The Crooked Circle ~ 1932 -BW

QUICKIE: "Olive Oyl" is stuck in a Haunted House with murderers!

PLOT: The Sphinx Club is a group of amateur detectives who are the bitter rivals of The Crooked Circle, a collection of hooded villains. After The Sphinx Club aids the authorities in catching and imprisoning a member of The Crooked Circle, the evil gang swears revenge by targeting Colonel Walters, a well-known member of The Sphinx Club. Will the Sphinx Club be able to protect Colonel Walters or will The Crooked Circle succeed in their quest to kill him?

SUMMARY: If you've never experienced the thing that is Zasu Pitts, here is a Zasu zinger! In 1933 Mae Questel caricatured Pitt's voice for the character Olive Oyl for the Fleischer Studios animated cartoon version of the comic strip Popeye. Zasu (pronounced Zay-Sue) does her best "Olive Oyl" impersonation walking around whining and ringing her hands or attaching herself to the policeman's laynard. I kept waiting for her to say "ohhh myyyy", but instead it's "something always happens to somebody."

The first time I saw this film I loved Zasu and found her character really funny. I've since seen her in other films where she does this same whining, uptight, fragile-flower routine. So, upon watching this film again I started getting a little annoyed with the constant whining and near hysteria over a piece of dust. But, there are some funny comedy bits here, and it's also a mystery movie as well. It's an interesting mix of mystery and comedy that actually works. The mystery plot holds together well through the camp of Zasu Pitts and James Gleason who plays Arthur Crimmer the policeman. The haunted House is fun with many a secret passage and even a skeleton in the attic!

Horror Collection: Disc 45 - Side A

Watch for free here:
http://www.archive.org/details/crooked_circle

Mr. Robinson Crusoe ~ 1932 -BW

QUICKIE: A man and his dog go play Gilligan's Island.

PLOT: While cruising the South Seas with friends aboard a sailing yacht, it is wagered that Steve (Douglas Fairbanks) can not survive on a desert isle without the accouterments of civilization. After accepting the wager, Steve and his dog swim ashore and begin to recreate their Park Avenue world by way of various Rube Goldberg type contraptions constructed from local materials. Meanwhile, on a nearby island, a young maiden (Maria Alba) flees her arranged wedding. She canoes to Steve's island for safety, whereupon she is dubbed "Saturday". Soon they are attacked by vengeful tribesmen from the neighboring island. Will Steve and Saturday survive?

SUMMARY: Douglas Fairbanks is crazy fun in this silly film. Playing castaway in a manner to put Gilligan and Tom Hanks to absolute shame, Steve bets he can re-create his Park Avenue lifestyle on the island using only his wits. True to his word, within 2 months time he has created every manner of contraption to recreate his life of ease. He captures animals and humans to create servants. He builds a radio and a raised hut that is quite impressive. It's a rather unrealistic story as in real life one would get hurt, and the weather would act up alot. Steve never faces a bad wind. He also gets a monkey to milk a goat and his dog to keep another goat walking on a treadmill. In real life it would take 2 months just to train the animals. But no matter, we watch to be amused by all the ingenious contraptions made from palm leaves and coconuts. Steve's love of life is infectious and bordering on mania, but it gets him through. There's a great climax where his friends return to get him while 2 tribes of headhunters come after Steve as well.

Mystery Collection: Disc 51 - Side - A

Watch for free here:

http://www.archive.org/details/mr_robinson_crusoe

http://www.archiveclassicmovies.com/watch.html

Google video.com

Private Buckaroo ~ 1942 -BW

QUICKIE: Pro-war musical featuring the Andrew Sisters and the Harry James Orchestra.

PLOT: This WW II musical comedy tells the story of a young inductee who has trouble fitting into the military lifestyle. The inductee changes his ways after meeting a retired officer's lovely daughter. Harry James is also drafted and his band decides to enlist to stay with their leader. James and his group decide to entertain the troops by putting on a show. Along for the ride in this film are The Andrews Sisters, Shemp Howard, Joe E. Lewis, Huntz Hall and a young Donald O'Connor.

SUMMARY: What a fun musical movie. But don't look too hard for a deep plot. There's enough of a story to keep the movie going, but this is more of a film showcasing musical and dance talent. The Andrew Sisters do such hits as: Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree, Six Jerks in a Jeep, and Three Little Sisters. The Harry James Orchestra does You Made Me Love You. The ending is VERY pro-war and some parts of this movie border on offensive to me. But, it was a different time and getting "the enemy" was more civilized, if you'll allow me the use of that term there, than today's wars have become. Things were definitely different then. The musical numbers are fun and the story with Bonnie-Belle (Mary Wickes) and Sgt. 'Muggsy' Shavel (Shemp Howard) is very entertaining. The high energy swing dancing from a bunch of teenagers in the finale just blew my mind. Those kids could dance!

Family Collection: Disc 40 - Side A

Watch for free here:
http://www.archiveclassicmovies.com/watch.html

Rogues' Gallery ~ 1944 -BW

QUICKIE: Murder shouldn't be funny, but this one is a laugh a minute.

PLOT: Reporter Patsy Reynolds (Robin Raymond) and photographer Eddie Porter (Frank Jenks)are assigned to interview John Foster (Davison Clark), head of the Emmerson Foundadtion regarding a listening device the organization is working on. Foster evades them and they to the lab to see Professor Reynolds (H. B. Warner), the real inventor. Soon, they are involved in several shootings, blueprints that change hands several times, a corpse in their car that appears and disappears a few times, the loss of their jobs and several people who either think they are killers or candidates for being killed.

SUMMARY: Oh gee, this one really made me laugh out loud alot. It's your typical murder movie and the corpse keeps vanishing so the police doubt there even was a murder. Patsy seems to be the only one with a clue in this whole movie and I love that. Strong female characters in older films are a rarity. Her and her crazy photographer side kick solve the murder, despite being the prime suspects. Jimmy Foster (Ray Walker) is a rival reporter who has a knack for turning up just when Patsy is getting a scoop.

I figured out right away who did it, so if you're looking for a great "who dun it", then this isn't it. It's more of a comedy than a mystery. If you approach it from that angle it'll be more enjoyable.

Mystery Collection: Disc 48 - Side - A

Watch for free here:

http://www.archive.org/details/rogues_gallery

Three Husbands ~ 1951 -BW

QUICKIE: Your dead friend left you a letter confessing he did your wife.... psych!

PLOT: When a recently deceased playboy gets to heaven and is granted one wish--granted to all newcomers--he requests that he be able to see the reactions of three husbands, with whom he regularly played poker, to a letter he left each of them claiming to have had an affair with each's wife.


SUMMARY: An interesting peek into three relationships and how they all centered around Max the bachelor. The film shows how each couple responds to the letter and in flashback reveals the moment/s when the alleged affairs could have happened. I was a bit disappointed in the end that all three wives took their husbands back, but considering it was the 50's, of course it's going to end that way. A nice, harmless film that doesn't really say much, other than "don't neglect your wife", but is still a nice film to watch. Some "high society" moments, and some fun party scenes. Eve Arden & Billie Burke are a couple of my more favorited actresses, and they deliver character as always.

Family Collection: Disc 35 - side A

A Bride For Henry ~ 1937 -BW

QUICKIE: Rich spoiled brat marries her lawyer who ends up setting her straight.

PLOT: On the day of her wedding Sheila's (Anne Nagel) fiancé Eric Reynolds (Henry Mollison) doesn't show up, sleeping off the results of the previous night's wild bachelor party. Miffed, the woman decides to go ahead with the wedding anyway to teach her fiancé a lesson. Sheila calls her lawyer, Henry Tuttle (Warren Hull), and has him stand in for her missing groom. Although Sheila intends to divorce her new "husband" at the first opportunity, Henry --who has been in love with her for a long time-- is determined to win his "wife's" hand. Helen Van Orden (Claudia Dell) plays an old acquaintance of Henry's that helps open Sheila's eyes to Henry.

SUMMARY: Sheila is everything contemptuous about high society. She's spoiled to the core. So much so that she marries her lawyer to "teach her fiance a lesson". So much for the sanctity of marriage. Most of this film portrays Sheila and her fiance, who shows up for the honeymoon part anyway, they bumble through various adventures and eventually end up in jail. All the while, Henry Tuttle, the groom, is the very image of class and style. Displaying all his myriad talents of diving, tennis, horseback riding, why he's the very image of good breeding in high society. Eventually Sheila's affections sway from Eric to Henry. In the meantime we get to see high society in all it's glory with fabulous gowns and handsome tuxedos, in a lush resort setting. (Except for the jail scene.) A nice, neutral movie. No killing, no violence, no car chases, no curses. Just high society doing it's thing. Very nice.

Family Collection: Disc 35, side B

Watch for free online:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7038526587945494389&q=A+Bride+For+Henry&total=72&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0&hl=en

The Villian Still Pursued Her ~ 1940 -BW

QUICKIE: A villain, a maiden, the hero ... and then ... gasp! ... alcohol!

PLOT: The widow Wilson (Margaret Hamilton) and her daughter Mary (Anita Louise) have just learned that old Mr. Middleton, who held the mortgage on their home, has passed away. They are now visited by Middleton's lawyer, Cribbs (Alan Mowbray), who informs them that Middleton's son and heir Edward (Richard Cromwell) plans to foreclose and take possession of their home. When Mary goes to plead with Edward, she soon discovers that it is really the unscrupulous Cribbs who wants to drive them out of their home. When Mary and Edward become engaged to be married, it looks as if all is well. But the calculating Cribbs has a new plan, which begins with luring young Edward into a lifestyle of drinking and dissipation. Buster Keaton plays William Dalton, the friend to Edward who turns him around in the end.

SUMMARY:
Villain: "You must pay the rent!"
Maiden: "I can't pay the rent!"
Hero: "I'll pay the rent!"
Maiden: "My hero!"
Villain: "Curses! Foiled again."

The rest of the story:
Maiden & Hero marry.
Maiden: "Lips that touch liquor shall never touch mine."
Villain: "Here, Mr. Hero, have a drink."
Hero drinks for 20 years straight.
Maiden: "Oh, my poor husband."

Watch this movie and laugh. Hiss at the villain, clap for the hero. Make some popcorn to throw at the screen. It's a silly melodramatic romp of ridiculous over-acting and predictable plots. Twice they stop the movie to post notes to the theater customers. Shakespeare is vomiting. We're laughing at the camp. Great fun for all... except Bill. wink.

The Admiral Was A Lady ~ 1950 -BW

QUICKIE:
Stop that girl I think she's cute.....
Stop that girl or I'll have to get a job.....
Stop that girl because I'm in love with her....

PLOT: Four unemployed veterans work hard at staying unemployed and all is going well until "the Admiral" (Wanda Hendrix) catches the eye of Jimmy Stevens (Edmond O'Brien), the gangs' ring leader. Rudy Vallee plays Peter Pedigrew the jukebox king, who bribes the gang to get the Admiral back together with her fiance or else he'll get the vets' some jobs. Hillary Brooke plays Mrs. Shirley Pedigrew (Peter's ex-wife) who has stolen the Admirals' fiance.

SUMMARY: This is just a silly movie from start to finish. Four veterans have set up deals all over town so the gang goes from place to place all day doing little errands, without actually being employed, as then they'd lose their veteran unemployment pension. Once the Admiral starts meddling in their lives we find the deeper reasons for the veterans' lives being what they are. It's a cute and fun movie. Nothing too heavy. The Admiral keeps trying to get back to Wala Wala to get married and the gang has to stop her from leaving through various ruses.

