Directing

Stephen Roberts

Born 1895-11-23

Acting credits

Behind the camera

If I Had a Million poster
6.5

An elderly business tycoon, believed to be dying, decides to give a million dollars each to eight strangers chosen at random from the phone directory.

If I Had a Million

1932

No artwork available
6.5

Nominally about attempts to steal a gold mine, the movie starts out with the air of a realistic comedy, then immediately descends into a series of perfectly timed gags which made me goggle at their improbability -- not the sort of thing you normally think of in a slapstick comedy. Very quickly the unerring ability of ropes to loop themselves around tree roots, stopping Al from plummeting to his death or an explosion to drop him on a bull came to make me goggle again.

Fire Away

1925

The Night of June 13 poster
7.5

Elna Curry, once a concert pianist, develops an unfounded jealousy of neighbor, Trudie Morrow. Elna who suffers from neurasthenia, believes that Trudie is having an affair with her husband, John, and vows revenge on Trudie. John explains to Trudie Elna's condition and plan. Trudie, being good-hearted tells John that she'll move. One evening, John returns late from work to discover Elna dead. John burns Elna's suicide note to protect Trudie. This results in John being charged for murder and put on trial.

The Night of June 13

1932

No artwork available
8.0

Life is just one thing after another for AI, the hard-working clerk in the grocery store. He waits on customers, settles disputes and "pinch-hits" as barber in the store's shop. He is busy waiting on customers when an inebriated gentleman comes in and demands attention. He asks whether Al has any dry herring, and when Al admits having some, he tells Al to give them a drink. Then he walks out, leaving Al amazed. In a few minutes the same customer enters again and wants to see some canned peaches. Al hands him a can but he insists upon seeing the can that forms the keystone of a big and wonderful looking pile of cans. Al takes this can out of the pile which falls in a wreck on the floor-and the customer then decides that it is the wrong brand. The village smart aleck enters and tries to mooch a few cookies out of a barrel. But Al has had experience with grocery store loungers before and fixes up a mousetrap which discourages the cookie-mooching habit.

High Spots

1927

Cheer Up poster
7.0

CHEER UP - starring Cliff Bowes, with Virginia Vance, Eddie Boland, and Frank Alexander. Cliff vies for Virginia's affections with Eddie, but ultimately she chooses Cliff to be her groom. The newlyweds move in to their new home, but the spurned rival makes a shambles out of the house in retaliation.

Cheer Up

1924

No artwork available
8.0

The worthless son of a rich man spends most of his time in jail. His father throws a pen at a map telling him wherever the pen sticks he must go and make his fortune. The pen lands on the kingdom of Guatamazela. He arrives and is attracted by a pretty girl, who turns out to be the Princess. A revolution breaks out and Al takes refuge in the room of the Princess. When he hears men coming he dons her clothes. But the revolutionists succeed and come to hang the Princess. His identity is discovered when the Palace Guards see him, and thinking he is the Princess, rescue him. The captain recognizes him and wants to shoot him. He finally eludes them all, rescues the Princess and all is well.

Flaming Romance

1926

Jungle Heat poster
7.0

Two reel comedy starring Al St. John

Jungle Heat

1927

The Ex-Mrs. Bradford poster
6.2

A doctor is driven into an investigation of sinister goings-on at a horse race track by his mystery writer ex-wife.

The Ex-Mrs. Bradford

1936

No artwork available
10.0

A homeowner takes delivery of his new radio. The crate is so big that the front door needs to be widened by about a yard. No problem when you've got a saw! In spite of the size of the crate, the radio turns out to be regular tabletop size. Further installation requires punching a big hole in the roof. That's when the downpour starts, filling the bungalow with water. Finally, the radio is working in spite of the torrent falling from the ceiling. The weather broadcast announces clear skies today. Let the fisticuffs commence!

The Radio Bug

1926

The Story of Temple Drake poster
6.5

The coquettish granddaughter of a respected small-town judge is stranded at a bootleggers’ hide-out, subjected to an act of nightmarish sexual violence, and plunged into a criminal underworld that threatens to swallow her up completely.

The Story of Temple Drake

1933

No artwork available
10.0

Two reeler served as Jean Arthur's screen debut.

Somebody Lied

1923

The Cloudhopper poster
5.7

The plot of this film really isn't that important. Instead, the sight gags and chase scenes are paramount--with some of the most impressive chase footage you'll ever see. All the near-misses with the speeding train were amazing and the scene where the car gets smashed by the truck are absolutely priceless.

The Cloudhopper

1925

No artwork available
NR

Comedy starring one of the most prolific but underrated comedians of the silent era, Al St John.

Skybound

1926

Seeing Stars poster
4.9

First National gala celebrity banquet with stars.

Seeing Stars

1922

No artwork available
6.0

Al St. John starring in "Hot or Cold (1928)", a Mermaid Comedies.

Hot or Cold

1928

No artwork available
7.0

Life and activity at a hotel. Slapstick-style.

Hot Lightning

1927

One Sunday Afternoon poster
6.6

Middle-aged dentist Biff Grimes reminisces about his unrequited love for beautiful Virginia Brush and her husband Hugo, his ex-friend, who betrayed him.

One Sunday Afternoon

1933

Star of Midnight poster
5.9

When a dancer disappears from a theater, Clay Dalzell is asked to investigate, leading him on a trail of murder and deception.

Star of Midnight

1935

No artwork available
10.0

Taylor Holmes son is in love, and Holmes is to meet the girl and the dragon of an aunt. She's one of those dowagers whose accomplishments consist of her ancestors having come over on the Mayflower. Back then, of course, immigration laws were less strict.

Dad Knows Best

1930

The Lady Consents poster
6.4

Civilized wife doesn't protest when husband runs off with uncivilized professional golfer pretending to be civilized.

The Lady Consents

1936

No artwork available
7.0

No synopsis available yet.

Who's My Wife?

1926

Romance in Manhattan poster
7.8

Karel Novak is an incredibly naive Czech immigrant who is taken under the wing of streetwise New York chorus girl Sylvia. With the help of lovable cop-on-the-beat Murphy, Sylvia hides Karel from the immigration authorities and ultimately falls in love with him. In addition to Karel's illegal-alien status, the plot is complicated by a crooked lawyer and a group of well-meaning welfare workers who endeavor to place Sylvia's kid brother Frank in a foster home.

Romance in Manhattan

1934

Lady and Gent poster
5.8

Stag Bailey, a slow-witted prizefighter, and his girlfriend, speakeasy hostess Puff Rogers, take over the upbringing of Ted Streaver after his father, Stag's manager, is killed.

Lady and Gent

1932

The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo poster
6.8

A Russian prince goes to Monte Carlo just after World War I with money supplied to him by Parisian Russians. He wins but the casino operators want him to honor the tradition of returning to the tables.

The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo

1935