Golden Age of B Movies

by Doug McClelland

Detailed volume about Hollywood's heyday, the Golden Age and their quickly made, cheaply produced but popular little films. With an introduction by the Queen of B's, Evelyn Ankers. Large volume of black and white photos of the films, the stars and the time period of the films through the years. Just to name a Charlie Chan at the Wax museum, Among the Living, The Mad Ghoul, The Mummy's Hand, The Pearl of Death and many more.

Genres: Film

Paperback

First published December 12, 1988

Reviews

[Joel Robert Ballard · Rating 4 out of 5]

"During the 1940's, the last decade of the the screen's Golden Age, when wartime escape seekers helped to raise movie attendance to an all time high, the "B" movie reached full bloom as both a business and an entertainment . . . The major studios found their low-budget productions a good way to groom new talent, and many future "A" stars got their start in "B" movies."

Evelyn Ankers the "Queen of Scream"

Calling to mind the backstories and career paths of the many legendary film stars that Hollywood studios shaped, enhanced, promoted, and sometimes ruined, THE GOLDEN AGE OF 'B' MOVIES provides an intrepid insight by its author Doug McClelland; one that penetrates the callus business interests of struggling actors, writers, directors, and all those trying to make name in the industry and spotlights the raw talent ready to blossom. Not always agreeing with the critics of the day, McClelland makes splendid arguments for the value on these "B" movies.

". . . It became expedient to produce quickly made, cheap, and simple "co-features" for the big drawing Clark Gable or Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers attractions, generally sans big-name stars and short running times (usually about an hour). These were sometimes referred to as "program fillers" or "programers." The "B" designation might have stood for "bred and butter" or possibly "block booking" the term describing the method by which the the major studios coerced theaters to accept their total output . . ."

Among the selection of nearly 50 films, here are but a dozen of some of the more recognizable names. Most titles can easily be found & watched, and in many cases despite the merits of the film itself, it was the performances that sent these actors into film history. Published in 1978, it's a book that will make a nice addition to any film enthusiast's collection

Lon Chaney Jr. and Evelyn Ankers, THE WOLF MAN (1941)

Albert Dekker & Susan Hayward AMONG THE LIVING (1941)

Evelyn Keyes & Peter Lorre FACE BEHIND THE MASK (1941)


Sharyn Moffett & Grey Shadow MY PAL WOLF (1944)

Anthony Quinn BLACK GOLD (1947)

Stan Laurel & Oliver Hardy THE BIG NOISE (1944)


Sidney Toler CHARLIE CHAN AT THE WAX MUSEUM (1940)

Frank Morgan & Keenan Wynn THE COCKEYED MIRACLE (1946)

Nigel Bruce & Basil Rathbone THE PEARL OF DEATH (1944)

Burgess Meredith & Barry Fitzgerald SAN FRANCISCO DOCKS (1941)

Phyllis Thaxter BEWITCHED (1945)

Virginia Grey, Red Skelton, Conrad Veidt & Ann Rutherford WHISTLING IN THE DARK (1941)

[Ronald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fifty movies, most in black and white, are reviewed, with illustrations. Some of their original reviews are included. Some are from film series The author gives his reasons for including the ones in this book. Some of these films have been "rescued" from obscurity and deserve another look see..One that I had seen but forgotten how good it was is "The Face Behind the Mask."

[John Albers · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun book to read.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can't understand the low ratings here, I think the introduction,
"The B and I" by Evelyn Ankers is worth 3 stars on it's own. She
was a beautiful British actress who came along just in time to
be a vital part of the B movie's golden age. She is well
represented in this book with several movies ("The Mad Ghoul",
"The Wolf Man", "The Pearl of Death" among others) and she has
some lively stories to tell about her fellow performers (some she
liked, some she didn't).
The main body of the book is devoted to 50 of the author's favourite
Bs. From the top drawer ("The Biscuit Eater", "Among the Living",
"The Wolfman"), to the basement ("Good Morning Judge", "The Big
Noise") to everything in between. All the studios are represented
- MGM ("Eyes in the Night"), Universal ("The Mummy's Hand"), RKO
("The Falcon and the Co-eds"), Warners ("The Body Disappears"),
Columbia ("Crime Doctor's Manhunt"), even lowly PRC ("The Mask of
Diijon") among others. Where would a book on B movies be without
"Detour" and even in the 1970s (which is when this book was
published) they were calling "So Dark the Night" the best B ever
made.
The movies are in alphabetical order and the cast and credits are
extremely detailed. You won't be wondering who had the part of the
stage manager in "The Body Disappears" - you will see plainly that
it is Eddie Kane!! I enjoyed reading about a couple of my favourite
Bs - "Nine Girls" featuring a roster of up and coming Columbia
actresses and "Reveille With Beverly" with a dazzling Ann Miller.
And I was also pleased to see that I am not alone in thinking
Sharyn Moffat easily outshone Margaret O'Brien as one of the best
child actresses of the 1940s.