Secret Agent (1936)

In this Alfred Hitchcock film Edgar (John Gielgud) is plucked from the front lines in World War 1 to be recruited by the secret service and is reluctantly sent off to Switzerland with only the vaguest of instructions.

He isn't alone though as he has his "wife" Elsa (Madeleine Carroll) and his sidekick The General (Peter Lorre) who plays a rather bizarre crazy foreign type role. Edgar is tasked to find and kill a German agent, unfortunately the identity of the agent is unknown so Edgar and company begin their tricky search.

If we are to be honest this is quite an odd little film though very watchable, at times quite dark. When the first agent suspect is killed by The General we don't see the act but the unfortunate's little dog howls and shrieks. Some of the plot makes little, why for example is Edgar in Switzerland, doesn't a spy need a cover story?

Five Golden Dragons (1967)

Late 60s crime cheese, greatly enlivened by the setting of Hong Kong. The film would have been much less watchable if it had been set in say Hull or Southend-on-Sea.

Bob (Robert Cummings) is an ageing American playboy who gets dragged into the world of international crime and a mysterious gang the Five Golden Dragons who evilly control gold smuggling across the world...

Assisted by comely sisters Maria Rohm and Maria Perschy he finds himself in various perils across the territory. Police Rupert Davies and Roy Chiao are also trying to find out what exactly is going on, the viewer will also be frequently bemused.

The dragons themselves, which include Christopher Lee, unfortunately only appear fleeting.

It is fluffy and at times a bit of a mess but a lot of fun. It shouldn't be taken very seriously just enjoyed for what is it, a gorgeous looking film in a gorgeous looking location.

Texas Terror (1935)

John Wayne stars as Sheriff John Higgins who returns his badge after he (thinks) he has killed his best friend after a robbery.

John ends up helping his best friends' daughter Bess (Lucile Browne) run the ranch she has inherited. He fears though that she will find out who he really is and what he did to her father (although in reality he was innocent of that of course not that he knows)...

A decent little Western though in a more modern setting with motorcars and telephones. The film is fairly run of the mill, though when there is action it is well done. Its interesting to see a young and raw John Wayne.

Marked Money (1928)

A dying father gives his son (Frank Coghlan Jr) - who has a pet monkey - and a box containing $25,000 to his lawyer. The lawyer is to deliver son and cash to Bill's friend Captain Fairchild (Bert Woodruff). Sounds easy, but a group of crooks are intent on stealing the cash...

The film is basically about the crooks' failed attempts to steal the money box. One of the antics involves disguising the moneybox as a cake so there is a deal of farce here. Meanwhile Fairchild's niece Grace (Virginia Bradford) is mixed up with Clyde (Tom Keene) who is an pilot. Fairchild hates pilots apparently...

The film ends with a nice action set piece on a plane after the desperate thieves try kidnapping Grace but overall it is a rather confusing effort. Why does the captain hate pilots? The stunts are decent. Overall the film is a bit forgettable though.

Pit of Darkness (1961)

Richard (William Franklyn) works at a safe making company. He wakes up dazed in an industrial wasteland with a wound on the side of his head but that is only the start of the trouble. When he makes it home he finds he has been missing for three weeks...

Richard has no idea what has happened in those missing three weeks but his wife Julie (Moira Redmond) is rather suspicious, especially as a strange woman has been calling for him. She is also suspicious as a private detective she hired to look for Richard was found dead and his card is found in Richard's pocket...

Richard sets out to try and find out what is going on, especially who is the woman calling for him and what is this cottage they seem to share? Richard begins to realise he is mixed up with a couple of mysterious thugs (Leonard Sachs and Tony Booth) who haven't finished with him.

A neat little British crime drama, efficient with decent performances though maybe without sufficient spark to push it into exceptional. Watch out for the Dave Clark Five, in their early days before they became one of the Beatles' main rivals, as the band in the nightclub scene.

I am a Criminal (1938)

Cocky crime boss Brad (John Carroll) hits the rocks when he is charged with manslaughter of the DA's son. To build up his public image he hires PR adviser Clint (Craig Reynolds). Clint suggests Brad adopts an orphan...

Brad adopts Bobby (Martin Spellman) and soon is very fond of him. Unfortunately Clint is carrying on with Brad's girl Linda (Kay Linaker) behind his back. Bobby tells Brad what is going on and he throws Linda out. Clint then begins a campaign to bring Brad down forcing the criminal to flee with Bobby. Brad and Bobby make a mountain resort owned by Alice (Mary Kornman), naturally Brad falls for Alice...

So it can be a bit corny but once you realise the film is really about Brad and Bobby's bonding and not a gritty crime thriller then the film is much more enjoyable.

The Legend of Hell House (1973)

Paranormal investigator Dr Barrett (Clive Revill) is hired to investigate a notorious haunted house owned by a Mr Belasco. Everyone else who has been in the house has either died or gone mad but Dr Barrett still leads his team in anyway including his wife Ann (Gayle Hunnicutt), and two mediums Ben (Roddy McDowall) and Florence (Pamela Franklin).

Whatever is haunting the house doesn't waste much time, the team soon find themselves under attack including poor Florence who gets attacked by a possessed cat and Dr Barrett is attacked by various cutlery in a terrifying poltergeist event. Ann meanwhile has become sex obsessed...

The film is very frightening indeed but the danger is mostly implied with atmosphere and sound without overdoing the special effects. This makes the feeling of creepy menace in this film and house all the more powerful.