CORKY OF GASOLINE ALLEY

Scotty Beckett and Jimmy Lydon

CORKY OF GASOLINE ALLEY (1951). Written and directed by Edward Bernds. Based on the comic strip Gasoline Alley by Frank King.

In this sequel to Gasoline Alley, the Wallet family, headed by Walt ((Don Beddoe of Jack the Giant Killer), deal with a number of problems. Corky (Scotty Beckett) is still running a diner with his wife Hope (Susan Morrow of Cat-Women of the Moon), and his brother Skeezix (Jimmy Lydon) has a repair and automotive shop. Skeezix' partner has gone into the service so that the fellow is short-handed and not certain how to sell or repair the many TV sets in the place. Then there's the freeloading cousin Elwood (Gordon Jones), who simply moves in with the Wallets, taking advantage of their generosity. When he allegedly hurts his back and is bedridden, the Wallet's daughter Judy (Patti Brady)  tries to trick him into revealing that he's faking; her scheme is clever. Better than the first film, Corky of Gasoline Alley is amiable and has a fair amount of laughs. 

Verdict: Basically a theatrical sitcom but with some rewards for fans of the comic strip. **3/4. 

MASK OF THE DRAGON

Sheila Ryan and Richard Travis

MASK OF THE DRAGON (1951). Director: Sam Newfield.

In Korea Lt. Dan Oliver (Richard Emory) is asked to take a package containing a Jade dragon back to the United States. He has barely arrived when he is murdered and his luggage searched. Oliver's partner, Phil Ramsey (Richard Travis), investigates his murder along with Ramsey's gal pal, Ginny (Sheila Ryan). Ginny isn't thrilled when Phil shows an interest in blonde singer Terry Newell (Dee Tatum), who appears on an L.A. TV show and was in love with Oliver. While Phil kibbitzes with Lt. McLaughlin (Lyle Talbot), sinister art dealer Kim Ho (Jack Reitzen) and his associates Murphy (Sid Melton), Kingpin (Karl Davis) and Simo (Charles Iwamoto, billed as Mr. Moto) try to find the Jade dragon and beat up or dispose of anyone who gets in their way. Major Clinton (Michael Whelan) is convinced that Oliver was up to some funny business, a notion that infuriates Phil.

Curt Barrett and the Trailsmen

Mask of the Dragon was undoubtedly made back to back with Travis' earlier film Fingerprints Don't Lie, as it has the same director, writer, stars and virtually the same cast in both pictures. It is an even worse movie, however. At one point the action stops dead so that we can be treated to the song stylings of Curt Barrett and the Trailsmen, who aren't terrible but do little to add to the intrigue. Mask of the Dragon seems cobbled together from outtakes, with a script hastily scribbled on toilet paper to make use of the footage and the cowboy singers used to pad out the running time. Like other mystery films Travis starred or co-starred in, Dragon was cut down to half an hour and shown on television as part of a mystery series. Dudley Chambers' organ score is another minus. The actors do the best they can. 

Verdict: Even singing cowboys can't save this. *1/2.  

FINGERPRINTS DON'T LIE

Richard Travis and Sheila Ryan

FINGERPRINTS DON'T LIE (1951). Director: Sam Newfield. 

At the murder trial of artist Paul Moody (Richard Emory), fingerprint expert James Stover (Richard Travis of Missile to the Moon) must give damning testimony. The theory of the prosecuting attorney (Tom Neal of Jungle Girl) is that Moody, angered because Mayor Palmer (Ferris Taylor) turned down his mural proposal because he objected to Moody's dating his daughter, Carolyn (Sheila Ryan of Railroaded), bashed Palmer on the head with a telephone, killing him. James points out Moody's fingerprints on the murder weapon, and it all seems cut and dried. But Carolyn insists that her boyfriend is innocent, and that there must be some other explanation for the fingerprints. Knowing that a man's life is at stake, James investigates with Carolyn's assistance. 

Defendant: Richard Emory

The premise of this film is that fingerprints can be duplicated -- in other words, faked -- which can be done, although it's rare. Suspects for this devious activity include Police Commissioner Frank Kelso (Michael Whalen), gangster King Sullivan (George Eldredge), gun moll Connie Duval (Dee Tatum), even Lt. Grayson (Lyle Talbot). Also in the cast are Margia Dean and Syra Marty as artist's models. Travis is okay in the lead and the supporting performances, especially Eldredge, are more than adequate, but the movie is minor-league. Sid Melton is genuinely amusing, for a change, as the hapless photographer, Hypo Dorton. An in-joke has him checking out a wanted poster that has his real name on it.  Dudley Chambers' lousy score consists of terrible chorale writing and organ music. 

Verdict: Despite some intriguing elements this is mostly a time-waster. **1/4. 

THE DARK MAN

Maxwell Reed and Natasha Parry

THE DARK MAN (1951). Written and directed by Jeffrey Dell. 

An unidentified man (Maxwell Reed of Shadow of Fear) commits a murder, and then decides to kill off the cab driver who has driven him away from the murder scene. Unfortunately, a pretty young actress named Molly (Natasha Parry) sees the latter action and immediately goes to the top of Reed's hit list. Molly manages to get away this time, and is soon taken under the wing of the lustful Inspector Viner (Edward Underdown), who seems to spend more time thinking of her and kissing her than he does in doing a decent job of protecting her. No one bothers to even check out her flat when she goes home from the theater where she works, so naturally "the Dark Man" is waiting for her -- in the dark, of course. The climax takes place at a military testing range where there is some minimal excitement, but the movie is essentially mediocre. There is some moody photography by Eric Cross, and an interesting, dissonant score by Hubert Clifford. 

Verdict: **1/2. 

THE SCARF

Mercedes McCambridge and John Ireland

THE SCARF  (1951). Written and directed by E. A. Dupont. 

John Barrington (John Ireland of Railroaded) was convicted of strangling a woman with a scarf, but has no memory of it. Sentenced to life in an institution, he manages to escape and winds up on a turkey farm with a grizzled old-timer named Ezra (James Barton). John gives a lift to a somewhat hard-boiled lady named Connie (Mercedes McCambridge). Like Ezra, Connie learns the truth about John but doesn't turn him in, not even for the $5000 reward. John goes to see his old friend, Dr. David Dunbar (Emlyn Williams), who tells him he actually witnessed the murder and knows that John committed it. But is this the truth? Then John's father (Basil Ruysdael) comes into the office with the police in tow ...

James Barton

Frankly, I didn't believe The Scarf for a minute. A lot of good actors are trapped within a screenplay that is half-baked and ludicrous. You can see the denouement coming from a mile away, and the characters seem to exist for only the amount of time they are on-screen -- despite the good acting they never quite seem like real people. Ireland and McCambridge, who were also in All the King's Men together, do the best they can but Broadway star Barton and Williams -- author of Night Must Fall and The Corn is Green in addition to being an actor -- make the best impression. There is also some good work from Lloyd Gough as another psychiatrist, David Bauer/Wolfe as bar owner Louie, and Iris Adrian as a drunken floozy. King Donovan [The Magnetic Monster] is the piano player in the gin joint where Connie works and sings (McCambridge betrays a not-bad voice). Lyle Talbot [Batman and Robin] gives a dull performance as a cop. The music and photography are good but not enough to make this memorable.

Verdict: Flavorful performances, but you won't believe a minute of it! **.

INSURANCE INVESTIGATOR

Audrey Long and Richard Denning

INSURANCE INVESTIGATOR (1951). Director: George Blair. Colorized.

Insurance investigator Tom Davison (Richard Denning) is called in when the head of a real estate company, Sullivan (Roy Gordon), is found dead on the staircase outside his office. His associate, Hammond (John Eldredge), suspects that Sullivan was drinking heavily and had a tragic fall, but Sullivan's daughter, Nancy (Audrey Long), doesn't find this credible. Davison decides to pretend to be Nancy's cousin, and she gets him a job at the real estate office, where he can spy on Hammond and another agent, Addie (Hillary Brooke), who's having an affair with Hammond. Then someone inadvertently steps into an elevator shaft and has a deadly fall ...

Reed Hadley and Roy Barcroft

Insurance Investigator is a $1.99 item from Republic studios, and plays, like many of these B productions, like a TV show. Denning is, as always, a likable player, but he adds absolutely no nuances to his performance and his Tom Davison is no different from his Michael Shayne, Mr. North, or other characters that he's portrayed. Audrey Long is appealing and professional as the (supposedly) grieving daughter who carries on a romance with Davison, or at least tries to. Reed Hadley and Roy Barcroft add a bit of tension to their scenes as the resident bad guys behind a nasty insurance scheme. We're supposed to believe that an unsuspecting person can open the door to the elevator even though the car is on another floor. Well, maybe ... George Blair also directed Exposed. 

Verdict: Even color doesn't add much to this cheapie. *1/2. 

DANGER ZONE

Virginia Dale and Hugh Beaumont

DANGER ZONE (1951). Produced and directed by William Berke. 

In the first of three movies starring Hugh Beaumont as boat renter and sometime private eye Denny O'Brien working out of Pier 23 in San Francisco, he gets involved in two separate cases (as he does in the subsequent films Roaring City and Pier 23). In the first story a woman at an auction, Claire Underwood (Virginia Dale), importunes Denny to bid for her on a locked suitcase that turns out to contain a saxophone. Claire isn't the only person who wants the sax, there's a dumpy fellow named Dunlap (Ralph Sanford) who's after it as well. Then there's a poor guy named Bud Becker (Don Garner) who wants the instrument simply to play sweet music and winds up poisoned to death. Lt. Bruger (Richard Travis) is convinced that Denny is up to his ears in murder and mischief, but with the help of his pal the professor (Edward Brophy), Denny is able to find out the secret of the sax and the identity of the killer.

Beaumont with Tom Neal

In the second story Denny is hired by another private eye, Edgar Spadely (Tom Neal), to escort a woman, Vicki (Pamela Blake), to a party on a yacht. This turns out to be a trick so that the lady's husband can catch her in a compromising position with a photographer at the ready. Naturally Lt. Bruger suspects Denny of murdering the husband even as Denny fingers Vicki and her accusatory niece, Sheila (Paula Drew), who will inherit all of her uncle's money. Eventually the unsurprising truth comes out. A fast pace is the main asset of Danger Zone, although the first story has a slight bit of suspense to it. Beaumont and Travis are good as the bickering hero and cop, although Denny never comes off like an especially likable character. The women give mediocre performances and aren't very sexy, either. Edward Brophy adds some humor and gives arguably the most notable performance as the tippling professor, who sleeps on a couch in Denny's bedroom. Don Garner is also memorable in his bit as the sick and dying Bud, whose tragic death is barely remarked upon. From Lippert Pictures. 

Verdict: Low-grade film noir. Proof that B movies transitioned into TV shows, in this case literally. **.  

ROARING CITY

Hugh Beaumont and Joan Valerie

ROARING CITY (1951). Director: William Berke.

"He was with me all night." -- Gail.

"That's not an alibi, that's just bad taste." -- Denny O'Brien. 

Troubleshooter and boat renter Dennis O'Brien of Pier 23 gets involved in two cases in this last of three flicks featuring Hugh Beaumont as O'Brien. First O'Brien finds himself mixed up in a boxing match fix in which one of the fighters dies and both the other fighter, Lundy (Greg McClure), and the crooked promoter find themselves on the wrong end of a bullet. In the second and more interesting case, a blonde named Irma (Joan Valerie) hires Denny to pretend to be the husband of her step-daughter, Sylvia (Wanda McKay). Sylvia's angry boyfriend shows up, and her real husband is found dead in a box along with an unconscious O'Brien. 

Beaumont with Richard Travis

Once again as he did in Pier 23 Hugh Beaumont proves very adept at the hard-boiled style in his on-target portrayal of the unlikable, borderline immoral and not-terribly-bright Dennis O'Brien. His interplay with Inspector Bruger (Richard Travis, who is also quite good) is sharp and well-played --Beaumont and Travis make a good team --  and the script has lots of good dialogue. Edward Brophy is some fun as O'Brien's pal the "professor" and there are some decent supporting performances; Greg McClure is notable. However, neither Joan Valerie or even Wanda McKay make much of an impression as two of the shady ladies. A third, the oddly-named Rebel Randall, who plays Gail in the first story, is slightly better. 

Verdict: Fun to watch "Ward Cleaver" as an anti-hero. **1/2. 

PIER 23

Hugh Beaumont and Richard Travers

PIER 23 (1951). Director: William Berke.

Dennis O'Brien (Hugh Beaumont of Railroaded) lives on the San Francisco docks and operates as a troubleshooter. Father Donovan (Raymond Greenleaf) importunes Denny to meet up with an escaped con on Pier 23 and bring him to the priest, who hopes to convince him to turn himself in. Denny grabs the guy, who insists on taking time out to see a shady lady named Ann (Ann Savage). Denny is slugged and wakes up to discover that the escaped con is a corpse -- and it turns out that he wasn't even the guy he was supposed to bring to Father Donovan. This leads into a convoluted plot involving wrestling fraud (!) and murder. 

Ann Savage with Beaumont

In the early fifties Hugh Beaumont starred in three films featuring the character of Dennis O'Brien, who takes on cases but doesn't really seem to be a licensed private eye. His adversary was Police Inspector Lt. Bruger (Richard Travis of Missile to the Moon.) Beaumont gets into the hard-boiled style even better than he did as Michael Shayne in the forties, but the character is callous and unlikable. The films were generally two radio scripts put together and it's sometimes hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. Pier 23 is talky and convoluted but also fast-paced at 57 minutes, and it has an interesting cast. 

Beaumont vamped by Margia Dean

Ann Savage of Detour is typically vivid but she doesn't have much time on-screen and it's never clearly delineated as to how exactly she fits in the story line. Mike Mazurki of New Orleans Uncensored plays a wrestler named "Ape," and Edward Brophy is comedy relief as Professor Shickler, Denny's tippling roommate. Eve Miller gives a poor performance as Savage's nicer sister, Norma, but Margia Dean is more flavorful as a dead wrestler's widow named Flo. Frankly Dean and the other ladies are not exactly the sexiest women in the world, but the real beauties don't wind up in poverty row pictures. (Dean was actually the mistress of producer Robert L. Lippert.) On the other hand, Joi Lansing has a small role as a cocktail waitress and is rather sexy. This is atmospheric and well-acted but the plot is poor. 

Verdict: Despite a solid performance from Beaumont this never really catches fire. **.

FLIGHT TO MARS

Huston, Franz and Mitchell

FLIGHT TO MARS (1951). Director: Lesley Selander. 

Five people travel on a spaceship to Mars: scientists Professor Jackson (Richard Gaines), Dr. Lane (John Litel of Runaway Daughters), and Dr. Barker (Arthur Franz); along with Barker's apparent fiancee and assistant, Carol (Virginia Huston); and reporter Steve Abbott (Cameron Mitchell of The Silent Scream). During the journey triangle tension develops between Barker, Carol and Steve, but they are in more danger from passing meteorites. Arriving on Mars they discover an advanced underground civilization. Although the leader, Ikron (Morris Ankrum of Beginning of the End), seems friendly to the earthlings and offers to help them repair their rocket ship, in reality he is scheming to steal their technology so they can leave their dying planet and take over the earth. 

The latest in Martian fashions!

Flight to Mars begins well, with some interesting discussions aboard the ship en route to Mars, and sincere attempts at characterization. One of the scientists puts forth the interesting theory that the universe is one enormous living being. Unfortunately, once the group reaches Mars, the film turns into a dreary and rather dull and cliche-ridden story of dying planets and alien treachery. Fortunately, some of the Martians are on the side of the visitors and help them, and there is some minor suspense as the earthlings make their getaway from Mars. The acting is good enough for this Monogram production. Marguerite Chapman is cast as Alita, a fetching Martian lady who falls for Barker even as his cast-off girlfriend begins falling for the persistent Abbott -- the soap opera aspects of the story are not compelling. 

Verdict: Begins well, becomes a bore. **. 

THE MAN FROM PLANET X

Margaret Field and Robert Clarke

THE MAN FROM PLANET X (1951). Director: Edgar G. Ulmer. 

A cosmic body known only as "Planet X" is approaching the earth. Reporter John Lawrence (Robert Clarke) travels to an isolated Scottish island to consult with Professor Elliot (Raymond Bond) and the sinister Dr. Mears (William Schallert), while romancing Elliot's daughter, Enid (Margaret Field). One late evening Enid comes across a strange vehicle out on the moors, and gets a shock when she sees its inhabitant, a grotesque-looking alien in a helmet. The question for our cast is if this alien is friendly or not, and if his attitude toward us will be changed by the selfish motivations of Dr. Mears. Before long, people are being mind-controlled even as Planet X comes closer and closer to Earth. 

The alien appears to earthlings

The science of The Man from Planet X is about on a 1950's comic book level, so the viewer has to suspend disbelief to get into the movie, which has its eerie moments on the moors and is modestly entertaining. The acting is solid, with the normally genial William Schallert essaying a distinctly negative character and doing it very well. Roy Engel is also effective as the constable, who is up against something he never thought he'd have to face in his career. The production makes the most of its low budget. This is one of director Ulmer's [Daughter of Dr. Jekyll] better-regarded pictures, possibly because one can never be sure about how the alien feels about earthlings, and the pace of the film is reasonably swift. Clarke, Field and Schallert all appeared together in the bizarre Captive Women. 

Verdict: Has a certain minor charm. **3/4. 

SON OF DR. JEKYLL

SON OF DR. JEKYLL (1951). Director: Seymour Friedman. 

Edward Jekyll (Louis Hayward) discovers that he is the son of the notorious Dr. Jekyll of Jekyll/Hyde notoriety. He finds his father's note books and for reasons that are never explained, decides to continue his experiments, even down to drinking the dangerous formula. (Apparently brains don't run in the Jekyll family.) Meanwhile Dr. Lanyon (Alexander Knox), a friend of the late Dr. Jekyll, hovers about looking ominous. Although Edward does briefly turn into Mr. Hyde, this is less a horror film than a mystery. When the secret is revealed, it occurs to the viewer that everything could have been avoided if only a certain party hadn't stupidly told Edward who he really was. In any case, a somewhat similar premise was used for the superior Daughter of Dr. Jekyll six years later; although Son itself does hold the attention, has atmosphere, and is not without entertainment value. Well-acted by Hayward and the rest of the cast, which includes Paul Cavanagh [Bride of the Gorilla] as an inspector. Paul Sawtell contributed a nice score. 

Verdict: Has its moments but Daughter is more fun. **1/2.

GOVERNMENT AGENTS VS PHANTOM LEGION

Walter Reed goes into action

GOVERNMENT AGENTS VS PHANTOM LEGION (12 chapter Republic serial/1951). Director: Fred C. Brannon.

A board of trucking company owners is alarmed when their trucks, especially those holding important government materials that could be sold to a foreign country, are repeatedly hijacked. Hal Duncan (Walter Reed), one of the board members, is appointed a special agent to find out who is behind the hijackings. In this he is assisted by Sam Bradley (John Pickard) and their secretary Kay Roberts (Mary Ellen Kay). One of the board members is the secret mastermind behind the hijackings, and he employs persistent thugs Regan (Dick Curtis) and Cady (Fred Coby), among others, to carry out his orders. 

Mary Ellen Kay and Walter Reed

Government Agents vs Phantom Legion is full of the usual quota of thrills, fist-fights, car chases, fires, explosions and those famous cliffhangers, some of which are recycled from earlier Republic serials. A trail of fire pursues Hal in a narrow mine; he parachutes onto a train track just as an express train comes speeding along; dodges bullets fired at a boat he's on that then explosively collides with another ship; winds under an ore dump that unleashes tons of rock upon him; and plunges out of a high window. Driving along at gunpoint in chapter nine, he tells the gunsel pointing the weapon at him that "I'm a dead duck anyway, so I might as well take you with me" as he stamps down on the gas and careens towards a cliff! (Naturally, he survives).

Tom Steele

The mastermind in this speaks to his men from behind a mirror in a room adjacent to the one in which they receive their orders. Only minimal suspense is generated over his identity. Walter Reed is fine for this kind of material; he also starred in the serial Flying Disc Man from Mars. Although she amassed quite a few credits and is what they used to call a "cute trick," Mary Ellen Kay really doesn't appear to be an actress.  Stanley Wilson did the music and the Lydecker brothers provided the FX. Tom Steele is one of the stunt doubles and plays one of the bad guys. 

Verdict: Fun, fast-paced serial. ***. 

BRIDE OF THE GORILLA

Barbara Payton and Raymond Burr

BRIDE OF THE GORILLA (1951). Writer/director: Curt Siodmak. 

Dina (Barbara Payton) is married to the wealthy plantation owner Klaas Van Gelder (Paul Cavanagh), but is secretly in love with his foreman, Barney (Raymond Burr), who returns her feelings. Barney is indirectly responsible for Van Gelder's death-by-snake, but the aged maid Al-Long (Gisela Werbisek), covers up for him and plots her own revenge. Barney begins imagining that he is transforming into a gorilla, and it starts driving him crazy, driving him into the jungle at night as well. Then there are stories of sightings of a supernatural creature that can tear a man to pieces ,,, 

Tom Conway and Lon Chaney, Jr. 

Bride of the Gorilla is similar to another Curt Siodmak film, Curucu, Beast of the Amazon, in that it promises a monster that it never delivers. With photography by Charles Van Enger and a flavorful score by Raoul Kraushaar, the film looks professional, but its script -- despite some interesting elements -- is dead on arrival. I imagine the film had a short shooting schedule as in many scenes the actors seem self-conscious and under-rehearsed. In spite of that, Raymond Burr and Barbara Payton have at least one well-played love scene. Cavanagh is as smooth and adept as ever in his brief appearances, and Tom Conway and Lon Chaney Jr. do the best they can with weak material. Woody Strode, who would go on to much better things, appears very briefly as a policeman. 

Verdict: Fortunately for Raymond Burr, Perry Mason put an end to his appearances in movies like this. **.