a master piece, but way above The studio murder mystery. In fact, it is a run-of-the-mill film, but they know what they are doing. Of course, you can still love the bad ones for what they are. ok.ru/video/326934792867
“Philandering actor Richard Hardell is murdered at a movie studio. His jealous wife Blanche, his director Rupert Borka, and a girl he mistreated, Helen MacDonald, all have substantial reasons for having wanted him dead.”
I stumbled across these wonderful Pre-Codies just recently and one thing I have been pleasantly surprised by are the number of movies that have Female Screen Writers, Original Story Writers and 2nd Directors. What happened? When and how did they get sidestepped???
Charlie Chan, did it. Or, as he should be called: 'The Evil Ventriloquist'😉. Not bad, entertainment!!! This is the youngest I've ever seen, Neil Hamilton!!! Took several minutes, just to find him. Good strong, cast lineup.
Paramount was one of the few to maintain studios in both New York and Hollywood in the 20's, and it almost broke the studio, but was done so they could get New York stage actors who didn't want to travel. And that was part of the problem; stage acting evolved into screen acting as sound technology improved. You used to have to stay near the mikes back then.
Stage acting and the "evolution" of Screen Acting had nothing to do with the early need to stage near the microphone. The evolution of Screen Acting started in the Silent Era, when it was realized that broad, extreme gestures and expressions were to much for the intimacy of the camera. Screen Acting became more subtle. The same with movie speaking since the microphone could pick up the voice at a natural level without the need to "project" to the back of the house.
Two great actors appear in this very early talkie; Eugene Pallete, the gravel voiced bumbling cop, who shows up as the cop, or dad of the heroine, in so many movies throughout this period up thru the 40's. And, Warner Oland, who played Charlie Chan before the role settled with Sidney Toler.
Carolyn Blake Isn’t it fun to see Eugene Pallette grow larger & larger throughout his career? I wonder how many films he acted-in as the chief of police? Seems his character was set in stone from the very beginning!
The thing is, Tony had zero proof that the murder happened the way he said it did. It was all just speculation. Sure, it could have happened that way, but you still have to prove it, especially when someone else has already been convicted. And since he couldn't prove a thing, there was no need for the real murderer to try to kill him. Still, it's nice to see Neil Hamilton so young, and playing a comical character. As Commissioner Gordon, he always had to play it totally straight.
It is a funny thing , they played the Fredric March"s character as the heel. The young woman knows he is married, it stops right there, as soon as she messes with him she is a heel even more than him. I had friend a long time ago whose girlfriend we could have messed around a little bit I believe, since I knew them both separately and together. Since he was my friend before she became his girlfriend she became off limits to me even though I was still attracted to her.
I wonder what sort of person would send a telegram saying "Your wife dead STOP Died with Hardell's name on her lips STOP Condolences STOP?" And what sort of furious bereaved husband would wait around patiently for his rival to come up with a letter? When a script starts with such bizarreries it gives me hope that it won't get better and spoil the fun. Back to the flick.
LoL....at around 31:00, you'll hear the young 'writer' turn to the Detective played by Pallette and says: " Because you wouldn't let her, you bit Poof"...a term, as a Gay Man---really haven't heard used ---except on the BBC comedy line-up of the 1960s and 1970s. And was used as part of the Skit's banter in the Old ''Monty Python" series. Poof is a term to denote an Effeminate or one displaying Feminine mannerisms in a Homosexual. Even in the Silent Era---the word Poof would be displayed on-screen if such was needed to 'inform' the audience.
Wow what a womanizer. Fredrick sure is young here. Is that Charlie Chan? I love these movies without music in your face, like it is impossible not to tell what emotion is at play.
I always need to grit the teeth and gird the loins before watching any movie with Eugene Pallette in it. Casting directors must've believed his "loveable earthiness" or some such appeal existed, as a contrast to the folks he's always investigating, but he gets on the nerves and spoils most pictures he's in. Nevertheless, despite Pallette, I watched this one for Hamilton/March/Eldridge and enjoyed it. Thanks for loading.
what an awful film, the acting was pretty solid for it being a film from (1929) the acting at times in films from this era can be a hit and miss this was a hit as i think it was pretty good. the film was fucking awful but Neil Hamilton easily was the best part his comedy in it actually did have me laughing, though i knew who the killer was from reading the comments here which was stupid of me but than what are ya gonna do?
Does the actor that played Charlie Chan looked like he has any Chinese blood in this role? Actors give a phony accents and people see things that are not there.
