Ribbit!

 

 (imdb)

FROGS-1972-Photographer Pickett Smith (Sam Elliot) is nearly run down in his boat by beer guzzling speed boat riding Clint Crockett (Adam Roarke) and his sister Karen (Joan Van Ark). They invite Smith to their granddaddy's estate that's being overrun by frogs. Gramps (Ray Milland), is a self-righteous SOB who seems bothered by his whole family. While exploring the island, Smith finds the dead body of a worker. The frogs seem to be taking over. Snakes and salamanders too. A particularly gruesome scene is the death of gramps' flaky butterfly collecting sister-in-law Iris (Hollis Irving) by leeches. Her husband is done in by a crocodile. 

Although there is death and aggressive animals all around, Gramps wants to continue with the 4th of July festivities. Everyone is eventually killed except for Smith, Karen and grandkids. Gramps regrets his decision to stay behind. The frogs don't kill anyone (despite the famous movie poster) but it seems like they are in charge.

This eco-horror from AIP is mostly talk with a death thrown in once in a while. The ecology and "nature fights back" themes were very popular in the 1970's. Director George McCowan worked mainly in TV but also directed THE MAGNIFCENT SEVEN RIDE! the same year as FROGS. He later made THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME (1979).

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Ray & Rosey

 

THE THING WITH TWO HEADS-1972-Ray Milland (obviously paying back old debts to AIP) stars as Maxwell Krishner, a dying racist doctor who plans to live forever by having his head transplanted to another body (like the millionaire in THE MAN WITHOUT A BODY). He's kind of pissed when his head is put on the body of an African American death row inmate Jack Moss (former football player Rosey Greer) who claims to be innocent. Rosey/Ray awakens from the operation early and escapes and takes slighted black doctor Fred Williams (Don Marshall) with him/them. They embark on a silly journey to find Jack's wife Lila (Chelsea Browne). They even ride a motorcycle in a dirt race! White cops chase them and smash ups ensue and Krishner's colleague Dr. Desmond (Roger Perry) looks for them too. 

After all these years I'm still not sure if this is intentionally funny or not. Typical '70's styles and attitudes abound. Jack gets away at the end but is never actually proven innocent. Co-writer and director Lee Frost (who also appears as a cop) had made LOVE CAMP #7 and CHAIN GANG WOMEN.

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Chan In Jolly Old England

CHARLIE CHAN IN LONDON-1934-Paul Gray is found guilty of murder and sentenced to die. His sister Pamela (Drue Layton), her boyfriend Neil (Ray Milland) and mutual friend Geoffrey Richmond (Alan Mowbray) try to prove his innocence but to no avail. Charlie Chan (Warner Oland) happens to be in London after helping solve another case, and the trio hook up with him. When Neil is forced to admit he thinks Paul really is guilty, Pam breaks their engagement and goes off to Geoffrey's estate. Chan thinks he can help and follows her. He meets a whole bunch of upper class twits who could all be suspects. After a suspicious acting groom Lake (John Rogers) commits suicide Chan proves to stupid police Sergeant Thacker (EE Clive) that it's actually murder. It's apparent that most of them resent “a foreigner” in their midst but Chan exposes the murderer, saves Gray and makes sure Pam and Neil are reunited. 

Director Eugene Lorde went on to make more in the series and also co-directed CHARLIE CHAN'S COURAGE, now a lost film, the same year. Followed by CHARLIE CHAN IN PARIS.

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Corman/Poe

THE PREMATURE BURIAL-1962-Ray Milland is Guy Carrell, a doctor with a fear of being buried alive and haunted by terrifying dreams. His understanding new wife Emily (Hazel Court) tries to help him. Unfortunately it seems she may have bitten over more than she can chew. A song makes him cranky, he doesn't like flowers and spends most of his time in a mausoleum which he has rigged with gadgets to make sure he's not buried alive. His sister (Heather Angel) hands around suspiciously. His friend Dr. Archer (Richard Ney) tries to help while experimenting with dead frogs. Guy has a strange dream where he's locked in his mausoleum and almost drinks a cup of maggots. Eventually Emily brings Guy back to normalcy and he burns down the mausoleum but there seems to be a plot against him when he suffers a seizure and is buried alive anyway! He's freed from his dirty grave by two grave robbers (one is Dick Miller) and becomes a sunken eyed revenge seeking ghoul who electrocutes his father in law (Alan Napier).

THE PREMATURE BURIAL started out for some reason being made by director Roger Corman for Pathe' studios instead of AIP. (He had already made THE HOUSE OF USHER and THE PIT AND THE PENDULEM for them) He wanted to cast the star of those previous two Poe adaptations, Vincent Price in the lead but he was under contract to AIP so Corman got Academy Award winner Ray Milland to fill in. He does a good job but doesn't have the intensity Price often brought to his roles. Still despite the dumb resolution it's a good entry into the “Poe series”. Charles Beaumont was a co-screenwriter. Corman was busy in '62. He made this, the usually overlooked THE INTRUDER, the kind of remake of TOWER OF LONDON and TALES OF TERROR.

 

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Panic!

PANIC IN THE YEAR ZERO!-1962-Ray Milland (who also directed) goes on vacation with his family just as a nuclear bomb is dropped on LA. He decides the best thing to do is to head for the hills (literally!). He lectures his wife (Jean Hagen) about how he doesn’t want to be part of the breakdown of society and vows to return when order is restored. He likes to order his son (pre-Beach Party Teen idol Frankie Avalon) around and he steals some guns from a dealer (ATTACK OF THE CRAB MONSTERS hero Richard Garland) when he runs out of money. In a scene that’s quite ironic today Ray punches out a gas station attendant who has the unmitigated gall to charge 3 dollars a gallon for gas! Along the way they meet greasy thug Richard Balakyan and his two punks. They also pick up Joan Freeman and live in a cave for a while. When his daughter (Mary Mitchel; she was later in SPIDER BABY) is raped he seeks revenge.



Despite the minimal cast and unbelievable plot twists it’s more low budget entertainment from AIP. Also with Willis Bouchey, Rex Holman, Oz Whitehead and Russ Bender.

Academy Award winner Milland also starred in THE PREMATURE BURIAL for Roger Corman the same year and would star in Corman’s X-THE MAN WITH THE X-RAY EYES the next!


"It’s only when the tide goes out that you learn who’s been swimming naked"-Warren Buffett

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Not Bad For TV!

DAUGHTER OF THE MIND-20th Century Fox TV-(1969)-This TV movie (based on a Paul Gallico novel) concerns a professor (Ray Milland) who sees and talks to the ghostly apparition of his dead daughter (familiar child TV actress Pamelyn Ferdin). All signs seem to agree that the ghost child is real but government agent Edward Asner thinks it might be “Cold War Enemies” trying to get the professor to defect! Don Murray is a psychic researcher who investigates.

Not a bad little movie as pseudo-supernatural TV movies go despite a couple of outrageous plot tie-ups. Gene Tierney is Milland’s wheelchair bound wife, George Macready is his colleague and John Carradine has an enjoyable cameo. Also with Barbara Dana and Virginia Christine.

Director Walter Grauman directed episodes of many TV series including The Twilight Zone episode “Miniature”, The Fugitive, The Untouchables and V. He made other good but seldom seen TV movies including CROWHAVEN FARM (also featuring Carradine), DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES and THE STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO TV pilot. He made a few feature films including THE DISEMBODIED (with Alison Hayes) and  LADY IN A CAGE. Screenwriter Luther Davis wrote the Broadway play Kismet!

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