BLASTING THROUGH THE URBAN FILM NOIR THRILLER 'THE SNIPER'

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyar2xBCwL1xkXXe6CFBhEN5fXHKShKJu-a4Warv6F3qWrnB3l9KdI6CjmqXILMjVl2fIE1Quqq6qJKzNx8EWyeGvsTxxzvxGe5odtiHbIp-oxnaXYIZ6rrgMISF6eak2XYOxhdqySxZvi/s480/sniperposter.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="480" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyar2xBCwL1xkXXe6CFBhEN5fXHKShKJu-a4Warv6F3qWrnB3l9KdI6CjmqXILMjVl2fIE1Quqq6qJKzNx8EWyeGvsTxxzvxGe5odtiHbIp-oxnaXYIZ6rrgMISF6eak2XYOxhdqySxZvi/w400-h293/sniperposter.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>The Sniper with Arthur Franz Year: 1952 Rates: ***1/2</u></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Most of this film, centering on THE SNIPER sniping female targets, is wonderfully <i>executed</i>...</p><p>Particularly while centered on the gunman himself, roaming from one hit to the next to the next, led by various dames bringing out the outright dame-hating nasty in him... </p><p></p><p> Channeling real life serial killers, Arthur Franz's titular loner leaves behind subtle clues for the police; the latter used only sparingly during the first half; after which we mostly just <i>hear about</i> the killings from head cop Adolphe Menjou teamed with psychologist Richard Kiley, dissecting each remaining murder through pulpy discourse... <br /></p><p></p><p>Well enough acted dialogue that does, however, eventually interrupt the addictive, ultra-violent flow that might've been too much for audiences back then, making THE SNIPER a Film Noir bordering on Exploitation. And so, when the picture works, it works just fine, with a disturbing Arthur Franz excellent in the lead alongside Edward Dmytryk's taut direction — they both work together like a killer and his gun.  </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgfXNafS1-iY0awG5HECJ_8B7W4q6Feaze_-ajTDE6nJgwUu3D-hbVHabmJPjFHrK54YfC5tEHY7oBXFtSgYnE_z58O3GnkJxLPxolfhSwFSMkwHH5Y9t6iHiJ76GOEJytaW6kAF7XvYIa/s1880/Screen+Shot+2021-05-31+at+10.25.34+AM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1380" data-original-width="1880" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgfXNafS1-iY0awG5HECJ_8B7W4q6Feaze_-ajTDE6nJgwUu3D-hbVHabmJPjFHrK54YfC5tEHY7oBXFtSgYnE_z58O3GnkJxLPxolfhSwFSMkwHH5Y9t6iHiJ76GOEJytaW6kAF7XvYIa/s16000/Screen+Shot+2021-05-31+at+10.25.34+AM.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Robin Raymond heckles in THE SNIPER dunk tank carnival sequence</u><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />

adolphe menjou, arthur franz, body count, cop, crime, edward dmytryk, exploitation, fifties, film noir or melodrama, richard kiley, robin raymond, suspense, thriller

BLASTING THROUGH THE URBAN FILM NOIR THRILLER 'THE SNIPER'

The Sniper with Arthur Franz Year: 1952 Rates: ***1/2 Most of this film, centering on THE SNIPER sniping female targets, is wonderfully ex...

CHARLES GRODIN AND FARRAH FAWCETT BASKING IN 'SUNBURN'

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijsScbne-f22xr8-X874nm7P5jUDn2O-Pg5jYEzMFdMgsMxNR1xj1bODL9e5vX9Vu2vSiQwKLLoAKBYXzPBmv7VgCjsPpbBVg8ruE-Wa1Xcrk9gZQwg9EQz5pdQk9FUBXGHVnpSHh7Tk7p/s869/Screen+Shot+2021-05-19+at+7.44.08+PM.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="690" data-original-width="869" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijsScbne-f22xr8-X874nm7P5jUDn2O-Pg5jYEzMFdMgsMxNR1xj1bODL9e5vX9Vu2vSiQwKLLoAKBYXzPBmv7VgCjsPpbBVg8ruE-Wa1Xcrk9gZQwg9EQz5pdQk9FUBXGHVnpSHh7Tk7p/w400-h318/Screen+Shot+2021-05-19+at+7.44.08+PM.jpeg" width="400"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Sunburn poster resembling Killer Fish circa 1979 Rates: **</u></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Around the time <a href="http://www.cultfilmfreaks.com/2014/04/saturn-3.html">Farrah Fawcett</a> and husband <a href="http://www.cultfilmfreaks.com/2020/04/Majors-of-Steel.html">Lee Majors</a> produced <i>his</i> <a href="http://www.cultfilmfreaks.com/2019/08/blackfish.html">KILLER FISH</a> in sunny Brazil, <i>she</i> went to sunnier Acapulco in an action-comedy almost entirely lacking humor; and yet, helmed by VANISHING POINT director Richard C. Sarafian, the action sequences are pretty good along with neat shots of the glistening locale with a scantily-clad Farrah who, having just left CHARLIE'S ANGELS, was so hot/popular that anything she starred in could pass as Exploitation Cinema, although SUNBURN is mostly a mainstream venture juggling too many characters while losing focus on the main plot: A rich old man's car crash might not be accidental, and his insurance company has to reluctantly shell out 5M...</p><p>So Grodin, supposedly a troublesome private eye, is sent with Fawcett as his fake wife... But there's hardly any trouble or suspense surreptitiously investigating the man's family that includes a lusty Joan Collins and the dead man's kids in a quaint <a href="http://www.cultfilmfreaks.com/2012/09/buster-and-billie.html">Joan Goodfellow</a> and her playboy brother. Meanwhile, Art Carney... as a gumshoe's gumshoe mentor... gets lost in a mix of neo noir crime and chaos wherein, since Grodin plays it so dry he hardly seems there at all, only Fawcett really shines... Which was obviously this film's backup plan that ultimately becomes pretty much everything.  </p><p><span></span></p>

action, charles grodin, comedy, exploitation, farrah fawcett, gumshoe, joan collins, joan goodfellow, neo noir, robin clarke, romance, seventies

CHARLES GRODIN AND FARRAH FAWCETT BASKING IN 'SUNBURN'

Sunburn poster resembling Killer Fish circa 1979 Rates: ** Around the time Farrah Fawcett and husband Lee Majors produced his KILLER FISH...

FARRAH FAWCETT SERVES AIRLINE MYSTERY 'MURDER ON FLIGHT 502'

<p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIVwr8ThObhvKnAFV3EYZcpjxzu_r2T9TOwrhku1JJGSF_HTZayUheymSqJ_KL38VuwL8oif1gHorBvtVWvUZCPZd8c8q01KYCAfOkGgiudmu_AYteuy6pe9QqIPCAwONJKHDCKsxBWSrRqqVwywhS6AsLD_C0sSPK2T0ZzHsuaUlqnlX95Jfz-JQ-pg/s1206/Screen%20Shot%202023-06-14%20at%202.02.32%20AM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="940" data-original-width="1206" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIVwr8ThObhvKnAFV3EYZcpjxzu_r2T9TOwrhku1JJGSF_HTZayUheymSqJ_KL38VuwL8oif1gHorBvtVWvUZCPZd8c8q01KYCAfOkGgiudmu_AYteuy6pe9QqIPCAwONJKHDCKsxBWSrRqqVwywhS6AsLD_C0sSPK2T0ZzHsuaUlqnlX95Jfz-JQ-pg/w400-h311/Screen%20Shot%202023-06-14%20at%202.02.32%20AM.png" width="400"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Farrah Fawcett in Murder on Flight 502 Rating: ****</u></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Different than most airline disaster flicks in that a gun's drawn literally minutes before the New York to England 747 makes a landing...</p><p>But MURDER ON FLIGHT 502 is really a whodunnit, and for a mystery it's pretty great; for a thriller it's surprisingly taut; as a TV movie it's creatively shot by <a href="http://www.cultfilmfreaks.com/2016/01/borden-frogs.html">FROGS</a> director George McCowan and, like the AIRPORT franchise, there's a B-list of ensemble actors ranging from Laraine Day to Dane Clark to Fernando Lamas, Danny Bonaduce, Hugh O'Brien, Theodore Bikel, Walter Pigeon, and Sonny Bono, a has-been rocker romancing the girl-next-door... </p><p></p><p></p><p>While the plane itself provides an intriguing set including a plush First Class section up to the cockpit where pilot Robert Stack stands between a doctor saving the life of one of several culprits, investigates the plane and passengers along with cop Hugh O'Brien as his co-pilot does the work. Meanwhile Farrah Fawcett... alone on the DVD cover as if this AIRLINE were her very own vehicle (three years before CHARLIE'S ANGELS, sharing producer Aaron Spelling)... is the perfect eye-candy stewardess, and able to actually act a few times since there's an ongoing tension. Even providing George Maharis some nice edgy scenes back at the tower, where most plane-in-peril thrillers remain on cruise control. </p><span></span>

airplane, dane clark, disaster, ensemble, farrah fawcett, george maharis, george mccowan, hugh o'brien, mystery, robert stack, seventies, sonny bono, thriller, tv movie

FARRAH FAWCETT SERVES AIRLINE MYSTERY 'MURDER ON FLIGHT 502'

Farrah Fawcett in Murder on Flight 502 Rating: **** Different than most airline disaster flicks in that a gun's drawn literally minutes ...

SEAN S. CUNNINGHAM'S BEACHY EXPLOITATION OF 'SPRING BREAK'

