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DESIGN FOR SCANDAL (1941) Walter Pidgeon, Rosalind Russell Lively Script. Pidgeon orchestrates a scandal to help his boss get even with a judge (Russell) for a ruling in a divorce case. Pidgeon, a fixer/reporter (more like an experienced con-man) is an amoral opportunist. Russell, the judge, is cold and emotionally walled-off from the world as Pidgeon tries to seduce and compromise her.

In my opinion Pidgeon deserved to be indicted despite how glib and affable he was.

Pidgeon's performance is adequate, he's likable as always. Russell is also adequate and beautiful. But I was distanced from immersion into the story by both of their slightly wooden line delivery. I kept getting the sense they were speaking lines, acting. The script was snappy, maybe that was the problem? Too snappy for ordinary people to be saying.

I think that's one of the problems with these movies from the 40's that have such great writing. It undermines the credibility of our character identification. Who speaks like that? Who is that smart, that quick? Yet it's the same thing we enjoy so much, the thing that makes such movies rise above the rest.

So, the answer is to have characters that the audience can believe are smart enough to be delivering such quick-witted comebacks.

Also, the deliveries from the two lead characters here sounded a bit overly rehearsed.

I liked this movie from the start and as it developed but drifted away emotionally during the last act.

Lots of wonderful supporting cast including the great (and aging) Edward Arnold, the ubiquitous Guy Kibbee, and Leon Belasco (playing a sculptor).

Watched three Mr. Moto movies: One was "The Mysterious Mr. Moto". The 2ns one was, I think, "Mr. Moto's Last Warning".

Maybe the best of the three was this one, "Mr. Moto in Danger Island: (1939) Danger Island is apparently Puerto Rico

Mr. Moto (Peter Lorre). Geez, I thought it would never end. But still, in this series, if you're a Lorre fan (I am)… I give it a "6". Not as high as others rated it.

Mr. Moto picks up a sidekick, a wrestler named Twister Mcgirk, when he goes to Puerto Rico to investigate diamond smuggling and a missing investigator. (I didn't know diamond mines were big in Puerto Rico but that is explained). Twister's grammar makes Slip Mahoney (Bowery Boys) sound like Laurence Olivier.

I saw Ward Bond among the wrestlers but he wasn't in the credits.

I've been to Puerto Rico; I didn't see any swamps or quicksand but… okay. Maybe I missed it. All I saw was luxury hotels and beautiful beaches. Oh, and I didn't see any Puerto Ricans in this movie.

It Started with Eve (1941) Charles Laughton, Bob Cummings, Deanna Durbin This movie gradually won me over. I wasn't so crazy about Robert Cummings' performance in the opening scenes; his manic over-acting took me out of the moment. But Charles Laughton is so endearing as the millionaire patriarch and Deanna Durbin (who we lost this year at age 91) was delightful. But it was the writing that made it all work. And won me over! Two nice musical numbers. And a story line that really touched on deep human issues.

Beyond the snappy banter there is also embedded deep insights into social values. The eccentric Charles Laughton, a dying millionaire, indifferent to extravagance, declining into ennui on his deathbed literally "comes alive" to the simple things in life. Namely, the sweet innocence of Deanna Durbin.

But a mixup ensues based on (the typical Hollywood Macguffin) an unnecessary lie which leads to chaos.

Stumbles now and then but the hilarious yet insightful writing saves it. And Durbin is a tour de force. She seems at first a wallflower but then springs to life (which Laughton as John Reynolds even remarks on).

Durbin walked away from acting when she was 27, was the highest paid actress for a while, was far more popular than Judy Garland but moved to France to raise a family and never looked back.

Eye for an Eye (1966) I would recommend this only for fans of Robert Lansing (which I am). From the very first strains of the guitar and whistling over the opening credits (which was absolutely awful) I seriously wondered how low the budget was.

Two crippled bounty hunters (one blinded and one with a crippled hand) team up to seek revenge. Sounds like good fuel for a satisfying plot but somehow the spirit keeps getting lost.

Strother Martin (love Strother) is up to his usual eccentric character performance. Same with the antagonist, Slim Pickens. Lansing is laconic as usual. A very young Clint Howard plays an overly ebullient child. Not that the character was oddly too loud but that Clint himself never uses his 'indoor' voice. Even at that early age.

But despite the mostly adequate performances the plodding pace and discouraging themes push me toward 'thumbs down'. No saving overall payoff for the 92 minute investment.

Frankenstein (2004)

This was made for TV on the USA network and had fine production values.

A twist on the classic Frankenstein story. This one takes place in modern-day New Orleans where a detective investigates a series of murders.

But the 'Frankenstein monster' is an intelligent 200 year old looking for his "maker" (a Victor Helios, also 200 years old, keeping himself alive with genetic experiments) who is creating synthetic humans from stolen body parts to eventually replace mankind.

It had a bit of an unusual ending and I see it was originally designed to be the pilot of a series... which explains the ending. Turns out it was based on the book "Frankenstein: the Prodical Son" by Dean Koontz and Kevin Anderson. Which I now want to read. Two Thumbs Up from me. I enjoyed it!

I can't reveal any spoilers but there were twists in the characters as well as a massive rewrite of the plot. And all I'll say is... role-reversal.

It's called The Return of Mr. Moto (1965) Henry Silva. "Last full length feature of Ian Fleming". Perhaps, but it's not our Mr. Moto (Peter Lorre). Filmed at Shepperton Studios, which might give you a hint to the boredom ahead.

In this one Mr. Moto works for Interpol, investigating an oil mogul murder. The setting is international, ala Bond. Very dry. Tedious. Moto (actually calls himself "Mr. Tugura" so there is no reason for the movie title) goes into disguise eventually as a Japanese who's doing a Charlie Chan impression.

It's not that it's cheesy. It's just boring. No camp. No charm. As a "Mystery/Thriller" it wasn't mysterious or thrilling. And I actually like Henry Silva… usually.

"SHOOT FIRST" (1953) Joel Macrae - I like Joel Macrae but this one just left me quite bored. The cable guide gives it 3 stars, I'd give it one star.

Herbert Lom plays pivotal character, Sandorski.

How can such an exciting storyline be treated so shabbily? Even as I was watching it I thought it was as if they purposely toned-down the dynamic impact (typically British under-statement) in order to convey stark distance and a sort of clinical detachment.

Macrae plays an American Army officer in England who gets involved with some local Nazi spies. But that sounds way more exciting than the movie actually is.

SLEEPERS WEST (1941) Lloyd Nolan Nolan (Mike Shayne) is transporting star witness on a train. So much of the movie takes place aboard a train. Comforting train noises all the way along, the clickety-clack of the rails.

Quite interesting and lots of unusual twists but* most of them lacking credibility.

One thing that bothered me was this thing they have in the 40's about how wily and sneaky women are, even the protagonists. A reporter, Shayne's old flame, lies often even when there was no reason to. And would make a sneaky face that only we, the viewers, could see.

Mike Shayne was totally ineffective. His job was to get the witness to trial yet he stuck her in a berth and never stayed with her. Instead he roams around the train, aimlessly, uttering one-word remarks to other characters. Mostly he just stared at his hands or his lap.

I like the genre but was very impatient with the plodding pace.

And I'm increasingly disappointed with the portrayal of women in that decade being duplistic and deceitful.

A Night to Remember (1942) Brian Aherne, Loretta Young (and Sydney Toler shows up as Inspecor Hankins) Mystery & Suspense

Ham-handed tone. Rated *** but I think that's two stars too many.

Aherne, an Errol Flynn clone, a mystery author, tries valiantly (and fails) to overcome bad script. Loretta Young same. I just don't remember her being such a novice actor.

Even the incidental music is too light, wrong tone IMO. Befits a comedy.

The mystery aspect is okay. Toler shows up as hard-nosed police inspector after a dead body is found in our couple's apartment. (The TV guide says "apartment" but actually it was the backyard.)

Toler comes across as an extra-crabby Charlie Chan.

This movie is really not done very well, I don't know how it rated ***. It's just clumsy and inept in tone, shifting to comedy often, overly broad, tries too hard and poorly acted & directed IMO.

There's a difference between wonderfully unintentionally campy and intentionally exaggerated and manipulative.

Charle Chan in Honolulu (1938) Sydney Toler. Sen Young (as son Jimmy). Charlie detains tramp steamer investigating a murder. Classic Chan! The well-known George Zucco plays a creepy scientist (Dr. Cardigan) who keeps a human brain alive in a jar; red-herring? A detective is aboard ship returning an escaped prisoner to prison, another red-herring? Zoo menagerie including wandering lion, all aboard ship, adds distraction to cluttered but delightful story line. Lots of colorful characters and bad acting. Keeps you guessing, can YOU guess who the murderer is? Good addition to the Chan series.

"Mr. Chan, what's your opinion on the case?" Charlie Chan: "Opinion like tea leaves, take time for brewing."

TORCHY BLANE IN CHINATOWN 1938

Barton Maclane, Glenda Farell. From the Torchy Blane series. Classic fast-talking good-guy police detective MacBride and his girl, Torchy (reporter). I have a love/hate relationship with this whole series (nine of them). This one was one of the better ones. A blackmail case.

But throughout the series Torchy, a pretty reporter, is constantly trying to snoop into ongoing police investigations, jeopardizing her own and other peoples' lives, not to mention stealing or tampering with evidence. She is always on the verge of getting arrested or rubbed out by the murderers or gang members. So she's irritating.

I'd rate the similar "Maisie" series (with Ann Sothern) higher.

Having a Wonderful Crime (1945) with Pat O'brien, George Murphy, Carole Landis, George Zucco. Zany mystery/action/comedy. I'd put it under "B" movies although they were shooting for the 'Thin Man" genre. Lots of fast-talking and clever banter amidst ongoing murders. It's a worthy genre they're shooting for but they didn't succeed and it falls flat. Jokes/banter weren't good enough.

Couple going on honeymoon attends magic show and the man who's supposed to disappear in the trunk keeps showing up dead here and there.

O'brien: "I'm coming along with you two." Murphy: "You can't go with us, we're on our honeymoon!" O'brien: "That's okay, I'm broadminded."

The cable-guide gave this 3 stars but I would give it two or less.