"˜'Dietrich is something that never existed before and may never exist again. That’s a woman.” -Maurice Chevalier
”A shaft of white light used properly can be far more effective than all the color in the world used indiscriminately." "¨"“ Josef von Sternberg – Fun in a Chinese Laundry, Mercury House, San Francisco, 1988)
For a century the divine Marlene Dietrich in her enigmatic work in cinema has been a radiant star of the silver screen. A torch singer, Sphynx-like, a seductress in a world where her mystique remains intangible and beyond adequate description. A torch songstress – she was the quintessential cabaret entertainer of Weimar-era Germany. Dietrich began her cabaret performances in 1954, which lasted two decades.
Marlene Dietrich has a world-weary appeal, the goddess of reflexive poise, self-possessiveness, an inscrutable aura of boundless insight, and a sort of subdued confidence. Next to Bette Davis, Dietrich has stirred a fascination in me – maybe it’s her indescribable physicality, the orb of dancing light across her smile. She’s an elusive divinity.
And through her alluring glamour and fluid sexuality, she became an international symbol, a timeless, enchanting muse, whose elegance and allure mesmerized both men and women alike. Her sensuality is daring, she held aloft her humor with courageous ease, and her inimitable style and aspect, are timeless.
Dietrich started as a cabaret performer and worked as a silent film actress at the height of the Weimar years, after which she abandoned Berlin at the dawn of the 1930s and headed for Hollywood with off-screen lover and director Josef von Sternberg.
In the late 1920s, Dietrich gained prominence on the German stage, drawing comparisons to Greta Garbo in the German press. In early 1930, director Josef von Sternberg came to Berlin to shoot The Blue Angel. He'd been searching for an actress who could "˜'exude the electric eroticism of the movie’s cruel temptress.''(Peter B. Fling NY Times 1992). Once he saw Dietrich on stage he found his purely malevolent Lola Lola who corrupts, demeans, humiliates, and ultimately destroys Emil Jennings cast as the bewitched well-respected elderly professor. The role won her a Hollywood contract, and with her collaboration with von Sternberg, a legend emerged.
(Eingeschränkte Rechte für bestimmte redaktionelle Kunden in Deutschland. Limited rights for specific editorial clients in Germany.) Marlene Dietrich (left) as ‘Lola-Lola’ and Rosa Valetti (centre) in the UFA – movie ‘Der Blaue Engel’ (‘The Blue Angel’). Director: Josef von Sternberg – 1930 Also available in color: Image Number 622600 (Photo by ullstein bild via Getty Images)
Dietrich's characters function both as objects of desire (her face drinks in light like a Brancusi sculpture) and agents of desire, in the grip of consuming, concentrated loves that frequently demand pain or martyrdom. Von Sternberg places this complex figure into many different contexts, from street prostitute ("Dishonored") to absolute monarch ("The Scarlet Empress"). He even tries, with mixed success, to imagine her as an ordinary, middle-class wife and mother ("Blonde Venus"). (David Kehr NY Times 2012 article The Well-Lighted Agent of Desire)
Dietrich and von Sternberg "˜'embarked on a mad experiment to push photographing well to the furthest limits of the possible "¦ Who cast her as angel and devil – amoral blithely destructive – detected a lustrous vitality beneath this mask of restraint- and she was, in fact, fiercely ambitious – but the pose of not giving a damn, which she made challenging and seductive was what he wanted.''– (Imogen Sara Smith)
From Dietrich – flowed the look of delirious eroticism, an inscrutable quintessence as she became a golden-haired blonde, her face framed by lighting and makeup that made her arched brows, cheekbones, and mesmeric blue eyes aristocratic, a persona so richly textured as the roles she embodied: a siren, victim, predator, or lover.
In her role in Morocco in 1930 she adopted male attire which was used to indicate sexual experience. (Source: Catherine Constable -Thinking in Images: Film Theory, Feminist Philosophy and Marlene Dietrich).
Not merely provocative -Dietrich’s transcends gendered attire, extending beyond donning men’s clothing or bestowing a kiss upon a woman's surprised lips in the crowd, prompting startled, bashful laughter. She effortlessly appropriates other attributes typically reserved for men: their privilege, self-assuredness, sexual dominance, and emotional detachment. What truly distinguishes her, even more than her nonchalant mastery of her role and her blithe signals, is her unmistakable air of indifference.
"˜'Aloof and calm, she continues her meticulous preparations: dusting off and donning a top hat, straightening her tie, slipping into a tailcoat. She strolls onstage and surveys the jeering audience inscrutably through a scrim of cigarette smoke, from under eyelids dragged down by the weight of knowingness and thick, curling eyelashes. The close-ups is killing in its beauty.'' – Imogen Sara Smith – Morocco (1930)
The Dietrich persona, embodied by the aphrodisiacal Lola-Lola, the iconic cabaret songstress invested in a rakish top hat and sheer silk stockings in The Blue Angel in 1930, was a reflection of a non-conformist, an unrestrained libertine who picked her lovers, made her way in the world financially, and regarded sexuality as an intriguing pursuit of pleasure. Up on the screen, Dietrich personified the audience's wish fulfillment.
"˜'In emotional scenes, she often has a look of blank shock and numbness, sometimes with a fleeting wildness in her dry eyes – the look of someone who cannot lose control, who freezes up in the face of strong feeling. It is a limitation used to best advantage, make her seem inaccessible rather than inadequate.''(Imogen Sara Smith)
Critic Kenneth Tynan described Lola Lola's self-expression as “a serpentine lasso whereby her voice casually winds itself around our most vulnerable fantasies"¦ She has sex but no positive gender. Her masculinity appeals to women and her sexuality to men.”
She was a fashion trendsetter on screen and in her personal life, often dressed in tailored trousers and mannish attire. The actress pioneered the “Dietrich silhouette,” demonstrating that women could maintain their femininity while wearing masculine clothing that still highlighted a slender figure with subtle hips and bust line.
Dietrich herself manifested an individualist charisma in her personal and public persona as with many of her earlier roles, Mademoiselle Amy Jolly in Morocco 1930, Marie Kolverer -(X27) in Dishonored 1931, Helen Faraday in Blonde Venus 1932, and the corrupting vamp Concha Perez in The Devil is a Woman 1935which was her particular favorite.
von Sternberg & Dietrich –Blonde Venus 1932
“The cool, bright face that didn’t ask for anything, that simply existed, waiting — it was an empty face, he thought; a face that could change with any wind of expression. One could dream of anything. It was like a beautiful empty house waiting for carpets and pictures. It had all possibilities — it could become a palace or a brothel.” (Erich Maria Remarque).
Eventually, the top executives at Paramount wanted to maintain the box office attraction of their big investment in Dietrich and blocked von Sternberg from directing her in any other pictures. He was losing money for them with his opulent storylines that were growing more self-indulgent and the narratives anemic. They cast her in two successful romantic comedies, her first Desire (1936) with Gary Cooper as her leading man. Then a satirical western Destry Rides Again in 1939 where Dietrich plays a free-spirited fireball who sings in a saloon and seduces Sheriff James Stewart. There's a raucous scene that features a hair-pulling, face-slapping brawl between Dietrich and Una Merkel.
Some of her more well-known films include – As a German Noblewoman in von Sternberg's The Scarlett Empress in 1934, The Garden of Allah in 1936, as Lady Maria Barker in Ernst Lubitsch's Angelin 1937, As Bijou the saloon singer in Tay Garnett's Seven Sinners in 1940, as the saloon owner Cherry Malotte in The Spoilers in 1942, she played a glamorous gypsy in Mitchell Leisen’s Golden Earrings in 1947, as a manipulative Berlin cabaret singer in Billy Wilder’s A Foreign Affair 1948, as a conniving murderess in Hitchcock's Stage Fright in 1950. As a saloon manager hiding outlaws in Fritz Lang’s Rancho Notorious in 1952, as a duplicitous wife in Billy Wilder's Witness for the Prosecution in 1957, as the cynical madame of a brothel in Orson Welle's Touch of Evil in 1958, and as an aristocratic widow in Stanley Kramer's Judgment at Nuremberg in 1961. Her last picture was in 1978 – she played Baroness von Semering alongside David Bowie in Just a Gigolo.
"˜'Touch of Evil provided Miss Dietrich with one of her most memorable lines. She admonished the character played by the corpulent Welles to “lay off the candy bars.” (Peter B. Flint New York Times 1992)
During WWII she became a symbol of free Germany, outspoken against Hitler, financed the escape of many people from Nazi occupation, and entertained Allied troops and prisoners of war. "˜'Tirelessly and good-humoredly, she roughed it with the G.I.’s, standing patiently in food lines, washing with snow, and sleeping in dugouts and ruins, often near the front lines. She sang her movie songs, the international wartime ballad “Lili Marlene” and some current songs, and even played a musical saw, a skill she had mastered for the Berlin stage.'' (Peter B. Flint New York Times 1992)
The troops fell in love with her. How could they not? After the war, she was awarded the Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor the United States Government bestows. France named her a Chevalier of the Legion of Honor and Belgium dubbed her a Knight of the Order of Leopold.
After 5 decades on stage, film, television, and lilting torch songs in cabarets, Dietrich died in 1992 at the age of 90 at her flat in Paris.
The inscrutable Anna May Wong, the pioneering Chinese-American actress, was born in 1905 above her family’s Chinese laundry in Los Angeles, Wong quickly developed a passion for the world of cinema. From a young age, she earned a reputation as the "˜curious Chinese child' who would frequently visit film sets in Chinatown. At the age of 17, Wong seized her debut leading role in the silent film “Toll of the Sea” in 1922. Throughout her career, Wong encountered obstacles and racial discrimination. Not only were roles limited due to the film industry’s decision to primarily cast Western actors in leading Asian roles, but Hollywood and the Hays Code had very harsh rules against miscegenation, which restricted her from any on-screen kisses with non-Asian actors, even if that actor was portraying an Asian character. Further limiting her career was the desire producers had to cast Western actors in leading Asian roles.
In Shanghai Express, Wong’s performance as Hui Fei was vivified with dignity and primacy which challenged the pervasive stereotypes and expectations Hollywood had of Asian actresses during the 1930s.
At the beginning of her career, the Chinese press with the addition of the Nationalist government had been critical of Anna May Wong for her on-screen sexuality that perpetuated negative stereotypes of Chinese women.
On the screen goddess Anna May Wong was fond of saying, that she died a thousand deaths.
