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James Drury - Movies

Backtrack 1969 2 stars

    G, 95 min.
Genre: Western
Director: Earl Bellamy
Cast: Neville Brand, James Drury, Doug McClure, Peter Brown, Fernando Lamas, Rhonda Fleming, Ida Lupino, Royal Dano, L.Q. Jones, Philip Carey

  Using scenes from "The Virginian" and "Laredo," this film features Doug McClure as Trampas–an adventurer who happens upon murder and mayhem after a train robbery.

Forbidden Planet 1956 3 and a half stars

      N/R, 98 min.
Genre: Sci-Fi / Thriller / Romance
Director: Fred M. Wilcox
Cast: Walter Pidgeon, Anne Francis, Leslie Nielsen, Warren Stevens, Jack Kelly, Richard Anderson, Earl Holliman, James Drury, George Wallace, Robert Dix, Jimmy Thompson, Harry Harvey Jr., Roger McGee, Peter Miller, James Best

  This is probably the best science fiction movie of the 1950s. It is the year 2200, and spaceship Altair-4–commanded by John J. Adams (Leslie Nielsen)–has landed on a faraway planet. There he is greeted by Dr. Edward Morbius (Walter Pidgeon) and his daughter (Anne Francis) who are the sole survivors of a colony of settlers. All is not as it should be, and the doctor does not intend to share the secrets of the planet.

Good Day for a Hanging 1959 2 and a half stars

    N/R, 85 min.
Genre: Western
Director: Nathan Juran
Cast: Fred MacMurray, Maggie Hayes, Robert Vaughn, Joan Blackman, James Drury, Denver Pyle, Harry Lauter, Edmon Ryan, Bing Russell, Stacy Harris

  After Ben Cutler (Fred MacMurray) captures the killer of the town's sheriff, the citizens sympathize with the prisoner, "The Kid" (Robert Vaughn), and lose respect for Cutler.

The Last Wagon 1956 2 and a half stars

    N/R, 99 min.
Genre: Western
Director: Delmer Daves
Cast: Richard Widmark, Felicia Farr, Susan Kohner, Tommy Rettig, Stephanie Griffin, Ray Stricklyn, Nick Adams, Carl Benton Reid, Douglas Kennedy, George Mathews, James Drury, Ken Clark

  Orphans survive an attack on their wagon train by Apaches and must now rely on accused killer Comanche Todd (Richard Widmark) to lead them to safety.

Love Me Tender 1956 2 stars

    N/R, 89 min.
Genre: Western
Director: Robert D. Webb
Cast: Elvis Presley, Debra Paget, Richard Egan, Robert Middleton, William Campbell, Neville Brand, Mildred Dunnock, Bruce Bennett, James Drury, L.Q. Jones

  This film represents Elvis Presley's first starring role. The story takes place in Texas just after the Civil War and has a plot of brothers fighting for the same girl.

The Meanest Men in the West 1967 1 star

    TV, 93 min.
Genre: Western
Director: Charles S. Dubin, Samuel Fuller
Cast: Charles Bronson, Lee Marvin, Lee J. Cobb, James Drury, Charles Grodin, Miriam Colon, Albert Salmi, Don Mitchell, Brad Weston, Sara Lane

  Bronson and Marvin play half brothers, both of whom are outlaws. They also don't especially like each other, which leads to complications. Not much here, especially considering the good cast.

Pollyanna 1960 3 and a half stars

    N/R, 133 min.
Genre: Family
Director: David Swift
Cast: Jane Wyman, Richard Egan, Karl Malden, Hayley Mills, Nancy Olson, Adolphe Menjou, Donald Crisp, Agnes Moorehead, Kevin Corcoran, James Drury

  In this Disney remake of the 1920 film, Hayley Mills plays the role of a young orphan who goes to live with her Aunt Polly (Jane Wyman) and brings happiness to all she touches. Remade (for TV as "Polly") in 1989 and again in 2003.

Ride the High Country 1962 3 and a half stars

    N/R, 94 min.
Genre: Western
Director: Sam Peckinpah
Cast: Randolph Scott, Joel McCrea, Mariette Hartley, Ron Starr, Edgar Buchanan, James Drury, Warren Oates, R.G. Armstrong, L.Q. Jones, John Davis Chandler

  Two lawmen, at the end of their careers, take on the job of delivering a gold shipment to a bank. One (Randolph Scott) plans to steal the gold; the other (Joel McCrea) will not go along with the scheme.

Ten Who Dared 1960 bomb

    N/R, 92 min.
Genre: Adventure
Director: William Beaudine
Cast: Brian Keith, John Beal, James Drury, R.G. Armstrong, Ben Johnson, L.Q. Jones, Dan Sheridan, David Stollery, Stan Jones, David Frankham

  This Disney failure is about the expedition down the Colorado River in the 1860s that is led by John Wesley Powell.

The Tender Trap 1955 2 and a half stars

    N/R, 110 min.
Genre: Comedy / Musical / Romance
Director: Charles Walters
Cast: Frank Sinatra, Debbie Reynolds, David Wayne, Celeste Holm, Carolyn Jones, Lola Albright, Howard St. John, Jarma Lewis, Joey Faye, Tom Helmore, Willard Sage, Marc Wilder, James Drury

  When bachelor Charlie Y. Reader (Frank Sinatra) becomes involved with Julie Gillis (Debbie Reynolds), he does not realize how determined she is to marry. The song "The Tender Trap" was nominated for an Oscar for Best Song. Lots of fun.

Toby Tyler, or Ten Weeks with a Circus 1960 2 and a half stars

    N/R, 95 min.
Genre: Family
aka: Toby Tyler

Director: Charles Barton
Cast: Kevin Corcoran, Henry Calvin, Gene Sheldon, Bob Sweeney, Richard Eastham, James Drury, Edith Evanson, Tom Fadden, Barbara Beaird, Dennis Olivieri

  In this Disney film, Toby Tyler (Kevin Corcoran) is a boy who leaves home to start a new life with the circus.

The Virginian 2000 2 stars

    TV, 95 min.
Genre: Western
Director: Bill Pullman
Cast: Bill Pullman, Diane Lane, John Savage, Dennis Weaver, James Drury, Harris Yulin, Colm Feore, Gary Farmer, Brent Stait, Mark Anderako

  In this remake of the classic Owen Wister novel, Bill Pullman steps into the title role, played first by Gary Cooper in 1929. Pullman is well cast as the Wyoming ranch hand–striving for frontier justice while doing what is right for all.

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