Richard Basehart

  • Leslie H. Martinson – …And Millions Die! (1973)

    1971-1980CrimeDramaLeslie H. MartinsonUSA
    …And Millions Die! (1973)
    …And Millions Die! (1973)

    Nazi war criminal Franz Kessler is an expert in germ warfare living in Hong Kong. In order to maintain his rich lifestyle he does a deal to provide terrorists them with a lethal gas. To protect himself he plants a timebomb in a Hong Kong sewer along with a large sample of his wares. When things don’t go to plan the police find themselves in a desperate search to prevent it from detonating.Read More »

  • Luis García Berlanga – Los jueves, milagro AKA Miracles of Thursday (1957)

    1951-1960ClassicsComedyLuis García BerlangaSpainSpanish cinema under Franco

    Synopsis:
    ‘In the village of Fuentecilla, there is a medicinal spa which was very popular in the past but that now has been forgotten by the public. In order to bring back the tourists, the “prominent men” of the village organize a fake miracle: the apparition of San Dimas, the local patron saint, which will take place every Thursday night. At first it works, but trouble begins when a stranger appears, claiming that he knows what’s going on and making peculiar demands in exchange for his silence.’
    – Pablo MontoyaRead More »

  • John Huston – Moby Dick (1956) (HD)

    1951-1960ActionClassicsJohn HustonUSA

    Set in 19th Century New England, the story follows the whaling ship Pequod and its crew. Leading them is Captain Ahab, who was almost killed by the “great white whale,” Moby-Dick. Now he is out for revenge. With the crew that has joined him, Ahab is out to destroy the huge mammal, but soon he learns that his obsession with vengeance is so great that he cannot turn back, eventually leading to the death of him and all save his newest able seaman, Ishmael.Read More »

  • Federico Fellini – Il bidone AKA The Swindle [4K Restoration] (1955)

    Federico Fellini1951-1960ComedyDramaItaly

    A trio of con-men led by a lonesome swindler must deal with their job and family pressures.Read More »

  • Federico Fellini – La strada [+Commentary] (1954)

    1961-1970DramaFederico FelliniItalian Neo-RealismItaly

    Quote:
    There has never been a face quite like that of Giulietta Masina. Her husband, the legendary Federico Fellini, directs her as Gelsomina in La strada, the film that launched them both to international stardom. Gelsomina is sold by her mother into the employ of Zampanò (Anthony Quinn), a brutal strongman in a traveling circus. When Zampanò encounters an old rival in highwire artist the Fool (Richard Basehart), his fury is provoked to its breaking point. With La strada, Fellini left behind the familiar signposts of Italian neorealism for a poetic fable of love and cruelty, evoking brilliant performances and winning the hearts of audiences and critics worldwide. The Criterion Collection is proud to present La strada, winner of the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film in 1956.Read More »

  • Lewis Gilbert – The Good Die Young [Export cut] (1954)

    1951-1960CrimeDramaLewis GilbertUnited Kingdom

    Quote:
    Three good men – a broken boxer, an American veteran trying to win back his mother-dominated wife, and an Air Force Sergeant married to a faithless actress – are corrupted by Miles “Rave” Ravenscourt (Laurence Harvey), an amoral “gentleman”. Because they need money, they let Miles lure them into his scheme to rob a postal van with a large cash cargo.Read More »

  • Alfred L. Werker & Anthony Mann – He Walked by Night (1948)

    1941-1950Alfred L. WerkerAnthony MannFilm NoirThrillerUSA

    Quote:
    Taken from actual case files, He Walked By Night is the suspenseful, action-packed tale of a manhunt for the most cunning criminal in the history of the LAPD. With a combination of ingenuity, state of the art technology, sweat and sheer determination, the police painstakingly track down a brilliant, elusive thief and cop killer who seems to have the ability to vanish into thin air. But can they catch him before he murders again?Read More »

  • Robert Wise – The House on Telegraph Hill (1951)

    1951-1960CrimeDramaRobert WiseUSA

    Victoria has survived Nazi concentration by assuming the identity of one who died there. She arrives in San Francisco to see her “son” just as the boy’s great-aunt dies leaving a lot of money to be inherited. Victoria falls in love with the boy’s trustee Alan Spender, and they move into the mansion on Telegraph Hill. Living life in a new identity isn’t without its dangers, however.Read More »

  • Henry Hathaway – Fourteen Hours (1951)

    1951-1960Film NoirHenry HathawayThrillerUSA

    54th New York Film Festival writes:
    An exciting low-budget film shot on the streets of lower Manhattan, Fourteen Hours is based on the true story of William Warde, who jumped to his death in 1938 after a policeman had spent hours trying to talk him down from a 17th floor ledge at the old Gotham Hotel (now the Peninsula). Richard Basehart (whose wife Stephanie died during production) gives a brilliant performance as the suicidal young man, Paul Douglas is the cop, and the film is packed with formidable character performances (from the likes of Agnes Moorehead, Howard Da Silva, and newcomer Grace Kelly) and vividly cast faces in the crowd below, including those of Ossie Davis, Joyce Van Patten, Brian Keith, and John Cassavetes. A 20th Century-Fox release.Read More »

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