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Aj78xRIGGIJNVqu6dCd1VoOZea9y_m6FT0RseBdM9H9irGvNJZPXYpo54perC6sbi75x4107TAL1ngbRd3ec5AqOPnRqGxX4rXNhVzpaISeGKnnz_s-1w56e1Kr0MYPAooDyRhGvi6zO/s1812/55.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1180" data-original-width="1812" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Aj78xRIGGIJNVqu6dCd1VoOZea9y_m6FT0RseBdM9H9irGvNJZPXYpo54perC6sbi75x4107TAL1ngbRd3ec5AqOPnRqGxX4rXNhVzpaISeGKnnz_s-1w56e1Kr0MYPAooDyRhGvi6zO/s16000/55.jpeg"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>David Knell facing Jayne Modean in SPRING BREAK Year: 1983 Rating: ***1/2</u><br></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Most 1980's beach movies or in this case beach movies set in SPRING BREAK Florida are bikini, not character, driven, but there's something different about this cult gem ironically directed by FRIDAY THE 13TH horror pioneer Sean S. Cunningham and it's the characters, four guys as in, two pairs...</p><p></p><p>The first two are geeks and the others are fit, handsome jock-types that in a less original outing would have been bully-villains... but slick Paul Land and his muscular sidekick Steve Bassett wind up helpful party-mentors, sharing an "only motel room left" with skinny goofball David Knell and his horny yet equally dweeby/virginal pal Perry Lang...</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfOpfCh0KG7dc_z7AnleVa-qYdPwx_VewMp_35LIXxpcpjJqYvW-FKaHSOggh3sbVx_GlMuRzRq400aHX1RJVWhq_q9PJeatgvgqJdmkB4ElujT6DN8UKqwpu7pRNZmxnijISscLL7l5sf/s2048/1.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1156" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfOpfCh0KG7dc_z7AnleVa-qYdPwx_VewMp_35LIXxpcpjJqYvW-FKaHSOggh3sbVx_GlMuRzRq400aHX1RJVWhq_q9PJeatgvgqJdmkB4ElujT6DN8UKqwpu7pRNZmxnijISscLL7l5sf/s16000/1.jpeg"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Perry Lang, David Knell and Paul Land in SPRING BREAK</u><br></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Having played the<i> friend of the lead character</i> before, in Steven Spielberg's 1941, Lang's characterization is both underrated and underused (albeit chock full of exposition), shadowing his even more quirky and insecure friend, whose climbing politician father wants to end the good times rolling...</p><p></p><p>But nothing's gonna stop this party wave started by our four eclectic heroes as they take part in a poolside beer drinking contest, traipse the beach on foot, the boulevard on wheels, and then spend a large amount of time in a girl-band bar where geek's dream/down-to-earth beauty Jayne Modean lights up the screen and, well, there's really no plot here but it's a good time had by four fellas who deserve it, and the audience can only be glad they're having it.  <br></p><p><span></span></p>

beach, corrine wahl, david knell, eighties, jayne modean, jeff garlin, paul land, perry lang, sean s. cunningham, sex comedy, steve bassett, tammy lynn leppert

SEAN S. CUNNINGHAM'S BEACHY EXPLOITATION OF 'SPRING BREAK'

David Knell facing Jayne Modean in SPRING BREAK Year: 1983 Rating: ***1/2 Most 1980's beach movies or in this case beach movies set in S...

STEVE MARTIN IS 'THE LONELY GUY' WITH (RIP) CHARLES GRODIN

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGjL2qEiOzgXxpdjdS7uB-awFEQ9TnRy-p0chaBcQ83auzKkO5MDKiHgR9pkMcs3PpKMYaLTudGcCrQqYtABeP36DLN3RHqyPWPpiOro528QgPQc7451Q9mcSdwel9Rxd5Fs91XWarpWem/s1182/Screen+Shot+2021-05-19+at+9.23.05+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="936" data-original-width="1182" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGjL2qEiOzgXxpdjdS7uB-awFEQ9TnRy-p0chaBcQ83auzKkO5MDKiHgR9pkMcs3PpKMYaLTudGcCrQqYtABeP36DLN3RHqyPWPpiOro528QgPQc7451Q9mcSdwel9Rxd5Fs91XWarpWem/w400-h316/Screen+Shot+2021-05-19+at+9.23.05+PM.jpeg" width="400"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Charles Grodin goes Galactica Year: 1984 Rates: ***1/2</u></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Posted in memory of Charles Grodin is this summary of THE LONELY GUY that, if based on how many particular jokes land compared to the ones that don't, this wouldn't be considered classic or groundbreaking, but the character played by Steve Martin, who, after breaking up with his gorgeously loose girlfriend (Robyn Douglass), residing in New York as a terminally lonely single fella, is so likable and relatable, GUY is, plain and simple, the journey of a man who not only hits rock bottom, but learns how to exist there. </p><p></p><p>He has an equally "pathetic" buddy Charles Grodin (choosing to watch BATTLESTAR GALACTICA instead of mingling at a party) and keeps running into the earthy woman of his dreams: always losing her phone number right after. </p><p>What works best here are the specific examples of being alone in a big city and how to deal with each particular bout of solitude (including raising plants as pets and other time-filling tips), hence THE LONELY GUY Guide book that makes him famous. Hence the last forty minutes, after our hero becomes a famous author, things dwindle considerably; but that first hour, especially the scenes shared with Grodin, is a real slice of life.<span></span></p>

battlestar galactica, charles grodin, comedy, cult, eighties, judith ivey, robyn douglass, steve martin

STEVE MARTIN IS 'THE LONELY GUY' WITH (RIP) CHARLES GRODIN

Charles Grodin goes Galactica Year: 1984 Rates: ***1/2 Posted in memory of Charles Grodin is this summary of THE LONELY GUY that, if based o...

ZACK SNYDER'S ZOMBIES IN VEGAS FLICK 'ARMY OF THE DEAD'

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNFRm5jZxv90VaptbotR0DZxfpOowqyKjI5VaJofU6TaocZkp7WXV2_44GGjx66khTxUYU3OquLTTnhyphenhyphen7TvEMArEP_P19d2BRk5x42NkjXt3x0xzJlRq99Ms2PlYBxXdvVnAO3338TmAYS/s1031/Screen+Shot+2021-05-26+at+1.07.22+AM.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="758" data-original-width="1031" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNFRm5jZxv90VaptbotR0DZxfpOowqyKjI5VaJofU6TaocZkp7WXV2_44GGjx66khTxUYU3OquLTTnhyphenhyphen7TvEMArEP_P19d2BRk5x42NkjXt3x0xzJlRq99Ms2PlYBxXdvVnAO3338TmAYS/w400-h294/Screen+Shot+2021-05-26+at+1.07.22+AM.jpeg" width="400"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Army of the Dead Year: 2021 Rates: **</u></td></tr></tbody></table><p>It's no secret Zack Snyder's ARMY OF THE DEAD has a Zombie Tiger. But the funny part is that, during what's supposed to be an action-packed third act, the Zombie Tiger actually yawns, watching passively as a horde of intelligent "Alpha Zombies" rush towards a building where a ragtag group of heroes, anti-heroes and just plain terrible <i>men</i> are stealing loads of cash from a casino in Las Vegas, an enclosed city much like Manhattan in ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK, and the only place in America still harboring zombies from a zombie war we see via montage during the opening credits...<br><br>Long review short... The good guy, led by a stiff, monotone Dave Bautista, is, along with his daughter, so painfully idealistic they're boring, and annoying. Then there's a lesbian chopper pilot trying for the smart allecky Han Solo mixed with Ripley from ALIENS; the deliberate weak-link nerd who's technically important nonetheless; an honorably tough second-in-command; a rogue female tougher and deadlier than any male; and of course, those dirty rotten macho characters who, in today's age of preachy political correctness, you can no longer "love to hate" since their own hatred of everything the filmmaker loves makes them deserving of not only extra-horrible deaths, but they're not even supposed to be guiltily-entertaining in the process...<br><br></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr6bgWXSrSH-1HHnm7onjuACoqpkKH_9XUxUnIFTsPnVaqBMpZqPhAzw0OEs3i24j_xKAvHaeK9a1hrOXNh5R-4KikMWM9eATqjT2K0EA2LvvR73x1cZLf28kUFM4LPqLKwPCYcrQ-Jqh1/s2048/Screen+Shot+2021-05-25+at+8.35.50+PM+2.jpeg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1166" data-original-width="2048" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr6bgWXSrSH-1HHnm7onjuACoqpkKH_9XUxUnIFTsPnVaqBMpZqPhAzw0OEs3i24j_xKAvHaeK9a1hrOXNh5R-4KikMWM9eATqjT2K0EA2LvvR73x1cZLf28kUFM4LPqLKwPCYcrQ-Jqh1/w400-h228/Screen+Shot+2021-05-25+at+8.35.50+PM+2.jpeg" width="400"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>The Yawning Zombie Tiger of Army of the Dead</u><br></td></tr></tbody></table><p>So ARMY OF THE DEAD <i>is</i> a pretty bad movie, although not as bad as some are saying because you MIGHT want to stay till the end, to see how things pan out...</p><p>At which point the ultimate let-down finale and post-finale finale could leave you hating yourself for having wanted to stick around in the first place, but... Either way, movies, as well as their characters (far too many here to remain interesting), are just not as fun as they used to be...<br><br>The reason that spitfire-dialog comedies and pure-action action flicks were once only 90-minutes long is there's just so much we can either laugh along with or immensely marvel at... 2 1/2 hours is fine for an epic, say, like GOODFELLAS, detailing the entire life of a character in peril. But for a basic Heist Movie with a zombie twist... or a basic Zombie movie with a heist twist... it's an hour too long, and just not worth the wait. </p><p><span></span></p>

2021, action, body count, heist, horror, netflix, new, zack snyder, zombie

ZACK SNYDER'S ZOMBIES IN VEGAS FLICK 'ARMY OF THE DEAD'

Army of the Dead Year: 2021 Rates: ** It's no secret Zack Snyder's ARMY OF THE DEAD has a Zombie Tiger. But the funny part is that, ...

LARAINE STEPHENS HEADS THE 'DALLAS COWBOYS CHEERLEADERS'

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY7EHlgU8MJXQ_tQDsZRcHkVSH4QK_i_30jTALQyyqbESnJIG7wsEJf5-is5Ft-_PG1WYCLoh97OvJ1bq9bEKGsbftL_6q6NKC0NsJvCcLP2EQPF80AxaNu-ZQ2IgW_NfQXIDoHV-NbHYR/s1901/Screen+Shot+2021-05-28+at+9.55.36+PM.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1514" data-original-width="1901" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY7EHlgU8MJXQ_tQDsZRcHkVSH4QK_i_30jTALQyyqbESnJIG7wsEJf5-is5Ft-_PG1WYCLoh97OvJ1bq9bEKGsbftL_6q6NKC0NsJvCcLP2EQPF80AxaNu-ZQ2IgW_NfQXIDoHV-NbHYR/w400-h319/Screen+Shot+2021-05-28+at+9.55.36+PM.jpeg" width="400"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Lauren Tewes & Laraine Stephens Year: 1979 Rates: ***</u></td></tr></tbody></table><p>An exploitation propaganda for the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders as they're investigated by roving reporter Jane Seymour, working for sleek Bert Convy who wants to know not only what makes these girls tick, but what's wrong with the entire organization... </p><p></p><p>Other than a handful of sympathetic beauties trying desperately to become one of the famous pom pom girls, there's not much here, really; although a few decent performances eek out, not including middle-aged beauty Laraine Stephens, <i>always</i> an effective strong woman in charge... <br></p><p>Featuring Lauren Tewes as a blackmailed girl-next-door, robbing suspense from Seymour in having a race-against-time to expose the Cheerleaders; a conceited would-be actress Kathrine Baumann; and school teacher Ellen Bry (dating horrendous "actor" Bucky Dent): But it's voluptuous starlet Jenifer Shaw who steals the show, and that's within the first five minutes when she tells two new girls, including scream queen Pamela Susan Shoop, how hard she'd tried out the previous four years and REALLY HOPES to make it this time... This monologue alone captures what the entire TV-movie aspires to: The seeking/anticipation for as opposed to the excitement/pressures of being involved with one of the hottest franchises during the glitzy disco era. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcX6E2XZaOHgVTEfpqiIVfiYlQEjOcS36WLOY9oPm-1h5Ip-LJeV_AXGbDtwvX3cZm4n2BoPEncr2wmjZq3PrleHU8QHketgHloqkEfxeebu-6zwKpub-6u9uR2JZRUb5aUcX_2rqfmda6/s2004/Screen+Shot+2021-05-28+at+10.02.06+PM.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1497" data-original-width="2004" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcX6E2XZaOHgVTEfpqiIVfiYlQEjOcS36WLOY9oPm-1h5Ip-LJeV_AXGbDtwvX3cZm4n2BoPEncr2wmjZq3PrleHU8QHketgHloqkEfxeebu-6zwKpub-6u9uR2JZRUb5aUcX_2rqfmda6/s16000/Screen+Shot+2021-05-28+at+10.02.06+PM.jpeg"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Jenifer Shaw in THE DALLAS COWBOYS CHEERLEADER</u></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span></span></p>

bert convy, ellen bry, exploitation, jane seymour, jenifer shaw, katherine baumann, laraine stephens, lauren tewes, pamela susan shoop, seventies, sport

LARAINE STEPHENS HEADS THE 'DALLAS COWBOYS CHEERLEADERS'

Lauren Tewes & Laraine Stephens Year: 1979 Rates: *** An exploitation propaganda for the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders as they're inve...

DANA ANDREWS & MÄRTA TORÉN RULING 'SWORD IN THE DESERT'

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2s2mS858lgRaxroKtPkwzRb0ffxJA9PVJE3x-FlIQaIqvsEseE1oURLBwTzmQ_sGxdp9HW0ZTOQWZVJyBTc4abIrttxALZqgJ1QT-JpLfeltbZSSSj8utKvtLsgZRM2ZPf6Hb4xUPMRcQ/s1046/Screen+Shot+2021-05-15+at+7.52.49+PM.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="859" data-original-width="1046" height="329" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2s2mS858lgRaxroKtPkwzRb0ffxJA9PVJE3x-FlIQaIqvsEseE1oURLBwTzmQ_sGxdp9HW0ZTOQWZVJyBTc4abIrttxALZqgJ1QT-JpLfeltbZSSSj8utKvtLsgZRM2ZPf6Hb4xUPMRcQ/w400-h329/Screen+Shot+2021-05-15+at+7.52.49+PM.jpeg" width="400"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Sword in the Desert Year: 1949 Rating: ***1/2</u></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Although approved by the British Film Board, SWORD IN THE DESERT was banned in England, and it's understandable as British soldiers are basically Nazis in this story of Jews shipped from Europe to Israel, beating Otto Preminger's EXODUS by over a decade and, starring his stock star <a href="http://www.cultfilmfreaks.com/search/label/dana%20andrews">Dana Andrews</a>, here directed in a propaganda fashion by George Sherman, there are decent sand-leaping action sequences alongside preachy symbolism, but it could have been worse since DESERT feels like the usual WWII programmer, and Dana's in his cocky prime as a maverick freighter captain so overly reluctant to finish the job — taking the immigrants from his boat to the beach where <a href="http://www.cultfilmfreaks.com/2016/05/V-sat.html">Stephen McNally</a> has the payment — it's hard to believe he'd signed on at all...<br></p><p></p><p>And his bitter reluctance sustains through most of the story; usually the anti-hero would join the cause a lot sooner, and mostly because of a gorgeous dame... in this case by Dana's future ASSIGNMENT PARIS beauty <a href="http://www.cultfilmfreaks.com/2021/04/AP.html">Märta Torén</a> as the rebel's very own radio-goading Tokyo Rose, and, with handsome head honcho Jeff Chandler by her, McNally's and feisty Irishman Liam Redmond's side, the British soldiers have only their bullying tactics (only two officers feel guilty), eventually attempting to use the captured (and still on-the-fence) Andrews to name-names in the 11th hour... But as mainstream as this SWORD gets, there's no hackneyed wind-swept romance or any cheap melodramatic last words by dying soldiers, and it all goes down pretty well. The main problem, and the Brit's biggest gripe, is that the Arabs get off scot-free while hymn-singing Christians get all the blame... And in that, cinema hasn't changed one bit.  <br></p><p><span></span></p>

action, adventure, british, dana andrews, forties, george sherman, jeff chandler, liam redmond., märta torén, stephen mcnally, war

DANA ANDREWS & MÄRTA TORÉN RULING 'SWORD IN THE DESERT'

Sword in the Desert Year: 1949 Rating: ***1/2 Although approved by the British Film Board, SWORD IN THE DESERT was banned in England, and it...

WARREN BEATTY STALKED IN ALAN J. PAKULA'S 'THE PARALLAX VIEW'

<p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4sm5h-GPlE0t_sfYFbrfVfYB-rLdO0ZklpZTFLcUHJOeLKzDLIlvqQ4pHgAI0vp2y-TLSdPRHukfjucTes9KgX5HCENBmpgsJ5ElkDg2txSiQDr1brTyAxvq4EflffLhGdIvkXHUrREuTgDgKST-g1sykbJm7oAKA1YLqSWFTieO3QnbOAIsa86m7Fg/s1207/61+NMp8RTuL._SL1500_.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="652" data-original-width="1207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4sm5h-GPlE0t_sfYFbrfVfYB-rLdO0ZklpZTFLcUHJOeLKzDLIlvqQ4pHgAI0vp2y-TLSdPRHukfjucTes9KgX5HCENBmpgsJ5ElkDg2txSiQDr1brTyAxvq4EflffLhGdIvkXHUrREuTgDgKST-g1sykbJm7oAKA1YLqSWFTieO3QnbOAIsa86m7Fg/s16000/61+NMp8RTuL._SL1500_.jpeg"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Warren Beatty in THE PARALLAX VIEW Year: 1974 Rating: ***1/2</u></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Critically beloved TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD director Alan J. Pakula's political thriller before ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN titled THE PARALLAX VIEW opens with a doomed would-be senator taking Seattle's Sky Needle elevator to what will become his final speech... </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>A candidate described as being too independent for his own good, here's a political thriller that attempts pleasing both sides of the aisle, which is surely and sadly a thing of the past...  <br></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja8JK4pmvIBevaMOB2nQsOnFG3lMRO2SbXBu2TTTdJ5Dh6cEQzbUJimrqCZDrIVR1QQDyDTqtqbQJ6aMTbIW9dsARyf3EQbcE98_Vr_S3GBnDyWhP7ANNback0PxQ7_CMvud2_HVLHl0Ms4IrcqOKD4d7t-JdyewiSeDagaTiCLMHvPl4-a9q9VIibSQ/s1698/AVvXsEg4-5_l3x_nncUpbKVYyBFZseB59cknSq49KgzqF4fz0Y9ZiZoQkNROt7u1cjOF8t3hOrA-UgjpPbb-TbLcLNEPhkPfFnG4pAl9H5YZhuqSvmqWrFfXeIfHxNqzJ5TRPaBcrPrJeYrIxHMX4V7HzE-fHnP9nTTxcrkl9hG3-cI4ZRn0MVWvUqS7AsqLvQ=s16000%202.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="790" data-original-width="1698" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja8JK4pmvIBevaMOB2nQsOnFG3lMRO2SbXBu2TTTdJ5Dh6cEQzbUJimrqCZDrIVR1QQDyDTqtqbQJ6aMTbIW9dsARyf3EQbcE98_Vr_S3GBnDyWhP7ANNback0PxQ7_CMvud2_HVLHl0Ms4IrcqOKD4d7t-JdyewiSeDagaTiCLMHvPl4-a9q9VIibSQ/s16000/AVvXsEg4-5_l3x_nncUpbKVYyBFZseB59cknSq49KgzqF4fz0Y9ZiZoQkNROt7u1cjOF8t3hOrA-UgjpPbb-TbLcLNEPhkPfFnG4pAl9H5YZhuqSvmqWrFfXeIfHxNqzJ5TRPaBcrPrJeYrIxHMX4V7HzE-fHnP9nTTxcrkl9hG3-cI4ZRn0MVWvUqS7AsqLvQ=s16000%202.jpeg"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Warren Beatty in THE PARALLAX VIEW</u></td></tr></tbody></table><p>With mainstream action from a bar fight to a car chase to an exploding boat, maverick reporter Warren Beatty investigates the continual witness deaths by (most likely) the rudimentary assassination...</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>And from the edgy beginning to a frantic finale, Beatty wields his usual laidback style around the more animated likes of Hume Cronyn as his stern yet likeable, working-class editor; veteran baddie Kelly Thordsen as a crooked small town sheriff; William Daniels as this film's possible Deep Throat... </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj880nxDVXc5x7b_rvV_hWItcqLl12wchhsgsE0ScrGiYQfALLq35EH1A1k-1XX666V3dcfTkmM3qu0pGNVZ8dX08h9cPFPGxz-NQcbLexKSwHxTbAlylQ2q-rE26WJ2xJkuzHYt4RbzT8h9bkNqVznY6ueV9r3jI9_J-tnRPmWEPpQhwnoY3gsG_LcRw=s2298" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="855" data-original-width="2298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj880nxDVXc5x7b_rvV_hWItcqLl12wchhsgsE0ScrGiYQfALLq35EH1A1k-1XX666V3dcfTkmM3qu0pGNVZ8dX08h9cPFPGxz-NQcbLexKSwHxTbAlylQ2q-rE26WJ2xJkuzHYt4RbzT8h9bkNqVznY6ueV9r3jI9_J-tnRPmWEPpQhwnoY3gsG_LcRw=s16000"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>From the famously weird montage in THE PARALLAX VIEW</u></td></tr></tbody></table><p>And last but not least, a shady Walter McGinn (whose final role would be Al Pacino's brother in <a href="http://www.cultfilmfreaks.com/2018/06/BDeerfield.html">JOHNNY DEERFIELD</a>), introducing Beatty into the PARALLAX Corporation... </p><p></p><p></p><p>Along with a bizarre montage ranging from The Great Depression to Hitler to concentration camps whilst ironically shifting back and forth to happy hippies... this is meant for hypnotic indoctrination, a kind of icebreaker for what's basically a School for Assassins... </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj41rohJCJdNlDSqadFiB5UyCjcrAsdX9TE2LGntPDwnMMMcInV5m4rcSeWMAk-LTDSjvmwZA7VfsW4wr78yeoA_ypnJc6KWZoh7e7tRMC7wwbRQm1-rPqMI4xKZh-1AAnBWnjsMwMAHUIcsxIaOS-eJ5mGPAOQcLq9GjZMwkPtj45m-m5z8GiytHi7QQ/s2286/AVvXsEjePck4LAlfW_I4K7trZl55JL8GtCj0968BItcbz1pW1EE0qi9fYFSlKe_QLqBro-esKkww3ecLxE8ddf-QG61CtUny1uU4Nfo6I1SRbXFjJuF3qqRU-1lcdj0cdIcprdzboqYbyTV017iEuvosfJ3y6VV7_XstYUEIWHztvy2yhX1DCzcmsfjQMIQj5g=s16000.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="861" data-original-width="2286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj41rohJCJdNlDSqadFiB5UyCjcrAsdX9TE2LGntPDwnMMMcInV5m4rcSeWMAk-LTDSjvmwZA7VfsW4wr78yeoA_ypnJc6KWZoh7e7tRMC7wwbRQm1-rPqMI4xKZh-1AAnBWnjsMwMAHUIcsxIaOS-eJ5mGPAOQcLq9GjZMwkPtj45m-m5z8GiytHi7QQ/s16000/AVvXsEjePck4LAlfW_I4K7trZl55JL8GtCj0968BItcbz1pW1EE0qi9fYFSlKe_QLqBro-esKkww3ecLxE8ddf-QG61CtUny1uU4Nfo6I1SRbXFjJuF3qqRU-1lcdj0cdIcprdzboqYbyTV017iEuvosfJ3y6VV7_XstYUEIWHztvy2yhX1DCzcmsfjQMIQj5g=s16000.jpeg"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Bill McKinney strolls with mild villainy in THE PARALLAX VIEW</u></td></tr></tbody></table><p>And right when our timid hero goes undercover as one of the students, about to embark upon the first mission, he keeps getting distracted, following "real killer" Bill McKinney around liken to a standard detective flick...</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Meanwhile director Pakula tells a nice tight story with big sets and gorgeous widescreen cinematography as the camera remains an impartial observer (or spy) and yet, in the process, with all the running around, he ultimately lets the more intriguing premise get away.  </p><p><span></span></p>

alan j. pakula, bill mckinney, earl hindman, hume cronyn, jo ann harris, kelly thordsen, paula prentiss, political, seventies, thriller, walter mcginn, warren beatty, william daniels

WARREN BEATTY STALKED IN ALAN J. PAKULA'S 'THE PARALLAX VIEW'

Warren Beatty in THE PARALLAX VIEW Year: 1974 Rating: ***1/2 Critically beloved TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD director Alan J. Pakula's politica...

RICHARD RUST STEALS SAMUEL FULLER'S 'UNDERWORLD U.S.A.'

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggEYs_duyG-0vhsNYkQ5jZq5pIAOJwLUj3I1PdRGqnW0eUMg5NofG7im2fhdaq0oHmQuHFRi44Gz3t43nkrfyevmE4us6PyQqqPmfzp-o49Hpw4wxd_hSk96yB1_v6bMQiXq6kP5ckIERC/s400/26848426df427dbd4b7b9188d78cd58f-1.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="365" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggEYs_duyG-0vhsNYkQ5jZq5pIAOJwLUj3I1PdRGqnW0eUMg5NofG7im2fhdaq0oHmQuHFRi44Gz3t43nkrfyevmE4us6PyQqqPmfzp-o49Hpw4wxd_hSk96yB1_v6bMQiXq6kP5ckIERC/w365-h400/26848426df427dbd4b7b9188d78cd58f-1.jpeg" width="365"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Rust & Robertson in the USA Year: 1961 Rates: ***1/2</u></td></tr></tbody></table><p>This gritty Samuel Fuller <a href="http://www.cultfilmfreaks.com/search/label/neo%20noir">Post-Noir</a> has a teenage hood trained by his hoodlum father while raised by a bar-owning lush with a heart of gold, setting up your basic revenge tale since the kid witnessed his old man beaten and killed in a shadow-filled alley by four men — but he only actually <i>sees</i> one of them...</p><p>And thus grows into a contentedly crooked Cliff Robertson, whose Tolly Devlin, serving time, finds <i>that one</i> recognized killer dying in jail, of natural causes, but not before naming names so that, when Tully gets out, the body count vengeance trail begins... </p><p>Sadly, this intriguing set-up gets distracted by the UNDERWORLD crime-bosses and especially, on the other side of the fence, the District Attorney: What should have remained tighter to Robertson's dogged perspective loses steam and lacks focus... </p><p>Yet is sporadically made up for NOT by <i>his</i> character, dealing with melodramatic ingenue Dolores Dorn, looked-after by that experienced surrogate-mother Beatrice Kay (aptly channeling Thelma Ritter from Fuller's <a href="http://www.cultfilmfreaks.com/2017/08/big-red-microfilm.html">PICKUP ON SOUTH STREET</a>), whose creepy doll collection adds to the director's surreal 1960's arthouse-aesthetic that'd continue with SHOCK THERAPY and THE NAKED KISS... But the scene-stealer is a coldly handsome thug/shooter played by Richard Rust as Gus, chain-smoking while killing left and right (even deliberately running over a kid on a bicycle): narrowing-down what would have been a far less effective crime-thriller without him — a reminder to the audience of what's the unapologetic <i>heartless</i> of the matter.  </p><p><span></span></p>

beatrice kay, body count, cliff robertson, crime, david kent, dolores dorn, neo noir, revenge, richard rust, robert emhardt, samuel fuller, sixties

RICHARD RUST STEALS SAMUEL FULLER'S 'UNDERWORLD U.S.A.'

Rust & Robertson in the USA Year: 1961 Rates: ***1/2 This gritty Samuel Fuller Post-Noir has a teenage hood trained by his hoodlum fath...

