Author Archive: Retro

Fast-talking lady reporter teams up with a bumbling cop to solve a series of murders and disappearances on the set of a movie. Based on a story by James Starr. Dir. Alexis Thurn-Taxis

College girl gets involved with a left-wing radical, much to the dismay of her patriotic father, who sends her to Mexico.

Tailspin Tommy must rescue a gun-shy Sky Patrol candidate who has been shot down by gunrunners trying to smuggle their weapons into another country. Based on the Hal Forrest comic strip. Dir. Howard P. Bretherton

Police hunt for a husband and wife team posing as brother and sister, who con wealthy widows then murder them. Dir. George Blair

A young boxer is taken under the wing of a fight promoter and readied for a match with the champ. Based on Hal Fisher’s comic strip. AKA “Palooka”.

An artist meets two sisters who live on a barge.

Life on a British bomber base, and the surrounding towns, from the opening days of the Battle of Britain, to the arrival of the Americans, who join in the bomber offensive. The film centres around Pilot Officer Peter Penrose, fresh out of a training unit, who joins the squadron, and quickly discovers about life during war time. He falls for Iris, a young girl who lives at the local hotel, but he becomes disillusioned about marriage, when the squadron commander dies in a raid, and leaves his wife, the hotel manageress, with a young son to bring up. As the war progresses, Penross comes to terms that he has survived, while others have been killed.

Dir. Visconti. Documentary-like narrative of poor Sicilian fishers whom are exploited by fish wholesalers. One of the families is trying to escape them by being their own boss. But fate nobody helps them, and even fate is against them. Played by real sicilian fishers, filmed on location in the Sicilian dialect.

Ruth Ashley (Betty Compson) and oily Gregory Stone (Wheeler Oakman) operate the Hollywood Escort Bureau. Ruth was a former escort girl but has worked up way up through the ranks and is now a partner in the business. Ruth’s earnings have provided the funds to send her beautiful daughter, June (Margaret Marquis), to the most exclusive schools. June is not aware they her ever-loving mother is engaged in the nefarious business of supplying call-girls to lonely men. June comes home and announces she is engaged to marry Drake Hamilton (Robert Kellard), who is a special investigator for the district attorney. Drake is a good investigator and soon learns that his mother-in-law to be is running an escort bureau. He makes her promise to give up the business and promises not to tell June. But Gregory fears Drake will put an end to his operation. Drake, working undercover, calls the bureau for a date to be [...]