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Cuerpo y alma Synopsis

Tried and true story of three young buddies thrust into danger (in this case, World War I aviation), some of whom come back, while some are less lucky. Films about WWI fliers had been spectacularly successful in the U.S. in the early 1930s, like "Wings," "Hell's Angels," and "Dawn Patrol." The Fox Studio evidently hoped this particular story, written by Furthman and others, had enough box office potential that Fox filmed it in 2 versions, the original English-speaking one (see under "Body and Soul" (1931)), and this Spanish-language "Cuerpo y alma" [literal translation of "Body and Soul"]. In the Spanish version the three fliers were played by Lewis (Farrell's role), Alcantara (Bogart), Nieto (Dillaway) and the two women by Custodio (Landi) and Soler (Loy). It's ironic that this Spanish version actually ran a half-hour longer than the original English one (99 min. vs. 70 min.), although it's the same story filmed in the same sets. Perhaps Fox was so disappointed with the English-speaking result that after completion the studio cut it down radically (to play on US screens as part of a double feature), while the Spanish version actually preserved intact the complete original story...? (Something similar did happen that same year to the English and Spanish versions of "Dracula.")

Man's Plaything Synopsis

While working as a flower girl in Devlin Maddox's nightclub, Nellie Vaughan meets wealthy young Pelton Van Teel and falls in love. Maddox, desirous of using Nellie to blackmail Van Teel, spreads a rumor that she is his mistress. This makes Nellie uncomfortable, and she demands that Van Teel marry her immediately, to which he agrees. Meanwhile, Van Teel has been losing money gambling to Maddox, who threatens to break up the marriage by producing a worthless check that the young husband has written. Venturing to Maddox's apartment for a showdown, Nellie pulls a gun and demands the check, accidentally shooting Maddox when he throws a lamp at her. Maddox plans to charge Nellie with assault, but when the police arrive, his butler, actually a detective employed by the elder Van Teel, exposes Maddox, who is then arrested, clearing the path for the couple's happiness.