Sony Pictures Choice Collection: February

 
I Am the Law (1938)
In a town rife with corruption, law professor John Lindsay (Edward G. Robinson, Double Indemnity) is appointed special prosecutor to help clean up the city. Lindsay quickly realizes that not only does he have to deal with gangsters on the streets, but also in his own office, as friends of the mob work within his own department. It is up to Lindsay and his crew of college students to stand up to the mob and clean up the city.

Rings Around the World (1966)
Hosted by Academy Award® winner Don Ameche (1985, Best Supporting Actor, Cocoon) and featuring the greatest circus performers of its time, RINGS AROUND THE WORLD introduces the viewer to the talented individuals who make up the traveling troupes that entertain millions around the world. From trapeze artists to tightrope walkers to tamers of lions and tigers, this film directed by Gilbert Cates (I Never Sang for My Father) shows you the drama, the excitement and the wonder each performer brings to the big top every night.

The Slingshot (1993)
Based on the autobiographical novel by Roland Schutt, THE SLINGSHOT is an endearing coming-of-age drama. Set in 1920s Stockholm, a 12-year-old boy endures the hardships of an unhappy family life by shutting himself away with his inventions . . . one of which is a super slingshot.

The Bitter Tea of General Yen (1933)
At the height of the Chinese Civil War, American missionary Megan Davis (Barbara Stanwyck, Double Indemnity) arrives in Shanghai to marry another missionary, Robert Strike (Gavin Gordon, The Bride of Frankenstein). As soon as she arrives, however, the couple must save a group of orphans from a fire. Injured and separated from her fiancé, Megan is rescued and taken to the home of General Yen (Nils Asther, Our Dancing Daughters). While Megan and the general grow closer, one of the general’s concubines seems to be secretly working for Yen’s enemies. Directed by the legendary Frank Capra (It’s a Wonderful Life), THE BITTER TEA OF GENERAL YEN is a provocative romantic drama.

The Crimson Blade (1964)
In the middle of the English Civil War, a group of rebels led by the traitorous Colonel Judd (Lionel Jeffries, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang) and his loyal sidekick, Captain Sylvester (Oliver Reed, Gladiator), capture King Charles I. A group of locals loyal to the King, led by The Scarlet Blade (Jack Hedley, For Your Eyes Only) and Judd’s own daughter, Claire (June Thorburn, Tom Thumb), work together to rescue Charles and restore him to the throne.

Strait-Jacket (1964)
Movie queen Joan Crawford (Mildred Pierce) gives a terrific performance in this chiller from pioneer horror movie producer William Castle (House on Haunted Hill). Crawford plays Lucy Harbin, a woman who goes berserk when she finds her husband in bed with another woman. With her three-year-old daughter accidentally witnessing the grisly act, Lucy axes the couple to death then spends twenty years in a mental institution for the double murder. After she is released, she moves in with her brother (Leif Erickson, On the Waterfront), his wife and her own daughter (Diane Baker, The Silence of the Lambs), now twenty-three. Her nightmare is over…or is it? When a series of ax murders suddenly starts occurring in the neighborhood, police think Lucy has reverted to her old ways. The truth is finally revealed in a rousing, blood-chilling finale.

Cash on Demand (1962)
It’s December 23rd at the City and Colonial Bank, and the staff is preparing for their annual Christmas party. Harry Fordyce (Peter Cushing, Star Wars), the fastidious and exacting bank manager, welcomes in the bank’s insurance company detective, Hepburn (Andre Morell, The Bridge on the River Kwai), to check out the security. It turns out, however, that Hepburn is not working for the bank, but robbing it, and he is holding Fordyce’s family hostage. The bank employees become suspicious, but Fordyce, worrying about his family, does not want them to react in this taut and compelling thriller.

The Lady in Question (1940)
Andre Morestan (Brian Aherne, Juarez) is the owner of a bicycle shop in Paris, serving jury duty for the first time. When Natalie Roguin (Rita Hayworth, Gilda), a homeless girl accused of murder, is found innocent, Andre feels sorry and invites her into his home. Andre’s son, Pierre (Glenn Ford, 3:10 to Yuma, 1957), immediately becomes smitten with Natalie and starts committing small crimes to aid in the couple’s engagement, causing Andre to wonder if Natalie isn’t all that innocent in the first place.

The Miracle Woman (1931)
Florence Fallon (Barbara Stanwyck, Double Indemnity) is the daughter of a preacher who is about to give his last sermon, but passes away before he gets a chance. Florence stands up in front of the congregation and attacks them, accusing them of not being appreciative of her father and revealing that she has lost her faith. Bob Hornsby (Sam Hardy, King Kong, 1933), a con man, talks Florence into working an angle with him, having Florence perform fake miracles for money. She profits from the racket, but when she meets a blind man (David Manners, Dracula), the two fall in love and she begins to regain her faith. But Bob has plans for Florence, whether she likes it or not. From legendary director Frank Capra (It’s a Wonderful Life) comes this potent romantic drama.

The First Time (1952)
Expectant parents Joe (Robert Cummings, Dial M for Murder) and Betsey Bennet (Barbara Hale, TV’s “Perry Mason”) are looking forward to their first baby. But when the little boy arrives, the Bennets are not prepared for the lack of sleep, the nonexistent social life, and the overwhelming cost of raising a child in this very funny comedy that all parents will relate to.