Herbert Rawlinson Movies

Jail Bait was the place where Edward D. Wood Jr.'s career as a director entered the mainstream. Having exposed the world of transvestism in Glen or Glenda, he now turned to less ambitious fare in an effort at commercial success. Loosely patterned after the television series Dragnet, Jail Bait tells the story of Don Gregor (Clancey Malone), the spoiled, arrogant son of a successful plastic surgeon (Herbert Rawlinson), who is out for some kicks and excitement and hooks up with Vic Brady (Timothy Farrell), a career criminal. Opening with Don's arrest for illegal possession of a pistol, the film tracks his interaction with a pair of detectives (Lyle Talbot, Steve Reeves); his deceiving of his sister (Dolores Fuller) and his father; the robbery that goes wrong and leads him to murder an ex-cop; and his attempt to go straight, which gets him killed. That action, and Brady's attempt to force Dr. Gregor to alter his face, leads to a bizarre revenge that makes up the final 15 minutes of the movie. Little of this plot is unfolded skillfully -- Wood was already out of his depth in directing actors -- but having access to Howco's finances (meager as they were) and facilities gives Jail Bait a slightly smoother, less emaciated look than most of Wood's later movies. Coupled with the fact that he was trying to do a straight crime film, and the resulting restraint he showed in the writing, Jail Bait can just about "pass" as a normal, albeit very low-budget film, although, as with all of Wood's movies, there is still an unintended laugh every minute or so. And just to show how close to the edge Wood was working even at the outset of his career, in terms of using marginal talent, neophyte performers, and one-time successful actors, Bela Lugosi was not the first leading actor in a Wood movie to die during production -- that distinction went to Herbert Rawlinson, who played Dr. Gregor here. The former silent-era leading man reportedly died the night after he finished shooting his role in Jail Bait. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi

The sole survivor of the doomed planet Krypton is the baby son of scientist Jor-El (Robert Rockwell) and Lara (Aline Towne), who providently place the child in a rocketship and blast him to earth just before their planet explodes. Rescued by a farm couple named Kent, the infant, renamed Clark, grows up with the knowledge that he is "different" from other children--mainly, he has powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men, including the power of X-Ray vision and the ability to fly. Making his way to the big city of Metropolis, the adult Clark Kent (George Reeves) applies for a reporter job at the "Daily Planet", but irascible editor Perry White (John Hamilton) wants nothing to do with the bespectacled greenhorn--at least, not until Clark offers to "arrange" the rescue of a man dangling from a dirigible guide wire 1000 feet above ground. Of course, Clark neglects to tell anyone that he is able to pull off the rescue himself--as his alter ego, Superman! This "origin" episode of The Adventures of Superman was the first to be telecast, but was actually the 24th episode to be filmed for the series' inaugural season. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The age-old enmity between cattle ranchers and settlers once again takes center stage in this slightly above-average Western filmed in Republic Pictures' Trucolor system. Walter Brennan plays Pop "Brimstone" Courteen, an ornery rancher who avenges the loss of the free range by robbing stagecoaches and banks. The Courteen gang, which also includes Pop's three sons, Nick (Jim Davis), Luke (Jack Lambert), and the reluctant Bud (James Brown), gets a bit of competition from The Ghost, a mystery outlaw who really is Marshal Johnny Tremaine (Rod Cameron). Tremaine's undercover investigation leads to McIntyre (Forrest Tucker), the sheriff of Gunsight, who is in the employ of the Courteens. In love with Molly Bannister (Adrian Booth), a settler, Bud turns against his ruthless family, but will Tremaine be able to save the boy from his father's wrath? ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi

Only faintly related to the old stage play The Argyle Case, The Argyle Secrets is based on a half-hour radio program originally heard on CBS' Suspense. In the immediate postwar years, several above-suspicion Americans attempt to hide their past collaborations with the Nazis. Reporter William Gargan refuses to let sleeping dogs lie, however, and tracks down some of these fifth columnists. The film's "Macguffin" is a set of incriminating papers, which are stolen early in the proceedings. The supporting cast of this Film Classics programmer includes future Danny Thomas Show co-star Marjorie Lord and former "Dick Tracy" portrayer Ralph Byrd. The Argyle Secrets was written and directed by one-time MGM film editor Cyril Endfield, later the man behind the megaphone on Zulu (1964). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This adventure is the first live-action Superman serial and was one of the most successful multi-chapter films ever made. Superman is played by B-movie hero Kirk Alyn. The story centers upon the hero and the nefarious Spider Lady, who is trying to rule the Earth. If she cannot have complete control, she plans on shrinking it with her powerful reducer ray. Much of the episodes center upon Superman's relationship with Lois Lane and upon his ability to fly. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

The long-running "Hopalong Cassidy" series trudged on with its 61st entry, Sinister Journey. William Boyd, looking pretty much the same as he did when the series started in 1936, is back as Hoppy, with Andy Clyde and Rand Brooks as his cohorts California and Lucky, respectively. Like most of the late-1940s Cassidy films, Sinister Journey is more of a mystery than an actioner, with Hoppy trying to clear his young pal Lee Garvin (John Kellogg) of a trumped-up murder charge. For a while, it seems that the wealthy father of Garvin's bride (Elaine Riley) has arranged the frame, but the real villain is exposed in the final reel. Though the "Hopalong Cassidy" films weren't the box-office hits they'd once been, within a year the films would win a whole new audience on television. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

"This town ain't big enough to hold both of us," saloon owner Dink Davis (Cliff Clark) tells his new rival Steve Mawson (John Phillips) in the opening of this lighthearted Hopalong Cassidy Western. Schoolmarm Lucy Abbott (Anne O'Neal) couldn't agree more; in fact, the spinsterish teacher is outraged that Mawson is establishing his den of inequity more or less in her own backyard and decides to take matters into her own hands. But before she can do much more than hurl a couple of apples through the barroom window, Miss Abbott finds herself the victim of a gang of kidnapping thugs. "I'll box your ears," the aggrieved school mistress promises her abductors, all of whom used to be her pupils. Back in town, Mawson appears the most likely suspect of this newest outrage, but Hoppy (William Boyd) has his doubts. With California Carlson (Andy Clyde) left behind as a substitute teacher, Cassidy and sidekick Lucky Jenkins (Rand Brooks) do a little digging and come up with a most surprising result. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi

With Maurice Conn as producer and Peter Stewart (aka Sam Newfield) as director, one suspects that 20th Century-Fox's The Counterfeiters was actually produced by one of the minor companies like Film Classics or PRC. Scotland Yard investigator Jeff McAllister (John Sutton) teams with the FBI to track down a gang of clever counterfeiters, headed by Philip Drake (Hugh Beaumont). The plot becomes as thick as London pea soup when McAllister falls in love with Drake's daughter Margo (Doris Merrick). After attempting to protect her father from prosecution, Margo realizes that she's on the wrong side and throws in with McAllister. Lon Chaney Jr. does another variation of "Lennie" from Of Mice and Men as Drake's moronic henchman. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Two wild western towns battle it out for the position of county seat. Fortunately, Red Ryder and his little side-kick are around to restore the peace. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

In this western, two cowboys go to buy fresh horses for the cavalry and end up taking on two badguys and a female vigilante. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

In his third western for Republic Pictures, Allan Lane plays Tex Jordan, a cattle rancher en route to sell his stock to cattle baron Jack Hatfield (Roy Barcroft). But in the town of Sundown, our hero finds that the omnipotent Hatfield has been squeezing the small ranchers in general and Tex's friend Andy Craig (Jack Kirk) in particular. Andy, who threatens to blow the whistle on Hatfield's unfair business practices, is shot by persons unknown and Tex promises his dying friend to care for a young daughter, Little Jo (Twinkle Watts). Appealing the case to the governor (Herbert Rawlinson), Tex is made a special investigator but due to a lack of physical evidence, Hatfield continues his reign of terror almost unopposed. Until, that is, Tex and sidekick Chihuahua (Duncan Renaldo) concoct a plan to trap the evil empire builder. Sheriff of Sundown reunited Allan Lane with Linda Stirling, his co-star in the contemporary Republic serial The Tiger Woman (1944). ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi

U.S. marshal Ritter arrives in town to round up bandits who are attempting to fix the local elections. ~ Rovi