Atomic Glee
Practically Family
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After being available only as, essentially, bootlegs for a long time, Fox has finally officially released some of the classic cult favorite Michael Shayne detective movies of the '40s to real DVD. They've even digitally restored them, and they're a dramatic improvement over my bootleg DVD-Rs.
Michael Shayne was a popular private eye character created by Davis Dresser. In these films, his best movie incarnation, he was played by the always great Lloyd Nolan. For review of all the fine folks here at the Lounge, as a reference to some great clothes, hats, hairstyles, and the like, I have captured a boatload of screenshots from one of my favorite films of the Michael Shayne series, 1941's "Sleepers West," in its pristine new restored form.
"Sleepers West" is a minor noir/detective classic that features Nolan alongside Mary Beth Hughes and Lynn Bari. Those of you who know me know I have a tremendous, sizable crush on Mary Beth Hughes, the sadly forgotten but very talented actress who is a bit of a cult favorite among b-movie aficionados, thanks to her roles in two films featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000, "Last of the Wild Horses" and "I Accuse My Parents." Every so often, the lovely Miss Hughes would find herself in quality movies more fitting her talent, and this is one of those times. She plays Helen Carlson, a young woman being escorted by Mike Shayne to testify on behalf of a wrongfully accused man. Mary Beth was only 22 when she appeared in "Sleepers West," but was already a beauty, and already possessed the incredibly expressive face that would become her hallmark. Lynn Bari plays Kay Bentley, a newspaper reporter who has a history with Shayne and is looking to crack the case Helen is testifying in. Throw in a mixture of bad guys out to kill Helen before she can clear the man's name, and a sympathetic fellow train passenger played by Louis Jean Heydt who attempts to escape the killers with Helen, and you have a nifty little detective flick from the heart of the Golden Era.
Enough of my rambling - on with the screenshots!
Titles:
Sigh - if only everything looked like this today!
Michael Shayne approaches the newsstand:
Mike and Kay's reunion in the train station:
Lynn Bari as Kay Bentley:
The perfectly cast Lloyd Nolan as Mike Shayne:
I got this shot for the brief glimpse of the hat passing between Mike and Kay:
On the train:
Michael Shayne was a popular private eye character created by Davis Dresser. In these films, his best movie incarnation, he was played by the always great Lloyd Nolan. For review of all the fine folks here at the Lounge, as a reference to some great clothes, hats, hairstyles, and the like, I have captured a boatload of screenshots from one of my favorite films of the Michael Shayne series, 1941's "Sleepers West," in its pristine new restored form.
"Sleepers West" is a minor noir/detective classic that features Nolan alongside Mary Beth Hughes and Lynn Bari. Those of you who know me know I have a tremendous, sizable crush on Mary Beth Hughes, the sadly forgotten but very talented actress who is a bit of a cult favorite among b-movie aficionados, thanks to her roles in two films featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000, "Last of the Wild Horses" and "I Accuse My Parents." Every so often, the lovely Miss Hughes would find herself in quality movies more fitting her talent, and this is one of those times. She plays Helen Carlson, a young woman being escorted by Mike Shayne to testify on behalf of a wrongfully accused man. Mary Beth was only 22 when she appeared in "Sleepers West," but was already a beauty, and already possessed the incredibly expressive face that would become her hallmark. Lynn Bari plays Kay Bentley, a newspaper reporter who has a history with Shayne and is looking to crack the case Helen is testifying in. Throw in a mixture of bad guys out to kill Helen before she can clear the man's name, and a sympathetic fellow train passenger played by Louis Jean Heydt who attempts to escape the killers with Helen, and you have a nifty little detective flick from the heart of the Golden Era.
Enough of my rambling - on with the screenshots!
Titles:
Sigh - if only everything looked like this today!
Michael Shayne approaches the newsstand:
Mike and Kay's reunion in the train station:
Lynn Bari as Kay Bentley:
The perfectly cast Lloyd Nolan as Mike Shayne:
I got this shot for the brief glimpse of the hat passing between Mike and Kay:
On the train:
