THE THREE MUSKETEERS: MILADY

 

THE THREE MUSKETEERS: MILADY is the followup to THE THREE MUSKETEERS: D'ARTAGNAN. The two films, produced in France and both directed by Martin Bourboulon, form a major new cinematic adaptation of Alexandre Dumas' famed novel. 

MILADY continues on from the events of the first film, with the impetuous D'Artagnan (Francois Civil), now an official musketeer, searching for his true love Constance (Lyna Khoudri), who has disappeared. Meanwhile he and his friends Athos (Vincent Cassel), Aramis (Romain Duris) and Porthos (Pio Marmal) become deeper involved in the religious factionalism threatening to tear apart France, while a war looms with England. Lurking behind it all is the mysterious and alluring Milady De Winter (Eva Green), whose actions have major consequences for all the main characters. 

MILADY is well-titled, since the film provides a great showcase for Eva Green. You could even say that she is the main star instead of any of the musketeers. The background of Milady is a major factor here, and the script takes great pains to give the woman's side of the story. This is very much a 21st Century element of storytelling, and in this instance it didn't bother me, although some might look askance at the changes this film makes toward Milady and the ending of Dumas' novel. 

The epic sweep of D'ARTAGNAN is also continued here, along with that film's gritty action scenes. (The battle for La Rochelle is a big highlight of MILADY.) 

What really made these two new Musketeer movies work for me is that while they are enjoyable and entertaining, they avoid the silly attitudes and dopey humor one usually finds in modern Hollywood action-adventure blockbusters. There are plenty of plots and counter-plots galore in these two Musketeer films between various religious and political factions, and there's also a depth to the main characters. The production design is very impressive, but there's also a reality to it--both films actually being made in France certainly helps. 

The ending of MILADY sets up a path toward future adventures with these characters, and I'm all for that, as long as the same cast & crew are involved. MILADY and D'ARTAGNAN are excellent examples of classic cinematic storytelling, and I heartily recommend both. 

THE LOOTERS On Blu-ray From Kino

THE LOOTERS is a 1955 black & white melodrama produced by Universal. It appears as if this film has never had a home video release of any kind before, so once again kudos to Kino for putting out a rare product. 

The story concerns Jesse Hill (Rory Calhoun), who works as a guide in the Colorado mountains. Jesse gets an unexpected visitor in the form of old war buddy Pete Corder (Ray Danton). Jesse and Pete hear a plane crash nearby, and the duo decide to trek out to it and see if they can be of any help. The two men find the wreckage, but things get complicated when one of the survivors turns out to be an attractive model (Julie Adams) and a quarter of a million dollars is discovered at the site. 

THE LOOTERS is a decent enough film, more like a B movie. It could also be called an "outdoor noir", with a collection of cynical people and a ton of loot driving everyone against each other. It does take a while to get going, and none of the characters are all that appealing (even Rory Calhoun's, even though he's ostensibly the hero). The outdoor locations (which were actually filmed in Colorado) do help things out from a visual and dramatic standpoint. 

Ray Danton is excellent as the untrustworthy Pete, who, in time-honored noir fashion, turns out to be a coward when the chips are down. Even Julie Adams is more hard-boiled than usual here, but her natural likability still manages to come out. (Danton and Adams would soon marry after this film.) Tomas Gomez does well as a wreck survivor, a middle-aged man dissatisfied with his life and willing to do anything to get his hands on all the loot. As another survivor Frank Faylen provides what little comic relief there is. 

THE LOOTERS was directed by Abner Biberman, who keeps things on a tight leash and works up some suspenseful moments. The story elements won't surprise anyone, but there is a truly explosive ending. 

Kino presents THE LOOTERS in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The picture quality is very good, though a bit soft at times. A brand new commentary is provided featuring Toby Roan, who once again spends most of his time reciting personal and career details about the major members of the cast & crew (he only occasionally talks about the movie). 

I had never seen THE LOOTERS and certainly didn't know anything about it. It's not a major production, but it's an effective film for its type, and it's to Kino's credit that they decided to finally give the movie its home video debut. 

ENNIO

 

This mammoth documentary about legendary Italian composer Ennio Morricone was originally released in Europe over two years ago. An English-language version of the film is finally available for streaming in America. Why it took so long to get here is beyond me, but let's be glad it has arrived. 

ENNIO is over two and a half hours long, and it was directed by Giuseppe Tornatore (who collaborated most famously with Morricone on CINEMA PARADISO). It details Morricone's long and fruitful life, with his playing trumpet in small gigs while still a young student, to his studying classical composition, his success in the Italian pop music world as an arranger, and his groundbreaking and game-changing career as the creator of hundreds of scores for feature films. 

There's plenty of famous folks on hand to express their love and admiration for Morricone, but what makes this documentary special is that most of it is made up of the man himself on camera sharing his thoughts and ideas on his life and work. It's fascinating to hear Morricone give insight on how he created his most renowned themes. The man was nearly 90 when he took part in this project, but when discussing those scores that mean the most to him he becomes particularly energetic and vibrant, revealing his overall passion for music. 

One of the main themes in this documentary is how Morricone often felt he wasn't given enough credit as a "serious" music composer. Watching this film it's obvious this feeling still bothered him after all his many accomplishments. No matter what your definition of "serious" music may be, no one can deny that Ennio Morricone has had more impact on global popular culture than almost any other artist of his time. That is Morricone's true legacy. 

There's plenty of rare footage here not just of Morricone, but also of performances of some of the pop tunes he arranged in the early 1960s, and of course plenty of scenes from the many, many films he wrote scores for. I'm sure there's going to be someone who will view this film and say "Why didn't they talk about this film? Or that score?" All things considered, I feel ENNIO gives an effective and comprehensive overview of Morricone's career. Giuseppe Tornatore provides a good rhythm to the proceedings, and thankfully he lets Morricone himself be the true star of the show. 

I've been an unabashed Ennio Morricone fan for decades, so it's no surprise I wholeheartedly endorse this documentary. You don't even need to totally adore Morricone's work to enjoy ENNIO--a true love of cinema will be enough for anyone to appreciate it. The music selected for this film alone is enough of a reason to watch it. 

Book Review: CONVOY--The Comprehensive Yet Untold Story

 

It seems hard to believe that anyone would want to write a book about the making of CONVOY. The 1978 film inspired by a novelty song with the same title isn't considered a great movie, and some even say that it might be director Sam Peckinpah's worst feature. Dan Bruno & Mike Siegel have, however, taken the tempestuous background of the film's production and turned it into an intriguing, if sad, tale, called CONVOY--The Comprehensive Yet Untold Story. 

Dan Bruno is an American trucking enthusiast and expert, while Mike Siegel is a major Sam Peckinpah historian. The two have combined to detail the full history of CONVOY, from the creation of the song that inspired the project to the shooting of the film in 1977 New Mexico. 

Bruno starts off the book with a quick background of the American trucking history and the national interstate highway system, and the advent of the CB radio craze in the 1970s. Those three factors combined to achieve a cult interest with the American public, and producers Robert Sherman and Michael Deeley thought a movie with box-office clout could be made from those elements. 

The project turned into something different when Sam Peckinpah was hired to direct. By the making of CONVOY Peckinpah's notorious reputation as being almost impossible to deal with was well-known, but the producers thought (mistakenly) that they could handle him. 

As soon as production started, Peckinpah began arguing with the producers, and causing delays with the shooting schedule. The project began to get out of hand, and Bruno & Siegel document this with a day-for-day report of the shoot, and the various complications that kept piling up. 

Eventually Peckinpah was taken off the project during the editing process. The result is that CONVOY (which I re-watched after reading this book) was a disjointed mess, a movie that doesn't know whether it's supposed to be a examination of what working-class Americans go through or a redneck comedy. The film did make a decent amount of money but it is generally looked upon now as a missed opportunity. 

Bruno & Siegel vividly show that it's a miracle that CONVOY was finished at all, with such obstacles as the various trucks and vehicles to be used, unique shooting locations, and the overall personal problems of Sam Peckinpah. When it comes to directors vs. producers, most film geeks will favor the directors every time. Despite the fact that the authors are both huge Peckinpah fans, they don't shy away from detailing that the man's self-destructive habits and iconoclastic attitude hindered the film's production and personally affected many of the cast & crew in a negative way. (At the climax of the book Dan Bruno offers his own analysis and reasons for Peckinpah's behavior.) 

The book has several behind-the-scenes photos taken during the shoot, courtesy of Mike Siegel, and Dan Bruno provides expert info on the many trucks and trailers used during the filming. Bruno also reveals what happened to most of the vehicles after the movie was finished. 

This book truly is a comprehensive and thorough look at a troubled production and the troubled director behind it all. It is also a window into 1970s America (as someone who was a little kid in that era, I can assure you that CB/trucker culture was a big thing, especially in rural areas). I've usually found that movies that are unsuccessful or have problematic shooting histories are more interesting to read about than box-office or critical hits. CONVOY the book is another example of that. 

Book Review: LOVE AND LET DIE--James Bond, The Beatles, And The British Psyche

 

On October 5, 1962, the very first Beatles single "Love Me Do", and the very first James Bond film, DR. NO, were both originally released in Britain. In the 60+ years since that auspicious day, both franchises have continued to thrive, and to define and reinterpret what it means to be British. LOVE AND LET DIE, written by John Higgs, details how the Beatles and Bond have affected pop culture and society, and how they have surprisingly intertwined over the years. 

Higgs puts the difference between the Beatles and Bond in Freudian terms--the Beatles represent "Eros", or love, while Bond represents "Thanatos", or death. It's a lofty thesis but the author is able to back it up without becoming too pretentious. 

Higgs details how when the Beatles first rose to prominence in the early 1960s, they were seen by many as a threat to the British establishment. At the same time, the Bond films were starting to dominate the box office. The irony of that according to Higgs is that the character of Bond, as portrayed by his creator Ian Fleming, was that of a man whose job it was to defend and protect the British establishment. 

The book also contrasts the backgrounds and upbringings of the four Beatles and Ian Fleming, and shows how the personal lives and experiences of each affected their creative outputs. 

The connections between the Beatles and Bond are far more numerous than one would expect. There's the obvious ones: Paul McCartney writing the title song for LIVE AND LET DIE and Ringo Starr being married to Barbara Bach, the female lead of THE SPY WHO LOVED ME. Higgs uncovers several others, such as the many links between A HARD DAY'S NIGHT and GOLDFINGER, probably the two most influential films of 1964. 

Higgs also presents how the critics have reacted to both franchises over the decades (and yes, I think now it's appropriate to refer to the entity known as the Beatles as a franchise). 

This is a thought-provoking book, especially if you are a fan of both Bond and the Beatles (which I am). While I didn't agree with all of the author's ideas, he does have some perceptive analysis. He also gets extra credit from me by having a chapter on Christopher Lee, who started working on THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN a few weeks after taking part in the photo shoot for the cover of Paul McCartney's BAND ON THE RUN album. 

It appeared to me that Higgs is much more a Beatles than a Bond fan. The author looks at things from a 21st Century perspective, and the character of Bond, as portrayed in the original Fleming novels, does not hold up well to those with a politically correct globalist attitude. Higgs is far more appreciative of NO TIME TO DIE than I am. This is still an impressive book, especially for those who are Beatles and Bond fans. The volume is also about 500 pages, but there's plenty in it, and plenty to think about while you are reading it. (I purchased the book at a discount from Edward R. Hamilton Booksellers.) 

HEARTS IN BONDAGE

 

HEARTS IN BONDAGE isn't a romantic melodrama--it is actually a 1936 Civil War story, dealing with the famous battle between the ironclad ships Merrimack and Monitor in 1862. This movie was produced by Republic Pictures, and it was directed by actor Lew Ayres (the only feature he ever would direct). 

James Dunn plays U.S. naval officer Kenneth Reynolds, and David Manners is his best friend and fellow officer Raymond. As the Southern states start to split from the Union, Reynolds stays with the North, while Raymond joins the Confederate cause. This causes complications, since Raymond's sister Constance (Mae Clarke) is engaged to Kenneth. When Confederate forces attack the Union's naval base at Norfolk, Virginia, Reynolds, in charge of the Merrimack, disobeys orders to destroy the ship and tries to save it instead. Reynolds is dishonorably discharged, and soon learns that Southern agents are raising the Merrimack and planning to use it to end a Union blockade. Reynolds, desperate to prove his worth, helps his uncle, inventor John Ericsson, in developing the Monitor, an ironclad vessel that will be a match for the similarly refurbished Merrimack. As the two technologically advanced ships battle, Kenneth and Raymond find themselves facing off against each other. 

HEARTS IN BONDAGE isn't a film filled with historical accuracy, despite the inclusion of real-life figures such as Abraham Lincoln, David Farragut, Gideon Welles, and John Ericsson. The main characters are fictional, and most of the story is built around their trials and tribulations. Like most Civil War tales made during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the main plot deals with friends or family members driven apart due to the conflict. Raymond's main reason for going over to the South is because his lady love (Charlotte Henry) has a father that has joined the Confederate side. This man is played by Henry B. Walthall, who of course had played a major role in the most famous Civil War picture made until that time, THE BIRTH OF A NATION. HEARTS IN BONDAGE also goes the classic Hollywood route in portraying both sides as noble and heroic (slavery is never mentioned). 

Lew Ayres signed a special contract with Republic Pictures in order to be able to direct this film. Today well-known actors directing features is not unusual, but in 1930s Hollywood it was unheard of. (A larger studio like MGM or Paramount probably wouldn't have given Ayres the chance that the smaller Republic did.) I thought Ayres did a very good job. The film has a nice pace to it (the running time is only 72 minutes), and one can tell that Ayres tried hard to give some visual flair to the proceedings. Republic was known for having an excellent special effects department, and the use of models and miniatures to create the final battle between the ironclads is expertly done for the period. Some might look at the effects now and not be impressed, but the other Hollywood studios of the time would have handled the battle in probably the same way. 

What hurts the film is the main characters. James Dunn and David Manners are not exactly the first actors you would think of when it comes to heroic military adventurers. (Lew Ayres himself would have been better in either role.) Mae Clarke does the best she can with her underwritten role, but her Constance comes off as a wet blanket to Kenneth's attempts to serve the Union. It is to Clarke's credit that Constance doesn't wind up being unappealing. Among the supporting cast are Gabby Hayes and Etta McDaniel, the lookalike sister of Hattie McDaniel. 

It's too bad that Lew Ayres didn't get a chance to direct another feature film, because I think he would have turned out some interesting projects. HEARTS IN BONDAGE is a well-done production that would have been much better if it had stronger male leads (and a stronger title). The main plot only scratches the surface when it comes to the story of the Merrimack and the Monitor, and it doesn't stand up to close historical scrutiny. Nevertheless, it's worth checking out. 

LIFE IS TOUGH, EH PROVIDENCE?

 

This is a 1972 Euro Western in the Trinity style, a "comedy" that deals with a very different type of bounty hunter and the scruffy, doltish outlaw he keeps capturing and turning in over and over again. 

Spaghetti Western icon Tomas Milian plays Providence, a bounty hunter who, with his scruffy suit, bowler hat, and umbrella, resembles Charlie Chaplin instead of The Man With No Name. Unfortunately Providence acts like Charlie Chaplin as well. He travels throughout the Old West in a former Wells Fargo coach tricked out with all sorts of gimmicks and gadgets. Providence's latest venture is capturing the Tennessee Kid (Gregg Palmer), turning him in for the reward, and breaking him out and repeating the procedure. The Tennessee Kid isn't very happy with this arrangement, and he and Providence have a series of bizarre adventures involving a deceitful saloon girl, a lawman who is a counterfeiter, a group of drunken Confederates, and a congregation building a church. 

LIFE IS TOUGH, EH PROVIDENCE? was directed by Giulio Petroni, who made a number of excellent serious Euro Westerns such as DEATH RIDES A HORSE. Apparently Petroni wanted to jump on the Trinity bandwagon here, but the humor here falls even short of what Terence Hill would accomplish. PROVIDENCE is filled with some of the lamest gags I've ever seen, along with cartoonish stunts and a series of slapstick brawls that would make even Jules White sadly shake his head. Perhaps 7 and 8 year olds might find this funny, but I think little kids would just wonder why all these adults are acting so weird. 

Tomas Milian must have seen this role as a change of pace. Instead of Milian's rebellious machismo, we get the actor attempting to channel silent movie comedians. Milian's performance here has all sorts of facial ticks and physical contortions--he must have known the material was weak, so he decided to play it as broadly as possible. American character actor Gregg Palmer also hams it up as the Tennessee Kid (Bud Spencer must not have been available, because the role of the Kid was essentially made for him). 

Horst Janson (CAPTAIN KRONOS) has a very small role as a sheriff, while Euro Cult veteran Paul Muller, who doesn't show up until the last part of the film, is wasted in what is also a very small part. The movie does feature a quirky score by Ennio Morricone. 

PROVIDENCE doesn't have what one would call a proper plot--it's mainly a series of goofy incidents that the two main characters find themselves involved in. The silly elements get tiresome after a while, especially since there's no real point or overall goal to the story. For whatever reason, this movie was successful enough in Europe to prompt a sequel also starring Milian and Palmer. (Dare I watch that as well??)

I discovered LIFE IS TOUGH, EH PROVIDENCE? on the Tubi streaming channel. It was in the proper aspect ratio and uncut, with an English voice track. Euro Western and Tomas Milian fans might want to see it as least once, but it's nothing more than a subpar Trinity knockoff. 

THREE GODFATHERS (1936)

 

The Warner Archive Collection has released John Ford's 3 GODFATHERS (1948) on Blu-ray, and the picture and sound quality is spectacular. What also makes this release notable is that the Archive has included on the disc a 1936 version of the story, titled THREE GODFATHERS. Both films are based on a novel by Peter B. Kyne, and the plot has been filmed or borrowed for several other adaptations over the years. (John Ford had even made a silent version with Harry Carey.) All the versions deal with three desperadoes on the run from the law in the Old West coming across an abandoned dying woman and her baby. 

The 1936 THREE GODFATHERS was produced by MGM and directed by Richard Boleslawski. It's a very different film from John Ford's 1948 version. The 1936 version is in black & white, and it lacks the sentimentality of the Ford film. The 1936 version has more of an edge to it. In Ford's film, the three fugitives/godfathers (John Wayne, Pedro Armendariz, and Harry Carey Jr.) are lovable rogues rather than hardened criminals. In the 1936 version, the trio of bandits (Chester Morris, Lewis Stone, and Walter Brennan) are not particularly appealing, especially at first, and gang leader Bob (Morris) is most assuredly a man who is willing to break any law to get what he wants. 

The 1948 Ford version has the three bandits rob a bank and go on the run very soon after the story starts. The 1936 version spends more time at the beginning setting up the town of New Jerusalem and its eccentric citizens. It also establishes Bob as a dastardly fellow--when the bank robbery does happen in the '36 version, he shoots an unarmed man, a man who is engaged to a former flame of Bob's. 

In the 1936 version, after the trio ride off into the desert and come upon the dying woman and her baby, there's a debate between Bob and his two partners on what to do with the infant. Doc (Lewis Stone) and Gus (Walter Brennan) are all for taking care of the child and getting him to safety, while Bob, worried about the money from the bank robbery and the fact that their horses have ran away and their water is almost gone, thinks they should just leave it. In the Ford version there's no question as to what to do--the three bandits are bound and determined to save the baby. 

The ending of the 1936 version is darker as well--Bob finally redeems himself, but only after paying the ultimate price. In the Ford sound version, community and fellowship wins out over all. 

Walter Brennan, Lewis Stone, and Chester Morris 

Chester Morris is perfect casting as this version's Bob. In every movie I've seen Morris in, he has a surly, sarcastic attitude, and he certainly has that here. When the black-garbed Bob finally breaks down at the end, Morris makes it believable. Lewis Stone is a very unusual choice for the role of Doc--it takes a while to accept Andy Hardy's dad as a bandit in the Old West--but he manages to steal the film. Doc is a well-spoken man who carries books in his saddlebags. The movie never explains why an educated man like Doc is now robbing a bank in a remote Arizona town, but the sad look in Stone's eyes tells the viewer all they need to know about how far this man must have fallen in his life. Walter Brennan as Gus plays another of the actor's many old coot roles, but as usual he makes the ruffian entertaining to watch. 

Richard Boleslawski was no John Ford--there's no shame in that--but he uses the outdoor locations quite well, and he and the production team proficiently establish the plight that the three bandits and their charge are going through. There's a starkness and a realism to the portrayal of the West in this film that I think Ford himself would have appreciated. 

Both the 1936 and 1948 films on this Warners Blu-ray have been remastered, and the sound and picture quality is fantastic for both. Original trailers for both films have also been included on the disc. 

I prefer the 1948 3 GODFATHERS over the 1936 THREE GODFATHERS. 3 GODFATHERS is directed by John Ford after all, and the color photography by Winton Hoch is breathtaking. There's also the fact that it features John Wayne and several members of the John Ford stock company. 

I do have to say that I was impressed by the 1936 THREE GODFATHERS. It was better than I thought it would be, and it provides two surprising performances by Chester Morris and Lewis Stone. I'm glad that the Warner Archive included it along with the more famous 3 GODFATHERS on this standout Blu-ray release. 

Book Review: THE CAVALRY TRILOGY--John Ford, John Wayne, And The Making Of Three Classic Westerns

 

Michael F. Blake's THE CAVALRY TRILOGY--John Ford, John Wayne, and the Making of Three Classic Westerns--deals with a trio of films made by John Ford in the years spanning from 1947 to 1950. The three films--FORT APACHE, SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON, and RIO GRANDE--all deal with United States Cavalry units based in the American Southwest during the post-Civil War era. Even though the films have many similarities to one another (such as the names of their characters), the movies are not "officially" connected to each other. Despite this, film buffs and historians have labeled the three productions "The Cavalry Trilogy". 

John Ford is my favorite film director, and I have a number of books about him. This is a more than worthy addition to the collection. Michael Blake provides a thorough examination of each aspect of the production of the three films, and he does it in a way that even non-film geeks can understand and appreciate. Blake has a concise, get to the point writing style, and due to his several years working in the entertainment industry as a makeup artist, he knows exactly what it takes to produce films on remote locations involving many performers and horses. 

Blake gives background on Argosy Productions, the company headed by John Ford and Merian C. Cooper that made the films of the Cavalry Trilogy. He also details the lives and careers of several of the members of the John Ford Stock Company, and how these individuals interacted with and felt about the idiosyncratic and sometimes difficult director. The critical and box-office reception of the films are discussed, along with the music and the songs included in each, a factor that many Ford scholars overlook. The book also has a brief photo gallery. 

What really stands out in this book is how Blake compares the original scripts of the films with what Ford actually shot. Time and time again Blake presents how Ford would take a sequence and strip it down to either a few lines of dialogue or a few shots, making it more meaningful and memorable. Ford certainly wasn't the easiest guy to get along with, but his cinematic genius is indisputable, as this book clearly shows. 

After reading this book I re-watched the entire Cavalry Trilogy, and because of Blake's work I was able to notice several items of interest I had no knowledge about before. That's about the best compliment one can give to a book written about a film or a series of films. I had already owned the three books about Lon Chaney that Blake had written, so I knew I wouldn't be disappointed by this volume. 

In the preface of this book Michael Blake states that the films in the Cavalry Trilogy have never been given the proper attention that they deserve. I agree with that assessment--the Cavalry Trilogy has often been regarded as nothing more than entertaining Westerns. The fact is that these are great films period, and we'll probably never see anything made like them again. THE CAVALRY TRILOGY is a proper tribute to them. 

THE MURDER CLINIC

 

This is another Tubi discovery. THE MURDER CLINIC is a 1966 color Italian thriller, original title LA LAMA NEL CORPO. The version I watched on Tubi had German main titles and an English dub track. 

Set in England in 1870, the story deals with devious activities at a medical clinic run by a Dr. Robert Vance (William Berger). New nurse Mary (Barbara Wilson) discovers that a number of young women have been horribly murdered by a black-garbed hooded figure wielding a straight razor. Dr. Vance, however, is reluctant to call in the police, while everyone at the clinic, staff and patients alike, acts suspicious. After a number of strange incidents the truth is revealed. 

THE MURDER CLINIC is technically a Euro Gothic due to its 19th Century setting, but it also has plenty of giallo and even krimi elements. If you took a Gothic story, a giallo story, and a krimi story and put them into a blender, THE MURDER CLINIC is probably what you would get. The movie might have been better if it concentrated on just one genre. The movie has too much going on in it--there are so many subplots and red herrings that the viewer has to constantly remember what all the interrelationships are. Dr. Vance is conducting some sort of weird experiment, while a horribly disfigured woman is secretly confined upstairs. A severe-looking matron (played by Euro Gothic veteran Harriet Medin White) bosses everyone around in a creepy manner, while there's a male attendant who's fooling around with the female staff. And then there's a shady seductress (played by Francoise Prevost) who arrives at the clinic after an "accident", and who manages to frustrate or tease all the many characters. With all these story trimmings, the final revelations come off as a bit of a letdown. 

Various sources credit two men for the direction of THE MURDER CLINIC: Lionello De Felice and Elio Scardamaglia. There's also some debate on who actually directed most of the film, and why there were two directors. Whoever should get the most credit, the possibilities inherent in the story (co-written by the ubiquitous Ernesto Gastaldi) are not fully realized. The film is diverting enough, and there are some atmospheric moments, but a Mario Bava or even an Antonio Margheriti could have easily made much more out of the material. 

The movie does have plenty of beautiful women in it, and, as expected, they all get plenty of chances to cavort about in sleepwear. Francoise Prevost gets the showiest role and makes the most of it, while Barbara Wilson is perfect as the innocent young kindly nurse. (Considering this was a European production, I highly doubt that "Barbara Wilson" was this actress' real name.) Spaghetti Western veteran William Berger is a unusual choice for the role of Dr. Vance, and he seems a bit uncomfortable playing it. unless the actor was trying to show how all the man's many secrets were weighing him down. 

THE MURDER CLINIC is a decent enough Euro Gothic, but it kept reminding me of more famous and much better films. 

LADY HAMILTON

 

While doing research for my last blog post on the silent historical epic THE DIVINE LADY, I discovered that there was a German silent film also about the affair between Lady Emma Hamilton and Admiral Horatio Nelson, and that the British naval hero was played by none other than Conrad Veidt. LADY HAMILTON (1921) was directed and co-written by Richard Oswald, one of the leading filmmakers in Germany at the time, and a man who had already worked with Veidt on a number of occasions. I found a version of the film on the Internet Archive, a version with Russian intertitles but with English subtitles available for use.

LADY HAMILTON features Austrian actress Liane Haid as Emma, and charts her rise from a humble background to the top of European society. She's discovered by artist George Romney as a young woman, and gains more and more attention while fending off plenty of suitors. Emma winds up married to the much older Sir William Hamilton, ambassador to Naples (Werner Krauss), and begins an affair with British naval officer Horatio Nelson (Veidt). 

LADY HAMILTON is more drawing room melodrama than historical epic. Horatio Nelson doesn't arrive until about halfway through the story, and his deeds are more talked about than shown. A fair amount of money was spent on this production, with location shooting in England and Italy, and impressive set and costume designs credited to Hans Dreier and Paul Leni. I wouldn't say, however, that there was anything innovative or notable about the film's style. 

Liane Haid was apparently quite a major star in Europe at the time, and she's attractive enough to play Lady Hamilton, but from my perspective she didn't strike me as a woman who would automatically cause every man she meets to go mad over her, which happens in the film. Nearly every man Lady Emma encounters tries to have their way with her, except the upstanding Nelson (maybe that's why she falls for him in this story). Haid doesn't really have all that much to do here except be decorative. 

As for Conrad Veidt, he brings his usual striking presence to the role of Nelson, although I have to say it's hard to believe he's supposed to be English. His Nelson is a brooding, almost spectral figure, especially after he's lost an arm and an eye in battle. 

Conrad Veidt as Horatio Nelson

Werner Krauss really hams it up as William Hamilton, making the man as eccentric as possible. It should be said, however, that nearly every character in this film, other than Emma and Nelson, acts in an eccentric manner. The King of Naples is a useless lout, and Emma's many suitors are either fops or near-degenerates. (Was this a German statement about English society or the upper class in general??) 

One thing I must point out about the version of LADY HAMILTON that I viewed was that I don't believe it was the original cut. On the page for the film on IMDB, under the list of characters, the English Prince George is listed, but he wasn't in the version I watched. The version on the Internet Archive also ends rather abruptly--Emma finds out from William Hamilton (as he's in the act of dying) that she will receive nothing from his estate, due to his anger at finding out about her affair with Nelson. The story then moves to the Battle of Trafalgar, where Nelson lays dying while mooning over a small portrait of Emma. The movie then stops. I assume there has to be more to the story, such as what happened to Emma after Nelson's death. 

But we'll never know, unless someone does a full restoration of LADY HAMILTON. Considering that the movie stars German Expressionist superstars Conrad Veidt and Werner Krauss, it might happen someday--or, for all we know, there's a better and longer print out there that just hasn't been discovered yet. Honestly the main reasons to see LADY HAMILTON are Veidt and Krauss' extreme performance. 

THE DIVINE LADY

 

For the last few weeks Turner Classic Movies has been showing a marathon of Oscar-nominated features. Most of these are films that I have seen over and over again, but TCM did happen to sneak in an obscure title: the 1929 THE DIVINE LADY, about the famous love affair between Lady Emma Hamilton and British military icon Horatio Nelson. THE DIVINE LADY was made by First National, and while it has no dialogue, it does have a music track that also features songs and sound effects. 

The most famous film about Lady Hamilton and Admiral Nelson by far is Alexander Korda's THAT HAMILTON WOMAN, starring Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh as the notorious couple. THE DIVINE LADY has Corinne Griffith as Lady Hamilton and Victor Varconi as Nelson. Griffith was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar, while Frank Lloyd won for Best Direction. Cinematographer John Seitz was also nominated. 

The storyline of THE DIVINE LADY is almost exactly the same as THAT HAMILTON WOMAN. The movie charts the rise of Emma Hart from maid to society darling, due to her beauty and her attachments to rich, powerful men. Emma marries the much older British Ambassador to Naples, Sir William Hamilton (H.B. Warner), and encounters Captain Horatio Nelson when he arrives on naval business. Later when Nelson's squadron is desperate to stop at Naples to replenish much needed supplies, Emma intervenes with the city-state's queen to help the British fleet. Emma and Nelson fall more and more in love, but both are married to others, and the now-Admiral's rise in fame and glory doesn't help matters. The Battle of Trafalgar brings the couple's relationship to a close. 

THE DIVINE LADY is now what would be called a Hollywood big-budget spectacular. Nothing was done on the cheap with this production. The costumes, sets, art direction, and photography are all excellent, and there's plenty of extras swarming about. The story is more about Lady Hamilton than Nelson, but there are a few impressive battles at sea, and the death of Nelson is adequately dramatized. 

This is a very well-made picture....but it's also rather stately and even stuffy at times. I felt it lacked a certain spark, that certain something to set it apart from other historical epics. Corinne Griffith is certainly attractive enough to be Emma Hamilton, but she's much kinder and gentler than the Emma of Vivien Leigh. Victor Varconi is generically handsome enough, but he doesn't have the commanding presence one would expect from one of the greatest naval heroes of all time. Griffith and Varconi lack the fire and passion displayed by Leigh and Olivier in THAT HAMILTON WOMAN. The Lady Hamilton and Nelson of THE DIVINE LADY are portrayed in a sentimental and sympathetic manner--they moon over each other like a couple of teenagers. (Notice also how the difference in the titles reflect the attitude of each movie: in one Emma is a divine lady, while in the other she's "that Hamilton woman".) The fact that Emma and Nelson's affair produced a child is not even mentioned in this film. 

There is a notable supporting cast here, with H.B. Warner, Ian Keith, and Montagu Love as Captain Hardy. Marie Dressler plays Emma's mother, but she doesn't have much screen time (in the latter part of the film her character disappears). Despite not having a lot of scenes Dressler still manages to steal the ones she is in. 

THE DIVINE LADY is an above-average epic for its time, but there's more romance in it than historical adventure. Corinne Griffith was quite popular in the 1920s, but she wasn't able to make a successful transition to sound, while Victor Varconi became a steadily-working character actor. 

THE IMPATIENT MAIDEN

 

THE IMPATIENT MAIDEN, released in 1932 by Universal, is the next film James Whale directed after he made the 1931 FRANKENSTEIN. 

