Sheldon Leonard

Sheldon Leonard

Born: February 22, 1907
Died: January 10, 1997
in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sheldon Leonard Bershad (February 22, 1907 – January 11, 1997) was an American film and television actor, producer, director, and writer. Sheldon Leonard Bershad was born in Manhattan, New York City, the son of middle class Jewish parents Anna Levit and Frank Bershad. He graduated from Syracuse University in 1929.

As an actor, Leonard specialized in playing supporting characters, especially gangsters or "heavies", in films such as It's a Wonderful Life (1946; as bartender Nick), To Have and Have Not (1944), Guys and Dolls (1955), and Open Secret (1948). His trademark was his especially thick New York accent, usually delivered from the side of his mouth. In Decoy (1946), Leonard uses his "heavy" persona to create the hard-boiled police detective Joe Portugal.

On radio from 1945 to 1955, Leonard played an eccentric racetrack tout on The Jack Benny Program and later in the TV series of the same name. His role was to salute Benny out of the blue in railroad stations, on street corners, or in department stores ("Hey Bud. C'mere a minute."), ask Benny what he was about to do, and then proceed to try to argue him out of his course of action by resorting to inane and irrelevant racing logic. As "The Tout," he never gave out information on horse racing, unless Jack demanded it. One excuse the tout gave was, "Who knows about horses?"

Leonard was part of the cast of voice actors on the Damon Runyon Theatre radio show (1948-1949). He was part of the ensemble cast of the Martin and Lewis radio show. He also appeared frequently on The Adventures of the Saint, often playing gangsters and heavies, but also sometimes in more positive roles. Leonard was also a regular on the radio comedy series The Adventures of Maisie in the 1940s. During the 1950s, Leonard provided the voice of lazy fat cat Dodsworth in two Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies cartoons directed by Robert McKimson. In the adventure movie The Iroquois Trail (1950), Leonard played against type in the significant role of Chief Ogane, a Native American warrior, who pursues and fights the frontiersman Nat "Hawkeye" Cutler (George Montgomery) in a climactic duel to the death with knives.

Later in the 1950s and 1960s, he established a reputation as a producer of successful television series, including The Danny Thomas Show (aka Make Room For Daddy) (1953–64), The Andy Griffith Show (1960–68), Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C. (1964–69), The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961–66), and I Spy (1965–68). He also directed several TV series episodes, including four of the first eight episodes of the TV series Lassie (Season 1, 1954). Leonard also provided the voice of Linus the Lionhearted in a series of Post Crispy Critters cereal TV commercials in 1963-64, which led to a Linus cartoon series that aired on Saturday (and later, Sunday) mornings on CBS (1964–66) and ABC (1967–69). He also was briefly the star of his own television show Big Eddie (1975), where he played the owner of a large sports arena. The show lasted for only ten episodes.

Movies for Sheldon Leonard...

Sheldon Leonard's Wonderful Life
Title: Sheldon Leonard's Wonderful Life
Character: Himself
Released: January 1, 2011
Type: Movie
A loving tribute to a forgotten pioneer of the golden age of television. Starting out as a Runyonesque character actor, Sheldon Leonard went on to produce some of the most beloved and groundbreaking shows of all time, such as The Andy Griffith Show, The Danny Thomas Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show and I Spy. A rare treat, this film is a delightful retrospective of Leonard’s body of work, including priceless clips from his productions— as well as his hilarious appearances on shows such as The Jack Benny Program—and interviews with many of his friends and colleagues, including Mary Tyler Moore, Andy Griffith, Dick Van Dyke, Carl Reiner, Ron Howard and Leonard himself.
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Color Adjustment
Title: Color Adjustment
Character: Self
Released: January 29, 1992
Type: Movie
From Amos 'n' Andy to Nat King Cole, from Roots to The Cosby Show, black people have played many roles on primetime television. Brilliantly weaving clips from classic TV shows with commentary from TV producers, black actors and scholars, Marlon Riggs blends humor, insight, and thoughtful analysis to explore the evolution of black/white relations as reflected by America's favorite addiction.
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The Making of 'It's a Wonderful Life'
Title: The Making of 'It's a Wonderful Life'
Character: Self (archival footage)
Released: October 18, 1990
Type: Movie
Tom Bosley hosts a documentary the looks into the story behind how one of cinema's greatest films It's A Wonderful Life was made.
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Title: Dream On
Released: July 8, 1990
Type: TV
The family life, romantic life, and career of Martin Tupper, a divorced New York City book editor. The show distinctively interjected clips from older black and white television series to punctuate Tupper's feelings or thoughts.
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James Stewart: A Wonderful Life
Title: James Stewart: A Wonderful Life
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: November 22, 1988
Type: Movie
Documentary about James Stewart's long career as an actor and positive personal life.
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Title: Matlock
Character: Casino Tipster
Released: March 3, 1986
Type: TV
Matlock is an American television legal drama, starring Andy Griffith in the title role of criminal defense attorney Ben Matlock. The show, produced by The Fred Silverman Company, Dean Hargrove Productions, Viacom Productions and Paramount Television originally aired from September 23, 1986 to May 8, 1992 on NBC; and from November 5, 1992 until May 7, 1995 on ABC. The show's format is similar to that of CBS's Perry Mason, with Matlock identifying the perpetrators and then confronting them in dramatic courtroom scenes. One difference, however, was that whereas Mason usually exculpated his clients at a pretrial hearing, Matlock usually secured an acquittal at trial, from the jury.
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Title: Murder, She Wrote
Character: Sgt. Bulldog Kowalski
Released: September 30, 1984
Type: TV
An unassuming mystery writer turned sleuth uses her professional insight to help solve real-life homicide cases.
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Title: The Cosby Show
Released: September 20, 1984
Type: TV
The Cosby Show is an American television situation comedy starring Bill Cosby, which aired for eight seasons on NBC from September 20, 1984 until April 30, 1992. The show focuses on the Huxtable family, an upper middle-class African-American family living in Brooklyn, New York.
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Title: Cheers
Released: September 30, 1982
Type: TV
The story about a blue-collar Boston bar run by former sports star Sam Malone and the quirky and wonderful people who worked and drank there.
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Title: The Facts of Life
Released: August 24, 1979
Type: TV
The Facts of Life is an American sitcom that originally ran on the NBC television network from August 24, 1979, to May 7, 1988, making it the longest running sitcom of the 1980s. A spin-off of the sitcom Diff'rent Strokes, the series' premise focuses on Edna Garrett as she becomes a housemother at the fictional Eastland School, an all-female boarding school in Peekskill, New York.
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The Brink's Job
Title: The Brink's Job
Character: J. Edgar Hoover
Released: December 8, 1978
Type: Movie
In 1950, a group of unlikely criminal masterminds commits the robbery of the century. Led by Tony Pino, a petty thief fresh out of prison, and Joe McGinnis, who specializes in planning lucrative capers, the gang robs Brink's main office in Boston of more than $2 million. However, things begin to go awry when the FBI gets involved, the cops start cracking down on the gang and McGinnis refuses to hand over the loot...
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The Islander
Title: The Islander
Character: Paul Lazaro
Released: September 16, 1978
Type: Movie
A retired mainland lawyer buys a small Honolulu hotel and finds himself in a murderous situation involving a runaway grand jury witness, a ruthless mobster, and a racket-busting U.S. Senator framed for beating up an airline stewardess.
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Top Secret
Title: Top Secret
Character: Carl Vitale
Released: June 4, 1978
Type: Movie
A hip American agent and his foxy associate try to recover a hundred pounds of stolen plutonium in Italy before it can be used by terrorists.
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Title: Big Eddie
Released: August 23, 1975
Type: TV
Big Eddie is an American sitcom that aired from August 23 until November 7, 1975.
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Title: The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts
Character: Self
Released: September 14, 1973
Type: TV
The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts is a NBC television special show hosted by entertainer Dean Martin from 1974 to 1984. For a series of 54 specials and shows, Martin would periodically "roast" a celebrity. These roasts were patterned after the roasts held at the New York Friars' Club in New York City. The format would have the celebrity guest seated at a banquet table, and one by one the guest of honor was affectionately chided or insulted about his career by his fellow celebrity friends. In 1973, The Dean Martin Show was declining in popularity. The final season of his variety show would be retooled into one of celebrity roasts, requiring less of Martin's involvement. For the 1973–1974 season, a new feature called “Man of the Week Celebrity Roast" was added to try to pick up the ratings. The roasts seemed to be popular among television audiences and are often marketed in post-issues as part of the official Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts and not The Dean Martin Show. After The Dean Martin Show was cancelled in 1974, NBC drew up a contract with Martin to do several specials and do more roast specials. Starting with Bob Hope in 1974, the roast was taped in California and turned out to be a hit, leading to many other roasts to follow.
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Title: Sanford and Son
Released: January 14, 1972
Type: TV
The misadventures of a cantankerous junk dealer and his frustrated son.
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Title: My World and Welcome to It
Released: September 15, 1969
Type: TV
My World and Welcome to It is an American half-hour television sitcom based on the humor and cartoons of James Thurber. It starred William Windom as John Monroe, a Thurber-like writer and cartoonist who works for a magazine closely resembling The New Yorker called The Manhattanite. Wry, fanciful and curmudgeonly, Monroe observes and comments on life, to the bemusement of his rather sensible wife Ellen and intelligent, questioning daughter Lydia. Monroe's frequent daydreams and fantasies are usually based on Thurber material. My World — And Welcome To It is the name of a book of illustrated stories and essays, also by James Thurber. The series ran one season on NBC 1969-1970. It was created by Mel Shavelson, who wrote and directed the pilot episode and was one of the show's principal writers. Sheldon Leonard was executive producer. The show's producer, Danny Arnold, co-wrote or directed numerous episodes, and even appeared as Santa Claus in "Rally Round the Flag."
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Title: Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Character: Self
Released: September 9, 1967
Type: TV
An American sketch comedy television program hosted by comedians Dan Rowan and Dick Martin.
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Title: I Spy
Character: Disc Jockey
Released: September 15, 1965
Type: TV
I Spy is an American television secret-agent adventure series. It ran for three seasons on NBC from 1965 to 1968 and teamed Robert Culp as international tennis player Kelly Robinson with Bill Cosby as his trainer, Alexander Scott. The characters' travels as ostensible "tennis bums", Robinson playing talented tennis as an amateur with the wealthy in return for food and lodging, and Scott tagging along, provided a cover story concealing their roles as top agents for the Pentagon. Their real work usually kept them busy chasing villains, spies, and beautiful women. The creative forces behind the show were writers David Friedkin and Morton Fine and cinematographer Fouad Said. Together they formed Three F Productions under the aegis of Desilu Studios where the show was produced. Fine and Friedkin were co-producers and head writers, and wrote the scripts for 16 episodes, one of which Friedkin directed. Friedkin also dabbled in acting and appeared in two episodes in the first season. Actor-producer Sheldon Leonard, best known for playing gangster roles in the 1940s and '50s, was the executive producer. He also played a gangster-villain role in two episodes and appeared in a third show as himself in a humorous cameo. In addition, he directed one episode and served as occasional second-unit director throughout the series.
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Title: Linus the Lionhearted
Released: September 26, 1964
Type: TV
Linus the Lionhearted is an American animated television series featuring a main character of the same name. The character was created in 1959 by the Ed Graham advertising agency, originally as a series of ads for General Foods' Post Cereals. At first, Linus was the spokesman for the short-lived Post cereal "Heart of Oats". Eventually, the lion was redesigned and reintroduced in 1963 to sell Crispy Critters, which featured Linus on the box. The ads were so popular that a television series was created in 1964 and ran on the CBS network until 1966, then reruns [in color] aired on ABC from 1966, until it was cancelled three years later. A coloring book was published which detailed the adventures of So-Hi going on a scavenger hunt in order to break a curse on a two-headed bird, who is then transformed into a boy due to So-Hi's dedication. In addition to Linus, a rather good-natured "King of the Beasts" who ruled from his personal barber's chair and voiced by Sheldon Leonard, there were other features as well, all based on characters representing other popular Post cereals. The best-known of these was Sugar Bear, who sounded like Bing Crosby and was voiced by actor Gerry Matthews. There was also a postman named Lovable Truly, a young Asian boy named So Hi, and Rory Raccoon.
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Title: Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
Released: September 25, 1964
Type: TV
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. is an American situation comedy that originally aired on CBS from September 25, 1964, to May 2, 1969. The series was a spinoff of The Andy Griffith Show, and the pilot was aired as the finale of the fourth season of The Andy Griffith Show on May 18, 1964. The show ran for five seasons and a total of 150 episodes. In 2006, CBS Home Entertainment began releasing the series on DVD. The final season was released in November 2008. The series was created by Aaron Ruben, who also produced the show with Sheldon Leonard and Ronald Jacobs. Filmed and set in California, it stars Jim Nabors as Gomer Pyle, a naive but good-natured gas-station attendant from the town of Mayberry, North Carolina, who enlists in the United States Marine Corps. Frank Sutton plays Gomer's high-octane, short-fused Gunnery Sergeant Vince Carter, and Ronnie Schell plays Gomer's friend Gilbert "Duke" Slater. Allan Melvin played in the recurring role of Gunnery Sergeant Carter's rival, Sergeant Charley Hacker. The series never discussed nor addressed the then-current Vietnam War, instead focusing on the relationship between Gomer and Sergeant Carter. The show retained high ratings throughout its run.
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Title: Burke's Law
Character: Ronald 'Touchy' Touchstone
Released: September 20, 1963
Type: TV
Burke's Law is an American detective series that ran on ABC from 1963 to 1965 and was revived on CBS in the 1990s. The show starred Gene Barry as Amos Burke, millionaire captain of Los Angeles police homicide division, who was chauffeured around to solve crimes in his Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II.
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Title: Burke's Law
Character: 'Chicasaw Pete' Wickowski
Released: September 20, 1963
Type: TV
Burke's Law is an American detective series that ran on ABC from 1963 to 1965 and was revived on CBS in the 1990s. The show starred Gene Barry as Amos Burke, millionaire captain of Los Angeles police homicide division, who was chauffeured around to solve crimes in his Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II.
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Title: The Merv Griffin Show
Character: Self
Released: October 1, 1962
Type: TV
The Merv Griffin Show is an American television talk show, starring Merv Griffin. The series ran from October 1, 1962 to March 29, 1963 on NBC, September 20, 1965 to August 15, 1969 in first-run syndication, from August 18, 1969 to February 11, 1972 at 11:30 PM ET weeknights on CBS and again in first-run syndication from February 14, 1972 to September 5, 1986.
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Title: The Lucy Show
Character: Sheldon Leonard
Released: October 1, 1962
Type: TV
The Lucy Show is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from 1962–68. It was Lucille Ball's follow-up to I Love Lucy. A significant change in cast and premise for the 1965–66 season divides the program into two distinct eras; aside from Ball, only Gale Gordon, who joined the program for its second season, remained. For the first three seasons, Vivian Vance was the co-star. The earliest scripts were entitled The Lucille Ball Show, but when this title was declined, producers thought of calling the show This Is Lucy or The New Adventures of Lucy, before deciding on the title The Lucy Show. Ball won consecutive Emmy Awards as Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for the series' final two seasons, 1966–67 and 1967–68.
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Pocketful of Miracles
Title: Pocketful of Miracles
Character: Steve Darcey
Released: December 18, 1961
Type: Movie
A New York gangster and his girlfriend attempt to turn street beggar Apple Annie into a society lady when the peddler learns her daughter is marrying royalty.
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Title: The Mike Douglas Show
Character: Self
Released: December 11, 1961
Type: TV
The Mike Douglas Show is an American daytime television talk show hosted by Mike Douglas that originally aired only in the Cleveland area during much of its first two years on the air. It then went into syndication in 1963 and remained on television until 1982. It was distributed by Westinghouse Broadcasting and for much of its run, originated from studios of two of the company's TV stations in Cleveland and Philadelphia.
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Title: The Dick Van Dyke Show
Character: Big Max Calvada
Released: October 3, 1961
Type: TV
The Dick Van Dyke Show centers around the work and home life of television comedy writer Rob Petrie. The plots generally revolve around problems at work, where Rob got into various comedic jams with fellow writers Buddy Sorrell, Sally Rogers and producer Mel Cooley.
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Title: The David Susskind Show
Character: Self
Released: January 18, 1959
Type: TV
The David Susskind Show is an American television talk show hosted by David Susskind. The program began its existence in 1958 as Open End, and was broadcast by WNTA-TV in New York City. The title referred to the fact that the program continued until Susskind or his guests were too tired to continue late on a Sunday night.
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Title: Tonight Starring Jack Paar
Character: Self
Released: July 29, 1957
Type: TV
Tonight Starring Jack Paar is an American talk show hosted by Jack Paar under The Tonight Show franchise from 1957 to 1962. It originally aired during late-night. During most of its run it was broadcast from Studio 6B inside the RCA Building. The same studio would also host early episodes of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Its theme song was an instrumental version of "Everything's Coming Up Roses", and the closing theme was "So Until I See You" by Al Lerner.
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Guys and Dolls
Title: Guys and Dolls
Character: Harry the Horse
Released: December 23, 1955
Type: Movie
Gambler Nathan Detroit has few options for the location of his big craps game. Needing $1,000 to pay a garage owner to host the game, Nathan bets Sky Masterson that Sky cannot get virtuous Sarah Brown out on a date. Despite some resistance, Sky negotiates a date with her in exchange for bringing people into her mission. Meanwhile, Nathan's longtime fiancée, Adelaide, wants him to go legit and marry her.
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Title: Screen Director's Playhouse
Character: George
Released: October 5, 1955
Type: TV
Presented by Eastman Kodak, this show was a series of original scripts directed by acclaimed directors and featuring well-known performers. The stories ranged from musicals to comedies and dramas.
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Title: The Duke
Character: Sam Marco
Released: July 2, 1954
Type: TV
The Duke is an American comedy series that aired on NBC from July to September 1954.
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Money from Home
Title: Money from Home
Character: Jumbo Schneider
Released: December 31, 1953
Type: Movie
Herman owes a lot of gambling debts. To pay them off, he promises the mob he'll fix a horse, so that it does not run. He intends to trick his animal-loving cousin Virgil, an apprentice veterinarian, into helping him. Of course, he doesn't tell Virgil what he is really up to. Mistaken identities are assumed, while along the way, Virgil meets a female vet and Herman falls for the owner of the horse.
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The Diamond Queen
Title: The Diamond Queen
Character: Mogul
Released: November 28, 1953
Type: Movie
A French jeweler travels to India in search of a fabulous diamond.
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Title: The Danny Thomas Show
Character: Gus
Released: September 29, 1953
Type: TV
Danny Thomas, an entertainer, tries to balance his home life with the needs of his career, with hilarious results.
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A Peck O' Trouble
Title: A Peck O' Trouble
Character: Dodsworth (voice)
Released: March 27, 1953
Type: Movie
Lazy Dodsworth the Cat wants to catch a woodpecker for his breakfast. The woodpecker has built its home inside the upper trunk of a very tall tree, and Dodsworth puts on a professor's cap, pretending to be a passive teacher of bird-catching and thereby deceive an eager-to-learn kitten into doing the perilous ascending of the tree to try to catch the woodpecker.
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Title: General Electric Theater
Released: February 1, 1953
Type: TV
General Electric Theater is an American anthology series hosted by Ronald Reagan that was broadcast on CBS radio and television. The series was sponsored by General Electric's Department of Public Relations.
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Stop, You're Killing Me
Title: Stop, You're Killing Me
Character: Lefty
Released: December 10, 1952
Type: Movie
A gangster and his wife attempt to go straight. Comedy. Remake of the 1938 film "A Slight Case of Murder".
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Breakdown
Title: Breakdown
Character: Nick Sampson
Released: July 16, 1952
Type: Movie
A boxer (William Bishop) jailed for murder proves his girlfriend's (Ann Richards) wealthy father and a ward boss framed him.
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Sock a Doodle Do
Title: Sock a Doodle Do
Character: Kid Banty (voice) (uncredited)
Released: May 9, 1952
Type: Movie
A prize-fighting banty rooster, so slap-happy that he goes into a punching spree whenever he hears a bell, falls out of a truck and onto the farm where Foghorn Leghorn is in the midst of his usual sparring match with the barnyard dog. Foghorn and the dog use the fighter-rooster's manic punching against each other by ringing a bell once the rooster is within striking distance of their intended victim.
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Young Man with Ideas
Title: Young Man with Ideas
Character: Rodwell 'Brick' Davis
Released: May 2, 1952
Type: Movie
A Montana lawyer gets distracted after moving to California with his wife and children.
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Kiddin' the Kitten
Title: Kiddin' the Kitten
Character: Dodsworth (voice) (uncredited)
Released: April 5, 1952
Type: Movie
A lazy and fat cat, named Dodsworth, is ordered by his mistress to catch mice that have invaded her home and are terrorizing her. Dodsworth doesn't want to condescend to personal physical effort to catch the mice, so dons a professor's hat and dupes a kitten into doing the job for him, on the pretext that he's a teacher who is giving the kitten a valuable learning experience.
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Here Come the Nelsons
Title: Here Come the Nelsons
Character: Duke
Released: February 23, 1952
Type: Movie
The homespun Nelson family must deal with various comical situations, including an encounter with gangsters.
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Come Fill the Cup
Title: Come Fill the Cup
Character: Lennie Garr
Released: October 24, 1951
Type: Movie
Alcoholic newspaperman Lew Marsh hits bottom, loses his job and is rehabilitated by Charley Dolan. After six years on the wagon he gets his job back and devotes himself to other recovering alcoholics.
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Title: I Love Lucy
Character: Harry Martin (uncredited)
Released: October 15, 1951
Type: TV
Cuban Bandleader Ricky Ricardo would be happy if his wife Lucy would just be a housewife. Instead she tries constantly to perform at the Tropicana where he works, and make life comically frantic in the apartment building they share with landlords Fred and Ethel Mertz, who also happen to be their best friends.
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Behave Yourself!
Title: Behave Yourself!
Character: Shortwave Bert
Released: September 22, 1951
Type: Movie
A young man takes in a dog that turns out to be wanted by mobsters.
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Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man
Title: Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man
Character: Boots Morgan
Released: April 12, 1951
Type: Movie
As novice detectives, Bud and Lou come face to face with the Invisible Man.
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Title: The Jack Benny Program
Character: Racetrack Tout
Released: October 28, 1950
Type: TV
Laugh along with funnyman Jack Benny as he brings his underplayed humor to TV along with regular performers from his radio show days.
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Title: The Jack Benny Program
Character: Elevator Tout
Released: October 28, 1950
Type: TV
Laugh along with funnyman Jack Benny as he brings his underplayed humor to TV along with regular performers from his radio show days.
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Title: The Colgate Comedy Hour
Character: Self
Released: September 10, 1950
Type: TV
The Colgate Comedy Hour is an American comedy-musical variety series that aired live on the NBC network from 1950 to 1955. The show starred many notable comedians and entertainers of the era, including Eddie Cantor, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, Fred Allen, Donald O'Connor, Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, Bob Hope, Jimmy Durante, Ray Bolger, Gordon MacRae, Ben Blue, Robert Paige, Tony Curtis, Burt Lancaster, Broadway dancer Wayne Lamb and Spike Jones and His City Slickers.
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The Iroquois Trail
Title: The Iroquois Trail
Character: Chief Ogane
Released: June 15, 1950
Type: Movie
An American scout and his Indian friend help the English troops against the French during the French and Indian War.
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Title: The Bob Hope Show
Character: Self
Released: April 9, 1950
Type: TV
The Bob Hope Show hosted by Bob Hope, debuted on April 9, 1950. During the 1952-1953 season, NBC rotated with other variety shows in a Sunday night block known as "The Colgate Comedy Hour" (Sept. 1950 to Dec. 1955). Also known as, "The Chevy Show with Bob Hope." When the first special debuted in October of 1950 it was the most expensive television program made up to that point - costing an astronomical $1,500 a minute to produce. Bob Hope had his own television show and radio show at the same time. For the next three seasons, The Bob Hope Show was broadcast once a month on Tuesday nights, giving Milton Berle a week off. Bob ended his radio show in April, 1956. Bob Hope also had another show by a similar name, "The Bob Hope Show (All Star Revue)". In addition, he performed in "Specials" for many years. It is the longest running variety program in television's history with a record of 45 years of televised entertainment.
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Take One False Step
Title: Take One False Step
Character: Detective Pacciano
Released: August 14, 1949
Type: Movie
Catherine Sykes disappears after a midnight drive with Professor Andrew Gentling . When she's presumed murdered, his friend Martha convinces him that he's a prime suspect and should investigate before he's arrested.
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My Dream Is Yours
Title: My Dream Is Yours
Character: Grimes
Released: April 15, 1949
Type: Movie
Conceited singer Garry Mitchell refuses to renew his radio contract, so agent Doug Blake decides to find a new personality to replace him. In New York, he finds Martha Gibson, a single mother with a great voice. He arranges for her to move to Hollywood, but then has a problem trying to sell her to the show's sponsor. Doug tries every trick he can think of to make Martha a star, and as the two work more closely, he falls in love with her. Complicating matters further, Martha meets and becomes attracted to Garry.
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Daughter of the Jungle
Title: Daughter of the Jungle
Character: Dalton Kraik
Released: February 8, 1949
Type: Movie
An airplane carrying a pair of police officers escorting gangsters to prison crash-lands in the African jungle. They are rescued from an attack by savage natives by a white woman who appears out of nowhere, and it turns out she is a lost heiress who herself crash-landed in the jungle years before.
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Shep Comes Home
Title: Shep Comes Home
Character: 'Swifty' Lewis
Released: December 3, 1948
Type: Movie
Little Larry Havens, whose father died in WWII, runs away from home to keep from being separated from "Shep," his father's dog. In Arizona, he is befriended by a kindly Mexican, Manuel Ortiz, who he is able to repay in time, with the aid of Sheriff "Cap" Weatherby, when Ortiz is suspected of crimes committed by local gangsters. "Shep" is instrumental in saving Ortiz from a lynching, and Larry, "Shep" and Ortiz all find a home with a couple they have befriended.
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Joe Palooka in Winner Take All
Title: Joe Palooka in Winner Take All
Character: Hermon
Released: September 19, 1948
Type: Movie
Joe is scheduled for the big fight as usual. This one has more fight sequences than plot.
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Jinx Money
Title: Jinx Money
Character: Lippy Harris
Released: June 27, 1948
Type: Movie
A man wins $50,000 in a card game with gamblers, but is soon found dead and the money missing. Slip and Sach find the money near where the body was discovered, and soon find themselves the target of both the police and the gamblers.
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Madonna of the Desert
Title: Madonna of the Desert
Character: Nick Julian
Released: February 23, 1948
Type: Movie
A jeweled Madonna, property of rancher Joe Salinas, attracts two crooks to his ranch, Monica Dell, a smooth operator, and ruthless Nick Julian. Joe believe that the statue has a miraculous power to ward off evil, and Monica, after a narrow escape from injury while trying to steal the statue, is converted to Joe's faith and refuses to go through with the robbery. Nick has no such intentions.
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Open Secret
Title: Open Secret
Character: Detective Sgt. Mike Frontelli
Released: February 14, 1948
Type: Movie
A couple discovers that their friend has gone missing. Their investigation leads them to believe that anti-semites are behind the disappearance.
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If You Knew Susie
Title: If You Knew Susie
Character: Steve Garland
Released: February 7, 1948
Type: Movie
In the small town of Brookford, everybody can trace their ancestors back to the Revolutionary War, except Sam and Susie Parker. One day, however, they find a letter written by George Washington that mentions the bravery of a Revolutionary War hero named Parker.
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Alias a Gentleman
Title: Alias a Gentleman
Character: Harry Bealer
Released: February 3, 1948
Type: Movie
Aging ex-con tries to stop his daughter from getting involved with shady characters.
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The Gangster
Title: The Gangster
Character: Cornell
Released: November 25, 1947
Type: Movie
Based on the novel Low Company. One of the most peculiar film noirs of the 1940s stars Barry Sullivan as a small-time hood who suffers a mental breakdown as his big plans begin to crumble. Beautiful Belita is the slumming society girlfriend who only fuels his paranoia.
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The Fabulous Joe
Title: The Fabulous Joe
Character: Louie
Released: August 28, 1947
Type: Movie
Milo Terkel's life is never the same after he is willed a dog named Joe. Milo buys his wife a diamond necklace for their anniversary, but when he returns home he finds a note saying she is attending a charity affair. He decides to celebrate alone, taking Joe along for company. After two "mystery gardenias" at the Florida Club, he meets gorgeous Miss Gilmore who spots the necklace and asks to try it on. Milo is punched in the nose by Miss Gilmore's boyfriend, Louie. But Milo's troubles really begin when his dog starts to talk to him, and ONLY to him! He tells Milo to act tough, like Humphrey Bogart. It's a laugh-a-minute as Milo changes from lamb to lion and is innocently caught by his wife with the shapely Miss Gilmore. When his wife sues for divorce he tells the judge about Joe being his advisor. The judge can only suggest that Milo and his wife take a long vacation to work out their problems. Everyone knows a dog simply can't talk!
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Violence
Title: Violence
Character: Fred Stalk
Released: May 9, 1947
Type: Movie
Magazine writer Ann Mason infiltrates the United Defenders, a public service organization which is actually a front for racketeers. But a case of amnesia threatens to blow her cover.
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Sinbad the Sailor
Title: Sinbad the Sailor
Character: Auctioneer
Released: January 13, 1947
Type: Movie
Daredevil sailor Sinbad embarks on a voyage across the Seven Seas to find the lost riches of Alexander the Great. His first stop is the port of Basra, where his ship is seized and scheduled for auction. In his attempt to win it back, he befriends beautiful concubine Shireen. But when her master, the nefarious Emir, calls her back to duty, Sinbad must interrupt his adventure to save the "Jewel of Persia."
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It's a Wonderful Life
Title: It's a Wonderful Life
Character: Nick
Released: December 20, 1946
Type: Movie
A holiday favourite for generations... George Bailey has spent his entire life giving to the people of Bedford Falls. All that prevents rich skinflint Mr. Potter from taking over the entire town is George's modest building and loan company. But on Christmas Eve the business's $8,000 is lost and George's troubles begin.
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Decoy
Title: Decoy
Character: Sergeant Joe Portugal
Released: September 14, 1946
Type: Movie
A fatally shot female gangleader recounts her sordid life of crime to a police officer just before she dies.
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The Last Crooked Mile
Title: The Last Crooked Mile
Character: Ed 'Wires' MacGuire
Released: August 9, 1946
Type: Movie
A mystery grows after a bank robbery car leads investigators to a carnival sideshow.
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Bowery Bombshell
Title: Bowery Bombshell
Character: Ace Deuce Baker
Released: July 20, 1946
Type: Movie
Slip (Leo Gorcey), Sach (Huntz Hall), Bobby (Bobby Jordan), Whitey (William Benedict) and Chuck (David Gorcey) unsuccessfully try to sell a dilapidated car to a street cleaner for a fabulous amount, so they can get enough money to save Louie's (Bernard Gorcey) Malt Shop. Sidewalk photographer Cathy Smith (Teala Loring) snaps a pictures of three bank robbers as they are fleeing a robbery but when the Bowery Boys and Cathy realize that Sach is also in the photograph, they break into the photo lab to destroy the negative, which might make the police think Sach was involved in the robbery.
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Somewhere in the Night
Title: Somewhere in the Night
Character: Sam
Released: June 12, 1946
Type: Movie
George Taylor returns from WWII with amnesia. Back home in Los Angeles, he tries to track down his old identity, stumbling into a 3-year old murder case and a hunt for a missing $2 million.
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Her Kind of Man
Title: Her Kind of Man
Character: Felix Bender
Released: May 11, 1946
Type: Movie
A singer can't choose between a charismatic gangster and an honest newspaperman.
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Rainbow Over Texas
Title: Rainbow Over Texas
Character: Kirby Haynes
Released: May 9, 1946
Type: Movie
Roy visits his home town while on a personal appearance tour. While there he enters a pony express race. To keep him from winning, bad guys try to sabatoge Roy's entry. They fail, or course. Songs include the title song and "Smile for me, Senorita."
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The Gentleman Misbehaves
Title: The Gentleman Misbehaves
Character: Trigger Stazzi
Released: February 28, 1946
Type: Movie
After his first attempt to obtain cash fails, a Broadway producer turns to a gambler to raise money for his show.
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Frontier Gal
Title: Frontier Gal
Character: 'Blackie' Shoulders
Released: December 14, 1945
Type: Movie
Johnny Hart (Rod Cameron) is on the run from the law after killing one of the men who shot his partner. He passes through a town and stops at a saloon owned by singer Lorena Dumont (Yvonne de Carlo). The two seem a good, albeit tempestuous match, although Johnny has no plans to marry -- Lorena has other ideas and a shotgun wedding ensues.
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Captain Kidd
Title: Captain Kidd
Character: Cyprian Boyle
Released: November 22, 1945
Type: Movie
Cutthroat pirate William Kidd captures Admiral Blayne's treasure ship and hides the bounty in a cave. Three years later, Kidd, posing as a respectable merchant captain, offers his services to the King of England. Seeking a social position, Kidd also negotiates for Blayne's title and lands, provided he can prove Blayne was associated with piracy. Launched upon his royal mission, Kidd is unaware that Blayne's son Adam is among the crew, determined to clear his father's name.
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Why Girls Leave Home
Title: Why Girls Leave Home
Character: Chris Williams
Released: October 9, 1945
Type: Movie
In this crime drama, a young woman leaves her unhappy life at home to become a sophisticated night club singer. Her first job is nearly fatal when she entangles herself with the mobsters who own the joint and learns too much about their operation. Her boss decides to kill her and make it look like suicide. An intrepid reporter disbelieves the report and exposes the truth to the public.
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River Gang
Title: River Gang
Character: Peg Leg
Released: September 21, 1945
Type: Movie
An orphan girl lives with apparently kind uncle who turns out to be a murderer.
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Radio Stars on Parade
Title: Radio Stars on Parade
Character: Lucky Maddox
Released: August 1, 1945
Type: Movie
A Hollywood talent agency tries to avoid finacial ruin by getting its best clients on the air.
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Zombies on Broadway
Title: Zombies on Broadway
Character: Ace Miller
Released: May 1, 1945
Type: Movie
Hiring real zombies for a broadway show proves difficult.
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Crime, Inc.
Title: Crime, Inc.
Character: Capt. Ferrone
Released: April 15, 1945
Type: Movie
A crime reporter writes book to expose names and methods of the criminal leaders. He is held on a charge after refusing to explain how he got his information, but is released and helps to expose the syndicate.
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To Have and Have Not
Title: To Have and Have Not
Character: Lt. Coyo
Released: January 20, 1945
Type: Movie
A Martinique charter boat skipper gets mixed up with the underground French resistance operatives during WWII.
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The Falcon in Hollywood
Title: The Falcon in Hollywood
Character: Louie Buchanan
Released: December 8, 1944
Type: Movie
Suave amateur detective Tom Lawrence--aka Michael Arlen's literary hero The Falcon--arrives in Hollywood for some rest and relaxation, only to find himself involved in the murder of a movie actor. There's no shortage of suspects: the costume designer to whom he was married, a tyrannical director, a beautiful young French starlet, a Shakespeare-quoting producer, even a New York gangster. Helping The Falcon solve the crime is a cute, wise-cracking cab driver and a pair of bumbling cops.
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Gambler's Choice
Title: Gambler's Choice
Character: Chappie Wilson
Released: April 27, 1944
Type: Movie
The professional gambler Ross Hadley is the owner of a posh gaming establishment in the heart of New York...
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Trocadero
Title: Trocadero
Character: Mickey Jones
Released: April 24, 1944
Type: Movie
A newspaper columnist and host of his own national network radio program, interviewing more film personalities on his show than any other commentator, is searching for a story for a Sunday column carried by newspaper from coast to coast. Hanging out in Hollywood's famed Trocadero restaurant and night-spot, he gets his story when "Troc" owner and band-leader Eddie LeBaron, relates to him the sage of the famed screenland nitery. And hears plenty of music furnished by four of the top name-bands in the land, including that of Bob Chester, who formed his own swing band in 1935 after being top saxophonist with the bands of Ben Pollack and Ben Bernie. Singer Ida James and the Chester band led off with "Shoo Shoo Baby" in their screen debut.
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Uncertain Glory
Title: Uncertain Glory
Character: Henri Duval
Released: April 7, 1944
Type: Movie
In occupied France, a convicted thief and murderer escapes the guillotine when a bombing raid strikes the prison, but is quickly re-captured by the inspector of the Surete responsible for his original arrest. Fearing the guillotine more than his actual death, the convict inveigles the inspector to help him with a plan to rescue 100 Frenchmen taken by the Gestapo following an act of sabotage: he will confess to being the saboteur and allow himself to be executed by firing squad, the Gestapo's method of execution, thus freeing the 100 men.
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Timber Queen
Title: Timber Queen
Character: Smacksie Golden
Released: January 13, 1944
Type: Movie
Russ Evans, A WWII veteran army pilot, decides to check up on the widow of an old war buddy of his, Elaine Graham. The logging company she inherited is doing poorly, but Elaine gets an order in for a huge shipment of lumber. Russ and his friend Squirrel volunteer to help her cut the timber for the shipment, along with her friends Smacksie Golden and his girlfriend Lil Boggs, who are not used to doing physical labor. Russ pilots the plane to deliver the lumber before the company falls to a slimy businessman.
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Klondike Kate
Title: Klondike Kate
Character: 'Sometime' Smith
Released: December 16, 1943
Type: Movie
A young man in Alaska finds himself accused of murder, and must fight to clear his name.
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Harvest Melody
Title: Harvest Melody
Character: Chuck
Released: November 22, 1943
Type: Movie
Farmer Tommy and his girl Jane come in from the country for a night at the Hollywood Trocadero. There, they meet Chuck, Hollywood's Number One press agent, and his Girl Friday, Daisie. Hearing of the hardships imposed down on the farm by the war-related labor shortage, Chuck offers the help of his clients, movie star Gilda Parker, heavyweight boxer Canvas, and Eddie Le Baron and his whole orchestra, to help harvest the crops.
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Passport to Suez
Title: Passport to Suez
Character: Johnny Booth
Released: August 19, 1943
Type: Movie
The Lone Wolf goes undercover in Egypt to foil a Nazi plot to bomb and disable the Suez canal, which is vital to England's war effort.
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Hit the Ice
Title: Hit the Ice
Character: Harry 'Silky' Fellowsby
Released: June 2, 1943
Type: Movie
Flash Fulton (Bud Abbott) and Weejie McCoy (Lou Costello) take pictures of a bank robbery. Lured to the mountain resort hideout of the robbers and accompanied by Dr. Bill Elliott (Patric Knowles) and Peggy Osborn (Elyse Knox), they also meet old friend Johnny Long (Johnny Long) and his band and singer Marcia Manning (Ginny Simms). Dr. Elliott and Peggy are being held in a remote cabin by the robbers, but Weejie rescues them by turning himself into a human snowball that becomes an avalanche that engulfs the crooks.
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Taxi, Mister
Title: Taxi, Mister
Character: Gangster Louis Glorio / The Frisco Ghost
Released: April 16, 1943
Type: Movie
The owner (William Bendix) of a cab company tries to foil a racketeer.
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City Without Men
Title: City Without Men
Character: Monk LaRue
Released: January 14, 1943
Type: Movie
A young woman's husband has been imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit. In order to be near him to try to help him get his sentence overturned, she moves into a boardinghouse near the prison whose residents are the wives of inmates.
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Lucky Jordan
Title: Lucky Jordan
Character: Slip Moran
Released: November 16, 1942
Type: Movie
Lucky Jordan is a gangster living in New York City and when he's drafted into the army, he tries to escape duty by using an old con woman named Annie to convince the draft board he's needed at home. When that fails, Jordan is sent to boot camp, but he doesn't stay there long. He takes a beautiful USO worker hostage and flees back to New York. There, he learns that a rival gangster is plotting against America.
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Street of Chance
Title: Street of Chance
Character: Joe Marruci
Released: October 3, 1942
Type: Movie
In this Cornell Woolrich thriller, a man's memory is recovered after being injured by falling construction material. Discovering a year-long lapse, he returns to his old life and discovers a lot of mysterious happenings.
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Pierre of the Plains
Title: Pierre of the Plains
Character: Clairou
Released: July 29, 1942
Type: Movie
A French-Canadian trapper's adventures jeopardize his romance with an innkeeper.
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Tortilla Flat
Title: Tortilla Flat
Character: Tito Ralph
Released: May 21, 1942
Type: Movie
Danny, a poor northern Californian Mexican-American, inherits two houses from his grandfather and is quickly taken advantage of by his vagabond friends.
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Born to Sing
Title: Born to Sing
Character: Pete Detroit
Released: February 18, 1942
Type: Movie
A group of children put on a show in order to prove that a down and out musician was the real composer of a Broadway show's songs.
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Rise and Shine
Title: Rise and Shine
Character: Menace
Released: November 21, 1941
Type: Movie
The college president, the head cheerleader and a gambling gangster try to keep a flunking football star in the game
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Week-End in Havana
Title: Week-End in Havana
Character: Boris
Released: October 17, 1941
Type: Movie
A ship company employee, Jay Williams, is sent to Florida where one of the company cruise ships is stuck on a reef off of the coast. He obtains waivers from all of the passengers with the exception of Nan Spencer, a department store salesgirl who wants her vacation now, not later. Jay is instructed to take Nan to Havana, set her up in the best hotel, and keep her entertained. She visits a nightclub where the star attraction is Rosita Rivas and meets Rosita's worthless manager, Monte Blanca, who makes a play for her. Trouble also comes in the form of Jay's fiancée, Terry McCracken, when a romance develops between Nan and Jay.
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Married Bachelor
Title: Married Bachelor
Character: Johnny Brannigan
Released: October 16, 1941
Type: Movie
A man's marriage suffers when he pretends to be a bachelor while promoting "his" best-selling book about married life (actually written by an eccentric professor) in order to pay off a debt to a gangster.
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Buy Me That Town
Title: Buy Me That Town
Character: Chink Moran
Released: October 3, 1941
Type: Movie
A gangster and his mob buy a small-town in this warm comedy. They, tired of trying to make it as big city hoods, buy the town to use as a hideout. The leader of the gang begins to have a change of heart after he begins falling for a local girl.
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Private Nurse
Title: Private Nurse
Character: John Winton
Released: August 22, 1941
Type: Movie
In this brief B programmer, a nurse is hired to care for a widower's daughter who is unaware that her father is a gangster and that her mother is actually still alive. The concerned nurse burdens herself with the difficult responsibility of revealing the unfortunate truth.
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Tall, Dark and Handsome
Title: Tall, Dark and Handsome
Character: Pretty Willie Williams
Released: January 24, 1941
Type: Movie
Robin Hoodish gangster in 1929 Chicago is an object of affection, kind to New York hood and bad to a bad crook.
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Another Thin Man
Title: Another Thin Man
Character: Phil Church
Released: November 17, 1939
Type: Movie
Not even the joys of parenthood can stop married sleuths Nick and Nora Charles from investigating a murder on a Long Island estate.
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Ouanga
Title: Ouanga
Character: LeStrange, the Overseer
Released: December 3, 1935
Type: Movie
In Haiti, a black female plantation owner enacts a voodoo curse, and revives zombies for revenge on a white male neighbor, who has chosen a white woman over her for marriage.
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The Gem of the Ocean
Title: The Gem of the Ocean
Character: Pasha
Released: November 19, 1934
Type: Movie
In this musical short, the leading lady is a French woman who finds mystery and romance on a luxury liner. There is much music with a chorus of beautiful girls dancing in lush art deco settings.
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My Mummy's Arms
Title: My Mummy's Arms
Character: Abdullah
Released: June 28, 1934
Type: Movie
Two Americans attempt to make time with the daughter of the British financier of an archaeological expedition to Egypt.