The Legion of Missing Men (1937)

A decent enough film about the French Foreign Legion. It is not unlike other films about the Legion especially made pre-war, expect plenty of shootouts in the desert and murderous Arab rebels (who speak English in a rather mysterious convoluted way).

It stars Ralph Forbes as Ben, a veteran of the Legion. Things take a turn for the worst when Ben's younger brother Don (Ben Alexander) turns up in Morocco and has joined the Legion. Despite his brother's warnings Don falls foul of the rather prickly NCO Garcia (George Regas) and ends up on punishment routine. The Arabs led by Sheik (Roy D'Arcy) capture Don and Ben is forced to get the guns working...

It isn't a bad film, just not that original. The two brothers fall out over a nightclub singer (Hala Linda) but are reunited to save the day et cetera.

Big Town After Dark (1947)

Based on a radio show this is an enjoyable crime drama. Steve Wilson (Phillip Reed) is the managing director of a newspaper. His star reporter Lorelei (Hillary Brooke) decides to quit to become a novelist, the owner brings in his niece Susan (Ann Gillis) to replace her as the police reporter.

However is Susan all she seems to be? She seems linked to the local gambling boss Chuck (Richard Travis). When Steve is beaten up while taking Susan to a poker joint, Susan then apparently goes missing. Has she been kidnapped? She turns up with a plausible story but not before the uncle has been swindled out of fifty grand. Lorelei is suspicious and decides to find out what is really going on though things are complicated by Steve having the hots for Susan...

Its typical Noir fare, beatings in dingy gambling joints punctuated by slick dialogue. The story is straightforward but well written and the performances are good though Brooke's ice blonde character is a little too cold.

Death from a Distance (1935)

A prominent astronomer Professor Einfeld (Lee Kohlmar) is giving a lecture in a planetarium, while everyone's gaze is on the heavens a shot rings out. One of the audience has been killed.

Detective Mallory (Russell Hopton) is on the case and begins the investigations, reporter Key Palmer (Lola Lane) was present at the show and is keen to stay on the inside though her relationship with Mallory is rather fractious (though obviously they will get together in the end).

Despite the planetarium being sealed immediately and thus the murderer being one of the audience members the case is baffling and Mallory has to rely on a number of tricks to solve the crime. It is a decent but not startling film with the usual cliches including the dopey assistant detective (Lew Kelly) and various red herrings. Despite the low budget the film looks good, the observatory setting is the best part of the film. The dialogue is pretty snappy, the two leads giving good performances. Apparently this was the first ever film broadcast on US TV in 1941.

The Vengeance of Fu Manchu (1967)

Fu Manchu stories are complete nonsense of course, a vision of the Orient that was outdated and fanciful even in it's day, and drenched in Yellow Peril nonsense but the sheer madness of this film is what makes it so compelling.

Christopher Lee is Fu Manchu, has holed up in his remote Chinese stronghold with his daughter Lin Tang (Tsai Chin) and his army of bad men with swords. He is plotting revenge on his nemesis Inspector Nayland Smith (Douglas Wilmer) with the help of a mindless dacoit who has been turned into a duplicate of Smith by a captive plastic surgeon (Wolfgang Keiling) in order to discredit him. Meanwhile Fu Manchu is also plotting to become the king of crime and take over the world...

So it's stuffed full of every cliche possible: junks, sedan chairs, pigtails and many men with swords. Christopher Lee is magnificent as Fu Manchu, kingpin of this mad world. It is ridiculous and trashy and so campy. Pretty brutal too with beheadings and torture of women amongst the "pleasures" in Fu Manchu's lair. The film could do with a bit more Christopher Lee though but the appearance of Tony Ferrer, the "James Bond of the Philippines", as the head of the Shanghai police is entertaining.

The Invisible Killer (1939)

A passable late Golden Age type detective drama but with the enthusiastic amateur detective helping/hindering the police Sue (Grace Bradley) a reporter engaged to police detective Jerry (Roland Drew).

Someone is bumping off persons behind gambling in the town but there is no sign of any murder weapons. Autopsies reveal the victims are being poisoned but the police have little idea how... when we find out how it is pretty ingenious, and ridiculous.

Sue always seems one step ahead of Jerry, much to his dismay though his constant references to breaking her neck get old fast. The film is a solid but unspectacular crime drama though the attempts at light heartedness and humour seem a little forced.