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George Zucco
George Zucco (11 January 1886 – 27 May 1960) was a British character actor who appeared in plays and 96 films, mostly American-made, during a career spanning over two decades, from the 1920s to 1951. In his films, he often played a suave villain, a member of nobility, or a mad doctor. Early life and family Zucco was born in Manchester, Lancashire, on 11 January 1886. His mother Marian (née Rintoul) ran a dressmaking business; it is claimed she was a former lady-in-waiting to Queen Victoria, but this is untrue, as the honour was only accessible to titled ladies of high rank (duchesses, marchionesses, countesses, viscountesses, and baronesses). His father, George De Sylla Zucco, was a Greek merchant from Corfu who became a naturalised British subject in 1865. Zucco debuted on the Canadian stage in 1908 in a stock theater company. In 1910, he entered the United States for the first time from Canada, bound for Seattle, Washington, where he soon appeared in plays such as '' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Black Raven
''The Black Raven'' is a 1943 American mystery film directed by Sam Newfield. It was produced and released by Producers Releasing Corporation, a leading Poverty Row studio. Plot A heavy storm catches everybody, nearly all with good reasons for fleeing the US, at the Black Raven motel just across the U.S./Canada border, and one of them winds up dead. The motel is run by a Mr. Bradford, who seems to have a sinister past. The others are an escaped convict with plans on Bradford's life, a bank employee who has embezzled $50,000, a young couple that has eloped and, for comic relief, a not-too-bright county sheriff. While Bradford is hardly a saint, he suspects the murderer is planning to frame him for the crime. When the irate and disagreeable father of the eloping woman turns up, Bradford sacrifices his life to catch the murderer and see to it that the eloping couple can start a new life with his stash of money. Cast * George Zucco as Amos Bradford aka The Raven * Wanda McKay as ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dreyfus (1931 Film)
''Dreyfus'' is a 1931 British film on the Dreyfus affair, translated from the play by Wilhelm Herzog and Hans Rehfisch and the 1930 German film '' Dreyfus''. It features George Zucco in his film debut. Cast * Cedric Hardwicke as Capt. Alfred Dreyfus * Charles Carson as Col. Picquart * George Merritt as Émile Zola * Sam Livesey as Labori *Beatrix Thomson as Lucille Dreyfus * Garry Marsh as Maj. Esterhazy *Randle Ayrton as Court-martial president *Henry Caine as Col. Hubert-Joseph Henry *Reginald Dance as President, Zola trial *George Skillan as Maj. Armand du Paty de Clam *Leonard Shepherd as Georges Clemenceau * Arthur Hardy as Gen. Auguste Mercier *Alexander Sarner as Mathieu Dreyfus * Frederick Leister as Edgar Demange *J. Fisher White as Georges-Gabriel de Pellieux *Abraham Sofaer as Dubois *J. Leslie Frith as Alphonse Bertillon *George Zucco George Zucco (11 January 1886 – 27 May 1960) was a British character actor who appeared in plays and 96 films, most ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fast Company (1938 Film)
''Fast Company'' is a 1938 mystery film starring Melvyn Douglas and Florence Rice as married rare-book dealers who try to solve a murder case. It is based on the novel of the same name by "Marco Page" (Harry Kurnitz). It was followed by two 1939 films featuring the fictional couple, '' Fast and Loose'' and ''Fast and Furious'', though they were played by different actors in each. Apparently, cinema distributors were complaining about the time lag between The Thin Man movies, so Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer started this trilogy featuring married amateur sleuths. To avoid confusion with a 1953 MGM film of the same title, ''Fast Company'' was rechristened ''Rare Book Murder'' for television. Plot Joel and Garda Sloane run a rare book business in New York City. To supplement their meager income, Joel recovers stolen books. Insurance man Steve Langner drops off a check for his latest success. The couple also tries to help Ned Morgan, recently released from prison, find a job; they do not believ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
After The Thin Man
