William Dieterle

1 week ago | letterboxd.com | Andrew Prokop |William Dieterle

Daniel Webster is a guy you don’t hear too much about anymore. Once viewed as a sort of American statesman/saint — JFK hailed him in Profiles in Courage for “courageously” defying antislavery critics to try and keep the Union together in the Compromise of 1850 —his legacy now lacks the moral clarity now preferred in our historical heroes.

Apr 20, 2023 | reelfilm.com | David Nusair |Kay Francis |William Dieterle |William Powell

Directed by William Dieterle, Jewel Robbery follows a bored society wife (Kay Francis’ Teri) as she slowly-but-surely finds herself falling for a suave burglar (William Powell). Filmmaker Dieterle delivers an erratically-paced yet mostly watchable comedy that benefits from the affable efforts of its two stars, as both Francis and Powell turn in personable work that goes a long way towards smoothing over the thin narrative’s bumps and lulls.