Cathy O'Donnell

One of Hollywood`s greatest epics, Ben Hur follows Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish prince living a peaceful life who becomes estranged from his friend Messala due to his fanatical loyalty to Rome.

Newcomer Will Lockhart defies the local cattle baron and his sadistic son by working for one of his oldest rivals. Mysterious Will Lockhart delivers supplies to storekeeper Barbara Waggoman at Coronado, an isolated town in Apache country. Before long, he's tangled with Dave Waggoman, vicious son of autocratic rancher Alec and cousin of sweet Barbara. But he sticks around town, his presence a catalyst for changes in people's lives, searching for someone he doesn't know...who's been selling rifles to the Apaches. —Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu> Will Lockhart (James Stewart) arrives in the isolated town of Coronado with a delivery of supplies from Laramie. He has actually come to the town to look for information on who sold repeating rifles to a tribe of Apaches, who used them to kill many cavalry soldiers, including Lockhart's brother. The attack took place on the far edges of the sprawling Barb Ranch, owned by Alec Waggoman (Donald Crisp). Waggoman is losing his eyesight and is plagued by dreams of his son, Dave (Alex Nicol) being killed by a stranger. Waggoman knows Dave is reckless and immature and relies on foreman Vic Hansbro (Arthur Kennedy) to keep Dave in line. Dave causes trouble when, after a misunderstanding, he kills Lockhart's mules and burns his wagons. Waggoman agrees to compensate Lockhart, but Lockhart stays in town to further investigate the rifle sale. After another altercation between Lockhart and Dave where both men shoot the other in the hand, Lockhart discovers that Dave and Vic are behind the rifle sale. Later on, Vic is forced to kill Dave in self-defense and allows Waggoman to believe that Lockhart killed Dave. But Lockhart is determined to see the truth about everything be revealed. —Patrick Depew

Detective Story (1951) is classified as film noir, telling the story of a single day in a police detective squad room. It stars Kirk Douglas, Eleanor Parker, William Bendix, Cathy O'Donnell, Lee Grant, George Macready, and others. The movie, an adaption of the 1949 play of the same name originally created by Sidney Kingsley, was directed by William Wyler. Robert Wyler and Philip Yordan edited the original play to become the film version we know today. Detective Jim McLeod (Kirk Douglas), A hardened, bitter man, leads a precinct of characters in their grim daily task with the city's lowlife. Little does he realize that his pursuit of an abortionist, Dr. Karl Schneider (George Macready) will allow him to discover his wife's terrible secret. The film begins with the arrest and booking of a shoplifter (Lee Grant, her film debut) at the 21st police precinct in NYC. Outside, Detective Jim McLeod, is romantically engaged for a moment with his wife, Mary (played by Eleanor Parker), and talking about their future and future children. Jim enters the precinct to process a young embezzler, Arthur Kindred (actor Craig Hill). McLeod meets one Endicott Sims (played by Warner Anderson) who is the lawyer representing Dr. Karl Schneider (George Macready), a New Jersey doctor. Schneider had his medical license revoked and now wanted on murder charges. Mr. Sims informs precinct Lieutenant Monahan (Horace McMahon), that Dr. Schneider wants to turn himself in without being beaten by Detective McLeod. Jim McLeod expresses his vehement hatred of Schneider, and other criminals, by saying the law "coddles them." Two burglars, Charley Gennini (Joseph Wiseman) and Lewis Abbott (Michael Strong), are interrogated by Detectives Jim McLeod and Lou Brody (William Bendix), and successfully turns Lewis Abbott against Charley Gennini. When Karl Schneider arrives with his lawyer Endicott Sims, Detective McLeod informs him that Miss Hatch (Gladys George), the doctor's accomplice, has implicated him and plans to identify him in a line-up. Dr. Schneider bribes Miss Hatch with a fur coat. Of course, after that, she fails to identify the doctor in the line-up. Jim McLeod erupts and tells Miss Hatch she is a liar. Later on he admits to a reporter, Joe Feinson (Luis Van Rooten), he hated his father who possessed a "criminal mind". His father eventually drove his mother into a lunatic asylum. This past is what made McLeod hunt for and put away evil-doers. Detective McLeod must take Karl Schneider to Bellevue Hospital. A young victim of Dr. Schneider's handiwork is there. Sadly, when they arrive at the hospital, McLeod discovers the woman has died. With the woman dead, and no eye witness identification of the doctor having done the procedure, there is no case against Dr. Schneider. On the way back to the police precinct, Jim literally beats Schneider until he collapses. Meanwhile, Arthur Kindred's employer, a man named Albert R. Pritchett (performed by James Maloney), comes in the precinct. He fully intends to press charges against Arthur Kindred for embezzlement. Mr. Kindred's friend, Susan Carmichael (portrayed by Cathy O'Donnell), arrives to help him. She has worked hard to gather $120 to go towards Mr. Pritchett, hoping against hope no charges will filed against her friend Arthur. McLeod calls Mr. Kindred a thief trying to convince Susan that Arthur isn't worthy of her help, but Susan pleads with Mr. Pritchett. She swears the rest of the money will be in Mr. Pritchett's hands by the next day. Later, Jim's wife, Mary McLeod, arrives at the station. She speaks with Lt. Monahan about whether she knows Giacoppetti (a racketeer) believed to have dated Mary a long time ago. Also, if she knows Dr. Schneider. She denies ever knowing either of them, but when Giacoppetti walks in and greets her, she is surprised and runs out, crying. Giacoppetti then tells Lt. Monahan that Mary had gotten pregnant while they dated and had gone to Dr. Schneider for an abortion. Mary confesses to her husband, Jim, about the pregnancy and abortion she had to endure by Dr. Schneider many years ago. Later, when she is alone with Jim, she begs his forgiveness for her past transgession. He brutally states he'd rather die than find out his wife is "a tramp". He then demands to know if her infertility is because of the abortion Schneider performed. Feeling hurt and humiliated by Jim's reaction, Mary runs out in tears. Some time after, Mary returns to the squad room to inform McLeod she is leaving. He proceeds to plead with her to stay. She relents, but after a nasty comment made by the doctor's lawyer, Mr. Sims, (Warner Anderson) about Mary's love life, Jim boils over. He demands to know how many men there were before he met her. He says he cannot wash away the "dirty pictures" in his mind. Mary, hurt anew and shocked by what he's said, calls him cruel and vengeful. Mary decides to leave Jim for good, not wanting be "driven to a lunatic asylum" like his mother was by his father. She vows she never wants to see him again. A victim runs into the police station yelling she's been robbed. Gennini, playing to the confusion of the moment, grabs a gun from a policeman. He shoots Detective McLeod several times. As Jim McLeod lays dying, he asks his wife to forgive him. He then tells his fellow police officers to go easy on Arthur Kindred. McLeod then begins the Act of Contrition, a Catholic confessional prayer, dying before it is completed. His partner, Brody, finishes the prayer. A distressed Brody then releases Arthur Kindred while admonishing him "not to make a monkey out of me."