Island of Doomed Men (1940)

A superbly dark tale which allowed Peter Lorre to run riot.

Mark Sheldon (Robert Wilcox) is tasked by the secret service to investigate the mysterious Danel (Lorre) who has his own island, and who accepts paroled men to work for him there. However, it is rumoured these men are horribly treated, treated as slaves and tortured. Sheldon is arrested after an unknown assailant kills a fellow agent, Sheldon allows himself to be arrested for murder and sentenced! Some time later he is paroled and is sent to Danel's island.

Sheldon finds a brutal regime of slave labour, with public floggings a regular occurrence. Danel is also treating his wife (Rochelle Hudson) as a prisoner. She soon has the hots for Sheldon...

An enjoyable romp. Peter Lorre plays Danel with relish, not so much chewing the scenery but having it on toast. The story itself is a little heavy in the whippings and violence but Lorre makes it very entertaining.

The Bishop Murder Case (1929)

An early talkie and one of the earliest Philo Vance films, in this film he is played by Basil Rathbone.

After a young man is found dead with an arrow in him, the police and Philo Vance are called in. Vance quickly sees that the arrow scene was staged, really the man was bludgeoned to death. The young man was found dead at the home of Professor Dillard (Alec B Francis), with a number of mysterious acting neighbours and relatives. A note by someone who calls themselves The Bishop is found alluding to the murder...

An interesting entry in the Philo Vance series, Rathbone plays the part well. Though it is amusing, in hindsight, that he gets accused of being Sherlock Holmes as he played the role many times just a few years later! The film suffers a little from being a bit static, as with many early talkies but it does not ruin the film too much. Some good character actors play the various suspects and there are the required number of red herrings and mysterious clues.

Behind Green Lights (1946)

An enjoyable detective drama which injects a dose of whimsy as well as Noir.

After a businessman involved in local politics is dumped outside the police headquarters, Lieutenant Sam Carson (William Gargan) is bought in to investigate. To make things complicated it looks like the daughter (Carole Landis) of a man heavily involved in local politics could be involved. Newspaper proprietor Calvert (Roy Roberts) who is a political rival is keen to push this angle...

This is a fine crime B-movie with plenty of potential suspects and red herrings. What helps the film stand out is some of the oddness which has been added, including a deranged character who ends up being rather key to the plot. The political shenanigans and corruption add another layer to the already good story.

Enemy Agents Meet Ellery Queen (1942)

Ellery Queen returns to combat a Nazi gang after diamonds.

Free Dutch agents have smuggled diamonds into the US to keep them away from the Nazis... though a Nazi gang is hot on their heels. Ellery Queen (William Gargan) and Nikki Porter (Margaret Lindsay) are dragged into the case, at first thinking the Dutch agent Gillette (Gilbert Roland) is a criminal but soon they discover the truth. The case is a complicated one with some unexpected twists.

This was the final entry in the Ellery Queen series and the series ends on a high. A lot is packed into the war time plot and it ends with some good rough humour in the final fight scene. Of course, there is a bit of a propaganda edge to the film though this doesn't overbear the story.

The Greene Murder Case (1929)

An early Philo Vance talkie.

The Greene family are that staple of interwar American families on screen: rich and hate each other! They live in the family ancestral pile and must live there for fifteen years otherwise they won't get a share of the late Mr Greene's wealth. 

After two of the family are killed within a few minutes of each other, Philo Vance (William Powell) is called in by the baffled police (Eugene Palette) to help, but even he is confused by the various possible suspects, though it helps that the possible suspects are being whittled down by being murdered too! 

A good film. Technically interesting especially with some of the camera angles in the final act and the peril on the roof. The story is good with some interesting psychological aspects to it. Although an early talkie the sound recording and acting isn't too bad.

The Thirteenth Chair (1937)

A detective story set in the "mysterious" East and involving seances, could a film be any more from the 1930s?

After the murder of a man in Calcutta, Inspector Marney (Lewis Stone) is bought in to investigate this baffling case. "Help" comes from an unexpected direction as Madame La Grange (May Whitty) to performance a seance with a group of people linked to the victim, one of whom is probably the murderer. 

However, during the seance another man is murdered! Marney investigates the case, this time he is sure the murderer is in the room, and a number of secrets are revealed...

This is a highly enjoyable crime film with tasty additions of Eastern mystery and mysticism. Not as witty or intelligent as an Agatha Christie type of story but not bad at all. The crime itself and how it is solved is a lot more down to earth though. Some great twists and a good character mix make this a pretty good film.

Cash on Demand (1961)

A taut, tense and excellent bank robbery drama.

Bank manager Fordyce (Peter Cushing) is unpopular with his staff, he pounces on mistakes and disapproves of the preparations for Christmas. 

Then he is visited by genial and refined Colonel Gore (André Morell) who is from an insurance company he claims, however soon Fordyce discovers that Gore is really a bank robber who has had Fordyce's family taken hostage and will have them electrocuted if Fordyce does not give Gore access to the safe and let him steal nearly £100,000 in cash!

This is a very good bank robbery film that keeps everything within a handful of locations. The interplay between Cushing and Morell is superb, maybe one of Peter Cushing's best roles. Morell also excels as the crook hiding a huge amount of menace behind his genteel facade.

The Silent Witness (1932)

Melodramatic at times but this is a pretty solid crime and court room drama.

Naive young fool Anthony (Bramwell Fletcher) is wrapped around the finger of his manipulative lover Nora (Greta Nissen) and her scheming husband Blake (Weldon Heyburn). Finally, he snaps and he thinks he has killed Nora. His father Sir Austin (Lionel Atwill) decides to take the blame to save his son from the gallows. In the court room the case against him begins to unravel putting Anthony back in peril... but did he kill Nora after all?

Anthony is an incredibly annoying character who drags the film down at times but when he is kept away from the story then things develop nicely into a very solid crime story and some good court room scenes with some good British humour and characters. The story is very good and Greta Nissen steals the film with her sexy performance. An excellent film.

The Doomsday Flight (1966)

One of the best TV movies ever made, an excellent tale of high drama at high altitude.

A flight takes off bound for New York, the usual collection of stereotypes is aboard including the arrogant celebrity Ducette (John Saxon). 

However, the flight captained by Anderson (Van Johnson) soon runs into trouble as a mysterious man (Edmond O'Brien) rings the airline to tell them there is a bomb aboard! The bomb is air pressure sensitive, so will explode if the plane drops below a certain altitude. With time running out, FBI Agent Thomson (Jack Lord) battles to try and catch the bomber, though the bomber is getting drunk and throwing everything into chaos...

This is a truly excellent film with a lot of tension and plot twists and turns. Great performances and a well paced and staged plot make this film very highly recommended.

The Swiss Conspiracy (1976)

A superb crime drama, though it does seem intent in shoehorning every Swiss cliché into it that is possible.

Swiss banks are famous for their secrecy and discretion, however someone is putting that at risk by black mailing the customers of the bank operated by Hurtil (Ray Milland). 

Former US agent Christopher (David Janssen) is bought in to investigate, but soon tangles with mobster Hayes (John Saxon) and the rather more lovely Abbott (Senta Berger). There is an insider behind this conspiracy, the identity of which is quite a surprise...

A very good film, though leans rather more heavily on the "Swiss-ness" of the setting than maybe it should. At times it does risk becoming self-parody but luckily the strong plot and good performances save the day and make this a very worthwhile film indeed.

Dick Tracy vs. Crime, Inc. (Serial) (1941)

Everything is thrown at this Dick Tracy serial, which is wonderfully over the top.

A deadly crime boss known as The Ghost has the ability to become invisible. He uses this skill for crime of course. When he wants to deal with his underlings he wears a rather creepy black mask which looks pretty cool. 

Only Dick Tracy (Ralph Byrd) can stop him (and reveal which of the potential suspects he is) after many cliff hangers and death defying stunts... 

This is pretty good stuff and one of the better movie serials of the 1940s. Nothing is spared and the actions is fast and frequently ridiculous. It is a comic strip bought to life on screen which is exactly how Dick Tracy should be of course.

The Great Hotel Murder (1935)

A quintessential 1930s murder mystery with the crimes investigated by a fast talking sassy crime novelist!

A mysterious death, later found to be murder by poison, takes place at a hotel during a convention of doctors. Hotel detective McCabe (Victor McLagen) is on the case, unfortunately for him the rather annoying crime novelist Blackwood (Edmund Lowe) also wants to be on the case and competes with McCabe to solve the case. As the hotel is full of doctors who know the poison involved that means that are no shortage of potential suspects...

An enjoyable film with a well matched pair tackling the crimes, with a good mixture of suspects and red herrings. The film can be a bit confusing at times and does seem to end rather abruptly.

Whispering City (1947)

An interesting Noir set in Quebec.

An actress dies in a car crash, reporter Mary (Mary Anderson) decides to do a feature on her. She discovers that the actress had complained in the past that her fiancé had been murdered. Mary interviews a patron of the arts, Albert (Paul Lukas). 

One of the artists he is funding is composer Michel (Helmut Dantine). Michel's main problem is her troubled wife, who is soon found dead, and Michel believes he was to blame, he is blackmailed by Albert. Albert wants Michel to kill Mary...

The plot is quite complicated but it all comes together and makes sense. A slow builder that ultimately rewards. Some good suspense and atmosphere help make this a very worthwhile watch.

Chinatown Nights (1929)

An enjoyable early talkie though chock full of dodgy stereotypes.

War between two rival gangs in Chinatown begins, one of the gangs being led by a white man - Chuck Riley (Wallace Beery). He also becomes mixed up with society girl Joan (Florence Vidor) and begins to wonder if a life of crime and gang warfare is the right path in life. Rival boss Boston Charley (Warner Oland) has other ideas though...

A transitional film, originally made as a silent movie and dubbed into a sound film (though Vidor did not want to return to dub her speaking parts so that was done by someone else!) Hence, the film has a mix of sometimes indifferent dialogue and silent movie physical acting. The sound scenes are often very static due to the microphones, other dubbed scenes are full of activity, this gives the film a bit of a disjointed feel.

It isn't a bad film, though the dated stereotypes also jar these days of course. Despite the shortcomings there is still plenty to enjoy from this film.

They Made Me a Criminal (1939)

A mixture of crime and heart affirming morality.

Champion boxer Johnnie (John Garfield) has a hard living lifestyle though the public image of a saint. After waking up from another heavy session with the booze he discovers a reporter who planned to expose is dead in his apartment. 

Johnnie is innocent but knows he will be blamed so he goes on the run and due to the car crash and fire which killed his manager (who actually killed the reporter), he is assumed dead. He ends up at a farm in Arizona and begins to mentor a group of reform kids (The Dead End Kids). However, the law in the form of Detective Phelan (Claude Rains) who thinks Johnnie is still alive, is not far away...

An enjoyable film though the crime part earlier on is better. The film moves smoothly and does not offend in any way. Not great maybe but fine.

By Whose Hand? (1932)

An escaped convict hides aboard a continental train, only a sassy newspaper reporter can save the day of course!

Killer Delmar (Nat Pendleton) is on the run. Reporter Jimmy (Ben Lyon) follows the police after news Delmar has been seen at the railway station. Jimmy joins the train, more due to his interest in Alice (Barbara Weeks) than anything else. On board the train Delmar is indeed hiding, a jeweller is also killed and his wares stolen...

This is not a bad film though the plot contains nothing that is surprising (the cops are clueless but the reporter is here to catch the criminal et cetera). The film could have done with a bit more budget to give the onboard train scenes a bit more polish though the location does give the film a claustrophobic feel which adds to the tension.

Parole, Inc. (1948)

Gangsters have infiltrated a city's parole programme in order to get dangerous criminals back out on the streets.

The authorities recruit Agent Richard (Michael O'Shea), he takes on the identity of an escaped convict in order to find out who is behind the parole scam. Richard investigates Jojo (Evelyn Ankers) who owns a seedy club where various low-lives and hoodlums hang out. He discovers that her boyfriend Barney (Turhan Bey) is a crooked lawyer who is lining the pockets of corrupt members of the parole board.

A decent crime drama, though for it's good premise it could have maybe been a bit darker. The story is told in flashback by Richard who starts the film all covered in bandages like an Egyptian mummy after the beating he received from the gangsters. 

Rome Express (1932)

An enjoyable crime caper on board a cross-Europe express.

A group of passengers are heading off on a train in Paris for a trip to Rome. They are a motley collection of characters, including an adulterous couple, a film star trying to escape the limelight and a French police inspector. 

Aboard is a valuable painting which is stolen, this leads to murders (though not until some way into the film). There are, of course, many suspects! 

This is a fun film that takes place almost entirely on board the moving train. Neat little camera tricks and editing adds to the interest, though sometimes is a little too cute for it's own good. Conrad Veidt is excellent as the main baddie, exuding menace. Also good in the film is Gordon Harker as a very annoying man.

Speedtrap (1977)

If you like seeing 1970s cars race around and crash, you are in luck.

A string of car thefts, by a mysterious and highly skilled driver who uses a box of electronic tricks to foil the police, is putting Captain Hogan (Morgan Woodward) under pressure. To his dismay, a private investigator is bought in to help. 

Pete Novick (Joe Don Baker) has a bit of a reputation, and a large collection of speeding tickets. He is paired up with one of his ex-s Nolan (Tyne Daly) and begins to unravel a complicated and dangerous plot involving the mob...

A great 1970s piece of car chasing trash. It doesn't really work that well as a crime movie due to the the often confusing plot and meaningless filler. However, for car chases and frequent crashes, plus some cop action it is very enjoyable.

Murder by Invitation (1941)

Played light, maybe too light as it is frequently ridiculous, but this is yet another dark house murder mystery... and its pretty good!

Wealthy aunt Cassandra (Sarah Padden) sees off an attempt by her relatives to have her declared mentally incompetent so they can get their hands on her cash. She invites them to spend the night at her isolated country house. When one of them is murdered, radio reporter Bob White (Wallace Ford) comes in to investigate. 

More murders take place in a house riddled by hidden passages and tunnels. One of the relatives is suspected to be the culprit (though the field is gradually being narrowed down), while Bob and his assistant Nora (Marian Marsh) are struggling to work out what is going on amid all the nonsense and red herrings, Aunt Cassandra has a cunning plan...

This is objectively not a good film, it is a bit too chaotic and many of the actors mill around without much to do (and not doing that well). However, i loved it! It is a fun film, the goofiness makes it hard to take seriously as a crime drama, but if it is approached with an open mind then it certainly is entertaining.