Norris, Edward

Boys Town

Spencer Tracy won an Oscar for his portrayal of Father Flanagan, who opens Boys Town and dedicates himself to helping juvenile delinquents go straight. Mickey Rooney plays one of the tougher kids, figuring out early on that Flanagan is nobody's fool. Warmhearted and inspiring, the film's inevitable sentimentality is nicely cut by Tracy's performance and a smart script by Eleanore Griffin and Dore Schary (who also won Oscars). A good film for all ages, directed by Norman Taurog (Adventures of Tom Sawyer). --Tom Keogh

Spencer Tracy and Mickey Rooney both won Oscars(R) in 1938 for their work in this touching and inspirational story of Father Flanagan and his young delinquent charges. Year: 1938 Director: Norman Taurog Starring: Spencer Tracy Mickey Rooney Henry HullRunning Time: 93 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA UPC: 012569677142

The Kentuckian

As an independent producer-star, circus-tough with charisma to burn, Burt Lancaster could be hard on directors. So it wasn't surprising when he decided he could do the job himself. It was a mistake he made only once (apart from cohelming 1974's The Midnight Man). For all his balletic control as an actor-athlete, Lancaster showed no sense of how a film should move and breathe over an hour and a half, or how to make the characters' growth or changes of mind credible. The Kentuckian has a bedrock American folk tale at its core, but scarcely a clue how to tell it.

It's the early 18th century--Monroe is president--and buckskin-clad Lancaster and his son (Donald MacDonald) are lighting out for Texas: "It ain't we don't like people--we like room more." They plan to briefly visit Lancaster's tobacco-dealer brother (John McIntire) in the river town of Humility, then move on. But there are complications from a long-running feud, and some nasty baiting from a whip-cracking storekeeper (Walter Matthau in his film debut); the need to replace their "Texas money" after buying freedom for a bondservant (Dianne Foster); also the matter of deciding who's prettier, her or the local schoolmarm (Diana Lynn). Lancaster aims for some quaint Americana--a sing-along to the tinkling of a pianoforte, a jaw-dropping riverside production number--and there's one nifty bit of action based on how long it took to reload a flintlock rifle. But mostly this film just lies there in overlit CinemaScope. --Richard T. Jameson

Burt Lancaster (Elmer Gantry) makes his directorial debut with this superb, action-packed western. Featuring a poignant, unconventional screenplay by A.B. Guthrie, Jr., and a powerful performance by legendary actor Walter Matthau in his first screen role, The Kentuckian is an unforgettable western adventure of the highest caliber. Big Eli Wakefield (Lancaster) and his youngson, Little Eli (Donald MacDonald), are rugged Kentucky adventurers who long for an exciting life on the Texas frontier. They soon learn, however, that the greatest challenge to their progress lies not in the uncharted wilderness but in the people they meet along the way. Thrust into the midst of abitter family feud, Eli confronts both the deadly rage of a madman (Matthau) and the love of a beautiful woman (Diana Lynn). But when he's lured into a brutal final showdown, Eli discovers that the only way to escape with his life is to stay true to his convictions, his honor and his dream.

Jungle Queen

During World War II the Nazi High Command sends agents into the African jungle to stir up the local Tongghili tribes against the British Allies. This allows them to plant Commander Elise Bork posing as a scientist and her subordinate Lang within the Tambosa Experimental Farm. Along with the help of Maati an evil rival tribesman they search for the legendary Secret Sword which has mysterious powers. Two Americans Bob Elliott (Edward Norris) and Chuck Kelly (Eddie Quillan) arrive to aid the Allies and meet Pamela Courtney (Lois Collier) who is looking for her father an explorer who mysteriously disappeared. Bork and Lang feign friendship with the trio in order to find out what they know before trying several ways to kill them. Their attempts always fail though due to the well-timed appearances of Lothel (Ruth Roman) the beautiful and mysterious Queen of the Jungle Tongghili s spiritual leader. In desperation the Nazis try to kill Lothel by letting loose wild animals and setting fire to the jungle. Lothel however walks through the flames un-harmed and seems to tame even the wildest beast. And in the end she helps our heroes end the Nazi terror and return peace to the jungle before vanishing into a sheet of flame. Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE/CLASSICS UPC: 089859853128 Manufacturer No: 8531

The Alamo/The Kentuckian

Crime Wave / Decoy (Film Noir Double Feature)

A hardboiled cop: Sterling Hayden (The Asphalt Jungle) heads an L.A. manhunt in Crime Wave. A drop-dead dame femme fatale Jean Gille revives her hunk from the dead (!) because he knows where the loot is buried in Decoy.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA UPC: 085391150244 Manufacturer No: 115024

Wagon Trail

Wings Over the Pacific

The drums of war are pounding in the distance, and American expatriate Jim Butler fears that the tiny South Pacific island he and his daughter Nona call home will soon be caught in the fray. The news of America's declaration of war against the Axis powers brings these fears to life, as a German and an American fighter plane crash-land on the island. Wary of drawing attention to Sunday Island, Jim refuses to let either pilot make radio contact with their respective combat units. With Lieutenant Alan Scott and Kurt Heimen essentially prisoners, Butler does his best to hide another secret that would make his home a prime asset for either side-the rich supply of oil on the island. Heimen discovers the oil, and turns to subterfuge and murder to alert his allies. Butler begins to see that choosing sides is inevitable if his South Pacific paradise is to remain free. Starring: Edward Norris Robert Armstrong Directed by : Phil Rosen Screenplay by: George Wallace Sayre DVD Details : Run Time: 61 minutes Number of Discs: 1 Originally Released in 1943 Black White No region encoding; For global distribution.

The Gorilla

The Man from the Alamo [Region 2]

Road Show

A rich playboy commits himself to a lunatic asylum to escape marrying a gold-digging beauty.