The Dude Goes West (1948)

"Man alive! Where did a DUDE learn to shoot like that?", 23 December 2015

Daniel Bone (Eddie Albert) is a New York gunsmith. Seeking greener pastures, Bone heads to a Wild West town appropriately called Arsenic City. Along the way, he meets a woman named Lisa Crockett (Gale Storm) who is also headed west seeking her fortune. She has a map that leads to her late father's goldmine. But there are others who want Crockett's map and they will do anything to get it. Fortunately for her and whether she likes it or not, Bone saves her skin time after time. 

At it's absolute worst, I'd still call The Dude Goes West harmless enough and a bit of fun. At it's best, however, it's often quite funny and gives Eddie Albert a chance to shine in a leading role. His character, Bone, is a fish out-of-water and this often leads to the funnier bits. It's very reminiscent of his character, Oliver Wendell Douglas, that he'd play 20 years later. There's a scene where Bone is lecturing the townspeople about the importance of the American judicial system that sounded straight off of Green Acres. All it needed was a fife playing in the background. Albert is joined by a very able cast featuring Storm, Gilbert Roland, and Barton MacLane. The films's pacing is nice and at only 86 minutes, it never feels tired. While the plot is often predictable, it's still fun to watch the events unfold. Some of the comedy may seem corny by today's standards, but it works just fine to me. 

Overall, a 7/10 from me.

7/10

Lured (1947)

"There's a homicidal maniac loose somewhere in the vast honeycomb of London.", 9 December 2015

A homicidal maniac is loose in London, murdering young women he meets through newspaper personal ads. When Lucy Barnard goes missing, her friend Sandra Carpenter (Lucille Ball) agrees to help Scotland Yard catch a killer. Along the way, however, she falls in love with number one suspect Robert Fleming (George Sanders). Despite all the evidence to the contrary, he can't be the killer, can he?

Despite all the flaws in Lured, it's just too much fun not to give it a positive rating. The cast is strong. I really enjoyed watching several of them play against character. Sanders usually played men in charge of their environment. It was interesting to watch him play a character who has lost control of his situation. Lucy is obviously best know for her work in comedy. While she a few funny moments in Lured, I was really impressed with her efforts in the more dramatic parts. George Zucco, an actor I know best playing Egyptian priests or mad scientists, gets a chance to do comedy. He's more than up to the task. Throw into the mix the talents of Boris Karloff, Charles Coburn, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Alan Mowbray, and Alan Napier and you've got one impressive cast. 

Beyond the cast, other positives I found in Lured, include: fabulous costumes, nice cinematography, a witty script, and plenty of atmosphere. 

But as I said, Lured has it's share of flaws. Chief among them is that there's really not much of a mystery. I found it way too easy to spot the killer. And his motives are a bit muddled. If he did it because he loved Sandra, then why kill all the other women? If he did it because he loved Fleming (as some suspect), then why frame him? There's a lot of plot inconsistency. 

Finally, as much as I enjoyed watching Lucy and Karloff in their scenes together, it doesn't really fit with the rest of the movie. It almost felt like this part came from another film. These scenes really do nothing to advance the plot.

Even with the multiple problems, like I said, Lured is a fun movie. A 6/10 from me.

6/10

The Glass Key (1942)

"My first wife was the second cook at a third-rate joint on 4th Street.", 8 December 2015

Crooked politician Paul Madvig (Brian Donlevy) decides to go legit by riding the coattails of a respected reform candidate, Ralph Henry. Madvig is taken by Henry's daughter, Janet (Veronica Lake), but so too is Madvig's right-hand man, Ed Beaumont (Alan Ladd). Beaumont would do anything for Madvig including suppressing his feelings for Janet. Throw in the murder of Janet's brother, Madvig as suspect #1, a powerful hood Madvig double crosses, a DA who's on-the-take, a series of poison pen letters, and a brute named Jeff (William Bendix), and you've got the makings of a classic noir/mystery.

The Glass Key is the kind of movie I can watch over and over. There's always something new and fresh to pick-up on. The plot may not be as convoluted as something like The Big Sleep, but there are more than enough twists and turns to keep things interesting. The final twist at the end when the murder is revealed is very nicely handled. 

The cast in The Glass Key is very strong. Ladd and Lake's on-screen chemistry is once again on full display. Their subtle glances during their first meeting is brilliantly played. I wish they would have made a dozen more movies together. Donleavy, Joseph Calleia, and Bonita Granville are all in fine form. Bendix is an actor I've never really cared much for, but here, he's perfect. The perverse pleasure he seems to get from beating the living daylights out of Ladd is a fine piece of acting. The scene with Bendix and Ladd sharing a drink has to be one of the oddest but most compelling I can remember seeing in a long time.

Technically, I've got very few complaints. The movie looks like a million bucks. Scenes are drenched in that noirish lighting I enjoy. The film is nicely paced with few dull moments that don't advance the storyline. Stuart Heisler's direction is on-point and, as i indicated, he skillfully handles the final reveal. It''s a very well put together film.

I've got a few complaints, but most are minor. If I'm pressed to mention one it would be the final scene. A Hollywood "happily ever after" ending is just not appropriate for the twisted tale that came before.

Overall, a very fine film that I'll rate an 8/10.

8/10

Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff (1949)

"You're going to commit suicide if it's the last thing you do!", 2 December 2015

Two things I just love - old murder mystery movies and Boris Karloff. Put them together, throw in Abbott and Costello, and you've got a winner. While I don't rate this as high as A&C's similarly themed Who Done It?, it's still a whole lot of fun. In this one, A&C are working in a hotel that's become the scene of a murder. Costello (playing Freddie Phillips) becomes prime suspect number one. But the hotel has several other strange, mysterious types on-hand, including the mystic Swami Talpur. Can Bud and Lou find the killer before they're killed themselves?

This isn't deep - it's just good old-fashioned fun. While some of A&C's jokes may miss their mark, enough hit to make it very funny. There are bits and pieces here as good as any you'll find in any other A&C film. One of my favorite moments has to be watching the great Boris Karloff working with Costello in the hypnosis scene. What a blast! The final chase/confrontation in the underground cavers is nicely filmed and includes a moment or two of real suspense. I've got no problem at all rating this one a 7/10.

7/10

Swing Parade of 1946 (1946)

Worse than I could have imagined, 10 March 2010

Fearing his father will have his nightclub closed down, club owner and singer Danny Warren (Phil Regan) goes to extremes to ensure no one is able to serve papers on him. In an effort to have the papers served, Papa Warren hires an attractive young woman named Carol Lawrence (Gale Storm) who might have more luck getting close to Danny. But Carol's more interested in pursuing her music – and love – than any old papers.

Deathly dull, Swing Parade of 1946 isn't so much a movie as it is a series of set-pieces and musical numbers held together by the most minimal plot thread imaginable. What little plot there is wouldn't fill 10 minutes of the movie's runtime. Instead, the film goes something like this – a little plot followed a bit from the Three Stooges followed by an excruciating, painfully long music number. Just repeat this pattern for 74 minutes. The Stooges are wasted and out-of-place repeating bits most fans will have seen a number of times previous. Regan and Storm are both too uninteresting to carry the film themselves. I know that, at least in the case of Gale Storm, she would go on to have a long career in entertainment, but it's difficult to imagine that after watching this movie. I never thought I would say this, but Edward Brophy actually comes out of Swing Parade of 1946 looking better than anyone else – well, anyone other than Louis Jordan. Jordan and his band are the film's real highlight. As for the rest, it's all 'lowlights". Unless you're just a fan of really bad musicals from the mid-1940s, I'd say skip this one altogether.

3/10

The Strange Case of Doctor Rx (1942)

Very little to recommend - even for fans of classic Universal horror, 25 February 2010

Private Detective Jerry Church (Patric Knowles) is asked to investigate the strange deaths of several recently acquitted men. The only clue is the mysterious calling card found on the body of each victim of a man known only as "Doctor Rx". Soon after taking the case, Church is on hand to see a man named Zarini acquitted, only to fall dead before he can leave the courtroom. To solve the series of murders, Church is kidnapped, his wife's life is threatened, and he is strapped to a table by Doctor Rx and prepped for an operation involving organ transplantation with a gorilla. Will Church survive this ordeal and unmask the killer?

As far as the classic Universal horror (and horror is used very loosely here) films of the 30s and 40s go, The Strange Case of Doctor Rx is about as bad as you'll run across. I place it at the bottom of the heap with the unfortunate She-Wolf of London. I described The Strange Case of Doctor Rx to a friend as a Charlie Chan movie without any of the charm or interest of a Charlie Chan movie. Knowles' Church doesn't make for a very effective or interesting lead. He's just too bland. Lionel Atwill is billed second, but he has so little screen-time you'll forget he's even in the film. And when Atwill is on screen, he's reduced to playing the role of the most embarrassing red herring I've ever run across. Gwynne is okay as the love interest / wife, but she can't save the film on her on. The highlights of the cast are Shemp Howard and, especially, Mantan Moreland. They have a scene together involving shooting dice that's laugh-out-loud funny. Moreland, as usual, steals most every scene in which he appears. Other weaknesses: the films plotting is plodding, the direction is pedestrian, the mystery isn't very mysterious, and the horror is pretty much missing altogether. As most everyone who has written about The Strange Case of Doctor Rx has pointed out, the one scene of real horror feels like it was cut from another film. Other than Moreland, the one bright spot worth mentioning is the "look" of the film. Like most other Universal pictures from this period, the movie looks like a million bucks. Overall, a very disappointing affair that I'll be generous to and give it a 4/10.

4/10

The Uninvited (1944)

"Mists gather here... and sea fog... and eerie stories...", 4 August 2009

I've watched at least three movies recently that, for whatever ridiculous reason, cannot be purchased on a R1 DVD. Two Hammer films, Twins of Evil and Vampire Circus, and The Uninvited. Okay, maybe I can in some twisted way understand the fate of the two Hammer films, but why oh why isn't The Uninvited available in the U.S. on DVD? Makes no sense at all. The Uninvited is a true classic in every respect. The plot involves a brother and sister, Roderick and Pamela Fitzgerald (Ray Milland and Ruth Hussey), who buy an abandoned, but remarkably well preserved, house on a cliff overlooking the ocean. The seller has a granddaughter, Stella Meredith (Gail Russell), who is totally against the sale of the house because it was her mothers. Shortly after moving in, strange noises and loud crying can be heard all through the house at night. Neither the dog nor the cat will venture upstairs – too frightened to take the first step. And there's a locked studio upstairs that always feels cold regardless of the temperature. If you can't guess already, the house is haunted (I know, a real shocker). The haunting seems to be that of the ghost of the Stella's mother, who Roderick is falling in love with (Stella that is, not the ghost of her mother). But why is she haunting the house? And why does Stella's life seem to be put in danger every time she visits? It's a mystery that demands to be solved.

I just love discovering a classic like The Uninvited that I've never taken the time to watch. Every thing about the film is spot on perfect. While I could go on and on extolling the movie's virtues, I'll try to limit this to just a couple of real highlights. First, the movie's got a boatload of atmosphere. It's so thick you feel like you can cut it with a knife. It gives you that kind of eerie feeling that doesn't leave once the lights go on. But The Uninvited is more than just a horror movie. Director Lewis Allen flawlessly mixes in romance, comedy, mystery, and drama. And the amazing part is that it all works – especially the mystery elements of the story. Even without the ghosts, the mystery of the house and Stella and her mother would have been enough to keep me interested. The special effects are another area that deserves mention. I've often argued in the past that some of the best ghost stories are those that don't really show anything. You know, the less is more argument. Well, in The Uninvited, we actually get to see what's causing all the problem. And to my astonishment, this also works. I was expecting something cheesy, but instead saw an image that looked like what a ghost might look like. Finally, it's impossible to discuss The Uninvited without mentioning the acting. This is probably the best performance I've ever seen from Ray Milland. He's amiable, care-free manner fits nicely into the film. I also enjoyed Ruth Hussey. She has a Myrna Loy quality to her that I liked. The others, including Gail Russell, Donald Crisp, and the scene stealing Dorothy Stickney, hold their own.

If you're a fan of classic horror (or even just a fan of classic films) do yourself a favor and seek out The Uninvited. You'll kick yourself for not doing it earlier.

9/10

Return of the Ape Man (1944)

Talk about false advertising - What happened to George Zucco?, 31 May 2009

Two scientists, Prof. Dexter and Prof. Gilmore (played by horror legends Bela Lugosi and John Carradine), have developed a method of reanimating a frozen body with no adverse affects. They decide to test their discovery on a primitive man frozen in ice for thousands of years. Again, they find success. Still not satisfied, Prof. Dexter wants to place half of a modern brain into his primitive guinea pig. But where to find a brain? Prof Dexter's not above murder if it will advance his theories.

I'm usually willing to cut these Poverty Row films a break, but Return of the Ape Man features the worst of what these movies had to offer. First off, there's the incredibly misleading credit sequence that promises George Zucco. I'm a huge fan of Zucco. I was actually more interested in watching him than either Bela Lugosi or John Carradine. And even though his name appears twice in the opening credits, he's nowhere to be found. What's up with that! Next, the overall acting is absolutely terrible. Carradine has so little to do that he's hardly in the movie – and acts it. You can usually count on Lugosi for a fun performance, but even he appears to be going through the motions. The rest of the unknown cast is abysmal, except for Teala Loring. She provides the one lone spark Return of the Ape Man has to offer. Thirdly, the titular Ape Man is hardly an Ape Man at all. He looks more like a guy with long hair and a beard. It's a hoot to listen to character after character describe the hippy looking dude as more ape-like than man. My guess is that Monogram came up with a title and had a script before they checked their budget for the special effects necessary to create an Ape Man. Finally, even by Monogram standards, Return of the Ape Man is cheap looking. Often, the sets look like they might have fallen over had someone breathed too heavily in the wrong direction. And the Arctic expedition scenes are laugh out loud funny in how cheap they are. A few seconds of stock footage followed by Carradine and Lugosi standing around talking while wearing the most ridiculous fur coats and hats does not make for a very authentic looking scene. Return of the Ape Man might be the bottom of the proverbial barrel as far as Poverty Row thrillers goes. I'm being generous with my 3/10.

3/10

Michael Shayne: Private Detective (1940)

"I'll bet if you walk in your sleep, you need a bicycle.", 3 January 2009

Lloyd Nolan is Michael Shayne, a private eye hired to keep an eye on a young woman with a penchant for gambling. Shayne intends to save her from herself but ends up as the prime suspect of a murder. Shayne will have to act fast and untangle a web of gambling, drugged horses, a jilted lover, an overly zealous mystery fan, and a dead body if he's to stay out of the County Jail.

I had never heard much about the Michael Shayne movies before I found a set of four on DVD. Being a fan of 1940s era mystery/thrillers, I decided to give them a chance. And the ridiculously low price didn't hurt matters any. I was hoping for something along the lines of Charlie Chan or The Thin Man. While I didn't enjoy this, the first in the series, as much as the better known movies I mentioned, Michael Shayne: Private Detective is a decent enough watch and worth the 77 minutes I put into it Lloyd Nolan gives a solid, albeit unspectacular, performance. The problem – while Nolan is a good actor, he is not what I would call a leading man. Nolan is joined by a capable cast that includes Douglass Dumbrille, Elizabeth Patterson, and Donald MacBride (who seemed to make a career out of playing the beleaguered, put-upon police inspector). Much of the movie has a feeling or atmosphere about it that many of the "light" detective movies of the period had that I find appealing. This feeling was almost undone, however, by a plot that seemed a little overly complicated for a throwaway B-movie. Maybe I was just too tired when I watched, but I found it difficult to follow – not that any of it was that interesting to begin with. So in the end, while I've given Michael Shayne: Private Detective a 6/10, I can't say I'm not a bit disappointed. Here's hoping the next three in the series are even more entertaining.

6/10

Law of the Jungle (1942)

Mantan Moreland is the only reason to watch this movie., 29 November 2008

I won't even bother with a plot description. The plot isn't the reason anyone today is going to watch Law of the Jungle anyway. The only reason to watch this movie and the only thing its got going for it is Mantan Moreland. As un-PC as it is in today's world, Moreland's brand of comedy is often laugh-out-loud funny. While he's not given material in Law of the Jungle that's as good as he had in some of his other movies (For example, I think he's given better, funnier lines in King of the Zombies.), I still found a laugh or two and always a smile on my face. As for the rest of the movie, it's largely forgettable. From the ridiculous night club in the middle of the jungle to the completely unrealistic man-in-a-gorilla suit to star John "Dusty" King's wooden performance, there's little besides Moreland to recommend. The rating I've given Law of the Jungle (5/10) is based almost entirely on Mantan Moreland.

One final thing, maybe I've missed something, but it seems a bit odd to me that Mantan Moreland's character's name is Jefferson "Jeff" Jones. If you go through his filmography, you'll notice that Moreland often played a character named Jefferson Jones or Jeff Jones or simply Jeff. Is this supposed to be the same person? It has no real bearing on Law of the Jungle, just something I noticed and thought was strange.

5/10

Murder Over New York (1940)

"I'll never go on a case like this again without a gat.", 19 November 2008

On his way to a police convention in New York, Charlie Chan runs into an old friend from Scotland Yard, Hugh Drake. Drake, now employed by military intelligence, is hot on the heels of a saboteur named Paul Narvo. Drake asks Chan to pay him a visit while he's in New York to talk over his case. Chan makes the visit only to find that his colleague has been murdered.

If you look through my reviews, it should become apparent that I'm a fan of Charlie Chan. That's why it pains me to admit that I don't really care for Murder Over New York as much as most other fans seem to. Part of the problem is the whole WWII spy angle. I've never much cared for this type of plot when watching a Chan film. I should also point out that I have the same problem with the Basil Rathbone Sherlock Holmes films that deal with WWII espionage. I'd much rather see my favorite film detectives solving murders than chasing spies.

Beyond my issues with the plot, I've always had a real problem the solution to the case. There is no way that the audience could hope to play along with Chan and come up with a solution. The movie cheats far too much. There is information known only to Chan that comes up after the killer is identified. All I ask is that movies of this type play fair.

From my rating, it's probably obvious that even with the problems I have with the film, I still enjoy it. I mean it's still Charlie Chan after all. Sidney Toler is as enjoyable as ever. Victor Sen Yung is as good, if not better (meaning less annoying), than in some of the previous installments. The rest of the cast is more than serviceable with a fun cameo from Shemp Howard. Like all the other Chan films, this one looks much better than it should. The cinematography is solid. Finally, considering all the problems I pointed out that I have with Murder Over New York, it's a bit odd that I've probably seen it more than any other Charlie Chan film. That's got to count for something.

6/10

Dr. Renault's Secret (1942)

"You can't fall out of a closed window!", 15 November 2008

While I enjoyed watching Dr. Renault's Secret, the movie has one serious flaw that keeps it from being a real winner. The problem with Dr. Renault's Secret is that there really isn't much of a secret. Anyone with half a brain would be hard pressed not to guess what's going on within the first ten minutes of the movie. I have a hard time believing that even the less jaded horror fans of 1942 would have been shocked by the revelations made toward the end of the film about Dr. Renault and his assistant, Noel. The movie all but beats you over the head with its supposed "secret".

But even with this flaw, there's still a lot to enjoy here for fans of classic horror. To start with, J. Carrol Naish gives one of those wonderful performances that I'll remember long after having watched the movie. He's awesome as the strange Noel. The way he changes his body language as the movie goes on and his more animalistic tendencies start to come out is perfect. George Zucco gives his usual nice performance even though his role is limited. The film also very nicely shot. Dr. Renault's Secret features some top-notch cinematography, set design, lighting, and everything else that goes into make a movie look "good". It might have been a "B" film, but it doesn't look like it. Fox didn't make many horror films, but when they did, they did it right.

One final note – it's odd to me that the movie is supposed to be set in France. While I don't necessarily have a problem with some of the British and American actors in the movie, there's just no way Arthur Shields could have ever been a French police inspector. He's way too Irish to ever be anything but Irish.

