Julian Lesser Movies
- 1954
Though filmed ten years after The Saint Meets the Tiger, the British The Saint's Girl Friday is generally regarded as the final entry in RKO's "Saint" series of 1938-43. Louis Hayward, who first played Leslie Charteris' soldier-of-fortune Simon Templar in the 1938 film The Saint in New York, returns to the role after a 16-year absence. This time, Templar comes to London at the invitation of an old female acquaintance. When he arrives, he discovers that the woman is dead, the possible victim of a vicious gambling syndicate. Together with chronic gambler Carol Denby (Naomi Chance), who is being blackmailed into acting as a come-on for the crooks, Templar takes on chief heavy Max Lennar (Sidney Taffler), all the while keeping one step ahead of Scotland Yard inspector Teal (Charles Victor). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Louis Hayward, Naomi Chance, (more)
- 1952
The angel of the title is Jane Baxter, the wife of country physician Patrick Barr. Everybody in the small British village where she lives thinks the world of Baxter; thus, when she is murdered, the authorities are out for blood. Dr. Barr seems above suspicion, at least until he begins behaving eccentrically. As time passes, most everyone learns that Baxter wasn't quite as angelic as she seemed-and that quite a few people might have wanted her dead. This 64-minute programmer was based on This is Mary's Chair, a play by Frank King. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1952
Released in Britain as Whispering Smith Hits London, this economically produced whodunit stars Richard Carlson as famed pulp-novel amateur sleuth Whispering Smith. While vacationing in London, Smith becomes intrigued by a suicide case. He suspects that there's more to this than meets the eye, and of course he's right: the so-called suicide was really a murder -- and also the tip of the iceberg in a massive cover-up conspiracy. Greta Gynt co-stars as the Woman in the Case, who may not be All She Seems. For reasons unknown, the British prints of Whispering Smith vs. Scotland Yard credit the screenplay to John Gilling, while the American prints bestow sole screenwriting credit upon Steve (I Wake Up Screaming) Fisher. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Carlson, Greta Gynt, (more)
- 1951
Jungle Headhunters is a Technicolor record of the Lewis Cotlow Amazonian expedition. Emphasis is given the head-hunting Jivaro tribe, with plenty of time devoted to the care and maintenance of shrunken heads. We also visit the Colorados, who paint themselves in red in hopes of living longer, and the Vaguas, whose long grass skirts led them to be described as "Amazons" by the earliest European explorers. Added attractions include discreetly filmed sequences of bare-breasted native girls, and an obviously staged sequence wherein piranhas tear into the carcass of a bear. Modern audiences may wince as they watch the Jivaros perform a ritual dance while the soundtrack booms forth with square dancing music. Jungle Headhunters was released domestically by RKO Radio. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1949
Guy Madison and Rory Calhoun, both of whom went on to star in their own TV western series, head the cast of the Monogram sagebrusher Massacre River. Madison and Calhoun play Larry Knight and Phil Acton, fellow Army officers and rivals for the attentions of colonel's daughter Kitty Reid (Cathy Downs). Losing the romantic battle, Knight loses himself in the arms of no-good gambling-hall proprietress Laura Jordan (Carole Mathews). All amorous intrigues are forgotten when Knight and Acton fight shoulder to shoulder against marauding Indians. To ensure better bookings, Monogram released Massacre River through its "prestige" subsidiary Allied Artists. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Guy Madison, Rory Calhoun, (more)
- 1949
In this three-hanky movie, an orphaned newsboy decides to care for a crippled young girl after her alcoholic mother is injured. With a doctor's assistance, he helps the girl understand that her paralysis is hysterical, caused by her reactions to her mother's behavior. Trouble ensues when the boy is arrested for helping her. The girl helps him, by walking; thereby causing the astounded authorities to release him. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Arnt, Florence Auer, (more)
