Marshal Sandy Hopkins (Raymond Hatton) is framed for the murder of town bigwig John Dodge (Jack Daley), and it’s up to the other two Rough Riders, Tim McCall (Tim McCoy) and Buck Roberts (Buck Jones) to clear him, aided in their efforts by Sandy’s niece (Luana Walters) and Dodge’s son (Dave O’Brien). An enjoyable entry …
Read the full post →“<em>Down Texas Way</em> (Monogram, 1942)”
In 1941, Bob Hope published They Got Me Covered, a humorous autobiography. It’s a light-hearted look at his early life that focuses chiefly on his career, and particularly on his radio program and his motion pictures. The writing and the tone are much like what one experienced in his monologues and conversations during his specials, …
Read the full post →“<em>They Got Me Covered</em>, by Bob Hope”
This Gothic-styled giallo, originally titled La morte negli occhi del gatto, features a series of killings around a visit by a young woman (Jane Birkin) to her weird family. It’s reasonably engaging, despite some tedious elements (a rebellious cousin, for example) and some oddities (e.g., the cousin has a gorilla). The titular cat is indeed …
Read the full post →“<em>Seven Deaths in the Cat’s Eyes</em> (1973)”
Mr. Moto (Peter Lorre) is present, albeit in disguise, at the discovery of the crown of the Queen of Sheba, and he later exerts himself to thwart the many crooks — including the master criminal called Metaxa, whose identity is unknown — who wish to steal the crown from the museum where it has been …
Read the full post →“<em>Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation</em> (Twentieth Century Fox, 1939)”
Bad guys use attacks, purportedly by headhunters, to get their ally, whom the ringleader has rescued from a murder conviction, into power over a native tribe so that he can sign away the tribe’s mineral rights and the villains can exploit the oil that is there. Jungle Jim (Johnny Weissmuller) works with a young military …
Read the full post →“<em>Valley of Head Hunters</em> (Columbia, 1955)”
A killer stalks the heirs of an eccentric man who requires them to stay for a week together at his mansion in order to inherit — and their greed proves fatal for some, as the titular scarf makes its appearance in the hands of a murderer. This is a pleasing if rather unoriginal Edgar Wallace …
One of many movies trading on the name of the popular character Django for marketing purposes, Django Kills Softly (original title: Bill il taciturno) stars George Eastman as Bill, a gunslinger who sets out to avenge the man who had hired him for protection. Bill thus takes on two gangs — those who murdered his …
Retired battler Sacramento (Ty Hardin) is the target of murderous attacks by his enemy in this inconsistent and finally not particularly funny western, originally titled Sei iellato, amico hai incontrato Sacramento, with dollops of comedy. There’s a fair amount of action, but it just doesn’t add up to much. Mildly recommended for genre fans. Otto …
Read the full post →“<em>You’re Jinxed, Friend, You’ve Met Sacramento</em> (1972)”
