21 BEACON STREET

Dennis Morgan

21 BEACON STREET (ABC television series/1959). 13 half-hour episodes. 

Before there was Mission Impossible there was 21 Beacon Street, a very short-lived series that had a similar premise. (Filmways, which owned the rights to the series, sued CBS for copyright infringement.) Private eye Dennis Chase (movie star Dennis Morgan of In This Our Life) and his team -- consisting of Joanna (Joanna Barnes), lawyer and former marine Brian (Brian Kelly) and inventor Jim (James Moloney) -- take on dangerous and difficult assignments and use various tricks to achieve their goals. Most of the episodes were solid "B's" but a few were above average. Jean Yarbrough directed "Double Vision," in which a reporter with info on the mob is thrown out of a window. The gang must secretly get a list with incriminating info out of a racketeer's safe. There is a great scene when Dennis is trapped outside on a windy ledge. The clever "Execution" has an innocent man (Ross Elliott of Tarantula) who was convicted of murdering his wife facing death, and the team must uncover the true murderer. "Safety Deposit" has the group trying to get incriminating love letters from a safety deposit box in Mexico to spare a politician's wife embarrassment. The team film a fake movie in the bank, but as they do so the key to the box gets stuck ... 21 Beacon Street definitely had possibilities, but it's a little too low-key. That mistake was not made with Mission: Impossible, which also has a terrific musical score. This series is on DVD and streaming on Tubi. 

Verdict: A few tense moments, but not enough of them. **1/4. 

RIVER'S END

RIVER'S END (1940). Director: Ray Enright. 

Sgt Derry Connison (Dennis Morgan) of the mounties takes off after escaped convicted murderer John Keith (also Dennis Morgan), who happens to look quite a bit like him. When the former lies dying of exposure, he suggests that Keith, whom he believes to be innocent, take his place in the Mounties and solve the murder for which he was accused. When Connison's sister (Elizabeth Earl) shows up thinking Keith is her brother, he finds himself falling for her. Talk about a sticky situation! Georgie Tobias is Keith's Pal, Andy, and Steffi Duna is Cheeta, who has an unaccountable yen for him. Victor Jory is wasted as a witness at the trial who comes back into the scene. Although the premise is intriguing, this is not a very good picture. 

Verdict: Two Dennis Morgans for the price of one! **.
 

URANIUM BOOM

Wm Talman, Dennis Morgan, Philip Van Zandt

URANIUM BOOM (1956). Director: William Castle. 

During a uranium boom in Colorado where everyone hopes to strike it rich, Brad Collins (Dennis Morgan) and Grady Mathews (William Talman) come to blows over a hotel room, but then decide to strike out together to make a killing. The two men find what they're looking for with the help of Navajo Charlie (Philip Van Zandt), and Brad goes back to town to stake their claim. In town Brad meets up and falls in love with Jean Williams (Patricia Medina), not realizing that Jean is the very woman Grady is hoping to spend his life with ... 

Ladies Meet: Tina Carver, Patricia Medina

Uranium Boom is a low-budget version of the rags-to-riches, two-rivals-fighting-over-the-same business-and-woman movies that in former years would have starred the likes of Clark Gable or Spencer Tracy. Morgan, best-known as a song and dance man, is perfectly adept, however, and Talman, best-known as the prosecutor on Perry Mason, is also very good. Van Zandt is mildly amusing as the inscrutable Indian, and Medina adds some class as the woman that both men love. Tina Carver, a TV actress most famous for her role in From Hell It Came, is not quite as sexy as everyone seems to think, but she's okay as another woman who tries to throw a monkey wrench in Collins' plans. William Henry and S. John Launer, who frequently played a judge on Perry Mason, have smaller roles and are effective.  Talman and Morgan have a lively fight scene, but the two ladies never come to blows, alas. 

Verdict: Strangely entertaining. **1/4.