Nazis in America

 

 (imdb)

NO ESCAPE-1943-Nazis in America break a forger Torgut Lane (Dean Jagger) out of jail. A guy named Gerard (Ian Keith) makes a deal with him and has his death faked. He's taken to a secret hideout inside a carnival run by Martin (John Carradine; in REVENGE OF THE ZOMBIES the same year) and Bergen (Sidney Blackmer). When he finds out they are Nazis he doesn't want to do their dirty work. He tries to escape but is whipped and his mother's life is threatened. He tries to convince his young “watchdog” Gordon (Bill Henry) to help him. He uses a woman named Helen (Mary Brian) to soften Gordon up. 

Small Monogram production with good cast directed by Harold Young (THE FROZEN GHOST, THE JUNGLE CAPTIVE (both 1945)). Spanky McFarland has a small role. Carradine also played a mean Nazi in HITLER'S MADMEN the same year. Aka I ESCAPED THE GESTAPO.

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One Oldie, One Moldy...

WISHCRAFT-2002-This is a typical slasher film with a small dose of the supernatural thrown in. A nerd (Micheal Weston) uses a magical bull's penis that grants three wishes to get a cheerleader (Alexandria Holden) to go out with him. Meanwhile a slasher in a raincoat kills people. Broadway actor/director Austin Pendleton plays his high school teacher (he must have needed vacation money). Meatloaf (using his real name Micheal Aday) is the investigating cop. Little Zelda Rubenstein is a coroner. In a unique (?) twist the hero defends himself with a lawn jockey. Gee! Jackie Chan never thought of that! The cast also includes Joseph Ruskin, Sam McMurray, Luis Avalos and Hamilton Camp. I think parts of this were suppose to be intentionally funny!




An oldie: O'SHAUGHNESSY'S BOY-(1935)-This standard '30's tearjerker reunited the two stars of THE CHAMP (from 1931) Wallace Beery and Jackie Cooper.

Beery portrays a lion tamer who loses an arm (to a tiger) after his wife and son leave him. The infant son is played by future "Our Gang" member (and "Little Rascals" leader) Spanky McFarland. After several years Beery returns to society a broken man. He does manage to get temporary custody of his son (now played by Cooper) despite the intrusions of a trouble making aunt (Sarah Haden) and eventually father and son learn to love each other when Beery's well meaning, big lug personna (which dominates the movie despite Cooper's pouting and crying) overcomes his fears.

From what I've read when Beery is sharing some tender moments with Cooper he's REALLY acting! Clarence Muse is also featured as Beery's kindly (but racially stereotyped) assistant.

Director Richard Boleslawski (from Warsaw) also helmed RASPUTIN AND THE EMPRESS, the only movie to feature all three Barrymores....

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