The Big Combo 1955  N/R, 86 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Joseph H. Lewis
Cast: Cornel Wilde, Richard Conte, Brian Donlevy, Jean Wallace, Robert Middleton, Lee Van Cleef, Earl Holliman, Helen Walker, Jay Adler, John Hoyt
This film was considered to be extremely vicious at the time of its initial release and is a good example of film noir. Police Lieutenant Diamond (Cornel Wilde) sets out to get the crime boss (Richard Conte), but he is told to drop the case because of associated extra costs and time. Diamond makes one last attempt to bring the boss to justice by soliciting the help of the boss's girlfriend (Jean Wallace) whom Diamond also loves. Matters heat up, and, as in life, the distinction between good and bad is not always clear.
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Crime of Passion 1957 N/R, 84 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Gerd Oswald
Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Sterling Hayden, Raymond Burr, Fay Wray, Virginia Grey, Royal Dano, Robert Quarry, Stuart Whitman, Geraldine Wall, Malcolm Atterbury, Robert Griffin, Dennis Cross, Jay Adler
L.A. police detective Lt. Bill Doyle (Sterling Hayden) and San Francisco columnist Kathy (Barbara Stanwyck) meet, fall in love, and marry. Now, Kathy quits her job and moves to Los Angeles to be a homemaker. She develops a fixation on Bill's career and will stop at nothing to assure his professional success. When problems develop with Bill's boss Inspector Pope (Raymond Burr), Kathy gets a gun and kills Pope. Will Bill be the one who puts the clues together and solves the murder?
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Cry Danger 1951  N/R, 79 min.
Genre: Mystery
Director: Robert Parrish
Cast: Dick Powell, Rhonda Fleming, Richard Erdman, William Conrad, Regis Toomey, Jean Porter, Jay Adler, Joan Banks, Renny McEvoy, Lou Lubin
Rocky (Dick Powell) gets out of prison after serving five years for a robbery he didn't commit. Now it's time to get those responsible. Pretty good first film for Director Parrish.
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Grave of the Vampire 1972  PG, 95 min.
Genre: Horror / Thriller
aka: Seed of Terror
Director: John Hayes
Cast: William Smith, Michael Pataki, Lyn Peters, Diane Holden, Jay Adler, Kitty Vallacher, Jay Scott, Eric Mason, Lieux Dressler, William Guhl, Carmen Argenziano, Margaret Fairchild
Vampire Croft (Michael Pataki) rapes Leslie (Kitty Vallacher) so that he can have an offspring. The half-vampire offspring, James (William Smith), is bottle-fed on his mother's blood until she succumbs to anemia. James is not happy with his fate and decides to find and deal with his father.
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 The Killing 1956  N/R, 83 min.
Genre: Drama / Thriller
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Cast: Sterling Hayden, Coleen Gray, Vince Edwards, Jay C. Flippen, Ted de Corsia, Marie Windsor, Elisha Cook Jr., Joe Sawyer, Timothy Carey, Jay Adler, James Edwards, Joe Turkel
Recently released from prison, Johnny Clay (Sterling Hayden) has big plans for a $2 million racetrack heist. But he has not reckoned with the actions of Sherry (Marie Windsor), the wife of Johnny's cohort George (Elisha Cook Jr.). When Sherry blabs to her boyfriend, an unwary Johnny is really in far over his head, and his intricate plans spiral out of control. With this film, Stanley Kubrick gained credibility as an exceptional director.
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Macon County Line 1974 R, 89 min.
Genre: Action / Drama
Director: Richard Compton
Cast: Alan Vint, Jesse Vint, Cheryl Waters, Max Baer Jr., Joan Blackman, Timothy Scott, James Gammon, Doodles Weaver, Geoffrey Lewis, Leif Garrett, Sam Gilman, Emile Meyer, Jay Adler, David Orange
Bobbie Gentry sings her theme song in this film based on the true story about a 1954 Georgia murder in which redneck Deputy Sheriff Reed Morgan (Max Baer Jr.) mistakenly believes that brothers Chris and Wayne Dixon (Alan Vint and Jesse Vint) raped and murdered his wife. After returning home to the murder scene, Morgan finds the brothers in his barn, claims they are the murderers, and seeks revenge. Too late, he discovers who the real murderers are. Sequel: "Return to Macon County."
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 The Prisoner of Zenda 1952 N/R, 100 min.
Genre: Adventure
Director: Richard Thorpe
Cast: Stewart Granger, Deborah Kerr, Louis Calhern, Jane Greer, Lewis Stone, Robert Douglas, Robert Coote, James Mason, Peter Brocco, Francis Pierlot, Jay Adler, Kathleen Freeman, John Goldsworthy, Forbes Murray, Thomas Browne Henry
In this remake of the 1937 film, Stewart Granger stars in the Ronald Colman role of an Englishman, Rudolf Rassendyll, who vacations in Romania where it is discovered that he has a surprising resemblance to Romania's Prince Rudolph (also played by Granger). The Prince's brother Michael, Duke of Strelsau (Robert Douglas) plans to usurp the throne and drugs the Prince the night before his coronation. Because he looks so much like the Prince, Rudolf is asked to impersonate the Prince during the coronation and foil the plot of his evil brother. Once he catches on to the subterfuge, the brother imprisons the real Prince, and now Rudolf, while carrying out the ruse, begins to fall in love with the Prince's fiancee Princess Flavia (Deborah Kerr).
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Saddle the Wind 1958 N/R, 84 min.
Genre: Western
Director: Robert Parrish, John Sturges
Cast: Robert Taylor, Julie London, John Cassavetes, Donald Crisp, Charles McGraw, Royal Dano, Richard Erdman, Douglas Spencer, Ray Teal, Jay Adler, Stanley Adams, Irene Tedrow, Lars Henderson, Henry Wills, Kelo Henderson
Ex-gunslinger Steve Sinclair (Robert Taylor) is engaged to Joan (Julie London) and wants to live quietly as a farmer. Then, along comes his younger brother, Tony (John Cassavetes), who not only demonstrates intense sibling rivalry but also is proud of his abilities with a gun. His temper results in a killing, leading to further tragedy. Good acting and writing (by Rod Serling), along with a fine musical score by Elmer Bernstein, make this an enjoyable tale.
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| 1. The Big Combo (1955)
2. Crime of Passion (1957)
3. Cry Danger (1951)
4. Grave of the Vampire (1972)
aka: Seed of Terror
5. The Killing (1956)
6. Macon County Line (1974)
7. The Prisoner of Zenda (1952)
8. Saddle the Wind (1958)
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