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Reviews
Gunsmoke: Obie Tater (1955)
Kathy Adams
This beautiful co-star has only two credits for her career, but served a much greater role in life, as the wife of Louis L'Amour, who, together with her sons, managed Mr. L'Amour's catalogue! Kathy married L'Amour in 1956, and traveled throughout the world with him, until his death in 1988. She and her son Beau maintain the Louis L'Amour website.
Peter Gunn: The Hunt (1960)
Gordon Oliver
The production values on this episode, utilizing an abandoned mine in the California desert, rate far above the usual studio sets typical of this series. I do think the long drive in Pete's convertible under the desert sun with the top down may have strained credulity a bit, especially with the passengers dark suit and tie, but as the early morning pit stop for gas may ameliorate this concern for heat, the episode does not really give a time-line for the trip.
The real surprise, however, was the casting of Gordon Oliver in a critical role. Mr. Oliver was in fact the executive producer for all 114 episodes of the series, while also producing many popular shows of this period. I guess it was a busman's holiday for him.
Otherwise, I agree with the previous reviewers comments as to this episode.
Marines in the Making (1942)
Semper Fi !
God bless the USMC. Many of the young men in this film paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country on lonely islands in the Pacific, and will forever live in our hearts and memories. When viewed in the context of the horrible and devious tactics of the enemy (witness the fate of the marines on Wake Island), criticism of the contents of this film, and the impression to be made on a still grieving American population (Pearl Harbor occurred only a few months prior to the making of this film) is greatly misplaced and wholly unwarranted. If only our 2014 political leadership had the same commitment to resolution of the world's threats as the greatest generation.
The Crimson City (1928)
A print of this long lost film recently discovered in Argentina
Onoto (Myrna Loy) is slated to be sold to a wealthy Mandarin, but is rescued from the auction block by white fugitive from justice Gregory Kent (John Miljan). Onoto falls in love with Kent, and he with her, but this is 1928, and marriage between races is still taboo. Gallantly, Onoto forsakes Kent so that he may marry his white sweetheart Nadine Howells (Leila Hyams), then sadly disappears into the night. Asian actress Anna May Wong, who by rights should have played the leading role, is consigned to a glorified bit part. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide. In a New York Times article published May 4, 2010, Larry Rohter reports, "In addition, the Museo del Cine (Buenos Aires) has discovered what the Library of Congress says are the only surviving copies of three American films: a 1916 William S. Hart western called "The Aryan"; a 1928 drama called "The Crimson City," with Myrna Loy and Anna May Wong; and a melodrama from 1921 called "The Gilded Lily" and starring Mae Murray."
Eight Iron Men (1952)
Lee Marvin is the only reason to see this film.
Based on a 1945 play by Harry Brown, this dreary movie moves between standard banter between men in a somewhat stressful situation (the bombed out rubble of a house in Italy) who are ordered out but are reluctant to leave a pinned down member of the platoon, and dream sequences that are painful, and populated by Rita Hayworth look-a-likes. While an excellent example of the continuing development of the persona of Lee Marvin, and containing one of last performances of Bonar Colleano, who would be killed in an auto accident a few years later, it is really a vehicle for several Hollywood character actors whose faces but not names come readily to mind (Arthur Franz, Richard Kiley (pre LaMancha), Barney Phillips and James Griffith). Not available on DVD or VHS, it surfaces occasionally on TV in connection with Lee Marvin retrospectives. That is the only reason to see this film.