Irving Bacon Movies

When Rob (Dick Van Dyke), Buddy (Morey Amsterdam), and Sally (Rose Marie) each receive an unexpected 1,200 dollars, the intrepid trio decide to invest in a growing business. The most attractive prospect would seem to be the bargain shoe store owned by Buddy's Uncle Lou (Lou Jacobi). Unfortunately, running a business in this case translates to getting the business -- especially when Rob is stuck with the job of shoe clerk on an unusually busy day! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A kick from an angry horse knocks out the town bully, but it is Bret Maverick who is given credit for the blow--and that's how Bret becomes the new sheriff of Duck 'N' Shoot. His contract calls for him to stay on the job for six months, but the locals give odds that Bret won't last the week. Surprisingly, Bret proves to be an efficient if somewhat unorthodox peacekeeper (thereby foreshadowing James Garner's similar role in the 1969 comedy western Support Your Local Sheriff), but ultimately he is toppled from his perch by beautiful-but-larcenous Melissa Maybrook (Peggy McCay) and ends up locked in his own jail. Fortunately, brother Bart (Jack Kelly) shows up to give Bret a helping hand...but there's a hefty price to pay for his services. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this western, an embittered cavalry sergeant must take over his regiment after their commanding officer is killed during an ambush. To save them, he leads the troop through Apache territory because it is the quickest way to reach the fort. The members of the regiment do not trust their new leader's reasoning. They suspect he is taking them through the restricted territory so that he can get revenge upon the Apaches who killed his wife and kids several years ago. The troop find themselves suffering a series of increasingly deadly attacks. Many die, until the soldiers, believing that the sergeant has lost his mind, rebel and kill him. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Boy, are Beaver (Jerry Mathers) and Wally (Tony Dow) in for it! Answering a mail-order ad, the boys have purchased a baby alligator without telling mom and dad. Now the gator has gotten sick -- and even worse, it's growing bigger and bigger every day. In their efforts to hide the gator in the bathroom, Beav and Wally cover up their activities by taking a whole bunch of baths -- and that's what tips off Ward (Hugh Beaumont) and June (Barbara Billingsley) that their kids are up to something. Edgar Buchanan, who'd later be seen as Beav's tall-tale-spinning Uncle Billy, is here cast as the episode's title character, a crusty alligator farm owner. "Captain Jack" was the first Leave It to Beaver episode filmed, but was shown second while the producers and the network quarreled over the fact that one scene featured a toilet -- a "first" for an American TV sitcom. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Some good performances overcome the scripted cliches in Dakota Incident. In the tradition of Stagecoach, the film offers a disparate group of travellers whose lives are imperiled when their coach heads deep into Indian territory. Linda Darnell plays Amy Clarke, the requisite you-know-what with a heart of gold. Dale Robertson costars as hard-bitten outlaw John Banner, who is willing to let a fellow passenger, bank clerk Carter Hamilton (John Lund), take the fall for a recent robbery. Ward Bond is Senator Blakely, whose "live and let live" policy regarding the Indians is a smokescreen for his corrupt activities. Regis Toomey is the obligatory drunk, here named Minstrel. And Whit Bissell is Mark Chester, the seemingly mild-mannered greenhorn who reveals hidden reserves of strength when the going gets rough. A clue as to who will survive the inevitable Indian attack is offered by the order of billing in the opening credits of Dakota Incident. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

On the last leg of their trip from New York to Hollywood, the Ricardos and the Mertzes pull into Albuquerque, the home town of Ethel Mertz (Vivian Vance). The four travelers are effusively welcomed by Ethel's father, Will Potter (Irving Bacon), who has arranged a gala reception for Alquerque's favorite daughter ("Ethel Mae Potter -- We Never Forget Her"). And why exactly is Ethel being feted as a celebrity? Well, it seems that she told a few -- er -- tall tales about having a spectacular show-business career to the editor of the "Albuquerque Chronicle." Hoping to teach Ethel a lesson, Lucy (Lucille Ball), Ricky (Desi Arnaz), and Fred (William Frawley) try to sabotage her command performance at the local little theater -- but she who laughs last laughs the loudest. ~ Rovi

Black Horse Canyon was adapted from The Wild Horse, a novel by Lee Savage Jr. Joel McCrea stars as novice rancher Del Rockwell, who takes it upon himself to capture a magnificent wild black stallion who has been spiriting mares away from other ranchers. Rockwell hopes to use the stallion for stud purposes, as does his disreputable neighbor Jennings (Murvyn Vye). Also desirous of corralling the stallion for her ranch is Aldia Spain (Mari Blanchard), who throws in with Rockwell. An exciting climax which reveals everyone's true nature caps this beautifully photographed western. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The Glenn Miller Story traces Miller's rise from pit-orchestra trombone player to leader of the most successful big band of his era. June Allyson is on hand as Miller's wife, Helen, who learns the value of patience when Glenn spends his wedding night jamming with Gene Krupa and Louis Armstrong. Given an officer's commission during World War II, Miller helms the swingin'est military band ever heard. In December of 1944, a plane carrying Miller disappears while flying over the English Channel. In memoriam, radio stations all over the world suspend their regular broadcasts to play such Miller standards as "Moonlight Serenade," "Chattanooga Choo Choo," and "Little Brown Jug." Many of Miller's contemporaries, including his first big-time boss, Ben Pollack, appear as themselves. The success of The Glenn Miller Story inspired Universal to give the go-ahead for another musical biopic, 1956's The Benny Goodman Story, with Steve Allen in the title role. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The 1954 musical remake of A Star is Born could have been titled A Star is Reborn, in that it represented the triumphal return to the screen of Judy Garland after a four-year absence. The remake adheres closely to the plotline of the 1937 original: An alcoholic film star, on his last professional legs, gives a career boost to a unknown aspiring actress. The two marry, whereupon her fame and fortune rises while his spirals sharply downward. Unable to accept this, the male star crawls deeper into the bottle. The wife tearfully decides to give up her own career to care for her husband. To spare her this fate, the husband chivalrously commits suicide. His wife is inconsolable at first, but is urged to go "on with the show" in memory of her late husband. In the original, Janet Gaynor played Esther Blodgett, who with no training or contacts came to Hollywood hoping for stardom. The remake, scripted by Moss Hart, is a shade more realistic: Garland's Esther, though far removed from fame, is a working professional singer/dancer when first we meet her. Both Gaynor and Garland are transformed from "Esther Blodgett" to "Vicki Lester" after being screen-tested, though Gaynor goes on to star in fluffy costume dramas while Garland more logically headlines big-budget musicals. The 1937 Star is Born costarred Fredric March as Norman Maine, Esther/Vicki's sponsor-cum-spouse. March patterned his performance after the tragic John Barrymore, reining in his emotions in favor of pure technique; James Mason's interpretation is more original, more emotional, and far more effective (who can forget the scene where Norman sobbingly overhears Vicki planning to give up her career for his sake?) As the studio's long-suffering publicist, the 1937 version's Lionel Stander is more abrasive and unpleasant than the 1954 version's introspective, intellectual Jack Carson; on the other hand, Adolphe Menjou and Charles Bickford are fairly evenly matched in the role of the studio head. Several important omissions are made in the remake. The 1937 Star is Born included Esther's indomitable old grandma (May Robson), a helpful assistant director (Andy Devine) and a soft-hearted landlord (Edgar Kennedy); all three characters are missing from the 1954 version, though elements of each can be found in the "best friend/severest critic" character played by Tommy Noonan. Wisely, both versions end with the grieving Vicki Lester coming out of her shell at a public gathering, greeting the audience with a proud, defiant "Good evening, everybody. This is Mrs. Norman Maine". Though directors William Wellman (1937 version) and George Cukor (1954 version) handle this finale in their own distinctive manners, the end result is equally effective emotionally. What truly sets the 1954 A Star is Born apart from other films of its ilk is its magnificent musical score by Harold Arlen and Ira Gershwin. The songs include The Man Who Got Away (brilliantly performed by Garland in one long take, sans dubbing), It's a New World, Somewhere There's a Someone, I Was Born in a Trunk, Lose That Long Face and Gotta Have Me Go With You. When originally previewed in 1954, the film ran well over three hours, thanks to the lengthy-and thoroughly disposable-Born in a Trunk number, added to the film as an afterthought without the approval or participation of director George Cukor. The Warner Bros. executives trimmed the film to 154 minutes, eliminating three top-rank musical numbers and several crucial expository sequences (including Norman's proposal to Vicki). At the instigation of the late film historian Ronald Haver, the full version was painstakingly restored in 1983, with outtakes and still photos bridging the "lost" footage. Though nominated in several categories, A Star is Born was left empty-handed at Academy Award time, an oversight that caused outrage then and still rankles Judy Garland fans to this day (Footnote: Judy Garland had previously played Vicki Lester in a 1942 Lux Radio Theatre adaptation of the original A Star is Born). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Walter Wanger's first production for Allied Artists, Kansas Pacific is more slick and polished than the usual budget western. Set just before the Civil War, the film concerts Kansas Pacific railroad's westward expansion, a project stymied by the sabotage activities of Southern sympathizers. Military officer John Nelson (Sterling Hayden) is assigned to make sure the railroad goes through. The film offers excellent performances from such usually stereotyped players as Barton MacLane, Harry Shannon, Douglas Fowley and James Griffith. Kansas Pacific's leading lady is Eve Miller, best known as Kirk Douglas' vis-a-vis in The Big Trees. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Ray Middleton and Bill Shirley, Republic Pictures' answer to Hope and Crosby, star in Sweethearts on Parade. Middleton and Shirley play Cam Ellerby and Bill Gamble, the featured singers in a travelling medicine show. While stopping over in a small town, Cam renews his acquaintance with his former wife Sylvia (Eileen Christy), who now has a pretty, grown-up daughter -- Kathleen -- played by Lucille Norman. When Kathleen makes noises about a show-business career, Sylvia won't hear of it -- nor does she approve of her daughter's romance with Bill. One gets the sneaking suspicion that everything will turn out all right in the end for all four protagonists. With 26 songs in the picture, how could things not turn out all right? ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The eponymous Rose is played by Mala Powers, a white girl raised by Cherokee Indians after her family was massacred. Powers considers herself a Native American and regards all whites as her enemies. Her feelings are justified to an extent when outlaws kill her Indian parents. Realizing she can't seek vengeance alone, Powers grudgingly accepts the help of white marshal Jack Beutel. Beyond its "Natural Color" photography, Rose of Cimarron is of interest in that it shows how Jack Beutel kept busy after he costarred with Jane Russell in the legendary "bosom western" The Outlaw. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Because of a minor error on their wedding license, Lucy (Lucille Ball) is convinced that she is no longer legally married to Ricky (Desi Arnaz). Taking advantage of the situation, Lucy insists that Ricky court her all over again, and that he drop to his knees to propose marriage in the most archaic "love language" imaginable. The situation is played to the hilt, culminating in an elopement in the wilds of New England. When originally telecast in April 1952, this I Love Lucy episode was seen by more viewers than any other TV show in history (ten million!). ~ Rovi