Otto Brower Movies
Otto Brower entered films as an actor in 1920, playing featured roles in major productions like All the Brothers Were Valiant. Brower switched to directing when he signed up with Paramount studios in 1928; among his assignments was the all-star musical Paramount on Parade (1930), which also utilized the directorial talents of Monta Bell, Elsie Janis and Ernst Lubitsch, among others. He spent the first few years of the 1930s helming westerns at both Paramount and the studio's next-door neighbor RKO. He co-directed the bizarre Gene Autry serial Phantom Empire (1935), and guided Bela Lugosi through a rare non-horror role in Postal Inspector. At 20th Century-Fox in the latter half of the 1930s, Brower served as second unit director for such big-budgeters as Under Two Flags (1936) and Suez (1938); he was also credited as cinematographer on Fox's Stanley and Livingstone. In his last year on earth, Otto Brower found time to contribute a few bridging and atmosphere scenes to Selznick's Duel in the Sun (1946), and to direct the above-average Fox programmer Behind Green Lights (1946). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1952
Stock footage abound in this otherwise average Rex Allen musical Western from Republic Pictures. When crooked ranch foreman Link Felton (Roy Barcroft) diverts the "Comanche Limited" into an old mineshaft, causing the engine to explode, everyone believes that ranch owner Carlos Alvarez (Nestor Paiva) is among the dead and buried travelers, everyone including Lita, the old man's granddaughter (Estelita Rodriguez), whose Eastern fiancée Rodney Brewster (Douglas Evans) is a greedy tyrant. Although his main goal is to recover a shipment of gold from the buried train, Felton has no compelling reasons not to assist Brewster in rustling a herd of cattle brought in by former Alvarez cowboys Rex Allen and Slim Pickens. But unbeknownst to Felton and Brewster, old man Alvarez is still very much alive. Rex Allen and an aggregation calling itself the Republic Rhythm Riders perform "I'll Sing a Love Song Again," by Jack Elliott and Aaron Gonzales, and Allen's own "Hide Away Your Troubles" and "The Railroad Corral." ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rex Allen
- 1946
In this police drama, a busy precinct is thrown into chaos when the murdered corpse of a local detective is found in an abandoned car. Now the press is demanding to learn details. Meanwhile, an ambitious officer finds himself sorely tempted to use dishonest means to advance his political career. Things get even more muddled up when he falls in love with a female murder suspect. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carole Landis, William Gargan, (more)
- 1943
Lois Andrews, best known in 1943 as the ex-wife of comedian Georgie Jessel, plays the title character in this cinemadaptation of Joseph P. McEvoy's popular comic strip Dixie Dugan. Swept up in the war effort, Dixie gets a job as secretary to government official Roger Hudson (James Ellison). Though Roger pursues her romantically, Dixie remains faithful to her defense-plant-worker fiancee Matt Hogan (Eddie Foy Jr.) Both Roger and Matt believe that a woman's place is in the home, but Dixie proves that their chauvinism is out of place during the National Emergency. Lois Andrews' inexperience is modified somewhat by the assured performances of Charlotte Greenwood and Charlie Ruggles as Dixie's parents. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Ellison, Charlotte Greenwood, (more)
- 1942
Filmed in the months immediately following Pearl Harbor, 20th Century-Fox's Little Tokyo USA is 63 minutes' worth of speculation about prewar Japanese espionage activities. Los Angeles cop Preston Foster suspects that there's dirty work afoot in the city's Japanese community, but no one will believe him except for intrepid girl reporter Brenda Joyce. When the spies frame Foster on a trumped-up murder charge, Joyce does a little detective work herself. The enemy agents are rounded up just before they can do any real damage. Because of its strident insistence that most (if not all) Japanese-American citizens were secretly loyal to the Rising Sun, Little Tokyo USA is seldom seen these days. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Preston S. Foster, Brenda Joyce, (more)
- 1940
The Cisco Kid attempts to prove that reports of his death are greatly exaggerated in this western programmer. Cisco (Cesar Romero) and his sidekick Gordito (Chris-Pin Martin) ride into town to discover that the word on the street is that the great Cisco Kid has died -- and what's worse, before his passing, he tried to swindle Susan Wetherby (Sheila Ryan) out of her land. Cisco soon learns that the dirty deeds are actually the work of Kate Brewster (Janet Beecher), a female outlaw adept at covering her tracks. The Gay Caballero marked Cesar Romero's third screen appearance as the Cisco Kid, with three more to follow. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cesar Romero, Sheila Ryan, (more)
- 1940
This "Jones Family" entry does without the services of Pa Jones, inasmuch as actor Jed Prouty was having contract problems with 20th Century-Fox. When Mr. Jones is hospitalized by a heart attack, the rest of the Jones clan must figure out a way to pay the ever-mounting medical bills. They head to California, where they open up a bungalow court. Hoping to improve their business (which is virtually nonexistent), the Joneses open their doors to families with children and pets. As a result, a rival landlord sues the family for "noise pollution", leading to a raucous courtroom finale. On Their Own was the last screen appearance for Florence Roberts (Grandma Jones), who passed away two days after the film's release. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Spring Byington, Ken Howell, (more)
- 1940
In this comedy drama based on Shaw's play Pygmalion, and set in the 1800s, a wealthy playwright rescues a beautiful street urchin from the cruel city streets to use her as an authentic source of street language for his newest play. His whole family gets in an uproar when she comes to stay, but this does not deter him. In the end he turns her into a perfect lady and the family becomes charmed by her. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jane Withers, Kent Taylor, (more)
- 1940
In this musical comedy, a young woman is sent to a National Youth Administration camp after her father is arrested for making moonshine. While there, a local developer endeavors to buy up the camp. To save it, the young woman stages an elaborate camp show. The developer is enchanted and changes his mind. More trouble ensues when the developer's payroll is purloined. Fortunately, the girl's father escapes from prison and brings the crooks to justice. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jane Withers, Jane Darwell, (more)
- 1940
In hopes of cashing in on the popularity of "Number One Cowboy" Gene Autry, a fly-by-night firm called Times Pictures reissued a shortened version of Autry's 1935 Mascot serial Phantom Empire under the title Men with Steel Faces. It will be remembered that the original plotline of this 12-episode chapter play required Autry to head to the underground city of Murania, where the evil Prime Minister Argo (Wheeler Oakman) plotted to overthrow Queen Tika (Dorothy Christie) and take over the Surface World. In addition, Gene had to take leave of Murania on a daily basis and return to his ranch, lest he jeopardize his radio singing contract! As silly as this was in 1935, it was even more ridiculous in 1940, especially when compared to Autry's slicker Republic singing westerns. Even so, Men with Steel Faces posted a profit, as did practically anything associated with the name of Gene Autry. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, (more)
- 1939
Too Busy to Work is not a remake of the 1932 Will Rogers film of the same name-but it is a partial remake of Rogers' 1935 vehicle Doubting Thomas. This standard entry in the "Jones Family" series finds the Jones women trying to convince Pa Jones (Jed Prouty) that he's spending too much time at work and too little time at home. When Pa decides to run for mayor, the girls have had enough and vow to teach him a lesson. They involve themselves in a little-theater group, neglecting their household duties and forcing Pa and the other Jones menfolk to fend for themselves. "Guest star" Joan Davis provides a welcome jolt of fresh comic energy to the usual Jones Family shenanigans. Too Busy to Work was based on two stage plays, George Kelly's The Torch Bearers and Howard Lindsay and Bertrand Robinson's Your Uncle Dudley (previously filmed in 1935 with Edward Everett Horton). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jed Prouty, Spring Byington, (more)
- 1939
In this lively boxing comedy, Steve Bishop is a cowboy who works a waiter in an Italian restaurant. He agrees to participate in a prizefight for charity. He has a lucky punch and knocks out his famous opponent. This leads him to become a famous and wealthy prizefighter. What he doesn't know is that gamblers have fixed all of his fights. Thinking he is indeed a champion, the fighter soon acquires an ego to match his reputation. This inspires the ire of female sportswriter Julie Harrison. She really likes him, but decides to teach him a humbling lesson before things get too out of hand. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Martin, Gloria Stuart, (more)
- 1939
In this domestic comedy, a young woman's mother keeps frightening her beaus right out the door with her incessant critical comments. Naturally this is quite frustrating to the girl. But when the maiden falls in love with one of the boy friends, she goes to her father for assistance. He obliges by making sure his wife holds her tongue. Romantic happiness for the young couple ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean Rogers, William Frawley, (more)
- 1939
Twentieth Century-Fox borrowed Spencer Tracy, from MGM for the sprawling (yet economically produced) historical drama Stanley and Livingstone. Tracy plays 19th-century American journalist Henry M. Stanley, an adventure-prone sort who is assigned by his editor (Henry Hull) to locate lost Scottish missionary David Livingstone (Sir Cedric Hardwicke) in darkest Africa. There are perils aplenty before the inevitable meeting in the clearing, capped by the immortal courtesy "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?" Though seriously ill, Livingstone is content ministering to the natives, declining Stanley's invitation to return home. Upon arriving back to civilization, Stanley tells his story of Dr. Livingstone, but without tangible proof, he is accused of perpetrating a fraud. Only at the very last moment is Stanley vindicated; at this point, he decides to go back to Africa to continue the late Dr. Livingstone's work. This didn't happen in real life, nor is the studio-dictated romance between Spencer Tracy and Nancy Kelly completely copacetic with the facts; outside of this, Stanley and Livingstone comes pretty close to living up to Fox's ad-campaign slogan "The Most Heroic Exploit the World Has Known." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Spencer Tracy, Nancy Kelly, (more)
- 1938
This is an epic Darryl F. Zanuck production that plays fast and loose with historical facts regarding early 19th century French politics and the building of the Suez Canal. Tyrone Power stars as Ferdinand de Lesseps, an engineer and son of a French nobleman (Harry Stephenson). At the start of the film, he is in love with Eugenie (Loretta Young), but so is the French President Louis Napoleon (Leon Ames). After his father is appointed French consul to Egypt, the younger de Lesseps travels there and conceives the idea of a canal connecting the Mediterranean and Red seas. Back in France, he is promised help by Eugenie, now Napoleon's mistress, in exchange for Count de Lesseps' agreement to dissolve the government temporarily. Napoleon then declares himself emperor, making Eugenie his empress. The elder de Lesseps dies of shock at the political betrayal, while the younger de Lesseps starts building the canal, overcoming attacks by tribal people and severe heat. France cuts off backing, and de Lesseps has to get help from England to finish the project. A sandstorm injures de Lesseps, and his French-Egyptian lover Toni (Annabella) straps him to a post to save him, sacrificing her own life for the canal. Power and Annabella married each other after the film. The descendants of de Lesseps sued 20th Century Fox for libel, but lost. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tyrone Power, Loretta Young, (more)
- 1938
Horse racing provides the framework of this crime drama that centers on an orphan who has been raising a promising horse. The trouble begins when the trainer who employs him sells the beast to the police department and ends its racing career forever. The angry boy begins investigating and with the help of an amiable officer discovers that gamblers were behind the sale. Now the boy and the cop begin plotting to bring the horse back to the track. In the end, the whole police department wagers on the horse. Unfortunately, the gamblers attempt to sabotage the race. Fortunately they fail and justice ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Whalen, Lynn Bari, (more)
- 1938
In this exciting action film, a young Indy driver endeavors to emulate his famous father, and restore his dad's good reputation after he was killed in a racing in an accident caused by ruthless racketeers who made it look as if the veteran driver was drunk. The young son is assisted by trucker and racing aficionado Blake who helps him defeat the crooks that are trying to kill him too. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Henry Arthur, Joan Valerie, (more)
- 1936
A bell ringer's wife dies while giving birth to his second son who turns out to be deaf. His oldest son moves to America where he becomes a successful engineer. Meanwhile, back at home in Austria, the bell ringer gives his remaining son to a monastery and then wanders off to become a bum. Years pass and eventually the hearing-impaired boy grows up. During WW I, an explosion miraculously restores his hearing. He then becomes a musician and moves to America where he not only finds fame and fortune, but also renewed family ties. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean Hersholt, Don Ameche, (more)
A postal inspector finds himself caught in a sticky situation as he tries to pin a rap for mail theft upon the owner of a prominent nightclub owner. The owner is guilty and only stole the mail so he could get the money he needs to pay off a murderous and impatient loan shark. Unfortunately, upon opening the mail sack, he discovers it filled with inane mail-order gadgets and a few letters. Meanwhile as the intrepid inspector closes in, he finds himself falling in love with a singer. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ricardo Cortez, Patricia Ellis, (more)
- 1935
Based on "The King of Cactusville", a 1923 short story by Johnston McCulley, the creator of Zorro, The Outlaw Deputy was the first of ten Tim McCoy Westerns from Poverty Row company Puritan Pictures. When McCoy's friend, Charlie Adams (Si Jenks), is killed by Bill Sanderson, the former cowboy and his gang turn to robbing stage coaches and rustling cattle, but take only what belongs to Sanderson. In the town of Godland, Adams' son, Chuck (George Offerman Jr.), is framed in a payroll robbery by Cash (Bud Osborne), one of Tim's former associates. Tim relieves Cash of the ill-gotten gains and is elected deputy sheriff by a grateful Rutledge (Joseph W. Girard), the payroll boss. Chuck, however, was killed during the robbery by Howger (Hooper Atchley), whose gang has been terrorizing the town. Despite the advice of lovely Joice Rutledge (Nora Lane), Tim is determined to bring Howger to justice. At a church social, Howger, who has learned about Tim's past from Cash, turns the citizenry against the new deputy, who lands in jail. With the help of Joice, Tim makes a daring escape and manages to collect enough evidence to convict Howger for the murder of Chuck. Having outdrawn the villain in a climactic gun duel and now elected permanent sheriff, Tim playfully arrests Joice, sentencing her to a lifetime as his wife. McCoy was paid 4,000 dollars for each of his ten Westerns for Puritan, which were budgeted at between 10,000 and 12,000 dollars each. Above-average for an independent production, The Outlaw Deputy brought in a domestic gross of 80,000 dollars. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1935
Saved from electrocution by the sudden appearance of a trap door operated by the traitorous Lord Argo (Wheeler Oakman), Gene Autry overhears the Muranian conspirators plan to destroy the universe by means of several hideous weapons invented by Rab (Warner P. Richmond). After subduing both Rab and Gaspar (Stanley Blystone), Gene is able to contact Frankie (Frankie Darro) at the Radio Ranch. Believing that Gaspar has betrayed her, Queen Tika (Dorothy Christy) orders the Junior Riders to be destroyed by a guided radium bomb. Gene bravely fights his way to the surface armament tower and manages to change the bomb's trajectory away from the kids. Unfortunately, the device makes a u-turn instead and explodes the armament tower. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, (more)
- 1935
On Queen Tika's orders, a lifeless Gene Autry) is brought to Murania's Radium Reviving Room, the queen (Dorothy Christy) hoping that the crooner may disclose the identity of the traitor among her officers. But before the reconstituted Autry can spill the beans, Lord Argo (Wheeler Oakman) destroys Murania's main power line and the entire city is thrust into darkness. Escaping Argo's henchmen in the ensuing confusion, our hero battles his way to the surface elevator -- playfully getting slapped on the butt by one of the top-hatted worker robots along the way -- but as chapter seven reaches its conclusion, Autry finds himself cornered once again by Queen Tika's Thunder Guard. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, (more)
- 1935
In his first starring role, Gene Autry must perform daily on Radio Ranch or forfeit his contract. Meanwhile, local kids Frankie (Frankie Darro) and Betsy Baxter (Betsy Ross King) establish a group of Junior Thunder Riders to emulate a mysterious band of horsemen that seems to vanish into thin air. In reality, the real Thunder Riders disappear 25,000 ft. below the earth's surface to the "Scientific City of Murania," an underground empire lorded over by Queen Tika (Dorothy Christy), a blonde Amazonian who constantly compares her superior society with that of the pitiful world above. But Gene's broadcasts draw too many curious onlookers, among them Professor Beetson (J. Frank Glendon) and a group of crooked scientists who will stop at nothing, including murder, to get their hands on Murania's wealth of radium. While Queen Tika is busy preventing an insurrection lead by the evil Lord High Chancellor (Wheeler Oakman), the scientists do their level best to keep Gene from performing his daily broadcast, which includes such favorite Autry tunes as "That Silver-Haired Daddy of Mine" and "I'm Getting a Moon's Eye View of the World". Comic sidekicks Smiley Burnette and William Moore add to the overall fun with their rendition of I'm Oscar, I'm Pete" and other comical selections. The Phantom Empire has been credited with inspiring not only Republic Pictures' similar Undersea Kingdom (1936) but also Universal's superior Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers serials and was remade as part of the short-lived 1979 television series Cliffhangers. No less than two reedited feature versions of The Phantom Empire were released in 1940, Men With Steel Faces, distributed by Times Pictures, and Radio Ranch, distributed by Nat Levine and carrying the now defunct Mascot label. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, (more)
- 1935
Gene Autry manages to extricate himself from his latest peril, Douglas Fairbanks style, and fights his way to the surface and freedom. Reunited with Frankie (Frankie Darro) and Betsy (Betsy Ross King), Gene realizes that he will never manage to get back to Radio Ranch in time for his daily broadcast. Unless, that is, he hijacks Professor Beetson's (J. Frank Glendon) airplane at gunpoint. But even an airplane isn't fast enough and with Frankie's help, Gene is connected to the radio broadcast via wireless to perform "I'm Getting a Moon's Eye View of the World" for a presumably enraptured listening audience. Our hero finishes the song just as Queen Tika's (Dorothy Christy) interference ray destroys the plane's instruments. The pilot bails out and the rudderless aircraft plummets to earth. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1935
Both Frankie (Frankie Darro) and Betsy (Betsy Ross King) survive the airplane crash no worse for wear but are quickly picked up by the Muranian Thunder Riders. Brought before Queen Tika (Dorothy Christy), the kids ridicule Murania in general and the queen in particular and are condemned to spend the remainder of their lives in "the lower dungeons." Happily, the Muranian guards are easily fooled and our young friends manage to evade their captors. An increasingly desperate Queen Tika orders the removal of the electric eye that operates the entrance to Murania, thus preventing Gene Autry) from reaching Frankie and Betsy. Henceforth, the entrance can only be opened from inside the control room, which is guarded by a dangerous radium beam. In order to escape Murania, Frankie breaks the beam and all hell breaks lose. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, (more)
