Mysterious Mr. Moto (Twentieth Century Fox, 1938)
Mr. Moto goes undercover as a killer on Devil’s Island and helps another man to escape in order to get a line on an international gang of assassins, and he takes action when a Czechoslovakian industrialist is targeted. One character’s suspicions seem a bit overdone, but otherwise the gang’s activities are well portrayed, as are …
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Ghost Catchers (Universal, 1944)
Comedians Ole Olsen and Chic Johnson (best known for their wild show Hellzapoppin’) help out when the family that has taken the mansion next door to their nightclub experiences spooky goings-on. The viewer gets a taste of their zany antics, particularly in the nightclub scenes, but there’s humor aplenty while they investigate, too. Kirby Grant …
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Barbarian Queen (1985)
Three women who survived an attack on their village, an attack that occurred on the wedding day of one, set out to rescue their friends, who had been enslaved by the raiders who destroyed the village. Battles, infiltration, betrayal, torture, and more follow. Poorly scripted and poorly acted (pretty much all were bad, though the …
Doctor Syn (Gaumont British, 1937)
Superlative actor George Arliss bid farewell to film with this adventure thriller based on Russell Thorndyke’s excellent novel. Here Arliss plays village divine Dr. Syn, shepherd of the folk of Dymchurch, at least some of whom engage in, and all of whom profit in some way by, smuggling. When a clever officer of the King …
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A Good Egg
Im Banne des Unheimlichen (1968)
Someone is murdering people associated with the estate of a wealthy philanthropist who died in an aviation accident (or was it an accident?). The killer seems to have a skull for a head, and he uses a nifty scorpion ring to poison his victims. The dead man’s brother is convinced his sibling has returned from …
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Nightmare in New York, by Don Pendleton
The seventh installment in Mack Bolan’s war against the Mafia finds the Executioner returning stateside after his devastating dealings with the Mob in London. He barely escapes the trap set for him at the airport and only does so through the assistance of folks unconnected with the battles … though soon they will be heavily …
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The Admiral’s Secret (1934)
A retired admiral (Edmund Gwenn) who came by a valuable piece of jewelry during his service finds that his household has been targeted by those who would grab the treasure. A farcical version of a common thriller plot, with a moderate amount of humor in the characters and situations. Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this …
Mystery Broadcast (Republic, 1943)
A radio mystery show writer (Ruth Terry) and her friend, the show’s Foley artist (Mary Treen), investigate after the writer promises to solve a real-life cold case on the next broadcast. She is aided in her inquiry by the detective on a competing program (Frank Albertson), but finds she may have gotten more than she …
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