Rod Cameron Movies
Rugged Canadian-born leading man Rod Cameron entered films as a stunt man and stand-in, doubling for such actors as Fred MacMurray and Buck Jones. His earliest speaking part, in 1939's The Old Maid, ending up on the cutting room floor; within one year, however, he was a busy Paramount contract player, his roles increasing in size with each passing year. After wrapping up his Paramount responsibilities in 1942, Cameron was starred in the Republic serial Secret Service in Darkest Africa (1943). He spent the rest of the 1940s as a western leading man at both Republic and Universal. In 1953, Cameron and producer Richard Irving collaborated on the first of three syndicated television series, City Detective. The 65-episode series was sold to 117 markets, a record at the time, and made more money for Cameron than any of his movie endeavors. The second Cameron/Irving TV project, 1956's State Trooper, was even more successful, clocking in at 104 episodes. Cameron's third syndicated series, Coronado 9, was released in January of 1960. Rod Cameron's last professional years were spent in such potboilers as Evel Knievel (1971), Psychic Killer (1975) and Love and the Midnight Auto Supply (1978). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1957
Every time Republic Pictures head honcho Herbert J. Yates starred his minimally talented wife Vera Ralston in a film, the studio's stockholders began trembling in their boots. Like most of its predecessors, the 1957 Ralston vehicle Spoilers of the Forest just barely made back its cost. Vera plays Joan Milna, who shares several thousand acres of valuable Montana timberland with her stepfather (John Alderson). Coveting Joan's property, lumber baron Eric Warren (Ray Collins) sends out his foreman Boyd Caldwell (Rod Cameron) to persuade her to sell. Instead, Caldwell falls in love with the girl, vowing to protect her trees from the eco-unfriendly Warren. Republic's wide-screen Naturama process is shown to good advantage throughout Spoilers of the Forest. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rod Cameron, Vera Ralston, (more)
- 1956
Passport to Treason was put together by Robert S. Baker and Monty Berman, the same team who'd later collaborate on the TV series The Saint. Rod Cameron stars as an American private eye, stationed in London. For the sake of a murdered friend, the detective takes over the dead man's case, which turns out to have international ramifications. The villains are members of a phony pacifistic society, all of whom harbor plans for taking over the world. Aiding and abetting Cameron is Lois Maxwell, several years away from her duties as Miss Moneypenny in the "James Bond" series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rod Cameron, Lois Maxwell, (more)
- 1956
In this western, a Mexican bandit and an angry rancher team up and take on a crooked saloon keeper. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1955
This "modern" western stars Rod Cameron as opportunistic Korean war veteran Tully Gibbs. Posing as a friend of the late son of mine owner Kevin Russel (Chill Wills), Tully intends to work the mine for all it's worth and then pull out. By and by, Tully slowly turns honest, but the same cannot be said of rival miner Ben Hodes (John Russell). Coming clean with Russell, Tully takes it upon himself to protect the mine from Hodes' evil schemes. The feminine angle is provided by Joan Leslie as Sarah Moffit, the sweetheart of Russel's deceased son, who eventually finds happiness in Tully's arms. Of interest are two supporting players, Jim Davis and Kristine Miller; both were concurrently starring on the weekly TV series Stories of the Century. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rod Cameron, Joan Leslie, (more)
- 1955
A friendship is ripped apart by a greedy woman in this drama. The trouble begins when a horse trainer and a jockey, both long-time friends, fall for the same woman. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1955
Mark Hill Rod Cameron is the attorney for Emmet Devrey, a real estate developer with a past, who is being blackmailed by his former partner Sam Baggett. When Sam's unfaithful wife Marge cooks up a scheme with her used car salesman lover Jeff Calder to bilk both Devrey and her alcoholic husband, Sam is killed and Devrey is accused of the crime. Mark is then called upon to prove his employer (and father of his fiancée) innocent. Without much suspense, Double Jeopardy is enjoyable in its portrayal of money both as aphrodisiac for the illicit lovers and as the reason for their mutual double cross. ~ Steve Press, All Movie Guide
- 1955
In this western, a man is falsely accused of betraying a wagon train to the Apaches and is punished by his employers, but not fired. His boss gives him a second chance and the man is assigned to make sure that an arms shipment makes it safely through the Indian land. The woman who owns the valuable cargo finds herself courted by both men. The woman, however, was born of an interracial couple; she despises this fact as she must deal with constant degradation from her un-enlightened peers. When the wagon master finds out about her family, he too must deal with his own prejudice. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Payne, Faith Domergue, (more)
