Wonderland Burlesque: Wonderland Burlesque's Let's All Go To The Movies: She's A Lady!

Thursday, June 12, 2025

Wonderland Burlesque's Let's All Go To The Movies: She's A Lady! - Part XLIV

Wonderland Burlesque's

Let's All Go To The Movies

She's A Lady!

Part XLIV

Yes, sometimes? It takes a lady.

And sometimes? That lady is no lady. More like a secret government operative or a military unit.

Or so these films would have us believe.

They promise lots of drama, the occasional comedy or musical, and a little bit of dirt!

Let's take a walk down Hollywood Blvd. and shine a light on these magnificent classic films.

This way, if you please. But remember...

Ladies first!

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The Steel Lady

(1953)

AKA: Treasure of Kalifa

Surviving a plane crash in the Sahara, four oilmen find and manage to repair a German Afrika Corps tank which had been buried in the sand since WWII. Heading toward a French Foreign Legion outpost, they encounter a nomadic Arab tribe who believe the oilmen have found the treasure of Calipha, a rival Arab leader. If trying to acquire the jewels by guile doesn't work, the Arabs are prepared to kill the oilmen to get the stolen treasure.

This American action film was directed by Ewald André Dupont and stars Rod Cameron and Tab Hunter.

The title refers to an American M-24 Chaffee light tank disguised to resemble a WWII German tank.

Tab Hunter made the film under a two picture deal with producer Edward Small. Filming started in December of 1952. By 1954, he was under contract at Warner Bros. Regarding Hollywood's studio era, Hunter said, "[life] was difficult for me, because I was living two lives at that time. A private life of my own, which I never discussed, never talked about to anyone. And then my Hollywood life, which was just trying to learn my craft and succeed..." The star emphasized that the word "'gay'... wasn't even around in those days, and if anyone ever confronted me with it, I'd just kinda freak out. I was in total denial. I was just not comfortable in that Hollywood scene, other than the work process. There was a lot written about my sexuality, and the press was pretty darn cruel," the actor said, but what "moviegoers wanted to hold in their hearts were the boy-next-door marines, cowboys, and swoon-bait sweethearts I portrayed."

Variety said "plot idea has some novelty to help the action and the picture will drive its purpose as a dualer." The film was released on a double bill with Captain John Smith and Pocahontas.

You can watch this movie in its entirety for free on YouTube.

Tab Hunter

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Men Of The Fighting Lady

(1954)

A famous writer visits an aircraft carrier during the Korean war to learn more about it and the way it's run. He also gets to find out more about the Navy and Marine aviators themselves, their internal and external conflicts and dangers of their job.

Inspired by two stories written for the Saturday Evening Post (one by James A. Michener), this American war drama was directed by Andrew Marton and stars Van Johnson, Walter Pidgeon, Louis Calhern and Keenan Wynn.

Paramount agreed to delay the release of The Bridges at Toko-Ri (1954), another Korean War story also written by James A. Michener so as not to compete with this film.

F9F Panther jets from US Navy squadron VF-192 were also used to film The Bridges at Toko-Ri (1954). After the filming of these two movies, the squadron name was changed from 'Golden Dragons' to 'World Famous Golden Dragons'.

This film was shot aboard two World War II-era carriers. However, the real carrier that was and is nicknamed 'The Fighting Lady' is the U.S.S. Yorktown (CV-10), now a museum ship at Charleston, South Carolina. At the time of this film, the Yorktown had been mothballed at Bremerton, Washington.

Bosley Crowther of The New York Times gave the film a very favorable review: "Men of the Fighting Lady, which came yesterday to the Globe, bearing a title that echoes a dandy factual film of World War II, turns out to be an apt successor to that saga of the aircraft carriers, translating now a stirring story of carrier planes and men in the Korean war."

Van Johnson

Johnson married former stage actress Eve Abbott on January 25, 1947, the day after her divorce was finalized from actor Keenan Wynn (one of his co-stars in this film). Their daughter Schuyler was born in 1948. By this marriage, Johnson gained stepsons Edmond Keenan and screenwriter Tracy Keenan Wynn. In a statement by Eve, published after her death at age 90, she said MGM had engineered her marriage to Johnson to cover up his alleged homosexuality. "They needed their 'big star' to be married to quell rumors about his sexual preferences and unfortunately, I was 'It' – the only woman he would marry." Commenting on their complicated relationships, Keenan Wynn's father Ed Wynn said, "I can't keep them straight. Evie loved Keenan. Keenan loves Evie. Van loves Evie. Evie loves Van. Van loves Keenan. Keenan loves Van."

Keenan Wynn

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Mission Speciale Lady Chaplin

(1966)

AKA: Italian: Missione speciale Lady Chaplin, French: L'affaire Lady Chaplin, Spanish: Operación Lady Chaplin, and Operation Lady Chaplin

Lady Chaplin is a beautiful woman, she is a fashion stylist and she owns an atelier in Paris. Zoltan is a rich American specialized in submarine researches. Dick Malloy is an American secret agent. What have the three in common? Perhaps a sunk American atomic submarine with sixteen missiles still on board. Maybe that helps explain why so many men are trying to kill Malloy in every conceivable way!

This Italian-French-Spanish Eurospy film was directed by Alberto De Martino and Sergio Grieco and stars Ken Clark, Daniela Bianchi and Helga Liné.

It is the third and last of the Secret Agent 077 film series starring Ken Clark as 077 and Daniela Bianchi as fashion expert and professional killer Lady Arabella Chaplin. Bianchi would reprise her role as Arabella one last time in Your Turn to Die (1967).

The film was shot in New York City, London, Madrid, Rome, and Paris.

You can watch this movie in its entirety for free on YouTube.

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Operation 'Lady Marlene'

(1975)

During WWII, Robert Lamoureux plays a General in the Resistance. With an unlikely team of French patriots, he easily outwits the buffoonish Germans and steals the master copy of their plans to invade England.

This French 'La Grande vadrouille' comedy was directed by Robert Lamoureux and stars Lamoureux, Michel Serrault, and Sybil Danning.

At one point in the film, Michel Serrault sits in a wheel chair in full drag. Three years after this film, he'd do so for La cage aux folles.

Michel Serrault

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Gray Lady Down

(1978)

The USS Neptune, a nuclear submarine, is sunk off the coast of Connecticut after a collision with a Norwegian cargo ship. The navy must attempt a potentially dangerous rescue in the hope of saving the lives of the crew.

Based on the novel Event 1000 by David Lavallee, this American submarine disaster film was directed by David Greene and stars Charlton Heston, David Carradine, Stacy Keach, Ned Beatty, Ronny Cox and Rosemary Forsyth.

Producer Walter Mirisch considered Sidney Poitier for the role of Captain Bennett which was played by Stacy Keach.

Debut theatrical feature film of Christopher Reeve and Michael O'Keefe.

All the submarines shown submerged at sea are models. They were shot 'dry' in the studio. Smoke was used to supply the effect of sea water. The Los Angeles Times article published on December 11, 1976 reported that a model of a nuclear submarine was constructed on a movable platform and placed inside a water tank measuring twelve feet deep and forty-four feet wide on a sound-stage at Universal Studios.

The same large-scale submarine model previously utilized in Ice Station Zebra (1968 was used to portray the submarine the USS Neptune in this movie. Footage from that film was also used in this film.

Vincent Canby, reviewing for The New York Times, wrote "It's been composed with its crises so evenly spaced that you ache for a station break bracketed by commercials... The people who appear in movies like that don't act. They display various cuts of resolve and steadfastness as if they were male models."