Murray Roth

Birth : 1893-11-12, New York City, New York, USA

Death : 1938-02-17

Movies

She's Dangerous
Story
A beautiful woman suspected of being a jewel thief is actually a detective tracking down a ring of bond thieves.
Dancing on the Ceiling
Director
A young man follows a pretty girl into her office, which turns out to be a musical dentist office. Cute chorus girls attend to the many male customers, and the girl the young man was following is revealed to be the dentist. She gives the young man anesthetic gas and he dreams the dentist and her troupe of nurses are dancing on the ceiling.
Flying Hostess
Director
The story of the training and adventures of several airline stewardesses.
Pepper
Story
Young Pepper Jolly enters the life of sour old millionaire John Wilkes. She convinces him to take her gang to Coney Island and prevents his daughter from marrying a phony aristocrat.
Chinatown Squad
Director
Police search for the killer of a man who misused $700,000 intended for the Chinese Communists.
Million Dollar Ransom
Director
To stop his mother from marrying a man he doesn't like, a young millionaire hires an ex-con in helping him fake his own kidnaping.
Harold Teen
Director
A young reporter pines for his high-school sweetheart, but she's preoccupied with appearing in their small town's community musical show. This 1934 comedy, with numerous songs, was inspired by the popular Depression-era comic strip of the same title. With Hal Le Roy, Rochelle Hudson, Guy Kibbee, Hugh Herbert,Douglass Dumbrille and Patricia Ellis.
Palooka
Dialogue
Joe Palooka is a naive young man whose father Pete was a champion boxer, but his lifestyle caused Joe's mother Mayme to leave him and to take young Joe to the country to raise him.
Don't Bet on Love
Screenplay
A plumber wins big at the racetrack but then his luck runs out and almost ruins his business. His manicurist girlfriend stands by him and helps him readjust to life as a plumber.
Don't Bet on Love
Director
A plumber wins big at the racetrack but then his luck runs out and almost ruins his business. His manicurist girlfriend stands by him and helps him readjust to life as a plumber.
Hollywood Premiere
Director
Two strip Technicolor short film. While the film is considered lost, the Library of Congress has acquired a musical sequence from the film.
Believe It or Not #6
Director
Ripley shows unusual athletic feats, a boy born with "clock" eyes, and a blind French monk who invented navigation laws.
A Trip to Paris
Director
Bobby Jarvis and Eloise Taylor, a scrapping married couple, enter a newspaper essay contest on Happy Marriage, and win a trip to Paris.
Believe It or Not #5
Director
At a charity bazaar, Ripley settles a thousand dollar bet by producing man who has not slept in 75 years.
Believe It or Not #3
Director
Reporters interview Ripley about his world travels.
Believe It or Not #2
Director
The second entry in the Believe It or Not series of shorts begins with Robert Ripley in his office sorting his mail. At the time he received about one million pieces of mail per year, more than any other individual. He shows the audience several of the more oddly addressed envelopes. These include one addressed in Morse code; one in Hebrew, one using the naval flag code; and one with a small tear to the left of a picture of Robert E. Lee (i.e., "Rip + Lee" = Ripley). A U.S. marshal then enters the office and arrests Ripley.....
Yamekraw
Director
In a wordless story with semi-surreal stage sets, a poor black man ventures from his ramshackle rural home to the big city, where a dancing girl in a dive two-times him. He returns to his home and wife's arms.
Going Places
Director
Two bums manage to get into a restaurant. They admit that they are a couple of self made men. A couple of comics they are.
Ben Bernie and His Orchestra
Director
Ben Bernie and his orchestra play a few songs for a vitaphone recording.
The Royal Four-Flusher
Director
Eddie, a modern man, suddenly finds himself in the palace in an ancient, mythical kingdom. This does not change his attitude or habits and, while pursuing a fair maid in the castle, he catches the attention of the Queen and forces him to make love to her. He slaps the King on the rump, thinking he is the Queen, and is sentenced to be beheaded.
Believe It or Not #1
Director
Robert L. Ripley first shows the very first cartoon of his, published in newspapers 8 years earlier. He then proceeds with various oddities, first introducing a woman who can read aloud 8 words a second. He demonstrates this by giving her a 200-word tract she reads in 24 seconds. Next a woman telephones to question his assertion that you can walk through a hole in a cigarette paper, but he demonstrates how when she arrives. Other oddities follow....
Idle Chatter
Director
Says how much he likes ballet. He wonders why the girls are always running with no one chasing them. And the male dancers are always running to the female dancers. Then he does an amalgam of nursery rhyme lines in a long dissertation.
Talking It Over
Director
Sings a song he and five others wrote, 'You Want Lovin', and I Want Love.' Does a comedy skit. Then he sings another song he says he wrote, 'Can't You Understand?'
The Benefit
Director
Pressed into service, an inept comedian offers a burlesque on Helen Morgan.
Sound Effects
Director
Juvenile drummer, Buddy Traps [sic], later known as Buddy Rich, taps out harmony out of a wide assortment of objects, from drums to bottles, can, chairs, and whatnot.
The Operation
Director
Patient Charlie McCarthy, running a fever, is tended by Doctor Edgar Bergen. Will a tonsillectomy cure him?
Clara Barry and Orval Whitledge in 'Jest for a While'
Director
Clara Barry & Orval Whitledge dry comedy routine.
The Musicale
Director
Gags and patter from an armed man at a musicale.
Faint Heart
Director
Felix Rudolff is a dressmaker tailor and later dresses like a policeman after seeing a parade He becomes a rookie policeman who handcuffs Dynamite Dan. He doesn't stay captured. Felix Rudolff has to deal with a live and kicking Dynamite Dan. Rufolff ends up with the collar and the girl.
You Don't Know the Half of It
Director
A comedic team. The Ann seems to try and come across as a Mae West type. Jay plays the role of the straight partner.
Herschel Henlere in the Madcap Musician
Director
Henlere plays piano in the style of various “masters” and other instruments as a one-man band.
Rhythms in Blue
Director
Bobbe Arnst accompanied by Peggy Ellis on piano plays us a few songs.
Little Miss Everybody
Director
A musical short starring, Zelda Santley and Victor Pelle.
Fred Allen's Prize Playlets
Director
Mr. Fiasco, a producer of plays gets three plays explained to him. In one of the plays, a man chooses scotch for a drink and dies. In the second play the man slaps his new wife in the face for nothing. The final play the man leaves his wife for work. The wife greets the iceman who knows the husband just left. He is greeted with open arms. The husband returns early and knows the iceman is under the table. After his wife gives him a lump of sugar, he smashes the iceman on the head with a lump of ice. Mr. Fiasco has the man thrown out.
Pack Up Your Troubles
Director
Douglas Stanbury & The Lyric Quartet sing a few songs.
Lambchops
Director
George and Gracie enter an elegant drawing room, looking everywhere for something. Turns out, they're looking for the audience, and when George spots the camera, they start in on their patter. Gracie wants to convince George that she's smart, not dizzy - it's an uphill struggle of which she's blissfully unaware. Midway through, they break into song: "Do You Believe Me?" It includes a little bit of hoofing as the chatting continues. They end on a story Gracie whispers into George's ear.
Two Good Boys Gone Wrong
Director
This brash comedy team toured extensively in vaudeville, and even made a Victor 78 of much of the material contained in this short.
Molly Picon, The Celebrated Character Comedienne
Director
A young actress is interviewed and flashes back to her tenement days.
Fishing Around
Director
Anderson and Graves vaudeville act 'Fishing Around'.
The Gotham Rhythm Boys
Director
The Gotham Rhythm Boys perform a few of their songs.
Red Nichols and His Five Pennies
Director
This Vitaphone short features Red Nichols and His Five Pennies performing songs, including China Boy, Nobody's Sweetheart, Ida Sweet as Apple Cider, and Who Cares?.
Grace Johnston and The Indiana Five
Director
Grace starts the film by singing 'That's My Baby.' The five band members do an instrumental, then Grace sings 'Glad Rag Doll.'
Carlena Diamond: Harpist Supreme
Director
Carlena Diamond plays her harp for this Vitaphone production reel #864.
Satires
Director
Mr. Young introduces the sketch in an appropriately melodramatic fashion, wearing an opera cape and a glowering expression. He recites a bit of doggerel about the current popularity of mystery plays ("full of thrills and sighing moans, slamming doors and ringing phones") and then slinks away. Eerie music, thunder, and sinister lighting set the scene. Vivien enters, frightened, and then John, ditto. They tiptoe about, and exchange ridiculous quips about how terrible it all is. Young staggers in, groaning, and slumps into a chair. Vivien screams, and dashes away. When John bumps into the corpse and excuses himself, the corpse comes to life long enough to say "That's all right" before falling dead again.
