TARGET EARTH

 

TARGET EARTH (1954) is another 1950s sci-fi flick that takes a novel premise and tries to dramatize it as cheaply as possible.

The movie starts out intriguingly, with a young woman waking up in her bedroom to the sound of a ticking clock. (A shot of a half-empty bottle of sleeping pills lets us know the woman has some issues.) The woman, Nora King (Kathleen Crowley) precedes to dress and walk about her boarding house searching for the other tenants, who are missing. Nora goes outside and quickly realizes her town is deserted. After a few minutes of her wandering around trying to find anyone, she stumbles upon a dead body, and a very live man named Frank Brooks (Richard Denning). Frank explains he was knocked out by muggers and left in an alley the night before, and he and Nora try to find out what has happened. The duo hear music from a bar, and they discover a wisecracking couple (Richard Reeves and Virginia Grey) who also have no idea what is going on. The four discover a jittery milquetoast and a strange shadow, and the group runs into a hotel, where from newspapers they are informed of an invasion of mysterious robots. This is why the town was evacuated, and now the group is in the crossfire between the military and the robots. 

The main plot of TARGET EARTH--small group of people wandering around a deserted city trying to figure out what has happened--has been used for all sorts of science fiction movies and TV episodes, usually as a way to save on the budget. TARGET EARTH is one of the lesser examples of this genre element. Its group of survivors holes up in a generic hotel suite, debating the situation, while the story cutaways to scenes of military officers discussing how to defeat the robot threat. The military has discovered an inert robot, and it is examined at a lab that appears to be located in someone's basement (the main scientist is played by the ubiquitous Whit Bissell). Of course, the military figures out a way to overcome the robot army at the last minute, and the story comes to an abrupt end. 

What hurts TARGET EARTH the most is the fact that we only see one of the robot "army" at a time--due to the fact that the production only had one robot to use. The robot itself is as clunky as it gets--I'm sure even back in the Fifties it got laughs. For some reason a number of characters believe that the robot army is from Venus, although there's no evidence presented to back this up. (it would have been much better if it had been revealed at the climax that the robots were created by a foreign power.) As expected, there's plenty of stock military footage, but even this is used in a lackadaisical manner. 

What TARGET EARTH mostly consists of is a group of people with various personal issues sitting around a hotel suite. This static setup is helped greatly by true pros such as Richard Denning and Virginia Grey, but it isn't enough to make a viewer stop wishing a bunch of robots would show up. Near the climax an armed hoodlum appears to threaten the group, but this is just another distraction from the main story. This movie was directed by Sherman A. Rose and produced by Herman Cohen, whose later use of teenagers mixed up with mad middle-aged men would have been very welcome here. 

While watching TARGET EARTH last night (for the very first time, I must point out), I came to the realization that the movie was sort-of remade as THE EARTH DIES SCREAMING in England in 1964. Both films deal with a small group of survivors trying to figure out why the local area is totally deserted,  they both have an army of robots as antagonists, and even the method to defeat the invaders is very similar.  The main difference is that THE EARTH DIES SCREAMING is set in an English village instead of a large American city, and that movie was directed by the much more capable Terence Fisher. 

TARGET EARTH is very reminiscent of several other science fiction movies and TV episodes, but it isn't as good as the ones that come to mind. It also doesn't do justice to genre legend Richard Denning. 

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.