Spook Stooges

 

 (youtube)

SPOOKS!-1953-In this 3 Stooges (Moe, Larry & Shemp) short (originally shown in 3-D; one of two they made in '53) the trio are detectives trying to rescue a young woman Bea Bopper (Norma Randall) from the clutches of two mad scientists Dr. Jekyll (Phillip Van Zandt) and Mr. Hyde (Tom Kennedy) who want to put her brain into a gorilla (Steve Calvert). 

Naturally pies play a role in the story and a lot of things are thrust at the screen (a hypo, a bat, Larry's face, Moe's eye poking fingers, a knife, etc.). However, the strangest effect is the bat that looks like Shemp! (5 years before THE FLY!) It's pretty hilarious. 

The Stooges made all of their 190 (!) short films for Columbia Pictures from 1934-1959. This is said to be one of quickest made as the studio wanted to cash in on the 3-D fad. Jules White directed and/or produced the lion share of the trio's shorts. Screenwriter Felix Adler was an experienced gag man who also wrote for Laurel & Hardy and Abbott & Costello.

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Lookwell

 

 (tv tropes)

LOOKWELL-1991-Former TV detective Ty Lookwell (Adam West) lives in his own world where he still thinks he's a police detective. He runs an acting school for William Shatner wannabes all revolving around his short lived TV show "Bennigan" which people confuse with other TV shows like "Banacek". He tries to solve a case of stolen cars and messes up everything. 

LOOKWELL was a TV pilot co-written and co-produced by Conan O'Brien. It's pretty amusing but I don't think it would have worked as a weekly series. 

Directed by EW Swackhamer, a veteran TV director who worked on lots of TV shows since the early '60's.

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Early Chan

BEHIND THAT CURTAIN-1929-Creaky early sound film noted as the first feature film appearance of Charlie Chan (the character had appeared in a serial in 1926) and an early sound role for Boris Karloff. 

Sir George (Claude King) refuses to give his consent for his niece Eve (Lois Moran) to marry a “real bounder”, Colonel John Beetham (Warner Baxter),an explorer headed to African with the backing of George. Beetham is sweet on the weepy Eve but she seems to only have eyes for a guy named Eric (Phillip Strange). When George is murdered suspects abound. 21 minutes into this talky “filmed play” Chan’s name is mentioned by the pompous Sir Frederick (Gilbert Emory) of Scotland Yard. Then it’s back to the moody melodrama. Later in India Eve is the unhappy wife of the philandering Eric. 

 Not only does she find out Eric has had sex with their servant in their bed (a very provocative scene) but he’s also a murderer. Eve begs Beetham to take her with him to Africa so she can “disappear”. He reluctantly agrees. Soon after the annoying Sir Frederick visits Eric in connection with the disappearance of his wife. He suggests they rendezvous with John’s caravan. They meet up with John but Eve runs away. Later the Chan character finally shows up after more than an hour has gone by! He (the mysterious E.L. Park) and Harry Snapper Organs, I mean Sir Frederick finally set a trap for the murderer. While John is giving a lecture, Eve shows up. So does Eric... with a gun intent on killing her. Frederick takes a bullet for Eve (he doesn't die) and Chan kills Eric.

Despite some interesting pre-code scenes this soggy mystery is like watching paint dry with a lot of inane chatter. Plus the over wrought emoting of lead actress Moran and the “Mony Pythonese” performance by Emory as Sir Frederick really make this tough going. Karloff is Beetham’s faithful servant who doesn't do much. 

Director Irving Cummings was also an actor who started directing in 1921. Two years later he directed Warner Baxter again in THE CISCO KID. His last movie was DOUBLE DYNAMITE with Groucho Marx, Frank Sinatra and Jane Russell in 1951. BEHIND THE CURTAIN is based on the novel of the same name by Earl Derr Biggers published in 1928.

Warner Baxter had won a best actor Academy Award in 1927 playing The Cisco Kid in OLD ARIZONA (he was also the first American to win the award). In 1936 he was the movie industry's top actor but a series of nervous breakdowns inhibited his career. He came back in B-films, especially as “The Crime Doctor” in a series of movies but died in 1948 at age 62.

The next film appearance for Charlie Chan would be in the “lost” film CHARLIE CHAN CARRIES ON I n 1931 (Warner Oland's debut as the intrepid detective). That was followed by THE BLACK CAMEL (also 1931).

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RX

THE STRANGE CASE OF DR. RX-1942-Universal quickie with private investigator Jerry Church (Patric Knowles) getting involved in a rash of murders by a mysterious killer known only RX. He just wants to move to Boston and work in the family business but a famous attorney (Samuel S. Hinds) hires him to investigate the murders since all 5 victims were clients of his. Church also agrees to help a police captain (Edmund MacDonald) who's dopey assistant is played by Shemp Howard! Add in Church's man servant played by the great Mantan Moreland and you have at least two reasons to watch this minor whodunit. Need another? The equally great Lionel Atwill hangs around wearing thick glasses but only gets to show his stuff at the climax. Church's ex-flame Kit Logan (Anne Gwynne) is also a reporter who marries Church half way through the story. Near the end the masked killer uses a gorilla and the threat of a brain transplant to intimidate his victims. There's also a brief reflection of studio lights in a windshield. 

This seldom seen quickie was one of seven low budget films directed by the fast but competent William Nigh who also made BLACK DRAGONS with Lugosi the same year.

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A Vacation Forever

MR. MOTO TAKES A VACATION-1939-The (phony) Japanese detective gets involved in protecting an ancient relic called “The Queen of Sheba's Crown” in San Francisco's Chinatown. Moto (who also appears in disguises) is less suspiciously acting than usual and is shot at several times by a mysterious trench coated figure. Mr. Featherstone (GP Huntley), the English dandy shows up to get in the way and Moto surmises that Mataxsa, an international jewel thief might be after the crown despite the fact that he's suppose to be dead! Suspects include Hildebrand (Lionel Atwill) the museum curator, Stevens (John “Dusty” King), the guy who headed the expedition that found the crown and Manderson (Joseph Schildkraut), the expedition's sponsor. In their finale fight Moto and Mataxsa nearly wreck the museum! 

Norman Foster once again directed this, the last of 8 Mr. Moto films with Peter Lorre.

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Mr. Wong

THE MYSTERIOUS MR. WONG-1938-Famous Asian American detective James Lee Wong (the very un-Asian Boris Karloff) investigates the murder of  industrialist Simon Dayton (John Hamilton) even though the cause of death seems to be natural causes. The big mouthed  Capt. Street (Grant Withers) works with Wong but usually disagrees with him. Later another partner Wilk (Hooper Atchley) is killed alone in a locked room. The only clue seems to be shards of shattered glass. Their chief suspect is Karl Romer (John St. Polis), a guy who says he was cheated out of a stake in the trios' company. The third partner Meisle (William Gould) seems like a good lead but then he's killed the same way. And then there's the mysterious Countess (Evelyn Brent) and her friend The Baron. A nosy reporter Bobby Logan (Marjorie Reynolds) manages to get in Wong's way several times. There's not much action in this first in a series of 5 quickly made Monogram mysteries (the first 4 directed by William Nigh who apparently didn't mess around) but Karloff is fun to watch and the manner in which the victims are killed is a doozy!

The Wong character was created by Hugh Wiley and was popular in its time (there were even some comic books). In the stories (a dozen or so from 1934-1941 in Collier's) Wong was a agent for the US treasury but in the films he's a regular private eye. Withers and Reynolds would reprise there roles in the sequels.

Big note: Some of my Mr. Wong info came from http://www.thrillingdetective.com/index.html

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Mr. Moto Returns Again

MR. MOTO'S GAMBLE-1938-The intrepid Japanese detective (Peter Lorre) investigates the in ring death of a boxer. He gets assistance from pickpocket Knockout Wellington (“Slapsie” Maxie Rosenbloom) and Lee Chan (Keye Luke), Charlie Chan's number 1 son! The chief suspect is gangster Nick Crowder (Douglas Fowley) who's main henchman Joey is played by pre-Wolf Man Lon Chaney Jr. Ward Bond is Moran, the world champion. Poison seems to be the culprit but who did it? As usual Moto plays his cards close to his vest seeming almost as though he were a suspect too. Lynn Bari and John Hamilton are also featured.

The unusual presence of Lee Chan isn't so odd when you know that MR. MOTO'S GAMBLE (the third entry into the series) actually started out life as an entry in another (phony) Asian detective series at 20^th Century Fox, CHARLIE CHAN AT RINGSIDE. But illness forced star Warner Oland to drop out (he suffered from alcoholism and was involved in a messy divorce at the time). The filmed footage was scrapped but the script was later reworked with Lee being a student in one of Moto's crime classes.

Director James Tinling spend most of his time making low budget films and ended his career with some early TV work. Three years before GAMBLE he made CHARLIE CHAN IN SHANGHAI. GAMBLE is just a so-so detective murder mystery with too much comedy but Lorre is always interesting to watch.

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Michael Shayne

MICHAEL SHAYNE, PRIVATE DETECTIVE-Lloyd Nolan plays the title role, a wisecracking down on his luck PI who's hired by a rich client (Clarence Klob) to watch over his gambling obsessed daughter Phyllis (Marjorie Weaver) while he's away. A police chief (Edward MacBride) tries to pin the murder of Harry Grange (George Meeker) on Shayne as he was shot with the detective's own gun. Later after pretending to be a doctor Shayne and Phyllis team up with her old aunt Olivia (Elizabeth Patterson) to solve the murder. A horse racing fix and the disappearance of the daughter of a casino owner (Douglas Dumbrille) figure into it. This murder mystery (based on the novel “The Private Practice of Michael Shayne” by Brett Halliday) with comic overtones is a little too routine and talky but the characters and acting make it enjoyable. It's the first of seven 20^th Century Fox productions all starring Lloyd Nolan as the flippant gumshoe. Four more lower budgeted entries were later produced by PRC (with Hugh Beaumont in the lead). The Shayne character was on radio and later in a short lived TV series (starring Richard Denning).

Director Eugene Forde had directed several Warner Oland/Charlie Chan mysteries.

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Mr. Moto

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THANK YOU MR. MOTO-1937-Peter Lorre starred as Kentaro Moto, a Japanese sleuth created by writer James Marquand in eight “Mr. Moto” films between 1937-1939. This was the second one produced. The Moto character at least in films is very mysterious. Sometimes it's not even clear who he's working for. He almost seems like a free agent working toward his own gains (but in the end always on the side of good). In THANK YOU, the intrepid P.I. investigates a collection of ancient Chinese maps that may lead to the treasure of Genghis Khan. It starts off in the Gobi desert with Moto disguised as a Mongolian. Later he tries to help an art collector Eleanor Joyce (Pauline Frederick). Everyone it seems is after the priceless scrolls a prince (Phillip Ahn) and his mother have especially bad guy Sidney Blackmer. Co-star Thomas Beck who plays Eleanor's love interest was also in several Charlie Chan movies. Sig Ruman is an early victim and John Carradine is a art dealer with a weird accent. Director Norman Foster made other Moto films as well as several Chan entries and is the credited director of Orson Welles' JOURNEY INTO FEAR.

 

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Lupin!

ARSENE LUPIN-1932-Dueling Barrymores! Lionel is a French detective trying to catch the master jewel thief Arsene Lupin. John is the Duke of Charmerace who may actually be Lupin. There's some clever dialogue but the story is rather drawn out. Like many early talkies it suffers from being more like a filmed play. Also with Karen Morley, John Miljan, Tully Marshall and in un-credited roles Mischa Auer and Joe Sawyer.

The Lupin character was created by French author Maurice Leblanc (a contemporary of Arthur Conan Doyle)  in 1905. He wrote several Lupin stories that spawned sequels by other authors, films, a TV show and even an Anime series from Japan!


Director Jack Conway had directed many silent films and the "talkie" remake of THE UNHOLY THREE with Lon Chaney. He later made high profile films like A TALE OF TWO CITIES, VIVA VILLA and DRAGON SEED. 


The same year as AL both Barrymore brothers were featured in GRAND HOTEL and with their sister Ethel in RASPUTIN AND THE PRINCESS (the only film to feature all 3 siblings). 


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Private Eyes

PRIVATE EYES-1953-In another typical Bowery Boys outing Sach (Huntz Hall) gets punched in the nose and obtains the ability to read minds. Slip (Leo Gorcey) buys a detective agency and "the boys" (along with David Gorcey as Chuck and Bennie Bartlett as Butch) get involved with a stolen furs gang. 

It's the usual BB inanity with Sach doing his dumbest using a shotgun and homemade bomb to try and open a safe (he put the combination in it so he wouldn't lose it...). Later after a little kid is kidnapped and held for ransom Slip once again disguises himself as a German doctor and Sach dresses in drag as his female patient! 

Joyce Holden (TERROR IN THE YEAR 5000 AD) is the woman who's part of the gang but has a change of heart and helps out. Myron Healy is a dumb hospital attendant and Emil Sitka has a bigger role than usual. Also with Chick Chandler, Tim Ryan, Bill Phillips and Peter Mamkos. 

PE is like an overlong episode of The Abbott and Costello TV show combined with a lot of 3 Stooges gags. This figures since it was made by writer Ellwood Ullman and director Edward Bernds.

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Watching The Detective!

NICK CARTER-MASTER DETECTIVE-1939-In his first starring role Walter Pidgeon plays Nick Carter, a NYC detective. He's hired by the owner of a defense plant (Addison Richards ) where a new kind of plane is being tested to prevent anymore sabotage by foreign agents. Henry Hull plays the scientist who invented it. After he's killed Carter suspects a nurse (Rita Johnson) but it's really the seemingly nice guy doctor (Stanley Ridges. who was in BLACK FRIDAY with Karloff &Lugosi the next year).

Martin Kosleck and Milburn Stone are spies who pretend to be injured and smuggle out microfilm. Henry Victor (the strong man in FREAKS) is the head of the spy ring. Donald Meek plays a comical private eye/bee keeper who shows up at various times to try and help. The climax takes place at sea with Carter in an aerial duel with the spies' boat. Sterling Holloway and Frank Faylen have small roles.

There's nothing special about this little mystery but it moves along quickly. In fact it almost seems like a an overlong TV show. Oh wait, I forgot TV hadn't been invented in 1939!

The first Nick Carter story appeared as a "dime store" novel in 1886! The persona of Carter was revised several times (like becoming more of a Pulp hero in the early '30's to compete with THE SHADOW and DOC SAVAGE). Several silent films made in France first featured the detective.

After an MGM trilogy Columbia made a serial featuring Nick's son Chick! The character was later again revived in for two movies featuring Eddie Constantine in the lead role. Robert Conrad played him in a made for TV movie in 1972. A radio series ran from 1943 to 1955.

NCMD was only the second full length feature for French born director Jacques Tourneur who in 1942 would direct the classic CAT PEOPLE.

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