Month: May 2017

The Man Who Turned to Stone (1957)

THE MAN WHO TURNED TO STONE (1957)
Article 1847 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 4-5-2006
Posting Date: 9-2-2006
Directed by Laszlo Kardos
Featuring Victor Jory, William Hudson, Charlotte Austin

A woman’s prison is plagued with unexpected deaths. The culprits are a group of scientists from the eighteenth century who have been doing experiments on the extension of life. A heroic psychiatrist tries to discover their secret.

Maybe it’s because I’m a little tired of the rash of Bowery Boys movies and feature-versions of serials lately that I’m just glad to get to a straightforward science fiction / horror movie from the fifties. This one doesn’t have a good reputation, but I enjoyed it nonetheless; Victor Jory makes a good villain (as always), even if his hairstyle makes it hard to notice anything but his ears. The real problems with this one are the weak script (with huge gaping plot holes; ask yourself why they don’t drug the girls before carrying them away for experiments so that their screams don’t alarm everyone), the plodding direction, and some rather poor special effects (except for the recycling of that clever makeup filter trick that they used back during the Fredric March DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE ). Still, I enjoyed it well enough; after all, this is the type of movie that made me want to do this whole Movie of the Day thing to begin with.

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Smugglers’ Cove (1948)

SMUGGLERS’ COVE (1948)
Article 1846 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 4-4-2006
Posting Date: 9-1-2006
Directed by William Beaudine
Featuring Leo Gorcey, Huntz Hall, Gabriel Dell

Slip mistakenly believes that he has inherited a mansion, and when he goes down to visit it with the other Bowery Boys, he discovers that there are mysterious goings-on.

Though they were cut from the same cloth, I think the Bowery Boys had a comedic style that was fairly distinct than that of the East Side Kids. Maybe that’s why this one feels like such a throwback; despite the fact that the movie was based on a story called “Smugglers’ Cove” (I’m willing to bet that it was heavily modified to accommodate the talents of the Boys), it feels more like a remake of GHOSTS ON THE LOOSE than a new Bowery Boys movie. It’s somewhat better than that one, but the shtick feels pretty similar. Bernard Gorcey is noticeably absent from the proceedings (though he is referred to in passing a few times), and Gabriel Dell is given a lot more to do than usual. The fantastic content is incredibly slight; though there is some talk about the house being haunted, it largely amounts to people getting scared at seeing Martin Kosleck’s face in the window. There’s a few amusing bits; in particular, I like Leo Gorcey’s attempt to beat the crap out of Eddie Gribbon (as Digger the Caretaker) who gets the unusual task of playing someone who is even dumber than the Boys.

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Slaves of the Invisible Monster (1966)

SLAVES OF THE INVISIBLE MONSTER (1966)
Feature Version of Serial
Article 1845 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 4-3-2006
Posting Date: 8-31-2006
Directed by Fred C. Brannon
Featuring Richard Webb, Aline Towne, Stanley Price

An invisible madman plans to create an invisible army if he can get the necessary equipment and supplies. However, a heroic insurance investigator stands in his way…

I didn’t know invisible monsters had slaves! But then, he’s not really a monster, is he? I do know that they recut serials (in this case, THE INVISIBLE MONSTER) to make features out of them, and this one does such a sloppy, slapdash job of it (with clumsy jumpcuts and skipped plot points), that I don’t think they even tried to make it look like a real feature. In which case, I don’t see why I should be expected to give it a real review.

I will, however, dwell gleefully on our villain (creatively called The Phantom Ruler, a title which must have taken them all of three microseconds to come up with) and his “power”; namely, that he can become invisible if he wears a robe sprayed with a special solution while someone points a spotlight at him. This particular power seems to have severe limitations. So I would like to list several more dubious and compromised powers.

1) The ability to lift huge boulders but only while Ethel Merman is singing.

2) The ability to run at an accelerated speed but only through revolving doors.

3) The ability to be irresistible to the opposite sex but it only works on creatures from other species.

4) The ability to fly while woodpeckers peck out the rhythm to “Tea for Two”.

5) The ability to use X-Ray vision but only at nudist camps.

6) The ability to call all sorts of animals to your aid but only during outdoors bagpipe concerts.

7) The ability to stop time but only when being accosted by “Weird Al” Yankovic.

8) The ability to set things afire with your eyes but only within one hundred yards of a marshmallow factory.

9) The ability to take out a hundred ninjas with one kick of the foot but only after reciting the complete lyrics of “American Pie”.

10) … and finally, the ability to effectively capture supervillains but only during the last episode of a serial.

Actually, I think a lot of heroes have that last one…

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The Nitwits (1935)

THE NITWITS (1935)
Article 1844 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 4-2-2006
Posting Date: 8-30-2006
Directed by George Stevens
Featuring Bert Wheeler, Robert Woolsey, Fred Keating

When a music publisher is murdered by a mysterious phantom known as The Black Widow, two nitwits try to use a new truth-telling invention to trap the man they suspect is the real murderer.

I’ve only had the opportunity to see one other Wheeler and Woolsey movie to date, and that one (the totally forgettable MUMMY’S BOYS ) certainly didn’t give me a desire to pursue their oeuvre. Fortunately, this movie is much better; it not only has a decent amount of energy (especially in the climax), but it has some clever set pieces to boot. My favorite sequences involve Woolsey (the bespectacled man with the cigar) believing that Wheeler killed a man and trying to save him from being arrested by the police (and Wheeler, having committed no murder, being blissfully unaware of Woolsey’s intentions), and a rather surreal sequence where they put on stilts to try to visit a woman in prison who has been accused of the murder. Solid direction by George Stevens (who would go on to a distinguished career with such movies as GUNGA DIN, I REMEMBER MAMA and SHANE) no doubt helped. Willie Best is on hand, but his gags are largely the expected ones; acting scared and playing dice. Though I certainly don’t put Wheeler and Woolsey in the front rank of film comedians, at least this movie helps me to understand their appeal somewhat. The truth-telling machine adds a touch of science fiction, and the mysterious Black Widow (who dresses up as a skeleton at one point) adds some touches of horror to the proceedings.

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Murder in the Air (1940)

MURDER IN THE AIR (1940)
Article 1843 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 4-1-2006
Posting Date: 8-29-2006
Directed by Lewis Seiler
Featuring Ronald Reagan, John Litel, Lya Lys

When the body of a noted saboteur is found in a train wreck, it is discovered that he is carrying a money belt with fifty thousand dollars and a letter of invitation to a group of conspirators disguised as a patriotic agency. Federal Agent Brass Bancroft pretends to be the saboteur in order to uncover the plans of the conspirators.

This was the last of four movies in a short-lived series about a federal agent played by Ronald Reagan. The series does not appear to be fondly remembered; I found this one watchable but pretty ordinary, with a stalwart hero, evil spies, and tepid comic relief in the form of Eddie Foy Jr. The fantastic content consists of a new weapon called the Inertia Projector, a device that stops all energy at its source; the conspirators are attempting to get their hands on the plans for this invention. The invention is used twice near the end of the movie, once during a serious chase scene and secondly as a gag device for the movie’s parting joke.

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Crashing Las Vegas (1956)

CRASHING LAS VEGAS (1956)
Article 1842 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 3-31-2006
Posting Date: 8-28-2006
Directed by Jean Yarbrough
Featuring Leo Gorcey, Huntz Hall, Mary Castle

When Sach is shocked by electricity, he develops the ability to predict winning numbers on roulette wheels. Slip uses this ability to win a trip to Las Vegas, where Sach then begins to make a fortune gambling. However, some shady types believe he has a secret method for winning, and they plan to find out what it is…

A quick glimpse of the above plot description should clue you in that this is another one of those movies that follows the formula I talked about in BLUES BUSTERS . It’s a pretty amusing one, as well; I especially liked the game show sequence (in which a vagrant wins two prizes that he can’t possibly use) and the dream prison sequence (where the warden has to figure out how to electrocute four Bowery Boys when he has only three electric chairs). There are other plot elements that are quite amusing, but still things just don’t seem as they should be. One of the first things I noticed was the absence of Louie Dumbrowsky and his malt shop, and the other is that Leo Gorcey seems rather distant and unfocused here. Both of these things are the result of the same situation; Bernard Gorcey (Leo’s father and the actor who played Louie) had died of complications from an automobile accident, and Leo was overcome with grief. Maltin’s guide claims that Leo Gorcey appears inebriated in some scenes, and that’s quite possible; all I know is that Leo’s mind was obviously elsewhere during the making of this movie, and afterwards, he would depart the series, leaving Huntz Hall as the star. Knowing this adds a sad touch to the proceedings, and it becomes rather difficult to laugh at times.

I’d just like to take a minute here and dedicate this review to Leo and his dad Bernard, as thanks for the many hours of joy they brought me through their movies.

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Blues Busters (1950)

BLUES BUSTERS (1950)
Article 1841 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 3-30-2006
Posting Date: 8-27-2006
Directed by William Beaudine
Featuring Leo Gorcey, Huntz Hall, Adele Jergens

When Sach develops a beautiful singing voice after a tonsillectomy, Slip decides to make a profit from it (and pay off the hospital bills) by opening a nightclub with Sach as the main attraction.

Seeing this one so soon after NO HOLDS BARRED really brings home to me how often the Bowery Boys films relied on a formula for their stories. The formula was simple; because of some strange circumstance, Sach either develops an amazing ability or an amazing invention of some sort. Slip, always looking for a money-making scheme, tries to use the ability / invention to make a bundle. Complications arise, usually involving a rival manager whose fortunes fall as those of the Boys rise, and who attempts to undermine the boys’ scheme by sending a woman to pry secrets out of Sach or Slip. Hilarity ensues. This, with slight variations, captures many of the Bowery Boys storylines. Both this movie and NO HOLDS BARRED follow this formula fairly closely.

This one predates NO HOLDS BARRED by two years, and it captures them while Billy Benedict and Gabriel Dell were still part of the team. Still, by this time, it had clearly become the Leo and Huntz show; though Billy was given an early gag, he’s mostly stuck on the sidelines with Buddy Gorman and David Gorcey. Gabriel Dell plays a non-comic character and is really given nothing to do. This would be Dell’s last outing with the boys, while Benedict would would hold on about one more year before departing as well.

Despite the reliance on formula, this one didn’t really work as well for me. The problem was that it takes itself just a little too seriously at times. Unless you’ve seen a lot of these, you might not notice, but I do think it’s trying for a bit of pathos on occasion, and it doesn’t quite work. The fantastic content is fairly slim as well; the concept of a throat operation changing someone’s voice popped up in MR. DODDS TAKES THE AIR , and I thought it was pretty slim as fantastic content there as well. Leo’s malaprops are a bit sparse here, but Huntz is still keeping the mugging under control at this point. Not bad, but this one isn’t one of my favorites of theirs.

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Bat Men of Africa (1966)

BAT MEN OF AFRICA (1966)
Feature Version of the Serial DARKEST AFRICA
Article 1840 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 3-29-2006
Posting Date: 8-26-2006
Directed by B. Reeves Eason and Joseph Kane
Featuring Clyde Beatty, Manuel King, Elaine Shepard

Animal trainer Clyde Beatty meets a jungle boy on a trip to Africa, and agrees to rescue his sister from a lost city inhabited by flying bat men.

Yes, it’s another feature version of a serial here. This time it’s from the first Republic serial, DARKEST AFRICA, and for all practical purposes, it captures the strengths of the serial as well as its weaknesses. In particular, the repetition of footage is more pronounced here, as is some of the repetitiveness of the plot; basically, the story has our heroes trying to rescue the sister, getting caught and imprisoned, escaping, and then trying to rescue the sister, etc. There’s a couple of jewel thieves in the mix, a friendly gorilla, and an embarrassing comic relief character (who is fortunately used even less than he was in the serial). Still, the special effects are pretty good for their time, and this version is entertaining enough for the patient viewer.

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No Holds Barred (1952)

NO HOLDS BARRED (1952)
Article 1839 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 3-28-2006
Posting Date: 8-25-2006
Directed by William Beaudine
Featuring Leo Gorcey, Huntz Hall, Marjorie Reynolds

Whan Sach develops an abnormally thick skull that makes him impervious to blows to the head, Slip decides to profit off of it by getting Sach to take up wrestling. Unfortunately, Sach’s thick skull is only temporary, and the boys have to adjust to the fact that the part of Sach’ s body that becomes powerful keeps changing.

Yes, it’s the Bowery Boys again, and you know the drill; Slip schemes and shoots out malaprops and Sach mugs and handles slapstick duties. Still, the more I watch them, the more I like them; somehow, they managed to find just the right touch they needed to make silly premises like this one work for the length of a movie, albeit a rather short one. Huntz Hall’s mugging didn’t even bother me much this time, partly because he keeps it well focused and partly because he manages to find other things to do as well; the bit where he disguises himself as a waiter who keeps changing his accent every time he opens his mouth is pretty clever. Leo and Bernard Gorcey are fun as always, and so is Henry Kulky as Sach’s bespectacled trainer; he also appeared in THE 5.000 FINGERS OF DR. T , as one of Dr. Terwilliger’s goons.

All I can say is that it’s really good I like this series; I have a slew of them coming up in the next week or so!

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Haunted Gold (1932)

HAUNTED GOLD (1932)
Article 1838 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 3-27-2006
Posting Date: 8-24-2006
Directed by Mack V. Wright
Featuring John Wayne, Sheila Terry, Harry Woods

A man returns to a ghost town to lay claim to his share of an abandoned mine. A woman is also there to make the same claim, but they have to contend with a gang that is also after the gold in the mine, as well as a mysterious phantom.

Just as I was getting ready to post this, I discovered that my original review had vanished and I had to knock this one together from scratch. Unfortunately, since it’s been a good five months since I’ve seen the movie, my memory is a bit sketchy. It’s a shame; horror westerns are a bit of a rarity, and one starring John Wayne in his b-movie days is certainly a novelty. I recall that the movie was amusing enough for the most part, though fairly predictable at times. I also recall thinking that the scared black comic-relief character was particularly hard to put up with. The actor, Blue Washington, would appear in 42 movies after this, but, if IMDB is correct, this is the last time he would receive a screen credit. Sadly, that’s all I can remember about this one, but If I get a chance to rewatch it in the near future, I’ll rewrite this one.

ADDENDUM: Having rewatched the movie, I can now add some fresh commentary.

Overall, the movie is a mixed bag. It’s remarkably good at times; at least two of the action sequences (one involving a suspended mine cart and the other a chase scene) are excellent, there’s more horror mood to the horror sequences than I’ve seen in the other horror westerns from the period, and John Wayne’s horse Duke (I wonder if John Wayne’s nickname was derived from this horse) is one of the best animal performers I’ve ever seen. On the downside, as mentioned above, is Blue Washington’s comic stereotype character, and I think he gets more screen time than Wayne does. The plot is also pretty weak, as it largely uses coincidence to wander from set piece to set piece. Still, the high points make it worth a viewing.

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