In Tiger Bay she sacrifices her life – as Lui Wong she stabs her wrist with a poisoned ring. Dying, she whispers an ancient Chinese poem. As Shosho the London flapper and ”Chinese Dancing Wonder,” was shot in the chest by a jealous suitor, she appeared as Taou Yuen, in Java Head 1934 an exquisite Qing Dynasty princess transported to cold grey Victorian Bristol, she indulges in opium while wearing spectacular Peking Opera costume and reviled by high society and righteous members of the church -Taou Yuen's grace and decency are ignored, and as Wong dignity rises above the dialogue the film is riddled with contradictions. With the cast of characters condemning her "barbaric" rites, the undertone is that Chinese culture is like a dangerous drug like opium which provokes the senses and awakens forbidden desires.
As Lotus Flower in The Toll of the Sea (1922) Wong plays an innocent Hong Kong girl abandoned by her unambitious American lover, she throws herself into the provoking sea.
As Shosho, it was her erotic triumph in 1929 British silent ‘Picadilly’ directed by E. A. Dupont – set in the backdrop of London, she outshines Gilda Gray, known as the “Queen of Shimmy,” in her role as Shosho, the scullery maid who captures the affection of a nightclub owner who happens to be Gilda's lover. She becomes an overnight sensation when he puts her on stage.
Perhaps it had something to do with her costume — a scanty, gilded interpretation of a vaguely Indonesian warrior outfit, purchased (at Shosho’s insistence) in Limehouse, London’s Chinatown. More likely it’s Wong’s intensity, toughness, and vibrant sensuality, showcased in a film that played off the fears and temptations of miscegenation. (From The Dragon Lady and the Quiet Cultural Warrior By Leslie Camhi New York Times article 2004)
Wong's big break came a year later when Hollywood's jeweled prince Douglas Fairbanks cast her in his over-the-top Orientalist pageant The Thief of Baghdad in 1924.
The Mongol slave girl, attired in a revealing bikini, turns traitor to her mistress"”a Persian princess and the object of Fairbanks’s affection"”by acting as a spy for a Mongol prince. Wong’s outrageous scene-stealing moment comes when she tremors and writhes as Fairbanks’s knife takes away her last breath.
That epic picture made Wong an international star, but it was not enough to deliver her from supportive roles that added to her "˜Oriental intrigue' and "˜local color' while white actors were made up in "˜yellowface' like Warner Oland who starred in the Charlie Chan detective series, were routinely cast as Asians. In addition to being relegated to cultural caricatures, the taboos of mixed-raced romance kept Wong from taking on the lead role if she couldn't kiss her co-star. As a seductress, she was doomed to certain death. Her faithless servants, gangsters’ molls, and formidable dragon ladies — in the Hollywood parts that awaited her"” she often met unfortunate ends.
"I was tired of the parts I had to play"¦ Why should we always scheme, kill, (and) rob?"
In the casting of the film The Good Earth based on Pearl S. Buck's popular novel, Wong deeply wanted to play the lead role of Olan and fought hard to be cast in the part but was passed over for German actress Luise Rainer. Most insulting, she was offered the part of an unsympathetic character in the film, which she refused. "If you let me play O-lan, I will be very glad. But you're asking me "“ with Chinese blood "“ to do the only unsympathetic role in the picture featuring an all-American cast portraying Chinese characters."
Anna May Wong's sophistication, both in front of the camera and in her personal life, was a captivating blend of traditional Chinese dress and the glamorous fashion of 1930s Hollywood. Wong dedicated herself to infusing authenticity into even her most minor roles by meticulously incorporating genuine Chinese hairstyles and costumes, which she often used from her own collection.
Though her elegance and allure and pursuit of authenticity are undeniable, Wong's characters could still be seen as the embodiment of the racist stereotypes perpetuated by a studio system that struggled to envision and articulate positive roles for Asian actors. She wishes to break the bonds of the Dragon Lady trope.
Publicity stills from Limehouse Blues (1934)
On January 14, 1932, a Chinese newspaper ran with the headline "Paramount Utilizes Anna May Wong to Produce Picture to Disgrace China.
"Her specialty is to expose the conduct of the very low caste of Chinese," the editorial ran on, citing her turn as "a half-robed Chinese maid in The Thief of Bagdad[sic]. Although she is deficient in artistic portrayal, she has done more than enough to disgrace the Chinese race."
In Shanghai Express, Anna May Wong gives an enigmatic performance as Hui Fei, the elliptical warrior who brings an extra layer of agency and nuance to the film as her character converges with Dietrich's Shanghai Lily. Hui Fei is acute, resourceful, and instrumental in the prevailing plot line.
Wong's portrayal of Hui Fei is a marked departure from the conventional exoticized and orientalization of surrendering girls she was more often confined to by Hollywood during the era.
Anna May Wong at Hollywood’s Music Box Theater for the opening of The Old Woman 1933.
As Hui Fei, Wong manifests "˜'an inordinately graceful Confucian courtesan with nerves of steel (and traveling companion to Marlene Dietrich’s notorious prostitute Shanghai Lily), who disappears from a crowded train platform amid the flashes of news photographers after collecting her reward for murdering a brutal Chinese warlord"¦ Wong’s presence in “Shanghai Express” can be seen as a counterpoint to Marlene Dietrich’s character. While Dietrich’s Shanghai Lily is an embodiment of Western allure and independence, Wong’s Hui Fei represents a more complex portrayal of an Asian woman navigating her own path in a racially charged and patriarchal world. This contrast between the two actresses and their characters adds depth to the film and highlights the intersectionality of their struggles in the film industry.'' -(Leslie Camhi The Dragon Lady and the Cultural Warrior -New York Times article 2004)
During the 1930s the radically individualistic Wong traveled between Europe and Hollywood and in 1936 she embarked on a year's stay in her spiritual homeland China, in search of a better way to represent Chinese women in her work, where she had been subjected to roles as women of little morality who live by the flesh.
Like numerous actors from her era, Wong concluded her career in the emerging realm of television. She briefly took on a role in “The Gallery of Madame Liu Tsong,” portraying a Chinese art dealer and detective entangled in the subterfuge of the international art world. Her ultimate promotional photograph, captured during her appearance in “Portrait in Black” (1960), a film she hoped would ignite her career once more, features her as a maid, caressing a Siamese cat. She died a year after the film's release.
Terror Is a Manis a 1959 film directed by Gerardo de León and Eddie Romero. The film is a loose adaptation of H.G. Wells’ classic novel “The Island of Dr. Moreau.” Set on a remote island in the Philippines, a shipwrecked survivor William Fitzgerald (Richard Derr) finds himself washed ashore, marooned on an island where the population on the island has been driven away by irrational fears surrounding the reclusive Dr. Charles Girard an enigmatic scientist played by Francis Lederer.
Now, the sole inhabitants of the island are Fitzerald, Dr. Girard, his alluring wife (Greta Thyssen), his dubious assistant, his servant, and her young son. But there is someone else lurking. Dr. Girard has been experimenting with transforming a panther into a violent human being.
As Fitzgerald gets settled he begins to suspect that Girard is conducting these gruesome experiments, to turn animals into human-like creatures through surgical procedures and genetic manipulation. These humanoid hybrids are the result of his obsession with pushing the boundaries of science and evolution.
Torture Garden 1967
The carnival sideshow is the perfect tableaux for a portmanteau film, both offer the opportunity to explore a variety of oddities, strange narratives, and macabre fables. In the case of Amicus Productions’ Torture Garden (1967), director Freddie Francis and screenplay by writer Robert Bloch (Psycho) curate a sideshow that offers just such astonishments. Torture Garden also features a wonderful ensemble of mostly British actors -Â Jack Palance, Peter Cushing, Niall MacGinnis, John Standing, Beverly Adams, Michael Bryant, Barbara Ewing, Nicole Shelby, Catherine Finn, Bernard Kay, Ursula Howells, Michael Ripper, and Maurice Denham.
After the main spectacle, hewing to the old tradition of carnival mystique, Dr. Diablo presents a captivating offer to only five of his patrons.
For a trifling sum of £5, he entices them with the chance to see something ‘truly terrifying.’ As their curiosity deepens they follow toward the back of the ceremonial tent, where Dr. Diablo sheds his dramatic facade, setting their admittance on fire as it vanishes into thin air and so begins the clandestine twist to his captivating carnival act.
Once inside Diablo reveals an uncannily lifelike statue of Atropos, the Goddess of Destiny brought to life by British actress actress Clytie Jessop. Atropos holds the sharp golden shears. Atropos is most frequently represented with scales, a sundial, or a cutting instrument, described by John Milton in Lycidas as the "abhorred shears" with which she "slits the thin spun life."
Dr. Diablo mesmerizes these five captive listeners with the moral about the Goddess who has the power to reveal the true nature of evil within each person- their inner-secret horrors and the grim fate that awaits them. At first, they are all skeptical yet, one by one they are beguiled as they gaze into the gleaming shears beckoned by the statue of Atropos, delivered to prophetic visions of what lies ahead"”a glimpse into the hidden abyss of their own malevolence, and the bleak fates awaiting should they neglect to change course.
In the narrative of Enoch’s story, Colin Williams (portrayed by Michael Bryant) cunningly engineers the downfall of his affluent Uncle Roger (Maurice Denham) with the aim of securing access to his curious fortune. Yet, his elation turns to dread when he unearths that this fortune comes with a stipulation of servitude to a mystical feline deity, conceivably a witch’s trusted familiar. Now, he stands face-to-face with horrors far more formidable than the specter of destitution.
Within the narrative of “Terror Over Hollywood,” Carla Hayes (Beverly Adams), an up-and-coming starlet, resorts to sabotaging her roommate Millie’s (Nicole Shelby) rendezvous with Hollywood producer Mike Charles (David Bauer) in a bid to ensure her own romantic liaison with him. This maneuver propels her into the exclusive inner sanctum of Hollywood’s elite, known as the Top Ten, where like others, Carla is fascinated by actors like Bruce Benton (Robert Hutton) who never seem to age. However, Carla’s journey swiftly unravels the shocking truth.
In “Mr. Steinway,” Dorothy Endicott (Barbara Ewing) is involved with a concert pianist Leon Winston (John Standing), but makes the tragic mistake of trying to drive a wedge between his love affair with his ‘grand’ piano.
In this truly macabre tale, “The Man Who Collected Poe” Jack Palance plays Ronald Wyatt, an obsessive collector of Edgar Allan Poe memorabilia who hunts down Lancelot Canning (Peter Cushing) who is the foremost collector of Poe ephemera. But Wyatt will stop at nothing to get his hands on Canning’s most prized possession and ultimately brings him to a shocking revelation.
When the fifth and final player in this fateful excursion Gordon Roberts (Michael Ripper), faces the imminent unveiling by Dame Fortune, it takes an unexpected turn and defies Dr. Diablo’s initial expectations, is there an unforeseen twist of fate that changes the course of things
When I saw it during its theatrical release in 1967, the gimmick was to hand out seeds to each moviegoer, so you could grow your own torture garden! Now that’s worth going to the movies for…
Terror at the Red Wolf Inn 1972
They’d love to have you for dinner!
The American Horror- Terror at Red Wolf Inn, aka Terror House suggests an adult fairytale. Released in 1972 and directed by Bud Townsend (Nightmare in Wax 1969 starring Cameron Mitchell and Anne Helm), It winks at us with its homey touches yet this darkly humorous film is a delirious and claustrophobic horror story that creates a sense of unease. Especially the use of the song “(There’ll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover” is a popular World War II song composed in 1941 by Walter Kent to lyrics by Nat Burton. It is used as a satirical motif in the film, eventually coming full circle when Regina sings it to Baby John.
The film features Linda Gillen, John Neilson, Mary Jackson, and Arthur Space. A college student unexpectedly wins a vacation to a secluded countryside retreat managed by an elderly couple. Unbeknownst to her, the hosts have a gruesome secret – they serve meals made from human flesh. While the movie incorporates significant horror elements, into the horror genre, marked by its “tongue-in-cheek" humor. Interesting tidbit- David Soul, Bruno Kirby, and Richard Dreyfuss all auditioned for the role of Baby John.
Regina (Linda Gillen) is a solitary college student who gets a strange letter telling her that she has unexpectedly won a free vacation to a quaint seaside bed and breakfast called the Red Wolf Inn. What's even stranger is she has a private plane waiting at the airport to take her to her destination. When she arrives at the remote island, she is met by a curious guy who tells her his name is Baby John Smith. (John Neilson). He takes Regina on a joy ride speeding through town outrunning the police Jonathan the Deputy on his tail. Instead of being frightened by Baby John, she is thrilled by the excitement and this pleases him a lot.
They get to the Red Wolf Inn she is greeted by Baby John's grandparents Henry and Grandma Evelyn Smith (Arthur Space and Mary Jackson), the nice old couple who own the little resort home. There are two other guests staying there – Pamela (Janet Wood) and Edwina (Margaret Avery). When Regina asks to use the phone to call her mom and let her know where she is, she finds it's out of order. First red flag at the Red Wolf Inn. As if invited to a glorious meal set out like a feast that includes finger-licking good barbecue. the seemingly kind old grandma and grandpa enjoy pampering their guests with good food, encouraging them to eat more.
Regina: It’s really good. What is it?
Evelyn: Filet, dear. Filet.
Henry: A butcher’s work is never done.
Fattening them up we’d expect. After that delicious meal, Regina goes in search of something to calm her stomach and stumbles on Baby John in the kitchen coming out of a large walk-in fridge, he seems like a butcher holding his large carving knife. Seeing Baby John startles her and she screams waking everyone up. Regina admits to Edwina that she and Baby John are drawn to each other and that she finds him attractive. We they awaken in the morning they are told by Henry and Evelyn that their other guest Pamela has moved on, yet Regina has found the girl's beautiful black dress that she loved, hanging in the closet of the carriage house behind the Smith's mansion. A sweet romance begins to blossom between Regina and Baby John. But he exhibits the oddest behavior, while on the beach where they share a kiss, Baby John reels in a small shark and proceeds to bash its head in against the rocks screaming Shark! In a panic. Afterwards, he exclaims to Regina that he's in love with her then he runs away.
Baby John -[reeling a small shark in on his fishing line] SHARK! SHARK! SHARRRRK
[picks it up by the tail and repeatedly bashes it against a rock]
Baby John {says to Regina then runs off}: I think I love you.
That night, a party is thrown to celebrate Edwina’s upcoming departure. Following a lavish dinner, as everyone retires to bed, the Smiths enter Edwina’s room, incapacitating her with a cloth soaked in chloroform. They then deliver her to a chilling fate – inside a meat locker the sounds within confirm their gruesome motives.
The next day, Regina becomes alarmed when Evelyn informs her that Edwina has left without saying goodbye. Regina attempts to contact her mother but is abruptly disconnected by Evelyn. A police car arrives at the mansion, and Regina rushes outside for help, only to discover that the officer is another Smith family member, portrayed by producer Michael MacReady.
Regina now realizes that she is captive yet does not realize the extent to which this insane family is actually cannibals. The Smiths leave Baby John in charge of guarding Regina to make sure she doesn't escape, while they go into town. This is an opportunity to go explore that creepy off-limits fridge. But horrified she finds Edwina and Pamela's heads, and that's where they store their "˜meat', the same human meat she has been consuming for days. She tries to make a desperate run for it, but Baby John follows after her. The two have fallen in love. But It is too late, Evelyn and Henry get home and grab her before she can escape. Now it's inevitable that Regina will become their next meal, but Baby John like a true child, is depending on his grandparents (who aren't really kin) to welcome Regina into the family.
Theater of Blood 1973
Theater of Blood is a 1973 British horror-drollery starring Vincent Price who of course is perfect in the role of Edward Lionheart, a tour-de-force for Price in a stylish, irresistible horror angle. It was the tenth film Vincent Price made in Britain since 1964, and director Douglas Hickox’s first horror film, having mastered his dark comedy Entertaining Mr. Sloane in 1970. He considered this to be his personal favorite of all of his films, followed closely by Dr. Phibes in 1971 directed by Robert Fuest who was originally asked to helm this film. ”I think that was the best feeling of achievement and satisfaction that I ever had from a film.”Early on Vincent Price”s greatest desire was to be a proficient Shakespearean actor on stage in England.
Frustrated by how his film career had ultimately pigeonholed him into horror film roles, he relished the chance to quote Shakespearean prose in this film and jumped at the chance when approached. He was also very pleased to be cast opposite so many well-known Briitish character actors, several of which had the experience of previously being in the RSC.
It was also considered by Dame Diana Rigg who plays Price’s daughter Edwina, to be her best film. Theater of Blood includes an ensemble of the best British actors cast with the most marvelous personas, including Jack Hawkin, in what would be his last role, as Solomon Psaltery, Ian Hendry as Peregrine Devlin, Harry Andrews as Trevor Dickman, Coral Browne as Chloe Moon, Robert Coote as Oliver Larding, Michael Hordern as George Maxwell, Arthur Lowe as Harris Sprout, Robert Morley as Meredith Merridew, Dennis Price as Hector Snipe, Milo O’Shea as Inspector Boot, Eric Sykes as Sgt. Dogge, Madeline Smith as Rosemary, Joan Hickson as Mrs. Sprout, and Diana Dors as Maisie Psaltery.
Robert Morley starred five years later in Who is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? 1978 a film with a very similar topic in which he also played a gourmet. Oddly enough, Robert Morley played a gourmet in the Alfred Hitchcock Presents TV episode “Specialty of the House” (1959) where he was not only the lover of food who frequented an exclusive restaurant but he was also the main course for a secret society of cannibals.
A once-respected Shakespearean who has spent twenty glorious years on the British stage is now a fallen actor -Edward Lionheart believes himself to be one of the greatest thespians of his time. But the ultimate betrayal and humiliation come when he is passed over for the Critics Circle Actor of the Year Award, losing it to a mumble-mouth method actor!
Lionheart has been consistently panned by the critics for his performances, but this was the bitter end. His ego is shattered when this group of critics consistently berates his performances publically, ultimately leading to his apparent suicide. This despair and humiliation set the stage for his descent into madness and vengeance.
However, Lionheart manages to survive, and aided by Diana Rigg and a band of seamy homeless folk, initiates a theatrical and grisly quest to exact his vengeance against the critics who heartlessly maligned him.
Peregrine Devlin (Ian Hendry): You begin to resent an actor if you always have to give him bad notices. Ian Hendry and Dame Diana Rigg appeared together on The Avengers in 1961.
However, Lionheart survives and, with the help of a group of homeless people, begins a gruesome and elaborately staged campaign of revenge against the critics who wronged him. Each murder is styled after a death from a Shakespearean play, with Lionheart delivering lines from the Bard’s works before committing the murders. Lionheart’s transformation from a broken artist to a vengeful and diabolical figure is central to the flamboyant story of vengeance. He fakes his own death and embarks on a twisted mission to exact revenge on the critics who drove him to the brink
As Lionheart’s hit list grows, Inspector Boot (Milo O’Shea) takes on the case, and he becomes determined to catch the dramatic executioner.
In Theater of Blood, Vincent Price delivers one of his most over-the-top and unforgettable performances as Edward Lionheart. Lionheart is a character who embodies the quintessential Vincent Price role"”a charismatic and tormented figure with a flair for the dramatic.
The cast included a remarkable array of actors including future wife Coral Browne, who initially had turned down the film twice. “No, no I can’t be doing that, one of those scary pictures with Vincent Price – don’t be ridiculous.” However, after Robert Morley called her up and said, “We haven’t been together since The Man Who Came to DInner (on stage in 1941). I’ll do Theater of Blood if you’ll be in the Theater of Blood.” Vincent Price and Coral Browne insist that they met in a graveyard, when the critics gather to bury the first of the victims executed by Lionheart. “As the gravedigger, Price was kitted up in muddy Wellies, sleeves rolled up, a battered hat on his head, face smeared with grime. The elegant Miss Browne eyed him askance: “And I though, ‘Oh, this man, oh, this dirty-looking old creature,’ and took absolutely no notice a’tol.”But coexecutive producer and longtime friend Sam Jaffe remembers that the two artists were quickly ‘very friendly.” (source: The Complet Films of Vincent Price by Lucy Chase Williams.
This campy horror flick is a thing of grandeur, and Vincent Price’s portrayal of Lionheart is characterized by his theatricality and grandiose delivery. Price fully embraces the character’s melodramatic flair and relishes the opportunity to recite Shakespearean lines while dispatching his victims. Lionheart’s appearance is also noteworthy, as Price undergoes a transformation to embody the character’s flamboyance. He wears extravagant costumes, dons theatrical makeup, and adopts various disguises, all of which contribute to the character’s larger-than-life presence. Dame Diana Rigg as Edwina Lionheart also cloaks herself in theatrical affectations in order to sidekick Lionheart’s plot.
Once Peregrine Devlin suspects that someone is killing the theatre critics of London, he confronts Edwina who denies the implication it’s her thespian father and assures him that the great actor died of a broken heart.
Vincent Price’s performance as Edward Lionheart in Theater of Bloodremains one of the highlights of his illustrious career. His ability to balance the character’s tragic backstory with his increasingly unhinged and malevolent actions creates a character that is both unforgettable and emblematic of Price’s status as a legendary figure in the world of horror cinema.
