Olaf Hytten Movies

The infamous Benedict Arnold affair is the basis of the lively MGM costumer The Scarlet Coat. Arnold is played with suitably subtle menace by Robert Douglas, while his principal co-conspirator, Major John Andre, is essayed by Michael Wilding. The largely speculative storyline concerns the efforts of one Major John Boulton (Cornel Wilde), a colonial counterspy, to foil Arnold's plans. Thanks to some deft scriptwriting, the much-abused Major Andre emerges as the most sympathetic character in the film, if only because he is willing to face the consequences for his actions. Less sympathetic is George Sanders in another of his patented "cad" roles, while Anne Francis is the spunky (if unnecessary) heroine. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Not up to the classic 1935 presentation, this is still an excellent adaptation of Victor Hugo's epic novel. The familiar characters of Valjean and Javert and the agonies of injustice are all portrayed convincingly against a backdrop of 18th century France. ~ Tana Hobart, Rovi

The Son of Dr. Jekyll is Edward Jekyll, played by Louis Hayward. The film's events take place long after the unpleasantness involving Dr. J's doppelganger Mr. Hyde. Young Edward hopes to prove that his father was a dedicated scientist, and not merely a mad monster. His nemesis in this endeavor is Curtis Lanyon (Alexander Knox), executor for the Jekyll estate, who hopes to drive Edward into insanity and irrational behavior so he can keep the late doctor's legacy for himself. Much to the disappointment of the audience, Eddie Jekyll never turns into Hyde, no matter how hard he and Lanyon try to re-create the original doctor's experiments. Thus, Son of Dr. Jekyll can scarcely be designated a horror film; it looks more like a period-costume Charlie Chan picture. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Fancy Pants is a musicalized remake of the oft-filmed Harry Leon Wilson story Ruggles of Red Gap, tailored to the talents of "Mr. Robert Hope (formerly Bob)". The basic plotline of the original, that of an English butler entering the service of a rowdy nouveau-riche family from the American West, is retained. The major difference is that main character (Bob Hope) plays a third-rate American actor who only pretends to be a British gentleman's gentleman. Social-climbing American heiress Lucille Ball hires Hope to impress her high-society English acquaintances, then takes him back to her ranch in New Mexico. Though there are many close shaves, Hope manages to convince the wild and woolly westerners that he's a genuine British Lord--even pulling the wool over the eyes of visiting celebrity Teddy Roosevelt (John Alexander). Never as droll as the 1935 Leo McCarey-directed Ruggles of Red Gap, Fancy Pants nonetheless works quite well on its own broad, slapsticky level. If the ending seems abrupt, it may be because the original finale, in which a fleeing Bob Hope and Lucille Ball were to be rescued by surprise guest star Roy Rogers, was abandoned just before the scene was shot. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Decked out with leftover sets and stock footage from 1946's Bandit of Sherwood Forest, Columbia's Rogues of Sherwood Forest stars John Derek as the son of legendary do-gooder Robin Hood. When King John (George Macready) revives his old cycle of taxation and repression, Robin Jr. summons forth his father's Merry Men and inaugurates a rebel movement. Aiding the younger Robin in his fight for rights is Lady Marianne (Diana Lynn), who exhibits a lot more leg and decolletage than was customary in 13th-century England. Prominent among the Merry Men is Little John, played by Alan Hale Sr., who'd previously essayed the same role in the 1922 and 1938 filmizations of Robin Hood. Attractively lensed in Technicolor, Rogues of Sherwood Forest seems far more expensive and ambitious than it really was. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

For his first independent production, former child star Roddy McDowall selected the tried-and-true Robert Louis Stevenson classic Kidnapped. McDowall reserves the plum role of David Balfour for himself, while Dan O'Herlihy, McDowall's costar in Orson Welles' MacBeth, is cast as Scottish patriot Alan Breck. The story is the familiar one about a young man (McDowall) cheated out of his birthright by his wicked, covetous uncle (Houseley Stevenson). Kidnapped and sold into slavery, Balfour escapes and makes his way back to Scotland, where he befriends the swashbuckling Breck and the lovely Aileen (Sue England). Several exciting adventures later, Balfour returns to his ancestral home to settle accounts with his uncle. Laid low by threadbare production values, Kidnapped is one of lesser screen adaptations of Robert Louis Stevenson's novel, though at least it's more faithful to the source than the 1938 20th Century-Fox version. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this improbable romantic drama set in Gay Nineties London, a member of Parliament jeopardizes his career when he falls in love with a music hall dancer. When his stodgy older brother finds out about the affair, he sternly counsels the dancer to jilt her lover, lest she damage his political career. Not wanting to hurt her beloved, she leaves him and goes back to the dancehall. Unfortunately, trouble begins one night when the police mistake her for a hooker. She flees and ends up hiding in the apartment of a concert pianist. He has his own troubles when he is arrested for a murder he did not commit. Only the dancer can prove him innocent, but he doesn't know how to find her. While the police begin a city-wide search for the girl, her true-love decides he loves her more than politics and proposes to her. She joyfully accepts. The next day, a formal announcement and picture of the happy couple appears in the newspaper. The police find and question her, but she, fearful that a scandal could jeopardize her nuptials, denies ever having seen the pianist. His case goes to court and things look bleak until the girl finds her courage and shows up to clear his name. Fortunately, her confession generates a happy ending all around. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

The 1931 George Arliss vehicle The Millionaire was updated and retailored in 1947 as That Way With Women. Sidney Greenstreet plays the old Arliss role as automobile tycoon James P. Alden, forced into involuntary retirement by his well-meaning wife Minerva (Barbara Brown) and family doctor Harvey (Howard Freeman). Anxious to get his hands grimy with good honest work once more, Alden assumes the identity of family gardener Herman Brinker and takes a grease-jockey job at the corner gas station run by pugnacious Greg Wilson (Dane Clark). It so happens that Wilson, unaware of Alden's true identity, has fallen in love with Alden's snobbish daughter Marcia (Martha Vickers)-and though she won't admit it, she's crazy about Wilson too. The plot thickens when a group of corrupt local-government officials, in league with Marcia's duplicitous fiance Carter Andrews (Craig Stevens), use underhanded methods to force the honest Wilson out of business. As an upshot, the flustered Alden, still posing as Brinker, spends a night in the hoosegow. Eventually everything turns out OK, permitting Sidney Greenstreet to give out with his trademarked gravelly chuckle. More slapstick-oriented than the original The Millionaire (which was based on a story by Earl Derr Biggers, of "Charlie Chan" fame), That Way With Women was perfectly attuned to postwar audience tastes. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

On the eve of the Chinese New Year, three strangers make a pact before a small statue of the Chinese goddess of Destiny. The strangers are Crystal Shackleford (Geraldine Fitzgerald), married to a wealthy philanderer; Jerome Artbutny (Sidney Greenstreet), an outwardly respectable judge; and Johnny West (Peter Lorre), a seedy sneak thief. The threesome agree to purchase a sweepstakes ticket and share whatever winnings might accrue. Alas, the pact brings little more than misfortune for all concerned. Jerome steals funds from a client, then kills Crystal (with the goddess statue!) when she refuses to hand over her sweepstakes winnings. Johnny and his girlfriend Icy (Joan Lorring) decide to abandon their life of crime, but when it is revealed that the ticket is a winner, he sets fire to it to avoid having his name tied to the crime. If it seems strange that Peter Lorre ends up the romantic lead in Three Strangers, remember that the film's director, Jean Negulesco, thought Lorre was the finest actor who ever lived--and as a result, he fought tooth and nail with Warner Bros. to cast Lorre in this film. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Black Beauty, Anna Sewell's classic tale of a beautiful horse is adapted in a disappointingly flat fashion by independent producer Edward L. Alperson. Unlike the novel, which is told from the horse's point of view, the film concentrates on the animal's first owner, a young English girl (Mona Freeman). Raising the horse into a prize-winner called "Black Beauty," the motherless girl is thrown into a panic when Beauty disappears. She locates the horse in a barn that is about to catch fire; knocked unconscious, the girl is saved by the valiant Beauty. The film's script utilizes only one of the many episodes in Sewell's 1879 novel, and not the most fascinating one at that. Had Black Beauty been produced by 20th Century-Fox instead of merely being released by the studio, the film might have had the saving grace of Technicolor photography. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A granddaughter's world begins to crumble when allegations of her grandfather say that he is a criminal. ~ Rovi

John Loder plays a prominent London actor, lately starring in a play about a maniacal strangler. When the theatre is bombed by the Nazis, Loder suffers a head injury. Thereafter, he cannot separate fact from fiction, and periodically becomes the strangler that he is playing on stage. Loder's lady love June Duprez puts her own life on the line in attempting to save Loder from himself. The Brighton Strangler benefits from its brisk 67-minute running time, which allows the story to unfold without undue padding or muddled psychological overtones. Interestingly, John Loder's character is triggered into becoming a murderer whenever someone inadvertently recites one of the lines from his play--a dramatic device later utilized to fuller effect in Richard Condon's The Manchurian Candidate. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Taking place almost exclusively on a transatlantic ocean liner, this easygoing Sherlock Holmes entry finds Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and Watson (Nigel Bruce) escorting Far Eastern regent Nikolas (Leslie Vincent) on a diplomatic mission. A group of assassins have targeted Nikolas for extermination, and they're not averse to knocking off Holmes and Watson to achieve their goals. In the end, it seems as though the villains have gained the upper hand -- but that's before the cagey Holmes reveals the film's biggest surprise (which, for a change, really is a surprise). Throughout Pursuit to Algiers, it's fun to watch bad guys Martin Kosleck and Rex Evans making like a road-company version of Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet. The film's only disappointment is Watson's recital of the case of the Giant Rat of Sumatra, which we never get to hear in its entirety! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi