Richard Greene Movies

Set during World War I, Submarine Patrol stars Preston S. Foster as a naval officer demoted for dereliction of duty. He is forced to commandeer a battered old submarine chaser and its ragtag crew. Anxious to redeem himself, Foster transforms his loser underlings into a crack combat team, chalking up numerous enemy sinkings. Richard Greene costars as Foster's junior officer, a rich wastrel who matures into a worthwhile individual during his tour of duty. Deftly directed by John Ford, Submarine Patrol was enthusiastically received by audiences and critics alike in 1938. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Sonja Henie is the "lucky star" in this enjoyable 20th Century-Fox musical. Henie plays Kristina Nelson a humble department store sales clerk who is spotted while skating by George Cabot Jr. (Cesar Romero_, son of the store's owner. George is so taken by Kristina that he gets her an athletic scholarship in a major university. It is hoped that our heroine will serve as a living advertisement for the store by strolling around in an expensive sports wardrobe; instead, she incurs the jealousy of her fellow students, causing a slump in sales. George also loses out romantically when Kristina falls in love with handsome teacher Larry Taylor (Richard Greene). Expelled from college, Kristina recovers from the blow when she's hired by a popular ice capades-style extavaganza. The film's highlight is Sonja Henie's "Alice in Wonderland" ice ballet, originally released in Sepiatone. Those not interesting in skating will be compensated by the lunatic comedy of supporting actress Joan Davis. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Though it takes a few liberties with the Arthur Conan Doyle original -- not the least of which is turning Sherlock Holmes into the second lead -- The Hound of the Baskervilles ranks as one of the best screen versions of this oft-told tale. After learning the history of the Baskerville curse from the hirsute Dr. Mortimer (Lionel Atwill), Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) takes upon himself the responsibility of protecting sole heir Henry Baskerville (top-billed Richard Greene) from suffering the same fate as his ancestors: a horrible death at the fangs of the huge hound of Grimpen Moor. Unable to head to Baskerville mansion immediately, Holmes sends his colleague Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce) to act as his surrogate. What Watson doesn't know is that Holmes, donning several clever disguises, is closely monitoring the activities of everyone in and around the estate. Meanwhile, young Henry falls in love with Beryl Stapleton (Wendy Barrie), sister of the effusively friendly John Stapleton (Morton Lowry). Holmes and Watson compare notes, a red herring character (John Carradine) is eliminated, Henry Baskerville is nearly torn to shreds by a huge hound, and the man behind the plot to kill Henry and claim the Baskerville riches for himself is revealed at the very last moment. The Hound of the Baskervilles "improves" upon the original with such embellishments as turning the villain's wife into his sister, and by interpolating a spooky séance sequence involving mystic Beryl Mercer. In other respects, it is doggedly (sorry!) faithful to Doyle, even allowing Holmes to bait the censor by asking Dr. Watson for "the needle" at fadeout time. A big hit in a year of big hits, The Hound of the Baskervilles firmly established Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce as moviedom's definitive Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this drama, a miserable wife takes her son and leaves her alcoholic spouse. She ends up traveling to England to begin her new life. There she meets a wealthy Englishman whom she weds. Time passes. The boy grows up and want to return to the States to go to his father's alma mater. Because his father was an athletic hero at the school, he is fondly remembered. The curious boy, hearing all the accolades for his dad, begins looking for him. He finds his estranged father, renews their relationship, and helps his father sober up and begin leading a more productive life. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Actress/ballerina Vera Zorina stars as a phony countess, working in cahoots with two international con artists (Erich von Stroheim and Peter Lorre). She renounces her earlier life after falling in love with one of her victims (Richard Greene), but her old crooked cronies show up to blackmail her. Zorina confesses to her husband, who forgives all. Von Stroheim and Lorre steal everything but the cameras in their brief scenes, outshining both hero and heroine with their patented rascality. I Was an Adventuress ends with a George Balanchine ballet sequence, which like all such film "highlights" goes on too long and is strictly a matter of taste. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Bob Randall (Richard Greene) is a reporter who gets to witness first-hand the British retreat from Dunkirk in May of 1940. He returns to his job in a London now facing nightly German bombing raids, and finds himself saddled with Carol Bennett (Valerie Hobson), a neophyte reporter. Bob is eager to take on the Nazis and, in the absence of any on the ground that he can fight, he turns to the leaders of a pacifist movement, The People for Peace. But no sooner does he start to look into who they are than he finds himself being shadowed by mysterious men and stirring up a hornet's nest of activity in his wake. While Carol tries to keep up and do her bit, and Bob tries to look out for her and find out just what he's stepped into -- which soon involves kidnappings and murder -- the German bombers keep coming and the newspaper's survival is threatened. Bob and Carol are drawn together romantically in the midst of these overlapping crises, and manage to find some time for each other while helping their long-suffering editor (Brefni O'Rourke) save the newspaper and the British secret service save the country. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide

The Yellow Canary was one of several wartime collaborations between British producer-director Herbert Wilcox and Hollywood's RKO Radio Pictures. The film stars Wilcox's wife Anna Neagle as pretty aristocrat Sally Maitland. Having alienated many of her friends with her prewar Nazi sympathies, Sally continues hobnobbing with the Third Reich once war has been declared. Actually, her pro-German activities are a sham; she's actually working hand and glove with the British government to smash an Axis spy ring in Canada. Along for the ride is British intelligence officer Jim Garrick (Richard Greene), who ultimately falls in love with Sally. There's a "mystery" angle to the plotline of The Yellow Canary, but it is largely ignored when the story takes a melodramatic turn in the last few reels. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Though its title suggests that Gaiety George is yet another vehicle for British comedian George Formby, the film is in fact a biopic. Richard Greene plays Irish theatrical impresario George Howard, whose elaborately staged musical entertainments were highlights of the early 20th century. Wounded during World War I, Howard returns to London and virtually forgotten, compelling him to mount a spectacular comeback. Surprisingly, the weakest element is not its banal plotline but the musical numbers, which are staged with little of the "feel" or energy of the period. Released in the US as Showtime in 1948. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this lively adventure, a daring Irish leader tires to keep Napoleon from invading Ireland. The hero, in every way a swashbuckler, journeys to his recently inherited castle where he saves a fair lassie the Viceroy's daughter, from highwaymen. He then gets involved in many exciting and hair-raising exploits as he saves his beloved Erin from an evil conspiracy precipitated by the Viceroy's assistant who is secretly in league with Napoleon. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

The British That Dangerous Age is based on Autumn, a play by Margaret Kennedy and Ilya Surgutchoff. Myrna Loy heads the cast as Lady Brooke, the wife of famed barrister Sir Brian Brooke (Roger Livesay). Neglected by her husband, Lady Brooke inaugurates an affair with a younger man. Meanwhile, Monica (Peggy Cummins), Brooke's daughter by a previous marriage, enters into her own romantic entanglement. When Sir Brian falls ill, his wife comes to her senses, and the result is lasting happiness for all, especially Monica. The story is set on the isle of Capri, allowing for several restful and pleasing landscape shots. That Dangerous Age was originally released as If This Be Sin. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A popular British stage play by William Douglas Home was the basis for this out-of-the-ordinary prison picture. Richard Greene heads the cast as Turnfell, a murderer facing a death sentence. Turnfell is but one of several inmates whose joys and sorrows are detailed in anecdotal fashion: others include a cockney forger (William Hartnell), an embezzling bank clerk (Ronald Howard) and a bigamist (Lesley Dwyer). Also on hand is the Governor (or warden), played with a refreshing lack of genre cliches by Sir Cedric Hardwicke and an Irish terrorist, well-played by a very young Richard Burton. Now Barabbas was a Robber was eventually given a general release under the streamlined title Now Barabbas. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Denied steady work in the U.S. because of his alleged left-wing political beliefs, Edward G. Robinson was obliged to seek out film roles elsewhere in 1950. My Daughter Joy stars Robinson as self-made businessman George Constantin, whose ruthlessness knows no bounds. In fact, Constantin hopes to control the economy of the world, thereby calling the shots for everything and everybody. Outside of his business activities, the only thing he cares about is his daughter Georgette (Peggy Cummins), known to everyone as Joy. As part of a scheme to gain a valuable material necessary for a top-secret project, Constantin arranges a marriage between Joy and the son of a Middle Eastern potentate. But Joy is in love with journalist Larry Boyd (Richard Greene), who has been conducting an investigation of Constantin's questionable business practices. Constantin has every intention of squelching his beloved daughter's happiness for the sake of megalomania -- until he is devastated by the revelation of a deep, dark secret long held by his wife (Nora Swinburne). My Daughter Joy was released in the U.S. as Operation X. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Lorna Doone is based on the oft-filmed novel by Richard D. Blackmore. Set in 17th century Scotland during the reign of Britain's Charles II, the story concerns young Lorna (Barbara Hale), a member of a much-hated landowning family. Lorna falls in love with a humble villager (Richard Greene), who like the rest of community has suffered under the rule of the despotic Doones. The villagers revolt against their oppressors, but when it is revealed that Lorna is not a genuine Doone, she is able to marry her low-born swain. Star Barbara Hale was pregnant throughout the filming of Lorna Doone; thus it can be said that the film "co-starred" her son, future actor William Katt. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide