FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE On 4K/Blu-ray From Hammer

 

In my last blog post I focused on writing about FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE, the movie. Now I'll be going through the features and extras included on Hammer's 4K/Blu-ray release of the film. 

The two discs (a 4K and a Blu-ray) come in a slipcase with striking cover artwork by Thomas Walker (see above). Both discs contain the film and all the extras. 

I don't have a 4K player, but the Blu-ray presentation of the movie showcases a very sharp black & white picture (in the proper 1.37:1 aspect ratio), and the sound is very impressive. There is a choice between a 5.1 audio mix and the original mono, and in both options the sound of the various gadgets and gizmos in the main characters' laboratory come off clear and distinct.  

The extras on the discs include three featurettes, running about a half-hour each. "I Am Not Ashamed" has Lucy Bolton going into detail on the sad and short life of Barbara Payton. "In The Sticks Sci-Fi!" is made up of a conversation between William Fowler and Vic Pratt (in the back room of a pub, no less), who discuss how FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE fits into the sub-genre known as "Home Counties Horror"--terror or science-fiction stories set in small villages located deep in the heart of the English countryside. "Things to Come" has Neil Sinyard talking about FST and mentioning how it has connections to the likes of METROPOLIS, THE MAN IN THE WHITE SUIT and VERTIGO. All three programs are worth viewing and provide plenty of analysis and detail about the main feature. There's also a 15 minute stills gallery, backed by selections from Malcolm Arnold's score for the film, and trailer elements. 

Two brand new audio commentaries are included. One has Melanie Williams and Thirza Wakefield. It's the type of talk in which the participants react to what is happening onscreen. The second commentary features Hammer experts Jonathan Rigby and Kevin Lyons, and it is a much better-paced and more informative discussion, as the duo cover all the aspects of the production, with emphasis on the novel upon which the movie was based. 

The release also comes with a 116-page booklet, titled "The Hammer Sci-Files". The volume contains a mini-history of the making of FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE by Hammer historian Bruce Hallenbeck. Gavin Collinson provides an article that looks into the creation myth and how it has affected FST and various other movies over the years. There's also a 1990s interview with Hammer camera operator Len Harris, who worked on FST. A major portion of the booklet is taken up with an examination of the attempts at remaking FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE in the late 20th Century, with reproductions of select script pages from a couple of early draft screenplays. (I have to mention that what one reads from these scripts isn't all that exciting.) 

The best part of the booklet is Neil Sinyard's analysis of the original FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE novel, written by William F. Temple, and how it differs from the film. Sinyard reveals that the novel had an intriguing twist ending that the movie would have been much better off including. The booklet is heavily illustrated with stills and behind-the-scenes shots from FST. 

Finally, this release comes with reproductions of the movie's press book and ad campaign, along with a 16 x 20 double-sided poster. (Notice both versions of the poster art state that a viewer will see "the supernatural...the dead return to life", although nothing of the sort is in the actual film.) 

This is a magnificent package that Hammer has put together. I'm well aware that FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE isn't the best, or the most well-known Hammer film, but one must remember that due to the company's numerous co-production deals, the home video rights to most of their popular features are tied up with other studios. (Most of the more famous Hammers have already had special edition releases, some multiple times.) 

This is the second major 4K/Blu-ray release under the current Hammer banner. The first was CAPTAIN KRONOS, which I haven't gotten yet...mainly due to the fact that there's so much in it, I wouldn't have time to get to everything! I've bought CAPTAIN KRONOS multiple times on home video, but this is the first time I've gotten FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE. 

The nest 4K/Blu-ray release on Hammer's schedule is SHATTER, a very mediocre mid-70s attempt at a martial arts/action film. With all due respect to the folks running Hammer now, I'm going to skip that one. I do have to point out that the current Hammer team is a lot more internet savvy, and more creative promotion-wise than the people that used to run the company. They appear to have an aggressive plan to reach out and get the attention of the fans, and these extras-laden 4K/Blu-ray releases are a sure way of doing that. It appears that Hammer fanatics will have all sorts of goodies coming up in the future to spend even more of their money on. 

FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE

 

A couple days ago I received in the mail the brand new 4K/Blu-ray release of the 1952 British science-fiction film FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE, a product put out by the people now running Hammer Films. This is a magnificent package, filled to the brim with all sorts of extras and special features. There's so many things this set contains that I'm going to do something different--instead of trying to cover everything in one blog post, I'll be writing about the actual movie first, and then discussing the details of the home video release later. 

FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE, which was made in 1952, but not released until the following year, was the very first full-on science-fiction story produced by Hammer Films. It was also the first science-fiction story directed by Terence Fisher (ironically he was not a fan of the genre). The movie isn't a technical extravaganza--it's a low-budget black & white drama that has no innovative special effects. What it does have is a plot that provides plenty of food for thought. 

The story is set in a small English village called Howdean, and it is conveyed to the viewer through the town's Dr. Harvey (James Hayter). Harvey explains how two lifelong friends, Bill Leggett (Stephen Murray) and Robin Grant (John Van Eyssen), take their mutual interest in science to the ultimate level by creating a machine that can reproduce any object. Assisting them in this endeavor is another lifelong friend, the lovely Lena (Barbara Payton). The machine is a success, and the trio have all sorts of plans. Both Bill and Robin have deep feelings for Lena, but the lady chooses Robin to marry. Bill is so distraught that he decides to use this new technology to duplicate Lena and have his own version of her. Surprisingly she agrees, and the process works.....but the "new" Lena, maned Helen, comes out too well. Not only is she the perfect image of Lena, she has all her memories, and her personality traits...which means that she prefers Robin to Bill as well. Undeterred, Bill tries one more experiment to "fix" things....but it only causes disaster for those concerned. 

One thing about watching FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE on this new release is how fantastic the print looks. I don't have a 4K player, but the visual quality of the Blu-ray is stunning. FSD did not have a big budget, but this movie doesn't look cheap, and the photography (by Reg Wyer, who worked a number of times with Terence Fisher) and the art direction (by J. Elder Wills) are both impressive. In his book on Terence Fisher, Tony Dalton states that he thought the film looked shoddy, but I totally disagree with that. Bill and Robin's DIY laboratory (located in an old barn) is filled with all sorts of odd equipment, and it looks exactly like something a couple of bright guys who don't have a lot of funding would put together. Despite Hammer's low economic status, their films for the most part always looked good, and were usually technically proficient. 

FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE was based on a novel by British author William F. Temple, and one can easily understand why the story's central idea would intrigue filmmakers. If FSD does have a weakness, it's that it doesn't have the running time--or the creativity--to adequately deal with all the consequences brought about by the duplication machine. At one point it is mentioned that such a machine would have a major impact on the world's economic status, but this isn't dealt with at all. The duplication of a human being has all sorts of questions and conundrums, but the film focuses on the true four-sided triangle between Bill, Robin, Lena, and Helen. 

The very idea of a male rejected suitor duplicating a woman who doesn't love him, so he can have his own version of her, raises all sorts of flags in today's world. It's hard to believe that Lena, or any woman would agree to be part of this process--once could say that this is the ultimate example of an assault. It's to the credit of actor Stephen Murray and Terence Fisher that the character of Bill doesn't come off as a crazed psychopath. Bill isn't so much a mad scientist as a forlorn, empty man who is emotionally disabled. The movie details that Bill was the son of a abusive, drunken wastrel, and while Bill and Robin are portrayed as true and loyal friends, the latter is the son of an aristocrat who is far more socially assured than the former. One can disagree with Bill's actions while still feeling sort of sympathetic toward him. 

Bill's biggest problem is one that most scientists in these types of films experience--they don't think things all the way through. If Lena doesn't love him, why would an exact duplicate of her feel any different?? When Bill finds out that "his" Helen doesn't love him either, he decides to attempt to erase her memory (which is really Lena's memories). This idea makes one wonder--if Bill truly does love Lena, what would he want with someone who looks like Lena, but doesn't act like her?? Does Bill really just love the appearance of Lena?? Personally I feel that what Bill really wants isn't so much as to love Lena as to have Lena love him, and no amount of scientific expertise is going to make that happen. 

As for Lena, it will be surprising to some that this film is not told from her experience, but rather from the perspective of Dr. Harvey and Bill. Barbara Payton actually doesn't have all that much to do here, but she does tone down her usual blonde-bombshell tendencies. Her Lena--and Helen--appear strangely accepting of the entire situation, but one has to realize this project was written and created by straight males in the mid 20th Century. 

One positive about FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE is that Terence Fisher presents things in a straightforward, get to the point manner that avoids outlandish flourishes. It's way too easy to look at Fisher's early 1950s films and come up with connections to his later Gothic works, but if you're a Hammer fanatic you can't avoid doing so. The character of Dr. Harvey is basically an early, less-stodgy version of Paul Krempe in THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN. Dr. Harvey acts as a mentor and teacher to the young Bill, as Krempe did to the young Baron in CURSE, and both Harvey and Krempe mention that their charges have vastly surpassed them in knowledge. Harvey also echoes Krempe in the way that he advises Bill against his plans, but continues to help him along nonetheless. 

At one point Bill is shown burying the result of one of his failed experiments with animals during a wind-swept night, and yes, there are plenty of swirling leaves about, a major Fisher trope. This scene would easily fit into any of the later Hammer Gothics. The laboratory sequences are edited and shot in such a way that they can't help but remind an informed viewer of similar scenes in the later Peter Cushing Frankenstein films directed by Fisher. 

The main Fisher theme that one finds here is that those who are greedy, possessive, or have unnatural desires will inevitably hurt others, and cause their own downfall. There's a lot more going on in Terence Fisher's early non-Gothic Hammers than most people realize. 

I had first seen FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE on YouTube a few years ago, and my first impressions were that it was a decent film, nothing more. Having now watched it on this special edition home video release, along with some of the fine extras discussing it, my appreciation of it has grown. It's not a great film, and it doesn't fully explore the ideas that it presents (the climax wraps things up way too easily), but it's a solid, well-told effort that makes one think--and that's about the best thing you can expect from any science-fiction tale. 

THE 10TH VICTIM On Blu-ray From Kino

 

Kino Lorber has released a new Blu-ray featuring the 1965 Italian cult science-fiction film THE 10TH VICTIM. This movie has gotten plenty of attention in recent years due to its influence on numerous films and TV shows, such as AUSTIN POWERS, THE RUNNING MAN, and THE HUNGER GAMES. 

Sometime in the 21st Century, war has been outlawed, and mankind's thirst for violence has been replaced by "The Big Hunt". Those who sign up for it are matched by computer with other players to legally hunt and kill each other. Italian Marcello (Marcello Mastroianni) is picked to be the "victim" of American "hunter" Caroline (Ursula Andress). Not only are the duo both proficient in killing and avoiding being killed, they're also well matched in physical attractiveness. The two start to fall for one another, but can they avoid their instincts to complete the hunt? 

THE 10TH VICTIM was based on a short story by American fantasy writer Robert Scheckley called "The Seventh Victim". Needless the say, plenty of changes were made to the original tale before it became a full-length feature film. (Scheckley himself was not pleased with the result.) Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Elio Petri, THE 10TH VICTIM has plenty of pop-art 1960s fad style--nearly every shot composition resembles a fashion ad or a snippet from a TV commercial. The future is presented here not through any intricate special effects, but with a certain sense of coolness and a stylized look. 

If there are any major special effects in this movie, they would have to be Ursula Andress and Marcello Mastoianni. There's a coldness, however, in their combined beauty--one doesn't believe that their characters have any deep feelings for anyone (at one point Caroline refers to herself as an iceberg). One could say that the duo are so detached with their perfect looks that they deserve one another. They're certainly eye candy, but it's hard for a viewer to be all that involved in their plight. More eye candy is provided in the form of Elsa Martinelli, who plays Marcello's high-maintenance mistress. 

The satirical aspects of a futuristic society that legalizes hunting other human beings are laid on pretty thick, but this is a society that isn't really delved into with any depth. The entire movie is more style than substance, but there are plenty of highlights for film geeks, such as the iconic opening sequence where Ursula Andress uses a "bullet bra" to kill someone, a cameo appearance by the space suits from Mario Bava's PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES, and pistol and rifle sound effects that are the same that can be heard in dozens and dozens of spaghetti westerns. 

Kino states that this Blu-ray features a 2K restoration of the film, and it is a fine-looking, colorful print (and Ursula Andress is absolutely devastating in HD). This print carries the Italian title LA DECIMA VITTIMA, with Italian main & end credits. Two audio tracks are included--the original Italian with available English subtitles, and an English dub track. (The Italian is much superior.) 

A brand new audio commentary is featured on this disc. The Blu-ray case states that the talk is by Steve Mitchell, Howard S. Berger, and Nathaniel Thompson.....but actually it's Mitchell and Euro Cult expert Troy Howarth. The duo give a wide-ranging and informative discussion that covers the careers and the star power of the three main actors at the time of the production, and they also detail what impact international cinema was making in America during the 1960s. 

Included on this disc is a 30 minute program with Elio Petri's widow and film expert Kim Newman. Mrs. Petri gives some behind-the-scenes info on THE 10TH VICTIM, including the fact that producer Carlo Ponti didn't like scinece-fiction (or the director), while Newman gives insights and analysis on Petri's film making career. Kino has also included the original Italian and American trailers for the film, and a comparison of the two shows how different the movie was looked at on both sides of the Atlantic. 

THE 10TH VICTIM will appeal more to film geeks than a regular audience. It feels more like a magazine layout than a science-fiction story--it's about as Sixties Mod as you can get. 

NORTHWEST PASSAGE On Blu-ray From Warner Archive

 

Warner Archive once again presents a magnificent restoration of a classic Technicolor Hollywood film with their Blu-ray release of MGM's NORTHWEST PASSAGE (1940). 

NORTHWEST PASSAGE is one of the great historical epics of the pre-World War II sound era, and it is one of the very few films concerning the French & Indian War. Set in 1759, the movie tells the story of an expedition undertaken in northern New England by Roger's Rangers, a group of irregular warriors led by Major Robert Rogers (Spencer Tracy). The group, fighting for the British Crown, ventures North into the wilderness to attack an Abenaki Indian village. 

The obstacles and privations the Rangers deal with are vividly detailed--by the end of this movie, the viewer feels as tired and as hungry as any of the men onscreen. Most of the film was shot on location in Idaho, and director King Vidor went to great lengths to show what the Rangers had to go through. The result is one of the more brutal pictures from the classic Hollywood period--the locations look amazing on this Blu-ray, but there's nothing romantic about the Rangers' experiences. 

Spencer Tracy gets one of his best roles as the determined and no-nonsense Major Rogers, and Robert Young and Walter Brennan play two civilians who join up on the forbidding adventure to escape trouble at home. The real stars of this film are nature and the elements--this is one classic studio film set in the past where it really does feel you are experiencing something that happened long ago, without any modern intrusions. 

NORTHWEST PASSAGE was released on DVD by the Warner Archive Collection a few years ago, but the image was soft, and the colors dull and faded. This Blu-ray is a marvelous improvement--the colors really pop, and there's plenty of fine detail visually. While watching this disc one can understand why this was one of MGM's most expensive productions at the time. The DTS-HD sound is full and distinct. 

The only extras on the Blu-ray are a vintage trailer (which shows how bad the movie looked over time) and a short black & white promotional feature from MGM that is essentially a commercial for the film. The promotion is relevant due to the fact that it shows behind-the-scenes footage of the making of NORTHWEST PASSAGE, with glimpses of King Vidor and Spencer Tracy on the set. 

Warner Archive has put out a number of fantastic looking Technicolor features on Blu-ray recently, and NORTHWEST PASSAGE is a worthy addition to the list. 

ROAR OF THE DRAGON

 

ROAR OF THE DRAGON (1932) is a fast-paced Pre-Code from RKO. It's another of those movies dealing with a random group of English-speaking people who are stranded in a far-flung exotic foreign locale, facing danger at every moment. 

The story is set in Manchuria, where a bandit chief named Voronsky (C. Henry Gordon) vows revenge against a riverboat captain named Carson (Richard Dix). During a battle with the bandits, Carson's boat was damaged, and he managed to rip off Voronsky's left ear. While the boat is being repaired, Carson holes up at a hotel with other foreign travelers. Among the group is Voronsky's kept woman, Natascha (Gwili Andre). Voronsky's motley crew attack the town and lay siege to the hotel, and the cynical Carson must band together with his charges to survive. 

ROAR OF THE DRAGON is so obscure that it isn't even listed in the copy that I own of LEONARD MARTIN'S CLASSIC MOVIE GUIDE. Nonetheless, it keeps things hopping during its 70 minute running time. Director Wesley Ruggles provides plenty of atmosphere--the entire story takes place at night, with the sounds of a howling wind and thunder in the background. The movie doesn't shy away from the horrid aspects of the situation--it begins with Voronsky having a red-hot iron applied to his head in order to close up his ear wound. One of the people under siege is captured and set on fire, and how high someone is listed on the cast list doesn't guarantee that their character will survive. 

Among those playing the besieged in the hotel are Edward Everett Horton, ZaSu Pitts, and Arline Judge (who was married to the director at the time). Richard Dix's Carson is drunk most of the time, but he sobers up at the end to fulfill his tough-guy duties. (I have to say that if I was cooped up with Edward Everett Horton and ZaSu Pitts, I'd probably start drinking too.) Whenever I've seen Richard Dix in a movie, he always comes off as stiff and unlikable to me, and he does here as well. 

Danish actress Gwili Andre made her screen debut as Natascha. Andre is exquisitely photographed, so much so that she looks like a fashion model instead of a put-upon woman in a desperate situation. Natascha and Carson wind up falling for each other, although once again the viewer wonders what the heck she would see in him, other than a chance to get away from a horrible fate. RKO was hoping that Andre would be the studio's answer to Garbo or Dietrich, but she didn't have much of an impact in her short acting career. 

Gwili Andre and C. Henry Gordon in ROAR OF THE DRAGON

C. Henry Gordon gets the best role as the vicious Voronsky. This is a bandit chief who isn't above getting off his horse and fighting all by himself, and he's such an impressive foe one doubts a guy like Carson could best him. 

One notable thing about ROAR OF THE DRAGON is how it uses Edward Everett Horton. At the beginning he's his usual fussy, fluttery self--but he winds up being more of a hero than Carson. At one point Horton mans a machine gun and starts mowing down charging bandits--an event that could only happen in the Pre-Code era. Horton also gets to have a romance with Arline Judge. I certainly didn't think I'd be seeing EEH doing all these things when I sat down to watch this film. 

ROAR OF THE DRAGON was shown on TCM recently, and it was a surprising discovery for me, with its use of Edward Everett Horton and its effective presentation of the "White Folks besieged by a foreign threat" scenario. 

CATLOW

 

CATLOW is a 1971 Western that has a lot in common with SHALAKO--both films were made in Spain, both were based on Louis L'Amour novels, they were produced by Euan Lloyd, and they feature a cast of international actors. 

The title character in CATLOW, played by Yul Brynner, is an easygoing rogue who winds up in one scrape after another. After being accused of rustling a herd of cattle, Catlow heads to Mexico, where he and his raggedy band attempt to steal a fortune's worth of gold. Along the way Catlow is pursued by his old friend Ben (Richard Crenna), a trustworthy Marshal who has a warrant for his arrest. Catlow and Ben wind up facing all sorts of foes and situations. 

CATLOW may have been filmed in Spain (many of the locations used will be familiar to spaghetti western fans), but it has none of the early 70s Euro Western attitude. CATLOW has an almost old-fashioned vibe to it--the movie was originally rated PG, and there's nothing in it that is all that outstanding or original. Yul Brynner's Catlow is a devil-may-care fellow who constantly has a big grin on his face. Catlow doesn't seem very worried about what is going on, no matter how dangerous things get--and if the main character of a movie isn't all that concerned about things, why should the audience? 

There's plenty going on in CATLOW, with subplots involving cattle barons, bounty hunters, Native Americans, Mexican federales--perhaps the movie would have been better if it had focused more on the main character's activities. The solo adventures of Richard Crenna's diligent Marshal give that character as much screen time as Catlow. (Crenna is as solid and dependable as always--his Marshal is a far more interesting person than Catlow is.) Leonard Nimoy all but steals the film as Miller, a cold-blooded relentless bounty hunter who wants to get Catlow no matter what (one also wishes that Nimoy had more scenes). Daliah Lavi plays a spunky senorita and Jeff Corey fills the "crazy old coot" role. Most of the other minor roles are taken by spaghetti western veterans. 

The director of CATLOW was American actor Sam Wanamaker, but the real talents behind the film's pace and action scenes were James Bond veterans John Glen (chief editor and 2nd unit director) and Bob Simmons (stunt coordinator). British composer Roy Budd provides a score that goes out of its way to be reminiscent of classic Western themes. 

CATLOW is a decent 100 minutes of entertainment, but compared to the many more notable Westerns being made around the same time, it feels plain and generic. 

THE WONDERFUL LIES OF NINA PETROVNA

 

I've been fascinated by German actress Brigitte Helm ever since I first saw her memorable screen debut in Fritz Lang's legendary silent epic METROPOLIS (1927). Unfortunately most of Helm's work is unavailable in America, and there isn't even all that much info about her on the internet. 

One of her best roles can be found on YouTube. It is the title character in THE WONDERFUL LIES OF NINA PETROVNA, a 1929 romantic drama made for UFA Studios. It was the last silent feature made by that extraordinary company, but it does have an accompanying music track. 

The story is very simple. In pre-revolutionary St. Petersburg, the enchanting Nina is the mistress of a much older wealthy army colonel (Warwick Ward). Nina catches the eye of a young junior cavalry officer named Michael (Francis Lederer). Nina and Michael truly love one another, and Petrovna gives up her glamorous but empty life to live with the innocent young man. The two of them on their own cannot make ends meet, so Michael tries to win some money by gambling with his fellow army officers. The Colonel catches Michael attempting to cheat, and uses this information to force Nina to give up her young lover. Nina loves Michael so much, she's willing to throw away their happiness together in order to save him from disgrace. 

Brigitte Helm is absolutely stunning as Nina Petrovna, so much so one can easily understand why Michael and the Colonel do what they do to be near her. When one starts out to watch THE WONDERFUL LIES OF NINA PETROVNA, one assumes that this will be another German silent where a desperate man's desire for an alluring woman leads him to ruin, but in this case the alluring woman saves a man from ruin. Director Hanns Schwarz gives Nina plenty of exquisite closeups, and he allows Helm's emotional depth to carry the story. 

Francis Lederer (PANDORA'S BOX) makes a dashing but inexperienced Michael, a young man who hasn't considered the consequences of the situation he helped create, and Warwick Ward (VARIETY) makes the aristocratic, self-assured Colonel an imposing figure without having to act like an out-and-out villain. Helm, Lederer, and Ward are the only three main players in the film--that entire story revolves around their triangle. 

The cinematography of Carl Hoffman and the art direction of Robert Herlth & Walter Rohrig clearly define the splendor of Imperial Russia. Nina's opulent lifestyle as the Colonel's mistress is presented by Hoffman's camera slowly tracking through the rooms of the expensive villa she stays in. Later we are shown how much different Nina's and Michael's lives are as a couple on their own--they live in a common apartment, where Nina wears basic clothes and even peels potatoes (but she still manages to look gorgeous). The ending is particularly moving, and it certainly isn't of the Hollywood type--but it shows that Nina has more courage and determination than the two men who desire her. 

Brigitte Helm gives a magnificent performance in THE WONDERFUL LIES OF NINA PETROVNA, and this is another silent feature that greatly deserves a major restoration and home video release. 

THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO (2024)

 

This is a film that I hoped would be shown in a theater near my area, but no such luck. (Considering that it's a three hour movie made in France, I'm not surprised it didn't get a major release in America--perhaps the production should have cast a rapper in the lead role??) I became interested in this recent adaptation of Dumas' THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO when I found out that the directors and writers of it, Alexandre de La Patelliere & Matthieu Delaporte, were associate producers and writers on the two-part  THE THREE MUSKETEERS that was made a couple years ago, a version that impressed me a great deal. 

The latest THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO is grand storytelling in the classic tradition, a film that is authentic to the characters and the period in which it is set. In 1815, French sailor Edmund Dantes (Pierre Niney) has his whole future ahead of him. He's recently been promoted to captain, and he's about to marry his true love. In the middle of the wedding ceremony, however, Dantes is arrested and charged with treason. Totally innocent of the charges, Dantes spends 14 years in prison, where he befriends a mysterious fellow inmate who helps him escape. The inmate also reveals to Dantes the location of a fantastic treasure on the island of Monte Cristo--a treasure that will enable the wronged man to instigate a lengthy and complicated plot of revenge against those who took away his future. 

THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO is an opulent and sweeping production, with impressive sets and costumes. The cinematography and editing are lively, but they don't overwhelm the narrative (there's no CGI-fueled video-game style sequences here). Thankfully this version doesn't try to be trendy or topical by inserting 21st Century style issues in the storyline or the casting. There's no attempts at modern humor, and, even better, there's no desaturated color schemes. 

Pierre Niney ably shows how Dantes is transformed from an openhearted positive young man to a cunning and calculating larger than life figure. While watching this film I realized how much the character of Edmund Dantes has influenced adventure stories ever since--in a way Dantes is an early 19th Century Bruce Wayne. You could even say that Dantes is one of the first superheroes--but he also could be looked upon as a supervillain as well. This new version doesn't shy away from the darker aspects of Dumas' tale. 

I need to point out once again that this is a French production, with mostly French actors playing the major roles. For me this made the film work even better--not knowing who any of the cast were meant that I was able to better believe them as the characters. I bought this movie on Blu-ray, and the disc does have an English language option, but by all means the French audio track (with English subtitles) is the best way to view the film. 

Some on the internet have quibbled about the changes made from the original Dumas novel, but overall I felt this was an excellent adaptation, featuring a classic epic film-making style that I have a preference for. The 2024 THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO is now out on Blu-ray and streaming, and it's a film that should have gotten more attention in North America. 

STOOGE O-RAMA

 

This came out a couple years ago, but I didn't get it until recently because it was (you guessed it) at a discount. STOOGE O-RAMA is a 3 disc grab bag of odds & ends involving the Funky Trio, available on DVD and Blu-ray. (I bought the DVD version--considering the less-than-pristine quality of the clips featured on this set, I doubt the Blu-ray would be all that much better.) 

The first disc on the set presents an hour-long documentary program on the Stooges entitled "The Men Behind the Mayhem". It's a decent look at the history of the group, sticking to the basics. The other two discs contain trailers for Stooges films, TV appearances, commercials, audio interviews, home movie footage, radio spots, etc. 

As a life-long Three Stooges fan I would say that there's nothing earth-shattering or revelatory about this material--it's the type of stuff that one can find on YouTube or gets shared on social media sites. One does notice in the behind-the-scenes footage how short of stature all the Stooges were, and how much older they looked when they were sporting their "civilian" hairstyles (one must remember that when the Stooges gained their second wind in the late 1950s-early 60s, they were all well past middle-age). 

The audio interviews show that Moe Howard was a very astute, articulate man who definitely was the leader of the group. (One wishes that Moe was around today, mainly because of all the info he could provide for film geeks.) 

There is a certain randomness to this collection, but I believe the folks behind it wanted to get as many things as they could in the set to make it more attractive to fans. It needs to be mentioned that the set features all the Stooges: Moe, Larry, Curly, Shemp, Joe, and Curly Joe. If you are expecting a Curly-fest you're going to be disappointed. Curly quit performing in 1946 due to health issues, and he died in 1952, so there isn't as much behind-the-scenes footage of him available as there is of his Stooge comrades. 

This is a set that is more for hardcore Stooges fanatics than those who watch the boys on MeTV from time to time. The footage is more unique than entertaining, and if you're not aware of Stooges history you may wonder what's going on in these clips. (An audio commentary giving context on some of the footage might have helped.) This is still a nice set overall, especially if you can get it at the discount I did. STOOGE O-RAMA is from Kit Parker Films, a company that has been doing excellent work over the years releasing rare product from the Hal Roach Studios. 

THE DEADLY BEES

 

THE DEADLY BEES (1967) is one of the lesser entries in the Amicus catalog, despite being directed by Freddie Francis. I purchased it on Blu-ray at a discount (what did you expect?). 

Pop music star Vicky Robbins (Suzanna Leigh) suffers a nervous breakdown while performing on a TV show. Her doctor sends her out to a remote farm on Seagull Island for some rest and recuperation. The couple who own the farm, the Hargroves, are not the most welcoming people in the world--Mr. Hargrove (Guy Doleman) is dour and mysterious, while his wife (Catherine Finn) spends her time sitting around smoking cigarettes and looking depressed. Hargrove is a beekeeper, as is the quirky Manfred (Frank Finlay), a neighbor who takes an interest in Vicky. Soon both Hargrove's dog and his wife are killed due to bee attacks, and Vicky fears she may be next. 

All the information one can find about THE DEADLY BEES on the internet and in print points out that the movie had major script problems. Famed horror writer Robert Bloch wrote the original script (based on a novel called A TASTE OF HONEY by H.F. Heard), but it didn't impress Freddie Francis, who had it rewritten by Anthony Marriott. The result is a slow and at times confusing plot that appears to be missing valuable story points. In interviews Amicus producer Milton Subotsky always claimed to have re-edited most of the films he was attached to in order to make them "work". I don't think THE DEADLY BEES works, but I do believe that this time Subotsky did do some major tinkering. A number of sequences in this film end abruptly, and one gets the sense that there are certain scenes that were cut out. At one point it appears that a character has been killed off, but it is later revealed, in an off-hand manner, that the person survived after all, even though they are never shown again. 

The very idea of being inundated by huge swarms of bees is inherently nasty, but the actual bee attacks here are underwhelming. They mainly consist of bees haphazardly superimposed over footage of actors flailing about. The matte work is mediocre, and one never believes that any of the characters are in danger. I certainly don't believe that performers on a movie set should be put at any risk, but if you make a movie titled THE DEADLY BEES, and the result is that one doesn't get a charge out of the bees attacking anybody, there isn't much of a point to it. 

Freddie Francis always stated that he didn't like horror films to begin with, and in THE DEADLY BEES he seemed more interested in the desultory married life of the Hargroves than in any shocking thrills. In some ways the movie tries to be a murder mystery, but there isn't much suspense--there's only two beekeepers on the island, and both of them act suspicious. When the man behind it all is finally revealed, and he goes into a lengthy explanation of how he did it, I immediately started to wonder why the other beekeeper didn't do certain things in the beginning to stop all this from happening. 

Suzanna Leigh handles the attractive damsel in distress role well, but she doesn't have much to work with, and she has to fight off bees at one point while in her underwear. (There's an attempt to try and use Vicky's breakdown as an excuse to belittle her suspicions, but this isn't fully developed.) Guy Doleman is so brooding and disagreeable as Mr. Hargrove that he becomes too much of a suspect, and Frank Finlay is such a milquetoast you just know that he's hiding something. 

The supporting cast is filled with faces known to Hammer/Amicus/English Gothic fans. Michael Ripper plays (of course) the man who runs the island's pub, and his daughter is played by Katy Wild, who was the mute beggar girl in THE EVIL OF FRANKENSTEIN. (There's a hint that Wild's character is having an affair with Mr. Hargrove, but this isn't fully developed either.) Someone else from THE EVIL OF FRANKENSTEIN (also directed by Freddie Francis) shows up here--Caron Gardner, who was the Burgomaster's sexy wife in the earlier film, has a cameo as Vicky's manager's secretary. Michael Gwynn, who was in a number of Hammers, is Vicky's doctor, and Alister Williamson (the man behind the mask in THE OBLONG BOX) is a police official. 

The most notable thing about THE DEADLY BEES is that it predates the Killer Bee craze of the latter part of the 1970s, which spawned a set of other below average "insects on the rampage" flicks. When one thinks about it, has there ever been a decent killer bee movie?? 

IRON MAN (1931)

 

Robert Downey Jr. does not appear in this film. This is a 1931 production from Universal, directed by Tod Browning. I was inspired to seek it out by my recent reading of DARK CARNIVAL, a biography of Browning. IRON MAN was made between DRACULA and FREAKS, and, as one would expect, it doesn't come anywhere near matching the notable aspects of those two features. 

Lew Ayres plays lightweight boxer Kid Mason, who has lost his most recent bout due to his refusal to listen to the advice of his manager/mentor George (Robert Armstrong). After hearing of his latest defeat, Kid's sultry & ambitious wife Rose (Jean Harlow) leaves him. The Kid then goes on a winning streak, and he gets a shot at the world title. Rose pops back into his life, sensing that he's going to make the big time. The Kid wins the title, and he and Rose move into a swanky apartment and start living the high life. George tries to warn Kid that his wife is unreliable and untrustworthy, but the young boxer has to find out things the hard way. 

In DARK CARNIVAL, authors David J. Skal and Elias Savada state that IRON MAN "is the most perfunctory of Browning's talkies" and that is a very apt assessment. The picture was the last in a three-film contract Browning had with Universal, and it appears he was just going through the motions. IRON MAN is ostensibly a story about boxing, but there's very little in-ring action, and what there is of that is mostly made up of stock footage. The movie is very talky, and very static, and there's not much energy to it. 

At this time Universal was building up Lew Ayres to be a big star, due to his leading role in ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT, but the studio did him no favors when it came to IRON MAN. Ayres is totally miscast as a supposedly tough boxing champion. His Kid Mason is a very lightweight fighter--he looks as if he couldn't last a round with anyone--and the character acts hesitant and unsure throughout most of the film. It's hard to take Ayres seriously in the role when Jean Harlow looks better built than he does. 

Lew Ayres and Jean Harlow in IRON MAN

Speaking of Harlow, her cleavage is the most standout part of this film. Her Rose is the typical bad girl who is greedy, cynical, and caustic. As soon as she shows up, you just know she's going to cause the Kid trouble. Harlow more than fills the requirements of the part, but you get the feeling she wasn't too happy playing someone who was so cheap and disagreeable. 

Robert Armstrong comes off way better than either Ayres and Harlow. He carries the film, and he has so much charisma one wonders why he isn't doing the boxing instead of Ayres. 

There isn't much of a supporting cast in IRON MAN, but I do need to point out Mike Donlin, who plays a small role. Donlin was a well-known Major League baseball player in the first two decades of the 20th Century, and he got into the entertainment industry after marrying a stage actress. Tod Browning had a major baseball connection of his own--his uncle was Pete Browning, a legendary 19th Century batting champion. 

IRON MAN will be of interest to film geeks due to its combination of Lew Ayres, Jean Harlow, and Tod Browning, but it isn't very entertaining. The print I watched of the film appeared to be edited slightly. According to DARK CARNIVAL, there was a scene which showed Jean Harlow getting punched in the mouth by the man she's having an affair with--but that wasn't in the version I saw. My guess is that IRON MAN was cut after the Production Code was strengthened to allow it to be re-released. Might an uncut version of this movie be released on home video someday?? Maybe, but I have a feeling that Disney/Marvel might have something to say about that. 

SONNY AND JED

 

SONNY AND JED (also known as LA BANDA J. & S., among a number of other alternate titles) is a bizarre 1972 Euro Western directed and co-written by Sergio Corbucci. I would describe the movie as a combination of BONNIE AND CLYDE and the TRINITY films. 

Naive prairie girl Sonny (Susan George) becomes infatuated with the vulgar and brazen bandit Jed Trigado (Tomas Milian). The two maintain a chaotic relationship while committing crimes and avoiding the reach of a vindictive lawman named Franciscus (Telly Savalas). 

Once again Tomas Milian plays a crazy peasant bandito, but this one is on a different level than the actor's other performances. Jed Trigado is as vicious, uncouth, foul, and unappealing as you can get. The man has no redeeming qualities whatsoever, other than protecting and feeding a poor Mexican village from time to time. If it wasn't for Milian's considerable screen presence Jed would be very hard to take, but the wide-eyed Sonny is absolutely smitten with him, even though Jed treats her worse than an disobedient pet. 

Susan George was one of the most put-upon actresses of her generation, when one considers what she went through in movies like FRIGHT, STRAW DOGS, and this one. Sergio Corbucci does not (surprisingly) take advantage of George's enticing looks--as Sonny she spends almost all the film dressed in ragged men's clothes that are far too big for her. (There is one scene in which Sonny is taking a bath, but she's discreetly covered in suds.) Not only is George de-glamorized here, she's also knocked around more than Curly Howard in a typical Three Stooges short. Jed physically (and verbally) assaults Sonny multiple times, and she's also beaten up by Telly Savalas and a group of prostitutes. Despite this level of degradation, Sonny carries on regardless, refusing to back down to anyone almost out of spite. 

Needless to say, 21st Century viewers of SONNY AND JED would find the leading lady's predicament problematic, to say the least. (I can only imagine what those audio commentators who go on about "gender norms" and "agency" would say about this movie.) I assume that Sergio Corbucci thought the audience would be amused by Sonny and Jed's antics, or at least come to understand why they can't get away from each other, but I for one didn't think the couple was very appealing. Instead of being rebellious, the pair come off as lazy reprobates. (Case in point: after Sonny and Jed get married, they rob the priest, and then take off with the collection box.) 

Telly Savalas brings his usual bravado and his own considerable screen presence to the role of Franciscus. This could have been just another quirky spaghetti western villain, but Telly makes the man stand out, and he even makes the viewer understand why he's so determined to catch Jed. (I have to admit I was kind of rooting for Franciscus to succeed.) About halfway through the story Franciscus is blinded, but this actually makes him even more menacing. 

Among the supporting cast are such Euro Cult figures as Herbert Fux (LADY FRANKENSTEIN) and Eduardo Fajardo (DJANGO). Mention must be made of a couple of actors who appear in this film that had connections with Telly Savalas. Gene Collins fought alongside Telly in KELLY'S HEROES, and Victor Israel was the train baggage man who lets loose the creature in HORROR EXPRESS. 

I also need to mention Ennio Morricone's soundtrack for SONNY AND JED. The music is reflective and melancholic, at odds with the goofiness onscreen. Morricone gives more dignity and depth to Sonny and Jed than the actors or the situations do. 

Sergio Corbucci made some of the best Euro Westerns of all time, but SONNY AND JED is one of his lesser efforts. It's hard to appreciate the dopey criminality of the title pair, and the Old West presented here is muddy, cold, and depressing. I had seen SONNY AND JED a couple of times, but the visual quality was terrible for each viewing. The movie is now available on Tubi, and their version is at least much more watchable. SONNY AND JED needs a proper Region A home video release. 

Book Review--DARK CARNIVAL: The Secret World Of Tod Browning, Hollywood's Master Of The Macabre (Revised Edition)

 

DARK CARNIVAL is the revised edition of a 1995 biography on American film director Tod Browning, written by David J. Skal and Elias Savada. The book was published by the University of Minnesota Press, and I purchased the more affordable paperback version. 

Tod Browning is a name well-known to film geeks and old monster movie lovers. He directed the original THE UNHOLY THREE, THE UNKNOWN, LONDON AFTER MIDNIGHT, DRACULA, FREAKS, and many other movies involving the weird, the morbid, and the uncanny. Browning's life was as strange as many of the stories he put onscreen, and even after the first edition of this book came out in the 1990s, bizarre rumors about his personal habits still persist to this day. 

In the years since the first edition of their biography was released, the authors discovered new material and information about their subject. This DARK CARNIVAL doesn't contain what I would call any earth-shattering revelations, but it does shine as much light as possible on an off-beat filmmaker who managed to create some of the darkest visions released during the 1920s-30s era of Hollywood. 

It's amazing that Browning was able to make the films that he did, especially considering he wasn't working on the low-budget margins of the American movie industry. Browning spent most of his career at MGM, a studio proud of its prestigious reputation. DARK CARNIVAL charts how Browning fell in and out of favor from MGM (and Universal) during his checkered years as a director. 

The book also details (as well as it can) Browning's early life, which is where most of the wild rumors about him originate. (The authors point out that a lot of these "facts" about Browning's youthful days working in carnivals and fairs cannot be verified.) The problem with any book or article dealing with Tod Browning is that the man himself never gave what would now be called a complete all-inclusive interview, and his one-on-one interactions with individuals were complicated, to say the least. Browning's alcoholism is also dealt with, an affliction which haunted his life and work constantly. 

Nevertheless, over the years the authors managed to interview a number of folks who either worked with Browning or had personal knowledge of him. The book contains a full filmography of Browning's work, including the movies in which he appeared as an actor. DARK CARNIVAL is heavily illustrated, with full-page photos featuring the likes of Browning, Lon Chaney, and Bela Lugosi. 

As expected, the more notable of Browning's films--his collaborations with Lon Chaney, the 1931 DRACULA, and of course FREAKS--get plenty of coverage. There is also a chapter on how Browning's work has influenced pop culture over the years. One could say that Browning's cinematic output has had far more lasting effect than those of his more mainstream (and more respected) contemporary filmmakers. 

DARK CARNIVAL is the ultimate source when it comes to Tod Browning, yet it must be said that even after I finished reading it, the man was still something of a mystery. If Browning were alive today, fanboys would be crowding all over him, but during his long retirement from Hollywood he wound up basically forgotten (he appears to have spent most of his time by himself drinking beer). The fact that Browning never really opened up about himself and his films makes him all the more intriguing. DARK CARNIVAL is a must for the bookshelf of any classic horror film fan, and it is also a great biography about an early Hollywood figure. 

DOUBLE FACE

 

DOUBLE FACE is a 1969 Italian-West German co-production, a mystery thriller also known as A DOPPIA FACCIA and DAS GESICHT IM DUNKLEN. The movie was promoted as an Edgar Wallace Krimi in Germany, and it is listed as an official part of the Rialto Krimi series in a few sources, although it has nothing to do with anything Wallace wrote. 

