They're Dead. They're...All Messed Up

 

 (themoviedb.org)

THE DEAD-(2010)-Lt. Brian Murphy (Rob Freeman), an America air force engineer, is the last survivor of a plane crash in West Africa during a zombie apocalypse. He fixes up an old car and journeys across the plains. He meets AWOL army officer Daniel (Prince David Osei) who's looking for his son and doesn't understand white men. Meanwhile, the army is killing all those infected. 

I liked this because the zombies were the slow-moving traditional kind. It's very gory. The end could have been better. Directors Howard J. and Jonathan Ford made THE DEAD 2: INDIA in 2013.

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Vampire in Africa

 

 (imdb)

THE VAMPIRE'S GHOST-1945-In deepest Africa, the natives are restless and practicing voodoo (?). On a plantation owned by Mr. Vance (Emmett Vogan), he, his daughter Julie (Peggy Stewart) and her husband Roy (Charles Gordon) seek the advice of local white guy Webb Fallon (John Abbott), who saves Roy during a bar brawl. Fallon seems nice enough but suffers a spell when Father Gilchrist (Grant Withers) touches him. He also casts no reflection in the mirror and when shot at, the bullet goes right through him. 

The natives don't like it because there have been several "vampire killings" around the village. Two natives plan on killing Fallon and fail but Roy learns Fallon's secret! He's a 400-year-old vampire who drinks blood and preys on young people. He puts a spell on Roy and makes him his slave and sets his sights on Julie much to the annoyance of Lisa (Adele Mara), a dancer at the local gin mill. After killing her and a sea captain (Roy Barcroft), Fallon plans to run away with Julie. At the temple of death, he plans to make her un-dead but jungle drums, a cross and a spear spell his doom. 

Quirky horror quickie from Republic directed by Lesley Selander, usually more at home with westerns, who also later directed CATMAN OF PARIS (1946) and FLIGHT TO MARS (1951). Olympic medal winner Jim Thorpe appears unbilled as a sailor. 

Star Abbott, usually a memorable supporting actor, was also in the Sherlock Holmes entry PURSUIT TO ALGEIRS the same year. Co-star Grant Withers had been Captain Street in the "Mr. Wong" series with Boris Karloff. I couldn't find a death date for lead actor Charles Gordon. If he's still alive he would be 99 at the of this writing. 

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Early Chan

BEHIND THAT CURTAIN-1929-Creaky early sound film noted as the first feature film appearance of Charlie Chan (the character had appeared in a serial in 1926) and an early sound role for Boris Karloff. 

Sir George (Claude King) refuses to give his consent for his niece Eve (Lois Moran) to marry a “real bounder”, Colonel John Beetham (Warner Baxter),an explorer headed to African with the backing of George. Beetham is sweet on the weepy Eve but she seems to only have eyes for a guy named Eric (Phillip Strange). When George is murdered suspects abound. 21 minutes into this talky “filmed play” Chan’s name is mentioned by the pompous Sir Frederick (Gilbert Emory) of Scotland Yard. Then it’s back to the moody melodrama. Later in India Eve is the unhappy wife of the philandering Eric. 

 Not only does she find out Eric has had sex with their servant in their bed (a very provocative scene) but he’s also a murderer. Eve begs Beetham to take her with him to Africa so she can “disappear”. He reluctantly agrees. Soon after the annoying Sir Frederick visits Eric in connection with the disappearance of his wife. He suggests they rendezvous with John’s caravan. They meet up with John but Eve runs away. Later the Chan character finally shows up after more than an hour has gone by! He (the mysterious E.L. Park) and Harry Snapper Organs, I mean Sir Frederick finally set a trap for the murderer. While John is giving a lecture, Eve shows up. So does Eric... with a gun intent on killing her. Frederick takes a bullet for Eve (he doesn't die) and Chan kills Eric.

Despite some interesting pre-code scenes this soggy mystery is like watching paint dry with a lot of inane chatter. Plus the over wrought emoting of lead actress Moran and the “Mony Pythonese” performance by Emory as Sir Frederick really make this tough going. Karloff is Beetham’s faithful servant who doesn't do much. 

Director Irving Cummings was also an actor who started directing in 1921. Two years later he directed Warner Baxter again in THE CISCO KID. His last movie was DOUBLE DYNAMITE with Groucho Marx, Frank Sinatra and Jane Russell in 1951. BEHIND THE CURTAIN is based on the novel of the same name by Earl Derr Biggers published in 1928.

Warner Baxter had won a best actor Academy Award in 1927 playing The Cisco Kid in OLD ARIZONA (he was also the first American to win the award). In 1936 he was the movie industry's top actor but a series of nervous breakdowns inhibited his career. He came back in B-films, especially as “The Crime Doctor” in a series of movies but died in 1948 at age 62.

The next film appearance for Charlie Chan would be in the “lost” film CHARLIE CHAN CARRIES ON I n 1931 (Warner Oland's debut as the intrepid detective). That was followed by THE BLACK CAMEL (also 1931).

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Poe In Name Only

THE OBLONG BOX-1969-In Africa, Edward Markin (Alister Williamson) is cursed and his face disfigured. Later back in England he's held prisoner in his room by his brother Julian (Vincent Price). Through some voodoo Edward appears to die but plans a comeback. However Julian buries him alive and marries his younger fiancee' Elizabeth (Hilary Dwyer). Edward's rotten attorney Trench (Peter Arne) who was suppose to help, can't/won't. Edward is “rescued” by some grave robbers who deliver his body to Dr. Neuhartt (Christopher Lee). Edward blackmails the doc into harboring him. He plots revenge and kills wearing a velvet mask. He was cursed by an African tribe because he trampled a boy to death. But in actuality he's innocent. The big hype for this film was the first pairing of “horror masters” Price and Lee. The only time they meet is during Lee's death scene! Rupert Davies and Sally Geeson are also in it.

Price (and Rupert Davies & Hilary Dwyer) had been in Michael Reeves' WITCHFINDER GENERAL in 1968. Reeves was scheduled to do THE OBLONG BOX but he died (from a mixture of booze and pills) while working on the script. AIP hired Gordon Hessler to direct and he made many changes to the original script. The story isn't bad but considering this was the first time meeting between Lee and Price it doesn't have much of an impact especially considering Williamson has the most screen time! Hessler, Price and Lee “reunited” in 1970 for the bizarre SCREAM AND SCREAM AGAIN. 

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1960

THE LEECH WOMAN-1960-A stuck up scientist Paul Talbott (Phillip Terry) insults his alcoholic wife June (Coleen Gray; still alive at this writing) at his clinic where he's trying to reverse the aging process. An ancient woman named Malla (Estelle Hemsley) visits him and claims to be 142 years old. She says that her tribe in Africa holds the secret to eternal youth. After some tests, Talbott decides to take a journey there and convinces June to come along. He acts very cheerful and nice but only wants to use her. They hire a European guide (John Van Dreelan) and are eventually captured by the tribe where they meet Maila who promises to show them the eternal youth ceremony but then they must die! Malla does turn young (and into actress Kim Hamilton who just passed away in September) but the secret ingredient is human fluid found at the base of the skull. So a life has to be sacrificed when doing it. When June is offered the "treatment" she gets her revenge on hubby by picking him as her victim/sacrifice. She turns young and hightails with the guide to civilization but not before June starts to turn old again and kills the guide. 

Back home she's beautiful and youthful (and bitchy) and posing as her own niece where she seemingly mesmerizes her lawyer Neil Foster (Grant Williams; THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN), much to the irritation of his fiance' Sally (Gloria Talbott with a terrible hairstyle). When she gets old again June (now posing as herself) puts on her finest jewelry and lures an unsuspecting robber/gigolo (familiar TV actor Arthur Batanides, who had an un-billed role in SPARTACUS the same year!) to his death.

Just when June thinks she has everything going her way (she kills Sally for her vital fluid and plans to have Neil all to herself) the injections fail to work, she turns permanently old and falls out a window to her death.

Director Edward Dein (SHACK OUT ON 101) moves the episodic story along quickly (maybe too quickly!) giving it  a "Corman" type of feel. Producer Joseph Gershenson (also a music supervisor on many films) work on lots of things including MONSTER ON THE CAMPUS and several Abbott & Costello comedies.

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