Newspaper editor (Grant Withers) gives suicidal young woman (Lois Wilson) a job on his paper, and she and another reporter both investigate the smuggling of illegal aliens into San Francisco, an investigation that brings danger and that may hit rather close to home for the editor. Decent performances from both leads and supporting characters add …
Read the full post →“<em>The Secrets of Wu Sin</em> (Chesterfield, 1932)”
Mousetrap salesman Stan and Ollie are duped out of their money and end up having to work off a big debt at a hotel where a famed composer is working on his new opera … and being spied upon by his wife, who is working at the hotel incognito. Plenty of laughs, particularly when the …
Read the full post →“<em>Swiss Miss</em> (Hal Roach / MGM, 1938)”
Range detective Steve Mason (Johnny Mack Brown) goes undercover as a wanted murder to infiltrate a gang of rustlers. A fairly standard little B western — efficient and entertaining, but unmemorable. Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great. Movie 207 for 2021.
An earnest young police constable (Hugh Latimer) goes undercover to try to track down and capture a gang of violent thieves targeting trucks. He’s helped by his fiancée, Joan (Patricia Cutts), who proves able to hold her own in the investigation … but what will happen when the mysterious leader of the gang learns they’re …
A drifter (George Hilton) takes a job driving a wagon on a dangerous trek and finds betrayal awaiting him as well. Plenty of twists in this western, originally titled Un poker di pistole, with both the drifter and others playing complicated games aimed at bigger payoffs. Enjoyable but unremarkable. Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this …
Rather confusing espionage movie, originally titled Berlino appuntamento per le spie (Operazione Polifemo), finds the opposition always one jump ahead of the agency — at least until the reason is discovered. It was not clear until quite some way into the movie that one scene early involved enemy activity, and even after that was made …
Unmemorable low-budget mystery with a title meant to exploit audience interest in the famous, but unrelated, pulp and radio character, has a reporter trying to solve murders distinguished by the presence of thousand dollar bills, loot from a bank robbery, on the victims. The film was Cesar Romero’s screen debut. Not recommended. Otto thinks you …
Read the full post →“<em>The Shadow Laughs</em> (Trojan, 1933)”
The Durango Kid (Charles Starrett) tangles with a band of rustlers in this one, a relatively unmemorable entry in the series. There’s a plus in the form of a supposedly haunted ranch, and Smiley Burnette provides his usual comic support. Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great. Movie 202 for …
Read the full post →“<em>The Stranger from Ponca City</em> (Columbia, 1947)”
Moderately amusing adventure film based on a British wartime comic strip has the title character (Kirsten Hughes) and her boss, the Colonel (Robin Bailey), traveling to Africa in pursuit of diamonds that Nazi agents (led by “Lola Pagola,” played by Maud Adams) also are seeking. Sam Jones costars as a guide who ends up helping …
Read the full post →“<em>Jane and the Lost City</em> (1987)”
The Rathbone/Bruce Sherlock Holmes series draws to a close with this thriller, in which the great detective and his chronicler race to beat three ruthless criminals to the secret held by three seemingly ordinary music boxes produced in a prison workshop, facing trickery and traps along the way. The final entry in the series is …
Read the full post →“<em>Dressed To Kill</em> (Universal, 1946)”
