Not sure what I can say about FRANKENSTEIN that hasn't already been
said. The film really kicked off the monster cycle in Hollywood, and
continues to be copied to this day (and even more copies copy the
copies, anymore). FRANKENSTEIN told the story of the obsessed Dr.
Frankenstein, and his experiments to create life from dead tissue.
Frankenstein pieces together a man from the parts of dead bodies and
then revives the creature by lightning shocks. The real trouble is that
Frankenstein's assistant Fritz (Igor was
actually a character introduced much later in the series) didn't get
the brain Frankenstein wanted, so his monster has the brain of a
lunatic. There's some interesting stuff here in terms of contemporary
scientific discoveries and experimentation. A team of scientists would
later (reportedly) revive a puppy from the dead, that the subject of the
film LIFE RETURNS. The brain, in particular, was still being studied
when FRANKENSTEIN emerged as a massive hit at the box office. Of course,
the story had been filmed earlier (by Thomas Edison, in fact), but
Universal's version was the one to really take it's place as King of
thrillers. Following his success in DRACULA, Universal intended the film
to star Bela Lugosi as the monster. Bela thought the part all wrong for
him, since it would be done minus his brooding voice, and Boris Karloff
got the part instead. The two actors would reign as the joint monarchs
of horror for the next two decades. FRANKENSTEIN was such a hit that
Universal demanded a sequel. THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN is considered by
many to be the single finest horror movie of the era.
I
only recently discovered the teleseries F-Troop, but I'm so glad I did!
Ken Berry is the accident-prone, but by-the-book, unlikely war hero to
emerge from the last days of the Civil War. Youngest of a family of
illustrious military heroes, Wilton Parmenter is given the rank of
Captain and sent to man the frontier fort, Fort Courage. Once there,
Parmenter tries to run things as military as possible,
unaware that he's constantly being taken advantage of by his chief
officer Sgt. O'Rourke -as played by Forrest Tucker. O'Rourke's sidekick
and partner-in-business is the slow-witted Corp. Agarn, as played by
Larry Stroch, who really steals the show. O'Rourke and Agarn have a
thriving business arrangement with the near-by Heckawi Indians, who
among other things supply whiskey for O'Rourke's saloon! Former cowboy
star Bob Steele plays old timer Trooper Duffy. Frank DeKova is Heckawi
chief Wild Eagle, the chicken of the redskins ("Heckawi lovers, not
fighters!"). And of course, every red-blooded male will take notice of
Melody Patterson's feisty trader "Wrangler" Jane, who's sweet on
Parmenter and will do or die to be his bride. The show was absolutely
crazy. 1965 was superimposed over 1865 and from that came much of the
humor. The writing was constantly strong, with hysterical scripts packed
with fun characters. Of course, a show like this works mainly due to
casting, and F-Troop boasts the near perfect cast. Larry Storch combines
the physical comedy of a silent movie star with the elastic facial
expressions of a living cartoon, his character given some of the best
lines on any sitcom. Tucker was an actual Cavalry officer, and so brings
an authenticity to Sgt. O'Rourke one seldom sees even on dramatic
shows. Miss Paterson was only 16 when she began the series, and
overnight became a G.I. dreamgirl. In the second season, the show went
full color, one of the very last shows to do so after starting in black
and white. Unfortunately, the second season was to be the last, and a
great show left the air.
THE CREEPING FLESH was an interesting, if not overly successful, British
offering. In the film, Peter Cushing discovers the skeleton of an
ancient man-like creature that from all appearances was quite advanced
yet extremely savage. While cleaning the bones, he discovers that
application of water restores flesh to the ancient bones, complete with
living blood. There's some interesting bits from there, but the film's
twist ending is somewhat underwhelming. Peter Cushing and Christopher
Lee are the main highlights, as is usually the case when they are cast.
Perhaps the main hindrance is that the concept isn't fully exploited,
and the film plays more to psychological thriller than
monster-on-the-loose. That might work well in another picture, but this
one just feels unfulfilling.
THE BIRDS is the closest thing the screen's Master of Suspense ever came
to making a "monster movie." It's key scenes continue to be copied by
"zombie movies" to this day. Although the second half is very strong,
the first half is woefully meandering,
as we follow Tippi Hedren in her bizarre pestering of Rod Taylor,
basically a random guy she meets in a pet shop. She stalks him back to
his home on the tiny island of Bodega Bay and then even rents a room
with Taylor's old flame Suzanne Pleshette! Eventually, things begin
moving as unexplained and seemingly random bird attacks begin happening.
Soon, a full-scale war between bird and man has Bodega Bay crippled.
What begins as Hitchcock's weakest work (apparently done to showcase
Hedren) grows into some of Hitch's best. Ub Iwerks' amazing composite
effects remain some of the best you'll ever see. The film forecast the
dire nature-strikes-back genre of the 70's, and large swathes of the
film were basically re-created for 1968's NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD and
nearly every rip-off of that one to follow. 31 years later, a TV movie
tried to sell itself as a sequel, though from what minimal -and very
hazy- memories I have of it, it was really more of a remake. You could
argue AIP's 1972 release FROGS was basically a remake with different
animals. Of course, if you were going to say that, you could say it of
dozens of 70's killer animal movies. "THE BIRDS is coming!"
Typical of 60's sitcoms, I Dream of Jeannie was also one of the most
delightful. Larry Hagman played astronaut Tony Nelson, who experienced
trouble on re-entry and became stranded on a tiny island well away from
the area being searched for his capsule. On the beach he found an old
bottle, out of which materialized the beauteous Jeannie -a genie played
by the stunning Barbara Eden. Jeannie makes possible Tony's rescue and
he responds by giving her her freedom, but the free Jeannie
wants only to stick close to Tony and follows him back to Cocoa Beach,
Florida. There, Tony must keep her existence a secret, which proves
challenging as Jeannie flexes her magical powers in a frustrated attempt
to please her new master. The eager-to-please Jeannie finds her dreamy
master the kind of man who would rather do things himself, and from
there much comedy ensues. Bill Daily plays the skirt-chasing Roger
Healy, Tony's close friend and the only one in on Jeannie's secret.
Roger constantly yo-yo's between loyal friend and greedy opportunist,
more than willing to take full advantage of Jeannie's amazing powers.
Tony's main obstacle was his CO, Dr. Bellows, played by character actor
Hayden Rourke. The show was massively successful for several reasons,
not the least of which was the stunning beauty of Miss Eden. Hagman and
Daily made for one of the best comedy teams in television, and Larry had
the funniest scream to boot. NASA's space program served as the
background of the series. Though the rules regarding Jeannie's powers
and backstory were in constant flux, each episode was sharply written.
Eventually, Tony came to reciprocate Jeannie's affections and the
characters married. Despite this giving the show it's true stride, this
was about the time the ratings began to slide. The show was one of the
earliest victims of the "rural purge" television experienced in the
early 70's. Still, the show continued to grow in popularity through
re-runs. Eventually, a pair of TV movies would emerge. I DREAM OF
JEANNIE: 15 YEARS LATER caught up with the gang at a time when Jeannie
was now the mother of an unpredictable teenager. Popular replacement
actor Wayne Rogers filled in for absent Larry Hagman. I STILL DREAM OF
JEANNIE saw Tony missing on a space mission and Jeannie desperately
trying to find a new master. It was, like most such films, a defacto
pilot for a series that never took off. Seems there was also an
unrelated Saturday morning cartoon version of the Jeannie character.
The early 50's saw a number of space operas in production. Some were
science fiction, while others leaned toward pulp. Out of this magic
period arrived FLIGHT TO MARS, a semi George Pal-ish space opera in
which man lands on the red planet to discover a functioning civilization
on the brink of exhausting itself. The Martians are split on how to
handle the knowledge of Earth's new
space capabilities. Some feel Earth may be their salvation by peaceful
trade, others that Earth must be taken with force. Fine cast headlines
the sort of space opera that tries to be both serious and fun, in a
story where space-suits are functional but women wear miniskirts in the
Martian city. A lot of elements here would be used over and over within
the genre, but FLIGHT TO MARS maintains some originality in it's being
the first film to play with these themes. Most previous space operas of
the decade featured either barren worlds or civilizations too savage to
menace our own world. After this, though, such films were less
space-bound safaris and more cosmic intrigue. Although the film had some
TV play, it's become fairly rare since it's original release. The Wade
Williams DVD print is pretty worn, for example. Still, it's great to see
pictures like this being preserved and enjoyed.
I sometimes forget just how cool the 80's were. In the previous decade,
Don Bluth and some other Disney animators formed their own company.
Success was slow in coming, and the studio's major claim to fame at the
start of the 80's was a segment for the bizarre musical XANADU. In 1982,
the long-in-production THE SECRET OF NIMH hit theaters. THE SECRET OF
NIMH was a unique and beautifully animated science fiction epic owing
much to Disney, Harryhausen, and older costume dramas. Widowed
field mouse Mrs. Brisby is in a desperate situation. Her home is about
to be destroyed, but she can't leave because her bedridden son is ill.
Mrs. Brisby seeks help from the (terrifying, but wise) old owl of the
forest, who tells her to seek the aid of "the rats of NIMH." Said rats
are escaped test animals who have developed full intelligence and
technological abilities. Turns out it was Mrs. Brisby's late husband
who, among them as another test animal, made possible their escape.
Wonderfully entertaining adventure tries for a more somber tone than the
Disney stuff, and employs and amazing voice cast (John Carradine, for
example, is the owl). Paul Williams provides an end title song. Though
it didn't do Disney business, it was a success that secured the studio
and paved the way for other hits such as AN AMERICAN TAIL, THE LAND
BEFORE TIME, and ALL DOGS GO TO HEAVEN. The film even revolutionized the
young arcade video game market, when Bluth's team was hired by
producers who saw the film to create cel animated graphics for Dragon's
Lair. The game was so successful that it stabilized the video game
industry, and a sequel game followed, as well as a space opera game
titled Space Ace. Disney even tried to produce a Bluth-like epic in the
form of THE BLACK CAULDRON, which quickly bombed at the box office and
slid into obscurity. Unfortunately, the 90's wouldn't be as kind.
Sequels were produced by other studios, and Bluth's fun-but-quirky
ROCK-A-DOODLE was the first in a string of failures that eventually
brought the studio to it's knees.
Unlike in the 30's and 40's, Universal in the 50's had but one franchise
monster, the Creature from the Black Lagoon. THE CREATURE WALKS AMONG
US was the third and last of these films. In the previous film, REVENGE
OF THE CREATURE, the Gillman was shot down at the edge of a Florida
tributary and sank into the waters. Some time has passed and it has
become evident that the Gillman is still alive and stirring up trouble
for native fishermen down south. An expedition sets out to
capture the beast, but in the process the Creature is badly burned by a
thrown oil lamp. The scientists rush the Creature into an operating
room and soon discover that the Gillman has a layer of humanoid skin
underneath his scales, and a reserve set of lungs they open to replace
the creature's badly damaged gills. Robbed of the sea, the creature now
submits to study by the scientists. In their number is Jeff Morrow, who
thinks he can more or less impose his will on anything -save his
estranged wife Leigh Snowden. Rex Reason is more sympathetic to the
Creature, and formulates a theory that the Creature is only violent when
provoked, and that if treated kindly the Creature will respond in kind.
Unfortunately, Rex doesn't get the chance to really substantiate his
theory, as the Creature is used to cover a murder. In the process of
this, the monster breaks loose and heads for the beach, where the
ultimate fate of the Creature is left unresolved. THE CREATURE WALKS
AMONG US has seldom been praised by critics, and the physical change of
one of the best monster designs in movie history has rankled many.
Still, the film sports a fine cast and features the usual Universal
International production values. Photography, music, editing, acting,
all in fine form in a story intriguing if not spectacular.
Believe it or not, it was only the other night that I finally saw
GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES! Based on the hit play, GENTLEMEN PREFER
BLONDES tells the story of Lorelei, a gold-digging showgirl and her more
grounded best pal Dorothy, as they take an ocean voyage to Paris.
Lorelei is eager to marry a young millionaire who has been going to her
shows, but his family isn't for the union. Dorothy seeks a man who
doesn't flaunt his bankroll in order to attract a mate, and she thinks
she's found the perfect man aboard ship -before discovering that he's
actually a private dick hired to dig up some dirt against Lorelei!
Breezy Technicolor musical is fun, but the real point here is that the
film stars two of the biggest glamor symbols of the era, Jane Russell
and Marilyn Monroe. One of the last major 20th Century Fox films to be
shot in academy ratio, it was soon overshadowed by the Cinemascope
release HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE, which teamed Monroe with fellow sex
kittens Betty Grable and Lauren Bacall. The film regained popularity on
television, and remains one of Monroe's best known pictures. Among the
songs featured one finds the signature "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best
Friend" which is shockingly racy for 1953! Then again, there's nothing
subtle here. This is pure, undiluted entertainment. Comedy, music,
Technicolor, and the two most beautiful stars in Hollywood. Very
enjoyable.
Before LEFT BEHIND and THE OMEGA CODE, before the films of companies
like Cloud Ten and Affirm Films, there was A THIEF IN THE NIGHT, the
first film about the Rapture. Every independent film
director/writer/producer/technician should see and study this film. Shot
in Iowa in 1972, the low-budget feature was and is a gripping drama and
masterpiece of horror film-making. Things start slowly, as we follow a
group of young people and their various reactions to teaching on the
Rapture, or catching away of Christ's
elect in the end time. (The Rapture itself has been the subject of
continual debate by theological scholars, as to if it happens before the
Tribulation, during the middle of it, or after it. A THIEF IN THE
NIGHT, as most cinematic depictions do, places the Rapture prior to the
Tribulation, and does a strong job of supporting it's placement.)
There's much theological discussion as we look into the lives of
assorted younger adults, ranging from a totally atheistic outlook to
that of a new Christian. Knowing it's audience, the film doesn't pass
judgement, but presents the facts and natural reactions to them,
particularly in the midst of the confusing counter-messages prevalent in
the 70's. Eventually, the Rapture occurs and from there the film builds
to a fever pitch. As haunting as any Twilight Zone episode, made all
the more scary for it's reality. The film left a huge impact, and even
secular critics have praised the film's effectiveness. The film was
followed by a higher-budgeted sequel, A DISTANT THUNDER in 1978. IMAGE
OF THE BEAST and THE PRODIGAL PLANET followed in 1980 and 1983,
respectively. Collectively known as "the Tribulation movies" the films
paved the way for Christian-produced feature films. All four used to be
sold at Christian book stores across the country (they may still be, I
don't think my town has one anymore), and were for a long time staples
of church screenings. Even if you disagree with the theological content
of the film, I'd still recommend a viewing. Even with it's budgetary
limitations, A THIEF IN THE NIGHT is beautifully shot and masterfully
edited.
