Around the Blogosphere This Week

Miscellaneous bits of news and fun stuff from around the internet...

...Here's a fantastic-looking brand-new book from McFarland which I know will be of interest to many of my readers: BEHIND THE SCENES OF THEY WERE EXPENDABLE: A PICTORIAL HISTORY by Lou Sabini, featuring photographs by Nicholas Scutti. Ford and Wayne biographer Scott Eyman wrote one of the forwards. It's a bit pricey but an absolute must have as a new look at one of the finest war films ever made. (Thanks to Elisabeth for letting me know about it!)

...TCM and Fathom Events are sponsoring a number of special nationwide screenings in the coming months, with every film shown on a Wednesday and a Sunday. Titles include JAWS (1975), ROMAN HOLIDAY (1953), and MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET (1947). There's a complete list of titles and dates in this TCM press release.

...Tickets for this year's Lone Pine Film Festival are due to go on sale June 25th. The festival will be held October 9-11 in Lone Pine, California. Scheduled guests as of this date include Wyatt McCrea (Joel's grandson), Cheryl Rogers Barnett (Roy and Dale's daughter), Petrine Day Mitchum (Robert's daughter), and "B" Western heroine Peggy Stewart. Screenings will include Fatty Arbuckle in THE ROUNDUP (1920) which is believed to be the first Western shot in the Alabama Hills. We've already made our hotel reservations at the historic Dow Villa Motel! Check out my extensive coverage of last year's festival with this post. I hope some of my readers will make plans to be there this Columbus Day weekend!

...Coming in July from VCI: Lovely Barbara Britton in BANDIT QUEEN (1950). Details can be found at 50 Westerns From the 50s.

...Fans of TCM's "Summer of Darkness" festival can purchase a t-shirt from the TCM Shop, as well as other film noir themed items.

...I stumbled across this interesting post with family photos of actress Joan Leslie, who turned 90 earlier this year. Those who haven't read it when I've linked to it in years past will want to be sure to also catch this interview with Mike Fitzgerald at Western Clippings.

...Cliff posted a most informative bio of actress Helen Vinson at Immortal Ephemera.

...If you missed it last Saturday -- or simply want to enjoy it again -- here's a replay of American Pharoah winning the Belmont Stakes -- and the Triple Crown, the first horse to do so since 1978.

...Coming in July: The 1947 Blogathon, hosted by Karen at Shadows and Satin and Kristina at Speakeasy. It will run July 13-15. There's already an impressive list of contributors lined up! (I highly approve of this banner featuring one of my favorite John Wayne films!)

...Royalty Watch: If you missed them, here are the adorable photos of Prince George with his new baby sister, Princess Charlotte. They were taken by their mother Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge.

...Here's an interesting article on Hollywood Boulevard institution The Musso and Frank Grill. Open for a century as of 2019, it's only had three executive chefs in all that time!

...Coming September 18th: EVEREST (2015), a telling of the 1996 Mount Everest disaster chronicled in Jon Krakauer's instant classic INTO THIN AIR. Here's the trailer. I saw the 1998 IMAX documentary and a TV-movie version; this telling looks like it might be a little too intense for me, but we'll see. The cast includes Josh Brolin, Keira Knightley, Jake Gyllenhaal, Robin Wright, Clive Standen, Sam Worthington, and Emily Watson.

...Notable Passing: French actor Pierre Brice, who starred as Apache chief Winnetou in a number of "Euro Westerns" beginning in the 1960s, has died at the age of 86. Toby pays tribute at 50 Westerns From the 50s.

...Attention Southern Californians: My favorite weekend in UCLA's current William Wellman series is coming up this Saturday and Sunday, June 13th and 14th. Saturday afternoon there's a screening of the adventure film ISLAND IN THE SKY (1953), with John Wayne leading one of the best movie casts ever assembled, and Sunday evening it's time for two fantastic Westerns, WESTWARD THE WOMEN (1951) and YELLOW SKY (1948). William Wellman Jr. will be at both screenings signing copies of his new book WILD BILL WELLMAN: HOLLYWOOD REBEL which I've started reading and found hard to put down! It's a terrific piece of Hollywood history as well as a loving tribute to the author's parents.

Have a great week!

Tonight's Movie: Sister Kenny (1946) - A Warner Archive DVD Review

Rosalind Russell was Oscar nominated as Best Actress for SISTER KENNY (1946), now available from the Warner Archive.

SISTER KENNY was part of a "wave" of Russell films released by the Archive in April. I have previously reviewed the other two Russell films released along with SISTER KENNY, FLIGHT FOR FREEDOM (1943) and THE VELVET TOUCH (1948).

I recall first hearing Sister Kenny's name as a young child, when Olivia Walton contracted polio in one of the most memorable episodes of THE WALTONS. Sister Kenny's treatment methods led to Olivia regaining the ability to walk.

SISTER KENNY, an RKO film, tells the story of the nurse behind the treatments which are credited with helping many who were afflicted by polio.

Elizabeth Kenny works as a nurse in the Australian bush -- "Sister" is the title for a nurse in some parts of the world -- where there isn't a doctor available for many miles. She creates a treatment for polio-induced muscle spasms and paralysis by following a doctor's telegraphed directions to "treat the symptoms." She prescribed hot compresses to soothe cramping muscles and then used what we would now think of as physical therapy after the initial crisis had passed, rather than following conventional wisdom to immobilize the afflicted limbs.

Over the years Elizabeth sees great success in her patients, but many in the medical community are skeptical, unwilling to give credence to the theories of someone who is not a doctor. Elizabeth soldiers on, supported by her friend Dr. McDonnell (Alexander Knox); she is so dedicated to her patients that she eventually gives up plans to marry the love of her life, Kevin Connors (Dean Jagger).

SISTER KENNY is an engrossing film despite running just under two hours, clocking in at 116 minutes. It does start to become a bit repetitive towards the end, as multiple medical committees write skeptical reports on Sister Kenny's methods and she also bids farewell to Kevin several times, but putting those issues aside, I found SISTER KENNY worthwhile and interesting.

Russell is excellent in the title role as the determined nurse who fights not just polio, but the closed minds of many doctors, and Knox and Jagger are fine in support.

It's worth noting that this is very much a "'40s Hollywood" Australia, as I don't think I ever heard anything resembling an Australian accent!

The supporting cast includes Beulah Bondi, Philip Merivale, Charles Kemper, Fay Helm, Charles Dingle, and John Litel. Francis Ford and Ellen Corby have small roles. Doreen McCann and Karolyn Grimes are foremost among the film's child actresses playing Kenny's patients.

Regis Toomey once again shows he can take a single scene and make the most of it, appearing as a reporter late in the film. That same year Toomey starred in HER SISTER'S SECRET (1946).

SISTER KENNY was produced and directed by Dudley Nichols, who cowrote the screenplay with Mary McCarthy and the film's costar, Alexander Knox. The film was based on Elizabeth's Kenny's memoir AND THEY SHALL WALK.

The movie was photographed in black and white by George Barnes.

The print on this Warner Archive DVD is on the dark and grainy side at times, while other scenes look quite good. I also noticed a couple of tiny jumps in the print. On the whole, though, it is a smooth, watchable viewing experience. There are no extras.

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this DVD. Warner Archive releases are MOD (manufactured on demand) and may be ordered from the Warner Archive Collection at Amazon.

Tonight's Movie: David Harding, Counterspy (1950)

DAVID HARDING, COUNTERSPY (1950) is hokey fun for viewers who enjoy this type of "B" film. I had a good time watching it.

Like MR. DISTRICT ATTORNEY (1947), which was reviewed last week, DAVID HARDING, COUNTERSPY is a Columbia film which was inspired by a radio show created by Phillips Lord.

Also like MR. DISTRICT ATTORNEY, DAVID HARDING, COUNTERSPY only rated 1-1/2 stars in Maltin's Classic Film Guide, which pronounced it "incredibly dull." I beg to differ!

I watched most of this movie with a smile on my face. Art, it's not, but it's quite entertaining, giving viewers a double dip of Cold War and WWII espionage. How could I not have fun watching a movie with John Dehner as an FBI agent who specializes in mimicking accents? Or Audrey Long as a sweet-faced heroine who might not be all that she seems? Spy gadgets, a mysterious mansion in Washington, and a bunch of sandwich-loving agents working for Uncle Sam. What's not to enjoy?

David Harding (Howard St. John) is a bigshot at an FBI-type organization based in Washington. (The agency is never referred to by name.) As the movie begins, Harding is explaining to an irate news broadcaster why he fed him bad intel as part of a Cold War intelligence operation. Harding illustrates how the FBI deals with threats to our nation by telling the man the story of the time he cracked the case of a ring of torpedo factory saboteurs during WWII. Cue flashbacks!

Lt. Commander Jerry Baldwin (Willard Parker) is recalled from Pearl Harbor to work at the torpedo factory and help Harding's team solve the case. Baldwin's close friend had previously held the same position at the factory and was believed to have suffered an accidental death, but Harding believes it was murder.

Baldwin is assigned to work with the man's widow, Betty (Long), who, as it happens -- of course! -- he's loved for years. A fun thriller ensues, involving a hearing aid camera, a fancy telescopic lens...and keep your eye on that popcorn box!

The supporting cast includes Raymond Greenleaf, Harlan Warde, Alex Gerry, and Fred F. Sears. Watch for Jock Mahoney and Jean Willes.

This brisk 71-minute movie was directed by Ray Nazarro, who could usually be found behind the camera shooting "B" Westerns. The movie was filmed by George E. Diskant, who shot some great film noir titles of the era, perhaps most notably ON DANGEROUS GROUND (1951).

DAVID HARDING, COUNTERSPY is available on DVD in a very nice print as part of the Forgotten Noir Vol. 3 set from VCI.

The movie's lone sequel, also starring Howard St. John, is COUNTERSPY MEETS SCOTLAND YARD (1950). John Dehner returns as Agent Reynolds, although his first name is different! Ron Randell and Amanda Blake costar in that title. COUNTERSPY MEETS SCOTLAND YARD (1950) is available on DVD in the Forgotten Noir and Crime Vol. 4 set. I hope to review it here in the fairly near future.

2019 Update: Here's a review of COUNTERSPY MEETS SCOTLAND YARD (1950).

Quick Preview of TCM in August: Summer Under the Stars

The August schedule for the annual Summer Under the Stars festival on Turner Classic Movies is now available!

Here are the actors who will be celebrated this summer with 24-hour marathons, in date order:

AUGUST 1: GENE TIERNEY

AUGUST 2: OLIVIA DE HAVILLAND

AUGUST 3: ADOLPHE MENJOU

AUGUST 4: TERESA WRIGHT

AUGUST 5: FRED ASTAIRE

AUGUST 6: MICHAEL CAINE

AUGUST 7: KATHARINE HEPBURN

AUGUST 8: RAYMOND MASSEY

AUGUST 9: ROBERT WALKER

AUGUST 10: JOAN CRAWFORD

AUGUST 11: REX INGRAM

AUGUST 12: ROBERT MITCHUM

AUGUST 13: ANN-MARGRET

AUGUST 14: GROUCHO MARX

AUGUST 15: DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS JR

AUGUST 16: PATRICIA NEAL

AUGUST 17: LEE J. COBB

AUGUST 18: VIVIEN LEIGH

AUGUST 19: JOHN WAYNE

AUGUST 20: MAE CLARKE

AUGUST 21: ALAN ARKIN

AUGUST 22: MARLENE DIETRICH

AUGUST 23: DEBBIE REYNOLDS

AUGUST 24: WARREN OATES

AUGUST 25: VIRGINIA BRUCE

AUGUST 26: GRETA GARBO

AUGUST 27: MONTY WOOLLEY

AUGUST 28: INGRID BERGMAN

AUGUST 29: GEORGE C. SCOTT

AUGUST 30: GARY COOPER

AUGUST 31: SHELLEY WINTERS

I'll be posting more information on the August schedule around July 31st. In the meantime, the current month's schedule celebrates Pin-Up Girls, with Shirley Temple coming as Star of the Month in July. And, of course, it's the Summer of Darkness on TCM every Friday in both June and July!

Update: For much more on the August schedule, please visit TCM in August: Summer Under the Stars Highlights.

Tonight's Movie: The Robin Hood of El Dorado (1936) - A Warner Archive DVD Review

William A. Wellman's THE ROBIN HOOD OF EL DORADO (1936), starring Warner Baxter in the title role, has just been released by the Warner Archive.

Wellman not only directed this film, he cowrote the screenplay, with actor Joseph Calleia being one of the other credited contributors. The script was based on a book by Walter Noble Burns.

Baxter stars as Joaquin Murrieta, who is living a simple life as a farmer with his young bride Rosa (Margo) in the new state of California. Rosa is suddenly killed by "Americanos" who want Joaquin's gold-filled property, and Joaquin becomes a vengeance-seeking bandit. Unfortunately, Rosa's killing is just the first in a long line of terrible deaths, which continue right up until the moment before "The End" comes on the screen.

It's the rare Wellman film I don't like, and I was expecting an exciting adventure tale of Old California, along the lines of THE MARK OF ZORRO (1940). Unfortunately, I didn't like this film at all, as virtually all of the film's sympathetic characters are killed. It seemed a pointless exercise in depression.

Moreover, as much as I enjoy Warner Baxter in a film like 42ND STREET (1933), here he is plainly miscast.

Wellman had wanted Robert Taylor as the leading man but MGM signed the 47-year-old Baxter, who looked even older due to the effects of alcoholism. In William Wellman Jr.'s outstanding new biography of his father, WILD BILL WELLMAN: HOLLYWOOD REBEL, it says solutions to the age issue discussed by Wellman and Baxter included surrounding Baxter with "older, less attractive character actors" and a "not too young leading lady." This latter idea doesn't seem to have been seriously pursued, as Margo, who plays Baxter's wife, was 28 years his junior, and the film's other leading actress, Ann Loring, was nearly 25 years younger.

Baxter also had a younger screen double who, according to Wellman Jr., "was so adept at it that Baxter rarely appears in the film except in close-ups." Wellman Jr. says that stuntman Yakima Canutt was, in essence, doubling the double in some scenes! I found it interesting looking for which scenes might have been done by the double as I watched the movie.

THE ROBIN HOOD OF EL DORADO runs 85 long and painful minutes. It was filmed by Chester Lyons. The supporting cast includes Ann Loring, J. Carrol Naish, Bruce Cabot, Soledad Jimenez, Eric Linden, Paul Hurst, and Harry Woods.

The Warner Archive DVD seems a bit grainy at times but on the whole is fine. The DVD includes the trailer.

A side note: The Archive box omits "The" from the title, but the opening credits read THE ROBIN HOOD OF EL DORADO.

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this DVD. Warner Archive releases are MOD (manufactured on demand) and may be ordered from Amazon and other online retailers.

Tonight's Movie: Belle Starr's Daughter (1948)

After half a decade in bit roles, Ruth Roman had her breakout role starring as Cimarron Rose, BELLE STARR'S DAUGHTER (1948).

Rose is caught between two men, Marshal Tom Jackson (George Montgomery) and outlaw Bob "Bitter Creek" Yauntis (Rod Cameron).

Having been raised by her outlaw mother (Isabel Jewell, who also played Belle in BADMAN'S TERRITORY), Rose is skeptical of the Marshal's attention to her...though she might be attracted to him.

Rose also spurns Bob's aggressive moves, but might be weakening about marrying him...though her realization that Tom has been carrying her hair ribbon in his saddlebag could change her mind.

More importantly, Rose has no idea that Bob murdered her mother and her mother's close friend Jim Davis (Kenneth MacDonald). When Rose is forced to go on the run with Bob, she learns what a mean son of a gun Bob really is. For one thing, he's not at all shy about executing his men when they're no longer useful, to make sure they won't talk to the law. And learning the awful truth about her mother's death is still to come.

BELLE STARR'S DAUGHTER is an entertaining 86 minutes which is at its best during scenes filmed in the great outdoors. According to IMDb, exteriors were filmed in the High Sierras around Bridgeport, California, and the final chase scenes do look like that area. The black and white filming was by William Sickner.

Other than those exterior scenes, this Edward L. Alperson Production, released by 20th Century-Fox, has a sort of "low rent" feel to it at times. This is one of the few black and white Westerns where I've felt the absence of color was regrettable, particularly in those mountain scenes. Ruth Roman and the mountain vistas seem to cry out for Technicolor in this instance!

That said, the film's biggest problem is its bombastic musical score by Dr. Edward Kilenyi. As Montgomery chased Cameron on horseback while the music blared, pistols blazing, I half expected the Lone Ranger to ride into the picture. The music gives the film a sort of cheesy feel, something more appropriate for the small fry than an adult Western. I couldn't help thinking that the movie would play very differently with another score; no music at all might have been better! It's fairly rare when a background score hits me negatively like this. The last Western score I can think of I really didn't like was Elmer Bernstein's music for THE TIN STAR (1957).

Despite the film's flaws, it's certainly worth seeing, especially if one is a Western fan like I am. The lead actors are terrific, with Montgomery at his most handsome. For those who are used to seeing Cameron as a Western hero, seeing him play a casually cold-blooded killer is something of a revelation. He is one nasty guy in this! It was actually a little hard for me, as a Cameron fan, to see him as such a mean villain; he was certainly convincing.

Roman does well as the feisty Rose; I especially enjoyed the scene when Cameron was putting the amorous moves on her one night and pulled back her blanket to discover she had a gun pointed straight at him! From this film Roman's career took off, with a terrific portrayal of a very scary woman in the following year's THE WINDOW (1949) further pushing her up through the ranks of stars.

Charles Kemper, who brought so much to a number of late '40s Westerns, shines as Montgomery's deputy. The cast also includes Wallace Ford, William Phipps, Jack Lambert, J. Farrell MacDonald, and Chris-Pin Martin.

BELLE STARR'S DAUGHTER was directed by Western specialist Lesley Selander, from a script by W.R. Burnett.

Many thanks to Jerry Entract for helping me to see this one at last!

Tonight's Movie: Stage to Chino (1940)

It's been over a year since I last watched a Western starring the appealing team of George O'Brien and Virginia Vale. Tonight I finally caught STAGE TO CHINO (1940), the last of their half-dozen films together for RKO which I needed to see.

In this action-packed film Caroline (Vale) is trying to secure a mail contract for her stage line. She's being plotted against by her Uncle Charlie (Carl Stockdale) and Dude Elliott (Roy Barcroft).

O'Brien plays Dan Clark, an undercover postal inspector who gets to the bottom of the nefarious goings-on, unexpectedly aided by a traveling salesman (Hobart Cavanaugh). The sooner Dan solves the ongoing crimes, the quicker he can spend his time romancing lovely Caroline!

This is a typically enjoyable O'Brien-Vale entry, with perhaps O'Brien's most impressive stuntwork of the series. During a big barroom brawl sequence he jumps up on the bar and swings from a lantern! Even more impressive, he transfers from one moving stagecoach to another, and it's shot in such a way that there is no doubt it's the athletic O'Brien doing his own stunt work.

In Boyd Magers' book WESTERNS WOMEN, Vale confirms that O'Brien did the stagecoach stunt work himself and said, "I never saw him use a double. He was a superb athlete and very strong. He picked me up like I was a feather."

Vale also said STAGE TO CHINO was her favorite of their six films together. She liked her role, and what's more, she convinced the producer to let her design her dresses! To that point she'd always been assigned generic clothes from the wardrobe department. She made some sketches, chose the fabric, and the wardrobe department made them up for her. (There's an especially notable scene where she models a lovely new dress for O'Brien.) She said, "They were reused, I've seen them time and time again in Westerns." I wonder if any of them turned up worn by the leading ladies in Tim Holt Westerns!

The supporting cast of STAGE TO CHINO includes Glenn Strange, William Haade, Harry Cording, Martin Garralaga, and Ethan Laidlaw. Music is provided by Pals of the Golden West, headed by the yodeling Nora Lou Martin.

STAGE TO CHINO was directed by Edward Killy and filmed by J. Roy Hunt. The movie runs 59 minutes.

In response to a letter I sent the Warner Archive for their podcast, George Feltenstein and his colleagues indicated that at some point in the future there will be more George O'Brien Westerns on DVD. Hopefully the three O'Brien-Vale Westerns which aren't yet out will be in a future collection.

Reviews of all five of the other George O'Brien-Virginia Vale films: THE MARSHAL OF MESA CITY (1939), LEGION OF THE LAWLESS (1940), BULLET CODE (1940), PRAIRIE LAW (1940), and TRIPLE JUSTICE (1940).

February 2016 Update: STAGE TO CHINO is now available on DVD from the Warner Archive in the nine-film George O'Brien Western Collection!

June 2016 Update: My review of STAGE TO CHINO in the George O'Brien Western Collection is here.

Tonight's Movie: Mr. District Attorney (1947)

This year I've been having a terrific time becoming more familiar with the films of actor Dennis O'Keefe. As a matter of fact, four of his films are among my favorite new-to-me films seen thus far in 2015: ABANDONED (1949), COVER UP (1949), WOMAN ON THE RUN (1950), and LAS VEGAS SHAKEDOWN (1955).

Next up to watch was O'Keefe's Columbia Pictures film noir MR. DISTRICT ATTORNEY (1947) -- not to be confused with his 1941 film of the same name. More on that below!

The 1947 MR. DISTRICT ATTORNEY has a grand cast including Marguerite Chapman, Adolphe Menjou, Michael O'Shea, Jeff Donnell, and George Coulouris.

O'Keefe plays attorney Steve Bennett, who is hired as an assistant district attorney by Head D.A. Craig Warren (Menjou) after refusing to defend a crook. Steve does a fine job in the D.A.'s office, but he's got one problem, his love for the conniving Marcia Manning (Chapman). Chapman has never been more stunning than she is in this film so it's easy to understand why he's hung up on her!

Warren sends Steve out of town on assignment for a prolonged time, hoping he'll forget about Marcia -- who marries wealthy crook James Randolph (Coulouris) while Steve's away. Steve is so upset with Warren's interference that he quits the D.A.'s office and considers representing Marcia's husband.

Steve is invited to discuss his new job at a dinner party at the Randolph apartment, a gathering which comes to an unexpected end when another attorney, Ed Jamison (Ralph Morgan), takes a swan dive off the balcony. Supposedly Marcia went out on the balcony and found it empty, but Steve finds a pin from Marcia's dress with Ed's body, which hints something far more sinister took place...

I found MR. DISTRICT ATTORNEY engrossing, enjoyable noir fun, with Chapman's Marcia a deliciously amoral and self-centered femme fatale. O'Keefe's Steve is a little more dense than his typical character, but I chalked it up to his being blinded by love!

O'Shea and Donnell are wonderful in support. O'Shea did a similarly strong job as a wisecracking reporter in the previous year's SMART WOMAN (1948), and he's a lot of fun here bantering with the irascible Menjou. Donnell, seen earlier this week in POST OFFICE INVESTIGATOR (1949), doesn't have enough screen time, but she always adds a little extra something to the proceedings when she's on camera.

Funny thing, I was just reminded today that Donnell was the Quartermaines' housekeeper Stella on GENERAL HOSPITAL "back in the day" when I watched (the '80s). How did I forget that? She and Anna Lee (Lila Quartermaine) sure brought some "vintage film class" to that soap.

One of Randolph's henchmen looked incredibly familiar, and I deduced that his name is John Kellogg (left). You may not know the name, but anyone who watches film noir knows the face!

The cast also includes Steven Geray. The film was directed by Robert B. Sinclair, with photography by Bert Glennon and the uncredited Henry Freulich.

This is one of those cases where I don't know what the person who reviewed the film for Maltin's Classic Film Guide was watching. 1-1/2 stars, really?! Sure, there were some bits of hokey dialogue towards the end, but I found this movie entertaining for all of its 81 minutes. Yes, you can see the ending coming a couple minutes in advance, but perhaps that's just because it's so fitting! This was a 2-1/2 to 3 star film, as far as I'm concerned.

It's an interesting bit of trivia that half a dozen years previously Dennis O'Keefe had starred in another film titled MR. DISTRICT ATTORNEY (1941).  Like the 1947 film, the 1941 version was loosely inspired by a radio show of the same name. However, O'Keefe played a completely different character in the earlier film, and the movies apparently have nothing to do with one another. The 1941 version can be found on DVD in VCI's Forgotten Noir and Crime Vol. 4 set. (2020 Update: Here is my review of the 1941 film.)

The 1941 film also had a Region 2 release in the UK -- but the cover, seen here, is a publicity still from the 1947 film! That's Marguerite Chapman, not Florence Rice.

This 1947 version of MR. DISTRICT ATTORNEY is available on DVD from VCI in the Forgotten Noir Vol. 3 collection or as a single-title release. It's a beautiful print, save for a couple seconds when the screen goes dark shortly after Ralph Morgan's character goes off the balcony.

Tonight's Movie: Wild Stallion (1952)

WILD STALLION (1952) is a pleasant Western about the taming of a wild horse, starring a genuine cowboy turned actor, Ben Johnson.

When Dan Light is a young boy (played by Orley Lindgren) living on the frontier, his homesteader parents are killed by Indians. Dan's beloved white colt escapes during the attack.

In the ensuing years Dan is jointly raised by Johnny Wintergreen (Edgar Buchanan), who hunts wild horses for the army, and the commander of the local fort, Major Cullen (Hayden Rorke).

When Dan grows up (now played by Johnson) he's obsessed with tracking down and capturing his long-lost horse, who now leads a wild herd. At one point Dan actually captures the stallion and tames him enough to ride him, but the horse escapes yet again, and Dan is in for conflict when horse traders catch the horse and sell it to the army. Eventually Dan and his horse will reunite in an attempt to save a stranded army patrol which has been attacked by Indians.

When he's not focused on searching for the stallion, Dan is contemplating whether he'd like the major to send him to West Point, and he's also got his eye on a future marriage to the major's daughter (Martha Hyer), his friend since childhood.

This is a quick little 70-minute movie which provides enjoyable company. Johnson isn't as effective as he was under John Ford, in films such as WAGON MASTER (1950) and RIO GRANDE (1950), but then the story's not quite as dramatically compelling, either. It's a nice, easy-going film, and Johnson is always good to see on the screen; he's particularly well-suited for this film in terms of his riding skills and way with horses. No acting necessary in that regard!

The small supporting cast is solid, also including Hugh Beaumont, Don Haggerty, and I. Stanford Jolley.

WILD STALLION was directed by Lewis D. Collins. The assistant director was Andrew McLaglen, an early credit in his career.

The movie was written by Dan Ullman, who has written numerous '50s Westerns reviewed here, most recently SEVEN ANGRY MEN (1955). It was filmed in Cinecolor by Harry Neumann on Southern California movie ranches.

WILD STALLION is available on DVD from the Warner Archive. It's one of the better Cinecolor prints I've seen.

WILD STALLION is also shown from time to time on Turner Classic Movies.

Around the Blogosphere This Week

Miscellaneous bits of news and fun stuff from around the internet...

...A very happy 80th birthday to the effervescent Ruta Lee, who was born Ruta Kilmonis in Montreal on May 30, 1935. Lee played Ruth in my favorite film, SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS (1954), and she also guest starred opposite James Garner in one of my very favorite MAVERICK episodes, "Comstock Conspiracy." Her personal website is here. She's seen here in a SEVEN BRIDES publicity still with Matt Mattox.

...Kristen Lopez interviews Eddie Muller on TCM's "Summer of Darkness" at her blog Journeys in Classic Film.

...The Warner Archive has a bunch of terrific "B" film noir titles coming out this month, including Tom Conway and Ann Rutherford in TWO O'CLOCK COURAGE (1945), which I've previously reviewed here; Conway and Martha O'Driscoll in CRIMINAL COURT (1946), reviewed here; and Barbara Hale and Bill Williams in THE CLAY PIGEON (1949), reviewed here. These films were directed by Anthony Mann, Robert Wise, and Richard Fleischer, respectively. I expect to be taking a fresh look at these movies when the DVDs are out and will be reviewing them here!

...At Speakeasy Kristina reviews Joan Bennett and James Mason in the superb film THE RECKLESS MOMENT (1949). For anyone who hasn't seen it yet, this is one to try to catch sooner rather than later!

...John McElwee's review of PARIS MODEL (1953) at Greenbriar Picture Shows cracked me up. After listing the film's many flaws, he said they make it "an absolute must-see!" Sounds like fun, especially as its cast includes Paulette Goddard, Tom Conway, and Barbara Lawrence.

...I recently came across a DVD Beaver review of Marguerite Chapman and Lee Bowman in THE WALLS CAME TUMBLING DOWN (1946). That's a film I hope to catch sooner rather than later.

...Toby's written about the "Whistler" films with Richard Dix at The Hannibal 8. I've never seen a Whistler film and hope to rectify that this year!

...Last week Amazon launched free same-day delivery for Amazon Prime members in a number of areas. Place a $35 order by noon, have it by 9:00 p.m. that night!

...Actress Nancy Gates has an official website.

...There's lots of great stuff at KC's A Classic Movie Blog recently, including extensive coverage of the Seattle International Film Festival plus reviews of Warner Archive DVDs. Be sure to check it out!

...I've been meaning to catch up with Rock Hudson and Piper Laurie in HAS ANYBODY SEEN MY GAL (1952). This post at Classic Movie Ramblings makes the film look like a visual treat...another one I'd like to see soon!

...I covered the Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival in Palm Springs extensively last month. Here's an alternate look at the festival, written by Jeremy Arnold for Turner Classic Movies. And another enthused report was filed by "Kingrat" at Silver Screen Oasis.

...Turning to another film festival, my pal Stephen has posted some great tips for the TCM Classic Film Festival at his blog Classic Movie Man. It was a lot of fun getting to watch movies with Stephen at the festival!

...Here's a fun article on sisters who worked as stand-ins for Heather Menzies and Angela Cartwright on THE SOUND OF MUSIC (1965).

...This week's YouTube find: ROCK ISLAND TRAIL (1950) with Forrest Tucker and Adele Mara. Adrian Booth (aka Lorna Gray) and Bruce Cabot costar.

...Clint Eastwood is making a film on Captain Sullenberger and the "Miracle on the Hudson." Personally I like my husband's idea that Harrison Ford should star...

...Notable Passings: Actress Betsy Palmer (THE TIN STAR) has passed on at the age of 88. Toby has a nice tribute at 50 Westerns From the 50s...Earlier this year I noted that actor Wally Cassell, seen at left, had recently turned 100. Wally's passing in April was just recently reported...and actually, according to his wife of 68 years, Marcy McGuire, Wally was 103! What a wonderful life he seems to have had.

...Next time I'm in Palm Springs I'm going to try to make time for a cemetery visit and pay my respects to George Montgomery, William Powell, and Frank Sinatra.

Have a great week!

Tonight's Movie: Post Office Investigator (1949)

POST OFFICE INVESTIGATOR (1949) is a low-budget 60-minute crime film released by Republic Pictures.

The movie was a reunion for leads Warren Douglas and Audrey Long, who had costarred as crime-solving honeymooners in the previous year's HOMICIDE FOR THREE (1948).

This time around Audrey is the femme fatale, who helps pull off a con job which involves swiping a rare stamp worth $100,000.

As part of the plan her partner in crime mails the stamp, but Audrey pulls off a double-cross and convinces gullible postman Douglas to retrieve the letter from the mailbox and give it to her so she won't lose her mythical job. She rewards him with the promise of a date, but when he shows up, she doesn't work at the law firm she'd claimed to work at. Lucky for Douglas, cute Jeff Donnell does work at the firm, and she ends up going out with him instead!

Douglas's life is threatened and eventually he has to come clean to the postal inspector that he broke regulations and gave Long the envelope. He redeems himself by going undercover to help break the case, although as it turns out Donnell will also play a key role, recognizing Long and tailing her at a critical juncture. In the end it appears Douglas will be allowed to keep his job and end up with Donnell while Long goes off to the slammer, so all's well that ends well!

The big draw for me with this film was the presence of the two leading ladies, Audrey Long and Jeff Donnell. It was quite different seeing Long play a woman who swindles, shoots, and freely talks about bumping people off, as she more typically plays the innocent type in films such as BORN TO KILL (1947) and DESPERATE (1947). I'm struck by what a chameleon Long can be; like noir actress Coleen Gray, her entire appearance can be very much changed when she changes her hairstyle.

Donnell is someone who's really grown on me over the years, with my favorite Donnell roles including IN A LONELY PLACE (1950) and FLIGHT NURSE (1953). For a movie with a short running time and a lot of crime, it would still be a fairly plodding low-rent affair if not for Donnell's perky charm. She enlivens every scene in which she appears.

POST OFFICE INVESTIGATOR was directed by George Blair, who also directed HOMICIDE FOR THREE, and filmed in black and white by John MacBurnie.

The supporting cast includes Jimmie Dodd, Thomas Browne Henry, Marcel Journet, Cliff Clark, Vera Marshe, Emmett Vogan, and Jason Robards (Sr.). Apparently I missed picking out Robert J. Wilke as a policeman; it's always fun to see one of the great '50s Western villains on the side of law and order.

Many thanks to John Knight for his help seeing this movie.

Tonight's Movie: Society Smugglers (1939)

SOCIETY SMUGGLERS (1939), a 70-minute Universal "B" film, is just the type of Preston Foster movie I really enjoy.

Foster, Regis Toomey, and Irene Hervey play federal agents on the trail of a diamond smuggling ring. Hervey works undercover as a secretary for a luggage company suspected of smuggling diamonds. Foster is her boyfriend who's conflicted about her job; he wants her to marry him and stay safely at home, out of danger, but he also admires her abilities.

When the luggage company sponsors a contest and sends the five winners to Europe, Toomey buys off one of the winners with a Hawaiian vacation and takes his place, hoping to catch the smugglers in the act. All too soon both he and Hervey will be in great danger.

This is simply a fun and entertaining crime adventure, nothing more, nothing less. It's also interesting to observe ideas on working women as of 1939; given the very real threats Hervey's character faces, I must say it's hard to blame Foster for preferring that she be out of harm's way!

Regular readers know I'm a fan of both Foster and Toomey, so I had a nice time watching this film and their interactions, such as a scene where they simultaneously descend on Hervey's apartment for dinner.

Hervey is fine as the spunky agent who thinks quickly on her feet. Hervey and Foster also costarred that year in MISSING EVIDENCE (1939); I wish they had played the same characters in that film, as SOCIETY SMUGGLERS was an enjoyable concept. One of the SOCIETY SMUGGLERS screenwriters, Arthur T. Horman, also worked on MISSING EVIDENCE.

The cast also includes Frank Jenks, Walter Woolf King, Fred Keating, Frances Robinson, Milburn Stone, and Mary Field.

SOCIETY SMUGGLERS was directed by Joe May and filmed by John W. Boyle.

At the current time SOCIETY SMUGGLERS is not available on DVD.