Karloff on Live TV

 

 (imdb)

ARSENIC AND OLD LACE-1962-Live presentation by Hallmark of the classic play about the wacky Brewster family. In Brooklyn, the Brewster sisters (Dorothy Stickney & Mildred Natwick) poison lonely old men. They think they're doing a service and have their nutty brother Teddy (Tom Bosley) who thinks he's Teddy Roosevelt bury the corpses in the Panama Canal (the basement). Their other nephew Mortimer (Tony Randall), a theater critic in love with Elaine (Dodie Heath), discovers their grisly hobby and plans to have "Teddy" committed after he discovers their latest victim in the window seat. Enter long lost brother Jonathan who thanks to drunken plastic surgeon Dr. Einstein (George Voskovec) resembles Boris Karloff (of course, it's more than a resemblance, the real Karloff plays him). Besides having a body in the trunk of his car, Jonathan also decides it would be the right time to kill Mortimer. 

It's great to see this live TV production (shortened from the play) especially since Karloff was not in the movie version. Randall's Mortimer is a little more subdued than Cary Grant but still holds his own. Czechoslovakian born stage actor George Voskovec had played the mild-mannered Juror #11 in 12 ANGRY MEN (1957).

Directed by George Schaefer who made many TV movies after this.

Thanks for reading!

First of 2010

THE MURDER MAN-1935-Interesting murder mystery with Spencer Tracy (he did DANTE'S INFERNO the same year) as an alcoholic reporter who's court testimony convicts a con-man and sentences him to the death penalty. The great Lionel Atwill plays the chief of police. Virginia Bruce (who was later in PARDON MY SARONG with Abbott & Costello and Atwill) is the female lead and James Stewart makes his screen debut as a reporter named Shorty.




THE ALPHABET MURDERS-1966-Weird black and white comedic adaptation of Agatha Christie's mystery novel features Tony Randall as Belgium detective Hercule Pirot. Robert Morley is an inept English secret service man. Anita Ekberg (five years after LA DOCE VITA) is the mystery woman with the initials A B C. I guess it was done to compete with THE PINK PANTHER series (SHOT IN THE DARK was made the year before). Others in the cast include Guy Rolfe, Maurice Denham, Julian Glover and Patrick Newell (4 years before his role as "Mother" on TV's THE AVENGERS). During the opening credits Pirot talks to the audience.

Director Frank Tashlin had previously directed Randall in WILL SUCCESS SPOIL ROCK HUNTER?

Thanks for reading!

A Good Movie For A Change

THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN-1960

Little Eddie Hodges plays the lead in this, the second to last film directed by the great Micheal Curtiz.

Boxer Archie Moore gives a very good accounting of himself too in the role of the runaway slave, Jim but Tony Randall nearly steals the show as The King, a con-man who gets Huck into trouble. His partner is played by Mickey Shaughnessy and Neville Brand plays Huck's father!

This a great version of this classic American story and also features: John Carridine & Royal Dano as slave hunters, Buster Keaton & Andy Devine as circus owners, Sterling Holloway, Patty McCormack, Judy Canova, Josephine Hutchinson, Parley Baer, Harry Dean Stanton and Finley Currie.

Star Hodges retired a few years later. Moore went back to boxing and many more versions followed....



Thanks for reading!