harrygbutler takes a ride on the Reading — 10

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By railfan 44 - https://www.flickr.com/photos/129679309@N05/22258626698/, Public Domain, Link

Welcome to my tenth thread for 2020! I’m Harry, and this is my fifth year in the 75 Books Challenge. By training I'm a medievalist, by occupation I’m a project manager, after many years as an editor. My taste in reading runs to Golden Age and earlier mysteries, pulp detective and adventure fiction, Late Antique and medieval literature, westerns, and late nineteenth and early twentieth century popular fiction, among others. I also have a fondness for collections of cartoons and comic strips, and relatively recently I have begun collecting pulp magazines from the first half of the twentieth century. I usually have a few books going at once.

I'm also an inveterate movie watcher, and I track my viewing in my thread, too. I watch a wide variety of genres — mystery, western, comedy, adventure, science fiction, horror, and more — and tend to watch older movies, particularly from Hollywood's Golden Age in the 1930s and 1940s, but extending through the 1980s and only rarely later.

My wife Erika and I live in eastern Pennsylvania with three cats — Elli, Otto, and Pixie — and a dog, Hildy. Our pets occasionally make an appearance in my thread. My other interests include model railroading, gardening, and birding, so you'll sometimes see something related to them as well.

I try to provide some sort of comment on the books and magazines I read and the movies I watch, but they are short and aren't really reviews.

I finished 168 books in 2019. I'd like to up that total to 170 in 2020.

Books finished in the first quarter

1. Vengeance Is Mine, by Mickey Spillane
2. The Voice of the Night: The Cases of Jeff Fanchon, Inquirer, by Hugh Pendexter
3. When a Feller Needs a Friend, by Clare A. Briggs
4. The Customs of Catalonia Between Lords and Vassals, by the Barcelona Canon, Pere Albert: A Practical Guide to Castle Feudalism in Medieval Spain, by Pere Albert; trans. by Donald J. Kagay
5. Warlords, Warlocks & Witches, ed. by D. M. Ritzlin
6. Don't Step in the Leadership, by Scott Adams
7. The Savage Salome, by Carter Brown
8. Roman Antiquities, Books 3-4, by Dionysius of Halicarnassus; trans. by Earnest Cary
9. Fair Blows the Wind, by Louis L'Amour
10. German Romance, Volume III: Iwein or The Knight with the Lion, by Hartmann von Aue; trans. by Cyril Edwards
11. Death of a Citizen, by Donald Hamilton
12. Death Walks in Eastrepps, by Francis Beeding
13. Lord Lister, Known as Raffles, Master Thief, by Kurt Matull and Theo Blankensee; trans. by Joseph A. Lovece
14. The Hurricane, by Terence Robertson
15. The Ferguson Rifle, by Louis L'Amour
16. Walt Disney's Donald Duck: "Christmas in Duckburg", by Carl Barks
17. The Milliner's Hat Mystery, by Basil Thomson
18. Death Dealers & Diabolists, ed. by D. M. Ritzlin
19. Breakheart Pass, by Alistair MacLean
20. Best Cartoons of the Year 1950, ed. by Lawrence Lariar
21. A Good Year for Dwarfs?, by Carter Brown
22. The Knight of the Parrot: Early Adventures of Young King Arthur, trans. by Thomas E. Vesce
23. Hope and History: Five Salzburg Lectures, by Josef Pieper
24. Death in the Cup, by Moray Dalton
25. A Talent for Revenge, by John Cutter
26. Ghost Breaker, by Ron Goulart
27. Hagar's Knight Out, by Dik Browne
28. Arrest the Bishop?, by Winifred Peck
29. The Wrecking Crew, by Donald Hamilton
30. The Adventures of Jerry Muskrat, by Thornton Burgess
31. Cartoon Laffs, ed. by Clyde Carley
32. The Life of Lazaros of Mt. Galesion: An Eleventh-Century Pillar Saint, by Gregory the Cellarer; trans. by Richard P. H. Greenfield
33. Anonymous Footsteps, by John M. O'Connor
34. The Red Pavilion, by Robert van Gulik
35. Over on the Dry Side, by Louis L'Amour
36. The Case of the Poisoned Cat, by K. P. Bahadur
37. Dennis the Menace—All-American Kid, by Hank Ketcham
38. Easy Company and the Suicide Boys, by John Wesley Howard
39. Diagnosis: Homicide, by Lawrence G. Blochman
40. Caravan to Vaccares, by Alistair MacLean
41. Treasure-House of Mysteries: Explorations of the Sacred Text Through Poetry in the Syriac Tradition, trans. by Sebastian Brock
42. The Blonde, by Carter Brown
43. Granddad! It's Morning!, by Bil Keane
44. The Crime at Diana's Pool, by Victor L. Whitechurch
45. Pseudo-Dionysius: The Complete Works, by Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite; trans. by Colm Luibheid
46. The Removers, by Donald Hamilton

Books finished in the second quarter

47. Everything's Archie!
48. Borden Chantry, by Louis L'Amour
49. The Body, by Carter Brown
50. Buck Fever: Deer Camp Cartoons, by Bruce Cochran
51. Reading the Psalms with Luther
52. The Phantom Spy, by Max Brand
53. A Murder Is Arranged, by Basil Thomson
54. This Petty Place: A Book of Drawings, by Mary Petty
55. Three Mysteries by Johnston McCulley
56. The Lives of the Monks of Palestine, by Cyril of Scythopolis; trans. by R. M. Price
57. Roman Antiquities, Books 5-6.48, by Dionysius of Halicarnassus; trans. by Earnest Cary
58. Marmaduke Sounds Off, by Brad Anderson
59. The Pleasure Cruise Mystery, by Robin Forsythe
60. North to the Rails, by Louis L'Amour
61. The Moving Shadow: Electrifying Bengali Pulp Fiction, selected and translated by Arunava Sinha
62. The Floating Game, by John Garforth
63. The Rescuers, by Margery Sharp
64. Heathcliff Rides Again, by George Gately
65. Theodulf of Orléans: The Verse, by Theodulf of Orléans; trans. by Theodore M. Andersson in collaboration with Åslaug Ommundsen and Leslie S. B. MacCoull
66. Best Cartoons of the Year 1954, ed. by Lawrence Lariar
67. The Eel Pie Murders, by David Frome
68. The Born Loser, by Carter Brown
69. Atlantic Fury, by Hammond Innes
70. Death Squad, by Don Pendleton
71. Easy Company and the Medicine Gun, by John Wesley Howard
72. The Tough Guys, by Mickey Spillane
73. Swords of Steel Omnibus, ed. by D. M. Ritzlin
74. Best Cartoons of the Year, ed. by Lawrence Lariar
75. Thrilling Pulp Detective Tales, Volume 1, ed. by Jonathan W. Sweet (editor) and Jules Sweet (associate editor)
76. The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
77. Sacking Paris on a Budget, by Dik Browne
78. The House of the Vanishing Goblets, by Arlo & Carmen Edington
79. Take a Murder, Darling, by Richard S. Prather
80. Cy Whittaker's Place, by Joseph C. Lincoln
81. Tombstone & Speedy, Range Detectives, W. C. Tuttle
82. Death Sails the Nile, by F. Burks McKinley
83. East of Desolation, by Jack Higgins
84. Terror Comes Creeping, by Carter Brown
85. Not Reverse!, by Mort Walker
86. Sorry, Chief..., by William Johnston
87. Blondie, by Dean Young and Jim Raymond
88. The House That Kills, by Noel Vindry; trans. by John Pugmire
89. Two Dead, by Vernon Loder
90. Riders Against the Moon, by Johnston McCulley
91. Oh, Murderer Mine, by Norbert Davis

Books finished in the third quarter

92. Never Turn Your Back, by Margaret Scherf
93. The Mighty Warriors, ed. by Robert M. Price
94. Choice Cartoons from Sports Illustrated by Charles Preston
95. Zothique, by Clark Ashton Smith
96. Too Funny for Words! 125 Cartoons That Speak for Themselves, ed. by Phil Hirsch
97. The Brazen, by Carter Brown
98. Red Sonja #1: The Ring of Ikribu, by David C. Smith and Richard L. Tierney
99. Submarine Commander, by Rear Admiral Ben Bryant
100. The Winds of Gath, by E. C. Tubb
101. One Lonely Night, by Mickey Spillane
102. Roman Antiquities, Books 6.49-7, by Dionysius of Halicarnassus; trans. by Earnest Cary
103. Rivers West, by Louis L'Amour
104. Dead Man's Quarry, by Ianthe Jerrold
105. Nifft the Lean, by Michael Shea
106. The Poison Belt Together with "The Disintegration Machine" and "When the World Screamed", by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
107. March Upcountry, by David Weber and John Ringo
108. March to the Sea, by David Weber and John Ringo
109. March to the Stars, by David Weber and John Ringo
110. The Crime Coast, by Elizabeth Gill
111. The Man from the Broken Hills, by Louis L'Amour
112. Death of Anton, by Alan Melville
113. Poseidonis, by Clark Ashton Smith
114. Marmaduke Hams It Up!, by Brad Anderson
115. The Best of Thrilling Adventures
116. The Hunt Club, by Norman Daniels
117. Battle Mask, by Don Pendleton
118. Exemplary Lives: Selected Sermons on the Saints, from Rheinau, ed. and trans. by James C. Wilkinson
119. Fugitive from the Cubicle Police, by Scott Adams
120. Lives of the Visigothic Fathers, trans. by A. T. Fear
121. The Emperor's Pearl, by Robert van Gulik
122. A Rival from the Grave, by Seabury Quinn
123. Necromancy in Nilztiria, by D. M. Ritzlin
124. The Desired, by Carter Brown
125. Lookin' Good, Beetle Bailey, by Mort Walker
126. Milo Talon, by Louis L'Amour
127. Serpents in Eden: Countryside Crimes, ed. by Martin Edwards
128. Two Works on Trebizond: Michael Panaretos / Bessarion, ed. and trans. by Scott Kennedy
129. The Daffodil Murder, by Edgar Wallace
130. But Theriously Folkth, by Johnny Hart
131. The Man from Missouri, by Frank Gruber
132. In Search of the Sacred: Contributions to an Answer, by Josef Pieper; trans. by Lothar Krauth

Books finished in the fourth quarter

133. Red Sonja #2: Demon Night, by David C. Smith and Richard L. Tierney
134. The Rider of Lost Creek, by Louis L'Amour
135. Addams and Evil, by Charles Addams
136. Hard-Boiled Detectives: 23 Great Stories from Dime Detective Magazine, ed. by Robert Weinberg, Stefan R. Dziemianowicz, and Martin H. Greenberg
137. Miami Massacre, by Don Pendleton
138. Hardcase for Hire, by Clay Randall
139. So What Killed the Vampire?, by Carter Brown
140. Let's Change Places, Beetle Bailey, by Mort Walker
141. Poets and Murder, by Robert van Gulik
142. The Adventures of Mr. Clackworthy, by Christopher B. Booth
143. Many Rivers to Cross, by Steve Frazee
144. The Fastest Hound Dog in the State of Maine, by John Gould
145. Mystery at Olympia, by John Rhode
146. Poems, by Venantius Fortunatus; ed. and trans. by Michael Roberts
147. Best Cartoons of the Year 1948, ed. by Lawrence Lariar
148. Red Sonja #3: When Hell Laughs, by David C. Smith and Richard L. Tierney
149. The Vampire Murders, by Robert Wallace
150. Moral Essays, Volume I, by Seneca; trans. by John W. Basore
151. Scream for Jeeves: A Parody, by P. H. Cannon
152. Dilbert Turns 30, by Scott Adams
153. Bodies in Bedlam, by Richard S. Prather
154. Continental Contract, by Don Pendleton
155. The Loving and the Dead, by Carter Brown
156. The Mountain Valley War, by Louis L'Amour
157. Best Cartoons from Abroad 1957, ed. by Lawrence Lariar and Ben Roth
158. Murder in the Museum, by John Rowland
159. The Pulps: Fifty Years of American Pop Culture, ed. by Tony Goodstone
160. Nights of Terror, by Steve Frazee
161. Comanch', by Cliff Farrell
162. Doctor Who and the Daleks, by David Whitaker
163. Proof of the Pudding, by Phoebe Atwood Taylor

Art by Glen White, for Argosy All-Story Magazine - http://rebelsofmars.blogs.com/rebels_of_mars/a_merritt/, Public Domain, Link

I read relatively few magazines last year, but I'd like to get back to the many pulps I've acquired, as well as some current pulp-inspired magazines, so I'm setting a goal for myself of averaging one magazine per month this year.

Magazines completed in 2020
1. Storyhack Action & Adventure, Issue 2 (neo-pulp)
2. Tales from The Magician's Skull, No. 4 (neo-pulp)
3. G-8 and His Battle Aces, October 1935
4. Storyhack Action & Adventure, Issue 4 (neo-pulp)
5. Storyhack Action & Adventure, Issue 3 (neo-pulp)
6. Argosy All-Story Weekly, October 25, 1924
7. Storyhack Action & Adventure, Issue 5 (neo-pulp)
8. The Blue Book Magazine, April 1926
9. Argosy All-Story Weekly, December 4, 1920
10. Argosy All-Story Weekly, June 13, 1925
11. Storyhack Action & Adventure, Issue 6 (neo-pulp)

In my first couple years in the group, I found I was avoiding reading shorter works — short stories, essays, treatises, sermons, etc. — found in books where I didn't intend to read the whole book at one go, because they wouldn't contribute to my totals. I'm tracking them now. I've set no particular goal for a total for this year, nor have I remembered to capture all that I've read, but I'll list what I can.

Shorter works read in 2020

1. "Ghost of a Crown," by Sterling Lanier (first published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, December 1976)
2. "Witch-House," by Seabury Quinn (first published in Weird Tales, November 1936)
3. The Sultan of Hell, by Capt. Kerry McRoberts (first published in Thrilling Adventures, March 1934)
4. "The Terrible Parchment," by Manly Wade Wellman (first published in Weird Tales, August 1937)
5. "Orchid of Doom," by Lieut. Scott Morgan (first published in Thrilling Adventures, July 1934)
6. "Lost Treasures of Eden," by Capt. John Powers (first published in Thrilling Adventures, December 1934)
7. "Children of the Bat," by Seabury Quinn (first published in Weird Tales, January 1937)
8. "Interlude's End," by Robert Leslie Bellem
9. "The Lagoon of Monsters," by Johnston McCulley (first published in Thrilling Adventures, December 1934)
10. "Satan's Palimpsest," by Seabury Quinn (first published in Weird Tales, September 1937)
11. "World of Doom," by Ray Cummings (first published in Thrilling Adventures, January 1935)
12. "Pledged to the Dead," by Seabury Quinn (first published in Weird Tales, October 1937)
13. "Mother of Toads," by Clark Ashton Smith (first published in Weird Tales, July 1938)
14. "The Web of the Green Spider," by Capt. Kerry McRoberts (first published in Thrilling Adventures, February 1935)
15. "Sublevel Seventeen," by Paul Ernst (first published in Thrilling Adventures, February 1935)
16. "Murder on the Lotus Pond," by Robert van Gulik
17. "The Two Beggars," by Robert van Gulik
18. "The Wrong Sword," by Robert van Gulik
19. "Living Buddhess," by Seabury Quinn (first published in Weird Tales, November 1937)
20. "The Curse of the Shining God," by A. Leslie (first published in Thrilling Adventures, April 1935)
21. "Flames of Vengeance," by Seabury Quinn (first published in Weird Tales, December 1937)
22. "Hell's Oasis," by Arthur J. Burks (first published in Thrilling Adventures, April 1935)
23. "Frozen Beauty," by Seabury Quinn (first published in Weird Tales, February 1938)
24. "The Wooden Horse: Some Possible Bronze Age Origins, by Donald F. Easton (first published in ipamati kistamati pari tumatimis: Luwian and Hittite Studies Presented to J. David Hawkins on the Occasion of His 70th Birthday)
25. "Incense of Abomination," by Seabury Quinn (first published in Weird Tales, March 1938)
26. "The 'Shamraken' Homeward-Bounder," by William Hope Hodgson
27. "Suicide Chapel," by Seabury Quinn (first published in Weird Tales, June 1938)
28. "The Venomed Breath of Vengeance," by Seabury Quinn (first published in Weird Tales, August 1938)

I also listened to Vincent Price's reading of "Chu-bu and Sheemish," by Lord Dunsany.

Our cat Otto is a big fan of movies: When we start to watch one, he comes running to the living room from wherever he may be and settles in for the duration, though he chiefly dozes rather than actively watching.

I fell just short of 350 movies in 2019, so that number was my target in 2020.

I'll be giving Otto a place in my comments on movies. At present, the three ratings are as follows:

Recommended. Otto finds this one pleasing enough to relax.

Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great.

Not recommended. Otto thinks your time would be better spent staring at the wall.

Movies watched in January

1. Mark of the Gorilla (Columbia, 1950)
2. Footsteps in the Night (Allied Artists, 1957)
3. Isle of Forgotten Sins (PRC, 1943)
4. Three Crosses Not To Die (original title: Tre croci per non morire) (1968)
5. The Inner Circle (Republic, 1946)
6. The Battle of the Damned (original title: Quella dannata pattuglia) (1969)
7. Beyond the Time Barrier (American International, 1960)
8. The Extra Girl (Mack Sennett Comedies, 1923)
9. The Fighting Renegade (Victory, 1939)
10. The Hound of the Baskervilles (Twentieth Century Fox, 1939)
11. Traitorous (original title: Da tai jian) (1976)
12. Bowery at Midnight (Monogram, 1942)
13. Shall We Dance (RKO, 1937)
14. Commandos (1968)
15. Stagecoach (UA, 1939)
16. Let's Get Tough! (Monogram, 1942)
17. Make Mine Music (Disney / RKO, 1946)
18. Hands of a Gunfighter (original title: Ocaso de un pistolero) (1965)
19. The Range Feud (Columbia, 1931)
20. The Burning Court (original title: La chambre ardente) (1962)
21. The Hidden City (Monogram, 1950)
22. Bikini Beach (American International, 1964)
23. Non-Stop New York (Gaumont British, 1937)
24. The Death Kiss (K.B.S. Productions / Sono Art-World Wide, 1932)
25. The Hell's Wind Staff (original title: Long hu men) (1979)
26. The Black Camel (Fox, 1931)
27. Aces and Eights (Puritan, 1936)
28. Buccaneer's Girl (Universal, 1950)
29. A Candidate for a Killing (original title: Un sudario a la medida) (1969)
30. They Were Expendable (MGM, 1945)
31. The Atomic Submarine (Allied Artists, 1959)
32. Feud of the West (Diversion, 1936)
33. Locker Sixty-Nine (Anglo-Amalgamated, 1962)
34. Death Trap (Anglo-Amalgamated, 1962)
35. The H-Man (original title: Bijo to ekitai ningen) (Toho, 1958; Columbia, 1959)
36. Death on High Mountain (original title: La morte sull'alta collina) (1969)
37. Where's That Fire? (Twentieth Century Fox / Gainsborough, 1939)
38. The Ghost Camera (Real Art / RKO, 1933)
39. The Night the World Exploded (Columbia, 1957)
40. Action Man (original title: Le soleil des voyous) (1967)
41. The Lady in Scarlet (Chesterfield, 1935)
42. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Twentieth Century Fox, 1939)
43. The Living Ghost (Monogram, 1942)
44. 12 to the Moon (Columbia, 1960)
45. Phantom Rancher (Colony, 1940)
46. The Ghost Walks (Invincible, 1934)
47. Destroy All Planets (original title: Gamera tai uchu kaijû Bairasu) (Daiei, 1968)
48. Seven Steps of Kung Fu (original title: Qi bu mi zong) (1979)
49. The Thirteenth Guest (Monogram, 1932)
50. Sagebrush Trail (Lone Star / Monogram, 1933)
51. The Seventh Curse (original title: Yuen Chun Hap yu Wai See Lee) (Golden Harvest / Paragon, 1986)
52. F.P.1 (Gaumont British / Fox / UFA, 1933)
53. Charlie Chan in Paris (Fox, 1935)
54. Lawless Land (Republic, 1937)
55. Crazy Knights (Monogram, 1944)
56. Palmy Days (Goldwyn / UA, 1931)
57. Time Table (Mark Stevens Productions / UA, 1956)
58. Dead Men Walk (PRC, 1943)
59. The Vampire Doll (original title: Yûrei yashiki no kyôfu: Chi wo sû ningyô) (Toho, 1970)
60. Texas Wildcats (Victory, 1939)

Movies watched in February

61. The Loves of Hercules (original title: Gli amori di Ercole) (1960)
62. Midnight Limited (Monogram, 1940)
63. Awkward Hands (original title: Manos torpes) (1970)
64. Pajama Party (American International, 1964)
65. X Marks the Spot (Republic, 1942)
66. Lake of Dracula (original title: Noroi no yakata: Chi o suu me) (Toho, 1971)
67. Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror (Universal, 1942)
68. Danger Ahead (Monogram, 1940)
69. Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster (Allied Artists, 1965)
70. Mozambique (1964)
71. The Gunman (Monogram, 1952)
72. Sink the Bismarck! (Twentieth Century Fox, 1960)
73. Evil of Dracula (original title: Chi o suu bara) (Toho, 1974)
74. The Human Monster (Monogram, 1940) (originally released in the UK as Dark Eyes of London by Pathé, 1939)
75. Riders of the Desert (Sono Art-World Wide, 1932)
76. Win Them All (Park Films, 1973)
77. Gallery of Horror (American General, 1967)
78. Ice Station Zebra (MGM, 1968)
79. Murder on the Yukon (Monogram, 1940)
80. Midnight Manhunt (Paramount, 1945)
81. Santo el enmascarado de plata y Blue Demon contra los monstruos (Santo and Blue Demon vs. the Monsters) (Cinematográfica Sotomayor, 1970)
82. The Red Blood of Courage (Ambassador, 1935)
83. Charlie Chan in Egypt (Fox, 1935)
84. Satanik (1968)
85. Caught Plastered (RKO, 1931)
86. Attack of the Monsters (original title: Gamera tai daiakuju Giron) (Daiei, 1969)
87. My Name Is Pecos (original title: 2 once di piombo) (1966)
88. Bulldog Drummond (Goldwyn / UA, 1929)
89. Goldsinger (original title: James Tont operazione U.N.O.) (1965)
90. Pecos Cleans Up (original title: Pecos è qui: prega e muori!) (1967)
91. Tiger Fangs (PRC, 1943)
92. The Weird Man (Shaw Brothers, 1983)
93. Condemned To Live (Invincible / Chesterfield, 1935)
94. Wrangler's Roost (Monogram, 1941)
95. Kriminal (1966)
96. The Beach Girls and the Monster (U.S. Films, 1965)
97. Candles at Nine (British National, 1944)
98. The Deadly Duo (Shaw Brothers, 1971)
99. Gog (Ivan Tors / UA, 1954)
100. Sky Bandits (Monogram, 1940)
101. Upperseven, l'uomo da uccidere (1966)
102. Return of the Deadly Blade (original title: Fei dao you jian fei dao) (1981)
103. Fenomenal and the Treasure of Tutankamen (original title: Fenomenal e il tesoro di Tutankamen) (1968)
104. Africa Screams (UA, 1949)
105. The Vampire Bat (Majestic, 1933)
106. Alias Boston Blackie (Columbia, 1942)
107. Prairie Law (RKO, 1940)
108. Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon (Universal, 1942)
109. Da Istanbul ordine di uccidere (From Istanbul, Orders To Kill) (1965)
110. Song of Old Wyoming (PRC, 1945)
111. The Street Fighter (original title: Gekitotsu! Satsujin ken) (Toei, 1974)
112. The Bellboy (Paramount, 1960)
113. Treasure Hunt (IFD, 1952)
114. General Stone (original title: Shi san tai bao Li Cun Xiao) (1977)
115. Man on the Spying Trapeze (original title: Anónima de asesinos) (1966)
116. Murder by the Clock (Paramount, 1931)
117. Borderland (Paramount, 1937)
118. The Hidden Hand (WB, 1942)

Movies watched in March

119. Santo contra Blue Demon en la Atlantida (Santo vs. Blue Demon in Atlantis) (Cinematográfica Sotomayor, 1970)
120. Breakout (Independent Artists / Anglo-Amalgamated, 1959)
121. Charlie Chan in Shanghai (Fox, 1935)
122. Heart of the Rockies (Republic, 1937)
123. Gammera the Invincible (1966)
124. The Ghost Rider (Monogram, 1943)
125. Come rubare un quintale di diamanti in Russia (Mission Phantom) (1967)
126. The Lion Hunters (Monogram, 1951)
127. Peking Blonde (original title: La blonde de Pékin) (1967)
128. Hercules, Prisoner of Evil (original title: Ursus, il terrore dei kirghisi) (1964)
129. Stage to Chino (RKO, 1940)
130. Miss Tulip Stays the Night (Grand Alliance, 1955)
131. Finders Keepers (UA, 1966/1967)
132. The Monster Maker (PRC, 1944)
133. The Snow Devils (original title: La morte viene dal pianeta Aytin) (1967)
134. Orphan of the Pecos (Victory, 1937)
135. Iron Monkey Strikes Back (aka Duel at the Tiger Village) (original title: Jue dou Lao Hu Zhuang) (1978)
136. Colpo in Canna (Loaded Guns) (1975)
137. Murder on the Campus (Chesterfield, 1933)
138. Assalto al tesoro di stato (Assault on the State Treasure) (1967)
139. The Mysterious Miss X (Republic, 1939)
140. Romance on the Range (Republic, 1942)
141. Last Man To Kill (original title: Un milione di dollari per sette assassini) (1966)
142. Charlie Chan at the Circus (Twentieth Century Fox, 1936)
143. Blue Demon y Zovek en La invasión de los muertos (Invasion of the Dead) (1973)
144. War Between the Planets (original title: Il pianeta errante) (1966)
145. Ridin' the Lone Trail (Republic, 1937)
146. Murder in the Big House (WB, 1942)
147. Borman (1966)
148. The Hurricane Horseman (Willis Kent, 1931)
149. Argoman vs. Diabolicus (original title: Superargo contro Diabolikus) (1966/1968)
150. Snake River Desperadoes (Columbia, 1951)
151. Calling Bulldog Drummond (MGM, 1951)
152. Every Day’s a Holiday (Grand National, 1964)
153. Perry Grant, agente di ferro (aka The Big Blackout) (1966)
154. 7 donne d'oro contro due 07 (1966)
155. Deathsport (New World, 1978)
156. Comanche Station (Columbia, 1960)
157. The Star Packer (Lone Star / Monogram, 1934)
158. Detective School Dropouts (Cannon, 1986)
159. Hercules in the Haunted World (original title: Ercole al centro della Terra) (1961/1964)
160. The Night of January 16th (Paramount, 1941)
161. Project Moon Base (Lippert, 1953)
162. Mrs. Pollifax – Spy (UA, 1971)
163. Sands of Iwo Jima (Republic, 1949)
164. Journey to the Center of Time (1967)
165. Black Magic (original title: Jiang tou) (Shaw Brothers, 1975)
166. Rogue of the Range (Supreme, 1936)
167. Sherlock Holmes in Washington (Universal, 1943)
168. The Case of the Frightened Lady (British Lion, 1940)

Movies watched in April

169. James Tont operazione D.U.E. (1966)
170. Devil Bat’s Daughter (PRC, 1946)
171. Rip Roarin' Buckaroo (Victory, 1936)
172. Supercolpo da 7 miliardi (aka The Ten Million Dollar Grab) (1967)
173. Sky Racket (Victory, 1937)
174. Death Journey (1976)
175. Ator, the Fighting Eagle (original title: Ator l'invincibile) (1982)
176. Sunset Range (First Division, 1935)
177. Jin Niukou (aka Gold Button) (1966)
178. The Time Travelers (American International, 1964)
179. Dick Tracy (RKO, 1945)
180. The Marshal of Mesa City (RKO, 1939)
181. Werewolves on Wheels (1971)
182. 28 minuti per 3 milioni di dollari (aka 28 Minutes for 3 Million Dollars) (1967)
183. The Flying Guillotine (original title: Xue di zi) (1975)
184. Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace (original title: Sherlock Holmes und das Halsband des Todes) (1962)
185. Hold ’Em Jail (RKO, 1932)
186. Caryl of the Mountains (Reliable, 1936)
187. Blood Money (original title: El kárate, el Colt y el impostor) (1974)
188. One Armed Executioner (1981)
189. The Swiss Conspiracy (1976)
190. Space Raiders (1983)
191. Desert Gold (Paramount, 1936)
192. Il marchio di Kriminal (1968)
193. Planet of the Vampires (original title: Terrore nello spazio) (American International, 1965)
194. Meet Nero Wolfe (Columbia, 1936)
195. Sister Street Fighter (1974)
196. The Lost Missile (UA, 1958)
197. The League of Frightened Men (Columbia, 1937)
198. Flying Guillotine 2 (1978)
199. Hills of Kentucky (WB, 1927)
200. Charlie Chan at the Race Track (Twentieth Century Fox, 1936)
201. The Great Alligator (original title: Il fiume del grande caimano) (1979)
202. The Stranger (RKO, 1946)
203. Mean Johnny Barrows (1975)
204. Ellery Queen and the Murder Ring (Columbia, 1941)
205. Fatal Flying Guillotine (original title: Yin yang xie di zi) (1977)
206. Phantom from Space (UA, 1953)
207. Exterminators Of The Year 3000 (original title: Il giustiziere della strada) (1983)
208. The Man from Utah (Lone Star/Monogram, 1934)
209. Dick Tracy versus Cueball (RKO, 1946)
210. The Skull (Amicus, 1965)
211. The Killer With A Thousand Eyes (original title: Los mil ojos del asesino) (1973)
212. Goliath and the Dragon (original title: La vendetta di Ercole) (1960)
213. Mission Stardust (original title: ...4 ..3 ..2 ..1 ...morte) (1967)
214. Elephant Stampede (Monogram, 1951)
215. The Super Inframan (original title: Zhong guo chao ren) (1975)
216. Charlie Chan at the Opera (Twentieth Century Fox, 1936)
217. The Old Corral (Republic, 1936)
218. Supermen Against the Orient (original title: Crash! Che botte... strippo strappo stroppio) (1973)
219. Jungle Heat (UA, 1957)
220. Along Came Jones (International / RKO, 1945)
221. Operation Atlantis (original title: Agente S 03: Operazione Atlantide) (1965)

Movies watched in May

222. Fangs of the Wild (Metropolitan, 1939)
223. The Cobra (original title: Il cobra) (1967)
224. Invasion of the Star Creatures (American International, 1962)
225. Monster from Green Hell (1957)
226. Le solitaire passe à l'attaque (1966)
227. Agent X-77 Orders to Kill (original title: Baraka sur X 13) (1966)
228. The French Key (Republic, 1946)
229. Atlas in the Land of the Cyclops (original title: Maciste nella terra dei ciclopi) (1961)
230. Womaneater (1958)
231. Texas Terror (Lone Star / Monogram, 1935)
232. Blackmail (Republic, 1947)
233. Call of the South Seas (Republic, 1944)
234. How To Make a Monster (American International, 1958)
235. Ellery Queen, Master Detective (Columbia, 1940)
236. Ellery Queen and the Perfect Crime (Columbia, 1941)
237. Ellery Queen's Penthouse Mystery (Columbia, 1941)
238. The She Beast (1966)
239. The Case of the Bloody Iris (original title: Perché quelle strane gocce di sangue sul corpo di Jennifer?) (1972)
240. Dogora (original title: Uchû daikaijû Dogora) (Toho, 1964)
241. Un dollaro tra i denti (aka A Stranger in Town (1967)
242. Shaolin Devil Shaolin Angel (original title: Tie shou wu qing zhui hun ling) (1978)
243. A Close Call for Ellery Queen (Columbia, 1942)
244. A Desperate Chance for Ellery Queen (Columbia, 1942)
245. Dick Tracy's Dilemma (RKO, 1947)
246. Murder with Pictures (Paramount, 1936)
247. Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die (original title: Se tutte le donne del mondo... (Operazione Paradiso) (1966)
248. Thunder Trail (Paramount, 1937)
249. The Comedy of Terrors (American International, 1963)
250. Sherlock Holmes Faces Death (Universal, 1943)
251. The Set Up (Anglo-Amalgamated, 1963)
252. Electra One (original title: Con la muerte a la espalda) (1967)
253. The Bloody Vampire (original title: El vampiro sangriento) (1962)
254. The Invasion of the Vampires (original title: La invasión de los vampiros) (1963)
255. Uncle Was a Vampire (original title: Tempi duri per i vampiri) (1959)
256. Green Eyes (Chesterfield, 1934)
257. Kung Fu Zombie (original title: Wu long tian shi zhao ji gui) (1981)
258. British Intelligence (WB, 1940)
259. Discarded Lovers (Tower, 1932)
260. The World of the Vampires (original title: El mundo de los vampiros) (1961)
261. Un uomo, un cavallo, una pistol (aka The Stranger Returns) (1967)
262. Sexton Blake and the Hooded Terror (1938)
263. Beast from Haunted Cave (Allied Artists, 1959)
264. Rocky Mountain Mystery (Paramount, 1935)
265. Jiang shi pa pa (The Close Encounter of the Vampire) (1986)
266. The House of the Arrow (1953)

Movies watched in June

267. Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome (1947)
268. Up in the Air (Monogram, 1940)
269. Temptress of a Thousand Faces (original title: Qian mian mo nu) (Shaw Brothers, 1969)
270. The San Antonio Kid (Republic, 1944)
271. Ladrón de cadaveres (aka The Body Snatcher) (Internacional Cinematográfica, 1957)
272. Tomorrow at Seven (RKO, 1933)
273. La mujer murcielago (aka The Batwoman) (Cinematográfica Calderón, 1968)
274. Blue Steel (Lone Star / Monogram, 1934)
275. 002 operazione Luna (1965)
276. Charlie Chan at the Olympics (Twentieth Century Fox, 1937)
277. Leyendas macabras de la colonia (1974)
278. The Westland Case (Universal, 1937)
279. El robo de las momias de Guanajuato (1972)
280. The Cowboy Counsellor (Allied, 1932)
281. La nave de los monstruos (1959)
282. Danger on the Air (Universal, 1938)
283. African Treasure (Monogram, 1952)
284. If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium (UA, 1969)
285. Aventura al centro de la tierra (1965)
286. The Kansan (UA, 1943)
287. Unforgotten Crime (edited version of The Affairs of Jimmy Valentine) (Republic, 1942)
288. Hold That Woman! (PRC, 1940)
289. The Caribbean Mystery (Twentieth Century Fox, 1945)
290. Las luchadoras contra el robot asesino (1969)
291. Scared Stiff (Paramount, 1945)
292. La casa del terror (1960)
293. Streamline Express (Mascot, 1935)
294. The Vengeful Beauty (original title: Xue fu rong) (1978)
295. Amazons and Supermen (original title: Superuomini, superdonne, superbotte) (1974)
296. The Spider Woman (Universal, 1943)
297. Riders of the Law (Sunset / Aywon, 1922)
298. The Blood of Fu Manchu (1968)
299. Get Mean (1975)
300. Charlie Chan on Broadway (Twentieth Century Fox, 1937)
301. Assignment Terror (original title: Los monstruos del terror) (1970)
302. Starchaser: The Legend of Orin (1985)
303. The Shadow (1933)
304. Green Dragon Inn (original title: Qing tian jian piao xiang) (1977)
305. The Crime Doctor's Courage (Columbia, 1945)
306. The Man from Painted Post (Artcraft, 1917)
307. While New York Sleeps (Twentieth Century Fox, 1938)
308. Dangerous Passage (Paramount, 1944)
309. Ghost Town (Commodore, 1936)
310. The Lady Confesses (PRC, 1945)
311. Kung Fu From Beyond the Grave (original title: Yin ji) (1982)
312. The Face Of Marble (Monogram, 1946)
313. Legion of the Lawless (RKO, 1940)
314. Carry On Camping (1969)
315. The Lone Wolf Strikes (Columbia, 1940)
316. The Devil's Possessed (original title: El mariscal del infierno) (1974)
317. 13 Lead Soldiers (Twentieth Century Fox, 1948)
318. Adventure of Shaolin (original title: Zhang San Feng du chuang Shao Lin) (1976)
319. Charlie Chan at Monte Carlo (Twentieth Century Fox, 1937)
320. The Battle Wizard (original title: Tian long ba bu) (1977)

Movies watched in July

321. Espionage in Tangiers (original title: Marc Mato, agente S. 077) (1965)
322. Charlie Chan's Secret (Twentieth Century Fox, 1936)
323. Ninja Swords of Death (original title: Fei yin hu die zhan) (1978)
324. The Crimson Key (Twentieth Century Fox, 1947)
325. The Vampire's Ghost (Republic, 1945)
326. Heads for Sale (original title: Nu xia mai ren tou) (1970)
327. The Crime Doctor's Warning (Columbia, 1945)
328. Holy Flame of the Martial World (original title: Wu lin sheng huo jin) (1983)
329. Godzilla vs. Cosmic Monster (original title: Gojira tai Mekagojira) (1974)
330. The Cape Town Affair (Twentieth Century Fox, 1967)
331. Revenge of Mechagodzilla (original title: Mekagojira no gyakushu) (1975)
332. Little Dragon Maiden (original title: Yang guo yu xiao long nu) (1983)
333. Charlie Chan in Honolulu (Twentieth Century Fox, 1938)
334. Legend of the Eight Samurai (original title: Satomi hakken-den) (1983)
335. Voodoo Island (UA, 1957)
336. Desperate Mission (original title: Agente Z 55 missione disperata) (1965)
337. Blue Demon: El Demonio Azul (1965)
338. Breakheart Pass (UA, 1976)
339. Mothra (original title: Mosura) (1961)
340. Wandering Dragon (1978? / 1981?)
341. The Strangler of Blackmoor Castle (original title: Der Würger von Schloß Blackmoor) (1963)
342. Pals of the Silver Sage (Monogram, 1940)
343. Arañas infernales (1968)
344. Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (original title: San daikaijû: Chikyû saidai no kessen) (1964)
345. The Bells of Death (original title: Duo hun ling) (1968)
346. The Missing Corpse (PRC, 1945)
347. Atragon (original title: Kaitei gunkan) (1963)
348. The Spider Woman Strikes Back (Universal, 1946)
349. Charlie Chan at Treasure Island (Twentieth Century Fox, 1939)
350. King Kong (RKO, 1933)
351. Fire Maidens of Outer Space (Criterion, 1956)
352. Invasion of the Astro Monsters (original title: Kaijû daisensô) (1965)

Movies watched in August

353. The Werewolf Versus the Vampire Woman (original title: La noche de Walpurgis) (1971)
354. Boy God (original title: Rocco, ang batang bato) (1983)
355. Between God, the Devil and a Winchester (original title: Anche nel west c'era una volta Dio) (1968)
356. The Beast Must Die (Amicus, 1974)
357. The One-Armed Swordsman (original title: Du bei dao) (1967)
358. Charlie Chan in Reno (Twentieth Century Fox, 1939)
359. Una pistola per Ringo (1965)
360. Il ritorno di Ringo (1965)
361. Latitude Zero (aka: Ido zero daisakusen) (1969)
362. The Lady Hermit (original title: Zhong kui niang zi) (1971)
363. 6 donne per l'assassino (aka Blood and Black Lace) (1964)
364. The Westerner (Goldwyn / UA, 1940)
365. The Green Jade Statuette (original title: Shen dao liu xing quan) (1977)
366. Number One of the Secret Service (1977)
367. Charlie Chan's Murder Cruise (Twentieth Century Fox, 1940)
368. The One Eyed Soldiers (aka Colpo di stato) (1967)
369. Hips, Hips, Hooray! (RKO, 1934)
370. The Witch with Flying Head (original title: Fei tou mo nu) (1982)
371. Deadly Silver Spear (original title: Xue lian huan) (1977)
372. Step On It (Reliable, 1936)
373. Wolf Devil Woman (original title: Lang nu bai mo) (1982)
374. Thor and the Amazon Women (original title: Le gladiatrici) (1963)
375. La morte cammina con i tacchi alti (aka Death Walks on High Heels) (1971)
376. The Five Venoms (original title: Wu du) (1978)
377. Firewalker (Cannon, 1986)
378. Escape from Galaxy 3 (original title: Giochi erotici nella terza galassia) (1981)
379. Kilink Istanbul'da (1967)
380. Ten Wanted Men (Columbia, 1955)
381. Charlie Chan in Panama (Twentieth Century Fox, 1940)
382. Iron Monkey (original title: Tie hou zi) (1977)
383. Sihirbazlar Krali Mandrake Killing'in pesinde (1967) 8/22
384. King Kong vs. Godzilla (original title: Kingu Kongu tai Gojira) (1962)
385. Hanuman pob Jed Yodmanud (original title: Urutora 6-kyodai tai kaijû gundan) (aka: Hanuman vs. 7 Ultraman) (1974)
386. That Man in Istanbul (original title: Estambul 65) (1965)
387. Murder over New York (Twentieth Century Fox, 1940)
388. Fun at St. Fanny's (1955)
389. Convicted (Supreme / Weiss Brothers Artclass, 1931)
390. Shoot, Gringo, Shoot (original title: Spara, Gringo, spara) (1968)
391. Boston Blackie Goes Hollywood (Columbia, 1942)
392. Fearless Fighters (original title: Tou tiao hao han) (1971)
393. Devilman Story (1967)
394. Death Goes North (Columbia, 1939)
395. The Black Abbot (1934)
396. Charlie Chan at the Wax Museum (Twentieth Century Fox, 1940)

Movies watched in September

397. Wheels of Fire (1985)
398. Triple Justice (RKO, 1940)
399. Se incontri Sartana prega per la tua morte (aka If You Meet Sartana... Pray for Your Death) (1968)
400. Sono Sartana, il vostro becchino (aka I Am Sartana, Your Angel of Death) (1969)
401. Quiet Please, Murder (Twentieth Century Fox, 1942)
402. C'è Sartana... vendi la pistola e comprati la bara! (aka: Sartana's Here, Trade Your Guns for a Coffin) (1970)
403. Have a Good Funeral, My Friend... Sartana Will Pay (original title: Buon funerale, amigos!... paga Sartana) (1970)
404. Light the Fuse... Sartana Is Coming (original title: Una nuvola di polvere... un grido di morte... arriva Sartana) (1970)
405. The Kid with the Golden Arm (original title: Jin bi tong)
406. Return of Sabata (original title: È tornato Sabata... hai chiuso un'altra volta!) (1971)
407. Seven Footprints to Satan (First National / WB, 1929)
408. Dead Eyes of London (original title: Die toten Augen von London) (1961)
409. Return of the One-Armed Swordsman (original title: Du bei dao wang) (1969)
410. Destroy All Monsters (original title: Kaijû sôshingeki) (1968)
411. Halleluja for Django (original title: La più grande rapina del west) (1967)
412. Dead Men Tell (Twentieth Century Fox, 1941)
413. The Cat O' Nine Tails (original title: Il gatto a nove code) (1971)
414. Appointment with Venus (aka Island Rescue) (1951)
415. The Fat Man (Universal, 1951)
416. La dama rossa uccide sette volte (aka The Red Queen Kills Seven Times) (1972)
417. Probability Zero (original title: Probabilità zero) (1969) 9/10
418. Tômei ningen to hae otoko (aka The Invisible Man vs. the Human Fly) (1958)
419. Gung Ho! (Universal, 1943)
420. Fog Island (PRC, 1945)
421. The 72 Desperate Rebels (original title: Qi shi er sha xing) (1978)
422. The Alien Dead (1978)
423. Oath of Vengeance (PRC, 1944)
424. Wonder Man (Goldwyn / RKO, 1945)
425. Think Fast, Mr. Moto (Twentieth Century Fox, 1937)
426. Dai tozoku (aka: The Lost World of Sinbad) (Toho, 1963)
427. The Pit and the Pendulum (American International, 1961)
428. Curse of the Devil (original title: El retorno de Walpurgis) (1973) 9/16
429. Shaolin Fox Conspiracy (original title: Han shan fei hu) (1982)
430. Banco à Bangkok pour OSS 117 (aka Shadow of Evil or Panic in Bangkok) (1964)
431. The Black Raven (PRC, 1943)
432. The New One-Armed Swordsman (original title: Xin du bi dao) (1971)
433. Stage to Blue River (Monogram, 1951)
434. Kindar the Invulnerable (original title: Kindar, l'invulnerabile) (1965)
435. Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine (American International, 1965)
436. ¡En peligro de muerte! (1962)
437. The Scarlet Claw (Universal, 1944)
438. The Dragon's Vengeance (original title: Chung kuo ren) (1972)
439. Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs (original title: Le spie vengono dal semifreddo) (American International, 1966)
440. Incident at Midnight (Anglo Amalgamated, 1963)
441. The Rogues' Tavern (Puritan, 1936)
442. Yôsei Gorasu (aka: Gorath) (Toho, 1962)
443. Castle in the Air (1952)
444. The £20,000 Kiss (Anglo Amalgamated, 1963)
445. On the Run (Anglo Amalgamated, 1963)
446. Dressed To Fight (original title: Zhe jian chuan ji) (1979)
447. The Creeping Flesh (Columbia, 1973)
448. Bonanza Town (Columbia, 1951)
449. They Came from Beyond Space (1967)
450. Where the North Begins (WB, 1923)
451. Eyes in the Night (MGM, 1942)
452. The Game of Killers (original title: Xiao mian sha shou sha xiao zi) (1978)
453. Charlie Chan in Rio (Twentieth Century Fox, 1941)
454. Tom Dollar (1967)
455. The Return of the Durango Kid (Columbia, 1945)
456. The Murder in the Museum (Willis Kent, 1934)
457. 00-2 agenti segretissimi (1964)
458. House of Mystery (Anglo Amalgamated, 1961)

Movies watched in October

459. To Have and Have Not (WB, 1944)
460. Up the MacGregors (original title: 7 donne per i MacGregor) (1967)
461. Sugar Hill (American International, 1974)
462. The Big Sleep (WB, 1946)
463. Sartana in the Valley of Death (original title: Sartana nella valle degli avvoltoi) (1970)
464. House on Haunted Hill (Allied Artists, 1959)
465. Bao biao (aka Have Sword, Will Travel) (1969)
466. Carry On Screaming (Anglo Amalgamated, 1966)
467. Both Barrels Blazing (Columbia, 1945)
468. A Fistful of Dollars (original title: Per un pugno di dollari) (1964)
469. Castle in the Desert (Twentieth Century Fox, 1942)
470. For a Few Dollars More (original title: Per qualche dollaro in più) (1965)
471. The Runaway Bus (Eros, 1954)
472. For a Few Dollars Less (original title: Per qualche dollaro in meno) (1966)
473. The Black Abbot (original title: Der schwarze Abt) (1963)
474. Yongary, Monster from the Deep (original title: Taekoesu Yonggary) (1967)
475. L'assassino ha riservato nove poltrone (aka: The Killer Reserved Nine Seats) (1974)
476. Find the Blackmailer (WB, 1943)
477. Blood of the Vampire (Universal, 1958)
478. Outlaws of the Rockies (Columbia, 1945)
479. The Nurse's Secret (WB, 1941)
480. Pygmy Island (Columbia, 1950)
481. 18 Shaolin Riders (original title: Xuan feng shi ba qi) (1977)
482. Meet the Wildcat (Universal, 1940)
483. Hantu Jerangkong (aka: The Skeleton Ghost) (1957)
484. Charlie Chan in the Secret Service (Monogram, 1944)
485. The Curse of the Aztec Mummy (original title: La maldición de la momia azteca) (1957)
486. Smartest Girl in Town (RKO, 1936)
487. A Night of Magic (1944)
488. Sumpah Pontianak (aka: The Curse of Pontianak) (1958)
489. Godzilla vs. Mothra (original title: Mosura tai Gojira) (Toho, 1964)
490. Go-Get-'Em, Haines (Republic, 1936)
491. Two Great Cavaliers (original title: Ci xiong shuang sha) (1978)
492. Blazing the Western Trail (Columbia, 1945)
493. The Robot vs. the Aztec Mummy (original title: La momia azteca contra el robot humano) (1958)
494. Duo qing jian ke wu qing jian (aka: The Sentimental Swordsman) (1977)
495. The Abominable Dr. Phibes (American International, 1971)
496. Dr. Phibes Rises Again (American International, 1972)
497. The Curse of Nostradamus (original title: La maldición de Nostradamus) (1961)
498. Mo jian xia qing (aka: Return of the Sentimental Swordsman) (1981)
499. The Monsters Demolisher (original title: Nostradamus y el destructor de monstruos) (1962)
500. The Mummy (Universal, 1932)
501. Hebi musume to hakuhatsuma (aka: The Snake Girl and the Silver-Haired Witch) (1968)
502. Ren pi deng long (aka: Human Lanterns) (1982)
503. The Chinese Cat (Monogram, 1944)
504. You gui zi (aka: Oily Maniac) (1976)
505. Our Man Flint (Twentieth Century Fox, 1966)
506. Xiao shi yi lang (aka: Swordsman and Enchantress) (1978)
507. Mummy's Boys (RKO, 1936)
508. Xiao Xia Long Juan Feng (aka: Chivalric Tornado) (1989)
509. Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell (Hammer / Paramount, 1974)
510. Rim of the Canyon (Columbia, 1949)
511. Tien ya ming yue dao (aka: The Magic Blade) (1976)
512. The Trygon Factor (1966)
513. Lawless Empire (Columbia, 1945)
514. Die, Monster, Die! (American International, 1965)
515. Just Before Dawn (Columbia, 1946)
516. Fight for Glory (original title: Jue dai ying xiong) (1980)
517. The Jade Mask (Monogram, 1945)
518. Muscle Beach Party (American International, 1964)
519. Behind Green Lights (Twentieth Century Fox, 1946)
520. Oasis of the Zombies (original title: La tumba de los muertos vivientes) (1982)
521. Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter (Hammer / Paramount, 1974)
522. Blood Orgy of the She-Devils (1973)
523. The Fake (UA, 1953)
524. Lady Frankenstein (original title: La figlia di Frankenstein) (1971)
525. The Ghost Galleon (original title: El buque maldito) (1974)
526. Maneater of Hydra (original title: La isla de la muerte) (1967)

Movies watched in November

527. The Lucky Texan (Lone Star / Monogram, 1934)
528. Kung Fu Girl Fighter (original title: Huang pu tan tou) (1972)
529. Ghosts on the Loose (Monogram, 1943)
530. The Mad Monster (PRC, 1942)
531. Force Four (original title: Black Force) (1975)
532. Black Magic (Monogram, 1944)
533. Death Rides the Range (Colony, 1939)
534. Demonoid (1981)
535. Passenger to London (1937)
536. Texas Panhandle (Columbia, 1945)
537. The Magnificent Kick (original title: Huang Fei Hong yu gui jiao qi) (1980)
538. Giants of Rome (original title: I giganti di Roma) (1964)
539. Target for Killing (original title: Das Geheimnis der gelben Mönche) (1966)
540. After Midnight with Boston Blackie (Columbia, 1943)
541. Naga Tasik Chini (aka: The Dragon of Lake Chini) (1966)
542. Requiem for a Secret Agent (original title: Requiem per un agente segreto) (1966)
543. Return of the Ape Man (Monogram, 1944)
544. Any Gun Can Play (original title: Vado... l'ammazzo e torno) (1967)
545. The Night of the Party (1935)
546. Ten Brothers of Shaolin (original title: Shi da di zi) (1977)
547. La notte dei diavoli (aka: Night of the Devils) (1972)
548. Mr. Wong, Detective (Monogram, 1938)
549. They Call Me Hallelujah (original title: Testa t'ammazzo, croce... sei morto - Mi chiamano Alleluja) (1971)
550. Fistful of Diamonds (original title: El hombre del puño de oro) (1967)
551. The Scarlet Clue (Monogram, 1945)
552. Riders to the Stars (UA, 1954)
553. Blackenstein (1973)
554. The Violin Case Murders (original title: Schüsse aus dem Geigenkasten) (1965)
555. El puño de la muerte (1982)
556. The Murder Mansion (original title: La mansión de la niebla) (1972)
557. Tex Rides with the Boy Scouts (Grand National, 1937)
558. Jungle Flight (Paramount, 1947)
559. Secret Agent 777: Invitation to Kill (original title: Agente segreto 777 - Invito ad uccidere) (1966)
560. The Guy with the Secret Kung Fu (original title: Cai yang nu bang zhu) (1980)
561. Ship Ahoy (MGM, 1942)
562. Roaring Rangers (Columbia, 1946)
563. The Mystery of Mr. Wong (Monogram, 1939)
564. Ngû yaks (aka: Golden Buddha Against the Snake Phantom) (1982)
565. The Lone Wolf Meets a Lady (Columbia, 1940)
566. Lure of the Islands (Monogram, 1942)
567. Le spie uccidono in silenzio (aka: Spies Strike Silently) (1966)
568. Giant from the Unknown (Astor, 1958)
569. Gui da gui (aka: Encounters of the Spooky Kind) (1980)
570. Adventure Island (Paramount, 1947)
571. The 1,000 Eyes of Dr. Mabuse (original title: Die 1000 Augen des Dr. Mabuse) (1960)
572. Law of the Jungle (Monogram, 1942)
573. One Frightened Night (Mascot, 1935)
574. Space Probe Taurus (American International, 1965)
575. Arizona Bound (Monogram, 1941)
576. The Pearl of Death (Universal, 1944)
577. Mr. Wong in Chinatown (Monogram, 1939)
578. The White Butterfly Killer (original title: Hu die sha shou) (1973)
579. Death and Diamonds (original title: Dynamit in grüner Seide) (1968)
580. Assignment: Outer Space (original title: Space Men) (1960)
581. Gui meng jiao (aka: Spooky, Spooky) (1988)
582. The Return of Dr. Mabuse (original title: Im Stahlnetz des Dr. Mabuse) (1961)
583. The Dark Hour (Chesterfield, 1936)
584. Los campeones justicieros (aka: The Champions of Justice) (1971)
585. Comin' Round the Mountain (Universal, 1951)
586. Mystery Liner (Monogram, 1934)
587. Wings of Adventure (Tiffany, 1930)
588. Too Much Gold for One Gringo (original title: La caza del oro) (1972)
589. Tangled Destinies (Mayfair, 1932)
590. The Phantom (1931)
591. Gunning for Vengeance (Columbia, 1946)
592. The Vulture (1966)
593. Hero of the Wild (original title: Tian luo fei sha xi yang hong; aka: The Invisible Terrorist) (1977)
594. Saddle Mountain Roundup (Monogram, 1941)
595. The Wizard of Mars (aka: Horrors of the Red Planet) (American General, 1965)
596. Trail of the Silver Spurs (Monogram, 1941)
597. The 8 Masters (original title: Ba da men pai) (1977)
598. The Avenger (original title: Der Rächer) (1960)
599. Tobor the Great (Republic, 1954)
600. Galloping Thunder (Columbia, 1946)
601. Fury of the Congo (Columbia, 1951)
602. Death Duel (original title: San shao ye de jian) (1977)
603. The Bat People (American International, 1974)
604. The Mystery Train (Continental Talking Pictures, 1931)
605. The Fatal Hour (Monogram, 1940)
606. Broadway to Cheyenne (Monogram, 1932)
607. Jack and the Beanstalk (WB, 1952)
608. Under Montana Skies (Tiffany, 1930)
609. Death in a Red Jaguar (original title: Der Tod im roten Jaguar) (1968)
610. The Shanghai Cobra (Monogram, 1945)

October recap:

• 19 books finished


• 2 shorter works finished


• 1 magazine finished


• 68 movies watched

Year-to-date (as of the end of October):

• 151 books finished


• 28 shorter works finished


• 10 magazines finished


• 526 movies watched

I am a bit ahead of schedule for my book reading and on track with my magazine reading. I'm well past my original target of 350 for my movie watching and should be well-positioned to get to at least 600 movies this year.

Next one's yours!

Happy new thread, Harry! 526 movies is absolutely astounding! Oooh, what's the final number for the year going to be?!

>23 mstrust: Thanks, Jennifer! I'm pretty confident I'll hit 600 and consider 650 quite possible if I average 62 movies for each of the next two months (doable, since I watched 62 in September and 68 in October).

Happy new thread, Harry.

Congratulations on 2x75 for books and 5x75 for films!

>25 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul!

Happy new thread, Harry, and a low, impressed whistle at 19 books and √2 films for October.

Happy new thread!

>27 richardderus: Thanks, Richard! I was surprised by the book total myself.

>28 drneutron: Thanks, Jim!

Happy new one!

>30 figsfromthistle: Thank you, Anita!

Happy new thread, Harry!

Congratulations on reading 2 x 75 books and an amazing 7 x 75 movies watched!

>32 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita! I'm looking forward to more reading and watching this month.

Movie 518. Muscle Beach Party (American International, 1964)



Fun beach movie fluff, with Luciana Paluzzi as a man-hunting countess who comes looking for the bodybuilder Mr. Galaxy (Peter Lupus, but billed as "Rock Stevens") but then sets her sights on Frankie, much to Annette's dismay. Silly fights, some OK songs (including performances by Dick Dale and the Del Tones and by Little Stevie Wonder), and the usual comic elements are on display.

Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great.

Movie 519. Behind Green Lights (Twentieth Century Fox, 1946)



Who killed a blackmailing private eye? That's the core mystery in a look at a police station at night, with a detective (William Gargan) pressured to arrest the daughter of a mayoral candidate, at least until after the election, in this tight little movie that delivers on subplots and doesn't always play out as expected.

Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great.

Movie 520. Oasis of the Zombies (original title: La tumba de los muertos vivientes) (1982)



Dull tale of Nazi zombies (and their victims) at an oasis in the Sahara, where the German soldiers (and the Allied attackers) were killed in a pitched battle while the Germans were hauling a treasure in gold, has unexplained zombies and stupid victims.

Not recommended. Otto thinks your time would be better spent staring at the wall.

134. The Rider of Lost Creek, by Louis L'Amour



When Lance Kilkenny comes to the aid of a friend, he finds an area poised for a range war, with two big outfits and his friend's smaller but well-placed ranch jockeying for position, all while a killer stalks the range as well. A good introduction to the characters of Kilkenny and Nita Riordan, coming first chronologically in their story, although the book was the last published about them. Recommended.

>35 harrygbutler: Excuse me, Otto, but the Frankie and Annette movies are pure gold! Gold, I tell you!

>39 mstrust: I like them all, but Muscle Beach Party suffers from a lack of Eric Von Zipper.

>37 harrygbutler: One of the all-time crimes against cinema: This one never got MST3K'd.

>41 richardderus: The MST3K treatment would certainly have helped that one.

>42 harrygbutler: Well, really, what could've *hurt* it? Shambles that it is, that is.

>43 richardderus: Right you are. Anything I can think of would likely have actually made it more interesting.

Movie 521. Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter (Hammer / Paramount, 1974)



Aided by a learned assistant, an ex-soldier stalks the living dead. What should have been great fun, blending high adventure with horror, is unfortunately rather slow-moving and not helped by a fairly uncharismatic lead.

Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great.

Movie 522. Blood Orgy of the She-Devils (1973)



Slow and sometimes confusing horror tale features a witch who guides people to visions of their past lives, and who also leads satanic rituals with human sacrifice. Middle-aged college students and dilatory professional experts in the occult drain the movie of what little suspense it might have had.

Not recommended. Otto thinks your time would be better spent staring at the wall.

Movie 523. The Fake (UA, 1953)



An American hired to safeguard a Leonardo da Vinci painting, on loan to the Tate Gallery, in the wake of other thefts of da Vinci's paintings investigates when thieves strike again and follow up with murder. The lead is rather a jerk, and the ringleader of the culprits fairly obvious, but it's a reasonably entertaining little film.

Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great.

>46 harrygbutler: I don't know what to say, other than you're brave.

135. Addams and Evil, by Charles Addams



Delightful collection of cartoons filled with macabre humor is well worth savoring. Highly recommended.

>48 mstrust: I knew it wouldn't be good, but I can usually find something to enjoy even in pretty bad films. This one didn't offer much, though.

>1 harrygbutler: found and starred!

Glad to see Otto is still doing movie reviews.

>51 fuzzi: Thanks for stopping by!

>46 harrygbutler: What >48 mstrust: said. While I admire the sentiment in >50 harrygbutler:, THAT one just screams "dull" from the title to the cast! Not one name I was sure the person's mama gave them, usually a bad sign.

Brave, brave fool.

California brought out a collection of works about Melania the Elder and Melania the Younger, entitled Melania with stunning simplicity. And not a little guile, I suspect, given the 2020 connotations of the name. Clever devils.

>53 richardderus: I'm not sure whether I'll watch any others from that filmmaker now, that's for sure.

Thanks for the tip on the book. Sounds like good marketing.

Movie 524. Lady Frankenstein (original title: La figlia di Frankenstein) (1971)



Joseph Cotten plays the Baron and Rosalba Neri his equally mad daughter, who schemes to transplant her lover's brain into a hunky host body. OK but nothing special.

Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great.

Movie 525. The Ghost Galleon (original title: El buque maldito) (1974)



Models and others face doom at the hands of the creepy undead Templars aboard the ship of the title. Not exactly good, but the slow but relentless, silent living dead definitely imbue the movie with horror.

Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great.

Movie 526. Maneater of Hydra (original title: La isla de la muerte) (1967)



Carnivorous plants threaten tourists visiting the island estate of a mad horticulturalist. Some nonsensical behavior robs this one of the suspense it ought to have, and a little too much is coincidental.

Not recommended. Otto thinks your time would be better spent staring at the wall.

Movie 527. The Lucky Texan (Lone Star / Monogram, 1934)



Partners are the target of scheming outlaws after their gold mine — and willing to kill to get it. A sympathetic role for George "Gabby" Hayes in this one, as the older partner of young John Wayne.

Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great.

136. Hard-Boiled Detectives: 23 Great Stories from Dime Detective Magazine, ed. by Robert Weinberg, Stefan R. Dziemianowicz, and Martin H. Greenberg



Excellent collection of detective and crime stories pulled from the pages of the pulp magazine Dime Detective Magazine, with one story for each year of the periodical's run. Enough variety to have stories that would likely appeal to any fan of the hard-boiled genre, although it is also likely not all will click equally well. Recommended.

Movie 528. Kung Fu Girl Fighter (original title: Huang pu tan tou) (1972)



Rival gangs that control gambling and prostitution in the dock area of a city come into conflict when one desires to expand at the expense of the other. The title character is associated with the gambling family but is drawn to an outsider, who may be a government agent, who is tackling the gangs and setting free women forced into prostitution. A fair number of fights and an OK but perhaps insufficiently foreshadowed twist at the end.

Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great.

Movie 529. Ghosts on the Loose (Monogram, 1943)



When Glimpy's sister gets married, the boys take it on themselves to fix up the newlyweds' new home, which is located right next door to a big house where eerie goings-on have been reported. Unfortunately, through a mix-up, the boys tackle the big house instead, where they encounter sinister sounds and unexplained phenomena designed to scare them away. Fun stuff.

Recommended. Otto finds this one pleasing enough to relax.

Movie 530. The Mad Monster (PRC, 1942)



A mad scientist whose experiments with interspecies transfusions have enabled him to create a wolfman uses his creature to seek revenge on those who had derided him in the past. George Zucco is good as the scientist and Glenn Strange sympathetic as the subject of his experimentation.

Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great.

137. Miami Massacre, by Don Pendleton



Mack Bolan takes his war against the Mafia back to the East Coast, targeting a gathering of family heads in Miami. Along the way, he finds some unexpected allies and has his first encounter with the mob's key enforcers. Recommended for fans.

Movie 531. Force Four (original title: Black Force) (1975)



Low-budget action from the mid-1970s, as a team of four martial artists go after a stolen African statuette. The individuals in the team are introduced with displays of their particular fighting techniques, and we get to see them battle various thugs on the way to a climactic confrontation with the main bad guys. It very much has the feel of something where members of a few dojos got together and decided to make a movie on their own, with poor acting prevalent. On the other hand, one gets some nice glimpses of '70s style, and one of the members of the cast goes by the name Warhawk Tanzania (who appeared in just one other movie, also available via Amazon Prime).

Not really recommended, save for the curious. Otto thinks your time would be better spent staring at the wall.

Movie 532. Black Magic (Monogram, 1944)



When a murderer strikes during a seance attended by his daughter Frances, Charlie Chan is corralled into investigating the case, encountering trickery and hypnotic control along the way. The phony spiritualism setting is a good one, and the sympathetic interaction of the Chans add to the pleasure.

Recommended. Otto finds this one pleasing enough to relax.

Movie 533. Death Rides the Range (Colony, 1939)



Helium plays an important part in an otherwise fairly standard B western starring Ken Maynard. Watch for Maynard's horse Tarzan to help out.

Mildly recommended at best. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK for fans, but not of much appeal to others.

138. Hardcase for Hire, by Clay Randall



A loner reluctant to settle down is hired by a woman to find her husband, a doctor who is living somewhere in a territory dominated by a band of outlaws who don't want to give him up to a bounty hunter. A fairly unsympathetic protagonist reduces the appeal of this one. Not really recommended.

Whew! You've been busy.

>68 fuzzi: So far this month I've averaged 3 movies a day, although that certainly won't last.

>69 harrygbutler: We all need to de-stress however works best for us right now, so go to it. Especially eager for some more Charlie Chan film ideas, since I have never been enough of a fan to follow them so never got a good sense of which to skip.

Hoping you and yours are all well.

