Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis: Theater critic Tony Woolrich is reviewing a play when an actor is murdered. Even though he is friends with the theater's owner, actor Cecil Moore, and the victim was Moore's brother, he is reluctant to investigate but does so after being chewed out by his editor. After a second murder is committed, the police believe an escape asylum inmate is to blame. However, Woolrich believes someone from Moore's past is targeting both the actor and his daughter, Claudia. Who's in it? The movie stars Dave O'Brien , Kay Aldridge, Alan Mowbray, Frank Jenks and Jack Mulhall. Review: I am gaining a whole new appreciation for just how busy actor Dave O'Brien was in the 1940s. It seems as though I can't scroll through my movie library without coming across a film he's in. This includes The Phantom of 42nd Street , which I decided to finally watch this morning. It ended up being a good choice. The movie's mystery is an interesting one. While Woolrich's (...

Synopsis: After being forced into retirement because of his age, Captain Jim Hadley is bored, depressed and angry about "outliving his usefulness." However, when his best friend is killed fighting a fire set by a serial arsonist, he gets out of his funk and helps his future son-in-law, Frank, track down the pyromaniac, an investigation that soon puts his family in danger. Who's in it? The movies stars J. Farrell MacDonald, Warren Hull , Polly Ann Young , Mary Gordon and George Pembroke . Review: After an active and exhausting weekend, I was falling asleep on the couch a bit earlier than expected and, when scouting for a movie to watch this morning, I mostly was choosing the first one that sounded halfway interesting and could be watched in the amount of time I had available. After a couple minutes, I chose The Last Alarm . For a short while, I wondered if I made a mistake with my choice. The first few scenes about Jim Hadley's (MacDonald) retirement seemed like they...

  I went to the grocery store without any idea in mind about what I wanted to make for dinner. My wife was doing some stuff at her sewing studio, and we had a small bag of ravioli that I could make for the girls so I focused on finding something I could make as a late dinner for two. I ended up purchasing Rana Chicken Alfredo Lasagna because it was on sale for a little less than $12. It was my first time trying this product and I wasn't sure what to expect but after making it last night, it is a product I wouldn't mind purchasing again. As far as meal prep goes, I couldn't ask for easier. I followed the microwave instructions, and the lasagna was ready to eat less than 10 minutes later. This was ideal because, with us already eating later than usual, I wouldn't have been a fan of anything that took a long time to make or dirtied a ton of dishes. Taste-wise, this exceeded my expectations. The sauce had a good flavor and there was quite a bit of chicken. This, in turn, al...

Synopsis: On the eve of convicted murderer Frank Pierce's execution, grocer Sam Morgan, feeling guilty about the testimony he gave at Pierce's trial, ends up at Cady's Lodge near the state prison so he can talk to the warden. He is unable to stop the execution, and his guilt only intensifies when another man confesses to the crime too late. Broken and angry, the once honest Sam helps Pierce's widow, Ellie, who is also staying at the lodge, find $160,000 Pierce stole from a bank and eventually falls in love with her. However, while they are waiting for the money to be forwarded from a post office box to the lodge, the real Mrs. Pierce shows up and soon after, Sam is told a detective from New York has also checked in. Who's in it? The movie stars James Brown , Merry Anders , Henry Corden, Roy Barcroft and Peggy Stewart. Review: As has happened many times before, I ended up coming across When the Clock Strikes while scrolling through my movie library in search of ...

I once again didn't get a whole lot of photos from my trail camera last night. This time, I am certain it's because the batteries are well past the need for replacement. However, the few photos I did get were decent and, once again, were of one of our neighborhood opossums. Here they are:

Synopsis: Seeking to find the man who killed his father, attorney Lamont Granston moonlights as a vigilante known as the Shadow. After capturing a pair of would-be burglars breaking into a safe belonging to another attorney, Chester Randall, Granston is discovered by police and assumes Randall's identity to hide the reason he was there.  His lie becomes more complicated when Randall receives a call summoning him to the home of the wealthy Caleb Delthiern and the police captain, Breen, insists on going with him. Granston is then forced to extend the lie even longer when Delthiern is murdered right next to him while attempting to change his will. Despite cautionary warnings from his assistant, Henry, Granston chooses to risk detection by investigating. Who's in it? The movie stars Rod La Rocque, Agnes Anderson, Norman Ainsley, Kenneth Harlan and Cy Kendall. Review: Much like with Dick Tracy prior to watching some of the films made in the 1940s, my only knowledge of the Shadow...