It’s time we took another look at the low-budget Western Naked Gun (1956), directed by Edward (Eddie) Dew and an uncredited Paul Landres. Timothy’s hot-headed henchman Hartman has just had a knock-down-drag-out fight and is being escorted off the premises by an unknown extra.
Here’s another of Tim’s early films that is long overdue for a proper commercial release. Let’s get on that, powers-that-be!
Ending the week is another look at Chain of Evidence (1957), the amnesia-plot-device police drama directed by Paul Landres, who co-directed Timothy the year before, along with Eddie Dew, in Naked Gun (1956) but went uncredited. Bad guy Carl Fowler has been called in for questioning on an assault charge, and he is none too happy about it (even though he did it).
Landres was another hard-working journeyman director, helming many low-budget feature films and television series (seemingly specializing in Westerns) from the late 1940s into the 1970s. He also received no on-screen credit for his directing duties, along with the prolific Robert L. Lippert, on the MST3K favorite Last of the Wild Horses (1948), filmed a few hours’ drive from me in the Rogue River Valley in southern Oregon.
Let’s close out the week with another publicity still. This one is from the low-budget Western Naked Gun (1956), directed by Eddie Dew and an uncredited Paul Landres. Timothy is getting his clock cleaned by a determinedly two-fisted Tom Brown.
Many thanks to Toby from 50 Westerns From The 50s for this one! No wonder I missed it; it’s listed as Naked Guns, plural. Pretty bad when the distributor (Associated Film Releasing Corp.) can’t even get the name of their own film right. As I believe I’ve mentioned before, Brown began his career as a child model for advertisements, including Buster Brown shoes. Any relation? You make the call.
Happy 2014! Let’s kick off the new year with another look at mustachioed Timothy in Naked Gun (1956), not the Leslie Nielsen cavalcade of hilarity but the low-budget Western featuring B-movie action star Willard Parker. Here we see grinning henchman Hartman helping his boss Joe Barnum (Barton MacLane) greet Sonny Glenn (Tom Brown) and Susan Stark (Veda Ann Borg). There’s a cursed Aztec treasure floating around the plot somewhere as well.
Quintessential tough guy MacLane was in the home stretch of his impressive career by this point. He was so closely identified with the no-goodniks and knock-abouts he portrayed on film that, according to his IMDb entry, “his name was for a time used proverbially, to generally describe a shouting, hard-nosed ruffian.”
Today’s pic is another from Naked Gun (1956), the enjoyable B-Western directed by Eddie Dew, former B-Western player himself. Timothy’s mustachioed henchman Hartman is enjoying a drink and a laugh with his bartender pal Wilson (William “Bill” Phillips).
Phillips did scads of character bit parts in films in the 1940s and ’50s. Strangely enough, he was also the director of the San Diego Museum of Man in the late ’50s. His appearance in Naked Gun was one of his last; he passed away in 1957.
Today we revisit The Wild One (1953), directed by Laslo Benedek and starring Marlon Brando. Here we see “Chino’s Boy #1” getting the brilliant idea of pouring a bottle of beer on Chino (Lee Marvin) to spur him on during the big fight with Brando.
If I’m not mistaken, that is X Brands on the far right. He and Timothy co-starred in several episodes of Cowboy G-Men at around the same time this was filmed. They also appeared together in Naked Gun (1956) and Revolt in the Big House (1958). He very often portrayed American Indians on television and in film, even though he was of German heritage.
We kick off the month of October with another look at Naked Gun (1956), an entertaining low-budget Western also known as The Hanging Judge. Timothy’s hot-tempered henchman Hartman has just hit the floor hard during a big fight. He’s not too happy about it either.
This being a Western from the ’50s, we would like to take this rather roundabout opportunity to wish one of our favorite blogs, 50 Westerns From The ’50s, a very happy third anniversary in cyberspace! Check it out today if you haven’t already – it’s a veritable treasure trove of 1950s Western goodness!
Today we revisit Naked Gun (1956) – not the Leslie Nielsen laugh-fest, but the low-budget Western also known as The Hanging Judge. Tim has a rather substantial role as Hartman, the bad guy’s henchman. Here saloon proprietress Veda Ann Borg oversees a shady card game.
The fellow in black without a hat is Tom Brown, who began his career as a child model, and later an actor. He modeled for Buster Brown Shoes, Arrow shirts and Buick.
Our humble blog got a wonderful mention over at 50 Westerns From the 50s! If you haven’t seen it, it’s a nifty little blog about, well, read the title, yo.
It’s a fabulous read, full of great pics and terrific insight. I predict it will quickly become one of your favorites. Thank you, Toby!!
(Here’s another shot of Tim from Naked Gun (1956), just to make this post more relevant to the theme.)
Our pic of the day to start off the work week is from the enjoyable potboiler Chain of Evidence (1957), directed by Paul Landres, who had directed Tim the previous year in Naked Gun (1956), receiving no on-screen credit. Here Tim plays Carl Fowler, a violent low-life who likes to settle arguments with his fists and a 2×4.
My MSTie pals will recognize the female lead; she’s Claudia Barrett from Robot Monster (1953). “We want peace, Ro-Man. But peace with honor.”
The Timothy Carey Experience 