>69 harrygbutler: I might watch one movie a month, or every other month!

After hearing about Sean Connery I dug out my copy of The Hunt for Red October and enjoyed it all over again.

>70 richardderus: Thanks, Richard. I'm nearing the end of the Sidney Toler Chans, and that will probably be it; the Roland Winters Chans are so awful I'm unwilling to revisit them, at least at present.

>71 fuzzi: Movies have been a big part of my life forever.

I haven't gotten around to watching anything with Sean Connery in it since his passing; maybe it's time to revisit Darby O'Gill and the Little People. :-)

Movie 534. Demonoid (1981)



A mining engineer and his wife unwittingly set free the Devil's left hand, which proceeds to wreak havoc while targeting them. Pedestrian pacing undermines this one, which also suffers from an obvious and cliché twist.

Not recommended. Otto thinks your time would be better spent staring at the wall.

Movie 535. Passenger to London (1937)



A government agent being hunted on a train conceals recovered stolen blueprints in another passenger's baggage. Will his colleagues be able to reach her and recover the goods before enemy agents do? Serviceable thriller, though I was a little perplexed by the resolution for one of the characters.

Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great.

Movie 536. Texas Panhandle (Columbia, 1945)



A suspended government agent goes after some stolen gold and along the way tries to stop a land swindle as well. An OK early entry in the Durango Kid series, though once again it seems that far too many people know his identity to make the mask worthwhile.

Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great.

Honestly, none of those are celebratory enough for me right this minute, but PASSENGER TO LONDON holds promise since a decent spy thriller is almost always going to intrigue me.

>77 richardderus: It's a fairly minor movie, but they can't all be The Thirty-Nine Steps.

Movie 537. The Magnificent Kick (original title: Huang Fei Hong yu gui jiao qi) (1980)



When their father and brother are both killed, two sisters seek to learn the secret of a special fighting technique that will enable them to take revenge. Generally likeable characters and some sequences of interest help this one out.

Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great.

Movie 538. Giants of Rome (original title: I giganti di Roma) (1964)



In a first century B.C. version of The Guns of Navarone, Julius Caesar sends a team of picked men to destroy a superweapon of the druids that commands a vital approach to Alesia, where he plans to encompass the defeat of Vercingetorix. The pace is a bit slow and some of the team's decisions (as well as those of their opponents) don't make a lot of sense, and the geography is a bit hard to follow; the "superweapon" is a bit of a dud, too. This is OK as a time-waster, but that's all.

Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great.

Movie 539. Target for Killing (original title: Das Geheimnis der gelben Mönche) (1966)



Rather muddled mess of a spy film, with a secret agent (Stewart Granger) out to bust a group that possesses a machine for brainwashing targets, but that is also out to kill a seemingly unimportant young woman (Karin Dor). The evil organization seems rather slipshod in its workings.

Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great.

Movie 540. After Midnight with Boston Blackie (Columbia, 1943)



A convict newly released from prison wishes to give his daughter a fortune in diamonds (which he rightfully owns), but he fears others may be after them. When the man disappears, his daughter turns to Boston Blackie for help, and Blackie soon finds himself mixing it up with independent-minded crooks with some double crosses along the way. The story moves right along.

Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great.

139. So What Killed the Vampire?, by Carter Brown



Screenwriter Larry Baker and pal Boris Slivka find themselves mixed up in murder when they travel to England to work on a planned horror television program along the lines of Dark Shadows. A spooky castle, secret passages, and a crazed-seeming family complete the fun. Mildly recommended.

A happy Sunday, Harry, after Saturday's intensely emotional ride.

>84 richardderus: Thanks, Richard.

Movie 541. Naga Tasik Chini (aka: The Dragon of Lake Chini) (1966)



In this Malaysian film, a young woman, abused and exploited by her aunt, is aided by a spirit that dwells within Lake Chini, where he was sent, together with his retinue and his city, thanks to a curse by an evil empress, an empress who still poses a threat. Fairly entertaining fantasy adventure has Wahid Satay in a comic relief role as well.

Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great.

Movie 542. Requiem for a Secret Agent (original title: Requiem per un agente segreto) (1966)



Someone is killing secret agents and freelancer Jimmy Merrill (Stewart Granger) is hired for his ruthlessness to put a stop to the nefarious activities. Some twists, albeit some implausible, help keep this one moving.

Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great.

Movie 543. Return of the Ape Man (Monogram, 1944)



Scientists develop a means of reviving a person once frozen, but that is not enough for one of the two: he plans to bring a prehistoric man back to life and, by grafting part of a modern man's brain onto the creature's own brain, allow communication and a direct connection with the distant past. Occasionally incoherent, but the movie has a nicely sympathetic role for John Carradine. Still, it is really only for completist fans of Carradine or Lugosi, I'd say.

Not really recommended. Otto thinks your time would be better spent staring at the wall.

140. Let's Change Places, Beetle Bailey, by Mort Walker



Hijinks at Camp Swampy will amuse fans. Mildly recommended.

Movie 544. Any Gun Can Play (original title: Vado... l'ammazzo e torno) (1967)



A bounty hunter (George Hilton) goes after a bandit (Gilbert Roland) who has stolen a shipment of $300,000 in coin, while the bank representative (Edd Byrnes) rues the loss. Violent but amusing, with double crosses and twists enough to keep things quite interesting and an overall lighter tone.

Recommended. Otto finds this one pleasing enough to relax.

Movie 545. The Night of the Party (1935)



Slow-moving mystery directed by Michael Pressburger spends far too much time on setup, far too little on the investigation after murder is committed. Scarcely worth the time, save for completists.

Not recommended. Otto thinks your time would be better spent staring at the wall.

>90 harrygbutler: love the title.

>92 fuzzi: Glad you like it. I definitely prefer the lighter-hearted spaghetti westerns to the grim and bleak entries. I just watched another today that I'll be posting about soon.

>93 harrygbutler: my film-minor degree son is going back to the Eastwood spaghetti westerns to watch in order after seeing one of them (I forget which). He enjoys them, I don't, for the reason that you mention: they're too grim and bleak. I watched the Lonesome Dove series when it was on television, but parts of the story are just too depressing for me to ever watch it again. While walking my dog outside in the dark I often recall the scene with Blue Duck massacring people in the pitch black woods.

>94 fuzzi: I've rewatched A Fistful of Dollars and For a Few Dollars More this year, but not (yet) The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. I never watched the Lonesome Dove miniseries, as it just didn't seem appealing. It seems I likely made the right decision.

Movie 546. Ten Brothers of Shaolin (original title: Shi da di zi) (1977)



Ten masters of martial arts — five monks, five laymen — are charged with protecting a rebel leader who has been hiding out at the Shaolin temple. Many fights ensue, but the movie doesn't spend enough time with the various characters to really develop much interest in their fates.

Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great.

Movie 547. La notte dei diavoli (aka: Night of the Devils) (1972)



A businessman wanders into the company of a family preyed upon by a wurdulac and gradually comes to realize the horrors that he faces. OK for most of its runtime, but a disappointing (and silly) ending really undercuts it all.

Not recommended. Otto thinks your time would be better spent staring at the wall.

Movie 548. Mr. Wong, Detective (Monogram, 1938)



Chemical magnate Simon Dayton (John Hamilton) comes to distinguished detective James Lee Wong (Boris Karloff) because he feels his life is in danger, but unfortunately a murderer strikes before Mr. Wong can really get on the case. Could the killer be one of Dayton's partners? Foreign agents, one of whom had tried to kidnap Dayton? A disgruntled inventor who claims Dayton's company stole his chemical formula? More killings will follow while Mr. Wong follows the clues to identify what is really going on.

Recommended. Otto finds this one pleasing enough to relax.

Movie 549. They Call Me Hallelujah (original title: Testa t'ammazzo, croce... sei morto - Mi chiamano Alleluja) (1971)



Fairly light-hearted western (as indicated by the fact that the protagonist uses a machine gun built into a sewing machine) has a standard spaghetti western plot, with various folks as rivals for a shipment of diamonds that Emperor Maximilian is sending to buy Gatling guns to use in his war against the rebels, while a rebel general wants to obtain either the diamonds or the guns, and a mystery man and some others all seek the same treasure.

Recommended. Otto finds this one pleasing enough to relax.

Movie 550. Fistful of Diamonds (original title: El hombre del puño de oro) (1967)



A murderous crook kills off his partners, but a woman who says she is the widow of one of the victims wants her share of the loot. But is she sincere, or is she looking for revenge? She hires a private eye to help her get justice as well. The plot is a bit of a mess, the climax is confusing, and not all the characters' actions make sense in this one, though I had a certain liking for the detective's buddy and the buddy's gal.

Mildly recommended at best, and only for fans of Eurocrime. Otto suggests that otherwise it can be avoided.

141. Poets and Murder, by Robert van Gulik



When a young scholar is killed on the eve of an important festival and a dancer likewise meets her doom, Judge Dee, a guest of the local magistrate, finds himself called upon to untangle mysteries reaching back some twenty years to unravel the crimes of the present. A good but not particularly memorable entry in the series; mildly recommended.

>98 harrygbutler: Boris Karloff as "Mr. Wong." Was Mantan Moreland not available? ::eyeroll::

Hey Harry,

Allow me to hijack your thread for a moment. Just wanted to spread the word. The Christmas Swap thread is up. To anyone that's interested, come on by...

https://www.librarything.com/topic/326191#unread

>103 mahsdad: Thanks for spreading the word and organizing things.

Movie 551. The Scarlet Clue (Monogram, 1945)



Radio and even television take center stage in this mystery, with Charlie, aided by son Tommy and the ebullient Birmingham Brown, seeking a killer enemy agent. Mantan Moreland gets a chance to do part of his act with Ben Carter, and there are some interesting ideas in terms of means of murder and of communication among the crooks.

Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great.

Movie 552. Riders to the Stars (UA, 1954)



When experiments reveal that cosmic radiation crystallizes and fatally weakens iron and steel, thus posing a significant obstacle to space flight, scientists are recruited for a mission to capture meteors while they are still in space, since meteorites found on earth have normal iron and thus they must somehow have been protected during their journey. Entertaining sci-fi flick was directed by one of the stars, Richard Carlson.

Recommended. Otto finds this one pleasing enough to relax.

>106 harrygbutler: Oh boy! A new one to hunt down.

>107 richardderus: I hope you enjoy it, Richard.

Movie 553. Blackenstein (1973)



Decent little version of Frankenstein with a woman turning to a doctor experimenting with DNA-based techniques to heal and reverse aging, in the hope that he can help her fiancé, who has lost arms and legs as a result of a land mine in Vietnam. John Hart portrays the sympathetic Dr. Stein, and the single-credit leading lady, Ivory Stone, turns in an OK performance as Dr. Winifred Walker. The writing is rather weak, however, with the monster's sprees mostly inexplicable.

Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great.

554. The Violin Case Murders (original title: Schüsse aus dem Geigenkasten) (1965)



FBI agent Jerry Cotton, star of a long-running German magazine series, came to the movie screen in the 1960s, portrayed by George Nader. In the first of the series, Cotton goes undercover to break up a highly coordinated gang that has struck twice in far-separated areas, murdering and stealing loot previously amassed illegally. Fast-paced fun, though there's relatively little done with violin cases.

Recommended. Otto finds this one pleasing enough to relax.

Movie 555. El puño de la muerte (1982)



In a strange land of sorcery, two sisters, one good, one evil, battle over a fallen star and the power it offers for healing and for black magic. When the evil, shape-shifting sister and her henchmen steal the stone and target a young woman for sacrifice, the good sister and her vizier call upon the wrestler Santo for help. The crazy storyline keeps this one interesting despite slow stretches — for example, we watch Santo and his assistant travel via multiple modes of transportation to reach the hidden land. There's only one match in a wrestling ring, but plenty of other fights, indifferently choreographed overall. Followed by the movie La furia de los karatecas, which I've not yet seen.

Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great.

142. The Adventures of Mr. Clackworthy, by Christopher B. Booth



This volume collects eight from a long-running series of tales of a con man and his crew first published in Detective Story Magazine in the 1920s and 1930s. The wryly humorous stories show Mr. Clackworthy and his assistants targeting various wealthy — and crooked — people, sometimes at least in part on behalf of those who have been injured, but always with an eye toward a solid profit as well. Well worth the time; recommended.

Harry, I have finally caught up with you. Happy Friday! Otto has become my favorite film critic.

>113 Crazymamie: Hey, thanks for stopping by, Mamie! I'll let Otto know. :-) I hope you and yours have been well.

>112 harrygbutler: Ooo! That sounds terrific. *toddles off to Ammy*

>115 richardderus: I hope you enjoy the stories, Richard.

Movie 556. The Murder Mansion (original title: La mansión de la niebla) (1972)



Strange events occur when fogbound travelers take shelter in an old mansion near a cemetery. Have the dead risen from the grave to stalk the living? Or is it all part of some fiendish plot? A few scares, a few twists, but nothing that hasn't been done better elsewhere.

Not recommended. Otto thinks your time would be better spent staring at the wall.

Movie 557. Tex Rides with the Boy Scouts (Grand National, 1937)



Tex (Tex Ritter) and sidekicks Stubby and Pee Wee are after the crooks who robbed a gold shipment, and in their travels they fall in with a local group of Boy Scouts, who help them in their quest. A fairly standard western plot enhanced a bit by the unusual plot elements.

Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great.

Movie 558. Jungle Flight (Paramount, 1947)



There's not much of a jungle in this tale of fliers in South America trying to earn enough money to start an air freight line back in the States, with the complicating factor of a woman on the run from an ex-convict ex-husband. A sympathetic role for Barton MacLane as a mining boss adds to this one.

Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great.

143. Many Rivers to Cross, by Steve Frazee



This tale of the old frontier south of the Ohio River is perhaps more romance than adventure, as a man tries to escape from the woman who has decided to marry him, though there's a moderate amount of action as well. I've never seen the movie, starring Robert Taylor and Eleanor Parker, but I'd be willing to give it a go. Frazee's writing is good enough that I'm getting set to read a collection of his shorter works next. Moderately recommended.

>116 harrygbutler: For a princely 99¢, who cares? But I do expect to.

>120 harrygbutler: Interesting to write that story from the man's PoV. I don't recall hearing of Steve Frazee before...hm.

>121 richardderus: double hm. I will make a note to watch for that author when I visit thrift stores and the used book outlet.

>121 richardderus: There's certainly a bit of a "domesticating the wilderness ≈ domesticating the man" theme to this one. I expect there's a fair amount of humor in the movie, as there's a bit in the book.

>122 fuzzi: I didn't recognize the name, but he was the author of a book I still have from childhood, Lassie: The Mystery of Bristlecone Pine.

I struck out hunting for books this week, but I did end up with a few more movies on DVD:

• Double Indemnity (Paramount, 1944)


• Logan's Run (MGM, 1976)


• Love Me Tonight (Paramount, 1932)


• Rosalie (MGM, 1942)


• Ship Ahoy (MGM, 1942)

>125 harrygbutler: Logan's Run is a guilty pleasure of mine. It's incredibly bad, but fun.

Don't.Read.The.Book.

>126 fuzzi: I've seen the movie at least a couple times. Warning about the book noted!

>126 fuzzi:, >127 harrygbutler: Warning reinforced in sepulchral tones and added skull-and-crossbones

>128 richardderus: I'm certainly glad that I've missed that book, then!

Your latest thread is zipping along nicely, Harry.

>120 harrygbutler: "a man tries to escape from the woman who has decided to marry him,"

Well that sounds like the premise for an excellent thriller!

>130 PaulCranswick: Thanks for dropping by, Paul! Interesting take! :-)

Movie 559. Secret Agent 777: Invitation to Kill (original title: Agente segreto 777 - Invito ad uccidere) (1966)



A secret agent kicked out of the service for medical reasons goes rogue. His goal: find all the pieces of a secret formula and sell it to the highest bidder. Along the way, he works with his former colleagues and is targeted for death. An unsympathetic main character and too little sense of fun reduce the appeal of this espionage entry.

Not recommended. Otto thinks your time would be better spent staring at the wall.

Movie 560. The Guy with the Secret Kung Fu (original title: Cai yang nu bang zhu) (1980)



Brothers who aid those in distress are captured and set to destroy the criminal Dragon Clan, though the oppressive authorities plan a betrayal as well. Some OK fights and humor, with the supernatural on hand as well, as the protagonists battle various opponents, including a giant demon that seems well-nigh invulnerable.

Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great.

Movie 561. Ship Ahoy (MGM, 1942)



A plot involving enemy agents' duping an American entertainer into carrying a stolen mine for them is the framework to support the music of Tommy Dorsey and his band (including a young Frank Sinatra), the dancing of Eleanor Powell, and the comedy of Red Skelton. There's a good role for Bert Lahr, too, and a nice contribution from Virginia O'Brien rounds things out. A pleasing confection that rolls right along.

Recommended. Otto finds this one pleasing enough to relax.

144. The Fastest Hound Dog in the State of Maine, by John Gould



Fun little illustrated tall tale about the animal of the title and the narrator's dealings with the Bangor and Aroostook Railroad. Recommended as a brief diversion.

>124 harrygbutler: oh, I had that book as well when I was a child! I read it many, many times.

>134 harrygbutler: How weird...I just watched that film not a week ago! It's a snappy little time-waster.

Have a good week ahead, Harry.

>136 fuzzi: I expect I'll reread it for the first time in ages sometime next July or August to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of my receipt of it, along with a few others I got on the same birthday.

>137 richardderus: Thanks, Richard. Yes, quite a pleasant way to spend 95 minutes. Makes me want to watch some of the other Big Band-centered movies; I know I have You'll Find Out readily accessible, so that may show up in my list soon.

Movie 562. Roaring Rangers (Columbia, 1946)



Smiley Burnette joins the Durango Kid series of movies with this outing, in which Steve Randall, who is also the Kid, heads to a new area to stop a crime wave in response to a request sent by the young son of the local sheriff. Affairs are complicated by the crooks' decision to dress up one of their own as Durango to facilitate more crimes. A pretty good entry in the series, with Merle Travis and his band on hand to provide the music.

Recommended. Otto finds this one pleasing enough to relax.

Movie 563. The Mystery of Mr. Wong (Monogram, 1939)



A wealthy antiques collector, who has just acquired a fabulous gem stolen from a Chinese temple, is murdered during a parlor game, with Mr. Wong one of those on hand in the audience. The central murder mystery is borrowed from 1931's Murder at Midnight, but the context of war in China adds some additional complexity.

Recommended. Otto finds this one pleasing enough to relax.

Hi, Harry! Dropping in to mention that over the course of the weekend I watched the original Rollerball with James Caan. Very good movie with messages about corporate power and the loss of autonomy.

Movie 564. Ngû yaks (aka: Golden Buddha Against the Snake Phantom) (1982)



A band of snake people (akin to werewolves, I guess, except that the transformations are under their control) targets a family of snake hunters, tricking them into sending the young people on a quest so that their village is left undefended. A wandering monk and a lady hermit offer assistance, culminating in a battle between a giant "Golden Buddha" and an equally giant king of the snake people. One of the titles under which this movie can be found is King Kong vs the Snake Phantom, but there's no giant ape in this one. The climactic battle is a bit of a disappointment, but the movie is reasonably entertaining nonetheless, with the monk in particular appealing and the snake people's "tell" while in human form a good one.

Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great.

>142 mstrust: Hi, Jennifer! It has been many years since I watched Rollerball; it's good to hear that it's worth another look. Thanks for the tip!

145. Mystery at Olympia, by John Rhode



When a man falls down dead at a big automobile show, it first appears an unfortunately timed incident, but it soon is evident that crime may be implicated. A satisfactorily complicated mystery keeps the reader's interest to the end. Moderately recommended.

Movie 565. The Lone Wolf Meets a Lady (Columbia, 1940)



When Michael Lanyard (Warren William) and Jamison (Eric Blore) are fleeing a speeding ticket, they nearly hit a young woman who is running across the street. She soon embroils them in a mess, as her ex-husband has been murdered in her apartment and a valuable necklace given her by her fiancé has been stolen at the same time. To complicate matters, a crook (Victor Jory) also after the necklace was watching the apartment building and hopes to pressure Lanyard, or whichever other person has the jewelry, into sharing the loot. Fast-paced and fun.

Recommended. Otto finds this one pleasing enough to relax.

Movie 566. Lure of the Islands (Monogram, 1942)



Two American agents (Robert Lowery and Guinn "Big Boy" Williams) land on an island in the South Pacific, where they clash with the Axis forces running things and preparing the island for use by the Japanese. But a big element of the story is the romance between island girl Tana O'Shaughnessy (burlesque star Margie Hart, in her only movie) and plenty of Polynesian music and dancing (with Gale Storm on hand to add some more interest). Not a particularly good movie, but the music and dancing are worth a look.

Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great.

Movie 567. Le spie uccidono in silenzio (aka: Spies Strike Silently) (1966)



Muddled spy thriller, with a secret agent (Lang Jeffries) investigating the killing of scientists (and others) as part of a villainous madman's plot. A decent score and some visually interesting scenes are to be found here, but overall there's nothing memorable, and this one can easily be skipped save by completists.

Not recommended. Otto thinks your time would be better spent staring at the wall.

Movie 568. Giant from the Unknown (Astor, 1958)



Lightning revives a giant conquistador (Buddy Baer) from suspended animation after hundreds of years, and he goes on a killing spree. The juvenile leads are rather duds, but Morris Ankrum does a fair job as an older archaeologist out to find the remains of the Spanish expedition, and Bob Steele is amusing as a crotchety and suspicious sheriff.

Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great.

146. Poems, by Venantius Fortunatus; ed. and trans. by Michael Roberts



Though now best known, I suspect, for a couple of his hymns, the sixth-century poet Venantius Fortunatus wrote a wide variety of verse, on kings and queens, bishops, and others, hagiography, theology, elegy, and more, including gentle (and sometimes humorous) little verses on gifts given and received and remembrances to friends. This volume in the Dumbarton Oaks Medieval Library offers facing-page translations of the works embraced within the 11 books of his collected poems, as well as several others (in an appendix). Recommended.

Hello, Harry! Happy Tuesday!

>141 harrygbutler: Adding this one to The List. And Amazon Prime has it!

>143 harrygbutler: You lost me at snake people. Yikes!

>144 harrygbutler: This sounds good if I can find it.

>151 Crazymamie: Hi, Mamie! Happy Tuesday to you as well!

I'm not sure whether Amazon Prime has all the Mr. Wong movies, but I know more than one can be seen there. In fact, though we have the movies on DVD, we're watching them via Prime this time around.

Yes, Ngû yaks was not a movie for people with an aversion to snakes.

I'm rather disappointed that Sony (which owns the Columbia library overall) has done so little with the many movie series that Columbia put out. Several years ago, I wrote Mill Creek Entertainment (which has, or at least had, the license for DVD releases of some of the Columbia pictures) about possible box sets of all the Lone Wolf, Boston Blackie, Crime Doctor, Durango Kid, and possibly other films, but they had no plans at the time, and they've never done them.

That is disappointing, and also a missed opportunity.

>153 Crazymamie: I would likely have purchased more than one copy of the mystery series to give some as gifts.

>153 Crazymamie: no kidding. Considering that so many theaters are closed and people are staying home, a release of classic DVDs might bring in some much-needed revenue to the film distributors.

>150 harrygbutler: I index for a journal index, and if I'm not mistaken, I just indexed a literary criticism article about that author or one of his works. Since it is an index for Christian periodicals, that would not be surprising.

>155 fuzzi: Exactly.

Morning, Harry! It's Wednesday, and I am happy about it.

>155 fuzzi: >157 Crazymamie: Happy Wednesday!

I think the challenges have included an unwillingness to "waste time" on revenue streams that would be less lucrative than the latest blockbusters and a lack of interest in their older properties by studios' current personnel.

>156 thornton37814: That makes sense. Two of his hymns are pretty famous, Pange lingua ("Sing, my tongue, the glorious battle") and Vexilla regis prodeunt ("The royal banners forward go"), but there's plenty of other material for consideration in his body of work.

Movie 569. Gui da gui (aka: Encounters of the Spooky Kind) (1980)



Horror comedy has a man targeted for death by his boss, who is having an affair with the man's wife, and who turns to a wizard to compass the deed. Fortunately, another wizard takes an interest in protecting the man and foiling his colleague's efforts, leading eventually to a battle of the mages. A few jarring notes make this less than it could be, but it proves a reasonably entertaining movie nonetheless.

Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great.

Movie 570. Adventure Island (Paramount, 1947)



An ex-captain and his pals try to steal a ship but end up on an island run by a power-mad tyrant. There are plenty of complexities to the plot in this brief programmer, with good guy Rory Calhoun trapped into cooperating with his crooked partners through a sense of obligation and an unexpected twist regarding the stolen ship, though it still comes up a bit light.

Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great.

Movie 571. The 1,000 Eyes of Dr. Mabuse (original title: Die 1000 Augen des Dr. Mabuse) (1960)



The murder of a newsman while he is driving sets off an intensive police investigation, led by Kriminalkomissar Kras (Gert Fröbe), who is aided, albeit rather ineffectually, by a blind psychic. It gradually becomes clear that a master criminal is at work, and it seems likely that the criminal's target is the wealthy Henry Travers (Peter van Eyck). Fritz Lang's direction keeps things moving at a rapid clip, and if one of the twists is fairly obvious, that may be intentional. The revival of the character of Dr. Mabuse in this movie led to a series of several more featuring the master criminal.

Recommended. Otto finds this one pleasing enough to relax.

147. Best Cartoons of the Year 1948, ed. by Lawrence Lariar



Plenty of laughs in the 1948 entry in the long-running series of cartoon books. Moderately recommended.

>162 harrygbutler: Oh, that was a good one indeed. The obviousness of the twists, in my never-remotely-humble opinion, was more a way to arch the eyebrow and make the film "meta" before that was a Thing. (Or so my long-ago film student inamorato and I decided in whichever 1980s year we saw it.)

>164 richardderus: Yes, the twists did seem to be delivered with a bit of a wink.

Movie 572. Law of the Jungle (Monogram, 1942)



An entertainer stranded without her passport and stuck in a dive run by Nazi collaborators finds grudging refuge with a scientist exploring the area, but danger looms, as she is hunted. Lightweight, with Mantan Moreland's performance likely the best thing in the movie.

Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great.

Movie 573. One Frightened Night (Mascot, 1935)



An old man plans to distribute his estate, in million-dollar amounts, to his family and other hangers-on before a new tax takes effect at midnight, though he says he'd give it all to his granddaughter if she could be found. What happens when not one, but two women show up claiming to be the missing heiress? Murder! Fun old dark house movie.

Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great.

Movie 574. Space Probe Taurus (American International, 1965)



An exploratory space expedition ends up off course. Can they recover from the mishaps that have beset them? And will the commander quit being such a jerk?

Not recommended. Otto thinks your time would be better spent staring at the wall.

148. Red Sonja #3: When Hell Laughs, by David C. Smith and Richard L. Tierney



An ancient demon uses a sorcerer captive on a prison island to aid other prisoners to capture even more persons to use in the baleful magic that will unleash its power, and only a few grim survivors of a captured ship, including Red Sonja, stand in the way. The book is dark but consistently interesting; moderately recommended, but probably not the best place to start with the series.

>167 harrygbutler: I love this one. So well-paced.

>168 harrygbutler: This, not near so much. In fact BLECH about describes it, from the hawhawhaw effects to the "Stan? Ol' Stan Islavsky? How's that bastard doin'?" "acting".

>170 richardderus: Yes, One Frightened Night is pretty good. I don't like Regis Toomey all that much, with detracts a bit from it for me, but still the performances overall are quite enjoyable. And Space Probe Taurus is something to avoid.

Movie 575. Arizona Bound (Monogram, 1941)



The first Rough Riders movie sets the pattern for them, as the three lawmen (Buck Jones, Tim McCoy, and Raymond Hatton) arrive separately in a town where crime is occurring — here, attacks on a stage line to drive it out of business — and then work undercover to investigate the situation and tackle the bad guys. Experience shows, and the movie moves along at a good clip, with a modicum of humor as well.

Recommended. Otto finds this one pleasing enough to relax.

Movie 576. The Pearl of Death (Universal, 1944)



Holmes and Watson battle a gang of crooks after a valuable pearl, a battle made all the more important when the master criminal seizes upon an opportunity provided by Holmes to steal the pearl.

Recommended. Otto finds this one pleasing enough to relax.

Movie 577. Mr. Wong in Chinatown (Monogram, 1939)



A woman in the United States to buy airplanes for the Chinese war effort is murdered in Mr. Wong's home, leaving but one clue to her visit behind and plunging the detective into in investigation into fraud, forgery, and of course more murder.

Recommended. Otto finds this one pleasing enough to relax.

Movie 578. The White Butterfly Killer (original title: Hu die sha shou) (1973)



A woman takes revenge on the men who murdered her grandfather and raped her several years before, aided by the employees of an inn that she runs. OK action, but the story is sometimes hard to follow.

Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great.

Movie 579. Death and Diamonds (original title: Dynamit in grüner Seide) (1968)



FBI agent Jerry Cotton (George Nader) goes undercover as an expert in alarm systems to infiltrate a gang of crooks planning a big diamond heist. The gang remains suspicious of Cotton throughout, and the elaborate caper is somewhat less engaging than many similar crimes in 1960s films. Still, the movie remains entertaining, with some good sequences, including one with the hero locked in a furnace to be burnt, and another with someone jumping through a windshield to battle those in an onrushing car.

Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great.

Movie 580. Assignment: Outer Space (original title: Space Men) (1960)



A reporter sent into space to do a story ends up forcing his way into accompanying a team that sets out to avert the threat of a spaceship that is out of control. Unfortunately, the reporter is just not likeable enough to carry the weight the character must bear in the plot, which otherwise isn't too bad.

Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great.

>177 harrygbutler: It's a misfire for me.

>176 harrygbutler: Anything with George Nader, OTOH, gets my attention.

Have you browsed the new UC Press catalog for Spring?

>178 richardderus: I've got several other sci-fi movies to watch that I came across at the same time, and I'm not expecting much. We've also got one more of the Jerry Cotton movies with Nader to go (of those I've found dubbed into English).

I've just downloaded the catalog. Thanks for the tip that it is available.

>179 harrygbutler: Happy to be of some small service.

Keep finding the Cotton films! I'm impressed you've found this many dubbed!

>181 harrygbutler: I'd certainly like to find the rest of the Cottons, as I've enjoyed the two we've seen so far.

581. Gui meng jiao (aka: Spooky, Spooky) (1988)



A small police force battles a murderous ghost and a malicious spirit from the sea in this horror comedy. Some of the changes in tone are a bit abrupt, but the movie proves fairly entertaining nonetheless.

Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great.

Movie 582. The Return of Dr. Mabuse (original title: Im Stahlnetz des Dr. Mabuse) (1961)



A ruthless organization is using drugged prison inmates to commit crimes, treating the operatives as disposable to prevent discovery. Police inspector Lohmann (Gert Fröbe) comes to believe that the fiendish Dr. Mabuse, who apparently met his doom at the end of The 1,000 Eyes of Dr. Mabuse, may in fact be alive and heading up the organization. Also involved in the case are a young woman, played by Daliah Lavi, and an FBI agent (or is he?) portrayed by Lex Barker. Fast-paced and twisty.

Recommended. Otto finds this one pleasing enough to relax.

Movie 583. The Dark Hour (Chesterfield, 1936)



Two detectives — one retired from the force, the other on the way up and in love — cooperate in investigating the slaying of a mean millionaire living next door to the elder detective. Plenty of suspicions to go around, reasonable red herrings, and a complication in the form of other crimes add to the interest of this programmer.

Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great.

>181 harrygbutler: Six more to go! Dead Body on Broadway, Death in a Red Jaguar, Murderers Club of Brooklyn, Tip Not Included, The Trap Snaps Shut at Midnight, Manhattan Murdernight, The Violin Case Murders round out the series.

>184 harrygbutler: I think you should put a picture of Richard next to Otto since they both are doing reviews...

:D

>185 richardderus: I know we've got Death in a Red Jaguar lined up, and then I'll start looking around for the others. Thanks for the list.

>186 fuzzi: Haha. I may add a photo of Elli into the mix if I can get a good one, as she has begun to come and settle onto my lap when I'm watching movies.

Movie 584. Los campeones justicieros (aka: The Champions of Justice) (1971)



Blue Demon leads a team of masked wrestlers in a battle against a mad scientist and the scientist's masked midget henchmen. Silly fun.

Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great.

Movie 585. Comin' Round the Mountain (Universal, 1951)



Disappointing Abbott & Costello hillbilly comedy, with a big role for singer Dorothy Shay but fairly tired comedy. The highlight is definitely the duos visit to the local weird woman (Margaret Hamilton) to get a love potion. For completists only.

Not recommended. Otto thinks your time would be better spent staring at the wall.

Movie 586. Mystery Liner (Monogram, 1934)



A ship's captain suffers a nervous breakdown shortly before the vessel is to be used in an experiment in remote control, and when the ship sails with the former first mate in command, mysterious happenings abound, including sabotage and violence. A choppy script detracts from a suspenseful story.

Not recommended. Otto thinks your time would be better spent staring at the wall.

Movie 587. Wings of Adventure (Tiffany, 1930)



Fliers forced down by engine trouble are captured by rebels intent on drafting them, or at least their plane, into their service, but the boys aim to escape, and also rescue a woman being held prisoner by the gang. Early talkie suffers from the weaknesses of the era's technology but delivers a decent adventure nonetheless.

Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great.

>190 harrygbutler: Is Dorothy Shay having a stroke on the poster?! Something awful is happening, that Popeye grimace and the Mummy-walking hand gesture...!

>191 harrygbutler: So disappointing when Wallace's good work is undone by others' carelessness. Poor Otto. You shouldn't subject him to that level of textual abuse. *tsk*

>193 richardderus: That is indeed an awkward pose, presumably an "action" shot while she was singing.

For me, Wallace is one of the most readable of authors: not necessarily consistently good, and certainly much of his thriller work is far-fetched, but I zip through his books' hundreds of pages far faster than many similar works.

Movie 588. Too Much Gold for One Gringo (original title: La caza del oro) (1972)



Various people seek a fortune in hidden gold whose whereabouts are known only to a prisoner due to be released. Betrayals and violence make the whole proceeding familiar, but overall nothing to distinguish it.

Not recommended. Otto thinks your time would be better spent staring at the wall.

Movie 589. Tangled Destinies (Mayfair, 1932)



When the threat of a severe storm forces a plane to set down on a makeshift field, the passengers and crew take shelter in a nearby empty house, where a murderer strikes and the hunt is on for stolen jewels. A reasonably entertaining low-budget affair.

Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great.

Happy Thanksgiving!

To you and yours as well!

>197 harrygbutler: thanks, the same back atcha!

Happy Thanksgiving, Harry!

>198 richardderus: >199 fuzzi: >200 Crazymamie: Thank you all!

This Brit wishes to express his thanks for the warmth and friendship that has helped sustain him in this group, Harry.

>202 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul! It's always good to have you drop by the thread.

Movie 590. The Phantom (1931)



After an exciting prison break in the opening sequence, events play out as an "Old Dark House" style thriller, with the plucky daughter of the D.A. (former silent serial star Allene Ray, who is not very good with dialogue) and her boyfriend, an aspiring reporter played by Guinn "Big Boy" Williams (probably the best actor of the bunch), menaced and investigating. The technical and performance flaws weigh this one down too much.

Not recommended. Otto thinks your time would be better spent staring at the wall.

Movie 591. Gunning for Vengeance (Columbia, 1946)



A lawman tangles with a gang whose members take refuge outside the jurisdiction when pursued — but fortunately the Durango Kid takes a hand. A fun but not particularly memorable entry in the series.

Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great.

Movie 592. The Vulture (1966)



The last members of a family are targeted for destruction by a monstrous bird creature. The villain behind it all is rather easy to spot, but the movie moves right along and keeps the viewer's interest.

Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great.

Hey Harry! Any plans to watch holiday-themed movies in December? I just ordered a copy of The Homecoming and plan to (re)watch it before Christmas.

>207 fuzzi: I may watch a few, but I haven't made any specific plans yet. We do usually watch at least a few of the old specials, too.

We never really watched The Waltons, so I doubt I've seen The Homecoming, but if I did, I don't recall it.

Movie 593. Hero of the Wild (original title: Tian luo fei sha xi yang hong; aka: The Invisible Terrorist) (1977)



This is a muddled tale of efforts to protect a list of rebels where one of those entrusted with protecting a portion of the list is actually in the employ of the evil government. Twists, of course, sometimes undercut what has gone before, but the ending doesn't really tie things together satisfactorily.

Not recommended. Otto thinks your time would be better spent staring at the wall.

Movie 594. Saddle Mountain Roundup (Monogram, 1941)



The Range Busters — Ray "Crash" Corrigan, John "Dusty" King, and Max "Alibi" Terhune (with Elmer) — track a mysterious killer in this "Old Dark Ranch" mystery western that's a lot of fun.

Recommended. Otto finds this one pleasing enough to relax.

Movie 595. The Wizard of Mars (aka: Horrors of the Red Planet) (American General, 1965)



Plodding science fiction adventure has a crew struggling for survival after their spaceship crashes on the Red Planet. Lots of walking and paddling down the canals and facing sandstorms.

Not recommended. Otto thinks your time would be better spent staring at the wall.

>211 harrygbutler: Poor John Carradine. Imagine having *that* on your resume with The Grapes of Wrath.

>212 richardderus: ::shuddering::

>213 fuzzi: It simply isn't to be borne, is it?

>212 richardderus: >213 fuzzi: >214 richardderus: John Carradine clearly wasn't picky about parts and was happy to work whenever the opportunity presented itself.

Movie 596. Trail of the Silver Spurs (Monogram, 1941)



The Range Busters investigate a flow of gold coming from Arizona but not resembling the form of gold usually found there. This is another western with mystery trappings, with the identity of a murderer seen in action at the beginning remaining concealed for much of the movie.

Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great.

Movie 597. The 8 Masters (original title: Ba da men pai) (1977)



A young man raised in a Shaolin temple after his father's murder reluctantly leaves the monastery to fulfill his familial obligations and ends up battling the martial arts experts of the title. The hero's desire to avoid battle and his eventual decision at the end of the movie add some interest, as does the testing sequence involving the "Bronzemen" seen in The 18 Bronzemen and Return of the 18 Bronzemen.

Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great.

Movie 598. The Avenger (original title: Der Rächer) (1960)



OK but unmemorable Krimi has Scotland Yard hunting a killer who decapitates his victims, with the investigation impinging upon a movie-making outfit on location at an old manor.

Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great.

149. The Vampire Murders, by Robert Wallace



Is a vampire rising from his grave and murdering people gathered at a nearby hunting lodge? Or is there something else — and perhaps even more sinister — going on? Luckily, the Phantom Detective is on the case, one that nearly proves his undoing. First published in the July 1940 issue of the pulp magazine The Phantom Detective, this short novel offers plenty of action even if it is at times a bit implausible. Mildly recommended.

Looks like you are aiming for 2x75 and 8x75 soon :-)

>220 FAMeulstee: Hi, Anita! I may hold both those posts for the start of my December thread tomorrow. We'll see. :-)

>219 harrygbutler: It may have been just a so-so read but that cover is really great.

>222 mstrust: The cover is a reinterpretation of the cover of the original pulp issue:



I enjoy the Phantom Detective stories and have several in one reprint form or another.

Come join me on my new thread: https://www.librarything.com/topic/326846