Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis: After helping his college football team to a win on the East Coast, star football player John Hawks meets beautiful heiress Alison Corning at a party. Alison, taking a shine to Hawks, convinces her father, Stephen, to hire him as a stockbroker but the job doesn't work out because Hawks doesn't like the way Stephen swindles widows and the poor. Determined to make money without taking advantage of the innocent and knowing Stephen also runs a bootlegging operation, Hawks uses his ship, Corsair , to hijack boats owned by Stephen's partner, Big John, and sells the spoils to Stephen at a discount. However, it is only a matter of time before Big John comes up with a plan to stop him. Who's in it? The movie stars Chester Morris , Thelma Todd, Fred Kohler, Emmett Corrigan and Ned Sparks. Review: I thought about watching another Dick Tracy movie this morning but changed my mind when I came across Corsair and thought it sounded interesting. After I finished watching ...

Synopsis: While performing in a carnival sideshow, hypnotist Dr. Carlo Lombardi continually puts his assistant, Andrea into a deep enough trance to put her in control of a prehistoric sea monster that then kills people. Local authorities suspect he is behind the brutal murders but can't prove it. Meanwhile, Lombardi has been recruited to perform his show in front of wealthier audience members. Who's in it? The movie stars Chester Morris , Tom Conway , Cathy Downs , Lance Fuller and Marla English. Review: I have seen The She-Creature referenced in other media but had never seen the movie until finally coming across it and watching it this morning. Surprisingly, the film wasn't quite as bad as I was expecting it to be, but I still wouldn't go as far as to say I enjoyed it. The movie does have some things going for it. For one, the plot, while a little confusing, was admittedly a bit unique. Having the sea creature being controlled by someone who was arguably a victim...

Synopsis: While flying from Los Angeles to Panama, a commercial flight carrying nine passengers and three crew members gets caught in a storm, is thrown off course and crashes in the middle of the Amazon rainforest. Weeks later, with rescue hopes abandoned, three people already dead and hostile natives lurking in the jungle, the plane is repaired but only has one working engine, restricting the amount of weight it can handle, only five of the remaining survivors can escape. The decision about which five comes down to Vasquez, a convicted anarchist facing execution who is now carrying a gun. Who's in it? The movie stars Chester Morris , Lucille Ball , John Carradine , Allen Jenkins , Patric Knowles and Joseph Calleia . Review: I came across Five Came Back last night while scrolling through movies and thought it sounded interesting enough to add to my list. I wound up watching it this morning and it was as entertaining as I was hoping it would be. The film does take a bit to get ...

Synopsis: Crime author Neil Broderick is writing a book about the Black Ace, a killer known for warning his victims in advance by giving them an Ace of Spades. He visits wealthy Black Ace expert Thornton Drake in Chicago, befriending Martha, the daughter of Drake's secretary Austin Winters, on the train ride there. When the Black Ace leaves a warning message in a puzzle, the group, along with two police officers, take a private plane to Louisiana. However, the threat wasn't meant for Drake and during a blackout on the plane, Winters is murdered instead. Who's in it? The movie stars Chester Morris , Vivienne Osborne , Frank McHugh , Allen Jenkins and Grant Mitchell . Review: I came across this movie on Paramount Plus early this morning and, while the description left a lot to be desired, the short runtime made it a good choice before heading into the office. Overall, I'd have to say it exceeded my expectations. I am a big fan of "locked room" mysteries and ...