Seven Keys to Baldpate (1935)

An enjoyable dark house crime romp, just expect many clichés.

Writer William Magee (Gene Raymond) is looking for a quiet place to work on his book and heads to a remote hotel which should be empty. Unfortunately, it is anything but! 

There are a number of other people lurking around the hotel including Mary (Margaret Callahan) but also others who seem to have dark intents and some missing money.

This is a fun film and played pretty light and fast moving, Magee seems pretty unruffled throughout despite tangling with various thugs and potential dangers. It is full of dark house clichés including hidden rooms and random events. 

Black Cobra (1987)

Violent nonsense as the loner cop fights a violent motorbike gang in a 1980s post-industrial wasteland. So, pretty original then.

A brutal gang led by Bruno Bilotta is killing and raping people at random. They next attack photographer Elys (Eva Grimaldi) whom the gang think has taken photographs of them. The police call upon maverick cop Malone (Fred Williamson) to protect Elys from the thugs who are out to kill her no matter the cost...

This is a pretty generic late 1980s low budget violent film, the sort of film that used to fill video rental shop shelves by the dozens. It isn't that bad a film really, but you will have seen it all before and usually a lot better. 

It is what it is, plenty of violence and late 1980s post-industrial grime.

A Close Call for Ellery Queen (1942)

Ellery Queen is called in to help with a mysterious case of two men blackmailing a wealthy man, who is also searching for two lost daughters.

Ellery Queen (William Gargen) is called upon by the secretary (Edward Norris) of Alan Rogers (Ralph Morgan) to help out. Rogers is being blackmailed by two rough seamen. He has also put out a public appeal for two long-long daughters to return to him. One daughter has already turned up, but Nikki Porter (Margaret Lindsey) poses as the other one (having already met the real one!) After Rogers pays off the two blackmailers, they are found dead. Did Rogers kill them or is someone else really behind the scheme to get their hands on Roger's wealth?

A great edition in the Ellery Queen series, one where Nikki takes the lead in the investigation (for better or worse). A good plot with some enjoyable twists and red herrings.

Fatherland (1994)

It is the 1960s, but in this timeline Hitler has won, but is the Third Reich quite as secure as it seems?

Having won the Second World War, Nazi Germany is now looking to improve relations with the USA. US reporter Charlie (Miranda Richardson) is over to cover the impending visit of the US President to Berlin, Hitler hoping this will help the Nazis in their endless war of attrition with the Soviets. Charlie is given a lead on a massive secret the Nazis are trying to hide. 

Meanwhile, SS officer March (Rutger Hauer) is investigating the death of a senior Nazi official but his investigation is suspiciously cut off by the Gestapo. Is his investigation linked to the secret Charlie is uncovering? The darkest secret of all, the secret of what happened to the Jews...

An enjoyable TV movie, although an alternate history setting this is more about the investigation of crimes and cover-ups and works very well as a suspensful thriller. It would be nice to see the alternate world explored more though that would have probably needed a full TV series.

I Take This Oath (1940)

A simple but highly enjoyable crime drama.

Hanagan (Robert Homans) is a police inspector close to tracking down the hidden identity of the gang boss who is running crime in the city. However, just before he reveals the identity of the boss, Hanagan is killed by a bomb. Hanagan's son Steve (Gordon Jones) joins the police so he can try and discover who killed his father. 

However, his fledgling police career is put at risk by his dogged investigation, as well as his relationship with his girl Betty (Joyce Compton)...

A highly competent film, the story is maybe fairly simple but everyone performs well. There is some heart and soul in this film which helps elevate it to the next level.