His Double Life ~ 1933 -BW

QUICKIE: A sweet movie based on a misunderstanding. I think it's a 1930's chick-flick!

PLOT: Priam Farrel (Roland Young) is a celebrated artist but a social recluse. When his valet dies of a sudden illness, a mix-up leads to the body being identified as Farrel's. The timid artist then assumes the identity of his former servant, but finds himself faced with constant dilemmas as a result.

SUMMARY: I like movies about painters. I like movies about old high society. I like Roland Young, so I was going to like this movie. Some may consider it boring. There's no gun play, sex appeal nor car chases. No mad scientists and crazed monsters. Unless you count the scores of morons who never let Farrel clarify his identity. What else can the man do to prove who he is but paint?

I love the unspoken morality of this movie: the wife who loves him and doesn't care what his name is, or about his former life, she loves him just the same. The greedy people who crawl through the woodwork of this mans life once he's dead. How we never know how we really effect someone elses' life. Farrel gets to go to his own funeral, and it's a moving and funny moment. It's amusing how people act after thinking he's dead and Farrel is talking to them about himself.

Things get complicated when Farrrel begins painting again, and his paintings are recognized and sold as "Farrels", who should be dead. So he ends up in court and must prove his identity in a very unconventional way. What's very interesting is he can get away with saying over and over, "I don't care, this isn't my lawsuit, I just want to paint!" As an artist, I sympathize with the frustration of the ridiculousness of the bureaucratic world which keeps the artist from self expression. I could read such themes into this movie forever, but I'm tired now. It's a good movie, it may bore some, but I found it simply wonderful.

Country Gentlemen ~ 1936 -BW

QUICKIE: I keep trying to get out but you keep draging me back in you in lousy, dirt-bag-crumb (but we're rich!) good ol' pal o' mine!

PLOT: After being run out of town for trying to sell worthless goldmine stock, two conmen breeze into the small town of Chesterville, where they find themselves accused of kidnapping a young boy to whom they offered a ride. When that misunderstanding is cleared up, the two conmen hatch a plot to unload all their worthless paper on the gullible citizens of Chesterville and swindle the soldiers at the local army base out of their million dollar bonus.

SUMMARY: Oh gosh, this movie has it all. The stupid blonde, the dumb slapstick crook, the crook trying to go straight, soldiers by the handfull, gangsters, a car chase, motorcycles, a love interest, kids, dogs, money, big business, oil, police, misunderstandings, and the big happy ending where everyone is miraculously rich. Again, you'll have to suspend reality to enjoy the movie and leave most of your intelligence at the door as well. The slapstick con man is annoying with his blatant stupidity and how he keeps dragging his "friend" into cons that he's trying to go straight from. Why the hero doesn't just walk out and leave him is beyond my comfort level.

The bad con sets up an office, buys a field and starts to drill for oil. He makes his friend a partner in the whole affair without his consent and before you know it, they're in too deep to get out. Once the local gangsters and the soldiers find out it's all a con they come gang handed after the two cons, tie them up, carry them to the oil well, and throw dynamite down the well. This of course makes it gush oil, causing the lynch mob to instantly befriend the crooks again. Just at that moment the sheriff shows up to tell them there's been gold discovered in their gold mine. Everybody's rich. I don't believe it. I was never annoyed at a happy ending before, but here it was just too dumb and impossible to take seriously. But, "it's only a movie".

IMDB has a user review that talks about other "Olsen and Johnson" films, which leads me to believe this was a popular comedic paring in the movies. This was my first exposure to this duo and sadly, I wasn't very thrilled. It may just be that the plot annoyed me. There was some good comedy and some very funny lines that did make me laugh, but I was more annoyed than amused by the stereotyped characters.

The Sin of Harold Diddlebock ~ 1947 -BW

QUICKIE: Two men dangle out the window of the 5th floor suspended only by a lion, and other amazing feats brought to you by Mr. Diddlebock's bender.

