Three lurid Mamie Van Doren pictures (did she make any other kind?) in one high-definition package. How cool is that?
The Girl In Black Stockings (1957)
Directed by Howard W. Koch
Starring Lex Barker, Anne Bancroft, Mamie Van Doren, John Dehner, Marie Windsor, Stuart Whitman, Dan Blocker
A girl is brutally murdered at a Utah hotel and everybody seems to have some sort of motive. Look at that cast!
Guns, Girls And Gangsters (1959)
Directed by Edward L. Cahn
Starring Mamie Van Doren, Gerald Mohr, Lee Van Cleef, Paul Fix
Edward L. Cahn directs an armored car robbery picture that has both Mamie Van Doren and Lee Van Cleef in it. How could it miss? It doesn’t.
Vice Raid (1960)
Directed by Edward L. Cahn
Starring Mame Van Doren, Richard Coogan, Brad Dexter, Carol Nugent
Mamie’s a call girl sent to New York to get an un-corruptible cop in hot water. But when her sister is raped, Mamie has to turn to the framed cop for help.
Due in November, the longest of these movies is 75 minutes. Perfect.
The Hannibal 8 
Mine on day one!!!!
LikeLike
Yes! all very well and good but what I want is the pneumatic Mamie
in color and widescreen especially now Kino are dealing with Universal.
I might add none of the following have even been released on DVD.
YANKEE PASHA
Jeff Chandler,Rhonda Fleming and Mamie as Lilith,slave girl
what more could anyone want from a motion picture.
AIN’T MISBEHAVIN’
Rory Calhoun,Piper Laurie and Mamie,color,widescreen another
lost treasure from Universal’s vaults.
THE SECOND GREATEST SEX
Color,2.55 widescreen and a once in a lifetime cast-who cares if it’s
any good or not.
LikeLike
I want Star In The Dust.
LikeLike
The Koch,Germany Blu Ray of STAR IN THE DUST
can be picked up from Amazon,Germany for a mere 7 Euros-
it’s a super widescreen transfer.
Too bad either Jock Mahoney or Rory Calhoun did not play the lead
John Agar is as stiff as a board-however a doozy of a supporting cast
makes up for it.
The Germans sure love these Universal Programmer Westerns-pity
Universal USA does not feel the same.
Charles Haas rather underrated,I feel-Toby if you are still holding out
getting a multi region player (jeepers even Jerry has finally succumbed 🙂 )
you can see Mamie at her best in THE BIG OPERATOR and the totally
insane THE BEAT GENERATION from Olive Films I believe.
Haas and Mamie obvious favorites of legendary producer Albert Zugsmith.
LikeLike
John K. I guess that I can tolerate John Agar a little more than you can, but I agree STAR IN THE DUST(1956) would have been better with Rory or Jocko. I remember spotting a young Clint Eastwood, when I first saw the movie on the Channel 3 WREC-TV EARLY MOVIE during the 1960’s.
All I can say is that you have to see THE BIG OPERATOR(1959) and THE BEAT GENERATION(1959) to believe them. Guilty Pleasures to the “inth degree!” Look at those casts and the subject matter that is dealt with. UNTAMED YOUTH(1957) is another one that was shown quite a lot on the old EARLY MOVIE, which aired from 3:30-5:00 in the afternoon. Mamie Van Doren, Lori Nelson, Jeanne Carmen, and John Russell. At the time, I knew Russell as Marshal Dan Troop from the LAWMAN(1958-62) TV show. He was quite different here. Also, Lurene Tuttle in a role in which I had never seen her before. Mamie and Lori are still with us.
John, they finally put up our comments over at CLASSIC MOVIE HUB. I put another one up concerning Venetia Stevenson, but it will probably be days before it is moderated.
Toby, thanks for the memories.
LikeLike
I LOVE John Agar. He is such a massive fixture of my childhood — Tarantula, Revenge Of The Creature, She Wore A Yellow Ribbon, etc. And of all the Western/monster movie people I’ve met, he was my favorite. Such a nice, friendly guy. Sure, he’s stiff in these things, but that’s fine by me.
LikeLike
Toby, I’m glad to find out from you that John Agar was a nice friendly guy. I liked him in creature features. I first remember him in THE MOLE PEOPLE{1956), TARANTULA(1955), and REVENGE OF THE CREATURE(1955). These movies were shown on the old Channel 3 WREC-TV EARLY MOVIE during the 1960’s.
I did enjoy a homage to the Western movie and TV heroes of the 1940’s and ’50’s that John Agar as the Masked Rider and Dehl Berti as Red Feather led in an episode titled “The Return of the Masked Rider” in the TV show HIGHWAY TO HEAVEN, which first aired on October 3, 1984 on NBC. Dan Gordon wrote it and Michael Landon directed.
Also, there is an interesting American/Filipino co-production CAVALRY COMMAND(1958/1963) starring John Agar, Pancho Magalona, Alicia Vergel, Richard Arlen William Phipps, and Myron Healey, It is about
American cavalry in 1902 Luzon, Philippines and their winning the hearts and minds of the Insurrectos, This movie was written and directed by Eddie Romero, There were not very many movies set during the Philippine Insurrection(1899-1902) and the Moro Rebellion(1899-1913),
LikeLike
I’ve always wanted to see Cavalry Command. And how dare I forget to list The Mole People when rattling off some Agar movies.
It’s a shame Frontier Gun isn’t easy to track down. I think it’s one of the better Regalscope Westerns. (I have an absolute fetish for those things.)
LikeLike
Wow! did somebody mention Venetia Stevenson.
LikeLike
As I have said many times before Agar is aces fighting Tarantulas
and Mole People but he just isn’t a Western leading man.
Great to hear he was a decent guy in real life.
There is a great movie lurking within THE BEAT GENERATION
but scuppered by Zugsmith OTT elements…still who can resist a film
where Vampira reads poetry to a group of beatniks adorned with a
pet rat!
THE BIG OPERATOR would have been better without Mickey
Rooney chewing up the scenery,for me a little of Rooney goes a very
long way,but he was a Zugsmith regular.
According to her “quotes” on imdb Mamie and Steve Cochran had lots
of off screen fun (that’s the polite term) while making these Zugsmith
efforts.
LikeLike
I hope Toby gets to cut loose on a Zugsmith picture with one of
his commentaries-there’s a wealth of priceless information there.
From his early B movie beginnings to his glory days at Universal on to
the Charles Haas pictures for MGM and then going well downmarket
with films that border on soft porn.
Some interesting early credits like PORT SINISTER a 17th Century
pirate yarn with giant crabs!
Never seen this one,but I’d love too.
PORT SINISTER starred James Warren,so good with Randy in
BADMAN’S TERRITORY and then starred in his own short series of
Zane Grey B Westerns.James gave up acting and returned to his first love,
art.
PORT SINISTER was directed by the somewhat mysterious Harold
Daniels who had some offbeat credits,to say the least including
A DATE WITH DEATH which seems,by all accounts a “lost” gem of
a micro budget B movie.
From the Charles Haas pictures there is PLATINUM HIGH SCHOOL
but partly ruined by Rooney again. Watching the film I just feel how
great it would have been with Glenn Ford in the lead.
Heavy Dan Duryea just towers over Rooney in several scenes
to see Ford and Duryea going head to head in a movie would have been
great.PLATINUM HIGH SCHOOL is not available on disc,but it’s worth
checking out.
Interesting Warren snippet on imdb that in the early 40’s Vincent Price
arranged an exhibition of his work and Katherine Hepburn purchased
several of his works.
LikeLike
John K. you are touching on some rather obscure movies with somewhat forgotten actors and actresses(can will stay say actress, or is everyone an actor today?). I think that is one of the really good things that we can do, as fans of all different kinds of movies and television. Gone, but not entirely forgotten as long as we are still breathing, viewing, and writing a few lines.
I have never seen PORT SINISTER(1953), or DATE WITH DEATH(1959). Over at IMDb Gary Brumburgh, in writing the mini bio of James Warren, states that, “Warren is hardly remembered at all except maybe to trivia enthusiasts.” That may be, but I remember him as John Rowley brother to Sheriff Mark Rowley(Randolph Scott) in BADMAN’S TERRITORY(1946). RKO Radio Pictures had him to fill-in for Tim Holt while Holt was in military service during World War II. When Holt returned that was all she wrote for Warren as a Western Star. Lynne Roberts, as we know, had been a Republic Starlet. She co-starred in movies with Gene Autry and Roy Rogers. Roberts also starred in SONS OF ADVENTURE(1948), which is one of five movies that Yakima Canutt directed.
DATE WITH DEATH is a curio starring Gerald Mohr, Liz Renay, Robert Clarke, Harry Lauter, and Kenne Duncan. Over at IMDb, the mini biographer of Liz Renay, states that, “she ran away from home to win a Marilyn Monroe lookalike contest.” I would like to know how she managed to do that, because Liz and Marilyn were both born in 1926. Liz was supposed to have run away from home at age thirteen, which would have been in 1939. Marilyn wasn’t a star in 1939. Anyway, according to the ARIZONA REPUBLIC newspaper, in 1949 Liz won the “Miss Stardust of Arizona” contest and won “$500 cash, a trip to New York, and a modeling contract. She arrived in Hollywood in 1957 and became the girlfriend of Los Angeles gangster Mickey Cohen. Cohen was convicted of tax evasion in 1961 and was sent to Alcatraz. His girlfriend Liz Renay received a three-year suspended sentence for perjuring herself at his federal tax evasion trial. When she violated her probation for allegedly disturbing the peace during a photo shoot, Renay was sent to federal prison. She served 27 months from 1961-63 in the Federal Correctional Institution, Terminal Island in Los Angeles. Real life versus reel life.
LikeLike
I’d love to do a Zugsmith commentary. It’d be fun to cover those guys who cranked out all this stuff. Sam Katzman would be the best to work on, of course.
LikeLike
Toby, I first saw CAVALRY COMMAND on the CBS Affiliate Channel 3 WREC-TV EARLY MOVIE, which aired from 3:30-5:00 in the afternoon, out of Memphis, Tennessee. A little History first. WREC-TV Channel 3 first came over the air on January 1, 1956, The original owner of WREC-TV Channel 3 amassed a huge library of old 1930’s and ’40’s movies and shorts. WREC-TV Channel 3 had one of the largest collections of these old movies and shorts outside of California.(Seriously). As a youngster I was able to watch movies and shorts galore. Besides the EARLY MOVIE, which aired Monday through Friday, there was the LATE MOVIE airing every night at 10;30 after the 10:00 news cast. Also, on Saturday afternoon at 1:00, the SATURDAY MATINEE MOVIE aired. When NFL Football season was over, a SUNDAY MATINEE was shown. Instead of airing the CBS FRIDAY NIGHT MOVIE at 8:00, WREC-TV would show their own movie. This is where I first saw CASABLANCA(1942), THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE(1948), and many others. In addition, during the 1960’s WREC-TV bought ’50’s movies and in the 1970’s they bought ’60’s movies to show. So, I stayed up to date, so to speak.
In the 1970’s on the EARLY MOVIE, I started seeing some new product, for me, anyway. THE SAVAGE GUNS(1962), CAVALRY COMMAND(1963), SON OF A GUNFIGHTER(1965), RIDE IN THE WHIRLWIND(1966), THE SHOOTING(1966), STRAIGHT-JACKET(1964), I SAW WHAT YOU DID(1965), WILD WILD WINTER(1966), OUT OF SIGHT(1966), and others. The last two were odd ball ones. WILD WILD WINTER was kind of a teen beach/ski slope movie and OUT OF SIGHT was a teen spy/beach movie. I haven’t seen either movie since.
Getting back to CAVALRY COMMAND. During the early ’70’s, I was reading a lot about the U.S. Cavalry in the Indian Wars and later in Cuba and the Philippines. When I saw this movie I was impressed by the attention to detail. The uniforms and weapons were right for 1902 and the use of the Philippines as the actual location made it look more realistic. The story line was different than what we were starting to get in the early 1970’s. This was because of the Vietnam War. Writers were writing of the Philippine Insurrection or Philippine-American War as a Vietnam-style guerrilla war of which the U.S. was on the wrong side of History. Clearly, CAVALRY COMMAND ran counter to this so-called revisionist view. This movie was about winning the hearts and minds of the Philippine people, as well as fighting and defeating the Insurrectos.
Keep in mind this movie was filmed in 1957 and released in the Philippines in January, 1958 as THE DAY OF THE TRUMPET. It was written and directed by Eddie Romero a native Filipino. The story was Romero’s project and he took it to Adela Hermoso Santiago’s Premiere Productions. She gave the go ahead to the project and it was to be made by People’s Pictures, a subsidiary of Premiere Productions. In a 2006 interview with Andrew Leavold, Eddie Romero said, “Mrs. Santiago stuck her neck out. She financed it completely, and it was in English with an American cast, knowing nothing about the market whatsoever.” Also, interviewer Leavold asked, “:In the film the Americans are facilitators of change. It must be that most of the writers I’ve read have the polar opposite view of the Americans. Obviously history has many faces. So your point of view is that the American presence after the Spanish was positive?” In which Romero answered, “Overall I think it was very beneficial. They really helped set up the nation, because the nation was a claim of Aguinaldo and Bonifacio, which did not exist. We were a bunch of tribes. In many ways we still are. It was America that exacted the unifying pressure, for good or ill, which made it possible for us to be a nation.”
CAVALRY COMMAND a.k.a. THE DAY OF THE TRUMPET isn’t your run of the mill movie, especially in today’s world. I like the movie and I think it is worth viewing.
For anyone that is interested here is the Andrew Leavold interview with Eddie Romero. http://www.cashiersducinemart.com/details/issue-18/article-518/strong-coffee-with-a-national-treasure-an-interview-with-eddie-romero
LikeLike
Walter,
I looked for your latest comment at the Movie Hub but it’s not appeared
yet-most interested to see what you have to say regarding Venetia Stevenson. I guess another snowy Western would be McCABE & MRS
MILLER but I don’t care for the film very much or Altman for that matter.
Even a non-fan like myself has to admit the snowbound final shoot-out
is quiet remarkable though.
I’m so glad to see you over at Margot’s Down These Mean Streets…
I love her style of writing which fits the genre perfectly. I intend to
visit,and hopefully,contribute on a regular basis.
I might add that Margot’s blog is aimed squarely at adults which is fine
by me-quiet a discovery and thanks to Laura for that.
I guess Laura is mega busy at the moment as she is normally so quick
to respond to our comments.
LikeLike
John K. I agree about the snowbound final shoot-out in McCABE & MRS. MILLER(1971). Also, there is the mock gunfight on the bridge between Kid(Manfred Schulz) and Cowboy(Keith Carradine). I don’t think that I have ever seen a scene played out in that fashion, before. Since I read Laura’s write-up of “Snowy Westerns” I have thought of a couple more. BREAKHEART PASS(1975) and DEATH HUNT(1981).
I find it a pleasure to read Margot’s writings over at her site. http://downthesemeanstreetsblog.blogspot.com/ I first noticed Margot when she commented on something Laura wrote. I liked the way she phrased it, so I clicked on her name and that led me to her site.
LikeLike
Hi again Walter,
I’ve just done a lengthy comment on the DECOY thread
over at Margot’s-the prime reason to bring in a couple of
my favorite unheralded movies into the mix.
Don’t know if you have seen DECOY but it’s a knockout.
The comments over at Margot’s are always in caps which
makes my not knowing how to justify type on-line even more insane!!
LikeLike
Kino have announced TARNISHED ANGELS on Blu Ray
from the period Albert Zugsmith was really at the top of his game.
Sadly,the Arrow UK Blu Ray can now be purchased for a few quid.
I’d much rather Kino honed in on all the great UNRELEASED Universal
titles Zugsmith’s THE TATTERED DRESS for example.
Directed by Jack Arnold when he was truly at the very top of his game;
this cracking legal drama has never even had a DVD release.
LikeLike
John K. I remember watching THE TATTERED DRESS(1957) several times back in the ’60’s and ’70’s on CBS Affiliate Channel 3 WREC-TV. I mention this local TV station quite a lot in homage for its showing of all those memorable movies and shorts. It was a great cinematic education for me, at the time. I didn’t live near a movie theater in those days.
Yes, Zuggy(Mamie Van Doren called him this) was at the top of his game in the late 1950’s and early ’60’s. Also, I thought Jack Carson was really good in this one as the sheriff. Another Zugsmith produced and Jack Arnold directed movie that I like from 1957 is MAN IN THE SHADOW with Jeff Chandler as the sheriff in this one and Orson Welles as the wealthy rancher.
For the live of me, who decides what is released on DVD? MAN IN THE SHADOW, but not THE TATTERED DRESS.
LikeLike
Walter, thanks for your great replies,especially for the low-down on Liz Renay. Considering her somewhat colourful life she did reach the age
of 80.
Some of those Eddie Romero pictures did reach the UK as “floating
releases” not picked up by the major circuits,they provided a life line
for the surviving flea pit cinemas.
I did see CAVALRY COMMAND at the time,mainly for the cast,we lost
William Phipps back in June.
Other Romero films I saw in cinemas were TERROR IS A MAN a creepy
black & white picture that attempted to reflect Val Lewton.
TERROR IS A MAN was headlined by Francis Lederer.
I also saw BEYOND ATLANTIS with Patrick Wayne and George Nader.
BEYOND ATLANTIS also featured Romero’s favorite actor John Ashley.
Ashley-and this should bring Toby back into the debate-had an interesting
career from the early J.D. flicks to the later Beach Party films and then
the Romero pictures. It’s good to know that Ashley enjoyed making these
later exploitation pictures. Ashley,of course starred in Toby’s latest
fave,YOUNG DILLINGER.
If Jess Franco can develop a cult following,then why not Romero.
LikeLike
Delving further into Romero’s filmography I note a couple of his films
featured Jock Mahoney. One, CIMARRON was touted as the first
Philippine Western,don’t know if it ever got a USA release.
Walter- you speak with such grace and huge knowledge on quality
pictures its great to know that you are on the quiet; a bit of a “trash addict”
as well.
Still no show of your latest comment on the Movie Hub-don’t know
whats going on there.
LikeLike
John K. thank you for the kind remarks. Jocko spent quite a bit of time in Asia during the early and mid 1960’s and he teamed up with Eddie Romero for CIMARRON(1964), which we will probably never see. There is a biography out there about Jocko titled JOCK MAHONEY: THE LIFE AND FILMS OF A HOLLYWOOD STUNTMAN(2013) by Gene Freese. I wonder how well this period was covered.
Check out these movie posters of CIMARRON a.k.a. WEST OF THE WEST. http://video48.blogspot.com/2014/12/the-sixties-521-jock-mahoney-eddie.html
LikeLike
As we’re on a bit of a John Ashley kick here I thought I’d mention Mike’s
excellent review of HIGH SCHOOL CAESAR over at
http://www.mikestakeonthemovies.com
The film also featured the rather lovely Daria Massey,wonder whatever
happened to her.
LikeLike
Before Toby gets on my case I thought I’d mention that he’s already
covered Ashley and Romero in his review of TWILIGHT PEOPLE
and done the commentary on the Blu Ray.
Don’t know if Toby’s seen A DATE WITH DEATH but it sounds right
up his street-furthermore it ties in with the Gerald Mohr pic at the head
of this thread.
I might add that I saw HIGH SCHOOL CAESAR as the B pic to
CRY FOR HAPPY at the time I thought it was a perfectly balanced
double bill.
LikeLike
Referring back to Walter’s humerous question about whether we are still allowed (!) to use the word ‘actress’, I’m afraid I always make a point of using the word. Who decides what is acceptable or not now, for Heaven’s sake!!
LikeLike
Jerry, I’m with you. I always use actor or actress. Is my memory correct in thinking that you have read Jock Mahoney’s biography by Gene Freese?
LikeLike
I’ll climb down off my soapbox and just mention that Hollywood Scrapheap has just released “INCIDENT AT PHANTOM HILL” (1966) starring Robert Fuller and Dan Duryea in its widescreen format.
LikeLike
Actually Jerry INCIDENT AT PHANTOM HILL was released on
DVD a few years back by a UK label-I have the now deleted French
DVD and it’s stunning quality wise.
Film is good fun with William Phipps,who we lost recently,incredibly
creepy and Denver Pyle,never nastier.
I don’t think the “Me Too” brigade follow this blog but I must say
Jocelyn (Jackie) Lane is very easy on the eye.
She cannot act a lick,but she sure can pout-she even out-pouts Bardot!
No actress in film history filled a pair of cavalry britches to greater
effect.
Film rates 6 out of 10 but Jocelyn bumps it up to a 7 and a half.
BTW is this thread now an H8 record breaker.
LikeLike
Indeed it is a record breaker. Somehow, I knew Mamie would do it!
LikeLike
Jerry and John, I remember seeing INCIDENT AT PHANTOM HILL(1966) during the 1960’s. They used to show it quite often on TV during the late ’60’s and ’70’s. I liked it a lot, and what a cast.
I like that Universal was still making good traditional Westerns right into the late 1960’s. Robert Fuller was a really good Western actor and he is still very much with us. I grew up watching LARAMIE(1959-63) and WAGON TRAIN with Fuller as Jess and Coop.
LikeLike
Walter, you are correct in remembering that I have and have read the Gene Freese bio of Jock Mahoney. I loved the book. Have you read it yourself? An absolute ‘must’ for any Jocko fan.
Robert Fuller is/has always been a staunch advocate of the traditional western. Good man. And I have enjoyed “LARAMIE” since it first aired in 1959. Still very much works for me today too.
LikeLike
Jerry, I haven’t read the biography of Jocko yet, but I would like to in the future. My question is did author Gene Freese spend much time on Jocko’s Asian years, besides the two Tarzan movies?
LikeLike
Walter, the Gene Freese book covers his whole life and whole career, including the work post-Tarzan. I think you would enjoy it very much. Might be worth picking up your copy while it remains available?
LikeLike
Jerry, looks like the Jocko biography may become a rare bird before too long. On Amazon it is already $31.94 for a paperback. That is higher priced than Mamie Van Doren’s biography at $25. More copies of Mamie’s book available, I guess.
Thanks for the information.
LikeLike
Walter-
Thanks so much for the link to the Romero interview…..priceless!
Walter,and only Walter could give such a historical perspective
to a now generally forgotten movie like CAVALRY COMMAND,which
now must have gone way up Toby’s “must see” list.
LikeLike
John K. You are so very welcome. Too bad there isn’t a decent DVD of CAVALRY COMMAND out there somewhere, but that is the way of it.
Well, I plan on moseying over to Margot’s blog and read what you have to say about DECOY(1946).
LikeLike
The thread that wouldn’t die……………
Still life in this thread I’m happy to say.
I do like to tease Toby from time to time if he actually reads this stuff-
I know generally he likes to sit back and see where we take things; off
on various diversions.
I would have thought Walter’s epic CAVALRY COMMAND/Eddie
Romero comment would have garnered a comment from our Leader.
I was also hoping for some lowdown on A DATE WITH DEATH-I
wonder if anyone has actually seen this film-thanks again Walter
for the Liz Renay info. These Harold Daniels flicks are hard to find,
if,indeed anyone actually owns the rights to them.
ROADBLOCK is a pretty highly regarded second string Noir and I
did see TERROR IN THE HAUNTED HOUSE which,in the UK played
as the second feature to GORGO.
TERROR IN THE HAUNTED HOUSE like A DATE WITH DEATH,I
believe used subliminal images at various points in the film.
Thanks again Walter for reading my comments on DECOY over at
Margot’s and commenting…have you seen DECOY Walter,if not
you really should,Warners issued it as a double bill with De Toth’s
CRIME WAVE.
LikeLike
It’s a kick to watch where these comments go. Sometimes, they defy all logic. I’m trying like hell to get my Lisbon commentary ready (recorded A Man Alone the other day), so I’m a little removed from these blogs these days.
I’m really wanting to see Cavalry Command. The only one of Romero’s earlier films I’ve seen is Lost Battalion.
That Crime Wave/Decoy DVD is essential stuff. Crime Wave is terrific, every bit as good as you’d expect from Andre de Toth, Sterling Hayden and Timothy Carey.
LikeLike
Another mysterious director was DECOY’s Jack Bernhard.
He only directed about a dozen films and DECOY,his very best was also
his first. He was married very briefly to leading lady Jean Gillie,who passed
away just aged 33.
Bernhard’s last film was in 1950 and according to imdb he passed away
1997-I wonder what happened between those years.
A couple of Bernhard’s other Noirs are also very good THE HUNTED
(out on Warner Archive) and BLONDE ICE.
LikeLike
Toby,It’s always an extreme pleasure when you chip in from time
to time and I’m glad that you get my warped sense of humor.
As far as I am concerned LISBON would be a hard call,but I bet
that the Naturama master looks stunning.
Speaking of Mr Carey there is another Harold Daniels flick called
BAYOU with Peter Graves,Douglas Fowley,Lita Milan and Ed Nelson.
Carey plays Ulysses the “Bully Of The Bayou” and I guess the film fits
into the “White Trash” genre….am I allowed to say that in today’s PC
World.
LikeLike
Bayou is a real hoot. Love that one. That thing was still playing drive-ins when I was a kid in South Georgia in the early 70s.
Jack Marta worked his magic on Lisbon, and it’s a beautiful movie. I’ve never been to Portugal, but this would make you wanna go. Milland is good in it, and Claude Rains is terrific as a charming dirtbag. O’Hara is a rare villainess (and as pretty in Trucolor as she is in Technicolor), and Milland’s boat is gorgeous. Working on a commentary, you watch a movie about a thousand times, or I do anyway, and this one’s grown on me. Can’t wait to have an actual excuse to watch Charley Varrick over and over!
LikeLike
Take it easy John, let’s just call it Southern States genre. You know you’re in trouble if you’re out of town, and drive just one mile per hour above the speed limit in those films.
LikeLike
Toby and John K. Looks like I will do my part in continuing “The Thread That Wouldn’t Die.” I’ve never seen DATE WITH DEATH(1959) or MY WORLD DIES SCREAMING(1958) a.k.a. TERROR IN THE HAUNTED HOUSE, although I think that they would be fun to watch. Apparently they were both presented as “Psycho-Rama……Using subliminal communication!” I find this to be an interesting publicity gimmick. Both these movies were scripted by a prolific television and movie writer named Robert C. Dennis. I guess that these movies have never been released on VHS or DVD? Recently I watched the episode “The Mind Reader” of THE RIFLEMAN, which was the last episode aired of the first TV season on June 30, 1959. It is an interesting story written by Robert C. Dennis.
I know who Liz Renay was, from the book HOLLYWOOD’S CELEBRITY GANGSTER: THE INCREDIBLE LIFE AND TIMES OF MICKEY COHEN(2007) written by Bradley Lewis. I read it several years ago.
Yes, I’ve seen both DECOY(1946) and CRIME WAVE(1953). I first saw CRIME WAVE when I was a youngster in the 1960’s, but I had never seen DECOY until it came out on DVD with CRIME WAVE. I thought CRIME WAVE was great and I still do. DECOY is such a surprise in how good it is, especially Jean Gillie. I really like the old Monogram movies. I saw a lot of them in the 1960’s on ABC affiliate Channel 8 KAIT-TV. They would be shown on the weekends. SUSPENSE(1946) was a big budget Monogram produced by the King brothers, that I liked. It starred Barry Sullivan, Belita, Bonita Granville, Albert Dekker, and Eugene Pallette. I haven’t seen it in years. Of course, I’ve seen every BOWERY BOYS movie made.
Looking forward to LISBON(1956). I first saw this really good movie on the ABC affiliate Channel 13 WHBQ-TV DIALING FOR DOLLARS MOVIE in the 1960’s and 1970’s. I haven’t sen it since. Republic Pictures the little studio that could.
LikeLike
The King Brothers were behind some interesting movies.
SOUTHSIDE 1-1000 is a fine little Noir,albeit with a second string cast,
but still very good. Sadly the transfer on the Warner Archive DVD is not
as stellar as that on DECOY,some elements survive pretty well others do
not.
THE BOWERY BOYS now you are talking,I loved Leo Gorcey’s comment
“I had a Russian Jewish father and a Irish Catholic mother…that’s as mixed
up as you can get.”
I’m in the process of doing research into what played in London “flea-pits”
in the 1950’s and it’s interesting that Bowery Boys films along with Bomba
and Jungle Jim often played as the MAIN feature…Walter I’m pretty sure
this was often the case in rural America.
LikeLike
Ah, The Bowery Boys! I’m working on my first post in a series on them. The Warner Archive stuff looks great.
LikeLike
That final edition with all the trailers-wasn’t
that something. Also so cool to see some of the
later ones in 1.85 widescreen…cannot wait for your BB series!
LikeLike
The series stuff that WA has done — from the Tim Holts to the Bowery Boys — is the high-water mark for such things. Would love to see other companies follow their lead — like a Whistler set.
LikeLike
Toby, looking forward to your latest on the BOWERY BOYS.
LikeLike
Walter, I believe the alternative title for “SUSPENSE” (1946) is “THE GANGSTER” and it might be accessible now under that title. Good little film and one of Barry Sullivan’s early starrers.
LikeLike
Jerry, thanks for the information on SUSPENSE a.k.a. THE GANGSTER. I’ve always liked Barry Sullivan, especially in Westerns. SEVEN WAYS FROM SUNDOWN(1960), DRAGOON WELLS AMBUSH(1967), THE OUTRIDERS(1950), and others. I’ve never seen BADMEN OF TOMBSTONE(1949).
LikeLike
Another early..ish Barry Sullivan, King Brothers effort
was BAD MEN OF TOMBSTONE…also out on Warner Archive.
The film is pretty good with decent production values.
LikeLike
The demand for the Warners BOWERY BOYS series
was so high that they were “pressed” DVD’s not MOD’s
Yep! a Whistler set would be wonderful-I’d even be happy
with a Jungle Jim collection-especially if it included some of the more
bizarre entries.
LikeLike
John K, I’ve seen every JUNGLE JIM movie and TV show. Also, every BOMBA THE JUNGLE BOY movie. I watched them on TV during the 1960’s and ’70’s. Also, TARZAN movies with Johnny Weissmuller, Lex Barker, and Gordon Scott.
JUNGLE MOON MEN(1955) was a bizarre JUNGLE JIM.
LikeLike
Dear Mike Richards….
I knew SOMEBODY would take me to task regarding my earlier
“WT” reference and I never in a million years expected you,of all people
to be an undercover agent for the PC Police! 🙂
I only used the reference regarding BAYOU because,in fact it was re-issued
(to great financial success I understand) as “Poor White Trash”
I’m also amazed that from the same sub-genre there was actually a
movie called SHANTY TRAMP.
In fact,if you check the review for ATTACK OF THE GIANT LEECHES
on Maltin it’s described as a combo of the Monster Movie and White Trash
genre.
LikeLike
There’s nothing more offensive than political correctness.
And limiting white trash-ness to the South is literally incorrect.
LikeLike
John, sorry to come across as a good guy for change, but l did remove all references to redneck lawmen and town officials, before l made the comment.
Recommended films, the original 2000 Maniacs and Jackson County Jail.
LikeLike
My comment was (what we in the UK call) a “wind up” to my great mate
Mike Richards…he knows that I merely jest,as he did in his original bit.
Toby,great last line, in fact limiting “white trash-ness” to America is
literally incorrect.
LikeLike
Got my Mamie Van Doren set earlier this week and have to say, this is a great buy for fans of Mamie and 50s B-films. The 2K transfers look terrific in their proper widescreen aspect ratios. Original trailers and new interview with Mamie all adds up to quite an entertaining package.
LikeLike