Happy New Year!

THE PHYNX-1970-In this groovy film the US government is over seen by number one, a guy with a box on his head and a painted on face. His main operatives Bogey (Mike Kellin doing a terrible Bogart imitation) and Corrigan (Lou Antonio) recruit by force 4 slackers (Michael A. Miller, Ray Chippeway, Dennis Larden and Lonny Stevens) to become the rock band The Phynx and infiltrate the country of Albania which has kidnapped many prominent US celebrities (I'll list them later). They are trained for combat by Clint Walker (from TV"s "Cheyanne" western series) and Harold “Oddjob” Sakata and Richard Pryor is in the kitchen. They learn music from Trini Lopez. A freaky looking computer picks their name. They are inspected by Dick Clark and then recorded and promoted by the drugged out Philbaby (Larry Hankin in an obvious take-off on Phil Spector). His assistant is played by Ultra Violet. Then Ed Sullivan is forced to have them on his show! Later when the group becomes famous James Brown presents them with a gold record! After a lot of drawn out shit (including scenes with Sue Bernard from FASTER PUSSYCAT! KILL! KILL!, Sherry DeBoer, later in THE VELVET VAMPIRE and Sally Struthers in her film debut) they go to Albania (where Michael Ansara is a army colonel) and rescue the celebrities (by sneaking them out in carts full of radishes...)

The kidnapped group is quite eclectic: Rudy Vallee, Johnny Weismuller, Maureen O'Sullivan, Patty Andrews, Col. Sanders, Leo Gorcey & Huntz Hall, Louis Heyward, Xavier Cugat, Andy Devine, The Lone Ranger (second series star John Hart) & Tonto (Jay Silverheels), Joe Louis, Butterfly McQueen, Pat O'Brien, Ruby Keeler and 1 or 2 (maybe three) others I forgot. George Tobias (in his last role), Joan Blondell, Martha Raye and Fritz Feld also have roles.

This Warner Bros/Seven Arts production was never released in the theaters (or barely) and rightfully so. It's a terrible conglomeration of satire, bad pop music and dumb acting wrapped around a plot influenced by The Monkees TV show. Hadn't the producers ever heard of SKIDOO? After years of obscurity it was finally released on DVD in 2012.

Amazingly the putrid songs the band plays were composed by Leiber & Stoller! One member of The Phynx, Dennis Larden had previously played (under a different name) in the band “Every Mother's Son” who had a one hit single “Come On Down To My Boat” in 1967.

Director Lee H. Katzin was an experienced TV director with only sporadic film credits (WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO AUNT ALICE?) and seemed to survive this ordeal going on to direct LE MANS and many made for TV movies.

Thanks for reading!

Stink-A-Roo

SKIDOO-1968-Otto Preminger directed this all-star stink bomb of a movie that tries to be a satire on the ‘60’s Hippie and drug culture and a comedy. It fails in both departments.

Former hit man Jackie Gleason is recruited by Caesar Romero and Frankie Avalon to assassinate a gangster (Mickey Rooney) turning state’s evidence. While in jail he gets help from Frank Gorshin, Michael Considine and Richard Kiel. He also accidentally ingests LSD and has a weird trip. Groucho Marx (in his last film role) is God, leader of the crime syndicate. George Raft is the captain of the ship he hides out on. Carol Channing is Gleason’s wife who sings. Arnold Stang is his friend who’s killed at the beginning. Also appearing: Peter Lawford, Burgess Meridith, Slim Pickens, Fred Clark, John Phillip Law and Austin Pendelton. Harry Nilsson (who also has a cameo) sings the end credits!

Screenwriter Doran William Cannon later wrote BREWSTER MCCLOUD and a TV adaptation of BRAVE NEW WORLD. Otto made this between BUNNY LAKE IS MISSING and TELL ME THAT YOU LOVE ME, JULIE MOON when his once great career was in a tailspin. He’d played the villain “Mr. Freeze” on an episode of TV’s BATMAN in 1966. I’ve read Preminger took LSD while making this movie. He must have been on something…

Apparently this has not been released on DVD (or VHS). One day it may escape!

Thanks for reading!