They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969)

The title of this disturbing film is taken directly from the 1935 novel; Jane Fonda's character Gloria, is a young, jobless, depression-era woman who at times just wants to be shot and put out of her misery.

Her character travels to Hollywood, leaving behind a miserable life and hoping to become an actress.

Struggling for work, she ends up entering a dance marathon with her new friend Robert, who is also struggling to find work in Hollywood.

I didn't know this, but during the depression, dance marathons were a craze, where people would dance hour-after-hour for a cash reward.

The marathon portrayed in the film is a fictional one, and goes on for several weeks. Every night there is an elimination race in which the couples speed-walk around a track, and the last-place couple is eliminated. The ruthless promoters generate sleazy publicity stunts as the contestants become increasingly exhausted physically and emotionally. People die in this movie that you don't want to see die.

Fonda's desperate character is one you want to root for, but she becomes increasingly disenchanted as she's trapped with the others in the claustrophobic dance hall.

This was Fonda's first breakthrough movie, and she was nominated for her first Oscar. Gig Young won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as the sadistic master of ceremonies, which in my opinion is one of the most heartless and cruel characters ever.

Depressing ending.

Directed by Sydney Pollack. Co-starring Michael Sarrazin, Susannah York, and Red Buttons, who is great and was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor.

Read Roderick's great post on this movie.

Dead End (1937)

Great cast and performances. Based on the play by Lillian Hellman, who also wrote the screenplay. Takes place in a slum neighborhood in New York. First, we're introduced to a gang of hoodlums. This group of actors appeared again in some other pictures, so they were dubbed, "The Dead End Kids". Silvia Sidney plays the sister of one of them; she's struggling to keep food on the table for herself and the kid. Her political activism and her brother's delinquency causes her endless stress. She vents to her friend Joel McCrea, a former gang member who is now a struggling architect, looking for work and waiting for his big break. In comes Humphrey Bogart, also a former "Dead End" kid, now wanted by the law. His character - Baby Face Martin - has plastic surgery and becomes unrecognizable. He hangs around the neighborhood and tries to reconcile with his mother (played by Marjorie Main) - who wants nothing to do with him - and his ex-girlfriend played by Claire Trevor, now a sick and broke prostitute. Ms. Trevor's one 5-minute scene with Bogart was so powerful and memorable with audiences that she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Feeling completely depressed and rejected, Bogart attempts to kidnap of the neighborhood rich kids for ransom, but is shot down at the end, which provides' the film moral lesson, which McCrea explains to one of the kids - stay off the streets. The Dead End Kids steal this movie with every scene they are in. Silvia Sidney is very powerful and moving as well, and also deserving of a nomination. Bogart is perfect as the gangster. Silvia Sidney gets top billing, though. Bogart had not yet made his mark. Produced by Samuel Goldwyn and directed by William Wyler. Ward Bond plays one of the cops.

Read More about the Dead End Kids from the blog FilmFiles.

Dawn has written a great review of this movie on her blog.

The Taxi Boys (1930s comedy shorts)

"The Taxi Boys" was a series of comedy shorts from the 1930s, produced by Hal Roach, who also did "Laurel and Hardy". (The music from L & H is even reused for this series). The taxi boys are two bumbling taxi drivers who bumble and stumble across crazy situations. One is a portly fellow, like Hardy, and the other is a manic, impish fellow who is the leader of the two. The duo never became famous; there were only a handful of these shorts made. And they are not very funny. Aaron's blog The Third Banana recently featured a good post on the Taxi Boys.

Dames (1934)

Regular Busby Berkeley cast members Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler star.

It features some good songs and musical numbers, most notably "I Only Have Eyes For You", which comes at the very end.

The film takes a long time to get going.

The silly plot about a millionaire's inheritance and a theater troupe isn't very remarkable.

Not one of Busby Berkeley's best, in my opinion; not as good as "Gold Diggers of 1933" and "Footlight Parade".

About the cast:

Ruby Keeler (1910-1993) often was paired with Dick Powell in Warner Bros musicals in the 1930s. She was married to legendary singer Al Jolsen. She retired from acting in the 1940s but returned to Broadway in 1971. Her most famous roles were in "42nd Street" and "Gold Diggers of 1933".

Dick Powell (1904-1963)was a fresh-faced and energetic star in many comedies and musicals in the 1930s and 40s. Most notably in many of Busby Berkeley's films, as well as "Christmas in July" and "Bad and the Beautiful". He died of lymphoma in 1963 at the age of 58.

Joan Blondell (1906-1979) was a character actress who played wisecracking blondes in many films of the 1930s, providing comedy relief in "The Public Enemy" and "The Perfect Specimen". Her most famous role perhaps was in "The Gold Diggers of 1933" with her scene-stealing performance. She was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in "The Blue Veil" (1951) which starred Jane Wyman.