Norton S. Parker Movies

Multimedia horror maven Clive Barker followed the success of his feature directorial debut, Hellraiser, with this equally surreal effort, based on his novella Cabal. The story involves the plight of Aaron Boone (Craig Sheffer), a young man tormented by visions of monstrous, graveyard-dwelling creatures. Seeking the aid of his clinically cold therapist Dr. Decker (played by Canadian horror auteur David Cronenberg) in deciphering his nightmares, Boone becomes convinced that his frequent blackouts are linked to a recent spate of mutilation murders in the area. His frantic search for the truth leads him to the subterranean city of Midian, the dwelling place of a mythical race of undead nocturnal monsters known as the "Nightbreed." But it is only after he is cornered and shot dead by police that Boone's real journey begins -- he finds himself resurrected as one of the Breed. Though Barker's unique and graphic vision is somewhat blunted by choppy editing (thanks to relentless tampering from the studio), this is nevertheless a fine sophomore project from a talented storyteller; the central conceit of presenting the monsters as the "good guys" -- at least compared to the gun-and-bible-toting lunatics who hunt them -- is handled with verve and originality. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi

In this western, a stagecoach driver learns that his little brother is working for a corrupt, rival stage line. The good brother does all he can to save the bad one from a life of crime. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

A remake of the 1933 RKO western of the same name, Come on, Danger! stars Tim Holt in the role originally essayed by Tom Keene. Holt goes after a gang of rustlers, commandeered by an attractive young woman (Julie Haydon in the original, Frances Neal in the remake). The girl has been accused of murder, but the actual culprit is the miscreant who drove the girl into a life of crime in the first place. Leading lady Frances Neal displayed an embryonic star quality in this film, but she retired shortly afterward to marry Van Heflin. Come on Danger was a bit longer than the 1933 version, principally because of the three songs warbled by supporting actor Ray Whitley. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In one of his best early Westerns, Tim Holt avenges the accidental shooting of his father by robbing the Cedar Fork bank, who owes him 20,000 dollars. With his uncle Red Haggerty (Morris Ankrum) and old friend, Whopper (Lee White), in tow, Tim then plans to take on the bank in Remington. The Haggerty gang, however, arrives just in time to see the bank getting robbed by a gang controlled by saloon owner Joel Nebitt (Roy Barcroft) and Tim and Whopper instead join the sheriff's posse. The grateful citizenry elects Tim marshal and with the help of Red, the youngster manages to clean up the lawless town. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi

The cast and crew of Paramount's "Hopalong Cassidy" Westerns returned once again to Lone Pine's famous Alabama Hills for this above-average entry in the long-running series. Ma Woods (Sarah Padden) is about to lose her ranch due to the machinations of the not so neighborly George Davidson (Stanley Andrews), who refuses access to the only water in the vicinity. But unbeknownst to both Ma and the always law-abiding Davidson someone else is stoking the fires of the feud for his own greedy reasons. But who? Robbed en route to Ma Woods' Colorado ranch, Hoppy (William Boyd), Lucky Jenkins (Russell Hayden) and California Carlson (Andy Clyde) manage to settle matters between Davidson and Mrs. Woods but the money to buy the Ma's cattle seems to have vanished. According to some sources In Old Colorado was co-written by co-star Russell Hayden. The Western marked the debut under that moniker of leading lady Margaret Hayes, who had previously been billed Dana Dale. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi

This Roy Rogers vehicle is a followup (though not a sequel) to 1940's Young Buffalo Bill. Definitely a "premature anti-fascist", singing frontiersman Bill Hickok (Roy Rogers) tries to thwart the takeover of West by foreign invaders. John Miljan is frontier fuhrer Nicholas Tower, who hires a gang of storm troopers-er, henchmen-to do his dirty work. Southern belle Louise Mason (Jacqueline Wells) initially aligns herself with Tower because he is ostensibly anti-Damyankee, but she finally turns against him when she realizes what he's up to. Calamity Jane also appears in the person of comic actress Sally Payne, while Gabby Hayes shows up as a character named-but of course-Gabby. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Tailspin Tommy (played by John Trent) flies again in Monogram's Sky Patrol. The plot is motivated by an airborne smuggling operation, masterminded by gunrunner Mitch (Leroy Mason). Assigned to thwart the villains is young Carter (Jackie Coogan), the son of Tailspin Tommy's flight commander (Boyd Irwin). Deathly afraid of guns, Carter is unable to effectively pursue the smugglers, and as a result is shot down and captured. With the help of Tommy and his pal Skeeter (Milburn Stone), Carter gets over his firearms phobia and helps to bring the criminals to justice. Marjorie Reynolds costars as requisite heroine Betty Lou, who despite her stewardess job never gets off the ground! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this drama, a tuna fisherman is wrongly convicted for murder. Because he is a model, and oft-times heroic prisoner, he is up for early parole. While parole is better than prison, it is still not justice for the man as he is unable to travel far and marry his beloved. He decides that his only real option is to escape and begin looking for the real killer. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Universal's newest singing cowboy Bob Baker heads the cast of Border Wolves. The film starts off like gangbusters, with an outlaw attack on a covered wagon (largely culled from Universal's stock-footage vault). Falsely accused of masterminding the attack, young Rusty Reynolds (Baker) vows to track down the genuine culprit. So predominant is the film's musical angle that, at one point, even the bad guys lift their voices in a campfire song! Like many of Bob Baker's westerns, Border Wolves was directed by Joseph H. Lewis, who had a happy knack of bringing artistry and nuance to the cliched proceedings. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Nothing of cult director Joseph H. Lewis' much-vaunted flair is on display in this average musical Western, the screen debut of Bob Baker, Universal's dark-haired answer to Gene Autry. Baker -- who had beaten a young Roy Rogers for the berth at Universal -- had sung on the National Barn Dance radio program but his vocal prowess quickly proved as untrained as his thespian abilities. Set during the Civil War, Courage of the West opens with President Lincoln (Albert Russell) establishing the Free Ranger corps in order to prevent the constant attacks on gold shipments from the West. After this potentially interesting opening, the Western settles down to tell the rather ordinary story of a ranger (J. Farrell McDonald) adopting the young son (Buddy Cox) of a convicted outlaw (Harry Woods). Years later, the boy has become the head of the rangers and is soon chasing down a gang of gold thieves headed -- unbeknownst to him -- by his own father. In between battling his natural father, Baker sang "Resting Beside the Campfire," "Ride Along Free Rangers," "Song of the Trail," and "I'll Build a Ranch House on the Range," all by Fleming Allen. Although competent enough astride his handsome paint horse, Apache, Baker's vocalizing never gave Gene Autry or Roy Rogers much to worry about and his starring career proved brief. By 1939, he was playing second leads to Johnny Mack Brown and by 1940 bit parts. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi

In this African action-adventure film, an explorer becomes an avaricious murderer after he learns of an invaluable cache of elephant tusks. Afterward, he convinces his wealthy former fiancee to help him fund an expedition to find the cache. At the same time they are looking, the dead man's partner is also looking for the ivory. Who will get there first? ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Ten Nights In a Bar-room is as corny and hackneyed as its title, but that doesn't mean it isn't fun to watch. Based on the warhorse cautionary stage play by Edwin Waugh (previously filmed six times during the silent era), the story concerns Joe Morgan (William Farnum), a highly respected business executive and family man who throws his life away by consuming mass quantities of booze. His sweet little daughter Mary Morgan (Patty Lou Lynd) wanders into the saloon, tugs her tosspot father by his tattered sleeve and whines "Daddy, won't you come home with me now?" This proves to be the first step (of 12, perhaps?) towards Morgan's redemption, but first he has a score to settle with Simon Slade (Tom Santschi), the double-dyed villain who dragged him to degragadation. The film's highlight is a knock-down, drag-out fistfight between William Farnum and Tom Santschi, in emulation of their famous battle in 1914's The Spoilers. Ten Nights In a Bar-Room was distributed through the auspices of the Women's Christian Temperance Union, who were blissfully unaware that audiences were more prone to laugh at the antiquated production rather than renounce Demon Rum. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This moralistic 1928 film decries the evils of alcohol and tobacco by showing how their awful effects send an innocent girl into a wicked life of prostitution. ~ Rovi