The First Whistler

 

 (imdb)

THE WHISTLER-(1944)-In the first of the series, Earl Conrad (Richard Dix) is a businessman who blames himself for the death of his wife and decides to have a hit man knock him off. Later, when it appears his wife is still alive, Conrad changes his mind and doesn't want to die. His journey takes many twists. A psychotic hit man (J.Carroll Nash in standout performance) tries to scare him to death. Conrad almost winds up as a stowaway on a ship bound for Japan. 

Nice little film noir directed by William Castle. Also with Gloria Stuart, Byron Foulger as a flophouse attendant, William Bennidict as a mute delivery boy, Trevor Bardette, Ralph Dunn and George Lloyd. It's based on a CBS radio show created by J. Donald Wilson. This was the first of 8 Whistler films produced by Columbia Pictures. Richard Dix was the star of the first 7. The titular character is the narrator (Otto Forrest). 

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Anna May Wong (New Named Blog)

 

 (wikipedia)

DAUGHTER OF SHANGHAI-1937-Lan Ying Lin (Anna May Wong) wants revenge on the smugglers who killed her dad when he threatened to expose their gang leader Frank Barton (J Carroll Nash; known for playing phony Asians) and his thugs (including Buster Crabbe and Anthony Quinn) who deal in illegal aliens. She tries to find out the identity of the mysterious Hartman (Charles Bickford) and his dealings in human traffic. Federal agent Kim Lee (Philip Ahn) goes undercover to discover the big boss, who turns out to be a seemingly kind and caring rich woman, Mary Hunt (Cecil Cunningham) whose chauffeur turns against her and helps stop her. 

This Paramount production is one of those unique features that has 2 actual Asian actors in the leads! Anna May Wong also made WHEN WERE YOU BORN? the same year and later would find decent roles hard to come by. Director Robert Florey manages to rise above the mundane story line to make this a great but forgotten vehicle for Wong.

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 (wikipedia)

All Star Horror From Universal

HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN-1944-In prison for his medical experiments, Dr. Niemann (Boris Karloff) shows his know how to his hunchback assistant Daniel (J.Carroll Nash) and promises to give him a new body. Lightning destroys the prison wall and the pair escape. They hook up with Prof. Lampini (George Zucco) and his horror exhibition which he claims includes the remains of the original Count Dracula. Niemann wants to go to his old lab in Visaria but Lampini has other plans. Too bad. Daniel kills him and Neimann takes over as Lampini. In town, Burgomaster Herr Hussman (Sig Ruman) questions Niemann about his identity while displaying Dracula's skeleton with a stake in it. He remembers it was the burgomaster who put him in prison for putting the brain of a dog into man. Overcome with vengeance Niemann pulls the stake out of the Count's skeleton planning to kill the burgomaster but an amazing thing happens. The skeleton transforms into Dracula who tries to hypnotize Neimann but his will is wrong and he resists. Niemann makes a deal: if Dracula will obey him he'll make sure there's always a coffin waiting for him. Dracula agrees. The count gets right down to work, integrating himself (under the guise of Count Lagos) into the burgomaster's small family unit: his son Karl (Peter Coe) and his American daughter in law Rita (Ann Gwynne). He does in the burgomaster just as the old guy figures out Lampini is Neimann but really has his sights set on Rita who he hypnotizes and plans to take away. Unfortunately  his plan runs into a stumbling block when the sun rises. Dracula makes a bee line for his coffin which Niemann has and dumps off his wagon while the police give chase. Dracula goes for his coffin but it's too late. The sun finds him and he turns to dust thus releasing Rita from his thrall.


This is like end of part one. Whew! The rest of the story begins with Daniel's rescue of a gypsy dancer Illonka (Elena Verdugo) after he sees her being whipped by her boss. Clearly infatuated with her Daniel begs his master to take her along. Niemann agrees and gives her the job of driving the horses. Though at first sight repulsed by Daniel's deformity, she feels sorry and they become friends. Later the troupe visit Castle Frankenstein where The Monster and the Wolf man had their battle in the previous entry FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLFMAN. Neimann and Daniel discover their frozen bodies. “The undying monster” Neimann exclaims. He and Danny un-freeze the monsters and this is when the trouble begins. Getting his hands on Dr. Frankenstein's “The Secrets of Life and Death”, Neimann agrees to help Talbot die by switching his brain with the monster's. Meanwhile Illonka falls for Larry which in turn makes Dan very jealous and in a rage spills the beans to gypsy about Larry's hairy curse. As usual Niemann becomes obsessed with reviving the monster and kind of forgets about his promise to fix friend Daniel's deformed body. Illonka figures the only way to help her beloved Larry is to shoot him with a silver bullet. She gets a gun but is fatally attacked by the wolf man who she kills before shortly dying herself. This doesn't sit with Daniel who attempts to strangle his former benefactor. This upsets the monster (who earlier had been whipped by Dan) and he breaks free and kills the hunchback. The angry villagers storm the castle (one of them is un-billed character actor Joe Kirk). The monster grabs the doc and hightails it out. Unfortunately despite the injured mad scientist's pleas, he takes them right into some quicksand where the are quickly swallowed up. The End.

It's nice to see all these monsters and classic actors together in one Universal horror movie but HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN could have been better. Dracula never appears with the wolf man or the monster. A lot of what Neimann does doesn't make sense. One scene where Niemann has kidnapped two men,  Strauss, his former assistant (Michael Mark) who betrayed him and a juror Ullman (Frank Reicher) who testified against him, he says he's going to put one of their brains into the wolf man and the other into the monster sort of contradicting his original plans. When this scene is over the two captives are never referred to again and he continues with his experiments. Also when he's ready to do an operation on Talbot, did he really have to do it on the night of a full moon? You'd think he'd know better. But then I guess he was a mad scientist! His was one of the last screenplays written by Edward T. Lowe who career started in 1912! He wrote HOUSE OF DRACULA the next year. Director Earle Kenton manages to pull off all the right moves to make this a very entertaining horror story despite it's small flaws. 

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Big Top Chan

CHARLIE CHAN AT THE CIRCUS-1936-This entry begins with Charlie (Warner Oland) and his wife (Annie Mar) and 12 children visiting the circus and talking to 2 little people, Col. Tim (George Brasno) and Lady Tiny (Olive Brasno) both dancers. One of the owners Kinney (Paul Stanton) approaches Chan and says he’s received some threatening letters. Chan agrees to meet him later during the show. We also learn Kinney's partner John Gaines (Francis Ford) owes him a lot of money and if he can't pay he’ll lose his half of the circus. He also has a problem with Cesar the gorilla (Charles Gemora) who he whips and then fires its trainer. Later with the help of Col. Tim and a giant (John Aasen) Chan discovers Kinney dead in a locked room inside his wagon. Then it’s found that the abused ape has escaped its cage! A phony mystic John Holt (J.Carrol Naish) helps subdue Cesar when he attacks Chan. No.1 son Lee (Keye Luke) and police chief Macy (Wade Boteler) try to figure things out (Lee also pursues a Asian contortionist). Lady Tiny visits the Chan Clan at their hotel to try and convince Charlie to help find Kinney's killer but he declines as he’s on vacation with his family. However Mrs. Chan and their kids convince him to help. Charlie and Jimmy join the circus to investigate. The first night a cobra slithers into the elder Chan's bed but Jimmy shoots it, It seems Kinney was engaged to the star trapeze artist Marie Norman but was married to Nellie (Drue Layton),who works in the costume dept. To trail her Lee  dresses as a woman with Tim as his cigar smoking baby! Later when Nellie proclaims that she will inherit half the circus trapeze artist Norman claims she can prove that Kinney and Nellie we're not legally married but first she has to perform. Bad decision. Someone fires a rifle cutting one of the ropes. She falls but doesn't die. Charlie sets a trap and discovers the real culprit. They can't make a monkey out of Charlie Chan!

 Director Harry Lachman made OUR RELATIONS with Laurel & Hardy the same year. He later made more in the Chan series. George and Olive Brasno were a real life brother/sister singing act who were very popular and successful in their day. 

Followed by CHARLIE CHAN AT THE RACE TRACK.

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Inner Sanctum

CALLING DR. DEATH-1943-First of the "Inner Sanctum" series from Universal with Lon Chaney (who starred in all of them) as Mark Steele, a successful doctor who uses hypnotism to cure patients. Unfortunately his success doesn't extend to his marriage with his bitchy philandering wife Maria (Ramsey Ames). When wifey goes away for the weekend sans hubby he goes after her. Later he wakes up in his office and can't remember where he's been. Maria winds up dead and a smug police inspector Gregg (J. Carroll Nash) suspects the doc even when they pick up Maria's boy toy Duvall (David Bruce) for the murder. Much of Chaney's dialogue is stream of consciousness over dubbing. He is sweet on his nurse Stella (Patricia Morison) and she helps him hypnotize himself but that doesn't really help. After a while he and nurse Stella declare their love but doc seems to be losing his mind. Is it guilt? However Steele uses his hypnotism to find the real killer in a surreal dream induced flashback (with some clever effects). 

CALLING DR. DEATH tries hard to be a psychological mystery and director Reginald Le Borg sort of succeeds but despite some nice dreamy touches and good acting the short running time has the story going along a little too quickly. The most memorable scene though might be the opening where “the spirit of the Inner Sanctum” introduces the story. It's an actor's head (David Hoffman) in a crystal ball talking in a weird voice. 

Screenwriter Edward Dein wrote many murder mysteries in the 1940's and later directed THE LEECH WOMAN, SHACKOUT ON 101 and CURSE OF THE UNDEAD. Director Le Borg directed the next two in the series and later worked with Chaney on the “all star” low budget horror film THE BLACK SLEEP.

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Edward G. Hatchett Guy

THE HATCHET MAN-1932-Edward G. Robinson is Wong, “hatchet man”, a kind of Chinese hit man used by San Francisco Chinatown Tong to gain revenge on a murdered comrade. Unfortunately he's made to kill his best friend (J. Carroll Naish) who seems to know his death is imminent so he leaves all his assets to Wong and makes provisions that when his daughter is 21 she will marry Eddy, I mean Wong. 15 years later things have changed. The narrator says “Gone are the queues and the chopsticks”. The daughter is now the grown up Toya San (Loretta Young) and is married Wong, a successful and legitimate businessman. They seem to be happy but when a rival Tong stirs up trouble Wong starts honing his hatchet. He also winds up with a sleazy gigolo bodyguard Harry (Leslie Fenton) who for some reason Toya falls in love with. When Wong catches them together he nearly kills Harry but Loretta pleads for his life and Wong allows them to run away. Wong is kicked out of his Tong in disgrace, sells his business and works in a field. Later he gets a letter from Toya saying she has been deported to China because her beau was smuggling opium. Somehow he goes all the way to China to get her back (he also gets his hatchet out of hock). He finds Harry an addict and Loretta a waitress. He rescues her and takes care of the boyfriend in a great final scene. “Great lord Buddha will find you no matter where you are on the face of the Earth”. 

 Although nearly devoid of any actual Asians (except in very minor roles) THE HATCHET MAN does boast several Caucasian character actors in make-up including Charles Middleton, Dudley Diggs and Tully Marshall. It was directed by William Wellman a few years before the introduction of The Hays Office so the story is loaded with references to drugs, prostitution and violent acts. It's based on a play by Achmed Abdul and David Belasco. 

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Let Sitting Bull Lie

SITTING BULL-1954- In the Black Hills of Dakota “once again the white man comes”. The great Indian chief Sitting Bull (J. Carroll Nash) leads his Sioux Nation against the invading, gold seeking white men. His second in command is Crazy Horse (Iron Eyes Cody). They attack some grubby prospectors who'd been on their land. Major Parrish (Dale Robertson) is concerned about the Indians' fate but locks horns with General Custer (Douglas Kennedy) and gets transferred to an Indian agency and is dumped by his fiancee Kathy (Mary Howell from THW WILD ONES; she was in THE MAD MAGICIAN the same year as this) for a reporter Wentworth (William Hopper). The minute he gets to the new post he locks horns with Webster (Thomas B.Henry), the head agent who calls the captive Indians “renegade dogs”. After Parrish sticks Webster's head in a pot of gruel, the Indians revolt. Parrish lets them go but Webster kills Sitting Bull's son. President Grant (John Hamilton, acting very “Perry White-ish” in a highlight role) wants to meet with Sitting Bull so with the help of an ex-slave Parrish tries to set it up. To gain the chief's trust Parrish has to fight Crazy Horse in a knife fight. They have a pow-wow but it doesn't go as planned and Gen Custer leads his men to slaughter at The Little Big Horn (conviently Wentworth goes with them). Parrish is almost shot by a firing squad but Kathy brings Sitting Bull to Grant and convinces him to spare Parrish's life. It all ends happily but as we know in real life that was not to be. 

I guess this low budget technicolor western was trying to be sympathetic to the Native American tribes but the stiff acting and cliched script undermine the whole thing though I don't think it's as bad as I've been led to believe. Director Sidney Salkow was working on TV's LASSIE at the time he made this.

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Ape Sequel

JUNGLE WOMAN-1944-After the events chronicled in CAPTIVE WILD WOMAN, at inquest Dr. Fletcher (J. Carrol Naish) is investigated after he admits murdering one of his patients at his sanitarium. In a flashback the doc tells all. A storm wrecks the circus freeing lions and tigers during lion tamer Fred Mason's act. Paula (Acquanetta), now a full ape saves Mason (Milburn Stone) but is shot down by the police, Fetcher gets the body and at his lab he revives it. Then Mason relates his own flashback (inside Fetcher's!) about the first time Paula Dupree showed up. (Mason's wife Beth (Evelyn Ankers) also tells about almost being attacked by Paula). We also learn that Fletcher now owns the sanitarium of the departed Dr. Walter (played by John Carradine in the first film). The revived ape escapes but when the doc and Willy, his slow witted assistant (Eddie Hyans) search the grounds all they find is a mysterious but beautiful woman. His examination of her is interrupted by a visit from his daughter Joan (Lois Collier) and her boyfriend Bob (Richard Davis/David) who Paula takes a sudden interest in (she finally talks too!). Once again Paula grows jealous. She kills Willy then tries to drown the happy couple when they go canoeing. For a while Bob thinks Fletcher is abusing Paula. Paula menaces Joan but Fletcher kills her. He's exonerated after Paula's corpse is examined which has now reverted to it's original ape form. 

Douglas Dumbrille appears as a non-believing DA, Samuel Hinds is a judge and Tom Keene is a curious doctor. Director Reginald LeBorg made three movies with Lon Chaney (THE MUMMY'S GHOST and 2 INNER STANCTUMS) the same year he made this 61 minute Universal sequel. It would be followed by a second (and last) sequel.  

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The Alamo

THE LAST COMMAND-1955-Jim Bowie (Sterling Hayden) arrives in the Texas/Mexican territory just in time for an uprising of Texicans against Mexico. William Travis (Richard Carlson) tries to convince a committee to resist Mexico's iron fist. When Santa Ana (J. Carroll Nash) rejects the Texicans demands Austin (Otto Kurger) decides it's time to take up arms against them. But when his wife and kid die Bowie becomes a wanderer. Later he and his small group (including Jim Davis and Slim Pickens) decide to fight. Ernest Borgnine is a tough guy named Mike who has a knife fight with Bowie at the beginning of the story and later they become friends. Edward Franz (THE FOUR SKULLS OF JONATHAN DRAKE) is the Mexican representative living with The Texicans. Anna Maria Albergetti (an actress I only remember for doing salad dressing TV commercials in the late '60's)is the senorita love interest who comes between Bowie and Travis. Things really get rowdy when Davey Crockett (Arthur Hunnicutt) shows up. Great battle finale at The Alamo. I won't reveal what happens...

Roy Roberts, Virginia Grey, John Russell and Morris Ankrum also have roles.

THE LAST COMMAND was once of the most expensive pictures ever produced by the low budget Republic Pictures studio. It was suppose to star John Wayne as Bowie but he also wanted to direct it. However when the studio hired the workman like Frank Lloyd (IF I WERE KING, BLOOD ON THE SUN) instead Wayne bolted. He'd get his chance to star in and direct his own version several years later with THE ALAMO (some argue THE LAST COMMAND is more historically accurate).

This version has lots going for it. Action, a strong cast and good direction.

Here's Lorne Greene's version of the historical battle:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bZu5T1VbVs

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Monster Maker

THE MONSTER MAKER-1944-This PRC horror film isn’t bad considering it’s low budget restrictions. The underrated J. Carroll Naish is Dr. Markoff, a crazy phony doctor working on a cure for agromegly (the film calls it a glandular disease but I think they were basing it on the real bone deforming disease that actor Rondo Hatton suffered from). He’s obsessed with the daughter (Wanda McKay who was in VOODOO MAN the same year) of a famous concert pianist (Ralph Morgan), who he thinks is the reincarnation of his dead wife. Markoff injects Morgan’s character with the disease so he can gain control of the daughter (who’s rejected him). Morgan becomes the mad doc’s deformed prisoner but in the end is saved by Markoff’s long-suffering assistant (Tala Burel).

Glenn Strange is Markoff’s henchman and there’s even a phony gorilla thrown in for good measure. Morgan’s make-up is pretty good but the climax is disappointing.

Besides MM director Sam Newfield made a staggering 11 more movies in 1944 including I ACCUSE MY PARENTS and NABONGA. 1944 was also a busy year for the prolific Naish. He was in 8 other movies including HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN (which featured Strange as The Monster) and DRAGON SEED. He ended his career in Al Adamson’s FRANKENSTEIN VS. DRACULA (1970).

Make-up man Maurice Seiderman worked on CITIZEN KANE and TOUCH OF EVIL for Orson Welles and BRIDE OF THE MONSTER for Ed Wood!

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Lorre Goes Bonkers!

THE BEAST WITH 5 FINGERS-1946-This rarely seen underrated psychological horror film features Peter Lorre in a standout whacko performance.

When an eccentric wheelchair bound pianist (Victor Franchen) dies it seems that his severed hand has come back for revenge. It plays the piano and menaces Lorre whose character is obsessed with astrology. Robert Alda & Andrea King star along with J. Carroll Naish as a police inspector.

BEAST was written and directed by Robert Florey who co-wrote the original FRANK-ENSTEIN (but was cheated out of the credit by James Whale) and directed Lugosi in the over looked MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE.

An out of place comical final scene almost ruins it but it’s still a mini-classic. Thanks TCM for showing it!!!


"A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is braver five minutes longer."-Ralph Waldo Emerson

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