1942

Holiday Inn [Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire]

by user
July 2, 2017October 30, 2021

Holiday Inn (1942), starring Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, Marjorie Reynolds, Virginia Dale

Editorial review of Holiday Inn courtesy of Amazon.com

This perennial, Christmas-season favorite from 1942 teamed Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire as entertainers (and rival suitors of Marjorie Reynolds) running an inn that is only open on holidays. It’s a great excuse for lots of singing and dancing, seamlessly wrapped in a catchy story, and Astaire’s frequent director Mark Sandrich (Top Hat, Shall We Dance?) doesn’t let us down. The Irving Berlin numbers (each one connected to a different holiday) are winners. Crosby’s warm performance of “White Christmas” is a movie touchstone. –Tom Keogh

Ghost of Frankenstein

by user
June 14, 2017April 16, 2022

Ghost of Frankenstein (1942) starring Lon Chaney, Jr., Cedric Hardwicke, Ralph Bellamy, Lionel Atwill, Bela Lugosi, Evelyn Ankers

Synopsis of Ghost of Frankenstein

In Ghost of Frankenstein, the ghost isn’t literal, but psychological. Another son of Victor Frankenstein, brain surgeon Ludwig (played well by Cedric Hardwicke), who is manipulated by Ygor (wonderfully done by Bela Lugosi) who also manipulates Ludwig’s former mentor and current assistant, Dr. Bohmer (Lionel Atwill) as well as the childlike Frankenstein’s monster (portrayed here by Lon Chaney Jr.)

Cat People

by user
May 27, 2017May 13, 2023

movie review of Cat People (1942)- by The Masked Reviewer

In Cat People, a beautiful Serbian fashion designer Irena Dubrovna (Simone Simon) marries marine engineer Oliver Reed (Kent Smith). All is going well until the wedding night, Irena refuses to consummate her marriage to Oliver. The next day she admits a seemingly ridiculous fear of turning to a panther if she has intercourse with her husband. When Irena is sent to Dr. Louis Judd, her psychiatrist, a very interesting fact about her family is discovered. During this time Oliver has been spending more time with his secretly love struck co-worker Alice Moore (Jane Randolph).

Invisible Agent

by user
May 10, 2017September 22, 2021

Invisible Agent (1942) starring John Hall, Ilona Massey, Peter Lorre, Cedric Hardwicke, J. Edward Bromberg, Albert Bassermann

Invisible Agent is an entry in the Invisible Man series, set just before the United States entered World War II. The film begins with a Nazi undercover agent Conrad Stauffer ( played extremely well by Cedric Hardwicke) and Japanese agent Baron Ikito (played well by Peter Lorre), entering a print shop owned by Frank Raymond (Jon Hall) — who is actually the grandson of the original Invisible Man

Maisie Gets Her Man

by user
March 11, 2017May 11, 2022

Maisie Gets Her Man (1942) starring Ann Sothern, Red Skelton

In Maisie Gets Her Man, Ann Sothern stars as Maisie Ravier in this seventh entry in the “Maisie” series — here, vaudeville performer Maisie has to leave the knife-throwing act when her partner, “Professor Orco” is jilted by his girlfriend, and decides to take his revenge out on all women … starting with Maisie, the target of his knives! Orco throwing knives at her is a very funny scene, that ends Maisie running away from the mad Orco, only end up to knocking him silly … and leaving herself unemployed once again.

Panama Hattie

by user
March 18, 2015June 12, 2022

Panama Hattie (1942) starring Red Skelton, Ann Sothern, Rags Ragland, Virginia O’Brien

Synopsis

In Panama Hattie, the brassy but gold-hearted proprietress of a Canal Zone hotel, where she performs, is used to a rough-and-tumble crowd of sailors. But she falls for a wealthy socialite soldier, and doesn’t know how to handle herself.

Whistling in Dixie

by user
March 18, 2012February 15, 2022

Whistling in Dixie (1942) starring Red Skelton, Ann Rutherford, Rags Ragland

Whistling in Dixie is the sequel to the popular Whistling in the Dark. Red Skelton again plays the role of Wally Benton, aka. The Fox. He’s a radio detective, who simply wants to take off two weeks of vacation so he can get married. To his long-suffering fiancee Carol Lambert (played by Ann Rutherford). Wally pretends to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown in order to twist his radio sponsor’s arm in order to get that vacation. Only to have Carol change their plans when she’s contacted by Ellamae (Diana Lewis), her sorority sister from Georgia, U.S.A. Ellamae’s boyfriend appears to have been murdered. Carol convinces Wally to go down to Georgia to get married, and Wally complies. Only to get involved in the unraveling mystery.