The Mystery of the 13th Guest (1943)

Marie Morgan (Helen Parrish) turns up at her late grandfather's home which has lain empty for thirteen years. She sits at the same table she sat at thirteen years ago with her grandfather (Lloyd Ingraham) and eleven other family members. Her grandfather tells them he is soon to die but his will won't be opened until Marie opens it in thirteen years time...

Marie opens the will but is bumped off soon after. The police in the form of Lieutenant Burke (Tim Ryan) and private investigator Johnny Smith (Dick Purcell) begin to investigate the murder which isn't the first. Someone is bumping off the guests from thirteen years ago. However things take a strange turn when Marie turns up again at the house very much un-dead...

A very enjoyable murder mystery. Slightly jarred by a little too much "humour" (the usual dumb police deputy trick) and the way PI Smith can boss the police around is a little unrealistic. However the murderer's fiendish plot and elaborate set-up makes for an exciting film.

Keystone Hotel (1935)

Cross-eyed Count Drewa Blanc (Ben Turpin) arrives at the Keystone Hotel to judge a beauty contest. Everyone (the law, the authorities and gangsters) seem to have wives in the contest who try and lean on the Count to influence his decision...

Meanwhile various slapstick nonsense takes place elsewhere in the hotel. Including a number of gags involving a vibrating exercise machine...

It is corny but highly enjoyable. It celebrated Keystone silent comedies and included many of the stars of those films such as Chester Conklin and Hank Mann. It all ends in an epic custard pie fight and the Keystone cops turn up, what more could anyone want?!

Murder at 3am (1953)

A cheap but interesting crime drama involving the search for a serial attacker of society women returning from night clubs. Dennis Price is Inspector Lawson who is on the baffling case which has little in the way of any clues.

The problem for Lawson is that he begins to suspect his sister Joan's (Peggy Evans) new fiance Teddy (Philip Saville) is the murderer. He is a writer of detective novels who seems to be very interested and knowledgeable in the case and also has been acting a bit suspicious. Of course there is a twist... though not one you could easily guess.

Although the film is not too exciting, apart from the river chase, it has an interesting investigation involving tides and patterns. The grime and austerity of early Post War Britain is the highlight (in a manner of speaking) of the film.

Danger Ahead (1935)

A rather ridiculous crime caper. An old sea captain (John Elliott) is swindled out of his money by a crooked cafe owner (Bryant Washburn). Luckily a tough reporter called Jerry (Lawrence Gray) witnesses the crime and gets the money back.

However the gang are on his case and for some reason he can't just tell the police what has happened...

It is all just a farce with some of the most inept bad guys imaginable. The police, when they finally do show up, prove to be almost as stupid as the bad guys!

Although nonsense the film is enjoyable because it is so silly. There is a love interest with the captain's daughter Lorraine (Sheila Bromley) but mostly the film is a series of pointless action set pieces and sometimes poorly judged humour. The fight scenes are particularly amusing - they last for ages and have no dialogue apart from gasps and grunts. The film should be treated as a live action cartoon, then it somewhat makes sense.

Anoop and the Elephant (1972)

A rather charming children's film about an elephant and the circus. Anoop (Anoop Singh) is on a school camping trip with his class (which includes a very young Linda Robson). At a circus next to the campsite Anoop finds a rather forlorn looking elephant Ranne (Bella from Chessington Zoo in fact).

Unfortunately a nasty rival circus owner Skinner (George Roderick) wants to take Ranne away to Belgium. Penny (Rachel Brennock) who has trained Ranne gets Anoop's and the other children's help in saving Ranne from Skinner's clutches. Many hijinks follow.

Its all rather corny but sweet in an early 1970s way. Simpler fun in simpler times. Much nostalgia for school trips will be generated if you are of a certain age, even if they didn't involve an elephant.

Before Midnight (1933)

Police Inspector Trent (Ralph Bellamy) is called in by Edward Arnold (William Jeffrey) who lives in a lonely mansion, he is convinced he is going to be murdered and wants Trent to protect him. Unfortunately Arnold is killed mere minutes after recruiting Trent, the detective moves to find out what or who killed Arnold...

So basically this is an Golden Age type dark house murder mystery, a complicated murder case with a number of potential suspects including his secretary (Claude Gillingwater) and his ward (June Collyer). Arnold was killed by an injection, was it the Doctor (Arthur Pierson)?

Well there is nothing really that original in this film but it's nicely done, Bellamy plays a good and energetic role as the detective trying to unravel the crime. Who killed Arnold and why? A couple of interesting twists elevate the film.

Dick Tracy (1945)

Superb pulpy noir detective thrills. Dick Tracy was originally a comic strip of course and has been translated into a fast paced romp here. Morgan Conway plays Tracy as he should be: bold, intelligent and tough. Anne Jeffreys plays Tess Trueheart his long suffering girlfriend.

In this case a maniac known as Splitface (Mike Mazurki) is killing random victims who don't pay his extortion demands. It's a difficult case with multiple suspects though Tracy's detection skills usually involving chasing people around.

The film is made with a good deal of camp, swagger and humour, including when Tracy supposedly goes to a club incognito but everyone knows who he is anyway!