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Underworld Story
''The Underworld Story'' is a 1950 American film noir crime film directed by Cy Endfield and starring Dan Duryea, Herbert Marshall, Gale Storm, Howard Da Silva and Michael O'Shea. Da Silva plays the loud-mouthed gangster Carl Durham, one of his last roles before becoming blacklisted. The newspaperman played by Duryea is similar in tone (a reporter that does anything for publicity for himself regardless of ethics) to Kirk Douglas in Billy Wilder's '' Ace in the Hole'' (1951). This B-movie was shot in black and white by director Cy Endfield and cinematographer Stanley Cortez. Plot When big-city newspaper reporter Mike Reese (Duryea) writes and publishes a story (after breaking his promise to withhold it) that results in the murder of a state's witness against a local gang lord, he loses his job. He soon finds that no one else will hire him, so he extracts money from the drug lord (who is actually grateful for the story Reese published), moves to small-town Lakeville, and buys a ha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cy Endfield
Cyril Raker Endfield (November 10, 1914 – April 16, 1995) was an American screenwriter, director, author, magician and inventor. Having been named as a Communist at a House Un-American Activities Committee hearing and subsequently blacklisted, he moved to the United Kingdom in 1953, where he spent the remainder of his career. Early life Endfield was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, to a Jewish immigrant father whose business was hit hard by the Great Depression. He attended Yale University. Career in the U.S. Endfield began his career as a theatre director and drama coach, becoming a significant figure in New York's progressive theatre scene. It was largely through a shared interest in magic that Orson Welles became aware of Endfield and recruited him as an apprentice for Mercury Productions (then based at RKO Pictures). One of his independent films was ''Inflation'' (1942), a 15-minute commission for the Office of War Information that was rejected as being anti-capitalist ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
B-movie
A B movie or B film is a low-budget commercial motion picture. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a double feature (akin to B-sides for recorded music). However, the U.S. production of films intended as second features largely ceased by the end of the 1950s. With the emergence of commercial television at that time, film studio B movie production departments changed into television film production divisions. They created much of the same type of content in low budget films and series. The term ''B movie'' continues to be used in its broader sense to this day. In its post-Golden Age usage, B movies can range from lurid exploitation films to independent arthouse films. In either usage, most B movies represent a particular genre—the Western was a Golden Age B movie staple, while low-budget science-fiction and horror films became more popular in the 19 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jack Mower
Jack Mower (September 5, 1890 – January 6, 1965) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 520 films between 1914 and 1965. He was born in Honolulu and died in Hollywood. After studying at Punahou College, in Honolulu, Mower moved to the mainland, and performed in vaudeville and in musical comedies on stage. His work on screen included serials and silent films. Mower was a leading man in silent films, but played bit parts after sound films came into vogue. Selected filmography ;1920s * '' The Beautiful Gambler'' (1921) * '' The Rowdy'' (1921) * '' Short Skirts'' (1921) * '' Silent Years'' (1921) * ''Saturday Night'' (1922) * ''Manslaughter'' (1922) * '' When Husbands Deceive'' (1922) * ''Pure Grit'' (1923) * '' The Last Hour'' (1923) * '' The Shock'' (1923) * ''Uncle Tom's Cabin'' (1927) ;1930s * '' Bad Company'' (1931) (uncredited) * '' The Phantom Express'' (1932) (uncredited) * '' The Pride of the Legion'' (1932) * ''Pilgrimage'' (1933) (uncredited) * '' The ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stanley Blystone
William Stanley Blystone (August 1, 1894 – July 16, 1956) was an American film actor who made more than 500 films appearances between 1924 and 1956. He was sometimes billed as William Blystone or William Stanley. Early years Blystone was born in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. He was a steel production engineer and worked in ore mines before he became an actor. Career Blystone is best known for his appearance in Charlie Chaplin's '' Modern Times'', playing Paulette Goddard's father, and several short films starring The Three Stooges. Some of his more memorable roles were in the films '' Half Shot Shooters'', '' False Alarms'', '' Goofs and Saddles'', '' Three Little Twirps'' and ''Slaphappy Sleuths''. His final appearance with the trio was '' Of Cash and Hash'' in 1955. He also appeared in several Laurel and Hardy films. Personal life and death Blystone was married to Hollywood starlet Alma Tell. They had no children. Blystone's brother John G. Blystone was a film director in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Frances Chaney
Frances Chaney (July 23, 1915 – November 23, 2004) was an actress on stage, on old-time radio and on television. She was perhaps best known, however, for being "ostracized as pro-communist along with her late blacklisted husband, Ring Lardner Jr." Early life The daughter of Leon Lipetz, Chaney was born Fanya Lipetz () on July 23, 1915, in Odessa, Russian Empire, but her family moved to Istanbul, and she began her education in an English school there. The family later moved to the United States, to the Bronx, New York City. She attended Hunter College, but eventually dropped out to take a job at Macy's department store and gained an evening apprenticeship at Provincetown Playhouse in New York City. That led to her getting a scholarship at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre, also in New York City, where she studied acting for two years. After finishing at the Neighborhood Playhouse School, she changed her name to Frances Chaney, thinking that producers might be ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lewis L
Lewis may refer to: Names * Lewis (given name), including a list of people with the given name * Lewis (surname), including a list of people with the surname Music * Lewis (musician), Canadian singer * " Lewis (Mistreated)", a song by Radiohead from ''My Iron Lung'' Places * Lewis (crater), a crater on the far side of the Moon * Isle of Lewis, the northern part of Lewis and Harris, Western Isles, Scotland United States * Lewis, Colorado * Lewis, Indiana * Lewis, Iowa * Lewis, Kansas * Lewis Wharf, Boston, Massachusetts * Lewis, Missouri * Lewis, Essex County, New York * Lewis, Lewis County, New York * Lewis, North Carolina * Lewis, Vermont * Lewis, Wisconsin Ships * USS ''Lewis'' (1861), a sailing ship * USS ''Lewis'' (DE-535), a destroyer escort in commission from 1944 to 1946 Science * Lewis structure, a diagram of a molecule that shows the bonding between the atoms * Lewis acids and bases * Lewis antigen system, a human blood group system * Lewis number, a di ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Roland Winters
Roland Winters (born Roland Winternitz; November 22, 1904 – October 22, 1989)DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). ''Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . P. 287. was an American actor who played many character parts in films and television but today is best remembered for portraying Charlie Chan in six films in the late 1940s. Early years Winters was born Roland Winternitz on November 22, 1904, in Boston, Massachusetts, the son of Antoinette (Iversen) and Felix Winternitz, a violinist and composer who was teaching at New England Conservatory of Music. His father was born in Austria and his mother in Germany. ''Charlie Chan'' films Monogram Pictures selected Winters to replace Sidney Toler in the Charlie Chan film series. Winters was 44 when he made the first of his six Chan films, '' The Chinese Ring'' in 1947. His other Chan films were ''Docks of New Orleans'' (1948), ''Shanghai Chest'' (1948), '' The Go ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stephen Dunne (actor)
Francis Michael Dunne (January 13, 1918– September 2, 1977) was an American actor, radio personality and disc jockey. He was active on television and in films from 1945–73, and was also credited as Steve Dunn, Michael Dunne, Stephan Dunne, and Steve Dunne. Early years Dunne was born in Northampton, Massachusetts. He majored in drama and journalism during his two-and-a-half years at the University of Alabama. While there, he worked at a local radio station and "found himself in love with the business." Radio Dunne worked as an announcer at a radio station in Worcester, Massachusetts, and then went to New York, where he worked as both an announcer and a newscaster. He went on to star as private eye Sam Spade in '' The Adventures of Sam Spade'' from 1950-51.Terrace, Vincent (1999). ''Radio Programs, 1924-1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows'' (pg. 15). McFarland & Company, Inc.; He played Lucky Larson in ''Deadline Mystery'' (1947),, the title character Dr. Daniel Danfield ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alan Hale Jr
Alan Hale Jr. (born Alan Hale MacKahan; (March 8, 1921 - January 2, 1990) was an American actor and restaurateur. He was the son of actor Alan Hale Sr. His television career spanned four decades, but he was best known for his secondary lead role as Captain Jonas Grumby, better known as The Skipper, on the 1960s CBS comedy series '' Gilligan's Island'' (1964–1967), a role he reprised in three ''Gilligan's Island'' television films and two spin-off cartoon series. Hale appeared in more than 200 films and television roles from 1941. He appeared primarily in Westerns, portraying the Sundance Kid in '' The Three Outlaws'' (1956) opposite Neville Brand as Butch Cassidy, performing with Kirk Douglas in ''The Big Trees'' (1952), Audie Murphy in '' Destry'' (1954), Ray Milland in '' A Man Alone'' (1955), Robert Wagner in '' The True Story of Jesse James'' (1957), and Hugh Marlowe in '' The Long Rope'' (1961). He also appeared in musical comedies opposite Don DeFore in '' It Happe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Harry Shannon (actor)
Harry Shannon (June 13, 1890 – July 27, 1964) was an American character actor. He often appeared in Western films. Biography Shannon was born on a farm in Saginaw, Michigan. After beginning his career in live theater and vaudeville, be switched to the film industry in the 1930s. His Broadway credits included ''Mrs. O'Brien Entertains'' (1939), ''Washington Jitters'' (1938), ''Under Glass'' (1933), ''Pardon My English'' (1933), ''Free For All'' (1931), ''Simple Simon'' (1931), ''Jonica'' (1930), ''Hold Everything'' (1928), and ''Oh, Kay!'' (1926). Although he appeared most frequently in Westerns, such as villain cowboy Dad "Jobe Craig" in S3E27's "Meeting at Mimbres" in the 1961 western ''Bat Masterson'', his best-known film role was perhaps as Charles Foster Kane's rough father in ''Citizen Kane'' (1941). Among his other films were '' Someone to Remember'' (1943), ''Alaska Highway'' (1943), ''San Quentin'' (1946), '' Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House'' (1948) and ''Witne ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Art Baker (actor)
Art Baker (born Arthur Appleton Shank; January 7, 1898DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). ''Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . P. 19. – August 26, 1966) was an American film, television and radio actor. Early years Baker was born January 7, 1898, in New York City. He initially planned to be a singer, and during World War I he was a song leader while serving in the United States Army. During his time in the Army, his hair turned prematurely white and would later serve as his trademark look. His post-war occupations included touring with traveling evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson, founder of the Foursquare Church, and operating an appliance store in Glendale, California. Radio Baker's radio career began as an announcer on Los Angeles radio station KFSG. He later worked at Forest Lawn Memorial Park as a tour guide. Baker was chosen to be the narrator of the radio program ''Tapestries of Life''. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Frieda Inescort
Frieda Inescort (born Frieda Wrightman, 29 June 1901 – 26 February 1976) was a Scottish-born actress best known for creating the role of Sorel Bliss in Noël Coward's play ''Hay Fever'' on Broadway. She also played the shingled lady in John Galsworthy's 1927 Broadway production '' Escape'' and Caroline Bingley in the 1940 film of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Early years Born in Edinburgh, Inescort was the daughter of Scots-born journalist John "Jock" Wrightman and actress Elaine Inescourt, who was of German and Polish descent. They married in 1896 but parted ways when their daughter was still a young child. While she lived in Britain, Inescort wrote for a newspaper in London and worked as secretary to Lord Astor. (Another source says that she was secretary to Lady Astor.) After going to the United States, she not only acted but also worked as associate editor of ''The Exporter's Encyclopedia''. Stage Inescort's acting debut came in '' The Truth About Blayds' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
