Meow

 

 (imdb)

THE CREEPER-1948-A doctor's daughter sleepwalks with her dad's gun. At a medical facility, Dr. Jim Bordon (Onslow Stevens) argues with Dr. Cavigny (Ralph Morgan) about his experiments with cats. Nurse Gwen Runstrom (June Vincent) reports that their special serum has been destroyed. The other nurse Dora (Janis Wilson), Cavigny's gun toting sleepwalker daughter, seems more than a little bothered having had a fever when they were in the West Indies. Bordon has some experimental cats sent to him. Meanwhile Dr. Van (Eduardo Ciannelli) listens secretly to the whole debate. Van works with Dr. John Reade (John Baragrey) across the hall researching allergies. It seems Reade and Gwen are engaged. Dora freaks out when she meets Reed's cat named "Creeper" (is that a cat name?). 

Later Dora relates to Reade how she caught a fever and later had an episode at a Chinese restaurant.(run by Phillip Ahn). She has several dreams she's being menaced by a giant cat paw. When her dad is murdered she's arrested. She's let go for lack of evidence but the cat handler Andre (David Hoffman) is killed by what appears to be a man size cat but only a shadow is seen. A police inspector (Richard Lane) snoops around. 

There's not much except a few more murders and a kind of dumb ending. Director Jean Yarbrough doesn't have much to work with here but keeps this low budget 20^th Century Fox release quick and short.

Rondo Returns

  (wikipedia)

THE BRUTE MAN-1946-When a string of brutal murders credited to "The Creeper" hit town, a police chief (Donald McBride) and his Lieutenant (Peter Whitney) suspect a guy named Hal Moffat whose face was disfigured in a college chemistry experiment. He's out for revenge on the people he blames for his predicament especially classmates Clifford Scott (Tom Neal; in DETOUR the year before) and his wife Virginia (Jan Wiley). While killing and stalking potential victims Hal (the unforgettable Rondo Hatton in his last movie) meets Helen (Jane Adams), a blind piano teacher and they kind of bond. 

Helen needs money for an eye operation so Hal goes to Scott and demands money. Scott shoots Hal but he kills Scott and takes Virginia's jewels and gives them to Helen. When she has them appraised she learns all about her mysterious benefactor. She helps trap him and he's arrested. The movie actually ends on a comic note. 

This was originally a Universal Pictures production which was suppose to introduce Rondo Hatton as their new horror star (“the monster without make-up”) but Hatton died before the movie was released. Though the studio made no bones about their plan to exploit Hatton's looks while he was alive, it seems after his death they were a little more than embarrassed by presenting an actor with a real physical condition (acromegaly) as a guy who was a monster and his character in the film had once been “normal” before an explosion.

 Cutting their loses, controversy and questionable taste, Universal sold the film to Monogram who released it on a double bill. Work horse director Jean Yarbrough had already worked with Rondo Hatton earlier in the year in HOUSE OF HORRORS and made SHE-WOLF OF LONDON and three other features in 1946. Fred Colby plays Hal before "the accident" and Tris Coffin, Pat Costello and John Hamilton have un-billed roles. 

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He Should Have Stayed Where He Was

FRECKLES COMES HOME-1942-A guy nicknamed Freckles (Johnny Downs) goes to his sleepy old hometown of Fairfield, Indiana to help out his buddy Danny (Marvin Stephens) who's in a jam, partially thanks to hotel Porter Jeff (Mantan Moreland) who bought a machine that was supposed to find gold. Freckles romances Jane Potter (Gale Storm), the banker's daughter. At a barn dance they do a duet. Freckles and Dan want to put a highway through town but their plan falls through. A bank robber Muggsy Malone (Walter Sande), hiding out in town thinks he can help them. He brings in a dapper gentleman named Quigley (Bradley Page) who Jane promptly falls for. Of course Quigley wants to fleece the town. Meanwhile Jeff and Quigley’s chauffeur (Lawrence Criner) look for gold and play Craps. Then Muggsey winds up dead and the stupid constable (Irving Bacon) investigates. Two of Malone’s friends arrive pretending to be detectives. 

This is a boring little comedy from Monogram has Mantan Moreland wasted in demeaning stereotypical role. Director Jean Yarbrough at least keeps the running time down to just a little over an hour.

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What Is The Law?

LAW OF THE JUNGLE-1942-Nona Brooks (Arline Judge), an American singer is stranded in African and sings at a sleazy cafe for creepy owner Simmons (Arthur O'Connell). 

She meets American paleontologist Larry Mason (John “Dusty” King) who she hopes will help her but Simmons convinces Mason she's a con artist. When a guy is killed in the cafe, she wanders into the jungle to get away! To appease his native safari Mason agrees to re-bury some bones he dug up but the job falls to his assistant Jeff (Mantan Moreland) who hears Nona but thinks she’s a ghost. Mason takes her in but insists she return to the town. Meanwhile 2 German spies want some secret papers accidentally given to Nona. They kill Simmons and hunt for Nona in the jungle. They get another tribe (with rifles) to go after Mason's group. Mason, Nona & Jeff wind up hiding in a dark cave. After an encounter with a gorilla they are captured but things take a comic turn when a native female takes a liking to Jeff and the tribal chief (Lawrence Criner) is Oxford educated and speaks English. 

Criner was also in THE GANG'S ALL HERE and FRECKLES COMES HOME both made by LAW OF THE JUNGLE'S director Jean Yarbrough for Monogram Pictures.

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They're Back!

THE GANG’S ALL HERE-1941-Once again Frankie Darro is “teamed” with Mantan Moreland, this time in the trucking business. Pop Wallace (Robert Homans) is finding it hard to get drivers. His mechanic Chick (Jackie Moran) hires Frankie (Darro) and Jeff (Moreland) to drive a rig to Fresno. Unbeknownst to them “Pop” has been in cahoots with a crooked lawyer to collect insurance money. The duo due a pretty good job but almost get fired anyway. Wallace's daughter Patsy (Marcia Mae Jones; also in LET'S GO COLLEGIATE with Darro & Moreland) pretends to be sweet on Frankie to make Chick jealous. In an unusual turn a green horn Asian American named George Lee (Keye Luke; also in LET'S GO COLLEGIATE) is actually an investigator for an insurance company. Although Frankie insults and bosses Jeff most of the time they do use teamwork at the climax. 

This was one of several Monogram programmers director Jean Yarbrough made featuring Darro who sometimes acts like a third rate Leo Gorcey and not very likable especially when teamed with the outrageously funny Moreland.

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More Darro and Moreland

LET'S GO COLLEGIATE-1941-A star athlete Bob Terry is supposed to arrive at Raleigh college and help the rowing team. Unfortunately he’s drafted. This puts a damper on the hope of having a championship and students Frankie Monahan (Frankie Darro), Tad (Jackie Moran) and Buck Wing (Keye Luke) are quite depressed. The girls on campus led by Bess (Marcia Mae Jones) and Midge (Gale Storm) are so excited that the losers are afraid to tell them. They get a guy named Herc (Frank Sully) to impersonate Terry. Then they can't get rid of him so they try to make him into a rower. There are several songs but Mantan Moreland as Jeff is wasted. Barton Yarbourough (I LOVE A MYSTERY) is their coach and Tristram Coffin is Slugger. 

Work horse director Jean Yarbrough made KING OF THE ZOMBIES (also with Moreland) the same year. Later he directed four Abbott & Costello movies (and all the episodes of their great TV series), Rondo Hatton in HOUSE OF HORRORS and THE BRUTE MAN, The Bowery Boys and many TV episodes.

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/4609335177952045780/6557514618581060655?hl=en

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The Movie That Cried Wolf?

SHE-WOLF OF LONDON-1946-In jolly old (fake) England, heiress Phyllis (June Lockheart) is ready to marry her beau Barry (Don Porter) just as a series of murders plague the area, all credited. to a mysterious "she-wolf". While an inspector (Dennis Hoey; Lestrade in the Universal Sherlock Holmes series) and his assistant (Lloyd Corrigan) investigate, Phyllis comes to believe she is responsible for the murders due to a family curse. Her aunt Martha (Sara Hayden)), who'll lose her house if Phyllis marries, acts way too suspicious to be trusted and her daughter Carol (Jan Wiley) is always trying to sneak off to see her boyfriend Dwight (Martin Kosleck) who's attacked in a park.. Eventually it's revealed that it's all a plot by Martha to drive Phyllis insane but interference by their housekeeper (Elly Maylon) puts an end to it. 

Pretty standard Universal programmer by Jean Yarborough who made THE BRUTE MAN and HOUSE OF HORRORS (both starring Rondo Hatton) the same year although I was surprised by Corrigan's character's death. And there's no wolf!

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Country Western Horror Comedy

HILLBILLYS IN A HAUNTED HOUSE-1967-On their way to Nashville, country and western singers Woody (Ferlin Husky), Boots (Joi Lansing) and Jeepers (Don Bowman) spend the night in a haunted house, actually the hideout of some spies lead by Madame Wong (Linda Ho) with her bodyguard Max (Lon Chaney also in the much more enjoyable SPIDER BABY the same year), Gregor (Basil Rathbone) and Dr. Himmil (John Carradine). After Sonny James and his band visit and sing two songs, the group meets Wong and Max. She lets them spend the night and Merle Haggard shows up on their TV set to do a song (Max also makes a appearance). The spies think the yokels are from an organization called MOTHER and use their pet gorilla Anatole (George Barrows; the veteran man in an ape suit who'd “starred” in ROBOT MONSTER) to frighten them. Mother Agent #30 (Richard Webb) shows up and kills Anatole and Carradine. He and Max scuffle. They are all saved by the ghost of a Confederate war general. 

This crazy nonsense is a sequel to the previous year's LAS VEGAS HILLBILLIES which also featured Husky as Woody but has Mamie Van Doren in the Boots role and Jayne Mansefield. Veteran director Jean Yarbrough who had worked with Abbott and Costello and The Bowery Boys was directing episodes of TV's “Petticoat Junction” at the time.

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Rondo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HOUSE OF HORRORS-1946-Universal's second outing featuring the famed Rondo Hatton as the murdering “Creeper” (after the Sherlock Holmes entry PEARL OF DEATH). He's rescued from a watery death by mad sculptor Marcel (Martin Kosleck; usually a Nazi in many films in the '40's) who wants him as a model for his greatest masterpiece. At night Rondo does his rounds (Virginia Christine plays his first victim), breaking the spines of women but he also takes time to kill a pompous art critic (Alan Napier) who ridiculed Marcel's work. A commercial artist Steve Morrow (Robert Lowery; future Caped Crusader in the BATMAN & ROBIN serial 3 years later)) comes under the suspicion of a deluded police lieutenant (Bill Goodwin). Morrow's girlfriend Joan (Virginia Grey, a busy actress in the '40's)) is another critic who discovers the secret alliance. When Rondo discovers Marcel might betray him it all goes down the drain. Rondo gets shot in the finale but doesn't seem to die (probably because Universal plan to use the character again). Joan Fulton (later Shawlee) appears as a doomed model and the great Byron Foulger is an almost buyer of one of Marcel's statues until dissuaded by Napier.

 

HOUSE OF HORRORS isn't seen much today and would probably totally forgotten if not for the presence of the Rondo Hatton who does an impressive job of trying to be sinister but in fact often comes off as a sorrowful guy done in by his natural appearance (of course in real life the actor was afflicted with acromegaly). Perhaps this was director Jean Yarbrough's intention but since the Creeper's pastime is coldly breaking the backs of innocent people I doubt it. The fast but fairly competent Yarbrough would also direct Hatton in his final feature THE BRUTE MAN later in the year. Universal had planned to exploit Hatton as a new horror star based on his affliction but he died later in 1946 before his final film was released.

 

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Crashing Las Vegas

CRASHING LAS VEGAS-1956-Sach (Huntz Hall) gets electrified and can predict numbers on a TV game show. Slip (Leo Gorcey) wins a trip to "Sin City", where he plans to use his buddy's abilities to win enough money to pay their landlady's bills. They bring along the rest of "the gang" which by now is only Chuck (David Conlon/Gorcey) and Myron (Jimmy Murphy replacing Bennie Bartlett). Of course gamblers (led by Don Haggerty) want to know his secret and send a woman (Mary Castle) to find out. It's a typical Bowery Boys mess with Sach acting really dopey despite his new found power. 


CLV was the last of the series to star Leo Gorcey as Slip who quit after this one. His dad Bernard (little Louie Dumbrowsky in most of the run and top scene stealer) died from injuries he received in a car accident. 


The whole movie kind of reminded me of an over long second season episode of THE ABBOTT AND COSTELLO SHOW. 


In fact that show's director, Jean Yarbrough made CLV and screenwriter Jack Townley wrote episodes of the show. Also rather weirdly the TV host at the beginning of CLV is played by Bob Hopkins who played a TV host on an A & C episode. And Frank J. Scannell who played a croupier in an A & C episode plays a croupier here! 


Emil Sitka also shows up!


 I've read Gorcey was "visibly drunk" during the making of this. He does act a little strange and some of his lines seem to be dubbed by someone else!


Thanks for reading, yous muggs!

   

Triple Trouble

TRIPLE TROUBLE-1950-For some reason "the boys" are walking around one night in Halloween masks even though it's not October. They witness a warehouse robbery but because of their masks they are all arrested! Their lawyer-friend Gabe (Gabriel Dell) gets them out in bail but when Whitey (Billy Bennedict) picks up some mysterious messages on his short wave radio emanating from the state prison Slip (Leo Gorcey) and Sach (Huntz Hall) deliberately plead guilty so they can be sent to prison and investigate! 

Once there they are mistaken for real criminals and get involved in an outside robbery and a jail break with Sach acting goofier as it goes along. The other boys (David Gorcey and Buddy Gorman) help out as does Little Louie (Bernard Gorcey) who is always entertaining. Also with Joe Turkel, Paul Dubov, Tom Kennedy and Lyle Tabott in a small un-billed role. 

Once again Jean Yarbrough directed and Charles Marion wrote the screenplay. 

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Master Minds

MASTER MINDS-1949-In this entry into the Monogram Bowery Boys series, every time Sach (Huntz Hall) eats candy and gets a toothache he goes into a trance and can predict the future! Slip (Leo Gorcey) and Gabe (Gabriel Dell) exploit his dumb power at a carnival. Meanwhile a mad scientist (Alan Napier) wants Sach's brain for a giant hairy man called Atlas (Glen Strange in Jack Pierce make-up) he's experimenting on! Shades of Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein!

 Creepy Skelton Knaggs is one of Napier's assistants and Jane Adams (who was Vicki Vale in the serial BATMAN AND ROBIN the same year) plays the scientist's nurse who tries to help Sach. The weird part occurs when the two patients have their brains switched and Sach winds up a snarling wild man, while Atlas takes on Sach's stupid mannerisms and (dubbed) voice! The rest of "the boys' return too (Billy Benedict, Benny Bartlett and David Gorcey). Also with Bernard Gorcey as Louie and Minerva Urecal. Jean Yarbrough once again directs. 

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Angels In Disguise

ANGELS IN DISGUISE-1949-In this more serious than usual Bowery Boys entry, Slip (Leo Gorcey) and Sach (Huntz Hall) investigate the murder of a neighborhood cop and wind up tangling with "The Loop Gang", a a bunch of Chicago gangsters. Slip narrates it after he and Sach have been beaten up. Gabe Dell is a police detective who's on the gang's trail. Mickey Knox and Richard Bennedict are gangsters but the real boss is a clean cut Joe College type (Edward Ryan). 

Billy Benedict, Benny Bartlett and David Gorcey all reprise their roles as Whitey, Butch and Chuck repectively. 

Joe Turkel, Jean Dean and Tristram Coffin are also in it as is Bernard Gorcey as Louie who had yet be the scene-stealer he would become in later story lines.

Director Jean Yarbrough would work with "the boys" again. A few years earlier he'd directed 3 Abbott & Costello vehicles, IN SOCIETY, THE NAUGHTY NINETIES and HERE COME THE CO-EDS. Co-scripter Charles Marion also worked on several A & C movies.

I'd like to know more about the other screenplay writer Gerald Schnitzer who after 1955 has only one isolated credit as as writer/director in 1967 but is listed on IMDB as being born in 1917 and as of this writing is still alive! According to Amazon.com he's written a autobiography called "My Floating Grandmother". 

Almost all of the Monogram series was produced by Jan Grippo, Leo Gorcey's manager.

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