Uncovering Forgotten Films of 1934 Through Vintage Ads
For my latest video, I took a look at some obscure and forgotten films from 1934. I selected these films because of their eye-catching ads in the movie trade magazine, The Motion Picture Herald.
In the video, I enjoyed discussing the films, but I realized viewers didn't really get a chance to see the actual ads up close. So, I thought it would be great to share those with you now.
Miss Fane’s Baby Is Stolen
Miss Madeline Fane is a popular screen star who has been devoted to her baby son, Michael, since her husband’s death. One morning, she wakes up to find Michael has been kidnapped and held for ransom.
I was surprised to discover that Miss Fane’s Baby Is Stolen was one of many, often controversial films, inspired by the Lindbergh baby kidnapping released in 1933 and 1934.
“Hi, Nellie!”
When newspaper editor Brad Bradshaw (Paul Muni) refuses to run a controversial story about a crusading local politician and some missing money, which competing papers have made front-page news, he's demoted to writing the sob sister column “Hi, Nellie.” However, it is through that column that he gets a real break in the story and is able to solve an embezzlement mystery and a murder.
This ad is a weird hybrid featuring both critics accolades for the film while simultaneously touting the benefits of SMITH BROS’. COUGH DROPS.
Good Dame
A chorus girl (Sylvia Sidney) is robbed of her train fare and, in order to get back to Chicago, takes on the job of a carnival cootch show dancer. When that show is busted by the cops, she must rely con man and fellow carnival huckster (Frederic March) to help her get home.
Good Dame was one of six films director Marion Gering made with actress Sylvia Sidney.
Midnight aka Call it Murder
A jury foreman who helped sentence a woman to death struggles with a crisis of conscience as her execution nears. This film was re-released in 1949 under the title Call It Murder to capitalize on Humphrey Bogart's very brief appearance in the film.
8 Girls In A Boat
Christa Storm (Dorothy Wilson) is a student at a Swiss boarding school for young girls who discovers she is pregnant. She keeps this secret from everyone except her boyfriend (Douglass Montgomery). When she faces shame from her father, she finds support in her classmates and teacher. The title, initially seeming random without context, actually refers to the eight girls who make up the boat crew on the school's rowing team.
Bottoms Up
In this musical comedy, Spencer Tracy takes on the role of Smoothie King, a cunning con artist with a grand scheme: transforming an unknown actress, Wanda Gale (Pat Paterson), into a Hollywood sensation. His plan? Persuading her to pretend to be the daughter of an English lord. Mild hilarity ensues.
As The Earth Turns
Set in rural Maine over the course of one year, As the Earth Turns follows three farm families who experience the joys, trials, and tribulations of rural small farm life.
The Social Register
During a rowdy scavenger hunt, chorus girl Patsy Shaw (Colleen Moore) crashes a high-society party and meets millionaire Charlie Breen (Alexander Kirkland). They fall madly in love and plan to marry. However, Charlie's snobbish mother (Pauline Frederick) believes her son can do better than some silly chorus girl and schemes to break the couple up.
The Trumpets Blow
In Mexico, a reformed bandit (Adolphe Menjou) settles down and chooses a beautiful young dancer (Frances Drake) to be his wife. When his younger brother (George Raft) returns home after spending years in the U.S., he falls in love with his brother's fiancée and decides to take up bullfighting.
There were two other films that I really wanted to watch, but I was unable to find them:
Glamour
An ambitious chorus girl (Constance Cummings) finds fame, marriage and motherhood with a talented composer (Paul Lukas), then leaves him for a handsome singer (Philip Reed).
With a story by Edna Ferber and directed by William Wellman, this film is high on my want-to-watch list. It’s not lost; UCLA has a print, so maybe one day...
Madame Spy
Maria (Fay Wray) is married to Captain Franck (Nils Asther) of German Intelligence, who is unaware that she is a Russian spy assigned to gather information on him. When Franck is ordered to identify a security breach, he unknowingly vows revenge on his own wife.
There is some speculation that this film’s archived 35mm print was lost in the 2008 Universal fire; however, Universal still has the negative of this film. Realistically, it is doubtful they will strike a new print.
You can watch the video here:
They knew how to sell movies in those days- brilliant art.