This week’s mystery movie was the 1959 Columbia picture The True Story of Lynn Stuart, with Betsy Palmer, Jack Lord and Barry Atwater.
Screenplay by John H. Kneubuhl.
Based on newspaper articles by Pat Michaels.
Photography by Burnett Guffey.
Art direction by Ross Bellah.
Edited by Saul A. Goodkind.
Set decorations by James M. Crowe.
Assistant director Carter DeHaven Jr.
Sound by Lambert Day.
Music conducted by Mischa Bakaleinikoff.
Produced by Bryan Foy.
Directed by Lewis Seiler.
Further information on The True Story of Lynn Stuart is available from the AFI Catalog.
The True Story of Lynn Stuart has apparently never been commercially released and may be found on the gray market.
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This was my backup choice for a mystery film. I was all set with Leadbelly, or so I thought. Howard Mandelbaum mentioned that he was doing to the Museum of Modern Art retrospective on Paramount films from the 1970s and Leadbelly is among them. Unfortunately, someone uploaded screen caps of virtually every camera setup. I toyed with the idea of putting everybody on the honor’s system of not using a reverse image search, but decided to look for another film instead. And here we are, with a cast full of mystery guests. Very mysterious!
My first recollection of Jack Lord is from the TV series Stoney Burke, which aired from 1962 to 1963, before Hawaii Five-O, so it was surprising to see him cast as an anti-hero. And he is definitely anti.
I’m going to guess that The New York Times critics stuck their noses in the air and passed on this one, even though it’s a fairly good B movie. Indeed, the NYT didn’t even send the alphabet critics out on it.
Pat Michaels stories’ appeared in the Anaheim Bulletin in July 1955.
For Monday, we have a mysterious fellow and a mysterious coin-operated device.
Update: This is Than Wyenn.
Note: I thought I was all set with a different mystery movie when I discovered that someone had uploaded more than 100 images from the film to IMDB. So it was back to the trades for this week’s entry. It’s increasingly common for some super fan to post dozens if not hundreds of screen caps from a film to IMDB (every camera setup and more, in one instance), making it quite difficult to pick a mystery movie.
For “Tricky Tuesday,” we have a mysterious lad who seems to be under the weather.
Update: This is Louis Towers.
Brain Trust roll call: Boebert (mysterious jukebox), B.J. Merholz (mysterious jukebox), L.C. (mystery movie and mysterious cast) and Sarah (Monday’s mysterious fellow).
Sylvia E.: No, but your observations are correct.
For “Hm Wednesday,” we have this mysterious fellow.
Update: This is California Atty. Gen. (and future governor) Edmund G. “Pat” Brown Sr.
For “Aha Thursday,” we have this mysterious gent.
Update: This is Barry Atwater.
Brain Trust roll call: Anne Papineau (Wednesday’s mysterious attorney general), Mary Mallory (mystery movie, Monday’s and Wednesday’s mystery guests), Sylvia E. (mystery movie and all mystery guests) and SuznChaz (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mysterious attorney general).
For Friday, we have our mysterious anti-hero and leading lady.
Update: This is Jack Lord and Betsy Palmer.
Brain Trust roll call: Sylvia E. (Thursday’s mystery guest), Mary Mallory (Tuesday’s mysterious lad and Thursday’s mystery guest) and Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mystery guest).
ladailymirror.com 
Ric Roman.
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An excellent guess! But alas, I’m afraid not…
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Dunno about the guy, but the “mysterious coin operated device” is a Wurlitzer Model 800 jukebox. And anybody who would put their beer on top of the jukebox is clearly a lout.
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1941 Wurlitzer 800 Jukebox. Courtesy Google and the Swiss Auction Company.
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It took every last brain cell to think of the name I wanted to remember and I’m not even sure if it’s him.
Is it Cameron Mitchell?
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It took every last brain cell to remember the name I was trying to remember!
Is this Cameron Mitchell?
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Well, hello. You were hiding in the spam filter. An excellent guess, but alas, I’m afraid not.
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Only ‘thinking cap’ meanderings so far.
Sweaty-ish, 1950s looking guy, window treatments that look like a wet, warm climate setting and a jukebox…
I know it’s not “Key Largo” so what do we have?
Is the story set in Florida?
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The True Story of Lynn Stuart (1958) w/Than Wyenn, Jack Lord, Betsy Palmer, Barry Atwater, John Anderson…
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Highway 301, Wally Cassell, and jukebox.
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An excellent guess! But alas, I’m afraid not.
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Monday is Than Wyenn.
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Johnny Crawford Tuesday?
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Alas, I’m afraid not, but our mystery lad has a credit with Johnny Crawford!
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NOT AS A STRANGER. Thomas Ferradini Monday, and Jimmy Hawkins today. Robert mitchum and Olivia DeHavilland hidden.
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An excellent guess, but alas, I’m afraid not…
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Edmund G. Brown, Sr.?
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THE TRUE STORY OF LYNN STUART. Than Wyenn Monday, Don Devlin Tuesday, and Governor Edmund G. “Pat” Brown today.
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Claudia Bryar to the right of Devlin Tueday. Brown is Attorney General here. Santa Ana Court House plays itself, what they say is the Mission, I don’t think so.
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Just taking a shot in the dark here but is Monday’s mystery fellow Christopher Dark?
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A good guess. But, alas….
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Wednesday – Ha!!! Jerry’s dad.
This’ll be fun to look up.
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The True Story of Lynn Stuart 1958
Mon – Than Wyenn
Tues – Louis Towers is the sick young man.
Weds – Edmond ‘Pat’ Brown, then Attorney General of California and on his way to becoming Governor
Quite a story .
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Wednesday is California Governor Edmund G. “Pat” Brown…..maybe when he was was California Attorney General (1951-1959) “The True Story of Lynn Stuart” 1958?
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Thurs – Barry Atwater
Leaving for Friday two of the most interesting casting decisions ever: Betsy Palmer (able play not only a housewife and Mom, but a housewife and Mom who can play an ex-prison ‘dame’ and fool hardened drug runners) and Jack Lord, one of the hardened criminals Ms Palmer fools.
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Louis Towers Tuesday and Barry atwater today.
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Barry Atwater.
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Really amazing casting: Jack Lord and Betsy Palmer.
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Jack Lord and Betsy Palmer.
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Jack Lord and Betsy Palmer in THE TRUE STORY OF LYNN STUART.
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