David Bruce Movies
Northwestern graduate David Bruce seemed a sure bet for stardom when signed by Warner Bros. in 1940. Bruce's somewhat haunted, sallow features prevented him from being cast in traditional leading man roles, though he was ideally suited for such melodramatic fare as Calling Dr. Death (1943) and The Mad Ghoul (1943), playing a scientist turned zombie in the latter. He remained a reliable supporting actor until deciding to retire from show business in 1955. Twenty-one years later, David Bruce resolved to make a film comeback, but died of a heart attack before those plans could come to fruition. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1955
Jungle natives are treated by a physician who goes against the wishes of a witch doctor to provide burn healing methods. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1954
Though Cannibal Attack is officially an entry in Columbia's "Jungle Jim" B-movie series, star Johnny Weissmuller is cast as "himself", rather than his usual Jungle Jim role. The plot finds Weissmuller investigating a series of cargo and cobalt thefts. The villains are a group of sinister foreign spies with Slavic accents, who are being aided and abetted by Luora (Judy Walsh), daughter of a cannibal princess. To expedite the bad guys' dirty work, tribal leader Rovak (Bruce Cowling) has his men disguise themselves as crocodiles. That's right, crocodiles. The rest of the picture is on an equal level of credibility. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Johnny Weissmuller, Judy Walsh, (more)
- 1954
Long before he devoted his life to gimmicky horror epics, director William Castle turned out a series of compact westerns for Columbia. One of the best of the batch was Masterson of Kansas, starring George Montgomery as dandified gunslinger Bat Masterson. The screenplay, by future Maverick mainstay Douglas Heyes, contrives to unite Masterson, Wyatt Earp (Bruce Cowling) and Doc Holliday (James Griffith) together in a common cause. The three protagonists intend to protect an impending land exchange between honest rancher Merrick (John Maxwell) and peace-seeking Indian chief Yellow Hawk (Jay Silverheels) against the crooked chicanery of land baron Clay Bennett (David Bruce). The most interesting characterization is provided by James Griffith, who portrays Doc Holliday as a borderline psychotic with a death wish. Nancy Gates provides the feminine angle as Merrick's daughter Amy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Montgomery, Nancy Gates, (more)
- 1954
Robert Stack stars with Ursula Theiss (the wife of Robert Taylor) in the Columbia costumer The Iron Glove. Stack, an 18th century Scots adventurer, swashes and buckles on behalf of self-styled Prince James (Richard Stapley). Our hero insinuates himself into the court of King George I, the better to install the man known as "The Old Pretender" into the British throne. Supporting actor Alan Hale Jr. goes through many of the motions of his late father in support of Errol Flynn wannabe Stack. The Iron Glove puts the lie to the rumor (perpetuated by The Untouchables) that Robert Stack was constitutionally incapable of smiling. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Stack, Ursula Thiess, (more)
- 1952
This ultra-low-budget melodrama once more warns us to be on guard against the Red Menace. Kent Taylor stars as an outwardly all-American type who is actually a Soviet agent. He insinuates himself into a small town, hoping to win converts to the hammer and sickle. Why, he even prattles on about something called civil rights! (gasp!) Fortunately, Taylor is saved from himself in the nick of time, and at film's end he has embraced the tenets of the Good Ol' USA. Gene Lockhart, Gloria Holden and David Bruce costar in this subtle-as-a-sledgehammer period piece. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1951
Pier 23 was one of three hour-long mysteries produced by Lippert Productions for both TV and theatrical release. Each of the three films was evenly divided into two half-hour "episodes," and each starred Hugh Beaumont as San Francisco-based amateur sleuth Dennis O'Brien. In Pier 23, O'Brien first tackles the case of a wrestler who has died of a suspicious heart attack after refusing to lose a match. He then agrees to help a priest talk an escaped criminal into returning to prison. The film's two-part structure leads to repetition and predictability, but it's fun to watch TV's "Ward Cleaver" making like Philip Marlowe. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hugh Beaumont, Ann Savage, (more)
- 1950
Pygmy Island was entry number five in Columbia's "Jungle Jim" series. Johnny Weissmuller is back as Jungle Jim, who this time around leads a search for missing WAC officer Ann Kingsley (Ann Savage). He'd better hurry; enemy agents are also on the trail of the heroine, who became lost while searching for material vital to the U.S. defense program. Somewhere in the foliage is a tribe of white pygmies (!), who cast their lot with Jungle Jim against the bad guys. Highlights in Pygmy Island include a stampeding elephant herd and a couple of fierce jungle battles pitting our hero against a crocodile and a gorilla. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Johnny Weissmuller, Ann Savage, (more)
- 1950
Timber Fury was based on a story by North-Woods specialist James Oliver Curwood. The plot concerns the efforts of a timber shipper to get his logs to the mill on time. Callow young engineer Jim (David Bruce) comes up with a new, efficient method to expedite the shipment, and in so doing wins the undying affection of heroine Phyllis (Laura Lee). Meanwhile, villainous rival McCabe (George Slocum) plots and plans to prevent the shipment from proceeding. Also featured in the cast is ubiquitous character-actor Sam Flint, playing an ill-fated lumberman who seems to have the words "Kill Me First" tattooed on his forehead. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Bruce, Laura Lee, (more)
- 1950
Jim Davis, better known to contemporary audiences as Josh Ewing, J.R.'s (Larry Hagman) father on Dallas, is the two-fisted star of 1950's Hi-Jacked. Davis plays truck driver Joe Harper, who after his rig is stolen is accused of masterminding the theft himself. To clear his name, Joe sets out on his own to trap the real thieves. What he doesn't know is that one of his own co-workers has been tipping off the crooks whenever the trucking routes are changed. Joe's wife Jean is played by Marsha Jones, who during her child-star days was known as Marcia Mae Jones. Inasmuch as Hi-Jacked was produced by Lippert Films, it is perhaps inevitable that Sid Melton shows up in the supporting cast. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jim Davis, Marsha Jones, (more)
- 1950
Can there actually have once been a film in which an IRS agent is the hero? Yes, and it was titled Revenue Agent. Douglas Kennedy is your friendly tax man, here attempting to to trap a clever smuggler (Onslow Stevens), who plans to sneak $1,000,000 worth of duty-free gold dust into Mexico. Kennedy also finds time to solve a murder case, as revenue agents often do in the fantasyland of Hollywood B-pictures. And, while resting between audits, Kennedy romances Columbia starlet Jean Willes (late of the studio's Three Stooges comedies). Revenue Agent is another sausage from quick-turnover producer Sam Katzman--one of his few Columbia efforts without gunslingers or harem girls. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Douglas Kennedy, Jean Willes, (more)
- 1950
Young David Bruce plays Young Daniel Boone in this above-average Monogram actioner. Taking time off from hunting and settling, Young Daniel attempts to rescue two white girls from their Indian captors. He also hopes to expose a French spy on behalf of the colonial British government. One of the kidnapped ladies is Rebecca (Kristine Miller), who later becomes Mrs. Daniel Boone. Playing fast and loose with the facts, Young Daniel Boone nonetheless serves its purpose: to thrill and entertain the audience. In addition, the film is lensed in the eye-pleasing Cinecolor process. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Bruce, Kristine Miller, (more)
- 1950
Taking place during a transcontinental flight, the story of The Great Plane Robbery concerns an airborne robbery (hence the title) and a series of ancillary murders. With no minions of the law on board, it is up to the pilot (Tom Conway) and an eccentric passenger (Margaret Hamilton) to solve the case. The villain's identity is so obvious that it's a wonder he doesn't wear a name-tag reading "I DID IT!" The biggest mystery concerning The Great Plane Robbery is its running time: officially, the film runs 61 minutes; according to the records kept by United Artists, it clocks in at 63 minutes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Conway, Margaret Hamilton, (more)
- 1949
This cautionary fable was produced by the Protestant Film Commission. The main character is plant-manager Joe Hanson (David Bruce), who manages himself to be free of all forms of racial prejudice. Yet when he feels that his job is being threatened by Jewish co-worker Al Green (Bruce Edwards), Joe can't keep his inbred hostilities to himself. He inadvertently causes Al to be transferred to a less-desirable job, resulting in misery all around. The timely intervention of Joe's minister (James Seay) rights the wrongs caused by careless talk. Featured in the cast of Prejudice as Mrs. Green is none other than Barbara "June Cleaver" Billingsley. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Bruce, Mary Marshall, (more)
- 1949
Monogram's low-budget, high-grossing "Joe Palooka" series carries on in this 66-minute entry. Joe Kirkwood plays Joe Palooka, the soft-hearted pugilist created for the funny papers by Ham Fisher. This time, Joe is framed on a bum rap by a group of gamblers who hope to fix the outcome of an upcoming bout. When Joe manages to clear himself, the gamblers go a step farther by having the scrupulously honest boxer accused of murder. On the lam from the law, Joe is forced to solve the murder himself--and he'd better hurry if he's going to get to the Big Fight on time. Virginia Welles is cast as Joe's love interest Ann Howe, while comedian Leon Errol is afforded top billing as Joe's manager Knobby Walsh. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Leon Errol, Joe Kirkwood, Jr., (more)
- 1948
Years before she played Dennis Mitchell's mom in TV's Dennis the Menace, Gloria Henry was a B-picture ingenue at Columbia. In Racing Luck, Gloria is top-billed as Phyllis Warren, sister of headstrong jockey Boots Warren (Stanley Clements). There's plenty of stock racetrack footage, intermingled with newly-lensed sequences of staged races. The plot is the usual "disgraced jockey redeems himself" folderol, told with speed if not freshness. Of special interest is the presence in the supporting cast of Dooley Wilson, who as we all know portrayed the legendary "Sam" in Casablanca (1942). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gloria Henry, Stanley Clements, (more)
- 1946
The wonderful newfangled world of television provides the backdrop for this musical. The tale begins as an advertising executive has a misunderstanding with his employer's wife and ends up fired. Now her family is left penniless until her younger sister begins impersonating a nightclub singer and becomes a television star. Songs include: "When You're Near," "When Does Love Begin?" (Hal Borne, sung by David Bruce), "For the Right Guy," "I'm So Lonely" (Borne), and "Bob-Bob That Did It" (Borne, Eddie Cherkose). ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Bruce
- 1945
This campy little drama launched the career of B-girl Yvonne De Carlo. It is set during the Franco-Prussian war and chronicles the exploits of Salome, a beautiful Viennese dancer who falls for an American reporter and for him gets involved in cloak-and-dagger activities involving the Bismarck, before returning to Arizona with him. There, she uses her talent and abundant charms to inspire the lawless residents of his hometown to reform. They in turn, name the town after her. She then goes to San Francisco where she seduces and marries a wealthy Russian who builds her an opera house and gives her the happy life she had always craved. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Yvonne De Carlo, Rod Cameron, (more)
- 1945
Deanna Durbin offered her fans a change of pace in this mystery story seasoned with elements of comedy and music. Nikki Collins (Durbin) is a small-town girl visiting New York City to meet with Mr. Haskell (Edward Everett Horton), her family's attorney. As her train pulls into the station, she looks out her window into a nearby office building. She's shocked by what she sees -- a man is being strangled to death, and while she can't see the face of the killer, she gets a good look at the victim. Terrified, Nikki immediately goes to the police, but they think that her story is simply the product of an overactive imagination and send her on her way. Nikki, however, is certain that she witnessed a murder, and she approaches mystery writer Wayne Morgan (David Bruce) to help her piece together the facts of what happened. Thanks to a newsreel, Nikki is able to recognize the victim as Mr. Waring, a wealthy man who made his fortune in shipping; she attempts to contact Waring's family, but they're convinced that Nikki is a nightclub singer with whom the tycoon was having an affair. Hoping to contact the chanteuse in question, Nikki visits the club where she works, only to discover that she's also been murdered. Nikki soon finds herself being trailed by both Jonathan (Ralph Bellamy) and Arnold (Dan Duryea), two members of Waring's family whom she believes may have been involved in the crime, and could be trying to silence her once and for all. Like most of Durbin's vehicles, Lady on a Train's plot stops every now and then to give her the opportunity to sing a song; Western fans may want to keep an eye peeled for future cowboy star Lash LaRue, who has a small role as a waiter. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Deanna Durbin, Ralph Bellamy, (more)
- 1945
In this musical comedy, a young singer becomes so desperate to appear on Broadway that she goes to a prominent producer and tells him that she is the daughter who resulted from his day-long marriage to a young woman he knew years ago. The producer is delighted and soon puts his daughter up on stage. The trouble begins when the girl's "mother" suddenly pays a call. For her own reasons, the woman decides to play along with the girl's ruse. Fortunately, by the story's end, the truth is revealed, all differences are reconciled and happiness ensues. Songs include: "Once Upon a Dream" (Jack Brooks, Hans J. Salter), "Market Place," "Shadows," and "Largo al Factotum" (from Rossini's Barber of Seville). ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Franchot Tone, David Bruce, (more)
- 1944
Deanna Durbin's first Technicolor feature is a lavish musical western, replete with a Jerome Kern-E. Y. Harburg score. Set in the mid-19th century, the story finds Caroline (Durbin), daughter of a wealthy senator, bound and determined to wed dashing cavalry officer Lawlor (Robert Paige). When the officer is transferred to California, Caroline chases after him, encountering prospectors, bandits and Indians all along the way. That's about all that happens, save for a few awkward slapstick moments wherein the pleasantly plump Ms. Durbin falls into various bodies of water. Lensed on location in Utah, Can't Help Singing is entertaining enough, but wasn't sufficient to halt the downward slide of Deanna Durbin's popularity. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Deanna Durbin, Robert Paige, (more)
- 1944
Universal's yearly quota of cheap, 60-minute musicals occasionally yielded such likeable diversions as South of Dixie. David Bruce stars as Danny, a popular composer of southern ballads. Striking while the iron is hot, Danny's partner Brains (Jerome Cowan) promotes a filmed biography of the southern-fried songsmith. Trouble is, Danny is a fraud-he was born in the North, with nary a relative below the Mason-Dixon line to his name. Anxiously, Brains "invents" a southern lineage for Danny, going so far as to hire a voice tutor named Dixie (Anne Gwynne) and to cook up a romance between the hero and the daughter (Ella Mae Morse) of Southern colonel Morgan (Samuel S. Hinds). Inevitably, South of Dixie features several black performers in stereotypical roles, including Louise Beavers and Mantan Moreland. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anne Gwynne, David Bruce, (more)
- 1944
Don't be fooled by the title. Christmas Holiday is a far, far cry from It's a Wonderful Life. Told in flashback, the story begins as Jackie (Deanna Durbin), marries Southern aristocrat Robert Monette (Gene Kelly). Unfortunately, Robert has inherited his family's streak of violence and instability and soon drags Jackie into a life of misery. When her husband commits murder, Jackie is compelled by Robert's equally degenerate mother (Gale Sondergaard) to cover up the crime. When Robert is arrested, Jackie, tormented by the love she still holds for her husband, runs away from the family home, changing her name and securing work as a singer in a New Orleans dive. Robert escapes from prison and makes his way to Jackie's dressing room. Holding a reporter hostage, he threatens to kill both Jackie and the waylaid sailor who has been listening to her story. An astonishing change of pace from Deanna Durbin's usual lightweight musical fare, Christmas Holiday (based, believe it or not, on a story by W. Somerset Maugham) is one of the bleakest film noirs of the 1940s. Durbin is merely adequate in her role, but Gene Kelly gives a disturbingly convincing portrayal as a man virtually devoured by his inner demons. Robert Siodmak directs with his usual flair, using a taut, suspenseful screenplay by Herman J. Mankiewicz. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Deanna Durbin, Gene Kelly, (more)
- 1944
All but forgotten today, Ladies Courageous was one of the more successful wartime morale-boosters. Loretta Young heads the virtually all-female cast as Robert Harper, no-nonsense executive officer of the original 24 members of the Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron. Each of the women under her command has a story to tell, and tell it they do in long, verbose flashbacks. Standing out in the supporting cast is Geraldine Fitzgerald as Vinnie Alford, who joins the WAFs for publicity purposes and nearly scuttles the program in the process. Also appearing is the tragic Diana Barrymore, whose leading role was considerably trimmed before the film was released to the public. Though not all that exciting (especially considering the subject matter), Ladies Courageous served its patriotic purpose in 1943. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Loretta Young, Geraldine Fitzgerald, (more)
- 1944
In this musical romance, a young couple is still in love, but find themselves facing insurmountable turmoil in their relationship. They separate and head for Vegas for a quickie divorce. The wife is counseled by another that to save the union, she must make her husband jealous. She does, romantic mayhem ensues, and in the end, they reunite to form a rock-solid, happy marriage. Songs include: "A Dream Ago," "Moon over Las Vegas," "Faithful Flo," "So Goodnight," "A Touch of Texas," "You Marvelous You," "Oklahoma's One with Me," and "My Blue Heaven." ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anne Gwynne, David Bruce, (more)
