Showing posts with label Gordon Douglas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gordon Douglas. Show all posts

22.9.14

the falcon in hollywood (1944)

"You bum!"
Whilst following a dame (Barbara Hale) on to a studio backlot, the Falcon (Tom Conway) just happens to be in the right place when a Hollywood actor is bumped off. So with the help of the sassy taxi driver Billie (Veda Ann Borg), he tries to unravel the mystery.
Quick witted and swiftly played out detective story.

12.12.09

them! (1954)

"We may be witnesses to a Biblical prophecy come true: 'And there shall be destruction and darkness come upon creation and the beast shall reign over the earth'."
Police Sgt. Ben Peterson (James Whitmore) finds a young girl alone in the desert apparently unharmed but in shock. Then they find an abandoned and wrecked trailer. Determined to find out what happened he teams up with FBI Agent Robert Graham (James Arness) and two doctors from the Department of Agriculture, Harold Medford (Edmund Gwenn) and his daughter Pat (Joan Weldon).

Classic example of the post war atomic paranoia picture which cleverly never overplays its hand, drawing you into the mystery before revealing who or rather what is happening.

18.7.09

in like flint (1967)

Derek Flint (James Coburn), that all round man about town and genius, is back. This time to foil the plans of a group of women, who plan on ridding the world of men and their irrational, frustrating ways, to let women run the world. Through their beauty salons they are brainwashing women to follow them and also replace the US President with a look-a-like. Lloyd C Cramden (Lee J Cobb) realises something is going on and quickly calls on the help of the only man who can help. So again Derek gets to save the world and surround himself with yet more beautiful woman.
This is a suitable follow up to Our Man Flint and continues its send-up of spy movies with added digs at the war between the sexes and women's lib. A light comedy parody of the spy genre, with some nice action, the fact that this was Austin Powers favourite movie should give you an indictation of where it's coming from.