BILL ELLIOTT IN 'CHAIN OF EVIDENCE' WITH TIMOTHY CAREY

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip7_GX8sM-OxWqVYhSnD9hyPa1lEcjIjEjGfW8KzyVSfr_kiex436g-oV2mSGJdhQa2vkWTS9adm0JMX4IeguZgFqCBGUtLZkWAJHX6zqh9HJFE_aI3V91ZtEGQ86qGBiDU2AOWOcQLEkX/s805/Screen+Shot+2021-04-28+at+4.41.47+AM.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="805" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip7_GX8sM-OxWqVYhSnD9hyPa1lEcjIjEjGfW8KzyVSfr_kiex436g-oV2mSGJdhQa2vkWTS9adm0JMX4IeguZgFqCBGUtLZkWAJHX6zqh9HJFE_aI3V91ZtEGQ86qGBiDU2AOWOcQLEkX/w400-h280/Screen+Shot+2021-04-28+at+4.41.47+AM.jpeg" width="400"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Bill Elliott in Chain of Evidence Year: 1957 Rating: ***1/2</u></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The low-budget, room-to-room, television-like direction aside, CHAIN OF EVIDENCE — the penultimate thriller with former cowboy actor Bill Elliott as friendly cop <a href="http://www.cultfilmfreaks.com/2021/01/blindfaith.html">Lt. Andy Doyle</a> — is intriguing enough, featuring Jimmy Lydon as an ex-convict with amnesia,  a favorite Film Noir disease allowing the plot to fall into two other Noir staples: a wife and lover kills her rich husband, and poor Jimmy Lydon becomes the <a href="http://www.cultfilmfreaks.com/search/label/wrong%20man">Wrong Man</a>...</p><p></p><p>Why he'd gone to jail in the first place has to do with cult actor Timothy Carey, who once again clenches his teeth while talking as yet another clenched-teeth lowlife... this one a victim of getting beat up for flirting with the otherwise nice guy's girlfriend (Tina Carver); the latter whining through the more melodramatic sequences as her man goes through accusations that seem impossible to clear: he'd fought with the husband right before the wife's lover finished the job. And while these kind of cuckold stories spend most of the time building a "perfect murder," the quick pull-off is a letdown for the audience yet allows main star Elliott a chance to wander around, ask a lot of questions and chain-smoke, like movie-cops do — providing scheming wife Polly Gunther a suburban femme fatale role that deserved a better platform; yet her input here makes EVIDENCE better than it would've been otherwise. </p><p><span></span></p>

bill elliott, cop, don haggerty, fifties, film noir or melodrama, franchise, jimmy lydon, perfect murder, polly gunther, ross elliott, sequel, thriller, timothy carey, tina carver, wrong man

BILL ELLIOTT IN 'CHAIN OF EVIDENCE' WITH TIMOTHY CAREY

Bill Elliott in Chain of Evidence Year: 1957 Rating: ***1/2 The low-budget, room-to-room, television-like direction aside, CHAIN OF EVIDENCE...

RALPH MEEKER AND MARLA ENGLISH IN 'DESERT SANDS'

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvzWgNt3TLb3eQXo6ociZmfJZYla-biKIB52RlqivqrtuWcF_UufIm7WCIQLwGdWWMcT-6qetG9XKkejoL4KdRxVzQKwBUkNKSQDpRtCRS4RsAwcnV0IY9udirfg17qlVeoK-ium2bmdIg/s400/Screen%252BShot%252B2021-04-25%252Bat%252B1.12.52%252BAM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="307" data-original-width="400" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvzWgNt3TLb3eQXo6ociZmfJZYla-biKIB52RlqivqrtuWcF_UufIm7WCIQLwGdWWMcT-6qetG9XKkejoL4KdRxVzQKwBUkNKSQDpRtCRS4RsAwcnV0IY9udirfg17qlVeoK-ium2bmdIg/w400-h308/Screen%252BShot%252B2021-04-25%252Bat%252B1.12.52%252BAM.jpeg" width="400"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Marla English in DESERT SANDS Year: 1955 Rating: ****</u></td></tr></tbody></table><p>A kind of ZULU one decade earlier, b-movie company Bel Air made this Foreign Legion adventure about a group of soldiers trapped in their fort in the middle of the Arabian desert... </p><p>During act two they fight off Arabs, and act three, after being captured from within, try outsmarting the captors, led by a very American Keith Larsen as El Zanel with sexy sister Marla English: thus the biggest flaw is how many other Americans or Brits work within the French army, and it's never really explained why Ralph Meeker's the captain or young Texan John Smith's there with Australian scoundrel Ron Randell barked at by sergeant J. Carrol Naish...</p><p>Yet DESERT SANDS is an above average war movie with many layers, including a forced yet intriguing romance between Meeker and Marla English, and a backstory where John Carradine's lethal Arab had tricked his niece and nephew into becoming the vengeful legion-haters they'd grow into, with the power to take over the fort, which includes a neat bloody battle leading to what could've been superfluous downtime as the men await their doom, but having been properly fleshed out in act one, ironically griping about not having enough to do, not only does their fate matter, but their dialogue, never filler, does as well. </p><p><span></span></p>

bel air productions, exploitation, fifties, j. carrol naish, john carradine, john smith, keith larsen, ralph meeker, ron randell, war

RALPH MEEKER AND MARLA ENGLISH IN 'DESERT SANDS'

Marla English in DESERT SANDS Year: 1955 Rating: **** A kind of ZULU one decade earlier, b-movie company Bel Air made this Foreign Legion ad...