Dangerous Mission (1954). Was filmed in Glacier National Park, Montana,

Dangerous Mission(1954). Dramatic color/film, noir/thriller. Cast: Victor Mature, Piper Laurie, Vincent Price and William Bendix. Directed by Louis King and released by RKO Pictures. It is remembered for its use of 3-D film technology.

Gangster Johnny Yonkers, is charged with Battaglia's murder but plans to plead self-defense. Knowing that the district attorney is looking for the eyewitness, Johnny, hires someone to find the woman, who saw him kill piano player named Battaglia and kill her too.

Matt Hallett, arrives at Montana's Glacier National Park and checks in at the resort hotel. There, Matt meets, Indian girl Mary Tiller, park ranger Joe Parker and Paul Adams, a commercial photographer. Next, Matt sends a telegram to New York stating that "our friend is here."

Later, that evening, dressed in their western wear.. Matt takes Mary(dressed in a evening gown) to a dance, which is being held in beautiful home, built into the side of a mountain. As Paul, who came with Louise, dances with Mary, Parker shows Matt a wanted poster for Mary's father Katoonai, who is wanted on murder charges.

Later, Matt asks Louise to dance, but when the song "One for My Baby" is played on the jukebox, she gets a weird look on her face.

Soon after, an avalanche slides onto the house, causing the power lines to explode. To avoid a fire, Matt climbs the electrical pole and disables the power. Everyone, calls him a hero. Paul says that "he is braver than he thought" after an older woman insist on giving him a kiss on the lips.

The next day, during a Blackfoot ceremonial dance, Matt and Louise, go for a walk and he takes the opportunity to ask her about her relationship with Paul and why she was so upset by the song. But, they are interrupted by Paul, before she can answer.

Later that afternoon, Mary receives an award at the elementary school she once attended, but when she sees her proud father watching from a trap door in the ceiling, she faints.

That evening, at the hotel bar, Johnny posing as a guest, warns Paul that the gangster wants to kill Louise and gifts him a gun. Paul, goes looking for Louise and asks her to go for a ride, but.. before they can leave, Parker asks him and Matt to help fight a forest fire. As they battle the fire, Matt saves Paul's life.

Returning to the lodge, Paul, pretends to be concerned about Louise looking for an opportunity to kill her. Matt, is called to the phone before he can stop Louise, from driving away in Paul's car. After, getting off the phone he informs Park Ranger Parker, that he is a New York detective and needs his help in arresting Paul.

As Paul and Louise drive along a mountain road, a bulletin comes over their car radio, warning that Paul is a dangerous gunman. Louise, jumps out of the car and Paul tries to run her over. Falling over the embankment, Louise is not harmed and is able to pull herself back onto the road, where she is picked up by a passing motorist and taken to the ranger station.

Paul, rushes to Mary's room and informs her that the park rangers want to arrest him. Claiming that his car was stolen and used in a robbery. Paul then asks Mary to help him to leave the park.

Matt, takes Louise for a romantic boat ride on a lake and after confessing that he has fallen in love with her, asks her to testify against Johnny.

After returning to the lodge, they find a note from Mary, who writes that she is headed for New York. Thinking that Paul and Mary, are hiding in a Indian cave called Cave of the Winds.. even though the trail is very dangerous, they go looking for them. Along the way, they meet up with Katoonai, who believes that Mary and Paul will have to travel across a dangerous glacier to leave the park.

Katoonai, has Matt distract Paul with gunfire while he climbs onto the ledge above. Paul sees Katoonai and shoots him, sending him to his death. Paul, throws Mary against the rocks, forcing her to continue on.

While Mary struggles with Paul, he looses his gun in the snow. Matt then jumps Paul and as the two men are fighting, Louise reaches for the gun, she slips and falls on to a ledge. Will the park rangers get there in time to save Mary and Paul?

What I enjoyed most about Dangerous Mission, is the great location cinematography of Glacier National Park where it was filmed. My favorite scenes are when.. the landslide slides into the beautiful hillside home and when Victor Mature, goes out and takes on a downed power line. Also, the final chase scene across the glacier is also exciting to watch. There is something about the actress, Piper Laurie that reminds me a little of Debbie Reynolds. This is a must see for all Vincent Price fans.

Piper Laurie (January 22, 1932). In 1949, Rosetta Jacobs signed a contract with Universal Studios, changing her screen name to Piper Laurie.

Her breakout role was in Louisa, with Ronald Reagan (whom she dated a few times before his marriage to Nancy Davis.

Several other roles followed: Francis Goes to the Races (1951), Son of Ali Baba (1952) and Ain't Misbehavin' (1955).

Discouraged by the lack of substantial film roles, she moved to New York to study acting and to work on the stage and in television. She performed in: Twelfth Night, produced by Hallmark Hall of Fame and Days of Wine and Roses.

She was again lured to Hollywood by the offer to co-star with Paul Newman in The Hustler(1961). She played Newman's crippled girlfriend, Sarah Packard and for her performance she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.

After The Hustler, she and her husband moved to New York State. She accepted the role of Margaret White in the film, Carrie (1976) and received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in that role.

After her 1981 divorce, Laurie moved back to California. In 1986, she received a third Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Mrs. Norman in Children of a Lesser God. That same year she was awarded an Emmy for her performance in Promise, a Hallmark Hall of Fame television movie.

In 1965, she starred in a Broadway revival of Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie.

She had a featured role in the Off-Broadway production of, The Destiny of Me in 1992 and returned to Broadway for Lincoln Center's acclaimed 2002 revival of Paul Osborn's Morning's at Seven.

In 1964, she performed in two medical dramas: The Eleventh Hour episode "My Door Is Locked and Bolted", and Breaking Point episode "The Summer House".

In 1990-91, she starred as the devious Catherine Martell in the television series, Twin Peaks.

She performed in, Other People's Money (1991) and Trauma (1993).

She played George Clooney's character's mother on ER.

1997 film A Christmas Memory.

 In 1998, she performed in the sci-fi thriller, The Faculty.

She made guest appearances on television shows:  Frasier, Matlock, State of Grace, Will and Grace, Cold Case, and Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.

She returned to the big screen for independent films: Eulogy and The Dead Girl.

Guilty Pleasures Movie Blogathon: The Shanghai Gesture(1941).

Gene Tierney's best known roles are, as the murder victim in the film, Laura (1944). She was also Oscar-nominated for my favorite film, Leave Her to Heaven (1945).

After being spotted by Darryl F. Zanuck, during a stage performance of, The Male Animal (1940), Gene was signed to a contract with 20th Century-Fox. Her first role was in the film, Hudson's Bay (1941), which began her wonderful career.

Later, that year she performed in, The Return of Frank James (1940).

The next year, was a good one for Gene, as she performed in several films, the first being, The Shanghai Gesture (1941). A film noir starring Gene Tierney and Walter Huston, with Victor Mature and Ona Munson.

The Shanghai Gesture received Academy Award nominations for Best Art Direction (Boris Leven) and Best Original Music Score.

In Shanghai, China, destitute American Dixie Pomeroy, meets Doctor Omar, a shady mystic, as she is being arrested for vagrancy. Omar makes a deal with the police, to take Dixie, to Gin Sling's casino, where Mother Gin Sling might find her employment.

That night, Victoria Charteris, comes with an escort to the casino, which draws all kinds of characters, from all walks of life and she soon falls under the spell of atmosphere of the casino.

When Victoria sees Omar, she wants to meet him and Omar becomes seduced by the beautiful young woman, who now calls herself "Poppy Smith."

Mother Gin Sling, learns that someone has bought her property and that she will have to close her casino by the Chinese New Year. Now, blaming Sir Guy Charteris, Mother Gin Sling, wants revenge against, Victoria's father, and her ex-husband .

Over time, Victoria turns into a drunk and loses thousands of pounds and a valuable necklace while trying to have a relationship with a shady Omar. When someone, tries to sell the necklace back to Charteris, he realizes that his daughter is in serious trouble and wants her to return to England.

