Robbers' Roost 1955

 Starring: George Montgomery

An honest cowboy is employed by cattle rustlers and strives to Clear his name.

The locations and look of this movie are amazing, the plot is okay but raises questions and is a little lacking.     6/10

The Man On The Eiffel Tower 1949

 

Starring: Charles Laughton

A crazy killer defies Inspector Maigret to discover his identity.

Terrific views of Paris but not a single French accent in sight. Laughton is a fine actor but has this urge to always go slightly over the top. A shade predictable with a lack of tension, but the locations were a joy.    5/10

House Party 1990

Starring: Christopher Reid

A teenager, whose parents are away, throws a party for friends.

Not really for me but it has aged well, the rap battle superb and interesting movie of its time.    5/10
 

Out Of The Blue 1947

 

Starring: George Brent

A Greenwich Village artist thinks a girl who has passed out in his apartment is dead, and tries to hide the body.

Props department must have had a field day. Farce that happily goes around in circles for 85 minutes, harmless fun.   5/10

The Caddy 1953

 

Starring: Dean Martin

A music hall comedy act recall how they got together.

No doubting the star quality of Martin and the energy of Lewis. Some scenes work better than others, but it's exhausting to watch and in my opinion, the physical comedy is 'too much'. Sports movies just never seem believable. Movie went quickly and with refinement, could have been excellent.    6/10

Men In Her Diary 1945

Starring: Peggy Ryan

A jealous woman tries to hire an unattractive girl as her husband's secretary.

People shouting at the same time and characters having an irritating laugh do not make a comedy. Shame, the idea was quite decent and beneath the surface, there was a charm trying to get out.   4/10
 

Cancel My Reservation 1972

Starring: Bob Hope

A TV talk show host retreats to his ranch and finds himself mixed up with murder.

Mixing comedy and mystery never really works, but Bob Hope has enough about him to raise a few laughs and despite being stupid, I quite enjoyed this.   6/10
 

The Girl Who Had Everything 1953

 

Starring: Elizabeth Taylor

The daughter of a wealthy criminal lawyer falls in love with one of her father's crooked clients.

Short movie. William Powell is comfortable and believable in his role, Liz Taylor is not bad, Fernando Lamas though had no chemistry with Taylor at all. All builds to a decent climax in last 15 minutes.   6/10

Bartleby 1970

 Staring: Paul Scofield

A young clerk gradually refuses to take part in life.

In a time before depression and autism is recognised and understood, this is a strangely moving piece. The boss displays a confused, frustrated character who clearly has a soft heart. Bartleby himself is brilliantly portrayed. We've still got a lot to do but have come a long way.    6/10

The Small Voice 1948

 Starring: James Donald

Escaped convicts hold up a playwright and his wife in their country cottage.

Too dark for too long, all a bit manufactured and Howard Keel seems completely miscast. Throw a couple of kids into the mix and there is a degree of tension. Some lines that were so bizarre, they made me laugh, James Donald played it all on one level, it did have its moments though.    6/10

Ladies should Listen 1934

 

Starring: Cary Grant

A knowledgeable switchboard operator helps a financier with his problems.

Incredible to think that this is not far off 100 years old. Cary Grant plays the philanderer whose apartment renovation bill must have been enormous.

I believe this originated from a play and would certainly have worked in the theatre. Not Grant's most memorable work, but he gives a huge amount of energy, is engaging and his comic timing, as ever, was up to scratch. The Two main female leads, bespectacled susie and the lovely Anna, were both excellent and delivered their slapstick flawlessly. The rest of the supporting cast were very good too, this was a tight production that came in at about the hour mark.

So many modern comedies don't even make me smile, this had me laughing out loud on a few occasions and was great fun. 7/10

Appointment With Crime 1945

Starring: William Hartnell

Ex-convict revenges himself on the former friends who shopped him.

William Hartnell is best known in the UK for playing the first ever Dr Who in the popular, long-running TV series. Here, he plays an unpleasant, small time crook who having been in prisoned, following a botched robbery, sets out to 'get his own back' on those who he considered, let him down, and gets involved in further crime and murder.

At first, I felt Hartnell was a little over the top, but his performance was consistent and became more believable as the movie progressed.

But for me, the supporting cast added an enjoyable and believable extra level. I'm not sure a Canadian detective, working out of Scotland Yard to improve his skills, was entirely necessary, but Robert Beatty played the part well. All actors were good, but Joyce Howard as the lady friend and Alan Wheatley as the art-dealer's bag carrier were my personal favourites, Wheatley particularly had some lovely touches.

Overall, this was a well plotted script, it all made sense, the London locations added atmosphere and the ending actually wrapped things up nicely. 9/10 

Miss Tatlock's Millions 1948

 

Starring: John Lund

A stunt man impersonates the idiot heir to a fortune.

Great fun in the first half of the movie, Lund must have had a ball playing the son throwing water and people and being a general annoyance. Movie morphs into a romance halfway through and loses momentum. Interesting watch for first half alone.    6/10

No Ordinary Baby 2001

 

A reporter gets the scoop on the first-ever human cloning, but the furor surrounding the event jeopardizes the baby's birth and the career of the doctor responsible for creating the clone.

TV movie and a decent one. Nice to see the lovely Bridget Fonda before she gave up acting. The doctor showed a caring side and an arrogance and was brilliant. Thought-provoking and discussion worthy.   8/10

The Riddle Of The Stinson 1988

 

Starring: Norman Kaye

In 1937, a farmer goes to the rescue of survivors of a plane crash in inaccessible country.

Slow moving, a little bit dour and left lets of unanswered questions. Quite interesting though.   6/10

You Must Be Joking 1965

 Assorted army personnel vie in an extended initiative test.

Stellar comedy cast but I just found it all a little silly, I must be getting old.  4/10

The Road To Denver 1955

 

Starring: John Payne

An honest ranch hand gets into trouble when he tries to help his lawless brother.

Standard good brother, bd brother movie. Well done though, the older brother a particularly interesting character with a back story, the tip of which only is touched. Decent ending too.    7/10

Heartburn 1986

 

Starring: Meryl Streep

Romantic problems of a busy professional couple.

Spending 105 minutes watching a couple have marital problems is not great entertainment, regardless of how strong the acting is. Some good scenes but movie looks more dated than those made 30 years previously.   5/10

The Young Land. 1957

 

Starring: Dan O'Herlihy

A young sheriff arrests a gunman and after the trial has to save him from lynching.

Fairly standard Western, the young sheriff who rules in an unconventional way made a nice change and gave the movie its USP.   5/10

Candy Mountain 1987

 

Starring: Kevin J O'Connor

An enterprising musician goes in search of a reclusive guitar-maker.

Slow moving road movie, mainly dysfunctional characters and yet somehow, I stayed with it. I'm sure this has a cult fanbase.....  5/10