Alpha Video Movies at Oldies.com

Much as I hate to admit to this obsession, I have spent way too much time exploring the Alpha Video catalogue of about 2,000 public domain films, most selling for $3-$5 each, for unusual, very good, or otherwise worthwhile pictures.  As with any selection of movies, tastes are intensely personal. Here are some items from the catalogue that are noteworthy. Some are repeated in a couple of sections.  Generally the copies are just passable, sometimes looking like transfers from SP VHS tapes, and usually with poor sound, which is a shame, but sometimes they use a good print and clean up the movie and audio.  Most of their cover art is great, and they've turned some of these covers into posters. They have interesting categories for movies, such as "good vs. evil." They have a blog.

Noteworthy Movies

Foolish Wives (1922) (dir. Erich von Stroheim) is a masterpiece (of film and irony- a movie about a fake Count directed by a genius who was later discovered to himself be a fake Count!), but this DVD, of the same film restoration as the Kino version, is ruined because it is a silent run at sound speed (usually Alpha takes better care with silents, so this is a double shame; the notorious scene of the evil Count looking the counterfeiter's retarded daughter up and down and then creepily licking his lips just doesn't have the same impact in fast-motion) and accompanied by different, annoyingly irrelevant music. Although probably done to avoid copyright infringement, I would have preferred a different, even if damaged, print at silent speed; however some computer software can let you slow the viewing speed down, and at 75% it becomes enjoyably watchable again.  The first "million dollar picture," a fictionalized "making of" was the subject of a Young Indiana Jones episode. Kino version is terrific; Image has an edition of what could be a different print that has been criticized. Universal Pictures.

The Student of Prague (1926) (dir. Henrik Galeen).  Looks on screen like watching a poor VHS copy, but this may be your only choice if you want to see it at all.  Some better-quality snippets can be seen in Bret Wood's Kingdom of Shadows. Suffers from a strong whiff of anti-Semitism, perhaps not as strongly so as The Golem's picture of Jews as a stinking foreign body consorting with astrology and demons; here it's just a Jewish-looking master-manipulator dealing in souls.  Original music by Paul David Bergel added by Alpha, but music is generally a dull and depressing chord progression, with occasional moments of inspiration, such as when accompanying the scene of the hunt. Sokal-Flm GmbH.

Gow the Killer (1928) (dir. Edward A. Salisbury). "Snappy" mid-1930s narration by William Peck, and cutting turns a travelogue into an exploitation film, but some silent film charm remains.  Film expedition allegedly included and was shot by the future makers of King Kong and has some very impressive and unique scenes that must have been hard to get.  

Sin Takes a Holiday (1930) (dir. Paul Stein, director of the The Lottery Bride). Enjoyable, if stagey, cynical pre-code picture, with a debauched and cynical Basil Rathbone and not atypical 1930s plot illogic. This gets you some of the fun of "pre-Code" pictures- scenes of decadence that vanished from the movies from 1934 until the late fifties.  Constance Bennett is certainly in love with her looks.  William Everson program notes. Pathé. 

 The Silent Enemy (1930) (dir. H.P. Carver). Documentary.  Burden-Chanler Prods.

  The Fantastic World of William Cameron Menzies:  A Collection of Historic Shorts (1929-1930).  Stellar early sound fantasies of silent screen performances set to classical music pieces, including Napoleon's invasion of Russia set to the 1812 Overture, and a gypsy adventure set to the Hungarian Rhapsody, and finally a delightful pre-Fantasia live action Sorcerer's Apprentice. Joseph M. Schenck Prods.

Corsair (1931) (dir. Roland West, director of Alibi)- poor acting, mediocre copy, and stupid plot. However, an opportunity to see a Roland West picture, of which there are few (thanks to his savvy real estate investing, and maybe also thanks to his association with Thelma Todd's murder) with his very interesting direction. Music by Alfred Newman (nominated for best scoring Oscar 41 times in career, with 9 wins). Original Press Kit and William K. Everson program notes. Production still on p. 121 of Elizabeth Leese, Costume Design in the Movies, Dover, 1991.  Art Cinema Corp.

Africa in Flames (aka Stampede) (1931).  Was believed lost until recently.  See article.

Blonde Captive (1931).  Controversial and banned ethnographic exploitation film.  Fascinating history in this article.  News of contemporary screening.

Millie (1931) (dir. John Francis Dillon, director of Suds). Good print of a tawdry pre-Code melodrama, interesting for the Joan Blondell character's fairly open lesbian relationship and the second-rate and tired double-entendre that by 1934 would be gone from movies for a generation due to censorship.  Arthur Lange musical director.  Radio Pictures.

East of Borneo (1931) (dir. George Melford, director of about 100 silents, including The Sheik); same director and cameraman from the Spanish version of Dracula, and featuring Lupita Tovar, a bride therefrom; same cameraman, George Robinson, as Wives Under Suspicion and Sinners in Paradise, Open Secret, Blonde Ice, and many of the sequels in the original Universal horror cycle. Unfortunately cropped at the top.  A version was edited by the surrealist Joseph Cornell into a 20 minute version, important enough to be listed in the Library of Congress National Film Registry, called Rose Hobart, featuring only the non-action shots she is in, and played to an old record. William K. Everson program notes.  Universal Pictures.

Beau Ideal (1931) (dir. Herbert Brenon; director of the much more successful silents Beau Geste and Laugh, Clown, Laugh); a massively expensive ($350,000) flop in its time, it's actually not bad viewing, once past the absurdly melodramatic opening.  Music by Max Steiner (nominated for best scoring Oscars 20 times in career, 2 wins).  RKO.

Rain (1932) (dir. Lewis Milestone, director of All Quiet on the Western Front and Of Mice and Men, with five pictures garnering best picture Oscar nominations (with 1 win))- an uncharacteristically (for Alpha) excellent copy. Underappreciated version of W. Somerset Maugham's play. Not as good as the Gloria Swanson silent version Sadie Thompson (the last reel of which has been lost), but still a great picture with great (if over) acting, despite a gaping hole in figuring how she has her epiphany. William Everson program notes.  Music by Alfred Newman. Available in this set. Feature Productions.

Vanity Fair (1932) (dir. Chester M. Franklin)- Myrna Loy, poor copy, hacked up plot as it is hard to understand how these men fall completely in love with her within 30 seconds, but still has moments of fun; a depressing ending as opposed to the "happy" ending of Mamoulian's Becky Sharp. Allied Artists.

White Zombie (1932) (dir. Victor Halperin, director of Supernatural).  Roan Group did an excellent restoration from 35mm, but the Alpha version is fully watchable and could well be one of the best films in their catalogue. The interesting direction is compelling, in many cases it has the viewer participating in the narrative as if a minor character in harm's way, which leads one to wonder why the Halperins never came up with anything else as worthwhile (Alpha has a full selection of their other efforts, including Party Girl, which has an interesting scene of a car in an elevator). Make-up by Jack Pierce.  The subject of an exhaustive book. William Everson program notes.  (also from Alpha in this set and this set).  Alpha also has a poster.  TCM trailer; TFH trailer.  Some music by Xavier Cugat.  Edward Halperin Productions.

Corruption (1932) (dir. C. Edward Roberts) Excellent print, with fun sound effects added to the stereo track by Alpha. Pre-Code subject matter and dialogue, sometimes enjoyably startling for an old movie. William Berke Productions, Inc.

Die Herrin von Atlantis (1932) (dir. G.W. Pabst).  Fascinating and stunning, at times surrealist, film. Print not in great shape, but fully watchable (Alpha may have improved the sound); direction is surprisingly contemporary in some respects.  The Auteurs notes.  Set design by Ernö Metzner.  Music by Wolfgang Zeller.  Nero Film A/G.

One Year Later (1933) (dir. E. Mason Hopper). Interesting and in some cases unique direction by a long-time silent movie director; good pre-Code story.  Reasonably tight editing, and the plot clicks right along. Allied Picture Corp.

Good-Bye Love (1933) (dir. H. Bruce Humberstone).  Very funny pre-Code comedy, if highly misogynistic with streaks of racism.  Charlie Ruggles is a gas. Features the rather hot "bad" Verree Teasdale. Some intriguing set decoration (by Edward C. Jewell).  Music by Sam Wineland.  Jefferson Pictures Corp.

  Strange As It Seems (1932-34) Universal Pictures.

  If I Were Rich aka Cash (1933) (dir. Zoltan Korda, director of The Four Feathers).  Poor copy.  Music by Kurt Schroeder. London Film Productions.

I Cover the Waterfront (1933) dir. James Cruze). Scene of Claudette Colbert in bondage. Excellent print.  William Everson program notes.  Music by Alfred Newman.  Edward Small Productions; copyright Joseph M. Schenck.

Our Daily Bread (1934) (dir. King Vidor, director of Wizard of Oz Kansas scenes; nominated for best director 5 times in career) Passable copy of one of the greats from the Great Depression. Awarded a Lenin Prize at a Moscow film festival; Chaplin's rescue financing of the project was used against him in later anti-communist witch hunts.  Music by Alfred Newman. King Vidor Prods.

Twin Husbands (1934) (dir. Frank Strayer; director of the Blondie movies); a fun movie with John Miljan.  Invincible Pictures Corp.

Jane Eyre (1934) (dir. Christy Carbanne, who was the director whose story was told in And Starring Pancho Villa As Himself).  Monogram Pictures.

The Chinese Bungalow (1935) (dir. George King, director of a number of Tod Slaughter classics).  Indeed a forgotten horror classic.  Paul Lukas is terrifyingly menacing as politeness personified.  Music by Jack Beaver.  Pennant Pictures.

It Couldn't Have Happened But It Did (1936) (dir. Phil Rosen, director of more than 100 cheap quickies); dumb title, but a fun movie with great lines from and around the very funny Inez Courtney.  Some interior scenes filmed at the Mayan Theatre in L.A. Invincible Pictures Corp.

Winterset (1936) (dir. Alfred Santell), Anderson received the Pulitzer Prize for his 1933 play Both Your Houses, and the NY Drama Critics Circle award for Winterset. As a movie it struggles to overcome staginess and some deep implausibility, but it is well filmed, even if it is hard to swallow The Penguin as a romantic lead. Inspired by the Sacco and Vinzetti case. Anderson also wrote the plays What Price Glory, Key Largo (completely rewritten for the movie by John Huston and Richard Brooks) and Anne of the Thousand Days, and screen adaptations for All Quiet on the Western Front and Rain.  Winterset behind the scenes production still at p.34 of Leonard Maltin, The Art of the Cinematographer, Dover 1978.  Music by Nathaniel Shilkret. Nominated for best art direction and musical scoring Oscars. good print. Radio Pictures.

  Broken Blossoms (1936) (dir. John Brahm, director of the Fox Horror Classics).  Remake of the D.W. Griffith classic.  Music by Karol Rathaus.  Twickenham Film Studios.

One Rainy Afternoon (1936) (dir. Rowland V. Lee, director of The Bridge of San Luis Rey)  In the tradition of the puff Paramount pieces; an independent production with good production values.  Preston Sturges wrote the lyrics for the deliberately insipid theme love song.  Music by Alfred Newman.  Pickford-Lasky.

As You Like It (1936) (dir. Paul Czinner) Before Laurence Olivier made his own critically acclaimed Henry V, Richard III and Hamlet, all in the Criterion Collection, he starred in this understandably far less acclaimed Shakespeare. Scenario by J.M. Barrie, author of Peter Pan, and edited by David Lean (director of Lawrence of Arabia and Dr. Zhivago).  Good print. Inter-Allied (20th Century Fox)

The Wrong Road (1937) (dir. James Cruze).  An interesting, if fantastical, play about a couple of spoiled kids seeking to extract what they think the world "owes" them- especially intriguing in view of the fantastic sums that can be earned on Wall Street with the expenditure of a little prison time. William K Everson program notes.  Music by Alberto Colombo.  Republic Pictures.

Under the Red Robe (1937) (dir. Victor Sjöström, director of He Who Gets Slapped and The Wind).  Sjöström's last film.  Music by Arthur Benjamin.  New World Pictures, Ltd.

Love from a Stranger (1937) (dir. Rowland V. Lee; director of The Son of Frankenstein and the lost silent The Wolf of Wall Street).  Basil Rathbone plays a terrific psychopath.  Francis Marion screenplay from Agatha Christie story.  Music by Benjamin Britten; his only feature film score.. William Everson program notes.  Trafalgar Film Productions, Ltd

Sinners in Paradise (1938) (dir. James Whale; director of Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein). Music by Charles Previn.  Tends towards hammy and over the top, but it is James Whale.  Some offensive racism, though.  James Whale Prods.  Wives Under Suspicion (1938) (dir. James Whale); noteworthy simply because of the director and male lead, Warren William. Music by Frank Skinner and Charles Previn. William K. Everson program notes. A remake by Whale of his earlier and purportedly (but not really) better Kiss Before the Mirror (1933).  Reportedly "punishment" films for Whale.  Universal.

Letter of Introduction (1938) (dir. by John M. Stahl, director of Leave Her to Heaven, which has a psychopathic Gene Tierney).  Lightweight stuff, but of interest because cinematographer is Karl Freund, photographer of The Golem, The Last Laugh, Metropolis, Dracula, The Mummy, Camille and every episode of I Love Lucy (this last a concept with which I struggle).  Music by Charles Previn. Universal Pictures.

Terror of Tiny Town (1938) (dir. Sam Newfield, director of more than 250 westerns); a new "low" in exploitation cinema.  Good print.  Jed Buell Productions.

They Made Me a Criminal (1939) (dir. Busby Berkeley, director of a number of great over-the-top 1930s musicals); good copy. Music by Max Steiner. (also in set)  TCM trailer here. Warner Bros. 

Slightly Honorable (1940) (dir. Tay Garnett, director of Postman Always Rings Twice). Pretty awful film, but sufficiently carried by a few choice moments, and Broderick Crawford as an imbecile, to make it worth the viewing.  Music by Werner Janssen.  Walter Wanger Productions. 

Eyes in the Night (1942) (dir. Fred Zinnemann, director of High Noon and From Here to Eternity, receiving 7 best director Oscar nominations in his career). Good copy, great spoiled brat Donna Reed.  TCM trailer here.  The second, and last movie in the series is The Hidden Eye; TCM trailer for that one is here.  Music by Lennie Hayton. MGM.

Baby Face Morgan (1942) (dir. Arthur Driefuss, director of a number of nondescript B pictures).   Lots of fun with wordplay with gangster slang. Music by Leo Erdody, Music Dept. David Chudnow (a client of my father's).  Producer's Releasing Corporation.

