Meet Nero Wolfe (1936)

The first adaptation of the highly popular detective novels. 

Nero Wolfe (Edward Arnold), a housebound detective who likes his beer, is employed to investigate a couple of deaths which have been declared natural causes by the authorities. However, Wolfe suspects foul play and sends his assistant Archie (Lionel Stander) to find clues, who is eager to get married to his gal Mazie (Dennie Moore) but the case must be solved first. 

The case is complicated however and involves events which took place in the past in South America. Wolfe eventually assembles all the suspects, after an attempted shooting, a gas bomb and even an attack by a deadly snake...

Wolfe is a rather strange detective character, preferring to sit and drink beer rather than do anything else. Despite that the film's complicated plot moves apace, maybe too fast moving at times. Wolfe is an interesting character though maybe he didn't translate too well into the screen. Despite plenty of stories available to adapt we would only see one more film in this series in a couple of years.

Beyond the Time Barrier (1960)

A 1960s astronaut is sent into the far future... 2024 to be exact.

Allison (Robert Clarke) is testing the X-80, a new research craft. However, when he lands at his airbase he finds it derelict and everyone has vanished. He is soon captured by a strange group of people in matching outfits. Allison discovers that he is not in 1960 anymore, somehow he has been sent to 2024. 

The land has been devastated by cosmic rays and the remains of mankind live underground in rival factions. Allison is captured by one faction who are powerful but the radiation has made them largely sterile. Allison wants to return home though The Supreme (Vladimir Sokoloff) has other plans for him, he wants Allison to mate with his daughter Trirene (Darlene Tompkins)...

A slightly strange but enjoyable film. The budget is low but well used. The plot is a little more meaty than other examples of the genre. Of course their idea of the 2020s hasn't quite matched reality though the triangular doors really would be wonderful.

Hold That Woman! (1940)

The complicated life of the repo man, especially when he gets involved in a criminal plot.

Jimmy (James Dunn) is a skip tracer or repo man who is told he needs to get results or he will be looking for alternative employment. This is an annoyance as he wants to marry his sweetheart Mary (Frances Gifford). He combines a date with Mary with repossessing a radio from Lulu (Lita La Roy), unbeknownst to Jimmy Lulu is involved in a crime to steal jewellery from a movie star and has stashed the gems in the radio!

Jimmy's attempts to get the radio result in he and Mary spending the night in jail, however he is undaunted though unaware of the plot surrounding Lulu and the gems. When he finally does get them he finds himself in a car chase and shoot out with the gangster Steve (George Douglas)...

A great little film, a nicely involving story and some decent comedy moments but kept straight enough to take the crime element seriously. Great performances mean this film is well worth your time.

The Incredible Petrified World (1959)

A rather deep and dull adventure a long way underwater, one could say its a bit of a damp squid.

Four adventurers head deep underwater to explore a mysterious new layer on the sea bed. Something goes wrong of course and the adventurers end up trapped in a subterranean cave. The two males, Randall (Robert Clarke) and Paul (Allen Windsor) do their best to be butch and try and find their way out, the two females Dale (Phyllis Coates) and Lauri (Sheila Noonan) do their best to do the domestic chores and begin a long drawn out bitchfest. 

Things are complicated by another trapped man (Maurice Bernard) who has been down there for years and is a bit crazy, and tells them there is no way out. However, on the surface Professor Wyman (John Carradine) is preparing for a rescue attempt...

In theory this could have been a decent film but unfortunately it is rather dull with not a great deal happens. It's a short film padded out with stock footage and aimlessly wandering about a cave. Maybe if it's budget had been increased to say $20 it would have been more worthwhile, as it is the film is easily missable.

The Secret of Dr. Kildare (1939)

An amiable entry in the long-running Dr Kildare / Dr Gillespie series.

Dr Gillespie (Lionel Barrymore) has cancer and it is getting worse, he is also putting himself under terrific strain while searching for a treatment for pneumonia. His assistant Dr Kildare (Lew Ayres) concocts a scheme to force Gillespie to take a rest. Meanwhile, he takes on a case of a young woman (Helen Gilbert) who has gone blind even though there appears to be nothing physically wrong with her. 

Meanwhile, Kildare's father (Samuel S Hinds) might have something seriously wrong with him...

This is a fine little film, well structured and well made. Various plot lines neatly intertwine. The Gillespie / Kildare double-act works very well.

The Dead One (1961)

One of the earliest zombie movies in colour, quite terrible though reasonably interesting.

John (John McKay) and his new bride Linda (Linda Ormond) head up to the house in Louisiana which John has inherited. His cousin Monica (Monica Davis) already lives there and isn't that happy about John's arrival. She is into the voodoo cult which John dismisses as superstition in his typical bossy 1960s male way. 

At night Monica summons her recently deceased brother Jonas (Clyde Kelly) from the grave as a zombie (in a tuxedo). She sends him to kill Linda though he gets confused and kills a woman who was also staying in the house (Darlene Myrick) instead. John is still dismissive though soon realises the voodoo power is real...

A short movie though takes such an incredible amount of time to get going that it feels much longer. Not a terribly exciting story though an interesting example of a US indie film. One of the first two zombie films in colour, the other being Dr Blood's Coffin.

Doomsday Machine (1976)

A curious low-budget science fiction movie that looks like it was finished by different people than who started it, and funnily enough...

NASA is preparing for a mission to Venus, however a mysterious Chinese super weapon has spooked the rest of the world. NASA pushes the launch earlier and replaces three of the male crew with three women. As the rocket makes it's somewhat unsteady trip into space the reason for the change becomes evident. The Earth is about to be destroyed and the six crew of the mission are to head to Venus not to explore but to rebuild the human race...

But the mission runs into trouble including one crewman becoming a sex maniac and ultimately being accidentally ejected out of the airlock, various radiation dangers and mild late 1960s sexism. The film has a strange and bleak ending which kind of makes the entire film rather meaningless. It stars Bobby Van, Ruta Lee, Mala Powers and Henry Wilcoxon who do their best with the mediocre dialogue and often meaningless and lifeless scenes.

The film was started in the late 1960s but left unfinished, finally in the mid-1970s it was picked up and finished by another crew. The final scenes employ different actors to before which adds to the confusion. Its not great but unintentionally hilarious, there are some interesting ideas but rather lost in the poor execution. Ropey special effects add to the cheese.