Bulldog Drummond in Africa (1938)

Bulldog Drummond's marriage to Phyllis has to be delayed yet again, but this time because Colonel Neilson has been kidnapped and is now in Africa...

Neilson (H.B. Warner) of Scotland Yard is kidnapped by a notorious criminal called Lane (J. Carrol Naish). Phyllis (Heather Angel), who is due to marry Bulldog Drummond (John Howard) that very day, discovers Lane's plot and warns Drummond. 

Unfortunately, they are too late to stop Lane take Neilson to his lair in Morocco where he wants the details of a secret weapon to sell to his client. Drummond and company follow on (always handy to have your own aeroplane). Lane hides out in a fortified house, guarded by hungry lions. He also had crooked staff at the consulate to assist him including Fordine (a young Anthony Quinn).

This is a fun romp, plenty of fast moving adventures which culminates in a death defying fight on a balcony while a lion roars below. It isn't high art but it is very effective.

Norman Gives a Speech (1989)

The fourth and final of the curious series of short films documenting the mishaps of Norman.

Norman (Douglas P Macintosh) is to give a speech at a business conference. What could go wrong? Well everything of course, ranging from a clumsy cleaning woman covering his notes with coffee, to Norman dropping all of his carefully arranged materials on the floor... to the fire alarm going off during his speech!

It is all quite odd and strangely awful / brilliant at the same time, as with the other Norman films. I have no idea why these little films existed but i am glad they did.

Rocket Attack U.S.A. (1960)

The Soviets have launched Sputnik into space and now the Cold War paranoia is dialled up to 11.

With the Soviets now orbiting the Earth, the US are afraid the Soviets are gathering data before they can launch a deadly nuclear attack. Secret agent John (John McKay) is sent across the border into the Soviet Union - which seems rather easy to be honest - and links up with female agent Tanya (Monica Davis) who is getting pillow talk from the Soviet Defence Minister...

Apparently the Soviets discover they can defeat the US with just one nuclear missile and one is prepared. If only the US had a anti-ballistic missile defence system in place but no doubt a bigger defence budget will help. 

This is a pretty basic Cold War film, heavy on the use of stock footage and propaganda. It is all pretty poor stuff with a minute budget though does include the helpful advice that covering yourself with wet newspaper can help with nuclear blasts!

Song of the Clouds (1956)

A look at the classic pre-jet age of air travel when the skies were the domain of the prop airliners like the Constellations, DC-7s and Vanguards. This is an optimistic, nostalgic and very entertaining documentary from the Shell Historic Film Archive showing the fast growing civil aviation industry as the world beginning to leave the carnage of the Second World War behind.

The film covers a pretty wide area, from big international airports to small aircraft linking up remote and rural communities. The message of the film is hammered home pretty solidly, aircraft and travel brings us and the world together, well that is something that is true today, even on Ryanair.

House of Danger (1934)

An enjoyable and effective crime drama.

Don (Onslow Stevens) and Ralph (James Bush) are returning to the US from the South Seas after years away, Ralph returning home after the unexpected death of his father. After an accident on board their ship, Ralph is injured. 

With Ralph's blessing Don poses as Ralph to go home, though he encounters Ralph's long-standing fiancée Sylvia (Janet Chandler) and falls in love with her. However, it is Don who is soon put in danger as it appears that the butler Gordon (Desmond Roberts) and Ralph's cousin Martin (John Andrews) are up to no good...

Although it is pretty clear from the off who the villains are, this is a fine crime drama with some good performances (though not universally, some of the dialogue can be a bit stilted at times) and a decent plot.