HOLLYWOOD HORROR HOUSE-1969-This junk is like the classic HOLLYWOOD BLVD. but with gore, psychedelic dream sequences and characters using drugs. 69-year-old Miriam Hopkins (in her last role) plays the Norma Desmond type former silent screen star named Katherine Parker. Between drinking vodka and dreaming about a comeback she falls down a flight of stairs and breaks her leg. She hires Vic (John David Garfield) to assist her in her recovery even though it’s obvious he’s a loony who as flashbacks of his mother having sex with several men just before he cuts off her hand. He has an affair with the young maid (Virginia Wing) but she gets chopped up.
After a dinner party with Katherine’s very boring old friends (one guy falls asleep at the table) she and Vic have an (ugh) affair and he takes her to a wild party and gives her drugs. In one bizarre scene Katherine hallucinates she’s in The Santa Claus Lane Parade! Former Hollywood screen villain Gale Sonnergaard (in her first film role in 20 years!) is Katherine’s secretary who suspects something’s up. Another real life former ‘30’s star Florence Lake is the housekeeper and Joe Besser has a small role as a tour bus driver.
Later after killing Katherine (and everybody else) Vic talks and sleeps with a mannequin of her!
Hopkins gives a pretty good performance considering the circumstances (all rotten). Her character doesn’t have the has-been type decadence of Gloria Swanson. She still looks fairly glamorous (and threatens a topless scene!). Garfield (the son of the famous actor who died at 39) was also a film editor. I hope he was better at that job. His acting was somewhere between standing still and not caring.
The director of grisly embarrassing mess was one Donald Wolfe who’s other claim to fame seems to be that he edited THE HUMAN DUPLICATORS. He also wrote and produced it so there are not too many other people to blame...
HHH is also known as SAVAGE INTRUDER and THE COMEBACK.
One note: My friend Mike lend me this video. He told me there is a scene where you can see “the clapper” before the scene starts (much like in MANOS-HANDS OF FATE) but I didn’t notice this and I’ll be damned if I’m gonna watch this thing again!!
Thanks for reading!
4 comments:
I've had this for awhile but haven't gotten around to watching it. The drawing card for me was Gale Sondergaard. I think this is the first thing she did after she and her husband were blacklisted. Shame that nonsense completely ruined her career and she was reduced to appearing in stuff like this. I heard it was awful but all I'm asking for is "train wreck" goodness here. I like the title, though!
Yes, it sounds crazy but from 1949 to 1969 Sondergaard didn't make 1film appearance due to the blacklist! I remember seeing her on a few TV shows in the early '70's including an episode of NIGHT GALLERY.
The scene with the "clapper" is during the dinner party. It's quick, but it's most definitely there. Good God, this film was terrible.
I agree! Thanks for the info!
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