According to James Curtis' biography of Whale, Universal executive Carl Laemmle Jr. bought the rights to a salacious novel called THE IMPATIENT VIRGIN as an intended vehicle for Clara Bow. Laemmle hoped to make a lurid box-office hit with the material and the notorious actress. Numerous problems with the Hays office made Universal rename the property THE IMPATIENT MAIDEN and downplay the more extreme aspects of the story. James Whale wound up attached to the project, even though it appears he wasn't too enthusiastic about it. 

THE IMPATIENT MAIDEN deals with a young woman named Ruth Robbins (Mae Clarke), who works as a secretary to a successful divorce attorney. Due to the people she deals with coming into her boss' office every day, and the low-rent neighborhood she lives in, Ruth is cynical and suspicious about getting married. Ruth falls in love with a young doctor named Myron Brown (Lew Ayres). Myron doesn't want to get married because he's just starting out his medical career and he doesn't have a lot of money. Their refusal to totally commit to one another causes Ruth and Myron to draw apart. Ruth's boss (John Halliday) tries to set her up as his mistress, but she still loves Myron. The doctor becomes angry over Ruth's situation with her employer, but a medical emergency brings the couple together for good. 

THE IMPATIENT MAIDEN might have been better if it had been made according to its original intentions. It's not an example of Pre-Code naughtiness--the characters of Ruth and Myron are too decent for that. The script lays on its bad attitude over marriage with a trowel--nearly everyone Ruth and Myron deal with has a bad relationship. There's also a lot of weird humor in the story that one assumes was put in by Whale. Ruth has a ditzy friend and roommate named Betty (Una Merkle), while Myron has his own ditzy friend in the form of Clarence (Andy Devine), a male nurse. (Of course Betty and Clarence get together, and they have a smoother relationship than Ruth and Myron do.) At one point Clarence puts Betty into a new type of straitjacket he has invented, and she gets stuck and put into a psychopathic ward. While that's going on, Myron gives Ruth a fluoroscopy--a bizarre way for the two main male characters to romance the two female leads. 

Lew Ayres and Mae Clarke in THE IMPATIENT MAIDEN

James Curtis states that James Whale wasn't all that interested in THE IMPATIENT MAIDEN. One can understand why, especially after what Whale went through on the production of FRANKENSTEIN. Whale and cinematographer Arthur Edeson do try to give some life to the material visually with an opening sequence set at Los Angeles' Angel's Flight mini-railway, and a camera that occasionally sweeps thru rooms. The climatic operating sequence is filmed in almost a documentary-like matter (Whale had an actual doctor on set to guide the actors). There's no Frankenstein-like stylistics to this sequence, or dramatic editing or music, but because of this, the ending isn't as gripping as it should be. 

Mae Clarke is very good as Ruth. She's not a conniving golddigger, she's just a woman unsure of marriage and true love. Lew Ayres seems unsure of himself as Myron--the actor stated in interviews that he felt James Whale didn't like him, and wasn't interested in giving him any direction. Una Merkle and Andy Devine get the showiest roles (one can debate on whether that was a good or bad thing). Hattie McDaniel has a cameo as a woman Myron is treating--she and her husband beat each other up. (It's another example of the story's--or Whale's--attitude toward marriage.) 

I watched THE IMPATIENT MAIDEN on YouTube, and the print was in bad shape (the audio quality was mediocre as well). Kino Lorber has recently released early James Whale Universal pictures such as THE KISS BEFORE THE MIRROR and BY CANDLELIGHT on home video, so perhaps THE IMPATIENT MAIDEN will soon get a restoration as well. It's not prime James Whale, but any film by the director is worth watching, and it marks the very last time Whale and Mae Clarke worked together. 

TEPEPA

 

TEPEPA is a 1969 Euro Western, directed by Giulio Petroni (DEATH RIDES A HORSE) and co-written by Franco Solinas (THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS). 

The movie is set during the Mexican Revolution of the 1910s. A dynamic rebel leader named Jose Maria Moran, also known as Tepepa (Tomas Milian) is sentenced to be executed under the supervision of a military colonel named Cascorro (Orson Welles). Tepepa is saved and spirited away by an English doctor named Henry Price (John Steiner). The reason the doctor saved Tepepa is that he wants to kill the rebel himself. As the story progresses, a series of flashbacks reveals how Tepepa became a vaunted figure in the revolution, and why the doctor wants to kill him. 

TEPEPA is a cut above the average spaghetti western. It's over two hours long, and it has an epic scope and feel to it (mainly due to director Petroni's excellent eye for widescreen compositions). While it does feature some fine action sequences, TEPEPA is more about plot and characterization. It also has another fine score from the Maestro, Ennio Morricone. 

While watching TEPEPA those familiar with the Euro Western genre will be reminded of such other films set during the Mexican Revolution as A BULLET FOR THE GENERAL and THE MERCENARY (two other scripts that Franco Solinas also worked on). TEPEPA also anticipates Sergio Leone's A FISTFUL OF DYNAMITE in a number of ways. TEPEPA examines the whole point of revolutions, and what those who are involved actually get out of them (Tepepa was sentenced to die by the very government he fought to establish). 

The movie also examines the influence a charismatic revolutionary leader can have. Tepepa is certainly committed to the cause of his people, the poor rural folk of Mexico, but he's no saint, and when it is revealed why Dr. Price wants to kill him, the viewer has to re-examine their thoughts about the title character. TEPEPA asks what's more important--a revolution that supposedly will help many or the lives of individuals--and it doesn't offer up any easy answers. 

Tomas Milian played many similar roles to Tepepa in his long Euro Western career, but he had the screen presence to make these characters engaging and interesting. Milian as an actor also had an element of danger about him--you never could predict what he was going to do, and that certainly applies to Tepepa, who can be charming, philosophical, or crude at the snap of a finger. 

One would expect that a Mexican military strongman played by Orson Welles would have all sorts of flamboyant braggadocio, but Welles underplays the role (either that or he wasn't very happy with being involved in this sort of production). I have to say that Welles looks more Chinese than Mexican here. John Steiner also underplays the role of Dr. Price--instead of seething for vengeance against Tepepa, he calmly allows events to take their course. Usually the main gringo in a Mexican Revolution story made in Europe is either a bounty hunter or a mercenary who is a weapons expert, but Dr. Price is nothing of the sort--he has no interest in politics or money, his matter with Tepepa is personal. 

TEPEPA was much better than I thought it would be. I assumed it was just going to be Tomas Milian driving bad guy Orson Welles crazy all over Mexico, but it's much more than that. TEPEPA, as far as I know, doesn't have an official North American home video release, but it assuredly deserves one. (It is available uncut on the Plex streaming channel.) TEPEPA doesn't have the wild excesses of other spaghetti westerns (well, there is that sequence with the exploding goats....) so that might be one reason it doesn't have a bigger reputation. It is a film that fans of the genre should seek out. 

DUNE (Part Two)

 

The second part of Denis Villeneuve's mammoth screen adaptation of Frank Herbert's famous novel is a true serious science-fiction/fantasy epic, and a welcome respite from the many Marvel clones clogging up today's theaters. 

DUNE Part Two deals with Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet) becoming a leader of the Fremen race on the planet of Arrakis, and using these people as warriors against those who destroyed his family and his legacy. Part Two also introduces characters such as the Emperor of the Universe (Christopher Walken), his daughter Princess Irulan (Florence Pugh), Lady Fenring (Lea Seydoux), and the psychopathic Feyd-Rautha (Austin Butler). 

The main advantage that Villeneuve has is the time (and the budget) to closely adapt Herbert's sprawling saga. In the 1984 DUNE, it seemingly takes Paul a few minutes to unite the Fremen under his banner. Here Paul's journey is much more complicated, with even his lover Chani (Zendaya) worried about what he will do with the power that he covets. 

DUNE Part Two isn't a tidy tale about good and evil. As I've stated before, Paul Atreides is more Anakin Skywalker than Luke. Part Two deals with such elements as religious fundamentalism, military insurgency, and the danger of giving oneself completely over to charismatic leaders. 

In DUNE Part One I felt that Jason Momoa as Duncan Idaho made the biggest impression. In Part Two, it's Javier Bardem as Fremen chieftain Stilgar, but the cast is excellent overall. I had some worries about whether the baby-faced Timothee Chalamet could properly portray the "chosen one" version of Paul, but he did much better than I expected. (It needs to be pointed out that the character arc of Paul would be a major challenge to any actor.) 

The major reason that this new DUNE saga is effective is the rich visual qualities it possesses. As in Part One, Villeneuve, cinematographer Greig Fraser, and the entire production team create a fully-fledged  universe that is believable, impressive, and intriguing. There are plenty of breathtaking shot compositions here, but they are smoothly integrated into the story being told--they're not just an example of the filmmakers showing off. 

DUNE Part Two might be even better than Part One. Together the films form a 5+ hour spectacular that presents how classic science-fiction should be adapted for the big screen. Denis Villeneuve hasn't just done a great service for Frank Herbert's novel, he's done a great service for 21st Century genre cinema. 

THE PLAYGIRLS AND THE VAMPIRE On Blu-ray From Vinegar Syndrome

 

Vinegar Syndrome has released another title from the classic era of Italian Gothic horror. THE PLAYGIRLS AND THE VAMPIRE (original title L'ULTIMA PREDA DEL VAMPIRO) makes its Blu-ray debut. 

This movie forms an unofficial trilogy with fellow early 1960s Italian flicks THE VAMPIRE AND THE BALLERINA and THE VAMPIRE OF THE OPERA. All three films are in black & white and set in contemporary times, and all three feature a bevy of curvy dancing girls under threat by the undead. In THE PLAYGIRLS AND THE VAMPIRE, it's five dancing girls (along with their manager and accompanist) who are stranded at a creepy castle inhabited by one Count Kernassy (Walter Brandi). The Count happens to have a lookalike centuries-old vampire ancestor (also played by Brandi), and one of the girls happens to be a dead ringer for the undead's lost love. 

I wrote a blog post on THE PLAYGIRLS AND THE VAMPIRE a while ago, and I noted that it wasn't as good as the two other films linked to it. What hurts it the most is that none of the actors are particularly charismatic or interesting (Brandi is underwhelming in both his roles). It does have some notable elements, such as the fact that one of the dancing girls who has been turned into a vampire cavorts about in the nude.

Vinegar Syndrome states that THE PLAYGIRLS AND THE VAMPIRE has been scanned & restored in 4K from its 35mm fine grain master. The movie looks better than the many versions one finds on the internet and YouTube, but the image appears soft at times and the visual quality is rather flat. I think this is more due to the source material--THE PLAYGIRLS AND THE VAMPIRE isn't as cinematic as most Italian Gothics made during this period. The film is presented in a 1.66:1 aspect ratio.This Blu-ray features Italian and English audio tracks, along with newly translated English subtitles. The disc is region-free. 

The main extra is a 26 minute featurette with Mark Thompson-Ashworth, who mentions the unofficial "Dancing Girls and Vampires" trilogy, along with going into some background about the cast & crew. including writer-director Piero Regnoli. Unfortunately there is no audio commentary.  

The disc also has three alternate title sequences for the film, an original trailer, and a still gallery. If you order the movie direct from Vinegar Syndrome, you get a wraparound sleeve with vintage ad artwork for the film, and the disc case sleeve is reversible as well (see above). The artwork is more energetic than just about anything in the movie!

THE PLAYGIRLS AND THE VAMPIRE isn't one of the best Italian Gothics, but it's perfect late-night viewing for old monster movie buffs. It's nice that Vinegar Syndrome has given it an official release. 

SPEED (1936)

 

No, this isn't that movie with Keanu Reeves. This SPEED was made in 1936, and it was the very first leading role for James Stewart. The actor was under contract to MGM at the time, and the studio put him in a low-budget B-type of picture for his first starring turn. 

In SPEED Stewart plays Terry Martin, a mechanic-test driver for Emery Motors. Terry is a cynical type who has a grudge against the front office, and he's also trying to invent a new type of carburetor. Terry gets distracted by his interest in Jane (Wendy Barrie), who has just gotten a job in the publicity department. But Jane is also being wooed by Frank (Weldon Heyburn), an Emery engineer who is assigned to work with Terry on the carburetor idea. Terry and Frank test the carburetor out at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and on the Muroc Dry Lake, and after a number of crashes and romantic mix-ups, everything is resolved at the end. 

SPEED isn't so much a James Stewart movie as it is a promotional film for the American automobile industry. The viewer is shown plenty of footage of cars being made on an assembly plant and being tested in all sorts of ways (this footage was filmed by MGM at a Chrysler plant in Michigan). We also get a lot of stock footage of racing at the Indy 500 and high-speed auto testing at the Muroc Dry Lake in California. The viewer is also constantly reminded by the characters that all this racing & testing is for the safety and comfort of the average American driver (I wonder if some MGM executives got some nice deals on new cars because of this production). 

James Stewart had only been at MGM for about a year when he worked on SPEED, but he already shows a natural likability and notable onscreen presence. It's a good thing he does, because the character of Terry Martin does him no favors. Terry has a chip on his shoulder, and he's bullheaded--a lesser actor would have wound up just annoying the audience. I don't want to give away the ending of SPEED, but in it Terry becomes the one in need of rescue, an unusual circumstance for a leading character in a film like this. 

Wendy Barrie does a competent job as June, but she and Stewart don't seem to have a lot of chemistry together. Weldon Heyburn (there's a name for you) was one of the many generic-looking, dull actors during this period who played second leads and romantic rivals who never got the leading lady. Former Stooge leader Ted Healy plays the comic relief role of Terry's buddy Gadget (you can tell he's supposed to be comic relief because he has a "funny" moniker). It appears as if Healy is ad-libbing dialogue in every scene he's in. 

The real surprise in this film is Una Merkel. She plays an executive of Emery Motors, and we are told that she worked her way up from being a secretary. This time Merkel is not playing a flighty or zany lady--her character is actually somewhat disappointed in her white collar life, and she has eyes for Frank. I felt that the story of Merkel's character would have been much more interesting than what goes on in SPEED. Something else about Merkel here--she has only a few moments of screen time with Jimmy Stewart, but the two of them have way more chemistry than Stewart did with Wendy Barrie (it would have been more fitting if Stewart and Merkel wound up as a couple at the end of this film). Ralph Morgan plays an Emery vice-president. 

SPEED was directed by low-budget veteran Edwin L. Marin, and it is only about 70 minutes long. The film will be of interest today to James Stewart fans and classic car and racing buffs. This was one of the very few Jimmy Stewart films I had never seen. It's not a major part of the actor's resume, but it is historically notable as his first lead in a film. 

THE HORRIBLE DR. HICHCOCK On Blu-ray From Vinegar Syndrome

 

Vinegar Syndrome has released a super special edition of the famed Italian Gothic horror film THE HORRIBLE DR. HICHCOCK on 4K and Blu-ray. (For the purposes of this blog post, I will be reviewing the Blu-ray on this set, since I don't even have a 4K player. If there's anyone out there who would like to buy me a 4K player, go right ahead!) 

Vinegar Syndrome's release contains  two discs, a 4K and a Blu-ray. The 4K and Blu-ray discs have both the Italian and American cuts of the film, and the Blu-ray has all the extras as well. 

THE HORRIBLE DR. HICHCOCK is famed due to its starring Barbara Steele, and due to its rather lurid subject matter. For those who have not seen this film, let's just say that the main character, Prof. Bernard Hichcock (Robert Flemyng), likes his women passive--very, very passive. In 1885 London, the good doctor secretly subjects his wife to one of his kinky experiments, and the woman dies. The distraught Hichcock goes into exile for 12 years, and returns with a new wife, Cynthia (Barbara Steele). The doctor tries to go back to his old life, but that also includes his perverse hobbies....and is the first Mrs. Hichcock still alive, roaming the grounds of the estate? The innocent Cynthia soon realizes that there's a lot more to this marriage than she expected. 

THE HORRIBLE DR. HICHCOK (originally titled L'ORRIBILE SEGRETO DEL DR. HICHCOCK) was directed by Riccardo Freda and written by Ernesto Gastaldi, two important names in Eurocult cinema. Despite the main character's unusual tastes, the movie has very little gore and no nudity. It's a true 19th Century Gothic tale with luxurious color cinematography by Raffaele Masciocchi and opulent-looking production design by Franco Fumagalli (who in the main credits goes by the name Frank Smokecocks!) There's all sorts of stories about how little time it took to make this movie, but the visual aspects of it are right up there with the best Hammer horrors made during that company's golden period of the late Fifties and early Sixties. 

