The Cheat 1931  N/R, 70 min.
Genre: Drama
Cast: Tallulah Bankhead, Harvey Stephens, Irving Pichel, Jay Fassett, William Ingersoll, Robert Strange, Hanaki Yoshiwara, Willard Dashiell, Edward Keane, Ann Andrews, Porter Hall, Arthur Hohl, Millard Mitchell, Henry Warwick, Jimmy Granato
The year is 1931 when Elsa Carlyle (Tallulah Bankhead) loses $10,000 gambling and tries to hide the loss from her husband Jeffrey (Harvey Stephens). She takes money from a charity and invests in the stock market. That plan also fails. Now, Elsa is forced to accept money from wealthy Hardy Livingston (Irving Pichel), but when Jeffrey finds out he gives Elsa the money to pay him back. Hardy is trying to possess Elsa and refuses the money, so Elsa shoots him. Jeffrey takes the blame and goes to court. Just as he is about to be convicted, Elsa shouts out the truth, and Jeffrey is saved.
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Dead Men Walk 1943  N/R, 63 min.
Genre: Horror / Thriller
Director: Sam Newfield
Cast: George Zucco, Mary Carlisle, Nedrick Young, Dwight Frye, Fern Emmett, Robert Strange, Hal Price, Sam Flint, Merrill McCormick, Al St. John, Forrest Taylor
George Zucco plays two roles, one an evil practitioner of the dark arts and the other a good, upstanding doctor. But Lloyd, the good doctor, kills his evil brother who then returns from the grave as a vampire to extract revenge. Very low budget, but entertaining with Zucco's overacting and Dwight Frye as the hunchback assistant to the evil doctor.
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The Far Frontier 1948 N/R, 67 min.
Genre: Western
Director: William Witney
Cast: Roy Rogers, Gail Davis, Andy Devine, Francis Ford, Roy Barcroft, Clayton Moore, Robert Strange, Holly Bane, Lane Bradford, Edmund Cobb
Gangsters are being smuggled into the United States in a unique way–in barrels. Roy Rogers is out to stop this nonsense.
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The Invisible Ghost 1941 N/R, 65 min.
Genre: Horror / Thriller
Director: Joseph H. Lewis
Cast: Bela Lugosi, John McGuire, Polly Ann Young, Clarence Muse, Terry Walker, George Pembroke, Betty Compson, Fred Kelsey, Jack Mulhall, Ernie Adams, Ottola Nesmith, Lloyd Ingraham, Robert Strange, Fred Aldrich
Gentle Dr. Kessler (Bela Lugosi) lives with his adult daughter Virginia (Polly Ann Young) and household staff in his large mansion. He grieves the loss of his wife (Betty Compson) who was believed killed in an auto accident. But she did not die, and the butler (Clarence Muse) has kept her locked away until she recovers from her amnesia that resulted from the accident. She routinely gets out, and when she looks in the doctor's window, he is put in a trance and kills people he runs across. Cheap, but the good direction helps keep an eerie atmosphere.
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The Mad Monster 1942  N/R, 77 min.
Genre: Horror / Thriller
Director: Sam Newfield
Cast: Johnny Downs, George Zucco, Anne Nagel, Sarah Padden, Glenn Strange, Gordon De Main, Mae Busch, Reginald Barlow, Robert Strange, Henry Hall
Mad scientist Lorenzo Cameron (George Zucco) sets out to develop a potion that will make soldiers invincible and, thus, win the war. But first he intends to show his scientist peers that he's not as crazy as they claim. In fact, revenge is on his mind as he injects the potion into his dim-witted gardener, Petro (Glenn Strange). Petro turns into a werewolf–the perfect weapon for revenge–and the killing starts. The doctor's daughter (Anne Nagel) and reporter Tom Gregory (Johnny Downs) figure out what's going on, and they plan to save the day. A poor attempt to capitalize on the success of "The Wolf Man."
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Paper Bullets 1941  N/R, 72 min.
Genre: Drama / Thriller
aka: Gangs, Inc.
Crime, Inc
Director: Phil Rosen
Cast: Joan Woodbury, Jack La Rue, Linda Ware, John Archer, Vince Barnett, Alan Ladd, Gavin Gordon, William Halligan, George Pembroke, Selmer Jackson, Phillip Trent, Kenneth Harlan, Bryant Washburn, Alden "Stephen" Chase, Robert Strange
Rita Adams (Joan Woodbury) had been raised in an orphanage with fellow orphans Bob Elliot and Mickey Roma (John Archer and Jack La Rue). As an adult, Rita takes the rap for wealthy playboy Harold's (Phillip Trent) hit-and-run crime and ends up in jail. When she is released from prison, Rita determines to get vengeance against Harold's father Clarence (George Pembroke) who was responsible for her being sent to prison. Meanwhile, her childhood friend Bob is now an undercover agent trying to snare mobster Mickey, and Rita is the key to his investigation. Rita rises to power in the criminal world but ends up back in prison; however, this time her childhood sweetheart Bob promises to be waiting when she is released.
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Robin Hood of the Pecos 1941 N/R, 56 min.
Genre: Western
Director: Joseph Kane
Cast: Roy Rogers, George "Gabby" Hayes, Marjorie Reynolds, Jay Novello, Roscoe Ates, Eddie Acuff, Wade Boteler, Sally Payne, Leigh Whipper, Robert Strange, William Haade, Cy Kendall, Bob Burns, Art Dillard, Ted Mapes
During the post-Civil War era, Texas is run by corrupt politicians from the North who are trying to drive ranchers out of the area. Vance Corbin (Roy Rogers) is elected Sheriff, but then Ambrose Ballard (Cy Kendall) declares martial law, and "Gabby" Hornaday (George "Gabby" Hayes) is sentenced to be executed for murder. Vance investigates, finds the real villain Stacy (Jay Novello) who confesses to the crime, and Gabby's life is saved.
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The Saint Strikes Back 1939 N/R, 67 min.
Genre: Mystery
Director: John Farrow
Cast: George Sanders, Wendy Barrie, Jonathan Hale, Jerome Cowan, Barry Fitzgerald, Neil Hamilton, Robert Elliott, Russell Hopton, Edward Gargan, Robert Strange
George Sanders takes on the role of the smooth, Robin Hood-like detective in this second entry in the series. We find our hero on the way to San Francisco to clear a fair maiden's name by bringing the bad guys who framed her father to justice. Another good entry, which was a box office hit and helped make a name for George Sanders in Hollywood.
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The Smiling Lieutenant 1931  N/R, 88 min.
Genre: Comedy / Musical / Romance
Director: Ernst Lubitsch
Cast: Maurice Chevalier, Claudette Colbert, Miriam Hopkins, George Barbier, Charles Ruggles, Hugh O'Connell, Janet Reade, Lon MacSunday, Elizabeth Patterson, Granville Bates, Maude Allen, Charles Wagenheim, Robert Strange
This story takes place in Vienna where Lt. "Niki" von Preyn (Maurice Chevalier) shares an apartment with his lover Franzi (Claudette Colbert). When King Adolf XV (George Barbier) visits the city, his dowdy daughter Princess Anna (Miriam Hopkins) falls in love with "Niki," and he is forced to marry her. But, "Niki" refuses to consummate the marriage–until good-hearted Franzi performs a makeover on Anna, and "Niki" falls for Anna. The film received an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture.
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Special Agent 1935 N/R, 78 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: William Keighley
Cast: Bette Davis, Ricardo Cortez, George Brent, Jack La Rue, Henry O'Neill, Joe Sawyer, Joseph Crehan, Irving Pichel, Robert Strange, J. Carrol Naish
A detective (George Brent), posing as a reporter, tries to get information on a racketeering boss (Ricardo Cortez) via his bookkeeper (Bette Davis).
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Trapped by Television 1936 N/R, 63 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Del Lord
Cast: Mary Astor, Lyle Talbot, Nat Pendleton, Joyce Compton, Thurston Hall, Henry Mollison, Wyrley Birch, Robert Strange, Marc Lawrence, Russell Hicks
After Fred Dennis (Lyle Talbot) invents a two-way television device, he looks for backing and unwisely chooses a crooked investor and gets involved with thieves who want to steal his invention.
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The Walking Dead 1936 N/R, 62 min.
Genre: Drama / Horror / Thriller
Director: Michael Curtiz
Cast: Boris Karloff, Ricardo Cortez, Marguerite Churchill, Barton MacLane, Warren Hull, Paul Harvey, Robert Strange, Eddie Acuff, Edmund Gwenn, Henry O'Neill, Joe King, Addison Richards, Joe Sawyer, Kenneth Harlan, Miki Morita
Corrupt attorney Nolan (Ricardo Cortez) leads a group of gangsters and frames John Ellman (Boris Karloff) on a trumped-up charge of murder. Ellman is found guilty and is executed. Now, after learning that Ellman was innocent, Dr. Edmund Beaumont (Edmund Gwenn) brings Ellman back to life. Ellman is intent on avenging his untimely demise, tracks down the gangsters, and scares them to death. Finally, Nolan and his cohort, Loder (Barton MacLane), kill Ellman, but then their car crashes into a power line, and they are also killed.
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| 1. The Cheat (1931)
2. Dead Men Walk (1943)
3. The Far Frontier (1948)
4. The Invisible Ghost (1941)
5. The Mad Monster (1942)
6. Paper Bullets (1941)
aka: Gangs, Inc.
aka: Crime, Inc
7. Robin Hood of the Pecos (1941)
8. The Saint Strikes Back (1939)
9. The Smiling Lieutenant (1931)
10. Special Agent (1935)
11. Trapped by Television (1936)
12. The Walking Dead (1936)
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