Do You Know Jack?

CAMERAMAN: THE LIFE AND WORK OF JACK CARDIFF-2010-Interesting biography of the great cinematographer (BLACK NARCISSIST) who was still working into his early '90's! He died in 2009. It includes interviews with Martin Scorsese, Kirk Douglas and others and also focuses on his first film as a director (SONS AND LOVERS) but glosses over his other directorial efforts (No mention of his last effort THE MUTATIONS). The best parts are the interviews with Cardiff himself from different stages of his career. Director Craig McCall recently completed a documentary on Leslie Howard.

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One Step into The New Year!

ONE STEP BEYOND (original title: ALCOA PRESENTS ONE STEP BEYOND) was an anthology series that ran on ABC TV from 1959 to 1961. It debuted a few months before CBS's THE TWILIGHT ZONE. Self assured, almost cocky host John Newland directed all 96 epsidodes of a three season run. All the stories were suppose to have been based on real events. One episode in the third season “The Sacred Mushroom” dealt with hallucinogenic fungi and it's said Newland actually ingested several which was filmed for the episode. I haven't seen it yet but it's on Youtube.

THE BRIDE POSSESSED-Episode 1-1959-A new bride (Virgina Leith;THE THING THAT COULDN'T DIE) driving with her husband (Skip Homeier) on their honeymoon takes on the characteristics of a woman who committed suicide in a nearby town. It seems she's come back to prove her suicide was actually murder. Harry Townes plays a doctor who tries to help. Co-scripter Larry Marcus wrote for several TV shows and penned some TV movies. He was later nominated for an Academy Award for writing THE STUNT MAN (1980)

NIGHT OF APRIL 14th-Episode-2-1959-A new bride (Barbara Lord) has strange dreams about a ship at sea. Later her husband (Patrick MacNee) books passage on the Titanic. A minister also paints a prophetic picture. You know how it ends. Marjorie Eaton plays a housekeeper. After it ends Newland explains the similarities between the real Titanic incident and a fictional novel “The Wreck of The Titan: Or Futility” by Morgan Robinson written 15 years before. Writer Collier Young (who later also produced the series) was once married to actress/director Ida Lupino and wrote the screenplays for 4 of her films

EMERGENCY ONLY-Episode 3-1959-At a cocktail party a woman (Jocelyn Brando) reads the palm of a skeptical man (Lin McCarthey). Her prediction seems to say that he will be murdered by a woman on a train. Most of what she says comes true except for the twist ending conclusion. Paula Raymond THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS), Bill Quinn and Ross Elliot are also featured.

THE DEAD PART OF THE HOUSE-Episode 9-1959-A man (Phillip Abbott) who hasn't gotten over the death of his wife takes his neglected daughter (Mimi Gibson) to live with his sister (Joanne Linville). Three dolls and a haunted room help the man to love his daughter again. Phillip Ahn plays their servant. Scriptwriter Michael Plant also wrote the Jack the Ripper film that was part of the unsold THE VEIL TV series (hosted by Boris Karloff).

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