This was a wonderful movie!! They really knew how to spin a story back then. Thank you so much for showing this for us!!😊
Thanks for this wonderful collection. I prefer old films to any new ones.
I love movies like this so much. I also truly enjoy listening to murder mystery radio shows.
Thank you so much for this nice movie from 30s. Always glad to see Frederick March.
Interesting fact: Frederick's last name
was Bickle. The studio thought that name
would result in Bickle Pickle jokes.
So...his Mother's last name was MARCHER...and he became Frederick
March
Fredric March is pretty good even this early in his career. And Eugene Pallette as the police lieutenant certainly foreshadows whole chunks of his career.
Wm! Thank you so much for sharing this little gem. I really enjoyed watching it! Great cast awesome plot! Good to see the future “Charlie Chan”. The thunder or the storm is always so funny thinking of how it is done.😅.
This is just a darn good movie! Appreciate your time in posting it!
Excellent film quality, all the more so since it's 94 years old.
Thanks for sharing,there was some great comedy in this and acting
I wonder if that was Charlie Chan debut picture? Love it!! Thank you for posting.
Chester Conklin -- the Studio Gateman -- was a famous comedy actor in the silent film era. He made a rocky transition to talkies but his slapstick humor was less popular with audiences of the 1930s, 1940s and into the 1950s. At one point later in his life Conklin took a job as a department store Santa to help pay the rent. Enjoy a great performance by a wonderful actor who demonstrates there are no small parts, only small actors....
1977 Lucille Ball
PLAY THESE AND MANY MORE FOR US AND ALL LIKE THE YOUNGER PEOPLE WHO HAVE NEVER SEEN THESE TYPES OF MOVIES. THEY ARE WORTH IT AND THANK YOU SO MUCH, TO ALL THAT HAVE CHANNELS AND DO THIS THING FOR HUMANITY..
Fredrick March is one of the greats! Love to see more! Thanks.
Fredric.
love the old rattling sheet of tin that makes the thunder sound
Thank you.
Retroflix has made me fall in love with vintage cinema all over again
Yes,fast murder mystery4 Sure! Neil Hamilton certainly was Quite handsome& very funny in this part! Thanks Mr.Sherman4 sgpharing this film!
For such an early talkie, this one had a bunch of future big stars! Neil Hamilton got all the handsome "juvenile" lead roles in that day. Eugene Palette with his craggy bullfrog voice actually recorded better than most all the others voices. That fact alone made him a favorite actor for the studios to use alot. Fun talkie! Thanks
Inherit The Wind with Spencer Tracy, Gene Kelly, Fredrick March and Florence Eldridge was one of Fredrick's and Florence's last movies together. That is an amazing movie with an unmatched cast of character actors we all know....Norman Fell, Dick York, Harry Morgan, Claude Akin and so many more.
They took the new "talkies" to a whole nother level with this one -- the two calling each other names and everyone talking at once. ha ha
Warner Oland was one of my favorite Charlie Chan detectives. Always thought of him as the "good guy" but then along comes this one.
I just saw him in a silent film. It was a Tom Mix film, Riders of the Purple Sage. Warner Oland played another bad guy, it was a good film to watch. ❤️ ~~ Sharon
@@GradeBmoviefan, I have a vague memory of the movie title Riders of The Purple Sage and will have to look it up. Thanks. Good on ya mate. ❤️
He also played Fu Manchu.
Thank you for sharing....great old movie
A good little murder mystery. The "Studio" in question is a movie studio: a gem self-portrait slice of life backstage at a Hollywood fantasy factory, circa 1929. Full of show biz characters, one-liners, & laced with comedy. Lots of fun, & plenty of drama. Good cast, including a very young Frederick March & Eugene Palette.
You can tell that Fredric March was already a fine actor, talent above most of them.
To be in the audience for this film in 1929, to see and hear Fredrick March for the first time would have caused a sensation
Charlie Chan, my favorite detective 😊👌👌🐈⬛️
This was one wild mystery. Really liked it.
Neil Hamilton played police commissioner Gordon on Batman tv show ?! I really enjoyed seeing him as a young ,handsome ,comedic actor.
He was actually a model too back then..quite a life. Also, the baritone detective is in a lot of movie and very young here.
And the "bad actor" yes I loved him in A Star is Born and much more. Warner Oland definitely was better as Charlie Chan and so glad too
I've never seen any early Neil Hamilton work, just his work as Commissioner Gordon on the 1960s Batman TV series.
