TV Power

 

 (imdb)

THE POWER WITHIN-1979-Unreleased TV movie about stunt pilot Chris Darrow (Art Hindle), obnoxious and conceited, who is struck by lightning and gets some special powers. He can shoot electricity from His fingers. He goes to his estranged father, Gen. Darrow (Edward Binns) for help. After dad reveals the secret, Chris was born soon after his mom was exposed to nuclear radiation, they go to Dr. Miller (Susan Howard), who runs some tests. Harrows’ assistant Capt. Holman (Richard Sargent) is in league with some spies (David Hedison & Eric Braeden) to steal a suspended animation device NASA plans on testing. Chris can shoot energy bursts that are controlled by a watch he wears. 

This early attempt at a superhero scenario is ok for a TV production having been directed by busy John Llewellyn Moxey (THE NIGHT STALKER (1972). A story goes that this Universal TV movie had originally been planned as a big screen version of Marvel Comics' “The Human Torch” but SFX proved too costly.

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Elam On The Prowl

 

 (imdb)

THE GIRL IN LOVERS LANE-1960-Runaway rich kid Danny Winslow (Lowell Brown) meets railroad bum Bix Dugan (Brett Halsey from THE RETURN OF THE FLY (1959)) on a train car, after he's unsuccessfully mugged. They team up as drifters and land in the sleepy town of Sherman, where they have lunch at a diner run by Carrie (Joyce Meadows; THE BRAIN FROM PLANET AROUS (1957)) and her father (Emile Meyer). Bix and Carrie hit it off but Danny gets in trouble with local floozy Peggy (Selette Cole). Meanwhile, local weird guy Jessie (Jack Elam) leers at Carrie and gives her the creeps. Bix has to break his first date with Carrie however when he and Danny get into a fight with some local “toughs”. After their next date, Bix and Danny get jobs at the diner. When things get serious between Bix and Carrie, he wants to blow town. Unfortunately, Carrie runs into Jessie and he kills her. Bix is blamed and arrested. Carrie's drunken father and his crew get Bix and dad tries to beat him to death. Fortunately, Danny makes Jessie confess. 

Pretty depressing drama directed by Charles R. Rondeau (DEVIL'S PARTNER the same year) and written by Jo Helms who later wrote PLAY MISTY FOR ME (1971). Lead actress Joyce Meadows is still living at the time of this writing. So is Brett Halsey. Male co-star Lowell Brown, also in THE DAY MARS INVADED EARTH (1962), may also still be with us...

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More Harryhausen

 

 (themoviedb)

THE CLASH OF THE TITANS-1981-Baby Perseus and his mom are sacrificed to the sea by evil king, Acrisius (Donald Houston). But Perseus is actually the Son of Zeus who had a dalliance with mom Danae. Zeus orders Poseidon (Jack Gwillin) to release the Kraken and destroy the king's city. He also makes sure mom & son are safe on an island. Later when Perseus (Harry Hamlin) has grown, the goddess Thetis (Maggie Smith), mad that Zeus (Sir Lawrence Olivier) has condemned her son Calibos (Neil McCarthy), transports Perseus to the cursed city Joppa where he meets playwright Ammon (Burgess Meredith). The gods send him a sword, shield and helmet that makes him invisible. In the city, he uses the helmet to gain access to visit the princess, Andromeda (Judi Bowker), former fiancé to Calibos. He watches while her soul is carried off in a cage by a huge vulture. He captures the winged horse Pegasus so he can follow the vulture. Trailing the giant bird leads him to the swamp of Calibos, who has laid the curse on Joppa, because of his love for the princess. When A's mother, the queen (Sian Phillips) offers up her daughter, Perseus wins her and makes Calibos break the curse. Later Thetis demands Andromeda be sacrificed to the Kraken or Joppa will be destroyed. Ammon figures 3 witches (Freda Jackson, Anna Mahanan & Flora Robeson) will know how to stop the Kraken so Perseus, Andromeda and Ammon go to find them after Pegasus is kidnapped by Calibos. Perseus loses his helmet but that's replaced by Bubo, a mechanical owl! The witches tell him to go to the isle of the dead and slay the Medusa. Her head will turn the Kraken to stone. They encounter a skeleton ferry man, a two headed dog and bow and arrow wielding serpents. Then giant scorpions created by Medusa’s blood (thanks to Colicos). After Perseus and Colicos have a showdown, with Bubo's help, Perseus gets Pegasus back and saves the day and Andromeda. Also with Claire Bloom as Hera, Ursula Andress and pro-wrestler Pat Roach. 

This of course features wonderful stop action sfx by the legendary Ray Harryhausen which is the highlight of this ok all-star production. Directed by Desmond Daves and written by Beverley Cross who earlier had penned JASON AND THE ARGONAUNTS (1963) and SINBAD AND THE EYE OF THE TIGER (1977).

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TV Movie Gone Wrong

 

 (the moviedb.org)

THE LEGEND OF CUSTER-1968-This TV movie/pilot is based on the life of General George Custer, the arrogant, self-possessed Indian hater (Wayne Maunder) later known as the man who led his troop of solders to slaugh-ter at The Little Big Horn. Here he's only a Colonel because he's been suspended from being a General for one year due to insubordination. He's under the command of General Terry (Robert F. Simon) who wants Custer to clean up the 7^th Calvary. One of the fort's scout California Joe (Slim Pickens) is his old friend. A postal worker, Tymen (William Mims) is selling guns to the Indians who go on a rampage stealing gold and cash from white men to pay for the weapons. 

This is a real spin doctoring story (“suggested by” Larry Cohen) with the fool hardy disgraced General trying to save the west by provoking the vicious native Americans. He later somehow meets up with Crazy Horse (Michael Dante) to escape The Blackfoot tribe. They have a knife fight in a cave and eat raw worms. Custer preaches peace but Crazy only wants war. Norman Foster and Sam Wanamaker are the credited directors. Also with Mary Ann Mobley and Rodolfo Acosta.

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Merry Christmas (a little late)

 

 (imdb)

THE DEATH AND PASSION OF CHRIST-1903-Considered the first feature length film, this is the life of Jesus shown in several episodes, from his birth to his Ascension. It's a pretty great film considering it's age. Made in France with tinted scenes and interesting sfx. The acting is a little over the top but that's not uncommon for a silent film. The original director Ferdinand Zecca had a falling out with producer Charles Pathe' so Lucien Nonguet finished it.

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Nemo

 

THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND-1961-In 1865, during the second siege of Richmond, 3 Union soldiers prisoners Capt. Harding (Michael Craig), Corporal Neb Nugget (Dan Jackson) and Herbert Brown (Michael Callan) escape in a hit air observation balloon along with Union reporter Spilitt (Gary Merrill) and rebel Sgt. Pencroft (Percy Herbert). After they crash the balloon in the ocean, they wind up on an island surrounded by a volcano. After eating giant oysters, they are attacked by a giant crab which they manage to kill, boil and eat. 

While exploring they find a rowboat containing the upper-class twit Lady Fairchild (Joan Greenwood) and her niece Elena (Beth Rogan) who’s boat was wrecked. They build huts and try to get along. It seems an unknown presence is also helping them. Neb finds a trunk that they determine belonged to the infamous Capt. Nemo, now presumed dead. Then they are attacked by a giant chicken monster. It seems like Herbert kills it but while eating it they learn it was shot by a bullet. Herb and Elena fall in love and are menaced by giant bees and sealed in a honeycomb. They escape and discover Nemo's powerful sub, The Nautilus. Then the group is attacked by pirates but something sinks their ship. Of course, Nemo (Herbert Lom) is still alive but the Nautilus is broken. He devises a plan to re-float the pirate ship he sunk so they can leave before the volcano blows. Problems arise especially from a giant octopus. 

THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND is the sixth collaboration between producer Charles Scheer and SFX genius Ray Harryhausen, who's stop motion effects in this film are fabulous. The music is by Bernard Heerman conducting the London Symphony Orchestra. The story is loosely based on the 1874 novel of the same name by Jules Verne. Nice direction by Cy Enfield who was blacklisted in the 1950's and relocated to England.

This is actually the second adaptation of the Verne novel. There's a silent version:

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/4609335177952045780/8713781552753740202

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Mr. BIG's Giant Bugs

 

 (imdb)

THE BEGINNING OF THE END-1957-When the town of Ludlow, Illinois is mysteriously destroyed and the army blocks all roads, famous reporter Audrey Ames (Peggie Castle; later in the TV series “Lawman”) inves-tigates. Col. Strugeon (Thomas B. Henry) and Captain Barton (James Seay) give her the lowdown on Ludlow and later let her visit the destruction. Nearby, she meets agriculturalist/entomologist Ed Wainwright (Peter Graves; in BAYOU the same year), his mute assistant Frank (Than Wyenn) and their large experimental vegetables. When the 3 of them investigate a warehouse wreck, they discover giant locusts are causing the destruction and poor Frank is killed. They tell Strugeon but he doesn't believe them until he takes out a platoon and they are attacked. Ed figures the locusts got big eating his radiated vegetables. General Hanson (Morris Ankrum) sends General Short (Frank Wilcox) back to Illinois with Ed and Audrey where the locusts are on the march. Unfortunately, the government orders Hanson to drop an A-bomb on Chicago if Ed can't come up with a solution! After they capture a live giant locust, Ed discovers a high frequency signal that drive the horde into the water. 

The sfx are really laughable even by director Bert I. Gordon standards. Scenes of the locusts crawling up buildings are them just crawling over pictures! Also with Richard Benedict and Hank Patterson. Mr. BIG made two other classic low budget features in 1957: THE CYCLOPS and THE AMAZING COLOSSAL MAN.

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