Audrey Totter Movies
An actress since high school, Audrey Totter was by 1939 a well-established radio performer. Signed to an MGM contract in 1945, Totter played brittle, no-nonsense leading ladies and femme fatales in such films as The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946) and Lady in the Lake (1946). During her MGM years, Totter starred in the radio sitcom Meet Millie, but was contractually prevented from appearing in the TV version (she was replaced by Eleana Verdugo). As her film career waned, Totter agreed to sign on as a regular on the 1958 TV Western Cimarron City. In 1962, Audrey Totter co-starred with Stanley Holloway in the weekly sitcom Our Man Higgins; ten years later, she came out of retirement to play a recurring role on still another TV series, Medical Center. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1987
A terminally ill nun apparently commits suicide--which of course is a mortal sin in the eyes of the Catholic church. In order to prove that the nun did not die by her own hand, the dead woman's Mother Superior (Jane Powell) prevails upon her old friend Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) to follow the trail of clues--one of which reveals some disturbingly sordid details. This episode is distinguished a particularly stellar cast of veteran actors, including Audrey Totter in her last role before retirement. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1984
Originally made for television, a psychotic blackmails his beloved by demolishing areas of the city until she goes out with him. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- 1980
The made-for-TV Great Cash Giveaway Getaway offers a great deal of screen time to a brace of unknowns. David Kyle and Elissa Leeds play teenagers Jim and Hallie, who find themselves in possession of $250,000. The money belongs to drug kingpin Hightower (George Hamilton), who intends to reclaim the dough and bump off the kids. While escaping Hightower, Jim and Hallie begin arbitrarily giving away their money to total strangers. In so doing, they become minor-league folk heroes, which serves only to further anger the vengeful villain. The Great Cash Giveaway Getaway debuted April 21, 1980. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1979
- G
- Add The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again to QueueAdd The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again to top of Queue
Tim Conway and Don Knotts, mere supporting characters in the original Apple Dumpling Gang, are promoted to starring roles in the 1979 sequel The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again. Once more cast as clumsy, soft-hearted western outlaws, Conway and Knotts come to the rescue of cavalry private Tim Matheson. The villain, lieutenant Philip Pine, is undermining the authority of Matheson's commander Harry Morgan, and Matheson wants to find out why. Featured performers include Jack Elam as Big Mac and Ruth Buzzi as Tough Kate. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Conway, Don Knotts, (more)
- 1978
The Nativity is just what it says it is. This low-key retelling of the Biblical story of the birth of Christ stars Madeline Stowe as Mary and John V. Shea as Joseph. The network publicists assured the viewers that there would be as much emphasis on the "human love story" as the Birth itself. Also in the cast are Leo McKern as Herod, Jane Wyatt as Anna, Paul Stewart as Zacharias, Audrey Totter as Elizabeth, George Voskovec as Joachim and Julie Garfield (daughter of John Garfield) as Zipporah. The made-for-TV The Nativity premiered on December 17, 1978; one day later, Madeline Stowe showed up in a small role in another TV movie, The Deerslayer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1969
On the testimony of five different eyewintesses, Sgt. Ed Brown is arrested for the beating death of a bookie. Naturally, Ed is innocent, but is unable to prove that he was vacationing alone at a mountain retreat at the time of the killing. With time running out for the wrongfully accused detective, Ironside (Raymond Burr) launches a no-holds-barred investigation of his own. This episode was cowritten by series regular Don Galloway, who of course plays Ed Brown. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1968
Chubasco (Christopher Jones) is a wayward youth who is given a choice by the presiding judge. His choices are go to jail or take an honest job on a fishing boat. He chooses to set sail, leaving behind his girl Bunny (Susan Strasberg) and her father Sebastian (Richard Egan), who obviously has it out for the wayward teen. He works on a tuna boat, learning to break free of a life of crime. He also meets a bordello madame named Angela (Ann Sothern) who may or may not be his mother. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Egan, Christopher Jones, (more)
- 1966
Ed Begley Sr. makes a return visit to Bonanza in the role of proud old Ponderosa wrangler Dan Tolliver. Sensing that Dan is getting too old for his work, Ben Cartwright arranges for the stubborn ranchhand to take on an easier job. Infuriated, Dan quits the Ponderosa and falls in with two outlaws who have a long-standing hatred for the Cartwrights. Others in the cast include Audrey Totter as Beth Riley, Sherwood Price as Sand, Renny McAvoy as Flint and former B-western star Don "Red" Barry as Temple. Written by Frank Chase and directed by movie leading man Paul Henreid, "A Time to Step Down", was originally seen on September 25, 1966, then rebroadcast on New Years' Eve, 1967. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, (more)
- 1965
Hurriedly assembled to capitalize on the Paramount feature of the same name, Magna Pictures' Harlow was shot in less than two weeks, utilizing a glorified TV-kinescope process called Electronovision. Carol Lynley is physically an excellent choice to play 1930s Hollywood "platinum blonde" Jean Harlow, though she has little of Harlow's casual charisma. Pushed into a movie career by Mama Jean (Ginger Rogers) in order to support her dysfunctional family, Jean rises from 2-reel comedies to big-budget features in the space of a year. Though one of the highest-priced stars at MGM, Jean's fortune is rapidly depleted by her high-living (and, it is hinted, incestuous) stepfather Marino Bello (Barry Sullivan). Seeking happiness and security, Jean marries producer Paul Bern (Hurd Hatfield), only to have him commit suicide due to his impotence. Just when her misery is about to be ended by her marriage to movie star William Mansfield (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.)--a thinly disguised William Powell, who refused to allow his name or likeness to be used--Jean dies of uremia at the age of 26. If you can get past those miserable Laurel & Hardy imitators at the beginning of Harlow, you might be able to survive the rest of the picture, which gives a whole new meaning to the word "cheap." Watch for boxing champ Sonny Liston in a one-scene bit. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carol Lynley, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., (more)
Edward Dmytryk brings Harold Robbins' trashy, dirt-dishing Hollywood best-seller to the screen with George Peppard starring as Jonas Cord, a rancidly-sketched portrait of Howard Hughes. In 1925, when his father dies of a stroke, Jonas inherits the Cord Chemical factory, a manufacturer of dynamite and other explosives. Jonas proceeds with several cut-throat transactions, making a settlement with his sexy stepmother Rina (Carroll Baker) and liquidating the stock owned by cowhand Nevada Smith (Alan Ladd, in his final American film role). With the help of Mac McAllister (Lew Ayres), his father's attorney, Jonas builds his father's company into a multi-million dollar business, expanding into plastics and aeronautics. Meanwhile, Rina has become a top fashion model and movie star and Nevada Smith has parlayed his laconic demeanor into a career as a popular silent film cowboy idol. Jonas then marries, then ignores, the well-meaning Monica Winthrop (Elizabeth Ashley), and ruins her father's company in the process. Then, with the advent of sound films, Jonas helps Nevada Smith through the sound film crisis by offering financial backing for a film to star both Nevada and his ex-mother-in-law Rina. Jonas decides to direct the film himself, hoping to seduce Rina. But Jonas's insensitive and egomaniacal behavior causes Monica to leave him. Jonas invests all his time in film production but the alcoholic Rina dies in a car accident. The owners of the film studio -- Bernard B. Norman (Martin Balsam) and Dan Pierce (Robert Cummings) -- want to sell the studio to Jonas but hide the fact that Rina, the studio's biggest star, has died. Jonas buys the studio and when he finds his biggest asset is gone, he goes on a drunken binge. But Jonas quickly meets call girl Jennie Denton (Martha Hyer), who he decides to turn into a superstar modeled upon Rina. Despite having made her a star, Jonas's vile treatment of Jennie repulses both her and his old friend Nevada Smith, and Smith decides it's time to beat some sense into Jonas's head. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Peppard, Alan Ladd, (more)
- 1964
Reba Burgess (Audrey Totter) has managed to keep her late husband's mining company alive by securing big bank loans, using a shoebox full of uncut diamonds as collateral. All this may come to an end when Carl Bascom (Jeff Corey) appears out of nowhere, claiming to have a written agreement that gives him half of the mine. Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) enters the scene when Bascom is killed with a weapon owned by Reba. This episode is topheavy with familiar character actors in the supporting cast, including Elisha Cook Jr. (The Maltese Falcon), Bruce Bennett (Treasure of the Sierra Madre), Ben Johnson (The Last Picture Show) and Roy Barcroft (who showed up in virtually every Republic serial and western ever made!) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1961
Although storekeeper Mrs. Gruber (Jesslyn Fax) has purchased a gun for protection, she finds herself incapable of pulling the trigger when she is robbed by a teenager named Jimmy Philips (Bob Paget). Not so timorous is Mrs. Gruber's customer Gerald R. Clarke (George Nader), who grabs the gun, chases Jimmy down, and shoots the boy to death -- managing to avoid arrest himself by claiming "self-defense." This leads to a fateful confrontation between Gerald and the dead boy's mother (Audrey Totter). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1960
It can be said with some assurance that Hollywood publicity agent Jimmy Dolan (Joby Baker) would sell his own mother to get ahead. With this in mind, it is entirely logical that Jimmy would want to milk the accidental drowning of actress Betsy Blake (Audrey Totter) for all it is worth. Selling his services to Goliath Studios, Jimmy builds a huge and lucrative campaign around the movie that Betsy had starred in before her untimely demise. Unfortunately, the campaign may go up in smoke when the "late" Ms. Blake shows up very much alive. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1958
Produced at Republic Studios during that western-film factory's twilight years, Man or Gun stars MacDonald Carey as a drifter named Maybe Smith. Before he gets a chance to say "Like sands through the hourglass...", Smith gets mixed up in the lives of several timorous townsfolk, who suffer the despotic excesses of a powerful ranching family. James Craig plays Pinch Corley, the meanest member of the clan (Admit it now: you've never seen any other movie with characters named Maybe and Pinch) The title derives from Maybe's quandary over whether to take on the Corleys with his fists or with his gun. Man or Gun takes its sweet time (79 minutes' worth) allowing Maybe Smith to work out his problem. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1958
Denied a big budget, Jet Attack scores dramatic points by concentrating on the human side of warfare. Shot down behind enemy lines in North Korea, jet jockeys Tom (John Agar), Bill (Gregory Walcott) and Chick (Nicky Blair) link up with Russian nurse Tanya (Audrey Totter). She insists that she's on their side, and that she wants to help a captured atomic scientist escape the clutches of the Communists. Bill and Chick don't buy her story, but Tom is more flexible. After numerous narrow escapes, the survivors of the ordeal streak back to South Korea in a hijacked MIG jet. Jet Attack was originally released on a double bill with Suicide Battalion. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Agar, Audrey Totter, (more)
- 1958
In Jet Attack, a brainwashed scientist is rescued by a paramilitary team; in Paratroop Command, a soldier sets off North African land mines to regain his honor after killing one of his own men. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- 1957
Roger Bristol (James Craig) is the star of a popular TV adventure series. To further boost his ratings, Bristol promises his viewers that he will locate a sunken treasure off the coasts of South America. True to his word, Bristol, his secretary Anne Stevens (Audrey Totter) and his skindiver son Bob (Lowell Brown) embark on his dangerous quest, using the cryptic messages carved on an ancient idol as his guide to the treasure. Their mission is threatened by a covetous local diver (Nico Minardos), who will stop at nothing to get his hands on the treasure. Not everything goes as planned, but Roger does discover that true love is worth all the gold in the sea. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Craig, Audrey Totter, (more)
- 1955
With the exception of the vastly superior Caged, Columbia's Women's Prison was the quintessential "babes behind bars" drama of the 1950s. Ida Lupino (who else?) stars as Amelia VanZant, the sadistic supervisor of the titular prison. Unable to establish any sort of relationship with a man, Amelia takes it out on her long-suffering inmates. When prison psychiatrist Clark (Howard Duff) tries to improve conditions for the women, he too is targetted for destruction by the vituperous Ms. VanZant. The cast includes such perennial "hard-boiled dames" as Jan Sterling, Cleo Moore, Audrey Totter, Phyllis Thaxter, Gertrude Michael and Mae Clarke. Not taken very seriously in the first place, Women's Prison was elevated to the level of "high camp" by youthful film buffs of the 1960s and 1970s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ida Lupino, Jan Sterling, (more)
- 1955
The oft-filmed Zane Grey yarn The Vanishing American is given respectful treatment in this Republic "A" production. Eliminating Grey's premise that the American Indian's downfall was all part of Nature's scheme of things, the film begins in the late 19th century, with Scott Brady starring as Navajo protagonist Blandy. Embittered not only by deceitful whites but also by renegade Apaches, Blandy hopes to prevent further decimation of his people by stemming the activities of crooked Indian agent Blucher (Gene Lockhart) and duplicitious trader Morgan (Forrest Tucker). Blandy's allies include white landowner Marian Warner (Audrey Totter), whose open rangeland is dearly coveted by the nefarious Blucher and Morgan. Among the genuine Native Americans making cameo appearances are Jay "Tonto" Silverheels and Charles Stevens. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Scott Brady, Audrey Totter, (more)
A communist spy plots the abduction of an important American atomic scientist in this espionage drama. To do his evil deed, he coerces a notorious gangster to do the kidnapping. Meanwhile a G-man is hot on the spy's trail and is determined to protect the endangered scientist. Unfortunately, the spy is on to the detective and plans to bump him off first. The spy does not count on the fact that he has chosen a patriotic gangster to do his deeds and when the crook learns the spy's true alignment he takes action. Between him and the G-man, the world ends up safe for democracy once again. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edward G. Robinson, George Raft, (more)
- 1954
Action star Phil Carey once more dons Cavalry Blue in Columbia's Massacre Canyon. This time, Carey plays the unsavory role of an alcoholic Cavalry lieutenent who fancies himself an expert on Indians. In truth, only his sergeant, Douglas Kennedy, possesses enough knowhow for the task at hand: To transport a wagon train full of weapons into Indian territory without arousing suspicion. Thanks to a stupid blunder, Native American chief Steve Ritch discovers that the army is trying to ship guns through his land, and the chase is on. Evidently as a means to enhance the film's box office, Massacre Canyon costars two attractive but totally unnecessary leading ladies, Audrey Totter and Miss Jeff Donnell (as she was often billed). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Philip Carey, Audrey Totter, (more)
- 1953
Filmed in 3D, Man in the Dark stars Edmond O'Brien as Steve Rawley, a man with a past. Thing of it is, Rawley knows nothing about that past: a former gangster, he underwent an operation that not only altered his appearance, but also wiped out all criminal tendencies--not to mention all memory of his past misdeeds. Rawley is kidnapped by his former mob cohorts, who demand that he cough up the $130,000 that he salted away during his gangster days. Audrey Totter co-stars as Peg Benedict, who loves Rawley for what he is, not what he was. Man in the Dark is a remake of the 1936 Ralph Bellamy vehicle The Man who Lived Twice. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edmond O'Brien, Audrey Totter, (more)
- 1953
Based on William Fay's short story The Disappearance of Dolan, Champ for a Day stars Alex Nicol as young pugilist George Wilson. Upon arriving in a small town for a scheduled bout, George discovers that his manager, Dolan, has vanished from sight. Also caught up in the mystery is Dolan's girlfriend Miss Gormley (Audrey Totter). Before long, George finds out that his missing manager was tied up with gangsters--and that George is expected to lose his next fight. How he extricates himself from this dilemma, and also solves his manager's disappearance, consumes the final four reels of this 90-minute Republic "special." The film's topnotch cast includes Harry Morgan as a trainer, Charles Winninger and Hope Emerson as the owners of a roadside hotel, and Joseph Wiseman as a wacko villain. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alex Nicol, Audrey Totter, (more)
- 1953
All suspense in The Woman They Almost Lynched would seem to be dissipated by title, but director Allan Dwan holds the viewers spellbound throughout. Part of the tension arises from fact that there are two leading female characters: Kate Quantrill (Audrey Totter), wife of infamous Confederate raider Quantrill (Brian Donlevy), and Sally Maris (Joan Leslie), virginal sister of Kate's ex-lover, saloonkeeper Bitteroot Bill (Reed Hadley). Sally herself falls in love with Lance Horton (John Lund), ostensibly a mine foreman but actually a Southern spy. Rest assured that one of the two ladies is going to wind up with a noose around her neck for keeping "bad" company -- and that the other will somehow come to the rescue. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Lund, Brian Donlevy, (more)
