Why Jan Sterling wasn't considered an "A-List" actress is a riddle many film critics and historians still ask? This is a look at ten of her roles during the first ten-years of a career that lasted for forty-one-years.
As to why? I'll let my reader be their own judge ----
Above, Jan Sterling portraying "Sonya Barrow" and Tony Curtis portraying "Paul Callon", in 1952's, "Flesh and Fury", about a deaf boxer being exploited by a gold-digging blonde.
Jane Sterling Adriance was born on April 3, 1921, in New York City. Her father was architect and advertising executive, William Allen Adrian, her mother's name at the time of their marriage was Eleanor Ward, probably from a previous marriage, as she was born Eleanor Deans. Jane grew up in a wealthy household and had a younger sister, "Ann", whose nickname was "Mimi".
Jane's schooling were strictly private schools in New York, until, date unknown, the family moved first to Europe followed by South America. Again, dates unknown, she had private tutors in both London and Paris, but of more importance was London.
British actress Virginia Lillian Emmeline Compton-Mackenzie, known professionally as "Fay Compton", in 1927, had opened the world famous, "Fay Compton Studio of Dramatic Art". We know that Jane Adriance would become one of her students during the families London period. As had a future British actor named Alec Guinness in 1934.
We also know that 16-years-old, Jane Adriance, was in Frankfurt, Germany, and had received money to fly home to the United States in May of 1937. This story comes from her own lips on a pilot for a 1968 television game show that was not sold, entitled "Talking Pictures".
According to the actress, while walking around Frankfurt, she saw some lingerie she really liked in a store window, went in, and used the last of her spending money. Now, needing money for food and other expenses, Jane was able to trade-in her more expensive airship's flight ticket, for a ticket on a steamship going to the United States. On the voyage across the Atlantic, along with the other passengers, she received news about the airship she was originally booked on. On May 6, 1937, in Manchester Township, New Jersey, Jane Adriance would have been a passenger onboard "The Hindenburg".
As of this writing, the following link takes my reader to that unsold pilot.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOCptizPE8k
Does my reader believe in "FATE"? If not, what you're about to read may never have happened!
In January, 1938, at New York City's, Morosco Theatre, on Broadway, Jane Sterling had the role of "Chris Faringdon", in the British play by Ian Hay, "Bachelor Born" aka; "Housemaster". The production would run for just over a year.
The future Jan Sterling's acting career had begun on that stage.
For the 1939, "Summer Stock Season", the 18-years-old actress appeared at the "Elitch Theatre", which first opened in Denver, Colorado, during 1890. That season's leading lady was Jane Wyatt, who later co-starred on televisions, "Father Knows Best", with Robert Young, 1954 -1960.
In 1941, Jane married Canadian born, British actor, John Merivale, director Mario Bava's, 1959, "Caltiki-The Immortal Monster", and director John Huston's, 1963, "The List of Adrian Messenger". Their marriage would last for seven-years, and in 1948, the two divorced.
Sometimes billed as Jane Sterling, other times as Jane Adriance, and there were more variations of the two names. The young actress continued to appear on Broadway and other major legitimate theatre venues during the first half of the 1940's. One of the other stage actresses, Ruth Gordon Jones, known simply as Ruth Gordon, started both on stage and movies in 1915. One of her film roles was portraying
"Mary Todd Lincoln", in 1940's, "Abe Lincoln in Illinois", starring Raymond Massey. Ruth now took Jane under her wing, as the saying goes, and one of the pieces of advise she gave the young actress was to stop changing her name from role to role, and the two decided that Jane Sterling Adriance would now become JAN STERLING. The name that she would be known by in her first motion picture, as the uncredited role of the "Dancer at Fiesta", in the John Wayne, Laraine Day, and Sir Cedric Hardwicke, 1947, adventure romance drama, "Tycoon".
Then, there was her second on-screen appearance with sixth-billing in a classic major motion picture.
JOHNNY BELINDA released on September 14, 1948
Elmer Blaney Harris was a playwright who wrote a 1940 play based upon the life of a local resident of Prince Edward Island, Canada, the location of his summer home, Lydia Elizabeth Dingwell, 1852-1931. The play was "Johnny Belinda" and it opened on Broadway, September 18, 1940.
The Harris play was turned into a motion picture screenplay by two writers, Irma von Cube. Who wrote for German motion pictures between 1928 and 1934, moved to France and wrote films there until moving to the United States in late 1937. Allen Vincent started as an actor from 1929 through 1939, switched to screenplay writing in 1941, and only wrote five screenplays until 1952.
The motion picture was directed by Jean Negulesco, Romanian born Negulesco, started directing as a second unit director with the 1932 version of Ernest Hemmingway's, "A Farewell to Arms", starring Helen Hayes and Gary Cooper. His first motion picture as a director was 1936's, "Crash Donovan", starring Jack Holt and Nan Grey. In 1948, he directed Joan Crawford and John Garfield, in "Humoresque".
Jane Wyman portrayed "Belinda MacDonald", and received the "Academy Award for Best Actress". She was currently married to her third husband, actor Ronald Reagan. The actress had just co-starred with James Stewart ,in 1947's, "Magic Town", and would follow this motion picture co-starring with David Niven, in the 1949 comedy, "A Kiss in the Dark".
Lew Ayres portrayed "Dr. Robert Richardson". The movies, "Dr. Kildare", had just appeared in the 1947, film-noir, "The Unfaithful", co-starring with Ann Sheridan. The actor would follow this picture with 1950's, "The Capture", co-starring Teresa Wright.
Charles Bickford portrayed "Black MacDonald". He had just co-starred with William Bendix and Claire Trevor, in 1948's, "The Babe Ruth Story", and followed this feature film with the Clark Gable and Walter Pidgeon, Second World War story, "Command Decision".
Agnes Moorehead portrayed "Aggie MacDonald". The charter member of Orson Welles' "Mercury Theatre of the Air", had just been seen in the Alexis Smith, Eleanor Parker, and Sydney Greenstreet, 1948 mystery, "The Woman in White". The actress followed this film with the 1948 western, "Station West", co-starring with Dick Powell and Jane Greer.
Stephen McNally portrayed "Laughlin 'Locky' McCormick". The actor had been acting since 1942, billed under his birth name of Horace McNally, and this was his first film under his new first name of Stephen. He next appeared in the Dick Powell, Marta Toren, and Vincent Price, 1948, "Rogue's Regiment". As Horace McNally, the actor had portrayed the role of "Dr. Robert Richardson", in the original 1940 stage production.
Jan Sterling portrayed "Stella McCormick". Sterling followed this picture with fourth-billing in the Alan Ladd, Phyllis Calvert, and Paul Stewart, 1950 film-noir, "Appointment with Danger".
The Basic Screenplay:
"Belinda MacDonald" is a deaf-mute whose mother died in childbirth. She lives on a sheep farm on Cape Breton Island, Canada, with her father "Black MacDonald" and aunt, "Aggie MacDonald", both call her, "Dummy". "Belinda" wears very plain clothes and only once went into town to church and stays mainly on the ranch. Into the small community comes "Dr. Richardson", who teaches "Belinda" sign language, and she starts to communicate with him.
Married woman "Stella", is the doctor's secretary, and is trying to get his attention other than from work. After realizing "Dr. Richardson" is interested in "Belinda MacDonald", "Stella" starts to resent both.
"Locky McCormick" is dating "Stella", and the two, with some others stop at the "MacDonald" farm. They're there to pick-up their orders of grain, which "Black" and "Aggie" make and sell. At the farm, "Locky" first notices "Belinda", and a jealous "Stella" tells him to:
Stay away from the dummy!
There is a dance in town, "Locky" gets drunk, leaves the dance, goes to the "MacDonald" farm, where "Belinda" is alone, and he rapes her.
"Dr. Richardson" takes "Belinda" to see an audiologist, "Dr. Horace M. Gray", portrayed by Jonathan Hale, who not only tests her hearing, but diagnosis "Belinda MacDonald" as being pregnant.
Months have passed, and "Belinda MacDonald" gives birth to a healthy baby boy she names "Johnny". Now the town gossips begin spreading the story that "Dr. Richardson" is the father of "Belinda's" son. "Richardson" goes to "Black" and suggests that he marry "Belinda" to stop the gossips, but "Black" will have nothing to do with that suggestion, believing the doctor doesn't really love his daughter. "Dr. Robert Richardson", as a result of the gossip, leaves town, and takes a position at a Toronto Hospital.
"Locky" arrives at the "MacDonald" farm saying he's there to get some more grain, but is really there to see his son. He makes the mistake of remarking to "Black" that the boy is the:
spittin' image of his father
Thereby, telling "Black MacDonald" that he is the rapist. "Black" follows "Locky" from the farm and threatens the other with exposing him to the town. The two are standing on a cliff and "Locky" throws "Black" off it to his death and the towns people now gossip about the tragic accident. At the same time, they are also celebrating the marriage of upstanding "Laughlin McCormick" to "Stella".
"Aggie" and "Belinda" are trying to keep the farm going, but it is too much for the two. The bills are piling up, because the other family's are boycotting their grain mill. There's a town meeting, and at the urging of "Locky", the decent people declare "Belinda" an unfit mother. The townspeople want to take "Johnny" from her and give the boy to "Locky" and "Stella". However, "Belinda" is able to convince "Stella" that she is a smart and good mother. "Stella" tells "Locky" that "Belinda" should keep her son.
"Stella's" husband now reveals to her that "Johnny" is his son and he wants him. He leaves their house and goes to the farm to get the baby. Entering the farm house, "Locky" pushes "Belinda" aside and starts to go upstairs to the baby's room, which is locked. "Belinda" gets a shot gun, shoots and kills him.
"Belinda MacDonald" is put on trial for murder and "Dr. Robert Richardson" returns.
"Dr. Richardson" testifies that "Belinda" was protecting her family and property, but the court rules he's in love with her and dismisses the testimony. As the judge is about to pass sentence on "Belinda", "Stella" speaks up and reveals that "Locky", on the day he was killed, had confessed to her, that he was the baby's father and had raped "Belinda MacDonald". "Belinda" is freed, and with "Dr. Richardson" and "Aunt Aggie", they leave the town forever.
The release of the 1950, film-noir, "Appointment with Danger", was followed on May 12, 1950, by Jan Sterling's marriage to actor Paul Douglas. Which lasted through his death, nine-years later.
Seven-days after the couple's marriage, was the release of a film-noir for the actress. Don't let the title of this movie put you off, as this is an "Academy Award" nominated motion picture times three.
CAGED premiered in New York City on May 19, 1950
The screenplay was by based upon co-screenplay writer Virginia Kellogg's, the writer of James Cagney's 1949 "White Heat", non-fiction magazine article, "Inside Woman's Prison". She went into an actual women's prison for research and interacting with the inmates.
The other screenplay writer was Bernard C. Schoenfeld, 1952's, "Macao", starring Robert Mitchum, Jane Russell, and William Bendix.
Both writers received "Academy Award" nominations for their screenplay.
The motion picture was directed by John Cromwell, the 1937, "Prisoner of Zenda", starring Ronald Coleman and Madeline Carroll, 1938's, "Algiers", starring Charles Boyer and Hedy Lamar, 1946's, "Anna and the King of Siam", starring Irene Dunne, Rex Harrison, and Linda Darnell, and the 1946 film-noir, "Dead Reckoning", starring Humphrey Bogart and Lizabeth Scott.
During the "House Committee on Un-American Activities" hearings, Howard Hughes accused John Cromwell as being a communist and he was "Blacklisted". Not able to work in motion pictures, he returned to directing stage productions, including on Broadway, and acted in some himself. In 1958, he was removed from being blacklisted, and his first motion picture after that removal, was Paddy Chayefsky's "The Goddess", starring Kim Stanley, in a role based upon Marilyn Monroe.
Eleanor Parker, "Academy Award Best Actress" nominee, portrayed "Marie Allen". Parker had just co-starred with Humphrey Bogart, in the 1950 action-adventure, "Chain Lightning". She followed this film with the crime-drama-mystery, 1950's, "Three Secrets", co-starring with Patricia Neal and Ruth Roman.
Agness Moorehead portrayed "Ruth Benton, the Warden". The actress had just been in the Laraine Day, Dane Clark, and Franchot Tone, 1949 drama, "Without Honor", and followed this feature film with the George Sanders and Herbert Marshall, 1950, "Captain Blackjack".
Ellen Corby portrayed "Emma Barber". The actress started on-screen in an uncredited bit part opposite "The Wonder Dog Pal", in 1928's, "Buster's Big Chance", directed by her husband, Francis Corby. She is best known for portraying "Esther Walton", in 148-episodes, of televisions "The Waltons", 1972 - 1980.
Hope Emerson portrayed "Evelyn Harper". She had just been seen in the western, 1950's, "Copper Canyon", starring Ray Milland, Hedy Lamarr, and Macdonald Carey, and followed this motion picture with another western, 1951's, "Belle Le Grand", starring Vera Ralston and John Carroll.
Betty Garde portrayed "Kitty Stark". The legitimate stage actress made her Broadway debut in 1925, appearing in "Easy Come, Easy Go". Her first on-screen role was in the early talkie, 1929's, "The Lady Lies". She joined "CBS Radio" dramas in 1933, and in 1934, Garde worked with Orson Welles on the "CBS Radio" program "The American School of the Air". Later, the actress was part of Welles', "The Mercury Theatre of the Air", starting with the debut program, French author Victor Hugo's, "Les Miserables", on July 23, 1937.
Jan Sterling portrayed "Jeta Kovsky aka: Smoochie". Jan Sterling followed this motion picture with sixth-billing in director John Sturges', mystery film-noir, 1950's, "Mystery Street", starring Ricardo Montalban, and Sally Forest, with Bruce Bennett, Elsa Lanchester, and Marshall Thompson.
Lee Patrick portrayed "Elvira Powell". Not to be confused with the 1937 motion picture version of the Broadway play, "Stage Door", starring Katharine Hepburn and Ginger Rodgers, was the 1939 "Television" production with Lee Patrick in Lucille Ball's movie role of "Judith". In 1941, the actress was "Effie Perine", in director John Huston's, "The Maltese Falcon", Patrick was "an Inmate" in the Olivia de Havilland, 1948, "The Snake Pit", about a insane asylum, that critics compare "Caged" too. However, 1950's television comedy fans should remember the actress as portraying Leo G. Carroll's wife, on "Topper", 1953 - 1955
The Basic Screenplay:
For a major motion picture, as of this writing, the description of the plot is extremely slim and the description of the credited roles, for Jan Sterling, Jane Darwell as the "Isolation Matron" ("Best Academy Award, Supporting Actress", for director John Ford's, 1940 version of American author,
John Steinbeck's, "The Grapes of Wrath"), Sheila MacRae billed as Sheila Stevens as "Helen"(Wife of singer/actor Gordon MacRae), and Olive Deering as "June Roberts - Inmate", are not to be found even in film critic reviews from the time of the picture's release.
"Marie Allen", is a 19-years-old naive newly wed, who is charged as an accessory to her husband "Tom's", botched armed robbery of a gas station. Even though she wasn't involved, and entered the gas station only to see what was keeping "Tom" from getting back to the car, and finds him shot dead. "Marie" is sentenced to prison from one to fifteen years, and her initial physical exam finds that she is two-months pregnant. The movie follows "Marie's" life, under corrupt prison matron "Evelyn Harper", as she is turned into a harden criminal, by having her baby taken from her, dealing with the other inmates and the parole system.
As of this writing, the following link takes my reader to the dated, but very good "Caged":
I move six motion pictures forward, to a tragic screenplay reworked from two real-life events.
ACE IN THE HOLE aka: THE BIG CARNIVAL was officially released in both Los Angeles, California, and London, England, on June 15, 1951 The movie had a special premiere on June 14th, in New Mexico, where it was filmed.
Above, the newspaper ad for the Los Angeles star-studded premier on the evening of June 15th, at the "4 STAR" theatre on Wilshire Boulevard near La Brea. Below, Jan Sterling being interviewed during the premier festivities.
The motion picture was directed by Billy Wilder. He had just co-written and directed the classic 1950, "Sunset Boulevard", and followed this motion picture with 1953's, "Stalag 17". My article is "Director WILLIAM WYLER -- Director BILLY WILDER: Clearing Some of the Confusion Among Classic Movie Lovers" at:
The original story was by Victor Desny, the actor's only story and he was uncredited.
The screenplay was co-written by Billy Wilder, Lesser Samuels, 1954's, "The Silver Chalice", the movie that introduced Paul Newman, and co-writer, Walter Newman, both 1955's, "Underwater", and "The Man With the Golden Arm".
The following with a slight modification on Jan Sterling's description comes from the above linked article.
Kirk Douglas portrayed "Chuck Tatum". One month earlier, Douglas had been seen in director Raul Walsh's, western, "Along the Great Divide", co-starring with Virginia Mayo and John Ager. Agar was close to finalizing his messy divorce from Shirley Temple by that picture's release. My article is "John Agar His Fall That Led to Science Fiction Cult Status", available to read at:
http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2015/03/john-agar-his-fall-that-led-to-science.htm
Jan Sterling portrayed "Lorriane Minosa". Sterling had just been seen, with fifth billing, in 1951's, "The Mating Season", a "B" comedy drama starring 1940's actors, Gene Tierney, John Lund, and Miriam Hopkins. She next co-starred with Ray Milland in the comedy about a cat inheriting a baseball team, 1951's, "Rhubarb".
The Basic Screenplay:
The first real-life incident was in 1925, when W. Floyd Collins was trapped after a land side, inside Sand Cave, part of Mammoth Cave National Park, the largest cave system in world, located in Kentucky. The Louisville newspaper, the "Courier-Journal", sent reporter William Burke Miller to cover it and his coverage, became a national event and won Miller a "Pulitzer Prize".
The second real-life incident was in April 1949, when three-year-old Kathy Fiscus of San Marino, California, fell into an abandoned well, and the rescue operation, which lasted for several days, attracted thousands of lookie-loos.
Sadly, in both events, fore rescuers could reach them, Collins and the little Fiscus girl died.
In this story, "Chuck Tatum's" newspaper career on a major New York City paper has hit the skids, because of his alcoholism, and the notoriety that brought to the newspaper by the ambitious reporter. He goes to New Mexico, broke, driving a broken car, and stops at the "Albuquerque Sun-Bulletin". There he talks to the publisher,
"Boot", played by
Porter Hall, bragging about bringing in
$200 a week for the paper in stories, adding:
Mr. Boot, I'm a $250-a-week newspaperman. I can be had for $50.
He's hired for $60 a week, but "Boot" is leery of his new reporter. A year passes and "Tatum" has remained sober, but writing boring local articles.
Above right, is Porter Hall.
One day, "Chuck Tatum", and photographer, "Herbie Cook", played by Robert Arthur, are sent to cover a small-town rattle snake hunt. They stop for gasoline and learn of a local man,
"Leo Minosa", played by Richard Benedict, that got trapped while gathering Indian artifacts in the collapse of an Indian cliff dwelling.
The two go out to the scene, are able to get close enough to talk with "Minosa", and pass him food.
Now, the ambitious "Chuck Tatum" realizes he can manipulate the rescue effort and turn it into a major nationwide story.
"Tatum" goes to
"Sheriff Kretzer", played by
Ray Teal, to give "Chuck" the exclusive access to "Leo Minosa", in exchange for newspaper coverage that will guarantee "Kretzer's" re-election.
Enter the real
Joseph Breen of the
"Hayes Censorship Office" who objected to
Wilder's on-screen depiction of a corrupt law enforcement officer and insisted, to get the screenplay passed, dialogue be added to tell the audience that "Sheriff Kretzer" would be held responsible for his actions.
Next, "Tatum" and "Kretzer", go to the construction contractor,
"Sam Smollett", played by
Frank Jaquet, to inquire about the rescue operation. They're told it will take 12 to 16 hours to get "Leo" freed. The two convince "Smollett" to drill from above, which will take a week, and keep the rescue attempt of "Leo Minosa" on the nations front page.
"Lorraine Minosa", "Leo's" wife, wanted out of their struggling business, a combination trading post and restaurant in the middle of nowhere. Suddenly, because of "Chuck Tatum's" stories, tourists are coming and her business is making money for the first time.
Above,
Jan Sterling, Kirk Douglas, and
Robert Arthur.Young, "Herbie Cook"
, is thinking he could become a major photographer selling photos to magazines like "Life" and "Look" over the rescue story. "Chuck Tatum" has gotten the young man's values changing to his own. The two quit the local newspaper and "Tatum" talks his old boss into exclusive stories for $1,000 per day and his old job.
Reporters are arriving from across the country, the rescue has become a carnival with rides, entertainment, games, and even songs about "Leo" being composed.
However, after five days, the local doctor, after examining "Leo", still trapped, states he's developing pneumonia and has maybe 12 hours to live, if he's not taken to a hospital.
Remorseful, "Chuck Tatum" sends a newsflash that "Leo" will be rescued within the next 12 hours. He goes to "Smollett' and tells him to stop drilling and shore up the walls, but learns that the vibrations from the drilling have made that option impossible. "Tatum" goes to "Lorraine Minosa", has both a verbal and physical fight with her, she grabs a pair of scissors and stabs him.
"Chuck Tatum" gets a local priest to administer the last rites to "Leo", who then dies. The carnival leaves, the other reporters, the tourists and even "Lorraine Minosa" leave town.
The picture ends as "Tatum" walks back into the offices of the "Albuquerque Sun-Bulletin", goes up to "Boot" and asks:
How'd you like to make yourself $1,000 a day, Mr. Boot? I'm a $1,000-a-day newspaperman. You can have me for nothin'
Then, falls down, dead!
This was the time of
"The Second Red Scare" and American's were very conscious of what the atomic bomb could do to them. In fact, as I know from growing up in
1950's Los Angeles. Drop drills in my elementary school, and hearing the testing of "Civil Defense Warning Alarms" were a weekly experience. Not to forget government television spots about what to do, if "The Bomb" is being dropped on your city. Along with telling Americans to watch out for your next-door-neighbor, who might be "a commie", and not like actor
Richard Carlson's character
in
"I Led 3 Lives". While your neighbor, in reverse, watched out for you for the same reason. Can you say paranoia?
Jan Sterling now found herself in a crime film-noir with the twist of adding the "Atom-Bomb".
SPLIT SECOND released on May 2, 1953
This was the first credited motion picture directed by singer, and actor Dick Powell. In 1951, he had been the second, but uncredited director on "Cry Danger", which he was starring in. Powell's next fully credited feature film as director, also dealt with Atomic Bomb testing, but not the story being told. It is the legendary 1956, "The Conqueror" starring John Wayne as "Genghis Khan". Unknown to those involved in the making of that motion picture, the area chosen by producer Howard Hughes in Utah, would result in 91 percent of the cast and crew, including Powell, Wayne, Susan Hayward, and Agnes Moorehead, developing cancer from nuclear fall-out from the Nevada testing grounds. That story will be found in my article "JOHN WAYNE: Four Gutsy Role Choices"at:
The first of three writers who co-wrote the story and the screenplay was novelist Irving Wallace, 1960's, "The Chapman Report", 1962's, "The Prize", and screenplays for "Bombers B-52", and 1959's, "The Big Circus".
The second co-story writer was Chester Erskine, the Claudette Colbert and Fred MacMurray, 1947, "The Egg and I", and the Edgar G. Robinson and Burt Lancaster, 1948, "All My Sons".
The third co-screenplay writer was William Bowers, the Kay Kyser, Ellen Drew, and Jane Wyman, 1942 comedy, "My Favorite Spy", the 1943 musical, "Higher and Higher", featuring singer Frank Sinatra, the 1948 western, "Black Bart", starring Yvonne De Carlo and Dan Duryea, and the classic Gregory Peck western, 1950's, "The Gunfighter".
Stephen McNally portrayed "Sam Hurley". McNally co-starred with Richard Greene and Boris Karloff in director Nathan Juran's rarely seen horror-mystery, 1952's, "The Black Castle". The actor would follow this feature film co-starring with Julie Adams and Hugh Marlowe in the 1953 western, "The Stand at Apache River".
Alexis Smith portrayed "Kay Garven". She had just co-starred with William Holden and Edmond O'Brien, in the crime film-noir, 1952's, "The Turning Point", and Smith would follow this motion picture with the British production, 1954's, "Sleeping Tiger", co-starring Dirk Bogarde, and directed. by blacklisted American director Joseph Losey.
Above, Stephen McNally and Alexis Smith.
Jan Sterling portrayed "Dorothy 'Dottie' Vail". She has just been seen in the comedy-western-drama, 1952's, "Sky Full of Moon (Over Las Vegas)", co-starring with song writer-actor-magician-and-novelist, Carleton Carpenter and Keenan Wynn. She would follow this feature film with the next title I will be mentioning.
Keith Andes portrayed "Larry Fleming". Andes had fourth-billing behind Robert Newton, Linda Darnell, and William Bendix in 1952's, "Blackbeard the Pirate". The actor followed this production with 1955's, "A Life at Stake", co-starring with Angela Lansbury.
Above, Keith Andes and Jan Sterling
Arthur Hunnicutt portrayed "Asa Tremaine". Hunnicutt had just co-stared in the modern-rodeo movie 1952's, "The Lusty Men", with Robert Mitchum, Susan Hayward, and Arthur Kennedy. He followed this feature film with the 1953, comedy-drama, "She Couldn't Say No", co-starring with Robert Mitchum and Jean Simmons.
Frank De Kova portrayed "Dummy". His previous two motion pictures were, 1952's, "Pony Soldier", starring Tyrone Power, and the same years, "The Big Sky", starring Kirk Douglas, but the actors roles were uncredited. De Nova followed this movie with a credited role in the 1953, musical, "The Desert Song", starring Kathryn Grayson, and Gordon MacRae.
In the foreground are Frank De Nova with the shot gun and Arthur Hunnicutt. In the background are Keith Andes with Jan Sterling.
Paul Kelly portrayed "Bart Moore". He had just co-starred with Audie Murphy and Susan Cabot in the 1953 western, "Gunsmoke". The actor had the title role in the 1954 biographical motion picture, "Duffy of San Quentin", co-starring with Louis Hayward, and Joanne Dru. The screenplay was about a real San Quentin prisoner in the 1920's, Who was offered a job, no one wanted, for 30-days until it could be filled. The job was the warden of the prison he was incarcerated in, and 12-years later, Warden Clinton T. Duffy, retired.
Above, Paul Kelly and Stephen McNally.
Robert Paige portrayed "Arthur Ashton". Don't recognize his name? Paige was the tragic hero (?) in 1943's, "Son of Dracula", starring Lon Chaney, Jr., before that, in 1939, he portrayed the hero, "Hal Andrews aka: The Black Falcon", in the cliff-hanger, "Flying G-Men". While immediately before this motion picture, Robert Paige co-starred with Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, in 1953's, "Abbott and Costello Go to Mars", even though they land on Venus. After this feature film, the actor continued to guest star in television dramas.
Above, Robert Paige with Alexis Smith.
Richard Egan portrayed "Dr. Neal Garvan". Egan was eighth-billed in 1952's "Blackbeard the Pirate", just before this motion picture. After this movie, he was fourth-billed in the Victor Mature, Korean War movie, 1953's, "The Glory Brigade".
Above, Richard Egan and Arthur Hunnicutt.
The Basic Screenplay:
Armored car robbers, "Sam Hurley" and "Bart Moore" escape from the Carson City, Nevada, prison
During their escape, "Bart" is shot in the stomach, and the car they're using is damaged. They stop at a gas station to steal another car and kill the attendant after he makes mistake of trying to disarm "Hurley".
At the gas station the two men meet another ex-confederate of theirs, a mute nicknamed "The Dummy". Under several plot lines, they pick-up a small group of hostages. The first are "Kay Graven", and "Arthur Ashton", who stopped for gas at the gas station. The three men force the two to drive them from the gas station, but forgetting to put gas in "Kay's" car.
At a roadside cafe, out of work dancer, "Dottie Vail" is waiting for any ride to come along. Waiting on her is "Pete", portrayed by the uncredited Nester Paiva. My article is "NESTER PAIVA: Skipper of the "RITA" vs The Creature from the Black Lagoon" found at:
The ride is reporter "Larry Fleming", who stops at the cafe.
Later, the two, wanting to be helpful, come upon "Kay's" out of gas car on the side of the road, and end up joining "Hurley's" hostage pool.
The group comes to a a desert ghost town and finds its sole inhabitant, "Asa Tremaine".
Looking through "Kay's" car, "Sam" and "Bart" find a letter that appears to show "Kay" is married to a Pasadena doctor, "Neal Garven". Back in "Asa's" house, "Hurley" now calls "Neal" with a threat that he will kill "Kay", if he doesn't come to operate on "Bart". After the call is ended, "Kay" tells "Sam" she doubts if "Neal" will come, because they're divorcing over her lover "Arthur".
"Larry" informs the group that there is to be a nearby atomic bomb test the next morning and the ghost town will be hit by the force of the blast. After hearing this, "Hurley" plans to leave before the test time, but he doesn't mention what he plans are for his hostages. To the surprise of "Kay", "Neal" shows up to operate on "Bart".
"Arthur" attempts to be a hero and is killed without a moments hesitation by "Sam Hurley". "Kay" now tries to use her "feminine wiles" on "Sam", but he will have nothing to do with her and she is again surprised to find that "Neal" is still in love with her. "Neal's" operation is a success, but "Sam" is warned that moving "Bart" too soon could cause trouble for him.
The following morning, the military has gotten a new weather report and moves the atomic bomb test up one-hour. Unexpectedly, the five-minute warning is heard in the ghost town, "Sam" and "Bart" rush to "Neal's" car, and "Kay" gets in with them. Before "Dummy" can join them, "Larry" over powers him and he is left behind as the car drives away.
"Asa" hurriedly leads "Dottie", "Larry", and "Neal" to a mine shaft that the four go far into. The atomic bomb goes off killing the three people in the car. While those in the mine shaft survive.
1953's, "Split Second" was followed by Jan Sterling appearing in a western.
PONY EXPRESS released in May 1953
The motion picture was directed by Jerry Hopper. In 1952, Hopper directed another take on "The Second Red Scare", more to a real fear the United States government and the FBI had at the time. He directed Gene Barry as a scientist working in the nuclear test area of Los Alamos, New Mexico. Whose son is kidnapped by "enemy" agents to get secrets from Barry's scientist in trade for his son's safe release, in the movie, "The Atomic City". Jerry Hopper followed that film, which directly preceded this picture, with the Yvonne De Carlo, and John Ireland, adventure-action-romance, 1952's, "Hurricane Smith". He would follow "Pony Express", with the 1954, Robert Ryan, Jan Sterling, and Brian Keith, adventure-crime-drama, 1954's, "Alaska Seas".
Frank Gruber came up with the story. Look at his career and the majority of his story ideas and screenplays are either western movies, or western television episodes.
Charles Marquis Warren wrote the actual screenplay. For television he was the "developer" of the 635 episodes of "Gunsmoke", he was the creator of the television series "Rawhide"and developed 217 episodes of that series. Warren also developed for television, 249 episodes of "The Virginian", not to forget western screenplays for 1951's, "Little Big Horn", 1952's, "Springfield Rifle", and 1953's, "Arrowhead".
Charlton Heston portrayed "Buffalo Bill Cody". Heston had just co-starred with Susan Hayward, in 1953's, "The President's Lady", he followed this western with director and writer Charles Marquis Warren's, 1953, "Arrowhead". In 1954, Charlton Heston was in director Jerry Hopper's, "Secret of the Incas". My verified article about that one specific motion picture is "CHARLTON HESTON: The Original 'INDIANA JONES"excavated at:
Rhonda Fleming portrayed "Evelyn Hastings". Known for his 1950's and 1960's horror movies, the actress was "Cleopatra" in William Castle's, 1953, "Serpent of the Nile", before appearing in this motion picture. She followed this feature with the 3-D, 1953, crime-danger-romance, "Inferno", co-starring with Robert Ryan, and William Lundigan.
Jan Sterling portrayed "Denny Russell". The actress followed this motion picture with the 1953 western, "The Vanquished", co-starring with John Payne and Coleen Gray.
Forest Tucker portrayed "Wild Bill Hickok". He had just co-starred with Rod Cameron and Arleen Whelan in the western, 1953's, "San Antone", and followed this film with the adventure, 1953's, "Laughing Anne", co-starring with Wendell Corey and Margaret Lockwood.
Michael Moore portrayed "Rance Hastings". Moore was just in director Billy Wilder's, 1953,
Stalag 17". He followed this picture with the Korean War drama, 1953's, "Sabre Jet", starring Robert Stack and Coleen Gray.
A Bit of History:
Although this motion picture is pure fiction and fun, William Frederick Cody, did sign-up and rode for the "Pony Express", at age 15, in 1860, the year of this screenplay. Below, an 1864 photo of the future "Buffalo Bill", at age 19.
1860, was the actual year when the "Pony Express" was actually established by William Russell, Alexander Majors, and William B. Waddell, all in the shipping business. The idea for the company was to join the ten-years-old state, California, with the rest of the Union. The business only lasted 18-months, until the first transcontinental telegraph was established.
James Butler Hickok, aka: "Wild Bill Hickok", was 23-years-old in 1860, see attached photo. That year he was a driver for a freight company and was severely injured by a bear and spent four-months bedridden in the "Rock Creek Station", of the company he worked for in the southeastern part of the Nebraska territory. That station was both a stage and pony express station.
The Basic Screenplay:
"Buffalo Bill's" horse is killed by Indians and he is walking back to town.
The stagecoach comes along and stops for him. Inside are "Evelyn Hastings" and her brother "Rance". The storyline will reveal that the siblings are Californians wanting the state to withdraw from the Union and become an independent country.
In town is "Tomboy", "Denny Russell", first picture below, who is in love with "Buffalo Bill", but he doesn't take her seriously. "Denny" is an obvious take-off on "Calamity Jane"?
Later, in November 1953, the musical motion picture, "Calamity Jane", starring Doris Day, and Howard Keel as "Wild Bill" not "Buffalo Bill", was released, see second picture. The real Martha Jane Canary, the third picture is of her in 1880, would appear in "Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show". It has never been substantiated that she had married "Wild Bill" and they had a daughter.
"Wild Bill" and "Buffalo Bill" are helping to build the "Pony Express"
While, the siblings are working with secessionist, "Pemberton", portrayed by Stuart Randall, who has the mail contract and would lose it to the "Pony Express".
Additionally, everyone is up against hostile Indians led by "Chief Yellow Hand", portrayed by Pat Hogan, below left.
Jan Sterling and Rhonda Fleming have the two best roles and like the two main female characters in the Doris Day feature later that year. Where Allyn Ann McLerie's, "Katie Brown", turns Day's, "Ugly Ducking" into a "Swan". In this picture, Fleming does the same with Sterling.
Otherwise, the screenplay is the normal 1950's western escapism being turned out by all the studios, because there was nothing more American and patriotic than the western. The studios knew that for that one reason, westerns were considered "SAFE" from criticism by the "House Committee on Un-American Activities". That was in full attack mode against the motion picture industry over what they considered was "Veiled Leftism" within it. In 1952, Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly were seen in the western classic "High Noon", that was considered a vailed attack on Senator Joseph Raymond McCarthy and "McCarthyism".
During the picture,"Chief Yellow Hand" had been killed in a fair knife fight with "Buffalo Bill", ending the Indian problems for the "Pony Express".
At the climax of
"Pony Express", "Pemberton's" henchman,
"Red Barrett", portrayed by
Richard Shannon, takes aim at "Buffalo Bill", but "Denny" pushes him out of the way and is killed instead.
"Evelyn" has turned against her brother and "Pemberton". Both her brother and "Pemberton" are killed and the movie ends with the "Pony Express" coming to California.
Next, Jan Sterling was in "The First All Star Disaster Motion Picture", but did the word "Disaster" apply to the plot, or the movie itself? This is the story:
THE HIGH AND THE MIGHTY premiered in Los Angeles, California, on May 27, 1954
The motion picture was directed by William A. "Wild Bill" Wellman. Before the United States entered the First World War, Wellman was an American flying volunteer for France. He was assigned to one of their "Lafayette Flying Corps" and at the end of the war returned a highly decorated hero by both France and the United States.
At the first "Academy Award" ceremony, his directed motion picture, 1927's, "Wings", received the first, of what we now call, the "Best Picture Oscar's". William A. Wellman was not nominated as the director of "Wings", but he would be nominated for the "Academy Award for Best Director" for this motion picture.
William A. Wellman had just turned American author Ernest K. Gann's, "Island in the Sky", into a classic aviation motion picture. He would follow this motion picture with the Robert Mitchum and Teresa Wright, 1954, "Track of the Cat". My article is "WILLIAM A. 'WILD BILL' WELLMAN: '3' with JOHN WAYNE: 'Island in the Sky', 'The High and the Mighty', and 'Blood Alley" at:
Initially while preparing for the release of "Island in the Sky" and talking with Ernest K. Gann. William A. Wellman discovered the author was finishing another aviation novel. Wellman told John Wayne and his business partner, Robert Fellows, about this unpublished work and its possibilities on the movie screen. John Wayne made a decision, without even reading Gann's work, to purchase the screen rights to "The High and the Mighty". The cost to "Wayne-Fellows Productions" was $55,000 cash to the author and 10 percent of the profits.
Although William A. Wellman had told John Wayne about the unfinished novel, there had been no agreement for him to direct the unwritten screenplay. To get Wellman back on board as director took another 30 percent of the "Wayne-Fellows" profits, but even then, not without expressed concerns about the making of the feature film by the director.
One of the main concerns that William A. Wellman had was that the motion picture was to be filmed in the new process "CinemaScope". Why John Wayne wanted the process really didn't make financial sense at the time. The major financial concern of movie distributors, in this case, "Warner Brothers", in 1953/1954 was that very few theaters in the United States, let alone the world, were equipped to show widescreen.
Theater owners needed to have a specially constructed large screen at their expense. This had been the problem back in 1930 with the first movie that the name John Wayne appeared in, "The Big Trail". Producer William Fox's, 70 mm Grandeur process, that twenty-three-years later, became
CinemaScope, had the same theater owner problem. Each scene in the movie was double shot in both Grandeur and the normal 35 mm.William Wellman told Wayne and Fellows that he had an objection to filming "The High and the Mighty" in CinemaScope. He stated that the new cameras used for the process were very heavy and hard to handle by the crew. Adding that in the first CinemaScope release "The Robe", December 1953, and the few films that followed. The camera equipment caused extra re-shoots on many sequences adding to the production costs,One other thing that Actor/Producer Wayne wasn't considering, from a strictly technical point, pointed out by Wellman, was the largest portion of the motion picture was being filmed in the confined spaces of the passenger cabin and flight deck of a Douglas DC-4. Therefore, the CinemaScope process could easily have been a normal and less costly 35 mm shoot. As the CinemaScope camera almost becomes stationary and acts, as if it is the smaller, 35 mm standard, at the time, camera. Note: the following scene as it relates to the directors logic.
Casting had been the next problem faced on the production, because major Hollywood players didn't want to have a part in the picture. Ernest K. Gann's novel was an ensemble story without one, or two main roles of any substance.
A few of the actresses being offered roles in the "Wayne-Fellows" production were Barbara Stanwyck, who had appeared in some Wellman directed pictures, Dorothy McGuire, Ginger Rodgers, Ida Lupino and Joan Crawford. They all turned down the roles as below them.
For the major passenger roles that the Hollywood "A" List had turned down. As shown on the above poster, William A. Wellman cast some of Hollywood's solid "B" actors and actresses of the time. Some of this group had been "A List" actors in the past, or known for strong character roles.
The role of "First Officer Dan Roman" was offered to Spencer Tracy, but he turned the part down because he claimed the script was "lousy". It's believed the real reason was some of Tracy's friends convinced the actor that the role, as with the actresses, was beneath him. "Warner Brother's", the distributor, threatened to pull their funding unless another major actor could be found for the "Roman" role. "Wild Bill" spoke to Wayne about doing the part and finally convinced him to save the picture.
According to Assistant Director Andrew V. McLagen, the son of John Wayne's friend British actor Victor McLagen. As referenced in Michael Munn's, 2005 biography: "John Wayne: the Man Behind the Myth". Wayne hated his performance in the picture. According to Munn, McLagen said
Wayne objected to the role, because the script didn't have a love story for him. The reply to his objection was that the script had the greatest love story ever written. Referring to the DC-4's First Officer's "Love of aviation and flying". Additionally, the movie going audience fully disagreed with the actor's objection to his role.
Dimitri Tiomkin's haunting "Academy Award" nominated theme song is used for the John Wayne character. Whose nickname is "Whistling Dan Roman" and there are a couple of scenes of
"Roman" whistling the theme song.
The whistling added to the low keyed power of the character derived from a flashback sequence showing the crash of a plane "Roman" was piloting that killed his wife and son, becoming the reason he was reduced to co-pilot status.
Wayne had just been seen in the 3-D western, "Hondo", and followed this feature film with 1955's, "The Sea Chase", co-starring with Lana Turner. "The Sea Chase" is part of my article "JOHN WAYNE: Four Gutsy Role Choices" at:
Claire Trevor portrayed "May Holst", for which she was nominated for the "Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress" for this feature film, but lost to Eva Marie Saint, for 1954's, "On the Waterfront".
Claire Trevor started on-screen in 1931, and in 1937, was in director William Wyler's, "Dead End", that starred Sylvia Sidney, and Joel McCrea, and featured the little known, Humphrey Bogart. In 1939, she co-starred with John Wayne, in director John Ford's, classic version of "Stagecoach". My article is "Comparing John Ford's 1939 'Stagecoach' to the 1966 and 1986 Remakes" at:
Laraine Day portrayed "Lydia Rice". The actress first appeared on-screen in 1937, she was "Nurse Mary Lamont" to Lew Ayres, "Dr. Kildare", in seven movies between 1939 and 1941. Among her other films included co-starring with Joel McCrea in director Alfred Hitchcock's, 1940, "Foreign Correspondent", and with Cary Grant, in 1943's, "Mr. Lucky".
The actress became known as "The First Lady of Baseball", because of her 1948 marriage to her second husband, Leo Durocher. In 1951, Day had two television programs going at the same time with her as host, "Daydreaming with Laraine", and "The Laraine Day Show". After the run of those two programs, her career became more of a guest panelist on several quiz shows, because of her baseball commitments.
Robert Stack portrayed "John Sullivan". Seven-years before he became 1959's, "Elliot Ness", on "The Untouchables", Robert Stack had starred in the first commercial 3-D motion picture, "Bwana Devil". Which was thirteen-years after his first on-screen appearance in 1939, in a Deanna Durbin, musical-comedy-mystery, "First Love". Just before this motion picture, Robert Stack starred in a William Castle directed historical adventure set during the English reign of "George the First", 1954's, "The Iron Glove". After this motion picture, Stack co-starred with Robert Ryan in the 1955 crime-film-noir, "House of Bamboo".
Adding to the problems facing the passengers after the DC-4 crosses the point of no-return, is the fact that "Captain John Sullivan" is scared. He has psychological problems, as a flashback shows, going back to the Korean War as an a flyer, and cracks in flight under the pressure caused by an engine failure.
Jan Sterling portrayed "Sally McKee". She would win the "Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe" for this role, and was nominated in the same category for the "Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress". However, with Claire Trevor, she would lose to Eva Marie Saint. Sterling followed this feature film with the war-drama-romance, 1954's, "Return from the Sea", co-starring Neville Brand.
I want to look at an important role needed for Jan Sterling's character, by an actor she worked with in "Split Second".
Paul Kelly portrayed "Donald Flaherty". I previously mentioned some of Kelly's work, but here's a little more reflection of his early roles. The actor had eighth-billing in the James Cagney, and
Humphrey Bogart, 1939, "The Roaring Twenties". He was in John Wayne's, 1942, "Flying Tigers", Errol Flynn's, 1945, "San Antonio", and 1951's "The Painted Hills" starring Lassie, along with Gary Cooper's, 1952, "Springfield Rifle".
Jan Sterling's character of "Sally McKee" talks to "Donald Flaherty" seated next to her. Over the flight she mentions when the plane arrives in San Francisco she is to meet her fiancée "Roy", played by pre-"Paul Drake" of televisions "Perry Mason", William Hopper. Who doesn't know what she really looks like and this scares her. "Flaherty" convinces her to show "Roy" the truth. Once the plane lands,
"Sally" removes all her make-up, and realizes "Roy" loves her not for her looks, but for who she is.Below, Jan Sterling as we first meet "Sally McKee".
Below,
Jan Sterling as
"Sally McKee", before she departs the plane.
Phil Harris portrayed "Ed Joseph". A 1940's big-band-leader, and actor, Harris, is probably best known, to fans of Walt Disney animation, as the voice of "Baloo the Bear", singing about the "Bare Necessities of Life", in 1967's, "The Jungle Book", or as the voice of the tough Irish cat, "O'Malley", in 1970's, "The Aristocats".
However, his career included doing comedy, with music, on the "Jack Benny" radio program, and appearing as himself in Benny's, 1940 motion picture, "Buck Benny Rides Again". Harris would also appear in episodes of Jack Benny's television show. Along with appearances on separate shows hosted by Bing Crosby and Bob Hope, and several of the Jerry Lewis Telethons.
Robert Newton portrayed "Gustave Pardee". In 1939, Newton co-starred with a young Maureen O'Hara, and Charles Laughton, in director Alfred Hitchcock's overlooked "Jamaica Inn". In 1948, he portrayed "Bill Sykes", in director David Lean's version of British author Charles Dickens', "Oliver Twist". Fans of Walt Disney's live-action adventures, know Robert Newton as "Long John Silver", in the 1950 version of Scottish author Robert Lewis Stevenson's, "Treasure Island". In 1956, he was the bumbling detective in pursuit of David Niven, in Michael Todd's, Todd-A-O, version of French author Jules Verne's, "Around the World in 80 Days". My article "Robert Newton IS 'Long John Silver': The Definitive Motion Picture Pirate of the Caribbean" is sailing under the skull and cross bones at:
David Brian portrayed "Ken Childs". Brian played many District Attorney type roles, but also was known for his villainous roles in westerns and some gangster movies. The actor also become popular appearing in guest roles on 1950's and 1960's television programs. Some of those TV shows were the original "Star Trek","The Untouchables", "Honey West" and "The Girl From U.N.C.L.E." Between 1954 and 1955, David Brian starred on the forgotten television show "Mr District Attorney".
Above, David Brian and Laraine Day
Paul Fix, left below, portrayed terminally ill passenger "Frank Briscoe". Fix and John Wayne go back to when Wayne was starting out, but most people know Paul Fix as "Michael Torrance" on the television western, "The Rifleman". My article is "PAUL FIX: The Character Actor Who Taught John Wayne to Walk", at:
Above with Paul Fix, is Doe Avedon portraying"Flight Attendant Miss Spalding". She only had 12 roles to her credit and only one motion picture besides "The High and the Mighty". She divorced her first husband, Richard Avedon in 1949, and married Dan Mathews, but sadly he passed away in 1952. However, she married her third husband, motion picture director Don Siegel, in 1957, they divorced in 1975.
