Shepard Menken Movies
Born in New York City in 1921, actor and voice performer Shepard Menken began his career at the age of 11, when he started appearing on children's radio programs. After high school, Menken attended Columbia University, and later studied performing arts at the Neighborhood Playhouse Theater and the Juilliard School of Music. Menken made his film debut in 1949 with a supporting role in The Red Menace, and eventually appeared onscreen in 17 movies. Menken also worked steadily as a television actor, appearing on such series as I Love Lucy, I Spy, and The Wild, Wild West. He was also in demand as a voice talent, working on animated cartoons for Hana-Barbara, UPA, and Marvel Productions, as well as advertising spots for Star Kist Tuna and Mattel Toys; his was the voice intoning, "The only way to fly!" in Western Airlines' spots in the 1960s. In 1963, Menken formed his own company, Malibu Films, which specialized in educational and industrial films. Menken died in 1999 of natural causes. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1981
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Several years after the death of novelty album recording artist Ross Bagdasarian, his son Ross Bagdasarian, Jr. brought his father's most popular creation, Alvin and the Chipmunks, back to life with a record album called Chipmunk Punk (1980). The resurgence in popularity of the high-pitched, squeaky-voiced, animated chipmunks Alvin (the mischievous one), Theodore (the giggly, shy, fat one) and Simon (the brainy one) allowed Bagdasarian, Jr. to follow that project with Alvin & the Chipmunks: A Chipmunk Christmas (1981), a half-hour television special and accompanying record album. Voicing the same character Bagdasarian had, that of the chipmunks' "father" Dave Seville, Bagdasarian, Jr. created the story of the chipmunks preparing a Carnegie Hall appearance, only to realize that Alvin has given away his harmonica, an instrument with which he's scheduled to perform a solo. On the play list for their big show was "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas, Don't Be Late)," the single that launched the chipmunks' decades-spanning career in 1958. So popular was Alvin & the Chipmunks: A Chipmunk Christmas, that in 1983, NBC produced a second chipmunks TV series, Alvin and the Chipmunks (1983-1990), which ran as a Saturday morning children's program, spawning a variety of videos and further record albums. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ross Bagdasarian, Jr., Janice Karman, (more)
- 1969
Master animator Chuck Jones has created this full length fantasy, his first since being name director of MGM's animation department. A young boy (Butch Patrick) is bored with his life in San Francisco and finds himself in a fantasy land where letters and numbers are at war with each other. He drives through the Phantom Tollbooth and into an animated fantasy land. The voices of Mel Blanc, June Foray and Daws Butler are featured in this story taken from the book by Norton Juster. The boy tries to rescue twin Princesses Rhyme and Reason, who have been banished to a castle suspended in mid air above the kingdom. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Butch Patrick, Daws Butler, (more)
- 1965
An American rancher--who doubles as an undercover agent--is needed in the rescue of a kidnapped senator in this animated adventure. Helping him is his horse Rebel and a good friend named Sorry. The film is distributed by United Screen Arts, the company formed by starring voice Dale Robertson. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dale Robertson, Howard Keel, (more)
- 1956
No sooner has Lucy (Lucille Ball) arrived in Paris than she is greeted by a friendly citizen (Larry Dobkin) -- who is willing to exchange her dollars for French francs, at bargain prices. She is then introduced to a "starving" artist (Shepard Menken), who at great personal loss to himself sells her his masterpiece for a mere 1,000 francs. As the day progresses, Lucy gets into a brouhaha at a French restaurant -- and then ends up in "the bastille" when her money turns out to be counterfeit. Episode highlights include a hilarious round-robin "translation" sequence involving Lucy, Ricky (Desi Arnaz), a gendarme, and a German drunk, and the closing gag, wherein the true value of that "artistic masterpiece" is finally revealed. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fritz Feld, Lawrence Dobkin, (more)
Steve Allen makes his dramatic film debut in The Benny Goodman Story. Outside of Goodman's conflicts with his parents over his career choice, and his early frustration over not being able to play his kind of music, the film tends to be more a series of musical highlights than a biography. The film features guest appearances by Gene Krupa, Lionel Hampton, Teddy Wilson, Harry James, Martha Tilton, Ziggy Elman, and Sammy Davis Sr. (as Fletcher Henderson). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve Allen, Donna Reed, (more)
Demetrius and the Gladiators was the sequel to The Robe, and though they were released several months apart, the films were shot at the same time. Based on characters originally conceived by Lloyd C. Douglas, the film stars Victor Mature as the title character, an ex-slave who embraced Christianity after being present at the Crucifixion. Thrown in jail for defending an elderly merchant from a sadistic Roman legionnaire, Demetrius is forced to attend gladiator school and fight in the arena for the amusement of the mad, debauched emperor Caligula (Jay Robinson, likewise repeating his performance in The Robe). The well-proportioned Demetrius attracts the attention of Messalina (Susan Hayward), the nymphomaniac wife of Caligula's would-be successor Claudius (Barry Jones). Briefly losing faith in Christ, Demetrius is saved from himself by the apostle Peter (Michael Rennie). Because of contractual complications, Demetrius and the Gladiators was released to television seven years before The Robe. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Victor Mature, Susan Hayward, (more)
- 1954
The muscular physique of Rock Hudson is given plenty of screen exposure in the British-India actioner Bengal Brigade. Adapted from a novel by Hall Hunter, the film casts Hudson as Captain Jeffrey Claybourne of Her Majesty's Service, who is severely disciplined after defying orders. Feeling unworthy of his fiancee Vivian Morrow Arlene Dahl, the daughter of his superior officer, Claybourne breaks off the engagement until he can restore his reputation. When the duplicitous Rajah Karam Arnold Moss launches an all-out attack against the British forces in India, Claybourne finds his opportunity for redemption--as do several other "outcasts". Costarring in Bengal Brigade as an alluring native girl is Ursula Theiss, later the wife of actor Robert Taylor. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rock Hudson, Arlene Dahl, (more)
The Killers from Space in this low-budget sci-fier are a group of aliens bent on conquering the earth. To this end, they overtake the mind and body of atomic scientist Peter Graves, using the poor man as a combination spy and saboteur. When Graves realizes this, he tries to warn mankind, but no one believes him. Marching defiantly back to the aliens' Bronson Canyon headquarters, where the slimy villains are busily syphoning off electrical power from a nearby generator, Graves vows to stop the extraterrestrials at any cost...including his own life (or what there's left of it). The makeup used for the aliens is laughable, but the film works so long as it concentrates on Graves' plight. Produced and directed by W. Lee Wilder, the brother of the more celebrated Billy Wilder, Killers from Space was distributed in the US by RKO Radio. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Graves, James Seay, (more)
- 1953
Hoping to audition for an upcoming movie musical, Lucy (Lucille Ball) practices an energetic jitterbug number with professional dancer Arthur "King Cat" Walsh. The rehearsal gives Ricky (Desi Arnaz) a splitting headache, necessitating a visit to the eye doctor (Shepard Menken). The trouble begins when the doctor decides that Lucy is the one who needs treatment. Thus, he applies eyedrops that temporarily blur Lucy's vision -- just when she is poised to audition with Ricky, Fred (William Frawley), and Ethel (Vivian Vance) in an elaborate "Varsity Drag" routine. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dayton Lummis, Shepard Menken, (more)
- 1953
Filmed in 3D, Man in the Dark stars Edmond O'Brien as Steve Rawley, a man with a past. Thing of it is, Rawley knows nothing about that past: a former gangster, he underwent an operation that not only altered his appearance, but also wiped out all criminal tendencies--not to mention all memory of his past misdeeds. Rawley is kidnapped by his former mob cohorts, who demand that he cough up the $130,000 that he salted away during his gangster days. Audrey Totter co-stars as Peg Benedict, who loves Rawley for what he is, not what he was. Man in the Dark is a remake of the 1936 Ralph Bellamy vehicle The Man who Lived Twice. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edmond O'Brien, Audrey Totter, (more)
- 1953
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Whether true or not (evidence indicates "not"), the legend of Captain John Smith and Pochahontas is one of history's great romantic stories. This 1953 filmization of the story was made on a near-nonexistent budget. Anthony Dexter, who two seasons earlier had starred in the unsuccessful biopic Valentino, plays Captain Smith, while Jody Lawrence, a Columbia all-purpose heroine, is Indian maiden Pocahontas. After rescuing Smith from the wrath of her father (Douglass Dumbrille), Pocahontas is presented to the court of Britain's King James II. In flashback, Captain Smith attempts to explain why Pocahontas chose not to marry him, but his best friend Rolfe (Robert Clarke) instead. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anthony Dexter, Jody Lawrance, (more)
- 1953
The fate in the Free World is threatened when three atomic scientists decide to sell their secrets to the Reds. American secret agent Steve (George Brent) heads to Tangier, where he poses as a black marketer in hopes of intercepting the rogue scientists. But Steve finds he has a formidable foe in the shapely shape of Soviet spy Millicent (Mari Aldon), who is posing as an American heiress to throw the Good Guy off the track. Dan Seymour, veteran of such espionage mellers of the 1940s as Casablanca and To Have and Have Not, has a juicy role as the head of the Tangier police. Tangier Incident wasn't quite an "A" picture, but it was too slick and expensive-looking to qualify for a "B." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Brent, Mari Aldon, (more)
- 1953
A man finds himself running from both the police and his own troubling memories in this drama. Hans Muller (Kirk Douglas), a German Jew, was once a well-known juggler before he was committed to a concentration camp; Muller survived, but his wife and children did not. After the war, Muller and many other displaced people found themselves in a temporary camp in Israel; his experiences have left him upset and confused, and several of the guards notice that he's behaving oddly. Muller flees the camp after one day, but while running away, he's stopped by Kogan (Richard Benedict), an Israeli policeman. When Kogan asks to see Muller's papers, he immediately flashes back to an unsetting memory in which a Nazi officer asked the same question; Muller panics, attacks the cop, and flees for Mount Carmel. In the morning, Muller encounters a group of children who believe the story he tells them: that he's a tourist from the United States. One of them, Yehoshua (Joseph Walsh), is making his way to a kibbutz in Syria, and Muller, who hopes to get to some friends in Egypt, joins him. Muller entertains the young man by teaching him to juggle, and they become close friends. When Yehoshua is injured by a land mine, Muller rushes him to a hospital, where he meets Ya'el (Milly Vitale), a woman who lost her husband to Arabs. A romance soon blossoms between Muller and Ya'el, and he confesses to her that he's on the run from the police; meanwhile, Israeli Detective Karni (Paul Stewart) is combing the nation, searching for the juggler -- not to arrest him, but to convince him that he's not wanted for murder, and that others want to help him. Michael Blankfort, who wrote the original novel upon which The Juggler was based, adapted the screenplay and also served as executive producer. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kirk Douglas, Milly Vitale, (more)
- 1953
June Allyson plays a band singer working in New York City; Van Johnson is the manager of a fancy apartment house where a murder is committed. The victim is Allyson's wealthy uncle, and since she can't account for her actions at the time of the crime, Our Heroine is the principal suspect. The real murderer is an expert in hypnosis, who uses this skill to manipulate Allyson's actions--and to lure the girl to her potential doom. Johnson doesn't figure things out until it's almost too late. Remains to Be Seen was based on the Broadway comedy/mystery by Howard Lindsay and Russell Crouse, which originally starred Jackie Cooper and his then-wife Janis Paige. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- June Allyson, Van Johnson, (more)
- 1953
This week, expectant mother Lucy (Lucille Ball) has decided that her baby needs an "artistic" influence upon entering the world. To this end, Lucy takes up sculpting, and in the process is fast-talked into purchasing 50 pounds of expensive modeling clay. Hoping to stem this financial drain, Ricky (Desi Arnaz) sets about to discourage Lucy by convincing her that she has no artistic talent. One thing leads to another, and by episode's end an important art critic (Paul Harvey) has offered 500 dollars for Lucy's first "bust" -- which is actually Lucy's own head, buried under a layer of clay. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shepard Menken, Paul Harvey, (more)
- 1952
Based on an operetta by Franz Lehar, this remake of the 1934 original finds a wealthy widow (Lana Turner) returning to her husband's native land to dedicate a memorial to him. The king (Thomas Gomez) of the country, deep in debt, tries to convince her to stay by offering a young count (Fernando Lamas) for her to marry. The film earned Oscar nominations for Best Art Direction/Set Decoration and Best Costumes. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lana Turner, Fernando Lamas, (more)
- 1952
Joan Davis' cinematic swan song was the slapstick farce Harem Girl. Davis plays Susie Perkins, the secretary-travelling companion of Arabian Nights princess Shareen (Peggie Castle). Evil sheik Jamal (Donald Randolph) hopes to murder Shareem and claim her oil-rich country, but Susie does her best to foil this scheme. The plot requires Susie to pose as a jeweled and veiled harem dancer, leading to a series of athletic comedy routines, most of them better suited to a 2-reel comedy than a 7-reel feature. Director Edward Bernds, a recent graduate of Columbia's Three Stooges shorts, co-scripted Harem Girl with another Stooge veteran, Ellwood Ullman. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joan Davis, Peggie Castle, (more)
