Richard Wormser Movies

The second episode of The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow documents the rising black middle class and the birth of African-American political organizations, like the NAACP in 1909. During this time, W.E.B. Du Bois emerged as an outspoken critic of the Jim Crow South in the pages of the NAACP’s magazine, The Crisis. Others, like Charlotte Hawkins Brown, worked to improve educational opportunities for African-Americans. The 1910s would also see the birth of jazz, as artists like Louis Armstrong came to prominence. Despite advances in prosperity and political autonomy, however, many blacks continued to be threatened by violence. In the elections of 1898 in North Carolina, many ballot boxes were stuffed to remove African-Americans from political offices. In Wilmington, violence broke out, leading to a number of deaths. The limitations on black freedom would become more apparent as many African-Americans traveled abroad to fight for democracy in Europe during World War I. "Fighting Back" unfolds as an affecting oral history. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr., All Movie Guide

A car with two men visible in it pulls up to a Los Angeles service station at night, with a single attendant (Dub Taylor) working. As he starts to pump the gas, he doesn't see the third man come around the side until it's too late and he's knocked cold. The trio carries out their robbery but before they can finish, a motorcycle cop rolls up. A gun battle ensues, and one of the robbers is shot, as is the police officer. Now a manhunt is on for the trio, all escapees from San Quentin who were making their way south; the other two give the wounded man enough money to get to the apartment of a former cellmate of one of them, Steve Lacey (Gene Nelson). But Lacey is genuinely trying to go straight and live a clean, honest life with his wife, Ellen (Phyllis Kirk), and wants nothing to do with anyone he knew in prison, or with harboring an escaped prisoner. He's even more unhappy when Dr. Otto Hessler (Jay Novello), another ex-con and a veterinarian, arrives to treat the gunshot victim. But when the hood dies, matters get even more complicated -- Lacey's life becomes a nightmare as the police arrive, led by the hardboiled Det. Sgt. Sims (Sterling Hayden), who doesn't believe that any hood ever goes straight. Sims doesn't believe that Lacey's claim of knowing nothing of the escapees, and is ready to send him back to prison on a parole violation -- even though his parole officer (James Bell) believes him -- when he won't cooperate. And worse still, the other two escapees, Doc Penny (Ted de Corsia) and Ben Hastings (Charles Buchinsky, aka Charles Bronson), force their way into Lacey's home, insisting on hiding out there and threatening Ellen. And as they're now a man short, they want Steve's help on a major heist they're planning -- and will kill Ellen if he doesn't cooperate. Soon Lacey is up to his neck in a daylight bank robbery, timed to the minute, and his wife is at the mercy of a mentally deficient, sexually deviant confederate (Timothy Carey), while the police still seem to be following every trail but the right one. Steve realizes that he is the only one who is going to be able to save himself or his wife from this nightmare, and isn't convinced that he'll get out of it alive -- but by then, between being put on him by Sims and his unwanted companions, he's prepared to die in order to save Ellen. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide

The much-maligned Vera Ralston turns in an acceptable performance as star of Republic's A Perilous Journey. Though seemingly inspired by MGM's Westward the Women, the film was actually based on The Golden Tide, a novel by Vingie Roe. In the year 1850, a group of 49 young women charter a full-rigger to sail for California to offer themselves as wives to the gold prospectors. As indicated by the title, the journey is indeed fraught with peril (not to mention a few geographical inaccuracies). Vera Ralston plays Francie Landreaux, who has undertaken the voyage in search of her no-good gambler husband. Instead, she finds romance in the arms of rough-and-ready Shard Benton (Scott Brady). A Perilous Journey is pepped up by several song numbers, written by Victor Young and Edward Heyman. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A fast-paced entry in Republic Pictures' fine Allan "Rocky" Lane series, Fort Dodge Stampede details the search for $30,000 worth of loot from a bank robbery which is ostensibly hidden in Fort Dodge, a Nevada ghost town owned by Skeeter Davis (Chubby Johnson). The latter, who knows nothing of the stolen money, is soon deep in trouble with an array of Bad Guys headed by the inevitable (but nevertheless always welcome) Roy Barcroft. Enter "Rocky" Lane, a lawman on vacation, and the bullets soon start flying. Lane, who later supplied the voice of television's Mr. Ed, was an attractive cowboy star whose vehicles, although low-budget, were consistently well-written and paced. Chubby Johnson replaced Lane's usual sidekick Eddy Waller for most of the 1951-1952 season. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

Lawman Allan “Rocky” Lane is mistaken for a hired killer in this average western from Republic Pictures. Assuming the identity of his captive, Clune (Stuart Randall), when the latter is killed by mistake by fellow outlaw Murray (John Cason), Rocky learns that Murray’s cohort Leo Straykin (Roy Barcroft) has killed a rancher named Reynolds and is planning on robbing Josh Taylor (Forrest Taylor) and then sell him the dead man’s property. But Taylor arrives with his lawyer, Parradine (John Eldredge), and a surveyor, Bob Bennett (George Nader), one of whom is rumored to be Straykins’ boss. Playing along and keeping his cover despite unwanted interference from Nugget Clark (Eddy Waller), an old-timer he has befriended along the way, Rocky learns that not only is Parradine Straykin’s boss but young Bennett is actually Jack Reynolds, the vengeful son of the murdered rancher. The plot thickens with the arrival of Jack’s pretty wife Carol (Claudia Barrett) but Rocky and Nugget eventually bring the villains to justice. Rustler’s on Horeback marked the screen debut of 1950s matinee idol George Nader. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

Allan "Rocky" Lane and his faithful steed Black Jack star in Vigilante Hideout. The plot revolves around a bitter struggle over water rights. Eccentric inventor Nugget Clark (Eddy Waller) tries to help his drought-ridden neighbors by blasting for water, while a $25,000 nest egg rests in the bank for the purpose of building an aqueduct. The villains decide to rob the bank while Nugget is setting off his charges. Once "Rocky" Lane gives chase, however, the bad guys haven't got a chance. Roy Barcroft, who must have taken his meals and slept at Republic Studios, is one of the heavies. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This breezy and unpretentious film noir from director Don Siegel starts off with fireworks. Duke Holliday (Robert Mitchum), an American army lieutenant, is on his way to Mexico by boat when he's confronted in his cabin by Blake (William Bendix), gun in hand, who plans on taking him back to the United States. Holliday gets away, pummeling Blake pretty hard in the bargain and stealing his identification, and crosses paths with Joan Graham (Jane Greer). It turns out that she's looking for the same man he is, a smooth-talking hood and grifter named Fiske (Patric Knowles), who took Holliday at gunpoint for 300,000 dollars in army payroll money and Graham for 2,000 dollars, in addition to her hand in marriage. They spend a lot of their time sizing each other up, not knowing how much to believe about the other while trying to catch up with Fiske, while Blake -- an army captain who's after Holliday for his alleged part in the robbery -- stumbles along a step or two behind them. These four end up playing cat-and-mouse across Veracruz, with Fiske always a half-step ahead, while police Inspector General Ortega (Ramon Novarro) calmly keeps tabs on all of them, trying to figure out (along with the rest of us) exactly who is on the level (in those days, especially after Out of the Past, there was no built-in assurance for audiences that Mitchum and Greer played characters with clean hands, and Mitchum is almost too good with the rough stuff here to be an obvious hero). Holliday and Graham engage in some surprisingly playful and suggestive banter during their travels, in between her keeping Holliday -- whose command of Spanish is less than minimal -- from adding too many new permutations to the phrase "the ugly American" in his dealings with the Mexicans. The mood is decidedly brisk and light-hearted at times, given the gunplay and violence that explodes at key intervals. The addition of John Qualen -- in one of the strangest roles of his career -- as a decidedly fidgety and neurotic presence in the last quarter of the story only adds to the undertone of quirkiness in this superb film noir. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide

Future TV writer/producer Don Castle heads the cast of Monogram's Perilous Waters. Most of the action takes place aboard the yacht owned by millionaire newspaper publisher Dana Ferris (Samuel Hinds Jr.) Because of his virulent crusade against gambling, Ferris has been targeted for extermination by the Mob, and Willie Hunter (Don Castle) is the hit man who's been hired to do the job. As it turns out, Hunter has more decency and scruples than Ferris' far-from-loyal wife (Gloria Holden) and chief aide (John Miljan). Taking a liking to Ferris, Hunter vows to protect the old man from the other predators in his midst. Perilous Waters is based on a short story by Leon Ware. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Boston Blackie is back and in hot pursuit of a jewel thief and killer in this mystery. The reformed thief soon tracks the thief to the domicile of a suspicious spiritualist. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

The RKO Radio backlot gets quite a workout in the peppy "B" comedy-mystery Fugitives for a Night. When movie executive Maurice Tenwright (Russell Hicks) is murdered, the prime suspect is would-be actor Matt Ryan (Frank Albertson). As stooge and "gopher" for arrogant rising star Poole (Bradley Page), Matt is a ready-made fall guy, much to the chagrin of the only person who truly cares for him, studio publicist Ann Wray (Eleanor Lynn). With the cops hot on their trail, Matt and Ann run off into the night, spending the rest of the film as the titular fugitives. Only when Ann convinces Matt to stop living in Poole's shadow and to stand on his own two feet does he gather up the gumption to solve the murder. Fugitives for a Night was the first of many RKO Radio assignments for celebrated screenwriter Dalton Trumbo. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

John Howard stars as Dr. Paul Martin, intent upon instituting sweeping medical reforms in his community. He is opposed in this by the corrupt political machine headed by Pete Lindsey (Edward Ellis). Thanks to Lindsey's chicanery, the town is a hotbed of health hazards, and no one but Martin has the power or fortitude to do something about it. A fortuitous last-minute confession signed by a dying "machine" judge enables Martin to triumph over his enemies. As a bonus, our hero is able to stem an outbreak of infantile paralysis -- and to win the hand of winsome heroine Judith Marshall (Nan Grey), the daughter of a man destroyed by Lindsey's crooked regime. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide