Author Archive: Retro

They Call It Murder was the pilot for a potential TV series based on the “Doug Selby” character created by Perry Mason mentor Earl Stanley Gardner. Inspired by Gardner’s 1969 novel The DA Draws a Circle, the film finds district attorney Selby (Jim Hutton) probing the mystery of a corpse in a swimming pool. It is obvious from the outset that the dead man did not drown, but was killed elsewhere and then unceremoniously dumped in the chlorine. Selby traces the chain of events to a car accident and an insurance scam. Originally telecast December 17, 1971, They Call It Murder was given a network rerun in the Spring of 1973–on a particularly bloodthirsty evening in which the competition included the woman-in-jeopardy TV movie The Bait and a murder-trial episode of Hawaii 5-0!

Dir. Jean Renoir. Insane Trainman plots with married woman to kill her husband.

Based on the novel “The Scarlett Letter”.

Jane Eyre is an orphan, sent to Lowood school, and eventually becomes a governess at Thornfield hall to a girl named Adele. While she is there, many strange things happen and eventually she and Edward Rochester, owner of Thornfeild and Adele’s guardian, fall in love. Suddenly, when Jane is about to win the happiness she deserves, a dark secret comes to light, and it will take all of her courage, love and understanding to triumph.

In this exciting adaptation of Jack London’s novel The Sea Wolf a brutal and mad sea captain terrorizes his crew. He rescues the wealthy survivor of a shipwreck and forces the fellow to join his crew. After observing and taking considerable abuse from the cruel captain, the young man stages a mutiny and kills the evil tyrant. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Rough ship’s stoker feels he must confront the beautiful but arrogant woman who insulted him. Dir. Alfred Santell.

Film classic of life at Rugby, an exclusive British boarding school for boys.

First and best adaptation of Papa Hemingway’s story of the ill-fated, whirlwind love affair between an American soldier and a British nurse. Dir. Frank Borzage.

Based on the infamous Archer-Shee case of 1912, The Winslow Boy features Neil North as the 14-year-old title character. Accused of a petty theft, North is expelled from Naval College. His father, retired bank official Sir Cedric Hardwycke, is prevented by existing British law to clear his son’s name. He engages attorney Robert Donat, who successfully petitions for the right to sue the Admiralty and make this august organization prove its charges in court. Public opinion, however, is strongly against Hardwycke and his family: particularly effected is Hardwycke’s daughter Margaret Leighton, whose fiance breaks off their engagement. For dramatic purposes, Margaret finds solace in a romantic relationship with barrister Donat. Terrence Rattigan worked on the cinemadaptation of his own play, which was later restaged on American television. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi