Gene Fowler Movies
Born Eugene Devlan in Denver, Colorado, Gene Fowler adopted his stepfather's last name when he entered the working world. Young Fowler's first job was as an assistant taxidermist, an assignment that resulted in a lifelong distaste for red meat. After working as a printer's devil in a publishing house, he decided to become a full-time journalist. Anxious to get his career under way, he completed his studies at the University of Colorado in the space of a single year. His first reporting assignment was with the Denver Post, whose colorful founders Bonfils and Tammer were later immortalized in Fowler's biographical book Timber Line. Then it was off to New York, where Fowler secured work at the Daily Mirror, matriculating to promotion manager of King Features, a newspaper syndication service. His experiences with King Features, coupled with his later activities as a public relations agent for such ephemeral celebrities as Queen Marie of Rumania, qualified Fowler as an expert in the field of hucksterism and ballyhoo. Perhaps this was why he was attracted to such larger-than-life cronies as film producer Mack Sennett, Broadway star John Barrymore and comedian W.C. Fields.Fowler's literary output included full-length biographies of Sennett (Father Goose), Barrymore (Good Night Sweet Prince), colorful New York mayor Jimmy Walker (Beau James) and flamboyant entertainer Jimmy Durante (Schnozzola). His florid writing style translated quite well to such stage plays as The Great Magoo and The Mighty Barnum, both of which were later filmed by Hollywood. Fowler's screenwriting credits included Call of the Wild (1935) and Billy the Kid (1941); in the latter production, as in most of his writings, Fowler never let the facts get in the way of a good story. Some of Fowler's most celebrated contributions to the movie industry were in the form of anonymous poems and essays, which cruelly, hilariously and accurately exposed the tarnish beneath the Hollywood tinsel; these were mimeographed and passed from hand to hand for decades, and several were published for the first time in Max Wilk's 1971 volume The Wit and Wisdom of Hollywood. Gene Fowler was the father of editor/producer/director Gene Fowler Jr., of I Was a Teenage Werewolf fame. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1959
As the Oregon Territory prepares to welcome settlers in 1846, wagons traveling the Oregon trail face increasing hostility from the Native Americans who have vowed to protect their land. Dispatched to investigate rumors that President Polk is sending troops to the Oregon Territory disguised as pioneers, New York Herold reporter Neal Harris (Fred MacMurray) is captured by angry natives as he makes his way back to the city. Enlisting the help of a comely Native American maiden to make a daring escape, Harris makes it out just in time to warn the trrops of a potentially devistating attack. Subsequently resigning from his position as a reporter, Harris decides to make a home for himself and his faithful maiden in the new territory. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fred MacMurray, William Bishop, (more)
- 1959
The creation and testing of jet planes is the focus of this action film. The story centers on a boozy hero from the Korean War who is hired as a test pilot by an aircraft executive on the condition that he sober up for good. It is a long road for the alcoholic aviator, and at one point he almost suffers a breakdown during a simulated flight, but he manages to dry out and begin flying experimental planes. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve Brodie, Lyn Thomas, (more)
A standard crime story with a dash of a disillusioned generation of men thrown in for good measure, The Rebel Set, also known as Beatsville, is about an armored car hold-up. Mr. Tucker (Edward Platt) is the man who comes up with the idea and plan of how to carry out the robbery, and he recruits three men who are down on their luck. John Mapes (Gregg Palmer), is an out-of-work actor, Ray Miller (John Lupton) is a writer who cannot get published, and George Leland (Don Sullivan) is the wastrel son of a has-been movie star. Tucker should have thought twice about who he was recruiting -- if these men have failed at life so far, why should they succeed in something as daring as a million-dollar robbery? ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gregg Palmer, Kathleen Crowley, (more)
- 1958
- Add I Married a Monster from Outer Space to QueueAdd I Married a Monster from Outer Space to top of Queue
It has now become a film-review clich to preface a write-up for I Married a Monster From Outer Space with the cautionary "Don't be misled by the title." The fact remains, however, that this one of the better and more intelligent horror outings of the late 1950s. The "I" of the title is Marge Farrell (Gloria Talbott), who can't help noticing that her husband Bill (Tom Tryon) has been acting very strangely since their dark-and-stormy wedding night. For one thing, the formerly demonstrative Bill behaves listlessly, as though possessing no emotions whatsoever; for another, though he spends much of his free time at Grady's Bar, Bill never takes a drink (now that is weird!) It isn't long before Marge discovers that Bill, along with several of his male friends, have been taken over by aliens from the Andromeda Nebula, who have arrived on earth to replenish their species. There's only one flaw to this plan: the aliens are unable to procreate! Once the authorities are alerted, a posse of non-possessed men attack the alien spaceship, paving the way for the not-altogether-predictable finale. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Tryon, Gloria Talbott, (more)
- 1958
In a seminal version of his Death Wish characterization, Charles Bronson plays Alan Avery, a mild-manned L.A. schoolteacher who elects to stay mum after witnessing a gangland slaying. Forced to testify against the killers by the cops, Avery is turn terrorized by the Mob, who subsequently bring about the death of Avery's pregnant wife Edie (Gloria Henry). Meek and mild no longer, the outraged Avery embarks upon a one-man vendetta against the villains. The climax occurs in the posh mansion of gang boss Maxie Matthews (John Doucette)--who, as it turns out, isn't really worth killing. Based on a novel by Ovid Demaris, Gang War was one of a group of inexpensive second features released by 20th Century-Fox for the drive-in crowd. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Bronson, Kent Taylor, (more)
- 1958
A pre-superstardom Charles Bronson plays a US marshal in Showdown at Boot Hill. Tracking down a wanted murderer to a small town, Bronson kills him in a shootout. It develops that the dead man, whose criminal past was unknown to his fellow townsfolk, was a popular and highly respected member of the community. The decedent's friends refuse to identify the body, thereby denying Bronson the opportunity of collecting the reward money. At first angered by this, Bronson is gradually won over to the townspeoples' point of view. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Bronson, Robert Hutton, (more)
- 1957
New York City is known for choosing colorful characters for its mayors. One its most illustrious was the wisecracking, dancing and singing Mayor James J. Walker (as played by Bob Hope in a rare, serious role) who helmed the Big Apple in the 1920s. This biopic chronicles his surprising rise to power and is adapted from a book by Gene Fowler. Walker owed his mayoral post to Tammany, a powerful political organization that used its tremendous clout to get him installed. Walker, who never takes his job seriously, then becomes a figurehead for Tammany, and while he is in power, corruption in the police force and other city offices runs rampant. Meanwhile Walker wrangles with his lover, dancer Betty Compton, and his jealous wife, from whom he is separated. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Hope, Vera Miles, (more)
- 1957
I Was a Teenage Werewolf is a B-level cheapie that can most easily be summed up as a cross between The Wolf Man and Rebel Without a Cause. Michael Landon stars as Tony, a hot-headed teenager whose lightning-quick temper has led to social troubles and created concern from his father, his girlfriend Arlene (Yvonne Lime), and local lawman Detective Donovan (Barney Phillips). After belting his buddy Vic (Ken Miller) for no reason, Tony agrees to see Dr. Brandon (Whit Bissell), a psychologist who uses hypnosis to help his patients. In reality, Brandon is a mad scientist who has designs on regressing Tony to his most primal state using drugs and hypnosis. Not long after Tony's first session, a teen is killed by what the police believe is some kind of animal, but when Tony transforms in front of Arlene at their school, the truth comes to light: Tony is a werewolf. With the townsfolk paralyzed by fear, the police organize a manhunt, which the werewolf manages to evade. After returning to his human state, Tony heads back to the treacherous Dr. Brandon. The shrink's desire to witness Tony in his primal "werewolf" condition goes awry when the frothing Tony goes mad, leading to a violent conclusion. ~ Patrick Legare, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Landon, Yvonne Lime, (more)
This medium-budget western is also known as My Brother, the Outlaw and Outlaw Brother. Mickey Rooney plays an Eastern dude who heads westward to visit his brother Robert Stack. When ranger Robert Preston informs Rooney that Stack is a wanted outlaw, the Mick refuses to believe it. But when Preston's words prove to be true, Rooney vows to bring Stack to justice himself. Based on a short story by Max Brand, My Outlaw Brother is a somewhat uncharacteristic project for Elliot Nugent, a director usually associated with comedies and romantic dramas. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mickey Rooney, Wanda Hendrix, (more)
- 1949
Wallace Beery's final film was the curiously endearing "black comedy" Big Jack. Set in 1820, a time when "science was a crime and crime not yet a science," the film casts Beery and Marjorie Main as outlaws Big Jack Horner and Flapjack Kate. The two bandits rescue visionary young doctor Alexander Meade (Richard Conte), who is about to be hanged for body-snatching. Meade is a tireless campaigner for modern surgical methods, thus he is forced to steal cadavers for his experiments. Big Jack is only interested in having the doc operate on his injured leg, but pretty soon he too is captivated by Meade's idealism. The film's many subplots all come to a head when Meade must prove his surgical theories by performing a delicate operation. Throughout, the film displays a cheerful disregard for the "dignity" of the deceased. One lengthy sequence finds an unbilled Andy Clyde buried alive after being declared legally dead; he laughs uproariously about the misunderstanding, then promptly drinks himself to death! The punchline to this scene occurs when Clyde's widow finds his remains evenly distributed in several mason jars, whereupon she remarks, "Oh, paw, now they've gone and bottled ya!" Vanessa Brown provides the requisite love interest. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Wallace Beery, Richard Conte, (more)
- 1947
Acclaimed playwright George S. Kaufman made his directorial debut with this broad political satire. Senator Melvin G. Ashton (William Powell) is a long-time congressman for whom the phrase "dumb as a log" would be fitting if one were not afraid of insulting the trees. After more than twenty years of representing his clueless constituents, Ashton decides to take a shot at the presidential race, and hires Lew Gibson (Peter Lind Hayes) is his press agent. Party topkick Dinty (Charles D. Brown) considers Ashton an utterly hopeless candidate, especially after he begins making fantastic campaign promises no one could possibly keep, but Ashton turns out to be a bit more shrewd than expected. The senator has kept a detailed journal documenting the many underhanded deals his colleagues have had their hands in over the years; all he has to do is slip the diary to a reporter and most of congress will be run out of town on a rail. This possibility seem all the more urgent when Ashton starts dating Poppy McNaughton (Ella Raines), a journalist. The Senator Was Indiscreet boasts a fine supporting cast, including Ray Collins, Allen Jenkins, Hans Conreid, and a cameo appearance from Myrna Loy. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rodney Bell, William Powell, (more)
- 1941
The famous outlaw rides again in this fictionalized western that chronicles Billy's turn from criminal to fine upstanding citizen. The film received an Oscar nomination for its color cinematography. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Taylor, Brian Donlevy, (more)
- 1940
The schizophrenic screenplay of The Earl of Chicago is rendered even more bizarre by the uneven performance by Robert Montgomery. He plays Silky Kilmont, a Runyonesque American gangster who inherits a British title (Earl of Gorley) and mansion. Taking charge of his new estate, Silky has an amusing time trying to acclimate himself to the customs of the "landed gentry". Things take a sinister turn when Silky discovers that his trusted attorney Doc Ramsey (Edward Arnold) is actually a bigger crook than he is. In a rage, Silky murders Ramsey, then goes into what appears to be a catatonic shock, refusing to defend himself at his murder trial. Blood finally tells at the climax when Silky Kilmont, aka the Earl of Gorley, meets his fate with a dignity and decorum worthy of his aristocratic forebears. The queasy atmosphere of the film is heightened by its utter lack of romance; outside of character actress Norma Varden, there are barely any women in the film at all. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Montgomery, Edward Arnold, (more)
- 1939
Rhythm Romance is the television title for the 1939 Bob Hope comedy Some Like It Hot (the change was made to avoid confusion with the 1959 Billy Wilder film of the same name). Hope plays a penny-ante carnival concessionaire with both eyes on the Main Chance. Exploiting the musical talents of his girl friend (Shirley Ross), Hope tries to bankroll a big-time stage show. The prospect of riches goes to Hope's head and loses him his girl, but the two are reunited before the film's 64 minutes run out. This minor Bob Hope/Shirley Ross vehicle was first filmed in 1934 as Shoot the Works, which in turn was based on The Great Magoo, a Broadway flop written by Ben Hecht. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Hope, Shirley Ross, (more)
- 1937
Autograph hound Al Babson (Eddie Cantor) accidentally disrupts the filming of a movie about Ali Baba, and is injured in the process. The filmmakers try to buy him off, but nurse Dinah (Virginia Field) suggests he be hired as an extra. He takes an overdose of painkillers, and his Arabian Nights dreams combine with the plot of the movie. His name leads the populace to think he's the son of Ali Baba, and he's taken to the palace of Sultan Abdullah (Roland Young), who's so impressed by Al that he makes him prime minister. Princess Miriam (June Lang) is in love with Yusuf (Tony Martin), the leader of the peasants, while Al has fallen for Deenah (also Virginia Field), whose father Omar (Maurice Cass) is trying to make a carpet fly. Meanwhile, the evil Prince Musah (Douglas Dumbrille) is conspiring with Sultana (Louise Hovick), one of Abdullah's many wives, to capture the princess, take over Bagdad, and kill Abdullah and Al as well. Miriam and Yusuf are unhappy because royalty and commoners cannot marry, so Al comes up with a plan to help his friends, but the plan spectacularly backfires, and Abdullah orders him to be boiled in oil. ~ Bill Warren, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eddie Cantor, Tony Martin, (more)
- 1937
In this detective adventure, a young woman is accused of stealing a valuable necklace from her boss and takes off for Spain just before the Civil War. She is trailed by a detective form Scotland Yard. He finds her and soon falls in love and the two try to flee on a British ship. The story does not reveal whether the girl was innocent or not. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Loretta Young, Don Ameche, (more)
- 1937
Nancy Steele was the baby daughter of a munitions tycoon who was kidnapped by an antiwar activist who did it to protest the magnate's support of WW I. This drama provides a sympathetic portrait of the kidnapper who leaves the baby with two close friend who assume it's his and raise her. The activist later gets arrested during a fight and sentenced to two years in prison that become a life sentence after he is framed during a failed escape. One night, he sleeps in his cell when his cellmate overhears the sleeping protestor talking about the notorious kidnapping. When the protestor if finally released, he immediately visits the girl, whom he regards as his daughter. She thinks he is her father too. Together, the two go to New York, where he gets a job working as a gardener for her real father. Trouble comes in the form of his blackmailing cellmate and in the end, the protestor must make a difficult decision involving the fate of his daughter and himself. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Victor McLaglen, Walter Connolly, (more)
- 1936
In this murder comedy, a young woman is no sooner acquitted of poisoning her father when she finds herself suspected of poisoning another. A pushy, over-eager reporter attempts to badger her into a confession, but he changes his tune after he falls in love with her. This results in the loss of his job. The man is then determined to prove that the girl is innocent. After much searching, he succeeds in finding the real killers and clearing his true-love's names. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Frances Dee, Brian Donlevy, (more)
- 1936
Admidst a sea of melodramatic and unbelievable courtroom dramas, Career Woman is distinguished by its comparative realism. Law school graduate Carroll Aiken (Claire Trevor) is idealistic; her colleague Barry Conant (Michael Whalen) is cynical and mercenary. Despite their ethical differences, they team up to defend downtrodden Gracie Clay (Isabel Jewell) on a charge of murdering her sadistic father. The grandstanding Conant reprimands the jury for their prejudices against the poor, but this strategy fails miserably. Carroll is forced to apologize to the court, then goes on to win the case through the simple expedient of sticking to the facts. Career Woman well be the best "lady lawyer" film of the 1930s, with characters acting like human beings instead of Hollywood stereotypes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Claire Trevor, Michael Whalen, (more)
- 1936
The real "message to Garcia" was delivered by an American lieutenant to Cuban rebel General Garcia, asking for the General's help in the Spanish-American war. The fact that the lieutenant made his way to Garcia in absolute safety was ignored in 20th Century-Fox's Message to Garcia--which is just as well, since otherwise the movie would have been eight minutes long. In the film version, lieutenant John Boles is guided through the treacherous Cuban jungle by Barbara Stanwyck, doing her best to convince us that she's an Hispanic senorita. Also along for the trip is renegade marine Wallace Beery, who may not be as friendly as he seems. Fighting off Spaniards and spies at every turn, Boles successfully completes his mission. As history, Message to Garcia is about as reliable as the Hearst newspaper dispatches which triggered the Spanish-American war in the first place. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Wallace Beery, Barbara Stanwyck, (more)
- 1936
Adventurer-for-hire Victor McLaglen is hired by a political faction in a mythical European kingdom. McLaglen's job is to kidnap the young prince (Freddie Bartholomew) so that his employers can take over the government. The prince enjoys the experience because it releases him from the confines of protocol. When the prince is reluctantly rescued, McLaglen is thrown in prison. He escapes upon the realization that the political party he'd been working for actually plans to kill the prince and set up a dictatorship. McLaglen rescues the prince and preserves the Status Quo--and his blossoming friendship with the affable young monarch. Curiously enough, Professional Soldier is based on a story by Damon Runyon, taking a break from his "Guys and Dolls" chronicles. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Victor McLaglen, Freddie Bartholomew, (more)
- 1935
The third screen version of Jack London's classic adventure story was also the first with sound, and it toyed with the original story a bit to add a love interest for leading man Clark Gable. Jack Thornton (Gable) is a would-be prospector who has headed to Alaska hoping to cash in on the gold rush. However, he loses most of his stake in a poker game and instead ends up buying a Saint Bernard named Buck. He's able to pick up Buck for a song because he's too ill-tempered to pull a sled; Smith (Reginald Owen), Buck's former owner, treated him with cruelty and the dog mangled Smith's hand in retaliation. Jack loves the dog, though, and treats him with care and kindness. Buck bonds with Jack and soon becomes a loyal companion and a good sled dog. Angry and astounded, Smith bets Jack that Buck can't pull a half-ton sled 100 yards; while the old Buck would never have done it, with Jack's urging the dog manages the feat and Jack now has the funds to set out with his friend Shorty (Jack Oakie) to stake their claim. While searching for gold, Jack and Shorty discover Claire Blake (Loretta Young), the wife of a miner who abandoned her to look for a fresh vein of gold. A warmth grows between Claire and Jack in the frozen North, but Jack is forced to help her husband when he runs afoul of thieves trying to steal his claim. Six more films based on The Call of the Wild would follow this to the screen. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Clark Gable, Loretta Young, (more)
- 1934
The Ben Hecht-Gene Fowler Broadway flop The Great Magoo formed the basis of the 1934 Paramount comedy Shoot the Works. Jack Oakie stars as seedy sideshow barker Nicky, who uses everyone he meets to get ahead. Nicky isn't even above exploiting his singing sweetheart Lily (Dorothy Dell) to suit his purposes, but this time it is he who ends up the loser -- at least until he gets wise to himself. Bandleader-comedian Ben Bernie and perennial second lead Arline Judge contribute a few laughs, but the hit of the show is gorgeous Dorothy Dell, who tragically died in a car crash just before this film was released. Shoot the Works was remade by Bob Hope as Some Like It Hot (1939). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Oakie, Ben Bernie, (more)
- 1934
Wallace Beery plays P.T. Barnum in this comic biography of the renowned showman. As the story opens, Phineas Taylor Barnum is operating a dry goods store in New York City with his friend Bailey Walsh (Adolphe Menjou), and he is looking for a way to boost business. He strikes upon the idea of adding a sideshow of human oddities and curious individuals, much to the annoyance of his wife Nancy (Janet Beecher). But the sideshow brings in a large audience, and soon it begins to overtake the retail store; however, Barnum's venture comes to a halt when it is revealed that Zorro The Bearded Lady (May Boley) has fake facial hair,and that Joyce Heth (Lucille LaVerne) wasn't really George Washington's nursemaid, as she claims. Despite this setback, Barnum has developed a taste for show business, and he brings noted English singer Jenny Lind (Virginia Bruce) to the U.S. for a concert tour, where she becomes the toast of New York. Barnum soon becomes infatuated with Lind, and while his attempts to woo her are often fumblingly inept, they're effective enough to alienate Nancy, who leaves him and New York City for good. Between his attempts to romance Lind and his shameless ballyhoo for performing midget General Tom Thumb (George Brasno), Barnum finds himself on Walsh's bad side, who has taken to drinking to ease his anger. After his budding romance with Lind fails, Barnum suffers an even greater indignity when his museum, featuring his sideshow freaks and other wonders and oddities, is burned to the ground by angry rivals. However, Barnum's performers show their loyalty by offering their savings to Barnum to help him rebuild, and Nancy returns to Barnum's side in his moment of need. Walsh also appears, ready to bury the hatchet and show off his latest acquisition -- an elephant named Jumbo who could be used in a traveling act, or perhaps even a circus.... The Mighty Barnum was based on the play by Gene Fowler and Bess Meredyth, who also wrote the screenplay. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Wallace Beery, Adolphe Menjou, (more)
- 1933
In this romantic musical, a carnival knife thrower's assistant falls for a Parisian tour guide who earns money wearing a sandwich board that says "Is Your Heart Happy? No? Consult Professor Bibi, 17 Rue Canton." After a few romantic mishaps, true love eventually ensues. Songs include: "Lover of Paree," "Lucky Guy," "In a One-Room Flat," "The Way to Love," "It's Oh, It's Ah, It's Wonderful" (Ralph Rainger, Leo Robin). ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Maurice Chevalier, Ann Dvorak, (more)
