William Powell
William Horatio Powell (July 29, 1892 – March 5, 1984) was an American actor. A major star at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, he was paired with Myrna Loy in 14 films, including the Thin Man series based on the Nick and Nora Charles characters created by Dashiell Hammett. Powell was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor three times: for The Thin Man (1934), My Man Godfrey (1936), and Life with Father (1947). After high school, he left home for New York and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts at the age of 18. In 1912, Powell graduated from the AADA, and worked in some vaudeville and stock companies. After several successful experiences on the Broadway stage, he began his Hollywood career in 1922, playing a small role as an evil henchman of Professor Moriarty in a production of Sherlock Holmes with John Barrymore. His most memorable role in silent movies was as a bitter film director opposite Emil Jannings' Academy Award-winning performance as a fallen general in The Last Command (1928). This success, along with Powell's pleasant speaking voice, led to his first starring role as amateur detective Philo Vance in the "talkie" The Canary Murder Case (1929). Powell's most famous role was that of Nick Charles in six Thin Man films, beginning with The Thin Man in 1934, based upon Dashiell Hammett's novel. The role provided a perfect opportunity for Powell, with his resonant speaking voice, to showcase his sophisticated charm and witty sense of humor, and he received his first Academy Award nomination for The Thin Man. Myrna Loy played his wife, Nora, in each of the Thin Man films. Their on-screen partnership, beginning alongside Clark Gable in 1934 with Manhattan Melodrama, was one of Hollywood's most prolific, and they appeared in 14 films together. Loy and Powell starred in the Best Picture of 1936, The Great Ziegfeld, with Powell in the title role and Loy as Ziegfeld's wife Billie Burke. That same year, he also received his second Academy Award nomination, for the comedy My Man Godfrey. In 1935, he starred with Jean Harlow in Reckless. A serious romance developed between them, and in 1936, they were reunited on screen and with Loy and Spencer Tracy in the screwball comedy Libeled Lady. However, Harlow surprisingly and quickly became ill, and died from uremia at the age of 26 in June 1937 before they could marry. His distress over her death, as well as a cancer diagnosis of his own, caused him to accept fewer acting roles. Powell's career slowed considerably in the 1940s, although he received his third Academy Award nomination in 1947 for his role as the cantankerous Clarence Day, Sr., in Life with Father. His last film was 1955's Mister Roberts. Powell died in Palm Springs, California, on March 5, 1984, at the age of 91 from heart failure, nearly 30 years after his retirement. He is buried at the Desert Memorial Park in Cathedral City, California, near his third wife Diana Lewis, and his only child, his son William David Powell.
How to Marry a Millionaire
as J.D. HanleyThree women set out to find eligible millionaires to marry, but find true love in the process.
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Life with Father
as Clarence Day Sr.A straitlaced turn-of-the-century father presides over a family of boys and the mother who...
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The Great Ziegfeld
as Florenz 'Flo' Ziegfeld Jr.Lavish biography of Flo Ziegfeld, the producer who became Broadway's biggest starmaker.
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The Thin Man
as Nick CharlesA husband and wife detective team takes on the search for a missing inventor and almost get...
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Manhattan Melodrama
as Jim WadeThe friendship between two orphans endures even though they grow up on opposite sides of the law...
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Mister Roberts
as DocMr. Roberts is a Navy officer who's yearning for battle but is stuck in the backwaters of World...
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The Heavenly Body
as William S. WhitleyThe beautiful wife of a tweedy astronomer becomes convinced that her astrologer's prediction of...
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Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)Out-takes (mostly from Warner Bros.), promotional shorts, movie premieres, public service pleas,...
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My Man Godfrey
as GodfreyFifth Avenue socialite Irene Bullock needs a "forgotten man" to win a scavenger hunt, and no one...
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Ladies' Man
as Jamie DarricottA society gigolo goes after a rich mother and her daughter, but tries to find true happiness...
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The Thin Man Goes Home
as Nick CharlesOn a trip to visit his parents, detective Nick Charles gets mixed up in a murder investigation.
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Another Thin Man
as Nick CharlesNot even the joys of parenthood can stop married sleuths Nick and Nora Charles from...
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Ziegfeld Follies
as Florenz Ziegfeld Jr.The late, great impresario Florenz Ziegfeld looks down from heaven and ordains a new revue in...
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Double Wedding
as Charles LodgeA bohemian free spirit helps meek Waldo win back his fiancée and falls in love with her...
