Adrian Booth Movies

Wayne Morris was rapidly becoming Monogram's answer to John Wayne when he starred in Yellow Fin. Lensed on location in the Northern Pacific, the story concerns a group of rough-and-ready tuna fishermen. When he isn't fighting the elements, Mike (Wayne Morris) is trying to snap his father (Damian O'Flynn) out of a catatonic state, brought about by an accident on the high seas. A doctor suggests that Mike take his father out on his boat during bad weather, thereby recreating the events leading up to his mental condition as a means to bring him back to normal (does the AMA know about this brand of therapy?) A secondary plot strand involves a romantic triangle consisting of Mike, Jean (Adrian Booth) and Nina (Gloria Henry). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Oh! Susanna is a "big" western by Republic standards, decked out with lavish production values and an extended running time (90 minutes, as compared to the usual "B"-picture length of 60 or 70 minutes). Rod Cameron stars as Captain Calhoun, a cavalry officer dedicated to protecting the rights of Indians from greedy gold prospectors. Calhoun's superior officer Lt. Col. Ungar (Forrest Tucker) despises all Indians, and makes things difficult for those who try to enforce existing treaties. Other interested parties include saloon owner Ira Jordan (Jim Davis), who is counting upon plenty of revenue from the prospectors, and saloon thrush Lia Wilson (Adrian Booth), who carries torches for Calhoun, Ungar and Jordan. The highly anticipated action climax comes with a vengeance as the betrayed Indians lay siege upon Ungar's fort. Oh! Susanna was written by Charles Marquis Warren, whose later TV work included Wyatt Earp, Gunsmoke and Rawhide. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rock Island Trail is proof enough that Republic could turn out an "A" western as well as any of the "majors." This saga of pioneer railroading stars Forrest Tucker as Reed Loomis, a visionary railman who dreams of the day that trains will run from coast to coast. During his own efforts to make this dream come true, Loomis must face the formidable opposition of steamboat operator Kirby Morrow (Bruce Cabot). Another ongoing problem is lack of funds: fortunately, Loomis is in love with Constance Strong (Adele Mara), who happens to be a banker's daughter. Longtime Republic leading-lady Adrian Booth plays Aleeta, an Indian princess who has a yen for Loomis -- meaning, of course, that she probably won't survive to the end of the film. The film's climax is an all-out action orgy in the grand Republic tradition. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Reliable serial and western leading lady Adrian Booth is awarded top billing in Republic's Hideout. Hannah (Booth) and Edie (Sheila Ryan) vie for the attentions of naïve attorney George Browning (Lloyd Bridges). Our hero wises up in a hurry when he takes on a gang of jewel thieves, headed by Fogerty (Ray Collins). Comic actor Alan Carney, of the "Brown and Carney" comedy team, turns in an unexpectedly sinister performance as Collins' chief henchman. Hideout was based on a serialized Saturday Evening Post story by William Porter. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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

When Republic moved its popular star William Elliot from "B" series westerns to "A" frontier specials, a lot of the fun and excitement was lost in the process. Additionally, Republic seemed reluctant to admit the new Elliot films were westerns, as witness the title Gallant Legion, which could have been mistaken for a Sahara Desert epic. Actually Gallant Legion is one of the better Elliot big-budgeters, with Bill as one of the charter members of the Texas Rangers. The Rangers' task is to prevent greedy landgrabbers from dividing Texas into sections and setting up their own fiefdoms. Elliot's leading lady in Gallant Legion is Adrian Booth, who as "Lorna Gray" had been a Republic serial villainess a few seasons earlier. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Hero Rod Cameron kills Sheriff Sam Borden (George Cleveland) at point-blank range and in front of several witnesses in the opening of this Republic Pictures Western, released in the company's patented Trucolor system. The "killing," however, is merely a ruse set up to allow army agent Johnny Drum (Cameron) to infiltrate a gang of highway robbers. The gang is led by Whit Lacey (Forrest Tucker), and although Johnny is determined to bring Whit and his men to justice, he cannot help befriending the charming rascal. It all comes to a head when the Sioux attack the local fort and both Johnny and Whit prove that they at least have something in common -- bravery and loyalty. Ilona Massey, as Cameron's love interest, performs "Walking Down Broadway," by William H. Lingard and Charles E. Pratt, and "I'll Sing a Love Song," with lyrics by Jack Elliott and Aaron Gonzales. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi

The restful hues of the Trucolor process add to the overall entertainment value of Republic's Along the Oregon Trail. Singing cowboy Monte Hale plays a contemporary of Kit Carson (Forrest Taylor) who, at Carson's request, guides a party of frontiersmen through the wilds of Oregon. Danger looms in the form of despotic Gregg Thurston (Clayton Moore, who later switched to law and order as TV's Lone Ranger), who wants to create his own western empire in Oregon and doesn't cotton to strangers. Thurston and his chief henchmen Stoner (Roy Barcroft) smuggle guns to the Indians, hoping to spark an uprising that will wipe out Hale and his confreres. But our hero prevails, with time left over for a couple of songs. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Singing cowboy Monte Hale plays "himself" in the Republic western Last Frontier Uprising. Actually, he's not really himself, but a federal agent, dispatched to Texas to buy horses on behalf of the government. Hale runs up against a vicious gang of horse thieves, including such veteran western hard cases as Roy Barcroft and Philip van Zandt. The romantic interest is in the dainty hands of Adrian Booth, who used to go by the name of Lorna Gray. Put together with the standard Republic efficiency, The Last Frontier Uprising benefits from the breathless direction of Lesley Selander. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

There's no "valley" in Valley of the Zombies, and only one "zombie," played with relish by Ian Keith. At large in a great metropolitan city, Ormand Murks (Keith), recently brought back from the dead, goes on the prowl for human blood, meaning that he's less of a zombie than a vampire (a phenomenon which he "explains" halfway through the picture). He spends most of his time murderously settling scores with old enemies, drawing the attention of police lieutenant Blair (Thomas Jackson), who like Murks seems well-past retirement age. Suspected of committing the murders, doctor's assistant Terry Evans (Robert Livingston) takes it upon himself to track down Murks, with the aid of pretty nurse Susan Drake (Adrian Booth). The ultimate fate of the so-called zombie is given away by the artwork in the film's opening credits. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Republic Pictures trotted out some of their popular Western stars -- including Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, Trigger, Allan Lane and Don "Red" Barry -- for this backstage musical starring the company's newest singing cowboy, Monte Hale. To top it all off, the studio "inaugurated" Trucolor, which, in reality, was the old Magnacolor system under a more enticing name. Hale played himself, a cowboy seeking employment with "Globe Pictures" along with such other newcomers as little Bobby Blake (later Robert Blake) and his dancing horse Pardner. Monte and the horse are hired to appear in the newest Rod Mason (John Dehner) Western extravaganza, but the self-important Mason grows increasingly jealous of Monte's success and engages in a bit of sabotage. Pardner is slightly injured as a result, and although he is wanted for a series of his own, Monte takes time out to heal the animal's wounds. Mason immediately accuses his rival of not only kidnapping the horse but mistreating him as well. Assisted by Foy Willing and the Riders of the Purple Sage, Monte eventually forces Rod and his henchman Ace (Fred Graham) to admit their culpability in Pardner's injuries, doing so the oldfashioned way -- by brute force. In addition to offering an enticing glimpse behind the scenes at Republic Pictures in its heyday, Out California Way also included such songs as Boogie Woogie Cowboy, Rose of Santa Fe, Little Bronc of Mine, and the title tune. Columnist and occasional screenwriter Jimmy Starr appeared briefly as himself. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi

Making his starring debut, Republic cowboy Monte Hale strums his guitar and sings Over the Rainbow Trail by Ken Carson, The Sons of the Pioneers and Down at the Old Hoe-Down by Gordon Foster, and Take Your Time by Glenn Spencer; on the last of these, he is accompanied by Bob Nolan. In between all the warbling, Hale finds enough time to prove that little Bobby Blake's pet bear isn't the one causing death and destruction among the area's cattle. For some reason, Republic chose the Hale series to launch their newly developed Magnacolor scheme, thus making the rather wooden Hale the first of the studio's illustrious cowboys to appear in (almost) natural hues. Adrian Booth (formerly Lorna Gray) made the first of seven appearances opposite Hale as little Bobby's sister, antagonistic at first toward the hero but falling properly in love with him before the fade-out. Little Bobby Blake (formerly Mickey Gubitosi of Our Gang fame) later became Robert Blake and the star of television's Baretta. Monte Hale never quite accepted the tag of "singing cowboy," and his series, which lasted until 1950, became increasingly less musical with each new entry. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi

In this musical, a humble cigarette girl dreams of auditioning for the handsome bandleader at the nightclub. Her many attempts keep failing until her uncle appears. To help her, he impersonates a colonel and uses his "influence" to get her singing with the band. Eventually their ruse is revealed, but by then the bandleader has fallen in love with her. Songs include: "Tell It to a Star" (Shirley Botwin), "Love Me or Leave Me" (Gus Kahn, Walter Donaldson), "You're So Good to Me" (Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne), "A Batucada Corazon" (Ary Barroso). ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi