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Allene Roberts, whose film career blossomed in the late 1940s and early 1950s opposite such stars as Humphrey Bogart, Edward G. Robinson, and William Holden, has died. She passed Thursday in Huntsville, Alabama at age 90.

Born on Sept. 1, 1928, in a suburb of Birmingham, Alabama, Roberts beat out 85,000 others in a competition to name “America’s Most Charming Child” run by the New York Daily Mirror. She won $1,000 and a screen test with Warner Bros.

The screen test amounted to nothing, but Roberts and her mother stayed in California, and she slowly edged her way into show business. Among her notable roles was the female lead in Bomba on Panther Island, opposite jungle boy Johnny Sheffield, as the love interest of Humphrey Bogart in Nicholas Ray’s Knock On Any Door; as a kidnapping victim rescued by William Holden in Union Station; and as a young girl who ventures into the...

Allene Roberts, who starred with Humphrey Bogart in Knock on Any Door, with Edward G. Robinson in The Red House and with William Holden in Union Station, died Thursday in Huntsville, Alabama, her family announced. She was 90.

Roberts also played the female lead opposite "jungle boy" Johnny Sheffield in Bomba on Panther Island (1949); was caught between onscreen and real-life brothers Edward and Lawrence Tierney in the film noir The Hoodlum (1951); and appeared with Randolph Scott and Leonard Nimoy in Santa Fe (1951) and Kid Monk Baroni (1952), respectively.

Roberts made a big splash in her feature debut at age 17 when she played a ...

Allene Roberts, who starred with Humphrey Bogart in Knock on Any Door, with Edward G. Robinson in The Red House and with William Holden in Union Station, died Thursday in Huntsville, Alabama, her family announced. She was 90.

Roberts also played the female lead opposite "jungle boy" Johnny Sheffield in Bomba on Panther Island (1949); was caught between onscreen and real-life brothers Edward and Lawrence Tierney in the film noir The Hoodlum (1951); and appeared with Randolph Scott and Leonard Nimoy in Santa Fe (1951) and Kid Monk Baroni (1952), respectively.

Roberts made a big splash in her feature debut at age 17 when she played a ...

The Red House

Written and directed by Delmer Daves

U.S.A., 1947

*It should be noted that in order to properly analyze the heart of the picture’s themes, certain important plot points are divulged in the review below.

Sequestered away from most of the town they live in, the Morgan’s operate a modest but efficient little farm. Patriarch Pete (Edward G. Robinson), slightly handicapped by a wooden leg resulting from an incident many years ago, remains hard at work but evidently could use some assistance. Enter young Nath Storm (Lon McCallister), a boy from school that Pete’s shy adopted daughter, Meg (Allene Roberts) befriends and fancies. Meg introduces Nath to Pete, the latter reluctantly agreeing to give the youth a job. Whilst the first day goes swimmingly, that evening proves the fire starter that complicates each of their lives. Nath insists on taking a short cut through the woods,...

Union Station

Written by Sydney Boehm

Directed by Rudolph Matté

U.S.A., 1950

When Joyce Williecomb (Nancy Olson), humble assistant to wealthy businessman Henry Muchison (Herbert Heyes), takes the train to Chicago, little does she know that the next few days will prove to be the greatest test of patience and nerves she has ever known. Shortly after the train departs for its destination, it is halted in order for two suspicious looking gentlemen to embark. Convinced something is amiss, Joyce, upon arriving in Chicago, immediately alerts the security at Union Station of the two mystery men, sending railroad police detective William Calhoun (William Holden) into action. Much to Joyce’s surprise and horror, it turns out that targets have in fact kidnapped her employer’s blind daughter, Lorna (Allene Roberts), to whom she had said goodbye mere hours ago. Now demanding a ransom, a game of cat and mouse...

In the late 1960s and early 70s, few actors stood as tall in their heroic roles as Ron Ely.

From television’s Tarzan to the big screen’s Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze, Ely’s 6-foot-4-inch muscular frame made the scenery cower when he stepped before a camera.

The 74-year-old actor stands just as tall today, commanding audiences with his tales of those golden days of pulp fiction on film. Warner Archive Collection has brought Ely’s best-loved roles back into the

spotlight, making the classic titles available on DVD and through its new live-streaming service, Warner Archive Instant.

Premiering on NBC in 1966, Edgar Rice Burroughs’ immortal creation, Tarzan, took to the nation’s TV screens for the first time. Still in the capable hands of producer Sy Weintraub, the TV Tarzan (the

aforementioned Mr. Ely) continued the more recent (and more authentic) interpretation of Lord Greystoke as a sophisticated,...

The B Noir festival is a hit! It's always a delight to hear about retrospective programming doing well. There are still people out there interested in and trying out old movies in theaters. Or maybe the San Francisco noir crowd is just that strong. I'd written about "I Wake Up Dreaming" a couple of weeks back (read it here); I have since went and saw some of the movies they're playing.

If you're in the Bay Area and you haven't spared the time, there's good news. The festival was supposed to end this Thursday, but I have just been informed that since it is selling out so well, they've decided to add another week of showings!

The list of extra screenings is at the bottom, but before that, I want to recommend trying to get to this Friday's showing of The Devil Thumbs a Ride, which I managed to catch on the fest's opening night.