Lee Sholem Movies
Lee T. Sholem joined the film business before World War II and emerged as a director of features immediately after the war. An action movie specialist who could shoot quickly around the worst personal and budgetary obstacles (hence his nickname, "Roll 'Em Sholem") who treated even the most juvenile story seriously, Sholem never aspired past B-movies and television, but had several opportunities within these restrictions to direct material that was widely seen, especially by younger viewers. These included the Sol Lesser-produced Tarzan's Magic Fountain (1949) and its sequel, the theatrical film Superman and the Mole Men (1951), starring George Reeves as the Man of Steel, and numerous early episodes of the subsequent television series (Sholem and Tommy Carr were the two best directors the series had -- Phyllis Coates, who played Lois Lane, vividly recalled Sholem's directing of the episode "Night of Terror," in which she was accidently knocked out cold by an actor and revived by the director, so they could finish here scenes before her face swelled up), the Jungle Jim features Cannibal Attack and Jungle Man-Eaters (1954), and the science fiction thriller Tobor the Great (1954). His biggest cast was probably The Redhead from Wyoming (1952), with Maureen O'Hara and Alexander Scourby. Film work slowed down considerably for Sholem in the '60s, and he worked much more in television throughout the decade (his sole theatrical credit of consequence was Catalina Caper a 1967 comic thriller highlighted by some great performance clips of Little Richard). His last film was The Doomsday Machine (1972), an ultra-low-budget science fiction thriller starring former silent leading man Henry Wilcoxon. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
Poorly written, directed and photographed, The Doomsday Machine is one of those cheap sci-fi farragos which rounds up several faded stars and then gives them nothing to work with. Among the trapped former luminaries are Denny Miller, Mala Powers, Bobby Van and Henry Wilcoxon. The plot (for lack of a better word) involves a spaceship and its squabbling crew. The space travellers must bury the hatchet long enough to try to save the Earth from destruction. Beware: That alluring videocassette on your local rental shelves titled Escape From Planet Earth is really Doomsday Machine in disguise. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
This sci-fi drama is set aboard a nearly derelict spaceship about to fail. With little remaining supplies and little oxygen, only a few of the crew will survive to make it back to Earth, leaving them to decide which of them must die. The film is also known as The Doomsday Machine. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1967
Beach parties abound in this youthful adventure that centers on two surfers-turned-detective as they look into the mysterious theft of a priceless Chinese scroll. Musical highlights include Little Richard singing "Scuba Party", and The Cascades with "There's a New World Opening for Me". The film is alternately titled Never Steal Anything Wet. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tommy Kirk, Del Moore, (more)
- 1962
Mickey Shaughnessy guest stars as Mr. Muldoon, a self-proclaimed (and somewhat oversized) Irish leprechaun. Hoping to convince a skeptical Bart Maverick (Jack Kelly) of his magical powers, Muldoon offers to grant Bart five wishes, the first one being for money. Unfortunately, the cash that Muldoon hands over to our hero is exactly the same amount that was recently lifted in a payroll robbery. Originally slated to air on January 14, 1962, this episode was rescheduled to February 11 before its ultimate network debut on April 15. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1962
The final episode of Maverick finds Bart Maverick (Jack Kelly) crossing the path of his brother Bret's old nemesis Modesty Blaine (played in earlier episodes by Mona Freeman, and here enacted by Kathleen Crowley). Hoping that Bart will marry her, Modesty goes ballistic (even though that word didn't exist in the 1870s) when he turns her down--and to get even, she tells the authorities that Bart tried to "have his way" with her. Somehow or other, all this nonsense is prelude to the climactic sequence, in which both Bart and Modesty are key players in a spectacular train robbery, which also involves real-life luminaries Diamond Jim Brady (Barry Kelley) and Doc Holliday (Peter Breck). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1960
Directed by old Superman-hand Lee Sholem, Louisiana Hussy is one of the better "swamp trash" B flicks of the 1960s. Nan Peterson stars as Nina Duprez, an alluring Cajun beauty who leaves disaster in her wake wherever she goes. In the course of the film's 66 minutes, she destroys several families, breaks up quite a few marriages, and drives at least one unfortunate young girl to suicide. Nina is finally trapped in one of her own webs of sexual intrigue. Featured in the cast is Betty Lynn, who'd have better luck as a Southern belle when she played Thelma Lou on The Andy Griffith Show. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1960
After winning $6500 in a poker game, Bart (Jack Kelly) and Beau (Roger Moore) wire the money ahead to Denver via telegraph. But upon arrival in Denver, the Mavericks are told that money never arrived. It turns out that there is a renegade telegraph station hidden in a remote cave, which has been intercepting messages and money from unwary customers. Heading the supporting cast in this episode is Robert Cornthwaite, better known to science fiction fans as the foolishly pacifistic scientist in the 1951 sci-fi classic The Thing. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1958
Raised by Comanches, a white boy (Michael Landon) is imprisoned by the Apaches and must deal with Cheyenne Bodie to escape. This originally aired as an episode on the '50s TV show. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- 1957
Producer Howard W. Koch's impoverished Bel-Air company lensed this quasi-horror film somewhere in California's Death Valley. Affecting a none-too-convincing British accent Mark Dana stars as Captain Storm, heading a colonial escort to a lonely archeological dig in Egypt in 1902. Along the way, the party, which includes the American wife (Diane Brewster) of the chief archeologist (George N. Neise), encounters a mysterious girl, Simira (Ziva Shapir aka Ziva Rodann, "Miss Israel of 1957), who warns them not to mess with the dead. They do anyway, of course, drawing the ire of the Gods. One by one, the scientists are decimated by Simira's brother Numar (Alvaro Guillot), who is the reincarnation of the tomb keeper and grows older by the minute. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mark Dana, Ziva Rodann, (more)
In this South Seas adventure, a sea captain teams up with lovely island princess help her vanquish the brutal smugglers who are forcing her people to dive for pearls. There are French colonialists on the island and a judge is there to ensure justice. Unfortunately, he is crooked, and after the smugglers are captured he gives them a choice: they can help him retrieve a sunken treasure or they can go to prison. They choose the former, but afterward, they double-cross the judge. Fortunately, the sea captain is still around to see that justice is served. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1957
Shortly before committing himself to the TV sitcom Mr. Adams and Eve, Howard Duff starred in the dust-caked western Sierra Stranger. After rescuing Sonny Grover (Ed Kemmer) from a brutal beating, well-meaning Jess Collins (Duff) discovers that Sonny is the town no-good. The far-from-grateful Grover later tries to gun down Collins during a stagecoach holdup. A good samaritan no longer, Collins dedicates himself to bringing Grover to justice. Sierra Stranger is blessed with one of those supporting casts that film buffs pray for: John Hoyt, Dick Foran, George E. Stone, Barton MacLane, Byron Foulger, Henry Kulky et. al. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Howard Duff, Gloria McGhee, (more)
- 1956
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, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Bromfield, Julie London, (more)
- 1956
This 62-minute quickie takes place during a single 12-hour shift at Los Angeles' Emergency Hospital. In anticipation of such contemporary TV dramas as Chicago Hope and ER, several subplots are developed at once. Dr. Janet Carey (Margaret Lindsay) is romanced by wealthy Ben Caldwell (Byron Palmer), who may or may not be a dangerously reckless motorist. Visiting detective Arnold (Walter Reed) must come to grips with the fact that his teenaged son (Jim Stapleton) is a budding delinquent. And other major and minor crises are experienced by nurse Norma Mullen (Rita Johnson) and staff doctor Ellis (John Archer). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Margaret Lindsay, Walter Reed, (more)
In 1955, Warner Bros. entered the TV production field with the weekly Warner Bros. Presents. The program consisted of three rotating, each based on a Warners feature film of the 1940s. While King's Row and Casablanca fell by the wayside, the third component, Cheyenne, had "legs", lasting until 1963. Clint Walker starred as Cheyenne Bodie, a wandering dogooder at large in the Old West. During a 1958 contract dispute, Walker was spelled by two new characters, "Sugarfoot" (Will Hutchins) and "Bronco" (Ty Hardin), both of whom were spun off into their own series when Walker returned to the Warners fold in 1959. In the early 1990s, two 60-minute Cheyenne episodes were released on video: "White Warrior" and "The Iron Trail", respectively featuring stars-in-the-making Michael Landon and Dennis Hopper. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1955
The title tells all in this seventh entry in Universal's "Ma and Pa Kettle" series. This time around, Ma (Marjorie Main) and Pa (Percy Kilbride) take their brood to Hawaii, where Pa is to take over management of his cousin's fruit processing operation. The villains are a group of rival businessmen who kidnap Pa and spirit him off to a remote island. Before long, however, it's the bad guys who need rescuing. Some of the funnier scenes involve Ma and Pa's Hawaiian counterparts, played by Hilo Hattie and Charley Lung. With this entry, Percy Kilbride bade adieu to the role of Pa Kettle, leaving Marjorie Main to carry on alone in the remaining two series installments. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marjorie Main, Percy Kilbride, (more)
- 1954
Jungle Man-Eaters was #13 in Columbia's "Jungle Jim" series. On this occasion, Jim (Johnny Weissmuller) takes on a vicious smuggler named Latour (Gregory Gaye), who intends to corner the world's diamond trade. Assisting our hero is Scotland Yard inspector Bernard (Richard Stapley) and erudite tribal chieftan Zuwaba (Bernie Hamilton). A touch of feminity is added by Karin Booth as Bonnie, Inspector Bernard's lady friend. A fierce battle with a crocodile is but one of the many perils facing Jungle Jim as he tracks down his quarry. After Jungle Man-Eaters, Johnny Weissmuller elected to use his own name on-screen in all future "Jungle Jim" endeavors. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Johnny Weissmuller, Karin [Katharine] Booth, (more)
- 1954
Though Cannibal Attack is officially an entry in Columbia's "Jungle Jim" B-movie series, star Johnny Weissmuller is cast as "himself", rather than his usual Jungle Jim role. The plot finds Weissmuller investigating a series of cargo and cobalt thefts. The villains are a group of sinister foreign spies with Slavic accents, who are being aided and abetted by Luora (Judy Walsh), daughter of a cannibal princess. To expedite the bad guys' dirty work, tribal leader Rovak (Bruce Cowling) has his men disguise themselves as crocodiles. That's right, crocodiles. The rest of the picture is on an equal level of credibility. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Johnny Weissmuller, Judy Walsh, (more)
This children's sci-fi adventure chronicles the friendship between an 11-year-old and his grandfather's robot Tobor, who was designed to explore deep space. Tobor, unlike other machines, was endowed with human emotions. Trouble erupts when the communists kidnap him and try to make him do their evil bidding. Fortunately, Tobor is mind-linked to his creator and cannot be easily reprogrammed. The adventure begins when the boy and the scientists attempt to save the robot. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Drake, Karin [Katharine] Booth, (more)
- 1953
This concluding episode of a two-part story was excerpted from the theatrical feature Superman and the Oil Man. The digging of an oil well in the town of Silsby has caused a race of subterranean "Mole Men" to escape to the earth's surface. All the Mole Men want is to be left in peace, but their bizarre and grotesque appearance arouses the fear and bigotry of the local citizens. It is up to visiting reporter Clark Kent (George Reeves to prevent the situation from getting completely of hand--and the only way he can do this is to transform himself into Superman. Note that Phyllis Coates, who plays Lois Lane, has lighter hair than usual: This is because Superman and the Mole Men was filmed before production began on the Adventures of Superman TV series proper--even though this two-part adaptation was not telecast until the end of the series' first season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1953
This first episode of a two-part story was excerpted from the theatrical feature Superman and the Oil Man. Reporters Clark Kent (George Reeves) and Lois Lane (Phyllis Coates) arrive in the town of Silsby, there to cover the drilling of the world's deepest oil well. Unfortunately, the digging has hit the center of the earth, disturbing a peaceful race of "Mole Men" who are forced to climb to the surface. The strange creatures' bizarre appearance and behavior brings out the worst in the local townsfolk, with bigoted Luke Benson (Jeff Corey) stirring up a mob to kill off the Mole Men--at which point Clark Kent decides it's time to go into full Superman mode! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1953
Clark (George Reeves), Lois (Phyllis Coates) and Jimmy (Jack Larson) head to Canada to investigate reports of a werewolf who is allegedly attacking lumberjacks. Clark is certain that there's a logical explanation to these "supernatural" events, which is quite a statement coming from a man who periodically transforms himself into Superman. At any rate, by the time the episode comes to a climax, all the people whom we care about are imperiled by a forest fire. Watch for an error in the rigging when Superman takes to the air--a faulty special effect that nearly resulted in a serious on-set injury for actor George Reeves. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1953
Crooked gambler "Bet-a-Million" Butler (Trevor Bardette) wagers that he can keep Superman (George Reeves) occupied while a huge museum robbery takes place. The plan involves the abduction of Lois Lane (Phyllis Coates), who is placed in a room full of explosives, set to go off if Superman interferes with the robbery. But "Bet-a-Millon" manages to outsmart himself, and the Man of Steel proves that he can be in two places at once--figurative speaking, of course. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1953
Although Lois Lane does not appear in this episode, there is still a "damsel in distress" in the form of Kate White (Mabel Albertson), the sister of "Daily Planet" editor Perry White (John Hamilton). When Kate disappears in Haiti, reporters Clark (George Reeves), and Jimmy (Jack Larson) inaugurate a search for the missing woman. It isn't long before Jimmy himself is captured by a gang of criminals who are using local voodoo superstitions as a smokescreen for their crimes. (Incidentally, the George Hamilton in this episode is not the movie star of the same name). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1953
For over a year, artist and self-styled mystic Mme. Selena (Myra McKinney) has been holding the city of Metropolis in thrall with her predictions -- she announces a new "vision" to an audience of VIPs and press at her wax museum, and unveils the wax sculpture of the man that she predicts will die within the next six months; and five men predicted to die have apparently done so. Clark Kent (George Reeves), Lois Lane (Phyllis Coates), and Perry White (John Hamilton) of the Daily Planet decide to investigate, and discover that her latest "vision" and sculpture are of... Perry White. When White turns up missing, an apparent victim of suicide, the reporters must overcome their grief to continue working on the story -- soon, Lois has uncovered a darker, more horrible side to Mme. Selena's life and work than anyone could have imagined. It's also a discovery that may well get her killed, unless Superman can figure out what's going on and where she's being held before it's too late. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
The title character of this western can only be one of two actresses: Maureen O'Hara or Rhonda Fleming. But Fleming apparently had something else to do, so O'Hara won the coin-toss. She plays a dance-hall gal who protects the identity of a cattle rustler--mainly because she's the same crooked business herself. Complications ensue when O'Hara falls in love with the very sheriff (Alex Nicol) who intends to bring the rustler to justice. Redhead from Wyoming was filmed in Technicolor; the producers would have been insane not to do so. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Maureen O'Hara, Alex Nicol, (more)