The Prince of Wails
Director
Mel Klee performs his black-face vaudeville act in 'The Prince of Wails'.
Charles C. Peterson: Billiard Champion of Fancy Shots
Director
Vitaphone short in which Charles C. Peterson performs a number of challenging billiard trick shots.
These Dry Days
Director
Fred Ardath does his drunken vaudeville act in 'These Dry Days'.
The Opry House
Director
The Mound City Blue Blowers and Doris Walker perform popular songs of the day.
The Big Paraders
Director
An energetic "heavyweight" song and dance troupe of six performs with gusto.
Hilda
Director
Billie 'Swede' Hall & Company in the comedy short 'Hilda'.
Carolina Segrera, 'The Cuban Nightingale'
Director
Opera singer Carolina Segrera belts out a couple tunes in this early Vitaphone short that has her being backed by don Alberto and His Argentines.
The Bee & the Fox
Director
Harry Fox & Beatrice Curtis perform parts of their vaudeville act.
Harlem-Mania
Director
The Norman Thomas Quintet performs "Sleep Baby Sleep," "Listen to the Mockingbird," and "Melody in F," with quite a flair for comedy mixed in.
Harry Fox and His Six American Beauties
Director
Harry Fox performs his vaudeville act.
Horace Heidt and His Californians (II)
Director
Horace Heidt and His Californians plays "Tiger Rag", "Painting the Clouds with Sunshine", "Carnival of Venice" and "I'll Never Ask for More".
The Two College Nuts
Director
Two college boys have a flat tire. They proceed to play music on a tire, a bassoon, a balloon and an umbrella.
Oklahoma Bob Albright and His Rodeo Do Flappers
Director
Vitaphone short in which Oklahoma Bob and his two "daughters" perform a series of musical numbers, including an exciting new dance craze.
Queen of the Night Clubs
Screenplay
Irked by the success of a brassy nightclub owner. her rivals set out to drive her out of business, and frame her for a murder in the bargain.
Roy Fox, the Whispering Cornetist, and His Orchestra
Director
The Whispering Coronetist, Roy Fox and His Orchestra are broadcasting from Warner Bros. Studios and perform these three musical numbers: 1. 'Sally Of My Dreams,' 2. 'My Window of Dreams,' and 3. 'Louisiana.'
A Musicale Melange
Director
This Vitaphone short features the Kjerulf Mayfair Quintette in their only film performance. Their act is basically five women, three on a harp, one on a violin and another that does the singing. The songs performed are "Sextette," "Neapolitan Night" and "Lonely Little Bluebird".
Some Pumpkins
Director
Short musical comedy.
Dooley's the Name
Director
Dooley and Sales vaudeville act 'Dooley's the Name'.
The Country Gentlemen
Director
The comedy team of Jack Born and Elmer Lawrence perform their vaudeville act.
Al Lyons and His Four Horsemen
Director
The film starts off with Edith Murray joining the band for "Some of These Days" and right from this moment you know this thing isn't going to work. We then get a few instrumentals as the band members act silly as if they were trying to be comedians.
My Bag o' Tricks
Director
A vaudeville act. Trixie Friganza performs first a story and then a song. For the story, she wears a wide-brimmed had and a matching diaphanous shawl. She tells of a visit to a friend who has a five-year old son. The mother tells Trixie a tale of stepping out on her husband, and to conceal the story from the boy, spells out key words. By the story's end, mom is in for a surprise and Trixie has a moral for us. Then, the hat and shawl come off, a base fiddle comes out, and Trixie sings us a comic song about her first two husbands.
The Home Towners
Writer
Man from small town comes to New York to be best man at an old friend's wedding. He mistakenly supposes that the girl and her family are after his friend's money, and almost wrecks their romance.
Chaz Chase, The Unique Comedian
Director
Comedian Chaz Chase performs his vaudeville act.
Hollywood Bound
Writer
A hotel clerk from Iowa believes he's destined to collect first prize in a contest: a movie contract at a Hollywood studio.
Lights of New York
Writer
Eddie is conned into fronting a speakeasy for a local gangster who intends to frame him for the murder of a cop.
The Swell Head
Story
The Swell Head is a 1928 silent comedy short
The Gay Retreat
Writer
Tramp, Tramp, Tramp
Story
A poor cobbler's son enters a $25,000 cross-country hiking contest sponsored by the footwear company that has nearly bankrupted his father. He also has fallen in love with the girl on the company's billboards, the competition's daughter, and her sweet inspiration keeps him tramping along.