In “Theater of Blood” (1973),each of the murders is meticulously staged to resemble a death from a different Shakespearean play. These theatrical killings add a unique and darkly comedic element to the film. Here are some of the scenarios of death in the movie:
Julius Caesar: Lionheart murders one of the critics by recreating the famous death of Julius Caesar from Shakespeare’s play. The victim is stabbed to death by a group of people wearing Roman attire.
Cymbeline: Another critic meets his demise in a bathtub filled with wine, mirroring the death of the queen in Shakespeare’s “Cymbeline.”
Titus Andronicus: A critic is fed a pie made from his own pet dogs, reminiscent of the gruesome events in Shakespeare’s “Titus Andronicus.”
Henry VI, Part 1: A critic is drowned in a barrel of wine, inspired by a death in “Henry VI, Part 1.”
The Merchant of Venice: One critic faces a punishment similar to Shylock in “The Merchant of Venice” by having his pound of flesh extracted.
Othello: Another critic is smothered to death, echoing the tragic fate of Desdemona in “Othello.”
Romeo and Juliet: In a twist on the famous balcony scene from “Romeo and Juliet,” one critic is killed by a group of hooligans.
Hamlet: A critic meets his end in a fencing match, referencing the duel in “Hamlet.”
Tidbits:
This film was shot entirely on location in and around London. No scenes from it were shot in a studio. Price fell in love with and married Coral Browne following the film’s production, which lasted from July 10 to August 17, 1972. This film was released after Price’s March 18, 1973 appearance as the subject of “This is Your Life”, his last public appearance with his second wife Mary, who knew nothing yet about his affair with Coral, set up by Dame Diana Rigg who noticed the chemistry between the two.
The name of Dame Diana Rigg's character in the film was derived from that of Edwina Booth, daughter of Edwin Booth (1833-1893), considered by many to be the greatest Shakespearean actor of his day, and the brother of John Wilkes Booth, the most infamous actor of his day. When this film was adapted for the London stage in 2005, Dame Diana Rigg’s role was filled by her real-life daughter Rachael Stirling.
Edward Kendal Sheridan Lionheart's Vincent Price's theater hideout was the Putney Hippodrome, built in 1906. It had been boarded up for 14 years when it was chosen as a location for this film. The filmmakers rented it for $127.00 a week and set parts of it on fire for the film’s ending. The building was demolished in 1975 and housing was erected on the site.
Due to Jack Hawkins’ speech loss from laryngeal cancer (he could only speak through an artificial voice box), his voice in the role of theatre critic Solomon Psaltery in the film was dubbed by Charles Gray.
Vincent Price said this was one of the best scripts he had ever read and jumped at the chance to make the film. He was excited by the Shakespearean theme to the film and loved the black comedy in it. He was also pleased that the film was going to get a mainstream theatrical release in the UK and Europe (via United Artists) rather than the drive-thru theaters and B movie theaters that many of his US made horror films had been having in the US for several years.
Renēe Asherson and Eric Sykes appeared in The Others 2001
“Some of the do-ins are funnily horrible as director Douglas Hickox uses his DeLuxe color cinematography to emphasize Robert Morley’s outrageously blonde hairdo as well as all the blood flowing… If you know the Shakespeare plots, you’ll get some fun trying to guess how scripter Anthony Greville-Belle has adapted them for each murder.” – Deirdre Mack, Films in Review, Volume XXIV, Number 6, June-July 1973.
“Few horror films are written with English majors in mind, but… Theatre of Blood surely can make such a claim… Director Douglas Hickox skillfully handels the material, allowing his camera to bear witness as Price steals the show, gliding between delightfully over the top camp and sheer irony… But what is most interiguing about Theatre of Blood is the extent to which it can be said to have influenced some of the best modern offerings.” Gina McIntyre, Wicked, Volume 3, Number 1, Spring 2001.
To the Devil a Daughter 1976
To the Devil a Daughter is a 1976 British-German horror film directed by Peter Sykes and Don Sharp. The film is loosely based on the novel of the same name by Dennis Wheatley with a screenplay by Christopher Wicking and John Peacock. The film stars Richard Widmark, Christopher Lee, Honor Blackman, Denholm Elliot, and Nastassja Kinski as Catherine Beddows.
The story follows an American expatriate and occult novelist named John Verney, portrayed by Richard Widmark. Verney is asked by his friend, Henry Beddows, played by Denholm Elliott, to help rescue Beddows’ daughter, Catherine (Nastassja Kinski), from the clutches of a sinister and demonic cult led by the charismatic and enigmatic Father Michael Raynor, portrayed by Christopher Lee.
As Verney delves deeper into the investigation, he discovers that Catherine is being prepared to serve as the vessel for a demonic entity. The cult believes that this entity will grant them immense power and immortality. Verney must race against time to save Catherine and thwart the cult’s diabolical plans.
Christopher Lee’s performance as the charismatic and sinister cult leader is a standout, and the film’s themes of satanic cults and demonic possession were in line with the occult and horror trends of the 1970s.
Tentacles 1977
Tentacles1977 is directed by Ovidio G. Assonitis (produced and directed Beyond the Door 1974 with Juliet Mills)
Set in a coastal town in California, (although this was an entirely Italian production, it was shot in California) people have vanished mysteriously in the water their remains were discovered stripped down to the bone.
Then it turns up as a series of mysterious and deadly accidents that occur in the waters off the coast. When boats and swimmers go missing, a determined Dr. Ned Turner (John Huston) who is married to Tillie (Shelley Winters) starts digging for answers. He begins to suspect that the deaths are related to a giant, octopus-like creature, a monstrous threat lurking in the ocean depths. As the death toll rises and panic grips the community, Ned joins forces with marine biologist Will Gleason (Bo Hopkins) to track down this aquatic menace and they embark on a perilous mission to stop the giant creature before it claims more victims.
Dr. Turner begins to suspect this beast has been created by the company building a tunnel beneath the bay which has most likely contaminated the water causing this mutation to occur. While all this is unfolding Turner's nephew Tommy is taking part in a sailing regatta which puts the kids at risk of becoming appetizers for the colossal killer octopus.
The cast also included: Henry Fonda as Mr., Whitehead, Claude Akins as Robards, Cesare Danova, Delia Boccardo, and Sherry Buchanan. While truly a schlocky B movie entry into nature vs. humans in the 1970s horror subgenre like many horror films of that decade, Tentacles features prominent Hollywood actors.
The production spent nearly $1 million on a life-sized replica of a giant octopus, which promptly sank when it was put in the water.
Trailer narrated by Percy Rodrigues. The movie was sold as an alternate take on Jaws, and bringing in Rodriguez, most famous for narrating all Jaws trailers, was part of this campaign
Terror Train 1980
Terror Train is a 1980s slasher film starring Scream Queen Jamie Lee Curtis. The film is set in the dark and eerie atmosphere of a New Year’s Eve costume party on a moving train.
A group of college students decided to celebrate the holiday by hosting a costume party aboard a chartered train. Little do they know that their festive evening will take a gruesome turn. A masked killer begins stalking and murdering the partygoers one by one, using various disguises and costumes to conceal their identity.
As the body count rises and paranoia spreads among the passengers, Jamie Lee Curtis’s character, Alana, becomes a central figure in the fight for survival. Alana must use her wits and courage to uncover the identity of the killer and put an end to the bloodshed before it’s too late.
In this 1980s slasher film, the killer’s motivation for seeking revenge on the victims is revealed as a result of a traumatic event that occurred several years prior to the events of the film.
The killer, who eventually takes on various disguises throughout the movie, seeks revenge on a group of college students because of a horrifying prank they played on him during a previous New Year’s Eve party. During that earlier celebration, a cruel and dangerous prank orchestrated by the students goes horribly wrong, resulting in severe emotional and physical trauma to the individual who would later become the vengeful 80s stalker. He holds the group responsible for the pain and suffering he endured due to their thoughtless prank.
Terror Train is a notable entry in the 1980s slasher genre, and possesses several stylistic and campy elements that were characteristic of many films in this era:
One of the film’s distinctive elements is the use of costumes and disguises. Since the story is set during a New Year’s Eve costume party on a train, characters frequently change outfits, leading to an air of mystery and confusion about the killer’s identity. This creates a sense of unpredictability and tension, adding to the film’s campy atmosphere.
There are also a number of creative kills and staged murder scenes. The killer employs various props and methods associated with their disguises and costumes to carry out his revenge. These deaths often involve a combination of surprise, gore, and dark humor. Terror Train also stars Ben Johnson, Hart Bochner, magician David Copperfield, Sandee Currie, and Timothy Webber.
This is your EverLovin’ Joey Sayin’ T is a Terrifying letter but U… haven’t seen nothin’ yet! The Letter U is coming for U!
Pharaoh’s Curse is a 1957 American horror film directed by Lee Sholem (Tobor the Great and Superman and the Mole Men)
Character actor George N Neise plays the obsessed archaeologist Robert Quentin as part of a team of American archaeologists who unwittingly awaken a three-thousand-year-old ancient curse while excavating the tomb of a Pharaoh that is rumored to be cursed. Unlike the embodiment of the traditional mummy in the Universal franchise, one of the expedition members (Alvaro Guillot) falls prey to the vengeful spirit of the mummy seeking revenge on those who have desecrated his tomb. It needs to feed on fresh blood to sustain itself which makes it more vampiric than a mummified fiend. Rather than its victims being strangled by rotting bandaged hands, they are left with bite marks on their throats and an odd trace of mold on their necks.
The film starts off at a British outpost nestled in the heart of Egypt. An officer receives strict orders to locate an unsanctioned archaeological expedition and compel them to return to Cairo promptly. En route this small contingent of British soldiers crosses paths with an eccentric Egyptian woman who cryptically warns of dire consequences should they fail to halt the expedition in its tracks. But when they arrive at their destination it’s too late. The archaeologists have not only stumbled upon the tomb of the Pharaoh but have also dared to unseal it, unleashing a malevolent force, and one of the expedition members undergoes a ghastly transformation into a creepy old geezer in pajamas resembling a desiccated mummy-like figure that can't seemingly be killed.
Pharaoh’s Curse stars Mark Dana as Captain Storm, Diane Brewster as Sylvia Quentin, Ziva Rodann (Macumba Love 1960) as Simira, Ben Wright, and Terence de Marney as Sgt Smolett.
Paranoiac 1963
Paranoiac is a 1963 as part of British psychological horror film produced by Hammer directed by Freddie Francis and scripted by Jimmy Sangster.
The story centers around the wealthy Ashby family, who reside in a large, secluded mansion on the English coast included are the Ashby siblings, Simon (Oliver Reed) and Eleanor (Janette Scott), who are haunted by the tragic death of their parents in a car crash several years earlier. They live under the care of their guardian, Aunt Harriett (Sheila Burrell).
Many years prior, a tragic car accident claimed the lives of two affluent parents, leaving their three children in the care of an eccentric aunt. However, just a few years later, one of the sons seemingly took his own life, leaving behind a fragile and emotionally unstable daughter and a spoiled, belligerent son who indulges in alcohol, exhibits emotional volatility, and behaves abhorrently in every way imaginable.
The sister, who was never a paragon of mental stability, becomes convinced she has encountered her dead brother, Tony, despite all evidence to the contrary. When Tony (Alexander Davion) unexpectedly resurfaces sometime later, doubt lingers over whether he is truly the lost sibling or a cunning impostor. This unexpected return sends Reed’s character spiraling further into madness, accentuating his already unstable and erratic behavior. Paranoiac co-stars Maurice Denham and Lillian Brousse.
The Psychopath 1966
The Psychopath is a uniquely creative and disturbing British horror offering from Amicus produced by Max J. Rosenberg and Milton Subotsky Released in 1966, it was directed by Freddie Francis with a screenplay by Robert Bloch. The film revolves around a series of gruesome murders that shock the tranquil streets of London. Each victim is found with a doll placed near their lifeless body, bearing a striking resemblance to the deceased and their method of execution.
Beginning with Reinhardt Klermer, a middle-aged amateur violinist is on his way to meet his friends who play together as a chamber quartet when a red car runs him down – repeatedly. The unseen murderer leaves a doll in Klermer’s likeness which even includes a miniature violin case. On the scene is Inspector Holloway portrayed by Patrick Wymark, who takes charge of the investigation and believes the murder is most likely committed by one of Klermer’s ensemble. Until, they too are killed (poisoned, stabbed, and hanged) accompanied by dolls, that are tokens of their death left at the crime scene along with their dead bodies. Holloway discovers that each of the victims had given evidence against a convicted war criminal whose bizarre paralyzed widow (Margaret Johnston -Flora Carr in Night of the Eagle aka Burn, Witch Burn 1962) and her curious son Mark (John Standing) seem likely suspects. Both the queer Von Sturms are collectors of dolls. Also under suspicion are Louise Saville (Judy Huxtable) and her fiance (Donald Loftis), because one of the victims was Louise’s father who did not approve of their getting married. Holloway even finds a doll with his likeness but that doesn’t stop him from getting at the truth.
There are some very effectively creepy moments and the art direction of Von Sturm’s doll-infested house is perfectly macabre. Perhaps there are those who will find this game of cat and mouse giallo cliche but the final scene of the film still causes a shudder in me that still seems to linger. The puzzle is solved but it's nearly an excessively unpleasant revelation that left me with a queasy shudder at the end.
Detective Superintendent Holloway portrayed by Patrick Wymark, takes charge of the investigation, and he soon discovers that the victims are all connected to a past crime. As he delves deeper into the case, he unravels a web of dark demented secrets.
As Holloway races against time to catch the elusive killer, the film keeps the audience on the edge of their seats with its suspenseful atmosphere and a chilling score by composer Elisabeth Lutyens and pulp fiction-style layouts by cinematographer John Wilcox (The Third Man 1949).
The Possession of Joel Delaney 1972
The Possession of Joel Delaney 1972 is an unsettling American horror film directed by Waris Hussein. The movie is often noted for its exploration of supernatural and psychological horror elements, which align with the distinct characteristics of horror films from the early 1970s.
Norah Benson (played by Shirley MacLaine), is a successful career woman living in New York City. Her life takes a disturbing turn when her brother Joel Delaney (played by Perry King) becomes possessed by a malevolent spirit.
Joel, once a gentle and caring family man, starts exhibiting violent and erratic behavior. He begins to speak in a strange and menacing voice, displaying a complete personality change that terrifies Norah. Desperate to understand and help her brother, she delves into the mystery surrounding his possession.
As Norah tries to grapple with her brother’s transformation as she investigates, she uncovers a sinister connection between Joel and a mysterious woman from the city’s underworld named Alvean (played by Lovelady Powell). Alvean seems to hold the key to Joel’s possession and the dark forces at play. Like many horror films of the 1970s, the movie incorporates elements of cultural and social commentary, reflecting the anxieties that arose in that decade of filmmaking.
Phobia 1980
Phobia is a 1980 psychological thriller directed by John Huston and starring Paul Michael Glaser. Glaser plays a psychiatrist Dr. Peter Ross, involved in a radical new therapy and comes under suspicion when his patients are murdered, each according to their individual phobias. The film co-stars John Colicos, Susan Hogan, Patricia Collins, Lisa Langlois, and Alexandra Stewart.
Parents 1989
Parents 1989 is -excuse the pun – a delicious black comedy/social commentary/horror film directed by Bob Balaban. The film’s appropriately bizarre title for its Germany release was ‘Daddy ist ein Kannibale’, or ‘Daddy is a Cannibal!'
The story is set in the 1950s and follows a young boy named Michael Laemle (Brian Madorsk). Michael Laemle is the young and curious protagonist of the film. He’s a sensitive boy who becomes increasingly suspicious of his parents’ behavior. As he unravels the dark secrets of his family, he becomes the audience’s passport into the disturbing world of the Laemle household. Michael’s transformation from innocence to paranoia is a central theme in the film. Sure it's not missed that the surname of the family in this movie is “Laemle”, a likely nod to Carl Laemmle Jr. producer of such horror classics as Frankenstein 1931, Dracula 1931, The Mummy 1932 and The Invisible Man 1933.
He starts to become suspicious of his parents, Nick (Randy Quaid) and Lily (Mary Beth Hurt), as he notices their peculiar behavior. His father works for a meat company, and the family consumes a lot of meat themselves, but Michael suspects that it might not be ordinary Grade-A choice cuts of beef. As he grows increasingly paranoid, he dives deeper into and uncovers disturbing secrets about his parents and their gruesome eating habits. They are cannibalistic murderers.
Parents is a unique and unsettling blend of black comedy and horror that delves into themes of conformity, the American family, and the dark underbelly of suburban life.
It serves as a satirical commentary on the conformist values of 1950s suburban America and portrays a seemingly idyllic family and neighborhood, which hides a disturbing and taboo theme of cannibalism. The film explores the idea that beneath the facade of normalcy, people may be repressing their darker impulses. Parent’s dark humor is at the core essence of Balaban’s film. It finds absurdity in the mundane and macabre doings of the Laemle family’s life. The contrast between the sunny, idyllic facade and the nightmarish truth is skillfully woven into the narrative to evoke simultaneous astonishment and amusement, played for both shocks and laughs. Its unconventional take on suburbia has endeared it to dedicated aficionados of offbeat, cult cinema. The eerie retro visual paintings of 50s American living, photographed by cinematographers Ernest Day and Robin Vidgeon, and the provocative score by Jonathan Elias contribute to the film’s overall sense of unease.
Nick Laemle: Michael, are you ready to behave? I thought I’d tell you a little story? Want to hear a story? I’ll tell you a little story and I want you to shut up until I’m finished.
Michael Laemle: [Tied to a chair by his father] You eat people.
Nick: I’ve been watching you, Michael. You’re an outsider, you’re not like them. You’re like us.
Michael: I don’t love you any more.
Lily Laemle: Yes, you do.
Nick: We’re bound for life, no matter how much you hate us.(as he slowly unties Michael] I’m untying, and when you’re free, you can sit down with us and eat, or you could run outside and shout your little secret to the world. And you know what they’ll do, Michael, hmm? They’ll come here and they’ll burn us. Is that what you want? You want to see them burn your parents?
Lily: Mint jelly?
One of my favorite actors who doesn’t get enough attention is Sandy Dennis. Here she has a supporting role as Millie Dew the school social worker who is worried about Michael’s behavior and is one of the outside figures who begins to sense that something is amiss in the Laemle family.
Many critical essays on Parents delve into its social commentary, particularly its critique of 1950s suburban conformity and the facade of the nuclear family. The film portrays the unsettling idea that beneath the veneer of a perfect suburban family, there may be hidden, disturbing secrets. Some essays examine the psychological horror aspects of the film, focusing on the transformation of the protagonist, Michael, from innocence to paranoia. The Laemle family serves as a metaphor for the anxieties and fears lurking in the American psyche during the 1950s. Parents also challenge traditional gender roles, with the mother, Lily, taking on a more dominant and unsettling role compared to the father, Nick. This inversion of gender expectations adds layers to the film’s exploration of identity and conformity.
This is your EverLovin’ Joey Sayin’ Phew! glad that’s over! Stay tuned for the letter Q unless that gives you the quivers!
Horrors of the Black Museumis a 1959 British-American horror film directed by Arthur Crabtree (Fiend Without a Face 1958). Filmed in Hypno-Vista and introduced by the ‘renowned hypnotist Emil Franchell, Horrors of the Black Museum was the first American International release to be in both color and CinemaScope. It is notable for its focus on gruesome crimes and a macabre museum of murder weapons.
The story revolves around a series of heinous crimes particularly against women in London that involve bizarre and deadly murder methods. A Scotland Yard detective, Inspector Lodge (John Warwick), becomes involved in the investigation and discovers a common thread among the crimes"”the victims all have a connection to a small, private museum known as the “Black Museum.”
The museum, run by Edmund Bancroft (Michael Gough), is dedicated to showcasing murder weapons and instruments used in famous and infamous crimes throughout history. A frustrated writer of crime thrillers wants accurate crimes for his next book so he hypnotizes his assistant to make him commit the required crimes.
As Inspector Lodge delves deeper into the investigation, he begins to suspect that Bancroft may have a more sinister role in the recent murders. The cast includes June Cunningham as Joan Berkley, Shirley Anne Field as Angela Banks, Dorinda Steves as Gail Dunlop, Graham Curnow as Rick, and Geoffrey Keen as Supt. Graham. It was the last screen appearance of British actress Beatrice Varley in the role of Aggie. The scene with the binoculars still gives me the willies!
Hand of Death 1962
Hand of Death is a 1962 American science fiction horror film directed by Gene Nelson.
John Agar stars as Alex Marsh has created a serum combining a hypnotic drug and nerve gas. Unfortunately spills the formula, breathing the vapors and getting some on his hands causing the drug to transform him into a murderous monster. The film co-stars Paula Raymond as Carol Wilson. The little boy playing by the beach is Butch Patrick, who two years later was cast as Eddie Munster on “The Munsters.”
The Horror of Frankenstein 1970
The Horror of Frankenstein is a 1970 British horror film produced by Hammer Film Productions, and directed by Jimmy Sangster.
House of Dark Shadowsis a 1970 American horror film directed by Dan Curtis. It is based on the popular Gothic soap opera “Dark Shadows” and serves as a feature-length adaptation of the television series, and faithfully carries the torch of its television legacy.
The story centers on Barnabas Collins (played by the mesmerizing Jonathan Frid), a 175-year-old vampire who was inadvertently released from his tomb in the 20th century. Upon his return to Collinwood, the ancestral home of the Collins family, Barnabas becomes embroiled in the lives of his distant relatives, who are unaware of his supernatural nature.
As Barnabas tries to adjust to the modern era, he becomes entangled in a web of dark family secrets, hidden agendas, and forbidden love. His presence at Collinwood unleashes a series of tragic events, including a deadly romantic entanglement with Maggie Evans (played by Kathryn Leigh Scott), who bears a striking resemblance to his lost love from centuries past.
In the shadowy corridors of House of Dark Shadows, a spectral tale unfolds, woven from the threads of a timeless Gothic tapestry. This cinematic masterpiece breathes life into the beloved Dark Shadows television series, where secrets, passions, and the supernatural converge in an intoxicating dance of darkness and light. Amidst the opulent backdrop of Collinwood, forbidden romances blossom like fragile night-blooming flowers. The delicate beauty of Maggie Evans, an unwitting doppelgänger of Barnabas’ lost love, becomes the centerpiece of a love story that transcends time.
We step into the ancestral mansion shrouded in whispers of the past, where the enigmatic Barnabas Collins, emerges like a nocturnal monarch from a sepulchral slumber. A vampire of centuries, Barnabas is both cursed and captivating, his brooding presence casting an eerie allure over a family unaware of the malevolent forces that have entered their lives.
House of Dark Shadows expertly blends elements of Gothic horror, melodrama, and supernatural intrigue. It caters to fans of the “Dark Shadows” TV series while delivering a suspenseful and atmospheric horror experience for a broader audience. The film explores themes of the eternal struggle between darkness and humanity in the context of a vampire’s tormented existence.
This cinematic odyssey draws inspiration from its television progenitor, ‘Dark Shadows,’ a groundbreaking show that dared to blend melodrama, mystique, and the supernatural soap opera featuring complex characters, and mysterious plotlines, offering a lavish and suspenseful tribute to a realm where the boundaries between the living and the undead blur, and where the eternal struggle between light and shadow ask the question, is redemption possible.
Horror Express 1972
Horror Express is a 1972 British-Spanish horror film directed by Eugenio MartÃn (It Happened at Nightmare Inn 1973). This horror/sci-fi hybrid is set in 1906 and revolves around a suspenseful and supernatural mystery that unfolds aboard the Trans-Siberian Express, a train traveling from China to Moscow.
The story begins when Professor Sir Alexander Saxton, portrayed by Christopher Lee, a British archaeologist, and scientist makes a remarkable discovery in 1906 during the turn of the century: a prehistoric humanoid fossil of an Ape/extraterrestrial lifeforce in China frozen in a block of ice. He decides to transport the mysterious specimen and smuggle it back to Europe on the Trans-Siberian Express embarking on a journey across snow-covered landscapes from Shanghai to Moscow. However, as the train makes its way through the frozen Russian landscape, strange and terrifying events start to occur.
A fellow scientist, Dr. Wells, played by Peter Cushing, resorts to bribery to secure train tickets, persuades a baggage handler to investigate Professor Saxton’s discovery and has a very assertive female assistant. He becomes intrigued by the frozen remains of the fossil and decides to examine it. To their horror, they realize that the creature is not dead but in a state of suspended animation. Furthermore, the fossil is capable of absorbing the knowledge and memories of those who come into contact with it.
As passengers on the train begin to die under mysterious circumstances, it becomes clear that an ancient and malevolent force has been awakened. The professors must work together to confront a supernatural threat that defies explanation, all while dealing with the growing paranoia and fear among the train’s passengers. There’s chaos when the creature escapes from the box, sucking the minds out of its victims, ending in the heart-pounding spectacle as the reanimated bloody-eyed undead attack the rest of the passengers as they hurtle towards a cliff. The film features impressive makeup by Fernando Florido and a cranked-up score by John Cacavas (Airport ’75).
Peter Cushing arrived in Spain for filming and immediately told producer Bernard Gordon that he could not do the picture, as he felt it was too soon after his wife’s death. Christopher Lee convinced Cushing to stay on by reminiscing with him about the previous movies they’d worked on together, much to the relief of Gordon.
In an episode of Trailers from Hell 2007  who is a fan of the film, noted that the original American theatrical release prints were nigh-unwatchable, as they featured overly-dark color grading, as well as printed-in splices and damage. In his autobiography,Bernard Gordon noted that executive producer Benjamin Fisz sold the film’s US rights to Scotia International for $100,000, of which he received very little due to a tax deal that was in effect at the time. This left him and Gordon unable to pay back a $150,000 debt (equivalent to half the film’s budget) to a Spanish bank that had loaned the money to them, which resulted in the original camera negative being impounded. As a result, the US theatrical prints had to be struck from the film’s beaten-up workprint.
The film’s acclaimed musical score marks the debut of John Cacavas as a film composer, who broke into the film industry thanks to his friendship with telly Savalas . Cacavas would later create the music for Savalas’ TV series Kojak 1973.
This is your EverLovin’ Joey saying I’ve been H’ell bent on bringing you the letter I!
The Creature with the Atom Brain released in 1955 was directed by Edward L. Cahn with a script by Curt Siomak it’s the story of a nefarious plot involving reanimated, radioactive zombies controlled by a criminal mastermind.
An ex-Nazi mad scientist uses radio-controlled atomic-powered zombies in his quest to help an exiled American gangster return to power. A huge mug with superhuman strength Karl ‘Killer’ Davis and a metal dome riveted to the top of his head climbs inside the back of a gambling spot and breaks the back of the mob boss. Then he goes on a rampage destroying buildings and railways.
Dr. Chet Walker (Richard Denning) who is a doctor working for the police is called in to investigate the murder. Walker discovers that the Hulk is atomic-powered. Soon he learns that an exiled mobster Frank Buchanan (Michael Granger) has returned to the States and is working with an ex-Nazi scientist Dr. Wilhelm Steigg (Gregory Gaye) to create radio-controlled atomic zombies who will carry out his plot of revenge against those responsible for betraying him. Steigg removes the tops of corpse's skulls, removes parts of their brains, and replaces it with as Bill Warren refers to it a "glittering sponge." Once resurrected from the dead, these atomic-powered zombies exact their revenge by breaking their enemies' backs.
Several years ago, the notorious gangster Frank Buchanan, portrayed by Michael Granger, found himself forced into exile to his native Italy, orchestrated by a coalition of law enforcement agencies and rival criminal organizations who had chosen to betray Buchanan. During his time in Europe, a clandestine assembly led by Buchanan himself approached the enigmatic scientist Dr. Wilhelm Steigg, played by Gregory Gaye, with a sinister plan.
The brilliant Steigg has unlocked a groundbreaking secret"” a way to reanimate an army of dead bodies through the power of atomic energy. He has successfully developed a technique for reviving the dead and exerting control over their actions through spoken commands.
Buchanan generously supplied the resources necessary for Steigg to assemble an army of radioactive zombies, reanimated corpses who possess enhanced strength and resilience infused with atomic energy coursing through their bodies. Utilizing Steigg’s innovative experiments, driven by cutting-edge atomic technology, Buchanan and his malevolent cohort aimed to unleash their vengeance upon those who had crossed their paths.
As the authorities become aware of the bizarre crimes committed by the radioactive zombies, a determined police detective, Police Capt. Dave Harris (S. John Launer) takes on the case. Richard Denning plays Dr. Chet Walker involved in the investigation into the mysterious and deadly creatures. With the help of Dr. Walker and his assistant, Joyce (Angela Stevens), the trio embarks on a mission to uncover the identity of the mastermind behind the undead army and eventually deploy radiation-detecting devices such as Geiger counters to identify the origin of this sinister scheme. The Creature with the Atom Brain explores themes of scientific ethics, the consequences of tampering with the forces of nature, and the dangers of unchecked power. For its day – the scenes with the method of killing by the dead assassins – are told through shadows on the wall, revealing their victim’s back being broken. It is surprisingly brutal.
Caltiki The Immortal Monster 1959
WILL THE FIRST LIFE ON EARTH BE THE LAST TERROR OF MAN?
Caltiki, the Immortal Monster is a 1959 Italian-American science fiction horror film directed by Riccardo Freda (as Robert Hampton) and an uncredited Mario Bava who also was the cinematographer on the film and added the noir-like eerie chiaroscuro and striking and savage and gruesome visual effects, expertly supervised by Bava, which is why it’s known for its eerie and suspenseful atmosphere. The cast includes John Merivale, Didi Perego (as Didi Sullivan), Gerard Herter, Danila Rocca, and Giacomo Rossi-Stuart.
In 1956, Ricardo Freda and Mario Bava joined forces to create “I Vampiri,”marking the revival of Italian-produced horror cinema after a hiatus of more than three decades. It did have a good reception but was released in the U.S. until 1963 and still, it was hacked to pieces under the title The Devil’s Commandment
So in 1959, they got together again at took a stab at another horror/sci-fi hybrid called Caltiki, the Immortal Monsterwith most of the cast adopting Anglicized pseudonyms.
Deep within the Mexican jungle, a group of archaeologists under the leadership of Dr. Fielding (portrayed by John Merivale) meticulously explore the ancient Mayan ruins looking for a priceless collection of Maryan gold artifacts. However, this invaluable treasure lies submerged at the lake’s depths within a cave. Inside, they discover a pool of mysterious and deadly water safeguarded by a ravenous, gelatinous creature known as Caltiki, revered by the Mayans as a god. They unexpectedly encounter an amorphous blob-like monstrosity that sends shockwaves through their expedition. When one of Fielding’s greedy colleagues (Daniele Vargas) tries to get his hands on the sacred plunder, he is devoured alive by the oozing blob and left as a steamy pile of skeletal muck.
Fielding discovers the creature is a grotesque, amorphous mass of cells that can absorb and grow from any organic material it comes into contact with. It is revealed that this creature, known as Caltiki, was once a Mayan deity and has been dormant for centuries.
Afterward, the monstrous glop goes on a violent rampage, inflicting pain on Max (Gerard Herter), a fellow member of the expedition, who is left with a skeletal arm and hand. Before meeting its ultimate demise in a blazing inferno, amid the chaos, Fielding skillfully manages to safeguard precious samples of Caltiki, preserving the fragments for scientific examination. Fielding makes a chilling discovery: the creature had been resurrected centuries ago when a comet made a close pass by Earth. Now, purely by happenstance, that very same comet is set to return in just a matter of days, posing a looming threat of reviving the blob monster once more.
In the midst of their investigation, the celestial event looms on the horizon: and the comet is poised to make a close approach to Earth. Remarkably, this comet mirrors the same cosmic visitor that brushed near our planet during the enigmatic collapse of the Mayan civilization.
Meanwhile, Max becomes unhinged and goes on a murder spree killing a nurse and escaping from the hospital, while Caltiki comes to life and runs amok along the countryside. The team faces a race against time to contain and destroy Caltiki before it consumes all life in its path. They also try to uncover the secrets of its origin and its connection to Mayan civilization.
Caltiki includes several genuinely jarring scenes, in particular, Herter’s intensity as the crazed Max, drawing inspiration from Richard Wordsworth’s memorable portrayal in a similar capacity as Victor Carroon in “Quatermass Xperiment,” Fielding’s urgent moments unfold as he races to rescue his wife and daughter from the advancing monstrosity that relentlessly breaches every landscape and interior setting.
Bava considered Caltikithe Immortal Monster to embody the spirit of (READ KEEP WATCHING THE SKIES:1955 HERE) The Quartermass Xperiment 1955, but it’s got a bit of (READ KEEP WATCHING THE SKIES:1956 HERE)X the Unknown 1956 thrown in.
Curse of the Fly 1965
Curse of the Flyis a 1965 British science fiction horror film and the third installment in the “Fly” film series that began with its blockbuster hit in 1958. This film reunites director Don Sharp with a screenplay by Harry Spalding (they worked on Witchcrafttogether in 1964) and takes a different approach compared to the previous films, as it is the Fly movie without the fly!
A generation following the events portrayed in The Fly in 1958 Henri Delambre, portrayed by Brian Donlevy, becomes consumed by the relentless pursuit of perfecting his father’s experimental matter-transportation device that he runs in a remote research facility within his estate in Canada. His two grown sons, Martin (George Baker) and Albert (Michael Graham), who yearn to get on with their lives still actively participate in the research, although they do not share Henri’s fanatical dedication to the transporter project. The transporter has successfully bilocated people and objects from Quebec to London and back, but not without a frightening aftermath, including deformed human subjects, ‘mistakes’ locked away at the Delambres’ Canadian manorhouse.
Henri is enraged when he learns that Martin has married a mysterious young woman named Patricia (Carole Gray) who in the opening of the film has managed to escape from an institution. Soon the police come looking for Patricia at the Delambre estate, which forces them to hide any evidence of their secret research lab. Ultimately, Henri’s obsession leads to tragic results.
Spalding’s clever screenplay seamlessly weaves together the exploration of advanced scientific discovery and the plight of ill-fated lovers, capturing the essence of romantic tragedy that resonated so effectively in the original Fly 1958.
Countess Dracula 1971
Directed by Peter Sasdy, Countess Dracula is a 1971 British horror film starring Ingrid Pitt in the lead role. The film is loosely based on the real-life story of Countess Elizabeth Báthory, a Hungarian noblewoman notorious for her alleged crimes of torturing and murdering hundreds of young women and bathing in their blood. The film co-stars Nigel Green as Captain Dobi, Maurice Denham as Master Fabio, Sandor Elès as Imre Toth, Niki Arrighi, Patience Collier as Julie, and Leslie Ann-Down as Ilona.
Set in 17th-century medieval Hungary, the story revolves around the aristocratic vampire Countess Elisabeth Nádasdy, an aging noblewoman who rules with an iron fist, aided by her lover, Captain Dobi. She discovers a dark secret bathing in the blood of young girls restores her youth when she accidentally comes into contact with the blood of a young virgin, she realizes that it has a rejuvenating effect on her appearance.
Obsessed with maintaining her youth and beauty, Elisabeth embarks on a gruesome killing spree, using her position and power to abduct young women and drain them of their blood. She coerces Dobi into abducting potential victims. Under the guise of her own daughter, the Countess engages in romantic dalliances with a younger man, much to Dobi’s chagrin. As the disappearances sow increasing fear in the local community, the Countess learns that only the blood of a virgin can resurrect her youthful beauty. As her crimes escalate, suspicions grow within the castle, and her daughter Ilona becomes increasingly concerned about her mother’s erratic behavior.
Ingrid Pitt delivers a captivating and chilling performance as Countess Elisabeth, portraying her transformation from an aging woman into a seductive, bloodthirsty monster. Countess Dracula is known for its blend of historical horror and Gothic atmosphere, offering a unique take on the vampire mythos by drawing inspiration from real historical events.
Chosen Survivors 1974
Chosen Survivors is a 1974 science fiction horror film that combines elements of suspense, survival, and post-apocalyptic drama directed by Sutton Roley and stars READ My Dillman TRIBUTE HERE Bradford Dillman (Fear No Evil 1969, Revenge! 1971, Escape From the Planet of the Apes 1971, The Mephisto Waltz 1971, TV movie The Resurrection of Zachary Taylor 1971, TV movie The Eyes of Charles Sands 1972, TV movie Moon of the Wolf 1972, Deliver Us from Evil 1973, A Black Ribbon for Deborah 1974 Giallo, The Dark Secrets of Harvest Home 1978mini-series, The Swarm 1978, and the cult classic Piranha 1978), and actors who are no strangers to horror & sci-fi -such as Diana Muldaur, Alex Cord (The Dead are Alive 1972), Jackie Cooper, Richard Jaekel (The Green Slime 1968, Day of the Animals 1977, The Dark 1979), Barbara Babcock, Gwen Mitchell and Lincoln Kilpatrick (Soylent Green 1973, The Omega Man 1971).
A group of select people abruptly find themselves yanked out of their homes and airlifted via helicopter to a state-of-the-art underground bomb shelter, buried deep beneath the desert’s surface at a depth of one-third of a mile. There, they are confronted with the grim reality of a nuclear apocalypse unfolding above ground and the unsettling revelation that a computer has chosen them as the survivors tasked with preserving the human race in this subterranean haven. The shelter is meticulously engineered to sustain their existence underground for an extended duration, but an unforeseen menace emerges: a massive colony of bloodthirsty vampire bats breaches their defenses, launching a relentless onslaught that claims the lives of the humans one by one.
The story unfolds against the backdrop of the Cold War era, as tensions between superpowers escalate, and the threat of nuclear war looms large. In response, the U.S. government selects a group of 11 people, including scientists, military personnel, and other specialists, to take part in a top-secret experiment. They are chosen to survive a potential nuclear holocaust by living in a well-fortified underground bunker designed to sustain life for an extended period.
As the selected survivors enter the underground facility, they must adapt to their new isolated existence and the challenges it presents. Tensions rise, and personal conflicts emerge among the diverse group. However, their already stressful situation takes a terrifying turn when they discover that they are not alone in the bunker. Unbeknownst to them, a colony of bat-like creatures has also taken refuge there, posing a deadly threat to their survival.
Chosen Survivorsexplores themes of human nature under extreme circumstances, the consequences of government secrecy and experimentation, and the terror of being trapped in an enclosed space with an unknown and lethal enemy. The film blends science fiction and horror elements to create a suspenseful and claustrophobic narrative.
Children of the Corn 1984
Children of the Cornis a 1984 horror film adapted from Stephen King’s short story of the same name. The film is set in the rural town of Gatlin, Nebraska, and revolves around a group of children who have formed a deadly cult worshiping a malevolent entity known as “He Who Walks Behind the Rows.”
The story begins with a young couple, Burt and Vicki (Peter Horton and Linda Hamilton), who are traveling through rural Nebraska. They stumble upon Gatlin, a seemingly deserted town. Unbeknownst to them, the town’s adult population has been brutally murdered by the children under the influence of an overzealous young preacher named Isaac and his nasty ginger-haired enforcer, Malachai (Courtney Gains). The children believe that sacrificing adults to “He Who Walks Behind the Rows” will ensure a bountiful harvest.
Burt and Vicky soon become targets of the cult, and they must navigate a terrifying ordeal to survive. Along the way, they encounter a young boy named Job, who has doubts about the cult’s beliefs, and the three of them attempt to uncover the truth behind the sinister force that has overtaken Gatlin.
As the story unfolds, it becomes a chilling exploration of religious fanaticism, the corrupting influence of power, and the primal fear of children turning against adults.
Children of the Corn is celebrated for its unsettling ambiance and the chilling spectacle of a seemingly picturesque town under the dominion of malevolent little monsters who are more menacing than the Lovecraftian Deity that lurks behind the bucolic rows of corn.
The Children 1980
Shot at the same time as the iconic slasher Friday the 13th and sharing some of the same behind-the-scenes creative minds, director Max Kalmanowicz’s The Children emerges as a bizarrely low-light theatrical drive-in horror classic in the ‘scary little kids‘ subgenre.
Complementing the spine-tingling narrative is an eerie score by Harry Manfredini known for his work on Sean Cunningham’s Friday the 13th.
Ravenback’s children (not unlike the mindless dead in Romero’s landmark Night of the Living Dead) are in the grip of something terrifyingly unnatural. When their school bus travels through an odd cloud of yellow smoke, the innocent little ones undergo a horrifying – ghastly metamorphosis into bloodthirsty zombies.
The story begins with the origins of the toxic fog, where Sheriff Gil Rogers sets out to uncover the mystery surrounding the abandoned school bus on the side of the road. As he discovers more dead bodies, it is revealed that it is in fact the children who are killing the townspeople. This is at the core of the film’s fundamental subliminal ‘shock’ warning- that we cannot always have faith in the façade of innocence. Sometimes it can disguise a horror from within.
As unsuspecting parents and townsfolk fall victim to their deadly touch, the local police force embarks on a frantic search for the missing children, at first oblivious to their deadly embrace, they must face an even more horrific reality. The parents must kill their own children in an extremely repulsive way.
Director Max Kalmanowicz and cinematographer Barry Abrams (who also worked on Friday the 13th) work their magic when it comes to the night sequences and the atmosphere of dread and the queasy pangs in the gut whenever those sinister little faces appear in the black night and raise up their hands in a wantful embrace, eerie calling out for their mothers. It’s truly a disturbing visually bad dream.
The Childrenchallenges horror conventions by making it imperative that the children be destroyed. The manner of their death is even more gruesome than their black-nailed phantasmagoria. What’s hauntingly effective is the final slaughter underscored by the ethereal screams that creep up and revisit your mind decades after your first viewing. It’s just that authentically creepy.
This is your EverLovin’ Joey sayin’ C you at the snack bar, and remember D is the dangerous letter in the next installment of trailers to keep the Boogeyman away!
Beast with Five Fingers directed by Robert Florey and written by Curt Siodmak stars Andrea King as the heroine nurse Julie Holden, Peter Lorre as Hillary Cummins a creepy astrologist and personal assistant to the eccentric pianist Francis Ingram (Victor Francen), and Robert Alda. The film is a classic supernatural horror centered around a disembodied hand (which is locked in a safe). The original tale was written by W. F. Harvey, and published in 1919.
