Ball of Fire (1941), The More the Merrier (1943), The Pride of the Yankees (1942), Gentleman Jim (1942), Easy Living (1937), Jane Eyre (1944), The Talk of the Town (1942), The Man Who Came to Dinner (1941) ... Let's take a look at the ranked list of the best Actor Billed Above The Title movies.
Storyline: Promoter Frankie Christopher, being grilled by police in the murder of model Vicky Lynn, recalls in flashback: First meeting her as a waitress, Frankie decides to parlay her beauty into social acceptance and a lucrative career. He succeeds only too well: she's on the eve of deserting him for Hollywood...when someone kills her. Now Frankie gets the feeling that Inspector Ed Cornell is determined to pin the killing on him and only him. He's right. And the only one he can turn to for help is Jill, the victim's sister, who's been cool toward him...—Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu>
Plot Keywords: waitress, based on novel, investigation, murder suspect, sister sister relationship, murder, frame up ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: At the turn of the century, Duke and Chester, two vaudeville performers, go to Alaska to make their fortune. On the ship to Skagway, they find a map to a secret gold mine, which had been stolen by McGurk and Sperry, a couple of thugs. They disguise themselves as McGurk and Sperry to get off the ship. Meanwhile, Sal Van Hoyden is in Alaska to try and recover the map; it had been her father's. She falls in with Ace Larson, who wants to steal the gold mine for himself. Duke and Chester, McGurk and Sperry, Ace and his henchmen, and Sal, chase each other all over the countryside, trying to get the map.—John Oswalt <jao@jao.com>
Plot Keywords: road movie, breaking the fourth wall, mistaken identity, vaudeville, alaska, map, rug ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: In late Victorian London, Jack the Ripper has been killing and maiming actresses in the night. The Burtons are forced to take in a lodger due to financial hardship. He seems like a nice young man, but Mrs. Burton suspects him of being the ripper because of some mysterious and suspicious habits, and fears for her beautiful actress niece who lives with them.—John Oswalt <jao@jao.com>
Plot Keywords: lodger, suspicion, manhunt, suicide, fog, music hall, throat slitting ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Jeff and Turkey, two wild and crazy guys adrift on a raft in the Mediterranean, are cast away on a desert shore and hop a convenient camel to an Arabian Nights city where Turkey soon finds himself sold as a slave...to luscious Princess Shalmar of Karameesh. Naturally, Jeff would like to rescue Turkey from this "dire" fate, even if it means taking his place! But they haven't figured on virile desert chieftain Mullay Kassim, who has designs on the princess himself...—Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu>
Plot Keywords: meta film, 1940s, boat accident, wish, tombstone, tent, telescope ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Buddies Big John McMasters and Square John Sand are fast-talking, wisecracking wildcatters who manage to con enough equipment and capital to develop their own oil fields, but their friendship is put to the test when Big John inadvertently falls in love with Elizabeth, Square John's longtime girlfriend. Eventually their friendship and partnership comes to an end on the flip of a coin. Years later, when Big John's interest in the beautiful Karen Vanmeer threatens his marriage too, Square John intervenes in an effort to save the marriage of his former friend - even if it means ruining him financially.—G. Taverney (duke1029@aol.com)
Plot Keywords: oil, kiss, toy gun, double barreled shotgun, fistfight, six shooter, revolver ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Sisters Ruth and Eileen Sherwood move from Ohio to New York in the hopes of building their careers. Ruth wants to get a job as a writer, while Eileen hopes to succeed on the stage. The two end up living in a dismal basement apartment in Greenwich Village, where a parade of odd characters are constantly breezing in and out. The women also meet up with magazine editor Bob Baker, who takes a personal interest in helping both with their career plans.—Daniel Bubbeo <dbubbeo@cmp.com>
Plot Keywords: character name in title, grief, despair, reprisal, reformation, rationing, stress ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Lieutenant Joe Rossi is 1st Officer on a Liberty Ship in a great convoy bound from Halifax to Murmansk. After German subs crushed the convoy his ship loses the convoy and is heading alone to Murmansk. In spite of attacks by German planes and subs he get the ship safely to Murmansk...—Stephan Eichenberg <eichenbe@fak-cbg.tu-muenchen.de>
Plot Keywords: sinking ship, convoy, religion, patriot, destruction, misery, despair ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Alfred's father wants him to make of a man of himself so sends him off on a hunting and fishing trip. He doesn't catch or shoot anything, but he does fall in love with a mountain girl. When her father and brothers laugh at this they are informed that he is Alfred "Battling" Butler, the championship fighter. From there on the masquerade must be maintained.—Ed Stephan <stephan@cc.wwu.edu>
Plot Keywords: boxing, cigarette smoking, dire straits, farce, hotel desk clerk, deception, jealousy ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Japan has just invaded the Phillipines and the US Army attempts a desperate defence. Thirteen men are chosen to blow up a bridge on the Bataan peninsula and keep the Japanese from rebuilding it.—<khunt@eng.morgan.edu>
Plot Keywords: propaganda, war injury, japanese army, u.s. army, sabotage, u.s. soldier, american soldier ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: When Flight Lt Forbes and his crew are shot down after bombing their target, they discover valuable information, about a hidden German aircraft factory, that must get back to England. In their way across Germany, they try and cause as much damage as possible. Then with the chasing Germans about to pounce, they come up with an ingenious plan to escape.—mike.wilson6@btinternet.com
Plot Keywords: nazi, orchestral music score, air raid, train, secret plan, resistance, pigeon ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: After her father dies Pat Riley (Merna Kennedy), returns home from an eastern board school and takes charge of the family horse ranch. She immediately has a spat with the ranch foreman Ken Benson (Ken Maynard). He is trying to convince her that the smooth-talking Steve Frazier (Niles Welch) has an hidden agenda for wanting to buy the ranch's ramada of broken wild horses. Turns out he does...he represents a company that makes dog food.—Les Adams <longhorn1939@suddenlink.net>
Plot Keywords: character name in title, horse billed above the title, actor billed above the title, bushwhacker, grindhouse film, pre code film, treachery ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: When notorious pirate Henry Morgan is made governor of Jamaica, he enlists the help of some of his former partners in ridding the Carribean of Buccaneers. When one of them apparently abducts the previous governor's pretty daughter and joins up with the rebels, things are set for a fight.—Jeremy Perkins {J-26}
Plot Keywords: based on novel, kidnapping, bound and gagged, female tied up, gagged, tied up, punching ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Chuck and his pal Fearless flee a South African carnival when their sideshow causes a fire. After several similar escapades, they've finally saved enough to return to the USA, when Chuck spends it all on a "lost" diamond mine. But that's only the beginning; before long, a pair of attractive con-women have tricked our heroes into financing a comic safari, featuring numerous burlesque jungle adventures...—Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu>
Plot Keywords: motor boat, scam, spear, porter, fairground, hammock, singer ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: After his wife discovers a telltale diamond bracelet, impresario Martin Cortland tries to show he's not chasing after showgirl Sheila Winthrop. Choreographer Robert Curtis gets caught in the middle of the boss's scheme. Army conscription offers Robert the perfect escape from his troubles- or does it?—Diana Hamilton <hamilton@gl.umbc.edu>
Plot Keywords: dance, jewelry, marriage proposal, nightclub, show business, singer, womanizer ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Cavanaugh and McCauley are after the ranchers land. When the Government announces the land will be put up for auction, the ranchers pool their money only to have it stolen by Cavanaugh's men. They then plan to sell their cattle but Cavanaugh announces a fake gold strike and the cowhands all leave. But Gene's hobo friend the Judge says he will get the cattle to market and he sends out a signal to his hobo friends.—Maurice VanAuken <mvanauken@a1access.net>
Plot Keywords: singing cowboy, horse and carriage, hypnotism, jail, new mexico, resort, robbery ...
Movie Details Click Here!