Klaus Kinski stars as John Alexander, a well-to-do English businessman whose marriage to wife Helen (Margaret Lee) is on the rocks. Helen goes off on a trip by herself, but her car is destroyed in an explosion. Devastated by his wife's death, John takes a much-needed vacation. Upon his return, Alexander is bedeviled by a young woman named Christine (Christine Kruger), who shows him an adult film she appears in. John is convinced that the other woman in the stag reel is his wife, and as he tries to find out the truth behind what really happened to Helen, he deals with a set of weird occurrences and characters. 

DOUBLE FACE was directed by Riccardo Freda (THE HORRIBLE DR. HICHCOCK), and one of its many credited writers was Lucio Fulci. This is one of the reasons why the movie is a favorite of a number of Euro Cult experts. DOUBLE FACE has plenty of Hitchcock-style elements to it, and it is also regarded as a giallo story, despite the fact that it doesn't feature any stylized gory murders. The film even has some Italian Gothic aspects to it (at one point Klaus Kinski roams around his empty house holding a candelabra). 

John Alexander is an unusual role for Klaus Kinski. Alexander is a nattily-dressed member of the upper class (Kinski probably never had a better wardrobe selection onscreen than he did here), and he's trying to solve a desperate situation instead of causing one. Alexander is still considered a major suspect in his wife's death (this is Klaus Kinski we're dealing with, after all), and there's a suggestion that everything the man is experiencing is all part of some dream or nightmare. Much of the film consists of Kinski wandering around and looking pensive, and the viewer is as frustrated as his character, due to a confusing narrative. 

Riccardo Freda does inject a sense of jet-set European decadence, although one never believes for a second that this story takes place in England, despite the many insert shots of downtown London. At one point Kinski finds himself in the middle of a Swinging London style rave that isn't all that swinging, and goes on for so long that it appears to have been an attempt to pad out the running time. 

As in most European genre productions made around this time, DOUBLE FACE is filled with gorgeous women: Margaret Lee, Christine Kruger, Annabella Incontrera, and Barbara Nelli. All these ladies also go topless at one point during the story. This certainly kept my attention, but the film's pace drags at times, and from my perspective the final explanation for all the goings-on is way too simple. 

I viewed DOUBLE FACE on the Tubi streaming channel, and it was an uncut, colorful and sharp widescreen presentation. This version had an English voice dub, with English title credits (Riccardo Freda is listed under his "Robert Hampton" moniker). Once again Klaus Kinski is given a voice that doesn't match up to his attitude and style. 

DOUBLE FACE will be of interest to fans of Euro Cult cinema, but I felt it wasn't one of the better entries in that genre. 

THE WICKED DARLING

 

I'm currently reading the revised edition of DARK CARNIVAL, the excellent biography of film director Tod Browning, written by David J. Skal and Elias Savada. I'll be writing a blog post on the book when I've finished it, but it has inspired me to seek out some of Browning's films I haven't yet viewed. Last night I watched THE WICKED DARLING, a 1919 silent crime melodrama made by Universal. 

THE WICKED DARLING is an important title in Tod Browning's directorial catalog. It was the second time he worked with Priscilla Dean, an actress he would go on to collaborate with a number of times. It was also the first time Browning directed Lon Chaney, and the filmmaker and actor would wind up working together on a total of ten films. Browning and Chaney formed one of the greatest director-star pairings in cinema history, although DARK CARNIVAL suggests the relationship was far more professional than personal. 

Like most Tod Browning movies, the plot of THE WICKED DARLING is fairly simple. Priscilla Dean plays Mary Stevens, a petty criminal who is referred to as "The Gutter Rose" in the film's intertitles. After swiping a valuable pearl necklace, Mary, while hiding, encounters Kent Mortimer (Wellington Playter), a man who has lost his fortune and his fiancee. Mary is so taken by how the kindly Mortimer has responded to his bad luck, she decides to go straight. Her confederates, a nasty crook called Stoop (Lon Chaney) and a disreputable pawn shop owner (Spottiswoode Aitken), still want the necklace Mary stole, and they have no intention to let her change her ways. 

Tod Browning's penchant for sideshow weirdness hadn't fully blossomed yet when he directed THE WICKED DARLING, but he ably portrays the seedy side of town that Mary and her cohorts operate in. Priscilla Dean is the major star of this picture--she was a top leading lady for Universal at the time--and she does show a natural, appealing screen presence, although I thought she looked too fresh-faced and innocent to be a denizen of skid row. 

Lon Chaney and Priscilla Dean in THE WICKED DARLING

With one look at Lon Chaney's Stoop, with his devilish grin and jauntily angled hat, you just know the guy is a baddie. Chaney gives Stoop an air of menace, but he also shows the guy isn't as tough as he thinks he is. I wouldn't call Stoop one of Chaney's most memorable performances--there's no special makeups or physical contortions to be found here--but the role shows that the actor was a fine supporting player, and he no doubt impressed Tod Browning with his professionalism. 

Wellington Playter was an odd choice for the part of Mary's love interest. For one thing, he's taller and much bulkier than Chaney--actors Playter's size usually played bad guy roles in the silent era. The other thing is he's not all that dynamic, so one wonders why Mary changes her life over him. 

THE WICKED DARLING has a very old-fashioned, melodramatic air to it--while watching it one has to remember that Browning worked with D.W. Griffith for a number of years. The climax of the film features an expected confrontation between Kent, Mary, and her former cohorts--but the battle is interrupted to guarantee a happily ever after ending, which was probably acceptable for audiences during the time. 

I viewed THE WICKED DARLING on YouTube. The print was in very bad shape--but we should be thankful the movie exists at all, because for years it was considered lost. Tod Browning would go on to make a number of crime tales at Universal, and he would re-team Priscilla Dean and Lon Chaney in the much better OUTSIDE THE LAW. The most important aspect of THE WICKED DARLING is its place in movie history, but the movie does give one a chance to see what Lon Chaney was like before his "Man Of A Thousand Faces" 1920s stardom. 

VOODOO ISLAND

 

VOODOO ISLAND is one of Boris Karloff's lesser onscreen moments. It's a 1957 low-budget black & white tale dealing with supernatural events taking place in the Pacific South Seas. (Due to its title, the film should have been set in the Caribbean or near Africa.) 

The island of the title is owned by a wealthy businessman named Carlton, who wishes to build an exclusive resort there. Four men under the employ of Carlton are sent out to the island to scout the location, but only one comes back--and that man is now literally a zombie. Carlton hires professional debunker Phillip Knight (Boris Karloff) to go out to the island with a new team to find out what is really going on at the place. Knight is convinced that all the strange happenings concerning the island can be explained, but, as most people in these types of movies invariably realize, there's more in heaven & earth than he can dream of. 

VOODOO ISLAND is a very mediocre mix of jungle terrors and voodoo antics. The movie is already half over by the time Karloff and his companions arrive at the title spot, and, due to the Hawaiian filming locations, the place looks more like a sunny camping area instead of a cursed isle. The story is filled with one-note characters who are constantly bickering with one another, and all the inexplicable incidents that happen seem random and contrived. 

The island in question is also filled with carnivorous plants, but these "monsters" resemble inflatable rubber toys. The movie doesn't so much end as it peters out, with all the supernatural elements left hanging in the air. 

Boris Karloff doesn't have much to work with, but I'm sure that he enjoyed his time in Hawaii. This is one of the very few times Karloff played a character in a contemporary film who wasn't a threat or a menace, and it's unusual to see Boris in regular everyday clothes. The supporting cast includes Elisha Cook Jr. as an island trading post owner who thinks the resort will make him some money, and Rhodes Reason as a tough-guy boat captain. Adam West has a very small part. 

VOODOO ISLAND was directed by journeyman Reginald Le Borg. During his career Le Borg directed the likes of Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney Jr., John Carradine, and Vincent Price, but I've always found his films flat and pedestrian. This film is no different--the pace drags and the supernatural occurrences are not handled in an effective manner. The producers of the film, Howard Koch and Aubrey Schenck, would work with Karloff again in FRANKENSTEIN 1970, a movie that is much more watchable than VOODOO ISLAND. 

Seeing Boris Karloff in a "normal", non-villainous role is about the only reason to watch VOODOO ISLAND. 

MONSTER FROM THE OCEAN FLOOR On Blu-ray From Film Masters

 

The latest in the Film Masters series of Blu-ray special editions featuring low-budget 50s/60s sci-fi-horror outings is MONSTER FROM THE OCEAN FLOOR (1954), the very first film produced by the legendary Roger Corman. 

