Joan Howard Movies
- 1970
- PG
Set in the immediate post-Civil War era, The McMasters stars Brock Peters as a black Union soldier who finds he must figuratively fight the war all over again. Returning to his southern hometown, Peters quickly learns that nothing has really changed: he is a "free"man in name only. Peters' ex-master Burl Ives magnanimously gives the former slave a plot of land, but only Native-American David Carradine and his tribesmen are willing to work for a black man. The "invasion" of Indians serves to stir up the racial divisiveness even farther, thanks to local rabble-rouser Jack Palance. The McMasters was originally released in two versions with two different endings, succinctly summing up the film's "no easy answers" stance. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Burl Ives, Brock Peters, (more)
- 1963
- Add The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies to QueueAdd The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies to top of Queue
For all of its inexplicable weirdness, this monster musical from cult filmmaker Ray Dennis Steckler is not only the director's best-paced film, but also his most entertaining. Visiting a carnival with friends, happy-go-lucky Jerry (Steckler appearing as "Cash Flagg") is hypnotized by evil gypsy fortune-teller Madam Estrella (Brett O'Hara) and turned into a zombie murderer. Surprisingly, the most competent parts of this film are the dance numbers at the carnival's nightclub, The Hungry Mouth, with pretty showgirls and flashy costumes, some good singing, and a fun strip act by Erina Enyo. Estrella scars her victims with acid and keeps them in a cage, but they break loose, strangling her and her ugly assistant Ortega (Jack Brady). Jerry, now a scarred killer, escapes to the beach where he is shot by police. Cult-film regular Titus Moody (Pit Stop) appears as a hobo, and rumor has it that James Woods is in the film somewhere as an extra. Steckler's leggy erstwhile wife Carolyn Brandt, who stars in most of his films, plays Marge, an alcoholic dancer who gets so drunk that she falls down during her routines. Incomprehensible Greek actor Atlas King and co-screenwriter Gene Pollock also appear in this odd film, presented in "Hallucinogenic Hypnovision." When it was re-released as Teenage Psycho Meets Bloody Mary, men in zombie masks ran through theaters trying to scare people. Among the cameramen on this cheesy, but exceptionally good-looking production were such luminaries as Joseph V. Mascelli, Vilmos Zsigmond, and Laszlo Kovacs. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cash Flagg, Brett O'Hara, (more)
- 1963
In this comedy, Homer L. Pettigrew (Tommy Holden) is a salesman for a brassiere company who sells his products door-to-door. As Homer's sales tactics secure him remarkable success, his jealous manager comes up with various schemes to set him up for a sure failure. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- 1939
In this cautionary tale from the late 1930s, a woman surgeon must rush to the hospital on her wedding anniversary to save a life. Her husband is quite upset and goes off to a party hosted by a seductive woman. He finds himself attracted to her and as his wife becomes increasingly involved in her career he succumbs to temptation. He then files for divorce. Not wanting to lose her family, the doctor abandons her career and begins working to reassemble her family. Their renewed bond is cemented when her daughter falls off a horse and is critically injured. While her husband flies their plane to a hospital, the doctor performs surgery upon her daughter. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Frieda Inescort, Henry Wilcoxon, (more)
- 1938
This musical comedy is based on a modestly successful Broadway play and stars Humphrey Bogart as wrestling promoter Ed Hatch. Ed is in Kentucky with his dopey, muscle-bound client Joe "The Wrestling Hercules" Skopapoulous (Nat Pendleton). The two are further accompanied by Ed's assistant Shiner (Allen Jenkins), his girlfriend Cookie (Penny Singleton) and Joe's trainer Popeye Bronson (Frank McHugh). Unfortunately, the entourage has not had a decent gig since they entered Kentucky and end up stranded and broke on a lonely country rode. Fortunately, a hefty farm girl, who calls herself Sadie Horn, happens along and using her incredible strength, gets the travelers back on the road. Ed is impressed and suddenly inspired to hire the brawny lass as his newest grappler and stage fights between she and Joe. Future president Ronald Reagan has a small role as a sportscaster. Songs include: "Mountain Swingeroo," "Hillbilly from Tenth Avenue" and "Dig Me a Grave in Old Missouri." ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Humphrey Bogart, Louise Fazenda, (more)
- 1937
Raymond McCarey, the prolific if less-inspired brother of Leo McCarey, called the directorial shots for Universal's Love in a Bungalow. Nan Grey stars as young real estate agent Mary Callahan, whose job it is to guide potential house-buyers through a "model" bungalow. Enter Jeff Langan (Kent Taylor), a handsome young indigent who moves into the bungalow and steadfastly refuses to move out. Falling in love with the stubborn but charming Jeff, Mary conspires with him to enter a radio contest in hopes of winning the bungalow rent-free. But there's a catch: Jeff and Mary have to pretend to be married. Never a studio to throw anything away, Universal recycled the plot of Love in a Bungalow for one of its mini-musicals of the 1940s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nan Grey, Kent Taylor, (more)
- 1936
This second of 20th Century-Fox's Dionne Quintuplets vehicles brings back Jean Hersholt as kindly Canadian obstetrician Dr. Dafoe. The good doctor faces none of the professional crises that plagued him in the first Dionne picture The Country Doctor. Instead, a testimonial dinner is arranged for him, where some of the thousands of people Dafoe helped bring into the world have been invited to honor the humble physician. But Dafoe gives as well as takes; sensing that some of those assembled to honor him have acute personal problems, the doctor sets about to solve them. Reunion would be rendered obsolete when the media did a turnaround in the late 1930s and began vilifying the real Dr. Dafoe for his alleged exploitation of the Dionne quints. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean Hersholt, Rochelle Hudson, (more)
