Tag: Thriller
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A Page of Madness (1926)
How Wikipedia can offer two complete paragraphs describing the plot for A Page of Madness (1926), I’ll never know. I don’t usually like to call attention to the fact that I’ll occasionally glance at Wikipedia for background information or trivia. In this case, though, had I not read the plot summary, I would have absolutely…
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Hot Money Girl (1959)
You may have seen Hot Money Girl (1959) and not even have known it. It’s also called The Treasure of San Teresa and Long Distance. A late-50’s Euro-thriller by any other name… is still a late-50s Euro-thriller. Were it not for the fact that Christopher Lee appears in a small, but important role, you wouldn’t…
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West of Zanzibar (1928)
Phroso (Lon Chaney) is paralyzed during a scuffle with Crane (Lionel Barrymore,) the man with whom his wife, Anna (Jacqueline Gadsdon) is having an affair and leaving the country. A year later, he finds her dead inside a church with a baby beside her. 18 years later, he’s living West of Zanzibar and creating an…
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The Woman in the Window (1944)
Midway through his directing career, Fritz Lang is still going strong with The Woman in the Window (1944,) a nearly two-hour noir that speeds along as if it’s half the length. Not a horror film in any sense of the word, it nevertheless generates suspense that’s palpable. With Lang directing and Joan Bennett (Dark Shadows)…
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The Thirteenth Chair (1929)
If Tod Browning’s Dracula (1931) is criticized for being too much like a play, then The Thirteenth Chair (1929) doesn’t have a chance! On the other hand, this film is better suited for the stage; restricted locations don’t slow its pace. The plot unfolds primarily in two rooms, so we’re not longing for action anywhere…
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The Unknown (1927)
Joan Crawford once said that she learned more about acting from watching Lon Chaney work than from anyone else in her career. “It was then I became aware for the first time of the difference between standing in front of a camera and acting.” She appeared with Chaney in The Unknown (1927) during the first…
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The Blackbird (1926)
If you’ve ever wanted to see Lon Chaney, “the Man of a Thousand Faces,” transform into one of his misshapen characters, there are a couple scenes in The Blackbird (1926) that at least give you a glimpse. He quickly pulls his ankle into the air, twisting his leg at the knee, then jerks his shoulder…
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Satellite in the Sky (1956)
Now comes Satellite in the Sky, a version of the mid-century British sci-fi film I’ve mentioned the last couple of days… but one with a budget. Shot in CinemaScope in Warner Color, this was the first color science fiction movie made in the UK. It looks gorgeous and feels newer than 1956. It’s a shame…
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Night Monster (1942)
For a 73-minute movie, Night Monster (1942) has a lot happening! In fact, it took a while for me to get acclimated and understand exactly what was happening. The cast is large, and the set-up is complicated. It left me a little tired, just like I imagine the actors felt each time they ran up…
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The Mad Genius (1931)
When I think of Michael Curtiz, I automatically associate him with Casablanca (1942.) I forget the number of classic horror films he directed, starting with this one, The Mad Genius (1931.) With nearly 179 credits (according to IMDb) in his 50+-year career, it’s not surprising that he made movies of all genres. I forget this,…
Classic Horrors Club 