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A SLIGHT CASE OF MURDER (1938) Next: Dorothy Comingore, Orson Welles & Ruth Warrick

BYE BYE BRAVERMAN (1968)

JENNIFER (1953)

THEY DRIVE BY NIGHT (1940)

INVISIBLE STRIPES (1939)

TELL IT TO THE JUDGE (1949)

SEXTETTE (1978)

GIVE MY REGARDS TO BROADWAY (1948)

ADAM HAD FOUR SONS (1941)

The Virginian

Howard Keel

THUNDERHEAD: SON OF FLICKA (1945) Next: Code

CASINO (1995)

ROBERTA (1935)

TELL IT TO THE JUDGE (1949)

Today's neglected film is from 1950. It has never aired on TCM. The story begins with a heart-pounding sequence. Adele Mara plays a European immigrant traveling to California with her youngest brother (Peter Miles), when they are separated from the rest of their wagon train and ambushed by natives. Fortunately, they are aided by a man (Forrest Tucker) riding the range. He prevents the boy from being sliced open by a hatchet-wielding savage, for which the woman is entirely grateful. Before she and her brother have a chance to get more acquainted with the man, he heads back to the nearest town. She and the boy travel on alone in their covered wagon. In the next sequence, it is revealed that Tucker is a co-owner with Jim Davis in a saloon called The Golden Bear. Davis wants the business all to himself, so he prods a gunslinger with a temper to fire on Tucker. Tucker successfully defends himself, and the other man ends up dead. Interestingly, the slain gunman is the older brother of the immigrant woman and boy seen at the beginning of the story. He had owned a share in a local gold mine. The plot goes in a few expected and unexpected directions. The woman and the younger brother come to town to claim their inheritance. A romantic triangle develops as Davis competes with Tucker for the pretty lady’s affections and the approval of her kid brother. During these scenes, there is some commentary on how outsiders have trouble adjusting to life in this bustling community. Plus, the sheriff is depicted as a man with questionable morals whose badge can be compromised if he is given enough money to look the other way. Meanwhile, a saloon singer (Estelita Rodriguez) wants revenge for the recent killing, because she was in love with the victim. It all may seem familiar to western fans, but there’s considerable action and suspense, and it leads to a final sequence pitting Davis and Tucker against each other on a steep ledge. The friendship of the two actors gives their scenes an extra dimension despite the tenseness of the standoff. At a nearby distance, the woman and the boy wait to see who will live and who will die. Eventually, one of the bodies falls off the ledge and the other one is hanging on to a rope. Quickly the sheriff and his deputies raise the survivor back up to safety. The point of the story seems to be that newcomers to the frontier will never consider going back, because after they’ve passed through to California, there is nothing like a life of western excitement.

I'm a huge fan of Joan Collins. Her earlier British films are very good, especially TURN THE KEY SOFTLY (1953). After her Hollywood years (mid 50s to early 60s) she went back to Britain and appeared in a lot of interesting films through the 70s, until she transitioned over to television. So many distinct phases of her career...and she is someone who would make a great Star of the Month one day, or at least should have a full day in August.

two thousand five hundred sixty-fifth category In the spotlight A STAR IS BORN (1937) GYPSY (1962) DREAMGIRLS (2006)

THE BLUE BIRD (1976)

THE V.I.P.S (1963)

THE GUNFIGHTER (1950)

FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT (1940)

CLEOPATRA (1934)

Spencer Tracy

RAGTIME (1981)