Frank Sully Movies

George Sidney's adaptation of the satiric Broadway musical smash by Michael Stewart, Charles Strouse, and Lee Adams -- about an Elvis Presley-inspired rock star, who is drafted into the army and who creates a near-riot in a small Midwestern town when he stops there for one last publicity junket -- takes good-natured swipes at popular culture, rock n' roll, and American family life. Dick van Dyke re-creates his Broadway role of Albert Peterson, a down-on-his-luck songwriter for the rock-n'-roll idol Conrad Birdie (Jesse Pearson). When Birdie is drafted into the army, Peterson is worried about his future as a songwriter. His secretary, Rosie (Janet Leigh in a brunette wig), with whom Albert has long been romantically attached, convinces Albert to write a farewell song for Birdie that he will sing on The Ed Sullivan Show to a specially selected fan. The lucky fan turns out to be Kim McAfee (Ann-Margaret) of Sweet Apple, Ohio. When Birdie arrives in this hick town, the population goes crazy and in the ensuing madness, Albert must deal with the celebrity-fawning population, Kim's manic father (Paul Lynde, also re-creating his Broadway role), and his own domineering mother (Maureen Stapleton), while he loses Rosie to the Shriners. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

After suffering a blow on the head, Phil Townsend (Richard Basehart) awakens to discover that he has long been suffering from amnesia. Realizing that he's slated to be married, Phil rushes to the house of his fiancée, only to discover that he is three years late. Soon afterward, he finds out that he has spent those three years living under the name of David Webber -- and as it happens, "David Webber" is suspected of murdering the wife of his ex-employer. This episode is based on a novel by Cornell Woolrich, previously filmed in 1942 as Street of Chance (with Burgess Meredith as the amnesiac protagonist) and thereafter adapted several times for the radio anthology Suspense. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Beau (Roger Moore) wins part ownership in the Blue Bell Saloon, a heavily-in-debt enterprise managed by Charlotte Simmons (Mala Powers). Despairing over the prospect of having a losing proposition on their hands, Beau and Charlotte have their spirits lifted somewhat when they make the acquaintance of The Dutchman (Jacques Aubuchon), a prospector who has just struck it rich. Apparently eager to share his wealth, the Dutchman agrees to lead Beau and the lady to his hidden gold, located somewhere on Superstition Mountain. Need we add that Beau's "luck" is about to turn bad again in a real hurry? Highlighting this episode is a jaunty title ballad, written by Jerry Capeheart. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Storming into a bar, an angry young man named Davie Logan (Clint Kimbrough) shocks the patrons by announcing that someone is going to die at 11 p.m. Even more startling is Davie's assertion that he himself has been "dead" for five years, but is on the verge of being "reborn." The outcome of the story is predicated on the fact that Davie's no-good father deserted him and his mother...five years ago. Look for a very young Michael J. Pollard in a minor role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Whitney Blake, who played the first client of Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) in the series opener "The Case of the Restless Redhead", returns in this episode as blonde Diana Reynolds, who shows up in Perry's office clad in a bathrobe and sporting a black eye. As Perry and Della listen attentively, Diana weaves an incredible tale of being framed for a jewel theft. But this turns out to be the least of the girl's problems when she is charged with the murder of Marian Shaw (Judith Ames). A long-lost grandson also figures prominently in this episode, which is based on a 1944 novel by Perry Mason creator Erle Stanley Gardner. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Spencer Tracy stars in John Ford's sentimental adaptation of Edwin O'Connor's novel about the final campaign of a big city mayor, loosely based upon the life of Boston politician James Curley. Tracy is Frank Skeffington, the political boss of an Eastern city dominated by Irish-Americans. Skeffington tries to assist the people of the city and avoids cutting political deals with the power elite. But despite his concern for the people, Skeffington has no friends, just flunkies. The Mayor is greatly admired by his idealistic nephew Adam Caulfield (Jeffrey Hunter), who writes for an opposition newspaper run by Amos Force (John Carradine). When Skeffington needs money for a loan, he asks the powerful banker Norman Cass (Basil Rathbone), but Cass steadfastly refuses. In retaliation, Skeffington appoints Cass's retarded son as an interim fire commissioner. To prevent his son from disgracing the family, Cass agrees to the bank loan. But Cass uses his deep pockets to finance the opposition's candidate for mayor. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

The John O'Hara/Richard Rodgers/Lorenz Hart Broadway musical Pal Joey created quite a stir during its original theatrical run in 1940. Here we had a heel of a hero who sleeps with a wealthy older woman in order to realize his dream of owning his own nightclub, and who breaks the heart of the girl who truly loves him when she impedes his plans to get ahead. Blossom Time it wasn't. Due to the seamy nature of the plot and the double- and single-entendre song lyrics (especially the original words for "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered", which you aren't likely to hear on most mainstream recordings of this tune), Pal Joey could not be faithfully filmed back in the 1940s. Even this 1957 version, made at a time when movie censorship was beginning to relax, was extensively sanitized for public consumption. Ambitious singer/dancer Joey (Frank Sinatra) is still something of a louse, but a redeemable one. The relationship between Joey and his older benefactress Vera Simpson (Rita Hayworth, who was actually a few years younger than Sinatra) is one of implication rather than overt statement. And Joey's true love, chorine Linda English (Kim Novak), is as pure as the driven snow, who vehemently expresses distaste at having to perform a striptease. The Rodgers and Hart songs ("I Could Write a Book" the aforementioned "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered") which seemed so cynical and ironic back in 1940, are given the typically lush, luxurious Hollywood treatment (many of the tunes, notably "There's a Small Hotel", were borrowed from other Rodgers and Hart shows, a not uncommon practice of the time). Pal Joey is nice to look at and consummately performed, but don't expect the bite of the original play, or the John O'Hara short stories which preceded them. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Patricia Medina plays the title character in The Buckskin Lady. Medina is cast as female gambler Angela Medley, who is forced by circumstances to align herself with outlaw Slinger (Gerald Mohr). But Angela has never gotten over her love for honest frontier doctor Bruce Merritt (Richard Denning), and at the first opportunity she redeems herself by catching a bullet intended for the doc. Henry Hull delivers the film's most memorable performance as Angela's drunken wretch of a father. Per the title, Buckskin Lady affords the viewer ample opportunity to see Patricia Medina in form-fitting western garb. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Night watchman Clyde Matik has been stabbed to death in an appliance store warehouse. One of the dead man's fellow employees is convinced that the guilty party is Matik's girlfriend Bessie Rowan (Ann Doran), but Friday (Jack Webb) and Smith (Ben Alexander) are sent off on a different path thanks to evidence dug up by the crime lab. The guilty party turns out to be a huge surprise for all concerned--especially Bessie Rowan. This episode is based on the Dragnet radio broadcast of August 16, 1955. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

You Can't Run Away From It is a musical remake of Frank Capra's Oscar-winning classic It Happened One Night, complete with same-named characters and word-for-word scene reconstructions. It all begins when spoiled heiress Ellie Andrews (June Allyson) is literally kidnapped from the altar by her wealthy father (Charles Bickford). Escaping from her daddy's yacht with only a handful of clothes and minimal finances, Ellie hops a bus, intending to travel cross-country to be reunited with her fortune-hunting husband. Reporter Peter Warne (Jack Lemmon), sensing a swell newspaper story, tags along. Though Peter and Ellie aren't terribly fond of one another (that's putting it mildly!), by the end of their journey they've fallen in love -- but there are still several last-minute complications before a happy ending can be reached. Most of the musical numbers in the remake are awkwardly inserted during the more famous scenes from the Capra original: the "Walls of Jericho," the impromptu singalong on the bus, the hitchhiking bit, etc. Benefiting from the breezy performances of Jack Lemmon and June Allyson, You Can't Run Away From It is easy to take, but hardly within shouting distance of the original film's brilliance. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this western, a young man tries to walk the straight and narrow, but he is impeded by his past. The trouble begins when the young fellow flees his family's Texas dirt farm and becomes an outlaw. He is advised by one of the desperadoes to return home. The boy does, and with hard work, makes the farm successful. Harvest time rolls around. He is just about to celebrate when the outlaws ride up and force him to help them pull a local bank job. He refuses and kills the gang leader and his brother. Meanwhile, the boy's past is revealed to the town banker. Seeing that he truly has gone straight, the banker forgives him. The boy marries and lives with his lovely bride upon his land. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

For their first release of 1955, the Three Stooges dug out their old Fright Night (1947), filmed a couple of new scenes, and released it as a brand-new comedy short. Edward Bernds, who had helmed Fright Night, sued Columbia for director credit, a suit that was eventually settled out of court for paltry 2,500 dollars. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide