Inspector Hornleigh (1939)

The first of three Inspector Hornleigh films, in this first one Hornleigh and Bingham investigate the theft of the Chancellor's brief case!

Hornleigh (Gordon Harker) is called upon to investigate the murder of a lodger, the only clue being a man was seen leaving the premises with a suitcase. Bingham (Alastair Sim) in his own bumbling way finds the suitcase in the river, it is what inside the suitcase that really surprises... the Chancellor of the Exchequer's red briefcase! 

Hornleigh and Bingham begin to uncover a plot involving big debts, government secrets and murder...

An enjoyable film, the plot is a bit slow but it is well structured and the film has enough banter and humour between the two detectives to keep things moving.

The Spider Woman (1943)

An excellent entry in the Basil Rathbone Sherlock Holmes series, as the master sleuth battles a deadly foe who uses deadly spiders to kill.

A spate of mysterious deaths, claimed to be suicides though many are sceptical, grips London. However, Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson (Nigel Bruce) are on holiday in Scotland. Holmes says he feels ill and then appears to fall to his death into a river, though his remains are never found.

But of course Holmes is not really dead, he returns in disguise and begins the hunt for whoever is behind these mysterious deaths. Disguised as an Indian gentleman down on his luck, Holmes encounters Adrea Spedding (Gale Sondegaard) who is interested in single men down on their luck. Indeed, she is keen to kill them using deadly spiders so she can claim their life insurance...

This is a great film, if you suspend disbelief at the basic concept (insurers don't pay out for suicides usually) it is highly enjoyable. Adrea is a great villain, including having a taste for killing people in very intricate and imaginative ways.

The Giant Spider Invasion (1975)

What is worse than spiders? Giant spiders from outer space!

Some sort of anomaly has landed in Wisconsin, some form of alien life form has arrived and it has a lot of legs and a lot of eyes! Tarantula sized spiders emerge from the anomaly that quickly grow into giant spiders which terrorise the population (especially young ladies of course). Scientists Dr Vance (Steve Brodie) and Dr Langer (Barbara Hale) need to find a way to save mankind.

This is ridiculous science-fiction horror trash of course but it is a lot of fun. Cheesy and makes little sense, but that is what films like this sound be like. 

The film is oddly dated though as it feels like it should have been made about twenty years earlier when various kinds of space and mutated giant bugs were attacking mankind a few times a week.

Who Killed Gail Preston? (1938)

An interesting little murder mystery, and including some musical numbers too!

Gail Preston (Rita Hayworth) is a popular young singer working in the club, her talent is only matched by her ability to make enemies including her ex whom she wants fired. She is gunned down at the end of a song in the club and detective Tom Kellogg (Don Terry) is quickly on the case. 

It seems like it might be a simple case too as Owen (Dwight Frye) confesses to the murder then kills himself. However, it is quickly revealed that it wasn't Owen, there was another culprit and a fascinatingly devious way to commit the crime...

A good crime drama with plenty of red herrings and twists and turns as the various suspects are ticked off one by one. However, the film is basically a remake of 1934's The Crime of Helen Stanley (though in the earlier film's case the crime takes place on a movie set). But the crime is ingenious enough to be enjoyable twice!

Calling Bulldog Drummond (1951)

Bulldog Drummond has been away breeding pigs, he is called back into action to battle a deadly gang.

A highly organised criminal gang is running rampant in London. The police turn to Bulldog Drummond (Walter Pidgeon) for help. He goes missing from his club (for a rather complicated reason which easily goes wrong) and goes undercover as a criminal. 

Drummond and policewoman Helen Smith (Margaret Leighton) join the gang led by Arthur Gunns (Robert Beatty), but the identity of the mastermind behind the gang is still a mystery...

An enjoyable film, taking a look at the sleazy underbelly of early postwar London. The story is good with a number of interesting scenes and sub-plots. Not quite as fast paced as some earlier Bulldog Drummond films but this goes give the film room to breathe.

The Falcon's Alibi (1946)

Another entry in the Falcon series, the Falcon being a former jewel thief who has gone straight but the police never believe him!

The secretary Joan (Paula Corday) of rich Gloria Peabody (Esther Howard) is in trouble. She has discovered some of her employer's expensive pearls have gone missing and if more are taken then she will get the blame. 

She enlists the help of The Falcon Tom Conway (Tom Lawrence). However, soon the jewels are stolen and also a butler is murdered...

This is a good entry in the series though has little you would have seen before from a Falcon film. The usual mix of fast moving dialogue, red herrings and face paced action. The Falcon is his usual calm and suave self and very very watchable. Its great fun.

Great Guy (1936)

He might be holier than thou in this role but James Cagney really scores in this role... as a weights and measures inspector!

In New York the weights and measures inspectors make sure citizens are not short changed. Small cheats lead to big profits and thus the inspectors are under fire. Johnny (Cagney) is put in charge of the department after the head is put on the shelf in a suspicious accident. Johnny discovers that everyone in business wants to be his friend, and want him to look the other way in return for a bribe. 

Even though Johnny plans to marry Janet (Mae Clarke), he remains firm. Though unfortunately one of the crooked businessmen is Janet's boss and this soon puts his relationship under trouble as well as his safety...

This is a great little film, one of a couple of B-movies Cagney made for smaller studios when he was between major studios. His character is maybe a little too good to be true at times but Cagney pulls it off in his usual energetic and charismatic style, of course.