Gerald Mohr

The life of Fanny Brice, famed comedienne and entertainer of the early 1900s: her rise to fame as a Ziegfeld Girl, her subsequent career, and her personal life, particularly her relationship with Nick Arnstein. In early-20th-century New York, Fanny Brice knows that she is a talented comedienne and singer. She also knows that she is not the beauty typical of the stage performers of the day, with her skinny legs and crooked nose and other physical issues. So she knows that she must use other means to get her break in show business, so that she can at least display her talents. With help from Eddie Ryan, who becomes her friend, Fanny is able to get a part in a novelty act in a vaudeville show, the renown from which eventually comes to the attention of famed impresario Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. Fanny becomes one of the Ziegfeld Follies' most popular acts, despite almost getting fired after her first performance by defying Flo's artistic vision for her closing number. Beyond stage success, Fanny also wants a happy personal life, most specifically with suave Nicky Arnstein, a gambler in every respect of the word. Fanny loves him and loves that he loves her despite her lack of traditional beauty, but she does not love that he comes in and goes out of her life based on his financial standing at any given time and his need to earn that quick buck by the next poker game or high-stakes business deal as he feels he needs to play the traditional role of moneymaker in their relationship on his own terms. —Huggo Vibrant young Fanny Brice starts out as a bit player on the New York City vaudeville stage and works her way up to stardom on Broadway. Valued for her vocal and comedic talents by renowned theater impresario Florenz Ziegfeld Jr., Fanny thrives, but her relationship with her suave, imprisoned businessman husband Nick Arnstein is another story. —Jwelch5742

When Herman promises the mob to fix a racing horse in order to pay off his debts, he selects his veterinarian cousin as a patsy to help him but things go awry. Herman owes a lot of gambling debts. To pay them off, he promises the mob he'll fix a horse, so that it does not run. He intends to trick his animal-loving cousin, Virgil, an apprentice veterinarian, into helping him. Of course, he doesn't tell Virgil what he is really up to. Mistaken identities are assumed, while along the way, Virgil meets a female vet and Herman falls for the owner of the horse. Goons and mobsters are also lurking around; so beware! —erasmus

A cynical American expatriate gets involved in smuggling and gun-running for the rebels during the 1925 Syrian insurgency against French occupation. In 1925 Damascus Harry Smith runs guns to the rebels under Emir Hassan. Harry meets and develops a relationship with Feroud's, a French intelligence officer's mistress. The French arrest him along with others and to save himself he agrees to arrange a meeting between Feroud and Hassan. —Ed Stephan <stephan@cc.wwu.edu> In 1925, in Damascus, the patriotic rebels of Syria are fighting against the invading French forces. The weapons smuggler Harry Smith is an amoral businessman taking advantage of the situation. He meets Violette, the mistress of the idealistic French Col. Feroud in a restaurant. Feroud is trying to make a deal with the rebel leader Emir Hassan, and under threat of execution for weapons smuggling he forces Harry to be his liaison and arrange a meeting with Hassan. —Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Detective Story (1951) is classified as film noir, telling the story of a single day in a police detective squad room. It stars Kirk Douglas, Eleanor Parker, William Bendix, Cathy O'Donnell, Lee Grant, George Macready, and others. The movie, an adaption of the 1949 play of the same name originally created by Sidney Kingsley, was directed by William Wyler. Robert Wyler and Philip Yordan edited the original play to become the film version we know today. Detective Jim McLeod (Kirk Douglas), A hardened, bitter man, leads a precinct of characters in their grim daily task with the city's lowlife. Little does he realize that his pursuit of an abortionist, Dr. Karl Schneider (George Macready) will allow him to discover his wife's terrible secret. The film begins with the arrest and booking of a shoplifter (Lee Grant, her film debut) at the 21st police precinct in NYC. Outside, Detective Jim McLeod, is romantically engaged for a moment with his wife, Mary (played by Eleanor Parker), and talking about their future and future children. Jim enters the precinct to process a young embezzler, Arthur Kindred (actor Craig Hill). McLeod meets one Endicott Sims (played by Warner Anderson) who is the lawyer representing Dr. Karl Schneider (George Macready), a New Jersey doctor. Schneider had his medical license revoked and now wanted on murder charges. Mr. Sims informs precinct Lieutenant Monahan (Horace McMahon), that Dr. Schneider wants to turn himself in without being beaten by Detective McLeod. Jim McLeod expresses his vehement hatred of Schneider, and other criminals, by saying the law "coddles them." Two burglars, Charley Gennini (Joseph Wiseman) and Lewis Abbott (Michael Strong), are interrogated by Detectives Jim McLeod and Lou Brody (William Bendix), and successfully turns Lewis Abbott against Charley Gennini. When Karl Schneider arrives with his lawyer Endicott Sims, Detective McLeod informs him that Miss Hatch (Gladys George), the doctor's accomplice, has implicated him and plans to identify him in a line-up. Dr. Schneider bribes Miss Hatch with a fur coat. Of course, after that, she fails to identify the doctor in the line-up. Jim McLeod erupts and tells Miss Hatch she is a liar. Later on he admits to a reporter, Joe Feinson (Luis Van Rooten), he hated his father who possessed a "criminal mind". His father eventually drove his mother into a lunatic asylum. This past is what made McLeod hunt for and put away evil-doers. Detective McLeod must take Karl Schneider to Bellevue Hospital. A young victim of Dr. Schneider's handiwork is there. Sadly, when they arrive at the hospital, McLeod discovers the woman has died. With the woman dead, and no eye witness identification of the doctor having done the procedure, there is no case against Dr. Schneider. On the way back to the police precinct, Jim literally beats Schneider until he collapses. Meanwhile, Arthur Kindred's employer, a man named Albert R. Pritchett (performed by James Maloney), comes in the precinct. He fully intends to press charges against Arthur Kindred for embezzlement. Mr. Kindred's friend, Susan Carmichael (portrayed by Cathy O'Donnell), arrives to help him. She has worked hard to gather $120 to go towards Mr. Pritchett, hoping against hope no charges will filed against her friend Arthur. McLeod calls Mr. Kindred a thief trying to convince Susan that Arthur isn't worthy of her help, but Susan pleads with Mr. Pritchett. She swears the rest of the money will be in Mr. Pritchett's hands by the next day. Later, Jim's wife, Mary McLeod, arrives at the station. She speaks with Lt. Monahan about whether she knows Giacoppetti (a racketeer) believed to have dated Mary a long time ago. Also, if she knows Dr. Schneider. She denies ever knowing either of them, but when Giacoppetti walks in and greets her, she is surprised and runs out, crying. Giacoppetti then tells Lt. Monahan that Mary had gotten pregnant while they dated and had gone to Dr. Schneider for an abortion. Mary confesses to her husband, Jim, about the pregnancy and abortion she had to endure by Dr. Schneider many years ago. Later, when she is alone with Jim, she begs his forgiveness for her past transgession. He brutally states he'd rather die than find out his wife is "a tramp". He then demands to know if her infertility is because of the abortion Schneider performed. Feeling hurt and humiliated by Jim's reaction, Mary runs out in tears. Some time after, Mary returns to the squad room to inform McLeod she is leaving. He proceeds to plead with her to stay. She relents, but after a nasty comment made by the doctor's lawyer, Mr. Sims, (Warner Anderson) about Mary's love life, Jim boils over. He demands to know how many men there were before he met her. He says he cannot wash away the "dirty pictures" in his mind. Mary, hurt anew and shocked by what he's said, calls him cruel and vengeful. Mary decides to leave Jim for good, not wanting be "driven to a lunatic asylum" like his mother was by his father. She vows she never wants to see him again. A victim runs into the police station yelling she's been robbed. Gennini, playing to the confusion of the moment, grabs a gun from a policeman. He shoots Detective McLeod several times. As Jim McLeod lays dying, he asks his wife to forgive him. He then tells his fellow police officers to go easy on Arthur Kindred. McLeod then begins the Act of Contrition, a Catholic confessional prayer, dying before it is completed. His partner, Brody, finishes the prayer. A distressed Brody then releases Arthur Kindred while admonishing him "not to make a monkey out of me."

Johnny Farrell (Glenn Ford) is in Buenos Aires playing dice with locals. Soon someone holds a gun to his head, but a man with a snappy cane helps him out and also tells him about a casino on the other side of town. At the casino, Johnny makes sure he looks his best and enters the gambling room. He watches a short man win with a late bet at the roulette table. He goes to the blackjack table and wins several hands after requesting each time to cut the deck. Two tough guys says the casino director wants to see him; Johnny tries to fight them, but fails. The director turns out to be the man with the cane and goes by the name of Ballin Mundson (George Macready). Johnny admits to cheating, but instead of being thrown out he manages to persuade Mundson to hire him. Soon World War II ends, and there is a party at the casino. Mundson is due to leave town and leaves Johnny in charge; they have gained each other's trust. When Mundson returns he has Johnny come to his house. Mundson has brought home a woman, Gilda (Rita Hayworth), as his wife. When Johnny and Gilda see each other it's clear that they know each other, though they don't tell Mundson. That night at the casino Johnny sees the man from earlier winning at roulette again in suspicious manner and learns that it is Mundson's way of bribing those that allow his casino to continue despite gambling being illegal. Johnny has dinner with Mundson and Gilda. When Mundson leaves the table to meet with some German men, Johnny blames Gilda for marrying Mundson for the money. Gilda dances with another man, Capt. Delgado, and even gives him her phone number in front of Johnny. Later that night Mundson reveals his suspicion to Gilda that she knows Johnny from before and warns her that she should not make any missteps. Another night at the casino we see the man from before looking for his bribe at the roulette table, but his bet is turned away. Soon Johnny finds Mundson in his office talking to the same man; the conversation is about tungsten trading, Mundson telling the man he should not be selling the metal according to their agreement. Johnny goes downstairs to get Gilda out of the way, who is again enjoying herself with another man, and he and Mundson have a drink in the bar. Suddenly there's a gunshot, it's the man with the tungsten who is out to get Mundson; he misses, but in the commotion goes into the washroom and shoots himself. Scared by the threat to his life, Mundson tells Johnny about the cartel that he runs to monopolize tungsten and control the world, and gives him the combination to the safe in his office. Later that night Gilda returns home from town with the young man, Gabe. Johnny knocks the guy over and has him leave and tells Gilda she should not make trouble with Mundson and that he will make things appear right even if she does continue to cavort with other men. One night Johnny wakes up by the sound of Gilda singing in the casino room with only the washroom attendant, Pio (Steven Geray), as audience. She's been out again. Johnny takes her home and they tell to Mundson that they have been swimming, together. Another night the casino is having a carnival party. Two Germans come to Johnny's office and demand to see Mundson; Johnny rings Mundson. Mundson talks to Gilda about being late for the party; tension runs thick between them. At the party Johnny and Gilda dance; Gilda comes on to him, but he refuses. A man, Obregon (Joseph Calleia), who's been hanging around the casino for weeks, tells Johnny there might be trouble. Johnny gets a message that Gilda has left and wants him to pick her up later. Soon a man is revealed to be dead behind his mask, and there is commotion. Johnny finds Mundson in his office and warns him he might be in danger. But Mundson tells Johnny to go find Gilda, then calls an airfield and makes some arrangements. Johnny picks Gilda up, and they go to the house. Gilda suggests they make use of the time alone. He goes to her room to throw her out, but ends up kissing her. They hear a sound and Johnny sees Mundson leaving the house: he has seen them. Johnny goes after Mundson in a car, and so do the police, headed by Obregon. They follow Mundson to an airfield and watch him take off in a plane and crash down into the ocean, assuming that he is dead. However, we soon see Mundson being picked up by a boat, revealing that he had indeed intended to escape from the police investigation. With everybody thinking Mundson is dead, Gilda inherits his fortune, and Johnny takes over the casino and the cartel. Gilda and Johnny get married, and he takes her to a new home. Gilda is happy, but Johnny does not intend to live with her; instead, he makes sure she cannot have contact with anyone. One of the Germans from the cartel comes to see Johnny and tells him that Mundson held the tungsten patents unrightfully. Now he wants them and the cartel leadership back. Gilda comes to see Johnny, wanting a reason for his treatment of her. He blames her for cheating on Mundson and wants to punish her. Seeking company, Gilda starts going out with other men, but Johnny has them disappear one by one. Realizing Johnny wants to keep her in cage, she runs. We see her as a club singer in Montevideo with another man, Tom. He persuades her to go back to Buenos Aires to get an annulment of her marriage. But when they arrive, it turns out Tom is on Johnny's payroll, and Gilda is back in her cage. Obregon talks to Johnny, wanting him to reveal the names of the cartel members, Johnny says he knows nothing about it. Gilda starts singing and dancing in the casino and flirts with the men. Johnny doesn't like it and hits her. Obregon comes again, closes down the casino and puts pressure on Johnny. Johnny gives him what he wants. Obregon tells Johnny that Gilda is waiting in the casino. Johnny overcomes his pride and asks Gilda to take him with her back to America. Suddenly Mundson appears from his office, explains how he is not dead afterall and announces his intention of killing them both. But before he can, Pio stabs Mundson with his own cane. Obregon comes in seeing what's happened, but lets them go, saying afterall a man can only die once. Gilda tells Johnny, "Let's go home."