More Shadow

 

 (mubi.com)

THE SHADOW: INVISIBLE AVENGER-1958-In New York, Lamont Cranston (Richard Derr; WHEN WORLD'S COLLIDE (1951)) visits New Orleans after receiving a phone call from his friend Tony (Steve Dano) just before he's stabbed to death. As The Shadow, Cranston makes himself nearly invisible, appearing only as a shadow with an echo voice and creepy laughter. He's accompanied by his kind of guru, Jogendra (Mark Daniels). The main plot is about a dictator who runs the fictitious South American country, Santa Cruz. There's a firing squad execution on the local nightly news and two brothers are on the opposite side of the military dictatorship. 

This embarrassingly cheap production started out as several episodes of a planned TV show featuring the mysterious crimefighter (created by Walter Gibson in 1931). Three directors are created including the great cinematographer James Wong Howe. Another is named Ben Parker. Some sources say this is the same guy who later directed the nutty TEENAGE STRANGLER (1964) but somehow, I doubt it.

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No Shadow

 

 (imdb)

INTERNATIONAL CRIME-1938-Disappointing crime drama features Lamont Cranston (Rod La Rocque; a silent film star who retired in 1941)) as a crime fighting reporter who writes a column and broadcasts a radio show both called “The Shadow Knows”. He's kind of assisted by Phoebe Lang (Astrid Allwyn) and a short cab driver (Lew Hearn). He doesn't “cloud men's minds” or laugh in this. He's just a regular guy. 

Director Charles Lamont went on to directed many of Abbott & Costello's “Meet” movies.

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More Cars

 

 (themoviedatabase)

HOT CARS-1956-Happily married used car salesman Nick (John Bromfield) is fired from his job for being too honest. To support his wife (Carol Shannon) and sickly baby son, he takes a job selling cars for the shady Mr. Markel (Ralph Clanton), working for manager Smiley Ward (Mark Dana; in PHAROAH'S CURSE the next year). Later he meets police detective Davenport (Dabbs Greer) who's investigating the stolen car racket. Ater the delivery of some “hot” cars, Nick realizes he's part of the stolen car ring. 

He quits Markel but when he gets home, he finds his wife in hysterics because their baby is in the hospital. He goes back to Markel and meets head hot car guy Otto (Kurt Katch) and learns “the business”. He almost has to sell a stolen car to Davenport but Smiley helps him out of it. Nick hooks up with Karen Winters (Joi Lansing), then gets involved in Davenport's murder. She could provide him with an alibi but pretends not to know him. Markel decides to do away with Nick and a fist fight on a rollercoaster between Nick and Smiley caps this story. 

his average crime drama was one of the few feature films directed by Don McDougall, a very versatile TV director. Star Broomfield was in CURUCU, BEAST OF THE AMAZON the same year. 

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Elam On The Prowl

 

 (imdb)

THE GIRL IN LOVERS LANE-1960-Runaway rich kid Danny Winslow (Lowell Brown) meets railroad bum Bix Dugan (Brett Halsey from THE RETURN OF THE FLY (1959)) on a train car, after he's unsuccessfully mugged. They team up as drifters and land in the sleepy town of Sherman, where they have lunch at a diner run by Carrie (Joyce Meadows; THE BRAIN FROM PLANET AROUS (1957)) and her father (Emile Meyer). Bix and Carrie hit it off but Danny gets in trouble with local floozy Peggy (Selette Cole). Meanwhile, local weird guy Jessie (Jack Elam) leers at Carrie and gives her the creeps. Bix has to break his first date with Carrie however when he and Danny get into a fight with some local “toughs”. After their next date, Bix and Danny get jobs at the diner. When things get serious between Bix and Carrie, he wants to blow town. Unfortunately, Carrie runs into Jessie and he kills her. Bix is blamed and arrested. Carrie's drunken father and his crew get Bix and dad tries to beat him to death. Fortunately, Danny makes Jessie confess. 

Pretty depressing drama directed by Charles R. Rondeau (DEVIL'S PARTNER the same year) and written by Jo Helms who later wrote PLAY MISTY FOR ME (1971). Lead actress Joyce Meadows is still living at the time of this writing. So is Brett Halsey. Male co-star Lowell Brown, also in THE DAY MARS INVADED EARTH (1962), may also still be with us...

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City Hunting

 

 (imdb)

WALK THE DARK STREET-1956-Frank Garrick (Chuck Connors), vengeful former big game hunter with a bad heart hooks discharged Army Lt. Dan Lawton (Don Ross) into a contest where they hunt each other in the city using special guns he designed. The bullets are not made to kill but Garrick has real ammo as he blames Lawton for the death of his brother, Tommy. While hunting each other, Lawton meets Tommy’s former fiance Helen (Regina Gleason), who tells Lawton not to trust Frank, who reveals his lunatic side and slaps Helen around. Later, the tables are turned. 

Very low budget film noir though well done by Wyott Ordung, the writer of the notorious ROBOT MONSTER (1953), who also appears briefly as a hotel clerk.

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Bank Robbing

 

 (themoviedb.org)

THE ST. LOUIS BANK ROBBERY-1959-Naive college dropout George Fowler (Steve McQueen) is hired by some gay bank robbers to drive their getaway car. Though they seem to carefully plan everything, it ends badly. McQueen is good but the rest of the cast isn't up to it in this low budget film noir crime drama with 2 directors credited. One is Charles Guggenheim who later won three Academy Awards for short subject documentaries. The other, John Stix, directed a few films for TV. The script by Richard Heffron (who later directed FUTURE WORLD (1976)) is based on the real-life robbery in 1953.

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Dead Talking

 

 (mubi.com)

THE DEAD TALK BACK-1957-After some dark scenes of a woman being stalked, Henry Krasser (Aldo Farnese), a weird cigar smoking self- proclaimed “metaphysic” talks to the camera and says he doesn't believe you're dead when you die. He shows various projects he's working on. He also mentions a murder case he's helping the police with. Then he proceeds to give a rundown on the people he lives with at a boarding house including a weirdo named Fites Freuger (Curtis Roberts), soon to be victim model Renee (Laura Brock), Raymond Millburn (Myron Natwick), Christy (Kyle Stanton), a Bible spouting loony and others. Krasser helps a cliche cop (Scott Douglas) solve a bow and arrow murder. 

Talky low budget junk, produced, written and directed by Merle S. Gould. Star Farnese was a kids TV host in Philadelphia. Co-star Natwick was in many TV shows later on. In 2000, he was in TV Mikels' THE CORPSE GRINDERS 2.

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Joe Don Justice

(imdb)

FINAL JUSTICE-1985-2 Italian mobster brothers kill a sheriff and his deputy Geronimo (Joe Don Baker) chases them to the Mexican border. He kills one of them and captures Palermo (Ven-antino Venantini; CANNIBAL FEROX (1981)) who vows revenge. For some reason, Geronimo is assigned by Chief Wilson (Bill McKinney), to take Palermo back to Sicily to stand trial but through sabotage and violence Palermo escapes when the plane makes an emergency landing in Malta. Geronimo is ordered back to the US but instead he goes out on his own, shooting and disregarding orders. He's assisted by local Gina (Patrizia Pelligrino). Palermo's boss (Rosanno Brazzi) gives Palermo 24 hrs. to get rid of the American. 

Stupid low budget crime drama filmed entirely in Malta by producer/writer/director Greydon Clark (who plays the doomed sheriff). A US-Italy co-production. Baker (who died in May of 2025) starred in director Clark's JOYSTICKS in 1983. Rossano Brazzi (who directed and starred in THE CHRISTMAS THAT ALMOST WASN'T in 1966) was in Abel Ferrara's FEAR CITY the year before this.

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Teenage Cheapy

(wikiwand)

TEENAGE DEVIL DOLLS-1955-A detective (Robert A. Sherry) relates the story of Cassandra (Barbara Marks), who works for her "much married mother" but escapes her repression by joining a motorcycle gang led by Packard (William Kendell). They introduce her to marijuana. She plays around with them and her grades plummet, losing her chance to attend college. Fortunately for her, a fool named Johnny Adams (Robert Norman) is sweet on her and they get married. 

Bad move! Cassandra becomes a bored, frustrated housewife prone to mood swings and depression. Her meds don't help. Neither does the dog hubby brings home one day. She leaves and once again hooks up with Packard and his gang. Cassandra freaks out on Seconal and is arrested after crashing her car. After a stay with the police, she returns to her parents and hubby but runs away. Later she cooks something up with a drug addict/dealer Martinez (the director) and almost dies from withdrawal in the desert. 

There's no dialogue in this basement budget exploitation film produced, written, edited and directed by one Bramlett L. Price, Jr. in his only movie making outing. There's only a lone narrator (Greg Martell) who is also supposed to be the detective. 

Director Price (who's own father plays Cassandra's stepfather) supposedly borrowed the money to make this from his then wife actress Anne Francis. AKA: ONE WAY TICKET TO HELL. Francis Coleman must have watched this before making his movies.

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Shoot!

 

 (imdb)

SHOOT TO KILL-1947-Larry Langdon is going to become the new DA, but the night before he's killed in a car accident that leaves his wife Marion Susan (Luana Anders) incapacitated. Also killed is a gangster. Reporter George Mitchell (Russell Wade) tells the old DA John Forsythe (Charles Trowbridge) about how he heard Forsythe and Langdon fighting. Mitchell seems to intimate that Forsythe killed Langdon. Later Marion relates the whole story about the conviction of a gangster named Dixie (Robert Kent using the name Dennis Blackley), the involvement of a mob boss Gus Miller (Nestor Paiva) (who had Langdon in his pocket), the killing of a janitor (Vince Barnett), her marriage and the revelation that Marion isn't as innocent as she seems. After Dixie escapes custody, we find out a lot more in this low budget film noir quickie with a twist ending. Edmond McDonald and Joe Devlin are also in. 

The direction by producer William Berke is very good but some of the dialogue is hokey. The highlight though is a scene with Jazz pianist Gene Rodgers performing.

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Crime Drama

 

 (imdb)

CAGE OF EVIL-1960-Inspector Melrose (John Maxwell) narrates the story of police detective Scott Harper (Ron Foster), a hot-headed jerk, disgruntled at being passed over as he investigates a robbery of diamonds that involves murder. (Robert Shayne plays the owner) His partner Murray Kerns (Harp McGuire) is a little better. Harper winds up falling in love with Holly (Patricia Blair from THE BLACK SLEEP (1956)), the girlfriend of Romack (Howard McLeod), the gangster who staged the robbery. Harper and Holly plot to kill him and keep the diamonds and Harper winds up killing his partner. It ends in Mexico where he finds out once again crime doesn't pay. 

Another crime drama that seems like an overlong TV show by the Robert Kent-Edward L. Cahn-Orville Hampton team after they stopped making horror movies. Several actors appear in un-billed small roles: Ted Knight, Greg Martell, Henry Darrow and Eve Brent.

Star Foster was in THE WALKING TARGET (directed by Edward L. Cahn) the same year. He made appearances in many TV shows and was later in THE HOUSE OF THE DAMNED (1965).

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A Movie As Old As me!

 

 (imdb)

SHADOW ON THE WINDOW-1957-3 young thugs Jess (John Drew Barrymore), Gil (Corey Allen) and the psychotic Joey (Gerald Sarracini) hold a woman (Betty Garrett) hostage after killing an old man for his money. Her young son (Jerry Mathers; he started his gig as The Beaver on TV's “Leave it To Beaver” the same year) sees the whole thing but goes into shock and can't tell the police anything. Her ex-husband Tony Atlas (Phillip Carey) is a police Sargent who leads an investigation to find his ex. 

Several character actors appear briefly including Joe Turkel,Mel Welles,Billy Nelson,Norman Leavitt,Henry Corden,George Cisar and Paul Bryar. Director William Asher, already working in TV, would go on to direct several AIP “beach” movies in the early '60's but would continue in TV including directing over 130 episodes of “Bewitched”.

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It's A Jungle Out There

 

 (imdb)

FEMALE JUNGLE-1955-Police investigate the murder of a Hollywood actress Monica Madison (Jean Lewis aka Eve Brent). Meanwhile Al (Burt Kaiser) and Peggy (Patricia Crowley) are having marital problems. He's a bitter boozing caricaturist and she's an unhappy nightclub waitress. An alcoholic police Sgt. Jack Stevens (Lawrence Tierney) also investigates the killing as it seems he could be the murderer. 

Peggy gets involved with the mysterious Claude Almstead (John Carradine) who says he wants a caricature but has some other motive. Although Al is having an affair with the floozy Candy (Jayne Mansfield in her movie debut) he really gets concerned when he can't find Peggy and gives Candy the brush off. The real killer is revealed in the talky finale of this low budget sleazy crime drama directed by Bruno Ve Soto, who also has a small role. Connie Cezon from 3 Stooges shorts is also in it.

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Grenwich Village Killer

 

 (imdb)

VIOLATED-1953-It's like Ed Wood meets Ron Ormond in this very cheap sleazy thriller. In Greenwich Village in NYC, police investigate the murders of several models/strippers. A tall police lieutenant (Mitchell Kowall) questions everyone. The suspects the cops pick up are pretty amazing looking weirdos. A photographer, Jan Verbick (William Holland in his only film role) is the culprit. He becomes obsessed with a stripper named Lili (Lili Dawn) but she rebuffs him. ("Beat it, ya jerk. I told ya to scram!") After he kills her, he runs down a fire escape in a funny scene. He gets away and the next day he tries to strangle his new young model. The police burst in and arrest him. Under sodium pentothal, Jan reveals why he kills women. The end seems to suggest another killer is around. 

There's an unusual scene (for the time) where two men have their arms around each other. Except for a short film based on “Othello” this was director William Strate's only film. It was produced and written by William Mishkin who years later produced Andy Mulligan's early movies. Lili Dawn was an “exotic dancer” who's only other film appearances are in 8mm films by Irving Klaw.

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Short Crime Drama

 

 (imdb)

SQUAD CAR-1960-Lt. Beck (Paul Bryar) investigates the murder of an airplane mechanic involved in a counterfeiting ring. A crop duster operator Jay Rinehart (Don Marlowe) is Beck's prime suspect. He's doing some smuggling for Mr. Stahl (Jack Harris) who makes threats against Jeannie (Lynn Moore), Rinehart's girlfriend. Also involved is Cameo Kincaide (Vici Raaf), a nightclub singer, who was dating the dead guy. A narrator (Art Gilmore) helps move the plot along. Even though Stahl tries to kill Cameo they wind up teaming together and sharing the phony loot but after Cameo shoots Jeannie, Rinehart helps Beck nail the guilty party.

This is like a pilot for a TV crime drama with a cliched script and the Beck character reminding me of Broderick Crawford's role in the TV series “Highway Patrol”. It's the only feature film credit for director Ed Leftwich. 

Star Marlowe managed Bela Lugosi for a short while (around the time of ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN). He claimed to have negotiated the role for the actor but details are sketchy. He often said (even in his autobiography) that he portrayed Porky in the “Our Gang” comedies but this has been proven false. Years after Lugosi's death he hawked some memorabilia related to Lugosi in various movie magazines.

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Ho!

 

 (imdb)

POWER FORCE-1991-In Bangkok, Benny is fighting with help from the CIA while rebels stage an uprising with lots of machine guns and hand grenades. I admit I didn't really understand what was going on most of the time but this movie was directed by Godfrey Ho (using the pseudonym Charles Lee) so it seems like this was a movie made by someone else with Ho adding unrelated scenes of his own.

That's a weird poster too!

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Brooklyn

 

 (imdb)

THE CASE AGAINST BROOKLYN-1958-A rookie cop (Darren McGavin) goes undercover to help break the borough's illegal gambling racket protected by some corrupt police officers. He romances a widow (Margret Hayes)) who's husband (Joe DeSantis) committed suicide. He runs afoul of thug henchman Rudi Franklin (Warren Stevens) who works for the big bosses (Nestor Paiva and Thomas B. Henry). Tragedy follows but he eventually succeeds. Emile Meyer is a police captain and Joe Turkel is another thug. 

This was the second film directed by Paul Wendkos after THE BURGLAR in 1957. He went on to make other films (GIDGET (1959) (and some sequels), BECAUSE THEY'RE YOUNG (1960) and THE METHISTO WALTZ (1971) but his major output was on TV.

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"One Of You Has Got To Die"

 

 (wikipedia)

FOUR BOYS AND A GUN-1957-4 "boys" rob the box office of a boxing arena. In the melee a cop (un-billed Joseph Campanella) is shot and killed. 

They are all arrested and flashbacks reveal what led up to their predicament. Asshole Eddie (Tarry Greene) is dumped by his girlfriend who likes her boss better. Ollie (Frank Sutton) who's having an affair with Eddie's sister gets in trouble with the boss he runs numbers for. Stanley (William Hinnant) is a nice wimp from a decent family but is corrupted by Eddie and Ollie. Amateur boxer Johnny (James Franciscus) has a pregnant wife but is told by his manager (J. Pat O'Reilly) that he doesn't have what it takes to be a pro. They throw a party to raise the money but a gangster spoils it. The abrupt ending seems to say they will all go to electric chair. 

Director William Berke was working mostly in TV at the time but in the '30's and '40's directed tons of low budget films (Jungle Jim, Dick Tracy, westerns). Screenwriters Phillip Yordan (Bogart's last film THE HARDER THEY FALL) and Leo Townsend (who later wrote several AIP “Beach” movies) adapted the story from a novel by Willard Wiener.

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They're Not That Wild

WILD ONES ON WHEELS-1962-Duke Walker (Sidney Mason) is let out of prison after serving his time for a bank robbery where the money was never recovered. Criminal gangster King Tut (Edmund Tontini) and his gang, Pompey (Mike Cannon), Jick (Jonathan Karle) and Preacher Man (Ray Dennis Steckler) want the money so they stake out the diner where his girlfriend Hazel (Francine York) works. Eventually they trap Duke and Hazel when they go on a camping trip and meet up with Bill (Robert Blair), Hazel's lover while Duke was away. They beat Duke up but he refuses to tell. After Pompey and Jick have a "chicken run" and Jick is killed, Duke is stabbed to death. The rest of the story is the gang, convinced Hazel knows where the money is, trying to make her lead them to it with Bill trying to protect her. They eventually find the money but have a falling out and Bill turns out to actually be an insurance investigator working with the police! 

Director Rudolph Cusumano made his only other movie, SECRET FILE : HOLLYWOOD the same year. Ray Dennis Steckler directed and acted in WILD GUITAR, also in 1962.

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There's A Riot Going On!

 

 (wikipedia)

RIOT IN JUVENILE PRISON-1959-After juvenile delinquent Eddie Bassett (Scott Marlowe) leads an unsuccessful breakout from a juvenile prison where two boys are killed, the governor orders Dr. Furman (Jerome Thor) to use drastic experiments to help straighten out the youths despite the protests of the fascist warden Col. Walton (John Hoyt). His first order of business is to make the place co-ed and brings in a busload of juvvie females. They are overseen by Bess (Ann Doran) & Grace (Marcia Henderson). Almost immediately two women Babe (Dorothy Provine) and Kitty (Virginia Aldridge) have a cat fight over Eddie. Another J.D. Killion (Dick Tyler) starts trouble when he attacks Kitty. The governor dismisses Furman and the warden gets control. After Eddie is beaten up by a sadistic guard (Richard Reeves) he leads a riot. 

RIOT is a typical kind of “teens behind bars” '50's drama that was petering out by 1959. It was directed by the great Edward L. Cahn who made INVISIBLE INVADERS and THE FOUR SKULLS OF JONATHAN DRAKE the same year. Screenwriter Orville Hampton also penned JONATHAN DRAKE and THE ALLIGATOR PEOPLE in '59.

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