Gene Barry & Barbara Hale in "The Houston Story" (1956)

Frank Duncan (Gene Barry) is a shrewd, ambitious oil driller in Galveston, Texas. To finance his scheme to steal millions of dollars of crude oil, Duncan contacts Houston mob boss Paul "Paulie" Atlas (Edward Arnold) through Zoe Crane (Barbara Hale), the lounge singer girl friend of Atlas' second-in-command, Gordie Shay (Paul Richards). Zoe puts Duncan in contact with Atlas. Duncan outlines his plan to Atlas. He agrees to back Duncan.
Duncan proposes forming a dummy corporation as a front in case something goes wrong and suggests appointing his good-natured yet dim-witted friend Louie Phelan (Frank Jenks) to be its head. Once Duncan departs, Atlas reassures Shay that he plans to dump Duncan as soon as he is no longer useful. When Shay and Atlas travel to St. Louis to present the plan to Emile Constant (John Zaremba), the head of a nationwide crime syndicate, Constant warns Atlas that the operation must be nonviolent.
Duncan appoints Louie head of the company, and the naïve Louie blithely signs all contracts presented to him. When Shay comes to visit Duncan in his office one day, the wary Duncan surreptitiously tapes their conversation. After laying out a plan to siphon oil from the refineries at the docks, Duncan instructs Shay to hijack a load of pipes from a truck that evening, and cautions that there must be no violence.
Deciding to sabotage Duncan's advancement by insuring that the hijacking fails, Shay tells his thugs to kill one of the drivers. With the murder of the truck driver, federal agents are called in to investigate. When Constant confronts Duncan about the killing, Duncan plays the tape recording in which he tells Shay to avoid violence. Furious, Constant fires Shay and after installing Duncan in his place, warns Atlas that he will hold him responsible for Shay's subsequent indiscretions.
That night, Chris Barker, (Chris Alcaide) one of Shay's lieutenants, forces Zoe at gunpoint to phone Duncan and beg him to lend her $25,000, arranging to meet him later that evening at the observatory atop the Houston Justice Building. Upon arriving at the observatory, Duncan finds Barker waiting for him, gun in hand, demanding the money. After Duncan hands over the envelope, Barker announces his plan to kill him anyway, prompting Duncan to shove him over the side of the building. Duncan then hurries to Zoe's apartment, where he finds her severely beaten by Shay, who is still there. As Duncan lashes out at Shay, Atlas arrives and begs Duncan to spare his protégé. Duncan then consents to give Shay a chance at redemption by coercing the uncooperative owner of a refinery into selling his property.
When Barker's body is found, federal agents identity him as a member of Constant's syndicate and focus their investigation on Houston. Duncan, meanwhile, double-crosses Shay by alerting the authorities about the sabotage attempt at the refinery. After lobbing a grenade into one of the derricks, Shay is arrested by the police and exposes Atlas' role in the oil hijacking scheme.
While trying to flee the authorities, Atlas is shot down in the street. Upon learning of the situation, Constant sends his two thugs, Don Stokes and Kalo, to eliminate Duncan. After arriving in Houston, Constant's enforcers go to Duncan's offices, where, through the intercom, Duncan overhears them pummeling Louis in the anteroom. Fleeing out the back, Duncan phones Zoe, instructs her to pack her things and meet him at the Derrick Café. Still believing in Duncan's rectitude, a dazed Louis notifies the police about his friend's peril.
At the Derrick Café, Duncan tricks the sweet, unsuspecting Madge into driving to his apartment and retrieving his clothes and money from the safe. When Madge arrives, she finds Zoe cleaning out the safe, and Zoe then coldly informs Madge that Duncan has double-crossed her. Stuffing her purse with cash, Zoe hurries out of the building but is picked up by Stokes and Kato. After forcing her to divulge Duncan's location, Stokes and Kato shoot her and throw her body out of the moving car. As Duncan waits at the café, Madge, shaken, notifies the police. Stokes and Kato arrive at the café first, however, and shoot it out with Duncan as police sirens wail in the distance. After disposing of his assailants, the wounded Duncan hears Louis, pleading over the police megaphone, to give himself up. With no other alternative, Duncan surrenders
A 1956 American crime film noir directed by William Castle, produced by Sam Katzman, written by Robert E. Kent (as "James B. Gordon"), cinematography by Henry Freulich, starring Gene Barry (Bat Masterson), Barbara Hale (Della Street, Perry Mason (1957)'s secretary), John Zaremba (Dr. Raymond Swain of the The Time Tunnel (1966), Jeanne Cooper, and Edward Arnold. Debut screen appearance of Claudia Bryar. Distributed by Columbia Pictures.
Shot at what was then Houston International Airport, and is now William P. Hobby Airport. The name was changed in 1967 to honor the Texas governor.

[@randyacuna5643]

Columbia ruled the crime movies in the 1950s with their low budget violent B pictures. So many with veteran stars and up and coming stars . Always enjoyable to watch.

[@nonenoneonenonenone]

Barbara Hale was a real surprise for those who only knew her from Perry Mason. Powerful actress.

[@DonaldPBorchersOG]

Roger that. Welcome.

[@MK-hh1vo]

Yes! I had to check to see if that was really her! Nice surprise!

[@marilynfosseen1541]

She didn't sing bad either.

[@socialmeaslesinpartnership1252]

Gene Barry....rocking the biggest pair of trousers that was ever seen in the world.

[@alvaropelayo8084]

Edward Arnold was such a great actor, rip

[@operadog2000]

One of the best!!

[@DonaldPBorchersOG]

Roger that. Welcome.

[@stevensica89]

Hundreds of movie and TV credits over his career. One of those performers you recognize immediately.

[@danielgregg2530]

If only Houston really was in Southern California (and there are no palatial estates in Galveston, but that roundabout at the beginning really is in Houston).

[@winonamassingill7895]

Poor Louie. His dear friend Frank didn’t even stop to see how badly he was hurt or even if he was still alive. 😱😱😱😡😡😡

[@diannemiller1895]

Plays a character that only cares bout himself.

[@DonaldPBorchersOG]

Thanks for watching.

[@user-jj2jq1vb5p]

Frank was a dirty dog !!

[@cedricliggins7528]

Barbra Hale so beautiful

[@operadog2000]

A great actress, and very beautiful. She unfortunately was underrated for both.

[@DonaldPBorchersOG]

Thanks for watching!

[@winonamassingill7895]

I had a friend who worked for an oil drilling company. There was also a younger man who worked with him. One day a cable came loose on some piece of equipment on the rig and struck him in the chest. He jumped off of the rig, ran up to Willy and fell dead at his feet. When Willy was about 12 years old he was riding with his uncle and young nephew. The truck had part of the floorboard missing and when the truck hit a bump the nephew fell out of the truck through the broken place in the floorboard and ran over and killed the little boy. Willy had to hold his nephews dead body all the way into town and to the aunt and uncles house. 🥺🥺🥺😢😢😢

[@DonaldPBorchersOG]

Thanks for sharing.

[@willpage9347]

La

[@patriciamathews4447]

These old movies everyone smoked heavily!!! Just like my parents, my Mother died from emphysema.

[@Bahari-il5xk]

Not bad B-noir, loved the heist idea, being a fan of noirs, this is only one I've seen about robbing oil. 👍

[@DonaldPBorchersOG]

Welcome. I post noir films here: kzbin.info/aero/PLk3CReZFhoBdmvlwKX6IUWKvdVZAqcPxz

[@paulstark6818]

That was a great story a fantastic plot and agreat mix of mystery and action he should have pulled out earlier before things got too messy greed always b ring s down the top s regardless ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@DonaldPBorchersOG]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Welcome.

[@mistervacation23]

Dame Mae Fishman is in this one !!

[@DonaldPBorchersOG]

Roger that. Welcome.

[@ronaldw2453]

That was a good movie, I enjoyed it very much.

[@DonaldPBorchersOG]

Glad you enjoyed it. Welcome!

[@canalesworks1247]

Love Barbara Hale in this.

[@DonaldPBorchersOG]

Glad you enjoyed it. Welcome.

[@RockyRaccoonsdead]

Della Street as a Blonde ? It’s not bad but was a shock that she was a Night Club singer which is usually a Heartless Hard core type in a Sleazy World of Lounge Lizards and Bad Boy types hhhhhhmmmm sounds like fun

[@DonaldPBorchersOG]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Welcome.

[@winonamassingill7895]

Well, I’m glad to see that they resurrected Zoe to be Della Street’s lady to Perry Mason and to help him solve the crimes at the last minute. With the help of Paul Drake. James Arness’s younger brother. 😅😅😅

[@DonaldPBorchersOG]

Roger that.

[@grantkruse1812]

Oh you mean james arness' brother Peter Graves?

[@stephendeluca4479]

Paul Drake was played by William Hopper-- Hedda Hopper's son.@@grantkruse1812

[@stevensica89]

A very long 80 minutes.

[@DonaldPBorchersOG]

Thanks for the visit!

[@pressureworks]

Man, after battling against and surviving the martian invasion, he turned into a (deleted expletive) real quick !

[@DonaldPBorchersOG]

Thanks for watching.

[@davidparris7167]

Barbara Hale doing her best Peggy Lee, tuff gal schtick aided and abetted by smooth but ruff Mr. Barry in bed with sharp baritone voiced mobster Edward Arnold. You just know as you watch it is going to end badly, both in the story line as well as the overall quality of the movie. The main let down is the Director who no doubt restricted by a low budget has shot the movie in the style of a 1930 movie with static placement of camera and actors. The self-conscious and sometimes wooden acting styles are only relieved by the presence of the more accomplished Mr. Arnold who tries valiantly to rise above it all. Having said that the movie is so bad its good and I enjoyed this train wreck immensely......6/10.

[@DonaldPBorchersOG]

Thanks for sharing your opinions. Welcome.

[@bftdr]

miss della street gets naughty.

[@DonaldPBorchersOG]

Uh Oh! Thanks for the visit!

[@xcel5203]

Barbara Hale looks like the spitting image of her son , Drake .

[@DonaldPBorchersOG]

Thanks for the visit!

[@MK-hh1vo]

Actually, the son would be the "splitting image" of the mother.

[@gordonhaire9206]

I don't know why I keep watching this movie. I first discovered it four or five years ago. I don't know how many times I've watched it. The acting is bad. The cast is talented, so it must be the directors fault. I've spent most of my 81 years in the Houston/Galveston area.

[@DonaldPBorchersOG]

Thanks for sharing. Welcome.

[@karengarrison4237]

Barbara Hale!!! Yay.

[@DonaldPBorchersOG]

Roger that. Welcome.

[@wannamonslo9626]

Their accents are off.

[@eliju-io2mw]

Great movie got to watch it to the end

[@elliottschertzer876]

Released February 1956

[@DonaldPBorchersOG]

Thanks for the visit!