Thursday, June 29 - Blackmail

Blackmail (1947)

Dan Turner, a New York City private detective, is hired to investigate a case involving "Ziggy" Cranston, a rich California playboy and the owner of a national-radio network, who is being blackmailed for $50,000 by a gangster, he thinks, who claims he can prove Cranston murdered a nightclub singer. Cranston gets tagged with another murder, and Turner must get involved in several gunfights and sessions with lovely femme-fatales while figuring out who killed whom.

Wednesday, June 28 - T.R. Baskin

T.R. Baskin (1971)

A rural young woman (Candice Bergen) comes to Chicago, works as a typist and meets men (Peter Boyle, James Caan) who do nothing for her.

Tuesday, June 27 - The Night Runner

The Night Runner (1957)

Roy Turner, a mental patient with a violent past, is prematurely released from the mental ward because of overcrowding. The doctors tell him to avoid stressful situations. Realizing that he cannot handle the pressures of big-city life, he moves into a beachside motel in a small coastal town and falls in love with Susan Mayes, the daughter of the motel's owner. When her father discovers that Roy is a mental patient, he threatens to have him recommitted unless he leaves his daughter alone. Roy snaps, killing the man, and he and Susan flee down the beach. He tries to kill her by pushing her into the water but comes to his senses and rescues her. He then turns himself in.

Monday, June 26 - Public Defender: The Big Race

Public Defender: The Big Race (Season 2 Episode 3 - aired Sep 20, 1954)

When the show begins, Johnny is a jockey who's being held for assaulting another jockey during a race. Johnny tells his long story to Bart Matthews, the public defender. It seems that Johnny was a big- time jockey years ago but he took time out to open a restaurant with his wife...a restaurant that ultimately failed. So now with no money, he's gone back into horse racing.... but that transition isn't easy. He's been gone a while and all his successes of the past seem unimportant...especially after he is deliberately knocked off his horse by Eddie. As for Eddie, he's an old protégé of Johnny's but instead of being grateful, he's a sleazy jerk-face. He's mad because Johnny got the girl...

Sunday, June 25 - King of the Newsboys

King of the Newsboys (1938)

Lew Ayers plays a blue collar guy with dreams and plans to marry his sweetheart, played by the beautiful Helen Mack. Unfortunately, Helen's character wants to have the finer things in life and leaves the life she has for one of money and powerful men (albeit a gangster).

Lew's character feels betrayed and sets out to prove to himself (and mostly to his ex-girlfriend) that he can succeed and to show her that he doesn't need her. He starts a newspaper distribution company, and soon has made it the largest distributership in town. He is jealous of Helen's new boyfriend and ends up trying to show Helen what a mistake she made.

Alas, as with all stories like this, both characters realize soon enough (the hard way) that what is truly important is each other and that happiness can not be bought for any price.

Saturday, June 24 - San Diego I Love You

San Diego I Love You (1944)

The story is set around a school teacher father and his 5 children. He invents a raft that can be worn like a backpack (sort of) and his family thinks he is ready to be a millionaire inventor. The daughter arranges for them to go to San Diego and hope for the best. They end up stealing the train car of the 3rd richest man in the world..... also the owner of the company that is reviewing dad's raft device. Of course family and said millionaire get off on the wrong foot, then they each discover who the other is. Daughter does her best to land that big contract for dad, getting them in and out of one mess after another.

Friday, June 23 - Chinatown at Midnight

Chinatown at Midnight (1949)

Clifford Ward is a thief working San Francisco's Chinatown district, and his stolen goods are fenced through an interior-decorators shop ran by Lisa Marcel. But when Ward murders two innocent victims during a hold-up, he has to hide out in a cheap hotel, and the police dragnet is closing in on him.

Thursday, June 22 - That's My Man

That's My Man (1947)

A poor young man is finally able to achieve his dream of running a horse at the track, but when he starts becoming successful, he begins to lose sight of what mattered to him before.

Wednesday, June 21 - Dr. Christian Meets the Women

Dr. Christian Meets the Women (1940)

A "professor" hits Dr. Christian's town, promising the local women dramatic weight loss in a very short time if they follow his regimen of strict diet, exercise and oh yeah there's a diet pill. Dr. Christian tries to warn them that the man is a dangerous charlatan but, mesmerized by the prospect of almost instantaneous weight loss, the women ignore his warnings.

Tuesday, June 20 - Killer Bait

Too Late for Tears (1949)

In Los Angeles, Alan Palmer and his wife, Jane, are driving to a party when a satchel is thrown in the back seat of their convertible sedan. When they open the satchel, they find a large amount of money. Alan decides to deliver the money to the police, but Jane is opposed to that plan and wants to keep it. So Alan decides to stow the suitcase with the money in a locker at Union Station until they can come up with a solution that satisfies them both. 

A couple of days later, Jane spends a small amount on furs and other gifts for herself. Shortly afterward, a sleazy character called Danny Fuller comes to their apartment pretending to be a detective and Jane lets him in, but he soon reveals that he is not a detective and says the money belongs to him. When Alan returns home from work and discovers that Jane has spent some of the cash, he becomes upset, but Jane does not mention anything to him about Danny. 

During the night, Alan and Jane go on a boat ride at a local lake to make amends where she accidentally kills him with his own pistol as he struggles to take the gun away from her in the boat. Danny, who is waiting nearby in the dark, is forced by Jane to help her dump the body. Jane then reports to the police that her husband is missing. Her sister-in-law, Kathy Palmer, who lives on the same floor snoops around Jane's apartment and finds the receipt from the locker. When Kathy is sneaking out, she stumbles into a stranger named Don Blake who says that he is Alan's friend. Meanwhile, Jane desperately looks for the receipt in order to retrieve the money.

Monday, June 19 - The Courtship of Eddie's Father

The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1963)

Realizing that he needs a mother -- and his widower father, Tom (Glenn Ford), needs a wife -- precocious Eddie Corbett (Ron Howard) is determined to get his dad remarried. While Tom dates numerous women, including the uptight aristocrat Rita Behrens (Dina Merrill), nobody seems to be a good fit for Eddie or his father. Soon it becomes apparent that Tom's ideal match may be closer than he thought, as he begins to develop feelings for his lovely neighbor, Elizabeth Marten (Shirley Jones).

Sunday, June 18 - Portrait from Life

Lost Daughter Original title: Portrait from Life (1949)

A British Army officer, Major Lawrence (Guy Rolfe), is on leave from being stationed in occupied Germany just after WW2 when he sees a painting of a beautiful young girl called Hildegard in a London art gallery. While viewing the painting he is approached by an old man, Professor Franz Menzel (Arnold Marlé), who escaped from Nazi Germany in the 1930s leaving his family behind and claims to be the young girl's father. Major Lawrence agrees to search for the young girl when he returns to Germany. On returning to Germany and after a long search Major Lawrence eventually tracks down the young girl but she is suffering from amnesia and living with a German couple who claim to be her parents. As Lawrence investigates, the circumstances of the young girl's past become more complicated.

Saturday, June 17 - Law of the Underworld

Law of the Underworld (1938)

A young couple is robbed by hoodlums. Later, they try to rob the gangsters but are forced to fall in with the thieves and act as decoys in a robbery. Things get out of hand and soon lead to murder.

Friday, June 16 - Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Summer Shade

Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Summer Shade (Season 6 Episode 15 - aired Jan 10, 1961)

James Franciscus and Julie Adams star as parents who have decided to move to a quaint colonial home in New England. Soon after moving in, their daughter begins acting strangely...talking about her new friend 'Lettie". The problem is that Lettie is either not real OR the ghost of a long-dead little girl from the late 17th century! Either way, the parents are confused about what to do next.

Thursday, June 15 - Gangs of Chicago

Gangs of Chicago (1940)

After the death of his corrupt father, young Matty Burns enrolls in law school, not to seek justice but to learn how to represent criminal organizations while remaining within the law. He graduates with roommate Bill Whitaker, a judge's son, and is invited to come live at the Whitaker farm, where June Whitaker finds herself attracted to her brother Bill's friend.

With a federal agent named Evans keeping a close eye on his activities, Matty becomes the legal mouthpiece of Jim Ramsey, a racketeer. Bill is beseeched by agent Evans to spy on his friend, which he does reluctantly at the urging of his law-abiding dad.

Ramsey and his moll, Virginia Brandt, don't trust Bill and spring a trap, catching him red-handed seeking evidence. Bill is seriously wounded by thug Pinky's gunshot and rushed to a doctor by Matty, his friend. Both later hide out at the family farm, where Ramsey and his men come to finish the job. They are vanquished, but Matty must now do time behind bars.

Wednesday, June 14 - Gangs of the Waterfront

Gangs of the Waterfront (1945)

Gang Leader Dutch Malone goes on a hunting trip and is in a car wreck and is confined to the hospital. District Attorney Brady induces taxidermist Peter Winkly, who is an exact double for Malone,to impersonate Dutch and assume leadership of the gang. Winkly "takes over" the gang and only Rita, Dutch's girl friend, has any suspicion that he is not really Dutch. But Dutch sees a newspaper showing him out on the town, escapes from the hospital and is on his way to look up the impostor.

Tuesday, June 13 - Accomplice

Accomplice (1946)

Private detective Simon Lash and his assistant Eddie Slocum are hired by Joyce Bonniwell to find her missing husband Jim Bonniwell. They learn from Mr. Springer, president of the bank where Bonniwell worked, that a woman named Evelyn Price is mixed up in the case. Following up on a call from Sheriff Rucker, Joyce and Simon go to Palmdale and Joyce identifies the body of a murdered man as her husband. Simon, following up the lead of the mysterious woman, goes to Mesa, New Mexico and finds the mystery woman to be Joyce and her husband very much alive.

Monday, June 12 - King of Alcatraz

King of Alcatraz (1938)

Two radio operators on different cruise ships, Lloyd Nolan (Ray) and Robert Preston (Robertson), fight over the same girl whenever they arrive in port. This behaviour is noted and as a consequence, they are given new orders which puts them both together on a scaled down freighter cruise with a handful of passengers headed for the Panama Canal. Unbeknown to them, an escaped prisoner from Alcatraz - J Carroll Naish (Murkil) - boards this ship disguised as an old lady and he has friends on board as well as a plan. Unfortunately, he has overlooked one point - the usefulness of a radio operator as it is an important job that you need a skilled engineer for.

Sunday, June 12 - The Courageous Dr. Christian

The Courageous Dr. Christian (1940)

Jean Hersholt is concerned about the squatters living in a shanty town just outside the city limits. He persuades the town council to build some decent housing, if he can get the land from Vera Lewis, who wears no make up in this movie. After he gets the land, and Miss Lewis as his fiancee -- not his idea! -- the council changes their minds. The shanty town moves to the empty lot, and just as the authorities send in the police to drive them out, meningitis breaks out and Hersholt orders everyone into quarantine.

Saturday, June 10 - Uranium Boom

Uranium Boom (1956)

Becoming mining partners after first getting into a fistfight, two men strike uranium pay dirt in remote Colorado. Grady (William Talman) guards the claim while Brad (Dennis Morgan) returns to town to register their find. Unfortunately, Brad is distracted by a young beautiful woman from Denver and quickly marries her, before he realizes she has a past with his partner, who doesn't take the news well.

Vowing to ruin Brad any way he can, Grady begins by giving his half-share of the mine to Jean Williams (Patricia Medina), his former sweetheart, in an attempt to win her back. When that fails, Grady spreads a rumor that the railroad is erecting a spur near the uranium mine. The greed-driven Brad sinks all his money into preparing for the train, then ends up broke when he discovers the truth.

But when he realizes Jean won't leave Brad no matter what, Grady shrugs it off and agrees to become partners with him once again.

Friday, June 9 - Don't Knock the Rock

Don't Knock the Rock (1956)

Weary of the road, rock star Arnie Haines (Alan Dale) returns to his small town to relax. But when he learns that his hometown has banned rock 'n' roll, Haines doesn't take it lying down. He has a whole new task ahead of him: to prove to the adults that the kids are all right and rock music is okay. With the support of popular disc jockey Alan Freed and some musical assistance from the likes of Bill Haley and the Comets and singer Little Richard, Haines is off to a terrific start.

Thursday, June 8 - Dangerous Cargo

Dangerous Cargo (1954)

Jack Watling plays a mild-mannered airport employee who hooks up with an old war buddy (Terence Alexander) and embarks on a short-lived gambling career. Unfortunately for him, before long he's in debt with a loan shark, and a gang tries to blackmail him into helping them stage a gold heist from the airport.

Wednesday, June 7 - Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome

Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome (1947)

A gang of criminals, which includes a piano player and an imposing former convict known as 'Gruesome', has found out about a scientist's secret formula for a gas that temporarily paralyzes anyone who breathes it. When Gruesome accidentally inhales some of the gas and passes out, the police think he is dead and take him to the morgue, where he later revives and escapes. This puzzling incident attracts the interest of Dick Tracy, and when the criminals later use the gas to rob a bank, Tracy realizes that he must devote his entire attention to stopping them.

Tuesday, June 6 - Alfred Hitchcock Presents: The Changing Heart

Alfred Hitchcock Presents: The Changing Heart (Season 6 Episode 14 - aired Jan 3, 1961)

Dane Ross goes to a shop owned by Ulrich Klemm in order to get his watch repaired. Ulrich is a master clockmaker who fled Europe during World War II. At the shop, Dane falls in love with Ulrich's daughter Lisa. Klemm, however, insists that they not see each other. Dane reluctantly agrees to stop seeing her and leaves. Later, he hears that she has grown dangerously ill. Dane returns to the shop and discovers that Ulrich has passed away and that Lisa is confined to a wheelchair. Still loving her, he embraces her and is startled to hear a strange ticking coming from her chest. The old clockmaker saved his daughter by giving her a clockwork heart.

Monday, June 5 - A Night for Crime

A Night for Crime (1943)

A dark night in war time, with several black-outs, it's just a night for murder. Susan Cooper, a fast-talking girl reporter, doubles as amateur sleuth solving yet another mystery among Hollywood's famous.

Sunday, June 4 - Alfred Hitchcock Presents: The Man Who Found the Money

Alfred Hitchcock Presents: The Man Who Found the Money (Season 6 Episode 13 - aired Dec 27, 1960)

In a Las Vegas casino parking lot, William Benson stumbles across a money clip containing $92,000. Benson decides to do the right thing and try to find the owner. He advises the police of what he's found and places an ad in a local paper. The police are already aware of the loss, but the amount lost was reported as $102,000. The owner claims the money and offers Benson and his wife a week's free stay at the hotel he owns...

Saturday, June 3 - Murder by Invitation

Murder by Invitation (1941)

The relatives of a rich old woman unsuccessfully try to have her declared insane so they can divide up her money. To show them that she harbors no ill feelings, she invites them to her estate for the weekend so she can decide to whom she actually will leave her money when she dies. Soon, however, family members begin disappearing.

Friday, June 2 - Last Woman on Earth

Last Woman on Earth (1960)

Ev, along with her husband, Harold, and their lawyer friend Martin, are scuba diving while on vacation in Puerto Rico. When they resurface, they gradually conclude that an unexplained, temporary interruption of oxygen has killed everyone on the island... maybe even the world!

Complications ensue...

Thursday, June 1 - Alfred Hitchcock Presents: The Baby-Blue Expression

Alfred Hitchcock Presents: The Baby-Blue Expression (Season 6 Episode 12 - aired Dec 20, 1960)

A beautiful young blonde married to a much older man is mistress to one of his office co-workers. The boyfriend is captivated by Poopsie's "baby-blue expression," but stretched by her expensive tastes, so he plots to kill the husband, with just a little of her help.

It's then a race to get back a letter she sent which could get her convicted of conspiracy to commit murder.

Wednesday, May 31 - Meet Dr. Christian

Meet Dr. Christian Original title: Meet Doctor Christian (1939)

In the first movie of the series, we are introduced to the kind Dr. Christian (Hersholt), who runs the small clinic in the town of River's End. With the town growing, Dr. Christian petitions the mayor for money to build a new hospital. But the mayor believes that the good Doctor is too old-fashioned and wants to replace him with a more "modern" medicine man, along with commissioning a new highway to be built through the town. When the mayor's young daughter is injured in an accident, Dr. Christian is able to perform extremely delicate surgery without having the correct medical instruments. The town council is so impressed with Dr. Christian that they not only allow him to keep his job, but are convinced to build the new hospital.

Tuesday, May 30 - Barbados Quest

Murder on Approval Original title: Barbados Quest (1955)

An American philatelist pays £10,000 for what he thinks is a rare postage stamp. After he becomes concerned of its authenticity he employs detective "Duke" Tom Martin (Tom Conway) to investigate.