BEAST OF THE CITY, 1932, Warner Bros., 86 min. Dir. Charles Brabin was a silent film pioneer married to infamous screen vamp Theda Bara. Walter Huston is a hard-nosed cop unwilling to take any guff from mob kingpin Jean Hersholt. But Huston’s efforts are undermined when his brother on the force (Wallace Ford) falls for torrid gun moll Jean Harlow and is corrupted.
SKYSCRAPER SOULS, 1932, Warner Bros., 99 min. Dir. Edgar Selwyn. Warren Williams is a ruthless financier who will crush anyone in his path to maintain control of a hundred-story skyscraper. Maureen O’Sullivan, Veree Teasdale and Hedda Hopper are the exploited women in his life. This glossy, sexy soaper, adapted from Faith Baldwin’s novel, aptly contrasts the poor working stiffs slaving away as Williams’ office tenants while he luxuriates in the lap of decadent luxury.