Hollywood The Golden Years: The RKO Story - Episode 2: Let’s Face The Music and Dance

Hollywood The Golden Years: The RKO Story - Episode 1: Birth of A Titan

Trapped (1949) Lloyd Bridges

Director: Richard Fleicher

Stars: Lloyd Bridges, Barbara Payton, John Hoyt

Trapped starts like a documentary, or more like a propaganda piece for the US Treasury Department. It talks about how difficult it is to print the nations money and how it's our responsibility to be able to identify a counterfeit note. It also shows the US Treasury in Washington DC, with money being designed, processed and printed.

Trapped stars Lloyd Bridges as Tris Stewart the counterfeiting bad guy. The feds let him out of jail to help locate counterfeit plates, but he double-crosses the cops or did the cops double-cross him? Tris naturally has a love interest Meg Dixon, played by the beautiful Barbara Payton, and Tris does not like any creeps messing with her. Barbara Payton made some bad decisions in her life which led to a short sad life, she died in 1967 at the age of 39. In 1963 she wrote a tell-all book about her life titled "I Am Not Ashamed". Also of note in this film is John Hoyt as the undercover Treasury agent. Hoyt was one of a long list of actors and crew who worked on the film The Conqueror (1956) that died from cancer some years later. Hoyt could be seen in many TV series from the 1950's through the 80's. Trapped has some great location scenes and the film moves at a fast pace. Good film noir entertainment from 1949.★★★

Lloyd Bridges & Barbara Payton

 

 

 

George Carlin With Art Bell Radio Interview (1999)

Over-Exposed (1956) Cleo Moore

 

 

 

Director: Lewis Seiler           

 

Stars: Cleo Moore, Richard Crenna, Isobel Elsom 

 

This is the story of a smart beautiful woman who becomes an expert in photography. That Baton Rouge babe Cleo Moore plays Lila Crane, a girl big on brains but short on luck. This was one of her last pictures, Cleo left showbiz in 1957 at age 33. Less than a week before her 49th birthday Cleo died of a heart attack on October 25, 1973. Richard Crenna was excellent as the love interest, he had a very long career in film and TV, many people still remember him fondly. Over-Exposed was an excellent film that will keep your interest, not only for the gorgeous Cleo Moore but an interesting plot and some clever dialogue. This is a memorable film that will be seen again. ★★★★

           

             Richard Crenna & Cleo Moore

 

 

 

White Fire (1953) Scott Brady

Director: John Gilling     

Stars: Scott Brady, Mary Castle

 

Gregor Stevens (Scott Brady) is a sailor on shore leave off to visit his brother. Unfortunately he finds his brother has been set up for a murder rap, Stevens only has three days to find the murder and clear his brother before he is to be executed. Good British film noir with some interesting plot twists. The beautiful Mary Castle plays Yvonne Durante a night club singer who helps in the search for the real murderer. Mary Castle was  attractive and a fine actress, but she was an alcoholic, she was twice arrested on drunk charges and attempted suicide by hanging herself in her jail cell in 1959, she can be seen in numerous TV programs of the 1950's and 60's. Mary was known as "The lady who looks more like Hayworth than Hayworth does", Mary died in 1998 at the age of 67.  An exciting script and solid acting make White Fire worth seeing more than once.★★★

Mary Castle

One Step Beyond (TV 1960) I Saw You Tomorrow