Clem Bevans Movies
The screen's premiere "Old Codger," American actor Clem Bevans didn't make his movie debut until he was 55 years old. His acting career was launched in 1900 with a vaudeville boy-girl act costarring Grace Emmett. Bevans moved on to burlesque, stock shows, Broadway and light opera. In 1935, Bevans first stepped before the movie cameras as Doc Wiggins in Way Down East. It was the first of many toothless, stubble-chinned geezers that Bevans would portray for the next 27 years. On occasion, producers and directors would use Bevans' established screen persona to throw the audience off the track. In Happy Go Lucky (1942), he unexpectedly shows up as a voyeuristic millionaire with a fondness for female knees; in Hitchcock's Saboteur (1942), he is a likeable old desert rat who turns out to be a Nazi spy! Clem Bevans continued playing farmers, hillbillies, and "town's oldest citizen" roles into the early 1960s. The octogenarian actor could be seen in a 1962 episode of Twilight Zone ("Hocus Pocus and Frisby") looking and sounding just the same as he had way back in 1935. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1962
Andy Devine stars as Mr. Frisby, the biggest liar in three counties. Despite his constant gas-bagging about his alleged past acts of heroism, no one believes Frisby's tall tales -- no one, that is, except a team of space aliens, who accept Frisby's lies at face value. On the verge of being whisked off to another planet as a zoo specimen, Frisby stumbles upon a method of overpowering his extraterrestial captors (a method, incidentally, that would be expanded upon in the 1997 sci-fi movie spoof Mars Attacks!) Scripted by Rod Serling from a story by Frederic Louis Fox (in which Frisby became an outer-space TV personality), the fitfully funny Twilight Zone installment "Hocus-Pocus and Frisby" first aired April 13, 1962. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Andy Devine, Milton Selzer, (more)
- 1961
In this comic episode, mail-order huckster Gideon Flinch (Ian Wolfe), alias Homer T. Cranston, fleeces ornery Bullethead Burke (Harry Swoger) of 5,000 dollars. When Bullethead shows up in Virginia City seeking revenge, Gideon's quick-thinking niece Jennifer (Sue Anne Langdon) convinces the surly bruiser that Little Joe Cartwright is really the elusive Flinch. Arnold Stang co-stars as Jake the Weasel, while venerable character actors Burt Mustin and Clem Bevans function as a sort of Greek chorus, weaving in and out of the proceedings. Written by Robert Vincent Wright and first broadcast November 5, 1961, "The Many Faces of Gideon Flinch" was one of several Bonanza episodes directed by Robert Altman. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, (more)
- 1959
In order to play in a high-stakes poker game, Bret (James Garner) and Bart (Jack Kelly) enter a pair of certified checks, each worth $10,000. Only after they've thrown the checks into the pot are the Mavericks informed by beautiful Jessamy Longacre (Patricia Barry) that the bank which issued the checks has gone bankrupt. The brothers' only hope to reclaim their money (minus a 10 % commission to Jessamy, of course) is to ride hell-for-leather through Indian territory to the bank's Deadwood branch, which hasn't been informed of the bankruptcy and still has $11,000 in its vault. Those familiar with the names of the Maverick production crew will get a chuckle out of the character name bestowed upon supporting actor Duane Grey. And incidentally, this was costar Jack Kelly's favorite episode. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1958
Accused of murdering her Uncle Martin (Alexander Price), Nadine Marshall (Christine White) makes a detailed confession of the crime while under drugged hypnosis. The doctor handling the case informs Perry Mason (Raymond Burr), who despite this damning evidence is convinced that Nadine is innocent. The key to the solution would seem to be Nadine's engagement to one John Locke (Sherwood Price)--which under normal circumstances would be a happy occasion, but which for reasons unknown prompted Nadine to attempt suicide! This episode is based on a 1954 novel by Perry Mason creator Erle Stanley Gardner. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1956
Like its predecessor Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier, Walt Disney's Davy Crockett and the River Pirates was cobbled together from two episodes of the weekly TV anthology Disneyland. Though it wasn't so labelled at the time, River Pirates is actually a "prequel" to the earlier film, detailing events that allegedly occured in Crockett's life before his rendezvous with destiny at the Alamo. Set in 1810, the first half of the story deals with a river race to New Orleans between Davy (Fess Parker) and his friendly enemy Mike Fink (Jeff York). Once this plot strand has run its course, the film segues into Davy and Mike's attempts to prevent an Indian war which is being fomented by a renegade white man. Linking these two episodes are the spirited ballads of Davy's pal George Russel (Buddy Ebsen). Like the first "Davy Crockett" venture, Davy Crockett and the River Pirates cleaned up at the box-office and increased department-store sales of those coonskin caps (remember?) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fess Parker, Buddy Ebsen, (more)
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, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Burt Lancaster, Dianne Foster, (more)
- 1955
Twinkle in God's Eye, Mickey Rooney's second personal production for Republic Pictures, is at the very least an improvement upon the first (The Atomic Kid). More subdued than usual, Rooney stars as Rev. Macklin, a greenhorn clergyman who tries to spread the Good Word to a rowdy western town. Intending to rebuild a church recently destroyed by Indians, Macklin faces tough opposition from the local gambling hall owner (Hugh O'Brian), not to mention a trigger-happy outlaw (Don Barry). Using faith rather than fisticuffs, the reverend manages to win over his opposition, beginning with golden-hearted dance hall gal Laura (Colleen Gray). Though certain latter-day wiseguys have drubbed Mickey Rooney for this very mild western drama, Twinkle in God's Eye is more entertaining than its reputation would indicate. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mickey Rooney, Coleen Gray, (more)
- 1955
Wisely cashing in on the enormous (and largely unexpected) success of his 1954 Davy Crockett TV miniseries, Walt Disney whipped up a spinoff for the 1955-56 season of his weekly Disneyland anthology. Since frontiersman Davy Crockett (Fess Parker) and his pal George Russel (Buddy Ebsen) were killed off at the Alamo at the end of the first miniseries, the second Davy Crockett opus, the two-part "The Legends of Davy Crockett" was a "prequel", set in 1810 or thereabouts. In Episode One, "Davy Crockett's Keelboat Race", Davy and George want to travel down the Ohio River towards New Orleans, but they bristle when self-styled "King of the River" Mike Fink (Jeff York) charges them $1000 for a ride on his keelboat. Our heroes hire another boat captained by an old salt named Cobb (Clem Bevans), thereby sparking a race between Crockett and Fink, with a valuable shipment of furs as the prize. Naturally, Mike pulls all sorts of underhanded tricks to keep Davy's boat from finishing the race, but good sportsmanship wins out, and Davy and Mike become good pals. A hint of what is to come in the next episode, "Davy Crockett and the River Pirates", occurs when a band of white outlaws disguised as Indians have a brief set-to with Davy early in the proceedings. The series' hit theme song, not to mention those coonskin caps, are very much in evidence, with the added filip of a new song, "King of the River", sung con brio by Jeff York. Both episodes of The Legends of Davy Crockett were later edited together and released theatrically in 1956 as Davy Crockett and the River Pirates. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1955
In the second episode of Walt Disney's two-part miniseries The Legends of Davy Crockett, frontiersman Davy Crockett (Fess Parker) and his pals Georgie Russell (Buddy Ebsen) and Mike Fink (Jeff York) try to clear the names of Davy's Indian friends, who have been accused of piracy on the Ohio River. It turns out that the real culprits are the members of the Harpe gang, who disguise themselves as Indians whenever plundering a boat. Carrying a valuable cargo downstream as bait for the outlaws, Davy, George and Mike hope to provoke an attack and then surprise the scoundrels--but the bad guys have planted a spy on our heroes' keelboat, namely a wily old guitar-picker named Colonel Plug (Walter Catlett). In addition to the expected theme song "The Ballad of Davy Crockett", this episode features a new tune, "Yaller, Yaller Gold". Originally telecast as part of the Disneyland anthology, "Davy Crockett and the River Pirates" and the earlier episode "Davy Crockett and the Keelboat Race" were later edited together and released as a 1956 theatrical feature, also titled Davy Crockett and the River Pirates. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1954
Reminiscent of Destry Rides Again, this feature is about peaceable young lawyer Tom Brewster (Will Rogers Jr.), who sets up shop in a rowdy western town. Though perfectly able to wield a six-gun, Brewster refuses to use brawn when brain will do. He is galvanized into action when his old pal Wallace Ford is murdered by the villains. Brewster cleans up the town and wins the heroine (Nancy Olsen) in the bargain. One of two Will Rogers Jr. vehicles produced at Warner Bros. (the other was the life story of Rogers' famous father), The Boy From Oklahoma served as the basis for Warners' later TV series, Sugarfoot. Watch for a supporting appearance by a young and callow Merv Griffin! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Will Rogers, Jr., Nancy Olson, (more)
Randolph Scott is tall in the saddle once more in the Scott-Brown production Ten Wanted Men. The star is cast as John Stewart, who attempts to establish law and order on his vast Arizona spread without resorting to violence. Less peacefully inclined is Stewart's chief rival Wick Campbell (Richard Boone), who believes that might is right. To this end, Campbell recruits the services of hired gun Frank Scavo (Leo Gordon) and eight other pluguglies to drive all competition out of the territory. Jocelyn Brando costars as the woman in Stewart's life, while Donna Martell plays Campbell's much-abused mistress. Also registering well is Skip Homeier as Stewart's resentful nephew, who'd rather be anywhere else but Arizona. Ten Wanted Men might have been better had Budd Boetticher handled the direction instead of the competent but pedestrian H. Bruce Humberstone. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Randolph Scott, Jocelyn Brando, (more)
Randolph Scott makes his 3-D debut in the stereoscopic western Stranger Wore a Gun. This time, Scott plays Jeff Travis, a former spy for Quantrill's Raiders. When he heads to Arizona to start life anew, Travis finds that his reputation has preceded him: crooked Jules Mourret (George Macready) hires him to monitor a series of gold shipments, in preparation for a major robbery. Eventually, Travis falls in love with Shelby Conroy (Joan Weldon), daughter of freight-line operator Jason Conroy (Pierre Watkin), and decides to turn honest. That won't be easy: in addition to the surly Mourret, Travis must deal with such formidable movie heavies as Alfonso Bedoya, Lee Marvin and Ernest Borgnine. Also on hand is Claire Trevor, in a soft-pedalled variation of her role in John Ford's Stagecoach. Stranger Wore a Gun was directed by Andre DeToth, whose previous foray into 3D had been the box-office smash House of Wax. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Randolph Scott, Claire Trevor, (more)
- 1952
Billy the Kid doesn't really appear in Captive of Billy the Kid, but his memory lingers throughout this Republic "B"-western. According to screenwriters M. Coates Webster and Richard Wormser, Billy salted away a fortune in stolen gold somewhere in the hills. Before he died, he tore his treasure map into five pieces, giving one piece each to his most trusted friends--one of whom, Van Stanley (Grant Withers) eventually decides to grab all the loot for himself. When the other map-holders begin dropping like flies, Allan "Rocky" Lane is brought into the picture to tie up loose ends and thwart the villain--who, surprise or surprises, isn't the highly suspicious Van Stanley! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Allan Lane, Penny Edwards, (more)
Randolph Scott is the commander of a Confederate raiding party. They rob a Yankee gold shipment and are told by a dying Union soldier that the war ended a month ago. Knowing that they will now be forced to face criminal charges, they hide out but are soon under attack by a gang of bandits who want the gold they stole. Well done, tense western with a good, dry sense of humor. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Randolph Scott, Donna Reed, (more)
Filmed in a record five days, Gold Raiders was an attempt by producer Jack Schwartz to inaugurate a new western series starring old favorite George O'Brien. Adding novelty value to the proceedings are the Three Stooges: Shemp Howard, Larry Howard and Moe Howard. The action is fairly divided between O'Brien, who plays a frontier insurance investigator, and the Stooges, cast as itinerant snake-oil peddlers. The star and his comedian cohorts team up to squash a gang of thieves who've been hijacking gold-mine shipments. It is no surprise to anyone that the villain is local bigwig Sawyer (Lyle Talbot), but the plot does manage to sneak in quite a few interesting twists, including a red-herring character who turns out to be a spy for the baddies, and then turns out to be working for the good guys! For all their buffoonery, the Stooges perform heroically during the climactic shootout (even Larry)! Sheila Ryan co-stars as the granddaughter of bibulous doctor Clem Bevans, while Monte Blue enjoys a larger part than usual as the local mine owner. Gold Raiders was reissued in a shortened version (shorter even than its original 56-minute running time!) as The Three Stooges Go West. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George O'Brien, Moe Howard, (more)
Rancher Randolph Scott rides right into a romantic triangle in this moody western. He is forced to stand by as his mercenary girl friend (Joan Leslie) is lured away by a wealthy neighboring rancher (Alexander Knox). When the neighbor is killed, Scott is accused of the murder, and spends the balance of the film clearing himself. After a blood-spattered fistfight with a gunslinger (John Russell) and several gun battles, Scott consoles himself with schoolteacher Ellen Drew. Based on a novel by Ernest Haycox, Man in the Saddle was the first of the lucrative collaborations between star Randolph Scott and producer Harry Joe Brown. The film's title song is sung over the credits by Tennessee Ernie Ford. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Randolph Scott, Joan Leslie, (more)
- 1951
Rex Allen, aka "The Arizona Cowboy," again stars as himself in Republic's Silver City Bonanza. Allen and his sidekick Gabe Horne (Buddy Ebsen) are hot on the trail of a murderer who has stabbed a blind man to death. Their chief witness is the victim's seeing-eye dog, who is a better actor than some of the human players. The finale is an exciting underwater set-to between Allen and the killer (whose identity will remain hidden for the benefit of those who haven't seen the picture). The teaming of Rex Allen and Buddy Ebsen proved successful, and the two actors would remain saddle pals until Ebsen was spelled by Slim Pickens in 1952. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Buddy Ebsen, Mary Ellen Kay, (more)
- 1950
In Ham Fisher's original Joe Palooka comic strip, Joe's pal Humphrey Pennyworth was a blimp of a man. In Joe Palooka Meets Humphrey, Mr. Pennyworth is played by Robert Coogan, a slim, athletic chap who was then starring as TV's Captain Video. At least Joe Kirkwood Jr. was closer to Fisher's visual concept of soft-hearted pugilist Joe Palooka. The plot finds Joe pitted against Humphrey in a charity bout. Eschewing the gangster and murder-mystery subplots of Monogram's previous "Joe Palooka" entries, this one is played strictly for laughs, even unto having Leon Errol (cast as Joe's manager Knobby Walsh) going through his "Mexican Spitfire" paces in a dual role. Also good for a few chuckles is Joe Besser (who physically was better suited for the part of Humphrey) as a nervous hotel desk clerk. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Leon Errol, Joe Kirkwood, Jr., (more)
This whimsical fantasy about a local drunk's 6' 3 1/2" imaginary rabbit pal was a smash hit (and a Pulitzer Prize winner) on Broadway and was then adapted into this likeable farce that's also an allegory about tolerance. James Stewart stars as Elwood P. Dowd, a wealthy tippler whose sunny philosophy and inebriated antics are tolerated by most of the citizenry. That is, until Elwood begins claiming that he sees a "pooka" (a mischievous Irish spirit), which has taken the form of a man-sized bunny named Harvey. Although everyone is certain that Elwood has finally lost his mind, Harvey's presence begins to have magically positive effects on the townsfolk, with the exception of Elwood's own sister Veta (Josephine Hull), who, ironically, can also occasionally see Harvey. A snooty socialite, Veta is determined to marry off her daughter, Myrtle (Victoria Horne), to somebody equally respectable, and Elwood's lunacy is interfering. When Veta attempts to have Elwood committed to an insane asylum, however, the result is that she is accidentally admitted instead of her brother. Then the institution's director, Dr. Chumley (Cecil Kellaway), begins seeing Harvey, too. Hull, who reprised her part from the stage production, won an Oscar and a Golden Globe. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Stewart, Josephine Hull, (more)
- 1949
Though divorced from attorney Robert Cummings, Rosalind Russell continues hoping that she can arrange a reconciliation. This proves difficult due to Cummings' fascination with curvaceous Marie McDonald. Contriving to arouse Cumming's jealousy, Russell pretends to be married to feckless Gig Young. There's complications and misunderstandings aplenty before happy-ending time. Tell It to the Judge is so lightweight that it threatens to float out of sight at times; the stars manage to hold this pleasant meringue together. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rosalind Russell, Robert Cummings, (more)
- 1949
Wallace Beery's final film was the curiously endearing "black comedy" Big Jack. Set in 1820, a time when "science was a crime and crime not yet a science," the film casts Beery and Marjorie Main as outlaws Big Jack Horner and Flapjack Kate. The two bandits rescue visionary young doctor Alexander Meade (Richard Conte), who is about to be hanged for body-snatching. Meade is a tireless campaigner for modern surgical methods, thus he is forced to steal cadavers for his experiments. Big Jack is only interested in having the doc operate on his injured leg, but pretty soon he too is captivated by Meade's idealism. The film's many subplots all come to a head when Meade must prove his surgical theories by performing a delicate operation. Throughout, the film displays a cheerful disregard for the "dignity" of the deceased. One lengthy sequence finds an unbilled Andy Clyde buried alive after being declared legally dead; he laughs uproariously about the misunderstanding, then promptly drinks himself to death! The punchline to this scene occurs when Clyde's widow finds his remains evenly distributed in several mason jars, whereupon she remarks, "Oh, paw, now they've gone and bottled ya!" Vanessa Brown provides the requisite love interest. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Wallace Beery, Richard Conte, (more)
- 1949
Based on a novel by Charles Huckelmann, Deputy Marshal was a "special" by the standards of cost-conscious Screen Guild productions. The film stars Jon Hall and Frances Langford, who were Mr. and Mrs. at the time. Hall plays the title character, aka Ed Garry, while Langford essays the role of Janet Masters, a Wyoming ranchowner threatened by land thieves. While Garry does the dirty work so far as keeping the villains at bay, Janet gets to sing a couple of pleasant songs. Deputy Marshal was promoted on its novelty value; the film was photographed by Carl Berger with the Garutso Balanced Lens, a deep-focus apparatus that simulated a 3-D effect. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jon Hall, Frances Langford, (more)
- 1949
For some reason, whenever Universal used the word "Gal" in a film's title, Yvonne de Carlo usually headed the cast. In Gal Who Took the West, de Carlo plays Lillian Marlowe, an New York songstress who heads Thataway. She becomes the romantic bone of contention between the feuding O'Hara cousins, Grant (John Russell) and Lee (Scott Brady). The hostilities boil over into an all-out range war, and federal troops are summoned. Can Lillian succeed where other, better-armed negotiators have failed. The lighthearted nature of Gal Who Took the West is underlined by staging the film in flashback, as related by a pair of toothless old codgers (Clem Bevans and Houseley Stevenson). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Yvonne De Carlo, John Russell, (more)
Gene Autry plays a dual role in the above-average Columbia oater Rim of the Canyon. Our hero plays "himself" and his own father, a famed sheriff. Twenty years ago, Autry Sr. threw a trio of outlaws (Walter Sande, Jock Mahoney and Francis McDonald) into jail for stealing a large sum of money. When the crooks escape and head for the hidden loot, it's up to Autry Jr. to track them down. Unlike previous Columbia Autrys, Rim of the Canyon downplays the musical element in favor of fast, sometimes violent action. Even Autry's faithful horse Champion gets in on the act by trampling one of the crooks. Autry's leading lady this time out is Nan Leslie, later a busy TV character actress; another future TV favorite, Alan Hale Jr., essays a supporting role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gene Autry, Nan Leslie, (more)
- 1949
Streets of Laredo is a streamlined and Technicolorful remake of Paramount's 1936 box-office champ The Texas Rangers. William Holden, William Bendix and MacDonald Carey star as roguish outlaws Jim Dawkins, Wahoo Jones and Lorn Remming. After rescuing a little girl named Rannie Carter from a wicked tax collector, Dawkins and Jones decide to switch to the right side of the law; Remming, however, has other ideas. Years later, Rennie has grown up quite prettily into Mona Freeman, while Jim and Wahoo have become scrupulous members of the newly-formed Texas Rangers. Jim is in love with Rennie, but she has eyes for the still-crooked Lorn -- at least until Lorn proves to be the louse that the audience knew he was from the first reel. Streets of Laredo meticulously recreates the most famous scene from Texas Rangers, wherein one of the film's more sympathetic characters is abruptly shot to death from under a table; the scene still works, though it packed a bigger wallop in the original. Alfonso Bedoya, the "I don't have to show you any stinking badges" bandit from Treasure of the Sierra Madre, is appropriately menacing as the tax collector. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Holden, William Bendix, (more)
