Among the Directors John Ireland worked with, are the names, Lewis Milestone, Howard Hawks, John Ford, Sam Fuller, Anthony Mann, Stanley Kubrick and even Roger Corman. On screen Ireland came across as the man you didn't want to mess with, but also, with something more going on behind the personality of the character he was portraying.
The actor appeared in a combination of 222 different roles in motion pictures and on television, between 1945 and 1992. This is basically a look at some of Ireland's film work.
For every story there is a beginning and Ireland's started on January 30, 1914.When he was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. His mother was a Scottish piano teacher named Gracie Ferguson. Who is father was, to the day of his death, John never found out, or why his last name had always been Ireland.
His mother moved the two of them to the United States and New York City. Where she married a vaudevillian named Michael James Noonan and had three children. One of three was the future Comedian, Screenplay Writer and Producer, Tommy Noonan, 1953's "Gentleman Prefer Blondes", as Marilyn Monroe's boyfriend, and, the Judy Garland, 1954, "A Star Is Born", as pianist "Danny McGuire".
As for John Ireland's education, that stopped after the 7th Grade. The boy took odd jobs and probably one of the oddest, happened while working at a permanent New York City carnival. One can easily imagine what a "Dead Octopus Wrestler" must have looked like. We know John Ireland performed also performed underwater stunts and at time was a "Carnival Barker".
When exactly this happened, I could not locate, but one day walking past the "Davenport Free Theatre" in the "Hell's Kitchen" area of Manhattan, John Ireland thinking the theater's name meant that there was "No Admission" being charged" to see the show, went inside. Instead of seeing a live stage production. John Ireland found himself a job working behind the stage and getting free acting lessons.
In 1940, John Benjamin Ireland married Elaine Sheldon Rosen. Other than they had two sons, John and Peter, I could not locate anything else about the couple. Except that the two would divorce in 1948.
What I can say is during 1941 actor John Ireland had horned his acting craft to appear on Broadway in a production of William Shakespeare's "Macbeth", starring Maurice Evans and the future Dame Judith Anderson. I couldn't locate the role Ireland portrayed, but this was a start of a short Broadway stage career that ended four years later in Hollywood, California, with 4th billing as "Army Private First Class Windy Craven" in:
A WALK IN THE SUN released December 3, 1945
The film was Directed by Lewis Milestone, 1930's "All Quiet on the Western Front", 1939's "Of Mice and Men" and 1944's "The Purple Heart".
The screenplay was based upon Harry Brown's World War 2 novel. The writing of
the screenplay was by Robert Rossen. As a screenplay writer, Rossen started in
1937 and had written the James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart, 1939 "The
Roaring Twenties", and the Edward G. Robinson, Ida Lupino
and John Garfield, 1941 version of author Jack London's "The Sea Wolf".
The World War 2 story is a hard hitting, no no nonsense look, as was associated with
Director Milestone's films, at one Army Platoon's day on the Italian
Front. Ireland's role was of a letter writing soldier.
MY DARLING CLEMENTINE released October 16, 1946
On a personal note, the motion picture was released on the day I was born.
This was Director John Ford's version of "The Gunfight at the O.K.
Corral". Actually, this was a expanded remake of 20th Century
Fox's earlier, 1939, "Frontier Marshall", starring
Randolph Scott, Nancy Kelly and Cesar Romero.
Both these motion pictures, the entire history of the real Gunfightm and its
on-screen representations through 1994. May be read in my article, "The
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral' Reinvented By Hollywood", found at:
http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2015/03/the-gunfight-at-ok-corral-as-reinvented.html
Henry Fonda was cast as "Wyatt Earp". Fonda, Maureen
O'Hara and Thomas Mitchell had just been seen in the 1943 World War 2 drama,
the "Immoral Sergeant". After this picture, Henry
Fonda would appear with Barbara Bel Geddes and Vincent Prince in the 1947 Film-Noir, "The
Long Night".
Linda Darnell portrayed "Chihuahua". Known for
1940's "The Mark of Zorro", co-starring with Tyrone
Power. Darnell had just been seen in the 1946 Jerome Kern musical "Centennial
Summer". She would follow this picture starring in
1947's "Forever Amber", with co-stars Cornel Wilde
and Richard Greene.
http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2020/06/victor-mature-one-million-bc-to-big.html
Cathy Downs portrayed "Clementine Carter". Prior to this picture, Downs had 6th billing, in the 1946 Film-Noir, "The Dark Corner", starring Lucille Ball and Clifton Webb. She followed the picture with first billing in another Film-Noir, 1947's "For You I Die". In which, Cathy Downs co-starred with Paul Langton. Who would star in the first Abominable Snowman feature, 1954's "Snow Creature", and 1958's. "It, the Terror from Beyond Space".
Walter Brennan portrayed "Old Man Clanton". Brennan started in films in 1925, blink, and you might recognize him as the "Bicycle Owner" in the 1933 "The Invisible Man", or "The Neighbor with an Axe", in 1935's "The Bride of Frankenstein". While in 1944, Walter Brennan portrayed Humphrey Bogart's alcoholic friend in Director Howard Hawks', "To Have and Have Not". Just before this picture, Brennan was in Linda Darnell's 1946 "Centennial Summer" and followed this feature with the 1946 Film-Noir, "Nobody Lives Forever", starring John Garfield.
Tim Holt portrayed "Virgil Earp". Holt would become a 1940's "B" Cowboy star, after a small role in Director John Ford's 1939 "Stagecoach". In 1942, Tim Holt co-starred in Director Orson Welles' "The Magnificent Ambersons". Then the actor went back to "B" Cowboy features until 1948. It was then, that he co-starred in Director John Huston's classic, "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre", and 1958, starred in the Cult Science Fiction movie, "The Monster That Challenged the World". My article, "Tim Holt: Directors John Ford, Orson Welles, John Huston and a Prehistoric Snail" is available to read at:
http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2019/10/tim-holt-directors-john-ford-orson.html
Above left to right is Henry Fonda with shave cream, Ward Bond and Tim Holt.
Ward Bond portrayed "Morgan Earp". Bond was a member of "The John Ford Stock Company" and appeared in many of the directors motion pictures. Such as 1939's "Young Mr. Lincoln", the same years "Drums Along the Mohawks", 1940's "The Grapes of Wrath" and 1945's "They Were Expendable". Then, of course, there are, 1952's "The Quiet Man" and 1956's "The Searchers".
John Ireland portrayed "Billy
Clanton".
In this version of the "Gunfight" the audience first meets the "Earp Brothers", "Wyatt", "Virgil", "Morgan" and the youngest "James", played by Don Garner. They have brought their herd of cattle to just outside of Tombstone, Arizona. "Old Man Clanton" and his family ride up to the "Earp's" camp site and "Clanton" offers to buy their cattle, but is declined. He thanks the brothers, who he hasn't gotten a name from, and leaves. "Wyatt", "Morgan" and "Virgil" head into town and leave "James" in charge of the cattle. When they return, after an incident in town and an offer for "Wyatt" to become Town Marshall, the three find the cattle gone and "James" dead.
This leads the three back to Tombstone and "Wyatt" accepting the Marshall's job. Just then, "Old Man Clanton" and others enter the saloon the brothers are at, there's a small confrontation and "Clayton" asks the new Marshall his name. The reply of "Wyatt Earp", stops "Old Man Clanton", just for a moment and then they leave.
"Doc Holliday" arrives and the towns people are expecting a showdown between him and "Wyatt". Instead, a friendship over respect for each other develops.
"Wyatt" and his brothers have to deal with the "Clanton's" and drive them out of town creating more hard feelings between the two groups.
Above John Ireland is just to the right of Walter Brennan
"Wyatt" and "Holliday" are gamblers and hang out a
lot in the saloon playing poker. There, "Doc" has a relationship with "Chihuahua", the saloon girl and singer, but doesn't know she is also seeing "Billy Clanton".
Then two events take place that change everything and create the subplot to
the famous Gunfight.
The first is the arrival of "Doc's" Boston love interest, "Clementine Carter". Who
has been tracing his whereabouts for months.
"Holliday", is cold toward "Clementine", whose still in love with the man she knew, and wants to help him fight the tuberculous that is slowing killing the Gunfighter. He tells her to leave Tombstone and return to Boston, where she belongs. "Clementine" refuses, and "Holliday" leaves town to get away from old memories.
The second event begins with the start of a fight between the fiery "Chihuahua" and "Clementine" that "Wyatt" breaks up. However, the Marshall notices a silver
cross around the saloon girl's neck and is told that "Doc" gave it too her. The cross
belonged to "James Earp" and he was wearing it the night the boy was murdered. "Wyatt" now leaves town to find and kill "Doc Holliday" for his brother's murder.
The two men meet and before one can kill the other. The truth that "Doc's" innocent comes out and they ride back to Tombstone to confront "Chihuahua". While
at the "Clanton" ranch, plans to stop the "Earp's" are being laid out.
"Doc" and "Wyatt" start to question "Chihuahua" over the necklace and she admits that "Billy Clanton" gave it to her. "Billy", through a window, shoots the girl and
attempting to ride out of town is shot in the back by "Wyatt". Still on his horse
he makes it back to the "Clanton" spread.
"Virgil Earp" is directed to bring "Billy" back in for trial, but when "Virgil" arrives at the "Clanton" ranch. He's told the other is dead. As "Virgil" starts to
leave, he is also shot dead. His body is taken to Tombstone and dumped in the
street.
The famous Gunfight is about to take place, John
Ford style, and only Walter Brennan survives. Both Victor Mature and John Ireland are killed.
Eight motion pictures followed "My Darling Clementine" for John Ireland and
two are very interesting Film-Noirs.
The first was "Railroaded", released September
27, 1947.
The film was by Director Anthony Mann. Who made several excellent James Stewart Westerns starting with "Winchester 73" in 1950. More about Mann's work follows in this article.
The screenplay was by John C. Higgins, from a story by Gertrude Walker, and is far
above the norm for a "B" Film-Noir.
John Ireland portrayed "Duke Martin". Martin is one
of two men pulling off the robbery of a bookie joint, that is fronted by a
beauty shop. When a police officer enters the shop during the robbery. The
other robber is killed and "Martin" kills the officer.
Jane Randolph, Val Lewton's 1942 "Cat People" and1948's "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein", portrayed
beautician "Clara Calhoun". "Clara" is an
alcoholic and is actually the one that told her boyfriend, "Duke
Martin", about the backroom bookie operation.
The two are able to frame truck driver, "Steve
Ryan", portrayed Ed Kelly, and it is up to "Police
Sergeant Mickey Ferguson", played by Hugh Beaumont, who believes
"Ryan" is guilty, to get "Martin" and
"Calhoun".
The second Film-Noir has a complete change of
image for both Ireland and Randolph.
"Open Secret" was released on February 14,
1948. The two portray newly weds, "Paul Lester" and "Nancy
Lester", that stop in a small town to visit "Paul's"
Army buddy. They discover that he's missing, but not a person, at first, seems to know anything or if "Paul's" Army Buddy existed in the small town at all.
The Henry Blankfort, John Bright and Max Wilk screenplay is outstanding. As is
the Directing by John Reinhardt. Both demonstrating that budget does not always
equate with quality.
As the "Lester's" question the towns people, they discover its run by a group of White anti-Semites. That believe Jews, like the Army Buddy, and Foreigners, are a
cancer on America. The screenplay pulls no punches and makes Gregory Peck's,
1947 "Gentleman's Agreement", on the same subject, very tame by
comparison.
The townspeople believe they are Patriots fighting to cure a cancer
against American values. Remember, this was right after World War 2, and just
before the start of McCarthyism in the United States. Director John Sturges
would return to this subject, in his 1955, "Bad Day at Black Rock" starring Spencer Tracy, Robert Ryan and Ann Francis. However, he made the story about a missing Native American and Highly Decorated World War 2 Soldier, in a all
White Desert Town,
As the story progresses, "Paul's" Jewish friend turns up dead, and the newly weds become
involved in solving his murder.
In the above still, that's John Ireland's half-brother, Tommy Noonan, to his
left.
The movie has been remastered by the "UCLA
Film Department" and is well worth viewing.
John Ireland now appeared in another of his classic Western roles.
Back in 1946 writer Borden Chase wrote a story for "The Saturday
Evening Post", entitled "The Chisholm
Trail". That same year Director Howard Hawks filmed the story,
but did not copyright the finished motion picture until 1947 and still delayed
it release.
RED RIVER released August 26, 1948
In 1946, Howard Hawks had released his motion picture version of Raymond Chandler's "The Big Sleep", starring husband and wife team, Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. That picture was originally filmed in 1945. In 1948, Howard Hawks also released the Danny Kaye and Virginia Mayo musical "A Song is Born". That movie became the number one box office hit in the United States that year and "Red River", became number two.
My article, "Howard Hawks: 'RIO BRAVO' Remade (?) as 'EL DORADO'
and 'RIO LOBO' starring John Wayne" will be found at:
http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2017/10/howard-hawks-rio-bravo-remade-as-el.html
The screenplay was co-written by Borden Chase. Who would write several of the screenplays for the Anthony Mann and James Stewart Westerns. His co-writer was Charles Schnee, the classic Hollywood expose, 1952's "The Bad
and the Beautiful" starring Lana Turner and Kirk Douglas.
"Red River" had just two main stars, but was filled with
several fine character roles of varying sizes.
The Two Stars:
John Wayne portrayed "Thomas Dunson". He had just
been seen in John Ford's first entry of his "Cavalry
Trilogy", 1948's "Fort Apache", and would
follow this picture with Ford's 1948, "3 Godfathers". For
those interested in the "Cavalry Trilogy", my article, "John Wayne in John
Ford's CAVALRY TRILOGY: 'Fort Apache' 1948. 'She Word A Yellow Ribbon' 1949 and
'Rio Grande" 1950" will be found at:
http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2017/12/john-wayne-in-john-fords-cavalry.html
Montgomery Clift portrayed "Matt Garth". Clift's first
on-screen appearance, at age 19, was in "Hay Fever". A made for
television movie, in 1939, on the NBC experimental television
station W2XBS, in New York City. It would be nine years before Montgomery Clift was again seen on-screen and that was 1948's, "The
Search". Which would be followed by the earlier made "Red
River".
Some of the Supporting Cast Included:
Joanne Dru portrayed "Tess Millay". Her only other feature film, prior to this, was 1946's "Abie's Irish Rose". That was based upon a 1922 radio play, turned into a 1927 Broadway play and a 1928 silent movie. Dru followed "Red River", one year later, with Director John Ford's "She Wore A Yellow Ribbon".
Walter Brennan portrayed "Nadine Groot". Brennan was in the 1948 Comedy, Drama, Romance "Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay!" and followed the picture with the Robert Mitchum, 1948 Western, "Blood on the Moon".
John Ireland portrayed Gunfighter turned Drover "Cherry Valance". He had just been seen as a "Confederate Officer" in the 1948 Red Skelton Comedy, "A Southern Yankee". It what might be John Ireland's most unusual role. The actor portrayed "French Army Captain Jean de la Boussac, St. Severe", in the 1948, Ingrid Bergman and Jose Ferrer, "Joan of Arc".
Harry Carey, Sr., who had been one of young John Wayne's mentors, portrayed "Mr. Melville". Carey was both a Silent Screen and 1930 "B" Cowboy hero. He had just been seen in John Wayne's, 1947, "Angel and the Badman".
Above John Wayne is on the left, Montgomery Clift, and Harry Carey, Jr.in the foreground on the right.
Paul Fix portrayed "Teeler Yancy". Fix was a friend of Harry Carey, Sr. and is the man who taught John Wayne to walk like he was born in the saddle. He was a very close friend of "The Duke" and had appeared with Wayne, in a row, in 1945's Flame of the Barbary Coast, 1945's "Back to Bataan", 1945's "Dakota", 1947's "Angel and the Badman", and 1947's "Tycoon", leading up to this picture.
Above Paul Fix with Walter Brennan
Fix would become "Marshall Micah Torrance" on television's "The Rifleman". My article, "PAUL FIX: The Character Actor Who Taught John Wayne to Walk" is at:
http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2018/02/paul-fix-character-actor-who-taught.html
Noah Beery, Jr. portrayed "Buster". On television the actor was known for "Circus Boy" with a very young Mickey Dolenz, "Riverboat" with Darren McGavin, "The Rockford Files" with James Gardner,
Above Noah Berry, Jr with Montgomery Clift.
"Tom Dunson" wants a cattle ranch in Texas and prepares to leave from California with his trail hand "Nadine Groot". After the two set off, he learns that the girl he planned to marry, "Fen", played by Coleen Grey, Henry Hathaway's 1947 Film-Noir "Kiss of Death", Stanley Kurbrick's 1956 "The Killing" and 1960's "The Leech Woman", was killed in an Indian attack on the wagon train that he told her to follow him on.
"Tom" and "Nadine" are attacked by Indians and find one of the dead Indians wearing "Tom's" mother's bracelet that he gave "Fen". This is followed by the arrival, in their camp, of the wagon train's only survivor. He's a young boy named "Matt Garth", that "Dunson" adopts and gives him the bracelet.
The three cross the "Red River" intoTexas and "Dunson" starts his ranch, the "Red River D". That letter is on his cattle brand and promises to add a "M", once "Matt's" earns it.
Move forward 14 years and a large cattle drive. "Dunson" wants to drive the herd hundreds of miles north to the railhead at Sedalia, Missouri. One of the hands, is the professional gunfighter, "Cherry Valance". He tells "Tom" and "Matt", who he's befriended, of a railhead at the closer Abilene, Kansas, but "Dunson" learns that "Cherry" has never seen it and will continue to go for Sedalia.
Later, when "Dunson" wants to lynch two men for stealing supplies and wanting to leave the drive. "Matt" rebels and takes over the herd, leaves "Dunson" in the desert, and with "Cherry" and "Buster" as his two right hands. Now heads up the old Chisholm Trail for Abilene, being followed by "Dunson". Who has vowed to kill "Matt".
When, "Matt" arrives in Abilene, with the first ever cattle drive, he arranges for a higher purchase price for the cattle than could have been gotten in Sedalia. Also, they have more cattle still alive and that means more money then "Tom" could have gotten. "Matt" has the check made out to "Tom Dunson". "Tess" gets to town before "Dunson" and warns "Matt".
The climax comes as "Cherry Valance" challenges "Dunson" to protect "Matt". "Tom" shoots "Cherry", but the other has hit "Dunson".
Back on February 26, 1949. Director and Screenplay writer Sam Fuller, released:
I SHOT JESSE JAMES
Preston Foster portrayed the fictional "John Kelly". Foster was the title character in 1932's "Dr. X". the first Technicolor Horror movie. Preston Foster was a leading man during the 1930's and into the 1940's. He would have the lead in the 78 episode, 1954, television series "Waterfront".
Barbara Britton portrayed the fictional "Cathy Walters". Britton started her on-screen roles with the 1941 "Hopalong Cassidy" entry "Secret of the Wastelands". She co-starred with Charles Laughton and Randolph Scott in 1945's "Captain Kidd", the following year, she co-starred with Louis Hayward in "The Return of Monte Christo". However, it was appearing on television with Richard Denning in the series "Mr. and Mrs. North", and in 1950's and 1960's commercials as "The Revlon Girl", that she is remembered for.
Third billed John Ireland portrayed "Robert 'Bob' Ford".
Sam Fuller, ever that rebel, was able to get around the censors, but implies that "Bob" and "Jesse" are having a homosexual relationship. This is shown in a bath scene.
However, before the singer in half-way through the song, "Robert Ford" identifies himself, and has the frightened singer finish the song.
The film's climax comes on the streets of town, as "Robert Ford" faces "John Kelly". "Kelly", like the "Earp's" in the real gunfight, has a shotgun against "Ford's" pistol and a shotgun always wins.
My article, "Samuel 'Sam' Fuller" The Ever Present Cigar and Six Movies: 'I Shot Jesse James' 1949, 'The Baron of Arizona' 1950, 'The Steel Helmet' 1951, 'Pick Up on South Street' 1951, 'Shock Corridor' 1963 and 'The Big Red One' 1980" is available to read at:
http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2017/02/samuel-sam-fuller-ever-present-cigar.html
There would another seven motion pictures that John Ireland would appear in during 1949. I want to look at just two of them.
Writer Philip Yordan wrote the screenplays for 1945's "Dillinger", 1951's "Detective Story", 1954's "Naked Jungle", 1954's "Broken Lance", and four for Producer Samuel Bronson. Two of which I will mention later, but back in 1944. Philip Yordan had written a successful Broadway play and five years later, wanted to turn it, as both Producer and Screenplay writer, into a motion picture.
ANNA LUCASTA released July 11, 1949
William Bishop portrayed "Rudolf Strobel". His first fifteen on-screen roles were so small, Bishop received no credit. Then he started appearing in "B" Westerns in supporting roles. Basically during the 1950's, William Bishop appeared on different television shows.
John Ireland portrayed "Danny Johnson". Ireland had just been seen in the 1949 Randolph Scott and George Macready Western "The Doolins of Oklahoma". He would follow this picture, co-starring with Glenn Ford and Evelyn Keyes, in 1949's Crime Drama, "Mr. Soft Touch".
Oscar Homolka portrayed "Anna's Father Joe Lucasta". Homolka was an Austrian character actor that left his homeland with the rise of Adolph Hitler. He worked first in the U.K. and then moved to the United States. Among his films are, Alfred Hitchcock's 1936 "Sabotage", the Clark Gable and Heddy Lamarr 1940 "Comrade X", 1950's Glenn Ford and Sir Cedric Hardwicke's "The White Tower" and Director King Vidor's 1956 version of Leo Tolstoy's "War and Peace" starring Henry Fonda and Audrey Hepburn.
Above Oscar Homolka and Paulette Goddard
Broderick Crawford portrayed "Anna's brother-in-law, Frank". Crawford had been in the classic 1939 version of "Beau Geste" starring Gary Cooper, Ray Milland and Robert Preston as "The Geste Brothers". He starred in the 1940 Western "When the Daltons Rode", as "Brod" Crawford, the actor was in Universal Pictures 1941 "The Black Cat" and between 1955 and 1959, Broderick Crawford was "Captain Dan Matthews" for 155 episodes of television's "Highway Patrol".
"Anna", normally lives in Brooklyn, and works at a bar called "Noah's Ark". She has fallen for a Merchant Sailor named "Danny Johnson" and when he saves up enough money, to "Go Ashore", retire. "Anna" believes "Danny" will ask her to marry him.
"Rudolf" meets "Anna" at a local bar and this leads to both dinner and a marriage proposal, but she will give him no answer. "Anna" decides to return to New York and goes to the train station followed by "Rudolf". He persuades her to marry him and gives "Anna" the $4,000, but just before their wedding. The money is stolen by her family.
As "Rudolf" and "Anna" are about to be married, "Danny Johnson" arrives. He has his "Shore Money" and "Joe" threaten to reveal her previous life, as a prostitute, to "Rudolf" unless she now goes with "Danny".
The second motion picture I wanted to mention reunited John Ireland and Broderick Crawford.
ALL THE KING'S MEN released November 8, 1949
The screenplay was by the film's Director Robert Rossen. Who would win the "Best Picture Academy Award" for this film. Rossen was also nominated for both "Best Screenplay" and "Best Director".
The Five Main Characters:
Broderick Crawford portrayed "Willie Stark" and won the "Best Actor Academy Award". He was, of course, just seen in "Anna Lucasta".
John Ireland portrayed "Jack Burden". Ireland was nominated for "Best Supporting Actor".
Joanne Dru portrayed "Anne Stanton". Before the years end she would become "Mrs. John Ireland". The two would divorce in 1957. Dru had just been seen in Director John Ford's "She Wore A Yellow Ribbon" and would follow this picture with Ford's 1950 "Wagon Master".
John Derek portrayed "Tom Stark, the alcoholic son of Willie Stark" . Derek brought attention to himself as the "Punk Cop Killer" in the Nicolas Ray Directed 1949 "Knock on Any Door" starring Humphrey Bogart. The young actor followed this film with 1950's "Rogues of Sherwood Forest" playing "Robin Hood".
John Derek is in the center of the above picture with Ireland on the far right.
Mercedes McCambridge portrayed "Sadie Burke". The actress won the "Best Supporting Actress Academy Award". McCambridge played Joan Crawford's nemeses in Nicholas Ray's Western "Johnny Guitar" in 1954. She was Rock Hudson's sister in George Stevens version of authoress Edna Ferber's "Giant" and in 1973's "The Exorcist" was a "Demon".
Mercedes McCambridge is to the right of Broderick Crawford, above.
The screenplay is very complex and sees everything from the perspective of journalist "Jack Burden". Who becomes unknown "Willie Stark's" publicity man. It is "Burden" that helps create "Stark's" image as he rises from a Rural County Seat Board member to the Governor's mansion.
Along the way, "Willie Stark" destroys many people. His son kills a female passenger in a DUI accident. Then "Stark" forces him to play in a college football game, he doesn't want to play in, and "Tom" ends up paralyzed. "Stark" is a womanizer and takes "Jack's" girlfriend, "Anne", as his mistress.
In the end, "Jack" and "Anne" plan to destroy the "Legend of Willie Stark", but "Stark" dies and the "Legend" will continue.
Released on April 1, 1950, Columbia Pictures owner Harry "King" Cohn. Who had made "All the King's Men". Now put both his "Best Actor Winner", Broderick Crawford and " Best Supporting Actor" nominee, John Ireland, in a very low budget "B" feature, "Cargo to Capetown". Which was about the Captain of a rusty old freighter, Ireland, fighting with his Chief Engineer, Crawford, over a woman, Ellen Drew, of Val Lewton's 1945 "Isle of the Dead" and Sam Fuller's 1950 "Baron of Arizona".
Next, John Ireland made his first television appearance, July 10, 1950, in an episode of the dramatic anthology series "Starlite Theatre" entitled "The Kiss".
Starting in 1950, the motion picture industry was faced with both Senator Joseph McCarthy and the "House Committee On Un-American Activities", "Blacklisting Producers, Directors and Actors" for, in many cases, unproven Communist associations. All brought on by what historians would call "The Second Red Scare".
To protect itself, the Motion Picture Industry started making "Safe AMERICAN Movies". Which meant the All-American Western, Musicals and Biblical Pictures. For John Ireland this period solidified his "Cowboy Bad Guy Image" with the occasional Film-Noir.
Producer Robert L. Lippert got to thinking, if "I Shot Jesse James" was a money-making Western for him. Why not repeat the formula with another picture featuring the outlaw. Especially as he could get "Oscar Nominated" John Ireland in the title role.
THE RETURN OF JESS JAMES released September 8, 1950
The movie was Directed by Arthur Hilton. Hilton was actually a film editor and would edit over 312 feature films and television programs between 1925 and 1979. As a "B' film Director, his credits only totaled 3, this feature, plus two others. Including the 1953 3-D, Cult Science Fiction movie, "Cat-Women of the Moon", but he also directed 13 television episodes.
The screenplay was based upon a story by Carl K. Hittleman. His screenplays would include the excellent World War 2 thriller "36 Hours", starring James Gardner and Rod Taylor. Plus the 6-day wonders from 1966, "Billy the Kid vs Dracula" and "Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter".
The Three Leads:
John Ireland portrayed "Johnny Callum".
Reed Hadley was back not as "Jesse James", but his brother "Frank James".
Tommy Noonan was back as "Charlie Ford".
Peter Marshall, Joanne Dru's brother, and future original host of televisions "Hollywood Squares", 1966 through 1981, portrayed "George".
The screenplay has "Johnny Callum" enter a Missouri Saloon owned by "Bob" and "Charlie Ford". There has always been a rumor that "Jesse" was never killed. Although "Bob" and "Charlie" claim to have killed him. In the saloon is "Hank 'Pop' Younger", who notices that "Johnny" is the image of "Jesse".
When, "Younger" goes over to introduce himself, "Johnny" calls himself "Tom Howard", the alias used by the real Jesse James. Word is received that the "Clay County Bank" had been robbed earlier and "Younger" now believes that "Johnny" is "Jesse" and the rumors of him not being killed by the "Ford's" is true. Taking, "Mr. Howard", to his home, "Younger" introduces him to his two sons, "Lem" and "Hank", I could not locate the name of the actor in that role, and his daughter "Sue Ellen".
The plan is to dress "Johnny Callum" up as "Jesse" and re-rob all of he banks the gang hit in the same order.
While, in Lebanon, Tennessee, "Frank James" has been living peacefully as "Ben Woodson" with his wife "Anne". He now gets with the authorities and sets a trap for the imposter and his gang. "Frank" knowing the next bank to be rob.
The lawmen kill all of the gang except "Johnny" and "Pop". They turn on each other and "Pop" is killed, but "Johnny" severely wounded. He makes it back to "Sue Ellen" and she tells him to lie down on the bed. She leaves and he hears her outside talking to the lawmen and when she returns with bandages. "Johnny Callum" shoots and kills "Susan 'Sue' Ellen Younger".
Another television appearance and a Western, 1951's "Vengeance Valley", starring Burt Lancaster and Ireland's wife Joanne Dru followed. Ireland was teamed up again with Mercedes McCambridge in a Psychological Film-Noir, 1951's "The Scarf", that did neither actor any good.
John Ireland's politics were considered questionable during the beginnings of the "House Committee On Un-American Activities" investigation of the Motion Picture Industry. Which could actually mean he wasn't a "Communist" or "Fellow Traveler", but a "Leftist" in the "Right Wing" world of American Politics.
John Ireland had signed a contract to star in a weekly television series "The Adventures of Ellery Queen". The series ran on the old "Dumont Network" from October 14, 1950 through December 6, 1951, for 50 episodes. Then moved to ABC, from December 16, 1951 through November 26, 1952, for another 43 episodes.
However, Ireland never portrayed "Ellery Queen" and was dropped by the Producers before production began. The stated reason was his "Undesirable Politics". He sued the producers over a "Breach of Contract" and "Slander" and won an undisclosed amount of money.
On January 21, 1951, John Ireland appeared in the first of two television dramas, "Confession", on "The Philco Television Playhouse". Like many early 1950's anthologies, the name came from its only sponsor and in this case the television set and radio maker, "Philco".
The next film for John Ireland, is a normally forgotten, very good story, based around an attempt to warn George Armstrong Custer of the Sioux that would kill him at the----
LITTLE BIG HORN released June 8, 1951
The motion picture was Directed and Co-written by Charles Marquis Warren, 1952's "Springfield Rife", starring Gary Cooper, 1953's "Arrowhead", starring Charlton Heston and Jack Palance, 1955's "Seven Angry Men", starring Raymond Massey, Jeffrey Hunter and Debra Paget about John Brown and 1958's, "Desert Hell", starring Brian Keith, Barbara Hale and Richard Denning.
The other writer was Harold Shumate. Who had been writing "B" films, of all genres, since 1917 and moved to television.
John Ireland portrayed "Lieutenant John Haywood".
Marie Windsor portrayed "Celie Donlin". Windsor started acting in 1941 and would be seen in small roles in both "B" and "A" list features. In this picture she is having an affair with Ireland establishing the animosity between the two officers. She co-starred in the 1953 3-D Cult Science Fiction "Cat-Women of the Moon", was the villainess in 1955's "Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy", starred in Roger Corman's 1956 "Swamp Women" and switched to television.
Reed Hadley portrayed "Sergeant Major Peter Grierson".
Jim Davis portrayed "Corporal Doan Moylan". Davis started acting in 1942 and would be seen in many Westerns. On television, Davis starred in 1952's "Dangerous Assignment" , "Cowboy G-Men", 1952 through 1953, "Stories of the Century", 1954 through 1955, and 1974's "The Cowboys". In 1978, Jim Davis started playing "Jock Ewing", on the television series, "Dallas".
http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2017/03/high-noon-purple-people-eater-and.html
At a watering hole, 'Donlin" and his men are joined by "Lieutenant Haywood" and a small detail. "Haywood" has been sent to bring them back to "Fort Abraham Lincoln", because word has reached headquarters that "Custer" has already left, ahead of schedule, for the "Little Big Horn".
However, "Captain Phillip Donlin" makes the decision to ignore the order and make a attempt to reach and warn "Custer". "Lieutenant John Haywood" argues that's a suicide mission and refuses to order his men on it. "Donlin" permits "Haywood's" men to return to the Fort, but orders him to become his second-in-command. The date is now June 22, 1876, three days before "Custer" and his troops will reach the Little and Big Horn rivers. "Captain Donlin" now orders a 250 mile forced march. The troop is scouted by a civilian named "Quince" and "Corporal Arika", played by Rodd Redwing.
As the troop moves through a ravine, one of the men spots a Sioux look-out and shoots at him. This raises the question, did the soldier kill the scout, or is he on his way to "Chief Sitting Bull"? "Phil" now orders "John" to go up the ravine and find out. This turns into a hand to hand fight with the Sioux warrior and "John" kills him, but a second Sioux warrior has been watching and is about to kill "Haywood" with an arrow. "Quince" appears and kills the Sioux saves "Lieutenant Haywood".
Worried about his pregnant wife, "Private Arndt Hofstetter", played by Gordon Wynn, convinces "Private Tim Harvey", played by Ted Avery, to desert and return to the Fort. The two are ambushed and "Hofstetter" is saved by "John", who was sent to bring the two back, but "Harvey" is killed by a Sioux arrow.
Now, one by one, the soldiers are being picked off. "Quince" doesn't come back from a scouting trip and "Corporal Arika" finds him staked out and alive. In an attempt to rescue "Quince", "Arika" is killed, and "Quince" dies from his wounds.
"Haywood" returns to stop them. The remaining soldiers discover a ambushed wagon train.
RED MOUNTAIN released in November of 1951
The motion picture was Produced by Hal Wallis. Who between 1929 and 1975, Produced 380 films.
"Red Mountain" was Directed by William Dieterle. He started Directing in his native Germany in 1923 and like many left with the rise of Adolph Hitler. Dieterle also acted in 67 German motion pictures. As a Director, Dieterle's work include, 1936's "The Story of Louis Pasteur" and 1937's "The Life of Emile Zola", both starring Paul Muni, In 1939, he Directed the first sound version of Victor Hugo's "The Hunchback of Notre Dame", starring Charles Laughton and a unknown Maureen O'Hara. In 1944 William Dieterle Directed Ronald Coleman and Marlen Dietrich in "Kismet" and right after this picture, It was Elizabeth Taylor, Dana Andrews and Peter Finch in 1953's "Elephant Walk".
The Four Leading Actors:
Alan Ladd portrayed "Confederate Captain Brett Sherwood". Like many actors in 1950, Ladd had started making Westerns with "Branded". Ladd would follow this picture with a World War 2 drama and then another sudo-Western, 1952's "The Iron Maiden" as "Jim Bowie", and not to forget, the classic 1953 "Shane". However, there was still another form of popular "Safe" movies and they came mainly from the U.K. Alan Ladd found himself in one of these and my article, "Tony Curtis, Alan Ladd and Robert Wagner Visit King Arthur" is available for reading at:
http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2016/05/yonder-lies-castle-of-my-fodder-tony.html
Lizabeth Scott portrayed "Chris". Scott, because of her looks, was often referred to as the "B Picture Lauren Bacall" and appeared in many Film-Noir's. The actress started out on-screen with second billing in 1945's "You Came Along", co-starring Robert Cummings and Don DeFore. Her second motion picture, "The Strange Love of Martha Ivers", moved Scott to third billing behind Barbara Stanwyck and Van Heffin. For Elizabeth Scott's third motion picture, somebody had a sense of humor, The 1947 feature film was "Dead Reckoning" and Lizabeth Scott found herself with second billing to Lauren Bacall's husband, Humphrey Bogart.
Arthur Kennedy portrayed "Lane Waldron". Kennedy started his on-screen career co-starring with James Cagney and Ann Sheridan in 1940's "City for Conquest". His next motion picture dropped the actor to fourth billing, but that was behind Humphrey Bogart, Ida Lupino and Alan Curtis in Director Raul Walsh's 1941, "High Sierra", written by John Huston. That same year, Walsh cast him in "They Died with Their Boots On" starring Errol Flynn and Olivia DeHavilland. Arthur Kennedy would follow this feature with Director Anthony Mann's 1952 "Bend in the River", co-starring with James Stewart. Also that year, was Director Fritz Lang's "Rancho Notorious". In which, Kennedy co-starred with Marlene Dietrich and Mel Ferrer.
In this screenplay. set in 1865 Colorado, everything revolves around a gold mine discovered by "Lane Waldron". "Lane" is rescued from a lynch mob by a unseen marksman that turns out to be "Captain Brett Sherwood". Who is in Colorado to locate and stop "William Quantrill's" unauthorized, by Confederate President "Jefferson Davis", activities. The rogue General is attempting to start a rebellion against the Union by stirring up the local Indians. It should be noted that all the Confederates in this picture are wearing Union Army Uniforms as a disguise. "Lane's" girlfriend, "Chris", arrives and it turns out she hates Confederates and especially "Quantrill" who killed her family. All the diverse plot lines, and there are several, come together in the film's climax. As "William Quantrill" is driven out of Colorado, "Lane" will be killed and, of course, "Brett" gets "Chris" with the dying "Lane Waldron's" best wishes for their future.
THE BUSHWHACKERS released January 8, 1952
This feature was Directed and Co-written by Rod Amateau. This was one of only two feature films he Directed, because Amateau was mainly a television Director and writer.
Tom Gries was the main screenplay writer. Gries was also mainly a writer for the new medium of television.
The Three Leading Actors:
John Ireland portrayed "Jefferson Waring".
Wayne Morris portrayed "Marshal John Harding". In 1937, Morris had the title role of "Kid Galahad", in a film that actually starred Edward G. Robinson, Bette Davis and Humphrey Bogart. In 1939 Morris was in Humphrey Bogart's only Horror movie "The Return of Dr. X". He portrayed "Bob Younger" in 1941's "Bad Men of Missouri", in 1949, Wayne Morris was "Cole Younger" in "The Younger Brothers". One of Wayne Morris' best dramatic roles was in 1957, playing the soon to be executed "Lieutenant Roget", in Director Stanley Kubrick's "Paths of Glory", starring Kirk Douglas.
Dorothy Malone portrayed "Cathy Sharpe". Malone was still four years away from becoming a star with 1956's "Written on the Wind". In which she co-starred with Rock Hudson, Lauren Bacall and Robert Stack. Malone had been acting on-screen since 1940 and had a great small role in Director Howard Hawks' version of Raymond Chandler's "The Big Sleep" starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. Malone was in several other "B" Westerns and several "B" Film-Noirs, but nothing big. Some of her work was for a Producer and Director named Roger Corman.
Jack Elam portrayed "Cree". The gentle, accountant turned character actor, had started appearing on-screen in 1944. His roles were mainly Henchmen for Gangsters, or Hired Killers for the Bad Guy in Westerns. By this motion picture, Elam, had appeared 15 times and would continue to larger roles, but mostly stereo typed, overlooking his great comic timing, that was finally shown in 1969's "Support Your Local Gunfighter" starring James Gardner.
The basic storyline was a repetitious "B" formula turned out by the "Hollywood Studios" since the 1930's. "Artemus Taylor" is a powerful rancher that is driving "Homesteaders" off their land to protect his small cattle empire. As formula, "Marshal Sam Tobin" is on his payroll and into this situation rides "Jefferson Waring". Who ends up siding with the "Homesteaders" against "Taylor" and "Tobin". In the end he gets the girl, "Cathy".
HURRICANE SMITH released October 3, 1952
Director Jerry Hooper started in 1946 with short subjects and it wasn't until 1952 that he moved to feature films. That picture is the very taut and thrilling "Atomic City", starring Gene Barry. It's formula for the early "Cold War", but above average for a "B" entry. The story is about the search for an Atomic Scientist's son, that has been kidnapped by enemy agents to get him to turn over government secrets. This feature was Hopper's second feature film and he would become a major television Director afterwards.
The screenplay was written by Frank Gruber. Gruber wrote primarily "B" Westerns and would also turn to television writing. The story came from the 1922 Gordon Ray Young novel, "Hurricane Williams", part of a forgotten 1920's series of novels about that character.
Yvonne DeCarlo portrayed "Luana Whitmore". The "B" leading actress had just been seen in the 1952 adventure film "Scarlet Angel" with Rock Hudson and Richard Denning, She would next move to fourth billing behind Ricardo Montalban, Pier Angeli and Vittorio Gassman in the 1953 musical "Sombrero". In 1956 DeCarlo played the wife of Charlton Heston's, "Moses", in Cecil B. DeMille's "The Ten Commandments" and in 1964, became "Lily Munster", on the television series "The Munsters".
Speaking of the "Cold War", Ireland's next feature fit right in.
THE 49TH MAN released May 20, 1953
The picture was Directed by Fred F. Sears. Sears would become a major "B" Director for Columbia Pictures, but also acted in 77 feature films. He is best remembered for Directing four Science Fiction Pictures. Two where the double bill of Stop Motion Animator Ray Harryhausen's "Earth vs the Flying Saucers" and the very good Science Fiction, Horror film, "The Werewolf". The third picture was 1957's "The Night the World Exploded" and the fourth, the Cult, laughable, Science Fiction Classic, 1957's "The Giant Claw".
The screenplay was based upon a story by Ivan Tors. Tors had just produced and released the first of his "Office of Scientific Investigation Trilogy", 1953's "The Magnetic Monster", starring Richard Carlson and King Donovan.
The actual writing was by Harry Essex. His next screenplay was 1953's "It Came from Outer Space" and in 1954, Essex wrote "The Creature from the Black Lagoon"
John Ireland was "Government Investigator John Williams".
Richard Denning portrayed "Chief Investigator Paul Reagan". Denny had just been seen in Director Fred F. Sears 1953 "Target Hong Kong". My article, "RICHARD DENNING: HIS SCIENCE FICTION AND HORROR FILMS", can be found at:
http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2020/08/richard-denning-his-science-fiction-and.html
The title refers to the fact that 48 men are hired to smuggle fake atomic bombs into the United States as part of a government "War Game", but it is discovered that 49 were smuggled in. Now the search for "The 49th Man" and the real Atomic Bomb begins.
HANNAH LEE released June 27, 1953
The picture was also known as "Outlaw Territory".
The motion picture was Co-Directed by Lee Garmes and John Ireland. Garmes was a very innovative Cinematographer and between 1918 and 1973 worked on 143 motion pictures. Including , the Gary Cooper and Marlene Dietrich 1930 "Morocco", Howard Hawks' 1932 "Scarface", the Jennifer Jones, Gregory Peck and Joseph Cotton controversial Western, 1946's "Duel in the Sun" and 1951's "The Detective" starring Kirk Douglas. Garmes followed this picture with Howard Hawks' 1955 epic, "The Land of the Pharaohs", starring Jack Hawkins and introducing Joan Collins.
As a Director Lee Garmes only worked upon seven films between 1934 and this feature.
This was John Ireland's first time Directing.
The screenplay was Co-written by author MacKinlay Cantor. Who would win the "Pulitzer Prize" for his 1955 Civil War Novel, "Andersonville". Another of his novels, "The Best Years of Our Lives", about returning World War 2 service men adjusting to civilian life, was made into a classic "Academy Award Winning" 1946 film. In 1950, Cantor and about to be blacklisted, Dalton Trumbo, wrote the screenplay for "Gun Crazy". MacKinlay Cantor followed that movie with two television scripts and then this film.
Alfred Van Ronkel had turned Robert A. Heinlein's novella "Destination Moon" into a classic 1950 George Pal Science Fiction feature. This picture was his second screenplay.
MacDonald Carey portrayed "Bus Crow". Carey first appeared on-screen in 1942's "Take a Letter Darling", co-starring with Rosalind Russell and Fred MacMurray. He followed that film with the 1942 World War 2 story, "Wake Island" and had third billing in Alfred Hitchcock's 1943 "Shadow of a Doubt", co-starring with Teresa Wright and Joseph Cotton. Then, took off some time off for active duty in the Marine Corps and returned to Hollywood in 1947 in "Suddenly It's Spring", co-starring with Paulette Goddard and Fred MacMurray. From 1959 through 1961 MacDonald Carey starred on the television series "Lock Up" and from 1965 through 1994 portrayed "Dr, Tom Horton" on the Soap Opera, "Days of Our Lives".
Above MacDonald Carey with Joanne Dru.
Joanne Dru portrayed "Hallie McLaird aka; Hannah Lee". Dru had just co-starred with James Stewart and Gilbert Roland in Director Anthony Mann's 1953 "Thunder Bay". She would follow this picture with 1953's "Forbidden" starring Tony Curtis.
John Ireland portrayed "Marshall Sam Rochelle".
THE GOOD DIE YOUNG released March 2, 1954 in the U.K. and not until November 29, 1955 in the United States
The screenplay was based upon a novel by American author Richard Macaulay. The actual screenplay was co-written by Lewis Gilbert and British screenplay writer Vernon Harris.
Laurence Harvey portrayed "Miles 'Rave' Ravenscourt". Harvey has been acting in the U,K, since 1948 and his first film seen in the United States. Had been the Tyrone Power and Orson Welles 1950 "The Black Rose", set in 13th Century England. However, the motion picture that brought Laurence Harvey American recognition wouldn't be until 1959 with "Room at the Top", starring Harvey and Simone Signoret.
Rene Ray portrayed "Angela Morgan". Ray was a popular British singer and second lead actress. Her father invented the first operational monoplane and was an associate of Albert Einstein. Rene Ray had been appearing in British films since 1929.
Stanley Baker portrayed "Mike Morgan". Baker first become known to American audiences in the Gregory Peck 1951, "Captain Horatio Hornblower", based upon the C.S. Forester character. In 1953 Stanley Baker portrayed "Modred" in the Robert Taylor and Ava Gardner, "Knights of the Round Table". While in 1956 he was both, "Achilles" in Director Robert Wise' epic "Helen of Troy" and "Attalus" in the Richard Burton "Alexander the Great". Stanley Baker portrayed "CPO 'Butcher' Brown" in 1961's "The Guns of Navarone" starring Gregory Peck and David Niven. The following year he portrayed "Astaroth" in Robert Aldrich's "The Last Days of Sodom and Gomorrah", starring Stewart Granger.
The movie opens with four men sitting in a car about to commit a robbery. How these four came to be there is then explained.
"Joe" is an out of work clerk, who wants to fly to the United States with his wife and escape his domineering mother.
"Eddie" is an AWOL American airman who has a unfaithful wife.
"Ravenscourt" has major gambling debts and talks the other three into the crime.
The film ends in a very bloody robbery gone wrong.
Two more films followed, including the 1954 Western, with Joanne Dru, and then a motion picture from Roger Corman.
THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS released in November 1954
The motion picture was Directed by John Ireland and Edward Sampson. This was Sampson's only film as a Director. He was a film editor and edited 1953's "Hannah Lee" and Roger Corman's 1954 "Monster from the Ocean Floor".
The original story came from Producer Rodger Corman and the screenplay was written by Jerome Odlum, a low "B" writer, and Jean Howell, a television writer.
John Ireland portrayed "Frank Webster".
Dorothy Malone portrayed "Connie Adair". She had just been seen in the 1954 Film-Noir, "Private Hell 36" starring Ida Lupino and her husband Howard Duff , Directed by the unknown Don Siegel.
Two more television dramas and two forgotten features later, would find John Ireland in an off-screen affair with his leading lady, Joan Crawford. The motion picture was---
QUEEN BEE released November 7, 1955
The screenplay was by the pictures Director, Ranald MacDougall. This was his first of only six Directing assignments through 1970. However, as a screenplay writer, MacDougall wrote the Errol Flynn 1945, "Objective Burma", Joan Crawford's 1945, "Mildred Pierce", the Gary Cooper and Lauren Bacall 1950, "Bright Leaf", George Pal's 1954, "Naked Jungle" and the 1959 Science Fiction, "The World, The Flesh and the Devil", that starred Harry Belefonte, Inger Stevens and Mel Ferrer.
Joan Crawford portrayed "Eva Phillips". The previous year, Crawford was "Vienna", in Director Nicholas Ray's classic 1954 Western "Johnny Guitar" with Sterling Hayden and Mercedes McCambrige. The actress would follow this picture with 1956's "Autumn Leaves", co-starring Cliff Robertson and Vera Miles.
"Judd" believes it was "Avery" who revealed his relationship with "Eva", but learns the truth. Both men, in different ways plan to avenge "Carol".
Roger Corman now Produced and Directed---
GUNSLINGER released June 15, 1956
Corman also made two Science Fictions films with actor Paul Birch, 1955's "The Beast with a Million Eyes" and 1955's, "The Day the World Ended", co-starring Richard Denning and Lori Nelson of 1955's "Revenge of the Creature".
The screenplay was co-written by Charles B. Griffith. For Corman, Griffith wrote, 1956's "It Conquered the World", three in 1957, "Not of This Earth", "Attack of the Crab Monsters", and "The Undead". Later he wrote the original 1960 "Little Shop of Horrors".
This was co-screenplay writer Mark Hanna's first and he would co-write "Not of This Earth" and "The Undead". Hanna also wrote the screenplay for 1957's "Amazing Colossal Man" and 1958's "Attack of the 50 Foot Woman".
John Ireland portrayed Gunslinger "Cane Miro".
http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2016/05/four-actresses-challenging-tvs-stereo.html
http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2015/04/peggie-castle-allison-hayes-and-gloria.html
After her husband, "Marshall Scott Hood", played by William Schallert, uncredited roles in both 1949's "Mighty Joe Young" and 1954's "THEM!", but the evil "Dr. Mears" in 1951's "The Man from Planet X" and Patty Duke's father on her television series, is killed. His widow, "Rose" becomes the temporary Marshal of Oracle, Texas, and immediately runs afoul of saloon owner "Erica Page".
Above William Schallert and Beverly Garland
"Erica" sends one of her men to hire an unknown gunslinger to kill "Rose". "Cane Miro" comes to town and "Rose" shoots at him, believing he's the hired killer. "Cane", who is the hired gunfighter, explains he's come after the town's mayor and not "Rose". The mayor commanded an artillery group during the Civil War and under fire ran. His action resulted in the death of many soldiers including "Cane's" brothers.
"Miro" next goes to "Erica's" saloon and she demands that he kill "Rose". "Erica" has been buying up land along the proposed railroad frontage. However, "Cane" isn't as coldblooded as "Erica" and reminds her of a deal the two made to avoid killing "Rose", if the railroad comes to Oracle and the saloon owner becomes very rich and could leave the town.
Between 1955 and the end of 1957, John Ireland appeared 10 times on television, but he also appeared in one 1957 Western that must have seemed like Deja vu for the actor.
THE GUNFIGHT AT THE O.K. CORRAL released May 29, 1957
The screenplay was by Leon Uris. Uris is the author of the novels, 1953's "Battle Cry", 1958's "Exodus" and 1967's "Topaz", among others.
Burt Lancaster portrayed "Wyatt Earp". Lancaster had just been seen in 1956's "The Rainmaker", co-starring with Katharine Hepburn and, 1956's "Trapeze", co-starring Tony Curtis and Gina Lollobrigida.
John Sturges hired his two leads to play the opposite roles, but the two decided to switch on him.
Rhonda Fleming portrayed the fictional gambler "Laura Denbow". Wyatt Earp was married three times, but not one was named either "Clementine Carter", or "Laura Denbow".
Just prior to this picture, Fleming co-starred with Donald O'Connor and Ann Blyth in 1957's, "The Buster Keaton Story". She followed this feature, co-starring with Stewart Granger and Chill Wills in the 1957 Western, "Gun Glory".
Lyle Bettger portrayed "Ike Clanton". Bettger was a major 1950's villain in such features as, Cecil B. DeMille's 1952, "The Greatest Show On Earth", and the Edmond O'Brien and Sterling Hayden 1952 Western the, "Denver and Rio Grande". Bettger was in John Ireland's 1952 "Hurricane Smith", and the Audie Murphy remake of James Stewart's "Destry Rides Again", as 1954's "Destry".
Among Other Roles are:
Earl Holliman as real-life "Charles Bassett". Holliman had been seen as one of the "Devereaux Brothers" in the1954 Western "Broken Lance", starring Spencer Tracy, Richard Widmark and Robert Wagner. He was in the William Holden Korean War drama, 1954's "The Bridges at Toko-Ri", and of course the 1956 Science Fiction classic, "Forbidden Planet". Where he attempted to get "Robby the Robot" drunk.
Kenneth Tobey was "Bat Masterson". Tobey was known for Producer Howard Hawks' 1951, "The Thing from Another World", Stop Motion Animator Ray Harryhausen's, 1953, "The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms" and 1955's, "It Came from Beneath the Sea". Tobey had appeared on television as "Jim Bowie" in the "Davy Crockett at the Alamo" segment of Walt Disney's "Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier" and as "Anthony Murphy", in Disney's 1956, "The Great Locomotive Chase". My article, "My Neighbors Actors Barbara Luddy and Kenneth Tobey" can be read at:
http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2016/10/a-memory-of-my-neighbors-barbara-luddy.html
Lee Van Cleef portrayed "Ed Baily". Van Cleef made his on-screen appearance as "Jack Colby" in Gary Cooper's 1952, "High Noon". Also in 1952, the actor portrayed four different characters on televisions "Space Patrol". The early series was the forerunner of "Star Trek" according to Gene Roddenberry. Van Cleef also killed "The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms" and, as in this film, was basically a Western bad guy and moved to Spahgetti Westerns and restart of his movie career.
The film covers a lot of fictional ground in its two hour and two minute running time.
Part One:
Part Two:
The story now switches to Dodge City, Kansas. Where "Wyatt Earp", after getting a promise from "Holliday" to stay away from that city for his help in "Fort Griffin", finds out that "Doc" and "Kate" are in town. However, a friendship is developing between the Marshal and the Gunfighter and if "Holliday" promises to stay out of trouble. Then "Wyatt" will let "Doc" and "Kate" stay.
Enter, gambler "Laura Denbow", who "Wyatt" now arrests for playing cards. The town rules forbid a woman to gamble.
Back in Dodge City, "Doc" finds out that "Kate" has left him for "Johnny Ringo".
Later, "Shanghai Pierce" and his gang come to town and are confronted by "Wyatt". Guns are not permitted to be worn on the respectable side of the Dodge City's "Deadline".
As "Wyatt" attempts to defuse the situation, "Ringo" goes for his gun and "Holliday" shoots him in the arm. "Shanghai" has his men turn in their guns and they go to the other side of the "Deadline", including "Johnny Ringo".
When "Doc" goes to his room, he finds "Kate", and he refuses to take her back. "Kate" promises to see him dead!
Part Three:
"Wyatt" now receives a letter from his brother, "Virgil Earp", played by John Hudson, to come to Tombstone, Arizona, and help him clean up the town and stop the "Clanton's" led by "Ike" that include "Ringo".
Four American television appearances and than back to the U.K. for "Stormy Crossing aka: Black Tide", released in August 1958. This time Ireland was the hero, a swimming coach named "Griff Parker". Who investigates the murder of one of his students swimming across the English Channel.
Another forgotten film, "No Place to Land", was released October 9, 1958, and than came fourth billing in a big budgeted "A" List motion picture.
PARTY GIRL released October 28, 1958
The movie was Directed by Nicholas Ray. A month earlier Ray's "Wind Across the Everglades", starring Burl Ives and Christopher Plummer was released. Ray would follow this picture with "The Savage Innocents", starring Anthony Quinn and Peter O'Toole in March 1960.
The story was by Leo Katcher, the screenplay writer for the excellent 1951 American version of German Director Fritz Lang's 1931 classic "M", updated to Los Angeles. He wrote the novel "The Big Bankroll", that became 1961's "King of the Roaring 20's: The Life of Arnold Rothstein", starring David Janssen.
The actual screenplay was by George Wells. Who wrote the Frank Sinatra, Esther Williams and Gene Kelly 1949 musical "Take Me Out to the Ball Game", the 1950 Judy Garland and Gene Kelly musical "Summer Stock" and 1957's "Designing Woman", starring Gregory Peck and Lauren Bacall.
Robert Taylor portrayed "Tommy Farrell". Taylor had just appeared in the 1958 Western, "The Law and Jake Wade", and would follow this picture with the 1959 Western, "The Hangman".
Lee J, Cobb portrayed "Rico Angelo". Cobb had just been seen in the 1958 Anthony Mann Western, "Man of the West", starring Gary Cooper and Julie London. The actor would next be seen guest starring in three television dramas.
This was, for its time, a hard hitting look at Chicago gangsters. "Thomas Farrell" is a lawyer for the gangsters and at a party for mob boss "Rico Angelo" meets "Vicki Gaye". "Gaye" was given $100 from "Angelo" to attend his party and $400 from the gambling winnings of "Louis Canetto" for services rendered.
After the party, "Farrell" gives "Gaye" a ride home and each voices objections to how the other makes money. Once home, "Vicki" finds her roommate, "Joy", played by Myrna Hanson, dead from an apparent suicide. It is discovered that "Joy" was pregnant with the child from a gangster and a motive for a fake suicide. After a long night of questioning by the police. The following day, "Farrell" asks "Angelo" to give "Gaye" a raise and a featured number at his club.
"Farrell" has a lame leg, and he uses it as a device to get sympathy from the jurors, one of the things "Vicki Gaye" doesn't like about him, at the trial for mobster "Louis Canetto". Resulting in getting the gangster cleared of a murder charge.
