Gordon Kay Movies

In this WW II drama a naive group of men join the military to fight for their country, never anticipating the horrifying realities of war. One of them is mortified at first, but then turns into a heartless killer. His sergeant reprimands him for shooting a surrendering German. Later he proves himself worthy by risking his neck to save the sergeant. Afterwards the two become life-long friends. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Fluffy the lion is featured in this comedy. He plays the subject of an ambitious experiment done by Daniel Potter (Tony Randall) -- a scientist trying to prove that even a wild animal like a lion can be made into a pet with proper training. Wherever he goes, Potter's ponderous pet incites mayhem amongst the region's fearful residents. To escape his panicky neighbors, Potter and Fluffy hide out in a hotel. There the owner's plucky daughter (Shirley Jones) falls for the unlikely duo. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Dan Duryea stars in this gritty medium-budget western as an unregenerate killer. His one saving grace is his affection for his foster son (Tony Young), whom he's raised from infancy. The boy grows up to be a sheriff, while Duryea continues his criminal activities in the company of his natural son. The ultimate showdown finds Young squaring off with his stepbrother, knowing full well that even if he wins, he'll lose in the eyes of some townsfolk--including his violence-hating fiancee. He Rides Tall combines western traditionalism with the gut-splattering gore popular in the early 1960s. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this western adventure set in a Mexican border town, two prisoners Foster and Pickett (Audie Murphy and Charles Drake), who are chained to a stake, somehow escape with other prisoners. They are led by cruel outlaw Lavalle (Harold J. Stone) who steals $12,000 in securities. Later the two fugitives try to steal the securities from the gang-leader. Unfortunately, they are caught by Lavalle. He holds Foster hostage and sends Pickett to town to cash the securities. The fugitive gives the resulting loot to his ex-girlfriend Estelle (Kathleen Crowley), and returns with nothing. The enraged Lavalle then lets Foster go to get the money. He meets the newly wealthy dance-hall girl who explains that Pickett gave her the money to make up for his losing her life savings gambling. She then grudgingly hands Foster the money. But as he returns to the outlaw lair, he is unaware that Estelle pursues him. Unfortunately, Lavalle sees her, and in the ensuing scuffle Pickett dies trying to protect Foster and the girl. Later the two flee with the angry Lavalle in hot pursuit. In the end, fugitive Foster kills the gang leader. He and Estelle then settle down and lead a peaceful life. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Audie Murphy plays a gunslinger put in charge of a posse. His quarry is a four-man bandit gang that has robbed the local bank, killed several citizens and abducted leading lady Zohra Lampert. Though Lampert is obviously a New York-based actress, it is John Saxon who plays the tenderfoot Manhattanite posse member, unaccustomed to the Wild West. It's nip and tuck for a while, but Audie Murphy successfully completes his mission and rescues the hostage. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Hell Bent for Leather is a standard western that features Audie Murphy in the role of Clay, a cowboy hunted by a posse out for blood. Clay deals and trade in horses in an honest way, and he does not suspect that a crooked U.S. Marshal (Stephen McNally) interested in furthering his career, is determined to nab him as a killer though he knows full well Clay is innocent. When first attacked, Clay grabs a hostage (Felicia Farr) who eventually sides with him and helps him in the long chase that follows. Clay's challenge is not only to get away from the Marshal and his posse but to somehow prove his innocence as well. Murphy, the most decorated soldier in World War II was still riding the popularity of his own real-life story in 1955's To Hell and Back when this western was released. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

Saga of Hemp Brown gets under way when the title character (Rory Calhoun) is court-martialed and booted from the Cavalry. Brown is accused of permitting his men to walk into a deadly ambush; he knows he's innocent, and he spends the rest of the picture tracking down the real culprit. Joining a travelling medicine show, Brown falls in love with pretty snake-oil peddler Mona Langley (Beverly Garland). She is instrumental in helping Brown corner the mastermind behind the ambush (whose identity must remain secret in this paragraph). As a western, Saga of Hemp Brown is more of the same; the film's greatest strength is the unstressed rapport between stars Rory Calhoun and Beverly Garland. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Adapted by Ernest Gann from his own novel, Twilight for the Gods bears traces of Gann's earlier The High and the Mighty. This "psychological adventure" stars Rock Hudson as Captain Bell, who crawls into a bottle after being court-martialed and discharged from the Navy. Reduced to skippering a rundown schooner in the South Seas, Bell comes into contact with a group of passengers and crew members who are almost as mixed up as he is: Charlotte (Cyd Charisse), a Honolulu prostitute on the lam from the authorities; Hutton (Leif Erickson), a third-rate show biz entrepreneur, Wiggins (Richard Haydn), an erudite beachcomber; Feodor and Ida Morris (Vladimir Sokoloff, Celia Lovsky) a refugee couple; ineffectual missionary Butterfield (Ernest Truex); washed-up opera star Ethel Peacock (Judith Evelyn); and second mate Ramsay (Arthur Kennedy), an all-around rotter. In other words, it's "Grand Hotel" at sea. During a treacherous, life-threatening storm at sea, the true characters of the passengers and crewmen are revealed -- for better or worse. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Fred MacMurray plays the head of an outlaw band trying to escape across the Mexican border. The gang is able to elude the law and to navigate the rough terrain, but the flight comes to a halt in an all-but-deserted desert town. Here MacMurray and company are forced to stave off an Indian attack, during which several of the bandits prove to be less venal than they seem. The buildup to the attack seems to take forever, indicating that the producers may have had High Noon and Gunfight at the OK Corrall. It's likely that Fred MacMurray would have ground out budget westerns for the remainder of his career had not Walt Disney and My Three Sons come along. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Allan "Rocky" Lane takes on a crooked landowner in Republic's Rough Riders of Durango. The villain intends to drive several ranchers into bankruptcy so he can snatch up their property at dirt-cheap prices. The ranchers fight back by scraping up $40,000 to clear all their debts. When the money is stolen, Lane is called in to retrieve the cash and collar the crooks. As was customary in the Allan "Rocky" Lane vehicles, Lane's horse Black Jack is afforded second billing in Rough Riders of Durango, while nominal leading lady Aline Towne is billed fourth. Even farther down the cast list is future Dukes of Hazzard co-star Denver Pyle. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Lawman Allan "Rocky" Lane is mistaken for a hired killer in this average western from Republic Pictures. Assuming the identity of his captive, Clune (Stuart Randall), when the latter is killed by mistake by fellow outlaw Murray (John Cason), Rocky learns that Murray's cohort Leo Straykin (Roy Barcroft) has killed a rancher named Reynolds and is planning on robbing Josh Taylor (Forrest Taylor) and then sell him the dead man's property. But Taylor arrives with his lawyer, Parradine (John Eldredge), and a surveyor, Bob Bennett (George Nader), one of whom is rumored to be Straykins' boss. Playing along and keeping his cover despite unwanted interference from Nugget Clark (Eddy Waller), an old-timer he has befriended along the way, Rocky learns that not only is Parradine Straykin's boss but young Bennett is actually Jack Reynolds, the vengeful son of the murdered rancher. The plot thickens with the arrival of Jack's pretty wife Carol (Claudia Barrett) but Rocky and Nugget eventually bring the villains to justice. Rustler's on Horeback marked the screen debut of 1950s matinee idol George Nader. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi

Frisco Tornado stars Allan "Rocky" Lane in his usual guise as a U.S. marshal. The lawman's target this time is a dishonest insurance company which offers protection against bandit raids. Thing of it is, the insurance folks are themselves orchestrating these raids. Eddy Waller once again supplies comedy relief, while Blackjack the horse once again provides locomotion. Allan Lane's leading lady is Martha Hyer, still serving her apprenticeship for the stardom that would be hers within a few short years. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi