 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea 1954  PG-13, 127 min.
Genre: Family / Adventure / Drama / Sci-Fi
Director: Richard Fleischer
Cast: Kirk Douglas, James Mason, Paul Lukas, Peter Lorre, Robert J. Wilke, Carleton Young, Ted de Corsia, Eddie Marr, Percy Helton, Fred Graham, Herb Vigran, J.M. Kerrigan, Ted Cooper, Dayton Lummis, Jack Pennick
Captain Nemo (James Mason) and his submarine, Nautilus, fill the screen with the adventures imagined by Jules Verne in his classic novel. Many whaling ships have been lost at sea when Professor Pierre Aronnax (Paul Lukas), his aide Conseil (Peter Lorre), and harpoon master Ned Land (Kirk Douglas) voyage out in search of the sea monster that is supposedly sinking the ships. Their ship sinks, but they survive and are taken aboard Nautilus. They discover that the sea monster is actually the Nautilus, and they are amazed by the undersea world that greets them. Highlight: Kirk Douglas singing "A Whale of a Tale." The film won Oscars for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration and Best Special Effects and was nominated for Best Film Editing.
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Call Me Madam 1953  N/R, 114 min.
Genre: Musical / Romance
Director: Walter Lang
Cast: Ethel Merman, Donald O'Connor, Vera-Ellen, George Sanders, Billy De Wolfe, Helmut Dantine, Walter Slezak, Steven Geray, Ludwig Stossel, Lilia Skala, Percy Helton, Charles Dingle, Emory Parnell, John Wengraf, Frank Gerstle
In this film adaptation of Irving Berlin's Broadway musical, Sally Adams (Ethel Merman)–"the hostess with the mostess"–is the U.S. Ambassador to Lichtenburg. While serving as ambassador, Sally falls in love with Foreign Minister Cosmo Constantine (George Sanders). Meanwhile, Sally's press attache, Kenneth Gibson (Donald O'Connor), attracts Princess Maria (Vera-Ellen). Songs of note in this celebrated film include "You're Just in Love" and "It's a Lovely Day Today." An Oscar was received for Best Musical Score.
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Criss Cross 1949 N/R, 87 min.
Genre: Mystery
Director: Robert Siodmak
Cast: Burt Lancaster, Yvonne De Carlo, Dan Duryea, Stephen McNally, Tony Curtis, Richard Long, Alan Napier, Percy Helton, Griff Barnett, Vito Scotti
Armored-car driver Steve (Burt Lancaster) is coerced by his ex-wife, Anna (Yvonne De Carlo), to enter into a plot to rob the armored car he drives. Tony Curtis makes his film debut.
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The Crooked Way 1949  N/R, 90 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Robert Florey
Cast: John Payne, Sonny Tufts, Ellen Drew, Rhys Williams, Percy Helton, John Doucette, Charles Evans, Greta Grandstedt, Harry Bronson, Raymond Largay, Hal Baylor, Don Haggerty
While Eddie Rice (John Payne) is recuperating from shell shock–but is still suffering amnesia–following his service in World War II, his criminal past begins to catch up with him.
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 Jailhouse Rock 1957 N/R, 96 min.
Genre: Musical / Drama / Romance
Director: Richard Thorpe
Cast: Elvis Presley, Judy Tyler, Mickey Shaughnessy, Hugh Sanders, Dean Jones, Jennifer Holden, Vaughn Taylor, Glenn Strange, Grandon Rhodes, Katherine Warren, Anne Neyland, Peter Adams, Bess Flowers, Francis De Sales, Percy Helton
This is Elvis Presley at his best. He plays singer Vince Everett who accidentally kills a man and ends up in prison where he finds a friend in Hunk Houghton (Mickey Shaughnessy) who suggests that he perform in the prison show. He is a hit! Later, after Vince is released from jail, he meets and falls in love with a publicist, Peggy Van Alden (Judy Tyler), who happens to work for a record company. She is an important part of his recording "Jailhouse Rock" and certain stardom.
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Kiss Me Deadly 1955  N/R, 105 min.
Genre: Drama / Mystery / Thriller
Director: Robert Aldrich
Cast: Ralph Meeker, Maxine Cooper, Cloris Leachman, Gaby Rodgers, Albert Dekker, Paul Stewart, Wesley Addy, Juano Hernandez, Jack Elam, Nick Dennis, Marian Carr, Jack Lambert, Jerry Zinneman, Percy Helton, Leigh Snowden
In this Mickey Spillane "Mike Hammer" story, Hammer (Ralph Meeker) picks up hitchhiker Christina (Cloris Leachman) and then is forced off the road and abducted by thugs who kill Christina. Hammer escapes and now tries to uncover the facts that led to Christina's murder. After talking to Christina's roommate Gabrielle (Gaby Rodgers) and to gangster Carl Evello (Paul Stewart), matters get very rough as Hammer unravels the mystery that ends with a "box"–described by Hammer's secretary Velda (Maxine Cooper) as the "great Whatsit." It turns out that the box is filled with atomic explosives ready to be unleashed on the world. Great job, especially for it's time.
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Larceny 1948  N/R, 89 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: George Sherman
Cast: John Payne, Joan Caulfield, Dan Duryea, Shelley Winters, Dorothy Hart, Richard Rober, Dan O'Herlihy, Nicholas Joy, Percy Helton, Russ Conway, Walter Greaza, Patricia Alphin, Harry Antrim, Paul Brinegar, Don Wilson
A slick con man (Dan Duryea) plots to get his hands on a widow's money but falls in love with her in the process.
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 The Music Man 1962 N/R, 151 min.
Genre: Family / Musical / Comedy / Romance
Director: Morton DaCosta
Cast: Robert Preston, Shirley Jones, Buddy Hackett, Hermione Gingold, Paul Ford, Pert Kelton, Ron Howard, Charles(2) Lane, Mary Wickes, Rance Howard, Timmy Everett, Susan Luckey, Harry Hickox, William Fawcett, Percy Helton
Professor Harold Hill (Robert Preston) arrives in River City, Iowa, around 1900. He plans to work a scam on the citizens by forming a boys' marching band, but he falls in love with Marion (Shirley Jones) the librarian and changes his tune. Great Meredith Willson songs include "Seventy-Six Trombones," "Ya Got Trouble," "Gary, Indiana," "Till There Was You," "Marian the Librarian," and "Wells Fargo Wagon." An Oscar was awarded for Best Musical Score, and there were five nominations, including Best Picture.
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My Friend Irma 1949 N/R, 102 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: George Marshall
Cast: Marie Wilson, John Lund, Diana Lynn, Don DeFore, Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Hans Conried, Kathryn Givney, Percy Helton, Gloria Gordon
Based on the popular radio series, Marie Wilson plays dumb blonde Irma who becomes involved in a series of misadventures while living in her New York City apartment. This film marks the film debut of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis–they steal the show!
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Rally 'Round the Flag, Boys! 1958 N/R, 106 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Leo McCarey
Cast: Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, Joan Collins, Jack Carson, Tuesday Weld, Dwayne Hickman, Gale Gordon, Murvyn Vye, O.Z. Whitehead, Percy Helton, Tom Gilson, David Hedison, Richard Collier, Tap Canutt, Bess Flowers
Harry and Grace Bannerman (Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward) react negatively to an army missile base construction near their suburban town of Putman's Landing. The townsfolk cannot deal with the annoying Captain Hoxie (Jack Carson), and Harry, who is an Air Force reservist, acts as the liaison between the town and the Army. After Grace and her group dress up as Indians for a 4th of July demonstration against the planned missile site, they learn that the site will bring employment to their town. Harry and Grace embrace, but they accidentally push a lever that launches a missile containing Captain Hoxie, and he goes up in space.
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The Set-Up 1949 N/R, 72 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Robert Wise
Cast: Robert Ryan, Audrey Totter, George Tobias, Alan Baxter, Wallace Ford, Percy Helton, Hal Baylor, Darryl Hickman, Kenny O'Morrison, James Edwards, David Clarke, Phillip Pine
Over-the-hill boxer Bill "Stoker" Thompson (Robert Ryan) is set up by his manager, Tiny (George Tobias), who takes money for a "dive" from gambler Little Boy (Alan Baxter). But, Stoker has no knowledge of the deal as he sits in a seedy dressing room awaiting his fight.
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Zebra in the Kitchen 1965 G, 92 min.
Genre: Family
Director: Ivan Tors
Cast: Jay North, Martin Milner, Andy Devine, Joyce Meadows, Jim Davis, Dorothy Green, Karen Green, Vaughn Taylor, John Milford, Tristram Coffin, Robert Clarke, Percy Helton
When the Carlyle family moves from the farm to a city, Chris (Jay North) must give up his pet puma by giving it to the local zoo. But Chris is not happy with the poor conditions at the zoo and the fact that all the animals are confined to cages. So, naturally, he sets all the animals free, resulting in chaos in the town. After the animals are rounded up, improvement in zoo conditions follows.
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| 1. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)
2. Call Me Madam (1953)
3. Criss Cross (1949)
4. The Crooked Way (1949)
5. A Girl in Every Port (1952)
6. Jailhouse Rock (1957)
7. Kiss Me Deadly (1955)
8. Larceny (1948)
9. The Music Man (1962)
10. My Friend Irma (1949)
11. Rally 'Round the Flag, Boys! (1958)
12. The Set-Up (1949)
13. Zebra in the Kitchen (1965)
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