John Loder – MRQE

Love, Live and Laugh

Sun, 31 Aug 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Any movie that starts Jewish entertainer George Jessel as an Italian accordionist named Luigi can’t be all bad. In love with the beautiful Margharita (Lila Lee), Luigi lands a job in the music store owned by the girl’s uncle. Ultimately, however, our hero does the Pagliacci act when Margharita evinces a preference for handsome Pasquale (David Rollins). The film’s best scene takes place in a nursery full of talented tots, a sequence that undoubtedly reminded Jessel of his days with Gus Edwards’ “Schoolroom” act. Exercising his droit du seigneur, Georgie Jessel sings the title tune.

Sabotage

Fri, 19 Sep 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Karl Anton Verloc and his wife own a small cinema in a quiet London suburb where they live seemingly happily. But Mrs. Verloc does not know that her husband has a secret that will affect their relationship and threaten her teenage brother’s life.

Owd Bob

Fri, 22 Aug 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Adam McAdam is an old, dour sheepherder whose life is devoted to his faithful dog, the whiskey bottle and his daughter, Jeannie. And a conflict that arises when the other sheep-men of the district try every means within their power to have his dog, accused of being a sheep-killer, destroyed.

Jealousy

Sun, 24 Aug 2025 04:00:00 +0000

A female cabbie is suspected of killing her drunken husband.

Now, Voyager

Fri, 22 Aug 2025 04:00:00 +0000

A woman suffers a nervous breakdown and an oppressive mother before being freed by the love of a man she meets on a cruise.

Scotland Yard

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Inspector Cork pursues a bank robber who serves in the army and receives facial injuries. After plastic surgery he shows up as a bank president planning an enormous robbery.

Lilies of the Field

Sat, 23 Aug 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Mildred Harker loses custody of her child in a messy divorce settlement. Leaving her hometown in disgrace, Mildred heads to New York, where after a crash course in the school of hard knocks she joins the chorus of a Ziegfeld-like musical revue. Now a full-fledged gold-digger, she enjoys the favors of backstage johnnies and elderly sugar daddies, but finally finds true love in the form of Park Avenue socialite Ted Willing.

Katia

Thu, 04 Sep 2025 04:00:00 +0000

In the middle of the 19th century, Tsar Alexander II made the acquaintance of a young aristocratic girl from the provinces, unruly in character. He falls in love with her and tries to see her again.

The Story of Esther Costello

Tue, 26 Aug 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Eighteen-year-old Esther has been deaf and blind since the accident which killed her mother. Wealthy Margaret Landi, a native of Esther’s village in Ireland, is talked into helping to educate and possibly heal Esther. Margaret grows to love Esther as a daughter, but finds Esther’s innocence threatened by sleazy promoters and her own sleazy ex-husband. Radiant performance by Heather Sears. Based on a book that nearly had Helen Keller’s co-workers suing for libel due to perceived parallels between Carlo Landi and the husband of Annie Sullivan

Small Hotel

Fri, 22 Aug 2025 04:00:00 +0000

The dining room of the Jolly Fiddler has long been presided over by Albert, an aged but very shrewd waiter. A past master of the gentle art of fiddling, he extracts the maximum profit from his job while managing to endear himself to both the customers and staff. Then, there’s a visit from Mr Finch, who feels it’s time Albert was replaced.