Author Archive: Retro

Arch-criminal Splitface escapes from prison vowing revenge on all 12 members of the jury that convicted him. First of the Dick Tracy feature films, based on the Chester Gould comic strip. Dir. William A. Berke

Maureen O’Hara as the spoiled, rich, American preditor who falls head-over-heels for the brooding, tormented, about-to-retire matador, Luis Santos (Anthony Quinn) who has inexplicably run away prior to a corrida that was to occasion the “alternativa” of a young, up-and-coming bullfighter (Manuel Rojas). The mystery is solved 94 minutes later, after Maureen has conquered Tony and Tony has saved Marueen’s life by caping a toro bravo with his plaid horse blanket.

Based on eye-witness account of British Royal Navy convoy raided at sea during World War II

Screenplay and story by John Steinbeck. Story of Mexican boy living in a remote Indian village.

Bickford as a villain who slaughters the father of two brothers and kidnaps one to raise as his own.

Meek shop owner Langdon arranges his own window displays, but is “caught” by his wife in an innocent but compromising position with a mannequin! She promptly files for divorce, but that’s not all: neighbors see Langdon carrying a mannequin into his store, and begin to suspect he’s a murderer! Dir. William Beaudine

A young woman turns to Sherlock Holmes for protection when she’s menaced by an escaped killer seeking missing treasure. However, when the woman is kidnapped, Holmes and Watson must penetrate the city’s criminal underworld to find her.

Because Charlie Chan plans to return to Honolulu, he no longer needs the services of Birmingham, who gets a job as butler for William and Justine Bonner, two apparently phony psychics, who regularly host occult activities in their home. When Charlie’s pretty daughter Frances attends a seance out of curiosity, Mr. Bonner is shot, and she becomes an immediate suspect. Charlie postpones his trip home to help with the investigation, which is made problematic when no bullet can be found in the wound and a hypnotized Mrs. Bonner is compelled to commit suicide by jumping off the roof of a downtown building.

British Army deserter Peter Burden (Derek Farr), perpetually on the run in postwar England, one day finds himself in a pawnshop. When armed men suddenly burst in and rob the store — assaulting the owner and killing a police officer — Burden is mistakenly pegged as the criminal. Knowing he is innocent yet under suspicion as a deserter, Burden finds refuge at the home of attractive war widow Jean Adams (Joan Hopkins), who offers to help clear his name.