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: First cast as a 15-year-old teenager in a film role that would earn her the nickname of "the Sweater Girl," Lana Turner became a Hollywood sex symbol and went on to a film and television career that lasted from the 1930s until the 1980s. Behind the scenes, however, Turner's life wasn't so glamorous, filled with failed and abusive romances, including to Johnny Stompanato, a mobster working for crime boss Mickey Cohen, a relationship that eventually ended with Stompanato dead on her bedroom floor and her teenage daughter, Cheryl, willingly taking the blame for the stabbing.  This non-fiction book presents an account of Turner's life, how it reached that pivotal point and the impact of the scandal on her career and mother/daughter relationship. Review:   A a classic movie fan, I was well-aware of both Lana Turner's film work and the scandal that nearly completely derailed her career. So, when I came across A Murder in Hollywood at the library, I deci...

Synopsis: Francis Warren has a secret. Even though he is already a successful investment consultant by day, he writes scandalous mystery novels under the penname F. X. Pettijohn on the side, something his wife doesn't even know. The latter comes into play when he accepts a new but shady client, Leopold Fissure, who insists on his help turning uncut diamonds into money if he doesn't want his secret revealed. This becomes even more complicated when Fissure is found murdered on a yacht. Who's in it? The movie stars Errol Flynn , Alan Hale , Brenda Marshall , Ralph Bellamy and Lee Patrick . Review: I came across Footsteps in the Dark a couple days ago and, because I usually enjoy Errol Flynn movies and almost always enjoy murder mysteries, I added it to my library. I watched it early this morning before heading into the office and it turned out to be a good choice. I'm always somewhat amused by classic movies like this by the way the authorities are so willing to let a...

Synopsis: Attorney Perry Mason puts his vacation plans on hold to help his newly-married ex-girlfriend when the husband she believed was deceased reappears in her life only to be murdered. Mason believes she is innocent but faces uphill odds against a district attorney willing to pull out all the stops to hand him his first defeat and her new husband's family willing to pay for a guilty verdict to minimize the scandal. Who's in it? The movie stars Warren William , Margaret Lindsay , Donald Woods , Claire Dodd and Allen Jenkins . Review: My wife and kids went to a haunted house with my brother-in-law on Friday while I opted to stay home (I won't pay money for PG-13 haunted houses). While waiting for them to get back, I decided to watch a movie and, since I enjoyed my last Perry Mason film, gave this one a try. Overall, I thought it was pretty good. I think the thing I liked best about this movie was the way all the evidence supported the accusations against Mason's ...

Synopsis:  Convicted of treason after helping a rebel during the Monmouth Rebellion against King James II, Dr. Peter Blood is sold into slavery in India. He is purchased by the niece of a local military commander and, with her help, becomes the governor's physician. However, despite his relatively easy workload, Blood's desire to be a free man results in him escaping with other slaves and becoming a pirate captain. Who's in it? The movie stars Errol Flynn , Olivia de Havilland , Lionel Atwill , Basil Rathbone and Ross Alexander. Review: I have seen bits and pieces of this movie over the years but had never actually taken the time to watch the film in its entirety. I changed that this weekend when, feeling a bit lazy on Sunday, decided to finally watch it. After doing so, I have to say it has become one of my favorite pirate movies. The overall story was an intriguing one. Blood (Flynn) starts out as a former soldier determined to choose helping people over violence but, ...