The Film Detective

Mary Pickford, the queen of the silent screen, stars as a tough young ragamuffin who protects her neighborhood from a dangerous street gang. You may wonder why a 33-year-old woman is playing a girl, but this is little Mary, as people liked her best -- ready to fight at the drop of a hat! Noted film historian Kevin Brownlow hailed this movie as "remarkable... All the artistry, technical skill, and emotional impact of a medium only thirty years old shine triumphantly through." Can Mary save the...

Cult movie favorite Charles Napier (Supervixens) and 1950s hunk Richard Egan (Love Me Tender) star in this forgotten action yarn about truckers battling Nazis in Mexico. Also, look for former heavyweight boxing champion Sonny Liston as an enigmatic character known only as "The Farmer." Liston died shortly after this film, but showed here that he had a strong presence and could have benefited from the Blaxploitation film era that was about to hit American movie screens. If you like big trucks,...

Hailed in 2003 by The British Film Institute as "a rare work of cinematic genius," this occult tale comes from writer/director Willard Huyck, known for his work on such popular movies as American Graffiti, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and of course, Howard the Duck. Starring a bevy of 1970s eye candy, including Anitra Ford, Joy Bang, and Marianna Hill, Messiah of Evil is about a young woman (Hill) whose search for her missing father brings her to a strange seaside town under the...

Roaring Seas! Flaming Hearts! Riotous Adventure! Charles Laughton stars as the infamous Captain Kidd, a ruthless pirate leading a group of cutthroats. Directed by one of Hollywood's most dependable aces, Rowland V. Lee (Son of Frankenstein, The Count of Monte Cristo), with a sparkling screenplay by Oscar winner Norman Reilly Raine (The Adventures of Robin Hood) and an Oscar nominated musical score by Werner Janssen, this high seas drama stars some of the great characters of Hollywood's golden...

It's a whirlwind of laughter, pathos and illusion as Emerald City gets another visit in this silent adventure from 1914! It's all about Ojo, a munchkin boy, and his Unc Nunkie, who venture out to Emerald City in search of food. Along the way they meet a feisty mule and a strange doctor who claims to have invented a life giving powder. All work together to bring to life the bizarre Patchwork Girl! Film buffs take note: Oz creator L. Frank Baum served as one of the film's producers, while silent...

Republic Pictures distributed this tough as leather feature about a man trying to protect his gambling den from racketeers. For Johnny Mack Brown, this was the first of 10 films he'd appear in during 1937, one of the busiest of his career. He plays \"Jeff Hayes\", a man who won't be pushed around by by local thugs. Starring along with Brown are Iris Meredith, and Charles King, with direction by the ace of Poverty Row, Sam Newfield.

Gene Autry has his hands full protecting a crusading publisher in this singin' cowboy spectacle, especially when he finds out his own brother is working for the enemy. Songs include \"I'm a Cowpoke Pokin' Along\" and \"Cowboy Blues\" sung by Gene, and \"Five MInutes Late and a Dollar Short\" and \"Fetch Me Down My Trusty .45,\" sung by everybody's favorite sidekick, the lovable Smiley Burnette!

Onslow Stevens stars in this drama about a prosecutor who resigns from his position on the district attorney's staff and sets out to expose a gang of racketeers. Director Phil Rosen, who had more than 140 movies to his credit (including several Charlie Chan features) works with a stellar cast here, including Kay Linaker, Noel Madison, and Allen Vincent.

Go for Broke follows the exploits of the most decorated unit in US Army history - the 442nd Regiment - the first all-Nisei (Japanese- American) combat team in WWII. Van Johnson stars as a commanding officer who must overcome his own prejudices as he trains and leads his men through battles on the European Front. Several of the main roles are played by actual Nisei members of the 442nd, lending a beautiful authenticity to the storytelling. Go for Broke represents a landmark in the portrayal of...

A classic example of the Blaxploitation genre typical of the 1970s "Brotherhood of Death" is an in-your-face, ass-kicking tale of three African American men who return from Vietnam in the 1960s to their small southern hometown. Hell bent on upholding racial justice, the boys soon find themselves employing their newfound army tactics to conduct an all-out war with members of the local Klu Klux Klan. With a cast comprised largely of Washington Redskins players, this low-budget film was a huge...

Ride the outlaws' highway! Allan "Rocky" Lane stars as Red Ryder, shootin' and fightin' his way to justice in this old slugfest from Republic Pictures. This time he's a stagecoach driver battling a crooked land commissioner and his cohorts, including a sheriff on the take. Robert Blake costars as Little Beaver!

Jimmy Stewart plays John Horace Mason, a straight-laced lawyer who marries a woman after knowing her for one day. Of course, when the woman is played by Carole Lombard, it's easy to see why! Still, the twosome learns that love at first sight has its drawbacks. Featuring a stellar cast that includes Charles Coburn, Lucile Watson and Alma Kruger, this twisting and turning comedy/drama was directed by John Cromwell (Algiers, The Prisoner of Zenda) and will have you believing in the power of...