Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis: Tom Canty is the son of an abusive and criminal father and has spent his whole life in poverty while Edward Tudor is the son of King Henry VIII and the prince of Wales. When the two boys cross paths and realize they look exactly alike, they switch clothes as a prank, only to have the resulting case of mistaken identity result in Edward being thrown off the palace grounds. When Tom tries to correct the situation, nobody believes him except for the Earl of Hertford, who uses the information to blackmail Tom, who is about to be crowned King of England, to do his bidding while arranging for the real Edward's murder. Who's in it? The movie stars Billy and Robert J. Mauch, Errol Flynn , Claude Rains, Barton MacLane and Alan Hale . Review: I didn't intend on watching a movie this morning because I hadn't picked one out ahead of time and only had a limited amount of time to choose. However, I happened to come across The Prince and the Pauper and figured it would ...

Synopsis: After being caught with a plantation owner's wife, American expatriate Sam Wilton needs to get out of South America in a hurry and does so by taking the passport of the recently deceased Mr. Kroll and boarding a cargo ship on its way to the United States. Wilton is suspicious of the ship's captain, the heavily scarred Capt. Trednor, and his interest in two passengers, Dr. Yeager and his daughter, Elsa. He later learns Trednor and his crew are Soviet agents on a suicide mission to blow up the Panama Canal with an atomic bomb. Who's in it? The movie stars Barton MacLane , Leif Erickson , Virginia Grey , Peter Coe and Rudolph Anders. Review: I came across Captain Scarface last night and while it was different movie from what I was originally looking for, I was intrigued enough by the description to give it a try. I watched it this morning and decided it was a good decision. The film takes a while to get started, taking the time to introduce each of the passengers,...

Synopsis: While arguing over a parking ticket, reporter Torchy Blane witnesses Bon-Ton department store heir Marvin Spencer being led out of a fashion show by Maitland Greer. Soon after, Spencer is found stabbed to death and Greer is the primary suspect. Torchy believes Greer is innocent but her own investigation into the case is hampered by her fiancé, Lt. Steve McBride, who is under pressure after the police are accused by other newspapers of giving Torchy preferential treatment and goes to great lengths to keep her from getting information. Who's in it? The movie stars Glenda Farrell , Barton MacLane , Tom Kennedy , Rosella Towne and Donald Briggs. Review: I had another movie picked out for this morning but had second thoughts about it, so I ended up watching Blondes at Work instead. I always have some doubts by the time a movie series gets into its fourth installment, but this turned out to be a solid choice. I think the thing I liked best about this film was the way it gav...

Synopsis: After being stood up while trying to obtain a marriage license, reporter Torchy Blane finds her fiancé, Lt. Steve McBride, investigating the murder of jeweler Milton Devereux. After forcing her way into the crime scene and discovering the hidden murder weapon, Torchy begins to suspect Lucien "Sonny" Croy, the son of a rival newspaper publisher, but has no evidence. Believing Croy is participating in an across-the-globe race so he can hide the evidence, Torchy joins the race too and is soon flying across the world to prove she's right. Who's in it? The movie stars Glenda Farrell , Barton MacLane , Tom Kennedy , Hugh O'Connell and Gordon Oliver . Review: Since I already had Fly Away Baby in my movie library, I decided to continue the Torchy Blane series and give the second installment a try. So far, this one is my favorite. While Smart Blonde and The Adventurous Blonde both were enjoyable, this film, which is bookended by those two movies, is the on...

Synopsis: After Tiny Torgeson is murdered right in front of her, reporter Torchy Blane joins her boyfriend, Det. Steve McBride, in the investigation. Torgeson, they learn, was going to buy the various businesses owned by former gangster Fitz Mularkey, who is going straight after falling in love with Marcia Friel. Fitz, angry over his friend's murder, vows to take matters into his own hands, putting Torchy and McBride in a race to find the killer before Fitz does. Who's in it? The movie stars Glenda Farrell , Barton MacLane , Charlotte Wynters, Robert Paige and Tom Kennedy. Review: I enjoyed The Adventurous Blonde a few days ago and, since that was the third movie in the Torchy Blane series, decided to watch the first one, Smart Blonde , this morning. I wasn't disappointed. At first, the murder mystery seemed a bit too easy. Torgeson (Joseph Crehan) is murdered with Chuck Cannon (Max Wagner) as the clear an obvious killer and because of that, I figured this would just b...

Synopsis: Frustrated with the way Torchy Blane always beats them to the scoop, a group of reporters conspires to embarrass her on the eve of her wedding to Det. Steve McBride by hiring actor Harvey Hammond to pretend to be murdered. Their plot goes awry when Hammond really is killed, and Blane and MacBride investigate. Who's in it? The movie stars Glenda Farrell , Barton MacLane , Anne Nagel , William Hopper and Charley Foy. Review: I was in the mood for a classic murder mystery this morning and picked The Adventurous Blonde because it looked like it might be a halfway decent comedy as well. Even though I wasn't familiar with the Torchy Blane films that preceded it, leaving me a step behind when it came to some of the characters, it ended up being a good choice. I think the thing I liked most about this film was the paring of Blane (Farrell) and McBride (MacLane). There were times when they seemed like an unlikely couple but when it came to the murder, it was clear they ma...

Synopsis: Five years after being exiled from his hometown of Rock Valley for killing Carl Avery's sons, Case Britton returns to warn the sheriff about a gang of outlaws looking to steal $75,000 from a stagecoach. The sheriff believes Britton and arranges for the money to be kept in the town's bank instead. However, with many of the townspeople still unable to trust the gunman, Britton's offer to help is refused and he is instead locked up in the jail. Meanwhile, Britton's fiancée, Della, believes he should just walk away and not put his life in any more danger, despite Britton believing Avery both killed his brother and is the one who the outlaws are working for. Who's in it? The movie stars Jim Davis , Lyn Thomas , Ted de Corsia , Barton MacLane and Harry Carey, Jr. Review: It's been a while since I last watched a classic western and since Noose for a Gunman looked somewhat interesting, I decided to give it a try this morning. While nothing I would describ...