THE GIRL IN THE NEWS

Barry K. Barnes and Margaret Lockwood

THE GIRL IN THE NEWS (1940). Director: Carol Reed.  

With the aid of her lawyer, Stephen Farrington (Barry K. Barnes), nurse Anne Graham (Margaret Lockwood) is acquitted of murdering her elderly employer for financial gain. Farrington was never quite convinced of her innocence, and his trust is again put to the test when there is another suspicious death in the household where Anne has again become a nurse. Farrington has his work cut out for him, but his defense, centering on a conspiracy in the household, is by no means a sure thing. Were the dead man's wife (Margaretta Scott of Fanny By Gaslight) and butler (Emlyn Williams of Another Man's Poison) involved in the crime? And if so, how can he prove it to a jury's satisfaction? The plot for Girl in the News sounds intriguing, but the movie is pretty much a mere time-passer with adequate performances and not a lot of suspense. The characters are not that well developed, either. Margaret Lockwood appeared to much, much better advantage in The Wicked Lady. Carol Reed also directed Trapeze. 

Verdict: Disappointing murder melodrama. **1/4. 

THE OLD SWIMMIN' HOLE

Jackie Moran and Marcia Mae Jones

THE OLD SWIMMIN' HOLE (1940). Director: Robert F. McGowan. Colorized.  

Chris Carter (Jackie Moran of Haunted House) has dropped out of high school in a small town and taken a job to help his mother (Leatrice Joy of First Love) out with the bills. Chris wants to be a doctor and is mentored by Doc Elliott (Charles D. Brown of Charlie Chan in Reno), who apparently left his wife and daughter long ago. Now the daughter, Betty (Marcia Mae Jones), is grown and comes to see him. She and Chris realize that his mother and her father are in love but haven't figured it out yet, and scheme to get them together, but a lawyer named Baker (Theodore von Eltz) may stymie their plans. Meanwhile there are problems when Chris, who is head of a boy's club whose clubhouse is next to a swimming hole, refuses to let little Jimmy (Dix Davis) join their club and become a "lion." Tragedy nearly ensues. 

Theodore von Eltz and Leatrice Joy

The Old Swimmin' Hole is a nicely sentimental old film that has more than its share of "lump in the throat" moments, mostly concerning little Jimmy and his dog. (I defy anyone not to get choked up at one scene in particular). Jackie Moran was actually 17, the same age as his character, when he made this film, and he appeared in around forty others, his nadir probably being Russ Meyer's Wild Gals of the Naked West in 1962. Jones' career lasted until the 80s. Moran was a gifted and sensitive actor, although his character's treatment of the boy Jimmy is rather mean-spirited at times (although he makes up for it). A weak point of the film is the character of Chris' grandfather (George Cleveland), who is nothing but a stereotype of the nasty old rich man without a single nuance. The movie is often quite unrealistic in that Chris doesn't seem to realize that it takes money to go to medical school. Leatrice Joy, who was a star in silent pictures, was married to John Gilbert for three years. Dix Davis was a talented child actor who made about twenty pictures. Moran and Jones worked together quite often. 

Verdict: Charm to spare although it goes awry at times. **3/4. 

HER FIRST ROMANCE (1940)

Edith Fellows and Wilbur Evans

HER FIRST ROMANCE (1940). Director: Edward Dmytryck.  Colorized.

Linda (Edith Fellows of Girls' Town) is a supposedly plain 17-year-old college freshman with an older half-sister and guardian, Eileen (Julie Bishop of Why Men Leave Home), who is cruel and selfish. Katy (Marian Kerby), the peppery housekeeper, can see right through bitchy Eileen, and makes up her mind to help Linda go to the prom -- and get the right dress -- despite her sister's edict that she cannot attend. Linda's being asked to the prom is just a fraternity joke, but when the boys see how transformed -- and downright beautiful -- she is, they all want to be her date. But that honor goes to handsome baritone Philip Niles (Wilbur Evans), who runs into Linda when both are busy singing in the woods!

