Obsession (1949) British Politeness, A Hot Water Bottle & A Perfect Murder

Storm Riordan (Sally Gray) is not to be confused with a certain naughty Stormy who turned tricks for a President with bouffant hair in her spare time. Or even be mistaken for that African American lady who causes pandemonium with her weather controlling superpowers when she’s in a bit of a mood. No, this Storm is a pretty normal lass, goes to work, likes the cinema and entertaining friends. She loves her cute little dog, Monty but unfortunately she has fallen out of love with her husband Dr. Clive Riordan (Robert Newton)

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In a Lonely Place (1950) Angry Bogie’s Fury And An Alternative Ending

Before doing this blog I was blissfully unaware of Humphrey Bogart being bad! I’d only seen a handful of his movies and what with his legendary status following you around since whenever I can remember. Call me naive, I’d always thought he played good guys.  Well rogues or strong willed tough guys with a heart of gold or a cast iron moral code. Well I couldn’t have been more wrong! He was somewhat naughty in The Desperate Hours but I have to say I didn’t expect him to beat his despicable me part in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. So you see I wasn’t ready for Dixon Steele to turn up in In a Lonely Place and not reading anything about it when going in I’d expected him to be another Samuel Spade style PI.

No Way Out (1950) Sidney Poitier In Spinal Tap Of Prejudice

With enough N-Bombs to make Quentin Tarantino blush, No Way Out is one helluva tough watch that’s for sure. However it processes an important social message about racial prejudices and bigoted hatred.  This is the story of a young black man and his encounter with narrow-minded, blind, racial intolerance.

Murder on the Orient Express (1974) (2010) (2017) A Three Way Poirot Face Off

First up, there’s no spoilers to the victim, or the murderer and nothing about the motive. So if like me you haven’t seen it and I’d be very surprised if you hadn’t as I was to myself, there’s no spoils to be had.  Well if I’m very honest I had seen the 1974 version as a kid on the telly but thankfully I couldn’t recall a thing. Well apart from some snow,  obviously a train and a fancy Michael York looking all dandy.

Kiss Me Deadly (1955) Panting Barefoot Panic Starts The Hammer

And there I was sitting in a world where Stacy Keach was the only Mike Hammer from the hands of crime novelist Mickey Spillane. Stacy’s Mike smashed his way though our 80’s television screens like a, well, Hammer. Stacy Keach was perfect for the part as the tough, gruff and brutally efficient, hard-boiled private investigator. I just didn’t know there was a whole gang of different Mike Hammer’s bringing justice throughout the ages. Kolchak The Night Stalker very own Darren McGavin played him in a 50’s series and in a universe defying paradox, creator Mickey Spillane actually plays his own “baby” in the 1963 film The Girl Hunters. (I need to see this)

Shield for Murder (1954) A Cops Descent Into Oblivion

How come the criminals, all the gangsters, fences, wiseguys all seem to be making bucks? Seeing all the crooks you put away getting released early and still making big money.  Racketeers that manage to slip through your fingers living the life of luxury from the proceeds of organized crime. It starts to get to Lieutenant Barney Nolan (Edmond O’Brien). 16 years on the force laying down the law on the streets, for what? a paltry pension and no savings!. He deserves more. He’s put his life on the line every single day seeking justice for these damn criminals, how is it fair? He dreams of a big house in the suburbs, all the mod cons, the whole shebang, with his beautiful, happy smiling girl, Patty Winters (Marla English) by his side. It would be a wonderful life, he’d have to use his badge to get it though but how far would he go?

Tagline – A wild trigger finger… a lust for big money… and a weak spot for fast blondes hurled him from the straight-and-narrow to a crooked one-way road!

Touch of Evil (1958) Orson Welles & 10 Things That Blew Me Away!

Yep I know, how could I have not seen Touch Of Evil yet? Yep a slapped botty for sure but hey maybe it was all leading up to this viewing that would hit me like a strong swig of Tequila hitting that sweet spot. I know everyone has seen it, so I will not be doing a rough description of the plot or what I thought of the film because that is self-explanatory. So here’s ten points that blew me away with awe and wonder.

The Third Secret (1964) Murder Therapy Schizophrenia Madness And Paranoia! Happy Times!

Well I went into this in my usual innocent way completely oblivious to the plot. There I was thinking that maybe the title The Third Secret was somehow contected to Nazi’s and the Third Reich, kind of like a spy hunt for war criminals. Yep it had absolutely nothing to do with that I quickly find out. What does transpire though is a neat little bizarre thriller with psychological mystery buried deep inside.

Mystery Street (1950) Crime Scene Investigation With Special Guest Star KHAN

Few people know that before there were a gazillion series of CSI- Crime Scene Investigation there was a prototype pilot episode filmed in 1950 going under the pseudonym Mystery Street. The idea was to highlight the new procedures and thoughts being introduced around forensic science. To illustrate it’s important role being used to determine evidence for criminal prosecution cases. Using science alongside the police force to investigate the nature of unexplained crimes. Identifying the time and true cause of death, utilising body identification, studying fragments of bone breaks, bruising and blood splatter. What ever means necessary to eliminate mistakes being made convicting innocent people and making sure they bang up the right criminals.

Now who could they get to play the charismatic, charming lead investigator Lieutenant Ricardo Montalban? Well there really was only man for the job and luckily he was free from his usual Enterprise bothering, step forward Khan Noonien Singh.

The Sniper (1952) The Psychology Of A Serial Killer’s Mind!

The fascinating achievement of The Sniper is its ability to take the terrifying nature of the serial killer and portray, in equal amounts, his appalling actions of the murders, intertwined with logical thoughts on his illness and the psychological elements of his mind. Watching now, a film from 1952, you would be wrong in thinking that they would hold back on the darkness of the killings addressed within. Normally we would hear that the individual is either mad, insane or demented, yes that maybe the case but here we get thoughts from the other side. Through the eyes of the killer himself and the mind of a psychiatrist.