Wally Brown portrayed "Navigator Lenny Wilby". "RKO Pictures" teamed comedian Brown with comedian Alan Carney and hoped they had created a low-budget "Abbott and Costello" with the same popularity, it didn't work. Their biggest feature film was 1945's, "Zombies on Broadway", with third-billed, Bela Lugosi.
Before the Passengers Board:
Douglas Fowley portrayed "Alsop", the ticket agent for the airline in Honolulu. Character actor Fowley had been in pictures since 1933 and was a familiar face to many. Three of his 336 appearances included 1949's "Mighty Joe Young", the same year's classic WW2 movie "Battleground", and 1952's "Singing in the Rain". He became a regular on television's "The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp" as "Doc Holliday" in 1961.
In San Francisco during the flight and after landing:
Regis Toomey portrayed "Tim Garfield", the operations manager at the San Francisco Airport. Toomey's first on-screen appearance was in 1929. Since then, his motion pictures included Cecil D. DeMille's, 1939, "Union Pacific", Spencer Tracy's, 1940, "Northwest Passage", Errol Flynn's, 1941, "They Died with Their Boots On", Alfred Hitchcock's, 1945, "Spellbound", Howard Hawk's, 1946, "The Big Sleep", 1949's, "Mighty Joe Young", and William Wellman's, 1953, "Island in the Sky".
Unknown to the passengers and crew during the flight, after the DC-4 passes the point of no-return, equal distance back to Hawaii, or forward to San Francisco."Navigator Lenny Wilby" makes an error in calculating how much aviation gasoline the plane has and it appears they can safely make it to the San Francisco Airport.
After the DC-4 has landed and the passengers disembark. "Whistling Dan Roman" is inspecting the plane and is approached by "Tim Garfield". Who informs the other that only 30-gallons of fuel remained in the tanks. "Dan" acknowledges the gamble they made by not ditching the airplane and instead going on to land at San Francisco International Airport. Turning away, "Dan" starts to whistle as he walks into the dark night.
IF Warner Brothers had any fear that this movie would be a bomb with so many minor actors. When the "Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences" gave the picture six nominations for the "27th Annual Academy Awards" it was alleviated. As had been the box office performance. The final all inclusive budget was a large $1,470,000 in 1954 dollars,
and the pictures 1954 box office performance was $8,500,00 dollars over 5-times its final costs.
On October 20, 1955, Jan Sterling Douglas gave birth to her and Paul's son, named Adams.
Five forgotten motion pictures and four appearances in television dramas, found
Jan Sterling in a
"Holiday Productions, Inc." feature film made in the United Kingdom.
I find the name of the production company somewhat amusing, because what kind of
"Holiday" would you have in a movie based upon a
George Orwell novel?
1984 premiering in London, England, on March 6, 1956
The United Kingdom and United States co-motion picture production was directed by
Michael Anderson. Anderson's latest release was the outstanding true story about the creation of the bouncing bomb used to destroy the Mohne, Eder, and the Sorpe dams in Nazi Germany,
1955's, "The Dam Busters", starring
Sir Richard Todd, and
Sir Michael Redgrave. The director followed this motion picture with producer
Michael Todd's, 1956, version of French author,
Jules Verne's, "Around the World in 80 Days".The novel was written by the previously mentioned
George Orwell. My article is
"GEORGE ORWELL'S '1984' and 'Animal Farm' in Motion Pictures and on Television", at:
The screenplay was "Freely Adapted" from "1984", by:
Scottish television writer, William Pettigrew Templeton. Who wrote the 1953 American live television production of "1984, and American "B" movie and British television writer, Ralph Gilbert Bettison.
Edmond O'Brien portrayed "Winston Smith of the Outer Party". O'Brien started on-screen acting with the 1939 version of French author, Victor Hugo's, "The Hunchback of Notre Dame", starring Charles Laughton and Mary FitzSimons's second appearance under her new name of Maureen O'Hara. O'Brien was appearing on television anthology dramas at the time in the United States.
Sir Michael Redgrave portrayed "O'Connor of the Inner Party". Like Edmond O'Brien in the United States, Redgrave was appearing on British television at this time.
Jan Sterling portrayed "Julia of the Outer Party". Sterling had just been seen co-starring with Robert Mitchum in the 1955 western, "Man with the Gun". She would follow this feature film with the next picture I will be mentioning.
David Kossoff portrayed "Charrington, the Junk Shop Owner". Kossoff was just seen as a "Pawnbroker", in the Janette Scott, 1956, "Now and Forever". He followed this motion picture co-starring with popular British comedian, Benny Hill, in 1956's, "Who Done It?".
Mervyn Johns, below on the right, portrayed "Jones". Welsh actor Johns had just been in Kieron Moore's, 1955, "The Blue Peter" aka: "Navy Heroes", and followed this feature film with director John Huston's, 1956, version of American author Herman Melville's, "Moby Dick", starring Gregory Peck, from a screenplay by Ray Bradbury.
Below on the left, is "Rutherford", portrayed by Ronan O'Casey.
Donald Pleasence billed as Donald Pleasance, portrayed "R. Parsons". He portrayed "Syme", in the 1954, "BBC" live telecast of "1984", starring Peter Cushing, see my above linked article. Pleasence was also appearing on British television at the time of this motion picture.
From my linked article:
I mentioned the CIA was involved in this screenplay. Here, the geopolitical situation of the time, becomes fact and fits George Orwell's intent. The feature opens with a narrator telling the audience that in the mid 1950's there was a nuclear war. Out of the ashes, radiation is never addressed, rose three superstates. They are "Oceania" ruled by the never seen "Big Brother". "Eurasia" ruled by the Soviet Union and by inference Stalin, and "East Asia" ruled by a sub-branch of Socialists. Not the Chinese of Orwell's novel.
Even though the United States and the U.K. had just fought the Chinese during the "Korean War". This change in story came from the C.I.A., because the Chinese were racially looked upon, as inferior and incapable of ruling a society as Orwell wrote it in a "White" world.
Obviously, not one member of the CIA ever read the 1929 novel, "Warlords of Han", by Philip Francis Nowlan. In which, Nowlan uses his hero, "Anthony Rodgers", from his 1928 novel, "Armageddon 2419 A.D.", before the author renamed him "Buck Rodgers" for the comic strip he started to write. In the sequel, "Anthony" and others are still fighting the evil "Hans (Chinese)". While, the entire world is now controlled by them, not by the utilization of weapons and armies, but by controlling the world's businesses and trade. In the "Han" home country, citizens have their pay automatically sent to their banks. Then, they use a small desk top machine to order merchandise and food, or communicate to each other. The cost of which, is automatically deducted from their bank accounts and the companies the items were bought from deliver it to the appropriate residence without charge. Also, Philip Francis Nowlan's "Hans" can speak to and see other people on a flat screen on a well in either their home, or place of work. The screen also shows movies, the latest news, and interesting programing for relaxation, or business.
The capital of "Oceania" is still "Airstrip One" located in London, England. The screenplay explains this was chosen, because the British Parliament had an Atomic Bomb proof shelter and they were the only governing group to survive outside of the Kremlin. Washington, D.C. apparently was totally destroyed and did not have an Atomic Bomb shelter for the President that worked.
This film is criticized by some and praised by others. The running time of the final print was 90 minutes.
One has to approach the screenplay not as what George Orwell wrote in 1949, but what his thinking might be had he been alive in 1956 and wrote "1984".
The Basic Screenplay:
In the mid-1960's, nuclear war, gave rise to three superpowers upon the devastated Earth. They are "Oceania", "Eurasia", and "Eastasia".
It is the spring of 1984, "Winston Smith", is a member of the semi-elite "Outer Party" with privileges above the "common person". Returning to his apartment, "Winston" encounters a woman named "Julia", and because of her actions, believes she is a member of the "Thought Police". The "Secret Police of Oceania", who discover and punish "Thought Crime", personal and political thoughts unapproved by "Ingsoc" (a form of English socialism). Which is in reality, a "Cult of Personality", with the sole purpose to venerate the ruler of "Oceania", known as, but never seen, "Big Brother"!
At his apartment, like every other in "Oceania", is an electronic surveillance eye that watches the persons every movement and every moment of their life, "Winston Smith" after entering, opens his brief case for the eye to survey its contents. Somehow, maybe with cunning, he has been able to smuggle a diary into his apartment. It is kept in a drawer that he had discovered is in a blind spot for the surveillance eye and starts to write down his subversive thoughts. Suddenly, entering his apartment is a young girl, "Selina Parsons", portrayed by Carol Wolveridge, to practice what she has learned in school, denouncing someone as a traitor. Entering and apologizing for his daughter over zealous practice of her school work is her father "Parsons". He invites "Smith" to join his for a drink at the local "Chestnut Tree" cafe.
At the cafe, "Smith" and "Parson" spot two "Outer Party" members, "Rutherford" and "Jones". Both have been rehabilitated by the "Ministry of Love".
While sitting in another corner is "Julia".
After leaving the cafe alone, "Winston Smith" enters a junk shop to look at useless things from the past. Entering the shop is "Julia", and this causes "Winston" to quickly leave the shop and outside he is approached by the police. They inform him to report to "Administration" the following morning.
The next day at the "Administration", a "Party Officer" admonishes "Winston Smith" for associating with the "Common Masses". That concluded, "Smith" goes to his desk in "The Records Department" of "The Ministry of Truth", to start work as one of the many, but always knowing that,
"Big Brother Is Watching".
