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Greetings, and welcome to VIEWING THE CLASSICS. Here you'll find capsule reviews of vintage movies from the early days of cinema through the 1970s, with a special emphasis on sci-fi, horror, and mystery movies. Be sure to check out the Pages links, where you can find a Film Index of all my reviews, links to the reviews organized by cast members, directors, and other contributors, and links to my reviews of the films of talented young director Joshua Kennedy.

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Tuesday, February 27, 2018

The Man Who Wouldn't Die (1942)

Starring Lloyd Nolan, Marjorie Weaver, Helene Reynolds, Henry Wilcoxon, Richard Derr
Directed by Herbert I. Leeds
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

Detective Michael Shayne is hired by a young woman to discover if a ghost really tried to kill her in her father's home, but insists that he pose as her husband.

A fun and entertaining entry in the Michael Shayne series, the picture boasts a mystery that kept me guessing for some time, and another engaging turn by Nolan as the amusing and clever detective.  Surprisingly this entry even has some horror elements, with a character feared to be a zombie, "the ghost" possessing eyes that seem to light up, and a laboratory in the basement with Kenneth Strickfadden-like electric equipment.  Familiar character actor Olin Howland plays the dimwitted local chief of police, outsmarted by Shayne at every turn, and other familiar faces like Richard Derr, Billy Bevan, and Jeff Corey pop up as well.  The film's a quality mystery, and well worth your time.

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