Ferris Taylor Movies
In films from 1933, American character actor Ferris Taylor excelled in "official" roles. Taylor played the Mayor in a couple of Paramount's Henry Aldrich films, and elsewhere was cast as governors, senators, and at least one president. His bombastic characterizations were enhanced by the patently phony toupee he wore on occasion. Ferris Taylor spent his last few film years in short subjects, overacting to his heart's content, opposite the likes of Andy Clyde and the Three Stooges. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1940
Though they may seem as corny as Kansas in August when seen today, the Weaver Brothers and Elviry was one of the most popular music-and-comedy aggregations on the Country-Western circuit in the early 1940s. The group consisted of Leon Weaver as Abner, Frank Weaver as Cicero (who never spoke, a la Harpo Marx) and June Weaver as Elviry, talented tunesmiths all who knew how to make the most of the wheeziest comedy material. In Grand Ole Opry, the Weavers get mixed up in politics, with Abner Weaver rather incongruously running for Governor. It's all part of a plan concocted by a group of crooked politicians, but Abner and the voters end up having the last laugh. Like most of the Weavers' Republic movie vehicles, Grand Ole Opry benefits from a stellar supporting cast, including Henry Kolker as the crooked publisher who sets the plot in motion and Claire Carleton as a brassy femme fatale. And per the film's title, Grand Ole Opry is chock full of talent gleaned from the same-named WSM radio series, including Uncle Dave Macon and Dorrie, George Dewey Bay and Roy Acuff and the Smoky Mountain Boys. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Leon Weaver, Frank Weaver, (more)
East meets west in this musical western starring singing cowboy Gene Autry. After the death of its owner, the financially troubled Rancho Grande is left to Kay Dodge (June Storey) and her siblings Patsy (Mary Lee) and Tom, (Dick Hogan), three wealthy young socialites from the East who are as unfamiliar with life on the range as they are with hard work and financial responsibility. Ranch foreman Gene (Gene Autry) has the unenviable task of giving the Dodges a crash course in running a ranch, and pitches in to help when they decide to turn the cattle operation into a "Dude Ranch" resort. Kay's lawyer Emory Benson (Ferris Taylor) encourages her in her plans, not knowing that he's also working with a group of farmers who are poised to take over the ranch if it fails; in order to hedge his bets, Benson hires a group of ne'er-do-wells to destroy the ranch's new irrigation system, and Gene and his fellow cowpokes must stand up and fight to protect their land. Rancho Grande includes musical numbers from Mary Lee and Smiley Burnette as well as Gene Autry. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, (more)
Fourteen scriptwriters spent five years toiling over a movie adaptation of war correspondent Vincent Sheehan's Personal History before producer Walter Wanger brought the property to the screen as Foreign Correspondent. What emerged was approximately 2 parts Sheehan and 8 parts director Alfred Hitchcock--and what's wrong with that? Joel McCrea stars as an American journalist sent by his newspaper to cover the volatile war scene in Europe in the years 1938 to 1940. He has barely arrived in Holland before he witnesses the assassination of Dutch diplomat Albert Basserman: at least, that's what he thinks he sees. McCrea makes the acquaintance of peace-activist Herbert Marshall, his like-minded daughter Laraine Day, and cheeky British secret agent George Sanders. A wild chase through the streets of Amsterdam, with McCrea dodging bullets, leads to the classic "alternating windmills" scene, which tips Our Hero to the existence of a formidable subversive organization. McCrea returns to England, where he nearly falls victim to the machinations of jovial hired-killer Edmund Gwenn. The leader of the spy ring is revealed during the climactic plane-crash sequence--which, like the aforementioned windmill scene, is a cinematic tour de force for director Hitchcock and cinematographer Rudolph Mate. Producer Wanger kept abreast of breaking news events all through the filming of Foreign Correspondent, enabling him to keep the picture as "hot" as possible: the final scene, with McCrea broadcasting to a "sleeping" America from London while Nazi bombs drop all around him, was filmed only a short time after the actual London blitz. The script was co-written by Robert Benchley, who has a wonderful supporting role as an eternally tippling newsman. Foreign Correspondent was Alfred Hitchcock's second American film, and remained one of his (and his fans') personal favorites. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joel McCrea, Laraine Day, (more)
- 1940
The One Crowded Night of the title takes place at a tourist camp on the outskirts of the Mojave Desert. In true "Grand Hotel" fashion, the film manages to keep several subplots going at once, all of them resolved in one fell swoop by fadeout time. Former gun moll Gladys (Billie Seward) hopes to find happiness with honest truckdriver Joe (William Haade), but her past catches up with her in the form of escaped convict Jim (Paul Guilfoyle). Lunch-counter waitress Annie (Gale Storm) allows gas station attendant Vince (Dick Hogan) to flirt with her. Young mother-to-be Ruth (Adele Pearce), on the verge of giving birth, is unexpectedly reunited with her AWOL sailor husband Mat (Gaylord Pendleton). Quack doctor Joseph (J. M. Kerrigan) tries to peddle his miracle elixir. A pair of gunmen show up to knock off Jim, a couple of MPs arrive to pick up Mat, and so it goes?.. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gale Storm, Billie Seward, (more)
- 1940
In this third of RKO's "Mexican Spitfire" series, star Lupe Velez doesn't get any further west than Reno, Nevada. Lupe feels that her straightlaced husband (Donald Woods) is neglecting her, and thus seeks a divorce. Reliable old Uncle Matt (Leon Errol) shows up to straighten things out, which means that for the umpteenth time in this series he'll disguise himself as the veddy British Lord Epping. Before everything straightens itself out, Uncle Matt finds himself in dutch with his own wife. We all know that Lupe and her hubby will get together: otherwise there wouldn't be a fourth "Mexican Spitfire" picture. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lupe Velez, Donald Woods, (more)
- 1940
Chip of the Flying U was Johnny Mack Brown's first western entry for 1940. Brown essays the title role of Chip Bennett, foreman of the Flying U ranch. Before the second reel has tumbled over the spools, Chip finds himself falsely accused of robbery and murder. The actual miscreants are in the employ of a band of foreign gunrunners, who speak in heavily Teutonic accents. Rest assured that Chip makes short work of these bush-league Storm Troopers before the sun sets in the West. Musical interludes are provided by a group calling themselves the Texas Rangers, even though they actually hailed from Kansas City. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Johnny Mack Brown, Bob Baker, (more)
Set in the years leading up to the Civil War and its outbreak, Dark Command tells a fictionalized version of the story of William Clarke Quantrill, the schoolteacher-turned-renegade, whose raids -- ostensibly on behalf of the Confederacy -- turned Kansas into a charnel house. John Wayne plays Bob Setton, a young Texan who arrives in Lawrence, KS, in 1859 on his way west, partnered with George "Gabby" Hayes. He meets Marie McCloud (Claire Trevor) and her younger brother, Fletch (Roy Rogers), and takes a liking to them, especially Marie. His only competition for her is William Cantrell (Walter Pidgeon), the local schoolteacher, who has big ambitions in life. He is nominated for town marshal and seems a shoo-in, especially as his only rival is Bob Setton, who admits he knows nothing about the law and can't even read, but Setton wins with his honest, unpretentious speech. At the time, Kansas is riven by strife, as settlers from the North opposed to slavery and those from the South supporting it pour into the territory, and Setton has his hands full. His most difficult personal moment comes when he must arrest Fletch for shooting an anti-slavery farmer (Trevor Bardette) to death. Cantrell leads a campaign of terror against the jury, however, which finds the young man not guilty just as the Civil War breaks out. In the months that follow, Setton and his posse go after the raiders who are stealing and destroying huge amounts of property in Kansas on behalf of the Confederacy. He suspects Cantrell is their leader, but can't prove it, and has to tread carefully. As the raids worsen, and the war drags on -- even Marie's pro-Confederacy banker father is murdered during a run on his bank -- their conflict comes to a violent end as Cantrell launches an attack on Lawrence, vowing to destroy the town, with only Bob Setton and Cantrell's own mother (Marjorie Main) standing in his way. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Claire Trevor, John Wayne, (more)
Frank Capra's classic comedy-drama established James Stewart as a lead actor in one of his finest (and most archetypal) roles. The film opens as a succession of reporters shout into telephones announcing the death of Senator Samuel Foley. Senator Joseph Paine (Claude Rains), the state's senior senator, puts in a call to Governor Hubert "Happy" Hopper (Guy Kibbee) reporting the news. Hopper then calls powerful media magnate Jim Taylor (Edward Arnold), who controls the state -- along with the lawmakers. Taylor orders Hopper to appoint an interim senator to fill out Foley's term; Taylor has proposed a pork barrel bill to finance an unneeded dam at Willet Creek, so he warns Hopper he wants a senator who "can't ask any questions or talk out of turn." After having a number of his appointees rejected, at the suggestion of his children Hopper nominates local hero Jefferson Smith (James Stewart), leader of the state's Boy Rangers group. Smith is an innocent, wide-eyed idealist who quotes Jefferson and Lincoln and idolizes Paine, who had known his crusading editor father. In Washington, after a humiliating introduction to the press corps, Smith threatens to resign, but Paine encourages him to stay and work on a bill for a national boy's camp. With the help of his cynical secretary Clarissa Sanders (Jean Arthur), Smith prepares to introduce his boy's camp bill to the Senate. But when he proposes to build the camp on the Willets Creek site, Taylor and Paine force him to drop the measure. Smith discovers Taylor and Paine want the Willets Creek site for graft and he attempts to expose them, but Paine deflects Smith's charges by accusing Smith of stealing money from the boy rangers. Defeated, Smith is ready to depart Washington, but Saunders, whose patriotic zeal has been renewed by Smith, exhorts him to stay and fight. Smith returns to the Senate chamber and, while Taylor musters the media forces in his state to destroy him, Smith engages in a climactic filibuster to speak his piece: "I've got a few things I want to say to this body. I tried to say them once before and I got stopped colder than a mackerel. Well, I'd like to get them said this time, sir. And as a matter of fact, I'm not gonna leave this body until I do get them said." ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Stewart, Jean Arthur, (more)
- 1939
The action content of Republic's Gene Autry musical westerns was considerably enhanced by veteran director B. Reeves "Breezy" Eason, as demonstrated by the mile-a-minute Mountain Rhythm. True, there's a plot, with Autry coming to the rescue of elderly Maude Eburne, who is in danger of losing her ranch to the crooked owner (Walter Fenner) of a resort hotel. And, yes, there's comedy relief aplenty, not only from standard Autry sidekick Smiley Burnette but also from hoboes Ferris Taylor and Jack Pennick. And, sure, Autry sings a number of songs to leading lady June Storey. But the main selling card of Mountain Rhythm is action with a capital "A"-especially during a climactic chase which conjures up pleasant memories of Breezy Eason's chariot-race sequence in 1926's Ben-Hur. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, (more)
- 1939
Stalwart Republic contractee Ralph Byrd wades through a sea of stock footage in SOS-Tidal Wave. Byrd is cast as Jeff Shannon, a hotshot television commentator who goes after a corrupt political machine. When Shannon refuses to be dissuaded by bribes or threats, the villains promise dire consequences for his wife Laurel (Kay Sutton) and son Buddy (Mickey Kuhn) if he doesn't lay off. As a last-ditch measure, the head crook (Marc Lawrence) uses TV technology to scare away voters on election day by faking a devastating tidal wave which supposedly engulfs the city. The spectacularly soggy special-effects climax of SOS-Tidal Wave was lifted in toto from the 1933 fantasy feature Deluge. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ralph Byrd, George Barbier, (more)
- 1939
Man of Conquest was the first "super production" from Republic Pictures, a studio not known for its lavish budgets. This time, however, no expense was spared in recreating the career of Texas empire-builder Sam Houston. Richard Dix portrayed Houston, heading a gigantic cast of character players impersonating such historical figures as Jim Bowie, Andrew Jackson, Davy Crockett and General Santa Ana (who is depicted as a Hitler-like oppressor!). The film's two major highlights are the Battle of San Jacinto and the siege of the Alamo, both featuring the remarkable stuntwork of Yakima Canutt. Though often juggling facts to make a better story, Man of Conquest is an impressive achievement for so small a studio as Republic. Stock footage from the production would show up for years in the studio's more economical westerns and serials. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Dix, Gail Patrick, (more)
- 1939
In his starring film for Universal Pictures, W.C. Fields plays circus manager and all-around flim flam man Larson E. Whipsnade. When he's not trying to fleece the customers or elude the sheriff, Whipsnade busys himself trying to break up the romance between his daughter Vicky (Constance Moore) and carnival ventriloquist Edgar Bergen (playing himself). He also carries on a running feud with Bergen's nattily attired dummy Charlie McCarthy ("I'll slash you into venetian blinds!"). Bergen's other dummy is Mortimer Snerd, who occasionally comments upon the action in his own thickheaded fashion. Anxious to arrange a marriage between Vicki and the wealthy Roger Bel-Goodie III (James Bush), Whipsnade disposes of Bergen and his dummies by sending them aloft in a hot-air baloon. Attending a party at the Bel-Goodie mansion, Whipsnade makes a pest of himself by constantly referring to snakes, a subject that invariably causes Mrs. Bel-Goodie (Mary Forbes) to swoon. He also engages in a zany ping-pong tournament with socialite Ronnie (Ivan Lebedeff). But it is Vicki, and not Whipsnade, who breaks up the engagement by telling off her pompous fiance. At that very instant, Bergen, having escaped from the balloon, arrives to claim Vicki and to help Whipsnade escape the sheriff once more. A partial remake of the W.C. Fields silent Two Flaming Youths, You Can't Cheat an Honest Man was scripted by Fields under the pseudonym "Charles Bogle." As published in the 1973 compendium W.C. Fields by Himself, the original screenplay was to have had dramatic overtones, including the death of Fields' trapeze-artist wife and a climactic soul-baring scene wherein Fields expresses his genuine love for his daughter. All this was jettisoned when it was decided to capitalize on the Fields-Charlie McCarthy "feud" then blazing on radio's Chase and Sanborn Show. While nowhere near as funny as Fields' subsequent Universal feature The Bank Dick, You Can't Cheat an Honest Man still contains a generous supply of laughs. Our favorite line: "Somebody's taken the cork out of my lunch." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- W.C. Fields, Edgar Bergen, (more)
- 1939
This remake of Penthouse (33) stars Walter Pidgeon as a smooth attorney with a few embarrassing friends. One of these is a gangster (Leo Carrillo) whom Pidgeon has successfully defended. When Pidgeon must go after his "pal" for murder, he is forced to go into hiding. He is also compelled to set up house with a sexy nightclub entertainer (Virginia Bruce), whose encyclopedic knowledge of the gangster's illicit activities will come in handy in court. It doesn't have quite the same bite as Penthouse, thanks mainly to tighter censorial restrictions; the nightclub singer, for example, was a hooker in the original. Both films were based on the same story by Arthur Somers Roche. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Walter Pidgeon, Virginia Bruce, (more)
- 1939
In this courtroom drama a countrified prosecutor deliberately fails in his attempt to convict a notorious gangster so he can protect his adopted daughter, the gangster's moll. As a result the lawyer loses his job. When his troubled girl gets accused of murder, he does all he can to defend her. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edward Ellis, Anita Louise, (more)
- 1939
Hankies are not optional for this grim melodrama that tells the story of a kindly producer who mentors a beautiful young girl and helps her to become a big Broadway star. In time the two fall in love and decide to wed. Unfortunately, en route to a justice of the peace, tragedy strikes the happy couple and the would-be groom ends up permanently paralyzed. Still, his girl remains devoted to him and the marriage proceeds. Nine years pass and the woman decides she wants to adopt a child. All things seem to be in place for the adoption, but unfortunately, a widower shows up to claim the child. The wife and the widower begin an affair soon after meeting. When the husband finds out, he selflessly executes his final option to ensure his wife's future happiness. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Frieda Inescort, Otto Kruger, (more)
- 1939
The second of three films based on the Wyatt Earp biography by Stuart N. Lake, Frontier Marshal stars Randolph Scott as Marshal Earp of Tombstone. Earp and his brothers enforce the law as much by reputation as by gunplay. Occasionally the marshal's efforts are complicated by his "friendly enemy" Doc Halliday (based on Doc Holliday and played by Cesar Romero), a consumptive gunslinger who runs the gambling activities in town. When a murderous outlaw (Joe Sawyer) invades Tombstone and kills Halliday, Earp is moved to action -- and the result is the gunfight at the O.K. Corral. A remake of the 1934 film of the same name, Frontier Marshal was itself remade by John Ford as My Darling Clementine (1946), with Henry Fonda as Earp and Victor Mature as Doc Holliday. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Randolph Scott, Nancy Kelly, (more)
- 1938
Who better to direct Warner Bros.' Daredevil Drivers than B. Reeves "Breezy" Eason, the fast-action specialist who staged the chariot race sequence in 1925's Ben-Hur? Dick Purcell stars as suspended racecar driver Bill Foster who lands a job with a disreputable bus company. This puts him on the outs with his girlfriend Jerry Neeley (Beverly Roberts), the owner of a rival (and honest) bus firm. Bill gets back into Jerry's good graces when he exposes the criminal element running the company for which he works. As proof that everything's "relative" in Hollywood, Daredevil Drivers features Gloria Blondell, the sister of Warners contractee Joan Blondell, in a supporting role, while Charley Foy, the brother of the studio's B-movie unit supervisor Bryan Foy, provides comic relief. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Beverly Roberts, Dick Purcell, (more)
- 1938
In this comedy, a milquetoast office clerk is forcibly betrothed to a woman by her overbearing mother. The trouble begins when the man buys a rather erotic statue of a woman. The mother and her daughter are so appalled that they leave. The man loves his statue and soon learns that the model is the daughter of a prominent senator. More trouble ensues when the sculpture becomes the object of a blackmailing scheme. The crooks keep trying to get hold of it, but the clever clerk consistently outwits them. In the end, his gallant efforts win the respect and love of the pretty model. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Frank McHugh, Jane Wyman, (more)
- 1938
In this gangster movie set in the Big Apple, a crime lord strong arms teamsters into paying him protection money. One young trucker with a very pregnant wife, stands up to the thug. His partner also refuses to pay in the hopes that they will help the other truck drivers. Naturally this enrages the king-pin and his mob. Simultaneously an idealistic young attorney is chosen by the DA to do all he can to get that crime boss convicted and off the streets for good. Back on the streets, the mobster manages to force the young trucker into paying up; this causes the man to quit and begin selling tomatoes. The lawyer finds him and offers him a chance to help the government and prosecute the gangster. He accepts and together the two do just that. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Humphrey Bogart, George Brent, (more)
- 1938
Universal ran into censorship problems with this farfetched but well-acted courtroom drama directed by silent screen veteran Edward Sloman. When corrupt tycoon Brandon Williams (Samuel S. Hinds) is found murdered, the obvious suspect is young William Sheldon (Larry Blake), who had publicly feuded with the victim. The real killer, however, is Williams' ghostwriter Walter Russell (Kent Taylor), an embittered newspaperman who finds himself on the jury hearing Sheldon's case. Confident at first that Walter will vote for an acquittal, New York reporter Linda Ware (Fay Wray) is not so sure after stumbling over the truth of the killing. Using a bit of subterfuge, the girl manages to convince Walter to confess in the proverbial nick of time, thus saving Sheldon from the gas chamber. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kent Taylor, Fay Wray, (more)
Despite the title, the plot of Young Fugitives is carried by an oldster. Civil war veterans Harry Davenport and Clem Bevans save a nest egg of $50,000. When Bevans dies, Davenport sets out to find Bevans' son and heir Robert Wilcox. The younger man proves to be a wastrel and cheat, but Davenport decides to reform him. Dorothea Kent, in a brief respite from dumb-blonde roles, plays Wilcox's girl friend. Young Fugitives is based on a short story by Edward James. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Wilcox, Dorothea Kent, (more)
- 1938
In this youth-oriented western, a young man's father is wrongfully accused of murder. Unfortunately, his pa can't prove it and so flees into the rugged mountains. He brings his boy with him. In those lonely hills lives a sad, but wealthy young woman. Love blossoms between the son and the girl as the son struggles to clear his father's name and bring the real villains to justice. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Noah Beery, Jr., Frances Robinson, (more)
The Republic Three Mesquiteers series western Santa Fe Stampede stars John Wayne as Stony Brooke, Ray "Crash" Corrigan as Tucson Smith, and Max Terhune as Lullaby Joslin. The plot finds our heroic trio butting heads and exchanging gunfire with a gang of crooked politicians. Head crook LeRoy Mason frames Wayne for the murder of William Farnum, but Big John proves his innocence with the help of his fellow mesquiteers. A startling moment occurs when two mischievous kids are killed in a runaway buckboard. As western historian Don Miller has observed, "Rough treatment of children was a near-taboo in westerns." In other words, Santa Fe Stampede isn't your usual run-of-the-mill Three Mesquiteers opus. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Wayne, Max "Alibi" Terhune, (more)
- 1938
This harmless Universal musical comedy is worth having as one of the few filmed records of legendary Broadway comedian Jimmy Savo (his previous starrer, Once in a Blue Moon, is among the rarest of collector's item). The story proper is carried by Robert Wilcox and Nan Grey, cast as a pair of mismatched lovers who share a common interest in horse racing. Hero and heroine get mixed up in a shady get-rich-quick scheme, which threatens to turns disastrous but which ends up solving everyone's problems. Harry Davenport adds a touch of gentle pathos as a blind horseplayer. Jimmy Savo's pantomime turns and musical numbers were not up to his usual standard (at least that's what the critics said), but they play rather well when seen today, even though Savo's patented streak of healthy vulgarity had to be soft-pedalled for the screen. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Wilcox, Nan Grey, (more)
In this drama, a young man aspires to a life of wealth and power in the newspaper business. Unfortunately, it takes time and money to be successful. The young man's girl is not patient and decides to dump him in favor of a wealthy gangster. This inspires the jilted youth to achieve his dreams. He begins newspaper delivery business that becomes so successful that he can afford a penthouse on Park Avenue. Still he has not forgotten the girl he once loved. This is fortuitous as she has become fed up with the gangster. Eventually, the young man loses his business and his fancy flat, but in exchange, he regains the affections of the woman he always loved. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lew Ayres, Helen Mack, (more)
