Whip Rewrite

 

(imdb)

THE WHIP HAND-1951-Matt Corbin (Elliot Reid) is fishing when he hits his head. He seeks help from Dr. Keller (Edgar Barrier) who doesn't think there is anything wrong. The hotel owner (Raymond Burr) and his wife (Lurene Tuttle) seem sus-picious. Eventually, Corbin discovers neo-Nazis/communists doing experiments with the help of a mad scientist (Otto Waldis). Nice, exciting ending.

THE WHIP HAND was planned by director William Cameron Menzies to have been quite different than the finished product. In the original, Adolf Hitler himself, who survived WW2, was to have been the leader of the new Reich. But executive producer Howard Hughes decided communism was more of a threat and ordered extensive re-shoots. Also with Peter Brocco, Carla Balenda, George Chandler and George Barrows.

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They Came?

THINGS TO COME-1936-Interesting prophetic English adaptation of the novel by HG Welles (who also wrote the screenplay). In Everytown (much like London) the residents prepare for a war at Christmas time in 1940. When war does break out it lasts 30 years, culminating in a disease called “The Wandering Sickness”. When the war finally ends a group called “Wings Over The World”, lead by an engineer named Cabal (Raymond Massey) tries to restore civilization but faces many obstacles. Ralph Richardson is great as “The Chief” a petty dictator who has taken over the war torn Everytown (in 1967). Later everyone lives underground and all diseases (including the common cold) have been cured. Cabal's grandson wants to send people to the moon but Theotocopulos (Cedric Hardwick) (who's role was originally played by Ernest Thesiger) leads a revolt. It's long on rhetoric but the acting and SFX (especially in the later parts of the film) make this worth watching.

Produced by Alexander Korda (THE THIEF OF BAGDAD) THINGS TO COME boasts a screenplay by Welles who was subject of many stories involving his “control” over the project. Some say he even started out as the director!

Director William Cameron Menzies was better known as an art director and set designer (GONE WITH THE WIND, FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS) but later made THE MAZE and INVADERS FROM MARS.

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A-Mazing!

THE MAZE-1953-Usually underrated horror mystery (originally shot in 3-D) was the last film directed by William Cameron Menzies (also an art director and production designer) who also made INVADERS FROM MARS the same year!

A baronet named Gerald McTeam (Richard Carlson; in IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE the same year) seems quite happily engaged to a woman named Kitty (Veronica Hurst) until he gets a telegram from the mysterious Craven Castle in his native Scotland. He rushes off promising to come back for their wedding in 2 weeks but over a month goes by and she hasn't  heard from him. Eventually she learns that Gerald's uncle has died and Gerald is next in line to take his place.  A few weeks later Kitty receives a letter releasing her from their engagement. But Kitty loves Gerald too much. So she and her Aunt Edith (Katherine Emory; the woman who goes mad after being buried alive in ISLE OF THE DEAD) venture to the fog shrouded castle. There they find Gerald cold and distant having aged prematurely. His dour kind of sinister butler William (Michael Pate) hangs around. Gerald insists they leave but Kitty makes several excuses. Everything seems to revolve around Gerald's midnight jaunts and a giant maze no one is allowed access too. There seems to be one other resident in the castle no one knows about even after Edith has a small run-in with him. Hoping to help Gerald Kitty summons their old friends for a surprise weekend visit. One of them is a doctor and Kitty hopes he can "examine" Gerald and do something for him. He comes to believe Gerald may be insane and should be taken away by force. Later Kitty and Edith enter the maze and discovery the dreaded family secret. The real baron was born in 1750 and is still alive. He's also part frog and part man having never evolved from an amphibian state!

Despite some low budget drawback THE MAZE is a good mystery thriller.  Almost a film noir horror movie I guess. The castle sets are very dark and sinister and though not one of the more memorable screen monsters the frog like baron is eerie until fully seen. His demise is a little ridiculous.
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Apparently although based on a novel by Swiss writer Maurice Sandoz, THE MAZE also takes inspiration from the Scottish legend of Glamis Castle involving a deformed child who was walled up its room.

Hilary Brooke (also in INVADERS FROM MARS) and Robin Hughes (later in THE THING THAT COULDN'T DIE) are two of Gerald's friends who come to cheer him up.

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3 More!

COUNSELOR AT LAW-1933-This is often considered the legendary John Barrymore’s last great performance and he does live up to that claim. It’s also ahead of it’s time in it’s view on lawyers and the way they interpret the law.

“The Great Profile” plays a successful Jewish lawyer up to his neck in controversy. One case may get him disbarred and he tries defend a self proclaimed Communist who declares the US is “worst than Russia was under the Czar”. Although Barrymore would act another 7 years, good roles would be few a far between (20th CENTURY, ROMEO & JULIET and THE GREAT MAN VOTES would be exceptions). In an ironic twist his character says “I don’t even know how to get drunk”! Also with Bebe Daniels, Melvyn Douglas (he was in THE VAMPIRE BAT the same year), Onslow Stevens, Doris Kenyon, Thelma Todd, Mayo Methot and John Qualen. This would also put director William Wyler on the map.




UFO: THE TRUE STORY OF FLYING SAUCERS-1956 –Wow! This pseudo-documentary must have really shook up 1950’s moviegoers. It’s nothing like the stuff AIP was churning out at the time. It uses actually amateur shot color films (though the rest of the movie is black & white) and has interviews with real UFO (called “unknowns” here) eyewitnesses though the lead reporter is played by an actor (Tom Powers who a small roles in many Hollywood productions and died soon after this was made). There’s a lot of talk and some unintentionally funny parts but most for it remains serious and effective. Actors Harry Morgan and Les Tremayne provide the voices of the pilots who have a “close encounter”.


CHANDU THE MAGICIAN-1932-Edmund Lowe stars as Chandu, a yogi who uses hypnotism to battle the evil would ruler of the world named Roxor (Bela Lugosi, really hamming it up). Roxor wants the death ray a scientist has invented. 

This has great sets (Willaim Cameron Menzies was one of the directors) and some crude but fun SFX including stone statues coming to life and Chandu turning rifles into snakes. Like many ‘30’s movies a comic relief assistant bogs down the story.  

This pre-code action fantasy is fairly  crude but the weird things Chandu can do is a plus and Lugosi's Roxor is a hoot. It's based on a radio show. Strangely, the sequel starred Lugosi in the Chandu role!  But I think an opportunity was missed in not bringing back the Roxor character and have Bella playing both roles! Also with Irene Ware (who was later in THE RAVEN with Lugosi and Karloff).



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