Whip Rewrite

 

(imdb)

THE WHIP HAND-1951-Matt Corbin (Elliot Reid) is fishing when he hits his head. He seeks help from Dr. Keller (Edgar Barrier) who doesn't think there is anything wrong. The hotel owner (Raymond Burr) and his wife (Lurene Tuttle) seem sus-picious. Eventually, Corbin discovers neo-Nazis/communists doing experiments with the help of a mad scientist (Otto Waldis). Nice, exciting ending.

THE WHIP HAND was planned by director William Cameron Menzies to have been quite different than the finished product. In the original, Adolf Hitler himself, who survived WW2, was to have been the leader of the new Reich. But executive producer Howard Hughes decided communism was more of a threat and ordered extensive re-shoots. Also with Peter Brocco, Carla Balenda, George Chandler and George Barrows.

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Gorilla Love

 

 (imdb)

BRIDE OF THE GORILLA-1951-Somewhere along the Amazon, Klaas Van Gilder (Paul Cavanaugh) and his unhappy wife Dina (Barbara Payton) are having troubles. Their doctor Viet (Tom Conway) tries to help but foreman Barney Chavez (pre-Godzilla & Perry Mason Raymond Burr) lusts after Dina. After Barney is fired, he kills Van Gilder by having a snake bite him. With hubby out of the way, Barney and Dina plan to run away. Law officer Taro (Lon Chaney) investigates. After Barney is exonerated of the murder, he and Dina get married but Van Gilder's servant Al-Long (Gisela Werbisek) puts a curse on him and he turns into a gorilla. Woody Strode is a policeman.

 It's pretty bad with a lot of talk. One of 9 movies directed by Curt Siodmak, better known as a writer and novelist (Donovan's Brain). He and Chaney would work again on the TV series 13 Demon Street (and the movie made from it, THE DEVIL'S MESSENGER). Star Payton had several scandals connected to her and later had several brushes with the law. She died in 1967 at the age of 39.

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Who Doesn"t?

 

 (imdb)

I LOVE TROUBLE-1948-PI Stuart Bailey (Franchot Tone) investigates the past of the wife named Jane (Lyn Merrick) of a "public figure" (Tom Powers). It leads to a night club run by Keller (Stephan Geray) & Reno (John Ireland). After he's threatened and slugged, Bailey meets a woman (Janet Blair) who says she's Jane's sister. This leads Jim to Caprlllo (Eduardo Ciannelli) and young wife Ligia (Janis Carter) and their shady chauffeur Martin (Donald Curtis). Later he's beaten up by Reno and his henchman (Raymond Burr). Bailey escapes their clutches and suspects Jane of murdering an ex-con cook (Sid Tomack). Glenda Farrell is his secretary and Adele Jergens is a helpful showgirl. 

OK typical film noir with Tone giving a good performance as the cool PI. Screenwriter Roy Huggins later created the TV show “77 Sunset Strip”. This is one of the last movies made by director S. Sylvan Simon (ABBOTT & COSTELLO IN HOLLYWOOD (1945)) who died suddenly of a heart attack in 1951.

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Pre-Perry Burr

PLEASE MURDER ME-1956-Interesting film noirish murder mystery. Attorney Craig Carlson (Raymond Burr) breaks some bad news to his best friend Joe Leeds (Dick Foran), a guy who even saved Carlson's life during WW2. He's is in love with Joe's wife Myra (Angela Landsbury) and she's going to divorce hubby and marry his best bud. Joe takes in all in stride. A few days later he seems to make a decision, writes a letter and asks a friend to mail it. He then goes and visits his wife. A shot rings out and the next morning hubby is dead and Myra is charged with his murder even though she claims self defense. Carlson defends her and she gets off but then he discovers the mysterious letter Joe wrote and Carlson begins to see the error of his ways. 

Clever film also features John Dehner as the prosecuting attorney and Denver Pyle as a detective. England born Director Peter Godfrey was a former actor and by this time was mostly directing for TV.

Burr became famous the next year when he starred in the long running TV show PERRY MASON.

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