He Should Have Stayed Where He Was

FRECKLES COMES HOME-1942-A guy nicknamed Freckles (Johnny Downs) goes to his sleepy old hometown of Fairfield, Indiana to help out his buddy Danny (Marvin Stephens) who's in a jam, partially thanks to hotel Porter Jeff (Mantan Moreland) who bought a machine that was supposed to find gold. Freckles romances Jane Potter (Gale Storm), the banker's daughter. At a barn dance they do a duet. Freckles and Dan want to put a highway through town but their plan falls through. A bank robber Muggsy Malone (Walter Sande), hiding out in town thinks he can help them. He brings in a dapper gentleman named Quigley (Bradley Page) who Jane promptly falls for. Of course Quigley wants to fleece the town. Meanwhile Jeff and Quigley’s chauffeur (Lawrence Criner) look for gold and play Craps. Then Muggsey winds up dead and the stupid constable (Irving Bacon) investigates. Two of Malone’s friends arrive pretending to be detectives. 

This is a boring little comedy from Monogram has Mantan Moreland wasted in demeaning stereotypical role. Director Jean Yarbrough at least keeps the running time down to just a little over an hour.

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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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Forgotten Cosmo

COSMO JONES THE CRIME SMASHER-1943-In this low budget Monogram crime drama with comic overtones, amateur criminologist Cosmo Jones (Frank Graham, mainly a voice actor and announcer), a nerdy umbrella toting guy teams up with an African-American janitor (Mantan Moreland) to help vindicate a cop named Flanagan (Richard Cromwell) accused of killing a bystander. Flanagan's captain is played by Edgar Kennedy and his girlfriend is Gale Storm. Jones can impersonate many voices and there's a gang war and the kidnapping of a rich woman but the story isn't very good and Moreland is wasted (though he helps catch the thugs). 

Director James Tinling made CHARLIE CHAN IN SHANGHAI and MR. MOTO'S GAMBLE plus a whole bunch of forgotten low budget features and later went into TV. Despite having a very successful career star Frank Graham committed suicide in 1950.

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Zombies Rule Ok-Part 2

REVENGE OF THE ZOMBIES-1943-More WW2 /zombie fun from Monogram. John Carradine is Dr. Max Hendrich Von Alterman, a Nazi scientist working in his jungle lab to raise an zombie army that will win the war. He also has a zombie like wife (Veda Ann Borg) who strolls around. Gale Storm (the future MY LITTLE MARGIE TV star) is his secretary.

Cowboy star Bob Steele (the future Duffy on TV’s F-TROOP) plays an undercover agent. Robert Lowery who later played Batman in the second serial based on the comic book plays the male lead but once again Mantan Moreland steals the show! Hungarian born director Steve Sekely later made HOLLOW TRIUMPH and THE DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS.

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