DVD Review: Bombs Over Burma (1942, AKA The Devil’s Sister).

Directed by Joseph H. Lewis
Produced by Arthur Alexander & Alfred Stern
Screenplay by Joseph H. Lewis & George Wellington Pardy
Story by Milton Raison
Cinematography: Robert E. Cline
Edited by Charles Henkel Jr.
Music by Lee Zahler

Cast: Anna May Wong (Lin Ying), Noel Madison (Me-Hoi), Leslie Denison (Sir Roger Howe), Nedrick Young (Slim Jenkins), Dan Seymour (Pete Brogranza), Frank Lackteen (Hallam), Teala Loring (Lucy Dell), Dennis Moore (Tom Whitley), Connie Leon (Ma Sing)

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Several years ago, I kinda went nuts over Joseph H. Lewis — one of the best of the B movie directors, spurred on as much by his 50-plus episodes of The Rifleman as by films like Gun Crazy (1950), The Big Combo (1955) and A Lawless Street (1955). And I’m ecstatic that Film Masters has given us a decent-looking DVD of Bombs Over Burma (1942).

With the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and the United States’ entry into World War II, as you’d expect, war was on everybody’s minds. It’d been going on for a while, but now it was here. As with most big topical stories, Hollywood saw potential in the war — and they got right on it. One of the first was PRC with Bombs Over Burma (1942), which went from announcement to theaters in just a couple of months.

Anna May Wong is a Chinese school teacher/secret agent who tackles a spy ring (lead by a traitorous English diplomat working with the Germans) that’s sabotaging the construction of the vital Burma Road.

Miss Wong is always fascinating to watch; there’s just something about her (she’s incredible in Sternberg’s Shanghai Express). She’s especially effective in the early scenes when a young boy is killed in a raid, and it’s cool to see her have a real lead for a change.

This being a Poverty Row war movie, you wouldn’t expect a lot of battle scenes, but they’re here — patched together from stock footage and really impressive editing (Lewis started out as an editor). Of course, this being a Joseph H. Lewis picture, you can expect a strong visual sense — even in a rush job like this (I doubt the shoot ran any more than a week).

Lewis’ visuals (like his habit of placing things in the foreground to add depth) is what makes this DVD from Film Masters such a nice thing to have. Chances are, Bombs Over Burma never really looked all that good. But this is the best transfer, by far, that I’ve ever seen.

Film Masters has done a lot for this film, removing dirt, stabilizing the picture and God knows what else —without giving it that weird, waxy, pixel-y look that comes from too much restoration knob-twiddling. For what was almost certainly a 16mm print, the detail is quite good and the contrast levels are fine.

They didn’t have as much luck with the sound, but that’s the fault of the material. PRC pictures almost always had muddy sound — at least they did by the time the 16mm prints and the VHS tapes and DVDs made from them came along. I’m sure the fine folks at Film Masters did what they could with what they had.

There are hundreds, maybe thousands of cheap little movies like this that look just awful when you can find a copy of them to watch. I’m so thankful that Film Masters is going to the trouble to fix some of ’em up — and I recommend this one, especially to fans of the ever-inventive Joseph H. Lewis.

DVD News #383: Bombs Over Burma (1942).

Directed by Joseph H. Lewis
Starring Anna May Wong, Noel Madison, Leslie Denison, Nedrick Young, Dan Seymour, Dennis Moore

Here we go! Another PRC picture gets a little respect. Film Masters is bringing Joseph H. Lewis’ Bombs Over Burma (1942, AKA The Devil’s Sister) to DVD later this month. It’s a WWII story of a school teacher (Anna May Wong) helping stop the destruction of a crucial bridge by the Japanese and an English spy.

Blu-Ray News #247: Universal Horror Volumes 2 & 3.

Scream Factory has two more collections of Universal horror pictures on Blu-Ray on the way.

Actually, I think Volume 2 is already out. Just take a look at how many feature Lionel Atwill or were directed by George Waggner — true signs of quality.

Universal Horror Collection: Volume 2

Murders In The Zoo (1933)
Directed by A. Edward Sutherland
Starring Charlie Ruggles, Lionel Atwill, Gail Patrick, Randolph Scott

The Mad Ghoul (1943)
Directed by James Hogan
Starring Turhan Bey, Evelyn Ankers, David Bruce, George Zucco, Robert Armstrong, Milburn Stone

The Mad Doctor Of Market Street (1942)
Directed by Joseph H. Lewis
Starring Lionel Atwill, Una Merkel, Nat Pendleton

The Strange Case Of Doctor Rx (1942)
Directed by William Nigh
Starring Patric Knowles, Lionel Atwill, Anne Gwynne, Ray “Crash” Corrigan, Samuel S. Hinds

Universal Horror Volume 3

Tower Of London (1939)
Directed by Rowland V. Lee
Starring Basil Rathbone, Boris Karloff, Barabara O’Neil, Vincent Price

Man Made Monster (1941)
Directed by George Waggner
Starring Lon Chaney, Jr., Lionel Atwill, Anne Nagel, Frank Albertson

The Black Cat (1941)
Directed by Albert S. Rogell
Starring Basil Rathbone, Hugh Herbert, Broderick Crawford, Bela Lugosi, Alan Ladd

Horror Island (1941)
Directed by George Waggner
Starring Dick Foran, Peggy Moran, Leo Carrillo, Eddie Parker, Fuzzy Knight

The first volume, which focused on Karloff and Lugosi, is terrific. It features one of the great horror films of the 30s, Edgar G. Ulmer’s The Black Cat (1934), looking splendid!

2018 In Review – Part 2.

When I started doing DVD and Blu-Ray commentaries, it no longer felt appropriate to survey the best DVD and Blu-Ray releases of the year. So, as a substitute (maybe a poor one), here’s a reminder of a few things we were treated to this year. We’ll let all the praise, complaints or ranking come from you in the comments. Part 1 can be found over at 50 Westerns From The 50s.

This was a banner year for old sci-fi and horror movies making their way to Blu-Ray. From what we’re hearing so far, next year might be the same for noir and crime pictures. Anyway, here’s some of 2018’s bounty — a few of which I’m still working on proper reviews of.

The Thing (From Another World) (1951)
This is one of the all-time favorite movies. I find something new in it every time I see it — a line, a look, a particular setup, the music, a new appreciation for the guy who did the fire stunt. It’s always something — and that, to me, is one of the requirements for a Great Movie. Warner Archive worked long and hard on this one, and I’m in their debt for sure.

The Hammer Draculas
It’s like there was some sorta Monster Movie Summit, and it was decreed that the Hammer Dracula series would be given its due on Blu-Ray. Warner Archive did a lot of the heavy lifting with Horror Of Dracula (1958), Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972) and The Satanic Rites Of Dracula (1974). In the meantime, Scream Factory came through with Dracula – Prince Of Darkness (1966). Taste The Blood Of Dracula (1970) hit Blu-Ray a few years ago. That leaves Scars Of Dracula (197) as the only Hammer Dracula picture not available on Blu-Ray. Who’s gonna step up to the plate for that one?

The Hammer goodness wasn’t limited to the Dracula pictures. Mill Creek included some Hammer pictures in their twin-bill sets, some of the best values in all of home video. Hammer Films, William Castle, Ray Harryhausen — there’s some good stuff in those sets.

The Creature From The Black Lagoon Complete Legacy Collection
That’s quite a name for a set that only includes three movies. But what movies they are — the first two, anyway. And they’re in both widescreen 2-D and 3-D.

Gun Crazy (1949)
Joseph H. Lewis hit it out of the park with Gun Crazy (1949). So did his cast — and this year, with a stunning Blu-Ray, so did Warner Archive.

Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1956)
Don Siegel making it to Blu-Ray is always a reason to celebrate, and this is one of his many milestones. Over the years, we’ve all put up with some pretty shoddy-looking stuff when it comes to this incredible movie. Olive Films’ Blu-Ray is a huge improvement.

The Tingler (1959)
It’s hard to pick between this one and House On Haunted Hill (1958) for my favorite William Castle movie. Scream Factory did a wonderful job with this one, and they’ve given us other Castle pictures as well.

Dark Of The Sun (1968)
Warner Archive has been hinting around about this one on Blu-Ray for a while. It’s beautiful — and still one of the damnedest movies I’ve ever seen.

There’s a few that stood out for me. What DVD and Blu-Ray releases knocked you out this year?

Blu-Ray News #164: Gun Crazy (1949).

Directed by Joseph H. Lewis
Starring Peggy Cummins, John Dall, Berry Kroeger, Morris Carnovksy

Most people who love movies, especially those who end up making them, can cite a few key films that sealed the deal for them. The ones that nailed their Movie Geekdom firmly in place. Joseph H. Lewis’ Gun Crazy (1949) is one of mine.

There are few movies I can think of where you’re constantly aware of the choices the director is making. With about every scene, every decision, Lewis is pushing movies in a direction that wasn’t on the map till he got there.

Of course, Lewis is aided by a cast that’s willing to go along with him. Peggy Cummins is terrific here — pretty, sexy and completely terrifying by the time it’s all over. Same goes for John Dall. He’s likable for the first reel, then he’s lost in his love for Cummins — and swept up in her love of guns.

Scripted by a blacklisted Dalton Trumbo, fronted by Millard Kaufman, this King Brothers picture was to be distributed by Monogram, but wound up at the bigger United Artists. Obviously, someone realized they were on to something.

Warner Archive is putting this masterpiece out on Blu-Ray at a time when the gun argument in the United States is at its nastiest. Gun Crazy makes a strong case that the trouble starts with the head that drives the hand that pulls the trigger.

Almost 70 years after its release, Gun Crazy is still potent stuff. Absolutely essential.

RIP, Peggy Cummins.

Peggy Cummins (Augusta Margaret Diane Fuller)
(December 18, 1925 – December 29, 2017)

Peggy Cummins, who is absolutely incredible in one of my favorite films, Joseph H. Lewis’ Gun Crazy (1949), has passed away at 92. She’s in a couple other favorites — Jacques Tourneur’s Night Of The Demon (1957, Curse Of The Demon in the States) and Cy Enfield’s Hell Drivers (1957).

John Dall, Peggy Cummins and Joseph H. Lewis on the Gun Crazy set.

Was just thinking the other day that Gun Crazy would be a great candidate for a Warner Archive Blu-ray. If it happens, it’s a shame she won’t be around for it.

Blu-Ray News #80: Invisible Ghost (1941).

Directed by Joseph H. Lewis
Starring Bela Lugosi, Polly Ann Young, Clarence Muse

The first of nine films Bela Lugosi made for Sam Katzman and Monogram Pictures, Invisible Ghost (1941) was directed by the great, and greatly underappreciated, Joseph H. Lewis.

You’ll find a strong sense of style throughout Lewis’ work, whether it’s a Randolph Scott picture, the terrific Gun Crazy (1949), an episode of The Rifleman or a cheap horror movie like Invisible Ghost. For that reason alone, Invisible Ghost stands out among the other films Lugosi made on Poverty Row. But it’s got more going for it than that, as we can all see when Kino Lorber releases it on Blu-ray in 2017.

Really looking forward to this one. It’s good to see someone making the effort to bring public domain pictures like this to Blu-Ray.