Victor McLaglen

In 1883, an American merchant ship's captain is searching for a treasure in diamonds from a sunken Dutch ship in the vicinity of a volcanic island in the Dutch East Indies. The Dutch East Indies, at the end of the nineteenth century. An adventurous captain of an American merchant vessel is looking for a sunken Dutch vessel containing 10,000 precious diamonds. Unfortunately, he's not the only one and then there's also that volcano on the nearby island of Krakatau, waiting to explode in its historical, disastrous eruption... —Homme A. Piest <piest@pobox.leidenuniv.nl>

An American, Sean Thornton (John Wayne), arrives in Ireland and plans to settle in Innisfree, where he was born. On the way to Innisfree with Michaeleen Oge Flynn (Barry Fitzerald), Sean spots a redheaded woman moving a flock through the fields. He becomes interested in this unknown woman, and greets her at the church entrance the next day, where he learns her name - Mary Kate Danaher (Maureen O'Hara), a redhead with a temper to match. Sean wants to buy the ancestral Thornton cottage from well-to-do widow, Sarah Tillane (Mildred Natwick), and finds himself in a squabble with "Red" Will Danaher (Victor McLaglen), a neighbor and would-be suitor of the Widow Tillane. Mrs. Tillane, angered by Danaher's presumptuous attitude and bragging at the local pub, sells the land to Thornton. When Sean goes to claim the cottage, he finds Mary Kate there, cleaning it as a good Christian act. Thornton easily fits into Innisfree, earning a reputation as a quiet, peace-loving man. Danaher, however, holds a grudge. When Thornton arranges to court Danaher's sister, Mary Kate, the real fun begins. Thornton learns that Ireland's quaint charm includes some old-fashioned rules of courtship. He needs Squire Danaher's consent to marry Mary Kate, since their father is deceased. He and the local shaughraun (matchmaker), Michaleen Flynn, pay a formal visit to Danaher to ask for Mary Kate's hand. Danaher refuses and orders the two men out of his house. Sean and Mary Kate are devastated. Sean is puzzled by social rules that seem archaic to him, and takes out his frustrations by seemingly reckless cross country rides. Concerned, Thornton's newfound friends - Flynn, Reverend Playfair (Arthur Shields), and Father Lonergan (Ward Bond) - concoct a plot to trick Danaher into consenting to the marriage. They lead Danaher to believe Sean is courting the widow Tillane, who will have nothing to do with Danaher until Mary Kate is married off and out of the house. Danaher agrees to the courtship when Thornton wins the local cross country race, claiming the Widow's bonnet as his trophy. The Thornton/Danaher courtship quickly skips a few months of steps and soon turns into a wedding, but Squire Danaher, furious upon learning (at the reception) that he has been duped, reneges on Mary Kate's promised dowry of 350 pounds (Irish Currency). The money is a trifle to Sean Thornton, who has learned for himself that money isn't worth fighting for, and refuses to "shame" himself by begging for it. Mary Kate perceives Sean's lack of action as cowardice, and refuses her new groom his marital privileges. Tension builds in Innisfree, a highly sporting community, as the townspeople hope for a fight between Thornton and Danaher. However, Thornton refuses to fight. He suffers the guilt of a terrible secret concerning his last prize fight, which only the Reverend Playfair knows. As tensions grow, Father Lonergan counsels Mary Kate about her duties as a married woman, as Reverend Playfair councils Sean about what the dowry means to his wife. Although Mary Kate acquiesces, she feels that the dowerless marriage is improper and leaves Sean. To Sean, this is the last straw. He goes to the train station, literally drags his wife back to Squire Danaher's farm, collecting a very large crowd along the way, as the neighboring towns realize that Sean is about to confront Will Danaher and demands Mary Kate's dowry. Danaher refuses to pay the dowry, so Sean calls off the marriage - claiming that the dowry is their custom, not his. Shamed in front of the whole county, Danaher gives up the dowry (350 pounds cash). To further prove a point Sean stalks over to the nearby threshing furnace, where Mary Kate open the door for Sean to throw the money into the fire. This infuriates Danaher and he takes a swing at Sean, who defends himself. Mary Kate sees that her husband is willing to fight and heads home to cook dinner. For the rest of nearby residents of Innesfree, farmhands, the train engineers and passengers who've stayed for the event, the long awaited fight breaks out - starting at Danaher's farm and heading into Innesfree. During this Sean learns Danaher is, indeed, a worthy opponent. Many a side bets are laid - including Reverend Playfair, the visiting Bishop, and the local constabulary. By the end, the two men respect each other and have become fast (if drunken) friends. After the fight, the town gathers together to also help save Reverend Playfair's job and Will Danaher starts formally courting the Widow Tellane.

