Reviews (5)

IT MIGHT NOT BE THE CAPTAIN AMERICA WE KNOW, BUT...
CAPTAIN AMERICA GOES UP AGAINST THE SCARAB. UNLIKE THE CAPTAIN AMERICA OF THE COMICS, CAP ACTUALLY TOTES A GUN AND HIS IDENTITY IS NOT STEVE ROGERS. AND HE'S NOT A SOLDIER. HE'S A DISTRICT ATTORNEY. DESPITE THOSE MAJOR CHANGES, THIS 15-CHAPTER SERIAL IS STILL ENTERTAINING AND SUSPENSEFUL. I REALLY WISH I STILL HAD THIS CLASSIC MOVIE. IF YOU HAVE 3 HOURS TO SPARE, WATCH THIS MOVIE FROM BEGINNNG TO END. YOU WON'T REGRET IT.

An Oldie but a Goodie!!!
Because of some legal snafu at the time this was made, certain things about the good captain have been changed: he's not called Steve Rogers, he doesn't carry a shield, he doesn't have wings on his head, he's not a soldier but a lawyer. the good stuff is that the video transfer looks good and it has LOTS of action. Cap is quite the brawler in this serial. One other thing: one of the episode title cards comes up as "Return of Captain America". I assume it's because they couldn't find a good quality copy of that specific episode and settled for a reissue version of it instead. Quality declines for that one episode otherwise, it's a fun three hours!!

Average, Not really Cap
This film is a rather exciting,suspencful flick. The only problem is that it really isn't cap. He isn't Steve Rogers, Military man But he is Grant Gardner, District Attorney Had it been any other costumed hero, It could've got a higher rating. But due to its vivid storytelling and great action scenes. I give it a passing grade

Hokey,but a classic serial
Clang!The Red Skull flies back as Cap`s shield smashes his arm. The Skull lies sprawled on the floor then Cap walks up to him and solemnly says"Where is Bucky?" That is how I always envisioned a WWII Captain America movie. But that is not close to this version. District Attorney Grant Gardner ,who is secretly Captain America, and his secretary Gail Richards track down the identity of The Scarab,a master criminal. Cap somehow manages to escape bombs,exploding planes,several bullets and a whole bunch of other things before he realizes the Scarab`s identity. The only connection to the comic is his costume and name,otherwise it is unrecognizeable. For die hard Cap fans,it`s fun stuff,but if you want a serial about a WWII masked avenger,check out Spy Smasher.

It's not Cap, but OK as an average 1940's serial
Being a serial lover, I love the action in this serial. The plot itself is completely Saturday Matinee. The villian, The Scarab, may be a no-namer, but weren't all the superhero villians in these serials no-namers? There are lots of shoot-outs and interesting cliff-hangers. It sorta keeps you guessing how it Cap will get out of them. However, being a Cap fan, I am disappointed by the complete changing of the character. First, Cap's a LAWYER! Worst of all, Cap DOESN'T have his shield!!! Cap uses a GUN instead!!! Cap critically wounds people! Is this the Cap we know and love? The un-"Capness" of Cap brings down the serial. However, when viewed just as a serial, it is pretty entertaining. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Actress Ida Lupino became an accidental auteur when director Elmer Clifton suffered a heart attack three days into the production of this independent feature, which Lupino cowrote (with later blacklistee Paul Jarrico) and coproduced. It was the beginning of a second career for Lupino, who quietly became the only woman director working in Hollywood in the 1950s. Lupino effortlessly transfers the unsentimental pragmatism of her screen character to this surprisingly distanced account of an unhappy young woman (newcomer Sally Forrest) who runs away from her stifling small-town home. She dreams of joining the surly, sexy jazz pianist (Leo Penn, in a performance that strikingly anticipates the work of his son Sean) but has to settle for the fey attentions of boyish gas-pump jockey Keefe Brasselle, whose idea of fun runs more to toy trains and merry-go-rounds. Lupino uses extremely long takes to highlight the character's sense of isolation and entrapment, but her standoffish camera never allows the film to descend to melodramatic pathos, even when the girl discovers she's pregnant and seeks refuge in a prisonlike home for unwed mothers. Among the film's many astonishing protofeminist moments is a vision of childbirth as blurry expressionist nightmare. --Dave Kehr ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Curious Movie in Film History
Sally Forrest stars as Sally, a nineteen year old girl who gets involved with pianist Leo Penn, falls hard for him, even following him to another town to be with him. He's not interested, so she takes up with a boyish war veteran, played earnestly by Keefe Brasselle. When she discovers she is pregnant by Penn, her life is turned upside down again. The storyline is presented straightforwardly, something that surprised me given that the film was made in 1949. Actress Ida Lupino directed most of the film, although she is not credited, and in some ways, it matches the tough character she so often played on screen. The film presents the girl's plight with heart, but doesn't really get sentimental. It's starkly photographed, with elements of silent film incorporated, as long passages of time in the film are viewed without words and using montages instead. The actors are good, the story simple, and apart from an excessively melodramatic conclusion, it's a tight little film worth a look by today's audiences, especially those interested in the development of film. It's a chance to see a film from pretty much the only female director of her time, presenting a story from the point of view of a woman. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

IT MIGHT NOT BE THE CAPTAIN AMERICA WE KNOW, BUT...
CAPTAIN AMERICA GOES UP AGAINST THE SCARAB. UNLIKE THE CAPTAIN AMERICA OF THE COMICS, CAP ACTUALLY TOTES A GUN AND HIS IDENTITY IS NOT STEVE ROGERS. AND HE'S NOT A SOLDIER. HE'S A DISTRICT ATTORNEY. DESPITE THOSE MAJOR CHANGES, THIS 15-CHAPTER SERIAL IS STILL ENTERTAINING AND SUSPENSEFUL. I REALLY WISH I STILL HAD THIS CLASSIC MOVIE. IF YOU HAVE 3 HOURS TO SPARE, WATCH THIS MOVIE FROM BEGINNNG TO END. YOU WON'T REGRET IT.

An Oldie but a Goodie!!!
Because of some legal snafu at the time this was made, certain things about the good captain have been changed: he's not called Steve Rogers, he doesn't carry a shield, he doesn't have wings on his head, he's not a soldier but a lawyer. the good stuff is that the video transfer looks good and it has LOTS of action. Cap is quite the brawler in this serial. One other thing: one of the episode title cards comes up as "Return of Captain America". I assume it's because they couldn't find a good quality copy of that specific episode and settled for a reissue version of it instead. Quality declines for that one episode otherwise, it's a fun three hours!!

Average, Not really Cap
This film is a rather exciting,suspencful flick. The only problem is that it really isn't cap. He isn't Steve Rogers, Military man But he is Grant Gardner, District Attorney Had it been any other costumed hero, It could've got a higher rating. But due to its vivid storytelling and great action scenes. I give it a passing grade

Hokey,but a classic serial
Clang!The Red Skull flies back as Cap`s shield smashes his arm. The Skull lies sprawled on the floor then Cap walks up to him and solemnly says"Where is Bucky?" That is how I always envisioned a WWII Captain America movie. But that is not close to this version. District Attorney Grant Gardner ,who is secretly Captain America, and his secretary Gail Richards track down the identity of The Scarab,a master criminal. Cap somehow manages to escape bombs,exploding planes,several bullets and a whole bunch of other things before he realizes the Scarab`s identity. The only connection to the comic is his costume and name,otherwise it is unrecognizeable. For die hard Cap fans,it`s fun stuff,but if you want a serial about a WWII masked avenger,check out Spy Smasher.

It's not Cap, but OK as an average 1940's serial
Being a serial lover, I love the action in this serial. The plot itself is completely Saturday Matinee. The villian, The Scarab, may be a no-namer, but weren't all the superhero villians in these serials no-namers? There are lots of shoot-outs and interesting cliff-hangers. It sorta keeps you guessing how it Cap will get out of them. However, being a Cap fan, I am disappointed by the complete changing of the character. First, Cap's a LAWYER! Worst of all, Cap DOESN'T have his shield!!! Cap uses a GUN instead!!! Cap critically wounds people! Is this the Cap we know and love? The un-"Capness" of Cap brings down the serial. However, when viewed just as a serial, it is pretty entertaining. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A 15-chapter serial climaxing in "Custer's Last Stand"
This version of "Custer's Last Stand" is actually a 15-chapter Western serial produced in 1936 and directed by Elmer Clifton. Chapters have such exciting titles as "Perils of the Plains," "Thundering Hoofs," "Fires of Vengeance," "Human Wolves," "Demons of Disaster," "White Treachery," "Circle of Death," "Custer's Last Ride" and "The Last Stand." Frank McGlynn plays Custer but the main hero of these adventures is his scout, Kit Cardigan, played by Rex Lease. The serial takes a nod towards the actual history of the Plains War by having a conflict between Indians and miners when gold is discovered on sacred Indian land. The main plot has to do with an Indian medicine arrow that is left behind after an Indian attack. Tom "Keen" Blade (Reed Howes) wants to learn where the gold is but the Indians will not tell him until he gets the arrow back. Consequently, Blade starts tracking down and killing the survivors, including John Cardigan, the father of Kit Cardigan (Lease plays both parts). Kit starts searching for his father's killer while Custer and the Seventh Calvary try to protect the settlers and head towards their destiny at the Little Big Horn at the climax of the serial.

The historical accuracy of "Custer's Last Stand" is certainly suspect but you have to appreciate the number of real people who are thrown into this serial. In additional to Custer and his senior officers Major Reno (Franklyn Farnum) and Captain Benteen (Lafe McKee), this film includes Will Bill Hickock (Allen Greer), Calamity Jane (Helen Gibson), Buffalo Bill Cody (Ted Adams), and Elizabeth Custer (Ruth Mix). I was also surprised to see that the Indians were played by actual Native Americans: Chief Sitting Bull was played by Howling Wolf and High Eagle played Crazy Horse. At least these were actors who were purported to be Native Americans. Chief Brown Fox was played by Iron Eyes Cody, who would achieve fame in the Seventies as the Indian who shed tears over America's blighted environment in a series of famous "Keep America Beautiful" ads; but Cody was born Espera DeCorti and was of Italian descent. Of course, Red Fawn, the Indian love interest of Kit Cardigan, is played by anglo actress Dorothy Gulliver.

All in all I thought this was an okay serial. The interpretations of Custer and the other "heroes" of the Old West are what you would expect them to be. The cliffhangers tend to be contrived, but that is to be expected with a serial; actually, that would be the whole point. The climatic battle actually ends up becoming a secondary consideration to Kit finding his father's killer, but the Battle of the Little Bighorn is actually intergrated into the overall story in a halfway decent way. If you have the opportunity you should watch "Custer's Last Stand" the way it was intended: one episode a day (restricting yourself to one each Saturday morning might be a bit much). Doing so will help you get into the spirit of the serial. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Watchable Low Budget Western
Tex and sidekicks Dave Wyatt and Panhaldle Perkins try to discover the identity of "The skull," a masked rider who rides a horse that makes no noise (unfortunately little is ever made of this last interesting characteristic). A typical low budget western with wooden acting from all but the 3 principals. Panhandle's comedy would probably steal the show (first he is almost hanged and then later he is made town marshall) except for Tex Ritter. With that distinctive voice, you always know when Tex is talking. Tex may not have been the best cowboy actor, but he was one of the very best singers and, next to John Wayne, had the most recognizable speaking voice. Tex sings only two short songs here (one is only partially completed)--one only wonders why? Alpha's DVD print is, as usual, unrestored, but it is better than some other prints in their catalog and it is watchable. There aren't any missing portions or other frustrating breaks. All in all, this western is far below the highest quality standard set by the superbly filmed Hopalong Cassidy westerns of the era, but then this film was shot by PRC on a low budget. There are so few Tex Ritter westerns on DVD that I recommend buying this one while it is still in print. The story isn't bad, Panhandle Perkins is an interesting character, but the chief reason for your purchase will be Tex Ritter. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

yet another drug film from the 30's.
ASSASSIN OF YOUTH is yet another drug film from the 1930's, this time concerning a young reporter who goes undercover as a soda jerk in order to expose the marihuana use that is rampant among the teenagers.

Along the way there are many memorable scenes; including one of a catfight between two girls armed with butchers knives!

Starring Luana Walters, Arthur Gardener, Fay McKenzie and Michael Owen... ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Actress Ida Lupino became an accidental auteur when director Elmer Clifton suffered a heart attack three days into the production of this independent feature, which Lupino cowrote (with later blacklistee Paul Jarrico) and coproduced. It was the beginning of a second career for Lupino, who quietly became the only woman director working in Hollywood in the 1950s. Lupino effortlessly transfers the unsentimental pragmatism of her screen character to this surprisingly distanced account of an unhappy young woman (newcomer Sally Forrest) who runs away from her stifling small-town home. She dreams of joining the surly, sexy jazz pianist (Leo Penn, in a performance that strikingly anticipates the work of his son Sean) but has to settle for the fey attentions of boyish gas-pump jockey Keefe Brasselle, whose idea of fun runs more to toy trains and merry-go-rounds. Lupino uses extremely long takes to highlight the character's sense of isolation and entrapment, but her standoffish camera never allows the film to descend to melodramatic pathos, even when the girl discovers she's pregnant and seeks refuge in a prisonlike home for unwed mothers. Among the film's many astonishing protofeminist moments is a vision of childbirth as blurry expressionist nightmare. --Dave Kehr ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Curious Movie in Film History
Sally Forrest stars as Sally, a nineteen year old girl who gets involved with pianist Leo Penn, falls hard for him, even following him to another town to be with him. He's not interested, so she takes up with a boyish war veteran, played earnestly by Keefe Brasselle. When she discovers she is pregnant by Penn, her life is turned upside down again. The storyline is presented straightforwardly, something that surprised me given that the film was made in 1949. Actress Ida Lupino directed most of the film, although she is not credited, and in some ways, it matches the tough character she so often played on screen. The film presents the girl's plight with heart, but doesn't really get sentimental. It's starkly photographed, with elements of silent film incorporated, as long passages of time in the film are viewed without words and using montages instead. The actors are good, the story simple, and apart from an excessively melodramatic conclusion, it's a tight little film worth a look by today's audiences, especially those interested in the development of film. It's a chance to see a film from pretty much the only female director of her time, presenting a story from the point of view of a woman. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Clara Bow landed her first sizable role in the 1922 adventure Down to the Sea in Ships, playing a supporting part as the scrappy tomboy granddaughter of a Quaker whaling magnate. The film has little to do with her and everything to do with the thrilling record of authentically re-created 19th-century whaling, captured by director Elmer Clifton and cinematographer Alexander G. Penrod. The story is a tired romantic melodrama of scheming villains and nasty foreign devils and young lovers thwarted, but the exciting footage on the high seas is utterly captivating, making this a one-of-a-kind document of a long-gone culture. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Early, and small Clara Bow appearance.
"Down To The Sea In Ships" was released in 1922. I would like to point out that Clara Bow is not the main star, her role is more of a supporting one.

The basic story is:
William Morgan (William Walcott) is a Quaker who is the person who controls a load of Whaling ships that sail from New Bedford. He has a daughter named Patience (Marguerite Coutot) who her father will not let her marry any man other than a Quaker whaler. His granddaughter his a tomboy named 'Dot' (Clara Bow). There are these two guys, Finner and Siggs (Patrick Hartigan and J. Thornton Baston) who are intending to steal Morgan's whaling ships so that they can transport African gold. Finner not only wants the ships, but he also wants Morgan's daughter. Siggs is a Japanese-American. Finner makes Siggs dress as a Quaker to make out hes in the Morgan business. Siggs turns out to be good at the work and manages to get to talk with Morgan's daughter, Patience, and tries to get her to marry him. During this time, Thomas Allan Dexter (Raymond McKee) comes home from college. He and Patience - who they knew from childhood - start getting to know each other again and sooner or later, want to marry. Since Dexter is not a Quaker, Morgan does not allow him to marry his daughter, so Dexter signs on as a whaler. Finner decides to make sure he gets Dexter on a ship that he will more than likely not come back from. The ships sets off the next day. The bad thing is, 'Dot' happens to be hiding away on this same ship disguised as a sailer, just to be with the cabin boy, Jimmy, who she is crazy about. I wont give away the rest, but just to say that the film has some amazing footage of whalers at sea that really make the film a joy to watch. Not to mention the small scenes with Clara Bow.

This is a worthwile movie for any fan of either silent film, or Clara Bow to see. The film is also available on a Kino DVD double feature with another Clara Bow movie, "Parisian Love". ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Read A Book........... Any Book!!!
This movie actually put the fish in my aquarium to sleep! It has no plot, point, or reason to be for sale. Trust me save you 5 bucks! ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Actress Ida Lupino became an accidental auteur when director Elmer Clifton suffered a heart attack three days into the production of this independent feature, which Lupino cowrote (with later blacklistee Paul Jarrico) and coproduced. It was the beginning of a second career for Lupino, who quietly became the only woman director working in Hollywood in the 1950s. Lupino effortlessly transfers the unsentimental pragmatism of her screen character to this surprisingly distanced account of an unhappy young woman (newcomer Sally Forrest) who runs away from her stifling small-town home. She dreams of joining the surly, sexy jazz pianist (Leo Penn, in a performance that strikingly anticipates the work of his son Sean) but has to settle for the fey attentions of boyish gas-pump jockey Keefe Brasselle, whose idea of fun runs more to toy trains and merry-go-rounds. Lupino uses extremely long takes to highlight the character's sense of isolation and entrapment, but her standoffish camera never allows the film to descend to melodramatic pathos, even when the girl discovers she's pregnant and seeks refuge in a prisonlike home for unwed mothers. Among the film's many astonishing protofeminist moments is a vision of childbirth as blurry expressionist nightmare. --Dave Kehr ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Curious Movie in Film History
Sally Forrest stars as Sally, a nineteen year old girl who gets involved with pianist Leo Penn, falls hard for him, even following him to another town to be with him. He's not interested, so she takes up with a boyish war veteran, played earnestly by Keefe Brasselle. When she discovers she is pregnant by Penn, her life is turned upside down again. The storyline is presented straightforwardly, something that surprised me given that the film was made in 1949. Actress Ida Lupino directed most of the film, although she is not credited, and in some ways, it matches the tough character she so often played on screen. The film presents the girl's plight with heart, but doesn't really get sentimental. It's starkly photographed, with elements of silent film incorporated, as long passages of time in the film are viewed without words and using montages instead. The actors are good, the story simple, and apart from an excessively melodramatic conclusion, it's a tight little film worth a look by today's audiences, especially those interested in the development of film. It's a chance to see a film from pretty much the only female director of her time, presenting a story from the point of view of a woman. ... Read more