Charles Middleton
Charles Brown Middleton (October 3, 1874 – April 22, 1949) was an American stage and film actor. During a film career that began at age 46 and lasted almost 30 years, he appeared in nearly 200 films as well as numerous plays. Sometimes credited as Charles B. Middleton, he is perhaps best remembered for his role as the villainous emperor Ming the Merciless in the three Flash Gordon serials made between 1936 and 1940.
Gone with the Wind
as Man with Stove Pipe Hat in Charge of Convict Workers (uncredited)The spoiled daughter of a Georgia plantation owner conducts a tumultuous romance with a cynical...
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Batman
as Ken ColtonJapanese master spy Daka operates a covert espionage-sabotage organization located in Gotham...
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The Flying Deuces
as CommandantOllie falls in love with a woman. When he discovers she's already married, he unsuccessfully...
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The Grapes of Wrath
as LeaderTom Joad returns to his home after a jail sentence to find his family kicked out of their farm...
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Duck Soup
as ProsecutorRufus T. Firefly is named president/dictator of bankrupt Freedonia and declares war on...
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Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House
as Wrecker (uncredited)An advertising executive dreams of getting out of the city and building a perfect home in the...
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Sergeant York
as Mountaineer (uncredited)Alvin York a hillbilly sharpshooter transforms himself from ruffian to religious pacifist. He is...
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Jezebel
as Officer (uncredited)In 1850s Louisiana, the willfulness of a tempestuous Southern belle threatens to destroy all who...
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Jesse James
as DoctorAfter railroad agents forcibly evict the James family from their family farm, Jesse and Frank...
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The Killers
as Farmer (uncredited)Two hit men walk into a diner asking for a man called "the Swede". When the killers find the...
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Gold Rush Maisie
as Camp Owner with a Pig (Uncredited)Maisie becomes attached to a dirt-poor farmer and his family as they try to make ends meet...
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Virginia City
as Jefferson DavisUnion officer Kerry Bradford escapes from a Confederate prison and races to intercept $5 million...
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Flash Gordon
as Ming the MercilessDisaster seems imminent when scientists discover that the planet Mongo is about to crash into...
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The Shepherd of the Hills
as Blacksmith (uncredited)Young Matt Matthews, an Ozark Mountains moonshiner, hates the father he has never seen, who...
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The Sign of the Cross
as TyrosAfter burning Rome, Emperor Nero decides to blame the Christians, and issues the edict that they...
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Western Union
as Stagecoach RiderWhen Edward Creighton leads the construction of the Western Union to unite East with West, he...
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Santa Fe Trail
as GentryAs a penalty for fighting fellow classmates days before graduating from West Point, J.E.B....
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I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang
as Train Conductor (uncredited)A World War I veteran’s dreams of becoming a master architect evaporate in the cold light of...
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Show Boat
as Sheriff Ike VallonDespite her mother's objections, the naive young daughter of a show boat captain is thrust into...
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Station West
as SheriffWhen two US cavalrymen transporting a gold shipment get killed, US Army Intelligence...
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Beau Hunks
as CommandantStan and Ollie join the French Foreign Legion after Ollie's sweetheart rejects him.
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Pack Up Your Troubles
as Welfare Association OfficerThe story begins in 1917 with Stan and Ollie being drafted into the U.S. Army to fight in World...
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Stand-In
as Actor dressed as Abraham LincolnAn east coast efficiency expert, who stakes his reputation on his ability to turn around a...
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Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe
as Emperor MingA mysterious plague, the Purple Death, ravages the earth. Dr. Zarkov, investigating in his...
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The Good Earth
as Banker (uncredited)China, during the rule of the Qing Dynasty. The arranged marriage between Wang Lung, a humble...
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The Trail of the Lonesome Pine
as BlacksmithA well-established tale of a long-running feud between two mountain clans.
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Safe in Hell
as Lawyer JonesTo avoid the rigors of the law, Gilda flees New Orleans and hides on a Caribbean island where...
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Crazy House
as SheriffOle Olsen and Chic Johnson are Broadway stars who return to Universal Studios to make another...
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Stick to Your Guns
as Long Ben, gambler-saloon ownerBuck Peters arranges for Hoppy, California, Johnny and other cowboys to go to the aid of friends...
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The Miracle Woman
as SimpsonAfter an unappreciated minister dies, his daughter loses her faith in God, prompting her to open...
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Frisco Kid
as Speaker (uncredited)After a roustabout sailor avoids being shanghaied in 1850s San Francisco, his audacity helps him...
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Special Agent
as State Police Commander (uncredited)Newspaperman Bill Bradford becomes a special agent for the tax service trying to end the career...
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Rockabye
as District Attorney (uncredited)A Broadway actress with a problematic past falls hard for the author of her new play.
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Murder at the Vanities
as Homer BoothbyShortly before the curtain goes up the first time at the latest performance of Earl Carroll's...
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Belle Starr
as CarpetbaggerAfter her family's mansion is burned down by Yankee soldiers for hiding the rebel leader Captain...
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Reckless
as District Attorney (uncredited)A theatrical star, born on the wrong side of the tracks, marries a drunken blue-blood millionaire.
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Daredevils of the Red Circle
as 39013Escaped Prisoner 39013 impersonates the rich and influential Horace Granville, allowing him to...
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Wedding Present
as TurnbullCharlie Mason and Rusty Fleming are star reporters on a Chicago tabloid who are romantically...
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Blackmail
as Southern Deputy (uncredited)A fugitive from a chain gang becomes an oil-well firefighter and meets the man who framed him.
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Captain Fury
as MergonAn Irish convict sentenced to hard labor in Australia escapes into the outback, and organizes a...
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Ramona
as American Settler (uncredited)Half-Indian girl brought up in a wealthy household is loved by the son of the house against his...
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The Oklahoma Kid
as Alec MartinMcCord's gang robs the stage carrying money to pay Indians for their land, and the notorious...
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Our Vines Have Tender Grapes
as Mr. JensenWelcome to Fuller Junction, Wisconsin, a friendly small town settled by Norwegian farmers. Here...
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Road Gang
as GraysonA crusading young reporter planning a series of articles about a corrupt politician is framed...
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Doctor Bull
as Mr. UpjohnIn this engaging adaptation of James Gould Cozzen's novel The Last Adam, film icon Will Rogers...
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Here Comes Trouble
as Reporter (uncredited)A blundering rookie reporter runs into some unexpected difficulty when he is assigned to cover...
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Welcome Stranger
as Farmer Pinkett (uncredited)Crusty Dr. McRory of Fallbridge, Maine, hires his vacation replacement sight unseen. Alas, he...
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The Decision of Christopher Blake
as President in Dream (uncredited)A young boy begins to have fantasies when he learns his parents are planning to divorce....
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Going Hollywood: The '30s
as (archive footage)Robert Preston hosts this documentary that shows what people of the 1930s were watching as they...
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Way Out West
as Buck RankinWise-guy carnival barker Windy bilks a group of cowboys out of their money, gets caught and is...
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Steamboat Round the Bend
as Fleety Belle's FatherA Louisiana con man enters his steamboat into a winner-take-all race with a rival while trying...
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Silver Dollar
as JenkinsA farmer strikes it rich out West, then leaves his wife for a young beauty.
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Way Down South
as CassIn the pre-Civil War South, a plantation owner dies and leaves all his possessions, including...
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An American Tragedy
as Attorney Reuben JephsonA social climber charms a debutante, seduces a factory worker and commits murder.
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Caught Plastered
as Sheriff FlintSet in a drugstore the boys take on to save a nice old lady from the clutches of the local...
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Gunfighters
as Sheriff #1 (uncredited)Gunfighter "Brazos" Kane lays aside his guns "forever" when he is forced to shoot his best...
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The Fixer Uppers
as Pierre GustaveStan and Ollie are greeting card salesmen who agree to help a woman put a spark in her loveless...
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Wyoming Outlaw
as Luke ParkerWill Parker has been destroyed by a local politician and now must steal to feed his family. He...
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The Texas Rangers
as Lawyer (uncredited)Two down-on-their-luck former outlaws volunteer to be Texas Rangers and find themselves assigned...
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Rangers of Fortune
as Water ThugFred MacMurray stars as a US Army misfit who, with pals Albert Dekker and Gilbert Roland, roam...
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Dick Tracy Returns
as Pa StarkDick Tracy battles spies and saboteurs in his efforts to bring to justice the Stark gang, a...
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Spaceship to the Unknown
as Ming the Merciless (archive footage)A heavy condensation of the original serial compresses the original thirteen episodes into an...
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The Man Without a Country
as President Abraham Lincoln (uncredited)This short film tells the story of a disgraced U.S. army officer who is charged with treason. At...
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The Three Musketeers
as El Shaitan (voice)Tom Wayne rescues Clancy, Renard and Schmidt in the Arabian desert and they join him in going...
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White Woman
as FentonA nightclub singer marries the rich owner of a rubber plantation. When she returns with him to...
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Kentucky
as SouthernerYoung lovers Jack and Sally are from families that compete to send horses to the 1938 Kentucky...
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Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars
as Emperor MingWhen a deadly Nitron ray strikes Earth, Flash Gordon and his friends travel to Mars to battle...
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Abe Lincoln in Illinois
as Tom LincolnAbe Lincoln in Illinois is a 1940 biographical film which tells the story of the life of Abraham...
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Behold My Wife!
as Juan Storm CloudAfter Michael Carter's fiancée commits suicide, Michael vows to seek revenge on his wealthy...
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Shooting High
as Hod CarsonA movie company making a film about a famous sheriff hires his grandson as a stand-in for the lead.
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Black Raven
as SheriffOne dark and stormy night, an escaped convict, an embezzler, a runaway daughter, her intended...
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Island of Doomed Men
as Captain CortAn undercover agent wrongly punished for murder is paroled to a remote tropical island with a...
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Allegheny Uprising
as Dr. StokeSouth western Pennsylvania area of colonial America, 1760s. Colonial distaste and disapproval of...
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Brigham Young
as Mob MemberBased on the story of the famous Mormon leader, it follows Brigham Young and his challenge to...
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Hollywood Cowboy
as 'Doc' KramerJust after Kramer goes to Wyoming to start his protection racket, cowboy actor Jeff Carson...
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A Son Comes Home
as ProsecutorA mother experiences the torment of discovering that her own son is a killer.
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Charlie Chan's Murder Cruise
as Jeremiah WaltersOn a cruise ship from Honolulu to San Francisco, the famous Chinese detective encounters four...
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Palmy Days
as YolandoMusical comedy antics in an art deco bakery (motto: "Glorifying the American Doughnut") where...
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Northwest Trail
as PierreMountie Matt O'Brien is assigned to escort Miss Owens to a remote outpost. But when he finds an...
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The Bowery
as Detective (uncredited)"In the Gay Nineties New York had grown up into bustles and balloon Sleeves ... but The Bowery...
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The Town Went Wild
as Sam, Midvale District AttorneyComedy concerning two feuding fathers dealing with the shocking news that their sons were...
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Hell's Highway
as Matthew the HermitA prison-camp convict learns that his younger brother will soon be joining him behind bars.
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Mr. Skitch
as JoeAfter losing their Missouri home during the Great Depression, the Skitch family pulls up stakes...
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Oklahoma Outlaws
as Judge RingleIn this short western, a gang of outlaws plots to gain control of the town of Tulsa.
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Yodelin' Kid from Pine Ridge
as Gene Autry Sr.The old west range war story transported to Georgia, with Autry as the hero.
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We're on the Jury
as Mr. MartinA juror at a murder trial is convinced the defendant is innocent.
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Song of the Saddle
as Phineas P. HookFrank Sr. sells his supplies to Hook, but then Hook has the Bannion Boys bushwhack his wagon to...
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This Day and Age
as District AttorneyA modern-day tale of gangsterism and revenge. After a notorious mobster murders a Jewish tailor...
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Feudin', Fussin' and A-Fightin'
as Townsman (uncredited)A fast-talking salesman is "kidnapped" by a town, which intends to use him in its annual race...
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Mars Attacks the World
as Ming the MercilessFeature version of the 1938 film serial FLASH GORDON'S TRIP TO MARS. Flash Gordon fights Ming...
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Sob Sister
as City Editor BakerJane Ray, a very clever reporter of crimes of passion, or "sob sister," for a New York tabloid,...
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Slave Ship
as Slave DealerAction-filled drama about a ship captain, ashamed of his background in the slave trade, forced...
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Hop-a-long Cassidy
as Buck PetersAn evil ranch foreman tries to provoke a range war by playing two cattlemen against each other...
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Sunset Pass
as WilliamsA US marshal goes undercover to bust up a bunch of rustlers.
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The Hatchet Man
as Lip Hop FatWhen he's forced to kill his best friend, a Chinese hit man adopts the man's daughter.
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My Girl Tisa
as uncredited1905 was a period of heavy immigration from Europe to America before laws were passed...
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Joaquin Murrieta
as Politician (uncredited)This MGM Historical Mystery short follows the life and exploits of killer outlaw Joaquin...
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Manhattan Parade
as Sheriff CaseyDirector Lloyd Bacon's 1931 drama takes a different look at the Broadway arena by focusing on...
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The Pretender
as William the butlerStory of an investment agent who embezzles a large sum from an estate, hoping to cover his crime...
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Spook Louder
as Graves' ValetThe stooges are door-to-door salesman peddling a weight reducing machine, until they come to the...
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Whom the Gods Destroy
as Constable Malcolm (uncredited)Broadway's most successful producer, John Forrester, is deeply in love with his wife Margaret...
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A Dangerous Affair
as TupperHolt plays police lieutenant McHenry, while Graves is his friendly rival, crime reporter Wally...
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Destination Unknown
as TurkA group of people are stuck on a schooner in the middle of the Pacific with no wind.
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Jailbreak
as Dan StoneA reporter gets himself sent to prison so he can solve a murder behind bars.
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Square Shooter
as MillerTim returns from prison after being framed for murder to clear his name and retrieve the ranch...
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Career Woman
as Matt ClayA young woman graduates from a New York City law school, returns to her small hometown, and...
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$1,000 a Touchdown
as Stage Manager (uncredited)A couple inherits a college and to generate revenue offers a thousand dollars to players for...
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Broadway Bill
as Veterinarian (uncredited)Tycoon J.L. Higgins controls his whole family, but one of his sons- in-law, Dan Brooks and his...
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Too Busy to Work
as Chief of PoliceA hobo searches the countryside for the daughter he lost when his wife left him...
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Red Morning
as StanchonA captain's daughter become marooned on an island after the ship is taken over by a mutinous crew.
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The Strange Love of Molly Louvain
as Police Capt. SladeA fast-talking reporter befriends a young woman and her male companion who are wanted for a...
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Wild Bill Hickok Rides
as Claim Jumping LeaderThe Western hero takes on a ruthless land baron whose henchmen killed his best friend.
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High Pressure
as Mr. BanksGar Evans is a con artist, who pretends to be the owner of a "Golden Gate Artificial Rubber...
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The Phantom President
as Abe Lincoln (uncredited)Too bad for presidential hopes of banker T.K. Blair; his party feels he has too little flair for...
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Hollywood and Vine
as AttorneyA young girl arrives in Hollywood determined to become a star in the movies but finds that...
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Wild Geese Calling
as Doctor Jed SloanIn the 1890s lumberjack John leaves Seattle for Alaska to look for gold. After he marries...
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The Road Is Open Again
as Abraham LincolnA Songwriter falls asleep while writing a song about the NRA. He dreams that Washington, Lincoln...
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The Last Bandit
as Blindfolded Circuit RiderAbout to marry Jim Plummer, Kate Foley runs off to Nevada when Ed Bagley convinces her a quick...
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The Miracle Rider
as ZaroffIn 1930s Texas, following the murder of his father, Tom Morgan joins the Texas Rangers to avenge...
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Welcome Danger
as John Thorne / The DragonA gentle botany student has to toughen up to replace his father as chief of police.
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Jiggs and Maggie in Court
as Mr. Burton, an AttorneyMaggie is resentful of being pointed out and laughed at in public because she resembles the...
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A Look at the World of 'Soylent Green'
as Self (archive footage)This promotional short film for "Soylent Green" (1973) begins by showing clips of films that...
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Tomorrow at Seven
as Jerry SimonsPeople in an old, dark mansion are menaced by a maniac called "The Black Ace".
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The Strange Case of Dr. Meade
as LaceyIn this drama, a New York physician takes a much-needed vacation down South. Unfortunately, he...
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Jungle Man
as Rev. James 'Jim' GrahamAn expedition sets out to darkest Africa to find the fabled City of the Dead, and must battle...
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Rose of the Rancho
as Horse Doctor (uncredited)It is California in 1852 that only recently being surrendered by Mexico to the United States and...
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East Is West
as Dr. FredericksMing Toy is on the auction block in China. She is saved by Billy and taken to San Francisco by...
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Spook Busters
as Mr. StilesThe Bowery Boys--Slip, Sach, Bobby, Whitey & Chuck--start their own exterminating service,...
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Massacre
as Sheriff ScattersUpon the death of his father, who was the tribal chieftain, Joe Thunder Horse returns to the...
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Strangler of the Swamp
as Ferryman DouglasA number of swamp land men have died by strangulation and the inhabitants believe that an...
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The Desert Hawk
as Koda BeyEvil Hassan slips back into his native land of Ahad and plots to overthrow his twin bother,...
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In Spite of Danger
as Mr. MerrittBill Crane, race-car driver has an accident while racing and finds himself unable to return to...
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Two Gun Law
as Wolf LarsonHero Bob Larson takes on an impressive triumvirate of villains.
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Eyes of the Navy
as Farmer (uncredited)Produced by MGM in cooperation with the U.S. Navy, this short film follows U.S. naval aviators...
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The Mystery of Marie Roget
as CuratorA detective investigates the mysterious death of a young actress.
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The Ruling Voice
as Board Member (uncredited)A mob boss has a change of heart when his daughter convinces him to move on from crime.
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Women in Hiding
as Alice's Father (uncredited)In this Crime Does Not Pay series short, a young woman wants to save her baby, but is afraid of...
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Pick-up
as Mr. BrewsterThe scheme of a pair of married con artists goes awry when their victim dies, and they are both...
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Empty Saddles
as Cim WhiteBuck runs into trouble when he buys a deserted cattle ranch that he turns into a dude ranch.
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At Twelve Midnight
as Roger ThurstonA hero in a robbery comes up against a crime boss and the crooked guardian of the girl he loves
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Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch
as Mr. BagbyThe Wiggs family plan to celebrate Thanksgiving in their rundown shack with leftover stew,...
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Purple Death from Outer Space
as Ming the MercilessEdited version of the 1940 Universal serial "Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe", released in a...
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The Last Round-up
as SheriffRandolph Scott plays Jim Cleve, one of several volunteers keeping the US-Mexican border safe on...
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Beau Bandit
as Lucius J. PerkinsMexican-bandit Montero and his deaf-mute sidekick Coloso are being pursued through the...
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Perils of Nyoka
as CassibProfessor Campbell's expedition into the hills of Libya obtains a papyrus which might reveal the...
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Disgraced!
as District AttorneyA lovely fashion model's dreams of marital bliss are shattered when her fiance jilts her. To...
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Sunset of Power
as Neil BrannumSunset of Power is regarded as one of Buck Jones' more meritorious Universal westerns. The heavy...
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Rocket Ship
as Emperor MingA heavy condensation of the 1936 serial Flash Gordon, with altered musical score. Flash Gordon,...
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A House Divided
as MinisterA New England fisherman's second wife prefers his son.
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Flaming Frontiers
as Ace DaggettTom Grant has found a rich gold vein and Bart Eaton is after it. Tom's sister Mary heads for the...
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Black Arrow
as Tom WhitneyWith a plot line mostly lifted from 1941's "White Eagle", Columbia's 24th serial (following "The...
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X Marks the Spot
as KirbyThe story begins in 1923 where after an accident, a newspaper reporter needs to raise $5,000 to...
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Mystery Ranch
as Henry SteeleMegalomaniacal rancher is a law unto himself, until a Ranger is called-upon to bring him to justice.
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The Devil's Cabaret
as Mr. Satan (uncredited)At Satan & Co., Inc., the devil is upset because too many people are going up to Heaven rather...
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The Far Call
as Kris LarsenA greedy poacher travels to a small island in the Bering sea to rob a seal rookery. There he...
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Cowboys from Texas
as Kansas JonesCowboys from Texas is a 1939 American Western "Three Mesquiteers" B-movie directed by George...
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Men of San Quentin
as SaundersonA corrupt official at San Quentin tries to frame an innocent guard for several murders within...
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Wagon Wheels West
as Phineas HookIn this short western, a U.S. marshal seeks vengeance against the man who killed his father.
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How DOooo You Do
as Sheriff HayworthMurder occurs when several of the most popular radio personalities of the '40s converge on a...
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David Harum
as Deacon PerkinsRogers plays a small town banker in the 1890s whose chief rival is the deacon (Middleton) with...
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One Against the World
as Mr. Crumley (uncredited)This short film presents the story of Dr. Ephraim McDowell, who came under scrutiny for his...
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Boobs in the Night
as uncreditedAuxiliary home defense workers El and Monte are sent to a spooky house where they come across a...
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Ships of Hate
as Captain LashA cruel sea captain (Charles Middleton) oversees a rough crew.
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