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Second Feature: The Best of the B's
A pictorial history of "B" movies profiles stars and featured players, and includes a list of films in such categories as comedies, dramas, horror, musicals, and westerns
256 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 13, 2020
Yes, this in another "reference" book that I read cover to cover and throughly enjoyed. It's a little like
a Leonard Maltin guide to just B-movies, though Cocchi's entries are longer than Maltin's (one paragraph each but long paragraphs). Though I love the B-movies of the 30s and 40s and have seen many of them, he brought to my attention several titles that I will be looking for on YouTube. Cocchi is a friendly and knowledable guide, and I only wish it could have included many more titles.
a Leonard Maltin guide to just B-movies, though Cocchi's entries are longer than Maltin's (one paragraph each but long paragraphs). Though I love the B-movies of the 30s and 40s and have seen many of them, he brought to my attention several titles that I will be looking for on YouTube. Cocchi is a friendly and knowledable guide, and I only wish it could have included many more titles.
August 8, 2013
I knew nothing about this book when I found it on Amazon but
I could remember reading that John Cocchi had a remarkable
still collection. This is just a fantastic book. It starts off
with an introduction by the author in which he traces his love
of "B" movies back to his first cinema visit (a double feature
with "Swamp Fire" (1946)and "Dumbo"(1941). There are then
approximately 80 pages throughout the book of beautiful photos,
many personally autographed by the stars themselves and the
frontispiece has a gorgeous photo of Esther Ralston. There is
a chapter on each genre with around 70+ movies discussed.
Some examples - Comedy and Drama = "Night Work" (1929) Cocchi
feels is Eddie Quillan's best work with a little bit of
everything (music, comedy, drama) thrown in. "False Faces" (1932)
a movie that has always intrigued me about a quack plastic
surgeon, directed and starring Lowell Sherman with the beautiful
Peggy Shannon.
Westerns - "Scarlet River" (1933) spoofs the "real" West versus
the "reel" West. Tom Keene plays movie cowboy who helps Dorothy
Wilson who also stars in "When a Man's a Man" (1935) that Cocchi
feels is one of the best westerns ever. One of my favourites is
"Between Men" (1935) with the fabulous William Farnum turned
renegade cowboy when he believes his son is killed in gun fight
crossfire.
Mystery and Crime - "Alias Mary Smith" (1932), Cocchi's infatuation
with Blanche Mehaffey makes this one sound interesting. "Docks of
San Francisco" - one of Mary Nolan's last movies, "Hell House"
(1931), one of Bette Davis' first, even though the real star is
Junior Durkin. The fantastic "Penguin Pool Murder" (1932) with
Edna May Oliver as the amateur sleuth Hildegarde Withers. "The
Crime of the Century" (1933) has Jean Hersholt confessing to a
murder he has not yet committed, also with the fabulous Wynne
Gibson. "Crime of Helen Stanley" (1934) has Gail Patrick in an
early role as a snooty star who thinks she is a target for murder!!
"The Ninth Guest" (1934)a really excellent little film with the
under-rated Genevieve Tobin who along with 7 other guests finds
8 graves in the yard of a penthouse!! "City Girl" (1937) has the
beautiful Phyllis Brooks as a waitress who turns to crime. Among
others covered are "My Name is Julia Ross" (1945), the Whistler series,
"Detour" (1945), "The Guilty" (1947) and "Gun Crazy" (1949).
Action and Adventure includes "King of the Jungle" (1933) a
spoof on the then popular Tarzan with Buster Crabbe and Frances
Dee and "Circus Girl" (1937), mayhem under the big top!!
Horror = "The Drums of Jeopardy" (1931) starring Warner Oland as
Dr. Boris Karlov (released before Karloff became famous), "Deluge"
(1933) an amazing end of the world disaster epic, again with the
gorgeous Peggy Shannon.
Too many movies to mention - "Murders in the Zoo" (1933), "The Sin
of Norah Moran" (1933) Cocchi claims is one of the best movies of
the 1930s, "Terror Aboard" (1933) a really terrific film about a
gentlemanly psychotic killer!! Ed Wood movies are included as well!!
Musicals = "Down to Their Last Yacht" (1934) considered to be one
of the worst musicals ever made, it definitely didn't do Sidney
Fox's career any good. There are also plenty of Ann Miller movies
mentioned as well.
Each movie has studio, year, director, main stars and a paragraph
dealing with anything of interest in them.
I could remember reading that John Cocchi had a remarkable
still collection. This is just a fantastic book. It starts off
with an introduction by the author in which he traces his love
of "B" movies back to his first cinema visit (a double feature
with "Swamp Fire" (1946)and "Dumbo"(1941). There are then
approximately 80 pages throughout the book of beautiful photos,
many personally autographed by the stars themselves and the
frontispiece has a gorgeous photo of Esther Ralston. There is
a chapter on each genre with around 70+ movies discussed.
Some examples - Comedy and Drama = "Night Work" (1929) Cocchi
feels is Eddie Quillan's best work with a little bit of
everything (music, comedy, drama) thrown in. "False Faces" (1932)
a movie that has always intrigued me about a quack plastic
surgeon, directed and starring Lowell Sherman with the beautiful
Peggy Shannon.
Westerns - "Scarlet River" (1933) spoofs the "real" West versus
the "reel" West. Tom Keene plays movie cowboy who helps Dorothy
Wilson who also stars in "When a Man's a Man" (1935) that Cocchi
feels is one of the best westerns ever. One of my favourites is
"Between Men" (1935) with the fabulous William Farnum turned
renegade cowboy when he believes his son is killed in gun fight
crossfire.
Mystery and Crime - "Alias Mary Smith" (1932), Cocchi's infatuation
with Blanche Mehaffey makes this one sound interesting. "Docks of
San Francisco" - one of Mary Nolan's last movies, "Hell House"
(1931), one of Bette Davis' first, even though the real star is
Junior Durkin. The fantastic "Penguin Pool Murder" (1932) with
Edna May Oliver as the amateur sleuth Hildegarde Withers. "The
Crime of the Century" (1933) has Jean Hersholt confessing to a
murder he has not yet committed, also with the fabulous Wynne
Gibson. "Crime of Helen Stanley" (1934) has Gail Patrick in an
early role as a snooty star who thinks she is a target for murder!!
"The Ninth Guest" (1934)a really excellent little film with the
under-rated Genevieve Tobin who along with 7 other guests finds
8 graves in the yard of a penthouse!! "City Girl" (1937) has the
beautiful Phyllis Brooks as a waitress who turns to crime. Among
others covered are "My Name is Julia Ross" (1945), the Whistler series,
"Detour" (1945), "The Guilty" (1947) and "Gun Crazy" (1949).
Action and Adventure includes "King of the Jungle" (1933) a
spoof on the then popular Tarzan with Buster Crabbe and Frances
Dee and "Circus Girl" (1937), mayhem under the big top!!
Horror = "The Drums of Jeopardy" (1931) starring Warner Oland as
Dr. Boris Karlov (released before Karloff became famous), "Deluge"
(1933) an amazing end of the world disaster epic, again with the
gorgeous Peggy Shannon.
Too many movies to mention - "Murders in the Zoo" (1933), "The Sin
of Norah Moran" (1933) Cocchi claims is one of the best movies of
the 1930s, "Terror Aboard" (1933) a really terrific film about a
gentlemanly psychotic killer!! Ed Wood movies are included as well!!
Musicals = "Down to Their Last Yacht" (1934) considered to be one
of the worst musicals ever made, it definitely didn't do Sidney
Fox's career any good. There are also plenty of Ann Miller movies
mentioned as well.
Each movie has studio, year, director, main stars and a paragraph
dealing with anything of interest in them.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews