Gene Lewis Movies

The Woman From Headquarters is female rookie-cop Joyce (Virginia Huston). For reasons that seem amazing unless one actually sees the film, Joyce decides to take on a narcotics ring single-handed. Even more amazing -- especially for a 1950 film -- is the fact that she doesn't seem to need much help from her male colleagues. She does, however, find time for an intramural romance with officer Gates (Robert Rockwell). She also works overtime to reform a good-girl-gone-bad (Barbara Fuller). Featured in the cast are real-life policewoman Frances Charles, stalwart supporting actor Jack Kruschen, and, at the bottom of the cast list, Leonard Penn, the father of 1990s film faves Sean and Christopher Penn. Made with the full cooperation of the Los Angeles Police Department, Woman From Headquarters overcomes its occasional lapses of logic, painting a fairly realistic picture of crime-fighting in the Big City. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Randolph Scott puts in time with Paramount's Pine-Thomas unit in the big-budget western Albuquerque. Scott is cast as Cole Armin, the nephew of tyrannical town boss John Armin (George Cleveland). Defying his grasping uncle, Cole sides with a small wagon-train line which the elder Armin hopes to drive out business. In his spare time, he is wooed by local lovelies Letty Tyler (Barbara Britton) and Celia Wallace (Catherine Craig). Taking a break from his B-western duties, Russell Hayden plays Cole Armin's best buddy, while Lon Chaney Jr. does his usual as John Armin's chief henchman. Albuquerque was based on a novel by the prolific Luke Short. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this tuneful comedy adventure, a free-spirited fellow with a keen eye for easy money is assigned to sail to a remote island and grab a great fortune in pearls which happen to be guarded by some very fearsome natives who are ruled by a sensuous dancing woman. Later the guards capture the would-be thief and tie him to the stake for an impromptu barbecue. Fortunately, the dancer uses her moves to save his neck and happiness ensues. Songs include: "Pied Pipers from Swingtown" (Jack Brooks, sung by Eddie Quillan, Fuzzy Knight), "Ridin, on the Crest of a Cloud" (Brooks), "Lovely Luana" (Don Raye, Gene DePaul, sung by Nancy Kelly, The Native Girls), "Island of the Moon" (Raye, DePaul), and "Camptown Races" (Stephen Foster, sung by Kelly, William Gargan). ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

On the eve of her wedding to Ramu (Jon Hall), the beautiful Tollea (Maria Montez) is spirited away from her tranquil South Sea island to the mysterious, forbidden place of her birth, Cobra Island. Ramu follows and, with help from his young-but-not-too-bright friend Kado (Sabu) and their chimp Coco, manages to land on the island and avoid capture, which would mean death. It turns out that Tollea is the rightful high priestess of Cobra Island, the first born of two twin daughters of the earlier priestess. Tollea was not immune to the venom of the king cobra, however, so she was spirited away from the island as an infant to avoid her unnecessary death. Now her grandmother, the Queen (Mary Nash), has secured her return. Tollea's twin sister, Naja (also played by Montez), has turned cruel, greedy, and ambitious, and is killing, torturing, and tormenting her people and perverting their religion; Naja must be deposed, hopefully before the volcano on the far side of the island registers too loud an objection to her blasphemies. But Naja -- who is wanton enough to want Ramu for her own pleasure -- and her confederate, the evil, ambitious Martok (Edgar Barrier), don't plan on leaving quietly.

Meanwhile, Ramu has to keep himself and Kado alive and decide if he's willing to give up the woman that he loves so that she can save her people; Tollea must choose between love and duty, fate and her birthright. One of the most ridiculously and unselfconsciously campy costume adventure movies of its era, Cobra Woman was apparently a lot of fun to work on and a relief from the reality of the Second World War for audiences in 1944. The script, co-authored by Richard Brooks a long time before he wrote The Brick Foxhole, much less directed Blackboard Jungle or made In Cold Blood or Lord Jim, is incredibly sloppy, the mix of harem dancers and ridiculous prop snakes is bizarre, and some of the worst choreography of its era doesn't help -- and yet it all hangs together, somehow, as entertainment. Director Robert Siodmak reportedly liked it, and as a refugee from the Nazis, working on it still beat the fate he'd fled in Germany. The movie is also alleged to be the primary inspiration for Jack Smith's Flaming Creatures -- which starred female impersonator Mario Montez -- and looking at it in the 21st century, one wonders if it was ever seen by Edward D. Wood Jr.; not only does the production sort of anticipate (albeit on a much higher level and budget) his work in the adventure genre, but the script seems to contain the essence of inept moments that he would elevate to an art of sorts. And one can just imagine Wood, as a young marine recruit, watching Cobra Woman eagerly and "learning" all the wrong lessons from its writing and production. But, like the best of Wood's movies -- only more so -- Cobra Woman is still great fun of the "guilty pleasure" sort. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide

One of the lesser-known directorial efforts of cinematographer Karl Freund, The Countess of Monte Cristo stars Fay Wray as the title character. A lowly extra in a Viennese movie studio, young Janet (Wray) gets fed up with her lot in life. Hoping to have one final fling before trudging off to the poorhouse, Janet steals a fancy automobile and a fur coat from the movie studio and heads off to a coastal resort, where she registers as the Countess of Monte Cristo. Janet's best pal and reluctant travelling companion Mimi (Patsy Kelly) is certain that they'll both be exposed as phonies within a day or so, but our heroine manages to carry off the ruse with great success, even attracting the attentions of two well-heeled gentlemen, Rumowski (Paul Lukas) and The Baron (Reginald Owen). Alas, Janet's holiday comes to an abrupt end when it turns out that her two suitors are actually international jewel thieves! The Countess of Monte Cristo was remade on a considerably reduced budget in 1948. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Based on the stage play Mother's Millions, She-Wolf is one of several 1930s films inspired by the life of the reclusive "Witch of Wall Street" Hetty Green. Though a millionairess several times over, financial sorceress Harriet Breen (May Robson) lives like a pauper and expects everyone around her to do the same. In her single-minded pursuit to destroy stock manipulator William Remington (Edmund Breese), whom she despises beyond words, Harriet neglects her two grown children, Tom (Lawrence Gray) and Fair (Frances Dade). But unlike her real-life counterpart, Harriet proves to have a sentimental streak, and when Tom and Fair demonstrate their unswerving loyalty to their mother, she reciprocates by helping them find lasting happiness with the sweethearts of their choice. Despite what director Frank Capra may claim in his autobiography, She-Wolf represents the talking-picture debut of that grand old trouper May Robson. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide