William Pawley Movies
Stage actor William Pawley made his movie bow in 1931's Over the Hill. Especially busy in crime melodramas, Pawley essayed tough-guy roles in such films as I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang (1932), Bullets or Ballots (1936), San Quentin (1937), and a handful of two-reelers in MGM's Crime Does Not Pay series. He occasionally forsook double-breasted suits and snap-brim hats for the garb of a hillbilly (1934's Kentucky Kernels) or cowboy (he played a stage actor impersonating the recently deceased Jesse James in 1941's The Return of the Frank James). Active until 1942, William Pawley worked steadily for 20th Century Fox during the last months of his screen career. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1944
Melodramatic gangster action characterizes this tough and freely fictionalized biography of notorious, murderous Chicago mobster Roger Touhy. Set during Prohibition, it centers on Touhy's rise from small time thug to the city's most powerful bootlegger whose empire is rivaled only by that of Al Capone (who is referred to, but never named in the story). It is his rival who frames Touhy for kidnapping and arranges for him to serve a life-long term in Stateville prison. Determined to be free again, the desperate Touhy and his cellmate Basil "the Owl" Banghart, begin plotting a violent break out. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Preston S. Foster, Victor McLaglen, (more)
- 1942
Like most of 20th Century-Fox's "Michael Shayne"detective series, Time to Kill was based on a source other than Brett Halliday's Shayne stories. In this case, the inspiration was The High Window, a "Philip Marlowe" mystery novel by Raymond Chandler. Substituting for Marlowe, of course, is flippant private eye Mike Shayne, again played by Lloyd Nolan. Hired by wealthy Mrs. Murdock (Ethel Gryffies) to retrieve a stolen rare coin, Shayne runs up against a clever gang of counterfeiters. The film's highlight (and ultimate plot resolution) is a murder in a high-rise building, covertly captured on movie film with a telephoto lens. The final entry in Fox's "Shayne" series, Time to Kill was remade in 1947 as The Brasher Doubloon, with George Montgomery as Philip Marlowe. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lloyd Nolan, Heather Angel, (more)
On the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of commercial radio, 20th Century-Fox cooked up the pageantlike entertainment The Great American Broadcast. Opening with clips of such airwaves favorites as Dick Powell and Fred Allen (courtesy of earlier Fox films like Thanks a Million), the picture gets under way in 1918, as ambitious army buddies Bix Martin (John Payne) and Chuck Hadley (Jack Oakie) try and fail to establish themselves in the business world. At long last, our heroes enter the new field of radio broadcasting, where after several technical and tactical mishaps they achieve success. But Bix and Chuck are strictly small-timers, and soon they're left behind by the big-city stations. The partners break up, while Bix's songstress wife Vicki Adams (Alice Faye) seeks out a loan to get her husband back on his financial feet. When she approaches her wealthy ex-boyfriend Bruce Chadwick (Cesar Romero), Bix burns up and walks out on her. But old pal Chuck comes to the rescue, staging a reunion between Bix and Vicki during the first-ever coast to coast network broadcast. Rather shaky as history, The Great American Broadcast works best on a nostalgia level, offering guest appearances by such specialty performers as The Ink Spots, The Nicholas Brothers, and The Wiere Brothers (of Road to Rio fame). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alice Faye, Jack Oakie, (more)
- 1940
Veteran second-unit director and stunt coordinator Ralph Cedar warmed the director's chair for the 1940 Charles Starrett oater West of Abilene. Frontiersman Tom Garfield (Starrett) and his pals endeavor to save their land from the clutches of slimy easterner Forsyth (Don Beddoe). The villain hires a bit of local muscle in the form of brutish Chris Matson (William Pawley), but he's no match for our hero. Stalwart Columbia contractee Bruce Bennett delivers a nicely understated performance as Garfield's brother, who is also the film's official romantic lead. The absence of such "regulars" as Iris Meredith, Dick Curtis and E. J. LeSaint and the presence of such comparative newcomers as heroine Marjorie Cooley and supporting player George Cleveland was indication enough that Columbia was endeavoring to remove the "rubber-stemp" onus from its Charles Starrett series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Starrett, Marjorie Cooley, (more)
- 1940
