Terror by Night (1946)

Nice entry in the series, but far from perfect, 26 August 2019

The Quick Pitch:  Sherlock Holmes has been hired to guard a famous diamond aboard a train bound for Scotland.  But when the diamond is stolen, Holmes not only needs to uncover a thief, but a murderer as well. 

Even though I have a number of problems with Terror by Night, that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy rewatching it last night.  Even the worst of the Rathbone Holmes’ films are entertaining. With a mysterious coffin on board, every passenger looking suspicious, and Watson hysterically bumbling around, there’s plenty here to like.  Roy William Neill does an excellent job of keeping things moving. At less than an hour, there’s no time to waste. The claustrophobic nature of the train was put to good use. Everything is close and cramped.  Terror by Night might not have been a big budget film, but you wouldn’t know by looking at it. As with most of Universal’s output from the 40s, the cinematography is terrific. I also enjoyed the miniature work on most of the exterior train shots.  Nicely done.  

As for what didn’t work - some of the acting is a bit iffy.  Rathbone, for example, gives a professional performance, but it’s easy to tell he’s tired of the role.  Renee Godfrey may be incredibly lovely, but her acting is stiff and her accent is laughable. But the biggest negative I have is with the film’s finale.  The solution is fine, but the final fight scene and its aftermath are ludicrous. There’s just no way that could have happened.  

7/10

The Horror at 37,000 Feet (1973) (TV)

“You don’t need a priest, Mr Farlee.  You need a parachute.” 25 August 2019

The Quick Pitch:  A transatlantic flight is carrying the remains of an old abbey in its cargo hold.  The flight begins to go horribly wrong when the “ancient ones” locked in the abbey start to take over the flight - and a few of the passengers.

In any traditional sense, it would be difficult to call The Horror at 37,000 Feet a “good” movie.  But, regardless of the faults I could list, it was still a reasonably entertaining experience. Any time you see William Shatner in the cast, you know that at least you’re in for a laugh or two - intentional or not.  The film is listed, at least in part, as horror. I’d be shocked to find anyone who actually got a real fright out of the thing. It’s all too corny to be horrific. The acting is about what you’d expect. No one is going out of their way to produce an award winning performance.  Poor old Chuck Connors is the exception. He seems to be the only one taking it seriously. Special effects range from poor to laughable. The plane’s carpet spitting up Exorcist-like pea soup is the most ridiculous. In the end, though, it’s a watchable and, occasionally, an enjoyable mess.  

5/10

Footsteps in the Dark (1941)

“Gee Blondie, words come out of you just as beautiful as oil comes out of a derrick!” 24 August 2019

The Quick Pitch:  Unbeknownst to everyone in his life, a respected investment advisor is secretly a successful mystery writer.  But when he gets mixed up in a real murder, he finds out that murdereres aren’t as easy to catch when he’s not writring the story.

For whatever reason, I’ve never been much of a fan of Errol Flynn.  After watching Footsteps in the Dark, I may need to rethink that opinion.  He’s great here. Watching him frantically try to stay one step ahead of the police, avoid the baddies, and keep his secrets from his wife - it’s good stuff.  Director Lloyd Bacon keeps things moving at a quick, wonderful pace with little time to take a breath. The mystery is interesting enough with plenty of twists and turns.  The final solution may be a bit obvious, but who cares when it’s all so fun. Flynn is joined by a fantastic supporting cast, with Allen Jenkins, William Frawley, and Brenda Marshall standing out.  Overall, Footsteps in the Dark is a terrifically entertaining little film. It’s too bad there aren’t more of these movies. The adventures of F.X. Pettijohn would have made a great Thin Man type series.

8/10

Hit Lady (1974) (TV)

Too predictable, 24 August 2019

The Quick Pitch:  A female killer-for-hire wants out of the business after one last hit.  But will those in power let her walk away?

It looks like I disagree with all of the other user comments on IMDb.  The idea of a female hit-man was most likely a novel one in 1974, but ultimately, HIt Lady is just too predictable for me to really enjoy.  The twist ending was telegraphed far in advance. I kept hoping for one last plot turn, but alas, it never came. I’ll give Yvette Mimieux credit - she gives it her all.  But she let herself down as an actor with the script she wrote. Tracy Keenan Wynn’s direction adds nothing and it’s easy to see why this is his only directing credit. Finally, the film’s repetitive score is more annoying than anything else.  Other than Mimieux, the lone highlight for me was Joseph Campanella in a supporting role. As for the rest of the acting, the less said the better.   

4/10

It Takes a Thief “A Sour Note” #2.2 (1968) (TV)

Suzanne Pleshette really shines, 23 August 2019

The Quick Pitch:  Mundy’s mission involves cracking a safe that is believed to contain information on a Nazi war criminal.  The safe is a type Mundy has never worked with before. In fact, he’s not even sure how it opens. His cover - act as the manager for an operatic diva, Angela Funello.

What fun!  A Sour Note is an excellent episode from start to finish.  While the plot is interesting enough, it’s the characters that make this one so special.  Co-stars Harvey Lembeck, Gino Conforti, and especially Suzanne Pleshette bring their considerable talents and make for a light-hearted and, at times, quite funny episode.  A special mention to costuming with Pleshette looking fabulous. As usual, Robert Wagner is in fine form and director Don Weis does his usual excellent job in the director’s chair.  The final solution to opening the safe is quite clever in that if you’re paying attention, you might figure it out. The safe opening also accomplishes two other things: Mundy gets his evidence and Ms Funello is hilariously interrupted during her performance.  My only complaint with A Sour Note is that this is Pleshette’s only appearance on the show. 

8/10

House of the Damned (1963)

A movie filled with filler, 22 August 2019

The Quick Pitch:  An architect takes his wife along on a job to survey a huge, old, abandoned mansion.  But after the power mysteriously goes out, keys go missing, and they hear strange noises, the couple start to wonder if they’re really alone.   

For a film that runs just barely over an hour, there’s a shocking amount of filler to be found in House of the Damned.  From unnecessary scenes of driving to endless moments of key turning to a long phone call that leads absolutely nowhere, a goodly chunk of the movie’s runtime is devoted to things that do nothing to further the plot.  I’d estimate there are only about five minutes of screen-time that feature anything you’d consider remotely chilling. Merry Anders and Ron Foster make a likeable couple, but unfortunately, they have nothing to do. The ending is a complete disaster.  Suddenly and without warning, all of the characters come together and decide to (mercifully) end the thing. The biggest positive I can come up with is the cinematography. The movie looks much better than it has any right to. Overall, a real snoozer of a movie.

3/10

It Takes a Thief "One Night on Soledade" #2.1 (1968) (TV)

Season 2 gets off to a fine start, 21 August 2019

The Quick Pitch:  When the son of Soledade’s dictator dies, Mundy is called in to steal his body.  The government fears that if it is discovered he was poisoned, it could start a war with Soledade’s neighbor.

One Night on Soledade is an interesting start to Season 2.  If you’re a fan of the more serious episodes with an intricate caper featuring drama and suspense around every corner, you’ll probably not care for this Mundy adventure.  One Night on Soeldade has a much lighter feel than a lot of what you’ll run across in most of Season 1. A recording of ghostly noises in the catacombs, a dead body moving on the slab, and emeralds being deposited one-by-one in a woman’s cleavage – not what you’ll find in a serious spy story.  Overall, I appreciated and enjoyed the change in tone and I’m interested to see which way the rest of Season 2 goes. I just hope this tonal shift doesn’t go too far. 

I’m sure I also noticed a change in Wagner’s portrayal of Alexander Mundy.  He seemed more relaxed and comfortable in the role. I think the lighter tone suited his personality.  Don Weis’ direction is equally relaxed, as this was Weis’ seventh turn in the director’s chair. The supporting cash is excellent with Thomas Gomez, Madlyn Rhue, and the gorgeous Nancy Kovack all giving very capable performances. 

7/10