Mystery & Crime Series 30's & 40's (5 Viewers)

[Jeff Flugel]

Agree with Marv that you were a tad hard on poor old Tom Conway there, Russ...though I can't disagree that The Falcon in Mexico has its share of problems. I did like the locale change and, again, Tom Conway's more laid-back style works for me in these movies. Plus the "hot babe" ratio ratchets way up when Conway takes over.

While I like George Sanders and that thing he does a hell of a lot, to me his Falcon was just a carbon copy of his Saint. I like how Tom Conway makes the role his own.

Having a cold is no fun for sure. Hope you two sickies feel better soon! Take two martinis and a 77 Sunset Strip episode and call me in the morning.

 

[Rustifer]

I guess I may start revisiting some Charlie Chans, but not in order. I'll just skip around so I can get to experience all three actors who played him during the 1930s and 1940s.

I need to get back into Charlie Chan, too. One of my earliest memories (I was maybe five years old) was watching a Charlie Chan movie at my grandparents (they were Romanian and not proficient in English), along with my older brother and cousins who were having a ball watching the movie and trying to explain it to Granny and Grandpa. Although I couldn't understand the plot any better than them, I always associate Charlie Chan with that fun moment in time.

 

[Rustifer]

We have almost 30,000 views so I think many people are just lurking.

Wow. Who knew? I think we have over 165,000 views in our 77 SS thread. As you know, the only concrete evidence we have of anyone reading a post is if a "Like" is attached. You're lucky if you can get 2 or 3 Likes on any one post.

 

[Mysto]

Wow. Who knew? I think we have over 165,000 views in our 77 SS thread. As you know, the only concrete evidence we have of anyone reading a post is if a "Like" is attached. You're lucky if you can get 2 or 3 Likes on any one post.

The passion in the 77 Sunset Strip thread is amazing. I love it. Wish we had it here. I don't think any other TV series has been explored as well in HTF and I wish you guys could get a front page pix at some point.

Charlie Chan is among my favorite favorites. They aren't great acting - the plots quality vary - but they make me happy. For various reasons they aren't that well known or thought of today but they were B movies that often took top billing.

 

[Rustifer]

The passion in the 77 Sunset Strip thread is amazing. I love it. Wish we had it here. I don't think any other TV series has been explored as well in HTF and I wish you guys could get a front page pix at some point.

Charlie Chan is among my favorite favorites. They aren't great acting - the plots quality vary - but they make me happy. For various reasons they aren't that well known or thought of today but they were B movies that often took top billing.

BOOM! I just pushed you onto the 1,000 "LIKES" category. You have arrived, dude!

 

[Mysto]

BOOM! I just pushed you onto the 1,000 "LIKES" category. You have arrived, dude!

I want to thank all the little people that made this possible and some good forum friends as well.

 

[Mysto]

Screen Queen – Kay Linaker

In the last summary Detective Bill Crane we mentioned Kay Linaker, a regular in B movies. Kay was born July 13, 1913. After college she attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She went on to play supporting roles on Broadway and was discovered and signed to Warner Brothers.

Her biggest role had to be in Kitty Foyle in 1940 but she also made a bunch of westerns such as Black Aces, Drums Along the Mohawk, and even Buck Benny Rides Again.

She made it into our thread by supporting in Bill Crane The Last Warning – A Close Call for Ellery Queen – Charlie Chan in Monte Carlo – Carlie Chan in Reno – Charlie Chan’s Murder Cruise – Charlie Chan in Rio. In one of the Charlie Chan’s she was the villain. She also was the lead in The Murder of Dr. Harrigan playing Sally Keating. She lived a long full life retiring from film to teach screen writing at Kene State College in New Hampshire until her retirement in 2005 at 90 years old. She passed away in 2008.

A fine actress that could deliver the goods, she also was a screen writer. The team of her and husband Howard Phillips co-wrote The Blob. The credit is her married name Kate Phillips.

