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Mystery Classics: 50 Movie Pack
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- DVD Release Date: 01/20/2004
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- Sales Rank: 29,327
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Features
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Full Product DetailsScene Index
Side #1 -- Disc 1: Side A
1. Scene 1 [16:05]
2. Scene 2 [11:55]
3. Scene 3 [11:20]
4. Scene 4 [15:34]
1. Scene 1 [17:49]
2. Scene 2 [16:49]
3. Scene 3 [14:42]
4. Scene 4 [16:55]
1. Scene 1 [13:09]
2. Scene 2 [15:13]
3. Scene 3 [13:20]
4. Scene 4 [16:13]
Side #2 -- Disc 1: Side B
1. Scene 1 [14:56]
2. Scene 2 [12:45]
3. Scene 3 [13:36]
4. Scene 4 [12:54]
1. Scene 1 [14:49]
2. Scene 2 [14:49]
3. Scene 3 [12:28]
4. Scene 4 [14:42]
1. Chapter 1 [16:45]
2. Chapter 2 [15:55]
3. Chapter 3 [15:52]
4. Chapter 4 [17:19]
Side #3 -- Disc 2: Side A
1. Scene 1 [15:03]
2. Scene 2 [17:16]
3. Scene 3 [12:35]
4. Scene 4 [16:03]
1. Scene 1 [13:50]
2. Scene 2 [20:47]
3. Scene 3 [12:13]
4. Scene 4 [18:25]
Side #4 -- Disc 2: Side B
1. Scene 1 [14:16]
2. Scene 2 [16:01]
3. Scene 3 [16:13]
4. Scene 4 [15:37]
1. Scene 1 [15:30]
2. Scene 2 [16:27]
3. Scene 3 [13:19]
4. Scene 4 [16:19]
Side #5 -- Disc 3: Side A
1. Scene 1 [17:40]
2. Scene 2 [14:26]
3. Scene 3 [13:21]
4. Scene 4 [17:52]
1. Scene 1 [17:10]
2. Scene 2 [20:04]
3. Scene 3 [14:27]
4. Scene 4 [18:56]
Side #6 -- Disc 3: Side B
1. Scene 1 [17:05]
2. Scene 2 [15:12]
3. Scene 3 [13:06]
4. Scene 4 [16:36]
1. Scene 1 [18:30]
2. Scene 2 [17:29]
3. Scene 3 [15:08]
4. Scene 4 [19:18]
Side #7 -- Disc 4: Side A
1. Scene 1 [16:21]
2. Scene 2 [19:01]
3. Scene 3 [17:09]
4. Scene 4 [20:08]
1. Scene 1 [16:50]
2. Scene 2 [21:25]
3. Scene 3 [18:30]
4. Scene 4 [21:52]
Side #8 -- Disc 4: Side B
1. Scene 1 [14:44]
2. Scene 2 [17:25]
3. Scene 3 [14:38]
4. Scene 4 [18:34]
1. Scene 1 [16:58]
2. Scene 2 [16:35]
3. Scene 3 [13:14]
4. Scene 4 [20:10]
Side #9 -- Disc 5: Side A
1. Scene 1 [17:16]
2. Scene 2 [15:31]
3. Scene 3 [16:54]
4. Scene 4 [21:31]
1. Scene 1 [16:12]
2. Scene 2 [18:46]
3. Scene 3 [15:49]
4. Scene 4 [17:11]
Side #10 -- Disc 5: Side B
1. Scene 1 [16:37]
2. Scene 2 [15:59]
3. Scene 3 [12:22]
4. Scene 4 [14:26]
1. Scene 1 [15:55]
2. Scene 2 [16:28]
3. Scene 3 [15:50]
4. Scene 4 [20:22]
Side #11 -- Disc 6: Side A
1. Scene 1 [18:26]
2. Scene 2 [14:20]
3. Scene 3 [15:14]
4. Scene 4 [19:39]
1. Scene 1 [18:25]
2. Scene 2 [18:28]
3. Scene 3 [13:03]
4. Scene 4 [23:01]
Side #12 -- Disc 6: Side B
1. Scene 1 [20:10]
2. Scene 2 [15:57]
3. Scene 3 [14:21]
4. Scene 4 [19:58]
1. Scene 1 [18:29]
2. Scene 2 [17:00]
3. Scene 3 [17:41]
4. Scene 4 [22:26]
Side #13 -- Disc 7: Side A
1. Scene 1 [26:44]
2. Scene 2 [25:30]
3. Scene 3 [27:54]
4. Scene 4 [30:44]
1. Scene 1 [17:58]
2. Scene 2 [19:21]
3. Scene 3 [20:53]
4. Scene 4 [20:24]
Side #14 -- Disc 7: Side B
1. Scene 1 [17:00]
2. Scene 2 [24:33]
3. Scene 3 [16:27]
4. Scene 4 [20:34]
1. Scene 1 [19:14]
2. Scene 2 [20:53]
3. Scene 3 [17:40]
4. Scene 4 [21:43]
Side #15 -- Disc 8: Side A
1. Scene 1 [22:15]
2. Scene 2 [20:54]
3. Scene 3 [21:21]
4. Scene 4 [23:01]
1. Scene 1 [20:14]
2. Scene 2 [24:12]
3. Scene 3 [19:17]
4. Scene 4 [24:29]
Side #16 -- Disc 8: Side B
1. Scene 1 [24:17]
2. Scene 2 [24:30]
3. Scene 3 [18:10]
4. Scene 4 [21:41]
1. Scene 1 [23:09]
2. Scene 2 [20:25]
3. Scene 3 [21:51]
4. Scene 4 [25:15]
Side #17 -- Disc 9: Side A
1. Scene 1 [14:58]
2. Scene 2 [21:55]
3. Scene 3 [14:21]
4. Scene 4 [17:17]
1. Scene 1 [24:21]
2. Scene 2 [24:55]
3. Scene 3 [17:06]
4. Scene 4 [24:44]
Side #18 -- Disc 9: Side B
1. Scene 1 [17:07]
2. Scene 2 [18:37]
3. Scene 3 [13:25]
4. Scene 4 [22:12]
1. Scene 1 [24:17]
2. Scene 2 [24:21]
3. Scene 3 [19:10]
4. Scene 4 [31:10]
Side #19 -- Disc 10: Side A
1. Scene 1 [18:29]
2. Scene 2 [14:45]
3. Scene 3 [20:31]
4. Scene 4 [16:14]
1. Scene 1 [23:43]
2. Scene 2 [21:04]
3. Scene 3 [21:54]
4. Scene 4 [27:40]
Side #20 -- Disc 10: Side B
1. Scene 1 [14:34]
2. Scene 2 [19:16]
3. Scene 3 [13:34]
4. Scene 4 [18:55]
1. Scene 1 [23:15]
2. Scene 2 [23:22]
3. Scene 3 [25:23]
4. Scene 4 [26:54]
Side #21 -- Disc 11: Side A
1. Scene 1 [20:08]
2. Scene 2 [13:10]
3. Scene 3 [16:17]
4. Scene 4 [17:57]
1. Scene 1 [26:00]
2. Scene 2 [21:25]
3. Scene 3 [16:27]
4. Scene 4 [29:30]
Side #22 -- Disc 11: Side B
1. Scene 1 [15:31]
2. Scene 2 [16:06]
3. Scene 3 [12:29]
4. Scene 4 [18:05]
1. Scene 1 [26:39]
2. Scene 2 [25:15]
3. Scene 3 [22:07]
4. Scene 4 [27:17]
Side #23 -- Disc 12: Side A
1. Scene 1 [17:12]
2. Scene 2 [14:30]
3. Scene 3 [16:43]
4. Scene 4 [13:58]
1. Scene 1 [13:53]
2. Scene 2 [15:04]
3. Scene 3 [11:00]
4. Scene 4 [14:01]
Side #24 -- Disc 12: Side B
1. Scene 1 [12:12]
2. Scene 2 [10:48]
3. Scene 3 [12:54]
4. Scene 4 [10:53]
1. Scene 1 [16:50]
2. Scene 2 [19:12]
3. Scene 3 [14:50]
4. Scene 4 [15:12]
Editorial Reviews
This Hollywood remake of the French Pepe le Moko adheres so slavishly to its source that it utilizes stock footage from the original film, and even picked its actors on the basis of their resemblance to the French cast. Contrary to legend, star Charles Boyer never says "Come wizz me to zee Casbah"; as master criminal Pepe le Moko, he's already in the Casbah, a crook-controlled safe harbor which protects Pepe from the French authorities. Pepe's friendly enemy, police inspector Joseph Calleia, treats his pursuit of Pepe like a chess game, patiently waiting for his opponent to make that one wrong move. The ever-careful Pepe has the misfortune to fall hopelessly in love with tourist Hedy Lamarr (in her first American film). A combination of events, including the betrayal of Pepe by his castaway lover Sigrid Gurie and Hedy's tearful return to her ship when she is misinformed that Pepe is killed, lures the hero/villain into the open. Arrested by Calleia, Pepe begs for one last glance at his departing sweetheart. At this point in the French version, Pepe cheated the hangman by killing himself; this would never do in Production Code-dominated Hollywood, so Algiers contrives to have Pepe shot while trying to escape. Algiers was remade in 1948 as a musical, Casbah, starring Tony Martin. Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
More reviews and recommendationsAll Movie Guide
This Hollywood remake of the French Pepe le Moko adheres so slavishly to its source that it utilizes stock footage from the original film, and even picked its actors on the basis of their resemblance to the French cast. Contrary to legend, star Charles Boyer never says "Come wizz me to zee Casbah"; as master criminal Pepe le Moko, he's already in the Casbah, a crook-controlled safe harbor which protects Pepe from the French authorities. Pepe's friendly enemy, police inspector Joseph Calleia, treats his pursuit of Pepe like a chess game, patiently waiting for his opponent to make that one wrong move. The ever-careful Pepe has the misfortune to fall hopelessly in love with tourist Hedy Lamarr (in her first American film). A combination of events, including the betrayal of Pepe by his castaway lover Sigrid Gurie and Hedy's tearful return to her ship when she is misinformed that Pepe is killed, lures the hero/villain into the open. Arrested by Calleia, Pepe begs for one last glance at his departing sweetheart. At this point in the French version, Pepe cheated the hangman by killing himself; this would never do in Production Code-dominated Hollywood, so Algiers contrives to have Pepe shot while trying to escape. Algiers was remade in 1948 as a musical, Casbah, starring Tony Martin. Hal Erickson
All Movie Guide
Paramount's "Bulldog Drummond" series got off to a start with 1937's Bulldog Drummond Escapes. Up-and-coming Ray Milland stars as soldier-of-fortune Hugh "Bulldog" Drummond, who on this occasion comes to the aid of pretty heiress Phyllis Clavering (Heather Angel). The heroine is being held against her will by scheming "family friend" Merridew (Porter Hall), who hopes to get his mitts on her inheritance. With the help of his silly friend Algy (Reginald Denny) and Scotland Yard inspector Nielsen (Sir Guy Standing), Drummond manages to rescue Phyllis several times -- and, reciprocally, is rescued by her on one occasion. Hal Erickson
All Movie Guide
This typically wild-and-wooly entry in Paramount's "Bulldog Drummond" series gets under way when stiff-upper-lip Scotland Yard inspector Nielsen is kidnapped by master criminal Richard Lane (J. Carroll Naish). Ensconsed in his lavish jungle hideout somewhere in Africa, Lane wines and dines his captive as a prelude for his intended revenge against the good Inspector. As Bulldog Drummond (John Howard), his fiancee Phyllis (Heather Angel), his best friend Algy (Reginald Denny) and his valet Tenny (E. E. Clive) hack their way through the African foliage in search of Nielsen, Lane carries out his evil scheme by strapping the inspector to a pillar and preparing to release a ferocious, ill-fed pack of lions. Even if Nielsen should escape this peril, Lane has covered his bets by planting a time bomb in Drummond's private plane. Were it not for the fact that there were still three films to go in the "Drummond" series, one would be inclined to start worrying. Hal Erickson
All Movie Guide
Though John Barrymore is top-billed in Bulldog Drummond's Peril, the aging matinee idol is consigned to the supporting role of Inspector Nielsen. Drummond is portrayed by John Howard; once more, he is on the verge of marrying the ever-patient Phyllis Clavering (Louise Campbell). And yet again, the ceremony is interrupted by a late-breaking crime. The villains this time are trying to steal synthetic diamonds. Bulldog Drummond's Peril was the 5th in Paramount's B-picture "Drummond" series. Hal Erickson
All Movie Guide
The penultimate entry in Paramount's "Bulldog Drummond" series, Bulldog Drummond's Secret Police once more stars John Howard as the private-detective hero, Heather Angel as Bulldog's eternal fiancee Phyllis Clavering, and H. B. Warner as the good gray Inspector Neilsen of the Yard. This one finds Bulldog and Phyllis ready to be married in an ancient castle, when a murder occurs, and Bulldog decides to investigate. He eventually uncovers both an eons-old treasure and a highly unsavory character who wishes to claim it for himself. Hal Erickson
All Movie Guide
While Tonart Studios is filming a gangster movie, one of the actors is killed in a shooting accident. After several other incidents occur, police begin to think of sabotage. Their list of suspects includes the studio chief (Alexander Carr), his manager (Bela Lugosi), the director of the film (Edward Van Sloan) and an actress (Adrienne Ames). John Bush
All Movie Guide
Edgar G. Ulmer's Detour begins when hitchhiker Al Roberts (Tom Neal) accepts a ride from affable gambler Charles Haskell Jr. (Edmund MacDonald). When Haskell suffers a fatal heart attack, Roberts, afraid that he'll be accused of murder, disposes of the body, takes the man's clothes and wallet, and begins driving the car himself. He picks up beautiful but sullen Vera (Ann Savage), who suddenly breaks the silence by asking, "What did you do with the body?" It turns out that Vera had earlier accepted a ride from Haskell and has immediately spotted Roberts as a ringer. Holding the threat of summoning the police over his head, Vera forces Roberts to continue his pose so that he can collect a legacy from Haskell's millionaire father, who hasn't seen his son in years. Hal Erickson
All Movie Guide
Morgan Conway made his final screen appearance as Chester Gould's granite-jawed detective Dick Tracy in this RKO Radio programmer. This time around, Tracy's nemesis is baldheaded jewel thief Cueball, played with blunt menace by Dick Wessel. Double-crossed by his gang, Cueball methodically bumps them off. This would normally delight the cops, who'd been wanting to get rid of the gang anyway, but unfortunately Cueball has vowed to eliminate Tracy as well. The villain's ultimate demise is as good as anything cooked up by Chester Gould for the comic strips. Directed and written in the same larger-than-life style of the Gould original, Dick Tracy vs. Cueball features such colorful characters as Tracy's main squeeze Tess Trueheart (Anne Jeffreys), pill-popping ham actor Vitamin Flintheart (Ian Keith), waterfront hag Filthy Flora (Esther Howard) and jewelry shop proprietor Jules Priceless (Douglas Walton). For reasons that defy explanation, this delightfully daffy concoction was spotlighted in the notorious volume The Fifty Worst Films of All Time. Hal Erickson
All Movie Guide
Dick Tracy, Detective (originally just Dick Tracy) was the first of four RKO Radio B-pictures based on Chester Gould's classic comic strip. Though Ralph Byrd is most closely associated with the role of Tracy, the title character is played herein by Morgan Conway (Byrd would be seen as Tracy in the last two series entries). The jut-jawed detective takes on a vicious criminal named Splitface (Mike Mazurki), who upon escaping from jail vows to murder the jurors who found him guilty and their alternates. He manages to knock off three before the police force figures out what's happening. Galvanized into action, Dick Tracy and his partner Pat Patton (Lyle Latell) track Splitface to a deserted riverboat (a leftover set from the 1945 RKO feature Man Alive) where the villain is holding Tracy's girlfriend Tess Truehart (Anne Jeffreys) and adopted son Junior (Mickey Kuhn) captive. When asked about Dick Tracy Detective in 1990, Anne Jeffreys flatly denied she'd ever played Tess Trueheart until she caught up with the film on videotape. She'd completely forgotten the whole experience. Hal Erickson
All Movie Guide
Based on the prolific Sir Arthur Conan Doyle mysteries, Sherlock Holmes is on the job again in Dressed to Kill. This time, an inmate of a British prison has incorporated stolen Bank of England engraving plates into a series of music boxes he has made. Multiple criminals are out to find them; but Holmes must be first. It's a weak, thin plot for the final of the Holmes/Watson series but it is still a joy to see Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce working off one another. Tana Hobart
All Movie Guide
Edward Arnold made the first of his two screen appearances as Bayard Kendrick's blind detective Captain Duncan McLain in MGM's Eyes in the Night. The plot is set in motion by Norma Lawry (Ann Harding), whose stepdaughter Barbara (Donna Reed) has been keeping company with washed-up actor Paul Gerente (John Emery). Norma feels that Gerente, an ex-lover of hers, is a bad influence for Barbara, but the girl merely assumes that Norma wants Gerente all to herself. When the ageing actor is murdered, Barbara assumes that Norma committed the crime. Rather than go to the police, Norma heads to her old friend Duncan McLain, but when the detective arrives at the scene of the murder, the body has disappeared. Detecting the odor of violets in the room, McLain uses this tiny clue to build a case against a gang of Nazi spies, headed by the Lawry's butler Hansen (Stanley Ridges), with whom the late Mr. Gerente had been collaborating. Just knowing who did it isn't enough in this case, however: getting the drop on McLain and his associates, the villains hold the detective and Lawry prisoner until they are able to get their hands on a secret formula developed by Barbara's father (Reginald Denny). In true movie-serial fashion, it is McLain's faithful seeing-eye dog Friday (played by "himself") who saves the day. A "B" picture with "A" entertainment value, Eyes in the Night proved successful enough to warrant a sequel, 1945's The Hidden Eye. Hal Erickson
All Movie Guide
An early low-budget spin on Ten Little Indians, this cheap but entertaining PRC production features a wonderful cast of familiar B-movie faces, particularly George Zucco and Lionel Atwill. Zucco plays a man wrongfully imprisoned after being framed for his wife's murder by one of his colleagues. After his release, he joins forces with a mad inventor to carry out his long-awaited plans of revenge, inviting a group of his former associates to a remote island mansion -- which is enveloped in a thick perpetual fog and rigged with a plethora of lethal booby-traps -- in an effort to reveal and destroy the guilty party. Rather cheap-looking but boasting some remarkable special effects, this film is worth a look for its pairing of the wonderfully hammy Atwill and Zucco. Cavett Binion
All Movie Guide
After retiring from a boxing career, Johnny Cave (James Cagney) accepts an appointment to serve as head of the Bureau of Weights and Measures. However, when he discovers that his organization is full of corruption and lies, he sets out to uncover the scam, much to the dismay of his girlfriend, Janet (Mae Clarke), and his underhanded coworkers. Iotis Erlewine
All Movie Guide
When German sympathizer Count Paul Rona (George MacReady) pilfers a valuable jeweled glove from a French church during World War II, it is up to American Michael Blake (Glenn Ford) to outwit his enemies and recover the artifact. Iotis Erlewine
All Movie Guide
The night-walking "He" of the title is Richard Basehart, a clever but psychopathic burglar (based on real-life criminal Erwin Walker). Basehart stays one step ahead of the law by listening in to the police band on his radio. To avoid detection, he changes his M.O. on each crime, making it seem that the string of burglaries is the work of several thieves. But Basehart trips himself up when he kills a cop. His own personal Waterloo occurs in the Los Angeles sewer system -- a stylish predecessor to the similar (and more widely praised) climax in Sir Carol Reed's The Third Man. Though the direction is credited to Hollywood old-timer Alfred Werker, most of He Walked By Night is the handiwork of an uncredited Anthony Mann. Featured in the film's cast is Jack Webb in the small role of a police lab technician. Impressed by first-hand experience with police procedure and by the semi-documentary quality of He Walked By Night Webb expanded on these elements for his own radio and TV project, Dragnet. Hal Erickson
All Movie Guide
Although he doesn't know it at first, industrialist Walter Williams (Brian Donlevy) shouldn't trust his wife Irene (Helen Walker) any farther than he can throw her. Irene schemes with her lover Jim Torrance (Tony Barrett) to kill Walter in an "accidental" car crash (ergo, Impact). The plan fails, and it is Jim who is killed. When it develops that he is assumed to have also died in the accident, Walter changes his name and heads to a small town where no one knows him. Here he starts life all over again as a humble garage mechanic, falling in love with his boss Marsha Peters (Ella Raines) in the process. Disaster looms when detective Quincy (Charles Coburn) comes sniffing around; it seems that Lt. Quincy suspects the incognito Williams of murdering Torrance. To reveal any more would be giving the game away. Impact co-stars longtime favorite Anna May Wong, making her first screen appearance since 1942. Hal Erickson
All Movie Guide
International Crime is the second of two Grand National programmers inspired by the popular "Shadow" pulp novels by Maxwell Grant. Rod La Rocque plays Lamont Cranston, famed criminologist and (in this film at least) radio crime reporter. This time around Cranston does not "cloud men's minds" hypnotically to become the invisible Shadow: he remains fully visible from beginning to end, with nary a clouded mind in sight. In attempting to solve the murder of a wealthy financier, Cranston exposes a gang of foreign saboteurs. Based on the story "The Fox Hound" by Ted Tinsley (not Maxwell Grant, as the credits claim), International Crime includes several of the supporting characters from the "Shadow" pulps. However, the heroine (Astrid Allwyn) is Phoebe Lane, not Margot. Hal Erickson
All Movie Guide
Made on a miniscule budget primarily financed by its star Franchot Tone, Jigsaw is a strange little crime film. Howard Malloy (Tone), a crusading New York assistant district attorney, is dedicated to exposing a group of supposedly patriotic Americans who have murdered his friend after he discovered that they were truly a fascist "hate group." The group sends Barbara, (Jean Wallace) to seduce and compromise Malloy. Barbara regrets her actions and is murdered as she attempts to confess to Malloy. Malloy now is determined to expose the group. All the loose ends are tied up in the climax, which takes place in a modern art museum. Jigsaw is a competent, uninspired crime drama peppered with cameo appearances by top Hollywood stars including Marlene Dietrich, Henry Fonda, Burgess Meredith and John Garfield. Linda Rasmussen
All Movie Guide
This no-nonsense "expose" film is enhanced by the tight, unadorned direction by Phil Karlson. John Payne plays an ex-con who just can't seem to get a break. Payne is picked up on suspicion of participating in a robbery masterminded by former Kansas City cop Preston S. Foster. On the run from the law, Payne assumes the identity of a dead crook. In this guise, he insinuates himself into Foster's gang, hoping to get the goods on the top guy. Complications ensue when Payne falls in love with Foster's comparatively honest daughter Coleen Gray. Hal Erickson
All Movie Guide
Often (and accurately) described as a model of the whodunit genre, The Kennel Murder Case stars William Powell, making his fourth screen appearance as S. S. Van Dine's dilettante detective Philo Vance. This time the story involves intrigue at the Long Island kennel club. The murder victim is Robert H. Barrat, who works overtime making himself a much-hated target in the first ten minutes. With the aid of a Doberman, Vance solves not only Barrat's murder but a follow-up killing designed to deflect attention from the killer. The suspects include Mary Astor, Ralph Morgan, Jack LaRue, Helen Vinson, Paul Cavanaugh and Arthur Hohl, all of whom have "done it" from time to time in other murder mysteries (movie buffs, however, will have little trouble spotting the killer; the person in question has probably been the hidden murderer in more films than any other member of the Screen Actor's Guild). Kennel Murder Case was William Powell's last "Philo Vance" film; it would be remade in 1940 as Calling Philo Vance, with James Stephenson as Vance and a new World War II angle added to the plot. Hal Erickson
All Movie Guide
Though hampered by a small budget that shrank with each shooting day, director Burgess Meredith fashioned a serviceable film version of Georges Simenon's A Battle of Nerves. Retitled The Man on the Eiffel Tower, the film pits Simenon's analytical Inspector Maigret (Charles Laughton) against a wily murderer. We know virtually from the outset that the guilty party is Radek (Franchot Tone), a psychotic with delusions of grandeur who has been seduced into killing the wealthy aunt of slatternly Edna Wallace (Jean Wallace). Maigret suspects Radek , but without solid proof he must suffer the taunting and baiting of the beyond-the-law killer. Eventually Maigret wins the psychological battle, forcing Radek to seek refuge on the titular tower. And if you're waiting for that final fatal fall, this isn't that kind of movie. Burgess Meredith also appears in the film as the sort of obvious suspect that is automatically disregarded by any true detective-story buff, despite the most damning evidence. Originally released in eye-pleasing Anscocolor, Man on the Eiffel Tower is generally available nowadays in washed-out public-domain prints. Hal Erickson
All Movie Guide
Comparatively little known, this Monogram thriller is a remarkably concise adaptation of Wilkie Collins' lengthy 1868 mystery novel The Moonstone. On a dark and stormy night, Franklin Blake (David Manners) and his Hindu manservant Yandoo (John Davidson) arrive at Vandier Manor to deliver the Moonstone, a priceless gem stolen from an Indian temple way back in 1799. The recipient is Anne Verinder (Phyllis Barry), who despite being warned to lock the Moonstone away in the family vault, chooses to place it under her pillow. Sure enough, the gem is stolen during the night, right from under the sleeping Anne. Scotland Yard inspector Cliff (Charles Irwin) has quite an array of suspects to choose from, the most obvious of whom is usurious Septimus Lucker (Gustav von Seyfertitz). One murder and one assault later, Inspector Cliff reveals the genuine culprit -- who, in time-honored tradition, is the least likely and most cooperative of the suspects. The Moonstone is a prime example of what can be accomplished on a small budget with a little extra time and care. Hal Erickson
All Movie Guide
A sophisticated, expensively-dressed group of people gather in a spooky old mansion to watch the first performance of a play. The highlight of the production is a realistic on-stage murder, wherein the victim is shot point-blank, right through the heart, as the clock strikes 12. The audience applauds enthusiastically as the "victim" falls dead, but the applause subsides and gives way to screams of terror when it turns out that the murder is for real! With everyone in the mansion under suspicion -- including, naturally, the butler -- the cops are baffled, and even more so when the primary suspect ends up as victim number two. "This isn't a murder case, it's an epidemic!" moans one of the detectives. Intricately plotted, and with a genuinely surprising solution, Murder at Midnight is far and away superior to your average low-budget mystery. Hal Erickson
All Movie Guide
Gail Patrick plays a young woman framed for murder. Luckily the newsman on the courtroom beat is ace photographer Lew Ayres. He senses Patrick is innocent (the fact that she's a knockout has something to do with this) and vows to track down the guilty party. The Least Likely Suspect spills the beans just as Ayres clicks his shutter. Paramount Pictures used to dash off two or three B mysteries like Murder with Pictures before breakfast, but they were never less than supremely entertaining. Hal Erickson
All Movie Guide
To the world at large, Mr. Wong (Bela Lugosi) is a harmless shopkeeper in the Chinatown district (where no one seems unduly put off by his Hungarian accent) In truth, however, Wong is an eeeeevil Mandarin who'll stop at nothing to get his hands on the Twelve Coins of Confucious, which according to legend will allow him to rule over the Chinese province of Keelat. In his efforts to obtain these coins, Wong leaves a trail of corpses behind, eventually arousing the suspicions of wisecracking reporter Jason Barton (Wallace Ford). Narrowly escaping assassination in a Chinese restaurant, Barton and his sweetheart Peg (Arline Judge) take refuge in Wong's humble shop, where they stumble into a gathering of the villain's henchmen. Will our hero and heroine escape in time to thwart the sinister, seemingly all-powerful Mr. Wong? Boasting a full-blooded performance by Bela Lugosi and campy dialogue to spare (much of it astonishingly racist!), Mysterious Mr. Wong is a bad-movie buff's delight. Hal Erickson
All Movie Guide
Masterfully directed by Fritz Lang, Scarlet Street is a bleak film in which an ordinary man succumbs first to vice and then to murder. Christopher Cross (Edward G. Robinson) is a lonely man married to a nagging wife. Painting is the only thing that brings him joy. Cross meets Kitty (Joan Bennett) who, believing him to be a famous painter, begins an affair with him. Encouraged by her lover, con man Johnny Prince (Dan Duryea) Kitty persuades Cross to embezzle money from his employer in order to pay for her lavish apartment. In that apartment, happy for the first time in his life, Cross paints Kitty's picture. Johnny then pretends that Kitty painted to portrait, which has won great critical acclaim. Finally realizing he has been manipulated, Cross kills Kitty, loses his job, and because his name has been stolen by Kitty, is unable to paint. He suffers a mental breakdown as the film ends, haunted by guilt. Kitty and Johnny are two of the most amoral and casual villains in the history of film noir, both like predatory animals completely without conscience. Milton Krasner's photography is excellent in its use of stark black-and-white to convey psychological states. Fritz Lang is unparalleled in his ability to convey the desperation of hapless, naïve victims in a cruelly realistic world. Linda Rasmussen
All Movie Guide
The Shadow, the famed radio and pulp-novel hero with the mysterious power to "cloud men's minds" so that they cannot see him, was first brought to the screen by low-budget Grand National Pictures in 1937. Former matinee idol Rod LaRocque stars as the Shadow's man-about-town alter-ego Lamont Cranston, a lawyer-criminologist who occasionally adopts his celebrated disguise to prey on the consciences of the guilty. The only person who knows the true identity of the Shadow is Cranston's faithful manservant Henry (Margot Lane, the Shadow's "constant friend and companion" who shared his secret in the radio version, does not appear in the picture). On this occasion, Cranston tries to solve the murder of a wealthy "gentleman" who had enemies galore, with suspects ranging from the victim's heirs to a gang of racketeers. Since the film's budget precluded the special effects needed to cloud men's minds, Cranston must rely on his wits -- and a none-too-concealing cloak and mask -- to outmaneuver the villains. Hal Erickson
All Movie Guide
The second of Universal's "modernized" Sherlock Holmes films pits the Great Detective (Basil Rathbone, of course) against that "Napoleon of Crime," Professor Moriarty (Lionel Atwill). Surpassing his previous skullduggery, Moriarty has now aligned himself with the Nazis and has dedicated himself to stealing a top-secret bombsight developed by expatriate European scientist Dr. Franz Tobel (William Post Jr.) Before being kidnapped by Moriarty's minions, Tobel was enterprising enough to disassemble his invention and distribute its components among several other patriotic scientists. Racing against the clock, Holmes and Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce) try to stem the murders of Tobel's colleagues and prevent Moriarty from getting his mitts on the precious secret weapon. The now-famous climax finds Holmes playing for time by allowing Moriarty to drain all the blood from his body, drop by drop ("The needle to the last, eh Holmes?" gloats the villain). Dennis Hoey makes his first appearance as the dull-witted, conclusion-jumping Inspector Lestrade. Constructed more like a serial than a feature film, Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon (based loosely on Conan Doyle's The Dancing Men) is one of the fastest-moving entries in the series; it is also one of the most readily accessible, having lapsed into public domain in 1969. Hal Erickson
All Movie Guide
In this Sherlock Holmes mystery, the great detective and Dr. Watson help a young woman who has received a giant pearl from a mysterious man. The woman, to whom Watson is very attracted, is also searching for her father who has mysteriously disappeared. Holmes and the Dr. first go to the home of a flamboyant fellow in South London. This man too is being harassed by the mysterious stranger. This leads the sleuths to a one-legged criminal and his assistant, a dwarf. The story climaxes with a thrilling motor boat chase down the Thames. Sandra Brennan
All Movie Guide
The Stranger is often considered Orson Welles' most "traditional" Hollywood-style directorial effort. Welles plays a college professor named Charles Rankin, who lives in a pastoral Connecticut town with his lovely wife Mary (Loretta Young). One afternoon, an extremely nervous German gentleman named Meineke (Konstantin Shayne) arrives in town. Professor Rankin seems disturbed--but not unduly so--by Meineke's presence. He invites the stranger for a walk in the woods, and as they journey farther and farther away from the center of town, we learn that kindly professor Rankin is actually notorious Nazi war criminal Franz Kindler. Conscience-stricken by his own genocidal wartime activities, Meineke has come to town to beg his ex-superior Kindler to give himself up. The professor responds by brutally murdering his old associate. If Kindler believes himself safe--and he has every reason to do so, since no one in town, especially Mary, has any inkling of his previous life--he will change his mind in a hurry when mild-mannered war crimes commissioner Wilson (Edward G. Robinson) pays a visit, posing as an antiques dealer. Hal Erickson
All Movie Guide
Sherlock Holmes and Watson solve a puzzling case in which a bloody foreign word is found beside a murder victim. The plot has little to do with author Doyle's original story of the same name. Sandra Brennan
All Movie Guide
Suddenly is the name of the small town invaded by professional assassin Frank Sinatra and his henchmen. Taking a local family hostage, Sinatra sets up a vigil at the second-story window of the family's home. From here, he intends to kill the President of the United States when the latter makes a whistle-stop visit. The film's tension level is enough to induce goose pimples from first scene to last. Sinatra is outstanding as the disgruntled war vet who hopes to become a "somebody" by killing the president. The parallels between his character and Lee Harvey Oswald's are too close for comfort, so much so that Suddenly was withdrawn from local TV packages for several years after the JFK assassination. Sinatra would claim in later years that he himself engineered the removal of Suddenly from general distribution, though in fact he'd lost whatever rights he'd held on the film when it lapsed into public domain. Be sure and miss the notorious colorized version of this black-and-white thriller, wherein Sinatra is transformed into Ol' Brown Eyes. Hal Erickson
All Movie Guide
The penultimate entry in Universal's "Sherlock Holmes" series, Terror by Night takes place almost exclusively on a speeding train, en route from London to Edinburgh. Holmes (Basil Rathbone) is on board to protect a valuable diamond from the clutches of master criminal Colonel Sebastian Moran. The trouble is, Moran is a master of disguise, and could be just about any one of the other passengers. Murder and mayhem plague the train excursion before Holmes can successfully complete his mention. Poor old Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce) is a bit denser than usual here, though his ingenuousness is cleverly woven into the script. Alan Mowbray, who played Inspector Lestrade in the 1932 Clive Brook adaptation of Sherlock Holmes, is seen in a pivotal supporting role. One of three "Holmes" entries currently in the Public Domain, Terror by Night is also available in a computer-colorized version (but stick with the original black and white). Hal Erickson
All Movie Guide
When Lizabeth Scott's Jane Greer husband Arthur Kennedy accidentally gets his mitts on $60,000 in stolen money, she insists that he keep the dough rather than turn it over to the authorities. Two-bit private eye Dan Duryea catches on to Scott's subterfuge, and demands that she turn the cash over to him. Scott persuades Duryea to split the money with her--then, determining that Kennedy might be too honest for everyone's own good, she murders her husband. To cover her tracks, Scott reports her husband as missing. This brings in yet another fly in the ointment: Don DeFore, the brother of Scott's first husband, who died under mysterious circumstances. The already knotted webs of intrigue become even more tangled before Scott's ironic comeuppance. Too Late for Tears was scripted by Roy Huggins, who later produced such TV detective series as The Rockford Files. Hal Erickson
All Movie Guide
The third of producer Hal Roach's Topper films, Topper Returns eschews the frothy "screwball" format of the first two in favor of an "old dark house" comedy-mystery. Roland Young returns as banker Cosmo Topper, who gallantly offers a lift to pretty hitchhikers Gail Richards (Joan Blondell) and Ann Carrington (Carole Landis). This results in a few baleful glances from Topper's wife, Clara (Billie Burke), but the worst is still to come. It seems that Gail and Ann are en route to a chilly old mansion, recently inherited by Ann and populated by all manner of sinister types, including old reliable menaces Dr. Jeris (George Zucco) and Lillian (Rafaela Ottiano). The only person whom the girls can trust -- or can they? -- is Ann' father (H.B. Warner). Unable to sleep in the creepy mansion, Gail suggests that she and Ann exchange bedrooms. This proves to be a major mistake when a mysterious, hooded assailant, intending to murder Ann, kills Gail instead. Seconds later, Gail's ghost arises from her body and heads to the nearby summer house where Mr. and Mrs. Topper are staying. Having had his fill of ghosts in the first two Topper films, Topper wants nothing to do with Gail's spirit, but she finally convinces him to help her identity her killer, and to rescue Ann from a similar fate. Some of the film's best moments belong to Eddie "Rochester" Anderson as Young's eternally frightened chauffeur (at one point, Anderson threatens to quit the Toppers and go back to Jack Benny)! More contrived and slapstick-oriented than the earlier Toppers, Topper Returns still works as a neat and entertaining comedy, even in its dreadful computer-colorized version. A decade later, Thorne Smith's "Topper" characters would be revived for a popular TV series, starring Leo G. Carroll, Anne Jeffreys, and Robert Sterling. Hal Erickson
All Movie Guide
The fourth of Arthur Wonter's quintet of Sherlock Holmes films, Triumph of Sherlock Holmes was a fairly faithful adaptation of Conan Doyle's The Valley of Fear. This time, Holmes (Wontner) and Dr. Watson (Ian Fleming -- not the James Bond author!) investigate a mysterious murder at Birlstone Castle. The killings seem to be tied in with a secret American society of coal-miners called the Scowlers. The architect of all this skullduggery is that "Napoleon of Crime," Professor Moriarty (the magnificent Lyn Harding), who has conspired with an American gangster (Ben Welden) to assassinate the Pinkerton agent responsible for breaking the back of the Scowlers. There's very little in the way of mystery in Triumph of Sherlock Holmes, but it scores on its full quotient of thrills and chills. Originally 84 minutes, the film was cut to 75 for its American release. Hal Erickson
All Movie Guide
Based on Conan Doyle's The Adventure of the Empty House, the "Sherlock Holmes" entry The Woman in Green finds Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce) trying to solve the case of the "Finger Murders". Several beautiful women have been found slain, all with their right forefingers severed from their hands. The police are prepared to write off the killings as the work of a madman, but Holmes deduces that there's a sane motive behind it all. Sure enough, the trail of evidence leads to Holmes' perennial nemesis Professor Moriarity (Henry Daniell), who is in league with lissome female criminal Lydia (Hillary Brooke). Though it isn't sporting to reveal Moriarity's nefarious scheme here, it can be noted that The Woman in Green comes to a nailbiting conclusion as a hypnotized Holmes wanders precariously along the ledge of a penthouse! Hal Erickson
All Movie Guide
Japanese detective Mr. Moto finds himself hip-deep in international espionage in this adventure tale. In Port Said, a pair of rogues -- French-born Fabian (Ricardo Cortez) and Englishman Norvel (George Sanders) -- are working for a nameless foreign government and devise a scheme to sabotage French ships passing through the Suez Canal. The criminals plan to leave false clues implicating British agents in hopes of sparking a war between the two nations. Mr. Moto (Peter Lorre), posing as a local shopkeeper after faking his own death to avoid suspicion, is assigned to stop them before any lives (or vessels) can be lost. John Carradine and Virginia Field also appear in this, the sixth of eight films that would feature Peter Lorre as Mr. Moto. Mark Deming
All Movie Guide
The second entry in Warner Bros.' popular detective series, Nancy Drew, Reporter presented young sleuth Bonita Granville at her busybody best. This time, the irrepressible Miss Drew has entered a junior newspaper-reporter contest and, determined to win, insinuates herself into the ongoing investigation of the Lambert murder. Despite overwhelming evidence, Nancy refuses to believe that the murder victim's young ward (Betty Amann) is the culprit and instead shadows a mysterious man (Jack Perry) sporting a cauliflower ear. The brutish stranger and his floozy of a girlfriend (Sheila Bromley) lead Nancy and her faithful sidekick, Ted Nickerson (Frankie Thomas Jr.), on a merry chase that, naturally, ends with the apprehension of the real murderer. Trapped in the Bledenburg Hotel along the way, Nancy and Ted ingeniously call attention to their plight by changing the hostelry's neon sign to "Bedbug Hotel." Juvenile stars Granville and Thomas are this time aided by teenage singer Mary Lee, of Gene Autry Western fame, and child actor Dickie Jones, the latter insisting on imitating Donald Duck. A highlight of the film has the four youngsters performing swing versions of nursery rhymes in order to pay for their Chinese dinner. Hans J. Wollstein
All Movie Guide
Mickey Rooney, with his kid roles and musicals behind him, went for a major change of image in this harrowing film noir. He gives what many consider to be the best performance of his career as Danny Brady, a well-meaning grease monkey whose life is destroyed in less than a week. Danny finds himself short of cash when he's supposed to take out Vera (Jeanne Cagney), a waitress whom he's just met who works at a hash-house. He borrows 20 dollars from the cash register, planning on paying it back with 20 dollars that a buddy owes him the next day, but the friend doesn't turn up. To get the 20 dollars, he buys a 100-dollar watch on a payment plan and then hocks it for the 20 dollars, but a detective picks up on the purchase and threatens to have him jailed if he doesn't pay the full 100 dollars immediately; desperate to raise the money, he robs a drunken bar patron of his bill-fold. His money problems seemingly behind him, Danny takes Vera out with the extra cash, but gets into a fight with her former boss, Nick (Peter Lorre), who picks up a clue that Danny did the robbery. Nick pressures Danny to provide him with a new car (a hard-to-get commodity in 1950) from the garage where he works, in return for keeping quiet. Danny steals the car and turns it over to Nick, but he and Vera decide to get even by robbing Nick's safe that night -- now they've got 3,600 dollars, which they split. But Danny's boss, Mackey, tells him he knows who stole the car, and wants either the car back or the full value, or he'll turn Danny in to the police. Vera has already blown her share on a mink coat, and he goes back to Mackey with what he has, 1,800 dollars. Mackey takes it and proceeds to call the police. Danny attacks him and leaves him for dead. Danny goes on the run, convinced he's wanted for Mackey's murder. Danny runs into Helen (Barbara Bates), a nice girl that he was dating and then dumped, and they end up fleeing together, hijacking a car and holding an innocent man at gunpoint. Impending tragedy seems to loom up even larger when they cross paths with police officers on a manhunt. Realizing that Helen has been good to him, he ends up on the run alone, with a gun in hand, as the law closes in. Bruce Eder
All Movie Guide
The first of six Mr. Wong whodunits, Mr. Wong Detective presented Boris Karloff as pulp writer Hugh Wiley's Oxford-educated Oriental sleuth. Wong is visited by Simon Dayton (John Hamilton), an industrialist fearing for his life. Dayton and his partners Meisle (William Gould) and Wilk (Hooper Atchley) have been selling a poison gas invented by Roemer (John St. Polis), who, feeling cheated out of the deal, shows up in Dayton's office waving a gun. Minutes later, Dayton is found murdered by his secretary, Myra Ross (Maxine Jennings). Police Captain Sam Street (Grant Withers), Myra's boyfriend, immediately puts Roemer under arrest. Wong is not convinced of the man's guilt, especially after discovering a broken piece of glass near the body. During the ongoing investigation, the two remaining partners are also slain, but who done it? Are the killers foreign-accented Baron Anton Mohl (Lucien Prival) and his beautiful Brooklyn-born associate who calls herself Countess Dubois (Evelyn Brent)? Or did Roemer do the dirty deed? Could the dead man's nosy office manager (Wilbur Mack) have committed the crime and does Mrs. Roemer (Grace Wood) know more than she is telling? As Mr. Wong discovers, the answer is to be found in the origin and purpose of the mysterious pieces of glass found near each victim. Hans J. Wollstein
All Movie Guide
They Made Me a Criminal opens in New York, depicting the latest victory in the ring for Johnny Bradfield (John Garfield), a young boxer who seems headed for a championship. When a reporter finds Bradfield drunk and carousing with women, and learns that the squeaky-clean image that he has cultivated is a complete lie, he threatens to blow the lid off the boxer's real life, and is beaten to death by Bradfield's manager. Bradfield, who was in a drunken stupor during the fight, is framed for the killing by his manager, who rolls him for his wallet, watch, and anything else of value, makes a run for it, and is killed in a fiery car accident. As far as the police are concerned, the case is closed, "Bradfield" having been identified in the wreck by the watch he was wearing. But Johnny Bradfield now has to disappear from New York and anyplace else he's ever been seen, in order to stay "dead." He is sent on his way by his crooked attorney with just a few dollars in his pocket, thumbing rides and walking west. Bradfield collapses one day from exhaustion and near starvation outside of a ranch in Arizona. The ranch is run by May Robson as part of a relief effort to help a group of boys from the New York slums -- Tommy (Billy Halop), Spit (Leo Gorcey), Dippy (Huntz Hall), T.B. (Gabriel Dell), Angel (Bobby Jordan), and Milty (Bernard Punsly) -- keep out of trouble. Identifying himself as "Jack Dorney", he first tries to see what he can get in the way of a free ride from the kids and Tommy's sister, Peggy (Gloria Dickson), who doesn't trust Dorney or his influence over the kids. Meanwhile, back in New York, one police detective, Phelan (Claude Rains), is convinced that the body found in the burned wreck of Johnny Bradfield's car wasn't Bradfield. Phelan is an outcast in his department for having once presented "conclusive" evidence in court against a man who was executed for murder, only to discover later that the man was innocent. He sees this as his chance to redeem himself and his career, and he is such a pariah that his chief gives him permission to follow up leads anywhere he needs to. At the ranch, Dorney takes a genuine liking to the kids, and sees Peggy as a kind of woman he's never known, who has no "angles" in her approach to life. The ranch may have to be sold, however, as there is no more money coming from the church in New York to keep it going. In order to save the ranch and set Peggy and the kids up in a roadside business pumping gas -- an idea of Tommy's -- Dorney decides to enter a prize fight for money against a barnstorming boxer. On the eve of the fight, however, Phelan shows up, drawn by a newspaper photo of Dorney, his face obscured but using the same unusual left-handed boxing stance he used as Johnny Bradfield. Dorney goes into the ring, and finds himself up against a brute who has already flattened two opponents in less than one round each, trying to hide his identity by fighting right-handed. He gets savaged, round after round, until Phelan tells him from ringside that he knows who he is. Free to use his left, Dorney saves himself. Phelan confronts him in the dressing room, and Johnny tells him he'll give him no trouble -- they're about to head back east, with Peggy and the kids trying to thank him, and it dawns on Phelan that possibly this is one case that might better be left "solved" officially the way it is already, even though it means the detective going back to his job as a laughing stock. Bruce Eder
All Movie Guide
A rather nifty little science fiction-thriller/murder mystery from Poverty Row company Monogram, Mystery Liner was based on a Saturday Evening Post story by British pulp writer Edgar Wallace. Noah Beery starred as John Holling, the captain of an ocean liner equipped with a powerful scientific gadget, the S-505, capable of steering the vessel by remote control. The captain is taken unaccountably ill and replaced by First Mate Downey (Boothe Howard), who might or might not have poisoned him to get the job in the first place. But then the inventor of the S-505 (Ralph Lewis) is found strangled and all hell breaks loose. During the voyage, Downey suffers the same fate as the professor and foreign agents attempt to sabotage the steering device. The liner is virtually overrun with murder suspects -- from a mysterious foreigner (Gustav von Seyffertitz) to a cantankerous elderly passenger (Zeffie Tilbury) -- and the sudden reappearance of Captain Holling complicates matters to no end for the detective in charge (Edwin Maxwell). The culprit, needless to say, proves to be the least likely among the suspects although director William Nigh and screenwriter Wellyn Totman tip their hands a little too early. Typical low-budget fare, Mystery Liner is nevertheless well photographed by Archie Stout and for the most part capably acted. Astrid Allwyn (billed, for some reason, "Astrid Allyn") and mustachioed Cornelius Keefe, often seen as society snobs or outright villains, are pleasantly cast against type as the ship's nurse and second mate, respectively. A clean-shaven George "Gabby" Hayes lurks about in the background as the ship's watchman and British character actor Olaf Hytten pulls various scientific-looking levers and knobs as the professor's harried assistant. Top-billed Noah Beery has only two scenes and his casting seems to have been for name recognition only. Amazingly, despite its overall look of poverty, Mystery Liner was entered as a feature attraction at the 1934 International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art in Venice, Italy, the forerunner of the Venice Film Festival. Hans J. Wollstein
All Movie Guide
In the second of Paramount's "Bulldog Drummond" thrillers, Hugh "Bulldog" Drummond (John Howard) is finally about to marry longtime fiancée Phyllis Clavering (Louise Campbell) when the girl is kidnapped. The hijackers, Mikhail Valdin (J. Carroll Naish) and his sister, Erena Soldanis (Helen Freeman), are wanted for the murder of an American millionaire, and Scotland Yard Inspector Neilson (John Barrymore) warns Bulldog that he may be next. But the intrepid hero pays no heed and is soon off on a dangerous journey that culminates at the Mere, a supposed haunted house. Bulldog Drummond Comes Back was based on H.C. "Sapper" McNeile's 1928 novel The Female of the Species, who, an opening credit warns, is "more deadly than the male." Hans J. Wollstein
All Movie Guide
In the fourth of Paramount's "Bulldog Drummond" action-thrillers, the intrepid adventurer (John Howard) makes the grizzly discovery of a severed hand. Even more startling, attached to the wayward limb is a case filled with hextonite, a new and highly explosive substance desired by the enemy in general and one Draven Nogais (Frank Puglia) in particular. With his faithful servant, Tenny (E.E. Clive), fiancée Phyllis Clavering (Louise Campbell), and friend Algy Longworth (Reginald Denny) along for the ride, Captain Drummond trails the villain on board a train leaving Victoria Station for Paris. At first, the wily Nogais manages to elude his pursuers by disguising himself as a woman, but his plans to escape with the explosives are halted on the ferryboat to France. Despite the relative brevity of his role as Scotland Yard inspector Neilson, John Barrymore earned star billing in this series entry, which was based on H.C. "Sapper" McNeile's 1932 novel The Return of Bulldog Drummond. Hans J. Wollstein
All Movie Guide
One of Bela Lugosi's least remembered films, this ultra low-budget whodunit with science fiction overtones features the murder of a professor who had recently perfected the new invention of television. Suspects are plentiful and include Bela Lugosi's rivaling academician Dr. Perry. Alas, the good doctor proves yet another Red Herring and is soon enough found stabbed to death himself. Or is he? Perry suddenly appears to have risen from the grave and the real culprit quickly confesses. Produced by perhaps Hollywood's cheapest entrepreneur, William Pizor, Murder by Television was filmed at the low-rent Talisman Studios and came complete with a song, "I had the Right Idea," composed by future Academy Award winning songwriter Oliver Wallace and performed by June Collyer. Hans J. Wollstein
All Movie Guide
Befitting his status as a genre star, Boris Karloff earns top billing over leading man Ralph Byrd in RKO's final Dick Tracy caper. The former Frankenstein monster plays an escaped convict masterminding a daring bank robbery. To get in and out of the bank without being noticed, the gang uses an asphyxiating gas that leaves anyone inside momentarily frozen in place. Everyone, that is, except for bank customer Tess Truehart (Anne Gwynne), who is able to contact Dick Tracy (Byrd) from a phone booth in the bank. With little or no clues, Tracy and his man Friday, Pat Patton (Lyle Latell), question the bank customers but none can shed any light on the mysterious goings-on. The disappearance of Dr. A. Tomic (Milton Parsons) and the odd behavior of his associate, Dr. I.M. Learned (June Clayworth), crack the case wide open, however, and Tracy is eventually able to track down both Gruesome and the surprising identity of his boss, L.E. Thal (Edward Ashley). According to some reports, RKO wanted to release Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome as "Dick Tracy Meets Karloff" but that title was vetoed by Karloff himself. The legendary horror star apparently later accepted his own box-office value and a 1949 Universal comedy was released as Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff. Hans J. Wollstein
All Movie Guide
In the vein of Spellbound and Rebecca comes this 1951 film noir from director James V. Kern. Robert Young stars as Jeff Cohalan, a successful architect who is tormented by the fact that his fiancée was killed in a mysterious car accident on the night before their wedding. Blaming himself for her death, Colahan spends his time alone, lamenting in the cliff-top home he'd designed for his bride-to-be. To make matters worse, ever since the accident, Colahan seems to be followed by bad luck. His horse and dog turn up dead without explanation, leading him to wonder if he has been cursed. Enter Ellen Foster (Betsy Drake), an independent and intelligent insurance investigator who just might be able to help Colahan figure out who or what's behind all of his misfortune. Matthew Tobey
All Movie Guide
William C. Thomas' Midnight Manhunt begins with the shooting death of a master criminal who expires in a wax museum. Reporter Sue Gallagher (Ann Savage) is first on the scene, but she is soon in competition with her boyfriend, fellow reporter Pete Willis (William Gargan). The killer traps Sue in the wax museum when he returns there looking for the body. Leo Gorcey plays the caretaker of the wax museum. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
Product Details
- UPC: 826831070049
- Source: DIGITAL 1 STOP
- Sales Rank: 29,327
This set contains DVDs which may be available separately:
- Bulldog Drummond's Revenge
- Bulldog Drummond Escapes
- Bulldog Drummond in Africa
- Bulldog Drummond's Secret Police
- Bulldog Drummond Comes Back
- Bulldog Drummond's Peril
- Dick Tracy, Detective
- Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome
- Dick Tracy vs. Cueball
- The Shadow Strikes
- International Crime
- Mr. Moto's Last Warning
- The Mysterious Mr. Wong
- Mr. Wong, Detective
- The Sign of Four
- The Triumph of Sherlock Holmes
- Murder At The Baskervilles
- The Woman in Green
- A Study in Scarlet
- Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon
- Terror by Night
- Dressed to Kill
- Nancy Drew ... Reporter
- The Kennel Murder Case
- The Death Kiss
- Suddenly
- Impact
- He Walked by Night
- Quicksand
- Eyes in the Night
- The Man on the Eiffel Tower
- Topper Returns
- The Green Glove
- The Second Woman
- Fog Island
- They Made Me a Criminal
- Jigsaw
- Algiers
- Murder with Pictures
- The Stranger
- Murder at Midnight
- Kansas City Confidential
- Detour
- Too Late for Tears
- Mystery Liner
- Scarlet Street
- Midnight Manhunt
- Murder by Television
- The Moonstone
- Great Guy
Features:
[None specified]Scene Index
Side #1 -- Disc 1: Side A
1. Scene 1 [16:05]
2. Scene 2 [11:55]
3. Scene 3 [11:20]
4. Scene 4 [15:34]
1. Scene 1 [17:49]
2. Scene 2 [16:49]
3. Scene 3 [14:42]
4. Scene 4 [16:55]
1. Scene 1 [13:09]
2. Scene 2 [15:13]
3. Scene 3 [13:20]
4. Scene 4 [16:13]
Side #2 -- Disc 1: Side B
1. Scene 1 [14:56]
2. Scene 2 [12:45]
3. Scene 3 [13:36]
4. Scene 4 [12:54]
1. Scene 1 [14:49]
2. Scene 2 [14:49]
3. Scene 3 [12:28]
4. Scene 4 [14:42]
1. Chapter 1 [16:45]
2. Chapter 2 [15:55]
3. Chapter 3 [15:52]
4. Chapter 4 [17:19]
Side #3 -- Disc 2: Side A
1. Scene 1 [15:03]
2. Scene 2 [17:16]
3. Scene 3 [12:35]
4. Scene 4 [16:03]
1. Scene 1 [13:50]
2. Scene 2 [20:47]
3. Scene 3 [12:13]
4. Scene 4 [18:25]
Side #4 -- Disc 2: Side B
1. Scene 1 [14:16]
2. Scene 2 [16:01]
3. Scene 3 [16:13]
4. Scene 4 [15:37]
1. Scene 1 [15:30]
2. Scene 2 [16:27]
3. Scene 3 [13:19]
4. Scene 4 [16:19]
Side #5 -- Disc 3: Side A
1. Scene 1 [17:40]
2. Scene 2 [14:26]
3. Scene 3 [13:21]
4. Scene 4 [17:52]
1. Scene 1 [17:10]
2. Scene 2 [20:04]
3. Scene 3 [14:27]
4. Scene 4 [18:56]
Side #6 -- Disc 3: Side B
1. Scene 1 [17:05]
2. Scene 2 [15:12]
3. Scene 3 [13:06]
4. Scene 4 [16:36]
1. Scene 1 [18:30]
2. Scene 2 [17:29]
3. Scene 3 [15:08]
4. Scene 4 [19:18]
Side #7 -- Disc 4: Side A
1. Scene 1 [16:21]
2. Scene 2 [19:01]
3. Scene 3 [17:09]
4. Scene 4 [20:08]
1. Scene 1 [16:50]
2. Scene 2 [21:25]
3. Scene 3 [18:30]
4. Scene 4 [21:52]
Side #8 -- Disc 4: Side B
1. Scene 1 [14:44]
2. Scene 2 [17:25]
3. Scene 3 [14:38]
4. Scene 4 [18:34]
1. Scene 1 [16:58]
2. Scene 2 [16:35]
3. Scene 3 [13:14]
4. Scene 4 [20:10]
Side #9 -- Disc 5: Side A
1. Scene 1 [17:16]
2. Scene 2 [15:31]
3. Scene 3 [16:54]
4. Scene 4 [21:31]
1. Scene 1 [16:12]
2. Scene 2 [18:46]
3. Scene 3 [15:49]
4. Scene 4 [17:11]
Side #10 -- Disc 5: Side B
1. Scene 1 [16:37]
2. Scene 2 [15:59]
3. Scene 3 [12:22]
4. Scene 4 [14:26]
1. Scene 1 [15:55]
2. Scene 2 [16:28]
3. Scene 3 [15:50]
4. Scene 4 [20:22]
Side #11 -- Disc 6: Side A
1. Scene 1 [18:26]
2. Scene 2 [14:20]
3. Scene 3 [15:14]
4. Scene 4 [19:39]
1. Scene 1 [18:25]
2. Scene 2 [18:28]
3. Scene 3 [13:03]
4. Scene 4 [23:01]
Side #12 -- Disc 6: Side B
1. Scene 1 [20:10]
2. Scene 2 [15:57]
3. Scene 3 [14:21]
4. Scene 4 [19:58]
1. Scene 1 [18:29]
2. Scene 2 [17:00]
3. Scene 3 [17:41]
4. Scene 4 [22:26]
Side #13 -- Disc 7: Side A
1. Scene 1 [26:44]
2. Scene 2 [25:30]
3. Scene 3 [27:54]
4. Scene 4 [30:44]
1. Scene 1 [17:58]
2. Scene 2 [19:21]
3. Scene 3 [20:53]
4. Scene 4 [20:24]
Side #14 -- Disc 7: Side B
1. Scene 1 [17:00]
2. Scene 2 [24:33]
3. Scene 3 [16:27]
4. Scene 4 [20:34]
1. Scene 1 [19:14]
2. Scene 2 [20:53]
3. Scene 3 [17:40]
4. Scene 4 [21:43]
Side #15 -- Disc 8: Side A
1. Scene 1 [22:15]
2. Scene 2 [20:54]
3. Scene 3 [21:21]
4. Scene 4 [23:01]
1. Scene 1 [20:14]
2. Scene 2 [24:12]
3. Scene 3 [19:17]
4. Scene 4 [24:29]
Side #16 -- Disc 8: Side B
1. Scene 1 [24:17]
2. Scene 2 [24:30]
3. Scene 3 [18:10]
4. Scene 4 [21:41]
1. Scene 1 [23:09]
2. Scene 2 [20:25]
3. Scene 3 [21:51]
4. Scene 4 [25:15]
Side #17 -- Disc 9: Side A
1. Scene 1 [14:58]
2. Scene 2 [21:55]
3. Scene 3 [14:21]
4. Scene 4 [17:17]
1. Scene 1 [24:21]
2. Scene 2 [24:55]
3. Scene 3 [17:06]
4. Scene 4 [24:44]
Side #18 -- Disc 9: Side B
1. Scene 1 [17:07]
2. Scene 2 [18:37]
3. Scene 3 [13:25]
4. Scene 4 [22:12]
1. Scene 1 [24:17]
2. Scene 2 [24:21]
3. Scene 3 [19:10]
4. Scene 4 [31:10]
Side #19 -- Disc 10: Side A
1. Scene 1 [18:29]
2. Scene 2 [14:45]
3. Scene 3 [20:31]
4. Scene 4 [16:14]
1. Scene 1 [23:43]
2. Scene 2 [21:04]
3. Scene 3 [21:54]
4. Scene 4 [27:40]
Side #20 -- Disc 10: Side B
1. Scene 1 [14:34]
2. Scene 2 [19:16]
3. Scene 3 [13:34]
4. Scene 4 [18:55]
1. Scene 1 [23:15]
2. Scene 2 [23:22]
3. Scene 3 [25:23]
4. Scene 4 [26:54]
Side #21 -- Disc 11: Side A
1. Scene 1 [20:08]
2. Scene 2 [13:10]
3. Scene 3 [16:17]
4. Scene 4 [17:57]
1. Scene 1 [26:00]
2. Scene 2 [21:25]
3. Scene 3 [16:27]
4. Scene 4 [29:30]
Side #22 -- Disc 11: Side B
1. Scene 1 [15:31]
2. Scene 2 [16:06]
3. Scene 3 [12:29]
4. Scene 4 [18:05]
1. Scene 1 [26:39]
2. Scene 2 [25:15]
3. Scene 3 [22:07]
4. Scene 4 [27:17]
Side #23 -- Disc 12: Side A
1. Scene 1 [17:12]
2. Scene 2 [14:30]
3. Scene 3 [16:43]
4. Scene 4 [13:58]
1. Scene 1 [13:53]
2. Scene 2 [15:04]
3. Scene 3 [11:00]
4. Scene 4 [14:01]
Side #24 -- Disc 12: Side B
1. Scene 1 [12:12]
2. Scene 2 [10:48]
3. Scene 3 [12:54]
4. Scene 4 [10:53]
1. Scene 1 [16:50]
2. Scene 2 [19:12]
3. Scene 3 [14:50]
4. Scene 4 [15:12]
DVD MENU
Side #1 -- Disc 1: Side APlay Movie #1: Bulldog Drummond's Revenge
Scene Select: Bulldog Drummond's Revenge
Play Movie #2: Bulldog Drummond Escapes
Scene Select: Bulldog Drummond Escapes
Play Movie #3: Bulldog Drummond in Africa
Scene Select: Bulldog Drummond in Africa
Side #2 -- Disc 1: Side B
Play Movie #1: Bulldog Drummond's Secret Police
Scene Select: Bulldog Drummond's Secret Police
Play Movie #2: Bulldog Drummond Comes Back
Scene Select: Bulldog Drummond Comes Back
Play Movie #3: Bulldog Drummond's Peril
Scene Select: Bulldog Drummond's Peril
Side #3 -- Disc 2: Side A
Play Movie #1: Dick Tracy
Scene Select: Dick Tracy
Play Movie #2: Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome
Scene Select: Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome
Side #4 -- Disc 2: Side B
Play Movie #1: Dick Tracy vs. Cueball
Scene Select: Dick Tracy vs. Cueball
Play Movie #2: The Shadow Strikes
Scene Select: The Shadow Strikes
Side #5 -- Disc 3: Side A
Play Movie #1: International Crime
Scene Select: International Crime
Play Movie #2: Mr. Moto's Last Warning
Scene Select: Mr. Moto's Last Warning
Side #6 -- Disc 3: Side B
Play Movie #1: The Mysterious Mr. Wong
Scene Select: The Mysterious Mr. Wong
Play Movie #2: Mr. Wong, Detective
Scene Select: Mr. Wong, Detective
Side #7 -- Disc 4: Side A
Play Movie #1: The Sign of Four
Scene Select: The Sign of Four
Play Movie #2: The Triumph of Sherlock Holmes
Scene Select: The Triumph of Sherlock Holmes
Side #8 -- Disc 4: Side B
Play Movie #1: Murder at the Baskervilles
Scene Select: Murder at the Baskervilles
Play Movie #2: The Woman in Green
Scene Select: The Woman in Green
Side #9 -- Disc 5: Side A
Play Movie #1: A Study in Scarlet
Scene Select: A Study in Scarlet
Play Movie #2: Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon
Scene Select: Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon
Side #10 -- Disc 5: Side B
Play Movie #1: Terror By Night
Scene Select: Terror By Night
Play Movie #2: Dressed to Kill
Scene Select: Dressed to Kill
Side #11 -- Disc 6: Side A
Play Movie #1: Nancy Drew, Reporter
Scene Select: Nancy Drew, Reporter
Play Movie #2: The Kennel Murder Case
Scene Select: The Kennel Murder Case
Side #12 -- Disc 6: Side B
Play Movie #1: The Death Kiss
Scene Select: The Death Kiss
Play Movie #2: Suddenly
Scene Select: Suddenly
Side #13 -- Disc 7: Side A
Play Movie #1: Impact
Scene Select: Impact
Play Movie #2: He Walked By Night
Scene Select: He Walked By Night
Side #14 -- Disc 7: Side B
Play Movie #1: Quicksand
Scene Select: Quicksand
Play Movie #2: Eyes in the Night
Scene Select: Eyes in the Night
Side #15 -- Disc 8: Side A
Play Movie #1: The Man on the Eiffel Tower
Scene Select: The Man on the Eiffel Tower
Play Movie #2: Topper Returns
Scene Select: Topper Returns
Side #16 -- Disc 8: Side B
Play Movie #1: The Green Glove
Scene Select: The Green Glove
Play Movie #2: The Second Woman
Scene Select: The Second Woman
Side #17 -- Disc 9: Side A
Play Movie #1: Fog Island
Scene Select: Fog Island
Play Movie #2: They Made Me a Criminal
Scene Select: They Made Me a Criminal
Side #18 -- Disc 9: Side B
Play Movie #1: Jigsaw
Scene Select: Jigsaw
Play Movie #2: Algiers
Scene Select: Algiers
Side #19 -- Disc 10: Side A
Play Movie #1: Murder With Pictures
Scene Select: Murder With Pictures
Play Movie #2: The Stranger
Scene Select: The Stranger
Side #20 -- Disc 10: Side B
Play Movie #1: Murder at Midnight
Scene Select: Murder at Midnight
Play Movie #2: Kansas City Confidential
Scene Select: Kansas City Confidential
Side #21 -- Disc 11: Side A
Play Movie #1: Detour
Scene Select: Detour
Play Movie #2: Too Late for Tears
Scene Select: Too Late for Tears
Side #22 -- Disc 11: Side B
Play Movie #1: Mystery Liner
Scene Select: Mystery Liner
Play Movie #2: Scarlet Street
Scene Select: Scarlet Street
Side #23 -- Disc 12: Side A
Play Movie #1: Midnight Manhunt
Scene Select: Midnight Manhunt
Play Movie #2: Murder By Television
Scene Select: Murder By Television
Side #24 -- Disc 12: Side B
Play Movie #1: The Moonstone
Scene Select: The Moonstone
Play Movie #2: Great Guy
Scene Select: Great Guy
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