Rudolph Anders Movies
Born in Germany, Anders was billed under his given name of Rudolph Amendt when he made his American screen bow in Stamboul Quest (1934). He became "Robert O. Davis" for such roles as Franz Joseph in Champagne Waltz (1937) and "His Excellency" in the 1941 serial King of the Texas Rangers. During the war years, when character actors with Germanic names became bankable commodities, he settled upon "Rudolph Anders," and remained so until his retirement in 1964. Anders flourished in sinister roles, often playing Nazis or communist spies. In the early 1950s, he was seen as Teutonic scientists in the sci-fiers Phantom from Space (1953) and The Snow Creature (1954). And on TV, he played Dr. Von Meter on the kiddie serial Space Patrol. Rudolph Anders was back at work for Der Fatherland as a Nazi doctor in his final film, 36 Hours (1964). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In 1950, Maj. Jefferson Pike (James Garner), an Army intelligence agent who served with distinction in World War II, awakens in a hospital with severe amnesia. He isn't sure where he is, how he got there, or even who the woman at his side is, even though the doctor tells him that her name is Anna (Eva Marie Saint) and that she is his wife. The doctor instructs Pike to recall, in as much detail as possible, what he was doing before the accident that caused his traumatic memory loss. But the doctor isn't a doctor, Anna isn't Pike's wife, it isn't 1950, and he isn't in an American hospital. World War II is still very much in progress, and Pike is being duped in an elaborate scheme prepared by Maj. Walter Gerber (Rod Taylor), a German intelligence agent. Gerber is trying to trick a drugged and suggestible Pike into telling him everything he knows, as the injured soldier lies in a Bavarian military hospital after being taken prisoner. Will Pike be able to see through the cracks in Gerber's facade before he spills the beans that could mean death and defeat for American soldiers? 36 Hours was later remade for TV under the title Breaking Point. TV fans will want to keep an eye peeled for bit parts by James Doohan from Star Trek and John Banner from Hogan's Heroes. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Garner, Eva Marie Saint, (more)
- 1963
Based on the novel by Irving Wallace, The Prize takes place in Stockholm, where several laureates gather to accept their Nobel Prizes. At first, the film concentrates on iconoclastic novelist Paul Newman, but he is temporarily shunted to the background when physics expert Edward G. Robinson is kidnaped and replaced by his wicked twin brother. The real Robinson is to be spirited behind the Iron Curtain, while the "fake" Robinson is to disrupt the awards ceremony with an anti-American tirade. Newman gets wind of the plot, and with the help of Swedish foreign office functionary Elke Sommer, he endeavors to rescue the real Robinson and expose the phony-who has yet another trick up his sleeve before the film is over. We'll go along with the fantastic plot convolutions of The Prize, provided we don't have to swallow the premise of another man's voice emanating from that familiar Eddie Robinson mug. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Newman, Edward G. Robinson, (more)
- 1962
A little bird tells on the U.S. Army during WWII in this farcical comedy. In 1944, during the last stages of the war in Europe, American officers Capt. Paul MacDougall (Charlton Heston) and Sgt. Joseph Contini (Harry Guardino) are sent to Italy to act as spies for the Allies, even though they have no experience in espionage. Working with Partisan resistance solider Ciccio Massimo (Salvatore Baccaloni), MacDougall and Contini send regular reports to their superiors by carrier pigeon. Contini also finds himself falling in love with Massimo's pregnant daughter Rosalba (Gabriella Pallotta), while her sister Antonella (Elsa Martinelli) has her eye on MacDougall. Contini proposes to Rosalba, and Ciccio prepares a feast to celebrate his daughter's upcoming wedding. However, Ciccio prepares squab for the occasion, killing all but one of the carrier pigeons. Ciccio scrambles to replace them, but the new pigeons he finds are German, and they deliver MacDougall and Contini's messages directly into enemy hands. The Pigeon That Took Rome's art direction earned the film an Academy Award nomination. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charlton Heston, Elsa Martinelli, (more)
- 1961
Danny Kaye headlines this lively WW II-era comedy. He plays a foot soldier who with his fellow troop is preparing for D-day. Trouble begins when he is caught pretending to be the most important generals in England, a man he closely resembles. The two look so much alike that military intelligence assign him to keep on impersonating the general so as to keep the Nazis on their toes. He is good at his job and fools many of the general's staff. He does not, however, fool the general's estranged wife. Still in order to protect her country, she goes along with the ruse. Things get really sticky when the real general is killed and Army intelligence asks Kaye to continue with the deception. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Danny Kaye, Dana Wynter, (more)
- 1960
In this lighthearted episode, timid Viennese postman Josef (Rudolph Anders) is pining over pretty coffee house waitress Elsa (Vanessa Brown), who in turns feels much the same affection towards Josef. Alas, the lovers are repeatedly kept apart, no matter how much they yearn to be together. Is it a disapproving relative or a jilted suitor who wants to sabotage this romance. No, the "villain" is a curmudgeonly poltergeist--a restless ghost who is particularly troublesome because he's unaware that he is a ghost. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1960
Three explorers are hopelessly lost in the desert, their water supply all but depleted. Suddenly, a young man calling himself Eric Borgner (Jeremy Slates) appears out of nowhere, offering to guide the explorers to safety. Sadly, though the three men survive their ordeal, Eric does not. Years later, one of the explorers pays a visit to Eric's parents, to offer condolences and thank them for their son's help. But Mr. and Mrs. Borgner have quite a surprise for the nonplussed survivor. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1959
A trio of energetic young men try to put on a good show for their Army camp, in this lightweight comedy by Raoul Walsh. Luigi (Sal Mineo just risen to stardom), Jerry (Berry Coe), and Mike (Gary Crosby) are in boot camp when they are presented with a chance to represent their unit in competition on a national television show. The three guys are up to the challenge, which begins a chain of unusual circumstances that not only have them singing and dancing at the proper times, but also running into a trio of alluring young women (Barbara Eden, Terry Moore, and Christine Carere). Then there is that little mix-up when the Assistant Secretary of War mistakenly marries herself off to a doped-up Private Jerry, all for a good cause. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sal Mineo, Christine Carère, (more)
- 1958
This is one of the more off-beat entries into the Frankenstein sub-genre, in that it features the original Creature, Boris Karloff (who really hams it up) playing the disfigured grandson of the famed mad baron in a style that combines gothic horror with the awe and fear created by the newly dawned atomic age. The story begins in the title year and finds Victor the III living in the ancestral castle and strapped for the cash he needs to resurrect his grandfather's experiments. He needs a fortune because this time he wants to use atomic power to bring the monster to life. To scare up the needed cash, he lets a television crew come to his famous digs to shoot a show. He ends up getting a lot more than money from the cast and crew and eventually he succeeds in creating a brand-new Creature. Unfortunately, the monster proves to be as volatile as his predecessors, and tragedy for both master and creature ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Boris Karloff, Tom Duggan, (more)
Irish McCalla, the statuesque heroine of TV's Sheena Queen of the Jungle, heads the cast of She Demons. Shipwrecked on a volcanic island, spoiled heiress Jerrie Turner (McCalla) and explorers Fred (Tod Griffin) and Sammy (Victor Sen Yung) fall into the clutches of unreconstructed Nazi scientist Osler (Rudolph Anders). Experimenting exclusively on beautiful, busty women, Osler hopes to create a race of super-persons, infusing his subjects with a powerful element known only as Character X. Fred and Sammy race against time to save Jerrie from becoming another of Osler's hideously mutated victims. She Demons is another triumph from director Richard Cunha, whose science-fiction quickies of the 1950s are among the worst films ever made. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Irish McCalla, Tod Griffin, (more)
- 1956
Suffering stoically from the realization that her husband is unfaithful, wealthy Irene Cole (Leora Dana) is ardently courted by two different men during her vacation. One of the suitors is a gentleman named Randall Burnside (Ralph Clanton); the other is a royal prince named Burhan (Jacques Bergerac). The latter claims to be so smitten by Irene that he threatens to kill himself if she doesn't leave her husband for his sake. Shortly thereafter, the prince turns up dead -- and the story goes off on a wholly unexpected new tangent. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1954
The Bowery Boys go to Africa in this entry in the long-running series. They embark upon their adventure after they discover that one of them has the ability to smell diamonds. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1954
Cub reporter Jimmy Olsen (Jack Larson) is lured to a sinister-looking house, where he is confronted by all manner of paranormal phenomena, seemingly orchestrated by a mysterious Lady in Black. But when Jimmy reports his experiences to fellow reporter Clark Kent (George Reeves), he is unable to prove anything. Before long, Clark--or rather, his alter ego Superman--has figured out that someone is trying to discredit Jimmy, the better to cover up a widespread smuggling operation. Virginia Christine, better known to TV addicts as kindly coffee-commercial spokeswoman Mrs. Olson, offers a rather surprising characterization in this episode. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1954
This second film version of Lloyd C. Douglas' spiritual novel Magnificent Obsession is in its own way as successful as the first (filmed in 1935) in glossing over the plot holes and logic gaps in the original novel. Rock Hudson plays Bob Merrick, a reckless playboy who is indirectly responsible for the death of a kindly and much-beloved doctor. The dead man's wife, Helen Phillips (Jane Wyman), refuses to accept Bob's apologies. When Helen is accidentally blinded, Bob decides to "do right" by her anonymously, illustrating author Douglas' curious edict that the best sort of good deed is the one for which you're not rewarded. In record time, Bob becomes a brilliant physician, and it is he who performs the sight-restoring surgery on Helen. Rather than fade into the woodwork unheralded, Bob is at last forgiven by Helen, who has fallen in love with him during her sightless months without even knowing it. Luxuriously produced by Ross Hunter and directed con brio by Douglas Sirk, Magnificent Obsession was one of the most successful of Universal's big-budget "weepers" of the 1950s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jane Wyman, Rock Hudson, (more)
- 1954
Roundly panned when it was first released, this CinemaScope film version of Sir Walter Scott's The Talisman can now be enjoyed on a "high camp" level. George Sanders plays King Richard the Lionhearted, while his arch-foe Saladin is over-acted by Rex Harrison. One of Richard's objectives during the Crusades is to reclaim the Holy Grail from Saladin's Mohammedan hordes. On the home front, Richard must contend with a group of conspirators dedicated to toppling him from his throne. In the middle of all this is the fictional Lady Edith,a British noblewoman played by Virginia Mayo in a manner that can best be described as overbaked. It is Ms. Mayo who delivers the film's classic line "Oh, fight, fight, fight! That's all you ever think of, Dickie Plantagenet!" In his American film debut, Laurence Harvey is as hammy as the rest of the cast as Sir Kenneth, Richard's right-hand man. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rex Harrison, Virginia Mayo, (more)
One of several sci-fi/fantasy efforts produced and directed by W. Lee Wilder, the film's only drawback is the inconsistency of the Colorama color process. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Langton, Leslie Denison, (more)
Considering its cast, it's surprising that Captain Scarface isn't better known. Filmed during the waning days of the 1950s "Red Scare", the story concerns a group of enemy agents (read: Communists), who plan to blow up the Panama Canal. The spies abduct a brilliant atomic scientist and force him to travel by tramp steamer to their South American headquarters. But the villain's haven't reckoned with Barton MacLane, the ship's captain-who may not be the most honest of men, but he's certainly no turncoat. Supporting MacLane are such reliable veterans as Virginia Grey, Peter Coe, Rudolph Anders, Howard Wendell and Leif Erickson. Barely seen upon its initial release, Captain Scarface enjoyed a healthy second life on TV. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Barton MacLane
Phantom from Space is a far better film than its lurid title and skintight budget would indicate. The scene is Santa Monica, where the community is plagued by what seems to be a serial killer. Thanks to a pre-credits sequence, the audience knows that the murderer is a visitor from outer space, who becomes invisible upon shedding his spacesuit. Government agent Hazen (Ted Cooper) teams with LAPD lieutenant Bowers (Harry Landers) to track down the extraterrestrial fugitive. It gradually develops that the space man is not a predator, merely a very frightened and defensive individual, but by the time this realization is made, it's too late for him. Efficiently directed by W. Lee Wilder (Billy's brother), Phantom from Space boasts some very impressive special effects for a film of its type, courtesy of special-effects technician Alex Welden and optical effects specialist Howard Anderson. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ted Cooper, Rudolph Anders, (more)
Burt Lancaster and Virginia Mayo, the stars of 1950's Flame and the Arrow, are reteamed in the lusty adventure romp South Sea Woman. It all begins at the military trial of Marine sergeant O'Hearn (Burt Lancaster), facing a court-martial for desertion. In flashback, O'Hearn recalls how he was stranded in Shanghai while trying to break up the impending marriage between his pal David White (Chuck Connors) and brassy nightclub photographer Ginger Martin (Virginia Mayo). The two marines try to make it back to Pearl Harbor, but they undergo several hair-raising adventures along the way, including a sticky involvement with a group of French resistance fighters. The upshot of all this is that O'Hearn arrives in Pearl after the Japanese attack, and as such is branded as a coward. It is up to Ginger Martin to provide the evidence that will clear our hero -- but she isn't too fond of O'Hearn at the moment. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Burt Lancaster, Virginia Mayo, (more)
- 1952
A valuable supply of radium is stolen from the United States Medical Corps in Germany. The authorities think they've got the culprit dead to rights--but he has an airtight alibi. It is up to Superman (George Reeves) to figure out that the radium was swiped by a clever pair of twins (both played by Howland Chamberlain)--simply knowing this does not wrap up the case. In addition to a cameo appearance by future Mickey Mouse Club host Jimmy Dodd, this episode also boasts the spectacle of ubiquitious Superman bit player Stephen Carr) (the brother of director Thomas Carr) cavorting about in drag! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1952
At least half of the two-part Actors and Sin is well worth having. Part One, "Actor's Blood", is based on a Ben Hecht tale of theatrical intrigue. Edward G. Robinson plays a Barrymoresque Shakespearean actor whose obsessive control of the life and career of his actress-daughter Marsha Hunt results in disaster. Part Two, "Woman of Sin", is another Ben Hecht yarn, this one satirical in nature. Eddie Albert stars as a Hollywood agent who'd sell his Grandmother to represent the author of a sensationally sexy screenplay titled, yes, Woman of Sin. Much to Albert's surprise (but not ours), the author turns out to be a precocious 9-year-old girl, played by Hecht's own daughter Jenny. Of the two playlets, "Actor's Blood", though ripely melodramatic, scores best in the acting department. "Woman of Sin" is too arch and smug to be consistently funny, while Jenny Hecht is perhaps the greatest argument against nepotism in film history. Ostensibly directed by Ben Hecht (who also produced), Actors and Sin was largely helmed by cinematographer Lee Garmes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edward G. Robinson, Marsha Hunt, (more)
- 1950
Kill or be Killed is a leisurely crime caper, largely filmed in Mexico. Playing a sympathetic role for a change, Lawrence Tierney stars as Robert Warren, a tough but honest lug who is framed on a murder charge. Hiding out at a jungle plantation, Warren falls in love with Maria (Marissa O'Brien), the wife of plantation owner Marek (Rudolph Anders). Luck of luck, Marek and his partner Sloma (George Coulouris) are inextricably linked with the murder for which Warren is being pursued. The last two reels make up in excitement what they lack in credibility. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lawrence Tierney, George Coulouris, (more)
- 1949
An unusually disturbing noir from a director better known for more mainstream fare like High Noon and From Here to Eternity, Act of Violence focuses on a WWII veteran haunted by his past. A film that was close to the director's heart, he said that it represented "the first time that I felt confident that I knew what I was doing and why I was doing it." Van Heflin stars as Frank Enley, a contractor living a peaceful life in a small California town, when Joe Parkson, a man who served in the army with him, arrives in the area, intent on killing him. He follows Frank to a lake where he's fishing but is unable to kill him. When a lakeside bartender tells Frank that a man with a limp is looking for him, Frank is frightened, realizing why he has come. He tells his wife, Edith (Janet Leigh), that Joe is a man who spent time with in a Nazi POW camp, who is now mentally ill, and that he intends to avoid him. When Frank goes to Los Angeles for a business convention, Joe arrives at his house and tells his wife that her husband is responsible for his injury and for the deaths of a number of men. Fearing for her husband's life, Edith heads for L.A. with Joe not far behind. ~ Michael Costello, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Van Heflin, Robert Ryan, (more)
- 1946
In this mystery, a millionaire shipping tycoon commands that eight of his relatives come to his Chinese mountain retreat upon his death. There each will be entitled to an equal share of his fortune. He dies, and the eight go to China. Trouble ensues in the remote cabin when two relatives are murdered. More murder attempts soon follow before the survivors learn the surprising truth. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kent Taylor, Dona Drake, (more)
- 1946
Republic's Under Nevada Skies blends equal parts music and action, resulting in a treat for fans of both. Roy Rogers stars as a wandering cavalier in search of valuable pitchblende deposits. Assisting Roy in his quest is "Queen of the West" Dale Evans and grizzled, dentally challenged Gabby Hayes. In this one, the Indians are the "good guys," chasing down a band of outlaws who've stolen a crucial map. Under Nevada Skies was the last collaboration between star Roy Rogers and director Frank McDonald; thereafter, the man in charge of the Rogers unit was actionmeister William Witney. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roy Rogers
- 1946
An unusually elaborate film from the bargain-basement PRC studios, Her Sister's Secret is set in New Orleans at Mardi Gras time. The "secret" involves an illegitimate child. Nancy Coleman is impregnated by a soldier on leave, and when she fears that he'll never return, she persuades her married sister (Margaret Lindsay) to raise the child. The better-than-usual cast includes Phillip Reed as the soldier, along with Regis Toomey, Felix Bressart and Henry Stephenson. Her Sister's Secret was the sort of B-plus fare that PRC would specialize in when it reorganized in 1947 and changed its name to Eagle-Lion. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nancy Coleman, Margaret Lindsay, (more)