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Shadow of the Thin Man
as Nick CharlesHigh society sleuths Nick and Nora Charles run into a variety of shady characters while...
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After the Thin Man
as Nick CharlesNick and Nora Charles investigate when Nora's cousin reports her disreputable husband is...
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Libeled Lady
as William 'Bill' Stephens ChandlerWhen a major newspaper accuses wealthy socialite Connie Allenbury of being a home-wrecker, and...
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Fashions of 1934
as Sherwood NashWhen the Manhattan investment firm of Sherwood Nash goes broke, he joins forces with his partner...
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The Last Command
as Lev AndreyevA former Imperial Russian general and cousin of the Czar ends up in Hollywood as an extra in a...
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Double Harness
as John FletcherAfter tricking him into marriage, a woman tries to win the love of her philandering husband.
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Escapade
as FritzA romantic comedy-drama-musical of mistaken identity, infidelity and farce, set in Vienna at the...
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The Spencer Tracy Legacy: A Tribute by Katharine Hepburn
as Self (archive footage)In this tribute to her frequent co-star and longtime love, Katharine Hepburn hosts a...
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Love Crazy
as Steve IrelandCircumstance, an old flame and a mother-in-law drive a happily married couple to the verge of...
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Song of the Thin Man
as Nick CharlesSociety sleuths Nick and Nora Charles investigate a murder in a jazz club.
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The Kennel Murder Case
as Philo VancePhilo Vance, accompanied by his prize-losing Scottish terrier, investigates the locked-room...
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I Love You Again
as Larry Wilson aka George CareyBoring businessman Larry Wilson recovers from amnesia and discovers he's really a con man...and...
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The Road to Singapore
as Hugh DawltryA woman's life falls to pieces when she's caught cheating on her husband.
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The Great Gatsby
as George WilsonNick Carraway, a young Midwesterner now living on Long Island, finds himself fascinated by the...
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James Stewart: A Wonderful Life
as Self (archive footage)Documentary about James Stewart's long career as an actor and positive personal life.
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The Last of Mrs. Cheyney
as CharlesA chic American jewel thief falls in love with one of her marks, an English lord.
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A New Romance of Celluloid: The Miracle of Sound
as SelfThis short documentary, presented and directed by MGM sound engineer Douglas Shearer, goes...
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That's Entertainment, Part II
as (archive footage)Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire present more golden moments from the MGM film library, this time...
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The Ex-Mrs. Bradford
as Dr. Lawrence 'Brad' BradfordA doctor is driven into an investigation of sinister goings-on at a horse race track by his...
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One Way Passage
as Dan HardestyA terminally ill woman and a debonair murderer facing execution meet and fall in love on a...
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The Youngest Profession
as William PowellJoan Lyons and her friend Patricia Drew are autograph hounds spending most of their day bumping...
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Crossroads
as David Talbot aka Jean PelletierA French diplomat who's recovered from amnesia is blackmailed over crimes he can't remember.
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Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid
as Mr. PeabodyAs told to a psychiatrist: Mr. Peabody, a middle-aged Bostonian on vacation with his wife in the...
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Street of Chance
as John D. Marsden / 'Natural' Davis'Natural' Davis (William Powell) is a respected gambler who follows a ruthless code of honor...
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The Canary Murder Case
as Philo VanceA beautiful showgirl, name "the Canary" is a scheming nightclub singer. Blackmailing is her game...
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Lawyer Man
as Anton AdamIdealistic attorney Anton Adam makes headlines when he successfully prosecutes a prominent New...
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Man of the World
as Michael TrevorA young American girl visits Paris accompanied by her fiancee and her wealthy uncle. There she...
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Star of Midnight
as Clay DalzellWhen a dancer disappears from a theater, Clay Dalzell is asked to investigate, leading him on a...
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Private Detective 62
as Donald FreeA former government agent in France, who has failed at an assignment and been disavowed, is...
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It's a Big Country
as ProfessorComprised of eight unrelated episodes of inconsistent quality, this anthology piece of American...
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The Girl Who Had Everything
as Steve LatimerAttorney's daughter falls for one of his gangster clients.
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Take One False Step
as Andrew GentlingCatherine Sykes disappears after a midnight drive with Professor Andrew Gentling . When she's...
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The Great Morgan
as William Powell (voice) (uncredited)Frank Morgan is hired to put together a movie using odds and ends from the MGM vaults. He does...
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High Pressure
as Gar EvansGar Evans is a con artist, who pretends to be the owner of a "Golden Gate Artificial Rubber...
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La Fiesta de Santa Barbara
as SelfLa Fiesta de Santa Barbara is a 1935 American comedy short film directed by Louis Lewyn. It was...
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Rendezvous
as Lt. William 'Bill' Gordon / Anson MeridanA decoding expert tangles with enemy spies.
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The Baroness and the Butler
as Johann PorokA Butler gets elected to the Hungarian parliament where he opposes his master's government.
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Hollywood: Style Center of the World
as SelfThis short promotes the premise that movies often create a demand for the fashions seen in them....
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Forgotten Faces
as FroggyA petty thief (Clive Brook) just robs the very rich at speakeasies, and gets away with it...
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Harlow: The Blonde Bombshell
as Self (archive footage)Actress Sharon Stone hosts this documentary about the life and career of 1930s sex symbol Jean...
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Jewel Robbery
as The RobberA gentleman thief charms a Viennese baron's wife and also conducts a daring daylight robbery of...
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Aloma of the South Seas
as Van TempletonA young South Seas native boy is sent to the U.S. for his education. He returns to his island...
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Twenty Years After
as (archive footage)This short celebrates the 20th anniversary of MGM. Segments are shown from several early hits,...
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Evelyn Prentice
as John PrenticeA criminal lawyer's wife is blackmailed when she is falsely accused of infidelity.
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The Senator Was Indiscreet
as Senator Melvin G. AshtonA bumbling, long-winded and crooked Southern senator, considered by some as a dark horse for the...
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For the Defense
as William FosterWilliam Foster is a slick attorney who stays within the law, but specializes in representing...
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Reckless
as Ned RileyA theatrical star, born on the wrong side of the tracks, marries a drunken blue-blood millionaire.
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The Romance of Celluloid
as Self (archive footage)Several behind the scenes aspects of the movie-making business, which results in the enjoyment...
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Too Many Kisses
as Don JulioWanting his son to get away from his many girlfriends and buckle down to work, the New York...
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The Four Feathers
as Capt. William TrenchAn Englishman (Richard Arlen) fights in the Sudan after receiving white feathers of cowardice...
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Paramount on Parade
as Philo VanceThis 1930 film, a collection of songs and sketches showcasing Paramount Studios' contract stars,...
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The Treasure of Lost Canyon
as Homer 'Doc' BrownYoung David, orphaned en route to California, falls into the hands of medicine-show rascal...
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Partners in Crime
as SmithAfter being dismissed for imitating his boss's voice on radio, former Assistant District...
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Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
as Self (archive footage)Period music, film clips and newsreel footage combined into a visual exploration of the American...
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Sherlock Holmes
as Forman WellsSherlock Holmes is a master at solving the most impenetrable mysteries, but he has his work cut...
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The Emperor's Candlesticks
as Baron Stephan WolenskySpies on opposite sides fall in love in pre-revolutionary Russia.
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Nevada
as Clan DillonA once notorious gunfighter takes a respectable job on a ranch. "Nevada" is charged with...
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Paid to Love
as Prince EricAn American banker goes to a small Balkan country looking to invest his bank's money and shore...
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Interference
as Philip VoazeParamount's first all-talking picture, Interference was dismally directed by Roy Pomeroy, whose...
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The Benson Murder Case
as Philo VanceA ruthless, crooked stockbroker is murdered at his luxurious country estate, and detective Philo...
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The Bright Shawl
as Gaspar De VacaCharles Abbott is implicated in the death of his friend Escobar, brother to the woman he loves.
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Shadow of the Law
as Jim Montgomery aka John NelsonJohn Nelson, a well-to-do businessman, is escorting a woman he knows as Ethel Barry to the door...
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Myrna Loy: So Nice to Come Home To
as (archive footage)This tribute to Myrna Loy is organized chronologically with a few photographs, many film clips,...
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The Greene Murder Case
as Philo VancePhilo Vance investigates when a murderer preys upon members of a wealthy family on New York's...
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William Powell: A True Gentleman
as uncreditedA short documentary about William Powell.
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Dancing in the Dark
as Emery SladeEmery Slade was one of the brightest stars in Hollywood in 1932, but by 1949 his career has hit...
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Beau Sabreur
as BecqueThe film is about a desert-bound member of the French Foreign Legion who exposes a betrayer to...
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Hollywood: The Selznick Years
as Jim Wade (archive footage) (uncredited)Henry Fonda hosts this retrospective on the career and films of iconic filmmaker David O....
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Feel My Pulse
as Her NemesisA rich but hypochondriac heiress inherits a sanitarium. What she doesn't know is that it is a...
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Beau Geste
as BoldiniMichael "Beau" Geste leaves England in disgrace and joins the infamous French Foreign Legion. He...
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The Runaway
as Jack HarrisonA movie actress, mistakenly thinking she has killed a fellow actor, goes on the run and finds...
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It's Showtime
as Self (archive footage)A collection of film clips profiling animal actors.
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The Drag Net
as Dapper Frank TrentA 1928 silent film crime drama produced by Famous Players-Lasky and distributed by Paramount...
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The Beautiful City
as Nick Di SilvaFor their mother's sake, a man takes the blame for a robbery committed by his brother and his...
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Tin Gods
as Tony SantelliTin Gods is a lost 1926 silent film drama produced by Famous Players-Lasky, released by...
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Romola
as Tito MelemaIn Renaissance Florence, a Florentine trader meets a shipwrecked stranger, who introduces...
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Behind the Make-Up
as GardoniGardoni, a down-on-his-luck vaudeville performer, is taken in by a fellow performer, a clown who...
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Special Delivery
as Harold JonesThe second and last of Eddie Cantor's silent vehicles, Special Delivery casts the wide-eyed...
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The Big Parade of Comedy
as Nick Charles (archive footage)Film clips highlight the funniest scenes and brightest comic stars in MGM's history.
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The Key
as Capt. Bill TennantA British officer stationed in Ireland falls for the wife of an intelligence man.
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Cinecittà Babilonia: Sex, Drugs and Black Shirts
as Self - Actor (archive footage)The story of Italian cinema under Fascism, a sophisticated film industry built around the...
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Sea Horses
as Lorenzo SalviaSea Horses is a 1926 American drama silent film directed by Allan Dwan and written by Becky...
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Pointed Heels
as Robert CourtlandFay Wray plays a beautiful showgirl who falls for a rich Park Avenue guy played by Phillips...
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Under the Red Robe
as Duke of OrleansA young man is tasked by the powerful Cardinal Richelieu to capture one of the cardinal's...
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When Knighthood Was in Flower
as Francis IMary Tudor falls in love with a new arrival to court, Charles Brandon. She convinces her brother...
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Going Hollywood: The '30s
as (archive footage)Robert Preston hosts this documentary that shows what people of the 1930s were watching as they...
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Charming Sinners
as Karl KraleyCharming Sinners was a stilted adaptation of Somerset Maugham's play The Constant Wife. Robert...
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White Mice
as Roddy ForresterRoddy Forrester has formed the White Mice club with a pal. The purpose of the club is to help...
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Dangerous Money
as Prince Arnoldo da PesciaBoardinghouse servant Adele Clark is unexpectedly awarded the ownership of a certain piece of...
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The Hoodlum Saint
as Terence Ellerton 'Terry' O'NeillA former reporter comes back home after serving in the army during World War I and finds that...
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The Vanishing Pioneer
as John MurdockA western settlement of pioneer descendants is threatened with the loss of its water supply...
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Desert Gold
as Snake LandreeDesert Gold is a 1926 silent American Western film directed by George B. Seitz. According to...
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She's a Sheik
as KadaThe daughter of a desert chief kidnaps a member of the French Foreign Legion in the hopes of...
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Love's Greatest Mistake
as Don KendallLove's Greatest Mistake is a 1927 American silent drama film directed by A. Edward Sutherland...
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Faint Perfume
as Barnaby PowersAfter a stormy six year marriage, Barnaby Powers divorces his wife Richmiel. She returns home,...
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Outcast
as DeValleA down-on-her luck streetwalker is ultimately redeemed by the love of a decent man.
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Time to Love
as Prince AladoAlfred Sava-Goiu, who, after being dumped by his sweetheart, philosophically decides to end it...
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My Lady's Lips
as Scott SeldonA newspaper publisher finds out that his wild daughter has fallen in with a ring of gamblers. A...
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New York
as Trent ReganA product of the Bowery, Trent Regan grows up to become a powerful gangster. Regan's girlfriend...
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