A few months back I purchased an old 8.5 x 11 July 1955 advertisement/schedule from the Lake Theatre in Lake View, Iowa. I bought it with the intent to do a write up on the Lake Theatre and its history. There is one minor problem, I had a very difficult time finding anything about the place.
I did find a blurb in the Carroll Daily Times Harold on August 3, 1954 talking about the installation of the new CINEMASCOPE Screen.
The schedule was too neat to not post, so I thought I would share a little bit about the movies that played that month. All synopses come from IMDB. This is not meant to be a write-up of all of these movies, just a glimpse of the artwork that would have donned the walls of the Lake Theatre the summer of 1955.
You’ll notice a common theme with these posters: yellow.
0. Return (Revenge) of the Creature (July 2 11:45pm Show)
Determined men travel back up the Amazon to capture the creature from the famed Black Lagoon. Once found and stunned by dynamite, the fish-man is transported to Marineland (in Florida) for revival, exhibition and study. Strongly objecting to captivity and jabs from an underwater electric cattle prod, he escapes, only to track down and abduct beautiful lady scientist Helen Dobson, which sets authorities (lead by Prof. Clete Ferguson) to dog his heels.
This was the only 3-D movie released in 1955.
1. A Star is Born (July 3-5)
Starring: Judy Garland, James Mason
A young woman comes to Hollywood with dreams of stardom, but achieves them only with the help of an alcoholic leading man whose best days are behind him.
Budget: $5,019,770 (estimated)
Gross: $4,355,968 (USA)
Groucho Marx called Judy Garland not winning an Oscar for A Star Is Born (1954), “the biggest robbery since Brink’s.” Hedda Hopper later reported that her loss to Grace Kelly for The Country Girl (1954) was the result of the closest Oscar vote up till that time that didn’t end in a tie, with just six votes separating the two. In any event, it was a heartbreak from which she never really recovered and which has remained a matter of some controversy ever since.
2. Carolina Cannonball (July 6)
Starring Judy Canova
Judy and her grandpa run a trolley between a train depot and a ghost town in Nevada, near the California border. Three spies intent of tracking down an atomic missile gone astray arrive. When the trolley breaks down, Judy and Grandpa unwittingly install the engine from the nearby crashed missile.
This movie is basically a forgotten relic of the atomic era.
3a. Women’s Prison (July 7-9)
Starring: Ida Lupino
During the 1950s, two women inmates are sent to a maximum security state prison. One of the two women is a repeat offender who knows many of the inmates and guards at the prison. She almost feels like returning home to her prison family. The other woman is a decent person, a first-time offender who’s no criminal.She unintentionally killed a child in a car accident. She’s very young, married, and is terrified of being in prison. Her mental state is very fragile. The women’s prison is adjacent to the men’s prison. The two prisons are separated by a high wall but there are secret ways of crossing from one prison into the other. Warden Brock is in charge of the men’s prison while Amelia van Zandt is the heartless brutal director of the women’s prison. The guards are severe and not very friendly, since, they too, fear the wrath of their female warden van Zandt. The only ray of hope and decency in this earthly inferno is the prison doctor, Dr. Crane. However, the good doctor has little power or say in the daily running of the prison.He tries as much as possible to protect his patients, the most vulnerable of all inmates. In this human hell, the two new arrivals, housewife Helene Jensen and forger Brenda Martin, must survive. Prison newbie Helene Jensen decides to stick close to veteran jail-bird Brenda Martin in order to learn the ropes of prison life but this might just not be enough to ensure Helene’s survival.
3b. The Bamboo Prison (July 7-9)
Starring: Robert Francis & Dianne Foster
Corp. Brady (Brian Keith) an American soldier captured during the Korean War, is taken to a POF camp. There he meets Sgt. Rand (Robert Francis)a prisoner who is cooperating with the North Koreans. Brady is disgusted by these actions, but he soon discovers that Rand is actually an intelligence officer playing along to access important secrets. Rand also becomes close to Tanya Clanton (Dianne Foster), the wife of an American traitor, in order to exact information
4. Daddy Long Legs (July 10-12)
Starring: Fred Astaira & Leslie Caron
On a trip to France, millionaire Jervis Pendelton sees an 18 year old girl in an orphanage. Enchanted with her, but mindful of the difference in their ages, he sponsors her to college in New England. She writes him letters, which he doesn’t read. After 3 years, he goes to visit her at a dance, not telling her that he is her benefactor. They fall in love, but the usual movie-type difficulties get in the way before they can get together at the end.
Daddy Long Legs was nominated for 3 Oscars but did not win.
5. Prince of Players (July 13-14)
Starring: Richard Burton, Maggie McNamara & John Derek
A tragic and sentimental story that depicts the early career of the 19th century American actor, Edwin Booth with some mention of the events leading to the assassination of President Lincoln by Edwin’s brother, John Wilkes Booth. In the film, Edwin’s days in the spotlight dwindle shortly after his brother is caught and killed for assassinating Lincoln.
6. The Man from Bitter Ridge (July 15-16)
Starring: Lex Barker, Mara Corday & Stephen McNally
In Tomahawk, the crooked Jackman brothers control the town, Sheriff Dunham is up for re-election, the sheep growers are banned in town and a stagecoach line undercover investigator arrives to catch the gang that regularly robs the stages.
7. The Glass Slipper (July 17-19)
Starring: Leslie Caron & Michael Welding
In a small pleasant European village, there is one unhappy person: Ella. She is despised by everyone, and mistreated by her stepmother and stepsisters. Out feeling miserable one day, Ella meets a handsome young man, who falls for her. He is really Prince Charles, the son of the Duke, but he tells her he is the son of the cook, and invites her to a great ball at the Duke’s castle. A strange woman who lives in the mountains by herself befriends Ella, and dresses her up so she can attend the ball. She goes, and is a great success, but must run out at midnight. In her haste, she drops a single glass slipper. The Prince uses the slipper to find her.
8. The Outcast (July 20)
Starring: John Derek and John Evans
Following an absence of eight years, Jet Cosgrave (John Derek) returns to his hometown of Colton, Colorado. His quest is for the recovery of his rightful heritage, the great Circle C Ranch, from his uncle, Major Cosgrave (Jim Davis), and to that end, he brings with him nine hired gunmen, headed by “Dude” Rankin (Bob Steele). His accusation that his uncle stole the ranch by a will forged after the death of his father brings instant reprisals. Judy Polsen (Joan Evans), one of a poor family of ranchers, falls in love with Jet after saving him from a bushwhacking by two Circle C gunmen, The Kid (Ben Cooper) and Bert (Harry Carey Jr.). She then vouches for him to her father, Chad Polsen (Frank Ferguson) and her brothers Boone (Slim Pickens), Asa (Nicolas Coster) and Zeke (Robert ‘Buzz’ Henry).
9. Man Without a Star (July 21-23)
Starring: Kirk Douglas Jeanne Crain & Claire Trevor
Dempsey Rae, a cowboy with no clear aim in life, winds up working on a spread with a hard lady owner just arrived from the East. She needs a tough new top hand and uses all her means of persuasion to get Rae to take the job. But he doesn’t like the way the other settlers are getting treated and starts to side with them, despite their introduction of the barbed wire he loathes.
10. Ain’t Misbehavin’ (July 24-26)
Starring: Rory Calhoun (the fellow who’s always standing and walking), Piper Laurie, Jack Carson and Mamie Van Doren
Rowdy young girl crashes high society when wealthy older man falls for her.
It’s basically Pygmalion: The Musical.
11. Yellowneck (July 27)
Starring: Lin McCarthy, Stephen Courtleigh, Betty Kroger
A disgraced Confederate Colonel who has deserted his command flees to the Everglades where he encounters a disparate group of four other Southern deserters. Togethher they struggle to find their way out of the swamp and resolve their own personal demons under the eyes of hostile Seminoles as they battle to survive the elements and each other.
12. Ten Wanted Men (July 28-30)
Starring: Randolph Scott, Jocelyn Brando & Richard Boone
When John Stewart gives refuge to Wick Campbell’s girl friend, Campbell turns against him. He rustles Stewart’s cattle, murders his brother, and brings in hired guns. Then he and his men pin Stewart and a few others down in a house apparently killing them. But Stewart has escaped and returns alone to rid the town of Campbell and his men.
13. Soldier of Fortune (July 31-August 2)
Starring: Clark Gable & Susan Hayward
During the 1950s an American journalist disappears in China. His wife, Jane Hoyt, arrives in Hong Kong, determined to find him. There are rumors that Louis Hoyt might be held by the Communist Chinese as spy. Jane Hoyt asks shady shipping magnate Hank Lee for his help but Hank tries to dissuade her from venturing into Red China. Desperate, Jane asks another local, Fernand Rocha, for his help and pays him money. When dishonest and sleazy charlatan Rocha spends her money and forcibly confines her Hank Lee finally takes pity on her and decides to go searching for her husband himself. Illegally entering Red China Hank finds plenty of trouble.
COMING:
Blackboard Jungle
Starring: Glen Ford, Anne Francis & Louis Calhern
Richard Dadier earns a teaching assignment at a tough high school, where the teenagers make the rules and the staff meekly accept the fact that they’ve lost control. When Dadier tries exerting his authority, he receives much hostility from both students and faculty, culminating with his pregnant wife receiving anonymous letters with false accusations that he is romantically involved with another woman at school. In anger, Dadier hurls an accusation at Gregory Miller, a black youth whom he fears is against him. Miller doesn’t deny the accusation. Instead he escalates the confrontation, but does that mean that he was the culprit?
Seven Little Foys
Starring: Bob Hope & Milly Vitale
Vaudeville entertainer Eddie Foy, who has vowed to forever keep his act a solo, falls in love with and marries Italian ballerina Madeleine. While they continue to tour the circuit, they begin a family and before long have seven little Foys to clutter the wings. After tragedy threatens to stall Eddie’s career, he comes to realize that his little terrors are worth their weight in gold.
Note: This will not be the last time you see Eddie Foy’s name on this website. He will be an important part of a future City in Ruins post.
Strategic Air Command
Starring: James Stewart & June Allyson
Lt. Col. Robert (Dutch) Holland was a third baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals, not a pitcher. While at spring training a B-36 flew over the field and Dutch was standing on third base. Brewster was his third base replacement when he, Dutch was re-called to duty.