Tyrone Power plays the college-grad son of jailed-embezzler Edward Arnold. Power tries to find work, only to be turned away because of his father's reputation. When he decides to use a phony name, he is still fired, because his ex-convict boss feels that Power is being unfair to his imprisoned father. If you can't win for losing in a 1940 film, you turn to crime. Power hires on as the right-hand man of personable but deadly gangster Lloyd Nolan. Arnold, who has become a model convict, is disgusted that his son has turned to crime. He even refuses to have anything to do with his son when Power lands in the slammer himself. Through the intervention of Nolan's moll Dorothy Lamour, a nightclub singer who has grown to love Power, Arnold realizes that his son is still a good guy underneath. Power proves as much by preventing a climactic jailbreak engineered by the homicidal Nolan. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tyrone Power, Dorothy Lamour, (more)
- 1940
Yukon Flight is one of several Monogram programmers starring James Newill as Renfrew of the Royal Mounted. This time Renfrew is on the trail of the operators of a crooked air freight service. The villains have been helping themselves to the cargo and bumping off clients who have complained. The film has a powerhouse opening, with one of the crooks' ex-partners strapped into the cockpit of a plane that's destined to crash: "He's takin' himself for his own ride!" laughs criminal mastermind William Pawley. Like all Renfrew pictures, this one was based on a story by Laurie York Erskine. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Newill, Louise Stanley, (more)
- 1940
John Barrymore provides an embarrassing spectacle in the semi-autobiographical role of a ham actor. Constantly in debt and always half-loaded, Barrymore accepts a role in an important play, which he nearly ruins by his intemperate antics. Anne Baxter plays a sincere young woman who tries to pull Barrymore back together. He makes a triumphant comeback, but there's always the chance that he'll be back to his old tricks before long. Tastelessly exploiting the real-life relationship between John Barrymore and Elaine Barrie, The Great Profile is supposed to be a comedy. Ha ha. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Barrymore, Mary Beth Hughes, (more)
This Technicolor sequel to 1939's Jesse James does without the services of the earlier film's star Tyrone Power, who after all was shot dead by that "dirty little coward" Bob Ford (John Carradine). Repeating his portrayal of western outlaw Frank James, Henry Fonda is promoted to top billing here. As depicted by scenarist Sam Hellman, Frank has retired from his life of crime to become a peaceful farmer, though he has never given up his search for the treacherous Ford. The killer and his cohorts are eventually rounded up, but are pardoned due to political intervention. That's when Frank slaps on six-guns once more to seek his own form of justice. Featured in the cast is Henry Hull as a top-of-his-lungs crusading newspaperman and Jackie Cooper as a headstrong young sprout who pays the ultimate price for his bullheadedness. Making her screen debut is Gene Tierney, in the role of an Eastern reporter who wants to tell Frank's true story to the world. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Henry Fonda, Gene Tierney, (more)
- 1940
Though the title character is loosely based on that of the notorious killer/robber Ma Barker, she has been sanitized and prettified to meet the perceived conservative values of Hollywood movie audiences. Unlike Barker, who was bad to the bone, Ma Webster is simply a matriarch who would do anything for her three crazy sons, even assisting them with thieving and kidnapping. Their exploits land the nefarious family on the FBI's "most wanted" list and cause the agency to send out their very best man to find them. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ralph Bellamy, Blanche Yurka, (more)
- 1940
In this drama, a test pilot plies his trade on a prototype medical plane. Unfortunately, when the craft is stolen, he becomes the prime suspect and is grounded. Fortunately, a female flying ace convinces her brother to employ him. Later it is revealed that the brother leads a gang of plane thieves. They take the stolen birds, including the medical plane, and sell them to other countries. To get the crook to confess, the test pilot kidnaps the thief's beloved sister. The ploy works and the purloined plane is returned, the test pilot resumes his old job, and he and the girl fall in love. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Dunn, Frances Gifford, (more)
The adaptation of Nobel Prize-winner John Steinbeck's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of dirt-poor Dust Bowl migrants by 4-time Oscar-winning director John Ford starred Henry Fonda as Tom Joad, who opens the movie returning to his Oklahoma home after serving jail time for manslaughter. En route, Tom meets family friend Casey (John Carradine), a former preacher who warns Tom that dust storms, crop failures, and new agricultural methods have financially decimated the once prosperous Oklahoma farmland. Upon returning to his family farm, Tom is greeted by his mother (Oscar-winner Jane Darwell), who tells him that the family is packing up for the "promised land" of California. Warned that they shouldn't expect a warm welcome in California--they've already seen the caravan of dispirited farmers, heading back home after striking out at finding work--the Joads push on all the same. Their first stop is a wretched migrant camp, full of starving children and surrounded by armed guards. Further down the road, the Joads drive into an idyllic government camp, with clean lodging, indoor plumbing, and a self-governing clientele. When Tom ultimately bids goodbye to his mother, who asks him where he'll go, he delivers the film's most famous speech: "I'll be all around...Wherever there's a fight so hungry people can eat...Whenever there's a cop beating a guy, I'll be there...And when the people are eatin' the stuff they raise and livin' in the houses they build. I'll be there too." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Henry Fonda, Jane Darwell, (more)
In this adventure, the final entry in the "Renfrew of the Mounties" series, the intrepid RCMP officer and his girl friend head for the Yukon to look for stolen planes carrying gold shipments. There they find themselves faced with a death ray that has been invented by a scientist who has been convinced by the criminals behind the thefts that he is working for the government. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1940
Communism-the American variety-is given a hilarious going-over in 20th Century-Fox's Public Deb No. 1. Spoiled society girl Penny Cooper (Brenda Joyce) impulsively lends her voice to a Communist rally, which earns her a public spanking by 100% All-American waiter Alan Blake (George Murphy). Impressed by Blake's boldness, Penny's ulcerated father, soup tycoon Millburn Cooper (Charlie Ruggles), hires the young man as a vice-president, hoping in this way to keep his daughter in line. Murphy manages to win Joyce from her socialite boyfriend Bruce Fairchild (who else but Ralph Bellamy?), but she refuses to abandon her Communist ideology until she is disillusioned by Russia's invasion of Finland. The heroine's rejection of the Red cause is symbolized by an (implicit) act of defecation performed by a passing dog on a crumpled Communist pamphlet. When originally released, the film was titled Elsa Maxwell's Public Deb No. 1, in recognition of the presence in the cast of famed New York social arbiter and partygiver Elsa Maxwell, who in the film's silliest scene shows up at a costume party dressed as Benjamin Franklin! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Murphy, Brenda Joyce, (more)
- 1940
Throughout most of the running time of Universal's Double Alibi, it looks as though ostensible hero Stephen Wayne (Wayne Morris) really is guilty of three murders. Even so, girl reporter Sue Carey (Margaret Lindsay) falls in love with Wayne, despite the fact that she also thinks he's guilty. This causes no end of discomfort for city editor Walter Gifford (William Gargan), who is in love with Sue himself, and police captain Orr (James Burke), who has a vested interest in seeing Wayne delivered to the executioner. By film's end, of course, Sue has helped to prove Wayne's innocence, through the simple expedient of stumbling upon the identity of the real killer. With so much going on, it's surprising that Double Alibi could squeeze in the traditional comedy relief of Roscoe Karns, cast once more as a wisecacking photojournalist. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Wayne Morris, Margaret Lindsay, (more)
- 1940
This 55-minute remake of the 75-minute Warner Bros. crime drama Special Agent retains a surprising amount of the original's plotline. Wayne Morris plays crusading journalist Jim Carter, who hopes to get the goods on crime boss Greg Morella (Gilbert Roland), the owner of a posh gambling ship anchored just outside the 12-mile limit. Trouble is, every time a witness is lined up for the federal district attorney (John Litel), said witness is either bought off or killed off, thanks to a stool pigeon in the DA's office. Eventually, Carter must rely upon the eyewitness testimony of Laurie Ogden (Jane Wyman), Morella's bookkeeper. To prevent this, Morella has Laurie kidnapped and hidden away on his ship, but Carter comes to the rescue. The film's central gimmick, a roulette wheel with a concealed camera, evidently caught the fancy of director George Amy, since this particular prop is given more close-ups than the two stars. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Wayne Morris, Jane Wyman, (more)
- 1939
Hot on the heels of Frontier Pony Express came the equally exciting Roy Rogers vehicle Rough Riders' Roundup. In the first film, Rogers was an express rider during the Civil War era; in the second, he's a veteran of the Spanish American war (ubiquitous fellow, isn't he?) With several of his fellow Rough Riders, Rogers joins the Texas border patrol, where he almost immediately clashes with a villain named Arizona (William Pawley). While maintaining a respectable facade, Arizona and his minions rob the stagecoaches and express offices, divesting the local prospectors of their hard-earned gold. With the help of grizzled old sidekick Rusty (Raymond Hatton)-not to mention the rest of the Rough Riders-Rogers crushes Arizona's operation once and for all. The film boasts two leading ladies: Rogers' usual vis-a-vis Mary Hart, and former silent star Dorothy Sebastian, here making a comeback attempt. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roy Rogers, Mary Hart, (more)
- 1939
Idealism vs. Practicality is the Disputed Passage in this lavishly mounted soap opera. Based on a novel by Lloyd C. Douglas (The Robe, Magnificent Obsession) the film stars John Howard as young medical student John Wesley Beaven. In the course of his education, Beaven is torn between two philosophies: the cold pragmatism of Dr. Forster (Akim Tamiroff) and the humanistic attitudes of kindly Dr. Cunningham (William Collier Sr.), who of course is author Douglas' alter ego. The crisis within Beaven comes to a head when he must choose between his career and his impending marriage to Audrey Hilton (Dorothy Lamour). A literally explosive climax in war-torn China brings the story to a logical and satisfying solution. Kudos again to director Frank Borzage for bringing warmth and credibility to the most sloppily sentimental of storylines. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dorothy Lamour, Akim Tamiroff, (more)
- 1939
Cecil B. DeMille takes us back to the 1860s, then rebuilds the first intercontinental railroad in Union Pacific. The real-life spectacle is occasionally interrupted by the fictional adventures of railroad overseer Joel McCrea, postmistress Barbara Stanwyck (with an incredible Irish brogue), and McCrea's best pal Robert Preston. Unfortunately Preston has fallen in with Brian Donlevy, who is dedicated to destroying the Union Pacific railroad on behalf of a crooked political cartel. During an Indian attack, McCrea and Preston fight side by side to save Stanwyck, prompting Preston to turn honest. On the day in 1869 that the "Golden Spike" is to be driven at Promontory Point, Preston is killed saving McCrea from Donlevy's bullets. Union Pacific owes a great deal to John Ford's 1924 film on the same subject, The Iron Horse, even restaging one or two major action sequences from the earlier film. This DeMille spectacular was a big hit with audiences of 1939, who craved a booster shot of flag-waving now and again. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Barbara Stanwyck, Joel McCrea, (more)
- 1939
Panama Lady is a cleaned-up remake of the 1932 Helen Twelvetrees vehicle Panama Flo. Lucille Ball essays the old Twelvetrees role as Lucy, a nightclub "hostess" stranded in Panama by her ex-lover Roy (Donald Briggs). Victimized by a shakedown orchestrated by Roy, oil rigger McTeague (Allan Lane) holds Lucy responsible. To avoid landing in jail, Lucy agrees to accompany McTeague to his oil camp as his housekeeper. Assuming she's been brought to this godforsaken spot for sexual purposes, Lucy eventually realizes that McTeague's intentions are honorable: All he wants is his money back, and he expects our heroine to work off the debt on her feet! Ultimately Lucy and McTeague fall in love, but not before the scurrilous Roy re-enters her life. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lucille Ball, Steffi Duna, (more)
- 1938
When this politically charged crime drama came out in 1938, many viewers saw that the themes therein echoed those of the ongoing New York gubernatorial race between Dewey and Lehman. The plot centers on a tough, driven district attorney with an excellent track record who is thrust into politics by supporters. Wanting to clean up what he sees as a corrupt race, he frames an innocent man and proceeds to prosecute him until the gangster behind it all finally confesses. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Holt, Marcia Ralston, (more)
- 1938
Just before going on a brief one-man strike for better wages, Gene Autry starred in the Republic musical western Prairie Moon. In this one, a trio of tough Chicago orphans are relocated to the Wild West and ensconsed in their late uncle's ranch. The three street punks-Brains (Tommy Ryan), Nails (Walter Tetley) and Slick (David Gorcey)-are the sons of Chicago gangster who was put "on the spot" while hiding out at the ranch. With Autry's help, the kids learn to assimilate themselves to the Wide Open Spaces, and even manage to break up a gang of cowboy racketeers. Shirley Deane, late of 20th Century-Fox's "Jones Family" series, is an appealing heroine. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, (more)
Childhood chums Rocky Sullivan (James Cagney) and Jerry Connelly (Pat O'Brien) grow up on opposite sides of the fence: Rocky matures into a prominent gangster, while Jerry becomes a priest, tending to the needs of his old tenement neighborhood. Rocky becomes a hero to a gang of teenaged boys (played by Dead End Kids Billy Halop, Leo Gorcey, Huntz Hall, Gabriel Dell, Bobby Jordan and Bernard Punsley). Father Jerry despairs at this, asking Rocky to lay off so he can keep the kids on the straight and narrow. Then Rocky's crooked business associates George Bancroft and Humphrey Bogart attempt to end Father Jerry's radio campaign against the rackets by killing the priest. Rocky (whose cynical outlook on life has been softened by his romance with true-blue Anne Sheridan) shoots them down and takes it on the lam. Arrested and convicted of murder, Rocky sits smugly on death row, fully intending to go to the chair with a smile on his face. A few moments before the execution, Father Jerry pleads with Rocky to "turn yellow" so that the tenement kids will despise his memory. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Cagney, Pat O'Brien, (more)
- 1938
Based on another of Lloyd C. Douglas' "better living through faith" short stories, White Banners stars Claude Rains as a chemistry professor who invents an icebox that requires no ice. The invention is stolen, throwing Rains and his faithful young assistant Jackie Cooper into a deep depression. Rains' housekeeper Fay Bainter buoys the inventor's spirits with her happy demeanor, wise homilies and good cooking. Through her influence, Rains and Cooper return to the lab and create an even more advanced refrigeration device. And just what is Bainter's stake in all this? Why, she's Cooper's long-lost mother...but don't you dare tell him. Though Fay Bainter was nominated for an Oscar for her performance in White Banners, the film itself is so forgettable that it doesn't even rate a mention in most mass-market movie ratings books. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Claude Rains, Fay Bainter, (more)
International Crime is the second of two Grand National programmers inspired by the popular "Shadow" pulp novels by Maxwell Grant. Rod La Rocque plays Lamont Cranston, famed criminologist and (in this film at least) radio crime reporter. This time around Cranston does not "cloud men's minds" hypnotically to become the invisible Shadow: he remains fully visible from beginning to end, with nary a clouded mind in sight. In attempting to solve the murder of a wealthy financier, Cranston exposes a gang of foreign saboteurs. Based on the story "The Fox Hound" by Ted Tinsley (not Maxwell Grant, as the credits claim), International Crime includes several of the supporting characters from the "Shadow" pulps. However, the heroine (Astrid Allwyn) is Phoebe Lane, not Margot. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rod La Rocque, Astrid Allwyn, (more)
One of a slew of prison reform picture that flourished during the Great Depression, this melodrama was banned in Finland. Pat O'Brien stars as Steve Jameson, a former Army officer who is hired at the infamous California prison of the title and quickly brings military order to the facility, separating the general population from the most violent offenders. In the meantime, Steve is falling for a singer, May (Ann Sheridan), but he keeps his profession a secret when she reveals that her brother Joe (Humphrey Bogart) is serving time in San Quentin. May eventually learns of Steve's deception and their romance hits the skids. When a jealous rival guard, Lt. Druggin (Barton MacLane), arranges for Joe to discover the romance between Steve and his sister, Joe begins plotting escape and revenge. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pat O'Brien, Humphrey Bogart, (more)
