Ricardo Cortez Movies
Though his professional name was suggestive of a Latin Lover type, actor Ricardo Cortez was actually an Austrian Jew, born Jacob Krantz. He arrived in Hollywood in 1922, at a time when the Rudolph Valentino craze was at its height. Producers liked the darkly handsome Jacob Krantz but felt that neither his name nor his heritage would do for publicity purposes: thus he became Ricardo Cortez, and his birthplace shifted to Spain. Despite the fact that his roles called upon his looks more than his talent, Cortez wanted to learn to act, and to that end signed on for the 1926 film The Sorrows of Satan, directed by the legendary D. W. Griffith. But Griffith was going through a career downer, and the disappointed Cortez left the film knowing little more about acting than he had when shooting started. Nonetheless, Cortez was a popular star, so much so that he was billed above up-and-coming Greta Garbo in The Torrent, her first American picture. When sound pictures came in, Cortez' studio dragged its feet with indecision as to whether or not the actor's voice would record adequately. Cortez took matters in his own hands by starring in a cheap independent melodrama titled Phantom in the House (1929). The picture was terrible, but at least Cortez proved he could talk. On top again in the early '30s, Cortez shed his "second string Valentino" image to play wisecracking urban types, including Sam Spade in the 1931 version of The Maltese Falcon. Relegated to second leads and villains by the late '30s, Cortez decided to give directing a try, acquitting himself nicely with 1939's Heaven with a Barbed Wire Fence. Eventually Cortez lost interest in Hollywood (and vice versa), choosing instead to dabble in the stock market. Though he still took the occasional film part, by the '50s Cortez was better known for his activities as a member of one of Wall Street's top brokerage firms. Not the only showbiz professional in the Krantz family, Ricardo Cortez was the older brother of cinematographer Stanley Cortez (The Magnificent Ambersons [1942]). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1972
A video about our changing concepts of romantic love and beauty. Through art, we trace the changes from the beginnings of courtly love to love in a time of equality. The tape is from the "Eye to Eye" series. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1960
Little Joe and Hoss set out for Monterey, CA, bearing the cash with which they intend to purchase a prize bull for their father Ben. En route, they are ambushed by bandits. But this is hardly the end of their troubles, as the two brothers also contend with a youthful thief, a pack of starving Indians, and a strange woman named Cayetena (Barbara Luna). Veteran actor/director Ricardo Cortez appears as Don Xavier. First shown on January 2, 1960, "El Toro Grande" was written by John Tucker Battle. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, (more)
Spencer Tracy stars in John Ford's sentimental adaptation of Edwin O'Connor's novel about the final campaign of a big city mayor, loosely based upon the life of Boston politician James Curley. Tracy is Frank Skeffington, the political boss of an Eastern city dominated by Irish-Americans. Skeffington tries to assist the people of the city and avoids cutting political deals with the power elite. But despite his concern for the people, Skeffington has no friends, just flunkies. The Mayor is greatly admired by his idealistic nephew Adam Caulfield (Jeffrey Hunter), who writes for an opposition newspaper run by Amos Force (John Carradine). When Skeffington needs money for a loan, he asks the powerful banker Norman Cass (Basil Rathbone), but Cass steadfastly refuses. In retaliation, Skeffington appoints Cass's retarded son as an interim fire commissioner. To prevent his son from disgracing the family, Cass agrees to the bank loan. But Cass uses his deep pockets to finance the opposition's candidate for mayor. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Spencer Tracy, Jeffrey Hunter, (more)
- 1950
RKO's Bunco Squad stars Robert Sterling as Sgt. Steve Johnson, a big-city detective dedicated to tracking down con artists. His current target is a gang of slicksters who are running a successful seance racket. Wealthy Jessica Royce (Elizabeth Risdon) is on the verge of bequeathing her fortune to the crooks, in exchange for communications from her deceased son. Posing as a couple of "marks," Johnson and girlfriend Grace Bradshaw (Joan Dixon) turn the tables on con-man Anthony Wells (Ricardo Cortez) and his confreres. On hand to reveal some of the techniques used by bunco artists is Dante the Magician, aka Harry A. Janssen, making the second of his two screen appearances (the first was in Laurel & Hardy's A-Haunting We Will Go). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Sterling, Joan Dixon, (more)
- 1948
Much of Mystery in Mexico was filmed on location through the facilities of RKO Radio's Churubusco Studios. William Lundigan plays Steve an insurance investigator sent to Mexico City to ascertain the whereabouts of a missing colleague. Also concerned for the missing man's welfare is his sister, nightclub singer Victoria (Jacqueline White). A murder and a kidnapping follow in short order, with all the clues leading to a gang of elusive jewel thieves. There are plenty of Latino surnames in the cast list of Mystery in Mexico, including third-billed Ricardo Cortez (who came into the world as Jake Krantz). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Lundigan, Jacqueline White, (more)
- 1947
The all-purpose title Blackmail was again revived for this breezy Republic comedy-mystery. William Marshall (not the African American star of Blacula) plays private eye Dan Turner, assigned to shield playboy Ziggy Cranston (Ricardo Cortez) from a pair of clever blackmailers (Adele Mara, Richard Fraser). As a result of Turner's interference, the extortionists up the ante from $50,000 to three times that amount. A few murders and plot twists later, Turner emerges triumphant; still, one wonders if Cranston wouldn't have been better off handling his persecutors by himself. Originally 67 minutes, Blackmail was trimmed to 54 minutes for its earliest TV showings. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Marshall, Adele Mara, (more)
- 1946
Setting something of a record for flashbacks within flashbacks, The Locket recounts the mental disintegration of bride-to-be Laraine Day. As a child, Day was accused of stealing a locket at a fancy party. She has spent her life getting even for this false accusation by becoming a kleptomaniac and ruining the lives of those around her. She drives one man (Robert Mitchum) to suicide, and stands by as another man is executed for a murder which she has committed. Assuming her revenge on the world is complete when she becomes engaged to the son of the woman who'd accused her of thievery, Day is overtaken by the demons within her and collapses on the altar. The Locket is difficult to follow at times, especially when seen in commercialized chunks on the Late Late Show. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Laraine Day, Brian Aherne, (more)
In this mystery, a private detective is falsely accused of murder by his secretary who wants to protect her little sister who has been formally charged with the crime. The detective must solve the crime before it is too late. To do so, he gathers all the suspects at a radio student and reenacts the crime. The killer is revealed. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Adele Mara, Warren Douglas, (more)
- 1944
After several years' faithful service in supporting roles, Jack Carson was awarded his first Warner Bros. starring vehicle with 1944's Make Your Own Bed. Carson's costar is the pert Jane Wyman, with whom he'd previously been felicitously teamed in Princess O'Rourke. The nonsensical story is set in motion by wealthy industrialist Walter Whirtle (Alan Hale), who believes himself to be the target of a Nazi spy ring. Whirtle hires private detective Jerry Curtis (Carson) to protect him-intending to get full "value for money" by having Curtis double as the family butler. Coming along for the ride is Jerry's girlfriend Susan Courtney (Jane Wyman), who agrees to pose as Whirtle's maid. The problem is that Jerry and Susan are assumed to be a married couple, leading to all sorts of risque complications. Meanwhile, Whirtle's scatterbrained wife Vivian (Irene Manning) allows herself to be swept off her feet by obnoxious house guest Boris Murphy (George Tobias). After several slaptick setpieces, the plot rushes to a conclusion when the Whirtle household is invaded by those pesky Nazi spies (remember?) The film's level of humor can be ascertained by the fact that the comedy highlight occurs when practically everybody in the cast is bound and gagged. Relentlessly silly, Make Your Own Bed nonetheless served its purpose in establishing Jack Carson as a bankable leading man. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Carson, Jane Wyman, (more)
Thanks to the canny production team of Maurice and Franklin King, I Killed That Man is superior to the general run of Monogram Studio films. Ricardo Cortez stars in this whodunit, set in a prison full of suspects. A confession is made, and that seems to be that--but is it? B-picture stalwarts Joan Woodbury and Iris Adrian add a welcome dash of pulchritude to the otherwise all-male proceedings. Watch for John Hamilton, aka "Perry White" on the TV series Adventures of Superman, as a district attorney. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ricardo Cortez, Joan Woodbury, (more)
A crime lord with the ability to mesmerize and manipulate others forces an old ex-convict to do his evil bidding. When the reformed crook's daughter finds out, she starts working to save him. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1942
Hope Schuyler is a notorious but never-seen astrologer, inextricably linked with blackmail, political graft and murder. Special prosecutor Tom Mason (Joseph Allen Jr.) hopes to ascertain the true identity of Hope Schuyler and to put an end to her (or his) crime spree. Despite the obstacles thrown in his path by vindictive DA Anthony Pierce (Ricardo Cortez), Mason pursues his investigation with the not inconsiderable assistance of his girl friend Diane Rossiter (Mary Howard) and fearless girl reporter Lee Dale (Sheila Ryan). The trail of clues lead to a remote mountain lodge, where the story's pulse-pounding conclusion plays itself out. Who is Hope Schuyler? was based on a novel by Stephen Ransome. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joseph Allen, Jr., Mary Howard, (more)
- 1942
The fourth production from the enterprising King Brothers, Rubber Racketeers drew its inspiration from late-breaking headlines. When wartime rationing kicks in, rubber suddenly is at a premium, resulting in a brisk black market in bootlegged rubber tires. Patriotic defense plant worker Bill Barry (Bill Henry) rounds up his fellow workers to help stem the activities of hot-tire racketeer Gilin (Ricardo Cortez). In his American film debut, John Abbott plays a mute secondary hoodlum named Dumbo, who inability to speak neatly hides his cultured British dialect. Partially designed as a warning to "You, the Public" to avoid shady entrepreneurs like Gilin, Rubber Racketeers also succeeds as a purely as a rip-roaring actioner. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ricardo Cortez, Rochelle Hudson, (more)
- 1941
The oft-used title A Shot in the Dark was affixed in 1941 to this Warner Bros. B-picture. Much of the film takes place in the big-city nightclub owned by shady Phil Richards (Ricardo Cortez). When the prospective buyer of Richards' establishment is murdered, there's no shortage of suspects, but the cops have their money on Richards' jealous sweetheart Clare Winters (Lucia Carroll)-until she's murdered as well. Police reporter Peter Kennedy (William Lundigan) and detective Bill Ryder (Regis Toomey) put their heads together to solve the mystery, with the help (and sometimes hindrance) of pert nightclub singer Dixie Waye (Nan Wynn). A Shot in the Dark is based on a story by Frederick Nebel, creator of the "Torchy Blaine" series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Lundigan, Nan Wynn, (more)
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
- Starring:
- John Barrymore, Frances Farmer, (more)
- 1941
The Cisco Kid rides again, this time in the person of Cesar Romero. Cisco and Pancho (Chris-Pin Martin) come to the aid of proud but ageing cattle king Pedro de Cordoba. Posing as deCordoba's nephew, our hero snoops around in search of those who'd do the old man dirt. The villain turns out to be a close relative of hitherto spotless reputation. We won't reveal the ending of Romance of the Rio Grande, though we'll plant a few hints by noting that the cast includes Patricia Morison, Ricardo Cortez, Trevor Bardette and Tom London. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cesar Romero, Patricia Morison, (more)
- 1940
Murder Over New York finds Honolulu-based detective Charlie Chan (Sidney Toler) arriving in the Big Apple for a policeman's convention. No sooner has he arrived than Charlie is up to his neck in a murder mystery. This time the killing is tied in with a gang of enemy saboteurs, bent upon scuttling the test flight of a revolutionary new bomber plane. With the "help" of willing but inept Number Two Son (Victor Sen Yung), Charlie wades through a sea of suspects to finger the genuine killer. Among the film's highlights is a very funny "line-up" bit by an uncredited Shemp Howard; its low point is a lamentable stretch of racist humor involving black actor Clarence Muse. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sidney Toler, Marjorie Weaver, (more)
- 1940
The Girl in 313 is undercover police detective Joan Matthews (Florence Rice), who infiltrates a gang of jewel thieves. It is Joan's goal to unmask the leader of the gang, who is presently hiding behind a veneer of respectability. Piecing the clues together, she discovers that the crooks are in cahoots with a shady insurance company. Things look pretty bleak for Joan when her ruse is discovered, but she is rescued by Greg Dunn (Kent Taylor), the handsomest of the thieves, who has fallen in love with her. It took three writers to put together this 56-minute quickie. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Florence Rice, Kent Taylor, (more)
- 1940
Former Latin Lover Ricardo Cortez directed this farfetched but fast-paced gambling melodrama in which girl reporter Julie Reynolds (Lynn Bari) attempts to infiltrate a crooked gaming establishment by pretending to be a naïve girl from Texas. Julie's plans go awry, however, when one of the owners, Steve Walker (Donald Woods), recognizes her as his childhood sweetheart. Although Steve's mentor, The Judge (C. Aubrey Smith), warns him of the consequences, the young man insists on resuming his relationship with Julie, a decision that almost costs him his life when rival gangster Marty Connors (Richard Lane) decides to move in on the operation. But Steve and Julie pull a fast one on Marty and The Judge skips the City of Chance on a floating casino. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lynn Bari, C. Aubrey Smith, (more)
- 1940
Free, Blonde and 21 was one of a handful of films directed by former leading man Ricardo Cortez. Two of 20th Century-Fox's busiest leading ladies, Mary Beth Hughes and Lynn Bari, head the cast of this soap opera-style yarn about life in a hotel catering to women. Hughes plays Jerry, a duplicitious wench who gets involved with gangsters ends up behind bars, while Bari plays Carol, an honest lass who is rewarded at fadeout time with a happy marriage to millionaire Dr. Mayberry (Henry Wilcoxon). Joan Davis injects a few moments of hilarity as the hotel chambermaid, while Alan Baxter is his usual steely-eyed self as a stickup man. For its original New York run, Free, Blonde and 21 was paired with Fox's The Grapes of Wrath, leading several reviewers to note that both films would have been better off with a single-feature presentation. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lynn Bari, Mary Beth Hughes, (more)
Japanese detective Mr. Moto finds himself hip-deep in international espionage in this adventure tale. In Port Said, a pair of rogues -- French-born Fabian (Ricardo Cortez) and Englishman Norvel (George Sanders) -- are working for a nameless foreign government and devise a scheme to sabotage French ships passing through the Suez Canal. The criminals plan to leave false clues implicating British agents in hopes of sparking a war between the two nations. Mr. Moto (Peter Lorre), posing as a local shopkeeper after faking his own death to avoid suspicion, is assigned to stop them before any lives (or vessels) can be lost. John Carradine and Virginia Field also appear in this, the sixth of eight films that would feature Peter Lorre as Mr. Moto. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Lorre, Ricardo Cortez, (more)
- 1939
In his feature film debut, Glenn Ford plays a department-store clerk who saves up enough money to buy a small patch of land in Arizona. Unable to afford a car, Ford hitchhikes to his new home, and along the way teams up with a transient (Richard Conte) and an illegal alien (Jean Rogers). The girl is torn between both men, but ultimately opts for the clerk. To save the girl from deportation, the clerk marries her, and together they make a new life for themselves in his tiny Arizona homestead. Adapted from a story by Dalton Trumbo, Heaven with a Barbed Wire Fence was directed by former silent film star Ricardo Cortez. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean Rogers, Raymond Walburn, (more)
- 1939
In this heartwarming drama, a good-hearted reporter attempts to find the loneliest woman in New York so he can give her an old-fashioned Christmas on a farm. He meets a woman whom he thinks is a stenographer. In reality she is a hard-bitten nightclub owner with no Christmas spirit at all. By surrounding her with the warmth of a big family Yule, the reporter begins to wear down her crusty walls and get her into the spirit. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Whalen, Jean Rogers, (more)
- 1939
Sidney Toler made his second appearance as oriental sleuth Charlie Chan in the above-average Charlie Chan in Reno. It all begins when nervous young Mary Whitman (Pauline Moore) shows up in Reno to seek a divorce from husband Curtis Whitman (Kane Richmond). Before long, Jeanne Bentley (Louise Henry), another divorce-seeker, is found slain, and the police are certain that Mary, or her estranged husband, is responsible. It so happens that the Whitmans are from Honolulu, the stamping grounds of Charlie Chan, which is why our wily hero shows up in Nevada with son Jimmy (Victor Sen Yung) in tow. Every so often, the mystery slows down long enough for an amusing battle of wits between Chan and local sheriff Fletcher (Slim Summerville), who admittedly has only half the necessary ammunition. The billing order of the supporting cast is as usual a giveaway of the true killer's identity, but this doesn't lessen the enjoyment of this well-crafted programmer. Charlie Chan in Reno was based on Death Makes a Decree, a story by Philip Wylie. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sidney Toler, Ricardo Cortez, (more)
- 1939
Trouble follows an American photojournalist in Paris when he meets an exotic woman in Marseille. Initially he had come to France to chronicle an Arab rebellion masterminded by a jewel thief who was supposed to have died. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Preston S. Foster, Lynn Bari, (more)
