Some sort of inexplicable illness is carrying off inhabitants of a Cornwall village, and the young doctor there (Brook Williams) is unable to prevent the deaths. Fortunately for him and eventually for the rest of the villagers, famed doctor Sir James Forbes (Andre Morrell), whose daughter is a close friend of the young doctor’s wife, …
Read the full post →“<em>The Plague of the Zombies</em> (Hammer / Twentieth Century Fox, 1966)”
When the lead in the remake of a studio’s big silent hit is murdered, there’s plenty of suspicion to go around, particularly as the director was jealous of the star’s closeness with his wife (Gail Patrick), herself another star at the studio. Reginald Denny plays the studio PR man and the amateur investigator as this …
Read the full post →“<em>The Preview Murder Mystery</em> (Paramount, 1936)”
A radio engineer ends up unknowingly working for Axis spies who are using a stolen new shortwave transmitter to supply information to a Japanese sub targeting U.S. ships. Richard Arlen is fine as the lead, a man who has lost his job and takes what he can, and Wendy Barrie has a good role as …
Read the full post →“<em>Submarine Alert</em> (Paramount, 1943)”
The Range Busters — John “Dusty” King, Max “Alibi” Terhune, and David Sharpe — are called in by Marshal Jim Hammond when his son Frank, a sheriff, is shot down during a bank robbery and the crooks get away. It seems crime has been on the increase, despite the existence of a vigilance committee: Could …
Read the full post →“<em>Trail Riders</em> (Monogram, 1942)”
The last of three movies based on mysteries by Jonathan Latimer and starring Preston Foster and Frank Jenks is another disappointment. Here the duo is called upon to protect a young man who reports receiving threatening letters. When murder strikes at a gambling den the young man frequents, and a kidnapping follows, there’s plenty for …
Read the full post →“<em>The Last Warning</em> (Universal, 1938)”
While bringing in supplies to start a new store, dude Steve Langtry (Charles Starrett) is set upon and has his wagons hijacked. Upon arrival in town, Steve, slightly injured in the fracas, goes to see the town doctor (Fred F. Sears), who offers his services as a go-between to take a ransom to the bandits …
Read the full post →“<em>Law of the Canyon</em> (Columbia, 1947)”
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 …
Read the full post →“<em>Mysterious Mr. Moto</em> (Twentieth Century Fox, 1938)”
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 …
Read the full post →“<em>Ghost Catchers</em> (Universal, 1944)”
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 …
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 …
Read the full post →“<em>Doctor Syn</em> (Gaumont British, 1937)”
