Alcatraz!

EXPERIMENT ALCATRAZ-1950-Four inmates on “The Rock” are promised freedom if they agree to allow an experimental drug be injected into them. One of the bunch Barry Morgan (Robert Shayne) kills his friend Eddie (Sam Scar) after procuring a pair of scissors. Chief doctor Lt. McKenna (Joan Dixon) is kicked out and Dr. Williams (John Howard), head of the project sees it closed down against his will. Later Williams investigates Morgan and his auction house which is really a front for illegal gambling. After he gets beat up Williams and McKenna learn more about the relationship of Morgan and Eddie (they were suppose to be good friends but actually Morgan wanted him out of the way). Along the way they meet Max Henry (Frank Cady) a convict who collects postcards, Byron Foulger as a relator and Myron Healy as a reporter. Unfortunately Williams doggedly refuses to drop his investigation and Morgan kills him. It's up to Williams' friend Dr. Finley (Walter Kingsford) to set a trap to catch Morgan and avenge his friend's death. Kenneth MacDonald has a small role. 

This is another documentary style crime drama for the much maligned Edward L. Cahn who a few years later made some memorable low budget horror movies. Shayne, a familiar character actor was two years away from playing His most famous role as Inspector Henderson on TV's THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN. 

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Not Frankenstein

THE UNDYING MONSTER-1942-An ancient curse (The Hammond Monster) plagues a family in Wales. The last of the Hammonds are a brother and sister, Oliver (John Howard) and Helga (Heather Angel). After Oliver is attacked the local inspector (Audrey Mather) calls in the Sherlock Holmes like Robert Curtis (James Ellison; I WALK WITH A ZOMBIE) from Scotland Yard who uses science to solve crimes and doesn't believe in the supernatural. He has a female assistant named Christy (Heather Thatcher) who talks a lot ("This place is colder than a tax collector's heart!") and is kind of psychic. Bramwell Fletcher (THE MUMMY) is the suspicious family friend Dr. Colbert. The family butler Walton (Halliwell Hobbs) hangs around mysteriously. A werewolf seems to be responsible.

THE UNDYING MONSTER is in a way an underrated masterpiece. It's certainly one of the best "you never really get to see the monster until the end"  horror tales. Star James Ellison is very good in the lead and his character could have easily starred in a sequel (along with his assistant Christy). The resolution may be a little too pat but hey it's only 63 minutes!

Germany born director John (nee Hans) Brahm does an excellent job creating a eerie atmosphere using shadowy effects and interesting close-ups. After this Brahm made 2 more famous film noirs THE LODGER and HANGOVER SQUARE (both starring the ill-fated Laird Cregar) and THE MAD MAGICIAN with Vincent Price. He ventured into TV in the 1950's and was a busy director in the '60's (ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS, THRILLER, THE MAN FROM UNCLE).

Future tough guy Charles McGraw makes his film debut as a poacher.

It's based on the novel "The Undying Monster: A Tale of the Fifth Dimension" written in 1922 by Jesse Douglas Kerruish.

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Low, Very Low

DESTINATION: INNER SPACE-United Pictures- 1966- Navy commander Scott Brady investigates the source of some mysterious radar blips in an undersea lab head up by scientist Gary Merrill. Brady tries to make time with oceanographer Sherri North and contend with a cowardly diver (future voice over actor Mike Road). Others on board include: John Howard (who was a regular on MY 3 SONS at the time), Wende Wagner (ROSEMARY’S BABY) and Biff Elliot (who was in NAVY VS. THE NIGHT MONSTERS and TRACK OF THE VAMPIRE the same year! ). It turns out the blip is really an invading spaceship and when a metal canister is brought aboard it unleashes a giant scaly man fish (with a red tail fin and claws) bent on destroying humankind!

The whole feel of this movie is like a long episode of TV’s VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA (where Merrill once subbed for Richard Basehart...) with toy models, an outrageous but cheap monster and claustrophobic sets yet despite this (and Merrill’s zombie like performance) the underwater scenes are quite well done. James Hong has a few scenes as a broken English-speaking cook and ‘40’s serial regular Ray Bancroft plays a boat skipper.

Director Francis Lyon and writer Arthur C. Pierce had both been around and would collaborate again in 1968 for THE DESTRUCTORS (which featured Howard). Lyon, a former film editor, made CASTLE OF EVIL with Brady the same year. Music by Paul Dunlop.

SPACE PROBE TAURUS-A.I.P.-1964-Better known as SPACE MONSTER this weird, boring space drama has the scientists of Spaceship Hope 1 investigating a UFO and encountering a strange alien who communicates (?) by sticking out it’s tongue!

Francine York (CURSE OF THE SWAMP CREATURE) plays the lady scientist who’s looked down on by the commander (James Brown). AIP vet Russ Bender is also one of the astro-eggheads. They kill the alien and blow up it’s ship. That’s progress for ya! After much talk, the crew lands on a planet and is menaced by giant crabs. A “ crab-man “ with fangs (who also looks like something out of VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA!) kills one of them. The “ giant crabs “ are actually little ones attacking a toy ship. I’ve been told this “ could have influenced “ STAR TREK (2 years later) and 2001 ( 4 years later ) but it looks more influenced by Bert I. Gordon!!

Writer-director Leonard Katzman overcame toy models and produced such hit TV shows as THE WILD WILD WEST, HAWAII 5-0 and DALLAS!

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