Starring Boris Karloff, Maris Wrixon, Gene O'Donnell, Dorothy Vaughan, Gertrude Hoffman
Directed by William Nigh
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A doctor turns to murder in the guise of an escaped circus gorilla to obtain the spinal fluid he needs to cure a young woman's paralysis.
One of Boris Karloff's films for Poverty Row studio Monogram Pictures, the movie is certainly not a favorite of many compared to his other classic films, but I'm rather fond of it. Playing a kindly doctor who is ironically hated by the townspeople due to his mysterious experiments and untrue rumors about him, I found his performance quite noble and more than adequate. The rest of the cast isn't as fine of course although I liked Maris Wrixon as his young patient, and Henry Hall as the folksy sheriff. IMDB credits Ray Corrigan as the man in the gorilla costume, who certainly had a talent for playing apes, and it's a fairly convincing costume for the period. The film stretches believability more than once, and the story wasn't always coherent, but the print I saw had a lot of jump cuts, so it may have been edited quite a bit. I enjoyed the music, and in general found the film a lot more watchable than some of Karloff's other low-budget efforts.
Thursday, September 28, 2017
Tuesday, September 26, 2017
The Vampire Bat (1933)
Starring Lionel Atwill, Fay Wray, Melvyn Douglas, Maude Eburne, George E. Stone
Directed by Frank R. Strayer
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
Vampire-like killings in a European village are terrorizing the superstitious residents, but a no-nonsense investigator refuses to believe a supernatural creature is responsible.
Low-budget Majestic Pictures released this horror film on the heels of Dracula and Frankenstein, and it was actually filmed on some of the same sets on the Universal lot. Strayer is no Tod Browning or James Whale, nor can the photography possibly compare to the Universal horror classics, but the picture is blessed with a strong cast who make the film interesting to watch. Atwill and Wray, teamed for the third time, after Doctor X and Mystery Of The Wax Museum, give rich performances as does Melvyn Douglas, destined for more prestigious fare, and Dwight Frye who gives us another memorable characterization as the simpleton who becomes a prime suspect in the killings. Familiar character actors like Stone and Lionel Belmore also add to the fun. It may not be a great movie, but with this cast and some still eerie chills, I found it more than entertaining enough.
Directed by Frank R. Strayer
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
Vampire-like killings in a European village are terrorizing the superstitious residents, but a no-nonsense investigator refuses to believe a supernatural creature is responsible.
Low-budget Majestic Pictures released this horror film on the heels of Dracula and Frankenstein, and it was actually filmed on some of the same sets on the Universal lot. Strayer is no Tod Browning or James Whale, nor can the photography possibly compare to the Universal horror classics, but the picture is blessed with a strong cast who make the film interesting to watch. Atwill and Wray, teamed for the third time, after Doctor X and Mystery Of The Wax Museum, give rich performances as does Melvyn Douglas, destined for more prestigious fare, and Dwight Frye who gives us another memorable characterization as the simpleton who becomes a prime suspect in the killings. Familiar character actors like Stone and Lionel Belmore also add to the fun. It may not be a great movie, but with this cast and some still eerie chills, I found it more than entertaining enough.
Monday, September 25, 2017
Maniac (1934)
Starring Bill Woods, Horace Carpenter, Ted Edwards, Phyllis Diller, Thea Ramsey
Directed by Dwain Esper
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
When a mad scientist exhorts his assistant to kill himself so that he can bring him back to life, the assistant instead kills the scientist, and impersonates him while descending into madness.
In between title cards defining various mental psychoses, not all of which may be portrayed in the movie, Esper, a director of low-budget films on sensationalist topics, stages his horrific drama, inserting flashes of nudity and disturbing violence. Frankenstein was clearly an inspiration with the subject matter of bringing the dead back to life at the forefront, and a story detail is borrowed from Edgar Allan Poe's The Black Cat, but the overall plot seems pretty much window dressing for scenes in which Esper tries to shock his audience. Cat lovers may well be deeply disturbed by some dialogue involving a "cat and rat farmer," as well as a horrific scene involving a feline eyeball, which I was relieved to later read was not real. The film still has the power to shock, so I'll give Esper that, although if he was attempting a serious treatise on madness, he falls greatly short, and there's plenty of flat dialogue readings and a number of scenes that could be considered laughable. The picture is however certainly unique and watchable, at least I thought so.
Directed by Dwain Esper
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
When a mad scientist exhorts his assistant to kill himself so that he can bring him back to life, the assistant instead kills the scientist, and impersonates him while descending into madness.
In between title cards defining various mental psychoses, not all of which may be portrayed in the movie, Esper, a director of low-budget films on sensationalist topics, stages his horrific drama, inserting flashes of nudity and disturbing violence. Frankenstein was clearly an inspiration with the subject matter of bringing the dead back to life at the forefront, and a story detail is borrowed from Edgar Allan Poe's The Black Cat, but the overall plot seems pretty much window dressing for scenes in which Esper tries to shock his audience. Cat lovers may well be deeply disturbed by some dialogue involving a "cat and rat farmer," as well as a horrific scene involving a feline eyeball, which I was relieved to later read was not real. The film still has the power to shock, so I'll give Esper that, although if he was attempting a serious treatise on madness, he falls greatly short, and there's plenty of flat dialogue readings and a number of scenes that could be considered laughable. The picture is however certainly unique and watchable, at least I thought so.
Saturday, September 23, 2017
The Mad Monster (1942)
Starring Johnny Downs, George Zucco, Anne Nagel, Glenn Strange, Sarah Padden
Directed by Sam Newfield
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
When a scientist succeeds in transforming his innocent handyman into a werewolf, he plots to use the creature for revenge against his enemies.
Poverty row studio PRC (Producers Releasing Corporation) distributed this low budget horror film, but with the underappreciated George Zucco in the lead, and he makes up for much of its lack of production values. Combining a sinister tone, eloquent diction, and an unsettling stare, the accomplished actor is the perfect mad scientist, and has some memorable dialogue at the film's start, confronting phantom images of the men he blames for ruining his career. Actor Glenn Strange, who would later play the Frankenstein monster for Universal, essays the werewolf, delivering some fine snarls in makeup that's not all that bad, although it might have been more fearsome had his character not remained garbed in overalls. As I read in a film encyclopedia some years ago, the movie "borrows" a number of plot details from Universal's 1941 vehicle for Lon Chaney Jr., Man Made Monster, and even features Nagel in an similar role to hers in that previous film. It needed to borrow a lot more than that to be truly of quality, but nevertheless in my mind, Zucco's presence elevates the movie to the standing of one of PRC's finest productions.
Directed by Sam Newfield
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
When a scientist succeeds in transforming his innocent handyman into a werewolf, he plots to use the creature for revenge against his enemies.
Poverty row studio PRC (Producers Releasing Corporation) distributed this low budget horror film, but with the underappreciated George Zucco in the lead, and he makes up for much of its lack of production values. Combining a sinister tone, eloquent diction, and an unsettling stare, the accomplished actor is the perfect mad scientist, and has some memorable dialogue at the film's start, confronting phantom images of the men he blames for ruining his career. Actor Glenn Strange, who would later play the Frankenstein monster for Universal, essays the werewolf, delivering some fine snarls in makeup that's not all that bad, although it might have been more fearsome had his character not remained garbed in overalls. As I read in a film encyclopedia some years ago, the movie "borrows" a number of plot details from Universal's 1941 vehicle for Lon Chaney Jr., Man Made Monster, and even features Nagel in an similar role to hers in that previous film. It needed to borrow a lot more than that to be truly of quality, but nevertheless in my mind, Zucco's presence elevates the movie to the standing of one of PRC's finest productions.
Friday, September 22, 2017
The Fatal Hour (1940)
Starring Boris Karloff, Marjorie Reynolds, Grant Withers, Charles Trowbridge, Frank Puglia
Directed by William Nigh
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
Captain Street counts on the aid of Mr. Wong to unravel the murder of a fellow cop who was drowned while investigating a smuggling ring.
Oriental detectives seemed all the rage in the 1930s and 1940s, with Charlie Chan, Mr. Moto, and Boris Karloff's Mr. Wong all solving mysteries in their own series of pictures. The Mr. Wong series, distributed by Poverty Row studio Monogram Pictures, had Karloff, but had probably the lowest production values of all the series. Although it's difficult to imagine the British horror icon as passing for Chinese today, the actor had been cast in exotic roles for some time before, notably as the sinister Fu Manchu, and to his credit gives a dignified performance uncouched in stereotype. This installment is an at times boring affair, with long drawn out scenes and static photography, although I liked it more than other films in the series, due to the presence of Trowbridge, one of my favorite character actors, and a fairly clever plot device establishing a murderer's alibi late in the film.
Directed by William Nigh
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
Captain Street counts on the aid of Mr. Wong to unravel the murder of a fellow cop who was drowned while investigating a smuggling ring.
Oriental detectives seemed all the rage in the 1930s and 1940s, with Charlie Chan, Mr. Moto, and Boris Karloff's Mr. Wong all solving mysteries in their own series of pictures. The Mr. Wong series, distributed by Poverty Row studio Monogram Pictures, had Karloff, but had probably the lowest production values of all the series. Although it's difficult to imagine the British horror icon as passing for Chinese today, the actor had been cast in exotic roles for some time before, notably as the sinister Fu Manchu, and to his credit gives a dignified performance uncouched in stereotype. This installment is an at times boring affair, with long drawn out scenes and static photography, although I liked it more than other films in the series, due to the presence of Trowbridge, one of my favorite character actors, and a fairly clever plot device establishing a murderer's alibi late in the film.
Wednesday, September 20, 2017
Revolt Of The Zombies (1936)
Starring Dorothy Stone, Dean Jagger, Roy D'Arcy, Robert Noland, George Cleveland
Directed by Victor Halperin
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A young archaeologist travels to the fabled city of Angkor in Cambodia to try and find the secret of turning men into zombies, and when he does, uses the power to take what he wants from others.
Another zombie film from the Halperins, who produced and directed the famed White Zombie, is a welcome find, but this movie falls far short of being a worthy followup to the Bela Lugosi classic. Nevertheless, it's interesting viewing on several levels, for casting future Oscar-winner Jagger, for the insertion of the images of Bela Lugosi's eyes from the first film whenever Jagger has to possess someone, and for a story that tries to go in a different direction. I thought Jagger imbued a bit of life into his nervous and unsure character, somewhat blandly written, who then becomes brash and confident with his zombies backing him up. I also appreciated the scenery and sets, which try to recreate what must have been a largely unknown land on the screen, and the climax in which Jagger relinquishes his control makes for a fine and well-filmed denouement to the film. However, Lugosi's presence is greatly missed, and I found myself wishing the filmmakers would have played up Roy D'Arcy's villain more to create more conflict in the story. Still, I'm glad the Halperins returned to this well, and the picture does offer an evocative mood that I found worth remembering.
Directed by Victor Halperin
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A young archaeologist travels to the fabled city of Angkor in Cambodia to try and find the secret of turning men into zombies, and when he does, uses the power to take what he wants from others.
Another zombie film from the Halperins, who produced and directed the famed White Zombie, is a welcome find, but this movie falls far short of being a worthy followup to the Bela Lugosi classic. Nevertheless, it's interesting viewing on several levels, for casting future Oscar-winner Jagger, for the insertion of the images of Bela Lugosi's eyes from the first film whenever Jagger has to possess someone, and for a story that tries to go in a different direction. I thought Jagger imbued a bit of life into his nervous and unsure character, somewhat blandly written, who then becomes brash and confident with his zombies backing him up. I also appreciated the scenery and sets, which try to recreate what must have been a largely unknown land on the screen, and the climax in which Jagger relinquishes his control makes for a fine and well-filmed denouement to the film. However, Lugosi's presence is greatly missed, and I found myself wishing the filmmakers would have played up Roy D'Arcy's villain more to create more conflict in the story. Still, I'm glad the Halperins returned to this well, and the picture does offer an evocative mood that I found worth remembering.
Tuesday, September 19, 2017
The Terror (1963)
Starring Boris Karloff, Jack Nicholson, Sandra Knight, Richard Miller, Dorothy Neumann
Directed by Roger Corman
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
After being separated from his regiment, a French soldier falls for a beautiful young woman, whom he learns is supposed to have died over twenty years ago.
The pairing of horror icon Karloff with Nicholson early in his career, who has since become an icon in his own right, sounds more attractive than it unfortunately is. This is a low budget production with a dreary and meandering story, borrowing Karloff and the sets from Corman's filming of The Raven, which is a far better movie than this one. It does have an excellent atmospheric music score from Ronald Stein to its credit, and Karloff and Nicholson are quite watchable. However, they deserve a better showcase than this one. Corman often worked wonders on a shoestring budget, and there's some worthy elements scattered throughout the picture, but they're just not integrated well enough to call this entertaining. Still, at the very least, Peter Bogdanovich was able to reuse the footage from this movie in his excellent film Targets, which contains one of Karloff's best final performances.
Directed by Roger Corman
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
After being separated from his regiment, a French soldier falls for a beautiful young woman, whom he learns is supposed to have died over twenty years ago.
The pairing of horror icon Karloff with Nicholson early in his career, who has since become an icon in his own right, sounds more attractive than it unfortunately is. This is a low budget production with a dreary and meandering story, borrowing Karloff and the sets from Corman's filming of The Raven, which is a far better movie than this one. It does have an excellent atmospheric music score from Ronald Stein to its credit, and Karloff and Nicholson are quite watchable. However, they deserve a better showcase than this one. Corman often worked wonders on a shoestring budget, and there's some worthy elements scattered throughout the picture, but they're just not integrated well enough to call this entertaining. Still, at the very least, Peter Bogdanovich was able to reuse the footage from this movie in his excellent film Targets, which contains one of Karloff's best final performances.
Monday, September 18, 2017
The Beast Of Yucca Flats (1961)
Starring Tor Johnson, Douglas Mellor, Barbara Francis, Bing Stafford, Larry Aten
Directed by Coleman Francis
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A defecting Russian scientist is caught in an atomic detonation which transforms him into a maddened murdering monster.
This isn't a good movie by any stretch of the imagination, although it's more watchable then some of Francis' other films. It's probably most notable for Johnson, the hulking bald wrestler who appeared in a number of notorious director Ed Wood's productions. This is likely Johnson's biggest role in any movie, but he is only credited as a "guest star" here. He's still kept off camera for most of the film, which given his limited acting ability was a wise move, but that doesn't keep the rest of the movie from dragging. A curious oddity about the film is the fact that all the dialogue is dubbed over long shots or scenes where we can't see people's lips moving. More than likely this was due to problems with sound recording, but the way the film is edited, it certainly is a creative solution, and does give the movie a different kind of vibe to it. Not enough happens, and there's a number of repetitive scenes, but nonetheless, I can't completely pan the picture, which has a stark and gritty tone to it, well suited to the craggy scenery of Yucca Flats.
Directed by Coleman Francis
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A defecting Russian scientist is caught in an atomic detonation which transforms him into a maddened murdering monster.
This isn't a good movie by any stretch of the imagination, although it's more watchable then some of Francis' other films. It's probably most notable for Johnson, the hulking bald wrestler who appeared in a number of notorious director Ed Wood's productions. This is likely Johnson's biggest role in any movie, but he is only credited as a "guest star" here. He's still kept off camera for most of the film, which given his limited acting ability was a wise move, but that doesn't keep the rest of the movie from dragging. A curious oddity about the film is the fact that all the dialogue is dubbed over long shots or scenes where we can't see people's lips moving. More than likely this was due to problems with sound recording, but the way the film is edited, it certainly is a creative solution, and does give the movie a different kind of vibe to it. Not enough happens, and there's a number of repetitive scenes, but nonetheless, I can't completely pan the picture, which has a stark and gritty tone to it, well suited to the craggy scenery of Yucca Flats.
Saturday, September 16, 2017
Nosferatu (1922)
Starring Max Schreck, Gustav von Wangenheim, Greta Schroder, Georg H. Schnell, Ruth Landshoff
Directed by F.W. Murnau
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A real estate agent sells the house across from his to the foreign Count Orlok, who is in reality a vampire who brings pestilence and death to the agent's homeland.
This was the first screen adaptation of Bram Stoker's classic novel Dracula, but an unauthorized one that per Wikipedia bankrupted its studio due to copyright infringement litigation. It is nonetheless a brilliant film from acclaimed director Murnau, with wonderful shadowy photography and a striking performance and makeup for Schreck as the undead count. The story does depart quite a bit from the Dracula text, changing the character names, and setting up a noble sacrifice by Schroder's character at its climax to bring Orlok's crimes against humanity to an end, instead of utilizing the more familiar confrontation between the villain and the novel's Van Helsing. That makes the picture somewhat unique among all the Dracula adaptations, and the German Expressionist imagery contained within has kept it a cinema treasure in perpetuity.
Directed by F.W. Murnau
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A real estate agent sells the house across from his to the foreign Count Orlok, who is in reality a vampire who brings pestilence and death to the agent's homeland.
This was the first screen adaptation of Bram Stoker's classic novel Dracula, but an unauthorized one that per Wikipedia bankrupted its studio due to copyright infringement litigation. It is nonetheless a brilliant film from acclaimed director Murnau, with wonderful shadowy photography and a striking performance and makeup for Schreck as the undead count. The story does depart quite a bit from the Dracula text, changing the character names, and setting up a noble sacrifice by Schroder's character at its climax to bring Orlok's crimes against humanity to an end, instead of utilizing the more familiar confrontation between the villain and the novel's Van Helsing. That makes the picture somewhat unique among all the Dracula adaptations, and the German Expressionist imagery contained within has kept it a cinema treasure in perpetuity.
Sunday, September 10, 2017
The Screaming Skull (1958)
Starring John Hudson, Peggy Webber, Russ Conway, Tony Johnson, Alex Nicol
Directed by Alex Nicol
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A newly married couple move into the home he inherited from his deceased first wife, and the bride is disturbed by her mysterious death and terrible visions she experiences of a disembodied skull.
Although the picture is far from being truly horrific, despite an opening scene promising to pay for the funerals of audience members who die from fright, there is still a bit of craft in the film's construction, and distinguished radio actress Webber has a memorable presence. Composer Ernest Gold mixes the familiar "Dies Irae" chant into a foreboding main title, and provides some other eerie melodies which are effective. As a whole however, the film is perhaps a bit too low budget and flatly photographed to rank favorably among other psychological horror films of this type, and comes off as a bargain basement version of The Haunting or The Innocents, although I admired some of the visuals, particularly when a ghost manifests itself at the movie's climax. Director Nicol also plays the role of the mentally retarded gardener.
Directed by Alex Nicol
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A newly married couple move into the home he inherited from his deceased first wife, and the bride is disturbed by her mysterious death and terrible visions she experiences of a disembodied skull.
Although the picture is far from being truly horrific, despite an opening scene promising to pay for the funerals of audience members who die from fright, there is still a bit of craft in the film's construction, and distinguished radio actress Webber has a memorable presence. Composer Ernest Gold mixes the familiar "Dies Irae" chant into a foreboding main title, and provides some other eerie melodies which are effective. As a whole however, the film is perhaps a bit too low budget and flatly photographed to rank favorably among other psychological horror films of this type, and comes off as a bargain basement version of The Haunting or The Innocents, although I admired some of the visuals, particularly when a ghost manifests itself at the movie's climax. Director Nicol also plays the role of the mentally retarded gardener.
Saturday, September 9, 2017
Attack Of The Giant Leeches (1959)
Starring Ken Clark, Yvette Vickers, Jan Shepard, Michael Emmet, Tyler McVey
Directed by Bernard L. Kowalski
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A backwoods community is shaken by the deaths of people attacked in the swamp by giant mutated leech monsters, but the local game warden gets no help in proving the creatures exist.
Roger Corman's brother Gene produced this effective picture which I don't think gets the respect it deserves, well photographed and directed in a unique setting for the genre, especially at the time it was made. The creature design holds up pretty well, and their bloodsucking attacks on their victims while trapped are in an underwater cave are definitely unnerving, following a similar template as used in the Corman-produced Beast From Haunted Cave the same year. The backwoods characters in the cast, while trading in on some familiar stereotypes, are anchored by Bruno VeSota's general store proprietor, who elicits sympathy as a man detested for his girth by his beautiful and philandering wife, played by Vickers. They're joined by a capable supporting cast, and Leo Gordon's screenplay does a good job of illustrating the ethical dilemmas facing Clark's game warden while pressure mounts to stop the creatures before their next attack.
Directed by Bernard L. Kowalski
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A backwoods community is shaken by the deaths of people attacked in the swamp by giant mutated leech monsters, but the local game warden gets no help in proving the creatures exist.
Roger Corman's brother Gene produced this effective picture which I don't think gets the respect it deserves, well photographed and directed in a unique setting for the genre, especially at the time it was made. The creature design holds up pretty well, and their bloodsucking attacks on their victims while trapped are in an underwater cave are definitely unnerving, following a similar template as used in the Corman-produced Beast From Haunted Cave the same year. The backwoods characters in the cast, while trading in on some familiar stereotypes, are anchored by Bruno VeSota's general store proprietor, who elicits sympathy as a man detested for his girth by his beautiful and philandering wife, played by Vickers. They're joined by a capable supporting cast, and Leo Gordon's screenplay does a good job of illustrating the ethical dilemmas facing Clark's game warden while pressure mounts to stop the creatures before their next attack.
Friday, September 8, 2017
White Zombie (1932)
Starring Bela Lugosi, Madge Bellamy, Joseph Cawthorn, Robert Frazer, John Harron
Directed by Victor Halperin
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A wealthy man on the island of Haiti falls for a young bride-to-be and recruits a sinister master of zombies for help in possessing her.
Lugosi stars in this legendary horror film, made independently but lensed on the Universal studio's lot, taking advantage of the existing sets built for their horror classics. It contains a fine and unique performance from the actor, portraying the voodoo master Murder Legendre as both cultured and sinister, with penetrating eyes under oddly block-shaped eyebrows. There are similarities to Dracula of course, with Halperin utilizing familiar closeups of the actor's eyes and fingers as in that film, but it's a different character, and Lugosi seems very comfortable in the role as a more calculating villain. The picture is well photographed by Arthur Martinelli, using some clever staging of shadows in a sequence where Harron sees visions of Bellamy, and some memorable music is tracked into the scenes where Lugosi puts his hypnotic powers to work. The stiff slow moments of the zombies, and the haunting look of their blank expressions, especially the bulging-eyed former executioner, lends much power to the film, giving it a shocking realism that is still unsettling today.
Directed by Victor Halperin
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A wealthy man on the island of Haiti falls for a young bride-to-be and recruits a sinister master of zombies for help in possessing her.
Lugosi stars in this legendary horror film, made independently but lensed on the Universal studio's lot, taking advantage of the existing sets built for their horror classics. It contains a fine and unique performance from the actor, portraying the voodoo master Murder Legendre as both cultured and sinister, with penetrating eyes under oddly block-shaped eyebrows. There are similarities to Dracula of course, with Halperin utilizing familiar closeups of the actor's eyes and fingers as in that film, but it's a different character, and Lugosi seems very comfortable in the role as a more calculating villain. The picture is well photographed by Arthur Martinelli, using some clever staging of shadows in a sequence where Harron sees visions of Bellamy, and some memorable music is tracked into the scenes where Lugosi puts his hypnotic powers to work. The stiff slow moments of the zombies, and the haunting look of their blank expressions, especially the bulging-eyed former executioner, lends much power to the film, giving it a shocking realism that is still unsettling today.
Thursday, September 7, 2017
One Body Too Many (1944)
Starring Jack Haley, Jean Parker, Bela Lugosi, Blanche Yurka, Lyle Talbot
Directed by Frank McDonald
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
An insurance salesman calls on a millionaire with dreams of selling him a policy, only to find him deceased and his heirs scheming to abduct his body to get a better inheritance.
I enjoyed this mystery-comedy with plenty of "Old Dark House" elements, from secret passages to a mysterious murderer among the heirs to a storm that strands the participants in the spooky mansion. Haley offers a fine comic lead performance, Parker is appealing as the noblest of the heirs, and Lugosi is well-cast as the sinister butler who may or may not be trying to poison the coffee he serves to the mansion's guests. However, I've never been able to find a copy of this film in an acceptable print, so the image on the DVD I viewed is very murky with many dark scenes hard to view, and inexplicable bright triangle shapes that pop up on screen at regular intervals. I hope to see a more pristine version of the film someday, but still find it worthwhile.
Directed by Frank McDonald
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
An insurance salesman calls on a millionaire with dreams of selling him a policy, only to find him deceased and his heirs scheming to abduct his body to get a better inheritance.
I enjoyed this mystery-comedy with plenty of "Old Dark House" elements, from secret passages to a mysterious murderer among the heirs to a storm that strands the participants in the spooky mansion. Haley offers a fine comic lead performance, Parker is appealing as the noblest of the heirs, and Lugosi is well-cast as the sinister butler who may or may not be trying to poison the coffee he serves to the mansion's guests. However, I've never been able to find a copy of this film in an acceptable print, so the image on the DVD I viewed is very murky with many dark scenes hard to view, and inexplicable bright triangle shapes that pop up on screen at regular intervals. I hope to see a more pristine version of the film someday, but still find it worthwhile.
Tuesday, September 5, 2017
Invisible Ghost (1941)
Starring Bela Lugosi, Polly Ann Young, John McGuire, Clarence Muse, Terry Walker
Directed by Joseph H. Lewis
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
No one suspects a kindly doctor in the mysterious murders on his estate, but whenever he sees his long-lost wife lurking on the grounds, he loses control of his mind and strikes.
The first of Bela Lugosi's nine films for "Poverty Row" studio Monogram Pictures is by far the best of them and a worthy showcase for the horror icon, playing a character far different from the fiends and monsters he's most often associated with. As the sympathetic and endearing Dr. Kessler, even though he is the villain of the piece, he's completely convincing as a good man afflicted by a temporary but always deadly insanity. This film was recently discussed on the Monster Kid Radio podcast by host Derek M. Koch and film historian Troy Howarth, and they offered some meaningful insights into the film, including the unusually positive portrayal for the era of the African-American butler played by Clarence Muse, and also noting that director Joseph H. Lewis brought camera movement and interesting staging to the story, not usually a hallmark of Monogram productions. On this viewing, I also noticed creepily effective lighting on Lugosi as the madness seizes him as well as penetrating closeups of the distinguished actor, allowing him to sell the transformation with his eyes and his expressions, without any special makeup or dialogue. It's too bad that more Monograms didn't take advantage of Lugosi's talents in this way, but that makes this film a special one, and I had to chuckle at George Pembroke's portrayal of a police lieutenant, speaking the majority of his dialogue without ever removing the fat cigar clenched in his teeth.
Directed by Joseph H. Lewis
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
No one suspects a kindly doctor in the mysterious murders on his estate, but whenever he sees his long-lost wife lurking on the grounds, he loses control of his mind and strikes.
The first of Bela Lugosi's nine films for "Poverty Row" studio Monogram Pictures is by far the best of them and a worthy showcase for the horror icon, playing a character far different from the fiends and monsters he's most often associated with. As the sympathetic and endearing Dr. Kessler, even though he is the villain of the piece, he's completely convincing as a good man afflicted by a temporary but always deadly insanity. This film was recently discussed on the Monster Kid Radio podcast by host Derek M. Koch and film historian Troy Howarth, and they offered some meaningful insights into the film, including the unusually positive portrayal for the era of the African-American butler played by Clarence Muse, and also noting that director Joseph H. Lewis brought camera movement and interesting staging to the story, not usually a hallmark of Monogram productions. On this viewing, I also noticed creepily effective lighting on Lugosi as the madness seizes him as well as penetrating closeups of the distinguished actor, allowing him to sell the transformation with his eyes and his expressions, without any special makeup or dialogue. It's too bad that more Monograms didn't take advantage of Lugosi's talents in this way, but that makes this film a special one, and I had to chuckle at George Pembroke's portrayal of a police lieutenant, speaking the majority of his dialogue without ever removing the fat cigar clenched in his teeth.
Monday, September 4, 2017
Black Dragons (1942)
Starring Bela Lugosi, Joan Barclay, George Pembroke, Clayton Moore, Robert Frazer
Directed by William Nigh
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
Double agents engaging in sabotage of America's industries are stalked down one-by-one by a mysterious assassin, who leaves a Japanese dagger by each body.
One of the films on Lugosi's contract with low-budget Monogram Pictures, this is more a propaganda piece than a horror film, but Lugosi is fun to watch as the assassin, almost gleefully disposing of his victims, and delivering grim warnings to those trying to learn too much about him. The plot's a bit far-fetched, but although there's pretty much only standard camera setups on display, the film certainly moves along well enough, and delivers a nice hook in keeping us from seeing exactly what's happened to Pembroke until the movie's final moments. Barclay and future Lone Ranger Moore are interesting enough as Lugosi's main supporting players, and I was relieved that the script largely steered clear of racial stereotypes, but there is some blatantly sexist commentary in the script that took me by surprise, even for a film of this era.
Directed by William Nigh
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
Double agents engaging in sabotage of America's industries are stalked down one-by-one by a mysterious assassin, who leaves a Japanese dagger by each body.
One of the films on Lugosi's contract with low-budget Monogram Pictures, this is more a propaganda piece than a horror film, but Lugosi is fun to watch as the assassin, almost gleefully disposing of his victims, and delivering grim warnings to those trying to learn too much about him. The plot's a bit far-fetched, but although there's pretty much only standard camera setups on display, the film certainly moves along well enough, and delivers a nice hook in keeping us from seeing exactly what's happened to Pembroke until the movie's final moments. Barclay and future Lone Ranger Moore are interesting enough as Lugosi's main supporting players, and I was relieved that the script largely steered clear of racial stereotypes, but there is some blatantly sexist commentary in the script that took me by surprise, even for a film of this era.
Sunday, September 3, 2017
Creature From The Haunted Sea (1961)
Starring Antony Carbone, Betsy Jones-Moreland, Edward Wain, Beach Dickerson, Robert Bean
Directed by Roger Corman
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
An American gangster aids deposed Cuban authorities in smuggling their treasure out of Cuba in his boat, but schemes to seize the treasure for himself with the help of a sea monster he invents.
This was one of Roger Corman's many quickly filmed movies in the first decade of his career, using similar cast and crew from other films he made in the same location. The picture follows in the footsteps of The Little Shop Of Horrors, using another comedic script from Charles B. Griffith, adding elements like a bumbling American spy and a crewman who enjoys making animal sound effects to the espionage and horror content. I didn't find it hilarious, although the monster certainly looks goofy, and Corman and crew manage again to make a picture that holds your interest on what had to have been a shoestring budget. Wain of course is better known today as Robert Towne, an award winning screenwriter behind hits like Chinatown and Mission: Impossible, but showed himself to be a capable actor in films like this one and Last Woman On Earth, also for Corman.
Directed by Roger Corman
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
An American gangster aids deposed Cuban authorities in smuggling their treasure out of Cuba in his boat, but schemes to seize the treasure for himself with the help of a sea monster he invents.
This was one of Roger Corman's many quickly filmed movies in the first decade of his career, using similar cast and crew from other films he made in the same location. The picture follows in the footsteps of The Little Shop Of Horrors, using another comedic script from Charles B. Griffith, adding elements like a bumbling American spy and a crewman who enjoys making animal sound effects to the espionage and horror content. I didn't find it hilarious, although the monster certainly looks goofy, and Corman and crew manage again to make a picture that holds your interest on what had to have been a shoestring budget. Wain of course is better known today as Robert Towne, an award winning screenwriter behind hits like Chinatown and Mission: Impossible, but showed himself to be a capable actor in films like this one and Last Woman On Earth, also for Corman.
Saturday, September 2, 2017
Atom Age Vampire (1960)
Starring Alberto Lupo, Susanne Loret, Sergio Fantoni, Franca Parisi, Andrea Scotti
Directed by Anton Giulio Majano
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A scientist heals the facial scars of a woman with an experimental serum, but when it wears off and the scars return, he turns to murder to restore her beauty.
This Italian horror picture is not a great film, but still fun, with Lupo's scientist covering his murders by disguising himself as a hideous monster through use of another serum that creates scars upon his face and hands. The screenplay borrows plenty of material from past horror pictures, notably Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde and Bela Lugosi's Monogram films, but I liked the creature makeup and Parisi as Lupo's assistant whose dreams of romance with him, and listening to records together (!), are spoiled by his obsession with his beautiful patient. The copy of the film I saw, from one of Mill Creek's 50 Movie Pack series, appeared to be heavily edited, so would welcome a chance to see the film uncut someday. It doesn't rank with the greats of Italian horror, but is an enjoyable enough romp through the genre.
Directed by Anton Giulio Majano
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A scientist heals the facial scars of a woman with an experimental serum, but when it wears off and the scars return, he turns to murder to restore her beauty.
This Italian horror picture is not a great film, but still fun, with Lupo's scientist covering his murders by disguising himself as a hideous monster through use of another serum that creates scars upon his face and hands. The screenplay borrows plenty of material from past horror pictures, notably Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde and Bela Lugosi's Monogram films, but I liked the creature makeup and Parisi as Lupo's assistant whose dreams of romance with him, and listening to records together (!), are spoiled by his obsession with his beautiful patient. The copy of the film I saw, from one of Mill Creek's 50 Movie Pack series, appeared to be heavily edited, so would welcome a chance to see the film uncut someday. It doesn't rank with the greats of Italian horror, but is an enjoyable enough romp through the genre.
Friday, September 1, 2017
Carnival Of Souls (1962)
Starring Candace Hilligoss, Frances Feist, Sidney Berger, Art Ellison, Stan Levitt
Directed by Herk Harvey
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A professional organist, after surviving a terrible car crash, takes a job playing for a church in another town, but is haunted by visions of a terrifying man stalking her.
One of the most memorable independent films I've seen, the picture is a genuine horror classic, with a talented performance by Hilligoss, and unnerving direction by Harvey. Although the film has plenty of dialogue, its most effective scenes unfold without it, as we study Hilligoss and her emotional state as she's entranced by a mysterious abandoned carnival and repelled by the frightening ghoul only she seems to see. Gene Moore's music is the perfect accompaniment for the stark black and white visuals, using unsettling organ notes to build a musical tapestry of horror. The cinematography and editing are also of a greater quality than you expect to see in an independent movie, building suspense through talented intercutting and intense close-ups of Hilligoss. Harvey's attention towards the composition of each shot should also be lauded, with the actors perfectly captured in each frame, and eerie long shots, particularly of the palatial carnival setting, adding an exquisite feeling of mystery to the horror.
Directed by Herk Harvey
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A professional organist, after surviving a terrible car crash, takes a job playing for a church in another town, but is haunted by visions of a terrifying man stalking her.
One of the most memorable independent films I've seen, the picture is a genuine horror classic, with a talented performance by Hilligoss, and unnerving direction by Harvey. Although the film has plenty of dialogue, its most effective scenes unfold without it, as we study Hilligoss and her emotional state as she's entranced by a mysterious abandoned carnival and repelled by the frightening ghoul only she seems to see. Gene Moore's music is the perfect accompaniment for the stark black and white visuals, using unsettling organ notes to build a musical tapestry of horror. The cinematography and editing are also of a greater quality than you expect to see in an independent movie, building suspense through talented intercutting and intense close-ups of Hilligoss. Harvey's attention towards the composition of each shot should also be lauded, with the actors perfectly captured in each frame, and eerie long shots, particularly of the palatial carnival setting, adding an exquisite feeling of mystery to the horror.
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