Lured (1947)

Starring George Sanders, Lucille Ball, Charles Coburn, Boris Karloff, Cedric Hardwicke
Directed by Douglas Sirk
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

A dance hall girl is recruited by the London police to help them trap a serial killer who targets young women through the personal ads of the newspaper.

Considering Lucille Ball's later acclaim as a comedic actress, it's interesting to see her play a dramatic role here, supported by several accomplished actors whose performances are equally fine, including Karloff as a demented fashion designer, Coburn as the determined police inspector, and Sanders, cast in a familiar role as a wealthy entrepreneur and lothario.  Familiar screen villain George Zucco has an entertaining change-of-pace role as Ball's protector.  Ball, who is given an impressive variety of outfits throughout the film, has never looked lovelier, and the film has strong direction by Sirk and innovative camera work.  The mystery itself though takes a rather implausible turn to cap off with a happy ending, but that's no doubt what the audience for pictures like this would have preferred.

The Rocket Man (1954)

Starring Charles Coburn, Spring Byington, Anne Francis, John Agar, George Winslow
Directed by Oscar Rudolph
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

A young orphan is given a special ray gun with magic powers by an alien visitor, and he uses it to help the kindly judge who takes him in.

This picture offers a charming fantasy with a wonderful cast, and even though it's completely predictable, it's grand entertainment, with young Winslow a definite charmer as the little orphan boy, whose terrific monotone delivery brought forth some big laughs from me.  Although the sci-fi elements are kept to a minimum, it's interesting that a number of the film's cast would go on to star in some of the best known sci-fi films of the 1950s, including Agar, Francis, and Beverly Garland.  As wholesome and good-natured as the film is, it's difficult to reconcile that the controversial comedian Lenny Bruce collaborated on the screenplay, but he's a solid contributor among many to this memorable film.