Reviews

A crown prince from a small Arab nation is kidnapped by Communists in order to stop the installation of an American missile base within the kingdom. The Commies have sequestered the kidnapped prince in an unknown location. Acting on intelligence information that indicates the prince is being held in the area of Hong Kong, the US calls on their Far East operative Casey Reed (Gene Barry) who works under the guise of a shady nightclub singer. After an informant is killed outside of his club Reed works on a tip to infiltrate a gold smuggling operation by ingratiating himself with a Macao syndicate to to smuggle gold from Hong Kong to mainland China disguised as cheap trinkets in order to locate the prince.

Confused by the plot? Me too and we aren't the only ones because it appears after splicing the scenes together it was decided to do voice over narration with just about every scene to explain what we just watched. Apparently director Edward Cahn, who cut his teeth in the business as a film editor, couldn't fit the pieces together without the grating narration. The entire film is set bound and was shot at KTTV studios sound stage as well some scenes shot in their basement so the overall quality is about like a one hour television program of the time, if that.

Things were going along pretty well for Gene Barry about this time. He had recently worked on a couple of Sam Fuller written and directed productions. Finished up 'Thunder Road' with Robert Mitchum and had signed on to do the 'Bat Masterson' TV series which first aired at the same time Hong Kong Confidential' premiered. So it's hard to figure why Barry would sign on for this 2nd feature cheapie. No matter. It wasn't a career killer for Barry.

The film though not well made is modestly entertaining though sometimes in unintended ways. In two unintentionally hilarious scenes, Cahn decided to have Barry perform a couple of truly awkward lounge tunes. The fact that Cahn left these in the final cut as well as the aforementioned added narration, tells us that the notoriously parsimonious Cahn was going to go kicking and screaming before he spent another nickle on this film.

As a point of interest, co-star, iconic 1950's mainstay Allision Hayes, would go on to work in multiple Bat Masterson episodes with Barry in the recurring role of Ellie Winters.

Ed and Chito (Tim Holt, Richard Martin) get caught up in a plot to rob a shipment of gold, silver and diamonds on it's way to Mexico to help victims of an earthquake. After hearing unexplained gunfire while mending a fence, they ride out to investigate the source of the dust-up. In short order they are up to their bandanas in trouble as our duo attempts to thwart a heist hatched by town bad guys Bat and Rod (John Doucette, House Peters Jr.), their henchmen and devious saloon singer Stella (Jane Nigh).

This one was directed by George Archainbaud instead of the usual Lesley Selander / Tim Holt pairing. Archainbaud directed a boatload of the Hopalong Cassidy films and the flow of this movie is reminiscent of some of the early Harry 'Pop' Sherman produced Hoppys while still meshing up with the RKO style. So there is the obligatory RKO singing dance hall number. Actually two singing dance hall numbers. It was as if RKO studio executives took a solemn oath that these routines must be included in all of the Tim Holt westerns.

Border Treasure is probably a notch lower than Holt's other westerns in that same time frame. Director Lesley Selander had pretty much nailed down the Tim Holt franchise and they cranked out some of the best B-Westerns of that era. Not sure why they decided to make a one time change for this film. Nevertheless the well above average RKO production quality, Lone Pine location shots and decent amount of action make this a solid entry into the Tim Holt series.

After the town sheriff is killed during a bank robbery Gene Autry is pressed into service by town Judge Beaumont to replace him. When Beaumont himself is found murdered, his hot-headed estranged son Jack (Hugh O'Brian) becomes the chief suspect. Gene who doesn't believe Jack murdered his father sets out to solve the crime with his newly appointed deputy Mike Rawley (Pat Buttram).

The John English directed post-war westerns are some of the best that Gene ever did. Usually featuring more location shooting and less emphasis on the musical numbers. The slightly longer run times allowed for a little more in depth plot lines and just generally enjoyed higher production values.

Good entry into the Gene Autry series.

Notorious outlaws are pulling off successful heists and vanishing with the stolen loot never to be seen again. Texas Rangers Steve Carson / The Durango Kid (Charles Starrett) and Ranger Captain Richard Henley (Fred Sears) hatch a scheme for Carson to infiltrate a gang suspected in the plot. Carson's cover becomes compromised when he is recognized by an old pal, town local Smiley Burnette.

There is a pretty decent B-Western flick packed in here. The villainry is decidedly less cartoonish then in most of the Durango's as well as some occasional quassi-noir cinematography and good action sequences. For some inexplicable reason Smiley's hijinks have been ramped up in this otherwise more hard-edged entry into the series.

Not only that but the studio decided to double down on the comedic relief with the addition of the singing cowboy duo of Mustard and Gravy. The two were actually pioneers in the Cowboy Boogie musical sound. Nothing to show for that here as their talent is largely wasted in time killing, comedy filler as a pair of Smiley clones.

A solid episode in the Durango Kid Series. With a little more creative care it could have been one of the best. Nevertheless, overall it's enjoyable B-Western fare.

Soon to be released after a five year prison stretch, mob kingpin Gus Linden (Pat O'Brien) plots to seize control of the local auto workers union over which he formerly presided. When a bombing attempt he ordered at the local union hall fails to take out his intended target, the new hard nosed union president Blair Vickers (Dennis O'Keefe), Linden has to develop an alternate plan. Upon his arrival back in town Linden a sociopath and all around horrible human being, drops by his house just long enough to say hello and have a piece of cake with his family before he takes off to a party that he ordered for himself to celebrate his release. There he meets up with his ex-girlfriend (Tina Carver) who runs a "modeling agency" and his former criminal associates to launch a plan that will eliminate Vickers once and for all. Vickers, whose brother was killed in the bombing of the union hall, decides to play hardball himself and isn't above a few ruthless tactics of his own.

'Inside Detroit' is another of the 1950's expose' style semi-documentaries that sensationalized the soft white underbelly of urban crime popularized by scandal sheet tabloids of the era. The opening narration begins with authoritative commentary by John Cameron Swayze lauding Detroit as a symbol of virtue and United States economic might but unfortunately as with many other cities it has become a syndicate infested cesspool. Soon begins the plight of the common man to fight back against the entrenched criminal machine.

Seeing this was a Sam Katzman Production directed by Fred Sears, I was pleasantly surprised by the production quality. Katzman and Sears who teamed up for multiple features such as The Giant Claw and Calypso Heat Wave usually worked like every dollar was the last they would ever see. Here they use actual Detroit locations which adds weight to the texture of the film. A shout-out to Cinematographer Henry Freulich who from time to time seems to channel his inner John Alton with shots and angles reminiscent of another Dennis O'Keefe film, 'T-Men'.

A fun romp into another era and style of film making.

Low budget retro noir. Not a classic noir story line but pulls in from various influences of the time, gumshoe detective, red menace, murder and double dealing. Black and white cinematography captures the mood pretty well with diffuse lighting, shadows and angles. Acting is a little uneven but overall the quality was much like what you would find in a similar film from that era. If you enjoy the older films of which this is derivative, then you will probably find Blackout worth a look.

Entertaining

Restaurateur Peter Gryszek finds himself in over his head when a mystery woman with an abusive husband arrives at his bar. Things unravel quickly for Gryszek. Things also unravel quickly for the film viewers in this low budget crime flick. With a classic neo-noir plot line the movie had promise, but promise is where it comes to an end.

The acting is bad, The direction is bad. The script is bad. It seems like the writers were just trying to fit the pieces together, They use so many dubious, far-fetched plot conveniences that it makes the story beyond unbelievable. When it's clear that the plot doesn't mesh up the writers add dialogue to help explain away the inconsistencies, the earmark of bad / lazy writing.

The National Detective Agency sends investigators Bob Gifford (Audie Murphy) and fellow agent (Jan Merlin) to Comanche Creek to infiltrate a ruthless gang of outlaws who have devised a clever scheme to break criminals out of jail and force them to be easily recognizable participants in a string of robberies. As the wanted dead or alive bounty on their heads escalates with each robbery, the gang eventually murders them and turns them in for the reward. Gifford posing as criminal Judd Tanner places a target on his own back after intentionally passing stolen bills in a Comanche Creek saloon in order to get himself arrested. In short order he is busted out of jail and finds himself on the inside of the gang, a disagreeable lot of scoundrels headed by chief bad guy Amos Troop (DeForest Kelley) and his henchmen (Ben Cooper, Adam Williams, Mort Mills). Instead of taking down the crime ring then and there, Gifford reckons none of these gang members are smart enough to run an operation like this themselves and that there must the brains of the enterprise lurking in the shadows back in town. The rest of the movie consists of Gifford finding the unknown 'Mr. Big' behind the operation before he is the next wanted dead or alive casualty.

This Allied Artists Picture directed by longtime B-Western veteran Frank McDonald is largely a workaday affair. Audie Murphy is cast a bit off-type as a urbane, womanizing frontier detective. Maybe this was an attempt to appeal to changing audience tastes or to capitalize off of the "shaken not stirred" secret agent mania popular at the time. Possibly just a way to update this late in the cycle, traditional horse opera which was a remake of the another mediocre film, 'Last Of The Badmen' starring George Montgomery. There is also a romantic side story line introduced between Ben Cooper and Susan Seaforth of which little is made. Production values are pretty typical of Allied Artists releases of the era, which is at best, average quality. For some bewildering reason it was decided to include a grating and unnecessary voice-over narration explaining plot movements that most viewers would find obvious.

Despite it's modest roots and aspirations 'Gunfight at Comanche Creek' is watchable Western fare made so by Murphy's presence as well as Director Frank McDonald and the rest of the cast who do about as much as could be expected given the cards they were dealt.

Engineer Robert Warren (Lawrence Tierney) on assignment in Brazil, is set up for a murder when he discovers a client dead in his office and he is discovered standing over the body. After giving chase to the real killer and trying to elude the police until he can prove his innocence, Warren ends up hiding on a steam boat heading into the Amazon. Along the way he becomes involved with an unhappily married woman, her husband and his business partner (Marissa O'Brien, Rudolph Anders, George Coulouris) while trying to sort out the details of the crime.

The role is a bit of a departure from the usual for Tierney. Here he is cast as the man in peril. An innocent victim who through none of his own doing is caught up in the crossfire. As such Tierney does a serviceable job but clearly this type of role wasn't his long suit. Marissa O'Brien as Tierney's love interest gives us more disbelief to suspend as a concert pianist who for some reason moves to the remote jungle with her near psychotic husband who she doesn't love. To nobody's amazement things don't go well.

The movie is a fair to middling, tropical crime drama. While at the start the movie hints of a fast paced action, mystery / crime flick, it slowly chokes down to more sluggish melodrama and an anti-climatic resolution with little explanation of the crime itself. Lawrence Tierney fans are likely to be disappointed and there isn't enough beef on the bones of the story to build much interest otherwise.

A surprisingly nondescript effort for a movie titled 'Kill or Be Killed' with Lawrence Tierney.

Hoppy, California and Johnny cross paths with town bad guy Jeb Hardin and his hired thug Joe Brass (Victor Jory, Douglas Fowley) after they beat Hardin and Brass out of a $5000.00 reward for the capture of wanted outlaw Dirk Mason (Robert Mitchum). In order to collect Hoppy and the boys are forced to 're-invest' the reward money back into the community. With a limited numbers of choices they become partners with Lin And Lucy Whitlock (Teddi Sherman, George Reeves) in their ranch which is nearing foreclosure. Like the rest of the ranchers in the area they have been unable to sell their beef because Hardin who owns the upstream property has been extorting payments by withholding water. Things change abruptly when California is suckered into a hair-brained oil drilling scam by local con man Wildcat Willie (Earle Hodgins).

This entry into the Hoppy series is the last in a handful of appearances by Jay Kirby as the Johnny Travers character. With the departure of Russell Hayden as Lucky Jenkins from the series, the studio never quite found the same chemistry with the third member of the trio. The Jay Kirby episodes, though largely forgotten, are by in large a pretty solid lot.

If not memorable, Colt Comrades makes for acceptable viewing. An average chapter in the Hoppy string.

Ace reporter Valerie Hudson (Mara Corday) and her friends discover a submerged body while scuba diving off the California Coast. When U.S. Bills are found on the victim that match the serial numbers of those that supposedly went down on a sunken ship, Hefty police Lt. Mike Travis (Dan Seymour) jumps on the case. When the Navy catches wind of the situation they bring in their own man, Lt. Brad Chase (Pat Conway), who as it happens is Hudson's ex-boyfriend. When our trio traces the bills back to the crew of a tuna fishing vessel the scene is set for a sub-aquatic crime-fest.

Though the movie has sort a of a cool period piece vibe it fails to create much energy. Despite the title Corday doesn't spend a lot of time under the sea. Beyond finding the aforementioned body and another junket where she finds herself in peril during the obligatory shark encounter, she rides out the movie on dry ground. The forced injection of a battle-of-the sexes match-up between Corday as the tough woman reporter demanding respect and Conway as the glib Navy lieutenant wears thin quickly and doesn't provide much lift. The movie hints at different sub-plots and situations which ultimately stall out. Superfluous lounge singing number launched midway through the movie adds little more than time killing filler.

Undersea Girl has no pretense about what it is, a low budget B double biller. Even so Nacirema Productions doesn't come close to clearing the bar that they set for themselves with their previous film, the similarly named Hot Rod Girl. Instead this looks like an attempt to springboard off the relative success of that film. While certainly no masterpiece, Hot Rod Girl had a sense of fun about it which is absent here. Other than the location shots and some okay underwater photography there isn't much to recommend.

Police detective Johnny Saxon (Preston Foster) is on high alert when his former girlfriend Laura Mead (Belita) is released on parole for a bank heist which she was found guilty of four years earlier. Despite always having proclaimed her innocence, at the trial she had threatened to kill those she thought were responsible for her conviction, including boyfriend Saxon who helped put her away for the crime. Despite his misgivings Saxon again becomes involved with Mead when she appears in his apartment after arriving back in town. Though she is seemingly repentant, Saxon remains suspicious of her motivations. When a body turns up, Saxon pegs Mead as the likely suspect and figures he might be next. Did she do it or not?

A crime, mystery and melodrama mixture, this film could be described as a niche noir. The casting with the well into his forties Foster and Belita as his 21 year old girlfriend is on the surface a bit odd since the premise of the film teeters on the chemistry of the two characters. The older Foster, a definite candidate for a smoking cessation program, is spot on as the hard boiled cop and former boyfriend. The big surprise is Belita. 'The Hunted' is the third in a trio of crime programmers the former skating champion did for Monogram / Allied Artists. After watching this film it's hard to understand why her career never gained much traction. She certainly had the screen persona even though not what might be described as a classic Hollywood look.

Even though there is some padded fluff (superfluous ice skating sequence) and an over-extended early scene where the characters rehash their previous relationship, the movie is also a stylized and entertaining trek though the post war era of tough-guy detectives and dangerous dames. Again, not a straight up noir film but for viewers who enjoy filmdom's golden age of grit and duplicity it will likely check off enough boxes to make them happy.

Northern Patrol is the ninth of the Kirby Grant Mountie series with canine hero Chinook. In this installment Mountie Corporal Rod Webb (Grant) on his way home for a month of rest and relaxation, stumbles upon a man found hanged in his cabin. Even though there is a penned suicide note, the evidence leads Webb to believe that it was murder. After reporting the crime to the local outpost commander Constable Ralph Gregg (Richard Walsh) he sets out to solve the crime which soon leads him in the direction of town thugs (William Phipps, Dale Van Sickel) and a pistol toting Nordic gun moll (Marian Carr).

Spearheaded by scarcely used director Rex Bailey, Northern Patrol turns out to be one of the better entries into the series. Even though the Mountie films are usually clumped into the Western genre, the plot, pacing and dialogue might be more aptly described as an Arctic crime programmer. An enhanced plot line that includes a love triangle and hidden tribal treasure gives off more of an adult theme than usual for this brand of film. Released about the same time that Poverty Row studio Monogram Pictures was making the final transition to the more high-reaching Allied Artists Pictures, the budget doesn't seem quite as pinched and provides for a bit more ambitious film, including some nice exterior locations instead of the usual stock footage.

Solid B-Mountie flick.

Pretty good saddle-burner with Clint Walker as Gar Davis, a man on the run for the murder of one of the local townsfolk. With a posse on his tail Davis uses some trickery to shake the posse but finds himself on foot in Comanche Country. Desperate for a horse he crosses paths with a mother and her young son (Virginia Mayo, Richard Eyer) when he is caught trying to steal one of their horses. Unable to go back to town because of the murder he agrees to take them to the safety of Fort Dobbs. To get there Davis must avoid a Comanche War Party and deal with a former acquaintance (Brian Keith) a fellow of dubious character.

After three years of the Cheyenne television series Walker got his first shot at a leading role on the big screen. This is the first of three Warner Brothers films that teams Walker with director Gordon Douglas. Walker known more his for screen presence than his thespian skills does a more than an adequate job in the role. The script by Burt Kennedy is a tailor fit for Walker. The dialogue is kept compact and lets the action carry the story. We find Walker alternately eluding a posse, crossing hostile tribal lands and looking back over his shoulder to ward off an old nemesis, all the while trying to help a mother, who is already distrustful of Walker, and her son reach Fort Dobbs. Talk about an exhausting day..

For a modestly produced western programmer the Fort Dobbs story line has quite a bit going on. That can often result in plot holes and sub plots that seem to go nowhere. Fortunately no such problem here as it all ties up quite nicely and even provides a twist or two in the end. Good action western.

After a bank robbery to avenge a previous land swindle, father and son duo Jim and Matt Blaine (Bill Edwards, Guy Beach) find themselves on the run from their fellow gang members Muskeg Joe (Anthony Warde) and his henchmen after an attempted double-cross. Soon both groups paths intersect with Mountie Bob McDonald (Kirby Grant) who has been tracking them since the robbery. Wounded after a gun battle in which the elder Blaine is killed, McDonald is assisted by saloon owner Tom Laroux and his daughter (Dan Seymour, Suzanne Dalbert) as well as the repentant younger Blaine. He soon comes to believe there be more behind the heist than meets the eye.

This is the first in the Monogram Pictures Kirby Grant Mountie series with super dog Chinook. (This dog can seemingly do anything short of filling out a long form tax return) Filmed in 1949 the quality of the Monogram movies had improved considerably since adding the Allied Artists unit in 1946. The content, style and quality is similar to the RKO pictures of the same time period. As a matter of fact there is a striking resemblance to RKO's Tim Holt series down to the superfluous dance hall musical numbers. Which is all to say a well produced B+ programmer.

Even though Trail of the Yukon is pretty much standard fare in the Mountie genre, the overall quality, Big Bear Valley exterior locations and the affable Kirby Grant make this a good watch.

Formerly successful songwriter John Tracey (Lew Ayres), now a down and out entertainer in a San Francisco dive bar, finds himself on the lam when he becomes the chief suspect in a murder investigation after one of the bar patrons, who had earlier humiliated Tracey in front of the girl he was trying to impress, is found dead in his apartment. As misfortune would have it, Tracey becomes enmeshed in a triangle of treachery and deceit with a police detective and his girlfriend (Sonny Tufts, Marjorie Steele). Deciding that proving his innocence is futile, Tracey attempts an 'escape' to Mexico.

The movie by-in-large is a lackadaisical effort. There isn't any component that elevates the film, beginning with the dubitable casting of Sonny Tufts as Marjorie Steele's love interest. Not sure who thought that to be a good idea.Ayres, a solid actor who wasn't necessarily a poor choice, comes off with a misplaced light comedy style in this otherwise dour crime drama. Even with the police on his tail, Ayres inexplicably sits down at the piano and cranks out a tune for a group of party goers. It continues on in an incongruent style with the direction, script, and cinematography, none of which create much in the way of tension, drama or atmosphere. Even what would normally be welcome San Francisco exterior shots are primarily stock footage. Then there is the voice-over narration. Whenever a film starts off like this viewers should be on high alert. As often as not, it's used not as a plot enhancement but as a device to cover up a multitude of film making sins and a way to cover large chunks of story line on the cheap.

'No Escape' isn't downright awful but the disinterested feel and the mishmash of wandering styles ultimately caters to nobody. The movie is just a series of blandly filmed scenes pieced together that will leave fans of the old crime programmers disappointed. So if it comes down to watching this or another movie, most people would do well choosing the other movie.

Santee (Rory Calhoun), a frustrated with his lot in life ranch hand, becomes a bounty hunter when he decides to go after a bank robber with a $3000.00 price on his head. Realizing he has an affinity and skill set for this type work, he sets off chasing down one bad guy after another. Soon he sets his sights even higher when he strikes up a deal with wealthy town big shot Gus Kile (Lon Chaney Jr.) to bring siege upon the neighboring town of Lark so the railroad will divert their planned path to run through Kile's land. In order to decimate the town, Santee buys the local saloon and imports his own band of thugs and saloon girls (Linda Darnell, Bruce Cabot, Richard Arlen) in the hopes of making Lark a crime ridden cesspool. However things go off-kilter when Santee runs into his former fiancee (Terry Moore) who is now married to the local sheriff (James Best).

Pretty typical A. C. Lyles 'second feature' Western. As such Black Spurs had a modest budget with television-like production quality. Much has been made of A. C. Lyles use of superannuated casting in the pursuit of name recognition and that's the case here. Rory Calhoun, even though not an 'old guy', was on the backside of his days as a leading man. Former screen siren Linda Darnell whose career for the previous decade consisted of guest appearances on episodic television, shares lead co-billing with Calhoun but her limited participation in this film amounts to little more than a cameo role in her last screen appearance. Even though past their prime and despite the fading star power, the cast was one of the film's strong points. The story line has an interesting premise but goes off track with characters that are introduced needlessly and subplots that go nowhere but partially saved by director R.G. Springsteen who had done so many of these low budget productions that they could have almost handed him a phone book for a script with passable results.

Black Spurs is a decent flick but suffers in varying degrees from the budget, script and being late in the cycle of the traditional western. By 1965 the Spaghetti Western carried the day at theaters while this type of western had been primarily assigned to network television. Even so, Lyles was able to get a last handful of these old-school westerns made. Some would say with mixed results. Nevertheless western fans may find enough to enjoy here.

When four inmates (John Hodiak, David Brian, John Derek, Ray Teal) are released from Yuma Prison they work their way back to what is now the ghost town of Tomahawk Gap to recover the money from the robbery they pulled off years before. Hodiak, who was an innocent bystander in the original heist but was convicted along with the others, decides to cut himself in for a piece of the action since he served the time for a crime he didn't commit. However the road to Tomahawk Gap is not an easy one and the four must cross Apache Territory swarming with renegades to recover the stolen loot.

Directed by low budget veteran Fred Sears, who cut his teeth on the Durango Kid series at Columbia, the film doesn't spend time on meandering plot lines. Tomahawk Gap has a grittier feel than typical for the time period with little in the way of moralizing or romance. Sears definitely knew how to work with a budget and the sole focus of the movie is spent on the foursome recovering the stolen money. Hodiak receives top billing in this adult themed western, but it really is more of an ensemble cast and a pretty good one at that. By this time Hodiak had been relegated to secondary leads, larger support roles and ensemble work such as this. If Hodiak wasn't happy with the trajectory of his career you wouldn't know it by viewing this film. He comes off pitch perfect as a wrongly convicted man whose only compass in life is being paid back for his years behind bars.

Worthwhile medium budget programmer with good production values and a clever ending. Recommended for those who like their Westerns thin on drama and heavy on action.

Cold War era serial has Marlof (Arthur Space) an agent for an unnamed foreign government attempting to build missile bases in the Great White North in order to launch an attack on the United States. To thwart the bad guys, Mountie Don Roberts (William Henry) is tasked with tracking down the perpetrators and to discover the locations of the planned launch sites. With the fate of the free world hanging by a thread, the Canadian Government decides to go that extra mile and assign undercover operative Kay Conway (Susan Morrow) to assist Roberts. Given the gravity of the situation and the pending annihilation of multiple American cities it might seem like two agents is a bit understaffed but fortunately for the United States Marlof can only afford a couple of henchmen himself, Beck and Reed. (Dale Van Sickel, Mike Ragan) Not only can Marlof only afford two guys, but Beck and Reed are probably the most inept henchmen ever. If you think this type of plan seems too big for just three guys, so do Beck and Reed as they spend each chapter more or less shrugging their shoulders and complaining to Marloff that the job is just too difficult.

This later-on entry into the Republic Cliffhanger realm is ultimately a pretty weak offering. Not much suspense as we know who the 'Mastermind' is, so no big reveal at the end. There is lots of stock footage ,studio shots against Artic backdrops and the usual continuity gaffs. Given the title of the film and the prevailing Cold War conditions of the time you would think that they might have worked something a little more meaty into the plot, but other than the concept of building a few launch pads there isn't any play up of the "Red Menace" angle and even that seems doubtful because of the aforementioned henchmen, Beck and Reed's failure to successfully accomplish even the simplest villainous tasks.

The Television era cliffhangers are a mixed bag. Economics being the primary driving force. It's clear that Republic didn't invest much in the way of time, money or much effort on this one. Unless you're a big fan of the old chapter-plays and are determined to watch every one ever made you may want just to skip on by.

The episode's premise surrounds rancher Bill Elliott reluctantly being pressed into service as Marshall of crime infested Trail City. Along the way he befriends an orphaned boy (Timmy Tate), puts a spoiled, feisty cowgirl (Valley Keene) in her place and has to deal with a childhood friend who has fallen on the wrong side of the law.

This was presumably a pilot for a television series that was never sold. After watching this stinker it's easy to understand why. What isn't clear is how Bill Elliott and Dub Taylor got mixed up in this mess in the first place. Maybe they saw the writing on the wall for the end of the B-Western and were testing the waters for a TV series of their own, much like Hoppy, Gene and Roy. However unlike Hoppy, Gene and Roy the acting and production values are woefully bad. So much so, I doubt that they could have even floated this by a network or even sold it into syndication. Curiosity aside, this is one to pass on.

Small town bank teller Marcus Borne (John Hubbard ) returns from vacation to find he is a suspect in a murder investigation based on a composite drawing of the killer. As the murders continue and lacking a solid alibi, even Borne's employer and fellow renters at his boarding house suspect his guilt.

Presented as a crime feature, 'Whispering Footsteps' is more of a drama and a statement on small town prejudice. For the most part the movie is a plodding and shallow take on the human condition. Perhaps the wartime footing in the country at the time might have been a contributing influence.The ending of the movie is a letdown and feels like little more than a quick, convenient exit. Of special note this movie features screaming kid actor Rita Quigley as one of the most annoying characters to ever grace the silver screen. Inexplicably out of the blue she lets out a shrill ear piecing scream in most every scene she appears.

A lesser entry into the crime quickie venue, somebody looking for a murder mystery will likely be disappointed.

In his last screen appearance Western star Bill Elliott loses the cowboy boots and goes out with his Florshiems on as Los Angeles Homicide Lieutenant Andy Doyle in this contemporary police drama. Doyle and his partner Sgt. Mike Duncan (Don Haggerty) are called to the scene when an apparently well liked retiree (Robert Shayne) is found murdered on the floor of his neighbor Henry Johnson's (Douglas Dick) Hollywood bungalow. Fearing he will be set up for a murder rap, Johnson flees the scene with Doyle and Duncan not far behind.

After the Monogram Pictures unit of Allied Artists was shutdown in 1953, the decision was made to discontinue production of Western films. To fulfill his contractual obligation to the studio Elliott appeared in a series of five crime dramas beginning with 'Dial Red O' in 1955. 'Footsteps in the Night', was helmed by prolific director Jean Yarbrough ( Abbott and Costello, Bowery Boys). Yarbrough was known for bringing films in quickly, competently and on budget, which is exactly what he does with this film. Yarbrough seemed to have a near religious like conviction that no movie should extend beyond 75 minutes.

'Footsteps' is the last entry in the Bill Elliot detective series and a pretty decent B crime flick. Definitely lower budget, it has the feel of an elongated television episode. Complete with campy but cool 1950's jazzy soundtrack and several exterior location shots, it makes this crime quickie worth a look.

Alec Longmire (Rory Calhoun) is given a second chance to go straight when he escapes an ambush with the help of hardened gunfighter Bud Purvis (James Millican). After promising Purvis that he will hang up his guns, Longmire arrives in the town of Durango looking for ranch work but instead is offered the job of deputy for Sheriff Jade Murphy (Dean Jagger). Even though it's an honest job Longmire is reluctant to accept because of his promise to Purvis. With some encouragement from Murphy and his daughter (Martha Hyer) Longmire relents and pins on the badge but he quickly finds himself in the middle of a range war between land baron Rufus Henshaw (Robert Middleton) and a group of small ranchers who have staked claims on the land.

This is another solid program western from the Universal International stable. No new ground is covered in this one but director Jack Arnold wisely doesn't try to re-invent the wheel, sticks with the tried and true and turns out an entertaining Oat Burner. Red Sundown is a straight up action Western with minimal romantic melodrama even though Calhoun's wife in real life (Lita Baron) shows up in a small part as a former old flame. Bad guys Grant Williams and Leo Gordon round out the cast.

Filmed in Technicolor and based on the novel 'Back Trail', Red Sundown is a reasonably ambitious western that would have been better served by a more expansive production budget. There is a lot of story to try to pack in eighty one minutes considering the sub plots that were never able to be fully developed. Nevertheless Red Sundown still pretty good Western fare.

Based on a "True Story" the opening scene features a panoramic view of Portland as the narration extols the beauty, culture and incredible atmosphere of the city as a wonderful place to raise a family. Sounds like Paradise but...it seems the town has been overran by murderous rival crime syndicates vying for control of the lucrative pinball vending business.

Filmed in a semi-documentary style, Portland Expose reveals the sordid, corrupt side of the City of Roses. The movie follows the plight of local barkeeper George Madison (Edward Binns) as he becomes entangled with the criminal underworld after he agrees to have a pinball machine placed in his tavern. Soon the syndicate forces him to place even more machines and his formerly quiet pub becomes a hangout for the 'wrong crowd'. Regretting his decision Madison decides to fight back after his daughter (Carolyn Craig) is attacked in the parking lot by a syndicate thug (Frank Gorshin). With the cooperation of local officials Madison decides to go undercover to gather evidence to expose the rackets.

The movie draws inspiration from the detective exploitation magazines of the era that promised behind the scenes sordid details. The stories were usually presented in a lascivious manner to maximize sensationalism as they followed the crime investigation through the eyes of the investigators. Tame by today's standards, the film pushed the boundaries into the acceptable content of the time. Though it's a fairly typical 1950's matinee programmer, Portland Exposé weaves a pretty fair noirish tale. Gritty and not highly stylized, it features ensemble cast composed of prolific career character actors (Binns, Virginia Gregg, Russ Conway, Lawrence Dobkin, Frank Gorshin, Rusty Lane, Joe Flynn) who manage to make the movie better than might be expected. All in all a watchable B crime flick.

Hugh Beaumont makes his contribution to the Gumshoe Genre as wise cracking Charter Boat Operator / Private Investigator Dennis O'Brien. When the Charter Boat business is a little slow, O'brien likes to pick up a few extra bucks as a PI. Showing a greater penchant for witty repartee than character judgment and well grounded decision making, O'Brien finds himself at odds with an assortment of characters he meets during the course of the day.

Danger Zone is filmed as two separate stories combined into a feature length film. In Part One O'Brien is duped by a mysterious woman (Virginia Dale) into bidding on her behalf at auction for a suitcase. As it turns out she isn't the only one interested in the suitcase and it's contents. O'Brien is soon up to the lapels of his overcoat in larceny and murder. Part Two finds O'Brien, apparently none the wiser from his previous experience in Part One, bamboozled by a fellow detective (Tom Neal) into escorting a rich socialite to a party. O'Brien is offered a quick fifty bucks to play tag-along to a rich society dame for the evening. So what could go wrong here you ask? As it turns out plenty.The situation goes sideways when O'Brien is accused of murder by the obligatory hard-nosed police Lieutenant (Richard Travis). Fortunately there to assist O'Brien in his travails is his sidekick Prof. Frederick Simpson Schicker (Edward Brophy). Schicker a Runyonesque type character, given to drink and sesquipedalian lingo, keeps an ear out for the word on the street.

Released by Lippert Pictures, this was the first part of a three picture package, each filmed as two separate stories. Lippert was a creative organization, more so financially than artistically, that was able to assimilate name talent that had been cut from their contracts at major studios. Here Lippert filmed two stories that were to be later released as stand alone television episodes. However nothing beyond the original three movies were ever made and as fate would have it, Beaumont never became one of television's legendary detectives.

Danger Zone is a low budget double bill programmer and an oddly constructed one at that. As such it's easy to say "keep moving, nothing to see here" but despite the fact that it lacks the gravitas to be a feature film, it might have made a decent television series given the chance.