Films on the Hill

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July is traditionally swashbuckler month at Films on the Hill and for this July we have all 1950s films, all Technicolor, set in France, England and the U.S. and all based on either books or history. We begin our series with a bang as Errol Flynn in his last swashbuckler takes on the traitorous French in The Warriors. Moving ahead three centuries, Richard Greene defeats a high born criminal family who has been bleeding English peasants dry in Lorna Doone. Finally, and two hundred years later, Alan Ladd uses a fearsome knife in The Iron Mistress.

Wednesday, July 9 at 7:00 p.m.
The Warriors (1955) in TECHNICOLOR!
Errol Flynn's last swashbuckler is a rousing historical tale set in 14th Century France. Upon regaining control of disputed lands in France, King Edward III returns to England, leaving his son "The Black Prince" (Flynn) behind to guard the lands of Aquitaine. With the French king imprisoned in London, the French nobles are asked to sign a truce laying down their arms and recognizing Edward as the rightful ruler with any acts of aggression to be considered treason. French nobleman Robert De Ville (Peter Finch) plots their attack but overtaxed peasants tip off the English. With only a skeleton army, Flynn has to use all his wiles to avoid capture by the French who complicate matters further by kidnapping an English widow (Joanne Dru) and holding her hostage. Lots of ferocious swashbuckling action including a castle seige and a jousting competition with Flynn in disguise. This is an excellent example of the genre with a totally authentic look and sparse dialogue. With Christopher Lee who broke a finger in one of the duel scenes; the castle is the same one used in Ivanhoe. Click for pictures: Errol Flynn in armor as The Black Prince. Errol Flynn as The Black Prince. Errol Flynn on horseback. Errol Flynn escapes from the tavern. Errol Flynn takes a smoke on the set. Note the ladder. Errol Flynn on the set with an admirer. Errol Flynn signs autographs on the set.
DIRECTED BY HENRY LEVIN. 1955. 85 MINUTES. TECHNICOLOR. CAST: ERROL FLYNN. JOANNE DRU. PETER FINCH.

Preceded by a Charley Chase two-reel comedy The Nickel Nurser (1932). Charley is hired by Mr. Todd (Edward Dillon) to change his daughters' spendthrift ways. Thelma Todd does a hilarious impersonation of Greta Garbo and Billy Gilbert plays the butler. You'll see why we picked this to accompany The Warriors about three-quarters through in this still from the film with Charley Chase and Thelma Todd.
DIRECTED BY WARREN DOANE. 1932. 20 MINUTES. CAST: CHARLEY CHASE. THELMA TODD. BILLY GILBERT.

Saturday, July 12 at 7:00 p.m.
Lorna Doone (1951) in TECHNICOLOR!
Richard Greene and Barbara Hale star in this fun and colorful adventure based on the novel by Richard D. Blackmore. King Charles II declares Sir Ensor Doone and his kinsmen outlaws for supporting Oliver Cromwell's rebellion and orders that their lands be confiscated. But the king is occupied with the war in France and the renegade Doones continue their despotic control of Exmoor Valley, ruthlessly taxing and terrorizing the farmers. John Ridd (Richard Greene) sees his father killed for refusing to pay but finds no justice and joins the villagers who are secretly planning a revolt. But Ensor is hiding another secret regarding the lovely Lorna Doone (Barbara Hale) whom John Ridd has sworn to hate... This was the first Technicolor version of the much-loved story which had been filmed many times earlier. The rugged and picturesque setting includes an impenetrable castle perched on the edge of a cliff protected by a thunderous waterfall. We have a genuine superior image Technicolor print for this show. Click for pictures: Barbara Hale and Richard Greene. A Spanish poster: "destroying his enemies... defending his loved ones."
DIRECTED BY PHIL KARLSON. 1951. 88 MINUTES. TECHNICOLOR. CAST: RICHARD GREENE. BARBARA HALE.

Preceded by a short film to be announced.

