Don Castle Movies

Of the many filmed versions of the October 26, 1881, O.K. Corral shootout in Tombstone, Arizona, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral was one of the most elaborate and star-studded. Burt Lancaster plays Wyatt Earp, the renowned lawman, while Kirk Douglas is consumptive gambler (and gunfighter) Doc Holliday -- the two meet in difficult circumstances, as Earp discovers that Holiday, for whom he initially feels little but loathing, is being held on a trumped up murder charge and being set up for a lynching, and intercedes on his behalf. The action shifts to Dodge City, Kansas, where Earp is marshal and Holiday, hardly grateful for the good turn, shows up right in the middle of all kinds of trouble, this time mostly on Earp's side of the ledger. And, finally, the two turn up in Tombstone, Arizona, where Wyatt's brother Virgil is city marshal, and where Wyatt finally gets to confront the Clanton/McLowery outlaw gang (led by Lyle Bettger as Ike Clanton). Since the time-span of the actual gunfight was at most 90 seconds, the bulk of the film concerns the tensions across many months leading up to the famous battle. As scripted by Leon Uris (from a magazine story by George Scullin), the story involves two unrelated but parallel plot-lines -- a long-standing vendetta against Holliday and the efforts of Earp to bring the Clanton/McLowery gang to justice -- that are eventually drawn together on the streets of Tombstone. Woven into these proceedings are Earp's and Holliday's romantic dalliances with lady gambler Laura Denbow (Rhonda Fleming) and Kate Fisher (Jo Van Fleet), whose switch in affections from Holiday to outlaw fast-gun Johnny Ringo (John Ireland) only rachets up gambler's rage and the reasons behind the bloody climax. There are plenty of bribery attempts, terse dialogue exchanges and "Mexican standoffs" before the inevitable gunfight takes place. Director John Sturges takes some dramatic license with this confrontation, as well, stretching things out to nearly six minutes, but this is after all an "A" production, and a minute-and-a-half of gunfire just wouldn't cut it. The huge cast of western veterans includes Earl Holliman as Charles Bassett, Dennis Hopper as Billy Clanton, Kenneth Tobey as Bat Masterson, Lee Van Cleef as Ed Bailey, Jack Elam as Tom McLowery, and John Hudson, DeForest Kelley and Martin Milner as Virgil, Morgan, and James Earp, respectively. And there's that Dimitri Tiomkin score, pushing the movie's momentum as relentlessly as the two driven heroes, complete with a song (sung by Frankie Laine) underscoring the major transitions of scenes that's impossible to forget, once heard. Sturges himself would produce and direct a more fact-based and realistic version of the story -- focusing mostly on its aftermath -- a decade later, entitled Hour of the Gun, starring James Garner, Jason Robards, Jr., and Robert Ryan, which wasn't nearly as attractive or successful. But after Gunfight At The OK Corral, there would not be so impressive a lineup of talent at the OK Corral again until the twin Earp biopics of 1994, Wyatt Earp and Tombstone.
~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Stampede is a choice example of the Lesley Selander B-plus westerns of the late 1940s/early 1950s. Rod Cameron and Don Castle star as feuding brothers who own separate cattle ranches. The siblings find themselves on opposite sides of a water-rights battle, in which settlers are being deprived water by a gang of clever criminals. The war turns ugly before the film is over, resulting in the destructive stampede promised by the title. Despite poor reviews from big-city critics, this stacks up favorably against the more costly big-studio westerns of the era. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Producer Hal Roach's postwar attempt to create a new bunch of "Our Gang" kids resulted in two misfire Cinecolor comedies, the second of which was Who Killed Doc Robbin. Heading this unappealing new crop of youngsters is Jackie Cooper lookalike Larry Olsen as Curley, who enters the story when sinister scientist Doc Robbin (George Zucco) disappears after a lab explosion as is presumed murdered. The most likely suspect is kindly old Dan (Whitford Kane), and Curley and his pals intend to prove Dan's innocence. To do this, they must snoop around Robbin's spooky old house, leading to a series of "fright" gags that were old when Harold Lloyd did them back in 1921. In the tradition of the earlier Our Gang comedies, Who Killed Doc Robbin features a pair of black kids, one of whom is Renee Beard, the brother of 1930s Our Gang favorite Matthew "Stymie" Beard. Originally released in tandem with the Hal Roach streamliner Here Comes Trouble, Who Killed 'Doc' Robbin was later combined with its predecessor Curley (1948) into a single feature titled Curley and His Gang in the Haunted Mansion. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Wildcatters in search of a gusher during the late 1920s provide the basis of this comedy-drama that centers on a rambunctious trio of men. When not drinking and fighting, the three are enthusiastically drilling for black gold. The trouble begins when one of the wildcatters grows dissatisfied with their lifestyle and quits so he can be with his new wife. Unfortunately for him, soon after he leaves, the other two find their gusher and become filthy rich. The impoverished quitter, is envious and begins looking for an obscure law that will force his pals to share. His wife is disgusted by his greed and takes off until he settles down. In the end, the fellow does come around and ends up helping another hopeful group of independent drillers. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

One of the last efforts from Sol M. Wurtzel's "B" unit at 20th Century-Fox, The Invisible Wall details the trials and tribulations of gambler Harry Lane (Don Castle). Told in flashback, the film recounts how Lane managed to lose nearly $10,000 entrusted to him by bookmaker Marty Floyd (Edward Keane). Hoping to recoup his losses by investing in a "sure thing," poor Lane ended up accused of murder. He is cleared when it is revealed that the victim was no victim after all. The picaresque plotline takes the hero from Los Angeles to Vegas to Denver to St. Louis, courtesy of the 20th Century-Fox back lot. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Second-echelon leading man Don Castle (later a TV producer) stars in yet another Sol M. Wurtzel production, Roses Are Red. Kidnapped by political boss Locke (Edward Keane), honest district attorney Throne (Castle) is replaced by his less-than-honest look-alike. Even the DA's intimates are fooled by the substitution, which is only one of the many hard-to-believe contrivances of Irving Elman's screenplay. Before the film's 65 minutes have expended themselves, the real DA escapes -- then pretends to be his look-alike so that he can catch Locke at his own game. Incredibly, the film's two leading ladies -- Peggy Knudsen and Patricia Knight -- more closely resemble one another than the two Don Castles! ~ Hal Erickson, 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

In this murder mystery, a man goes into a bar and begins telling his story to the bartender. His tale is depicted in flashback. It all began while he was romancing a young woman. The trouble began when her twin sister was killed and stuffed into an incinerator. The three prime suspects were the girl's boyfriend, a spurned lover, and the storyteller. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

The winner of four Oscar nominations, Wake Island was one of the first major Hollywood films to deal with America's forced participation in World War II. The first two reels takes place in the weeks prior to Pearl Harbor, as Wake Island military commander Brian Donlevy carries on a friendly rivalry with Seabee supervisor Albert Dekker. Once the US is in the shooting war, all previous differences are forgotten and the Wake Island personnel begin pulling together. Despite being heavily outnumbered during the subsequent Japanese attack on Wake, the Americans put up a valiant fight, at great cost to the Imperial Forces. In a scene calculated to evoke long, loud cheers from the audience, Donlevy, weary and battle-stained, relays to the American mainland the legendary (if offensive) challenge "Send us more Japs!" As in the like-vintage Bataan, the military defeat of the Americans is treated-and justifiably so--as a moral victory. Utilizing some of the top male talents in Paramount's contract pool-Donlevy, Dekker Robert Preston, MacDonald Carey, William Bendix--Wake Island remains an excellent example of propaganda-as-entertainment ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A producer devises an elaborate gala premiere for his latest anti-Nazi propaganda epic, The Earth in Flames. It is slated to open in Washington, D.C. and he has his press agents working overtime to produce an enormous hoopla of secrecy and publicity stunts. They come up with the plan of hiring a trio of "spies" who are to send disturbing threats just before the showing to put the audience on edge. Unfortunately, three real agents are trying to exchange the print of the new film with a pro-Nazi propaganda film. These fellows try hard, but they prove to be bungling idiots of espionage and their botched attempts provide most of the fun. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Bandleader Orrin Tucker and his featured vocalist "Wee" Bonnie Baker are the stars of the Paramount pocket musical You're the One. It all begins when showbiz agent Joe Frink (Edward Everett Horton) tries to get Baker a singing job with baton-wielder Luke Laramie (Albert Dekker). Part of the scheme involves a trip to a screwy health spa, managed by the even screwier Dr. Colonna (Jerry Colonna, of course) As everyone in the audience had figured out in Reel One, Bonnie ends up singing with the Tucker aggregation, while Frink and Laramie stew on the sidelines. Among the musical highlights in You're the Oneis Bonnie Baker's signature tune, "Oh, Johnnie, Oh." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Hey, gang! Let's put on a swell show and call it Strike Up the Band! Yes, it's the irrepressible Mickey Rooney, teamed up again with Judy Garland to show the grownups how to do things right. This time, Rooney wants to organize a high-school band. He hopes to enter a competition being held in Chicago by the great orchestra leader Paul Whiteman; all he needs is two hundred dollars for train fare. To raise the money, Rooney, Garland and company stage a student "mellerdrammer" that in real life would have cost the equivalent of a third-world-nation annual budget. They get the dough, but soft-hearted Rooney turns over the money to the mother of student musician Larry Nunn, who is in desperate need of emergency surgery. It looks hopeless until, luck of luck, Paul Whiteman arrives in Rooney's town. The original George and Ira Gershwin Broadway musical Strike Up the Band was a satire of warfare, with America declaring war on Switzerland in order to corner the chocolate industry. You'll see none of that subversive stuff in this MGM musical; instead, we are treated to such highlights as a George Pal animated sequence involving dancing fruit. It ain't profound, but Strike Up the Band is sure entertaining. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide