Early Boris

 (imdb)

THE PUBLIC DEFENDER-1931-Rich playboy Pike Winslow (Richard Dix) is actually the mysterious crime fighter The Reckoner who investigates a group of corrupt businessmen who framed their partner, the father of Pike's childhood sweetheart Barbara (Shirley Grey; later in THE MYSTERY OF THE MARY CELESTE). He's assisted by the erudite Professor (Boris Karloff) and big lug Doc (Paul Hurst). They meticulously plan each attack they make on the bad guys looking for evidence to clear the wronged man. 

THE PUBLIC DEFENDER seems similar to "The Shadow", also created in 1931 and may have been an influence on the creation of Batman (although that was 8 years away). 

Star Dix was an Academy Award nominated best actor in 1931 (for the western CIMARRON, the first movie to win the best picture Oscar). Karloff was just a few months away from playing the monster in FRANKENSTEIN. Interesting ahead of its time crime drama directed by J. Walter Ruben. 

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Back To Silents

SOULS FOR SALE-1923-"Moving picture" about a young woman Mem (Eleanor Boardman) who escapes her unhappy marriage to a murderous con-man by jumping off a train. She wanders around aimlessly but is rescued by an actor named Kolby (Frank Mayo) dressed as a sheikh when she passes out on a movie shoot. He takes a shine to her but a famous director Frank Claymore (Richard Dix) takes Mem under his wing and uses her in his epic circus tale when his famous star is injured. Mem is plagued by uncertainty about her talent to replace a big star but succeeds despite religiously bent parents who hate Hollywood and the return of her no good husband. The climax features hubby trying to kill the director with a giant wind machine while a fire rages on the circus set. 

SOULS FOR SALE is a kind of standard poor girl makes good love story drama with a guessable twist and good acting and production but what makes it a standout is the 'film within a film" setting where many silent screen stars and directors appear as themselves including Erich Von Stroheim directing a scene from GREED! Mae Busch, Snitz Edwards and William Haines are also in it. Star Boardman was very popular at the time (she made her last film in 1935) and starred in King Vidor's THE CROWD and TELL IT TO THE MARINES with Lon Chaney. 

Director/screen adapter Rupert Hughes was the uncle of Howard Hughes...

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