Abbott,Costello and Karloff

 

 (binged.com)

ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET DR. JEKYLL & MR. HYDE-1953-Slim & Tubby (Abbott & Costello) are two Americans working as bobbies on the English police force. After they are beat up by a group of suffragettes, they are thrown off the force. Vicky (Helen Westcott), the leader of the group who is also a music hall dancer, is romantically pursued by crime reporter Bruce (Craig Stevens) who is investigating the mysterious murders credited to a monster. It turns out this is true as her guardian happens to be Dr. Henry Jekyll (Boris Karloff) who transforms into Mr. Hyde when he wants to eliminate an enemy. Tubby figures out Jekyll's secret but no one believes him, especially their ex-boss the inspector (Reginald Denny). Jekyll tricks the duo into staying overnight at his house. While Tubby is snooping around, he's menaced by scary henchman Batley (John Diekes) and discovers Jekyll's lab. Later after they escape Tubby turns into a mouse. Jekyll wants to get rid of Bruce because he's in love with Vicky. Later when the doctor is outed as the monster, a big daylight chase takes place and Tubby becomes his own Mr. Hyde. 

Good comedy ensues when A & C are on screen and the presence of Karloff brings it up a notch. Eddie Parker appears mostly as Mr. Hyde. This was one of 9 Universal comedies director Charles Lamont made with the team. Although Karloff made several TV appearances, this would be his only feature film in 1953. 

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Mantis!

 

 (TCM)

THE DEADLY MANTIS-1957-After a lengthy introduction about the creation of the Dew Line, an US Arctic outpost is mysteriously destroyed. Col. Joe Parkman (Craig Stevens; TV's Peter Gunn series) investigates and the Air Force spends a good deal of time looking for what caused it. All they find is a piece of giant claw which a bunch of egghead doctors can't figure out. They contact Dr. Nedrick Jackson (William Hopper; TV's Perry Mason), a paleontologist who deduces the claw is from a giant praying mantis, which later destroys a village in Greenland. When Jackson is sent to the Arctic to check things out, a female museum reporter Marge Blaine (Alix Dalton) goes with him. During a dance at the air force base the mantis attacks. Later it heads down the coast to terrorize the eastern seaboard. It wrecks a bus, buzzes the Capitol and the climbs the Washington monument. Later it lands in NYC and hides in the Manhattan tunnel where it is eventually destroyed. 

Pat Conway (from TV's TOMBSTONE TERRITORY is also in it. Good '50's giant insect horror, despite some phony looking effects, directed by Nathan Juran who in the same year made 20 MILLION MILES TO EARTH, THE BRAIN FROM PLANET AROUS (with John Agar) and HELLCATS OF THE NAVY (with Ronald & Nancy Reagan). Story is credited to William Alland.

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Murder Mystery

THE HIDDEN HAND-1942-A rich woman Lorinda Channing (Cecil Cunningham) helps her crazy serial killer brother John (Milton Parsons) break out of jail so she can use him in a scheme to test her relatives' faith. Two uncaring nephews (and their snooty wives) are invited to her house as is her secretary Mary (Elizabeth Cunningham) (who's been made her sole heir), her doctor (Frank Wilcox) and his bitchy nurse (Marian Hill). Mary is engaged to Lorinda's lawyer Peter Thorne (Craig Stevens). Lorinda wants to fake her death with the help of her doctor and a drug but he lets her die. Only she doesn't die and comes back to life and she and bro John start killing. 

Despite the premise this is actually a comedy mystery with secret panels, clutching hands, real eyes behind a painting and too much “scared tatics” from Willie Best who refers to a razor he carries as “my persuader”. 

Director Ben Stoloff started his career in 1920 with a short called PLAY BALL WITH BABE RUTH. I guess it's only fitting that his last work was directing 26 episodes of TV's HOME RUN DERBY! THE HIDDEN HAND is based on a 1934 play “Invitation To Murder” by Rufus King.

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