I have just watched a very beat up print of "Hell on Frisco bay" and "Black Tuesday" ,Robinson was in he's 60's when he made these two and apparently didnt think much of em but I tell ya , the man is dynamite in both . He dominates every scene he is in and even as a 60 year old man really portrays menace like few other actor's . I have the BLURAY print of the Red House and it's a easily the best the thing has looked . It's funny between 1945 -47 he made 3 films "Scarlet Street , The Stranger " and "Red House" all considered excellent films these days but all 3 ended up in the public domain and for years were only seen in very bad prints.

I would love to add to my collection of Eddie G films but they are for the most part pretty expensive either Warner MOD or expensive Spanish imports (even to the UK) . Robinson should get some of the treatment both Cagney and Bogart have had with some decent affordable box set's.

clore103051 wrote:

---

I think that HELL ON FRISCO BAY is the best of the films that Ladd made for Warners and besides EGR, there's the added bonus of a good role for Fay Wray and an early one for Rod Taylor. Ladd went back into the past to hire his THIS GUN FOR HIRE director and his buddy Anthony Caruso is around also.

EGR dismissed it in one sentence in his autobiography, but I sense that he was annoyed at the majority of vehicles he was being offered in his grey-list period and lumped it in with the rest. Although it was the beginning of the end for Ladd in terms of career and appearance, he was still a big enough name at this point and the film is not the programmer that one would think given its lack of reputation.

Jack Arnold's THE GLASS WEB is another one from this period that is better than most of what Robinson was doing and if he did resent making it, it doesn't show at all in his performance.

Hell on Frisco bay also has Rod Taylor and a score by Max Steiner , as you say  if he was resentful it don't show in his performance's , he comes across pretty frightening in he's scene's and especially nasty when he cracks poor Fay Wray  across the face when she spurns he's advance's .  Then again I read in he's biography "Little Caesar" he didnt think much of "The Red House" either , I wonder what types of parts he considered worthwhile , Dr. Ehrlich and Double Indemnity seemed to be he's favorite parts .

clore103051 wrote:

---

I'll have to dig up his book, but I recall him being high on THE SEA WOLF, although of late I've seen numerous comments that he was physically all wrong for the role. Hell, what does that matter, he comes across quite menacing on the screen, possibly benefiting from Garfield's similar lack of stature.

He was very appreciative of DOUBLE INDEMNITY and I liked his humility in the book in which he notes that having passed 50, he was lucky to get such a plum role. I forget if he commented on his duo for Fritz Lang, so that's another excuse to locate my copy.

I envy your having seen FRISCO BAY so recently, I haven't seen it since 1971. There are a bunch of Ladd films that I haven't seen since then.

Just been over on tcm site looking at bits of " the sea wolf " , it looks like a really atmospheric film , another I must get   Like you , I had not seen  "Frisco" since it was shown on uk tv in the 70's , being in Colour I hoped it would have a chance of being broadcast but I think there's an issue with copyright.