A young American named Julie (Anne Kimbell) is taking a vacation on the Pacific coast of Mexico, and she becomes intrigued by tales told by the locals concerning a horrible monster inhabiting a nearby cove. Julie decides to go out on her own and see if there really is an underwater creature, despite being advised not to do so from a marine biologist (Stuart Wade) doing research in the area. Julie and her biologist friend find out the monster is all too real. 

As detailed in the extras on this disc, MONSTER FROM THE OCEAN FLOOR sprang from Roger Corman's discovery (from a magazine article) of a one-person submarine created by Aerojet General. Corman made a deal with the company to use the sub in a sci-fi story, and scraped up enough cash to make the film. The movie was made very, very cheaply, but Corman was able to make a decent profit on it, and he enjoyed the experience so much he decided to continue in the film making business, and his overall career still affects the entertainment industry to this day. 

MONSTER FROM THE OCEAN FLOOR is more notable from a historic perspective rather than an artistic one, but it is a serviceable little movie that does what it was designed to do. There is a lot of padding to it, even with a 64 minute running time, but it isn't boring. The main reason why is leading lady Anne Kimbell, who is appealing, energetic, and engaging. Her Julie is the one that instigates the action, and she is the one that takes the lead in trying to find out if there actually is a monster. (It does need to be pointed out that Julie doesn't seem to have considered what to do if she really did find the thing.) Julie would be the first in a long line of strong female characters populating films connected with Roger Corman. 

The monster of the title turns out to be a giant one-eyed octopus type of creature, and there is a suggestion that it was created by radiation from nuclear tests in the Pacific. (In the disc extras Tom Weaver points out this was one of the very first movie creatures whose origins were caused by atomic radiation.) The monster was created by puppeteer Bob Baker, and it is much more effective than it has usually been credited for. 

MONSTER FROM THE OCEAN FLOOR avoids looking tatty due to the California locations and the use of the one-person sub, which, as expected, gets plenty of screen time. The presence of famed cinematographer Floyd Crosby certainly helped the look of the production. Roger Corman didn't direct MONSTER FROM THE OCEAN FLOOR, but what Wyott Ordung, the actual director, did (or didn't) do probably encouraged Corman to take up the job in the future. According to the disc extras, Corman was something of a one man crew--he even played a small role, and Wyott Ordung appears as a shifty local. Jonathan Haze (of the original LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS) begins his long association with the Corman team with his portrayal as a fisherman. 

MONSTER FROM THE OCEAN FLOOR is another low-budget Fifties shocker that had fallen into public domain purgatory, but this Film Masters Blu-ray presents the black & white feature in a very fine looking print. The underwater sequences are a bit hazy, but one must remember that it was a miracle that a movie with this low of a budget got any underwater sequences at all. The sound quality is lacking at times, but that is more than likely due to the source material. 

As with every Film Masters release, there are a number of extras which provide plenty of information and background on the film being presented. There's a 14-page illustrated booklet, with notes written by Tom Weaver, giving detail on the making of the film and quotes from some of the talent involved with it. The disc has a couple of featurettes--one is a 15 minute program from Ballyhoo Productions on puppeteer Bob Baker, who created the monster from the ocean floor. The other is a shorter talk with Roger Corman, who gives brief discussions on not only MONSTER FROM THE OCEAN FLOOR but most of his early 1950s film work. There's also a stills gallery and an original trailer, along with a reconstruction of the trailer using restored footage.  

The main extra is a new audio commentary by Tom Weaver, who gives his usual informative talk mixed in with some droll humor. Weaver augments his discussion with audio snippets from an interview he did with Corman years ago. Just about everything you need to know about the making of MONSTER FROM THE OCEAN FLOOR is contained in these extras. 

I've been very impressed with the Film Masters releases that I have purchased so far. it would have been very easy to slap this type of material on a disc and just be done with it, but the company has gone out of their way to provide plenty of bells & whistles to make these releases enticing to film geeks who have seen these features over and over again. MONSTER FROM THE OCEAN FLOOR isn't among the best Roger Corman movies, but I've seen plenty of low-grade 50s sci-fi flicks that are way worse. MONSTER FROM THE OCEAN FLOOR shows that even from the very beginning Roger Corman was able to make the most out of what he had to work with, and he was able to make his film stand out from the pack. 

THE CASE OF THE CURIOUS BRIDE

 

This is one of the Perry Mason films produced by Warner Bros. in the 1930s, and I caught it on Tubi last night. The Warner Bros. version of Perry Mason has very little to do with the Raymond Burr version of the character, despite the fact that Warners based their films on the Mason novels written by Erle Stanley Gardner. 

San Francisco attorney Perry Mason (Warren Wiliam) is asked by an old flame named Rhoda (Margaret Lindsay) to investigate whether her first husband, who supposedly died four years ago, is still alive. Rhoda wants to remarry, but the first husband is very much alive and attempting blackmail--until he's found dead, after a visit from Rhoda. Mason uses his wits--and some shady maneuverings--to save Rhoda from a murder conviction. 

I've read a few of the Perry Mason books written by Erle Stanley Gardner, and the main character is just like he is portrayed in the famous TV series--solid, focused, hard-working, and a straight-arrow type. For their Perry Mason movie series Warners decided to jazz the character up. Casting Warren William as Mason must have seemed like an inside joke to the studio--William was the King of Pre-Code, an actor who played fellows that steal candy from a baby, and then try to sell the treats back. William's Mason is a dandy who carries a cane, has a sardonic wit, speaks in very florid tones, and has a sideline interest in gourmet cooking. He also isn't above bending the rules to his advantage, something that must have driven Erle Stanley Gardner crazy (his novels are filled with all sorts of explanations about legal ethics). 

Gardner probably wasn't too happy about the choice of actress to play Della Street (Perry's loyal and efficient secretary) in this movie either. In this entry Della is played by Claire Dodd, who had her own Pre-Code reputation as a scheming other woman. Perry Mason and Della have an ongoing relationship in the Warners series (I believe they even wound up getting married in one of the later films). 

What makes THE CASE OF THE CURIOUS BRIDE stick out is that it was directed by the legendary Michael Curtiz. To say that this movie was not up to Curtiz's talents is an understatement. Curtiz keeps things moving along at a rapid clip, and he uses a novel way to transition between sequences--the picture starts going out of focus, and the viewer is introduced to a new setup when things become clear again. 

Curtiz might have used such a rushed pace because he knew there wasn't much to the story. There's only one death in the entire film--that of Rhoda's lost husband--and the revelation of how the man died is a bit of a letdown. It's the Warners Bros. style, rather than the whodunit aspects, that makes this entertaining--the snappy dialogue, quirky characters, and attitudes of the cast members. (It must be stated that the poster shown above is far more atmospheric than anything in the film.) 

The role of Rhoda's lost husband is played by none other than Errol Flynn, in his first American film appearance. Flynn only shows up in a flashback showing how his character died, and he doesn't even get a line of dialogue. There's nothing in his screen time that would make one think he would soon turn out to be a Hollywood legend--or that he would pair with Michael Curtiz several more times in a number of classic pictures. 

The rest of the cast is filled out with all sorts of faces that make Warner Bros. films of this era so welcome, faces like Barton MacLane, Warren Hymer, Mayo Methot, and Wini Shaw (who gets to sing). Perry Mason's right-hand man Paul Drake is here transformed into a goofy mug called "Spudsy", and he's played by the ultimate goofy mug, Allen Jenkins (who has almost as much screen time as Warren William does). Donald Woods plays one of the suspects, and ironically he would wind up playing Perry Mason in THE CASE OF THE STUTTERING BISHOP. 

Warren William would go on to play Perry Mason a couple more times, but he would move even farther away from the Erle Stanley Gardner version of the character, as Warners tried to make the attorney into a Nick Charles type. William was replaced by Ricardo Cortez, who, if anything, had more of an onscreen con guy image than William did. 

SON OF HITLER

 

As anyone who has read any entries in this blog knows, my favorite actor of all time is Peter Cushing. One great thing about living in the 21st Century is the availability of so many streaming and Internet sites that allows one to watch even the most obscure and rare films and TV shows. These sites have enabled me to view many Peter Cushing films that have fallen into a sort of black hole. 

One of these very under-the-radar Cushing titles is SON OF HITLER, which is, believe it or not, a comedy. (I should rephrase that by stating that it "attempts" to be a comedy.) The premise of SON OF HITLER is exactly what the title says--Adolf Hitler had a son born in 1944, and he was hidden away until unearthed in 1977, to be used as a symbol for a modern-day German political party. (This movie is so obscure, I couldn't even find a decent enough image on the internet to represent it.) 

Indie acting legend Bud Cort (HAROLD & MAUDE) plays Willi, a timid, innocent soul who has been sheltered up in the mountains all of his life by a former SS officer who wanted to make up for the misdeeds of the Nazis. Another former SS officer named Haussner (Peter Cushing), is aware of Willi's existence, and he has been searching for him since the end of WWII. After Willi wanders away from his mountain abode, Haussner tracks him down, and attempts to train the naive young man into a duplicate of his father. Willi is to be the figurehead of a rising German political party known as NEIN, but the guileless fellow is too kind and simple to carry on the Nazi tradition. 

Why anyone would even consider making a comedy about a long-lost son of Adolf Hitler is a mystery, and an even bigger mystery is why Peter Cushing (or his agent) would have considered starring in it. SON OF HITLER was made in late 1977, the same time as STAR WARS was breaking box office records all over the world. One would think that due to the success of STAR WARS, in which Cushing had a major role, the actor would have the advantage of being able to appear in all sorts of worthy productions. For whatever the reasons, it didn't turn out that way--most of the projects Cushing did appear in after SON OF HITLER were, if anything. even more mediocre and obscure. 

Perhaps Cushing was drawn to the idea that in SON OF HITLER he would be playing a comedic role, and he would get lead billing (although having star billing in a movie like this doesn't seem to be a positive). As for the comedic aspects of his part, I have to say that this is one of Cushing's most broadly played characterizations. When it comes to Peter Cushing's acting abilities, I'm one of his most staunchest defenders, but even I must admit he goes somewhat overboard on Haussner's comic villain persona. Haussner is loud, overbearing, and disdainful, and Cushing gets a number of opportunities to rant & rave. This type of performance might have worked for a 5 minute comedy sketch, but it's hard to maintain over a 90 minute film, especially when the script does Cushing no favors. 

If anything SON OF HITLER isn't provocative enough. The comedy is on the level of an American TV sitcom, which shouldn't be a surprise, since the film was directed by Rod Amateau, a veteran of that genre. (Amateau would also later go on to helm THE GARBAGE PAIL KIDS MOVIE.) There are plenty of chances in SON OF HITLER to inject some sharp satire, but the film isn't clever enough to do so. A more aggressive approach might have made the film more offensive, but at least it would have been more memorable.  

Bud Cort amply defines Willi's simpleton personality, perhaps too well, since the character is such a dunce the viewer isn't able to care all that much about his situation. I'm really reaching here, but a comparison can be made between Willi and Peter Sellers' Chance in BEING THERE. Both men are total innocents, blank slates if you will, who are used by political forces to represent ideas they can't possibly comprehend. (The similarity ends at that point--BEING THERE is a million times more an accomplished film.) A subplot involves Willi falling in love with the young daughter (Felicity Dean) of the powerful man (Anton Diffring) who bankrolls the NEIN party, but this isn't developed enough. 

The version of SON OF HITLER I watched on YouTube wasn't in the best condition, but it was in widescreen, and it appeared to be uncut. The movie wasn't cheaply or inadequately made, which makes it even more of a disappointment--the money and effort could have been used for something more important. The film was shot in West Germany, which makes one wonder how onlookers must have felt seeing Bud Cort walk around in a full SS uniform. 

SON OF HITLER got basically no type of release whatsoever, but what did the people behind it expect?? 1970s cinema was known for a "Anything Goes" mentality, but even in 1977 a film with this type of material would be frowned upon. Will SON OF HITLER ever get a proper home video release for English-speaking audiences?? In today's political and social climate?? 

What's really disappointing for Peter Cushing fans is that SON OF HITLER gives him more screen time than just about any other project he was involved with after STAR WARS. He deserved much, much better. The movie isn't cringe-inducing, or out-and-out awful--it's just silly and very tiresome. 

*Many books and articles on Peter Cushing list this film under the title HITLER'S SON. The version I watched on YouTube carries the title SON OF HITLER, so that's what I used for this blog post. 

THUNDER BAY

 

In my last post, on the Criterion Blu-ray of WINCHESTER '73, I mentioned that one of the extras on the disc was a program concerning the films that Anthony Mann made at Universal. During this program it was stated that the non-Western films that Mann directed starring James Stewart--THUNDER BAY, THE GLENN MILLER STORY, and STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND--were titles that the filmmaker wasn't all that excited about. The program suggests that Mann helmed these features more as a favor to Stewart, and as a way to stay in the actor's good graces. 

The program also states that THUNDER BAY--a tale set in 1946 that details the efforts of an engineer played by Stewart to build an off-shore oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico--was made mainly due to the fact that James Stewart had major investments in oil companies, and he wanted to show how important their operations were. I had never heard or read about this opinion, and it made me want to watch THUNDER BAY again. 

I had THUNDER BAY on DVD already--it's included on a three-disc set of James Stewart films released by Universal years ago. I watched it after getting the set, but it didn't make much of an impression on me, and I had basically forgotten about it since. THUNDER BAY is probably the least known of the Anthony Mann-James Stewart collaborations. It never seems to be shown on cable TV, even on the retro channels. 

THUNDER BAY tells the story of Steve Martin (James Stewart), a man determined to prove his ideas about an off-shore oil rig can work in reality. After getting out of the army, Steve and his partner Johnny Gambi (Dan Duryea) travel to Louisiana, with almost no money left, to meet with a prospective financial backer, a millionaire oil man named MacDonald (Jay C. Flippen). Steve convinces MacDonald to provide him money to start building an oil rig platform off the Louisiana coast. The project angers the local Cajun community--they believe that the rig will affect the local shrimping industry. Steve and Johnny's interactions with the locals don't help matters, and the two men start to grow apart due to Steve's hard-charging workaholic ways. The board of directors of MacDonald's company doesn't have faith in the project, and wants to stop it--but Steve is determined to see it through, no matter what. 

One major issue with THUNDER BAY is that while it's easy to be involved in watching Jimmy Stewart going after bad guys in the Old West, it's hard to be engaged in the building of an oil rig. It doesn't help that Stewart's character Steve is something of a jerk. He's bossy, touchy, and he expects everyone to do what he wants without question. One understands why Steve acts the way he does, but that doesn't make him any more sympathetic. A couple of times in the film Stewart makes speeches about how important it is to provide oil for the modern world, but these scenes fail to give much inspiration. 

The portrayal of the Cajun community that opposes Steve and his plans is another major weakness. The Cajuns are played by such actors as Gilbert Roland, Antonio Moreno, and Fortunio Bonanova, and they come off as Italian/South American/gypsy ethnic types instead of believable natives of Louisiana. They all act "colorful", so colorful that they become caricatures--they're almost backward peasants. (During the climax, the Cajuns go off in their boats and try and storm the oil rig as if they were superstitious villagers in a Universal monster movie.) Steve and Johnny fall in love with the daughters of Antonio Moreno's boat captain, and the women (played by Joanne Dru and Marcia Henderson) act and look as Cajun as Alec Guinness. 

Despite what one would think by looking at the poster above, there isn't much action in THUNDER BAY. There's a storm, an attempt to blow up the oil rig by Dan Duryea's romantic rival, a bar brawl between the oil rig workers and the fishermen, and a few other confrontations, but these sequences are very predictable. The climax is a big letdown--it's one of those contrived happy endings where everyone's problems are wrapped up way too neatly and too easily. The relationship between James Stewart and Joanne Dru has a soap opera aspect to it--it's established that Dru's character had left Louisiana for a few years and gotten hurt by various men, so she has a chip on her shoulder. The result is the leading man and woman of the story both have chips on their shoulders, and they both are not very appealing. 

James Stewart more than succeeds in showing the driven, obsessive nature of Steve. (I wonder if Anthony Mann realized how unlikable the character of Steve was, and, instead of trying to soften it, just let it go.) Dan Duryea has a nice rapport with Stewart, but since his Johnny is a fun-loving, gregarious type, one expects that he and Steve will clash--and of course they do. 

THUNDER BAY was Universal's first film released in widescreen, and it also had a stereophonic soundtrack. One wonders why the studio didn't pick a much more exciting and expansive story for such technical highlights. The movie was shot in actual Louisiana locations, and on a real off-shore oil rig, which does give it some flavor. It's not a badly-made film, but one can tell that Anthony Mann's heart wasn't really in it. THUNDER BAY doesn't hold up anywhere near as well as the other Mann-Stewart collaborations, and those with a 21st Century mindset would no doubt consider the main character of the story a villain.