Ellery Queen, Master Detective (1940)

Although the character had appeared in a couple of earlier films, this was the first of a new series of Ellery Queen films in the 1940s.

The owner of a fitness company John Braun (Fred Niblo) falls ill suddenly and writes a new will cutting out his daughter. Nikki Porter (Margaret Lindsay) meanwhile wants to see Braun, to try and help improve relations between Braun and his estranged daughter (Marsha Hunt). While she is waiting for Braun, she finds herself locked in a room. When she gets out she finds Braun has been stabbed, but the murder weapon is missing. Amateur detective Ellery Queen (Ralph Bellamy) knows Nikki will be the number one suspect and helps hide her from the law while trying to find the murderer himself...

An enjoyable film, bright and breezy with some good charismatic lead performances and a fast moving plot. 

The Bees' Buzz (1929)

A surreal and highly strange (and amusing) comedy that has to be seen to be believed!

Andy (Andy Clyde) is announcing the engagement of his daughter Peggy (Barbara Leonard) to the rich oil man Homer (Harry Gribbon). However, Peggy is in love with Tyler (Tyler Brooke) instead and she elopes with him. Andy and Homer head off in pursuit which sparks a series of bizarre antics including car chases, people in cow suits and angry bees stinging everyone on the bum!

This is a rather strange little film which wouldn't seem out of place a few decades later in a psychedelic pop video. Highlights include a justice of the peace running around a golf course still in his sauna box and a man trying to get out of a barrel of water which falls apart drenching everyone. It doesn't make any sense whatsoever and can't be considered high art but it is very funny and does the job.

The Secret of the Purple Reef (1960)

A reasonable enough little adventure, though can't really be called more than almost competent.

After the loss of their brother's ship, brothers Mark (Jeff Richards) and Dean (Richard Chamberlain) decide to investigate what went wrong. They find the loss of the ship is linked to another ship, a freighter, which sank off St Kitts in the West Indies. The freighter was owned by Weber (Peter Falk) who seems rather dodgy and is keen for them to not investigate too closely...

This isn't that bad a film, though you'd struggle to call it good but it is at least watchable. The story is basic, though well structured. The execution is rather poor with some stilted dialogue. The sound track is also completely random (sounding like it comes from a compilation album of Caribbean music) and doesn't match what is shown on the screen at all! 

Peter Falk saves the film with his menacing presence, he often did play a very good villain.

Nancy Steele is Missing! (1937)

A somewhat unusual crime drama.

Dannie (Victor McLaglen) is both a crook and a pacifist, so much so on the latter that he kidnaps the daughter of military industrialist Steele (Walter Connelly) during the First World War. Leaving the daughter with some friends to bring up, Dannie then ends up in prison for seventeen years! The girl Nancy (June Lang) has grown up into a young woman by the time Dannie gets out of prison, and thinks Dannie is her father.

Dannie decides to return Nancy to her real father (in return for money of course) but due to Nancy's feelings for him he cannot go through with the kidnap plot. Unfortunately, Dannie's old cell mate Sturm (Peter Lorre) is on hand to mess things up...

An unusual film for the period in that an actual criminal is treated fairly sympathetically. This film has a rather far fetched and convoluted plot but is saved by some good performances (especially Lorre) and the atmospheric feel.

Santa Claus vs The Devil (1959)

Some truly bizarre Christmas fare.

Santa Claus (José Elias Moreno) is preparing for Christmas, and bringing joy to all the good little girls and boys. These include poor Lupita who is a very good girl who only wants a doll. However, the Devil sends his minion Pitch (José Luis Aguirre), who tries to corrupt Lupita into stealing that doll. Luckily Lupita remains good (a real little angel to be honest). Pitch recruits three bad boys to help him try and stop Santa in a number of traps and ruin Christmas...

Very strange stuff and often very surreal, Santa's robot surveillance system and flying castle base are amazing if somewhat odd. In mortal peril from the evil of the Devil, Santa is helped by Merlin (Armando Arriola) - well of course! The film has some real mind bending charm and is fun, though may cause some nightmares. Well Merry Christmas anyway!