J. Carrol Naish Movies
Though descended from a highly respected family of Irish politicians and civil servants, actor J. Carroll Naish played every sort of nationality except Irish during his long career. Naish joined the Navy at age sixteen, and spent the next decade travelling all over the world, absorbing the languages, dialects and customs of several nations. Drifting from job to job while stranded in California, Naish began picking up extra work in Hollywood films. The acting bug took hold, and Naish made his stage debut in a 1926 touring company of The Shanghai Gesture. Within five years he was a well-established member of the theatrical community (the legendary actress Mrs. Leslie Carter was the godmother of Naish's daughter). Naish thrived during the early days of talking pictures thanks to his expertise in a limitless variety of foreign dialects. At various times he was seen as Chinese, Japanese, a Frenchman, a South Seas Islander, Portuguese, an Italian, a German, and a Native American (he played Sitting Bull in the 1954 film of the same name). Many of his assignments were villainous in nature (he was a gangster boss in virtually every Paramount "B" of the late 1930s), though his two Oscar nominations were for sympathetic roles: the tragic Italian POW in Sahara (1943) and the indigent Mexican father of a deceased war hero in A Medal For Benny (1954). Naish continued to flourish on radio and television, at one point playing both a priest and a rabbi on the same anthology series. He starred in both the radio and TV versions of the melting-pot sitcom "Life with Luigi," essayed the title role in 39 episodes of "The New Adventures of Charlie Chan" (1957), and played a comedy Indian on the 1960 sitcom "Guestward Ho." Illness forced him to retire in 1969, but J. Carroll Naish was cajoled back before the cameras by quickie producer Al Adamson for the 1970 ultracheapie Dracula vs. Frankenstein; even weighed down by bad false teeth, coke-bottle glasses and a wheelchair, Naish managed to act the rest of the cast right off the screen. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1969
John Gavin stars as Santa Fe marshal Ben Cutter, whose homecoming is blighted when he finds his town has been taken over by a Mexican bandit gang. Accompanied by two of the less frightened townsfolk--a small boy (Manuel Padila Jr.) and the boy's mother (Marisa Pavan)--Cutter sets out to rid the town of the interlopers. This TV movie was the pilot for a weekly series, slated for a CBS timeslot. Half a dozen scripts were prepared before the network decided to turn thumbs down. Cutter's Trail was originally telecast in a 90 minute slot, then expanded to two hours for syndication. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1968
Breaking from tradition, Bonanza offered two first-run episodes amidst the usual sea of reruns in the summer of 1968. The first of these, "A Severe Case of Matrimony", aired on July 7, 1968. Susan Strasberg plays Rosalita, a fiery gypsy girl who aspires to a career in opera-and never mind that she can't carry a tune in a washbucket. Willing to marry one of the Cartwrights to finance her singing career, Rosalita fabricates a story of relentless abuse at the hands of her father Anselmo (J. Carroll Naish). Also in the cast are Andre Philippe as Paco and Lili Valenty as Dolores. Written by Michael Fessnier, this episode went into production under the title "A Slight Case of Matrimony." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, (more)
- 1965
J. Carroll Naish guest stars as Jeannie's great-grandfather, Bilejik the Djinn. Upon learning that Tony (Larry Hagman) is involved in an experiment to extract fresh water from salt water, Jeannie (Barbara Eden) summons forth Bilejik, who invented the same process back in ancient times. Of course, the formula that the old Djinn comes up with has a very strange taste--and effect. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1964
Don Siegal directed this made-for-TV remake of the western drama Ride The Pink Horse, in which Robert Culp stars as Harry Pace, who has set out to avenge the violent death of a good friend. Pace's search leads him to New Orleans during the Mardi Gras celebration, where he meets a beautiful woman, Lois Seeger (Vera Miles). Pace's infatuation with Seeger leads him into a dangerous conflict with her husband, Arnie Seeger (Edmund O'Brien), a ruthless political power broker. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1960
In this socially conscious love story, a dull high school jock falls in love with a seductive young girl whose father disapproves of her seeing a man with a lower social station. He then forces her to date a boy from the upper class. To defy her father, she ends up staying out all night with the jock. Together they go to clubs and to the beach. The father is enraged until the jock's father calms him down by pointing out that the two are only in love. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1960
J. Carrol Naish guest stars as Mafia Don Giuseppe "Joe" Bucco, who is being pressured to step down from leadership by his associates. Stubbornly refusing to retire, Bucco suffers the consequences but still remains loyal to the Organization, balking at an invitation to cooperate with Federal agent Elliot Ness (Robert Stack) no matter what happens. The mayhem gets under way at the very beginning, in which a poor wretch is found hanging from a meat hook, and doesn't let up until the now-famous finale, in which Bucco literally has the last laugh from beyond the grave. Henry Silva makes his first series appearance as drug pusher Little Charlie Sebastino in this episode, which features an unbilled cameo by Harry Dean Stanton (and incidentally, this is the only Untouchables episode in which the Mafia is mentioned by name). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1957
A rare comedy effort by director Robert Wise, This Could Be the Night is based on a series of short stories Cordelia Baird Gross. Jean Simmons stars as Anne Leeds, a prim, proper and very level-headed grade-school teacher who takes a night job as secretary to rough-and-tumble nightclub owner Rocco (Paul Douglas). Despite his raffish exterior, Rocco has a heart of gold, and he does is best to protect Anne from Broadway predators in general and ladies'-man Tony Armotti (Anthony Franciosa) in particular. As she struggles to put Rocco's questionable business practices in order, Anne also encourages the efforts of immigrant busboy Hussein (Rafael Campos) to earn his American citizenship, and helps sexy chorine Ivy (Neile Adams) realize her dream of becoming a famous chef. Several veteran thespians add spice to the proceedings, including J. Carroll Naish, Joan Blondell, Murvyn Vye and ZaSu Pitts, while music is provided by the Ray Anthony Orchestra. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean Simmons, Paul Douglas, (more)
- 1957
17-year-old Sal Mineo was one of the hottest young actors in Hollywood when The Young Don't Cry was specially tailored for his talents. Filmed on location at the Bethesda Home for Boys in Savannah, Georgia, the film stars Mineo as Leslie Henderson, a lonely older orphan who befriends escaped convict Rudy Krist (James Whitmore). Like Leslie, Rudy has spent his entire life feeling alone and unloved, but in his case he is totally irredeemable, using Leslie to further his own getaway plans. At long last, Leslie figures out that Rudy is a no-good--and also finds his own true niche in life. Worth noting is the film's sympathetic treatment of its two principal black characters, played by Leigh Whipper and Ruth Attaway; in 1957, it was still chancy to show any sort of equanimity between black and white people on screen. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sal Mineo, James Whitmore, (more)
- 1956
Rebel in Town was the third issue from Bel-Air Productions, a firm co-founded by film execs Howard W. Koch and Aubrey Schenck. While the title character is played by John Smith, top billing goes to John Payne as ex-Union officer John Willoughby. When Willoughby's young son (Bobby Clark) snaps his cap pistol at Confederate veteran Wesley Mason (John Smith), Wesley instinctively whirls around and shoots the boy dead. Despite the fact that he and his offspring are fugitive bank robbers, Wesley's father Bedloe Mason (J. Carroll Naish) insists that his son turn himself over to authorities. Instead, Wesley escapes, whereupon he is killed by the grief-stricken Willoughby. Though it hardly seems possible at this point, Willoughby's wife Nora (Ruth Roman) struggles valiantly to bring the crisis to a nonviolent resolution. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Payne, Ruth Roman, (more)
- 1956
In this western, a Mexican bandit and an angry rancher team up and take on a crooked saloon keeper. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1955
New York Confidential is based on the Jack Lait-Lee Mortimer bestseller of the same name. Richard Conte plays Nick Magellan, a "torpedo" for Manhattan crime boss Charlie Lupo (Broderick Crawford). Pleased with Magellan's work, Charlie promotes him to the topmost rungs of the Syndicate. He regrets this act of largesse when the powers-that-be demand that Lupo be rubbed out. . .by good old Magellan. The most fascinating aspect of New York Confidential is that there isn't a sympathetic character in the bunch; even Anne Bancroft as Lupo's maladjusted daughter is a bit on the obnoxious side. The original Lait-Mortimer book was later adapted into a 1958 TV series, starring Lee Tracy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Broderick Crawford, Richard Conte, (more)
- 1955
The Republic super-production The Last Command is a partial remake of the same studio's Man of Conquest (1939). But whereas the earlier film concerned itself with the exploits of Texas patriot Sam Houston, Last Command concentrates on Houston associate James Bowie, played by Sterling Hayden. When Texas is threatened by the armies of Mexican general Santa Ana (J. Carrol Naish), Bowie at first adopts a policy of peaceful coexistence. When this proves impossible, Bowie joins Davy Crockett (played as an irascible old cuss by Arthur Hunnicut) and the rest of the courageous defenders of the Alamo. The climactic confrontation between the heroes of the Alamo and Santa Ana is long in coming, but well worth the wait. Frank Lloyd's large-scale direction and the vibrant musical score of Max Steiner imbues Last Command with a "major studio" aura not often found in Republic productions. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sterling Hayden, Anna Maria Alberghetti, (more)
Since lapsing into public domain, Rage at Dawn has become one of the most readily available of Randolph Scott's westerns. Based on the exploits of the infamous Reno gang, the film casts Scott as a federal agent assigned to squelch the Renos once and for all. After staging a few phony train robberies, Scott is accepted into the gang. While posing as a criminal, he discovers that the Renos are able to operate freely because they've paid off several important local officials. Once he's managed to round up the surviving gang members, Scott must contend with a self-righteous lynch mob led by Howard Petrie. Mala Powers is the leading lady in Rage at Dawn, while the dreaded Reno boys are convincingly enacted by J. Carroll Naish, Forrest Tucker, Myron Healey and Denver Pyle. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Randolph Scott, Forrest Tucker, (more)
- 1955
Three bank robbers (J. Carroll Naish, Lee Marvin, Stephen McNally) case a small Arizona mining town prior to pulling a holdup. The audience get to know the various townsfolk as they're scrutinized by the crooks. Victor Mature plays a man who is a disappointment to his son because he didn't serve in the war. Tommy Noonan is a meek bank manager with a habit of spying on a pretty customer as she undresses in her second-story bedroom. Sylvia Sidney is a petty thief who has deposited her stolen funds in the bank. Margaret Hayes is the cheating wife of a local leading citizen, who is killed in the holdup. And Ernest Borgnine is a pacifistic Amish farmer, forced to take violent action when his children are threatened by the criminals (Borgnine's pitchfork-wielding scene was reproduced for the print ads of this film, leading some critics to assume that he was the villain!) The hero of the day turns out to be the "unheroic" Mature, who after being kidnapped by the crooks frees himself and prevents their escape. Violent Saturday is based on a novel by William I. Heath. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Victor Mature, Richard Egan, (more)
- 1955
Although the French Foreign Legion became increasingly anachronistic in the 1950s, films like Desert Sands helped to perpetuate the glamorous legend of this mercenary aggregation. Ralph Meeker heads the cast as a bold legionnaire who falls in love with gorgeous Arab girl Marla English. Alas, Marla is the daughter of shiek John Carradine and the sister of vengeful Keith Larsen, both of whom have vowed to kill all Legionnaires within shouting distance. Larsen eventually discovers that his real enemy is not Meeker, but the duplicitous Carradine. Director Lesley Selander staged most of the action scenes in the manner of his western films, with excellent results. One of the scriptwriters of Desert Sands was Danny Arnold, later the prime mover of TV's Barney Miller. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ralph Meeker, Marla English, (more)
Hit the Deck is the second film version of the same-named 1927 hit Broadway musical. Though updated for the 1950s, the basic plot remains the same. Sailors Tony Martin, Vic Damone and Russ Tamblyn spend their entire shore leave in pursuit of three beautiful gals. Martin is "that way" about Ann Miller, Damone is stuck on Jane Powell, and Russ Tamblyn only has eyes for Debbie Reynolds. Some fun is extracted from the fact that Tamblyn is the son of by-the-book admiral Walter Pidgeon. Additional comedy relief is provided by Alan King (the same!) and Henry Slate as a pair of dumb-dumb shore patrolmen. The Vincent Youmans-Leo Robin-Clifford Grey-Irving Caesar score includes such standards as "Sometimes I'm Happy", "I Know that You Know", and the showstopping "Hallelujah". The 1930 version of Hit the Deck, starring Jack Oakie, was filmed by RKO; that version was purchased by MGM and hasn't been seen publicly in nearly 70 years. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jane Powell, Tony Martin, (more)
- 1954
This western offers one of Hollywood's more historically accurate accounts of the Battle of Little Big Horn. The story centers on a major in the cavalry who believes the Indians have the same rights as other Americans. Despite his efforts to stop Custer from embarking on his ill-fated mission, the general carries on. Later the major is court-marshaled for being a traitor and ends up sentenced to die. Fortunately, Sitting Bull sends a petition to the President and pleads for the good major's pardon. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dale Robertson, Mary Murphy, (more)
- 1954
Saskatchewan is a "northern" starring Alan Ladd as tight-lipped Canadian Mountie Sgt. Thomas O'Rourke. He rescues Grace Markey (Shelley Winters), sole survivor of a Sioux uprising, and the two of them set out across the treacherous Saskatchewan terrain to safety. To keep himself and his companion alive, O'Rourke must rely on his own knowledge of Sioux behavior...not as daunting a task as it seems, since the Mountie was raised by Cree Indians. Along the way, the stoic O'Rourke melts enough to fall in love with Grace, who isn't as helpless as she seems at first glance. Saskatchewan is directed by Raoul Walsh in his usual virile and vigorous fashion. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alan Ladd, Shelley Winters, (more)
