Isabelita Movies

Director Lesley Selander, a western specialist with humble ambitions whose work has fostered a minor cult, was the man behind the megaphone in Broken Star. Bill Williams stars as a deputy sheriff who encounters stiff resistance when he investigates the murder of a Mexican. Only dance hall girl Lita Baron and marshal Addison Richards seem interested in bringing the culprit to justice. When Williams locates the guilty man, he wishes he hadn't; it turns out to be his best friend and fellow deputy Howard Duff. Striking a blow for tolerance (in standard western terms, of course), Broken Star is a solid medium-budget job from a modest but talented craftsman. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Presumably, Savage Drums was an attempt by Lippert Studios to launch an adventure series along the lines of "Jungle Jim" and "Bomba the Jungle Boy". The inimitable Sabu stars as Tipo, a native of a tropical island who returns home after establishing himself as a boxer in the U.S. Tipo soon discovers that his friends and family are in danger of falling under the influence of invading communists. Aligning himself with island king Maou (H.B. Warner), Tipo squares off against Red provincial ruler Chang (Steven Geray) and his minions. The film's feminine angle is provided by Lita Baron (good girl) and Margia Dean (bad commie), while comedy relief is in the hands of Lippert perennial Sid Melton and master dialectician Bob Easton. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

"Tarzan with clothes on". That's how one reviewer summed up Sam Katzman's newest film series Jungle Jim, starring ex-Tarzan Johnny Weissmuller in the title role. Based on the popular comic strip by Alex Raymond (previously cinematized as a 12-episode Universal serial in 1936), this first entry in the "Jim" series finds our hero guiding gorgeous lady scientist Hilary Parker (Virginia Grey) through the wilds of Africa-actually the Columbia back lot and nearby Bronson Canyon-in search of an herb that will cure infantile paralysis. At first, Hilary resents Jungle Jim's casual chauvinism, but after being nearly killed on several occasions (she apparently can't take two steps without confronting a lion or snake) she's willing to acknowledge his expertise in all things African. Once Hilary's expedition has arrived in a hidden native village, they find themselves as the mercy of crooked gold prospector Bruce Edwards (a pre-Superman George Reeves), who foments a tribal sacrifice as a means of putting the good guys out of the way. Many of the film's wildlife scenes were culled from the 1930 documentary Africa Speaks, which continued to be cannibalized throughout the subsequent 15 "Jungle Jim" epics. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

High School Hero is all about a high school hero (what else?), played by Monogram musical star Freddy Stewart. A student at Whitney High, Freddy agonizes when the Big Football Game approaches with the school's principal rival, who have emerged victorious in all previous gridiron clashes. Director Arthur Dreifuss makes things easy for the audience by dressing the "good" football players in white and the "bad" ones in black, which is perhaps the film's comic highlight. To amplify the budget, the film is rife with "product placement" advertising plugs, a practice that would reach its nirvana in 1949's Love Happy (and would be revived, with a vengeance, in the 1980s). In addition to Freddy Stewart's perennial leading lady June Preisser, High School Hero costars Noel Neill, later to achieve TV fame as Lois Lane on Superman. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Disparate twin brothers find themselves involved in romantic mayhem when their respective girl friends get them confused in this musical comedy. One of the brothers is an aggressive, ambitious and gregarious television producer; the other is an introverted insurance salesman with few long-term goals. The trouble begins when the pushy brother tries to con his quieter twin into providing financial support to a new program. Things really begin to happen after the women get involved. Fortunately it is all straightened out in the end when a third brother suddenly appears and saves the day. Songs include "I Couldn't Love You Anymore," "When I Fall in Love," "Negra Leona" (Sung by Isabelita), "Same Old Routine," "The Mad Hatter," and "Baa Baa to You" (Jack Brooks). ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

A journalist for a popular travel magazine goes looking for interesting stories in Latin America and finds love instead in this colorful musical. The love angle comes from her fiance who lives there, and from the dashing photographer who accompanies her. Included are many South American acts including flamenco dancers Rosario and Antonio. Songs include: "Ba-Ba-Lu" (Bob Russell, Marguerita Lecuna), "Stars in Your Eyes", "La Morine de Mi Copla" (Gabriel Ruiz, Mort Greene), "Rhumba Matumba" (Bobby Collazo, Greene), "Guadalajara" (Pepe Guizar, Greene), "Negra Leona" (A. Fernandez, Greene), and "Baramba" (Margarita Lecuona, Greene). ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Only at Republic studios would action star Richard Arlen head the cast of a muscial comedy. In That's My Baby, Tim Jones (Arlen) and his girl friend Betty (Ellen Drew) try to pull her dad, the appropriately named R. P. Moody (Minor Watson), out of a deep blue funk. On the verge of suicide, Moody is cheered up by a series of musical numbers, performed by the likes of bandleader Freddie "Schnickelfritz" Fisher and pianist Gene Rogers. The film's highlight is an animated sequence produced by Dave Fleischer, who'd left Paramount several years earlier to form his own independent cartoon firm. The screenplay for That's My Baby was the handiwork of no less than novelist Irving Wallace! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide