Robert Lowery Movies
Leading man Robert Lowery came to Hollywood on the strength of his talent as a band vocalist. He was signed to a movie contract in 1937 by 20th Century-Fox, a studio that seemed to take a wicked delight in shuttling its male contractees from bits to second leads to bits again. Freelancing from 1942 onward, Lowery starred in a few low-budget films at Universal and Monogram. In 1949, he portrayed the Caped Crusader in the Columbia serial Batman and Robin. On television, Robert Lowery co-starred as Big Tim Champion on the kiddie series Circus Boy (1956-1958), and played smooth-talking villain Buss Courtney on the Anne Sheridan sitcom Pistols and Petticoats (1967). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1951
Paramount's Pine-Thomas unit served up another winner with the Technicolor actioner Crosswinds. Set in New Guinea, the film stars John Payne as schooner captain Pete Singleton, who loses his boat to a pair of scheming gold thieves (Forrest Tucker, Robert Lowery). On board the vessel as a semi-reluctant passenger is embittered war widow Katherine Shelley (Rhonda Fleming). With the help of his disreputable chums Sir Cecil (Alan Mowbray) and Sykes (John Abbott), Singleton does his best to retrieve his schooner and claim Katherine for himself. The last reels are chock full of close shaves, hairbreadth escapes, storms at sea and native uprisings. In short, there's something for everyone in Crosswinds. The screenplay was adapted by Thomson Burtis from his own novel New Guinea Gold. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Payne, Rhonda Fleming, (more)
- 1950
From Lippert Studios, the same company responsible for I Shot Jesse James, comes I Shot Billy the Kid. Those who know their western history will recall that Billy the kid was gunned down by his friendly enemy Pat Garrett. This time around, Garrett is played by Robert Lowery, while the larger part of Billy is essayed by Don Barry (a bit too old for the part, though physically perfect). The film recounts Garrett and Billy's volatile relationship, and the events leading up to their final, fatal confrontation. Brooklynese supporting actor Sid Melton seems a bit out of place as the film's nominal comedy relief. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Lowery, Wally Vernon, (more)
- 1950
Gunfire stars bantam-weight western favorite Don Barry as legendary outlaw Frank James. Actually, Frank is an ex-outlaw when the film begins; in fact, he's sworn never to use his guns again. But when somebody begins posing as Frank and pulling off a series of robberies....well, what's a man to do? Helping Frank prove his innocence is sympathetic marshal Kelly (Robert Lowery), who gives James plenty of leeway to capture the genuine miscreants. Though produced and directed on a shoestring budget, Gunfire delivers the action goods to everyone's satisfaction. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Lowery, Wally Vernon, (more)
- 1950
Don Barry stars as Texas Ranger Bob Standish, sworn to avenge his brother's death in Border Rangers. To achieve his goal, Standish goes undercover, joining the bandit gang. In this guise, he hopes to trap outlaw Mugo (Robert Lowery), his brother's murderer, unawares. Most Lippert Studio productions include Sid Melton as comedy relief. But Melton must have been out of town, since the comic sequences in Border Rangers are handled by veteran vaudevillian Wally Vernon. As an added fillip, child actor Paul Jordan provides a few heart-tugging moments. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Lowery, Wally Vernon, (more)
- 1950
Despite its title, Western Pacific Agent is a contemporary crime melodrama. Kent Taylor stars as a railroad detective, assigned to track down an elusive robber-murderer. The audience knows from the outset who the culprit is (hotheaded Mickey Knox, who delivers an astonishingly vicious performance), but the plot requires the detective to methodically piece together the evidence before making his final move. Helping him solve the crime is the sister (Sheila Ryan) of a slain paymaster (Robert Lowery). The whole story is narrated in flashback by an uncredited Jason Robards Sr. One of the most brutal films of its era, Western Pacific Agent spares the audience nothing: at one point, the villain beats up his own father! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mickey Knox, Sheila Ryan, (more)
- 1950
Written and produced by its star, Donald Barry, Train to Tombstone was a low-budget version of the classic Stagecoach (1939). Once again a group of passengers fight among themselves as their mode of transportation -- a train en route from Albuquerque, NM, to Tombstone, AZ, this time -- is attacked by warring Indians. Author Barry was rather more fanciful than his predecessor, Dudley Nichols, however, and in addition to the inevitable saloon girl (Nan Leslie), the train also carries other characters: a pretty paraplegic (Barbara Stanley), whose illness may be psychological in nature; her indomitable aunt (Minna Phillips); a handsome doctor (Tom Neal); a comic relief women's undergarment salesman (Wally Vernon); a jittery conductor (Edward Cassidy); a marshal (Claude Stroud) guarding a shipment of gold; and, of course, Barry himself in the John Wayne role of the wanted but goodhearted outlaw. In due course, the train is attacked by what appears to be Indians, but what in reality is a gang of outlaws determined to get their greedy hands on the loot. Neither the marshal nor Barry are what they appear to be, the latter actually an undercover agent assigned to protect the shipment. The beautiful paraplegic is on her way to meet the fiancé she has never even seen and who, it is revealed, is in cahoots with the gang. Does the trauma of witnessing the boy killed right before her eyes cure the girl? Why, of course it does. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Lowery, Wally Vernon, (more)
- 1949
Robert Lowery stars in the 65-minute actioner Arson Inc. Lowery plays a fireman in search of a seemingly random arsonist--or arsonists. Putting two and two together, our hero figures out that culprits are a gang of thieves who've been torching businesses to cover up their robberies. Much of the film has a semidocumentary quality, as director William Berke concentrates on the real-life methods and firefighting equipment of the LA Fire Department. Curiously, the film's co-scripter was Arthur Caesar, one of Hollywood's foremost humorists. Trade-shown in May of 1949, Arson Inc. hit the neighborhood theatre screens in June. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Lowery, Anne Gwynne, (more)
- 1949
Trail of the Mounties was the last of four "streamlined" actioners released by Screen Guild in the late 1940s. Each of these films was set in Canada, each starred Russell Hayden as a Mountie named "Lucky," and each ran approximately 45 minutes. This time, Lucky is on the trail of the fur thief who killed another Mountie. When our hero gets his man, it is with a sense of deep regret, since the villain is Lucky's twin brother (also played by Hayden). Jennifer Holt, daughter of Jack and sister of Tim, is the heroine. Trail of the Mounties was, like its predecessors, an early arrival on TV. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Russell Hayden, Jennifer Holt, (more)
- 1949
Shep Comes Home was the belated sequel to Screen Guild's My Dog Shep (1946). The title pooch is played by "Flame" (who also starred in Columbia's "Rusty" series), while his orphaned master Larry is portrayed by Billy Kimberly. Escaping from an orphanage, Larry and Shep hit the road, with a sympathetic old sheriff (J. Farrell McDonald) in pursuit. The boy and his dog come to the rescue of an innocent emigrant (Martin Garralaga) who has been blamed for the perfidy of a two-bit crook (Sheldon Leonard). Thankfully, the film's inherent sentiment never gets too gooey. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Lowery, Billy Kimbley, (more)
- 1949
In this youthful adventure, a young boy and a wild stallion, Black Diamond, form an unbreakable bond. It is the boy's father who captured and gentled the remarkable horse. Later, when the father's life is threatened by wicked claim jumpers after his mine, the boy and the courageous horse rush to his aid. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1949
In this western, a lawman looks into a series of murders involving ranchers. A war between Indians and the local land and water companies ensues. Fortunately, justice prevails, and the peace is restored. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1949
Following up on the popular 1943 film serial The Batman, this 15-part serial is about a nefarious masked figure called the Wizard, who swipes a diamond-powered remote control device that renders all of Gotham City's machines immobile. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Lowery
- 1949
Western star Donald Barry was both producer and leading man of The Dalton Gang. Barry is cast as straight-arrow marshal Larry West, who braces himself against an invasion by the notorious Daltons. He is backed up by sheriff Jeb Marvin (James Millican), while Polly (Betty Adams) waits tensely on the sidelines (Adams would later enjoy considerable success under her new nom de film of Julie Adams). When the much-anticipated showdown comes, West and Marvin receive unexpected aid from a friendly Indian tribe. Curiously, none of the actors playing the Daltons are afforded screen credit: in fact, except for a few long shots, they're barely in the film. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Lowery, James Millican, (more)
- 1948
In this high-flying musical, a flight attendant dreams of singing in a band. Just as her career takes off she finds it endangered of crashing when another singer fights her for the use of her stage name "Mary Lou," which she claims is her stage name. Naturally, the flight attendant wins. Songs include: "Mary Lou" "Don't Mind My Troubles," "I'm Sorry I Didn't Say I'm Sorry" "That's Good Enough for Me," "Wasn't It Swell Last Night?" "Carle's Boogie," and "Learning to Speak English." ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Lowery, Joan Barton, (more)
- 1948
There's a thrill a minute in the economical actioner Highway 13. Robert Lowery plays Hank Wilson, an honest truck driver who suspects foul play after a series of trucking "accidents". Offering his services to undercover detective George Montgomery (Gaylord Pendleton), Wilson finds himself at the mercy of the villains-who hope to put a major transportation firm out of business-when Montgomery is murdered in an unusually grotesque fashion. It wouldn't be fair to reveal the true identities of the criminal masterminds, except to say that the actors playing those roles had seldom appeared as villains in any previous film. It can be said that the usually underhanded Dan Seymour shows up as one of the good guys, one of the many surprises in this lightning-paced little film. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Lowery, Pamela Blake, (more)
- 1948
Republic's heartwarming Heart of Virginia has the homey charm of a 1930s "regional" picture. In one of his rare late-1940s leading roles, Frankie Darro plays a reckless jockey who'll stop at nothing to win. His fierce competitiveness results in the death of another rider. With the help of understanding Janet Martin, the daughter of his former boss, Darro redeems himself. The film benefits from its location footage and thrill-packed racing sequences. Originally released at 60 minutes, Heart of Virginia is generally available in the slightly abridged TV version. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Janet Martin, Robert Lowery, (more)
- 1947
Robert Lowery stars as Paul Kimberly, a former newspaperman who takes on a particularly noxious form of corruption. The villains are crooked housing administrators who prey upon returning GIs and their families. Just when it appears that one of the administrators is going to tell all to Kimberly, the man is murdered at the behest of "top man" Vincent Arnold (Charles Evans). It helps Kimberly's objectivity not at all when he himself falls in love with Arnold's innocent daughter Anne (Anabel Shaw). With the advantage of a topical storyline, Killer at Large is one of the better PRC releases from this period. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Lowery, Anabel Shaw, (more)
- 1947
Big Town was the first of a series of Pine-Thomas productions inspired by the radio series of the same name--which in turn was spun off into a long-running TV series. Philip Reed stars as crusading newspaper editor Steve Wilson, while Hillary Brooke portrays Wilson's ever-loving, ever-efficient "Girl Friday" Lorelei Kilbourne. Vowing to rid his community of the stench of Yellow Journalism, Wilson assumes command of the Illustrated Daily Press, utilizing his tabloid as a bastion of truth and a weapon against big-city corruption. Crusading against a local crime ring, Wilson unfortunately goes "too far", and is nearly destroyed by lawsuits before he can redeem himself. To avoid confusion with the teleivision series, Big Town was retitled Guilty Assignment for its earliest TV showings. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Phillip Reed, Hillary Brooke, (more)
In this adventure, a devoted fiancee journeys to the jungle to take on the terrifying Amazon women who have been holding her lover hostage. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1947
On February 17, 1947, two efforts from Paramount's Pine-Thomas productions were tradeshown in tandem. The first was I Cover Big Town; the second was Jungle Flight.The latter film stars Robert Lowery and Douglas Blackley as Kelly Jordan and Andy Melton, troubleshooting freight pilots engaged in shipping mining equipment to a remote Latin-American company. Hoping to make a quick financial turnover, Melton overloads his plane, and as a result dies in a fiery crash. These leaves Jordan to "fly solo" in every sense of the phrase, attempting to rescue the victims of a second plane crash--and to save runaway wife Laurey Roberts (Ann Savage) from her crooked husband Tom Hammond (Douglas Fowley). Barton MacLane glowers his way through the role of the mine's owner. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Lowery, Ann Savage, (more)
- 1947
This was the second entry in Pine-Thomas' film series based on the popular radio show Big Town. Philip Reed and Hillary Brooke return respectively as Steve Kilgore, crusading editor of the Illustrated Daily Press, and Steve's plucky Gal Friday Lorelei Kilbourne. In this one, Steve suspects that hard-luck Harry Hilton (Frank Wilcox) has been framed on a murder rap. Investigating on his own, our hero uncovers a conspiracy to bring financial ruin to a construction firm. He also discovers that the person behind it all is the actual murderer. A few scattered laughs are provided when Lorelei faces male chauvinism upon taking over the responsibilities of the Daily Press' police-beat reporter. To avoid confusion with the television version of Big Town, I Cover Big Town was retitled I Cover the Underworld for TV. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Phillip Reed, Hillary Brooke, (more)
- 1947
Having just come into a $375,000 trust fund on her 21st birthday, former child star Jane Withers certainly didn't need to star in the Pine-Thomas melodrama Danger Street, but she was determined to prove her worth as an adult dramatic actress. Withers and Robert Lowery costar as Pat Marvin and Larry Burke, photojournalists for an employee-owned magazine. Hoping to keep their publication's coffers replenished, Pat and Larry plan to sell a compromising candid-camera photo to another magazine. Unfortunately the purchaser of the photo is murdered, plunging hero and heroine into a complicated mystery. Playing detective, Pat manages to trick a confession out of the killer-but will she live long enough to tell the cops? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jane Withers, Robert Lowery, (more)
This Pine-Thomas Production was scripted by Geoffrey Homes (aka Daniel Mainwaring), best known as the author of the novel upon which the "film noir" classic Out of the Past was based. Robert Lowery plays victim-of-circumstance Tom Durling, in the wrong place at the wrong time when a bank robbery occurs. As the only witness to the crime, Durling is sought after by June Reynolds (Barbara Britton), who wants to prove that her brother, killed in the holdup, was innocent of complicity. Trouble is, the police have fingered Durling as their primary suspect, so he naturally wants to remain scarce. By film's end, however, Durling and June have taken it upon themselves to track down the villains. Unusual for its time was the film's depiction of its policeman characters, who are shown to be reasonable and intelligent rather than conclusion-jumping and dull-witted. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Lowery, Barbara Britton, (more)
- 1946
The titular valley is the locale for an inordinate amount of double-crosses and betrayals. Young prospector Carroll Nye thinks he's doing a good deed when he rescues heroine Rada Rae, whom he finds wandering aimlessly in the desert. Little does Nye realize that Rae is in cahoots with claim-jumping Raymond Wells, who intends to get his hands on a valuable gold mine, the location of which is known only by our hero. Upon realizing he's been duped, Nye begins to punch out the girl (a startling scene!), but comes to regret his rash behavior when it develops that Rae has been forced to betray him under threat of death. By film's end, however, it is the villainous Wells who suffers the most. Death Valley was remade, scene-for-scene, in 1946, with Helen Gilbert and Nat Pendleton in the main roles. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1946
In this western comedy, the mis-adventures of a bumbling range rider are chronicled. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Lowery
