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First National
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Date de fondation 1 janvier 1917
First National was an association of independent theater owners in the United States that expanded from exhibiting movies to distributing them and eventually to producing them as a movie studio called First National Pictures, Inc. (1917−1936). In 1928, it merged with Warner Bros., but preserved its corporate identity until its dissolution in 1936.
Ses meilleurs films
(1943)
(1938)
(1927)
(1931)
(1931)
(1930)Filmographie de First National (436 films)
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One Night at Susie's (1930)
, 1h25Réalisé par John Francis Dillon
Origine Etats-Unis
Genres Drame
Acteurs Billie Dove, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Helen Ware, Tully Marshall, John Loder, William Bailey
Helen Ware, who runs a house for gangsters, is raising the son of a dead convict, who is played by Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Ware has raised Fairbanks well, making sure that he was not influenced by her gangster friends. Ware even gets Fairbanks a job as press agent. Fairbanks falls in love with a chorus girl, played by Billie Dove. When Fairbanks announces his engagement to Dove, Ware becomes infuriated because she believes that a girl of her type will urge him on to a life of crime. Her premonitions come to fruition. John Loder, who is producing Dove's show, gives her an engagement party. Fairbanks is called to work, however, and Dove attends the party alone. Loder attempts to rape Dove and she shoots him in self-defence. Despite Dove's protests, Fairbanks confesses to the murder and is convicted for manslaughter. While Fairbanks is in prison, he writes a play for Dove. Dove tries to find a producer for the play but is turned down everywhere. Knowing how much the play means to Fairbanks, she makes a deal with Claude Fleming, who is willing to produce the play only if she submits to his sexual advances. The play is a success and makes Dove a star making Fairbanks happy when he hears the news. James Crane, who had made advances to Dove's previously but had been rejected, goes to Ware and tells her everything concerning Dove's sordid affair. At first, when Ware confronts her, Dove denies everything. Dove eventually confesses and Ware promises to keep the whole affair a secret. When Fairbanks is finally released, the lovers are happily reunited.
Playing Around (1930)
, 1h6Réalisé par Mervyn LeRoy
Origine Etats-Unis
Genres Drame, Comédie, Comédie dramatique, Musical, Romance
Acteurs Alice White, Chester Morris, William Bakewell, Marion Byron, Maurice Black, Lionel Belmore
Alice White plays the part of a working class girl who dreams about living a life of luxury. Her father, Richard Carlyle, runs a cigar store while White works as a stenographer. William Bakewell, a soda jerker, is madly in love with White and has even asked her father for his consent to their marriage. Although Carlyle likes Bakewell and would like to see her daughter marry him, White refuses to consider marrying him on the wage he currently earns. One day, White convinces Bakewell to take her to a fancy exclusive nightclub. Once they arrive and are seated, Bakewell is shocked at the prices and suggests that they go elsewhere. This leads to an argument with White. As the couple is about to leave, an announcement is made for a leg contest and White decides to enter. She wins first place and is awarded her prize by Chester Morris, a gangster. Dazzled by his fancy clothes and car, White accepts his attentions and give Bakewell the air. Eventually Morris asks White to go away with him. White naively thinks that he intends to marry her. Before they make their trip, Morris, who is low on cash, robs a cigar store and in the process shoots the man behind the counter. Without knowing it, he has shot White's father. As White and Morris are about to leave on their trip, they stop at her father's cigar store to say goodbye. As they approach they see police stationed around and Morris realizes what he has done. He convinces White to stay in the car while he checks out what happened. He talks a bit to the police and then tells White that her father is ok and that he now at the police station to help the police identify a thief. In reality, however White's father is at the hospital suffering from a gunshot wound that Morris gave him. Morris convinces White to continue on the trip with him and they drive to the train station. Bakewell, who suspects that Morris was behind the robbery, asks the police to help him entrap Morris. They manage to get Morris to unwittingly to confess to the crime before he has a chance to board the train. Morris is arrested and White's father recovers. White, chastened by the experience, agrees to marry Bakewell.
The Way of All Men (1930)
, 1h9Réalisé par Frank Lloyd
Origine Etats-Unis
Genres Drame, Thriller, Action, Romance
Thèmes Théâtre, Adaptation d'une pièce de théâtre
Acteurs Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Dorothy Revier, Noah Beery Sr., Robert Edeson, Anders Randolf, Henry Kolker
Plusieurs personnes, réunies dans un café du métro, sont prises au piège de la montée des eaux du Mississippi.
Spring Is Here (1930)
, 1h9Réalisé par John Francis Dillon
Origine Etats-Unis
Genres Comédie, Musical, Romance
Thèmes Musique, Adaptation d'une pièce de théâtre, Adaptation d'une comédie musicale
Acteurs Lawrence Gray, Bernice Claire, Alexander Gray, Louise Fazenda, Ford Sterling, Inez Courtney
Une jeune femme hésite entre un bon garçon qui est apprécié par son père, et un mauvais garçon que son père n'aime pas.
Sunny (1930)
, 1h18Réalisé par William A. Seiter
Origine Etats-Unis
Genres Comédie, Musical, Romance
Thèmes Musique
Acteurs Marilyn Miller, Lawrence Gray, Inez Courtney, O. P. Heggie, Barbara Bedford, Clyde Wilfred Cook
Marylin Miller plays the part of an American circus performer, doing her act in a British circus, who is engaged to a man she does not love. A former boyfriend, played by Lawrence Gray, stops by to see her before taking boat back to the United States. Miller realizing that she loves Gray, decides to run away. She embarks on the same boat that Lawrence takes. Her father, who realizes what his daughter has done, reaches the boat just as it is about to leave and manages to board it. While on board, Gray becomes engaged to be married to a wealthy socialite (Barbara Bedford). Miller learns that she will not be allowed to disembark in the United States without a passport. In order to land, Miller marries an American friend, intending to divorce him as soon as she is safely inside the United States. After arrive in the states, Miller tells Gray about her love for him. Bedford overhears them and tells Gray that she will announce their engagement at a party that very night. Disappointed, Miller decides to return to England, but Gray proposes to her just as she is about to leave.
Sweet Mama (1930)
, 1h17Réalisé par Edward F. Cline
Origine Etats-Unis
Genres Drame, Policier
Acteurs Alice White, David Manners, Kenneth Thomson, Lee Moran, Robert Elliott, Richard Cramer
When the film begins we find Alice White stranded several hundred miles away from New York with a burlesque troupe. She receives a telegraph that her boyfriend, played by David Manners, is in jail. White boards a train headed for New York without a ticket because she has no money. When the conductor discovers she has no ticket she is almost thrown off the train. A detective, played by Robert Elliott, befriends White and offers to let White borrow the money she needs for a ticket. When she arrives in New York she finds that Manners has been bailed out by a friend and is working for Kenneth Thomson, playing as a gangster who runs a nightclub. White is disappointed to find that her boyfriend is working for criminals. She gets some money from Manners to pay back Elliott for the money he gave her for a train ticket. Elliott notices that she is paying with bills that have been reported stolen. White confesses everything she knows to the detective about her boyfriend and his new employer. Elliott asks White to get a job at the nightclub so that she can get evidence against the gangsters and in return he promises to clear her boyfriend of any wrongdoing. White easily gets a job singing and dancing at the club. Eventually she hears plans about a bank robbery and reports everything to Elliott. When the gangster attempt to rob the bank they realize that the police are watching and waiting and conclude that someone has informed the police ahead of time. Thompson suspects that White has informed the police. In order to save her, Manners implicates himself and the gangsters get ready to stage an accidental suicide for him. They plan to throw Manners out of the window of Thompson's penthouse apartment. White informs the police and arrives in the nick of time to save Manners. Thompson, realizing now that the police have ample evidence against him, attempts to escape and is shot by the police. Manners and White are happily reunited and the film ends.
Sweethearts and Wives (1930)
, 1h17Réalisé par Clarence G. Badger
Origine Etats-Unis
Genres Comédie, Policier, Romance
Acteurs Billie Dove, Clive Brook, Sidney Blackmer, Leila Hyams, Albert Gran, Crauford Kent
Billie Dove plays the part of an aristocrat who tries to prevent her sister's divorce by attempting to recover of a diamond necklace, which is being used as incriminating evidence against her. This necklace was stolen when Dove's sister while she was secretly in another's man apartment. Dove is to meet a thief at a lonely French Inn outside of Paris who has stolen the necklace. Dove quickly disguises herself as a French maid. Unfortunately the thief is killed by someone who enters the house just as she was about to regain the diamonds. At this point, Sidney Blackmer, who has come in search of some one to fix his car and sell him some gas, arrives at the Inn. Blackmer is in an awkward position himself as he is having an affair with a married woman, played by Leila Hyams, and they are both fearful lest her husband learn of this escapade. Dove reveals that she is not a maid but an English aristocrat. The police and Clive Brook soon arrives at the house, playing the part of a divorce detective, who is secretly working to find the diamond necklace to return it to the husband of the woman who lost it. Hyams switches into Dove's maid costume in order to escape detection from Brook and the police. Meanwhile, the police are investigating the murder of the thief. Soon after the waiter and hotel clerk steal Blackmer's repaired car and take off. As the film progresses, Blackmer and Dove soon grow fond of each other and fall in love. Dove confides in Blackmer and he helps her find the necklace. In the process of recovering the necklace, three of the thieves end up being killed. In the end, Dove manages to retrieve the necklace back and save her sister from a scandalous divorce.
The Widow From Chicago (1930)
, 1h4Réalisé par Edward F. Cline
Origine Etats-Unis
Genres Drame, Policier, Romance
Acteurs Alice White, Edward G. Robinson, Neil Hamilton, Frank McHugh, Lee Shumway, Brooks Benedict
Two detectives, played by John Elliot and Harold Goodwin, board a train in pursuit of a gangster, who is played by Neil Hamilton. Hamilton is travelling to New York to work for Edward G. Robinson, a notorious gangster who owns a nightclub. Hamilton jumps off the train near a bridge crossing and since no trace of him can be found the police believe him to be dead. Goodwin assumes Hamilton's identity and joins Robinson's gang but is quickly discovered to be an imposter and shot. Determined to find out who killed her brother, Alice White poses as Hamilton's widow and attempts to get a job at Robinson's nightclub. Hamilton eventually shows up and White is almost exposed as an imposter. Hamilton, however, is eventually persuaded by White and he promises not to tell Robinson the truth. White and Hamilton fall in love. During a hold-up, White protects Hamilton by shooting at a cop in the back. Hamilton begins to think of reforming due to White's influence. White eventually gets Robinson to confess that he shot her brother by pretending to be interested in him. She leaves the phone off the hook while the police listen in on his confession. When the police show up, Robinson realizes what White has done and uses White as a shield against the police but Hamilton manages to save White and Robinson is forced to surrender to the police.
Top Speed (1930)
, 1h13Réalisé par Mervyn LeRoy
Origine Etats-Unis
Genres Comédie, Musical, Romance
Thèmes Musique
Acteurs Joe E. Brown, Bernice Claire, Frank McHugh, Edmund Breese, Wade Boteler, Billy Bletcher
Joe E. Brown and Jack Whiting are two bond clerks on a weekend vacation. Brown is pursued by a local sheriff after he attempts to illegally fish in a no fishing zone. As Brown and Whiting are running away, they arrive at an expensive hotel and end up rescuing two women (Bernice Claire and Laura Lee) who have just been in a car accident. Whiting falls in love with Claire while Brown falls for Lee. Whiting convinces Brown to stay at the hotel for the rest of the weekend. Brown begins lying to everyone at the hotel and soon everyone thinks that Brown and Whiting are millionaires. Claire's father (Edwin Maxwell) owns a speedboat and is planning to enter a big speedboat race. Since Brown has told everyone that Whiting is an expert boatsman, Claire hopes that he will be able to help her father win the race. When Claire's father (Maxwell) fires his pilot, who has been caught taking a bribe to throw the race, Claire convinces her father to let Whiting pilot his boat. Maxwell's main opponent, played by Edmund Breese, discovering that Whiting is fraud, threatens to expose him unless he excepts a bribe of 30,000 dollars to throw the race. Whiting pretends to accept the bribe but nevertheless wins the race for Claire and her father. During the race, Claire and her father learn that Whiting has taken a bribe, and are disappointed. After he wins the race, Whiting explains what happened and Claire and her father forgive him for not telling them the truth earlier.
A Notorious Affair (1930)
, 1h9Réalisé par Lloyd Bacon
Origine Etats-Unis
Genres Drame, Romance
Thèmes Théâtre, Adaptation d'une pièce de théâtre
Acteurs Billie Dove, Basil Rathbone, Kay Francis, Kenneth Thomson, Montagu Love, Malcolm Waite
Patricia Hanley (Billie Dove), une mondaine qui, choque ses amis et sa classe sociale en se mariant avec Paul Gherardi (Basil Rathbone), un violoniste italien sans le sou. Grâce à sa richesse et à son influence, Patricia fait de Paul un homme riche et célèbre. Mais Paul tombe sous le charme d'une vamp, la comtesse Olga Balakireva (Kay Francis) qui aime batifoler avec des hommes riches.
Mothers Cry (1930)
, 1h16Réalisé par Hobart Henley
Origine Etats-Unis
Genres Drame
Acteurs Dorothy Peterson, Helen Chandler, David Manners, Evalyn Knapp, Sidney Blackmer, Edward LeSaint
The film is focused on the life of Mary Williams (Dorothy Peterson), a widowed mother, and her struggles to raise her four children. Her oldest son, Daniel (Edward Woods), torments his siblings and mother throughout childhood and eventually grows up to be a criminal. Arthur (David Manners), the younger son, grows up to be a successful architect. Jennie (Evalyn Knapp), one of the daughters, loves domestic work and home-life and is courted by a wealthy older gentleman Karl Muller (Reinhold Pasch). Beattie (Helen Chandler), the other daughter, grows up to be an idealistic dreamer.
The Forward Pass (1929)
, 1h18Réalisé par Edward F. Cline
Origine Etats-Unis
Genres Drame, Comédie dramatique, Musical, Romance
Thèmes Sport, Football américain, Musique
Acteurs Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Loretta Young, Guinn "Big Boy" Williams, Marion Byron, Phyllis Crane, Lane Chandler
Marty Reid, le quarterback vedette de l'équipe de l'université, est souvent mis sur la touche et il jure de ne plus jouer au football. Il va y être poussé par l'attitude d'Ed Kirby à son égard...
Love and the Devil (1929)
, 1h10Réalisé par Alexander Korda
Origine Etats-Unis
Genres Drame, Mélodrame
Acteurs Milton Sills, María Corda, Ben Bard
Lord Dryan épouse Giovanna, une belle italienne chanteuse d'opéra, et l'emmène vivre avec lui en Angleterre. Giovanna est profondément amoureuse de Dryan, mais le climat anglais la déprime et bientôt elle rêve au soleil et aux applaudissements de son ancienne vie, et persuade son mari de retourner avec elle à Venise. Barotti, son ancien partenaire, conspire avec sa bonne pour atteindre la chambre de Giovanna la nuit sans qu'elle le sache. Dryan les trouve ensemble et blesse Barotti. Dryan ne croyant pas qu'elle lui ait été fidèle, Giovanna disparaît. Dryan est accusé de son meurtre, mais est acquitté. Dryan veut tuer Barotti, mais le ténor tombe en essyant de lui échapper et se tue. Dryan et Giovanna se retrouvent alors.
The Love Racket (1929)
, 1h14Réalisé par William A. Seiter
Origine Etats-Unis
Genres Drame
Thèmes Adaptation d'une pièce de théâtre
Acteurs Dorothy Mackaill, Sidney Blackmer, Myrtle Stedman, Edmund Burns, Alice Day, Clarence Burton
Careers (1929)
, 1h32Réalisé par John Francis Dillon, Forrest Halsey
Origine Etats-Unis
Genres Drame
Acteurs Billie Dove, Antonio Moreno, Thelma Todd, Noah Beery Sr., Holmes Herbert, Carmel Myers
The film takes place in the French colony of Cochin-China. Young French magistrate (Antonio Moreno) and his wife (Billie Dove) are victims of virtual imprisonment because president (Noah Beery) of colony in which they are stationed has a sexual interest in the magistrate's wife. Beery refuses to allow Moreno to advance in his career on the bench until his wife agrees to his demands. Moreno, angered by this treatment after four years of hard work, secretly goes to the governor of the colony to complain. Dove endeavors in crucial moment to save her husband from disaster by pleading with the president but inadvertently reveals her husband's plan. Being afraid for the safety of her husband, Dove consents to do whatever Beery wishes as long as he does nothing to endanger her husband. Just as Beery is about to seduce Dove, he is murdered by a native musician who has been hiding in the room. Dove is immediately suspected of the murder and the musician comes out of hiding and accuses Dove of the murder. Moreno is placed in charge of the investigation and discovers that the musician is lying and that he is the one responsible. Tired of the dangers of life in the French colony, Moreno and Dove head back to Paris where Moreno hopes to start a new career.