More Darro and Moreland

LET'S GO COLLEGIATE-1941-A star athlete Bob Terry is supposed to arrive at Raleigh college and help the rowing team. Unfortunately he’s drafted. This puts a damper on the hope of having a championship and students Frankie Monahan (Frankie Darro), Tad (Jackie Moran) and Buck Wing (Keye Luke) are quite depressed. The girls on campus led by Bess (Marcia Mae Jones) and Midge (Gale Storm) are so excited that the losers are afraid to tell them. They get a guy named Herc (Frank Sully) to impersonate Terry. Then they can't get rid of him so they try to make him into a rower. There are several songs but Mantan Moreland as Jeff is wasted. Barton Yarbourough (I LOVE A MYSTERY) is their coach and Tristram Coffin is Slugger. 

Work horse director Jean Yarbrough made KING OF THE ZOMBIES (also with Moreland) the same year. Later he directed four Abbott & Costello movies (and all the episodes of their great TV series), Rondo Hatton in HOUSE OF HORRORS and THE BRUTE MAN, The Bowery Boys and many TV episodes.

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/4609335177952045780/6557514618581060655?hl=en

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Everyone Loves a Mystery

I LOVE A MYSTERY-1945-This murder mystery is based on a very popular radio show created by Carlton E. Morse. Jack Patton (Jim Bannon) and Doc Long (Barton Yarborough) investigate the murder of Jefferson Monk (George Macready) who rightly predicted his own decapitation death. His invalid wife (Nina Foch) says that earlier he'd been attacked by a scary faced peg-legged guy. In a flashback (which also features a flashback) it's learned Monk had an encounter with Mr. G (Lester Matthews), a (phony) Asian leader of the “oldest secret society”. Apparently Monk looked like the society's mummified “sacred one” and they offered him 10 thousand dollars for his head! It seems his wife was trying to drive him mad to inherit his money but she succeeded too well! 

This was the first of three low budget movies based on the radio show. Former dialogue director Henry Levin directed all of them and had worked with female lead Nina Foch earlier on the disappointing CRY OF THE WEREWOLF. 

Like I said before in my review of their second feature THE DEVIL'S MASK, Jack and Doc make a good team and the the story had some weird twists. Of course as usual I reviewed the second movie first!

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Who Doesn't Love a Mystery?

THE DEVIL'S MASK-1946-This murder mystery is based on the radio show I LOVE A MYSTERY (created by Carlton Morse) . Two cool investigators Jack (Jim Bannon) and Doc (Barton Yarborough) help Janet Mitchell (Anita Louise), the widow of a missing explorer who thinks she has been targeted for murder by her step-daughter (Mona Barrie) and her boyfriend. A panther, a shrunken head and a crazy taxidermist are all part of the part.

This was the second of three I LOVE A MYSTERY dramas produced, based on the popular radio show. It's short and to the point and Jack and Doc are a pretty good team. Director Henry Levin was busy in 1946 (he made 5 other movies) but later when he slowed down he made JOURNEY TO THE ENTER OF THE EARTH and THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF THE BROTHERS GRIMM.

Barton Yarborough (Doc) also played the role on radio and in addition was featured on another radio show ONE MAN'S FAMILY for almost 20 years. He's the ill fated Dr. Kettering in THE GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN. He died suddenly of a heart attack in the early '50's after filming a few episodes of Jack Webb's DRAGNET. 

Co-star Jim Bannon (Jack) was also a radio star who made many low budget films (some with no credit) and later went into TV. He was a regular on the series CASEY JONES in 1957 and died in 1973. Topped bill Anita Louise had been in THE GORILLA with The Ritz Brosthers and THE LITTLE PRINCESS with Shirley Temple. She made a lot more movies and in the '50's was a regular on TV's MY FRIEND FLICKA.

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