The Lemon Drop Kid 1951

 

Starring: Bob Hope

A gangster forces a bookie to find the money which he has lost on a horse through the bookie's incompetence.

Typical, fast-talking Bob Hope movie, some humorous scenes, the man was a genius.     5/10

Rio Lobo 1970

 

Starring: John Wayne

A Union Colonel near the end of the Civil War recovers a gold shipment and exposes a traitor.

I'm not a great fan of John Wayne, so quick on his cue bite he never really developed any unique characters. Loved the opening half hour, movie deteriorated after that and took a very long time to reach its shoot-out conclusion. Not bad though.      7/10

Springfield Rifle 1952

 

Starring: Gary Cooper

A Union officer gets himself cashiered, joins the confederates as a spy, and unmasks a traitor.

Not that interested personally in the American war aspect but there was enough action and fist fighting to keep me entertained.     6/10

Checkpoint 1956

 

Starring: Anthony Steel

A tycoon sends an industrial spy to Italy in search of new motor racing car designs.

A sort of poor man's James Bond set in the motor racing World. Locations are great, some excitement but let down by a poor script. James Robertson Justice, surprise, surprise, plays James Robertson Justice.    6/10

Fall Into Darkness 1996

 Starring: Tatyana Ali

Ann Price blames her best friend, Sharon Mckay for her brother's Jerry's death. She decides to set Sharon up for her murder, but there is an unexpected surprise.

Typical TV movie, weak plot and acting although to be fair, this is better than most. Ending which I guess was trying to add a twist, totally didn't work for me.    6/10

The Devil's 8

 

Starring: Christopher George

A federal agent on the trail of a moonshine gang recruits a gang of hardened convicts and arranges for them to escape.

An enjoyable watch and is the film is so bad. Shocking acting, poor production and every time there's a bit of action, which is a lot, the same bit of hillbilly music kicks in. Loads of fighting, shooting and explosions.     6/10

Compulsion 1959

 

Starring: Dean Stockwell

In the twenties, two Chicago students kidnap and murder a young boy for kicks.

Brilliantly acted and watched as a tribute to Dean Stockwell who passed away this week. Still relevant today with the rich thinking they have licence to do whatever they choose.    6/10

Cairo Station 1958

 Starring: Farid Chawki

A crippled newspaper seller goes mad through thwarted love.

Fascinating for seeing the hustle and bustle of Cairo station and people going about their everyday life, plot wasn't up to much though.     4/10

North Dallas Forty 1979

 Starring: Nick Nolte

The gruelling life of a professional football player, laced with drugs, sex and alcohol.

Boys will be boys! All a little tedious watching grown men shout, slam about and behave like children. Thank goodness for Nick Nolte who is utterly believable in a very good performance.   6/10

Nazi Agent 1942

 

Starring: Conrad Veidt

A German-American is forced by his Nazi twin to help a group of German spies.

Made during the war, a little too talkative for my liking, needed a little light & shade.      4/10

Detective Story 1951

 

Starring: Kirk Douglas

A day in a New York precinct police station, during which a detective of almost pathological righteousness discovers a stain on. his family and himself becomes victim of violence.

A stage play and probably better delivered in that format. An interesting idea but a little too much until we reach the dramatic conclusion.   4/10

The Nanny 1965

 

Starring: Bette Davis

A ten-year old boy hates his nanny, and with good reason, for she is a neurotic murderess.

Forget your modern day, slasher movies. This is truly terrifying, quite frankly all of the nanny, mother and boy are unhinged. Brilliantly put together, this keeps you on the edge of your seat.     8/10

Loose Connections 1983

 Starring: Lindsay Duncan

Adventures on a drive to Munich

Bundt movie, interesting to see society views of the time. I never warmed to Lindsay Duncan and this will not be one that lives in the memory.      5/10

Too Many Husbands 1940

 

Starring: Jean Arthur

Allegedly drowned on a boat cruise, a man turns up again after his wife has remarried.

Not the most original script idea but this is delightfully delivered. Some very funny moments with a great supporting cast and quality comic timing.    7/10

A Guide For The Married Man 1967

 

Starring: Walter Matthau

A practised wolf explains to a perfect husband how to be unfaithful.

Despite a few humorous moments, this is just a bit too obvious for me. Plenty of views of ladies bums and tits, as pleasant as this may be, I feel a movie needs a lot more. Interesting to see all the star cameos though.       5/10

The Neptune Factor 1972

 Starring: Ben Gazzara

American oceanologists conduct an experiment in underwater living.

Wow, this looks dated. Some of the underwater effects were okay, the rest made me laugh out loud, I wonder how they were viewed at the time of release. Lacks tension to be honest but has Ernest Borgnine in it and he's always been one of my favourite actors, I love seeing what he does with a role. Not much for him to work with here, but his class shines through.     7/10

Hell's Half Acre 1953

 

Starring: Wendell Corey

A soldier missing after Pearl Harbor turns up years later in Hawaii under a different identity.

Hawaii is nicely shown off although the singing and flouncing, delightful if you visit, goes on a bit too long. The storyline itself is not strong enough and way too conversational.   4/10

Tomorrow We Live 1942

 

Starring: John Clements

French villagers help a spy escape to Britain.

Decent WW2 spy drama. Still makes my blood boil when you see how people were treated. Very well done and quite exciting.      7/10

Dark Waters 1944

 

Starring: Merle Oberon

Recovering from being torpedoed, an orphan girl visits her aunt and uncle in Louisiana and has some terrifying experiences.

A movie that certainly plays the melodrama card although it does have eight moments of 'gaiety'.   5/10

The Black Cauldron 1985

 

A medieval hero combats magic swords, wicked witches and skeletal tyrants.

Not my favourite Disney, a little dark for my taste. A few snatches of humour but none of the trademark songs or in this case, any songs at all, that make a Disney movie.       4/10

Mutiny 1952

 Starring: Mark Stevens

During the war of 1812, an American ship runs the English blockade to collect gold bullion from France.

Colour is a bit washed out now and is oddly dark during some of the fight scenes, but lots of fun messing around on the high seas and Angela Lansbury playing a completely different type of role.     6/10

Brute Force 1947

 

Starring: Burt Lancaster

Six violent convicts revolt against a sadistic warden and try to escape.

Hard hitting prison drama with an explosive ending, not bad but needed a bit of light to counter-balance the dark.         6/10

Parachute Battalion 1941

 

Starring: Robert Preston

Three boys go through parachute training school.

Not much of a blot to be honest, but all made in good humour and historically was actually quite interesting.  5/10

So Goes My Love 1946

 

Starring: Myrna Loy

The domestic life of inventor Hiram Maxim.

From first meeting, to courting, to getting married and having children. Very likeable lead performances and although there's no in depth plot, it put a smile on my face.     7/10

Captain Pirate 1952

 

Starring: Louis Hayward

A reformed pirate, accused of sacking Cartagena, returns to piracy to discover the perpetrators.

I love a good pirate movie and this ticks all the boxes. Plenty of swash and buckle, canon balls and drinking of rum. 6/10

Neutral Port 1940

 

Starring: Will Fyffe

A merchant navy captain avenges the loss of his ship by sabotaging a German U-boat.

War propaganda, highly irritating now. Lots of shouting and breast beating about nationality. A couple of reasonable scenes, otherwise completely forgettable.   3/10

All For Mary 1955

 

Starring: Kathleen Harrison

Two rivals for the hand of the pretty daughter of a Swiss hotelier are struck down by chicken pox and cared for by the old nanny of one of them.

Very dated, as much as I like David Tomlinson, this is watchable but just a little silly. A nanny ordering around two middle aged men just doesn't hold water nowadays. Nice scenery though.  5/10

Frontier Marshal 1939

 

Starring: Randolph Scott

Wyatt Earp cleans up Tombstone.

All the big-hitters here, Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, the Okay Coral. Fascinating to see how Tombstone was depicted as a busy, bustling, riotous place. I wonder how near the truth all of this was. I found this interesting more than gripping.   6/10

At Gunpoint 1955

 

Starring: Fred MacMurray

A western storekeeper accidentally kills a bank robber, whose brothers seek revenge; will the townsfolk come to his aid?

Loved this. A strong storyline, but I particularly loved the sense of community, you genuinely believed that the people all knew each other and were friends. A tale of loyalty, community and sticking together.    9/10

Nomads 1985

 

Starring: Pierce Brosnan

An anthropologist settling in Los Angeles is haunted by vengeful spirits of remote tribes he had investigated.

Terrible movie. Confused, lots of shrieking and why was Pierce Brosnan selected to play a Frenchman? The 80's soundtrack had some interest, otherwise a complete write off for me.   2/10

If I Were King 1938

 

Starring: Ronald Colman

The 14th century poet and rascal Francois Villon matches wits with Louis X1 and leads an uprising of the people.

Ronald Colman has his tongue firmly in his cheek and a glint in his eye, Basil Rathbone, who I seem to see in a movie every other week, is marvellously camp. A bit hit and miss but certainly has its moments.    5/10

Easy A 2010

 

Starring: Emma Stone

A clean-cut high school student relies on the school's rumor mill to advance her social and financial standing.

With a nodding wink to John Hughes 1980's movies, this teen flick absolutely hits the mark. Emma Stone is spot on, witty, charming, I can't imagine how somebody like that could be invisible in school. Terrifically writer with a bunch of great cameos, Emma Stone's parents and her teacher steal the show for me. Very enjoyable.  8/10

Storm Over Lisbon 1944

 

Starring: Vera Hruba Ralston

An International spy mastermind runs a Lisbon night club and sells documents to the highest bidder.

I'm not sure I was ever entirely sure what was going on. Set in Lisbon but quite dark and predominently set indoors, it could have been anywhere. Didn't do it for me at all.    2/10

Eye Of The Tiger 1986

 

Starring: Gary Busey

A vigilante avenge's his wife's murder.

