Aubrey Schenk Movies

This fairly mediocre, Manila-lensed occult thriller is probably only noteworthy to Tom Selleck fans, who can see him here in his first starring role as an art collector whose latest find is a painting of three witches being burned at the stake... all of whom bear an uncanny resemblance to his wife and her two friends. Weird events abound shortly after the painting is installed in their home, and when a demonic canine begins snooping around the premises, Satanic signs appear, and people start dying. Selleck slowly becomes aware (much more slowly than the audience) that the resemblance in the picture is more than mere coincidence. Aside from the attractive location scenery, this is far too plodding and talky to sustain any devilish creepiness. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi

Cain (Clint Walker), better known throughout the West as "Killer Cain," is released from prison in 1891, after serving 18 years for killing a man, one of over a dozen lives that he'd taken from the age of 16. But he finds that his penalty is hardly paid and his punishment hardly over, even though he's truly reformed and wants no trouble. He's unable to get away from his past, even though the Old West is fading fast in the face of civilization -- in fact, the fading of the West is making matters worse, as ordinary folks are mostly scared of and curious about him. Additionally, he still has enemies all around, who will give him no peace; and to top it off, the only man willing to give him any kind of a job is Dan Ruffalo (Vincent Price), operator of a Wild West show, as a sharpshooter. It turns out that Cain isn't even that perfect a shot anymore, but Cain still becomes the show's biggest attraction, because people will pay to see -- or say they saw -- a killer, and that upsets young Billy (Paul Hampton), Ruffalo's other sharpshooter, who never misses but has also never killed a man either. Billy is a lot more frightening to Cain than Cain could ever be to Billy, because Billy turns out to be a psychopath. Adding to his troubles is the presence of Luke Santee (Mike Henry), a killer with his own score to settle with Cain, as well as Karma (Craig Littler), a mysterious lawyer who's been looking for him. Cain and Billy seem headed for a collision sooner or later, even as Cain tries to find peace in the company of Monica Alton (Anne Francis), an artist from the East who loves him, and who has come out West to make a new life for herself. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi

This grim drama is set in the Mesa Vineyards of California and chronicles the horrible conditions suffered by migrant workers who are treated as slaves by a cruel vineyard supervisor. He is particularly brutal with the females whom he repeatedly rapes and batters. The foreman goes over the edge when he tries to beat the vintner to death so he can commandeer the ranch. Fortunately, the women band together and end up hacking up the brute with pruning shears. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

This rodeo songfest finds Jackie (Mamie Van Doren) in love with Kelly (Jeff Richards) as they perform on the traveling rodeo circuit. Cool Man (Arthur Hunnicutt) is the likeable rodeo veteran. Jackie carries the torch for Kelly, who plays hard to get. Kelly plans to leave his bronco busting life behind before injuries and age catch up with him. Liz (Carol Ohmart) is a rich divorcee with eyes for Kelly. Van Doren sings five songs, and Tex Williams plays himself singing "Song Of The Rodeo". Johnny Olenn sings the title track and "You Lovable You". ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi

There's a measure of sympathy for the Apaches at the beginning of Fort Bowie. Under the tyrannical rule of ambitious Major Wharton (P. Ian Douglas), a cavalry detachment slaughters a band of Apache who've arrived with the intention of surrendering. A counterattack is inevitable, but before this happens the story is sidetracked by the jealous behavior of Colonel Garrett (Kent Taylor). When stalwart young Captain Thompson (Ben Johnson) resists the romantic overtures of Garrett's wife Allison (Jan Harrison), she screams "Rape!" and Thompson finds himself facing court-martial and execution. This plot strand and several others are resolved after the Cavalry is forced to attack its own fort following an Apache takeover. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Jungle Heat is set in pre-WWII Hawaii. A group of pro-Japanese fifth columnists infiltrate the islands, intended to demoralize the populace long before the Pearl Harbor attacks. Specializing in sabotage, the spies target the pineapple and sugar plantations, not to mention the big-city industries. American doctor Jim Ransom catches on to what's happening (though it seems to take him forever), and, together with National Guard officer Richard Grey, foils the villains. It is worth noting that the principal villain in Jungle Heat is not Japanese, but an occidental traitor played (or overplayed) by James Westerfield. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Also known as Bop Girl, this diverting musical time capsule features several of the best Calypso performers of the late 1950s. Real-life jazz musician Bobby Troup stars as a college music student, writing a graduate thesis on rock 'n' roll. For research purposes, Troup persuades nightclub singer Judy Tyler to perform one of her numbers to a calypso beat. Before you can say "Harry Belafonte", a brand-new musical craze is born. The veteran supporting cast includes Lucien Littlefield as Bobby Troup's professor mentor, former 20th Century-Fox starlet Margo Woode as a eugenics expert, and George "Joe McDoakes" O'Hanlon as comedy relief. Among the musical acts are the Mary Kaye Trio, The Goofers, the Lord Flea Calypsonians, Nino Tempo, The Titans and The Cubanos. Bop Girl Goes Calypso was the final film appearance of up-and-coming actress Judy Tyler, who was killed in a particularly nasty car accident shortly after filming wrapped. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Anne Bancroft was several years away from her 1962 Oscar win when she starred in the compact murder mystery The Girl in Black Stockings. The scene is a posh Utah resort hotel, where several beautiful women are mysteriously killed. Suspects include lawyer David Hewson (Lex Barker), his secretary Beth Dixon (Anne Bancroft), nasty hotel owner Edmund Parry (Ron Randell), and Parry's sister (Marie Windsor). Among the victims is Mamie Van Doren. The Girl in Black Stockings was adapted from a short story by Peter Godfrey. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Down-and-out artist Joe Manning (John Bromfield) wakes up from a night of drunken revelry in a jail cell, where he's being held on suspicion for the murder of a nightclub singer. It so happens that the dead woman was clutching a "class of 1945" high school pin in her hand, and it was on the basis of this circumstantial evidence that Joe was incarcerated. Provided with a phony alibi by friendly carhop Slacks (Julie London), Joe sets about to find the real killer--all the while hoping that it isn't himself. Since there are quite a few 1945 alumni in the neighborhood, Joe really has his work cut out for him. Featured in the supporting cast of Crime Against Joe is corpulent Henry Calvin, the future "Sergeant Garcia" on TV's Zorro, as Joe's cabdriver buddy. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this violent, gripping drama, a ruthless criminal kidnaps a little boy and takes him into the Colorado wilderness where, unfortunately, the lad accidentally dies in a terrible fall. This doesn't stop the crook from collecting and hiding a substantial ransom. He is eventually captured and imprisoned. There he hooks up with four other bad apples and together they escape and go looking for the money. These criminals are desperate and will stop at nothing to reach their goal. One of them is a true psychopath and the cops and FBI agents must hurry before more blood is spilled. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

War Paint stars Robert Stack as a courageous U.S. Cavalry lieutenant, assigned to deliver a peace treaty to a powerful Indian chief. Unfortunately, a band of bloodthirsty renegades have vowed to kill the officer before he completes his mission. Will our hero be able to deliver the treaty at the appointed time, thereby avoiding mass bloodshed? And will the Indian chieftain's daughter (Joan Taylor) actually survive until the last reel, even though she's fallen in love with the lieutenant? (If so, it will be a Hollywood first!) Beautifully photographed in Pathecolor, War Paint was filmed on location in Death Valley. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Set during WW II, Target Unknown follows the exploits of a group of American flyers who crash behind enemy lines. Captured by the Germans, the flyers are interrogated separately. The Nazi higher-ups are eventually convinced that they've gleaned enough information to know where and when the next Allied bombing will occur, but the Americans prove to be a step ahead of them. Mark Stevens stars as Air Force captain Jerome Stevens, while Robert Douglas is Col. Von Brock, Steven's German opposite number. The feminine angle is handled by Suzanne Dalbert and Malu Gatica, cast respectively as a loyal Frenchwoman and Nazi sympathizer. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi