Harry Harvey Movies

Billy Winder directed and co-wrote this bitterly satiric comedy-drama which turns a jaundiced eye towards both the news media and its consumers. Chuck Tatum (Kirk Douglas) is a talented but short-tempered reporter whose fondness for booze and unwillingness to bow to authority has cost him jobs at some of America's most prestigious newspapers. When Tatum's car breaks down in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Tatum persuades the editor of the local paper (Porter Hall) to give him a job until he can make enough to get his jalopy running and find a story that will put him back in the good graces of the Big City journals. After a year in Albuquerque, Tatum begins to wonder if a big scoop will ever cross his path, but when he's sent to Los Barios to cover the annual rattlesnake hunt, he lucks into a great human interest story -- Leo Minosa (Richard Benedict), who runs a local diner, motel and curio emporium, is caught in an abandoned mine shaft after a rockslide, which some superstitious locals attribute to an Indian curse. Tatum writes up the story with all the flourish he can muster, and portrays Leo's wife Lorraine (Jan Sterling) as a devoted spouse fearful for her husband's life, even though she can barely stand Leo and is planning to leave him. Tatum's story is picked up by the wire services and he makes friends with local sheriff Kretzer (Ray Teal) to insure he has an inside line on updates on Leo's rescue. When Tatum learns that Leo can be freed in a mere twelve hours, he persuades Kretzer and his men to adopt another rescue method that will take several days, which will generate more copy for Tatum, more press attention for Ketzer's re-election campaign, and more business for Lorraine's diner. Soon Los Barios is the biggest tourist attraction in the state, but as the media circus mounts, Leo begins to fall seriously ill. Also released as The Big Carnival, Ace In The Hole was a major box-office disappointment upon its original release in 1951, even though it was sandwiched between two of Wilder's biggest hits, Sunset Boulevard and Stalag 17. Despite never being released in home video until 2007, Ace In The Hole's bitter tone earned it an enthusiastic cult following, and it's now regarded as one of Wilder's best films of the Fifties. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Based on the play by Arthur Miller, All My Sons is a drama of man's duty to man that retains a potent impact. Edward G. Robinson plays a manufacturer of parts for World War II airplanes who lives a full, satisfied life in a small town. But his idyll is shattered by the arrival of the fiancée of the manufacturer's oldest son, who is missing in action. The younger son begins to fall in love with the girl, but her own brother is against the relationship because, he claims, the manufacturer and his partner delivered defective parts to the war effort. The younger son (Burt Lancaster) investigates, even going as far as visit his father's former partner in jail, and discovers the awful truth -- that his father's corrupt actions were responsible for both the partner's incarceration and the deaths of 21 U.S. pilots. The tale ends with a bitter and tragic confrontation that drives home the message that we are all our brother's keepers, and we cannot push aside that responsibility for personal gain. Thoughtful and intense performances by Robinson and Lancaster bring humanity and life to this powerful theme. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide

Arizona Manhunt was the second entry in Republic's "Rough Ridin' Kids" series. Michael Chapin returns as Red, the precocious grandson of Sheriff White (James Bell), while Eilene Janssen likewise reappears as Red's best friend Judy. Once again, the two kids get involved with grown-up western desperadoes, in this case the outlaw gang formerly controlled by Judy's foster father. When the crooks (led by the inevitable Roy Barcroft) ride into town loaded for bear, it is Red and Judy who bring them to justice. Somehow or other, Arizona Manhunt manages to accommodate a xylophone solo by young Eilene Janssen. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this is '40s western a U.S. marshal chases a band of big-name bandits into no-man's territory (land outside of U.S. government jurisdiction) as he's trying to locate his little brother. He ends up facing off with none other than the James Boys, the Daltons and other notorious fellows. Badman's Territory proved so successful that the formula was repeated several times by RKO and other studios. ~ All Movie Guide

The Broadway musical Beat the Band was boiled down to B-picture terms in this RKO Radio programmer. The plot concerns Damon (Philip Terry), a bandleader who finds himself financially embarrassed when he returns from WW2. In order to earn enough money to reassemble his orchestra, Damon poses as a famed Italian voice teacher. His first pupil is would-be songstress Ann (Frances Langford), whose family fortune figures prominently in Damon's comeback scheme. Ralph Edwards, emcee of the then-popular radio series "Truth or Consquences," provides comic relief as Damon's crooked business manager. The musical highlights include a "hot" arrangement performed in a boiler room by the Gene Krupa Orchestra. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

With the help of a ouija board, Samantha and her daughter, Tabitha, accidentally come in contact with the ghost of self-made businessman Willie Baker (Harry Harvey Sr.). This leads to yet another dilemma when Willie begs Sam to stop his backward-looking nephew (J. Edward McKinley) from ruining the family business. Sam's efforts to grant Willie's wishes almost costs Darrin his job (again). Written by Robert Riley Crutcher, "Tabitha's Cranky Spell" (sometimes listed as "Tabatha's Cranky Spell") first aired on March 28, 1968. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Though the title of this episode refers to the young lady played by Sheila Wells, the emphasis is on George's father, photographer Enos Blessing (Jack Albertson). Hired to provide an alibi for crooked lawyer Cato Troxell (Gerald Mohr), who plans to murder the judge (Fred Clark) responsible for hanging his brother, Blessing takes a group picture of the Ponderosa entourage, then doctors the photo to include Troxell. This little arrangement ultimately proves fatal for both Troxell and Blessing. Featured in the all-star supporting cast are Andy Devine and Patsy Kelly) as Roscoe and Mrs. Neely. Written by William H. Wright, "A Girl Named George" first aired on January 14, 1968. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The cattle rustlers in Border Cafe, a modern-day western from the RKO B-unit, are Eastern gangsters headed by none other than that old reprobate J. Carrol Naish. After having landed in jail for drunken driving for the umpteenth time, young Bostonian Keith Whitney (John Beal callously leaves his fiancé (Marjorie Lord) behind and takes off on a whim for Verde, Texas, where he inhales huge amounts of scotch and plays the honky tonk. In the mistaken belief that his son is operating a cattle ranch, Senator Whitney (George Irving) announces his arrival in Verde but Keith is rescued in the nick of time by Tex Stevens (Harry Carey), a leathery cattle baron who has taken a liking to the youngster. Things get dicey when New York gangster Rocky Alton (Naish) arrives to extract protection fees but Keith, who has taken to the wide open spaces like the proverbial fish to water, saves the day for all and sundry. Dumped on the B-Movie market with little fanfare in June of 1937, Border Café marked the screen debut of Marjorie Lord, mother of screen actress Anne Archer. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

Alethea Brand (Julia Beaubian) is in love with Spencer Rutherford (R. Henry Grey), a cashier at the bank her father (Daniel Gilfether) owns. But Roger Brand insists that Rutherford must have a fortune equal to Alethea's before they can marry. Baron Norvinsk (Melvin Mayo) comes to town with his sister, Paula (Kathleen Kirkham) and they open an account at Brand's bank. The baron claims to represent Russian royalty and Brand is impressed enough to give him a half million dollar loan (worth many times that in those days!). But Alethea's French maid (Gloria Payton) reveals that the Baron and his sister are impostors. It's too late to stop him from getting the loan, but Alethea manages to entice the baron into the safety deposit vault of the bank. Rutherford, who is helping her, is called away and a detective closes the vault, locking Alethea and the Baron together. Rutherford, however, returns with Brand in time to save Alethea from any harm. Because he has saved Brand a half million dollars, Rutherford asserts that he has earned the amount of Alethea's fortune, and Brand agrees. To save the Baron from a life in Siberia, Paula kills him. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

Unjustly accused of desertion at the Battle of Bitter Creek, Captain Jason McCord (Chuck Connors), the sole survivor of that skirmish, is dishonorably discharged from the Army and booted out into the world. In this premiere episode of Branded, McCord has already embarked upon his westward odyssey to gather proof that he is innocent of the charges against him. While wandering in the desert, McCord comes across Jed Colbee (Alex Cord), who is barefoot and near death. Rescuing Colbee, McCord is "rewarded" when the man steals his horse and canteen--but there is more to this act than mere treachery. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This musical spoof of Westerns featured Lee Marvin in dual roles that won him a Best Actor Oscar. Jane Fonda stars as the title character, a prim schoolmarm returning to her hometown of Wolf City, Wyoming, after receiving an Eastern education. On the train ride, Cat meets up with a pair of friendly, charming crooks, Clay Boone (Michael Callan) and his uncle, Jed (Dwayne Hickman), the former becoming hopelessly smitten with the naive but tough Cat. Upon arriving home, Cat discovers that her eccentric father, Frankie (John Marley), is being threatened with bodily harm by a development company that desperately wants his land. When Frankie is murdered by ruthless, noseless killer Tim Strawn (Marvin), Cat straps on a pair of six-shooters and persuades Clay, Jed, and her father's loyal Native American hand Jackson Two-Bears (Tom Nardini) to sign on as her posse. In her quest for revenge, Cat also recruits Kid Shelleen (also played by Marvin), a one-time fearsome gunslinger who's now a hopeless alcoholic. Cat Ballou (1965) is interspersed throughout the narrative with appearances by Stubby Kaye and Nat King Cole as a pair of balladeers who comment on the action musically in Greek chorus style. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

The third of western hero James Warren's trio of RKO Radio vehicles, Code of the West was like its predecessors based on a story by Zane Grey. Warren plays Bob Wade, a settler on the Arizona Strip, circa 1880. Representing his fellow settlers, Wade stands up to gambling boss Carter (Raymond Burr), who knows that the railroad intends to extend through Arizona and plans to drive the homesteaders out of the territory. Likewise defying the crooked Carter is Wade's Mexican-Irish sidekick, Chito Rafferty (John Laurentz). Code of the West was previously filmed in 1925 and 1934 (the latter version, titled Home on the Range, starred Randolph Scott). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide