Owen Francis Movies
This Pine-Thomas Production was scripted by Geoffrey Homes (aka Daniel Mainwaring), best known as the author of the novel upon which the "film noir" classic Out of the Past was based. Robert Lowery plays victim-of-circumstance Tom Durling, in the wrong place at the wrong time when a bank robbery occurs. As the only witness to the crime, Durling is sought after by June Reynolds (Barbara Britton), who wants to prove that her brother, killed in the holdup, was innocent of complicity. Trouble is, the police have fingered Durling as their primary suspect, so he naturally wants to remain scarce. By film's end, however, Durling and June have taken it upon themselves to track down the villains. Unusual for its time was the film's depiction of its policeman characters, who are shown to be reasonable and intelligent rather than conclusion-jumping and dull-witted. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Lowery, Barbara Britton, (more)
Singing cowboy Gene Autry makes a rare appearance outside his usual Republic Pictures stamping grounds in 20th Century-Fox's Shooting High. Instead of playing "himself" as he usually does, Autry is cast as Will Carson, whose family is engaged in a decades-long feud with the Pritchard clan. The story shifts into gear when a movie company arrives in town, intending to film the life story of Will's frontier-hero grandfather. Alas, the leading role is to be played by obnoxious Hollywood star Bob Merritt (Robert Lowery), while poor Will is relegated to the lowly position of Merritt's stand-in. Coming to the rescue is little Jane Pritchard (top-billed Jane Withers), kid sister of Will's girl friend Marjorie Pritchard (Marjorie Weaver), who contrives to scare Merritt out of town so that Will can star in the picture himself. In the course of events, Will proves himself to be a real hero by foiling a bank robbery. This has the salutary effect of ending the Carson-Pritchard feud and reuniting estranged sweethearts Will and Marjorie. It is to the everlasting credit of both Jane Withers and Gene Autry that they never encroach upon one another's territory in Shooting High; both stars are allowed plenty of opportunity to shine without lowering themselves to scene-stealing. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jane Withers, Gene Autry, (more)
- 1940
The sailor in this entertaining 20th Century-Fox programmer is Danny Malone (Jon Hall), while the lady is Sally Gilroy (Claire Trevor). Danny's impending marriage to Sally is put on the back burner when she is put in charge of an orphaned baby (Bruce Hampton, playing a girl!) During naval maneuvers, the infant is accidentally deposited on board Danny's ship. Chaos reigns supreme until Danny hits upon a way to set things right. But before this mess can be cleared up, Danny and Sally will have to be reunited, something that their cast-off sweethearts Georgine (Katherine Aldridge) and Rodney (Larry "Buster" Crabbe) would like to prevent. Written by Lt. Commander Frank "Spig" Wead (of Wings of Eagle) fame, Sailor's Lady boasts one of the most impressive casts ever seen in a mere B picture, including Joan Davis, Wally Vernon, Dana Andrews, Don "Red" Barry, Kane Richmond, Ward Bond, Peggy Ryan, Barbara Pepper, Marie Blake (Jeanette MacDonald's sister) and George O'Hanlon (old "Joe McDoakes" himself). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nancy Kelly, Jon Hall, (more)
- 1940
The Man From Montreal is a lively entry in Universal's Richard Arlen-Andy Devine action series. The stars are cast respectively as fur trapper Clark Manning and constable Bones Blair, who carry on a friendly rivalry in the Canadian Northwest. Our heroes team up in the final reels to put the kibosh on a fur-smuggling racket, permitting Universal to plunge deeply into its stock-footage files. The leading ladies this time out are Anne Gwynne and Kay Sutton, their billing status indicating which one of the two ladies will land Clark Manning in the last scene. Incredibly, the Arlen-Devine series lasted for 14 films, none of them classics but all of them worthwhile Saturday-matinee fare. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Arlen, Andy Devine, (more)
- 1939
A transport pilot is ordered to fly a risky mission. The pilot, Scott, refuses the dangerous mission and is fired from his job. Scott starts up a pilot school which struggles to stay in business. As an inspector for the government, Foster gives Scott trouble about his school, Scott hopes a new government pilot program will help him out. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Randolph Scott, Preston S. Foster, (more)
- 1939
In this comedy set during WW I, two crazy vaudevillians try their new act out on their agent. He thinks it is a real dud and the boys end up working as mule skinners in France. While there, they meet a French officer's American daughter. Mayhem ensues when they are mistaken German spies necessitating their escape in a hot-air balloon. Unfortunately, the balloon ends up in Germany, and now the duo must get back to France. Along the way, they capture a German genera. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jane Withers, The Ritz Brothers [Al, Jimmy, Harry], (more)
Tons Walker (Grant Withers) is the man in charge of the steel mill built from the ground up by the late William Reardon (Pierre Watkin). The fact that Tons is barely capable of putting his shoes on properly is unimportant: he will inherit Reardon's business on the proviso that he straighten out his late employer's wastrel son Bill (Ranny Weeks). Making Tons' job tougher is the fact that Bill has designs on our hero's sweetheart Susan (Beatrice Roberts); on the other hand, Bill isn't too keen on the fact that Tons has fallen for his sweetie Elaine (Judith Allen). By and by, however, both Bill and Tons begin taking their business responsibilities seriously, emerging as inseparable pals by film's end. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Grant Withers, Beatrice Roberts, (more)
- 1937
Columbia's Criminals of the Air is another entry in the "alien-smuggling" movie cycle -- and as such includes the obligatory scene in which the airborne smugglers escape detection by pulling a lever and disposing of their human cargo. Hoping to collar the crooks, detective Mark Owens (Charles Quigley) poses as a down-and-out pilot looking for work. He is hired by the "Honeymoon Express," ostensibly designed to transport newlyweds across the Mexican border and back again, but actually a front for smuggling activities. Fearless girl reporter Nancy Rawlings (Rosalind Keith) covertly covers Owens' activities, ultimately landing in a heap o' trouble when the crooks catch on. In one of her last "B"-picture assignments, Rita Hayworth plays a voluptuous Latina dancer in a Mexican cabaret sequence. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rosalind Keith, Charles Quigley, (more)
- 1937
This drama chronicles the education of a naive, rich young woman who inherits a steel mill. To help her keep it running she unites with a man. Meanwhile two crooks try to destroy her production in order to force her to sell it to them for very little money. They are thwarted at the last moment. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Don Terry, Rosalind Keith, (more)
- 1936
A love triangle forms the basis of this drama. It all begins in a steel mill when a steel worker ignores the besotted gazes of his landlady at the boarding house and falls in love with a gold-digger. His best friend also finds himself smitten by the seductive young woman. But when the one of the workers fritters away a collection that had been taken up for the wife of a deceased co-worker on a foolish bet, he and the vamp take off until the good-hearted landlady intervenes and convinces them to stay and take their lumps. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Victor McLaglen, Binnie Barnes, (more)
- 1933
The melodramatic No Other Woman is a remake of the 1925 silent film Just a Woman which was based on the play of the same name by Eugene Walter. Early in her career, Irene Dunn stars as ambitious housewife Anna Stanley, who pressures her steelworker husband, Jim (Charles Bickford), into a business partnership with Joe Zarcovia (Eric Linden). A fellow boarder at their rooming house, Joe's business idea involves a new type of dye. Jim quickly becomes a millionaire and finds the transition difficult from blue-collar worker to wealthy socialite. He soon takes up with a mistress, Margo Van Dearing (Gwili Andre), whom he meets at a party. Forced to get a divorce, the couple duke it out in the climactic courtroom scene with sleazy lawyer Bonelli (J. Carroll Naish). ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Irene Dunne, Charles Bickford, (more)
- 1916
Muriel Martin-Harvey heads the cast of The Hard Way. Harvey plays Lilah Chertsey, who is tricked into committing bigamy in wicked old Paris. Before long, Lilah is victimized by a slimy blackmailer. It all turns out okay when one of her husbands has the good taste to die. Based on The Peer, a popular novel of the era, The Hard Way managed to pack most of its source's highlights into a tight five reels. The pictorial and aesthetic quality of the film is difficult to determine, since all prints seem to have vanished. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Muriel Martin-Harvey
