Burt Topper
1928 - 2007It Conquered Hollywood! The Story of American International Pictures
John Watkin, Eamon Harrington
Samuel Z. Arkoff, Peter Bogdanovich
A 60-minute salute to American International Pictures. Entertainment lawyer Samuel Z. Arkoff founded AIP (then called American Releasing Corporation) on a $3000 loan in 1954 with his partner, James H. Nicholson, a former West Coast exhibitor and distributor. The company made its mark by targeting teenagers with quickly produced films that exploited subjects mainstream films were reluctant to tackle.
It Conquered Hollywood! The Story of American International Pictures
Soul Hustler
Burt Topper
Fabian, Nai Bonet
Matthew Crowe, a whoring, pot-smoking, wandering singer teams up with a tent-show preacher. The preacher recognizes Mathew's charisma, and together they collect big donations delivering sermons with rocking gospel songs.Soon enough, Matthew lands a record deal, and the older man becomes the manager of Crowe's new act: Matthew, Son of Jesus. They hire a backup group of mustachioed rock musicians, who play in brown monks' robes, in contrast to Matthew's white robe and sandals. Their debut album becomes a huge hit so they go on a concert tour to promote it.
Soul Hustler
Plunderers of Painted Flats
Albert C. Gannaway
Corinne Calvet, John Carroll
To scare the squatters from the cattle country he claims as his own, rancher Ed Sampson orders the Martin farm house burned. Galt Martin is killed, and his eldest son, Joe, is pistol-whipped. Timmy Martin sees the killer, Cass Becker and points him out when he and Joe are in Painted Flats. Cass forces Joe to put on a gun but Ned East, a retired gunfighter, saves the inexperienced Joe by forcing Cass to draw on him, and Ned is the winner.
Plunderers of Painted Flats
War Is Hell
Burt Topper
Baynes Barron, Bobby Byles
During the Korean War, a glory-hunting sergeant leads his platoon on a mission against the enemy--not telling them that a cease-fire has just been declared--so that he can win medals. Trouble arises when some members of platoon begin to suspect that something is fishy.
War Is Hell
The Hard Ride
Burt Topper
Robert Fuller, Sherry Bain
While in Vietnam, a GI promises his dying buddy that he'll take care of his motorcycle, "Baby", when he gets back home. After his discharge, he meets up with his dead friend's girlfriend, gets the bike, and then runs into trouble from some other bikers who don't like the idea of his having the motorcycle or the girl.
The Hard Ride
Hell Squad
Burt Topper
Wally Campo, Brandon Carroll
During World War II, a squad of five American soldiers become lost in Tunisia and are killed one by one in fights with German units. Finally only one man, Private Russo, is left, in the midst of a mine field, together with a German officer, locked in a stalemate. Russo has water, while the German claims to have a map revealing the mine positions. So Russo agrees to swap water for the map, but the German officer tries to double-cross him. This was Burt Topper's debut film, made on 16mm on weekends together with some friends in Indio, California. It was also Wally Campo's debut film, as well as script supervisor Joyce King's.
Hell Squad
