The following is an overview of 1930 in film, including significant events, a list of films released and notable births and deaths.
Richard Philip Lewis is an American actor, writer, and retired stand-up comedian. He came to prominence in the 1980s and became known for his dark, neurotic and self-deprecating humor.
Romeo and Juliet is a 1936 American film adapted from the play by William Shakespeare, directed by George Cukor from a screenplay by Talbot Jennings. The film stars Leslie Howard as Romeo and Norma Shearer as Juliet, and the supporting cast features John Barrymore, Basil Rathbone, and Andy Devine.
George Albert "Georgie" Jessel was an American actor, singer, songwriter, and film producer. He was famous in his lifetime as a multitalented comedic entertainer, achieving a level of recognition that transcended his limited roles in movies. He was widely known by his nickname, the "Toastmaster General of the United States," for his frequent role as the master of ceremonies at political and entertainment gatherings. Jessel originated the title role in the stage production of The Jazz Singer.
Lila Lee was a prominent screen actress, primarily a leading lady, of the silent film and early sound film eras.
Joseph Henry Kolker was an American stage and film actor and director.
William K. Howard was an American film director, writer, and producer. Considered one of Hollywood's leading directors, he directed over 50 films from 1921 to 1946, including The Thundering Herd (1925), The Power and the Glory (1933), Fire Over England (1937), and Johnny Come Lately (1943).
John Loder was established as a British film actor in Germany and Britain before migrating to the United States in 1928 for work in the new talkies. He worked in Hollywood for two periods, becoming an American citizen in 1947. After living also in Argentina, he became a naturalized British citizen in 1959.
Happy Days is a 1929 American pre-Code musical film directed by Benjamin Stoloff, which was the first feature film shown entirely in widescreen anywhere in the world, filmed using the Fox Grandeur 70 mm process. French director Abel Gance's Napoléon (1927) had a final widescreen segment in what Gance called Polyvision. Paramount released Old Ironsides (1927), with two sequences in a widescreen process called "Magnascope", while MGM released Trail of '98 (1928) in a widescreen process called "Fanthom Screen".
George Fisher was an American film actor of the silent era. He appeared in more than 70 films between 1911 and 1929. His role in the 1916 Thomas H. Ince film Civilization is noteworthy as the first cinematic depiction of Jesus.
I Loved a Woman is a 1933 American pre-Code drama directed by Alfred E. Green, starring Kay Francis, Edward G. Robinson, and Genevieve Tobin. According to producer Hal Wallis' autobiography, Robinson and Francis "were oddly matched. Kay was so tall that we had to put Eddie [Robinson] on a box in some scenes to bring him level with her and, understandably he was humiliated. Irritable and self-conscious, he argued with Kay frequently. But he [...] gave credit to her fine acting." However, it was Wallis and other executives who also made the choice to cut three of Kay's scenes, leaving her presence in the film really as a supporting actress.
Those Who Dance is a 1930 American Pre-Code crime film produced and distributed by Warner Bros., directed by William Beaudine, and starring Monte Blue, Lila Lee, William "Stage" Boyd and Betty Compson. It is a remake of the 1924 silent film Those Who Dance starring Bessie Love and Blanche Sweet. The story, written by George Kibbe Turner, was based on events that occurred among gangsters in Chicago.
The Argyle Case (1929) is an all-talking pre-code mystery film directed by Howard Bretherton and starring Thomas Meighan, H.B. Warner, Lila Lee, John Darrow and Zasu Pitts. The film was based on a play by Harriet Ford and Harvey J. O'Higgins. It was produced and released by Warner Bros.
Money and the Woman is a 1940 American drama film directed by William K. Howard and written by Robert Presnell Sr.. The film stars Jeffrey Lynn, Brenda Marshall, John Litel, Lee Patrick, Henry O'Neill and Roger Pryor. The film was released by Warner Bros. on August 17, 1940.
Love, Life and Laughter is a 1934 British comedy drama film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Gracie Fields, John Loder and Ivor Barnard.
Lucky Boy is a 1929 American musical comedy-drama film directed by Norman Taurog and Charles C. Wilson and starring George Jessel. The film was mainly a silent film with synchronized music and sound effects, as well as some talking sequences. The film's plot bore strong similarities to that of the hit 1927 film The Jazz Singer, which had originally been intended to star Jessel before Al Jolson took over the role.
Love's Whirlpool is a 1924 American silent crime drama film directed by Bruce Mitchell and starring James Kirkwood and Lila Lee.
Let Them Live is a 1937 American drama film directed by Harold Young and written by Lionel Houser and Bruce Manning. The film stars John Howard, Nan Grey, Edward Ellis, Judith Barrett, Robert Wilcox and Benny Bartlett. The film was released on April 25, 1937, by Universal Pictures.
