Briefly (2 November 2026)

Movies Calling Philo Vance (1940) D: William Clemens. S: James Stephenson, Margot Stevenson, Henry O’Neill, Edward Brophy, Ralph Forbes. Stephenson takes over as PHILO (his only appearance, however; he died a year after this entry), now working for the State Department and trying to root out traitors and saboteurs. The espionage angle’s just set dressing around the S.S. Van Dine adaptation, but adequate for most of the picture. Brophy’s fun, Stephenson’s likable (and has a cute dog). Captive Wild Woman (1943) D: Edward Dmytryk. S: John Carradine, Evelyn Ankers, Milburn Stone, Paul Fix, Harry Holman. Mad scientist Carradine (who’s somehow excellent in this otherwise atrocious picture) turns a circus ape into a girl (played by Acquanetta, who gets no lines). Most of the hour is spent watching circus performers abuse animals, but there’s time for pervasive misogyny, mild racism, and American-made eugenics. Stone’s terrible as the male lead. The dregs of Universal horror. The Corpse…

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