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allentbone
Reviews
Mexican Spitfire Out West (1940)
Puzzling for newcomers to the series.
If this is the first Mexican Spitfire you've seen it can be puzzling. First, it seems like Lupe Velez is a supporting character in her own movie, and it's all Leon Errol. Second, it can be confusing if you don't give the film your undivided attention if it comes up on TCM. Not only does Leon Errol play a dual role as Uncle Matt and Lord Epping but the Uncle Matt character impersonates Lord Epping throughout much of the film. So if you are distracted from the film at home for a minute you can be asking yourself which character you are watching: Lord Epping or Uncle Matt's fake Lord Epping. It must have posed a special challenge for Leon Errol to create a version of Uncle Matt's Lord Epping that was not just his own portrayal of Lord Epping. The film is lively and funny but I am glad I got it on my PVR to watch again without distractions.
Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)
Needs Restoration
Although this is a worthwhile Universal horror classic it is important to remember that the 61 minute runtime on the last VHS version and on the new Bela Lugosi "Franchise Collection" DVD is not the original length. My 1990 copy of Leonard Maltin's TV Movie and Video Guide lists this movie as clocking in at 75 minutes (perhaps containing the first two murders?). IMDb's trivia for this film also notes that parts of the scene with Arlene Francis tied to the cross (more like an 'x') were removed by censors and still appear to be absent. I seem to recall reading that there were large edits made by Universal execs before the film's initial release so it seems that an authoritative restoration of this classic film is needed.