Lawrence Gray Movies

Walter Pidgeon is the nominal star of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, portraying Admiral Harriman Nelson, the designer of the submarine Seaview, a glass-nosed research submarine. The sub embarks on her shakedown cruise under the polar ice cap as the movie begins. Upon surfacing, however, the crew discovers that the entire sky is on fire -- the Van Allen radiation belt has been ignited by a freak meteor shower, and the Earth is being slowly burnt to a cinder. Nelson and his colleague, Commodore Lucius Emery (Peter Lorre), devise a plan to extinguish the belt using one of the Seaview's nuclear missiles, but they are denounced at an emergency meeting of the United Nations. Disregarding the UN vote against him, Nelson decides to go forward with his plan before the Earth is destroyed, hoping to get the approval of the president of the United States while his ship races from New York to the Marianas in the Pacific to launch its missile on time and target, with the world's navies hunting her down and communication with Washington impossible because of the fire in the sky. Nelson must combat not only the threats from other ships but also the doubts of his own protégé, Commander Lee Crane (Robert Sterling), the captain of the Seaview, about his plan and his methods, and the growing suspicion -- being spread by Dr. Susan Hiller (Joan Fontaine), a psychiatrist who was visiting the vessel -- about his sanity, as well as the growing discontent of the crew, who would like to see their families before the end of the world, and the presence of one religious fanatic (Michael Ansara) who thinks the fire in the sky is God's will. Worse still, there appears to be a saboteur -- and possibly more than one -- aboard. The plot is episodic in pacing and features elements that were clearly derived in inspiration from Disney's 1954 production of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, such as Nelson's eccentricity and the "outlaw" status of his ship; but the undersea maneuvers to tap the trans-Atlantic telephone cable (in order to reach Washington), the battle with a giant squid, a duel with an attack submarine, and a harrowing tangle with a WWII mine field would become standard elements of the series of the same name that followed this movie two years later. Pidgeon brings dignity if not a huge amount of energy to the role of the admiral, and Lorre, Fontaine, Ansara, and Henry Daniell (playing Nelson's scientific nemesis) add some colorful performances, and Barbara Eden, as Nelson's secretary, is pretty to look at; and there are some excellent supporting performances by Delbert Monroe (aka Del Monroe, who appeared later in the series, as Kowalsky), Mark Slade, John Litel, Howard McNear, and Robert Easton. The real "star" of the movie, however, is the submarine Seaview and the special effects by L.B. Abbott, which, to be fully appreciated, should be seen in a letterboxed presentation of the movie. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide

Like most of Kermit Maynard's "northerns" for Ambassador Films, Timber War is ostensibly based on a story by James Oliver Curwood. Maynard is cast as Jim Dolan, a two-fisted young man forced by circumstance to impersonate weak-willed playboy Larry Keene (Lawrence Gray), scion of a powerful lumber family. In this guise, Dolan saves Keene's relatives from the sinister machinations of timber-baron Murdock (Wheeler Oakman). Along the way, he also rehabilitates the wastrelly Keene, who proves to have more backbone than previously suspected. Most of the lumberjack sequences in Timber War were lifted from stock footage, but the thrilling climax is all "new," and all Kermit Maynard. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this musical comedy, a woman runs a boardinghouse for washed up thespians. She puts them on their best behavior when her daughter comes for a surprise visit. It seems her daughter had no idea what her mother did for a living. When an aspiring writer asks for the daughter's hand, conflict ensues. Musical numbers include: "Love Is the Thing," "I Was Taken by Storm," "Let's Be Frivolous," and "Martinique." ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this countrified musical, a farm boy and his girl head for the big city to find fame on the radio. When he becomes popular their relationship is strained and the two break up and begin pursuing other relationships. Fortunately, they are reunited in the end. Look closely for a brief appearance by Roy Rogers who appears under his real name Leonard Slye. Songs include: "Moonlight in Heaven," "Somehow I Know," "The Plowboy," and "When the Old Age Pension Check Comes to Our Door." ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

A play by Nina Wilcox Putnam was the source for the empire-building drama Golden Harvest. Chester Morris stars as ambitious grain trader Chris Martin, who through fair and foul means corners the wheat market and becomes a millionaire. Outgrowing his humble farm beginnings, Chris makes a bid for respectability by marrying Chicago socialite Cynthia Flint (Genevieve Tobin). Meanwhile, Chris's ex-sweetheart Ellen (Julie Haydon) marries his down-to-earth brother Walt (Richard Arlen), who has chosen to remain on the family farm. Inevitably, the two brothers find themselves on opposite sides when Chris's greed overtakes his common sense. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this comedy, a luckless newspaper reporter heads for a coastal resort and finds himself mistaken for a famous dare-devil pilot by two gorgeous girls. Though he knows, better, he willingly does nothing to deny it. Rollicking trouble follows when he discovers that someone is trying to kill the pilot. Unfortunately, when he finally does tell the truth, no one believes him and that is when the fun really begins. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this comedy, set during the 1900s, a Florodora girl slowly falls for a gentle millionaire. Songs include: "My Kind Of Man," "Pass The Beer And Pretzels," "Swingin' In The Lane," and a Technicolor stage sequence of "Tell Me Pretty Maiden." ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this musical comedy, a Jewish songwriter pursues and conquers a society blonde. Unfortunately, the indecisive fellow realizes that he really loves his female partner and dumps the blonde on their wedding day. Songs include "Leave It That Way," "Dust," "Girl Trouble," "A Couple of Birds with the Same Thought in Mind," and "The Whole Darned Thing's for You." ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

The vaudeville and Broadway "sister act" of Vivien and Rosetta Duncan, best known for their characterizations of Eva and Topsy in Uncle Tom's Cabin, star in the creaky backstage musical melodrama It's a Great Life. The ladies are cast as travelling entertainers Babe and Casey Hogan, who work their way up the ladder from the small time to the Palace. The act breaks up when swell-headed Jimmy Dean (Lawrence Gray) marries Babe, but Casey rushes back to her sister's side when the latter is stricken by a serious illness. As she coaxes Babe back to health, Casey describes the "big act" she plans to stage, whereupon the film segues into an elaborate Technicolor sequence which has about as much to do with the rest of the film as the invasion of the Huns. Children of the theatre, Vivien and Rosetta Duncan were unable to scale down their performances for the more intimate demands of the camera, which is why they lost the lead roles in Broadway Melody (1929) to Bessie Love and Anita Page. But having signed the Duncans to a one-picture contract, MGM had to put them in something -- hence the existence of It's a Great Life. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this frothy musical, a lovely young woman is wooed by two men. One of them meets her father's approval so it is only natural that she attempt to elope with the other. Fortunately the good guy catches up with them before it is too late. Songs include: "Spring Is Here in Person," "I Married an Angel," "Yours Sincerely," "Rich Man, Poor Man," "Baby's Awake Now," "With a Song in My Heart" (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart), "Cryin' for the Carolines," "Have a Little Faith In Me," "Bad Baby," and "How Shall I Tell?" (Sam Lewis, Joe Young, Harry Warren). ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Marriage by Contract was produced and directed by John M. Stahl for his own Tiffany-Stahl Studio. Although only a part-talkie, the film represented the sound debut of Patsy Ruth Miller, here cast as Margaret, one of the longest-suffering heroines in screen history. Having entered into a contract to marry a young man named Don (Lawrence Grey), Margaret storms out of the honeymoon suite when Don shows up drunk and disheveled, bragging about his various sexual conquests. Despite this appalling experience, Margaret goes through three more contracted marriages, each union leaving her a bit worse off than the previous one. On the verge of committing suicide, an aged and infirm Margaret suddenly wakes up to find herself young and beautiful again. Realizing that she's been just been having a horrible dream, our heroine hastily dons her wedding gown and rushes off to find faithful Don still waiting at the chapel. Marriage by Contract represents an acting tour de force for Patsy Ruth Miller, who in 1928 was better known for her light comedy roles. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide