William J. O'Sullivan Movies

This Republic potboiler is no relation to the like-vintage Swedish film of the same title. The wayward girl in question is Judy Wingate (Marcia Henderson), the stepdaughter of predatory alcoholic Frances Wingate (Katherine Barrett). Judy is thrown into prison for a murder actually committed by Frances. The motivation: both women were in love with the same man. Frances keeps mum about her crime until it's almost too late for the people whom the audience truly care about. Some of the best scenes involve B-picture "regular" Whit Bissell as a lovelorn middle-ager. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this crime drama, a young man with a love of hot cars and fast women gets into real trouble when he finds himself involved with a beautiful bank robber who forces him to help her hijack an armored car. At her insistence they end up hiding out in a remote cabin in the High Sierras. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this drama, the eagerness of a rookie reporter gets him into deep trouble after he finds himself entangled with big city racketeers. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

The much-maligned Vera Ralston turns in an acceptable performance as star of Republic's A Perilous Journey. Though seemingly inspired by MGM's Westward the Women, the film was actually based on The Golden Tide, a novel by Vingie Roe. In the year 1850, a group of 49 young women charter a full-rigger to sail for California to offer themselves as wives to the gold prospectors. As indicated by the title, the journey is indeed fraught with peril (not to mention a few geographical inaccuracies). Vera Ralston plays Francie Landreaux, who has undertaken the voyage in search of her no-good gambler husband. Instead, she finds romance in the arms of rough-and-ready Shard Benton (Scott Brady). A Perilous Journey is pepped up by several song numbers, written by Victor Young and Edward Heyman. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Western star William Elliot always insisted that his idol was silent-film cowboy William S. Hart. Elliot's Hellfire, then, can be seen as his tribute to the 1916 Bill Hart classic Hell's Hinges. Elliot plays a hard-bitten frontier gambler whose life is saved by a preacher. When the preacher dies as a result, Elliot vows to mend his ways. He becomes a minister himself, planning to finish constructing a church that his predecessor had started. To finance this project, he hopes to collect the reward on female outlaw Marie Windsor. She resists all attempts to bring her to justice, but after a climactic shoot-out with the rest of the criminal element in town, the wounded Windsor repents her sins and agrees to turn herself in. Hellfire was written by Dorrell and Stuart E. McGowan, who later collaborated on the long-running TV anthology Death Valley Days. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Though already established as Roy Rogers' favorite leading lady (offscreen and on), Dale Evans was permitted a rare non-western appearance minus Rogers in the 1947 Republic mystery thriller The Trespasser. Evans is cast as nightclub singer Linda Coleman, the sister of newspaper-book reviewer Bruce Coleman (William Bakewell). Bruce is engaged in a clever fraud, peddling rare-book forgeries to collector/publisher Channing Bliss (Francis Pierlot). This bunco scheme is uncovered by aspiring girl reporter Stevie Carson (Janet Martin), with the grudging help of veteran newshound Danny Butler (Warren Douglas). With all this going on, ostensible star Dale Evans has little to do except sing one sultry musical number and look smashing in low-cut gowns -- and, oh yes, indulge in a bit of romance with Stevie's editor Bill Monroe (Douglas Fowley). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Beneath the proper, prurient exterior of a spinster college professor beats the passionate, seductive heart of a sexy romance novelist. When she finds her ribald first book approved for publication she finds herself facing a terrible dilemma. If word of her secret avocation leaks out, she could be ruined at the school and so she asks her pretty niece to masquerade as the book's author. Things work out just swell until the niece falls for the handsome publisher the professor wanted. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Magnificent Rogue is the title of a less than magnificent Republic programmer. Warren Douglas plays the title role, a wheeler-dealer businessman with fingers in several dirty pies. When Douglas is drafted, his wife Lynne Roberts is compelled to take over his business. Completely unaware of his shady corporate practices, Roberts suddenly finds herself commiserating with raffish characters straight out of Damon Runyon. How she comes out on top and reforms her husband forms the denouement of this lightweight comedy/drama. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this mystery, a private detective is falsely accused of murder by his secretary who wants to protect her little sister who has been formally charged with the crime. The detective must solve the crime before it is too late. To do so, he gathers all the suspects at a radio student and reenacts the crime. The killer is revealed. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide