Starring Gerald Mohr, Cathy O'Donnell, William Ching, John Qualen, Barry Bernard
Directed by Harold Daniels
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A man takes his new bride, who's suffered from horrific nightmares of an old house, to a house that exactly resembles it, and she feels she will die if she tries to enter the attic.
This film is best known for its marketing gimmick of Psycho-Rama, a practice by which messages and images were inserted in between frames of the film, supposedly having the subliminal effect of causing the audience to scream. In reality they go by so fast, that it's doubtful they would even be detectable, even by the subconscious mind, but the element of fun is still there, and with today's DVD technology you can freeze frame them to see what they actually say. The movie however, a low budget small-scale psychological thriller, for me stands on its own without the gimmick. I really enjoy it, despite its cheap trappings, and feel it's cleverly written, by prolific television writer Robert C. Dennis. O'Donnell was a good choice for the haunted young bride, and I've always enjoyed Mohr's performances.
Showing posts with label Gerald Mohr. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gerald Mohr. Show all posts
Saturday, July 4, 2020
Monday, August 27, 2018
The Angry Red Planet (1959)
Starring Gerald Mohr, Nora Hayden, Les Tremayne, Jack Kruschen, Paul Hahn
Directed by Ib Melchior
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A rocketship sent on a mission to Mars is found drifting and is returned to Earth by remote control, where one of its crew is able to tell the horrific story of their experiences on the red planet.
A sci-fi adventure co-written by producer Sid Pink and director Ib Melchior, the picture was promoted with the gimmick of Cinemagic, a process used for the scenes on Mars, where a combination of black and white film of the actors and hand-drawn alien backgrounds were covered in a reddish hue. I read some background on this on Wikipedia, and it described it as a cost-saving measure since the rest of the film was shot in color, although it does certainly lend an eeriness and distinctive look to the Mars scenes, augmented by Paul Dunlap's eerie score, though I wouldn't describe the backgrounds as very convincing. The process is at its most engaging when practical effects rendering creatures of Mars are placed in front of the backgrounds, nearly creating a 3-D like feel. Mohr and his silky voice as the mission's pilot and commander, and the ever reliable Tremayne as the chief scientist among the crew, are standouts in the cast, but Hayden is also likable enough, as is Kruschen, playing the familiar stereotype of a jovial New Yorker with duties aboard the ship. Although the screenplay doesn't give us a very extended look at the planet Mars, the narrative works well enough to make this one of my favorite Melchior films. My friend Dan Day Jr. pointed out that producer Norman Mauer, who also had a hand in the Cinemagic process, was a son-in-law of The Three Stooges' Moe Howard.
Directed by Ib Melchior
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A rocketship sent on a mission to Mars is found drifting and is returned to Earth by remote control, where one of its crew is able to tell the horrific story of their experiences on the red planet.
A sci-fi adventure co-written by producer Sid Pink and director Ib Melchior, the picture was promoted with the gimmick of Cinemagic, a process used for the scenes on Mars, where a combination of black and white film of the actors and hand-drawn alien backgrounds were covered in a reddish hue. I read some background on this on Wikipedia, and it described it as a cost-saving measure since the rest of the film was shot in color, although it does certainly lend an eeriness and distinctive look to the Mars scenes, augmented by Paul Dunlap's eerie score, though I wouldn't describe the backgrounds as very convincing. The process is at its most engaging when practical effects rendering creatures of Mars are placed in front of the backgrounds, nearly creating a 3-D like feel. Mohr and his silky voice as the mission's pilot and commander, and the ever reliable Tremayne as the chief scientist among the crew, are standouts in the cast, but Hayden is also likable enough, as is Kruschen, playing the familiar stereotype of a jovial New Yorker with duties aboard the ship. Although the screenplay doesn't give us a very extended look at the planet Mars, the narrative works well enough to make this one of my favorite Melchior films. My friend Dan Day Jr. pointed out that producer Norman Mauer, who also had a hand in the Cinemagic process, was a son-in-law of The Three Stooges' Moe Howard.
Monday, May 16, 2016
The Lone Wolf In London (1947)
Starring Gerald Mohr, Nancy Saunders, Eric Blore, Evelyn Ankers, Richard Fraser
Directed by Leslie Goodwins
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
The Lone Wolf travels to London to view an exclusive pair of gems he plans to include in a book he's writing, but their disappearance after his arrival prompts Scotland Yard to follow him closely.
Another fun Lone Wolf adventure well constructed around Gerald Mohr's talented voice and Eric Blore's comic timing, the film's a very enjoyable lark, but there's not much thought expended in the screenplay towards using the British flavor of the setting to add color to the film. I still enjoyed the production, and after seeing two of his Lone Wolf outings now, it's a shame that Mohr's run on the series didn't last longer.
Directed by Leslie Goodwins
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
The Lone Wolf travels to London to view an exclusive pair of gems he plans to include in a book he's writing, but their disappearance after his arrival prompts Scotland Yard to follow him closely.
Another fun Lone Wolf adventure well constructed around Gerald Mohr's talented voice and Eric Blore's comic timing, the film's a very enjoyable lark, but there's not much thought expended in the screenplay towards using the British flavor of the setting to add color to the film. I still enjoyed the production, and after seeing two of his Lone Wolf outings now, it's a shame that Mohr's run on the series didn't last longer.
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
The Notorious Lone Wolf (1946)
Starring Gerald Mohr, Janis Carter, Eric Blore, John Abbott, William Davidson
Directed by D. Ross Lederman
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
Former jewel thief Michael Lanyard, aka The Lone Wolf, falls under suspicion again when a valuable jewel is stolen from Indian royalty, but has a scheme to find the real culprit.
Per Wikipedia, this was the first Lone Wolf film from Columbia Pictures after a three year absence, and the first to star Mohr, replacing Warren William after a long run on the series, although Blore returns as Lanyard's faithful butler. Although the setup for the mystery is fairly clever, its execution relies on several coincidences and and not all the plot ends are convincingly wrapped up, but it still makes for an amusing romp. Blore, a cinema treasure in his own right, plays very well off of Mohr, and Mohr's smooth delivery makes him a nice fit in William's former shoes.
Directed by D. Ross Lederman
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
Former jewel thief Michael Lanyard, aka The Lone Wolf, falls under suspicion again when a valuable jewel is stolen from Indian royalty, but has a scheme to find the real culprit.
Per Wikipedia, this was the first Lone Wolf film from Columbia Pictures after a three year absence, and the first to star Mohr, replacing Warren William after a long run on the series, although Blore returns as Lanyard's faithful butler. Although the setup for the mystery is fairly clever, its execution relies on several coincidences and and not all the plot ends are convincingly wrapped up, but it still makes for an amusing romp. Blore, a cinema treasure in his own right, plays very well off of Mohr, and Mohr's smooth delivery makes him a nice fit in William's former shoes.
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