Catherine The Great had been portrayed by Mae West, Elizabeth Bergner, Marlene Dietrich, and Pola Negri. She lived to be 67 years old. Amazing, if we are to believe her amorous ways. Lubitsch was to have directed this, but he became ill and the reins were handed to Preminger, with Ernst looking over his shoulder and making sure that Otto's customary heavy hand was somewhat lightened. The ancient Biro/Lengyel play "Czarina," which had been used as the basis for other movies about the Russian queen, was adapted this time by Mayer and Frank, veteran screenwriters who knew what they were doing. To Bankhead's St. Petersburg castle comes Eythe, a young cavalry officer who has ridden for days to tell her of a coup planned by two generals. Eythe admits that he has plenty of energy left despite the travel, so Bankhead requests that he return later that night for a "private interview." Eythe is handsome, albeit a bit sappy, but he must have some ability in the lovemaking department, because his rise to the rank of general is rapid. Eythe is soon in love with Baxter, a virginal woman who is a lady in waiting. Bankhead falls hard for Eythe, and, when she learns that he is affianced to Baxter, the young woman is sent away. Eythe is heartbroken but still owes allegiance to his queen, so he helps overcome the plot to dethrone her. Bankhead is so happy at what he's done, she allows Eythe and Baxter to reunite while she finds new thrills in the arms of Price, the French ambassador. With all of the sleeping around Bankhead does, it's a wonder any state business ever got done in the years when Catherine was Great. A few laughs, but Bankhead chews up the scenery and the pacing is off a beat. Lubitsch had filmed this as FORBIDDEN PARADISE in 1924.
His life was a muddy morass into which he dragged all who knew him! Such was Dorian Gray, the man who wanted eternal youth, and bartered his soul to get it!
Innocent young Dorian Gray has his portrait painted by a close friend. Soon after, under the influence of amoral Lord Henry Wotton, he jilts his fiancee, leading to her suicide. This is the start of a life of increasing debauchery, Gray realising that the outward signs of this are apparent only in the portrait. Eventually the picture, secreted in his childhood playroom, becomes almost hideous to behold. But Gray still has one pure love - Gladys, the niece of the original painter.
Based on several stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, this riveting murder mystery finds master sleuth Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and his faithful assistant Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce) trying to solve the case of the "Pajama Suicides." London is rocked by a rash of baffling suicides of wealthy gamblers, but Holmes in inclined to believe that they are premeditated murders. He feigns his own death and assumes the identity of Rajni Singh, a retired Indian officer with a paralyzed arm, so that he can move undetected all around the city. He stalks the city's gaming clubs and eventually meets a mysterious, perfidious woman named Adria Spedding (Gale Sondergaard). To his dismay, Holmes soon falls into Spedding's clutches from which he may never escape...
An Egyptian high priest (John Carradine) travels to America to reclaim the bodies of ancient Egyptian princess Ananka and her living guardian mummy Kharis (Lon Chaney Jr.). Learning that Ananka^Òs spirit has been reincarnated into another body, he kidnaps a young woman of Egyptian descent with a mysterious resemblance to the princess. However, the high priest^Òs greedy desires cause him to loose control of the mummy...
Dancer Sherazade was told by the stars that she will become wife of the kalif in Bagdad. She tells Kamar, brother of kalif Haroun. He planned a coup d'etat, which failed at first, but supported by the wasir he finally succeeds. Haroun is injured and gets help from Ahmad's actor troupe, where he is nursed by Sherazade, who doesn't recognise him. When she hears that Kamar is looking for her she goes to him, but is sold with the complete troupe of actors to slavery. They're able to escape, but Haroun is still in danger. To save him, Sherazade agrees to poison Kamar, but Haroun tries to establish his rulership first.
So, famed and honored detective Charlie Chan (Warner Oland, surely the best of all the Chans)is given fourteen free tickets to the circus - for him, his wife and their twelve children. And it appears they visis tthe circus at just the right time to get drawn into investigating the murder of one of the circus owners. It seems more than Charlie's usual perfect detective work is needed in this unusual case. The solution is quite incredible!
During a British Museum-sponsored archaeological expedition to Egypt led by Sir Joseph Whemple, the recently discovered mummy of a high priest, Im-ho-tep, comes to life and walks away into the desert night. Ten years later a new expedition led by Sir Joseph's son, Frank Whemple, find the tomb of Princess Anck-es-en-Amon, Im-ho-tep's long lost love. In order to revive her completely, Im-ho-tep requires Helen Grosvenor to die so he can revive her and make her a living mummy like himself.
