Author Archive: Retro

The only feature Joe Louis ever made. Louis supports his family with menial jobs until he proves himself a fighter. Dir. Fritz Lang.

Produced by Himan Brown (of radio’s Inner Sanctum) and directed by John Newland (of TV’s One Step Beyond), The Violators stars Arthur O’Connell as a rule-bound probation officer. When O’Connell refuses to loan $500 to his prospective son-in-law Fred Beir, the latter cooks up a swindling scheme to raise the money. This rash act causes O’Connell to realign his thinking insofar as his strained relationship with daughter Nancy Malone is concerned. The plight of the central character is subjugated to the film’s central “juvenile delinquent” storyline, involving Beir and his youthful cohorts. Produced by RKO Radio, The Violators was distributed by Universal-International.

Adam Hayward (Robert Montgomery), a successful New York City defense lawyer, receives a cable that the British war buddy who saved his life at Anzio Beach is now in trouble with the law in England. Taking the advice of his secretary to go to England rather than wire money, Adam arrives in his friend’s village to find him about to stand trial for the murder of the hired stable-hand, Lawrence. Hayward learns that a witness exists who can testify that his friend, Baxter, shot Lawrence in self-defense. But the other witness is a woman who fled the scene and will not want to expose herself by coming forward.

A young woman named Julia brings her fiance and his mother to a village in India to meet her father and brother. Hospitality proves in short supply and things take a turn for the worse when Julia’s seductive younger sister arrives.

Maori girl raised from infancy by the British is kidnapped during a Maori uprising and joins her people for a valiant last stand against the British. Written and Photographed by Rudall C. Hayward. Dir. Rudall C. Hayward

Feature version of 1935 serial.

In this mystery, a stockbroker embezzles $1 million from his company and flees to Shanghai via plane. En route he encounters a man and a woman. The man is attempting to blackmail the woman, who has been accused of murdering her husband; the embezzler soon finds himself falling in love with her. He is so preoccupied that he does not see the extortionist running off with his briefcase full of loot until it is too late. He then follows the crook back to San Francisco, pursues him, beats him up, and decides to quietly put the money back where it belongs. Meanwhile, the woman attempts to clear herself of the charges against her.

Harried hotel worker invents a boyfriend to impress her snooty cousin, and convinces a con man to pretend he’s her beau.

After a monsoon sinks a treasure-laden boat, a group of adventurers head to the South Seas to find the sunken booty. Written by Edgar G. Ulmer. Dir. Edgar G. Ulmer