Pat O'Moore Movies
Irish stage actor Patrick O'Moore began his film career in 1934, playing a few leads in English films before settling in Hollywood. A close friend of actor Humphrey Bogart, O'Moore was seen to good advantage in such Bogart features as Sahara (1943) and Conflict (1945). Otherwise, most of his film roles were unbilled bits as clerks, constables, government officials, and military men. He kept active into the 1980s, playing small parts in such TV productions as QB VII and theatrical features as The Sword and the Sorcerer. Patrick O'Moore was at one time married to Broadway musical-comedy star Zelma O'Neal. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1951
At Sword's Point is about the sons of Dumas' Three Musketeers--one of those "sons" being of the female persuasion, played by Maureen O'Hara. As the swash-buckling daughter of Athos, O'Hara joins the offspring of Aramis and Porthos, portrayed respectively by Dan O'Herlihy and Alan Hale Jr., as well as the bouncing boy of D'Artagnan, played by Cornel Wilde. These second-generation Musketeers are reunited by the ageing Queen Anne (Gladys Cooper), who wants to stem the villainy of her treacherous nephew, the Duc de Lavalle (Robert Douglas). Lunging and parrying throughout the French countryside, the new Musketeers save the day by preventing a marriage of state between the princess (Nancy Gates) and Lavalle, restoring the girl to her true love, prince Peter Miles. Technicolor is the only decided plus in the favor of the lazy and derivative At Sword's Point, which was completed in 1949 but remained unseen in RKO's vaults for three years. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cornel Wilde, Maureen O'Hara, (more)
- 1944
In this remake of Outward Bound, which updated the story to include topical refences to the war still raging in Europe, Henry (Paul Henreid) and Ann (Eleanor Parker) are a couple from Austria hoping to escape Nazi bombings. They are en route to a ship leaving Europe when an explosion throws them from their car and leaves many passersby dead. Despondent and unable to meet the ship, the couple return to their apartment and decide to commit suicide by turning on the gas. They awake to find themselves on a ship shrouded in fog and carrying many passengers, among them Tom Prior (John Garfield), a wisecracking reporter who was also a witness to the earlier bombing. Henry and Ann discover that the ship is actually Limbo, a waiting station between Heaven and Hell, where Mr. Thompson (Sydney Greenstreet) will determine their final destination for eternity. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Garfield, Paul Henreid, (more)
- 1958
Phyllis Coates, TV's erstwhile Lois Lane, essays one of her largest film roles in Blood Arrow. Coates is cast as a devout Mormon girl whose mission is to transport smallpox vaccine to her friends and neighbors. Unfortunately, this requires her to journey through hostile Indian territory. Appointing themselves as the girl's unofficial protectors are Indian scout Scott Brady, trapper Don Haggerty and (reluctantly) gambler Paul Richards. Any resemblance to Stagecoach and The Outcasts of Poker Flat were probably intentional. Incidentally, Don Haggerty was the father of Dan Haggerty, star of TV's The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Scott Brady, Paul Richards, (more)
- 1947
Bulldog Drummond Strikes Back was the second and last entry in Columbia's abortive attempt to revive the "Bulldog Drummond" B-series of the 1930s. As in Bulldog Drummond at Bay, Ron Randell stars as the dashing adventurer. The plot this time is the old saw about a phony heiress laying claim to a vast estate. Yes, that's Gloria Henry, future Dennis the Menace mom, as the heroine. This 1947 quickie is not a remake of the far superior 1934 Bulldog Drummond Strikes Back, which starred Ronald Colman. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1947
Bulldog Drummond at Bay was the title of two entries in the long-running "Bulldog Drummond" series. The later film, lensed in 1947, introduces Australian Ron Randell in the title role. Soldier of fortune Drummond is obliged to find a jewel thief, lest he himself be accused of the crime. Of interest is the presence in the cast of former child star Terence Kilburn. The first "Drummond" flick in eight years, Bulldog Drummond at Bay was the vanguard of a failed two-picture attempt by Columbia Pictures to revive the once-thriving series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1953
Historically important as one of the first 3-D feature film- the first was the 1922 film Power of Love- Bwana Devil is an otherwise amateurish film, redeemed somewhat by good performances and a reasonably interesting script (by director Arch Oboler). The thinnish story is built around some authentic African footage lensed by Oboler in 1948. Based on fact, the plot concerns two ferocious lions, whose man-eating propensities halted progress on the building of an East African railroad. Robert Stack, Nigel Bruce and Barbara Britton appear in the dramatized sequences, which look like they were filmed for an entirely different movie. The main attraction of Bwana Devil, then and now, is its gimmicky 3-D photography, replete with thrown spears and leaping lions assaulting the camera. Industry reaction to Bwana Devil resulted in the now-famous advertising blurb "What do you want? A good picture, or a lion in your lap?" ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Stack, Barbara Britton, (more)
James Cagney made his first Technicolor appearance in the morale-boosting aviation flick Captains of the Clouds. Cagney plays Brian MacLean, a hotshot Canadian bush pilot who delights in stealing jobs-and women-away from his competitors. Brian is forced to shape up in a hurry when he's assigned to train other pilots for the Royal Canadian Air Force. At the ending of the training period, he is given his first real RCAF assignment: The seemingly unimportant task of shepherding American bomber planes across the Atlantic to England. With startling suddenness, Brian comes to realize the true importance of his job when he is forced into a deadly confrontation with a fleet of Nazi raider planes. Real-life Canadian WW1 flying ace Billy Bishop plays a small but pivotal role in Captains of the Clouds, while the leading-lady duties were handled by Warner Bros. stock actress Brenda Marshall (aka Mrs. William Holden). Cinematographer Sol Polito earned an Oscar nomination for his vivid color photography, though aerial photographers Elmer Dyer, Charles Marshall and Winston Hoch were certainly just as deserving. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Cagney, Dennis Morgan, (more)
- 1958
A brave cowboy/ex-con hits the dusty trail as the leader of a major cattle drive in this western. He is offered the job by the very townspeople his gang terrorized a few years before. They are also the same people who put him in the slammer, and even though he accepts the task, he secretly plots his revenge. He gets it by proving himself courageous and honest. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joel McCrea, Gloria Talbott, (more)
Inspired by actual events, Cloak and Dagger was first major "atomic power" melodrama of the postwar era. Gary Cooper stars as bookish physics professor Alvah Jesper, a character obviously based on A-bomb codeveloper J. Robert Oppenheimer. Pressed into service by the OSS in the last months of WW2, Jasper is sent to Europe in search of Dr. Polda (Vladimir Sokoloff), an atomic scientist held captive by the Nazis. In Switzerland, Jesper quickly runs afoul of enemy spies who murder the only person to know Polda's whereabouts. Moving on to Italy, he links up with the partisans, falling in love with gorgeous resistance fighter Gina (Lilli Palmer). Adopting a disguise, Jesper finally locates Polda and spends the last few reels in a desperate dash to freedom. Screenwriters Albert Maltz and Ring Lardner Jr. had originally intended Cloak and Dagger as a warning to a complacent America. Director Fritz Lang recalled in later years that, as conceived and filmed, the ending was to have occured after Jesper and a group of Allied soldiers stumbled upon the ruins of a secret Nazi A-bomb factory, as well as evidence that the German scientists had fled to parts unknown with their atomic secrets intact. "It's day one of the Atomic Age", Jesper was to have noted ruefully, "And God help us if we think we can keep it a secret much longer." This lengthy coda was removed from the final release print, transforming a thought-provoking drama into a mere romantic thriller. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gary Cooper, Lilli Palmer, (more)
- 1945
Filmed some 18 months before its release, Conflict is one of two melodramas in which Humphrey Bogart self-consciously portrayed a wife murderer (the other was The Two Mrs. Carrolls). Bogie plays unhappily married Richard Mason, who concocts a meticulous scheme to kill his shrewish wife, Kathryn (Rose Hobart), so that he'll be free to marry her sister, Evelyn (Alexis Smith). Alas, Mason inadvertently tips his hand to family friend Dr. Mark Hamilton (Sydney Greenstreet). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Humphrey Bogart, Alexis Smith, (more)
- 1957
Copper Sky was directed by Charles Marquis Warren, one of the prime movers of TV's Gunsmoke. The scene is a small western town that has been decimated by an Apache raid. The only survivor is drifter Jeff Morrow, who was locked up in jail at the time of the massacre. Before long, Boston schoolmarm Coleen Gray arrives in town, only to discover that there's no one left alive for her to teach. Releasing Morrow, Gray joins him in an arduous journey to the nearest white settlement--clear across the desert. Given the fact that Morrow is a heavy drinker with a bad attitude andGray is straight-laced and remonstrative, it doesn't take a film historian to figure out that Copper Sky is yet another variation on The African Queen. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jeff Morrow, Coleen Gray, (more)
- 1953
Esther Williams stars in this button-cute musical about a health-conscious family of swimmers who fall in with con man Windy Weebe (Jack Carson). The Higgins family decides to swim the English Channel in order to raise money to purchase a prize bull for their Arkansas farm. As she practices for the English Channel swim, Katie Higgins (Esther Williams) gets lost in the fog and is rescued by wealthy wine merchant Andre Lanet (Fernando Lamas), and she falls for him hard. The film is distinguished by a climactic English Channel swim and an animated underwater cartoon sequence with Williams and animated MGM contract players Tom and Jerry reprising the Arthur Schwartz and Johnny Mercer tune "In My Wildest Dreams." ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Esther Williams, Fernando Lamas, (more)
- 1958
This melodrama tells the tale of a great battle between the French Foreign Legion and the rebellious Arab tribe, the Tuaregs, who fight it out upon the blistering Sahara sands. Just before the Legionnaires embark upon their dangerous mission, the commander discovers that he is being cuckolded by his lieutenant. Because the mission is urgent, there is no time to fight over the commander's wife. Unfortunately, as they travel, the tension between the two mounts and they begin squabbling over how to plan the attack. Their inability to work together results in tragedy. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brian Keith, Barbara Hale, (more)
- 1942
- NR
In this, one of many World War II propaganda films of the early 1940s, Errol Flynn is one of five RAF pilots to survive a crash-landing in occupied Poland. They are relentlessly pursued by Nazi officer Raymond Massey, who despite his erudition and poise comes across as one of the densest men on earth--not that his Nazi underlings are any brighter. After repeatedly humiliating Massey and laying waste to most of the Third Reich installations in Poland, Flynn and cohort Ronald Reagan steal a German bomber and head back to England. "Now for Australia and a crack at those Japs!" declares Flynn at the end, admirably maintaining a straight face. Desperate Journey gained some negative fame in the 1980s because of its brief scenes in which Ronald Reagan dons a Nazi uniform. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Errol Flynn, Ronald Reagan, (more)
- 1980
Christopher Plummer has all the best dialogue in the hokey made-for-TVer Desperate Voyage. Plummer plays a modern-day pirate who hijacks private yachts, steals the valuables on board, and, weeping crocodile tears, sends the passengers to Davy Jones' Locker. His captives on this voyage are Cliff Potts, Christine Belford, Lara Parker and Nicholas Pryor, none of whom have any intention of being tossed into the briny. Much was made of the fact that Desperate Voyage was filmed entirely at sea, with no studio work. Those who didn't suffer from "mal de mer" were able to watch this film from start to finish when it debuted November 29, 1980. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1934
Evensong is based on the teary novel by Beverly Nichols, which had previously spawned a lachrymose (and enormously successful) stage play (Kismet) by Nichols and Edward Knoblock. The stunning Evelyn Laye stars as Irela, an Irish prima donna who rises to success sans a lover to share it with. Her domineering manager Kober (Fritz Kortner) has spent his entire career forbidding Irela to seek out romance, and as a result she loses the one true love of her life, handsome Archduke Theodore (Carl Esmond). The drama reaches an emotional high tide when the elderly, washed-up Irela sits alone in her dingy dressing room, with only the scratchy recordings of her old songs to keep her company. Evelyn Laye made only a handful of film appearances, of which Evensong was arguably her finest. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Evelyn Laye, Fritz Kortner, (more)
- 1973
- PG
Frasier the Sensuous Lion would seem to have been conceived as a racy "answer" to Disney's sugary-sweet animal comedies. The talkative title character is befriended by zoologist Marvin Feldman (Michael Callan). When Frasier's loquaciousness becomes public knowledge, Feldman tries to save the lion from being commercially exploited by a sleazy California wildlife preserve. The film's supporting cast includes such TV perennials as Frank De Kova ("Wild Eagle" on F Troop) and Malachi Throne ("Noah Bain" on It Takes a Thief). Frasier's innuendo-laden dialogue is supplied by, of all people, Victor Jory. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1946
Republic Pictures certainly didn't believe in obscure or misleading film titles, as G.I. War Brides amply proves. Ann Lee plays Linda Powell, a British lass who desires to enter the United States without dealing with the immigration authorities. To this end, Linda trades places with Joyce Giles (Carol Savage), a war bride whose American husband no longer loves her. Arriving at the home of Joyce's husband Steve (James Ellison), Linda convinces her "husband" and his family to maintain the artifice lest she be sent back to England. Complicating matters is a snoopy reporter (Robert Armstrong) and Linda's real boyfriend Capt. Roger Kirby (William Henry). A few isolated comic-relief scenes aside, GI War Brides is pretty slow going. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Armstrong, Louis Austin, (more)
- 1956
An epidemic of unkown origin forces Matt (James Arness) to set up an makeshift hospital in the jail, with Kitty (Amanda Blake) and her girls taking care of the stricken patients. Racing against time, Doc (Milburn Stone) must pinpoint the source of the epidemic, but he may not be up to the task. Ultimately, Chester (Dennis Weaver) puts his own life on the line to save his fellow townsmen--and at the same time, the pompous Mr. Matthews (Patrick O'Moore) learns a lesson in tolerance when he is quarantined along with his "inferiors." Featured in the supporting cast is Howard McNear, who played Doc Adams in the original radio broadcast of The Pest Hole, first heard on April 14, 1954. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
- Add How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying to QueueAdd How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying to top of Queue
Robert Morse recreated his Tony-winning stage role in this 1967 film version of Frank Loesser's Pulitzer Prize-winning Broadway musical. A humble window washer at the New York offices of World Wide Wickets, J. Pierpont Finch applies the lessons he's learned from a book called How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying to wangle his way to the top of the executive heap. Though advised by the mailroom supervisor (Sammy Smith) to keep a low profile and play things "The Company Way," Finch follows his own skewed set of rules, endearing himself to bombastic company president J. B. Biggely (Rudy Vallee) by posing as a graduate of Grand Old Ivy, Biggely's alma mater. As he climbs to the top, Finch manages to dispose of an over-amorous rival by arranging a tryst between that rival and curvaceous secretary Hedy LaRue (Maureen Arthur)--who happens to be Biggely's live-in girlfriend. Finch also gets rid of the troublesome Mr. Ovington (Murray Matheson) by exposing the latter as an alumnus of Old Ivy's hated rival university. Graduating to vice-president, Finch feels secure enough to sing the show's one genuine love song "I Believe In You"--to himself! Actually, he's really in love with true-blue secretary Rosemary (Michele Lee), but won't admit to this until he suffers a career setback. Most of Loesser's songs survived the transition from stage to screen, with the exception of "Paris Original," which is heard merely as background music. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Morse, Michele Lee, (more)
- 1958
This is the very last entry in the long-running Bowery Boys saga. This time the gang gets involved with English diamond smugglers after they are hired to safely escort a valuable poodle on a Transatlantic voyage. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1954
The Bowery Boys go to Africa in this entry in the long-running series. They embark upon their adventure after they discover that one of them has the ability to smell diamonds. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1937
Filmed in Ireland, Kathleen is a fanciful bit of blarney predicated on the ballad "Kathleen Mavourneen". American actress Sally O'Neill stars as Kathleen O'Moore, the romantic bone of contention between Michael Rooney (Tom Burke) and Dennis O'Dwyer (Jack Daly). The two rivals team up to rescue Kathleen from her nasty aunt Hannah (Ethel Gryffies), who has arranged a loveless but profitable marriage for the girl. Several prominent Irish stage actors, notably Sarry Allgood and Denis O'Neal, are cast in pivotal roles. The story of "Kathleen Mavourneen" had previously been filmed several times, once with movie vamp Theda Bara in the lead! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sally O'Neil
- 1954
This Kiplingesque adventure yarn stars Richard Egan as a captain in the British lancers. Together with his regiment, Egan is assigned to put down an Arab rebellion in Afghanistan, stirred up by rival tribal leaders Raymond Burr and Donald Randolph. When not defending the British Empire from collapsing, Egan vies with fellow officer Patric Knowles for the hand of lovely Dawn Addams. The story comes to a head when Egan pretends to join the rebels, the better to defeat them from within. The rampant jingoism of Khyber Patrol may be a bit hard to swallow; it's best to assess the film on its considerable merits as an outdoor actioner. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Egan, Dawn Addams, (more)
- 1951
This remake of the 1935 version is considered far superior to the original. It is the harrowing story of a kindly old British woman with a love of art who is tricked into allowing an artist, his wife, and another couple into staying in her house. They then begin holding her prisoner in her home while they ransack her art collection. Eventually she is able to escape and facilitate the crooks' capture. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ethel Barrymore, Maurice Evans, (more)
