the death kiss (1932)

"Why not pin the murder on the murderer, of it's not against the rules."
An actor filming a death scene is actually murdered during the take. As the suspects mount up including studio manager Joseph Steiner (Bela Lugosi), Detective Sheehan (John Wray) has to unravel the clues, but is clueless, so its up to writer Franklyn Drew (David Manners) to actually do the gumshoeing.
A tantalising murder mystery.

phantom ship (1935)

aka The Mystery of the Marie Celeste.
"I love Sarah, she's sailing with me."
The Captain ((Arthur Margetson) of the Marie Celeste, marries Sarah (Shirley Grey), and brings her on his next voyage. Much to the annoyance of Captain Morehead, who also loved Sarah and introduced them. Whilst storms rage trouble is brewing in the crew. Could it be that Morehead has employed someone to exact revenge for his supposed jilting. Or could it be Anton Lorenzen (Bela Lugosi), a man broken by being shanghaied previously, and anxious to be aboard.
A riff on the Marie Celeste mystery, that proposes how the ship was abandoned, has a convoluted whodunnit element.

dead ringers (1988)

"You've got to try the movie star, she's unbelievable."
The Mantle brothers are twins (Jeremy Irons) who run a fertility clinic together, and use their likeness to fool various of their female conquests. But then an actress (Geneviève Bujold) enters the scene, and threatens to split the brothers apart.
Sexual thriller and body horror, something of a specialty for Cronenberg, and one that he excels at.

the young ones (1961)

aka Wonderful to Be Young!
"Could you lend me £1500?"
Hamilton Black (Robert Morley) a property developer plans to demolish a youth club, but doesn't count on his son (Cliff Richard) and the other club members.
An other step for Cliff to becoming the British Elvis, complete with insipid, but enjoyable, comedy musicals.

darkwater (2005)

"I want to. I really want to move here."
Following a bitter divorce and custody battle, Dahlia (Jennifer Connelly) moves with her daughter (Ariel Gade) into a run down apartment and find it comes with a persistent plumbing problems, and there are some ghostly goings on.
Remake of the subtle Japanese horror, sees Hollywood add extra emotional back story, though not improving on the atmosphere of the original, it does wrack up the tension.

chasing trouble (1940)

"That kids is still upsetting the whole town."
Flower shop delivery boy Jimmy (Frankie Darro), turns amateur detective, when he finds out that his boss is involved in a foreign espionage ring. Reluctant as ever is Jefferson (Mantan Moreland), Jimmy's sidekick.
Following their successful pairing in Irish Luck, Darro and Moreland are paired up again, in this more convoluted and less entertaining sequel.

irish luck (1939)

aka Amateur Detective.
"Oh no you don't."
Hotel bellhop Buzzy Monoghan (Frankie Darro), is an accomplished detective, if only the police agreed. So when he finds a banker murdered, and a damsel in distress called Kitty Monahan (Sheila Darcy), he and his reluctant accomplice Jefferson (Mantan Moreland) decide to solve the crime.
Breezy comedy detective movie, that does just enough to stay on the right side of entertaining.