Tag Archives: english

Man in the Shadow (1957) Jack Arnold, Jeff Chandler, Orson Welles, Colleen Miller, Crime, Drama, Thriller

Man in the Shadow (1957)
In effect, modern cow town Spurline is run by Virgil Renchler, owner of the Golden Empire Ranch. One night, two of Virgil’s henchmen go a little too far and beat a “bracero” ranch hand to death. Faced with an obvious cover-up and opposition on every hand, sheriff Ben Sadler is goaded into investigating. His unlikely ally: Renchler’s lovely, self-willed and overprotected daughter. Will Ben survive Renchler’s wrath?
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Welcome Stranger (1947) Elliott Nugent, Bing Crosby, Barry Fitzgerald, Joan Caulfield, Comedy

Welcome Stranger (1947)
Crusty Dr. McRory of Fallbridge, Maine hires a replacement for his vacation sight unseen. Alas, he and young singing doctor Jim Pearson don’t hit it off; but Pearson is delighted to stay, once he meets teacher Trudy Mason. The locals, taking their cue from McRory, cold-shoulder Pearson, especially Trudy’s stuffy fiancée. But then, guess who needs an emergency appendectomy?
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Checkpoint (1956) Ralph Thomas, Anthony Steel, Odile Versois, Stanley Baker, Crime, Drama, Thriller

Checkpoint (1956)
Stanley Baker’s character is sent to steal the plans from another company of their racing car designs, to ensure his employers win the competition. However when opening a safe containing the plans, he triggers an alarm leading to a gun battle where he kills a number of people. James Robertson Justice alarmed by the scandal surrounding the killings orders his agent be killed surreptitiously to hide his involvement with the plot.
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The World’s Greatest Athlete (1973) Robert Scheerer, John Amos, Jan-Michael Vincent, Tim Conway, Comedy, Family, Romance

The World's Greatest Athlete (1973)
Stuck with a feeble sports department, college coach Sam Archer (John Amos) faces the ax unless he can reverse the school’s athletic fortunes. An African vacation with his assistant (Tim Conway) answers Archer’s prayers when he spots the athletically gifted Nanu (Jan-Michael Vincent). Sam counts on Nanu’s remarkable abilities to put the team back on the winning track. This upbeat farce boasts an impressive cast of comedians.
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Montana Belle (1952) Allan Dwan, Jane Russell, George Brent, Scott Brady, Western

Montana Belle (1952)
In a fictionalized biography, Oklahoma outlaw Belle Starr meets the Dalton gang when rescued from lynching by Bob Dalton, who falls for her. So do gang member Mac and wealthy saloon owner Tom Bradfield, who’s enlisted in a bankers’ scheme to trap the Daltons. Dissension among the gang and Bradfield’s ambivalence complicate the plot, as Belle demonstrates her prowess with shootin’ irons, horses, and as a surprisingly racy saloon entertainer.
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The Awakening (1980) Mike Newell, Charlton Heston, Susannah York, Jill Townsend, Horror

The Awakening (1980)
An American archaeologist is in Egypt with his pregnant wife, searching for the tomb of a long-lost Egyptian queen. At the same moment he discovers the tomb and opens it’s accursed seal, his wife gives birth to his daughter. Years later it transpires that the malevolent spirit of the Egyptian queen left the tomb just as he was entering, and possessed his baby girl. As the truth becomes clear, the archaeologist realizes that he must destroy his daughter in a ceremonial ritual, before she uses her awesome powers to threaten the safety of mankind.
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Sister Emanuelle (1977) Giuseppe Vari, Laura Gemser, Mónica Zanchi, Gabriele Tinti, Drama, Erotic

sister_emanuelle
Renouncing her “sinful” past, Emanuelle has entered a convent and has dedicated herself to a life of service. Enter Monika, the free-spirited, free-loving daughter of a wealthy Baron. Emanuelle is charged with keeping Monika in line, but when the young girl’s wild ways bring back memories of her own sensual past, Emanuelle begins questioning her own religious and sexual identity. Advances from an escaped killer who is hiding in the convent serve to complicate matters further.
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Having Wonderful Crime (1945) A. Edward Sutherland, Pat O’Brien, George Murphy, Carole Landis, Comedy, Crime, Mystery

Having Wonderful Crime (1945)
Having Wonderful Crime spotlights Michael J. Malone, the murder-solving attorney created by author Craig Rice. The film is also ostensibly based on a novel by Rice, though precious little of the original actually made it to the screen. The story begins as Malone (Pat O’Brien) brusquely informs his newlywed friends Jake and Helene Justus (George Murphy and Carole Landis) that he’s not going to allow them to suck him into another murder mystery. Unfortunately for the attorney, Jake and Helene shortly afterward attend a stage magic show wherein the star magician (George Zucco) disappears for real! Their investigation leads to a resort hotel literally packed with murder suspects. When the newlyweds learn too much for their own good, it’s up to Malone to come to the rescue and nab the killer. One of the suspects is played by an actress named Anje Berens, who as “Gloria Holden” previously starred in Dracula’s Daughter (1936).
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The Birds (1963) Alfred Hitchcock, Rod Taylor, Tippi Hedren, Suzanne Pleshette, Horror, Mystery

The Birds (1963)
Melanie Daniels is the modern rich socialite, part of the jet-set who always gets what she wants. When lawyer Mitch Brenner sees her in a pet shop, he plays something of a practical joke on her, and she decides to return the favor. She drives about an hour north of San Francisco to Bodega Bay, where Mitch spends the weekends with his mother Lydia and younger sister Cathy. Soon after her arrival, however, the birds in the area begin to act strangely. A seagull attacks Melanie as she is crossing the bay in a small boat, and then, Lydia finds her neighbor dead, obviously the victim of a bird attack. Soon, birds in the hundreds and thousands are attacking anyone they find out of doors. There is no explanation as to why this might be happening, and as the birds continue their vicious attacks, survival becomes the priority.
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The Last Outpost (1935) Charles Barton, Louis J. Gasnier, Cary Grant, Claude Rains, Gertrude Michael, Action, Adventure, Romance

The Last Outpost (1935)
In World War I, British-officer Michael Andrews is captured by a band of Kurdish raiders on the Eastern Front, and is rescued by a man calling himself John Stevenson, although he refuses to tell his name to Andrews. The two men form a strange friendship, and help save an entire Kurdish village from a massacre and also avert a surprise attack on the British army-unit stationed there. Andrews suffers a wounded leg and is sent to the British military-hospital in Cairo. He falls in love with a nurse, Rosemary Haydon, and she with him, but she is married although she has not seen nor heard from her husband in over three years. It is at this point that the man who saved Andrews’ life turns up to claim his wife, who is Rosemary. The latter bids adieu to Andrews who does not know that the man he considers his best friend is also the husband of the woman he loves. But, by pure coincidence and chance, both Andrews and Rosemary’s husband come face-to-face again in a remote garrison that is under…
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