He accepts an invitation to a Chinese New Year party from Mother Gin Sling, who he does not know is his ex -wife.. At the dinner, he soon learns that Mother Gin Sling, has brought together all her enemies. When Mother Gin Sling, calls him by the name he used in China, he finally recognizes her as his ex- wife and the trouble begins.

The Shanghai Gesture's characters are deeply involved in, drugs and revenge. In 1941, The film Shanghai Gesture,(32 rejections, before it was finally released), was considered too daring to be made. The Chinese government objected to the film 's depiction of China as immoral. The films heavy censorship causes some of the plot to be very hard to follow. But.. the film is still amazing.

Ona Munson (June 16, 1910 – February 11, 1955) was an actress best known for her performance as prostitute Belle Watling in the film, Gone with the Wind (1939).

Her first starring role was in a talkie called, Going Wild (1930).

Munson appeared the next year in a musical comedy called, Hot Heiress in which she sings several songs along with her co-star Ben Lyon.

She also starred in Broadminded (1931) and Five Star Final (1931).

She briefly retired from the screen, only to return in 1938.

When David O. Selznick was casting his production Gone with the Wind, he first announced that Mae West was to play Belle, but this was a publicity stunt.

Munson skills as an actress electrified her screen test. For the remainder of her career, she was typecast in similar roles.

Two years later, she played another madam, in the film noir, The Shanghai Gesture.

MILLION DOLLAR MERMAID (1952)

Million Dollar Mermaid, A perfect role for Esther Williams. A story inspired by the life of " Annette Kellerman," an Australian swimming champion and water ballet performer who performed in New York's Hippodrome. I thought Esther, did a wonderful acting tribute to Annette.

The film starts off in Sidney, Australia, where a young Annette, is wearing leg braces during her recovery from polio.

She starts swimming to strengthen her legs.

The scenes with Annette as a little girl, I thought were emotional. As Annette, eventually recovers she begins ballet along with her love of swimming and with her father's support she wins the south Wales women's Amateur Freestyle Cup.

After running into financial trouble, Frederick closes his music conservatory and accepts a teaching position in London. On the trip to England, they meet American promoter James Sullivan, Doc Cronnol, and Sidney.( a boxing kangaroo).

Jimmy is impressed by Annette, and makes an offer to manage her swimming career. Annette wants to help support her father, she accepts the offer after she learns that her fathers job fell through.

To kick off her career, Annette decides to to swim 26 miles to Greenwich, with Doc and Jimmy, rowing along side.

Soon thousands of spectators are cheering her on as she swims through London. Her father Williams, reads about the swim in the newspaper and is there to greet her as she swims into Greenwich.

They receive many offers, but Jimmy turns them down because he has a dream of going to America, for their fame and fortune..

When they first get to America, things don't go as planned, until Annette receives a telegram, offering her a water ballet at the Hippodrome.

Annette, then gets a call from Hollywood and will appear in her first film, Neptune's Daughter .

A few weeks later, on the last day of filming the movie Annette, dives into the water for her last scene, a crack develops in the glass of the huge tank. Annette is trapped and swept onto the broken glass as the tank bursts and she is seriously injured.

Two weeks later, her recovery is still unsure. When Alfred and Jimmy, go up to Annette's room they see her doctor and he tells them that she may never walk again....

Berkeley's first of two films that he did with Esther Williams. This film gave him the opportunity to Showcase three water ballets set on the stage of the Hippodrome Theater.

Fun Facts:

In the final number not only does Esther Williams drop into the center of a circle formed by swimmers, but he also uses fire and colored smoke for a beautiful effect.

The last ballet is truly worth seeing. Million Dollar Mermaid received an Oscar nomination for Best Cinematography.

This is considered to be Esther's signature film.

Esther Williams, broke her neck diving off a 50-foot tower during the scene where she wearing a gold swimsuit.

She spent six months in a body cast before recovering to finish the film.