Frederick de Cordova Movies
Entering films as a dialogue director in 1944, American director Frederick De Cordova quickly established himself as a man who made films quickly, inexpensively and entertainingly. A cursory glance at the list of De Cordova's films would lead one to believe he was handed all the unworkable projects in Hollywood and told to make them sparkle. In Universal's The Desert Hawk (1950), DeCordova had to direct Rock Hudson as a villain, Jackie Gleason as Aladdin and Joe Besser as Sinbad. The result was one of the better films of this singular genre. In Here Come the Nelsons (1952) DeCordova was expected to make viable movie stars of Ozzie, Harriet, David and Ricky; he did it. And in the immortal Bedtime for Bonzo (1951), DeCordova took the potentially disastrous combination of Ronald Reagan and a trained chimp and came up with a delightful, wholly credible heredity/environment comedy. As a TV director, De Cordova had some of the most capricious and contrary personalities in the business eating out of his hand. He managed to wrangle an apology from a temporarily temperamental George Burns, weathered a dark mood from Jack Benny by simply matching Benny's long silences, and survived nearly two decades with the virtually unapproachable Johnny Carson. Only when handling Ida Lupino and Howard Duff in the '50s TV series Mr. Adams and Eve was De Cordova unable to maintain a peaceful set; even here, however, the end result suggested that all was sunshine through the shooting schedule. In 1988, De Cordova wrote his autobiography, a masterpiece of diplomacy titled Johnny Came Lately. In the 1990s Fred De Cordova continues to be very active as a TV director. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1950
The Desert Hawk deserves to be seen on the basis of its cast alone. No more believable than any of Universal's other sword-and-sand epics, this one stars Yvonne de Carlo as Princess Shaharazade (sic) and Richard Greene as Omar, aka the Desert Hawk. By day a humble blacksmith, the Desert Hawk spends his evenings battling against the oppresive regime of Prince Murad (George Macready). One of the Hawk's tactics is to trick Shaharazade into marriage, so that he can enlist the aid of the army commanded by the Princess' father. Murad retaliates by kidnapping Shararazade, leading to an exciting climactic rescue. Never mind all that: the real fun in Desert Hawk is spotting the celebrities-to-be in the supporting cast. Playing the villainous Captain Ras is none other than Rock Hudson, while the Desert Hawk's loyal companions Aladdin and Sinbad are played, respectively, by Jackie Gleason and Joe Besser--and surprise, Joe is heavier than Jackie! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Yvonne De Carlo, Richard Greene, (more)
- 1949
For some reason, whenever Universal used the word "Gal" in a film's title, Yvonne de Carlo usually headed the cast. In Gal Who Took the West, de Carlo plays Lillian Marlowe, an New York songstress who heads Thataway. She becomes the romantic bone of contention between the feuding O'Hara cousins, Grant (John Russell) and Lee (Scott Brady). The hostilities boil over into an all-out range war, and federal troops are summoned. Can Lillian succeed where other, better-armed negotiators have failed. The lighthearted nature of Gal Who Took the West is underlined by staging the film in flashback, as related by a pair of toothless old codgers (Clem Bevans and Houseley Stevenson). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Yvonne De Carlo, John Russell, (more)
Martin Scorsese's satirical comedy/drama caustically explores the lengths to which a nobody will go to be as famous as his idol. Practicing his patter in his basement with cardboard cut-outs of his favorite celebrities, mediocre aspiring comedian Rupert Pupkin (Robert De Niro) believes that one appearance on the evening talk show of the Johnny Carson-esque Jerry Langford (Jerry Lewis) will be his ticket to stardom. After he helps Jerry escape the advances of amorous fan Masha (Sandra Bernhard), Rupert takes Jerry's patronizing brush-off as a true promise for an audition and begins haunting Jerry's office. Provoked by Masha's needling and a rejection from Jerry's smooth production exec Cathy Long (Shelley Hack), Rupert makes a disastrous trip to Jerry's country house with embarrassed date Rita (Diahnne Abbott), then hatches an even more outlandish scheme to get ahead. With Masha's help, Rupert kidnaps Jerry and demands as ransom the TV appearance that he believes will turn his fantasy into reality. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert De Niro, Jerry Lewis, (more)
- 1998
When Larry (Garry Shandling) announces that he won't be renewing his contract, the staff begins chomping at the bits to find new jobs. It appears as if Beverly (Penny Johnson), Hank (Jeffrey Tambor), and Artie (Rip Torn) all have prospects for the future, though unfortunately the same thing can't be said for our increasingly troubled host. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 1995
The Larry Sanders Show is celebrating its eighth anniversary, and guests k.d. lang, Pat O'Brien, Rosie O'Donnell, Mandy Patinkin, and Noah Wyle are booked for the big show. It seems that Murphy's Law is in full effect for the anniversary show, however, and in addition to O'Donnell's limo failing to arrive, it's revealed that lang and Hank (Jeffrey Tambor) have a background as feuding neighbors, while Patinkin and Wyle can't stop arguing over who has a better TV series. As if those factors weren't enough to make the anniversary show a stressful occasion, it seems as if Larry (Garry Shandling) has forgotten to take his usual bathroom break before the show. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 1951
Can it be that June Allyson is Too Young to Kiss in this bit of MGM fluff? Well, not really. Pianist Cynthia Potter (Allyson) is well into her 20s, but she's posing as a 14-year-old musical prodigy. It's part of her desperate effort to become a client of highly selective concert-promoter Eric Wainwright (Van Johnson), who is only hiring "young" performers. Wainwright falls for Cynthia's subterfuge, building a huge promotional campaign predicated upon his new protégé's "youth." He even adopts a fatherly attitude towards Cynthia, who would prefer that their relationship be a bit more intimate. Though it may seem to be a rehash of the 1943 comedy The Major and the Minor, Too Young to Kiss remains fresh and funny throughout, thanks to the script-writing know-how of Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett. Ironically, Allyson was thirty-four when this film was shot. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- June Allyson, Van Johnson, (more)
- 1945
In this wartime romance, two young newlyweds must reluctantly part when the young man is called to war. He spends the next three years fighting the Japanese in the South Pacific. While there, he learns that his wife has left him and has given away his son--he didn't even know she was pregnant. Quickly he gets the necessary pass and flies home. There a good-hearted judge helps the troubled couple reunite. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joan Leslie, Robert Hutton, (more)
- 1948
In this comedy, two stepsisters fight for the love of the same man. One of the sisters is good-looking and vivacious. She is also an utter fluffhead. Her sister is pragmatic and plain, but in the end, she gets the man. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Hutton, Joyce Reynolds, (more)
- 1952
The innate dignity of leading-man Jeff Chandler lends credibility to the swashbuckling proceedings of Yankee Buccaneer. Set during the early 19th century, the film casts Chandler as David Porter, commander of a U.S. frigate sent to the Caribbean to quell the activities of pirates and privateers. Disguising his vessel as a pirate ship, Porter is able to drift into dangerous waters with little or no resistance. The trick, of course, is to complete his mission and return to safety. Complicating matters is Scott Brady as Porter's reckless, irresponsible second-in-command -- Lieutenant David Farragut. Joseph Calleila co-stars as Count Del Prado, the Spanish governor of the West Indies who is secretly orchestrating the pirate activities. The requisite damsel-in-distress is played by Suzan Ball, a promising Universal contractee who died only three years later at the age of 24. Yankee Buccaneer was hastily filmed on sets originally constructed for Against All Flags (1952) while the star of the latter film, Errol Flynn, was recuperating from an injury. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jeff Chandler, Scott Brady, (more)
