Combat Sports Historian and Martial Artist
Posts about “B” films, the first film shown on a double bill.
On Thanksgiving Weekend 1944, Paramount Pictures released One Body Too Many, a comedy-mystery film starring Jack Haley. Haley famously played the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz (1939). The film also starred Jean Parker, Lyle Talbot, Douglas Fowley and Bela Lugosi in supporting roles. One Body Too Many begins with millionaire Cyrus J. Rutherford’s heirs gathered to hear the
Minor film company Conn Pictures Company released Tough to Handle (1937) on May 24, 1937. Director S. Roy Luby pairs “B” film stars Kane Richmond and Frankie Darro in this story of phony lottery tickets. Grandpa Sanford believe he won the lottery. Grandpa will be able to use the money to improve the circumstances of his grandchildren, Mike, played by
In one of the last films in the series, British authorites recruit Sherlock Holmes to protect the young heir to a European throne. Universal Pictures released Pursuit to Algiers (1945) on October 26, 1945. Basil Rathbone returns for the twelfth of fourteen times as Sherlock Holmes. Nigel Bruce again plays his assistant Dr. John Watson. As the film begins, Sherlock
Monogram Pictures released So’s Your Aunt Emma! (1942) on April 17, 1942. Zasu Pitts stars as Aunt Emma Bates. In her youth, Aunt Emma was engaged to up-and-coming professional fighter Jim O’Banion. Her sister didn’t approve of the match, so they sent her on a trip to break up the couple. Aunt Emma regretted it and starts following the career
Twentieth Century – Fox Film Company released the fourth Mr. Moto film, Mr. Moto Takes a Chance (1938), on June 24, 1938. Lou Breslow and John Patrick set the film in Cambodia allowing Twentieth-Century Fox to use stock footage of the recently discovered ruins of Angkor Wat. The discovery of Angkor Wat captured the attention of the American public. Many
On August 19, 1943, Columbia Pictures released Passport to Suez (1943). Warren William plays Michael Lanyard, the Lone Wolf, for the final time in this film. The film opens in Alexandria, Egypt, where Lanyard has just arrived. Lanyard meets up with his old friend Johnny Booth, a successful cafe’ owner. However, Lanyard’s real purpose is a mission for British Intelligence.
Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror (1942) is the first of twelve Sherlock Holmes films made by Universal Pictures. Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce reprise their roles as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson respectively. Universal set the series in the 1940s despite the fact that the literary Sherlock Holmes was 60 years old in 1914. In a good deal
The Trap (1946) is the last Charlie Chan film starring Sidney Toler as Inspector Chan. The eleventh of eleven Charlie Chan films that Toler made for Monogram Pictures, it marks the return of Victor Sen Yung as “No. 2 Son Jimmy”. Toler was deathly ill during the filming, so Jimmy and Birmingham Brown, played by Mantan Moreland, handle most of
Murder Over New York (1940) is one of the later editions of the Charlie Chan series for Twentieth-Century Fox Productions. In this film, Inspector Chan is assisting his old friend from Scotland Yard, Inspector Drake, find a group of saboteurs. The spies intend to sabotage some test air craft in New York. Inspector Drake is tracing Paul Narvo, who leads
The first Mr. Moto film starring Peter Lorre as Japanese jujitsu expert Kentaro Moto sees Mr. Moto tracking down a smuggling ring leader. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation released Think Fast, Mr. Moto (1937) on July 27, 1937. Peter Lorre would play Mr. Moto seven more times for Twentieth Century – Fox. Mr. Moto disguises himself as a peddler and