Neptune's Daughter 1949

Starring: Esther Williams

A lady bathing suit designer has a South American romance.

Plot is not great. Although some of the slapstick was cleverly done, I didn't find this funny. Some of the musical numbers were goo including the classic "Baby, it's cold outside".  4/10
 

The Leather Saint 1955

 

Starring: Paul Douglas

To provide his parish hospital with medical equipment, a Catholic priest becomes a commercial prizefighter.

I've seen so many boxing movies over the years. This has a heart and the purpose of the boxing is worthy and pulls at the heart strings. A little stilted and obvious but I very worthwhile.   5/10

Something Short Of Perfect 1979

 

Starring: Susan Sarandon

A romantic comedy revolving around the on-gain, off-again relationship of a New York Couple.

David Soane was one of the most annoying characters I've seen in a long time, I actually found the whole thing really boring. Thankfully, Susan Sarandon looked a picture.   3/10

The Great Moment 1944

Starring: Joe McCrea

How anaesthetics may have been invented.

I like biopics and interesting to see Joel McCrea in this type of role. As much as I like humour, I feel this may have been better with not such a light hand. Interesting none the less on a subject you don't see too many movies on.    6/10
 

The Cat And The Canary 1979

Starring: Honor Blackman

Greedy relatives assemble in an old house to hear an eccentric's will.

Another remake of this classic. Relly rather boring to be honest and considering the quality of cast, not memorable in the acting department. Wilfred Hyde-White was as watchable as ever.   4/10
 

It's All Yours 1937

 

Starring: Madeleine Carroll

A millionaire leaves a fortune to his favourite secretary, hoping it will make his nephew take notice of her.

Quite enjoyed this at the start but is rapidly went downhill and became a little silly. The accent on the men was unnecessary and very difficult to listen to.   3/10

All The Right Noises 1969

 Starring: Tom Bell

The electrician of a touring company hs an affair with a 15-year-old actress, but finally returns to his wife.

So British, a slightly uncomfortable watch and yet Olivia Hussey is so engaging, you can't stop watching. I loved the nostalgia, the father is brilliantly portrayed and there is an ambiguity at the end which would make a great discussion. Haunting soundtrack, what an interesting movie.  8/10

Total Recall 1990

 

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger

Following an artificially-induced dream, a labourer remembers his previous existence as a secret agent on Mars.

Started okay but rapidly deteriorated for me. I'm not the biggest fan of sci-fi, but there has to be a level of believability, however far fetched. Lots of action, particularly if you like people diving through glass panes for no apparent reason. More than anything, this is unnecessarily violent which makes it deeply unpleasant.  3/10

The Ghost Goes West 1935

 

Starring: Robert Donat

When a millionaire buys a Scottish castle and transports it stone by stone to America, the castle ghost goes too.

Lovely, light-hearted romp. Strongest in its early stages although there is a satisfactory ending. Absolutely no need to set some if the film in the USA, would have worked perfectly well if it had been solely set in Scotland.   5/10

The Soul Of A Monster 1944

Starring: Rose Hobart

A rich man is saved from death by a female hypnotist, who keeps him under her spell.

Odd little movie, very downbeat in every performance, only one moment of ear piercing choir singing to counter that. All very unbelievable, does make you think a little about personality though.   4/10
 

From Hell To Texas 1958

 

Starring: Don Murray

After accidentally killing a man, a cowboy is vengefully pursued by the victim's father.

Started slowly but grew on me. I enjoyed the characters the cowboy met along the wayThe father and family of the girl he falls for were excellent, as was the villain. Neat little ending too.   5/10

Appointment With Venus 1951

Starring: David Niven

During World War 11, a pedigree cow is rescued from the German-occupied Channel Islands.

Every now and again, you really connect with a movie. I absolutely loved this. Bizarre in its subject matter gave it a charm. Niven and Glynnis Johns oozed class and all the supporting cast were perfect. Great stuff, an absolute gem.   10/10
 

Grand National Night 1953

 

Starring: Nigel Patrick

A stable owner accidentally kills his drunken wife, but fate and a complex series of events clear him.

Do not be put off by the title, only a brief horse racing clip. A decent crime mystery, a shame the wife dies as she was excellent. Good to see Nigel Patrick and Michael Hordern in his prime. Never seen so many drinks poured in a movie, great use of lighting throughout. Unexpected and excellent ending.  7/10

The Fool Killer 1965

Starring: Anthony Perkins

An orphan suspects his friend is an axe murderer.

Very unusual and odd. Has interest although a little slow. Perkins plays an unhinged character as ever, the soundtrack is the true start of this movie.   5/10
 

Diplomatic Courier 1952

 

Starring: Tyrone Power

American and Russian agents clash on a train between Salzburg and Trieste; an unexpected master spy is revealed after several chases.

Decent spy thriller where everybody seems to know everybody else, despite never having been in the city before. Slightly confusing at times but great spotting a few well known actors and the locations were great.  6/10

Goodbye Charlie 1964

 

Starring: Debbie Reynolds

A philandering gangster, shot dead by an irate husband, is reincarnated in his friend's house as a dishy blonde.

A decent idea for a movie, typically 60's, Debbie Reynolds is excellent. The movie however, plays on the same gag for most of the movie, is too long and the charm wears off. I've never been a fan of Tony Curtis which didn't help.      4/10

Slave Ship 1937

 

Starring: Wallace Beery

An American slave captain decides to become respectable but finds a mutiny on his hands.

Part of our history but the idea of slave ships is deeply troubling. This is quite well done, plenty of action and the scenes with the slaves, albeit brief, are the most effective. Mickey Rooney steals the show with a high energy role as a cabin boy. Some of the scenes were a little dark, but more than anything else, this was a thought-provoking movie.    5/10

The Best Of Men 2012

 

Starring: Eddie Marsan

In 1943, a refugee doctor from Nazi Germany uses new methods to rehabilitate those with spinal injuries in Great Britain. Based on actual events

Remarkable story, beautifully acted, it tears at the heartstrings and yet you have to admire the dogged, determination of Dr Ludwig Guttmann. You almost wanted this to be a series of hourly episodes, this surely only scratched the surface. Released in the year of the UK 2012 Olympics, the final couple of minutes unashamedly brought a lump to my throat.   8/10

Good Day For A Hanging 1959

 Starring: Fred MacMurray

A young outlaw is arrested and seems destined to be lynched; the marshal tries to see fair play.

Fred MacMurray seems to come up in my movies at least a couple of times a year, this is an excellent Western. Makes you think and understand the pressure and dilemma the marshal is under. Decent, well played out finale. 9/10

Trog 1970

 

Starring: Joan Crawford

A man-ape is discovered in a pothole and trained by a lady scientist.

Watching Joan Crawford step from the golden Hollywood age to the 1970's is slightly distressing at first, yet she is brilliant, actually really believable and it was a pleasure to watch her last big screen role. The script is not great, a lot of the acting questionable and yet this has a real heart, sends so many thought-provoking messages and I ended up enjoying it thoroughly. A shame there were a few Hammer Horror type moments which let it down slightly.    7/10

Candleshoe 1977

 

Starring: David Niven

An attempt to pass off a fake heiress to an English stately home is prevented by the resourceful butler.

Jodie Foster is perfect as the sassy, American Tom-Boy and Niven in my opinion, was best in this sort of role. Lots of high-jinks and slapstick humour, the last 15 minutes was surely the inspiration for Home Alone?    7/10

Paris After Dark 1943

 

Starring: George Sanders

In wartime Paris a doctor leads the resistance forces.

Made during the war, this turned out to be a bit of an emotional roller coaster. Shows the pointlessness and tragedy of war but was well put together, didn't glamourise and was really quite sad in places, the way that families accepted these tragedies almost as a matter of course, even sadder.    7/10

Never Wave At A WAC 1952

 Starring: Rosalind Russell

A Washington hostess joins the WACs and finds she can't get beyond the rank of private.

All a bit of fluff really, a nice idea and some decent characterisations, it's just lacking a bit in the plot front.   4/10

Drums In The Deep South 195 1

 Starring: James Craig

A confederate officer finds himself fighting a lonely battle with his best friend from West Point.

A slow burner, little interest early on, there turned out to be some good action and the scenes and tactics in trying to get the soldiers from the mountain were excellent.      6/10

Open Season 1974

 

Starring: Peter Fonda

Three young criminals hunt human prey, but one of their victims takes his own revenge.

Deeply unpleasant, who wakes up and decides it would be a good idea to write such a movie? Very dated for only 50 years old and had nothing enjoyable about it apart from some of the scenery.  2/10

A Private's Affair 1959

 

Starring: Sal Mineo

Three army recruits form a close harmony trio and get into various scrapes.

Well, it never made me laugh or even smile, plot was vaguely ridiculous, yet this was perfectly harmless. Would have liked more singing as what was there, was rather enjoyable.   5/10

Mister 880 1950

 

Starring: Edmund Gwenn

An elderly counterfeiter perplexes the US Secret Service.

Absolutely charming. Incredible attention to details with locations and particularly set dressing. Burt Lancaster and Dorothy McGuire have good chemistry but Edmund Gwenn gives a performance that bring a lump to the throat. I was totally glued to this.      9/10

The Black Widow 1951

 Starring: Christine Norden

A man succeeds in killing his would-be-murderer; His wife schemes to bury the body as her real husband so that she can marry again.

B movie melodrama, all the better for being so short. Nicely hammed up.  6/10

The Last Escape 1970

 

Starring: Stuart Whitman

An American officer in Munich tries to rescue a German scientist from the Nazis

Forget the plot, just a load of shooting, action and explosions. German's all speak in German with no subtitles, although authentic, you obviously don't have a clue what they are saying which is odd. Watchable movie.    6/10

The Atomic City 1952

Starring: Gene Barry

The Young Son of a leading atomic scientist is kidnapped but his father and the FBI rescue him.

Decent thriller, backed up by tense music and good action. I nice ending too on a cliff face, a very easy watch.   6/10
 

The Snorkel 1958

 

Starring: Peter Van Eyck

A man murders his wife and is given away by his observant young stepdaughter.

A decent thriller where you know what has happened right from the opening reel. Van Eyck doesn't speak for the first 20 minutes and the movie is better for that as his acting really let this thriller down. Interesting idea, neatly tidied up, although I personally would have altered the very end.    8/10

The Bargee 1964

 Starring: Harry H Corbett

A canal barge Casanova is trapped into marriage.

Summer vibes with a stellar British comedy cast. Unfortunately, as watchable as this was, they just didn't gel. I never understood the appeal of Corbett with his silly voice. I very much enjoyed seeing Ronnie Barker, Eric Sykes and Derek Nimmo. Glad I watched this, brought back many memories.  6/10

St Martin's Lane 1938

 Starring: Charles Laughton

A middle-aged busker falls in love with a brilliant girl dancer who becomes a start.

What a cast, I found Laughton to be too much, Rex Harrison oozed class and Vivien Leigh was a pretty delight. London as you will never see it again.     6/10

The Lost Continent 1968

 

Starring: Eric Porter

The captain of a tramp steamer illegally carries dynamite, and he and his passengers are stranded in a weird Saragasso Sea colony run by the Spanish Inquisition.

Falls into the so bad it is goos category. Poor script, dreadful acting and gruesome death scenes just to shock. The effects and creatures met are hilarious.   5/10

The Rage Of Paris 1938

 

Starring: Danielle Darrieux

Confidence tricksters invest their money in a French girl who I out to nail a millionaire.

This started off so well, really enjoyed the first ten minute. Unfortunately, it then descended into a noisy racket with everyone talking over each other at a million miles an hour. Shame. 4/10

Dark Tide 2012

 

Starring: Halle Barry

A professional diver tutor returns to deep waters after 1 year, following an almost fatal encounter with a great white shark. The nightmare from the deep is still lurking - more carnivorous and hungry than ever.

Labelled a high octane thriller, it is anything but. Location and look are amazing with some great nature shots. The script unfortunately is dire and it is very poorly acted. No excitement at all.    4/10

Carolina 1934

 

Starring: Janet Gaynor

A Yankee farmer's daughter falls in love with a Southern plantation owner.

Very, very dated. Historically interested both in the movie itself and subject matter but barely watchable in modern times.     4/10

Escape In The Fog 1945

 

Starring: Nina Foch

A nurse sees a man attacked in a dream, and helps to save him when the events recur in real life.

Fag fog aside, this was a decent spy thriller that. moved along at a good lick with decent tension. Enjoyable start to 2025 despite a fairly lame ending.       8/10