A Stranger in Town (1943)

Supreme Court Justice Grant (Frank Morgan) heads out of the capitol, incognito, to shoot some ducks on vacation. There he finds corruption in a small town and an election contest between the incumbent mayor (Robert Barrat) and a young lawyer Bill Adams (Richard Carlson) out to take him down.

With the local judge and the police in the mayor's pocket Bill finds himself locked up, Grant decides to help Bill out - without telling anyone who he really is.

Grant is great in the role, bringing a dignified air. The film is a nice commentary of small town America with plenty of light touches, maybe a bit preachy but in these dark times maybe we do need a bit of idealism. Bill and Grant's secretary Lucy (Jean Rogers) give the film a romantic angle.

Trapped by Television (1936)

Early television appears to have held a fascination for the movie makers, in this film television (which was still a few months from the first public broadcast by the BBC) was portrayed a bit more realistically than in Murder by Television.

Lyle Talbot is Fred, a struggling inventor of a revolutionary television system. Debt collector Rocky (Nat Pendleton) comes calling but instead of putting the heavy on Fred joins him in trying to complete his invention. Also getting involved is investor Barbara (Mary Astor) who ends up falling for the invention and Fred.

Barbara's plan is to sell the television to Paragon Broadcasting however Paragon's own system has been put on ice after their inventor was snatched (then put on ice) by the mob and who are then trying to sell Paragon their own invention back to them. Unbeknown to everyone one of Paragon's own board is behind the scam and is now out to stop Fred from spoiling their plans at all costs...

Although the plot is nothing out the ordinary and could really have used any kind of invention it is a very enjoyable film. For a start the film looks very good, the television is a rather fabulous looking Art Deco prop. The film has a somewhat unusual mix of humour and drama, maybe sometimes it is a bit confusing exactly what kind of film it is. However never mind that as the film sparkles. A good cast with some good lines, especially from Pendleton.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)

The iconic 1960s TV series Star Trek reached the big screen in 1979, everyone was a little older but the budget was a lot bigger and the special effects much improved. Of course only Kirk and the Enterprise can save the day as a gigantic energy cloud with the mysterious VGER approaches Earth...

Admiral Kirk (William Shatner) takes over the rebuilt Enterprise, much to the chagrin of Captain Decker (Stephen Collins) who thought it was his ship. His crew is a mixture of the original crew including Leonard Nimoy and Deforest Kelly and some new faces (who prove largely expendable).

The special effects are very impressive, especially of VGER, early computer graphics and lasers helping generate a wonderful vision of alien technology. The sense of scale is stupendous.

However at times the special effects do go on a bit. The story is probably the most "Star Trek" of any of the movie series though is a bit slow at times - space battles were to come later in the series.

It Couldn't Have Happened (1936)

A strange murder mystery which takes place in theatreland. A light hearted film which always jars slightly when the bodies start piling up!

Reginald Denny is Greg Stone, a playwright locked into a long-term contract with two producers (Bryan Washburn and Claude King). When they are found dead Greg finds himself pushed into investigating the case himself by his girlfriend Linda (Inez Courtney) and poundshop hoodlum Smiley (Jack La Rue). There are plenty of suspects including the wife of one of the victims (Evelyn Brent).

It sounds a bit dubious but is infact a highly enjoyable film with some sharp dialogue especially from La Rue (especially when he embarrassingly reveals his alibi was watching a Shirley Temple movie!)

The Lost World (1925)

The Lost World is based in Arthur Conan Doyle's famous novel about a "lost world" with surviving dinosaurs and other amazing beasts on a plateau in South America. Paula White (Bessie Love) brings the journal of her father Maple to London, in the journal are descriptions and drawings of beasts thought long extinct. The scientific community are sceptical naturally but Paula launches an expedition to the plateau with Professor Challenger (Wallace Beery) and a motley crew of other explorers.

When they reach the plateau they find Maple White was right, there is a lost world of dinosaurs and giant apes. Naturally there are plenty of dangers for our humans to survive including a giant apeman and a volcanic eruption. Plus a bit of a love triangle with Paula, Ed Malone (Lloyd Hughes) and Sir John Roxton (Lewis Stone) - probably better places for that kind of thing to be honest when there are Allosauruses feasting on Pteranodons in the background. An entertaining film with good stop-motion special effects, especially for the day.

On a historical note, this was the very first film to be shown on an airliner during a flight (Imperial Airways).