CAPTAIN DUNCAN MacLAIN FILM COLLECTION - 2 DVD-R. Blinded in World War
I, wealthy, dashing Captain DUNCAN MACLAIN moves to New York and sets up
a detective agency, aided by his partner, Spud Savage and his secretary
Rena. Rounding out the staff are Duncan's two specially trained German
Shepherds, Schnuke and Driest. When he's not solving crimes, Duncan
whiles away the time reading (in Braille) and doing giant jigsaw
puzzles. Later on in the series, Duncan found time to marry the lovely
Miss Sybella Ford, owner of a decorating shop. The Maclain books are
exciting, well written adventures even if there are a few pulpy
gee-whizzes sprinkled here and there, and it's a true crime that
Kendrick and Maclain are now almost forgotten. At least good enough to
inspire a handful of B-films in the forties, including a couple starring
the decidedly stout Edward Arnold as the blind detective. They weren't
great, although Eyes in the Night has a few unintentionally hilarious
moments of scenery chewing, as Arnold pretends to be drunk. There was
also a TV appearance with Robert Middleton as Maclain, and in the
seventies, Longstreet, a television series that featured a blind
insurance investigator based upon "characters created by Baynard
Kendrick." These films were originally produced long before the advent
of High Definition TV, therefore they are best viewed on a small screen.
HD TVs tend to stretch and skew the picture. Set your HD TV on 4:3
aspect ratio. (That was the old TV format). Please do not expect DVD or
Commercial level DVDs from these films. Films List: EYES IN THE NIGHT
(1942) THE HIDDEN EYE (1945)
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