Steven Helmer Publications

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 ...

Synopsis: USS Carolina has been selected for a new firing control system that must be installed by a firm deadline if the United States Navy is to have exclusive rights to it. However, when the equipment is first misdirected then subjected to acts of sabotage, it's clear someone doesn't want it installed. Things then take a deadly turn when two people are murdered. Who's in it? The movie stars Robert Taylor , Ted Healy , Jean Parker , Una Merkel and Nat Pendleton . Review: I've had Murder in the Fleet in my library for a few months and attempted to watch it on more than one occasion only to wind up picking a different movie instead. I finally took the time to see it this morning, and it turned out to be a good choice. I think the thing I liked most about this film was the fact there was no clear suspect. Due to what had to be the worst security ever, with Carolina  allowing everyone from foreign dignitaries to jilted lovers onboard (despite the top-secret nature of ...

Synopsis: A financially strapped St. Louis Cardinals baseball team hopes to win the pennant after signing star pitcher Larry Kelly. However, a crime boss hoping to make a lot of gambling money tries to prevent that from happening, first by attempting to bribe Kelly then through violence. Who's in it? The movie stars Robert Young , Madge Evans , Ted Healy , David Landau and C. Henry Gordon. Review: I came across Death on the Diamond several days ago and thought it sounded interesting enough to add to my library. I wound up watching it this morning and it ended up being a good choice. The overall plot of the movie isn't too bad. If anything, it does a good job of portraying a very real problem professional sports faced during a time when ballplayers weren't making millions of dollars and clubs weren't always profitable. While some of that might have been taking to the extreme, such as shooting a player during a game, it still felt mostly realistic and that added to t...

Synopsis: Doctor Gogol is in love with British actress Yvonne Orloc but Yvonne is already married to pianist Stephen. When Stephen's hands are severely injured in an accident, Gogol replaces them with a set of hands from a recently executed knife-throwing murderer.  Who's in it? The movie stars Peter Lorre , Frances Drake , Colin Clive , Ted Healy and Sara Haden .   Review: I've had the film Mad Love in my library for some time now. I had never watched it but knew of it, partially because of a movie spoof from the show The Simpsons. I finally got around to seeing it this morning and wasn't disappointed. One of the first things that impressed me about this movie is how it didn't make Gogol's (Lorre) weirdness/creepiness a secret. It was clear from the start he was both obsessed with Yvonne (Drake), even keeping a wax statue of her in his house. Plus, he clearly had some extra abilities, such as an apparent ability to hypnotize people. I especially liked how ...