Why is it always the vintage films that are the greatest?
Develishly clever plot. Orland is terrific.
When the man being berated for being a terrible actor is a much better actor in reality than the one berating him.
actually Ive enjoyed all your selections 👍
Fun cast. I love very early talkies: the stiff delivery, long silences and crackles, the cloches and appearances of silent screen comedians. Did you know Florence Eldridge ("Mrs. Hardell") and Fredric March ("Mr. Hardell") were wife and husband in real life?
yes I did but thanks for pointing that out so others will know.
thank you
you are welcome
They were married from 1927 to 1975 when Fredric March died, they were very close from what I read.
Everything is very bad in this movie, script, acting, delivering of lines, directing, pace, which make it very funny for some. That doesn't make it typical for early talkies, only typical for the bad ones. Have a look at this one, not a master piece, but way above The studio murder mystery. In fact, it is a run-of-the-mill film, but they know what they are doing. Of course, you can still love the bad ones for what they are. ok.ru/video/326934792867
“Philandering actor Richard Hardell is murdered at a movie studio. His jealous wife Blanche, his director Rupert Borka, and a girl he mistreated, Helen MacDonald, all have substantial reasons for having wanted him dead.”
I stumbled across these wonderful Pre-Codies just recently and one thing I have been pleasantly surprised by are the number of movies that have Female Screen Writers, Original Story Writers and 2nd Directors. What happened? When and how did they get sidestepped???
Yeah, I noticed that a long time ago. Woman writers were respected, but around 1935 they seemed to vanish.
when man wised up.
Alot of early films from the beginning of movies to the 30s had many women who wrote or directed.
very enjoyable , a mixture of Charlie Chan and Batman ,only in America
Very interesting story
Slightly silly, but still good viewing. I enjoyed it! Thanks for posting.
love Neil Hamilton...
Thought so Charlie Chan is here!
Charlie Chan, did it. Or, as he should be called: 'The Evil Ventriloquist'😉. Not bad, entertainment!!! This is the youngest I've ever seen, Neil Hamilton!!! Took several minutes, just to find him. Good strong, cast lineup.
Paramount was one of the few to maintain studios in both New York and Hollywood in the 20's, and it almost broke the studio, but was done so they could get New York stage actors who didn't want to travel. And that was part of the problem; stage acting evolved into screen acting as sound technology improved. You used to have to stay near the mikes back then.
Stage acting and the "evolution" of Screen Acting had nothing to do with the early need to stage near the microphone. The evolution of Screen Acting started in the Silent Era, when it was realized that broad, extreme gestures and expressions were to much for the intimacy of the camera. Screen Acting became more subtle. The same with movie speaking since the microphone could pick up the voice at a natural level without the need to "project" to the back of the house.
Neil Hamilton was an American actor probably best known for his role as Commissioner Gordon on the Batman TV series of the 1960s.
Cyn K That guy was apparently my great great uncle
Thankyou for your info. I know it will make the movie more fun!.
You must have liked the sitcom SEINFELD because your pseudonym states that fact.
Excellent ☺
Two great actors appear in this very early talkie; Eugene Pallete, the gravel voiced bumbling cop, who shows up as the cop, or dad of the heroine, in so many movies throughout this period up thru the 40's. And, Warner Oland, who played Charlie Chan before the role settled with Sidney Toler.
Carolyn Blake
Isn’t it fun to see Eugene Pallette grow larger & larger throughout his career? I wonder how many films he acted-in as the chief of police? Seems his character was set in stone from the very beginning!
@@suzieqwonder3089 For me, it's J. Farrell MacDonald. I can always count on him being a "copper."
I WAS WAITING FOR VANCE TO COME INTO THE PICTURE.
thanks
🎬A murder mystery spiced with humour.
Good flick..commercial free
They arrested Charlie Chan!
Young Mischa Auer is seen toward the end.My Man Godfrey,Destry rides again.
thank you
Irony. Fredric March being told he can't act. His Oscars say he can.
The thing is, Tony had zero proof that the murder happened the way he said it did. It was all just speculation. Sure, it could have happened that way, but you still have to prove it, especially when someone else has already been convicted. And since he couldn't prove a thing, there was no need for the real murderer to try to kill him. Still, it's nice to see Neil Hamilton so young, and playing a comical character. As Commissioner Gordon, he always had to play it totally straight.
I Love Charlie Chan movies
Commissioner Gordon Young 😅
Charlie Chan😊
Wonder where this was filmed. During the outdoor scenes, you can see people's breaths. I never saw mine when I was in L.A.
