Day of the Panther (1988)

There haven't been many Australian martial arts films but this is one of them and while largely unexceptional is a fun enough ride.

Jason Blade (Edward John Stazak) is a top martial artist and special branch officer in HK who comes to Perth after his partner Linda (Linda Megier) is killed investigating the criminal Zukor (Michael Carmen) by his head henchman Baxter (James Richards).

Blade joins Zukor's gang as part of his plan to get close and finally get revenge. The Perth police meanwhile want him out of town as Zukor is an important man, and a drug lord...

Well forget the plot it isn't really important. Or the (lack of) acting. These kind of films are about the fighting, and there is a lot of it. Some of it is pretty good too amid the mostly ill-judged tomfoolery and awful 80s fashions. Stazak is a pretty good fighter, which is just as well as he isn't that good an actor.

The Green Hornet (Serial) (1940)

Classic comic book style thrills in this serial as playboy newspaper owner Britt Reid (Gordon Jones) decides to become a modern day Robin Hood and investigate a sinister syndicate behind a number of deadly industrial accidents...

With the help of his loyal servant, and technical wizard, Kato (Keye Luke) Britt creates a masked persona called the Green Hornet. With the help of his souped up car (which can apparently do 200mp/h) and his gas gun the Green Hornet begins his battle against the syndicate in a series of death defying stunts and cliffhangers...

So it is usual movie serial fare but done so well. Everything is performed at breakneck speed and energy, there isn't time to notice some of the flaky plot points such as the lack of any real explanation as to why a rich man would want to start wearing a mask and tangle with brutal crooks. However this isn't the time and place for lengthy exploration of Reid's disposition, there is a cliff hanger to set up in a few minutes!

The Green Hornet is played more as a vigilante than later super heroes who lacked the same cool air of ambiguity. This was an adaptation of a radio serial, interestingly while masked as the Green Hornet Jones' lines were dubbed by the radio actor of the radio serial Al Hodge.

Way of the Black Dragon (1979)

Allison (Cecilia Wong) is a young Thai girl who is kidnapped by gangsters and trafficked to HK. She is just one of a number of poor girls sent to HK as drug mules and then sold to a grim life of prostitution or as wives to unsuspecting locals. Allison's fate is the latter and she is to become the wife of local worker and kung fu expert Chen (Carter Wong). When Chen finds out the real reason Allison was in HK he wants to help her get back home to Thailand (and marry her for real) but she'll also need the help of US agent Bill (Ron Van Clief)...

Along with Allison's brother Hsiao Ho (who just so happens to be a handy fighter too) our heroes work to bring down the evil syndicate led a rather laughable gwailo villain. There are a lot of fights, many of them rather random (the film makes little sense of course). The film starts off rather slow though improves a lot when Van Clief finally makes an appearance about half way through the film. The action then comes pretty thick and fast.

Sometimes sleazy, often violent, none of the film really makes a lot of sense but for a chopsocky 70s martial arts action film it does the job. The quality of the film making is rather suspect but the terrible dubbing makes the nonsense entertaining.

Youth on Parole (1937)

Philip (Gordon Oliver) and Bonnie (Marian Marsh) just happen to be standing outside of a jewellers which is robbed by The Sparkler's gang. The crooks plant loot on the naive youngsters who end up getting arrested in the confusion and go to gaol!

Now released Philip and Bonnie find it hard to make a new start but love sparks between the two. Finally they find out how they were framed by The Sparkler (Miles Mander) and begin a plan to bring him to justice and clear their names...

A fairly straight forward little crime drama with a heavy dose of melodrama. The leading couple of quite appealing together and the film has good production values despite the B movie budget. The story doesn't tear up any trees but does a good job.

The Locked Door (1929)

An enjoyable early talkie crime melodrama. Eighteen months before slimy businessman Frank (Rod la Rocque) is taking his slightly naive secretary Ann (Barbara Stanwyck) on a rum boat. He plies her with booze and tries to have his wicked way with her, but her honour is saved by a police raid...

Now Ann is happily married to Lawrence (William Stage Boyd) and living with him and his young sister Helen (Betty Bronson). To Ann's shock Helen has a new boyfriend... Frank! Lawrence finds out Frank has broken up his friend's marriage with his womanising ways and goes to have it out with the cad. A struggle ensues and Frank lies dead. Lawrence flees and locks the room... a complication being Ann was already hiding in the apartment having arrived earlier to have it out with Frank herself...

A simple enough plot but enjoyably done. The final act with the police investigation by the DA (Harry Mestayer) is quite exciting with a couple of plot twists. An early talkie which avoids some of the flaws of the period though is fairly static, you wouldn't be surprised to find out this was adapted from a stage play. Literally a locked door murder mystery and fine for that.