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Even the most legendary acting careers have humble beginnings. For Jimmy Stewart, that meant toiling in some unheralded New York stage plays before making the move to Hollywood in 1935 and signing a seven-year contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). His first feature film appearance was a bit part in The Murder Man, and he followed it up with supporting roles in romantic comedies such as Wife vs. Secretary, which starred Clark Gable and Jean Harlow, and Small Town Girl. His first chance to carry a film came with Speed (1936), a low-budget B-movie that saw him share top billing with Wendy Barrie, whose engagement to gangster Bugsy Siegel often overshadows her own impressive acting career.

Dalton Trumbo and Nathanael West contributed to the screenplay for John Farrow's suspense adventure about a plane crash in the Amazon jungle -- who will survive? Lucille Ball is the ranking castaway in a glossy Rko thriller that's been restored to a fine polish. Five Came Back DVD-r The Warner Archive Collection 1939 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 75 min. / Street Date June 30, 2015 / available through the WBshop / 21.99 Starring Chester Morris, Lucille Ball, Wendy Barrie, John Carradine, Allen Jenkins, Joseph Calleia, C. Aubrey Smith, Kent Taylor, Patric Knowles, Elisabeth Risdon, Casey Johnson, Frank Faylen. Cinematography Nicholas Musuraca Original Music Roy Webb Written by Jerome Cady, Dalton Trumbo, Nathanael West story by Richard Carroll Produced by Robert Sisk Directed by John Farrow

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

When they list the 'big' pictures of 1939, the ones that we're told made that year Hollywood's best ever, there are some winning titles that don't get mentioned.

During the Great Depression a number of rich New Yorkers gentrified parts of the East River, displacing several slums in the name of a waterway vista in their high-rises. Sidney Kingsley’s original 1935 play of Dead End mashed the actual dead end community of Manhattan’s East 53rd Street with the luxury River House of East 52nd to bring to light the human tensions in advanced capitalism. After a private street exit closes (likely due to the sort of construction that comes with neighborhood renovation), the dressy rich must walk through immigrant-heavy back streets when traveling. With the distance between these communities closing, internal aggravation among the play’s riverside ruffians, the Dead End Kids (later bought by Samuel Goldwyn and eventually renamed the Bowery Boys), turns into physical violence.It’s material that could be ripe for Marxist interpretation, but Kingsley’s play acts as more noblesse oblige social concern more than flip-the-system call-to-action.

Teresa Wright-Samuel Goldwyn association comes to a nasty end (See preceding post: "Teresa Wright in 'Shadow of a Doubt': Alfred Hitchcock Heroine in His Favorite Film.") Whether or not because she was aware that Enchantment wasn't going to be the hit she needed – or perhaps some other disagreement with Samuel Goldwyn or personal issue with husband Niven Busch – Teresa Wright, claiming illness, refused to go to New York City to promote the film. (Top image: Teresa Wright in a publicity shot for The Men.) Goldwyn had previously announced that Wright, whose contract still had another four and half years to run, was to star in a film version of J.D. Salinger's 1948 short story "Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut." Instead, he unceremoniously – and quite publicly – fired her.[1] The Goldwyn organization issued a statement, explaining that besides refusing the assignment to travel to New York to help generate pre-opening publicity for Enchantment,...

New to Netflix Streaming On Monday August 1st: The Dirty Dozen (Nr | 1967)

Flickchart Ranking: #392

Times Ranked: 20571

Win Percentage: 46%

How Many Top-20′s: 34 Users

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Directed By: Robert Aldrich

Starring: Charles Bronson • Jim Brown • John Cassavetes • Richard Jaeckel • Robert Ryan

Genres: Adventure • Ensemble Film • War • War Adventure

Studios/Franchises: AFI’s 100 Years…100 Thrills

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Lethal Weapon (R | 1987)

Flickchart Ranking: #477

Times Ranked: 187567

Win Percentage: 46%

How Many Top-20′s: 756 Users

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Directed By: Richard Donner

Starring: Gary Busey • Mel Gibson • Danny Glover

Genres: Action • Action Thriller • Police Detective Film • Odd Couple Film • Holiday Film

Studios/Franchises: Lethal Weapon

Lethal Weapon 2 is also available to stream.

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The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (PG | 1970)

Flickchart Ranking: #4976

Times Ranked: 1337

Win Percentage: 54%

How Many Top-20′s: 0 Users

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Directed By: Billy Wilder

Starring: Robert Stephens • Colin Blakely • Tamara Toumanova • Christopher Lee • Geneviève Page

Genres: Detective Film • Mystery • Romance • Romantic Mystery

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Spaceballs (PG | 1987)

Flickchart Ranking: #493

Times Ranked: 233515

Win Percentage: 45%

How Many...

The recently re-established Rko is developing a remake of the 1936 road comedy titled Love on a Bet for comedy regular Steve Carr (of Daddy Day Care and Are We Done Yet?) to direct. The original was directed by Leigh Jason and starred Gene Raymond and Wendy Barrie. In the film, to raise money for a play, a man bets his rich uncle that he can begin a journey in New York's Central Park with nothing but his underwear and end up in California with a suit, $100 and a fiancee. I really love that concept, but in the hands of Steve Carr, it's going to be turned into one hell of a shitty Hollywood movie. What a travesty! "The original took place in the days where it was racy to be in underwear," producer Ted Hartley told Hollywood Reporter. "This movie is going to start out with the guy wearing ...

RKO is putting money down for "Love on a Bet," a remake of a 1936 road comedy that will be directed by Steve Carr.

RKO's Ted Hartley is producing along with Carr and Jason Taragan via their Rumpus Entertainment banner. Aaron Ray is producing as well.

The original "Bet" was a Depression-era comedy -- directed by Leigh Jason and starring Gene Raymond and Wendy Barrie -- that followed a man who, in order to raise money for a play, makes a bet with a rich uncle that he can begin a journey in New York's Central Park with nothing but his underwear and end up in California with a suit, $100 and a fiancee.

"The original took place in the days where it was racy to be in underwear," Hartley said. "This movie is going to start out with the guy wearing a lot less than his underwear. It's going to be edgy and romantic.