Wednesday, July 23 at 7:00 p.m.
The Iron Mistress (1952) in TECHNICOLOR!
Based on the novel by Paul Wellman. Alan Ladd stars as Jim Bowie, the flamboyant frontiersman and adventurer, gambler, real estate entrepreneur and knife-fighting duellist. Bowie arrives in New Orleans to sell his family's lumber; while there he meets John James Audubon who befriends him and introduces him to New Orleans society. Bowie falls in love with duplicitous Virginia Mayo but she has many other suitors including a ruthless politician (Joseph Calleia), a rich duellist and a playboy. But soon he is getting ahead--gambling with the shrewdest cardsharps to win money, entering a horse in the Duncan Cup Race, and getting into the cotton business. While climbing the ladder of success, Bowie makes a number of ruthless enemies, leading him to design his famous double-edged knife, the "iron mistress" of the title. The knife is forged from a meteorite making it unusually durable and sharp, holding its edge far longer in use. The highlight of the novel, the fierce "duel in the dark", is faithfully recreated here. This was Alan Ladd's first film for Warner Brothers after leaving Paramount where he had been one of the studio's great stars for more than a decade. Warner Brothers lavished a big production for his first outing with them. Lavish and impressive Technicolor cinematography by John Seitz; and lots of ferocious action, well-handled by Gordon Douglas; Alan Ladd did his own stunts and broke a bone while missing a punch. We have an especially nice Technicolor print for this show. Click for pictures: Jim Bowie's introduction to society includes the custom of duelling. Alan Ladd and Virginia Mayo. Alan Ladd and Virginia Mayo. A tense scene on the riverboat. Alan Ladd as Jim Bowie returns home to explain his cotton deal to his mother and two brothers. Alan Ladd and gamblers on the riverboat. Alan Ladd and Virginia Mayo at the races. A lobby card. Another lobby card. A German poster. Note that the German title of the film is "The Spell of the Devil." A Belgian poster in French and Flemish. An Italian poster. An ad: "Jim Bowie... a man with his name on a knife--and a woman with a weapon all her own!"
DIRECTED BY GORDON DOUGLAS. 1952. 110 MINUTES. TECHNICOLOR. CAST: ALAN LADD. VIRGINIA MAYO.

Preceded by Confederate Honey (1940), a cartoon spoof on Gone With the Wind.

August is traditionally Westerns month at Films on the Hill. In past Western programs we have covered some of the outlaw gangs such as the Daltons, Billy the Kid and the Younger Brothers as well as some of the famous marshals such as Wyatt Earp. This time we'll see Randolph Scott as leader of the Doolin gang in The Doolins of Oklahoma. Joel McCrea, another great western star is seen in a Technicolor print of South of St. Louis. Buck Jones, whose long career in westerns was cut short by the notorious Coconut Grove fire appears in only his second talking film Shadow Ranch which is paired with Randolph Scott in Frontier Marshal.

Friday, August 1 at 7:00 p.m.
South of St. Louis (1949) in TECHNICOLOR!
A big classic Hollywood Technicolor Western. Joel McCrea, Zachary Scott and Douglas Kennedy are a trio of Texans whose Three Bells Ranch is destroyed by Victor Jory and his band of Union partisans in the early days of the Civil War. The three are forced to part ways--one joins the Confederate army and the other two get involved in gun running schemes while competing with a rival gun-runner (Bob Steele). Despite their differences, the three remain friends and each wears bells on their spurs as a reminder of their ranch. Some complex plot twists along with solid hard-hitting action, both military and melodramatic. As Bosley Crowther of the New York Times said, "And before the Inevitable Conflict has been ended ... there's been the doggondest passel of ridin', shootin', stabbin' and jawin' you could name..." The Western tradition was inherent in Joel McCrea's family. One grandfather had come west via wagon train to San Francisco and the other ran a stage line and fought Apaches. Authenticity became McCrea's stock in trade as a Western film actor and his family heritage played a vital role in his honest portrayals of western characters. The film is a westernized remake of the 1939 Warner Brothers film The Roaring Twenties which had starred Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney and Jeffrey Lynn. A fine supporting cast includes Dorothy Malone, Alexis Smith as a saloon queen, and Alan Hale in one of his last roles. Some big names are behind the camera--Karl Freund did the cinematography and Max Steiner did the music. Click on the links for pictures: Zachary Scott. A Belgian Poster. An ad: "You couldn't tell a traitor from a hero ... and south of St. Louis nobody cared!" Another ad: "With thunderclap violence comes this never-told chapter of Southwest history! Legions ambushing friend and foe alike in a fight that might have gone on forever! A Spanish lobby card: "In this lawless land, a man killed his best friend for a worldly woman ... She had a deceiving smile, a wild soul and the body of a goddess."
DIRECTED BY RAY ENRIGHT. 1949. 88 MINUTES. CAST: JOEL McCREA. ZACHARY SCOTT. DOUGLAS KENNEDY. ALEXIS SMITH. DOROTHY MALONE. VICTOR JORY. BOB STEELE. ALAN HALE. MONTE BLUE.

Preceded by a Tex Avery Technicolor cartoon, Magical Maestro (1952). A magician, scorned by the great opera singer Poochini, gets a spectacular revenge. Replacing the conductor, the magician turns the hapless singer into one thing after another while assorted props appear and disappear. Poochini gamely tries to focus on his performance, which changes each time a different costume pops on and off him. This cartoon contains one of Tex Avery's most famous and notorious gags: a hair seemingly caught in the film projector's gate. The hair twitches annoyingly for a couple of scenes in the lower left side of the screen, until Poochini stops singing and casually plucks and tosses it away. The gag is perfectly set up, and the movement of the hair quite realistic (it slides out of frame a couple of times before getting "caught" again); so real is the gag that conscientious projectionists in theaters around the country complained to MGM about being duped. A label was then slapped onto each film can warning that the "hair" in the film is not real and should be ignored. Click on the links for some of Poochini's costumes: With the rabbits. In a Chinese costume. In an Indian costume. In a ballerina's tutu. In a little boy's sailor suit. A poster.

Wednesday, August 20 at 7:00 p.m.
A Double Feature!
Frontier Marshal (1939)
Randolph Scott plays Wyatt Earp and Cesar Romero is Doc Holliday in this superior B western expertly directed by the great Allan Dwan. Wyatt Earp helps to civilize Tombstone after eliminating a murderous gang in the OK Corral. The film was based on the novel Wyatt Earp, Frontier Marshal by Stuart Lake and John Ford's 1946 film My Darling Clementine was wholly drawn from this film. Fox mogul Darryl Zanuck, insisted the actual name of Wyatt Earp be used in this production, which caused the studio to pay $5,000 to an Earp relative for the use of the name; the relative still sued after the film was released. The film provides historical background including references to Jennie Lind, Lillie Langtry and Eddie Foy (played here by Eddie Foy, Jr. whose father really was kidnapped and forced to perform his act), but it is mostly legend and fiction. As Allan Dwan said, "It was never meant to BE Wyatt Earp. We were just making Frontier Marshal and that could be any frontier marshal." With Ward Bond, John Carradine and Binnie Barnes. Click for pictures: A lobby card with Cesar Romero. A lobby card with Randolph Scott and Nancy Kelly. A lobby card with Randolph Scott. A lobby card with Randolph Scott. A lobby card: "I'm the law in Tombstone! ... from now on it's up to you whether the city or the cemetery is going to grow the fastest!" A costume sketch for Cesar Romero's character.
DIRECTED BY ALAN DWAN. 1939. 71 MINUTES. CAST: RANDOLPH SCOTT. CESAR ROMERO. JOHN CARRADINE. BINNIE BARNES. WARD BOND.

AND

Shadow Ranch (1930)
Buck Jones in his second talking film. Buck's friend (Frank Price) asks him to come to Shadow Ranch where he is trying to help the owner (Marguerite De La Motte). But he arrives too late, just as his murdered friend is being buried. Buck avenges his friend's death and aids the ranch owner who has been fighting a losing battle against vicious land-grabbing, cattle rustling Al Smith. A blazing showdown sets things right again. Atmospheric and a little darker than most Westerns of the time. The film was so popular that it was remade two years later with Ken Maynard. After two hitches in the army, Buck Jones (1889-1942) appeared in various Wild West shows and circuses. In 1917 he began his film career as an extra and stuntman. By 1919 he was playing lead roles and by 1921 he was a popular star. By 1928 things were going so well, Buck formed his own production company and produced his first film which flopped. He then formed his own Wild West show which also failed. Buck had lost a lot of money on these two ventures and went back to the studios. Joining Columbia Pictures, he made his first talkie in 1930. That film and the next seven (including this one), were produced under the auspices of Sol Lesser and many were directed by Louis King, younger brother of the better-known director Henry King. After the first eight films, Columbia continued the series through 1934. Click for pictures: A lobby card: "All talking whirlwind western." A beautiful poster with scenes from the film. A poster.
DIRECTED BY LOUS KING. 1930. 64 MINUTES. CAST: BUCK JONES. MARGUERITE DE LA MOTTE. KATE PRICE. ALBERT J. SMITH.

Friday, August 22 at 7:00 p.m.
The Doolins of Oklahoma (1949)
Randolph Scott stars in this above-average chronicle of one of the last real-life outlaw gangs of the Southwest, the notorious Doolins. The film begins with the massacre of the Dalton gang in 1892; Scott survives and recruits a new gang, including John Ireland and Noah Beery, Jr., leading successful raids against banks and trains. But when things get too hot for them, he insists that they lay low for several months. While the gang members get itchy, Scott is befriended by a deacon and marries the deacon's daughter (Louise Albritton), settling down to a new life as a farmer. But soon the past catches up with him and his old gang tracks him down... Randolph Scott gives a terrific portrayal of a westerner trapped by the coming of the modern age. As one of his partners says, "Before you know it, it'll be against the law to carry a gun." Brisk action, standout cinematography and a well-researched screenplay which provides considerable black humor. With George Macready as the lawman who hunts Scott down. Click for pictures: A poster. A German poster.
DIRECTED BY GORDON DOUGLAS. 1949. 90 MINUTES. CAST: RANDOLPH SCOTT. LOUISE ALBRITTON. GEORGE MACREADY. JOHN IRELAND.

Preceded by a Tex Avery Technicolor cartoon, Deputy Droopy (1955). Droopy and the sheriff are guarding a shipment of gold and move it safely from the stagecoach to a safe; meanwhile two villains are watching and waiting their chance. The sheriff decides to take a nap and tells Droopy, "Now remember the signal: Any kind of noise, drop a pin, let out a yell, anything, and I'll come a-shootin'." The robbers sneak in and attempt to rob the safe but Droopy decides to have some fun with them trying to make them produce a noise. Avery begins with the old cartoon standby of a sneaky person stubbing his toe and running outside to scream, then repeats it in every possible way, funnier each time, until his time runs out. Droopy made his first appearance in Dumb-Hounded (1943). His meek personality and dead-pan voice were modeled on the Wallace Wimple character from the radio comedy Fibber McGee and Molly. Bill Thompson, who played Wimple, was the original voice of Droopy. Click for pictures: The sheriff. The tall robber. The tall robber gets his feet stuck in glue with a firecracker in his mouth.

All films are 16mm. Tickets are $5 unless otherwise noted. All films begin at 7:00 p.m. The doors to the building open half an hour before the show begins and the theater doors open 15 minutes before showtime. Programs are subject to change.

Films on the Hill is located at the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, 545 Seventh Street, S.E., Washington, D.C. 20003. Telephone: (202) 547-6839.

Last updated on July 15, 2008.