Classic Movie Hub Blog

Western RoundUp: The Maverick Queen (1956)

Posted on July 24, 2026 by Laura Grieve

The Maverick Queen (1956)

Barbara Stanwyck is a favorite of many classic film fans, myself included.

Over the years I’ve reviewed a few of her films here after seeing them for the first time: The Furies (1950), The Violent Men (1955), and Forty Guns (1957).

Maverick Queen, Poster 1 — *The Maverick Queen* (1956)

One of the Stanwyck Westerns which had eluded me until now was The Maverick Queen (1956), which had a VHS release but to my knowledge has not come out on DVD in the United States.

The movie has turned up in the past on Turner Classic Movies, but in a frankly poor print, so I’ve held off watching it, hoping for the day when a better viewing experience would be possible. I’m happy to report that day has now arrived thanks to Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

Stanwyck stars as Kit Bannion, owner of the Maverick Queen saloon, who is mixed up with outlaws including Butch Cassidy (Howard Petrie) and the Sundance Kid (Scott Brady). Her fortune has depended cattle rustling and stealing.

Stanwyck’s Forty Guns costar, Barry Sullivan – previously reviewed here in the terrific Audie Murphy film Seven Ways From Sundown (1950) – plays a stranger in town, Jeff Young.

Kit, fending off Sundance’s threatening romantic claim, is attracted to Jeff and hires him as a dealer. She believes he’s Jeff Younger of the Younger gang of outlaws, but he might not be exactly who he seems to be.

For instance, why did Jeff stop Sundance and a group of outlaws from robbing the cattle herd owned by pretty Lucy Lee (Mary Murphy) just before he arrived in town?

Jeff does join Butch and Sundance for a train robbery, which leads to unexpected developments…

Those who associate Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid chiefly with the 1969 movie may be a bit surprised to see them turn up in a ‘50s Western, but of course they were based on real people and turned up in films well ahead of 1969. In fact, I stopped at Butch Cassidy’s boyhood home in Utah during a 2022 road trip. It was about a half hour outside Marysvale, where I visited the final resting place of actress Marie Windsor.

Butch Cassidy Home 2 — Butch Cassidy’s boyhood home in Utah

The Maverick Queen screenplay by Kenneth Gamet and DeVallon Scott was based on a Zane Grey novel, and it’s quite good. Ironically I had heard buzz over the years that The Maverick Queen was a weak film in Stanwyck’s career, so I was pleasantly surprised to discover I liked it very much.

I found The Maverick Queen better scripted and more interesting than the typical “outlaws” film, which isn’t my favorite Western subgenre. In fact, I would go so far as to say I enjoyed it more than Stanwyck’s much better-known and highly regarded The Furies. I’m not saying The Maverick Queen is a better film, but I had more fun watching it.

No, The Maverick Queen isn’t a classic, but it does fall in the category many of us call a “darn good Western.” It has a good story, is well cast, and was energetically directed by Joe Kane, who also produced; it runs a well-paced 92 minutes.

Perhaps most importantly the film features extensive location shooting in Colorado, which really makes the movie; it’s beautiful to look at.

The movie was filmed by Jack Marta in Republic Pictures’ color and widescreen processes, Trucolor and Naturama. The movie has thus looked terrible in many faded pan-and-scan prints. Kino Lorber presents a 4K scan of the original 35mm camera negative, and it looks fantastic.

The Maverick Queen, Scott Brady, Barbara Stanwyck, Barry Sullivan — Scott Brady, Barbara Stanwyck, Barry Sullivan

Red-haired Stanwyck plays a woman who has succeeded in a man’s world by attaching herself to criminal enterprises. Though Stanwyck famously played at least one more villainous character in her career, there’s very little admirable about Kit, so it seems likely from the outset that her feelings for Jeff are doomed.

The Maverick Queen, Barry Sullivan, Barbara Stanwyck — Barry Sullivan, Barbara Stanwyck

Stanwyck’s character may be a crook but the actress is, of course, always highly watchable, and unsurprisingly she makes the part interesting and somewhat sympathetic.

The theme of Kit making her way in the world on the wrong side of the law contrasts nicely with Murphy’s young cattlewoman Lucy, who is working to make a go of her late father’s ranch; life is also challenging for her, but she is making far different choices from Kit’s and ultimately will likely succeed in both business and life because of it.

Maverick Queen, Publicity Still 1 — Mary Murphy, Barry Sullivan, Barbara Stanwyck

Murphy, incidentally, was in one of my favorite Westerns, A Man Alone (1955), which I wrote about in a column on “Unexpected Western Leads.” She was something of a chameleon, in terms of her physical appearance, and looks rather different in each film despite the fact they were released only a year apart.

I admit to having a bit of a crush on Sullivan, who is very appealing here as the mysterious stranger in town. Although his motivations aren’t initially clear, I shared Lucy’s faith that there must be an explanation for his inexplicable behavior.

The Maverick Queen, Barbara Stanwyck, Barry Sullivan 2 — Barbara Stanwyck, Barry Sullivan

Brady, who impresses here as a rugged, vicious Sundance, played the similarly named but more handsome “Dancin’ Kid” in Johnny Guitar (1954). You don’t want to mess with his Sundance; Brady’s fierce portrayal conjures mental associations with his real-life scarier brother, Lawrence Tierney.

The Maverick Queen, Scott Brady — Scott Brady

The rest of the cast is top-notch, starting with Jim Davis, whose character’s brief appearance quite late in the film is inconvenient for Jeff, to say the least.

Wallace Ford plays Lucy’s ornery cook, who proves to be not what he seems, and the cast is rounded out with familiar faces such as Emile Meyer, Walter Sande, John Doucette, Pierre Watkin, Taylor Holmes, and Tristram Coffin.

The Maverick Queen, Mary Murphy, Scott Brady, Wallace Ford — Mary Murphy, Scott Brady, Wallace Ford

The film’s musical score was by the great Victor Young, who very sadly died shortly after this film’s release. The title song is sung by Joni James.

Kino Lorber’s Blu-ray extras consist of a commentary track by Dwayne Epstein plus a gallery of five trailers for other films available from Kino Lorber.

The Maverick Queen, Barbara Stanwyck, Barry Sullivan 3 — Barbara Stanwyck, Barry Sullivan

I found The Maverick Queen to be a pleasantly entertaining surprise, and I doubt it will ever look better than on this Blu-ray release, which I recommend.

The color Utah photographs accompanying this article are from the author’s personal collection.

Thanks to Kino Lorber for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray.

…

– Laura Grieve for Classic Movie Hub

Laura can be found at her blog, Laura’s Miscellaneous Musings, where she’s been writing about movies since 2005, and on Twitter at @LaurasMiscMovie. A lifelong film fan, Laura loves the classics including Disney, Film Noir, Musicals, and Westerns. She regularly covers Southern California classic film festivals. Laura will scribe on all things western at the ‘Western RoundUp’ for CMH.

Posted in Films, Posts by Laura Grieve, Western RoundUp | Tagged barbara stanwyck, barry sullivan, Mary Murphy, scott brady, The Maverick Queen, Wallace Ford | Leave a comment

Classic Movie Travels: Jim Nabors

Posted on July 23, 2026 by Annette Bochenek

Classic Movie Travels: Jim Nabors

James Thurston Nabors was born on June 12, 1930, in Sylacauga, Alabama, the son of Fred Nabors, a police officer, and Mavis Pearl Newman Nabors. He was raised in the small central Alabama community alongside two older sisters: Freddie Mae and Annie Ruth. As a child, Nabors suffered from severe asthma, a condition that would exempt him from military service during the Korean War.

Nabors attended Sylacauga High School, where he was active on in the glee club, played clarinet in the school band, and was also on the football team. After graduating high school in 1947, Jim Nabors studied went on to study business administration at the University of Alabama. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 1952. During his time at the university, he was a member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity and acted in Greek skit shows.

He moved to New York City, briefly working as a typist for the United Nations. He made his television debut in Augusta, GA, as Jimmy Nabors on the Today in Dixie show and was active in the choir at North Augusta’s Grace United Methodist Church. He later moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee, where he worked as a film cutter for an NBC affiliate. He also worked as a substitute co-host on the television show Holiday for Housewives.

Nabors soon relocated to Los Angeles in pursuit of opportunities in entertainment. He continued to work as a film cutter there but also found work at a Santa Monica nightclub known as The Horn. There, he developed a comedic routine featuring a shy, simple-minded gas station attendant with a distinctive Southern drawl. Comedian Bill Dana invited Nabors to sign on The Steve Allen Show but it was ultimately canceled. One evening, actor Andy Griffith happened to see the performance. Griffith immediately recognized the appeal of Nabors’ character and invited him to appear on The Andy Griffith Show. What began as a single guest appearance in 1962 quickly evolved into one of the series’ most popular recurring roles.

On the show, Nabors portrayed Gomer Pyle. His sincerity, optimism, and unwavering politeness resonated with viewers. Moreover, his voice was showcase on the show for the first tie in the February 1964 episode, “The Song Festers.” Unlike many television characters built around sarcasm or conflict, Gomer won audiences over through kindness and innocence. His popularity soon warranted a series of his own.

Nabors launched an extraordinarily successful recording career. Over the next several decades, he released dozens of albums that regularly appeared on the Billboard charts. His recordings frequently featured inspirational music, Christmas collections, love songs, and standards from the Great American Songbook. His vocal ability also made him a popular guest on television variety programs, where he appeared alongside many of the era’s leading entertainers.

In 1964, CBS premiered Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., placing the lovable service station attendant into the disciplined environment of the United States Marine Corps. Much of the comedy centered on Gomer’s interactions with the perpetually frustrated Sergeant Vince Carter, portrayed by Frank Sutton. While Nabors could be heard singing in many of the show’s episodes, his milestone vocal performance on the show was his rendition of “The Impossible Dream (The Quest).” Although the series relied on familiar comedic misunderstandings, it also presented military life with affection and respect. Marine officials generally welcomed the positive portrayal, and many Marines later credited the show with boosting public appreciation for the Corps during a turbulent decade.

The sitcom became one of television’s highest-rated comedies, remaining on the air for five seasons and concluding in 1969 while still attracting a large audience. Rather than allowing the series to decline, Nabors chose to end the show and pursue other opportunities.

Following the conclusion of Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., Nabors remained a familiar face on American television. He headlined The Jim Nabors Hour, a variety series that combined musical performances, comedy sketches, and appearances by guest stars. The program lasted only two seasons.

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Nabors continued appearing on numerous television specials, talk shows, and variety programs. He also guest-starred on popular series and participated in reunion specials celebrating The Andy Griffith Show and Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.

Nabors began to vacation in Hawaii in the 1960s, which eventually inspired him to move there in the decades to come. In the 1990s, he also owned a home in Whitefish, Montana.

His film appearances included supporting roles in productions such as The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982), in which he appeared alongside Burt Reynolds and Dolly Parton. He also appeared in the television movie Return to Mayberry (1986). During the same year, he starred in a half-hour television comedy pilot called Sylvan in Paradise, but it was not picked up by NBC.

Nabors maintained an active touring schedule. He performed with symphony orchestras across the United States and regularly appeared in Las Vegas, where his combination of humor and music appealed to audiences of all ages. His concerts often blended inspirational songs, patriotic selections, Broadway favorites, and lighthearted stories from his television career. Unlike many performers whose fame faded after their signature television role ended, Nabors successfully reinvented himself as a respected concert artist.

Outside entertainment, Nabors became closely associated with one of America’s most celebrated sporting events. In 1972, Nabors attended the race as a guest of casino owner Bill Harrah. On race morning, Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Tony Hulman approached Nabors and asked if he would “sing the song” before the race. Nabors assumed he meant “The Star-Spangled Banner” and readily agreed. Only moments before the performance did he discover that he was actually expected to sing “(Back Home Again in) Indiana.” Unfamiliar with all the lyrics, he quickly wrote them on the palm of his hand before climbing onto a ladder with the Purdue All-American Marching Band. His unrehearsed performance was an instant success, earning an enthusiastic ovation from the crowd. Nabors returned the following year, and what began as a last-minute favor evolved into one of the Indianapolis 500’s most beloved traditions. Between 1972 and 2014, he performed the song 34 times, becoming so closely identified with the race that many fans considered his heartfelt rendition the unofficial start of the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

Nabors purchased a home in Honolulu in the 1970s and eventually made Hawaii his permanent residence. The islands offered him a quieter lifestyle away from Hollywood while allowing him to continue performing and recording. After moving from Bel Air, California, with his partner, Stan Cadwaller, he initiated a show at the Hilton Hawaiian Village called the Jim Nabors Extravaganza, which continued for two years. He also performed at the Las Vegas Hilton and made his theatrical debut in 1982 as Professor Harold Hill in The Music Man with Florence. Henderson at the Burt Reynolds Dinner Theatre in Jupiter, Florida.

In 1994, Nabors was ill and suffering from hepatitis B, which he reportedly contracted while in Indiana and accidentally cutting himself with a straight razor. His prognosis was grim as the disease caused liver failure. However, his friend, actress Carol Burnett, put him in contact with the head of the liver transplant division at the University of California–Los Angeles for further treatment options. He eventually received a transplant and became active with the American Liver Foundation, in addition to continuing to tour and perform.

Although he maintained a relatively private personal life, Nabors publicly acknowledged his longtime relationship with Cadwallader. After same-sex marriage became legal in Washington state, the couple married in Seattle at the Fairmount Olympic Hotel in January 2013, formalizing a relationship that had lasted for more than three decades.

Nabors owned a macadamia plantation on Maui for 25 years before ultimately selling it to the National Tropical Botanical Garden. Despite the sale, he maintained farming rights as well as a second home on the property.

Nabors passed away at his home in Honolulu, Hawaii, on November 30, 2017, at the age of 87. His death prompted tributes from across the entertainment industry, the racing community, and countless admirers who had grown up watching him on television. The United States Marien Corps also posted a statement on their official Twitter account, reading: “Semper Fi, Gomer Pyle. Rest in peace Jim Nabors, one of the few to ever be named an honorary Marine.”

Today, Nabors’ legacy is celebrated in many locations.

The Jim Nabors exhibit is located at the Isabel Anderson Comer Museum and Arts Center in his Sylacauga, Alabama, hometown. It is located at 711 N. Broadway Ave., Sylacauga, Alabama.

His childhood home stands at 511 S. Broadway Ave., Sylacauga, Alabama.

In the 1960s, he resided at 1848 N. Gramercy Pl., Los Angeles, California, which stands.

In 1978, a portion of U.S. Route 280 in Talladega County was named Jim Nabors Highway.

In the 1980s, he owned a property at 2750 Big Mountain Rd., Whitefish, Montana, which remains.

In 1992, he maintained a residence at 10450 Wilshire Blvd., Apt. 6A, Los Angeles, California, which also stands.

10450 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA — 10450 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, California

In Honolulu, Hawaii, Nabors is honored at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort through their many displays that celebrate the resort’s history. The resort is located at 2005 Kalia Rd., Honolulu, Hawaii.

His home in Honolulu stands at 215 Kulamanu Place, Honolulu, Hawaii.

…

–Annette Bochenek for Classic Movie Hub

Annette Bochenek pens our monthly Classic Movie Travels column. You can read all of Annette’s Classic Movie Travel articles here.

Annette Bochenek, Ph.D., is a film historian, professor, and avid scholar of Hollywood’s Golden Age. She manages the “Hometowns to Hollywood” blog, in which she profiles her trips to the hometowns of classic Hollywood stars. She has also been featured on the popular classic film-oriented television network, Turner Classic Movies. A regular columnist for Classic Movie Hub, her articles have appeared in TCM Backlot, Silent Film Quarterly, Nostalgia Digest, The Dark Pages Film Noir Newsletter, and Chicago Art Deco Society Magazine.

Posted in Classic Movie Travels, Posts by Annette Bochenek | Tagged Jim Nabors | Leave a comment

Monsters and Matinees: Humans, Robots Clash in Remarkably Relevant ‘Creation of the Humanoids’

Posted on July 18, 2026 by Toni Ruberto

Humans, Robots Clash in Remarkably Relevant ‘Creation of the Humanoids’

Modern technology is crazy, isn’t it? It feels like it can take over the world – perhaps not right away but we can see it coming. We welcomed advancements that helped us, but when is it going too far? I recently had to jump out of the way of a robotic floor cleaner at a grocery store. Don’t even talk to me about getting into a self-driving car. because it’s not happening.

So I get why people wonder what these advancements may cost humanity. Take Cragis, for example, who worries that if everything is being done for us that it takes away our incentive to learn, to grow, to be human. “Why do we need mathematics if the machines can give us a better answer, faster?” he asks.

Good question.

Cragis is Captain Kenneth Cragis, the main character in the 1960 sci-fi film The Creation of the Humanoids. Although everything about this film from the set design to the acting and technology screams low-budget B-movie from the past, the plot could have been written today.

This is the R58 model of the “clicker” robot with its blueish/green skin and metallic eyes.

The original story by Jay Simms (The Giant Gila Monster, The Killer Shrews) was ahead of its time regarding the battles with technology (people vs. machines), bigotry and class. It can’t help but be noticed that the humans in the film are white people who don’t trust the colored humanoid/robots.

The point is clear when we meet the volunteer group of men fighting to keep the world safe from the humanoids. The Order of Flesh and Blood, referred to as an ultra-conservative pressure group against the advancement of robots, fears that the humanoids will take over the world. If the Order reminds you of the KKK, there’s a reason for that.

* * * * *

Set in the 23^rd Century, The Creation of the Humanoids is about the aftermath of a 48-hour nuclear war that nearly destroyed the world. About 92% of the population died from lingering radiation within two weeks. The birthrates for those who survived plummeted to 1.4% signaling that the end to humanity was near.

Nothing to fear here: One of the early robots, the R1, in *Creation of the Humanoids*.

Out of desperation, people turned to robotic automation devices to rebuild. One of the first advancements was the Magnetic Integrator Neuron Duplicator. Only 1/100^th the size of a golf ball, it duplicates a portion of the human nervous system leading to the Primitive Robotic Automation Devices (robots to us) that could do menial jobs.

The first was the R1, a ranking that corresponds to the percentage that the robot is human, so it was 1% human.

That was OK with humans because these robots were so primitive they looked like a toy. It didn’t stay that way.

The R21 model was the first humanoid robot. It had some human features, including metallic-looking eyes and blueish skin. Humans were getting nervous and started calling them by the disparaging nickname of clickers. The Order of Flesh and Blood could stop the clickers on the street for no reason, question them, ask for their assignment cards and then decide if they would let go or not. Another example of similarities to our world today.

The growing fear that the robots can become human made it illegal to “improve” them past R70, but the work continues to be done in secret.

Dr. Raven (Don Doolittle in white coat) is putting the final touches on his newest robot that will be nearly human in *The Creation of the Humanoids*.

Dr. Raven (Don Doolittle) has created the nearly perfect robot via his thalamic transplant that inserts the memories and personality of a (dead) human through a device only the size of an almond. This is the R96 model and it has human emotions including the ability to laugh, to cry and hate. You can imagine the panic that will ensue once this news gets out.

Now back to Captain Cragis, who is the head of the Order’s Surveillance Committee and is very serious about his volunteer job. He’s a dour and gruff chap played by Don Megowan who classic movie fans will know as the Gill-man in The Creature Walks Among Us. When he learns his sister Esme (Frances McCann) is “in rapport” with a humanoid he loses it.

Cragis (Don Megowan, center) is troubled that his sister Esme (Frances McCann) is involved with the robot Pax (David Cross) who dutifully serves drinks even as they fight about him.

This is against everything he stands for since being “in rapport” legally allows a human and humanoid to interact and cohabitate. To Esme, being in rapport is being in harmony, in love, with Pax, her R49 robot. Cragis doesn’t want to hear about it. Pax is not like them, he argues. He’s a robot and she needs to be with a human, even if it’s her cruel, alcoholic ex-boyfriend.

“Miles was a man,” he explodes.

“He was a beast,” she interrupts. “Pax is more of a man than Miles – or you – can ever be.”

It’s easy to see her point since the self-centered Cragis could use some humanity himself. He’s harsh, cold and detached, attributes underscored by Megowan’s one-note performance.

Will either sibling get the other to see their side? I’m rooting for the steadfast Esme to help Cragis.

“We fall in love when we see a part of ourselves reflected in another person,” says Esme, who seems to believe that love conquers all.

It’s an unlikely love at first sight for Maxine (Erica Elliot) and Cragis (Don Megowan).

He may not understand her words at that moment, but he will soon. Just one look at the statuesque blonde Maxine (Erica Elliot) melts the cold Cragis who feels love for the first time. It’s earth-shattering for both of them in ways they can’t begin to understand.

This is where the movie shifts and will appear to offer some twists that we may have been expecting all along.

Meanwhile, as the family drama and romantic feelings were coming out, the humanoids were going about their business without being weighed down by those human emotions. It can make you understand why one of them said he pities the new R96 unit with its human emotions. “To become an R96 is a real sacrifice.”

* * * * *

Members of the Order of Flesh and Blood, including Cragis (Don Megowan, left), are always so serious despite wearing pretty shimmery shirts, ornate detailed pants and Civil War hats. The police get to wear red capes and plastic hats.

When I started watching The Creation of the Humanoids, I stopped and started it a few times not sure if I wanted to give the movie more time. The production values were nearly nonexistent as actors walked across a barren stage with a painted backdrop. The early dialogue and acting is stilted. The wardrobe looked like rented costumes, especially the robots’ bland jumpsuits and the odd powder-blue shirts and Civil War-style hats worn by the Order of Flesh and Blood.

But then the script caught me off-guard with themes that felt relevant today and kept my interest. I wanted to see where it would go.

Once the story moved to Esme’s jewel-toned apartment, the colorless film came to life through the vibrant set and emotions. Floor-to-ceiling sheer curtains sparkled and there was much attention to detail in Esme’s beautifully done hair, makeup and gorgeous green gown. It was captivating enough that I could forgive the stagey acting that took over and the echoes of actors reading their lines off screen.

Esme (Frances McCann) tries to explain her feelings for a human-like robot to her angry brother Cragis (Don Megowan). This scene in her apartment is a visual highlight of an otherwise bland looking film.

As Cragis bemoans what is happening to society because of the robots, his sister tells him “You aren’t just charging windmills. You’re trying to hold back the ocean with a sponge.” That analogy works well for the film and is something to think about as we deal with similar issues today.

Those robot eyes

Iconic makeup artist Jack Pierce (Frankenstein) created the robot makeup that included the large reflective eyes that appear like metallic balls in their eye sockets. Dr. Louis M. Zabner, credited for “special eye effects,” is the optometrist who created the pioneering contact lenses that could change an actor’s eye color.

– Toni Ruberto for Classic Movie Hub

You can read all of Toni’s Monsters and Matinees articles here.

Toni Ruberto, born and raised in Buffalo, N.Y., is an editor and writer at The Buffalo News. She shares her love for classic movies in her blog, Watching Forever and is a member and board chair of the Classic Movie Blog Association. Toni was the president of the former Buffalo chapter of TCM Backlot and led the offshoot group, Buffalo Classic Movie Buffs. She is proud to have put Buffalo and its glorious old movie palaces in the spotlight as the inaugural winner of the TCM in Your Hometown contest. You can find Toni on Twitter at @toniruberto or on Bluesky at @watchingforever.bsky.social

Posted in Horror, Monsters and Matinees, Posts by Toni Ruberto | Tagged Creation of the Humanoids | Leave a comment

Noir Nook: Pre-Code Films with Film Noir Flavor

Posted on July 16, 2026 by Karen Burroughs Hannsberry

Pre-Code Films with Film Noir Flavor

Next to film noir, my favorite type of classic movie is pre-Code – films released roughly between 1929 and July 1934, before the strict enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code (also known as the Hays Code). The Hays Code represented a set of censorship guidelines for what could and could not be shown in American movies, but before the enforcement of these guidelines kicked into high gear in 1934, filmmakers had more freedom to explore a variety of subjects like crime, sexuality, adultery, drug use, and moral ambiguity. Once the enforcement of the Code became more rigorous, many of these themes either disappeared from films – or forced filmmakers to become more creative in their efforts to depict them.

It’s no wonder, then, that I’m so fond of pre-Code films – many of them served up plots that would have made near-perfect film noirs. In fact, there are a handful of pre-Codes that were remade as noirs, including the 1933 Walter Huston starrer, The Criminal Code, which emerged in the noir era as Convicted (1950), featuring Glenn Ford and Broderick Crawford; and, of course, the pre-Code Maltese Falcon (1931), which was remade into the classic 1941 Humphrey Bogart noir of the same name. But there are many great pre-Codes that never saw the noir light of day (or shadow of night, if you will) – and this month’s Noir Nook offers Part 1 of two-parter that takes a look at these features.

City Streets (1931)

City Streets, Gary Cooper and Sylvia Sidney — Gary Cooper and Sylvia Sidney

Gary Cooper stars here as, simply, The Kid, whose sweet-faced girlfriend Nan (Sylvia Sidney) has close ties with the underworld, thanks to her shady stepfather, Pop Cooley (Guy Kibbee, in a rare bad-guy role). The Kid vehemently resists Nan’s efforts to draw him into Pop’s criminal enterprise, but when she winds up in prison, he finds himself straying to the dark side.

With its organized crime setting, City Streets offers several noirish elements, especially the theme of ordinary people drawn unwittingly into a world of corruption and wrongdoing. One of the most memorable aspects of the film is its visual style, which is strongly reminiscent of the noirs to come; in one striking scene, for instance, two characters walk along a darkened street, but the image of one man (who plans to murder the other) is briefly shown only as a menacing, looming shadow.

Safe in Hell (1931)

Safe in Hell, Dorothy Mackaill and Donald Cook — Dorothy Mackaill and Donald Cook

This feature centers on Gilda Carlson (Dorothy MacKaill), a call girl who finds herself in hot water when she accidentally kills the man whose misdeeds led her into prostitution. Her sailor fiancé (Donald Cook) comes to her rescue by arranging for her to hide out on a remote Caribbean island, but there, she joins a motley crew consisting of murderers, thieves, and other unsavory types – and she finds herself in a far more precarious existence than the one she left behind.

There are few clearly defined villains or heroes in this film – most of the characters are tinged with a tenor of moral ambiguity; even Gilda’s honorable and highly principled fiancé breaks the law to help her evade the long arm of the law. The film also functions under a constant pall of doom, signaling to the viewer that a happy ending is not necessarily on the horizon.

Three on a Match (1932)

Three on a Match, Ann Dvorak — Ann Dvorak

Ann Dvorak, Joan Blondell, and Bette Davis star in this film as childhood friends who grow up to lead vastly dissimilar lives; Davis, as Ruth Westcott, becomes a secretary and Blondell’s Mary Keaton turns her life around after spending her teen years in a reformatory. But it’s Ann Dvorak who gets the juiciest role – Vivian Revere Kirkland, a wealthy but wholly unfulfilled wife and mother who abandons her comfy life and jumps feet first into a world of crime, drugs, and abuse.

The paramount noir-like theme of Three on a Match focuses on the spate of bad decisions made by Vivian Kirkland, and the manner in which she throws away a safe and comfortable life with both hands. Further, like Safe in Hell, the film operates under a near-constant sensation of dread, as the plot steam rolls its way to a shocking and unforgettable end.

Night World (1932)

This feature unites a range of intertwining stories, viewed on one single night via the lens of a New York nightclub. The players include Ruth Taylor (Mae Clarke), a hard-boiled but soft-hearted chorus girl, and Michael Rand (Lew Ayres), the emotionally unstable victim of a tragic family scandal. Also on hand in this mélange of personalities and circumstances is the club’s owner, Happy (Boris Karloff); his duplicitous wife, Jill (Dorothy Revier); and a crooked gambler (George Raft), who has eyes for Ruth.

The aptly named Night World offers just that – not only literally, but metaphorically as well, as it depicts a realm populated by characters who are alternately disillusioned, immoral, world-weary, and cruel. The atmosphere is rife with despair, and few of the club’s occupants – even one of its most positive and likable characters – are unable to escape the inevitable outcome.

The House on 56th Street (1932)

Opening in turn-of-the century New York, and spanning several decades, this tale stars Kay Francis as Peggy Martin, a chorus girl who marries wealthy and handsome Monte Van Tyle and lives in a beautiful mansion with her husband and their young daughter. But when she has a chance encounter with a former lover (John Halliday), her idyllic existence is turned upside down, and her life will never be the same.

The plot of the film centers on the impossibility of escaping one’s destiny. In addition to a protagonist who is haunted by her past, and who struggles to reclaim a life that is out of her reach, the events are characterized by a noirish series of coincidences, fate, and injustices, leading to a conclusion that you won’t see coming.

Stop by the Noir Nook next month for Part 2 of Pre-Code Films with Film Noir Flavor. Any guesses as to the pre-Codes that might be covered next time? Leave a note in the comments and let me know!

…

– Karen Burroughs Hannsberry for Classic Movie Hub

You can read all of Karen’s Noir Nook articles here.

Karen Burroughs Hannsberry is the author of the Shadows and Satin blog, which focuses on movies and performers from the film noir and pre-Code eras, and the editor-in-chief of The Dark Pages, a bimonthly newsletter devoted to all things film noir. Karen is also the author of two books on film noir – Femme Noir: The Bad Girls of Film and Bad Boys: The Actors of Film Noir. You can follow Karen on Twitter at @TheDarkPages.
If you’re interested in learning more about Karen’s books, you can read more about them on amazon here:

Posted in Noir Nook, Posts by Karen Burroughs Hannsberry | Tagged Amo Ingraham, Ann Dvorak, City Streets, Donald Cook, Dorothy Mackaill, Edna Callahan, Gary Cooper, kay francis, Mae Clarke, Margaret Lindsay, Night World, Phillip Reed, Ricardo Cortez, Safe in Hell, sylvia sidney, the house on 56th street, Three on a Match | Leave a comment

Silver Screen Standards: Man Hunt (1941)

Posted on July 9, 2026 by Jennifer Garlen

Man Hunt (1941)

I discovered the existence of Man Hunt (1941) while searching for classic movies about close encounters with Nazis, and as soon as I learned about it, I knew I needed to see it for myself. Adapted from Geoffrey Household’s 1939 novel, Rogue Male, Man Hunt is one of several anti-Nazi films directed by Fritz Lang, who was born in Vienna and made masterpieces like Metropolis (1927) and M (1931) in Germany but left for the United States in the 1930s. The cast includes well-known stars like Walter Pidgeon, George Sanders, Joan Bennett, John Carradine, and Roddy McDowall, but the real appeal here is the tantalizing idea of a man who has the opportunity to assassinate Hitler, wastes it, and then ends up on the run from both the Nazis and his own government for making the attempt. While Hitler was sadly still alive and committing atrocities in 1941, when the movie debuted, it’s a fascinating “what if” scenario that feels even more poignant when viewed in the wake of the horrors that followed the film’s release.

Man Hunt Hitler Sites — If you had Hitler in the crosshairs, what would you do?

Walter Pidgeon leads as famous big game hunter, Alan Thorndike, who decides to test his skills by sneaking up to Hitler’s well-protected retreat and pulling the trigger of his empty rifle at the dictator from a great distance. Impulsively, Alan then loads the rifle, seemingly ready to take the shot for real, but is captured by the Nazis before he can fire. When he escapes after an attempt to make his murder look like an accident, Alan is pursued from Germany to London by ruthless Nazis Quive-Smith (George Sanders) and Jones (John Carradine), who want to force Alan to claim that his assassination attempt was ordered by the British government. Alan finds allies in a young cabin boy named Vaner (Roddy McDowall), and the charming Jerry Stokes (Joan Bennett), but the cat-and-mouse game with Quive-Smith leads to deadly consequences and a tense final confrontation.

Man Hunt Walter Pidgeon, George Sanders — Captured by the Nazis, Alan (Walter Pidgeon) is questioned by Quive-Smith (George Sanders), who claims to admire the famous big game hunter.

There’s an often-visited question at the heart of this plot: “If you had the opportunity to kill Hitler, would you?” What’s striking, however, is that Household was asking this question in 1939 and Lang in 1941, so no Twilight Zone time travel premise is required. The author and film director couldn’t yet know the full scope of the suffering the dictator would bring to the world, but what they did know was bad enough to prompt them to imagine someone attempting to put a stop to it. When Household’s Rogue Male was published in May 1939, Britain was still pursuing its appeasement policy toward Hitler under the administration of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, but that ended when Germany invaded Poland in September 1939. Britain was at war with the Nazis when Man Hunt was released in June of 1941, but the United States wouldn’t enter the war until December, and both 20^th Century Fox and Joseph Breen’s Hays Code Office balked at Lang’s depiction of the Nazis as blatantly evil (for more about the suppression of anti-Nazi films in Hollywood, see David Denby’s 2013 New Yorker article, “Hitler in Hollywood,” or take a deep dive with Thomas Doherty’s 2015 book, Hollywood and Hitler, 1933-1939).

Man Hunt Roddy McDowall — Roddy McDowall makes a brief but memorable appearance as the cabin boy, Vaner.

If the premise doesn’t convince you to watch Man Hunt, there’s the appeal of a cast packed with familiar favorites. Canadian Walter Pidgeon makes an attractive and believable big game hunter, and his pro-Britain role here presages his appearance in Mrs. Miniver (1942), which would earn him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. Joan Bennett’s sweet face and youthful energy help to make up for her shortcomings in the accent department as Londoner Jerry, who falls in love with Alan as soon as they meet and refuses to abandon him in spite of the danger. Her portrayal encourages a sympathetic view of a working-class London girl who is depicted (but never identified) as a prostitute, which helps to explain, if not excuse, the offended snobbery of Alan’s sister-in-law when the two women meet. It’s a lot of fun to see Roddy McDowall, here making his American film debut after leaving England due to the Blitz, in his few scenes with Pidgeon, especially with both destined for more memorable roles in the five-time Oscar winner, How Green Was My Valley, which came out later the same year. While the good guys are engaging, however, the bad guys really keep the tension mounting. George Sanders is an eloquent, civilized devil as the Nazi Quive-Smith, so duplicitous that we know from the first scene never to trust a word out of his mouth, no matter how reasonable he tries to sound. Taciturn John Carrradine is perfectly cast as Alan’s constant pursuer, Jones, who first impersonates Alan and then relentlessly tails him until the two men finally face off in an Underground tunnel. As great as Sanders and Carradine are as villains, my favorite bit of acting in the film comes from Jewish immigrant Ludwig Stössel as the unnamed Nazi doctor who gleefully pushes Alan off a cliff. Stössel had fled Germany and then Austria to escape Hitler, and he also appears in Lang’s The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1933), but you’re most likely to recognize him as Mr. Leuchtag in Casablanca (1942) from the scene in which he and his wife practice their English at Rick’s to an amused Carl (S.Z. Sakall).

Man Hunt Walter Pidgeon, JoanBennett — Alan and Jerry (Joan Bennett) watch for threats as they move about in London.

Fritz Lang’s other anti-Nazi films in the 1940s include Hangmen Also Die! (1943), Ministry of Fear (1944), and Cloak and Dagger (1946). For even more classic movies featuring close encounters with the Third Reich, see Desperate Journey (1942), Lifeboat (1944), and The Stranger (1946). George Sanders plays another Nazi in Confessions of a Nazi Spy (1939) and an undercover agent in They Came to Blow Up America (1943), while Joan Bennett also gets tangled up with the Nazis as the heroine in The Man I Married (1940). Rogue Male was adapted again as a TV movie starring Peter O’Toole in 1976, and Geoffrey Household released a sequel to Rogue Male, titled Rogue Justice, in 1982. In addition to its premise, my own interest in Man Hunt stems from the significance of Rogue Male in Kaliane Bradley’s brilliant 2024 novel, The Ministry of Time. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in time travel stories or the doomed Franklin Expedition of 1845, and I understood Bradley’s use of Household’s novel much better after watching the film adaptation, even if the movie version changed quite a few plot elements.

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— Jennifer Garlen for Classic Movie Hub

Jennifer Garlen pens our monthly Silver Screen Standards column. You can read all of Jennifer’s Silver Screen Standards articles here.

Jennifer is a former college professor with a PhD in English Literature and a lifelong obsession with film. She writes about classic movies at her blog, Virtual Virago, and presents classic film programs for lifetime learning groups and retirement communities. She’s the author of Beyond Casablanca: 100 Classic Movies Worth Watching and its sequel, Beyond Casablanca II: 101 Classic Movies Worth Watching, and she is also the co-editor of two books about the works of Jim Henson.

Posted in Films, Posts by Jennifer Garlen, Silver Screen Standards | Tagged Fritz Lang, george sanders, joan Bennett, Man Hunt, Roddy McDowall, walter pidgeon | Leave a comment

Silents are Golden: The American Revolution On The Silent Screen

Posted on July 3, 2026 by Lea Stans

The American Revolution On The Silent Screen

It’s fascinating to see how American silent filmmakers portrayed events from U.S. history. Just think how much closer they were in time to events that are practically mythical to us today. In 1915, the Civil War had taken place only 50 years prior. In 1925, the American Revolution itself was barely reaching its 150th anniversary. And indeed, it’s easy to find an abundance of silent Civil War films, tales from the pioneer days, propagandistic WWI films, and of course an overwhelming amount of silent Westerns. But what about stories from the American Revolution?

These seemed to be much fewer and farther between, much like they still are today. Nowadays it’s easy to blame modern filmmakers for having a simple lack of interest in Revolutionary War stories or for audiences being less drawn to the aesthetics of powdered hair and knee breeches. But why the sparseness way back in the silent film days? Wasn’t this a time when there was a strong reverence for figures like George Washington and organizations like the Daughters of the American Revolution were very well-known?

Actress Claire Windsor “impersonating Betsy Ross” in Picture-Play magazine — Actress Claire Windsor “impersonating Betsy Ross”
in *Picture-Play* magazine.

Perhaps we can point to a few reasons. In cinema’s earliest days, the 1890s-1900s, films were very focused on contemporary events. The excitement over capturing “life as it really was” meant cameramen were quick to capture parades, military drills, footage of famous figures, street scenes, and any other contemporary events they could reach with their cameras. By the 1910s short fictional stories had grown in popularity, as did reenactments of historical events, yet Revolutionary War films were still relatively rare. Perhaps the 18th century costuming was a drawback for most studios with meager budgets.

It’s probable, too, that both filmmakers and their audiences had grown up enamored with Civil War stories and were more excited to see them on the screen. More than a few likely had fathers, grandfathers and other relatives who’d actually fought in the conflict. And then there’s the timing: as the film industry matured throughout the 1910s and epic battle scenes were growing more common, WWI started. Films with negative depictions of our British allies were, shall we say, frowned upon. By the 1920s, fatigue from the four-year Great War and a surging interest in all things modern perhaps meant that audiences were less interested in wigs-and-muskets tales.

With all that said, what are some prominent examples of silent Revolutionary War films? What kinds of stories did filmmakers find exciting or of enough importance to try to immortalize in film?

The Hessian Renegades (1909)

From 1908 to 1914, director D.W. Griffith made an astonishing 500 short films for the American Biograph Company. Aside from the plethora of dramatic stories, short romances, and even comedies, he would sometimes tackle subjects that drew from history. The Hessian Renegades told the story of a father who seeks revenge for the death of his son, an army dispatcher who’s killed by German mercenaries (“Hessian”). While the acting may seem stilted to our eyes, it’s done with sincerity and an eye towards the seriousness of the high-stakes story. As a bonus, it features Mary Pickford–then new to films–who disguises herself as a mercenary.

The Heart of a Hero (1916)

This feature told the dramatic story of Nathan Hale, he of the “I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country” quote fame. It was based on the 1898 play Nathan Hale by Clyde Fitch, the most popular American playwright at that point in time. It includes one of those obligatory romances–in this case between Hale and his student–and a solemn outdoor death sequence. Directed with care and featuring costumes reportedly based on authentic 18th century clothing, it was praised for the respectful way it treated historic events but was also criticized by Moving Picture World for having a French, rather than American, director.

Betsy Ross (1917)

This if very fictionalized, feature stars Alice Brady as the famed maker of the first official U.S. flag. Much of the film centers upon Betsy’s rivalry with her sister over the affections of a British officer. Eventually there is a duel, both Betsy and her sister end up marrying different men, Betsy starts a small business, and she eventually gets suspected of harboring a spy (it all seems a bit off topic). We also see her receive her commission from George Washington himself to create the first American flag. This was made by the World Film Company in Fort Lee, New Jersey, one of the dwindling number of studios still making films on the East coast rather than sunny southern California.

Janice Meredith (1924)

This Marion Davies costume drama, well-funded by her significant other William Randolph Hearst, was not a major hit but did respectably well. It followed the exploits of the lively Janice Meredith, a Tory girl who flirts with both Americans and the British. She just happens to become involved in assisting Paul Revere on his famous ride and even George Washington during his fateful crossing of the Delaware. Marie Antoinette and Benjamin Franklin also make appearances. The lengthy film tried to be a bit of everything–dramatic, humorous, even a bit artsy. It also featured a character played by W.C. Fields, his first 1920s film role, and the silent era Harrison FordC.

America (1924)

In the 1920s, D.W. Griffith was hoping to create an epic film that would do for the American Revolution what his weighty The Birth of a Nation (1915) did for the Civil War. Lengthy and ambitiously presented, it jumped between both Patriot and Loyalist viewpoints and depicted many famous incidents such as the Battle of Bunker Hill and the Siege of Yorktown. Spies, Indian attacks, and large-scale battle scenes abound. While less controversial than his 1915 Civil War epic and certainly big on battlefield spectacle, plot points floated confusingly between various characters and critics felt the film was out of step with what was popular at the time. Nonetheless it makes for interesting viewing today, especially around any Fourth of July.

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–Lea Stans for Classic Movie Hub

You can read all of Lea’s Silents are Golden articles here.

Lea Stans is a born-and-raised Minnesotan with a degree in English and an obsessive interest in the silent film era (which she largely blames on Buster Keaton). In addition to blogging about her passion at her site Silent-ology, she is a columnist for the Silent Film Quarterly and has also written for The Keaton Chronicle.

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Posted in Posts by Lea Stans, Silents are Golden | Tagged America (1924), Betsy Ross (1917), claire windsor, Janice Meredith, The Heart of a Hero, The Hessian Renegades | Leave a comment

Classic Movie Travels: Rosalind Byrne

Posted on June 30, 2026 by Annette Bochenek

Classic Movie Travels: Rosalind Byrne

Rosalind Loretta Mooney, later know as Rosalind Byrne, was born on February 19, 1904, in St Marys, Ohio, to William and Mary Mooney. Her parents were prominent members of the community and her father worked as a judge. Tragically, he passed away the year she was born. William and Mary had five children: Rosalind, Catherine, Eilleen, Mary, and Michael. Sadly, Catherine and Michael passed away before Rosalind was born.

As a child, Mooney attended Immaculate Heart Convent for her education. She enjoyed participating in theatrical productions and soon pursued a career as an actress, taking on the stage name of Rosalind Byrne.

By 1920, she and her mother moved to California. She made her screen debut at age 19 in the film Flaming Youth (1923), albeit uncredited, as Fabian Flapper, thanks to her catching the eye of director John Francis Dillon at First National.

Rosalind Byrne and Buster Keaton — Rosalind with Buster Keaton

Over the years, she appeared in minor roles, though she worked alongside some of the era’s major stars. Her debut film, Flaming Youth (1923), starred Colleen Moore. She could also be spotted with Buster Keaton in Sherlock Jr. (1923) as the box office cashier and with Keaton again in Seven Chances (1925) as the hat check girl. She appeared in The Freshman (1925) with Harold Lloyd as a girl at a dance in a delightful comedy bit as his suspenders tangle with her attire. She also performed in The Wizard of Oz (1925) as the Herald Trumpeter and in Long Pants (1927) with Harry Langdon, among many other roles.

In addition, she worked in several more films with other notable individuals in the industry. This included credits in King Vidor’s Wine of Youth (1924). Frank Capra’s That Certain Thing (1928), Dorothy Arzner’s Ten Modern Commandments (1927), Tom Buckingham’s What Price Beauty? (1928), and more. Her sole talkie appearance was in Innocents of Paris (1929) with Maurice Chevalier.

Nonetheless, Byrne’s film career did not thrive as much as studio executives expected. Ultimately, Byrne left the film industry in 1929, never to return.

In 1932, she married Assistant Vice President of the First National Bank of Chicago Thomas Humphrey Beacom Jr. in St. Joseph, Indiana. They resided in Wilmette, Illinois, and later in Winnetka, Illinois, where they raised two children: Mary Constance “Connie” Beacom and Thomas Humphrey “Terry” Beacom III. They remained married until Beacom’s passing in 1962.

Byrne passed away in 1989 at age 85. She is at rest at All Saints Catholic Cemetery and Mausoleum in Des Plaines, Illinois.

Today, some of Byrne’s homes remain. In 1910, Byrne, her mother, and her sisters resided at 221 S. Wayne St., St. Marys, Ohio, along with a servant named Jeanette Hamilton. This home no longer stands.

By 1920, Byrne, her mother, and her sisters moved to 1922 N. St Andrew’s Pl., Los Angeles, California. This home stands.

In 1930, the family lived at 1953 Tamarind Ave., Los Angeles, California. This home has since been razed.

By 1940, Byrne moved to Illinois. Byrne, her husband, and their two children lived at 725 Greenwood Ave., Wilmette, Illinois. This home remains.

In 1950, they had already relocated to 552 Ridge Rd., Winnetka, Illinois. This home also stands.

By 1974, Byrne maintained an address at 1630 Sheridan Rd., Wilmette, Illinois, which also remains.

All Saints Catholic Cemetery and Mausoleum is located at 700 N. River Rd., Des Plaines, Illinois. She is buried in the cemetery’s older section immediately across the street from the larger, newer section.

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–Annette Bochenek for Classic Movie Hub

Annette Bochenek pens our monthly Classic Movie Travels column. You can read all of Annette’s Classic Movie Travel articles here.

Posted in Classic Movie Travels, Posts by Annette Bochenek | Tagged rosalind byrne | Leave a comment

Western RoundUp: Bend of the River (1952)

Posted on June 28, 2026 by Laura Grieve

Bend of the River (1952)

Bend of the River (1952), starring James Stewart and directed by Anthony Mann, is not just one of my favorite Westerns, it’s one of my very favorite films.

Readers with long memories may recall I wrote about Bend of the River here way back in 2018, in my introductory column about my favorite Westerns. A few years later, I recommended it in my column on Westerns for young viewers.

The impetus for this full-length review is the release of a new Bend of the River Blu-ray by Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

Kino Lorber previously released Bend of the River on Blu-ray about seven years ago, in 2019. It was a nice-looking disc but has been supplanted by a far better Blu-ray featuring a new restoration by Universal Pictures in collaboration with the Film Foundation.

The restoration seen on the disc is from a 4K scan of the original 35mm three-strip Technicolor negative.

The new Blu-ray looks, in a word, spectacular, and I wanted to share the news on this release with my Western RoundUp readers!

Bend of the River Still 1 - Adams and Stewart

Bend of the River was the second of Stewart and Mann’s eight collaborations, following Winchester ’73 (1950). I wrote about Winchester ‘73 here after seeing it at the 2019 TCM Classic Film Festival, if any readers would like to visit that review for additional context. Winchester ’73 might possibly be the best of the Stewart-Mann films, but Bend of the River is my favorite.

Bend of the River has a very good screenplay by Borden Chase; readers may recall I recently visited Chase’s gravesite at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills. His script was based on a novel titled Bend of the Snake by Bill Gulick.

The film tells the story of Glynn McLyntock (Stewart), a man with a violent past seeking to reform and live a new life, leading a group of settlers to Oregon.

Arthur Kennedy, James Stewart, Bend of the River — Arthur Kennedy, James Stewart

McLyntock saves a stranger, Emerson Cole (Arthur Kennedy), from a lynch mob, but while the grateful Cole is initially helpful to McLyntock in various ways, bit by bit Cole’s darker side emerges. Even having won the love of settler Laura Baile (Julia “Julie” Adams) is not enough for Cole, who ultimately betrays all of his new friends.

Julie Adams, Arthur Kennedy, James Stewart, Bend of the River — Julie Adams, Arthur Kennedy, James Stewart

It’s a relatively short film, at 91 minutes, but I always appreciate movies which tell their stories efficiently. I do think Julie Adams’ character could have used a couple more minutes of screen time to better develop her character, but that’s truly my only criticism of a movie I’ve affectionately termed “movie comfort food.”

Bend of the River Still 2 - Adams and Stewart

The film has a marvelous mixture of interesting characters, exciting action set pieces, and beautiful locations, filmed in Technicolor by Irving Glassberg. It’s stood up to countless repeat viewings over the years, and I tend to notice new things on each viewing, which for me is one of the marks of a good film.

Rock Hudson, Arthur Kennedy, James Stewart, Bend of the River — Rock Hudson, Arthur Kennedy, James Stewart

Stewart is outstanding straddling the line between being a gallant, kind romantic and someone who clearly has a questionable past. Stewart let his darker side come out at appropriate times in his Mann Westerns, and when he says “You’ll be seein’ me!” to Kennedy’s Cole in this film, it’s absolutely chilling. No doubt he means it.

There’s also humor to go along with the dark and upsetting moments; in fact, McLyntock and Cole’s initial lighthearted camaraderie is one reason Cole’s ultimate betrayal hits so hard. One of the film’s most interesting themes, on the possibility of redemption and what that looks like, is illustrated by these two men, who make very different choices as far as how they will live the rest of their lives.

When I saw Julie Adams interviewed at a 2011 screening of the film, she said she would watch Stewart film his closeups and marvel over what he could convey simply with his eyes; she said she worked with many actors over the years and few could match Stewart’s skills in front of a camera. Here we see quiet love, fear, anger, and hurt all conveyed through Stewart’s expressive eyes.

Bend of the River Still 3 - Adams and Stewart

There’s a wonderfully deep cast, including Rock Hudson as a charming gambler who joins the settlers and is sweet on Adams’ younger sister (Lori Nelson).

Rock Hudson, Jay C. Flippen, Julie Adams, Bend of the River — Rock Hudson, Jay C. Flippen, Julie Adams

Mann regulars Jay C. Flippen and Harry Morgan are on hand, along with Frank Ferguson, Jack Lambert, Royal Dano, Howard Petrie, Lillian Randolph, and Frances Bavier.

Chubby Johnson and Stepin Fetchit, as the captain of a paddlewheeler and his righthand man, have a sweet friendship that adds another enjoyable dimension to the movie.

Stepin Fetchit, Chubby Johnson, Bend of the River — Stepin Fetchit, Chubby Johnson

Kino Lorber Studio Classics has provided not one but two commentary tracks with this release: A commentary by Toby Roan which was part of their original 2019 Blu-ray release, and a new track by Julie Kirgo and C. Courtney Joyner.

I’ve listened to Roan’s track in the past, which includes detailed backgrounds on all of the cast and interesting information on some of the difficulties faced by the company shooting at remote locations in Oregon.

Joyner is a Westerns expert who’s been a guest at the Lone Pine Film Festival. Having also enjoyed tracks by Kirgo in the past, I’m looking forward to listening to the new commentary track soon.

The disc also includes the trailer and a gallery of five additional trailers for other Westerns available from Kino Lorber.

As mentioned at the outset, this new Blu-ray print is outstanding and I highly recommend it.

Thanks to Kino Lorber for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray.

It’s hard to believe, but as briefly referenced at the outset of this piece, June 2026 marks my eighth anniversary writing the Western RoundUp column. My continued thanks to Classic Movie Hub and all who support this column!

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– Laura Grieve for Classic Movie Hub

Posted in Posts by Laura Grieve, Western RoundUp | Tagged anthony mann, Arthur Kennedy, bend of the river, chubby johnson, james stewart, Jay C. Flippen, Julie Adams, rock hudson, stepin fetchit | 1 Comment

Silents are Golden: A Closer Look At Wings (1927)

Posted on June 23, 2026 by Lea Stans

A Closer Look At Wings (1927)

Wings, Charles Buddy Rogers, Clara Bow, and Richard Arlen — Charles ‘Buddy’ Rogers, Clara Bow, and Richard Arlen

References to Wings (1927) are most commonly trotted out during awards seasons, as a bit of obligatory trivia answering the question: “What was the first movie to be given the Oscar for Best Picture?” Usually this is as far as the trivia will go, which is a shame. For Wings was one of the most dynamic, gloriously-directed films of the late silent era, just as exciting and impressive today as it was a century ago.

Wings was created during the mid-1920s revival of World War I films, kicked off by the incredible success of MGM’s The Big Parade (1925). After 1918 there had been relatively few films set during the Great War, perhaps due to public fatigue or perhaps because some time was still needed to heal the wounds. However, while people in the optimistic atmosphere of the Roaring Twenties may have wanted to move on from that sad era, they certainly had no intention of forgetting it.

Wings, Charles 'Buddy' Rogers and Clara Bow — Rogers and Bow

Paramount would put director William A. Wellman in charge of the big-budget project, which was based on an unfinished novel by John Monk Saunders. A fast worker and a dynamic personality, “Wild Bill” was a descendant of one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence and had even served as a fighter pilot during the war. He walked with a permanent limp due to being shot down by German anti-aircraft guns in 1918. Wings would not be an easy production for him, as it involved hundreds of extras and real-life recreations of aerial combat scenes which were highly weather-dependent, but his qualifications for such a story were undeniable.

Richard Arlen and Buddy Rogers were chosen to be the main leads David and Jack, small town youths who enlist to be fighter pilots in WWI. Arlen had been a fighter pilot in Canada’s Royal Flying Corps during the war and would bring a steady authenticity to his role. The wholesome young Rogers, born and raised in Kansas and advertised as “America’s Boyfriend,” would undergo pilot training for the film’s authentic aerial combat scenes.

The story of Wings would be tweaked to include Paramount’s biggest star at the time, the vivacious flapper icon Clara Bow. The saucer-eyed Bow, famously dubbed the “‘It’ Girl” by the influential romance novelist Elinor Glyn, had starred in numerous Jazz Age hits such as The Plastic Age (1925) and Kid Boots (1926). Her girl-next-door character Mary Preston provided a love triangle for Arlen and Rogers and her image was used prominently on the film’s posters and lobby cards.

One actor hired to play a minor role would go on to fame and fortune: Gary Cooper. He played Cadet White, David and Jack’s tent mate in Germany who’s killed in a flight training accident the same day they met. While his screen time was only a few minutes, he was a charismatic presence and his character’s sudden demise was a deeply effective way to convey the shocking cost of the war.

Wings, Charles 'Buddy' Rogers, Richard Arlen, Gary Cooper — Rogers, Arlen, and Gary Cooper

Wings was dedicated “to those young warriors of the sky whose wings are folded about them forever,” as the opening title cards state. Wellman was determined to do them justice. Many of the battle scenes were shot on several acres of land in San Antonio, Texas that were transformed into trenches and pockmarked with faux shellholes. The biplanes used in the film were repainted Thomas-Morse MB-3s and Curtiss P-1 Hawks, many obtained with assistance from Washington. Thousands of soldiers were loaned from the Army as extras, and some of the pilots were from the U.S. Army Air Corps. Wellman directed the large-scale battle scenes capably, often detonating any explosives himself. He also wasn’t afraid to clash with the military personnel who were brought in to supervise the production, insisting on being the one who was ultimately in charge.

Filming the dogfights proved easier said than done, since clouds were needed for the aerial scenes and the stubbornly clear skies made the production drag on for many weeks. As he explained patiently to Paramount, Wellman wanted to have clouds in the background to contrast with the moving planes to show just how swiftly they were flying. There was also the question of how to film Arlen and Rogers as they flew their planes. Cameras would be fixed to the planes in front of their faces, and both actors would have to not only fly the rickety biplanes but operate the cameras while acting in the air.

Rogers would be trained to fly by Lieutenant Hoyt Vandenberg (who would one day become a four-star general in World War II). The young actor didn’t have a strong stomach for flying and would frequently get sick when he landed, but would always gamely climb back in the plane for another takeoff. Vandenberg would fly with Rogers for his first few aerial scenes and operate the camera while he gained more experience at the controls.

Wings, William Wellman on location — William Wellman on location

The camera innovations didn’t end with the aerial scenes. The film’s most famous shot today was set in Paris’s famous Folies Bergère and had the camera appear to float through a number of tables occupied by guests, zooming in on a seated Buddy Rogers. This was achieved by fastening a dolly to a track on the ceiling and having the camera operator lie on his stomach on a platform underneath. As it smoothly passed over the tables, the extras sprang back just as it went between them. One amusing bit of trivia is that Rogers, shown getting drunk on champagne, was literally drunk during the scene. Since Rogers had never had alcohol before, Wellman decided to simply give him real champagne.

Wings would be released to considerable excitement and acclaim. It premiered in New York City and would run for an incredible 63 weeks before trickling down to the smaller theaters. Over the next few years its box office is thought to have totalled an impressive $3.6 million, especially considering ticket prices at the time. It was also the first film to receive the industry’s highest honor: the Academy Award for Best Picture, awarded in 1929 and chosen from 1927-28 films. It narrowly escaped sharing the honor with F.W. Murnau’s Sunrise (1927), chosen for the short-lived category of Unique and Artistic Production. It was retroactively decided that only having a Best Picture made the most sense.

Today, the sprawling battlefields and heart-stopping dogfights of Wings have aged phenomenally well–indeed, they seem hardly to have aged at all. And as the decades keep marching by, it has an uncanny ability to make a war that is often overshadowed by WWII seem far more real. We can understand in a general sense how the Great War of 1914-18 changed history, but works of art like Wings help us understand on a personal level the sacrifices of those countless soldiers, pilots and other brave folks of the past.

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–Lea Stans for Classic Movie Hub

You can read all of Lea’s Silents are Golden articles here.

Posted in Posts by Lea Stans, Silents are Golden | Tagged Charles 'Buddy' Rogers, clara bow, Gary Cooper, Richard Arlen, William A. Wellman, wings | Leave a comment

Monsters and Matinees: Let’s Hear it for the Magnificent Octopus on Film

Posted on June 20, 2026 by Toni Ruberto

Let’s Hear it for the Magnificent Octopus on Film

Call me a cephalophile. Or an octo-enthusiast. Either one speaks to my obsession with the octopus in film.

It is such a dramatic creature with those eight elongated tentacles that even a brief appearance can jolt a movie awake. An octopus lurking in a cave is like a killer in a closet. “Run!” you want to scream. “Run!”

The giant octopus film is one of my favorite genres. I watch these movies on repeat, marveling at the size of the sea creature and how those tentacles work as separate appendages to find victims no matter where they run.

The octopus in *Tentacles* is so large it can wrap around an entire boat and consume all who are on it.

But things got complicated for me in May when scientists discovered the most adorable tiny blue octopus near the Galapagos Islands. The little cutey is only the size of a golf ball. Then Netflix released the drama “Remarkably Bright Creatures” starring an octopus named Marcellus who is a showstopper. (Don’t yell at me yet, this ties into classic movies.)

Neither looks like the monsters I’m used to seeing in movies. One fits in the palm of your hand, the other in an aquarium tank. When Marcellus colorfully unfurls himself, he is majestic. For the first time I saw the true beauty of an octopus and could admire it for the magnificent creature it is, despite Marcellus being created via visual effects.

Marcellus, the octopus in the new film *Remarkably Bright Creatures* is far different than the giant monsters of classic cinema. (Courtesy Netflix)

Marcellus, who narrates the film, is nonviolent, smart and kind as he helps two lonely people, an elderly widow (Sally Field) and a lost young man (Lewis Pullman), find their way.

Now I feel feel guilty for loving the killer octopus movies of classic cinema. But I can’t help it. Even presented as a monster, the octopus is a splendid creature. Watch it wrap its tentacles around the Golden Gate Bridge in It Came From Beneath Sea. See it clutch a submarine in Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. Look as it rises during the full moon in The Monster on the Ocean Floor (OK, it looks a bit lame). The octopus deserves our respect.

Now this is a giant octopus as seen in Ray Harryhausen’s *It Came from Beneath the Sea*.

Yes, I know the killer octopus is not based in reality. There is no recording of one killing a human. And though there are gigantic ones deep in the ocean, they stay at those great depths. The legends about the octopus-like Kraken and devil fish that killed sailors are just legends, but they live in our imaginations. (Wasn’t the mythical Kraken great in Clash of the Titans and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest?)

In film, the octopus and its close relative the squid (there is a difference) continue to entertain, terrorize and captivate moviegoers. Sometimes they are the star as in It Came from Beneath the Sea, the 1955 film that showcased Ray Harryhausen’s groundbreaking stop-motion animation work. But a quick cameo is enough to be memorable such an attack on young Robert Wagner in Beneath the 12-Mile Reef (1953) and John Wayne’s two underwater encounters in the adventure films Reap the Wild Wind (1942) and Wake of the Red Witch (1948). (Sadly, it didn’t always turn out well for Wayne.)

That’s John Wayne in the grip of an octopus in the 1948 film *Wake of the Red Witc*h. It wasn’t the only time on film that he battled an oversized cephalopod.

A quick cameo can be used for comic relief such as Bob Hope’s amusing meeting with a squid in Road to Bali (1952). Or it’s pure entertainment like the animated octopus serenading Esther Williams in Dangerous When Wet (1953).

THE OCTOPUS DEBUT

“Look!! An octopus has got him.”

And with those chilling words, read on an intertitle, the first octopus was seen on film in the 1916 adaptation of Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

This intertitle from the 1916 silent film “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” signifies the debut of the octopus in film.

Though visionary filmmaker Georges Méliès was the first to adapt the Jules Verne novel with his 1907 short, this 1916 film was the first full-length adaptation. This was also the first full-length movie filmed underwater through the work of pioneering undersea photographers George and J. Ernest Williamson. (However, it was not filmed with an underwater camera since that technology was still to come.)

This film blends elements of two Verne novels – 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Mysterious Island – omitting quite a bit of both stories but keeping the recognizable Captain Nemo and Nautilus submarine.

The octopus scene is brief and the creature is barely larger than the diver it is attacking but think about how thrilling it must have been to see this 1916! The film was made over two years by Universal Film Manufacturing Co., meaning it could be considered a Universal monster film! It was selected for the National Film Registry in 2016.

The underwater men are dwarfed by the creature they have let loose to find the humans in the 1929 film *The Mysterious Island*.

Thirteen years later, the octopus would re-emerge in another adaptation of a Verne novel, the 1929 film “The Mysterious Island” when “underwater men” unleashed “a sluggish monster of terrific strength.”

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was filmed multiple times. The most famous version is the 1954 Disney Technicolor film with a great cast led by Kirk Douglas, James Mason and Peter Lorre. The giant squid is worthy of the killer designation with tentacles so long they wrapped around the Nautilus and attack multiple men at once. It’s a rollicking sci-fi adventure.

Here are more films to consider.

The creature rises to attack the Golden Gate Bridge in an iconic scene from *It Came from Beneath the Sea.*

It Came from Beneath the Sea(1955)

This is the granddaddy of them all, filled with iconic images created by Ray Harryhausen of an octopus attacking boats, beaches and cities. Blame the bomb for this gigantic creature that was forced to rise from the sea in search of food after turning radioactive. The film teases with glimpses of a tentacle here or there, then shows the full power of the beast when it attacks San Francisco, destroying Fisherman’s Wharf and the Golden Gate Bridge, and crushing everything in its way. That’s despite the fact it only had six tentacles due to budget constraints. (Harryhausen called it his “sixtopus.”)

There is an awkward romantic triangle between scientists played by Faith Domergue and Donald Curtis and a brash military commander played by Kenneth Tobey. It would be a better film without this subplot that never feels right.

Villagers who talked of a creature with one glaring red eye during a full moon weren’t seeing things in *Monster from the Ocean Floor*, the first full-length feature produced by Roger Corman.

Monster from the Ocean Floor (1954)

This giant squid film is important to movie history because it is the first feature produced by Roger Corman. It was shot in only six days on an ultra-low budget, a formula Corman would use throughout his 70-year career.

An artist visiting a seaside Mexican village has her interest piqued by talk of a man-eating devil creature. Her handsome new friend is a marine biologist who doesn’t believe it, but she keeps digging around to satisfy her curiosity. She finally gets the cynical scientist on board after learning the sightings of the creature with one “big red eye” started at the same time as radiation experiments in the Bikini Atoll.

Since we’re on the topic of Corman and an octopus, I will take two sentences to plug one of the greatest octopus movies ever made even though it doesn’t fit into the “classic film” time frame. In 2010, Corman produced Sharktopus, a film with a title that tells you everything you need to know about the creature.

Bela Lugosi talks to his octopus friend in the Ed Wood film “Bride of the Monster.”

“Bride of the Monster”(1955)

Who doesn’t want a pet octopus to do their evil bidding? In this Ed Wood film, a scientist conducts experiments in an isolated house where an octopus comes in handy to get rid of any human “evidence.”

A nearby town lives in fear after 12 people (and counting) mysteriously disappear over three months which is blamed on the “Monster of Lake Marsh.” The police aren’t getting anywhere but feisty reporter Janet (played by Loretta King) will put herself in harm’s way to learn the truth and get her story.

Bela Lugosi plays Dr. Vornoff, a scientist who is a genius and a bit mad. That’s what happens when you experiment with atomic energy for 20 years to create super beings. He lives with his mute assistant Lobo (played by Tor Johnson), who he mistreats, and the pet octopus in a laboratory tank that is somehow connected to the lake. Bonus points for quicksand and crocodiles.

Lugosi’s character often talks to the octopus through a tiny window, but they are never in the same space together. The mechanical octopus was previously used in the John Wayne film Wake of the Red Witch.

The giant squid wraps a colorful tentacle around a diver in *Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.*

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea(1961)

This not only has a squid and octopus, but it’s also a full-on disaster film from the master of the genre, Irwin Allen. And it has an all-star cast including Walter Pidgeon, Joan Fontaine, Barbara Eden, Michael Ansara, Robert Sterling and Frankie Avalon (who also sings the title song). What more could you want?

The world is on fire after a meteor shower penetrates the Van Allen radiation belt (this is a real thing), sending temperatures soaring past 135 degrees and climbing daily. Cities are destroyed, governments collapse and the only one with a plan beyond “waiting it out” is Admiral Nelson (Walter Pidgeon) whose brilliance is considered by some to be on the edge of madness. (His detractors have nicknamed the Seaview, the new nuclear submarine he designed, Nelson’s Folly as they wait for it to fail.)

An octopus wraps its tentacles around the submarine in the 1961 film *Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.*

Nelson defies orders and takes the Seaview and its crew on a grueling voyage around the world to launch a nuclear missile into the belt. Danger is everywhere with the fire above the water, sabotage and possibly mutiny inside the Seaview, and killer creatures in the sea. There are two fantastic attacks from the cephalopod family: An oversized squid assaults crew members outside the Seaview and later a giant octopus wraps itself around the submarine with its tentacles stuck on the windows.

The film’s success led to the ABC television series (1964-68) that included an episode based off the film’s plot called The Sky’s on Fire, one of the lines in the film.

In *Tentacles*, the giant creature not only feeds on humans but on underwater life, too, as a diver learns when he finds a shark graveyard.

Tentacles (1977)

This Italian-U.S. collaboration has a solid cast going for it including John Huston, Shelley Winters, Henry Fonda, Claude Akins and Bo Hopkins, but suffers from frequent comparisons to Jaws. I think that’s a bit overblown since if you are making a movie with a sea creature, there are built-in similarities. Still give Tentacles props for the bold move in the opening scene of the first victim (no spoiler here).

Bodies are found in a seaside resort town sucked of everything but their bones. (Gross.) Investigations lead to more questions than answers as the body count rises. A reporter (Huston, who is a startling site in this caftan-like pajamas) asks a lot of questions and wonders if the construction of a new underwater tunnel has a role in what is happening. I love the moment when it is proclaimed that there is a “giant octopus” and the tone of the film changes. A marine expert and killer whale trainer (Bo Hopkins) will help track the octopus with help from his aquatic friends.

The threat of the octopus is persistent through the film. Early attacks are quick and off screen; other times there’s a quick look at a large tentacle or a massive eye to give the scale of the creature. As the film progresses, the attacks become more intense with a few well-done scenes in terms of scope and terror including a harrowing attack on a boat race with children. The take down of vessels is done with the unexpected gracefulness of a dancer as its “legs” engulf the boats.

– Toni Ruberto for Classic Movie Hub

You can read all of Toni’s Monsters and Matinees articles here.

Posted in Horror, Monsters and Matinees, Posts by Toni Ruberto | Tagged Bela Lugosi, Beneath the 12-Mile Reef, Bob Hope, Bride of the Monster, Ed Wood, It Came From Beneath the Sea, john wayne, Jules Verne, Monster on the Ocean Floor, Reap the Wild Wind, Remarkably Bright Creatures, Robert Wagner, roger corman, Tentacles, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, walter pidgeon | Leave a comment

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The Maverick Queen (1956)

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Classic Movie Travels: Jim Nabors

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Humans, Robots Clash in Remarkably Relevant ‘Creation of the Humanoids’

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Pre-Code Films with Film Noir Flavor

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Man Hunt (1941)

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The American Revolution On The Silent Screen

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Classic Movie Travels: Rosalind Byrne

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Bend of the River (1952)

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A Closer Look At Wings (1927)

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Let’s Hear it for the Magnificent Octopus on Film

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