Alan Ladd and Julie Bishop

Her First Romance is pure romantic fantasy, but it has a degree of charm and some very nice singing. Edith Fellows makes an appealing heroine, but once she becomes officially "beautiful," she's far less interesting. At the halfway point the movie becomes sillier and more incredible, with people falling in and out of love at the drop of a hat. Fellows had been acting since she was six, and amassed over eighty credits. Wilbur Evans appeared mostly on the stage, as he only had four appearances in movies, but with his looks and talent he should have become more famous. (Appearing in a Monogram picture probably didn't help him.) In a supporting role is Alan Ladd (of The Glass Key), as Eileen's fiance, whom she stole away from another sister, Marion (Judith Linden). Ladd, of course, went on to major stardom. The music includes the love duet in the forest; another duet from Don Giovanni; "My Love for You;" and Evans singing a version of Tchaikovsky's "Piano Concerto No. One." You watch the film to the end to see Eileen get her comeuppance, although she deserves worse than she gets.

Verdict: Just buy a new dress and the boys will all pant for you! **1/4. 

THE BANK DICK

THE BANK DICK (1940). Director: Edward F. Cline.

W. C. Fields is simply splendid as Egbert Souse (pronounced Sousay, and don't you forget it!), who inadvertently foils a bank robbery and is given a job as a bank guard as a reward. Egbert's future son-in-law, Og (the wonderful Grady Sutton) borrows money from the bank for an investment opportunity and discovers to his horror that the bank examiner J. Pinkteron Snoopington (the superb Franklin Pangborn) is in town to look over the books! Egbert does what he can to prevent Snoopington from discovering the missing loot until Og can return it and has other assorted misadventures as well, even winding up directing a film. Una Merkel and Cora Witherspoon are terrific as members of Egbert's family. Jan Duggan from The Old-Fashioned Way has a cameo as a customer in the bank, and Pierre Watkin [Atom Man vs. Superman] is actually excellent as the bank president.

Verdict: This is a very funny and well-acted movie. ***1/2.

THE MAD DOCTOR

Basil Rathbone and Ellen Drew

THE MAD DOCTOR (1940). Director: Tim Whelan.

The wife of Dr. Sebastian (Basil Rathbone) dies of pneumonia but her death seems suspicious to her personal physician Dr. Downer (Ralph Morgan). Nevertheless Sebastian and his good right hand Maurice (Martin Kosleck of House of Horrors) settle the will and quickly leave for New York City. In Manhattan Sebastian sets up practice as a prominent psychiatrist and moves in on his latest victim, a wealthy neurotic named Linda (Ellen Drew of The Crooked Way) who has tried to throw herself off of a roof. As the not so good doctor and Maurice cheerily plan what they'll do with the loot once Sebastian marries -- and murders -- Linda, her former boyfriend, reporter Gil Sawyer (John Howard of The Invisible Woman), is checking the background of Sebastian, and crosses paths with the suspicious Dr. Downer. Meanwhile Maurice is not thrilled that Sebastian claims to be truly falling in love with Linda ... 

John Howard and Ellen Drew

The Mad Doctor is more of a suspense-thriller than an out and out horror film, although it is macabre and occasionally chilling. An interesting aspect of the film is the relationship between the two villains, as Maurice seems to be much more than a mere servant. Apparently Sebastian saved Maurice's life at one point and is beholden to him. Maurice sprays cologne on himself with an atomizer, which may have been the film's dated way of suggesting he is queer. In any case, Rathbone offers a superb performance -- no one can display withering contempt as well as Rathbone. The under-rated Kosleck is also excellent. Morgan is quite good as well, but Drew and Howard are simply not in the same league. 

Companions in crime: Rathbone; Kosleck

There are flavorful supporting performances from Barbara Jo Allen (appearing as "Vera Vague") as Linda's sister and Hugh O'Connell as her brother-in-law, although he tries too hard to be inappropriately comical. Billy Benedict and Kitty Kelly are fine in smaller roles and Douglas Kennedy has a bit as a hotel clerk. At one point Linda inexplicably asks to meet a certain person at the 79th Street subway, the only point of which is to apparently set up a chilling subway murder sequence. The picture could have used much more music during certain suspenseful sequences. The screenplay is rather dismissive of the benefits of psychiatry, going to far as to suggest that all shrinks are charlatans. 

Verdict: An outstanding Rathbone performance is the chief joy of this entertaining suspense film. ***. 

STAR DUST

A waiting game: John Payne and Linda Darnell

STAR DUST  (1940). Director: Walter Lang.

Thomas Brooke (Roland Young) was once a leading man in silent movies but now is a talent scout for Amalgamated Pictures and his boss Dane Wharton (William Gargan). Brooke sends two hopefuls to Hollywood -- college football star Ambrose Fillmore, better known as "Bud" (John Payne), and singer Mary Andrews (Mary Healy) -- but he fears that Carolyn Sayres (Linda Darnell) is too young, Convinced she has talent, Carolyn goes behind Brooke's back and writes to Wharton on her own, therefore there are three new candidates for stardom who wait anxiously outside Wharton's office after filming their screen tests. It may be surprising which if any of the three will be offered a contract. 

"Secrets in the Moonlight:" John Payne sings 

Star Dust was loosely based on Linda Darnell's life, as she was also told she was too young to work in movies. The rest is pure fiction, of course. There are those who will tell you that Darnell wasn't much of an actress but I have to disagree, as she does some very good work in this and in other films. John Payne, one of the handsomest leading men in Hollywood, could actually sing and you can hear him doing a very nice rendition of "Secrets in the Moonlight." He also gives a smooth and charming performance. Mary Healy, who married Peter Lind Hayes, is a bit too odd-looking to be attractive and has a voice that is way too deep without being sexy. She is best-known for The 5000 Fingers of Dr. T. 

A face meant for radio? Mary Healy

Roland Young of Topper fame is splendid, as is Charlotte Greenwood as his colleague, the acting coach for Amalgamated's young hopefuls. Donald Meek scores as one of Young's rivals at the studio, as does Mary Beth Hughes as a contract actress, June Lawrence, who acts snotty with Carolyn and gets her comeuppance. George Montgomery plays an actor who has learned that the studio dropped his option, and Robert Lowery is another actor who came out to Hollywood and wound up just another bellboy. Jessie Ralph and Irving Bacon each have a couple of good scenes as, respectively, Carolyn's non-nonsense aunt and the clerk at a small college town hotel. At one point 21-year-old Bud gives a big smooch to 16-year-old Carolyn, which is not seen as anything significant in 1940 but today would get a guy arrested! (Payne was actually 28 and Darnell 17.) 

Verdict: Snappy and entertaining musical comedy with some basic truths about Hollywood. ***.  

BEYOND TOMORROW

BEYOND TOMORROW (1940). Director: A. Edward Sutherland. 

Three elderly millionaires (Charles Winninger, Harry Carey, C. Aubrey Smith) get involved in the life of a handsome young singer, James (Richard Carlson), whom they meet on Christmas Eve, even after all three are killed in a plane crash. This rather silly, occasionally touching, movie presents the after-life as a misty limbo with voices calling you either up or down to you-know-where. There is a big difference between honest sentiment and sappiness, which this movie doesn't seem to realize. Jean Parker and Helen Vinson are the two women who get involved with Carlson. Frankly, it's irritating watching these ghosts trying to influence what a grown man should do, just as it's somewhat misogynous to suggest that the supposedly "bad" (or sexier) woman in the story is responsible for every terrible thing that happens. It's a pleasure to see Maria Ouspenskaya being warm, pleasant and grandmotherly instead of muttering gypsy curses. 

Verdict: This is no It's a Wonderful Life but it has its moments, however rare. **.

LADY WITH RED HAIR

LADY WITH RED HAIR (1940). Director: Curtis Bernhardt. 

The "true" if fictionalized story of Caroline (Mrs. Leslie) Carter (Miriam Hopkins), who goes on the stage after she is divorced by her husband. The film suggests that Carter became an actress only to get money to fight for custody of her son, but in real life the boy actually stayed with his mother and was cut out of his father's will because of it. In the film Carter unrealistically tries to storm Broadway by coming in at the top instead of climbing from the bottom, but it is true that her association with David Belasco (a magnificent Claude Rains) gave an inestimable boost to her career. The film doesn't make clear that she was considered the American Sarah Bernhardt in her day. Richard Ainley plays her second husband, and as the film suggests, their marriage did signal the end of her association with Belasco (although in the film he comes in at the end to help guide her in one last production). Miriam Hopkins gives a solid performance, but up against Claude Rains there is little she can do to steal the picture. The supporting cast includes such sterling players as Laura Hope Crews, John Litel, Victor Jory, and Cecil Kellaway. A very young Cornel Wilde has a small role, and you probably won't notice Alexis Smith or Craig Stevens.

 Verdict: A lady you might like to make the acquaintance of -- on film, at least. ***.

THE MARK OF ZORRO (1940)

THE MARK OF ZORRO (1940). Director: Rouben Mamoulian. 

Diego Vega (Tyrone Power) returns to Los Angeles from Madrid and discovers that in his absence his elderly father (Montagu Love) has been unseated and a petty tyrant, Don Quintero (J. Edward Bromberg), is taxing the people to death and brutalizing the rebellious with the aid of nasty Captain Pasquale (Basil Rathbone). Diego's father is appalled by what his predecessor is doing but can't see himself fighting against the government, no matter how corrupt. Therefore Diego dons the mask of Zorro to fight his people's oppressor, and begins to act as a carefree, callous fop to avoid suspicion being focused upon him. This very good movie about one of the first masked "super-heroes" of sorts is fine entertainment, with smashing performances from all -- this is one of Power's best -- and an excellent sword fight between Power and Rathbone, who is also at his snarling best. Linda Darnell is lovely as the romantic interest and Gale Sondergaard splendid as Quintero's catty and unfaithful wife. Eugene Palette scores as the Padre, and there's a good scene when Power reveals his secret identity to the priest. Bromberg and Love are also in top form. Not as thrilling as the serial Zorro's Fighting Legion but much superior to Zorro Rides Again. 

 Verdict: Very entertaining classic. ***.

I TAKE THIS WOMAN

Hedy Lamarr

I TAKE THIS WOMAN (1940). Director: W. S. Van Dyke.

"Time wounds all heels." -- Marcesca.

Georgi Gregore (Hedy Lamarr) tries to throw herself off of an ocean liner due to an unhappy love affair, but she is saved by the compassionate Dr. Karl Decker (Spencer Tracy). Georgi is still dealing with her feelings for the married Phil Mayberry (Kent Taylor), when she gets involved with Karl -- who works at a clinic for low-income patients -- and marries him. But trouble begins when Karl joins a practice that caters to the wealthy, and Georgi runs into her ex-lover, Phil, once more. Can this marriage be saved?

Spencer Tracy and Hedy Lamarr

When I Take This Woman was first released, it came in for a mostly critical drubbing, and over the years has been considered a very bad picture starring a completely mis-matched Tracy and Lamarr. In actual truth, while the film is certainly not excellent, and at one point begins to rip off The Citadel, it is entertaining and very well-acted, with Tracy and Lamarr  playing very well together and making a very convincing romantic couple. In addition we've got some good work from Verree Teasdale as Georgi's effervescent friend, Marcesca, Kent Taylor as Phil, and Mona Barrie [Something to Sing About] as his bitter, heart-broken wife. Laraine Day, Louis Calhern, Frances Drake, and Paul Cavanagh also have notable supporting parts, along with Marjorie Main, Willie Best, Reed Hadley [Racket Squad], Don Castle [Roses are Red], and others.

I Take This Woman, alas, makes the mistake of trying to ape Frank Capra, throwing in a final scene that is sentimental in the wrong way and unconvincing. But the picture is still easy to take, Lamarr looks stunning, and the performances by both stars are quite memorable.

Verdict: Tracy and Lamarr make a better team than you might imagine. **3/4. 

THE SHADOW (1940)

Victor Jory as the Shadow

THE SHADOW (15 chapter Columbia serial/1940). Director: James W. Horne.

Criminologist Lamont Cranston (Victor Jory), who also masquerades as the underworld scourge the Shadow -- as well as Lin Chang, who owns a shop and is acquainted with many criminals -- is in a war with a mysterious figure known as the Black Tiger. Commissioner Weston (Frank LaRue), does not suspect Cranston of being the Shadow, but he's convinced that the Shadow and the Tiger are one and the same and is constantly trying to capture the former. The Black Tiger, who can make himself invisible, is one of a group of industrialists who are being targeted by the fiendish villain, who doesn't care how many lives are destroyed to achieve his goals.

Victor Jory as Lamont Cranston

Unlike in the terrible Rod La Rocque Shadow features, the pulp character returns to his roots in this excellent and exciting serial. Although the Shadow does not hypnotize people or display mystical powers as he does in the novels, he does dress up in a cloak and has two helpmates: his driver Harry Vincent (Roger Moore, not the British actor) and his secretary and assistant Margo Lane (Veda Ann Borg of Jungle Raiders). Victor Jory [The Lone Wolf Meets a Lady] adds some solidity to the serial with his strong portrayal of Cranston; Moore and Borg are professional and adept. Some of the more notable supporting performances include Jack Ingram [Terry and the Pirates] as the Tiger's chief lieutenant, Flint; Charles K. French as the nervous Joseph Rand; Constantine Romanoff as Henchman Harvey; and the ever-reliable Philip Ahn as Wu Yung, another of Cranston's helpful associates.

