Walter Mirisch Movies
American producer Walter Mirisch learned the film business from the true business end; he was trained to be a movie-theatre manager by a large film exhibition chain. After World War 2, Mirisch entered production with the low-budget Bomba the Jungle Boy series for Monogram. Threadbare but profitable, the Bomba's enabled Mirisch to attain a more prestigious post as executive producer of Monogram's A-division, Allied Artists. In 1957, he formed the Mirisch Corporation with siblings Harold and Marvin Mirisch. After getting its feet wet with medium-scale westerns, the Mirisch company aligned itself with United Artists. By agreeing to give such directors as Billy Wilder, Robert Wise and John Sturges the artistic freedom denied them by the major studios, the Mirisches were able to turn out a string of moneymakers, including Some Like It Hot (1959), The Magnificent Seven (1960), The Great Escape (1963), and the Oscar winners The Apartment (1960), West Side Story (1961) and In the Heat of the Night (1967). In addition to collecting numerous Oscar statuettes, Walter Mirisch was also president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences from 1973 through 1978. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1951
Elephant Stampede was the sixth entry in Monogram's "Bomba the Jungle Boy" series. This time Bomba (Johnny Sheffield) must contend with a pair of scurrilous ivory hunters (John Kellogg and Myron Healey). Not above killing pachyderms, the bad guys show an equal lack of remorse when they murder their guide and kidnap Bomba to lead them to the fabled "elephant's graveyard." Emulating Tarzan (Sheffield "Boy" in the old Tarzan flicks), Bomba vocally summons the neighboring elephants to crush the villains into pulp. One film historian, who made no secret of his disdain for the entire "Bomba" ouevre, grudgingly labelled Elephant Stampede "the hokiest but the best of the series." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Johnny Sheffield, Donna Martell, (more)
Flight to Mars is the second American film of the postwar era (after the previous year's Rocketship X-M) to depict a manned space trip to the Red Planet. Leading-man responsibilities are evenly divided between Arthur Franz as brilliant scientist Dr. Jim Barker and Cameron Mitchell as two-fisted reporter Steve Abbott. Both men make the journey to Mars, finding time along the way to battle over the affections of leading lady Virginia Huston. Upon landing on Mars, the earthlings learn that planetary leader, Ikron (Morris Ankrum, a fixture of 1950s sci-fi), intends to conquer the world. Fortunately a group of good Martians are on hand to lend moral and physical support to the heroes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marguerite Chapman, Cameron Mitchell, (more)
- 1951
Rod Cameron heads the cast of the Monogram "B-plus" western Cavalry Scout. Cameron plays army scout Kirby Frye, who has been assigned to track down a stolen cache of weaponry. Frye suspects that local troublemaker Martin Gavin (James Millican) is the criminal mastermind, but he needs proof. The film matriculates into a tense cat-and-mouse game between Frye and Gavin, culminating in a long-overdue action finale. Cavalry Scout was lensed in Cinecolor, a pleasing two-color process which Monogram reserved for its prestige productions. The film was produced by Walter Mirisch, who'd later turn out such "A"-flicks as The Apartment, West Side Story and The Great Escape. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rod Cameron, Audrey Long, (more)
- 1950
County Fair is an amiable racetrack drama starring Rory Calhoun. A veteran horse trainer, Calhoun has developed a somewhat unsavory reputation. He redeems himself by arranging for near-impoverished matron Florence Bates to win an important race. It's all for the love of a good woman--in this case, Bates' niece Jane Nigh. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rory Calhoun, Jane Nigh, (more)
- 1950
Former Tarzan regular Johnny Sheffield stars as Bomba the Jungle Boy in this 71-minute adventure. Bomba comes to the aid of Leah (Sue England), an orphaned jungle girl who has no idea who her real family is. Leah is being promoted as a "white goddess" by the scheming ruler (Paul Guilfoyle) of The Hidden City. Leon Belasco provides comedy relief, while black actor Smoki Whitfield shows up long enough to remind us that the story is supposed to be taking place in Africa. Bomba and the Hidden City was the fourth in Monogram's "Bomba" series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Johnny Sheffield, Sue England, (more)
- 1950
The Lost Volcano is the 3rd entry in Monogram's "Bomba the Jungle Boy" series. Johnny Sheffield, formerly "Boy" in the Tarzan pictures, stars as Bomba. In this outing, Our Hero sets out to rescue David (Tommy Ivo), the kidnapped son of husband-and-wife zoologists Paula and Ruth Gordon (Donald Woods and Marjorie Lord). David has been kidnapped by scurrilous jungle guides Barton (John Ridgely) and Daniel (Robert Lewis), who hope that the kid will lead them to a valuable treasure. Bomba is forced to race against time when a reactivated volcano threatens to swallow up David and his captors. Elena Verdugo, years removed from her Marcus Welby MD stint, co-stars as an alluring native girl. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Johnny Sheffield, Donald Woods, (more)
- 1949
Bomba on Panther Island was the second in Monogram's series based on Roy Rockwood's "Bomba the Jungle Boy" adventure stories. The plot is set in motion when agriculturist Robert Maitland (Henry Lewis) accidentally stirs up restlessness within the native population. The locals assume that Maitland is responsible for the recent spate of vicious attacks by a black panther, who is regarded as the Devil Incarnate. Bomba (Johnny Sheffield) proves that the panther is just another overgrown kitty-cat in a climactic human vs. animal battle. For those not interested in the plot or the papier-mache sets, Bomba on Panther Island offers two comely leading ladies, Lita Baron and Allene Roberts. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Johnny Sheffield, Allene Roberts, (more)
Inspired by the adventure-book series by Roy Rockwood, Monogram's Bomba the Jungle Boy was the first of a series of twelve "Bomba" pictures. Johnny Sheffield, formerly "Boy" in the Tarzan pictures, stars as Bomba. Another former child performer, Peggy Ann Garner, co-stars as Pat Harland, who with her father George (Onslow Stevens) has arrived in Africa on a photographic expedition. Bomba ends up rescuing Pat from a wide variety of jungle villains. Much of the film is built around stock footage from a 1930 documentary, Africa Speaks. Economically produced, Bomba the Jungle Boy proved a profitable beginning for one of Monogram's most successful series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Johnny Sheffield, Peggy Ann Garner, (more)
- 1948
A Cornell Woolrich novel was the source for the variable Monogram melodrama I Wouldn't Be in Your Shoes. The plot refers to the dancing shoes of young terpsichorean Tom (Don Castle). A print from one of those shoes is found at the scene of a murder, and the police don't buy Tom's story that his footwear was stolen. The only person who believes in Tom's innocence is his wife and dancing partner Ann (Elyse Knox), and it is she who follows the trail of clues to the genuine killer. Without revealing the ending, it can be noted here that the actual miscreant has remained in very close proximity of both Tom and Ann all along -- and has been encouraged to do so by the police! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jimmy Aubrey, Stanley Blystone, (more)
- 1947
Nice guys don't always finish last as can be seen in this crime drama. The story begins as a perfectly nice fellow finds himself arrested for murder. The trouble is, the man cannot remember a thing about the night of the murder. Though he insists he is innocent, all the evidence tells a different story. He was found at the scene with a bloody knife in his hand. Fortunately, a policeman friend, believes him. He gets him out of jail and together, they begin looking for the real killer. They soon find that the set-up was perpetrated by his uncle who strongly disapproved of his dating his ward. The woman who died had been the uncle's lover who was blackmailing him. To get even with them all, the uncle drugged his nephew, killed his mistress and planted the knife upon his unconscious relative. In the end, the uncle is arrested and the nephew and his lover live a long and happy life together. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
