American actor, radio, and stage artist John Barrymore belonged to the Drew and Barrymore family. His attempt to carve a career as an artist failed leading him to perform with his family on stage in productions like ‘Justice’ (1916), ‘Richard III’ (1920), and ‘Hamlet’ (1922). He was called the greatest living American tragedian for his portrayal of Hamlet.
He later left the stage and concentrated on films. His highest rated films are ‘Don Juan’ (1926), ‘Dinner at Eight’ (1933), and ‘Counsellor at Law’ (1933). He appeared in a number of other hit films, including ‘Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ (1920), ‘Twentieth Century’ (1933), ‘Romeo and Juliet’ (1936), and ‘Midnight’ (1939).
Barrymore struggled with alcohol abuse since the age of 14, which got the better of him later in life. He also appeared in self portrayal roles like an alcoholic lawyer in ‘State’s Attorney’ (1932) and an escaped lunatic in ‘A Bill of Divorcement’ (1932). Â
Twentieth Century is a romantic comedy film which tells the story of a Broadway director named Oscar Jaffe, who used to be quite successful, but is currently going through hard times. He therefore tries to get close with his former lover, Lily Garland, who is now a star, after meeting her at a train. He hopes that she can help him revive his failing career. However, things get complicated because the temperamental Lily doesn’t want anything to do with him anymore.
Eve Peabody, an unemployed American showgirl, arrives in Paris and with friendly taxi-driver Tibor Czerny searches for work in nightclubs. Realizing their mutual attraction Eve flees to enter a concert as Hungarian Baroness. Wealthy man Georges Flammarion enlists her help to break his wife’s affair with a playboy; but Tibor, who refuses to give up his quest for love, also lands there.
The happiness of Millicent Jordan knows no bounds when she receives word that Lord and Lady Ferncliffe, the richest couple in England, have accepted an invitation to their dinner party. However, meanwhile, her husband Oliver is struggling with his health, and he is also worried because someone is trying to buy up the stock in his shipping business. He decides to get help from Dan Packard, a businessman, and asks his wife to invite him to the party as well, against her wishes.
This film revolves around the stories of a few individuals who are completely different from each other. The only thing common about them is that they are staying at the same hotel in Berlin.
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ is an adventure romantic drama film which tells the story of Ben-Hur, a wealthy young Jewish prince, who is a friend fo the powerful Roman tribune, Messala. Ben-Hur’s life gets ugly when an accident and a false accusation leads him to getting arrested falsely. Instead of helping him, Messala, who has now become arrogant and corrupt, makes sure that Be-Hur is jailed and separated from the rest of his family.
Devastated by learning about his wife’s extramarital affair, George, a successful barrister, is about to leap from the window of his office in the Empire State Building. However, Regina, his secretary, who is in love with him, comes to rescue him.
In this musical romantic drama film, Miss Morrison, an aging opera singer, is shown to be looking back at her long life. She remembers her relationship with her vocal teacher, as well as a young student, with whom she had fallen in love. However, they are forced to part when her mentor Nicolai proposes marriage to her.
The elite society of Paris is intimidated by a bold thief known by the name of Arsene Lupin, who continues to rob them of their precious possessions. The scandal creates a fear in the city. But Detective Guerchard of French Police is certain of the mysterious thief’s identity, and is also confident of how he is going to apprehend the thief.
Svengali is a music maestro who possesses telepathic powers that allow him to control the actions of women through hypnotism. He meets a beautiful model named Trilby, and gets infatuated with her. However, she falls for a young artist named Billie, who loves her as well. Svengali however manages to convince her to fake suicide, so that all her friends, including Billie, will forget her. He takes her on a singing tour, and uses his powers to make her sing wonderfully and turns her into a singing star. Things get complicated when Billie finds out about her.
Despite his peasant upbringing, Ivan Markov rises to the rank of an officer in the Russian Army, although there are class-based resentments everywhere. He falls for Princess Tamara, but she doesn’t reciprocate his feelings, and gets him imprisoned out of spite. The tables are turned when the Russian Civil War begins, and due to his humble origins, he finds himself at an advantage. He finds an opportunity to settle the score.
Jim Kimmerlee and Tyler Dawson, two fishermen, are lifelong friends living in Alaska. However, they eventually come across pirates who steal fish from nets. Conflict arises between the two when Tyler joins up with a Russian fishing pirate.
World Premiere is a comedy film which tells the story of Duncan DeGrasse, a Hollywood producer, who is preparing for the release of his epic propaganda film titled ‘The Earth is in Flames’. However, in order to promote the film, he comes up with various kinds of schemes.
Based on the famous play by William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet is a romantic drama film which tells the story of Romeo, son of Montague, who falls passionately in love with Juliet, daughter of Capulet. They get married in secret, since their feuding families would never approve of their relationship. Everything seems to be going well, until Romeo’s best friend Mercutio, is killed by Juliet’s cousin Tybalt.
Desperate to cure her hemophilic son Prince Alexei, Czarina Alexandra, resorts to the healer and mystic Rasputin to save him. Although it seems that Rasputin is initially curing the Prince, he conspires to bring about the downfall of the Russian Empire under Czar Nicholas II. Only Prince Paul Chegodieff stands in his way.
Evans Garrick is an actor who is fired from a movie due to his persistent drinking behavior. His wife, frustrated with him, as well as his agent Boris, decides to abandon him. Soon, a novice writer Mary Maxwell asks him to star in her play, which her boyfriend is going to produce. Evans agrees, hoping that the play will lure back his wife and his agent.
Frustrated that he will never become a dancer, a crippled puppeteer adopts a boy and trains him to become the greatest dancer. Over the time, the young man grows up and falls in love. Concerned about his disciple’s career, the master tries his best to keep the lovers apart, not realizing that true love will surmount every hurdle.
During the 1930s, a French air-mail company from South America is owned by Riviere who insists on continuing the night fights, though the heavy rains, fog and darkness over treacherous Andes peaks make it risky for the pilots. But when a young boy in Rio-de-Janeiro needs an urgent medical delivery of polio serum, the perilous night flight is the only available lifesaver.
The film gave a chance to the 1929 audiences to see and hear the famous stars of silent movies for the first time. Frank Fay is the Emcee of this music-comedy revue, where the well-known names of the silent era, actors from first ‘talkie’ movies, and the Broadway stars perform in a series of musical, dramatic and comedy acts.
Based on a play of the same name, based on Arthur Conan Doyle’s characters, this film tells the story of investigator Sherlock Holmes, trying to bring down the criminal mastermind Moriarty as he also solves a crime involving a blackmailed prince.
