Hall Comedy

SPIES A GO GO (aka THE NASTY RABBIT)-1964-A Russian spy (Mischa Terr) infiltrates the US dressed as a cowboy. Other cliched stereotype spies (German, Mexican, Japanese, Israel) are after him. He plans to destroy the US with a rabbit. Arch Hall Jr. is secret agent Britt Hunter, posing as a rock and roller, out to stop him. 

This dumb feature directed by James Landis (DEADWOOD '76) features sped up scenes, crazy music, broad slapstick and Arch Hall Sr. hamming it up in two roles (he also co-wrote the screenplay). Music by brothers Pat and Lolly Vegas who later formed the band “Redbone” (“Come And Get Your Love”).

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Deadwood

DEADWOOD ‘76-1965-Cheapo western featuring the unique un-talents of Arch Hall Jr. In the town of Deadwood folks are getting ready for a confrontation between Billy the Kid and Wild Bill Hickok. Out in the desert a guy named Billy May (Hall Jr.) saves cat seller Tennessee (Jack Lester), from some Indians. When they get to Deadwood, Billy kills two outlaws and everybody thinks he’s Billy the Kid. Saloon owners Porker Kate (Liz Renay) and Fancy Poggin (David Reed with a terrible fake mustache) take bets. Later Billy and Tennessee partner in a gold mine. While working it, Billy is captured by some local Indians. At their reservation, Billy meets his father Boone (his real life dad Arch Sr. using the pseudonym William Watters) who he thought was dead. His old man is a Confederate loony who's still fighting the Civil War and wants to use The Sioux to defeat The Yankees and reestablish the Confederacy (he sounds like a neo-nazi). 

Billy’s against it. He leaves even though an Indian maiden Little Bird (La Donna Cottier) likes him. After Billy leaves the tribe, he goes back to his stake but can't find Tennessee. Little Bird follows him but he sends her away. She's later beaten and raped by two jerks. Billy meets up with Tennessee who’s struck pay dirt. Billy finds the rapists and kills them. 

Later Wild Bill Hickok (Robert Dix) arrives for his showdown but Billy denies being the infamous outlaw and Wild Bill believes him. Their showdown doesn't happen, much to the chagrin of the town. After Billy kills a 15 year old who draws on him the whole town turns against him. Tennessee and Little Bird ride to the reservation and Dad and some of the tribe go to save Billy but they are too late. Billy is hanged and they even kill the preacher who tried to save him.

It’s amazing how Arch can get that huge out of place head of hair under an ordinary cowboy hat! Harvey B. Dunn (BRIDE OF THE MONSTER) appears in an un-billed role as a bartender. 

Director James Landis (who co-wrote the screenplay with Arch Sr.) had previously directed Arch Jr. in the incredible THE SADIST and the forgettable THE NASTY RABBIT but this low budget western isn't much. It was Arch Jr.'s last role for many many years.

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Arch Halls

THE CHOPPERS-1961-A group of juvenile delinquents strip cars for kicks in this seldom seen low budget teenage crime drama. The leader of the group is spoiled rich kid Cruiser (Arch Hall Jr. in his film debut), assisted by Torch (future director Robert Paget), Snooper (Larry Buchanan regular Burr Middleton), Ben (Chuck Barnes; later OJ Simpson's agent) and Flip (Rex Holman from MA BARKER'S KILLER BROOD). Parts of it are narrated by a reporter named Jim Bradford (producer/writer Arch Hall Sr. in an un-billed role) concerned because  "our greatest national resource is in danger".The gang uses a truck full of chickens and a guitar case full of tools to disguise their operation.

They do business with junk man Moose (Bruno VeSota who had a cameo role in NIGHT TIDE the same year) and harmonica playing Cowboy (Britt Wood who also sings a song). Insurance investigator Tom Hart (Tom Brown) tracks them down with the help of his blonde secretary Liz (Marianne Gaba; also in MISSILE TO THE MOON) and police Lt. Fleming (William Shaw). Cruiser uses a two way radio (while lounging in his cool hot rod) to warn his gang when "the bandits" are closing in.

Arch performs "Monkey In My Headband" and another of his compositions "Konga  Joe" plays on the radio. No matter what anyone says, these songs are cooool! Eventually their car stripping leads to a massive shootout in a junk yard where, after two cops are killed  Cruiser wants to give up but Torch refuses. The cops resort to using a bulldozer to get the gang. After his arrest Cruiser  dejectedly says: "We had a ball. A real ball".

There's a lot of jive talk and it's fairly violent for the time. It was the last movie directed by Leigh Jason who's career started in the late '20's. By the time of THE CHOPPERS he'd been working mostly in TV.

Next up for the father and son Hall team would be EEGAH!

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Everything's Archie!

WILD GUITAR-1962-Arch Hall Jr. stars as Bud Eagle, a Rock-A-Billy yokel who comes to LA and is exploited by agent Mike McCauley (William Watters AKA Arch Hall Sr.). Director Ray Dennis Steckler plays Steak, McCauley’s strong-arm thug. He meets (former amateur ice skater) Nancy Czar and performs on a TV show and becomes a big star. After being cajoled and blackmail (and unsuccessfully seduced by a hooker) Bud and his brother sent things straight. 

WILD GUITAR is a pretty wacky little movie made in the pre-Beatles era of teenage rock and roll. The music is ok but Arch’s hair is really out of control. This was the first feature directed by co-star Steckler. EEGAH! was made the same year by the father and son team. Arch Jr. would star in the eerie THE SADIST the next year.



THE SADIST-1963-If you’ve only seen Arch Hall Jr. in EEGAH! or WILD GUITAR you owe it to yourself to see him in this movie as a deranged psycho! As he proclaims before the credits roll: “I have been hurt by others. And I will hurt them. I will make them suffer like I have suffered”.

Three schoolteachers on their way to a baseball game have car trouble. They pull into a dilapidated gas station for help. Ed (Richard Alden) and Doris (Helen Hovey) are the two youngish sweethearts to be types. Carl (Don Russell) is the older guy. Their quick stop for a new water hose becomes a nightmare when they are confronted by loony thug Charlie Tibbs (Hall Jr.) and his imbecile girlfriend Judy (Marilyn Manning also in EEGAH!). He’s a mass murderer on the run and wants the teach-mobile fixed so he and his moll can make a quick getaway. Fortunately Ed takes practically the whole film to fix the damn thing. However Charlie manages to taunt the trio every chance he gets. He pistol whips Carl and then shoots him in cold blood after drinking a coke. There’s a good deal of suspense and a few interesting plot twists. Hall is really slimy in the lead and quite surprising after the goody teenage roles he had been playing.

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