Isle of Missing Men (1942) (dir. Richard Oswald, director of several classic German silents, including Alraune, Different from the Others, who fled to the U.S. to escape the Nazis).  Noteworthy director, with some interesting shots, the plot moves along quickly enough, but this production is palpably cheap and the print isn't the best.  Music by Edward J. Kay.  Richard Oswald Productions.

A Stranger in Town (1943) (dir. Roy Rowland; director of The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T); the Wizard of Oz as a Supreme Court Justice.  A classic case study for feminists.  Music by Daniele Amfitheatrof. TCM trailer here.  Loew's.

Lady of Burlesque (1943) (dir. William Wellman) Hunt Stromberg Prods. Best Music Oscar nomination for Arthur Lange. Stanwyck dances a hot little number. (also in set) (and this set)  Music by Arthur Lange.  Hunt Stromberg Prods.

The Adventures of Tartu aka Sabotage Agent (1943) (dir. Harold S. Bucquet, dir. of several Dr. Kildare movies).  Music by Louis Levy. TCM trailer here.  MGM British Studios.

Hi Diddle Diddle (1943) (dir. Andrew Stone) Opens and closes with Fritz Freling animations; Pola Negri as an overwrought opera star and Billie Burke as a terrific ditz ("Georgia Engel [Georgette in the Mary Tyler Moore show] is the Billie Burke of our generation."- Debby Weinstein). Nominated for best musical score Oscar. June Havoc sings a duet with herself. Gaping plot hole, but still fun. Music by Phil Boutelje. Andrew L. Stone Prods.

Memphis Belle (1944) (dir. William Wyler, director of Ben Hur and 13 best picture Oscar nominated films (3 wins), and the same for direction- records in both categories). U.S. Army. Music by Gail Kubik; Thunderbolt (1947) (dir. William Wyler and John Sturges) Music by Gail Kubik. Carl Krueger Productions for US Army Air Corp

Guest in the House (1944) (dir. John Brahm, director of the Fox Horror Classics).  Music by Werner Janssen. William K. Everson program notes. Nominated for best musical score Oscar. Hunt Stromberg Prods.

Detour (1945) Fabulous noir. Director Edgar G. Ulmer is a class-A director who was blackballed from the class-A world for snatching the wife of a Laemelle while working at Universal on the Bela Lugosi/Boris Karloff classic The Black Cat. Moving into the low budget world, the trade-off was that he got to do pretty much what he wanted (which wasn't always great or even good), and so became a true low-budget auteur.  Music by Leo Erdody. Listed in the Library of Congress National Film Registry.  On Time magazine's list of the 100 greatest movies ever.  Subject of a British Film Institute film classics book.  (also in this set, this set, this set, this set and this set) Producers Releasing Corp.

  Nazi Concentration Camps (1945) (dir. George Stevens, director of Gunga Din); disk also contains the famous 1947 Russian documentary by S. Svilov of the Nuremberg trials, which completely omits mention of the Jewish nature of the Nazi's victims, but does show the execution of the main war criminals. U.S. Army; Central Documentary Film Studio.

Let There Be Light (1946) (dir. John Huston, director of The Maltese Falcon)  Heart-wrenching documentary on Army neuropsych hospital suppressed by the Army until 1980. Music by Dimitri Tiomkin. U.S. Army 

Shoot to Kill (1947) (dir. William Berke); the quality of the film -with already low production values- on this DVD is low, the classic film noir plot and "nobody's innocent" atmosphere make this interesting. This story of a newspaper reporter, a viciously corrupt assistant district attorney, and his secretary moves right along, with some substantial plot implausibility and imitative camera angles. Gene Rodgers on piano in one neat little scene just manages to cut through the poor audio quality. Music Supervisor David Chudnow (one of my father's clients). Screen Guild Productions.

  Whispering City (1947) (dir. Fedor Ozep).  Nice little mystery made in Canada with a Paul Lukas villain.  Quebec Productions.

Fear in the Night (1947) (dir. Maxwell Shane), based on a Cornell Woolrich story.  Starring Dr. McCoy. Interesting nightmare dream sequences.  Music by Rudy Schrager.  Pine-Thomas unit at Paramount.

Money Madness (1948) (dir. Peter Stewart aka Sam Newfield)  An intense little noir with Ward Cleaver as a murderous psychopath.  Music by Leo Erdody, Sigmund Neufeld Prods.

The Quiet One (1948) (dir. Sidney Meyers, director of The Savage Eye). nominated for writing and documentary Oscars. Music by Ulysses Kay. Film Documents.

The Scar aka Hollow Triumph (1948) (dir. Steve Sekely).  Excellent cinematography by John Alton. Fascinating. Excellent performances by Paul Henreid and Joan Bennett. Plot about as subtle as a house on fire, but plenty enough to chew on.  Music by Sol Kaplan. (also in set).  Eagle-Lion Films.

Louisiana Story (1948) (dir. Robert J. Flaherty, director of Nanook of the North and Industrial Britain) nominated for best story. Listed in the first Sight & Sound poll (1952) as one of the five best movies of all time (the only time it showed up on that list, but obviously it made an impression); #49 in Cinepad's most acclaimed film list. Listed in the Library of Congress National Film Registry.  Nominated for best writing Oscar. Music by Virgil Thomson (winning a Pulitzer Prize for it).  Robert Flaherty Productions, Inc.

Open Secret (1948) (dir. John Reinhardt). Original Music by Herschel Burke Gilbert. Harry Brandt Productions.

Too Late for Tears (1949) (dir. Byron Haskin; director of Robinson Crusoe on Mars and War of the Worlds). Original Music by R. Dale Butts.  William Everson program notes.  Hunt Stromberg Productions.

  Trapped (1949) (dir Richard Fleischer, director of Narrow Margin, Tora!Tora!Tora! and Soylent Green).  Music by Sol Kaplan.  Contemporary Productions.

The Capture (1950) (dir. John Sturges, director of The Great Escape). Original Music by Daniele Amfitheatrof. Showtime Properties (RKO)

Cause for Alarm aka The Letter (1951) (dir. Tay Garnett).  Far-fetched, but fun.  Original Music by André Previn (nominated for best scoring Oscar 11 times in career with 4 wins).  TCM trailer here.  MGM.

Drums in the Deep South (1951) (dir. William Cameron Menzies, director of Things to Come and art director of Gone with the Wind and several high budget classics, such as Thief of Baghdad (1924)). Not a very good movie- there must be a story behind such a steep come-down from Gone with the Wind, but a few- very few given the talent- striking scenes, marred by the obviousness of how he got them. Music by Dimitri Tiomkin (nominated for best scoring Oscar 14 times in career, with 3 wins, but nothing remarkable here). King Bros. Prods.

Chained for Life (1951) (dir. Harry L. Fraser) The Siamese Twins from Tod Browning's Freaks.  Music by Henry Vars. Spera Prods.

The Trial of Peter Zenger (1951) (dir. Paul Nickell).  Story of one of the more important colonial trials (1735) establishing the United States as a haven for liberty and freedom of conscience.  Westinghouse Studio One series.

Kansas City Confidential (1952) (dir. Phil Karlson). Music by Paul Sawtell.  (also in set) Associated Players & Producers.

The Sleeping Tiger (1954) (dir. Joseph Losey aka (due to his blacklisting) Victor Hanbury) Print appears to have cuts, sometimes of apparently key lines. Senses of Cinema: "... hilariously 'bad,' but Losey's electric instincts thrust [it] into the domain of exciting art.... a masterpiece that argues that as far as film directing is concerned, style is content. ... a film of such blithe absurdity, such fearsome energy, that it's like a fever dream—you can't take your eyes off of it.  Its basic plot is ridiculous ...Alexis Smith giv[es] the performance of her life.... Nothing else Losey made is as much sheer cinematic fun as The Sleeping Tiger—it's an orgy of style." If you like Douglas Sirk, you'll love this. Original Music by Malcolm Arnold; Cinematography by Harry Waxman; Victor Hanbury Productions.

Suddenly (1954) (dir. Lewis Allen). Written by Richard Sale, writer of the intense Abandon Ship.  Comes across like a made-for-TV movie. Some good scenes of Sinatra, hired to assassinate the President, as a psycho. Sinatra supposedly tried to buy up all the prints after the JFK assassination. Music by David Raskin. Libra Productions Inc. 

Salt of the Earth (1954) (dir. Herbert Biberman).  Excellent movie, which was effectively banned through McCarthyism and government intimidation. This movie's censorship is the subject of a book. Listed in the Library of Congress National Film Registry.  Good print. Music by Sol Kaplan. Independent Production Company (IPC) and International Union of Mine, Mill & Smelter Workers.

Gore Vidal's Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (TV 1954) (dir. Allen Reisner). Episode of TV series Climax!

The Big Combo (1955) (dir. Joseph H. Lewis) Cinematography by John Alton. Music by David Raskin.  Reviewed in Image's 10 Shares of Noir. (also in set).  Security Pictures.

U.S. Marshal TV series (1959), episode directed by Robert Altman.

The Head aka Die Nackte und der Satan (1959) (dir. Victor Trivas)  Production design by Hermann Warm (1889-1976), the art director of major expressionist classics:  Weine's The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Lang's Spiders and Destiny, Murnau's The Haunted Castle and Phantom, Galeen's Student of Prague, and Dreyer's Passion of Joan of Arc and Vampyr.  Repeats themes from Caligari, such as the dominating staircase in the lab building. (also in set) (and this set)  Rapid Film.

  The Rebel Set (1959) (dir. Gene Fowler, Jr., director of I Was a Teenage Werewolf).    Groovy and funny.  Music by Paul Dunlap.  E&L Productions.

One-Eyed Jacks (1961) (dir. Marlon Brando) The one and only time Brando directed and it was of his favorite star; Stanley Kubrick and Sam Peckinpah had each been involved in the early stages of the project, but cleared out. Nominated for best color cinematography.  TCM trailer here. Original Music by Hugo Friedhofer. Pennebaker Productions.

The Return of Dr. Mabuse (1961) (dir. Harald Reinl) Im Stahlnetz des Dr. Mabuse. Goldfinger attempting to pick up where Fritz Lang left off.  Music by Peter Sandloff. Original press kit. William K. Everson program notes.  Not a good copy, better copy is in this set, and production company has apparently lost the original, so this could be as good as it gets.  Central Cinema Co. Film.

Night Tide (1961) (dir. Curtis Harrington) Creepy Dennis Hopper and a creepy woman.  Phoenix Films.

Five Minutes to Live aka Door-to-Door Maniac (1961) (dir. Bill Karn); surprisingly brutal Johnny Cash; everything works out in the end though- in fact, I don't think I've ever seen a movie tie down all loose ends so fastidiously. Original Music by Gene Kauer.

  Werewolf of Washington (1973) (dir. Milton Moses Ginsburg).  You probably need to be 50 or older to appreciate it, but it is a great send-up of Watergate-era political paranoia.

Rogue Male (1976) (dir. Clive Donner, director of What's New Pussycat?); Music by Christopher Gunning. Remake of Fritz Lang's Man Hunt.  Pretty brutal for a TV movie; Peter O'Toole is fabulous, Alistair Sim reprises the happy Scrooge, Nobel Prize winner Harold Pinter plays Saul Abrahams. BBC.

Alpha's Answer to the Criterion Collection

Criterion sells complete, cleaned prints with clear transfers and good sound, and often with very impressive commentaries and other extras. That isn't what Alpha offers, although Alpha's Carnival of Souls and W.C. Fields Collected Shorts show excellent prints, and My Man Godfrey is decent enough.  Here are the Criterion Collection "titles" on Alpha:

; The Third Man (1949) (dir. Carol Reed) (withdrawn); Charade (1963) (dir. Stanley Donan), on Time magazine's list of the 100 greatest movies, for what that's worth (withdrawn).

Criterion Collection Directors and Directors rated "Pantheon" by Andrew Sarris:

Cecil B. DeMille (a Criterion and an Andrew Sarris "Far Side of Paradise" director (I can't say I quite understand why Andrew Sarris is so significant, but apparently he is)):

Stanley Donen (a Criterion and an Andrew Sarris "Expressive Esoterica" director):
(TCM trailer here); Charade (1963)  (withdrawn)

Julien Duvivier (a Criterion director):

  Dubbed and aggressively edited for domestic distribution as a WWII propaganda piece. Something is wrong with the transfer- a very jumpy viewing experience. Definitely has moments, though.

Robert Flaherty (a Criterion and an Andrew Sarris "Pantheon" director): 

Samuel Fuller (a Criterion director):

D.W. Griffith (Sarris "Pantheon" Director):  Avenging Conscience (1914);

Byron Haskin (a Criterion director):

Howard Hawks (Sarris "Pantheon" director):  

His Girl Friday DVD (withdrawn) (in this set and this set).  TCM trailer here.

Monte Hellman (a Criterion director):

TFH Cockfighter trailer

Alfred Hitchcock (a Criterion and an Andrew Sarris "Pantheon" director):

John Huston (a Criterion director):
Huston: Let There Be Light (1946); Beat the Devil (1953) (withdrawn) (in set) (in set)

Buster Keaton (a Sarris "Pantheon" director):
 

Gregory LaCava (a Criterion director):

My Man Godfrey (1936) (dir. Gregory La Cava), listed in the Library of Congress National Film Registry, (also in set)- TCM trailer; TFH trailer.

Fritz Lang (a Criterion and an Andrew Sarris "Pantheon" director):

Scarlet Street (1945)  (also in set); Alpha also has a poster.

Ernst Lubitsch (a Criterion and an Andrew Sarris "Pantheon" director):
 
 

Anthony Mann: (a Criterion and an Andrew Sarris "Far Side of Paradise" director)

 

F.W. Murnau (a Sarris "Pantheon" director):

Laurence Olivier Shakespeare (later examples in Criterion Collection): As You Like It (1936) (dir. Paul Czinner)

Irving Pichel (a Criterion director (Most Dangerous Game)):

Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger (Criterion writer/directors):

Vittorio de Sica (a Criterion director):


Josef von Sternberg (a Criterion and an Andrew Sarris "Pantheon" director):

(criminally abysmal copy)

Preston Sturges (a Criterion and an Andrew Sarris "Far Side of Paradise" director):
According to William Everson's program notes, contrary to legend, Howard Hughes' edited Mad Wednesday version (18 minutes shorter) was an improvement.

Orson Welles (a Criterion and an Andrew Sarris "Pantheon" director):
Mr. Arkadin (1955) (awful DVD withdrawn)  TCM trailer; TFH trailer.

Werewolf in a Girls Dormitory (1962) (dir. Richard Benson), bottom half of a double bill with Criterion's Corridors of Blood in Criterion's Monsters and Madmen

 

David O. Selznick pictures that fell out of copyright:
 

 Bird of Paradise (1932) (dir. King Vidor, director of The Fountainhead), steamy pre-code scenes with hottie Dolores Del Rio, dances choreographed by Busby Berkeley; The Animal Kingdom (1932) (dir. Edward H. Griffith) pre-code scandals, music by Max Steiner;  The Most Dangerous Game (1932) (dir. Earnest B. Schoedsack, co-director of King Kong) Shot while King Kong was in progress, using the King Kong sets; music by Max Steiner; Of Human Bondage (1934) (dir. John Cromwell) RKO Bette Davis came in 3rd as a write-in for best actress Oscar; music by Max Steiner  (also in set) (and this set) (and this set); Little Lord Fauntleroy (1936) (dir. John Cromwell) Music by Max Steiner; A Star is Born (1937) (dir. William Wellman)  nominated for best picture, best director, best actor, best actress, best assistant director, outstanding production, screenplay, and winner of best original writing and special award for color photography Oscars, TCM trailer here (also in set); Nothing Sacred (1937) (dir. William Wellman) Ben Hecht screenplay, Music by Oscar Levant (also in set) (and this set); Made for Each Other (1939) (dir. John Cromwell).
 

Cinematography by John Alton (filmography)

Meet Dr. Christian (dir. Bernard Vorhaus 1940) (in set); Remedy for Riches (dir. Erle C. Kenton 1940); Dr. Christian Meets the Women (dir. William McGann 1940 1941);The Courageous Dr. Christian (dir. Bernard Vorhaus 1941); Melody for Three (dir. Erle C. Kenton 1941); Unforgotten Crime (dir. Bernard Vorhaus 1942); Enemy of Women (dir. Alfred Zeisler 1944); The Magnificent Rogue (dir. Albert L. Rogell 1946); The Scar aka Hollow Triumph (dir. Steve Sekely 1948) (also in set);  He Walked By Night (dir. Alfred Werker 1948) (also in set); The Amazing Mr. X (dir. Bernard Vorhaus 1948); The Black Book aka Reign of Terror (dir. Anthony Mann 1949) (terrible print); Father's Little Dividend (dir. Vincent Minelli 1951) (TCM trailer); The Big Combo (dir. Joseph H. Lewis 1955) (also in set).  William Everson's Alton program notes.  Winner of best cinematography Oscar for ballet photography in An American in Paris (dir. Vincent Minelli 1951).  John Alton was also the cinematographer for Elmer Gantry (dir. Richard Brooks 1960), Escape to Burma (dir. Alan Dwan 1955), I, the Jury (dir. Harry Essex 1953), Father of the Bride (dir. Vincent Minelli 1950), Raw Deal (dir. Anthony Mann 1948), T-Men (dir. Anthony Mann 1947), Storm Over Lisbon (dir. George Sherman 1944, starring Erich von Stroheim), and The Lady and the Monster (dir. George Sherman 1944, starring Erich von Stroheim).

Other Four (and Three) Star Movies that have fallen into the public domain and are published by Alpha:

The Golem (1920) (dir. Paul Wegener) (also in this set, this set, this set and this set).  Cathy Geblin has written an interesting piece argument that the film is an important cultural influence and should not be seen as anti-semitic.  Packaging says 85 minutes, but it's really 101 minutes.  Print isn't bad; no tinting.  Kino has an edition.  Projektions-AG Union

Svengali (1931) (dir. Archie Mayo) I have not seen this copy, but I have seen the Roan Group restoration, which is excellent. Heavily influenced by German Expressionism.  Nominated for Art Direction and Cinematography Oscars. Warner Bros.

Street Scene (1931) (dir, King Vidor) Written by Elmer Rice from his play. Music by Alfred Newman. Samuel Goldwyn Co. (withdrawn)

The Kennel Murder Case (1933) (dir. Michael Curtiz, director of Casablanca). Alpha has a poster. TCM trailer here. Warner Bros.

Becky Sharp (1935) (dir. Rouben Mamoulian) copy has washed out Technicolor (this was the first Technicolor feature film) and poor sound. Oscar best actress nomination for Miriam Hopkins in lead, and you can easily see why in her arch smile, evil little eyes and eyebrows. Music by Roy Webb. Pioneer Pictures Corp.

Algiers (1938) (dir. John Cromwell) nominated for best actor, supporting actor (deservedly- he's creepy), art direction and cinematography Oscars. Music by Muhammed Ygner Buchen and Vincent Scotto; "additional dialogue by James M. Cain"  (also in set) (and this set) Walter Wanger Prods.

