Movie star Shelah Fane (Dorothy Revier), who is contemplating marriage to Alan Jaynes (William Post, Jr.) but whose past connection with the death of actor Denny Mayo weighs upon her, is found murdered in her pavilion ahead of an evening party. Charlie Chan (Warner Oland) investigates, with no help from his offspring — such less …
Exiled to Shanghai (Republic, 1937)
A movie with a perplexing title, Exiled to Shanghai recounts how a newsreel reporter (Wallace Ford) gets involved with a contest winner (June Travis) and a company pushing television. There’s not a lot of substance here, but some use of real newsreel footage, and the action takes place entirely in the U.S. The leads are …
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Shaolin’s Magnificent Disciples (1977)
Ming loyalists battle Manchus in this historical tale, originally titled Wu lin ke zhan, that offers some twists — including one that was a surprise to me but others that were fairly obvious — but drags despite a good deal of action, in part because the editing makes it hard to follow. Carter Wong stars …
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The Creation of the Humanoids (1962)
This thoughtful science fiction film deals with prejudice and what it means to be human, as a post-nuclear-war society struggles to determine just how cyborgs might fit in. Rather too much talk and an obvious twist keep this from being as good as it might be, but it’s nevertheless worth a look. Mildly recommended. Otto …
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Secret Agent of Japan (Twentieth Century Fox, 1942)
In the days leading up to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, a somewhat shady nightclub owner (Preston Foster) gets tangled up with a British spy (Lynn Bari) and the Japanese forces in Shanghai when his club is used as the delivery spot for a coded letter with explosive contents. The leads are unimpressive, but …
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Monogram Monday: Springtime in Texas (Monogram, 1945)
Singer Jimmy Wakely starred as a singing cowboy in a fair number of movies for Monogram Pictures in the 1940s. In this entry, in which he is teamed with Dennis Moore and Lee “Lasses” White, Wakely and his pals contend against a crooked town boss (Rex Lease) and his tame marshal while framed. Wakely’s smooth …
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The Lonely Trail (Republic, 1936)
My first movie of 2021 was a B western, and my first for 2022 is one as well. John Wayne stars as Captain John Ashley, a veteran of the Civil War who fought in the Union Army and returns to Texas to find a chilly welcome from former friends and neighbors, and even from the …
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Beast of Blood (1970)
Dr. Bill Foster (John Ashley) is back on Blood Island in this sequel to Mad Doctor of Blood Island, again confronting its horrors and finding new opportunities for romance as well (his love interest of the previous film having been killed at the start of this one). He’s investigating whether the deranged Dr. Lorca (Eddie …
The Alligator People (Twentieth Century Fox, 1959)
A bride (Beverly Garland) abandoned by her new groom searches for him, hoping to learn the reason why he suddenly left her and went into hiding. Her investigation eventually leads her to a remote southern mansion, where she learns the horrifying truth, a truth connected with the title of the film. Entertaining overall, with Garland …
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Casus Kiran (1968)
More superhero action in Turkey, as “Spy Smasher” (the English title, an older comic book hero who also was the subject of a 1942 Republic serial), together with his girlfriend (top-billed Sevda Ferdag), battles an archcriminal, The Mask, and his minions. There are the usual violence and odd situations, but it’s not really worth a …