This week’s mystery movie has been the 1933 Warner Bros. film “The Silk Express,” with Neil Hamilton, Sheila Terry, Arthur Byron, Guy Kibbee, Dudley Digges, Arthur Hohl, Allen Jenkins, Harold Huber, George Pat Collins, Robert Barrat, Vernon Steele and Ivan Simpson. The screenplay was by Houston Branch and Ben Markson, based on a story by Houston Branch, with art direction by Esdras Hartley, photography by Tony Gaudio, gowns by Orry-Kelly and dialogue direction by Stanley Logan. The film was directed by Ray Enright.
The DVD is available from Warner Archive for $12.59.
“The Silk Express” opened July 6, 1933, in Los Angeles at the Warner Bros. Hollywood and Downtown theaters, replacing “The Mayor of Hell,” which also featured many of the Warner Bros. players, including Allen Jenkins, Dudley Digges, Sheila Terry, Harold Huber, George Pat Collins and Fred “Snowflake” Toones.
“Silk Express” was billed with Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle’s last film, the Vitaphone short “How’ve You Bean.”
Writing in the New York Times (June 28, 1933), Mordaunt Hall said:
Having the action of a pictorial melodrama occur on board a railway train affords a certain fascination. The first of such stories was the Soviet film, “The China Express,” which was followed by the Hollywood offering “Shanghai Express,” and then recently there was the British production, “Rome Express.” The latest contribution of this type is the Warner Brothers picture, “The Silk Express,” which is now at the Mayfair.
Although some of the scenes of the current work are not laid in train coaches, most of them are. It is a good robust thriller, with two murders, well-sustained suspense, a vein of amusement and a dash of romance. Among the efficient performers are Guy Kibbee, Arthur Byron, Dudley Digges, Arthur Hohl, Ivan Simpson, Alien Jenkins, Neil Hamilton and Sheila Terry.
The film was apparently not reviewed by the Los Angeles Times.
For Monday, we have a mystery gent.
Update: This is Fred “Snowflake” Toones.
And for Tuesday, we have this mystery official. I have cropped out our leading man, who will make his appearance later in the week.
Update: This is Guy Usher.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Monday’s mystery chef), Dan Nather (mystery movie and Monday’s mystery chef), Robert Morrissey (Monday’s mystery chef), Sheila (Monday’s mystery chef), Don Danard (Monday’s mystery chef), Chrisbo (Monday’s mystery chef), Howard Mandelbaum (Monday’s mystery chef) and Tucson Barbara (Monday’s mystery chef, wrong movie).
For Wednesday, we have a mystery woman and her mystery companion.
Update: This is Sheila Terry and Dudley Digges.
Brain Trust roll call: Dan Nather (Tuesday’s mystery official).
For Thursday, we have this mystery gent….
Update: This is Robert Barrat.
… Monday’s mystery guest with a familiar companion…
Update: This is Allen Jenkins and Fred “Snowflake” Toones.
… and this familiar fellow.
Update: This is Harold Huber.
Brain Trust roll call: Sheila (Wednesday’s mystery guests/wrong movie), Chrisbo (Wednesday’s mystery gent), Mike Hawks (mystery movie and mystery guests), Lee Ann, Megan and Thom (mystery movie and mystery guests) and Dan Nather (Wednesday’s mystery guests).
For Friday, we have our no-nonsense leading man.
Update: This is Neil Hamilton, who played Commissioner Gordon in the “Batman” TV series.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Wednesday’s mystery woman, Thursday’s mystery gents/wrong movie), Sheila (Thursday’s mystery gents), Laura C. (Thursday’s familiar fellow), Chrisbo (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery gents), Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mystery gents), Don Danard (Thursday’s mystery gents), Dewey Webb (Thursday’s bespectacled mystery gent), Howard Mandelbaum (Thursday’s mystery guests), Dan Nather (Thursday’s mystery gents) and Lee Ann, Megan and Thom (Thursday’s mystery gents)
Fred “Snowflake” Toones.
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That’s Fred “Snowflake” Toones in an excellent Warner pre-code thriller, THE SILK EXPRESS (1933)!
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Finally, one that I actually can NAME!! 🙂 That is Fred Toones, also known as “Snowflake.” I first became aware of him from one of my favorite Christmas films, and also one of my favorite Barbara Stanwyck performances: Remember the Night (1940). He appeared in HUNDREDS of full-length films and shorts.
Come to think of it, it’s almost time to schedule my annual viewing of Remember the Night. Toones’ character here is a complete anachronism by today’s standards, and to some probably an offensive one. He is an utterly devoted manservant to a rather lower-middle-class DA’s assistant attorney, played by Fred MacMurray. But he makes an indelible impression, even though he is doing his own sweet version of the “slow-witted Negro” stereotype.
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That looks like a Sam McDaniel smile to me.
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Alas, I’m afraid not.
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A wild guess, and long shot – Clarence Muse in “After the Dance.”
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Interesting guess, but alas, I’m afraid not.
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Fred ‘Snowflake’ Toones?
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Billy Mitchell?
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Alas, I’m afraid not.
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Fred Toones today
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Fred “Snowflake” Toones?
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Fred ‘Snowflake’ Toones
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Mantan Moreland? Willie Best?
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Another guess and long shot – Fred Toones in “Out of Singapore.”
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HERE COMES THE NAVY?
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Alas, I’m afraid not.
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Looks like William B. Davidson today.
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Alas, I’m afraid not.
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I wrote my reply first thing yesterday morning, but evidently it did not go through. That is Fred Toones, alias “Snowflake,” who appeared in hundreds of 30s and 40s films. He’s in one of my favorite holiday movies, Remember the Night, in a role that today’s audiences will have a difficult time dealing with. Still indelibly memorable, though!
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Is Monday, Everett Brown?
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Alas, I’m afraid not.
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Guy Usher today.
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A younger and thinner John Banner on Tuesday?
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Alas, I’m afraid not.
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“Hell-Ship Morgan”
Tuesday – Howard Hickman
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Alas, I’m afraid not.
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Sheila Terry and Dudley Digges for Wednesday, ‘The Mayor of Hell’.
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Is Wednesday’s mystery companion Dudley Digges?
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Hmmm. Maybe Tuesday’s gent is Harry Woods.
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Alas, I’m afraid not.
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Guy Usher, Sheila Terry and Dudley Digges in SILK EXPRESS.
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Oops! almost forgot Fred “Snowflake” Toones from monday.
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BIGBROWN EYES. Isabel Jewell today, George Macquarrie yesterday.
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Alas, I’m afraid not.
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Is Wednesday’s Mystery man David Landau?
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Alas, I’m afraid not.
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Our mystery movie is The Silk Express, with Guy Usher on Tuesday, Fred Toones (Snowflake) on Monday, and Dudley Digges and Sheila Terry on Wednesday.
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Sheila Terry and Dudley Digges today.
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THE MAYOR OF HELL. Sheila Terry yesterday, Robert Barrat, Allen Jenkins, and Harold Huber today.
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Robert Barrat, Allen Jenkins and Harold Huber.
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Thursday’s familiar fellow is Harold Huber!
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Thursday’s familiar fellow is Harold Huber, and is that an uncharacteristically bespectacled Allen Jenkins? I’ll say The Silk Express.
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Robert Barratt, Allen Jenkins, Snowflake and Harold Huber.
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Oliver Blake and Richard Whorf are two from Thursday. I think the female is Gladys George on Wednesday. I don’t remember the name of the picture, but I’m pretty sure I know who’s going to show up on Friday. (GK?)
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Interesting guesses. But alas, I’m afraid not.
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For Thursday’s Casting Call – Robert H. Barrat, Allen Jenkins, Fred Toones and Harold Huber.
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Allen Jenkins
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Robert Barrett, Allen Jenkins, Harold Huber.
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Three Warner Brothers stalwarts — the versatile Robert Barrat, Allen Jenkins (well-cast against type), and Harold Huber.
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Robert Barrat, Allen Jenkins, and Harold Huber for today.
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Didn’t I get Sheila Terry yesterday? THE SILK EXPRESS with Neil Hamilton. G. Pat Collins on tuesday.
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Neil Hamilton in “The Silk Express”?
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Neil Hamilton gets heroic in this movie.
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Neil Hamilton.
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Neil (The Commissioner) Hamilton today. PS. Our chef looks like Richard Pryor!
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Neil Hamilton
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Friday’s no-nonsense leading man looks like Neil Hamilton, a.k.a. Commissioner Gordon on the 1960s Batman series, but I still don’t know the title of the mystery movie.
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And there’s Neil Hamilton!
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The Silk Express (1933) w/Neil Hamilton, Guy Kibbee, Allen Jenkins, Sheila Terry, Snowflake Toones
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Only just look at this weeks offerings and I can’t believe I spotted Alan Jenkins in Tuesday picture.
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Sorry got the right name on the wrong day ..Alan Jenkins = Thursday.
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Warners spelled Hamilton’s first name wrong in the ad, no one caught it.
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