Big Bob Johnson and His Fantastic Speed Circus (1978)

A low budget and low stakes racing film, this time its two Rolls Royces racing across Louisiana!

Bob Johnson (Charles Napier) has a struggling car stunt act which is bottom of the bill at the county show below a performing dog. However, he gets approached by Timothy Stepwell (Rick Hurst). He and his uncle (William Daniels) are to race across the state in order to win an inheritance from an eccentric relative. He wants Bob to drive the car and to help him defeat his uncle, who has enlisted Bob's rival and nemesis Muldoon (Burton Gilliam) as his driver...

The race begins in two old white Rolls Royces, a Wacky Races style race ensues with the uncle trying all sorts of dirty tricks to win. Meanwhile, a kid (James Bond III) stows away in one of the cars, and they are also pursued by a mysterious black van...

This is all nonsense of course but highly enjoyable. Small town America and the back woods is the setting for this film (never a bad thing, its great to get away from the usual big city settings) and there is plenty of comedy to lighten the mood, plus some decent driving stunts too.

Confessions of Boston Blackie (1941)

A rare Roman statue becomes the unusual centre of an art theft and murder case.

Diane (Harriet Nelson) puts a rare Roman statue, the last heirloom of her family, up for auction. However, an unscrupulous gang create a copy of the statue. At the auction, Diane notices something is fishy with the fake statue but before she can reveal this someone tries to shoot her. Luckily Boston Blackie (Chester Morris) is at the auction and shoots the gunman first. Unfortunately in the confusion no one knows what really happened and Inspector Faraday (Richard Lane) arrests Blackie for the attempted murder of Diane!

Of course Blackie gets away from the hapless Faraday and seeks to clear his name and find out what is really going on, this leads to a showdown in the gang's rather elaborate underground lair.

A great early instalment in the Boston Blackie series. The usual fast moving mix of snappy cheeky dialogue, slightly implausible situations and plot holes.

Venetian Bird (1952)

A grimy and Noir-ish crime drama set in glamorous Venice's seedy under belly.

Private detective Mercer (Richard Todd) has come to Vice to locate a former resistance fighter on behalf of an insurance company. However, locating this man is proving difficult especially as his informant is soon found dead! Mercer thinks the man is linked to a gallery where Adriana (Eva Bartok) works and lives. Despite news that the man he is seeking died in the war, Mercer is sure he is still alive though this puts him at odds with a tough gang who have a dark plan of their own...

An enjoyable film is fairly static at times but the portrayal of the grimy life of Mercer (which the limited budget probably helped with) works really well, the final chase on the roof tops is thrilling though. Look out for Sid James giving possibly the worst impression of an Italian hardman ever!

Secret of the Blue Room (1933)

A fascinating and ingenious Locked Room mystery.

Twenty years ago three murders took place in a country house's guest room which was, of course, locked. Now the daughter of the house owner (Lionel Atwill), Irene (Gloria Stuart), has three potential suitors but cannot choose between them. Thomas (William Janney) has the idea that the three of them must spend the night in the cursed guest room. Thomas goes first and goes missing. 

Then on the next night Frank (Onslow Stevens) takes his turn and is shot. There is also a mysterious stranger entering the house and suspicious actions by the staff. Finally, the police (Edward Arnold) is called in by Captain Brink (Paul Lucas)...

This is a remake of 1932 German film Geheimnis des blauen Zimmers and is an excellent crime drama. Although it has many of the familiar tropes of Locked Room and Dark House mysteries, this is very well done and has a superb twist.

Willa (1979)

She had a dream, and that dream was to drive a truck!

Willa (Deborah Raffin) has a mundane job as a waitress, is raising two kids without the father being around and has an alcoholic mother (Diane Ladd). For some reason she wants a little more in life! She dreams of driving a truck and works hard, loading cargo at night after her day job to earn the right to take driving lessons. I'm not sure what she uses to get all the energy to do all this but i certainly would like some.

Things do not go smoothly for Willa though as the authorities threaten to take her kids away. However, she gets help from another female trucker (Cloris Leachman) and even has time to flirt with Joe (Clu Gulager)...

Well it is a fine enough melodrama. Although a trucking movie, it doesn't have the usual cliches such as high speed chases and bad men stealing loads that you usually get with this genre. The story is a bit basic though, determined to hammer home it's message any way it can.