Michael Winston, a would-be writer of Hollywood crime dramas, has a fortuitous run in with Herman Tibbitts, a former crime gang member trying to go straight. They decide to collaborate, becoming wildly successful recounting true crimes from Tibbitts's past as Hollywood thrillers. Tibbitts's old crime boss, the Hawk, finds out and tries to put a stop to it.

This movie was tons of fun. There are chance encounters on a train (with porter Willie Best). There are goofy henchmen. There is a case of mistaken identity because of identical strangers. There is fast-paced witty dialog throughout. And there are ducks. If you want to see an old black-and-white movie starring nobody you know, you could do much worse than this.

Two musicians-turned-cops go undercover at a mob owned night club to bust open a diamond heist racket. Main cast includes Parkyakarkus as Gashouse, a confused, greek-accented henchman. Parky (born Harry Einstein) is the father of Super Dave Osborne and Albert Brooks. He collapsed and died at the dais after giving a speech at a Friar's Club roast in 1958.

This is another movie released in 1937 but with 1938 in the title, so I'm including it. MGM released "The Broadway Melody" in 1929 and it won the Oscar for Best Picture that year. Subsequently MGM released three more musical showcase pictures: "The Broadway Melody of 1936", "The Broadway Melody of 1938", and "The Broadway Melody of 1940". These last three all starred Eleanor Powell. This one also includes Judy Garland, Buddy Ebsen, and (1938 favorite of mine) Billy Gilbert.



Highlight: Judy Garland sings her "Dear Mr. Gable" version of "You Made Me Love You".

The first of several Nancy Drew movies starring Bonita Granville as Nancy and John Litel as her father, Carson Drew. This one involves a kidnapped elderly woman, carrier pigeons, and Morse code. Nancy's buddy, Ted Nickerson (played by Frankie Thomas), definitely gets the worst end of the deal.

A nice vehicle for song numbers featuring a very early Milton Berle in his only 1938 film foray. Also featuring Ann Miller who (if IMDB is to be believed) was only fourteen at the time.

Ann Miller, Milton Berle, Jack Oakie

Bob Burns and his Bazooka

Interesting tidbit: a main character was played by Bob Burns who popularized a musical instrument that was kind of like a large slide kazoo. He called this instrument his "bazooka". In WWII the soldiers thought their new anti-tank weapon looked similar and called it by the same name.

Released in France in 1937 but not in the US until 1938, this is a WWI flick directed by Jean Renoir and starring Jean Gabin. This is a movie with lots of isolated emotional moments but no cohesive story arc. In French, German, English and a little Russian. Subtitled.

The governor decides that Texas (having achieved statehood) no longer needs the Texas Rangers, believing that the US Cavalry can maintain order. Roy Rogers had been an officer in the Rangers but now applies to join the Cavalry. An unscrupulous ex-Senator forms a private "State Patrol" that runs a protection racket, charging ranchers for protection while robbing and killing those that don't pay (including Roy's brother). Roy deserts the Cavalry to find the bad guys who killed his brother.

Odds and ends: when the State Patrol dons its outlaw gang persona, it rides white horses and is known as the White Horse Raiders.

Familiar faces: The leader of the US Cavalry is played by J. Farrell MacDonald, of "you must be thinking of two other trees" fame from It's a Wonderful Life.