Victor Jory as Lin Chang

The Black Tiger (voiced somewhat over-dramatically by Richard Cramer) uses such weapons as a cigarette lighter with a miniature gun inside it, and a much bigger gun that fires rays that bring down airplanes. As for cliffhangers, there is a box-like trap that nearly shakes itself to pieces, almost dooming the Shadow; a descending freight elevator that nearly squashes Margo (and could not have been comfortable for actress Borg); and a laser-like beam that almost burns the hell out of Margo and Vincent. Interestingly, the Shadow does not manage to escape a number of death traps, but is fortunate to survive them anyway. Lee Zahler's musical score adds to the thrills.

Verdict: Another of Columbia's superior serials. ***1/2.

YOU'LL FIND OUT

Kay Kyser bolstered by Petter Lorre, Bela Lugosi, and Boris Karloff

YOU'LL FIND OUT (1940). Director: David Butler.

Playing himself, band leader Kay Kyser brings his College of Musical Knowledge, along with singers Ginny Simms and Harry Babbitt (also playing themselves) to a spooky mansion where resides Janis Bellacrest (Helen Parrish of First Love), who happens to be engaged to Kay's manager, Chuck Deems (Dennis O'Keefe). Before long the group finds itself cut off from everyone with a cut phone line and a bridge that falls apart due to an explosion. Janis' Aunt Margo (Alma Kruger of Craig's Wife) is friends with a spiritualist named Prince Sallano (Bela Lugosi), who seems to be held in little regard by Professor Fenninger (Peter Lorre) and Judge Mainwaring (Boris Karloff). As Kay, Chuck, and alleged comic Ish Kabibble explore secret passages in the old mansion, attempts are made on Janis' life more than once. RKO obviously hedged its bets by bringing in that triumvirate of terror in the persons of Lugosi, Lorre, and Karloff, who get right into the silly spirit of things with marked professionalism and without losing their dignity. Kyser remains a likable presence, although some of the comedy shtick he does in the film is not only unfunny but painful to watch; ditto for Kabibble, whose jokes wouldn't impress a three-year-old. However, O'Keefe [Abroad with Two Yanks] is just right for this kind of material and he and Kyser make an engaging comedy team at different points in the story. Ginny Simms, who was not only Kyser's singer but was involved with him at the time, zestfully sings two nice numbers, including "I'd Know You Anywhere" and "One Track Mind." Late in the picture Kyser has the band instruments imitating human voices with horrific results. There's an amusing business with the dog Prince, who gets phosphorescent paint on his tail at one point, and later on plays catch with a bomb! Experienced director David Butler helps keep this whole thing running more or less smoothly. A number called "The Bad Humor Man" may have made the "Good Humor" ice cream people nervous.

Verdict: Silly, but with some nice numbers and a few laughs, not to mention those horror stars! **1/2. 

FORTY LITTLE MOTHERS

Scene stealer: Baby Quintanilla; Odd duo: Cantor and Anderson

FORTY LITTLE MOTHERS (1940). Director: Busby Berkeley.

"Maybe he has a charm we know nothing about?" Mme. Cliche

I doubt it." -- Mme. Granville

Out of work professor Gilbert Thompson (Eddie Cantor) runs into and saves a suicidal woman, Marian (Rita Johnson), unaware that she has left her little baby boy (Baby Quintanilla) in a depot. When he discovers the child later on, he doesn't know who the mother is, and takes him home to his boarding house. He finally gets a job at Mme. Granville's School for Girls, but learns that babies aren't allowed there. Another complication is that the girls, who are pining for a handsome professor who was fired, are dismayed by his replacement. "I've seen better heads on an umbrella!" says one disgruntled co-ed. They cook up a scheme to get him thrown out of the school by pretending all of them are in love with him, but when Gilbert is forced to take in the baby from the friend who was watching him, he discovers the girls may not be quite as awful as they seem. Forty Little Mothers is an unusual and charming  comedy-drama with lots of sentiment and a warm and winning performance from Cantor. It is a little astonishing that he is teamed with -- of all people -- Judith Anderson [Rebecca] as the headmistress, but these two pros (from very different disciplines) work very well together. Bonita Granville [Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble] is cast as the main "mean girl" and she is effective, although it is unlikely that she and the other cruel young monsters would suddenly develop a pleasant nature just because Gilbert shames them. Nydia Westman is very amusing as Anderson's assistant, Mademoiselle Cynthia Cliche, and Baby Quintanilla -- who was actually twin girls and not a baby boy -- is the most adorable scene-stealer since Baby Leroy. Cantor even gets to warble "Little Curly Hair in a High Chair." With her highly expressive face, Rita Johnson [Honolulu] makes a decided impression as the woman who hopes, eventually, to be reunited with her baby.

Verdict: How much cuteness can you stand? ***. 

MISBEHAVING HUSBANDS

Ralph Byrd and Harry Langdon

MISBEHAVING HUSBANDS (1940). Director: William Beaudine.

Department store owner Henry Butler (Harry Langdon) has forgotten that it is the 20th anniversary of his marriage to Effie (Betty Blythe). Nevertheless she invites guests to celebrate and waits for him to get home, but a misadventure with a mannequin -- which is mistaken for a real woman by police -- means he gets home very late with a woman's shoe in his pocket. Encouraged by recent divorcee Grace (Esther Muir), Effie hires a sleazy lawyer, Gilbert Wayne (Gayne Whitman), who goes so far as to have his gal pal, Nan (Florence Wright), pretend to be Henry's inamorata so he can get a hefty percentage of the divorce settlement. Meanwhile Henry's niece, Jane (Luana Walters of Drums of Fu Manchu), and Bob Grant (Ralph Byrd of S.O.S. Coast Guard) are instructed to act as chaperons as the divorce proceeds since neither Henry nor Effie will move out of their home; the younger couple try to bring the older pair together even as they fall in love themselves. Misbehaving Husbands is not as provocative nor as funny as the title might suggest, but this cheap PRC production has some spirited players, even if Langdon was far past the days of his successful silent pictures; Betty Blythe [Freckles Comes Home] is terrific as Effie. Some amusing moments but very minor indeed. Billy Mitchell nearly steals the picture as the butler, Memphis.

Verdict: Anything with Byrd in it is always worth a look. **. 

TERRY AND THE PIRATES SERIAL

Jeff York (aka Granville Owen) and William Tracy

The art of Milton Caniff

TERRY AND THE PIRATES (15 chapter Columbia serial/1940). Director. James W. Horne.

In this cliffhanger version of the famous newspaper comic strip, young Terry Lee (William Tracy) goes off to find his father, Dr. Herbert Lee (John Paul Jones), with the aid of his buddy and his father's assistant, Pat Ryan (Jeff York, aka Granville Owen, of Li'l Abner). As they search for Dr. Lee, the two men find themselves embroiled in a conflict between an evil half-caste named Fang (Dick Curtis) and his followers, and the mysterious Dragon Lady (Sheila Darcy of Drums of Africa), who presides over her subjects in a cavern headquarters. Fang seeks to control all of the natives in the area, as well as the white settlers, and is after a treasure that he thinks Dr. Lee can lead him to. Lee is only interested in the scientific achievement of locating a lost race. Other characters include Forrest Taylor as Allen Drake, and Joyce Bryant as his daughter, Normandie -- both actors also appeared in The Iron Claw serial --  while Fang's despicable henchman, Stanton, is played by Jack Ingram. Connie, a diminutive Asian fellow, is charmingly played by Allen Jung -- and looks much less like a caricature than he did in the strip -- and the unfortunately-named Big Stoop is essayed by Victor DeCamp. During the fifteen chapters, Terry, Pat and the other good guys must contend with Fang's army of leopard men -- who wear hoods and striped robes -- as well as an agitated and nasty gorilla named Bobo (Jack Leonard). Pat is nearly beheaded by a High Priest (John Ince), Terry nearly eaten by gators, and both are endangered by walls that slowly move in to push them into a pit full of spikes. One of the best cliffhangers has the boys trapped in another pit that is rapidly filling with water.

Terry and the Pirates is a consistently lively, amusing, and exciting serial, but it is far below the level of the comic strip and much less serious. In the comic strip, the Dragon Lady is a beautiful Eurasian who heads a group of modern-day pirates, but in the serial she has been reduced to a fairly pretty white lady who rules a standard lost sect. At 23, William Tracy is far too old to play the boy Terry -- Jeff York was only five years older -- and has to compensate with some "gee willikers" expressions and a high-pitched screech when they are in trouble. Years later he played another recurring role in the Terry and the Pirates TV series. Dick Curtis is actually good as Fang, but unfortunately he is saddled with a voice characterization that makes him sound like an Oriental parody in a bad sitcom, Asian by way of the Borscht Belt. Jeff York is suitably handsome and heroic and more than competent as Pat. Lee Zahler has contributed a very effective score.

In the strip, writer-artist Milton Caniff -- who eventually left the comic to do Steve Canyon, for which he controlled the rights -- aged Terry until he became an adult and Pat Ryan's role was diminished and possibly eliminated. I don't know if Pat was actually Dr. Lee's assistant in the comic, and believe it is more likely that Terry was an orphan, with Ryan acting as his mentor.

Verdict: Frankly ridiculous at times, but also fun and fast-paced. ***. 

THE DEVIL BAT

Bela!

THE DEVIL BAT (1940). Director: Jean Yarbrough.

The town of Heath believes that Dr. Paul Carruthers (Bela Lugosi) is a kind-hearted soul who wouldn't hurt a fly, but he secretly harbors hatred for the Heath family who grew rich on his formulas when he foolishly accepted cash instead of a percentage. His method of revenge is bizarre to say the least. He has used electricity to create a gigantic bat, about ten times the size of a normal bat, and sends if off after his victims by using a special shaving lotion that attracts the bloodthirsty animal. When each victim tells the doctor good-night or farewell, he grimly intones "Goodbye." The Devil Bat is hard to take seriously but it is a fun movie, with a better performance from Lugosi than the picture probably deserves. Lugosi's portrait of a man whose bitterness has nearly driven him insane but who hides it beneath an avuncular manner, is dead-on. The other actors don't seem to matter much next to Lugosi but they include Dave O'Brien [Captain Midnight] as a reporter, Donald Kerr as his photographer, Suzanne Kaaren as Mary Heath, and John Ellis and Alan Baldwin as her brothers. When the photographer tricks up a fake Devil bat to fool his editor, it doesn't look much worse than the "real" thing, a mock-up inter-cut with close-ups of a bat's mouth. This was essentially remade six years later as The Flying Serpent with George Zucco. Followed by Devil Bat's Daughter. From  poverty row studio PRC.

Verdict: Bela goes bats! **1/2.

HAUNTED HOUSE

Jackie Moran

HAUNTED HOUSE (1940). Director: Robert F. McGowan.

In a small town a handyman named Olaf (Christian Rub) is on trial for murder. A young aspiring reporter named Jimmy (Jackie Moran) believes in Olaf's innocence but has absolutely no evidence to back this up. Into town comes Mildred Henshaw (Marcia Mae Jones), who is the daughter of Albert Henshaw (George Cleveland of Pillow of Death), the editor of the paper. Jimmy and Millie are immediately attracted to one another, and set out to find out who actually murdered Olaf's elderly employer. The two young people prove to be very lousy detectives, but they sort of stumble into a solution. There is no actual Haunted House in Haunted House, only the now-deserted domicile of the murdered woman. Moran [Let's Go Collegiate] is charming, full of that breathless boyishness so typical of the period, and Jones is fine, with some good supporting actors helping things along. Clarence Wilson and Mary Carr [The Sea Fiend] are notable as, respectively, the gas station owner named Eph, and the old lady everyone calls "Grandma."

Verdict: Minor if smooth Monogram filler. **1/2.

DRUMS OF FU MANCHU

Henry Brandon as the Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu

DRUMS OF FU MANCHU (15 chapter Republic serial/1940). Directors: William Witney; John English.

Taking its cue from the feature-length film starring Boris Karloff, The Mask of Fu Manchu, this serial is also loosely based not on Sax Rohmer's "Drums of Fu Manchu" but rather his "Mask of Fu Manchu." In both film and serial Fu Manchu (Henry Brandon) is out to get certain artifacts from the tomb of Genghis Kahn that will give him the power to conquer all Asia -- in the serial's case it is a sacred scepter. To that end there is a lot of back and forth dallying over not only the scepter, but the "kardac segment," a piece of a tile that will lead to the location of the tomb. Fu's chief adversary, as in the books, is Sir Dennis Nayland Smith (William Royle), with assistance from Dr. Petrie (Olaf Hytten of Detective Kitty O'Day) and young Allan Parker (Robert Kellard of Escort Girl), whose father was murdered by Fu. Other characters include Professor Randolph (Tom Chatterton); his daughter Mary (Luana Walters); Fu Manchu's loyal assistant, Loki (John Merton of Radar Patrol vs Spy King), who actually has fangs; and Fu's daughter, Fah Lo Suee (Gloria Franklin). One carry over from the novel "Drums of Fu Manchu" is the way one hears the nerve-wracking sound of beating, steadily louder drums whenever someone's doom is approaching. Fu, who is more sadistic than in the novels, employs gelatinous darts; a cage with rats inside of it (known as "the gates to paradise"); a fire-branch trap that threatens to snap Allan in two; and a deadly gas in Kahn's tomb. Especially memorable cliffhangers include two trains about to collide in chapter one; the attack of a kind of octo-squid in a watery chamber below Fu's HQ in chapter two; a pendulum that nearly cleaves Allan in twain in chapter four; a jeep that sails over a cliff during a fight with Arabs in chapter eight; a deadly heat device from the sun's rays that nearly frizzles Mary in chapter nine; and a whole ceiling of stalactites that comes crashing down on the good guys in chapter ten. There's a little too much running about the desert in the final chapters, and the score is mediocre. This is not necessarily top-drawer Fu or a top-drawer serial, but it is good and entertaining. Once you get used to the odd voice Henry Brandon affects for Fu, he is quite effective.

Verdict: Great fun to watch Fu Manchu carry out his diabolical manipulations -- always with class. ***.

THE LONE WOLF MEETS A LADY

Warren William as Michael Lanyard, the Lone Wolf

THE LONE WOLF MEETS A LADY (1940). Director: Sidney Salkow.

"Jamison! Open the window -- and air the room!"

Joan Bradley (Jean Muir) is all set to marry wealthy Bob Penyon (Warren Hull), when her future mother-in-law (Georgia Caine) lends her an expensive diamond necklace. At her apartment Joan is confronted by an old acquaintance who demands the necklace before being promptly shot by an unseen figure; the necklace disappears. Before long Michael Lanyard, aka the Lone Wolf (Warren William), is involved in the case even as Inspector Crane (Thurston Hall), who loves rare plants, is on the trail of both Lanyard and Joan. The Lone Wolf Meets a Lady is distinguished primarily by the acting, with William, as usual, doing splendidly as the title character. Jean Muir [And One Was Beautiful] is on the money as Joan; Hall makes a terrific inspector; Fred Kelsey is funny as the bumbling cop, Dickens; Victor Jory [Manfish] scores as a sleazy "associate" of Lanyard's; and Eric Blore [Swiss Miss] nearly steals the picture as Jamison, Lanyard's butler and aide. The screenplay isn't terrible, with good dialogue, but The Lone Wolf Meets a Lady is no great shakes as a mystery. Not to be confused with The Lone Wolf and His Lady.

Verdict: Modestly entertaining with some very good performances. **1/2.

LILLIAN RUSSELL

Alice Faye as Lillian Russell

LILLIAN RUSSELL (1940). Director: Irving Cummings.

A young lady with singing talent reinvents herself as "Lillian Russell" to hide the fact that she's on the stage from her mother (Dorothy Peterson), but mama always knows. Like her mother, Lillian is an early feminist as well as a major theatrical performer with thousands of fans and a host of suitors, including Diamond Jim Brady (Edward Arnold) and "J. L." (Warren William of Dr. Monica), but she marries composer Edward Solomon (Don Ameche). Their marriage ends in tragedy, but waiting in the wings is reporter turned newspaper publisher Alexander Moore (Henry Fonda). Russell was actually married four times, and Solomon didn't die as in the movie, but turned out to be a (perhaps inadvertent) bigamist. As Faye herself noted, in this handsomely-produced (but oddly, black and white) movie, nobody ever ages no matter how many decades go by. Although Faye's singing voice could best be described as "pleasant" (and a little too deep at times), she gives a very good performance as Russell, wisely underplaying many of her more emotional scenes. Arnold is excellent in his portrait of the happy go lucky but broken-hearted Brady, and there are good turns from Ameche and William; Helen Westley [Million Dollar Baby] as Grandma Leonard; Joseph Cawthorn as vocal coach Leopold Damrosch; Ernest Truex as Lillian's father (who in real life was actually separated from his wife); and Nigel Bruce as William Gilbert (of Gilbert and Sullivan fame). Aside from the many musical highlights, there is grandma's recounting of a romantic story involving a mystery gift she once received, and a well-played scene between Arnold and William talking about their feelings toward Lillian. Henry Fonda [The Long Night], who usually leaves me cold, is quite good in this, although this was not an assignment he coveted. Old-time vaudevillians Joe Weber and Lew Fields, playing themselves, almost stop the movie dead with their long comedy routine, but as they happen to be very funny it doesn't matter. Eddie Foy Jr. plays his dad in a brief bit.

Verdict: Despite some inaccuracies, this is a highly entertaining and well-acted biopic. ***1/2.