THE MARK OF ZORRO (’40): The quintessential Saturday matinee piece. Tyrone Power is your superhero here, mild-mannered fop Don Diego Vega who transforms into vigilante Zorro to foil corruption. Where’s this guy today when we need him? Power made the dual identity thing a complete delight. Eugene Pallette dueling with Basil Rathbone is a thing I never knew I needed, but now I want to see that like twenty more times. Linda Darnell such a stunner. Great sets, score, direction. #40sfilms

WHEN LADIES MEET (’41): Herbert Marshall, you dog. You are married to Greer Garson- Greer Garson! An ethereal beauty, absolutely gorgeous, full of life- and you’re running around with Joan Crawford??? I liked the ’33 version of this better, but this is not without its appeal, esp third act with Joan and Greer’s chats and the big showdown. Spring Byington slayed me. But that ending… let’s just say Robert Taylor wouldn’t get my forgiveness. Or that of most normal people. #40sfilms

IMPACT (’49): The more I see of him, the more I really like and admire Brian Donlevy. Terrific actor, totally believable whether good guy or bad. Here he’s a two-timed husband who survives a hit, stays low while stewing on whether to resurface. Pretty good #filmnoir that offers up a few surprising turns. Helen Walker is deliciously evil as Brian’s unfaithful wife. Charles Coburn his usual amusing self. And… Ella Raines in that mechanic’s outfit, be still my heart! #40sfilms

LOVE LETTERS (’45): Getting this out of the way first, yes, the plot is preposterous. You’ve got to get past that though, because this has a terrific, nuanced Jennifer Jones performance. She’s a one-named woman, “Singleton”, with no memory of murdering her husband after he didn’t live up to love letters ghost-written by his friend, thoughtful romantic Joseph Cotten. Jones, a fave, gives a moving, ethereal performance, and Cotten is great too. Nice Lee Garmes photography too. #40sfilms

LADY IN A JAM (’42): Lesser Irene Dunne screwball comedy, with Irene as absent-minded (especially with money) heiress who goes financially belly-up, retreats to Arizona to find cause of her woes- & more money. Dunne is charming as always. Patric Knowles not particularly charismatic or interesting as love interest, though scene where he and Irene first kiss well done. I like Ralph Bellamy but hick cowboy character did him no favors. Beautiful Arizona backgrounds in many shots. Not bad. #40sfilms

ROAD TO SINGAPORE (’40): First in Bing & Bob Road series, and first Road for me too. You can tell they were finding their footing, but you could also tell this was before Paramount just left Hope go nuts. He was certainly more subdued here. There’s some kind of plot- a technicality really- that gets them to Singapore and love triangle with Lamour. Dorothy really a knockout who is lovingly photographed while belting some love tunes. An enjoyable romp, good appetizer for later entries. #40sfilms

LADIES IN RETIREMENT (’41): This is my kind of #filmnoir, heck, just my kind of film in general. Ida Lupino is a housekeeper willing to go to any lengths to help her slightly “off” sisters (played wonderfully by Edith Barrett and Elsa Lanchester). The photography and claustrophobic Gothic setting mark a rare occasion where fully soundstaged product successfully heightens the end result. Loved the slow build. Loved Ida, a talent so immense that she’s somehow the hero at the end? #40sfilms

THE BRIDE CAME C.O.D. (’41): Two of my absolute all-time faves, Cagney and Bette, back together again! Oh, if only it were another Pre-Code. Instead we get this sanitized paint-by-numbers piece with Jimmy as pilot/kidnapper of bride-to-be Miss Davis, stuck in desert ghost town after Jimmy’s plane goes down. The stars flex their skill under such circumstances and still make this a fun romp. Prepare yourself for many “cactus quills in the butt” jokes. Best scene is the kiss in the cave. #40sfilms

MAJOR BARBARA (’41): Magnificent adaptation of George Bernard Shaw play about a Salvation Army “major” who’s secretly a millionaire’s daughter. And when dad returns to the scene, complications and moral dilemmas ensue. Terrifically witty dialogue. Wendy Hiller is the Major and she is otherworldly with her performance. As commanding a screen presence as possible, you can’t take your eyes off her. Makes Rex Harrison practically vanish. And what a final speech! #britishfilm #40sfilms

MOSS ROSE (’47): I love this sort of film. Victorian #filmnoir with Peggy Cummins as low-class chorus girl blackmailing Victor Mature, who she believes murderer of her friend, into taking her into high society. But is he really the murderer? Creative setup, good performances from the key players- I never really think of Ethel Barrymore until she shows up somewhere, then am reminded how great she was too. And best of all, I learned more than I ever thought possible about the moss rose. #40sfilms