Ted Stanhope Movies

After purchasing the diary of an alleged suicide victim at an auction, Della (Barbara Hale) is surprised when someone offers her $1000 for the book. Turning down the offer, the intrigued Della begins paging through the diary, ultimately arriving at the conclusion that its author did not kill herself, as originally reported. Della brings the diary to the attention of her boss Perry Mason (Raymond Burr)--thereby setting off a chain of strange and sordid events, culminating in Perry's defense of Josephine Kempton (Lurene Tuttle) on a murder charge. The "grinning gorilla" mentioned in the title is played by celebrated stunt man and simian impersonator Janos Prohaska. This episode is based on a 1952 novel by Perry Mason creator Erle Stanley Gardner. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Declared legally dead, Trevor Harris (David McLean) suddenly appears out of nowhere to be at the bedside of his dying wife. Harris hopes to prevent her last wish--that her Uncle Edgar (Philip Bourneuf) be named legal guardian of her three children and act as executor for the family forutne--from being carried out, despite stiff opposition from the rest of the Harris clan. Since it already assumed that Harris is nothing but a heartless fortune hunter, it is only logical that he be charged with the subsequent murder of Uncle Edgar. But Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) senses that there is more to this "open and shut" case than meets the eye. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

To test the honesty of his two nephews, old Adam Thompson (William H. Wright) tells them about a secret map leading to a valuable piece of land, then lets them know that the map is locked in his safe. He then sets up an infrared camera in front of the safe to find out if either nephew is capable of robbery. Unfortunately, the map vanishes even though the safe is never opened--and when Adam's foreman Frank Jarrett (Crahan Denton), who ends up in possession of the map, is murdered, Adam's nephew Harry (a young Bert Convy) is arrested for the crime. It looks like Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) is up against a good old-fashioned "locked room" mystery this time. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The greedy relatives of wealthy Daniel Reed (Edgar Stehli) want to have him committed to a mental institution, using as evidence the fact that he has been issuing $20,000 checks to strangers. Perry is hired by Reed's girlfriend Millie Foster (Kitty Kelly) to prevent the old man from being put away. Before long, however, Perry is defending Reed on a murder charge--and the victim is the recipient of all those checks, a slimy blackmailer named Maury Lewis (King Calder). In the course of events, Perry is amazed that each and every one of his legal moves has been anticipated by DA Hamilton Burger (William Talman); can it be that Burger has ordered Mason's office to be bugged? This final episode of Perry Mason's first season is based on a 1939 novel by series creator Erle Stanley Gardner. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The reclusive Enright sisters, Cissie (Dorothy Stickney) and Joanna (Carmen Mathews), are no fans of Mr. Brenner (Ray Collins), the real estate developer who has made a down payment on their house. Inviting Mr. Brenner to tea, the sisters poison the man, then discuss various methods of finishing him off and disposing of the body. This gives Brenner enough time to revive himself, thereby setting the stage for the episode's unsettling denouement. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Once again Edward G. Robinson takes a script from the trash bin and makes it into a palatable movie. A remake of The Mouthpiece, this is the story of a district attorney with a conscience. When he discovers that a man he's sent to the electric chair was innocent, he takes to the bottle. His assistants encourage him to get off the booze, stop prosecuting and, instead, become a defense attorney. He agrees but his first client is a notorious gangster who has been in business for so long because of leaks from Robinson's own office when he was the district attorney. Push comes to shove and soon, through multiple machinations and mishaps, Robinson becomes the defender of his former assistant on charges of murder. ~ Tana Hobart, Rovi

Fritz Lang directed this gritty drama of gangland murder and police corruption, which was considered quite violent in its day. Dave Bannion (Glenn Ford) is a scrupulously honest police detective who learns that one of his fellow officers has committed suicide. Bannion is told by the officer's wife, Bertha (Jeanette Nolan), that he was severely depressed after being told he was diagnosed with a terminal illness. But the cop's mistress, a barmaid named Lucy (Dorothy Green), has another tale to tell. She claims that he left behind a suicide note detailing a complex trail of corruption in the department, leading to mob boss Mike Lagana (Alexander Scourby), and now Bertha plans to use the note to blackmail Lagana. When Lucy is found dead beside an abandoned road, with her body showing obvious signs of torture, Bannion is convinced that her story was true, and he goes after Lagana. When he threatens to expose Lagana's dealings, the gangster orders Bannion killed. But the car bomb meant to finish Bannion off instead kills his wife Katie (Jocelyn Brando). The police take Bannion off the case, but, convinced his peers are trying to cover their tracks, Bannion follows the case alone, determined to get revenge. Lee Marvin and Gloria Grahame shine in key supporting roles. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

This Western classic stars Gary Cooper as Hadleyville marshal Will Kane, about to retire from office and go on his honeymoon with his new Quaker bride, Amy (Grace Kelly). But his happiness is short-lived when he is informed that the Miller gang, whose leader (Ian McDonald) Will had arrested, is due on the 12:00 train. Pacifist Amy urges Will to leave town and forget about the Millers, but this isn't his style; protecting Hadleyburg has always been his duty, and it remains so now. But when he asks for deputies to fend off the Millers, virtually nobody will stand by him. Chief Deputy Harvey Pell (Lloyd Bridges) covets Will's job and ex-mistress (Katy Jurado); his mentor, former lawman Martin Howe (Lon Chaney Jr.) is now arthritic and unable to wield a gun. Even Amy, who doesn't want to be around for her husband's apparently certain demise, deserts him. Meanwhile, the clocks tick off the minutes to High Noon -- the film is shot in "real time," so that its 85-minute length corresponds to the story's actual timeframe. Utterly alone, Kane walks into the center of town, steeling himself for his showdown with the murderous Millers. Considered a landmark of the "adult western," High Noon won four Academy Awards (including Best Actor for Cooper) and Best Song for the hit, "Do Not Forsake Me, O My Darling" sung by Tex Ritter. The screenplay was written by Carl Foreman, whose blacklisting was temporarily prevented by star Cooper, one of Hollywood's most virulent anti-Communists. John Wayne, another notable showbiz right-winger and Western hero, was so appalled at the notion that a Western marshal would beg for help in a showdown that he and director Howard Hawks "answered" High Noon with Rio Bravo (1959). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Gary Cooper stars in this broad naval farce, directed by Henry Hathaway and based upon a John W. Hazard New Yorker magazine story. Cooper plays Lieutenant John Harkness, a wet-behind-the ears naval lieutenant who is given command of his first ship. Unfortunately, not only is Harkness new to commanding a naval vessel, but the crew and his subordinate officers are also new at their jobs. Only two old deck hands know the score. And, while Harkness is trying to figure out naval protocol, he also has to deal with the contraption in the engine room, which turns out to be an elaborate steam engine that powers the ship. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

Robert E. McEnroe's whimsical Broadway play The Silver Whistle was adapted to suit the talents of Clifton Webb in Mr. Belvedere Rings the Bell. It all begins when "super genius" Lynn Belvedere (Webb) briefly halts a lecture tour to bring some happiness into the lives of a gloomy senior citizens' home. To gain entry into the establishment, the virile, fiftysomething Belvedere claims to be 77 years old. The rest of the inmates are invigorated by the presence of so youthful a "septuagenarian," and before long everyone has taken a new lease on life. Belvedere also finds time to smooth the romantic path for Reverend Watson (Hugh Marlowe) and his fiancée Miss Tripp (Joanne Dru). When Mr. Belvedere's subterfuge is found out, the residents are momentarily dismayed, until they realize all the good their visitor has done. With Clifton Webb in charge (and with an able assist by supporting player Zero Mostel as Belvedere's business manager), Mr. Belvedere Rings the Bell is never as treacly or maudlin as it might be under different circumstances. Future Ward Cleaver Hugh Beaumont shows up unbilled as a cop in the opening scene. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

1950's Emergency Wedding is a remake of 1940's You Belong to Me. The later film stars Larry Parks, who'd had a bit role in the original. Parks plays wealthy Peter Kirk, a playboy, while Barbara Hale co-stars as female doctor Helen Hunt. When Peter marries Helen, it is a "given" that he'll stay home while she works. Unfortunately, Peter becomes jealous of the amount of time Helen spends at the hospital with her patients. Out of pique, Peter makes the supreme sacrifice and offers to get a job himself. All sorts of misunderstandings and remonstrations ensue before the title Emergency Wedding is explained at the very end. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Despite the film's title, socialite Linda Vickers (Virginia Mayo) isn't smart enough to steer clear of the gambling den operated by gangster Marty Fain (Bruce Bennett). Forced to join Fain's operation, Linda gets mixed up with duplicity and murder-not to mention a torrid romance with the gangster chief. Interestingly enough, Fain is the more sympathetic of the two leading characters. He seems like a basically nice guy stuck with not-so-nice associates, while Linda comes off as surfacey and selfish. In the end, however, it must be proven to the satisfaction of the censors that crime doesn't pay, especially when the life of Linda's brother "Doc" (Robert Hutton) is at stake. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi