Boris On Devli's Island

 

 

 (imdb)

DEVIL'S ISLAND-1939-Dr. Charles Gaudet (Boris Karloff) is charged with treason after giving aid to a convicted traitor Le Brun who was shot escaping. The court judges (including Frank Reicher & Leonard Mudie) sentenced him to 10 years in the infamous penal colony. He's given hard labor by the pompous ignorant warden Col. Lucien (James Stephenson) who brands him a troublemaker. When one convict (John Harmon) with tuberculosis asks for the night off, the island doctor tells him he's just lazy despite pleas from Gaudet to put him in the hospital. Later after his appeal is turned down, Lucien needs Gaudet to operate on his young daughter. Madame Lucien (Netta Harrigan) is very grateful but Lucien couldn't care less. He has Gaudet's mates killed and puts the doc in "The pit". A black prisoner (Earl Smith) and Mme Lucien plot to help Gaudet escape. He and 5 other prisoners do escape but before almost dying at sea they are picked up by another prison ship (John Hamilton is the captain) going to Devil's Island. Through some stolen papers, Gaudet learns Lucien is corrupt. Lucien plans to have Gaudet guillotined at dawn. Fortunately, Mme. L gets word to the governor and Gaudet is saved and pardoned. 

Good little Warner Brothers drama with nice production values directed by William Clemens who oddly enough was also directing the “Nancy Drew” series of films at the same time for the studio. Some familiar character actors appear including George Lloyd, Henry Cording and Pedro de Cordoba.

Thanks for reading!

Mala Powers

 

 (imdb)

FEAR NO MORE-1961-Sharon Carlin (Mala Powers; OUTRAGE), secretary to a rich guy named Seymour (John Harding), is framed for murder while on a train bound for San Francisco. She escapes the police officer who's arresting her and tries to make it back to LA. She meets an unhappy divorced French guy Paul Colbert (Jacques Bergerac; THE HYPNOTIC EYE) who's returning his son to his neurotic ex-wife. After having coffee with Paul, she discovers her friend Keith (John Baer) has been murdered by the same man who framed her. Paul comes to her rescue and she escapes. She later reveals to Paul that she was once in a mental institution. The next day she and Paul visit Seymour but he denies ever having sent her to San Francisco. Many more strange things pop up. Is Carol really a delusional insane woman? 

This interesting low budget black and white psychological mystery has a great performance by the underrated Mala Powers. It was the only feature length film directed by Bernard Weisen, who's other credits are all in TV.

Thanks for reading!

Tierney As A Good Guy

 

BODYGUARD-1948-Disbarred cop Mike Carter (Lawrence Tierney) is hired by Freddie Dysen (Phillip Reed) to be a sort of bodyguard for his old aunt Gene (Elizabeth Risdon) who's the head of a meat packing plant. No sooner is he on the job when he's framed for the murder of the police Lieutenant who fired him. While evading a manhunt he travels around town trying to figure out who framed him. With the help of his girlfriend Doris (Priscilla Lane) he finds out that the death of a health inspector might not have been an accident but a murder scheme involving pumping meat with water by the plant manager Fenton (Steve Brodie). 

Nice little murder mystery with some comedy directed by Richard Fleischer in his feature film debut (before this he'd only made short films). It also features bits by Ben Frommer, Bobby Barber, Dewey Robinson and Joe Devlin.

Thanks for reading!

Carnival

GIRL ON THE RUN-1953-Bill (Richard Coogan) and Janet (Rosemary Pettit) are hiding out in a seedy carnival after he’s been framed for murder. Janet hangs out with the show girls while Bill prowls around the grounds. A corrupt politician Reeves (Harry Bannister) framed Bill for the murder of his newspaper editor boss. Reeves also clashes with Blake (Charles Bolender), the little person cigar smoking carnival manager. 

The story isn't much in this low budget production but there's lots of exotic dancing and keep a sharp eye out for Steve McQueen in his first film appearance. The two credited directors Arthur J. Beckhard and Joseph Lee didn't do much else. 

Star Coogan had been the original Captain Video on TV before being replaced by Al Hodge the actor who became most known for the role. Coogan later starred in the TV western THE CALIFORNIANS.

Thanks for reading!

Charlie Chan!

DARK ALIBI-1946-Charlie Chan (Sidney Toler) is hired by June Hanley (Teala Loring, from BLACK MARKET BABIES the year before) to help clear her father of a robbery that has put him on death row. Most suspects reside in a local boarding house. The master detective assisted by son Tommy (Benson Fong) and chauffeur Birmingham Brown (Mantan Moreland, who despite being the victim of some racist humor steals every scene he's in). 

Tommy and Birmingham even manage to get locked up in jail where BB meets his brother Ben (Ben Carter) and they do their “unfinished sentence” routine (Moreland and Carter had been a team in Vaudeville). A private detective helps out and forged fingerprints figure into the frame up. As usual some familiar character actors appear: Milton Parsons, Tim Ryan, John Eldredge, Russell Hicks. 

The same year director Phil Karlson made BEHIND THE MASK starring Kane Richmond as The Shadow. In 1955 he made the film noir crime drama THE PHENIX CITY STORY, did some TV then in the '60's made THE SILENCERS and THE WRECKING CREW, both starring Dean Martin as Matt Helm. Two of his last movies (he died in 1985) were the WILLARD sequel BEN and WALKING TALL.

I've read screenwriter George Callahan (who penned many CC movies) later wrote the screenplay for THIS ISLAND EARTH but that film credits George O'Callahan so it could be someone else. I could find very little about either of them....

  

DARK ALIBI was number 40 of forty-seven movies made with the clever (fake) Chinese detective created by Earl Derr Biggers. It was followed by SHADOWS OVER CHINATOWN.

Thanks for reading!