Four Frightened People (1934) ***

Amok (1934) ***

Mother Should Be Loved (1934) ***

This "hahamono" film by Yasujiro Ozu is missing the first and the last reel. It's a story of two brothers and their relationship with their mother.

House Of Rothschild (1934) ***

The story of how the Rothschild family became rich and powerful during the Napoleonic Wars by siding with the British.

Piesniarz Warszawy (1934) ***

Eugeniusz Bodo i piosenki Henryka Warsa:

"Juz taki jestem zimny dran"  ***
"Zrob to tak"  **
"Tylko z toba i dla ciebie"  **

Flirtation Walk (1934) ***

Two films (a Hawaii musical and a West Point musical) for the price of one. Songs include:

“Mr And Mrs Is The Name” ***
“Along Flirtation Walk” ***

Judge Priest (1934) ***

Nice little film about an old judge from a small Kentucky town in the 1890's. One of Stepin Fetchit's best films. A perfect example of pure "Americana". Directed by John Ford.

Operator 13 (1934) ***

Tense spy drama set during the Civil War, starring Marion Davis as a Yankee secret agent, and Gary Cooper as her Confederate counterpart.

Stand Up And Cheer (1934) ***

Uneven musical that suddenly comes alive when Shirley Temple appears in her feature film debut. Musical numbers:

"I'M Laughin'"  *
"Baby Take A Bow"  ***
"Broadway's Gone Hill-Billy"  **
"This Is Our Last Night Together"  *
"We're Out Of The Red"  *

Lac aux dames (1934) ***

Czarna perla (1934) ***

Dwie piosenki Henryka Warsa:

"W hawajska noc"  **
"Dla ciebie chce byc biala"  **

The Affairs Of Cellini (1934) **

Entertaining, but hardly memorable swashbuckling comedy set in Renaissance Florence.

The Barretts Of Wimpole Street (1934) **

A control-freak father forbids his daughters to marry. A story of patriarchal tyranny with a hint of incest.

Our Neighbor Miss Yae (1934) **

A pleasant Japanese suburban comedy, but nothing particularly memorable.

On a trouvé une femme nue (1934)

Imitation Of Life (1934) **

Not as good as the 1959's remake by Douglas Sirk.

Eclipse (1934) **

Silent melodrama by Hiroshi Shimizu. The script was written by Masao Arata, based on a story by Masao Kume.

Now And Forever (1934) **

Shirley Temple only has a supporting role in this family drama starring Gary Cooper and Carole Lombard.

The Old Fashioned Way (1934) **

W.C.Fields plays a crooked vaudeville artist.

The Richest Girl In The World (1934) *

Rather boring, ordinary film.

Baby Take A Bow (1934) *

One of Shirley Temple's worst films, involving stolen jewelry.

Here Comes The Navy (1934) *

Now I'll Tell (1934) *

Shirley Temple only has a brief cameo in this film starring Spencer Tracy.

Zamarle echo (1934) *

Boring “mountain film” from Poland.

Mlody las (1934) *

Polish film about the resistance against the tsarist occupation among Polish students.

Hide-Out (1934) *

A wounded gangster hides with a decent family in the countryside.

Street Without End (1934) *

Mikio Naruse's last silent movie is a weak melodrama about a waitress who marries a rich man, but is rejected by his family. Hard to believe that such a cliche-ridden film was directed by the same man who only a year later would made such a masterpiece of nuance and subtlety as "Wife Be Like A Rose" (1935).

Pett And Pott (1934) ***

Directed by Andrea Cavalcanti. Two families react differently to a threat of robbery. Smart and nice Petts install a telephone. Stupid and evil Potts hire a maid (who, as it turns out, works for the robbers). A timely call from Pett's telephone allows the police to catch the thieves. Produced by John Grierson for the GPO Film Unit, this film might be a little too off-beat for its own good, but it's still a uniquely bizarre curiosity.

Granton Trawler (1934) ***

British documentary short directed by John Grierson. In this film, the camera moves constantly, closely following the rocking movements of the fishing boat. Up and down, right and left - in perfect synch with the movements of the waves.

The Hearts Of Age (1934) ***

Orson Welles' film debut. Is it an embarrassingly bad movie, full of pretentious symbolism and incoherent images, or a clever parody of surrealistic experimental films that were quite popular at the time ?

Strikes And Spares (1934) ***

Everything you always wanted to know about bowling.

We Live In Prague (1934) ***

Going Bye Bye (1934) ***

Stan and Ollie anger a dangerous criminal.

Them Thar Hills (1934) ***

Stan and Ollie enjoy a camping holiday in the mountains.

Hollywood Rhythm (1934) **

Directed by Herbert Moulton and produced by Paramount. A behind-the-screen look at Hollywood songwriters (Mack Gordon and Harry Revel) working with Lyda Roberti and Jack Oakie.

La Cucaracha (1934) **

Oscar-winning short in color. Nothing special.

The Live Ghost (1934) **

Laurel & Hardy get shanghaied.

Nieuwe Gronden (1934) *

Directed by Joris Ivens. A documentary about Holland's irrigation projects and the drop in the prices of wheat. Length: 29 min.

The New Frontier (1934) *

This is one of many documentaries about New Deal initiatives undertaken by the Roosevelt Administration in 1930's. Unfortunately, this film isn't in the same league as "The Plow That Broke The Plains" (1936), "The River" (1937) or "Power And The Land" (1940). W.B.McClure isn't Pare Lorentz or Joris Ivens.

Oliver The 8th (1934) *

Ollie finds himself in the clutches of a black widow.

Mixed Nuts (1934) *

A dated Hal Roach short directed by James Parrott. A gentle satire on New Deal policies, with government spending money to provide retraining for chorus girls in a finishing school. This short was mistakenly included on a Laurel & Hardy's DVD collection ("The Lost Films of Laurel & Hardy: The Complete Collection, Vol. 7"), even though neither Stan nor Ollie appear in it.

City Of Wax (1934) *

Boring documentary about bees.

Men In Black (1934) *

A boring comedy short starring The Three Stooges. Unexplicably nominated for an Oscar.

Song Of Ceylon (1934) *

Directed by B.Wright. Documentary film about Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), produced by John Grierson for the Empire Marketing Board.

Chloe, Love Is Calling You (1934) **

This film has probably been playing for years at various Ku Klux Klan rallies across the South (probably after "The Birth Of A Nation" and before "Santa Fe Trail"). Well made, it's a story of an innocent white girl kidnapped as an infant child by a black voodoo priestess. And if I just spoiled the film's punchline, that serves you right for wanting to see such a racist piece of crap in the first place. There is a great review of this film that condemns its racism on blackhorrormovies.com.

Cleopatra (1934) **

Cecil B. DeMille's version of the famous story is inferior to the 1963 epic. It didn't age well.

Zou Zou (1934) ***

Josephine Baker's first film is a weak melodrama with excellent musical numbers, inspired by Busby Berkeley.

You're Telling Me! (1934) ***

W.C.Fields plays an inventor in this amusing comedy.

Three Songs Of Lenin (1934) ***

A cinematic tribute to the founder of Soviet Union. The first part is set in Central Asia. The second part consists mostly of archival footages of Lenin himself. In both segments, director Dziga Verov abandons his famous experiments with superimpositions and rapid-fire editing, replacing them with solemnity and idealistic naivety. The last part, however, is a brilliant piece of socialist propaganda, glorifying the alleged economic successes of the Soviet state.

One Night Of Love (1934) ***

Grace Moore plays an opera singer in this high-brow musical film. In addition to countless operatic arias (all superb), there are also two songs:

"One Night Of Love" **
"Ciri-Biri-Bin" **

Music In The Air (1934) ***

Musical film starring Gloria Swanson as an opera star in Munich. Songs by Jerome Kerns and Oscar Hammerstein include:

"I've Told Every Little Star" **
"One More Dance" *
"I'M So Eager" *
"We Belong Together" *

Of Human Bondage (1934) **

Bette Davis' overrated performance is the only interesting aspect of this otherwise mediocre adaptation of Somerset Maugham's novel.

The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934) ***

Alfred Hitchcock's own opinion notwithstanding, this is undoubtedly the better of the two versions.

Man Of Aran (1934) ***

Robert Flaherty's documentary about Irish fishermen. Beautiful scenery.

Manhattan Melodrama (1934) ***

William Powell, Myrna Loy and Clark Gable star in this fine drama.

Viva Villa (1934) **

Uneven drama about the Mexican revolution. The film was began by Howard Hawks, but after an unfortunate incident involving actor Lee Tracy, he was replaced by Jack Conway.

The Goddess (1934) *

Directed by Wu Yong-Gang. Awfully dated Chinese melodrama about a prostitute/mother (Ruan Ling-Yu).

The Lost Patrol (1934) ***

During World War I, a group of British soldiers are lost in the middle of Mesopotamian desert. They find an oasis and have to defend themselves from attacking Arabs.

Little Miss Marker (1934) ***

A Shirley Temple vehicle based on Damon Runyan's story about small-time crooks and race-track gamblers. Songs include:

"I'M A Black Sheep Who's Blue" **
"Laugh You Son-Of-A-Gun" **

Mauvaise graine (1934) *

Billy Wilder's directorial debut is a lame film about car thieves in Paris. There is no hint of his talent here.

Kid Millions (1934) ***

Naughty crooks (Ethel Merman among them) try to separate a naive schlemiel (Eddie Cantor) from his inherited fortune. The plot is annoying, but there are enough show-stopping songs to get over the rough stretches. The film improves a little in the second half, with nice comic bits involving a sheik and his daughter. Musical numbers:

"An Earful Of Music" *
"When My Ship Comes In" *
"Your Head On My Shoulder" *
"I Want To Be A Minstrel Man" **
"Mandy" ***
"Your Head On My Shoulder" (reprise) **
"Mandy" (reprise) **
"Okay Toots" **
"Ice Cream Fantasy" *

Jolly Fellows (1934) ***

A Soviet musical comedy. An amazing opening scene consisting of a single long take. One scene clearly inspired by Bunuel's "L'Age d'or" (cows in bedrooms).

She Loves Me Not (1934) *

Miriam Hopkins gives the worst (and most over-acted) performance of her career in this mediocre musical set in Princeton. Her co-star Bing Crosby sleepwalks through his part. Songs:

"Put A Little Rhythm In Everything You Do" *
"Straight From The Shoulder (Right From The Heart)" **
"Love In Bloom" *
"I'M Hummin' (I'M Whistlin', I'M Singin')" *
"Love In Bloom" (reprise) *

Hollywood Party (1934) ***

The film is supposedly about Jimmy Durante throwing a big party, but it's actually an uneven satire on Hollywood movies: "Tarzan The Ape Man" (parodied as "Snarzan"), "Animal Crackers", "King Kong" (satirized as "Ping Pong") and the Busby Berkeley musicals. Songs include:

"Hollywood Party" *
"Feelin' High" *
"Hello" *
"I've Had My Moments" **
"Reincarnation"
"I've Had My Moments" (reprise) *

The highlight of the film is a Disney cartoon in color, introduced by Mickey Mouse:

"The Hot Choc-late Soldiers" ***

Dames (1934) ***

The plot is weak (something about a screwy millionaire, played by Hugh Herbert, trying to close a show), but Busby Berkeley's numbers are incredibly innovative. Musical numbers:

"When You Were A Smile On Your Mother's Lips" *
"I Only Have Eyes For You" **
"Try To See It My Way" **
"The Girl At The Ironing Board" **
"I Only Have Eyes For You" (reprise) ***
"Dames" ***
"Try To See It My Way" (reprise) *

Czy Lucyna to dziewczyna (1934) ***

Komedia z Jadwiga Smosarska, Eugeniuszem Bodo i Mieczyslawa Cwiklinska. Piosenka Henryka Warsa i Emanuela Schlechtera (spiewana trzy razy):

"O'Key"  **

Co moj maz robi w nocy ? (1934) ***

Michal Znicz jest zbankrutowanym przemyslowcem, ktory musi pracowac jako kelner. Piosenki Emanuela Schlechtera:

"Odrobine szczescia w milosci"  ***
"Najpiekniejsza signorina"  **
"Gdybym ja mial cztery nogi"  **
"Ja juz nie moge"  *

Chapaev (1934) ***

War drama about a famous Bolshevik general. Very influential, this film introduced social realism into Soviet cinema.

Bright Eyes (1934) ***

Shirley Temple is marvelous in this little film about aviators and custody battles. One famous song:

"On The Good Ship Lollipop" ***

The Black Cat (1934) ***

Directed by Edgar G.Ulmer. A classy chiller from Universal starring Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi. It's one of those films where doors can slide open one moment yet need to be pushed open the next.. and debate still rages whether it's a continuity error or a part of deliberately outlandish set design, where German Expressionism clashes violently with American Art Deco style.

Babes In Toyland (1934) ***

A delightful children operetta; one of Laurel and Hardy's best feature films. Songs:

"Toyland" *
"Don't Cry Bo-Peep" **
"A Castle In Spain" **

L'Atalante (1934) ****

An excellent example of "poetic realism" in the French cinema of 1930's.

Twentieth Century (1934) ****

John Barrymore plays a egomaniacal theater director. Carole Lombard plays a young actress who becomes his protegee, but soon grows an ego equal to her mentor's. A fast-paced screwball farce.

Anne Of Green Gables (1934) ***

Fine adaptation of Lucy Maud Montgomery's classic novel about an orphan girl from Prince Edward Island.

The Merry Widow (1934) ****

Ernst Lubitsch's adaptation of Franz Lehar's famous operetta is a thoroughly enjoyable, witty musical farce. It stars Maurice Chevalier as a womanizing officer and Jeanette McDonald as a young widow. Lorenz Hart wrote new lyrics for Lehar's music. Songs and dance numbers:

"Girls Girls Girls" **
"Vilia" **
"Tonight Will Teach Me To Forget" **
"Melody Of Laughter" **
"Maxims" **
"Merry Widow Waltz" (song) **
"If Widows Are Rich" *
"Merry Widow Waltz" (dance) ***

It's A Gift (1934) ****

W.C.Field's funniest comedy.

The Thin Man (1934) *****

Superbly acted film starring William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles. A great, sophisticated comedy with a touch of mystery and suspense.

It Happened One Night (1934) *****

Charming little comedy starring Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert. A very influential film - newspaper reporters and rich heiresses would become familiar characters in many American comedies.

The Ghost Walks (1934) **

Horror film set in a lavish mansion. Better than average, but nothing to write home about.

The Gay Divorcee (1934) *****

Hilarious musical with great music and dancing. It's one of those films one can see over and over again, a genuine delight, just like its show-stopping, Oscar-winning song, "The Continental":

Beautiful music...
Dangerous rhythms...
It's something daring, the Continental
A way of dancing that's really ultra-new
It's very subtle, the Continental
Because it does what you want it to do
It has a passion, the Continental
An invitation to moonlight and romance
It's quite the fashion, the Continental
Because you tell of your love while you dance

The plot has Ginger Rogers mistaking Fred Astaire for a professional correspondent and falling in love with him. Songs:

"Don't Let It Bother You" *
"A Needle In A Haystack" ***
"Let's Knock Kneez" **
"Night And Day" ***
"The Continental" ***

The Cat's-Paw (1934) **

A moderately amusing comedy about corruption in municipal politics, with Harold Lloyd as a naive missionary from China who gets accidently elected as mayor of a graft-ridden city. The film feels like a draft for Preston Sturges' "The Great McGinty" (1940).

The Tortoise And The Hare (1934) *****

One of Walt Disney's finest achievements, it's a moral fable about slow Toby Tortoise winning a tough race against fast Max Hare (an obvious inspiration for Bugs Bunny). A major classic, memorable for its animation of speed.

King's Up (1934) ****

Oswald in a light operetta.

1936 (1934) ****

A 1934 Japanese propaganda cartoon set in 1936. A swarm of evil, bat-riding Mickey Mouse clones descend on a tiny island inhabited by peace-loving dolls and cats. Overwhelmed by the attack, the desperate island residents bang on the cover of a large picture book to enlist the help of traditional Japanese fairy tale heroes. Original full title: "Omochabako series dai 3 wa: Ehon 1936 nen" ("Toy Box Series #3: Picture Book 1936").

The Grasshopper And The Ants (1934) ****

This Disney moral tale has a very memorable main character (voiced by Goofy's Pinto Colvig) who sings, dances and plays his fiddle while the industrious ants are wisely preparing for the harsh winter. One of the best Silly Symphonies.

Two-Gun Mickey (1934) ****

An exciting cartoon set in the Far West, with cowboy Mickey meeting tough western gal Minnie. Outlaw PegLeg Pete and his army of bandits chase Minnie through canyons, deserts and rocky plains. Minnie's character is unusually feisty in this film, a real Calamity Jane ("I can take care of myself", she repeats).

She Wronged Him Right (1934) ****

Betty defaults on her mortgage and faces eviction. The story is presented as a melodramatic play, complete with a wholesome hero rescuing the lady-in-distress from a mustached villain. One of Betty Boop's finest films, less surrealistic than most, but equally imaginative.

Betty in Blunderland (1934) ****

Betty follows a white rabbit through a looking glass and finds herself in a magic land, crawling through tunnels and meeting bizarre creatures. Nice music, ingenious gags.

La Joie de vivre (1934) ****

She Reminds Me Of You (1934) ****

Patrons are welcomed in the fully mechanized movie theater of tomorrow, where they can enjoy a bouncy boucing-ball song by Eton Boys. Very inventive Fleischers cartoon with plenty of gags.

Poor Cinderella (1934) ****

Fleischers' first color cartoon is a familiar fairy tale, starring Betty Boop as Cinderella. Truly impressive, spectacular backgrounds.

Playful Pluto (1934) ****

Classic Disney cartoon with Pluto getting entangled in a garden hose, swallowing a flashlight and trying to remove a piece of flypaper. Hilarious from start to finish.

A Dream Walking (1934) ****

Probably Popeye's best film, with Olive Oyl sleepwalking high atop a skyscraper's construction site.

Philips Cavalcade (1934) ****

Jazz, ragtime, swing and waltz compete for attention in this excellent, plotless puppet-animated film from Holland, directed by George Pal.

Buddy's Trolley Troubles (1934) ***

Buddy is a trolley driver who captures an escaped convict.

Bam-Bam (1934) ***

Swedish cartoon directed by Robert Hogfeldt.

Ginger Bread Boy (1934) ***

The Old Pioneer (1934) ***

A cartoon western.

Gulliver Mickey (1934) ***

An enjoyable Disney adaptation of the famous Jonathan Swift story with Mickey telling the orphans about his bizarre adventures in a faraway land.

Beauty And The Beast (1934) ***