Pamela Blake Movies
Pamela Blake used her real name (Adele Pearce) when decorating the background in Eight Girls in a Boat (1934) and when she returned to Hollywood after a four-year hiatus to study acting in her hometown of Oakland. The diminutive brunette charmer played opposite Tex Ritter in Grand National's low-budget Utah Trail (1938), a less than pleasant experience, she later recalled, but she was obviously going somewhere when director John Farrow (Mia's father) took her under his wing at RKO. Farrow, who, according to Pearce, could be quite the tyrant, directed her in Sorority House (1939) and Full Confession (1939), but her biggest chance came at Paramount, where she tested with Alan Ladd and played the minor, but rather showy, role of Annie in This Gun for Hire (1942), Ladd's breakthrough movie. As it turned out, the classic film noir proved a breakthrough of sorts for Pearce as well. At her request, Paramount had renamed her Pamela Blake and, as such, she signed a contract with industry leader MGM. Although the studio never really offered her the opportunity for true stardom, Blake turned up in several popular programmers, including Maisie Gets Her Man (1942) with Ann Sothern and Red Skelton and the Western The Omaha Trail (1942) with James Craig. According to Blake herself, however, MGM canceled her contract when she failed to notify the studio that she was leaving town. Despite the loss of a major studio contract, Pamela Blake rebounded on poverty row and is today best remembered for her roles in such action serials as Chick Carter, Detective (1946) and The Ghost of Zorro (1948), the latter made by Republic Pictures, Blake's favorite studio. "Everybody out there was wonderful; it seemed like a small town," she would later recall. The early '50s brought several guest stints on such television shows as The Cisco Kid and The Range Rider, but Blake's acting career was waning when, in 1953, she decided to retire and raise her family with television producer Mike Stokey (Pantomime Quiz). She had previously been married to actor/stuntman Malcolm "Bud" McTaggart. (Both marriages ended in divorce.) The mother of Michael W. Stokey, a military advisor on such major motion pictures as The Thin Red Line (1998) and Hart's War (2002), Blake surprisingly claims the 1943 Monogram thriller The Unknown Guest as her favorite among almost 50 films and a dozen or so television appearances. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi- 1954
Stunt man Hugh Hooker starred in the title role of this late Grade-Z Western, written and directed by the redoubtable Robert Emmett Tansey. When crooked lawyer Monte Blue attempts to take over the ranch belonging to Pamela Blake and her elderly father, James Kirkwood, the Texas Kid and his sidekick (John Laurenz) come to their rescue. That is about all there is to this ramshackle affair, which, in reality, was composed of a couple of unsold television pilots. Silent stars Blue and Kirkwood were nearing the end of their long careers, while the supporting cast consisted of such relative newcomers as Terry Frost, John Compton, and Tansey regular Johnny Carpenter. Very little data exists on this film. Though completed in 1951 (just prior to Tansey's death), the picture's absolutely wretched quality reputedly caused it to go unreleased for three years. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi
- Starring:
- Monte Blue, Pamela Blake, (more)
- 1952
The Waco depicted in this film is a wide-open Texas frontier town, in desperate need of a strong authority figure to clean out the criminal element. The man needed is the man found: Matt Boone, played by Wild Bill Elliot. Though himself a fugitive from justice (he killed a man in self-defense), Boone takes his responsibilities as sheriff very seriously. Flying in the face of standard "good badman" movie cliches, Boone is often as brutal and ruthless as the desperadoes he comes up against. Waco was one more feather in the cap of cowboy star Bill Elliot, who appeared in some of the toughest -- and best -- medium-budget westerns of the 1950s. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- William "Wild Bill" Elliott, I. Stanford Jolley, (more)
- 1951
This film features two mystery stories featuring Hugh "the Beaver's TV Dad" Beaumont. First, he is hired to go to an auction and buy a particular saxophone. Unfortunately, soon after he obtains it he is knocked unconscious and loses the instrument to the bidder he beat. Later he discovers that the horn is filled with valuable stolen jewels. He also learns that a murder is involved and so launches an investigation to solve it all. In the second tale, Beaumont is paid to escort a beautiful woman to a yacht party. Once he gets there, he discovers that he is the only guest and she is out to seduce him. During their lovemaking, a sleazy detective is busy photographing their every move. The gumshoe was working for the woman's jealous husband who is later found slain, causing the hapless Beaumont to stand accused. Fortunately, he is able to prove his innocence and solve the crime. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Hugh Beaumont, Edward S. Brophy, (more)
- 1950
Don Barry stars as Texas Ranger Bob Standish, sworn to avenge his brother's death in Border Rangers. To achieve his goal, Standish goes undercover, joining the bandit gang. In this guise, he hopes to trap outlaw Mugo (Robert Lowery), his brother's murderer, unawares. Most Lippert Studio productions include Sid Melton as comedy relief. But Melton must have been out of town, since the comic sequences in Border Rangers are handled by veteran vaudevillian Wally Vernon. As an added fillip, child actor Paul Jordan provides a few heart-tugging moments. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Robert Lowery, Wally Vernon, (more)
- 1950
The plot for this Western involves the wives and girlfriends of the Dalton gang, who decide to carry on the gang's criminal activities after the menfolk were either gunned down or locked up. Old-time B-Western star Lash LaRue shows up to take care of them. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1950
Gunfire stars bantam-weight western favorite Don Barry as legendary outlaw Frank James. Actually, Frank is an ex-outlaw when the film begins; in fact, he's sworn never to use his guns again. But when somebody begins posing as Frank and pulling off a series of robberies....well, what's a man to do? Helping Frank prove his innocence is sympathetic marshal Kelly (Robert Lowery), who gives James plenty of leeway to capture the genuine miscreants. Though produced and directed on a shoestring budget, Gunfire delivers the action goods to everyone's satisfaction. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Robert Lowery, Wally Vernon, (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, Rovi
- Starring:
- Leon Errol, Joe Kirkwood, Jr., (more)
- 1950
Former juvenile star William Henry is the all-grown-up hero of Federal Man. Henry is cast as a government agent who dogs the trail of illegal narcotics peddlers. This requires several trips south of the US-Mexico border and back again. Scenes of startlingly vivid violence are counterpointed with prosaic shots of the scientific paraphernalia used by modern-day crime fighters ("modern," of course, by 1950 standards). Though leading lady Pamela Blake is ill-served by her bland dialogue, veteran utility player George Eldredge enjoys one of the largest assignments of his career as the slimy gang leader. Like many crime films of the era, Federal Man adopts a documentary approach to its scripted scenes. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- William Henry, Pamela Blake, (more)
- 1949
Although ostensibly the grand-son of the legendary hero, Clayton Moore's Ken Mason is little more than a cowboy in a black mask in this 12 chapter Republic serial. Mason, the head of the telegraph line work crew, assumes his ancestor's trade-mark mask (but not whip) in order to prevent a local czar (Roy Barcroft) from sabotaging the burgeoning telegraph line. Pamela Blake, a brunette starlet formerly known as Adele Pearce, played Mason's imperiled girlfriend, and the serial also benefitted from the usual competent work of Republic's great stunt-performers, including Dale van Sickel, Tom Steele, Eddie Parker, and Joe Yrigoyen. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi
- 1949
Set virtually in its entirety in an airborne TWA Constellation (evidently the company agreed to the use of its name in exchange for free advertising), Sky Liner stars Richard Travis as FBI agent Steve Blair. At the beginning of the film, a government courier is murdered by a foreign spy during a transcontinental flight. Blair manages to collar the spy, who is then promptly murdered himself. Now Blair is forced to play detective, sifting out the guilty party (or parties) from the passenger list. Pamela Blake and Rochelle Hudson play the standard "good" and "bad" girls, while the rest of the cast is a film-buff's dream: Steven Geray, Bess Flowers, Jack Mulhall, George Meeker et. al. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Richard Travis, Pamela Blake, (more)
- 1948
Son of God's Country stars singing cowboy Monte Hale in his traditional screen role of do-gooder and last-minute problem-solver. This time, it's the old "evil land baron" plot again, with the villains eager to grab up all available ranch property, then sell it back to the incoming railroad. The chief heavy (Jim Nolan) orders the killings of several ranchers, carefully framing a former Confederate officer (Steve Darrell) for the murders. Hale puts an end to this perfidy with the assistance of comic sidekick Eli Walker (Paul Hurst). Surprisingly, Monte Hale is permitted to sing only once. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Monte Hale, Pamela Blake, (more)
- 1948
There's a thrill a minute in the economical actioner Highway 13. Robert Lowery plays Hank Wilson, an honest truck driver who suspects foul play after a series of trucking "accidents". Offering his services to undercover detective George Montgomery (Gaylord Pendleton), Wilson finds himself at the mercy of the villains-who hope to put a major transportation firm out of business-when Montgomery is murdered in an unusually grotesque fashion. It wouldn't be fair to reveal the true identities of the criminal masterminds, except to say that the actors playing those roles had seldom appeared as villains in any previous film. It can be said that the usually underhanded Dan Seymour shows up as one of the good guys, one of the many surprises in this lightning-paced little film. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Robert Lowery, Pamela Blake, (more)
- 1948
Though it is not so frankly identified in the film, an insidious white-slavery racket motivates the plotline of Monogram's Stage Struck. Double-dyed villain Nick Mantee (Kane Richmond) manages to make a good living by preying on young girls who've come to the Big City in hopes of becoming actresses. Mantee has built up a stable of disillusioned females who are forced to accommodate libidinous customers at a seedy nightclub. When one of the girls is murdered, the police, represented by Lt. Williams (Conrad Nagel), swing into action. Williams is aided in his racket-busting efforts by Nancy Howard (Audrey Long), sister of the murder victim. Onetime silent star Evelyn Brent is wasted in a tiny supporting role. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kane Richmond, Audrey Long, (more)
In this western, an ol' cowhand and his grandson enter a nice, but lame horse in a trotting race in hopes of raising enough money to save the little town church. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1947
In the first of his three serials for Columbia Pictures, Larry "Buster" Crabbe starred as Captain Silver who, with his crew, gets involved with rescuing John Whitney (Milton Kibbee), a man with a certain knowledge of sunken treasure. Whitney has been kidnapped by a mysterious pirate known as The Admiral (Robert Barron), who rules over the ubiquitous South Seas Island. The girl in the case is Whitney's lovely daughter (Pamela Blake). Based on both a comic strip and a radio series, The Sea Hound was produced by the corner-cutting Sam Katzman and looked it. A former MGM starlet, brunette leading lady Pamela Blake was earlier known as Adele Pearce, her real name, apparently. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi
- 1947
The baby sitter is none other than veteran Hollywood tough guy Tom Neal. A private detective, Neal is hired to keep an eye on the child of married couple George Meeker and Rebel Randall. Actually, Meeker and Randall are jewel thieves, and their "baby" is their stolen loot. Neal eventually catches on when he realizes that this is the quietest child on earth. Running a scant 41 minutes, Case of the Baby Sitter was designed to be shown in tandem with another Screen Guild Productions "briefie," The Hat Box Mystery: the films were shot back to back, with Tom Neal and Pamela Blake starring in both. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tom Neal, Allen Jenkins, (more)
- 1947
In early 1947, Screen Guild Productions experimented with a new format: a 90-minute double feature package, consisting of two simultaneously-filmed 45-minute mysteries. As it turned out, The Hat Box Mystery and The Case of the Baby Sitter were released separately, within two weeks of one another. Both films starred Tom Neal as a private detective named Russ and Pamela Blake as his secretary Susan, both were cowritten by Carl K. Hittelman, and both were directed by the prolific Lambert Hillyer. In Hat Box Mystery, Russ comes to Susan's rescue when she's accused of murdering one of their clients. Per the title, the main clue is a sawed-off shotgun, hidden in a hatbox-a gimmick reportedly inspired by a real-life murder case. Allen Jenkins provides some laughs as a near-illiterate goofball inappropriately named Harvard. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tom Neal, Pamela Blake, (more)
- 1946
That dependable sleuth of pulp fiction fame, Nick Carter, apparently had an equally stalwart son. Chick Carter, Boy Detective did his sleuthing on radio before Columbia producer Sam Katzman brought him to the screen in Chick Carter, Detective. The juvenile hero of the radio waves had underwent certain changes in order for grown-up actor Lyle Talbot to portray him. Talbot's Chick Carter, however, remained strangely inactive in his own serial, allowing crusading reporter Rusty Farrell (Douglas V. Fowley) to perform most of the necessary derring-do. As plainly told as the title would suggest, Chick Carter, Detective was more or less a straightforward crime melodrama that eschewed the usual ray guns, invisibility inventions, and other paraphernalia of the genre. Former MGM starlet Pamela Blake did some snooping of her own as a rival detective, and a gangster bearing the unfortunate name of Nick Polio (George Meeker) indulged in a bit of insurance fraud on behalf of Charles King. With only two bona fide cliffhanger endings, Chick Carter, Detective found little favor with the small fry, its target audience. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi
- 1946
Based on the popular "Lum 'n' Abner" radio show, this comedy tells the funny tale of how the two teamed up to save Pine Ridge, Arkansas from a pair of shysters. They also tell how they met, became friends, found love, and saved the town from burning down. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Chester Lauck, Norris Goff, (more)
- 1946
Mysterious Intruder was the fifth entry in Columbia's B-picture series based on the radio anthology "The Whistler". Richard Dix, the leading man in all but one of the "Whistler" films, stars as duplicitous private eye Don Gale. Motivating the storyline are a pair of priceless Jenny Lind wax recordings, which are coveted by a Swedish millionaire. Someone is willing to kill to get his or her hands on the records, prompting Gale and the cops to conduct a citywide search for the killer. The film's resolution is surprising only to those who hadn't seen the previous "Whistler" films, but it still works. Predominant in the supporting cast is Mike Mazurki, offering a virtual reprise of his "Moose Malloy" characterization from Murder My Sweet (1945). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Richard Dix, Barton MacLane, (more)
- 1946
This initial entry in Monogram's Bowery Boys series is also the second remake of the 1933 film He Couldn't Take It (the original script was by no less than Dore Schary, billed for reasons best known to himself as Jeb Schary). Leo Gorcey stars as Slip Mahoney, a pugnacious type whose volatile temper loses him one job after another. Slip's sister Mary (Pamela Blake), secretary to construction executive Sayers (John Eldredge), persuades her boss to use his influence to get Slip a job as a process server. After successfully repossessing a car belonging to nightclub thrush Jeannette (Claudia Drake), Slip and his fellow "skip tracer" Sach Jones (Huntz Hall) endeavor to serve a subpoena to homicidal gangster Patsy Clark (Mike Mazurki). Though the boys get quite a going over from the "playful" Patsy, they not only successfully complete their mission, but also prove that the supposedly respectable Sayers is a criminal mastermind. Essentially a vehicle for Leo Gorcey, Live Wires pushes the rest of the Bowery Boys (Bobby Jordan, Billy Benedict et. al.) into the background; it wasn't until the second series entry In Fast Company that the former "East Side Kids" truly became a team again. Bernard Gorcey, who later played sweet-shop owner Louie Dumbrowski, is seen herein as a small-time gambler. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Leo Gorcey, Huntz Hall, (more)
- 1945
This tale of two tugboats focuses upon the rivalries between two operators competing to win a major shipping contract. Meanwhile a tugboat office secretary and an ex-con who wants to go straight, fall in love. Tugboat Annie is put in charge of a child violinist. When a waterfront fire breaks out, the two warring captains join forces to put it out. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jane Darwell, Edgar Kennedy, (more)
- 1945
In this crime drama a young woman leaves her unhappy life at home to become a sophisticated night club singer. Her first job is nearly fatal when she entangles herself with the mobsters who own the joint and learns too much about their operation. Her boss decides to kill her and make it look like suicide. An intrepid reporter disbelieves the report and exposes the truth to the public. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sheldon Leonard, Pamela Blake, (more)
- 1945
Three's a Crowd is the misleadingly lighthearted title for this tense Republic murder mystery. When her fiance is mysteriously killed, heiress Diane Whipple (Pamela Blake) reluctantly agrees to marry Jeffrey Locke (Charles Gordon). Since both Diane and Jeffrey visited the dead man just before the murder, both are under suspicion-and neither completely trusts the other. Screenwriter Dane Lussier characteristically overloads the film with red herrings, misleading clues and surprise plot twists. When it's all over, it's a wonder that even the people on screen know exactly what's happened! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Pamela Blake, Charles Gordon, (more)
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