Allure

Sunday, May 01, 2011

Helen Mack

Helen Mack was born November 12, 1913 in Rock Island, Illinois. At age seven she was enrolled at the Professional Children's School in New York City. She appeared on Broadway, in vaudeville and in five silent films beginning at age ten, her first being Ralph Ince's Success, (1923) featuring Mary Astor. Her first talkie saw her in a small role in D. W. Griffith's last film The Struggle (1931). Her Fox Film screen test came in March 1931 and within three weeks she was making films. Her debut as a leading lady was opposite Victor McLaglen in While Paris Sleeps (1932). Helen played in several westerns in the early 1930s, including Fargo Express (1933) with Ken Maynard, and The California Trail with Buck Jones. Helen may be best remembered for the 1933 movie sequel The Son of Kong, and also played an important role as Tanya in Merian C. Cooper's production of H. Rider Haggard's She (1935). Helen made over twenty films from the mid to late 30's including The Lemon Drop Kid (1934) opposite Lee Tracy, as the female lead in The Return of Peter Grimm (1935), starring Lionel Barrymore, Harold Lloyd's The Milky Way (1936), King of the Newsboys (1938) with Lew Ayres, and she closed out the decade with Calling All Marines (1939). Helen made six films between 1940 and 1945, including His Girl Friday and Girls of the Road, both in 1940.

In the 1940's and 1950's, Helen worked as a producer and director of radio programs including the series Richard Diamond, Private Detective, and The Saint. With the advent of TV Helen wrote and produced episodes for a number of programs.

Helen died in California Aug. 13, 1986.

Double click on the images for a larger view.

Publicity stills for While Paris Sleeps.

Publicity still for The California Trail.

The California Trial poster image.

Publicity still for Melody Cruise. (1933)

Blind Adventure (1933) publicity still.

Blind Adventure frame captures.

Fargo Express poster image.

Fargo Express frame captures.

Son of Kong poster image.

Son of Kong publicity stills.

All Of Me (1934) lobby card image.

All Of Me publicity stills.

Kiss and Make Up (1934) publicity still. The film stars Cary Grant.

Four Hours To Kill (1934) publicity still.

Paramount publicity still - 1934.

The Lemon Drop Kid lobby card image.

She publicity still.

She frame captures.

The Return of Peter Grimm publicity still.

Fit For A King (1937) poster image.

Fit For A King frame captures.

King of the Newsboys frame captures.

Gambling Ship (1938) lobby card image.

Girls Of The Road poster image.

Girls Of The Road frame captures.

Helen Mack - What do you think - Allure?

Sunday, April 03, 2011

Leila Hyams

Born in New York on May 1, 1905, to vaudeville comedy performers John Hyams and Leila McIntyre, Leila appeared on-stage with her parents while still a child. As a teenager she worked as a model and became well known across the United States after appearing in a successful series of newspaper advertisements. This success led her to Hollywood.

She made her first film, Sandra, in 1924, and thirteen more supporting roles followed, and her looks and general professionalism led her to be taken seriously as an actress. By 1928 she was playing starring roles, achieving success in MGM's first talkie, Alias Jimmy Valentine (1928) opposite William Haines, Lionel Barrymore and Karl Dane. The following year she appeared as the female lead opposite Conrad Nagel in Tod Browning's The Thirteenth Chair, a role that offered her the chance to display her dramatic abilities as a murder suspect. The quality of her parts continued to improve as the decade turned, including a role as Robert Montgomery's sister in the prison drama The Big House (1930) with Chester Morris and Wallace Beery, for which Hyams once again received positive reviews. She also appeared earlier that year in The Bishop Murder Case starring Basil Rathbone.

Although she succeeded in films that required her to play pretty ingenues and developed into a capable dramatic actress in 1930's crime melodramas, she is perhaps best remembered for two early 1930's unique classics, working for Tod Browning again as the tough but vulnerable circus performer Venus in Freaks (1932), and as the heroine in Island of Lost Souls (1932). Leila was the original choice to play Jane in Tarzan the Ape Man (1932), but turned it down. The role was ultimately played by Maureen O'Sullivan.

She also appeared in the Jean Harlow film Red-Headed Woman (1932), the musical comedy The Big Broadcast (1932) with Bing Crosby, George Burns and Gracie Allen, and was praised for her comedic performance in Ruggles of Red Gap (1935) opposite Charles Laughton and Charlie Ruggles.

After twelve years and 52 films, Leila retired from acting in 1936 to concentrate on raising a family, but remained part of the Hollywood community. She was married to the agent Phil Berg from 1927 until her death on December 4, 1977.

Click on the images for a larger view.

Ad in a British Newspaper for Alias Jimmy Valentine, MGM's first talkie.

Publicity still for The Bishop Murder Case.

Frame captures from The Bishop Murder Case.

Frame captures from The Big House.

Leila got the role in the 1930 film Way For A Sailor when Edna Best fled Hollywood for the safety of London.

New Movie Magazine - June 1931

Screen Romances Album -1931

Movie Mirror - February1932
For the film Surrender.

Undated publicity still.

Frame captures from Freaks.

Freaks publicity still.

Freaks publicity still.

Photoplay - March 1932

New Movie Magazine - May 1932
Part of a summer fashion spread

New Movie Magazine - May 1932

Frame captures from Island of Lost Souls.

Frame captures from Red-Headed Woman.

Undated publicity still.

Undated publicity still.

Undated publicity still.

Leila Hyams - What do you think - Allure?

Monday, March 14, 2011

Covers, Touched And Untouched.

Here are some more wonderful covers from film magazines of the 20's and 30's. When I get these magazines, they often show their age with stains, tears, creases, fading, etc. I always clean them up before posting, as I have done here. However, I have left (for now) the June 1931 New Movie Magazine cover unretouched so you can see what I see before it goes under my Photoshop knife. To make up for the cover, I have included a number of inside pages, including a spread on swimwear our female readers may want to consider for this summer. Enjoy.

Click on the images for a larger view.

Marion Davies
Motion Picture Classic - February 1926
This issue is tabloid size. By the 1930's the publication was standard size.
Cover Artist: Leo Kober (1878-1931)