The Houston Story (1956)

In Houston, a man working as an oil driller comes up with a scheme for stealing millions of dollars worth of oil from the fields. He insinuates himself with a local mobster in order to get ... See full summary »

Director:

William Castle

Writer:

Robert E. Kent

Stars:

Gene Barry, Barbara Hale, Edward Arnold

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Gene Barry	...	Frank Duncan
Barbara Hale	...	Zoe Crane
Edward Arnold	...	Paul Atlas
Paul Richards	...	Gordon Shay
Jeanne Cooper	...	Madge
Frank Jenks	...	Louie Phelan
John Zaremba	...	Emile Constant
Chris Alcaide	...	Chris Barker
Jack Littlefield	...	Willie Lucas (as Jack V. Littlefield)
Paul Levitt	...	Duke
Fred Krone	...	Marsh
Pete Kellett	...	Kalo

Storyline

In Houston, a man working as an oil driller comes up with a scheme for stealing millions of dollars worth of oil from the fields. He insinuates himself with a local mobster in order to get financing for his scheme.

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Plot Keywords:

oil | murder | texas | swindle

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Taglines:

Terror Over Texas!

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

February 1956 (USA)

Also Known As:

Alarm am Ölturm 3

Company Credits

Production Co:

Clover Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

79 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Lee J. Cobb was to star. After rehearsing, he had a heart attack and was not able to film. Producer Sam Katzman wanted to keep going, so director William Castle played Cobb's character in long-shots. After it was sure Cobb couldn't return, Gene Barry stepped in.

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Connections

Referenced in Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story (2007)

User Reviews

Gene Barry Strikes it Rich

Oil slick Gene Barry (as Frank Duncan) endeavors to siphon millions of dollars in Texas crude, but needs financing from organized crime. After platinum blonde "Put the Blame on Mame" singer Barbara Hale (as Zoe Crane) leads Mr. Barry to powerful mob boss Edward Arnold (as Paul Atlas), success is assured. So, will these characters learn that crime does not pay? This predictable, production-line crime story has more spark than the story suggests. As ably directed by William Castle, Barry injects his characterization with all the life he can manage; watching his amoral "Frank Duncan" steadfastly steer his own descent into depravity is somewhat fun. With nice girl Jeanne Cooper (as Madge) and others in the mix, "The Houston Story" adds up.

***** The Houston Story (2/56) William Castle ~ Gene Barry, Barbara Hale, Edward Arnold