The Amazing Mr. Williams
The Amazing Mr. Williams is a very different, very good detective film, with ongoing romantic complications. Which does he love more – his fiancé or his work as a homicide detective?
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Donald MacBride
Topper Returns
Topper Returns (1941), starring Joan Blondell, Roland Young, Carole Landis, Billie Burke, George Zucco, Eddie “Rochester” Anderson
Synopsis of Topper Returns
Topper Returns is possibly the best of the Topper trilogy. Thanks to the sassy presence of Joan Blondell. Hollywood’s favorite wisecracker who plays Gail Richards. She’s a woman accidentally murdered while staying at the home of her friend, Ann Carrington (Carole Landis). Enlisting the help of Cosmo Topper (Roland Young) Gail’s ghost sets out to find her killer.
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Blondie Takes a Vacation
Blondie Takes a Vacation (1939) starring Arthur Lake, Penny Singleton, Donald Meek, Donald MacBride
Blondie Takes a Vacation – Blondie & Dagwood take a vacation, help an older couple running a motel against a competitor, and nearly lose Baby Dumpling (and Daisy) in a fire!
They Got Me Covered
They Got Me Covered (1942), starring Bob Hope, Dorothy Lamour, Donald MacBride
Synopsis of They Got Me Covered
In They Got Me Covered, (Bob) Hope springs eternal in the role of an eager, but not-too-bright, newspaper correspondent. He seeks to expose the activities of foreign spies in Washington D.C. The lovely Dorothy Lamour co-stars.
Room Service
Room Service (1938) starring the Marx Brothers (Groucho Marx, Chico Marx, Harpo Marx), Lucille Ball, Ann Miller
I’ve long heard negative things about Room Service starring the Marx Brothers – Groucho, Chico, and Harpo. However, after viewing the movie for myself, I don’t think that they’re deserved. Granted, it’s not of the same quality as Duck Soup, but it’s still very funny in its’ own right. That’s not to say that there aren’t negative things to say. The pace seems slow compared to typical Marx Brothers fare. The movie starts slowly. On the other hand, the ending of the movie is the normal zaniness that we’ve come to expect, and it plays well.
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The Invisible Woman
The Invisible Woman (1940), starring Virginia Bruce, Charles Lane, John Barrymore
The original The Invisible Man was a horror movie, mostly faithful to the original novel by H.G. Wells. The sequel, The Invisible Man Returns starring Vincent Price was equal parts horror movie, romance, and crime story. In contrast, The Invisible Woman is a comedy — a very enjoyable comedy.
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