Julie London

  • William Castle – The Fat Man (1951)

    1951-1960DramaMysteryUSAWilliam Castle

    Plot Synopsis
    from allmovie
    The popular radio detective series The Fat Man was brought to the screen in 1951, with the series’ original star J. Scott Smart retained in the title role. Smart plays porcine sleuth Brad Runyon, who tackles the mystery surrounding the murder of a Los Angeles dentist. With the assistance of general factotum Bill Norton (Clinton Sundberg), Runyon follows the trail of clues all the way to a three-ring circus. Famed Barnum & Bailey clown Emmett Kelly makes his screen debut as one of the suspects; others essential to the action are such up-and-comers as Rock Hudson, Julie London and Jayne Meadows. The film’s flashback-within-flashback structure helps to enliven its more verbose passages. For the most part, The Fat Man plays more like a radio show than a movie–at least until the exciting climax, inventively staged by director William Castle.Read More »

  • Anthony Mann – Man of the West (1958)

    1951-1960Anthony MannDramaUSAWestern

    Western auteur Anthony Mann and aging Western icon Gary Cooper team up in this stark tale of a trio of train passengers stranded in the middle of the desert after a railway holdup. Taking responsibility for his helpless compatriots (Julie London as a sad-eyed prostitute and Arthur O’Connell as a garrulous but cowardly banker), craggy-faced Link Jones (Cooper) takes them into a veritable viper’s nest in a desperate gamble. It turns out the respected town elder is a former member of the outlaw gang that robbed them, and he’s welcomed back by patriarchal gang leader Dock Tobin (Lee J. Cobb) like the prodigal son. Read More »

  • Richard L. Bare – Return of the Frontiersman (1950)

    1941-1950ClassicsRichard L. BareUSAWestern


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    Plot:
    The law is the law. No exceptions. So Sheriff Sam Barrett saddles up a deputized posse and rides in pursuit of an accused outlaw: his son Logan. Meanwhile, Logan is on the run, living by his wits and attempting to clear his name of murder. Justice rides hard in Return of the Frontiersman, a shoot-’em-up filled with horseback chases, raging gun battles and men who know how to take – and deliver – a swift sock to the jaw. Gordon MacRae plays Logan, heading a cast that includes Rory Calhoun and Julie London. MacRae adds a couple tunes for good measure. And when he offers London a buggy ride at picture’s end, it’s hard not to recall the “surrey with a fringe on top” that awaited MacRae in the smash musical Oklahoma! From Warner Brothers!Read More »

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