Lord James Broadbent (Rex Harrison) and his wife Sheila (Kay Kendall) are an English couple preparing for the arrival of James’ American daughter from a previous marriage, Jane (Sandra Dee), for an extended visit. There’s no “evil stepmother” to worry about, for Jane. She and Sheila get along great. But when the Broadbents run into Sheila’s cousin Mabel (Angela Lansbury) at the airport, Mabel plants … Continue reading The Reluctant Debutante (1958)
Agnes Huston (Jean Kent), a British widow, has been murdered in her home. Before she was killed, Agnes worked at the local fairground as a fortune-teller, under the name of “Astra.” Agnes didn’t fit the stereotype of a widow or fortune teller. She was a young, pretty, lively woman. Agnes’ body is found by the young son of her neighbor, Mrs. Finch (Hermione Baddeley). Superintendent Lodge … Continue reading The Woman in Question (1950)
Vivian Heldon (Jan Sterling) is a down-on-her-luck gal who lives in a Boston boardinghouse and works at the Grass Skirt Cafe. Struggling to come up with the money she owes to Mrs. Smerrling (Elsa Lanchester), the boardinghouse owner, Vivian calls her old flame James Joshua Harkley (Edmon Ryan). Harkley is a married man with whom she recently had an affair, and she hopes he’ll pay … Continue reading Mystery Street (1950)
At the end of April I reviewed It’s a Date, a 1940 film about a mother and daughter (Kay Francis and Deanna Durbin) fighting for the same stage role and the same man. I said that the film made decent light entertainment and gave it a score of 3.5/5. Today I’ll be looking at the remake, released 10 years later: Nancy Goes to Rio, starring … Continue reading Nancy Goes to Rio (1950)
Jimmy (Edmund O’Brien), Eddie (Johnny Sands), Mike (Steve Brodie) and Ollie (Richard Erdman) are Army vets who live as members of the “52-20 club,” surviving on $20-per-week unemployment benefits afforded them as they re-adjust to civilian life after the war. At the unemployment office one day, the men meet Jean Madison (Wanda Hendrix), an ex-WAVE who is also scrimping by on $20 a week. Jimmy … Continue reading Mill Creek Musings: The Admiral Was a Lady (1950)
The favorite film: Gun Crazy, a 1950 film noir directed by Joseph H. Lewis The synopsis: Bart Tare meets the woman of his dreams, Annie, at a carnival when they engage in a sharp-shooting competition. Bart has always loved guns, and he’s happy to find a woman who loves them as much as he does. The two quickly fall in love and marry, but Annie … Continue reading Favorite things about… Gun Crazy (1950)
A note from Lindsey: I watched bits and pieces of this film for a tribute post I made for Skip Homeier, but this is the first time I’ve viewed the film in its entirety, so I’m counting it as “new to me.” Jimmy Ringo (Gregory Peck) was once a notorious gunfighter, but he’s changed his ways. He’s traveling to a small town to rekindle a … Continue reading Lindsey Tries to Appreciate Westerns: The Gunfighter (1950)
Dr. John Jason (Paul Henreid) has landed a new job at a school for delinquent teenage girls. John is a good-hearted man who really wants to make changes in the lives of the girls who live at the school. Those changes might be harder than it would seem to make, though, because the current staff of the school has been mistreating the girls, many of them … Continue reading So Young, So Bad (1950)
Welcome to Mill Creek Musings, a segment in which I work my way through the three low-price Mill Creek film sets that I own, reviewing each film for content and quality along the way. The Man Who Cheated Himself marks my fifth viewing from the 50 Dark Crimes set. One of the consequences of a messy divorce is that your angry ex-spouse may come back … Continue reading Mill Creek Musings: The Man Who Cheated Himself (1950)
Edge of Doom (1950): 3/5 Edge of Doom is a flashback noir in which Father Roth (Dana Andrews) uses an anecdote of his past experience as a pastor in order to convince his young fellow pastor from leaving. They’re pastors in a poverty-stricken neighborhood, and the younger pastor wants to be moved because he finds the hardened people there difficult to deal with. The tale … Continue reading Edge of Doom (1950)
