Frank Lackteen Movies

Set during the war of 1812, Hal Roach's Captain Caution is an unusual swashbuckler in that the "hero" is actually the heroine. Louise Platt plays Corunna, the daughter of Captain Dorman (Robert Barrat), skipper of the American vessel The Olive Branch. When Dorman is killed in battle, Corunna courageously assumes command of the ship, with the help of muscular first mate Dan Marvin (Victor Mature). While trying to bring a valuable cargo to America, the Olive Branch is captured a number of times by the British, but on each occasion Corunna and Marvin manage to wriggle free and carry on their mission. Making life tougher for Corunna is the presence of the lacivious Slade (Bruce Cabot), who'd like to claim both the girl and the ship as his own personal property. Based on a novel by Kenneth Roberts (Northwest Passage), Captain Caution is currently available on video in a computer-colorized version; the reader is advised to hold out for the black-and-white original. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A lesser entry in the long-running Hopalong Cassidy Western series, Stagecoach War features veteran character actor J. Farrell McDonald as Jeff Chapman, a stage-line owner about to lose a lucrative Wells Fargo contract after his driver is shot in a holdup. The crime opens a door for Neal Holt (Harvey Stephens), who is not only a rival stage-line operator, but also the former boyfriend of Jeff's daughter, Shirley (Julie Carter). Hoppy (William Boyd), meanwhile, discovers that Neal's foreman, Twister Maxwell (Frank Lackteen), knows more about the holdup that he cares to admit and when Holt begins to question the merit of Jeff's equipment, Hoppy enters a race for the contract with Lucky Jenkins (Russell Hayden) driving Jeff's Bar 20 mustangs against Neal's team. Lucky, however, is forced to throw the race to avoid harming Shirley, and, dejected, joins Smiley (Rad Robinson) and his gang of highwaymen. But does Lucky stay "bad" for good? As a nod to the popularity of musical-Westerns, producer Harry Sherman corralled baritone Rad Robinson, Eddie Dean, and the King's Men, who perform Phil Ohman and Foster Carling's "Lope-Along Road," "Westward Ho," and "Hold Your Horses." Surprisingly, the musical specialty acts all appeared as villains. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi

No relation to the 1929 Fox talkie of the same name, Republic's The Girl From Havana offers blonde-bombshell Claire Carleton (normally relegated to supporting roles) as the title character. The film charts the exploits of two oil-drilling buddies, Woody Davis (Dennis O'Keefe) and Tex Moore (Victor Jory) as they ply their trade in sunny Cuba. Woody and Tex come to blows over the affections of the gorgeous Havana (Claire Carleton), but eventually set aside their differences when the plot takes a melodramatic turn. The climax finds Woody posing as a gun-runner in order to expose a Nazi spy ring operating in the Carribean. Steffi Duna, wife of star Dennis O'Keefe, shows up to warble the "authentic" Cubano number "Querido, Take Me Tonight." ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this western, a dashing caballero makes a wager with his gang that he can court a beautiful dancer and lure her back to their lair. Unfortunately the woman loves another so the outlaw kidnaps them both. At the Mexican border, he has a change of heart and sets the lovers free. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Juarez was originally designed to concentrate almost exclusively on the tragedy of Hapsburg Emperor Maximillian, whose attempts to establish a puppet government in Mexico on behalf of Napoleon III ended in disaster and death. But when Paul Muni decided that he wanted to play Zapotec-Indian-turned-Mexican President Benito Pablo Juarez, the film's emphasis perceptibly shifted -- and Bette Davis, cast as Empress Carlotta, was shunted to second billing rather than first. Muni's makeup and costuming convincingly transforms him into Juarez incarnate. But unlike his other historical impersonations (Pasteur, Zola), Muni's Juarez is a one-note characterization: stoic, uncompromising, and v-e-e-r-y slow of speech. Far more exciting dramatically is Bette Davis as Empress Carlotta, whose highly stylized descent into madness is a tour de force both for the actress and for director William Dieterle. Claude Rains and Gale Sondergaard, as Napoleon III and Empress Eugenie, in essence repeat their diabolical characterizations from Anthony Adverse (1936), while John Garfield is singularly miscast as Pofirio Diaz. The best performance is delivered by Brian Aherne, whose kindly, honorable Emperor Maximillian is less a despot than a misguided political pawn. When Aherne, about to be executed at Juarez' orders, requests that his favorite Mexican song "La Paloma" be played as he is led before the firing squad, audience sympathies are 100% in Maximilian's corner--which was not quite what the filmmakers intended. Based largely on Bertita Harding's book The Phantom Crown (the film's original title), Juarez takes every available opportunity to parallel its title character's fight against foreign intervention with the then-current European situation. To protect their investment in Juarez Warner Bros. purchased outright a like-vintage Mexican film on the same subject, The Mad Empress, suppressing the latter film's release in the United States. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Myrna Loy stars in Clarence Brown's sumptuous and exotic romance, based upon the novel by Louis Bromfield. Loy plays Lady Edwina Esketh, the unhappily married wife of Lord Albert Esketh (Nigel Bruce), a dumpy middle-aged English businessman. Edwina escapes her loneliness by engaging in ephemeral love affairs. When Lord Albert travels to the Indian province of Ranchipur, Edwina encounters one of her past lovers, Tom Ransome (George Brent). Tom wants to renew his acquaintance with Edwina, but she has set her sights on a young Indian doctor, Major Rama Safti (Tyrone Power), the court favorite of the reigning maharajah (H.B. Warner) who may inherit the throne one day. Rama is dedicated to helping the poor and, as Edwina falls deeply in love with him, she begins to notice of the plight of the poverty stricken. When a terrible earthquake decimates Ranchipur, Edwina joins with Rama to help tend to the victims of this tragedy. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

Based on Will Gould's popular comic strip, the 13-episode Universal serial Red Barry stars Buster Crabbe in the title role. Detective Barry is galvanized into action when $2,000,000 worth of bonds is stolen from an unnamed Asian country. Among the villains involved are prima ballerina Natacha (Edna Sedgewick) and criminal mastermind Quong Lee (Frank Lackteen). Forming an uneasy alliance with criminologist Vane (Hugh Huntley), Barry pursues the miscreants up hill and down alley. Also on Barry's side is intrepid girl reporter Mississippi (Frances Robinson), who makes Lois Lane seem shy and retiring. Seldom pausing for breath, Red Barry remains one of the most memorable of the Universal chapter plays. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Seasoned newsreel cameraman Bob Adams (John Wayne) is assigned to cover the rebellion in the fictional Arab country of Samarai. Samari is chock full of tribal unrest, and in order for Adams (Wayne) to get footage of rebel leader El Kadar (Charles Brokaw), he must fight his way through a neverending stream of arms smugglers, agents, throat-cutting tribesmen, and a love affair with Pamela (Gwen Gaze), the beautiful daughter of a Colonel. Eventually, Adams gets his pictures, but not before he manages to save his brother Don (James Bush) and all of the British troops stationed in Samari. I Cover the War was directed by Trem Carr and also features actors Don Barclay, Pat Somerset, and Sam Harris. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi

Real-life flying ace Frank Hawks stars in the 15-chapter Columbia serial The Mysterious Pilot. Running the gamut of emotions from A to B, Hawks is cast as Jim Dorn, mapmaker for the Royal Canadian Air Force. With his sidekicks, a mountie named Kansas (Rex Lease) and an Indian named Luke (Yakima Canuttt), Jim shields Jean McNain (Dorothy Sebastian) from the villainous machinations of her former fiance Carter Snowden (Kenneth Harlan). It is difficult to determine Snowden's motives, though it can't be denied that he's one of the most resourceful villains in serial history. Mysterious Pilot is capped by an offbeat climax wherein the hero is rescued by the heroine! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Gene Autry's acting skills were still shaky when he made Comin' Round the Mountain, but his singing abilities could not be faulted. An uneven blend of comedy and melodrama, the story has something to do with the formation of the Pony Express, though much of the action takes place at the hacienda of Senorita Dolores (19-year-old Ann Rutherford). After dwelling too long on a comic bullfight, the film comes to a thrilling conclusion as Autry, astride his wonder horse Champion, embarks upon a grueling 10-mile horse race. Perennial comedy relief Smiley Burnette is here saddled by poor material, but he makes the most of what little he has. The 1951 Abbott & Costello opus Comin' Round the Mountain is not a remake. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Were it not for the deplorable Silly Billies, Mummy's Boys might well have been the weakest of the Bert Wheeler-Robert Woolsey comedies. The boys are cast as ditch diggers Stanley Wright and Aloysius Whittaker, who sign on as "excavators" for an archaeological expedition into Egypt. What our heroes don't know is that their destination, the tomb of King Pharantine, carries a deadly curse which has apparently claimed the lives of nine previous explorers. It turns out that the deaths have actually been caused by a member of the first Pharantine expedition, who has systematically poisoned his colleagues so that he can lay claim to all the tomb's treasures. The film wraps up with a slapstick chase through the surprisingly well-illuminated tomb, with Stanley and Aloysius doing their best to protect heroine Mary Browning (Barbara Pepper) from harm. Many of the best gags have nothing to do with the wearisome plotline, but even these lack the zip and spark of Wheeler & Woolsey's earlier routines. The film's best performance is rendered by Moroni Olsen as the maniacal, bug-eyed murderer (whose guilt is obvious the moment he's introduced to the audience!) ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Of the many film versions of Alfred Lord Tennyson's narrative poem, 1936's Charge of the Light Brigade has the least relationship to the facts concerning the famous 19th century British military blunder in the Crimea. Reflecting the popularity of 1935's Lives of A Bengal Lancer, the film uses the climactic charge as the culmination of events which begin in British India. Errol Flynn and Patric Knowles are cast as cavalry officers who are also brothers; both love Olivia De Havilland, but it is Knowles who wins out (this should tip us off that the rest of the film is pure fantasy). Indian potentate C. Henry Gordon, angered that the British government has cut off his subsidy, stages a revolt against the English settlements. Ordered on maneuvers, Flynn is unable to bring rescue troops to the besieged fort commanded by De Havilland's father. Gordon supervises the slaughter of every man, woman and child at the fort, then leaves India in the company of his Russian advisors. Flynn and his fellow Light Brigade lancers are then transferred to the Crimea--where, as luck would have it, Gordon is now ensconced with the Russians. Thirsting for revenge, Flynn falsifies an official order so that he and the Light Brigade can battle Gordon and his allies at Balaclava (thus are Britons Lord Cardigan and Lord Ragan, the actual instigators of the doomed charge, exonerated). As passages from the Tennyson poem are superimposed on the action, Flynn leads a suicidal charge against the Russians; he manages to kill the treacherous Gordon before being slain himself. Its dozens of historical inaccuracies aside, The Charge of the Light Brigade is rousing entertainment. Animal lovers be warned, however: several horses were killed during the climactic charge, a fact that compelled Hollywood (under the auspices of the ASPCA) to install safer and more stringent standards concerning the treatment of animals. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This espionage thriller with romantic comedy touches was loosely based on the book American Black Chamber by the real-life head of the U.S. Secret Service during World War I, Herbert O. Yardley. Bill Gordon (William Powell) is a newspaper puzzle editor who becomes a lieutenant in 1917 when he enlists to fight in the First World War. Before shipping out, Bill meets and becomes attracted to Joel Carter (Rosalind Russell), the niece of John Carter (Samuel Hinds), the Assistant Secretary of War. When Joel learns about Bill's former occupation, she arranges for his transfer to the War Department, where he is put to work code breaking for Major Brennan (Lionel Atwill). When Brennan is murdered as the result of a German-Russian spy ring's machinations, Bill investigates the spies and a comely secret agent (Bonnie Barnes), which jeopardizes his newfound romance with Joel. Russell received the role because MGM's first choice, Myrna Loy, was refusing to work for the studio at the time. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi