Howard J. Green Movies

This thriller centers on the possession of a valuable new metal that is able to withstand nuclear radiation. It had been invented by a Belgian metallurgist, but he was murdered by an international ring of thieves who make some of the valuable alloy into a cigarette case that is placed on an unknowing jewel thief in hopes that he will inadvertently sneak it into East Germany. Unfortunately, he decides to sell the case back to the ring leader and is almost killed. Fortunately, he escapes and gets the case to the proper authorities. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

By virtue of the popularity of his TV series The Range Rider, Jack (later Jock) Mahoney is afforded almost as much screen time in Hawk of the Wild River as the film's official star Charles Starrett. In fact, since Mahoney doubles for Starrett in certain sequences, it could be argued that his part is larger. This 53-minute "Durango Kid" western finds Starrett adopting his "Durango" disguise to find out who's behind a series of stagecoach holdups. The miscreant turns out to be "The Hawk" (Clayton Moore, the "Lone Ranger" himself!) Mahoney plays a deputy sheriff who helps the Durango Kid bring The Hawk to justice. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Mickey Rooney made his directorial debut with My True Story. Per its title, the film is based on an article which first appeared in the pages of True Story magazine. Jewel thief Ann Martin (Helen Walker) is paroled thanks to some string-pulling by criminal boss George Trent (Wilton Graff). Ann soon learns that she is expected to participate in a major gem heist. With the help of policeman Bill Phillips (Willard Parker) -- who also happens to be a former member of U.S. military intelligence -- Ann hopes to turn the tables on the smooth-but-deadly Trent. Featured in the cast as "Mark Foster" is Aldo DaRe, who would matriculate to stardom under the nom de film of Aldo Ray. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Columbia Pictures attempted to duplicate the success of Monogram's "Bowery Boys" pictures with its 1950 programmer Military Academy with That Tenth Avenue Gang. Four tough-but-lovable juvenile delinquents are sent to military school but a tough-but-kindly judge. It is hoped that the school's regimen will straighten out the boys and send them down the right path in life. It does, but there are plenty of twists on that path along the way. Topping the cast in Military Academy is Stanley Clements, who in 1956 would replace "Bowery Boys" star Leo Gorcey. Among the supporting players is Buddy Swan, who in 1941 played young Orson Welles in Citizen Kane. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The exciting world of racing provides the backdrop for this adventure that is unusual because it is told from a race horse's viewpoint. The story begins as the racer is born on a Kentucky farm. He is then seen being trained, having problems, and getting very attached to his devoted owner. Later, ridden by real-life jockey Johhny Longden, the horse wins at Santa Anita. Special guest horses include: Man O'War, Seabiscuit, Whirlaway, Gallant Fox, Phar Lap, and Equipoise. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

This prison reform-minded melodrama from B-movie director Gordon Douglas opens with an introduction from Lewis F. Lawes, the real-life prison warden turned author of 20,000 Years in Sing Sing (1932). Lawrence Tierney stars as Jim Roland, one of the founding members of the Inmate's Welfare League, a prisoners' rehabilitation group operating inside the California state prison San Quentin. The League keeps internal peace at the prison and helps career criminals go straight, training them for a law-abiding life on the outside. Upon his parole, Jim became one of the program's first success stories, but the same can't be said for Nick Taylor (Barton McLane). Once a model prisoner, Taylor has broken out of the facility and gone on a violent crime spree. When San Quentin officials, including Warden Kelly (Harry T. Shannon), consider shutting down the program, the membership feels responsible and appeals to Jim for help. The ex-con, now a responsible citizen, sets out to bring Taylor to justice and save the League, putting his own life at risk. Douglas employs a brisk pace in San Quentin (1946), which is also the feature film debut of actor Raymond Burr, who appears in the supporting role of Jeff Torrance. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

Having Wonderful Crime spotlights Michael J. Malone, the murder-solving attorney created by author Craig Rice. The film is also ostensibly based on a novel by Rice, though precious little of the original actually made it to the screen. The story begins as Malone (Pat O'Brien) brusquely informs his newlywed friends Jake and Helene Justus (George Murphy and Carole Landis) that he's not going to allow them to suck him into another murder mystery. Unfortunately for the attorney, Jake and Helene shortly afterward attend a stage magic show wherein the star magician (George Zucco) disappears for real! Their investigation leads to a resort hotel literally packed with murder suspects. When the newlyweds learn too much for their own good, it's up to Malone to come to the rescue and nab the killer. One of the suspects is played by an actress named Anje Berens, who as "Gloria Holden" previously starred in Dracula's Daughter (1936). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Amidst its usual yearly quota of adventure films, Paramount's Pine-Thomas unit turned out a handful of comedies and musicals. One of these was Take it Big, starring Jack Haley and Harriet Hilliard. Haley plays Jack North, the nether end of a vaudeville horse act who inherits a western ranch. When he heads to the Great Outdoors to take possession, Jack winds up at the wrong place: a swanky dude ranch. He immediately begins running things, at it's quite a while before his error is discovered. By the time he shows up at his own ranch, he's up to his ears in unpaid debts-which naturally requires a fund-raising musical show as a bail-out. Harriet Hilliard handles the romantic portion of the proceedings, occasionally dueting with her real-life husband, bandleader Ozzie Nelson. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this entry in the "Boston Blackie" series, the reformed crook meets his former lover who tells him that her father has just been freed from prison and that he is heading out to a safe deposit box where he hid a sack of diamonds. The good daughter wants her father to return the rocks and reform and wants Blackie to help him. Unfortunately, the father is murded en route to the bank and the hapless detective is arrested for the crime. Following his escape, Blackie learns that the girl has been kidnapped by gangsters who want her to reveal the location of the valuable box. There is a major showdown in a local nightclub when Blackie bursts in on the mob. In the end, he stops the gang, saves the girl, and overcomes temptation and returns the jewels. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Beverly Ross (nn Miller) is a would-be radio personality, but the closest she gets to being on the air is running the switchboard at a local station. Worse yet, the blustery station owner Mr. Kennedy (Tim Ryan) wants no part of programming "jive" (i.e., swing music) that she loves, preferring the classics. But she manages to con Vernon Lewis (Franlin Pangborn), the host of the station's early morning classical show, into believing that he needs a vacation and slips into his time-slot at 5 am, where she starts running records by Bob Crosby's band, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Frank Sinatra in place of Beethoven and Mendelssohn. The soldiers at the local army base pick up on the new show, and two of them, wealthy candy company magnate Barry Lang (William Wright) and his former chauffeur Andy Adams (Dick Purcell, decide they want to meet this new disc jockey, and as luck would have it her brother (Larry Parks) is in their platoon and invites them to his home. But the two men decide to switch identities, Barry denying his wealth and pretending to be Andy, and Andy presenting himself as the candy heir Barry -- and as if matters aren't complicated enough for Beverly, coping with their antics, she has to fight to keep her radio show. But when the soldiers listening to her start writing in by the thousands, and Barry suggests she call her 5am show "Reveille," she takes it one step further and "Reveille With Beverly," and becomes a smash. But can she sort out the intertwining romantic overtures of the two men in her life? ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide

In this drama a military cadet must demonstrate his courage to quell accusations of cowardice. His friend assists him. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

The Big Boss is Jim Maloney (Otto Kruger), who pulls all the political strings in an unnamed major metropolis. Maloney's chief antagonist is scrupulously honest "reform" governor Bob Dugan (John Litel). The fact that Maloney and Dugan are actually brothers, orphaned in childhood and raised separately, adds both texture and poignancy to their current adversarial relationship. Intending to reveal his fraternal ties to Dugan at a crucial moment in the latter's anti-corruption campaign, Maloney is ultimately defeated by the forces of Righteousness. Outside of the always dependable Otto Kruger and John Litel, the film's best performance is delivered by the underrated Gloria Dickson as a fairly realistic newspaperwoman. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Columbia's Two in a Taxi is perfect "Late Late Late Show" fare, just the sort of brisk, breezy film with which one would want to greet the new sunrise. Cab driver Jimmy Owens (Russell Hayden) hopes to push a hack just long enough to raise enough money-300 bucks, to be exact--for his own gas station. He also intends to marry his longtime sweetheart Bonnie (Anita Louise) as soon as he's on his feet financially. Alas, this plan hits a snag when the couple breaks up over a silly misunderstanding; in addition, Jimmy manages to lose his nest egg at every turn, even after collecting $1000 for capturing a gang of bank robbers. The conformist travails of Jimmy and Bonnie are counterpointed by the the faintly Communistic speeches delivered by a radical cabbie known as The Professor (Henry Brandon), whose presence in the film adds a welcome (but never overdone) dash of vitriol. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide