Philip N. Krasne Movies

1,000 Convicts and a Woman was the lurid alternate title to the British skinflick Fun and Games. Alexandra Hay, whose two talents are on display throughout, plays the daughter of prison warden Neil Hallett. She abuses her position by assuming other positions with prisoners and guards alike, then swearing them to secrecy lest she broadcast ugly rumors about them to her unsuspecting daddy. Tired of being mere sexual playthings, two convicts set a trap that will show Hay for the strumpet that she is. Politically correct? Don't be silly. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this war drama, an Army intelligence officer stationed in Saigon labors to discover the identity of the double-agent in his department who has been sending classified information to the Soviets. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Spliced together with plentiful strips of old footage from previous films set in Africa, this routine romantic drama takes place on the east, equatorial region of the so-called "dark continent," in 1897. The story features Mariette Hartley as Ruth Knight and Lloyd Bochner as David, an engineer and Ruth's romantic interest during a safari. Frankie Avalon plays another safari member. Aside from the spliced-in scenery and animals, and the romance between Ruth and David, there is a dash of adventure here and there as slave traders enter into the action. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

George Montgomery stars in Pawnee as Paul, a white man raised by Indians. Upon attaining adulthood, Paul finds himself rejected by both the Pawnee tribe and the white community. He manages to attain a job as a wagon train scout, but even in this position of respect and authority he is treated with hostility and suspicion. When Wise Eagle (Ralph Moody), the Pawnee chief who raised Paul as his own son, dies, the tribe is taken over by Paul's lifelong enemy Crazy Fox (Charles Horvath). Thus, when the wagon train is attacked by Indians, Paul has no qualms about aligning himself with the passengers. Featured in the cast as Dancing Fawn is Charlotte Austin, the cult-favorite star of such horror cheapies as The Man Who Turned to Stone. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In their last feature film, the Cisco Kid (Duncan renaldo) and Pancho (Leo Carrillo) come up against a vicious gang who is robbing stagecoaches in their likenesses. But when the latest holdup injures driver Jerry Todd (Bill Lester), the real Cisco and Pancho make sure that the youngster gets medical treatment, much to the surprise and gratitude of his intended, Nora Malloy (Jane Adams), who agrees to help set a trap for the real culprits. Filmed at Pioneertown, a popular movie location just east of Los Angeles, The Girl From San Lorenzo was the last of producer Philip N. Krasne's Cisco Kid feature films for United Artists. It was followed by the 1950-1956 television series, again produced by Krasne and starring Renaldo and Carrillo. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi

Daring Cabellero was the third of producer Phil Krasne's Cisco Kid "B" westerns. Duncan Renaldo and Leo Carrillo return as Cisco and Pancho, roles they'd carry over into a popular 1950s TV series. Once more stumbling into a dangerous situation, Cisco and Pancho risk their own necks by saving an innocent man from hanging. Eventually, our heroes learn that a corrupt political machine is behind the killing. Leading lady Kippie Valez is cast as "herself," which must have meant more in 1949 than it does today. Unlike the subsequent TV series, Daring Caballero does not end with the leading actors reciting their standard mantra "Oh, Pancho! Oh, Cisco!" ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Dropped by RKO Radio in 1946, the "Falcon" mystery series was briefly revived by low-budget Film Classics productions in 1948. In Devil's Cargo, professional magician-turned-actor John Calvert takes over from Tom Conway in the role of amateur sleuth Michael Waring, aka The Falcon. The story gets under way when Raymond Delgado (Paul Marion), accused of murder, comes to Waring for help. Soon afterward, Delgado is poisoned to death in his jail cell. Among the suspects are Delgado's girlfriend Margo (Rochelle Hudson) and shady criminal lawyer Tom Mallon (Theodore von Eltz), while Lt. Hardy (Roscoe Karns) represents the Law. A pedestrian affair, The Devil's Cargo comes to life whenever John Calvert is given a chance to show off his magician's skills. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

After several years' dormancy, the "Cisco Kid" western-film series returned to the screen with Monogram's The Cisco Kid Returns. Duncan Renaldo, actually Rumanian, starred as the Mexican "Robin Hood of the Old West", with Martin Garralaga as his corpulent sidekick Pancho. In the tradition of 20th Century-Fox's earlier "Cisco" efforts, our hero comes to the aid of an orphaned child, clears himself of a kidnapping charge, and proves that a "solid citizen" is in fact a criminal mastermind. After a trio of Cisco Kid films, Renaldo left the series, to be replaced by Gilbert Roland; but when time came in 1950 for a Cisco Kid TV series, Renaldo was back in the saddle again, this time with Leo Carrillo as Pancho. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The second of Monogram's 1945 trio of "Cisco Kid" westerns, In Old New Mexico stars Duncan Renaldo as Cisco and Martin Garralaga as Pancho. The plot concentrates on heroine Ellen (Gwen Kenyon), a nurse accused of murder. Gallant Cisco "kidnaps" Ellen from the authorities, then sets about to prove her innocence, all with the cooperation of a sympathetic sheriff. Cisco and Pancho stage an elaborate ruse to force a confession out of the genuine killer, which in real life would of course be thrown out of court-but whoever said that these films had anything to do with real life? After a third "Cisco Kid" entry, South of the Rio Grande, Duncan Renaldo would temporarily leave the series, returning with a vengeance three years later. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Charlie Chan's second mystery for Poverty Row company Monogram, The Chinese Cat is one of the inscrutable detective's better efforts. Director Phil Rosen keeps things moving at a reasonably expedient pace -- especially for a Monogram programmer -- and although the denouement is no big surprise, armchair detectives at least have no trouble keeping up with the redoubtable sleuth (Sidney Toler). Leah Manning (Joan Woodbury), of the San Francisco Mannings, enlists Chan's help in solving the murder of her stepfather (Sam Flint), whose slain body was found in his hermetically sealed study. The police have given up and only Charlie's deducing can refute a scurrilous book that blames Mrs. Manning (Betty Blythe), Leah's mother, for the crime. There are, of course, several worthy suspects, including a gang of diamond thieves lead by Catlen (Anthony Warde), the dead man's business partner (Cy Kendall), and even a "ghost" who isn't quite what he appears (John Davidson). A poisonous gas attack and the less than helpful efforts of Number Three Son (Benson Fong) complicate matters briefly, but Chan is, as always, on top of things all of the time and can soon reveal the identity of the guilty party. Comic sidekick Mantan Moreland has fun in a fun house, Fong is a worthy addition to Charlie's less than brainy brood (Number Three Son is, as Chan points out, "weak limb to which no family tree may point with pride"), and silent screen veterans Betty Blythe and Ian Keith do well enough with their limited assignments. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi

Burlesque queen Ann Corio took time out of her runway activities in the 1940s to star in three Monogram features, of which Call of the Jungle was the last. Unlike the earlier Corio vehicles, Jungle is not an escapist musical but a somber drama-or at least, that was the intention. Wrapped in a fetching sarong, the star plays Tana, a South Sea damsel who doubles as an amateur detective. Unfortunately, Tana does not inform the authorities that she's taken it upon herself to track down a pair of jewel thieves, and as a result she is suspected of being a crook herself. With all the other leading man serving in WW2, Tana's romantic interest is played by James Bush, a capable if colorless character actor. Billed forth in Call of the Jungle is Claudia Dell, who once played Spanky's mom in the "Our Gang" series. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Moving slightly up the poverty-row ladder from PRC to Monogram, Burlesque queen Ann Corio starred in the musical comedy Sarong Girls. Corio is cast as stripteaser Dixie Barlow, who manages to avoid a prison sentence when her attorney Gil Gailord (Damian O'Flynn) claims that she's the sole support of her gray-haired old mother. Problem is, Dixie's mother is long gone, forcing Gil to find a substitute -- which he does in the person of retirement-home resident Mattie (Mary Gordon). Meanwhile, Dixie plans vengeance on Jefferson Baxter (Henry Kolker) the self-styled reformer responsible for her arrest. With the help of the no-nonsense Mattie, Dixie eventually cools down and finds true love with Baxter's son Jeff (Bill Henry). Genuinely funny comedy relief is provided by Monogram regulars Tim & Irene Ryan and Mantan Moreland. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Renfrew of the Royal Mounted rides again in the Criterion/Monogram "northern" Danger Ahead. There's not a whole lot of plot to speak of, as Renfrew (James Newill) gets involved with a crooked banker (John Dilson) and his raffish henchman (Dick Rich). One of the film's plusses is the presence of comedienne Dorothea Kent as the heroine. Refusing to take herself or the plotline seriously, Kent is a breath of fresh air in the otherwise formula-bound proceedings. Also good for laughs is Al Shaw, formerly of the Shaw & Lee vaudeville team, as a wisecracking janitor. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi