Frank Wisbar Movies
- 1962
In this action drama, set during the Algerian War, 1961, a Foreign Legion captain must stage a daring raid to kidnap a rebel leader. They are successful, but then the helicopter that was to pick them up is shot down. The men are forced to do an overland trek with their prisoner. Many of them do not make it across the burning desert. Those that do are shocked to learn that in their absence the political situation changed. The leader they kidnapped is now a crucial figure in helping to get the French to leave Algiers. The captain is so angry, that he thinks about killing the leader, but then cools off. He thinks of all the suffering and death his troop endured to bring the leader to safety. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
When a made-up story crafted to meet a rapidly approaching deadline spirals out of control, a young reporter takes it upon himself to warn the public and his journalistic peers of the dangers of sensationalism in this long-lost film noir directed by Frank Wisbar and starring Horst Buchholz. Aspiring journalist Greg Bachmann (Buchholz) has just been released from prison and is looking for some honest work. Soon hired as assistant to influential yellow journalist Cesar Boyd (Martin Held), Bachmann is shocked to discover that his new employer has concocted the story of a blind Nazi soldier discovered in a bunker years after the end of World War II in order to meet a looming deadline. When other reporters latch on to the story and run a phony picture of the long-lost soldier, a peaceful protest aimed at pressuring authorities to release the man quickly elevate into a full-scale riot. Now, with all of Europe in chaos, Bachmann must race to expose the fraudulent scoop and spread the word about the dangers of tabloid reporting. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Horst Buchholz, Martin Held, (more)
- 1958
Set just outside Stalingrad in the winter of 1942, this compelling wartime drama tells the tale of a contingent of German soldiers caught in a Russian vise. Headed by Gen. Paulus (Wilhelm Borchert), the other officers and foot soldiers are slowly surrounded by Russian troops on the offensive. The battles that ensue as a result of the entrapment are depicted via the experiences of individual officers and enlisted men -- the full story emerges through the eyes of each of these soldiers. There is also a subsidiary tale about a friendship between a Russian woman (Sonia Zieman) and a German officer that ultimately saves the man's life. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- 1949
Bargain-budget Screen Guild Productions was in the process of metamorphosing into Lippert Studios when Rimfire was filmed in 1949. This "government vs. gold thieves" affair has all of the virtues of the eager-to-please Lippert production team and none of the shortcomings of the pinchpenny Screen Guild operation. James Millican heads the cast as a special agent tracking down a lost shipment of Army gold. This leads him to a superstition-laden village where the townsfolk are convinced that the ghost of a hanged gambler is wreaking all sorts of havoc. It doesn't take Millican long to get to the bottom of the occult activity-and to locate the gold robbers in the process. With bigger star names, Rimfire might have secured better bookings; still, it did respectable business under the circumstances. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- James Millican, Mary Beth Hughes, (more)
- 1948
Its poetic title aside, Republic's Madonna of the Desert is a formula murder mystery with an occasional surprise or two. The titular madonna is a priceless statue owned by wealthy rancher Joe Salinas (Don Castle). Crooked Nick Julian (Sheldon Leonard) intends to steal the statue, enlisting the aid of the lovely Monica Dale (Lynne Roberts). Meanwhile, another team of crooks headed by Tony French (Don Barry) plans to beat Julian to the punch. Ah, but it said that the madonna has miraculous powers which will melt even the most larcenous of hearts. Under the influence of the "little lady," Monica and Tony mend their ways and fall in love. Unfortunately, Nick and the other crooks manage to resist the madonna's peculiar charms, leading to a typically violent Republic Pictures climax. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Roy Barcroft, Don "Red" Barry, (more)
- 1948
Fairly ambitious for Screen Guild Productions, The Prairie is set at the time of the Louisiana Purchase. Hoping to find their destiny in the new territory, the Bush Family heads southward in a covered wagon. Sharing the family's numerous dangers and hardships are Ellen Wade (Lenore Aubert), sole survivor of an Indian attack, and army mapmaker Paul Hover (Alan Baxter). Cousins Abiram (Russ Vincent) and Asa (Jack Mitchum) duke it out over Ellen's affections, but Hover wins the romantic battle. Originally released at 80 minutes in December of 1947, The Prairie had been shorn of 15 minutes by the time it premiered in New York in August 1948; bridging the many continuity gaps was the voiceover narration of Frank Hemingway. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Lenore Aubert, Alan Baxter, (more)
- 1948
In a sense, The Mozart Story can qualify as an international production. The balance of the film was lensed in Austria by director Karl Hartl, with Hans Holt as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the songs sung in German. When the American rights to the film were purchased by Screen Guild, director Frank Wisbar supervised the English dubbing, and even lensed a few new scenes, with Wilton Graff as Mozart's great rival Antonio Salieri (later the "protagonist" of the Oscar-winning Amadeus). Also appearing in the newly shot scenes were Carol Forman as Catherine Cavalleria and Anthony Barr as Ruffini. Despite its patchwork construction, The Mozart Story weaves a cogent and credible (if not altogether accurate) version of Mozart's life and work. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Hans Holt, Winnie Markus, (more)
- 1947
A romantic triangle develops between 2 lighthouse keepers and their love interest. When the woman gets mad at one of the men she marries the other and trouble ensues until the rejected suitor leaves. ~ Rovi
This bargain-basement sequel is unusual in that it completely contradicts the conclusions drawn by its predecessor, Bela Lugosi's 1941 horror film The Devil Bat. It all begins with Nina, the daughter of the notorious Dr. Paul Carruthers, the crazed, vengeful scientist who allegedly created a species of giant killer bats that would attack and kill anyone wearing a certain scent. Nina has been plagued with terrifying recurring nightmares featuring giant bats. Thinking she, like her father, may have more than a few in her belfry, Nina goes to see a psychiatrist who uses her psychosis for his own evil ends by framing her for the murder of his wife. Fortunately, by the story's end she not only proves her own innocence, she also clears her father's name and proves that he was really just misunderstood. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Rosemary La Planche, John James, (more)
In this low-budget thriller, a ferry captain named Douglas (Charles Middleton) is accused of a murder he did not commit and is eventually executed for the crime. Douglas' ghost begins to walk the marshlands he once called home, searching for revenge against those who wronged him. Beautiful Maria (Rosemary LaPlanche) looks like she could be the ghost's next victim, and her boyfriend Christian (Blake Edwards) must rescue her before it's too late. Film buffs will recall that Charles Middleton played Ming the Merciless in the classic Flash Gordon serials, while Blake Edwards would turn to directing several years later, achieving international success with The Pink Panther and its many sequels. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Robert H. Barrat, Rosemary La Planche, (more)
- 1943
The luridly titled Women in Bondage was Monogram's "answer" to RKO Radio's wartime melodrama Hitler's Children. The plot concerns the nationalization and subjugation of Germany's women during the Third Reich. Expected to devote their every waking moment to the cause of Nazism -- and this includes bearing strong Aryan children for Der Fatherland -- several women, notably Margot Bracken (Gail Patrick), begin to rebel. When she finally determines that Hitler has gone to far in his regimentation of the populace, Margot casts her lot with the Allies, becoming a martyr to the cause of freedom. Unusually well-acted for a Monogram film, Women in Bondage boasts an especially strong cast, including Nancy Kelly, Gertrude Michael, Anne Nagel, Tala Birell and H.B. Warner. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Gail Patrick, Nancy Kelly, (more)
Rating Systems
Blockbuster
BLOCKBUSTER name, design and related marks are trademarks of Blockbuster L.L.C.
2013 Blockbuster L.L.C. All rights reserved.
Portions of Content Provided by Rovi Corporation. 2013 Rovi Corporation.