Acting
Before the G, PG and R ratings system there was the Production Code, and before that there was, well, nothing. This eye-opening documentary examines the rampant sexuality of early Hollywood through movie clips and reminiscences by stars of the era. Gloria Swanson, Mary Pickford, Marlene Dietrich and others relate tales of the artistic freedom that led to the draconian Production Code, which governed content from 1934 to 1968. Diane Lane narrates.
A young woman, who wants to be in the Follies, is making ends meet by working at a department store's sheet music department, where she sings the latest hits. She is accompanied on piano by her childhood boyfriend, who is in love with her, despite her single-minded interest in her career. When a vaudeville performer asks her to join him as his new partner, she sees it as an opportunity to make her dream come true. Upon arriving in New York City, our heroine finds out that her new partner is only interested in sleeping with her and makes this a condition of making her a star. Soon, however, she is discovered by a representative of Ziegfeld.
Racketeer Frank Rocci is smitten with Joan Whelan, a dancer at Texas Guinan's famous Broadway night spot. He uses his influence to help her get a starring role in the show, hoping that it will also get Joan to fall in love with him. After scoring a hit, Joan accepts Frank's marriage proposal, more out of gratitude than love. The situation gets even stickier when she falls for a handsome band leader during a trip to Florida. Can she tell Frank she's in love with someone else?
After discovering her husband Roger has been unfaithful to her, Angela De Haven sets out to make all men pay for his deceit.
Overworked boxer Jim goes to a health ranch in New Mexico to recover where he falls in love with Peggy and her sickly son. Once recovered, Jim leaves to return to the ring. Can their romance survive the distance?
1919 American silent film starring Texas Guinan.
Betsy Shelton, an orphan since early childhood, lives in Myrtleville with her aunt, and is engaged to marry Calvin Stone, a young lawyer. Betsy's brother, Dick, ostensibly working in New York to recover the family fortune, becomes involved with one Roger Enderleigh, a shyster promoter, who because of crooked dealings, is forced to flee from the postal authorities. He induces Dick to take him to Myrtleville, where Dick introduces Enderleigh as a prosperous banker promoting a munition plant, thus swindling the townsmen.
1921 American silent film starring Texas Guinan.
As the first "blonde bombshell," Mae West reigned supreme and changed the nation's view of women, sex and race — on stage, in films, on radio and television.
Stars of Yesterday documentary film.
A ranch owner hires a young woman (Texas Guinan) to serve as foreman over a rambunctious group of cowboys.
Feature-length compilation of 1920s newsreel footage, with commentary about news, sports, lifestyles, and historical figures.
Queen of the Nightclubs Texas Guinan takes rides the range!!
Irked by the success of a brassy nightclub owner. her rivals set out to drive her out of business, and frame her for a murder in the bargain.
A saloon owner loans her lover the money to buy a house, which he has led her to believe they will live in after they're married. Instead, he takes the money and buys a saloon in another town.
Easterner Robert Wagner has been lured West by the Government's announcement of new land grants. As he prepares for the approaching land rush he make the acquaintance of Westerner Jim Henderson and his wild daughter, Tex. Tex is a true daughter of the frontier unhampered by conventions or skirts and while she finds herself smitten with Wagner, he however is hampered by his New England sensibilities and can't abide a woman that behaves as Tex does. It takes a truly grim turn of events before Tex can prove herself to this reserved New Englander.
John Bentley hates New York City, because of an unhappy romance as a young man, but his son, Ronald, tired of living in Iowa, is determined to take up residence in Manhattan. The elder Bentley therefore conspires with his New York manager, William Workman, to involve Ronald in so much trouble that he will gladly return to the sedate life of an Iowa burgher. Arriving in Manhattan, Ronald strikes up an acquaintance with Meg, a telephone operator, whose brother, Jimmy, has come under the evil influence of Jerry. Jerry and Jimmy rob a wealthy woman, and Ronald is charged with the crime on circumstantial evidence, keeping quiet in order to protect Jimmy.
A lady bandit steals from gamblers and gives to a poor family with a crippled daughter.
A stranger (Leo Willis) turns out to be a revenue agent and Texas' brother, Tom, turns him out. But when a gang of moonshiners captures the stranger, Texas takes matters into her own hands. There is a climactic shootout between the moonshiners and the "revenoo" agents, during which Texas is wounded. When the smoke settles, the agent proposes to his guardian angel and she accepts. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2011.
Texas Guinan is having her cattle rustled, so she head into town to hire a night rider. While her one employee is checking out Pat Hartigan, she overhears someone say she needs a husband to manage the ranch. So she pulls out a gun, orders the new preacher over, and marries him at gunpoint, which he doesn't object to. When Hartigan comes over, she opines she's married the wrong man, but facts are facts.
