Lorre on the Tube

 

 (mubi)

SCREEN DIRECTORS PLAYHOUSE-"No.5 Checked Out"-1956-Mary, a deaf woman (Teresa Wright; PRIDE OF THE YANKEES, SHADOW OF A DOUBT) left alone by her father (Ralph Moody) in an off-season lodge is unaware that two men she's allowed to stay in a cabin are bank robbers. One guy, Barney (William Talman) was just the driver but his partner Willie (Peter Lorre) killed a man. Barney kind of falls for Mary but Willie has other plans. It ends tragically and a little abruptly. 

But still a nice little suspense drama co-written and director by Ida Lupino. Make up by Jack Pierce. Eastman Kodak presented the TV version Screen Directors Playhouse which ran on NBC for 32 episodes from October 1955 to June 1956 (although the last few episodes ran on ABC). It was produced by the Hal Roach Studios. 

In 1953, co-star Talman played the psycho killer in THE HITCHHIKER, also directed by Lupino. In 1957, he began a long run on TV's "Perry Mason" as prosecuting attorney Hamilton Burger.

 (imdb)

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It's Raining Devils

 

 (imdb)

THE DEVIL'S RAIN-1975-After credits are shown over paintings by Bosch, Mark Preston (William Shatner) goes up against "Satan's minister on Earth" Korvus (Ernest Borgnine) and his eyeless worshipers for possession of a book. Meanwhile Sam Richards (Eddie Albert) and Tom Preston (Tom Skerrit) demonstrate a type of telepathy using Preston's wife Julie (Joan Prather). Preston returns home to find his mom (Ida Lupino) and brother Mark missing. The sheriff (Keenan Wynn) blames a flood. While Mark is tortured, Preston & Julie go to a ghost town where caretaker Charlie told them Mark was headed. While snooping they are attacked by an eyeless guy. Julie seems to have a psychic connection to the coven and sees a flashback to colonial times. 

It turns out the wife of Preston's ancestor Martin Fife (also Shatner) betrayed the satanists who are burned at the stake. Preston infiltrates the gathering where Mark is to be sacrificed and Korvus transforms into a goat man. Unfortunately Preston is found out but escapes. Somehow Richards gets the book and tells Preston what's going on. When Korvus captures Julie and plans to convert her, Richards and Preston go back and find some kind of orb that holds all the souls Korvus has taken. After they are attacked by the possessed sheriff, the duo break up the party. It's a TV show star battle with McHale vs. Capt. Kirk vs. Mr. Douglas in the finale where the rain makes the group melt. Korvus seems to melt too but evil wins out!

Director Robert Fuest (THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES) made this high profile horror movie that later exploited then unknown cast member John Travolta (the less said about him the better). It's a good little horror movie with a nice cast and surprise ending. Charlatan Anton LeFay (also credited as a technical adviser) has a cameo as a satanic priest.

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Outrage

OUTRAGE-1950-Do not miss this daring (for the time) drama concerning a rape victim (Mala Powers) and the consequences of her violation. Happy soon to be married Ann (Powers) is the victim of a “criminal assault” by a sleazy fast food worker. Her fiancé (future “Hideous Sun Demon” Robert Clarke) doesn’t care and still wants to marry her but Ann can’t bear to be touched by anyone. She runs away and winds up working at an orange packing plant. A minister, who everyone call “doctor” (Tod Andrews, later in FROM HELL IT CAME)) learns of her past and tries to help her after she viciously attacks a local guy (Jerry Paris) who tries to kiss her. This film is very moving, sad and serious and deserves to be seen a wider audience especially considering it’s subject matter which was quite taboo in 1950!

Powers heartfelt performance won her her next role that of Roxanne opposite Jose Ferrer in CYRANO DE BERGERAC. Actress Ida Lupino who was just about the only woman making movies in Hollywood at the time directed OUTRAGE. She made other interesting films in the early ‘50’s including HARD FAST & BEAUTIFUL ON DANGEROUS GROUND THE BIGAMIST and THE HITCHHIKER and then moved into television directing episodes of such diverse series as THE DONNA REED SHOW 77 SUNSET STRIP HAVE GUN WILL TRAVEL THE RIFLEMAN THE FUGITIVE and THRILLER.

Tennis and Menace

HARD FAST AND BEAUTIFUL-1951-An unscrupulous mother (Claire Trevor) goes to all lengths to promote her daughter (Sally Forrest) in the sport of Tennis. She hooks up with a sleazy promoter (Carlton Young Jr.) and tries to break up a romance between her daughter and the man she loves (Robert Clarke, soon to be THE HIDEOUS SUN DEMON). This is a great over looked low budget gem directed by actress Ida Lupino. She made six other films between 1949 and 1953 including OUTRAGE (also with Clarke) and doesn't get the credit she deserves. Later she directed many diverse TV shows including episodes of THRILLER, HAVE GUN WILL TRAVEL and THE DONNA REED SHOW.



WAR OF THE WORLDS-2005-This plays more like some disaster film than an adaptation of a classic HG Wells novel even though they get The Tripods and their mission correct. Tom Cruise is very miscast as an estranged father trying to save his two kids from the Martian invaders. (He and his son look more like brothers!) As his daughter Dakota Fanning screams a lot. Tim Robbins shows up inexplicitly as a loony living underground with a shotgun. There’s lots of SFX and humans are either vaporized or eaten. If you sit through it look for the cameo at the end by Gene Barry & Ann Robinson, stars of the 1953 version. Morgan Freeman does some narration. Steven Spielberg doesn’t do it again.

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