Boot Hill Bandits (1942)

The Range Busters were a trio of cowboys who made no fewer than twenty four movies in the early 1940s.

Marshal Corrigan (Ray Corrigan) turns up in Sundance and sets up a shooting date with the Mesquite Kid (I. Stanford Jolly) whom he promptly despatches but really he is in town to investigate the mysterious Bolton (John Merton) whom he thinks is up to no good but isn't the real leader of the gang. When Bolton's men blow up a mine payroll wagon Corrigan is thought to be killed. However he is still alive and with the help of his fellow Range Busters (John King and Max Terhune) investigate the gang and uncover the real mastermind.

It is a rather straight forward but enjoyable Western, simple cowboy adventures with a ventriloquist dummy (yes that's right Max Terhune's dummy Elmer).

Danger Lights (1930)

An early talkie and one of the earliest films filmed in widescreen though that version no longer survives. It is a story of romance and railroads, lots of railroads.

Dan Thorn (Louis Wolheim) is a tough - to an almost ridiculous stereotypical degree - railroad boss. During the clear-up of an accident he recruits (or rather press gangs) hobo Larry Doyle (Robert Armstrong) into working for him.

Despite his resistance Larry stays on with the company but a complication occurs when he falls in love with Mary (Jean Arthur) who is Dan's fiancee. Naturally Dan isn't too happy about the competition...

Although the story and plot isn't too much to get excited about being a fairly basic love triangle with a bit of railroad peril though isn't bad, the acting and dialogue delivery is sometimes a bit off as is usual for an early talkie but not always. Where this film really flies is the railway footage, quite simply it's brilliant (no bland stock footage here) and some of it very rare.

Alice in Wonderland (1915)

Another version of Lewis Carroll's famous story, we've reviewed the 1903 version before.

This one stars Viola Savoy as Alice and is a very charming (if sometimes a little creepy) little film that captures the fantasy of the story well. Some of the character costumes and effects are very well done indeed especially the Mock Turtle.

However the film is a bit disjointed though mostly because of lost footage. Being 1915 the film makers were still a bit hesitant to do that many close-ups.

I Can't Escape (1934)

Steve Nichols (Onslow Stevens) has just got out of prison for an investment scam and ends up in a brawl in a nightclub while defending Mae (Lila Lee) an ageing good time girl. Steve shacks up with Mae but struggles to get a good job because of his record.

Eventually he lucks on a job with some investment brokers but they want to use him as the fall guy in the scam, exactly what got him into this trouble in the first place. Though their scam is rather flimsy and for an ex-con Steve is a bit naive...

Although a bit slow and clumsy it isn't a bad film, Onslow and Lila play good roles with plenty of chemistry. The main problem is the film makes little sense. Tom Martin (Russell Gleason) turns up looking for Steve to get revenge for the death of his father due to Steve's crimes. However he doesn't know what Steve looks like so Steve is able to pretend to be someone else but keeps Tom in his house to keep him under control. Tom somehow doesn't find it suspicious near strangers seem obsessed with keeping him under their roof.

Winner Takes All (1984)

This film stars Alan Tang and Olivia Cheng. Its a crime revenge drama, and the kind of strange genre crossing film HK cinema excelled at.

The plot is fairly basic: a jewellery shop boss loses his daughter in a rather bloody manner (crushed under a Ford Cortina - well i suppose if you have to go that's a fairly cool way to go) during a robbery and then seeks revenge on the three men who did it.

He enlists the help of a tough guy who is also after those three for killing his bro, well that is a useful coincidence.The two allies chase the three hoodlums, trying to keep one step ahead of the police. The female cop has a rather large bust which you may notice and the film certainly does. Our hero also has a rather fine girlfriend in Olivia who doesn't really affect the plot that much but does look lovely.

The shop owner ends up being a bit of a double crosser and a strange but interesting three way fight takes place in a shopping mall. A nonsense plot really like so many films of the period but 80s HK was cool and is always worth watching. Some good fighting and bad acting and hot chicks. Typical early 80s HK fare then!

Harlem is Heaven (1932)

This film wanted to showcase fine early 1930s music and dance moves from Bill Robinson. They needed some kind of plot to hang the musical parts of the movie on, unfortunately the plot is rather flimsy.

Jean (Anise Boyer) is in town wanting a job, she meets up with Money Johnson (James Baskett) who offers her one, and he can as he is the rich man in town. Unfortunately those riches are from the proceeds of crime...

Johnson says he is nice to people who are loyal and Jean is loyal for now. She gets drawn into Johnson's criminal doings but soon wants out, but doing so ain't easy... maybe Bill Robinson can help her out.

Well that is more or less what it is about, the story isn't really all that. Some of the acting is fun though. As a "black" film in the 1930s the black actors get to act in normal roles and not the usual ridiculous stereotypes in contemporary Hollywood fare. The best bit is the dancing and music though, its worth watching just for that.

The Thief of Bagdad (1940)

Gorgeous looking but frequently ridiculous Arabian adventure, filmed in Technicolor. Sultan Ahmed (John Justin) is convinced by his evil Grand Vizier (Conrad Veidt) to disguise himself as a poor man so he can know his people. Naturally the Vizier seizes the opportunity to take power and throw Ahmed in a dungeon. Ahmed escapes with the help of the young thief Abu (Sabu).

However the Vizier's evil is not yet over. Travelling to Basra with Abu, Ahmed falls in love with the Sultan's beautiful princess (June Duprez) whom the Vizier also has plans for having exchanged a flying horse to the Sultan for the daughter. When the princess refuses the Vizier in favour of Ahmed he uses evil magic to blind Ahmed and turns Abu into a dog...

The film looks amazing in Technicolor : blue mosques, purple cloaks, crimson palaces the works. The story is maybe a little nonsensical but that really is the point, this is a fairy tale fantasy and one of the best.