THE FLYING SAUCER

Pat Garrison and Mikel Conrad

THE FLYING SAUCER (1950). Producer, writer, director: Mikel Conrad.

Playboy-reporter-agent Mike Trent (Mikel Conrad) is sent to Alaska to investigate stories of a flying saucer. His boss, Thorn (Russell Hicks of Charlie Chan in Shanghai), fears that saucers could be used to drop atomic bombs on American cities. To complete his cover story, Mike takes along a nurse-agent named Vee Langley (Pat Garrison). The two spend days in a cabin with the manservant Hans (Hantz von Teuffen) until finally something rushes overhead. There are Russian agents in the area who also hope to get their hands on the saucer. Wanting to jump-start his career, talented actor Mikel Conrad wrote the story for this movie, then produced, directed, and starred in it himself. Normally vanity productions like this are atrocious, but the strange and sad thing is that The Flying Saucer is not terrible, just low-budget and lacking that certain panache. One major problem with the film is that it was marketed as a kind of sci fi or even alien invasion movie, when in reality it's more of a spy film. What Saucer has going for it are great Alaskan locations, some good acting, a suspenseful battle between Mike and a villain who tries to throw him into a propeller, and an underground climax that features an avalanche. Mike doesn't appear to do much investigating in Alaska, just goes picnicking and smooching with his "nurse." Frank Darien makes an impression as the old sot, Matt, as does Virginia Hewitt [My Dear Secretary] as the bad bar girl, Nanette.

Verdict: An interesting oddity. **1/2.

MY DEAR SECRETARY

Mowbray and Douglas confer in interesting restaurant

MY DEAR SECRETARY (1948). Writer/director: Charles Martin.

Just before giving a lecture, author Owen Waterbury (Kirk Douglas) bumps into aspiring writer Stephanie Gaylord (Laraine Day). She applies for the job of his secretary after his old one, Elsie (Helen Walker), quits in a huff. Initially delighted to be hired, Stephanie realizes that what she hoped would be an interesting and intellectual position actually just calls for her to be playmate for her infantile employer, whom she nevertheless develops romantic feelings for. Throughout the movie the two make up and break up several times, but never convincingly. My Dear Secretary probably looked good on paper, and it has many amusing lines and a few genuinely funny sequences, but not enough to make it memorable. Douglas and Day are fine, but not as good as the supporting cast, which includes Walker, Keenan Wynn as Owen's agent, Irene Ryan [of The Beverly Hillbillies] as his feisty housekeeper, Alan Mowbray as a private detective, Grady Sutton as another writer, and especially Florence Bates as the delightful landlady. While not quite on their level Rudy Vallee is also good as Stephanie's original boss and suitor. Virginia Hewitt makes an impression as the sexy Felicia, who dates Owen for a time. When asked which famous actress the slinky and beautiful Felicia resembles, Wynn says "Zazu Pitts!" The movie is basically good-natured, but there are some mean-spirited bits and Douglas' character seems to be too stupid to be capable of producing a novel, however bad. [He is definitely a "movie" writer and not a real one.] A highlight of the film is when the characters convene in a restaurant [see photo] in which some of the booths are surrounded by "frames," making them resemble paintings. In his sixth film, Douglas doesn't grit his teeth quite so much, but then this is not exactly intense material.

Verdict: There are quite a few laughs but the film doesn't quite cut it.**1/2.