This week’s mystery movie has been the 1935 MGM film “Mad Love,” based on the Maurice Renard novel “Les Mains d’Orlac,” translated and adapted by Florence Crewe-Jones, with Peter Lorre, Frances Drake, Colin Clive, Ted Healy, Sarah Haden, Edward Brophy, Henry Kolker, Keye Luke and May Beatty, directed by Karl Freund and produced by John W. Considine Jr. Adaptation by Guy Endore, with a screenplay by P.J. Wolfson and John Balderston, a score by Dimitri Tiomkin, art direction by Cedric Gibbons, William A. Horning and Edwin B. Willis, wardrobe by Dolly Tree and photography by Chester Lyons and Gregg Toland.

“Mad Love” is available on DVD from Warner Archive in the “Legends of Horror” set for $29.99.

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This week’s mystery movie has been the 1958 Anthony Mann film “God’s Little Acre,” starring Robert Ryan, Aldo Ray, Buddy Hackett, Jack Lord, Fay Spain, Vic Morrow, Helen Westcott, Lance Fuller, Rex Ingram, Michael Landon, Russell Collins, Davis Roberts, Janet Brandt and introducing Tina Louise. Music by Elmer Bernstein, photography by Ernest Haller, production design by John S. Poplin Jr. set dressing by Lyle B. Reifsnider. The prop master was Max Miller, and the dialogue coach was Janet Brandt. Costumes by Sophia Stutz, makeup by Maurice Seiderman, hairstyles by Helene Parrish, lighting by Lloyd Garnell (don’t usually see a credit for lighting technician). The film was directed by Anthony Mann and produced by Sidney Harmon. The screenplay was by Philip Yordan “based on the world’s best selling novel by Erskine Caldwell.” The film was preserved by the UCLA Film and Television Archive.

You might think I’m on a kick of doing 1950s films with schlocky theme songs. This one is even worse than “Until They Sail.” It may even be worse than the title song for “Home Before Dark,” which is saying something.

The film is available on DVD from TCM for $11.55.

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This week’s mystery movie has been the 1957 MGM film “Until They Sail,” with Jean Simmons, Joan Fontaine, Paul Newman, Piper Laurie, Charles Drake, Sandra Dee, Wally Cassell, Alan Napier, Ralph Votrian, John Wilder, Tige Andrews, Adam Kennedy and Mickey Shaughnessy.

The screenplay was by Robert Anderson from a story by James A. Michener, with music by David Raksin and typical schlocky 1950s title song by Sammy Cahn, performed by Eydie Gorme. The film was photographed in CinemaScope by Joseph Ruttenberg, with art direction by William A. Horning and Paul Groesse (Groesse scouted the New Zealand locations) and set decorations by Edwin B. Willis and Henry Grace. The film was produced by Charles Schnee and directed by Robert Wise.

The film is available on DVD from Warner Archive for $19.99.

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This week’s mystery film has been the 1916 picture “The Half-Breed,” with Douglas Fairbanks, Frank Brownlee, George Beranger, Sam De Grasse, Jewel Carmen, Tom Wilson, Alma Rubens, Winifred Westover and Elmo Lincoln. It was directed by Allan Dwan, production supervisor was D.W. Griffith, photography by Victor Fleming, scenario and titles by Anita Loos, based on Bret Harte’s short story “In the Carquinez Woods.”

This film was the first to be restored by the San Francisco Film Festival and was shown at the festival in 2013.  As far as I can tell, the unrestored version is available on DVD, but I can’t find a DVD of the 2013 restoration.

We first see Fairbanks in this establishing shot.

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This week’s mystery movie has been the 1932 RKO film “Bird of Paradise,” with Dolores del Rio, Joel McCrea, John Halliday, Richard “Skeets” Gallagher, Bert Roach, Creighton Chaney, Wade Boteler, Arnold Gray, Reginald Simpson, Napoleon Pukui, Agostino Borgato and Sofia Ortega. The screenplay was by Wells Root, Wanda Tuchock and Leonard Praskins, suggested by a play by Richard Walton Tully. Music by Max Steiner, art direction by Carroll Clark, photography by Clyde DeVinna, Edward Cronjager and Lucien Andriot, with photographic effects by Lloyd Knechtel. The executive producer was David O. Selznick, the director was King Vidor.

“Bird of Paradise” is available on DVD from Amazon.

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This week’s movie has been the 1946 Monogram Pictures film “In Fast Company” with the Bowery Boys.  Continue reading →

This week’s mystery movie has been the 1937 Paramount film “True Confession,” with Carole Lombard, Fred MacMurray, John Barrymore, Una Merkel, Porter Hall, Edgar Kennedy and Lynne Overman. It was produced by Albert Lewin, from a screenplay by Claude Binyon based on a play by Louis Verneuil and Georges Berr. Musical direction was by Boris Morros from a score by Frederick Hollander. Photography was by Ted Tetzlaff, art direction by Hans Dreier and Robert Usher, costumes by Travis Banton and interior decorations by A.E Freudeman. The film was directed by Wesley Ruggles.

It is available on DVD from Amazon.

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This week’s mystery movie has been the 1931 RKO picture “Consolation Marriage,” with Irene Dunne, Pat O’Brien, John Halliday, Myrna Loy, Lester Vail and Matt Moore.  It was produced by William LeBaron, directed by Paul Sloane, with scenery and costumes by Max Ree,  photography by J. Roy Hunt, written by Bill Cunningham and screenplay and dialogue by Humphrey Pearson. Musical direction was by Max Steiner,

It’s available on DVD from Warner Archive for $21.99.

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