A Woman is the Judge (1939)

A courtroom drama that dials up the melodrama.

Mary (Frieda Inescourt) is a well-known judge on the circuit who is promoted to preside over more serious cases. However, behind the successful career, Mary has a secret. Twenty years before she had a daughter who was taken away by her estranged and crooked husband. Mary never gives up the hope she will see her daughter again one day.

Unfortunately, that day comes when the case of a major criminal reaches her court. One of the members of the crime boss' gang is Justine (Rochelle Hudson) - who is Mary's daughter! Soon, Justine is accused of murder of her blackmailer. Mary resigns from the bench to defend her daughter.

The film is rather melodramatic and has the kind of coincidences you would later see regularly in TV soap operas but it isn't that bad a film. An interesting if not overly entertaining film.

Ator the Invincible (1983)

The second Ator movie, somehow even cheaper and shoddier than the first.

Ator (Miles O'Keefe) is living an easy life after his earlier exploits (which are recapped at length early in the film to pad it out), he is recruited by Mila (Lisa Foster) to help save her father (William Berger) from the evil Zor (David Brandon). The way to the castle of Zor is long (somewhat too long) and includes various battles against ridiculous creatures and monsters...

The first Ator film wasn't that great but it was much better than this nonsense. It is all a bit too cheap and lacks much of a plot, lots of swords and sorcery yes but what does it all mean at the end of the day apart from plenty of muscles and grunting?

The Count (1916)

A Charlie Chapin comedy short which is a decent satire on high society.

Charlie's boss, a tailor (Eric Campbell) finds an invitation to a party in a pair of trousers and goes to the party pretending to be an important Count so he can woo a rich young woman (Edna Purviance). Charlie also sneaks into the house, but so he can woo the cook! Of course Charlie ends up at the party as well and mayhem ensues, then the real Count (Leo White) turns up...

A fun little film, though it does include Charlie yet again either being mistaken or pretending to be someone more important which is a plot device he overused a bit. It is fine, if a bit over familiar.

Cry of the City (1948)

A hard Noir, a battle of wits between cop and criminal on the tough streets.

Martin (Richard Conte) has been arrested for shooting a policeman, however the lawyer Niles (Berry Kroeger) wants Martin to also take the blame for the brutal robbery of an old woman for jewels. Martin escapes custody, though badly wounded. 

Lieutenant Candella (Victor Mature) leads the hunt for Martin, but Martin is also interested in why Niles wanted him to take the rap for the jewel theft...

A great film, tough and gritty. The two leads are pushed to their limits in their relentless cat and mouse chase. Childhood friends Martin and Candella are both highly similar (both Italian background from the same streets) but also so different in outlook and eventual outcome too. Only one can come out of this alive. 

An excellent example of the Noir genre.

Agent for H.A.R.M. (1966)

A rather poor and low budget 1960s spy drama, actual James Bond spoofs can be more realistic.

H.A.R.M. agent Adam Chance (Mark Richman) is tasked with protecting an ex-Soviet scientist called Dr Steffanic (Carl Esmond) who has developed a new weapon that kills people with a spore which literally eats the victim alive. 

Chance meets Steffanic though seems more interested in the niece Ava (Barbara Bouchet) who seems allergic to wearing anything more substantial than a bikini. Steffanic is working on an antidote to the spores before the enemy can unleash them on the good old US of A. However, there is more to Ava than meets the eye...

Chance doesn't exactly cut a very dashing 1960s secret agent figure. Instead of a suave DJ, he squeezed his middle aged frame into a yellow cardigan! The action is mostly pretty poor though the scene where Chance is on a motorbike and fighting an agent in a light plane is pretty good. The film seems like it was made on a budget of about 25¢ though does make the most of it. It is fun if approached with the right frame of mind.