Triple Play!

 

 (themoviedb.org)

MARTIN MULL: TALENT TAKES A HOLIDAY-1994-This disaster of an HBO special can't even be saved by Penn & Teller appearing near the end. Apparently, Martin Mull thought of himself as a big enough comedy per- sonality that he could carry any nonsense used on this parody of the now defunct genre called the TV variety show. There's not much info available on this debacle and in fact it doesn't even show up on either of Mull's IMDB film or TV show listings!

 (themoviedb.org)

COPPER BILL-2020-This confused muddled movie about 2 losers looking for some hidden money builds up to a stupid ending that makes no sense. If you're a pro wrestling fan you might want to check it out because Dustin Rhodes is one of the stars. But I wouldn't recommend it. Director Brett Bentman directed a lot of Sci-Fi and westerns I never heard of.

 (imdb)

THE GENE AUTRY SHOW-1950-1955-This show starred the singing cowboy who crooned at least one tune in nearly every show. The series format (especially in the first season) changed from show to show. Sometimes, Autry was a ranch foreman, ranch owner, a sheriff, or a US Marshall. For nearly the whole run, Pat Buttram was his sidekick (except for a short time when Buttram was ill). Keeping with the un-continuity of the show, there are at least 2 episodes where Autry and Buttram meet for the first time! But really, it would have been better for everyone if they hadn't met at all! 

By the middle of the second season, Buttram's character had become a real buffoon, dabbling in barbering or astrology. His favorite was to open a door while Autry had on a gun on the bad guys and knock the gun out of Autry's hand. And lots of the same actors played different characters on different episodes. It was almost like a stock company. Alan Hale, Denver Pyle, Gail Davis, Keene Duncan, Myron Healy, Harry Lauter, Sheila Ryan to name a few. Although it ran 5 seasons, only 91 episodes were produced. The last season was in color.

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Karloff in The Wild West

 

 (imdb)

THE WILD WILD WEST-"The Night of the Golden Cobra"-1966-Intrepid government agent Jim West (Robert Conrad) and his equally intrepid partner Artemus Gordon (Ross Martin) meet Mr. Singh (Boris Karloff), maharajah head of "The Golden Cobra", who wants West to teach his sons to kill. He also has a daughter, Veda (Audrey Dalton). West's assignment was to rescue a Col. Mayo (Simon Scott). Of course, Singh has an ulterior motive...

 Karloff is good in the lead, older but still Boris. Audrey Dalton a few years earlier was in three TV episodes of Thriller (One acting alongside Karloff). She also co-starred in the horror movies THE MONSTER THAT CHALLENGED THE WORLD (1957) and MR. SARDONICUS (1961). One of Singh's sons is played by James Westmoreland who under another name was in THE UNDERTAKER AND HIS PALS, also in 1966. Years later he was one of the asshole cops in DON'T ANSWER THE PHONE (1980). It's all over the internet that English actor Michael York plays another son but it's some other actor with the same name. 

One of 26 “Wild West” episodes directed by Irving J. Moore. Karloff was very active and memorable in the year of 1966, voicing the lead role in the classic “How The Grinch Stole Christmas”, also playing Mother Muffin on TV's “The Girl From U.N.C.L.E.” and appearing 3 movies (including THE GHOST IN THE INVISIBLE BIKINI)!

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Bad Guy Got His Own TV Show!

 

 (imdb)

THE ADVENTURES OF DR. FU MANCHU-This TV series was produced in the 1956 by the television branch of Republic Pictures. They paid a good deal of money for the rights but only 13 episodes were made due to legal complications that lead to courtroom litigation with Sax Rohmer's estate. I know DC comics once released a comic where The Joker was the lead character and Marvel had the title "Super Villain Team-Up" but it's weird that a guy who's called "evil incarnate" in the intro would be the titular star featuring his adventures (which actually consist of spreading death and destruction). 

To top it all off, of course, Fu was played by a white actor Glen Gordon, who appeared in numerous TV episodes and movies (mostly uncredited). English actor Lester Matthews (THE WEREWOLF OF LONDON, THE RAVEN (both 1935)) is Fu's good guy arch-nemesis Nayland Smith and familiar character Clark Howatt plays Dr. Petre. Other regulars included Laurette Luez (PREHISTORTIC WOMAN (1950), JUNGLE GENTS (1954)) as Fu's evil female assistant, Carla Balenda as good girl Betty and John George (whose career started in the silent era) a Klob, Fu's subservient toady. The episodes were directed by Franklin Adreon or William Witney. The following episodes are the only ones I've seen. 

The Golden God of Dr. Fu Manchu-The doctor tries to smuggle all the gold coming into Macau. Keye Luke, Jean Willes and Rick Vallin guest star. (Episode 2)

The Vengeance of Dr. Fu Manchu-Fu tries to get a monopoly in chemicals used in munitions to use against his enemies. Philip Van Zant is his lackey. (Episode 4)

Dr. Fu Manchu's Raid-The evil one tries to create a worldwide panic so he can control the US stock market. Mel Welles plays Fu's obedient henchman. (Episode 8)

The Death Ships of Dr. Fu Manchu-This time the nefarious Fu tries to use germ warfare to start a war between China and the US. (Episode 9)

The Master Plan of Dr. Fu Manchu-Fu teams up with the still alive Hitler and has a famous plastic surgeon change his face. They plan to destroy all the US atom bombs and conquer the world. Steven Geray plays the other evil guy. (Episode 11)

The Satellites of Dr. Fu Manchu-The insidious one kidnaps 4 scientists including Petrie. He seems to have his eyes on space. Smith traps Fu but to save Petrie and the others, has to let him go. Otto Waldis plays a scientist. (Episode 12)

The Assassins of Dr. Fu Manchu-The devilish doctor tries to sabotage the group working on a secret jet fighter. Also thrown in is Fu's adopted son George, who is being trained to follow in his "father's" footsteps. Michael Whalen, John Eldredge, Frank Wilcox and Henry B. Thomas are in it. (Episode 13-last of the series)

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Lorre on the Tube

 

 (mubi)

SCREEN DIRECTORS PLAYHOUSE-"No.5 Checked Out"-1956-Mary, a deaf woman (Teresa Wright; PRIDE OF THE YANKEES, SHADOW OF A DOUBT) left alone by her father (Ralph Moody) in an off-season lodge is unaware that two men she's allowed to stay in a cabin are bank robbers. One guy, Barney (William Talman) was just the driver but his partner Willie (Peter Lorre) killed a man. Barney kind of falls for Mary but Willie has other plans. It ends tragically and a little abruptly. 

But still a nice little suspense drama co-written and director by Ida Lupino. Make up by Jack Pierce. Eastman Kodak presented the TV version Screen Directors Playhouse which ran on NBC for 32 episodes from October 1955 to June 1956 (although the last few episodes ran on ABC). It was produced by the Hal Roach Studios. 

In 1953, co-star Talman played the psycho killer in THE HITCHHIKER, also directed by Lupino. In 1957, he began a long run on TV's "Perry Mason" as prosecuting attorney Hamilton Burger.

 (imdb)

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The Munsters

 

 (imdb)

MUNSTER, GO HOME!-1966-After Herman (Fred Gwynne) comes home via hearse he finds he's inherited a mansion in England. So, he, wife Lily (Yvonne DeCarlo), son Eddie (Butch Patrick), “ugly” niece Marilyn (Debbie Watson) and Grandpa (Al Lewis) pack up and head for the UK. Lady Effigie (Hermione Gingold), her two children (Terry-Thomas & Jeanne Arnold) and their butler Cruikshank (John Carradine, who played Herman's boss Mr. Graves in 2 episodes of the TV series) plan to scare them away because they are part of a counterfeiting ring run by the mysterious Gryphon. Marilyn falls for Roger Moresby (Robert Pine) whose father Lord Moresby (Bernard Fox) has a grudge against The Munsters. Later Herman enters an annual drag race driving Grandpa's famous “Dragula” which his English relatives have rigged to kill him. 

This movie seems to have been made just to show off the elaborate make-up used on the TV show as it's in Technicolor (their TV series which had already been canceled, was in black and white). Busy TV director Earl Bellamy had also done many episodes of the TV show.

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Sgt. Preston

SGT. PRESTON OF THE YUKON-This color series featured the adventures of Sgt. Preston of The North West Mounted Police who patrolled The Yukon in Canada during the gold rush. 78 episodes were produced over 3 seasons. 

Richard Simmons played the by the book but fair Mountie who always got his man usually with a minimum of killing. In all 78 the Sarge was accompanied by his wonder dog Yukon King. In the first season he rode Rex, a wonder horse. In this season there was no snow. Apparently it was the summer months where it was always daylight. The second and third seasons took place entirely in the snow bound winter. No Rex as Preston traveled by sled but Yukon King was there to pull his master's fat out of the fire many times. 

There were some guest stars and some unusual points. One episode "Gold Rush Patrol" (S 3 Ep 16) was co-written by Ron Ormond. Another was written by comic book writer Arnold Drake. Coleman Francis, the director of THE BEAST OF YUCCA FLATS acted in 4 episodes. Other guest stars: Richard Powers (aka Tom Keene), Almira Sessions, I. Standford Jolley (2), Dan Blocker, Frank Scannell, George Cisar, Keene Duncan (3), Don Red Barry, Gene Roth (2), Michael Mark, Iron Eyes Cody, John Hart, Dick Wilson (2), Harry Lauter, Bud Osborne, Fred Graham, Richard Devon, Syd Sayor, Lane Bradford (2), X Brands, Jason Johnson (2), Hank Patterson, Rusty Westcoat, Guy Williams, Jody McCrea, William Fawcett, Glenn Strange, Robert Shayne, Steven Ritch. 

                                            Coleman Francis in disguise!

The show's sponsor for most of its run was Quaker Oats. Preston ended nearly every episode saying : "Well, King this case is closed". Coincidentally Simmons had already played a Mountie in KING OF THE ROYAL MOUNTED (1940) though in an uncredited role.

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Outer Space TV

COSMIC PRINCESS-1982-Two episodes of the syndicated science fiction series SPACE:1999 edited in one full length movie. The series followed the inhabitants of an Earth space station on the moon and the adventures they have after the planet breaks away from its orbit hurling it into space. At the time it premiered on US TV it was a big deal but the sfx were terrible and it could be very boring. Martin Landau started as Commander John Koenig and his the real life wife Barbara Bain was the chief doctor, Helena Russell. Both had come to fame on the TV spy series MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE. Barry Morse (from THE FUGITIVE TV show) was in the first season but seemed to mysteriously disappear by the show's final episodes. They brought in a new character who's introduced here. It was the last project by Gary and Sylvia Anderson, creators of UFO and all the super marination stuff.

While searching for titanium the crew comes in contact with a nut named Mentor (Brian Blessed) who makes mindless slaves out of various aliens to fuel a machine that will restore his planet. 

His daughter Maya (Catherine Schell) can change into any animal. She first appears as a lion and thinks daddy is swell because she doesn't know about his evil scheme to enslave the crew. When she finds out she frees Koenig and his group and they destroy his plans and him. Maya is taken back to the ship to become a regular. In the second half Koenig and another guy are separate from the base when it goes through a space warp. Maya goes crazy and turns into a weird alien and menaces the base. Despite being the most expensive series produced by The Andersons this show is very bad on all counts. Charles Critchton and Peter Medak are the credited directors.

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One Step into The New Year!

ONE STEP BEYOND (original title: ALCOA PRESENTS ONE STEP BEYOND) was an anthology series that ran on ABC TV from 1959 to 1961. It debuted a few months before CBS's THE TWILIGHT ZONE. Self assured, almost cocky host John Newland directed all 96 epsidodes of a three season run. All the stories were suppose to have been based on real events. One episode in the third season “The Sacred Mushroom” dealt with hallucinogenic fungi and it's said Newland actually ingested several which was filmed for the episode. I haven't seen it yet but it's on Youtube.

