Who Doesn't Love a Mystery?

THE DEVIL'S MASK-1946-This murder mystery is based on the radio show I LOVE A MYSTERY (created by Carlton Morse) . Two cool investigators Jack (Jim Bannon) and Doc (Barton Yarborough) help Janet Mitchell (Anita Louise), the widow of a missing explorer who thinks she has been targeted for murder by her step-daughter (Mona Barrie) and her boyfriend. A panther, a shrunken head and a crazy taxidermist are all part of the part.

This was the second of three I LOVE A MYSTERY dramas produced, based on the popular radio show. It's short and to the point and Jack and Doc are a pretty good team. Director Henry Levin was busy in 1946 (he made 5 other movies) but later when he slowed down he made JOURNEY TO THE ENTER OF THE EARTH and THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF THE BROTHERS GRIMM.

Barton Yarborough (Doc) also played the role on radio and in addition was featured on another radio show ONE MAN'S FAMILY for almost 20 years. He's the ill fated Dr. Kettering in THE GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN. He died suddenly of a heart attack in the early '50's after filming a few episodes of Jack Webb's DRAGNET. 

Co-star Jim Bannon (Jack) was also a radio star who made many low budget films (some with no credit) and later went into TV. He was a regular on the series CASEY JONES in 1957 and died in 1973. Topped bill Anita Louise had been in THE GORILLA with The Ritz Brosthers and THE LITTLE PRINCESS with Shirley Temple. She made a lot more movies and in the '50's was a regular on TV's MY FRIEND FLICKA.

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More Anime

CYBER CITY OEDO 808-1991-In the bleak future of 2088-three career criminals are used by the Cyber Police to fight crime in exchange for reduction in their sentences. They wear electronic collars on their necks so they can be controlled. This OVA series consists of three stories, each featuring one of the trio: Sengoku, a foul mouthed misanthrope, Gogol, a hacker with a Mohawk and the androgynous Benten. Their boss is police chief Hasagawa.

In the first story “Virtual Death”, Sengoku has to save 50 thousand people trapped in a city skyscraper after a computer has taken over. The second story “Psychic Trooper”, Gogol gets involved with his female ex-partner who hacked some information from a government computer and an experimental cyborg. In the third “Crimson Media”, Benten investigates the murder of three scientists and battles a female vampire.

This cult cyber-punk anime was directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri soon after DEMON CITY SHINJUKU. It's often lamented by fans because no sequels were ever produced. 

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Demon Anime

DEMON CITY SHINJUKU-1988-The demon possessed Rebi Ra defeats the hero Genichirou and turns a portion of Tokyo, Shinjuku into a demon infested city. 10 years later the president of the world visits Tokyo and is attacked by a monster sent by Rebi Ra. The president's daughter Sayaka asks Genichirou's son Kyoka (a master in the art of Nempo) to accompany her to the demon city and stop Ra. At first he refuses but relents in time to save her from some would be rapists when she goes to the city alone. After tangling with two headed dog, some monsters and demons and getting help from Chibi, a street smart ass they meet Mephisto who seems to be against Ra although may have an ulterior motive. Later Kyoka takes on Rebi Ra and doesn't flare so well. Meanwhile Sayaka and Chibi search the haunted city for him and encounter demon kids. 

This weird supernatural anime was directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri (NINJA SCROLL, VAMPIRE HUNTER D) and based on the manga by Hideyuki Kikuchi. Kawajiri had previously done WICKED CITY also from a comic by Kikuchi.

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Devil's Island

I ESCAPED FROM DEVIL'S ISLAND-1973-Le Bras (Jim Brown; also in SLAUGHTER'S BIG RIP-OFF the same year), a convict is saved from the guillotine and given a life sentence on Devil's Island instead where guards make bets on fights between prisoners. It's run by a one armed commandant (Paul Richards) and 2 sadistic guards. Another convict Davert (Christopher George) is the leader of a communist faction who Le Bras feels saved his life. Le Bras devises an escape plan with 2 other cons JoJo (Rchard Ely) and Dazzas (James Luisi) and Davert is kind of forced to go with them. On their tiny raft they are driven back to the island by sharks and flee into the jungle where they are taken in by a group of lepers. Later they are captured by local natives and Le Bras is chosen to be the new husband for the wife of a man he killed. Once again they escape by raft and somehow make it back to civilization. Dazzas is arrested for stealing but Le Bras and Davert use fireworks to make their escape.

