The Unholy Garden
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''The Unholy Garden'' is a 1931 American
pre-Code Pre-Code Hollywood was an era in the Cinema of the United States, American film industry that occurred between the widespread adoption of sound in film in the late 1920s and the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code censorship gui ...
drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...
directed by
George Fitzmaurice George Fitzmaurice (13 February 1885 – 13 June 1940) was a French-born film director and Film producer, producer. Career Fitzmaurice's career first started as a set designer on stage. Beginning in 1914, and continuing until his death in 1940 ...
and starring
Ronald Colman Ronald Charles Colman (9 February 1891 – 19 May 1958) was an English-born actor who started his career in theatre and silent film in his native country, then emigrated to the United States where he had a highly successful Cinema of the United ...
and Fay Wray. It was based on a story by
Ben Hecht Ben Hecht (; February 28, 1894 – April 18, 1964) was an American screenwriter, director, producer, playwright, journalist, and novelist. A journalist in his youth, he went on to write 35 books and some of the most enjoyed screenplays and play ...
and Charles MacArthur.''The American Film Institute Catalog Feature Films: 1931-40'' by The American Film Institute, c.1993


Plot

Suave English thief Barrington Hunt (Ronald Colman) rendezvouses with his uncouth American accomplice, Smiley Corbin ( Warren Hymer), at a rundown hotel in the
Sahara Desert The Sahara (, ) is a desert spanning across North Africa. With an area of , it is the largest hot desert in the world and the list of deserts by area, third-largest desert overall, smaller only than the deserts of Antarctica and the northern Ar ...
beyond the reach of French authority. Hunt is annoyed to learn that Smiley, who has a weakness for women, lost the proceeds from the latest robbery when he met a "dame". Hunt soon finds a new target for his larceny in the aged, blind Baron de Jonghe ( Tully Marshall), a longtime hotel resident with an unsuspected cache of stolen money. He sets out to determine its hiding place by romancing Camille ( Fay Wray), de Jonghe's attentive, inexperienced relative. When Smiley falls for Eliza Mowbray ( Estelle Taylor), however, he blabs to her his boss's plan. Soon, every one of the motley assortment of fugitive criminals and murderers who inhabit the hotel knows, and Hunt is forced to promise each a share of the loot. To complicate matters even further, Hunt falls in love with Camille, and she with him. The location of the money is revealed when the baron becomes extremely agitated when Hunt offers to start a fire in his in-suite fireplace. Hunt keeps this discovery to himself, but tells Smiley to borrow the key to Eliza's car. The crooks, having grown impatient with Hunt's leisurely courtship of Camille, demand action. Hunt suggests privately to pairs of criminals that the money would be better divided amongst three partners. They all agree. Meanwhile, Alfred (
Charles Hill Mailes Charles Hill Mailes (25 May 1870 – 17 February 1937) was a Canadian actor of the silent era. Biography Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 1870, Mailes appeared in 290 films between 1909 and 1935. He married the actress Claire McDowel ...
), the baron's brother, arrives with a promise of amnesty if de Jonghe will return the money he stole. De Jonghe insists it is legitimately his, and that Camille is to have it after he is gone. Later, when de Jonghe leaves his room to enjoy holiday festivities, Hunt sneaks in, searches the chimney and locates the money. He pockets the loot and puts the metal box back where he found it, then slips away. De Jonghe becomes suspicious and returns to his room. As he is retrieving the box, he is seen by one of the crooks, who shoots him dead and flees with the box, unaware it is empty. The sound of the gunshot rouses the rest of the residents. It does not take long for them to realize that Hunt has double crossed them all. However, while Smiley holds them off with his gun, Hunt gives Camille the money and sends her to safety with Alfred de Jonghe. He tells the tearful young woman that this is the first good thing he has ever done and that she will be better off if she is not found in the company of a wanted fugitive. Then, he and Smiley make good their own escape. As they are driving off, Smiley asks about his share of the money. Hunt presents him with a flower, explaining that he met a "dame".


Cast

*
Ronald Colman Ronald Charles Colman (9 February 1891 – 19 May 1958) was an English-born actor who started his career in theatre and silent film in his native country, then emigrated to the United States where he had a highly successful Cinema of the United ...
as Barrington Hunt * Fay Wray as Camille de Jonghe * Estelle Taylor as Eliza Mowbray * Warren Hymer as Smiley Corbin * Tully Marshall as Baron de Jonghe * Lawrence Grant as Dr. Shayne * Ullrich Haupt as Colonel von Axt * Henry Armetta as Nick the Goose * Lucille La Verne as Lucie Villars * Mischa Auer as Prince Nicolai Poliakoff *
Henry Kolker Joseph Henry Kolker (November 13, 1874 – July 15, 1947) was an American stage and film actor and film director, director. Early years Kolker was born in Berlin, Germany, in 1874. (Some sources say 1870.) He came to America at age five and w ...
as Col. Lautrac *
Charles Hill Mailes Charles Hill Mailes (25 May 1870 – 17 February 1937) was a Canadian actor of the silent era. Biography Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 1870, Mailes appeared in 290 films between 1909 and 1935. He married the actress Claire McDowel ...
as Alfred de Jonghe * Kit Guard as Kid Twist(uncredited)


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Unholy Garden 1931 films American black-and-white films Films directed by George Fitzmaurice American heist films 1931 romantic drama films Samuel Goldwyn Productions films American romantic drama films Films with screenplays by Ben Hecht Films with screenplays by Charles MacArthur Films set in Algeria Films set in hotels Films set in deserts 1930s American films Films scored by Alfred Newman United Artists films