Gangs, Inc. (1941)

Rita Adams (Joan Woodbury) is a naive young girl with a difficult life (ex-convict father, no job et cetera) who takes the rap for her useless boyfriend Harold (Phillip Trent) after a hit-and-run. After a spell in the state pen she discovers the truth about her beau and sets out on a life of crime...

She becomes a mysterious "blonde beauty" and rises up the ranks in the mob led by Jack La Rue. Meanwhile Alan Ladd is an undercover agent who has infiltrated the mob. When he is ready to bring them down unfortunately Rita is ready to go straight...

It is a rather complicated plot and unfortunately tries to pack too much in to a rather short film. It is complete nonsense but is an enjoyable fast-moving romp.

Hong Kong Nights (1935)

A 1930s Oriental romp so you know to expect dated stereotypes, though isn't too bad compared to some films...

This is a decent if unexceptional crime drama involving weapon smuggling into HK. Gil Burris (Cornelius Keefe) is the mastermind behind the smuggling and two US customs agents (Tom Keene and Warren Hymer) are tasked to bring Burris to book. One complication is Burris' girl (Wera Engels), they all have the hots for to various degrees. She is of course naive and innocent of Burris' evil doings until Keene comes along...

Another complication is Burris' honourable henchman Wong (Tetsu Komai) and his good luck amulet which ends up saving Keene's life...

It is though a rather run-of-the-mill adventure film. Fairly fast moving and usually makes sense, but not always! Once things get going the action is solid.

The Wrong Road (1937)

An odd little film, crime doesn't pay you see and this hammers the message home with the biggest hammer you can imagine. Jimmy (Richard Cromwell) and Ruth (Helen Mack) are college kids who decide that working for a living is not for them and instead still $100,000 from the bank Jimmy works at, intending to sweat it out and then live on the money they have hidden away when they are released.

However detective Mike Roberts (Lionel Atwill) is after the money and arranges for the couple to get out of prison on parole so they can lead him to the money. However the trail to the money isn't that smooth, especially when Jimmy's ex-cellmate Blackie (Horace McMahon) decides he wants a cut too...

It is an interesting story with some noir touches though the story line is pretty ridiculous. The couple are given every chance to give up the money but keep doggedly on the trail even though it turns them against each other.

Gigolo & Whore (1991)

Gigolo & Whore is a pretty low rent HK sleeze romp starring Simon Yam, Carina Lau and Alex Fong. It is also pretty fantastic.

Carina is a mainlander who has come to HK for her fortune, and seems to think the best way to do this is lying on her back. She comes to this conclusion after she meets Simon, HK gigolo par excellence, and her lunatic cousin who is already a "chicken" or prostitute. So Simon teaches Carina how to sell sex... the only snag being she's fallen in love with him.

Alex Fong, meanwhile, is depressed and Carina is called upon to wake him from his depression. This she does... but Alex falls in love with her. Then Simon realises he is in love with Carina after all. Yay!

So the story line is utter drivel. But why is this such a watchable film? For the late 1980s / early 1990s HK excess! This is a film of fast cars, booze, opportunity, sleaze and depravity. Its nostalgia for a time when you could arrive in HK with nothing and in a short time be drinking incredibly expensive brandy out of women's shoes. Which naturally happened a lot.

Hollywood Stadium Mystery (1938)

A prize boxer dies in the ring, but not because of his opponent's fists but because of poison. DA Bill Devons (Neil Hamilton) is on the case with detective novelist Pauline Ward (Evelyn Venable) hanging on to assist / perform her own parallel investigation... but also a potential suspect along with a few thousand other people in the audience.

Bill and Pauline also have a love-hate flirting thing going on throughout. They have some nice chemistry together.

The investigation continues at the stadium with various false leads and mysterious goings on. In many ways a standard murder mystery but the setting adds novelty. The film is pretty creative and nicely done, raising it above the usual B-film. Interestingly the poster for a Gene Autry film is a major plot point...

One jarring point is when murder suspect Edna (Lynne Roberts) is blacked up to keep her away from the clutches of the law but the film is easily good enough to forgive that.

Whispering Footsteps (1943)

Marcus Bourne (John Hubbard) is a bank clerk who returns from vacation to find that he has a startling resemblance to a murderer in a neighbouring town.

More murders occur and Marcus finds himself under suspicion from the police (Cy Kendall) and his fellow boarders. Though is given alibis by women who fancy him (which seems to be all of them).

The story is a bit plodding and basic with plenty of annoying and somewhat one-dimensional characters including Rose (Juanita Quigley) who screams at the slightest scare, Sally (Marie Blake) as a lonely librarian, Harry Hammond (Charles Halton) as a cardboard but lecherous bank manager and overtly horny Helene (Joan Blair).

Although a crime story the film is more about small town gossip and prejudice. It has some nice noirish touches though overall is somewhat rushed.

Think Fast, Mr. Moto (1937)

The first of the Mr Moto series of films starring Peter Lorre. Mr Moto joins an ocean liner headed for Shanghai and makes a friend of rich young Bob Hitchings (Thomas Beck), son of the liner owner. Criminal activity in the form of smuggling is taking place on the boat though Bob is pretty oblivious to it and only has eyes for Gloria (Virginia Field) - though she is involved with the criminals...

Mr Moto knows something is up though and uses his friendship with Bob to track down the gang led by Marloff (Sig Ruman). But who is the real mastermind behind the gang...

Although it gets a bit bogged down on board ship once we get to Shanghai the action hots up with Mr Moto having to evade various attempts on his life. Full of dated stereotypes of course but undeniably fun.