U.S. Marshals Nevada Jack McKenzie (Johnny Mack Brown) and Sandy Hopkins (Raymond Hatton) go undercover to investigate recent murders around the town of Springfield, including the killing of a rancher named Hilton, whose daughter happens to be traveling to town aboard a stage the bad guys try to rob, a robbery that Nevada Jack foils. …
Read the full post →“Monogram Monday: <em>Partners of the Trail</em> (1944)”
This solid early surviving entry in the long-running Charlie Chan series sees the famed detective visiting England and racing against time to save a young man, convicted of murder, from the gallows — a task made more difficult by the fact that everyone save the man’s sister, and not excepting his defense counsel, believes him …
Read the full post →“<em>Charlie Chan in London</em> (Fox, 1934)”
This entry in the sword-and-sorcery genre stars Lee Horsley as the hero out to avenge his parents’ deaths upon the wicked king (Richard Lynch) who called forth a demon to strike down his opponents, but it also features, in the form of the protagonist’s triple-bladed swords, one of the silliest of wonder weapons. Particularly entertaining …
Read the full post →“<em>The Sword and the Sorcerer</em> (1982)”
The boys tangle with phony spiritualists and Sach gets help from a real ghost (played by Lloyd Corrigan) in this enjoyable Bowery Boys outing. There are plenty of laughs for fans. Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK. Movie 560 for 2021.
A young man-about-town (John Darrow) captures the heart of an heiress (Mary Brian), but their plans for wedded bliss are put on hold when the playboy is arrested for murder. Fortune favors the fellow, however, and he escapes to find the real killer — his only clue a roulette betting system involving the numbers 7, …
Read the full post →“Monogram Monday: <em>Monte Carlo Nights </em>(1934)”
Karloff and Lugosi are in fine form in this Universal picture, with the former essaying the not-unusual role of a scientist gone mad (here driven murderously so by exposure to the dreaded Radium X) and the latter a humanitarian doctor who saves the scientist’s life but must eventually face the consequence of his action. Well …
Read the full post →“<em>The Invisible Ray</em> (Universal, 1936)”
A freelance photographer (Robert Stack) ends up in possession of a medallion that provides a key to hidden treasure, and others (most notably crooks led by Nancy Kwan) are after it. And can the photographer trust the purported widow (Elke Sommer) of the man who entrusted him with the item? Stack’s protagonist is effective in …
Steve Reynolds (Charles Starrett) and Smiley (Smiley Burnette) come to the aid of an Indian boy who has inherited a contract to round up wild horses for the Army, which he can keep only so long as he manages to deliver 300 head within a month’s time. The nefarious Grat Hanlon (Clayton Moore) deploys his …
Read the full post →“<em>Cyclone Fury</em> (Columbia, 1951)”
Lash (Lash La Rue) and Fuzzy (Al St. John) are called in by a friend who has found gold in his mine, only to discover the friend is missing. The two pursue their investigation, uncovering a murder along the way. There are some good action sequences and fun whip work as well in this programmer. …
