Larry Hudson Movies

This is the final installment in Universal's uneven "Gill Man trilogy," which began with Creature From the Black Lagoon and was followed by Revenge of the Creature, is the least interesting of the bunch. The story finds the prehistoric amphibian far from his Amazon home, kept under close scientific scrutiny in a special facility in Florida. After a laboratory fire severely damages the creature's gills, the head of the research team (Jeff Morrow) initiates an operation that will allow their subject to breathe through a set of latent lungs. After some attempts are made to acclimate the creature to life among human beings, Morrow's plans are destroyed by his own pettiness when one of his colleagues (Gregg Palmer) makes romantic overtures toward his wife, leading to a violent confrontation that leaves the creature badly injured. Alone in alien territory, the Gill Man resolutely shuffles off into the sea -- presumably to commit suicide, since he no longer possesses the ability to breathe underwater. This disappointing conclusion to the series makes little use of the 3-D thrills that enlivened the original and forsakes the opportunity to present a literal fish-out-of-water story in favor of hackneyed melodrama. Champion diver Ricou Browning again portrays the creature in the underwater sequences, with Don Megowan donning the gill-less Gill Man suit on land. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide

Jubal could just as easily have been titled Othello Out West, even though it was officially based on a novel by Paul I. Wellman. The Othello counterpart is likable (and extremely gullible) ranch owner Shep Horgan (Ernest Borgnine). Horgan hires handsome drifter Cassioer, Jubal Troop (Glenn Ford) as a cowhand, much to the delight of the film's "Desdemona", Horgan's hedonistic wife Mae (Valerie French). The "Iago" of the proceedings is psychotic ranch hand Pinky (Rod Steiger), who, envious of Jubal and hoping to enjoy Mae's sexual favors, sows the seeds of suspicion in Horgan's mind by falsely accusing Jubal of messing around with Horgan's wife. Amidst all this nastiness, there is at least one wholly virtuous character, pretty Naomi Hoktor (Felicia Farr), so guess who Jubal eventually winds up with? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

I Died a Thousand Times is a scene-by-scene remake of the 1941 crime-drama classic High Sierra. Jack Palance steps into the old Humphrey Bogart role as Roy "Mad Dog" Earle, the ageing bank robber who intends to pull off one last heist before retiring. Sprung from prison by likeable crime boss Big Mac (Lon Chaney Jr.), Earle is commissioned to mastermind the robbery of a resort hotel. His partners in crime include the hotheaded, immature Babe (Lee Marvin) and Red (Earl Holliman), as well as "inside man" Mendoza (Perry Lopez). Also along for the ride is Marie (Shelley Winters), a dance-hall girl whom Babe has picked up. Marie falls in love with Earle, but he has eyes only for Velma (Lori Nelson), the club-footed daughter of a farmer (Ralph Moody) whom Earle had earlier befriended. Intending to use his share of the loot to finance Velma's operation, Earle goes through with the robbery, only to be thwarted by the ineptitude of his partners, the treachery of the late Big Mac's successors, and, finally, the fickle Velma. With the faithful Marie by his side, Earle makes a desperate escape into the High Sierras, but fate is still against him. Essentially an itinerary of what has previously "clicked" in High Sierra, I Died a Thousand Times makes a few concessions to changing tastes and mores; the stereotype comedy-relief character played by black actor Willie Best in the original film, for example, has been replaced by the more "acceptable" (at least by 1950s terms) stereotyped Mexican played by Gonzales-Gonzales. While the 1955 film cannot match the excellence of its 1941 role model, I Died a Thousand Times works pretty well on its own terms. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The title character of this western can only be one of two actresses: Maureen O'Hara or Rhonda Fleming. But Fleming apparently had something else to do, so O'Hara won the coin-toss. She plays a dance-hall gal who protects the identity of a cattle rustler--mainly because she's the same crooked business herself. Complications ensue when O'Hara falls in love with the very sheriff (Alex Nicol) who intends to bring the rustler to justice. Redhead from Wyoming was filmed in Technicolor; the producers would have been insane not to do so. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Although Smoky Canyon is officially an entry in Charles Starrett's "Durango Kid" western series, the film is essentially a showcase for the talents of Jack (later Jock) Mahoney, who'd been a supporting player and stunt double in the Starrett films for several years. Mahoney plays a sheepman who's framed for the murder of a rancher. It's all part of a scheme by a dishonest cattleman (Tristam Coffin) who hopes to extenuate a range war for his own profit. Starrett assumes his "Durango" disguise to help clear Mahoney's name. A few comic breaks in the action are provided by habitual Starrett sidekick Smiley Burnette. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide