Lloyd Corrigan Movies
The son of American actress Lillian Elliott, Lloyd Corrigan began working in films as a bit actor in the silent era. But Corrigan's heart was in writing and directing during his formative professional years. He was among Raymond Griffith's writing staff for the Civil War comedy Hands Up (1926), and later penned several of Bebe Daniels' Paramount vehicles. Corrigan worked on the scripts of all three of Paramount's "Fu Manchu" films (1929-30) starring Warner Oland; he also directed the last of the series, Daughter of the Dragon (1930). In contrast to his later light-hearted acting roles, Corrigan's tastes ran to mystery and melodrama in most of his directing assignments, as witness Murder on a Honeymoon (1935) and Night Key (1937). In 1938, Corrigan abandoned directing to concentrate on acting. A porcine little man with an open-faced, wide-eyed expression, Corrigan specialized in likable businessmen and befuddled millionaires (especially in Columbia's Boston Blackie series). This quality was often as not used to lead the audience astray in such films as Maisie Gets Her Man (1942) and The Thin Man Goes Home (1944), in which the bumbling, seemingly harmless Corrigan would turn out to be a master criminal or murderer. Lloyd Corrigan continued acting in films until the mid '60s; he also was a prolific TV performer, playing continuing roles in the TV sitcoms Happy (1960) and Hank (1965), and showing up on a semi-regular basis as Ned Buntline on the long-running western Wyatt Earp (1955-61). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie GuideIn the conclusion of a two-part story, cropduster Steve Elliott (Mike Minor) is in danger of losing his plane because he can't keep up the payments. Uncle Joe (Edgar Buchanan) rallies the citizens of Hooterville to raise enough money so that Steve can stay in business. But Joe's motives are not entirely altruistic: He's been cashing in on Steve's wrecked plane by touting it as a tourist attraction! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Jimmy Garrett makes his final series appearance as Jerry Carmichael in this episode. Hoping to get her son Jerry to come to California for Christmas at the least possible cost, Lucy arranges for Jerry's entire military-academy class to sing carols at Mr. Mooney's bank. Carried away by the Yuletide spirit (and despite his anger over Lucy's recent spending sprees), Mooney (Gale Gordon) himself agrees to sing bass with the youngsters, who fortuitously are portrayed by the real-life St. Charles Catholic Boys Choir. The episode's best line, involving "the little town of Bethlehem," affords Gale Gordon a choice opportunity to pull off one of those blustery double takes that he did so well. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lloyd Corrigan, Ted Eccles, (more)
Poor Ben Cartwright is unable to get any peace and quiet on the Ponderosa, thanks to his uncommonly noisy offspring and their friends. In desperate need of a few hours' sleep, he checks into the Virginia City hotel. Not unexpectedly, comic chaos ensues, much of it caused by a bickering husband and wife (Abigail Shelton, Robert Ridgely) and a man-chasing widow (Jean Willes. Scriptwriters Frank Cleaver and Jeffrey Fleece were responsible for this non-stop laugh riot. "A Good Night's Rest" originally aired on April 11, 1965. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, (more)
Franklin Shore is supposed to have died ten years ago, but his widow Matilda (Louise Latham) stubbornly refuses to probate Franklin's will, presumably convinced that the man is still alive. It could be that Matilda is right: her niece Helen (Julie Sommars) receives quite a shock late one night when she receives a phone call from her "late" Uncle Franklin, asking her to meet him at a secret place. One thing leads to another, and before long someone has taken a shot at Helen's boyfriend Frank (Alan Reed Jr.), Helen's pet cat Monkey is poisoned, and the man who had been blackmailing Franklin Shores before his "demise" turns up murdered. Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) has got a lot on his plate in this episode, which is based on a novel by series creator Erle Stanley Garnder). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Lucy (Lucille Ball) and Viv (Vivian Vance) rent their spare room to Gordon Bentley (John Williams) and Carter Harrison (Lloyd Corrigan) two well-spoken gentlemen who claim that they're in town to attend the New York World's Fair. In fact, Bentley and Harrison are a pair of bank robbers who are planning to knock over the bank where Mr. Mooney (Gale Gordon) works. The plot thickens when the crooks hide their loot in Lucy's mattress--and, surprise of surprises, Lucy finds it! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Williams, Lloyd Corrigan, (more)
Suffering from a advanced case of "spring fever," Hoss Cartwright is nonetheless assigned to pick up a prisoner in the town of Rimrock. Alas, Hoss arrives in the wrong town, where he ends up being jailed as a bank robber. Escaping, he finds shelter in the shack of local recluse Loulabelle (Glenda Farrell), better known around these parts as "Looney" (and not without good reason!) Stanley Adams and Lloyd Corrigan make brief appearances in the respective roles of Sheriff Tate and Mr. Simmons. Scripted by Lois Hire, "The Pure Truth" was first telecast on March 6, 1964. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, (more)

- 1963
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With this all-star Cinerama epic, producer/director Stanley Kramer vowed to make "the comedy that would end all comedies." The story begins during a massive traffic jam, caused by reckless driver Smiler Grogan (Jimmy Durante), who, before (literally) kicking the bucket, cryptically tells the assembled drivers that he's buried a fortune in stolen loot, "under the Big W." The various motorists setting out on a mad scramble include a dentist (Sid Caesar) and his wife (Edie Adams); a henpecked husband (Milton Berle) accompanied by his mother-in-law (Ethel Merman) and his beatnik brother-in-law (Dick Shawn); a pair of comedy writers (Buddy Hackett and Mickey Rooney); and a variety of assorted nuts including a slow-wit (Jonathan Winters), a wheeler-dealer (Phil Silvers), and a pair of covetous cabdrivers (Peter Falk and Eddie "Rochester" Anderson). Monitoring every move that the fortune hunters make is a scrupulously honest police detective (Spencer Tracy). Virtually every lead, supporting, and bit part in the picture is filled by a well-known comic actor: the laughspinning lineup also includes Carl Reiner, Terry-Thomas, Arnold Stang, Buster Keaton, Jack Benny, Jerry Lewis, and The Three Stooges, who get one of the picture's biggest laughs by standing stock still and uttering not a word. Two prominent comedians are conspicuous by their absence: Groucho Marx refused to appear when Kramer couldn't meet his price, while Stan Laurel declined because he felt he was too old-looking to be funny. Available for years in its 154-minute general release version, the film was restored to its roadshow length of 175 minutes on home video; the search goes on for a missing Buster Keaton routine, reportedly excised on the eve of the picture's premiere. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Spencer Tracy, Milton Berle, (more)
Perry (Raymond Burr) visits the campus of Manzana Valley Prep School to confer with his client, Dean Aaron Stuart (Milton Selzer). Someone is working very hard to destroy Dr. Stuart's reputation, and that someone turns out to be assistant dean Tobin Wade (H.M. Wynant)--whose own reputation has been tarnished by embezzlement and the theft of a rare book. When Wade is murdered, the police pounce upon Dr. Stuart, but Perry is (as always!) thoroughly convinced of his client's innocence. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Astrologer Samuel H. Keel (Richard Boone) has predicted that someone named Seth Carter is destined to win a $500,000 lottery. In hopes of locating the elusive Carter, Keel hires Paladin (Richard Boone) to help in his search. Unfortunately, the first three people presumed to be linked to Carter are brutally murdered--and if the pattern continues, Paladin may be unable to prevent further bloodshed. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Producer Alex Chase (Jeff Morrow) hopes to persuade Broadway star Mona White (played by a young Ellen Burstyn, then billed as Ellen McRae) to headline his new musical by allowing her to preview the score. Instead, Mona angrily accuses Alex of stealing the music from her composer husband Damion White (David Hedison). The real song thief is two-bit tunesmith Phil Schuyler (James Forrest), who ends up electrocuted in his bathtub on Halloween night. Though Damion White was identified fleeing the scene of the crime, Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) intends to prove that White is innocent by pointing out the heavy traffic in costumed trick-or-treaters--any one of whom could have been the real murderer. This episode was originally scheduled to air on October 25, 1962. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
When their TV antenna is blown off their roof in a storm, Lucy (Lucille Ball) and Viv (Vivian Vance) decide to get another one installed. This, alas, requires a lot of money, and the coffers are far from full in the Carmichael-Bagley household. At this point, Lucy gets another of her bright ideas: Wouldn't it make sense for herself and Viv to save some cash by putting up the antenna themselves? If the hilarity that follows seems a bit abrupt at times, it is because this episode had to be extensively edited to fit within the usual 30-minute confines (there was simply too much funny material!) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Del Moore, Lloyd Corrigan, (more)
Entering into a poker game with a fellow named Jonesy (George Neise), Maverick ends up winning big--and as a result becomes the new owner of a frontier newspaper. But his victory turns hollow when Bart discovers that the paper is being sued for libel by a powerful senator (Lloyd Corrigan). Peter Breck makes a return appearance in the role of worldly gunslinger Doc Holliday. Some sources list this episode as having originally aired on March 11, 1962. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
An unusually tense and intelligent political thriller, The Manchurian Candidate was a film far ahead of its time. Its themes of thought control, political assassination, and multinational conspiracy were hardly common currency in 1962, and while its outlook is sometimes informed by Cold War paranoia, the film seemed nearly as timely when it was reissued in 1987 as it did on its original release. It opens with a group of soldiers whooping it up in a bar in Korea as their commander, Sgt. Raymond Shaw (Laurence Harvey), arrives to inform them that they're back on duty. These men obviously have no fondness for Shaw, and he feels no empathy for them. While on patrol, Shaw and his platoon are ambushed by Korean troops. Months later, Shaw is receiving a hero's welcome as he returns to the United States to accept the Congressional Medal of Honor, and several of the soldiers who served under Shaw repeatedly refer to him as "the bravest, finest, most lovable man I ever met." It soon becomes evident that after their capture by the Koreans, Shaw and his men were subjected to an intense program of brainwashing prior to their release. While several are troubled by bad dreams and inexplicable behavior, it's Capt. Bennett Marco (Frank Sinatra) who seems the most haunted by the experience. In time, Marco is able to piece together what happened; it seems Raymond Shaw was programmed by a shadowy cadre of Russian and Chinese agents into a killing machine who will assassinate anyone, even a close friend, when given the proper commands. On the other side of the coin, Shaw is also used for political gain by his harridan mother (Angela Lansbury), who guides the career of her second husband, John Iselin (James Gregory), a bone-headed congressman hoping to win the vice-presidential nomination through a campaign of anti-Communist hysteria.
The Manchurian Candidate features a host of remarkable performances, several from actors cast cleverly against type. Frank Sinatra's edgy, aggressive turn as Marco may be the finest dramatic work of his career; Laurence Harvey's chilly onscreen demeanor was rarely used to s better advantage than as Raymond Shaw; James Gregory is great as the oft-befuddled Senator Iselin; and Angela Lansbury's ultimate bad mom will be a shock to those who know her as the lovable mystery writer from Murder, She Wrote. George Axelrod's screenplay (based on Richard Condon's novel) is by turns compelling, witty, and horrifying in its implications, and John Frankenheimer's direction milks it for all the tension it can muster. While Frankenheimer's career has had its ups and downs, The Manchurian Candidate and Seconds (1966) suggest that he deserves to be recognized as one of the most brilliantly paranoid American filmmakers of the '60s. Entertaining yet unsettling, both films indicate that things in the '60s were not what they seemed, with a resonance that still echoes uncomfortably in the present. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
The Manchurian Candidate features a host of remarkable performances, several from actors cast cleverly against type. Frank Sinatra's edgy, aggressive turn as Marco may be the finest dramatic work of his career; Laurence Harvey's chilly onscreen demeanor was rarely used to s better advantage than as Raymond Shaw; James Gregory is great as the oft-befuddled Senator Iselin; and Angela Lansbury's ultimate bad mom will be a shock to those who know her as the lovable mystery writer from Murder, She Wrote. George Axelrod's screenplay (based on Richard Condon's novel) is by turns compelling, witty, and horrifying in its implications, and John Frankenheimer's direction milks it for all the tension it can muster. While Frankenheimer's career has had its ups and downs, The Manchurian Candidate and Seconds (1966) suggest that he deserves to be recognized as one of the most brilliantly paranoid American filmmakers of the '60s. Entertaining yet unsettling, both films indicate that things in the '60s were not what they seemed, with a resonance that still echoes uncomfortably in the present. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey, (more)
Originally telecast in 1956 as a presentation of the CBS anthology Ford Star Jubilee, "High Tor" was a musical adaptation of Maxwell Anderson's 1937 stage play, with lyrics by Anderson and music by veteran Broadway and Hollywood tunesmith Arthur Schwartz. Bing Crosby stars as Van Van Dorn, the owner of a mountain overlooking the Hudson River on the Tappan Zee. Though uncertain as to whether or not he should wed his sweethart Judith (Nancy Olson), Van is firm in his resolve not to sell his mountain to a pair of shady realtors. Angry that Van is turning down a huge amount of money, Judith walks out on him. Shortly afterward, a rock slide traps Van and the realtors high on the mountain. While searching for help, Van comes across the ghost of a Dutch girl named Lisa (Julie Andrews), who along with the spirits of several sailors has been "living" on the mountain for the past 300 years. Falling in love with Van, Lisa ultimately solves all his problems--but not all her own. High Tor is historically significant on at least two levels. Because Bing Crosby was averse to appearing on live television, he insisted that the 90-minute, color production be filmed--and thus Crosby was responsible for what many media historians regard as the first made-for-TV movie. Also, the play represented Julie Andrews first starring appearance on American television, her first filmed appearance, and one of the few existing records of Andrews' acting and singing styles before she became a Broadway superstar via My Fair Lady. Musical highlights include the Crosby and Andrews duet "Once Upon a Long Ago", Andrews' solo number "Sad is the Life of a Sailor's Wife", and "When You're in Love", performed by--of all people--Everett Sloane. After years of obscurity, High Tor was made available on home video in the early years of the 21st century. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Hidden Guns is not so much a western as a suspense melodrama. Bruce Bennett plays Stragg, a mean-spirited cardsharp with friends in high places. Though he has ordered the killing of a rival, Stragg is able to escape prosecution by greasing a few local palms. It is up to heretofore ineffectual sheriff Young (Richard Arlen) to bring justice to his corrupt community. Aiding Young is his callow son Faron (Faron Young), who likewise is considered too wishy-washy to be effective--at least until the slam-bang climax. John Carradine steals the show as Stragg's saturnine hired gun. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce Bennett, Richard Arlen, (more)
This jerry-built Allied Artists musical is also known as Showtime, Fresh From Paris. The film's plot is constructed around a single evening's performance at Hollywood's Moulin Rouge (don't expect the level of nudity you'd see in real Parisian show). Forrest Tucker plays a threadbare entrepreneur who wants to open up his own dinner theatre. His "angel" is Lloyd Corrigan, ostensibly an eccentric millionaire but actually merely eccentric. The singing Whiting sisters-Margaret and Barbara--slightly overshadow the film's "official" leading lady Martha Hyer. Most of the onstage acts are surprisingly tame, notably the Sportsmen Quartet. Filmed in a fast five days, Paris Follies of 1956 could not help but make back its cost within a week. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Forrest Tucker, Margaret Whiting, (more)
The Bowery Boys Meet the Monsters may not be the best of the "Bowery Boys" series, but it was unquestionably the most profitable. It all begins when Slip (Leo Gorcey) and Sach (Huntz Hall) try to gain permission to use a local vacant lot for baseball games. The boys make a trip to the mansion of the lot's owners, the sinister Gravesend family. It soon develops that all the Gravesends are looney, and none loonier than mad scientists Derek (John Dehner) and Anton (Lloyd Corrigan). Derek wants to transfer Sach's brain (what there is of it) to the body of a gorilla, while Anton wants to use Sach's graymatter for his robot. Meanwhile, Amelia Gravesend (Ellen Corby) makes plans to feed Slip to her carnivorous plant. Along the way, Sach is periodically transformed into a hideous beast, terrifying one and all, including his would-be rescuers Louie (Bernard Gorcey), Butch (Bennie Bartlett) and Chuck (David Condon). There isn't a single gag or situation in Bowery Boys Meet the Monsters that wasn't used earlier by the Three Stooges or Abbott & Costello, but that doesn't make the film any less hilarious. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Leo Gorcey, Huntz Hall, (more)
Neville Brand plays one of his earliest good-guy roles in Return from the Sea. Brand plays a sailor named Maclish, who is a boisterous, love 'em and leave 'em type--until he meets a lonely waitress named Frieda (Jan Sterling). Through her example, Maclish realizes that he too has been lonesome all his life, just waiting for the "right girl" to come along. Falling in love, Maclish and Frieda begin saving up for a little ranch of their own. When Maclish is seriously wounded in battle, however, it looks as though their dreams for happiness and security will be dashed again. . .but the movie isn't over, yet. Return From the Sea was directed by Lesley Selander, who helmed so many films for Allied Artists during this period that he must have slept and taken meals at the studio. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jan Sterling, Neville Brand, (more)
Not only are stars Anna Maria Alberghetti and Rosemary Clooney singing, but also a medium-sized roster of "special guest stars." Alberghetti plays an illegal Polish alien, while Clooney is a dewey-eyed showbiz aspirant who protects the refugee girl. The two ladies pin their hopes on a TV talent contest. Alberghetti becomes an opera star, while Clooney becomes a pop singer, solely (or so it seems) on the basis of the top-10 hit "Come On'a My House." The guest performers in The Stars are Singing include Metropolitan Opera luminary Lauritz Melchior, dancer Tom Morton, and the comedy dog act team of Bob Williams and Red Dust. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rosemary Clooney, Anna Maria Alberghetti, (more)
This nonsensical farce stars Robert Cummings as an air force reserve pilot, called back to active duty on the eve of his wedding to Marie Wilson. When he returns, he discovers that Wilson has inherited a million dollars, and plans to be the head of their household. Under the circumstances, Cummings decides not to get married and to re-enlist. The air force subjects poor Cummings to a team of psychiatrists, on the theory that any man who wouldn't want to marry the wealthy and voluptuous Ms. Wilson has to be crazy! Marry Me Again has the look, feel and logic of an animated cartoon, which shouldn't be surprising since the director is former Warner Bros. animator Frank Tashlin. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Cummings, Marie Wilson, (more)
In this musical, a determined young woman with stars in her eyes defies her auntie and heads for Hollywood where she gets a messenger job at a major studio in hope of being discovered. Her dreams are soon realized and she is signed to appear in an upcoming film. Her snooty aunt is appalled and outraged until the picture's stars offer to perform at the aunt's charity ball. Songs include: "There's a Rainbow Round My Shoulder" (Dave Dreyer, Billy Rose, Al Jolson), "Bye Bye Blackbird" (Mort Dixon, Ray Henderson), "She's Funny That Way" (Neil Moret, Richard Whiting), "Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams" (Harry Barris, Ted Koehler, Billy Moll), "The Last Rose of Summer"(Thomas Moore, R.A. Milliken), "Wonderful, Wasn't It?" (Hal David, Don Rodney), "Girl in the Wood" (Neal Stuart, Terry Gilkyson), and "Pink Champagne" (Bob Wright, George Forrest). ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Frankie Laine, Billy Daniels, (more)
A sequel to Bob Hope's 1948 box-office success The Paleface, 1952's Son of Paleface is a superior product in every way, thanks largely to the spirited, creative direction of Frank Tashlin. Hope is cast as Junior Potter, a Harvard-educated dude who heads West to claim the inheritance left him by his gunslinger father. Much to his chagrin, Junior discovers that his dad has left him nothing but debts. To stave off Potter Sr.'s angry creditors, Junior pretends that his father has salted away a fortune somewhere in the hills. This arouses the attention of curvaceous saloon owner Mike (Jane Russell), who doubles as a mysterious masked bandit known as The Torch. Meanwhile, Roy Rogers (playing a federal agent named Roy Rogers) keeps tabs on Junior, hoping that he'll lead him to The Torch and her gang. True to form, ex-cartoonist Tashlin fills the screen with a wealth of inventive sight gags and inside jokes: Cecil B. DeMille shows up as a photographer in one scene, while in another, Hope, about to embark on the film's wild climactic chase sequence, shoos away a couple of vultures wearing bibs, warning them that "You'll make the whole thing look impossible." Our favorite scenes: Hope's Wile E. Coyote-like reaction to a particularly potent drink, and his bedroom scene with Roy Rogers' wonder horse Trigger. And don't forget the film's slightly risque punch line "Let's see them top that on television," (you have to be there). Songs in Son of Paleface include "You Are My Valley of Sunshine," "Four-Legged Friend," "Wing Ding Tonight," "What A Dirty Shame," and a reprise of The Paleface's Oscar-winning "Buttons and Bows," performed by Hope, Russell and Rogers. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Hope, Jane Russell, (more)
Filmed in Ansco Color (a fancy name for Eastmancolor), New Mexico stars Lew Ayres as Capt. Hunt, a U.S. Cavalry Captain stationed in Indian territory. Sympathetic to the plight of the long-suffering Native Americans, Hunt sets out to sign a peace treaty with the local chief (Ted de Corsia). En route, he rescues saloon girl Cherry (Marilyn Maxwell) from an Indian attack. Cherry remains by Hunt's side when he is forced to defend an Army fortress from the enraged chief, whose son was accidentally killed by a soldier. The supporting cast includes such TV favorites as Raymond Burr, Andy Devine, Verna Felton, and, as President Lincoln, Hans Conreid. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lew Ayres, Marilyn Maxwell, (more)
Paramount's immensely successful Pine-Thomas production unit once more struck box-office gold with The Last Outpost. Ronald Reagan stars as devil-may-care Confederate officer Vance Britton, who leads a band of guerillas on a series of sabotage raids. The Northern Army dispatches Vance's brother, Union officer Jeb Britton (Bruce Bennett), to put an end to Vance's activities. Both brothers are forced to work shoulder to shoulder when a Northern attempt to enlist the aid of the Apache tribe backfires, sparking an all-out Indian war. Rhonda Fleming, who seemed to spend her entire career in Technicolor adventure flicks, appears as the romantic bone of contention between the battling Brittons. Halfway down the cast list as Lieutenant Fenton is TV's future "Ward Cleaver," Hugh Beaumont. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ronald Reagan, Rhonda Fleming, (more)
The Bowery Boys once more frolic about in an "old dark house" setting in Ghost Chasers. The story finds Slip Mahoney (Leo Gorcey) and his gang endeavoring to expose a phoney seance racket. Slip's pal Sach is aided and abetted in this endeavor by a genuine ghost, a jovial 17th-century wraith named Edgar (Lloyd Corrigan). Naturally, no one but Sach can see or hear Edgar, leading to any number of delightfully comic complications. Director William "One-Take" Beaudine effectively mixes humor with horror, sustaining audience interest for a full seven reels. Ghost Chasers should not be confused with such previous and future Bowery Boys endeavors as Spook Busters and Spook Chasers, though many of the gags and comic setpieces are pretty much the same. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Leo Gorcey, Huntz Hall, (more)





















