Edward Norris Movies
Despite his small-town charm and white-bread handsomeness, there was a queasy quality in the performances of American actor Edward Norris that suggested a basic inner weakness. As such, he was ideally cast as the average Joe accused of a crime he didn't commit, or as the outwardly helpful chap who turned out to be the calculating murderer in the last reel. A former reporter, Norris began making films in the early '30s. He did everything from Our Gang comedies (Teacher's Beau [1935]) to Garbo features (Queen Christina [1933]). His most conspicuous "innocent victim" role was as the schoolteacher falsely convicted of murdering high school student Lana Turner in They Won't Forget (1937). Norris' mockery of a trial and subsequent lynching were patterned after the real-life fate of Leo Frank; that 1915 lynching was obviously fueled by anti-Semitism, but Warners hedged its bets by casting the aggressively Anglo-Saxon Norris as the Leo Frank counterpart. Offscreen, Norris was as self-assured as his screen characters were put-upon; he was married five times, and three of his wives (Lona Andre, Ann Sheridan and Sheila Ryan) were Hollywood co-workers. Edward Norris quit movies cold in 1955 to become a businessman, never looking backward at his long career nor harboring any regrets at abandoning it. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Peter Bogdanovich turns his sights on the 1920s for a fictitious look at the possible reasons for the death of silent movie producer Thomas Ince (played here by Cary Elwes) after spending a holiday with media tycoon William Randolph Hearst (played by Edward Herrmann). The film begins and ends on Ince's funeral, attended by best-selling novelist Elinor Glyn (Joanna Lumley), who was present when the young producer finally died and who leads the audience through the unsure details of what may have occurred to cause the tragedy. Then, through flashback, we see Elinor arriving on the dock to Hearst's party, which is attended by a number of Hollywood players. Among those in attendance are Ince, his business manager (Victor Slezak), and his irritating mistress (Claudia Harrison. Charlie Chaplin (played by British comic Eddie Izzard) is recovering from a box-office bomb and fearing his 16-year-old mistress is pregnant, not to mention that he is seeing Hearst's lady on the side, the vampish actress Marion Davies (played here by Kirsten Dunst). Also seen are Louella Parsons (Jennifer Tilly), a clumsy movie critic who works for Hearst, and Joseph (Ronan Vibert), Hearst's private secretary. The film was funded in Europe and also includes in its large cast James Laurenson, Chiara Schoras, and Claudie Blakley. ~ Jason Clark, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kirsten Dunst, Eddie Izzard, (more)
- 1962
The spokesman for a highly respected group of Danish artisans, cabinetmaker Axel Norstaad (Karl Swenson) is talked into selling the group's famous trademark to Martin Somers (Dennis Patrick), who claims that the money will be donated to charity. Only when several pieces of inferior furniture are shipped out under the coveted trademark does Axel realize that Somers is a con artist. Threatening to kill Somers if he ever sees him again, Axel is charged with murder when somebody beats him to it. Lawyer Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) investigates the possibility that Axel's sweetheart Edie (Marie Windsor) may know more about the crime than she's letting on (Detective fiction fans will be amused by the character name of the suspect played by Malcolm Atterbury). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1958
A sweet but scatterbrained old lady named Nora Mae Quincy (Lenore Shanewise) comes to Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) with the slightly garbled story that her employer George Gordon (Edward Norris is a murderer--and will soon murder again. Nora is the nurse of Gordon's second wife Louise (Susan Dorn), whom Nora suspects is being poisoned by Gordon, offering as evidence the fact that man's first wife also died from an "accidental" poisoning. As it turns out, however, it is Nora who is accused of the second Mrs. Gordon's murder--but that doesn't necessarily mean that she's been framed by her boss. Based on a 1951 novel by Perry Mason creator Erle Stanley Gardner, this episode would be refilmed in 1964 as "The Case of the Woeful Widower". ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Produced and directed by star Burt Lancaster, The Kentuckian is a leisurely western occasionally punctuated by spurts of startling brutality. The recently widowed Lancaster heads towards Texas with his son Donald McDonald. Most of the folks he meets, notably winsome schoolmarm Diana Lynn, bondslave Dianne Foster, and Lancaster's down-to-earth brother John McIntyre and sister-in-law Una Merkel, are pretty good souls, despite the raging family feud that motivates the plotline. The same cannot be said of whip-wielding saloonkeeper Walter Matthau (in his film debut), who goads Lancaster into a bloody fight. Matthau wins this round, but he gets his just deserts before the final fadeout. Based on a novel by Felix Holt, The Kentuckian makes excellent use of Technicolor and Cinemascope, as well as the musical expertise of composer Bernard Herrmann. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Burt Lancaster, Dianne Foster, (more)
- 1953
The Man From the Alamo manages to pack a few nuances and surprises in its traditional western plotline. During the siege at the Alamo, John Stroud (Glenn Ford) is chosen by lot to leave the fort and warn the families of the mission's defenders of the impending arrival of General Santa Ana. But when everyone around him is wiped out by the Mexicans, Stroud has no proof that he was ordered to leave his post, and is therefore branded a coward. He spends the rest of the film performing acts of conspicuous bravery to clear his name--and also tracks down the film's real villain, Jess Wade (Victor Jory), who robbed the Alamo victims of their possessions after the smoke cleared. Julie Adams, Chill Wills, Hugh O'Brien, Neville Brand, Arthur Space and future soap-opera star Jeanne Cooper round out the cast. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Glenn Ford, Julie Adams, (more)
- 1953
Craig Stevens offers a seminal version of his "Peter Gunn" TV characterization in Allied Artists' Murder Without Tears. Stevens plays homicide detective Steve O'Malley, who doesn't buy Warren Richards' (Eddie Norris) alibi that he killed Mrs. Norris while suffering an alcoholic blackout. If Richards is able to persuade the jury that he wasn't responsible for his actions, he'll get off, and under the "double jeopardy" law will not be forced to stand trial again. O'Malley intends to see that Richards is duly punished -- even if he has to take matters in his own hands. Joyce Holden co-stars as the woman torn between her love for O'Malley and her obligation to Richards. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Craig Stevens, Joyce Holden, (more)
- 1951
A prison guard at one of California's most notoriously brutal correctional facilities during the 1920s attempts to enact more humane ways of controlling the inmates in this drama. Much of the story was filmed on location and centers the relationships between the steel-tough inmate, Steve Cochran, the ruthless, sadistic warden de Ted de Corsia and his thuggish guards and David Brian, the caring captain of the guard who to enact prison reform and promote rehabilitation programs rather than senseless violence. Steve Cochran and his followers are constantly scheming to escape while de Corsia and crew are trying to beat them into submission. To make things better, Brian, constantly defies de Corsia and as a result gets fired. This infuriates Cochran and the others and a bloody riot ensues. Though many die in the desperate melee, something good comes out of it all. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Steve Cochran, David Brian, (more)
- 1951
The real Matt Cvetic was a borderline alcoholic with a nasty disposition (he once allegedly beat his sister-in-law so badly she required hospitalization). But Cvetic was also a fervent anti-communist, and so, for a brief period in the early 1950s, he was a folk hero. I Was a Communist for the F.B.I. is the semi-true story of how Cvetic (played by Frank Lovejoy) renounced his friends and family and embraced the Red cause--on behalf of the F.B.I., for whom he was a volunteer undercover agent. The film recounts how Cvetic used his job as a Pittsburgh steelworker to contact various American Communist cell leaders, and how he exposed their insidious plans to overthrow the American government. Since the script infers that among the Reds' "subversive" plans was the Civil Rights Movement, I Was a Communist for the FBI is an embarrassing experience when seen today. Cvetic's memoirs were better dramatized by a 1951 radio series of the same title, starring Dana Andrews. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Frank Lovejoy, Dorothy Hart, (more)
- 1950
Of the many attempts by Republic Pictures' CEO Herbert J. Yates to turn his lady friend Vera Ralston into a star, Surrender is one of the better efforts. Ralston plays a conscienceless "femme fatale" who works out a complex scheme to secure her financial comfort. The plan, enacted in a western border town, involves bigamy, betrayal, and ultimately murder. She plays one man against another all too well; in the end Vera's perfidy backfires, and she falls victim to her own machinations. Vera Ralston tries hard indeed but the audience can sense that she is basically too nice to be making such mean faces. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Vera Ralston, John Carroll, (more)
- 1950
Killer Shark was another of actor Roddy McDowall's self-produced film efforts for Monogram release. McDowall stars as Ted, the son of fisherman White (Roland Winters). Convinced that his college-bred son is too namby-pamby for the demands of his profession, White nonetheless allows Ted to accompany him on a dangerous shark-netting expedition. Proving an ineffectual seaman, the boy accidentally causes one of the crew to suffer a serious injury. Hoping to prove himself, Ted signs on with another fishing boat--only to fail again (McDowall didn't seem to be too concerned about projecting himself as a hero on-screen). Finally, Ted comes through by capturing a gang of shark thieves. Fans of director Oscar "Budd" Boetticher tend to write off Killer Shark as a training exercise. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Roddy McDowall, Laurette Luez, (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
Gene Autry is back in the saddle again in The Blazing Sun. On this occasion, Autry plays a lawman in pursuit of two bank robbers. Adding novelty is the fact that the film is set in the contemporary West, with Pat Buttram co-starring as a conceited radio actor Mike. Weaving in and out of the proceedings is enigmatic heroine Kitty (Anne Gwynne), whose curious behavior is explained in full at fadeout time. Blazing Sun is capped by an exciting runaway-train sequence, pitting Autry against principal heavy Kenne Duncan. Featured in the cast is future Gilligan's Island co-star Alan Hale Jr. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Gene Autry, Pat Buttram, (more)
- 1950
Filmmaker Andrew Stone was always a staunch believer in realism at all costs. Thus it was that much of Highway 301 was lensed on a genuine (and very busy) interstate highway. Based on fact, the film recounts the bloody exploits of the notorious "Tri-State Gang," which preyed upon truck drivers. Gang leader George Legenza (Steve Cochran) will kill anyone who stands in his way--even his own henchmen. Before meeting his well-deserved demise, Legenza leads the authorities on a not-so-merry chase through Virginia, North Carolina and Maryland. A few welcome comic moments are provided by Virginia Grey, playing the soap-opera-fan wife of one of the gang members. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Steve Cochran, Virginia Grey, (more)
- 1949
Tim Holt's second RKO western for 1949 was Mysterious Desperado. Once more teamed with Richard Martin as his saddle pal Chito, Tim rides into a sleepy California town, where Chito hopes to claim his uncle's estate. Tim decides to stick around and investigate when it turns out that Uncle was murdered. The number-one suspect is the victim's son (Edward Norris), but if this were true, the movie would be over in 15 minutes. A clue: when in doubt, always look towards the Evil Land Developers. Director Leslie Selander also contributed to the screenplay of Mysterious Desperado. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tim Holt, Richard Martin, (more)
- 1949
Compared to his later "A" westerns, director Oscar "Budd" Boetticher's The Wolf Hunters is often exasperatingly slow. This was the second of producer Lindsley Parson's efforts to create a series based on the Great White North yarns of James Oliver Curwood. Kirby Grant plays a Canadian Mountie who follows a fugitive to a small fur-trapping community. Most of the action is handled by Chinook, a handsome German Shepherd. Jan Clayton handles the leading-lady responsibilities, while the supporting cast includes Charles Lang and Helen Parrish, who were then husband and wife (Parrish later married TV producer John Guedel, of People are Funny and Best of Groucho fame). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kirby Grant, Jan Clayton, (more)
- 1949
Forgotten Women is Monogram's cut-rate 65-minute spin on MGM's The Women. The film deals with four lovely ladies, each of whom is plagued with Man Trouble. Elyse Knox is on the verge of divorce, Veda Ann Borg has been separated from her husband for months, Theodora Lynch's hubby doesn't want her to pursue a singing career, and Noel Neill (yes, Superman's Noel Neill) is a lonely gal looking for an eligible guy. In real life, Elyse Knox was the wife of football star Tom Harmon and the mother of film star Mark Harmon. Approximately 65 minutes too long, Forgotten Women could just as well have been titled Forgotten Movie. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Elyse Knox, Edward Norris, (more)
- 1948
Who better to guard a priceless pearl necklace than an ex-thief? That's the logic behind Trapped by Boston Blackie, starring Chester Morris in the title role. Blackie finds himself posing as a guard at a society party, where the hostess (Sarah Selby) intends to display her new necklace. The private eye officially assigned to guard the pearls is mysteriously killed (or so it seems), whereupon the necklace vanishes. Blackie must locate the real crook before the cops arrest him on suspicion. Trapped by Boston Blackie was the twelfth in Columbia's "Boston Blackie" B series. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Chester Morris, June Vincent, (more)
- 1947
At least Heartaches looks more ambitious than it is-no small feat for a PRC production. Ken Farrell plays Vic Morton, a popular movie crooner whose voice is actually supplied anonymously by the gloriously nicknamed Bogey Mann (Chill Wills). Not long after Morton begins receiving mailed death threats, his press agent Mike Connelly (Frank Orth) is murdered, the second such killing in as many days. Reporter Jimmy McDonald (Edward Norris) investigates, uncovering a complex conspiracy and exposing an unsuspected culprit. Incredibly, in addition to Chill Wills, the supporting cast of Heartaches includes a starlet named Chili Williams! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1946
In this courtroom drama, a husband finds himself accused of murder after his wife, a photographer, is found dead in her studio. The DA is determined to prosecute, but the lawyer soon has troubles of his own when his girl friend, convinced of the husband's innocence, elects to defend him. With the aid of a lie detector, she proves he was not the murderer. Fortunately, the love between the lawyers manages to hold up under all the strain. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bonita Granville, Morgan Conway, (more)
- 1946
This gripping, gritty film noir begins as a mortally wounded physician staggers into the apartment of a vicious vixen, the leader of a notorious gang of thieves. Shots ring out, and the police rush to the scene. Sergeant Leonard gets there to find the doctor dead, and the woman failing fast. As she lay gasping she decides to tell the sergeant the whole terrible story that began when she got involved with a cop-killing robber who was captured and sentenced to death. Before his fateful date with the gas chamber, he lets the rest of the gang know where he hid the $40,0000 they netted from the caper; he, with her help, also arranges to ingest the doctor's newly developed drug, an antidote to cyanide, to escape his "execution." The plot works, and eventually, the gangster is back in business. He gives his girl half of the map, but unfortunately gets shot by a rival before he can give her the other half. The ruthless woman and another gang member then force the doctor to assist them with their search. They are heading off to the location, when the double-crossing she-devil kills the other gangster in a horrible manner and continues on with the doctor. They find the chest containing the loot and they get an awful surprise. The woman begins laughing hysterically as if on the verge of a full-blown break down. She shoots the doctor and then flees, thereby bringing the story up to the present. Just before she dies, the ruthless woman reveals the astonishing contents of the chest. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jean Gillie, Edward Norris, (more)
- 1946
Most of this Republic B-plus mystery yarn is set in a penthouse, next door to a music hall where a strange song-and-dance extravaganza is being staged. This production incorporates several ice-skating sequences--a good excuse as any for the presence of leading lady Vera Hruba Ralston, Republic's answer to Sonja Henie. Ralston and orchestra leader William Marshall come across the body of producer Edward Norris. Almost everyone in the cast is placed under suspicion, since Norris was a cad and blackmailer. The surprise killer is (as usual) not that much of a surprise, though the scenarists keep us going with some last-minute red herrings. Murder in the Music Hall was reissued in a shortened version titled Midnight Melody in 1951. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Vera Ralston, William Marshall, (more)
- 1945
If Penthouse Rhythm is paced more like a two-reel comedy than a mini-musical, it may be because the director was Mack Sennett alumnus Eddie Cline. Kirby Grant, Lois Collier, Judy Clark and Edward Norris play Dick, Linda, Patty and Junior, young members of a singing quartet. The kids have trouble getting their career started until given a boost by boxer-nightclub manager Maxie Rosenbloom (playing himself). Their success seems to hinge on a mere handful of songs, a fact that many genuine musicians found laughable. Halfway down the cast list as "Jank" is Jimmy Dodd, ten years away from his Mickey Mouse Club fame. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kirby Grant, Lois Collier, (more)
- 1945
Veteran action specialists Ray Taylor and Lewis D. Collins co-directed this below-average Universal serial featuring brunette starlet Lois Collier as a young woman swept up in international intrigue in Darkest Africa. Although the serial's nominal (and much imperiled) heroine, Collier did not play the title role, however. That dubious distinction went to a very young Ruth Roman, in her screen debut, as an ethereal jungle girl whose presence in the film remained vague throughout. The muddled story is something about the Nazi High Command (personified by that notorious blackheart Douglass Dumbrille) attempting to infiltrate and sway an unfriendly jungle tribe. Considering the real-world situation in 1945, The Jungle Queen was frivolous entertainment at its mind-numbing worst. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi
- 1944
Perennial starlet Mary Beth Hughes has Men on Her Mind in this PRC quickie. Mary Beth plays a radio and nightclub singer to whom success means everything. Everything, that is, until she falls in love with handsome Edward Norris. Like every other male in the cast, Norris was selected not so much out of talent as from necessity: with the war on, the studios were compelled to rely upon draft-proof talent. Men on Her Mind contains one song, "Heaven on Earth", cowritten by PRC workhorse Lee Zahler. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Mary Beth Hughes, Edward Norris, (more)
- 1944
In this comic western, a Broadway star leaves his musical revue to go West and help out his troubled friend. While there, the performer finds himself forced into becoming the town sheriff. Mayhem ensues, but somehow, the crooner manages to round up a band of killers. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bob Crosby, Fay McKenzie, (more)
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