Virginia Field Movies
The daughter of the judge of England's Leicester County Court Circuit, blonde leading lady Virginia Field was educated on the Continent. Her first stage appearance was in a Viennese production of All's Well That Ends Well. After some 40 appearances in British films, Field was brought to Hollywood to appear in David O. Selznick's Little Lord Fauntleroy (1936)--and, according to Field, to spend much of her offscreen time fending off the amorous advances of Mr. Selznick. At 20th Century-Fox in the late 1930s, Field was a fixture of that studio's Mr. Moto detective series, playing roles ranging from imperiled heroines to slinky villainesses. She came into her own in Hollywood with a series of wise-lipped "other woman" roles in films like Ladies in Love (1936), The Perfect Marriage (1946) and Dream Girl (1948). As delightfully outspoken in real life as she was within the confines her film characters, Field was a favorite interview subject of the 1960s and 1970s, regaling film buffs with the warts-and-all lowdown on such icons as Vivien Leigh and Loretta Young. In addition to her movie work, Field was active on Broadway in such productions as The Doughgirls and Light Up the Sky. Virginia Fields' three husbands included actors Paul Douglas and Willard Parker. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1975
In the conclusion of Adam-12's two-part series finale, Officer Jim Reed has earned the Medal of Valor for putting his life on the line. Worried that Jim's luck is running out, his wife Jean (Kristin Nelson) urges him to give up his prowl-car duties and take the investigator's exam, which would assure him permanent desk duty. Meanwhile, Officer Pete Malloy (Martin Milner), slowly recovering from a serious wound, is none too happy with the prospect of losing his longtime partner Reed. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1966
No sooner has Mme. Sonya Galinova (Virginia Field) hires Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) to press charges against a jewel dealer for selling her a cheap imitation of a tiara worth $754,000 than she discovers that the "fake" is the genuine article. Somehow or other, the precious tiara ends up in the hands of Gerard Van Ness (Kendall Clark)--who finds himself facing a murder charge when the body of jewel thief Nils Dorow (Fred Krone) tumbles out of a trunk that has been delivered to Perry's office! Broadway musical star Vivienne Segal, whose stage credits include the original productions of "The Desert Song" and "Pal Joey", makes a rare TV appearance in this episode. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1964
This obscure little science fiction/horror film (a British-American co-production) stars Willard Parker as a heroic astronaut who returns from a test flight to discover that most of England has been utterly destroyed by alien invaders, whose armies of killer robots have transformed nearly all of their victims into zombies. Parker manages to rally together a small resistance army from a few scattered survivors in outlying villages, and they eventually find the earth-based relay point for the transmissions which have enabled the invaders to coordinate the robot attack by remote control. Although entertaining overall, the story lags after a thrilling first half, with the final battle hampered by budget limitations. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- 1964
Appearing in Santa Barbara with her Shakesperean acting troupe "A Company of Four", former Broadway star Ramona Carver (Virginia Field) is confronted by a man who claims to be the son she gave up for adotion. Whether or not this is good news to Ramona seems inconsequential when she accused of murdering an old enemy, ex-drama critic Ogden G. Kramer (Sherwood Keith). Originally hired to help Ramona locate her son, Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) must now defend her life in court. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1962
Way back in 1942, the ex-husband of Angela Fernaldi left her baby at an orphanage. Twenty years have passed, and now Angela is extremely wealthy--and two girls, both named Maureen, are claiming to be her daughter in order to collect a $200,000 trust fund. One of the two, Maureen Thomas (Melinda Plowman), ends up being chaged with the murder of Bert Renshaw (Jesse White), who supposedly had evidence proving that the "other" Maureen (Eileen Janssen) was the real daughter. In his efforts to defend Ms. Thomas, Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) discovers that at least one of the principal players has provided the authorities with a false identity--but why? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1961
In this socially conscious drama, based on a true-story, a high school teacher gets in trouble for having his students write compositions describing their feelings about sex. He is suspended; his students unite to defend him. A confrontation with the prudish school board ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Shatner, Lee Kinsolving, (more)
- 1961
Determined to make contact with her late son, wealthy Sylvia Walker (Virginia Field) contacts spiritualist Philip Paisley (James Forrest), never suspecting that the man is a crook who intends to leech off of Sylvia's fortune. But Bonnie Craig (Sonya Wilde) knows that Paisley is a phony--and when Paisley is murdered in a particularly gruesome fashion, Bonnie is charged with the crime. To clear his client, Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) relies upon the powers of ESP. . .not to mention a powerful electric device called the Faraday Cage. Dr. Andrija Puharich, the real-life physical researcher who brought such famous psychics as Peter Hurkos and Uri Geller to the public's attention, appears as himself. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1960
It looks like suicide when hasbeen concert pianist David Carpenter (Gregory Morton) plunges off a cliff. Then the suspicion arises that Carpenter was actually murdered so that his wife Anita (Virginia Field) could collect his life insurance. But Anita is not the client of Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) in the subsequent preliminary hearing: instead, Carpenter's sexy protegee Donna Ross (Kathie Browne) has been charged with the murder. (Trivia note: the original TV Guide listings identify the suspect as "Donna Loring", a name presumably changed at the last minute for legal reasons). Robert Karnes makes his first appearance as Deputy DA Chamberlin, one of several temporary replacements for absentee regular William Talman (DA Hamilton Burger). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1958
Philip Larkin (Terry Becker) is murdered, and his stepfather Joseph Harrison (John Hoyt) is charged with the crime. A key piece of evidence for the prosecution is a home movie showing Larkin and Harrison quarrelling; could their argument have been about sexy Lorraine Stevens (Andra Martin), whom Philip had earlier tried to seduce? Fay Wray of King Kong fame makes the first of three Perry Mason appearances as Harrison's former wife Ethel, who hires Perry (Raymond Burr) to defend her ex-husband in court. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1958
George Nader plays a reporter whose career is ruined by liquor. A comeback opportunity presents itself when Nader is a bystander at the arrest of a well-known criminal. The reporter knows that the crook, who has been accused of an ambush murder, is innocent, and he sets about to collar the real killer. Nader goes "cold turkey" on the booze despite tempations at every turn, and gets his man. Appointment with a Shadow is one of a handful of films directed by onetime I Led 3 Lives star Richard Carlson. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Nader, Joanna Moore, (more)
- 1957
In this musical, an ex-fan dancer leaves the burlesque to start a new in a small town with her two teenage children. There she soon becomes one of the most respected women in town; she also falls in love with the school principal. Unfortunately, her happiness disintegrates when her past is revealed. Fortunately, the townsfolk respect her too much to hold it against her. Songs include: "We're on Our Way", "Why Can't I?", "Is It Love?", "I'd Rather Be", "My Calypso Baby" (Paul Dunlap), and "Teenage Cutie" (Dick Kallman, sung by Luis Amando). ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Virginia Field, Douglas Kennedy, (more)
- 1953
It's a toss-up as to who looks better unclothed in Universal's Veils of Bagdad: Hero Victor Mature or heroine Mari Blanchard. Mature plays a Robin-Hood type named Antar, who travels with a troupe of jugglers and wrestlers, all of whom double as thieves, pickpockets and second-story men. When the evil Pasha of Bagdad (Leon Askin) conspires with the equally evil Vizier (Guy Rolfe) to steal tax money to finance a private war, Antar and his gang swings into action. Blanchard plays Selima, the toothsome daughter of a murdered tribal chieftain who works as a cabaret dancer while searching for her dad's murderer. TV fans are advised to keep an eye out for future Baretta star Robert Blake, who shows up in a bit as a youthful beggar. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Victor Mature, Mari Blanchard, (more)
- 1951
The Lady Pays Off is a formative example of filmmaker Douglas Sirk's elegant exotica. Linda Darnell plays the title character, a vacationing schoolteacher and one-time gambler named Evelyn Warren. Unfortunately, that "one time" leaves Evelyn indebted to casino owner Matt Braddock (Stephen McNally) to the tune of seven G's. Braddock offers to absolve Evelyn of her debts if she will agree to tutor his troublesome preteen daughter Diana (Gigi Perreau). Chafing at being forced into servitude, Evelyn schemes to make Braddock fall in love with her, then dump him. But Diana takes a liking to Evelyn and cooks up a little scheme on her own to bring the teacher and her father together. It's a simple, unassuming comedy, given a veneer of class and polish by the inimitable Mr. Sirk. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Linda Darnell, Stephen McNally, (more)
- 1951
This seminal Brady Bunch stars Van Heflin as a widower and Patricia Neal as a widow. Both parties have several children by their first marriages. Heflin and Neal fall in love and decide to marry, each hoping to adopt the other's kids. The couple idealistically subscribes to the "one big happy family" theory, but they hadn't figured that their kids would dislike the idea...and each other. This mild situation comedy was directed with lots of efficiency but little style by Douglas Sirk, who did better for himself with Universal's big-budget romantic melodramas of the mid-1950s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Van Heflin, Patricia Neal, (more)
- 1950
Louis B. Mayer's nephew Gerald proved himself an able director with the MGM "B" thriller Dial 1119. Marshall Thompson stars as an emotionally disturbed young man who pulls out a gun at a bar and holds the patrons hostage. As the police gather outside, the film concentrates on the various bar customers, each of whom has his or her own deep-rooted problems. Thompson is on the verge of killing everyone around him when a telephoned ruse breaks the crisis. A raw-nerved 75 minutes' worth of entertainment, Dial 1119 was a personal favorite of actress Virginia Field, who played one of the hostages. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marshall Thompson, Virginia Field, (more)
- 1949
Though the Mark Twain original has been refashioned into a Bing Crosby vehicle, this 1949 musical adaptation of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is a lot more faithful to the Twain original than either of the two previous film versions. Crosby plays Hank Martin, a turn-of-the-century American mechanic who is conked on the noggin and awakens in sixth-century England. Captured by dull-witted Sir Sagramore (William Bendix), Hank is marched into the court of King Arthur (Cedric Hardwicke), where he uses his machine-age ingenuity to win the title of "Sir Boss." Even while incurring the wrath of the duplicitous wizard Merlin (Murvyn Vye), Hank woos and wins the lovely lady-in-waiting Alisande (Rhonda Fleming). Shocked by the appalling living conditions of the British peasants, Hank insists that King Arthur travel amongst the people in disguise so that he can experience their misery first-hand, and thereby bring about social reforms. Merlin schemes to use this opportunity to overthrow the king, but Hank foils the wizard's plans by pretending to demonstrate magical powers during a total eclipse. As a last-ditch effort to rid the kingdom of Hank, Merlin kidnaps Alisande and lures "Sir Boss" to certain doom. This scurrilous scheme segues into a much happier ending than one will find in the Twain novel. The expected "time displacement" routines are freshly handled by Crosby and company, while the songs are melodious and perfectly suited to the situations at hand. The film's Technicolor photography is another major asset. By present-day standards, the only drawback to A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is that it goes on too long; even so, it is infinitely preferable to the recent remakes that have spewed forth from the Disney studio. Songs include: "Twixt Myself and Me," "Busy Doing Nothing," "Once and for Always", "When is Sometime," and "If You Stub Your Toe on the Moon."
~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bing Crosby, Rhonda Fleming, (more)
- 1949
John Lawrence (Ronald Reagan) is a returning GI. Mary McKinley (Patricia Neal in her film debut) is the girl he left behind. But their reunion will have to wait: John has returned with cockney war bride Lilly Herbish (Virginia Field) in tow. It seems that John married Lilly as a favor to get her into the U.S., intending to divorce her so that she can wed her true love, John's old pal Fred Taylor (Jack Carson). Alas, Taylor has gotten married himself in the interim--and now John is stuck with Lillie. Somewhat cleaned up from Norman Krasna stage original, John Loves Mary is otherwise faithful to its source, right down to the all-smiles curtain call at the end. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ronald Reagan, Jack Carson, (more)
- 1948
Elmer Rice's clever stage comedy Dream Girl is Hollywoodized and "dumbed down" almost beyond recognition in this 1948 film version. In place of the original play's Betty Field, Betty Hutton stars Georgina Allerton, who periodically escapes her humdrum existence by retreating into elaborate daydreams. Georgina's fantasy excursions disturb her parents (Walter Abel and Peggy Wood) and her married sister (Virginia Field), who wish that she'd grow up already and stop all this nonsense. Only when she falls truly in love with Clark Redfield (Macdonald Carey) does Georgina abandon her dream world. Like the previous year's Secret Life of Walter Mitty, the film version of Dream Girl substitutes the quiet whimsy of its source with slapstick and overstatement; additionally, Elmer Rice's three-dimensional supporting characters are transformed into cardboard stereotypes. And just so the audience doesn't miss anything, the producers have added a voiceover narration to explain what has just been seen. With all this going against Dream Girl, Betty Hutton emerges unscathed, delivering a lot better performance than her material warrants. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Betty Hutton, MacDonald Carey, (more)
- 1947
This episodic holiday film centers around a rich spinster aunt whose greedy nephew is attempting legal action to take her estate. Before he makes a final decision, a caring judge tells the spinster that she can rally together the three foster children she raised to help her keep the estate, he will delay the nephew's action. Now she must find her three grown boys who have gone in wildly different directions. One is a boozy cowboy involved in a baby racket, another is a deadbeat deeply indebted to the nephew, and the other is a successful owner of a South American cafe on the lam for a con-job he didn't commit. She endures and adventurous journey, but the three do manage to come together on Christmas Eve, save the estate, and give the conniving nephew his due. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Raft, George Brent, (more)
- 1947
No relation to the 1961 Jerry Lewis comedy of the same name, the 1947 musical Ladies' Man stars Eddie Bracken as the title character. It all begins when rural rube Henry Haskell (Bracken) inherits an oil fortune in Oklahoma. Enjoying his newfound wealth, Henry goes on a sightseeing tour of New York City, where he is quickly bamboozled into playing "Prince Charming" on a radio giveaway show (this plot device is a takeoff of the "Miss Hush" contest on radio's Truth or Consequences). The architect of this chicanery is ad agency exec Gladys Hayden (Virginia Field), who convinces Henry that she'll lose her job if he doesn't go along with the gag. Somewhere along the line, the plot is put on the back burner in favor of a steady stream of specialty numbers, performed by the likes of Cass Daley and Spike Jones & His City Slickers, the latter aggregation performing their classic Cocktails for Two." Eddie Bracken himself does a nice singing job with a pair of Jule Styne-Sammy Cahn numbers. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eddie Bracken, Cass Daley, (more)
- 1947
On New Year's Eve, Joan Leslie runs desperately out of a penthouse apartment and into the Times Square crowd. She has reason to flee--she has just shot and killed her husband. Through a freakish wrinkle in time, Leslie is transported back to the last New Year's and is allowed to relive the past year all over again. This time she is forearmed with the knowledge of the murder and does everything she can to avoid the deed--a task made difficult by such antagonists as her nasty husband and her emotionally disturbed brother (Richard Basehart, in his film debut). Events lead inexorably to the murder...but will she do it this time? Cleverly assembled, and with a more expensive cast and budget than was usual for pinchpenny Eagle-Lion studios, Repeat Performance is a brisk and absorbing semi-fantasy. It was remade for television as Turn Back the Clock (89), with the original film's star Joan Leslie in a brief cameo role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Louis Hayward, Joan Leslie, (more)
- 1947
In this improbable romantic drama set in Gay Nineties London, a member of Parliament jeopardizes his career when he falls in love with a music hall dancer. When his stodgy older brother finds out about the affair, he sternly counsels the dancer to jilt her lover, lest she damage his political career. Not wanting to hurt her beloved, she leaves him and goes back to the dancehall. Unfortunately, trouble begins one night when the police mistake her for a hooker. She flees and ends up hiding in the apartment of a concert pianist. He has his own troubles when he is arrested for a murder he did not commit. Only the dancer can prove him innocent, but he doesn't know how to find her. While the police begin a city-wide search for the girl, her true-love decides he loves her more than politics and proposes to her. She joyfully accepts. The next day, a formal announcement and picture of the happy couple appears in the newspaper. The police find and question her, but she, fearful that a scandal could jeopardize her nuptials, denies ever having seen the pianist. His case goes to court and things look bleak until the girl finds her courage and shows up to clear his name. Fortunately, her confession generates a happy ending all around. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ray Milland, Teresa Wright, (more)
- 1946
If the Perfect Marriage in this romantic comedy were truly perfect, there wouldn't be any story, would there? Outwardly an ideal couple, Maggie and Dale Williams (Loretta Young, David Niven) have grown tired of one another after 10 years. Petty squabbles lead to major battles, exacerbated by the well-meaning interference of friends and relatives. Caught in the middle is Maggie and Dale's daughter Cookie (Nona Griffith), who loves both parents equally and doesn't want to choose between them-which may very well happen if things get any worse. Leonard Spigelgass' screenplay, based on a play by Samson Raphaelson, is a lot closer to real life than most films of the period. Funny though the disagreements between the Williamses may be, there is an underlying pain and harshness to their bickering, which even the reasonably happy ending cannot altogether dissipate. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Loretta Young, David Niven, (more)
- 1943
Overloaded with unreleased films in 1942 and 1943, Paramount Pictures cleaned house by diverting several pictures to United Artists. One such effort was The Crystal Ball, wherein beauty contest loser Toni Gerard (Paulette Goddard) takes a job as a sideshow fortune teller. Subbing for the ailing head (Gladys George) of a fake medium racket, Toni whimsically advises attorney Brad Cavanaugh (Ray Milland) to purchase some property that is coveted by the government. Cavanaugh follows her advice, nearly ruining himself in the process. All turns out okay in the end, but there's a last-minute entanglement when several of Toni's disgruntled clients converge upon her all at once. Strictly second-rate, The Crystal Ball is salvaged by the work of such surehanded supporting players as William Bendix, Cecil Kellaway, Mary Field, Ernest Truex, Iris Adrian, Nestor Paiva and Mabel Paige (in her film debut). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paulette Goddard, Ray Milland, (more)
- 1942
Released shortly after the similar Columbia wartime mellers Submarine Raider and Parachute Nurse, Atlantic Convoy is set on the coast of Iceland. Civilian weatherman Carl Hansen (John Beal) is suspected of being a Nazi spy after an unexpected enemy attack on an Allied convoy. With the help of nurse Lida Adams (Virginia Field), Beal not only proves his innocence but also rounds up a gang of Fifth Columnists. Bruce Bennett costars as a fearless fighter pilot, while Victor Kilian is the rather obvious "secret" villain. Cheaply and hastily assembled, Atlantic Convoy benefits from the believable performances by its main characters. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce Bennett, Virginia Field, (more)
