THE MAN THEY COULD NOT HANG

THE MAN THEY COULD NOT HANG (1939). Director: Nick Grinde. 

A young assistant agrees to become part of an experiment with a doctor he works with, Savaard (Boris Karloff), even though the assistant's fiancee, Betty (Ann Doran), begs him not to do it. In essence the young man has to be killed so that Savaard can bring him back to life. Horrified, Betty gets the authorities, who shut Savaard down just before he can revive his assistant, dooming the young man to an early death. Savaard is put on trial for murder, and vows revenge on all those who put him away. The fascinating climax has him trapping everyone in an old house and swearing that every fifteen minutes someone will die! Karloff, not exactly looking fetching with blond, wavy hair, gives one of his best performances in this entertaining and interesting thriller. 

Verdict: One of the better Karloff vehicles. ***.

SHOPWORN

Barbara Stanwyck and Regis Toomey

SHOPWORN (1932). Director: Nicholas Grinde.

Kitty Lane (Barbara Stanwyck), a girl from the wrong side of the tracks, winds up as a waitress in a literally greasy spoon where she meets David Livingstone (Regis Toomey). David wants to marry Kitty, but his termagant, selfish mother (Clara Blandick) refuses to countenance the idea of her son, who's studying to be a doctor, marrying a common waitress, and trumps up charges against her with the aid of an odious judge friend [it's quite satisfying watching Toomey give this creep a knock-out punch]. Years later Kitty has become a famous Broadway star, of course, and David comes calling ... can this love be rekindled and will mama allow it to happen? Stanwyck is fine in a Joan Crawford rags-to-riches role, and Toomey is very adept and appealing. The developments are unlikely, the script mediocre, but the stars manage to put it over if nothing else. Zazu Pitts plays yet another dithery friend of the heroine's. Blandick is fine as the mother from Hell. Toomey later did such TV shows as Shannon and Grinde directed a great many movies, including a few Boris Karloff thrillers such as The Man They Could Not Hang.

Verdict: Stanwyck is almost always watchable in anything and she's made worse. **.

THE CAPTAIN'S KID

THE CAPTAIN'S KID (1936). Director: Nick Grinde.

Aunt Marcia Prentiss (May Robson) doesn't want little Abigail (Sybil Jason) hanging around with disreputable Uncle Asa Plunkett (Guy Kibbee) because he drinks too much, among other things. Little Abigail, who sings the title song at one point, importunes kindly Asa to go look for a treasure that he's been talking about for years. A wicked brother and sister team try to take it away from him and Asa winds up getting in trouble with the law. None of it is as serious as it sounds, as this is a light-hearted, overly "cute" film with a couple of mild chuckles now and then. Kibbee and Robson are as good as ever. Jane Bryan of The Old Maid plays Betsy Ann. Mary Treen is the housekeeper, Libby. Sybil Jason is a talented little monkey-face, although some might find that her appeal runs out about halfway through the movie.

Verdict: Paging Shirley Temple! **.