In a tiny town in England, the police are working overtime in search of Mrs. Shellbrook, a local woman who has been missing for several days. Dora (Merle Tottenham), a maid at the nearby home of Mrs. Bramson (Dame May Whitty), knows Mrs. Shellbrook, sort of. Her boyfriend Danny (Robert Montgomery) works for the missing woman. When Danny pays a visit to the Bramson house, … Continue reading Night Must Fall (1937)
Peggy Evans (Lana Turner) lives a dull life in Hotchkiss Falls, New York — one of the dullest towns in America. She works at a soda counter, where one day she bets her co-worker Mitzi (Pamela Blake) that she can serve the customers while wearing a blindfold — a testament to the monotony of her life. When store manager Bob (Robert Young) catches Peggy doing … Continue reading Slightly Dangerous (1943)
Phoebe Frost (Jean Arthur) is a U.S. Congresswoman headed to Berlin, Germany with a plane full of fellow congresspeople. Their goal is to better understand the problems in Berlin’s American occupation zone, and to investigate the morale of the 12,000 United States troops stationed there. As Phoebe puts it, the men have been inflicted with a “moral malaria,” and those on the home front are … Continue reading A Foreign Affair (1948)
The year is 1940, and it’s Christmas in “Everytown.” Crowds gather in the streets, buying last-minute gifts and Christmas turkeys. News boys hold broadsheets declaring “WAR STORM BREWING” and “WORLD ON THE BRINK OF WAR.” John Cabal (Raymond Massey) reads the rumors of war, and is disheartened. He is sure that if war comes, it will mean the end of civilization as it is known. … Continue reading Things to Come (1936)
Mike Anthony (Clark Gable) and Barney Pells (Franchot Tone) are American reporters living and working in the bustling city of London, where the stories are… not too exciting, actually. The men flip a coin to split the responsibility on two very dull assignments — a Prince’s wedding and an interview with a pilot. Mike gets the wedding story in the coin toss and gets a … Continue reading Love on the Run (1936)
Dr. Heinrich Bernhardt (Paul Lukas) is in post-war Paris to give a talk regarding German reunification. At the same time, a group of children find a dead pigeon carrying a coded message tied to its leg: 21:45 D 9850 Sulzbach A woman planning to cook the pigeon delivers the note swiftly to the police, who are unable to decipher it completely. They figure that 21:45 … Continue reading Berlin Express (1948)
It’s a busy night at Bello’s nightclub in San Francisco, California. A man has just arrived from the airport in a hurry, with a pretty hefty stack of stolen bonds in tow. Also visiting the club is Arlene Bradford (Bette Davis), a popular socialite who used to spend a lot more time at Bello’s before announcing her engagement to Spencer Carlton (Lyle Talbot). Now she’s … Continue reading Fog Over Frisco (1934)
After a three-month stay, Nick Blake (John Garfield) has finally been released from the Army hospital on Governor’s Island, where he could see his hometown of NYC through the window but couldn’t quite make it there. Now that he’s out, he’s excited to be reunited with his beloved city and with his girlfriend, Toni Blackburn (Faye Emerson). Nick gave Toni some money to hold on … Continue reading Nobody Lives Forever (1946)
Commodore John Balwind Parker (Ray Collins) is a corrupt political boss and famed trophy hunter. After his latest safari hunting trip, he returns to Oakport, California and announces that he and his neice Lily (Kathleen Freeman) will display the heads of their kills at the city zoo. Dr. Kevin Maguire (Cecil Kellaway), superintendent of the zoo, disapproves of the Commodore’s actions. He is ardently opposed … Continue reading The Reformer and the Redhead (1950)
Today and tomorrow on TMP I’m reviewing two Tyrone Power films that tell the same story. First up we’ve got Love is News (1937), co-starring Loretta Young. Tomorrrow, That Wonderful Urge (1948), with Gene Tierney taking on the role formerly occupied by Young. Two films, one tale, and one leading man in Tyrone Power! Steve Leyton (Tyrone Power) is a reporter stuck in a rivalry … Continue reading Two films, one tale, one Tyrone: Love is News (1937)
