Phil Karlson

Director

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Phil Karlson (July 2, 1908, Chicago, Illinois – December 12, 1985, Los Angeles, California) was a film director known for his no-nonsense film noirs. Karlson directed 99 River Street, Kansas City Confidential and Hell's Island all with actor John Payne in the early 1950s. Other films include Rocky (1948), The Phenix City Story (1955), 5 Against the House (1955) and The Young Doctors (1961). Phil Karlson was the son of popular Irish actress Lillian O'Brien. He studied painting at Chicago's Art Institute, and law, at his father's request, at Loyola Marymount University in California. Karlson got into the film industry working as a prop man while a law student. After working a number of film jobs, including being an assistant director for a number of Abbott and Costello films, Karlson directed his first film in 1944 and in 1948 directed the first film starring Marilyn Monroe, Ladies of the Chorus. He worked on a number of low-budget projects for Monogram Pictures and Eagle-Lion Films before making his mark in 1950. It was then that he was known for directing tough, realistic and sometimes violent gritty crime films. In the 1960s the quality of his directed films declined, which included working on Kid Galahad (1962) with Elvis Presley and two Dean Martin Matt Helm spy films, including The Wrecking Crew (1969) co-starring Sharon Tate and Elke Sommer. He had his biggest success in 1973 when he directed the hit film, Walking Tall. The film made the director a rich man many times over, thanks to the fact that he owned a huge part of the movie. Description above from the Wikipedia article Phil Karlson, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

02-07-1908

Birthday

Cancer

Zodiac Sign

Genres

Total Films

Philip P. Karlstein

Also known as (male)

Chicago, Illinois

Place of Birth

02-07-1908

Birthday

Cancer

Zodiac Sign

Genres

Total Films

Philip Karlstein, Philip P. Karlstein

Also Known As (male)

Chicago, Illinois

Place of Birth

Popular works

Media

Creative career

actor

0 Works

producer

0 Works

director

60 Works

writer

0 Works

other

9 Works

Framed

Joe Don Baker plays a gambler who is framed for a crime he did not commit. A corrupt legal system leads him into a plea bargain and four years behind bars. By the time he gets out of prison, he's determined to put together the pieces of his frame-up and dole out the justice he was denied to those responsible.

6.6

Year:

1975

Walking Tall

Ex-wrestler and Tennessee Sheriff Buford Pusser walks tall and carries a big stick as he tussles with county-wide corruption and moonshining thugs.

6.6

Year:

1973

Ben

A lonely boy becomes good friends with Ben, a rat. This rat is also the leader of a pack of vicious killer rats, killing lots of people.

5.7

Year:

1972

Hornets' Nest

An American commando who's the sole survivor of a parachute jump into WWII-era Italy leads a group of children in a campaign of sabotage against the Nazis.

5.5

Year:

1970

The Wrecking Crew

When Count Contini attempts to destroy the world's economy by masterminding the theft of $1 billion in U.S. gold, ICE chief MacDonald summons secret agent Matt Helm to stop him.

5.6

Year:

1968

Alexander The Great

An historical film that follows the life of Alexander the Great, the Macedonian king that united all ancient Greek tribes and led them against the vast Persian Empire. Alexander conquered most of the then-known world and created a Greek empire that spanned all the way from the Balkans to India.

5.0

Year:

1968

A Time for Killing

During the Civil War, Confederate soldiers escape from a Union prison and head for the Mexican border. Along the way, they kill a Union courier bearing the news that the war is over. Keeping the message a secret, the captain has his men go on and they soon find themselves in a battle with the Union search party who also is unaware of the war's end.

4.5

Year:

1967

The Silencers

Matt Helm is called out of retirement to stop the evil Big O organization who plan to explode an atomic bomb over Alamagordo, NM, and start WW III.

6.1

Year:

1966

Ride the Wild Surf

A group of friends go to Hawaii during the height of surfing season, to compete with other surf bums and find girlfriends along the way.

4.8

Year:

1964

Rampage

In colonial Malaysia, British big game-hunter Otto Abbot and American trapper Harry Stanton clash over the ethics of catching versus killing animals and over Abbot's mistress, Anna.

5.1

Year:

1963

Kid Galahad

After completing his military service, Walter Gulick takes a job as a sparring partner at a gym, the owner of which sees potential in Walter as a professional fighter—and takes him under his wing.

6.1

Year:

1962

The Young Doctors

An aging doctor's resentment of his young assistant could lead to tragedy.

5.6

Year:

1961

The Secret Ways

Vienna, 1956. After Soviet tanks crush the Hungarian uprising, soldier-of-fortune Michael Reynolds is hired to help a threatened Hungarian scientist escape from Budapest.

5.2

Year:

1961

Key Witness

An average Los Angeles citizen witnesses a gang murder when he stops to use a telephone. When he presents himself to the LAPD as the only person willing to identify the culprits, he opens himself up to a campaign of intimidation from the gang involved.

6.9

Year:

1960

Hell to Eternity

Based on the story about Guy Gabaldon, a Los Angeles Hispanic boy raised in the 1930s by a Japanese-American foster family. After Pearl Harbor, his foster family is interned at the Manzanar camp for Japanese Americans, while he enlists in the Marines, where his ability to speak Japanese becomes a vital asset. During the Battle of Saipan, he convinces 800 Japanese to surrender after their general commits suicide.

6.6

Year:

1960

The Scarface Mob

Story of how a group of incorruptible federal lawmen helped put 1920s' Chicago gangster Al Capone in prison.

7.1

Year:

1959

Gunman's Walk

A powerful rancher always protects his wild adult son by paying for damages and bribing witnesses, until his crimes become too serious to rectify.

6.7

Year:

1958

The Brothers Rico

Eddie Rico, the erstwhile bookkeeper for a big Mafia boss, is now making a living as an honest merchant in Florida with his family. Things go sour when the police start a search for his syndicate-linked brothers who are on the lam after a big hit, forcing Eddie to get involved with the Mafia again.

6.2

Year:

1957

The Phenix City Story

A crime-busting lawyer and his initially reluctant attorney father take on the forces that run gambling and prostitution in their small Southern town.

6.6

Year:

1955

5 Against the House

Former war-time Army buddies now students in college decide to rip off a Reno casino.

5.9

Year:

1955

Hell's Island

Down-on-his-luck Mike Cormack is hired to fly to a Caribbean island to retrieve a missing ruby. On the island, possibly involved with the ruby's disappearance, is his ex-girlfriend.

5.4

Year:

1955

Tight Spot

A former model, serving time in prison, becomes a key witness in a trial against a notorious gangster. She is put under protective watch by the District Attorney in a posh hotel, but the crime kingpin makes attempts to get to her. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment, Inc. in 1997.

6.3

Year:

1955

They Rode West

A young cavalry doctor treats very sick Indians against orders, whom are forced to stay on unhealthy land, which could lead to a war.

6.3

Year:

1954

99 River Street

A former boxer turned taxi driver earns the scorn of his nagging wife and gets mixed up with jewel thieves.

6.8

Year:

1953

Kansas City Confidential

An ex-convict sets out to uncover who framed him for an armored car robbery.

7.1

Year:

1952

The Brigand

Carlos Delargo, the banished son of a royal princess of Mandorra, is returned to the kingdom to be tried for a murder change. However, he is freed by King Lorenzo, whom bears a remarkable resemblance to Delargo. When the king is wounded by assassins sent by Napoleon, Delargo takes over the throne at the request of the Prime Minister in a plot to thwart the traitors. He also falls in love with Princess Teresa, the king's fiancée.

5.5

Year:

1952

Scandal Sheet

A tabloid editor assigns a young reporter to solve a murder the editor committed himself.

7.0

Year:

1952

Mask of the Avenger

Costume swashbuckler with heroic John Derek battling evil Anthony Quinn.

5.2

Year:

1951

The Texas Rangers

It's 1874 and the Texas Rangers have been reorganized. But Sam Bass has assembled a group of notorious outlaws into a gang the Rangers are unable to cope with. So the Ranger Major releases two men from prison who are familiar with the movements and locations used by Bass and his men and sends them out to find him.

5.7

Year:

1951

Lorna Doone

An English farmer leads a village uprising against their corrupt landlords.

4.6

Year:

1951

The Iroquois Trail

An American scout and his Indian friend help the English troops against the French during the French and Indian War.

5.8

Year:

1950

Down Memory Lane

This film is a compilation, with narration by Steve Allen, of comedies from the old Mack Sennett silent studio. Sennett, himself, appears in a cameo at the end of the film.

0.0

Year:

1949

The Big Cat

A city boy arrives in his late mother's birthplace to discover the locals have been pestered by a cougar.

4.0

Year:

1949

Ladies of the Chorus

Former burlesque star May and her daughter Peggy dance in the chorus. When May has a fight with featured dancer Bubbles, Bubbles leaves the show and Peggy takes her place. When Peggy falls in love with wealthy Randy, May fears class differences may lead to misery.

6.6

Year:

1948

Thunderhoof

Two men, one woman and one horse get into trouble.

0.0

Year:

1948

Adventures in Silverado

Author Robert Louis Stevenson takes a trip to Napa Valley, California, in 1880 and gets involved in the exploits of a stagecoach driver who captures a hooded highwayman called The Monk. Supposedly inspired by a true incident, this offbeat Western based on Stevenson's The Silverado Squatters is a dandy, high-spirited adventure yarn.

5.0

Year:

1948

Rocky

Out fishing one day, painter John Hammond and his son Chris come across Bert Hillman, the foreman of a local ranch. He and his ranch hand are searching for a wild dog that killed one of their sheep. They find the animal and kill it, along with one of its puppies, but after they leave Hammond and his son discover another puppy still alive. They take it home and call it Rocky. John believes that a dog descended from sheep-killers will himself become a sheep-killer someday, but e gives his son a chance to raise and train the dog, hoping that he can train the killer instinct from it. Unfortunately, local farmers have reported an epidemic of sheep-killings, and they suspect that Rocky is responsible for them.

0.0

Year:

1948

Louisiana

The music-loving son of a Louisiana sharecropper uses his songs to graduate from college.

0.0

Year:

1947

Black Gold

A Native American man trains a horse for the Kentucky Derby.

6.0

Year:

1947

Kilroy Was Here

"Kilroy Was Here" was a popular expression during World War II, but it's not much fun to John J. Kilroy, who has to try to live with all the jokes and wisecracks regarding his name.

5.0

Year:

1947

Wife Wanted

Career-slipping movie star Carole Raymond buys in as a real estate partner of Jeff Caldwell. Actually, through his secretary, Nola Reed, Caldwell runs a matrimonial bureau and, with the aid of his associate, Lee Kirby, they defraud and blackmail a large group of lonely people. Carole, unknowingly, is used as bait for one of their victims, Walter Desmond, who "commits suicide." Reporter William Tyler thinks otherwise.

6.5

Year:

1946

The Missing Lady

While investigating the theft of a valuable jade statue known as "The Missing Lady" -- and the subsequent murder of an art dealer -- imperceptible sleuth Lamont Cranston aka the Shadow (Kane Richmond) finds himself being blamed for the crime. It doesn't help the Shadow's claims of innocence when more bodies begin piling up. Good thing he knows exactly who's guilty among an increasingly smaller group of suspects.

4.8

Year:

1946

Bowery Bombshell

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.

6.0

Year:

1946

Dark Alibi

After three men are convicted of bank robberies, Charlie becomes suspicious. After some investigation Charlie finds the men are innocent and that the fingerprint evidence used to convict them had been forged. Charlie then proceeds to find the true bank robbers.

6.1

Year:

1946

Behind the Mask

Falsely accused of murdering a crooked newspaper reporter, suave detective Lamont Cranston -- aka the Shadow -- vows to track down the real killer.

4.6

Year:

1946

Swing Parade of 1946

A struggling young singer falls for a nightclub owner whose father, a millionaire, is trying to shut it down.

4.2

Year:

1946

Live Wires

Slip gets fired from his job at a construction company for decking his boss. His sister, who got him a job at the company, is angry with him. Slip manages to get a job with the District Attorney serving warrants, as does Sach. Through his job, Slip finds out that all is not quite kosher at his old construction company, and that his sister may be in danger.

5.5

Year:

1946

The Shanghai Cobra

Someone is attempting to steal radium stored in a bank. Death by cobra venom connects a number of murders. Charlie Chan investigates.

5.7

Year:

1945

G.I. Honeymoon

In this romantic comedy, set during WW II, an newlywed army couple are unable to consummate their marriage, as on their wedding night the husband is called away to sentry duty. Later they try again, but as he has just completed a 37-mile hike, he finds himself too tired to work up any enthusiasm for conjugal bliss. Fortunately, the bride's understanding aunt intervenes with the young man's colonel and the frustrated couple is at last able to share a night of love.

0.0

Year:

1945

There Goes Kelly

Musical turned murder mystery set at a radio station.

0.0

Year:

1945

A Wave, a WAC and a Marine

Henny Brown, talent scout for the Margaret Ames Film Agency in Hollywood, mistakes Broadway show understudies Judy and Marian, for stars Betty and Eileen, and signs them up for movies. Margaret, furious with Henny for the blunder, fires him---but only temporarily. Another agent, Marty Allen, once married to and still in love with Margaret, signs Betty and Eileen. Henny arrives with Judy and Marian, and the nightclub manager asks Henny to emcee the show. Though he is not sure himself what they can do, Henny introduces the girls and they make a hit in a dramatic sketch. Big-time movie producer R. J. signs them to a film contract. Judy joins the WAVES, Marian the WACS and Marty the Marines and all have two weeks before induction, and that is more than long enough to shoot a Monogram musical-within-a-Monogram musical and have a few days to spare.

6.5

Year:

1944

It Started with Eve

A young man asks a hat check girl to pose as his fiancée in order to make his dying father's last moments happy. However, the old man's health takes a turn for the better and now his son doesn't know how to break the news that he's engaged to someone else, especially since his father is so taken with the impostor.

7.1

Year:

1941

The Flame of New Orleans

In old New Orleans, a beautiful adventuress juggles the attentions of a rich banker and a dashing sea captain.

6.0

Year:

1941

In the Navy

Popular crooner Russ Raymond abandons his career at its peak and joins the Navy using an alias, Tommy Halstead. However, Dorothy Roberts, a reporter, discovers his identity and follows him in the hopes of photographing him and revealing his identity to the world. Aboard the Alabama, Tommy meets up with Smoky and Pomeroy, who help hide him from Dorothy, who hatches numerous schemes in an attempt to photograph Tommy/Russ being a sailor.

6.3

Year:

1941

Seven Sinners

Banished from various U.S. protectorates in the Pacific, a saloon entertainer uses her femme-fatale charms to woo politicians, navy personnel, gangsters, riff-raff, judges and a ship's doctor in order to achieve her aims.

6.0

Year:

1940

The Invisible Man Returns

The owner of a coal mining operation, falsely imprisoned for fratricide, takes a drug to make him invisible, despite its side effect: gradual madness.

6.2

Year:

1940

Manhattan Moon

Night club owner Dan Moore is trying to collect a debt owed to him by playboy Reggie Van Dorn, but Reggie is a playboy with no money but lots of social connections. In lieu of the cash, Dan gets Reggie to introduce him to the swells of high society. They go to the opera and, after hearing Yvonne Malloy sing, Dan falls in love with her. Reggie introduces them, but the introduction is to Yvonne's double and stand-in, Toots. This leads to many complications for all concerned.

0.0

Year:

1935

Werewolf of London

A strange animal attack turns a botanist into a bloodthirsty monster.

6.0

Year:

1935

Great Expectations

A young boy, Pip, encounters an escaped prisoner, Magwitch, and steals food for him. After the convict is captured, Pip meets the reclusive Miss Havisham and her niece, Estella, eventually becoming friends with the girl. Wealth comes to Pip via a mysterious benefactor and he goes off to London for an education. As adults, Pip and Estella become romantic, and Pip learns the identity of his patron.

6.2

Year:

1934

Romance in the Rain

The publisher of a tabloid-type romance magazine decides to get some publicity by sponsoring a "Cinderella and Prince Charming" contest.

0.0

Year:

1934