Couls have been NY
Did you ever find it?
It is a funny thing , they played the Fredric March"s character as the heel. The young woman knows he is married, it stops right there, as soon as she messes with him she is a heel even more than him. I had friend a long time ago whose girlfriend we could have messed around a little bit I believe, since I knew them both separately and together. Since he was my friend before she became his girlfriend she became off limits to me even though I was still attracted to her.
Stuart Perry
I wonder what sort of person would send a telegram saying "Your wife dead STOP Died with Hardell's name on her lips STOP Condolences STOP?" And what sort of furious bereaved husband would wait around patiently for his rival to come up with a letter? When a script starts with such bizarreries it gives me hope that it won't get better and spoil the fun. Back to the flick.
Good mystery, Thanks.
LoL....at around 31:00, you'll hear the young 'writer' turn to the Detective played by Pallette and says: " Because you wouldn't let her, you bit Poof"...a term, as a Gay Man---really haven't heard used ---except on the BBC comedy line-up of the 1960s and 1970s. And was used as part of the Skit's banter in the Old ''Monty Python" series. Poof is a term to denote an Effeminate or one displaying Feminine mannerisms in a Homosexual. Even in the Silent Era---the word Poof would be displayed on-screen if such was needed to 'inform' the audience.
She said she hated him because he wouldn't look at her. That means she loved him.
Great
Calling cops fruit and baboon during a murder inquiry. God, Hollywood is an asylum.
How come Charlie Chan look , move and speak like Charlie Chan before he ever played Charlie Chan ?
Warner Oland was born in Sweden.
We know.
IS HE PART CHINESE?
A very young 💕💕💕Frederic March! Kind of looks like a very young DeNiro, doesn’t he? Both fantastic actors. 🙋♀️⭐️👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Wow what a womanizer. Fredrick sure is young here. Is that Charlie Chan? I love these movies without music in your face, like it is impossible not to tell what emotion is at play.
great film! but i find out who the murder was at the beginnig lol
The fight scene was good and funny 🤪🤪🤪👍
GREAT TO SEE CHARLIE CHAN PLAY THE BAD FOR A CHANGE.
HE PLAYED A GOOD CROOK.
I KNEW HE WAS THE KILLER WHEN THE GIRL MCDONALD DAD DIED.
Ah, Neil Hamilton, the original wooden ham
If I was that woman, I would dump him, until he is divorced!!
the lead male is annoying. amazing he became Commissioner Gordan later in life LOL
I always need to grit the teeth and gird the loins before watching any movie with Eugene Pallette in it. Casting directors must've believed his "loveable earthiness" or some such appeal existed, as a contrast to the folks he's always investigating, but he gets on the nerves and spoils most pictures he's in. Nevertheless, despite Pallette, I watched this one for Hamilton/March/Eldridge and enjoyed it. Thanks for loading.
Pallette was one of the best. If he wasn't in this movie I wouldn't have watched.
Personally, I refuse to watch Bobby Breen, Frankie Darro, Bette Davis and Barbara Stanwyk.
Decent old flic. Didn't know commissioner Gordon could dance.
Hmmm...
*SPOILER*
I lowkey hoped he drank that poison so the ending would be different...
Fredric MARCH ...
Warner Oland much better as Charlie Chan
Neil Hamilton was Commissioner Gordon in the Batman TV series.
Its Fredric not Frederic.
Warner Oland the great detective Charlie Chan
This film is soo bad it’s hilarious! Did anyone figure out who the murderer was? LOL!
This is one of the early (pre-1930) talkies.
The philandering husband is going to get bumped off by someone!
Gravel voiced Eugene Pallette looks less fat here.
what an awful film, the acting was pretty solid for it being a film from (1929) the acting at times in films from this era can be a hit and miss this was a hit as i think it was pretty good. the film was fucking awful but Neil Hamilton easily was the best part his comedy in it actually did have me laughing, though i knew who the killer was from reading the comments here which was stupid of me but than what are ya gonna do?
15
wha?
Does the actor that played Charlie Chan looked like he has any Chinese blood in this role? Actors give a phony accents and people see things that are not there.
That's why it's called "acting."
This was supposed to be a murder/mystery. Instead, it devolved into something akin to a film by the 3 Stooges. Sad and not worth the time to watch.
This is the stupidest movie I've ever seen " LOL" 🤷🏾♀️ 🤗 it's still good . The named Tony is the whole show 🤗 🙋🏽