6/10

Charlie Chan at the Wax Museum (1940)

"Only very foolish mouse makes nest in cat's ear.", 14 November 2008

As the movie opens, Charlie Chan finds himself at the sentencing phase of trial he has given evidence in against a criminal named Steve McBirney. After McBirney is sentenced to be executed, he shoots his way out of the courthouse and makes his escape. He heads straight to a wax museum dedicated to figures depicting famous crimes and criminals. The museum is run by Dr. Cream. But Dr. Cream has another profession – he's a plastic surgeon who specializes in making the faces of criminals unrecognizable. Dr. Cream also hosts a regular weekly radio show in his museum dedicated to crime. He invites Charlie Chan to be a guest on the next program. Reluctantly, Chan agrees to appear. But unfortunately for Chan, this week's radio program is a set-up for McBirney to get his revenge against the detective he blames for getting him convicted.

If someone would have asked me twenty-five years ago what my favorite Charlie Chan film was, I would have most likely answered Charlie Chan at the Wax Museum. It's got a whole lot to like and a whole lot that appealed to me during my youth. Secret passages, a dark and stormy night, and creepy wax figures all add up to one of the more atmospheric movies in the Chan series. Charlie Chan at the Wax Museum probably comes as close as any of the other Chan films to having actual elements of horror – something I always go for. As an added bonus, #2 son Jimmy is less of an annoyance in this film and actually gives an interesting performance as he helps his Pop with the case. It's really not difficult to see why this movie appealed to me. It's just a fun movie!

Well, and unfortunately, my tastes seem to have changed over the past couple of decades. Thanks to the recent R1 DVD release, I was finally able to revisit Charlie Chan at the Wax Museum. And while my 8/10 rating indicates I enjoyed the experience, it wasn't what I remembered. I could cite a number of problems I had with the film, but I'll just go into the most obvious. When it is discovered that someone was trying to use the wired-up chair to electrocute Chan, why doesn't Chan seem more interested in looking into this particular clue? Other than being mentioned in passing a few times, the chair is almost forgotten. Shouldn't Chan have tried to discover more about the chair like who hooked it up to the wires or what Dr. Cream knew about it? Instead, Chan spends his time running around in the dark (both literally and figuratively) trying to find a murderer. Sorry, but it doesn't add up.

8/10

Charlie Chan's Murder Cruise (1940)

"Truth, like oil, will in time rise to surface.", 9 November 2008

Charlie Chan and #2 son Jimmy join a cruise headed to San Francisco hot on the heels of a murderer. The mad strangler has already killed Chan's friend and colleague from Scotland Yard, so Charlie has to be on his toes. And with the confined space of a cruise ship, suspects at every turn, and even more dead bodies, Charlie Chan certainly has his hands full.

When you go about 35 years in between viewings, you not only forget everything about the plot (including the killer's identity), but you also forget how good a movie can be. That's the case with me and Charlie Chan's Murder Cruise. I had the opportunity to check out it out last night for the first time in over three decades. My reaction - what a wonderful movie! An excellent and convoluted plot, a ruthless killer, red herrings everywhere you look, comic relief that doesn't get in the way of the mystery, and some of the most solid acting you'll find in one of the Toler Chan films help make Charlie Chan's Murder Cruise a real winner. The cast that includes Sidney Toler, Victor Sen Yung, the always enjoyable Lionel Atwill, Leo (no G.) Carroll, and Charles Middleton is as good as you'll find in a "B" mystery from the 40s. Another big plus is the film's location. I've always been a fan of a mystery where the killer and suspects are trapped in a place with no hope of escape. And a cruise ship is one of those kind of locations. Add to this list of superlatives I've mentioned some nice pacing from director Eugene Forde and solid cinematography and lighting and you've got the makings of a wonderful entry in the log running Charlie Chan series.

8/10

The Gang's All Here (1941)

The gang may be here, but it's nothing to get excited about, 27 October 2008

A series of truck hijackings threatens to put the Overland Transport Company out of business. In fact, the company is so desperate, they agree to hire the inexperienced team of Frankie O'Malley (Frankie Darro) and Jeff Smith (Mantan Moreland) to be their saving grace. But who's really behind the hijackings? When Frankie and Jeff find themselves on the wrong end of a gun barrel, it soon becomes apparent just who the bad guys really are.

It's a good thing that The Gang's All Here only runs 61 minutes. Anymore and it would have overstayed its welcome. Oh, it's okay I suppose in an inoffensive sort of way, but it's an awfully lifeless way to spend an hour. While some of the movie is mildly entertaining, most scenes are just plain old dull. The only real entertainment comes from Mantan Moreland. He's one of those few people with enough talent and screen presence to make anything worth watching at least once. This is the first movie I've seen where Moreland is paired with Frankie Darro. I've noticed that the two made a few more movies together, but I'm not sure how much of a hurry I'm in to seek them out. Darro did absolutely nothing for me. In fact, I more often than not found his on-screen persona annoying. The rest of the cast is unremarkable and completely unmemorable. The plot – boring is the first word that comes to mind. And the supposed action sequences are anything but. Maybe there are better Darro/Moreland movies out there, but it will be a while until I'm up for discovering them.

4/10

Castle in the Desert (1942)

No phone! No lights! No motor cars!, 1 August 2008

While I admit that the Chan films of Warner Oland are, as a group, superior to those of Sidney Toler, that doesn't mean that some of the Toler films aren't rock solid and as good individually as anything Oland made. Three that immediately come to mind are Charlie Chan at Treasure Island, Charlie Chan at the Wax Museum, and this film, Castle in the Desert. (By the way, why isn't the title Charlie Chan and the Castle in the Desert? It would have made sense to me.) In Castle in the Desert, Charlie is summoned to a strange, isolated castle in the middle of the Mojave Desert. But no one in the house will admit to having sent of Chan. His presence is, however, quickly needed when in no time at all Charlie finds himself up to his elbows in murder, poison, deadly arrows, red herrings, and suspects galore. What could be more fun!

I've seen someone use this phrase before to describe a Charlie Chan film and I think it fits Castle in the Desert – "It's a crackling good mystery". As I've indicated, all of the necessary ingredients for a fun outing with Chan are here. In fact, Castle in the Desert is really more like two mysteries in one. While the solution to the first is fairly obvious, it's still a lot of fun and just an appetizer for the more difficult and dangerous mystery to come. This was Toler's last Chan film for Fox and, by the time this one was made, Toler could have played the role in his sleep. He seems so at ease with the character. The rest of the cast is enjoyable with Henry Daniell and, one of my favorites, Douglass Dumbrille standing out in support. Another bonus for Castle in the Desert is that Victor Sen Yung as #2 son Jimmy Chan isn't anywhere near as annoying as he is in some of the other Chan films.

Overall, Castle in the Desert is a nice finale to the Chan films at Fox. Nothing that would come later at Monogram is anywhere close to matching it. I've got no problem rating this one a strong 7/10 verging on an 8/10.

7/10

The Amazing Mr. X (1948)

John Alton's cinematography is stunning, 27 March 2008

Alexis (Turhan Bey) is a con man preying on people's desires to communicate with their dearly departed. His new target, Christine Faber (Lynn Bari), is a wealthy woman who has lost her husband. But with Christine, the would-be spiritualist may have bitten off more than he can chew when to Alexis' utter astonishment Christine's dead husband makes a return appearance from the grave. Alexis must go from huckster to hero if he's to save Christine and her sister Janet (Cathy O'Donnel), whom he's developed a real fondness for, from this murderous man come back from the dead.

What a ridiculous title for an masterfully filmed and very entertaining movie. In comparison with a lot of the other B-quickies of the 40s, The Amazing Mr. X features a very well crafted script that's an interesting blend of horror and film noir. The movie is well paced with several nice plot twists along the way. Just when you start to think you're watching a Gothic horror piece, the movie shifts gears and turns from a supernatural thriller to a crime thriller. And the character Alexis changes from a medium in communication with the dead to a phony con-man to the film's hero. It's all these twists that keep The Amazing Mr. X interesting throughout. All of the actors involved to an excellent job. I was particular impressed with Turhan Bey as Alexis and Cathy O'Donnell as the sister, Janet. Finally, as almost every comment on IMDb has noted, John Alton's cinematography is stunning. Films with ten times the budget don't look this good. It's an interesting mix of light, shadows, and creative camera angles. Alton certainly deserves all the praise he's received.

7/10

Bowery at Midnight (1942)

"I've never seen a guy with more angles.", 15 March 2008

Bowery at Midnight is quite the ambitious little Poverty Row thriller. It's has enough plot threads for three movies. Bela Lugosi plays a man living a double (or should that be triple) life. As one of the characters says to Lugosi, "I've never seen a guy with more angles." By day, he's a college psychology professor. By night, he runs a soup kitchen that he uses as a base to recruit criminals into his organization. You see, he's got a thing for knocking over jewelry stores. If that weren't enough, he has an old, washed-up doctor in the basement who, unbeknownst to Lugosi, is doing experiments on reanimating dead bodies. With all of this going on, there are really very few dull moments in the movie's short runtime. I suppose that's also part of the movie's biggest problem – there are too many loose ends and too many plot threads that go nowhere. For example, why and how is the Doc creating the zombies? And how is the process seemingly reversed at the end of the movie? It's probably best not to think too much about it and just enjoy the movie for what it is. Lugosi actually looks like he's having the time of his life. The smile on his face in many of the scenes looks genuine. And why not? For a Monogram film, Bowery at Midnight is about as good as they come.

6/10

The Gay Falcon (1941)

Very entertaining beginning to the Falcon series, 13 March 2008

The Gay Falcon, the first movie in the Falcon series, finds the Falcon (George Sanders) ready to give up both women and detective work at the request of his fiancé. This promise, however, doesn't last long as a pretty woman with a story of stolen jewelry soon walks into his life. In no time at all, the Falcon is up to his elbows in murder and hiding out from the police. The only way to clear his name is to find the real killer.

This may have been George Sanders first time out in the role of the Falcon, but he wears the role with the familiarity of a favorite old sweater. I would argue, however, that his Saint series (which ended just prior to the start of the Falcon series) was so similar to the Falcon that it was hardly a stretch for Sanders. Regardless, Sanders makes everything seem so effortless and natural. He is joined by an especially strong cast. Gladys Jenkins, Edward Brophy, and Arthur Shields should be familiar to any fan of classic B-fare. Oddly though, all are upstaged by the strong performance of Nina Vale who surprisingly only appeared in two other films. I can't believe she didn't do more. She's quite good and imminently watchable. As for the movie, none of the Falcon movies are particularly deep affairs and The Gay Falcon is no different. It's light, breezy entertainment. The 1940s style of comedy/mystery films has always appealed to me and The Gay Falcon is a nice example. The comedy elements hit their mark and are, at their worst, amusing. Nothing to make you fall in the floor with laughter, just good, light-hearted fun. The mystery elements in the movie also work and are sufficiently convoluted to make it interesting throughout. And it helps that the final solution to the mystery at least makes sense and is ultimately satisfying. Director Irving Reis keeps things moving at an entertaining pace with no time for a wasted scene in the movie's relative short 67 minute runtime. Overall, it's a solid effort.

7/10

Last of the Wild Horses (1948)

Butterfingers of the Old West, 4 November 2007

There are a handful of generally unknown actors that I enjoy seeing in just about anything. One of those people is Douglass Dumbrille. From A Day at the Races with the Marx Brothers to Castle in the Desert with Charlie Chan, I always look forward to Dumbrille's performances. In Last of the Wild Horses, he plays the wheelchair-bound owner of the Double C ranch. His performance is by far the best thing this movie has going for it. Now that I think about it, Douglass Dumbrille is probably the only thing Last of the Wild Horses has going for it. The movie is one of those utterly dull, white-bread kind of Westerns where no one gets dirty and the good guys always win. It's the kind of Western that always seemed to feature an annoying comic relief character that you just wanted to see someone put a bullet through. All it lacks is a cowboy with a guitar to make my stomach really turn.

But the most unforgivable part of Last of the Wild Horses is the way director Robert Lippert continually cheats to keep the plot moving. On three different occasions, people conveniently drop evidence that is later found and used to advance the story. From a branding iron to a letter to a bandana – Last of the Wild Horses would have us believe that the cowboys of the Old West were a bunch of butterfingers.

2/10