Kronos (1957)

An enjoyable science fiction film with some alien super science wreaking havoc.

Aliens send a probe towards Earth, after it is shot down by American nukes the probe turns into a huge walking electrical accumulator robot which begins to drain Earth of every volt. Dr Gaskell (Jeff Morrow) leads the scientific investigation into the alien technology, which is being controlled by a possessed colleague of his (John Emery). Can Dr Gaskell devise a way to defeat the alien probe which he has called Kronos...

This is a fun film, Kronos looks superb. Although the plot is pretty standard for the genre this film is very nicely done despite the low budget. It isn't what you have got, its how you use it.

Ellery Queen: Don't Look Behind You (1971)

A TV pilot which aimed to relaunch Ellery Queen on television in the 1970s, unfortunately it didn't work. For now anyway.

A serial killer called the Hydra is killing people seemingly at random across New York, each murder accompanied by a rather creepy animation of a multi-headed snake. Inspector Queen (Harry Morgan) is making no headway with the case so calls upon his nephew Ellery (Peter Lawford) to help out. Ellery discovers a link in the murders, with the help of one of the victim's sister Celeste (Stefanie Powers).

Ellery discovers a prime suspect, though as the film is only half-way you know there will be some complications...

Not a bad film, though the casting of Ellery Queen is a bit odd. Although the plot is fine, it is stretched out rather thinly which ends up making the film a bit of a drag in the end though it does have a cool filming style throughout. 

Luckily for Ellery Queen fans another attempt to launch a TV series starring the character was successful later in the decade.

Homicide for Three (1948)

A young couple suffer the honeymoon from Hell.

Young naval officer Lieutenant Duluth (Warren Douglas) returns from his ship to finally enjoy a honeymoon with his new wife Iris (Audrey Long). However, they can't find a hotel room in town but in the end accept the loan of a room from a kind lady. But this hurls them into an awful mystery involving multiple dead women, a bearded drunk and a showdown with two murderous clowns at a circus! Can they find the true culprit before the police arrest them for the murders?

An interesting little crime drama which is played fairly light most of the time, though it isn't funny enough to be a proper comedy and too humorous to be a proper crime drama! It is a worthwhile and enjoyable watch all the same. Seasoned crime drama fans will probably guess who the real killers are though!

Inspector Hornleigh on Holiday (1939)

Comedy crime antics, though amid all the nonsense the crime itself is rather dark.

Inspector Hornleigh (Gordon Harker) and Sergeant Bingham (Alastair Sim) are on holiday, and incognito, but when an obviously fake naval captain is apparently killed in a car accident Hornleigh (keenly) and Bingham (reluctantly) begin to investigate. It is soon clear that the accident was really murder and a plot is uncovered by a gang stealing corpses from a hospital to fake accidents in order to claim insurances and wills. The question remains who is the Mr Big behind the plot?

This is a great film, the comedy team of Harker and Sim working together so well. The plot is well constructed and builds gradually, though whether it makes a great deal of sense in the end is a good question. The mixture of character humour, silliness and crime may seem unusual these days but was quite common back in the 1930s.

On the Threshold of Space (1956)

An interesting, though fairly dry, look at the very beginnings of the US effort to put a man into space.

Before you put a man into space you have to work out a way to get him back alive. That is the job of Captain Hollenbeck (Guy Madison) who works for the USAF. Firstly, he is working on a way to get men to eject from the latest ever-faster jet fighters and survive. This isn't the easiest thing in the world but Hollenbeck manages to find a way amid quite a few injuries.

However, there is more to come. A rocket sled to push humans above 1000mph and then the most dangerous of all, a balloon that takes a man to the very edge of space. To the horror of his new wife Pat (Virginia Leith), Hollenbeck volunteers for this mission himself...

Based on the real events, then contemporary to this film which at times is in a semi-documentary style. Unfortunately it can be a bit dry and too restrained at times but the actual experiments give you all the drama and action you could hope for. A fascinating look at the very early, and maybe largely forgotten, part of the space race.