- 1955
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
- 1954
In this western, a forward thinking hero joins in on the promotion of camels as the perfect desert pack animals. He embarks upon a journey with a group of others. Among them is a fugitive bankrobber and his girl friend who are trying to outfox a posse. One of the hero's men recognizes the desperado and begins blackmailing him in exchange for silence. During the journey, a band of angry natives attack. Later, the group loses their water and face the prospect of dying of thirst. The picture was originally released in 3-D. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joanne Dru, Rod Cameron, (more)
- 1953
Republic "regulars" Rod Cameron, Arleen Whelan and Forrest Tucker star in the A-minus western San Antone. During the Civil War, Texan Carl Miller (Rod Cameron) adopts a neutral stance regarding the conflict. Miller is branded a coward by Brian Culver (Forrest Tucker), a Confederate blowhard whose bravado masks his own cowardice. The animosity between the two men reaches the boiling point after the war, when Culver kills Miller's father. Soon afterwards, Culver finds himself the prisoner of Mexican rebel leader Chino Figueroa (Rudolpho Acosta). Miller heads to Mexico to rescue Culver -- not out of altruism, but so that he can kill Culver himself. Reversing the usual typecasting procedure, leading-lady Arleen Whelan is the villainess, while second lead Katy Jurado, cast as Figueroa's sister, plays a sympathetic role. San Antone was adapted by Steve Fisher (I Wake Up Screaming) from a novel by Curt Carroll. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rod Cameron, Arleen Whelan, (more)
- 1953
The Steel Lady in this crazy-quilt actioner is the armored tank commandeered by star Rod Cameron. Marooned in the Sahara desert, airplane pilot Mike Monohan (Cameron) and his melting-pot crew (including a young Tab Hunter) come across a deserted Afrika Korps tank. As they roll across the burning sands in search of civilization, the crew is unaware that hidden within the tank is a fortune in diamonds. But villainous sheik Mustapha El Melek (John Abbott) does know, and he manages to enlist Monohan's drunken co-pilot Barlow (John Dehner) in his scheme to claim the gems for himself. Also released as Treasure of Kalifa, The Steel Lady is an unsteady mixture of war drama and Arabian-Nights escapism. The film was directed by E. A. Dupont, who in his salad days was responsible for the silent German classic Variety. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rod Cameron, Tab Hunter, (more)
- 1953
Will Ballard (Rod Cameron) is the longtime foreman of the Hatcher ranch, a spread renowned for its size and the wealth it contains. When owner Phil Evarts dies suddenly, the speculation in the territory is that Hatcher will be broken up, especially since it was Evarts' determination coupled with Ballard's skills as a foreman and gunman that held it together -- but Ballard decides that the ranch is worth saving, even though the only help he really has is one top hand (Chill Wills, in a beautifully restrained performance) and a couple of young brothers (Al Caudebec, Roydon Clark) picked up on the trail. He figures it's worth saving for what it is, and also for Evarts' daughter, Celia (Ella Raines), who is engaged to marry neighboring rancher Sam Danfelser (Forrest Tucker). Ballard and Sam were once friends, but as the foreman discovers, there's been bad blood brewing on the other side of the friendship for a long time, mostly out of Sam's jealousy -- not only is Ballard a better rider and a better gun, but he's a better man than he is, and he can't abide the fact that Celia knows this deep in her heart, even though she and Sam are engaged. Then there's Bide Marriner (Brian Donlevy), a local "operator" who'd love to get a range war started and grab up some land and cattle, and immediately uses friends and intermediaries, plus a few hired guns, to start spreading the word, convincing the neighboring ranchers that Hatcher land is free and open. And then there's Lottie Priest, whom Ballard figured to marry soon -- is she more interested in what her greedy father can make from the breakup of Hatcher? Caught in the middle of it all is the county sheriff, Joe Kneen (J. Carrol Naish), who'd like to stay civil with all of those involved but soon finds out that he's going to have to choose sides, and that he's too good a man for that to be the "easy" choice. There's a lot of back-shooting in Ride the Man Down, as well as some brilliantly and cleverly designed action sequences, and a level of duplicity in the characters that makes this picture play at time almost more like a film noir of the period. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brian Donlevy, Rod Cameron, (more)
- 1952
Rod Cameron's western vehicles for Monogram were always worth watching, even when Cameron was better than the scripts. In Wagons West, the star plays wagonmaster Jeff Curtis, who guides a group of Easterners to California in the 1870s. Trouble looms in the form of a Cheyenne tribe who is being supplied with weapons by a treacherous white man. Even more trouble comes Curtis' way when he discovers that the gun-runner is a member of his own wagon train. Well-photographed in two-color Cinecolor, Wagons West boasts an above-average supporting cast, ranging from bucolic Noah Beery Jr. to steely-eyed Henry Brandon. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rod Cameron, Noah Beery, Jr., (more)
- 1952
This Lippert release teams studio "regulars" Cesar Romero and Marie Windsor with Monogram's Rod Cameron. The three stars head to India to investigate reports that the elephant population is being terrorized and stampeded by prehistoric mammoths. There's lots of lovely scenery and fascinating glimpses of Indian wildlife, but not much in the way of plot, nor is a plot really called for under the circumstances. Largely filmed on location in India by Voltaire/Modern Theatres Ltd. Productions, the American version of The Jungle runs 74 minutes, while the Indian release version reportedly ran twice that length! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rod Cameron, Cesar Romero, (more)
- 1952
Lesley Selander took time off from his directorial duties on Tim Holt's RKO western series to helm the Monogram oater Fort Osage. Rod Cameron stars as frontier scout Tim Clay, assigned to guide a wagon train through Indian territory. Clay knows that he's in for a lot of trouble because of the treaty-violating activities of white criminals Pickett (Morris Ankrum) and Keane (Douglas Kennedy). Fortunately for the hero, Pickett and Keane double-cross each other somewhere along the line, weakening their ability to foment an all-out Indian attack. Jane Nigh co-stars as the in-the-dark daughter of one of the villains. Fort Osage was produced by Walter Mirisch, who later graduated to such big-budgeters as West Side Story and The Great Escape. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rod Cameron, Jane Nigh, (more)
- 1952
Ruth Hussey stars in this big-budget Republic actioner. She plays Christine Powell, the grasping, conniving sister of Minnesota mining magnate David Powell (John Agar). Using her feminine wiles, Christine tries to undermine her brother's competition by romancing rival mine owner Kyle Ramlo (Rod Cameron). He falls for her ruse, deserting his loyal sweetheart Cathy Nordlund (Gale Storm) in the process. Christine then proceeds to strip Ramlo of his wealth and prestige on her brother's behalf. How long will it be before the thick-headed Ramlo finally wises up? As was always the case at Republic, Woman of the North Country is peopled by some of the best supporting players in the business, including J. Carroll Naish, Jay C. Flippen, Jim Davis and Barry Kelley. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ruth Hussey, Rod Cameron, (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)
- 1951
This Republic "special" stars Rod Cameron as deep-sea diver Gunner McNeil. When his partner (James Brown) drowns under mysterious circumstances, McNeil investigates, all the while carrying out a salvage assignment for the lovely Suntan Radford (Adele Mara). The titular Sea Hornet is a vessel which was sunk during wartime while carrying a fortune in gold. Someone is willing to commit murder to claim the treasure for his (or her) own: is it Suntan, or second lead Ginger (Adrian Booth), or the disreputable-looking Johnny Radford (Richard Jaeckel), or even Gunner's first made Swede (Chill Wills)? Sea Hornet is capped by a thrill-packed action finale, in the fine tradition of Republic studios. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rod Cameron, Adele Mara, (more)
- 1951
Oh! Susanna is a "big" western by Republic standards, decked out with lavish production values and an extended running time (90 minutes, as compared to the usual "B"-picture length of 60 or 70 minutes). Rod Cameron stars as Captain Calhoun, a cavalry officer dedicated to protecting the rights of Indians from greedy gold prospectors. Calhoun's superior officer Lt. Col. Ungar (Forrest Tucker) despises all Indians, and makes things difficult for those who try to enforce existing treaties. Other interested parties include saloon owner Ira Jordan (Jim Davis), who is counting upon plenty of revenue from the prospectors, and saloon thrush Lia Wilson (Adrian Booth), who carries torches for Calhoun, Ungar and Jordan. The highly anticipated action climax comes with a vengeance as the betrayed Indians lay siege upon Ungar's fort. Oh! Susanna was written by Charles Marquis Warren, whose later TV work included Wyatt Earp, Gunsmoke and Rawhide. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rod Cameron, Adrian Booth, (more)
- 1950
Although Marie Windsor plays the title role in Dakota Lil, she is shunted away to third billing, right after male leads George Montgomery and Rod Cameron. Montgomery is cast as a secret service agent Tom Horn, sent West to round up a gang of counterfeiters. He starts by gaining the confidence of dance-hall girl Lil (Windsor), one of the ringleaders. She, in turn, leads Horn to the brains of the operation, Harve Logan
(Cameron). When Lil finds out that Horn is a Fed, she's tempted to fill him full of holes; instead, having fallen in love with him, she tries to help him get the goods on Logan. Dakota Lil was based on a story by Frank Gruber, later one of the leading lights of the TV-western craze. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
(Cameron). When Lil finds out that Horn is a Fed, she's tempted to fill him full of holes; instead, having fallen in love with him, she tries to help him get the goods on Logan. Dakota Lil was based on a story by Frank Gruber, later one of the leading lights of the TV-western craze. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Montgomery, Rod Cameron, (more)
- 1950
Western aficionados tend to regard Short Grass as the best-ever directorial effort by Lesley Selander. Considerably longer than most Monogram westerns (82 minutes), the film never lags, thanks to the expertise of Selander and a top-rank cast. Rod Cameron plays Steve, a drifter who briefly settles down on a ranch. During a range war, Steve comes to blows with avaricious rancher Hal Fenton (Morris Ankrum). Shortly thereafter, a man is killed and Steve is implicated in the crime. He leaves town in a hurry, returning five years later to clear his name and reclaim his land. He finds that his former girl friend Sharon (Cathy Downs) is married to alcoholic newspaperman John Devore (Tris Coffin), and that Fenton now holds the commuity in an iron grip of fear. Lawman Keown (Johnny Mack Brown) can't administer justice because of the political strings pulled by the villains. With Steve's help, Keown and the rest of the town's honest citizens are finally able to swing into action, leading to a superbly staged climax. Comic actor Raymond Walburn essays a relatively straight role as the town's leading citizen. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rod Cameron, Cathy Downs, (more)
- 1950
Rod Cameron and Wayne Morris star as Civil War officers who become federal agents. The duo is sent west to investigate a series of stage hijackings. The criminals tend to bypass gold and valuables, and are seemingly interested only in the weapons carried on these coaches. It turns out that the hijackers are secret secessionists, hoping to achieve victory for the Southern cause. Stage to Tucson manages to pack a passel of thrills into its 82 minutes, compensating for the film's paucity of plot. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rod Cameron, Wayne Morris, (more)
- 1949
Stampede is a choice example of the Lesley Selander B-plus westerns of the late 1940s/early 1950s. Rod Cameron and Don Castle star as feuding brothers who own separate cattle ranches. The siblings find themselves on opposite sides of a water-rights battle, in which settlers are being deprived water by a gang of clever criminals. The war turns ugly before the film is over, resulting in the destructive stampede promised by the title. Despite poor reviews from big-city critics, this stacks up favorably against the more costly big-studio westerns of the era. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rod Cameron, Gale Storm, (more)
- 1949
The age-old enmity between cattle ranchers and settlers once again takes center stage in this slightly above-average Western filmed in Republic Pictures' Trucolor system. Walter Brennan plays Pop "Brimstone" Courteen, an ornery rancher who avenges the loss of the free range by robbing stagecoaches and banks. The Courteen gang, which also includes Pop's three sons, Nick (Jim Davis), Luke (Jack Lambert), and the reluctant Bud (James Brown), gets a bit of competition from The Ghost, a mystery outlaw who really is Marshal Johnny Tremaine (Rod Cameron). Tremaine's undercover investigation leads to McIntyre (Forrest Tucker), the sheriff of Gunsight, who is in the employ of the Courteens. In love with Molly Bannister (Adrian Booth), a settler, Bud turns against his ruthless family, but will Tremaine be able to save the boy from his father's wrath? ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rod Cameron, Adrian Booth, (more)
- 1948
Yvonne DeCarlo dons 19th century "adventuress" garb once more in River Lady. This time she's a 19th century gambling queen, in charge of a profitable Mississippi riverboat casino. DeCarlo falls in love with logger Rod Cameron; when he won't succumb to her charms, she tries to buy his affections by setting up a logging empire. DeCarlo's partner Dan Duryea is also fascinated with her, but he's his usual slimy self and hasn't got a chance of either winning the girl or surviving to the fade-out. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Yvonne De Carlo, Dan Duryea, (more)
