Dr. Seuss

 

 (imdb)

THE 5000 FINGERS OF DR. T.-1953-Little Bart (Tommy Rettig) doesn't like this piano teacher, the dictatorial Dr. Terwilliker (the often under-appreciated Hans Conried). His mother (Mary Healy) lectures him about his lesson. Only their plumber, Mr. Zabladowski (Peter Lind Hayes) seems to understand Bart’s plight. When Bart falls asleep, he dreams he's in Terwilliker's “institute” where the doc plans on having 250 students play on a huge sprawling piano. And after the recital, Dr. T is going to marry his secretary, Bart's mom! Fortunately, Mr. Zabladowski is there too. Although the plumber and Dr. T seem to become friends, the doctor wants to disintegrate him. Bart finds a dungeon where T plans to put all instruments except the piano. 

This is a pretty unique musical fantasy that's probably not for everyone. Renowned kids author Theodor Geisel aka Dr. Seuss wrote the story, screenplay and song lyrics. It is the only live action movie he ever wrote and wasn't pleased with the finished product. When it bombed at a preview several musical numbers were cut (the footage is lost but the songs are available on CD). Still, it didn't do well but has since become a cult film. 

The production was also marred by infighting between producer Stanley Kramer and Columbia studio head Sam Cohn. Stars Hayes and Healy were married in real life. The next year Rettig would star on the TV show “Lassie” for four years. Conried starred in Arch Obler's bizarre satire THE TWONKY the same year. Journeyman director Roy Rowland later worked on the “Wyatt Earp” TV series and made THE GIRL HUNTERS (1963) (where author Mickey Spillane played his own creation Mike Hammer).

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Mexican Werewof

 

 (imdb)

EL HOMBRE Y MONSTERO-1959-In this stylish and eerie Mexican horror film, Samuel (Enrique Rambal) makes a pact with the devil to become a great pianist but unfortunately when dealing with Mr. Scratch there's always a catch. Now whenever Sam tinkles the ivories he turns into a hairy werewolf like creature. He lives with his mom and a young protégé he's training. However a nosy reporter (screenwriter Abel Salazar) learns that Sam has the corpse of a female rival he killed in a room and every so often talks to it. After terrorizing he transforms during a big concert and is shot by the police. Director Rafael Baledon also made ORLAK,THE HELL OF FRANKENSTEIN and THE CURSE OF THE CRYING WOMAN.

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The Walking Karloff

THE WALKING DEAD-1936-The public believes Judge Shaw (Joe King) will never sentence guilty gangster Stephen Martin (Kenneth Harland) to anything extreme but much to everyone's disbelief  Shaw gives the thug 10 years. His sleazy lawyer Nolan (Ricardo Cortez)) and mob boss Loder (Barton McLane) hire hit man Trigger Sith (Joe Sawyer) to kill the judge. They set up ex-con pianist John Ellman (Boris Karloff) to take the fall. Two lab assistants Jimmy (Warren Hull) and Nancy (Marguerite Churchill; in DRACULA'S DAUGHTER the same year)) know Ellman is innocent but stupidly she doesn't want them to say anything. Ellman is convicted and sentence to death (good going, guys). At the last minute they tell their boss Dr. Beaumont (Edmund Gwenn) and he tells the crooked lawyer (who defended Ellman and helped frame him). Of course he does nothing. Ellman dies but fortunately (?) Beaumont has a machine that brings Ellman back to life. 

When revived Ellman is the worse for wear and can't remember anything. But when he hears Nancy playing the piano he sits down and starts to play. When he sees Nolan he calls him his enemy. Beaumont calls a conference with other egghead types that Loder, Nolan and their weak willed cronies also attend. They all get guilty conscientious and want to hire the same hit man as before but Ellman scares Trigger and he shoots himself. He then scares another member who's hit by a train and causes another to have a heart attack and fall out a window. 

Beaumont becomes kind of obsessed with knowing what Ellman felt when he was dead. Ellman leaves to walk around a cemetery and Mary follows him. Unbeknownst to her Loder and Nolan trail her. They shoot Ellman and get away. On his second death bed, Ellman tries to explain what death was like but dies before anything can be said. Ironically, Loder and Nolan are electrocuted when their getaway car crashes into an electric pole. 

Karloff is very sympathetic in the lead but doesn't have much dialogue. Director Michael Curtiz also made THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE the same year. Co-star Ricardo Cortez was in POSTAL INSPECTOR with Lugosi the same year. 

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Haas is Back

STRANGE FASCINATION-1952-A German pianist Paul Warren (Hugo Haas) is brought to America by wealthy Diana Fowler (Mona Barrie; in THE DEVIL'S MASK). One of his concerts is an unbelievable 3 dollars a ticket! He gets involved with Margo (Cleo Moore), a female dancer and although their relationship is platonic she moves in with him. After he professes his love for her they go on tour together and get married. A flood wrecks the tour and he's reduced to playing in polka halls and then hits the bottle when he sees Margo flirting with her former dance partner Carlo (Rick Vallin). Later Warren is blackballed and plays gin joints while Margo comes on to drunks. He smashes his hand in a printing press for insurance money and winds up losing his arm. Margo kind of destroys him and his career but she gets away with it, declaring her love for her Carlo and leaving Paul. He plays one armed for a bunch of bums while his patron Fowler and her daughter (Karen Sharpe) watch (?). 

Typical moralistic Haas drama with older man getting regrettably involved with younger woman and paying the price with Hugo once again not only co-starring but directing, writing and co-producing. 

“Blonde Bombshell” Moore was in her first of seven movies for Haas! Although once considered for the role that went to Marilyn Monroe in ALL ABOUT EVE her career never really took off and she retired from acting in 1961. Sadly, in 1973 she passed away from a heart attacked at age 48. 

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