Ghost?

THE BLACK DOLL-1938-Forgotten murder mystery that goes from serious mystery to comedy murder case. A mean millionaire (C. Henry Gordon) with a second wife (Doris Lloyd) and a no good stepson (William Lunigan) also has a long suffering daughter (Nan Grey) who's in love PI Nick Halstead (Donald Woods). When the millionaire is killed Halstead and a dumb sheriff (Edgar Kennedy) and his deputy (Syd Saylor) investigate. It seems the millionaire and three cronies were responsible for the death of his wife's original husband years before. After every death a weird voodoo like black doll is found. Is the dead man still alive or is it his ghost? 

This average whodunit was the first of 11 features directed by Otis Garrett, a former film editor for Universal who produced this as an entry into their 11 part “Crime Club Mystery” series.

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Barf Up Another

FRANCES STEIN-2015-Doctor Frances Stein (director/writer PJ Woodside) working on “memory retrieval” goes mad and plots revenge on her ex-husband and his new wife. Steve Hudgins, the usual director of these Barfing Pig productions (he produced it though), puts himself in a showy character role where he thinks his idiotic non-acting abilities are on par with Olivier (well, Olivier Gruner maybe...). It's also told in flashbacks and flash forwards. The actors all seem like they were rounded up from an insane asylum.

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More Shaw

CLAN OF THE AMAZONS-1978-In this Shaw brothers production a detective (Tony Liu) searches for “The Embroidery Killer”, an assassin who blinds his victims with needles. The detective teams up with the daughter of one of the victims to find the mysterious “Red Shoes Gang”. Guess why they're called that. Great fights but too much talk. 

Director Yuen Chor also made THE WEB OF DEATH, DEATH DUEL and over hundred more films!

https://moviemeltdown.blogspot.com/2018/08/the-shaw-brothers-strike-again.html

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AKA 7 GUARDIANS.

7 GUARDIANS OF THE TOMB-2018-The CEO (Kelsey Grammar) of a large pharmaceutical company leads an expedition to find an ancient elixir that extends life. He'd send out two guys earlier but after finding a secret chamber only one came back. His group includes Jia (Bingbing Li; THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM, TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION), a venom expert looking for her missing brother, the survivor of the pair who went first and Jack (Kellan Lutz; THE LEGEND OF HERCULES), a dumb ass macho guy. The group is menaced by poisonous spiders along the way. 

This Chinese Australian co-production has mediocre acting, a bad script and terrible SFX. Director Kimble Rendall also made CUT. My review is here:

 https://moviemeltdown.blogspot.com/2015/09/down-under-murder.html

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LOL

BIG BAD BUGS!-2012-Amateurish badly acted and directed crap about giant insects invading Earth from another dimension. The SFX are terrible. I think it was a comedy but it was so bad it was hard to tell! This was directed by Peter Paul Basler who also made ICE: THE MOVIE.

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More Badness

MANIAC ON THE LOOSE-2008-Stupid amateurish junk about an escaped mental patient. It's mostly talk with the nut ranting at two kidnapped victims. The twist is one of the victims is the escaped psycho while the kidnapper is just a random nut. I think it was suppose to be a comedy but the acting and dialogue is so inane it's hard to tell. Later after he kills the rando loony, the escaped patient has a party for his dead victims. 

The director of this junk Steve Hudgins seemed to think he was making some high art horror film with flashbacks and strange twists but it's just a waste of time.

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Low Budget Vampires

THE CARETAKERS-2014-After a weird looking guy named Jack (Nick Faust) shoots another guy in the head, a dweeb named Jimmy (Michael Coon) kills an old woman. He chains up Rachel, either his sister or wife or both. Later he kills a guy in a men's room and we learn he's giving the victims' blood to Rachel because she's a vampire. Meanwhile Jack is the caretaker for the vampire and he must train a father and daughter to take his place...well..something like that.

 Bill Johnson (Leatherface TCSM2) has a small role. It's boring and the acting, direction and sfx stink and to top it all off Joe Estevez is in it too! Director Steve Hudgins has made lots of shot on video crap under his Big Biting Pig Productions banner.

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More Steele

TERROR CREATURES FROM THE GRAVE-1965-Attorney Albert Kovac (Walter Brandi) visits the castle of Jaromus Haup on behalf of his partner Joseph Morgan who received a letter from Haup. At the castle Kovac meets Haup's second wife Cleo (Barbara Steele) and Haup's daughter Corinne (Mirella Maravidi). Kovac is informed by Cleo that her husband could not have written the letter because he's been dead for a year! Kovac hangs around long enough to fall in love with Corinne and investigate some murders with a local doctor (Alfredo Rizzo). It seems all the witnesses to Haup's death (he fell down the stairs) are dying in strange ways. It also seems that Haup, who was dealing in the black arts and resurrection of the dead, is still alive (they find his coffin empty) and that the supernatural is involved. It's discovered Haup wants to bring back the plague to kill his adversaries! 

Although we never see any creatures, clocks tick, hearts in jars pound and coffins open. Director Massimo Pupillo made the much wackier BLOODY PIT OF HORROR the same year but this movie doesn't credit him. He was unhappy with the final results so producer Ralph Zucker is credited as director! 

1965 was a busy year for Steele who also made NIGHTMARE CASTLE, THE DOCTOR AND THE DEVIL, THE LONG HAIR OF DEATH and an episode of TV's SECRET AGENT.

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The Last House of Universal

HOUSE OF DRACULA-1945-In his castle laboratory the kindly eminent Dr. Edleman (Onslow Stevens) conducts experiments with the assistance of two nurses Nina (Jane Addams) and Miliza (Martha O'Driscoll) a hunchback. One dark night Count Dracula using the alias "Baron Latos" (John Carradine) visits Edleman. The urbane count says he wants to be cured of his vampirism. He sounds sincere but almost immediately sets his hypnotic eyes on Nina. While doing blood tests on Drac, the doc also receives a visit from Lawrence Talbot (Lon Chaney Jr., now with a mustache looking none the worse for wear especially since he was killed by a silver bullet in HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN) who wants a cure for his curse of lacanthropy. Edleman thinks he can help Larry but he must first  attend to the count who's getting way too flirty with his nurse. Larry makes a big point about his condition by having the local police chief (Lionel Atwill in his last finished movie) lock him up during a full moon. and he transforms right in front of their eyes.

During a blood transfusion Drac makes Edleman and Miliza go to sleep. He then reverses the transfusion and injects his blood sucking blood into the doc's! He plans to fly away with Nina. Edleman is revived in time to thwart the count's plan but he becomes a paranoid power crazed vampire type creature intent on reviving the Frankenstein monster (he and Talbot found it early with the skeleton of the monster's last would be savior Dr. Niemann; this is the only connection to HOF that makes any sense). The new blood seeking creature has a scary leer, watches his mirror image fade and (thanks to scenes from previous entries in the series) has a weird dream with the monster helping him attack the local town. He occasionally snaps out of his curse and plans on helping Miliza but she insists he operate on Talbot first. He does and the operation is a success! The full moon doesn't affect him! After vampire Edleman kills one of his workers (Ludwig Stossel) he begins tinkering again with the monster (Glen Strange). Miliza discovers this and Edleman promptly strangles her. Talbot enters just as the monster awakens. Meanwhile an angry mob lead by the dead worker's brother (Skelton Knaggs) storms the castle. In a rather sad (in more ways than one) ending the just cured Talbot shoots the crazed Edleman who seems to have a relieved look on his face when he dies. The monster gets mad, flails around a bit and tries to attack Talbot who starts a fire which it would appear kills the mistreated monster for good.

Not counting the next film to feature the three classic Universal monsters (ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN), HOUSE OF DRACULA brings to a close the horror series that really began with the original FRANKENSTEIN in 1931. It's not exactly a fond farewell despite having Earle C. Kenton as director. He'd done ok with the previous entries (HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN; FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLFMAN) but the story here is rushed and the monster is wasted with just a couple of brief cameos before being destroyed. The acting is good especially from Stevens and O'Driscoll but the story is kind of mean spirited with Miliza after all her dedication to Edleman and his work winds up being strangled and her corpse thrown haphazardly aside. 

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All Star Horror From Universal

HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN-1944-In prison for his medical experiments, Dr. Niemann (Boris Karloff) shows his know how to his hunchback assistant Daniel (J.Carroll Nash) and promises to give him a new body. Lightning destroys the prison wall and the pair escape. They hook up with Prof. Lampini (George Zucco) and his horror exhibition which he claims includes the remains of the original Count Dracula. Niemann wants to go to his old lab in Visaria but Lampini has other plans. Too bad. Daniel kills him and Neimann takes over as Lampini. In town, Burgomaster Herr Hussman (Sig Ruman) questions Niemann about his identity while displaying Dracula's skeleton with a stake in it. He remembers it was the burgomaster who put him in prison for putting the brain of a dog into man. Overcome with vengeance Niemann pulls the stake out of the Count's skeleton planning to kill the burgomaster but an amazing thing happens. The skeleton transforms into Dracula who tries to hypnotize Neimann but his will is wrong and he resists. Niemann makes a deal: if Dracula will obey him he'll make sure there's always a coffin waiting for him. Dracula agrees. The count gets right down to work, integrating himself (under the guise of Count Lagos) into the burgomaster's small family unit: his son Karl (Peter Coe) and his American daughter in law Rita (Ann Gwynne). He does in the burgomaster just as the old guy figures out Lampini is Neimann but really has his sights set on Rita who he hypnotizes and plans to take away. Unfortunately  his plan runs into a stumbling block when the sun rises. Dracula makes a bee line for his coffin which Niemann has and dumps off his wagon while the police give chase. Dracula goes for his coffin but it's too late. The sun finds him and he turns to dust thus releasing Rita from his thrall.


This is like end of part one. Whew! The rest of the story begins with Daniel's rescue of a gypsy dancer Illonka (Elena Verdugo) after he sees her being whipped by her boss. Clearly infatuated with her Daniel begs his master to take her along. Niemann agrees and gives her the job of driving the horses. Though at first sight repulsed by Daniel's deformity, she feels sorry and they become friends. Later the troupe visit Castle Frankenstein where The Monster and the Wolf man had their battle in the previous entry FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLFMAN. Neimann and Daniel discover their frozen bodies. “The undying monster” Neimann exclaims. He and Danny un-freeze the monsters and this is when the trouble begins. Getting his hands on Dr. Frankenstein's “The Secrets of Life and Death”, Neimann agrees to help Talbot die by switching his brain with the monster's. Meanwhile Illonka falls for Larry which in turn makes Dan very jealous and in a rage spills the beans to gypsy about Larry's hairy curse. As usual Niemann becomes obsessed with reviving the monster and kind of forgets about his promise to fix friend Daniel's deformed body. Illonka figures the only way to help her beloved Larry is to shoot him with a silver bullet. She gets a gun but is fatally attacked by the wolf man who she kills before shortly dying herself. This doesn't sit with Daniel who attempts to strangle his former benefactor. This upsets the monster (who earlier had been whipped by Dan) and he breaks free and kills the hunchback. The angry villagers storm the castle (one of them is un-billed character actor Joe Kirk). The monster grabs the doc and hightails it out. Unfortunately despite the injured mad scientist's pleas, he takes them right into some quicksand where the are quickly swallowed up. The End.

It's nice to see all these monsters and classic actors together in one Universal horror movie but HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN could have been better. Dracula never appears with the wolf man or the monster. A lot of what Neimann does doesn't make sense. One scene where Niemann has kidnapped two men,  Strauss, his former assistant (Michael Mark) who betrayed him and a juror Ullman (Frank Reicher) who testified against him, he says he's going to put one of their brains into the wolf man and the other into the monster sort of contradicting his original plans. When this scene is over the two captives are never referred to again and he continues with his experiments. Also when he's ready to do an operation on Talbot, did he really have to do it on the night of a full moon? You'd think he'd know better. But then I guess he was a mad scientist! His was one of the last screenplays written by Edward T. Lowe who career started in 1912! He wrote HOUSE OF DRACULA the next year. Director Earle Kenton manages to pull off all the right moves to make this a very entertaining horror story despite it's small flaws. 

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The Big Showdown!

FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLFMAN-1943-Two grave robbers attempt to rob the grave of the deceased Lawrence Talbot. When they open the grave they find Talbot (Lon Chaney Jr.) is alive and he grabs one of the robbers. Later Talbot is found on the streets of a town with a head wound. He's taken to a hospital run by Dr. Mannering (Patrick Knowles) but he's suspected of being an impostor when the police inspector (Dennis Hoey) discovers Lawrence Talbot died years ago. At night with the rise of the full moon, Larry becomes a werewolf and kills a policeman. Next day when he confesses to the crime, no one believes him. They think he's deluded. 

Later Larry escapes the hospital and finds the gypsy Maleva (Maria Ouspenskaya) also the mother of Bela, the wolfman who bite Larry originally. They go to Vasaria to find Dr. Frankenstein but he's dead. After the wolfman kills a woman, the town's people (including Dwight Frye) go after him/it. Seeking refugee in some old ruins he stumbles upon the frozen body of the infamous Frankenstein monster (Bela Lugosi). Larry thaws him out and the monster shows him where his creator kept his diary but alas it's not there. Desperate, Larry contacts Ilsa, The Baroness Frankenstein but she says she doesn't have the diary either. Never the less, the burgomaster (Lionel Atwill) invites the Baroness and Larry to “The Festival of the New Wine”. Larry freaks out when he hears a singer do a song about life being short. Dr. Mannering finds him and says he needs psychiatric care. Just then the monster invades the square but Larry helps him escape and they hide out at the ruined castle. 

Later Mannering, the baroness and Maleva go to the ruins and the baroness shows Larry where the diary is hidden. Unfortunately Mannering forgets all about helping Talbot and becomes obsessed with reviving the monster and wants to see it at “it's full power”. He botches things up completely when Ilsa tries to stop him. Talbot changes into the wolfman and the monster escapes and menaces Ilsa for a bit then the two monsters fight. During the tussle (in which Mannering and Ilsa escape) rotund bartender Vazec (Ray Evans) blows up the dam, flooding the castle and interrupting thefight. The end. Maleva is forgotten about.

The story behind FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLFMAN is that originally Universal wanted Chaney to play both monster roles. When that was scrapped Lugosi was hired to play the monster. His portrayal is often criticized heavily but once again there's a more to it. In the original story the monster had the ability to talk. However when the movie was finished nobody liked the dialogue. Some said it was laughable. It was re-cut with all of the monster's speaking parts taken out. Also the monster was blind but in the re-editing this was also taken out. They didn't shoot any additional scenes to explain any of it which left Lugosi's monster kind of looking like an arm waving buffoon at times. Although Franky's evil grin as he's being revived is the highlight scene. There's also stories of several stuntmen subbing for Lugosi. One scene of the monster in ice is definitely Eddie Parker. 

Of course back in the day, the studio wanted Lugosi to play the monster in the original FRANKENSTEIN. He fought against it and Boris Karloff got the role.  

FMTW is a sequel to both TTHE GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN and THE WOLFMAN. It was directed by Roy William Neil who was already into the work he would arguably best known for: the Universal Sherlock Holmes series starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. Since it's edited down it's hard to judge. The direction and acting are good but there's really not that much of the monster and when he does finally clash with the wolfman it's a brief duel ended prematurely. Screenwriter Curt Siodmak has said that he originally came up with the title as a joke. 

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Even A Man Who Is Pure In Heart....

THE WOLFMAN-1941-In England Lawrence Talbot (Lon Chaney Jr.) returns home to Castle Talbot after spending 18 years in America, upon the death of his older brother. His dad Sir John (Claude Rains) wants him to become one of the family again. Cheerful Larry no sooner gets settled when he's fooling around with a telescope and spies Gwen (Evelyn Ankers) in her antique shop. When he visits she tells him about werewolves and the sign of the pentagram.

Larry wants his fortune told so he, Gwen and her friend Jenny (Fay Helm) visit a gypsy camp. There Bela (Bela Lugosi) reads Jenny's fortune and it's not good. He sees a pentagram on her palm. While Larry romances Gwen Bela turns into a werewolf and kills Jenny. Larry kills the werewolf with his silver cane but is bitten in the process. He's helped home by Maleva (Maria Ouspenskaya) . Later the chief of police (Ralph Bellamy) and Doctor Lloyd (Warren William) find Jenny and Bela (not a wolf anymore). The next day Larry recovers and his wolf bite has disappeared. Larry overhears Maleva talking to the dead Bela and finds out he was her son. Later Gwen introduces Larry to her fiance Frank Andrews (Patrick Knowles), game keeper for the estate. Maleva gives Larry the low down on his curse and the gypsies pack up and leave as Larry turns into the title character. His first victim is a gravedigger. Next time he goes out prowling he gets his foot caught in a trap planted by the constable. He passes out but doesn't get caught because Maleva finds him and somehow gets him to change back to human. Larry goes to Gwen for help but when he sees the sign of the pentagram on her palm he freaks out. He confesses his fears to his dad but Sir John doesn't believe it. He straps his son to chair in a locked room while everyone is out hunting the wolf. He transforms and escapes. Gwen winds up in the foggy woods being pursued by hairy Larry. He attacks her but Sir John confronts him and in an ironic twist beats him to death with Larry's cane. Larry turns human and Maleva declares “Your suffering is over”.

 THE WOLF MAN kind of ushered in the second era of Universal horror films. Director George Waggner also did MAN MADE MONSTER with Chaney the same year. He later made THE CLIMAX with Karloff. This has a great cast and the foggy scenes where the wolf man prowls are excellent despite being all done in the studio. Screenwriter Curt Siodmak went on to write several more in the series. Waggner later went into TV. His last work was on the BATMAN TV in the '60's.

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The Black Sleep

THE BLACK SLEEP-1956-Dr. Cadman (Basil Rathbone) has discovered the title drug and uses it on his former student Ramsey (Herb Rudley) who was suppose to be hanged for murder. Cadman needs Ramsey to assist him in his brain operations. No sooner do they get to his castle home when they meet the brutish Mongo (Lon Chaney Jr.) who's attacking Laurie (Patricia Blair), one of Cadman's nurses. It turns out Mongo is Laurie's father and once a respected doctor. Now only another nurse Daphne (Phyllis Stanley) can control him. At first Ramsey thinks Cadman is brilliant but during an operation he realizes while the black sleep can induce a coma like effect the patient can still feel pain. This doesn't seem to bother Cadman in the least and Ramsey sees that his former teacher is insane and his real goal is to cure his comatose wife. The doctor has a mute servant Casimir (Bela Lugosi) and a gypsy grave robber Udu (Akim Tamiroff) who helps him out. Cadman is a full grown nut who cares nothing about human life and has a basement full of failed experiments in his dungeon to prove it. The “patients” include Curry (Tor Johnson), a big now blind guy, a bible spouting long hair crazy guy Borg (John Carridine), the (now disfigured) sailor (George Sawaya) they operated on earlier and bald girl (Sally Yarnell) with patches of hair all over her body. Of course they rise up and attack, causing Mr. and Mrs. Cadman to fall to their deaths.

THE BLACK SLEEP is always described as an “all star horror” movie and on paper it is. But most of the cast is wasted. Chaney is a dumb grunting henchman, Tor sits around looking “Lobo-ish” (although they do show a “before” picture of his character looking kind of dapper!) and worst of all the great Lugosi in his final full length movie role as the mute butler! Whoever thought this was a good idea should have been injected with “the black sleep” themselves! At least they put Carradine's voice to good use! Rathbone is great as the mad scientist and Tamiroff and Rudley are ok in supporting roles. 

Director Reginald Le Borg had already worked with Lon Chaney in '40's on THE MUMMY'S GHOST and “The Inner Sanctum” series. The next year he directed the disappointing VOODOO ISLAND with Boris Karloff (at least he got to speak...).

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Chan On The Sea

 CHARLIE CHAN’S MURDER CRUISE-1940-Charlie Chan (Sidney Toler) is ready to spank no.7 son Willie (Layne Tom Jr.) for going through Pop’s mail to find a bad report card but is interrupted by a visit from his old friend Inspector Duff of Scotland Yard (Montague Shaw). He’s on the trial of an international killer known only as “The Strangler” and has narrowed the search down to 10 people all on an around the world cruise ship. Unfortunately before they can act Duff is strangled to death in Chan’s own office! Charlie meets archaeologist Prof. Gordon (Leo G. Carroll), tour director Dr. Suderman (Lionel Atwill), Richard Kenyon (Robert Lowery), a murdered passenger’s nephew, the hypochondriac Pendelton (Leonard Mudie) and the smug Mr. Ross (Don Beddoe). Also thrown in is a quick to hysterics socialite Suzie (Cora Witherspoon) and her secretary Paula (Marjorie Weaver), who Kenyon is sweet on. Then there's the Amish looking Mr.& Mrs. Walters (Charles Middleton and Claire Du Brey). She’s psychic and implicates Kenyon in the murder of his uncle. Meanwhile a mysterious bearded beggar hangs around. The killer leaves a bag of 30 silver dimes with each of his victims. A weird hobby horse race figures into the plot. Jimmy (Sen Yung) hangs around as a steward and gets into trouble. 

Eugene Forde directed this easy to take mystery with a good cast.

Followed by CHARLIE CHAN IN THE WAX MUSEUM.

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Chan Goes Everywhere

CHARLIE CHAN IN PANAMA1940--A suspicious bunch gather in Panama. Jolly author Cliveden Compton (Lionel Atwill), school teacher Jennie Finch (Mary Nash), local club owner Manolo (Jack La Rue), Godley (Addison Richards), Dr. Grosser (Lionel Royce), a grouchy, fez wearing German Halide (Frank Puglia) and a guy named Cabot (Kane Richmond) that Manolo has one of his employees Kathie (Jean Rogers) spy on.

In Panama City Godley visits a hat maker who happens to be Charlie Chan (Sidney Toler) undercover. Godley has secret info on a saboteur/assassin named Reinhardt (no one knows what he looks like) but he smokes a poisoned cigarette and dies before revealing his info. Chan must stop Reinhardt from harming the Navy fleet before it uses the canal. No. 2 son Jimmy (Sen Yung) is kind of a pain but the identity of the killer is a lulu! Norman Foster directed this enjoyable installment, no doubt enhanced by the presence of the always entertaining Lionel Atwill.

 Next up: CHARLIE CHAN'S MURDER CRUISE.

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Chan In Darkness

CHARLIE CHAN IN THE CITY OF DARKNESS-1939-In France during a WW2 blackout Charlie Chan (Sidney Toler) investigates the murder of a shady industrialist Petroff (Douglass Dumbrille). Chan is actually helping the chief inspector's bumbling assistant Spivak (Harold Huber) .The story involves a counterfeiter (Leo G Carroll), a couple fleeing a blackmail charge (Lynn Bari & Richard Clarke) and the dead man’s Butler (Pedro De Cordoba). An illegal munitions shipment is at the bottom of it all. This is one of the few movies where Chan is really roughed up when he's taken prisoner by the counterfeiter and his henchman (Lon Chaney Jr). The real spies are killed and the one who murdered Petroff is hailed as a hero. It ends with the police chief receiving a telegram declaring “There will be no war!”. But Chan isn't optimistic saying before  the fade out “Beware of spider who invite fly into parlor”. 

This entry had too much of the idiotic Spivak.. It was almost like a try out for his own series and made me long for Jimmy! Like a few other directors, this is Herbert Leeds only foray in Chan country but he “geared” up for it making MR. MOTO IN DANGER ISLAND the same year. He also made a few “Cisco Kid” films and the WW2 propaganda film MANILA CALLING.

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The Magic of Chan

CHARLIE CHAN AT TREASURE ISLAND-1939-While flying from Hawaii to San Francisco the intrepid phony Asian detective (Sidney Toler) and number 2 son Jimmy (Sen Yung) investigate the murder of Chan's friend, a writer who just completed his new novel. A suspicious insurance agent (Douglass Dumbrille) steals the manuscript. After breaking the bad news to the writer's wife, CC is “kidnapped” by the SF police because their chief (Donald MacBride) is an old friend of his. He meets another old friend Pete Lewis (Douglas Fowley), a reporter who introduces Chan to The Great Rhadini (Cesar Romero), a famous magician/illusionist who's mind reading assistant is Lewis' girlfriend Eve Cairo (Pauline Moore). Through them Chan learns about Dr. Zodiac, a magician/guru who seems to be involved in some recent murders (including the writer who received a mysterious radiogram that mentioned Scorpio). The trio decide visit the doc at his headquarters. After a seance like demonstration he threatens them with a gun and they leave. Zodiac talks in a deep voice (Gerald Mohr) and looks like someone in disguise. Later Eve gives an exhibition of her psychic powers and kind of convinces Chan they are real. After investigating and the discovery that Dr. Z is wearing a disguise, Rhadini challenges Dr. Z to a contest which he accepts. An elaborate stage show is performed and eventually after another murder the real identity of  Dr. Zodiac is revealed. He'd gathered much info on people who came to him for a reading and was using blackmail. 

One of three Chan mysteries Norman Foster directed. He also made 5 in the MR. MOTO series. In 1943 he'd work with Orson Welles on JOURNEY INTO FEAR and IT'S ALL TRUE. 

The one up: CHARLIE CHAN IN THE CITY OF DARKNESS.

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Back to Chan

CHARLIE CHAN IN RENO-1939- In “the biggest little city in the world” Mrs. Russell (Kay Linaker) runs a hotel for couples getting divorce. “This 1939. We're modern.”, says one character. The obnoxious Mrs. Bentley (Louise Henry) insults everyone and is asked by the owner to leave. She's killed instead and Mary Whitman (Pauline Moore; in CC IN HONOLULU the year before) is found over the body with blood on her hands. It just so happened Bentley was going to marry Mary's almost ex-husband Curtis (Kane Richmond; later in CC IN PANAMA). When Mary is arrested for the murder Curtis asks Charlie Chan (Sidney Toler) for help. Rather dumbly, especially for him Chan wires son Jimmy (Sen Yung) in LA that he will visit him on his return trip. Naturally Jimmy sees this as an opportunity to help “Pop”. He borrows a friend's car and drives there. However on the way he falls victim to two phony hitchhikers who steal the car and Jimmy's clothes! He winds up in a police line up that Chan, the police chief (Charles Brown) and a dopey sheriff (Slim Summerville) are looking at. Chan investigates all the suspects including the owner Mrs. Russell, her hostess (Phyllis Brooks), an oily doctor (Ricardo Cortez; also in MR. MOTO'S LAST WARNING the same year), Birk (Robert Lowery; also in MR. MOTO IN DANGER ISLAND the same year)), a broke young man and Mr. Bentley (Morgan Conway; future Dick Tracy). An Asian maid (Iris Wong) (and Jimmy's love interest) helps out too. This was one of four Chan mysteries directed by Norman Foster who also found time to direct 6 “Mr. Moto” entries.

Next in the series: CHARLIE CHAN ON TREASURE ISLAND.

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More '50's Madness!

THE THING THAT COULDN'T DIE-1958-In this crazy, creepy Universal International horror film a young woman named Jessica (Carolyn Kearney) works on her Aunt Flavia's farm, mostly divining for water. One day while searching for a well she discovers an ancient chest buried by Sir Francis Drake. Gordon Hawthrone (William Reynolds) shows a lot of interest in the chest (and in Jessica) and thinks it might be a valuable artifact. Flavia (Peggy Converse) thinks only about it's monetary value. Gordon leaves to fetch archaeologist Julian Ash (Forrest Lewis). Meanwhile two ranch hands the mean Boyd (James Anderson) and the dumb but powerful Mike (Charles Horvath) decide to open the chest and take whatever is inside. To their surprise, instead of gold or jewels they find the still alive head of Gideon Drew an evil satanist with special powers. It immediately makes Mike kill Boyd. In a flashback we learn that Gideon (Robin Hughes) was so powerful no one could look him in the eye without coming under his control. Only a special medallion could control him (Gordon found it earlier and gave it to Jessica to wear around her neck). For his heinous crimes a Galleon Captain (Thomas B Henry) has him beheaded with his head put in a separate grave from his body. Back in the present Gideon's head makes Linda (Andra Martin), another woman staying at the ranch, his slave (she puts his head in a hat box). Later it takes over Jessica, changing her whole personality and making the others dig up Gideon's body. When head and body are reconnected it seems like the small party is doomed but the medallion destroys the foul one in the nick of time.

THE THING THAT COULDN'T DIE was one of two feature length films producer/director Will Cowan made 1958. The other was a rock and roll story called THE BIG BEAT which featured several actors from THTCD. They were his only features. Before that he made many musical subject shorts. For a guy who had directed Nat King Cole, Herb Jeffries and The Mills Brothers I'd say Cowan did a hell of a job with THING, even providing an eerie flashback. Making a horror film must have been his ultimate goal because it's the last thing he did movie wise. He died in 1994. 

Star William Reynolds had been in CULT OF THE COBRA and THE LAND UNKNOWN and later co-starred in THE FBI on TV. Co-star Carolyn Kearney was in many TV shows in the 50's and 60's including the very memorable episode of THRILLER called “The Incredible Doktor Markesan” with Boris Karloff and Dick York. James Anderson usually played an outlaw in westerns but had been in Arch Obler's FIVE and gave a good performance in TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD a few years later. Of course Robin Hughes is fairly terrifying as the severed head. Hughes showed up in many films around this time THE MOLE PEOPLE, THE MAZE, DIAL M FOR MURDER, even an uncredited role in the Bowery Boys comedy PARIS PLAYBOYS! But to a lot of THE TWILIGHT ZONE fans he'll always be remembered as the Devil incarnate in the episode “The Howling Man”.

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Bikers

THE REBEL ROUSERS-1970-Strange biker film with Bruce Dern as JJ Weston, the philosophical leader of a weird motorcycle gang which includes Bunny (Jack Nicholson decked out in wool hat and striped pants), the seemingly out of place Halverson (Harry Dean Stanton) and (phony) Mexican Miguel (Robert Dix). Weston meets his old high school buddy Paul Collier (Cameron Mitchell) now an architect who's having problems with his pregnant girlfriend Karen (Diane Ladd who was married to Dern at the time). They smoke pot and talk about abortion and marriage. Eventually she's kidnapped by the gang. Paul is beaten up and escapes but no one in town will help him except some Mexican migrant workers. Weston and Bunny wind up having a knife fight. 

Many people who worked with Al Adamson contributed to this Paragon Entertainment Pictures production. It's also the only movie directed by Martin B. Cohen who years later provided the story for and produced HUMANOIDS FROM THE DEEP. He was the executive producer of Adamson's BLOOD FROM DRACULA'S CASTLE the year before.

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Buchanan

THE CURSE OF THE SWAMP CREATURE-1966-More Larry Buchanan madness with John Agar as a geologist looking for oil in the swamps with a trio of crooks. They run into the crazy experiments of Dr. Trent (Tony Houston; also the screenwriter) who is trying to make a fish monster out of a man! He feeds his failures to some stock footage crocodiles. Meanwhile the locals practice voodoo (called “snake worship”). Except for Agar the acting in this is quite comical. Especially Huston, an amateur ham who would make Shatner seem like Olivier! (“My beautiful indestructible fish man”). Francine York is Mrs. Trent and Bill McGhee (Ben in DON'T LOOK IN THE BASEMENT) is a dim-witted servant. Buchanan regular Bill Thurman is one of the crooks and the swamp creature.

Buchanan throws in some interesting camera angles but otherwise it's pretty boring. Agar also starred (with Houston) in Buchanan's ZONTAR: THE THING FROM VENUS the same year!

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Chan's Great White Way

CHARLIE CHAN ON BROADWAY-1937-While in the Big Apple being honored with a police escort, brass band and a banquet, Charlie Chan (Warner Oland) and son Lee (Keye Luke) become involved with the usual cast of characters. While on board an NYC bound ship, a woman named Billie Bronson (Louise Henry) has a package many people seem to want. She hides it in Chan’s trunk to get it passed customs. She can't get to it but instead goes to a club and kind of threatens the owner Johnny Berk (Douglas Fowley) after being warned to leave town by gangster Buzz Moran (Leon Ames). Billie winds up shot to death (last seen struggling with Berk over a gun) and Lee is held as a suspect. Charlie and the police Inspector Nelson (Harold Huber) are called away from the banquet. It turns out the hot item Billie possessed was her diary which contained a lot of dirt on the underworld. After some investigating, Charlie gathers everyone together at the Hottentot Club. Besides Berk suspects include his dancer/girlfriend Maria (Joan Woodbury), a newspaper publisher (J. Edward Bromberg) and mobster Moran.  A fast talking reporter Speed (Donald Woods) who’s always trying to scoop a female photographer (Joan Marsh) finds the body. Marc Lawrence is a mysterious early victim and Lon Chaney Jr has an un-billed cameo.

Director Eugene Forde would go on to direct more of the (pretend) Asian detective's cases.

The next Chan adventure would be CHARLIE CHAN IN MONTE CARLO which I reviewed years ago!

It's here: https://moviemeltdown.blogspot.com/2015/12/chans-back.html

That's followed by CHARLIE CHAN IN HONOLULU

https://moviemeltdown.blogspot.com/2009/05/aloha-charlie.html



Thanks for reading, honorable person.... 

Olympic Chan

 CHARLIE CHAN AT THE OLYMPICS-1937- While Charlie Chan (Warner Oland) and little son Charlie Jr. (Layne Tom Jr.) get ready for a fishing trip someone steals an experimental robot plane the US government was testing. As luck would have it both Chans discover the plane on the beach where they were going to fish. Inventor Hopkins (Jonathan Hale) thinks former employee Arthur Hughes (C. Henry Gordon) stole it. Hopkins and his assistant Cartwright (John Eldredge) accompany Chan on a steamer to Berlin. Meanwhile Chan’s son Lee (Keye Luke), on his way to The Olympics as a swimmer, investigates the link between his friend Dick (Allan Lane) and a mysterious woman Miss Roland (Katherine DeMille) who seems to have a connection to the missing device. Captain Strasser (Frederick Vogeding; pompously self assured German stereotype) helps out. They find the missing device in the luggage of Olympian Betty Adams (Pauline Moore), also a friend of Lee’s and Dick’s girlfriend, but it's obvious Betty wasn't in on it. Later Lee is kidnapped. Chan figures it all out in the end (and so will you) and Lee wins a gold medal! 

Although it takes place in Nazi Germany (a film of Jesse Owens winning his gold metal race is shown) there's really no reference to it. This was the third in a row CC feature H. Bruce Humberstone directed. The next year he'd direct CHARLIE CHAN IN HONOLULU and go on to make I WAKE UP SCREAMING and some Tarzan films before going into TV. The next Chan installment would be CHARLIE CHAN ON BROADWAY.

Useless Note: Frederick Vogeding's character's last name is Strasser. The same name Conrad Veidt's character had in CASABLANCA (1942).

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Oland vs. Karloff

CHARLIE CHAN AT THE OPERA-1936-As it says above the title “It's Warner Oland vs. Boris Karloff”! An amnesiac opera singing piano playing maniac (Boris Karloff) escapes from an insane asylum and threatens the life of opera diva Lilli Rochelle (Margret Irving). The police inspector calls in Charlie Chan who happens to be on the mainland. Rochelle is accompanied by a pompous demanding baritone Barelli (Gregory Gaye) The stage manager (Maurice Cass) says “This opera is going on tonight even if Frankenstein walks in”! The maniac turns out to be named Gravelle and he was once the lead baritone with the company but was deliberately locked in a room while a building was on fire. He’s also the father of Lilli’s secret daughter Kitty (Charlotte Henry) who came to the opera with her fiance Phil (Thomas Beck) to get mom's blessing on their marriage. . Although it seems Gravelle kills Berelli and takes his place as Mephisto in the opera and kills Lilli on stage while performing, this is a Charlie Chan mystery and things aren't as clear cut as they seem. 

Racist Sgt. Kelly (William Demarest) disagrees with everything CC does or says and refers to him as “Egg Fu” and “chop suey” and says “No Chinese cop’s gonna show me up”. Unfortunately for him he's wrong but he gives props to the famed detective when the mystery is solve.  Meanwhile No. 1 son Lee (keye Luke) digs up several clues while in disguise. 

This is a classy if far-fetched murder mystery with Karloff as a sympathetic nut the highlight. The music for the fake opera is by Oscar Levant. The lip syncing is very good. 

 2 years before this film co-star Charlotte Henry played Bo-Peep in THE MARCH OF THE WOODEN SOLDIERS with Laurel & Hardy. Director H. Bruce Humberstone directed this in between CHARLIE CHAN AT THE RACETRACK and CHARLIE AT THE OLYMPICS.]

The same year as this Karloff was the piano playing John Ellman brought back to life in THE WALKING DEAD. He and Lugosi made THE INVISIBLE RAY tooFollowed by CHARLIE CHAN AT THE OLYMPICS.

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Finally The Third

THE JUNGLE CAPTIVE-1945-A scientist named Mr. Stendal (not Dr.) (Otto Kruger) brings a rabbit back to life through his new type of blood transfusion. Later his henchman Moloch (Rondo Hatton) kills a morgue attendant and steals the body of the now deceased Paula the ape woman. Detective Harrigan (Jerome Cowan) suspects Stendal's young assistant Dan Young (Phil Brown) who's engaged to Stendal's nurse Anne Forrester (Amelita Ward). Obviously mad, Stendal brings Paula back to life with the unwilling help of Anne who supplies her blood. “Don't be a fool. We're scientists, not sentimentalists!”. Paula escapes, kills a dog and Stendal has to control her with a whip. He turns her back into Paula DePuree (now played by Vicky Lane) but she's semi-catatonic. Despite not being a surgeon Stendal plans to put Ann's brain into Paula's head but Moloch has fallen for Ann. Stendal tells him: “No offense Moloch, but with that face you're not exactly a Casanova”. When Paula wanders away, Moloch tries to locate his boss and Paul becomes suspicious. He follows Moloch to their hideout where Moloch turns against Stendal and is shot and killed for his efforts. Paula reverts into an ape and kills Stendal. But before she can kill Anne, Harrigan arrives and shoots her.

Another unnecessary sequel to the “Paula, the ape woman” series started in 1943 with CAPTIVE WILD WOMAN and followed by JUNGLE WOMAN in 1944. It's not very good though not very long. It just seems like an excuse to bring Paula back to life just so she could be killed off again!

Vicky Lane was in only 6 movies in her brief career (plus one TV appearance). Her first husband was Tom Neal (DETOUR). Phil Brown was in many character and bit roles and much later on became a TV director. Director Harold Young also directed THE MUMMY'S TOMB (1942).

Of course once again I kind of screwed up and forgot all about this third installment. I reviewed the first two years ago!

https://moviemeltdown.blogspot.com/2015/08/

https://moviemeltdown.blogspot.com/2016/04/ape-sequel.html

Thanks for reading anyway!

Race Track Chan

CHARLIE CHAN AT THE RACE TRACK-1936-In Hawaii when sure winning racehorse Avalanche is disqualified for a foul by his hockey (Frankie Darro), its owner Major Kent (George Irving) hires the Honolulu based (fake) Chinese detective (Warner Oland) to investigate. Unfortunately Kent is kicked to death by his own horse before Chan can get to work. On board an ocean liner bound for US (Hawaii wasn't a state yet) everyone receives threatening letters regarding not using Avalanche in anymore races. Chan is even shot in the leg. It's all a plot by a group of gamblers to make a big score. Lee (Keye Luke) disguises himself as a laundry boy and causes a distraction so “Pop” can switch the horses back.

Doping also figures in the plot and there are lots of the usual suspects. Director H. Bruce Humberstone made the next entry into the series CHARLIE CHAN AT THE OPERA (with Boris Karloff) the same year.

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Big Top Chan

CHARLIE CHAN AT THE CIRCUS-1936-This entry begins with Charlie (Warner Oland) and his wife (Annie Mar) and 12 children visiting the circus and talking to 2 little people, Col. Tim (George Brasno) and Lady Tiny (Olive Brasno) both dancers. One of the owners Kinney (Paul Stanton) approaches Chan and says he’s received some threatening letters. Chan agrees to meet him later during the show. We also learn Kinney's partner John Gaines (Francis Ford) owes him a lot of money and if he can't pay he’ll lose his half of the circus. He also has a problem with Cesar the gorilla (Charles Gemora) who he whips and then fires its trainer. Later with the help of Col. Tim and a giant (John Aasen) Chan discovers Kinney dead in a locked room inside his wagon. Then it’s found that the abused ape has escaped its cage! A phony mystic John Holt (J.Carrol Naish) helps subdue Cesar when he attacks Chan. No.1 son Lee (Keye Luke) and police chief Macy (Wade Boteler) try to figure things out (Lee also pursues a Asian contortionist). Lady Tiny visits the Chan Clan at their hotel to try and convince Charlie to help find Kinney's killer but he declines as he’s on vacation with his family. However Mrs. Chan and their kids convince him to help. Charlie and Jimmy join the circus to investigate. The first night a cobra slithers into the elder Chan's bed but Jimmy shoots it, It seems Kinney was engaged to the star trapeze artist Marie Norman but was married to Nellie (Drue Layton),who works in the costume dept. To trail her Lee  dresses as a woman with Tim as his cigar smoking baby! Later when Nellie proclaims that she will inherit half the circus trapeze artist Norman claims she can prove that Kinney and Nellie we're not legally married but first she has to perform. Bad decision. Someone fires a rifle cutting one of the ropes. She falls but doesn't die. Charlie sets a trap and discovers the real culprit. They can't make a monkey out of Charlie Chan!

 Director Harry Lachman made OUR RELATIONS with Laurel & Hardy the same year. He later made more in the Chan series. George and Olive Brasno were a real life brother/sister singing act who were very popular and successful in their day. 

Followed by CHARLIE CHAN AT THE RACE TRACK.

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Shhh! It's Chan Secret....

CHARLIE CHAN’S SECRET-1936-Charlie Chan (Warner Oland) searches for a guy named Alan Colby who may have perished in the sinking of a ship but since his body was never found he could still be alive. This could pose a problem to people like Mrs. Lowell’s daughter Janice (Astrid Allwyn) and her grouchy husband Fred (Edward Trevor) who have been living off the fortune for years.   Mrs. Lowell (Henrietta Crosman) has hired Chan because Colby is the rightful heir to her husband's estate. It turns out Colby is alive but he's killed before he makes his presence known. Mrs. Lowell believes in psychic phenomena and plans to hold a seance in “the old house” with her other daughter Alice (Rosina Lawrence) and her beau reporter Dick (Charles Quigley). The professor (Arthur Edmund Carewe) and Carotta (Gloria Roy) perform a seance where Colby's corpse shows up. The family lawyer (Jonathan Hale) hangs around suspiciously. Without any son, comedy relief is provided by the family butler (Herbert Mundin). Later after the killer strikes again but unsuccessfully Charlie is nearly electrocuted by the professor. Even though he was almost killed, the police blame Chan for letting the murderer get away! Later while Mrs. Lowell and the butler use a Ouija board she is shot! Charlie uses another seance to expose the guilty party.

 Director Gordon Wiles was also an art director. Of the eleven films he directed only this Charlie Chan entry stands out. It was also the last role for Arthur Edmund Carwe who committed suicide in 1937 after suffering a stroke.

Followed by CHARLIE CHAN AT THE CIRCUS...

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Shanghai Chan

CHARLIE CHAN IN SHANGHAI-1935-Charlie Chan (Warner Oland) visits “the land of my ancestors” for the first time in many years to see his friend Sir Stanley (David Torrance). He’s  met at the dock by Stanley's secretary Nash (Jon Hall using his real name Charles Locher) and his niece Diana (Irene Hervey). Chan also hooks up with number 1 son Lee (Keye Luke). Unfortunately at the dinner Stanley is shot and killed by a wooden case rigged with a gun. Police inspector Watkins (Halliwell Hobbes) agrees to let Charlie investigate the death of his old friend. At night while Chan and Lee are sleeping an attempt to kill Chan fails. Later Chan is kidnapped by some mysterious bad guys but number one son saves him. An American secret agent Andrews (Russell Hicks)  explains to Chan that that he and Sir Stanley were working on breaking up an opium ring and wanted Chan’s help. Meanwhile Nash snoops around very suspiciously. After Nash is arrested for attempted murder, Chan's life is threatened several more times until he tricks the gang and reveals their real leader.

 One of the best in the series with son Lee doing a lot of fighting! 

Director James Tinling also made MR. MOTO'S GAMBLE.
 https://moviemeltdown.blogspot.com/2016/01/mr-moto-returns-again.html

Followed by CHARLIE CHAN'S SECRET.

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Chan in France

CHARLIE CHAN IN PARIS-1935-Charlie Chan (Warner Oland) arrives solo in Paris for a rendezvous with a dancer who has secret info for him. Almost immediately he gets a warning to leave when a rock with a note attached is thrown through his car window.  He pretends to be on vacation but is actually working on a case for a London banking house. After the dancer is stabbed to death by a beggar (obviously a disguise) before they can meet Charlie searches her apartment and an unsuccessful attempt on his life is made. Back at his hotel he meets son Lee (Keye Luke) who becomes “Pop's” chauffeur and shadows several suspects. Charlie is investigating a bond fraud case. When a woman named Yvette (Mary Brian) is arrested for the murder of a sleazy banker, her fiance Victor (Thomas Beck) accompanies Chan through the sewers of gay Paree’ to catch a killer. John Miljan and John Qualen are also in it. 

Director Lewis Seiler in his only Chan outing, later directed several movies featuring Humphrey Bogart (YOU CAN'T GET AWAY WITH MURDER; CRIME SCHOOL; THE BIG SHOT).

Followed by CHARLIE CHAN IN EGYPT https://moviemeltdown.blogspot.com/2015/12/chan-again.html  and CHARLIE CHAN IN SHANGHAI. 

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