The Warner Archive Collection is committed to bringing classics and forgotten favorites from all eras of Hollywood to DVD and Blu-ray. Here are ten recent Archive releases that you may have missed!
Shortly after World War II, the isolated Southwest town of Black Rock received its first outside visitor in many a year–one-armed veteran John Macreedy (Spencer Tracy). Quiet about his agenda, he’s received with suspicion by the unusually jumpy locals…and when his few innocuous questions scrape at the community’s shared, dark secret, he may not live to catch the train out. John Sturges’ compelling drama also stars Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine, Robert Ryan, Walter Brennan, Anne Francis.
Young diplomat Barry Corvall (Joel McCrea) was warned by friends and family about Brenda Ballard (Brenda Marshall), the gorgeous refugee he helped gain passage out of Morocco…but the smitten envoy married her anyway. Once she tearfully reveals she’s been compromised by the Germans, his career’s through…but that doesn’t keep him from launching a one-man campaign to break the Nazi spy network. Spearheading thriller also stars Jeffrey Lynn, George Bancroft, James Stephenson.
When young architect Virginia Travis (Miriam Hopkins) agreed to partner with eccentric entrepreneur B.J. Nolan (Charles Winninger) on a housing project, she didn’t realize that the pursestrings were actually held by his sensible son Kenneth (Joel McCrea). Will she be able to wheedle the needed funds out of him before Ken’s gold-digging fiancée (Leona Maricle) locks her claws in? Overlooked Goldwyn screwballer also stars Broderick Crawford, Erik Rhodes, Ella Logan, Charles Halton.
Missouri manicurist Rosie Sturges (Joan Blondell) shouldn’t have stepped out behind the back of her gangster boyfriend (Robert Armstrong)…and she really shouldn’t have let her date steal her engagement ring. Beating it out of town with best friend Marie Callahan (Glenda Farrell)–disguised as Girl Scouts–the ladies hop an ocean liner out of New York, but find that their problems are far from behind them. Fun Blondell-Farrell outing also stars Hugh Herbert, Osgood Perkins, Hobart Cavanaugh.
Small-town reporter Bruce Foster (Tom Brown) thought his coverage of a local banker’s murder would be a career maker. All it did was bring a swarm of Manhattan muckrakers all too eager to smell an affair between the victim’s pregnant widow (Vivienne Osborne) and a longtime friend (Leon Ames)–and an angry Foster is determined to set the record straight, and flush out the real killer. Effective pre-Code crime story co-stars Joan Blondell, Grant Mitchell, Adrienne Dore, Kenneth Thomson.
Returning home from abroad penniless–yet again–charming aristocrat Willie Hale (Ronald Colman) decides to give the London social scene another whirl. It doesn’t take long until gorgeous socialite Dorothy Hope (Loretta Young) is under his spell, and she dumps the Russian noble (Paul Cavanagh) she’s engaged to. Will Willie do the right thing when her furious dad (David Torrence) disinherits her? Amiable pre-Code farce co-stars Myrna Loy, Frederick Kerr, Florence Britton.
After stealing a kiss from the boss’s daughter (Betty Furness) nets him a pink slip, unflappable young adman Pat Patton (Robert Young) sets up his own consultancy, offering to tackle dicey situations his clientele can’t face. Unfortunately, the first big contract comes from a financier (Ralph Morgan) who wants his estranged daughter (Madge Evans) kept at arm’s length…and Pat manages to fall for her. Agreeable screwball effort co-stars Nat Pendleton, Raymond Hatton, Herman Bing.
Having distinguished themselves in the European skies during World War I, Army pilots Gibson (Richard Dix), Woody (Robert Armstrong), and Red (Joel McCrea) found less than warm homecomings after the peace. Heading to Hollywood to try their luck as stunt flyers, they run afoul of a dictatorial director (Erich von Stroheim) who doesn’t care how he gets a good shot…and who may do to them what the Kaiser’s fleet couldn’t. Effective aerial action-drama co-stars Mary Astor, Hugh Herbert, Dorothy Jordan.
Fresh off his success as “Bulldog Drummond,” Ronald Colman starred in this engaging adventure as young Gallic thief Michel, who is facing a punishing stretch on Devil’s Island. After securing trust, and a valet’s job, from the prison warden (Dudley Digges), Michel develops an attraction for his keeper’s beautiful wife (Ann Harding). Louis Wolheim, William Elmer co-star; based on the novel “Condemned to Devil’s Island” by Blair Niles.
Disgraced gunnery officer Rick Leland (Humphrey Bogart) was looking for any army that would have him when he booked passage on a Panama-bound Japanese freighter…or so he said. The seemingly embittered soldier, however, is on a mission to flush out enemy saboteurs…if he can survive the doublecross-laden journey. Gripping flag-waver that reunited Bogey with fellow “Maltese Falcon” principals Mary Astor and Sydney Greenstreet, and director John Huston, co-stars Victor Sen Yung.
Which of these are you looking forward to checking out?