The name Dr. Hichcock was obviously a nod to Alfred Hitchcock, but there's more to the title than just a blatant name drop. THE HORRIBLE DR. HICHCOCK will remind viewers of such films by Sir Alfred as REBECCA, UNDER CAPRICORN, and SUSPICION. There's also a heavy influence from JANE EYRE. 

Despite Barbara Steele getting top billing, this is Robert Flemyng's film all the way. The English character actor was a strange choice for Dr. Hichcock (Flemyng wasn't even a major name in his native country). Flemyng plays the doctor in an unexpected manner--the man is quietly sinister instead of mad or outrageous (Hichcock does go off the rails during the climax). I think Flemyng's portrayal works very well, though some might want a mad scientist in the Bela Lugosi-Lionel Atwill mode. As for Barbara Steele, this is the only time in her Italian Gothic career where she played a truly generic damsel in distress. The role of Cynthia doesn't take advantage of Steele's ability to play dual characters, or at least characters with a dual nature, but she does make an extremely attractive scream queen. Harriet Medin offers up fine support as Hichcock's creepy housekeeper, a role the actress would inhabit in a number of other Italian Gothics. 

The original Italian 87 minute version of THE HORRIBLE DR. HICHCOCK is included on the Blu-ray, along with the 76 minute American cut. (Both versions are also on the 4K disc.) Vinegar Syndrome states that the full-length Italian version has been restored from its original 35mm camera negative, and the results are simply stunning. The American cut has also been restored from a 35mm negative, and it looks very impressive as well (though not as fantastic as the Italian version). Both versions have a 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The Italian version has Italian and English mono voice tracks with available English subtitles. The sound quality on the Italian version is much better than other home video releases of DR. HICHCOCK. The American version has an English mono voice track which is slightly different from the one on the Italian version, and this track also has some distortion on it. 

Vinegar Syndrome has filled this release with plenty of extras. There's a 40 page illustrated booklet with essays by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, Erica Shultz, and Nathaniel Thompson. Heller-Nicholas and Shultz focus mainly on the depraved desires of Dr. Hichcock, while Thompson discusses the film's production and its themes. Nathaniel Thompson also takes part in a brand new audio commentary which is on both the 4K and Blu-ray discs. Thompson is joined by Troy Howarth and Eugenio Ercolani. It's an excellent discussion, with the trio talking about the careers of Riccardo Freda and Ernesto Gastaldi. They also bring up the intriguing idea that Barbara Steele should have played both of Dr. Hichcock's wives. 

The Blu-ray also has a audio track featuring Barbara Steele and Russ Lanier. It is referred to as a scene select commentary track on the back of the disc case, but it's mainly a nearly half-hour interview in which Steele voices a number of opinions (at times it sounds as if she's reading from something she has already written down). It would have been much better if Steele had been able to do a full-length proper audio commentary. The Blu-ray also has three short featurettes. Two spotlight Marcello Avallone, who was an assistant director on DR. HICHCOCK. One has Avallone relating his memories about his relationship with Riccardo Freda, and the other has him discussing Italian horror films in general. The other featurette has an interview with Ernesto Gastaldi. Gastaldi is one of the few important names of Italian cult cinema still with us, and due to this he has been featured on the extras for many home video releases. If you buy the same time of cult movies as I do, you've no doubt heard most of the stories Gastaldi tells in this program from the other disc extras he has been on. I must point out that the three featurettes have very little discussion of DR. HICHCOCK. There's also an alternate English main title sequence, an original Italian trailer, and a still gallery. 

Vinegar Syndrome has put the Region A 4K and Blu-ray discs inside a slipcase with advertising art inside an overall case with new artwork. 

This is an outstanding release from Vinegar Syndrome, giving one of the great Italian Gothics the spotlight it deserves. Candelabras, negligees, sumptuous color, large portraits of dead wives, secret crypts, Barbara Steele.....it's all here, along with a very disturbing fetish. This is by far the ultimate version of THE HORRIBLE DR. HICHCOCK. 

THE PERFECT KILLER

 

This is another Tubi discovery. THE PERFECT KILLER (original Italian title QUEL POMERIGGIO MALEDETTO) is a 1977 Italian-Spanish crime drama starring the legendary Lee Van Cleef. 

Van Cleef plays career criminal Harry Chapman, who in the beginning of the story gets nabbed during a robbery at a dog racing track while his lover Krista (Carmen Cervera) and his partner Jack (Aldo Bufi Landi) get away with the loot. Harry gets out of jail early, due to "The Organization", who springs him so he can serve them as a hitman. Harry decides to get out of the assassination game when he's ordered to kill a friend, but the organization won't let him leave that easily, and the devious Krista still has the power to ensnare him in her web. 

The plot of THE PERFECT KILLER--a tough con betrayed by his comrades and/or a lover--will be quite familiar to movie buffs. THE PERFECT KILLER resembles a number of more famous action movies and film noirs, and it has a lot in common with VIOLENT CITY, another Italian production with an American star (Charles Bronson). Longtime Van Cleef fans might take a while to get used to seeing the actor in 1970s sportcoats and slacks, but the taciturn Harry is a perfect role for him. 

It must be said that THE PERFECT KILLER is not a bullet-riddled thrill ride. There's more character interaction than violent action, and the movie has a measured pace. Van Cleef even gets overshadowed a bit by his co-stars. Alberto Dell'Acqua (who started his film career as a stuntman) plays Luc, a grinning psychopath sent by the mob to deal with Harry. Dell'Acqua has the showiest role, and he makes the most of it. Carmen Cervera makes a sexy femme fatale, with her Krista screwing over--or just plain screwing--every man she has dealings with. The title of this film could easily refer to the characters of Luc and Krista as much as it does Harry. 

John Ireland plays a buddy of Harry's, and Fernando Sancho (like Van Cleef and Dell'Acqua, a longtime Spaghetti Western veteran) has a small role. 

THE PERFECT KILLER was directed by Mario Siciliano. The movie has plenty of attractive European locations, but action fans might be left wanting more. Like a lot of Italian genre films of this period, there's more than a few weird elements, such as the character of Luc getting in a fight with a trio of transvestites, and Harry being chased around by a hot-to-trot model who looks young enough to be his granddaughter. There's also a fair amount of nudity. 

Tubi presents THE PERFECT KILLER in a fine-looking 2.35:1 transfer, and it appears to be uncut. It has an English dub track, but a few lines of dialogue are in Italian, and there's even a few times where it sounds as if someone else other than Van Cleef is voicing Harry. 

THE PERFECT KILLER will be a revelation to those who only know Lee Van Cleef from Westerns. If Van Cleef had gotten better opportunities, he could have easily gone the Charles Bronson route and done all sorts of cops and crime action flicks in the late 1970s. THE PERFECT KILLER gives Van Cleef a good leading role, even though I don't think it made the most out of him. 

ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS--"Beta Delta Gamma"

 

I recently purchased Vinegar Syndrome's special edition 4K/Blu-ray release of the Italian Gothic THE HORRIBLE DR. HICHCOCK, starring Barbara Steele. I intend to write a blog post on this release, but one thing I learned from the extras on it is that Barbara Steele had a connection to Alfred Hitchcock. She appeared on an episode of ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS called "Beta Delta Gamma", which is available on the Roku and Peacock streaming channels. 

"Beta Delta Gamma" was first shown in 1961 during the seventh season of ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS, the year before the show transitioned to an hour-long format. The episode deals with a group of college students who are partying at their fraternity's beach house. The group appears to be led by Alan (Burt Brinckerhoff), who tries to get his buddy Mark (Duke Howard) to engage in a beer-drinking contest. Alan passes out, and the group, annoyed by Alan's behavior, decides to play a prank on him. Encouraged by Phyllis (Barbara Steele), the group sets it up so that it appears Mark has been killed by Alan. As expected, the prank works all too well. 

"Beta Delta Gamma" isn't one of the better ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS episodes. If you've watched enough of these 1960s TV anthology shows (as I certainly have), you can easily predict what will happen at the climax. The episode was directed by Alan Crosland Jr. and written by Calvin Clements, both longtime network TV veterans, and most of the story takes place in the beach house or on the beach itself, both generic-looking locations. 

Barbara Steele in "Beta Delta Gamma"

What hurts the episode is that the group of college students are not very interesting or sympathetic. They spend most of their time lounging around drunk, and the main reason they come up with the prank seems to be because they are bored. Barbara Steele by far has the most screen presence of the small cast, and there's the added benefit of seeing her in shorts. The viewer also gets to hear Steele's actual voice. 

The two lead actors in the story, Burt Brinckerhoff and Duke Howard, are rather bland, and I had not heard of any of them before. (Brinkerhoff actually went on to become a TV director/producer, while Howard didn't have a very long acting career.) One of the story elements of "Beta Delta Gamma" is that Phyllis is attracted to Alan, but it's hard to believe that Barbara Steele would have any interest in any of the characters in this tale--one wonders why she's even hanging out with this group in the first place. Severn Darden and Barbara Harris (who would later star in Hitchcock's FAMILY PLOT) are also in the group, but other than looking like a couple of beatniks, they don't get much to do. 

One thing that "Beta Delta Gamma" shows is that Barbara Steele could easily play a "normal" role in a contemporary story, and her actual voice was just fine for acting purposes. BLACK SUNDAY and THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM had already been released in the U.S. when the episode first aired, and it's surprising that the folks behind ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS didn't try and give Steele a much more flamboyant role in a much more flamboyant story. (She did at least get a "with Barbara Steele" special credit at the end of "Beta Delta Gamma".)

If Barbara Steele had stuck around in Hollywood, there's no doubt she would have had plenty of opportunities to appear on American network TV. But if she hadn't of gone back to Italy, she wouldn't have become the icon she is now. 

THE SAINT OF SECOND CHANCES

 

THE SAINT OF SECOND CHANCES, directed by Jeff Malmberg and Morgan Neville, is a documentary concerning the life and times of independent baseball pioneer Mike Veeck. 

Mike Veeck is the son of legendary baseball executive and Hall of Fame inductee Bill Veeck. The beginning of the film details that as a young man Mike wanted nothing more than to get out of the shadow of his famous father, but when Bill Veeck took control of the Chicago White Sox in the mid-1970s and asked his son to come work with him, the younger man couldn't pass up the opportunity. Mike Veeck was filled with ideas and enthusiasm, and he hoped to impress and get to know his father at the same time. 

But during the summer of 1979, one of Mike's promotions, the infamous Disco Demolition Night, literally blew up in his face. A riot ensued, causing the White Sox to forfeit a game, and Mike Veeck was forever associated with that incident. The younger Veeck left Major League Baseball a marked man, and spent years trying to find a niche for himself. In 1993, Mike became involved with the St. Paul Saints, an independent professional baseball team. Being independent (especially in the early 1990s) meant that Veeck was just about on the lowest rung of baseball operations one could be--but it also meant Veeck could basically do whatever crazy scheme entered his head. Veeck soon got the Saints national attention, and he wound up having control of several other minor and independent clubs, bringing his unique way of having fun at the old ballpark to fans throughout the United States, and inspiring other club owners to copy (and outright steal) his innovations. 

THE SAINT OF SECOND CHANCES covers all of this, along with various personal trials & tribulations Veeck dealt with along the way. At numerous times in the film, Mike's history is dramatized in flashback scenes with actor Charlie Day as Mike (Mike himself plays his dad Bill in a few of these sequences). At first I thought the flashback scenes were a bit hokey, but I started to realize that the filmmakers were framing Mike's story as a goofy sentimental 1980s style comedy flick, which is essentially what it is. (The narration in the film is by Jeff Daniels.) 

One big story point in the film is how much Mike Veeck wanted to get back to the Major Leagues in some sort of capacity. Eventually Mike learns that his family and his minor league work are far more meaningful to him than anything that MLB could provide. Mike Veeck achieved his own redemption through his work as an independent baseball operator, and he enabled others along the way to find redemption as well. 

The ironic thing is that even without getting a long time job in the Major Leagues, Veeck made a huge mark on baseball. Go to any ball game at any level--professional or amateur--and one of Veeck's ideas is being used. Most of the promotions and events that fans take for granted when they go to any ball game more than likely originated with something Mike Veeck thought up or put into practice. 

Baseball fans will certainly appreciate THE SAINT OF SECOND CHANCES, especially for some of the vintage footage involving the White Sox. And yes, there's plenty of actual footage of Disco Demolition as well...some of it amazingly up close and personal (during the Disco Demolition sequence you almost feel as if you are right in the middle of the maelstrom). Watching this sequence makes one realize that it's fortunate that no one was seriously injured or even killed during that notorious night. 

Like all great sports documentaries, THE SAINT OF SECOND CHANCES is much more than just sports. It's a story about life, family, and what's really important. It's funny, and moving, and you don't even have to know anything about baseball to appreciate it. 

TANK FORCE (AKA NO TIME TO DIE)

 

The last James Bond film, NO TIME TO DIE, was not a favorite of mine by any means. When its title was officially announced, I thought it was rather generic for a 007 movie. It certainly didn't have anything to do with the works of Ian Fleming....but I later found out that the title did have a connection with the James Bond movie franchise. 

Before he started up the Bond film franchise with Harry Saltzman, Albert Broccoli produced a series of action movies in England in the 1950s with his then-partner Irving Allen. One of those films was a 1958 WWII story set in North Africa that was titled NO TIME TO DIE. In America the film was released through Columbia as TANK FORCE (talk about generic titles). 

This NO TIME TO DIE shares plenty more connections with the Bond franchise than just a name. Its director (Terence Young), co-writer (Richard Maibaum) and cinematographer (Ted Moore) all worked on the early James Bond films, and set the course for the rest of the series. 

Calling the film TANK FORCE for the American market is a bit of a misnomer. There are two tank battles, at the very beginning and the very end, but most of the story deals with the travails of a handful of Allied soldiers who have escaped from a POW camp in Libya. 

One of the soldiers happens to be an American, serving in the British Eighth Army, named David Thatcher (Victor Mature). A number of lower-budget British movies made in the Fifties would use an American star, and those films usually had a plot explanation about why the American character was in the story. The explanation for Thatcher's presence in TANK FORCE is a doozy--he was married to a Jewish woman who was sent to a concentration camp and died, so he threw a bomb at Joseph Goebbels!! (Apparently TANK FORCE is set before America's entry into the war, and Thatcher seems to have joined the British army to continue to get back at the Nazis.) Needless to say, Thatcher doesn't want to be captured by the Germans and have his identity found out, so he's determined to lead his small group to safety behind the Allied lines. 

Among the group of escaped POWs is a stiff-upper lip, by-the-book sergeant (Leo Genn), who acts as a counterpoint to Thatcher. There's also a very young British soldier who acts as a sort of comic relief (Anthony Newley), and a trigger-happy Pole (Bonar Colleano) whose main focus is to kill as many Germans as he can. 

The group goes through plenty of trials and tribulations along the way, including being assisted by the hostess (Luciana Paluzzi) of an Italian officer's club, dealing with sandstorms, and being pursued by Arab tribesmen. The group also deals with an unexpected betrayal, and unexpected help. (Luciana Paluzzi would also be involved in the Bond franchise--she played the femme fatale in THUNDERBALL.) 

What helps make TANK FORCE stand out from other WWII tales is that it was filmed in color and Cinemascope, and most of the story was actually shot in Libya. (There's also as many Italians in this story as there are Germans.) The tank sequences were filmed with the assistance of the British army, and the footage is impressive, even though most of the vehicles are not of WWII vintage. It's not the most realistic war film ever made, but it was designed to be a crowd-pleasing action adventure. Terence Young (who co-wrote the screenplay along with Richard Maibaum) keeps things moving, with one incident after another. Kenneth V. Jones contributes a rousing musical score. 

Victor Mature was in his mid-forties when he worked on TANK FORCE, but he appears older, and he also looks as if he hasn't had a lot of sleep (and no, I don't think that was his attempt at being an accurate-looking POW). According to internet sources, Mature got the part after a number of other leading men were considered. Leo Genn does much better in the role of the practical sergeant--he's more the type of person a group of escaped POWs would follow, but movies like this have to have the notable American name as the lead. 

TANK FORCE/NO TIME TO DIE isn't a major WWII epic, but it's entertaining enough. A much more charismatic leading man certainly would have helped. I will say I'd much rather watch this NO TIME TO DIE again than the later James Bond film with the same title.