Cy Feuer Movies
New York-born Cy Feuer has enjoyed a multi-tiered career in music and movies, as a composer and department head at Republic Pictures during the 1930s and '40s and as a stage and screen producer from the '50s through the '70s. A student at the Juilliard School of Music, Feuer played trumpet in the Radio City Music Hall orchestra and the Roxy Theater orchestra (in the days when such theater orchestras were a major part of entertainment) during the '30s. He headed to California at the end of the decade and joined the music department at Republic Pictures in 1938. Starting with the serial Fighting Devil Dogs (one of the greatest chapterplays ever produced), Feuer was the music director for upwards of 125 movies over the next decade, with a three-year interruption (1942-1945) during which he served in the military in World War II. His work as a composer (usually uncredited) also turned up in some 90 feature films and serial releases during this period, including The Adventures of Captain Marvel and Drums of Fu Manchu; some of his music was also later tracked into The Lone Ranger television series. In 1947, Feuer left the studio and headed back to New York, where he became a producer on the Broadway stage. Apart from a short period working on the radio series Escape, his composing credits more or less disappeared in subsequent years, but Feuer was responsible for bringing such musical successes as Frank Loesser's Where's Charley (which he also later produced for the screen), Guys and Dolls, Cole Porter's Can-Can and Silk Stockings, and Loesser's How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying to the stage, all of which were later adapted into hit motion pictures. Feuer's crowning triumph, however, was the film of Cabaret (1972), which he produced; it became the biggest success of his career, earning tens of millions of dollars and eight Academy Awards. He was also later involved with bringing A Chorus Line to the screen. In 1996, Feuer's early career as a film composer was recalled in a series of CD releases by the CinemaSound Orchestra devoted to Republic's music, issued on the Varese Sarabande label. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
A mystery man works behind the scenes in this tuneful Roy Rogers western in which the local theatre owner attempts to ruin the honest businessmen of Deadwood. Even the sheriff, Jordan (Monte Blue), answers to nasty Jake Marvel (Ralf Harolde), whose reign of terror forces the decent people to become outlaws themselves. Enter Bill Brady, aka Brett Starr (Rogers), a sharpshooter with Professor Mortimer "Gabby" Blackstone's (George "Gabby" Hayes) traveling medicine show. Although a fugitive from justice, Bill comes to the aid of the beleaguered citizens, discovering along the way that a trusted friend isn't quite who he claims to be. Roy sings his own and Fred Rose's "Sundown on the Rangeland", Rose and Ray Whitley's "The call of the Dusty Trail" and Jule Styne and Sol Meyer's "Joe O'Grady". ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roy Rogers, George "Gabby" Hayes, (more)
- 1941
In this entertaining western, Roy Rogers rides to the rescue of ranchers threatened by a drought. With his rousing songs, he rallies the reluctant fellows together to donate a large sum of money to build a new reservoir. Things go well until a gambler gets involved and winds up stealing the $182,000 fund. This angers Rogers who rides out after him and brings him to justice. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roy Rogers, George "Gabby" Hayes, (more)
- 1941
The Great Train Robbery is not a remake of the 1903 landmark film of the same name; if it had been, it wouldn't have run any longer than eight minutes. This 1941 production isn't even a western, but instead a modern-day melodrama starring Bob Steele as a railroad detective. Steele takes it upon himself to halt the activities of his crooked brother (Milburn Stone), who apparently has stolen an entire gold train, passengers and all. The criminal's modus operandi (a rather cold-blooded one, involving mass murder) was later reworked into two Republic westerns, the first starring Bill Elliot and the second featuring Rex Allen. Claire Carleton is on hand in Great Train Robbery to play a nightclub singer who requires rescuing by two-fisted Steele. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Steele, Claire Carleton, (more)
- 1941
Don "Red" Barry, Republic's answer to Jimmy Cagney, stars in The Apache Kid. Barry plays Pete Dawson, a pugnacious cowboy who dons a mask and becomes a stagecoach robber. It's all in a good cause, however: Dawson is stealing from the town boss (Leroy Mason) who has ripped off a group of miners. Heroine Lynn Merrick is the daughter of the local judge, so naturally she misunderstands Barry's motives, at least until fadeout time. Writer/director George Sherman managed to squeeze all of The Apache Kid into a zippy 56 minutes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Don "Red" Barry, Lynn Merrick, (more)
- 1941
Previously filmed with Mabel Normand in 1920, the old Rose Melville stage property Sis Hopkins was trotted out in 1941 for Republic's newest star, raucous cornpone comedienne Judy Canova. Sporting pigtails and dressed like a potato sack, Sis Hopkins (Canova) shows up at the doorstep of her snooty rich relations in the Big City after her family farm burns down. Though she immediately ingratiates herself to her uncle, bathroom-appliance mogul Horace Hopkins (Charles Butterworth), Sis runs afoul of her bitchy, beautiful cousin Carol (played by a pre-stardom Susan Hayward). Determined to humiliate our heroine and send her packing, Carol arranges for Sis to partipate in a sorority-initiation striptease. Fortunately, Sis wins out in the finale, while Carol must endure such indignities as a well-aimed pan of water and a misplaced bathroom plunger. As a bonus, Sis wins the heart of college bandleader Jeff Farnsworth (Bob Crosby). Adding to the general merriment of Sis Hopkins is Jerry Colonna as a zany college professor. Judy Canova sings several of her patented country-western ditties, then surprises her fans with a "straight"operatic rendition from La Traviata. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Judy Canova, Charles Butterworth, (more)
- 1941
Hoping to cash in on the success of Universal's Buck Privates, Republic Pictures hastily commissioned an imitation, Rookies on Parade. Instead of Abbott and Costello, Republic settled for bandleader Bob Crosby and comedian Eddie Foy Jr., a not-so-unfair exchange at that. The story details the misadventures of two itinerant songwriters named Duke (Crosby) and Cliff (Foy) as they try to survive Army boot camp. Intending to boost the morale of their fellow draftees, our heroes stage a big musical show, which they eventually hope will graduate to Broadway. The talent roster includes nightclub thrush Gertrude Niesen, double-talk expert Cliff Nazarro and dancer Louis Da Pron. And of course there's the inevitable tough drill sergeant, played with both barrels by William Demarest. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Crosby, Ruth Terry, (more)
Prairie Pioneers was one of a trio of "Three Mesquiteers" westerns directed by the forgotten Les Orleback. On this occasion, the Mesquiteers are enacted by Robert Livingston (as Stony Brooke), Bob Steele (Tucson Smith) and Rufe Davis (Lullaby Joslin). Their mission this time is to save young Roberto Ortega (Robert Kellard) from hanging for a crime he didn't commit. This requires our heroes to take on a gang of land-usurpers, headed by Carlos Montoya (Davison Clark). Along the way, Stony Brooke dallies romantically with Roberto's lovely sister Dolores (Esther Estrella). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Livingston, Bob Steele, (more)
- 1941
In this serial, onetime football hero Slingin' Sammy Baugh stars as Tom King, a Texas Ranger on the hunt for the Nazis who killed his father. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- 1941
Bantam-weight western star Don "Red" Barry certainly deserved his designation as "The Cowboy Cagney" in Republic's Desert Bandit. Barry is cast as two-fisted Texas Ranger Bob Crandall, who after being dishonorably discharged heads to the Mexican border to start life anew. He falls in with a gang of gun runners, headed by corrupt lawman Largo (William Haade). It turns out, of course, that Crandall's "disgrace" was merely a ruse to allow him to work undercover in bringing Largo and his minions to justice. More realistic than most Republic B oaters, Desert Bandit is climaxed by a tension-filled shootout between hero and villain. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Don "Red" Barry, Lynn Merrick, (more)
- 1941
Don "Red" Barry's first western of 1941, Wyoming Wildcat told the careworn but still potent story of a war veteran returning home to find that his father is now a wanted outlaw. But as Frank Gannon (Frank M. Thomas explains, circumstances -- in this case severe economic conditions forced upon the settlers by local banks -- drove him into a life of crime. Trying to prove his father innocent of killing a local bank manager, Bill Gannon (Barry) is himself falsely accused of murder. Sprung from jail by his faithful army buddy Butch (Syd Saylor), Bill tracks down the real culprit, outlaw Blackie Jordan (Dick Botiller), but in the ensuing shoot-out, Frank is mortally wounded. Before he dies, however, Gannon clears his son of any wrong-doings and Bill is free to marry pretty Wells Fargo employee Derry Carson (Julie Duncan). The blond Miss Duncan, who also appeared in the previous Don "Red" Barry entry, Texas Terrors (1940), was a prize-winning steeplechase rider. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Don "Red" Barry, Julie Duncan, (more)
- 1941
Its sophisticated title notwithstanding, Tuxedo Junction is another heap o' cornpone from hillbilly-music favorites The Weaver Brothers and Elviry. The plot has more substance than usual, with a group of tough young migrant workers trying to do their municipal duty by constructing a float for the annual Tournament of Roses parade in Pasadena, California. Initially, the kids' leader Sock (Frankie Darro) was averse to such "sissy work", but he and the rest of the boys are won over by the enthusiasm and down-home goodness of the Weavers. Evidently an attempt by Republic Pictures to emulate the success of Monogram's "East Side Kids" films, Tuxedo Junction works better in the musical department. And yes, that gangly, darkly handsome young fellow playing nominal romantic lead Bill Bennett is future "Lone Ranger" Clayton Moore. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Leon Weaver, June Weaver, (more)
- 1941
The unlikely combination of John Wayne and Joan Blondell adds a bit of vinegar and spice to the so-so costume drama Lady for a Night. Blondell is cast as Jenny Blake, owner of the Memphis Belle-not a WW2 bomber, but a gambling ship moored just outside New Orleans. Jenny's partner and erstwhile suitor is local political boss Jack Morgan (Wayne). She loves Morgan, but decides to marry for money and prestige, and to that end weds "black sheep" socialite Alan Alderson (Ray Middleton). Her new in-laws are infuriated by this marriage of convenience, and do everything they can to ruin Jenny in the eyes of society. When Alderson dies suddenly, his vengeful mother Julia (Blanche Yurka) accuses Jenny of poisoning her husband. Throughout the subsequent trial and scandal, Morgan stands loyally by Jenny's side, convincing her at long last that he's been the "right man" for her all along. Hattie Noel, who two years earlier lost the role of Mammy in Gone with the Wind to Hattie McDaniel, essays a neat Mammy-like characterization as Jenny's all-knowing maidservant. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joan Blondell, John Wayne, (more)
- 1941
John Wayne goes up against the lottery racket, 1880 Louisiana-style, in this passable time-killer from Republic Pictures. Arriving from New England to look into the Louisiana lottery on behalf of uplifter Blanche Brunot (Helen Westley), attorney John Reynolds (Wayne) falls in love with sultry Julie Mirbeau (Osa Munson), who attempts to persuade him that her father's gaming business is on the up and up. When a New Orleans restaurateur, Gaston (Shimen Ruskin), is found murdered, Reynolds begins to suspect that General Mirbeau's (Henry Stephenson) gang is behind the killing. To meet the attorney halfway, Mirbeau fires his chief henchman, Blackie (Ray Middleton), but is himself killed by one of Blackie's men, Cuffy Brown (Jack Pennick). Reynolds, who has been appointed special city attorney, pays his respect to Julie, but the angry girl accuses him of indirectly causing the death of her father and then flaunts her engagement to Blackie. Said engagement, however, suffers a fatal blow when Julie finds her fiancé in the arms of gambling hall hostess Pearl (Jacqueline Dalya). Taking the stand in court against the racket, Julie's testimony is interrupted when a rainstorm sweeps the area, breaking a levee. While pursuing a fleeing Blackie, Reynolds orders a steamship to block the hole in the levee, a plan that ultimately saves New Orleans. Having survived the potential disaster, Julie leaves the lottery racket behind and agrees to become Mrs. Reynolds. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Wayne, Ona Munson, (more)
- 1941
In this western, Rogers and his sidekick Gabby get into all kinds of trouble when they ride into Tombstone and find themselves mistaken for the hired gun and his assistant. The gunslinger was engaged to work for the mayor and for a time Rogers goes along with it. When he discovers that the mayor is a bonafide crook, the "gunslinger" becomes the new sheriff. When the real gunman finally moseys into town, a showdown ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roy Rogers, George "Gabby" Hayes, (more)
- 1941
The irrepressible Donald Barry is twice falsely accused of murder in this typical low-budget but well-mounted Republic Western. Barry plays Jim Randall, a lawman assigned to investigate a series of gold shipment robberies. Arriving in the middle of a hold-up, Randall finds himself accused of killing the driver (Yakima Canutt). Wells Fargo agent Cal Chambers (Milton Kibbee) vouches for his innocence, however, claiming him to be a noted geologist. Along with several of the prospectors, Jim devises a plan to prove that Jud Parker (Harry Worth) is using his dummy mine as a cover for stealing ore. The plan backfires and Jim is accused of killing one of the miners. About to be lynched, Jim is saved in the nick of time by crusading newspaper woman Martha King (Lynn Merrick), who arrives with proof of his true identity. As usual, this Donald Barry Western benefited from a well-chosen supporting cast that included William Haade as a crooked sheriff, silent screen star Dorothy Sebastian as the sheriff's ailing wife, and, of course, stunt man extraordinaire Yakima Canutt. Blond Lynn Merrick, whose contract was shared by Republic and Columbia Pictures, was to appear no less than 16 times opposite Barry. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Don "Red" Barry, Lynn Merrick, (more)
- 1941
By Republic Pictures standards, 1941's Ice-Capades certainly qualifies as an "all-star" film. The many subplots center around a performance of the real-life Ice-Capades skating troupe, featuring such luminaries as Belita, Red McCarthy, Megan Taylor, and future Republic film queen Vera Hruba Ralston. James Ellison plays the nominal leading character, a hotshot newsreel cameraman named Bob Clemens. Assigned to film an international skating star in action, Clemens inadvertently wastes miles of celluloid on aspiring skater Marie (Dorothy Lewis) rather than the real star, the unphotogenic Karen Vajda (Rene Riano). But not to worry: With the help of slick showbiz promoter Larry Herman (Phil Silvers), Marie becomes an Ice-Capades headliner in her own right. In addition to Silvers, the comedy relief in Ice-Capades is in the capable hands of Vera Vague (Barbara Jo Allen), Jerry Colonna and Gus Schilling. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Ellison, Jerry Colonna, (more)
- 1941
In this cornball musical comedy, a hillbilly gal and her uncle struggle to keep sly city slickers from getting their land. It is an uphill battle as their farm is located on Fifth Avenue, New York City. The slickers then resort to trickery by offering the girl a phony singing gig on the radio. Unfortunately for them, something goes wrong and the girl's heartfelt singing is heard all over the town. Of course she is a big hit. Songs include: "Hey Junior", "You're Telling I", "Manhattan Holiday", and "Puddin' Head" (all by Eddie Cherkose, Sol Meyer, Jule Styne). ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Judy Canova, Francis Lederer, (more)
- 1941
Though Republic Pictures had discontinued its "Higgins Family" series in 1940, the studio continued filming its stray "Higgins" scripts under new titles. In The Gay Vagabond, Roscoe Karns plays the "Pa Higgins" counterpart, a henpecked small-towner named Arthur Dixon. Karns also doubles up as Dixon's carefree, globetrotting twin brother Jerry. Inevitably, the two brothers' identities become confused when prodigal son Jerry returns home after a mysterious adventure in China. By being mistaken for Jerry, milquetoast Arthur is finally permitted to shed his inhibitions and assume his "proper" place as master of his domicile. Matching Roscoe Karns' performance laugh for laugh are Ruth Donnelly as Mrs. Dixon and such reliable supporting players as Ernest Truex and Margaret Hamilton. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roscoe Karns, Ruth Donnelly, (more)
Robin Hood of the Pecos was set immediately after the Civil War, when most of Texas was under the thumb of corrupt northern politicians. Alleviating things somewhat is the presence of a mysterious masked night rider, inclined to rob from the rich and give to the poor. Believe it or not, this latter-day Robin Hood is not played by star Roy Rogers, but by his grizzled sidekick Gabby Hayes! No matter: the plot is resolved when Rogers swings into action against crypto-fascistic local adjutant Cy Kendall. Repeating her "Calamity Jane" characterization from Young Bill Hickok, Sally Payne plays a gun-wielding hoyden, while the more sedate heroine is enacted by Marjorie Reynolds. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roy Rogers, George "Gabby" Hayes, (more)
- 1941
Maintaining Republic Pictures' early-1940s predilection for corny, antiquated titles, Rags to Riches made its national debut in the late summer of 1941. Despite its Horatio Algerish cognomen, the film is a fur-hijacking melodrama, with nary a genuine "rag" in sight. Taking a break from his usual screen villainy, Alan Baxter plays honest cabdriver Jimmy Rogers, who is falsely imprisoned for his supposed complicity in a recent fur robbery. With the help of his aspiring-singer sweetheart Carol (Mary Carlisle), Rogers clears himself and exposes the suave mastermind behind the theft. Anyone who can't figure out the culprit's identity has probably never seen any film made between 1940 and 1945. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alan Baxter, Mary Carlisle, (more)
- 1941
The Three Mesquiteers are back in Republic's Gangs of Sonora. The story is set in Wyoming, just before statehood was bestowed upon the territory. Town boss Sam Treadwell (Robert Frazer) doesn't want his little fiefdom to enter the Union, and does everything he can to prevent this eventuality, including the murder of the local newspaper editor. The dead man's cudgel is taken up by his fearless wife Kansas Kate Connor (Helen MacKeller), but her crusading efforts are undercut by her own son (Bud McTaggart), who is in league with Treadwell. This is the dilemma which Mesquiteers Stony Brooke (Robert Livingston), Tucson Smith (Bob Steele) and Lullaby Joslin (Rufe Davis) must solve in 56 minutes flat. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Livingston, Bob Steele, (more)
- 1941
There's a surprising lack of phyisical action in Phantom Cowboy, requiring star Don "Red" Barry to carry the picture through sheer force of personality. Barry plays a ranch hand named Lawrence, one of several heirs to the estate of a wealthy landowner. Resenting the presence of the other heirs, villains Borden (Milburn Stone) and Jeffers (Rex Lease) scheme to rid the world of their competition, with Borden intending to wed the dead man's daughter (Virginia Carroll) as icing on the cake. Their plans are thwarted by a masked avenger known only as El Lobo, who-surprise!--doesn't turn out to be Lawrence in the fifth reel. Even so, it is Lawrence who metes out final retribution to the despicable Borden and Jeffers. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Don "Red" Barry, Virginia Carroll, (more)
- 1941
Bucolic lawyer John Wayne takes on big-city corruption in A Man Betrayed. He sets out to prove that an above-suspicion politician (Edward Ellis) is actually a crook. The price of integrity is sweet in this instance, since Wayne happens to be in love with the politician's daughter (Frances Dee). Man Betrayed can be viewed from the vantage point of the 1990s as an attempt by Republic Pictures to broaden the range of its biggest star, John Wayne. That it doesn't quite work is forgotten as the audience luxuriates in the sheer professionalism of the whole endeavor--and besides, the Duke does get to put up his dukes on more than one occasion. Man Betrayed has been released under two alternate titles: Wheel of Fortune for American television, and Citadel of Crime (coincidentally the title of a like-vintage Republic "B" picture) for British audiences. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Wayne, Frances Dee, (more)
In Old Cheyenne is where the viewer can find Roy Rogers and Gabby Hayes this time out. Rogers is cast as frontier journalist Steve Blane, determined to print the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth in his weekly rag. But when Steve inaugurates a series of articles about alleged bandit Arapahoe Brown (Hayes), he finds he's been misled: Arapahoe is innocent of the crimes attributed to him. The instigator of this outrage is town boss Sam Drummond (George Rosener), who hopes to use Brown as a scapegoat for his own misdeeds. Steve manages to show Drummond up as the no-good he is, pausing every so often to serenade heroine Dolores Casino (Joan Woodbury) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roy Rogers, George "Gabby" Hayes, (more)
- 1941
In this entry in the long-running "Higgins" series of comedy dramas, Papa Higgins throws his family into turmoil when he decides to retire and become a full-time duck hunter. His wife is particularly upset because she believes her insurance agent who tells her that prolonged idleness leads to an early grave. She therefore valiantly forces her hubby into running for mayor against the corrupt, mob-controlled incumbent with the support of her women's reform group. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roscoe Karns, Ruth Donnelly, (more)