So many vigilante movies made in the 80's. Not one of the greatest to be honest, Yaphet Kotto with his aerial support in an explosive finale was an excellent scene.    4/10

Uncle Buck 1989

 Starring: John Candy

A good-natured but slobbish layabout straightens out his sister's warring children and learns to love domesticity.

I remember this being huge when it was released, looks great on the outside but has little substance. Still watchable although it never once made me laugh out loud.       6/10

The Lost Moment 1947

 

Starring: Robert Cummings

An American publisher goes to Venice to recover love letters written by a famous poet to a lady now aged 105.

Intriguing idea and the old lady is brilliantly made up and well played. The movie though is too single paced and pedestrian and just never came alive for me.     4/10

The Flame 1947

 

Starring: Vera Hruba Ralston

A nurse marries for money, but her ailing spouse recovers and she falls in love with him.

Extremely full melodrama with no character that I particularly liked, the nurse's broken English accent was actually quite a struggle to listen to. Very much on one level throughout.        4/10

And Soon The Darkness 1970

 

Starring: Pamela Franklin

Of two young nurses on a cycling holiday in France, one is murdered by a local sex maniac and the other almost shares her fate.

Very well directed and always interesting to look at, this keeps you guessing and is intriguing but needs more pace. There is only so long you can stare at a long empty road and a pretty girl, fortunately an exciting conclusion and twist pushes this into the quite good category. 7/10

Come Back, Little Sheba 1952

 

Starring: Shirley Booth

An ex-alcoholic is let down not only by his slovenly wife but by the young girl he idolises.

I'm not sure that I've ever seen a Burt Lancaster movie that I haven't enjoyed. This is quite simply, one of the greatest movies I have ever seen. Heartbreaking, hard hitting, joyous at times. Lancaster is understated but in a 10 minute spell, brilliant. Shirley Booth gave an absolute masterclass and fully deserved her Oscar , what a performance! Terry Moore added a youthful delight. This was brilliant in every department.    10/10

The Last Man To Hang 1956

 

Starring: Tom Conway

Sir Roderick Strood is on trial for the murder of his neurotic wife.

Not a bad courtroom drama which you feel is concentrating more on the forthcoming law to end capital punishment. Didn't see the ending coming though.    6/10

Double Bunk 1961

 

Starring: Ian Carmichael

Newlyweds live in an old houseboat.

A host of old familiar faces messing about on the water. Not exactly laugh out loud stuff but very easy viewing and gave me a warm fuzzy feeling.  7/10

Windom's Way 1957

 

Starring: Peter Finch

A doctor on a Far Eastern island tries to quell a native uprising.

Glad I didn't watch this until I was well into adulthood, political drama in an area of the World that it is highly likely I will never visit. Well played, hard hitting and at times brutal. The colour appeared a little washed out but this was powerful stuff.    6/10

What A Carve Up 1961

 

Starring: Sid James

A madman fakes his own death in order to murder his relatives.

Carry On stars but not in the same league. Seems like a collection of ideas and cliches used but not really knitted together. Sid James is good as the straight man in the duo, it made me smile a couple of times and was interesting to see, but no classic.     6/10

Easy Money 1948

 

Starring: Edward Rigby

Four people win big prizes on the football pools.

I did not realise this was a series of short stories and felt a little cheated as I was thoroughly enjoying the characters in the opening segment. Fascinating to see pictures of pools staff at work how times have changed! I actually really enjoyed this.       7/10

The Blind Goddess 1947

 

Starring: Eric Portman

The private secretary to a public figure finds that his idol has feet of clay, and suffers in court for his discovery. 

This is very well acted and there are some good moments in the courtroom, just a little wordy and the whole thing gets weighed down by this and is. little too earnest for me.     5/10

The Rescuers 1977

 

The Mouse Rescue Aid Society volunteer to bring back a girl lost in a swamp.

Grew on me, actually quite a nice little adventure story with some good touches of humour. Particularly liked the Albatros aircraft and the gators. Didn't have the catchy songs that sets Disney films apart.     6/10

Breakfast In Hollywood 1945

 

Starring: Tom Breneman

A day in the life of a radio breakfast show host.

A bit like watching a cabaret show. Some of the songs and humour are easy on the ear but there is no strong plot line to knit the whole thing together.      4/10

Innocent Bystanders 1972

 

Starring: Stanley Baker

The British secret service sends three agents to trace a Russian traitor.

Very 1970's, poor man's James Bond and a bit like an episode of the Professionals. Take away the terrible script, average acting and just watch the action and it's not too bad.     6/10

Lola. 1969

 

Starring: Susan George

A 16-year old London schoolgirl marries a dissolute 40-year old American author.

A fascinating, discussion-worthy movie although Charles Bronson was mis-cast for me. Amazing named actors making cameos, the most is best in the UK section for me. Susan George is spot on and seriously, how gorgeous a young lady was she?        7/10

Chicago Syndicate. 1955

 

Starring: Dennis O'Keefe

A young accountant breaks up an outwardly respectable crime syndicate.

Not bad, just a little run of the mill. Probably instantly forgettable.    4/10