Into The Unknown

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THE UNKNOWN-THE FORMS OF THINGS UNKNOWN-1964-Two women (Vera Miles & Barbara Rush) kill a blackmailing gigolo (Scott Marlowe). After they wreck their car during a storm, the two seek refuge at a remote mansion where Tone Hobart (David McCallum) and his blind butler Kolos (Sir Cedric Hardwick in his last acting role) live. Hobart is experimenting with a "time tilt" machine which he says can bring back the dead.

There's a lot of talk and weird camera angles and it kind of reminded me of a Harold Pinter play! This was originally devised by THE OUTER LIMITS writer Joseph Stefano and director Gerd Oswald as the pilot for a new series to be called THE UNKNOWN. ABC rejected the idea and it became (with a different ending and credits) the finale episode of THE OUTER LIMITS' first season.

McCallum was in another episode the same season, the memorable THE SIXTH FINGER.

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Karloff's Ghoul

 

 (imdb)

THE GHOUL-1933-0n his deathbed Prof. Morlant (Boris Karloff) prays to the Egyptian God Anubis and gives instructions to his servant Laing (Ernest Thesiger). It seems Morlant had a sacred jewel "The Eternal Light" in his possession. His lawyer (Cedric Hardwick) seems to want it. He tries to dissuade Morlant's nephew and heir Ralph (Anthony Bushell) from visiting the estate. Ralph hooks up with his cousin, Morlant's niece Betty (Dorothy Hyson) and they investigate along with Betty's comic relief roommate Miss Kaney (Kathleen Harrison). At the place they meet the lawyer and the servant and a bike riding priest (Ralph Richardson). They are also visited by Aga Ben Dragore (Howard Huth), former owner of the jewel and the knife wielding Mamoud (D, A. Clarke-Smith) who becomes the professor's first victim when he comes back to life. Laing is next as he stole the diamond not believing his master would be back. After Morant dies again, there's a couple of twists in the finale and the cousins get trapped in the burning tomb. It also seems the whole premise was not really supernatural. 

This Gaumont British UK production is dark, quirky and dated. It was the first film Karloff made in his homeland in 20 years and did well in England but failed at the US box office. It's also the only film Karloff made after his brief departure from Universal Pictures (he later signed a new contract with them). 

The film was thought lost for many years. In the late '60's William K. Everson discovered a battered and cut version of the film in a vault in Czechoslovakia (with Czech subtitles). Much later a negative of the film was found and restored. Director T. Hayes Hunter retired soon after making it. A year after THE GHOUL, Karloff had two highly acclaimed non-horror roles in THE LOST PATROL and THE HOUSE OF ROTHSCHILD and would get back into the horror swing of things in Edgar Ulmer's classic THE BLACK CAT (with Lugosi).

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Transmissions From Planet Haas

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BAIT-1954-The devil disguised as Sir Cedric Hardwick introduces this tale of two gold prospectors Marko (director Hugo Haas) and Ray (John Agar) looking for a lost goldmine. Peggy (Cleo Moore) an unwed mother who works at a grocery comes between them. The religiously bent Marko thinks Peggy was sent by the devil. The duo find the mine and both get gold fever. While Ray stays behind, Marko romances Peggy and winds up marrying her. Dumbly, he takes her to the mine to live with him and Ray but he has his reasons. 

Pretty low grade even for Hugo Haas, king of the senseless low budget morality tale. Bruno Ve Sota is also in it.

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Lon Frank

THE GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN-1942-In the wake of events that transpired in SON OF FRANKENSTEIN, the angry villagers blow up Castle Frankenstein despite the best efforts of Ygor (Bela Lugosi; also in BOWERY AT MIDNIGHT the same year) to dissuade them (the broken neck ex-assistant to Wolf Frankenstein seems to have recovered from being shot to death in the last installment). Their explosive blasts unleash the monster from his sulfur pit doom of the previous picture much to the delight of Ygor (“My friend!”). After being struck by lightening the monster becomes stronger. The duo decided to visit Vasaria where the baron's second song Ludwig Frankenstein (Sir Cedric Hardwicke) lives. Ludwig is a brain surgeon who studies “diseases of the mind” and is assisted by the cheerful Dr. Kettering (Barton Yarborough; later in the I LOVE A MYSTERY series of films) and the unhappy Dr. Bohmer (Lionel Atwill; also in PARDON MY SARONG with Abbott & Costello the same year) and his daughter Elsa (Evelyn Ankers; in the previous year's THE WOLFMAN). 

Igor and his friend walk right into the village square and scare children. The monster befriends a little girl (“Are you a giant?”) and takes her to the rooftops to retrieve her ball. After returning the girl to her daddy he's overpowered by the cops and townspeople. Cut to Ludwig's residence where town prosecutor Erik (Ralph Bellamy; also in THE WOLFMAN) tells the doctor about an imprisoned madman who killed 2 villagers. But unbeknownst to Erik, Ygor has already met with Ludwig to discuss helping fix his friend's “sick brain”. When he's put on trial the monster escapes and almost kills Ludwig but Ygor's horn playing pacifies him. Bringing him back to Ludwig's laboratory the monster kills Kettering and gas is used to subdue him. Ludwig plans to take the monster apart “piece by piece” but his father's ghost (also Hardwicke) intervenes and Ludwig decides to put Kettering's brain into the monster's head! Ygor convinces Bohmer (who feels his part in Frankenstein's experiments have been overlooked because of a mistake he made years before) to put his demented brain in the monster's skull. Erik accuses Ludwig of deception and the doc nearly 'fesses up but the monster kidnaps his little girlfriend and all that's put to the side. The operation is a success but of course the monster's evil brain has been replaced by one that is even eviler. It doesn't go as planned though. The monster, now talking with Ygor's voice plans on ruling the world but it turns out Ygor's blood doesn't match the monster's and he (they?) go blind. The monster kills Bohmer and starts a fire that burns down the house, killing him (for now) and Ludwig while Erik saves Elsa. 

SON OF FRANKENSTEIN director Earle C. Kenton made this fine if a little convoluted follow-up which although cheats on story continuity provides some good scenes and great performances. Cedric Hardwicke is excellent as the noble scientist who wants to do the right thing but once again falls victim to the “Frankenstein curse”. And having Lugosi back as the scheming Ygor (especially since he was killed at the end of SON) is a major plus. Though criticized a lot for his portrayal Lon Chaney (in the first post-Karloff role of the monster) does an acceptable job considering he's not given much to do! Atwill of course is at his best here, the seemingly co-operative assistant hiding a bitter vengeance driven other self. The screenplay is by W. Scott Darling, a prolific film writer before his death by drowning in 1953. GHOST of course features several actors in un-billed roles: Holmes Herbert, Richard Alexander, Harry Cording and Dwight Frye.

Director Kenton later worked with Abbott and Costello and also made two "sequels"  HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN and HOUSE OF DRACULA.

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More Invisibility

INVISIBLE AGENT-1942-Nazis want the indivisibility formula created by Frank Griffin, the original “Invisible Man” in this kind of sequel to THE INVISIBLE MAN RETURNS. Two enemy agents (Sir Cedric Hardwick and Peter Lorre) visit Griffin's grandson Frank (Jon Hall) whose working as a printer under an assumed name. They try to get the formula from him but he escapes and goes to the US for help. The government wants the formula too but he refuses until he learns of the attack on Pearl Harbor. He agrees to help but only if he is allowed to become the “invisible agent”. While parachuting into Berlin he becomes invisible and contacts German double agent Maria (Ilona Massey) who dines with the head of the secret police (J. Edward Bromberg) and there's lots of invisible comedy. For a while Frank puts on cold cream, sunglasses and a robe to become almost visible. Later he's kidnapped by Lorre (who's suppose to be Japanese; his outings as Mr. Moto got him in the mood). Once again Frank escapes their clutches and Lorre kills Hardwicke then commits hari-kari. Fortunately Maria can fly a plane and she and Frank stop bombers headed to destroy NYC! Keye Luke appears as a doctor in one scene. 

Released right after Pearl Harbor bombings this is one of the many propaganda like science fiction films released at the time. The SFX are good (they were nominated for an Academy Award) and director Edwin L. Marin doesn't go overboard with the comedy bits. Screenwriter Curt Siodmak (who also penned THE INVISIBLE MAN RETURNS) had fled Germany (first to England) in 1937. His depiction of the Nazis are evil but incompetent. 

Director Marin had previously made A CHRISTMAS CAROL and A STUDY IN SCARLET (both with Reginald Owen) and later many westerns. Lead actor Jon Hall returned to invisibility two years later in THE INVISIBLE MAN'S REVENGE, though playing a different character.

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They Came?

THINGS TO COME-1936-Interesting prophetic English adaptation of the novel by HG Welles (who also wrote the screenplay). In Everytown (much like London) the residents prepare for a war at Christmas time in 1940. When war does break out it lasts 30 years, culminating in a disease called “The Wandering Sickness”. When the war finally ends a group called “Wings Over The World”, lead by an engineer named Cabal (Raymond Massey) tries to restore civilization but faces many obstacles. Ralph Richardson is great as “The Chief” a petty dictator who has taken over the war torn Everytown (in 1967). Later everyone lives underground and all diseases (including the common cold) have been cured. Cabal's grandson wants to send people to the moon but Theotocopulos (Cedric Hardwick) (who's role was originally played by Ernest Thesiger) leads a revolt. It's long on rhetoric but the acting and SFX (especially in the later parts of the film) make this worth watching.

Produced by Alexander Korda (THE THIEF OF BAGDAD) THINGS TO COME boasts a screenplay by Welles who was subject of many stories involving his “control” over the project. Some say he even started out as the director!

Director William Cameron Menzies was better known as an art director and set designer (GONE WITH THE WIND, FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS) but later made THE MAZE and INVADERS FROM MARS.

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Lured

LURED-1947-Interesting overlooked murder mystery directed by Douglas Sirk (later known for his glossy Hollywood tearjerkers).

Lucille Ball stars as an American dancer in London who's recruited by a Scotland Yard inspector (Charles Coburn) to be a decoy to help capture a killer who meets his victims via personal ads. Costar George Sanders is his usual suave self and a chief suspect. George Zucco is great as the crossword puzzle solving detective who helps out. Boris Karloff has a one scene in a stand out role as a crazy dress designer/red herring! Other suspects include Alan Mowbray, Cedric Hardwick and Joseph Calleia. Alan Napier is Coburn's assistant.

It's a remake of a French film "Pieges" (PERSONAL COLUMN; LURED's original working title) made in 1939 by Roberet Siodmak with Erich Von Stroheim in the Karloff role. Earlier Von Stroheim was Karloff's immediate successor for the role of Jonathan Brewster in ARSENIC AND OLD LACE on Broadway.

For some reason LURED was not easy to find for a long time but TCM has showed it several times in recent years and Kino finally released it on DVD.

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Jekyll & Hyde on TV

CLIMAX!-DR.JEKYLL & MR. HYDE-1955-This was a live TV broadcast (sponsored by Chrysler) with the adaptation by Gore Vidal based on Robert Louis Stevenson's classic story.

Michael Rennie stars as Dr. Jekyll who wants to find man's soul and thinks he can produce a "angel or devil" from the same person.

The story begins with Jekyll's best friend Mr. Utterson (Cedric Hardwicke) killing the notorious Mr. Hyde in Jekyll's lab. Utterson then finds the doctor's journal (left casually on a table to be read after his death) and the rest of the story is told in flashback showing how Jeykll's ceaseless experimenting produces "the devil" Hyde and begins his dual personality, dedicated doctor by day, evil deviant by night. Rennie pulls off the dual role very well and time elapsed footage is used during most of the transformation scenes (not bad considering the drawbacks). Like most early TV productions it suffers from bad lighting and sparse production values (look for a hand that mysteriously appears near a curtain) but has some cool camera angles.

Mary Sinclair (a popular TV actress at the time) is "the girl" Hyde takes a fancy to. John Hoyt (with
an English accent) is Jekyll's servant Poole and Lowell Gilmore is his friend Lanyon  who says "Where's my tea? I came here for tea not a black mass".

 Director Allen Reisner did 19 other epsiodes of CLIMAX! and became very proflific in TV. Rennie starredin 8 other episodes and Hardwicke 5 others. The version I saw had the original commercials with
host William Lunigan hawking Chrysler cars.

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