Happy Halloween!

 

 (amazon.com)

PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE-1959-When I first saw Plan 9 in 1976 at The NYC Comic-Con I agreed it was probably one of the worst movies ever made. But if that was true why is it that after it ended I couldn't wait to see it again? (It was about four or five years later. In between I bought the "soundtrack" album which was simply the whole audio portion of the film transferred to a record. It also sported liner notes purportedly penned by Ed Wood Jr. himself shortly before his death in 1978). 

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Not the worst movie ever made (Hollywood has churned out far more crap on 100 times the budget), it is one of of the best bad movies ever made that you'll enjoy watching over and over! Bela Lugosi's scenes had been filmed a few years before and sat on a shelf until Wood devised Plan 9 with the help of big Tor Johnson, a retired pro wrestler in his second of three Ed Wood outings, who spouts more dialogue in this than in all his other movie appearances combined, Vampira, a trend setting TV horror hostess, Criswell, an outrageous pseudo-psychic who among other things predicted the world would end in 1990 and a drag actor named John "Bunny" Breckenridge who makes no bones that he's reading his lines from papers on his desk! There are some "legit" actors in it too. Lyle Talbott, Tom Keene, Gregory Walcott and Joanna Lee (who later became a successful TV writer and producer). Not to forget Dudley Manlove who played Eros the alien, a guy who was mostly an announcer but also appeared in another low budget wonder "The Creation of The Humanoids"! I've also seen him on two episodes of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents". Rounding out the cast are Duke Moore (who's entire film credits are roles in Ed Wood's movies), Conrad Brooks (who appeared in other low budget productions and many years later made his own "movies"), Paul Marco (who played the dumb cop named Kelton in three Wood movies) and rotund Ben Frommer, who became a TV character actor. 

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And of course, chiropractor Dr. Tom Mason the "fake Shemp" who stood in for the late Lugosi but looked nothing like him! Much of what's said about the goofs in certain scenes is exaggerated and the scene of Tor rising from the grave is well done. Ok so the tombstone falling over is pretty cheesy....

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Gorgeous George

 

ALIAS THE CHAMP-1949-Smug stupid Lt. Peterson (Robert Rockwell) of the LAPD is visited by Lorraine Connors (Audrey Long), manager of pro wrestler Gorgeous George (playing himself). It seems George is being threatened by gangster Al Merlo (Jim Nolan) who wants to control pro-wrestling. Later we are treated to a match between George (at the height of  his fame) and Bomber Kulkovic (future character actor Henry Kulky). Legendary ring announcer Jimmy Lennon introduces them. Two gangsters look on. Later Peterson visits backstage but George rebuffs him. "Beat it, Junior you bore me". After having a fistfight with Merlo, Peterson takes Lorraine out to dinner at a club where he gets into a tussle with wrestler Sam Menacker over the affections of singer Collette (Barbara Fuller) who's connected to Merlo. Later when Merlo demands Menacker get a title shot at the gorgeous one an all out brawl erupts between several wrestlers (described by one character as “the grunt and groan boys”) including big lovable Tor Johnson (credited as the Super Swedish Angel). 

Peterson is made wrestling commissioner. In their match Menacker dies and George is arrested for murder! The police commissioner (John Hamilton) isn't happy. Using a film of the match Peterson solves the murder, clears George, stops Merlo and gets Lorraine (and her marbles). It's too bad Gorgeous George wasn't the star of this movie. Without him and the wrestling angle it's just an innocuous low budget crime/love story. Real life pro wrestler Sam Menacker was one of the strongmen who tackled Mighty Joe Young the same year. 

Director George Blair had been making movies since the mid-forties but a few years after this would venture into TV and work with John Hamilton again on “The Adventures of Superman”.

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Tor Johnson is Lobo In

 

THE UNEARTHLY-1957-Dr. Charles Conway (John Carradine) is mad egotistical scientist using his rest home as a front for his diabolical experiments in eternal youth with his unsuspecting patients as guinea pigs. He's assisted by clipped fast talking ice princess Dr. Sharon Gilchrist (Marilyn Buferd) and brain dead experiment gone wrong servant Lobo (the one and only Tor Johnson). Another doctor Loren Wright (Roy Gordon) is also in on the loony plan and provides "patients”, the latest being the up tight, depressed Grace Thomas (Allison Hayes). Also staying there are the uber-hyper Danny (Arthur Batanides) who may or may not be a drug addict and the cute blond Natalie Andries (Sally Todd) who's symptoms are never revealed. There's also the comatose Jedrow (Harry Fleer), another failed experiment who's sister is putting pressure on Wright to know her brother's whereabouts. 

Lobo catches escaped murderer Mark Houston (Myron Healey) in the garden and Charles offers him sanctuary. While Charles and Sharon plot their next operation, Mark gets acquainted with everyone, especially Grace. Charles reveals his dark plans to Mark and wants to make him immortal. At night while Charles plays an organ recital for his victims, Natalie is drugged and Lobo takes her to the lab ("Pretty girl. Pretty girl."). Later while sending everyone to their rooms, Tor mutters the memorable "Time for go to bed". The doc performs surgery on Natalie. Later he discovers he's once again failed. Natalie has become some-thing of a prune faced zombie. Doc is quite disappointed. Sharon tries to cheer him up and says he needs rest. "I do not need any-thing that I do not wish to need" he snaps and also decides to have Lobo bury Jedrow alive. Mark spoils his plans. After showing Grace what happened to Natalie, they de-cide along with Danny to blow the joint. Unfortunately they are found out and Charles decides the time is right to operate on Grace. 

Fortunately Mark is actually an under-cover policeman assigned to check out Conway's wacky residence. Jedrow kills Charles and although Danny is killed, Mark saves Grace. But there's a surprise in the basement. 

THE UNEARTHLY was the brainchild of producer/director Brooke L. Peters (aka Russian born Boris Petroff) who later made ANATOMY OF A PSYCHO in 1961. The story seems similar to the synopsis of a lost Lon Chaney silent film THE MONSTER. 

Star Carradine is great as the insane doctor doing it all for science. He was in a segment of the colossal flop THE STORY OF MANKIND the same year and made a lot of TV appearances. Lead actress Hayes was also in THE UNDEAD and ZOMBIES OF MORA TAU the same year. Big Tor began work on PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE around this time. 

Marilyn Buferd, a Miss California winner and former model, earlier had been in Roberto Rossellini's THE MACHINE THAT KILLS BAD PEOPLE. She only made one movie after this, QUEEN OF OUTER SPACE the next year.

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The Black Sleep

THE BLACK SLEEP-1956-Dr. Cadman (Basil Rathbone) has discovered the title drug and uses it on his former student Ramsey (Herb Rudley) who was suppose to be hanged for murder. Cadman needs Ramsey to assist him in his brain operations. No sooner do they get to his castle home when they meet the brutish Mongo (Lon Chaney Jr.) who's attacking Laurie (Patricia Blair), one of Cadman's nurses. It turns out Mongo is Laurie's father and once a respected doctor. Now only another nurse Daphne (Phyllis Stanley) can control him. At first Ramsey thinks Cadman is brilliant but during an operation he realizes while the black sleep can induce a coma like effect the patient can still feel pain. This doesn't seem to bother Cadman in the least and Ramsey sees that his former teacher is insane and his real goal is to cure his comatose wife. The doctor has a mute servant Casimir (Bela Lugosi) and a gypsy grave robber Udu (Akim Tamiroff) who helps him out. Cadman is a full grown nut who cares nothing about human life and has a basement full of failed experiments in his dungeon to prove it. The “patients” include Curry (Tor Johnson), a big now blind guy, a bible spouting long hair crazy guy Borg (John Carradine), the (now disfigured) sailor (George Sawaya) they operated on earlier and bald girl (Sally Yarnell) with patches of hair all over her body. Of course they rise up and attack, causing Mr. and Mrs. Cadman to fall to their deaths.

THE BLACK SLEEP is always described as an “all star horror” movie and on paper it is. But most of the cast is wasted. Chaney is a dumb grunting henchman, Tor sits around looking “Lobo-ish” (although they do show a “before” picture of his character looking kind of dapper!) and worst of all the great Lugosi in his final full length movie role as the mute butler! Whoever thought this was a good idea should have been injected with “the black sleep” themselves! At least they put Carradine's voice to good use! Rathbone is great as the mad scientist and Tamiroff and Rudley are ok in supporting roles. 

Director Reginald Le Borg had already worked with Lon Chaney in '40's on THE MUMMY'S GHOST and “The Inner Sanctum” series. The next year he directed the disappointing VOODOO ISLAND with Boris Karloff (at least he got to speak...).

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Lost in a Harem

I like the comedy team of Abbott and Costello a lot. Their TV show is my favorite TV show of all time! Their movies are great too. Even their less than classic ones always have some funny bits. I wasn't sure where to start but I figured to skip over their most popular ones (for now) and concentrate on their later output.




LOST IN A HAREM-1944-"The boys" play Peter Johnson (Bud) and Harvey Garvey (Lou) two inept magicians in the Middle East who wind up in jail with a beggar (Murray Leonard) who goes crazy when he hears the word "Pokomoko" during their "Slowly I Turn" routine. Marilyn Maxwell (who'd been a singer on A & C's radio show) plays their assistant Hazel. The three of them get involved in helping a Prince Ramo (John Conte) who wants to overthrow the rule of his evil Uncle Nimativ (Douglas Dumbrille who's also the villain in A & C IN THE FOREIGN LEGION). They try to steal some rings he uses to hypnotize people but he winds up hypnotizing them into thinking they're termites! There's some funny routines ("Go in and outwit him") and exchanges (Nimativ: "Eyes bad?" Costello: "Dat so?"). Nimativ puts Hazel under his power and plans to marry her. Of course since this is an Abbott and Costello comedy some time is taken up by the blooming romance between Ramo and Hazel and Jimmy Dorsey and his orchestra play a few tunes (there's also a long useless dance number). Though most of that is kept at a minimum.  Lock Martin plays Bobo a huge guard who helps the team (they tell him they're Hollywood talent scouts) by hiding them in Nimativ's harem and lovable Tor Johnson is one of Nimativ's majordomos! When Nimativ throws them in a dungeon they meet up again with the beggar and his imaginary friend Mike. ("I shot him with a knife!") Later Bud dresses as Nimativ and Lou plays one of his wives. They also do short mirror bit similar to the one The Marx Bros. did in DUCK SOUP.

Bud and Lou made this at  MGM as a "loan out" from Universal. It was directed by Charles Reisner, veteran of silent movie shorts who'd directed the last Marx Brothers film THE BIG STORE in 1941.

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PS-I kind of screwed up again as I posted a review for ABBOTT AND COSTELLO IN THE FOREIGN LEGION a few days ago which was made after LOST IN A HAREM which should have been posted first. Sorry for the confusion....

Abbott & Costello in The Foreign Legion

ABBOTT & COSTELLO IN THE FOREIGN LEGION-1950-"The boys" play a pair of wrestling promoters. Bud writes the script and tries to co-ordinate a match between (real  wrestlers) Abdullah (Wee Willie Davis, the same year he played the guy who caused the racetrack ruckus in Kubrick's THE KILLING)) and Bertram (Sam Menacker). After the two wrestlers "practice" on Lou, Abdullah quits and keeps the five thousand a mobster (Marc Lawrence who's also in the team's HOLD THAT GHOST) gave them to fix the fight. The pair put on pith helmets and white suits and go to Algiers to find him. It turns out Abdullah is the cousin of Sheik Halmud El Khalid (Douglas Dumbrille; also the villain in the LOST IN A HAREM) who is in cahoots with the corrupted Foreign Legion Sgt. Axman (Walter Slezak) and Prince Josef (un-billed Dan Seymour) in a railroad scheme. Lou accidentally buys six slaves girls (including Nicole Dupree (Patricia Medina), a French intelligence agent) and since they can't pay they run away. Also a gang of the Sheik's men (including Henry Corden) are after them. To escape they take refugee with the Foreign Legion and wind up joining! Of course this leads to a lot of A & C antics as Lou has to evade a bayonet attack and Sgt. Axman. Later they are targeted for death. There's a lot of jokes involving the word "oui".

In one fairly gruesome scene (for an Abbott & Costello movie) the sheik's henchman kill a troop of legionnaires (while Bud & Lou are out looking for a runaway camel). Lost in the desert they have to contend with crazy mirages (including an old time ice cream shop) and a guy (David Gorcey) selling newspapers: "Can I help it if they gave me a bad corner?"). Later on they (and Nicole) are captured by the sheik. He puts them against two wrestlers intent on killing them but one turns out to be Abdullah. The other is played by Tor Johnson! Abdullah helps them escape. Lou commandeers Axman's jeep in a very funny scene (bit man and Costello's real life friend Bobby Barber appears too).

FOREIGN LEGION is done on a lower budget then some of the team's previous efforts but it's still fun especially for fans. It doesn't really contain any of their classic routines (except briefly at the end when Bud thinks Lou is dead). Years later Patrica Medina co-starred in THE 3 STOOGES MEET SNOW WHITE! Douglas Dumbrille had been the villain in 2 Marx Brothers movies. Director Charles Lamont (born in Russia) directed most of Bud & Lou's 50's output as well Francis the Talking Mule and Ma & Pa Kettle entries.

Initial filming had to be delayed while Costello had to have a gall bladder operation but he seemed to have recovered nicely....

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Tor's Last Stand!

Can your heart stand it???





THE BEAST OF YUCCA FLATS-1959-Much like THE CREEPING UNKNOWN, this movie pushes the envelope on “so bad it’s good” entertain-ment. It’s not really a movie. It’s more like a bunch of scenes edited together with the bulk of the story provided by an off screen, nameless narrator (in this case it’s the director Coleman Francis). The sort of story involves Russian scientist Dr. Javorsky (lovable old Tor Johnson in his last film role) “noted scientist” who carries a briefcase containing “secret data” about a “Russian moon shot”. Javorsky and some US agents arrive by plane in Yucca Flats. Almost immediately foreign agents attack them. When the US agents are all killed Javorsky somehow manages to escape into the desert just as a A-Bomb is exploded and he is “reduced to nothing”. Actually he becomes a scar-faced ogre with a large cane that sleeps in a cave. He kills a couple of people and terrorizes two little boys (the director’s real kids). A lot of time is spent with the sheriff and his deputy chasing the wrong man! They track him by plane and then take pot shots at him with a rifle!



Tor say: "Pretty girl".



The narrator reminds us of things that have already happen and says weird stuff like “flag on the moon…how did it get there?” In the end the Doctor-Monster fights the two lawmen and gets shot. He’s left to die in the sand while a rabbit licks his face! According to associate producer Tony Cardoza (who plays one of the US agents) the rabbit scene was unplanned. He just hopped in while they were filming! Cardoza had previously been an associate producer of Ed Wood’s NIGHT OF THE GHOULS so you can see where he was coming from.



And you don’t have much of a movie when the highlight is an improvising rabbit!



There’s also an unrelated pre-credit scene of a topless woman taking a bath who winds up being brutally strangled. It makes no sense at all and has nothing to do with the rest of the story!



Director Coleman Francis made two other train wrecks, I mean movies: THE SKYDIVERS and RED ZONE CUBA (aka NIGHT TRAIN TO MUNDO FINE). At least the latter had a brief appearance by John Carradine who also sings the title theme! Francis made un-credited acting appearances in movies like BLONDIE’S RE-WARD, THIS ISLAND EARTH, TWILIGHT OF THE GODS, Ray Dennis Steckler’s THE LEMON GLOVE KIDS MEET THE MONSTERS and Russ Meyer’s BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS, his last in 1970. He died in 1973.



Big Tor left us two years earlier.



Look for another Ed Wood alumni Conrad Brooks in a small role.






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