Blanche Mehaffey was a sweet faced girl, one who was really helped by her 1924 Wampas Baby win. Her career gained momentum when talkies came in and 1931 proved her busiest year with 10 films including a serial.
"Alias Mary Smith" was a shoe string crime movie with all the old poverty row regulars including Alec B. Francis, Henry B. Walthall, Gwen Lee an MGM starlet fallen on hard times and John Darrow a young actor who never broke out of the cycle of programmers although he later became an acclaimed press agent.
For all that a very boring movie in which nothing happens. Well something happens after the first scene which shows a nervous "Mary Smith" going to the police station to retrieve her stolen purse. She hesitantly gives her name which leads the police to believe it is an alias but her protector, rich young man about town Buddy Hayes (Darrow) believes in her and asks her out for a meal. The next scene shows him sporting a black eye and he spends the rest of the movie apologizing for his behaviour!!! What happened??? Also not shown is the murder of Marco Hahn in which "Mary" is also implicated. Talk about a shoestring budget!! There seems to be only 2 sets - the police station and a flat (for all of 10 minutes). "Mary's" real name is Joan Wentworth and she had an appointment with Hahn to give him proof that her brother, who went to the electric chair, was innocent of the crime he was tried for. Now, thanks to the real killer, Snowy Hoagland (Matthew Betz) leaving part of an incriminating letter she wrote near the murdered man, she is facing the same fate as her brother.
"Is it a nice jail?", "that's the girl, be brave" are just two of the cringe making lines that probably would have sounded better coming from Gwen Lee who is really the best thing about this pretty awful movie!!
"Alias Mary Smith" was a shoe string crime movie with all the old poverty row regulars including Alec B. Francis, Henry B. Walthall, Gwen Lee an MGM starlet fallen on hard times and John Darrow a young actor who never broke out of the cycle of programmers although he later became an acclaimed press agent.
For all that a very boring movie in which nothing happens. Well something happens after the first scene which shows a nervous "Mary Smith" going to the police station to retrieve her stolen purse. She hesitantly gives her name which leads the police to believe it is an alias but her protector, rich young man about town Buddy Hayes (Darrow) believes in her and asks her out for a meal. The next scene shows him sporting a black eye and he spends the rest of the movie apologizing for his behaviour!!! What happened??? Also not shown is the murder of Marco Hahn in which "Mary" is also implicated. Talk about a shoestring budget!! There seems to be only 2 sets - the police station and a flat (for all of 10 minutes). "Mary's" real name is Joan Wentworth and she had an appointment with Hahn to give him proof that her brother, who went to the electric chair, was innocent of the crime he was tried for. Now, thanks to the real killer, Snowy Hoagland (Matthew Betz) leaving part of an incriminating letter she wrote near the murdered man, she is facing the same fate as her brother.
"Is it a nice jail?", "that's the girl, be brave" are just two of the cringe making lines that probably would have sounded better coming from Gwen Lee who is really the best thing about this pretty awful movie!!