A cavalry officer posted on the Rio Grande is confronted with murderous raiding Apaches, a son who's a risk-taking recruit and his wife from whom he has been separated for many years. Rio Grande takes place after the Civil War when the Union turned their attention towards the Apaches. Union officer Kirby Yorke is in charge of an outpost on the Rio Grande in which he is in charge of training of new recruits one of which is his son whom he hasn't seen in 15 years. He whips him into shape to take on the Apaches but not before his mother shows up to take him out of there.The decision to leave is left up to Trooper Yorke who decides to stay and fight. Through it all Kirby and Kathleen though separated for years fall back into love and decide that it's time to give it another try. But Yorke faces his toughest battle when his unorthodox plan to outwit the elusive Apaches leads to possible court-martial. Locked in a bloody Indian war, he must fight to redeem his honor and save the love and lives of his broken family. —Christopher D. Ryan <cryan@direct.ca> Lt. Col. Kirby Yorke commands a U.S. cavalry troop north of the Rio Grande. Indians have been raiding and then fleeing south of the river into Mexico. Yorke is surprised when he learns that the son he has not seen for 15 years, Jeff, has flunked out of West Point. He's barely digested the information when his son shows up at the camp as a new cavalry recruit. His personal life gets even more complicated when his wife, Jeff's mother, Kathleen also shows up at the fort intent on taking her son home. As the situation increasingly deteriorates, the women and children are sent to safety but the wagon train is attacked and all the children taken forcing Yorke and his men to cross into Mexico to get them back. —garykmcd

It's June, 1900, and Patricia O'Neill is singing "A Bluebird Is Singing to Me". She picks up her father's lunch from Lulu's Café. Lulu mentions that she is hosting a party tonight but needs the piano moved onto the small stage in her restaurant. Charles Dillingsworth, an important Broadway producer, is coming. Pat goes to the local fire alarm call box and trips the signal while Lulu has the cook put greasy rags in the stove to make some smoke. Pat's father, Captain Matthew O'Neill, is the head of Company 24 that responds to the fire. He complains that this is the third fire at Lulu's in a fairly short time. He grouses but has some of the men move the piano for Lulu. Pat sneaks out through the pantry, quickly climbing the steps. Not looking, she promptly puts her head through a large painting being carried by a man on the sidewalk. The man and his partner introduce themselves. One is Johnny Bennett, a composer. The other is Steve Adams, a painter. Both are in town from Boston hoping to make names for themselves in New York City. Professor Garibaldi has written a letter of introduction to Lulu so they can board in her rooming house. Lulu tells them the charges will be $6/week for the room the two will share. What is not revealed is that Steven is the son of a wealthy banking family in Boston and is hiding out in New York to sow some oats and postpone his marriage to his fiancée Olivia Radford. A messenger notes that Steve has a call from Olivia. Pat is one of a group of young women taking acting lessons from Lulu. Johnny sits at his piano struggling to finish his song "A Much Better Night to Fall in Love". As he tries a few notes on the piano in front of an open window, he is joined by others in the rooming house on violin, string bass, and trumpet. Below, Pat does a wonderful dance. Another tenant, Byron Jones, pops in and offers his talent as a lyricist. His current job is writing the rhymes on greetings cards. Next, Eddie sticks his head in carrying a stuffed horse head. He is an artist specializing in horse illustrations for Calendars Inc. He agrees to introduce Steve to the president, Mr. Ward. Steve returns Olivia's call. She makes it clear that he has only three weeks to play at artist in New York City. She then expects him back in Boston for their wedding. Later, Pat knocks on the door with tea that Lulu has sent up to the boys. Johnny admits that he is a shy guy but wants her to know that watching her dance made the music flow. He tells her that he has had music running through his head even as a young child. He is hoping to have a new song to play at tonight's party. It starts with "I met a flame at the Fireman's Ball." At the party, Johnny and Byron perform the song to great acclaim. Mr. Dillingsworth only has eyes for Patricia, and her dad Matthew doesn't like it. Steve dances with Pat as the tune changes to "New York Is a Nice Place to Stay." During the dance, Steve tells Pat that he wants her to pose for him. There is a contest at the calendar company with a $500 dollar prize. I he wins, the money is all hers. Firemen are circulating selling tickets to the upcoming Fireman's Benefit Jamboree at Swiss Garden. Johnny tries to buy two but only has the cash for one. He will get a second one later on. Captain Olson from Fire Company 18 shows up and trades insults with Matt. The two companies are rivals in an efficiency competition. The winner will become the new battalion chief. They both agree that if they end up in a tie, they will sort the winner out with a tug-of-war. Steve begins work on his portrait of Pat while "I'm in Love with a Calendar Girl" provides background music. As a result of the party, Johnny has gotten an invitation to present some work to Mr. Dillingsworth. Pat gives him her St. Ceclia's medal for good luck. Steve purportedly finishes the portrait of Pat and asks her to be his date for the Jamboree. After she leaves, Steve alters the painting to make it more daring by showing some bare legs. Pat is excited about her upcoming evening with Steve. Johnny is angry at him, asking a girl out when he is already committed to Olivia. As luck would have it, Olivia has come down from Boston to surprise Steve. Steve covers by giving Johnny "the $5 I owe you." Olivia swears she does not want to go someplace fancy like Delmonico's, but somewhere Bohemian like the Swiss Garden Jamboree. At the Jamboree, everyone is frolicking to "Buy Her Some Pretzels and Beer." Olivia requests to dance with Johnny and quizzes him about Steve's activities. Byron surprises everyone with Johnny's new song, "Have I Told You Lately, I Love You." Meanwhile, Steve does his best to mislead Pat about his relationship with Olivia. He claims that he and Olivia are cousins. He invites Pat to take a stroll in the moonlight with him and pressures her to kiss him. Pat is saved by the announcement that the mayor will reveal the efficiency winner among fire companies. He says it is a tie between Company 24 and Company 18. The winner will be determined by a coin flip. Matthew and Olson object, stating they have already agreed to settle it with a tug-of-war. Matt is confident that his large company members will easily win the contest. But Olson has signed up some massive brutes to his company just the day before. Winning now seems in doubt. Olivia departs with Steve for Delmonico's. The tug-of-war contest is undecided until a musician starts playing an Irish jig. This gives Company 24 a spurt of energy. But then Grieg's "In the Hall of the Mountain King" inspires the Scandinavian crew. The final outcome is prompted when someone pores some snuff on the Company 18 anchorman. He loses control during a sneeze, allowing Company 24 to win. Matt is declared the new battalion chief. In the post Jamboree let down, Lulu warns Matt that his daughter may fall in love. When Johnny approaches Pat, she is rather cold. She is sure that Olivia is important to him. Lulu tells Johnny to stick to his guns. The next day, Eddie bursts into the rooming house with the news that Steve has won the calendar contest. Steve gives the check to Pat who is thrilled that she can buy her father a silver battalion chief trumpet. Steve is ready to celebrate. He even offers Johnny a chance to come along with them. Johnny backs out with a warning to Steve that he had better not hurt her. Steve takes Pat for a fancy night on the town - Delmonico's, Rector's, Churchill's. Johnny is in their room wringing his hands when their cab deposits an inebriated Pat and Steve. Steve is ready to press his advantage until Pat mentions that she always dreamed of spending her honeymoon at Niagara Falls. This is not what he has is mind. He just wants some fun. Johnny slaps Steve for hurting Pat. He tries to tell her what Steve really is. She will not listen. He returns her St. Cecelia medal. The next day, calendars bearing Pat's portrait are making a sensation. Crowds gather at windows to take in the risqué painting. Matthew comes after his daughter with fire in his eyes. Pat tries to take shelter in Steve's room by saying they are engaged. This momentarily puts Matt off. But when Pat opens the door, Steve is kissing Olivia. Pat realizes that Johnny was correct. She runs to him and tells her father that they are engaged. Matt is confused. Just then, Dillingsworth arrives with an offer of a role for Pat in his new musical. The score for the musical is by none other than Johnny.

A publicity stunt staged on a train known as the Broadway Limited creates problems because of an unknown baby that was part of the stunt. As a ploy to gain publicity, a motion picture director wants his star actress to take a baby with her on a train trip. The director's secretary asks the train's engineer, an old boyfriend, for help. As the engineer ponders what to do, a stranger in the train station tells him that he has a baby that could be used. On board the train, the actress meets a young doctor whom she knew in school, and whom she is still in love with. The presence of the baby causes a series of misunderstandings between them, but the real problems begin when the engineer begins to suspect that the baby may have been kidnapped. —Snow Leopard