Lex Barker Movies
Born to a wealthy New York family, Lex Barker took time off from being a high-profile playboy to attend Princeton University and pick up theatrical experience in a stock company. In films from 1945, Barker made little impression as a leading man until he was selected to replace Johnny Weissmuller as moviedom's Tarzan. The tenth actor to essay this role, Barker starred as the Lord of the Jungle in five Tarzan programmers produced by Sol Lesser between 1949 and 1953. After leaving the series, Barker floundered in formula westerns until he moved to Europe in 1958, where he starred in an internationally successful German/Italian western series based on Karl May's "Winnetou" stories. He also showed up in a handful of James Bond rip-offs, and was prominently featured in Fellini's La Dolce Vita. In 1966, he won Germany's Bambi Award for "Best Foreign Actor." Barker was married five times; his most famous wives were actresses Arlene Dahl and Lana Turner. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1963
Set in medieval Venice, this swashbuckler chronicles the courage of an executioner and his godson as they attempt to show that the Grand Inquisitor is in league with murderous pirates. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1962
Though director Fritz Lang, who started the "Dr. Mabuse" ball rolling back in 1922, had washed his hands of the series in the early 1960s, the Mabuse films kept popping up throughout the decade. This one stars Lex Barker as a New York detective investigating the criminal activities of the supposedly deceased evil genius Mabuse (Wolfgang Preiss). The bad doctor wants to get his paws on "Operation X", a serum that makes people invisible. Karin Dor, playing the daughter of the facially disfigured inventor of Operation X, is kidnaped by Mabuse and becomes a human bargaining chip. The Invisible Dr. Mabuse (original German title: Die Unsichtbaren Krallen des Dr. Mabuse) was released in some markets as The Invisible Horror. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1962
Although filmed by a joint German-Yugoslav crew, this European western is set in the Southern United States and involves an oddly-named hero, Old Shatterhand (Lex Barker of Tarzan fame). O.S. has a sidekick, Winnetou, an Apache chief played by a rather understated Pierre Brice. The fuel behind the drama is a hidden map that shows where a secret treasure is buried somewhere around Silver Lake. A gang of outlaws headed by Cornel Brinkley (Herbert Lom) is intent on retrieving the map and the treasure. Just as intent on stopping them are Old Shatterhand, Winnetou, and Fred Engel (Goetz George) whose father was killed by the outlaws' leader. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pierre Brice, Lex Barker, (more)
- 1961
The first of the "Dr. Mabuse" films not directed by Fritz Lang, the French/German/Italian Return of Dr. Mabuse stars Wolfgang Preiss in the title role. Supposedly dead and buried, Mabuse returns to his criminal activities, once more using hypnotized flunkeys to carry out his dirty work. While the doc's longtime foe Inspector Lohmann (Gert Froebe) probes and prods in his usual methodical fashion, hotshot American detective Lex Barker and dauntless girl reporter Daliah Lavi take the more direct approach to weed out Mabuse. This time around, the diabolical doctor wants to sabotage a nuclear reactor, then take over the world (he never does anything by halves). Return of Dr. Mabuse was released in Europe as Im Stahlnetz des Dr. Mabuse, Le Retour Du Docteur Mabuse and FBI Contro Dr. Mabuse; in some American cities, it was shipped out as Phantom Fiend. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1961
In this high-seas adventure set in the 15th century, a dashing hero is released from prison and assigned to save the governor of Rhodes' kidnapped daughter from a wicked pirate. Instead, the parolee joins the pirates, but when they catch him staring at the girl, they beat him senseless and leave him to die. They then leave to sell the girl to a white slaver. Fortunately, the hero remembers right from wrong, enlists the aid of local fishermen, and saves the girl. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
In one of the most widely seen and acclaimed European movies of the 1960s, Federico Fellini featured Marcello Mastrioanni as gossip columnist Marcello Rubini. Having left his dreary provincial existence behind, Marcello wanders through an ultra-modern, ultra-sophisticated, ultra-decadent Rome. He yearns to write seriously, but his inconsequential newspaper pieces bring in more money, and he's too lazy to argue with this setup. He attaches himself to a bored socialite (Anouk Aimée), whose search for thrills brings them in contact with a bisexual prostitute. The next day, Marcello juggles a personal tragedy (the attempted suicide of his mistress (Yvonne Furneaux)) with the demands of his profession (an interview with none-too-deep film star Anita Ekberg). Throughout his adventures, Marcello's dreams, fantasies, and nightmares are mirrored by the hedonism around him. With a shrug, he concludes that, while his lifestyle is shallow and ultimately pointless, there's nothing he can do to change it and so he might as well enjoy it. Fellini's hallucinatory, circus-like depictions of modern life first earned the adjective "Felliniesque" in this celebrated movie, which also traded on the idea of Rome as a hotbed of sex and decadence. A huge worldwide success, La Dolce Vita won several awards, including a New York Film Critics CIrcle award for Best Foreign Film and the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marcello Mastroianni, Yvonne Furneaux, (more)
- 1960
In this swashbuckler, a 15th-century Spanish naval commander becomes a pirate in order to bring justice to a tyrannical governor. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1960
Former Tarzan Lex Barker plays Robin Hood in this Italian actioner. What's it about? Look at the title. Robin Hood takes on a gang of invading pirates-honest he does. Anything can happen in one of these here movin' pitcher shows. The lissome Jackie Lane costars as Robin's sweetie Karin (Maid Marian must have been seasick). At the risk of redundancy, we note that the original Italian title of Robin Hood and the Pirates was Robin Hood e i pirati. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1959
Filmed inexpensively on location, Mission to Morocco (aka Mission in Morocco) stars Lex Barker, Juli Reding and Fernando Rey. Ex-Tarzan Barker is cast as a wealthy American oil man. While in Morocco on business, he is forced into a murder investigation. The key to the mystery is a microfilm, showing the locations of newly discovered oil deposits. The saleability of Mission to Morocco might have been improved had the producers shelled out the extra money for color film. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1959
This chilling swashbuckler set in the 16th-century follows the exploits of a daring swordsman who must brave the horrors of a strange castle to defeat his nefarious foe. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1959
An oil executive (Lex Barker) is forced to travel to Morocco to investigate the murder of one of his employees. While there, he tries to find a valuable microfilm (which points out the location of large oil deposits) but begins to realize that others are looking for it also. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- 1958
American film actor Lex Barker spent the bulk of his professional career hunting up jobs in Europe. In Captain Falcon, Barker plays the title character, a do-gooding high seas swashbuckler. Rossana Rory is the heroine, whose tiny country is threatened by a gang of marauders headed by Massimo Serato. Captain Falcon saves the day, and a few nights as well. Captain Falcon was directed by Italian sword 'n' sandal director Carlo Campogalliani, who several decades earlier had helped put the Argentine film industry on its feet (though not with films like this one). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1958
In this crime drama, an American suffers a head injury while vacationing in France and finds himself victimized by a conniving female con artist. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lex Barker, Carole Mathews, (more)
- 1958
In this French suspenser, a tourist gets entangled in an easy money scheme. The trouble begins when the tourist offers a hitchhiker a lift. He is quickly knocked-out and left by the road. When he regains consciousness, he finds that he is in a strange house and cannot remember who he is or how he got there. The woman who owns the house sees the amnesiac tourist's presence as a way for her to get the money her late husband was supposed to receive. To do this, she convinces the poor fellow that he is the heir to the fortune. Fortunately the tourist figures it all out. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1958
In this exciting adventure, the son of the famous pirate returns from exile to exact vengeance upon those who killed his father. Along with his pirate band, he commandeers a galleon and sets sail to find his father's betrayer. They find him, but the guilty party tries to save himself by explaining that the pirate's sister, who has been presumed dead, is working for a relative of the governor. The pirate then sets off to save her; this results in his being accused of kidnapping. Fortunately, a beautiful countess, falls in love with him and tries to save him. Unfortunately, he rejects her and she angrily betrays him. More mayhem ensues until the brave pirate leader is able to save his beloved women. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1957
This drama is another adaptation of James Fenimore Cooper's popular novel that follows the exploits of a white scout who was raised by the Mohicans. He comes to the aid of a settler's colony that is plagued by warring Indians. He becomes entangled with an old white trader and his two daughters when he rescues them from the wrath of the Huron tribe. The trader hates the Indians because they killed his wife and took her scalp. Now he scalps any Indian he encounters. It turns out that all the Hurons want are the scalps he has taken so that the spirits of the dead can rest. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lex Barker, Rita Moreno, (more)
- 1957
Jungle Heat is set in pre-WWII Hawaii. A group of pro-Japanese fifth columnists infiltrate the islands, intended to demoralize the populace long before the Pearl Harbor attacks. Specializing in sabotage, the spies target the pineapple and sugar plantations, not to mention the big-city industries. American doctor Jim Ransom catches on to what's happening (though it seems to take him forever), and, together with National Guard officer Richard Grey, foils the villains. It is worth noting that the principal villain in Jungle Heat is not Japanese, but an occidental traitor played (or overplayed) by James Westerfield. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lex Barker, Mari Blanchard, (more)
- 1957
Zsa Zsa Gabor plays twin sisters in this campy Red Scare espionage thriller from the late 1950s. She plays the nurse to Joseph Stalin, who didn't die in 1953 after all. The death was all a nefarious scam in which the leader faked his death, had his face surgically rearranged and then moved to Greece with a fortune in Soviet currency. Nurse Zsa Zsa, who is also Stalin's lover. Unfortunately, she told no one where she was going. When her twin discovers her missing, she worries and hires an ex O.S.S. agent to find her. After much searching and danger, the agent finds the wicked dictator and sees that he this time his reign of terror is permanently ended. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lex Barker, Zsa Zsa Gabor, (more)
- 1957
War Drums manages to be pro-Indian, pro-Mexican, pro-tolerance and pro-feminist without ever resorting to speechmaking or sacrificing its entertainment value. Former Tarzan Lex Barker stars as an Apache chief who is almost ostracized by his tribe when he marries Mexican girl Joan Taylor. Eventually, Barker is welcomed back, but Joan refuses to behave like a typical dutiful squaw. In deference to his wife's wishes, Barker trains Joan to become an Apache warrior! It is curious that the Political Correctness crowd has never paid homage to War Drums; perhaps it's because of the film's surfeit of decidedly non-PC violence and bloodshed. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lex Barker, Joan Taylor, (more)
- 1957
Anne Bancroft was several years away from her 1962 Oscar win when she starred in the compact murder mystery The Girl in Black Stockings. The scene is a posh Utah resort hotel, where several beautiful women are mysteriously killed. Suspects include lawyer David Hewson (Lex Barker), his secretary Beth Dixon (Anne Bancroft), nasty hotel owner Edmund Parry (Ron Randell), and Parry's sister (Marie Windsor). Among the victims is Mamie Van Doren. The Girl in Black Stockings was adapted from a short story by Peter Godfrey. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lex Barker, Anne Bancroft, (more)