PLOT: Twenty years after his triumphs as a freshman on the football field, Harold is a mild-mannered clerk who dreams about marrying the girl at the desk down the aisle. But losing his job destroys that dream, and when he finds a particularly potent drink at his local bar, he goes on a very strange and funny rampage (with a lion in tow).

SUMMARY: This movie stressed me out to no end. Diddlebock gets fired because he's a lame-O, boring bookkeeper. He gets over 2 grand from his retirement fund and a gold watch. Out he goes onto the street, and as a drifter talks him into having his very first drink, we cringe knowing the loss of his life savings is imminent. But we're pleasantly surprised as Diddlebock's enthusiasm explodes out of 20 years of suppressed genius and joy. He runs around screaming and over reacting to everything for the rest of the film.

Diddlebock manages to make $15,000 betting on horses, buys a ridiculous checkered suit, a month's of service from a horse and carriage, and a circus. Once he sobers up he discovers the circus is in huge financial trouble. So Diddlebock schemes up a plan to interest bankers to buy the circus off him by taking the lion to the banks, drumming up attention. There's real stupid slapstick humor here and when they hang off the side of the building suspended only by the lion, I was squirming with uncomfortableness the whole time.

There's the great cliche happy ending as Diddlebock discovers that during his bender he married his true love, and Barnum & Bailey buy the circus for $175,000. Rich, famous and married, Awww.

Margaret Hamilton (Wizard of Oz) has a small part as Diddlebock's sister and Rudy Vallee makes an appearance as well. But I was mostly captivated by the lion. And the constant yelling. Still, a good film with many funny bits and very daring stunts.

Wake Me Up When the War is Over ~ 1969 -colour

QUICKIE: Eva Gabor kidnaps a soldier and makes him her love slave!

PLOT: Ken Berry (F Troop) plays American soldier Lt. Roger Carrington. During WW2 he accidentally falls from a plane into Nazi Germany. Luckily, he lands at the lovely Baroness Marlenes' (Eva Gabor- who is only briefly shown in something other than lingerie) estate. The Baroness hides Ken from the intermittent Nazi house searches performed by Mayor Erich Mueller played by Werner Klemperer, who is best loved for his role as Col. Klink in Hogan's Heroes. The lonely Baroness refuses to tell Ken when the war ends, preferring instead to pay the locals to dress up in their old Nazi uniforms and search the house for Ken once a week. Since Ken can't understand German, he lives in ignorance that the war is over. Things get even funnier when after the war, the Baroness hires servants like Eva (Danielle De Metz), who help Ken escape the estate. Since Ken can't speak any German, things go from bad to worse when he tries to make it out of Germany. Jim Backus (Thurston Howell from Gilligan's Island / Mr Magoo) plays an American Col. looking for Ken. Executive Producers are Arron Spelling and Danny Thomas, so you just know you're in for something stupidly silly.

SUMMARY: The movie starts with some fascinating reel footage of WW2. Amazing to see that. Aside from the seriousness of the reel footage, this is a really silly movie. You must suspend your belief that Ken wouldn't learn ANY German during his five years of being a love slave to the Baroness. Sure, she spoke English, but radios, newspapers, books?.... five years is a looooooong time to be fooling around. But then again, it is Eva Gabor. This movie is just silly and fun. It's that special brand of humor from the 70s where people are over energetically stupid and everything they attempt to do (blow up a tank, destroy a bridge with dynamite, drive a sidecar motorcycle) fails miserably. There's still the cliche happy ending though, as Ken gets saved by the American officers and Ken and Eva get married. Aww. Grab a couple beers, make some popcorn, and have a silly laugh.

Beat The Devil ~ 1953 -BW

QUICKIE: Dahling, you meet such interesting people when you travel!

PLOT: A bunch of swindlers are detained in Italy while their steamer is being repaired and they hook up with the Chelms, who are very British. While waiting on the repairs, there is much scheming, drinking and indescretion going on. The six passengers eventually set sail for Africa, presumably to sell vacuum cleaners but actually to buy land loaded with uranium. Mr. Chelm, who plays a bumbling, neurotic idiot destroys the oil pump on the ship, and all must abondan ship. Somehow Mr. Chelm is lost at sea and the rest of the group lands on the coast of Africa and is immediately arrested. The swindlers bury their passports so as not to be discovered and interrogations ensue. Our hero (Bogart) fixes it so the swindlers are arrested and him & the ladies go free. The movie ends with Mrs. Chelm receiving a telegram that her husband has gone ahead and purchased the uranium rich land, making them rich in the end.

SUMMARY: Wow this is a great movie. The cast alone is spectacular, I mean it's Bogart and Peter Lorre for starters! We also get Jennifer Jones, Gina Lollobrigida, and Robert Morley. Writen by Truman Capote, directed by John Huston who also directed Moulin Rouge (1952), African Queen and The Treasure of the Sierra Madre amongst other gems. See, every once in awhile we get a public domain film that is truly exceptional, and this is one of them.

It's also surprisingly funny with some great dialogue, such as this:

Billy Dannreuther: I've got to have money. Doctor's orders are that I must have a lot of money, otherwise I become dull, listless and have trouble with my complexion.

Gwendolyn Chelm: But you're not like that now, and you haven't any money.

Billy Dannreuther: It's my expectations that hold me together.



Gwendolyn Chelm: Harry, we must beware of these men. They are desperate characters.

Harry Chelm: What makes you say that ?

Gwendolyn Chelm: Not one of them looked at my legs!


Charming! A really great film from start to finish.

The Smallest Show on Earth ~ 1957 -BW

QUICKIE: Watching a movie in this cinema will endager your life, but be the best movie you've never seen!

PLOT: Jean and Bill are a struggling married couple with Bill trying to scrape a living as a writer. Out of the blue they receive a telegram informing them that Bill's long-lost uncle has died and left them his business - a cinema in the town of Sloughborough. They pack their bags and travel to Sloughborough expecting to sell the cinema to gain a huge inheritance, however, they discover the cinema is falling apart and is run by a comically incompetant staff who seem to have worked there forever. They set out with a plan to sell it but things don't quite go to plan.

SUMMARY: This is a wonderfull film by every measure. Very entertaining and some comedy that is actually funny. The crew make the defects of the cinema (like an over-active boiler, or the passing train that nearly brings the house down), coincide with scenes being shown on screen and the cinema becomes widely popular for it's "interactive" movies. Some truly funny scenes when the train pases by, shaking the whole building. Peter Sellers has a small part, yet is still good. Everything works out for a happy ending as always.

Happy Go Lovely ~ 1951 -Colour

QUICKIE: Rags to riches Cinderella story with a chorus girl and a Scottish millionaire.

PLOT: Late for work on a stage show, Janet Jones (Vera-Ellen) thumbs a ride with a millionaires' chauffeur. The chauffeurs' delivery of Jones' forgotten handbag backstage leads everyone to conclude Jones is dating the town's millionaire. The producer, desperate for financial backing, makes Jones the star of the show and sets up press interviews for her. The millionaire comes to confront Jones about some purchases mistakenly charged to him through the mix up, and through a case of mistaken identity, Miss Jones believes the millionaire is the news reporter. Courting ensues, with the millionaire eventually falling for the girl, backing the show and saving the day just when the truth comes out.

SUMMARY: Cesar Romero is completely intolerable as the frantic, constantly screaming insulting producer. I had to turn the sound down a few times because I just could not tolerate listening to any more of his shrill screaming insults at people. They were trying for humour and didn't even get close. Why more people didn't quit that job they weren't being paid for is beyond my tolerance level, but most scenarios in these films are situations that no one would ever tolerate today. Suspension of reality is always necessary in these films and here it's no different.

The story is sweet, the dance numbers are good. Vera-Ellen is a fantastic dancer. David Niven is David Niven again. Really, is he ever anything different than what he always is? A saltine cracker with a British accent. He's no Charles Boyer. Of course, no one is. All in all, it's good, wholesome entertainment.

The Stork Club ~ 1945 -BW

QUICKIE: Air head working girl gets rich and it ruins her life. But it doesn't stop her from singing some really stupid songs.

PLOT: (from IMDB): An old man (Barry Fitzgerald) despondent over his failing marriage accidently falls from a dock. Judy (Betty Hutton), a hat-check girl at New York's famous Stork Club, saves him from drowning. Unknown to her, Jerry Bates (the old fellow) is rich. In gratitude he anonymously provides for her financially. Yes, it changes her life--and not all for the best. Jealous over the unknown benefactor, Judy's boyfriend (Don DeFore) dumps her. This not only puts a crimp in her love life but sidetracks her aspirations for a singing career as well. Can the old man's marriage be saved? Will bubbly, animated Judy get back her fellow?

SUMMARY: Another fabulous rags to riches story. With lots of "money doesn't make you happy" undertones. The premise of the story is based on a misunderstanding between the couple, Judy and Danny. Amazing how nobody trusts each other in these movies. Danny returns from the war and discovers his girl is suddenly living the high life. Well, just who wouldn't suspect that this innocent bubble head took up a life of prostitution? After all, who wants to work as a hat check girl forever? And her benefactor, a rich, old, ugly guy stays in the apartment with her. So, of course she'd be a kept woman for a man like that!

The story is silly, yet it's still fun with Judy trying to figure out who her benefactor is while trying to "break" him by spending all his money. There's always the happy ending though, as Judy gets Danny and his band a job performing at The Stork Club where all misunderstandings are cleared up between them. There's a sweet subplot of the same sort of misunderstanding between the old man and his wife as well.

There's a few musical bits with Judy singing, or Danny's band playing. Some of the songs are stupid and that's midly entertaining, but I could of done without the musical bits.

Broadway Limited ~ 1941 -BW

QUICKIE: It's a game of "hot potato" played with a baby instead of a 'tater!

PLOT: (from IMDB): As a ploy to gain publicity, a motion picture director (Leonid Kinskey) wants his star actress (Marjorie Woodworth) to take a baby with her on a train trip. The director's secretary (Patsy Kelly) asks the train's engineer (Victor McLaglen), an old boyfriend, for help. As the engineer ponders what to do, a stranger in the train station tells him that he has a baby that could be used. On board the train, the actress meets a young doctor (Dennis O'Keefe) whom she knew in school, and whom she is still in love with. The presence of the baby causes a series of misunderstandings between them, but the real problems begin when the engineer begins to suspect that the baby may have been kidnapped.

SUMMARY: OMG, is this stupidly enjoyable. We have the beautiful blonde starlet, an adorable baby, the handsome Dr. love interest, a bunch of kooky supporting people, all traveling on an express train. Misunderstandings abound and nobody wants the baby until everybody wants the baby. It's supposedly a kidnapped baby from a very famous rich family, which, it turns out not to be in the end, of course. But the mix ups in between are pretty entertaining. The ending is our typical feel-good ending with everyone running off to get married and the baby ending up with it's parents again. Awww.

Amazing Adventure ~ 1937 -BW

QUICKIE: A bored rich guy spends a year living as "the other half lives".

PLOT: (from IMDB): Ernest Bliss is a rich young man with too little to do. Not realizing the depression he's in is due to boredom, Ernest consults a doctor. Sir James Aldroyd gives Ernest a prescription that he doesn't think Ernest can fill: Ernest must earn his own living for one year using none of his current wealth. Ernest bets him 50,000 English pounds that he can.

SUMMARY: Oh, to be the idle rich, it's such a tedious and dreary thing. Our hero, Mr. Bliss bets his Dr. to live as a working class man for a year. So Bliss works as a stove salesman and through offering free dinners gains a sale of 100 stoves. The boss wants to make him a partner, and for some dumb reason, Bliss won't accept success, so he declines and becomes a chauffer for hire instead.

Meanwhile the stove business secretary and Mr. Bliss fall for each other. Our heroine (Mary Brian) has a sister who needs to be sent to Switzerland for medical care and the only way she can see to finance it is to marry her old boss, the stove king. Our hero Mr. Bliss forfits his bet so he can save our heroine from marrying for money.

A charming film overall. Not many laughs or great drama, but a nice, plain film all the same. Bliss continually turns around and uses his money to change things, which somehow doesn't negate the bet. I love that he ends up buying the garage where he worked and firing his old boss. Who wouldn't love that kind of power? And let's face it, Cary Grant is such a joy to watch I don't care much about the story.

It's A Joke Son ~ 1947 -BW

QUICKIE: Comedy about a southern Senator who runs for office against his wife.

PLOT: The first Eagle-Lion film stars Kenny Delmar as Senator Beauregard Claghorn, his "Allen's Alley" resident-character heard on Fred Allen's radio program. Claghorn was a blustery, one-man-Chamber-of-Commerce for all things Southern, who had no tolerence for anything north of the Mason-Dixon line, although he made allowances for South Philly. The character inspired the creation of one of the most popular of the Warners' cartoon characters, Foghorn Leghorn, who re-worked most of the originals material and style. The title of this movie is a stock line- "it's a joke, son"---he would feed a befuddled Fred Allen each week. In the film, Claghorn gets into some financial difficulties and is forced by a machine-political gang to enter a race for state senator against his wife (Una Merkel) who appears to have a good chance to beat the political hack backed by the machine. Claghorn is in to siphon votes and ensure his wife's opponent will win and is expected to run a campaign that will defeat himself and his wife. But, he runs to win and the machine's henchies abduct him.

SUMMARY: A rather funny movie if you can tolerate confederates who hate "the North". Claghorn is frequently "called" by his wife by her playing Dixie on the piano. The absolute best scene is when the tea-totaling Ladies of the community gather at the Senator's house and accidentally get drunk on "punch" made by a local boy who helped Claghorn in the kitchen. I found it a mildly amusing film all about Claghorn and being southern. I can totally see the Foghorn Leghorn inspiration.

Slightly Honorable ~ 1940 -BW

QUICKIE: Slightly comprehensible as various people try and frame a lawyer for murder. Lots of quick funny bits if you can keep up.

PLOT: An honest lawyer becomes the target of a corrupt politician who decides to frame the attorney for the murder of a young woman. Desperate to clear his name, the attorney sets out to track down the real culprit with the help of his assistant and some unexpected help from a nightclub dancer. The trail to the real killer ends up leading our attorney to someone connected to him a lot closer than he ever imagined.

SUMMARY: Wow. I've seen this movie twice and still didn't follow all of it. There's about 10 guys who are hard to tell apart on a small screen such as I have. There's some plot about trying to win a contract to build highways, and a big courtroom demonstration to go with it. A toughened socialite (Claire Dodd) gets murdered, which starts local politicians trying to get the lawyer arrested for the murder.

The real gems in this movie are the women. The too young dancer (Ruth Terry) who forces herself onto the lawyer steals every scene with her over zealous stupidity. Eve Arden is fabulous as the bitingly witty secretary, a role she seems typcast in, but still a joy to watch.

The one liners are fast and furious. The movie ends with the lawyer driving to a graveyard in Texas to discover clues to the murder and his tag-a-long partner tries to kill him. Once back home the next morning, the lawyer confronts his partner and they fight to the death. The nightclub singer witnesses the whole thing and notifies the police, clearing the lawyer. Somehow the truth about the corrupt politicians who were trying to frame the lawyer gets all straightened out too. I couldn't follow the plot too well as I was trying to keep everyone straight and keep up with the flying one liners. Not an Earth shattering melodrama, so I didn't worry about losing the plot, I just enjoyed the humor.