From Republic Pictures and in Truclor. Well – What more could you want – and with an exciting title

Flame of the Islands (1956)

Republic Pictures. With Yvonne DeCarlo in the leading role.

She’s a tough, sensual and glamorous presence as our heroine Rosalind Dee. Yvonne DeCarlo even gets to sing in the film

French language poster for Flame of the Islands (1956)

ABOVE: Zachary Scott and Yvonne DeCarlo in Flame of the Islands (1956).
Republic Studio’s ‘Trucolour’ process was used here , the poor man’s Technicolour. . The better-than-life colours (like the blue of a swimming pool, Yvonne DeCarlo’s ice-pink dress) really stand out on the screen

In fact, for a relatively low-budget film,  ‘Flame of the Islands’is a great viewing experience – the action is set in the Bahamas.

It was definitely filmed on location in the Bahamas and that somehow gives the film an exotic ‘ holiday type’ look

Rosalind upset some of the snobby locals as she belts out’ a raunchy musical performance at the Christmas cocktail party!  

Above: Yvonne DeCarlo and Howard Duff in Flame of the Islands /
Howard Duff comes over as weak a character Doug Duryea, the rich boy who broke DeCarlo’s heart years before – and who she longs to reunite with.

The reliably intense character actress Barbara O’Neil wrings maximum drama from every second she is onscreen as Duff’s neurotic socialite mother Charmaine.

Of course, Charmaine is mortified that her son is entangled with a disreputable nightclub singer with a scandalous past.

Barbara O’Neil ABOVE whose supporting roles in films include ‘ All This and Heaven Too‘ (1940) and ‘Angel Face‘ (1952) / 
James Arness is cast as Reverend Kelly Rand.

The scene where Kelly takes DeCarlo marlin fishing on his boat is one of Flame’s highlights.

Then we come to Zachary Scott who plays Wade Evans, DeCarlo’s best friend who tags along for the adventure.

ABOVE: Zachary Scott in Flame of the Islands (1956)

This must have been a glossy advertisement maybe in a Trade Paper or it could have been a normal Newspaper promotion.

At first glance I wrongly assumed that these were all pictures from Universal Studios but on checking that is certainly not the case

‘Many Rivers to Cross’ 1955 from MGM – the Trailer BELOW makes it look a quite expensive film, as maybe a film starring Robert Taylor, at that time, should have made me realise.

It came just a year or two after he had had a very successful run – in ‘Quo Vadis’ then ‘Ivanhoe’, ‘Knights of the Round Table’ and ‘Quentin Durward’ the last three made in England.

Another Trailer BELOW – and another major film star Glenn Ford in ‘Jubal’

Not just Glenn Ford the film also had Ernest Borgnine, Rod Steiger and Charles Bronson with the lovely Felicia Farr ( I remember her well from ‘The Last Wagon’ ) and English Actress Valerie French who I recall from another of my favourites – with a much lower budget – ‘The Secret of Treasure Mountain’ 1956 released a month earlier than ‘Jubal’

Valerie French had a fling with Rod Steiger during the making of the film and maybe afterwards. They were seen dining out together and there was talk of marriage but that didn’t happen.

She was a British Film Actress who travelled to Hollywood and seemed to have a career there around this time but although she appeared in quite a lot of things – and was active on stage – she never really made the big time

Valerie French was born in London and spent her early childhood in Spain, returning to England to attend Malvern Girls’ College in Worcestershire and then join the BBC drama department.

After several years in television production, she joined the Theatre Royal Repertory Company in Windsor, where she played small parts.

After a screen test and a role in the film “The Constant Husband” in 1955, she went to Hollywood and became a contract actress with Columbia Pictures. She starred opposite Glenn Ford and Rod Steiger in “Jubal” (1956) and with Lee J. Cobb in “The Garment Jungle” (1957).

On Broadway she acted in “Inadmissible Evidence” (1965) and “Help Stamp Out Marriage!” (1966). In “The Mother Lover,” at the Booth Theatre in 1969, she caused something of a sensation by appearing onstage nude with her back to the audience.

Miss French starred on Broadway in Harold Pinter’s “Tea Party” and “The Basement” in 1968, in a 1980 revival of Noel Coward’s “Fallen Angels,” and as the mother, Helen, in a production of “A Taste of Honey” in 1981.

Her television credits include roles in “Have Gun, Will Travel,” “The Prisoner,” “The Nurses,” “Edge of Night” and “Brighter Day.”

She was twice married and twice divorced. In a 1981 interview she said that she and her second husband, the actor Thayer David, had been planning to remarry when he died in 1978.

She died of leukemia in 1990

ABOVE – a favourite of mine – a film that up until relatively recently was impossible to find. I did acquire a 16 mm feature film version a few years ago and had some DVDs made from it – then a DVD was issued in the USA and recently it was shown on Talking Pictures in England. I really enjoyed it. Valerie French was the female lead and was very good in her role.

ABOVE – Valerie French was in this one which I definitely saw at the Cinema – ‘The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake’

It is a film that disturbed me at the time – and in a way still does. I do remember being in a low mood all those years ago when I first saw it, because of a girl I am pretty sure – but even so this film made me – still makes me – uncomfortable.

Interesting to see some of the scenes being filmed – first BELOW with the enormous VistaVision Camera. These scenes would have been done at Paramount Studios in Hollywood where much of the film was made

Grace Kelly looking beautiful as always

Cary Grant would go on to work again for Hitchcock in ‘North By North West’ a few years later but Grace Kelly finished her film career with this one.

Hitchcock however looked around for a ‘replacement’ and Tippi Hedren was spotted – someone with no acting or film experience.

Nevertheless she was coached and trained in acting in preparation for her starring role in ‘The Birds’ a few years later. Hitchcock invested heavily in his new protege and signed her to a 5 year contract which should have been good news for this young actress, but after he made ‘full on’ unwanted advances to her – which were quickly and firmly re-buffed – he barely ever spoke to her again. She did star in ‘Marnie’ for him but after that – nothing. Hitchcock was approached by other companies with a view to casting her but he refused all such requests. By the time her contract was over and she was free, she was no longer in demand – so he had effectively made her career and then destroyed it

ABOVE = Alfred Hitchcock’s name above the title

I have included the above because I find it fascinating to look back on the newspaper advertisements of the day to see what was on, and with which film and where

I have not seen this film in 3D but have just sent for the 3D Blu Ray so, all being well, I might shortly be able to report on it. Like most of us, I know the film well.

Apparently initially when the film was released the 3D craze was on it’s way out – very surprising to me as I loved it – and soon after it reverted to a normal ‘flat’ style. Hitchcock is reported as saying that he always though that 3D would be a nine day wonder – and added that the trouble was that this film came out on the 9th day !!

Well, there was really no alternative viewing in those days – but I have to say that the programme content was generally very good. Typical of the plays we used to get are the ones below :-

ABOVE – ”The River Line’ which was broadcast in May of 1955 with Charles Norgan, Rosalie Crutchley, James Donald and John Charlesworth (Seated)

I well remember John Charlesworth from Billy Bunter and the wonderful film ‘The Blue Peter’ which he must have filmed straight after this play. Very sadly he took his own life about a decade later

‘The Blue Peter’ was a Widescreen Colour film that I saw at the Cinema years ago. The outdoor scenes in Wales – in and around Aberdovey were quite breathtaking on the big screen – particularly the climax on the cliff- I thought that was brilliantly done. sadly it does not have the same impact on the Television screen

ABOVE – ‘Candida’ with Michael Hordern, Irene Worth and Tom Criddle

ABOVE ‘ For Dear Life’ with Malcolm Keen, Patricia Burke, Anthony Oliver (seated) and Hamilton Dyce

ABOVE ‘ For Dear Life’ Patricia Burke and Anthony Oliver

The above are good quality Television plays from 1955 with top actors

This is a Cinema that I went to quite often when on holiday in the City – usually in summertime. I am drawn to this story mainly because of the films mentioned – ones that I know well.

The Cinema opened on Saturday 20th January 1912.

The entrance was between two shops and there was Tudor-style decoration above. With possible theatre use in mind, space was left for a stage and dressing rooms. The seating capacity was 799.

In January 1927 the Cinema was acquired by Captain Frederick A. Webb and renamed the Chequers Cinema.

Early in 1933 the auditorium was extended at the screen end into the space left vacant for possible theatre use. This increased the seating to 1,000.

In the 1950’s the Chequers Cinema was adapted for CinemaScope releases. However, in 1962 the cinema was purchased by a property company for conversion into a supermarket. The Chequers Cinema closed on Saturday 30th June 1962 after a week’s run of two re-issues, “Young at Heart” starring Frank Sinatra and Doris Day, and Guy Madison and Vera Miles in “The Charge at Feather River”.

However, permission for change of use was turned down, on the grounds that a redevelopment of the area was pending. So the owners granted a year’s lease (with an option to renew) to Panton Film Distributors, who, after redecoration and reseating, re-opened the Chequers Cinema on Saturday 1st December 1962 with “The 300 Spartans”, starring Richard Egan and Ralph Richardson.

Unfortunately, the cinema became starved of good, current product and had to rely on revivals and lesser releases. Finally, after the double bill of “Portrait of a Mobster” starring Vic Morrow, and “His Majesty O’Keefe” with Burt Lancaster, on Sunday 18th July 1965, the Chequers Cinema closed for good.

‘His Majesty O Keefe is one of my favourite films and one I saw at the Odeon in St Albans in the summer of 1954 – and to think that around eight years later it would be the very last film ever shown at The Chequers Cinema in the City – What a good film to go out on though !

In 1974 the building was compulsorily purchased by the council. The proposed demolition was delayed, and bingo returned for a while, but the building was adapted to form part of The Maltings development in 1983. The canopy and mock Tudor frontage were removed and three shops created. At the rear, two storeys of shops and business premises have been created.

Princess Diana officially opened The Maltings on14 April 1988

I did feature ‘Tanganyika’ quite recently but have just come up with this advertisement from that time

This was the Double Bill my brother and I saw when we were on holiday in St Albans in 1955

I don’t think that this does either of the films justice – they were both in Colour and looked good on the screen.

The film programme BELOW is much more colourful and appealing – however my own view would be that I would far prefer ‘Tanganyika’ and ‘Johnny Dark’

If you are into car racing films, then ‘Johnny Dark’ gives you plenty of high speed action of two racers flying throughout the open roads of 1950s America.

I am not at all into car racing but the scenery is worth watching and the actors are good with plenty of action

I saw this Western for the first time yesterday and was really impressed by it – the Technicolor print that I saw was first rate with a crystal clear picture. This is the best Western that I have seen for quite a while and is not one I knew but once I started watching I couldn’t leave it until the final frames.

We kick off the action and get into the plot very quickly in the film

Silver Lode is directed by Allan Dwan and written by Karen DeWolf. It stars John Payne, Lizabeth Scott, Dan Duryea, Dolores Moran and Emile Meyer. Music is by Louis Forbes and cinematography by John Alton.

Dan Ballard ( John Payne) is a respected resident of the town Silver Lode, but on his wedding day so-called ‘Marshal’ Fred McCarty ( Dan Duryea) rolls into town looking to arrest him, accusing him of having murdered the Marshal’s brother. The townsfolk refuse to accept the charge and stand up for Dan. Dan loudly protests his innocence, but once suspicious mud is thrown it begins to stick and soon Dan finds some of the townsfolk are turning against him forcing him to take whatever action is necessary to prove his innocence.

John Payne and Lizabeth Scott starred ABOVE – this was very early in the film and they were about to be married when things began to change dramatically

ABOVE – the excellent Dan Duryea – as usual the ‘baddie’ and what a ‘baddie’ he is in this film

ABOVE – Dolore Moran

ABOVE – this time a wounded Dan Duryea.

Dan did come to England on at least two occasions – first in 1953 to film ’36 hours’ and a decade later in 1964 for two films – ‘Walk a Tightrope’ and ‘Do You Know this Voice’

ABOVE – the very attractive Dolores Moran who, I thought was excellent in the film and had one of the best roles – she was well up to it. I am staggered to see that this was her last film = she just packed it in. She was certainly a very capable actress

John Payne on the run towards the final confrontation

John Payne on the run towards the final confrontation passing the church

John Payne and Lizabeth Scott – she did not have that big a part

ABOVE and BEOW – John Payne is wounded but has to go on as he is hunted by the townsfolk

ABOVE and BELOW – the final confrontation

I just thought that after the turmoil we have just had in England politically it would be interesting to go back almost 70 years to 1955 and look at the comparison. At that time Prime Ministers and Cabinet Ministers did not appear on Television but on this occasion in May of that year they did

Anthony Eden took to the airwaves The Prime Minister, hosted a ground-breaking half-hour television election programme for the Conservative Party, pitting government ministers against newspaper editors in the first broadcast of its kind.

The style chosen by Sir Anthony evoked the first televised press conference, staged in the United States earlier the same year by the American president, Dwight D. Eisenhower.

ABOVE – Sir Anthony was flanked by four ministers: the Chancellor, Rab Butler, the Foreign Secretary, Harold Macmillan, the Health Minister, Iain Macleod, and the Minister of Labour, Sir Walter Monckton.

Looking at the above politicians one thing strikes me – they all served their country in Wartime – Harold McMillan and Anthony Eden were both wounded in the First War and Ian MacLoed wounded in France in the Second World War. The other two served in the Wartime Government. Added to this Anthony Eden lost a son in the Second World War.

They had all seen their fair share of conflict and didn’t want to see it again.

ABOVE – Sir Anthony Eden

ABOVE – Sir Anthony Eden in this long shot of the Studio is watched by his wife

BELOW – same era and same year – we turn to more light hearted matters – Billy Bunter with a dis-approving Headmaster Quelch

Gerald Campion played Billy Bunter and Kynaston Reeves was Quelch who I also remember being in one of my favourite horror films ‘Fiend Without a Face’.

What a long Film and Theatre career Angela Lansbury had. ‘Samson and Delilah’ was by no means her first but it was hugely successful at the Box Office. I don’t think it would have enhanced her film career that much as she played, very much second fiddle to Victor Mature and Hedy Lamarr

She played Samson’s wife.

After this her film career was quite uneventful. Over 20 years later she was cast in ‘Bedknobs and Broomsticks’ for Walt Disney playing opposite David Tomlinson who had had great success in ‘Mary Poppins’

According to David Tomlinson’s son, he did not enjoy his time on set with Angela Lansbury and had the impression that she was overawed by him and seemed to try to upstage him when she could – something that, with his experience and talent she was not able to do

When Angela Lansbury accepted the lead in Bedknobs and Broomsticks, she was almost three decades into a film career that had already yielded a number of Academy Award nominations. She was also an established theatre star who’d won Tonys for her lead roles in Mame and Dear World. But despite her track record, she was already starting to be typecast in dull supporting roles by Hollywood. She noted that she was being prematurely aged on screen, playing roles such as Elvis Presley’s mother in Blue Hawaii despite being just 10 years older than him. “I must stop playing bitches on wheels—and people’s mothers,” she joked. “One of these days I’d like to get my hands on a part in which I can hit many chords.”

Bedknobs and Broomsticks drew on her experience as a Broadway star – the role was initially offered to Julie Andrews, who was unsure about it – possibly because of the film’s similarity to Mary Poppins.

Angela Lansbury proved to be the right casting choice as Eglantine Price, a reclusive aspiring witch living in World War II–era Britain. Asked to take in three orphaned children, she’s reluctant at first but quickly bonds with them over their love of the magical arts she’s still learning. Eventually, they link up with the con artist Emelius Browne (played by David Tomlinson), and through use of an enchanted bedknob, they visit other dimensions, rob a cartoon lion, and do battle with invading Nazis using witchcraft. A crazy story to be sure !! but a very good film

A scene from the film

This film had a title that would help to pull us youngsters of the early to mid fifties into our local cinema. Plus it was in Technicolor.

The cast also – maybe not top stars – but we knew them all

This would be a ‘must see’ Western in those days – mind you I can’t remember seeing it at the time in all honesty.

Southern Arizona is the setting for this film that has action, good photography and a nice music score. The plot involves the U.S. Government’s attempt to forge a peace treaty between ancient enemies, the Apaches and Mexicans, the latter of whom the American troops are duty-bound to protect from Cochise’s raiders. Indian-hating Mexicans and trouble-making Americans stand in the way of peace and inflame hostilities on both sides of the border. The Comanches, at war with both the Americans and the Mexicans, hope to enlist Cochise and his Apaches as allies in their war against their enemies.

Robert Stack is the best-known name among a good cast of players who were veterans of many Western films.

John Hodiak is Cochise, and he brings a mannered, formal bearing as the Apache chief

Sam Katzman formerly of Monogram Studios probably could not believe the budget he had with Columbia Pictures for Conquest Of Cochise. Technicolor and location shooting. I bet that he could hardly believe it

 The film is mainly worth watching because of the insight into the Apache way of life , and of course there is a lady involved (Joy Page) we do see her actually kill an Indian in one of their raids. The colours are brilliant, they always are in films of Arizona, and that is an added plus for the film. It is one of the first major Westerns that take sides with the Indians or at least shows a deeper understanding and interest in them.

Robert Stack as the major is more standard military officer routine soldier, while it is the actions of Cochise that keep you engaged.

ABOVE – Robert Stack in an action scene

“Conquest of Cochise” is a competent Western from the team of producer Sam Katzman and director William Castle. shot in glorious Technicolor, against a back-drop of spectacular scenery.

What more could you possibly want