GamerTab That was an excellent one.

Yash Wade Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

Asad Almond A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

Kayden This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

Michael_Elliott Phantom Killer (1942)** 1/2 (out of 4)A janitor (Mantan Moreland) witnesses a murder and he identifies the murderer as John G. Harrison (John Hamilton) who the janitor claims asked him for the time. The only problem is that Harrison can't speak or talk but attorney Edward Clark (Dick Purcell) believes he is faking. The only problem is that his girlfriend reporter (Joan Woodbury) claims to have been with Harrison when the murder took place.William Beaudine directed this remake of the 1933 Lionel Atwill film THE SPHINX. If you've seen that film then you'll know the twist and turns to the story here but it's still a mildly entertaining "B" movie that mixes a mystery with attempted laughs. The horror elements from the original movie are watered down here but it's still worth watching.As I stated, the horror elements have really been watered down here so one should basically go into this as a murder-mystery with a bunch of comedy elements thrown into. These type of films were quite popular throughout the 30s and 40s and for the most part this one here works thanks to the decent story as well as a fun cast who help make the 60-minute running time go by extremely quick.I thought both Purcell and Woodbury were very good in their roles. I especially liked the fast-talking nature that the two dug into each other with. I also thought Hamilton was very good in his role and Moreland adds the type of comedy that you'd expect from him. Again, if you've seen the original film then there's really nothing new here but this is entertaining enough for fans of the genre.

LeonLouisRicci Billy "B-Movie" Beaudine Directed this Monogram Movie with about as Much Creativity as His other 300 Films. Competent and Quick the Man who went on to Helm..."Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter" (1966) and "Billy the Kid vs Dracula" (1966) along with many Others that "Bad Movie" Archaeologists have Dug Up and Poked Fun. This is a Transparent Plot Paraded Out for Non-Discerning Wartime Audiences. There are some Amusing Cultural References about Sinking the Japs and a Reference to "Superman" that made His Comic Book Debut only Three Years Earlier.Pop-Eyed and always Poking Fun at Himself and His Race, Mantan Moreland is On Hand for a while, "Feets don't fail me now!", but is Surprisingly Absent after a Brief Gin Guzzling Opening. John Hamilton (TV's Perry White) is the "Villain" along with Three Leading Actors that no one can or Should Remember, because They basically Show Up, Read Lines and Annoy the Audience.The Title is Better than the Movie and the Movie is Better than Being on the Bottom End of a Bomb Run.Note...A Title Card shown at the end of the Movie asks for 80,000,000 Theater Patrons to "Buy Bonds Now", and many did. Movie goers were generous Patriots throughout WWII and helped the War effort substantially.Note 2…Someone on IMDb should remove the poster on this title page. It is almost as embarrassing as this Movie.

mark.waltz Racist overtones aside, there is a lot to recommend in this remake of The Sphinx where horror icon Lionel Atwill played a dual role, one a killer, the other his alibi. To prove you can't be two places at once, a deaf and mute philanthropist is off doing good deeds while the other is on nefarious sprees. The outcome is obvious but the method of revelation is what makes it more fun and intriguing. Replacing Atwill is an obscure actor named John Hamilton, a George Zucco look-alike who lacks the sinister image of both Atwill and Zucco. B fan favorite Joan Woodburry is the feisty reporter who fights for her belief in Hamilton's innocence while Dick Purcell is the detective trying to prove just the opposite. On the right side of the law are J. Farrell MacDonald and Warren Hymer, still typecast as a buffoon.There's racial overtones concerning the cowardly black porter played by Mantan Moreland who first encounters Hamilton then runs to his gin stash upon discovering the film's first corpse. Director William Beaudine speeds up the plot by instilling lots of humor, particularly a sequence with Hymer on the phone with his nagging wife who squeals like an old record on the wrong speed while Hymer hides the phone in a desk drawer. Like other Monogram remakes of their earlier films, this is even better than the original. It is pure entertainment without pretension made during the war ear that needed diversions like this.

dbborroughs Remake of the Linoel Atwill thriller the Sphinx has been rethought so its now a jokey romance between an Assistant District Attorney and a reporter. Its not bad, but where the original was a creepy thriller, this is too light to be truly gripping, especially if you've seen the original.The plot has ADA Dick Purcell investigating the murder of a wealthy individual. The one suspect, a known deaf mute played by John Hamilton was seen to talk by a janitor (Montan Moreland) at the crime scene, while he was seen by dozens of witnesses, including the reporter, at a dedication ceremony. The solution here is so clumsy as to be obvious well before its revealed making the film unexciting. The result is we're left with the not a great deal to hold our interest, and the feeling that once again a very good original should not have been remade.