Pre- Code: Strange Interlude(1932)

Strange Interlude(1932). Romantic drama. D: Robert Z. Leonard. Cast: Norma Shearer, Clark Gable, May Robson, Maureen O'Sullivan, Robert Young, Ralph Morgan, Henry B. Walthall and Mary Alden.

In a small New England town, shortly after the World War, writer Charlie Marsden returns home from Europe to visit the woman he is secretly in love with.  There he finds Nina Leeds, angry with her father for preventing Gordon from marrying her before he died in a plane crash during the war. Announcing, that she is going to move to Boston to work as a nurse in a sanitarium for wounded soldiers.

One year later, Nina is called home when her father becomes ill. By the time she arrives home with, Dr. Ned Darrell, and Sam Evans, her father has already died.

Later when, Nina confesses to Charlie that her obsession with Gordon has caused her to be promiscuous with men, Charlie, even though he wants to marry her, realizes that Nina needs a strong man, suggests that she should marry Sam. Wanting a normal married life, Nina agrees .

Nina, soon realizes her mistake, when Sam's mother confides in her that insanity runs in the family and they should not any children. Mrs. Evans then tells Nina that Sam knows nothing about the "family curse" and suggests Nina have children by another man.

Nina, soon regrets her marriage and when Ned visits, she tells him about the Evans curse and the two decide to conceive a child. During their afternoon together, Nina realizes that she loves Ned, but.. Ned is not ready to get married and to prevent Nina from telling Sam, Ned announces that Nina is pregnant and that he is leaving for Europe for a year. After Ned's leaves, Nina gives birth to a son, named Gordon.

Realizing that he made a mistake, Ned returns and begs her to run away with him but, Nina, realizing that Sam would be destroyed, tells him that she is happy with the way things are.

Ned and Charlie, become silent partners in Sam's business and Sam makes them all wealthy.

Later when Ned, Charlie, Nina and Sam come to watch Gordon, now a collage athlete compete in a regatta, Ned announces that Gordon plans to marry, Madeleine. Nina, objects and asks Ned to stop the marriage and tell Sam the truth about his paternity. When Ned refuses, Nina decides to tell Charlie the truth. Gordon wins the regatta and Sam, overcome with excitement, suffers a fatal heart attack.

After the funeral, Gordon and Ned get into an argument and Gordon hits Ned, causing Nina to blurt out that he has struck his own father. Gordon, misunderstands and says that he always knew Nina and Ned were in love and gives them his blessing. Ned is about to tell Gordon the truth, but.. will Nina have a change of heart and stop him?

Fun Fact: This was the first film in which Clark Gable's trademark mustache appeared.

By the end of this emotionally moving film, you feel sorry for just about everyone in it and they all deprived themselves of happiness. Great acting, especially for Norma Shearer and Clark Gable

 May Robson (19 April 1858 – 20 October 1942).  In 1884, after being widowed, she became an actress simply to support her children. Over the next several decades, she flourished on the stage. She starred in the 1916 silent film, A Night Out, an adaptation of the play she co-wrote, The Three Lights. She made several other silent films, then successfully transitioned to talkies. She made 45 films during the 1930s. Among her starring roles was 1931's The She-Wolf, in which she was cast as a miserly millionaire businesswoman based on Hetty Green. She also starred in the final segment of the anthology film, If I Had a Million (1932) as a rest home resident who gets a new lease on life when she is given a $1,000,000 check by a dying business tycoon. She played the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland (1933), Countess Vronsky in Anna Karenina (1936), Aunt Elizabeth in Bringing Up Baby (1938), Aunt Polly in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1938), and a sharp-tongued Granny in A Star Is Born (1937). Miss Robson was top-billed as late as 1940, starring in Granny Get Your Gun at age 82. Her last film was 1942's Joan of Paris.

The Kennel Murder Case(1933).

The Kennel Murder Case(1933). directed by Michael Curtiz. Cast: William Powell as Philo Vance, reprising the role for Warner Brothers after appearing as Vance in three films for Paramount.

The story begins when, hot shot detective Philo Vance joins up with wise-cracking police sergeant Ernest Heath, to solve the death of wealthy Archer Coe, which is first thought to be a suicide. Until.. Coe's brother Brisbane, is also found dead.

There are plenty of suspicious characters, all connected to a dog show and all having very good reasons to murder Archer Coe:

Mary Astor.

First on the list, Hilda Lake, who resented his control of her money.

Paul Cavanagh

Next up, Sir Thomas MacDonald, who planned to marry Hilda and who wanted revenge after his prize show dog was killed.

Ralph Morgan

Raymond Wrede, Coe's secretary, who was also in love with Hilda and believed that Coe stood between them.

Helen Vinson

Doris Delafield, Coe's mistress, who was about to run away with her art dealer boyfriend, Eduardo Grassi, until Coe caught them together and canceled a very important business deal with Grassi and broke off his relationship with Doris.

Last but not least, Liang, Coe's cook, who had been helping his employer illegally purchase ancient Chinese art, is caught hiding evidence. Now, he is added to the list of suspects.

After, an attempt is made on Sir Thomas' life. Vance, with the help of Sir Thomas and a Doberman pinscher.. comes up with a plan to expose who the killer is...

Video: Full length movie.



As far as murder mystery films go, it just doesn't get any better with it's many twists and turns that make this film a fast-moving, fun mystery.

Mary Astor(May 3, 1906 – September 25, 1987). Mary's parents wanted something more for their daughter and entered her into many beauty contests. Which eventually caught the attention of Hollywood.

 Her first movie was a bit part in, The Scarecrow (1920). Throughout 1921-1923 she continued her career with minor roles in a number of movies.

 In 1924, Mary landed a role as Lady Margery Alvaney opposite the great John Barrymore in the film, Beau Brummel (1924). She stared with him again in the film, Don Juan (1926).

Mary was one of those lucky actresses who made the successful transition to "talkies" because of her voice and strong screen presence. Mary's career took off in successful films such as, Red Dust (1932), Convention City (1933), Man of Iron (1935), and The Prisoner of Zenda (1937).

In 1938, Mary turned out five films which kept her in the spotlight. In 1941, she won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role of Sandra Kovac in, The Great Lie (1941). That same year she performed in the film, The Maltese Falcon (1941), but her star soon began to fade.

Her final film was, Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964).