Rasputin and the Empress (1933)

Rasputin, a conman with the talent of persuasion, infiltrates the royal court of Russia as a spiritual guru. When he is able to "cure" the hemophiliac prince, he is allowed almost free rein and gets dangerously close to a coup.

There's a lot of heavy-handedness here, but it is compulsively watchable. The fact that the history is so recent makes it feel rather surreal.

C+

One Way Passage (1933)

While hiding out in Hong Kong, a wanted William Powell is tracked down by the cops and put on board a steamer headed back to the states. And, wouldn’t you know it, the gal he met cute right before being taken into custody is traveling aboard the same ship.

There’s a drunken thief and a con artist posing as a countess working together to make sure Powell has a chance to escape, and the cop who’s transporting him actually starts to like him. There’s quite a bit going on here, especially for a movie that runs just over an hour. The least effective bit is the love story, but it doesn’t really hurt anything to have it there and Powell is always worth watching.

B-

The Prizefighter and the Lady (1933)

Palooka bartender gets discovered by a boxing manager when he easily disposes of an unruly patron. He meets a gal, gets married, and starts cheating on her immediately.

It's basically a rags to riches to swelled-head story that would’ve been better if the palooka were likable. At least Myrna Loy as his wife is sympathetic, even though we have to sit through her terrible lounge song “Downstream Drifter.” Twice.

C

She Done Him Wrong (1933)

It’s mildly amusing for a while as Mae West’s early dialogue is just a series of quips. But it boils down to West being irresistible to several men, most of whom would rather kill her than see her with anyone else and a “b” plot about a burglary ring that I didn’t understand until the very end of the thing -- I thought it was about white slavery or forced prostitution it was so seedy-sounding.

The story is rushed -- running barely over an hour -- which is probably a good thing as I don’t think I’d have wanted to watch it for much longer than that anyway.

C

Cavalcade (1933)

We follow a family through the first 33 years of the 20th century. Although interesting things happen around them (the Titanic sinking, WWI, etc), the family itself is fairly dull and given to stilted speechifying.

C

Berkeley Square (1933)

After inheriting a stately home in London, a modern American man becomes convinced that he can interact with the former inhabitants in their time, 149 years prior.  If he's right, he just has to be sure not to mess anything up while there.

It’s a cool premise that should have been used to much better effect than just having the man from the future come off as weird and kinda scary to the old timers. 

C

Female (1933)

This is a pretty weird movie. Made just before the Hays Era, the subject matter is frankly sexual, though not explicit.

Alison is the high-powered head of a huge company that she runs with a scowl and snap. No question that she's in charge. Most nights find her "talking over some ideas" in her hilariously nouveau riche mansion with some new eager guy from the office...who's often transferred when he wants more than the intended one night stand. This is pretty surprising stuff! A woman getting man-sized respect in business back in 1933 (something hard to attain even now) and bedding then dispatching a string of employees. But then Alison meets a guy who likes her for "who she is" until, that is, he finds out who she is.

In just 60 minutes, we see Alison go from being tough as nails to being ready to settle down and have "nine children." Not nearly as progressive as it first seemed, but pretty entertaining little film anyhow.

B-

Heroes for Sale (1933)

Tom Holmes gets shot on a WWI battlefield and is thought dead...BUT he is taken to a German hospital and nursed back to health. He comes home to find that the coward responsible for putting him in harm's way has also taken credit for his heroic work on the battlefield...BUT he's given a job in that guy's bank. He loses his job when it's found out that he's addicted to morphine as a result of his injuries...BUT he kicks the habit in rehab. His mom dies and he leaves town...BUT his new town comes with Loretta Young looking all pretty.

And on and on. Basically, Tom's a decent guy who keeps getting lemons and squeezing them into lemonade and we should all be like him. This movie preaches so many messages that I was a little tired of it all by the time the credits rolled.

C

Employees' Entrance (1933)

Seedy little movie about a workaholic store manager who terrorizes his employees and also happens to be a womanizer.

Young newlyweds working at the store happen across his path and they allow themselves to be nearly destroyed by him.

Ick.

D-

Baby Face (1933)

I saw the edited version and I'm kinda interested in what it looked like before it was butchered.

Basically, it's an unrepentant "sleeping to the top" story. Well, unrepentant until she finds looooooove. Awwww.

C+

The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933)

Watchable throughout…but Henry being played off as an affable womanizer bothers me. Maybe he was, but I rather doubt that a man who could have his second wife beheaded because he wanted someone new could be as much of a benign boob as Laughton seems.

C+

Smilin' Through (1933)

It's pleasant for the most part…but pleasant ain't enough, especially when we're dealing with true love, eh?

C+

Little Women (1933)

Starts out a little too precious, but quickly warms up and I found myself grinning and tearing up right along with the March family. Katharine Hepburn sometimes goes a little overboard with her "surprised hands" gesture -- it caught my eye as she does it several times and it is an affected, silly movement, not at all befitting a tomboy.

B