“Hello, Folks…”

Came across this ad for Stars In My Crown (1950) and thought I’d share it.

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Now Playing, 1958.

Here are a couple of interesting movie marquees from 1958. First, Gary Cooper in Anthony Mann’s Man Of The West playing in Buenos Aires.

Next is a marquee for a theatre on a military base somewhere. Friday’s feature is Frontier Gun, a Regalscope picture with John Agar, Joyce Meadows, Barton MacLane, Robert Strauss, James H. Griffith and Morris Ankrum. It was directed by one of my favorite unsung directors, Paul Landres. On Tuesday is It! The Terror From Beyond Space, a terrific little science fiction thing starring Marshall Thompson and directed by Edward L. Cahn.

That marquee is as good a pitch for joining the military as anything I’ve ever seen. Take me back to 1958 and sign me up!

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A Man Alone (1955) Comes To Charlotte.

My research associate here at 50 Westerns From The 50s (also known as my wife Jennifer) came across this photo of the Albemarle Road Drive-In Theatre in Charlotte, North Carolina.

A Man Alone (1955) is a very good, very overlooked Republic picture directed by and starring Ray Milland. Mary Murphy and Ward Bond co-star. It was on Olive Films’ release list at one point, but it’s been removed. That’s a real shame. The film wasn’t alone at the Albemarle Road Drive-In — it was paired with John Wayne in The Fighting Kentuckian (1949).

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50s Westerns DVD News #134: Gunslinger (1956).

Roger Corman’s Gunslinger (1956), maybe my daughter’s favorite 50s Western (take that, Mystery Science Theater!), has been announced for DVD release from Timeless Media Group on October 15. The set, another Movies 4 You Western Film Collection — also offers Clint Walker and Barry Sullivan in Yuma (1971), Terence Hill in the spaghetti western Man Of The East (1971) and Pioneer Woman (1973). An odd grouping, maybe, but you can’t beat the $6.95 list price.

I’ve written about Gunslinger before, and I’m happy to know it’s going to be available Stateside. Beverly Garland is always terrific, and she’s so cool in this one. Not sure if it’ll be widescreen or not — the PAL version is, and it’s as nice-looking as this cheap little picture is probably capable of looking. And as ridiculous as it sounds, all of us in the Roan household would love to see it make its way to Blu-ray.

UPDATE 9/30/13: Timeless has served up the same widescreen transfer of Gunslinger as the UK release. It’s 1.85, which AIP called “Wide Vision”on the poster. The contrast levels fluctuate a bit, probably the result of the constant rain that plagued its six-day shooting schedule — this is a nice transfer of a cheap movie. Any issues come from Iverson Ranch in 1956, not from the film transfer suite.

As far the other titles, Man Of The East looks terrific — I love the look of those Techniscope spaghetti westerns. Yuma is soft.

What a great poster, too! Reynold Brown, I think.

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“Now he had the kid at the end of a shotgun…”

This ad appeared in the Tucson Daily in September 1959 to promote the upcoming Last Train From Gun Hill, one of my favorite 50s Westerns.

My wife’s been helping out with some web research — she’s better at it than I am — and came across this one. Another thing she unearthed, thanks to Hedda Hopper: Ziva Rodann, who’s plays Kirk Douglas’ wife, was Miss Israel.

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What A Pair! Rory Calhoun And Lita Baron.

On a bit of a Rory Calhoun kick these days. Here he is with the missus, Lita Baron, in a 1955 Chesterfield ad, hawking smokes and Four Guns To The Border (1954).

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Bend Of The River program.

These don’t require much explanation. It’s the cover and one spread from the original program for Anthony Mann’s Bend Of The River (1952). Click on ’em, they get bigger. Enjoy.

 

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Stage To Tucson (1950).

In a recent comment, John Knight mentioned Stage To Tucson (1950), a Rod Cameron picture produced by Harry Joe Brown and shot in the Alabama Hills.

Reminded me of its gorgeous poster art. Wonder who painted that one?

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Baltimore: February 23, 1957.

Baltimore was a good place to be on February 23, 1957 — judging from this page out of The Baltimore Afro-American. Take a look at what was playing:

The Searchers (1956), which needs no explanation.

7th Cavalry (1957), a Columbia Randolph Scott picture directed by Joseph H. Lewis — followed by The Gamma People (1956).

The Brass Legend (1956) stars Hugh O’Brien, Nancy Gates and Raymond Burr. It was directed by Gerd Oswald.

Robert Taylor and Eleanor Parker in Many Rivers To Cross (1955).

Drango (1957) with Jeff Chandler, paired with The Peacemaker (1956), an early feature credit for Ted Post.

Then there’s Stagecoach To Fury (1957), a Regalscope picture with Forrest Tucker and Mari Blanchard. Looks like a rare booking as the top of the bill.

And sprinkled around other theaters: Clark Gable in Raoul Walsh’s The King And Four Queens (1956); Flesh And The Spur (1957), an AIP Western with John Agar, Marla English and Touch Connors; Phil Karlson’s They Rode West (1954); even James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart in The Oklahoma Kid (1939).

Not sure where I would’ve had my mom drop me off.

UPDATE: Each of these theaters (The Roosevelt, The Met, The New Albert and The Regent) are gone.

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From the desk of —

In case you ever wondered what Gene Autry’s letterhead looked like. What a beautiful illustration, complete with camera crew.

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