Frank Jenks Movies
From 1922 through 1934, Iowa-born performer Frank Jenks was a song and dance man in vaudeville. He began picking up day work in Hollywood films in 1933, and by 1937 had worked his way up to a contract with Universal Pictures. Jenks was seen in sizeable character roles in films ranging from the sumptuous Deanna Durbin vehicle 100 Men and a Girl to several entries in the Crime Club... (read more) B-series. He portrayed sardonic sleuth Bill Crane (a creation of mystery writer Jonathan Latimer) in the Crime Club entries The Westland Case (1937) and Lady in the Morgue (1938). Jenks' familiar Hibernian grin and salty delivery of dialogue graced many a feature of the '40s and '50s; most of the roles were supporting, though Jenks was allowed full leads in an informal series of PRC detective films of the mid '40s. Frank Jenks' most conspicuous assignment of the '50s was as Uthas P. Garvey, the Runyonesque assistant of lovable con artist Alan Mowbray on the TV series Colonel Humphrey Flack, which ran live in 1953-54 and was resurrected for 39 filmed episodes in 1958. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Perry Mason: The Case of the Violent Vest
1961
Nearly bankrupt because of his wife's gambling debts, ad executive Herman Albright (Erik Rhodes) tries to forget his problems by hitting on fashion model Grace Frye (Myrna...
Perry Mason: The Case of the Deadly Double
1958
The only person who can clear Perry's client Robert Crane (Denver Pyle) of a murder charge is his sister Helen (Constance Ford), the wife of the murder victim. But Helen...
The Amazing Colossal Man
1957
While overseeing the atomic tests in the Nevada desert, Army colonel Glenn Manning (Glenn Langan) is exposed to extensive amounts of radiation. As a result, Manning...
Shake, Rattle and Rock
1957
The endearingly awful Shake, Rattle and Rock! serves as a showcase for four top rock-and-roll talents of the 1950s. Fats Domino heads the cast as "himself", performing "I'm in...
Friendly Persuasion
1956
Adapted from the best-selling novel by Jessamyn West, Friendly Persuasion is set in Southern Indiana in the early days of the Civil War. Gary Cooper plays Jess Birdwell,...
The Houston Story
1956
One of the many "exposes" of corporate corruption filmed in the 1950s, Houston Story was ground out with stingy efficiency by Columbia Pictures. Gene Barry plays {%Frank...
Dig That Uranium
1956
The Bowery Boys--Slip (Leo Gorcey), Sach (Huntz Hall) et. al.--are suckered into buying a uranium mine near the western town of Panther Pass. Though the boys find none of...
The She-Creature
1956
The lovely assistant of an evil hypnotist has no idea that she is the descendant of a horrifying prehistoric sea monster she is mesmerized by her boss. When the monster comes...
Outlaw Treasure
1955
Self-style western star John Carpenter is the "auteur" of the low-budget hayburner Outlaw Treasure. Carpenter not only stars in the film (billed as "John Forbes"), but...
Sudden Danger
1955
Having forsaken westerns for detective melodramas in Dial Red O, William "Wild Bill" Ellliot continues in this vein in Sudden Danger. Elliot is cast as detective...
The Adventures of Superman: The Magic Necklace
1955
Lois (Noel Neill) writes a story about the discovery of an ancient necklace with alleged magic powers. It is said that whosoever wears the necklace will be protected from all...
Highway Dragnet
1954
Highway Dragnet is best known to modern movie buffs as the first film to carry Roger Corman's name in the credits. Corman was one of six screenwriters contributing to this...
White Lightning
1953
No relation to the 1973 Burt Reynolds vehicle of the same name, White Lightning is a passable programmer about a champion ice hockey team. Stanley Clements plays Mike, an...
Mr. Walkie Talkie
1952
Mr. Walkie Talkie was the second attempt by producer Hal Roach Jr. to revive the popular series of William Tracy/Joe Sawyer service comedies filmed by Hal Roach Sr....
The Adventures of Superman: The Stolen Costume
1952
Johnny Sims, a two-bit burglar and sneak-thief, breaks into the apartment of Clark Kent (George Reeves) and chances upon the secret closet where he keeps his Superman costume...
Let's Go Navy!
1951
Through an incredible series of circumstances, the Bowery Boys sign up for a hitch in the Navy. While clumsily going about the shipboard duties, Slip (Leo Gorcey), Sach...
Bowery Battalion
1951
Mistakenly believing that America has gone to war, the Bowery Boys (Leo Gorcey, Huntz Hall, Billy Benedict, et al.) join the army. Our heroes get off to a bad start...
Pecos River
1951
Charles Starrett once more plays the masked, do-gooding Durango Kid in Pecos River. While in mufti, however, Starrett is a government agent, posing as a bandit to...
I Was an American Spy
1951
I Was an American Spy is a true story, based on a series of autobiographical Reader's Digest articles written by Claire Phillips. Ann Dvorak stars as Ms. Phillips, an...
Silver City Bonanza
1951
Rex Allen, aka "The Arizona Cowboy," again stars as himself in Republic's Silver City Bonanza. Allen and his sidekick Gabe Horne (Buddy Ebsen) are hot on the trail of...