The Beast with Five Fingers 1946  N/R, 88 min.
Genre: Horror / Thriller
Director: Robert Florey
Cast: Robert Alda, Andrea King, Peter Lorre, Victor Francen, J. Carrol Naish, Charles Dingle, John Alvin, David Hoffman, Barbara Brown, Patricia Barry
A rich, invalid pianist dies and leaves everything to his nurse, much to the dismay of his relatives and personal secretary, Hilary (Peter Lorre). Hilary cuts off one of the pianist's hands, but finds that was a mistake as the hand gets a life of its own–and is after Hilary. Lorre is great, and the musical score and special effects are good, especially for the time. Occasionally slow, but still a horror classic of sorts.
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Cinderella Jones 1946  N/R, 88 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Busby Berkeley
Cast: Joan Leslie, Robert Alda, S.Z. Sakall, Edward Everett Horton, Ruth Donnelly, Elisha Cook Jr., Monte Blue, Johnny Mitchell, Julie Bishop, Hobart Cavanaugh, William Prince, Charles Dingle, Charles Arnt, Chester Clute, Edward Gargan
This Busby Berkeley musical/comedy concerns a not-too-smart girl who must find a smart husband or lose her large inheritance. Where else to go looking than to enroll in college. The songs are good; the script isn't.
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Cloak and Dagger 1946 N/R, 105 min.
Genre: Drama / Adventure / Thriller / Romance
Director: Fritz Lang
Cast: Gary Cooper, Robert Alda, Lilli Palmer, J. Edward Bromberg, Vladimir Sokoloff, Marc Lawrence, Ludwig Stossel, Patrick O'Moore, Charles Marsh, Dan Seymour, Marjorie Hoshelle, Helen Thimig, James Flavin, Lex Barker, Richard Fraser
American physics professor Alva Jesper (Gary Cooper) is called on for a mission by the O.S.S. in the last months of World War II. He arrives in Europe and learns from former colleague Dr. Katerin Lodor (Helen Thimig) that a former acquaintance, atomic scientist Dr. Giovanni Polda (Vladimir Sokoloff), is working in Italy on plans for an atomic bomb for the Nazis. Then, Loder is killed, and Jesper travels to Italy where he links up with resistance fighters Pinkie and Gina (Robert Alda and Lilli Palmer). He does meet with Polda and learns about the Nazi plans to build an atomic bomb. Meanwhile, he falls in love with Gina, but now must find a way to escape from the Nazis.
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The Devil's Hand 1961   N/R, 71 min.
Genre: Horror / Thriller / Mystery
aka: Devil's Doll
Live to Love
The Naked Goddess
Director: William J. Hole Jr.
Cast: Linda Christian, Robert Alda, Neil Hamilton, Ariadna Welter, Gene Craft, Jeanne Carmen, Julie Scott, Diana Spears, Gertrude Astor, Bruno VeSota, Dick Lee, Jim Knight, Coleen Vico, Roy Wright, Romona Ravez
Rick (Robert Alda) visits a doll shop where he becomes infatuated with a doll. The shop owner (Neil Hamilton) informs Rick that the doll is a likeness of a woman (Linda Christian) living nearby and gives the address. Unfortunately, both the shop owner and the woman are members of a Satanic cult, and they want Rick.
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I Will, I Will...for Now 1976  R, 96 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Norman Panama
Cast: Elliott Gould, Diane Keaton, Paul Sorvino, Victoria Principal, Robert Alda, Warren Berlinger, Madge Sinclair, Candy Clark
This dated, trashy satire on love and marriage features Elliott Gould and Diane Keaton as a rich New York couple who get involved in a sex clinic and extramarital affairs.
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Imitation of Life 1959  N/R, 124 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Douglas Sirk
Cast: Lana Turner, John Gavin, Robert Alda, Sandra Dee, Juanita Moore, Susan Kohner, Dan O'Herlihy, Troy Donahue, Jack Weston, Mahalia Jackson, Bess Flowers, Joel Fluellen, Peg Shirley
This is a revised version of the earlier film, but now the story has been updated to fit the 1950s. Two single mothers Lora Meredith (Lana Turner), who is White, and Annie Johnson (Juanita Moore), who is Black, move in together and raise their daughters. Lora is an aspiring actress, and Annie takes care of the household chores. But, personal problems enter their lives. Light-skinned, 18-year-old Sarah Jane (Susan Kohner) passes for White and breaks her mother Annie's heart. Meanwhile, Lora's 16-year-old daughter Susie (Sandra Dee) feels neglected by her mother as Lora's time is taken up with her career, and Susie falls for photographer Steve Archer (John Gavin). But, when Annie dies, Lora and the daughters realize their mistakes and change their attitudes about life. Both Juanita Moore and Susan Kohner received Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actress.
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Love by Appointment 1976 R, 96 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Armando Nannuzzi
Cast: Robert Alda, Ernest Borgnine, Corinne Clery, Francoise Fabian, Silvia Dionisio, Carmen Scarpitta, Maurizio Bonuglia, Norma Jordan
This Italian, made-for-TV film has two veteran stars, but they can't generate much interest in this loser. Robert Alda and Ernest Borgnine are American businessmen in Italy who enjoy quality time at a brothel, and the time spent is increasing at the expense of work.
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Rhapsody in Blue 1945 N/R, 135 min.
Genre: Drama / Musical
Director: Irving Rapper
Cast: Robert Alda, Joan Leslie, Alexis Smith, Charles Coburn, Julie Bishop, Albert Bassermann, Morris Carnovsky, Rosemary DeCamp, Ira Gershwin, Darryl Hickman
Robert Alda stars in this well-made biography of the composer George Gershwin who is determined to succeed. The story may be short on actual facts, but it is certainly long on entertainment value.
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The Serpent 1972 PG, 113 min.
Genre: Thriller
aka: Night Flight from Moscow
Le Serpent
Director: Henri Verneuil
Cast: Yul Brynner, Henry Fonda, Dirk Bogarde, Philippe Noiret, Virna Lisi, Farley Granger, Robert Alda, Marie Dubois, Michel Bouquet, Martin Held
In this film adaptation of Pierre Nord's "Le 13e Suicide" a Russian diplomat (Yul Brynner) defects to the West–along with top-secret Soviet documents.
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Spider-Man Strikes Back 1978  TV, 90 min.
Genre: Family / Action / Fantasy
Director: Ron Satlof
Cast: Nicholas Hammond, Robert F. Simon, Chip Fields, Michael Pataki, JoAnna Cameron, Robert Alda, Emil Farkas, Anne Bloom, Lawrence P. Casey, Wil Albert, Sidney Clute, Gino Ardito, Leigh Kavanaugh, Ron Hajek, David Somerville
Here comes the second TV production of the Marvel comics superhero, again starring Nicholas Hammond as Peter Parker a.k.a. Spider-Man. University students get their hands on all they need to create an atomic bomb. While Spider-Man deals with side issues, the wealthy, but bad, Mr. White (Robert Alda) attempts to get the bomb in order to threaten the world. Will our hero come through?
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The Squeeze 1978 R, 100 min.
Genre: Action
aka: Diamond Thieves
Director: Antonio Margheriti
Cast: Lee Van Cleef, Karen Black, Edward Albert, Lionel Stander, Robert Alda, Angelo Infanti, Antonella Murgia, Peter Carsten, Dan van Husen, Dyane Silverstein, Ron Van Clief, Roy Brocksmith
Chris (Lee Van Cleef) is talked into coming out of retirement for one more heist using his talent to help a German group pull off a million dollar theft. But he gets wind of the fact that his associates intend to kill him after completion of the job, so he beats them to the punch, killing them. However, Chris is wounded in the process. Luckily, he has a perfect nursemaid–Clarisse (Karen Black) to help him recover. One of Lee Van Cleef's weaker films.
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Tarzan and the Slave Girl 1950 N/R, 74 min.
Genre: Adventure
aka: Tarzan and the Jungle Queen
Director: Lee Sholem
Cast: Lex Barker, Vanessa Brown, Robert Alda, Denise Darcel, Hurd Hatfield, Arthur Shields, Anthony Caruso, Robert Warwick, Paul E. Burns, Mary Ellen Kay
Tarzan (Lex Barker) searches for a tribe of iron worshippers who are holding a group of native women–and Jane–captive.
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| 1. The Beast with Five Fingers (1946)
2. Bittersweet Love (1976)
3. Cinderella Jones (1946)
4. Cloak and Dagger (1946)
5. The Devil's Hand (1961)
aka: Devil's Doll
aka: Live to Love
aka: The Naked Goddess
6. I Will, I Will...for Now (1976)
7. Imitation of Life (1959)
8. Love by Appointment (1976)
9. Rhapsody in Blue (1945)
10. The Serpent (1972)
aka: Night Flight from Moscow
aka: Le Serpent
11. Spider-Man Strikes Back (1978)
12. The Squeeze (1978)
aka: Diamond Thieves
13. Tarzan and the Slave Girl (1950)
aka: Tarzan and the Jungle Queen
In The News
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