The Intruder (1962)

A Civil Rights movie which leaves little to the imagination.

Adam Cramer (William Shatner) arrives in a small Southern town, in a white suit and a sunny charismatic disposition. Well to white people anyway. The integration of black children into the town's white school is causing antagonism from the local racists, and Cramer who claims to be a "social reformer" but is really here from a racist organisation to stop the school integration, is happy to take advantage of this and rise up the mob. 

Unfortunately, the forces he unleashes are soon out of his control...

A good film though a challenging and difficult watch, the language used is uncompromising which many will find objectionable. However, this gives the film it's bite and it is harrowing, which is exactly how it should be with this subject. William Shatner's performance is excellent.

Thief (1971)

An intelligent and enjoyable TV movie with a rather shocking ending.

Neal (Richard Crenna) is an amiable soul, keeping himself in shape, trying to get custody of his kid and building a new relationship with Jean (Angie Dickinson). 

However, he has a bit of a dark secret: he is a burglar! He has tried to go straight but his gambling addiction means he now owes money to the mob, much to to the despair of his friend and lawyer Charles (Cameron Mitchell). In order to meet his debts, Neal has to do one more big job, and this one could be his most risky one yet...

A very good story that makes a sympathetic character out of someone who would usually be a villain. The actual robberies we see are very tense, you are drawn in and feel worried for Neal when he is so close to being caught in the act! The ending though will surprise you, but maybe not in a good way.

Calling Philo Vance (1939)

Philo Vance is called upon to deal with a case of Fifth Columnists and stolen aeroplane plans.

A plane designer is murdered, the question is: have his secret aeroplane plans also been stolen? Philo Vance (James Stephenson) is called upon to investigate. Now, the murder took place in a locked room (so this has both a Golden Age style locked room mystery and an espionage plot!) Of course there are a lot of potential suspects, and the various Axis powers are involved...

Although this is largely a remake of the earlier Philo Vance film the Kennel Murder Case, it has been nicely updated to reflect the geopolitical situation of the time. However, the film - although still perfectly good - is not quite as good as the original which was one of the best Philo Vance movies. The locked room mystery is a good one and nicely worked out.

Island of Doomed Men (1940)

A superbly dark tale which allowed Peter Lorre to run riot.

Mark Sheldon (Robert Wilcox) is tasked by the secret service to investigate the mysterious Danel (Lorre) who has his own island, and who accepts paroled men to work for him there. However, it is rumoured these men are horribly treated, treated as slaves and tortured. Sheldon is arrested after an unknown assailant kills a fellow agent, Sheldon allows himself to be arrested for murder and sentenced! Some time later he is paroled and is sent to Danel's island.

Sheldon finds a brutal regime of slave labour, with public floggings a regular occurrence. Danel is also treating his wife (Rochelle Hudson) as a prisoner. She soon has the hots for Sheldon...

An enjoyable romp. Peter Lorre plays Danel with relish, not so much chewing the scenery but having it on toast. The story itself is a little heavy in the whippings and violence but Lorre makes it very entertaining.

Miracle Landing (1990)

A rather excellent TV movie documenting an accident aboard which seems too far fetched to be real but it actually happened!

Bob (Wayne Rogers) and Mimi (Connie Sellecca) are taking their Boeing 737 on a routine domestic flight over Hawaii when part the roof of their airliner rips off! 

Somehow the plane stays in the air but is badly damaged, one of the crew has been lost but somehow everyone else is still aboard. Now the pilots and flight attendant Michelle (Ana Alicia) battle to keep everyone alive before the plane can be safely landed...

A dramatisation of Aloha Airlines Flight 243 which lost a large chunk of it's fuselage at 24,000 feet. This is an enjoyable TV movie with some pretty decent special effects and good performances by the principles.