Frank N. Seltzer Movies
- 2002
Folk Era presents this live concert performance by Bob Shane, Nick Reynolds, and George Grove, better known as the legendary folk group the Kingston Trio. Released in 2002 and recorded in Houston, TX, The Kingston Trio: Everybody's Talking features the band on such timeless tunes as "Hard, Ain't It Hard," "Three Jolly Coachmen," "Greenback Dollar," "Everybody's Talking," "Ah, Woe Ah, Me," "M.T.A.," "Everything," "Long Black Veil," "Hobo's Lullaby," "Tom Dooley," "A Worried Man," "Scotch and Soda," and "California." ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
This near-legendary western stars Sterling Hayden as George Hanson, the son of a Swedish seaman-turned-farmer (Ted Stanhope). When he runs afoul of town boss Ed McNeil (Sebastian Cabot), Hanson's father is gunned down by McNeil's henchman Johnny Crale (Ned Young). Knowing full well that he can expect no help from the town's corrupt sheriff (Tyler McVey), Hanson takes matters in his own hands. Tension mounts steadily until the unforgettable climactic showdown, wherein Hanson arms himself with a harpoon! Extremely well written by Ben L. Perry, Terror in a Texas Town was one of the last directorial efforts of cult favorite Joseph H. Lewis. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sterling Hayden, Sebastian Cabot, (more)
- 1956
John Payne always felt that he delivered his best screen performance in The Boss. Set in the years following WW1, the story concerns a small-town veteran named Matt Brady (John Payne), whose brother, machine politician Tim Brady (Roy Roberts), arranges for Matt to get a cushy government job. When Tim dies, Matt takes over his operation, eventually assuming control of the entire state (which judiciously remains unnamed in the film). Though a successful power broker, Matt is unable to win the woman he loves (Doe Avedon), so he settles for another (Gloria McGhee) whom he treats atrociously. A falling out with his best friend/severest critic Bob Herrick (William Bishop) sets the stage for the ruthless Brady's inevitable downfall. Though all the names were changed to protect the guilty, audiences in 1956 were quick to perceive that the film was a thinly disguised attack on the Pendergast machine of Kansas City, Missouri. Coproduced and cowritten by John Payne, The Boss falters only in its overreliance upon anachronistic newsreel footage. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Payne, William Bishop, (more)
- 1950
Edmond O'Brien plays a telephone repairman whose electronic savvy earns him a job with a bookmaking concern. O'Brien's bookie boss Barry Kelly wants to get instant results from the nation's racetracks, and to this end O'Brien illicitly plugs into several communication centers. The wealthier O'Brien becomes, the more scruples he sheds. Eventually he runs afoul of the Big Boss of an Eastern bookie syndicate (Otto Kruger) and vainly attempts to escape with his life in a slam-bang final at Boulder Dam. 711 Ocean Drive was made to cash in on a then-current national newspaper expose of bookmaking operations. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edmond O'Brien, Joanne Dru, (more)
- 1948
This comedy focuses on a nuclear scientist who believes that his dead brother has been reincarnated as a dog. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1948
This "B" effort from the 20th Century-Fox stable stars John Emery and Tamara Geva as John Newberry and Maria Ivar, a pair of quarrelsome stage stars. Realizing that their constant bickering is ruining their professional and personal lives, John and Maria separately consult psychiatrists Harold Matson (Leif Erickson) and Susan Nash (Virginia Gregg). To hide the fact that they're seeking therapy, John and Maria pretend that Harold and Suan are old school friends. It doesn't take long before the psychiatrists are arguing with each other, thereby "curing" John and Maria. Director Ray McCarey may have been the brother of Leo McCarey, but Ray's The Gay Intruders isn't in the same league as Leo's hilarious marital comedy The Awful Truth. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Emery, Tamara Geva, (more)
- 1948
In this war drama, set in New Guinea circa 1943, a squadron of fliers, stationed near Port Moresby must keep the Japanese at bay until a permanent air base can be built. They successfully shoot down 100 Japanese planes without losing one of their own. The men, realizing that they cannot beat the odds forever, begin worrying about which of them will be killed first. Fortunately, a pretty USO entertainer comes to visit, and the men get a welcome respite. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kristine Miller, Arthur Franz, (more)
