Ball of Fire (1941), The More the Merrier (1943), Easy Living (1937), Gentleman Jim (1942), Jane Eyre (1944), Imitation of Life (1934), The Talk of the Town (1942), So Proudly We Hail (1943) ... Let's take a look at the ranked list of the best Actress 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: A white-collar worker from a blue-collar family, Kitty Foyle has spent her so far short adult life in her hometown of Philadelphia or New York City. She has had two serious relationships, one associated with each city and each man with who she falls in love but in vastly different ways. "Philadelphia" is blue blooded Wyn Strafford VI. Wyn hires Kitty to be his secretary, he the editor for his pet project, a magazine, which is funded by family money. Kitty's now deceased father, despite liking Wyn as a person, warned Kitty against falling in love with him, regardless of his outward intentions, as his type always returned to his own kind. If she believes her father, Kitty may come to the realization that if a union with Wyn were to ever happen, it would not only be to him but to his family and their traditions, they who may have some say in the matter. After the magazine folds, it not making any money, Kitty is forced to look for another job, she feeling she would have more opportunities in New York City. Working as a sales associate at upscale Delphine Detaille parfumerie and cosmetics, Kitty meets "New York City" Mark Eisen. Mark is a public-health doctor who makes little money and thus who is cognizant about how he spends that money, most specifically when he will splurge on the luxuries in life, including on women. Simultaneous, each of the men proposes a future together with her, those futures which would take divergent paths and have different outlooks. Mark, specifically, is aware of there being a "Philadelphia" when he asks her to marry him. Kitty has to decide what kind of future she wants for herself in choosing which of the two proposals she will accept.—Huggo
Plot Keywords: philadelphia pennsylvania, snowglobe, single mother, salesclerk, speakeasy, high society, love triangle ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Junior Potter returns to claim his father's gold, which is nowhere to be found. "Mike" is the luscious head of a gang of thieves, and Roy Barton is the federal marshal hot on her trail.
Plot Keywords: actor shares first name with character, farce, singing cowboy, singing, singer, song, despair ...
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: Madcap debutante Melsa Manton finds a body in a deserted house. Of course, the police don't believe her. Stung by Peter Ames's front page editorial decrying her "prank," Melsa enlists seven fellow debs to help her investigate. The wisecracking young ladies proceed to run circles around the police, the suspects, and the press.—Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu>
Plot Keywords: ex convict, reference to snow white, manhattan new york city, whodunit, subway tunnel, nightclub, mink coat ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Fiona, Evelyn and Susanna are sisters. Their mother dies on the Lusitania, their father is killed in France, they must manage their Fifth Avenue mansion by themselves. Fiona marries Charles Barclay in order to get an inheritance and he begins a campaign to obtain the mansion to level it for real estate development. She vows that this will never happen.—Ed Stephan <stephan@cc.wwu.edu>
Plot Keywords: wealth, secret marriage, romantic rivalry, paternity, mother son relationship, marriage proposal, father son relationship ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Dimples is a busker - a street entertainer, and lives in mid-19th century New York City's Bowery with her kindhearted but pickpocketing Grandfather, Prof. Eustace Appleby. Dimples is a talented child and is hired to perform at a party in the home of Mrs. Caroline Drew, an elderly widow living in Washington Square. Dimples delights the gathering and charms not only the elderly mistress of the house but her nephew Allen as well, a theatrical producer betrothed to a lovely society belle. Allen engages Dimples to perform the role of Little Eva in his production of "Uncle Tom's Cabin" while Mrs. Drew makes it possible for Dimples to remain in her genteel home and enjoy its benefits. Various complications ensue and Dimples bravely makes the decision to sacrifice her happiness to return to her slum dwelling Grandfather. Mrs. Drew traces Dimples's whereabouts and convinces Prof. Appleby that his lovely granddaughter deserves something better than a life of poverty and crime in the Bowery. The situation is resolved to everyone's satisfaction and the film ends with Dimples performing in New York City's first minstrel show.—eamon
Plot Keywords: character name in title, robbery, scam, theft, young love, one word title, manhattan new york city ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Loretta Dalrymple, a homely young country girl comes to New York City and gets a job as a chambermaid in a large hotel. She meets Ed Olson, a photographer out of work, and Dan Riley, a promoter with nothing to promote. When an advertiser offers a reward for a photograph of 'America's Prettiest Girl,", Ed makes a composite photo of all the famous movie stars and society belles and calls the girl in his picture "Dawn Glory." A Dawn-Glory craze sweeps the country, and Loretta, with makeup and new clothes, turns out to be the reincarnation of the picture. Loretta has fallen in love with a newspaper picture of "Bingo" Russell, a famous aviator, and when Dan and Ed ask her to pose as Dawn Glory, she readily agrees, hoping she will get to meet Russell. She does meet him and, then, complications arise.—Les Adams <longhorn1939@suddenlink.net>
Plot Keywords: character name in title, board meeting, broadway manhattan new york city, cigarette smoking, detective, greek, hotel manager ...
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