black and white movies – Reviews of Old and New Stories. Mostly Old

Review of “Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy” (1955)

Some weeks ago, Svengoolie disappeared without explanation when the masterpiece discussed below was scheduled. We were looking forward to it as something silly, so the dearly beloved found it at the library. Silly is what we got. Plot: Bud Abbott and Lou Costello are for some unexplained reason in Cairo and looking for a wayContinue reading “Review of “Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy” (1955)”

Review of “The Old Dark House” (1932)

This is our latest Saturday night pizza and bad movie offering. Last week, Svengoolie was unavailable. The cable channel has not explained. Oh, well. The dearly beloved found the film scheduled for then, Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy, through the library. It should arrive shortly. This week’s film is a bit less cheery. Plot:Continue reading “Review of “The Old Dark House” (1932)”

Review of “Island of Lost Souls” (1932)

This is our Saturday pizza and bad movie offering, a flick that got banned, censored, and clipped back in the day. While there’s no sex or nudity, there is some violence. Mostly, it’s heavy and depicts cruelty. It’s not one for the kiddies. We watched it with Svengoolie. Plot: While traveling to meet his fiancée,Continue reading “Review of “Island of Lost Souls” (1932)”

Review of “Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet the Invisible Man” (1951)

We had pizza and watched a bad movie with Svengoolie while waiting for Santa. Fortunately, we had enough leftovers we didn’t have to venture out. Plot: It’s graduation day 1951 at Dugan Detective School. Among those receiving diplomas are Bud Alexander (Bud Abbott) and Lou Francis (Lou Costello). Lou says, “This is the happiest dayContinue reading “Review of “Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet the Invisible Man” (1951)”

Review of “Invisible Agent” (1942)

This week’s pizza and bad movie offering is a fair-to-middling black-and-white bit of war propaganda. The wine was yummy, and the pizza was hot. We watched it with Svengoolie. Plot: Mild-mannered Frank Raymond (Jon Hall) is busy minding his print shop when four men barge in. They mention the name “Frank Griffin,”* lock the door,Continue reading “Review of “Invisible Agent” (1942)”

Review of “The Raven” (1935)

This is our latest Saturday pizza and bad movie night offering, a black-and-white horror mad scientist flick that borrows many Edgar Allan Poe motifs. We watched it with Svengoolie. Plot: Judge Thatcher’s (Samuel S. Hinds) daughter Jean (Irene Ware) crashes her car and receives life-threatening injuries. The doctors (uncredited Jonathan Hale and Walter Miller) agree onlyContinue reading “Review of “The Raven” (1935)”

Review of “The Magnetic Monster ” (1953)

This is our Saturday pizza and bad movie offering, the first of three movies following the doings of the (fictional) “Office of Scientific Investigation” (OSI). The two other later flicks are Riders to the Stars (1954) and Gog (1954). Plot: The opening narration tells the viewer about “new dangers” facing humanity’s existence: sound frequencies thatContinue reading “Review of “The Magnetic Monster ” (1953)”

Review of “House of Dracula” (1945)

This is this Saturday night’s pizza and bad movie offering. We’d seen this before but barely remembered it. Many things—and actors appeared in other movies. Plot: It’s not Dracula’s house. It’s the seaside castle-like estate of one saintly Dr. Franz Edelman (Onslow Stevens) outside the (fictional) village of Visaria. One night a large bat fliesContinue reading “Review of “House of Dracula” (1945)”

Review of “Arsenic and Old Lace” (1944)

It’s Halloween, 1941, in New York. Mortimer Brewster (Cary Grant), a drama critic and author of such books as Marriage, a Fraud and a Failure, waits in a long line with the girl literally next door, Elaine Harper (Pricilla Lane). A sign above them reads “marriage licenses.” A couple of gentlemen of the fourth estateContinue reading “Review of “Arsenic and Old Lace” (1944)”

Review of “The Lady from Shanghai” (1947)

Svengoolie was, alas! a rerun yet again, so we watched a noir for Saturday pizza and bad movie night. This little flick has Orson Welles speaking an (occasional) brogue and allowing himself to be lured into a circle of unpleasant people after a pretty girl winks at him. Plot: “When I start out to makeContinue reading “Review of “The Lady from Shanghai” (1947)”