I ESCAPED FROM DEVIL'S ISLAND is one of the last movies directed by the legendary William Whitney who's career began in the late 1930's. He did many low budget serials and westerns plus movies featuring Zorro, The Lone Ranger and Dick Tracy. Although he entered TV in the 50's he still occasionally made a feature film (like MASTER OF THE WORLD with Vincent Price in 1961). Here he does the best with what he has on the film's obviously low budget and fast paced schedule. The story by Richard L. Adams (who'd also pen THE SLAMS starring Brown the same year) is sadistic and far fetched but the two leads manage to keep it going.

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Wish The Batteries Would Die

NIGHTLIGHT-2013-Even though their friend has just committed suicide, a group of young people (idiots waiting to be killed) decide to spend the night in a forest where other suicides have occurred. They use flashlights and cameras. After a lot of running around everyone starts to die and a demonic creature of some kind seems to be the culprit. Once again there's nothing to a movie like this. It's helter skelter camera work, yelling and no resolution to the story (which there wasn't much of in the first place). And it took two guys (Bryan Woods and Scot Beck) to write and direct it....

Filmed in 2013, it “escaped” to DVD and cable in 2015.

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Mad Magic

THE MAD MAGICIAN-1954-Gallico the Great (Vincent Price) a guy who's made illusions for other magicians now wants to have his own act. Unfortunately before he can use his new buzz saw trick his pompous boss Ross (Donald Randolph) closes down his show (he also stole Gallico's wife). Ross gloats Gallico into killing him with his buzz saw. He puts Ross' head in a suitcase and his assistant Karen (Mary Murphy) who is engaged to Alan Bruce, a police lieutenant (Patrick O'Neal) takes his bag by mistake. After he gets it back he disguises himself as Ross and sneaks the real corpse into a college victory celebration bonfire. Then he creates a new identity. When his bitchy ex-wife Claire (Eva Gabor) shows up looking for Ross she guesses his secret and he kills her. He later creates a new illusion “The Crematorium” which rival magician The Great Rinaldi (John Emery) wants to steal. He too figures out Gallico's secret and so of course signs his own death warrant. Gallico impersonates Rinaldi but Alan uses fingerprints to figure it all out. Gallico almost burns Alan alive but Karen and the landlady help save him and Gallico is burned up in his own invention.

If you think THE MAD MAGICIAN was influenced by HOUSE OF WAX which Vincent Price starred in the year before you're probably right in more ways than one. It was written by HOW screenwriter Crane Wilbur, a very busy writer/director who's career went back to silent films. He and Price would work together again in 1959's THE BAT.

Although not having the budget of House of Wax, THE MAD MAGICIAN has some nice twists although Gallico's disguises aren't always that great. And once again his character really isn't a bad guy, it's mostly the people around him: a mean boss, a bitchy ex-wife, a rival performer. They insult him and try to cheat and steal and really “ask” to be killed.

German born director John Brahm had made several unusual film noirs (THE LODGER, HANGOVER SQUARE, THE UNDYING MONSTER) but soon after this went into television. Like HOUSE OF WAX, THE MAD MAGICIAN was also shot in 3-D! 

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Moto's Chances

MR. MOTO TAKES A CHANCE-1938-While the famous (phony) Japanese detective (Peter Lorre in his fourth outing as the Asian sleuth) is digging in some ruins in Ankor Wat he meets Victoria Mason (Rochelle Hudson) an aviatrix who was flying around the world until her plane crashed. After a rajah's (J. Edward Bromberg) wife dies mysteriously Moto (who acts as suspiciously as a murderer) investigates. Later he disguises himself as a high priest to save some reporters (Robert Kent and Chick Chandler) from death. Then a real local high priest causes trouble. Too much time is spent on the comic adventures of the reporters. It turns out Moto and Victoria are working for the same end: to smash an arsenal assembled for the high priest's planned revolution. 

Director Norman Foster (also an actor) made most of the entries in the Moto series as well as several Charlie Chan mysteries and is the credited director of Orson Welles' JOURNEY INTO FEAR.

 Lead actress Rochelle Hudson was a popular leading lady in films of the '30's and early '40's. After playing Natalie Woods' mother in REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE in 1955 she left Hollywood for other endeavors. She worked sporadically in the 1960's but retired for good after her last film appearance in the low budget anthology GALLERY OF TERROR (aka RETURN FROM THE PAST) IN 1967. She died in 1972. 

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