The Golf Specialist (1930)

A wonderful, if somewhat aimless, comedy short by the amazing WC Fields.

Bellweather (Fields) is at a hotel in Florida. After some awkward antics with a flirty wife (Shirley Grey) of the violently jealous hotel detective (John Dunsmuir), and with an angry sailor (Jack Irvin) wanting money from him, Bellweather goes to play some golf with many slapstick mishaps.

This is a great piece of fluff, it doesn't really go anywhere (and probably spends too long on the golf course) but is entertaining all the same and well worth watching. Fields early on mentions television, i wonder if this was the first time television was ever mentioned in a film?

Earth vs the Spider (1958)

Yet another film where a giant mutated bug battles the Earth's ultimate warriors: 1950s US teenagers!

A giant mutant spider begins to wreak havoc in a small US town. This is after it is "killed" by bug spray and then apparently bought back to life by rock & roll! Finally, the spider has to be defeated in it's lair by teenage couple Mike (Eugene Persson) and Carol (June Kenney) and their science geek teacher (Ed Kemmer) using the power of the national grid.

This is yet another creature feature film though has some interesting plot points to help elevate it above the usual dross level of these films. It still isn't great though but at least can be fairly interesting at times.

Ellery Queen, Master Detective (1940)

Although the character had appeared in a couple of earlier films, this was the first of a new series of Ellery Queen films in the 1940s.

The owner of a fitness company John Braun (Fred Niblo) falls ill suddenly and writes a new will cutting out his daughter. Nikki Porter (Margaret Lindsay) meanwhile wants to see Braun, to try and help improve relations between Braun and his estranged daughter (Marsha Hunt). While she is waiting for Braun, she finds herself locked in a room. When she gets out she finds Braun has been stabbed, but the murder weapon is missing. Amateur detective Ellery Queen (Ralph Bellamy) knows Nikki will be the number one suspect and helps hide her from the law while trying to find the murderer himself...

An enjoyable film, bright and breezy with some good charismatic lead performances and a fast moving plot. 

The Bees' Buzz (1929)

A surreal and highly strange (and amusing) comedy that has to be seen to be believed!

Andy (Andy Clyde) is announcing the engagement of his daughter Peggy (Barbara Leonard) to the rich oil man Homer (Harry Gribbon). However, Peggy is in love with Tyler (Tyler Brooke) instead and she elopes with him. Andy and Homer head off in pursuit which sparks a series of bizarre antics including car chases, people in cow suits and angry bees stinging everyone on the bum!

This is a rather strange little film which wouldn't seem out of place a few decades later in a psychedelic pop video. Highlights include a justice of the peace running around a golf course still in his sauna box and a man trying to get out of a barrel of water which falls apart drenching everyone. It doesn't make any sense whatsoever and can't be considered high art but it is very funny and does the job.

The Secret of the Purple Reef (1960)

A reasonable enough little adventure, though can't really be called more than almost competent.

After the loss of their brother's ship, brothers Mark (Jeff Richards) and Dean (Richard Chamberlain) decide to investigate what went wrong. They find the loss of the ship is linked to another ship, a freighter, which sank off St Kitts in the West Indies. The freighter was owned by Weber (Peter Falk) who seems rather dodgy and is keen for them to not investigate too closely...

This isn't that bad a film, though you'd struggle to call it good but it is at least watchable. The story is basic, though well structured. The execution is rather poor with some stilted dialogue. The sound track is also completely random (sounding like it comes from a compilation album of Caribbean music) and doesn't match what is shown on the screen at all! 

Peter Falk saves the film with his menacing presence, he often did play a very good villain.