Henry Kolker

In Paris a killer is strangling young women and dumping their dead bodies into the Seine and is nicknamed "Bluebeard "after the classic French story of the man who murdered his wives. As women group together to travel in the evening streets, the outdoor puppet theatre of Gaston (John Carradine) becomes a popular place for people to convene. When Lucille (Jean Parker) sees Gaston's puppets she is enthralled and an emotional bond is formed with the performance artist. When Gaston returns home waiting for him is a former love Renee (Sonia Sorel) who is jealous that Gaston is interested in Lucille. In a calculated cold act Gaston strangles Renee and dumps her body into the river. As Gaston's relationship with Lucille develops police Inspector Lefevre (Nils Asther) who is the fiancé of Lucille's sister Francine (Teala Loring) and when the investigation leads them to a suspicious art dealer Lamarte (Ludwig Stossel) who may be a front for a murderous painter, Francine agrees to model for the artist who turns out to be Gaston. The police believe they have their man and close in but can they catch the killer before he kills again?

Two innocent men are wrongly convicted of murder and sentenced to death. The fiancée of one of them convinces a police detective of their innocence, and together they try to find the real killer before the men's execution date. In Springdale, MA, working class waitress Mary Roberts and cabbie John Tennant - nicknamed Brick - are engaged to be married and are planning what they hope will be a prosperous future, they in the short term having to prioritize their want for Brick to expand business beyond one taxicab against owning a small house in the suburbs. Their short term plan is for Brick to buy that second cab which his friend Joe Linden, with whom he has only recently reconnected, will drive, and that they will move into an apartment in the city while they save their money to buy that suburban house. Their collective lives are thrown into a turmoil on the eve of their wedding when eyewitnesses to the crime finger Brick and Joe as two of the three men who not only robbed the local theater, but shot its watchman dead. Mary knows Brick cannot have committed the crime as he was with her at the time. However in trial when it is her seemingly biased word against the unbiased word of the eyewitnesses, the jury finds both Brick and Joe guilty, they ultimately sentenced to death by the electric chair. Vowing to prove Brick and Joe innocent while finding the real murderers, Mary comes across a small new piece of evidence in at least showing Brick and Joe innocent. However, she is only able to convince one person that matters, Police Lieutenant Everett, who led the investigation into the robbery and murder, of the error in convicting Brick and Joe. As Mary and Lt. Everett go on a search for more evidence, they are in a race against time as once Brick and Joe are executed, any evidence proving their innocence will be somewhat meaningless especially to Brick and Joe.

A young man in love with a girl from a rich family finds his unorthodox plan to go on holiday for the early years of his life met with skepticism by everyone except for his fiancée's eccentric sister and long-suffering brother. Free-thinking Johnny Case finds himself betrothed to a millionaire's daughter. When her family, with the exception of black-sheep Linda and drunken Ned, want Johnny to settle down to big business, he rebels, wishing instead to spend the early years of his life on "holiday." With the help of his friends Nick and Susan Potter, he makes up his mind as to which is the better course, and the better mate. —Terri A. Mabry <tamabry@uci.edu> While each is on a respective vacation in Lake Placid, New Yorkers Johnny Case and Julia Seton meet, fall in love and decide to get married as soon as possible. Johnny, a happy-go-lucky working stiff who has worked most of his life to gain modest financial success, had no idea that Julia came from an extremely wealthy banking family, which ends up being solely an unexpected surprise, no more, no less. For them to get married, they will have to work hard to get the blessing of Julia's father, Edward Seton, who ultimately does give his approval, as he sees in Johnny what Julia sees: a man with potential. Johnny doesn't need to work hard to impress Julia's free-thinking sister, Linda Seton, who sees Johnny as a breath of fresh air into the Seton home and into Julia's life. Linda is truly happy for Julia to have met Johnny. What Linda is aware of but which Johnny has yet to tell Julia is that Johnny, who doesn't want to live on the Seton's money, plans on quitting work when he is financially able to do so, so that he can take a holiday to find out where he fits in life. Linda admires both his plan and his conviction in what he wants. He may be able to achieve his goal sooner than planned as a financial deal pays off. Julia, who doesn't agree with or understand this plan, doesn't believe Johnny will go through with it, but Linda tries to convince her that he will and should and that she should go with him. Johnny may come to his own realizations concerning if and if so where he really does fit within the Seton family. —Huggo Jonathan "Johnny" Case is a self-made man who has spend much of his life at work. He dreams of taking an extended holiday to search for the meaning of life. During a short vacation in Lake Placid, New York, Johnny meets Julia Seton, and falls in love with her. The two are soon engaged, despite Johnny knowing nothing about her family and background. To his surprise, Julia is the youngest daughter of the banker Edward Seton, and her family is extremely wealthy. Julia introduces him to her family, and Johnny is somewhat impressed with her vivacious sister Linda. Julia and Johnny have an elaborate New Year's Eve engagement party, but Johnny leaves the party to comfort an upset Linda at "the playroom". Johnny has a more intimate party with Linda and a few close friends. On New Year's Day, Johnny attempts to kiss Linda. She rejects his advances, and reminds him that she is his future sister-in-law. Johnny leaves without greeting the family. While Johnny plans on going on a European vacation, Julia pressures him to take a new position in her father's bank. Edward already has plans for his son-in-law's professional live, future residence, and even the servants that will work in this residence. Johnny refuses to let his father-in-law gain full control over his life, and plans to travel to Europe with or without Julia. Julia gives up on their relationship, but Linda is genuinely in love with him and decides to join him for his trip to Europe. The new couple have their first passionate kiss. —Dimos I

