The Amazing Mr. X 1948 N/R, 78 min. Genre: Mystery / Horror / Thriller aka: The Spiritualist
Director: Bernard Vorhaus Cast: Turhan Bey, Lynn Bari, Cathy O'Donnell, Richard Carlson, Donald Curtis, Virginia Gregg, Harry B. Mendoza, Norma Varden
Shady spiritualist Alexis (Turhan Bey) attempts to take advantage of wealthy widow Christine Faber (Lynn Bari) by pretending to contact her late husband Paul (Donald Curtis) who had supposedly died in a car accident two years ago. Alexis is in for a big surprise when he performs seances for Christine and her sister Janet (Cathy O'Donnell) and Paul appears and is, in fact, very much alive and involved in a fraudulent scheme.
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Ben-Hur 1959 N/R, 211 min. Genre: Action / Adventure / Romance
Director: William Wyler Cast: Charlton Heston, Jack Hawkins, Stephen Boyd, Sam Jaffe, Haya Harareet, Hugh Griffith, Martha Scott, Cathy O'Donnell, Finlay Currie, Frank Thring, Terence Longdon, George Relph, Andre Morell, Ferdy Mayne, Tutte Lemkow
Remember the famous Chariot Race where one of the extras forgot to take off his watch? That seems to be the only flaw in this epic film that won 11 Oscars, including Best Picture. Charlton Heston also won for Best Actor as the Jewish Prince Judah Ben-Hur whose life story is told in tandem with the life of Jesus. Other Oscars included Best Director and Supporting Actor (Hugh Griffith).
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The Best Years of Our Lives 1946 N/R, 172 min. Genre: Drama / Romance
Director: William Wyler Cast: Fredric March, Dana Andrews, Myrna Loy, Hoagy Carmichael, Harold Russell, Teresa Wright, Virginia Mayo, Cathy O'Donnell, Gladys George, Ray Collins, Roman Bohnen, Minna Gombell, Dorothy Adams, Steve Cochran, Walter Baldwin
This Best Picture Oscar winner tells the story of three WWII soldiers who come home and find that they can't just pick up where they left off. A classic film in which Harold Russell, an actual veteran, made history by winning two Oscars for one role (Best Supporting Actor Oscar and a Special Award Oscar). William Wyler also took home an Oscar for his directing, as did Fredric March for Best Actor. There were three other Oscars awarded.
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Bury Me Dead 1947 N/R, 68 min. Genre: Mystery aka: Back Home from the Dead
Director: Bernard Vorhaus Cast: Cathy O'Donnell, June Lockhart, Hugh Beaumont, Mark Daniels, Greg McClure, Milton Parsons, Virginia Farmer, Sonia Darrin, Cliff Clark, John Dehner, Cy Kendall, Charles Lane
Disguised under a black veil, Barbara (June Lockhart) attends her own funeral and then sets out to uncover the facts behind the death of the mysterious girl buried under Barbara's name. Topping the list of suspicious characters are Barbara's husband (Mark Daniels) and her nymphomaniac sister (Cathy O'Donnell).
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The Deerslayer 1957 N/R, 78 min. Genre: Adventure
Director: Kurt Neumann Cast: Lex Barker, Rita Moreno, Forrest Tucker, Cathy O'Donnell, Jay C. Flippen, Carlos Rivas, John Halloran, Addison Richards, Joseph Vitale
The Deerslayer (Lex Barker) and his Mohican blood brother (Carlos Rivas) come to the rescue of an Indian-hater (Jay C. Flippen) and his two daughters when they are threatened by the Huron tribe. Perhaps the Hurons have a reason to be upset. A weak, and cheap, retelling of the James Fenimore Cooper novel.
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Detective Story 1951 N/R, 105 min. Genre: Drama
Director: William Wyler Cast: Kirk Douglas, Eleanor Parker, William Bendix, Lee Grant, Cathy O'Donnell, George Macready, Horace McMahon, Gladys George, Frank Faylen, Joseph Wiseman, William "Bill" Phillips, Gerald Mohr, Craig Hill, Bert Freed, Luis Van Rooten
One day in a New York City police precinct station is examined in this film which features James McLeod (Kirk Douglas) as an overworked cop whose stress is compounded by problems with his wife (Eleanor Parker). The film was nominated for several Academy Awards, including Best Actress (Parker), Supporting Actress (Lee Grant, as a nervous shoplifter in her film debut) and Director.
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The Man from Laramie 1955 N/R, 101 min. Genre: Western / Mystery
Director: Anthony Mann Cast: James Stewart, Arthur Kennedy, Donald Crisp, Cathy O'Donnell, Alex Nicol, Wallace Ford, Jack Elam, Aline MacMahon, James Millican, Gregg Barton, John War Eagle, Boyd Stockman, Frank DeKova, Eddy Waller
When Indians use rifles to do in a small cavalry patrol, they kill Will Lockhart's (James Stewart) brother. Will leaves Laramie, Wyoming, with a mission to find the culprit who illegally sold the rifles to the Indians. He arrives in Coronado, New Mexico, which is ruled by rancher Alec Waggoman (Donald Crisp). Waggoman has two sons–sociophobic Dave (Alex Nicol) and adopted son Vic (Arthur Kennedy)–and is trying to figure out who should inherit his ranch. While searching for the man who sold the rifles, Will not only becomes involved in the rivalries between neighboring ranchers but with Vic and Dave's rivalry as well.
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My World Dies Screaming 1958 N/R, 81 min. Genre: Horror / Thriller aka: Terror in the Haunted House
Director: Harold Daniels Cast: Gerald Mohr, Cathy O'Donnell, William Ching, John Qualen, Barry Bernard
A newly married woman (Cathy O'Donnell), who has lived in Switzerland since childhood, starts having recurring nightmares of an old house. When she and her husband (Gerald Mohr) move to the U.S., they move into–you guessed it–the very house of her nightmares, and the terror begins. Noted for the subliminal pictures and messages that flash on the screen. Slow.
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Side Street 1950 N/R, 83 min. Genre: Drama
Director: Anthony Mann Cast: Farley Granger, Cathy O'Donnell, James Craig, Paul Kelly, Edmon Ryan, Jean Hagen, Paul Harvey, Charles McGraw, Edwin Max, Adele Jergens, Harry Bellaver, Whit Bissell, John Gallaudet, Esther Somers, Harry Antrim
New York City postman Joe Norson (Farley Granger) steals an envelope filled with $30,000. As if this act was not bad enough, when Joe tries to return the cash, it turns out that the money belonged to blackmailers who will stop at nothing to retrieve it. And the chase is on.
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They Live by Night 1948 N/R, 92 min. Genre: Drama
Director: Nicholas Ray Cast: Cathy O'Donnell, Farley Granger, Howard Da Silva, Jay C. Flippen, Helen Craig, Will Wright, William Phipps, Ian Wolfe, Harry Harvey, Charles Meredith
Set during the Great Depression, this story centers on three Mississippi prisoners who escape. One of them, Bowie (Farley Granger), wants only to live peacefully with his newfound love, Keechie (Cathy O'Donnell). But a life of crime beckons to reverse the new course of Bowie's plans.
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| 1. The Amazing Mr. X (1948) aka: The Spiritualist
2. Ben-Hur (1959)
3. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
4. Bury Me Dead (1947) aka: Back Home from the Dead
5. The Deerslayer (1957)
6. Detective Story (1951)
7. The Man from Laramie (1955)
8. My World Dies Screaming (1958) aka: Terror in the Haunted House
9. Side Street (1950)
10. They Live by Night (1948)
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