"Winston" comes upon a photo that proves that both "Jones" and "Rutherford" are entirely innocent of the crimes they were convicted of being involved. However, standing behind him is "Winston's" superior, "O'Connor", who orders him to destroy the photo and forget he ever saw it.
That evening there is a political rally, "Long Live Big Brother!"
During the rally, "Julia" passes a note to "Winston" professing her love for him. The two set up a meeting in a meadow outside of London and without any surveillance eyes.
There they touch for the first time, and against the "Anti-Sex League", have a sexual encounter.
Two weeks pass and "Winston" rents a room above the junk store. Where there are no surveillance eyes, and to the surprise of "Julia", "Winston" reveals that he believes "O'Connor" is with the underground movement.
"Julia" changes out of the uniform, that is worn daily within the "Outer Party", into a dress from a pre-war era. Something "Winston" could never have imagined, making "Julia" all the more desirable to him and the life they dream of having together.
One night, "Winston" finds a note in "O'Connor's" handwriting reading:
Convinced that "O'Connor" is their only hope for true love and to escape the tyranny of "Big Brother". The two go to "O'Connor's" apartment and declare their intentions of joining the underground. There they meet with "O'Connor" and another man. "Winston Smith" is given instructions to carry an empty briefcase with him at all times.
A few days later during "Hate Week", a man switches briefcases with "Winston" and inside is a treatise by the "Alleged" leader of the underground. Next, the two discover a surveillance eye behind the mirror in the rented room and "Winston" breaks it.
However, it is too late and the "Thought Police" enter the apartment and arrest them. It turns out that the kindly shopkeeper is in reality, an officer of the "Thought Police", using his shop as a trap for people "THINKING" against "Big Brother".
Switch to the "Ministry of Love" and a pit-like room with "Winston Smith" confined within it. "Parsons" is now thrown into the pit and "Smith" discovers in a perverse way, the "Parsons" is proud of his daughter for turning him in, because he muttered in his sleep:
"Parsons" is taken away and "O'Connor" enters to reveal he is a covert agent of the state.
"O'Connor" orders that "Smith" be subjected to brainwashing by electroshock.
However, "Winston Smith" seems resistant to the electroshock treatment, telling "O'Connor" that the "Party" will never eradicate his love for "Julia". "O'Connor" has now learned that "Smith" has a fear of rats and has "Winston" locked in a room full of them. This causes "Smith" to break down and telling "O'Connor" to feed "Julia" to the rats.
"Winston Smith" is released from the "Ministry of Love" and mindlessly wanders the streets of London.
The Two Endings:
In the released version of "1984", "Winston" sees "Julia" standing on the street, goes to her and finds she had become a "Cold, Indifferent", "Julia". He turns away for a moment, turns back and she's gone.
He hears a voice claiming to the "Oceania" populace that the "Eurasian Army" has been routed. The rehabilitated "Winston Smith of the Outer Party", hypnotically, joins the crowd yelling:
LONG LIVE BIG BROTHER!
The alternate filmed ending has:
"Winston Smith", rebel against the brainwashing and shouting:
DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER!
He is shot as "Julia" runs to his aide and is also shot and killed with her lover.
One has to wonder, which ending did the "CIA" want?
Immediately following "1984", Jan Sterling found herself portraying the role of "Beth Willis", the wife of Humphrey Bogart's "Eddie Willis", in the actor's final motion picture, "The Harder They Fall", released March 31, 1956 . The actor passed away from cancer on January 14, 1957.
Jan Sterling began appearing on different television dramatic anthology series, such as four-times on the "Lux Video Theatre". She appeared once each on "The Kaiser Aluminum Hour", and "Playhouse 90", and twice on "Celebrity Playhouse".
All followed by an excellent film-noir featuring a piece of music composed by Richard Rodgers for the 1936 play, "On Your Toes", as a ballet.
SLAUGHTER ON TENTH AVENUE released on September 1, 1957
The screenplay was based upon the autobiography of Assistant New York District Attorney William J. Keating's, published on January 1, 1956, co-written with Richard Carter. The full title is: "The Man Who Rocked the Boat: The Story of a Troublesome Lawyer Who Learned Too Much, Almost Too Much About Life, Crime and Politics".
The book was reissued and revived under the motion picture title on
January 1, 1961. The title was now reading as,
"Slaughter on 10th Avenue: The True Story Of An Untouchable Who Learned Too Much About New York Crime And Politics --- And The Price He Paid For It".
The actual screenplay, a minor take-off of the "Academy Award" winning, 1954, "On the Waterfront", was written by Lawrence Roman. He had just co-written the screenplay for the true story of Navy scientists, during the Second World War, creating a shark repellant for down flyers, 1956's, "The Sharkfighters". He followed this screenplay with the western screenplay for 1958's, "Day of the Bad Man".
The motion picture was directed by the producer, Arnold Laven. Who had just directed, a cult science fiction motion picture, 1957's, "The Monster That Challenged The World". That same year he produced the cult horror movie, "The Vampire".
Richard Egan portrayed "William Keating". Egan had just portrayed Elvis Presley's older brother in 1956's, "Love Me Tender", and followed this feature film with 1958's, "Voice in the Mirror", co-starring with singer/actress Julie London, and Walter Matthau.
Jan Sterling portrayed "Madge Pitts". Sterling had just been seen by television audiences, April 14, 1957, in "Rummage Sale", on the anthology series, "The Loretta Young Show". She followed this feature film by appearing, October 10, 1957, in the "Mask of the Devil", on the dramatic anthology series, "Climax!".
Dan Duryea portrayed "John Jacob Masters". Duryea had been third-billed in the 1957, western, "Night Passage", starring James Stewart and Audie Murphy. He followed this feature film by appearing, December 16, 1957, in the episode, "Doomsday", on the television anthology series, "Suspicion".
Julie Adams portrayed "Daisy 'Dee' Pauley". The actress had been seen, June 13, 1957, in "Design for November", on the television anthology series, "Lux Video Theatre".
Walter Matthau portrayed "Al Dahlke". On August 11, 1957, the actor appeared in "The Trouble with Women", on the anthology series, "The Alcoa Hour". Matthau followed this feature film with "To Walk the Night", December 19, 1957, on the anthology series, "Climax".
Above, Walter Matthau is in center in a black overcoat.
Charles McGraw portrayed "Police Lieutenant Anthony Vosnick". He was just in the Audie Murphy comedy, 1957's, "Joe Butterfly", and followed this feature with the 1957, Jock Mahoney, "Joe Dakota".
Sam Levene portrayed "Howard Rysdale". He had just been in the Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis, 1957, "Sweet Smell of Success", and followed this motion picture with "The Old Ticker", on the anthology television series, "Kraft Theatre", September 11, 1957.
Above, Jan Sterling, Sam Levene, and Richard Egan
Mickey Shaughnessy portrayed "Solly Pitts". Among the character actor's films are director Fred Zinnemann's, 1953, "From Here to Eternity", producer George Pal's, 1955, "Conquest of Space", Elvis Preslety's, 1957, "Jailhouse Rock", and the Van Heflin, Tab Hunter, Kathryn Grant, and James Darren, 1958 western, "Gunman's Walk".
The following is a rare photo of actress Hedy Lamarr, whose scenes were deleted, with Julie Adams. I could not locate the role she was to have portrayed, but the picture seems to indicate the mother of "Dee Pauley". Lamarr followed this motion picture portraying "Joan of Arc" in producer Irwin Allen's first all-star feature film. My article is "IRWIN ALLEN: The Story of 'THE STORY OF MANKIND" at:
http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2022/11/irwin-allen-story-of-story-of-mankind.html
Hedy Lamarr's last on-screen appearance was starring in 1958's, "The Female Animal", with co-stars Jane Powell and Jan Sterling.
Above, Julie Adams and Hedy Lamarr
The Basic Screenplay:
Sections of Richard Rodgers composition, "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue", are incorporated throughout the soundtrack composed by the uncredited Henry Mancini and the uncredited Ethmer Roten.
As I mentioned, the screenplay is considered a minor "On the Waterfront", without, of course, Marlon Brando, screenplay writer Bud Schulberg, and director Elia Kazan. Who brought the story of the gangster controlled New York City docks to life on-screen in 1954. However, don't let that undercut this motion picture.
"Solly Pitts" is an honest longshoreman who hires honest men for the docks, but is running afoul of the crooked union boss, "Al Dahlke". Who sends two of his thugs to give "Solly" a message and they shoot the longshoreman,
"Solly's" wife, "Madge" finds him on the stairs to their apartment, he's hospitalized, and she goes to "Police Lieutenant Tony Vosnick", whom she trusts for help. However, he is also the Union Boss's payroll.
"District Attorney Howard Rysdale", who has little interest in taking on the corrupt dockworkers union boss "Al Dahlke", turns the investigation over to novice "Assistant District Attorney William Keating", figuring he will fail and the DA can say they tried. "Bill Keating" goes to see "Solly" in the hospital and is told he died and now has a murder investigation with a cooperative "Madge Pitts".
"Bill Keating's" wedding to fiancee "Daisy 'Dee' Pauley" is drawing near. As he attempts to get longshoremen to speak to him about "Solly's" murder. The two are receiving threats for him to drop the investigation, or someone will be hurt.
"Bill Keating" is contacted by an intermediary for "Union Boss Al Dahlke" who wants him to drop the investigation and join with "Dahlke". Meanwhile, the two shooters have been caught and a trial begins with them being represented by "Attorney John Jacob Masters". Who is solidly on "Al Dahlke's" payroll and just as corrupt. On their wedding day, "Keating" and "Daisy" receive death threats.
"Madge Pitts" has agreed to testify and now, like "Bill" and "Daisy", receives a death threat as the trial begins.
The Witnesses are intimidated and do not want to take the stand and those who do, are seemingly destroyed on the stand by "John Jacob Masters".
While "Masters" is also trying every trick in his book on "Madge Pitts".
It appears that the trial is going against "Assistant District Attorney William Keating" as the jury goes to determine a verdict. "Keating", who has had it with the threats and the way "Masters" treats his witnesses, leaves the court house, and goes to the docks to confront "Al Dahlke" and his thugs.
His action almost causes a small-riot, "The Slaughter on Tenth Avenue", on the docks between "Dahlke's" men and the honest workers.
"Keating" is beaten-up, but things calm down. When on a car's radio word goes out that the two men have been convicted of the murder of "Solly Pitts". "Al Dahlke's" control of the docks is over and arriving with the police is "Mrs. William Keating". The story ends with "Daisy 'Dee' Keating" treating the bruises on her husband's face as arrests are being made.
The Major movie studios, like the Independents, had discovered a way to increase box office revenue during their 1950's battle against "The Boob Tube (Television)". They started to make movies that attracted pre-teens and teenagers. Whose parents would give them money to see a movie and get them out of the house for a while. "20th Century Fox" made the previously mentioned 1956, "Love Me Tender", starring "Elvis the Pelvis", "Columbia Pictures" made 1959's, "Gidget" starring innocent Sandra Dee and James Darren, and the same year, "Warner Brothers" released "A Summer Place", starring Richard Egan, Troy Donahue, and Sandra Dee. While, "American International Pictures" concentrated on horror and science fiction. Such as 1958's, "The Blob", starring "Steven" McQueen, and 1958's, "Teenage Caveman", starring Robert Vaughn.
All bringing me to the last Jan Sterling motion picture I will mention in this article. The movie was from "Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer" and aimed at that same teenage audience in expected fashion.
HIGH SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL! premiering in New York City on May 30, 1958
The motion picture was directed by Jack Arnold, better remembered for the science fiction movies, 1953's, "It Came from Outer Space", 1954's, "The Creature from the Black Lagoon", or 1957's, "The Incredible Shrinking Man". Then directing this motion picture, or British actor-comedian Peter Sellers, in his multi-role, 1959, "The Mouse That Roared". My article is "Jack Arnold 'It Came from Outer Space' to the 'Mouse That Roared: His 1950's Films" at:
The story was by Texas Joe Foster, his only one, and Robert Blees, the Shelley Winters, 1954, film-noir, "Playgirl", the Barbara Stanwyck and Ronald Reagan, 1954 western "Cattle Queen of Montana", and stop motion animator, Willis O'Brien's final motion picture, 1957's, "The Black Scorpion".
Blees also wrote the screenplay with Lewis Meltzer, for 1939's, "Golden Boy", starring Barbara Stanwyck and William Holden, the Edward G. Robinson and Glenn Ford, 1943, "Destroyer", and the Frank Sinatra and Kim Novak, "The Man with the Golden Arm".
Russ Tamblyn portrayed "Mike Wilson aka: Tony Baker". In 1949, as Russell Tamblyn, he was the future "King Saul of Israel", in director Cecil B. DeMille's, "Samson and Delilah". As Rusty Tamblyn in was in the Spencer Tracy, Joan Bennett, and Elizabeth Taylor, 1950, "Father of the Bride". In 1954, as Russ Tamblyn, he was in the musical, "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers", and just before this feature film, Tamblyn portrayed "Norman Page" in 1957's, "Peyton Place". The following year saw Russ Tamblyn portraying the title role in producer George Pal's, "Tom Thumb".
Jan Sterling portrayed "Arlene Williams". On January 30, 1958, the actress was in "A Guilty Woman", on the television anthology series "Jane Wyman Presents the Fireside Theatre". She followed this motion picture co-starring with Dan Duryea and Patty McCormick in the comedy-drama, 1958's, "Kathy O'".
John Drew Barrymore portrayed "J. I. Coleridge". Son of actor John Barrymore, nephew of actor Lionel Barrymore and actress Ethel Barrymore, and father to actress and television hostess, Drew Barrymore. He went to Italy and starred in several Peplum (Sword and Sandal) features during the 1960's. My article is "A Fan Remembers the Films of JOHN DREW BARRYMORE" found at:
Mamie Van Doren portrayed "Gwen Dulaine". In 1954, she joined Donald O'Connor, Julie Adams, and Chill Wills in the fifth-film of "The Francis the Talking Mule" series, "Francis Joins the WACS", portraying "Corporal Bunky Hilstrom". Like Jayne Mansfield, Maine Van Doren was being turned into a copy of Marilyn Monroe.
Above, Russ Tamblyn, Jan Sterling, and Maime Van Doren
Jerry Lee Lewis appears as himself and sings over the opening titles, "High School Confidential", reaching #21 on the "Billboard Charts", and later in the feature film, "Boppin' at the High School Hop", "Fools Like Me".
Ray Anthony portrayed "Bix". Anthony prior to joining the army during the Second World War, played trumpet for "Glenn Miller and His Orchestra". After his discharge, he played with Jimmy Dorsey, and was the summer replacement for singer Perry Como on both CBS and NBC. From 1955 - 1961, he was married to Mamie Van Doren.
Jackie Coogan portrayed "Mr. 'A.' August". The role was written for George Raft, but for an unstated reason he left the production and Coogan replaced him. From 1964 - 1966, television audiences knew him as "Uncle Fester", on "The Adams Family". Back in 1921, he stoled the hearts of millions in "The Kid", opposite Charlie Chaplin, in 1930, he starred as Mark Twain's, "Tom Sawyer", and repeated the role in 1931's, "Huckleberry Finn". From1952 - 1953, he co-starred on the forgotten television series, "Cowboy G-Men", and would follow this feature film with the excellent Jack Arnold science fiction, "The Space Children".
Above, Ray Anthony, Jackie Coogan, and Russ Tamblyn
Diane Jergens portrayed "Joan Staples". Among her television work was "The Bob Cummings Show", 1955 - 1956, and "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet", 1955 - 1961. Among her movie work going back to 1946, was the Ginger Rodgers and Michael Rennie, 1956, "Teenage Rebel", the Gary Cooper and Dorothy McGuire, 1956, "Friendly Persuasion, and in 1959, she portrayed James Stewart and Vera Miles's daughter in "The FBI Story".
Charles Chaplin, Jr. portrayed "Quinn". His first on-screen appearance of only fourteen, was in his father's 1952, "Limelight", portraying "A Clown". He followed this feature film with the Steve Cochran, Mamie Van Doren, and Ray Danton, 1959, "The Beat Generation", and an overlooked gangster motion picture, 1959's, "The Big Operator", starring Mickey Rooney, Steve Cochran, and Mamie Van Doren.
Michael Landon portrayed
"Steve Bentley". Landon was now eleven-television appearances and one forgotten movie since he portrayed the title role in
1957's, "I Was a Teenage Werewolf". One of many late
1950's teenage horror movie aimed at the pre-teen and teen audience from "American International Pictures". My article is
"I Was a Teenage Werewolf: 1950's Teenage Horror and Science Fiction Movies" at:
Above left, Michael Landon and right, Russ Tamblyn
The Basic Screenplay:
This motion picture is classic for the late 1950's and was designed as an anti-marijuana story, because as we all know, marijuana led to heroin use. I'm describing the plot, but the movie is a lot better than this short description, and, as I have shown, contains an interesting cast. For those who want to watch the movie, at the time of my writing this article, on "YouTube" at "Mike Quebec's Hep Cat Hang Out" is the following link starting with the trailer and followed by the feature film:
The movie opens the arrival on campus of Jerry Lee Lewis.
The audience meets "Tony Baker" living with his aunt, "Gwen Dulaine". Who's married but keeps attempting to seduce "Tony".
"Tony" appears to be your typical delinquent and becomes a member of teacher, "Arlene Williams's" classroom.
"Miss Williams" feels there's something different to "Tony" and is attempting to get him to stop being a delinquent and use Santa Bella High School as a start to college. However, that doesn't interest "Tony" and he has his sights on a classmate, "Joan Staples", who he has learned uses marijuana. In "Miss Williams's" classroom he starts openly flirting with "Joan" and incurs the wrath of his teacher. Bringing him to the attention of "J. I. Coleridge", the apparent leader of a group of delinquent students.
Above, "The Teach" doesn't approve!
"Tom" approaches "Joan" about her source for drugs and finds out about a "Mr. 'A.' August".
"Tom" tracks down "Mr. A.", but the obvious reveal takes place, "Tom Baker" is in reality undercover police officer, "Mike Wilson", whose cover is blown.
Above, Russ Tamblyn, Ray Anthony, and Jackie Coogan
When it appears that "Mike" is about to disappear after "Mr. 'A.' August" and "Bix" kill him. He is saved by the waiter at "August's" club, another undercover police officer "Mike" didn't know about, "Quinn".
In the end the drug operation is stopped and "Mike" gets "Joan" to promise never to use marijuana again. Once more, this is better than it sounds.
Starting immediately after this motion picture until the end of her career in 1988. Jan Sterling appeared as forty-eight different roles, but only five of them were not television appearances on programs such as "The Untouchables", "Alfred Hitchcock Presents", "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour", "Bonanza", "Wagon Train", "The Virginian", "The Incredible Hulk", "Kung-Fu", and Michael Landon's, "Little House on the Prairie".
On March 28, 2004, 82-years-old Jan Sterling passed away. Sadly, three-months-earlier, her son Adams Douglas, had died from a sudden heart attack at age forty-six.
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