Call Northside 777 1948  N/R, 110 min.
Genre: Drama / Mystery
Director: Henry Hathaway
Cast: James Stewart, Richard Conte, Lee J. Cobb, Helen Walker, E.G. Marshall, Kasia Orzazewski, Betty Garde, Moroni Olsen, John McIntire, Paul Harvey, Joanne De Bergh, Howard Smith, Michael Chapin, Samuel S. Hinds, George Pembroke
This story, based on an actual police case, features James Stewart as Chicago reporter P.J. McNeal who is given the assignment of writing a public interest story. His assignment is Tillie Wieceki (Kasia Orzazewski) who has offered $5,000 for information proving that her son Frank (Michael Chapin) is innocent although convicted of a policeman's murder committed 11 years ago. McNeal does not believe that Frank is innocent, but when McNeal examines the case, Frank passes a lie detector test showing that he is innocent, and, by the end of McNeal's investigation, Frank gains his freedom.
|  | |
Dawn of the Dead 1978 R, 125 min.
Genre: Action / Horror / Thriller / Sci-Fi
Director: George A. Romero
Cast: Gaylen Ross, Ken Foree, Scott H. Reiniger, David Emge, David Crawford, David Early, George A. Romero, Tom Savini, Richard France, Howard Smith, Daniel Dietrich, Fred Baker, James A. Baffico, Rod Stouffer, Jese Del Gre
A grotesque onslaught of human flesh is portrayed in this film as corpses hunt for their favorite meal: human flesh. SWAT team members Peter (Ken Foree) and Roger (Scott H. Reiniger) are sent in with their units to destroy zombies in a Pittsburgh housing project. They secure the building and then flee to a TV station where they escape by helicopter with station employees Francine (Gaylen Ross) and Stephen (David Emge). They land on top of a shopping mall where the zombies have gathered, and, to make matters worse, a gang of bikers arrive on the scene. Now, the enemies are not only zombies but bikers as well. The gore is mostly confined to the first and last half-hours, but even with the gore, it is a well-made film. "Day of the Dead" follows as a sequel.
| | |
Death of a Salesman 1951  N/R, 112 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Laszlo Benedek
Cast: Fredric March, Mildred Dunnock, Kevin McCarthy, Cameron Mitchell, Howard Smith, Royal Beal, Don Keefer, Jesse White, Claire Carleton, Elisabeth Fraser
Willie Loman (Fredric March) is Arthur Miller's traveling salesman who realizes his life has been a waste. His solution is suicide; through the use of flashbacks his tragedy is told.
| | |
Gizmo 1976 G, 83 min.
Genre: Documentary
Director: Howard Smith
This is an interesting documentary in which columnist Howard Smith presents offbeat inventions of the 20th century.
| | |
 I Bury the Living 1958  N/R, 76 min.
Genre: Horror / Thriller
Director: Albert Band
Cast: Richard Boone, Theodore Bikel, Peggy Maurer, Robert Osterloh, Herbert Anderson, Howard Smith, Russ Bender, Matt Moore, Glen Vernon, Lynette Bernay
Robert Kraft (Richard Boone) is the new chairman of a cemetery, and in his office is a large map of the grounds. Plots are marked: black pins for occupied plots and white pins for plots that have been sold but not yet occupied. When Robert mistakenly places a black pin on a plot that should have been white, the plot-owner dies. This starts a series of MAJOR problems. Good trick photography.
| | |
Kiss of Death 1947 N/R, 98 min.
Genre: Action
Director: Henry Hathaway
Cast: Victor Mature, Brian Donlevy, Coleen Gray, Richard Widmark, Karl Malden, Taylor Holmes, Mildred Dunnock, Howard Smith, Millard Mitchell, Anthony Ross
Richard Widmark made his film debut as a psychopath, Tommy Udo, in this gangster film that is gripping at times but has become somewhat dated. This is the one where Udo pushes the old woman in a wheelchair down the stairs.
| | |
 State of the Union 1948 N/R, 124 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Frank Capra
Cast: Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Van Johnson, Angela Lansbury, Adolphe Menjou, Lewis Stone, Howard Smith, Raymond Walburn, Charles Dingle, Pierre Watkin
When Grant Matthews (Spencer Tracy) campaigns for the office of President of the United States, his wife Mary (Katharine Hepburn) agrees to keep the problems of their marriage secret.
| | |
The Street with No Name 1948 N/R, 91 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: William Keighley
Cast: Mark Stevens, Richard Widmark, Lloyd Nolan, Barbara Lawrence, Ed Begley, Donald Buka, Joseph Pevney, John McIntire, Walter Greaza, Howard Smith, Billy Mauch, Sam Edwards
FBI Agent Gene Cordell (Mark Stevens) goes undercover and infiltrates a gang led by Alec Stiles (Richard Widmark). But, Styles gets word of the mole activity and plots to get even. Remade in 1955 as "House of Bamboo."
| | |
| 1. Call Northside 777 (1948)
2. Dawn of the Dead (1978)
3. Death of a Salesman (1951)
4. Gizmo (1976)
5. I Bury the Living (1958)
6. Kiss of Death (1947)
7. Marjoe (1972)
8. State of the Union (1948)
9. The Street with No Name (1948)
In The News
|
