PRIMITIVE SCREWHEADS

Whiskey Galore! 1949

Whiskey Galore! 1949 Compton MacKenzie wrote the novel and co-wrote the screenplay with Angus MacPhail, the director is Alexander Mackendrick. In the US Whiskey Galore! was called Tight Little Island. After this film Mackendrick directed The Man In The White Suit, his other well known films include The Ladykillers, The Sweet Smell Of Success and A Boy Ten Feet Tall. Angus MacPhail has 70 writing credits listed on the IMDb, starting with a scenario credit for the 1928 film Balaclava, and I've seen a few of them. One of the earliest films I've seen is the 1931 version of The Ghost Train, a film I've come to like a good bit. He wrote Trouble Brewing and To Hell With Hitler for George Formby and The Ghost Of St Michaels, The Black Sheep Of Whitehall, The Goose Steps Out, Go To Blazes and My Learned Friend all for Will Hay.

Basil Radford is Captain Waggett of the Home Guard. He's one of the few English people on the island of Todday in the Outer Hebrides. The town is made up but the basic story is based on a real incident.

In 1941 a ship floundered on the rocks near Eriskay in the Outer Hebrides, before it sank the islanders took some cases of single malt whiskey off of the ship. The Wikipedia says there were 22,000 plus cases of whiskey on the ship and the locals saved 7,000. The locals in the film didn't seem to save that many.

It's a small island with not too many people, nothing much goes on. When the movie starts life has turned dour as they've drunk all the whiskey and none has come with the ship from the mainland. Captain Waggett has his work in the Home Guard to keep a few of them busy. When the ship flounders the towns people so want to rush out there to salvage what they can but it's the Sabbath and that's a no go. At midnight they rush out to get what they can, not knowing that the Captain has been onto the Customs and Excise. A special boat full of agents arrives on the island to find the ship sunk and all the cargo lost. The local barman is upset as it's cutting into his business so he rats them out. It's a scramble to save what whiskey they can.

There's plenty of action once the whiskey arrives and there's a fair number of gentle guffaws to be had. I was entertained and would want to watch it again. I didn't see any copies on YouTube. I ordered a DVD from the UK and it turned out to be a DVDr from the company that shall not be named. I've been seeing a lot of their DVDs of late.

Candles At Nine 1944

Candles At Nine 1944 Director John Harlow wrote the screenplay with Basil Mason. It's based on a novel called The Mouse Who Wouldn't Play Ball by Anthony Gilbert. Jessie Matthews plays a showgirl who inherits a rich man's estate. She's got to stay in his mansion for a month to get the moola. His other family isn't too happy about that, they are more happy that the estate goes to them if Jessie leaves the house, or dies,  before the month is up. They aren't fussy, either way. John Stuart is a detective who helps her out. It's more a comedy than a mystery, there's a bit of danger but there are more gags. I found it about average, I might watch it again someday, but not likely. You can check it out in the link in the title above. That's where I saw it. I have a few other Jessie Matthews movies to watch at a future date, some of here films are picks in The British Film series from Network. I need to get back to that series again. So many things struggling to get viewed.

Blithe Spirit 1945

Blithe Spirit is a 1945 British comedy directed by David Lean. It's based on Noël Coward's play of the same name, the screenplay is by David Lean, Ronald Neame and Anthony Havelock-Allan.

It's got Rex Harrison, Constance Cummings, Kay Hammond, Margaret Rutherford, Hugh Wakefield and Noël Coward as the narrator.

Rex is a crime novelist, he invites a medium, played by Margaret, over to the house, he's got research in mind for a novel. Unfortunately she brings the ghost of his dead wife to the house and she causes all sorts of issues. Rex and his current wife end up dead by the end of the film and it made me glad ghosts aren't real. It's kind of funny but not Topper funny, I didn't laugh at all the jokes anyway. It's not going to be one of my favorite ghost stories that's for sure. I'd still watch it again sometime. Who can say when. Too bad there aren't liars fortune tellers to let me know when that would be happening.

John Mills Collection

John Mills Collection has four movies, each film on it's own DVD, from VCI Video. I found the set at Hamilton Books last year for a ten spot, it's currently $25 on Amazon. Worth the money for me, pushing it at $25, especially since I had a copy of The History Of Mr Polly already. It's still cheaper to buy the set than the individual DVDs.

Morning Departure 1950 Based on a play of the same name by Kenneth Wollard, screenplay by William Fairchild, directed by Roy Ward Baker. Morbid story of a submarine that gets sent to the bottom by a mine left over from the war. They have to pick lots to see who stays and who goes, there aren't enough diving suits for everyone, some were damaged in the accident. Fade to black on the last men in the sub. Not one I might want to readily watch again, though it's a fairly well told story, it's still pretty much a downer.

Tiara Tahiti 1962 Based on a a novel by Geoffrey Cotterell, he co-wrote the screenplay with Ivan Foxwell, the director is Ted Kotcheff. John Mills and James Mason knew each other during the war, John was a black market profiteer, James was responsible for getting him kicked out of the regiment. Years pass and John is living the life of leisure in Tahiti, he's got a beautiful girlfriend Rosenda Monteros. James comes to the island, he's director of a chain of hotels, he's looking to build there. Their paths cross and there's some amusement. I'd watch it again.

The Long Memory 1953 Based on a novel by Howard Clewes, screenplay by Robert Hamer and Frank Harvey, directed by Robert Hamer. John gets framed for murder in this one, he gets 12 years in prison for killing a guy named Boyd, when he gets out he goes looking for the witnesses who lied. Problem is, one of the witnesses is married to a police detective now, the other witness is dead. John sets up housekeeping on an abandoned barge, he makes friends with an old coot who lives on the next abandoned barge, he finds a bit of companionship in a traumatized war refugee named Ilsa. John's presence stirs up the witness, her hubby and Boyd. The crooked guy had used the witnesses to lie and say it was his body in the boat, the police were onto him and being dead is a good get out of jail free card. With the help of the Ilsa and old coot things turn out rather better than expected for John. I found it more entertaining than the first two films and would watch it again.

The History Of Mr Polly 1949 Based on the novel by H G Wells, written and directed by Anthony Pélissier. It's Edwardian England and John is a man of 20 when the movie starts, he marries a woman and sets up shop at an outfitter. In the second act some years have passed, John's none to happy, he tries to commit suicide but it goes wrong and he becomes a hero and makes a pile on his insurance. He runs off with the money, leaving the wife he hates so much. The third act we spend with a much happier man as an assistant innkeeper. It's a bit dark but still funny. Id watch it again.

Three re-watchable films, not bad for a tenner.

A Letter For Evie Marshall 1946

A Letter For Evie Marshall is a 1946 comedy directed by Jules Dassin. It's based on a story by Blanche Brace called The Adventure Of A Ready Letter Writer. Devallon Scott and Alan Friedman wrote the screenplay. Jules previous picture was The Canterville Ghost with Charles Laughton. I've always liked that movie. I know I've seen The Naked City, Rafifi and Topkapi but none of his other 20 films. A Letter For Evie Marshall is a romance with a bit of comedy. A lonely woman puts a note into shirt for a soldier, he throws the note away, his wimpy pal starts writing to her. Of course the guy is stupid and he uses the pals picture and makes up an exciting life. Nothing like complicating a simple thing, huh. The tougher pal decides he likes the woman and he drops into to see her. It gets all complicated until it's not complicated anymore. A decent film but I just didn't find it as amusing as I hoped.

 

Enemy Agents Meet Ellery Queen 1942

Enemy Agents Meet Ellery Queen came out in 1942 and it's the last of the Ellery Queen movies from Columbia. Eric Taylor wrote the screenplay, with additional dialog by Arthur Strawn, the director was James P Hogan. Sadly, James Hogan died the following year at age 53.

William Gargan plays Ellery one last time, same for Margaret Lindsay as Nikki Porter, Charley Grapewin as Ellery's Dad Inspector Queen, and James Burke as Sergeant Velie. Guest stars are Gale Sondergaard, Ernest Deutsch, Gilbert Roland, Sig Ruman and others I didn't recognize.

Ellery and Nikki help Sergeant Velie get his prisoner back from some diamond smuggling Nazi scum. Sig is running a health club as a cover. There's the usual goings on and a joke or two. About the same as the previous couple, entertaining for the most part. I'm now done and those can go on the hard drive for some later re-watching.

A Desperate Chance For Ellery Queen 1942

A Desperate Chance For Ellery Queen came out in 1942 and it's the 6th of the seven 1940s Ellery Queen films, there were 2 previous films in the mid 30s. From the 50s there will be some Ellery Queen on TV. It's based on an Ellery Queen play called A Good Samaritan, Eric Taylor wrote the script and James P Hogan directed. Eric wrote all 7 of this lot of EQ films and James directed the last 6 of the EQ films.

William Gargan plays Ellery, Margaret Lindsay plays his gal Friday Nikki Porter, Charley Grapewin plays Ellery's father Inspector Queen and James Burke plays Sergeant Velie. There's blackmail, missing daughters and murder on Ellery's plate. Good fun and worth the watch. One last film to go.

A Close Call For Ellery Queen 1942

A Close Call For Ellery Queen is the 7th of the Ellery Queen movies from the 30s and 40s. It's from 1942. Erick Taylor wrote the screenplay, it's got some additional dialog by Gertrude Purcell, the director is James P Hogan. This film has anew Ellery, played by William Gargan, Margaret Lindsay returns as Nikki Porter, as do Charles Grapewin as Inspector Queen and James Burke as Sergeant Velle.

Ralph Morgan is a rich guy who's looking for his lost daughters. Ralph's secretary asks Ellery to help him get rid of some annoying guests. Ellery falls right into blackmail and murder. Nikki and Ellery help the real daughter in getting back together with her father.

It was about the same as the other films, good bit of comedy, some murdering, a lot of running about, and a good ending. Nothing special but certainly above average. So far I'm thinking that I would want to watch the series over again. Sadly they aren't readily available, mostly the DVDs out there are bootlegs. I don't torrent but I suspect they might be available there.

Ellery Queen And The Murder Ring 1941

Ellery Queen And The Murder Ring came out in 1941 and it's the 6th of the Ellery Queen films in the 30s and 40s. It's based on the 1931 Ellery Queen novel The Dutch Shoe Mystery. Eric Taylor and Gertrude Purcell wrote the screenplay and James P Hogan directed. I haven't read many of the novels, never got to be a fan of the series.

Ralph Bellamy and Margaret Lindsay returns as Ellery and Nikki Porter. It's the last EQ film for Ralph. Charley Grapewin returns as Ellery's dad Inspector Queen and James Burke returns as Sergeant Veile. George Zucco, Mona Barrie, Paul Hurst, Ton Dugan and Leon Ames were the names I recognized.

The movie is mostly set in a hospital, the owner asks the police to investigate what she thinks are suspicious goings on. Ellery helps out his dad by going undercover. Shortly after a patient dies and the autopsy reveals it's murder. There's plenty of running about and yelling before Nikki and Inspector Queen figure it out. It seems like it's played more for laughs than sleuthing. Still, I enjoyed it. Three more to go.

Ellery Queen And The Perfect Crime 1941

Ellery Queen And The Perfect Crime came out in 1941 and it;s the 5th Ellery Queen movie. Eric Taylor wrote the screenplay and James P Hogan directed.

Ralph Bellamy and Margaret Lindsay return as Ellery Queen and Nikki Porter. They're joined by some other cast members I knew, Spring Byington, HB Warner, James Burke, Charles Halton and Charles Lane.

Ellery and his father are working on the murder of power tycoon. He was stabbed to death a few days after his dam burst. The dam bursting created suspects out of the investors. The monkey isn't a suspect, he's just a monkey. It's an alright story but there's nothing really unusual about it. I enjoyed it. I'd watch it again. It's another that appeared on YouTube one day and two weeks later the whole page is gone.