Russell Rouse
Writing
Biography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Russell Rouse (20 November 1913 – 2 October 1987) was an American screenwriter, director, and producer who is noted for the "offbeat creativity and originality" of his screenplays and for film noir movies and television episodes produced in the 1950s. Rouse was the son of film pioneer Edwin Russell. His first employment in films was in the prop department at Paramount Studios, where he began writing screenplays. His play, Yokel Boy, was filmed in 1942 and became his first film writing credit. Rouse has 18 credits as a screenwriter between 1942 and 1988.. Commencing with his third writing credit, The Town Went Wild (1944), Rouse co-wrote many stories and scripts with Clarence Greene. The partners are noted for their work on a series of six film noir movies commencing with D.O.A (directed by Rudolph Maté-1950). With the second film in the series, The Well (1951), they also took on directing and producing: Rouse as director, and Greene as producer. This collaboration continued through the noir series (The Thief (1952), Wicked Woman (1953), New York Confidential (1955), and House of Numbers (1957)) and beyond. In the late 1950s Greene and Rouse formed a production company, Greene-Rouse Productions, which created the film noir television series Tightrope that ran for one season (1959-60) as well as two films in the 1960s. In addition to their noir work, Rouse and Greene produced two westerns (The Fastest Gun Alive (1956) and Thunder in the Sun (1959). The 1959 film, Pillow Talk, was based on their story. Their careers drew to a close shortly after the unsuccessful film, The Oscar (1966). Rouse and Greene were nominated for the Academy Award for writing The Well (1951). They received the Academy Award for Pillow Talk (1959) (with Maurice Richlin and Stanley Shapiro). D.O.A. has been preserved in the National Film Registry; the film has been remade several times, and Rouse was credited as a writer on two: Color Me Dead (1969) and D.O.A (1988). Rouse's son Christopher Rouse is a noted film editor. Description above from the Wikipedia article Russell Rouse, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Known For
Tightrope is an American crime drama series that aired on CBS from September 1959 to September 1960, under the alternate sponsorship of the J.B. Williams Company, and American Tobacco. Produced by Russell Rouse and Clarence Greene in association with Screen Gems, the series stars Mike Connors as an undercover agent named "Nick" who was assigned to infiltrate criminal gangs. The show was to have originally been titled Undercover Man but it was changed before going to air.
Tightrope
Playboy songwriter Brad Allen's succession of romances annoys his neighbor, interior designer Jan Morrow, who shares a telephone party line with him and hears all his breezy routines. After Jan unsuccessfully lodges a complaint against him, Brad sets about to seduce her in the guise of a sincere and upstanding Texas rancher. When mutual friend Jonathan discovers that his best friend is moving in on the girl he desires, however, sparks fly.
Pillow Talk
Frank Bigelow is about to die, and he knows it. The accountant has been poisoned and has only 24 hours before the lethal concoction kills him. Determined to find out who his murderer is, Frank, with the help of his assistant and girlfriend, Paula, begins to trace back over his last steps. As he frantically tries to unravel the mystery behind his own impending demise, his sleuthing leads him to a group of crooked businessmen and another murder.
D.O.A.
A chance accident causes a nuclear physicist, who's selling top secret material to the Russians, to fall under FBI scrutiny and go on the run.
The Thief
Dexter Cornell, an English Professor becomes embroiled in a series of murders involving people around him. Dexter has good reason to want to find the murderer but hasn't much time. He finds help and comfort from one of his student, Sydney Fuller.
D.O.A.
An amoral lowlife accidentally stumbles into an acting career that sets him on a trajectory to Hollywood stardom. But everyone on whom he steps on the way to the top remembers when he is nominated for an Oscar and he runs a dirty campaign in an attempt to win.
The Oscar
Whenever it becomes known how good he is with guns, ex-gunman George and his wife Dora have to flee the town, in fear of all the gunmen who might want to challenge him. Unfortunately he again spills his secret when he's drunk. All citizens swear to keep his secret and support him to give up his guns forever -- but a boy tells the story to a gang of wanted criminals. Their leader threatens to burn down the whole town, if he doesn't duel him.
The Fastest Gun Alive
In a racially mixed American town, a five-year-old black girl falls unnoticed into a hidden, forgotten well on her way to school. Having nothing better to go on, the police follow up a report that the child was seen with a white stranger, and rumors run wild. Before hapless, innocent Claude Packard is even found, popular hysteria has him tried and convicted. But is he guilty?
The Well
Peter Churchman stopped robbing banks a long time ago and is now living as a wealthy and respected citizen in Pamplona, Spain. But then his former companion Angela appears and blackmails him to help her robbing the Spanish National Bank of Pamplona. He gives in and develops a brilliant plan... Will this be then end of his comfortable life?
The Caper of the Golden Bulls
Story follows the life of Polly Adler, who grew to become one of New York's most successful bordello madams of the 1920s.
A House Is Not a Home
A band of Basque immigrants treks through the Old West toward California, where they hope to put down roots and open wineries. When the group's leader dies, his widow Gabrielle marries his brother in accordance with Basque tradition. But it's a loveless union; Gabrielle is smitten with Lon Bennett, the scout who's been hired to guide them on their journey.
Thunder in the Sun
Comedy concerning two feuding fathers dealing with the shocking news that their sons were switched at birth, meaning that one of their daughters is about to marry her own brother.
The Town Went Wild
Drifting floozy Billie Nash gets a bar job where she seduces the owner's husband by convincing him to defraud his drunkard wife in order to elope together to Mexico, but a sleazy neighbor with designs on Billie jeopardizes her plans.
Wicked Woman
Story of twin brothers - one trying to help another escape from prison.
House of Numbers
Story follows the rise and subsequent fall of the notorious head of a New York crime family, who decides to testify against his pals in order to avoid being killed by his fellow cohorts.
New York Confidential
Two bumbling servants are hired by a dizzy society matron to cook and serve a meal for visiting royalty.
Nothing But Trouble
A film company hires a gangster to mock himself holding up a bank, but he succeeds too well and makes off with the money. But all ends well.
Yokel Boy
A man discovers that he has been deliberately poisoned and hasn't long to live. In the short time he has left, he determines to find out who poisoned him and why. Remake of the 1950 film noir classic, D.O.A.
Color Me Dead
When an airplane lands in Los Angeles after sending a radio request for police and medical aid, one of the passengers, matronly Mrs. Judd, tells Police Inspector Bruce what happened