 

[Jeff Flugel]

As I mentioned way back in this thread, it wasn't until the past five years or so that I've become a big fan of Charlie Chan films. I was always interested in them, but didn't get much opportunity to see any until they were released on DVD. While I've since seen almost all of the existing Warner Oland and Sidney Toler Chan films made by 20th Century Fox, there is a small handful that I've been saving for a rainy day to watch for the very first time. Well, today wasn't exactly rainy here but, since you guys have turned the conversation this way, I decided to check one of these last unwatched Chan films out.

Charlie Chan at Monte Carlo (1937) finds Charlie (the great Warner Oland) and Number One Son, Lee (Keye Luke), missing their train to Paris and stumbling across a murder and theft of a million dollars in bonds belonging to mogul Karnoff (Sidney Blackmer). Exuberant local police chief Jubert (Harold Huber, back after his appearance in Charlie Chan on Broadway) chases around after various suspects, including Karnoff's wife (Kay Linaker), her brother - and Karnoff's secretary - (Robert Kent), Karnoff's shifty business rival (Edward Raquello), a blackmailing bartender (George Lynn), and a glamorous blonde hottie playing both sides (Virginia Field). Luckily for Chief Jubert, Charlie hangs around and wraps up the case before he and Lee have to catch the next train out.

I know these Chan films were B pictures but they were usually very slick, glossy productions and this one's no different, featuring a whole host of extras, several lush sets and plenty of slinky, expensive costumes for the lead actresses. There's a lot of French dialogue spoken (who knows how fluently or accurately), which lends some verisimilitude to a flick surely shot entirely on the backlot, but it does get a bit tedious after awhile - especially when an inordinate amount of time is spent on watching Lee Chan go through several miscommunication mishaps while his long-suffering Pop looks on. Since Marv already spotlighted Kay Linaker above, I'll focus on the real eye candy here, the sloe-eyed blonde beauty, Virginia Field.

I'd put this one in the middle pack of Fox Chan films, good but not top tier...a little too much comic hoo-ha for my tastes, but the central mystery plot is pretty good and it's always great fun to watch Oland's Chan gently but firmly run mental circles around everyone else in the room. Oland, with his serene and smiling demeanor, is my favorite Chan, though I like Toler pretty well, too. Toler is less charming and more caustic, more pointed in his rebukes to others, but some of his entries are among my favorite in the whole series, including Charlie Chan at Treasure Island and Dead Men Tell.

I haven't been able to sit through the Monogram Chans yet...screwing up the fortitude to do so in the coming months. I can see making my way through the remaining Tolers, but might have to draw the line at Roland Winters.

 

[Mysto]

Phillip Marlowe

Dick Powell

Murder My Sweet (1946)

Humphrey Bogart

The Big Sleep (1946)

Robert Montgomery

Lady in the Lake (1947)

George Montgomery

The Brasher Doubloon (1947)

James Garner

Marlowe (1968)

Elliott Gould

The Long Goodbye (1973)

Robert Mitchum

Farewell My Lovely (1975)
The Big Sleep (1978)

James Caan

Poodle Springs (1998)(Made for TV Movie)

Well, this appears to be the end of my summaries of 1930 and 1940’s B mystery series. I do plan to continue this thread with individual movie reviews. We felt we should add one more to the list even though it may be a stretch.

Phillip Marlowe was the creation of Raymond Chandler and first appeared in the novel The Big Sleep in 1939. But the truth was Chandler had already written the character in several pulp short stories. The names were different but the soul was the same and in fact a few of these were later combined to novel form and the name changed to Phillip Marlowe.

Phillip Marlowe (former D.A. investigator turned shamus) is a lonely, hard drinker that plays chess and can speak English “if he is required to”. He is “As honest as you can expect a man to be in a world where it’s going out of style.” A tough guy, cynical, but yet underneath it all, a romantic - you can tell when Marlowe says “ To say goodbye is to die a little.” He is tough but he’s not out to harm people – we leave that to the later Mike Hammer. If Sam Spade defined the “hardboiled” detective, Phillip Marlowe perfected it. Many fictional detectives owe their very existence to Marlowe.

Is it a series? It is the same detective but only once did a star get a re-occurring role. A studio favorite? Phillip went from one studio to another – RKO, Warner Brothers, MGM, 20th Century Fox, and United Artists all took a shot. Is it a 1930’s and 1940’s series? Marlowe appeared six times in the forties although the first two appearances were in disguise. The Falcon Takes Over with George Sanders was in fact an adaptation of Farewell My Lovely. Then he (doesn’t?) come back again in Time to Kill with Lloyd Nolan as Michael Shane an adaptation of High Window. Is it a B series? Some are B’s but most are not only A pictures but movies with style and real star power. Generally, these are different from most of the others we have listed but I feel they are too important not to include. Just like the Thin Man changed detectives into lighthearted jokesters, Marlowe changed them again creating a new generation of hardboiled sleuths.

Trying to describe the individual films would be like trying to describe the members of this forum. They all have unique qualities. Dick Powell gives a surprising performance and proves he’s not just a song and dance man in Murder My Sweet. Many Chandler fans rate this one as the closest to the books. Robert Montgomery almost appears in one of only 35 (according to wickipedia) first person films ever made and claims to be the first. If you get used to the format, not a bad film, but the happy ending (that was forced on the stars) marred it a little. The Brasher Doubloon with George Montgomery has a solid B movie feel to it and I thought was a fun watch with that expectation. Marlowe with James Garner plants him smack in the 60’s like it or not. Later Elliott Gould in The Long Goodbye plays a slightly comic Marlowe trying to cope in a world that has left him and his type behind. Many Marlowe fans panned the film but most critics loved it and it has gained some traction in recent time. Robert Mitchum gives one of his best performances in Farewell My Lovely, a remake of Murder My Sweet, without the handcuffs of “the code” and then goes on to find out why you don’t remake a legend with his 1978 Big Sleep. And finally, of course, Bogey and Bacall in 1946’s The Big Sleep. Not the best plotted or edited of the bunch but we forget about story and just watch the two of them work. Boy, do we ever.

If you haven’t seen at least a couple of these, you don’t qualify for classic movie connoisseur. Many are required viewing for Mystery Movies and Noir 101.

Marlowe liked women (although he didn’t always trust them or succumb to their charms) and much of his clever repartee came from dialog with the fairer sex. Take a look at some of the lovelies that graced his films.

Claire Trevor - Murder My Sweet

Lauren Bacall - Big Sleep

Audrey Totter - Lady in the Lake

Nancy Guild - Brasher Doubloon

Gayl Hunnicutt - Marlowe

Nina Van Pallandt – Long Goodbye

Charlotte Rampling – Farewell My Lovely

Sarah Miles – Big Sleep 1978

Diana Meyer – Poodle Springs

While looking for some video clips to add to this review I came across this great mini doc on Marlowe on movies and TV. I think it’s worth the 9 minute watch and turns out to be a nice video recap of most of the things I had already written.



Hooray! Something new – many of the Phillip Marlowe movies are available on Blu Ray.

Murder My Sweet – Blu Ray WA
Big Sleep – Blu Ray WA
Lady in the Lake – DVD WA
Brasher Doubloon – DVD
Marlowe – DVD
The Long Goodbye – Blu Ray
Farwell My Lovely/Big Sleep (1978) – Blu Ray - Shout
Poodle Springs – DVD



A couple these are available for viewing online free or at a small cost.

 

[Mysto]

As I mentioned way back in this thread, it wasn't until the past five years or so that I've become a big fan of Charlie Chan films. I was always interested in them, but didn't get much opportunity to see any until they were released on DVD. While I've since seen almost all of the existing Warner Oland and Sidney Toler Chan films made by 20th Century Fox, there is a small handful that I've been saving for a rainy day to watch for the very first time. Well, today wasn't exactly rainy here but, since you guys have turned the conversation this way, I decided to check one of these last unwatched Chan films out.

Charlie Chan at Monte Carlo (1937) finds Charlie (the great Warner Oland) and Number One Son, Lee (Keye Luke), missing their train to Paris and stumbling across a murder and theft of a million dollars in bonds belonging to mogul Karnoff (Sidney Blackmer). Exuberant local police chief Jubert (Harold Huber, back after his appearance in Charlie Chan on Broadway) chases around after various suspects, including Karnoff's wife (Kay Linaker), her brother - and Karnoff's secretary - (Robert Kent), Karnoff's shifty business rival (Edward Raquello), a blackmailing bartender (George Lynn), and a glamorous blonde hottie playing both sides (Virginia Field). Luckily for Chief Jubert, Charlie hangs around and wraps up the case before he and Lee have to catch the next train out.

I know these Chan films were B pictures but they were usually very slick, glossy productions and this one's no different, featuring a whole host of extras, several lush sets and plenty of slinky, expensive costumes for the lead actresses. There's a lot of French dialogue spoken (who knows how fluently or accurately), which lends some verisimilitude to a flick surely shot entirely on the backlot, but it does get a bit tedious after awhile - especially when an inordinate amount of time is spent on watching Lee Chan go through several miscommunication mishaps while his long-suffering Pop looks on. Since Marv already spotlighted Kay Linaker above, I'll focus on the real eye candy here, the sloe-eyed blonde beauty, Virginia Field.

I'd put this one in the middle pack of Fox Chan films, good but not top tier...a little too much comic hoo-ha for my tastes, but the central mystery plot is pretty good and it's always great fun to watch Oland's Chan gently but firmly run mental circles around everyone else in the room. Oland, with his serene and smiling demeanor, is my favorite Chan, though I like Toler pretty well, too. Toler is less charming and more caustic, more pointed in his rebukes to others, but some of his entries are among my favorite in the whole series, including Charlie Chan at Treasure Island and Dead Men Tell.

I haven't been able to sit through the Monogram Chans yet...screwing up the fortitude to do so in the coming months. I can see making my way through the remaining Tolers, but might have to draw the line at Roland Winters.

As always - great work. And thanks for showing me how to do cheese cake. I'll try to do better in my next Chan review.
I still watch a Chan every month and I've seen them all many times. They just have that something special. There is a CC site on the web that has (at least used to) have a group viewing. Everyone would watch the same movie and chat while it was on. I was on one time and one of the ladies online was the wife of the announcer for Chandu on radio.
When I watch the Winters offerings, I focus on story. He is just too wooden for me.

I'm a little sad that I've posted my last summary. I was going to hold it until this weekend but with this cold - I'm just sittin' with nothing to do.
I hope the discussion keeps going on all these fun series.

 

[Rustifer]

A fine actress that could deliver the goods, she also was a screen writer. The team of her and husband Howard Phillips co-wrote The Blob. The credit is her married name Kate Phillips.

I can't help but take the opportunity to point out that The Blob's theme song was written by Mack David (half of the song writing team of 77 Sunset Strip's theme) and Burt Bacharach. Burt had proudly proclaimed that The Blob was the worst American song ever written.

Beware of The Blob, it creeps
And leaps and glides and slides
Across the floor
Right through the door
And all around the wall
A splotch, a blotch
Be careful of The Blob...

 

[Matt Hough]

Love the Philip Marlowe films of the 1940s. Despite a host of different actors in the role, they feel so authentic. Love Mitchum's two stabs at the part, too, even if the second one ruined it by setting it in modern times.

 

[Jeff Flugel]

Marlowe liked women (although he didn’t always trust them or succumb to their charms) and much of his clever repartee came from dialog with the fairer sex. Take a look at some of the lovelies that graced his films.

Claire Trevor - Murder My Sweet

Lauren Bacall - Big Sleep

Audrey Totter - Lady in the Lake

Nancy Guild - Brasher Doubloon

Gayle Hunnicutt - Marlowe

Nina Van Pallandt – Long Goodbye

Charlotte Rampling – Farewell My Lovely

Sarah Miles – Big Sleep 1978

Dina Meyer – Poodle Springs

You did a swell job on the cheesecake this time out, Marv!

I've seen nearly all of these Marlowe films, some multiple times - except for The Brasher Doubloon. That one has so far eluded me. I like George Montgomery is his westerns. Not sure about Marlowe having a mustache, though...

Being a big Bogie fan, of course I love the Howard Hawks' version of The Big Sleep, but yeah, Dick Powell pretty much aces the part, too. Mitchum and Garner are both good choices, and though it's offbeat casting, I quite like Elliott Gould's nebbishy take on the character in The Long Goodbye.

 

[Vic Pardo]

I can't help but take the opportunity to point out that The Blob's theme song was written by Mack David (half of the song writing team of 77 Sunset Strip's theme) and Burt Bacharach. Burt had proudly proclaimed that The Blob was the worst American song ever written.

Beware of The Blob, it creeps
And leaps and glides and slides
Across the floor
Right through the door
And all around the wall
A splotch, a blotch
Be careful of The Blob...

Funny, related story. Years ago in the early '70s, The Tonight Show, then based in New York, occasionally asked audience members to "Stump the Band," by giving the title of a song and seeing if Ed McMahon and Doc Severinsen could identify it. If not, the audience member would be called on to sing it. One night, two cute high school girls got up and said their song was "Beware of the Blob." The band was stumped and the two girls sang the entire theme song from THE BLOB. A few years later, I'm hanging out with other film students after class and we got to talking about THE BLOB and a girl recalled how she and her friend stumped the band on The Tonight Show with "Beware of the Blob."

 

[Matt Hough]

I, too, watched Charlie Chan at Monte Carlo today and enjoyed it as always. I remember the first time I watched it, I thought Virginia Field looked like a very young Eleanor Parker, but I talked myself out of thinking it was Eleanor before the final cast credits came up. The comedy stuff with Lee didn't bother me at all, especially since Keye Luke is more skilled with handling and acting his mistakes than later "sons" in the series like Victor Sen Yung. I like all of the Oland Chans.

 

[Jeff Flugel]

...especially since Keye Luke is more skilled with handling and acting his mistakes than later "sons" in the series like Victor Sen Yung. I like all of the Oland Chans.

Agreed on all that, Matt! Usually I enjoy Keye Luke's comic escapades, but the running joke of his bad French in this one just got stale fast for me. Once would have been enough. I did like his two eavesdropping mishaps, though.

Virginia Field's resemblance to Eleanor Parker didn't strike me at the time, but I can sure see where you're coming from, now that you point it out.

And yes, all the Oland Chans are well worth watching.

 

[Rustifer]

Charlotte Rampling – Farewell My Lovely

Holy Jumpin' Jesus Jack!! Charlotte Rampling actually looked like this at one time??

I only remember her from the "Dexter" series::

Not to disparage the natural aging process (or Ms. Rampling), but...but....

 

[Jeff Flugel]

Oh, yeah...Charlotte Rampling was a stone cold fox back in the day, Russ.

 

[Rustifer]

Oh, yeah...Charlotte Rampling was a stone cold fox back in the day, Russ.

I certainly agree, although 'stone cold' isn't exactly the adjective I'd use...

 

[Jeff Flugel]

I certainly agree, although 'stone cold' isn't exactly the adjective I'd use...

Oh, I don't know. "Cold" is the foremost adjective I'd use to describe Ms. Rampling's general demeanor throughout her film career. A very fine actress, but remote and icy...at least on the surface. Her eyes in the above photos tell a different story.