MARK OF THE TORTOISE

 

Yes, it's another Krimi--with a title like MARK OF THE TORTOISE, what else could it be?? This one is from 1964, made by Rialto, the German company that produced the "official" Edgar Wallace series. MARK OF THE TORTOISE, however, is not based on anything written by Edgar Wallace--it apparently is based on a novel by James Hadley Chase. 

Donald Micklem (Gotz George) arrives at his rich uncle's English estate to find out that he is being blackmailed by a mysterious figure known as "The Tortoise". Micklem's uncle refuses to pay, and he is killed. Donald decides to track down the gang behind the murder, and he becomes involved with the Tortoise's main subordinate, Lorelli (Hildegard Knef) a woman whose motives are not entirely clear. 

MARK OF THE TORTOISE (original German title WARTEZIMMER ZUM JENSEITS) is very different from the usual run of Krimi fare. Its main hero is not a Scotland Yard inspector, but a close relative of the main victim, and the leading lady isn't pursued by the major villain--she's actually working for him. The film noirish aspects of the Krimi are toned down as well, as a large part of the story is set in Trieste (where surprisingly the production actually traveled to and shot scenes there). There are more daytime sequences in MARK OF THE TORTOISE than there are in about a dozen Krimis picked at random altogether. 

Being that it is a different type of Krimi, some of the weirder aspects of the genre are not present here, but there are still some outlandish details. The calling card of The Tortoise is a real live tortoise that has a skull painted onto its shell, a particularly bizarre touch. The Tortoise's base of operations is a large castle in Trieste that has underground levels with all sorts of tricked-out rooms, and the villain (Richard Munch) resembles Dr. Strangelove, in that he wears dark glasses and is wheelchair bound. (His wheelchair is tricked out as well). 

Gotz George and his comic relief sidekick played by Hans Clarin are not exactly standout heroes, and they are overshadowed by The Tortoise and his gang. The bad guys include familiar Krimi faces such as Pinkus Braun and Carl Lange, and good old Klaus Kinski shows up, as the thug who carries out the murder of Micklem's uncle. (Unfortunately Kinski doesn't stay around too long.) Hildegard Knef's femme fatale with a heart is by far the most interesting character. Her ambiguity gives the story an added twist--you have no idea which way she's going to go. 

MARK OF THE TORTOISE was directed by Alfred Vohrer, who made a number of Krimis. With this one he focuses more on the adventure aspects of the story. There's no real mystery in MARK OF THE TORTOISE--we are shown who the bad guys are, and where they hide out. The main suspense is how the hero is going to get back at them, but due to Gotz George's lighthearted nature, the movie doesn't have as much of an edge to it as it should. MARK OF THE TORTOISE is available on Tubi, in an excellent looking black & white widescreen print with an English dubbed voice track. 

ACES HIGH

 

ACES HIGH is a 1976 British film, a loose adaptation of JOURNEY'S END, an acclaimed stage drama concerning life in the trenches during World War One. It is a movie that is almost unknown today, despite its worthy cast. 

Set in 1917, somewhere in France, the story concerns a squadron of British pilots commanded by Major Gresham (Malcolm McDowell). A very young replacement flyer named Croft (Peter Firth) arrives to join the group, much to the consternation of Gresham. Croft is the younger brother of Gresham's girlfriend, and the lad looks up to his commanding officer (the two men attended the same boarding school). Gresham has to drink just to be able to fly, and he doesn't want Croft to discover this. He also doesn't want to be responsible for the younger man's life--pilots don't last very long in this type of war. The eager Croft is full of enthusiasm for what lies ahead, but he soon learns that the life of a military pilot is dreary and deadly instead of being adventurous and heroic. 

One can understand why producer Benjamin Fisz wanted to turn JOURNEY'S END into an aviation tale--Fisz himself was a pilot in WWII, and the original play isn't very cinematic. ACES HIGH tries to mix personal drama exciting action sequences, and the result is the movie has an in-between type of feel. (In an interview presented as an extra on the Kino Blu-ray of ACES HIGH, Malcolm McDowell suggests this feeling is why the film wasn't a major success.) 

The aerial sequences are very impressive, and the movie also makes excellent use of models and miniatures, but I wouldn't call ACES HIGH an action-packed spectacular. It's not on the epic level of WWI sagas such as WINGS or HELL'S ANGELS. What ACES HIGH does feature is some outstanding performances from a number of fine British actors. 

Malcolm McDowell's Gresham is based on the lead character of JOURNEY'S END, Captain Stanhope. Stanhope was memorably played by Colin Clive on stage and screen. Clive's Stanhope was edgy and ready to snap at a moment's notice. McDowell's Gresham, despite his drinking problem, is still able to keep things together and do his job. One would think that McDowell, with his reputation for snarky flamboyance, would go all out with the role of Gresham, but he surprisingly underplays the part--it's one of McDowell's most restrained screen appearances, and it's an approach that works well here. Gresham may be boiling inside, but he's an English gentleman, and he has a duty as a soldier, and McDowell shows that no matter what, he's determined to carry it out. 

Peter Firth is very good as the callow Croft, and Christopher Plummer plays an older officer of the squadron known as "Uncle". Uncle is a kind man who quietly serves as a mentor for the young flyers and as someone Gresham can depend upon. Simon Ward plays a pilot who has lost his nerve, and the film is ably served by guest appearances from John Gielgud, Trevor Howard, Ray Milland, and Richard Johnson. 

ACES HIGH didn't make much of a splash when it came out in 1976. It didn't get much of an American theatrical release (some sources say that it wasn't released in America at all). I assume the main reason for it being passed by was that in the mid-1970s something like this would have seemed very old-fashioned (the movie has no overt gore or explicit material). ACES HIGH was capably directed by Jack Gold, and I enjoyed it very much, especially considering that I am a history buff. I must point out though that what happens in the film is very familiar. If you've seen a number of movies concerning WWI flyers, you'll know all the plot points of ACES HIGH: young men trying to survive a pressured-packed situation, the folly and inevitability of war, the idea that the higher brass care little for the men who actually do the fighting, etc. Despite this familiarity ACES HIGH is a fine production that deserves more attention. 

DER HEXER

 

So I finally caught up with what is considered one of the greatest Krimi movies of all time. DER HEXER (also known as THE MYSTERIOUS MAGICIAN) is a 1964 adaptation of Edgar Wallace's crime novel THE RINGER. 

Rialto, the German production company that was responsible for the "official" Edgar Wallace film series, pulled out all the stops for DER HEXER. It stars three different male Krimi stars--Joachim Fuchsberger, Heinz Drache, and Siegfried Lowitz. The trio are all investigating "The Ringer"--a notoriously cunning vigilante who has been barred from setting foot in England ever again, due to his nefarious capabilities.

The Ringer (real name Arthur Milton) sneaks back into London however, when he finds out that his younger sister has been killed and her body dumped into the Thames. It turns out that Miss Milton had too much knowledge about a white slavery ring, and her brother is determined to get revenge. Inspectors Higgins (Joachim Fuchsberger) and Warren (Siegfried Lowitz) are hoping that The Ringer will lead them to those behind the ring, so they can catch all involved, including the vigilante, in one fell swoop. Also on The Ringer's trail is a mysterious fellow named James Wesby (Hans Drache), who apparently is writing a series of articles on Arthur Milton--but could he be the culprit himself?? 

DER HEXER also features Edgar Wallace series regulars Siegfried Schurenberg (as Scotland Yard head Sir John) and Eddi Arent (once again playing a presumed silly butler). What the movie doesn't have is Krimi Queen Karin Dor, but this is more than made up for by having three attractive ladies play a major part in the story. Sophie Hardy is Inspector Higgins' hot-to-trot girlfriend, Margot Trooger is The Ringer's wife, and Ann Savo is Sir John's curvaceous secretary. (Surprisingly, Klaus Kinski isn't in this one either--maybe they just couldn't fit him in.) 

DER HEXER, directed by another series veteran, Alfred Vohrer, moves along at a pretty good clip, except when things slow down for the byplay between Inspector Higgins and his girlfriend. It's also a bit lighter than the typical Krimi--it's as if those taking part in it realized the absurdity of the goings-on, and decided to go with the flow. Usually the main thrust of a Krimi plot is finding out who the killer/main villain is, but here it's who The Ringer is. The final revelation of this crafty character is a major surprise, although some viewers might consider it a cheat. (If you're expecting logic and sense in a Krimi movie, you should be watching something else.) 

