Greg McClure Movies
Horror film actor Michele Soavi's directorial debut was this stylish giallo thriller about an escaped lunatic terrorizing the cast of a stage musical who get locked in a theater after dark. David Brandon, Barbara Cupisti, and perennial victim Giovanni Lombardo Radice (aka "John Morghen") lead the cast, most of whom spend their time sniping at each other with amusingly typical backstage cruelty. The murder scenes are the film's primary attraction, artfully handled by Soavi in setpieces such as a blue-lighted stage strewn with feather-covered bodies. The killer wears an owl mask, which is offputting at first but seems progressively more sinister as the film goes along. Soavi's stylistic mentor, Dario Argento, directed the similar Opera the same year, while this one was produced by Aristide Massaccesi ("Joe D'Amato") from a script by actor Luigi Montefiori ("George Eastman"). ~ Robert Firsching, Rovi
- 1951
In this detective drama, a gritty San Francisco gumshoe finds himself among those suspected of committing a string of murders involving boxers and petty gangtsters. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
Gene Kelly does his patented Pal Joey bit as Jerry Mulligan, an opportunistic American painter living in Paris' "starving artists" colony. He is discovered by wealthy Milo Roberts (Nina Foch), who becomes Jerry's patroness in more ways than one. Meanwhile, Jerry plays hookey on this setup by romancing waif-like Lise Bouvier (Leslie Caron) -- who, unbeknownst to him, is the object of the affections of his close friend Henri (Georges Guetary), a popular nightclub performer. (The film was supposed to make Guetary into "the New Chevalier." It didn't.) The thinnish plot is held together by the superlative production numbers and by the recycling of several vintage George Gershwin tunes, including "I Got Rhythm," "'S Wonderful," and "Our Love Is Here to Stay." Highlights include Guetary's rendition of "Stairway to Paradise"; Oscar Levant's fantasy of conducting and performing Gershwin's "Concerto in F" (Levant also appears as every member of the orchestra); and the closing 17-minute "American in Paris" ballet, in which Kelly and Caron dance before lavish backgrounds based on the works of famed French artists. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Gene Kelly, Leslie Caron, (more)
- 1951
In this action comedy, a bunch of bungling jewel thieves are in such a hurry to flee the site of their latest caper that they leave their loot on the back seat of the cab they used for the getaway. Later they return and torment the driver into revealing where he stashed the stones. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1950
Joe Kirkwood Jr. once more plays Ham Fisher's comic-strip creation Joe Palooka. This time around, Joe's faithful girl Ann Howe is essayed by Lois Hall, while James Gleason replaces Leon Errol in the role of Joe's manager Knobby Walsh. The story gets under way when soft-hearted pugilist Palooka witnesses a gangland rubout. Joe is all for testifying, but the police can do nothing: the body has disappeared, and all evidence has been destroyed. Even so, Joe publicly identifies the killers, leading to any number of perilous situations. The climax borrows heavily from the 1944 thriller Murder My Sweet, with a doped-up Joe suffering hallucinations in the boxing ring. Joe's pal Humphrey Pennyworth is played by Robert Coogan, a little chubbier than he was when last we saw him in Joe Palooka Meets Humphrey. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Joe Kirkwood, Jr., Lois Hall, (more)
- 1950
Filmed with the full cooperation of the U.S. Army, Breakthrough is a lean, no-nonsense war film set during the 1944 invasion of the continent. Led by Captain Hale (David Brian), a small group of infantrymen march through Normandy. The war-weary foot soldiers resent the presence of 90 Day Wonder lieutenant Joe Mallory (John Agar), but before long he proves his value to the platoon. The supporting characters are the usual aggregation of "types," though for the most part the usual cliches are avoided (so far as can be determined, nobody mentions the Brooklyn Dodgers). The only woman in the cast is Suzanne Dalbert, playing a Normandy villager with whom the GIs briefly dally. Near the beginning of Breakthrough, several scenes of actual combat training are deftly inserted into the dramatized sequences. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- David Brian, Frank Lovejoy, (more)
- 1950
1950's Emergency Wedding is a remake of 1940's You Belong to Me. The later film stars Larry Parks, who'd had a bit role in the original. Parks plays wealthy Peter Kirk, a playboy, while Barbara Hale co-stars as female doctor Helen Hunt. When Peter marries Helen, it is a "given" that he'll stay home while she works. Unfortunately, Peter becomes jealous of the amount of time Helen spends at the hospital with her patients. Out of pique, Peter makes the supreme sacrifice and offers to get a job himself. All sorts of misunderstandings and remonstrations ensue before the title Emergency Wedding is explained at the very end. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Larry Parks, Barbara Hale, (more)
- 1949
Part of the Roy Rogers series, this film focuses on Roy Roger's horse, Trigger, and his infatuation with a handsome palomino mare. When Trigger discovers the mare being beaten by her lowlife owner, he kills him, leaving Rogers to take the blame. However, it seems that Trigger's new girlfriend might be unwittingly involved in some underhanded activity. ~ Iotis Erlewine, Rovi
- Starring:
- Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, (more)
- 1949
Monogram's low-budget, high-grossing "Joe Palooka" series carries on in this 66-minute entry. Joe Kirkwood plays Joe Palooka, the soft-hearted pugilist created for the funny papers by Ham Fisher. This time, Joe is framed on a bum rap by a group of gamblers who hope to fix the outcome of an upcoming bout. When Joe manages to clear himself, the gamblers go a step farther by having the scrupulously honest boxer accused of murder. On the lam from the law, Joe is forced to solve the murder himself--and he'd better hurry if he's going to get to the Big Fight on time. Virginia Welles is cast as Joe's love interest Ann Howe, while comedian Leon Errol is afforded top billing as Joe's manager Knobby Walsh. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Leon Errol, Joe Kirkwood, Jr., (more)
Future "Superman" George Reeves and former "Dick Tracy" Ralph Byrd co-star in Thunder in the Pines. The stars play a pair of eternally bickering loggers in Tall Timber country. Both vie for the attentions of Gallic charmer Yvette (Denise Darcel), who promises to wed the logger who cuts down the most trees (this is not a pro-eco piece!) All sorts of adventures ensue before the two loggers swear off "dames" forever -- or at least for the next few minutes. Filmed in "Glowing Sepiatone," Thunder in the Pines benefits from the well-focused location photography by Carl Berger. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- George Reeves, Ralph Byrd, (more)
- 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, Rovi
- 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, Rovi
- Starring:
- Robert Lowery, James Millican, (more)
- 1949
Set virtually in its entirety in an airborne TWA Constellation (evidently the company agreed to the use of its name in exchange for free advertising), Sky Liner stars Richard Travis as FBI agent Steve Blair. At the beginning of the film, a government courier is murdered by a foreign spy during a transcontinental flight. Blair manages to collar the spy, who is then promptly murdered himself. Now Blair is forced to play detective, sifting out the guilty party (or parties) from the passenger list. Pamela Blake and Rochelle Hudson play the standard "good" and "bad" girls, while the rest of the cast is a film-buff's dream: Steven Geray, Bess Flowers, Jack Mulhall, George Meeker et. al. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Richard Travis, Pamela Blake, (more)
- 1948
In this musical drama set at the turn-of-the-century, a saloon singer marries a wealthy attorney and then begins fooling around with a series of lovers, including a boxier, his manager, and a powerful owner of a railroad who takes her to New York where she becomes a Broadway star. Unfortunately, her happiness is short-lived when her sordid past catches up with her, and she is shot. Songs included the title song "Sweetie Pie," "I'd Be Lost Without You," "Ace in the Hole," and "Sweetheart of the Blues." ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dorothy Lamour, George Montgomery, (more)
- 1947
Two icons of 1950s television, June Lockhart and Hugh Beaumont, appear in uncharacteristic roles in the 1947 B-plus melodrama Bury Me Dead. It begins when Barbara Carlin (Lockhart) shows up amongst the mourners at a funeral. Thing of it is, it's her funeral-or at least it's supposed to be. With the help of family lawyer Michael Dunn (Hugh Beaumont), Barbara endeavors to find out who's been buried in her place?and who, if anyone, wants her dead enough to murder her. The prime suspects include Barbara's husband Rod (Mark Daniels) and sister Rusty (Cathy O'Donnell), who appear to be in the middle of an illicit affair. Ultimately, the instigator of Barbara's presumed death is revealed, but not in this synopsis. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Cathy O'Donnell, June Lockhart, (more)
- 1945
Greg McClure stars as legendary boxer John L. Sullivan in this screen biography of the famous fighter. Known as "The Boston Strong Boy," Sullivan was a bare-knuckle brawler who rose from humble circumstances to become the world's heavyweight champion from 1882 to 1892. While Sullivan was a skilled hand in the ring, fame and wealth took a toll on his ego, and as drinking and high-living replaced disciplined training, Sullivan's fighting edge disappeared. In 1892, Sullivan lost his title to James J. Corbett (Rory Calhoun), and after that came a slow descent into alcoholism and poverty, with Sullivan losing most of his friends and the love of his life along with his self-respect. However, Sullivan eventually cleaned himself up and rose to his feet for one final stab at the title. The Great John L. also features Linda Darnell, Barbara Britton, Otto Kruger, and Wallace Ford. The life of James J. Corbett had been made into a movie three years prior to this, as Gentleman Jim, with Errol Flynn as Corbett and Ward Bond as Sullivan. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Greg McClure, Linda Darnell, (more)
- 1943
The Iron Major is the saga of WW1 hero-cum-football coach Frank Cavanaugh, played with his usual no-nonsense professionalism by Pat O'Brien. Leaving home and hearth behind to serve his country in the Great War, Cavanaugh goes on to lead the Dartmouth, Boston College and Fordham football teams to victory. His credo throughout is "Love of God?Love of Country?Love of Family"-inspiriational words indeed in war-torn 1943. Based on the memoirs of Cavanaugh's wife Florence (played in the film by Ruth Warrick), The Iron Major suffers from repetition and overkill. But, as Humphrey Bogart once said in an unrelated interview, "Pat O'Brien was good? Pat was always good." ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Pat O'Brien, Ruth Warrick, (more)
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