Dirigible (1931)

Dirigible (1931)

[7] Jack Holt (San Francisco), Ralph Graves (Ladies of Leisure), and Fay Wray (King Kong) star in this early 'talkie' from director Frank Capra (It Happened One Night, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington). Holt and Graves play a dirigible (blimp)…
Platinum Blonde (1931)

Platinum Blonde (1931)

[6] Robert Williams stars as a scrappy newspaper reporter who falls in love with a socialite (rising star Jean Harlow) who drags him kicking and screaming into hoity-toity upper-class society. But after numerous dinners and parties, awkward relationships with 'the…
Other Men’s Women (1931)

Other Men’s Women (1931)

[7] Two train engineers put their friendship to the test when one of them falls in love with the other's wife in this noteworthy drama from William Wellman (Battleground, The High and the Mighty). I really enjoyed the first half…
Night Nurse (1931)

Night Nurse (1931)

[8] Barbara Stanwyck stars in this pre-code drama about a scrappy young nurse trying to save two sick children from an evil chauffeur (Clark Gable) whose poisoning them so he can marry their drunk mother (Charlotte Merriam) and steal their…
The Miracle Woman (1931)

The Miracle Woman (1931)

[7] Frank Capra directs Barbara Stanwyck in this cautionary tale of phony evangelism. After her minister father dies unappreciated, Stanwyck's character falls in with a con man (Sam Hardy) to open a church that fakes miracles. The operation becomes lucrative…
Frankenstein (1931)

Frankenstein (1931)

[7] James Whale (Waterloo Bridge, The Invisible Man) directs Boris Karloff in his iconic performance as Frankenstein's monster in this cornerstone of Universal Pictures' monster movie legacy. The adaptation from Mary Shelley's novel is somewhat loosey-goosey, but taken on its…
The Reckless Hour (1931)

The Reckless Hour (1931)

[5] Dorothy Mackaill stars as a young woman strung along by a wealthy suitor who eventually declines to marry her, souring her relationship with any man until a rich artist comes along and strikes her fancy. The Reckless Hour is…
Safe in Hell (1931)

Safe in Hell (1931)

[6] Director William Wellman (Wings, Battleground) opens Safe in Hell with the title in flames, and I interpret that to mean, "Buckle up for melodrama." Dorothy Mackaill stars as a woman who hits hard times in New Orleans while her…
The Public Enemy (1931)

The Public Enemy (1931)

[7] James Cagney makes his breakthrough performance as a Chicago street kid who becomes a successful gangster during prohibition. I don't usually like gangster movies, but director William Wellman (Wings, The Ox-Bow Incident) frames The Public Enemy as a cautionary…
Cimarron (1931)

Cimarron (1931)

[5] This early Oscar-winning best picture is uneven at best. Richard Dix makes for a hammy lead, while Irene Dunne is stuck playing his harpy of a wife. The film follows the two as they move west to Oklahoma at…