The Telephone Exchange (1982)

A wonderful educational film (made by British Telecommunications) showing how telephone exchanges work and how they connect one telephone to another when you make a call. From the earliest mechanical switches to the latest (well in 1982 anyway) microchip technology. The film does a good job at explaining the basics at how these systems work and why they are needed.

It reminds me when my Dad took me to his work at a telephone exchange in the late 1970s, big rooms full of switches and wires. It's probably all replaced by a single box on the wall now.

Terror is a Man (1959)

Mad scientist creates man-cat, unfortunately the plot and action does not proceed with a feline speed and grace.

William (Richard Derr) is washed up on a remote island in the Pacific after his cargo ship sinks. He is rescued by Dr Girard (Frances Lederer) and his comely wife Frances (Greta Thyssen). Girard is conducting some kind of strange medical experiments on the island, and there is a beast loose which has killed enough natives that they have fled. However, the beast is not a natural creation but a big cat which Girard is trying to turn into a man.

Despite Frances and William's pleas to leave the island, Girard doggedly continues his experiments with the man-cat (Flory Carlos). However, the creature has developed a fascination for Frances (natch) and is also becoming harder and harder to control...

A story based on a HG Wells tale, and is fine enough though lacks much in the way of action. Much of the film is spent waiting around for something to happen, we really only see the man-cat in the final few minutes, though it really isn't worth the wait. One interesting gimmick is the inclusion of an annoying bell in the soundtrack to warn squeamish viewers to look away if something horrid is about to happen.

The Saint's Vacation (1941)

The Saint goes on a romp across Europe (suspiciously un-war torn) in pursuit of a mysterious box.

The Saint (Hugh Sinclair) and Monty (Arthur Macrae) go to Switzerland on holiday, pursued by the reporter Mary (Sally Gray) who is desperate for a story. 

However, his holibobs are soon cut short by the appearance of a strange box which various people including The Saint's arch-enemy Hauser (Cecil Parker). The box, when finally opened, reveals that it holds a music box. The Saint thinks this is the key to a secret code, of great value...

This is a typically fast moving B-movie of the period, played light and fast though unexpectedly dark at times (with a number of pointless deaths and a bit of torture). The film is a reasonable watch though not executed very well at times.

The Horror of Party Beach (1964)

Atomic waste creates mutated monsters which attack annoying teenagers, so not the most original of movies.

It is the 1960s so of course just dumping barrels of radioactive waste in the sea just off beaches where people party is A-OK. Unfortunately one of these barrels springs a leak and creates a bizarre race of blood drinking monsters. The blood is first provided by Tina (Marilyn Clarke) who is having a swim after having a tiff with her boyfriend at a beach party where much rock and roll is played. The attacks soon escalate though including a twenty teen girl slumber party which is wiped out by these monsters.

Luckily Dr Gavin (Allan Laurel) has a solution: sodium! As Hank (John Lyon) heads to NY to buy supplies of sodium, his girlfriend (Alice Lyon) is in peril from the monsters at a quarry...

So, this is fairly generic and low budget. The monsters are ridiculous of course but that adds to the film's camp charm. It is rubbish, but fun rubbish and that makes it very watchable.

The Crime of Helen Stanley (1934)

An enjoyable crime drama featuring an ingenious murder weapon.

Helen Stanley (Gail Patrick) is a top movie actress, though rather haughty with it, and she has plenty of enemies. When she is shot during the filming of a scene in a movie there are plenty of suspects for Inspector Trent (Ralph Ballamy) to work his way through! One prime suspect is Helen's former lover Lee (Kane Richmond) who has now taken up with her sister Betty (Shirley Gray). Another is Helen's ex-husband Wallach (Steven Chase) who confesses to the murder before shooting himself though afterwards he is ruled out.

However, a key problem with the crime is where the shot came from. All pistols on set are eliminated, somehow the shot came from somewhere else...

This is a good crime drama, Inspector Trent featured in a short series of films in the 1930s and was portrayed in a largely humourless and straight-to-business manner, which makes this film stand out from many 1930s crime B-movies! A good and inventive plot.