Movie Review: Scarlet Street (1945) directed by Fritz Lang It’s 1934, well into the Great Depression, but at least Christopher Cross (Edward G. Robinson) has a job. Indeed, there’s a party tonight celebrating his 25th year as a cashier for the J.J. Hogarth (Russell Hicks) upscale menswear concern. In commemoration, the boss presents him with an… Continue reading Movie Review: Scarlet Street
Tag: embezzlement
Movie Review: Boys of the City
Movie Review: Boys of the City (1940) directed by Joseph H. Lewis Summer, 1940. New York City is in the middle of a scorching heatwave. “Knuckles” Dolan (Dave O’Brien) is worried about his kid brother Danny Dolan (Bobby Jordan) and his gang of underprivileged youths. It’s been too hot for them to exercise and blow off… Continue reading Movie Review: Boys of the City
Book Review: The Big Book of Victorian Mysteries
Book Review: The Big Book of Victorian Mysteries edited by Otto Penzler While stories that could be considered “mysteries” in some sense have existed as long as writing, and perhaps a bit before, the short story mystery came into its own during the lifetime of Queen Victoria (1837-1901). This volume collects forty-nine notable stories from… Continue reading Book Review: The Big Book of Victorian Mysteries
Book Review: Deck the Pulps
Book Review: Deck the Pulps published by Brick Pickle Media Pulp magazines, like most forms of media, liked to celebrate holidays. Such as, you know, Christmas. But being the pulps, they leavened the usual sentimentality of the season with more of their usual action and excitement. This set of nine tales covers a variety of… Continue reading Book Review: Deck the Pulps
Movie Review: Bullitt
Movie Review: Bullitt (1968) directed by Peter Yates Johnny Ross (Pat Renella) has gotten into hot water with “The Organization”, an organized crime group, for skimming funds from their wire racket. Finding things too hot for him in Cnicago, Mr. Ross offers to testify for a Senate sub-committee in San Francisco under the aegis of District… Continue reading Movie Review: Bullitt
Comic Book Review: An Inspector Calls: The Graphic Novel
Comic Book Review: An Inspector Calls: The Graphic Novel script by J.B. Priestley, adaptation by Jason Cobley, linework by Will Volley It is spring, 1912 in the English town of Brumley. Wealthy manufacturer Arthur Birling and his wife Sybil are having a small dinner party to celebrate the engagement of their daughter Sheila to Gerald… Continue reading Comic Book Review: An Inspector Calls: The Graphic Novel
Book Review: Detectives Inc.
Book Review: Detectives Inc. by William Heyliger Dr. David Stone was once a police surgeon until he lost his sight. But he did not lose his keen mystery-solving instincts. Now he and his faithful seeing eye* dog Lady take on mysterious incidents in their New Jersey small town, aided by Dr. Stone’s young nephew Joe… Continue reading Book Review: Detectives Inc.
Magazine Review: The Phantom Detective September 1935
Magazine Review: The Phantom Detective September 1935 Quick recap: The Phantom is Richard Curtis Van Loan, a wealthy man-about-town. While he started fighting crime out of boredom and a chance to get thrills, he soon developed a burning hatred of crime and major criminals that allow him to carry on a crusade. A master of… Continue reading Magazine Review: The Phantom Detective September 1935
Magazine Review: Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine August 1953
Magazine Review: Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine August 1953 edited by Ellery Queen If you’re not picky about condition, you can find a lot of cool old magazines for very reasonable prices, like say a dollar for this 1950s EQMM. At this time, editor Frederic Dannay still used his pen name of Ellery Queen on the… Continue reading Magazine Review: Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine August 1953
Book Review: The Shadow #61: The Triple Trail & Murder Genius
Book Review: The Shadow #61: The Triple Trail & Murder Genius edited by Anthony Tollin It’s time for more exciting pulp reprints of the mystery man known as the Shadow! “The Triple Trail” is by Walter B. Gibson, the original Maxwell Grant. Stanton Treblaw, collector of letters written by notable people, has been contacted by… Continue reading Book Review: The Shadow #61: The Triple Trail & Murder Genius