Robert Peyton Movies
Following up her critically acclaimed documentary The Decline of Western Civilization, Penelope Spheeris made this gritty drama her first feature-film outing. Bill Coyne stars as Evan Johnson, an angst-ridden kid living in L.A., who bands together with a group of other young societal rejects and immerses himself in the mid-'80s punk rock scene. Most of the cast was comprised of actual teenagers off the streets of Los Angeles. Among them is Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea. Suburbia is also known as The Wild Side and Rebel Streets, and should not be confused with the 1996 Richard Linklater film of the same name. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bill Coyne, Chris Pederson, (more)
- 1952
Gene Autry and Pat Buttram are innovatively cast as Gene Autry and Pat Buttram in Night Stage to Galveston. Set during the wild-and-wooly days when the Texas Rangers were supplanted by various local corrupt police officials, the story finds Gene at odds with crooked police chief Gen. Slaydon (Robert Livingston). Our Hero's task herein is to stem Slaydon's underhanded activities, and to restore the Rangers to their former glory. Meanwhile, his sidekick Buttram makes with the comic songs and the slapstick sequences. The feminine interest is provided by Virginia Huston, cast as the daughter of crusading journalist Thurston Hall. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gene Autry, Pat Buttram, (more)
- 1952
Red Snow utilizes several reels of documentary footage around which to construct a fictional Cold War plotline. Guy Madison stars as a US pilot, sent to the Bering Straits to investigate suspicious activities. Madison teams with Eskimo soldier Ray Mala to discover that the rascally Russians--only 35 miles away from Alaska--are up to no good. It's up to the Good Guys to stop the Reds from developing a top-secret weapon. Much of Red Snow is taken up by pedestrian footage of real Eskimos going about their usual daily activities, while the narrative contrives to impose a hidden meaning on the most innocent of gestures and reactions. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Guy Madison, Ray Mala, (more)
Famed attorney Melvin Belli served as executive producer of the heady spy melodrama Tokyo File 212. Filmed in its entirety in Japan, the story concerns a communist conspiracy to undermine American soldiers in Korea by plying them with such creature comforts as girls and alcohol. G-2 agent Jim Carter (Robert Peyton) does his best to thwart the Reds, despite the formidable opposition of femme fatale Steffi Novac (Florence Marly). Eventually, Novac is won over by the Good Guys, but not soon enough to emerge unscathed. Tokyo File 212 was co-produced and directed by Dorrell and Stuart McGowan, the sibling screenwriting team who later collaborated on TV's Death Valley Days. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Florence Marly, Robert Peyton, (more)
- 1950
For a Tim Holt western, Border Treasure is surprisingly light on action scenes. The plot is the main consideration, as Ed Porter (Holt) and his saddle pal Chito Rafferty (Richard Martin) set about collecting money for an earthquake relief fund. The donations are stolen by the villains, whereupon Porter and Rafferty take chase. They nearly ride into an ambush, but are saved by Stella (Jane Nigh), the repentant girlfriend of one of the outlaws. Before the film's six reels have run their course, Our Heroes find themselves being accused of the robbery. Tim Holt fans won't believe that for a minute! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1947
With 1947's Desperate, a disturbing, noirish twist on traditional moral values, responsibility, and guilt, director Anthony Mann entered the ranks of class-A directors, though he'd still have to spend a few more years in "B" pictures. In his first important role, Steve Brodie plays newlywed trucker Steve Randall, who finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time during a fur robbery. Kidnapping Steve, the criminals, led by Walt Radak (Raymond Burr), threaten to mutilate Mrs. Randall (Audrey Long) unless Steve confesses to a murder committed by Radak's brother during the theft. Pretending to play along with the villains, Steve manages to escape with his wife in tow. The rest of the film is a prolonged chase, with the Randalls pursued by both the crooks and the cops. A surprise ending caps this film noir mini-classic, which is best appreciated when not seen in its computer-colorized version. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve Brodie, Audrey Long, (more)
- 1947
- NR
Irving Pichel's They Won't Believe Me is the flashback unfolding of Larry Ballentine's (Robert Young) witness-stand testimony in his trial for the murder of girlfriend Verna Carlson (Susan Hayward). Larry is the first to admit he's a parasitic heel, cheating on his rich wife Gretta (Rita Johnson) first with magazine writer Janice Bell (Jane Greer) and then with Verna. Though aware of Larry's affairs, Gretta cannot manage to leave him; rather, she uses her money to keep him in tow. She foils his attempt to run off with Janice by buying him a partnership in a brokerage firm. When she discovers his plan to flee with Verna, she sells her interest, leaving Larry unemployed and penniless. The lovers run off nonetheless, but Verna is killed when a truck crashes into their car. When the authorities assume the charred victim is his wife, Larry gets a sinister idea. He returns home to kill Gretta, but she is already dead, so all he has to do is hide the body. Unfortunately for him, the police come looking for the missing Verna, who they suspect was blackmailing him. They find Gretta's unrecognizable corpse, think it's Verna's, and arrest Larry. The flashback structure of this suspenseful film noir effectively creates a foreboding tension that mounts to a powerful final scene. ~ Steve Press, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Young, Susan Hayward, (more)
- 1946
The moody mystery melodrama Nocturne was produced by longtime Alfred Hitchcock associate Joan Harrison. The film wastes no time getting started, with a caddish Hollywood composer (Edward Ashley) dropping dead right after the opening credits. The police think it's a suicide, but maverick lieutenent Joe Warne (George Raft) suspects foul play. Checking around, Warne discovers that the dead man had broken at least ten female hearts in the past few years, providing a motive for murder for all ten. The principal suspect is Frances Ransom (Lynn Bari), who may or may not have been avenging her sister, nightclub thrush Carol Page (Virginia Huston). Pursuing the case with such dogged diligence that he's eventually tossed off the police force, Warne nonetheless refuses to give up, and by film's end he has collared the murderer. It wouldn't be fair to reveal the killer's identity, except to note that the actor in question went on to quite a different career at Universal Pictures. Like the previous RKO George Raft vehicle Johnny Angel, Nocturne was a box-office bonanza, posting a then-impressive profit of $568,000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Raft, Lynn Bari, (more)
