Movie review – “Curse of the Werewolf” (1961) **

Bad screenwriting 101 – have a film about a werewolf but don’t introduce him as an adult until 45 minutes in! 45 minutes! Then start the adult section plot – with love interest and friends, etc but don’t have a werewolf attack until 60 minutes in. And it takes forever to get going – setting up this beggar arriving in town, going to the wedding, thrown in gaol, years pass, woman thrown in gaol, rape, kill aristocrat, give birth and die, young kid, kid does attack… it takes forever. It’s a major shame too since there’s lots of intelligent ideas and the concept of a were wold as someone haunted by good and evil is intriguing… but here the bloke turns into a wolf after one visit to a nightclub. There’s no real emotional investment the way we had with Larry Talbot, say.

 

And it’s a major shame since this could have been one of the Hammer classics. It’s got style to spare, tremendous production value, a strong cast – including the emergence of a new Hammer star, Oliver Reed, who is dynamic – brooding, good looking, doomed. A better film or bigger role (he’s only in the second half) and he could have been the next Lee or Cushing for the company (as it is they still used him in a number of films). Terence Fisher’s direction is vigorous, too. 

 

I should add this film does have it's fans but it's a small cult and the film wasn't popular with the public.

Radio review – Suspense – “Library Book” (1945) ***

Myrna Loy has good fun in this lighter edition of Suspense, playing a librarian who gets involved in a crime because a random note is made from a library book. She has a romance with a cop – this was a good enough concept for a film. In fact it might have been better as a film because this lost focus when it switched from Loy to the cop later on in the episode.

Radio review – CP#44 - ”Vanity Fair” (1940) ***

A very fun version of Thackeray’s satire, fast and rompy. Helen Hayes is actually enjoyable as opposed to simpering (which she usually was when acting for Campbell Playhouse) and Orson Welles was a lot more at home with this sort of comedy than wisecracking stuff.

Radio review – CP#47 - “It Happened One Night” (1939) **1/2

William Powell and Miriam Hopkins were screwball experts and so easily slot into this Campbell version of the most famous screwball comedy of them all; they are more happily cast than Orson, who plays Hopkins’ father far too broadly.

Radio review – Suspense – “Nobody Loves Me” (1945) **1/2

Peter Lorre in fine psychopathic form as a killer driven by love and a car. Quite entertaining – the script is at http://emruf.webs.com/suspense15.htm

Movie review – “Kiss of the Vampire” (1963) ***1/2

Part of the great appeal of Hammer was the attractiveness of their films – this would be one the most stunning, a gorgeous looking work which might be Don Sharp’s best film. 

 

John Elder’s script is actually pretty good – he’d learnt from Curse of the Werewolf… mind you, it might have helped that he ripped off 1934 The Black Cat. For this too is about a couple honeymooning in Europe who break down and get involved in a cult led by a charming middle aged man and are rescued by another charming middle aged men. 

 

(There’s also a dash of the Lady Vanishes, with the wife going missing and everyone denying her existence to her husband.)

The cult here are vampires – this was meant to be a Dracula film apparently, although you get the feeling it could have been written as a non vampire film. The hero uses black magic of all things to defeat the vampires – years before The Devil Rides Out this has a climax involving a bunch of vampire/cult members dressed up in white toga sheet things.

This is a really excellent Hammer film. The story won’t give you many surprises, but has strong emotional undercurrents – the bond between husband and wife, the fact that the cult has taken so many children of the village. The sexual politics are also interesting (the wife is abducted – she doesn’t want to join her husband!) and there is great spooky atmosphere plus a terrific opening scene where the father rams a stake into a coffin at a funeral.

But most of all you’ll remember the look – the masked ball, the desolate roads, the final attack (okay the sfx are a little hokey here). The cast lacks star power (Clifford Owen? Barry Warren?) but they can act and the women are all very pretty.

Movie review – “Salome Where She Danced” (1945) ***

I was inspired to watch this after a positive mention by George MacDonald Fraser in Hollywood History of the World – it’s the sort of film you could imagine the author of Flashman enjoying, a historical romp with real characters popping in and out, like General Lee, Count Bismark, and a slightly obscure (to English speaking counties) war – the Prussian invasion of Austria.

 

Yvonne de Carlo became a film star with her role as the Lola Montez like entertainer who gets involved in spying and winds up in America. The protagonist is actually Rod Cameron, who is a sort of imitation Clarke Gable womanising tough guy, a war correspondent who strikes up a relationship with de Carlo, helping her flee Prussian spies. (The film feels as though it was written for Jon Hall and Maria Montez and Turhan Bey – as in some of those films the hero role switches half way, it stops being about Cameron and is more about the Confederate. The de Carlo part mostly has her looking sexy, being foreign and doing a bunch of dances).

 

This film is all over the place – we're at Appamatox, then Europe for the Austria-Prussian War, then out west where a saloon is held up by a former Confederate turned outlaw, then they are in San Francisco. They throw in a Chinese medicine man too and end with a swordfight. But it's fast paced, silly and lots of fun.

Movie review - “The Return of Fu Manchu” (1930) **

A real sequel – it has the same lead players in the same roles and picks up where the first film left off. Jean Arthur is going to marry Neil Hamilton with Neyland Smith fondly watching but it turns out Fu Manchu wasn’t dead after all. He kidnaps Arthur and plots some unexciting revenge – it feels stagey, a lot of the action with Fu Manchu holed up in a hosue. There are a few neat trap doors but it isn’t as good as the original and that wasn’t that good.

Movie review – “The Mysterious Dr Fu Manchu” (1929) **

The first of three films Warner Oland made as Fu Manchu. It starts during the Boxer Rebellion – Fu Manchu is a goodie, until his family are killed by Allied troops, which makes him more sympathetic. It’s a good story – Fu Manchu sets about killing off people responsible for his family’s death – with plenty of intrigue and hidden panels, trapdoors, darts, hyptonism, self-referential comments about melodrama. It’s very creaky in that early sound film kind of way, with some statis set ups, amateurish acting, etc. Sometimes the film seems like it is being put on by an amateur theatre society.

Warner Oland is a bit too chubby and cheerful as Fu Machu for my taste. Jean Arthur isn’t very good as the white girl raised by Fu Manchu, unaware of his evil plans. Neil Hamilton is the romantic lead; some random middle aged actor plays Neyland Smith.

Radio review – Lux – “Cavalcade” (1936) ***

The pukka accents and attitudes are easy to make fun of - not just the stiff upper lip leading characters but their cockney servants (either loyal and stupid or prone to drink and sluts). But just when you think you've got it sorted, Noel Coward throws in a kicker - one son dies, then another one. You can handle stiff upper lip drama as long as they're dying I guess. David Niven was in the cast for this, although only in a minor role - leads were played by Herbert Marshall and Madeleine Carroll. Coward himself appears in this broadcast, too.

Movie review – “The Student Teachers” (1973) **

Years before Jonathan Kaplan tackled rape in The Accused, he dealt with another rape story – a rapist terrorising a high school – in this “three girls” film, one offered to Kaplan after his success with Night Call Nurses. It’s not as well known as the nurse series, and little wonder because this isn’t very enjoyable. Kaplan’s flashy direction occasionally holds interest and Dick Miller’s on hand yet again, but it’s done in by bad acting, and the very unpleasant rape plot (people who think the rape scene in The Accused was exploitative should check out the one here). At least the three girls are friends, but it's definitely a weaker New World three girls film. It's unofficial follow up, Summer School Teachers, was much better. You can check out the trailer here.

Radio review – Suspense – "Brighton Strangler" (1944) **

John Loder and June Duprez reprise their film roles in this decent tale of an actor who becomes convinced he's the role he's playing - that of a killer. This was several years before Ronald Colman won an Oscar for playing a similar part in A Double Life.

Movie review – “In the Wake of the Bounty” (1933) **

Charles Chavuel’s first talkie achieved immortality as the first acting role for Errol Flynn – it’s a tribute to Flynn’s natural charisma and looks that he was cast in a choice role, Fletcher Christian. This is a weird film, part drama, part documentary; Chauvel was a genuine adventurer, who seemed happiest running off to some far-flung location – in this case, Pitcairn Island. 

As a piece of entertainment it doesn't work - it's far too creaky, and weird. The photography of Pitcairn Island is amazing but the dramatic bits (both Bounty flashbacks and stories of modern-day Pitcairn) are hilariously badly done.

However, as a historical record it's fascinating - for the images of Pitcairn and the young Errol Flynn. Flynn's physicality is awkward – he is uncomfortable even standing around - and his acting is all over the shop. But he’s already got the profile, the speaking voice, and flashes of the charisma. 

Worth seeing by Flynn fans and Bounty enthusiasts. A copy of it is available here.

Movie review – “The Mask of Fu Manchu (1932) ***

After three films at Paramount, MGM took a crack at the Fu Manchu franchise, throwing in some of their contract players (including Lionel Stone and Myrna Loy) and hiring Boris Karloff. The result is an entertaining piece of schlock, which is better directed and photographed than the Paramount films - not to mention having superior production values. The plot concerns a race to find Genghis Khan’s tomb, with Fu Manchu wanting to get hold of Khan’s mask and lead Asia in a rebellion. This gives the story pace and makes the heroes active as opposed to just sitting around waiting to be avenged upon. (It’s very clearly inspired by The Mummy and vampire films – Nayland Smith is Van Helsing figure, there’s a male lured by the sexual attractiveness of Fu Manchu’s daughter, his girlfriend tries to bring him around the the "right side").

There's lots of torture – people stuck under bells as they ring, prisoners whipped in a dungeon (Myra Loy excitedly encourages the minions to do this), ends of bunks have daggers, crocodile pits, sacrifice in public. There's also a heavy homoerotic element, with the hunky romantic lead being whipped and operated on while only wearing underpants surrounded by muscular black men (this was pre-Code), a camp scene where the good white girl lures the bloke back from his lust for Chinese Myrna Loy. Plus a spectacular finale with Fu Manchu trying to whip up his minions and Stone electrocuting all of them (surely an inspiration for the Raiders of the Lost Ark finale)

It's totally racist – Fu Manchu’s goal is to wipe out the white race. Asians are either evil, sex mad or comically stupid (the waiter at the end). Stone is effective, as is Karloff and Loy is hilarious fun. Fast paced, under 70 minutes and lots of fun. I’m surprised MGM didn’t make more of these, even if only for their B unit.

Movie review – “The Nanny” (1965) ****

Excellent Hammer thriller, which Jimmy Sangster declares a favourite screenplay. No wonder – he should be very proud of it. It's very well written, with some decent twists, and good character work, and excellently acted by everyone. Bette Davis of course is great in the lead role, but everyone else is good too, especially the little kid. And Seth Holt’s direction is excellent - he has this cool reputation because he died young, but this is actually a genuinely good movie.

It is reminiscent of a lot of other films – Little Foxes (tormenting a heart attack victim), Repulsion (being mostly set in one apartment), Diabolique (use of heart attacks and creepy atmosphere), and Harold and Maude (fake hanging scene)... and holds its own with all of them.

Movie review – “Torn Curtain” (1966) **1/2

No one really gets excited about Hitchcock’s last four features, except maybe for the odd sequence. This was popular at the box office when it came out but it is not remembered well. On one level, it’s actually not bad film, plenty of twists and turns. The leads are miscast – Paul Newman is too American and Julie Andrews especially is wrong, wrong, wrong. Opening the film with Grace Kelly in a sex scene is exciting; Julie Andrews is just… yeah, well, Julie Andrews. Newman is a bit better but the role really required someone a bit more tormented eg Cary Grant. He’s not helped by the fact it takes 40 minutes to reveal that he’s actually a goodie – and Andrews doesn’t find out for an hour (she sulks until then). So the first bit if the movie is a bit dour and flat with Andrews feeling that Newman has let her down (like an impatient schoolmistress).

Occasionally the piece really perks to life – the murder sequence is justifiable famous (excellent work from the supporting actors), the scenes with the fellow agents are good. The final half hour is an extended chase sequence – on bikes, a bus, with a countess, at the ballet. This is a bit too long and lacking in humour and romance.

Movie review – “Family Plot” (1976) **1/2

Hitchcock’s last film as director is cheerful, inoffensive entertainment, in the Trouble With Harry vein, though without the same energy. It’s quite an ugly film to look at – it’s shot like a Universal 70s TV show, and is full of brown colours, and dust, and non-glamorous people. Bruce Dern and especially Barbara Harris are engaging as the con artist lead couple – you just wish they had been more attractively shot, or something (when they have their double entendre chats it’s a little off – or at least a long way from Cary Grant and Grace Kelly). William Devane and Karen Black are fine, but a long way from Claude Rains and Judith Anderson… that’s the problem with Hitchcock, you watched it weighed down by history. There’s also a lack of memorable set pieces – some fans argue the car going out of control but that’s not sensational – you’d see it on TV. Having said that it’s light, bright, and passes the time.

Movie review – “Devil Ship Pirates” (1964) ***

Very enjoyable swashbuckler which has a great idea – a bunch of defeated Spaniards wash up on the coast of England during the Spanish Armada…and try to fool an isolated town into thinking that Spain has won the war! Writer Jimmy Sangster admits he was inspired by The Desperate Hours, and the result is a tense, entertaining film. (Although to be honest you feel they could have used that great central idea a bit more.) There’s lots of decent subplots – divisions among the Spaniards (there’s a genuine royalist officer but most of the rest of the sailors are former pirates) and the English (the mayor is a Quisling; the hero is a crippled soldier), plus plenty of action. Although most of said action takes place on land, there is still a pirate ship which gets burned at the end. A good cast, too, including Christopher Lee as the main Spaniard, Andrew Keir and Barry Warren, with energetic direction from Don Sharp.

Movie review – “Black Sunday” (1960) **1/2

The film that kicked off the Italian horror film cycle comes with a big reputation – I wasn’t wild about it, to be honest. I’m always scared admitting that about classic films, but it was I found it a bit confusing. The black and white photography is stunning and there’s a great opening sequence, with Barbara Steele having a mask nailed to her face (full on!). Steele’s performance is terrific – exciting, sexy and enigmatic. John Richardson is wooden as the male lead.

Movie review – “Near Dark” (1987)**1/2

Kathryn Bigelow’s first feature as sole director has style and atmosphere to spare, as well as a decent set up - a bunch of vampires roam the modern-day American west, and a lonely female member of the group drafts a slightly sleazy, cocky human into their midst. Aliens fans will love the fact that three of the vampires are played by Bill Paxton (bringing much-needed humour to the film), Lance Henrickson and that chick who played Vasquez. You are likely to remember the short fat kid. Adrian Pasdar, the human who gets involved, is a charismatic likeable guy – it’s a wonder he didn’t have a bigger career. Jenny Wright is very pretty as his girlfriend. On the downside, the story is a bit of a mess and frequently makes no sense – they won’t let Pasdar go, then they do, then they don’t… he gets them in trouble – but then they don’t… and the sun is always about to go up. Also there's a lot of powerful emotional stuff (relationships among the vampires) that is really skimmed over. It looks fantastic - late nights, fluro lights, deserted streets and countryside, pounding Tangerine Dream score. There's a great scene where the vampires take over a bar and very skillful use of sun as an enemy for the vampires.

Radio review – Lux - “John and Mary” (1950) **

Norman Krasna's popular play was no masterpiece - it was a typical Krasna rom-com about misterunderstandings and deception around a marriage (topical at the end of the war) - but you could imagine it making a fun evening with decent players. Unfortunately Ronald Reagan and Patricia Neal are second rate light comedians (if that) and the support cast does not come to the rescue.

Movie review – “Dance of the Vampires” (1967) ***

I’ve never seen the US version of this film – apparently it butchered it with cuts. To be honest, this uncut version could do with cutting. It drags on and on and is frequently frustrating – especially when Roman Polanski gets the chance to kill the vampires but doesn’t. And the character of the professor is exceedingly annoying. But it has a wonderful fairytale atmosphere – gorgeous snowy locations, old wooden huts and castles, fire places, iron baths, sleds and wolves… it’s quite captivating. There’s also plenty of funny gags too, mostly slapstick – Polanski seems to shy away from verbal stuff. Sharon Tate is beautiful and a good sport – Polanski gets her taking several baths. You just wish the script was worked out a bit more logically. Is this the screen’s first openly gay male vampire?

Movie review – “Quatermass and the Pitt” (1967) ***1/2

The success of the first two Quatermass adaptations launched Hammer, so it’s a surprise it took them so long to do the third. (This originally aired on TV in 1958 - I think they waited too long - the film was not a success at the box office.) Andrew Keir is a very strong Quatermass, much more believable as a boffin than Brian Donlevy. Unfortunately, he shares hero duties here with the less strong James Donald as Rooney; more star power in this role would have helped. Barbara Shelley is on hand, once again playing an anxious, worried type. It’s very British sci-fi – all stiff upper lips, and logic, with a sexy girl and elder guys, and military officers. Plenty of imagination and intelligence – it lacks humour and heart, and takes a while to get going, but there are several great sequences and a full-on apocalyptic finale.

Movie review – “Dracula AD 1972” *1/2

There are some decent ideas in this film but it’s ineptly assembled and executed, with some dreadful music and lack of logic. The basic premise isn’t bad – a lunch of bored kids end up reviving Dracula in 1972 and he tries to get vengeance on Van Helsing’s family. This reunites Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee after a Dracula gap, but neither are on fire – Cushing looks old and tired, the old vigour gone (although this does add to some suspense), with Lee phoning it in. Both are outshone by Christopher Neame as the main bratty kid, a Johnny Lee Miller look-alike. Stephanie Beacham is very pretty and although she doesn’t give the best performance her breasts are in good shape (you see a lot of her cleavage –grandad Cushing seems overly interested in them). Caroline Munro is in it too. The opening and finale aren’t bad but when this goes off the boil, it really goes off – the agonisingly dragged-out opening party sequence, silly running around London, over the top acting from the cast.

Movie review – “Terror of the Tongs” (1962) ***

A re-hash of Stranglers from Bombay – about a crusading Britisher who brings down a vicious cult in an exotic British colony, with the Macguffin of a clue that can name members of the cult – but actually it’s a lot better. Instead of the duty that motivates Guy Rolfe, Geoffrey Toone is propelled by revenge (the death of his irritatingly badly acted daughter, who is stabbed in the boob). Toone is also a more interesting lead than Rolfe, an actor of the solid Eric Portman school. Plus this is in colour, with some terrific art design and costumes – the big attraction of the film along with Christopher Lee as the leader of the tongs. It’s beyond saying that this film is racially dodgy – Asians are played by Britishers, French, Indians, and even the occasional Asian. It’s also very corny – devoted daughter killed, beautiful ex-hooker falls in love with Toone and doesn’t care if he treats her like garbage (she even dies for him), a British police officer is corrupt; Jimmy Sangster, who wrote the script, poo-pooed the film. But I found it fun.

Movie review – “The Stranglers of Bombay” (1959) **1/2

Emboldened by their success with horror, Hammer tried to expand their range of films, while not entirely leaving the nest – hence this British Raj adventure drama, with a touch of grisly-ness. It’s about the thuggee cult, the famous bunch of killers beloved by apologists of the British empire because their suppression ranks up there with suttee as an excuse to justify Britain running India. They’ve also proved popular with filmmakers, being the villains for Gunga Din and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. This movie was made in the era of decolonisation so despite the hero being a devoted British officer (Guy Rolfe who usually played support parts), there is lots of criticism of the way the British run India, i.e. for money – plus that standard feature of decolonisation cinema, the pompous, racist British officer too stupid to see what’s going on.

This is a pretty good adventure film, despite the large number of non-Indians playing Indians in the cast – the black and white photography is beautiful, there’s plenty of action and some good shocks (eg a hand delivered in the mail, a very well done thuggee attack). Some of it is a bit repetitive (eg people not believing Rolfe), some not quite believable (Rolfe’s almost killed then not killed a lot), but it’s quite entertaining. Sort of remade as Terror of the Tongs.

Movie review – “The Killer Inside Me” (2010) **

I can understand the argument for the notorious scenes in this film – we’re de-sensitized to violence so Michael Winterbottom needed to give something that shocks us; the violence relates to character; it comes out of nowhere so gives an extra shock, etc. I can also hear the voice of film fans who admire it – “oh it was an amazing scene… so powerful…”. And we live in a free country and blah blah blah. But I hated the scenes and I hated the filmmakers for making a film with it. To see not one but two scenes of a man punching a woman again and again and again… it just felt rotten. The camera pulls away from scenes of a five year old girl being raped, a man being shot, various shootings and stabbings… but no, man-on-woman violence we don’t get cheated out of. I also found Casey Affleck’s voice massively irritating (we didn’t need his narration). Jessica Alba and Kate Hudson are beautiful and very likeable – there’s a strong support cast including Elias Koteas, Simon Baker and Bill Pullman (though he’s introduced too late and does too littie). A lot of skill and able work here. But it had a dark soul. I hated it.

Movie review – Four Lions” (2010) ***

Funny – might have been funnier if it had come out a few years ago, before we’d seen a bunch of films making fun of terrorism eg American Dreamz, all those Tropfest shorts. A lot of the humour seemed familiar, eg making terrorist videos with comic ineptness, arguing over what to blow up. The mostly unknown cast is very good – I particularly liked the Caucasian terrorist, with the crazy eyes – he’s just like the sort of nutters we have in Australia. They’re absolute jokes… until they do some actual damage. I particularly liked the last 15 minutes - very suspenseful.

Movie review – “Nightmare Castle” (1964) ***

A public domain film which you see available everywhere – horror films love their Barbara Steele I guess, an exotic looking British actor who became a semi-star in the 60s off the back of Black Sunday; because her films were horror and she was sexy, she has a cult around her. She’s very interesting looking – not classically (as in typically Hollywood) beautiful but she is beautiful and she holds the eye. And as I got used to her she became sexier and sexier, particularly towards the end when she goes crazy.

The story for this has overtones of Poe – she is a noblewoman caught pashing the hunky help by her husband who kills her (and her lover). It’s a bit of Frankenstein – husband does weird experiments – a bit vampire – there’s a maid who gets younger with a potion – a bit Gaslight – husband tries to drive his new wife (his dead wife’s sister) insane. Great photography, impressive effects and atmosphere. I enjoyed this a lot.

Radio review – Suspense – “My Own Murderer” (1945) **1/2

Herbert Marshall doing his tormented aristocrat routine, here driven to murder of a ne’er-do-well. Not bad, in a "jolly good old chap you’re going to die", kind of way. For instance, there are jokes in that the killer has knocked off his butler - so the killer has to do his own household chores. If you find that funny you'll really like this. A larger synopsis is here.

Radio review – Suspense – “A Guy Gets Lonely” (1945) ***

Dane Clark is one of those B names who turns up a lot in films shot in England. He’s an effective radio performer judging by his work here – the script is highly reminiscent of Vertigo, but this was before Vertigo, and that works well.

Radio review – Suspense – “Love’s Lovely Counterfeit” (1945) *** (warning: spoilers)

Humphrey Bogart and James Cain would have been a great movie combination so let’s be grateful we have them working together on radio – Bogie in a Cain story. It’s a tough, entertaining story of love and betrayal which gives Bogie a great death scene.

Radio review – Suspense – “Hearts Desire” (1945) ***

Lloyd Nolan was an excellent radio actor and he delivers a superb performance in this entertaining edition of Suspense, about a long-serving bank employee who finally gets his day - with the usual expected twist.

Move review – “Prehistoric Women” (1967) **

Enormously enjoyable crappy Hammer glamour production with a hunter (Michael Latimer) looking for the white rhinoceros finding himself in a prehistoric era where the world is run by brunette women who lord it over blonde girls and the men (who are slaves). In other words this is Hammer’s version of those sexist 50s sci fi films about all women societies such as Cat Women on the Moon.

There’s some great awful dancing (for a white rhino sacrifice), a few cat fights, a hilariously bad white rhino, lots of very attractive women in fut bikinis (Edina Ronney is the leader of the blondes), some dancing black tribesmen, very dodgy sexual politics (though to be fair the film acknowledges that the blondes were originally slave owners). The best performance is from Martine Beswicke who plays the villainous queen; she's in great form, whether trying to seduce Latimer and make him her toy boy, having milk baths, standing naked in front of Latimer, sacrificing blondes, or getting impaled by a rhino on wheels. Steven Berkoff is in the cast!

Radio review – CP#42 - “A Christmas Carol” (1939) ***

Orson Welles announces this as the fifth time this tale had been done at Christmas time - was it the last? Lionel Barrymore is excellent in a role he was born to play and the whole thing is done with heart and good humour. It's a shame Welles never tackled Dickens on screen, he had the bigness for it.

Radio review - Suspense – “To Find Help” (1945) **

Long before Frank Sinatra changed his image to play psychos in the mid 50s on screen, here he plays a crazy house keeper tormenting Agnes Moorehead. Not bad – Frank is inexperienced but I found him effective. The story lacks incident.

Radio review - Lux – "The Enchanted Cottage (1945) **

I've never seen the film, which is meant to be enchanting. The radio version isn't much, despite Dororthy McGuire and Robert Young reprising their roles - one suspects a big reason is because you can't see the disfigurement of the leads.

Radio review – Lux – “Dark Victory” (1938) ***1/2

Barbara Stanwyck is very good taking over Bette Davis and Melvyn Douglas is fine in a difficult, thankless part of the doctor. The role played by Geraldine Fitzgerald in the film, which writer Casey Robinson always thought was crucial to the film's success (that and making sure the third act didn't repeat the second), isn't here, which is strange.

Radio review – Lux – “The Front Page” (1937) ***

Walter Winchell steps into the role of Hildy Johnson surprisingly well – but then again why not, his staccato delivery makes him ideal to play a Hecht-MacArthur journo; he could have easily played Walter Burns but the part here is taken by James Gleason. Fast paced and entertaining, a wonderful play – although His Girl Friday is better, because it has the romance and introduces Walter Burns earlier.

Radio review – Suspense – “August Heat” (1945) **1/2

Ronald Colman does practically a monologue in this okay suspense tale. It’s spooky enough – an adaptation of a well known short story. Listening to Colman talk gets wearying after a while.