''After the Thin Man'' is a 1936 American murder mystery comedy film directed by W. S. Van Dyke and starring William Powell, Myrna Loy and James Stewart. A sequel to the 1934 feature ''The Thin Man'', the film presents Powell and Loy as Dashiell Hammett's characters Nick and Nora Charles. The film also features Elissa Landi, Joseph Calleia, Jessie Ralph, Alan Marshal and Penny Singleton (billed under her maiden name as Dorothy McNulty). Plot Nick and Nora Charles return from vacation on New Year's Eve to their home in San Francisco, where Nora's stuffy family expects the couple to join them for a formal dinner. Nick is disliked by Nora's aunt Katherine, the family matriarch, as his immigrant heritage and experience as a "flatfoot" are considered beneath Nora's station. Nora's cousin Selma tells Nora that her husband Robert has been missing for three days. David Graham is Selma's earlier fiancé and an old friend of Nora's family. He offers to pay Robert $25,000 to leave and g ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nigel Bruce
William Nigel Ernle Bruce (4 February 1895 – 8 October 1953) was a British character actor on stage and screen. He was best known for his portrayal of Dr. Watson in a series of films and in the radio series ''The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes'' (starring Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes). Bruce is also remembered for his roles in the Alfred Hitchcock films ''Rebecca'' and ''Suspicion'', as well as the Charlie Chaplin film ''Limelight''. Early life Bruce was the second son of Sir William Waller Bruce, 10th Baronet and his wife Angelica Lady Bruce, daughter of General George Selby, Royal Artillery. He was born in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico, whilst his parents were touring the world. His older brother was the author and adventurer Sir Michael Bruce. He received his formal education at The Grange School in Stevenage, and from 1908 to 1912 at Abingdon School in Abingdon-on-Thames. At Abingdon he was a keen sportsman, playing for the first XI cricket team (for w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and logical reasoning that borders on the fantastic, which he employs when investigating cases for a wide variety of clients, including Scotland Yard. First appearing in print in 1887's '' A Study in Scarlet'', the character's popularity became widespread with the first series of short stories in '' The Strand Magazine'', beginning with " A Scandal in Bohemia" in 1891; additional tales appeared from then until 1927, eventually totalling four novels and 56 short stories. All but one are set in the Victorian or Edwardian eras, between about 1880 and 1914. Most are narrated by the character of Holmes's friend and biographer Dr. John H. Watson, who usually accompanies Holmes during his investigations and often shares quarters with him at the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Basil Rathbone
Philip St. John Basil Rathbone MC (13 June 1892 – 21 July 1967) was a South African-born English actor. He rose to prominence in the United Kingdom as a Shakespearean stage actor and went on to appear in more than 70 films, primarily costume dramas, swashbucklers, and, occasionally, horror films. Rathbone frequently portrayed suave villains or morally ambiguous characters, such as Mr. Murdstone in '' David Copperfield'' (1935), Tybalt in ''Romeo and Juliet'' (1936) and Sir Guy of Gisbourne in '' The Adventures of Robin Hood'' (1938). His most famous role was that of Sherlock Holmes in fourteen Hollywood films made between 1939 and 1946 and in a radio series. His later career included roles on Broadway, as well as self-ironic film and television work. He received a Tony Award in 1948 as Best Actor in a Play. He was also nominated for two Academy Awards and was honoured with three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Early life Rathbone was born in Johannesburg, South A ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes (film)
''The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes'' (released theatrically as ''Sherlock Holmes'' in the United Kingdom) is a 1939 American mystery adventure film based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes detective stories. Although claiming to be an adaptation of the 1899 play ''Sherlock Holmes'' by William Gillette, the film bears little resemblance to the play. Released by 20th Century Fox, the film is the second of fourteen Sherlock Holmes films produced between 1939 and 1946, starring Basil Rathbone as Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Dr. John Watson. ''The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes'' is the final film in the series to be released by 20th Century Fox and the final to be set in the Victorian period of Doyle’s stories (all subsequent films would be released by Universal Pictures and set in contemporaneous times (i.e. the 1940s). The film co-stars George Zucco as Holmes's nemesis, Professor Moriarty, and follows Holmes and Watson as they attempt to foil Moriarty’s plans to target ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Professor Moriarty
Professor James Moriarty is a fictional character and criminal mastermind created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to be a formidable enemy for the author's fictional detective Sherlock Holmes. He was created primarily as a device by which Doyle could kill Holmes and end the hero's stories. Professor Moriarty first appears in the short story " The Adventure of the Final Problem", first published in '' The Strand Magazine'' in December 1893. He also plays a role in the final Sherlock Holmes novel '' The Valley of Fear'', but without a direct appearance. Holmes mentions Moriarty in five other stories: "The Adventure of the Empty House", " The Adventure of the Norwood Builder", "The Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter", " The Adventure of the Illustrious Client", and " His Last Bow". Moriarty is a criminal mastermind who uses his intelligence and resources to provide criminals with crime strategies and sometimes protection from the law, all in exchange for a fee or a cut of profit. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Souls At Sea
''Souls at Sea'' is a 1937 American adventure film directed by Henry Hathaway and starring Gary Cooper and George Raft. Based on a story by Ted Lesser, the film is about a first mate on a slave ship who frees the slaves on the ship after a mutiny overthrows the ship's captain. The title of this film was spoofed in the Laurel and Hardy comedy film '' Saps at Sea'' (1940). The supporting cast features Frances Dee, Harry Carey, Joseph Schildkraut, Robert Cummings, George Zucco, Tully Marshall, Monte Blue, and an uncredited Alan Ladd and Edward Van Sloan. Plot Abolitionist Michael "Nuggin" Taylor goes undercover to sabotage slave ships. Although the United States prohibited the importation of slaves in 1808, slaves are still being brought into the country illegally. Great Britain also prohibited the slave trade, putting the Royal Navy into action against slave traders, but Royal Navy Lieutenant Stanley Tarryton is acting for the slave traders. The conflict between Taylor and Tarryton ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
George Raft
George Raft (born George Ranft; September 26, 1901 – November 24, 1980) was an American film actor and dancer identified with portrayals of gangsters in crime melodramas of the 1930s and 1940s. A stylish leading man in dozens of movies, Raft is remembered for his gangster roles in '' Quick Millions'' (1931) with Spencer Tracy, '' Scarface'' (1932) with Paul Muni, ''Each Dawn I Die'' (1939) with James Cagney, '' Invisible Stripes'' (1939) with Humphrey Bogart, Billy Wilder's comedy ''Some Like It Hot'' (1959) with Marilyn Monroe and Jack Lemmon, and as a dancer in ''Bolero'' (1934) with Carole Lombard and a truck driver in '' They Drive by Night'' (1940) with Ann Sheridan, Ida Lupino and Bogart. Raft said he never regarded himself as an actor. "I wanted to be me," he said. Early life and career George Raft was born in Hell's Kitchen, New York City, to a family of German descent, the son of Eva (''née'' Glockner), a German immigrant, and Conrad Ranft, who was born in Massachus ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gary Cooper
Gary Cooper (born Frank James Cooper; May 7, 1901May 13, 1961) was an American actor known for his strong, quiet screen persona and understated acting style. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice and had a further three nominations, as well as an Academy Honorary Award in 1961 for his career achievements. He was one of the top10 film personalities for 23 consecutive years and one of the top money-making stars for 18 years. The American Film Institute (AFI) ranked Cooper at No.11 on its list of the 25 greatest male stars of classic Hollywood cinema. Cooper's career spanned 36 years, from 1925 to 1961, and included leading roles in 84 feature films. He was a major movie star from the end of the silent film era through to the end of the golden age of Classical Hollywood. His screen persona appealed strongly to both men and women, and his range included roles in most major film genres. His ability to project his own personality onto the characters he played contribut ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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