“Danger Flight” (1939)

Danger Flight

Also known as Scouts of the Air

Brief Description:

Tailspin Tommy is doing his best to keep Whitey Lewis on the straight and narrow. Whitey’s big brother Mike is determined to get Whitey to help him in his criminal activities—by fair means or foul. When Tommy makes a rash decision to fly in the storm of the century, the consequences are far greater and grimmer than he ever dreamed. Will Whitey ever be straightened out? Or has Tailspin Tommy met his match—and his end? 

(written by me)

Date: 1939

Genre: British action adventure 

Running time: 1 hour

Cast: 

John Trent (Tailspin Tommy Tompkins)

Marjorie Reynolds (Betty Lou)

Milburn Stone (Skeeter)

Jason Robards Sr. (Paul Smith)

Tommy Baker (Whitey Lewis)

Dennis Moore (Mike)

Julius Tannen as (Dawson)

Eddie Parker as (Williams)

Joseph E. Bernard (Brown)

Harry Harvey Jr. (Johnny)

Walter Wills (Cap)

Forrest Taylor (Police Radio Dispatcher)

Director: Howard Bretherton

Production company: Monogram Pictures

Based on: The Tailspin Tommy comic strip by Hal Forrest & Glenn Chaffin

Wikipedia page

Watch on Archive

(watched on Tubi)

Setting/Aesthetic/Feel: 5/5

Ooookay. We all know I adore the 1930s and 1940s hero pilots trope. Well, here’s a film all about that. The whole film takes part mostly in the airfield and partly in an abandoned cabin, giving me strong On the Edge of the Fjord  and The Tangled Skein feels! Favourite books of mine, so a definite bonus in my book. Also it felt super vintage and really brought to life the flying conditions and practises of the mid-1900s.  

Characters: 5/5

Tailspin Tommy is the quintessential hero airman—gentlemanly, daring, great with kids, handsome, and moral, a great pilot—yet still messing up! (Unique and quite interesting.) Betty Lou was a sweet girl and I liked how un-flirtatious she was! Skeeter was a great sidekick. Whitey was a great kid, and I really liked him. Mike was pretty awful, and so were his companions. 

Plot: 5/5

So I adore films about hero guys helping out kids and using their influence for good. And here it was. There was plenty of action with the crash and the kidnapping… yeah, that’s about all I’ll say. But it’s great. ;) 

Romance: 5/5

Super tiny thread of romance but super cute :) 

Theme/Message/Topics: 5/5

Very simple, unstated theme, but basically, redemption, admitting to your mistakes, giving second chances, and helping kids to go straight. 

Content: 5/5 (low)

One cheek kiss. 

Violence: 5/5 (low)

Fistfights, pistol-whipping, the usual vintage male action. ;P 

Overall: 5/5

Such a simple, sweet, exciting film! I thoroughly loved it and I can’t wait to watch the three other Tailspin Tommy films. 

“Behind the Mask” (1946)

Behind the Mask

Brief Description:

Lamont Cranston, aka the Shadow, has his hands full as the murder of blackmailing reporter Jeff Mann is blamed on him. Not only does the real murderer seem one step ahead of him as Lamont tries to discover his identity, but he is continually hampered from gaining crucial evidence by his jealous, interfering fiancée Margo Lane. Cranston perseveres and is rewarded with the clue he needs at one of Mann’s victims’ nightclubs.

(from Doug Sederberg @ vornoff@sonic.net via IMDb)

Date: 1946

Genre: American mystery comedy

Running time: 1 hour 7 minutes

Cast: 

Kane Richmond (Cranston)

Barbara Read (Margo)

George Chandler (Shrevvie)

Dorothea Kent (Jennie)

Joseph Crehan (Inspector)

Pierre Watkin (Commissioner)

Robert Shayne (Brad)

June Clyde (Edith)

James Cardwell (Jeff)

Marjorie Hoshelle (Mae)

Joyce Compton (Lulu)

Director: Phil Karlson

Production company: Monogram Pictures

Wikipedia page

Watch on Archive

(watched on Tubi)

Setting/Aesthetic/Feel: 3/5

A generic 1940s aesthetic, but otherwise meh. Nothing to make it stand out. 

Characters: 1/5

Cranston was perhaps a good detective (though it really bugged me how he and the inspector were always sparring and the commissioner always sided with Cranston), but he was a bad fiancé. I was really disgusted by how quick he was to smooch with Lulu and Edith. Shevvie was almost as bad in that, but he reminded me of Tenny from the Bulldog Drummond series and I loved that—although Tenny is much, MUCH better. I was really bugged by how Margo and Jenny were presented as bad/dumb for trying to keep their fiancés from smooching other women or being angry at them for doing it. and finally, Jeff was terrible and got what he deserved. I did like the poor policeman with the cold though. 

Plot: 1/5

Besides the issues I mentioned in my ranting above, I had way too much trouble trying to keep ahold of the mystery plot with the constant barrage of “comedy relief.” It ended up making little to no sense to me. And the ending where Cranston and Shevvie start spanking Margo & Jenny for “interfering” disgusted me so much. The only thing I liked was that sometimes Jenny was funny. Most of the time, though, the comedy was cheap, slapstick, stereotypical, and and 90% hanging on how dumb women are (when it wasn’t hinging on how dumb cops are). 

Romance: 1/5

Lamonte was insensitive, unfaithful, and a yeller who paid 0 attention to Margo’s feelings. Definitely had no business marrying her because he clearly didn’t want to settle down or care about her. Same applies to Shevvie & Jenny. 

Content: 1/5 (high)

Women in low-cut dresses and tutus; lots of kissing and snuggling; a girl dresses as a guy and then her pants fall off (not a revealing scene but slightly uncomfortable for me even if its meant as comedy); several scenes where Shevvie, Cranston, Edith, or Lulu make suggestive remarks. 

Violence: 4/5 (low)

Fistfights, that’s all, apart from the infamous ending scene. 

Overall: 1/5

Bleh. 

“The Big Caper” (1957)

The Big Caper

Brief Description:

A con man in debt and down on his luck comes up with what he thinks is the perfect caper—robbing a small-town bank that keeps a lot of money on hand because of the payroll of a nearby army base. He convinces a vicious crime boss to bankroll his scheme, but when he and his boss’ girl move into the town to make preparations for the heist, he begins to have second thoughts about the whole operation.

(from frankfob2@yahoo.com, via IMDb)

Date: 1957

Genre: American crime drama film noir

Running time: 1 hour 24 minutes 

Cast: 

Rory Calhoun (Frank)

Mary (Kay)

James Gregory (Flood)

Robert H. Harris (Zimmer)

Roxanne Arlen (Doll)

Corey Allen (Roy)

Paul Picerni (Harry)

Director: Robert Stevens

Production company: Pine-Thomas Productions

Based on: The Big Caper by Lionel White

Wikipedia page

Watch on Tubi

Setting/Aesthetic/Feel: 5/5

I loved, loved, loved the 1950s American small town aesthetic/feel. It was sooo sweet and wholesome and homey!! <3 The addition of little Bobby or what’s-his-name brought out all the mother + father in Kay & Frank and was super cute. And the barbecue. XD

Characters: 2/5

Flood was terrifying. Doll was an idiot and a very loose woman. Zimmer was despicable. Frank was… okay. He was loyal and ended up redeeming himself. Kay started out nasty and turned into a pretty normal American housewife. Roy was straight up  c r e e p y.

Plot: 1/5

Strike one: Kay & Frank living together as man and wife to win the town’s trust. (They had different bedrooms, but still.) 

Strike two: scene where Roy gets super creepy on Kay, and then Flood shows up and literally makes him lie down on the bed and flogs him with a rope while Kay sits and hears Roy scream. (Really creepy scene. Really.) 

Strike three: Doll. The whole addition of Doll, who flirts and throws herself at every guy. Bleh. 

Strike four: Zimmer. I hated Zimmer and he creeped me out almost as much as Roy did. The guy was a raging alcoholic and so disgusting and terrifying with his cold remorselessness and pyromaniac tendencies. 

Strike five: the scene where Roy + Doll goes swimming (I was getting really tired of seeing him in a speedo) and then SPOILER he attacks her. I expected a sexual attack. Instead it was a murder. END OF SPOILER But it was literally thrown in for ZERO reason except to amp stuff up??? Or get rid of Doll??? Literally remained 100% unresolved. And it’s never explained why Roy is so weird and why Flood “rescued” him (from what?!). 

Strike six: it literally ends with the bad guy barely knocked out, and the MCs are kissing and whatnot instead of running to get the police to stop this guy before he murders them. 

Oh, and strike seven, which I forgot: Kay basically propositioning to Frank a couple times, if not specifically in one scene. 

There was probably more, but I think that covers the basics. 

The only thing I liked was all the suspense about saving the kids. Very cool addition. And Kay + Frank suddenly turned into heroes. That part of the film was really fun, actually. 

Romance: 1/5

Sorta already covered all that. I was not a fan of Kay & Frank’s sorta-illicit-because-she’s-Flood’s-girlfriend, whirlwind, passionate romance. Oh, and I wasn’t a fan of all the kissing, stroking, lap-sitting, and otherwise romantic moments between Roy, Harry, Frank, or Flood towards Doll and/or Kay. 

Content: 1/5 (high)

See all my ranting above.

Violence: 3/5 (medium)

Besides my ranting above, there’s some onscreen violence (fistfights, shooting, etc) but nothing graphic. 

Overall: 1/5

Waste of my time and waste of my brain matter. 

“No Escape” (1953)

No Escape

Brief Description:

When evidence and circumstance in a murder case points to a young woman as the main suspect, both her boyfriend (a police detective) and a struggling songwriter who plays piano in a bar, decide to withhold evidence from the police. Both of them ostensibly act to protect the woman, who believes that she accidentally killed the victim after an attempted assault. But when the songwriter is suspected by the police, the girl can’t take it any more… 

(from Wikipedia, edited & added to by me)

Date: 1953

Genre: American crime drama mystery film noir

Running time: 1 hour 16 minutes 

Cast: 

Lew Ayres (Tracy)

Marjorie Steele (Pat)

Renny McEvoy (Turnip)

Sonny Tufts (Shayne)

Lewis Martin (Gunning)

Gertrude Michael (Olga)

Charles Cane (Grossett)

James Griffith (Hayden)

Director:  Charles Bennett 

Production company: Matthugh Productions

Wikipedia page

Watch on Archive

(watched on Tubi)

Setting/Aesthetic/Feel: 4/5

The ’50s aesthetic/feel was definitely there, with nightclubs, parties, apartments… I just wish the setting involved the pub less. ;P 

Characters: 3/5

I really liked Pat because she was kind-hearted and tried hard to be honest and do the right thing, even if she messed up a couple times. I ended up liking T. as he redeemed himself. I never did like S., though. He was too aggressive, even to his girlfriend. Gunning was fun though. And Turnip was an interesting sidekick. (Also, random policeman who spoke to Pat on the bus—super cool guy.)

Plot: 3/5

Suspense? Yes, especially with the manhunt. But I figured out the baddie early on. Partly because of the stupid Tubi synopsis, though—I don’t know if I’d have guessed it was them otherwise. I was not a fan of how the murder came about, with the attempted assault and all the other stuff that happened to compromise Pats reputation. 

Romance: 2/5

S + P were kinda cute at first—I mean, I tried hard to ship them. But S just was too aggressive and controlling. T was a lot more gentlemanly—ironically. The relationship was kind of whirlwind and you could see it a mile off, and it just wasn’t my fav. 

Theme/Message/Topics: 0/5

No theme, except maybe don’t go home with drunk men~

Content: 1/5 (high)

Drinking, lots of it. Some language, possibly. Portrait of “Sultry Sally” in a rather revealing costume. Kissing which is considered passionate in my book. Off-screen, a guy tries to assault a girl. 

Violence: 4/5 (low)

Little to no on-screen violence. Shot of a dead man (eyes open); a few scenes where someone is threatened with a gun; a scene where people are shot—all nongraphic.

Overall: 3/5

Meh. It wasn’t awful, but I didn’t really like it either. And I really hated Shayne.

“The Riverside Murder” (1935)

The Riverside Murder

Brief Description:

When a financier is murdered in his home, a new detective and a budding journalist clash. Inspector Winton has only so long to unravel a complex mystery involving five friends, an estranged son, a pact that ends at midnight, a family fortune, and a killer that keeps striking. Meanwhile, Claire Haines is trying to get a scoop, hoping to convince her boss to let her be a crime journalist. But time is running out for both of them… 

(written by me)

Date: 1935

Genre: crime mystery British film 

Running time: 1 hour 3 minutes 

Cast: 

Basil Sydney (Winton)

Judy Gunn (Claire)

Zoe Davis (Mrs. Harris)

Alastair Sim (Mac)

Reginald Tate (Perrin)

Ian Fleming (Sanders)

Tom Helmore (Jerome)

Martin Lewis (Gregg)

C. M. Hallard (Dickenson)

Aubrey Mallalieu (Norman)

Ernest Borrow (Field)

Sidney Monckton (Globe Reporter)

Director: Albert Parker

Production company: Fox Film

Based on: The Six Dead Men by Stanislas-André Steeman

Wikipedia page

Watch on Archive

(watched on Tubi)

Setting/Aesthetic/Feel: 5/5

I love me a good 1940s-1950s mystery film, and I’ve noticed a lot of 1930 films are meh. But this film fits right in with the ’40s ones! The setting of a little British town isn’t shown very much, but I still enjoyed it. And I loved the ’40s feel!

Characters: 5/5

Sydney was such a great inspector—not too nasty, but in control; not given to shooting his mouth, but brilliantly sarcastic; interesting, but not broody. He came across as a lot smarter because of his restraint. Claire was the typical smart, sassy girl who gets in the way to help solve the mystery, gets shoved around but always shows back up. They made a great couple! Mrs. H. was super sweet, Mac was hilarious, and the four financiers were quite interesting. And I liked Claire’s coworker somehow...

Plot: 5/5

Did I mention I love a good mystery? This was it, right here. A good set-up, several viable suspects, a twist ending I didn’t see coming but that made PERFECT sense, nonstop action, low violence but plenty of suspense… oh yeah, I loved it. 

Romance: 5/5

I honestly wasn’t sure Winton and Claire would end up as a couple, but I loved their romance because it was super cute. Cliché, perhaps, similar to many other 1930s-1950s detective films, but I enjoyed it a lot. The banter was epic. I LOVED the final scene. 

Content: 4/5 (low)

I remember only 2 uses of language (d**n); a few mentions of drinking; a kiss. 

Violence: 4/5 (low)

3-4 people are murdered, but it’s all nongraphic: just shots of someone shooting and the victim falling. One shot of a man showing his bleeding chest. 

Overall: 5/5

British humour is the best. Classic mystery films are the best. Police + journalist relationships are pretty near the best. Um, yes. This checks all the boxes for me and I absolutely love it.