Elizabeth MacRae, who played girlfriends of Gomer Pyle and Festus Haggen on television and a woman who seduces Gene Hackman’s surveillance expert in The Conversation, has died. She was 88.
MacRae died Monday in Fayetteville, North Carolina, where she was raised, her family announced.
MacRae showed up as Lou-Ann Poovie on 15 episodes of the CBS comedy Gomer Pyle: Usmc during its final three seasons (1966-69). She was signed to work just one episode, “Love’s Old Sweet Song,” on the Jim Nabors starrer but impressed producers enough to stick around for more.
Earlier, she portrayed April Clomley, the girlfriend of deputy marshal Festus (Ken Curtis), on CBS’ Gunsmoke on four installments from 1962-64.
In The Conversation (1974), written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola, MacRae played Meredith, who dances with Hackman’s Harry Caul in his apartment, sleeps with him and then swipes one of his audiotapes. The actress was among...
MacRae died Monday in Fayetteville, North Carolina, where she was raised, her family announced.
MacRae showed up as Lou-Ann Poovie on 15 episodes of the CBS comedy Gomer Pyle: Usmc during its final three seasons (1966-69). She was signed to work just one episode, “Love’s Old Sweet Song,” on the Jim Nabors starrer but impressed producers enough to stick around for more.
Earlier, she portrayed April Clomley, the girlfriend of deputy marshal Festus (Ken Curtis), on CBS’ Gunsmoke on four installments from 1962-64.
In The Conversation (1974), written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola, MacRae played Meredith, who dances with Hackman’s Harry Caul in his apartment, sleeps with him and then swipes one of his audiotapes. The actress was among...
- 5/29/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A new era of the B-movie was born in the 1950s. While the term originally referred to the second film in a double feature that defined much of the moviegoing experience during the Golden Age of Hollywood, a 1948 landmark Supreme Court antitrust ruling against major studios’ monopolistic practices upended the way films were distributed. While the traditional double feature waned, the demands of the burgeoning drive-in theater market gave way to the rise in independent genre films.
Two such low-budget B-movies made a mark in 1959: The Giant Gila Monster and The Killer Shrews. Produced by radio broadcasting magnate Gordon McLendon and future Gunsmoke actor Ken Curtis, the sci-fi horror movies were shot back-to-back in under three months with much of the same crew before being distributed together.
Both films are directed by Ray Kellogg, who had no prior directing experience, but his visual effects work on the likes of...
Two such low-budget B-movies made a mark in 1959: The Giant Gila Monster and The Killer Shrews. Produced by radio broadcasting magnate Gordon McLendon and future Gunsmoke actor Ken Curtis, the sci-fi horror movies were shot back-to-back in under three months with much of the same crew before being distributed together.
Both films are directed by Ray Kellogg, who had no prior directing experience, but his visual effects work on the likes of...
- 12/12/2023
- by Alex DiVincenzo
- bloody-disgusting.com
"Gunsmoke" ran for a very, very long time. Beginning as a half-hour adaptation of a similarly long-running radio show in 1955, it transitioned to an hour-long show in its 7th season, which gave its stock Western storylines a greater sense of place, and more opportunities for great, up-and-coming actors to star in them. Over the course of 20 seasons, the show told every story under the sun (often multiple times over) about the frontier town of Dodge City, Kansas.
The show's protagonist was ostensibly Marshal Matt Dillon (James Arness), whose casting has been attributed to no less a Western star than John Wayne. But the world of "Gunsmoke" went far beyond him, especially as the show went on. While Arness appeared in every one of the show's 635 episodes, he often looked more like a guest star the further along it went, showing up for scenes here and there while the supporting cast...
The show's protagonist was ostensibly Marshal Matt Dillon (James Arness), whose casting has been attributed to no less a Western star than John Wayne. But the world of "Gunsmoke" went far beyond him, especially as the show went on. While Arness appeared in every one of the show's 635 episodes, he often looked more like a guest star the further along it went, showing up for scenes here and there while the supporting cast...
- 10/9/2023
- by Anthony Crislip
- Slash Film
The premiere release from Film Masters—the new vintage film restoration and distribution company, launched in June by industry veteran and film historian Phil Hopkins—is a two-disc collection featuring cult favorite The Giant Gila Monster with bonus film The Killer Shrews, which were originally released as a double-feature, drive-in bill in 1959.
Bloody Disgusting has learned that the Blu-ray & DVD will release on September 26.
The classic era of drive-in schlock was near its end at the time, but there remained a dedicated audience for this pair of no-budget howlers from director Ray Kellogg and producer Gordon McLendon.
The Giant Gila Monster (from a new 4k scan of 35mm, original film elements): When two teens disappear from a small Texas town, the locals think they’ve eloped. But soon it becomes clear that something much more sinister is afoot. And if a giant Gila monster isn’t enough for you,...
Bloody Disgusting has learned that the Blu-ray & DVD will release on September 26.
The classic era of drive-in schlock was near its end at the time, but there remained a dedicated audience for this pair of no-budget howlers from director Ray Kellogg and producer Gordon McLendon.
The Giant Gila Monster (from a new 4k scan of 35mm, original film elements): When two teens disappear from a small Texas town, the locals think they’ve eloped. But soon it becomes clear that something much more sinister is afoot. And if a giant Gila monster isn’t enough for you,...
- 7/19/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
The props and set were only part of what brought the world of Gunsmoke to life. The cast had a natural chemistry that allowed their characters to pop off the screen in brilliant ways. They were further brought together when a part of Dodge City left the set and went all of the way to space during the Apollo 8 mission. However, the most special part was that they each got to keep a part of history in the process.
‘Gunsmoke’ was the top-rated show on television L-r: Milburn Stone as Doc Adams, James Arness as Matt Dillon, Amanda Blake as Miss Kitty, and Ken Curtis as Festus Haggen | CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images
Gunsmoke originally started as a radio show in 1952, which was adapted into a television show in 1955. Fortunately, it allowed the show to get off on the right foot, as there was already an established fan base that...
‘Gunsmoke’ was the top-rated show on television L-r: Milburn Stone as Doc Adams, James Arness as Matt Dillon, Amanda Blake as Miss Kitty, and Ken Curtis as Festus Haggen | CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images
Gunsmoke originally started as a radio show in 1952, which was adapted into a television show in 1955. Fortunately, it allowed the show to get off on the right foot, as there was already an established fan base that...
- 4/14/2023
- by Jeff Nelson
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Gunsmoke actor Burt Reynolds went from television to a major movie star and sex symbol. However, his successful career in feature films would have never happened without the wins that he got on projects, such as Gunsmoke. There, Reynolds worked hard on Gunsmoke along with the Western television show cast to make their performances look as “effortless” as possible for the longtime fans.
Burt Reynolds appeared in 50 ‘Gunsmoke’ episodes L-r: James Arness as Matt Dillon, Burt Reynolds as Quint Asper, Milburn Stone as Doc Adams, Amanda Blake as Miss Kitty Russell, and Ken Curtis as Festus Haggen | Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Reynolds first appeared on Gunsmoke as Quint Asper in season 8 episode 3, “Quint Asper Comes Home.” The 1962 episode follows the half-Native American character, who vows to take vengeance against all white men after a pair of them kill his father and threaten his mother. However, U.S. Marshal Matt...
Burt Reynolds appeared in 50 ‘Gunsmoke’ episodes L-r: James Arness as Matt Dillon, Burt Reynolds as Quint Asper, Milburn Stone as Doc Adams, Amanda Blake as Miss Kitty Russell, and Ken Curtis as Festus Haggen | Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Reynolds first appeared on Gunsmoke as Quint Asper in season 8 episode 3, “Quint Asper Comes Home.” The 1962 episode follows the half-Native American character, who vows to take vengeance against all white men after a pair of them kill his father and threaten his mother. However, U.S. Marshal Matt...
- 4/14/2023
- by Jeff Nelson
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Actor James Arness became the face of Gunsmoke and the Western genre on television. The show ran for an incredible 20 seasons, cementing the show in the medium’s history forever as one of the longest-running series out there. Arness carried a commanding presence on the screen, and it wasn’t only because of his height. In one specific episode, the production made him look smaller in order to make a villain appear bigger.
‘Gunsmoke’ actor James Arness was 6’7″ tall James Arness as Matt Dillon | CBS via Getty Images
Gunsmoke featured Arness in the leading role of U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon. His real-life height certainly made him stand out from the pack, as he stood at 6’7″ tall. Arness started out in theater before moving over into feature films and television, but he had some difficulty making it work in Hollywood. No leading men wanted to work alongside him because his...
‘Gunsmoke’ actor James Arness was 6’7″ tall James Arness as Matt Dillon | CBS via Getty Images
Gunsmoke featured Arness in the leading role of U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon. His real-life height certainly made him stand out from the pack, as he stood at 6’7″ tall. Arness started out in theater before moving over into feature films and television, but he had some difficulty making it work in Hollywood. No leading men wanted to work alongside him because his...
- 4/1/2023
- by Jeff Nelson
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Gunsmoke ran on CBS for 20 seasons between the years 1955 and 1975. The show remained consistent in the ensemble cast’s charm that pulled audiences in over time, but there were several changes that occurred over the series’ long run. Gunsmoke lead U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon (James Arness) used the same gun in every episode, except a major one in season 1.
‘Gunsmoke’ lead Matt Dillon didn’t enjoy killing with his gun L-r: Ken Curtis as Festus Haggen and James Arness as Matt Dillon | CBS via Getty Images
The difference between the Gunsmoke radio and television shows was initially quite negligible in the early days. As the adaptation moved along, it started to find its own footing and made some notable changes, some of which involved the medium itself. The radio series included more of a narration, while the television show put greater focus on the way that Matt handles the violence unfolding around him.
‘Gunsmoke’ lead Matt Dillon didn’t enjoy killing with his gun L-r: Ken Curtis as Festus Haggen and James Arness as Matt Dillon | CBS via Getty Images
The difference between the Gunsmoke radio and television shows was initially quite negligible in the early days. As the adaptation moved along, it started to find its own footing and made some notable changes, some of which involved the medium itself. The radio series included more of a narration, while the television show put greater focus on the way that Matt handles the violence unfolding around him.
- 3/16/2023
- by Jeff Nelson
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Gunsmoke aired on the television network CBS for 20 seasons between 1955 and 1975. However, the cancelation surprised the cast and crew, who didn’t see it coming. An entire 12 years later, Gunsmoke returned in the form of movies made for television. This decision revived the beloved Western series for five films. Here’s a look at the IMDb ratings from worst to best.
5. ‘Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge’ (1987) L-r: James Arness as Matt Dillon and Amanda Blake as Kitty Russell | CBS
Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge was the first of the made-for-tv movies, but it’s also the worst-rated with a 6.9 audience score.
It saw James Arness and Amanda Blake reprise their roles of U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon and Miss Kitty Russell. Return to Dodge is a continuation of season 14 episode 17 – “Mannon.” It isn’t the fans’ favorite, but they still enjoyed it as a reunion film after so many years. Unfortunately, it...
5. ‘Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge’ (1987) L-r: James Arness as Matt Dillon and Amanda Blake as Kitty Russell | CBS
Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge was the first of the made-for-tv movies, but it’s also the worst-rated with a 6.9 audience score.
It saw James Arness and Amanda Blake reprise their roles of U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon and Miss Kitty Russell. Return to Dodge is a continuation of season 14 episode 17 – “Mannon.” It isn’t the fans’ favorite, but they still enjoyed it as a reunion film after so many years. Unfortunately, it...
- 3/7/2023
- by Jeff Nelson
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Gunsmoke was one of the most popular television shows ever to hit the air. The network, CBS, knew what it had on its hands after its 1955 premiere and milked it for 20 seasons before suddenly canceling it in 1975. The Western genre later died off, as its wave of popularity never quite returned to form. Here’s a list of five other vintage television shows to dig into if Gunsmoke was your jam.
L-r: Milburn Stone as Doc Adams, James Arness as Matt Dillon, Amanda Blake as Kitty Russell, and Ken Curtis as Festus Haggen | CBS via Getty Images ‘Bonanza’ (1959-1973) L-r: Dan Blocker as Eric ‘Hoss’ Cartwright, Lorne Greene as Ben Cartwright, Pernell Roberts as Adam Cartwright, and Michael Landon as Joseph ‘Little Joe’ Cartwright | Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images
Bonanza first hit the air in 1959, a few years after Gunsmoke first established its legs among Western shows. The story follows...
L-r: Milburn Stone as Doc Adams, James Arness as Matt Dillon, Amanda Blake as Kitty Russell, and Ken Curtis as Festus Haggen | CBS via Getty Images ‘Bonanza’ (1959-1973) L-r: Dan Blocker as Eric ‘Hoss’ Cartwright, Lorne Greene as Ben Cartwright, Pernell Roberts as Adam Cartwright, and Michael Landon as Joseph ‘Little Joe’ Cartwright | Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images
Bonanza first hit the air in 1959, a few years after Gunsmoke first established its legs among Western shows. The story follows...
- 2/28/2023
- by Jeff Nelson
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Gunsmoke became one of the most popular television shows of all time. The adult Western captured the hearts of people around the world thanks to its endearing cast of vibrant characters, as well as the world it built with Dodge City. However, the production didn’t forget its roots. The Gunsmoke series premiere had an Easter egg seen in the background that tipped its hat back at the original radio show.
‘Gunsmoke’ Season 1 Episode 1 pits Matt Dillon against Dan Grat L-r: James Arness as Matt Dillon and Ben Cooper as Breck Taylor | CBS via Getty Images
Gunsmoke Season 1 Episode 1, titled “Matt Gets It,” first aired on CBS on Sept. 10, 1955. Charles Marquis Warren developed the show for television, but his involvement didn’t end there. He also directed and wrote the screenplay for the pilot.
U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon (James Arness) gets badly wounded when he’s trying to arrest...
‘Gunsmoke’ Season 1 Episode 1 pits Matt Dillon against Dan Grat L-r: James Arness as Matt Dillon and Ben Cooper as Breck Taylor | CBS via Getty Images
Gunsmoke Season 1 Episode 1, titled “Matt Gets It,” first aired on CBS on Sept. 10, 1955. Charles Marquis Warren developed the show for television, but his involvement didn’t end there. He also directed and wrote the screenplay for the pilot.
U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon (James Arness) gets badly wounded when he’s trying to arrest...
- 2/26/2023
- by Jeff Nelson
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Long-running television shows frequently have to roll with the punches and figure out ways to keep audiences wanting to tune in. Gunsmoke made Ken Curtis’ Festus Haggen a series regular to replace Dennis Weaver’s beloved Chester Goode after he left to pursue other acting opportunities. However, Curtis refused to return for the first made-for-tv Gunsmoke movie after its 20-season run because of a couple of serious disagreements with a producer.
‘Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge’ reintroduced audiences to Dodge City Ken Curtis as Festus Haggen | CBS via Getty Images
Gunsmoke met its end on CBS in 1975 after a surprise cancelation that the cast and crew didn’t see coming. The network returned the world back to Dodge City in 1987 with the first made-for-tv movie for the series subtitled Return to Dodge. U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon actor James Arness and Miss Kitty Russell star Amanda Blake both came back.
The...
‘Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge’ reintroduced audiences to Dodge City Ken Curtis as Festus Haggen | CBS via Getty Images
Gunsmoke met its end on CBS in 1975 after a surprise cancelation that the cast and crew didn’t see coming. The network returned the world back to Dodge City in 1987 with the first made-for-tv movie for the series subtitled Return to Dodge. U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon actor James Arness and Miss Kitty Russell star Amanda Blake both came back.
The...
- 2/6/2023
- by Jeff Nelson
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Gunsmoke was on television for so long that it was likely one of those shows that felt like a rite of passage for rising stars. After all, with 20 seasons of television, there are plenty of opportunities for actors looking for a big break to snag a guest appearance on the popular Western TV show. Buck Taylor did a lot more than just that. The actor joined star James Arness for roughly half the iconic series’ run. Here’s the wild road that eventually led him to Gunsmoke.
Buck Taylor is best known for his work on TV’s ‘Gunsmoke’ Promotional portrait of the cast of the American television series ‘Gunsmoke,’ July 23, 1969. Foreground, American actors James Arness (Marshal Matt Dillon) and Amanda Blake (1929 – 1989) (as Kitty Russell); on staircase from left, Ken Curtis (1916 – 1991) (as U.S. Deputy Marshal Festus Haggen), Buck Taylor (Newly O’Brien), and Milburn Stone (1904 – 1980) (as Dr. Galen Adams...
Buck Taylor is best known for his work on TV’s ‘Gunsmoke’ Promotional portrait of the cast of the American television series ‘Gunsmoke,’ July 23, 1969. Foreground, American actors James Arness (Marshal Matt Dillon) and Amanda Blake (1929 – 1989) (as Kitty Russell); on staircase from left, Ken Curtis (1916 – 1991) (as U.S. Deputy Marshal Festus Haggen), Buck Taylor (Newly O’Brien), and Milburn Stone (1904 – 1980) (as Dr. Galen Adams...
- 2/3/2023
- by Robert Yaniz Jr.
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Despite its so-so critical reputation John Ford’s cavalry picture is still a superior Civil War drama, making excellent use of a real historical incident. The conflicts between John Wayne’s commander, William Holden’s doctor and Constance Ford’s unexpected prisoner play well — plus Ford manages scores of great images and a handful of classic scenes. Seeing it with the help of Joseph McBride’s commentary helps too — the story behind the movie is interesting in itself. And we’re told that Wayne never personally fires a shot in the film!
The Horse Soldiers
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1959 / Color / 1:85 / 120 min. / Street Date June 14, 2022 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: John Wayne, William Holden, Constance Towers, Ken Curtis, Willis Bouchey, O.Z. Whitehead, Althea Gibson, Anna Lee, Jack Pennick, Hoot Gibson, Hank Worden, Denver Pyle, Strother Martin, Carleton Young, Russell Simpson, William Wellman, Jr..
Cinematography: William H. Clothier
Art Director: Frank Hotaling...
The Horse Soldiers
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1959 / Color / 1:85 / 120 min. / Street Date June 14, 2022 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: John Wayne, William Holden, Constance Towers, Ken Curtis, Willis Bouchey, O.Z. Whitehead, Althea Gibson, Anna Lee, Jack Pennick, Hoot Gibson, Hank Worden, Denver Pyle, Strother Martin, Carleton Young, Russell Simpson, William Wellman, Jr..
Cinematography: William H. Clothier
Art Director: Frank Hotaling...
- 5/28/2022
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Normal 0 false false false En-us X-none X-none
“Male Egos On A Boat”
By Raymond Benson
The extremely popular 1955 movie Mister Roberts began as a 1946 novel by Thomas Heggen. It was then a Broadway play written by Heggen and Joshua Logan, directed by Logan, and produced by Leland Hayward. Henry Fonda played the title role of Lieutenant Doug Roberts on Broadway and won a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his performance. It then made sense for Fonda to reprise the role in the motion picture, which was also produced by Hayward and co-scripted by Logan and Frank S. Nugent. Sounds like a Hollywood no-brainer in the making, right?
The direction of the film is where things got dicey. John Ford was hired to direct, but according to Hollywood scuttlebutt accounts, Ford and James Cagney did not get along. Then, during filming Ford and his old friend Henry Fonda got into a fight.
“Male Egos On A Boat”
By Raymond Benson
The extremely popular 1955 movie Mister Roberts began as a 1946 novel by Thomas Heggen. It was then a Broadway play written by Heggen and Joshua Logan, directed by Logan, and produced by Leland Hayward. Henry Fonda played the title role of Lieutenant Doug Roberts on Broadway and won a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his performance. It then made sense for Fonda to reprise the role in the motion picture, which was also produced by Hayward and co-scripted by Logan and Frank S. Nugent. Sounds like a Hollywood no-brainer in the making, right?
The direction of the film is where things got dicey. John Ford was hired to direct, but according to Hollywood scuttlebutt accounts, Ford and James Cagney did not get along. Then, during filming Ford and his old friend Henry Fonda got into a fight.
- 12/21/2020
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
This adapted Broadway play may be considered minor John Ford moviemaking, and some sources say he had to drop out before he could film very much of it. But what’s on the screen pleased audiences primed for the first wave of WW2 nostalgia. The story of cargo officer Henry Fonda’s one-man war against his Bligh-like Captain James Cagney had all of us ’50s kids asking dad if the war really was like that. James Cagney steals the show while stars William Powell, Betsy Palmer and Ward Bond make their marks. Young Jack Lemmon came out swinging with his bright personality and won an Oscar for his trouble.
Mister Roberts
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1955 / Color / 2:55 widescreen / 123 min. / Street Date December 8, 2020 / available through the WBshop / 21.99
Starring: Henry Fonda, James Cagney, William Powell, Jack Lemmon, Betsy Palmer, Ward Bond, Philip Carey, Nick Adams, Perry Lopez, Ken Curtis, Robert Roark, Harry Carey Jr.,...
Mister Roberts
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1955 / Color / 2:55 widescreen / 123 min. / Street Date December 8, 2020 / available through the WBshop / 21.99
Starring: Henry Fonda, James Cagney, William Powell, Jack Lemmon, Betsy Palmer, Ward Bond, Philip Carey, Nick Adams, Perry Lopez, Ken Curtis, Robert Roark, Harry Carey Jr.,...
- 12/12/2020
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
In the last decade of his career, John Ford produced and directed this ode to crony politics, with Spencer Tracy as an old-fashioned mayor who uses underhanded ploys to do right by his constituents. Tracy is backed by a veritable army of supporting actors, neatly orchestrated in Frank Nugent’s screenplay. We’re talking scores of John Ford stock company players; it’s like old home week, with Ford in firm control.
The Last Hurrah
Blu-ray
Twilight Time
1958 / B&W / 1:85 widescreen / 121 min. / Street Date September 18, 2018 / Available from the Twilight Time Movies Store / 29.95
Starring: Spencer Tracy, Jeffrey Hunter, Dianne Foster, Basil Rathbone, Pat O’Brien, Donald Crisp, James Gleason, Edward Brophy, John Carradine, Willis Bouchey, Basil Ruysdael, Ricardo Cortez, Wallace Ford, Frank McHugh, Carleton Young, Frank Albertson, Anna Lee, Ken Curtis, Jane Darwell, O.Z. Whitehead, Charles B. Fitzsimons, Arthur Walsh, Bob Sweeney, William Leslie, Danny Borzage, Richard Deacon, James Flavin,...
The Last Hurrah
Blu-ray
Twilight Time
1958 / B&W / 1:85 widescreen / 121 min. / Street Date September 18, 2018 / Available from the Twilight Time Movies Store / 29.95
Starring: Spencer Tracy, Jeffrey Hunter, Dianne Foster, Basil Rathbone, Pat O’Brien, Donald Crisp, James Gleason, Edward Brophy, John Carradine, Willis Bouchey, Basil Ruysdael, Ricardo Cortez, Wallace Ford, Frank McHugh, Carleton Young, Frank Albertson, Anna Lee, Ken Curtis, Jane Darwell, O.Z. Whitehead, Charles B. Fitzsimons, Arthur Walsh, Bob Sweeney, William Leslie, Danny Borzage, Richard Deacon, James Flavin,...
- 10/9/2018
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
It’s a road picture, a spy chase and an oddball romance all in one. A casual highway hitch-hike leads to intrigues with shady doctors, guided missile secrets and espionage intrigues. Possible escaped nut case Ruth Roman enlists nice guy Sterling Hayden’s help, and before you can say Alfred Hitchcock they’re handcuffed together and on the run. It’s a B-picture gem from the mid-fifties, all the more amusing for its awkwardness.
Five Steps to Danger
Blu-ray
ClassicFlix
1957 / Color / 2:35 1:85 widescreen 1:37 flat full frame / 81 min. / Street Date April 24, 2018 / 29.99
Starring: Ruth Roman, Sterling Hayden, Werner Klemperer, Richard Gaines, Charles Davis, Jeanne Cooper, Peter Hansen, Ken Curtis.
Cinematography: Kenneth Peach
Film Editor: Aaron Stell
Original Music: Paul Sawtell & Bert Shefter
Written by Henry S. Kesler, from a book by Donald Hamilton
Produced and Directed by Henry S. Kesler
Celebrity business agent Henry S. Kesler became a production manager,...
Five Steps to Danger
Blu-ray
ClassicFlix
1957 / Color / 2:35 1:85 widescreen 1:37 flat full frame / 81 min. / Street Date April 24, 2018 / 29.99
Starring: Ruth Roman, Sterling Hayden, Werner Klemperer, Richard Gaines, Charles Davis, Jeanne Cooper, Peter Hansen, Ken Curtis.
Cinematography: Kenneth Peach
Film Editor: Aaron Stell
Original Music: Paul Sawtell & Bert Shefter
Written by Henry S. Kesler, from a book by Donald Hamilton
Produced and Directed by Henry S. Kesler
Celebrity business agent Henry S. Kesler became a production manager,...
- 5/22/2018
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Ah, the carefree days of 1950s America. Suburban families had the white picket fence in the yard, the 2.3 kids in the living room, and the persistent anxiety of dying in a blast of radioactive flame. The Cold War had eyes tilted skyward in anticipation of the day the Kremlin decided to drop the big one on the Us. And while there were “plans” in place (duck and cover, kids!) most people knew that there really wasn’t a whole lot they could do if a fifty-megaton warhead came to town.
As is often the case, the horror genre reflected this anxiety through the metaphor of scientists who, instead of creating giant weapons, created giant creatures. We had enormous lizards, gargantuan spiders, and even humongous blobs of unidentified slime. By 1959, if there was something that could have been made huge, it had likely been made huge. Enter Ray Kellogg, a former...
As is often the case, the horror genre reflected this anxiety through the metaphor of scientists who, instead of creating giant weapons, created giant creatures. We had enormous lizards, gargantuan spiders, and even humongous blobs of unidentified slime. By 1959, if there was something that could have been made huge, it had likely been made huge. Enter Ray Kellogg, a former...
- 12/21/2016
- by Bryan Christopher
- DailyDead
By Todd Garbarini
The Royale Laemmle Theater in Los Angeles will be presenting a 65th anniversary screening of John Ford’s 1950 film Rio Grande. The film, which stars John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara, Ben Johnson, and Harry Carey, Jr., will be screened on Tuesday, January 12, 2016 at 7:00 pm.
Actor Claude Jarman, Jr., who appears in the film as Trooper Jefferson “Jeff” York, is scheduled to appear at a Q&A session after the film to discuss his role and career.
From the press release:
65Th Anniversary Screening Of Rio Grande, And Tribute To Maureen O’Hara
Tuesday, January 12, at 7:00 Pm at the Royal Theatre
As a tribute to Maureen O’Hara, we present the final chapter in director John Ford’s Cavalry trilogy (following Fort Apache and She Wore A Yellow Ribbon). Rio Grande works affecting variations on some of the director’s favorite themes. While there is an...
The Royale Laemmle Theater in Los Angeles will be presenting a 65th anniversary screening of John Ford’s 1950 film Rio Grande. The film, which stars John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara, Ben Johnson, and Harry Carey, Jr., will be screened on Tuesday, January 12, 2016 at 7:00 pm.
Actor Claude Jarman, Jr., who appears in the film as Trooper Jefferson “Jeff” York, is scheduled to appear at a Q&A session after the film to discuss his role and career.
From the press release:
65Th Anniversary Screening Of Rio Grande, And Tribute To Maureen O’Hara
Tuesday, January 12, at 7:00 Pm at the Royal Theatre
As a tribute to Maureen O’Hara, we present the final chapter in director John Ford’s Cavalry trilogy (following Fort Apache and She Wore A Yellow Ribbon). Rio Grande works affecting variations on some of the director’s favorite themes. While there is an...
- 1/5/2016
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
By Alex Simon
There are few rituals in life more chaotic, confounding and magical than the wedding. Appropriately, marriages have provided the backdrop for many a story spun through the ages. Whether it’s sending out multitudes of wedding invitations, choosing the right dress, or whether to seat Aunt Mabel next to her second or fifth ex-husband at the reception, weddings both in life and on film are almost always guaranteed to bring forth a surge of emotions. Below are a few of our favorite cinematic nuptials:
1. The Searchers (1956)
John Ford’s western masterpiece is full of many iconic moments, not the least of which is one of the screen’s greatest knock-down, drag-out fights between Jeffrey Hunter and Ken Curtis for the hand of comely Vera Miles. Martin Scorsese loved this scene so much, he paid homage by having his characters watch it in Mean Streets (1973).
2. Rachel Getting Married...
There are few rituals in life more chaotic, confounding and magical than the wedding. Appropriately, marriages have provided the backdrop for many a story spun through the ages. Whether it’s sending out multitudes of wedding invitations, choosing the right dress, or whether to seat Aunt Mabel next to her second or fifth ex-husband at the reception, weddings both in life and on film are almost always guaranteed to bring forth a surge of emotions. Below are a few of our favorite cinematic nuptials:
1. The Searchers (1956)
John Ford’s western masterpiece is full of many iconic moments, not the least of which is one of the screen’s greatest knock-down, drag-out fights between Jeffrey Hunter and Ken Curtis for the hand of comely Vera Miles. Martin Scorsese loved this scene so much, he paid homage by having his characters watch it in Mean Streets (1973).
2. Rachel Getting Married...
- 5/19/2015
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
Veterans Day movies on TCM: From 'The Sullivans' to 'Patton' (photo: George C. Scott in 'Patton') This evening, Turner Classic Movies is presenting five war or war-related films in celebration of Veterans Day. For those outside the United States, Veterans Day is not to be confused with Memorial Day, which takes place in late May. (Scroll down to check out TCM's Veterans Day movie schedule.) It's good to be aware that in the last century alone, the U.S. has been involved in more than a dozen armed conflicts, from World War I to the invasion of Iraq, not including direct or indirect military interventions in countries as disparate as Iran, Guatemala, and Chile. As to be expected in a society that reveres people in uniform, American war movies have almost invariably glorified American soldiers even in those rare instances when they have dared to criticize the military establishment.
- 11/12/2014
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Westerns – the Great American Movie Genre. Yes, the Italian cinema has its Spaghetti Western - Cameriere, more Sangiovese, please! But we’re talking real, honest-to-John-Wayne American westerns here. The kind with a big, wide-open-spaces theme by somebody like Elmer Bernstein, Alfred Newman, orLerner and Loewe. Morricone magic is better served with the aforementioned grape of Chianti – and movies where the dubbed dialog doesn’t quite match up with the actors’ mouths.
The soundtrack of “The Horse Soldiers” rides in on the strains of “Dixie” and out to “When Johnny Comes Marching Home.” You not only get a western, you get a Civil War movie, too. And John Wayne’s in both of them.
Heck, you even get John Ford directing at no extra charge, and a story that was ripped from the headlines of the Vicksburg Post, circa 1863. A western? In Mississippi? That’s right, pilgrim. Mississippi was once The West.
The soundtrack of “The Horse Soldiers” rides in on the strains of “Dixie” and out to “When Johnny Comes Marching Home.” You not only get a western, you get a Civil War movie, too. And John Wayne’s in both of them.
Heck, you even get John Ford directing at no extra charge, and a story that was ripped from the headlines of the Vicksburg Post, circa 1863. A western? In Mississippi? That’s right, pilgrim. Mississippi was once The West.
- 3/12/2014
- by Randy Fuller
- Trailers from Hell
Gregory Peck from ‘Duel in the Sun’ to ‘How the West Was Won’: TCM schedule (Pt) on August 15 (photo: Gregory Peck in ‘Duel in the Sun’) See previous post: “Gregory Peck Movies: Memorable Miscasting Tonight on Turner Classic Movies.” 3:00 Am Days Of Glory (1944). Director: Jacques Tourneur. Cast: Gregory Peck, Lowell Gilmore, Maria Palmer. Bw-86 mins. 4:30 Am Pork Chop Hill (1959). Director: Lewis Milestone. Cast: Gregory Peck, Harry Guardino, Rip Torn. Bw-98 mins. Letterbox Format. 6:15 Am The Valley Of Decision (1945). Director: Tay Garnett. Cast: Greer Garson, Gregory Peck, Donald Crisp. Bw-119 mins. 8:15 Am Spellbound (1945). Director: Alfred Hitchcock. Cast: Ingrid Bergman, Gregory Peck, Michael Chekhov, Leo G. Carroll, Rhonda Fleming, Bill Goodwin, Norman Lloyd, Steve Geray, John Emery, Donald Curtis, Art Baker, Wallace Ford, Regis Toomey, Paul Harvey, Jean Acker, Irving Bacon, Jacqueline deWit, Edward Fielding, Matt Moore, Addison Richards, Erskine Sanford, Constance Purdy. Bw-111 mins. 10:15 Am Designing Woman (1957). Director: Vincente Minnelli.
- 8/16/2013
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
It's a little weird to watch a trailer for an upcoming Disney cartoon like "Planes" and hear among the characters the voice of Dane Cook. What's a typically adults-only comic like Cook doing in the G-rated world of a Disney animated feature?
Well, maybe it's not that weird. After all, the family-friendly studio has a history, going back 60 years, of casting performers from the world of grown-up entertainment in its cartoons, and most have proved they can be fun and kid-safe in fantasy worlds far from smoky nightclubs. In fact, Disney and Pixar's classic cartoons are full of unlikely voice actors -- not just blue comics but also performers cast radically against type, and even people not considered actors at all.
Cook, then, joins a distinguished list of stars you'd never have expected to find in a Disney cartoon feature, as you can see from the gallery below.
Gallery | Unlikely...
Well, maybe it's not that weird. After all, the family-friendly studio has a history, going back 60 years, of casting performers from the world of grown-up entertainment in its cartoons, and most have proved they can be fun and kid-safe in fantasy worlds far from smoky nightclubs. In fact, Disney and Pixar's classic cartoons are full of unlikely voice actors -- not just blue comics but also performers cast radically against type, and even people not considered actors at all.
Cook, then, joins a distinguished list of stars you'd never have expected to find in a Disney cartoon feature, as you can see from the gallery below.
Gallery | Unlikely...
- 5/28/2013
- by Moviefone Staff
- Moviefone
It's a little weird to watch a trailer for an upcoming Disney cartoon like "Planes" and hear among the characters the voice of Dane Cook. What's a typically adults-only comic like Cook doing in the G-rated world of a Disney animated feature?
Well, maybe it's not that weird. After all, the family-friendly studio has a history, going back 60 years, of casting performers from the world of grown-up entertainment in its cartoons, and most have proved they can be fun and kid-safe in fantasy worlds far from smoky nightclubs. In fact, Disney and Pixar's classic cartoons are full of unlikely voice actors -- not just blue comics but also performers cast radically against type, and even people not considered actors at all.
Cook, then, joins a distinguished list of stars you'd never have expected to find in a Disney cartoon feature, as you can see from the gallery below.
Gallery | Unlikely...
Well, maybe it's not that weird. After all, the family-friendly studio has a history, going back 60 years, of casting performers from the world of grown-up entertainment in its cartoons, and most have proved they can be fun and kid-safe in fantasy worlds far from smoky nightclubs. In fact, Disney and Pixar's classic cartoons are full of unlikely voice actors -- not just blue comics but also performers cast radically against type, and even people not considered actors at all.
Cook, then, joins a distinguished list of stars you'd never have expected to find in a Disney cartoon feature, as you can see from the gallery below.
Gallery | Unlikely...
- 5/28/2013
- by Moviefone Staff
- Moviefone
Movies from the “golden age” of black and white films (approximately the 1930’s through the 1950’s) almost invariably contain well-written dialogue and strikingly subtle humor, making them a favorite among many fans of cinema. The horror movies of this more subtle period in film history are therefore of a cerebral nature, primarily relying on the viewer’s imagination to generate the true sense of horror that modern movies generate through more visual means. It is these oft-ignored horror movies that will be the focus of a series of articles detailing the reasons why true fans of horror movies should rediscover these films.
I am finally back (after too long of a hiatus due to some personal business) with this 9th article in the Forgotten B&W Horror series. With this installment, we continue to look at a few movies that blur the line between horror and science fiction – a blurring...
I am finally back (after too long of a hiatus due to some personal business) with this 9th article in the Forgotten B&W Horror series. With this installment, we continue to look at a few movies that blur the line between horror and science fiction – a blurring...
- 8/11/2012
- by Tim Rich
- Obsessed with Film
Randy rides west.
Westerns – the Great American Movie Genre. Yes, the Italian cinema has its Spaghetti Western - Cameriere, more Sangiovese, please! But we’re talking real, honest-to-John-Wayne American westerns here. The kind with a big, wide-open-spaces theme by somebody like Elmer Bernstein, Alfred Newman, or Lerner and Loewe. Morricone magic is better served with the aforementioned grape of Chianti – and movies where the dubbed dialog doesn’t quite match up with the actors’ mouths.
The soundtrack of “The Horse Soldiers” rides in on the strains of “Dixie” and out to “When Johnny Comes Marching Home.” You not only get a western, you get a Civil War movie, too. And John Wayne’s in both of them.
Heck, you even get John Ford directing at no extra charge, and a story that was ripped from the headlines of the Vicksburg Post, circa 1863. A western? In Mississippi? That’s right, pilgrim.
Westerns – the Great American Movie Genre. Yes, the Italian cinema has its Spaghetti Western - Cameriere, more Sangiovese, please! But we’re talking real, honest-to-John-Wayne American westerns here. The kind with a big, wide-open-spaces theme by somebody like Elmer Bernstein, Alfred Newman, or Lerner and Loewe. Morricone magic is better served with the aforementioned grape of Chianti – and movies where the dubbed dialog doesn’t quite match up with the actors’ mouths.
The soundtrack of “The Horse Soldiers” rides in on the strains of “Dixie” and out to “When Johnny Comes Marching Home.” You not only get a western, you get a Civil War movie, too. And John Wayne’s in both of them.
Heck, you even get John Ford directing at no extra charge, and a story that was ripped from the headlines of the Vicksburg Post, circa 1863. A western? In Mississippi? That’s right, pilgrim.
- 5/10/2012
- by Danny
- Trailers from Hell
Here's the latest celeb gossip excerpt from a post originally featured on Green Celebrity Network (http://greencelebrity.net), a green gossip website that shares unique lifestyle reviews about Hollywood star celebs featured in movies, on television, and whose names recently made front page headlines in entertainment news. The website says...
Go West! James Arness, Amanda Blake, and John Wayne Hollywood American heroes as star celebs in Westerns? [Jun. 5] Gunsmoke was a popular television series based on life in the Wild, Wild West that aired from 1955 to 1975. Recently deceased actor James Arness played the lead role Marshal Matt Dillon, while his love interest Miss Kitty was played by the lovely red headed actress Amanda Blake. The Marshal's assistant was named Chester, a character played by actor Dennis Weaver. He won an Emmy for playing that role; however, when he left the show, the beloved and quirky character of Festus Haggen took over as a TV show favorite,...
Go West! James Arness, Amanda Blake, and John Wayne Hollywood American heroes as star celebs in Westerns? [Jun. 5] Gunsmoke was a popular television series based on life in the Wild, Wild West that aired from 1955 to 1975. Recently deceased actor James Arness played the lead role Marshal Matt Dillon, while his love interest Miss Kitty was played by the lovely red headed actress Amanda Blake. The Marshal's assistant was named Chester, a character played by actor Dennis Weaver. He won an Emmy for playing that role; however, when he left the show, the beloved and quirky character of Festus Haggen took over as a TV show favorite,...
- 6/5/2011
- by Green Celebrity Network
- Green Celebrity
Andreas from Pussy Goes Grrr here, to talk about an impromptu musical number that doubles as a historical document. Frank Capra’s Oscar-sweeping screwball comedy It Happened One Night is naturally best remembered for the cute love story that unfolds (over the course of several nights) between stars Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert.
However, it’s also something of a postapocalyptic travelogue, since the odd couple’s odyssey by bus up the East Coast gives them a panoramic view of a nation debilitated by the Depression. They run into purse snatchers, con men, starving children, and crowds of poor families forced together by poverty. For Colbert’s spoiled heiress, it’s a shocking glimpse of how the other half lives. But the world she discovers is not all negative: the bus’s passengers comprise a makeshift community, and it’s one that loves to sing.
So while the bus chugs along,...
However, it’s also something of a postapocalyptic travelogue, since the odd couple’s odyssey by bus up the East Coast gives them a panoramic view of a nation debilitated by the Depression. They run into purse snatchers, con men, starving children, and crowds of poor families forced together by poverty. For Colbert’s spoiled heiress, it’s a shocking glimpse of how the other half lives. But the world she discovers is not all negative: the bus’s passengers comprise a makeshift community, and it’s one that loves to sing.
So while the bus chugs along,...
- 3/19/2011
- by Andreas
- FilmExperience
Pasadena - Forget the AFI Top 10 list of Best TV shows. Why should care about TV since they are the American Film Institute? This is kind like the American Diabetic Prevention Society’s Top 10 Favorite Sugary Candy Bars list. Or Bravo’s Top 10 Hunting Shows. Or Madd’s Best 10 Drinks to Mess You Up. Or Charlie Sheen’s Top 10 Things You Can Do Without Involving Hookers and Blow. If they care about TV that much, shouldn’t they be the Aftvi? But they are a pack of List Whores over at AFI with their 100 Years a 100 Stupid Lists press releases.
Why does critic or critic group have to tell you the Best or Worst of the Year? Party Favors is proud to announce the Meh Awards for the 10 TV shows that didn’t work for me in 2010. They weren’t the most pathetic things on TV, but made me lose interest in watching them.
Why does critic or critic group have to tell you the Best or Worst of the Year? Party Favors is proud to announce the Meh Awards for the 10 TV shows that didn’t work for me in 2010. They weren’t the most pathetic things on TV, but made me lose interest in watching them.
- 12/24/2010
- by UncaScroogeMcD
Gloucester - The night Sebastian Junger arrived in town, it was a rather mild and cloudless day. There would be need to use the phrase “The Perfect Storm” to hype the writer’s talk and signing at Raleigh’s Quail Ridge Books. It was The Perfect Mild.
This appears to be a rarity in today’s journalism. Anything that happens now gets blamed on “A Perfect Storm” of calamities after Junger’s book about the doomed fishermen. Wall Street meltdown, Bp well disaster and McRib are all given The Perfect Storm treatment. Sadly enough, he does not get a nickel every time it’s said on TV.
This appearance didn’t include tales of the people who put seafood on your table or George Clooney’s pranks. Junger spoke of the men who fight for America in Afghanistan. The Second Platoon, B Company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment of the...
This appears to be a rarity in today’s journalism. Anything that happens now gets blamed on “A Perfect Storm” of calamities after Junger’s book about the doomed fishermen. Wall Street meltdown, Bp well disaster and McRib are all given The Perfect Storm treatment. Sadly enough, he does not get a nickel every time it’s said on TV.
This appearance didn’t include tales of the people who put seafood on your table or George Clooney’s pranks. Junger spoke of the men who fight for America in Afghanistan. The Second Platoon, B Company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment of the...
- 6/25/2010
- by UncaScroogeMcD
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