Robert Horton Movies
Redheaded leading man Robert Horton attended UCLA, served in the Coast Guard during World War II, and acted in California-based stage productions before making his entree into films in 1951. Horton's television career started off on a high note in 1955, when he was cast in the weekly-TV version of King's Row as Drake McHugh (the role essayed by Ronald Reagan in the 1942 film version). The series barely lasted three months, but better things were on the horizon: in 1957, Horton was hired to play frontier scout Flint McCullough in Wagon Train, which became the highest-rated western on TV. Horton remained with Wagon Train until 1962. He then did some more stage work before embarking on his third series, 1965's The Man Called Shenandoah. When this one-season wonder ran its course, Horton toured the dinner-theatre circuit, then in 1982 accepted a major role on the popular daytime soap opera As the World Turns. Robert Horton's first wife was singer/actress Barbara Ruick, the daughter of radio stalwart Lurene Tuttle. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1932
In this British thriller, a hapless fellow learns that he has chosen to stay in a problematic hotel when he learns that the stockbroker in the adjacent room has died and a woman is being blamed for the death. It is son revealed that the hotel manager, and another are attempting to keep the killing quiet until they can arrange the clues just so. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1933
A feisty Irish lad leaves his home village to find fortune in bustling London. Things start off well when he lands a good job working as the partner of a wealthy young nobleman in his new company. The young Irishman got the job after helping the inebriated aristocrat out of a scuffle with an irate cabby. The lad does quite well and helps make the company successful. But his dreams turn to nightmares one day when his master falsely accuses him of rigging the books and embezzling. The young lord does this to conceal the fact that he has squandered the company's money on gambling and carousing. Because the Irish youth has fallen in love with the lord's sister and wants to protect her family's reputation, he takes the fall and goes to prison. Later the nobleman's guilty conscience prompts him to tell the truth before he commits suicide. Happiness ensues when the youth and the sister finally marry. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1933
A classy woman has an affair with a rake after she learns that she has a terminal disease in this British melodrama. When the cad dumps her, the woman's husband soon learns of her shenanigans, but he forgives her. She then gets even better news when her doctor tells her that they have finally found a cure for her disease. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1934
Matheson Lang stars as a brilliant British barrister, about to retire due to ill health. He reluctantly agrees to take on the case of a young man (Arthur Margetson) accused of murdering his mistress (Jeanne Stuart). The young man's wife (Margaret Bannerman) does not condone her husband's peccadilloes, but she doesn't want him to go to the gallows. The actual culprit, is exposed approximately five minutes before fade-out time. Having won his case, the ailing Lang dies, postponing his journey into the Hereafter long enough to deliver a colorful curtain speech. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Matheson Lang, Margaret Bannerman, (more)
- 1935
A house party becomes deadly as several murders are committed following the passing of a famous actress. Detective Austin Trevor investigates the crimes and pins the blame on the dead woman's daughter. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1936
After several years in India, Sir Guy De Vere (Jack Buchanan) returns to England where he has inherited his ancestral castle. His snobbish relatives, already disgusted by Sir Guy's cheek irreverence (and his insistence upon chumming around with the "common folk"), plot to wrest control of the estate from him. Among his detractors is his beautiful cousin Lady Rowena (Fay Wray), who yearns for the days of Chivalry, when noblemen behaved like noblemen. After several misfire efforts to prove that he can be as chivalrous as the next fellow, Sir Guy is rendered unconscious by a falling suit-of-armor -- and when he awakens, he finds himself back in the 15th century, "when knights were bold." Naturally, all of his relatives have also been thrust back in time, at which point the film becomes a farcical (and tune-filled) derivation of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, with Sir Guy proving that chivalry ain't all it's cracked up to be. When Knights Were Bold was based on a stage play by Douglas Furber and Austin Parker, and was photographed by future Oscar-winner Freddie Young. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Buchanan, Fay Wray, (more)
Sherlock Holmes and Watson travel to the home of their old friend Baskerville who wants Holmes to figure out who stole his prized race horse Silver Blaze and murdered the groom. The primary suspect is the young rider who loves the daughter of Baskerville, but he is innocent. Holmes finds the horse on a neighboring farm and deduces that his old enemy Moriarity is behind the mayhem. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Arthur Wontner, Ian Fleming, (more)
- 1952
Apache War Smoke was a remake of Apache Trail (42); both films were based on a story by Ernest Haycox. Haycox had previously written Stage to Lordsburg, a western yarn filmed by John Ford as Stagecoach (39). Apache War Smoke adheres to the Stagecoach formula by trapping several strangers in a dangerous situation, in this instance an incipient Apache uprising. Included in the group are the passengers of a stagecoach, and the gang of bandits who've just held up the coach; there's also a notorious Indian hater in the bunch. Apache War Smoke spins its yarn in a brisk 67 minutes, with only a few slow stretches here and there. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gilbert Roland, Glenda Farrell, (more)
- 1952
Generous helpings of stock footage from the 1944 film Buffalo Bill help make Pony Soldier seem far more expensive and ambitious than it actually is. Tyrone Power stars as 19th-century Royal Canadian Mountie Duncan MacDonald, whose job it is to escort a group of Cree Indians back to their above-the-border reservation. His guide in this endeavor is the not-too-trustworthy half-breed Natayo (Thomas Gomez). Along the way, he tries to free two white captives of the Crees, escaped convict Jess Calhoun (Robert Horton) and Jess' sister Emerald (Penny Edwards). Calhoun nearly messes up the whole operation when he impulsively kills the brother of Chief Konah (Cameron Mitchell). Though set in Canada, Pony Soldier was filmed in Arizona's Coconino National Forest. A curiosity: leading lady Penny Edwards has barely five lines, while 6th-billed child actor Anthony Earl Numkena, cast as lovable Indian cub Comes Running, is given reams of dialogue. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tyrone Power, Cameron Mitchell, (more)
- 1952
Dale Robertson stars as Sam Crockett, a widowed rancher trying to make a go of his small spread with his father (Walter Brennan) and his two small sons. Financially strapped, Crockett is forced to go to work for nasty neighboring rancher Rod (Richard Boone). When Rod's sister-in-law Ann (Joanne Dru) falls in love with him, Crockett retreats, believing that no woman could ever measure up to his late wife. As the story progresses, however, it is Ann's love, coupled with the faith of his two supportive sons, which help Crockett persevere despite all roadblocks. Based on a novel by Fred (Old Yeller) Gipson, Return of the Texan is a western only in its setting; the film works better as a mood piece and character study. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dale Robertson, Joanne Dru, (more)
- 1953
Bob Danvers, an arrogant, irresponsible rodeo star, retaliates for losing his wife by having an affair with a pretty fan in this melodrama. His wife, Ruth, really loves him, but she can no longer handle his selfishness and leaves. Hob has his moment of truth at a major Tucson rodeo when his ex-buddy, now a rodeo clown, sacrifices his life to save Hob from being gored by a berserk Brahma bull. The film features realistic scenes from a rodeo and was originally a 3-D picture. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gig Young, Jean Hagen, (more)
- 1953
Bright Road was a real rarity in 1953: a major-studio production with an all-black cast. Based on an award-winning short story by Mary Elizabeth Vroman, the film is largely set at a rural black school in an unspecified Southern community. Idealistic new fourth-grade teacher Jane Richards (Dorothy Dandridge) makes it her mission in life to "reach" troublesome failing student C. T. Young (Philip Hepburn). Just when Jane and the boy are making progress, tragedy strikes, plunging C. T. into the depths of depression and defeatism. But with the help of the school's compassionate principal (Harry Belafonte), Jane is able to get C. T. back on the right track--and as a bonus, the boy becomes an unexpected hero in a moment of crisis. Handled in a leisurely, understated fashion, Bright Road represents perhaps the best directorial effort of Gerald Mayer, MGM's resident "keeper of the 'B's" in the 1950s. Best scene: C. T.'s euphoric reaction upon earning a passing grade for the first time in his life. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dorothy Dandridge, Philip Hepburn, (more)
- 1953
The modest MGM programmer Code Two follows a group of police academy aspirants from the grueling training process to their first days on the job. The plot concentrates on three of these trainees: self-satisfied Chuck O'Flair (Ralph Meeker), bridegroom-to-be Harry Whenlon (Jeff Richards) and married rookie Russ Hardley (Robert Horton). Eschewing the usual Hollywood cliché, it is Whenlon, rather than Hardley, who is the first to be killed in the line of duty. The film then segues into a lengthy chase, with O'Flair and Hardley hot on the trail of the truck hijackers responsible for Hardley's death. While most of Code Two is presented in the clipped, straightforward style of TV's Dragnet, the producers find time to display leading lady Elaine Stewart in a brief two-piece bathing suit. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ralph Meeker, Sally Forrest, (more)
- 1953
This anthology film tells three stories of love involving the passengers of an ocean liner at sea. In the first, "The Jealous Lover," James Mason plays Charles Coudray, a well-known ballet director. When someone asks Coudray why he staged his masterpiece, "Astarte," only once, he tells the story of Paula Woodward (Moira Shearer), a superb dancer he found practicing in his theater. He was awestruck by her technique and her beauty, but he discovered that she had a secret -- due to a cardiac condition, she has been forbidden to dance too strenuously, as it could tax her heart and eventually kill her. Charles urges Paula to perform for him, so he may use her movements to choreograph his next great work; she agrees, but the exertion proves too much for her and she dies. He arranges for the work she inspired to be performed only once, in hopes that she will somehow see it from on high. In the second segment, "Mademoiselle," Tommy (Ricky Nelson) is a 12-year-old boy travelling with his French governess and tutor (Leslie Caron); she's tired of spending her days watching over a child, and he'd like to get away from Teacher for a while. Mrs. Pennicott (Ethel Barrymore), a older woman who happens to be a witch, hears Tommy wishing he could be a grown-up, and she grants his request: suddenly Tommy is a grown man (played by Farley Granger), but only for the next four hours. The Governess meets the mysterious stranger Tommy has become, and soon they fall in love. In the final segment, "Equilibrium," Kirk Douglas plays Pierre Narval, a high-wire artist who retired from performing after his partner died while performing a trapeze act, an accident Pierre blames on himself. He begins to reconsider his decision when he saves the life of Nina (Pier Angeli), a woman who attempted to drown herself; her husband died in a Nazi concentration camp during World War II, and she feels she is to blame for his death. Their shared fatalism equals fearlessness in Pierre's eyes, and he teaches Nina the art of the trapeze; however, when he begins to fall in love with her, he's no longer so certain that he wants her to risk her life. "The Jealous Lover" and "Equilibrium" were directed by Gottfried Reinhardt, while "Mademoiselle" was directed by Vincente Minnelli. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anna Maria Pier Angeli, Ethel Barrymore, (more)
- 1954
Leave it to MGM to turn the Korean War into a splashy, big-budget, all-star extravaganza. Men of the Fighting Lady is set on the US aircraft career of the same name. Van Johnson stars as Lt. Howard Thayer, while other MGM stalwarts in the cast include Walter Pidgeon, Kennan Wynn and Louis Calhern. The film's highlight is the famous fact-based scene wherein Lt. Thayer "talks in" blinded pilot Kenneth Schechter (Dewey Martin), assuring a safe landing for the incapacitated flyer. As a novelty, no concessions are made to the "love stuff" addicts in the audience: there is no contrived romantic subplot in the film, nor are there any women in the cast. Men of the Fighting Lady was based on two literary works: "The Case of the Blinded Pilot" by Cmdr. Harry A. Burns, and "The Forgotten Heroes of Korea" by James A. Michener (who is impersonated in the film by Louis Calhern). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Van Johnson, Walter Pidgeon, (more)
- 1954
The horrors suffered by American prisoners of war at the hands of the North Koreans during the Korean war provide the basis of this drama. Allegedly based on the true stories of those who survived the tortures, it centers on an intelligence officer (Ronald Reagan) who is sent into a POW camp to investigate conditions. When he learns that inmates are routinely tortured and brainwashed, he allows himself to undergo the same. He fools the enemy into believing that he has successfully been indoctrinated into Communist philosophies as does another soldier. Meanwhile, another soldier affects a more direct means of combatting the enemy. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ronald Reagan, Dewey Martin, (more)
- 1956
"I waited there with a dead head sitting on a dead spine waiting for the crack of doom." This is how young businessman Mason Bridges (Robert Horton) describes his predicament when he is forced to participate in a high-stakes poker game with wealthy client Sam Klinker (Robert Middleton). Though Bridges had intended to play only a few hands, Klinker bullies him into staying in the game, raising the stakes all along the way. Ultimately, the fate of Bridges' business -- and indeed, his future career -- rests in a single poker hand. "Crack of Doom" is based on a story by journalist Don Marquis, best known for his whimsical "Archy and Mehitabel" pieces. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1956
Pianist Gil Larkin (Robert Horton) falls in love with singer Mona Cameron (Cara Williams), who claims that her husband is abusing her. Gallantly, Gil heads to the husband's office to tell him off, only to witness the man's murder -- just before he himself is knocked unconscious. It soon develops that the husband's death had been carefully planned by an unknown party...and that Gil has been set up to take the fall. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1956
Who better to direct an affectionate spoof of Alfred Hitchcock's 1954 suspense classic Rear Window than Hitchcock himself? Babs Fenton (Mary Scott), a housewife with a highly fertile imagination, wonders just what is going on between Mr. and Mrs. Blanchard (Dayton Lummis, Meg Mundy) in the house next door. By and by, Babs becomes convinced that Mr. Blanchard has murdered his wife, and inveigles her own long-suffering husband John (Robert Horton) into playing detective. The clues, motive, and opportunity are all there -- but the outcome isn't quite what Babs had anticipated. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1956
In this crime drama, a naive truck driver gets tricked into helping crooks pull off a major heist. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1957
Herbert Marshall, who'd previously starred in Alfred Hitchcock's theatrical features Murder and Foreign Correspondent, is here cast as Harley Condon, an esteemed judge who is saddled with a faithless wife named Gracie (Jarma Lewis). To prove to Gracie that her current lover Wallace Donaldson (Robert Horton) is unworthy of her, Judge Condon concocts a little scheme, involving a supposedly poisoned bottle of wine. Needless to say, the scheme backfires -- on both husband and lover. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1958
Tennis player Walter Richmond (Robert Horton) finds a perfect doubles partner in the shapely form of attractive young widow Laura Gild (Betsy Von Furstenberg). As the two get to know each other better, the insatiably curious Walter begins asking questions about Laura's dear, departed husband. It would have been far better, however, if Walter had kept his curiosity to himself. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1959
Robert Horton took time off from his Wagon Train schedule to appear in this episode. Horton is cast as Brad Taylor, a man torn between two women. Brad would like to marry wealthy Janice Wright (Joyce Meadows), but his other girlfriend, Leslie Lenox (Fay Spain), refuses to break off their relationship. In desperation, Brad kills Leslie -- then is astonished by how quickly the police show up at his apartment to charge him with murder, especially since they couldn't possibly have found Leslie's body in so short a time. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
