Individual Movie Titles: O to R

INDIVIDUAL MOVIE TITLES

O - R

Objective Burma! (1945) - 142 mins

Starring Errol Flynn, William Prince, James Brown, George Tobias & Henry Huff.

Directed by Raoul Walsh.

A group of men parachute into Japanese-occupied Burma with a dangerous and important mission: to locate and blow up a radar station. They accomplish this well enough, but when they try to rendezvous at an old air-strip to be taken back to their base, they find Japanese waiting for them, and they must make a long, difficult walk back through enemy-occupied jungle.

Another great Errol Flynn action / adventure film!

Obliging Young Lady (1942) - 80 mins

Starring Joan Carroll, Edmond O'Brien, Ruth Warwick, Eve Arden, Robert Smith, Charles Lane & Franklin Pangborn

Directed by Richard Wallace

Linda Norton (Ruth Warrick) is instructed by her employer attorney to take young Bridget Potter (Joan Carroll), whose wealthy parents (John Miljan and Marjorie Gateson) are engaged in a divorce suit, to an isolated country resort, to shelter the girl from newspaper reporters and publicity. To the same resort comes Red Reddy (Edmond O'Brien), a hope-to-be novelist with plans also of furthering a former brief acquaintance with Linda, Charles Baker (Robert Smith) who is Linda's fiancée, a snooping private detective (Charles Lane), and Space O'Shea (the fabulous Eve Arden) hoping to get a story on Bridget and her divorce-seeking parents. The resort is also host to a convention-meeting of a group of bird lovers headed by the prissy Gibney (Franklin Pangborn). The mix gives rise to some hilarious situations

The studio concocted the film as a showcase for its 9-year-old discovery Joan Carroll with directing duties given to Richard Wallace, who as a former employee of Hal Roach Studios was well-grounded in this sort of frenetic farce

Nice comedic turn for O'Brien, following a good showing in Parachute Batalion (1941). He was to move on to further comedy roles with Powder Town (in which he plays a nutty professor being chased by spies) and the Oscar nominated The Amazing Mrs. Holliday (1943), alongside Deanna Durbin - all of which are available from this website.

Edmond O'Brien was famous for his tough noir roles on the big screen, notably his starring roles in The Web (1947), Fighter Squadron (1948), Backfire (1950), D.O.A. (1950), 711 Ocean Drive (1950), Between Midnight and Dawn (1950), Two of a Kind (1951), The Turning Point (1952), Denver & Rio Grande (1952), The Hitch-Hiker (1953), China Venture (1953), The Shanghai Story (1954), Shield for Murder (1954), 1984 (1956) & A Cry in the Night (1956) - all of which are available from the INDIVIDUAL MOVIE TITLES section of this website. In the late 1950's Edmond O'Brien also made an interesting noir-style detective TV series called Johnny Midnight - a nice set of episodes from this series can be found in the TV Series I-Z section of this website

The October Man (1947) - 98 mins

Starring John Mills, Joan Greenwood, Edward Chapman, Joyce Carey & Juliet Mills

Directed by Roy Baker

A stranger with a history of mental disorders, is the chief suspect in a murder hunt, when a girl that he has just met is found dead on the local common, and he has no alibi for the time she was killed. He must prove his innocence even to himself. A powerful melodrama and suspenseful mystery.

Odd Man Out (1947) - 115 mins

Starring James Mason, Robert Newton, Kathleen Ryan, Robert Beatty & Cyril Cusack

Directed by Carol Reed

Johnny McQueen, leader of a clandestine Irish organization, has been hiding in the house of Kathleen and her mother, planning a hold-up that will provide his group with the funds needed to continue its activities. During the hold-up, things go sour: Johnny is wounded, cannot make it back to the hideout, and disappears in the back-alleys of Belfast. Immediately, a large-scale man-hunt is launched, and the city is tightly covered by the constabulary, whose chief is intent on capturing Johnny and the other members of the gang. Kathleen sets out in search of Johnny.

Academy Award nominee for Film Editing.

The third in a great trilogy of James Mason noirs - preceded by The Man in Grey (1943) & The Seventh Veil (1945)

All 3 films are available from this website.

Mason combined with director Carol Reed again to great effect in 1953's The Man Between - see below

Another fine offering from director Carol Reed - his others include Night Train to Munich (1940), The Third Man (1949), The Man Between (1953) & The Key (1958) - all of which are available from this website

Odds Against Tomorrow (1959) - 96 mins

Starring Harry Belafonte, Robert Ryan, Shelley Winters, Ed Begley & Gloria Garhame

Directed by Robert Wise

Ex Cop Dave Burke is looking to hire two men to assist him in a bank raid: Earl Slater, an white ex-convict, and Johnny Ingram, a black gambler. Both are reluctant; but Burke arranges for Ingram's creditors to put pressure on him, while Slater feels humiliated by his failure to provide for his girl-friend; they eventually accept. But Slater loathes and despises blacks, and the tensions in the gang rapidly mount.

Robert Ryan in a great role with great support from a fabulous cast and another significant directorial effort from Robert Wise.

The Oklahoman (1957) - 80 mins

Starring Joel McCrea, Barbara Hale, Brad Dexter, Gloria Talbott, Michael Pate & Anthony Caruso

Directed by Francis D. Lyon

Having lost his wife in childbirth en route to California, Dr. John Brighton (Joel McCrea) builds a new home for himself and his baby daughter in an Oklahoma backwater town, lodging with kindhearted Mrs. Fitzgerald (Esther Dale). As the town grows up around him, Brighton becomes a well-respected local medico, championing the rights of the area's Indian population when nasty rancher Cass Dobie (Brad Dexter) attempts to buy them out cheap. Unbeknownst to the townspeople, Dobie has discovered oil on the land belonging to Charlie Smith (Michael Pate), whose beautiful daughter, Maria (Gloria Talbott), is working as little Louise Brighton's (Laurie Mitchell) nursemaid. When Charlie is forced to kill Cass' brother, Mel (Douglas Dick), in self-defense, Cass vows revenge. Meanwhile, aided by female rancher Anne Barnes (Barbara Hale), Brighton learns about the discovery of oil.

The Omega Man (1971) - 98 mins

Starring Charlton Heston, Anthony Zerbe, Rosalind Cash, Paul Koslo, Eric Laneuville & Lincoln Kilpatrick

Directed by Boris Sagal

Unfolding in a post-apocalyptic 1976, we have Charlton Heston as Robert Neville, the sole recipient of a serum that enabled him to survive an onslaught of germ warfare between Russia and China - which seemingly rendered him the last (normal) human alive. Neville lives in a garish, antique-strewn L.A. penthouse. During the day, he roams through the vacant city. At night, he fends off a bloodthirsty horde of mutant scavengers led by Matthias (Anthony Zerbe) and his half-human vampires who want to kill Neville. Neville's last man on earth status is shattered when he comes across a group of young people, presided over by the cynical Lisa (Rosalind Cash). Neville begins to form an interest in her, as the two try to keep Matthias and his minions at bay.

Excellent Sci-Fi!

Based on Richard Matheson's novel "I Am Legend" which was previously made as The Last Man on Earth (1964) with Vincent Price in the Dr. Robert Morgan/Neville role.

The Last Man on Earth (1964) is also available from this website.

On Dangerous Ground (1952) - 82 mins

Starring Robert Ryan, Ida Lupino, Ward Bond, Charles Kemper & Ed Begley

Directed by Nicholas Ray

Above par noir thriller that takes some stereotypical characters and potentially sentimental situations to fashion them into a film that thinks as well as entertains. Ryan is an increasingly violent cop sent to upstate New York to cool down, only to become involved in the hunt for a sex killer. This brings him into contact with blind Lupino and her constantly brutal father and a realization of what he himself has become. Ray's direction never forgets that the film's a mystery, but isn't afraid to use the genre to look deeper than the superficialities of the usual 'rough cop' movie.

One Foot in Hell (1960) - 90 mins

Starring Alan Ladd, Don Murray, Dan O'Herlihy, Dolores Michaels, Barry Coe & Larry Gates

Directed by James B. Clark

TV producer Aaron Spelling first came up with the story for this intriguing western set in a small town just after the American Civil War. Mitch (Alan Ladd) has tragically lost his wife during a problem in her pregnancy because he could not come up with $1.87 for the medicine she needed. A little twisted right from the beginning, he vows revenge. In the first step toward his goal, he gets the post of deputy sheriff from the repentant townspeople. In the second step, he murders the sheriff and then recruits a gang of disreputable toughs to steal $100,000 and bankrupt the town. In the last and fatal part of his plan for vengeance, he turns on his own gang of thieves.

One Minute to Zero (1952) - 105 mins

Starring Robert Mitchum, Ann Blyth, William Talman & Charles McGraw

Directed by Tay Garnett

This Korean War drama sees war-weary "Colonel Steve" Janowski obliged to contend with the North Korean forces while keeping troublesome UN official Linda Day at arm's length. Jet planes, Reds and atomic energy: this action adventure yarn has got the lot, including good supporting performances from Charles McGraw as a tough sergeant and William Talman as a jet pilot.

Some authentic Korean combat footage is well-integrated into the story of this film which was reportedly budgeted at over two million dollars, by Howard Hughes' RKO Pictures.

One of Our Aircraft is Missing (1942) - 102 mins

Starring Eric Portman, Godfrey Tearle, Hugh Williams, Bernard Miles, Hugh Burden & Emrys Jones

Directed by Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger

Six British bomber crewmen are obliged to bail out over Holland. To escape detection from the Nazis, the crewmen accept the hospitality of several Hollanders, all dedicated to the freedom-fighting activities of the Underground. The film is constructed along the lines of the earlier Powell-Pressburger film 49th Parallel except that the escapees are British rather than German and their Dutch contacts are willing rather than reluctant co-conspirators.

The austere photography by Ronald Neame is complemented by the to-the-point editing of future director David Lean. Oscar Nominated for Best Writing, Original Screenplay & Best Special Effects

Powell and Pressburger had previously combined to great effect in 1939's The Spy in Black (aka U-Boat 29), 1940's Contraband (aka Blackout) and 1941's 49th Parallel (aka The Invaders) and later with The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943) - all of which are available from this website.

Note that One of Our Aircraft is Missing (1942) is part of the Powell & Pressburger … their War Films … Combination which can be found in the Classic Movie Combinations section of this website

The One That Got Away (1957) - 106 mins

Starring Hardy Kruger, Michael Goodliffe, Colin Gordon, Alec McCowen & Terence Alexander

Directed by Roy Ward Baker

The title character in this fact-based POW drama is Franz von Werra, played by Hardy Kruger. Shot down early in the war, Luftwaffe pilot von Werra is incarcerated in an English prison camp. He refuses to submit to camp routine, insisting that he's on the brink of escaping. After two failed attempts, von Werra is transferred to a camp in Montreal.

Can he escape?

One That Got Away was based on a novel by Kendal Burt and James Leasor.

Only Angels Have Wings (1939) - 121 mins

Starring Cary Grant, Jean Arthur, Richard Barthelmess, Rita Hayworth & Thomas Mitchell

Directed by Howard Hawks

While waiting for her boat, Bonnie Lee stops at a small airport in South America. The pilots there deliver mail over a dangerous and usually foggy mountain pass. Geoff Carter, the lead flyer, seems distant and cold as Bonnie tries to get closer to him. Things heat up as Judy MacPherson, Geoff's old flame, shows up with her husband who is an infamous pilot.

Scripted by Jules Furthman from a story by Hawks, Only Angels Have Wings is a treasure trove of terse, pithy dialogue: one favorite scene occurs when, upon discovering that he's about to die, Thomas Mitchell says he's often wondered how he'd react to imminent death-and, now that death is but a few moments away, he'd rather that no one else be around to witness his reaction.

On the Waterfront (1954) - 108 mins

Starring Marlon Brando, Karl Malden, Lee J. Cobb, Rod Steiger, Pat Henning & Leif Erickson

Directed by Elia Kazan

Terry Malloy dreams about being a prize fighter, while tending his pigeons and running errands at the docks for Johnny Friendly, the corrupt boss of the dockers union. Terry witnesses a murder by two of Johnny's thugs, and later meets the dead man's sister and feels responsible for his death. She introduces him to Father Barry, who tries to force him to provide information for the courts that will smash the dock racketeers.

One of the finest films ever made - Oscars for Best Picture, Director, Editing, Writing, Art Direction, Cinematography, Actor & Supporting Actress

Operation Amsterdam (1959) - 104 mins

Starring Peter Finch, Eva Bartok, Tony Britton, Alexander Knox, Malcolm Keen & Alfred Burke.

Directed by Michael McCarthy

One of the covert operations at the beginning of World War II is enacted in this fast-paced docudrama about a government-approved diamond heist. A Major from the British army (Tony Britton) joins up with a Dutch diamond expert (Alexander Knox) and another adventurous Dutchman (Peter Finch) to steal a fortune in diamonds from a bank vault in Amsterdam before the Nazis completely close off the city. The trio are launched under the covering fire of a British battleship in the harbor and then chauffeured into Amsterdam by Anna (Eva Bartok), one of many people they encounter who could be either friend or foe. There is no time to waste in emptying the bank vault because it is estimated that the city will be overrun by the Nazi army in just fourteen hours. Meanwhile, the war is intensifying all around them, and the Nazi soldiers already on patrol are a continual threat.

Another fine British WWII adventure with a top cast

Operation Conspiracy (1955) - See Cloak Without Dagger elsewhere on this website

Operation Manhunt (1954) - 77 mins

Starring Harry Townes, Irja Jensen, Jacques Aubuchon, Robert Goodier & Albert Miller

Directed by Jack Alexander

Versatile character actor Harry Townes is afforded a rare top-billed assignment in Operation Manhunt. Townes is cast as the real-life Igor Gouzenko, who while working as a code clerk in the Soviet embassy in Ottawa was instrumental in smashing a Red spy ring operating in Canada. The film recounts Gouzenko's disillusionment with the Communist party line, his decision to cooperate with federal officials, and the efforts by the KGB to put him out of the way permanently. Location shooting at the actual sites of the historic incidents in and near Montreal, along with outstanding contributions from cast and crew have converted the piece into a superior thriller of the Espionage genre.

The story of Igor Gouzenko was previously dramatized on a bigger-budgeted scale in 20th Century-Fox's The Iron Curtain (1948) which is also available from this website

Operation Pacific (1951) - 111 mins

Starring John Wayne, Ward Bond, Patricia Neal, Philip Carey, Martin Milner & Paul Picerni

Directed by George Waggner

Submarine commander Duke Gifford feels guilty about both the death of his former commanding officer and his failed marriage. These issues pull at him during a hazardous mission against the Japanese in World War II, capped by the rescue of a group of orphans from a Japanese-held island.

Excellent Wayne vehicle with excitingly staged action sequences.

Operation Secret (1952) - 108 mins

Starring Cornel Wilde, Steve Cochran, Phyllis Thaxter, Karl Malden, Paul Picerni & Dan O' Herlihy

Directed by Lewis Seiler

Loosely based on the true story of Lieutenant Colonel Peter Ortiz, this mystery centers on an American WW II veteran who heroically served as both an officer and a member of the French Foreign Legionnaire. During the war he had been instrumental in assisting in the French Resistance. With such a sterling war record - his exploits are revealed via flashback - it is therefore a great shock when he is charged with the murder of a Resistance leader. It does not help that the accused lieutenant is thought dead following a key mission and is not around to clear his sullied name. During the trial, several dubious witnesses tell their version of the tale. A former communist spy presents the most conclusive "proof" that the lieutenant killed the Resistance leader.

O.S.S. (1946) - 105 mins

Starring Alan Ladd, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Patric Knowles, John Hoyt & Richard (TV's "Captain Midnight") Webb.

Directed by Irving Pichel

John Martin is part of an American spy team dropped into France during World War II to destroy the French railway system. After successfully blowing up a tunnel he runs back to save Ellen and is told "Never come back for me again." Later he must choose whether or not to obey her wishes. A first rate action film and spy yarn with Alan Ladd doing what he does best. This film later became the blueprint for Ron Randell's successful TV series of the same name.

Note that this film is part of a 4 DVD (8 film) Alan Ladd Collection set which can be found in the Classic Movie Combinations section of this website

Note further that this title along with Cloak and Dagger (1946) & 13 Rue Madeleine (1947) are part of a 3 DVD set of The O.S.S. Trilogy which can be found in the Classic Movie Combinations of this website.

Note that Cloak and Dagger (1946) & 13 Rue Madeleine (1947) are also available from within this (INDIVIDUAL MOVIE TITLES) section as well.

Out of the Fog (1941) - 93 mins

Starring Ida Lupino, John Garfield, Thomas Mitchell, Eddie Albert & George Tobias

Directed by Anatole Litvak

Litvak's film is an impressive adaptation of Irwin Shaw's play The Gentle People. Qualen and Mitchell are two honest and decent Brooklyn fishermen confronted by racketeer Garfield, who puts the squeeze on the two men for a little protection. Scared to tell the police, the fishermen decide to take matters into their own hands, but things start to get complicated when Garfield falls for Mitchell's daughter (Lupino). Hardly groundbreaking stuff, but Litvak's tight direction avoids any of the obvious clichés associated with this kind of material, and the performances are all first rate.

Out of the Past (1947) - 97 mins

Starring Robert Mitchum, Jane Greer, Kirk Douglas, Rhonda Fleming, Richard Webb & Dickie Moore

Directed by Jacques Tourneur

Jeff Bailey, small-town gas pumper, has his mysterious past catch up with him one day when he's ordered to meet with gambler Whit Sterling. En route to the meeting, he tells girlfriend Ann his story. Flashback: Once, Jeff was a private eye hired by Sterling to find his mistress Kathie who shot Whit and absconded with $40,000. He traces her to Acapulco...where the delectable Kathie makes Jeff forget all about Sterling... Back in the present, Whit's new job for Jeff is clearly a trap, but Jeff's precautions only leave him more tightly enmeshed...

Classic example of 40's film noir with dialogue a particular standout.

Outpost in Morocco (1949) - 92 mins

Starring George Raft, Marie Windsor, Akim Tamiroff & John Litel

Directed by Robert Florey

Captain Gerard, of the French Foreign Legion, is assigned to escort an emir's daughter to her father's mountain citadel and find out what he can about the emir's activities. Gerard enjoys his work with lovely Cara, but arrives to find rebellion brewing. Can the garrison be reinforced in time?

The Outriders (1950) - 93 mins

Starring Joel McCrea, Arlene Dahl, Barry Sullivan, Claude Jarman Jr., James Whitmore & Ramon Novarro

Directed by Roy Rowland

Will Owens (Joel McCrea) is one of three Confederate soldiers who escape from a northern prison compound. The three men join a wagon train, hoping to capture a Yankee gold shipment to help their cause. When the wagoners are attacked by Indians, Owens decides to reassess his priorities and protect the passengers, including the fetching Jen Gort (Arlene Dahl).

Big budget Technicolor from MGM

The Overlanders (1946) - 94 mins

Starring Chips Rafferty, John Nugent Hayward, Daphne Campbell, Jean Blue & John Fernside

Directed by Harry Watt

In Northern Australia during WWII, and with invasion by the Japanese seeming imminent, Dan McAlpine is ordered to kill 1000 head of cattle rather than risk losing them to the enemy. Instead he herds the cattle across the Australian continent. The 2000-mile cattle drive costs dearly in terms of personal losses to Rafferty and his fellow drovers, but in the end their sacrifices are worth it.

The Overlanders is based on a true story, and was specifically selected for adaptation to film as a congratulatory morale-booster for postwar Australian audiences.

Australian action star Chips Rafferty heads the cast - often considered "Australia's John Wayne", Chips is superb in this remarkable film - the first non-British film to be produced by Ealing Studios.

Chips was to star in two other iconic Aussie productions: 40, 000 Horsemen (1941) & Bush Christmas (1947) - both of which are available from this website.

Note that fans of Chips Rafferty may like to check out his charismatic performances in the two Smiley films which were made in Australia in the late 1950s - the are available from within the Movies Series section of this website.

The Ox-Bow Incident (1943) - 75 mins

Starring Henry Fonda, Dana Andrews, Mary Beth Hughes, Anthony Quinn, William Eythe & Harry Morgan

Directed by William A. Wellman

Two drifters are passing through a Western town, when news comes in that a local farmer has been murdered and his cattle stolen. The townspeople, joined by the drifters, form a posse to catch the perpetrators. They find three men in possession of the cattle, and are determined to see justice done on the spot.

Oscar Nominated for Best Picture

Pacific Blackout (1941) - 76 mins

Starring Robert Preston, Martha O'Driscoll, Philip Merivale, Thurston Hall & Eva Gabor

Directed by Ralph Murphy

While bombers roar overhead during a practice blackout in a large American West coast city, Robert Draper (Robert Preston), is among the prisoners in a police van. The inventor of a new range finder for anti-aircraft guns, he has been sentenced to death for the murder of his co-worker, John Maine, on the perjured testimony of night club singer Marie Duval (Eva Gabor), despite character evidence given in his favor by John Ronnel (John Merivale). Draper escapes when the van is in an accident and seeks refuge in a park, where he runs into telephone operator Mary Jones (Martha O'Driscoll) who decides to help him.

-NEW TITLE-

Panhandle (1948) - 86 mins

Starring Rod Cameron, Cathy Downs, Reed Hadley, Anne Gwynne & Blake Edwards

Directed by Lesley Selander

Regarded by some film buffs as the best of director Leslie Selander's many westerns, Panhandle stars Rod Cameron as John Sands, an ex-lawman turned gunslinger. He hopes to bury his past and homestead in Texas, but his plans change when his newspaper-reporter brother is killed. Reluctantly, Sands buckles on his gun belt and heads out for retribution against crooked gambler Matt Garson (Reed Hadley). Making his screenwriting debut, Blake Edwards (who also coproduced the film and played a small supporting role) does his best to steer free of clichés, structuring his script in the manner of the detective stories Edwards had been churning out for radio – namely Richard Diamond, Private Detective for Dick Powell.

No mere B picture, Panhandle was permitted to unspool at an "A" length of 84 minutes. To further assure audience approval, Blake Edwards rewrote the ending, in which hero Rod Cameron had originally been killed off

Yes that’s THE Blake Edwards – he is perhaps best known for penning the Pink Panther films

Nicely digitally restored (and in the process the original sepia tone has been removed – now in glorious B&W!)

One of two nicely turned Rod Cameron westerns in this INDIVIDUAL MOVIE TITLES section of the website - the other being Stage to Tucson (1950)

Note that there is a nice set of Rod Cameron westerns in the “B” Westerns section of this website

Panic in the Streets (1950) - 93 mins

Starring Richard Widmark, Paul Douglas, Barbara Bel Geddes, Jack Palance & Zero Mostel

Directed by Elia Kazan

One night in the New Orleans slums, vicious hoodlum Blackie and his friends kill an illegal immigrant who won too much in a card game. Next morning, Dr. Clint Reed of the Public Health Service confirms the dead man had pneumonic plague. To prevent a catastrophic epidemic, Clint must find and inoculate the killers and their associates, with the reluctant aid of police captain Tom Warren, despite official scepticism, and in total secrecy, lest panic empty the city. Can a doctor turn detective? He has 48 hours!

Oscar winner for Best Story

Panic in the Year Zero! (1962) - 93 mins

Starring Ray Milland, Jean Hagen, Frankie Avalon, Mary Mitchel, Joan Freeman & Rex Holman

Directed by Ray Milland

En route from Los Angeles to a vacation in the mountains, Harry Baldwin (Ray Milland, who also directs), his wife, Ann (Jean Hagen), and his teen-aged children, Rick (Frankie Avalon) and Karen (Mary Mitchell), are appalled to see a mushroom cloud forming over the L.A. skyline. With the highways clogged by panicking motorists, Baldwin and his family decide to head to the shelter of their fishing spot, there to wait until more news about the nuclear disaster is available. Everywhere they drive, however, the family is confronted by rampaging looters, heavily armed survivalists, and doped-up motorcycle punks. Attempting to remain calm and collected in the face of Armageddon, Baldwin ends up as violent and animalistic as everyone else.

Parachute Battalion (1941) - 72 mins

Starring Robert Preston, Nancy Kelly, Edmond O'Brien, Harry Carey, Buddy Ebsen & Paul Kelly

Directed by Leslie Goodwins

A unit of Army recruits train for a parachute corps in this patriotic war dram. One is an arrogant football star who finds jumping a kick. Another is worried that he may not be courageous enough to make that big leap out of an airplane. They find themselves competing for the affections of a young woman who happens to be the daughter of their training sergeant. The filmmakers of this movie paid careful attention to detail and was made with the cooperation of the 501st Parachute Battalion at Fort Benning, Georgia using actual paratroopers. The viewer is taken through every stage of a jump including folding the chute at the beginning.

Note that although Edmond O'Brien is listed 3rd in the cast, its really an ensemble piece involving the friendships of O'Brien's 'Bill' Burke, Preston's 'Don' Morse & Buddy Ebsen's Jeff Hollis. Ed has most to do as he is in fact the Colonel's son who has "issues" about his presence in the Battalion (but will he get the girl despite the best of competeition from Robert Preston?). This was a "breakout role" for Edmond O'Brien and he is given wonderful support by the deft playing of the legendary Harry Carey as MSgt. Bill 'Thunderhead' Richards

Then there are his earlier "breakout" roles in Parachute Battalion (1941), Obliging Young Lady (1942), Powder Town (1942) & The Amazing Mrs. Holliday (1943) - all of which are available from this website.

Paris After Dark (1943) - 85 mins

Starring George Sanders, Philip Dorn, Brenda Marshall, Madeleine LeBeau & Marcel Dalio

Directed by Léonide Moguy

This French Underground melodrama stars George Sanders as a seemingly apolitical Parisian doctor who is actually a resistance leader. Sanders' nurse (Brenda Marshall) is likewise a French patriot - less so the nurse's husband (Philip Dorn), who has become disillusioned after two years in a POW camp.

Worth noting in Paris After Dark is the fact that several of the personnel involved were actual French refugees, including director Leonide Moguy and husband-and-wife supporting actors Marcel Dalio and Madeleine LeBeau.

Sanders is great in this WWII thriller! - why not check out the similarly themed Paris Calling (1941) below?

Paris Calling (1941) - 95 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, Basil Rathbone, Elisabeth Bergner, Gale Sondrgaard, Lee J. Cobb & Eduardo Ciannelli

Directed by Edwin L. Marin

Marianne Jannetier, a well-to-do Parisian, engaged to Andre Benoit, a high-ranking government official, flees the city when the goose-stepping Nazi storm-troopers arrive. When her mother dies on the road to Bordeaux as a result of Nazi bombing, she returns to Paris and joins the underground movement. Nicholas Jordan, an American member of the RAF, stranded in Paris after the evacuation is also working with the Paris underground.

Made just before America's entry into World War II, Paris Calling is one of the earliest French Underground adventures - - why not check out the similarly themed Paris After Dark (1943) below?

Quality Note: Not the best of prints but worth seeing just to watch Randolph Scott & Basil Rathbone together!

The Paris Express (1953) - see The Man Who Watched Trains Go By (1952) elsewhere on this website

Park Plaza 605 (1953) (aka Norman Conquest) - 75 mins

Starring Tom Conway, Eva Bartok, Joy Shelton, Sid James & Richard Wattis

Directed by Bernard Knowles

Suave PI, Norman Conquest, intercepts a secret message and meets a beautiful but mysterious blonde Nadina Rodin in Room 605 of the Park Plaza Hotel. When Conquest wakes up next to a dead body, he becomes the police's number one suspect and the blonde is nowhere to be seen.

One of a pair of Tom (The Falcon) Conway UK releases from the 50's in which he plays a PI not too dissimilar to his role in The Falcon movie series from the 1940s - the other is Breakaway (1955) - also available from this website

The Falcon Movie series is available from this website, in the Movie Series section

Also known as Norman Conquest when first released in the US

Paratrooper (1953) - see The Red Beret (1953) elsewhere on this website

Passage to Marseille (1944) - 109 mins

Starring Humphrey Bogart, Claude rains, Michele Morgan, Helmut Dantine, Sydney Greenstreet & Peter Lorre

Directed by Michael Curtiz

Unfolded in a complex flashback-within-flashback structure, this is the story of Matrac (Humphrey Bogart), a freedom-loving French journalist who sacrifices his happiness and security to battle Nazi tyranny. The film opens as French liason officer Freycinet (Claude Rains), stationed in London, tells Mantrac's story to a British reporter (John Loder). Freycinet reveals that Mantrac, happily married to Paula (Michele Morgan), was framed by pro-fascists and sentenced to Devil's Island. Here he engineered a daring escape with such lost souls as Marius (Peter Lorre), & Garou (Helmut Dantine).

Designed as a follow-up to the enormously successful Casablanca, Passage to Marseille utilizes the talents of many of the on and off screen personnel of the earlier Warner Bros. classic.

Yes - there's Greenstreet & Lorre again!

Other films to feature the Greenstreet / Lorre combination were The Maltese Falcon (1941), Casablanca (1942), Background to Danger (1943), The Mask of Dimitrios (1944), The Conspirators (1944), Three Strangers (1946 & The Verdict (1946) - all of which are available from this website.

Passport to Adventure (1944) (see Passport to Destiny) - below

Passport to Destiny (1944) (aka Passport to Adventure) - 60 mins

Starring Elsa Lanchester, Gordon Oliver, Lloyd Corrigan, Gavin Muir, Lumsdale Hare & Fritz Field

Directed by Ray McCarey

Interesting little wartime fantasy about a cleaning lady who, convinced a lucky charm owned by her late husband (played in two photographs by an uncredited Charles Laughton, Lanchester's real-life husband) will keep her from harm, goes to Berlin to "give that blooming Mr. Hitler what for." Ably supported by a cast of first-rate comics, particularly Lumsdale Hare and Fritz Feld, it still requires Miss Lanchester at her most wide-eyed to pull this one off.

A lot a fun.

The People That Time Forgot (1977) - 90 mins

Starring Doug McClure, Patrick Wayne, Sarah Douglas, Dana Gillespie, Thorley Walters & Shane Rimmer

Directed by Kevin Connor

Major Ben McBride (Patrick Wayne) organises a mission to the Antarctic wastes to search for his friend (Doug McClure) who has been missing in the region for several years. McBride's party find themselves in a world populated by primitive warriors and terrifying prehistoric creatures, all of whom they must evade in order to get back safely to their ship.

The Land That Time Forgot (1975) was the first of three Edgar Rice Burroughs tales that were adapted for film by British production house Amicus under the direction of Kevin Connor and starring American actor Doug McClure (remember Trampas from the 60's TV series The Virginian ?). The second was At The Earth's Core (1976), which also starred Peter Cushing and the lovely Caroline Munro, and the last was The People That Time Forgot (1977), a sequel to the first film in which Patrick Wayne goes in search for Doug. The Land That Time Forgot is also significant because well known Fantasy writer Michael Moorcock worked on the screenplay. A fourth Connor / McClure film in this series of period lost world films was also produced : Warlords Of Atlantis (1978). Although not based on the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs, it followed fairly much the formula set by the other films in the series - a journey by stalwart period English scientists into a lost world filled with monsters, a voyage that takes places in a marvellous vehicle of period technology.

(Kevin Connor sandwiched these 4 films between equally enjoyable sci-fi / fantasy romps: From Beyond the Grave (1973) & Arabian Adventure (1979) - both of which are available from this website)

McClure then returned to US TV but within two years was back on the big screen in the outrageous Humanoids from the Deep (1980). From the Roger Corman (low-budget shocker) stable this film achieved dubious notoriety for its gratuitous and uncompromising approach to the genre

The films all also feature charismatic acting from lantern-jawed lead man Doug McClure and talented support players.

All of these films are available from within this section of the website - they are also available in a 5 DVD set from within the Classic Movie Combination section of this website

The Petrified Forest (1936) - 82 mins

Starring Leslie Howard, Humphrey Bogart, Bette Davis, Dick Foran & Joe Sawyer

Directed by Archie Mayo

Burned-out British intellectual Alan Squier wanders into the desert service station/restaurant owned by Jason Maple. Alan finds himself an object of fascination for Jason's starry-eyed daughter, Gabrielle, who dreams of moving to France and establishing herself. Boze Hertzlinger, Gabrielle's bowser attendant boyfriend, grows jealous of Alan, but the penniless, dissipated Briton has no intention of settling down; in fact, as soon as he scores a ride from wealthy tourists Mr. and Mrs. Chisholm, he's on his way out of Gabrielle's life or so everyone thinks. Later that same day, Alan, Gabrielle, Jason, Boze, and Mr. and Mrs. Chisholm are huddled together in the same restaurant, held at gunpoint by Dillinger-like desperado Duke Mantee (Humphrey Bogart) and his gang.

When originally presented on Broadway, Robert E. Sherwood's The Petrified Forest starred Leslie Howard and Humphrey Bogart. Warner Bros. intended to cast Edward G. Robinson in Duke's role, only to be thwarted by Howard, who told the studio that he himself would drop out of the project if Bogart wasn't retained. The film proved to be just the break that Bogart needed; years later, he expressed his undying gratitude to Howard by naming his daughter Leslie Bogart.

Absolutely riveting!

Leslie Howard & Humphrey Bogart re-teamed a year later for the delightful Stand-In (1937) - which is also available from this website

Phantom Lady (1944) - 87 mins

Starring Franchot Tone, Ella Raines, Alan Curtis, Thomas Gomez & Regis Toomey

Directed by Robert Siodmak

Phantom Lady (1944) is one of the high points of '40s film noir, the title alone evoking a potent mythology of this era. At the center of its narrative is the seemingly hopeless search for the title character who potentially serves as the only reliable witness in the murder trial for Scott Henderson (Alan Curtis), falsely accused of killing his wife. But the search is frustrated by Henderson's inability to remember any details about the woman outside of a flamboyant hat she wore during the night they spent together, an unlikely memory lapse that only intensifies his apparent guilt. Furthermore, no one else who saw Henderson and the woman together will admit to the police that they had seen her. It is up to his assistant, Carol (Ella Raines), to initiate an investigation of her own. This journey takes her on a tour of a decaying 1940s New York, during which Carol undergoes some implausible transformations of her own before the true murderer is revealed.

Phantom of the Opera (1943) - 92 mins

Starring Claude Rains, Nelson Eddy, Susanna Foster, Edgar Barrier & Leo Carrillo

Directed by Arthur Lubin

This Technicolor retelling of the classic story sees Claude Rains playing the pathetic orchestra violinist, Enrique Claudin, who worships aspiring opera-singer Christine Dubois (Susanna Foster) from afar. The girl is unaware that Claudin has secretly been financing her music lessons with instructor Signor Ferretti (Leo Carrillo). When he runs out of money, Claudin attempts to sell the concerto that he's been working on all his life. Mistakenly believing that his precious concerto has been stolen from him, he attacks and kills the music publisher he holds responsible. Terrified, the publisher's mistress throws a pan full of acid into Claudin’s face. Soon afterward, the Paris Opera house is plagued by a series of mysterious accidents and the managers are informed via letter that the "accidents" will continue if Dubois is not immediately promoted to leading roles.

Academy Award winner for Best Art Direction and Best Cinematography. Also Oscar Nominations for Best Music and Best Sound Recording

Phantom of the Rue Morgue (1954) - 83 mins

Starring Karl Malden, Claude Dauphin, Patricia Medina, Steve Forrest, Allyn Ann McLerie & Anthony Caruso

Directed by Roy Del Ruth

A mad scientist Dr. Marais (Karl Malden) uses a trained gorilla to exact revenge on those who've wronged him. At the top of Marais' hit list are the many beautiful women who've spurned his advances, including Yvonne (Allyn McLerie), Arlette and Camille. Each of these ladies have been given bracelets decorated with bells, designed to attract the homicidal ape's attention. Psychology professor Paul Dupin (Steve Forrest) conducts a private investigation of the killings, only to be arrested for the murders himself by Inspector Bonnard (Claude Dauphin). This leaves Bonnard's sweetheart Jeanette (Patricia Medina) virtually defenseless when she is targetted for extermination by Doc Marais. From the Edgar Allan Poe mystery yarn Murders in the Rue Morgue.

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The Phantom Planet (1961) - 82 mins

Starring Dean Fredericks, Coleen Gray, Anthony Dexter, Francis X. Bushman, Richard Weber & Dick Haynes

Directed by William Marshall

In this off-beat sci-fi adventure, astronaut Capt. Frank Chapman (Dean Fredericks) must make a forced landing upon a remote asteroid. His ship is damaged and he must breathe the planet's atmosphere. Soon he begins shrinking and once he gets down to six inches discovers the place populated by diminutive people who have turned this "phantom planet" called Rheton into a ship which has the ability to move in and out of galaxies to escape their enemies. He soon joins forces with the little people to defeat the monstrous Solarites, terrifying creatures out to eat them.

Pickup on South Street (1953) - 80 mins

Starring Richard Widmark, Jean Peters, Thelma Ritter, Richard Kiley & Milburn Stone

Directed by Samuel Fuller

Extravagant claims are made for this noirish spy film and for its director, Sam Fuller. It has its moments of technical brilliance in lighting and camera placement and two superb performances (by Richard Widmark as Skip, a professional pickpocket just released from his third prison term, and Thelma Ritter as Moe, who sells information and ties).The plot centres on microfilm being followed by FBI agents en route to a Soviet agent when a pickpocket takes the billfold it is in out of the courier's purse on a subway.

Picnic (1955) - 115 mins

Starring William Holden, Kim Novak, Betty Field, Susan Strasberg, Arthur O'Connell & Cliff Robertson

Directed by Joshua Logan

William Holden plays Hal Carter, a handsome drifter who ambles into a small Kansas town during the Labor Day celebration to look up old college chum Alan (Cliff Robertson, in his film debut). Hoping to hit up Alan for a job - or a handout - Hal ends up stealing his buddy's fiancée Madge Owens (Kim Novak). Persuaded by her friends and family that Hal is no damn good, Madge is preparing to break off her relationship but will she be ruled by her heart and not her head.

Broadening the film's appeal is its George Duning-Steve Allen title song: "Moonglow".

One of the biggest box-office attractions of the 1950s, Picnic was adapted by Daniel Taradash from the Pulitzer Prize-winning William Inge play.

Academy Award Winner for Best Art Direction and Film Editing. Nominations for Best Supporting Actor (Arthur O'Connell), Director, Music (Duning) & Best Picture

Pier 5, Havana (1959) - 67 mins

Starring Cameron Mitchell, Allison Hayes, Eduardo Noriega, Logan Field & Nestor Paiva

Directed by Edward L. Cahn

Having the unique distinction of being perhaps the only American drama filmed in Cuba just after Fidel Castro's revolution, Pier 5, Havana is also distinctive because the American hero Steve Daggett (Cameron Mitchell) fights to protect Castro from dangerous pro-Batista counterrevolutionaries. Steve comes to Cuba to find his friend Hank Miller (Logan Field) who has been missing for awhile. It turns out that he has been captured by Fernando (Eduardo Noriega), the leader of the pro-Batista forces, who needs Hank to convert their airplanes into bombers. Steve enlists the help of the local police in his search for Hank. Complicating matters is the fact that Steve's former girlfriend Monica (Allison Hayes) is now Mrs. Hank Miller.

An action packed & interesting curio!

Pilot #5 (1943) - 71 mins

Starring Franchot Tone, Marsha Hunt, Gene Kelly, Van Johnson & Alan Baxter

Directed by George Sidney

A small group of Allied soldiers and airmen on Java are being bombed by Japanese planes daily. With only one working fighter of their own, and five pilots anxious to fly it, the Dutch commander chooses George Collins to fly a mission to drop a 500-lb bomb on the Japanese carrier lying offshore. As the flight progresses, the commander asks the other pilots to tell him about George. They recount his rise from brilliant law student, through the time he became involved in the corrupt machine of his state's Governor, and his attempts to redeem himself, both in his own eyes, and in Freddie, his long-time love.

Pilot # 5 served to introduce Gene Kelly in a supporting role as a nasty, pugnacious young jerk.

"Pimpernel" Smith (1941) (aka Mister V) - 117 mins

Starring Leslie Howard, Francis L. Sullivan, Mary Morris, Hugh McDermott & Raymond Huntley

Directed by Leslie Howard

The "Scarlet Pimpernel" legend is updated to WW2 in the breathless actioner Pimpernel Smith. Leslie Howard (who also directed) plays bespectacled and seemingly mild-mannered Professor Smith, who under cover of darkness transforms into a tireless defender of democracy. With the help of several loyal companions, Smith makes several forays into Nazi-occupied territories to rescue the oppressed victims of the Third Reich, using a phoney archaeological expedition to throw the villains off the track. The picture really roars into life during the cat-and-mouse exchanges between the Professor and his Gestapo antagonist Von Graum, phlegmatically enacted by the corpulent Francis L. Sullivan.

Leslie Howard had previous played the lead role in The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934) - which is also available from this website.

Released in the US as Mister V

The Pirates of Capri (1949) - 94 mins

Starring Louis Hayward, Binnie Barnes, Mariella Lotti, Massimo Serato & Alan Curtis

Directed by Edgar G. Ulmer

A group of men calling themselves 'The Pirates of Capri", headed by Captain Sirroco (Louis Hayward), who is really Count Amalfi, are trying to restore freedom to the people of Naples in 1779. The evil Queen Carolina (Binnie Barnes) is advised of the pirate's assault by a member of her court and she seeks to escape to Palermo. But, she is advised it would be good politics for her to first attend a ball Amalfi is giving for his fiancée, Countess Mercedes (Mariella Lotti), who is unaware of the dual role Amalfi is playing.

Great musical score by Nino Rota who better known for his work on the Godfather films.

Lensed in Italy and directed with great skill by Edgar G. Ulmer

Louis Hayward made a number of "swashbucklers" during his career - there was The Man in the Iron Mask (1939) and The Son of Monte Cristo (1940) followed by The Black Arrow in 1948. Then he filmed The Pirates of Capri (1949) in Italy for legendary director Edgar G. Ulmer, before combining again with The Black Arrow's director Gordon Douglas and co-star George Macready for Fortunes of Captain Blood (1950). Louis Hayward next played Dick Turpin in The Lady and the Bandit (1951) before Captain Pirate (1952) marked his last swordplay movie. He then moved to TV for The Lone Wolf TV series - each of the above films are available from this website, whilst the TV series is available in the TV Series section of this website.

Pitfall (1948) - 84 mins

Starring Dick Powell, Lizabeth Scott, Jane Wyatt, Raymond Burr & John Litel

Directed by Andre de Toth

The darker side of the American dream is explored in this fascinating film noir. Dick Powell stars as John Forbes, a successful insurance man with a trophy wife named Sue (Jane Wyatt) and a model child named Tommy (Jimmy Hunt). Despite all that he's achieved in life, Forbes feels somehow unfulfilled. During an attempt to recollect illegally purchased goods by a convicted bank robber, Forbes falls for his glamorous client Mona Stevens and this sparks an affair between them. Forbes suffers the pangs of guilt, a fact immediately capitalized upon by the seedy private eye MacDonald (Raymond Burr), who is upset because Mona has rejected him. If adultery has been committed, can murder be far behind?

Note that this film is part of the Dick Powell "Drama" Combination which can be found in the Classic Movie Combinations section of this website

Pittsburgh (1942) - 91 mins

Starring Marlene Dietrich, Randolph Scott, John Wayne, Frank Craven & Louise Allbritton

Directed by Lewis Seiler

As indicated by the title, this is a saga of the steel industry, with longtime buddies Pittsburgh Markham (Wayne) and Cash Evans (Scott) rising from the ranks of miners to run their own foundry. Ruthlessly devoted to his work, Pittsburgh eventually has a falling out with Cash and also jeopardizes his romantic relationship with beautiful Josie Winters (Dietrich). Thanks to his duplicitous business practices, Pittsburgh loses both Josie and his steel mill; but when America enters WW II, he redeems himself by signing on as a common workman with Cash's still-thriving organization. Well acted and directed, Pittsburgh

The three stars of The Spoilers (1942) - Marlene Dietrich, John Wayne and Randolph Scott - were reunited for this fabulous adventure yarn (The Spoilers is also available from this website). Marlene Dietrich & John Wayne had previously teamed for Seven Sinners (1940) - also available from this website

The fascinating and alluring Marlene Dietrich! - movies starring this amazing woman and which are available from this website are: Morocco (1930), Dishonored (1931), Shanghai Express (1932), The Scarlet Empress (1934), The Devil Is a Woman (1935), Knight Without Armour (1937), Destry Rides Again (1939), Seven Sinners (1940), Manpower (1941), The Spoilers (1942), Pittsburgh (1942) & Golden Earrings (1947)

A Place of One's Own (1945) - 92 mins

Starring Margaret Lockwood, James Mason, Barbara Mullen, Dennis Price & Helen Haye

Directed by Bernard Knowles

Adapted from a novel by Osbert Sitwell, A Place of One's Own has a double-edged title: It refers to a physical place as well as a spiritual one. An elderly couple played by Barbara Mullen and James Mason purchase an old house. They've been warned that it's haunted by the spirit of a murdered girl, but decide to set up housekeeping anyway. The restless ghost responds to this intrusion by possessing the soul of Annette (Margaret Lockwood), the old couple's young live-in companion. Leading man Dennis Price is on hand as Dr. Selbie to attempt an emergency exorcism on the vulnerable Annette.

Quite a spooky delight!

The Plainsman (1936) - 113 mins

Starring Gary Cooper, Jean Arthur, Charles Bickford, James Ellison, Dorothy Burgess, George "Gabby" Hayes & Anthony Quinn

Directed by Cecil B. DeMille

Following the Civil War, a crooked arms dealer John Lattimer (Charles Bickford) schemes to sell a huge shipment of repeating rifles to the Indians. Constantly thwarting Lattimer's schemes is lawman Wild Bill Hickok (Gary Cooper), who soon forms a strong alliance with Indian scout Buffalo Bill Cody (James Ellison). Rambunctious Calamity Jane (Jean Arthur) is crazy about Wild Bill, but he refuses to have anything to do with her, contemptuously wiping his mouth whenever he kisses her. He prefers the company of winsome Louisa (Dorothy Burgess), but gallantly steps aside when Louisa marries Buffalo Bill. Upon learning that a band of Indians armed with Lattimer's rifles have attacked a military garrison, Wild Bill tells General Custer who in turn sends Buffalo Bill to the garrison with a consignment of weapons. Wild Bill then tries to arrange a peace conference with Indian chief Yellow Hand but is sidetracked when he sees Calamity Jane being captured by two Indian braves.

The biggest and the boldest of western adventures (yes, with several historical liberties being taken)

Gary Cooper: forever the great adventurer - these Gary Cooper titles are available from this website are:

Morocco (1930), A Farewell to Arms (1932), The Lives of a Bengal Lancer (1935), The General Died at Dawn (1936), The Plainsman (1936), Souls at Sea (1937), The Adventures of Marco Polo (1938), Beau Geste (1939), The Real Glory (1939), The Westerner (1940), North West Mounted Police (1940), For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943), Cloak and Dagger (1946), Unconquered (1947), Task Force (1949), Distant Drums (1951) & High Noon (1952)

Point Blank (1967) - 92 mins

Starring Lee Marvin, Angie Dickinson, Keenan Wynn, Carroll O'Connor, Lloyd Bochner & John Vernon

Directed by John Boorman

Based on Donald E. Westlake's novel The Hunter, John Boorman's gangster film hauntingly merges a generic revenge story with a European art cinema sensibility. In Alcatraz to divvy up the spoils from a robbery, thief Walker (Lee Marvin) is instead shot point blank by his double-crossing friend Mal Reese (John Vernon) and left to die while Reese takes off with Walker's wife Lynne (Sharon Acker) and his $93,000. Resurrected, the stone-faced Walker returns to Los Angeles a couple of years later to seek revenge on Mal with the help of the enigmatic Yost (Keenan Wynn) and Lynne's sister Chris (Angie Dickinson). Wanting little but his cash, Walker implacably penetrates Mal's lair and the hierarchy of the shady "Organization," registering no emotion about the string of murders left in his wake, as his thoughts repeatedly return to the past that brought him there. In his first American feature, Boorman transforms a stripped-down revenge plot into a surreal meditation on the gangster's spiritual demise, using flashbacks and startling shifts in setting to interweave Walker's fractured memories with his extraordinarily photographed odyssey through L.A. Marvin's chillingly stoic presence further hints at the ambiguities in Chris's observation that Walker "died at Alcatraz, all right."

Although Point Blank was mostly overlooked in 1967, Boorman's visual adventurousness, and Marvin's amoral and apathetic antihero, have since made Point Blank seem one of the key films of the mid-late '60s, a precursor to revisionist experimentations from Martin Scorsese to Quentin Tarantino.

Portland Exposé (1957) - 72 mins

Starring Edward Binns, Carolyn Craig, Virginia Gregg, Lawrence Dobkin, Frank Gorshin & Joseph Marr

Directed by Harold D. Schuster

A Portland tavern owner, George Madison (Edward Binns) gets involved in a struggle for power between two gangs attempting to control the unions. When his young daughter is attacked by one of the gangsters, he joins the faction fighting against the syndicate and gets important evidence via a tape recorder. He is discovered and he and his daughter are threatened – will the honest union men come to their aid?

Portland Exposé is a fact-based account of skullduggery in the Oregon metropolis. It was inspired by revelations made during the Senate's McClellan Committee hearings into political corruption.

Fantastic performance from Frank “The Riddler” Gorshin as Joe, the demented “muscle” for the gang (Ed Binns is pretty good as well)

Posse From Hell (1961) - 89 mins

Starring Audie Murphy, John Saxon, Zohra Lampert, Vic Morrow, Robert Keith & Royal Dano

Directed by Herbert Coleman

Banner Cole (Audie Murphy) goes after bad guys who shot his friend the sheriff and abducted a local girl. In a plot reminiscent of High Noon, the posse of town blowhards gradually abandons Cole with only tenderfoot banker Seymour Kern (John Saxon) remaining to prove his manhood. When they find the girl, obviously abused by her captors, Cole shows her acceptance and sympathy whereas the others display only revulsion.

Possessed (1947) - 108 mins

Starring Joan Crawford, Van Heflin, Raymond Massey, Geraldine Brooks, Stanley Ridges & John Ridgely

Directed by Curtis Bernhardt

A dazed woman walks the streets of Los Angeles looking for a man named David. After collapsing in a diner, she's taken to the psychiatric ward of a nearby hospital. Flashbacks reveal her obsession for David as a result of borderline personality disorder which ultimately leads to murder.

A fabulous noir with Crawford at her absolute peak.

Joan Crawford was nominated for the Best Actress Oscar for this role!

The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946) - 113 mins

Starring Lana Turner, John Garfield, Cecil Kellaway, Hume Cronyn, Leon Ames & Audrey Totter

Directed by Tay Garnett

Drifter Frank Chambers (John Garfield) takes a job at a roadhouse run by slovenly but likeable Nick Smith (Cecil Kellaway). Nick's sexy young wife Cora (Lana Turner) takes an immediate liking to Frank, but he senses that she's trouble and he keeps his distance for a while, anyway. Inevitably succumbing to Cora's tawdry charms, Frank enters into her scheme to murder Nick and claim the old boy's insurance money. Not long after committing the foul deed, Frank and Cora are arrested. Thanks to the conniving of slimy attorney Arthur Keats (Hume Cronyn), the illicit lovers are able to beat the murder rap but, as the film's title symbolically indicates, they eventually pay for their misdeeds in an unexpected manner.

James M. Cain's novel received its first authorized screen treatment in this MGM production but fans of the novel, not to mention Cain himself were aghast at the changes made by screenwriters Harry Ruskin and Niven Busch; many of the alterations were made to conform with censorship standards of the era.

Great noir film with Garfield at his very best!

Powderkeg (1971) - 94 mins

Starring Rod Taylor, Dennis Cole, Fernando Lamas, John McIntire, Luciana Paluzzi & Michael Ansara

Directed by Douglas Heyes

A Mexican bandit is about to be executed in the United States. So his brother takes over a train and holds the passengers as hostages unless his brother is released. Now both the Americans and Mexicans are baffled as to what to do. But one of the passengers, who wrote the letter for their captor, has a suggestion: call Hank Brackett and Johnny Reech, two mercenaries. Which they do. And as expected they do come up with a plan but the President of the Railroad is not sure if it will work.

This was the successful pilot for the subsequent TV series Bearcats! and was released theatrically in Europe to wide acclaim.

Note that this movie together with the entire TV series Bearcats! is available from TV Series section of this website.

Fans of aussie actor Rod Taylor are well catered for on this website with the following titles available: The Time Machine (1960), Seven Seas to Calais (1962), The Birds (1963), Fate Is the Hunter (1964), 36 Hours (1965), Young Cassidy (1965), The Liquidator (1965), Chuka (1967), Dark of the Sun (aka The Mercenaries) (1968), The High Commissioner aka Nobody Runs Forever (1968), The Hell With Heroes (1968), Powderkeg (1971) & Cry of the Innocent (1980) - all of which are available from the INDIVIDUAL MOVIE TITLES section of this website.

The TV Series section of this website also contains DVD sets of Rod's other TV series: Hong Kong (1960-61).

Powder Town (1942) - 78 mins

Starring Victor McLaglen, Edmond O'Brien, June Havoc, Dorothy Lovett & Eddie Foy Jr.

Directed by Rowland V. Lee

Adapted by Vicki Baum from a novel by Max Brand, the story is largely set in a wartime munitions plant. Targetted for abduction or murder by Nazi agents, eccentric scientist Pennant (Edmond O'Brien) is assigned a bodyguard, Jeema O'Shea (Victor McLaglen). Despite Jeema's best efforts, Pennant falls into the villain's clutches, all because of a super-explosive which the scientist has developed. Before Jeema can effect a rescue, he is obliged to expose the head of the spies. Veteran vaudevillians June Havoc and Eddie Foy Jr. provide some great comedic respites from the ongoing intrigue in this free flowing story.

Note that although Edmond O'Brien is listed 2nd in the cast, behind Victor McLaglen, its really Ed's picture - a nice blend of intrigue, espionage, mystery, comedy & even a touch of sci-fi!

Primrose Path (1940) - 93 mins

Starring Ginger Rogers, Joel McCrea, Marjorie Rambeau, Miler Mander & Henry Travers

Directed by Gregory La Cava

Ellie Mae lives on Primrose Hill with her good-hearted and fancy free mother, her drunken father, her younger sister and a mean-spirited grandmother. The Hill is not a good part of town, however. When she meets and falls for a hard-working man, they marry and she hides her past from him. When he discovers the truth it jeopardizes their marriage.

The Prince and the Pauper (1937) - 118 mins

Starring Errol Flynn, Claude Rains, Henry Stephenson, Barton MacLane, Billy Mauch & Alan Hale

Directed by William Keighley

As Jane Seymour, consort of King Henry VIII gives birth to the heir to the throne, the later Edward VI and Tom Canty is born in the nearby slums. Years later, as King Henry is near death, providence brings the two together and they discover that they share a striking resemblance. Having changed clothes with Tom during play, Edward is mistaken for a pauper by the Captain of the Guard and evicted from the palace. In contrast, Tom is believed to be the Prince of Wales by all of sundry and, when protesting, is treated as mentally unsound. Only the Earl of Hertford, the king's scheming advisor, realizes the truth but keeps quiet to further his own career. With a price on his head, the real Edward lives the life of a pauper among the thieves and beggars of London, befriended only by Miles Hendon.

From the novel by Mark Twain.

Prince of Foxes (1949) - 107 mins

Starring Tyrone Power, Orson Welles, Wanda Hendrix, Marina Berti & Everett Sloane

Directed by Henry King

Filmed entirely on location in Italy, Prince of Foxes is a cinemadaptation of Samuel Shellabarger's popular novel. Set during the Renaissance, the film stars Tyrone Power as Orsini, a good-will ambassador for scheming, covetous Cesare Borgia (Orson Welles). Orsini is aware that he is being used to expand Borgia's political influence, but he does his best to serve his master. But when he visits a mountain province ruled by the kindly Duke Varano (Felix Aylmer), Orsini comes to realize that there is more to life than power and possessions. Turning against the Borgias, Orsini is subjected to torture and humiliation, but he escapes to spearhead a revolt against the despotic family.

Because of contractual and budgetary restrictions, Prince of Foxes had to be filmed in black-and-white, which is a shame; if ever a film cried out for Technicolor, it is this one - 20th Century-Fox soon rectified this artistic gaffe with its full-color, location-filmed The Black Rose (1950), which also starred Tyrone Power and Orson Welles and is available from this website

Oscar nominated for B&W Cinematography & Costume Design

Tyrone Power: that fabulous adventurer … other great Tyrone Power movies available from this website are: The Mark of Zorro (1940), Johnny Apollo (1940), Blood and Sand (1941), The Black Swan (1942), Son of Fury (1942), The Razor's Edge (1946), Captain From Castile (1947), Nightmare Alley (1947), The Black Rose (1950), American Guerrilla in the Philippines (1950), Diplomatic Courier (1952) & King of the Khyber Rifles (1953).

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The Prince of Thieves (1948) - 72 mins

Starring Jon Hall, Patricia Morison, Adele Jergens, AlanMowbray & Michael Duane

Directed by Howard Bretherton

Robin Hood (Jon Hall) rescues a pair of Saxon nobles who were waylaid in Sherwood Forest - they turn out to be Maid Marian (Patricia Morison) and her brother Sir Allan Claire (Michael Duane). Claire was heading for his wedding to Lady Christabel (Adele Jergens) however the powers who rule England in King Richard’s absence have other ideas for some politically convenient marriages of alliance.

Prince Valiant (1954) - 100 mins

Starring James Mason, Janet Leigh, Robert Wagner, Debra Paget, Sterling Hayden, Brian Aherne & Victor McLaglen

Directed by Henry Hathaway

Hal Foster's Sunday-comics saga of a young Viking prince in the service of King Arthur is brought to the screen in CinemaScope and Technicolor here. Trained for the Round Table by Sir Gawain (Sterling Hayden), Prince Valiant (Robert Wagner ) takes time out to fall in love with the beautiful Princess Aleta (Janet Leigh). The villain of the piece is The Black Knight, aka Sir Brack (James Mason), who intends to topple King Arthur (Brian Aherne) from his throne, then conquer Valiant's people in Scandia. But Prince Valiant proves a fearsome opponent to the usurping Sir Brack.

Excellent Widescreen Technicolor print!

Sterling Hayden: ever the maverick, ever the individual - he preferred to sail his yacht around the world rather than act in movies. Yet despite his lack of interest in film, he was lauded and chased by the very finest directors: John Huston, Robert Altman, Francis Ford Coppola & Stanley Kubrick. In each of his roles, Hayden's individuality showed forth whatever the genre of film: noir, adventure, western & swashbuckler. He remains a huge favourite of my Dad (who introduced me to his films) and my son (to whom I, too introduced this powerful actor).

Sterling Hayden films which are available from this website are:

Manhandled (1949), Asphalt Jungle (1950), Denver & Rio Grande (1952), The Golden Hawk (1952), Fighter Attack (1953), Crime Wave (1954), Prince Valiant (1954), Johnny Guitar (1954), Naked Alibi (1954), Suddenly (1954), Battle Taxi (1955), Timberjack (1955), The Killing (1956), Crime of Passion (1954), 5 Steps to Danger (1957), Terror in a Texas Town (1958), Ten Days to Tulara (1958) & The Long Goodbye (1973)

The Prisoner of Zenda (1937) - 101 mins

Starring Ronald Colman, Madeleine Carroll, C. Aubrey Smith, Raymond Massey, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., David Niven & Mary Astor

Directed by John Cromwell

Ronald Colman stars in David O. Selznick's classic production of Anthony Hope's swashbuckling adventure. The film takes place in a mythical Central European kingdom with Colman in a dual role as King Rudolf V and Rudolph Rassendyl, a visitor from England who's a distant cousin to the prince. Arriving in the city of Strelsau, the inhabitants are startled by Rudolph's resemblance to the prince. Spotted by two of the prince's aides, Captain Fritz von Tarlenheim (David Niven) and Colonel Zapt (C. Aubrey Smith), the Englishman is taken to meet the prince at his hunting lodge. The two lookalikes have dinner together as the prince tells Rudolph of the preparations for his upcoming coronation as king. The next morning, Zapt wakes Rudolph and informs him the prince had been drugged the night before and is now in a coma. Because of their similar appearance, Zapt prevails upon Rudolph to impersonate the prince at the coronation, otherwise the prince's evil brother Black Michael (Raymond Massey) will be crowned in his place. With the assistant of Zapt and von Tarlenheim, Rudolph bluffs his way through the coronation, successfully fooling Michael, who is shocked to see his brother alive. Crowned king, Rudolph then meets Princess Flavia (Madeleine Carroll), the prince's fiancee. As they proceed to the reception, Princess Flavia is amazed how kindly the prince is now treating her. Rudolph is falling in love with her, but Michael suspects something foul and dispatches Rupert of Hentzau (Douglas Fairbanks Jr.) to investigate the matter further, preparing to gain control of the throne at any cost.

Academy Award nominations for Best Art Direction (Lyle Wheeler) & Best Music Score (Alfred Newman)

The Prisoner of Zenda (1952) - 96 mins

Starring Stewart Grainger, Deborah Keer, Louis Calhearn, Jane Greer, James Mason & Lewis Stone

Directed by Richard Thorpe

English trout fisher Rudolf Rassendyll is about the only tourist not coming for the coronation of Central-European King Rudolf V at Strelsau, but happens to be a distance relative and is approached on account of their canning resemblance to stand in for the drunk king, in order to prevent his envious half-brother Michael, who arranged spiking his wine to seize the throne when the reputedly less then dutiful Rudolf stays away. The ceremony goes well, and he gets acquainted with the charming royal bride, related princess Flavia, but afterward the king is found to be abducted; he must continue the charade and once the hiding place, the castle of Zenda, is found is involved in the fight between political parties for control over Rudolf V, his the throne and his bride, for which a formidable third candidate, Michael's disloyal co-conspirator Rupert of Hentzau, was waiting in the curtains

James Mason & Stewart Grainger "square off" for a great swashbuckling finale!

Private Detective 62 (1933) (aka Man Killer) - 67 mins

Starring William Powell, Margaret Lindsay, Ruth Donnelly, Arthur Hohl & Natalie Moorhead

Directed by Michael Curtiz

Donald Free (William Powell) is a private detective whose career in on the skids. Dan Hogan (Arthur Holh) is another, less scrupulous shamus who persuades Free to help him frame Janet Reynolds (Margaret Lindsay), a wealthy woman with a taste for gambling living in Paris. Free goes along with the scheme, but things become complicated when he begins falling in love with her.

William Powell - say no more!

The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1937) - 106 mins

Starring Errol Flynn, Bette Davis, Olivia de Havilland, Donald Crisp, Vincent Price & Alan Hale

Directed by Michael Curtiz

Concerns the tempestuous relationship between the middle-aged Elizabeth and the ambitious Essex. At one point, the Queen intends to marry Essex and relinquish her throne, until she realizes that his plans for advancement would ultimately prove disastrous for England. When afforded the opportunity to execute Essex for treason, she reluctantly signs his death warrant.

It is no secret that Bette Davis and Errol Flynn were at each other's throats throughout the filming: Davis felt that Flynn was unprofessional, while Flynn thought that Davis took herself too seriously. Davis had wanted Laurence Olivier to play the Earl of Essex opposite her Queen Elizabeth I. She was forced to compromise and the finished product, a lavish Technicolor costumer allowing full scope to Davis' histrionics and Flynn's derring-do, betrays little of the backstage hostilities.

Adapted by Norman Reilly Raine and Aeneas McKenzie from Maxwell Anderson's blank-verse play.

Oscar Nominations for Art Direction, Color Cinematography, Special Effects, Sound Recording and Score (Erich Wolfgang Korngold)

Project Moon Base (1953) - 63 mins

Starring Donna Martell, Hayden Rorke, Ross Ford, Larry Johns, Herb Jacobs & Barbara Morrison

Directed by Richard Talmadge

In the not-too-distant future of 1970, the United States is considering building bases on the Moon, and send a female colonel and two men to investigate. One of the men turns out to be a foreign spy, and the entire operation--and the future of the free world is in danger.

Co-scripted by sci-fi novelist Robert A. Heinlein, Project Moonbase is a "feature film" cobbled together from several episodes of the unsold TV science fiction series "Ring Around the Moon."

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The Proud Ones (1956) - 90 mins

Starring Robert Ryan, Virginia Mayo, Jeffrey Hunter, Robert Middleton, Walter Brennan & Arthur O'Connell

Directed by Robert D. Webb

A small Kansas town braces itself for the arrival of the first Texas trail herd. Marshal Cass Silver (Robert Ryan) expects trouble from the herd drivers, who'll be thirsty and wild after months on the trail. The town's saloon owner Honest John Barrett (Robert Middleton), anticipating a business boom, wants to remove the marshal and thus leave the town wide open. An early scuffle in the casino leaves Silver with vision problems that interfere with his duties. Thad Anderson (Jeffrey Hunte)r who came to town with a cattle drive encounters Silver, who killed Anderson's father when Thad was young. Feelings of animosity soon change as Thad begins to sense that Cass is telling the truth about his father. What follows is a plot that continues to thicken and build slowly to an explosive climax.

Great cast - great western!

One of 4 westerns which Robert Ryan made in the 1950s in which he was star - the others being Best of the Badmen (1951), Horizons West (1952) & Day of the Outlaw (1959) - all of which are available from this website

The Proud Rebel (1958) - 103 mins

Starring Alan Ladd, Olivia de Havilland, Dean Jagger, David Ladd, Cecil Kellaway & Henry Hull

Directed by Michael Curtiz

A gentler but no less resourceful Alan Ladd is cast as civil war veteran John Chandler, while the star's son David (who grew up to become a powerful Hollywood producer) plays Chandler's emotionally disturbed son David. Since suffering a traumatic shock during the war, David has not spoken a single word. With his son in tow, John wanders the frontier in search of a doctor who might cure David's muteness. Along the way, he runs afoul of sheep baron Harry Burleigh (Dean Jagger), and for a brief period is forced into indentured servitude to pay a debt to farm woman Linnet Moore (Olivia de Havilland). Falling in love with Linnet, John vows to protect her land from the covetous machinations of Burleigh and his brood.

Another great Alan Ladd vehicle!

The Public Enemy (1931) - 84 mins

Starring James Cagney, Jean Harlow, Eddie Woods, Joan Blondell & Donald Cook

Directed by William Wellman.

Friends Tom and Matt go from small time to big time crime during prohibition. Tom tires of his mistress Kitty (he pushes a grapefruit into her face) and falls for Gwen who resists his advances except when it look as though he might dump her. When Matt is killed, Tom goes after the murderers.

Academy Award nominations for Best Writing & Best Original Story

Public Hero #1 (1935) - 89 mins

Starring Lionel Barrymore, Jean Arthur, Chester Morris, Joseph Calleia & Paul Stone

Directed by J. Walter Ruben

The stringent censorship imposed upon Hollywood of the mid-1930s dictated that gangsters could no longer be the "heroes" in any crime film. Public Hero No. 1 reflects this restriction. G-Man Jeff Crane (Chester Morris) poses as a crook to infiltrate the notorious Purple Gang, a band of hoodlums which preys upon other hoodlums. Orchestrating the jailbreak of the Gang's leader Sonny 'Dinkie' Black (Joseph Calleia), Crane joins him in a Dillinger-like flight across the country. The bloody denouement, which occurs in a vaudeville theatre, is likewise drawn from the Dillinger saga.

Also featured is Jean Arthur as the heroine (a comic role) and Lionel Barrymore as a drunken gang doctor

A Gangster Gem! - Chester Morris in a great role well match by Joseph Calleia.

Puppet on a Chain (1971) - 98 mins

Starring Sven-Bertil Taube, Barbara Parkins, Alexander Knox, Patrick Allen & Vladek Sheybal

Directed by Geoffrey Reeve

The headquarters of a drug-smuggling cartel is the quarry of American narcotics agent Paul Sherman (Sven-Bartil Taube). Though the cartel's activities are centered in Amsterdam, Sherman's search for the headquarters leads to an island castle owned by an offbeat religious group. Sherman and his partner Maggie (Barbara Parkins) run into serious trouble when they try to gain access to the forbidding site.

From a screenplay by Alistaiar MacLean, this detective thriller features one of the most exciting boat chases ever filmed, a scene that has been compared to the car chase in Bullitt. It is also notable for having much scenic footage of the Netherlands and of Amsterdam. A superb color print .

Note: Fans of films based on Alistair MacLean's works might like to check out The Secret Ways (1961), The Satan Bug (1965), When Eight Bells Toll (1971), Fear Is the Key (1972), Caravan to Vaccarès (1974), Golden Rendezvous (1977), Bear Island (1979) & River of Death (1989) elsewhere in the INDIVIDUAL MOVIE TITLES section of this website.

Additionally, The Alistair MacLean Collection which can be found in the Classic Movie Combinations section of this website, comprises The Satan Bug (1965), When Eight Bells Toll (1971), Puppet on a Chain (1971) & Fear Is the Key (1972) in a special 4 DVD collection.

The Purple Heart (1944) - 99 mins

Starring Dana Andrews, Richard Conte, Farley Granger, Kevin O'Shea, Don 'Red' Barry & Trudy Marshall.

Directed by Lewis Milestone

The year is 1942: eight American airmen crash-land during the Doolittle bombing raid on Tokyo and are taken prisoner. Though slated for execution, the pilots are put through a "show trial" by the military, on a charge of committing war crimes. The Japanese judges promise to be merciful if only the Americans will reveal vital US military secrets. But captain Dana Andrews speaks for the rest of his melting-pot crew-some of whom have been subjected to the most horrific of tortures--when he chooses death before dishonor.

The Purple Heart was made at a time when America was still at war with Japan, and political correctness was hardly a consideration. Its jingoism aside, the film is a first-rate piece of moviemaking, deftly directed by Lewis Milestone with the same fervor that he'd expended on his 1930 anti-war masterpiece All Quiet on the Western Front

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The Purple Mask (1955) - 82 mins

Starring Tony Curtis, Colleen Miller, Gene Barry, Dan O’Herlihy, Angela Lansbury, George Dolenz & John Hoyt

Directed by H. Bruce Humberstone

France, 1803: 11 years after the Revolution, a royalist underground is led by a new 'Scarlet Pimpernel', the Purple Mask, Rene de Traviere (Tony Curtis). Rene is a foppish nobleman who doubles as the Purple Mask, a Royalist supporter who kidnaps officers of the Republic and ransoms them back to Baron de Morleve (Stefan Bekassy) for a hefty fee. He manages to elude Napoleon's minions for a time until he is forced to give himself up when the love of his life, the beautiful Laurette (Colleen Miller), is placed in danger. Even though he is facing the guillotine, Rene has a few tricks up his sleeve. The Purple Mask was based on La Chevalier au Masque, a play by Paul Armont and Jean Manouissi.

Universal’s successful follow-up to another Tony Curtis swashbuckler from the previous year: The Black Shield of Falworth (1954) - which is also available from this website

Pursued (1947) - 101 mins

Starring Robert Mitchum, Teresa Wright, Judith Anderson, Dean Jagger & Alan Hale

Directed by Raoul Walsh

Chased by a posse to a remote cabin, Jeb (Robert Mitchum) is joined by his fearful wife Thorley (Teresa Wright), awaiting the arrival of the men tracking them, as they try to reason out what has gone wrong in their lives. Jeb can't remember anything about his early childhood except for a horrible incident in which the people around him were killed by a mysterious stranger, whose flashing spurs were all the boy saw. He was raised by Ma Callum (Judith Anderson), alongside her two children, Thorley and Adam, as one of her own. But every time Jeb seemed poised to find peace, or even simple stability in his life, lurking nearby was Grant (Dean Jagger), a one-armed stranger who seemed bent on tormenting Jeb -- Jeb doesn't know who he really is, much less who Grant is, but Grant knows enough about him and is good enough at manipulating human nature to make Jeb a target for jealousy and murder. Making Jeb's life even more complicated is the fact that he and his adopted sister Thorley fell in love with each other, while Adam (John Rodney), his adopted brother, has come to hate him. The machinations around Jeb and Thorley come home to roost in multiple shootings and murder, a deadly chase and a long-planned lynching.

Fabulous movie - one of Mitchum's best - a true western noir

Fans of Robert Mitchum's noir catalogue will be aware that this western noir has a "companion piece" namely Blood on the Moon (1948) - this title also available from this website in the INDIVIDUAL MOVIE TITLES section.

Note that Pursued (1947) & Blood on the Moon (1948) are part of a special 2 DVD (4 film) set titled

Robert Mitchum … still out West but in the Lead … - it can be found in the "B" Westerns section of this website

Pursuit (1935) - 60 mins

Starring Chester Morris, Sally Eilers, Scotty Beckett, Henry Travers & C. Henry Gordon

Directed by Edwin L. Marin

"Mitch" Mitchell is an aviator who has been hired to take a child out of California and into Mexico. He is accompanied by Maxine Rush, the secretary of the head of a private-detective agency who has been hired to care for the kid until a guardianship suit has been settled.

Excellent fun with Morris & Eilers doing a "Grant & Colbert" as they travel across country, pursued by all & sundry.

Pushover (1954) - 88 mins

Starring Fred McMurray, Kim Novak, Phil Carey, E. G. Marshall & Dorothy Malone

Directed by Richard Quine

A bank heist yields $210,000. Soon, sultry Lona McLane, girlfriend of one of the robbers, meets Paul Sheridan and has a torrid affair. When she finds out Paul's a cop, to save herself she sets out to corrupt him. He's a pushover. But it won't be easy for Paul to get his hands on the money when he's part of a complex, peeping-tom stakeout. Soon, he's in much deeper than he'd planned, amid atmospheric night scenes.

Q Planes (1939) - 82 mins

Starring Laurence Olivier, Ralph Richardson, Valerie Hobson, George Curson, George Merritt & Gus McNaughton

Directed by Tim Whelan

This British spy thriller concerns the theft of valuable aircraft secrets by enemy agents. Laurence Olivier plays a firebrand test pilot who falls under suspicion when several planes disappear. Ralph Richardson steals the film as a seemingly befuddled secret service operative assigned to the case. Despite its topicality (the film was made in 1939, when Europe was bracing itself against the possibility of war), Q Planes is played with the tongue-in-cheek bravado of a "Boy's Own Paper" tale.

Q Planes was released in the US as Clouds over Europe

For the 60's The Avengers TV series, Patrick Macnee in fact based his characterisation of the suave John Steed on Richardson's work in this film (Note that The Avengers TV series is available from this website - in the TV Series A-H section)

The Quiet Man (1952) - 125 mins

Starring John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Barry Fitzgerald, Ward Bond, Victor McLaglen & Mildred Natwick

Directed by John Ford

Irish-American boxer John Wayne, recovering from the trauma of having accidentally killed a man in the ring, arrives in the Irish village where he was born. Hoping to bury his past and settle down to a life of tranquility, Wayne has purchased the home of his birth from wealthy local widow Mildred Natwick, a transaction that has incurred the wrath of pugnacious squire Victor McLaglen, who coveted the property for himself. By and by, Wayne falls in love with McLaglen's beautiful, high-spirited sister Maureen O'Hara. Her insistence that Wayne conduct his courtship in a proper Irish manner-with puckish matchmaker Barry Fitzgerald along for the ride as "chaperone"--is but one obstacle to their future happiness: the other is McLaglen, who spitefully refuses to give his consent to his sister's marriage, or to honor the tradition of paying a dowry to Wayne. Wayne could care less about dowries, but the tradition-bound Maureen refuses to consummate her marriage until McLaglen pays up.

The Perfect Movie Experience!

Oscar Winner for Best Director & Best Color Cinematography

Oscar Nominations for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Victor McLaglen), Screenplay, Sound Recording & Art Direction.

Note: Excellent color print - much superior to commercial offerings

Quiet Please, Murder (1942) - 70 mins

Starring George Sanders, Gail Patrick, Richard Denning, Lynne Roberts, Sidney Blackmer & Kurt Katch

Directed by John Larkin

A public library at night is the setting for this fast-moving crime caper. George Sanders is a gentleman crook specializing in selling forgeries of rare books. In the company of phony policemen, Sanders enters the library unmolested and pilfers a priceless Shakespeare folio in order to expedite his operation. The criminal's girl friend/accomplice Gail Patrick is willing to go along with the crime until Sanders begins displaying a homicidal streak. She calls in a detective (Richard Denning) to foil the criminal.

A dash of Sanders in the night!

Race Street (1948) - 79 mins

Starring George Raft, William Bendix, Marilyn Maxwell, Frank Faylen & Harry Morgan

Directed by Edwin L. Martin

A San Francisco bookie-turned nightclub owner plays both ends against the middle in dealing with a homicide cop and going up against a protection racket responsible for his friend's death. Raft at his roughest tangles with a dame at her deadliest! Racket king Raft - and homicide ace Bendix - hunting the same killer - tricked by the same dame.

The Rack (1956) - 100 mins

Starring Paul Newman, Wendell Corey, Walter Pidgeon, Edmond O’Brien, Anne Francis & Lee Marvin

Directed by Arnold Laven

The Korean conflict of the early '50s saw widespread use of psychological torture by the North Korean communists on enemy prisoners of war. Paul Newman stars as Captain Edward W. Hall Jr., a career soldier being tried by a military court for collaborating with the enemy. As the son of a highly distinguished career officer Col. Edward W. Hall Sr. (Walter Pidgeon), and with a brother who had been killed in the war, he is especially tormented by the accusations which have been brought against him. Although reluctant to take the case, Major Sam Moulton (Wendell Corey) elicits incriminating testimony from Hall, comparing him unfavorably with soldiers like Captain John Miller (Lee Marvin), who were able to withstand similar punishment. But defending attorney Lt. Colonel Frank Wasnick (Edmond O'Brien), makes the case that this new type of torture is a new and barely understood weapon, to which some will be more innately immune than others.

Paul Newman in just his 3^rd film role (after The Silver Chalice (1954) and 1956’s Somebody Up There Likes Me) is superlative in a challenging role surrounded by a distinguished cast (again Lee Marvin is a stand-out as Capt. John R. Miller)

The Racket (1951) - 88 mins

Starring Robert Mitchum, Lizabeth Scott, Robert Ryan, William Talman, Ray Collins & Joyce Mackenzie

Directed by John Cromwell

Racketeer Robert Ryan has managed to get several government and law-enforcement higher-ups in his pocket. But Ryan can't touch the incorruptible police officer Robert Mitchum, who refuses all attempts at bribery. Ryan pulls strings to get Mitchum transferred to a series of undesirable precincts, but Mitchum will not be dissuaded. The battle of wills between cop and criminal comes to a head when mob-connected nightclub singer Lizabeth Scott turns on her former protector Ryan.

The Racket was based on a play by Bartlett Cormack. The Broadway version of The Racket starred Edward G. Robinson as the racketeer; the 1928 film version featured Louis Wolheim in the Robinson role and Thomas Meighan as the upright cop. Both the silent and sound versions of the property were personally produced by Howard Hughes

Radar Secret Service (1950) - 59 mins

Starring John Howard, Adele Jergens, Tom Neal, Ralph Byrd, Sod Melton, Tom Neal, Tristram Coffin & Pierre Watkin

Directed by Sam Newfield

John Howard and Ralph "Dick Tracy" Byrd star as Bill and Static, a pair of secret service operatives, in search of stolen uranium ore who use radar to track down the atomic bandits.

Not unlike Kirk Allyn's interesting Republic serial of the previous year: Radar Patrol vs. Spy King, this film relies on the new found fascination with that WWII discovery: radar (and gives it more abilities then it deserves!)

A good fast moving story with lots of familiar faces doing "what they do best": its John "Bulldog Drummond" Howard & Ralph "Dick Tracy" Byrd up against Tom "Bruce Gentry" Neal & Tris "King of the Rocketmen" Coffin with fun support from Sid "Captain Midnight's TV Ikky" Melton.

Ralph Byrd even mentions Dick Tracy in one of the early scenes!

Note that all of the above titles are available elsewhere in this website

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Raffles (1930) - 72 mins

Starring Ronald Colman, Kay Francis, Bramwell Fletcher, Frances Dade, Alison Skipworth & David Torrence

Directed by George Fitzmaurice

The third in a succession of film adaptations of author E.W. Hornung's novel Raffles, the Amateur Cracksman, this version was the first to also be produced in sound. Ronald Colman stars as A.J. Raffles, an utterly unflappable British gentleman cricket player who by night is secretly a thief known in the press as The Amateur Cracksman and causing apoplectic fits at Scotland Yard. Raffles has fallen in love with society girl Gwen Manders (Kay Francis) and intends to give up his criminal pursuits, but first he must help an indebted pal, Bunny (Bramwell Fletcher) by stealing a valuable necklace owned by Lady Melrose (Alison Skipworth) at a weekend soiree. Suspecting that Raffles and the Cracksman are one and the same, Inspector McKenzie (David Torrence) is a guest at the same party, with a keen eye peeled at Raffles. In the meantime, rival crook Crawshaw also has designs on the necklace, setting himself as an unfortunately perfect scapegoat.

Oscar Nominated for Best Sound, Recording

Remade with almost equal skill nine years later with David Niven in the lead - see below

There is also a Raffles TV series - available from within the TV Series section of this website and a comprehensive collection of Raffles radio mysteries - available from the Radio Shows on MP3 CD section of this website

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Raffles (1939) - 72 mins

Starring David Niven, Olivia de Havilland, Dame May Whitty, Dudley Walton, E. E. Clive & Lionel Pape

Directed by Sam Wood

The fourth cinematic version of the novel Raffles, the Amateur Cracksman by E.W. Hornung, this romantic caper is a virtual remake of the 1930 version (above). David Niven stars as A.J. Raffles, a famed cricket player of English society's upper crust. Secretly, however, Raffles is a skilled cat burglar known as "The Amateur Cracksman" to Scotland Yard, which has been unable to catch him. Known for returning the items he's filched, Raffles is about to give up a life of crime because he's fallen for Gwen (Olivia de Havilland), a rich society girl. But first Gwen's brother, Bunny (Douglas Walton), needs help to extricate himself from a gambling debt that will be satisfied nicely by the valuable necklace owned by royal Lady Melrose (May Whitty). At a party thrown by Melrose, a rival thief and a Inspector McKenzie (Dudley Digges) stand in Raffles' way, although the nimble and perturbed master criminal has a master plan that will result in the least possible harm coming to all involved.

Note that Raffles butler Barraclough is payed by E. E. Clive who also played Bulldog Drummond's butler 'Tenny' Tennison in that fabulous Paramount series of Bulldo Drummond films (which are also available from this website - in the Movie Series section)

A remake of Raffles (1930) which starred Ronald Colman - see above

Rage at Dawn (1955) - 87 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, Forrest Tucker, Mala Powers, J. Carrol Naish & Edgar Buchanan

Directed by Tim Whelan

Terrorizing 1866 Indiana, the Reno brothers use the town of Seymour as a safe haven, paying off three crooked town officials. Sent in to clean up the gang is Peterson Detective Agency operative James Barlow, who poses as an outlaw to gain the confidence of the officials and the Renos. Complicating matters are Barlow's feelings for the Reno sister, Laura, who reluctantly keeps house for the boys out of family loyalty. Events heat up and rage surfaces as Barlow sets up the gang in a dawn train robbery.

Good Technicolor print in Wide Screen - much better than those prints commercially available

Raiders of the Desert (1941) - 60 mins

Starring Richard Arlen, Andy Devine, Linda Hayes, Maria Montez, Lewis Howard & Turban Bey

Directed by John Rawlins

Dick Manning and Andy McCoy are two American adventurers who jump ship in a Middle Eastern port before saving a local English dignitary from being stabbed. Things deteriorate from there and soon they wind up in the middle of a civil war between the modernising force of British rule and the local tribesmen lead by the brutal Hassen Mohammed.

This is a fun movie with Richard Arlen and Andy Devine making a wonderful team who are often engaged in some excellent comedic moments (when not involved the assorted punch-ups, gun & sword fights etc). A good script, a great cast (including Mari Montez!) and nicely exotic locales make this a very diverting adventure film.

The Rake's Progress (1945) (aka Notorious Gentleman) - 110 mins

Starring Rex Harrison, Lilli Palmer, Godfrey Tearle, Griffith Jones & Margaret Johnston

Directed by Sidney Gilliat

Rex Harrison stars in this stylish British drama that caused problems with U.S. censors, who forced the film to be trimmed due to what was considered graphically amoral and sexual content for its time. Harrison is Vivian Kenway, an unrepentant cad who embarks on a campaign of irresponsible behavior after being ejected from Oxford. Among his many sins are seducing Jill Duncan (Jean Kent), the wife of his best friend Sandy (Griffith Jones), marrying a rich Austrian Jew, Rikki Krausner (Lilli Palmer), for her money, and dallying with the secretary (Margaret Johnson) of his father, Colonel Kenway (Godfrey Tearle). The feckless Vivian's actions cause no small amount of collateral damage to his loved ones.

Fabulous British production with no expense spared - from the renown writing team of Sidney Gilliat & Frank Launder.

The Rake's Progress (1945) was released in the U.S. under the title Notorious Gentleman.

Ramrod (1947) - 95 mins

Starring Joel McCrea, Veronica Lake, Don DeFore, Donald Crisp, Preston Foster, Charles Ruggles & Lloyd Bridges

Directed by André De Toth

Connie Dickason (Veronica Lake) is a strong-willed daughter of Ben Dickason (Charles Ruggles), a ranch owner who has become the toady of a powerful local cattleman, Frank Ivey (Preston Foster), whom Ben once wanted Connie to marry. Connie instead married a sheep rancher and inherited his spread. With her husband out of the picture, Connie becomes determined to run the ranch despite the opposition of Ivey and her father. She hires recovering alcoholic Dave Nash (Joel McCrea) as foreman and a crew of Ivey's enemies. Ivey fights back with violence and destruction, but Dave is determined to counter him legally... a feeling not shared by his associates. Connie's boast that, as a woman, she doesn't need guns proves justified, but plenty of gunplay results.

The first of several films based on the stories of Western author Luke Short who wrote the novel of the same name as well two 1948 Randolph Scott westerns (Albuquerque & Coroner Creek), both of which are available from the Randolph Scott section of this website. Short also wrote Dick Powell's Station West (1948) and Robert Mitchum's Blood on the Moon (1948) which are available from within the INDIVIDUAL MOVIE TITLES section of this website. Ride the Man Down (1952) and Hell's Outpost (1954) are two Rod Cameron westerns which Luke Short wrote - these are available from the "B" Westerns section of this website (under Rod Cameron … out West). Short was also heavily involved in scripting Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre TV series (Season One of which is available from the TV Series section of this website).

Ransom! (1956) - 109 mins

Starring Glenn Ford, Donna Reed, Leslie Nielsen, Juano Hernandez & Robert Keith

Directed by Alex Segal

Based on the Richard Maibaum-Cyril Hume TV play Fearful Decision, the film stars Glenn Ford as self-made industrialist David Stannard. When his son is kidnapped and held for 500,000 dollars ransom, Stannard at first sets about to cooperate with the abductors and to raise the necessary funds. Somewhere along the line, however, Stannard's outrage erupts and boils over. Buying air time on a local TV station, he pulls out the half-million dollars, then informs the kidnappers that they'll never get their hands on a single penny. He further threatens to use the money as a reward for the kidnappers' capture, dead or alive, should any harm befall his son. Despite the protests of his wife, Edith (Donna Reed), and the admonishments of his friends, family, business associates and even the police, Stannard sticks fast to his decision but will he live to regret it?

Great movie - much better than Mel Gibson's remake

The Razor's Edge (1946) - 145 mins

Starring Tyrone Power, Gene Tierney, John Payne, Anne Baxter, Clifton Webb & Herbert Marshall

Directed by Edmund Goulding

After several years' service with the Marines in World War II, Tyrone Power made his much anticipated return to the screen in The Razor's Edge. Power is appropriately cast as disillusioned World War I vet Larry Darrell, who returns from hostilities questioning his old values. To find himself, Larry joins several other members of the Lost Generation in Paris. He is disillusioned once more when the society woman whom he loves, Isabel Bradley (Gene Tierney), marries another for wealth and position. She returns to Larry's life to break up his romance with unstable, alcoholic Sophie MacDonald (Anne Baxter in a powerhouse Oscar-winning performance). After Sophie's death, Larry determines that the life offered him by Isabel is not to his liking, and continues seeking his true place in the scheme of things.

The Razor's Edge was based on the novel by W. Somerset Maugham, who appears onscreen in the form of Herbert Marshall. The film re-teamed Tierney and Webb two years after their appearance together in Laura (1944) - which is also available from this website

The Razor's Edge garnered an Oscar win for Anne Baxter and nominations for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Clifton Webb) and B&W Art Direction.

Tyrone Power: that fabulous adventurer … other great Tyrone Power movies available from this website are: The Mark of Zorro (1940), Johnny Apollo (1940), Blood and Sand (1941), The Black Swan (1942), Son of Fury (1942), The Razor's Edge (1946), Captain From Castile (1947), Nightmare Alley (1947), Prince of Foxes (1949), The Black Rose (1950), American Guerrilla in the Philippines (1950), Diplomatic Courier (1952) & King of the Khyber Rifles (1953).

Raw Deal (1948) - 79 mins

Starring Dennis O'Keefe, Claire Trevor, Marsha Hunt, John Ireland & Raymond Burr

Directed by Anthony Mann

Joe Sullivan is itching to get out of prison. He's taken the rap for Rick, who owes him $50 Grand. Rick sets up an escape for Joe, knowing that Joe will be caught escaping and be shot or locked away forever. But with the help of his love-struck girl Pat and his sympathetic legal caseworker Ann, Joe gets further than he's supposed to, and we are posed with two very important questions: Is Joe really the cold and heartless criminal he appears to be, or is there a heart of gold under that gritty exterior? And does Joe belong with the tough, street-wise Pat, or with the prim, moralizing Ann?

A fabulous Anthony Mann noir with the hulking visage of Raymond Burr as a sado-masochistic pyromaniac!

Raw Wind in Eden (1958) - 93 mins

Starring Jeff Chandler, Esther Williams, Rossana Podestà & Carlos Thompson

Directed by Richard Wilson

While working in Rome, Laura succumbs to the charms of international playboy Wally, agreeing to join him on a chartered plane flight across the Mediterranean. When the plane crashes, Laura and Wally are rescued by mysterious loner Moore. Chafing at the thought of remaining on Moore's sparsely populated island, Wally finds the wreckage of a yacht. While he repairs the vessel in hopes of returning to the mainland, Laura and Moore draw ever closer, leading to a potentially explosive situation.

Why not check other action / adventure films from Jeff Chandler which are also available from this website: East of Sumatra (1953) & Yankee Pasha (1954)

Reach for the Sky (1956) - 135 mins

Starring Kenneth Moore, Muriel Pavlov, Lyndon Brook, Lee Patterson & Alexander Knox

Directed by Lewis Gilbert

The true story of airman Douglas Bader who overcame the loss of both legs in a 1931 flying accident to become a successful fighter pilot and wing leader during World War II.

A great adventure yarn with Kenneth Moore delivering a commendable performance in this excellent British WWII story.

The Real Glory (1939) - 96 mins

Starring Gary Cooper, David Niven, Andrea Leeds, Reginald Owen, Broderick Crawford & Kay Johnson

Directed by Henry Hathaway

Set during the turn-of-the-century Moro uprising in the Philippines, The Real Glory stars Gary Cooper as an American Marine doctor and David Niven and Broderick Crawford as a pair of rowdy mercenaries. While staving off the insurgent Moros, Cooper must also combat a cholera outbreak. Once this matter is disposed of, Cooper joins Niven and Crawford in attempting to blow up a dam built by the Moros to cut off the American fort's water supply.

Gary Cooper: forever the great adventurer - these Gary Cooper titles are available from this website are:

-NEW TITLE-

Rebel in Town (1956) - 80 mins

Starring John Payne, Ruth Roman, J. Carrol Naish, Ben Cooper, John Smith & Ben Johnson

Directed by Alfred L. Werker

While the title character Wesley Mason is played by John Smith, top billing goes to John Payne as ex-Union officer John Willoughby. When Willoughby's young son (Bobby Clark) snaps his cap pistol at Confederate veteran Wesley Mason (John Smith), Wesley instinctively whirls around and shoots the boy dead. Despite the fact that he and his offspring are fugitive bank robbers, Wesley's father Bedloe Mason (J. Carroll Naish) insists that his son turn himself over to authorities. Instead, Wesley escapes. Into the mix is Willoughby's wife Nora (Ruth Roman) who struggles valiantly to bring the crisis to a nonviolent resolution.

A nicely turned & gritty western with John Payne presenting a character not too dissimilar to that of Vint Bonner - the role he played in The Restless Gun TV Series (which is available from the TV Series section of this website)

The Reckless Moment (1949) - 82 mins

Starring James Mason, Joan Bennett, Geraldine Brooks, Henry O'Neill & Shepperd Strudwick

Directed by Max Ophüls

A blend of melodrama and film noir, The Reckless Moment stars Joan Bennett as Lucia Harper, a suburban housewife whose husband is away on business. Her daughter, Bea (Geraldine Brooks), an aspiring artist, has fallen for Ted Darby (Shepperd Strudwick), a shady older man from Los Angeles who claims to be an ex-art dealer. One night, after a secret rendezvous in the Harpers' boathouse that turns into an argument, Bea accidentally kills Darby. When Lucia discovers his body in the morning, she panics and dumps it in the lagoon instead of contacting the police, who would surely charge her daughter with murder. Her problems only increase when a suave Irish gangster named Donnelly (James Mason) shows up with a package of love letters from Bea to Darby, and blackmail on his mind.

"The star of The Reckless Moment, however, is the great Max Ophuls. He creates richly textured surroundings ranging from shabby seaside respectability to the grungy sidewalks of nearby Los Angeles. This splendidly nuanced work has emerged as one of the standouts of the noir cycle, its ironies so understated that their oppressive weight isn't felt until long after the film has un-spooled".

The Red Badge of Courage (1951) - 69 mins

Starring Audie Murphy, Bill Mauldin, Douglas Dick, Royal Dano, John Dierkes & Arthur Hunnicutt

Directed by John Huston

Based on the novel by Stephen Crane, the film stars real-life war hero Audie Murphy as a Civil War soldier who must redeem himself in his own eyes after an act of cowardice. When he finally gets his opportunity, he realizes that he is no less frightened than before; it is simply that he has learned to push on in spite of that fear. A comparative newcomer to films, Murphy acquits himself magnificently in the difficult title role; equally impressive are political cartoonist Bill Mauldin as "The Loud Soldier," John Dierkes as "The Tall Soldier" and Royal Dano as "The Tattered Man." When Red Badge of Courage tested poorly in preview, the studio sliced it down to 69 minutes and added a narrator (James Whitmore) to clarify the more obscure plot passages - but its still a film of enormous power!

Trev was forced to read the book in school - but Audie was his hero and so tracking down the film after all the years was a necessity - John Huston is an added bonus!

Red Ball Express (1952) - 83 mins

Starring Jeff Chandler, Alex Nicol, Charles Drake, Judith Braun, Sidney Poitier & Hugh O'Brian

Directed by Budd Boetticher

Deals with the little-known activities of the U.S. Army Transportation Corps during WW II. It so happened that many of the Corps' most courageous drivers were black men, who otherwise would have been denied an opportunity for combat duty. Sidney Poitier plays Corporal Andrew Robinson, who resents his second-class-citizen status and chafes at the orders issued by his white commanding officer Lt. Chick Campbell (Jeff Chandler). Meanwhile, Campbell has his own cross to bear in the form of relentlessly hostile sergeant Ernest Kalek (Alex Nicol). All differences are forgotten in the climactic euphoria of providing ammunition for General Patton's tanks during the Allied push to Paris in 1944.

Yep that’s the legendary director Budd Boetticher - he went on to direct a critically acclaimed set of Randolph Scott westerns - all of which are available from the Randolph Scott section of this wesbite

The Red Beret (aka Paratrooper) (1953) - 88 mins

Starring Alan Ladd, Leo Genn, Susan Stephen, Harry Andrews, Donald Houston & Anthony Bushell

Directed by Terence Young

After causing the needless death of another officer during a near-miss air disaster, a distraught army officer resigns from the military. Still, the American wants to serve in the war effort and so, calling himself a Canadian, enlists in the British military to train as a paratrooper. Revealing nothing about his past, he proves himself obedient and exceptionally skilled. This rouses the suspicion of his commanding officer who starts investigating the trooper. Meanwhile a dangerous mission to North Africa beckons

Excellent Alan Ladd action / adventure film

The Red Danube (1949) - 119 mins

Starring Walter Pidgeon, Ethel Barrymore, Peter Lawford, Angela Lansbury, Janet Leigh, Louis Calhern & Francis L. Sullivan

Directed by George Sidney

Shortly after the end of World War II, British Colonel Michael 'Hooky' Nicobar is assigned to a unit in the British Zone of Vienna. His duty is to aid the Soviet authorities to repatriate citizens of the Soviet Union, many of whom prefer not to return to their home country. Billeted in the convent run by Mother Auxilia, Nicobar, and his military aides Major John 'Twingo' McPhimister and Audrey Quail, become involved in the plight of a young ballerina who is trying to avoid being returned to Moscow. Nicobar's sense of duty is tested as he sees first hand the plight of the people he is helping return to the Soviet Union; his lack of religious faith is also shaken by his contact with the Mother Superior.

Oscar Nominated for Art Direction (B&W)

Red Dust (1932) - 83 mins

Starring Clark Gable, Jean Harlow, Gene Raymond, Mary Astor & Donald Crisp

Directed by Victor Fleming (uncredited)

Conditions are spartan on Dennis Carson's Indochina rubber plantation during a dusty dry monsoon. The latest boat upriver brings Carson an unwelcome guest: Vantine (Jean Harlow), a floozy from Saigon, hoping to evade the police by a stay upcountry. But Carson, initially uninterested, soon succumbs to Vantine's ostentatious charms until the arrival of surveyor Gary Willis (Gene Raymond), ill with malaria, and his refined but sensuous wife Barbara (Mary Astor). Now the rains begin, and passion flows ….

Gable & Harlow - what a teaming!

Red Dust was remade more than two decades later. Titled Mogambo, it again had Clark Gable in the lead, but this time with Ava Gardner and Grace Kelly in the Harlow and Astor roles, respectively. Mogambo (1954) is also available from this website

The Red House (1947) - 100 mins

Starring Edward G. Robertson, Lon McCallister, Judith Anderson, Rory Calhoun & Julie London

Directed by Delmer Daves

Pete and Ellen have reared Meg as their own, ever since she was a baby and her parents took off. Now a teen, Meg convinces her friend Nath to come help with chores on the farm: Pete isn't getting around on his wooden leg like he used to. When Nath insists on using a short cut home through the woods, Pete gets quite agitated and warns him of screams in the night, of terrors associated with the red house. Curious, Meg and Nath ignore his warnings and begin exploring. Meg begins falling in love with Nath, but his girlfriend Tibby has other plans for him. Meanwhile they all get closer to real danger and the dark secret of the red house.

Red Mountain (1951) - 84 mins

Starring Alan Ladd, Lizabeth Scott, Arthur Kennedy, John Ireland & Jeff Corey

Directed by William Dieterle

The rugged Colorado Territory provides the setting for this epic Civil War-era western chronicle of a Southern rebel who sets off to join Captain Quantrill's raiders. Along the way, the rebel kills a Union supporter who had stolen the rebel's land. Unfortunately, he leaves a different Confederate to shoulder the blame. Fortunately, just before the falsely-accused is to get lynched, the rebel dashes up to save him. Not realizing his savior is also the one who got him into the fix, the grateful man takes the rebel to his isolated cabin to hide. There the rebel meets his new friend's fiancée and complications set in.

Its Alan Ladd again in a fine color western

Red River (1948) - 133 mins

Starring John Wayne, Montgomery Clift, Joanne Dru, Walter Brennan, Coleen Gray & Harry Carey

Directed by Howard Hawks

John Wayne is Thomas Dunson, a frontiersman who, with his longtime partner Nadine Groot (Walter Brennan), leaves a westbound wagon train in 1851 to make his future as a rancher in Texas. Doing so forces him to abandon Fen (Colleen Gray), his fiancee and when she is killed in an Indian raid a short time later, it taints any good that Dunson might find in the future he carves out for himself, destroying any joy he might derive from life. The sole survivor of the raid is Matthew Garth, a young orphan who is unusually handy with a gun for one his age and already knows how to channel his grief and horror at what he's seen. Dunson informally adopts Matt as his son, and over the next 14 years he builds up one of the largest ranches in the entire state of Texas. And all of it is worth nothing, a result of the economic ruin wrought on the state in the aftermath of the Civil War. Matthew (Montgomery Clift), now back from the war and doing some of his own adventuring, finds a darker, more taciturn Dunson than he's ever known. With Matthew now returned, Dunson decides to move his herd, nearly 10,000 head of cattle, to Missouri, where there is a market for beef, over 1000 miles away through territory controlled by border gangs hundreds of men strong that have stopped every cattle drive up to now, and Indians who have picked off what the gangs missed.

Fabulous "tough" western!

Oscar Nominations for Best Film Editing (Christian Nyby) & Best Writing (Borden Chase)

Red Skies of Montana (1952) - 99 mins

Starring Richard Widmark, Constance Smith, Jeffrey Hunter, Richard Boone & Warren Stevens

Directed by Joseph M. Newman

Richard Widmark plays a firefighter for the US Forestry Service, a brave man who nevertheless does not believe in taking foolish risks. Widmark is branded a coward by a rookie fireman (Jeffrey Hunter) who holds Widmark responsible for the forest-fire death of the rookie's father. All passions are swept aside when a particularly brutal fire strands Widmark and his men in the middle of unprotected forest.

This great adventure film adeptly the blends personal lives of the men and women involved, excellent firefighting action, and the suspense created by Richard Widmark's flashbacks of his near fatal event. Jeffrey Hunter plays the vengeful son of one of Widmark's slain team; and Richard Boone adds dimension as the stern, professional commander of the unit.

The Reformer and the Redhead (1950) - 90 mins

Starring June Allyson, Dick Powell, David Wayne, Cecil Kellaway & Ray Collins

Directed by Melvin Frank & Norman Panama

MGM's The Reformer and the Redhead was the first directorial collaboration of longtime screenwriting partners Norman Panama and Melvin Frank. The reformer is Andrew Rockton Hale (Dick Powell), a mayoral candidate. Hale butts heads with a corrupt political machine, which has recently ordered the firings of several innocent city employees, including zookeeper Kevin Maguire (Cecil Kellaway). The redhead in the case is Maguire's daughter Kathleen (June Allyson), who joins Hale's election team, only to turn on him after a series of misunderstandings.

Dick Powell and June Allyson had been married for five years when they filmed this the first of two romantic-comedy-dramas in 1950. The other is Right Cross (1950) which is also available from this website (below).

Note that both films are part of the Dick Powell "Drama" Combination and the Dick & June Romantic-Comedy Combination - both combinations can be found in the Classic Movie Combinations section of this website

The Return of Frank James (1940) - 92 mins

Starring Henry Fonda, Gene Tierney, Jackie Cooper, Henry Hull, John Carradine & Charles Tannen

Directed by Fritz Lang

This Technicolor sequel to Jesse James (1939) does without the services of the earlier film's star Tyrone Power, who after all was shot dead by that "dirty little coward" Bob Ford (John Carradine). Repeating his portrayal of western outlaw Frank James is Henry Fonda who has retired from his life of crime to become a peaceful farmer, though he has never given up his search for the treacherous Ford. The killer and his cohorts are eventually rounded up, but are pardoned due to political intervention. That's when Frank slaps on six-guns once more to seek his own form of justice. Featured in the cast is Henry Hull as Major Rufus Cobb, a crusading newspaperman and Jackie Cooper is Clem, the headstrong young sprout whom Frank has taken under his wing. Making her screen debut is Gene Tierney as Eleanor Stone a reporter from the East who wants to tell Frank's true story to the world.

Great Western … Great Director!

The equally powerful prequel Jesse James (1939) with Tyrone Power as Jesse and Henry Fonda as Frank James in another Technicolor extravaganza is also available from this INDIVIDUAL MOVIE TITLES section of the website

Return of the Bad Men (1948) - 90 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, Robert Ryan, Anne Jeffreys, George 'Gabby' Hayes & Lex Barker

Directed by Ray Enright

Randolph Scott plays US Marshal Vance, assigned to rid the Oklahoma Territory of outlaws. This proves to be quite a challenge, inasmuch as virtually every frontier bad man has converged upon the territory. Led by the surly Sundance Kid (Robert Ryan), the rogue's gallery includes the Younger Brothers (Steve Brodie, Richard Powers, Robert Bray), the Daltons (Lex Barker, Walter Reed, Michael Harvey) and Billy the Kid (Dean White).

This genesis of this film can be traced to the success of 1947's Badman's Territory. RKO Radio decided to assemble another western about famous outlaws and this film was the result. The film posted a huge profit, spawning yet another famous outlaws western from RKO, 1951's Best of the Badmen - both of these films are available from this (INDIVIDUAL MOVIE TITLES) section of the website

The Riddle of the Sands (1979) - 102 mins

Starring Michael York, Simon MacCorkindale, Jenny Agutter, Alan Badel & Wolf Kahler

Directed by Tony Maylam

In the early years of the 20th Century, two British yachtsmen Arthur Davies (Simon MacCorkindale) & Charles Carruthers (Michael York) stumble upon a German plot to invade the east coast of England in a flotilla of specially designed barges. They set out to thwart this terrible scheme, but must outwit not only the cream of the German Navy, but the feared Kaiser Wilhelm himself.

Eskine Childers' novel is considered to be the prototype of the modern spy thriller and a template for Ian Fleming's later forays with James Bond

Perfect Wide-screen Technicolor print!

Note that this film along with Rogue Male (1976), The Thirty Nine Steps (1978) & The Lady Vanishes (1979) are available in a 4 DVD set titled British Espionage from within the Classic Movie Combinations section of the website

Ride Clear of Diablo (1954) - 80 mins

Starring Audie Murphy, Susa Cabot, Dan Duryea, Abbe Lane & Russell Johnson

Directed by Jesse Hibbs

Notorious gunslinger Whitey Kincaid (Dan Duryea) is hired by sinister forces to kill Clay O'Mara (Audie Murphy), who is out to avenge the murders of his father and brother. Instead, Kincaid befriends O’Mara, and helps him track down his family's killers. What follows is a classic shootout – who will survive?

Great role for Duryea as the snide, smirking Kincaid.

Ride Lonesome (1959) - 73 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, Karen Steele, Pernell Roberts, James Best, Lee Van Cleef & James Coburn

Directed by Budd Boetticher

A wanted murderer, Billy John, is captured by Ben Brigade, a bounty hunter, who intends to take him to Santa Cruz to be hanged. Brigade stops at a staging post, where he saves the manager's wife from an Indian attack, and enlists the help of two outlaws to continue his journey more safely. However, the Indian attacks persist, the outlaws plan to take Billy for themselves, tempted by the offer of amnesty for his captor, and Billy's brother Frank is in hot pursuit to rescue him. But Brigade has plans of his own.

Another wonderful western from the Scott / Boetticher / Kennedy combination

Ride the High Country (1962) - 94 mins

Starring Joel McCrea, Randolph Scott, Mariette Hartley, Ron Starr & Edgar Buchanan

Directed by Sam Peckinpah

The time is the early 1900s, when the Old West was slowly and stubbornly giving way to the new. McCrea plays Steve Judd, an ex-lawman living on the fringes of poverty but maintaining his dignity and honesty. Hired to escort a gold shipment from the wide-open mining town of Coarse Gold, he engages his old pal Gil Westrum (Scott) to help him. But Gil hasn't Steve's integrity, and he and his young saddle pal Heck Longtree (Ronald Starr) hope to talk Steve into helping them steal the gold.

Sam Peckinpah's feature film directorial debut was intended as the cinematic swan song for both Randolph Scott and Joel McCrea and this western serves as an excellent valedictory for both men. A final shoot-out that allows Steve and Gil to reconcile their differences and pave the way for the film's elegiac finale.

Ride the Pink Horse (1947) - 101 mins

Starring Robert Montgomery, Wanda Hendrix, Thomas Gomez, Andrea King, Fred Clark & Art Smith

Directed by Robert Montgomery

In the border town of San Pablo, preparing for an annual 'Mexican Fiesta,' arrives Gagin: tough, mysterious and laconic. His mission: to find the equally mysterious Frank Hugo, evidently for revenge; or is it blackmail? FBI agent Retz is also after the elusive Hugo. Everyone in town is enigmatic, especially Pila, a mystical teenager who follows Gagin around and has premonitions of his death. Also involved are a classic femme fatale and an antique carousel with a pink horse.

Riding Shotgun (1954) - 73 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, Wayne Morris, Joan Weldon, Joe Sawyer, James Millican & Charles Bronson

Directed by André De Toth

Larry Delong has taken a job as a shotgun rider on the stagecoach because he's after a ruthless stagecoach hold-up gang who killed his sister and young boy. Larry wants to kill the gang leader Dan Marady and he figures the best way to do it is ride as a decoy to smoke him out. The gang realizes that Larry is on the stage heading for Deep Water and decide to lead him into a trap.

Riffraff (1947) - 80 mins

Starring Pat O'Brien, Anne Jeffreys, Walter Slezak, Percy Kilbride & Jerome Cowan

Directed by Ted Tetzlaff

A plane takes off from Peru (in a long no-dialogue scene) in a storm with two passengers; it lands in Panama with one. The missing man had valuable oil-location maps; everyone who is after them must deal with Dan Hammer, combination private eye, agent, and con man, who can "fix" anything for a fee. Nightclub singer Maxine is on Dan's side, or is she? In retrospectives of film noir, Riffraff usually gets overlooked. While its genre is international intrigue and its touch on the light side, its conventions and, especially, its look, bring it to the fringes of the noir cycle. Also Pat O'Brien, as usual, delivers a charismatic performance in the central role of Canal Zone operative-for-hire.

Rififi (1955) - 122 mins

Starring Jean Servais, Carl Möhner, Robert Manuel, Janine Darcey, Pierre Grasset & Robert Hossein

Directed by Jules Dassin

A landmark caper film about the planning and execution of a nighttime robbery at a swanky English jewelry shop in the Rue de Rivoli. The story concerns a collection of thieves who band together to commit a seemingly impossible robbery. The gang consists of a tough, straight-talker Tony Stephanois (Jean Servais); a young man under Tony's tutelage Jo le Suedois (Carl Mohner); a happy-go-lucky Italian Mario Farrati (Robert Manuel); and a safecracker, Cesar. The set piece of the film is an intricate 28-minute sequence that depicts the robbery in detail all filmed silently without dialogue or music. After the success of the robbery, the gang barely has time to celebrate when a rival gangster, Pierre Gruuter (Marcel Lupovici), decides that he wants a cut of the take. When Tony's gang refuses to cooperate, Pierre kidnaps Jo's son, and the gang has to get tough with their nemesis.

Also known by its French title: Du rififi chez les hommes (1955)

Note: This film is in French (spoken) language with English subtitles.

Jules Dassin also directed what is considered to be a spoof of this film almost a decade later: Topkapi (1964) which is also available from this website.

Right Cross (1950) - 90 mins

Starring June Allyson, Dick Powell, Ricardo Montalban, Lionel Barrymore, Teresa Celli & Tom Powers

Directed by John Sturges

Dick Powell stars as cynical sportswriter Rick Gavery and June Allyson as boxing manager Pat O'Malley who is filling in for her incapacitated father (Lionel Barrymore). Pat is grooming prizefighter Johnny Monterez (Ricardo Montalban) for the championship, but Johnny holds a grudge against the world because he feels that his Mexican heritage has made him an outcast. Gradually, Pat falls in love with the tempestuous Monterez, while Gavery, who's always carried a torch for Pat, observes from the sidelines.

Marilyn Monroe appears unbilled in the opening scene as Dick Powell's dinner companion.

Powell and June Allyson had been married for five years when they filmed this the second of two romantic-comedy-dramas in 1950. The other is The Reformer and the Redhead (1950) which is also available from this website (above).

Note that both films are part of the Dick Powell "Drama" Combination and the Dick & June Romantic-Comedy Combination - both combinations can be found in the Classic Movie Combinations section of this website

Ring of Fear (1954) - 93 mins

Starring Clyde Beatty, Mickey Spillane, Pat O'Brien, Sean McClory & Marian Carr

Directed by James Edward Grant

Ring of Fear boasts a script co-written by character actor Paul Fix and a cast which includes the likes of animal trainer Clyde Beatty and pulp-fiction novelist Mickey Spillane. The story takes place in Beatty's travelling circus, where a homicidal maniac named Dublin (Sean McClory) is doing his best to wreck the show. It's all because Dublin is in love with Valerie (Marian Carr), the wife of aerialist Armond St. Denis. Since the police don't know who's behind all the trouble, they call in crime expert Spillane (cast as himself).

A must for "circus-film" lovers!

Rio Grande (1950) - 105 mins

Starring John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Ben Johnson, Harry Carey Jr., Victor McLaglen & Chill Wills

Directed by John Ford

The third of John Ford's "Cavalry Trilogy", Rio Grande stars John Wayne as Lt. Col. Kirby Yorke whose devotion to duty has cost him his marriage to his beloved Kathleen (Maureen O'Hara). Yorke gets word that his son, Jeff has been dropped as a cadet from West Point, and that he lied about his age to enlist in the cavalry, in an effort to redeem himself. By chance, the boy is then assigned to his father's post. Once more, as a function of his duty as a cavalry officer, Yorke must sacrifice his love of family as he cannot show any preferential treatment to the boy, or exhibit any sign of love and affection. But Jeff is too strong to be injured by his father's actions, and already enough of a man that he is befriended by two older recruits, troopers Tyree (Ben Johnson) and Boone (Harry Carey Jr.), who watch out for him while taking him in as a virtual equal. Yorke's resolve is further tested when his estranged wife, Kathleen, arrives at the post, the better to look after her son and possibly to buy back the boy's enlistment, which Yorke, as commanding officer in a remote post with a critical shortage of men, can't and won't permit. After an attack by the Apaches, Yorke orders the post's women and children to be moved to safety, and Jeff is assigned as part of the troop conducting the caravan, despite his wish to participate in the planned action against the Apaches.

Another great Ford / Wayne western!

The superb "Cavalry Trilogy", directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne consisted of Fort Apache (1948), followed by She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) & Rio Grande (1950) - all of which are available from this website, separately in this (INDIVIDUAL MOVIE TITLES) section or in a nicely presented 3 film set from within the Classic Movie Combinations section

River of Death (1989) - 107 mins

Starring Micahel dudikoff, Robert Vaughan, Donald Pleasance, Herbert Lom, L. Q. Jones & Sarah Maur Thorp

Directed by Steve Carver

This jungle adventure features an extremely complicated plot that involves a megalomaniacal Nazi doctor who continues to perform inhuman experiments in the Amazon jungle and helms the Lost City of the Nazis, a mecca for war criminals and new followers. He is pursued by three vengeful people: a former colleague whom he double-crossed near the end of the war, a young woman who saw him murder her father, and an angry American physician, whose daughter the doctor kidnapped after they came to the jungle to help the ailing Indians who are dying from a mysterious disease. In addition to coping with each other, the searchers must also deal with the usual Amazon dangers, including ferocious cannibals, before they can make it to the hidden city and get their revenge.

The plot is an adaptation of an Alistair McLean novel.

Yep - this one's got everything

Note: Fans of films based on Alistair MacLean's works might like to check out The Secret Ways (1961), The Satan Bug (1965), When Eight Bells Toll (1971), Puppet on a Chain (1971), Fear Is the Key (1972), Caravan to Vaccarès (1974), Golden Rendezvous (1977) & Bear Island (1979) elsewhere in the A INDIVIDUAL MOVIE TITLES section of this website.

Roadblock (1951) - 73 mins

Starring Charles McGraw, Joan Dixon, Lowell Gilmore & Milburn Stone

Directed by Harold Danils

An L.A. insurance detective starts to get involved with a girl he is increasingly attracted to, even though he sees her as a chiseller. She makes it clear that her tastes are too expensive for him, so he sets about getting a lot of money quickly if illegally. Perhaps too late, she starts to find that she is content with him just the way he is.

It's good yarn and well worth seeing. Better than your average B film and a good example of the Film Noir genre. The outdoor footage gives a good impression of LA circa 1950. Ends with a thrilling police car chase on the LA river and the villain ? - we'll you'll have to see it yourself.

Road House (1948) - 95 mins

Starring Ida Lupino, Cornel Wilde, Celeste Holm & Richard Widmark

Directed by Jean Negulesco

Jefty, owner of a roadhouse in a backwoods town, hires sultry, tough-talking torch singer Lily Stevens against the advice of his manager Pete Morgan. Jefty is smitten with Lily, who in turn exerts her charms on the more resistant Pete. When Pete finally falls for her and she turns down Jefty's marriage proposal, they must face Jefty's murderous jealousy and his twisted plots to punish the two.

The Road to Reno (1938) - 72 mins

Starring Randolph Scott, Hope Hampton, Glenda Farrell, Alan Marshal & David Oliver

Directed by S. Sylvan Simon

In this lively musical western, a cowboy Steve Fortness (Randolph Scott) learns that his wife is heading to Reno for a quickie divorce. And before long he finds himself in competition with a suave Easterner who has fallen in love with her. Further Fortness is dismayed and embarrassed when the city-slicker easily out rides him during a bronco-riding exhibition. Will he win back his wife in this climate of intense competition?

A nicely restored B&W print

The Roaring Twenties (1939) - 104 mins

Starring James Cagney, Priscilla Lane, Humphrey Bogart, Gladys George, Jeffrey Lynn & Frank McHugh

Directed by Raoul Walsh

Based upon an idea by Broadway columnist Mark Hellinger, The Roaring Twenties opens during World War I as Eddie Bartlett, Lloyd Hart and George Hally discuss what they will do when the war is over. Bartlett wants to go back to repairing cabs, and Hart yearns to be a lawyer, but it becomes clear that Hally has less reputable plans in mind for himself. Come the end of the war, things are not as easy for veterans like Bartlett as they should be. He is unable to get his old job back and ends up driving a cab for little money. One night he is asked to deliver a package (which turns out to be whiskey) to an address that turns out to be a speakeasy. This starts him on a life of crime, as he gets deeper involved as a bootlegger. Things are not made easy by a rival bootlegger who turns out to be Hally. The two join forces and prosper. Hart shares in their prosperity, as Bartlett engages him to take care of his legal matters.

Fabulous in everyway - a Warner Bros tour de force - Cagney & Bogie: dynamite!

Robbery (1967) - 110 mins

Starring Stanley Baker, Joanna Pettet, James Booth, Frank Findlay, Barry Foster & George Sewell

Directed by Peter Yates

Opening with an extended jewel theft sequence followed by a action-packed (and very well staged) car chase, Robbery details the events before, during, and immediately following the infamous heist. Paul Clifton (Stanley Baker, who also produced) is the main thief who comes up with the idea to steal three million dollars from the overnight mail train that runs from Glasgow to London. While gathering together a crew of thieves, he helps currency expert Robinson (Frank Finlay) break out of jail. The gang successfully holds up the train, takes the money, and retreats to an empty field to divide it up. When Robinson calls his wife on the phone, Inspector George Langdon (James Booth) from Scotland Yard traces the call and arrests them. As the legend goes, one of them manages to escape with the money.

Based on the true story of the 1963 British Royal Mail Robbery, this late '60s British caper film was directed by Peter Yates a year before he made the action classic Bullitt in the States.

Possible Stanley Baker's best ever role - is he really playing Ronnie Biggs here?

Fabulous color print!

Robbery Under Arms (1957) - 99 mins

Starring Peter Finch, David McCallum, Ronald Lewis, Laurence Naismith & Jill Ireland

Directed by Jack Lee

Two brothers, Jim and Dick Marsten follow in their father's footsteps by leaving home to seek adventure as gunfighters in Australia in the late 19th century. They become outlaws in the roving band led by stylish "bushranger" Captain Starlight, who leads them on a series of escapades robbing banks and rustling cattle. Though they find the excitement and romance they craved, the Marstens soon become disillusioned with a life on the run and begin to wish that they could resume the mantle of honest, hard-working citizens. Unfortunately, events transpire to put the entire Starlight gang on notice as the law closes in.

Many of Britain's top players and technicians travelled half-way across the world to film this Australian classic of daring adventure in its authentic locales. The result is an outdoor film of rare sweep and power which stirringly and convincingly recreates the roaring pioneer days when life was lived close to Nature - and even closer to danger. In a superb cast, Peter Finch gives one of his strongest performances as Captain Starlight, the notorious robber whose most potent weapons were a polite phrase and a disarming smile.

Rocketship X-M (1950) - 77 mins

Starring Lloyd Bridges, Osa Massen, John Emery, Noah Beery Jr., Hugh O'Brian & Morris Ankrum

Directed by Kurt Neumann

Sometime in the future, the first manned space flight to the moon finds Dr. Karl Eckstrom (John Emery) in charge of the expedition, with Col. Floyd Graham (Lloyd Bridges), Dr. Lisa Van Horn (Osa Massen), Harry Chamberlain (Hugh O'Brian) and Maj. William Corrigan (Noah Beery Jr.) in the crew. Blown off its course by a meteor shower, Rocketship X-M misses the moon and lands on Mars instead (the Mars scenes were tinted orange). During an exploratory expedition, the crew finds evidence of a once-mighty civilization, evidently destroyed by atomic warfare. A savage band of surviving Martians attack the earthlings, killing two and wounding a third. The survivors head back to the ship, but run out of fuel before reaching Earth.

Rocketship X M is an intelligent and well told sci-fi story - produced for $94,000, Rocketship X-M reportedly grossed over a million dollars!

Rock Island Trail (1950) - 90 mins

Starring Forrest Tucker, Adele Mara, Lorna Gray, Bruce Cabot, Grant Withers & Roy Barcroft

Directed by Joseph Kane

A saga of pioneer railroading stars Forrest Tucker as Reed Loomis, a visionary railman who dreams of the day that trains will run from coast to coast. During his own efforts to make this dream come true, Loomis must face the formidable opposition of steamboat operator Kirby Morrow (Bruce Cabot). Another ongoing problem is lack of funds: fortunately, Loomis is in love with Constance Strong (Adele Mara), who happens to be a banker's daughter. Longtime Republic leading-lady Adrian Booth plays Aleeta, an Indian princess who has a yen for Loomis.

The film's climax is an all-out action orgy in the grand Republic tradition.

Rock Island Trail is proof enough that Republic could turn out an "A" western as well as any of the "majors."

Forrest Tucker reunited with Adele Mara, director Joseph Kane and writer James Edward Grant for another grand Republic production Californa Passage later in 1950. Then a few years later came another excellent "A" western from Republic: Jubilee Trail (1954) again with Joseph Kane directing Forrest Tucker

Both Californa Passage (1950) & Jubilee Trail (1954) are also available from this website.

Rocky Mountain (1950) - 83 mins

Starring Errol Flynn, Patrice Wymore, Scott Forbes, Guinn Williams & Dickie Jones

Directed by William Keighley

A Confederate troop, led by Captain Lafe Barstow, is prowling the far ranges of California and Nevada in a last desperate attempt to build up an army in the West for the faltering Confederacy. The patrol saves a stagecoach, with Johanna Carter as one of the passengers, from an Indian attack, and is marooned on a rocky mountain.

Patrice Wymore met Errol Flynn on the set and she became his 3rd wife.

Rocky Mountain Mystery - 83 mins (aka The Fighting Westerner) (1935)

Starring Randolph Scott, Charles 'Chic' Sale, Mrs. Leslie Carter, Willie Fung & Ann Sheridan

Directed by Charles Barton

Lawman Larry Sutton (Randolph Scott) is assigned to solve a series of murders occurring at a radium mine. Among the suspects is mine owner Mrs. Adolph Borg (played by legendary Broadway star Leslie Carter in a rare film appearance). Hoping to beat Sutton to the solution is local sheriff Tex Murdock (played by veteran vaudevillian Chic Sale). The key to the mystery would seem to be a sinister Chinese gent named Ling Yat (Willie Fung), but is he all that he seems?

A remake of the Golden Dreams (1922), Rocky Mountain Mystery was reissued as The Fighting Westerner.

Like Wagon Wheels (1934) below, this western was adapted from a Zane Grey story.

Rogue Cop (1954) - 92 mins

Starring Robert Taylor, Janet Leigh, George Raft, Steve Forrest, Anne Francis, Alan Hale Jr & Vincent Edwards

Directed by Roy Rowland

Detective Chris Kelvaney has a brother, Eddie, who also is a policeman. He witnessed a murderer running away from the scene of the crime. Chris has contacts with the gangster Beaumonte, who is willing to pay $15,000 if Eddie withdraws his testimony. But Eddie is an honorable cop and refuses. Beaumonte makes sure that Eddie is killed. After his death, Kelvaney starts to track down his brother's killer. One of the very few MGM film noirs.

Rogue Male (1976) - 104 mins

Starring Peter O'Toole, John Standing, Alistair Sim, Harold Pinter, Michael Byrne & Mark McManus

Directed by Clive Donner

Early in 1939 Sir Robert Thorndyke takes aim at Adolph Hitler with a high powered rifle, but the shot misses its mark. Captured and tortured by the Gestapo and left for dead, Sir Robert makes his way back to England where he discovers the Gestapo has followed him. Knowing that his government would turn him over to German authorities, Sir Robert goes underground in his battle with his pursuers.

Note that this is a very good print - much better than the edited, poor print versions available commercially

The second film adaptation of Geoffrey Household's tense novel "Rogue Male."

Originally filmed by Fritz Lang as Man Hunt (1941) starring Walter Pigeon - also available from this website

Both films are available in interesting combinations from within the Classic Movie Combinations section of this website: British Espionage Combination & Man Hunt / Rogue Male Combination.

Note that this film along with The Thirty Nine Steps (1978), The Lady Vanishes (1979) & The Riddle of the Sands (1979) are available in a 4 DVD set titled British Espionage from within the Classic Movie Combinations section of the website

Geoffrey Household also wrote the excellent Rough Shoot - filmed as Rough Shoot (1953) aka Shoot First (1953) - which is available from this website (under the former title).

Rogues of Sherwood Forest (1950) - 79 mins

Starring John Derek, Diana Lynn, George Macready, Alan Hale & Paul Cavanagh

Directed by Phil Karlson

John Derek is the son of legendary Robin Hood. When King John (George Macready) revives his old cycle of taxation and repression, Robin Jr. summons forth his father's Merry Men and inaugurates a rebel movement. Aiding the younger Robin in his fight for rights is Lady Marianne (Diana Lynn). Prominent among the Merry Men is Little John, played by Alan Hale Sr., who'd previously essayed the same role in the 1922 and 1938 filmizations of Robin Hood.

Gordon Douglas's 1950 dip into the Son of Robin Hood formula turns out to be one of the most spirited and lively of all the swashbuckling Columbia pieces of matinée fodder of their 40s/50s heyday. John Derek's energetic acrobatics, Diana Lynn's fetching and proactive Lady Maryanne, and George Macready's really vicious King John make this film a red-blooded and fast-moving programmer compulsively watchable during its entire 80 minutes.

Attractively lensed in Technicolor, Rogues of Sherwood Forest has an expensive and ambitious look to it.

Fabulous escapism - John Derek appeared in a similar role in the following years Mask of the Avenger (1951) - which is available from within the INDIVIDUAL MOVIE TITLES section

Rogues' Regiment (1948) - 86 mins

Starring Dick Powell, Marta Toren, Vincent Price, Stephen McNally & Edgar Barrier

Directed by Robert Florey

After World War II, ex-soldiers trickle into French Saigon to join the Foreign Legion, among are Nazi war criminal Carl Reicher. American secret agent Whit Corbett joins the Legion in order to track down Reicher in French Indo-China. Hampering his search is a native uprising and Mark Van Ratten, an erudite art collector who sidelines in gunrunning.

Nice action scenes include anti-guerrilla jungle warfare.

Note that this film is part of the Dick Powell "Drama" Combination which can be found in the Classic Movie Combinations section of this website

Rome Express (1932) - 87 mins

Starring Conrad Veidt, Esther Ralston, Hugh Williams, Donald Calthrop, Joan Barry, Cedric Hardwicke & Finlay Currie

Directed by Walter Forde

The British thriller, in which a motley collection of passengers interact on a train, that spawned such films as The Lady Vanishes and Night Train To Munich. The passengers include a Hollywood star (Ralston in the first of two British movies), her publicist (Currie, with an American accent), a phoney philanthropist (Hardwicke), a golf-club bore (Harker, most amusing) and two crooks (Veidt and Williams) pursuing another who has double-crossed them over a valuable painting.

The enjoyable film moves as rapidly as the locomotive.

Rome Express enabled director Walter Forde to graduate from inexpensive regional comedies to prestige British productions. The film was also an obvious inspiration for such later intrigue-on-the-rails epics as The Lady Vanishes (1938) and Night Train to Munich (1940). Rome Express was remade in 1948 as Sleeping Car to Trieste.

All of these films are available from this website

The Roots of Heaven (1958) - 121 mins

Starring Errol Flynn, Juliette Greco, Trevor Howard, Eddie Albert, Orson Welles, Paul Lukas & Herbert Lom

Directed by John Huston

Romain Gary's best-selling novel The Roots of Heaven was adapted to film in Cinemascope and DeLuxe Color by producer Darryl F. Zanuck. Though billed third, Trevor Howard plays the central character, an idealist who has gone into Africa in hopes of saving the elephants from extinction. At first regarded as a crank, Howard shows he's not kidding by taking a shot at the posterior of a pompous news commentator (Orson Welles). As Howard's crusade gains momentum, several opportunists go along with him, among them a disgraced British military officer (Errol Flynn) hoping to redeem himself.

The Roots of Heaven represented the last truly worthwhile screen appearance by Errol Flynn, who died less than a year after filming his Roots death scene. The film itself was shot on location in French Equatorial Africa - apparently a gruelling experience for its stars and its director (the legendary John Huston).

"Our Errol" is superb in this film: really proving what a great actor he was!

Rope of Sand (1949) - 104 mins

Starring Burt Lancaster, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains, Peter Lorre, Corinne Calvert & Sam Jaffe

Directed by William Dieterle

Two years ago, hunting guide Mike Davis was with a client who trespassed on diamond company land and found a rich lode; Paul Vogel, sadistic commandant of company police, beat Mike nearly to death but failed to learn the location. Now Mike is back in Diamantstad, South African desert, and manager Martingale has a better idea: he hires delectable adventuress Suzanne to ferret out Mike's secret. But she soon finds she's playing with fire.

Golden Globe nominated for Screenplay, this classic adventure film has a fabulous Franz Waxman score and

reunites three of the cast from Casablanca (1942) in strong roles: Paul Henreid, Claude Rains & Peter Lorre.

This film provides Lancaster with a gritty adventure role - one that seems to sit well in his catalogue of films offered on this website: effectively straddling to straddle his noir/ dramas and his high-spirited action/adventure films

His noir/dramas being : The Killers (1946), Brute Force (1947), Desert Fury (1947), I Walk Alone (1948), Criss Cross (1949), Jim Thorpe -- All-American (1951), From Here to Eternity (1953), Run Silent Run Deep (1958), Seven Days in May (1964), The Train (1964).

His high-spirited action/adventure films: The Flame and the Arrow (1950), Ten Tall Men (1951), The Crimson Pirate (1952), South Sea Woman (1953) & His Majesty O'Keefe (1954).

All of the above are available from this website

Rough Shoot (1953) aka Shoot First - 88 mins

Starring Joel McCrea, Evelyn Keyes, Herbert Lom, Roland Culver, Marius Goring & Frank Lawton

Directed by Robert Parrish

U.S. Army Lt. Colonel Robert Taine (Joel McCrea) and his wife Cecily (Evelyn Keyes) live in a village in England. While hunting on some land he has recently purchased, he shoots a load of buckshot at a man he thinks is a poacher but, upon examination, he discovers the man is dead and believes, at first, he has killed him. With the police and the Secret Service chasing him, he trails a suspect to London and this leads him to an Iron-Curtain espionage gang and an exciting finale at Madame Tussaud's wax museum.

A UK production which is well helmed by accomplished USA director Robert Parrish (Cry Danger (1951), The Mob (1951) & Assignment: Paris (1952) - which are available from this website), Rough Shoot is also distinguished by a great script with wry humour woven into a plot that twists and turns - there's a neat portrayal by Herbert Lom and its nice to see Joel McCrea back in a trenchcoat just like he wore in the superlative Foreign Correspondent (1940) - which is also available from this website.

Rough Shoot was scripted by Eric Ambler from a novel by Geoffrey Household - yep, this one's got it all:

Geoffrey Household also wrote the superlative Rogue Male - filmed as Man Hunt (1941) and as Rogue Male (1976): both of which are available from this website.

Eric Amber wrote the novels on which the following film were based: Journey Into Fear (1943), Background to Danger (1943), Hotel Reserve (1944), The Way Ahead (1944), The Mask of Dimitrios (1944), The October Man (1947) & Topkapi (1964) - all of which are available from this website.

Note that this is not a Joel McCrea western - despite the fact that Big Joel appeared in westerns almost exclusively from 1945, there is one exception: this - Rough Shoot (1953) - and its great!

Ruggles of Red Gap (1935) - 90 mins

Starring Charles Laughton, Mary Boland, Charles Ruggles, Zasu Pitts, Mary Boland & Roland Young

Directed by Leo McCarey

Its Paris, circa 1908 and Ruggles (Charles Laughton) is the ultra-obedient manservant to the bibulous Earl of Burnstead (Roland Young). During one of the Earl's nocturnal forays, nouveau riche American cattle baron Egbert Floud (Charles Ruggles) wins Ruggles in a poker game. Terrified at the prospect of being bundled off to the Wild West, Ruggles' resolve is weakened somewhat when he and the raucous but ingratiating Egbert spend a wild night on the town. Back in the frontier "boom town" of Red Gap, a misunderstanding obliges Egbert's social-climbing wife Effie (Mary Boland) to pass off Ruggles as an aristocratic British army officer, immediately arousing the suspicions of priggish social arbiter Charles Belknap-Jackson. The longer he spends in America, the more Ruggles grows to like the concept of democracy and self-determination.

Previously filmed in 1918 and 1923, Harry Leon Wilson's novel achieved movie classic status when it was remade this time by Leo McCarey in 1935. It was filmed for a fourth time in 1950 as the Bob Hope-Lucille Ball musical Fancy Pants.

Oscar Nomination for Best Picture!

Run For the Sun (1956) - 99 mins

Starring Richard Widmark, Trevor Howard, Jane Greer, Peter Van Eyck, Carlos Henning & Juan Garcia

Directed by Roy Boulting

Shot on location in Mexico, Run for the Sun is based on Richard Connell's classic suspense novel The Most Dangerous Game. Trevor Howard stars as Browne, a British traitor, hiding in the Mexican jungle with his wartime Nazi compatriots, Van Anders (Peter Van Eyck) and Jan (Carlos Henning). Mike Latimer (Richard Widmark) and Katy Conners (Jane Greer) are aboard a plane which is forced to land in Browne's domain and are captured by the villains. Browne offers his captives an hour's head-start to freedom, then sets his hunting dogs on the hapless pair.

Wonderful adventure yarn!

A remake of the adventure classic The Most Dangerous Game (1932) which is also available from this website

Both films are excellent prints - much superior than those commercially available

Run Silent Run Deep (1958) - 93 mins

Starring Clark Gable, Burt Lancaster, Jack Warden, Brad Dexter, Don Rickles & Nick Cravat

Directed by Robert Wise

The contrasting acting styles of Clark Gable and Burt Lancaster serve to increase the already high tension level of the WW2 drama. Gable plays submarine commander "Rich" Richardson, who assumes command of the USS Nerka. Because his previous sub was sunk by the Japanese under highly suspect circumstances, Richardson inspires nothing but animosity from his new crew. Particularly hostile is executive officer Lt. Jim Bledsoe (Burt Lancaster), who'd assumed that he was next in line to command the Nerka. Obsessed with tracking down the Japanese destroyer that sank his old sub, Richardson drives his crew mercilessly, and even disobeys direct orders from his own higher-ups. The Nerka manages to blast the Japanese vessel out of the waters, but in so doing the sub is placed in dire peril in enemy waters. In his desperate efforts to save the Nerka, Richardson at long last wins the respect of Bledsoe and the rest of the crew.

Rightly considered to be the best submarine film ever made!

Featured in the cast are Burt Lancaster's old circus partner Nick Cravat, and, in his unbilled movie debut, Don Rickles.

Burt Lancaster also made a number of other powerful dramas & gritty noirs: The Killers (1946), Brute Force (1947), Desert Fury (1947), I Walk Alone (1948), Criss Cross (1949), Jim Thorpe -- All-American (1951), From Here to Eternity (1953), Sweet Smell of Success (1957), Birdman of Alcatraz (1962), Seven Days in May (1964) & The Train (1964).

Then, of course there were his fabulous adventure films: The Flame and the Arrow (1950), Ten Tall Men (1951), The Crimson Pirate (1952), South Sea Woman (1953) & His Majesty O'Keefe (1954).

All of the above are available from this website

And how about a Lancaster film that includes elements of the above, namely a gritty & powerful action/adventure outing? - check out Rope of Sand (1949) - which is also available from this website

Ruthless (1948) - 104 mins

Starring Zachary Scott, Louis Hayward, Diana Lynn, Sydney Greenstreet & Lucille Bremer

Directed by Edgar G. Ulmer

Told in flashback, this is the story of the rise and fall of unscrupulous financier Horace Vendig. Hiding behind a veneer of respectability, Vendig steps on and rolls over anyone who stands in his way, including his lifelong friend Vic Lambdin, utilities executive Buck Mansfield and various and sundry women, among them Susan Duane and Christine Mansfield. Poor Diana Lynn is subjected to Vendig's cruelties twice, in the dual role of Martha Burnside and Mallory Flagg.

It is a tribute to the acting skills of Zachary Scott that he makes his despicable character somehow likeable and, in the end, rather pathetic. Based on a novel by Dayton Stoddart, Ruthless, like many Eagle-Lion films of its period, was top-heavy with loaned-out Warner Bros. contract players. It was also one of the few big-budgeted projects helmed by "cult" director Edgar G. Ulmer

Considered by some to be a "sequel" to Citizen Kane

The Reformer and the Redhead (1950) - 90 mins

Starring June Allyson, Dick Powell, David Wayne, Cecil Kellaway & Ray Collins

Directed by Melvin Frank & Norman Panama

Dick Powell and June Allyson had been married for five years when they filmed this the first of two romantic-comedy-dramas in 1950. The other is Right Cross (1950) which is also available from this website (below).

Note that both films are part of the Dick Powell "Drama" Combination and the Dick & June Romantic-Comedy Combination - both combinations can be found in the Classic Movie Combinations section of this website

The Riddle of the Sands (1979) - 102 mins

Starring Michael York, Simon MacCorkindale, Jenny Agutter, Alan Badel & Wolf Kahler

Directed by Tony Maylam

Eskine Childers' novel is considered to be the prototype of the modern spy thriller and a template for Ian Fleming's later forays with James Bond

Right Cross (1950) - 90 mins

Starring June Allyson, Dick Powell, Ricardo Montalban, Lionel Barrymore, Teresa Celli & Tom Powers

Directed by John Sturges

Marilyn Monroe appears unbilled in the opening scene as Dick Powell's dinner companion.

Powell and June Allyson had been married for five years when they filmed this the second of two romantic-comedy-dramas in 1950. The other is The Reformer and the Redhead (1950) which is also available from this website (above).

Note that both films are part of the Dick Powell "Drama" Combination and the Dick & June Romantic-Comedy Combination - both combinations can be found in the Classic Movie Combinations section of this website

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