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Post by Zone Fighter on Sept 27, 2004 22:42:36 GMT -8
The Stranger (1946)
Directed by Orson Welles
Starred
Edward G. Robinson Loretta Young Orson Welles
with Philip Merivale Richard Long Bill House Martha Wentworth
Mr. Wilson (Edward G. Robinson) a detective for the War Crimes Commision allows Nazi officer Konrad Meinike to escape from prison and follows him to the small town of Harper, Connecticut in the hope of capturing war criminal Franz Kindler (Orson Welles). Meinike vanishes, having been murdered by Kindler and buried in the woods, leaving Wilson no way to indentify Kindler. There are no photographs of Kindler so Wilson does not know that Franz Kindler has been living under the assumed identity of Dr. Charles Rankin, college professor. Rankin married Mary Longstreet (Loretta Young), daughter of Judge Adam Longstreet (Philip Merivale) and sister to Noah Longstreet (Richard Long).
According to the IMdb: The first film released after WWII that showed footage of the concentration camps. Orson Welles originally wanted Agnes Moorehead (Margot Lane to his Lamont Cranston) to play the detective.
Not a bad little suspense film.
"Well, who but a Nazi would deny that Karl Marx was a German... because he was a Jew?" -- Mr. Wilson, upon realizing that Rankin is Kindler
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Post by Zone Fighter on Sept 28, 2004 20:08:06 GMT -8
Murder At Midnight (1931)
Aileen Pringle - Esme Kennedy Alice White - Millie Scripps, the maid Hale Hamilton - Phillip Montrose Robert Elliott - Inspector Taylor Clara Blandick - Aunt Julia Gray Kennedy Brandon Hurst - Lawrence, the butler Leslie Fenton - Walter Grayson William Humphrey - Colton, the lawyer Tyrell Davis - The Englishman Aileen Carlyle - Ella, the housekeeper Kenneth Thomson - Jim Kennedy Robert Ellis - Duncan Channing Vernon Dent - Peanuts-eating Detective
When a man is shot dead with a gun supposed to have been loaded with blanks the most likely suspect for his murder is the man who pulled the trigger, until he too is killed. A missing will and a letter keep poping up. When they do the person who found them ends up dead.
Something about this movie leads me to think it was originally a play.
This film didn't fool me for a minute. I knew who the killer was almost from the beginning.
The audio suffered from static through out most of the movie.
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Post by Zone Fighter on Sept 28, 2004 22:35:06 GMT -8
Kansas City Confidential (1952)
John Payne - Joe Rolfe/Pete Harris Coleen Gray - Helen Foster Preston Foster - Tim Foster Neville Brand - Boyd Kane Lee Van Cleef - Tony Romano Jack Elam - Pete Harris Dona Drake - Teresa Mario Siletti - Tomaso Howard Negley - Scott Andrews Carleton Young - Asst. Dist. Atty. Martin Don Orlando - Diaz (Tijuana cabbie) Ted Ryan - Morelli
Interesting idea. One man decides to rob a bank and keeping his identity hidden behind a mask convinces three other men to go in it with him. To make it impossible that any of the three could squeel on the others he insists that they remain masked when ever they are together. They can recognise each other only be the pieces he tore from 4 playing cards, the 4 kings. His plan would have worked except he picked the wrong man to frame for the crime. After being beat up by the police in an attempt to force a confession out of him, Joe Rolfe (John Payne) is released by the assistant district attorney who releases he has the wrong man. Having lost his job and had his reputation spoiled Joe Rolfe decides to go after the robbers himself.
Acting on a tip from a Kansas City gangster Joe heads for Tijuana, where he meets one of the robbers, Pete Harris (Jack Elam). When Pete is killed by Mexican police Joe decides to impersonate him and infiltrate the gang.
Lee Van Cleef made a career of playing villains, including Sentenza, "the bad" in "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly". Jack Elam and Neville Brand were also bad guys in westerns. Neville Brand played Al Capone in the original Untouchables tv series.
Joe Rolfe: Look, you're a nice girl, but in case you're thinking of mothering me, forget it! I'm no stray dog you can pick up, and I like my neck without a collar. Now get lost! Helen Foster: Now I'm supposed to be hurt. Maybe even cry. But I won't. I think you're in trouble, and I'm going to help you.
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Post by Zone Fighter on Sept 30, 2004 10:07:33 GMT -8
Detour (1945)
Tom Neal as Al Roberts Ann Savage as Vera Claudia Drake as Sue Harvey Edmund MacDonald as Charles Haskell, Jr.
Al Roberts' life takes an unexpected and unpleasant turn when he decides to hitchhike to the west coast in pursuit of his girlfriend Sue. When the driver who gave him a ride turns up dead, Al decides that the police wouldn't believe him innocent and decides to dispose of the body and assume the man's identity. Things go horribly wrong when he in turn picks up a hitchiker named Vera who sees through his story and promptly begins to blackmail him. After agreeing to go along with her plans he finds himself spiraling into darkness and despair.
This film noir is the most depressing movie in the set. Roberts is an eternal pessamist and has no backbone at all. He knows he didn't murder the man but lets a woman blackmail him anyway. The ending is abrubt and unsatisfying.
Vera: I'd hate to see a fellow as young as you wind up sniffin' that perfume Arizona hands out free to murderers!
7 to go.
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Post by Zone Fighter on Sept 30, 2004 12:31:38 GMT -8
Too Late For Tears (1949)
Lizabeth Scott as Jane Palmer Don DeFore as Don Blake Dan Duryea as Danny Fuller Arthur Kennedy as Alan Palmer Kristine Miller as Kathy Palmer Barry Kelley as Lt. Breach
One night on a lonely highway a speeding car tosses a satchel full of money into Alan and Jane Palmer's convertable. The money was not meant for them. Alan wants to turn the money over to the police but Jane convinces him to hold on to it. Soon Danny Fuller shows up at Jane's door demanding his money back but she has no intention of giving him the money or letting her husband turn it over to the police.
"Don't ever change, Tiger. I don't think I'd like you with a heart. " -- Danny Fuller to Jane Palmer
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Post by Zone Fighter on Oct 2, 2004 18:13:02 GMT -8
Mystery Liner (1934)
Noah Beery as Captain John Holling Astrid Allwyn as Lila Kane Edwin Maxwell as Major Pope Gustav von Seyffertitz as Von Kessling Ralph Lewis as Professor Grimson Cornelius Keefe as Cliff Rogers Zeffie Tilbury as Granny Plimpton Boothe Howard as Captain Downey Howard Hickman as Dr. Howard Jerry Stewart as Edgar Morton George Cleveland as Simms Gordon De Main as Commander Bryson
Noah Beery must have been a 30s star to get top billing in a film for which he appears only at the beginning and the end.
Captain Holling is stripped of his command after a nervious breakdown, just before an experimental radio control was to be tested on his ship. His first officer Downey is made Captain. The inventor of the device, Professor Grimson, is murdered but the test goes on. The top secret test is known to enemy agents, two of whom are among the passangers and crew.
The first and second officers don't get along. They still don't get along after being promoted. They're both after the same girl.
The ending had a nice twist.
5 to go.
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Post by Zone Fighter on Oct 2, 2004 20:13:57 GMT -8
Scarlet Street (1945)
Produced & Directed by Fritz Lang
Stars Edward G. Robinson as Christopher Cross Joan Bennett as Kitty March Dan Duryea as Johnny Price Margaret Lindsay as Millie Ray Jess Barker as Janeway Rosalind Ivan as Adele Cross
Middle-aged bank cashier Christopher Cross stuck in loveless marriage dreams of being a famous painter and having a young woman fall in love with him, so when he rescues Kitty March from her boyfriend Johnny Price who was beating her up, he lets her think he's a wealthy artist. She in turn let him think Johnny was a mugger, a stranger to her. Johnny convinces Kitty to pretend she's fallen for Chris in order to get money out of him. Chris steals from his wife Adele to rent Kitty an apartment, and from his employeer, he thinks to buy her clothes for her "acting" careeer, but really it goes to Johnny. Johnny starts selling Chris' paintings claiming Kitty is the artist.
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Post by Zone Fighter on Oct 4, 2004 22:36:22 GMT -8
Midnight Manhunt (1945)
William Gargan as Pet Willis Ann Savage as Sue Gallagher Leo Gorcey as Clutch Tracy George Zucco as Jelke Paul Hurst as Murphy Don Beddoe as Det. Lt. Max Hurley Charles Halton as Henry Miggs George E. Stone as Joe Wells
Jelke shot and robed gangster Joe Wells. He thought he had killed him but Joe lived long enough to drag himself to "The Last Gangster Wax Musuem".
Officer Murphy finds the body of Joe Well in the alley by the musuem but after he reports it to headquarters it disappears.
Reporter Sue Gallagher who lives in an apartment above the musuem finds the body on the stairs. Apparently he passed out in the alley, came to, and crawled into the musuem where he finally died. She hides the body in a musuem display to give herself time to write the story.
Jelke who went to get a cab, to take the body away in discovers Joe Wells left his motel room. He follows the trail of blood to the musuem where he demands that Sue Gallagher hand over the body. But, it's disappeared again.
Another reporter, Pet Willis, Sue's boyfriend, has found out about the mureder and he's trying to find the body too.
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Post by Zone Fighter on Oct 5, 2004 16:59:25 GMT -8
Murder By Television (1935)
Bela Lugosi as Arthur Perry June Collyer as Jane Houghland Huntley Gordon as Dr. Henry Scofield George Meeker as Richard Graves Henry Mowbray as Police Chief Nelson Charles Hill Mailes as James Houghland Claire McDowell as Mrs. Houghland Hattie McDaniel as Isobel Allen Jung as Ah Ling Charles K. Frenchs as Donald Jordan Henry Hall as Hammond Billy Sullivan as Watchman
James Houghland has invented a new kind of television transmitter which everyone in the business wants. He has turned down offers to buy it so the companies hire agents to get the secret any way they can. During a demonstration of the new system the inventor is murdered.
I knew who the killer was earlier on but not how he did it. Turns out the title was meant literally. The television equipment had been converted into a "stellar wave" transmitter. In other words he was microwaved to death.
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Post by Zone Fighter on Oct 5, 2004 18:08:06 GMT -8
The Moonstone (1934)
David Manners as Franklyn Blake Phyllis Barry as Anne Verinder Jameson Thomas as Godfrey Ablewhite Gustav von Seyffertitz as Septimus Lucker Herbert Bunston as Sir John Verinder Evalyn Bostock as Roseanna Spearman John Davidson as Yandoo Elspeth Dudgeon as Betteredge Claude King as Sir Basil Wynard Olaf Hytten as Dr. Ezra Jennings Charles Irwin as Inspector Cuff Fred Walton as Henry
Based on the novel by Wilkie Collins. This is a popular story with dramtists. It was a play in 1915, this 1934 movie, a 1959 seven episode tv series, 1972 five episode tv series and a 1996 tv movie.
This version is only 45 minutes long.
Anne Verinder inherits the famous Moonstone diamond. The very first night its in her possession the gem is stolen. It's up to Inspector Cuff to capture the thief and restore the stone.
Suspects include Miss Verinder's fiance Franklyn Blake, her father Sir John Verinder, her cousin Godfrey Ablewhite, an infamous money lender Septimus Lucker to whom Sir John is in deb, the maid Rosseanna (once a jewel thief), John Verinder's friend Yandoo (the gem was originally stolen from a temple in his country) and Dr. Ezra Jennings (working with Sir John to create a new anestetic).
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Post by Zone Fighter on Oct 5, 2004 19:31:53 GMT -8
Great Guy (1936)
James Cagney - Johnny 'Red' Cave Mae Clarke - Janet Henry James Burke - Pat Haley Edward Brophy - Pete Reilly Henry Kolker - Abel Canning Bernadene Hayes - Hazel Scott Edward McNamara - Captain Pat Hanlon Robert Gleckler - Marty Cavanaugh Joe Sawyer - Joe Burton Edward Gargan - Al Matty Fain - Tim Mary Gordon - Mrs. Ogilvie Wallis Clark - Joe Green Douglas Wood - the Mayor
Former boxer Johnny 'Red' Cave is appointed Deputy Head of the New York City Department of Weights and Measures. When he takes his job seriously, actually sites groceries for using rigged scales and gas stations for using gimmiked pumps even his fiancee gets mad at him for doing his job too well. He's offered bribes including a better paying job as a state tax inspector. When he refuses all bribes the crooks try strong arm tatics. Through it all Johnny insists on doing the job the people of New York pay him for.
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Post by Xenorama ™ on Feb 25, 2007 9:51:41 GMT -8
Sherlock Holmes: The Woman In Green (1945) Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes Nigel Bruce as Dr. John H. Watson Henry Danielll as Profesor Moriarty Four women are murdered. The killer cut off their right forefinger. After all the CID officers are chewed out for not finding any clues, by the Police Commsionner, one of them, Inspector Gregson, asks Sherlock Holmes for help. Holmes determines that Professor Moriarty is involved and sets out to capture him. Once again the professor is supposedly killed at the end, but maybe he stays dead this time as he does not appear in the next two films in this collection. I think its rather silly to name a black and white film after what color a character wears. this one was fun for me, but i agree with you about the color!
Basil Rathbone ... Sherlock Holmes Nigel Bruce ... Dr. John H. Watson Hillary Brooke ... Lydia Marlowe Henry Daniell ... Professor Moriarty Paul Cavanagh ... Sir George Fenwick Matthew Boulton ... Inspector Gregson of Scotland Yard/Narrator Eve Amber ... Maude Fenwick Frederick Worlock ... Dr. Onslow (as Frederic Warlock) Tom Bryson ... Corporal Williams Sally Shepherd ... Crandon, Marlowe's maid Mary Gordon ... Mrs. Hudson
i am enjoying these movies a lot.
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Post by Gwangi on Feb 27, 2007 8:33:29 GMT -8
I got this set for Christmas a year ago from my uncle. I haven't seen them all, and I can't put write down a good review as well as Zone Fighter, so I will just say that my favorites thus far are "Impact" with Brian Doneley, "The Stranger" with Orson Welles and Edward G. Robinson and "Suddenly" with Sinatra (and I agree with Zone Fighter that while I am not a fan of Sinatra’s songs, I thought he was a terrific and vastly underrated actor).
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Post by Xenorama ™ on Feb 28, 2007 23:26:42 GMT -8
Sherlock Holmes: Terror By Night (1946) Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes Nigel Bruce as Dr. John H. Watson Except for a few minutes at a train station at the beginning and another one at the end, this film takes place on a train. Holmes is hired to guard a world famous and extremly valuable diamond. When the diamond is stolen and Holmes client murderered Holmes suspects Colonel Sebastian Moran, the right hand man of the late and unlimented Professor Moriarty. According to this film Holmes has never seen the Colonel so he doesn't know which man on the train is Moran. Actually Holmes captures Moran in the short story "The Adventure of the Empty House" when he attempts to murder Holmes in revenge for Moriarty's death. Wasn't a bad Sherlock Holmes film. I find I like these original plot stories better than the ones they loosely based on Doyle's novels and short stories. Sherlock Holmes: Dressed To Kill (1946) Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes Nigel Bruce as Dr. John H. Watson Three music boxes are sold at auction (2 pounds, 1 pound and 10 chillings). When a music box worth less than 5 pounds is stolen from a friend of Watson's, by a theif who left more valuable ones including one worth 500 pounds Holmes is convinced there is some evil plot. Watson and his friend laugh at Holmes. When the theives discover they took a French music box by mistake they return and Watson's friend is killed. The was the last film to pair Rathbone and Bruce as Holmes and Watson and the final Sherlock Holmes film in this collection. Basil Rathbone ... Sherlock Holmes Nigel Bruce ... Dr. John H. Watson Alan Mowbray ... Major Duncan-Bleek Dennis Hoey ... Inspector Lestrade Renee Godfrey ... Vivian Vedder Frederick Worlock ... Prof. William Kilbane Mary Forbes ... Lady Margaret Carstairs Skelton Knaggs ... Sands Billy Bevan ... Passenger Car Attendant Geoffrey Steele ... Roland Carstairs
an hour long Sherlock Holmes movie. i liked it. he's been hired by Roland Carstairs to protect the star of Rhodesia, an enormous diamond. naturally, someone is after it.
i've never watched Rathbone as Holmes, but i like him a lot in the role. these are fast paced movies. i'd like to see how they all go together. i got this in one of those 10 movie sets about Holmes, which features five episodes of the enjoyable 1954 tv series as well.
let me amend this a bit, i HAVE seen some of these movies, but not for years and not with any sort of background knowledge of the character.
d'oh!
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Post by Xenorama ™ on Mar 2, 2007 21:33:28 GMT -8
Basil Rathbone ... Sherlock Holmes Nigel Bruce ... Dr. John H. Watson Patricia Morison ... Mrs. Hilda Courtney Edmund Breon ... 'Stinky' Emery (as Edmond Breon) Frederick Worlock ... Colonel Cavanaugh Carl Harbord ... Inspector Hopkins Patricia Cameron ... Evelyn Clifford Holmes Herbert ... Ebenezer Crabtree Harry Cording ... Hamid Leyland Hodgson ... Tour guide Mary Gordon ... Mrs. Hudson Ian Wolfe ... Commissioner of Scotland Yard
the last of the Rathbone/Bruce movies, and a fun one all in all. it involves 3 music boxes which have clues to a set of pound notes from the bank of England. a murder or two and a beautiful woman are involved.
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