Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis:  Insurance adjustor John Forbes feels his life is in a rut and talks about running away to South America with his wife, Sue, and son, Tommy. When his investigator, MacDonald, discovers imprisoned embezzler Bill Smiley spent the stolen money on presents for his girlfriend, Mona Stevens, Forbes visits Mona to collect and ends up having an affair with her. She calls it off when she learns he is married but a jealous MacDonald, who knows about the affair and wants Mona for himself, attempts to leverage Mona's desire to protect Forbes' family life to his advantage. Who's in it? The movie stars Dick Powell , Raymond Burr , Lizabeth Scott , Jane Wyatt , Ann Doran and Byron Barr . Review: My wife had martial arts until 8 last night and since a steady rain meant I didn't need to water the garden or do any yardwork; I used my free time to watch a movie. This was one I had saved a few days ago and it turned out to be a good choice. At first, I wasn't really sure w...

Synopsis : A photographer that specializes in baby portraits poses as a detective to impress a beautiful woman and, a few days later, winds up in jail for murder. As he faces execution, he tells a group of reporters how he got there. Who's in it? The movie stars Bob Hope , Dorothy Lamour , Peter Lorre , Ann Doran and Lon Chaney, Jr . Review: I don't watch many Bob Hope movies but, on occasion, come across one that looks somewhat unique. That was the case with this film, which I happened to find this morning and, after watching it, I have to say it was a good choice. From a comedy standpoint, this film was pretty much what I would expect from a Bob Hope film. There is some slapstick, but the best parts are the result of Hope's quick wit. My favorite scenes had to be that weird golf game at the sanitarium and the way he escaped his pursuers by convincing numerous women in an apartment building he was their lover. I also have to say I loved Lon Chaney Jr.'s character in ...

Synopsis: Bank teller Vince Grayson has a nightmare about killing another man in a mirrored room and wakes up with blood on his hand. Later, while returning from a picnic with his sister and her husband, a police detective, Vince discovers both the house and room from his dream are real and a murder had been committed. Who's in it? The movie stars DeForest Kelley , Paul Kelly , Kay Scott , Ann Doran and Robert Emmett Keane. Review: I came across this movie a few days ago and, thinking the plot sounded interesting, ended up adding it to my library. Since it was a relatively short film, I was able to watch it this morning before heading into the office. After seeing it, I found I liked some things but wound up being disappointed overall. I'll start with the positives from this movie. The main one is the mystery surrounding Vince (Kelley) and what happened to him at that house. It becomes immediately clear his nightmare was much more than a dream, especially since he was even ...

I've been spending a chunk of my free time re-watching episodes of the television series M*A*S*H in order. As I have done this and have been reminded of the various characters on the show (both starring and supporting), I've noticed several that had the potential to keep the series going in spin-off form. Yes, I am aware the show already had spin-off attempts, including AfterMASH and W*A*L*T*E*R (both failures). However, if used correctly, some of the characters mentioned below might have been successful. Nurse Meg Cratty - Even though she only appeared in two episodes and was played by two different actresses ( Hope Summers and Ann Doran ), the civilian nurse, who cared for pregnant Korean women and ran an orphanage, could have been a great subject for a spin-off series. The show, in addition to giving us a little more backstory about how she ended up in Korea doing what she did, could have focused on some of the challenges she faced - trying to find medical supplies and...