Paul Bryar Movies

Mister Cory represented the first of several successful collaborations between star Tony Curtis and director Blake Edwards. Adapted from a story by Leo Rosten, the story details the rise of Mr. Cory (Curtis) from summer-resort busboy to high-stakes gambler. Along the way, Cory uses several close associates to get ahead, including sluttish socialite Abby Vollard (Martha Hyer) and Abby's virtuous young sister Jen (Kathryn Grant). Charles Bickford delivers a sturdy performance as the worldly-wise older gambler who becomes Cory's partner and severest critic. Judging by the number of times it has recently popped up on Cable TV, Mister Cory is one of the most enduringly popular of Tony Curtis' 1950s vehicles. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Obviously inspired by such service comedies as Mister Roberts and Operation Mad Ball, Don't Go Near the Water is a tribute to those "unsung heroes" of WW2: the men and women of the Navy's Public Relations Department. Thousands of miles away from the shooting war, Lt. Max Siegel (Glenn Ford) and the rest of the PR staff spend their time issuing colorful reports of Naval heroism and sucking up to visiting US dignitaries on a tiny South Sea island. Siegel and company also battle the anal-rententive pettiness of such superior officers as Lt. Cmdr. Clinton T. Nash (Fred Clark) and such potential foes as abrasive war correspondent Gordon Ripwell (Keenan Wynn). The feminine angle is provided by Gia Scala as Melora, a European-educated local girl, Anne Francis as by-the-book nurse Lt. Alice Tomlen, and Eva Gabor as women's magazine writer Deborah Aldrich. Particularly amusing is Mickey Shaughnessy as foul-mouthed seaman Farragut Jones, whose periodic barrages of profanity are invariably drowned out by the sound of a ratchet-horn (this was, after all, 1957). Don't Go Near the Water was based on the comic novel by ex-PR man William Brinkley. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The Teenage Doll in this Roger Corman-directed "J. D." opus is a little number named Barbara (June Kenney). Basically a good girl, she falls into bad company when she impulsively decides to rebel against her parents. It isn't long before Barbara accidentally kills her tough-babe romantic rival (Barboura Morris), whereupon she is pursued all over town by femme gang leader Hel (Fay Spain) and her henchgirls (Barbara Wilson, Ziva Rodann). Barbara runs to her punk boy friend Eddie (John Brinkley) for protection, setting the stage for a climactic rumble. And remembers, kids: This could happen to you, so keep your record clean and stay home nights! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Howco Productions, purveyors of many a drive-in "classic" of the 1950s, was responsible for Teenage Thunder. Charles Courtney (usually billed as "Chuck" in his supporting-player appearances) stars as a young gas station attendant with a fondness for hot rods. Despite objections from his father, Courtney manages to enter several big races. When he wins the biggest race, dad finally comes around to his way of thinking. Not unexpectedly, the film's best scenes take place on the racetrack. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The Hargrove Finance Company has been robbed and Frank Anderson (James Anderson) lies dead. Identified by witnesses as one of the robbers, old Pop Renzi (Eduardo Ciannelli) is accused of murder. At the behest of Renzi's little grandson Nicky (Bobby Clark), Perry (Raymond Burr) agrees to handle Pop's defense--which proves a formidable task indeed, thanks to the obstreperous attitude of the dead man's sexy widow Iris (Nita Talbot). Veteran movie "gunsel" Elisha Cook Jr. appears in this episode, which was directed by the prolific Buzz Kulik. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The highly variable Tab Hunter delivers his best film performance in the grim western Gunman's Walk. Hunter plays Ed Hackett, the son of gunslinger-turned-land baron Lee Hackett (Van Heflin). Out of respect (and fear) of his father, the hotheaded Ed is given a wide berth by the resentful townsfolk. The elder Hackett doesn't make things any better when he tacitly approves of Ed's violent behavior, all the while giving short shrift to his law-abiding younger son Davy (James Darren). Inevitably, Ed goes one step too far, forcing his father to make a devastating decision. Kathryn Grant, future wife of Bing Crosby, registers well as the half-breed girl with whom Davy falls in love. Gunman's Walk is seen at a disadvantage on television; director Phil Karlson's inventive use of the CinemaScope lens will be largely lost on a 22-inch screen. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In the first episode of Walt Disney's two-part miniseries Moochie of the Little League, young Montgomery "Moochie" Morgan (Kevin Corcoran) spends his summer mornings delivering papers and his afternoons as a member of the Bobcats Little League team. Because of his diminutive size, he has spent most of the season on the bench but has been getting valuable pointers after each game from his dad (Russ Conway). Finally, Moochie gets his big chance to play in a crucial game -- just as word comes down that the Bobcats' baseball field is up for sale. Originally telecast as part of the Walt Disney Presents anthology, "A Diamond Is a Boy's Best Friend" and the next episode "Wrong Way Moochie" were later edited together and released theatrically in Europe as Little League Moochie. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Talented special effects and adventure director Michael Anderson (Around the World in 80 Days, 1956) keeps the suspense going in this drama about the wreck of the Mary Deare. John Sands (Charleton Heston) is the captain of a salvage ship that is almost rammed by the apparently abandoned Mary Deare. Sands boards the ship in search of plunder but as it is tossed on the high seas, he discovers a half-crazed captain aboard (Gary Cooper). The captain of the Mary Deare, Gideon Patch, tells Sands his story and in the end, the ship is scuttled and sinks. While Sands believes the story, the court does not believe it and Captain Patch is devastated. Determined to prove his innocence, the two captains dive down to the sunken Mary Deare to dredge up the evidence they need -- building up to a slam-bang climax. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

In New Orleans during Mardi Gras, Bart (Jack Kelly) witnesses the murder (or more accurately, the execution) of a wine merchant named Agostino (Joe Garcio). But when he tries to report the crime, Bart is accused of being the murderer himself. It soon develops that the killing was ordered by the local branch of the sinister "Black Hand" (a 1960s TV code-word for the Mafia), whose minions are determined to shut Bart up permanently before he can persuade someone to believe in his innocence. This episode was cowritten by actor Leo Gordon, who'd appeared in previous Maverick installments in the recurring role of Big Mike McComb. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In need of a new sheriff, the nearby town of Greendale offers the job to deputy Barney, on the basis of a newspaper story praising the efficiency of the two-man Mayberry police department. Realizing that Barney would be in way over his head, Andy contrives to make himself scarce so that Barney can experience first-hand the awesome and daunting responsibilities of High Sheriff. The guest cast includes Ralph Dumke as Greendale's Mayor Purdy and Dabbs Greer as Councilman Dobbs. Written by Ben Gershman and Leo Solomon, "Sheriff Andy" was originally telecast on December 25, 1961. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Season Three of The Untouchables begins with a return guest-star appearance by Peter Falk, this time in the role of mob troubleshooter Nate Selko (a character reportedly based on real-life gangster Murray "The Camel" Humphries). When Elliot Ness (Robert Stack) begins bearing down on the illegal punchboard racket, the Syndicate brings Selko in from Chicago to handle the problem. Failing to buy Ness off with a $500,000 bribe, Selko manages to frame the Federal agent for murder. D.A. Asbury (Frank Wilcox) allows the Underworld to believe that Ness has been disgraced and demoted so that Elliot can put on an "embittered drunk" act, the better to lure Selko and his entire organization into a well-concealed trap. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In one of his first roles, Warren Beatty plays a callous, self-involved young man who is idolized by his younger brother Brandon DeWilde. When Beatty and DeWilde's parents Karl Malden and Angela Lansbury take in Eva Marie Saint as a boarder, Beatty makes violent love to the poor (but not entirely unwilling) girl. Saint becomes pregnant, a contingency which brings out the absolute worst in Beatty. When he deserts her, she kills herself. Only at this point does DeWilde (who has worshipped Saint from afar) realize that Beatty has feet of clay. Attempting to kill his older brother, DeWilde relents when he decides that Beatty is more pathetic than evil. Playwright William Inge adapted the screenplay for All Fall Down from a novel by James Leo Herlihy. So dependent is this film on its stark black and white photography that the currently available colorized version is tantamount to sacrilege. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Filmed in panoramic Cinerama, this star-studded, epic Western adventure is a true cinematic classic. Three legendary directors (Henry Hathaway, John Ford, and George Marshall) combine their skills to tell the story of three families and their travels from the Erie Canal to California between 1839 and 1889. Spencer Tracy narrates the film, which cost an estimated 15 million dollars to complete. In the first segment, "The Rivers," pioneer Zebulon Prescott (Karl Malden) sets out to settle in the West with his wife (Agnes Moorehead) and their four children. Along with other settlers and river pirates, they run into mountain man Linus Rawlings (James Stewart), who sells animal hides. The Prescotts try to raft down the Ohio River in a raft, but only daughters Lilith (Debbie Reynolds) and Eve (Carroll Baker) survive. Eve and Linus get married, while Lilith continues on. In the second segment, "The Plains," Lilith ends up singing in a saloon in St. Louis, but she really wants to head west in a wagon train led by Roger Morgan (Robert Preston). Along the way, she's accompanied by the roguish gambler Cleve Van Valen (Gregory Peck), who claims he can protect her. After he saves her life during an Indian attack, they get married and move to San Francisco. In the third segment, "The Civil War," Eve and Linus' son, Zeb (George Peppard), fights for the Union. After he's forced to kill his Confederate friend, he returns home and gives the family farm to his brother. In the fourth segment, "The Railroads," Zeb fights with his railroad boss (Richard Widmark), who wants to cut straight through Indian territory. Zeb's co-worker Jethro (Henry Fonda) refuses to cut through the land, so he quits and moves to the mountains. After the railway camp is destroyed, Zeb heads for the mountains to visit him. In the fifth segment, "The Outlaws," Lilith is an old widow traveling from California to Arizona to stay with her nephew Zeb on his ranch. However, he has to fight a gang of desperadoes first. How the West Was Won garnered three Oscars, for screenplay, film editing, and sound production. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi