Hayes Goetz Movies
- 1966
Henry Koster directed this cloying family musical based on the true life story of Soeur Sourire, a Belgian nun whose recordings made her an overnight sensation on The Ed Sullivan Show. Debbie Reynolds stars as Sister Ann, a Belgian nun who likes to compose little tunes on her guitar. She writes the song "Dominique" for a lonely little boy, Dominic Arlien (Ricky Cordell), whose mother has died and whose father is an alcoholic. Father Clementi (Ricardo Montalban) tries to promote the song, getting help from his old friend Robert Gerarde (Chad Everett), a record producer. "Dominique" becomes an international hit, thanks to Robert's efforts, and Ed Sullivan appears on the scene to film Sister Ann for his television program. Unsure of how to handle her amazing success, Sister Ann seeks out Father Clementi for advice, unsure of whether to give up her singing and remain a nun or to continue on with her singing career and renounce her vows. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Debbie Reynolds, Ricardo Montalban, (more)
- 1956
Hold Back the Night is one of Allied Artists' down-and-dirty World War II dramas of the 1950s and 1960s. John Payne stars as a tough commanding officer, guiding the fighting retreat of an Allied platoon in the snowy hills of Korea. Payne always carries with him an unopened bottle of whiskey, which he regards as a good-luck charm. A series of World War II flashbacks explains the riddle of the unconsumed liquor. Director Allan Dwan is careful to slide past the cornier elements of Hold Back the Night, and the result is a solid wartime saga. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Payne, Mona Freeman, (more)
- 1956
The fate of wealthy Jamie Dawn (Marilyn Simms) hangs in the balance as she stands trial for murder. Defense attorney Random (Richard Carlson), who also happens to be Jamie's lover, knows that if he can sway three jurors to vote not guilty, he can win the case. Thus, Random endeavors to bribe the three most likely candidates: Czechoslovakian refugee Karek (Eduard Franz), who needs the money to finance his son's escape from Eastern Europe; ex-actress Lorrie (June Havoc), who has for years been trying to bankroll a comeback; and Tom (Ricardo Montalban), whose marriage to Sue (Laraine Day) may disintegrate if he doesn't come up with some money in a hurry. The outcome of the film is something of a letdown, given its engaging premise. Also starring in Three for Jamie Dawn is Regis Toomey, with whom director Thomas Carr would be reunited on the TV series Richard Diamond. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Laraine Day, Ricardo Montalban, (more)
- 1954
In the tradition of Dragnet and The Lineup, this is devoted to a typically busy day at a police precinct station house. Despite the presence of such recognizable actors as Gary Merrill and Regis Toomey, the film successfully adopts a documentary approach. The plot concerns a new police chief (Gary Merrill) who is determined to clean up a crime-ridden slum district. The ads for The Human Jungle offered teasing full-body shots of costar Jan Sterling in a skimpy negligee; hopefully the fans lured in by this come-on weren't disappointed once they found how little they actually saw of Ms. Sterling (figuratively and literally) in the film itself. The Human Jungle was an "in between" production for Allied Artists, which in 1954 was trying to divest itself of the "poverty row" onus placed upon its predecessor, Monogram Pictures. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gary Merrill, Jan Sterling, (more)
- 1954
Arrow in the Dust is an intelligently assembled story of regeneration. Deserting cavalry trooper Bart Laish (Sterling Hayden) is forced by a series of circumstances to assume the identity of his dead commanding officer. In this guise, Laish is put in charge of a wagon train heading through Indian country. At first intending to weasel out of the responsibility, Laish eventually takes his duties seriously, and in so doing he restores his own innate courage and self-respect. Alas, he is undermined by duplicitous Tillotson (Tudor Owen), who intends to betray his fellow passengers and sell guns to the Indians. Coleen Gray costars as Christella, who comes to love the renegade Laish and helps him to rebuild his tarnished reputaton. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sterling Hayden, Coleen Gray, (more)
- 1954
When equestrian Linda (Vera Miles) talks her trainer, Jim (Lloyd Bridges), into taking care of Gypsy Prince, her horse, Jim decides to enter the steed in an upcoming race. Tragically, the horse falls mid-race and breaks a leg. Though prospects look bleak, Linda (Miles) refuses to give up on her horse, and will not allow the animal to be destroyed. Rather, she chooses to focus on physical therapy and personal faith. Her loyalty is rewarded tenfold when Gypsy Prince, successfully retrained, makes a killing a the track. Directed by William Beaudine, Pride of the Bluegrass is based on a story by Harold Shumate, and also features Margaret Sheridan, Arthur Shields, and Michael Chapin. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lloyd Bridges, Vera Miles, (more)
- 1952
Apache War Smoke was a remake of Apache Trail (42); both films were based on a story by Ernest Haycox. Haycox had previously written Stage to Lordsburg, a western yarn filmed by John Ford as Stagecoach (39). Apache War Smoke adheres to the Stagecoach formula by trapping several strangers in a dangerous situation, in this instance an incipient Apache uprising. Included in the group are the passengers of a stagecoach, and the gang of bandits who've just held up the coach; there's also a notorious Indian hater in the bunch. Apache War Smoke spins its yarn in a brisk 67 minutes, with only a few slow stretches here and there. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gilbert Roland, Glenda Farrell, (more)
- 1952
The Hour of 13 is a leisurely remake of the 1934 thriller The Mystery of Mr. X. The year is 1890: London is being plagued by a series of murders. The victims are all policemen, and the killer seems to be operating in a deliberate pattern. Suave jewel thief Nicholas Revel (Peter Lawford) is compelled to seek out the killer, lest he himself be accused of murder by his friendly enemy, Inspector Connor (Roland Culver). Filmed at MGM's British facilities, The Hour of 13 makes excellent use of several topnotch English supporting actors, including Dawn Addams, Derek Bond, Leslie Dwyer, Michael Hordern, and Colin Gordon. The original Mystery of Mr. X made the tactical blunder of revealing the killer's identity in the opening credits; happily, Hour of 13 does not repeat this error. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Lawford, Dawn Addams, (more)
- 1951
All the various Bulldog Drummond movie series had run their courses by 1951; nonetheless, MGM decided to revive the property (and simultaneously liquidate some "frozen funds") with the British-filmed Calling Bulldog Drummond. Walter Pidgeon stars as novelist Sapper's soldier-of-fortune, here retooled as a respectable retired military officer. Summoned to London by Scotland Yard, Drummond is assigned to break up a dangerous criminal gang. He is aided by female undercover officer Helen Smith (Margaret Leighton), who turns out to be not much help at all. Trapped in a bombed-out building and surrounded by hulking henchmen, Drummond seems to have run out of luck. Some of the film's brightest moments are provided by David Tomlinson as a traditional "silly ass" type who is lot smarter than he seems. Bernard Lee, the future "M" in the James Bond films of the 1960s, appears as a secondary villain. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Walter Pidgeon, Margaret Leighton, (more)
