Charles R. Keane Movies

Written by mystery master Rod Serling, The Yellow Canary stars Pat Boone as insufferable singing idol Andy Paxton. Barbara Eden plays his wife Lissa, who is fed up with her husband's egotistical attitude and is ready to leave him. When their baby son is kidnapped, Andy Paxton refuses to enlist the help of the police. He still does not cooperate even after three people are murdered in crimes apparently related to the kidnapping. Finally, acting on his own, he agrees to pay $200,000 in ransom, but the kidnapper never shows up at an arranged meeting. In desperation, the singer finally gets more involved in tracking down the kidnapper. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide

The year is 1922, and it is raining rocks in the town of Chico, California. Shortly after this disturbing phenomenon, an anonymous phone call is placed to the local newspaper. The caller not only takes "credit" for the "heavy" rain, but also predicts the exact time for the next downpour. Could all this be tied in with an earlier incident in Washington, D.C, involving an odd self-proclaimed inventor who claims to have created a revolutionary formula for converting water into gasoline? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The many undersea exploits of a Navy frogman provide the basis of this episodic adventure based on the true story of naval commander Francis D. Fane. The exciting underwater sequences include actual footage of divers swimming with sharks and a 300-foot dive. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Set in the early '40s and directed by Raoul Walsh, The Revolt of Mamie Stover stars Jane Russell as Mamie, a San Francisco prostitute who is run out of town just as the second world war has begun to intensify. Mamie (Russell) settles down in Hawaii, hoping to start a new life. Though her prospects look good when she falls in love with a science-fiction writer (Richard Egan) who treats her with the respect she deserves, the dawning war and the fallacies of her previous lifestyle complicate their budding romance. Mamie cannot fully remove herself from her former profession, and provides some of her old services to the sailors stationed in town. Searching for another means of financial security, Mamie invests in several pieces of real estate and becomes quite wealthy, though her bad reputation has not been forgotten by the locals. The part of Mamie Stover was originally intended for Marilyn Monroe, but Russell stepped in when Monroe passed up the offer. The Revolt of Mamie Stover also features Joan Leslie, Agnes Moorehead, and Jorja Curtright. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide

American-International's Hot Rod Girl is a whole lot less exploitaitonal than its title. Chuck Connors stars as Ben, a policeman who hopes to stem an outbreak of juvenile delinquency. Overcoming great obstacles--most of them created by prejudiced adults--Ben hopes to build a drag strip, where hot-rodding teenagers will be allowed to race their motors in safety. The title character, Ben's pretty sister Lisa, is played by Lori Nelson. Among the hot-rodders in Hot Rod Girls is a young Frank Gorshin (here billed as Frank J. Gorshin), who ten years later would reteam with director Leslie H. Martinson on the set of the theatrical-feature version of TV's Batman. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The infamous Benedict Arnold affair is the basis of the lively MGM costumer The Scarlet Coat. Arnold is played with suitably subtle menace by Robert Douglas, while his principal co-conspirator, Major John Andre, is essayed by Michael Wilding. The largely speculative storyline concerns the efforts of one Major John Boulton (Cornel Wilde), a colonial counterspy, to foil Arnold's plans. Thanks to some deft scriptwriting, the much-abused Major Andre emerges as the most sympathetic character in the film, if only because he is willing to face the consequences for his actions. Less sympathetic is George Sanders in another of his patented "cad" roles, while Anne Francis is the spunky (if unnecessary) heroine. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Desert Rats was a quickly assembled follow-up to 20th Century-Fox's successful war film The Desert Fox. Richard Burton plays an officer in the British Eighth Army, battling Rommel's forces in defense of Tobruk. Put in charge of an Australian unit, Burton rides his men ruthlessly, with laudatory results. He is briefly captured by the Nazis and questioned by General Rommel himself, but Burton escapes to lead his surviving troops to safety. James Mason, who portrayed Rommel in The Desert Fox, makes a guest appearance in the same role in The Desert Rats. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Another entry in the 3D sweepstakes, Hannah Lee is all but forgotten today. That's too bad, because the film at least has historical interest, representing one of the few forays into directing by actor John Ireland, who co-stars in the film with his then-wife Joanne Dru. MacDonald Carey heads the cast as vicious outlaw Bus Crow, who is paid a substantial sum to wipe out a group of homesteaders. Opposing Crow at every turn is U.S. marshal Rochelle (Ireland), who suspects that Crow is responsible for a recent rash of murders but who can prove nothing. Meanwhile, Crow's erstwhile lady friend Hallie (Dru) turns on the bandit when he guns down an innocent little boy. The title Hannah Lee has far less relevance to the plot than Wicked Water, the title of the MacKinlay Kantor novel upon which this film is based. Credited as co-director is the film's cinematographer, Oscar-winner Lee Garmes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Not up to the classic 1935 presentation, this is still an excellent adaptation of Victor Hugo's epic novel. The familiar characters of Valjean and Javert and the agonies of injustice are all portrayed convincingly against a backdrop of 18th century France. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide