Upperworld (DVD)

Warren William. Ginger Rogers. Mary Astor. Sidney Toler. Andy Devine. J. Carroll Naish. John Qualen. No fan of Golden Era films would want to miss this luminous cast, even if all the stars did was sort socks. Instead, they light up a dynamic pre-Code programmer loaded with '30s moxie. Railroad tycoon Alex Stream (William) gets the blues when his society-page wife (Astor) forgets their anniversary. Impulsively, he celebrates instead with vivacious burlesque dancer Lily Linda (Rogers). The two soon establish a sweet, sympathetic relationship. But it turns deadly serious when a would-be blackmailer tries to plug Alex, Lily takes the bullet and Alex finds himself accused of murder! "It is a lively situation in which to embroil a spectator," Andre D. Sennwald wrote in The New York Times, "and the breath comes pleasantly fast while it is being resolved."

• drama