Shadows of the Orient (1935)

A rather insipid tale of people smuggling and organised crime. The gangs are smuggling in Chinese people over the border in biplanes - though if challenged by the air force then the pilot just drops the poor people to their deaths!

After that horror we then switch to Chinatown where the Judge's daughter Viola (Esther Ralston) gets caught up in a raid on a gambling den linked to the smugglers. Viola is seduced by the gang boss King Moss (Sidney Blackmer) and ends up getting drawn into the whole sordid plot. The police led by Inspector Baxter (Regis Toomey) and his older sidekick J. Farrell MacDonald are on the case though...

Not the best of films and rather dated in various ways especially with some of the jarring stereotypes, but it is not without some charms, the interplay between Toomey and MacDonald is quite amusing. While some of the story is rather grim the main cast do make the most of it. The police investigation scenes are fast moving and slick, though the film is weighed down a bit by a fair bit of padding. There are some pretty nifty aerial scenes to raise the film above the mundane.

Enter the Dragon (1973)

For this blog's two hundredth review another of our all-time favourite films...

Enter the Dragon was Bruce Lee at his zenith, his breakthrough into international pop culture and cinema. Alas he died not long after completing the film so was never able to capitalise on the buzz it created - as indeed it did. The kung-fu craze in the 70s and beyond was largely due to this film.

Enter the Dragon took martial arts films out of their traditional Chinese mindset (though it is still set largely in Hong Kong) and added Western action elements. The result is fantastic, and also pretty epic in it's 70s-ness.

Bruce Lee is hired by British intelligence official Braithwaite (Geoffrey Weeks) to join a martial arts tournament by Han (Shih Ken) to gain intelligence on Han's suspected drug smuggling and other criminal activities. Joining Lee in this tournament are gambler Roper (John Saxon) and Williams (Jim Kelly) who both have different reasons for being there but get drawn into the game between Lee and Han. Of course it all ends in an epic fight.

The storyline isn't much to get excited about (though if you like i did once review the novelisation) but the action is intense, mixed with cool early 70s funky style. It also has a final showdown in a hall of mirrors.

Murder by Television (1935)

A rather run-of-the-mill murder mystery though enlivened by the novel appearance of early television as a setting. Professor Houghland (Charles Hill Mailes) has invented a new method of television broadcast which can be broadcast pictures instantly from anywhere in the world (exactly how this miracle is accomplished isn't really explained). Everyone is after his technology but Houghland is an idealist who won't sell to anyone.

Houghland is murdered in the middle of a demonstration of his television broadcast. The police led by Henry Mowbray have to find out who dunnit. That is easier said than done as it is a baffling film (for much of the film the cast look bemused, and for good reason). Bela Lugosi plays identical twins, one an assistant of Houghland (and really an agent) and the other in the pay of a corporation or foreign power after the technology.

It is a bit dull with some ill-considered attempts at light relief to pad the film out, though Lugosi plays a good role as usual. It is all a bit of a shame as the film could have been a whole lot better considering the rather exotic nature of the main plot device. Interestingly the film seems to recycle a bit of footage from The Phantom Broadcast with the same newspaper seller.

Night of the Demon (1957)

Is Dr Karswell (Niall MacGinnis) in possession of the ability to summon demons and a servant of Satan? Well Professor Harrington (Maurice Denham) thinks so but after he goes and challenges Karswell in his creepy mansion he is apparently killed by the Horned One. Or maybe it's just an electric shock?

Dr Holden (Dana Andrews) is on his way over from the US and he is sceptical about everything involving witchcraft. Harrington's niece Joanna (Peggy Cummins) assists him in his investigation into what really is going on. Then Dr Holden finds he is "marked for death"... a rune covered parchment passed onto Holden by Karswell. Only by giving Karswell the parchment back can Holden survive.

Superbly creepy Satanic horror. The film is full of atmosphere and dark horror imagery. Dr Karswell is a tremendous character, dripping evil one moment and the mundane the other.

Mystery Liner (1934)

An ocean liner is to test a new method of remote control, however the captain (Noah Beery) falls ill on the eve of the test voyage (which has a complement of crew and passengers despite the test for some reason). A foreign power is after the S-505 technology at the heart of the test. With a ship full of mysterious characters we are set for an exciting film eh?

Well partially. Although the set-up is interesting the execution is at times a bit lacking. The film takes ages to get going, too much of the time being wasted on the rather annoying Granny Plimpton (Zeffie Tilbury) who should have been chucked in the brig.

When the captain's illness is found to be due to a poison suspicion falls on a number of people including his replacement Captain Downey (Boothe Howard) or his First Officer (Cornelius Keefe). Plus who is this mysterious foreign gentleman Von Kesseling (Gustav von Seyffertitz) who always seems to be wandering around? Major Pope (Edwin Maxwell) is on the case... in a pompous manner but is he all he seems?

Once it gets going it's a neat little spy film - though not one which makes much sense -  with touches of science fiction including an early form of instant messenger.