Author Archive: Retro

Young Mary Lou tries to help her brother Sonny raise money so that he can attend a military academy.

Typical Monogram whodunit from the 30’s, with dialogue and sound effects based on the well known mystery book with same title. A valuable gem from India is stolen in an old dark mansion and it is up to Scotland Yard inspector Charles Irwin to find out who did it among all the suspects who were in the house.

Widowed Old Man Matthews, who has lived his entire life as a farmer, has moved his family of himself and his four young adult to adolescent offspring – Deborah, Phineas, Abigail and Susan – to a just purchased farm in Millwood, following the ecological demise of their last farm on which he was able to collect insurance. He has a “my way or the high way” mentality about most things in life, most specifically about running a farm, he believing his experience trumping everything else. He, however, likes to portray himself as being fair and democratic, all important family matters which are decided on by a family vote. He has these votes as he and the other family members know that Abby and Phin will always vote with him, the former to retain his favor and the latter out of fear regardless of Phin’s true thoughts as their father always convinces out of coercion. Such [...]

A stenographer who works at a large hotel finds herself caught in the middle of a major swindle.

This episodic holiday film centers around a rich spinster aunt whose greedy nephew is attempting legal action to take her estate. Before he makes a final decision, a caring judge tells the spinster that she can rally together the three foster children she raised to help her keep the estate, he will delay the nephew’s action. Now she must find her three grown boys who have gone in wildly different directions. One is a boozy cowboy involved in a baby racket, another is a deadbeat deeply indebted to the nephew, and the other is a successful owner of a South American cafe on the lam for a con-job he didn’t commit. She endures and adventurous journey, but the three do manage to come together on Christmas Eve, save the estate, and give the conniving nephew his due.

Private eye Slim Callaghan is summoned to the country home of a Colonel Stenhurst, but the latter is murdered before he can talk to the detective. Was one of the Colonel’s three daughters responsible?

John Kent (Monte Blue’) wins the Olympic decathlon but is disqualified on a charge of professionalism. William Stevens (Kenneth Harlan), the second-place finisher, is awarded the title and trophies. Six years later Kent is running a moving truck for a living and training his young son Johnny (Bruce Bennett) to become an athlete. Chance brings about a meeting between Ken and Stevens, now a prosperous business man, with a little daughter, Joan (Joan Fontaine), who makes friends with young Johnny. As the years pass, the grown-up Johnny has developed to where he stands a chance of becoming an Olympic athlete and is in love with Joan. Mr. Stevens also wants to see Johnny succeed, and is annoyed that his attention to Joan may interfere with his training. Rich girl Patricia Stanley (Suzanne Kaaren) is also interested in Johnny, a proceeding which suits wealthy young athlete Duke Hale (Reed Howes), who is Johnny’s main rival in [...]

Just as church services are letting out, a shabbily-dressed stranger is run over by an automobile in front of the church. The stranger is helped mentally and physically by the minister and congregation members, who help him regain his self-confidence and also to accept the death of his wife as she was about to embark from Europe, as a displaced person, to join him in America. They help bring his five-year-old daughter to the United States, and the congregation makes a home for him and his daughter. The young lady who caused his accident, the town-banker’s daughter, takes a job to pay for his hospital expenses. Do unto others as you….

In ancient Rome a love story blossoms between Fabiola, daughter of a senator, and Rhual, a gallic gladiator. When Fabiola’s father is killed, the Romans blame the Christians and the persecution begins. Rhual confesses to be a christian and is accused of the murder and sentenced to fight to death in the arena.