Accused

Douglas Fairbanks was the producer and star of this fairly average murder mystery.In his autobiography he devotes only a page to it.He was originally only going to produce it.He was devoting all of his energies to trying to raise funds for 2 major pictures.As he was unsuccessful in getting those projects started and this film needed a male lead he decided to take the part.He mentions that Leo Genn had a small part in the courtroom but i could not see him.This film is of a then popular genre.the murder of a star who was antagonistic to others backstage in a theatre.This film may have attempted to copy the rather more lavish and successful "Murder At The vanities".This film has some musical numbers at the beginning,but it is played straight after the opening quarter of an hour.The plot is fairly mundane although i confess that i did not spot the killer.there are plenty of familiar faces including Googie withers,Florence Desmond,Esme Percy and of course Moore Marriott under his full name.In all it is a fairly average film reasonably entertaining.

Tony Seymour (Douglas Fairbanks Jr., or Jnr. since this was a Brit production) and his partner, Gaby Ramarios (Dolores del Rio)are a dance team who perform an Apache specialty number, which ends with Tony, via a steel waistcoat with a scabbard arrangement, getting a knife plunked into his back but he is unharmed. Gaby is an expert knife thrower who, it is reported, can hit the slot 99 times out of a hundred. Show biz stuff that leaves open the once-in-a-hundred possibility. There is no mention of how many dance partners she may have had prior to Jnr.

They are auditioning for parts in "La Nouvelle Revue" which is to open in three weeks at the Alhambra of Paris. The star is Yvette Delange (Florence Desmond), described as "a beautiful woman who could not hide with the most perfect makeup the ravages of time." She also does not like rehearsals, but perks up at the sight of Tony, and tells him she thought his dance was ripping. Alphonse de la Riviere (Edward Rigby), once a great star but now just an assistant to the producer, Morel (Esme Percy), winces when he hears this. (Don't let his wince influence decisions regarding later developments as it may just be a red herring.) Later, Yvette sends Alphonse to fetch Tony to her dressing room for dancing compliments. Tony says "Ripping" and he'll be right along as soon as he can find and fetch Gaby. Alphonse winces some more and informs Tony that he is the chosen target for Yvette's compliments and Gaby is not invited. Tony, always open to receiving compliments and willing to overlook the ravages of time, hustles off for some tea and compliments.

Gaby is not amused. In fact, she is plumb put out. She isn't one to put up with her dance partner receiving compliments behind a closed dressing-room door.

Yes, of course, Yvette, the beautiful but time-ravaged ,trouble-making star of the show is soon found quite dead, and the reason she is dead is because she has been stabbed with a knife belonging to Gaby. And before one can spell Gaol, that's where she is, charged with murder.

Tony's mission now is to clear Gaby and find the real killer, although he is the only one who doesn't think Gaby did the deed. Well, one other knows also who did the deed, but isn't talking. So Tony has to sift through the usual suspects. The latter include Morel, Alphonse, Dubec the concierge (George Moore Marriott)and possibly Ninette Duval (Googie Withers), a member of the chorus who is often thirsty but can't afford to buy her own drinks, and also thinks Tony is 'ripping." She is also the only one who knows that Tony and Gaby are married.

No question, one of the most beautiful women to grace the screen was Delores del Rio. Here she stars with Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. In "Accused" from 1936.

The film takes place in France. Del Rio plays Gaby Seymour, a dancer, who is her husband Tony's (Fairbanks) partner in a show where they do an Apache dance act in a show. At the end of their piece, she stabs him. He is wearing a steel waistcoat, so he is not hurt.

Despite her beauty, Gaby is insecure about Tony's love for her, and she's also jealous. The lead in the show, Yvette (Florence Desmond) is attracted to Tony and invites him to her dressing room. He goes only to keep the job he and Gaby worked so hard for, but he makes it clear that he is not interested.

When Yvette is found dead, stabbed with Gaby's knife, Gaby is arrested and goes on trial. Tony knows she didn't do it, and in fact, saw a man hovering around the theater that same day. He knows that if he can find him, he can save Gaby.

The story was made compelling by the two leads. Fairbanks was an interesting actor. Even though he had an overblown monologue toward the end of the film, he makes it believable rather than melodramatic. His acting styles comes off as modern today.

Del Rio, what can I say - you can't help but pull for her. I would only say she's miscast because I don't understand how she could be jealous of anyone - she could not have had any competition!

It's the day before the opening of the show in Paris, and star Florence Desmond wants specialty dancer Douglas Fairbanks Junior to come to her home that night. Fairbanks says no. He is in love with Dolores Del Rio, his dance partner and wife. The show's backer talks Fairbanks into doing so, and Dolores goes off with showgirl Googie Withers. A mysterious stranger visits Desmond and demands money. She throws it at him and he stoops to pick it up. The next morning, Fairbanks and Del Rio meet in their apartment, and realize nothing has happened. It is at that point that the police arrive and arrest Miss Del Rio. Miss Desmond has been murdered with Miss Del Rio's prop knife and she is ACCUSED!

The first half of this movie is pretty good, with a typically over-the-top British production number and a gypsy/Apache dance faked by Fairbanks and Del Rio. It was produced in England, with a large American component; not just the leads, but director Thorton Freeland, who was spending a few years directing in Blighty, and the script is co-written by Zoe Akins. Although the performances are fine, liberties are taken with French jurisprudence, and there are the usual startling coincidences and uncaring flics. However, the fine performances makes this watchable, if not terribly good by the final clinch.

Accused was truly an international production. American Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Mexican Dolores Del Rio are the stars and it was a British film set in France. Fairbanks and Del Rio are an Apache dance team who think they've finally gotten a big break by going in the cast of a big revue.

Unfortunately the star of the revue Florence Desmond takes a dislike to Del Rio and develops a yen for Fairbanks. They get canned and Del Rio confronts Desmond and finds her dead, stabbed with a knife that is part of the Fairbanks/Del Rio act.

The first half of Accused is backstage drama. The other half is a courtroom drama with Fairbanks as a self appointed detective trying to locate a witness who can clear his partner. When he's located we learn something about Del Rio and of course who the real guilty party is. If it wasn't Del Rio there was a long list of suspects as Desmond was someone, everyone wanted to kill.

Some nice musical numbers in the first half. Fairbanks is graceful though no threat to Fred Astaire. In the courtroom part, Basil Sydney as Del Rio's defense attorney wins acting honors for the film.

OK entertainment, but Accused will never make the top 10 for Fairbanks or Del Rio.