Dianne Foster Movies
Edmonton-born Dianne Foster relocated to England at an early age. By age 13, Foster was an established model and film actress (The Quiet Woman, Isn't Life Wonderful?) She moved to the U.S. in 1954, where she was signed by Columbia Pictures. Her best-remembered credits under the Columbia banner include John Ford's The Last Hurrah (1958) and Gideon's Day (1959). On loan to Kirk Douglas' Bryna Productions, she co-starred with Douglas in The Kentuckian (1955). Dianne Foster retired from show business in the early 1960s, after wrapping up her Columbia obligations with Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed? (1963). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1966
Dianne Foster guest stars as Amy Collins, an attractive lady farmer who seeks out Oliver's legal advice. Oliver (Eddie Albert) is amenable, since Amy has agreed to help him with his corn crop. But Oliver's wife Lisa (Eva Gabor) jumps to the obvious conclusion (as she always does), assuming that her husband is up to a little extracurricular hanky-panky -- and even worse, that Oliver plans to bump her off to be with Amy! And yes, all of this does have something to do with seeing South America by bus. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1965
Police sergeant Dave Wolfe (Skip Homeier) has already ordered Joe Oliver (Dale Van Sickel) to stay away from Dave's sister Susan (Chris Noel). Heading to Joe's apartment for a final showdown, Dave hears a woman's scream and breaks down the door. Several shots later, Joe lies on the floor dead, while the badly beaten Susan stands by in mute horror. In order to defend Dave on a murder charge and to find out whether or not Joe was really Susan's assailant, Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) must break through the wall of stony silence which surrounds the six people who may have witnessed the crime--but who claim to have seen and heard nothing. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1964
Based on eyewitness testimony, a nasty old man named Justin Briggs (John Anderson) is convicted of the murder of one Eddie Fry--who is not only very much alive, but is actually fugitive Richard Kimble (David Janssen). Now miles away from Briggs' town, Kimble could conceivably keep quiet and avoid arrest by allowing Briggs to be executed. Instead, Kimble's essential decency gets the better of him, and returns to reveal that reports of his death were highly exaggerated. Unfortunately, by this time Briggs himself has been killed while trying to escape--and his hotheaded son Roy (David Macklin) is determined to get even with Janice Cummings (Dianne Foster), whose testimony sent his dad to prison. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1964
Dianne Foster guest stars as attractive librarian Phyllis Marsh, who to bring culture to the folks of Hooterville and Pixley sets up a travelling library in the baggage car of the Hooterville Cannonball. One of Phyllis' most devoted customers is Uncle Joe (Edgar Buchanan), who has taken quite a shine to the woman despite the vast differences in their ages. This episode was later reworked as "Cannonball Bookmobile", featuring a pre-Golden Girls Betty White. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1964
Middle-aged Nellie Dubois (Jeanette Nolan) became a widow when her husband died during their vacation in Europe. Upon her return to the States, Nellie's family is shocked to find her in the company of a new spouse--a much younger Frenchman named Pierre (Michael Forrest). Convinced that Pierre is only after Nellie's money, the family hires sexy French maid Marie Claudel (Anne Farge) to seduce Pierre and prove to Nellie that he is unfaithful. By an astonishing coincidence, Marie happens to be Pierre's jilted first wife--and when he turns up dead, she is charged with murder. Can Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) solve this one without causing any further domestic strife? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1963
This romantic adult comedy finds psychiatrist Jason Steel (Dean Martin) the leader of a women's group therapy session. Jill St. John, Elizabeth Frazier, Macha Meril, Yoko Tani and Diane Foster all seek the advice of the handsome doctor, while husbands Louis Nye, Jack Soo, Richard Conte, and Martin Balsam ignore them in their usual poker game every Wednesday night. Jason plays doctor with pretty fiance Melissa (Elizabeth Montgomery) and Carol Burnette is his scatter brained secretary who does a hilarious striptease when she and Melissa can't pay for their dinner at a local nightclub after being stuck with the bill. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dean Martin, Elizabeth Montgomery, (more)
- 1962
Veteran boxing trainer Jimmy West (played by Robert Armstrong of King Kong fame) thinks he's finally found a "golden boy" in the form of young pugilist Davey Carroll (a young, pre-2001 Gary Lockwood). But sports promoter Tod Richards (Mark Roberts) also wants control of Danny, and is willing to resort to any means, fair or foul, to get what he wants. When Richards turns up dead, Perry Mason enters the ring to defend West from a charge of first-degree murder. Seen in a very small role is Mae Clarke, immortalized as the recipient of James Cagney's grapefruit in the 1931 gangster drama Public Enemy; ironically, Ms. Clarke and Robert Armstrong had previously shared costar billing in 1932's The Penguin Pool Murder. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1962
Druggist Herbert Simms (Linden Chiles) hopes to change careers and become a TV writer. To this end, he submits his first script to unscrupulous producer Charlie Cory (John Lasell)--who proceeds to steal Simms' story idea and pass it off as his own. The outraged Simms consults his family's attorney, Perry Mason (Raymond Burr), who tells him that nothing can be done because no contract had been signed. Not long afterward, Cory is bludgeoned to death--and Simms is spotted fleeing the murder scene. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1961
- Add King of the Roaring '20s: The Story of Arnold Rothstein to QueueAdd King of the Roaring '20s: The Story of Arnold Rothstein to top of Queue
David Janssen is hardly perfect casting for the role of 1920s gambling king Arnold Rothstein (Rod Steiger or Gene Barry may have been better choices), but the sure-handed direction of Joseph Newman smooths over all the rough spots in this fanciful biopic. Set up in the gambling business by crooked politico Jack Carson, Rothstein cheats his partner Mickey Shaughnessy, cheats on his lovely wife Dianne Foster, and does his best to discredit his bitterest enemy, on-the-take police detective Dan O'Herlihy. When O'Herlihy engineers the death of Rothstein's pal Mickey Rooney, Rothstein pulls strings in the New York judicial system, assuring the conviction and execution of the rogue cop. As quickly as he rises to the top of the dung-heap, Rothstein falls with equal rapidity, and ends up riddled with mob bullets. Curiously, King of the Roaring Twenties bypasses Rothstein's involvement in the "Black Sox" baseball scandal of 1919, perhaps because too many participants in that debacle were still alive in 1960 (this incident would later be covered in toto in the 1988 film Eight Men Out, which co-starred Michael Lerner as Rothstein). While King of the Roaring Twenties ignores the facts, for the most part the film is to be treasured if for no other reason than the fact that director Newman managed to draw uncharacteristically subtle performances from Mickey Rooney and Jack Carson. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Janssen, Dianne Foster, (more)
- 1961
Paladin (Richard Boone) is hired by Marion Sutter (Dianne Foster), the wife of Virginia-born "officer and gentleman" John Sutter (Kent Smith). John's life has been threatened by Logan Adcock (Mike Kellin), a sadistic town boss who hates all Southerners and has stirred up a lynch mob to do his dirty work. Paid off by Marion's jewelry, Paladin quickly discovers that the gems are phony--the first of several indications that John Sutter is not only in physical danger, but is also merely a hollow shell of the proud aristocrat he once was. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1960
Crippled farmer Tom Edwards (Harry Townes) holds Ben Cartwright responsible for the accident which destroyed the use of his legs. Edwards' bitterness is fueled by his hired hand Ezekial (Claude Akins), who while plying Tom with liquor is also methodically cheating him out of his life savings. It turns out that Ezekial has another reason for his Iago-like treachery: He, too, despises the Cartwrights, and is determined to use Tom as his instrument for revenge. Dianne Foster costars as Tom's wife Joyce. Written by Halsted Wells, "The Mill" was originally seen on October 1, 1960. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, (more)
Spencer Tracy stars in John Ford's sentimental adaptation of Edwin O'Connor's novel about the final campaign of a big city mayor, loosely based upon the life of Boston politician James Curley. Tracy is Frank Skeffington, the political boss of an Eastern city dominated by Irish-Americans. Skeffington tries to assist the people of the city and avoids cutting political deals with the power elite. But despite his concern for the people, Skeffington has no friends, just flunkies. The Mayor is greatly admired by his idealistic nephew Adam Caulfield (Jeffrey Hunter), who writes for an opposition newspaper run by Amos Force (John Carradine). When Skeffington needs money for a loan, he asks the powerful banker Norman Cass (Basil Rathbone), but Cass steadfastly refuses. In retaliation, Skeffington appoints Cass's retarded son as an interim fire commissioner. To prevent his son from disgracing the family, Cass agrees to the bank loan. But Cass uses his deep pockets to finance the opposition's candidate for mayor. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Spencer Tracy, Jeffrey Hunter, (more)
- 1958
The conflict between duty and conscience is explored in the WWII drama The Deep Six. Alan Ladd stars as Naval gunnery officer Alec Austin, a Quaker whose sincere pacifist sentiments do not sit well with his crew members. When he refuses to fire upon an unidentified plane, the word spreads that Austin cannot be relied upon in battle (never mind that the plane turns out to be one of ours). To prove that he's worthy of command, Austin volunteers for a dangerous mission: the rescue of a group of US pilots on a Japanese-held island. The ubiquitous William Bendix costars as Frenchy Shapiro (!), Austin's Jewish petty officer and severest critic. If the film has a villain, it is Keenan Wynn as ambitious Lt. Commander Edge, who seems to despise anyone who isn't a mainline WASP.The Deep Six was based on a novel by Martin Dibner. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alan Ladd, William Bendix, (more)
- 1958
Director John Ford traveled to England to film this adaptation of the novel by J.J. Maraca, which details a typical day in the busy life of a detective for Scotland Yard. Inspector George Gideon (Jack Hawkins) begins his working day by confronting one of his fellow officers who is believed to be accepting graft. The sergeant stubbornly denies the charge, but he dies later the same day in a mysterious hit-and-run accident that piques Gideon's curiosity. While confronting internal strife within Scotland Yard, Gideon also has more typical crimes to investigate, including a murder in Manchester and a burglary in London, both of which were performed by the same vicious criminal. Gideon himself becomes the victim of a holdup and is forced to take a bullet for his troubles, while on the home front he finds himself in disfavor with his family when he forgets to bring home salmon for dinner and lets his daughter's recital slip his mind. Along with Jack Hawkins, Gideon's Day features a stellar cast of British actors, including Cyril Cusack, Anna Massey, Laurence Naismith, Dianne Foster, and Billie Whitelaw. For its initial American release, Gideon's Day (also shown as Gideon of Scotland Yard) was cut from 91 minutes to a mere 54, and distributed in black and white prints instead of the original Technicolor. Fortunately, nearly all the prints currently in circulation are of the uncut, color edition. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Hawkins, Dianne Foster, (more)
The painfully true story of welterweight boxing champion Barney Ross is detailed in Monkey on My Back. Cameron Mitchell stars as Ross, whose meteoric ring career is interrupted when he joins the Marines at the outset of WWII. A highly decorated hero, Ross contracts malaria oversees and is given morphine to assuage the pain. By the time he returns to the states, Ross is a confirmed drug addict. Before he can rise to the top again, he must hit rock bottom and his descent into the hell of narcotics dependency is graphically illustrated (so much so that the film was almost denied a Production Code seal). Though a cured Barney Ross served as technical advisor for Monkey on My Back, he ended up suing the producers for defamation of character -- and lost. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cameron Mitchell, Dianne Foster, (more)
Night Passage is so similar in spirit to the successful collaborations between star James Stewart and director Anthony Mann that it comes as a surprise that this film is directed by James Nielson. Stewart plays Grant McLaine, ex-railroad employee and the level-headed brother of firebrand gunslinger The Utica Kid (Audie Murphy). When Grant is entrusted to guard a train delivering $10,000, The Kid's gang holds up the train and steals the money. Grant takes off to hunt his felonious brother down and attempts to convince him to go straight. Unfortunately, The Kid refuses, and the brothers face off in a showdown. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Stewart, Audie Murphy, (more)
- 1957
The Rico brothers are mobsters in the employ of syndicate head Sid Kubick. Richard Conte plays the one Rico brother who has forsaken crime. But the other Ricos (James Darren and Paul Picerni) haven't yet seen the light, causing a deep rift in the brothers' family bonds. Conte gets word that his brothers have been marked for murder, and tries to warn them. What he doesn't know, at least until the last sweat-inducing moments of the film, is that the syndicate boss himself is the man who has ordered the Rico boys wiped out. The Brothers Rico, adapted from a novel by French detective-story specialist George Simenon, is an interesting thriller deeply rooted in the post-noir style of police thrillers like The Line-Up, with its overt emphasis on crude violence and a dull, almost flat visual style. The strong performance by Richard Conte, as a man out of step with the rest of society, is lost in this film which is in essence a simple thriller, lacking any real noir ambience. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Conte, Dianne Foster, (more)
Produced and directed by star Burt Lancaster, The Kentuckian is a leisurely western occasionally punctuated by spurts of startling brutality. The recently widowed Lancaster heads towards Texas with his son Donald McDonald. Most of the folks he meets, notably winsome schoolmarm Diana Lynn, bondslave Dianne Foster, and Lancaster's down-to-earth brother John McIntyre and sister-in-law Una Merkel, are pretty good souls, despite the raging family feud that motivates the plotline. The same cannot be said of whip-wielding saloonkeeper Walter Matthau (in his film debut), who goads Lancaster into a bloody fight. Matthau wins this round, but he gets his just deserts before the final fadeout. Based on a novel by Felix Holt, The Kentuckian makes excellent use of Technicolor and Cinemascope, as well as the musical expertise of composer Bernard Herrmann. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Burt Lancaster, Dianne Foster, (more)
Rudolphe Maté directs the western The Violent Men, based on the novel Rough Company by Donald Hamilton. Edward G. Robinson plays Lee Wilkison, the bad-guy owner of Anchor Ranch with a plan to buy out all the smaller ranches to gain control of the valley. Barbara Stanwyck plays his wife Martha, who secretly has an affair with his brother, Cole (Brian Keith). Meanwhile, Cole hangs out with hired gun Wade Matlock (Richard Jaeckel) and his other girlfriend, Elena (Lita Milan). Glenn Ford plays ex-military man John Parrish, the good-guy small ranch owner who is willing to sell until one of his ranch hands turns up dead. He fights back with a vengance using his military training and sets his eyes on Wilkison's daughter, Judith (Dianne Foster). ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Glenn Ford, Barbara Stanwyck, (more)
- 1954
Three Hours to Kill is a "message" Western that manages to entertain without preaching. Jim Guthrie (Dana Andrews), unjustly accused of murder, is forced out of town by an angry mob. After several tough years living off the land, Guthrie returns to clear his name. Fearing that Guthrie is out for blood, the townsfolk arrange a "necktie party." The one person who might show some compassion is ex-fiancée Laurie Mastin (Donna Reed), who'd been left pregnant by Guthrie and had married another man on the rebound. But Laurie's brother was the murder victim, so she's just as determined to rid the world of Guthrie as everyone else. With the help of sympathetic Chris Plumber (Dianne Foster), Guthrie traps the real murderer. The mentality of mob rule is exposed for all its ugliness in Three Hours to Kill, ironic in that real-life Hollywood had been governed by mob pressure to enforce the Blacklist during the same period. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dana Andrews, Donna Reed, (more)
- 1954
The film Bad For Each Other, together with stars Charlton Heston and Lizabeth Scott and director Irving Rapper, were originally assembled into a package by producer Hal Wallis for Paramount. Shortly thereafter, however, Wallis found it expedient to sell the whole package to Columbia, though the film still has the "look" of a Paramount "A"-picture. Heston plays poor-but-proud Army doctor Tom Owen, who through the influence of Pittsburgh socialite Helen Curtis (Lizabeth Scott) builds up a posh society practice. Though he's happy with the money and prestige, Dr. Owen is at heart a man of the people, and he'd much prefer tending to the families of the local steel miners. During a moment of extreme crisis, Owen is forced to choose immediately between the life offered him by Helen and the course he knows he should be following. Dianne Foster plays Joan Lasher, the girl Owen left behind when he began pursuing the ice-princess. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charlton Heston, Lizabeth Scott, (more)
- 1954
Auto mechanic and wannabe race-car driver Eddie Shannon (Mickey Rooney) allows himself to be led perilously astray in Drive a Crooked Road. Responding to the come-hither looks of sexy Barbara Mathews (Dianne Foster), Eddie is inveigled into participating in a bank heist. Things then go from bad to worse to awful for both Eddie and Barbara, victims of circumstance in a larger-scale scheme masterminded by hoodlums Steve Norris (Kevin McCarthy) and Harold Baker (Jack Kelly). Without ever justifying their actions, Drive a Crooked Road manages to engender plenty of audience sympathy for the hapless hero and heroine. The film was written by Blake Edwards and directed by Richard Quine, the same team responsible for such Mickey Rooney comic vehicles as All Ashore and Sound Off! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mickey Rooney, Dianne Foster, (more)
- 1954
American POWs struggle to escape from a North Korean camp. While this is basically a remake of Stalag 17, it does feature interesting scenes of a North Korean brainwashing. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Francis, Dianne Foster, (more)
- 1953
The Steel Key is a little-known British melodrama with some potent talent involved, including actors Terence Morgan and Joan Rice and future Saint director Robert Baker. The "maguffin" in this film is a formula for processed hardened steel. When the formula is stolen, the evidence points to international espionage. The good guys follow the trail of hot clues and dead bodies to uncover the villains boring from within the British industrial circles. Rarely seen in recent years, The Steel Key made the rounds in the early-TV days when British films were virtually all that was available for the tube. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1953
No relation to the 1924 D. W. Griffith film of the same name, Isn't Life Wonderful! is a bucolic British comedy which goes for quiet chuckles rather than bellylaughs. Set in a sleepy rural village in the early 1900s, the film centers around the efforts to transform sorry old sot Uncle Willie (Donald Wolfit) into a gentleman of prestige and property. It is all for the benefit of young Virginia (Dianne Foster), the American fiancee of Willie's prim-and-proper nephew Frank (Robert Urquardt). Set up by friends and relatives in the bicycle business, Uncle Willie continues his wastrelly ways, but somehow manages to make a success of his little shop. Somehow all this leads to a hectic finale at a health spa, replete with an amusing car chase. As a novelty, Isn't Life Wonderful! is told from the point of view of the film's youngest character, played by 6-year-old Peter Asher. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cecil Parker, Eileen Herlie, (more)