Among the highlights in this film are a mini-sub, a parochial school for girls which is the front for the white slavery ring, and the three major Krimi heroes chasing each other around while The Ringer plays them all like a fiddle. A bonus treat is Peter Thomas' off-the-rails music score (the title theme has to be heard to be believed). 

DER HEXER was so successful and well-received in its native country that it spawned a follow-up sequel with the title character (I haven't seen that one yet). I haven't viewed enough of the entire Rialto Edgar Wallace series to declare it the best Krimi of them all, but I can safely say it's one of the most entertaining I have watched so far. (If you are new to the Krimi genre, I would watch a few of them before giving DER HEXER a chance. I feel your enjoyment of DER HEXER would increase this way.) 

THE CRIME OF DR. CRESPI

 

THE CRIME OF DR. CRESPI is a low-budget thriller, released in 1935, that attempts to ride the wave of early 1930s Hollywood horror. The movie's credits state that its story was "suggested by Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Premature Burial'", but it isn't much of a suggestion. 

Dr. Andre Crespi (Erich von Stroheim) is an esteemed surgeon, and the head of an exclusive medical clinic. A former flame of Crespi's, Mrs. Estelle Ross (Harriet Russell), asks Crespi to use his vast skills to save her husband (John Bohn), who has been injured in a car crash. The thing is, Stephen Ross once worked alongside Crespi, before he took Estelle away from him. Crespi agrees to help Ross, but it's all a ruse. The mad doctor injects Ross with a serum which shuts down all his bodily functions and gives him the appearance of being dead. Crespi gleefully looks forward to Ross being buried alive, and getting another chance to romance his wife, but a couple of doctors at the clinic interrupt the wicked scheme. 

THE CRIME OF DR. CRESPI is a decent terror tale, but it takes awhile to get going, and it feels stilted at times. The fact that it's set in contemporary times doesn't help--it might have been more atmospheric if the events were placed in the early 20th or late 19th Century. 

The movie's plot brings to mind such films as 1935's THE RAVEN and MAD LOVE, which also featured loony surgeons driven mad by unrequited love. Erich von Stroheim is by far the main reason to watch this production. He gives Dr. Crespi plenty of eccentric ticks, along with a nasty temper. The creepiest scene in the film is when Crespi sneaks into the morgue late at night and gloats over the assumed dead body of Ross, knowing full well his victim can hear and understand what he is saying. This is followed by Ross' funeral, where director John H. Auer uses plenty of expressionistic techniques. 

One of the doctors who digs up Ross and saves him is, ironically enough, played by Dwight Frye, who by this time had plenty of experience in dealing with the uncanny on the big screen. One would expect Frye to have played Crespi's bizarre assistant, but instead he's a doctor at the clinic who suffers Crespi's wrath. Despite this Frye is so nervous and anxious throughout that one assumes he's up to something himself. After Ross is "resurrected", he shambles off in zombie-like fashion to confront Crespi, but the climax is a dud. (The cute nurse that Ross scares after his revival was played by Jeanne Kelly, who would later be known as Jean Brooks and gain cult fame for appearing in a couple of the Val Lewton RKO thrillers.) 

THE CRIME OF DR. CRESPI has its moments, but there's too many distractions in the way of the good stuff, such as a subplot dealing with an Italian woman having quintuplets at the clinic, and a obligatory romantic couple, a doctor and nurse who work under Crespi and who could have been written out of the story altogether without any major effect. 

Strangely enough, Erich von Stroheim made only very few horror films in his career. That might have been his choice, but if he had pursued or accepted more roles in that genre, he might have gotten as much of a reputation as Karloff or Lugosi. 

4D MAN

 

I thought I had written a blog post on this film before, but I haven't. 4D MAN is an underrated 1959 science fiction feature from producer Jack Harris and director Irvin Yeaworth, the men behind the original THE BLOB. I've seen it multiple times, but it wasn't until recently that I obtained it on Blu-ray (at a discount of course). 

The movie is really about the relationship between two brothers, the Nelsons. Tony Nelson (James Congdon) is the younger one, more emotional, more impetuous. Scott (Robert Lansing) is the older one, more steadfast and responsible. The two men are both scientists. Despite his talent, Tony can't keep a job, because he's too busy dealing with his own experiment, an attempt to fuse different materials together. Scott gets Tony a job at the top-secret research facility he's working for. Tony immediately makes a connection with Scott's lab assistant and love interest Linda (Lee Meriwether). 

Scott, depressed over the fact that Linda prefers Tony over him, starts to tinker with Tony's experiment late one night in the lab, and he succeeds in the fusion process, due to the fact that Scott's brainwaves have been amplified by the radioactive materials he has been working around. In other words, Scott has willed the experiment to happen, and he's able to take things farther, in that he literally becomes a man of the fourth dimension--he can pass through solid walls, whether brick, stone, or metal. There's a price to pay for this power--Scott uses so much energy in doing it he ages considerably each time it happens. Scott discovers he's able to revive his energy and appearance by draining other human beings--and killing them. 

Scott's newfound abilities are affecting his mental state as well, and instead of trying to deal with his situation, the 4D Man decides to use his power for his own benefit, and force Linda to be with him. Now a menace to society, Scott is hunted by the police as Tony and Linda try to find a way to stop him. 

For a low-budget 1950s sci-fi flick, there is a lot of food for thought in 4D MAN. If anything, the movie bites off more than it can chew, as Scott's abilities, and their effects on him, are not fully explored. But 4D MAN deserves credit for attempting some bold leaps, and for making some twists on the usual "mutated being on a rampage" tale. 

The film takes a while to get going, as it builds the foundation of the love triangle between the three leading characters. Once Scott obtains his fourth dimensional state, things move pretty fast. A number of Scott's 4D activities happen off-screen, more than likely due to budget considerations, and perhaps due to the fact that the audience wouldn't have much sympathy for Scott if it kept seeing him kill over and over again. At one point the 4D Scott and a very young Patty Duke have a "Monster and Maria by the lake" moment that does not get resolved, to the frustration of the viewer. 

The special effects are simple but effective, and there are little details that stop the story from being totally outlandish. (When Scott is able to put his hand through a block of steel for the very first time, his fingers on the other side of the block start to numb, because he has lost circulation in them.) One major reason the movie has a believable aspect to it is due to the performance of Robert Lansing as Scott. 

Robert Lansing was a fine actor, a consummate pro who didn't make as much of a mark in movies or television as he should have. (Internet bios of Lansing suggest he preferred stage work.) Lansing was an actor who gave off an attitude of quiet intelligence--his characters always seem to have something on their minds. Scott Nelson is someone whose decency and hard work has probably been taken for granted most of his life, and his newfound powers truly do make him a new man. Scott isn't an evil man--he's a tragic figure, one that isn't able to cope with his situation (or the fact that the woman he loves is attracted to his irresponsible brother). Usually in a movie like this the younger, more emotional brother/colleague is the one that gets in trouble, and the older, more stable counterpart is the one to solve the situation, or help track his opposite down. Here the welcome twist is that the more mature Scott gets to be bold and outrageous, but he pays a horrible price. Having Robert Lansing play the lead character of 4D MAN was a huge advantage, even though (believe it or not) this was Lansing's feature film debut. 

Lee Meriwether does well with the underwritten role of Linda, and James Congdon's smug portrayal of Tony ensures that the viewer will feel favorably toward Scott. 4D MAN has a very jazzy music score by Ralph Carmichael. It's an unusual sound for this type of film, but it times it overwhelms the dialogue and sound effects. 

4D MAN doesn't have the cultural impact of THE BLOB. 4D MAN is a bit darker, there's no teenagers involved, and Robert Lansing isn't as famous as Steve McQueen. Still, 4D MAN is a Fifties science fiction product that deserves more attention and respect. (The Kino Blu-ray of the film gives it a very fine showcase.) 

HITCHCOCK'S PRO-NAZI FILM?

 

HITCHCOCK'S PRO-NAZI FILM? is about as clickbait a title as you can get. This is a 2023 documentary about Alfred Hitchcock's 1944 film LIFEBOAT, and the controversy it caused upon its release. 

I was not aware of the existence of this film until I saw the DVD of it listed among the new arrivals on the Edward R. Hamilton website last month. I happen to think that LIFEBOAT is one of Hitchcock's most underrated productions, and the DVD wasn't expensive, so I took the plunge and ordered it. 

I must say that the title made me a bit wary, but this is a well-made and well-paced documentary. What makes it fall short of being truly excellent is writer-director Daphne Baiwir's tendency to focus on various political and social issues instead of the main topic. 

LIFEBOAT is best known for taking place entirely within the small title vessel, as a group of survivors from a ship sunk by a German U-Boat in the Atlantic try to survive. The group hauls aboard a man who happens to be one of the U-Boat sailors, and this German soon takes the lead in making sure the lifeboat and the people within are able to survive. 

After LIFEBOAT was released, a number of critics complained that the movie was sympathetic toward the German character. I've found this idea to be ridiculous--the German is resourceful, clever, and cunning, but the film certainly doesn't take his side. Apparently some in 1944 felt Germans should have been portrayed as either fools or propaganda-spouting fanatics. The fact that the German in LIFEBOAT was shown as capable and redoubtable rubbed some people the wrong way, but I think Hitchcock made the right choice in having the man be realistic instead of a wartime caricature. 

HITCHCOCK'S PRO-NAZI FILM? looks at the film's reception, but it takes a while to get there. Much of the documentary focuses on people connected to LIFEBOAT, such as John Steinbeck (who wrote the original story on which LIFEBOAT was based), columnist Dorothy Thompson (who criticized the film when it was released, and whose life supposedly inspired the character played by Tallulah Bankhead), and black actor Canada Lee, who appeared in LIFEBOAT. 

The result is that we get a lot of info on the lives of Steinbeck, Thompson, and Lee, and while this info is interesting enough, one gets the feeling that Daphne Baiwir would much rather focus on them than the nuts & bolts of the making of LIFEBOAT. 

The main talking head of HITCHCOCK'S PRO-NAZI FILM? is Patrick McGilligan, who wrote a fine biography of the director (a biography I happen to own). McGilligan is the one who keeps things on track regarding the actual making of LIFEBOAT. 

Considering the title of this documentary, I don't think it gave enough evidence to suggest that there was any sort of sympathy toward Nazi Germany in LIFEBOAT. I think Daphne Baiwir's biggest issue is that she feels Alfred Hitchcock wasn't as left-wing as John Steinbeck, Dorothy Thompson, and Canada Lee. Hitchcock admirers will at least want to view this, and the documentary has inspired me to pull out my old DVD of LIFEBOAT and watch it again. 

THE BLACK CAMEL

 

This is a 1931 Charlie Chan film produced by Fox, the second title to star Warner Oland as the Chinese detective, and the earliest Oland-Chan feature to survive for viewing. 

Actress Shelah Fane (Dorothy Revier) is in Hawaii appearing in a movie, but she also has plenty of relationship issues. Fane is soon found murdered, and Honolulu police inspector Charlie Chan is placed in charge of the investigation. It turns out that Fane was connected to the murder of an actor named Denny Mayo, which happened three years ago. Chan figures out who the culprit is, and discovers the killer's accomplice as well. 

THE BLACK CAMEL is notable mainly due to its supporting cast, which includes Bela Lugosi and Dwight Frye (this movie was made after Universal's original DRACULA). There are also appearances by Mary Gordon and J.M Kerrigan, who would both go on to play roles in multiple Universal horror films. Robert Young made his screen debut in this movie. 

When I was a kid the Charlie Chan movies were on TV all the time. I can't say that I'm a huge Charlie Chan fan (or expert), but I am familiar with the basics of the Chan series. Warner Oland's Chan in THE BLACK CAMEL acts very differently than he does in his later appearances. THE BLACK CAMEL Chan is much more energetic and eager, and he's even set up as kind of a what would be decades later called a Columbo type. Due to Chan's constant use of aphorisms and his kind nature, the suspects here don't take him very seriously. It is clearly established in THE BLACK CAMEL that Chan is an actual police inspector who has to answer to higher ups, instead of a world famous sleuth who can basically do whatever he wants. At one point there's a scene showing Chan at the dining table with his very large family. 

Bela Lugosi plays a professional mystic called Tarneverro. The role is a red herring type, one that Lugosi would portray over and over again during his acting career, The difference here is that except for one scene in which Tarneverro performs a phony seance in order to intimidate Shelah Fane, Bela doesn't try to be mysterious or threatening. He's congenial and chatty, and he looks great (throughout the film he wears either a tuxedo or a natty suit). Lugosi also is rather friendly to Charlie Chan, and Bela and Warner Oland play off each other very well. (As Chan Oland would later face off against Boris Karloff, and Sidney Toler's Chan would have to deal with Lionel Atwill and George Zucco.) Lugosi's spooky guy reputation hadn't been totally established yet--if THE BLACK CAMEL had been made later in the 1930s, Tarneverro would have no doubt turned out to be more of a menace. 

Warner Oland and Bela Lugosi in THE BLACK CAMEL

Dwight Frye isn't even named on the main credits, but he gets attention as a shifty butler. (Frye constantly complained about the fact that he got stuck playing shady or nefarious characters, but he has that look of someone you just can't trust.) 

Much of THE BLACK CAMEL was actually filmed in Hawaii, which was unusual for a Hollywood feature made during this time period. The locations do make the movie stand out, although it does get stagnant at times. (The director was Hamilton MacFadden.) The mystery elements are okay, but one big problem the story has is Chan's police assistant, a Japanese fellow who literally runs in and out of every scene he's in as if he's a buffoon in a vaudeville sketch. The assistant is more ridiculous than comedic. 

I haven't seen enough Charlie Chan movies to determine how THE BLACK CAMEL rates within the context of the entire Chan series, but I can say that the film should be seen by Bela Lugosi fans. Even in a supporting role Bela has more screen presence than any other male member of the cast. I viewed this movie on Tubi, and the visual and sound quality was very good. 

A FEAST AT MIDNIGHT On Blu-ray From Severin

 

Severin's THE EUROCRYPT OF CHRISTOPHER LEE COLLECTION 3 includes A FEAST AT MIDNIGHT, a 1995 light comedy which has Lee playing an outwardly intimidating teacher at a British boys boarding school. 

Young Magnus Gove (Freddie Findlay), a poor little rich boy, arrives at Dryden Park prep school, where, as a new kid, he immediately encounters difficulties. One of Magnus' problems is the monolithic Major Longfellow (Christopher Lee), a member of the faculty who has been bestowed the nickname "The Raptor" due to his towering presence. Another problem is the school's strict health food policy. Magnus starts to rebel the best way he knows how--by sneaking into the school kitchen at night and creating gourmet treats (the boy is a budding chef). Magnus starts up a group of fellow student outcasts and calls it "The Scoffers", and he also makes a connection with Major Longfellow's teenage daughter (Lisa Faulkner), who is something of an outcast herself. Eventually Magnus' late-night feasts are discovered, but he gains confidence and self-respect. 

A FEAST AT MIDNIGHT gives Christopher Lee one of his best roles during the 1990s. Major Longfellow certainly deserves the fearsome reputation given to him by his students, but he's not a stock comic villain. Lee makes Longfellow a human being, a traditionalist with certain values but a man who is more well-rounded than one would expect. Lee doesn't rant or rage here, and he doesn't need to, as a cold look from the Major is worth a thousand shouted lines of dialogue. Lee also shows off a talent for deadpan, dry humor. 

Lee was very proud of having appeared in this film, and he should have been. A FEAST AT MIDNIGHT was directed by Justin Hardy, the son of Robin Hardy (who had directed Lee in THE WICKER MAN). Justin Hardy also co-wrote the film's script with producer Yoshi Nishio, and both men had attended British boarding schools, giving them an insight into the situations involved in the story. It's obvious Hardy and Nishio wanted to make a decent, positive movie. The tone is very light, almost gentle at times. The movie stays away from the darker aspects of children not fitting in, but it does give subtle hints that Magnus' family situation is very complicated. 

What helps A FEAST AT MIDNIGHT is that Freddie Findlay, and the kids overall, really do act like kids instead of polished mini-adults. Robert Hardy plays the kindly headmaster of the school, and Edward Fox has a cameo as Magnus' father. Julie Dreyfus also has a cameo as Magnus' mother, and her appearance and dress is almost exactly how she looks in the KILL BILL movies. 

The visual and sound quality on this Blu-ray of A FEAST AT MIDNIGHT is fantastic, and it makes it hard to believe that this was Justin Hardy's directorial debut--one would assume he had been making features for years. The disc includes an original trailer, and it also has a brand new audio commentary with Justin Hardy and Yoshi Nishio. The two men discuss the trials and tribulations they had making what was for them their first feature, and how they managed with a very small budget. They also have plenty of insights and stories about Christopher Lee--major fans of the actor would be well advised to listen to this talk. This is a Region Free disc. 

Some on the internet have complained about Severin including A FEAST AT MIDNIGHT on their latest Christopher Lee box set. I have to say that originally I was surprised by the choice, but after having seen the film for the very first time, I was quite impressed with it. It's very, very British (an American version of this tale would be harsher and more confrontational), but it's also charming in its own way. I do have to say that I think adults will probably enjoy it more than youngsters--the kids of today (especially American ones) will either be puzzled or bored. 

Even if a movie about upper-class British children isn't to your taste, watching Christopher Lee play a role that truly does give him a chance to stretch his abilities is more than compensation enough. There are plenty of low-budget, low-quality films featuring Lee that Severin could have inserted in this set, but I'm glad they gave A FEAST AT MIDNIGHT a high quality release instead. 

THE BISHOP MURDER CASE

 

THE BISHOP MURDER CASE is a 1929 sound film produced by MGM. It is another adaptation of a S.S. Van Dine novel featuring upper-class amateur sleuth Philo Vance, with a young Basil Rathbone portraying the character. 

THE BISHOP MURDER CASE was made and released during the same period that Paramount was making a series of Philo Vance films starring William Powell. This shows how popular the Van Dine novels were at this time, with two major Hollywood studios making films with the same character concurrently. 

I have read a few of the Van Dine Philo Vance novels, but I have not read THE BISHOP MURDER CASE. The movie has a series of murders, with clues involving nursery rhymes and chess. Rathbone's Vance is much more personable than the literary one (as was William Powell's), but he's still an erudite, fastidious fellow who appears to have major knowledge of just about every subject. The characters of District Attorney Markham (Clarence Geldert) and Sergeant Heath (James Donlan), regulars in the Van Dine novels, show up here as well, with Heath once again portrayed as a comic relief dolt. One thing that is notable in this film is that Markham essentially lets Vance take charge of the case, to the point where Philo tells the D.A. and Heath what to do. 

Since this is a very early sound film, there are some creaky elements to it, and there are times where it feels like a stage play. There are, however, some outdoor sequences, and Nick Grinde (credited as "screen director") sets up a number of expressionistic shot compositions. David Burton was credited for stage direction, and while Rathbone is his usual precise self, the supporting cast is somewhat hammy--the lovely Lelia Hyams is very fluttery as the leading lady. Roland Young plays a sarcastic suspect who at multiple times refers to Rathbone's Vance as "Holmes", in a snarky bit of forecasting. 

The story sets up things so that one major suspect appears to be the murderer, only to reveal another character as the culprit instead. It's a nice twist, but after the movie was over I thought it was a bit incredible that the actual perpetrator could have been able to accomplish all the crimes, but one could say that about nearly every murder mystery tale. 

I viewed THE BISHOP MURDER CASE on Tubi. It was a decent print, but there were times when the sound quality was not very clear, but one must remember this is a talkie made in 1929. It's a good murder mystery, but one wonders how better it would have been if it had been made a few years later when cinematic sound techniques had been much improved. An older Basil Rathbone would have been great as a more authentic Philo Vance--one could easily imagine him as an acid-tongued know-it-all snob. But would audiences have wanted to watch such a character? 

CRIME BOSS

 

In my blog post review of Severin's special edition release of THE GHOST, I mentioned that one of the discs in the set was a CD compilation of soundtrack music by Francesco De Masi. Seven tracks on the CD feature music from a film called CRIME BOSS, a 1972 Eurocrime drama starring Telly Savalas and Antonio Sabato. CRIME BOSS just so happens to be available on Tubi in a widescreen print with an English dubbed soundtrack. (The original Italian title for the film is I FAMILIARI DELLE VITTIME NON SARANO AVVERTITI, which roughly translates into "The Victim's Families Won't Be Told". I can understand why the title was changed for the English release, but you'd think they would have at least come up with something less bland than CRIME BOSS.) 

Antonio Sabato is Antonio Mancuso, a small-time Italian hood who ingratiates himself into a powerful crime family led by Don Vincenzo (Telly Savalas). Mancuso develops a bond with Vincenzo, and he also starts up an affair with the Don's striking young niece (Paola Tedesco), but the ambitious fellow has plans of his own, and he'll double-cross anyone to achieve his goals. 

It's easy to assume that CRIME BOSS was meant to be a cheap knockoff of THE GODFATHER. It's director, Alberto De Martino, made a number of movies influenced by better known features (and I've written blog posts on a few of them). De Martino was a capable filmmaker, but CRIME BOSS has more talk than action, and despite location filming at such places as Milan, Palermo, Rome, and Hamburg, there's nothing about the story that makes it particularly stand out. 

When it comes to Italian crime thrillers, Antonio Sabato is no Tomas Milan, but in fairness to him his character is very inconsistent. During the first part of the film it appears that Mancuso is a Man With No Name clone, a clever killer who uses pluck and guile to eliminate those who are worse than him. As the movie goes on, however, it's established that Mancuso is getting revenge for his father, who was killed by the mob. There are times when Mancuso seems dismayed by all the things he has to do, but he also manages to betray just about everyone he deals with. At one point I was convinced that Mancuso was actually an undercover agent for the police--and I was wrong....although honestly, that plot idea would have made the ending much better. 

Antonio Sabato doesn't have the screen presence that Telly Savalas does. Savalas isn't onscreen all that much in CRIME BOSS, but he makes one wish the story was much more about Don Vincenzo. As a matter of fact, Paola Tedesco (who could have passed for Rosalba Neri's sister) makes more of an impact than Antonio Sabato does. There's a hint that Tedesco's character is as conniving and ambitious as Mancuso, but this subplot is not developed enough. 

Many of the Italian crime movies of the 1970s are as wild and outlandish as their Euro Western counterparts from the 1960s, but CRIME BOSS is just a standard Mafia tale. 

BATTLE OF THE JAPAN SEA

 

BATTLE OF THE JAPAN SEA is a 1969 war epic from Japan's Toho Studios, directed by Seiji Maruyama and produced by Tomoyuki Tanaka, the instigator of the Godzilla film series. This was the last movie that special effects genius Eiji Tsuburaya worked on, and it is filled with dozens of intricate model battleships and explosions. 

The title of the film refers to the Battle of Tsushima, one of the climatic acts of the Russo-Japanese War, but the story is a mini-history of the entire conflict. It begins in 1904, as a narrator, along with animated maps, lays out the background behind Japan and Russia's decision to fight one another. Much of the focus of the film rests upon Admiral Togo (Toshiro Mifune), the resolute Japanese naval commander who became a national icon due to his overseeing his country's overwhelming victory at the Battle of Tsushima. 

I'm certainly no expert on the Russo-Japanese War, but from what I could ascertain the movie follows the actual events closely for the most part. One has to realize that this is a Japanese film, so obviously there will be some sort of slant. Despite that, the overall tone is not as jingoistic as other cinematic war epics. The Russians portrayed in the story actually speak their native language, and they are not shown as monsters or villains. At the end of the film Admiral Togo visits his Russian counterpart, who was wounded in the final battle, captured, and is now recuperating in a Japanese hospital. Togo and the Russian admiral treat each other with respect and courtesy, as fellow warriors. 

The battle scenes are the main reasons to watch BATTLE OF THE JAPAN SEA. No matter what genre they were working on, the technicians at Toho Studios were proficient experts, and they knew how to put together outstanding action sequences. There's even a land battle sequence, with Japanese troops attempting to storm a virtually impregnable Russian position. When it comes to the violence and scope of major military actions, BATTLE OF THE JAPAN SEA can hold its own with any other American or British war picture made in the 1960s. 

One factor this movie does not have is the extraneous fluff one finds in other historical epics. There's no love interest for any of the Japanese officers shown in the film--as a matter of fact, there's no major (or even minor) female roles whatsoever. There are almost no scenes of what is going on back in Japan during the conflict--the narration and animated maps continue throughout the story, giving the viewer info on what is going on and why. Theodore Roosevelt's attempts at bringing the Russo-Japanese War to an end are not even mentioned. 

BATTLE OF THE JAPAN SEA was made in color and Tohoscope, and I was able to find an excellent, uncut print to view on the internet which actually had English subtitles. It is a well-made film which makes excellent use of the widescreen image, and it has a rousing music score by Masaru Sato, a composer who had worked with Akira Kurosawa several times and was also a Godzilla series veteran. 

As a history buff and film geek, I was impressed with BATTLE OF THE JAPAN SEA, but I'm sure that I would have appreciated it even better if I had more knowledge about the Russo-Japanese War. What this movie shows is that Toho, like Hammer Films, was capable of making a much broader product than the usual genre films they are associated with. 

THE LIFE AND DEATHS OF CHRISTOPHER LEE On Blu-ray From Severin

 

Included in Severin's THE EUROCRYPT OF CHRISTOPHER LEE COLLECTION 3 box set is the 2023 documentary THE LIFE AND DEATHS OF CHRISTOPHER LEE, written and directed by Jon Spira. 

Jon Spira also wrote and directed ELSTREE 1976, a film that I enjoyed. With ELSTREE 1976, Spira looked at the making of STAR WARS from a unique angle--the memories of various background and supporting players who were involved in the production. The unique angle Spira uses in THE LIFE AND DEATHS OF CHRISTOPHER LEE is having the main story told by a marionette made up to look like Lee, voiced by Peter Serafinowicz (who does a decent representation of Lee's tone and speaking pattern). 

The result is....unusual, to say the least. It takes a while to get used to this approach, especially when it is combined with different forms of animation that attempt to recreate certain events in Lee's life. There are times when the use of the marionette and the animation gets a bit too cute. It's not the approach I would have chosen, but what do I know??

I've read plenty of interviews, books, and articles about Lee, and I own a copy of one of the versions of his autobiography (yes, there are multiple ones). I can say that the narration presented in this film from this representation of Lee is a good approximation of the real man's statements and opinions--but while watching this documentary one must remember that it is an interpretation of Lee--you can't assume that what is shown and said here is 100% what Lee really felt. 

The documentary gives a good overview of Lee's long and varied life, and fans of the actor will be familiar with most of the details, such as his descending from Italian nobility, the mystery over his military career during World War II, his attempts at breaking away from his horror movie image, and his reputation for being distant and even pompous at times, a reputation that nearly all of the guests on this film go out of their way to refute. 

Among those guests who talk about their relationships with Lee are directors Joe Dante, John Landis, and Peter Jackson, along with Lee's son-in-law Juan Aneiros and niece, the actress Harriet Walter. Lee biographer and English Gothic expert Jonathan Rigby also appears, and his insights, along with those of Walter, make the most impact. 

Due to the fact that Lee "appears" in this documentary as a marionette and we "hear" his voice, there isn't very much actual footage of Lee as his real self. There is plenty of footage from his films. The major highlights of Lee's acting career are presented, but there are a few moments that I thought should have been mentioned. Considering that Lee lived to be 93 years old, appeared in hundreds and hundreds of films, and this documentary is 102 minutes long, one can understand that the filmmakers behind this had to pick and choose what could be discussed. (On the extras included on this disc, the filmmakers mention that rights issues hindered them from showing certain things.) 

The main thesis of THE LIFE AND DEATHS OF CHRISTOPHER LEE is that the actor, despite his commanding presence, was a sensitive man who was concerned about his reputation in the film industry. Christopher Lee fans won't see this as a major revelation--I remember years ago a quote I read from Peter Cushing where he said that Lee was basically a shy person, an assessment that makes a lot of sense. Just about any performer or creative individual is sensitive in some way--they couldn't do what they do if they weren't. This documentary does show that Lee was much more human and relatable than most would think. 

Severin presents THE LIFE AND DEATHS OF CHRISTOPHER LEE on a region free disc, and as would be expected from a recently made film, the picture and sound quality is exemplary. The extras include a new audio commentary with director Jon Spira and producer Hank Starrs. The two veer wildly from one unconnected subject to another, and they really don't give much insight into how the film was made. 

Another extra is a Q & A with Jon Spira, Hank Starrs, and Jonathan Rigby, held at a screening of the documentary by the BFI. In this short session Spira and Starrs do give some details about their decisions in shaping the film. 

There's also extended interview footage of most of the guests that appear in the feature, and I have to say that some of the stories and anecdotes they tell are more interesting than what appears in the finished film. A trailer is included as well. The artwork for the disc cover (see above) was created by Graham Humphreys. 

Christopher Lee is one of my favorite actors of all time, and my appreciation for his life and career has only grown over the years. THE LIFE AND DEATHS OF CHRISTOPHER LEE is a well-done tribute to the man, but it wouldn't call it the definitive examination of his life. Lee's life was so varied and extraordinary that I don't think there can be a definitive summation of it. This documentary works best when it shows Lee's human side as presented by those who knew and worked with him. 

STORM OVER THE PACIFIC

 

STORM OVER THE PACIFIC is a 1960 Japanese film, produced by Toho Studios, that covers the Pacific theater in World War II from Pearl Harbor to the Battle of Midway. 

Toho is of course best known for their Godzilla series, and other science-fiction and monster movies, but they also made several historical & military epics. STORM OVER THE PACIFIC gives a viewpoint from the other side, so to speak, at least for English-speaking audiences. 

The movie begins with the Japanese fleet sailing to Hawaii to begin the attack on Pearl Harbor, with the focus on a young navigator-bombardier named Lt. Kitami (Yosuke Natsuki). The surprise raid is successful, and through Kitami's narration and a series of montages, the viewer learns about the Japanese military dominating in the Western Pacific. Kitami gets leave to marry his hometown sweetheart, but on the day of the ceremony he's called back to his ship, the aircraft carrier Hiryu. The Hiryu is to be part of a large force that will be sent out to attack and invade Midway Island, in the hopes of bringing out the American fleet so it can be destroyed. In the battle the Japanese fleet is devastated, with Kitami barely surviving the sinking of his carrier. Back home recuperating, Kitami realizes that the Japanese authorities are not letting the public know about the massive losses suffered at Midway. His enthusiasm dampened, Kitami goes off on another mission, his future uncertain. 

STORM OVER THE PACIFIC will be a treat for WWII buffs--just make sure you find the original unedited Japanese version of this film, which is available on the Internet Archive. (The movie was edited, dubbed, and released in the U.S. with the title I BOMBED PEARL HARBOR.) The film portrays events in a matter-of-fact manner--there's no grandstanding or angry attitudes. Kitami is a likable fellow who is proud to serve his country, but he's not filled with rage against any enemy. After his marriage, he even questions the idea of his life being sworn to the Emperor. 

Armchair historians will appreciate the fact that the movie highlights the strategic and tactical decisions (and mistakes) made by the Japanese navy during the period after Pearl Harbor. At one point Admiral Yamaguchi (played by the legendary Toshiro Mifune) discusses with Admiral Yamamoto why Japan must inflict as much damage to America in as short a time as possible, in order to bring about a quick end to the war. The reason for this is that Japan does not have the supplies and the infrastructure to survive a long campaign--something the officers in this story know all too well. While STORM OVER THE PACIFIC presents the early successes of the Japanese in WWII, there's also a sense of foreboding. (Toshiro Mifune would go on to play Yamamoto multiple times.) 

If you are a fan of Toho's Godzilla series, STORM OVER THE PACIFIC features plenty of familiar names and faces, such as actors Takashi Shimura, Jun Tazaki, and Akihiko Hirata. The producer of the film was Tomoyuki Tanaka, the man who instigated the Godzilla series, and the battle sequences, which contain plenty of models and miniatures, were overseen by FX master Eiji Tsuburaya. There are some that will never get used to models in a movie like this, but for me I personally find them much more watchable than CGI. (Besides, there's no way Toho could have made a film like this without the use of models.) A large sunken pool was constructed on the Toho lot to film the battle scenes of STORM OVER THE PACIFIC, and this construct was used for almost every Kaiju movie the studio made thereafter. (Battle footage from STORM OVER THE PACIFIC was used for TORA, TORA, TORA and MIDWAY.) 

STORM OVER THE PACIFIC is a very well-made war picture, and it at times even winds up being more realistic than most American WWII movies. 

FOCUS ON LOUISE BROOKS On Blu-ray From Flicker Alley

 

For this Region Free Blu-ray Flicker Alley and the San Francisco Film Preserve have gathered together clips and fragments from four different films featuring Louise Brooks. 

In a number of ways Louise Brooks is the equivalent to Marilyn Monroe and James Dean in that her image and legends about her personal life have had far more impact than any of her movie performances. FOCUS ON LOUISE BROOKS gives an example of how hard it is to get an appreciation for Brooks' early acting career. Of the four films covered on this disc, none of them presently survive in a complete form....and Brooks is not the main star in any of them. Nevertheless, she still manages to have a striking onscreen charisma, even in these short clips. 

This Blu-ray has trailers and a few test shots (some in early color) from THE AMERICAN VENUS, in which Brooks got her first onscreen credit. About 20 minutes exist from NOW WE'RE IN THE AIR, a silly WWI comedy starring Wallace Beery and Raymond Hatton. The publicity stills that Brooks posed for (see the one used for the disc case above) are more familiar than anything in the actual movie. Brooks actually had a dual role as twins, but the footage that exists only shows her as one of the ladies. 

About thirty minutes exist of JUST ANOTHER BLONDE, a romantic comedy in which Brooks plays the second female lead to Dorothy Mackaill. 

The main feature on this disc is THE STREET OF FORGOTTEN MEN, a 1925 production which contains Louise Brooks' screen debut. This film exists almost in its entirety, except for the second reel, which has been recreated with stills and excerpts from a copy of the script. THE STREET OF FORGOTTEN MEN is a melodrama concerning a group of characters from the Bowery section of New York City in the early 1900s who pretend to be disabled and down and out so that they can make a living as professional beggars. The most successful of this group is a man called "Easy Money Charley" (Percy Marmont) who has a secret life in which he raises an orphan (Mary Brian) in the suburbs away from his underhanded activities. Charley's ward falls in love with an upper-class lawyer (Neil Hamilton), and the fake vagabond goes to great lengths to make sure her past and her association with him is not known. The movie has a major Lon Chaney/Tod Browning vibe to it, and it is well-directed by Herbert Brenon. 

Brooks has a very small part toward the end of THE STREET OF FORGOTTEN MEN--she plays the female companion of the story's heavy--but she still makes a big impression. Her freshness and modern looks make her appear to be a visitor from another planet when compared to the disreputable denizens who surround her in the very short time she is in front of the camera. 

FOCUS ON LOUISE BROOKS may not actually have much footage of Brooks, but it has plenty of extras to compensate. It comes with a 16-page illustrated booklet, with articles on the films covered on the disc by Brooks expert Thomas Gladysz, and notes on what it took to restore this footage by Robert Byrne. The booklet also has info on the two men who provided original music for the footage on the disc, Wayne Barker and Stephen Horne. For each collection of footage on this disc, extensive text notes appear that detail the restoration involved for it. 

The disc also has a featurette that runs about a half hour long called "Looking at Lulu", in which film historian Pamela Hutchinson gives a concise examination of Brooks's life and acting career. Hutchinson also provides a fine audio commentary for THE STREET OF FORGOTTEN MEN. 

Thomas Gladysz, Robert Byrne, and Kathy Rose O'Regan also do audio commentaries on the rest of the footage, and they detail Brooks' work on each film and the restoration process for each of them. There's also an extensive image gallery, and the disc sleeve is reversible. If one orders this disc direct from Flicker Alley, it comes in a special slipcase (see below). 

There really isn't all that much footage of Louise Brooks on this disc, but once again her image takes center stage throughout it. A lot of time and effort went into the restoration of the footage included here, and while it is not extensive, it's enough to show that Louise Brooks could project a notable screen presence with very little to do. Perhaps Flicker Alley has plans for more Louise Brooks-related product, since there are still a few of her films that still exist and have not had a major home video release. 

 

THE WITCH'S CURSE

 

Yesterday I wrote a blog post concerning the magnificent restoration of Riccardo Freda's THE GHOST by Severin. A number of extras on the Blu-ray for THE GHOST mention another film directed by Riccardo Freda that contains some Gothic elements: THE WITCH'S CURSE, originally known in Italian as MACISTE ALL'INFERNO. I decided to seek out this film. 

A number of streaming and internet sites have the American version of THE WITCH'S CURSE, an edited, non-widescreen edition that is in poor shape. Luckily, I was able to find the full original Italian version, in its proper aspect ratio and with excellent visual quality. This version has an Italian voice track, but I was able to use English closed-captioning. 

As one can discover from the original Italian title, THE WITCH'S CURSE is actually an entry in the very long-running series of movies that feature the legendary character Maciste. This fellow, a demigod of great strength and ability, was introduced way back in the silent era. Maciste is usually lumped into the same category with Hercules, Samson, Goliath, and other sword & sandal characters, but the Maciste films stick out by putting the lead character in all sorts of time frames and situations. A number of Maciste films wound up being shown in America, or on TV, and the character was usually renamed Hercules or some other mythical hero. 

THE WITCH'S CURSE is a prime example of Maciste's penchant for showing up at just about any time and any place. The story begins in 1522, Scotland, where a witch is being burned at the stake. The witch naturally places a curse on the local countryside (this sequence easily brings to mind the openings of Bava's BLACK SUNDAY and THE CITY OF THE DEAD). A hundred years later, a descendant of the witch, a young woman, has arrived at the local village along with her newly-wedded husband. The husband has decided to stay at the abandoned castle of his wife's family. This, along with an outbreak of demonic possession, causes the villagers to go berserk, grab their pitchforks and torches, storm the castle, and demand that the young newlyweds be punished as witches. Suddenly, Maciste (Kirk Morris) rides into the fray, and rescues the young couple from the mob. 

There is absolutely no explanation why Maciste just happens to ride in on a horse, nor why he is only wearing a loincloth and sandals, as if he is still living in ancient times. He seems to immediately assess and understand the situation, and this is never explained either. Later in the film Maciste explains that he travels the world bringing help to those who need it, as if he's some sort of divine intervention. 

No one in the Scottish village seems to question why Maciste is there (one would think the superstitious villagers would automatically perceive the mighty being as a supernatural threat). While the witch's descendant is held for trial, Maciste is led by a sympathetic town official to the tree that grows on the spot that the witch was burned. Maciste upends the tree, and discovers underneath it a portal which leads to the underworld. Maciste enters, hoping to find the witch and destroy her, thereby saving the young couple. 

What follows is a very long sequence detailing Maciste's adventures in Hell. The muscleman battles a lion, snakes, a giant, and an eagle, and he also comes upon hundreds of condemned souls writhing in pain due to various tortures (this scene presents a striking tableau, to say the least.) Maciste also comes across a voluptuous blond maiden (Helene Chanel) who offers to help him on his quest. (If you think there's more to this maiden than meets the eye, you're right.) 

At this point I have to mention that THE WITCH'S CURSE bears a great resemblance to Mario Bava's HERCULES IN THE HAUNTED WORLD, which had been made the year before. Italian genre cinema has a long history of being influenced by (and imitating) other films, so this isn't surprising, especially when one knows that Riccardo Freda and Mario Bava had worked together multiple times. HERCULES IN THE HAUNTED WORLD is a much more entertaining film than THE WITCH'S CURSE--Bava brings much more flair and panache to this type of story than Freda does. 

Maciste does eventually find the witch and overcome her. (I won't give away how he does so, but it is rather creative for this type of story.) This causes the young couple back in Scotland to be saved at literally the last second, and Maciste rides off to further adventures. 

Among English-speaking film buffs, Riccardo Freda is best known for his two Gothic films starring Barbara Steele and his collaborations with Mario Bava, but he had a long and fruitful directorial career that dealt with all sorts of genres. Freda made a number of historical costume adventures, and this is reflected in the Scottish sequences of THE WITCH'S CURSE. The middle part of the story, Maciste's journey to Hell, feels as if it is a different movie altogether, which makes me wonder if the strongman was added to an already existing script. As I've stated before, Freda's style here isn't as showy as Mario Bava's would have been, but his version of Hell (filmed inside an actual location, the Castellana Caves) is still memorable. 

Despite his acting name, Kirk Morris was an Italian, born Adriano Bellini. He also was very young when THE WITCH'S CURSE was made (internet sources state he was born in 1942) and he certainly looks it. His Maciste has almost no dialogue (which is probably just as well), but Morris does have a stalwart physical presence, and it appears he did a majority of his own stunts. THE WITCH'S CURSE doesn't have a major supporting presence like Christopher Lee was in HERCULES IN THE HAUNTED WORLD, but Helene Chanel does provide plenty of Eurobabe eye candy. 

THE WITCH'S CURSE is a very good bizarre adventure, but it winds up feeling like two different movies mixed together. Maciste's tribulations in Hell take up so much running time that one even starts to forget why he went there in the first place. (The length of this sequence is extended by a dazed Maciste staring into an enchanted pool and seeing scenes from his past movies.) If you do seek out THE WITCH'S CURSE, try to find the original Italian version--it will give you more of an appreciation of Riccardo Freda's film making talents. I'm going to try and view more of Freda's historical adventures. 

THE GHOST (1963) On Blu-ray From Severin

 

For years, classic horror film fans such as myself have been begging for a major restoration and home video release of THE GHOST (original Italian title LO SPETTRO), the 1963 Gothic melodrama from director Riccardo Freda. The fact that THE GHOST also starred the iconic Barbara Steele made the film's status even more important for film geeks. The Severin company has come through by backing a restoration of the movie themselves and presenting it on a 4K/Blu-ray four-disc set stuffed with extras. 

Putting all the bells & whistles on the set aside for the moment, this restoration of THE GHOST is a major achievement. Up until now the film could easily be accessed on YouTube or various streaming sites, but the movie's color scheme was faded, and the overall visual quality was murky and flat. Severin's THE GHOST is much brighter and livelier, with bold colors and an increased sharpness that brings out the costumes and production design. THE GHOST didn't have a large budget, but it certainly doesn't look cheap, especially on this new Blu-ray. 

THE GHOST is a follow-up to Riccardo Freda's THE HORRIBLE DR. HICHCOCK, but it is not a sequel to that film, despite the fact that it features another Dr. Hichcock who also happens to be married to a woman played by Barbara Steele. (I like to think that the two Dr. Hichcocks are cousins--they certainly have the same taste in women.) The Dr. Hichcock of THE GHOST (Elio Jotta) is wheelchair-bound, and the only thing keeping him alive is a poisonous concoction of his own creation. Hichcock is administered the antidote to this potion by a handsome young doctor named Charles (Peter Baldwin), who is carrying on an affair with Hichcock's much younger wife Margaret (Barbara Steele). Mrs. Hichcock convinces Charles to do her husband in, which he does, and the duo assume that Margaret will now inherit her husband's vast wealth. But the money cannot be found, and as the devious couple search all over the Hichcock estate for it, they start to turn on one another. They also experience various manifestations that make them wonder if Dr. Hichcock is still alive or has come back as a vengeful spirit. Charles and Margaret are also constantly watched by Hichcock's baleful maid (Harriet White Medin). In the end, Hichcock, Margaret, Charles, and the maid all get what they deserve, but not what each of them wanted. 

THE GHOST is a much more slower-paced and somber film than THE HORRIBLE DR. HICHCOCK. THE GHOST has only four major characters, and nearly the entire film takes place inside the vast Hichcock manor. This still gives Riccardo Freda plenty of chances to indulge in a heavy Gothic atmosphere, and to wallow in the cruel beauty of Barbara Steele. THE GHOST is one of the great Italian Gothics, with one very nasty scene of violence and an extremely ironic twist ending. 

Sevrerin's version of THE GHOST on this set is provided with English and Italian voice tracks, along with English subtitles. The Blu-ray on this set is Region Free. The set has a special slipcover (see photo above). The movie is presented on a 4K disc and a Blu-ray disc. 

As for the extras, there's plenty of them. The Blu-ray disc with the actual movie also has a number of programs. "Til Death Returns" is a 22 minute talk with Italian film historian Roberto Curti, who goes into the making of THE GHOST, and also discusses the career of Riccardo Freda. "Give Up The Ghost" is a 28 minute featurette narrated by Tim Lucas. Lucas examines the film's elements and compares its links to THE HORRIBLE DR. HICHCOCK. "Wounds of Deceit" is a rambling essay on the movie, running about 11 minutes and narrated by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas. 

The movie disc also has footage from special showings of THE GHOST at movie festivals in Venice and Paris in 2025. This footage is enlivened by the appearance of Barbara Steele herself, who comes off as very hale, hearty, and quite articulate. For years Steele had the reputation of being indifferent or even hostile to her horror film past, but in this footage she seems to have finally appreciated or at least accepted it. (I'm sure the folks at Severin went out of their way to give her the grand treatment as well.) 

There's also an audio interview with Barbara Steele that runs about 40 minutes (it is set up to run along with the film). I don't know the circumstances of the interview, or when it was recorded, but it sounds as if it was done recently--I assume it happened in conjunction with the festival showings of the restoration of THE GHOST. Once again Steele seems more than happy to discuss her horror film past, and she even goes into her own personal life as well. The movie disc also has a new audio commentary by Kat Ellinger, which I haven't listened to yet. American and Italian trailers for the film are included, and the Italian one is of particular interest, since it has footage that is not in the existing version of the movie.  

The third disc on this set contains an 80 minute documentary on 1960s Italian Gothic horror films entitled EXECUTIONERS, MASKS, SECRETS. It is an Italian production, with English subtitles. It's a decent look at this genre, with Italian and French critics discussing the main elements of the Italian Gothic. Barbara Steele appears in this as well, and she even speaks Italian! The documentary has footage from a number of films, but it's obvious that rights issues limited what could be shown. Those who do not know much about Italian Gothic cinema will probably enjoy this picture the most. 

The fourth disc is a CD, and it contains film music from composer Francesco De Masi, including most of his score for THE GHOST. It also has De Masi's music from three other films, which are not Gothics....as a matter of fact, they're movies I haven't even heard of. The music is in stereo, and there's about 70 minutes of it. The disc case contains a card which has a track listing for the CD on one side, and the other has a photo which is probably the ultimate definition of Barbara Steele's career in horror films (see below). 

When I was a teenager back in the 1980s, seeing any of Barbara Steele's horror films was almost impossible. Image Entertainment's special edition DVD of BLACK SUNDAY was almost the equivalent of the Holy Grail. Now with Severin's incredible restoration and release of THE GHOST, every single one of Barbara Steele's Italian Gothics is available officially on Blu-ray. Severin's special edition of THE GHOST was supposed to show up before the end of 2025, and if it had, it would have easily topped my "best of the year" Blu-ray list. It'll certainly be on my 2026 list. Even if there wasn't any enticing extras, the magnificent restoration of THE GHOST alone would deserve fulsome praise. Any fan of Gothic horror cinema needs this Blu-ray. (For those who are put off by the four-disc set's price, or feel that they don't need all the extras, it appears that a standard edition Blu-ray of THE GHOST will be coming from Severin in the future.) 

WEEKEND OF A CHAMPION

 

I had never heard of this film, or even knew of its existence, until I saw it being offered for sale on DVD in the updated Edward R. Hamilton catalog. It is a documentary detailing Formula One racing legend Jackie Stewart's quest to win the Monaco Grand Prix in May of 1971. 

What really piqued my interest in this DVD was the pairing of Jackie Stewart with Roman Polanski, a truly bizarre coupling. Polanski really was a racing fan at the time (Formula One has a far more glamorous and glitzy reputation than the likes of NASCAR does), and he wanted to showcase Stewart, who was a friend, in a film that would detail his routine during a major event. 

Polanski produced the film, but he hired documentary veteran Frank Simon to direct it. The result is a fascinating look at a world and a time long gone, especially from a racing standpoint. 

Polanski accompanies Stewart as he qualifies and competes at Monte Carlo, but for the most part he stays out of the way and doesn't hog the camera. The racing footage is impressive--F1 geeks will lap it up. The only real drama that the movie has is the rainy weather, which creates problems for Stewart and his crew. The actual race winds up being somewhat anticlimactic, in that Stewart wins rather handily. 

As for Stewart himself, he comes off as even-keeled, focused, and very articulate about his profession and what it takes to be a champion driver. Stewart retired from competitive racing in 1973, and my knowledge of him comes from his time as a TV racing commentator. What made Stewart such an effective commentator is that he had an innate ability to explain all the details of auto racing and do it in a way that even someone who knew nothing about cars could understand what was going on. Stewart shows that ability already in this film, as he explains to Polanski just what it takes to drive a tricky road course like Monte Carlo.  

We do get to see a bit of the exotic allure of Monaco (Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier show up at the trophy ceremony) but the film mostly sticks to the race, and the preparations for it. 

This version of the film has an 2012 afterword in which Stewart and Polanski, while sitting in the same hotel suite Jackie stayed in during the 1971 race, look back on the film and how much F1 has changed. 

WEEKEND OF A CHAMPION will get attention just from the idea of Jackie Stewart hanging out with Roman Polanski, but it winds up being a fine documentary that racing fans will certainly enjoy. I think there's enough here, even from a nostalgia standpoint alone, to interest even those who have no idea what Formula One is. 

IF YOU COULD ONLY COOK

This month Turner Classic Movies is featuring one of my favorites, Jean Arthur. This gives me the opportunity to view some of her films that are new to me, including IF YOU COULD ONLY COOK, a 1935 light comedy made by Columbia and directed by William Seiter. 

IF YOU COULD ONLY COOK is best known today for its being advertised as a Frank Capra production in England, and causing a rift between Capra (who had nothing to do with the making of the film) and Columbia head Harry Cohn. The actual movie isn't in the Capra class, nor is it one of the better screwball comedies of the period. Despite this, it is a nice little feature that provides a diverting enough 70 minutes. 

Herbert Marshall plays James Buchanan (not the 15th U.S. President), the head of a large automobile company. Buchanan is fed up with his board members opposing his views about more modern auto design, and he's not altogether looking forward to his upcoming marriage to a snooty socialite. The auto magnate decides to take a walk in the park, and he encounters a young woman named Joan (Jean Arthur) leafing through the want-ads while sitting on a bench. Joan immediately assumes that Buchanan is also out of work, since it's the middle of the day. The young lady discovers an ad for a butler and cook, and she convinces--or more accurately browbeats--James to go along with her so she can obtain the cook position. The duo wind up getting hired, and their employer happens to be a gangster named Rossini (Leo Carrillo). 

While James and Joan try to convince Rossini they are the perfect servants, and a married couple as well, the two start to fall for one another. Rossini starts to fall for Joan himself, while James tries to keep up with his "real" life while hiding it from Joan. As expected, all the various complications come together at the end. 

Needless to say, one can venture from the above plot description that IF YOU COULD ONLY COOK has plenty of story elements for a short feature. There might be too many story elements--at one point Joan takes some of Jim's auto designs and tries to show them to the executive of another car company, leading to the poor woman being accused of stealing the designs. The capable William Seiter handles all the plot developments efficiently, but one feels a Capra or a Mitchell Leisen might have gotten more out of the proceedings. IF YOU COULD ONLY COOK is more amusing than flat out funny--it's not as frantic or energetic as most screwball comedies. 

Perhaps the low-key nature of the film is due to its leading man. The distinguished Herbert Marshall seems somewhat out of place in this type of movie, but he does work well with Jean Arthur. Jean does a fine job, but her character isn't what one would call a "screwball girl"--she's just a woman trying to get a decent job. (When Joan discovers that she could easily enter into a relationship with Rossini and get whatever luxuries she wanted, she still doesn't hesitate to fend off his advances.) 

Jean Arthur and Leo Carrillo in IF YOU COULD ONLY COOK

Leo Carrillo goes all out with the role of Rossini, making him one of those blustery, malaprop-spouting funny foreigner types that Classic Hollywood loved so much. Carrillo is backed by Lionel Stander as Flash, Rossini's right-hand man. Carrillo and Stander bring plenty of life to the movie but one couldn't believe these guys could pull off a robbery at a hot dog stand, let alone be powerful gangsters. 

One another thing that keeps IF YOU COULD ONLY COOK from being a top comedy is that it lacks the supporting cast and the little details a director like Capra or Preston Sturges would bring to this type of material. But maybe I'm being too hard on it. It's a pleasant enough film, it certainly isn't terrible....but I can't help wondering how it would have been with a different leading man and a different director. 

FRANKENSTEIN (2025)

 

I don't have Netflix, but this new adaptation of Mary Shelley's story was shown at the Browning Cinema on the campus of the University of Notre Dame this weekend. Writer-director Guillermo del Toro's take on the famous tale is extravagantly made, but it lacks a certain.....spark??

Del Toro goes overboard on the technical aspects--the costumes, the sets, the cinematography are all ravishing. Just about every shot seems set up to look like a painting--it's as if del Toro was trying to make a horror version of BARRY LYNDON. This movie looks great on the big screen, but there's a human element missing (which is ironic, considering the story). 

Oscar Isaac gives a very annoying performance as Baron Frankenstein, who comes off here as an arrogant hypocrite. Isaac's posturing can't match up to one single intense gaze from the likes of Peter Cushing or Colin Clive. Jacob Elordi fares better as the creature, who not only is the hero of this film, he's also the romantic hero. This monster is also something of a comic book mutant, flinging people around as if they were toys and having incredible regenerative powers. Elordi is helped by a monster-makeup design by Mike Hill that above all has the advantage of being unique. 

Christoph Waltz does his usual Christoph Waltz act (he would have been a lot more watchable than Isaac as the Baron), while Mia Goth's Elizabeth is hampered by having to wear some outlandish clothes that overwhelm her character. 

The del Toro FRANKENSTEIN has a running time of two and a half hours, and it drags plenty, especially with all the ponderous dialogue about the meaning of life and death. Perhaps I'm the wrong person to sum it up--I've seen just about every Frankenstein movie ever made, so a lot that del Toro presents felt like "been here, seen that" to me. A person who doesn't have much experience with cinematic Gothic horror might appreciate it more. 

The one major thing I thought after seeing the del Toro FRANKENSTEIN is that filmmakers like James Whale and Terence Fisher were much more efficiently able to get to the meaning of Mary Shelley's story with much smaller budgets and much smaller running times. 

THE HANDS OF ORLAC (1960) On Blu-ray From Severin

 

Severin's THE EUROCRYPT OF CHRISTOPHER LEE COLLECTION 3 Blu-ray set includes THE HANDS OF ORLAC, an English-French co-production that was the third movie adaptation of Maurice Renard's novel concerning a concert pianist who receives a new pair of hands after a near-fatal accident. 

This THE HANDS OF ORLAC, made in 1960, actually has two different versions--one in French, and one in English. The French version runs about ten minutes longer, and in my opinion it is a better film than the English version. The thing is, each version contains scenes, dialogue, and actors that the other version doesn't have....which means that for one to get a full appreciation of the entire production, one needs to see both versions. Thankfully, Severin has included both cuts on this Blu-ray, with English subtitles available for the French version. The storyline is basically the same in both cuts, but there are some important differences. 

Mel Ferrer plays the title role of Stephen Orlac, with French actress Lucile Saint-Simon as his wife Louise. Both performers are somewhat stiff and detached in the English version, but they have a bit more vitality in the French cut. Christopher Lee plays Nero, a shifty stage magician who finds out about Orlac's situation and attempts to use this info for blackmail. Nero becomes more and more bonkers as the movie goes along, and Lee plays him to the hilt (this is one of the few characters in Lee's movie career that was truly nuts). Lee, along with Dany Carrel (who plays Nero's sexy assistant), totally overwhelms Ferrer and Saint-Simon. 

Edmond T. Greville, who co-wrote and directed the film, tries to give this version of ORLAC a more realistic feel, with black & white photography and several scenes set in the south of France, but the movie doesn't really come alive until Lee shows up. This ORLAC does have plenty of British character actors familiar to movie geeks, such as Felix Aylmer, Donald Wolfit, and Donald Pleasence. David Peel, who starred in THE BRIDES OF DRACULA, is onscreen for literally only seconds, and Janina Faye (who played the child in HORROR OF DRACULA) also appears. The strange thing about Faye's scene is it does not make the English cut, even though her name is in the opening credits, but it is in the French cut, where her name is not in the credits! 

As stated before, both versions of THE HANDS OF ORLAC are included on this Region Free disc. Both versions are uncut, and they both have excellent black & white visual quality (I would say the French cut looks a bit better overall). 

The extras include an original trailer, and a short featurette which presents how some of the French locations used in the movie look today. (The hotel that Ferrer's and Lee's characters stayed in is still around, and it is still in operation.) A program which runs about a half-hour has a Frenchwoman named Fleur Hopkins-Loferon discussing the life and work of Maurice Renard. 

The main extra is a new audio commentary with Jonathan Rigby and Kevin Lyons. The duo are always worth listening to, and they discuss (or more accurately try to understand) the differences between the English and French cuts. They also go into Christopher Lee's performance, and they bring up the other versions of the Orlac story. 

Some have complained that most of the films included in Severin's Christopher Lee Eurocrypt sets have the actor in supporting roles. This is true, but the 1960 THE HANDS OF ORLAC has one of Lee's most outlandish characterizations--this certainly isn't one of his intimidating upper class types. (Lee gets more dialogue in this film than he does in a lot of his other performances put together.). Lee also performs in English and French (as does Mel Ferrer), showing his versatility with language and infection. 

The 1960 THE HANDS OF ORLAC isn't as good as the silent version starring Conrad Veidt, or the 1935 MGM version titled MAD LOVE, which truly is a mad movie. It does give Christopher Lee a chance to stretch his talents, and it does have a fine supporting cast. What makes this release stand out is that Severin has provided both the English and the French versions of the film.