WOMEN ARE TROUBLE

WOMEN ARE TROUBLE (1936). Director: Errol Taggart. 

Ruth Nolan (Florence Rice) wants a job as reporter on a city newspaper, but the editor, Bill Blaine (Paul Kelly of The Secret Code), is against the idea of hiring a woman. The last woman he hired became his wife -- now ex-wife -- and Ruth is much too attractive as far as he is concerned. However, with the help of reporter Matt Casey (Stuart Erwin), Ruth manages to get a juicy assignment: investigating the people behind a protection racket that rose from the ashes after the end of prohibition. Plucky as Ruth may be, she may find herself in pretty hot water when she and her boss are kidnapped by the bad guys. Can Casey come to the rescue?

Rice, Irwin, Kelly

Generally well-played, Women are Trouble is a standard crime comedy that at least moves at a brisk pace. Margaret Irving is snappy as Bill's ex-wife, Frances, who has schemes of her own, and Cy Kendall (of The Tiger Woman) is a bit better than usual as Inspector Matson. John Harrington and Raymond Hatton  [Invasion of the Saucer Men] are the villains of the piece, and Kitty McHugh is vivid as Della, the widow of a murder victim. One mildly interesting bit has a thug dressing up in Chinese drag at a party and trying to murder Ruth. 

Verdict: A mediocre crime meller you can miss. **. 

THE TIGER WOMAN (1945)

Kane Richmond

THE TIGER WOMAN (1945). Director: Philip Ford. 

Private eye Jerry Devery (Kane Richmond) is contacted by a pretty singer at the tony Tiger Club named Sharon Winslow (Adele Mara). Sharon is afraid that something might happen to her husband, the club's co-owner, because of gambling debts, but she also confesses that she is in love with her husband's partner, Steve Mason (Richard Fraser). Sharon and Steve find Mr. Winslow's dead body along with a suicide note, and Steve decides to burn the note so that he can collect on his partner's insurance. Now even the police are sure it was murder -- and maybe it really was. Devery discovers a suspect, Rosie (Donia Bussey), who had a grudge against Winslow and she is arrested, but are things as neatly sewn up as Devery thinks? 

Adele Mara and Richard Fraser

Based on a play, The Tiger Woman -- not to be confused with the cliffhanger serial of the same name -- comes off like an interesting pastiche of various private eye novels. There are no major surprises in the plot but there are some twists and turns along the way and the flick is entertaining. It also features an especially ruthless and sociopathic villainess. Kane Richmond plays the private eye in the insouciant style that was nearly obligatory during the period, and he's perfectly okay on that level. Adele Mara doesn't have to do much but look good, alternately purring and snarling, but she is also okay. Richard Fraser and Donia Bussey offer adept supporting performances, and Cy Kendall [Lady in the Death House] is more than adequate as the fat Inspector Leggett. Although Leggett amd Devery eventually unravel the clues in the case, they generally don't come off as especially intelligent investigators. From Republic Pictures.

Verdict: Private eye pastiche from Republic. **3/4.

LADY IN THE DEATH HOUSE

Jean Parker

LADY IN THE DEATH HOUSE (1944). 

Director: Steve Sekely. 

Psychologist Charles Finch (Lionel Atwill) tells a group of associates the story of Mary Kirk (Jean Parker), who was fated to die in the death house. Finch had originally encountered Mary at a nightclub, when her dress accidentally caught on fire and Finch assisted her, along with Dr. Dwight Bradford (Douglas Fowley), with whom she becomes romantically involved. When a man who knows that her father was a criminal tries to blackmail her, he winds up dead and Mary is accused. Even after she is convicted and as the time of her execution draws very near, Finch suspects that her younger sister, Suzy (Marcia Mae Jones) may know more than she's telling. Will the real killer be discovered before it's too late? 

Douglas Fowley, Lionel Atwill, Jean Parker

The most interesting -- if very contrived -- aspect of the story is that Dr. Bradford, who wants to 
marry Mary, is employed as the executioner at the prison, and when she gets to death row, will get the job of killing her, even though he could easily refuse considering the circumstances. Early in the movie Bradford explains to Finch that he only works at the prison so that he can continue his research into reviving dead animals. But if you're hoping Bradford will kill Mary and then revive her, that whole aspect of the story is completely forgotten, making one wonder why it was ever brought up in the first place.

Although there is an attempt to create some suspense at the climax, Lady in the Death House is less than nail-biting. It's padded and dull and its running time of less than an hour seems twice as long. Atwill is fine but completely wasted, while Parker makes a competent leading lady. Byron Foulger and Cy Kendall have small roles and I believe I heard the voice of Lyle Talbot as a radio announcer. Director Steve Sekely's best-known feature is probably Day of the Triffids. 

Verdict: A very cheap P. R. C. production with little to recommend it. *.