Dishonoured Lady - 1947 ***

I hope no one ever forgets how wonderfully accomplished Hedy Lamarr was, not just in her acting but in her other pioneering pursuits; without her we wouldn't have wireless communication. Madeleine is the beautiful and accomplished art editor who is careless in her relationships. She goes through man after man, but when her latest partnership fails she attempts suicide. Thankfully she is not successful, and after being blackmailed by her previous lover she retreats to a quiet life, hoping to be untraceable. However soon her new life is disrupted when two of her ex partners track her down. 

Lamarr is electrifying and I adore her voice. (I also love that she chose her surname from silent star Barbra La Mar). One of her most well known films and deserves to be seen.

(Obsession) The Hidden Room - 1949 ****

Psychiatrist Clive believes his beautiful wife Storm (what a name!) is having an affair, and his fears are justified when he arrives home one evening and, standing in the shadows, sees his wife come in with her lover Bill. Once Clive confronts them it is clear his motives are dangerous and when he invites Bill out for a walk to 'discuss things' (it's the middle of the night) Storm is adamant that Bill will be killed. What she doesn't know is that Clive has taken Bill to a secret bunker-type room underground round the corner, and is keeping him chained to the wall. He tells Bill that it's only a matter of time before he disposes of him, but won't say when.

It's incredibly atmospheric and tense, and I love how calm the two men are around each other, nothing like being spurned by your wife for a younger lover and having to keep your cool. Sally Gray is gorgeous and Robert Newton is suitably suave but creepy in equal measures. I watched this years ago and never forgot it.

The House on 56th Street - 1933 ****

The first Kay Francis movie I had ever seen, but it certainly won't be the last. 

Francis plays Peggy, a showgirl who falls desperately in love with a wealthy man named Monte. They move into an extravagant house on 56th street and set about starting a family. However, not long after her daughter is born, Peggy is confronted by an old lover who was spurned by Peggy a while back, resulting in a violent row and the lover dying. Peggy is arrested and sent to jail for a considerable amount of time. During this time her daughter is told that her mother is dead, and Monte is killed during the war. When she is released from jail she gets a job in a gambling house, which with cruel irony is the house she used to live in with Monte. In an even more twisted and tragic irony, her daughter gets herself into horrible trouble at the gambling house, whilst Peggy can only sit back and helplessly watch. 

I found this to be a really enthralling story, and enjoyed watching Kay Francis. She's a very passionate actor and positively lights up the screen with every word she speaks and every look she gives. 

(NOIR) The Amazing Dr Clitterhouse - 1938 ***

Affectionately or insultingly (depending on how you look at it) known by Humphrey Bogart as 'The Amazing Dr Clitoris' this is a rather ingenius mixture of film noir, drama and black comedy.

Dr Clitterhouse is a distinguished and well liked doctor, but what many people don't know is that he is fascinated by crime and criminal activity. In fact, he's so fascinated that after a few practice runs of stealing jewellery from posh house he decides to turn to the other end of the spectrum, and become the head of a gang of thieves so that he can 'get inside' the mindset of a criminal.' 

Bogart plays the head criminal of the gang who's nose is put out of joint at the calm, pleasant and general niceness of Dr Clitterhouse. He's also not too pleased that Clitterhouse appears to have stolen half the loot her was hoping to get his hands on and has muscled in on his turf, so to speak. Claire Trevor is the cool, calm fatale of the gang who takes a liking to Clitterhouse, a choice that will get everyone in trouble. 

Edward G. Robinson maybe small in stature but my god he can fill a screen like a veritable Sidney Greenstreet. Always a delight to watch him, and of course Bogie has all eyes on him, although I feel he hasn't got a particularly strong character here to do much with, so really it's just as well he gets his major break into films in a couple of years.

Young Bride - 1932 ***

Helen Twelvetrees is yet again walked all over here, but this time by a poncy idiot who looks like he's wearing too much mascara. Her character Allie, is a timid and shy librarian, who is persuaded by her party-loving friends to go out one evening to try and cheer her up after mourning the death of her mother. Once there, she meets a loutish cad named Charlie, who has ridiculous and unrealistic expectations about life, love and money. When he first tries to seduce her, she refuses which sends him into a rage. But over time she is sweet-talked by him, and eventually succumbs, all the time being told by Charlie that he is on the verge of a big break that will make him rich. When Allie announces that she is pregnant, this doesn't go down well with Charlie, and he does what any pathetic weasel of a man does in a tricky situation - he goes after another woman, leaving Allie devastated. The lead man comes across as being almost identical to a young Jimmy Cagney, which probably boosted his career no end. Twelvetrees is worth a watch alone.

Millie - 1931 ****

Going out on a limb, beautiful redhead Millie marries a prominent businessman, expecting a life of glitter and glamour. By the time she has had a daughter she realises that the life she hoped for will never materialise, and when she discovers that her husband has been playing away, she leaves him, and plunges headfirst into a life of affairs, drinking and careless love. Sadly however, she is always betrayed, let down or disappointed, but things really take a turn for the worse when one of her old flames (a man of now advancing years) makes a pass at her beautiful daughter.

Helen Twelvetrees is a bit of a revelation for me. I had only heard very briefly of her but am amazed how 'modern' her attitude is and how much I like her acting. She has a definite air about her that keeps me mesmerised by ever scene she is in, and she really is very beautiful. Some critic once remarked that she had 'the saddest eyes in all of Hollywood' and although she smiles constantly, you can see exactly what that critic meant. 

Double Harness - 1933 ***

Great fun to discover even more actresses from the 30s I have never heard of before. Ann Harding being another one. I had always assumed that William Powell simply acted with either Loy or Francis, but he actually has pretty good chemistry with Harding in this enjoyable romp. 

After finding out that her sister is about to get married, Joan starts to panic that she will be an old maid forever, and manages to persuades the dashing, philandering John to marry her, without him realising that it's actually just for his considerable wealth. By the time he does discover Joan's true intentions she genuinely has fallen in love with him, but is it too late?

I love William Powell so I'm incredibly biased about this film. It might not be the best plot or the best quality, but it's lovely to see anyway.

Sexy Evil Genius - 2013 *

A disturbingly bad thriller, although I would have to call it a bad comedy. A group of men are all summoned to a bar to meet with a woman they have all been in a relationship with in the past. They are asked to arrive at different times, and for different reasons, but ultimately her goal is the same, to do them harm and get her revenge on the way they treated her. It's horribly acted, and the premise is forced, fake and utterly unemotional. Oh, and the lead is neither sexy, nor a genius.

Reclaim - 2014 ****

After finding it impossible to conceive their own child, Steven and Shannon decide to try and adopt a child from the recent Haiti earthquake disaster and go to an adoption organisation in Puerto Rico to do so. They meet with the adoption organiser and are introduced to Nina, a beautiful little girl in need of a good home. They take Nina with them to a hotel where they can finalise the adoption paperwork and all seems to be going well. However, when they wake up the next morning, Nina is gone without a trace, and further searching proves that the adoption agency has also disappeared, along with avast amount of the pair's money. What follows is a nightmarish scenario where the couple are forced to confront the fact that they have become victims of a horrific child trafficking scam , and will need to do whatever it takes to reclaim Nina.

Gripping and incredibly tense, this had me literally on the edge of my seat more than once, and great acting from John Cusack.  

(HORROR) Wither - 2012 *

'Wither is a very bad movie. It fits all the stereotypes of how bad horror films can be.
A group of friends go to a cabin in Sweden for a fun weekend, but are confronted by a mythical being named a 'Vittra' (English translation is Wither..) which has been living under the house and infecting anyone who comes close by stealing the souls after looking in their eyes, thus leading to rapid death.
It's typical therefore, that the Vittra then comes across some of the most idiotic characters known to man who do everything they SHOULDN'T do in a situation like this and they are easy, predictable pickings.

(HORROR) At the Devil's Door - 2014 **

Bit of a mish-mash and incredibly confusing. A young girl is paid $500 to sell her soul to the devil. She is then found in her old house by the estate agent who finds out her parents have reported her missing (I think). To be honest I am far too muddled to give a good review of this, or even a plausible one. It didn't make sense to me, and the characters kept popping up and disappearing so much it gave me a headache.
Might be worth a watch for someone who can follow weird horror films that have too much going on.

Divergent - 2014 ***

I haven't seen the Hunger Games, so I can't possibly comment on stories about alternative dystopian universes, but I saw this, and liked it.
In a post-apocalyptic world, people are divided into human factions based on what sort of people they are. Some are peaceful, some are selfless, some are brave, some are intelligent and some are honest.
Beatrice is a young girl who has grown up in the selfless faction, but has always been interested in the brave faction. Each 16 year old has to undergo a test to see which faction they are best suited to, and when it is found that Beatrice is suited to three separate factions the tester decides to keep this a secret. Beatrice is therefore known as a Divergent, and because people in the Divergent faction can think independently they are a threat to society.
At the choosing ceremony Beatrice chooses Dauntless (the brave faction) and is plunged into a terrifying world that is out of her control.
I love how original this film is on the basis of the factions, and I can't wait to see the next offering.