A 20th Century Fox Retrospective Scrapbook : 1937

[CinemaInternational]

A day late, but here we go. 1937 awaits!

January started with Charlie Chan at the Opera, with Warner Oland continuing to be on mystery patrol.

This was released on the same day as an Elizabeth Bergner/Laurence Olivier version of Shakespere's timeless comedy As You Like It.

Another pair followed a week later. Secret Valley, a B Western-gangster film with Richard Arlen and Virginia Grey...

And Crack-Up, another B involving Peter Lorre as a spy (also with Brian Donlevy)

Crime surfaced again with yet another B, Woman-Wise with Rochelle Hudson.

 

February opened with a Jane Withers saga with a bracing title, The Holy Terror

Followed by an enjoyable musical, On the Avenue with Dick Powell, Madeleine Carroll, Alice Faye, and The Ritz Brothers.

Wings of the Morning, a romance, paired Henry Fonda and Annabella in the first British film in 3 strip Technicolor.

And the Jones Family was Off to the Races in another rustic adventure.

The month concluded saying that Love is News, with Tyrone Power, Loretta Young, and Don Ameche, and also featuring George Sanders, Slim Summerville, and Jane Darwell.

March started with a Fair Warning. Interestingly, this B featured John Payne in a supporting role. Fox would make him a star soon enough.

Another crime saga the next week, Nancy Steele is Missing!, co-directed by George Marshall and Otto Preminger, and starring Victor McLaglen

Next thing you knew there was Claire Trevor saying it was a Time Out for Romance.

Another romance followed with Jimmy Stewart and Simone Simon in a remake of the evergreen silent Seventh Heaven, but the results weren't as fertile this time around.

April started with Brian Donlevy taking a Midnight Taxi to crime.

Arthur Treacher and David Niven returned for their second and final dose of PG Wodehouse in Step Lively Jeeves

In a romantic comedy, Don Ameche and Ann Sothern found Fifty Roads to Town

There was a lot of living at Fox in late April of 1937, first with Walter Winchell, Alice Faye, and Patsy Kelly in Wake Up and Live, a musical.

And then with Rochelle Hudson hitting the crime circuit again in That I May Live

 

May was in bloom when Tyrone and Loretta met again for love and laughter in Cafe Metropole.

On a quieter note, the same day saw It Happened Out West.

And Jane Darwell received a rare lead in The Great Hospital Mystery.

Charlie Chan made it all the way to the Olympics to solve a case of his own....

Under the Red Robe was a historical fiction drama and the final directorial effort of Victor Sjostrom. It starred Conrad Veight, Annabella, and Michael Redgrave.

The month closed with This is My Affair , starring Barbara Stanwyck and Robert Taylor, a few years before their marriage.

Jane Withers was the one in question in the comedy Angel's Holiday

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Keeping up with the Jones (Family) saw them into Big Business.

Tony Martin declared audiences to Sing and Be Happy.

July started with a Slave Ship. Wallace Beery, Warner Baxter, Jane Darwell, Mickey Rooney, George Sanders, and Joseph Schildkraut were all in it. 

Rochelle Hudson finally found herself in a comedy (with Jack Haley) in She Had to Eat.

But not for long. The following week found her in crime again in Born Reckless.

Ricardo Cortez was The Californian of the western of that name.

The Lady Escapes found Gloria Stuart and George Sanders in a comedy.

And, after a 7 month absence, Shirley Temple returned in Wee Little Winkie

Alice Faye and Don Ameche found that You Can't Have Everything, to a musical beat.

One Mile from Heaven starred Claire Trevor and was the last of six films of hers to be directed by Alan Dwan.

Love Under Fire found Loretta Young suspected to be a jewel thief by detective Don Ameche, who falls for her.

A new series, that would ultimately encompass 8 films,  was started with Peter Lorre in Think Fast, Mr Moto.

Another B oater followed in Western Gold.

September entered with Sonia Henie and Tyrone Power on Thin Ice.

A documentary, Borneo, also appeared.

Wild and Woolly placed Jane Withers and Walter Brennan in a Western Adventure.

Wife Doctor and Nurse was a romantic triangle comedy with Loretta Young, Warner Baxter, and Virginia Bruce.

The Jones Family, who must be running on some sort of batteries or energy drink, next found themselves in Hot Water.

College would never be the same when the comic Ritz Brothers found that Life Begins at College.

Then George Sanders, Dolores Del Rio, and Peter Lorre starred in the espionage film Lancer Spy.

A B western Roll Along Cowboy came in next until the next major Fox release

That major one was Heidi, one of the most remembered Shirley Temple films. I must confess though, it actually scared me a little bit as a child.

Charlie Chan then investigated a mystery on the stage, but for Warner Oland time was running out. He only did one more after this one.

Eddie Cantor starred in the musical Ali Baba Goes to Town.

Ann Sothern and Jack Haley appeared in a screwball comedy directed by Otto Preminger (!) Danger--- Love at Work

Danger was obviously in the air, for it was also in the title of the new Cecar Romero B film Dangerously Yours

Second Honeymoon starred Tyrone and Loretta in love again. Something tells me this was more than just their second honeymoon on screen.

Jane Withers then stared down plenty of prospective parents in 45 Fathers

In Dinner at the Ritz, a romantic mystery, you could find Annabella, David Niven, and Paul Lukas.

Claire Trevor was a Big Town Girl

Borrowing Trouble saw the Jones family again. They made films like rabbits.

Peter Lorre Returned as Mr Moto on another case, Thank You, Mr. Moto

Love and Hisses was a sequel to Wake Up and Live. Again, Walter Winchell, the famous critic, was the lead.

And finally, to cap off the year, there was In Old Chicago, the first Best Picture nominee since the merger, an Oscar-winning performance by Alice Brady, and an all-around entertaining and gripping film

[CinemaInternational]

I'm only partway through September here. But I will have to end up finishing this tomorrow. I have no internet service at home, and its time to go there now. So I'll have to wrap this up first chance I get.

[TopBilled]

Nice job. Looking forward to the rest of it.

[CinemaInternational]

It's complete now!

[don96]

Great movie ads!  

[DougieB]

I've never even heard of the Jones Family, but any family with Spring Byington as the matriarch is fine by me. I see from the data base that there are about 10 of them and now I want to see them all.

[TopBilled]

2 minutes ago, DougieB said:

I've never even heard of the Jones Family, but any family with Spring Byington as the matriarch is fine by me. I see from the data base that there are about 10 of them and now I want to see them all.

The Jones Family series was Fox's version of The Hardy Family, trying to replicate the success MGM had.

Republic got on the bandwagon and had their own Higgins Family series.

[Tikisoo]

Thanks so much for compiling/posting that. Just Wonderful.

[sagebrush]

On 3/27/2019 at 5:12 PM, CinemaInternational said:

Borrowing Trouble saw the Jones family again. They made films like rabbits.

Ha Ha- I love that remark!

I never realized how many films Claire Trevor made prior to her STAGECOACH and beyond years. I really hope we get to see more of them.

I can't wait for the Betty Grable years!

This is really great, CinemaInternational. I just adore the lobby cards, too.

[TopBilled]

1 hour ago, sagebrush said:

I never realized how many films Claire Trevor made prior to her STAGECOACH and beyond years. I really hope we get to see more of them.

That's because there's a bias in scheduling "A" films and Oscar-nominated films. So the B films get neglected and forgotten. But some of these stars refined their craft, and made a lot of money, doing a bunch of B films during their early days in Hollywood.

[sagebrush]

11 minutes ago, TopBilled said:

That's because there's a bias in scheduling "A" films and Oscar-nominated films. So the B films get neglected and forgotten. But some of these stars refined their craft, and made a lot of money, doing a bunch of B films during their early days in Hollywood.

You're right; and even though many of those B films may not be very good, we still like to see our favorites in them . I guess it's not much different today. I'll go see a 1 1/2 star film just because I like the actors or an actor in it. I don't know if they still refer to the not really good films as B films today, or if a B film was specifically a low- budget film, but they don't stay in the theaters for long. 😄

[TopBilled]

9 minutes ago, sagebrush said:

You're right; and even though many of those B films may not be very good, we still like to see our favorites in them . I guess it's not much different today. I'll go see a 1 1/2 star film just because I like the actors or an actor in it. I don't know if they still refer to the not really good films as B films today, or if a B film was specifically a low- budget film, but they don't stay in the theaters for long. 😄

Today's version of "B" films are the low-budget independent films that actors make when they're trying to break into the Hollywood big leagues. When they suddenly wind up in a hit and become a household name, they seldom reference the lesser seen indy films they previously made-- where they learned their craft and were able to put food on the table.