Displaying items by tag: Hugh Beaumont

MURDER IS MY BUSINESS

US, 1946, 64 minutes, Black-and-white.

Hugh Beaumont, Cheryl Walker, Lyle Talbot, George Meeker.

Directed by Sam Newfield.

One of a series of private detective stories, featuring Hugh Beaumont as Michael Shayne. There are several sequels. Hugh Beaumont had a number of short feature roles in the 1940s, his private detective but audiences also seeing him as both charming and psychopathic in the brief film noir, Money Madness. But, he was famous for the long-running series, Leave it to Beaver as the father of the family.

This film is both serious investigation as well as often being played for laughs. Michael Shayne is very happy-go-lucky, casual in his treatment of his assistant, Phyllis, relying on his friendship with his journalist friend, Eddie. And, clashes with of the police, especially Ralph Dunn as Rafferty, who appeared in a number of the films, wanting to get the better of Michael Shayne.

Beaumont plays Michael Shayne as rather happy-go-lucky, enjoying his detective work, a lot of oneupmanship, his being knocked out quite a lot, imposing on his secretary who wants to join in the investigations and has a crush on him, chewing a lot of peanuts and scattering the shells, a lot of littering, this time a woman wanting his services, being killed by her husband, a robbery arranged, and, for a time, Shayne considered a suspect.

And this pattern continued through the succeeding for Michael Shayne, Detective films.

MONEY MADNESS

US, 1948, 73 minutes, Black-and-white.

Hugh Beaumont, Frances Rafferty, Harlan Warde, Cecil Weston, Ida Moore.

Directed by Sam Newfield as Peter Stewart.

Hugh Beaumont was successful in a series of supporting features, taking over from Lord Nolan, as Michael Shayne, private Detective. Hugh Beaumont had a number of short feature roles in the 1940s, in his private detective  outings, audiences seeing him as both charming and casually carefree.

He had the strong opportunity to appear as a psychopathic villain in the brief film noir, Money Madness. Ultimately, he was famous and very popular for the long-running series, Leave it to Beaver as the father of the family.

In money Madness, he participated in the robbery, the Robert shot, his taking the money and storing it, then fulfilling his scheme, is a cab driver, charming young woman, marrying her, killing her hypochondriac and demanding can’t, making sure that husband and wife cannot testify against each other, telling the young woman lives, trapping her in difficult circumstances. There is a romantic interest in the lawyer who handles her arts will. And the plan is to say that the money stored in the attic had been kept by the art with nobody knowing and therefore her niece inheriting it.

Strange aspect of the screenplay, the film opens with the young woman getting a 10 year sentence. The end does not come back to that. Rather, the audience knowing about the sentence, has a high hopes that the charming lawyer who has survived the psychopaths attempt on his life, will clear the young woman’s name.

An unusual film noir of 1948.

LARCENY IN HER HEART

US, 1946, 68 minutes, Black-and-white.

Hugh Beaumont, Cheryl Walker, Ralph Dunn, Paul Bryar, Douglas Fowlie, Gordon Richards.

Directed by Sam Newfield.

The second in a series of private detective stories, featuring Hugh Beaumont as Michael Shayne. There are several sequels. Hugh Beaumont had a number of short feature roles in the 1940s, his private detective but audiences also seeing him as both charming and psychopathic in the brief film noir, Money Madness. But, he was famous for the long-running series, Leave it to Beaver as the father of the family.

This film is both serious investigation as well as often being played for laughs. It is like a short story with the action taking place over two nights.

About to go on holiday, Shayne and the secretary are approached by wealthy man to take on a case to find his missing stepdaughter. Then, a young woman, drunk, comes into his office. Shayne is friendly with the police as well as a journalist, played by Paul Bryar. And there is the detective out to get him, played by Ralph Dunn. These two characters appear in several of the episodes.

There is the case of the dead body, its being removed, reappearing, disposed of in the garden of the wealthy man, found in the bay, identified in the morgue. Plenty of complications – and, finally, Shayne getting himself committed to a centre for alcoholics and his discovery of the truth. Some serious investigations, quite a lot of shenanigans and touches of comedy – and a rather more complex solution than the audience might have anticipated.

THREE ON A TICKET

US, 1947, 65 minutes, Black-and-white.

Hugh Beaumont, Cheryl Walker, Paul Brayr, Ralph Dunn, Louise Currie, Gavin Gordon, Douglas Fowley.

Directed by Sam Newfield.

The fourth in the series of five brief Michael Shayne detective films from the mid-40s. (In the early 40s there had been the series with Lloyd Nolan as Michael Shayne.)

By this stage, Shayne’s easy-going character had been established, his casual attitude towards his secretary and his secretary’s devotion to him, his intervening in cases, his being knocked out (twice in this film), the continual act that antagonism of police chief, Pete Rafferty, his friendship with the reporter, Tim.

The film opens with a man coming into his office and collapsing dead, shot, Shayne finding a ticket for storage at a railway station. Then comes a blonde wanting him to help her with her ex-husband and their divorce. Later, Shayne is abducted and threatened for the ticket. Then there is a government agent from Washington because the ticket leads to a container with a scientific development and possible espionage. And, at one stage, his secretary is also kidnapped.

Fast moving, Shayne not shot, gradually accumulating information, the rivalry with Rafferty, even Tim losing some faith in him, some unmasking of criminals, the shooting, the rescue of the secretary and a happy ending.

Fairly standard material but entertaining in its short running time and plenty of complicated plot.

TOO MANY WINNERS

US, 1947, 60 minutes, Black-and-white.

Hugh Beaumont, Trudy Marshall, Ralph Dunn, Claire Carleton, Charles Mitchell, John Hamilton, Grandson Rhodes, Ben Welden, Gary Gray.

Directed by William Baudine.

One of a series of private detective stories, featuring Hugh Beaumont as Michael Shayne. There are several sequels. Hugh Beaumont had a number of short feature roles in the 1940s, his private detective but audiences also seeing him as both charming and psychopathic in the brief film noir, Money Madness. But, he was famous for the long-running series, Leave it to Beaver as the father of the family.

This film is both serious investigation as well as often being played for laughs. Michael Shayne is very happy-go-lucky, casual in his treatment of his assistant, Phyllis, relying on his friendship with his journalist friend, Eddie. And, clashes with of the police, especially Ralph Dunn as Rafferty, who appeared in a number of the films, wanting to get the better of Michael Shayne.

Once again, Shane and his about to go on a holiday,, arriving to pay him not to investigate case. But, of course he does, interviewing a young woman who wants money for information, has a rendezvous with a former lover, head of several companies and settlers rose to race track, her then being found murdered. Plenty of complications and timing, an issue of tickets, the inventor of the camera, former criminals and new identities, thugs, assaults and murders – and, of course, the solution (this time not so unexpected).