Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis: A transport plane carrying three passengers crash lands on a remote Caribbean island after picking up a radio signal believed to be from a missing admiral. The men discover and take refuge in a mansion owned by Dr. Miklos Sangre.  Sangre is hospitable but also suspicious and the men soon learn he is both hiding a radio and has been creating an army of zombies that includes his wife, Alyce. Who's in it? The movie stars Dick Purcell , Joan Woodbury , Mantan Moreland , Henry Victor and Marguerite Whitten Review: It's been a while since I last watched a zombie-themed movie, so I decided to give King of the Zombies a chance this morning. After watching it, I would describe it as a film with promise that proved to be a disappointment in no small part because it seemed to have a hard time picking a genre. As far as the main plot goes, it was OK albeit far from original. The island setting, with no apparent means of escape, worked for the zombie theme and I thought ...

Synopsis: After having her passport lost or stolen while on tour in a British West African colony, American singer Nora Brooks is stranded at a hotel while waiting for replacement documentation that will allow her to return to the United States. When a fight breaks out during one of her performances, leaving a man dead, Nora runs into the jungle and eventually takes refuge in a camp run by paleontologist Larry Mason. What she doesn't know is the deceased bar patron was carrying documents exposing a Nazi spy ring and those papers were stashed in her jacket before she fled, painting a target on her back. Who's in it? The movie stars Arline Judge , John "Dusty" King, Mantan Moreland , Arthur O'Connell and Laurence Criner. Review: I came across Law of the Jungle last night and since it sounded somewhat interesting, added it to my movie library. I decided to watch the film right away this morning and unfortunately, while the premise was decent, the execution was la...

Synopsis: While working as a page at a Hollywood radio station, Frankie Ryan aspires to be an on-air comedian with his friend, Jeff Jefferson while also doing his best to convince producer Bob Farrell to give a singing audition to the beautiful Anne Mason, who works at the radio station receptionist desk. He soon finds himself caught up in a mystery when the station's top talent, Rita Wilson, is murdered during a rehearsal and a singing cowboy, Tex Barton, is later found killed.  The mystery takes a whole new urgency when the police arrest Anne for the crimes. Who's in it? The movie stars Frankie Darro , Mantan Moreland , Marjorie Reynolds, Tristram Coffin , Dick Elliott , Lorna Gray and Clyde Dilson. Review: I was recently introduced to actor Frankie Darro when watching another movie this week and was surprised when I realized he starred in Up in the Air , a movie that has been in my library for a couple months, but I just never got around to watching. After making that di...

Synopsis: Bellhop Buzzy O'Brien dreams of solving crimes like his father, a now-deceased police officer, and while he has had some success, family friend Det. Steve Lanahan doesn't like Buzzy's meddling, which he knows can put the young man in danger.  This comes to a head when a banker is murdered in Buzzy's hotel and Buzzy chooses to protect the police's top suspect, Kitty Monahan, because he doesn't believe someone with that last name could commit murder. Facing possible jail time for interfering in the investigation, Buzzy must figure out who the real killer is before Steve or the hotel detective, Fluger, catch and arrest him. Who's in it? The movie stars Frankie Darro , Dick Purcell , Mantan Moreland , Sheila Darcy and James Flavin. Review: While trying to decide if I wanted to watch vampire movie this morning or a fantasy film promising plenty of sword fighting, I happened to come across Irish Luck. Unable to decide between my first two choices, I e...

Synopsis: Professor Cosmo Jones, who recently graduated correspondence school with a degree in criminal psychology, witnesses a body being dumped in front of the police station and takes an interest in the case that results in him getting thrown in jail by Police Chief Murphy. After Pat Flanagan secures his release, the grateful Jones insists on helping the police sergeant catch both the killer and, later, the person who attempts to kidnap heiress Phyllis Blake. However, his meddling results in Flanagan being demoted and a misunderstanding that puts Flanagan's romance with Susan Fleming on the rocks. Who's in it? The movie stars Frank Graham, Edgar Kennedy , Gale Storm , Richard Cromwell, Gwen Kenyon and Mantan Moreland . Review: I still can't remember the name of the movie I thought I picked out a couple nights ago but, while searching for it again, I did come across Cosmo Jones in the Crime Smasher and thought it looked interesting enough to give a try. I watched it t...

Synopsis: Two down-on-their-luck friends, Washington and Jefferson, fleece a pair of rich men at a game of dice and with more money than they've ever seen, they visit a club run by Dr. Brutus Blake. Another run of good luck at dice results in the pair winning the club, which they later learn is haunted by the relatives that Blake inherited it from. Who's in it? The movie stars Mantan Moreland , F. E. Miller, Maceo Bruce Sheffield, Florence O'Brien and Arthur Ray. Review: I was a bit undecided about watching Lucky Ghost because I was concerned an all-Black comedy made in the 1940s would focus too much on stereotypes and leave me feeling a lot more uncomfortable than entertained. However, I ended up giving it a shot and, for the most part, it wound up being better than expected. The pair of Washington (Moreland) and Jefferson (Miller) reminded me a bit of Abbott and Costello, with Washington in the Costello role of always accidentally himself into trouble (and somehow bei...

Synopsis: Upon learning of his sister's death, Larry Adams travels to the estate of her husband, Dr. Max Heinrich Von Altermann with private detective Scott Warrington to learn more. When they arrive, they learn his sister, Lila, along with many of the servants, has been brought back from the dead by Von Altermann and is now a zombie. However, unlike the other zombies, Lila is able to act independently and has a plan to get revenge on her husband. Who's in it? The movie stars John Carradine , Robert Lowery , Gale Storm , Bob Steele , Mantan Moreland and Mauritz Hugo . Review: I picked out Revenge of the Zombies this morning because it's been a while since I last watched a zombie movie and, at least from the brief description, I was intrigued. As it turns out, I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. The movie, which is described as a horror/comedy, falls much more in the latter category, with a surprisingly large number of scenes being dominated by the driver...