Ralph Sanford Movies
Hearty character actor Ralph Sanford made his first screen appearances at the Flatbush studios of Vitaphone Pictures. From 1933 to 1937, Sanford was Vitaphone's resident Edgar Kennedy type, menacing such two-reel stars as Shemp Howard, Roscoe Ates, and even Bob Hope. He moved to Hollywood in 1937, where, after playing several bit roles, he became a semi-regular with Paramount's Pine-Thomas unit with meaty supporting roles in such films as Wildcat (1942) and The Wrecking Crew (1943). He also continued playing featured roles at other studios, usually as a dimwitted gangster or flustered desk sergeant. One of his largest assignments was in Laurel and Hardy's The Bullfighters (1945), in which he plays vengeance-seeking Richard K. Muldoon, who threatens at every opportunity to (literally) skin Stan and Ollie alive; curiously, he receives no screen credit, despite the fact that his character motivates the entire plot line. Busy throughout the 1950s, Ralph Sanford was a familiar presence on TV, playing one-shot roles on such series as Superman and Leave It to Beaver and essaying the semi-regular part of Jim "Dog" Kelly on the weekly Western Wyatt Earp (1955-1961). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
This sequel to 1943's My Friend Flicka stars Roddy McDowell, recreating his role in the earlier film. The son of a horse rancher (Preston S. Foster), McDowell takes it upon himself to train Thunderhead, a white colt with the same rebellious streak that distinguished its mother (Flicka). Thunderhead helps McDowell round up several horses that had been stolen from his father, and also attracts the attention of a racing aficionado (Ralph Sanford). Once fully grown, Thunderhead indicates that he'd be happier running wild, so McDowell tearfully but proudly gives the horse his freedom. Like My Friend Flicka, Thunderhead, Son of Flicka was based on a novel by Mary o'Hara. The original film would engender one more sequel, Green Grass of Wyoming (48), and later would inspire a brief TV series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roddy McDowall, Preston S. Foster, (more)
- 1945
Laurel & Hardy's last American film is a marked improvement over their previous 20th Century-Fox features, though still not in the same league as their 1930s classics. Stan and Ollie play a couple of detectives from Peoria, Illinois, who fly to Mexico City to arrest the notorious Larceny Nell (Carol Andrews). Their South-of-the-Border visit coincides with the much-anticipated arrival of famed Spanish bullfighter Don Sebastian-who happens to be the exact double of Stan Laurel! When Don Sebastian's Mexican debut is delayed by passport problems, press agent Hotshot Coleman (Richard Lane) persuades Stan to take the toreador's place in the bullring. Stan is understandably reluctant until Hotshot threatens to turn the boys over to his business partner, sports promoter Richard K. Muldoon (Ralph Sanford). It seems that several years earlier, Stan and Ollie wrongly sent Muldoon to prison; upon his release, he vowed to someday catch up with the boys and literally skin them alive ("First the little one, then the big one!") With this threat hanging over their heads, Laurel & Hardy are forced to acquiesce to Hotshot's scheme-leading to a chaotic nightclub incident, a hectic misadventure at a bull farm, and a climactic riot at the bull arena when the real Don Sebastian finally shows up. Though it falls apart in the final reel thanks to an overabundance of mismatched stock footage gleaned from Blood and Sand (1941), The Bullfighters is for the most part a fond throwback to Laurel & Hardy's glory days: the highlight is an egg-breaking routine revived from 1934's Hollywood Party. Curiously, none of the reviewers in 1945 mentioned the film's grotesquely hilarious closing gag, which must be seen to be believed. Rory Calhoun (billed as Frank McCown) shows up in a bit as a rival bullfighter. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Lane
- 1945
There Goes Kelly is a followup of sorts to Monogram's 1943 comedy Here Comes Kelly, with Jackie Moran taking over for Eddie Quillan as the title character. In this one, the pugnacious Jimmy Kelly (Moran) is a page boy at a big-time radio station. When the station's star vocalist is murdered, suspicion immediately falls upon aspiring singer Anne (Wanda McKay). In love with the suspect, Jimmy and his fellow page Sammy (Sidney Miller) set about to nab the genuine culprit, much to the dismay of irascible detective Marty (Ralph Sanford). Just as Here Comes Kelly was a remake of He Couldn't Take It (1933), There Goes Kelly was likewise a remake, this time of the 1940 Frankie Darro-Mantan Moreland vehicle Up in the Air. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jackie Moran, Wanda McKay, (more)
- 1944
The wartime housing shortage in Washington DC is the basis for this comedy. Several attractive young ladies rent a single DC apartment, causing no end of complications to their various professional and private lives. Also moving in (due to a misunderstanding) is a young newlywed (Jane Wyman), whose flustered husband (Jack Carson) is denied access to the apartment. The funniest of the female roommates is a visiting Russian sniper, played con brio by Eve Arden. The Doughgirls is based on the popular Broadway play by Joseph A. Fields (with uncredited assistance by George S. Kaufman). Three Stooges fans are advised to keep an eye out for Curly Joe DeRita as an unhappy schlemiel who can't find a place to sleep. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ann Sheridan, Alexis Smith, (more)
- 1944
The world's nosiest telephone operator is at it again in this murder mystery. This time Kitty overhears the plans for three murders. She and her boy friend decide to investigate and soon find themselves in deep trouble with both the bungling cops and the killers. Despite the mayhem, Kitty prevails and the culprits are brought to justice. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean Parker, Peter Cookson, (more)
- 1944
Perennial second lead Una Merkel and radio dialect comedian Parkyakarkus team up in the Monogram musical fantasy Sweethearts of the USA. While working in a defense plant, Patsy (Merkel) is rendered unconscious-or at least, more unconscious than usual. While knocked out, she dreams that she's a fearless detective, teamed with tangle-tongued Parkyakarkus on the trail of bank robbers. If things could get any sillier, they probably would, but unfortunately the film lasts only 63 minutes. Incidentally, Parkyakarkus' real name was Harry Einstein, and he was the father of comic actors Bob Einstein and Albert Brooks. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Una Merkel, Parkyakarkus [Harry Einstein], (more)
- 1944
Lost in a Harem is arguably the best of Abbott & Costello's trio of MGM films; it's certainly the silliest, with any number of nonsensical plot twists and sidesplitting gags. This time, Bud Abbott and Lou Costello play Pete and Harvey, two American magicians stranded in a mythical Arabian Nights kingdom with songstress Hazel Moon (Marilyn Maxwell). Our heroes and heroine become involved with the trials and tribulations of Prince Ramo (John Conte), who hopes to rightfully reclaim his throne from his evil usurping uncle Nimativ (Douglas Dumbrille). Alas, the villain is armed with a pair of hypnotic rings with which he forces everyone to do his bidding: his most anti-social act is to kidnap and hypnotize the entire Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra! Pete, Harvey, Ramo and Hazel risk death at every turn to thwart Nimativ, encountering a giant guard (Lock Martin, later to play the robot Gort in The Day the Earth Stood Still), a gibbering lunatic (Murray Leonard) and a bevy of harem beauties along the way. The film's sets and costumes, as well as the more elaborate musical numbers, are "borrowed" from the recently completed MGM superproduction Kismet. While the plot is for the birds, Lost in a Harem is saved by the fast-and-furious antics of Abbott and Costello. And as a bonus, this is the film in which Bud and Lou, accompanied by Murray Leonard, perform those deathless burlesque classics "Slowly I Turned" and "Mike's Place." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, (more)
- 1943
William Gargan and Margaret Lindsay, stars of Columbia's "Ellery Queen" series, were reunited for the like-minded comedy/mystery No Place for a Lady. Gargan plays private eye Jess Arno, while Lindsay is Jess' ever-faithful, long-suffering fiancee June Terry. The plot gets under way when a valuable collection of tires (vital to the War effort of course) are stolen by a wealthy widow-who subsequently ends up murdered. Suspicion falls upon Dolly Adair (Phyllis Brooks), but Arno isn't satisfied with this and eventually ferrets out the real killer. While it's not fair to reveal the murderer, it should be noted that the cast includes such whodunit veterans as Edward Norris, Dick Purcell and Jerome Cowan. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Gargan, Margaret Lindsay, (more)
- 1943
High Explosive is a Hollywood "B" precursor to the later, more critically lionized The Wages of Fear. Chester Morris plays a two-fisted trucker who takes on a deadly assignment: Transporting nitroglycerin over bumpy terrain. As half the supporting cast is blown to smithereens, Morris persists in his white-knuckle mission. His diligence is motivated by guilt; Morris had been responsible for the training death of his girl friend's (Jean Parker) brother. High Explosive was a lucrative entry produced by Paramount's "Two Dollar Bills," William Pine and William Thomas. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chester Morris, Jean Parker, (more)
Adhering to the formula of such previous Pine-Thomas productions as Forced Landing, Flying Blind and Torpedo Boat, Minesweeper is the action-packed story of military men under wartime pressure. Richard Arlen plays Jim Smith, a once-reliable Naval officer who has virtually destroyed his life with his chronic gambling. When Pearl Harbor is attacked, Smith finds a chance for redemption. He signs up under an assumed name as a lowly seaman, then proves that he's still made of "the right stuff" by single-handedly seeking out and destroying a new type of Japanese mine. Jean Parker, who like Arlen was a "regular" in the Pine-Thomas product, plays Smith's loyal wife Mary, while the requisite romantic-rival duties are handled by western alumnus Russell Hayden. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Arlen, Jean Parker, (more)
The plot of the Pine-Thomas adventure quickie Submarine Alert is more than a little beholden to Hitchcock's The 39 Steps. Richard Arlen plays FBI radio engineer Lee Deerhold, who turns bitter and vindictive when he is abruptly fired. Actually, his termination was engineered by his FBI superiors, so that Deerhold will be susceptible to a job offer from a gang of Nazi saboteurs. When Deerhold finally gets wise to what's going on, he finds himself being hotly pursued by practically everyone else in the picture. The better-than-average cast includes Wendy Barrie as undercover agent Ann Patterson, Nils Asther as a mysterious doctor, and Abner Biberman, Marc Lawrence and Dwight Frye as various villains. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Arlen, Wendy Barrie, (more)
- 1943
In this light romantic comedy, William B. Whitley (William Powell) is an astronomer who is very excited about his latest discovery, a comet that has been named after him. However, Whitley has been so busy tracking the course of his comet as its path leads straight into the moon that he's been ignoring his new wife, Vicky (Hedy Lamarr). Bored and lonely, one day Vicky visits an astrologer who informs her that she will -- on a specific day -- meet a handsome stranger, and they will fall in love. A bit perplexed at this news, Vicky shares the astrologer's report with William; however, he's so appalled that she would waste her time on pseudo-scientific hooey like astrology that he storms out of the house, moving into his observatory for a few days. On the predicted day, Vicky is wondering what happened to her dream man when an air raid warden, Lloyd Hunter (James Craig), shows up to confront Vicky and ends up going inside her house and shutting off her lights. Vicky and Lloyd strike up a conversation, and she begins to realize that he could well be the man the astrologer predicted she would meet; Vicky is interested in him, but just as he's leaving, William returns. William, however, senses that Vicky is infatuated with Lloyd, and he quickly hatches a devious plan to win back her good graces. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Powell, Hedy Lamarr, (more)
- 1943
Lupe Velez is "The Mexican Spitfire" in everything but name in the frantic baseball farce Ladies Day. Eddie Albert plays Wacky Waters, star pitcher of the Sox, a league-leading contender for the World Series. Alas, whenever Wacky falls in love, his game suffers-and so do the wives of his teammates, who are counting on that Series bonus money. When Wacky marries vivacious movie star Pepita Zorita (Velez), the wives, led by Hazel Jones (Patsy Kelly), take drastic action, kidnapping Pepita and hiding her out in a hotel room. But Pepita manages to wriggle out of the hotel towels that bind and gag, disguise herself as a bellboy, and head to the ballpark during the Big Game. Fortunately, Pepita turns out to be Wacky's prime motivation for winning the Series, and there's a happy ending for one and all. Pretty lame as far as baseball films go, Ladies Day will be best appreciated by fans of Lupe Velez and Patsy Kelly, who never speak when shouting will do. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lupe Velez, Eddie Albert, (more)
A wounded aerial gunner tells his story in this wartime propaganda film. He begins with his recruitment and basic training before the war. There he discovers that his sergeant is one of his foes, and that both of them are fighting for the affection of the lovely sister of a fellow recruit who becomes terrified of flying and suffers a plane crash during training. Eventually all is overcome and the new squadron prepares to fly for the South Pacific. The two rivals end up landing on an island overrun by Japanese troops. They frantically try to repair their downed plane. Later the brave sergeant sacrifices his life to save his rival who takes off and somehow makes it back to safety. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chester Morris, Richard Arlen, (more)
Army engineeer Richard Arlen helps blaze the trail for a crucial highway in the Alaskan wastes. His younger brother William Henry works side by side with Arlen, though Henry is hampered by a tendency to down tools and raise fists whenever someone calls him out. Arlen is willing to bail Henry out of trouble, but less willing to share the attentions of pretty Jean Parker. The Pine-Thomas unit at Paramount really had only one plot (two guys and one gal battling the elements), but Alaska Highway, like all of the unit's other 1940s efforts, brought home the bacon at the box-office. And as in most of the other Pine-Thomas escapades, burly Ralph Sanford is around for good-natured comedy relief. Whether by accident or design, many of the production personnel of this 66-minute actioner are alumni of the Hal Roach Studio: coscripter Lewis R. Foster, cinematographer Fred L. Jackman, and editor William Ziegler. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Arlen, Jean Parker, (more)
- 1942
When a young woman inherits $1 million she finds herself the target of a criminals who wants her money too! ~ All Movie Guide
- 1942
Torpedo Boat is a typical action-filled effort from Paramount's busy Pine-Thomas unit. Richard Arlen and Phil Terry star as Skimmer and Tommy, two lifelong buddies who've invented a lightweight, high-speed torpedo boat (hence the title). Their copacetic business relationship is strained when nightclub singer Grace Holman (Jean Parker), having been jilted by Skimmer, marries Tommy on the rebound. All the various plots and subplots are resolved when one of the two pals gives his life to prove the practicality of their new invention. Pine-Thomas "regular" Ralph Sandford plays the principal comedy relief part in his usual oafish manner. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Arlen, Jean Parker, (more)
- 1942
Joan Crawford is the kissable bride of the title--but when the film opens, matrimony is the farthest thing from her mind. Crawford becomes a big-time executive upon inheriting her father's trucking business, which leaves her no time for such trivialities as romance. To enhance her business, Crawford arranges a marriage of convenience for her younger sister (Helen Parrish). At the wedding, Crawford meets reporter Melvyn Douglas, who is out to discredit Crawford....and you know what's coming next. They All Kissed the Bride was one of several 1942 productions originally slated for Carole Lombard, whose sudden death in a plane crash required all the major studios to reshuffle their production schedules to come up with last-minute Lombard replacements. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joan Crawford, Melvyn Douglas, (more)
- 1942
Produced by silent-film comedian Harold Lloyd, My Favorite Spy is a vehicle for bespectacled bandleader Kay Kyser, who resembles Lloyd more than somewhat. Just before embarking on his honeymoon with new bride Terry (Ellen Drew), Kyser is drafted into the Army. Proving to be a monumentally inefficient soldier, our hero is nonetheless pressed into service by US intelligence officer Major Allen (Moroni Olsen). It seems that Nazi agents have been passing secrets in the nightclub where Kyser's band performs, and Allen wants Kay to act as a counter-espionage agent. To maintain his cover, Kay is discharged from the army in disgrace, and is ordered to noisily make himself a "security risk", so that Nazi chieftan Robinson (Robert Armstrong) will invite Kay to join his spy operation. Trouble is, Kyser must keep his espionage activities secret from everyone-even his wife Terry, who is growing ever more impatient over Kay's unexplained absences from her boudoir. Making matters worse, Kyser is teamed with glamorous blonde secret agent Connie (Jane Wyman), whom Terry understandably suspects of being Kay's clandestine sweetheart. A multitude of slapstick situations follow, culminating in a wild chase through an abandoned theater, with Kay Kyser making like Harold Lloyd to rescue his wife from the Nazis. As directed by Tay Garnett, Kyser's ongoing marital woes seem more pathetic than funny; in addition, his Secret Service cohorts come off as the most sadistic bunch of "good guys" in screen history, bursting with laughter every time Kay's wife throws him out of their apartment. Even so, My Favorite Spy has a few genuine laughs, especially in the final reels. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ellen Drew, Jane Wyman, (more)
- 1942
This 20th Century-Fox cheapie stars Carole Landis as a pretty detective and Allyn Joslyn as a fast-talking reporter ever on the verge of losing his job. Landis is entrusted with a large, troublesome Doberman pinscher named Rodney, who is docile only around her. After numerous Disney-like complications with Rodney showing up where it shouldn't, Landis uses the dog to help her track down a gang of racketeers. Joslyn, who mistakenly believes that Landis and Rodney have recently participated in a hold-up, goes along for the ride, rescuing his lady love and getting a swell story in the bargain. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carole Landis, Allyn Joslyn, (more)
- 1942
Glenda Farrell reprises her fast-talking girl reporter persona in PRC's Night for Crime. Ms. Farrell is cast as Susan, a big-city sob sister who investigates the murder of movie extra Ellen Smith (Marjorie Manners). Adding to the confusion, movie star Mona (Lina Basquette) disappears in the middle of an important production. As clues and suspects pile up, Susan and detective Joe (Lyle Talbot) try to solve the mystery without ending up as murder victims themselves. A Night for Crime was based on a story by Hollywood columnist Jimmy Starr, who appears on-screen with his journalistic colleagues Erskine Johnson, Edwin Schallert (father of actor William Schallert) and Harry Crocker. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Glenda Farrell, Lyle Talbot, (more)
- 1942
I Live on Danger is a fast-moving thriller with strong performances and top-notch direction -- by former screenwriter Sam White -- which overcomes some weaknesses in the plot. Jeff Morrell (Chester Morris) is a newscaster who gets involved in saving wrongly accused Eddie Nelson (Edward Norris) from a murder charge. Nelson's sister, Susan Richards (Jean Parker) is fundamental in keeping interest in the case, as she becomes his romantic interest. Both Chester Morris and Jean Parker are fine as the romantic pair, who fight to save the innocent man. This was Sam White's first directorial effort and is a good showcase for White who went on to become a notable director of "B" movies. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chester Morris, Jean Parker, (more)
One of the most frequently revived of the Pine-Thomas productions of the 1940s, Wildcat is set amongst the oil fields of Oklahoma. With the help of his pal Chicopee Nevins (Elisha Cook Jr.), foresighted oil speculator Johnny Maverick (Richard Arlen) buys up a great deal of property in hopes of coming up with a gusher. Maverick's business practices are questionable to say the least, and as result he's constantly on the lookout for potential investors. After Nevins is killed in an accident, con artists Nan Deering (Arline Judge) and Oliver Westbrook (William Frawley) make a bid for Nevins' half of the business, with Nan posing as the dead partner's sister. Westbrook's business knowhow enables Maverick to finally arrive at the brink of success, but now he has a new obstacle to overcome: Villainous wildcatter Mike Rawlins (Larry "Buster" Crabbe), who has a bad habit of setting fire to his competition's oil wells. Some of the film's best scenes are at the beginning, as Maverick and Nevins try to charm an old woman into leasing her land to them by pretending to enjoy the lady's indigestable apple pies. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Arlen, Arline Judge, (more)
- 1942
No relation to the much-later "Matt Helm" spy comedy of the same name, Pine-Thomas Productions' The Wrecking Crew serves as a virile vehicle for Richard Arlen and Chester Morris. The stars appear respectively as a demolition-crew boss and his top worker. Morris has earned a reputation as a "jinx", an onus he may have trouble overcoming on his latest peril-fraught assignment. Jean Parker costars as the romantic bone of contention between Arlen and Morris, while character actress Esther Dale scores as the no-nonsense owner of the wrecking firm. Dozens of stock shots from previous Paramount efforts are utilized to excellent effect in this two-fisted actioner. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Arlen, Chester Morris, (more)
- 1942
This lighthearted romantic comedy stars William Holden as working stiff Michael Stewart and Frances Dee as wealthy socialite Candace Goodwin. Falling in love with Michael, Candace agrees to marry him on his terms-namely, that they survive on his salary alone. Inevitably, Candace has trouble adjusting to her new lifestyle and yearns for the luxuries lavished upon her by her family. Meanwhile, Michael begins to suspect that Candace has been keeping company with men from her own social set. It takes the combined efforts of the Stewart and Goodwin families to reunite the quarrelsome couple in the final footage. There's nary an original moment in Meet the Stewarts, but the two leads are so darned atttractive that it doesn't matter at all. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Holden, Frances Dee, (more)
