Walking Ghost

 

THE GHOST WALKS-1934-Theatrical producer Herman Woods (Richard Carle) and his beleaguered assistant Homer (Johnny Arthur) have car trouble during a storm. Their driver playwright Prescott Ames (John Miljan) takes them to the home of Dr. Kent (Henry Kolker) where his fiancee Gloria (June Collyer) happens to be. Also there is his rival Carroway (Douglas Gerrad). Also around is the spacey Beatrice (Eve Southern), Kent's patient who screams occasionally. Later at dinner Beatrice talks about a murder and that one of the present company is responsible for his death. 

At first it turns out to be a setup, a performance of Ames' play “The Ghost Walks” to impress Wood. But when Beatrice is murdered, it's no longer a play. Ames however can't convince Wood her death isn't part of the play. (her corpse disappears) Then a guard from a local sanitarium arrives to let everyone know a murderer has escaped. Later we learn the house they are in was once owned by a mad surgeon who committed suicide. 

Hidden doors, eyes looking through a painting, a deadly bed are just some of the strange goings on in this creaky but entertaining horror melodrama from director Frank S. Strayer CONDEMNED TO LIVE, THE VAMPIRE BAT).

https://moviemeltdown.blogspot.com/2010/04/bats-and-rains.html 

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Vampire

CONDEMNED TO LIVE-1935-Two men and pregnant woman are trapped in a cave full of vampire bats by some natives. The woman is bitten by a bat. 

Years later “in another land” a small village is terrorized by vampire like murders. The victims’ throats are torn open and their bodies drained of blood. Most folks say it's a giant bat but a guy name David (Russell Gleason) disagrees. He thinks it's a man. Professor Kristan (Ralph Morgan) warns everyone to stay indoors and be “protected by light”. He has a hunchback servant named Zan (Mischa Auer) and is a much-admired resident engaged to the much younger Marguerite (Maxine Doyle) who seems honored by the arrangement but a little doubtful. Her childhood friend David doesn't like it. He loves her. 

Anyway, it turns out that Kristan has a few faults. Like at night he turns into a creepy vampire and commits the murders that have the village so frightened! Though he complains about headaches and exhaustion, the good Prof. doesn't seem to know he’s the killer. His old friend Dr. Bizet (Pedro de Cordoba) comes calling and advises him about his engagement. Later when the vampire/professor tries to kill Marguerite, she's saved by Zan but the the villagers think he’s the fiend. When Kristan regains consciousness Bizet explains how the professor was born in a cave after his mother had been bitten by a vampire bat! After clearing Zan, Kristan jumps off a cliff and Zan follows him. Marguerite and David are free to have sex. 

This dark moody horror film from Invincible Pictures was directed by Frank R. Strayer who earlier made THE VAMPIRE BAT and other interesting but mostly forgotten horror films. Soon after this he became the usual director for the BLONDIE series of movies!

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Bats and Rains

VAMPIRE BAT-1933-is a creaky low budget horror film from the early 30's but despite it's obvious restrictions and drawbacks it's fairly entertaining.

The great Lionel Atwill stars as Dr. Von Neimann, the local doctor in a village where vampire like murders are taking place. Whenever giant bats appear at night, some unfortunate local dies, the body drained of blood. Melvyn Douglas (who was in James Whale's THE OLD DARK HOUSE the year before) is the investigating police constable. Fay Wray (the same year as KING KONG) is his love interest.

The best performence though is by Dwight Frye, essaying another village idiot role (it would type-cast his career) as Herman, a bat loving red herring (who meets his demise at the famous Bronson Canyon).

Familiar '30's character actor Lionel Belmore (2 Lionels for the price of one! What a movie!) also appears. The photography is a little too dark at times and there's a lot of talk but it's short running time makes it enjoyable.

Screenwriter Edward T. Lowe had been writing movies since the '20's (including HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME with Lon Chaney). He later penned HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN, HOUSE OF DRACULA, several Charlie Chan and Bulldog Drummond mysteries and other stuff.

Director Frank Strayer made several unusual movies in the '30's (THE MONSTER WALKS, THE GHOST WALKS and CONDEMNED TO LIVE) before devoting most of his time to the movie series based on the "Blondie" comic strip in the '40's.



I also recently saw THE CLAIRVOYANT (aka THE EVIL MIND)-1934-made one year later and also featuring Fay Wray.

The always entertaining Claude Rains (one year after his film debut in THE INVISIBLE MAN) stars as a phony mind reader named Maximus who's predictions start to come true whenever he's around a certain woman (English actress Jane Baxter). Wray is his assistant-wife who fears his new power. Rains' trance states are very eerie (especially his last!). It's ok and probably influenced a few future films.

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Universal Horror Classic

SON OF FRANKENSTEIN-1939-At Castle Frankenstein, several years after the events in BRIDE, broken necked Ygor (Bela Lugosi) hangs around scaring children. Frankenstein's son Wolf (Basil Rathbone) comes to town to collect his inheritance. He brings along his wife Elsa (Josephine Hutchinson) and young son Peter (Donnie Dunagan). They have no idea what they are getting into! 

It's great to see Karloff back as the monster (in Jack Pierce's legendary make-up) for the last time even if he really doesn't do much until the finale. Another highlight is the clipped banter between Wolf and the memorable Inspector Krogh (Lionel Atwill) whose wooden arm replaces the one the monster “tore out by the roots” when he was a child. And of course there's Lugosi's Ygor, the broken necked body snatcher who was once pronounced dead (“They die dead. Ygor died live!”) who now uses the revived monster to carry out his revenge on those who condemned him (including Lionel Belmore). Ward Bond has a small unbilled role and some viewers claim Dwight Frye is also in it! 

Producer-director Roland V. Lee keeps things interesting with cavernous sets and shadowy lighting plus a gigantic sulfur pit. The screenplay was written by Willis Cooper, creator the the radio show “Lights Out”. SON, two Mr. Moto entries and providing the story for the serial THE PHANTOM CREEPS with Lugosi) were about all his film credits. SON kind of “ushered out” the first wave of horror films in the sound era and they would never be the same there after...

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Real LIfe?

GREY GARDENS-1975-This incredible documentary concerns the nearly 80 year old Edith Bouvier Beale and her daughter also named Edith, aunt and first cousin to Jackie Kennedy Onassis. It follows their daily routine living in a decrepit 28-room mansion in East Hampton. Before filming began they were almost evicted by the Board of Health and the mansion condemned after living several years in virtual isolation from other people. An article in The National Enquirer brought their story to light and Jackie donated some money to have the place slightly renovated.

What goes on is fascinating but ultimately depressing as they argue, sing, eat and take care of their cats and some raccoons that live in the attic. What’s not explained is how these two society bluebloods wound up in such a deplorable state. There maybe be some hints but it’s not really examined. Brothers Albert & David Maysles directed (and shot) other must see documentaries including GIMME SHELTER. Many years later the GREY GARDENS story was turned into a Broadway musical!

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