Christine Photo

Christine Photo-Ads, P.4

page last updated: 4/27/2001

Bert Wheeler became famous as part of the comedy duo Wheeler & Woolsey; he and Robert Woolsey made several films in the late 1920's and early to mid-1930's. But when Woolsey passed away in 1938, Bert was literally left without a career. In the early '50's he resurfaced briefly at Columbia in a couple two-reelers. The scene below is from a publicity still for one of them -- INNOCENTLY GUILTY (1950), and this was a remake of Andy Clyde's HIS TALE IS TOLD from 1944 (which, coincidentally, also co-starred Christine McIntyre! [Furthermore, HIS TALE IS TOLD was a remake of Andy's IT ALWAYS HAPPENS (1935)]). From L to R, we see Vernon Dent, Chris, Nanette Bordeaux, Bert (in the baby carriage), and Kathleen O'Malley:

(Courtesy of Monica Leeson)

This publicity still, featuring L to R, Harry Von Zell, Christine, and Dick Wessel, was for RADIO ROMEO (1947), part of Harry's entertaining series of shorts for Columbia (this series was what brought him to the attention of Burns and Allen -- and he is most remembered today as their announcer). Here Harry plays a radio host who offers advice to the lovelorn, and Christine is a young wife in whose marital problems he gets embroiled. Dick (who you may remember as "Chopper" from Shemp Howard's first Columbia Stooge short FRIGHT NIGHT) plays a hotel detective who is certain that Harry must be up to no good:

THE GINK AT THE SINK (1952) was the last movie widely popular vaudeville, stage, and screen comedian Hugh Herbert ever made. He died March 12, 1952, and the film was released exactly three months later. It was also among the last handful of two-reelers Christine made (for the now struggling Columbia Comedy Shorts Department) before her final exit from show business a couple years later. In this we see Christine, as Hugh's wife, making sure Hugh wears his breakfast. The plot: a wife goes off to work because her husband cannot find a job, and he stays home and makes a mess of being a domestic engineer -- a retooling of the storyline for the first Hugh Herbert Columbia short PITCHIN' IN THE KITCHEN (1943), which co-starred Dorothy Appleby as his spouse:

(Courtesy of Monica Leeson)

This is a publicity still depicting the fictitious play The Bride Wore Spurs in which Howard, Fine, and Howard are apppearing in the Columbia two-reeler THREE HAMS ON RYE (1950). L to R, we see Brian O'Hara, Shemp Howard, Moe Howard, Christine (in her onstage role of "Janiebelle") holding a cake that's really a cushion, Larry Fine, and Danny Lewis, a nightclub comedian and father of Jerry Lewis:

(Courtesy of Monica Leeson)

In these two shots from BRIDE AND GLOOM (1947), Shemp Howard (in a solo-starring role) has just opened a torrent of hydrant water onto Christine with his brakeless car on the way to his wedding -- that Christine is about to ruin by changing out of her soaked dress in the backseat...you see, she is not the bride-to-be. This two-reeler contains a terrific performance by Chris, and it is a shame the film is not more widely available to movie lovers:

(Courtesy of Monica Leeson)

Here's an action-packed title card for the Range Busters' feature ROCK RIVER RENEGADES (1942). In the upper right inset [see detail below] that's Christine (as "Grace Ross") peeking out of the stage while on the far right Frank Ellis (as masked henchman "Chuck") holds a gun on her -- lying on the ground, as the ambushed stage driver "Bill Davis," is Hank Bell -- Tex Palmer is the baddie on horseback and Carl Mathews is on the top of the stage. Featured in the foreground, lower left, we see B Movie hero Ray "Crash" Corrigan tussling with and punching the jaw of Ellis. Those aren't bullet holes in Corrigan's hat, Les Adams assures me, they're just part of the wear & tear on the card. If you've never seen this film, you can watch it right now on your computer by going to my Filmography Page and looking for the link...it's all free:

(Courtesy of Les Adams)

Here's a scene from the non-stooge Shemp Howard (not pictured) two-reeler SOCIETY MUGS (1946) that happens to be a remake of the Howard, Fine, and (Curly) Howard short TERMITES OF 1938 (1938). In it we see Vernon Dent (playing "Lord Wafflebottom") with Christine (playing "Muriel") as she reacts appropriately to a large drill-bit coming through the wall. The offending drill is being operated by Shemp's exterminator-partner played by Tom Kennedy (also not pictured). As stated throughout this site, Christine made several shorts with a solo Shemp:

(Courtesy of Monica Leeson)

A colorized version of the publicity still on Christine Photo-Ads, P.3, was the basis for this lobby card for COLORADO AMBUSH (1951), featuring Johnny Mack Brown and Christine:

There was some question as to whether or not Christine really played a bit part in "The Shadow" series movie BEHIND THE MASK (Monogram, 1946). But I have now viewed it and spotted her. Ten minutes into this film, at a party in the home of the Shadow's alter ego "Lamont Cranston" (played by B Movie and serial leading man Kane Richmond, not pictured), Cranston's man Friday "Shrevvy" (played by George Chandler, right, holding tray), in his job as butler, moves through the crowd serving drinks. He offers one to a blonde woman, left, who says, "No thanks." It's the unmistakable voice of Christine and it's her only line -- and her only moment on camera. The man in the tux, between Chris and George, is an unidentified player:

(Courtesy of Monica Leeson)

Here are Christine and Vernon Dent as a couple of Nazi spies ("Celia" and "Hugo") in the wartime propaganda short NO DOUGH BOYS (1944) with Howard, Fine, and (Curly) Howard. This is just another reminder that Christine was one of those actresses with an impressive range who could effortlessly shift from playing an innocent prairie flower to an evil femme fatale without batting an eye:

(Courtesy of Monica Leeson)

Another still from 1944's NO DOUGH BOYS. In this shot we see the three featured Nazi ladies, L to R, Judy Malcom (as "Stella Pumpernickle"), Kelly Flint (as "Amelia Schwarzbrot"), and Christine (as "Celia Zweiback"). I believe that I have the proper spelling of their characters listed despite how they are usually recorded, particularly Chris' and Ms. Flint's roles. I've recently viewed this short for the very purpose of clearing this up, and here's what I find: the joke following Vernon Dent's introduction of the ladies proceeds by Moe Howard saying that, "They're all very well-bred" to which Curly Howard replies, "I take mine toasted!" The ladies have been introduced (with Vernon's thick German accent) as Pumpernickle (as in the bread), Schwarzbrot (which would translate "black bread" -- not "Swatsbroke"), and Zweiback (as in Zweiback Toast -- not "Shaybach") -- all kinds of bread. Well-bred...bread...get it? I will happily defer to anyone who produces an original script of NO DOUGH BOYS and proves me wrong:

(Courtesy of Monica Leeson)

Here are a couple of moments from a short 16MM Castle Films production called GREAT SYMPHONIES and which really has two secondary titles: 1) Blue Danube and 2) Romance, for the two songs featured (the entire film runs about ten minutes). Christine sings in the Blue Danube section and performs the duet with fellow coloratura soprano Armanda Chirot. (Opera stars Tandy McKenzie and Alice Avakian perform the Romance section.) This is with a seventy piece philharmonic orcherstra conducted by Frederick Feher (featured in the foreground; centerstage that is Christine on the left and Ms. Chirot on the right). This movie was created for the "Panoram Movie Juke Box" invention of the early 1940's. You can read more about these Movie Juke Boxes, as well as hear the entire Blue Danube section with Christine, by visiting the Music Page! There are more pictures there as well. These stills were donated by a friend of the site:

A fantastic find: a pressbook article (with photo) for Christine's 1938 appearance with western star Fred Scott in the Stan Laurel production of RANGER'S ROUNDUP, marking her first appearance in a lead role on film. The article makes reference to her early days in Chicago radio and theatre (note, however, that they made her out to be a younger star than she really was...as I mention on the Biography Page, such was/is the heartless Hollywood youth ethic). Oh, and please note: the mention of the movie LOVE AHOY is not the discovery of another lost Christine film -- it was merely the working title of SEA RACKETEERS, her first feature. Much thanks to Les Adams for digging this up:

(Courtesy of Les Adams)

Les Adams donated this graphic used for the left side of the pressbook cover for NEWS HOUNDS (1947). The same montage served as the film's three-sheet poster (also, compare to the window insert version donated by Bruce Hershenson on Photo-Ads, P.2). Pictured at the top are Leo Gorcey (as "Slip Mahoney"), Anthony Caruso (as "Dapper Dan Green"), Christine (as "Jane Ann Connelly"), and Huntz Hall (as "Sach Jones"). At the bottom we see Nita Bieber (as "Mame") and Gorcey:

(Courtesy of Les Adams)

In this detail from a lobby card for WEST OF THE RIO GRANDE (1944), Christine (as "Alice Darcy") is fresh into town and all the boys are happy about it. L to R, we see Bud Osborne (as henchman "Rich"), Lynton Brent (as henchman "Harris"), Jack Rockwell (as "Sheriff Tom Boyd"), Hal Price (as "Pop Grimsby"), Raymond Hatton (in his continuing role as "Sandy Hopkins"), and Steve Clark's hand (Steve played "Doc Ely"):

(Courtesy of Les Adams)

L to R standing in the middleground, Cactus Mack (as "Dave,"brown plaid shirt, hat brim covering face), Victor Cox (as a barfly with belted coat), three unidentified players, June Harrison (as "Donna Blake"), Foxy Callahan (an extra), Christine (as "Kansas City Kate"), and another unidentified player look down on Tris Coffin (as a gambler), an unknown player, and Carl Sepulveda (as a miner) as they examine a wounded Raymond Hatton (in his "Bodie" role) in this lobby card for 1947's LAND OF THE LAWLESS:

(Courtesy of Les Adams)

This is a lobby card for BORDER BUCKAROOS (1943), the Producers Releasing Corp. western feature starring Dave "Tex" O'Brien (not pictured). In this shot we see, L to R, Bud Osborne (as "the stage driver"), Eleanor Counts (as "Marge Leonard"), Christine (as "Betty Clark"), and [and we'll have to trust Les Adams' eagle eye on this one] a masked Ethan Laidlaw (as henchman "Hank Dugan"). Look carefully at the ladies' wrists -- Christine is either doing a good job of pretending to be tied-up, or (see detail below) the studio lobby card colorist accidentally thought Chris' ropes were part of her dress sleeve and colored them to match. In the actual movie, by the way, the ladies' wrists were tied behind their backs:

(Courtesy of Les Adams)

Christine Photo-Ads, P.5