Jeff York Movies
American actor Jeff York inaugurated his film career in the late '30s at Paramount, under the "nom de stage" of Granville Owen. York spent the postwar years as an MGM contractee, then freelanced into the 1950s. From 1954 to 1958, he was most often to be found in the film and TV projects of the Walt Disney Studios, playing major roles in Davy Crockett and the River Pirates (1956, as keelboatman Mike Fink), Westward Ho, the Wagons! (1956), and The Great Locomotive Chase (1956). His best-remembered assignment under the Disney banner was the role of shiftless Bud Searcy in Old Yeller (1957), a character he reprised in the 1963 sequel Savage Sam. In 1959, Jeff York co-starred with Ray Danton, Roger Moore, and Dorothy Provine in the Warner Bros. TVer The Alaskans. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1967
In this drama, sweet and honest Tammy is hired as a secretary by a powerful industrialist with a handsome young son. Meanwhile a society dame is angered that the millionaire hired Tammy because she wanted her own girl to have a shot at the son. To ruin the new secretary's chances, the dame and her conniving daughter try to smear Tammy's reputation at every turn. They even try to sic the IRS on her for evasion of back taxes; the government agency retaliates by trying to take away Tammy's house to repay the debt. Fortunately, the hapless girl's grandpa and uncle show an old deed that proves that they do indeed own the house. Not only that, according to the deed, the little family also owns the property of the wealthy socialite and her family. Tammy disagrees with her family's plan and fears that her backwoods relatives will ruin her life. She is saved by her boss who secretly pays the taxes and then holds a riotous party in which her family acts like fools. Fortunately, everyone forgets about it and she and the son live happily. This is the last of four pictures about Tammy. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Debbie Watson, Frank McGrath, (more)
- 1964
Ex-fire chief Carey York (Tom Tully) hires Perry (Raymond Burr) to sue TV repoter Tommy Towne (Frank Aletter) for slander, after Towne claims on the air that York burned down his own warehouse for the insurance money. To avoid ponying up $1.5 million, Towne issues a "retraction"--still insisting that York is an arsonist, but now claiming that he was trying to save his son Dorian (Wynn Pearce) from bankruptcy. Ultimately, Towne is murdered, York is charged, and Perry must find out who is really going around setting fires and killing people. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Savage Sam is the sequel to the successful Disney film Old Yeller. This time, the boys take off after a band of Apache kidnappers who have snatched the children of lazy neighbor Bud Searcy (Jeff York). With their true-blue bloodhound Sam, the kids take off with Brian Keith to take back the missing children. The viewer may be confused with the lightheartedness that accompanies the gravity of such an abduction and then is abandoned in favor of a more serious flavor later in the film. Norman Tokar directed this uneven feature that fared far less better at the box office than is predecessor. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brian Keith, Tommy Kirk, (more)
- 1961
While deep-sea fishing with his colleague Paul Drake (William Hopper), Perry (Raymond Burr) receives word from his old friend Scott Cahill (Jeff York) that the Coast Guard has boarded Cahill's vessel looking for stolen gold bullion. Unfortunately, the officials not only find the gold, but also the body of Cahill's alleged partner Karl Magovern (Arch Johnson). This is the episode in which Perry inveigles his "friendly enemy" Hamilton Burger (William Talman) to take a crucial voyage on a Coast Guard cutter. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1961
Constuction engineer Pete Mallory (Jeff York) is surprised when work on a new road is suddenly halted by a restraining order. It seems that Mallory's crew has unwittingly set up shop on private property, and that blame for this "error" falls upon the shoulders of dishonest developer Stuart Benton (Jason Evers), who plans to build a vacation resort where the road should be. Not long after confronting Benton, Mallory is charged with the man's murder--and it is up to Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) to burrow to the bottom of the situation and dig up the real killer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1959
Don Carlos Fernandez (Jonathan Harris) uses impounded furs to set a death trap for Joe Crane. ~ TV Guide, All Movie Guide
- 1959
Zorro helps a trapper (Jeff York) break out of jail. But the job's not over: the man's prized furs were left behind. ~ TV Guide, All Movie Guide
- 1958
In this 4th episode of Walt Disney's six-part miniseries The Saga of Andy Burnett, Andy (Jerome Courtland) and the Mountain Men have struck out for the New Mexico outpost of Taos. While making their way through the unmapped Rocky Mountains, Andy and his pals Joe (Jeff York), Jack (Andrew Duggan) and Old Bill (Slim Pickens) decide to do a little fur-trapping. Alas, before long the foursome have been captured by the Snake Indians. "Land of Enemies" originally aired on the Disneyland anthology series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1958
In the final episode of Walt Disney's six-part miniseries The Saga of Andy Burnett, Andy (Jerome Courtland and his friends are still the "guests" of Kiasak (Abel Fernandez), Chief of the Blackfeet Indians. Kiasak like Andy, but refuses to let him go until he has competed in a series of grueling tests. Meanwhile, jealous medicine man Mad Wolf (Iron Eyes Cody) hopes to use the upcoming tribal council to kill off the white men, topple Kiasak from power, and become Chief himself. "The Big Council" originally aired on the Disneyland anthology series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1958
In the fifth episode of Walt Disney's six-part miniseries The Saga of Andy Burnett, Andy (Jerome Courtland and his fellow Mountain Men have been captured by the Blackfeet Indians. Through careful manipulation of his telescope, Andy convinces his captors that he is a friend of the Sun God. Chief Kiasak (Abel Fernandez) agrees to spare the lives of Andy his pals--but they're not out of the woods yet, thanks to jealous medicine man Mad Wolf (Iron Eyes Cody). "The White Man's Medicine" originally aired on the Disneyland anthology series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
This Walt Disney filmization of Esther Forbes' Revolutionary-War novel Johnny Tremain was appropriately released on July 4, 1957. New Disney discovery Hal Stalmaster plays the title character, an apprentice silversmith in 1773 Boston. An on-the-job injury prevents Johnny from finding a job, but he is welcomed with open arms at the headquarters of the Revolution. After standing trial on a trumped-up robbery charge brought about by British sympathizer Jonathan Lyte (Sebastian Cabot), Johnny is set free, whereupon he joins the Sons of Liberty during their execution of the Boston Tea Party. Later on, General Gage (Ralph Clanton), the officer in charge of the colonies, does his best to stem the activities of the Sons of the Liberty without resorting to violence but this becomes a moot point after the battle of Lexington Green. If the storyline of Johnny Tremain seems to be divided into two even halves, it is because the film was originally intended as a two-part installment of the Disneyland TV anthology. As it turned out, the film did receive TV exposure on Walt Disney Presents, divided (as planned) into two segments: "The Boston Tea Party" (first telecast November 21, 1958) and "The Shot That Was Heard Around the World" (December 5, 1958). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hal Stalmaster, Luana Patten, (more)
- 1957
This 1957 Disneyland episode is essentially a promotional film for the upcoming Disney theatrical release Johnny Tremain. An early segment, chronicling man's struggle for liberty as manifested in the Magna Carta and the exploits of Robin Hood, leads smoothly into a lengthy excerpt of the new film, wherein young Johnny Tremain (Hal Stalmaster) joins the 18th century underground group, the Sons of Liberty. The remainder of the episode consists of the 1953 cartoon featurette Ben and Me, based on the book by Robert Lawson and told from the viewpoint of Amos the Mouse (voiced by Sterling Holloway, friend and confidant of none other than Benjamin Franklin. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Luana Patten, Jeff York, (more)
- 1957
In this third episode of Walt Disney's six-part miniseries The Saga of Andy Burnett, Andy (Jerome Courtland, Joe Crane (Jeff York) and the other Mountain Men have finally arrived in New Mexico. The head of the local border patrol agrees to guide Jack Kelly (Andrew Duggan, the head Mountain Man, to the outpost of Taos. Awaiting Jack's return, Andy and his friends must suffer the anti-Yankee vitriol of Capitan Reyes (Britt Lomond)--while Andy himself has a brief fling with lovely senorita Estrellita (Adele Mara). "Andy's Love Affair" originally aired on the Disneyland anthology series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1957
In this second episode of Walt Disney's six-part miniseries The Saga of Andy Burnett, easterner Andy (Jerome Courtland) and his trapper pal Joe Crane (Jeff York) have joined a group called the Mountain Men in their journey the west. In order to survive the rough terrain ahead, Andy trains himself to act, hunt and think like an Indian. But the trip may be over before it has begun: Bill Sublette (Anthony Caruso), head man of a rival group of mountaineers, has bribed the local blacksmith not to sell supplies to Andy and his pals. "Andy's First Chore" originally aired on the Disneyland anthology series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1957
Originally telecast on the Disneyland anthology, the six-part miniseries The Saga of Andy Burnett was the first of several efforts by Walt Disney to create a live-action property that would match the success of his Davy Crockett programs. Based on a novel by Stewart Edward White, Andy Burnett stars Jerome Courtland as the title character, the grandfather of an 18th century frontiersman who heads westward in 1820 in hopes of becoming a farmer. In the first episode, "Andy's Initiation", Andy meets a rough-and-ready trapper named Joe Crane (Jeff York who intends to ply his trade in the mountains of the west. At first reluctant to join Joe in this mission, Andy is forced to do so when his bankroll conveniently turns up missing. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Based on the novel by Fred Gipson, Old Yeller is set in Texas in 1869. While his father is away on a cattle drive, 15-year-old Travis Coates (Tommy Kirk) takes over management of the family farm. Adopting a "strictly business" policy, Travis is irritated when younger brother, Arliss (Kevin Corcoran), adopts a frisky stray dog. But soon Travis is as fond of the dog as everyone else in the family; moreover, "Old Yeller" is an excellent watchdog. But while fighting off a mad wolf, Yeller is infected with rabies. Though Yeller seems unaffected at first, he eventually behaves so viciously that the disheartened Travis has no choice but to shoot the dog. A heart-to-heart talk between Travis and his returning father (Fess Parker), coupled with the adoption of a new pup, paves the way to an emotional but reasonably happy ending. Earning eight million dolalrs domestically on its first release, Old Yeller convinced Walt Disney to devote more and more time to live-action films and less time to animation -- which at the time was a sagacious business move. In 1963, Disney released a lesser sequel to Old Yeller titled Savage Sam. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dorothy McGuire, Fess Parker, (more)
- 1956
Like its predecessor Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier, Walt Disney's Davy Crockett and the River Pirates was cobbled together from two episodes of the weekly TV anthology Disneyland. Though it wasn't so labelled at the time, River Pirates is actually a "prequel" to the earlier film, detailing events that allegedly occured in Crockett's life before his rendezvous with destiny at the Alamo. Set in 1810, the first half of the story deals with a river race to New Orleans between Davy (Fess Parker) and his friendly enemy Mike Fink (Jeff York). Once this plot strand has run its course, the film segues into Davy and Mike's attempts to prevent an Indian war which is being fomented by a renegade white man. Linking these two episodes are the spirited ballads of Davy's pal George Russel (Buddy Ebsen). Like the first "Davy Crockett" venture, Davy Crockett and the River Pirates cleaned up at the box-office and increased department-store sales of those coonskin caps (remember?) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fess Parker, Buddy Ebsen, (more)
- 1956
Disney's The Great Locomotive Chase is a dramatic retelling of the actual Civil War events which inspired the Buster Keaton comedy The General. Fess Parker stars as James J. Andrews, the famous Union spy who masterminded the theft of an entire Confederate train. To accomplish this mission, Andrews and his cohorts pose as Kentuckians, board the train, and bide their time until they can pull off the robbery. Unfortunately for the Northerners, plucky young conductor William A. Fuller (Jeffrey Hunter, in the "Keaton" role), resentful that his train was stolen out from under him, pursues Andrews' raiders by foot, handcar, and locomotive. No matter what obstacles are placed in his way by Andrews' men, Fuller persists in his chase. Eventually captured, Andrews and his cohorts plan a daring escape, which serves as the film's pulse-pounding climax. Filmed on location in Georgia, The Great Locomotive Chase was well-received by audiences and critics alike. The lone dissenter was Buster Keaton, who felt that Disney made a mistake by turning the Southern characters into the "bad guys." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fess Parker, Jeffrey Hunter, (more)
- 1956
This episode of the ABC anthology Disneyland is an extended promo for Walt Disney's then-upcoming theatrical feature The Great Locomotive Chase. Narrated by the film's star Fess Parker, the episode offers a thumbnail history of railroads in the United States with stopovers at trainyards in Baltimore and Los Angeles where vintage Civil War locomotives are kept on display. These engines are then shown in use as props in Great Locomotive Chase, a dramatization of the famous Andrews raid in 1862, in which several Northern spies went behind enemy lines to capture a Southern train (the same story served as the basis for the 1926 Buster Keaton vehicle The General, which curiously goes unmentioned here). Also shown are the efforts by the Disney Studio staffers to scout out appropriate locations and vintage buildings to be seen in the film. Technical adviser Wilbur Kurtz is interviewed, as are several Georgia residents who appear as extras. Once the sets are construction, the props are in place and the cameras are ready, the episode offers tantalizing glimpses of the film itself, featuring actors Fess Parker, Jeffrey Hunter, Jeff York, John Lupton and others. As a bonus, the viewer is treated to "Sons of Old Aunt Dinah", a song specially written for this episode by Stan Jones and Lawrence Edward Watkin. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1956
Disney's Westward Ho, the Wagons is a leisurely paced western which seems more like a collection of anecdotes than a unified whole. Fess "Davy Crockett" Parker stars as head wagon scout Doc Grayson, who shepherds a group of travellers through hostile Indian territory. Preferring to use brains rather than bullets, Grayson is able to ward off an Indian attack through a clever--if costly--diversion. A later crisis is averted when Doc, an amateur physician (hence his nickname), saves the life of a seriously injured chief's son. The action highlights are superbly staged by Yakima Canutt, though not quite as exciting as they should be. Kathleen Crowley costars as Doc's erstwhile sweetheart Laura, while George Reeves, his face obscured by a full beard, makes an effective break from his Superman image as wagon leader James Stephen. The fact that Westward Ho, the Wagons featuerd several of Disney's Mouseketeers (Karen Pendleton, Cubby O'Brien, Doreen Tracy, Tommy Cole) in the supporting cast was plugged to death on TV's Mickey Mouse Club, as was the film's hit song "Wringle, Wrangle". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fess Parker, Kathleen Crowley, (more)
- 1956
This Disneyland episode served to promote the upcoming theatrical feature Westward Ho the Wagons, with that film's star, Fess Parker, acting as narrator. After a brief segment in which host Walt Disney relates the history of the Oregon Trail (the pioneer route from Kansas City to the Pacific Coast), the episode segues into a dramatized sequence, combining footage from the feature film as well as some freshly-shot vignettes. Several of the actors appearing in Westward Ho the Wagons repeat their roles in this portion of the program, in which the preparations made by settlers to undertake the 2000-mile westard trek along the Oregon Trail are meticulously detailed. Also heard are two songs from the film, the title number and "Pioneer's Prayer" (the film's popular ditty "Wringle Wrangle" was reserved for a special presentation of Disney's The Mickey Mouse Club. Ironically, while one of the stars of the Westward Ho the Wagons, George Reeves of Superman fame, does not appear in "The Oregon Trail", Phyllis Coates, who'd previously played Lois Lane to Reeves' Clark Kent, shows up in an important supporting role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fess Parker, Jeff York, (more)
- 1955
Wisely cashing in on the enormous (and largely unexpected) success of his 1954 Davy Crockett TV miniseries, Walt Disney whipped up a spinoff for the 1955-56 season of his weekly Disneyland anthology. Since frontiersman Davy Crockett (Fess Parker) and his pal George Russel (Buddy Ebsen) were killed off at the Alamo at the end of the first miniseries, the second Davy Crockett opus, the two-part "The Legends of Davy Crockett" was a "prequel", set in 1810 or thereabouts. In Episode One, "Davy Crockett's Keelboat Race", Davy and George want to travel down the Ohio River towards New Orleans, but they bristle when self-styled "King of the River" Mike Fink (Jeff York) charges them $1000 for a ride on his keelboat. Our heroes hire another boat captained by an old salt named Cobb (Clem Bevans), thereby sparking a race between Crockett and Fink, with a valuable shipment of furs as the prize. Naturally, Mike pulls all sorts of underhanded tricks to keep Davy's boat from finishing the race, but good sportsmanship wins out, and Davy and Mike become good pals. A hint of what is to come in the next episode, "Davy Crockett and the River Pirates", occurs when a band of white outlaws disguised as Indians have a brief set-to with Davy early in the proceedings. The series' hit theme song, not to mention those coonskin caps, are very much in evidence, with the added filip of a new song, "King of the River", sung con brio by Jeff York. Both episodes of The Legends of Davy Crockett were later edited together and released theatrically in 1956 as Davy Crockett and the River Pirates. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1955
In the second episode of Walt Disney's two-part miniseries The Legends of Davy Crockett, frontiersman Davy Crockett (Fess Parker) and his pals Georgie Russell (Buddy Ebsen) and Mike Fink (Jeff York) try to clear the names of Davy's Indian friends, who have been accused of piracy on the Ohio River. It turns out that the real culprits are the members of the Harpe gang, who disguise themselves as Indians whenever plundering a boat. Carrying a valuable cargo downstream as bait for the outlaws, Davy, George and Mike hope to provoke an attack and then surprise the scoundrels--but the bad guys have planted a spy on our heroes' keelboat, namely a wily old guitar-picker named Colonel Plug (Walter Catlett). In addition to the expected theme song "The Ballad of Davy Crockett", this episode features a new tune, "Yaller, Yaller Gold". Originally telecast as part of the Disneyland anthology, "Davy Crockett and the River Pirates" and the earlier episode "Davy Crockett and the Keelboat Race" were later edited together and released as a 1956 theatrical feature, also titled Davy Crockett and the River Pirates. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Demetrius and the Gladiators was the sequel to The Robe, and though they were released several months apart, the films were shot at the same time. Based on characters originally conceived by Lloyd C. Douglas, the film stars Victor Mature as the title character, an ex-slave who embraced Christianity after being present at the Crucifixion. Thrown in jail for defending an elderly merchant from a sadistic Roman legionnaire, Demetrius is forced to attend gladiator school and fight in the arena for the amusement of the mad, debauched emperor Caligula (Jay Robinson, likewise repeating his performance in The Robe). The well-proportioned Demetrius attracts the attention of Messalina (Susan Hayward), the nymphomaniac wife of Caligula's would-be successor Claudius (Barry Jones). Briefly losing faith in Christ, Demetrius is saved from himself by the apostle Peter (Michael Rennie). Because of contractual complications, Demetrius and the Gladiators was released to television seven years before The Robe. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Victor Mature, Susan Hayward, (more)
The lady of the title is author Dorinda Hatch (Joan Caulfield), who writes a scathing best-seller in which she trashes all men. Photographer Bill Shelby (David Niven) vows to make Dorinda eat her words, thereby proving the superiority of the male of the species. Suffice to say that he doesn't succeed--at least until the very, very end. The middle portion of The Lady Says No consists of a surrealistic dream sequence in which Dorinda realizes that she loves Bill despite his rampant chauvinism. This film is not a likely candidate for screening at the next N.O.W. meeting. Lady Says No was produced and directed by Frank Ross, who at the time was married to star Joan Caulfield. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joan Caulfield, David Niven, (more)
