Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis: After her son is killed in a racing accident, Lenora Spence hires struggling attorney Preston Morgan to visit her estranged daughter-in-law, Sabena, in Acapulco with an offer of $500,000 to give up custody of her son to the wealthy heiress. Even though success would mean a life-changing commission, Preston is relieved when Sabena refuses and the pair even begin a romantic relationship. However, Sabena's twin sister, Dara, and her husband are desperate for money and scheme to murder Sabena so Dara can take her place. Who's in it? The movie stars Craig Hill , Marcia Henderson, Robert Lowery , Irene Tedow, Dayton Lummis and David Renard. Review: I had other movies in my library, but when I came across Deadly Duo last night, I decided to add it to the top of my list and wound up watching it this morning. It proved to be a solid movie that wasn't anywhere near as predictable as I feared it would be. Marcia Henderson does an excellent job in her dual role as both Sab...

Synopsis: A struggling sculptor rescues a deformed mad man from the river, nurses him back to health and uses him as a model for his next work of art. However, frustrated by bad reviews, he eventually uses "The Creeper" to get revenge on the critics that have left him hungry and unable to pay his bills. Who's in it?  The movie stars Rondo Hatton, Robert Lowery , Virginia Grey , Martin Kosleck, Alan Napier and Bill Goodwin. Review: My oldest daughter and I watched House of Horrors some time ago but when I came across it again this evening, I didn't remember much about it. I gave it a chance, and it proved to be as good as I remembered. There is an award celebrating classic horror research creativity and preservation named and modeled after actor Rondo Hatton. This movie is a great example of the reasons why. His performance as the Creeper is one that stands the test of time, even nearly 80 years after this movie first was released. His character was a remorseless ki...

Synopsis: Commercial jingle writer Jimmy O'Brien discovers Mary Adams' incredible singing voice and is determined to get her a recording contract, both to further his career as a songwriter and the hope for romance. He and his friend Sammy record a demo record of Mary singing along to a radio performance of the popular Tommy Taylor Band, meant for their record producer boss J. P. O'Hara only. However, a mix-up results in 10,000 copies being produced and distributed, putting O'Hara in jeopardy of being sued out of business and Jimmy's relationship with Mary on the rocks. Who's in it? The movie stars Robert Lowery , Dona Drake, Sidney Miller, Irene Ryan and Tim Ryan . Review: I ended up picking out Hot Rhythm for my morning movie today mostly because I saw it had Irene Ryan and while I am a huge fan of her work from The Beverly Hillbillies, I realized I hadn't seen many (if any) of her movies, especially with her husband, Tim. As it turns out, this was an...

Synopsis: Dress store model Peggy Rooney is dating the store's stockboy, Jimmy O'Brien, leading to some jealousy when another model, Yvonne, shows interest in him. When Yvonne is found murdered and Jimmy becomes the primary suspect, Peggy tries to help him clear his name. However, when another model and the store's owner are also murdered, she becomes a suspect too. Who's in it? The movie stars Marjorie Weaver , Robert Lowery , Tim Ryan , Lorna Gray and Dewey Robinson. Review: I came across Fashion Model some time ago but while it sounded interesting, I didn't get an opportunity to watch it until this morning. Overall, I have to say it turned out to be a good choice. While primarily a comedy movie, the murder mystery was a solid one. You had three dead bodies, no clear motive, other than an expensive broach floating around the store, and no real suspects other than Jimmy (Lowery), who was caught with two of the bodies and had been overheard (in comical fashion)...

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...

Synopsis: A series of accidents begins to plague the Norris Trucking Company, prompting an investigation when the company's heiress, Henrietta Denton, is killed in one of them. When there is another death, truck driver Hank Wilson, the man who found and tried to save Henrietta, comes under suspicion and the only way he can avoid a murder charge is finding out the truth. Who's in it? The movie stars Robert Lowery , Pamela Blake , Clem Bevans , Michael Whalen and Lyle Talbot. Review: I came across Highway 13 on Amazon Prime Video last night and decided to add it to my list for this morning. It seemed like an intriguing mystery and had a handful of actors that I recognized. After seeing it, I thought it was a good choice. The various truck accidents were clearly not just accidents because there were just too many of them. However, the motive for wrecking the trucks and the person behind them were unclear. Hank (Lowery) was as good of a suspect as any of them, though the accus...