Lawrence Kimble Movies
Listed in some sources as a director, Lawrence Kimble seems to have limited his Hollywood career to screenwriting. A contract writer at Warner Bros. from 1937 to 1940, Kimble worked on such "B" projects as Beloved Brat (1938) and Adventures of Jane Arden (1939), and such larger-budgeted fare as Submarine D-1 (1937) and It All Came True (1940). He spent the 1940s as a free-lancer, working for studios ranging from mighty MGM to humble Republic. One of his assignments during this period was the irresistibly titled Zombies on Broadway (RKO, 1945). Lawrence Kimble closed out his career with Columbia's Two of a Kind (1951). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1951
Cardsharp Edmond O'Brien gets more than he bargained for when he links up with con artists Lizabeth Scott and Alexander Knox. The trio plot to fleece a wealthy couple out of ten million dollars by having O'Brien pose as the couple's long-lost son. When the husband (Griff Barnett) refuses to change his will, Scott and Knox plan to bump him off. O'Brien may be a crook, but he's no murderer, so he balks at the plan and confesses the scam to the elderly couple--prompting Knox to add O'Brien to his list of potential victims. When Scott decides to pull out of the plan as well, Knox is run out of town, leaving the girl with O'Brien--truly "two of a kind," who'll be able to line up suckers elsewhere. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edmond O'Brien, Lizabeth Scott, (more)
- 1950
One Way Street stars James Mason in a variation of his Odd Man Out role. Mason plays Doc Matson, a gangland physician who has stolen $200,000 from powerful mob boss Wheeler (Dan Duryea). Forced to go on the lam, Matson takes Wheeler's girl Laura (Marta Toren) along. Knowing he is doomed from the start, the Doc dispenses reams of fatalistic philosophy, so much so that one wishes Laura would shout "Enough, already!" Finally finding a purpose in life tending to impoverished Mexican peasants, Doc decides to go back to LA and return both the money and Laura to Wheeler. Not surprisingly, the mobster isn't in the mood to forgive and forget. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Märta Torén, Dan Duryea, (more)
- 1950
This latest in Republic's semi-annual "Hit Parade" series stars John Carroll, Marie McDonald and Estelita Rodriguez. Carroll plays a dual role, as a high-rolling gambler named Joe Blake and a radio crooner named Eddie Paul. Faced with mounting debts, Joe persuades Eddie to take his place, with the expected results. As the erstwhile girlfriend of both John Carrolls, Marie McDonald amply demonstrates why she was nicknamed "The Body," while Estelita Rodriguez, as the gambler's moll, renders a couple of mildly satirical Latin-American tunes. Appearing as a dimwitted gambler is Frankie Fontaine, doing a virtual dry run of his "Crazy Guggenham" character. Unlike previous "Hit Parade" musicals, Hit Parade of 1951 was not given a new title for its TV release. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Carroll, Marie McDonald, (more)
- 1950
Filmed in Argentina, Republic's The Avengers stars John Carroll as a handsome adventurer known as Don Careless. Our Hero hopes to save heroine Maria Moreno (Adele Mara) from a forced marriage to a ruthless revolutionary (Roberto Airaldi). Both Carroll and supporting actor Vincente Padula play dual roles, for reasons that the film makes clear (even though the official studio resumé does not). Billed tenth, Fernando Lamas is given "and introducing" billing in the credits, and never mind that he'd been in films since 1942. The Avengers is based on a novel by Rex Beach. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Carroll, Adele Mara, (more)
Cover-Up transfers the metropolitan "film noir" milieu to a small Midwestern town. Dennis O'Keefe plays Sam Donovan, an insurance detective, investigating the suicide of a policy holder. All signs point to murder, but no one in the victim's hometown is willing to cooperate with Donovan, least of all sheriff Larry Beat (William Bendix). Local girl Anita (Barbara Britton) breaks through the wall of silence and helps Donovan solve the mystery. Intriguingly, the action of Cover-Up takes place at Christmastime, with the tinselly Yuletide atmosphere providing stark contrast to the sordid murder story. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Bendix, Dennis O'Keefe, (more)
- 1948
Angel on the Amazon gives the viewer a pretty good notion of what Lost Horizon or She might have looked like had they been produced by Republic Pictures. Vera Ralston stars as huntress Christine Ridgeway, who embarks on one of her many hunting expeditions in the company of her husband Anthony Brian Aherne. While deep in the jungles of the Amazon, the Ridgeways and their party come across the wreckage of a plane. Among the survivors are pilot Jim Warburton George Brent and Dr. Karen Lawrence Constance Bennett. Warburton is impressed by the fact that, though apparently well on in years, Christine has retained her youthful appearance. Dr. Lawrence eventually discovers the secret of Christine's eternal beauty, which by film's end has atrophied considerably. The rambling screenplay whisks the viewer from Brazil to the Riviera to Pasadena, all courtesy of the Republic back lot. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Brent, Vera Ralston, (more)
- 1948
Much of Mystery in Mexico was filmed on location through the facilities of RKO Radio's Churubusco Studios. William Lundigan plays Steve an insurance investigator sent to Mexico City to ascertain the whereabouts of a missing colleague. Also concerned for the missing man's welfare is his sister, nightclub singer Victoria (Jacqueline White). A murder and a kidnapping follow in short order, with all the clues leading to a gang of elusive jewel thieves. There are plenty of Latino surnames in the cast list of Mystery in Mexico, including third-billed Ricardo Cortez (who came into the world as Jake Krantz). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Lundigan, Jacqueline White, (more)
- 1948
In this courtroom drama, a French girl stands trial for murder. Flashbacks tell the grim story of how, during the Great War she got involved with a wealthy soldier and married him. He disappeared after the war. She then came to the U.S. There she finds him married to another woman. To cover himself, he tries to get her deported. In the ensuing argument, she accidently kills him. She is found guilty, but when they learn that she is expecting, the widow helps her. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ruth Hussey, John Carroll, (more)
- 1947
The Broadway musical Beat the Band was boiled down to B-picture terms in this RKO Radio programmer. The plot concerns Damon (Philip Terry), a bandleader who finds himself financially embarrassed when he returns from WW2. In order to earn enough money to reassemble his orchestra, Damon poses as a famed Italian voice teacher. His first pupil is would-be songstress Ann (Frances Langford), whose family fortune figures prominently in Damon's comeback scheme. Ralph Edwards, emcee of the then-popular radio series "Truth or Consquences," provides comic relief as Damon's crooked business manager. The musical highlights include a "hot" arrangement performed in a boiler room by the Gene Krupa Orchestra. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Frances Langford, Ralph Edwards, (more)
- 1947
Carlotta Duval (Vera Ralston) is willing to help her boyfriend George McAllister (John Carroll) get his hands on his ailing brother Barry's (Robert Paige) fortune. She is willing to marry Barry, knowing full well that he has only been given a few months to live. And when she deviates from the scheme by falling in love with Barry, she is willing to nurse her husband back to health, despite what George has to say about it. But is George willing to prevent slimy blackmailer Ernie Hicks (Broderick Crawford) from destroying Carlotta and Barry's newfound happiness? In terms of both budget and histrionic level, The Flame is one of the most lavish of Republic Pictures' late-1940s productions. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Carroll, Vera Ralston, (more)
- 1946
Elevating Criminal Court above the B-picture norm is the inventive direction by Robert Wise and the better-than-usual performances by all concerned. In a break from his heroic "Falcon" role, Tom Conway stars as Steve Barnes, a criminal attorney known for his unorthodox courtroom tactics. After accidentally killing a crooked nightclub owner, Barnes is stuck on the horns of a dilemma when his sweetheart, cabaret singer Georgia Gale (Martha O'Driscoll), is arrested for the crime The problem: How can Barnes clear Georgia of the murder without implicating himself? As for the solution...well, best not to reveal that here. All that keeps Criminal Court from A-picture status is its 62 minute running time; on the other hand, the film's impact might have been blunted had it been any longer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Conway, Martha O'Driscoll, (more)
- 1946
In this courtroom drama, a husband finds himself accused of murder after his wife, a photographer, is found dead in her studio. The DA is determined to prosecute, but the lawyer soon has troubles of his own when his girl friend, convinced of the husband's innocence, elects to defend him. With the aid of a lie detector, she proves he was not the murderer. Fortunately, the love between the lawyers manages to hold up under all the strain. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bonita Granville, Morgan Conway, (more)
- 1946
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
- Starring:
- Lawrence Tierney, Barton MacLane, (more)
- 1946
In this WW II romance, a small-time nightclub singer who works in a little Manhattan nightclub has a one-night stand with a handsome fly-boy. The next day, the B-29 pilot is sent to the Pacific and once there, his crew mischievously paints the picture of the singer upon his plane with the words "The Bamboo Blonde" beneath it. The pilot takes off to become one of the most fearsome fighters of the war, earning himself considerable renown back home. Ever the entrepreneur, the nightclub owner sees a chance to make big bucks off of the singer. He succeeds and she becomes famous. Later the pilot returns, but though he wants to be with his Bamboo Blonde he cannot for he is engaged to another -- at least for the moment. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Frances Langford, Ralph Edwards, (more)
- 1945
A journalist for a popular travel magazine goes looking for interesting stories in Latin America and finds love instead in this colorful musical. The love angle comes from her fiance who lives there, and from the dashing photographer who accompanies her. Included are many South American acts including flamenco dancers Rosario and Antonio. Songs include: "Ba-Ba-Lu" (Bob Russell, Marguerita Lecuna), "Stars in Your Eyes", "La Morine de Mi Copla" (Gabriel Ruiz, Mort Greene), "Rhumba Matumba" (Bobby Collazo, Greene), "Guadalajara" (Pepe Guizar, Greene), "Negra Leona" (A. Fernandez, Greene), and "Baramba" (Margarita Lecuona, Greene). ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Phillip Terry, Audrey Long, (more)
- 1944
In this musical comedy, a pair of small-potatoes performers try to make it to the big-time after winning an amateur talent contest. Though this leads them to a few professional gigs, something is missing from their act and they are not popular. Believing a little cash will boost their career, the girl heads for Washington, D.C. to see if her wealthy daddy will help them. En route she is mistaken for the wife of a well-known pilot and ends up in his suite having to pretend she is his spouse. When the pilot meets her, romantic sparks fly. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anne Shirley, Dennis Day, (more)
- 1944
This irresistably-titled comedy is arguably the best of RKO Radio's Wally Brown-Alan Carney vehicles. The daffy duo is cast once more as Jerry Miles and Mike Strager, this time employed as Broadway press agents. Mike and Jerry's latest scheme is to hire a genuine zombie for the opening of a new nightclub. The boys head to a mysterious tropical island with cabaret singer Jean la Dance (Anne Jeffreys), where they cross swords with looney zombie expert Professor Renault (Bela Lugosi). Barely escaping with their lives, Jerry and Jean return to Manhattan with a "zombified" Mike, who is under the spell of Renault's secret formula. When Mike snaps out of his trance, the boys must face the wrath of nasty nightclub owner Ace Miller (Sheldon Leonard), who's a lot more frightening than any zombie. Zombies on Broadway turned a neat profit for RKO, encouraging the studio to reteam Brown, Carney, Anne Jeffreys and Bela Lugosi in the far less satisfying Genius at Work (1946). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alan Carney, Bela Lugosi, (more)
- 1944
Ostensibly a vehicle for RKO Radio's new comedy duo Wally Brown and Alan Carney, Seven Days Ashore actually casts Brown & Carney in subordinate roles. The plotline is carried by furloughed sailor Dan Arland (Gordon Oliver), who while docked in San Francisco gets mixed up with three amorous females. Hoping to avoid breach-of-promise suits from two of the girls, Arland palms them off to his pals Monty (Brown) and Orville (Carney), while he devotes his time to debutante Annabelle (played by future news journalist Elaine Shepard). One of the "castaway" girls is portrayed by Virginia Mayo, on the verge of stardom. Musical relief is provided by Dooley Wilson ("Sam" in Casablanca), Freddie Slack and His Orchestra, and the zany "corn aggregation" led by Freddie "Schnickelfritz" Fisher. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Wally Brown, Alan Carney, (more)
- 1943
A grown-up Jane Withers is joined by a whole slew of former child stars in the lightweight Republic musical Johnny Doughboy. Withers capably essays the part of a teenaged movie star who tires of the spotlight and runs away from Hollywood. Adopting an alias, she joins "The Junior Victory Caravan", a group of youthful USO performers. She also pursues a romance with much-older playwright Henry Wilcoxon, only to be (deliberately) disillusioned by the man. Among the juvenile favorites making cameo appearances in Johnny Doughboy are Bobby Breen, Baby Sandy, Butch & Buddy, Cora Sue Collins, Robert Coogan (Jackie's brother) and ex-"Little Rascals" George "Spanky" McFarland and Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jane Withers, Henry Wilcoxon, (more)
- 1943
In this romantic musical, a pianist is left stranded in Tahiti. He decides to augment his band by hiring on a new singer. The other band members are skeptical of her, but they head to San Francisco to play. They bomb and the pianist must convince the band to play a new kind of music. Things begin to improve as the inevitable romance between the band leader and the singer heats up. Unfortunately, the woman is already engaged to a sailor. Later another sailor vies for affection, but in the end, she is with the right man and happiness for all involved ensues. Songs include: "Tahiti Honey" (Jule Styne, George H. Brown, Sol Meyer), "You Could Hear a Pin Drop," "Any Old Port in a Storm," "This Gets Better Every Minute," "Koni Plenty Hu-Hu," "Of Course I'm a Cossack" (Charles Newman, Lew Pollack). ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Simone Simon, Dennis O'Keefe, (more)
- 1942
Though musical-comedy favorite Jane Frazee was well established at Universal in mid-1942, every so often she'd head to Republic to star in such confections as Moonlight Masquerade. Frazee is cast as Vicki Forester, daughter of oil-company executive Robert Forrester (Jed Prouty). When the girl was born, Forrester entered into an agreement with his partner John Bennett Sr. (Paul Harvey) that Vicki would marry Bennett's son John Jr. (Dennis O'Keefe) upon reaching her 21st birthday. Never having met, Vicki and John imagine the worst about each other, and both try to figure out a way to earn their respective family inheritances without going through with the wedding. It is inevitable, then, that our heroine and hero will assume phony names somewhere along the line, then fall in love without realizing their true identities. Eddie Foy Jr. provides occasional respites from the film's standard mistaken-identity routines with his manic characterization of "Lord Percy Tickleberry". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dennis O'Keefe, Jane Frazee, (more)
- 1942
A collegiate football player becomes the campus laughing-stock when he scores the winning touchdown--for the wrong team. The bungler's life doesn't get much better when a gangster, the only one who is happy about the player's mistake because it earned him a bundle, hires him and hands him a fortune worth over $100,000 to transport from California to Chicago. While at the airport the player gets distracted by a lovely reporter and misses his flight. He then rents a private plane. The fun really begins after he accidentally fumbles the cash and it plummets into the midst of a prison yard. Now he must somehow retrieve every penny lest he lose more than another game. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bill Henry, Sheila Ryan, (more)
In his final film before entering war service, Gene Autry joins the World Wide Wild West Show, a faltering enterprise about to be taken over by the more powerful Johnson Bros. Rodeo, and his success as the Singing Bronco Buster allows the show to open at San Capistrano instead of the rival outfit. Stag Johnson (Morgan Conway), who is sweet on World Wide's owner Jennifer Benton (Virginia Grey), is inclined to leave things as they are but brother Jed (Tristram Coffin) and jealous show girl Jackie Laval (Marla Shelton) do what they can to sabotage the competition, including forcing Mom (Claire DuBrey) and Pop McCracken (Lucien Littlefield), Jennifer's foster-parents, off the road. Gene at first blames himself for all the troubles but then joins sidekicks Frog Millhouse (Smiley Burnette) and Tadpole (Joe Stracuh, Jr.) in battling the increasingly desperate Johnson brothers. When not rescuing the heroine from runaway buckboards and other such Wild West shenanigans, Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, Joe Strauch, Jr. and company perform "In Old Capistrano", "At Sundown", "Forgive Me", "Don't Bite the Hand That's Feeding You", and "Fort Worth Jail". According to some reports, Bells of Capistrano), which was produced on an impressive budget of $500,000, employed two camera crews in order to finish principal photography prior to Autry's induction into the Army Air Force. Gene Autry Entertainment restored the film to its original length in 2001. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, (more)
- 1942
First filmed in 1914, Edgar Selwyn's venerable North Country yarn Pierre of the Plains was thawed out once more in 1942. John Carroll plays the title role, a French-Canadian guide with an accent one could cut with a double-edged knife. Always in trouble with the law, Pierre manages to swagger through life with a smile on his lips and a song (the interminable "Saskatchewan") in his heart. Our hero proves that he's a splendid fellow by clearing Val Denton (Phil Brown), brother of heroine Daisy Denton (Ruth Hussey), of a murder charge. Bruce Cabot and Sheldon Leonard are the scowling villains, while Henry Travers (Clarence in It's a Wonderful Life) steals the show as a canny cardsharp. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Carroll, Ruth Hussey, (more)
- 1941
In this drama an eager-beaver reporter loses his job when he prints a false story about a society girl. The unemployed reporter, anxious to redeem himself, then gets involves in a gangster backed smuggling operation. Meanwhile the wronged socialite falls in love with him. Unfortunately, he will not marry her because she is to wealthy. But when the gangsters kidnap her, he comes to her rescue and eventually becomes her husband. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Phillip Terry, Wendy Barrie, (more)
