The Invisible Woman (1940)

Enjoyable,  11 March 2021

A model named Kitty agrees to become a guinea pig for an eccentric scientist and his experiment.  He intends to use a machine he’s developed to make Kitty invisible.  It works, but the experiment draws the unfortunate attention of a mob boss who has nefarious notions for the professor and his machine.  

I think anyone who’s written about The Invisible Woman begins by pointing out the obvious - it’s a comedy - actually, a screwball comedy.  There’s not a single element of horror to be found.  Other than the fact that The Invisible Woman was made by Universal, includes some nice special effects, and has the word “Invisible” in the title, this movie has nothing at all in common with its predecessor, The Invisible Man.  Instead, The Invisible Woman features a light, engaging, breezy tone that worked on me.  Thanks in large part to a fantastic cast (including John Barrymore, Virginia Bruce, Shemp Howard, Margaret Hamilton, and plethora of other familiar faces) most of the comedy works - highlighted by Kitty’s revenge on her boss.  I might not have laughed out loud, but I had a smile on my face the whole time.  The film’s pacing is also a plus.  The 72 minute runtime flies by.  And while this may have been a “B” film with a “B” budget, you’d never guess by looking at it.  Like a lot of Universal’s output from this period, The Invisible Woman looks far better than it has any right.  The cinematography is on point.

So, comedy that works, solid acting, snappy direction, nice cinematography - sounds like a winner.  If the film were a bit less predictable, I’d easily rate it higher.  Still, a 6/10 from me.

6/10

Jennifer (1953)

So much promise,  10 March 2021

Needing employment, Agnes Langley (Ida Lupino) agrees to take a job as caretaker for an otherwise abandoned estate.  She is told the previous caretaker, the titular Jennifer, went “missing”.  After discovering Jennifer’s diary, Agnes becomes obsessed with unraveling the mystery.  

On the whole, Jennifer left me terribly unsatisfied.  While I love the film’s set-up, I don’t feel the promise of Jennifer is ever realized.  There’s a reasonably interesting mystery, a big old house, and plenty of bumps in the night, but not much else.  If the other characters had just been honest and forthcoming with Agnes from the beginning, there wouldn’t have even been a mystery.  It’s disappointing to discover that, after 73 minutes, Jennifer isn’t really missing, just somewhere else.  

Despite my issues with the plot, I always love seeing Ida Lupino in just about anything she did. She was an amazing, talented woman.  You can see that in Jennifer.  She does so much with such a nothing plot and almost saves the film single handed.  I don’t know why, but I had no idea she was married to Howard Duff.  The pair have some nice chemistry here - another of the film’s highlights.  

4/10

The Hired Gun (1957)

A little dull and predictable,  24 December 2020

Ellen Belden (Anne Francis) is set to be hanged for her husband’s murder in Texas.  Ellen’s uncle has one of his ranch hands bust her out of jail and escort across the New Mexico border.  The father of the dead man hires a gunman named Gil McCord (Rory Calhoun) to go into New Mexico and bring Ellen back to face her sentence.  But is Ellen really guilty or is someone else responsible for the murder?

Overall, I’d call this MGM programmer a bit dull.  One of my main issues is that The Hired Gun’s plot offers few, if any, surprises.  Almost everything is predictable after about 15 minutes.  Things like:  Is Ellen guilty?  Who really killed Ellen’s husband?  What will happen with Ellen and McCord?  It doesn’t take a fortune teller to predict the answers to these questions.  

In addition, try as it might, The Hired Gun never has an appropriate Western feel to it.  The sets don’t seem authentic,  the wardrobe looks too modern, and Anne Francis is more Honey West than Old West.   I know budget constraints probably played a role in this, but the lack of a Western feel really took me out of the movie.

I suppose of all the cast, I enjoyed Chuck Connors as Judd Farrow, the ranch hand, as much as anyone.  I felt for the man as time-after-time Ellen rebuffed his advances, yet he kept coming back for more. 

4/10

The Big Steal (1949)

“I’ll tell you what, Chiquita, you believe me, and I’ll believe you.”  24 December 2020

Lt Duke Halliday (Robert Mitchum) is in Mexico trying to catch a man who stole an Army payroll that Halliday’s been wrongly accused of.  Halliday meets Joan Graham (Jane Greer).  She’s after the same con-man as he stole money from her.  Hot on their heels is Capt Vincent Blake (William Bendix).  He’s out to catch Halliday and recover the missing money.  

Good, witty dialogue mixed with plenty of action - that’s what you’ll find in The Big Steal.  It may not be one of those uber-dark noirs, but the light tone works well.  There’s a nice twist at the end that caught me off guard - even though this was a second time viewing for me.  It’s hard to believe that The Big Steal was one of Don Siegel’s first directorial efforts.  He does a fantastic job of keeping things moving and giving the film a nice pace.  But in all honesty, with a veteran, capable cast like that in The Big Steal, I would expect nothing less.  Mitchum and Greer have a nice rapport.  I’ve read the stories about Hughes originally wanting Jane Russell in the female lead but he was afraid Mitchum’s recent marijuana conviction might hurt her career.  I’m glad he made the decision to go with Greer.  MItchum and Greer work together effortlessly.  One thing that bugged me though, and this holds true for many film noirs, is the familiarity characters seem to have with each other on their initial meeting.  I can’t imagine that people in 1949 actually spoke to strangers like that.  Minor quibble, but it always bothers me.  I've never been much of a fan of William Bendix’s brash style, but I quite enjoyed him here.  In general, the acting from the entire cast is first rate throughout.  Finally, the film features some nice shots of the Mexican countryside.  And I appreciate the way the Mexican people are presented.  Too often, a Mexican police officer would be portrayed as either a buffoon or a crook.  Instead, Inspector General Ortega comes across as the smartest person in the whole film.  Highly recommended.

8/10

Horror Island (1941)

“Can somebody tell me why lobsters don’t like beer?”  23 December 2020

Despite being made by Universal in 1941 and carrying a name like Horror Island, this isn’t the horror film most would expect.  Instead, Horror Island is a fun little comedy / mystery with just a few creepy moments thrown in.  The plot goes something like this: A down on his luck boat captain, Bill Martin (Dick Foran), is approached by a one-legged man with a map and a story of hidden treasure on an island Martin owns.  Martin sees this story as an opportunity to make some money.  He sets up a $50 overnight pirate treasure hunt to his island.  Soon he’s got a boatload of paying guests.  But there’s another visitor to the island.  One Martin knows nothing about.  He’s also after the treasure, however, he’s willing to kill for it.

Setting aside the questionable historical accuracy of a 400 year-old gothic castle off the U.S. coast, Horror Island is one fun, entertaining film.  The script is filled with a lot of things that appeal to me in this kind of movie - an old dark castle, secret passages, hidden treasure, and a dungeon.  There are plenty of unusual, creepy spaces and locations for the characters to explore and discover (and get trapped in).  Horror Island may have been a “B” picture, but you wouldn’t know it from looking at it.  Universal made sure these films looked as good as their “A’ releases.  Sets, lighting, and props are first rate.  The direction is good.  Director George Waggner fit a lot into a rather short 60 minute runtime.  As for the acting, the four main players acquit themselves well.  Dick Foran is more than capable of carrying the film on his shoulders.  Peggy Moran (Moran and Foran also worked together on Universal’s The Mummy’s Hand) is a delight as the love interest.  Fuzzy Knight had the hardest job - the comic relief.  I appreciate how funny he was without going overboard.  Finally, I especially enjoyed Leo Carrillo.  His peg-legged sailor is just a fun character that brings a lot to the film.  He had sort of a Karloff vibe to him that worked nicely.  Overall, Horror Island is a worthwhile watch if you’re not overly demanding.  

6/10

The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries “Arson and Old Lace” #2.21 (1978) (TV)

Not sure why I keep coming back,  23 December 2020

Nancy Drew has been missing for six months.  The police have done all they can and have pretty much given up any hope of finding Nancy alive.  Frank and Joe won’t accept this and decide to take a look into Nancy’s case.  Oh, and there’s an arsonist loose in the city.

I'm not sure why I keep coming back to this show.  Nostalgia is a funny thing.  What I keep remembering are the episodes from Season 1 and how much fun I had with them back in the 70s.  Arson and Old Lace, like much of Season 2, isn’t very good.  The whole set-up is utterly ridiculous.  Nancy, a kidnap victim with finally quaffed hair and makeup, looks ridiculous.  The reasoning behind the kidnap is ridiculous.  But the worst, the fact that Frank and Joe are able to put together some good clues based on items that the FBI has gone over with a “fine tooth comb” and found nothing is the nadir of ridiculousness.   

I admit, the arson angle added a bit of unexpected, but welcome, drama to the episode.  Even though I knew the Hardy’s would save the day, the tension added by the fire worked.  However, the notion that the once resourceful Nancy Drew was reduced to damsel-in-distress during these scenes didn’t ring true to the series.

Two interesting names in the supporting cast list - Pernell Roberts and Cathy Rigby.  Roberts would shortly go on to success in Trapper John MD.  He makes way more out of his small role than he should have.  As for Rigby, well, she was a gymnast and never much of an actress.  I’ll be generous and say she does okay here. 

4/10

Godzilla Raids Again (1955)

“We’ve spotted a Godzilla-like object”,  22 December 2020

Godzilla Raids Again almost feels like two different movies put together.  In the first half, Godzilla brings a pal named Angurius to Osaka for some monster fighting action.  In the second half, the Japanese military attempts to trap Godzilla on an island before he can do any further damage.  

The first Godzilla movie is a solemn, cautionary tale.  Bringing back your monster for a battle royale might be fun, but it can’t and doesn’t have the same impart as the first.  The symbolism of Godzilla is not the same.  However, Godzilla Raids Again is fun - probably more fun than the first. Watching Godzilla and Co destroy a city is always worth the price of admission.  And this is where Godzilla Raids Again shines.  We’re treated to the usual quality miniatures you expect from a Toho film.  It’s truly amazing work.  

As much as I enjoyed the first half, I wasn’t a huge fan of Angurius.  First, the design is bad.  I’m not exactly sure what it’s supposed to be.  Second, anytime you put a man in a rubber suit and ask him to go on all fours, it looks silly.  Another issue I had was with the film’s pacing throughout.  The flow of the film really bogs down anytime we switch from monsters to people talking - and they do a lot of talking.  In addition, I could have really done without that musical interlude or the dinner party.   

Even though I didn’t like much of the conversation, there are a few nuggets of entertainment (maybe unintentional) to be had.  Godzilla has just destroyed most of the city you live in.  You’re busy going through smoldering rubble the next morning.  Sounds like an ideal time to stop and make a series of jokes about the dating habits of one of your coworkers.  And what about the tagline I used for this, “We’ve spotted a Godzilla-like object”.  Wonder what that could be?  Good stuff!

5/10