THE BRIDE POSSESSED-Episode 1-1959-A new bride (Virgina Leith;THE THING THAT COULDN'T DIE) driving with her husband (Skip Homeier) on their honeymoon takes on the characteristics of a woman who committed suicide in a nearby town. It seems she's come back to prove her suicide was actually murder. Harry Townes plays a doctor who tries to help. Co-scripter Larry Marcus wrote for several TV shows and penned some TV movies. He was later nominated for an Academy Award for writing THE STUNT MAN (1980)

NIGHT OF APRIL 14th-Episode-2-1959-A new bride (Barbara Lord) has strange dreams about a ship at sea. Later her husband (Patrick MacNee) books passage on the Titanic. A minister also paints a prophetic picture. You know how it ends. Marjorie Eaton plays a housekeeper. After it ends Newland explains the similarities between the real Titanic incident and a fictional novel “The Wreck of The Titan: Or Futility” by Morgan Robinson written 15 years before. Writer Collier Young (who later also produced the series) was once married to actress/director Ida Lupino and wrote the screenplays for 4 of her films

EMERGENCY ONLY-Episode 3-1959-At a cocktail party a woman (Jocelyn Brando) reads the palm of a skeptical man (Lin McCarthey). Her prediction seems to say that he will be murdered by a woman on a train. Most of what she says comes true except for the twist ending conclusion. Paula Raymond THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS), Bill Quinn and Ross Elliot are also featured.

THE DEAD PART OF THE HOUSE-Episode 9-1959-A man (Phillip Abbott) who hasn't gotten over the death of his wife takes his neglected daughter (Mimi Gibson) to live with his sister (Joanne Linville). Three dolls and a haunted room help the man to love his daughter again. Phillip Ahn plays their servant. Scriptwriter Michael Plant also wrote the Jack the Ripper film that was part of the unsold THE VEIL TV series (hosted by Boris Karloff).

Thanks for reading and Happy New Year!!!!

Tombstone

TOMBSTONE TERRITORY-Another TV western that ran from 1957 to 1960 . It took place in Tombstone, Arizona, "the town too tough to die" and was supposedly based on actual stories taken from The Epitaph, the real town newspaper. Pat Conway starred as the swaggering smirking sheriff Clay Hollister who has his hands full keeping law and order while occasionally feeling bad about killing someone. Robert Eastham played Harris Claibourne, the owner of the newspaper and narrator of each episode. The catchy theme song was composed and sung by Richard Backer. Most of the stories aren't too special but of course there are enough guest stars to keep it interesting. They include John Carradine, Lon Chaney Jr., John Anderson, Anthony Caruso, James Coburn, Jack Elam, Michael Landon, Leonard Nimoy, Angie Dickerson and Elisha Cook.

Thanks fo readin', partner!

This Is A Thriller....

THRILLER-1961-Episode 23-”The Well of Doom”-The wealthy soon to be married Robert Penrose (Ronald Howard, in one of three roles for the TV series) is on his way to a bachelor party accompanied by his family butler Teal (Thorin Thatcher) when they are waylaid by a spooky looking old man named Squire Moloch (Henry Daniell, made up to resemble Lon Chaney in LONDON AFTER MIDNIGHT) who claims to be the devil. He's assisted by a giant named Styx (Richard Kiel). Moloch does seem to have supernatural powers. When the butler tries to run away Moloch kills him just by pointing a finger at him. Later Penrose is held prisoner in a dungeon where his fiance' (Fintan Meyler) is also being kept (a flashback shows Styx kidnapping her). Moloch claims to be the former owner of the Penrose estate who Robert's father killed and dumped in a well. The same well Moloch plans to throw Penrose in if he doesn't give up his inheritance. Thinking ahead he rigs the well so if he is thrown in he can climb back up. Since Thriller has hit the airwaves again I won't give away the surprise (though rather pat) twist ending.

The Well of Doom is an effectively eerie piece directed by German born John Brahm who made other fog bound thrillers like THE UNDYING MONSTER, THE LODGER and HANGOVER SQUARE. This was one of 12 THRILLERS he directed as well as 10 episodes of ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS. His last film was the crazy HOT RODS TO HELL. Prolific TV writer Donald Sanford adapted the John Clemons story. Sanford would later write the screenplay to the WW2 epic MIDWAY. Earlier he shared an Emmy for writing the TV special “The Golden Junkman” in which Lon Chaney Jr. gave perhaps his finest performance.

Richard Kiel (who died in 2014) would play a much more memorable TV role as the Kanamit alien in the TWILIGHT ZONE episode “To Serve Man”. As the sinister Moloch, Henry Daniell was coming to the end of his long career (he died in '63) but still found time to be in 4 other THRILLERs. His last role was an un-billed bit in MY FAIR LADY.

Of course THRILLER was hosted by the great Boris Karloff (who occasionally starred in a few). His intro here isn't as good as some others but he still ends with the often used tagline “as sure as my name is Boris Karloff”.

THRILLER was a neglected anthology for years but thanks to a DVD release and it showing up on cable it's been given a second look and should be checked out by everyone!!!

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Gang Busted

GUNS DON'T ARGUE-1957-After a very fake looking building explodes in a quiet small town

special agents Fenton (Bill Baldwin) and Bill Baxter (Sidney Mason) investigate. Fenton explains that the building was blown up by gangsters. He then introduces us to two men who believe “guns don't argue” : Pretty Boy Floyd (Doug Wilson) (and his girlfriend Paula (Jeanne Carmen) ) and Adan Richetti (Knobby Schaeffer) and his girlfriend Hope (Regina Gleason). They are hired to rescue a criminal named Frank Nash who is being transferred by federal agents. The duo is so stupid they not only kill 2 cops but kill Nash too! They also kill a federal agent who happens to be Ross Baxter (Coulter Ervin), Bill's brother. 

Bill goes undercover as a thug and befriends Paula. Meanwhile a female governor enlists the FBI to help stop the murderous bank robbing rampage of Bonnie (Tamar Cooper) & Clyde (Baynes Barron). Captain Stewart (Jim Davis), a Texas ranger goes after them (and picks up the narration too). When Bonnie and Clyde break their comrade Hamilton out of prison they kill everyone including the other prisoners! A farmer named Sully (Hank Patterson) helps Stewart ambush the deadly duo. 

Then the story switches back to Bill avenging Ross' death in a gun battle with Floyd. Then we meet Ma Barker (Jean Harvey) and her sons Herm and Fred along with alcoholic Mr. Barker (Ralph Moody). When Herm is killed Alvin Karpis (Paul Dubov) joins them and then a third son Doc (Lash LaRue) for a bank job that's put on hold to kidnap a millionaire's son. Later they team up with Dillinger (Myron Healy), Baby Face Nelson (Richard Crane) and Homer Van Meter (Robert Kendall) to pull the big bank job. When the heat is on Karpis visits a plastic surgeon (Lyle Talbott). Ma and Fred are killed by G-men and a mummy like Karpis finds out his surgery didn't work. 

An incarcerated Dillinger breaks out of jail using a gun carved from a piece of wood. He teams up with Van Meter and Tony Malento (Texas Joe Foster) and they raid a prison's arsenal and go on a murder/robbery spree. Van Meter dies on a pile of garbage. Later Dillinger gets help from old flame Mildred (Ann Morriss), the “woman in red” who helps the FBI trap and kill public enemy number one. Karpis gets captured after an underwater duel. 

This might sound like an interesting crime drama full of great '50's character actors but it's just 3 episodes of the once popular TV crime drama “Gang Busters” strung together in a very disjointed facts challenged mess.

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Cool TV

 
A TV show I've been watching recently on ME TV is the western WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE starring Steve McQueen as Josh Randall, a tough but not so ruthless bounty hunter who sometimes helped out needy people for free and/or sometimes proved his charges innocent of the crimes they were said to commit. A few episodes have comedic overtones and Randall is kind of a buffoon but usually after killing a man he had some remorse. It ran for three seasons on CBS from 1958-1961.

 I like to watch these kind of shows mainly for the guest stars and WANTED had it's share: DeForest Kelly, Lon Chaney, Warren Oates, Martin Landau, Jay North (in a strange Christmas episode), Michael Landon, John Dehner (in several episodes), Jay Silverheels, John Carradine and James Coburn to name a few. For around a dozen episodes in 1960 Wright King was also featured as fellow bounty hunter Jason Nicholls (he played a different role in an earlier episode), King had a featured role in Elia Kazan's A STREET CAR NAMED DESIRE (1951), hosted a TV kid's show JOHNNY JUPITER (1953-54) and was in two episodes of THE TWILIGHT ZONE. Later he had a small role as a simian doctor in the original PLANET OF THE APES.

 McQueen of course went on to super stardom with roles in THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN, THE GREAT ESCAPE, BULLITT and others.

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Al Adamson

E TRUE HOLLYWOOD STORY-1999-AL ADAMSON-This documentary produced by cable station E! about the life, career and death of the notorius B-movie director Al Adamson. Although it starts off the a statement that Adamson's movies would have faded into posterity if not for his violent death (the fact is the makers of this couldn't have given two shits about the director or his movies if he had died of a heart attack) this does turn into a very good look at Adamson's life (his father was B-movie western star Denver Dixon, his mother was silent screen actress Dolores Booth) and how many of his films were devised on extremely low budgets. There's comments from his brother, his friends, actors Bud Carlos, JC Wells & Marilyn Joi and his "Independent International" partner Sam Sherman. It also details his marriage to Regina Carroll (who co-starred in many of his films) and her untimely death and a palimony suit brought against him by his last girlfriend. It ends with an examination of his murder by hired handyman Fred Fulford who was later arrested and convicted of first degree murder in 1995.

Enjoy an Al Adamson movie tonight and toast his enthusiasm for the genre!

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Merry Christmas

RACKET SQUAD-THE CHRISTMAS CAPER-1952-This is a Christmas episode of the long running TV crime drama that based it's stories about "bunco" artists and con men on true events. Reed Hadley stars as Captain John Braddock who works for the San Francisco police department. In this seasonal story a nice old man Charles Dooley (Lloyd Corrigan) promises some kids a lot of Christmas toys, so to make money he gets a job as a Santa Claus collecting for a charity which is actually a front for some con men (future Uncle Fester Jackie Coogan and familiar TV actor Alan Dexter). Willie Best shows up in one scene as a janitor who actually explains the whole caper to Dooley! After the two bad guys are arrested Dooley takes the stolen money that he was suppose to deliver to his fraudulent bosses and spends it on presents for some needy kids (including a cripple girl) while of course dressed as Santa Claus. Braddock's hot headed detective (John Phillips) wants to arrest Dooley but Braddock relents and they give some of their own money to help the kids. Argentina Brunetti and William Fawcett are also featured.

This episode was directed by Earl C. Kenton who in the forties had made several Abbott & Costello comedies and THE GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN. It was written by Arthur E. Orloff, who wrote many TV episodes around this time. I just wanted to mention that because his last name is Orloff. Ironically, strangely, coincidentally (?) Santa portrayer Corrigan also played a guy impersonating Santa in a episode of WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE that I recently saw!

Merry Christmas and thanks for reading!

Hey Abbott?

WAGON TRAIN-"The Tobias Jones Story"-1958-This episode of the long running western about a wagon train crossing the western plains to California features the only dramatic role by comedian Lou Costello! He plays Toby Jones, a drunken itinerant who stows away on a wagon with a little girl name Midge (Beverley Washburn) who's devoted to Toby like a daughter to a father. Due to his drinking the wagon master Seth Adams (star Ward Bond) has Midge stay with Mrs. Folsom (June Clayworth) and her mean, abusive husband (Morris Ankrum). Things don't work out too well as Toby's drinking gets him into a lot of trouble. It comes to a head when Folsom is stabbed to death (with Toby's knife) and 10,000 dollars is stolen. The would be settlers want to string Toby up but Adams makes sure cooler heads prevail. Except Toby feels it would be better for him, Midge and everyone else if he was dead. Of course Toby is innocent and it's up to Adams to find out the truth. This episode also features Peter Breck as a rabble rousing cowboy and Harry Von Zell (who wrote the script) as a level headed easterner. The story itself is typical of the time but Costello is very good in the serious role. It was directed by Herschel Daugherty. Lou Costello made one more filmed appearance the next year in his only solo effort THE 50 FOOT BRIDE OF CANDY ROCK. He died of a heart attack at age 52 before it was released. Ten years later Beverley Washburn would co-star as one of the Merrye sisters in Jack Hills' SPIDER BABY! TV and radio announcer Harry von Zell was featured on THE BURNS AND ALLEN SHOW at the time.

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The Rifleman & Loose Girls

I was just watching some episodes of the 50's western THE RIFLEMAN with Chuck Connors in the title role, Lucas McCain, a widowed rancher who has a pretty impressive self made rifle. He's also raising his young son Mark, played by Johnny Crawford. Many of the episodes had McCain killing some desperado and then lecturing Mark on why "it had to happen this way". Paul Fix as the local sheriff was the only other regular. The best thing about the show was the guest stars. So far I've seen James (billed as Jim) Coburn, John Carradine, Lon Chaney, Robert Webber, Vic Morrow, Sidney Blackmer and Raymond Bailey (the future Mr. Drysdale on THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES).



GIRLS ON THE LOOSE-1958-Night club owner Vera Parkinson (Mara Corday) and her girl gang rob a bank of 20 thousand dollars. They bury the loot and go back to working at the club. Unfortunately, Vera's younger sister (Barbara Bostock who sings) falls for the detective (Mark Richman) who's investigating the robbery. Double crossing and death follow as Vera goes to any means to protect her ill gotten gain. The climax features a cat fight at the site of the buried money.

GIRLS ON THE LOOSE reminded me a little of Ed Wood's THE VIOLENT YEARS (made two years before) but is not nearly as entertaining. Star Corday was also in the cheapies THE GIANT CLAW and TARANTULA around the same time. Also with Joyce Johanesson, Lita Milan, Abby Dalton and Fred Kruger. 
This low budget exploitation quickie was one of the half dozen films directed by actor Paul Henreid (he did much more TV).

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Time Travel From TV to Movies

ALIENS FROM OUTER SPACE-1967-This is two (or three) episodes of the short-lived TV show TIME TUNNEL edited together for a phony feature length release. Both feature the time traveling regulars James Darren and Robert Colbert.

In the first half Robert Duvall guest stars as a time traveling spy who plants a bomb in the Tunnel headquarters and escapes into the future. Whit Bissell and Lee Meriwether try to help in the present as the duo chase the future Oscar winning actor into the far future where silver and gold-faced humanoids with no feelings are building their own time machine. It all ends in a beehive in prehistoric times!

The second half also features sliver-skinned aliens. They are planning an invasion of Earth. It takes place in The Old West. Darren winds up in jail and Colbert becomes a zombie. Stock footage from another movie is also used. There are no real “name guests” but some familiar character actors like Tris Coffin, John Hoyt and Byron Foulger appear!

The Time Tunnel was the least successful of Executive Producer Irwin Allens’s four Sci-Fi TV shows. It only lasted one season and it was apparent that before the season was even half over they were running out of ideas! Many of the sets, props, SFX and even the monsters seem to be “borrowed” from some of the earlier shows (like Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea and Lost in Space).

Allen of course went on to produce disaster films like TOWERING INFERNO and THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE.

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TV Shows From 2010

I only watched three TV series regularly this past year. Here they are:


THE WALKING DEAD-Everyone has probably heard about this AMC original production which tries to expand on the story lines laid down by George Romero's DEAD series and it's countless imitations. It's ironic that a once great cable station like AMC which horribly edits it's films and has more commercial interruptions than TBS would produce an original series that contains so much graphic violence and gore. A cop awakens from a coma (like in 28 DAYS LATER) and goes around the US trying to find his family and any other survivors. There's way too much CGI gore and most of the characters just argue and emote while occasionally fighting the living dead. The first season was only 6 episodes (how much faith did AMC have in this project before airing it?).




MOGULS AND MOVIE STARS-This was a great seven part original series produced by TCM that covers the beginnings of movie making up until the late '60's. Many old silent shorts are used plus interviews with filmmakers, writers and technical crews. Even TCM host Robert Osborne has a few things to say. It covers peep shows, Edison, Chaplin, the studio heads, blacklisting, the threat of TV, the demise of the studio system and a lot more. Some subjects are glossed over or left out, still it's well made and informative. Christopher Plummer provides the narration.



THE AVENGERS-THE WORLD’S MIGHTIEST HEROES-Maybe I’m a sentimental old fuddy duddy or just an immature “big kid” but I really enjoyed this animation based on the characters featured in Marvel Comics. It features all the “original” members (Iron Man, Capt. America, The Hulk, Ant Man, The Wasp and Thor plus The Black Panther). Other characters like Hawkeye, The Black Widow, Nick Fury and Doc Samson appear. There are a lot of super villains with The Leader, Baron Strucker, Modok and Hydra leading the way but SHIELD is basically presented as a force not to be trusted.

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Not So Subliminal Warning.....

Ok, the movie is called SUBLIMINAL SEDUCTION (1995). Warning number 1. It was shown on the cable network Showtime under the "Roger Corman Presents" banner. Now I like Corman. He was an independent maverick who made great low budget films in the '50's and '60's and he probably influenced a whole generation of movie-makers but recently all he does is release direct to video and cable nonsense, each more derivative than the last. See? That wasn't so bad was it?

Warning 2: This movie was produced and directed by actor Andrew Stevens whose other efforts include THE TERROR WITHIN 2, NIGHT EYES 3 and THE SKATEBOARD KID-2. Doesn anyone notice a pattern here? He did also direct a Don "The Dragon" Wilson martial arts thingy called VIRTUAL COMBAT.

Warning 3: It was released on VHS under the title THE CORPORATION.

The interactive hijinx story has a young couple (Ian Ziering and Katherine Kelly Lang) going to work for a Las Vegas video designer company run by the aforementioned Mr. Stevens, who yes has the unmitigated gall to also co-star in this (and limp and walk with a cane to boot) and his band of flunkies (Kin Shriner, Larry Manetti and Kim Morgan Greene). Dee Wallace Stone plays a talkative neighbor. The company is using cd-roms and video games to control people's emotions. "This stuff is like messin' with the inside of your head" says one character. They are also using subliminal messages to sell video games with names like "Mouse Maze" and "Radical Rat Trap".

Fred Olen Ray regular Hoke Howell and Juilan Kresner (from FIRECRACKER) co-star and to prove nepotism is not dead. Stevens' mom Stella also makes an apperance. It's not very good....



And speaking of not very good. A lot of TV shows are on dvd now. A good one to avoid is FLASH GORDON, a syndicated show made in 1954. It starred Steve Holland in the title role which sadly seems to be his only claim to fame. Looking somewhat like an All American '50's football player, he was bigger on talk than action but occasionally points an over sized "stun gun" at the bad guys. Irene Champlin plays Dale Arlen, in a dress that looks more like "IceCapades" than outer space. She doesn't do much but listen to Flash pontificate though in one episode she does try to fight. Much like her co-star Holland, this series seems to be her only claim to fame. Joe Nash is Dr. Zarkoff, who doesn't do much either. In fact, he hardly ever leaves his lab. Seems he didn't do much before or after either!

If you happen to get your courage up and decide to view an episode you might be suprised to hear most of the supporting cast speaking with German accents. Don't be! For some reason this no-budget mess was filmed in Berlin, Germany!

FLASH GORDON's credited director is American Wallace Worsley Jr. A second generation filmmaker (his dad directed several Lon Chaney Sr. silent films including THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME) he was mainly an assistant director and production manager on many US films. Guess how many other TV series he directed.....

I've seen Guther Van Fritsch's name sometimes mentioned as a director too. At least he did direct a number of TV shows in the '50's!!

This TV show should be forgotten in a flash.....

Thanks for reading!

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THE FURY OF THE DRAGON-1976-This is a theatrical version of the short lived 1966 TV show that debuted the same year as the more popular “Batman”. It was released 10 years after it’s lone TV season to cash in on Bruce Lee’s “last film” THE GAME OF DEATH. Though the new credits made it seem like a Bruce Lee feature it’s just 4 TV episodes strung together featuring Van Williams as the masked crime fighter that everyone thinks is a villain. His sidekick and chauffeur is the Kung-Fu kicking Kato who tries to spice up the mundane action. The Hornet's real identity is newspaper publisher Bret Reid whose sideline is known only to the DA (Walter Barry) and his secretary.

The excitement challenged storylines include a kidnapping/blackmail plot on a visiting diplomat, crooked cops and a death ray. It’s not the corny tongue in cheek “take off” Batman was (there was a crossover episode) and lacked the villainous guests stars, which may be the reason it wasn’t a hit. The version I saw had Chinese sub-titles and featured trailers for Lee’s other movies at the beginning and his black and white screen test at the end. Van Williams appeared in other TV shows but made very few movies.

However in the 1993 Bruce Lee biopic DRAGON: THE BRUCE LEE STORY he portrayed the TV director of THE GREEN HORNET.

Thanks for reading!