- 1951
The film traces Naples-born Caruso's ascension from adolescent choir singer to the uppermost ranks of the opera world. Caruso is brought to America, getting off to a bad start by inadvertently insulting the impresario (Carl Benton Reid) responsible for his Metropolitan debut. This complication has a happy outcome when Caruso marries his benefactor's daughter (Ann Blyth). Refusing to spare himself or to hold back his talents from his fans, Caruso's health fails him, and he dies in 1921 at the age of 47. Featuring no fewer than 27 musical numbers, Great Caruso also stars Mario Lanza as Caruso, as well as such operatic superstars as Dorothy Kirsten and Jarmila Novotna. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mario Lanza, Ann Blyth, (more)
Henry Hathaway directed this high-tension drama about a man teetering on the verge of self-destruction and how his dilemma affects those around him. Robert Cosick (Richard Basehart) is a desperate and despondent young man who has never gotten along with his parents (Robert Keith and Agnes Moorehead) and believes his girlfriend Virginia (Barbara Bel Geddes) no longer loves him. Cosick creeps onto the ledge of a skyscraper in downtown New York and threatens to jump; for the next 14 hours, Dunnigan (Paul Douglas), a policeman who was passing by, tries to talk him down, searching for a way to convince him that life is worth living. A crowd forms on the street below as Dunnigan talks with Cosick; Danny (Jeffrey Hunter) and Ruth (Debra Paget) meet as they watch the grim spectacle and discover how much they have in common. Meanwhile, in a building across the street, a young woman about to sign her divorce papers (Grace Kelly) finds herself wondering if she should give up on her marriage so hastily as she watches Cosick debate about throwing away his life. Fourteen Hours marked Grace Kelly's screen debut; Ossie Davis and Brian Keith also appear in small roles. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Basehart, Paul Douglas, (more)
- 1951
Determined to appear in Ricky's nightclub act, Lucy (Lucille Ball) hires handsome Frenchman Jean Valjean Raymand (Shepard Menken) to teach her the Apache dance. Unfortunately, Raymand is the flirtatious type, and he begins making harmless but ardent advances upon Lucy. This farcical situation culminates in a duel to the death between Ricky (Desi Arnaz) and Raymand -- or at least that's what Lucy (Lucille Ball) is led to believe. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shepard Menken
- 1949
Sword in the Desert is set in Palestine during World War II. Dana Andrews plays an American seaman engaged in smuggling European Jewish refugees into the Holy Land, despite the restrictions levied by the British occupation troops. Fifth-billed Jeff Chandler makes his movie debut as an Israeli rebel leader; his performance garnered so much fan mail that Chandler was given a seven-year contract at Universal. Few of those letters came from Britain, where Sword in the Desert ran into distribution difficulties due to its blatant anti-British slant--especially as manifested in the underground radio broadcasts of leading lady Marta Toren. The principal complaint was that the British seemed to be the sole villains in the script, which virtually ignored the Arab resistance to the formation of Israel. Sword in the Desert represents a low-key warm-up to the blood-and-thunder excesses of Otto Preminger's 1960 Exodus. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dana Andrews, Märta Torén, (more)
- 1949
One of the most famous of the anti-communist tracts of the late 1940s, Republic's The Red Menace plays like a merciless lampoon of the genre when seen today. After a portentous introduction by one Lloyd G. Davies, described as a member of the Los Angeles City Council, the film concentrates on disgruntled ex-GI Bill Jones (Robert Rockwell). Having been victimized by crooked real estate agents, Jones turns to the government for help, only to come away empty-handed and mad as a wet hen. Obviously, the susceptible Jones is ripe for plucking by the American Communist Party. Using slogans, bribes and even sex to recruit disenfranchised souls like Jones, the dirty Reds hope to spread their poison to the entire U.S. of A. Fortunately, Jones and another commie dupe, schoolteacher Nina Petrovka (Hanne Axman), smarten up just in time. The HUAC and Joe McCarthy needn't have searched so diligently for subversives: according to The Red Menace, all they would have had to do was arrest anyone wearing a baggy suit or sporting a bad haircut. Some modern-day viewers begin laughing the moment the opening title of Red Menace, wherein an animated octopus wraps its tentacles around the Free World, fades into view. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Rockwell, Hannelore Axman, (more)
