Tom Kilpatrick Movies
- 1960
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
- 1950
With The Palomino, Columbia Pictures inaugurated its policy of giving "class" to its medium-budget pictures by filming in Technicolor. Columbia stock player Jerome Courtland stars as Steve Norris, scion of a meat-packing family. Steve decides to go into another line of work when he meets Maria Guevara (Beverly Tyler), owner of an on-the-skids horse-breeding farm. Helping Maria put her operation back on its feet, Steve runs afoul of crooked horse-breeder Ben Lane (Roy Roberts), who has stolen the girl's prize palomino stallion for stud purposes. Palomino wisely contains elements that appeal to youngsters and grownups alike: and beside, one couldn't go wrong with a horse picture back in 1950. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jerome Courtland, Beverly Tyler, (more)
- 1948
Stagecoach driver Bishop needs to capture the infamous bandit known as "The Monk" for his hooded attire. If Bishop can't bring the outlaw to justice, a crime will rest on his name. ~ Rovi
- 1941
Bucolic lawyer John Wayne takes on big-city corruption in A Man Betrayed. He sets out to prove that an above-suspicion politician (Edward Ellis) is actually a crook. The price of integrity is sweet in this instance, since Wayne happens to be in love with the politician's daughter (Frances Dee). Man Betrayed can be viewed from the vantage point of the 1990s as an attempt by Republic Pictures to broaden the range of its biggest star, John Wayne. That it doesn't quite work is forgotten as the audience luxuriates in the sheer professionalism of the whole endeavor--and besides, the Duke does get to put up his dukes on more than one occasion. Man Betrayed has been released under two alternate titles: Wheel of Fortune for American television, and Citadel of Crime (coincidentally the title of a like-vintage Republic "B" picture) for British audiences. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- John Wayne, Frances Dee, (more)
- 1940
The first Technicolor horror film since Mystery of the Wax Museum, Dr. Cyclops was directed by Ernest Schoedsack, of King Kong fame. Albert Dekker chews the scenery as mad scientist Dr. Thorkel, who has developed a process that will shrink human beings to doll size. His first victims include mining engineers Bill Stockton (Thomas Coley) and Steve Baker (Victor Kilian) and biologists Mary Mitchell (Janice Logan) and Dr. Bullfinch (Charles Halton). At first willing to play-act the role of benevolent despot with his miniaturized captives, Thorkel reveals the more sinister side of his personality by abruptly murdering Bullfinch in cold blood (easily the film's most frightening sequence). The rest of the picture details the escape efforts of the three pint-sized protagonists as they hack their way through a jungle of gigantic foliage and do battle with oversized wildlife. Though the cheery Technicolor hues tend to dilute the "scare" quotient in Dr. Cyclops, the special effects are superbly convincing throughout. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Albert Dekker, Thomas Coley, (more)
- 1939
Silent-screen leading lady Dolores Costello adds a touch of class to the threadbare Jack Holt vehicle Whispering Enemies. Reportedly inspired by recent headlines, the story deals with corporate intrigue in the cosmetic business, with Stephen Brewster (Holt) and Laura Crandall (Costello) representing two rival beauty-product firms. Brewster's company is destroyed via rumors of impropriety spread by Crandall's minions. Resorting to the same tactics, Brewster turns the tables on Crandall, and before long it is she who is out of work. But the balance of power shifts once more, with Crandall getting the goods on Brewster by fadeout time. Relieving the tedium of the the tug-o-war plotline is the brash comedy relief of Pert Kelton. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jack Holt, Dolores Costello, (more)
- 1937
Though not the most versatile of actors, granite-jawed Jack Holt does just fine with a dual role in Columbia's Trapped by G-Men. It all begins when FBI agent Bill Donovan (Holt), a dead ringer for notorious criminal Martin Galloway (also Holt), is sent to prison to gain the confidence of interred mob functionary Drake (Jack LaRue). Still posing as Galloway, Donovan stage-manages a jailbreak with Drake, the better to follow the criminal to the hideout of gangster leader Kilgour (C. Henry Gordon). Inevitably, one of the minor hoodlums exposes Donovan's true identity, and for a while it looks as though our hero is going to be ventilated with lead. Dragged in for an 11th-hour romantic subplot is the classy Wynne Gibson as female fed agent Alice. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jack Holt, Wynne Gibson, (more)
- 1923
Before hitting his stride at MGM later in the 1920s, director Clarence Brown was contracted to make five "Super-Jewels" for Universal. This one, a skillfully handled murder mystery based on the successful play by Rita Weiman, won good notices for Brown, who was still new to directing. When Andrew Prentice (Charles Wellesley) is mysteriously murdered, his foster son, Kenneth Winthrop (Richard Travers), is accused of the crime. Kenneth is put on trial, but circumstantial evidence, some of it offered by his wife, Madeline (Claire Windsor), seems to indicate he is innocent. After he is acquitted, Winthrop's foster brother, Robert Armstrong (Norman Kerry), falls under suspicion. Armstrong, who was in love with Madeline and became insanely jealous when she married Winthrop, is known for his fiery temper. There are others in addition to Armstrong who also become suspects. The revelations contained in a letter that was stolen from the mail reveal the real killer and his unexpected accomplice. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi
- Starring:
- Claire Windsor, Norman Kerry, (more)
