Carl Hittleman Movies
The venerable John Carradine gets his first chance to play the fanged count in 20 years (the last time was House of Dracula), albeit in one of the weirdest scenarios ever committed to film. Arriving in the Wild West via stagecoach, Drac installs himself in the home of a pretty rancher (Melinda Plowman) by convincing her (through hypnosis) that he is her long-lost uncle. Unfortunately for the Count, one of her hired hands is none other than legendary outlaw Billy the Kid (Chuck Courtney), who has been trying to put his wicked ways behind him. Billy takes a shine to his boss but starts to have his suspicions about her creepy "uncle." Eventually, the reformed desperado straps on his six-guns again to do battle with the Count, ably assisted by the local sawbones who must be an acquaintance of Dr. Van Helsing, since he obviously knows such helpful arcane knowledge such as (gasp) "The Vampire Test!" A camp anti-classic from William "One-Shot" Beaudine, who shot it back-to-back with yet another Wild-West-Horror mutation, Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chuck Courtney, John Carradine, (more)
- 1965
- Add Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter to QueueAdd Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter to top of Queue
William "One Shot" Beaudine's companion piece to the equally nonsensical Billy the Kid vs. Dracula represents a memorable closing to the eccentric "Z"-movie auteur's amusing body of work. The hare-brained concept finds the legendary outlaw Jesse James (John Lupton) stumbling into the decrepit lair of Maria Frankenstein (Narda Onyx) -- not the daughter but the granddaughter of the infamous monster-making Baron. Maria is, of course, following in Grandpa's footsteps by creating a creature of her own, transplanting the dormant but still-intact brain of Frankenstein's original monster into the body of one of James' cohorts. The lumbering, homicidal monster -- imaginatively dubbed "Igor" -- begins terrorizing townsfolk until the inevitable showdown between living and undead gunslingers. Though not as flamboyantly awful as its predecessor (mainly due to the absence of John Carradine), this is still worth a look for trash-movie completists. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
In 1950, Maj. Jefferson Pike (James Garner), an Army intelligence agent who served with distinction in World War II, awakens in a hospital with severe amnesia. He isn't sure where he is, how he got there, or even who the woman at his side is, even though the doctor tells him that her name is Anna (Eva Marie Saint) and that she is his wife. The doctor instructs Pike to recall, in as much detail as possible, what he was doing before the accident that caused his traumatic memory loss. But the doctor isn't a doctor, Anna isn't Pike's wife, it isn't 1950, and he isn't in an American hospital. World War II is still very much in progress, and Pike is being duped in an elaborate scheme prepared by Maj. Walter Gerber (Rod Taylor), a German intelligence agent. Gerber is trying to trick a drugged and suggestible Pike into telling him everything he knows, as the injured soldier lies in a Bavarian military hospital after being taken prisoner. Will Pike be able to see through the cracks in Gerber's facade before he spills the beans that could mean death and defeat for American soldiers? 36 Hours was later remade for TV under the title Breaking Point. TV fans will want to keep an eye peeled for bit parts by James Doohan from Star Trek and John Banner from Hogan's Heroes. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Garner, Eva Marie Saint, (more)
Patricia Medina plays the title character in The Buckskin Lady. Medina is cast as female gambler Angela Medley, who is forced by circumstances to align herself with outlaw Slinger (Gerald Mohr). But Angela has never gotten over her love for honest frontier doctor Bruce Merritt (Richard Denning), and at the first opportunity she redeems herself by catching a bullet intended for the doc. Henry Hull delivers the film's most memorable performance as Angela's drunken wretch of a father. Per the title, Buckskin Lady affords the viewer ample opportunity to see Patricia Medina in form-fitting western garb. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patricia Medina, Richard Denning, (more)
- 1957
Gun Battle at Monterey begins where most other westerns would end: with outlaw Turner (Sterling Hayden) double-crossed and shot in the back by his partner Beno (Ted de Corsia). Recovering from his wound, Turner spends the rest of the picture trying to catch up with the duplicitious Reno, so as to exact revenge and claim his share from a bank holdup. Romantic complications spring up from time to time thanks to Maria (Pamela Duncan), the Mexican gal who nursed Turner back to health, and Cleo (Mary Beth Hughes), a sexy dealer in the Monterey casino. Sterling Hayden is at his most taciturn and Ted DeCorsia at his most scurrilous in Gun Battle at Monterey. Their respective fans expected no less. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sterling Hayden, Pamela Duncan, (more)
- 1955
In order to pass through Comanche territory, the stranded passengers of a West-bound wagon train must sell the Indians their rifles in this western from Carl Hittleman. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- 1951
Ninety per cent of Little Big Horn takes place before Custer's Last Stand; thus, the emphasis is on character and suspense rather than spectacle (just as well, since spectacle was well out of the range of parsimonious Lippert Studios). Lloyd Bridges heads a small band of cavalrymen who desperately try to reach the Little Big Horn in time to warn Custer of a Sioux ambush. One by one, the men are picked off by Indian sharpshooters. The only survivors are Bridges and John Ireland, longtime enemies who may very well knock each other off before ever getting to Custer. Little Big Horn was the first directorial assignment for western-writer Charles Marquis Warren. It was hardly the last: Warren would later be one of the most prolific contributors to the Gunsmoke TV series of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lloyd Bridges, John Ireland, (more)
- 1950
Samuel Fuller wrote and directed this lively drama based on the real-life adventures of James Addison Reavis, one of the most ambitious swindlers of the 19th Century. In 1871, Reavis (played by Vincent Price) began hatching an elaborate scheme to claim the Arizona territory (then three decades away from statehood) as his own. At the time, land grants established during Spanish rule of Arizona were still valid, and one rainy evening Reavis visited Pepito Peralta (Vladimir Sokoloff) and his daughter Sofia (Karen Kester) with some exciting news. While working as a real estate clerk, Reavis found documents which granted ownership of nearly the whole of the Arizona territory to one Miguel Peralta, who was named Baron of the new land by Spain's rulers, and as his heir Sofia will become Baroness when she reaches adulthood, giving her claim to the territory. After giving Pepito and Sofia money and hiring a governess (Beulah Bondi) to educate the girl in a manner befitting the Barony, Reavis sailed for Spain on business; unknown to the Peraltas, Reavis posed first as a monk and then as a gypsy in order to revise old land grant documents to conform with his story. Several years later, Reavis returned to Pepito and Sofia's home, and asked the young woman (now played by Ellen Drew) to marry him. Once wed, Reavis presented his carefully forged paperwork to the Arizona authorities which gave him and his bride royal claim to the land; however, not everyone believed Reavis's elaborate tale, and John Griff (Reed Hadley), an expert in falsified documents, was brought in to examine the evidence. The Baron of Arizona gave Vincent Price a rare leading role in a non-horror vehicle, and he cited it as one of his favorite performances on film. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vincent Price, Ellen Drew, (more)
- 1950
Return of Jesse James is an excellent example of how to get full value for money from an attenuated budget. John Ireland plays Johnny, a bank robber who closely resembles the late Jesse James. As Johnny's crime spree spreads, so do rumors that Jesse is still alive. This forces Jesse's brother Frank (Reed Hadley) to emerge from hiding to put an end to Johnny's activities once and for all. The faultless supporting cast includes Henry Hull as Ireland's partner in crime, and Ann Dvorak as Hull's enigmatic sister. Hard to believe that Lippert Films, a company generally associated with time-filling quickies, could turn out something as accomplished as Return of Jesse James. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Ireland, Ann Dvorak, (more)
- 1949
When bucolic character comic Grady Sutton shows up as a pistol packin' Westerner in Grand Canyon, your suspicions are confirmed; this oater is supposed to be a spoof. A movie company comes to the Grand Canyon area to shoot a B-western. Pompous leading man James Millican breaks his leg and is replaced by local mule jockey Richard Arlen. The novice actor has to be literally led by the hand by leading lady Mary Beth Hughes (no Oscar prospect himself), but everything is roses by fadeout time. Reed Hadley, steadfast narrator/star of such TV crime series as Racket Squad and Public Defender, is given a rare opportunity to make funny as the western's director. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Arlen, Mary Beth Hughes, (more)
- 1949
By the none-too-exacting standards of Screen Guild Productions, Last of the Wild Horses is practically an "A" picture. James Ellison plays Duke Barnum, an innocent soul who is set up as the fall guy for duplicitious horse-ranch foreman Riley (Reed Hadley). When ranch owner Charlie Cooper (Douglass Dumbrille) discovers that Riley has been raiding the neighboring ranchers' stock, he confronts the foreman with the evidence. Riley responds by killing Cooper and placing the blame on Barnum, leading to a deadly climactic confrontation between the two. Filmed on location in Southern Oregon, Last of the Wild Horses was directed by Robert L. Lippert, who'd later assume control of Screen Guild and rename the studio after himself. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Ellison, Mary Beth Hughes, (more)
- 1949
Trail of the Mounties was the last of four "streamlined" actioners released by Screen Guild in the late 1940s. Each of these films was set in Canada, each starred Russell Hayden as a Mountie named "Lucky," and each ran approximately 45 minutes. This time, Lucky is on the trail of the fur thief who killed another Mountie. When our hero gets his man, it is with a sense of deep regret, since the villain is Lucky's twin brother (also played by Hayden). Jennifer Holt, daughter of Jack and sister of Tim, is the heroine. Trail of the Mounties was, like its predecessors, an early arrival on TV. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Russell Hayden, Jennifer Holt, (more)
- 1949
William "One Take" Beaudine warms the director's chair for Lippert Pictures' Tough Assignment. The film is essentially a combination western and contemporary crime yarn, with Don Barry cast as Dan Reilly, a frontier journalist. With the help of his wife Margie (Marjorie Steele), Dan tries to get the goods on a gang of clever cattle rustlers. The main villain is played by Steve Brodie, while his henchmen are played by Marc Lawrence and Ben Welden -- an intimidating lineup indeed. Comedy relief is supplied by Sid Melton, soon to become a "regular" in Lippert's low-budgeters of the 1950s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marjorie Steele, Steve Brodie, (more)
- 1949
This dark, gloomy Western chronicles the shame and self-destruction of Bob Ford, the real-life James Gang member that murdered Jesse James for the reward money. In this fictionalized account, James (Reed Hadley) tends to Ford (John Ireland) after he is wounded during a heist. When Ford's longtime love, Cynthy (Barbara Britton), gains a new admirer, he decides that settling down and buying a farm is the only way to win her for himself. He learns that the governor issued a 10,000-dollar reward and amnesty for Jesse's murder, and, after some deliberation, shoots his savior in the back when the outlaw turns to straighten a painting. Neither the government nor Cynthy takes kindly to his treachery: Ford is jailed, collects only 500 dollars, and is dumped. He is reduced to re-enacting the infamous murder in a stage show, hearing a traveling minstrel sing about his dirty deed, and running from the would-be gunfighters that hope to kill the man who shot Jesse James. The film follows Ford's vain attempts to achieve redemption and win back Cynthia's heart. I Shot Jesse James suffered through several casting related problems. Producer Robert L. Lippert refused to hire Lawrence Tierney, director Fuller's first choice to portray Ford. Barbara Woodell replaced Ann Doran as Jesse James' wife only days before production. Lastly, casting director, Yolanda Molinari's, name was misspelled "Yolondo" in the film's opening credits, making many believe that she was a man. ~ Aubry Anne D'Arminio, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Preston S. Foster, Barbara Britton, (more)
- 1948
In this above-average western, a villainous land grabber attempts to force horse ranchers to sell their ranches so he can become king of the horse market. One stubborn rancher refuses to relent and his killed. His two surviving sisters then continue the fight. They are soon assisted by a passing drifter who ends up falling for one of them. In the end a gunfight between the good and bad guys ensues. Also included in the story are scenes from an exciting fight between two wild stallions. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Arlen, Patricia Morison, (more)
- 1947
The baby sitter is none other than veteran Hollywood tough guy Tom Neal. A private detective, Neal is hired to keep an eye on the child of married couple George Meeker and Rebel Randall. Actually, Meeker and Randall are jewel thieves, and their "baby" is their stolen loot. Neal eventually catches on when he realizes that this is the quietest child on earth. Running a scant 41 minutes, Case of the Baby Sitter was designed to be shown in tandem with another Screen Guild Productions "briefie," The Hat Box Mystery: the films were shot back to back, with Tom Neal and Pamela Blake starring in both. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Neal, Allen Jenkins, (more)
