Not a Newton Room....

 

THE MAD ROOM-1969-In 1957 two children murder their parents and are placed in a mental institution. Their older sister a witness to the crime is now Ellen Hardy (Stella Stevens) a kind of live-in personal assistant to rich widow Gladys Armstrong (Shelly Winters) who's son () Ellen is engaged to. Things seem to be ok until Ellen gets a letter saying her to siblings are being released into her care. With no other choice Ellen brings them to stay in the Armstrong house where they get almost immediately into trouble for using Gladys private study as their “mad room”, a place to go when they are upset. Gladys winds up hacked to death after she learns the history of the two and her dog carries her severed hand around.

 

The pretty predictable story also features Severn Darden as a builder and Beverly Garland as Mrs. Racine, a drunken floozy who's husband/masseur is having an affair with Gladys. Her death scene is the highlight of the whole film when she commits suicide in a bathroom after making a bitter speech using the word “man-whore”. Another housewife is played by Jennifer Bishop who was later in several Al Adamson films (HORROR OF THE BLOOD MONSTERS, THE FEMALE BUNCH).

THE MAD ROOM is a remake of the 1941 film LADIES IN RETIREMENT, an adaptation of a hit Broadway play. Director Bernard Girard also made the seldom seen THE HAPPINESS CAGE.

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One Good, One Bad

HOLLOW TRIUMPH (1948) is a neglected film noir (also called THE SCAR) by Hungerian born director Steve Sekely who also helmed other underrated low budget minor classics like REVENGE OF THE ZOMBIES, WOMEN IN BONDAGE and BLOND SAVAGE. (Well, maybe not real classics but they are pretty good!)

 In this dark drama Paul Henried (late of CASABLANCA who was also the producer) stars as a career criminal who hatches a plot to impersonate a look alike psychiatrist after he steals the gambling winnings from a bunch of gangsters (led by B movie vet Thomas B. Henry). He romances the doc's sectratary (Joan Bennet) to get what he wants. Although he eventually is able to copy the Doc's signature and mimic his voice, a scar and a photograph cause him problems. With Edouard Franz (who 11 years later would play the lead in the classic low budget horror film THE 4 SKULLS OF JONATHAN DRAKE) as Henried's brother, Leslie Brooks as the real doctor's gambling girlfriend and nice ironic twist ending.

Many well known character actors appear in HT credited and uncredited including Herb Rudley, John Qualen, Sid Tomack, Robert Bice, Henry Brandon, Lucien Littlefield, Vera Marshe, Benny Rubin and in one scene future Sgt. Frday, Jack Webb!!



A movie that should be neglected is THE GRANNY. (Really! That's the title!) Stella Stevens stars in this 1995 production written & directed by B-movie actor Luca Bercovici. She plays a crabby old rich lady who says things like "Beauty is having a healthy bowel movement once a day". She has a bunch of greedy relatives except for one illegitamite granddaughter Kelly (Shannon Whirry) who takes care of her. Stevens dies but thanks to a screwed up elixir she comes back to life as a revenge seeking zombie grandma with a dubbed "Exorcist" voice. She kills the stupid relatives in various disgusting and violent ways but the best scene is when she beats up and kills her obnoxious nephew with pro wrestling moves! Unfortunately for Kelly she gets trapped in the house with granny and some resurrected ghouls (who have a dinner party where the main course is a talking head!). She's almost rescued by a mystic (director Bercovici) but he's killed! All the ghouls wind up exploding in the end though. Also with Brant Von Hoffman, director Anthony Hickox, some nudity and a not very good heavy metal end theme. Stevens' son Andrew became a direct to video actor/director for a while....

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