87% (2) The Phenix City Story 100 min, APPROVED, [Crime, Drama, Film-Noir] [Phil Karlson] [14 Aug 1955]Ratings & Reviews: IMDb Reviews: 74%, Rotten Tomatoes: 100%, External Reviews
Awards: 1 nomination.
Actors: Edward Andrews, John McIntire, Kathryn Grant, Richard Kiley
Writer: Crane Wilbur (screenplay), Daniel Mainwaring (screenplay)
External Links: Wikipedia Rotten Tomatoes IMDb Language: English Country: USA
Plot: A crime-busting lawyer and his initially reluctant attorney father take on the forces that run gambling and prostitution in their small Southern town.
Rotten Tomatoes: Based on a true story and featuring some of the actually people involved, this grim, violent crime drama is set in the title Alabama city that was in 1954 a modern-day Sodom and Gomorrah of organized crime, corruption and seamy behavior. The townsfolk, fed up they the tawdriness around them, elect a new attorney general, a man who vows to eradicate the gangsters and their filth. Unfortunately, the mobsters quickly murder the troublesome crusader. Fortunately, the attorney's straight-arrow son has just returned from the war and is only too happy to fill his late fathter's shoes. Despite the constant and potentially deadly obstacles presented by the mob, the iron-willed young man stands firm and eventually defeats them. Original versions of Phenix City Story feature a 13-minute preface that featured interviews with the people involved, including the widow of the murdered attorney general. In real life, John Patterson was later elected governor of Alabama, defeating, among others, future presidential candidate George Wallace.
Scroll To: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% [ / 7]
85% (2) The 7th Voyage of Sinbad 88 min, G, [Action, Adventure, Family, Fantasy] [Nathan Juran] [23 Dec 1958]Ratings & Reviews: IMDb Reviews: 71%, Rotten Tomatoes: 100%, External Reviews
Awards: 1 win & 2 nominations.
Actors: Kathryn Grant, Kerwin Mathews, Richard Eyer, Torin Thatcher
Writer: Ken Kolb
External Links: Wikipedia Rotten Tomatoes IMDb Language: English Country: UK, USA
Plot: While sailing with Princess Parisa to Baghdad to their wedding, Sinbad finds the Colossa Island and anchors his vessel to get supplies for the starving crew. Sinbad and his men help the magician Sokurah to escape from a Cyclops that attacks them, and Sokurah uses a magic lamp with a boy jinni to help them; however, their boat sinks and he loses the lamp. Sokurah offers a small fortune to Sinbad to return to Colossa, but he does not accept and heads to Baghdad. The citizens and the Caliph of Baghdad are celebrating the peace with Chandra, and they offer a feast to the Sultan of Chandra. Sakurah requests a ship and crew to return to Colossa but the Caliph refuses to jeopardize his countrymen. However, the treacherous magician shrinks the princess and when the desperate Sinbad seeks him out, he tells that he needs to return to Colossa to get the ingredient necessary for the magic potion. But Sinbad has only his friend Harufa to travel with him, and he decides to enlist a doubtful crew in the prison of Baghdad, in the beginning of his dangerous voyage to Colossa to save the princess and avoid the eminent war between Chandra and Baghdad.
Rotten Tomatoes: Sinbad sets out for the mysterious island of Colossa where he hopes to obtain the egg of a Roc, a fierce, giant bird. The egg will help to restore to normal size the Princess Parisa who has been reduced to the size of a man's thumb by the evil magician, Kokurah.
Scroll To: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% [ / 7]
70% (1) Gunman's Walk 97 min, APPROVED, [Western] [Phil Karlson] [01 Jul 1958]Ratings & Reviews: IMDb Reviews: 70%, External Reviews
Actors: James Darren, Kathryn Grant, Tab Hunter, Van Heflin
Writer: Frank S. Nugent (screenplay), Ric Hardman (story)
External Links: Wikipedia Rotten Tomatoes IMDb Language: English Country: USA
Plot: Widower Lee Hackett (Van Heflin), a cattle rancher who is a product of the old west, tries to bring up his two sons, Ed (Tab Hunter)and Davy (James Darren), in his image, but Ed is wild and unruly. The two brothers are both attracted to Clee Chourard ('Kathryn Grant(I)') but she prefers Davy. Ed's efforts to outshine his father and brother and everyone else leads him into a career of a gunfighter, and a confrontation with his father.
Rotten Tomatoes: In this complex western, a rancher/former gunslinging lawman, tries to turn his two boys into model citizens. His youngest son is easy. A natural pacifist, he avoids mayhem. The older brother, unfortunately, wants to be an even more notorious gunman than his father. He seems to have no heart at all and a chilling love of killing. In the film's exciting climax, the poor father must make a difficult decision.
Scroll To: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% [ / 7]
69% (1) The Brothers Rico 92 min, PASSED, [Crime, Drama, Film-Noir, Thriller] [Phil Karlson] [01 Sep 1957]Ratings & Reviews: IMDb Reviews: 69%, External Reviews
Actors: Dianne Foster, Kathryn Grant, Larry Gates, Richard Conte
Writer: Georges Simenon (story), Lewis Meltzer (screenplay), Ben Perry (screenplay)
External Links: Wikipedia Rotten Tomatoes IMDb Language: English, Italian Country: USA
Plot: Eddie Rico has been the book-keeper of an important Mafia boss but now he is an honest merchant and lives with his family in Florida. Everything changes when the police starts to search for his brothers. Now Eddie sees himself forced to get in touch with the Mafia again.
Rotten Tomatoes: In this film, the Rico brothers are mobsters in the employ of syndicate head Sid Kubick. Richard Conte plays the one Rico brother who has forsaken crime. But the other Ricos haven't yet seen the light, causing a deep rift in the brothers' family bonds.
Scroll To: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% [ / 7]
68% (1) Mister Cory 92 min, [Crime, Drama, Film-Noir, Mystery, Thriller] [Blake Edwards] [23 Feb 1957]Ratings & Reviews: IMDb Reviews: 68%, External Reviews
Actors: Charles Bickford, Kathryn Grant, Martha Hyer, Tony Curtis
Writer: Blake Edwards (screenplay), Leo Rosten (from a story by)
External Links: Wikipedia Rotten Tomatoes IMDb Language: English Country: USA
Plot: Cory, an ambitious Chicago slum kid with a knack for gambling, gets a busboy job at a posh Wisconsin resort...where his real purpose is to gamble with the staff and guests and romance rich young ladies. Setbacks follow, but Cory eventually rises to a high position in the world of professional gambling. But he just can't forget the glamorous Vollard sisters. And now he has even farther to fall...
Scroll To: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% [ / 7]
65% (1) Operation Mad Ball 105 min, [Comedy, War] [Richard Quine] [17 Aug 1957]Ratings & Reviews: IMDb Reviews: 65%, External Reviews
Awards: 2 nominations.
Actors: Arthur O'Connell, Ernie Kovacs, Jack Lemmon, Kathryn Grant
Writer: Arthur Carter (screenplay), Jed Harris (screenplay), Blake Edwards (screenplay), Arthur Carter (play)
External Links: Wikipedia Rotten Tomatoes IMDb Language: English, French Country: USA
Plot: Private Hogan must raise his ability to scheme and plot to a new level to put on a madcap dance to celebrate the closing of an Army surgical hospital in post WWII France while evading the stickler-for-details Captain Locke - and win the heart to the beautiful nurse Lieutenant Betty Bixby.
Rotten Tomatoes: In this frantic service comedy, a group of bored-to-tears American GI's stationed at a medical facility in France would like nothing more than to have a big party to let off steam -- except for the possibility of having a big party with some of the nurses they work with. However, it seems that the nurses are officers and the GI's are enlisted men, which means the Army forbids them to socialize, and Capt. Locke (Ernie Kovacs), the camp's Commanding Officer, is not a man to bend the rules. But Private Hogan (Jack Lemmon) is not the sort of guy to let the rules get in the way of a good time, and with the help of Yancy Skibo (Mickey Rooney), a sergeant with a talent for scaring up needed supplies, and Mme. LaFour (Jeanne Manet), a local hotel manager with a soft spot for making money off American servicemen, Hogan hatches a plan to make his dream a reality. Hogan's lady friend, Lt. Betty Bixby (Kathryn Grant), isn't quite as convinced as her beau on the potential success of this scheme. Operation Mad Ball was the first directorial effort from former actor Richard Quine, and afforded Jack Lemmon his first starring role; Blake Edwards also contributed to the screenplay.
Scroll To: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% [ / 7]
63% (1) The Big Circus 109 min, [Drama] [Joseph M. Newman] [05 Jul 1959]Ratings & Reviews: IMDb Reviews: 63%, External Reviews
Awards: 1 nomination.
Actors: Kathryn Grant, Red Buttons, Rhonda Fleming, Victor Mature
Writer: Irwin Allen (screenplay), Charles Bennett (screenplay), Irving Wallace (screenplay), Irwin Allen (story)
External Links: Wikipedia Rotten Tomatoes IMDb Language: English Country: USA
Plot: After splitting with his longtime business partner, Hank Whirling is about to take his big top circus on tour. He manages to get a loan and some investment money but has to take on one of their employees, Randy Sherman, to keep an eye on the finances. Sherman immediately hires a new press agent, Helen Harrison, over Hank's objections. After a series of accidents, they soon realize that they have a saboteur in the company. With financial problems increasing, Whirling looks to take the the show to New York City before his former partner Jules Borman can get his circus there. He realizes that he'll need a lot of publicity and trapeze and high wire artist Zach Colino agrees to walk the wire across Niagara Falls. After the circus train is sabotaged - killing Zach's wife and several others - they race to Niagara Falls to complete the high wire act but Zach may not be up it. The saboteur working for Borman bides his time and is planning another death.
Rotten Tomatoes: A disaster-plagued circus struggles to survive in this exciting drama. The owner desperately needs a loan, but before he can get one, a stern banker must inspect the place. Somehow the fellow ends up as a clown and flying around on a trapeze. Disasters such as a fire, an escaped wild animal, heavy storms, and other problems keep things exciting. Though not a major hit, it was well done and represents an early effort from noted producer Irwin Allen who also wrote the screenplay.
Scroll To: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% [ / 7]