Douglas Fowley Movies
Born and raised in the Greenwich Village section of New York, Douglas Fowley did his first acting while attending St. Francis Xavier Military Academy. A stage actor and night club singer/dancer during the regular theatrical seasons, Fowley took such jobs as athletic coach and shipping clerk during summer layoff. He made his first film, The Mad Game, in 1933. Thanks to his somewhat foreboding facial features, Fowley was usually cast as a gangster, especially in the Charlie Chan, Mr. Moto and Laurel and Hardy "B" films churned out by 20th Century-Fox in the late 1930s and early 1940s. One of his few romantic leading roles could be found in the 1942 Hal Roach "streamliner" The Devil with Hitler. While at MGM in the late 1940s and early 1950s, Fowley essayed many roles both large and small, the best of which was the terminally neurotic movie director in Singin' in the Rain (1952). Fowley actually did sit in the director's chair for one best-forgotten programmer, 1960's Macumba Love, which he also produced. On television, Fowley made sporadic appearances as Doc Holliday in the weekly series Wyatt Earp (1955-61). In the mid-1960s, Fowley grew his whiskers long and switched to portraying Gabby Hayes-style old codgers in TV shows like Pistols and Petticoats and Detective School: One Flight Up, and movies like Homebodies (1974) and North Avenue Irregulars (1979); during this period, the actor changed his on-screen billing to Douglas V. Fowley. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1977
In this Roger Corman production, co-producer Jesse Vint stars as Jingo Johnson, a stuntman who goes to work for a backwater mining company. Jingo unearths a hotbed of corruption, partially orchestrated by redneck sheriff, Grimes (Albert Salmi). The hero and heroine (Karen Carlson) are forced into any number of serial-like perils while eluding the villains. Black Oak Conspiracy is enlivened by the presence of several veteran character players, including Douglas Fowley, Peggy Stewart and Vic Perrin. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jesse Vint, Karen Carlson, (more)
- 1977
J. Lee Thompson directs Charles Bronson in this strange western variation on Herman Melville's Moby Dick. Bronson plays a man named James Otis, who is disturbed by dreams of a giant white buffalo. He returns to the west under his new name --Wild Bill Hickok. Amongst his travels, he meets Chief Crazy Horse (Will Sampson), who is roaming the plains in an obsessive search for the giant white buffalo that killed his young daughter. Chief Crazy Horse wants to slay the beast in revenge for his daughter's death, and Wild Bill Hickok teams up with him to hunt down the giant white buffalo. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Bronson, Jack Warden, (more)
- 1975
This western chronicles the travails of a pioneer family as they travel west in search of a new life. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1975
Jim (James Garner) is hired by his former lover Claire Prescott (Linda Evans) to help pry her loose from a loan shark. But as often happens on The Rockford Files, Claire isn't telling Jim the whole truth. As the plot thickens, Claire continues to withhold vital information from the detective, nearly getting him killed in the process. The moment of truth finally arrives when a pair of murderous thugs kidnap Jim's dad Rocky (Noah Beery Jr.) , thereby setting up a most unusual "trade-off." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1973
Stone (Karl Malden) and Keller (Michael Douglas) must prevent grieving father Robert Hobbs (Ed Nelson) from taking the law in his own hands. Hobbs' son was murdered by Artis Pierce (Kaz Garas), who unfortunately was released on a technicality. Now nothing can stop Hobbs from exacting his own brand of vengeance--and making himself a murderer in the process. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1972
In this nature adventure, a courageous cougar must struggle to survive after a cruel human hunter kills her mate. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1967
Universal's The Far Out West is a feature-length pastiche, comprised of four episodes of the 1966 TV series Pistols and Petticoats. In her last acting assignment, Ann Sheridan starred in this ill-fated western parody as Henrietta Hanks, a gun-wielding widow who takes up residence in the aptly named burg of Wretched, Colorado. The Hanks family includes Grandma (Ruth McDevitt), Grandpa (Douglas V. Fowley) and Lucy (Carole Wells), Henrietta's pretty daughter. All the members of the Hanks clan are dexterous with their shootin' irons, which comes in handy against such perennial foes as town boss Buss Courtney (Robert Lowery) and Indian Chief Eagle Shadow (Lon Chaney Jr.) Gary Vinson stumbles and bumbles around as Wretched's inept sheriff, Harold Sikes. Witless enough to begin with, the Pistols and Petticoats episodes represented herein are rendered even more pathetic by the removal of the series' laughtrack. Since the actors have timed their performance to the ubiquitous sound of canned laughter, the dead air that follows their "funny" lines and bits of business is devastating. Suffering in particular is Gary Vinson, whose lame attempts at slapstick must be seen to be disbelieved. The only interesting aspect is the bizarre relationship, bordering on the erotic, between villain Buss Courtney and his hero-worshipping henchman. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1966
This time out, Mr. Mooney (Gale Gordon) is vacationing at a dude ranch. On a mission from the bank, Lucy (Lucille Ball) shows up at the ranch searching for Mooney. She gets lost and wanders into a drought-ridden Indian reservation, where she is mistaken for a long-awaited rain goddess. And she'd better produce rain in a hurry: if it turns out that she's a phony, the tribe's surly chief (Douglas Fowley) has a pair of hot stakes reserved for both her and Mr. Mooney. Watch for a pre-M*A*S*H Jamie Farr as one of the Indian braves. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Willard Waterman, Douglas Fowley, (more)
- 1965
Dancer Barrie Chase, best known for her appearances on the TV specials of Fred Astaire, guest-stars in this Bonanza episode, written by her brother Frank Chase. Hoss Cartwright takes it upon himself to rescue racuous Kellie Conrad (Barrie) from dancing in saloons as her father Ned (Douglas Fowley) fiddles. Thanks to Hoss, Kellie realizes her dream of becoming a prima ballerina, with famed ballet master Paul Mandel (Warren Stevens as her mentor. One of the weaker Bonanza episodes, "The Ballerina" first aired January 24, 1965. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, (more)
- 1965
Pop singer Tommy Sands guest stars as Richard Bain, a young West Point cadet. Facing expulsion for defending Jason McCord's behavior at the Battle of Bitter Creek, Bain is given 30 days to recant his words--or face a dishonor and disgrace comparable to that suffered by McCord (Chuck Connors). As the story progresses, McCord must weigh the option of salvaging his own reputation by ruining Bain's. Prominent in the supporting cast is celebrated "film noir" veteran Marie Windsor ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1964
Guns of Diablo was cobbled together from two episodes of the TV series The Travels of Jamie McPheeters. 14-year-old Kurt Russell plays Jamie, an orphaned boy heading westward with a wagon train. Charles Bronson tops the cast as wagon scout Linc Murdock, who runs into difficulties when he meets old flame Maria (Susan Oliver), who is now married to corrupt lawman Rance Macklin (Jan Merlin). The jealous Macklin has Murdock arrested, but Maria frees him, permitting Murdock and Jamie to embark on a new adventure involving a "lost" gold mine. Curiously, Dan O'Herlihy, Kurt Russell's costar on Travels of Jamie McPheeters, does not appear in this ersatz feature. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Bronson, Susan Oliver, (more)
- 1964
Stephanie Carew (Sandra Warner) hires Perry (Raymond Burr) to sue first-time novelist Deborah Dearborn (Zeme North) for libel, claiming that her own life was the basis for Deborah's lurid best-seller. Not long afterward, Stephanie is found drowned in her fresh-water swimming pool--and lest the police write her death off as accidental, the coroner points out that the victim has salt water in her lungs. Putting two and two together, the authorities arrest Deborah for the murder, whereupon Perry switches sides to defend the girl. Yes, that's a young, pre-Love Story Ryan O'Neal as John Carew, Deborah's boyfriend and the victim's stepson. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1964
In this crime drama, a bored, but seductive wife of a wealthy old ranch goes cruising for trouble and finds it when she picks up a hapless hitchhiker who soon falls under her sexy spell. Like a fly to a spider's web, he is drawn to her bedroom. Unfortunately, the old rancher sees him leaving and flies into a rage, killing his cheating wife. The crooked county sheriff is delighted by the events as he can now begin blackmailing the rancher. To cover for the crime, he arrests the poor drifter who doesn't even know the woman is dead. In the end, the rancher kills the sheriff and confesses all. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Derek, Aldo Ray, (more)
- 1963
Encouraged by an enterprising hobo (Douglas Fowley), Opie and his friends begin playing "Robin Hood." Before long, the boys are blithely stealing from the rich and giving to the poor-namely, their pal the hobo. Richard Keith, formerly "Little Ricky" on I Love Lucy, is here seen as Johnny. First broadcast on December 30, 1963, "Opie and His Merry Men" was one of several fourth-season Andy Griffith Show installments written by John Whedon. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1963
This romantic adult comedy finds psychiatrist Jason Steel (Dean Martin) the leader of a women's group therapy session. Jill St. John, Elizabeth Frazier, Macha Meril, Yoko Tani and Diane Foster all seek the advice of the handsome doctor, while husbands Louis Nye, Jack Soo, Richard Conte, and Martin Balsam ignore them in their usual poker game every Wednesday night. Jason plays doctor with pretty fiance Melissa (Elizabeth Montgomery) and Carol Burnette is his scatter brained secretary who does a hilarious striptease when she and Melissa can't pay for their dinner at a local nightclub after being stuck with the bill. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dean Martin, Elizabeth Montgomery, (more)
Tony Randall has the showcase of a lifetime in the marvelous George Pal production The Seven Faces of Dr. Lao. We first see Randall as Dr. Lao, an enigmatic Chinese medicine-show impresario. The doctor brings his travelling show into the frontier town of Abalone, which is chafing under the oppression of land-hungry Clint Stark (Arthur O'Connell). Newspaper editor Ed Cunningham (John Ericson) is conducting a campaign of words against Stark, but he is no match for the land baron's money, power, and hulking henchmen. Nonetheless, Cunningham continues his crusade, all the while attempting to romance icy young widow Angela Benedict (Barbara Eden). All of this is observed with bemusement by Dr. Lao, who has already established himself as a man of many talents by alternating between pidgin-English and eloquent articulation, depending on the circumstances. Each of the townspeople--including the three already mentioned--learn a great many truths about themselves when they attend Dr. Lao's unusual circus. In the course of straightening out everyone's problems, Lao metamorphoses into (1) Merlin the Magician, (2) Pan, (3) Medusa, (4) The Abominable Snowman, (5) Apollonius of Tyana and (6) a Talking Serpent. The combined talents of Randall, puppeteer Pal and make-up wizard William J. Tuttle (who won two Special Oscars) resulted in this captivatingly unique entertainment experience. Curiously, Tony Randall is not fond of Seven Faces of Dr.Lao, and refuses to be interviewed on the subject. Perhaps he was unhappy that much of the philosophy dispensed in the original Charles G. Finney novel The Circus of Dr. Lao was weeded out of Charles Beaumont's script....or perhaps he just didn't like having his head shaved for the part. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Randall, Barbara Eden, (more)
- 1962
Based on the book Heidi, by Johanna Spyri, this children's film follows the beloved Heidi as her birthday gifts teach her some important lessons. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
In a rather confusing and slow-paced manner, this wartime drama about a real-life dilemma is meant to highlight the dedication of Colonel Alois Podhajsky (Robert Taylor), the instructor at a prestigious Vienna equestrian school. The colonel is in charge of the safety and health of the royal Lipizzaner horses and he has a serious problem. He has not been able to secure German permission to leave for a safe haven with the horses and, at the same time, he has to get them together with the Lipizzaner mares in order to continue the species. The trouble is that the mares are in the hands of the enemy. And so the colonel sets out to get the horses through a German checkpoint, and convince General Patton (John Larch) to help him with his mission. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Taylor, Lilli Palmer, (more)
- 1960
A low-budget, low-standard drama about voodoo and death in Brazil, Macumba Love is directed by Douglas Fowley (Doc Holliday in the Wyatt Earp TV series). A writer travels to the land of the samba in order to investigate its voodoo practitioners and several suspicious-looking murders that could be laid at their doorstep. As his investigations start hitting too close to their target, his own continued existence looks more and more problematical. Songs and some wild dancing, as well as Playboy centerfold June Wilkinson add spice to the otherwise uninspired tale. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Walter Reed, Ziva Rodann, (more)
- 1960
Raymond Burr was already three years into Perry Mason when he decided to return to his movie-villain roots with Desire in the Dust. Burr, playing the patriarch of a Southern family, befriends the ex-convict (Ken Scott) who'd supposedly killed Burr's son in an auto accident. Actually the accident was caused by Burr's daughter (Martha Hyer), who hopes that she can buy the accused man's silence and thus secure her daddy's political future. The ex-con goes along with the deception, having fallen in love with the daughter, but soon learns that Burr plans to double-cross him. Based on a novel by Harry Whittington. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Raymond Burr, Martha Hyer, (more)
Don Murray stars as a humble cowboy with aspirations for bigger things. He borrows money from his dance-hall girlfriend Lee Remick to buy a ranch, then dumps Remick in favor of banker's daughter Patricia Owens. Murray runs for political office, and in so doing is compelled to join a posse in search of his best friend Stuart Whitman, who has turned rustler. Anxious not to compromise his climb to the top, Murray stands by in silence as Whitman is lynched. In the end, however, Murray regains his essential decency when he is shot while trying to protect his ex-girlfriend Remick from bullying land baron Richard Egan. Based on a novel by A. B. Guthrie Jr., These Thousand Hills may look and sound like a western, but it has "film noir" written all over it. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Don Murray, Richard Egan, (more)
- 1958
In this western, the Indians claim that their government rations are being stolen and they threaten to fight back. A pair of agents look into it and bring the culprits to justice. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1957
The calculatedly sleazy Bayou stars Lita Milan as Marie, the daughter of slovenly Cajun fisherman Herbert (Douglas Fowley). Marie falls in love with Northern architect Martin (Peter Graves), which rests not at all well with her ardent--and psychotic--local suitor Ulysses (Tim Carey at his most loathsome). Martin is afraid to fight the brutish Ulysses, but for Marie's sake he summons up the courage for a violent climactic set-to. Sharp-eyed viewers will notice that, in addition to his role as the heroine's father, Douglas Fowley doubles in a bit as the hero's contractor friend. A model of decorum by today's standards, Bayou nevertheless enjoyed a healthy second life on the exploitaiton circuit under the title Poor White Trash. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Graves, Lita Milan, (more)
- 1957
In this western set in the Mexican controlled part of California, a villainous cavalry officer is trying to force the owner of a hacienda to give him his land when a courageous settler comes to the rescue. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
