The Houston Story
6.4 /10 1 Votes
Director William Castle Screenplay Robert E. Kent Duration Language English | 6.2/10 IMDb Genre Crime, Drama, Film-Noir Producer Sam Katzman Country United States | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Release date February 1956 (1956-02) Writer Robert E. Kent (screenplay), Robert E. Kent (story) Cast Gene Barry (Frank Duncan), Barbara Hale (Zoe Crane), Edward Arnold (Paul Atlas), Paul Richards (Gordon Shay), Jeanne Cooper (Madge), Frank Jenks (Louie Phelan)Similar movies W Delta Z , I Spit on Your Grave III: Vengeance is Mine , Mad Max: Fury Road , Brooklyn's Finest , Blackhat , Furious 7 Tagline Terror Over Texas! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Houston Story is a 1956 American film noir directed by William Castle starring Gene Barry, Barbara Hale and Edward Arnold.
Contents
The film went through a major casting change while in production. Originally set for the lead role was acclaimed character actor Lee J. Cobb. But Cobb suffered a heart attack after filming an exhausting fight sequence, in part due to the August heat in Texas, where the scene was shot. Cobb's part had to be recast and went to Barry. The film's director, William Castle wrote that the producer "insisted on a relatively new actor in pictures - Gene Barry, a fine actor, but as unlike Lee J. Cobb as anyone could be."
Barbara hale sings in the houston story 1956
Plot
Frank Duncan (Barry), a shrewd oil driller from Galveston, Texas, conceives a plan to sneakily siphon millions of dollars' worth of oil from the oil fields and sell it as his own. He goes through nightclub singer Zoe Crane (Hale) to insinuate himself with a Houston mobster, Paul Atlas (Arnold) to get financing for his scheme.
Atlas tells right-hand man Gordon Shay privately that he plans to double-cross Duncan as soon as the money's in hand. Chris Barker, a gunman, robs Duncan and intends to murder him, but Duncan is able to push Barker off an oil rig to his death.
Duncan tries to make a getaway with the help of true-blue girlfriend Madge, but the hard-hearted Zoe steals his money and lies to Madge that Duncan has betrayed her. A pair of Atlas's thugs snatch Zoe, take her money and toss her from a moving car. Shay is killed, but before Duncan can get away, the cops close in on him and he's forced to surrender.
Cast
References
The Houston Story WikipediaThe Houston Story IMDb The Houston Story themoviedb.org