The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934)

The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934)

[7] After years of experimenting in various film genres, director Alfred Hitchcock finally committed to thrillers and suspense with his seventeenth feature, The Man Who Knew Too Much. A young teen girl (Nova Pilbeam) is kidnapped by spies after her parents (Leslie…
Waltzes from Vienna (1934)

Waltzes from Vienna (1934)

[6] Waltzes from Vienna, or Strauss' Great Waltz as it was retitled in America, is perhaps Alfred Hitchcock's least popular film, and one the director regarded as one of the lowest ebbs in his career. While it certainly falls outside the director's…
Kiss and Make Up (1934)

Kiss and Make Up (1934)

[6] Cary Grant stars in this comedy about a plastic surgeon and beauty clinic operator who falls in love with one of his most beautiful creations (Genevieve Tobin), unable to realize his heart really lies with the 'untouched beauty' of his dutiful…
Search for Beauty (1934)

Search for Beauty (1934)

[6] Three con artists trick two celebrity athletes into serving as editors for a new 'Health and Fitness' magazine. The athletes (Buster Crabbe and Ida Lupino) soon learn they are just figureheads meant to draw credibility and increase circulation for the publication…
Thirty Day Princess (1934)

Thirty Day Princess (1934)

[6] Sylvia Sidney (Sabotage, Beetlejuice) plays two roles in this spin on the classic tale of The Prince and the Pauper. After a European princess (Sidney) comes down with the mumps on a good will tour of America, her political liaison (Edward…
Ladies Should Listen (1934)

Ladies Should Listen (1934)

[5] Cary Grant stars as a wealthy Parisian with terrible taste in women. When one of his most recent girlfriends rejects him over the phone, he jokes about killing himself -- bringing his apartment's telephone operator, played by Frances Drake (Mad Love),…
Twentieth Century (1934)

Twentieth Century (1934)

[6] A floundering Broadway director ingratiates himself to an old flame in order to rekindle his career in Twentieth Century. This film is often regarded as the grandfather of screwball comedy, one of my favorite genres. John Barrymore and Carole Lombard give…
The Little Minister (1934)

The Little Minister (1934)

[5] A young minister (John Beal) falls in love with a gypsy (Katharine Hepburn) and begins a village scandal. Hepburn and Beal are fairly matched and the rural setting is lovingly evoked through impressive indoor sets. The story, based on a novel…
Spitfire (1934)

Spitfire (1934)

[4] Katharine Hepburn goes as far against type as possible in Spitfire, playing a hillbillie faith healer who gets accused of witchcraft by her backwoods community. Hepburn is far too erudite to sell the role convincingly, but it's interesting to watch her…
Tarzan and His Mate (1934)

Tarzan and His Mate (1934)

[6] Poachers are looking to rob a legendary elephant graveyard of its ivory in the first Johnny Weissmuller Tarzan sequel. I think the sequel is just as entertaining as the original.  The sexual innuendo is more pronounced (we even get a nude…