Author Archive: Retro

An escaped prisoner flees to the South American jungle, where he must survive not only wild animals and disease, but a ferocious Indian tribe.

On a transcontinental flight from New York City to Los Angeles, Joan Lawson, the flight hostess, attracts the attention of a move producer, Dave Miller, and he tries to persuade her to sign a movie contract.

The gang rescues a wealthy man from a mugging, and tries to put his son on the straight and narrow. Features the two-fisted boys from Dead End in the comedy/drama series. Leo Gorcey, Huntz Hall, Bobby Jordan, Gabe Dell and Billy Benedict.

Writer of pulp detective novels must solve a real murder-mystery when a millionaire is stabbed to death at a costume party. Based on the novel “The Murder of Stephen Kester” by Harriet Ashbrook. Dir. Richard Thorpe

Bright young metal company employee is sent to prison for embezzlement, and plots against those who framed him.

Joe plays a nerdy book reviewer who shaves off his mustache at his girlfriends request, only to be mistaken for his doppelganger; a mobster who just got out of prison. Dir. Edward Sedgwick

Hernandez, commander of the garrison in a small village, joins a group of townsmen with the intention of robbing orphan Manuel of his inheritance. Luke, suffering from a traumatic past and now an alcoholic, is chosen by revolutionary Pancho to be the pawn of the conspirators.

Destitute woman living at the city dump believes her daughter is the rightful heir of a manufacturing tycoon. After the man’s death, mom must prove she was married to the tycoon so her daughter can claim her inheritance. Dir. Richard Thorpe

After a live orchestra opens the show, master of ceremonies Eddie Garr greets the audience from a theater stage and tells them about his trip to Los Angeles, where out-of-work actors are always “acting” while working in their service-industry jobs. Garr then introduces The Diacoffs, a mother and daughter team who perform bicycle feats. Next, The Johnson Brothers, Duke and Harry, perform a juggling act with pins and hats. After Garr introduces comedian Jackie Coogan, the two provide humorous dialogue; however, Garr steals Jackie’s punch lines. Harmonica players Jimmy and Mildred Mulcay perform next, followed by comedian Al Mardo with a trick pit bull. Next, when magician Ormond McGill performs his East Indian Miracle Show and makes five female baton twirlers appear from behind a trick door in the middle of the stage, Garr tries the trick. BettyJane appears with comedians Boyce and Evans, who are costumed as a horse and perform a comedy and [...]