Eugene Conrad Movies

Herbert Heyes, a largely unsung character actor who once played opposite Theda Bara in the silent days, is afforded one of his largest talking-picture assignments in The Cobra Strikes. Heyes is cast as Dr. Damon Cameron, who is murdered shortly after developing a revolutionary new medical instrument. The killer's motives seem obscure at first: what is certain is that several other murders take place before newspaper columnist Mike Kent (Richard Fraser) figures out what's what. A clue: Dr. Damon Cameron has a lookalike brother named Ted (also played by Herbert Heyes). Up-and-coming leading lady Leslie Brooks is hilariously miscast as a Russian novelist. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The second of PRC's trio of "Philo Vance" mysteries, Philo Vance's Gamble stars Alan Curtis as S. S. Van Dine's erudite amateur sleuth. The plot is set in motion when a valuable emerald is smuggled into the U.S. The gem promptly disappears, resulting in two murders. Following the trail of clues, Philo Vance gets mixed up with an international smuggling ring, not to mention a third murder. Leading lady Terry Austin offers an interesting performance as the none-too-typical heroine, while Frank Jenks is on hand for mildly amusing comedy relief. Perhaps the best of PRC's "Vance" entries, Philo Vance's Gamble is still rather far removed from Van Dine's original concept of the character. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Though on its last legs, Universal's "B"-musical unit continued grinding out tune-filled quickies like Swing Out, Sister well into 1946. Universal cowboy star Rod Cameron plays Geoffrey, conductor of a high-toned symphony orchestra. Secretly harboring the desire to become a swingin' jazz trumpeter, Geoffrey takes a job at a "hot" Broadway nightclub. Here he meets and falls in love with café songstress Donna (Frances Raeburn), who has led her family to believe that she's studying for a classical-music career. Meanwhile, a comedy-relief romance develops between Geoffrey's snooty valet Chumley (Arthur Treacher) and Donna's best pal Pat (Jacqueline De Wit). For those not interested in the plot (what there is of it), Swing Out, Sister includes specialty numbers by organist Selika Pettiford and the Lou Diamond Quintet. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

At MGM, the studio's youth musicals were more rural than urban -- find a barn, get some friends together, and hey kids, let's put on a show. At Universal, for this musical for its young contract players, the atmosphere is more urban -- the kids at a settlement house, led by Trudy Costello (Peggy Ryan), have to raise $200 a month to support scholarships so that 10 of them can go to music school; they're helped by Carol Curtis (Ann Blyth), a wealthy young heiress who's in love with Billy Harper (Billy Dunn), who's too poor to afford the scholarship but also too proud to take her help. The kids decide to organize a night club for teenagers, and try to get help from Carol's eccentric uncle Malcolm (Leon Errol, who's never been comfortable with his upper-crust family's staid outlook on life. But standing in their way is Carol's aunt Martha Alma Kruger, who doesn't like music and sees no reason for her niece or any member of her family to be involved with this group of under-privileged kids. And running interference for the teenagers is her attorney, Dick Lorimer (Kirby Grant), who sympathizes with Carol and Malcolm and happens to like the director of the settlement house (nne Gwynne) a great deal. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide

The swinging Andrews Sisters provide the musical interludes and romance in this western. They play a trio of WW II era ranchers. That they are so good at running it proves terrible surprise for a ranch hand who has just returned home after serving in the Navy. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

This youthful musical follows the romantic travails of a group of talented high school students and their charismatic high school bandleader. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Fall In was the fourth of Hal Roach's 1940s comedies revolving around the misadventures of Doubleday, an army recruit blessed--or cursed--with a photographic memory. This time, Doubleday (William Tracy) and his pal Sgt. Ames (Joe Sawyer) crash a fancy fund-raising dinner. They redeem themselves by capturing a Nazi spy, who poses as a super-patriot named Arnold Benedict (!) A zany sequence at a gambling table and a wild climactic free-for-all highlight this above-average entry. A Hal Roach "Streamliner" designed for the lower half of double bills, Fall In clocked in at a swift 48 minutes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

During WW II, Universal cornered the market on "quickie" musicals, wrapping up songs, laughs and pretty girls in neat 60-minute packages. In Sing a Jingle, Allan Jones plays popular radio crooner Roy King, who goes to work in a war plant after being declared 4F. He falls in love with Muriel Crane (June Vincent), the boss' daughter, who is at first unaware of the fact that King is the heartthrob of millions (he's gotten the job under an assumed name). The whole thing ends with a huge war-bond rally, with King singing his heart out for Uncle Sam. Comedy relief is provided by the hoydenish Betty Kean and persimmon-faced Gus Schilling; also on hand is the Kings' Men Quartet, who much later provided the A Capella musical accompaniment for TV's Wyatt Earp and Jim Bowie. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

No relation to the 1953 musical film of the same title, About Face is a 43 minute Hal Roach "Streamliner." Sgt. Doubleday (William Tracy), the man with the photographic memory, and his former topkick Sgt. Ames (Joe Sawyer), go on a night on the town. After accidentally sparking a barroom brawl, our heroes crash a society party overseen by perennial Marx Brothers foil Margaret Dumont. The evening is capped by a wild car chase. Marjorie Lord and Veda Ann Borg provide the scenic attractions in this old-fashioned slapsticker. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide