Charles Smith Movies

In this astonishingly inexpensively produced ($12,000 Australian) feature by first-time director Lara Dunston, a Boy and a Girl (Annabel Stokes and Simon Hamm) are drawn together by their obsession with discovering the West, a mythologically rustic, romantic and primeval land. They are inspired by the country-and western tunes they both love, and the feature shows them developing a desire to travel through Australia in search of this imaginary land. They are interviewed extensively before they set out, and the film follows them in their ultimately unfulfilled and impossible search. Eventually, they discover that the West they are looking for is not to be found in the wilds of Australia, but in themselves. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

In Goober's absence, his girlfriend Flora (Alberta Nelson) fills in for him at Wally's Service Station. Though Flora isn't so hot as a mechanic, her charm and beauty proves very popular with the customers. As a result, Wally (Cliff Norton) fires Goober and hires Flora permanently. It is up to Andy to show Wally the error of his ways. Written by Stan Dreben and Howard Merrill, "Goober's Replacement" was originally telecast on March 28, 1966. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This western presents a more sympathetic view of Native Americans than is usually found in the genre as it tells the tale of the army commander of an Arizona outpost who despises all Indians until he falls in love with a beautiful missionary girl. He must change his ways because one of her parents is an Apache. Unfortunately, his attempts to reform are nearly foiled by greedy gold-seekers trying to start a war with the local Apaches. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Bart (Jack Garner) offers a helping hand to farmer Henry Albright (John Qualen), who wants to start a gold mining company. Briefly putting his gambling activities on the back burner, Bart goes into the stockbroking business, issuing certificates for Albright's mine in a frontier "Chinatown" district. As usual, however, things go awry for Mr. Maverick, and before long the only thing he is brokering is a heap of trouble. The great Asian character actor Richard Loo plays a key role in this episode. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Like so many other films that were once considered "lewd" and "scandalous", The French Line seems as harmless as Pollyanna when seen today. Essentially a remake of The Richest Girl in the World, the film stars Jane Russell as Mary Carson, an incredibly wealthy Texas oil heiress. Lucky in investments but unlucky in love, poor Mary can never keep a fiance: either they're fortune-hunters or they don't want to marry anyone so rich and powerful. Thus, while on an ocean voyage to France, Mary poses as the model of dress designer Annie Farrell (Mary McCarthy), hoping to attract a man who is interested in her for herself, and not her millions. That man turns out to be dashing stage star Pierre (Gilbert Roland), but there's many comic complications and misunderstandings before the happy ending. What shocked the censors in 1954 was Jane Russell's sizzling musical number "Lookin' for Trouble", in which she performed an uninhibited bump-and-grind while wearing nothing more than a seven-ounce glorified bikini. While Ms. Russell herself was offended by her skimpy costume, she saw nothing wrong with the dance itself, pointing out that she intended it as a parody of a "burleycue" number. The professional blue-noses disagreed, however: the film was condemned by the Catholic Legion of Decency and denied a Production Code Seal. Eventually, producer Howard Hughes got the Seal--along with a million dollars' worth of free publicity, which is what he intended all along. Filmed in 3D, The French Line is the film that was ballyhooed with the classically tasteless ad campaign "J.R. in 3D--It'll knock both your eyes out!" ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Carrie is based on Sister Carrie, a novel by Theodore Dreiser. Dreiser's clumsy, unwieldy prose is streamlined into a neat and precise screenplay by Ruth and Augustus Goetz. Jennifer Jones stars as Carrie, who leaves her go-nowhere small town for the wicked metropolis of Chicago. Here she becomes the mistress of brash traveling salesman Charles Drouet (Eddie Albert), then throws him over in favor of erudite restaurant manager George Hurstwood (Laurence Olivier). Obsessed by Carrie, George steals money from his boss to support her in the manner to which he thinks she is accustomed. Left broke and disgraced by the ensuing scandal, Carrie deserts George to become an actress. Years later, the conscience-stricken Carrie tries to regenerate George, who has fallen into bum-hood. If Laurence Olivier seems a surprising casting choice in Carrie, try to imagine what the film would have been like had Cary Grant, Paramount's first choice, accepted the role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Since Universal was out of the "B"-western business by 1951, many former Universal contractees were obliged to seek work elsewhere. Monogram's Rhythm Inn stars Jane Frazee, Kirby Grant and Lois Collier, Universal alumni all. It all begins when bandleader Dusty Rhodes (Kirby Grant) is forced to pawn his musician's instruments. It so happens that pawnshop clerk Eddie Thompson (Charles Smith) is an aspiring songwriter. Thus it is that band-singer Carol Denton (Jane Frazee) is able to sweet-talk Thompson into allowing the musicians to use their instruments after office hours, with the promise that the clerk's songs will be performed. Complications ensue when Thompson's girl friend Betty (Lois Collier), misunderstanding the situation, becomes jealous. Specialty numbers in Rhythm Inn are provided by the Anson Weeks orchestra, Armida, Jean Ritchie, Ames & Arno and the Ramon Bros. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The sexual dysfunction of a married couple provides the basis of this thought-provoking drama that was originally released in 1950 and was then re-released 11 years later with a prologue tacked on. In the prologue, the couple begin attending a group therapy session helmed by a prominent doctor. Neither the husband and wife are able to enjoy sex. The doctor then tells them a story and this story is the original 1950 film of a sexually repressed and unresponsive bride who ends up trying to kill herself. Fortunately, a psychiatrist helps her to see that her overbearing mother is the cause of her difficulty. This story inspires the first couple to keep working on their problem. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Two Weeks With Love is set in a Catskills resort in the early 1900s. Seventeen-year-old vacationer Patti Robinson (Jane Powell) feels that she's a bit too strait-laced to attract the male contingent, and dreams of being a "woman of the world." Naturally, the principal object of her affections, dashing Demi Armendez (Ricardo Montalban), prefers an old-fashioned girl, but Patti doesn't find that out until the last reel. The supporting cast is well served, especially Louis Calhern and Ann Harding as Patti's long-suffering parents and Phyllis Kirk as a bitchy coquette. Stealing the film from their "elders" are relative newcomers Debbie Reynolds and Carleton Carpenter, who get to perform the delightful "Abba-Dabba Honeymoon." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The beauteous blonde Wilde Twins -- Lynn and Lee -- star in the Republic musical programmer Campus Honeymoon. Richard Crane and Hal Hackett co-star as a pair of GIs who offer to pose as the sisters' husbands so as to qualify for a couple of bungalows in a Veterans' housing project. The relationship is supposed to be platonic, of course, but it doesn't remain that way for long. The laughs really begin to roll in when the ersatz honeymooners are obliged to produce their marriage licenses. Republic contractee Adele Mara contributes a zesty performance as a former WAC sergeant. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this musical, a young socialite reluctantly attends an exclusive school; she would rather be working on becoming a Broadway star. She is so determined to be one that she begins ditching her classes to work as a chorus girl in a musical. Following the show's closing, she invites two fellow dancers to visit her home. Musical mayhem and romance ensue. Songs include: "On the Sunny Side of the Street," "It's So Easy," "All I Know Is Si Si" (Doris Fisher, Allan Roberts), "Boogie Woogie from Nowhere" (Saul Chaplin). ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

20th Century-Fox pulled its script for Three Blind Mice out of mothballs once more for Three Little Girls in Blue. June Haver, Vera-Ellen and Vivian Blaine are the blue-clad trio, searching for wealthy husband in Atlantic City in 1905. As in all other versions of this Stephan Powys story, two of the girls latch onto handsome young men who aren't as rich as they appear to be, while the third young lady falls for a seemingly nerdish chap who turns out to be rolling in dough. The menfolk in this yarn are handsome George Montgomery, handsome Frank Latimore, and nonhandsome Charles Smith. Taking its cue from the 1941 edition of this story (Moon Over Miami), Three Little Girls in Blue is a musical, with singing from Vivian Blaine and June Haver and dancing from Vera-Ellen. The story was good for yet another go-round in 1953: How to Marry a Millionaire. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this musical, a messenger boy does a remarkable imitation of Bing Crosby and finds himself surrounded by luscious little bobby-soxers. One woman is so impressed by his Crosbiesque crooning that she takes him New York and convinces investors to bank on him. Unfortunately, she accidentally sells the shares for 125 percent of the profits. Fortunately, by the end, the situation is rectified. Songs include: "June Comes Around Every Year," "Out Of This World" (Johnny Mercer, Harold Arlen), "I'd Rather Be Me" (Eddie Cherkose, Felix Bernard, Sam Coslow), "All I Do Is Beat That Golden Drum" (Coslow, sung by Cass Daley), "It Takes A Little Bit More" (Coslow), "A Sailor With An Eight-Hour Pass" (Ben Raleigh, Bernie Wayne, sung by Daley) and "The Ghost Of Mr. Chopin" (Coslow). ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide