Dark Crimes Collection 50 Movie Pack

I'm hooked on these 50-movie Mill Creek/Treeline dvd sets. I own 14 and plan to own many more! They are an unbeatable mix of the unexpected, the silly, the rare, and the hilarious. These are bad movies - possibly the best/worst of the bad movies - all at once, mixed up in a bucket, about 4 movies for $1.Yes, the video quality is mixed. Yes, an annoying Mill Creek logo pops up onscreen sometimes. Yes, most of these seem to be transferred from VHS sources. Yes, some movies are edited, and yes, sometimes the sound quality isn't ideal. If any of this bothers you, do not buy a 50-movie pack. You will need to pay a little more for individual dvds."Dark Crimes" is good solid suspense and mystery. Plenty of good movies here, all of them old, 1930s-1950s, all black-and-white. (No silents.) It's much more homogenous than most Mill Creek sets, lots of good movies and very few laughably bad ones (though there are still lots of cheapies and oddities). Many well-known actors, like Angela Lansbury and Hedy Lamarr, generally in lesser-known movies. A few 1950s made-for-tv things, with old-time advertising intact.The emphasis is on noir crime-oriented stories that are NOT traditional detective mysteries. If you're looking for that Sherlock Holmes type of thing, you're better off buying the Mill Creek Mystery Classics set. (Actually the sets compliment each other and can be bought together as a 100-pack).Lots of twisted and involving movies here: Deforest Kelley (of Star Trek fame) is engaging as a helpless dupe in the unusual and creepy "Fear in the Night". Basil Rathbone is a wonderfully slimy fortune hunter in "Love From a Stranger", and Erich Von Stroheim is heartbreaking as a trick sharpshooter ruined by a femme fatale in "The Great Flamarion". The original British "Gaslight" is here, as is the first of Boris Karloff's Mr. Wong series. "The Naked Kiss" is a surprisingly gritty story of a reformed prostitute, and "The Sleeping Tiger" is about reform gone horribly wrong. Lots of mistaken identities, foggy nights, gangsters, hardboiled cops, guys on the lam and girls on the make. Some morality plays with happy endings, and some stories that end in tears for everyone.Many truly "good" films here, with some cheeseballs thrown in. Some are violent in an old fashioned way, but everything is G (or weak PG) rated so this is an ok choice for the whole family.There are almost no repeats here from other Mill Creek sets, only 2 that I know of: "The Capture" and "The Devil's Party". Look at the listing before buying.Overall, if you like old black and white suspense this is am excellent buy. I love it!

The stories were very good.

The 12th (and last) DVD in this set contains six made-for-TV films shown on CBS's "Studio One" program between 1948 and 1952. These films include the commercials, and they are the earliest TV commercials I have ever seen. For example, in 1949 Westinghouse was selling a big, boxy, front-opening washer and dryer set called the "Laundromat" using the slogan "Buy On Proof". One commercial asks you to call any of their authorized dealers, who will come to your home, pick up a load of your dirty laundry, wash and dry it at their store, and invite you into town to see the results for yourself. Easy payment plans are available.So you actually get fifty decent movies _plus_ some of the earliest TV commercials. What a deal!Also, each DVD comes in a cardboard sleeve that lists for every film the title, year, a brief synopsis, and featured actor. It's very good packaging for any collection, and exceptionally good for this price.

...as it is a listing of the titles in this collection.Baby Face Morgan-- Mary CarlisleCapture, The-- Lew AyresCause for Alarm-- Loretta YoungChase, The-- Robert CummingsD.O.A.-- Edmond O'BrienDevil's Party-- Victor McLaglenFear in the Night-- DeForest KellyFlowers from a Stranger-- Yul BrynnerGaslight-- Anton WalbrookGreat Flamarion, The-- Erich von StroheimGuest in the House-- Ann BaxterHalf a Sinner-- Heather AngelHoodlum, The-- Lawrence TierneyInner Circle, The-- Adele MaraInner Sanctum-- Mary Beth HughesLast Mile, The-- Preston FosterLife at Stake, A-- Angela LansburyLimping Man, The-- Lloyd BridgesLove From a Stranger-- Basil RathboneMan Who Cheated Himself-- Lee J. CobbMan Who Had Influence, The-- Robert SterlingMandarin Mystery, The-- Eddie QuillanMystery of Mr. Wong, The-- Boris KarloffNaked Kiss, The-- Constance TowersParole, Inc.-- Michael O'SheaPay-Off, The-- Lowell ShermanPhantom Fiend, The-- Ivor NovelloPlan for Escape-- Peggy Ann GarnerPlease Murder Me-- Angela LansburyPrison Shadows-- Eddie NugentRed House, The-- Edward G RobinsonScar, The-- Paul HenreidShoot to Kill-- Russell WadeSinners in Paradise-- Madge EvansSleeping Tiger, The-- Alexis SmithSlightly Honorable-- Pat O'BrienSpecial Agent-- William EytheStrange Illusion-- James LydonStrange Woman-- Hedy LamarSucker Money-- Mischa AuerTen Minutes to Live-- A.B. ComatherieThere Was a Crooked Man-- Robert SterlingThings Happen at Night-- Gordon HarkerTrapped-- Lloyd BridgesTwo Sharp Knives-- Stanley RidgesWhistle Stop-- George RaftWoman Condemned, The-- Claudia DellWoman in the Shadows-- Melvyn DouglasWoman on the Run-- Ann SheridanWrong Road, The-- Helen Mack

Recipient of this gift loves it

Wow - what a collection! Some of these black and white Noir movies are better than others, and the print quality varies, but they are all watchable. Worth it for Gaslight (Anton Walbrook) and Please Murder Me (Raymond Burr and Angela Lansbury) alone. Great value. They are not all films, but include a few TV episodes of the Westinghouse Studio One dramas, which are a fascinating visual historical study of consumerism in the US in those days. Also, the brave actors' hesitations and stumbles are a sight to see. Early days for TV drama, and the directors and actors were pioneers, sometimes doing a very good job with extremely basic equipment. Two examples are the 1949 Flowers From a Stranger, starring a very young Yul Brynner, with hair and Plan for Escape starring Peggy Ann Garner, who gave such a memorable performance as a child in Elia Kazan's film of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. It's also great that you get to see the sponsor's (Westinghouse Electricals) ads, from super-duper fridges to a device that enhanced the size of TV screens. Anyway, got to go now - want to watch Whistle Stop starring George Raft and Ava Gardner (1946).(Some of these unrestored films are available individually, but you might find what you want here instead - I've listed my favourites, as has Jimbo Curry - just not room to put them all in.) Requires a bit of patience to arrange the DVDs so that you can identify them against a helpful little booklet, but worth the effort.

Arrived days ahead of advertised delivery date. I'm really pleased with the selection of films in the set.

Not as I expected. but fair..

Great films great price what more!!