"Farrell" is released and everything comes to a head with first the murder of "Canetto", Next, "Farrell" and "Rico", holding a bottle of acid and threatening to toss it into "Vicki's" face, confront each other. The mob boss wants "Farrell" to go back to doing everything he asks and if the lawyer refuses, the acid will be thrown. In the end the gangster gets the acid in his face and "Farrell" and "Vicki" leave together.
John Ireland now went to Sweden and made "Ked mord i bagaget (Sorry Murder in the Luggage)" that was released first in West Germany on March 20, 1959. The picture would come to the United States, in March 1963, as "No Time to Kill".
On October 18, 1959, Ireland appeared on the Darren McGavin and Burt Reynolds television series, "Riverboat", in the episode entitled "The Fight Back". He followed that television show with appearances of three anthology series and then found himself with eighth billing, just missing out on his name on all the posters, in a major "A" List epic.
SPARTACUS released October 6, 1960
The motion picture was from Executive Producer Kirk Douglas and a had been race between the actor, at Universal International Pictures, and another actor, Yul Bryner, at United Artists, to make the story. Douglas won the race and then encountered his first problem, a Director. Initially, Anthony Mann was hired, but after filming the opening sequence, was let go. Douglas next hired 32 years old Stanley Kubrick. Who had Directed the actor in 1957's "Paths of Glory" and the rest, as the saying goes, was film history.
The screenplay was by, still in 1960, "Blacklisted writer Dalton Trumbo". Kirk Douglas would go against the "Motion Picture Industry" and end Trumbo's "Blacklisting". By giving him full on-screen credit and later, in 1960, Dalton Trumbo's name would appear on the motion picture version of author Leon Uris' "Exodus". A feature film starring Paul Newman, Eva Marie Saint, Sir Ralph Richardson, Lee J. Cobb. Sal Mino and John Derek.
Kirk Douglas portrayed "Spartacus". Douglas had just been seen co-starring with Kim Novak and Ernie Kovacs in 1960's "Strangers When We Meet". He would follow this picture with the hard hitting court room drama, 1961's, "Town Without Pity".
Also, during the filming of "The Cheaters", Ireland met his third wife, Daphine Myrick Cameron. She was 26 years old at the time and Ireland was 48. The two remained married until their deaths in 1992. I could not locate who passed away first. The couple had two children, a daughter, Daphne, and a son, Cameron.
American Producer Samuel Bronston had already filmed, 1959's "John Paul Jones", the 1961 remake of Cecil B.DeMille's, "King of Kings", and the same years, "El Cid". He now turned to another Historical story:
55 DAYS AT PEKING released May 29, 1963
My article, "SAMUEL BRONSTON Movies Featuring A Cast of Thousands" can be found at:
http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2016/04/samuel-bronston-movies-featuring-cast.html
Bronston's films were made before CGI. When they called for large armies, he had to hire literally thousands of extra's and as in this feature, build the entire city of Peking.
Nicholas Ray Directed the epic and just before this picture. Ray had Directed Bronston's 1961, "King of Kings", starring Jeffrey Hunter as "Jesus". It would be another ten years before he Directed again. He had been signed to Direct the 1964 Bronston Production, "Circus World", starring John Wayne, Rita Hayworth and Claudia Cardinale.
Charlton Heston portrayed "American Cavalry Major Matt Lewis". Heston, who had co-starred with Sophia Loren in Bronston's 1961, "El Cid", had just been seen in 1962's, "Diamond Head", and would follow this feature with the 196,3 made for television movie, "The Patriots", as "Thomas Jefferson".
The story revolves around the 1900, "Boxer Rebellion", in China, and the siege, by the "Boxer's", of the European Delegation Compound, for the 55 days of the title.
However, "The Ceremony", was followed by another Historical epic from Samuel Bronston.
THE FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE released March 6, 1964
The feature film was Directed by Anthony Mann.
The screenplay was based upon Edward Gibbon's classic piece of literature, "The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire".
The screenplays three writers were:
Ben Barzman, 1945's "Back to Bataan", 1948's World War 2 orphan allegory "The Boy With the Green Hair", 1961's "El Cid", and 1966's "The Blue Max".
Basilio Franchina, an Italian screenplay writer, also joined with Ben Barzman on 1966's, "The Blue Max".
This was Philip Yordan's fourth screenplay for Samuel Bronston.
Note:
In 2000, Director Ridley Scott released "Gladiator", from a screenplay by Producer David Franzoni. Anyone, especially the World Wide Film Critics, at the time, and Film Historians, who saw that picture. Not only realized it was the same subject matter as the Samuel Bronston feature, but there are scenes, verified by the "Gladiator" screenplay, with the exact same dialogue and camera and actor placements as in the 1964 screenplay. Franzoni claimed he never knew there was a motion picture called "The Fall of the Roman Empire" and Scott said the same.
Sophia Loren portrayed "Lucilla". Loren had just been seen in Italian Director Vittorio De Sica's. 1963, "Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow" and would follow this picture with De Sica's, 1964, "Marriage Italian Style".
John Ireland portrayed "Ballomar".
"Timonides" will prove himself to "Ballomar" and the Germanic tribes become farmers protected by the Emperor.
Everything comes down and the Roman Empire starts to fall. After "Commodus" assassinates his father to become Emperor and restores gladiator games and ignores political realities.
However, "Commodus" lets his ego take control to prove, really to himself, that he is the true Emperor of Rome, He decides to fight "Livius" to the death. In the end "Commodus" is killed, but "Ballomar" and his followers die in the flames of the burning stakes, "Lucilla" is rescued and "Livius'" troops offer him the crown, but he refuses and the two walk away. As bidding now begins for the leadership of the Roman Army and by association the Empire.
Between December 26, 1964 and April 13, 1967, John Ireland appeared on episodes of different television programs. In the case of "Rawhide", he was "Jed Colby" in eight episodes alone.
ODIO PER ODIO (HATE FOR HATE) released August 18, 1967 in Italy
The feature never came to movie theaters in the United States, but did make a European Tour. the U.K. and Ireland.
Domencio Paolella Directed this picture. He had been Directing in the Italian film industry since 1940. During the Peplum (Sword and Sandal) period. Paolella, made three "Hercules" pictures with one of those starring Peter Lupus. From the original television version of "Mission Impossible". When the Italian film industry switched to Spaghetti Westerns, so did Domencio Paoella.
"James Cooper" is a bank robber who teams up with a Mexican youth to take down the robber's ex-partner "Moxon", played by Swiss Actor Mirko Ellis. There;s one motion picture American audiences would know Ellis. This was the Italian Peplum production, "Hannibal", starring Victor Mature as the Carthaginian General that crossed the Alps to conquer Rome.
1967 continued with the American made and cast Western, "Fort Utah". Which was followed by a Adventure film about thieves high jacking a plane full of diamonds. The plane crashes in the Brazilian jungle and the thieves face Amazon head hunters and themselves. The movies title was "Caxambul", the name of the Brazilian city the story starts in. However, the picture was shot in the Philippines. Also during 1967, John Ireland appeared on a two part episode of "Gunsmoke", entitled "Vengeance", as a man named "Parker".
Released June 15, 1967, was Director Robert Aldrich's "The Dirty Dozen". On December 4, 1968, author and screenplay writer Alistair MacLean's, "Where Eagles Dare", had been released. John Ireland was in neither, but between those two World War 2 features was one made in Italy:
DALLE ARDENNE ALL'INFERNO (FROM THE ARDENNES TO HELL) released in Italy on January 13, 1968. When dubbed into English, the title became "DIRTY HEREOS", released first in Ireland, on December 5, 1969.
Do not confuse the English language title of John Ireland's next picture. With the excellent 1951 movie, of the same title, about the Japanese Americans who fought as the "442nd Regimental Combat Team" in Europe, during World War 2.
TUTTO PER TUTTO (ALL FOR ALL) released in Italy on March 27, 1968
When this Spaghetti Western was released in the United States. My reader can take their pick of English language titles, starting with the one I refer too above, "Go For Broke". Then add, "All Out" and "Copperface",
Mark Damon portrayed "Johnny Sweet, aka: The Ace". Fans of Roger Corman's Poe series, know Damon from 1960's "House of Usher". Fans of Italian Horror Master Mario Bava, know Damon from 1963's "Black Sabbath". He became a Producer and Produced the "Directors Cut" of Wolfgang Petersen's 1981 "Das Boot". Mark Damon also Produced 1984's, "The NeverEnding Story". Walt Disney Productions 1986, "Flight of the Navigator" and 1987's, "The Lost Boys".
John Ireland portrayed "The Owl".
Monica Randall portrayed "Maria, Carranza's woman". The actress was born in Barcelona, Spain as Aurora Julia Sarasa, and like many Spanish and Italian actors of the 1960's, took on an American name. Americans saw her, as "Maria", in the Euro Western, from 1971, "Red Sun". That feature was Directed by "James Bond" Director Terence Young and starred Charles Bronson, Toshiro Mifune, Alain Delon and Ursula Andress.
Card shark, "The Ace", needs a horse, fast, and steals one. Unfortunately, for "Johnny Sweet", the horse belongs to Bounty Hunter, "The Owl". "The Owl" catches up with him, but the two become partners hunting down four boxes containing bars of gold,
Yul Bryner, Robert Mitchum and Charles Bronson made 1968's, "Villa Rides". The screenplay was by future Director Sam Peckinpah, but his screenplay was changed drastically with re-writes from Robert Towne and even the Director, Buz Kulik, and Peckinpah disowned it. John Ireland is seen getting a shave and an hair cut in a one scene.
That "hard" piece of acting was followed by another Spaghetti Western, "T'ammazzo!...Raccomandti A Dio (I'll Kill You!...Recommended to God)", released August 17, 1968 in Italy. The English language dub had the title "Trusting Is Good---Shooting Is Better".
John Ireland now took first billing in "Vendetta por Vendetta (Revenge for Revenge)" released in West Germany on September 20, 1968.
John Hamilton, on the features credits, actually Gianni Medici, portrayed "Chaliko (Shalako)"
Loredana Nusciak portrayed "Clara aka: Ann Bower". Nusciak was third billed in the original 1966 "Django"
This Western had the familiar plot line of a drifter and a criminal teaming up to go gold.
Next, John Ireland found himself in an Italian biography of a Cuban leader.
EL 'CHE' GUEVARA released in Italy in November of 1968
The Director was Palo Heusch and ten years prior he Directed the first Italian Science Fiction motion picture, "La Morte Viene Dallo Spazio (Death Come from Space)". Which came to the United States as the dubbed "The Day the Sky Exploded". The uncredited second Director on that picture was Mario Bava and the lead actor was Swiss Actor Paul Hubschmid. Who used the name of Paul Christian. when starring in Ray Harryhausen's 1953, "The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms". Using the Americanized named of Richard Benson, in 1961, Palo Heusch, made "Werewolf in a Girls Dormitory".
Francisco Rabal portrayed "Che Guevara". Between 1942 and 2001, he would appear in 215 Spanish, or Italian roles.
Then it was back to Spahgetti Westerns with "Quel Caldo Maledetto Girono Di Fuoco (That Damn Hot Day of Fire)", released December 13, 1968. Like others, the picture had three different titles in the United States, dropping "The", it was either "Damn Hot Day of Fire", "Gatling Gun", or "Machine Gun Killers".
John Ireland portrayed "Tarpas".
Robert Woods portrayed "Army Captain Chris Tanner". Colorado born Woods, went to Italy in 1965 and made a career out of Spaghetti Westerns.
"Richard Gatling", played by Ennio Baldo, wants to sell his invention to the U.S. Government, but "Tarpas" steals it and "Captain Tanner" goes after him.
Dorothy Malone portrayed "Vanessa Brighton". Malone had just finished a four year run on televisions Prime Time Soap Opera "Peyton Place". She would follow this film with television guest appearances for basically the rest of her career.
Above John Ireland with Austrian actor Robert Hoffmann, first billed in both the Italian and German release of the picture. Ireland was actually fifth billed on the cast listings and Malone first.
Another excellent and must see thriller from Italy, France and Spain followed for John Ireland.
"UNA SULL'ALTRA (ONE ON TOP OF THE OTHER" released in Italy August 15, 1969. It would come to the United States in December 1971.
The picture was Directed by Lucio Fulci from a screenplay by Fulci, Roberto Gianviti and Jose Luis Martinez Molla. The three have put together an excellent homage to Alfred Hitchcock's 1958 "Vertigo".
The picture was actually filmed in San Francisco and Sacramento, California and Reno, Nevada.
Jean Sorel portrayed "Dr. George Dumurrier". French actor Sorel's first on-screen appearance was actually on an episode of the American anthology series, "Robert Mongtomery Presents", in 1955. It would take until 1962 and American Director Sidney Lumet's Italian picture, "A View from the Bridge", before the actor was seen in the United States again. That film would be followed by the French film, "Belle de Jour", starring Christine Deneuve, but the actor was basically unknown even then to Americans.
Marisa Mell portrayed the duo roles of "Susan Dumurrier and Monica Weston". Austrian actress Mell was known for several West German secret agent pictures during the "James Bond" craze and several other thrillers.
Elsa Martinelli portrayed "Jane Bleeker". Italian actress Martinelli's first American film had her playing the Native American girl Kirk Douglas falls in love with, in 1954's, "The Indian Fighter", but the majority of her early work was in Italy. In 1960 Martinelli was in French Director Roger Vadim's Lesbian Vampire movie, "Blood and Roses". However, in 1962, she portrayed "Dallas", in Director Howard Hawks' "Hatari", starring John Wayne and Red Buttons as the man she loves,
John Ireland portrayed "Police Detective Inspector Wald".
Faith Domergue portrayed "Marta". American Domergue, had been in one excellent, but forgotten Universal International Pitures Horror movie, 1955's "Cult of the Cobra", and the same years Science Fiction feature, "This Island Earth". Then for Columbia Pictures, she appeared in the 1955, Ray Harryhausen "It Came from Beneath the Sea". Not to forget the U.K. entry from that same year, "The Atomic Man". My article, "FAITH DOMERGUE: 1955 A.D." can be read at:
http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2019/09/faith-domergue-1955-ad.html
Then another call sends "George" and "Jane" to the "Roaring 20's" strip club and the discovery of a stripper, "Monica Weston", who is a doppelganger of "Susan".
Next, "Monica", a high-class prostitute, is arrested and a search of her apartment, by the police, turns up an envelope with money and "George's" fingerprints on it. As this is happening, "Monica" is released on bail. As the investigation continues, she disappears without a trace. The police turn to "George" and arrest him for murdering his wife for the insurance money and possibly being involved with "Monica", his possible accomplice in the murder.
The screenplay, in the best Hitchcockian traditions, is full of many false leads and twists, as to whose doing this to "George" and why? One such twist is that "Monica" is really "Susan". She faked her own death to implicate her husband, but that's not actually what's happening here. The climax comes as "George's" is being prepared for execution and is led to the electric chair, but I suggest my reader get a copy of this picture.
Taking place in 1627 Spain was:
"ZENABEL" released in Italy on December 12, 1969.
Borger, Texas, born Lauretia Hickerson, using the name Lucretia Love, portrayed "Zenabel", a poor country girl. John Ireland was "Don Alonso Imolene". "Imolene" murdered "Zenabel's" father, a Spanish Nobleman, and took his title. After discovering who she really is, "Zenable" assembles a group of misfits to expose "Imolene", and take back her title.
The movie is actually a Comedy Adventure that failed at the box office, because December 12th was also the date of the "Piazza Fontana Bombing", the headquarters of the "National Agriculture Bank", in Milan, that killed 17 people and wounded another 88. This was the first of a series of bombings in Italy that followed.
"Zenabel" would be re-reissued in 1975, in France, as "The Fury of Desire", with added hardcore pornography, but not involving Love or Ireland's characters. Below is the German DVD releases cover of that version.
That role was followed by his last Italian production, another Spaghetti Western, "La Sfida Dei McKenna (The McKenna Challenge)", released in Italy March 21, 1970. Next, John Ireland returned to Hollywood and had fourteenth billing, as "Mr. James Hadley", in the big budgeted, 28 major International speaking roles, version of author Harold Robbins', "The Adventurers", released on March 25, 1970.
After appearing on two American television programs, John Ireland found himself back with Laurence Harvey in the Israel, France and West Germany, 1972 production, "Escape to the Sun". The picture was loosely based upon the real story of a group of Soviet Jews, attempting to high jack a Soviet commercial airplane, to fly to freedom from Russia to Israel.
Two more television appearances and then back to Spain for a crime film called "Huyendo del halcon (Flying from the Hawk)", released in Madrid on June 11, 1973. John Ireland co-starred with American actress Diane McBain, 45 episodes of the television series "Surfside 6" and the AIP picture, 1968's "The Mini-Skirt Mob". The motion picture, apparently never made it out of Spain.
THE HOUSE OF THE SEVEN CORPSES released in February 1974
The house used for this picture was the original Utah Governor's Mansion.
This was the only feature film of Producer, Writer and Director Paul Harrison. Who worked on television shows prior to making this motion picture.
John Ireland portrayed "Eric Hartman".
Faith Domergue portrayed "Gayle Dorian". Domergue had just been in the Italian thriller. 1971's "The Man with Icy Eyes", and would follow with 1974's Horror entry, "So Evil, My Sister". She stopped acting after appearing in one movie, the Italian entry, 1976's "Amore Grande, Amore Libero".
John Carradine portrayed "Edgar Price". Carradine was now mainly appearing in small roles on television.
Let me know if you've heard this plot before? A film crew decides to make a Horror movie in a real haunted house and brings back to life (?) a dead man that kills them all off.
What came next for John Ireland were three more low budget American movies followed and a return to Italy for another Spaghetti Western. Then returning to American television for an episode of "Planet of the Apes", "The Liberator", on December 6, 1974.
Three more television appearances followed "The Planet of the Apes" and John Ireland portrayed "Detective Nulty", opposite Robert Mitchum as Raymond Chandler's "Philip Marlowe", in the "August 8, 1975 release, of "Farewell My Lovely".
http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2020/11/raymond-chandler-philip-marlowe-from.html
For more work, John Ireland returned to Italy, to make "We Are No Angels", released in Italy on September 26, 1975, "Salon Kitty", released in Italy on March 2, 1976, and "Sex Diary", released on March 26, 1976.
Director Jack Arnold gave viewers 1953's, "It Came from Outer Space", 1954's "The Creature From the Black Lagoon" and 1957's "The Incredible Shrinking Man". Now, he Directed John Ireland as "Dwight McGowan" in the West German and American co-production, "The Swiss Conspiracy", starring David Janssen, Senta Berger and Elke Sommer, the picture was released in Switzerland in March 1976.
Between 1976 and 1991, John Ireland would appear 55 more times on television programs. During this same period, the actor appeared in 20 films with titles like, 1977's "Satan's Cheerleaders", 1979's "On the Air Live with Captain Midnight", 1981's Mexican feature, with Chuck Connors, "Las Mujeres De Jeremias (Jeremiah's Women)", and both released in1985, "Treasure of the Amazon" with Stuart Whitman, Donald Pleasence and Bradford Dillman, and the Italian Horror feature "Miami Golem".