Maxine Doyle Movies

Roy Rogers and Dale Evans still weren't man and wife when they costarred in Republic's San Fernando Valley. As always, Rogers is cast as a cowboy who happens to be named Roy Rogers; Evans, on the other hand, plays feisty femme ranchowner Dale Kenyon. At the behest of Dale's grandfather (Andrew Tombes), Roy does the "Taming of the Shrew" bit, taking a job as ranch cook so he can woo and win the volatile Miss Kenyon. He also takes time out to capture a couple of bank robbers who'd earlier relieved him of his life savings. Many of the film's best scenes belong to hoydenish Jean Porter, cast as Dale's bratty kid sister: Ms. Porter would later retire from films to marry director Edward Dmytryk. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This 91-minute Republic "special" stars Michael O'Shea as Matt Braddock, an aggressive Henry Kaiser-like shipbuilder operating in 1880s California Though his business innovations are brilliant, Braddock's pugnacious attitude loses him the support of the locals when he plans to build a big new shipyard in a small coastal community. Eventually he perseveres, bringing the story to a rousing conclusion. Along the way, however, there's a bit too much emphasis on the hot-and-cold romance between Braddock and the lovely Diana Kennedy (Anne Shirley). Tommy Bond, the former Butch in the "Our Gang" comedies, registers well in a sympathetic supporting role (Bond later noted that this was one of his favorite films). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Overland Mail Robbery is another entry in Republic's "Wild Bill" Elliot western series. Once again, Elliot's leading lady is Anne Jeffreys, and once again his comical sidekick is Gabby Hayes. The plot finds Wild Bill coming to the aid of namby-pamby Easterner Tom Hartley (played by future "Superman" Kirk Alyn), who has inherited his family's stagecoach line. With Elliot's assistance, Tom proves he's a real he-man by standing up to the outlaw gang terrorizing the countryside. Of interest is the fact that the gang leader is a woman, played by Alice Fleming, who later portrayed "The Duchess" in Republic's "Red Ryder" series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Set during the "man"power shortage of WW II, this low-budget western tells the story of a group of cowgirls hired by the government to stop rustlers from stealing a government contracted-ranchers' cattle. The brave ladies of the group call themselves the Women's Army of the Plains and run themselves as a military unit, using walkie-talkies to talk to cowboys so they can stop impending thefts. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In his third of four action serials, horror star Bela Lugosi played Boroff, an internationally notorious fiend who's attempting to pawn off his deadly invention, a disintegrating gas, to the highest bidder. Before the gas can be manufactured, however, Boroff must go in search of certain hard to come by ingredients and the villain is thwarted at every step by US coastguard agent Terry Kent (Ralph Byrd and crusading newspaper woman Jean Norman (Maxine Doyle. In the serial's 12th and final chapter, "The Deadly Circle," Boroff is finally destroyed by his own invention, civilization thus saved for Democracy. Down on his luck by 1937, Lugosi could only watch as Republic Pictures' screenwriters Barry Shipman and Franklyn Adreon wickedly named his character "Boroff," an obvious reference to Lugosi-rival Boris Karloff. S. O. S. Coastguard nevertheless emerged as one of the Hungarian star's better vehicles, in no small measure due to its vigorous hero, Ralph Byrd, a handsome actor perhaps better remembered from Republic's Dick Tracy serials. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

A travelling circus provides the background for this "Three Mesquiteers" western. One of the circus owners is a counterfeiter, who when he's caught with the goods shifts the blame to his partner. Our three heroes Stoney (Robert Livingston), Tucson (Ray "Crash" Corrigan) and Lullaby (Max Terhune), an old friend of the falsely accused partner, combine their skills to spring their pal out of the calaboose. Meanwhile, Stoney pitches woo at heroine Mary (Maxine Doyle) -- who almost manages to march the hapless fellow down the aisle. An average "Mesquiteers" entry, Come On, Cowboy is still superior to practically any other "B" western of the period. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Pinky Tomlin, the bespectacled crooner responsible for turning "The Object of My Affections" into a hit, is back again in Thanks for Listening. This time, Tomlin plays feckless Homer Tompkins, an easy target for confidence trickster Lulu (Aileen Pringle). Hired as a "professional listener," Homer sets up shop in Reno, inviting people with problems to cry on his shoulder -- for five dollars a session, most of which goes into the pockets of Lulu and her cronies. Homer's biggest challenge is to get the fabulously wealthy Utah Pete to unload his troubles -- and, Lulu hopes, to reveal the whereabouts of his secret gold mine. With the aid of heroine Maxine Doyle, Homer finally figures out that Lulu is up to no good, leading to the hilarious (and of necessity tuneful) finale. Thanks for Listening was the last of Tomlin's starring vehicles for low-budget Ambassador Pictures; it was also the final directorial effort for Marshall Neilan. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this crime drama, a G-man goes on vacation and ends up pursing a crook disguised as an honest lawyer. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In Condemned to Live, Ralph Morgan stars as Professor Paul Kriston, the kindly and generous doctor of a tiny European village. So well-liked is Kriston that the beautiful Marguerite Mane (Maxine Doyle) is willing to marry him, even though she loves another man, young David (Russell Gleason). Things take a sinister turn when a series of murders occur in the village, apparently committed by a vampiric beast. David makes himself quite unpopular when he suggests that the killer may be a human being. Meanwhile, Professor Kriston turns to an old family friend, Dr. Anders Bizet (Pedro de Cordoba), for a possible solution to the murder spree, but Bizet is strangely secretive. Condemned to Live was filmed on standing sets at Universal City and on location at Bronson Canyon. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Key is a story of the Irish "troubles" which avoids taking sides, but spends most of its screen time with the British occupation troops. William Powell stars as a soldier for hire who works on behalf of the British in the Dublin of the early 1920s. Powell is as celebrated for his boudoir antics as his bravery, so it's no surprise that he soon takes up with the wife (Edna Best) of his best friend, British intelligence officer Colin Clive. The plot thickens when Clive is captured by the Irish freedom fighters, to be released only on condition that Irish patriot Donald Crisp is not hanged. Powell makes up for his past indiscretions by rescuing Clive from his captors. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Babbitt, Sinclair Lewis' satirical novel of the American "middle class" was first filmed as a silent in 1924, then as a talkie ten years later. In this second version, Guy Kibbee portrays George Babbitt, a small town businessman whose sense of self-importance has turned him into a pompous ass. Only Babbitt's loving wife (Aline MacMahon) sees the decent man behind the fatuous facade. Babbitt's ego gets the better of him when he is inveigled by a lovely but duplicitous young lady (Claire Dodd) into promoting a shady land deal. On the verge of ruin, Babbitt is rescued by his wife, though there's every indication that he hasn't completely learned his lesson. While the sting of Sinclair Lewis' original novel has been blunted, One couldn't ask for a better George Babbitt than Guy Kibbee. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Student Tour looks like an MGM musical two-reeler that was expanded to feature length as it went along. Charles Butterworth and Jimmy Durante are teamed respectively as fey philosophy professor Lippincott and brash athletic coach Hank. The two comics shepherd a co-ed college rowing team on a world tour, with orders to keep the team's rowdy captain Bobby (Phil Regan) out of trouble. Lackluster leading lady Maxine Doyle co-stars as Ann, a plain-jane who takes off her glasses at a Monte Carlo masquerade ball and wins BMOC Bobby for her very own. Ann also brings the story to a rousing conclusion by substituting for the cockswain in the climatic rowing race, urging the team to victory with a peppy song-and-dance. Nelson Eddy also shows up to sing "The Carlo," a pulsating number obviously inspired by "Bolero." The film's giddy highlight is "Taj Mahal," in which a group of pretty students (including a young Betty Grable) go swimming in the pool of the famous Indian shrine! According to studio publicity, a crop of genuine college coeds were hired to play the students in Student Tour, but to the trained eye they sure look like standard Hollywood extras and bit players. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide