Non-Stop New York - 1937 - UK

Non-Stop New York - 1937 - 6/10

 
Jennie is partial witness to a New York murder.
She did not see who did it, but she did see the convicted man depart before the homicide.
Yet, she is now back in London, penniless chorus girl.
How to return to the States to save the fall guy from the noose.
Wait!  The sky clipper!  A wet dream of an aeroplane, and where the film gets fun.
Passenger rooms as big as your bedroom.  Gourmet dining.  A stocked bar.  An outside observation deck!
The dialogue is witty, carried by several smooth rogues, along with the absurdity of the airship.

A Star Is Born - 1937 - USA

A Star Is Born - 1937 - 6/10

 
Yet another young hopeful arrives in Hollywood, yet before he dreams are dashed, she catches the eye of an alcoholic has-been.
At its core, this is melodrama, the doomed love story, steeped in veiled tales of the bygone generation.
Janet Gaynor believable as the star-struck ingenue.
Frederic March, who I usually dislike as ham prone, her is excellent as the lush.
The outstanding drawn of this, to be honest, creaker, is watching a restored Technicolor print.
Yes, 1937 and in Technicolor.  It is absolutely beautiful.

The Prisoner Of Zenda - 1937 - USA

The Prisoner Of Zenda - 1937 - 7/10

 
The King Of Ruritaria is kidnapped before his coronation.
By chance, a distant English cousin resembles him and is asked to impersonate before villains seize the crown.
Brisk moving adventure holds up strongly.
Mystery, some romance, the duplicity of relatives, dangers of drink.
The paraphrase the page turners, this is a thumping good romp.
A large chunk of the “British Colony” seems to be here.
Ronald Colman excellent in dual roles.  Douglas Fairbanks Jr., however, is absolutely unforgettable as the charming rogue, Rupert Of Hentzau.

Every Day’s A Holiday - 1937 - USA

Every Day’s A Holiday - 1937 - 6/10

 
Peaches O’Day is a flim flam artist, routinely selling the Brooklyn Bridge to rubes.
Or using the dim-witted to appropriate the latest fashions for her wardrobe.
Set during New Years Ever 1899, starring Mae West, also script by West.
Peaches is adored by the citizens (West’s public), though she is hounded by the police (Production Code).  
Not at the level of I’m No Angel or She Done Him Wrong, this is still a zesty romp, with quick repartee and barbed jokes.
“… a politician talks so much but says nothing …”
Subs = https://subscene.com/subtitles/every-days-a-holiday/english/2920180

Nothing Sacred - 1937 - USA

Nothing Sacred - 1937 - 5/10

 
A young woman learns she has work related radium poisoning.
Following a financial settlement, she goes to Manhattan to live her last days in style.
A grubby reporter then starts a deathwatch column on her final days.
Except, mistakes had been made.
Acclaimed as a great screwball comedy, this is anything but.
Carole Lombard overacts with her usual weepy, ditzy shtick.
Frederic March is an insufferable cad.  The pair have no chemistry, no comic timing.

The Man Who Was Sherlock Holmes - 1937 - Germany

The Man Who Was Sherlock Holmes - 1937 - 6/10
AKA - Der Mann, Der Sherlock Holmes War

 
Two men halt the midnight train, then climb aboard.
One carries a violin case and smokes a pipe, the other seems a medical man.
The conductor and guards immediately jump to the conclusion,  "This is Sherlock Holmes!"
Not necessarily, though the pair exploit the misassumptions constantly.
They are sucked into a "Russian Dolls" mystery within mystery within mystery.
Brisk comedy, thriller is quite fun, and despite being a Reichsfilme, strikes me as propaganda free.