Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis: Nancy and Jimmy, a young couple working as medical assistants, witness a group of men murdering Judge Roger Shaw. When another man, recently released convict and musician John Ellman, is falsely accused of the murder, Nancy convinces Jimmy it is too dangerous for them to come forward and by the time she changes her mind, Ellman has already been convicted and executed. Seeking to right the wrong, their employer, Dr. Beaumont, brings Ellman back to life with a mechanical heart he has been developing. Ellman is alive but in an almost zombie-like state with no memory of what happened. However, a supernatural instinct lets him know who framed him and he begins to seek revenge. Who's in it? The movie stars Boris Karloff , Edmund Gwenn ,  Marguerite Churchill , Warren Hull and Ricardo Cortez . Review: As a general rule, I've found you can rarely go wrong with a Boris Karloff movie so, when I went in search of a film to watch this morning and saw The Walking Dead was ava...

Synopsis: After two years of playing detective roles, Philip Trent is in need of a break and attempts to escape his fame by taking a cruise. However, in addition to being accosted by fans, his vacation is interrupted by a fake murder, staged by author Peter Dean, who wants him to star in a movie based on her latest book. If that isn't bad enough, Trent is soon caught up in a real murder mystery when a second and real dead body is found in his cabin. Who's in it? The movie stars Edmund Lowe , Elissa Landi , Ted Healy , Edmund Gwenn and Edgar Kennedy. Review: I came across Mad Holiday on one of my movie channels last night and decided to add it to my library to watch this morning. I wasn't completely sure what to expect from this mystery/comedy, but it ended up being an entertaining choice. I think the thing I liked most about this film was the chemistry between Trent (Lowe) and Dean (Landi). There was a mix of competitiveness and romance that made them fun to watch as a ...

It's that time of year again, when I can watch Christmas movies and have it be seasonably acceptable. And, as I start doing that, I do find myself reflecting on the movies I've watched dozens of times and, in particular, those that have Santa Claus. Even though Santa should be one of the easiest characters to play, not all movie Santas are treated equal. So, I'd like to share my four favorites. Ed Asner in Elf A lot of Christmas comedies make the mistake of trying to make Santa Claus funny too. That doesn't need to be the case, however, and it is usually best to keep Santa in more of a "straight man" role. Even though Asner only has a few minutes in this movie, he does a great job of that when asked and comes off as both serious and compassionate, two things I would expect to see from Santa. Edmund Gwenn in Miracle on 34th Street I think the thing that always wins me over about this version of Santa Claus is the mystery surrounding him. Is Kris ...

Synopsis: A Macy's department store Santa impresses shoppers and inspires a nation-wide spirit of goodwill. There's just one problem, he insists he really is Santa Claus and ultimately faces being committed to a mental institution as a result. His only hope is a young lawyer who is determined to prove Kris Kringle really is Santa. Who's in it? The movie stars Edmund Gwenn , Maureen O'Hara , John Payne , Natalie Wood and Gene Lockhart . Review: I wasn't planning on watching this movie last night. But, it happened to be on one of our movie channels and, since I hadn't seen it (at least in its entirety) in a long while, I decided to take the time to watch it. After doing so, I'm glad I did. This is one of those movies that has been on TV so many times, people tend to grow a little tired of it after a while. But, 70 years after its first showing, I think it remains one of the best Christmas movies ever made. I think the thing I like most about thi...