Gordon Oliver Movies
Gordon Oliver entered films in 1936 as a general purpose actor. Oliver started out with lightweight leads and supporting roles as Warner Bros. and Columbia, then settled into character parts at RKO. His credits range from frivolities like Blondie (1938) to film noir exercises like Born to be Bad (1950). Gordon Oliver left films in 1952, re-emerging twenty years later as producer of the Bob Hope comedy Cancel My Reservation (1972). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1972
- R
The title of this Bob Hope vehicle Cancel My Reservation is a multiple pun, referring to elements in the story. The ever-youthful Hope plays Dan Bartlett, a late-night TV talk show host. Frazzled, he takes a much-needed vacation in Arizona. There, he stumbles upon a murder and a conspiracy by local rancher, John Ed (Ralph Bellamy) to defraud a local Native American group of part of its reservation. Dan is a suspect in the murder, and must investigate in order to clear his name. Though the story is rather light, celebrities of all sorts have either small parts or cameos in this film, and much of the film's entertainment value comes from spotting them. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- 1952
The Las Vegas Story features two of Hollywood's most impressive physiques. Victor Mature stars as Dave Andrews, a gambler, while Jane Russell plays Linda, the love of his life. Assuming that Andrews has forgotten her, Linda marries Lloyd Rollins (Vincent Price) on the rebound. All three main characters are reunited in Las Vegas, where they become enmeshed in a robbery scheme that results in murder. Clearly inspired by Casablanca, the film even includes a philosophical piano player, portrayed by Hoagy Carmichael who also wrote the film's incidental songs. Though Las Vegas Story was largely scripted by Paul Jarrico, producer Howard Hughes refused to give Jarrico screen credit because of the latter's alleged pro-communist sympathies. Jarrico promptly sued Hughes and RKO, sparking one of the more famous cause celebres of the Blacklist era. As it turned out, nobody came out ahead with The Las Vegas Story: the film posted a loss of $600,000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jane Russell, Victor Mature, (more)
- 1951
This period melodrama stars Ava Gardner as Barbara Beaurevel, a woman who inherits a substantial fortune from her grandmother. The source of the Beaurevel estate is a subject much whispered about among polite company, but Barbara hopes to wipe away its stigma by using her money to help others through good works. Barbara is in love with Dr. Mark Lucas (Robert Mitchum), but since the good doctor is married, there is little she can do to win his affection. Barbara persuades Paul (Melvyn Douglas) to try to seduce Dr. Lucas' wife Corinne (Janis Carter) in hopes of driving him away from her. Not long after this plan fails, Barbara finds a way to truly prove her love to Dr. Lucas. Corrine is murdered, Dr. Lucas is accused of the crime, and Barbara realizes that the testimony that could save his life would mean having to reveal the truth about her grandmother's shameful past. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Mitchum, Ava Gardner, (more)
- 1950
One of the most oft-revived of the pre-Technicolor Nicholas Ray efforts, Born to Be Bad offers us the spectacle of Joan Fontaine portraying a character described as "a cross between Lucrezia Borgia and Peg O' My Heart". For the benefit of her wealthy husband Zachary Scott and his family, Fontaine adopts a facade of wide-eyed sweetness. Bored with her hubby, she inaugurates a romance with novelist Robert Ryan. All her carefully crafted calculations come acropper when both men discover that she's a bitch among bitches. She might have gotten away with all her machinations, but the censors said uh-uh. Originally slated for filming in 1946, with Henry Fonda scheduled to play the Robert Ryan part, Born to Bad was cancelled, then resurfaced as Bed as Roses in 1948, this time with Barbara Bel Geddes in the Fontaine role. RKO head Howard Hughes' decision to replace Bel Geddes with the more bankable Fontaine was one of the reasons that producer Dore Schary left RKO in favor of MGM. Based on Anne Parrish's novel All Kneeling, Born to be Bad is so overheated at times that it threatens to lapse into self-parody; though this never happens, the film was the basis for one of TV star Carol Burnett's funniest and most devastating movie takeoffs, Raised to be Rotten. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joan Fontaine, Robert Ryan, (more)
- 1948
- NR
Station West may look like a western, but it sure sounds like a contemporary film noir. Dick Powell stars as Haven, a government private investigator assigned to investigate the murders of two cavalrymen. Travelling incognito, Haven arrives in a small frontier outpost, where leggy saloon singer Charlie (Jane Greer) controls all illegal activities. After making short work of Charlie's burly henchman (Guinn Williams), Haven gets a job at her gambling emporium, biding his time and gathering evidence against the gorgeous crime chieftain Cast as a philosophical bartender, Burl Ives is afforded at least one opportunity to sing. Station West was one of a handful of RKO Radio films released to the 8-millimeter home-movie market in the mid-1970s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dick Powell, Jane Greer, (more)
The wonderfully suspenseful psychological drama Spiral Staircase is the prototype of the "old dark house, lady in distress" thriller, full of dark corners, flickering candles and featuring a mysterious, menacing killer whose true identity remains hidden until the end. Helen Capel (Dorothy McGuire), mute because of a childhood trauma, cares for the owner of the house, the wealthy Mrs. Warren (Ethel Barrymore), a demanding, widowed invalid. Helen has quietly fallen in love with one of Mrs. Warren's sons, Dr. Parry (Kent Smith), who she believes to be a gentle and understanding man. Helen's peaceful life is changed forever when three local women, all with physical handicaps, are found murdered. The movie builds to a suspenseful conclusion as Helen finds herself in the midst of a life-and-death battle in the house, as the true identity of the murderer is revealed. Dorothy McGuire is exquisite as the innocent, sweet Helen and gives a totally convincing performance in the difficult role. She uses her expressive face to perfectly convey Helen's emotions, fear and ultimate bravery. Ethel Barrymore won an Academy Award nomination for her performance as Mrs. Warren and plays the difficult "Grande Dame" with great relish. Director Robert Siodmak, noted for his stylish direction of atmospheric suspense films, uses all his plot devices with great skill and craftsmanship, increasing the suspense and sense of foreboding as Helen is observed through the eyes of her stalker, who the audience sees only as a pair of menacing eyes. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dorothy McGuire, George Brent, (more)
David O. Selznick's first production since 1940's Rebecca, Since You Went Away, based on Margaret Buell Wilder's bestselling novel, is a long but rewarding paean to the World War 2 "home front". Claudette Colbert plays the wife of a businessman who, though well past draft age, volunteered to serve his country as an officer (though the husband is never seen, he is "played"-via a photograph-by Neil Hamilton). Fighting back her own fears and anxieties, Colbert does her best to maintain a normal, stable household for the sake of her growing daughters Jennifer Jones and Shirley Temple. She is offered moral support by cynical-but-kindly boarder Monty Woolley, by maid Hattie McDaniel (who willing foregoes her salary "for the duration") and by Navy man and friend-of-the-family Joseph Cotten, whose relationship with Claudette remains staunchly platonic. The harsh realities of war hit home several times throughout the film, first when it seems as though Colbert's husband is missing in action, and later when Jennifer's young boyfriend, GI Robert Walker, is killed in combat. From the vantage point of the 1990s, it is easy to see why Since You Went Away scored with its wartime audiences. Though the leading characters are slightly more financially secure than most of the moviegoers of 1944, the various vignettes presented throughout-complaints about rationing and priorities, shoulder-to-shoulder sacrifices, the weekly escape to the local movie house, tender partings, joyous reunions, the returning wounded, the dreaded wire from the war department-all had the ring of truth and topicality. Even today, the film's emotional highlights, particularly the much-imitated farewell scene at the railroad station, are sufficient to bring tears to the eyes of the most jaded viewer. Enhancing the film's heartstring tugging tenfold is Max Steiner's Oscar-winning musical score. If you can remain objective while watching Since You Went Away (it isn't easy), see if you can spot Ruth Roman, Guy Madison and John Derek, making their screen debuts in microscopic roles ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Claudette Colbert, Jennifer Jones, (more)
- 1944
Heavenly Days was the last of three RKO Radio film vehicles for the popular radio duo of Fibber McGee and Molly (aka Jim and Marion Jordan). Unlike their first two films, which were cacophonous, plotless musical farces, this one actually has a coherent storyline and not a little "heart appeal." Self-styled expert on everything Fibber McGee takes it upon himself to leave the safe environs of Wistful Vista to go to Washington DC, intending to present himself as the "common man" before the US Congress. Naturally, Fibber's wife Molly goes along for the ride, if only to keep her husband from making a fool of himself. Fibber's actions are given credibility when pollster George Gallup (played by Don Douglas) selects the McGees as Mr. and Mrs. Average Man (or Person). While at large in DC, the McGees also become involved with a group of wide-eyed war orphans. The film's highlight is an impromptu musical interlude with Fibber, Molly, and a group of GIs, played by the King's Men Quartet (regulars on the Fibber McGee and Molly radio show). Perhaps because it took itself a bit too seriously, Heavenly Days failed to match the box-office success of RKO's earlier Fibber-and-Molly efforts, posting a loss of $205,000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jim Jordan, Marian Jordan, (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)
- 1944
Originally titled Passport to Destiny, RKO's Passport to Adventure manages to be both whimsical and melodramatic all at once. Elsa Lanchester stars as a Cockney charwoman who sneaks into wartime Berlin, fully intending to kill Adolf Hitler. Lanchester is convinced that a snake-eyed charm left to her by her late military-officer husband will protect her from harm-and, given the ease with which she obtains a domestic job in the Berlin chancellory by posing as a deaf-mute, who's to say that the charm doesn't work? Once the Nazis catch on to Lanchester's mission, she is rescued by German officer Gordon Oliver, who happens to be a member of the underground resistance. One of the best bits in Passport to Adventure occurs at the beginning, when Elsa Lanchester gazes reverently upon a photo of her dear departed husband-whom we immediately recognize as Lanchester's real-life hubby Charles Laughton. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elsa Lanchester, Gordon Oliver, (more)
- 1943
Though Wendy Barrie never quite achieved stardom in A pictures, she could always count on top billing in Hollywood's B product. In PRC's Follies Girl, Barrie plays dress designer Anne Merriday, who becomes the object of middle-aged millionaire J. B. Hamlin's (J.C. Nugent) affections. To save his dad from throwing his life away on a supposed golddigger, Hamlin's son, Army private Jerry Hamlin (Gordon Oliver), begins courting Anne-and, of course, falls genuinely in love with her himself. Meanwhile, the rogueish J.B. tries to mount a Broadway burlesque show, with costumes designed by Our Heroine. The titular "Follies Girl" is burlesque queen Francine La Rue (Doris Nolan), who never strips when singing will do (worse luck for the male moviegoers of the era!) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Wendy Barrie, Doris Nolan, (more)
- 1941
Ruby Keeler made her final screen starring appearance in the Columbia musical Sweetheart of the Campus. Keeler plays Betty Blake, lead vocalist for Ozzie Nelson's orchestra. While performing a one-night stand at a college campus, Betty vows to prevent a hostile takeover of the establishment by puritanical trustee Minnie Sparr (Kathleen Howard). To this end, Betty, Ozzie and his entire band enroll as college students. The best musical number finds star Keeler tap-dancing to a boogie-woogie rhythm, while cinematographer Franz Planer indulges in all manner of innovative camera angles and process trickery. Also in the cast as co-ed cutie Harriet Hale is Harriet Hilliard, real-life wife of costar Ozzie Nelson. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ruby Keeler, Ozzie Nelson, (more)
- 1939
A disruptive Annapolis naval cadet refuses to tow the line and so gets booted out of the prestigious academy. Later, he takes to designing speedboats. They are innovative and soon the Navy comes a-knocking in hopes that he will design a fast and easily maneuverable boat to carry torpedos. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Dunn, Rochelle Hudson, (more)
- 1939
Set in a northern California logging community the trouble in this western begins when a lumberjack is killed while sawing down a tree. No one believes it was accidental as everyone is aware that the deceased had just stolen the heart of his partner's girl. Unfortunately, the partner, while jealous sure enough, is innocent and sets out to prove it. He finally wins their belief when he saves the town from a raging forest fire. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Bickford, Jean Parker, (more)
- 1939
In this patriotic wartime drama set during WW II, a test plane crashes killing all aboard and causes the locals to accuse the aircraft engineer of being a traitor and sabotaging the plane. To prove his son's innocence, the engineer's father looks into the crash and soon reveals the real spies. The justifiably angry patriarch then delivers a stern lecture to the community about making hasty judgments concerning a person's patriotism. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Arleen Whelan, Gordon Oliver, (more)
- 1939
The title tells all in Columbia's A Woman is the Judge. Frieda Inescourt stars as lady jurist Mary Cabot, who 20 years earlier had lost contact with her infant daughter Justine. Now a grown woman (played by Rochelle Hudson), Justine accidentally shoots a man who'd impugned the reputation of her mother, whom she's never met. As luck would have it, the presiding judge at Justine's trial is none other than Mary Cabot-who up until the film's climax never realizes that she's holding the fate of her own baby in her hands. Judge Cabot's solution to the problem is hardly a salutary comment on the American judicial system, but within the context of the film it's perfectly logical. Billed second, Otto Kruger plays prosecuting attorney Steve Graham, who harbors a secret crush on the good gray judge. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Frieda Inescort, Otto Kruger, (more)
- 1939
Former police chief Tim Halloran Sr. (Willard Robertson) fully expects his son Tim Jr. (Alan Baxter) to follow in his footsteps, flat though they may be. Instead, the younger Halloran opts for the easy road of crime. As Tim Jr.'s notoriety increases, the city fathers beg Tim Sr. to emerge from retirement and put an end to his son's criminal activities. This he does, in a stark, startling ending that quite transcends the film's B-budget limitiations. Less than a year after the release of My Son is a Criminal, Columbia Pictures trod the same path with My Son is Guilty, with Harry Carey and Bruce Cabot taking over from Willard Robertson and Alan Baxter. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alan Baxter, Gordon Oliver, (more)
- 1938
There's That Woman Again was the second and last entry in Columbia's own spin on MGM's "Thin Man" series. Virginia Bruce and Melvyn Douglas star as Sally and Bill Reardon, husband-and-wife private eyes (Bruce took over from Joan Blondell, who costarred with Douglas in 1938's There's Always a Woman). This time around, the Reardons investigate a series of jewel robberies which lead to a brace of murders. At times the comedy threatens to overwhelm the mystery angle, but rest assured that Bill Reardon will have collared the guilty party (or, in this case, guilty parties) a few minutes before closing. In emulation of MGM's "Thin Man" art direction, the leading characters in There's That Woman Again live in a lavishly furnished apartment roughly the size of Rhode Island. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Melvyn Douglas, Virginia Bruce, (more)
- 1938
Who better to direct Warner Bros.' Daredevil Drivers than B. Reeves "Breezy" Eason, the fast-action specialist who staged the chariot race sequence in 1925's Ben-Hur? Dick Purcell stars as suspended racecar driver Bill Foster who lands a job with a disreputable bus company. This puts him on the outs with his girlfriend Jerry Neeley (Beverly Roberts), the owner of a rival (and honest) bus firm. Bill gets back into Jerry's good graces when he exposes the criminal element running the company for which he works. As proof that everything's "relative" in Hollywood, Daredevil Drivers features Gloria Blondell, the sister of Warners contractee Joan Blondell, in a supporting role, while Charley Foy, the brother of the studio's B-movie unit supervisor Bryan Foy, provides comic relief. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Beverly Roberts, Dick Purcell, (more)
In 1938, Jezebel was widely regarded as Warner Bros.' "compensation" to Bette Davis for her losing the opportunity to play Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With the Wind. Resemblances between the two properties are inescapable: Jezebel heroine Julie Marsden (Davis) is a headstrong Southern belle not unlike Scarlett (Julie lives in New Orleans rather than Georgia); she loves fiancé Preston Dillard (played by Henry Fonda) but loses him when she makes a public spectacle of herself (to provoke envy in him) by wearing an inappropriate red dress at a ball, just as Scarlett O'Hara brazenly danced with Rhett Butler while still garbed in widow's weeds. There are several other similarities between the works, but it is important to note that Jezebel is set in the 1850s, several years before Gone With the Wind's Civil War milieu; and we must observe that, unlike Scarlett O'Hara, Julie Marsden is humbled by her experiences and ends up giving of her time, energy, and health during a deadly yellow jack outbreak. Bette Davis won an Academy Award for her portrayal of Julie; an additional Oscar went to Fay Bainter for her portrayal of the remonstrative Aunt Belle (she's the one who labels Julie a "jezebel" at a crucial plot point). The offscreen intrigues of Jezebel, including Bette Davis' romantic attachment to director William Wyler and co-star George Brent, have been fully documented elsewhere. Jezebel was based on an old and oft-produced play by Owen Davis Sr. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bette Davis, Henry Fonda, (more)
- 1938
The Marines are Here exhumes the old bromide about the reckless young sprout who learns how to be an all-around good fellow by joining the "Semper Fidelis"boys. This time, Gordon Oliver plays the lead, a self-centered character named Jonesy who comes to respect the Corps and everything it stands for under the less-than-gentle tutelage of Sergeant Gibbons (Guinn Williams). Jonesy proves he's truly one of the "few good men" during a battle between the marines and a gang of south-of-the-border bandidos. The already simplistic plotline lapses into silliness during the final scenes, but one can't fault the film for a lack of energy. Also appearing in The Marines are Here is June Travis as everybody's love interest. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gordon Oliver, June Travis, (more)
- 1938
Though Kay Francis' Warner Bros. vehicle had slipped from "A" attractions to B-plus programmers by 1938, she was still worth watching. A typical Francis vehicle of the time was Women are Like That, in which the star is cast as businesswoman Claire King, the daughter of a powerful advertising executive. When Claire marries humble copywriter Bill Landin (Pat O'Brien), she wants to use her influence to help her husband get ahead, but he will have none of it. Claire's persistence and Bill's stubborness almost leads to a parting of the ways, but things are set aright by the end of the picture. Based on a Saturday Evening Post story by Albert H. Z. Carr, Women Are Like That is faintly reminiscent of the 1924 "boss lady"drama Smouldering Fires. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kay Francis, Pat O'Brien, (more)
- 1938
When Columbia Pictures secured the movie rights to Chic Young's popular comic strip Blondie, the studio executives probably never imagined that the ensuing "Blondie" series would last for 12 years and 28 episodes! Part of the series' charm was Columbia's wisdom in casting the ideal actors for the leading roles. Penny Singleton dyed her hair blonde to step into the role of Blondie Bumstead (after Shirley Deane bowed out due to prior committments); Arthur Lake landed the role of a lifetime as sensible Blondie's bumbling hubby Dagwood (in the original strip, of course, it was Dagwood who was sensible and Blondie who was scatterbrained); and 5-year-old Larry Simms did a masterful job as the Bumstead's son Baby Dumpling (aka Alexander), literally growing up before our eyes over the next dozen years. Not as farcical as later entries, the initial Blondie film is a gentle, even-keeled situation comedy, aiming for chuckles rather than bellylaughs. It doesn't take long for poor Dagwood to get into trouble with his apoplectic boss J. C. Dithers (wonderfully played by Jonathan Hale), who fires our hero halfway through the second reel. Ruminating over his troubles in a hotel lobby, Dagwood strikes up a friendship with affable C. P. Hazlip (Gene Lockhart), never realizing that this is the same Hazlip whose account the Dithers Construction Company has been trying to land for the past several weeks! But before a happy ending can be realized, Blondie and Dagwood undergo a series of misunderstandings, culminating with Blondie tearfully storming out of the house (which has already been stripped of its furniture by the finance company!) Blondie was an immediate hit with filmgoers and fans of the strip alike, convincing Columbia that it had a winning property on its hands and spawning sequel after sequel after sequel. Available for years only in its TV version, which obliterated the opening credits in favor of a jazzier "sitcom" opening and tacked on a few minutes of "coming attractions", Blondie has recently been restored to its original form on videotape and cable TV. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Penny Singleton, Arthur Lake, (more)
- 1938
In this lively comedy, three young hell-raisers enroll in the Virginia Military Institute and have a hard time staying out of trouble. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Priscilla Lane, Wayne Morris, (more)
- 1937
In this drama, the third remake of a popular play by Porter Emerson Browne, General Wu Yen Fang, "the White Tiger," is an outlaw general who controls the bulk of northern China. The story begins as he invades the village in which two fighters work to prevent avaricious Americans from foreclosing on their oil interests. The lover of one of these men is romantically involved with the estranged wife of one of the foreclosers. Because he once saved Gen. Wu's life, the officer returns the favor by killing the evil oil man. This causes the government to sentence the general to death. He willingly sacrifices his life and is at peace knowing that his friend can now marry the woman he loves. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Boris Karloff, Beverly Roberts, (more)
