Screenplay: Ernest Pagano

Top movies, series, and documentaries with a screenplay by Ernest Pagano. Explore the titles that showcase an exceptional writing.


Shall We Dance?

1937 · Movie · 109 min. · United States

Direction Mark Sandrich

Cast Fred Astaire · Ginger Rogers · Edward Everett Horton · Eric Blore

Synopsis Ballet star Pete "Petrov" Peters arranges to cross the Atlantic aboard the same ship as the dancer he's fallen for but barely knows, musical star Linda Keene. By the time the ocean liner reaches New York, a little white lie...

6.8

705 votes

6.8

705 votes

Spite Marriage

1929 · Movie · 80 min. · United States

Direction Edward Sedgwick · Buster Keaton

Cast Buster Keaton · Dorothy Sebastian · Edward Earle · Leila Hyams

Synopsis Elmer is a dry cleaner. He is madly in love with stage star Trilby Drew; for each of her 35 performances, he dons someone else's tuxedo and races to the theatre. When Trilby's co-star boyfriend gets engaged to a socialite,...

6.6

225 votes

6.6

225 votes

You Were Never Lovelier

1942 · Movie · 98 min. · United States

Direction William A. Seiter

Cast Fred Astaire · Rita Hayworth · Adolphe Menjou · Isobel Elsom

Synopsis The Acunas, a rich Argentine family, have the tradition that the daughters have to get married in order, oldest first. When sister #1 gets married, sisters #3 and #4 put pressure on Maria, sister #2, because they have their husbands...

6.5

618 votes

6.5

618 votes

The Matinee Idol

1928 · Movie · 60 min. · United States

Direction Frank Capra

Cast Bessie Love · Johnnie Walker · Ernest Hilliard · Lionel Belmore

Synopsis A Broadway matinee idol famous for his black-face portrayals anonymously joins an amateur acting troupe and falls in love with the leading lady.

6.5

76 votes

6.5

76 votes

Vivacious Lady

1938 · Movie · 90 min. · United States

Direction George Stevens

Cast Ginger Rogers · James Stewart · James Ellison · Beulah Bondi

Synopsis Assistant biology professor Peter Morgan (James Stewart) falls in love with and marries nightclub singer Francey (Ginger Rogers) while he is in New York to fetch his wayward cousin home. On returning to the small town university run by his...

6.4

357 votes

6.4

357 votes

You'll Never Get Rich

1941 · Movie · 88 min. · United States

Direction Sidney Lanfield

Cast Fred Astaire · Rita Hayworth · John Hubbard · Robert Benchley

Synopsis After his wife discovers a telltale diamond bracelet, impresario Martin Cortland tries to show he's not chasing after showgirl Sheila Winthrop. Choreographer Robert Curtis gets caught in the middle of the boss's scheme. Army conscription offers Robert the perfect escape...

6.3

310 votes

6.3

310 votes

Carefree

1938 · Movie · 83 min. · United States

Direction Mark Sandrich

Cast Fred Astaire · Ginger Rogers · Ralph Bellamy · Luella Gear

Synopsis Dr. Tony Flagg's friend, Steven, has problems in the relationship with his fiancee, Amanda, so he persuades her to visit Dr. Flagg. After some minor misunderstandings, she falls in love with Dr. Flagg. When he tries to use hypnosis to...

6.3

381 votes

6.3

381 votes

A Damsel in Distress

1937 · Movie · 98 min. · United States

Direction George Stevens

Cast Fred Astaire · George Burns · Gracie Allen · Joan Fontaine

Synopsis Lady Alyce Marshmorton must marry soon, and the staff of Tottney Castle have laid bets on who she'll choose, with young Albert wagering on "Mr. X." After Alyce goes to London to meet a beau (bumping into dancer Jerry Halliday,...

6.1

234 votes

6.1

234 votes

Allez Oop (S)

1934 · Movie · 21 min. · United States

Direction Buster Keaton · Charles Lamont

Cast Buster Keaton · Dorothy Sebastian · George J. Lewis · Harry Myers

Synopsis A man working in a clock repair shop meets a woman who brings in her watch to be fixed. When the watch has been repaired, he personally delivers it to her, and soon after that they go to the circus...

6.1

27 votes

6.1

27 votes

The Gold Ghost (S)

1934 · Movie · 20 min. · United States

Direction Buster Keaton · Charles Lamont

Cast Buster Keaton · Warren Hymer · Dorothy Dix · Roger Moore

Synopsis Dumped by his girlfriend, Buster drives west and winds up in a ghost town called Vulture City, where he appoints himself sheriff.

5.7

30 votes

5.7

30 votes

Frontier Gal

1945 · Movie · 92 min. · United States

Direction Charles Lamont

Cast Yvonne De Carlo · Rod Cameron · Andy Devine · Fuzzy Knight

Synopsis Johnny Hart (Rod Cameron) is on the run from the law after killing one of the men who shot his partner. He passes through a town and stops at a saloon owned by singer Lorena Dumont (Yvonne de Carlo). The...

4.8

88 votes

4.8

88 votes

Old Man Rhythm

1935 · Movie · 75 min. · United States

Direction Edward Ludwig

Cast Charles 'Buddy' Rogers · George Barbier · Barbara Kent · Grace Bradley

Synopsis A businessman enrolls as a college freshman in order to break up his son's relationship with a gold-digger.

Not rated

Not rated

That's the Spirit

1945 · Movie · 87 min. · United States

Direction Charles Lamont

Cast Peggy Ryan · Jack Oakie · June Vincent · Gene Lockhart

Synopsis A vaudeville performer returns from the dead to help his wife and daughter, who are being dominated by a greedy banker.

Not rated

Not rated

Fired Wife

1943 · Movie · 75 min. · United States

Not rated

Not rated

Son of a Sailor

1933 · Movie · 73 min. · United States

Direction Lloyd Bacon

Cast Joe E. Brown · Jean Muir · Frank McHugh · Thelma Todd

Synopsis Sailor Handsome from the aircraft carrier Saratoga meets in San Francisco Helen, a relative of his admiral. Invited at his home he meets a friend from his ship who has invented an autopilot for the planes. Two spies are trying...

Not rated

Not rated

Dora's Dunking Doughnuts

1933 · Movie · 20 min. · United States

Direction Harry Edwards

Cast Andy Clyde · Ethel Sykes · Bud Jamison · Shirley Temple

Synopsis A schoolteacher helps his friend Dora by getting his students to help him to make a radio commercial.

Not rated

Not rated

Super-Sleuth

1937 · Movie · 70 min. · United States

Direction Benjamin Stoloff

Cast Jack Oakie · Ann Sothern · Eduardo Ciannelli · Alan Bruce

Synopsis An actor who plays a detective in films soon finds himself out of his depth when he tries to investigate a real crime.

Not rated

Not rated

The Merry Monahans

1944 · Movie · 91 min. · United States

Direction Charles Lamont

Cast Donald O´Connor · Peggy Ryan · Jack Oakie · Ann Blyth

Synopsis The Merry Monahans is one of the higher-budgeted Universal musicals of the 1940s, even though the storyline is strictly grade-B material. During the first two decades of the 20th century the film concerns a family vaudeville troupe headed by patriarch...

Not rated

Not rated

Not rated

Fight for Your Lady

1937 · Movie · 66 min. · United States

Direction Benjamin Stoloff

Cast John Boles · Jack Oakie · Ida Lupino · Margot Grahame

Synopsis Ham Hamilton knows that gold-digger Marcia Trent is only after Robert Densmore for his money, so he tells Marcia that Robert is broke and she calls off the announced wedding. Disappointed and ready to die, Robert goes to Budapest, with...

Not rated

Not rated