Eternally Yours (1939) (dir. Tay Garnett); Oscar nomination for original Music by Werner Janssen. Walter Wanger Productions

Love Affair (1939) (dir. Leo McCarey; director of the Marx Brothers movies); nominated for Best Actress, Supporting Actress (Maria Ouspenskaya), Art Direction, Music, Original Song. Best Picture, and Best Writing-Original Story Oscars. TCM trailer.  RKO.

Flying Deuces (1939) (dir. Edward Sutherland)

Gulliver's Travels (1939), wonderful Fleischer Studio animation.  Music by Victor Young (nominated for best scoring Oscar 19 times in career, with 1 win).  Nominated for original score and original song ("Faithful Forever") music Oscars. (also in set).  Alpha also has a poster. Allegedly coming to Blu-Ray, believe it or not. Fleischer Studios.

The Santa Fe Trail (1940) (dir. Michael Curtiz). TCM trailer here.  Music by Max Steiner.  Warner Bros.

  Beyond Tomorrow (1940) (dir. Edward Sutherland).  TCM trailer here.  Music by Frank Tours.  Academy Productions.

Meet John Doe (1941) (dir. Frank Capra); Music by Dimitri Tiomkin (also in set). Nominated for best writing Oscar. TCM trailer here. Frank Capra Productions.

The Son of Monte Cristo (1941) (dir. Rowland V. Lee). Original Music by Edward Ward. Well, maybe not three or four stars, but at least it has George Sanders being arrogant. Nominated for best art direction Oscar.  Also available in this set. Edward Small Productions.

Penny Serenade (1941) (dir. George Stevens).  Music by W. Franke Harling.  Columbia Pictures.

  The Jungle Book (1942) (dir. Zoltan Korda and Andre de Toth).  Music by Miklos Rosza. Oscar nominations for cinematography, art direction and music. Alexander Korda Films.

A Walk in the Sun (1945) (dir. Lewis Milestone, director of All Quiet on the Western Front). Original music by Freddie Rich. Lewis Milestone Productions Inc.

Dorothy Parker Smash-Up (1946) (dir. Stuart Heisler), nominated for best actress and writing Oscars, Original Music by Frank Skinner. Walter Wanger, Universal International Pictures.

The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946) (dir. Lewis Milestone) (also in set).  Music by Miklos Rozsa (nominated for best scoring Oscar 16 times in career, with 3 wins). Lizebeth Scott is a sultry knockout.  Hal Wallis Prods.

Angel on My Shoulder (1946) (dir. Archie Mayo) Music by Dimitri Tiomkin. (in set).  Charles R. Rogers Productions.
 

Life with Father (1947) (dir. Michael Curtiz) nominated for best actor, art direction, cinematography and music score Oscars.  Music by Max Steiner  (also in set)  TCM trailer here. Warner Bros.

  Angel and the Badman (1947) (dir. James Edward Grant).  Music by Richard Hageman.  Republic Pictures.

Tulsa (1949) (dir. Stuart Heisler) in color with Susan Hayward in all her "fiery" red-head glory. Original Music by Frank Skinner. Nominated for best special effects Oscar. Walter Wanger, Eagle-Lion Films.

The Inspector General (1949) (dir. Henry Koster) based on the play Revizor by Nikolai Gogol. Winner of Golden Globe award for best motion picture score by Johnny Green.  TCM trailer.  Warner Bros.

Cyrano de Bergerac (1950) (dir. Michael Gordon) Stanley Kramer Productions. Winner for best actor Oscar. Nominated for best new star and best picture, and winner of best actor and best cinematography Golden Globes. Music by Dimitri Tiomkin. TCM trailer.  Stanley Kramer Prods.

I Dream of Jeanie (1952) (dir. Alan Dwan).  Music by, of course, Stephen Foster.  Republic Pictures.
 

Directed by Joseph H. Lewis

(generally very "B" pictures, but many interesting shots)

East Side Kids films in set.  Photo of William K. Everson and Joseph H Lewis. .

Erich von Stroheim

Foolish Wives (dir. Erich von Stroheim 1922); The Great Gabbo (dir. James Cruze 1929); Crimson Romance (dir. David Howard 1934); Fugitive Road (dir. Frank Strayer 1934); The Great Flamarion (dir. Anthony Mann 1945)

Directed by Edgar G. Ulmer:

(the great "B" (and "C") picture auteur)

  Damaged Lives (1933) (poster) (also in set); Thunder over Texas (1934); Moon Over Harlem (1939); Tomorrow We Live (1942); My Son the Hero (1943); Correigdor (1943); Girl in Chains (1943);  Monsoon (1943); Bluebeard (1944); Detour (1945) (also in this set, this set, this set, this set and this set) (poster); Strange Illusion (1945); The Strange Woman (1946); St. Benny The Dip (1951); The Amazing Transparent Man (1959)

Last updated:  February 3, 2010

Alpha Video Silents