A pair of hit songwriters fall in love with an ex-film star and her friend, but a blackmailer arrives to disrupt the romances. Based on William Field's short story "Temperamental Lady." Songwriter Danny (Pryor) believes that the only way to jump-start fading movie star Polly's (Bradley) career is to end his partnership with lyricist Mike (Newell). Polly's friend Mattie (Kelton) manages to comfort Mike in the interim. Then, Mike concocts a plan to separate Danny from Polly: he sends blonde seductress Blossom (Compton) to pretend to be Mike's girlfriend. But all ill feelings and misunderstandings are resolved by the climactic musical finale. —Anonymous

The adventures of an investigator (Cagney) for the Bureau of Weights and Measures. It's the New York Department of Weights and Measures vs. a systematic effort to cheat the public by giving them less product than they pay for...organized by crooked city alderman Marty Cavanaugh, who put the last chief deputy inspector in the hospital. The new man, pugnacious Johnny Cave, steps on the toes of influential merchants and gets increasing pressure, both political and strong-arm, to desist. Will the luck (if not the pluck) of the Irish pull him through? —Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu> When Joel Green, head of the Department of Weights and Measures, is nearly killed in a car accident by corrupt politician Marty Cavanaugh, ex-prizefighter Johnny Cave replaces him. Facing a city-wide racket of faulty measures, Johnny fines merchants who are cheating the public and ignores the customary bribes and threats of Cavanaugh's men. The night after he refuses a job offer from Cavanaugh, Johnny is abducted. He wakes up, stinking of alcohol, in the gutter with his hair dyed red. In addition, Johnny is falsely accused of theft. Next, the mayor, in league with Cavanaugh, offers Johnny a high paying job, but he again refuses. When Johnny learns that Abel Canning, the boss of Johnny's fiancée, Janet Henry, has ordered that the matron of the local orphanage, Mrs. Ogilvie, be fired, Johnny visits her and learns that the orphanage has been receiving half-shipments of food. With evidence that Canning has been grafting state funds, Johnny has a newspaper headline printed that implicates Canning. Ex-wrestler Burton, posing as a city prosecutor, knocks Johnny out and steals his evidence in order to blackmail Canning. After Canning publicly accuses Johnny of blackmail, Janet breaks their engagement. That night, Canning pays Burton for the key to his apartment, and Canning and Cavanaugh locate the papers just as Johnny arrives. Thanks to Janet's call to the police, the two men are arrested before Canning can burn the evidence, and Johnny presents Janet her wedding ring. —Anonymous

Ignoring an ancient prophecy, evil brother Gregor seeks to maintain his feudal power on his his Tyrolean estate by murdering and impersonating his benevolent younger twin. Prophecy has it that younger twin Anton will kill brother Gregor in the castle's Black Room. Anton returns to the castle after a 10 year hiatus. Gregor, a Baron, has many attempts on his life as his subjects detest his tyranny. However, good natured Anton earns the subjects' respect, and the admiration of Col.Hassel, uncle of the beautiful Thea. When Gregor kills young servant Mashka, his subjects storm the castle to remove him. Devious Gregor renounces his title in favour of brother Anton to appease them. He then kills Anton to assume his identity and the Baronship again. He is free to pursue Thea with Col.Hassel's blessing. When Col.Hassel discovers Gregor's impersonation, he also meets death. With Thea's true love, Lt. Lussan, wrongfully convicted of Hassel's murder, it appears nothing can stop evil Gregor from ambushing her into marriage. But what of that prophecy? —Gary Jackson <garyjack5@cogeco.ca> When Baron Frederick de Berghman learns that his wife has given birth to twin boys, he refuses to drink a toast to them. He tells his courtiers that there is a prophecy that the younger of the twins - in this case born one minute after the elder - will kill his older brother in the Black Room. As a protective measure, he seals off the room in the hope that the prophecy may not happen. Many years later, Baron Gregor de Berghman pleads with his twin brother Anton to return to the family castle. Anton arrives to find the populace in revolt and there is even an attempt on his life when they mistake him for the Baron. There is no doubt that the Baron is evil and eventually kills Anton in the Black Room and takes his identity. That does no mean the prophecy cannot, or will not, come true. —garykmcd

A young woman jeopardizes the relationship with the man she loves when a no-account from her past shows up. On New Year's Eve, Geraldine ('Jerry') Trent decides to break up with her boyfriend Jim Woodward, having finally grown tired of his dishonesty and his infidelities. Soon afterward, Geraldine meets and falls in love with novelist Anthony Blake. Blake knows that she has had a man in her past, but he is content as long as he never finds out who it was. All seems well until her sister Joan returns from a trip, and happily introduces Woodward as the new man in her life. —Snow Leopard