The story is set in a turn-of-the-century secluded Renaissance mansion in a remote Italian village and revolves around the eerie events that unfold after the death of its tyrannical owner, a wheelchair-bound recluse Ingram. Following a visit from a scam artist (Robert Alda), Ingram crashes down the stairs to his death — and a plague of bizarre events ensues that are attributed to the musician’s disembodied left hand. Lorre is superb as usual as he experiences a feverish delirium – persecuted by the five-fingered nightmare.
Ingram a brilliant but reclusive scholar and collector of ancient manuscripts has amassed a remarkable collection, but his greatest fascination lies in the world of the occult and at the heart of the mystery lies the severed hand that possesses a malevolent intelligence of its own.
Brain From Planet Arous 1957
It Will Steal Your Body And Damn Your Soul!
The Brain from Planet Arous is a cult science fiction film directed by Nathan Juran and released in 1957. The movie’s premise revolves around an evil brain from the planet Arous that takes control of a human scientist’s body (John Agar), leading to a battle of wills for control over the Earth.
When a brilliant scientist named Steve March (played by John Agar) stumbles upon a strange, glowing rock in the desert cave, he inadvertently becomes the host for Gor, an evil extraterrestrial brain from the planet Arous. Gor’s intelligence far surpasses that of humans, and he uses his newfound control over Steve’s body to embark on a nefarious plan to dominate Earth. He demonstrates his powers to destroy any target using his mind and his black-eyed radar stare. As Gor’s sinister actions escalate, Steve’s girlfriend, Sally (played by Joyce Meadows) and her father played by Thomas Brown Henry become increasingly suspicious of his erratic behavior. With the help of a benevolent brain from Arous named Vol, who inhabits the body of Steve’s dog, they discover the truth about the alien invasion.
A high-stakes battle of wills ensues as Vol and his human allies attempt to thwart Gor’s diabolical schemes and save Earth from his malevolent control. The fate of the planet hangs in the balance as they race against time to stop the brain from Planet Arous.
The Brain from Planet Arous is a campy and entertaining example of 1950s B-science fiction cinema, known for its over-the-top performances and quirky premise.
Blood of Dracula 1957
Blood of Dracula is a 1957 horror film directed by Herbert L. Strock. It’s a part of the sub-genre of the 1950s horror genre that focuses on teenagers, the supernatural, and the rampant sexuality of burgeoning youth.
Nancy Perkins (played by Sandra Harrison) is a troubled teenager who is sent to the Sherwood School for Girls due to her rebellious behavior and her mother’s new romance which motivates the couple to abandon Nancy. At the school, she becomes the unwitting victim of an experiment conducted by the school’s science teacher, Miss Branding played by Louise Lewis), who secretly wants to release Nancy’s primal force by using an ancient amulet to regress her unleashing her primal nature.
Branding uses Nancy as a test subject for her bizarre and sinister experiments, injecting her with a serum derived from Dracula’s blood. As a result, Nancy undergoes a dark transformation, developing a newfound taste for blood and exhibiting vampire-like tendencies.
As her behavior becomes increasingly erratic and dangerous, the film follows Nancy’s descent into darkness and her attempts to resist the vampiric urges that now consume her.
Blood of Dracula is a classic example of 1950s teen horror cinema, blending elements of the vampire myth with the era’s fascination with juvenile delinquency and science fiction. The film co-stars Gail Ganley as Myra, Heather Ames as Nola, Thomas Brown Henry as Mr. Paul Perkins, Mary Adams as Mrs. Thorndyke, and Malcolm Atterbury as Lt. Dunlop.
The Black Torment 1964
The Black Torment is a British Gothic horror film released in 1964.
Set in the rural English countryside during the 18th century, The Black Tormentfollows the ominous events that unfold at the mansion of Sir Richard Fordyke (played by John Turner). Sir Richard has recently returned home after marrying the beautiful Elizabeth (played by Heather Sears) from a nearby village.
Shortly after their arrival, strange and unsettling occurrences plague the Fordyke household. Local villagers claim to have seen Sir Richard committing acts of violence and cruelty, including the brutal murder of a young woman. However, Sir Richard vehemently denies these allegations, asserting that he is the victim of a sinister conspiracy.
As tensions rise, the truth behind the accusations remains elusive. Sir Richard’s loyal servants and his new wife, Elizabeth, are torn between their loyalty to him and the mounting evidence of his alleged crimes. Elizabeth becomes determined to uncover the dark secrets hidden within the mansion.
As the suspense builds, the film explores themes of paranoia, betrayal, and the supernatural. It delves into the mysterious history of the Fordyke family and their connections to the vengeful spirits of the past. Elizabeth’s quest for the truth takes her on a harrowing journey through the mansion’s shadowy corridors, where she confronts the malevolent forces that threaten to tear her world apart.
Blood Bath 1966
Directed and written by Jack Hill and Stephanie Rothman, Blood Bath (1966)is a unique and atmospheric horror film that takes viewers on a surreal journey into the twisted mind of an artist turned murderer. Set against the backdrop of 1960s Southern California, the film follows the enigmatic and disturbed character of Antonio Sordi, portrayed by the charismatic William Campbell. Sordi is a deranged artist whose obsession with his belief that he is the reincarnation of a vampire, and this macabre fixation drives him to commit a series of gruesome murders. He uses his victims as subjects for his paintings, turning their violent deaths into grotesque works of art. As the bodies pile up, the police are baffled by the bizarre and seemingly unrelated murders, while the art world begins to take notice of his disturbing creations.
Blood Bath is a visually striking cult classic that blurs the lines between reality and nightmare. With its psychedelic visuals, eerie soundtrack, and a mesmerizing performance by William Campbell, the movie creates a dreamlike, nightmarish atmosphere. The film co-stars Marissa Mathes as Daisy Allen, Lori Saunders as Dorean, Sandra Knight as Donna Allen, and Hill regular Sid Haig as Abul the Arab.
Blood on Satan’s Claw 1971
I’ll be doing a Saturday Nite Sublime to further explore this atmospheric nightmare, for now, enjoy the trailer/teaser.
Blood on Satan’s Clawis a 1971 British horror film set in the 17th century. The story unfolds in a rural English village, where the peaceful community’s harmony is shattered when a young farmer uncovers a mysterious, demonic skull while plowing his field. This gruesome discovery triggers a series of disturbing events as the villagers, particularly the children, become increasingly possessed by an evil force.
As the malevolent influence spreads, the villagers’ behavior takes a dark turn, marked by witchcraft, sadistic rituals, and a descent into madness. A local judge, played by Patrick Wymark, attempts to unravel the sinister mystery and confront the evil that has taken hold of the community.
Blood on Satan’s Clawis a chilling tale of folklore, superstition, and the battle between good and evil, as the villagers must confront the demonic presence threatening to consume their souls. It’s a classic example of British folk horror, known for its atmospheric tension and disturbing imagery. The film is co-stars Linda Hayden as the enigmatic Angel Blake and directed by Piers Haggard credited as assistant director on Blow-Up 1966.
The Bat People 1974
The Bat People (1974) is a chilling and atmospheric horror film that combines elements of science fiction and creature-feature genres. The movie follows the terrifying transformation of a man into a vampire bat-human hybrid and the nightmarish consequences that follow. The bat-man makeup was designed by the great Stan Winston.
Dr. John Beck (played by Stewart Moss) and his wife, Cathy (real-life wife Marianne McAndrew), decide to spend their honeymoon exploring remote caves in rural Texas. Unbeknownst to them, these caves are inhabited by a colony of bats carrying a strange virus. When Dr. Beck is bitten by one of the infected bats, he soon begins to undergo a horrifying transformation into a monstrous creature.
As John’s condition deteriorates, he becomes a nocturnal predator with a thirst for blood. Fearing for his wife’s safety, he isolates himself in a hidden chamber deep within the caves. Meanwhile, Cathy is desperate to find her missing husband and uncovers the shocking truth about the deadly virus and its origins.
This obscure horror film directed by Jerry Jameson from the 1970s is a suspenseful and eerie tale of a man’s descent into madness and monstrousness. With its atmospheric cinematography by Matthew F. Leonetti (a slew of made-for-TV movies – Poltergeist 1982 and the remake of Dawn of the Deadin 2004), creepy cave settings, and practical creature effects, the film delivers a sense of dread and tension. As the Beck’s marriage is put to the test and the townsfolk become suspicious of the mysterious disappearances, “The Bat People” explores themes of isolation, transformation, and the primal fear of the unknown.
“The Bat People” (1974) is a cult classic that offers a unique twist on the vampire genre, blending science fiction and horror that also co-stars horror genre regular Michael Pataki.
Beyond the Door 1974
Beyond the Door is a 1974 supernatural horror film starring Juliet Mills in a role that pays its dues to Linda Blair, featuring episodes of bile-spewing disgust. In one scene underscored by a chilling heightened low-pitched soundtrack by Franco Micalizzi that radiates a disturbing aura of infernal euphoria, Mills floats up to the ceiling in her spectral white nightgown reminiscent of The Exorcist 1973.
Juliet Mills portrays a devoted wife and mother of 2 children, Jessica Barrett, a young pregnant woman living in San Francisco with her husband, Robert (played by Italian stage actor Gabriele Lavia with dubbing), and their two children. Their seemingly ordinary life takes a terrifying turn when Jessica begins to experience bizarre and increasingly disturbing supernatural phenomena.
Jessica’s peaceful life is shattered when her ex-lover, Dimitri (portrayed by Richard Johnson), meets a tragic demise in a car accident. Yet, as Dimitri’s car races toward the precipice of a cliff, an ominous pact is forged between him and a malevolent spirit, granting him an extra decade of existence on earth in return for aiding the devil in a wicked scheme: impregnating a virtuous woman with his evil offspring. Jessica finds herself mysteriously pregnant with an unplanned third child, while Dimitri lurks about. As Jessica’s pregnancy progresses, her behavior becomes erratic, and she appears to be possessed by a malevolent force. Her family is thrown into a nightmarish ordeal as they witness her undergo terrifying transformations, including levitating and speaking in strange tongues.
Co-directed by grindhouse virtuoso Ovidio G. Assonitis the 1974 horror film has acquired a distinct allure over the years. Unforgettable is the film’s remarkable beginning, as Satan himself delivers a captivating introduction. The narrative unfolds with dramatic head-swiveling and disturbing manifestations of demonic possession, It’s an unconventional start to a bizarre take on the ’70s possession flick.
It’s known for its eerie atmosphere, shocking special effects, at times delving into absurd abstractions and idiosyncrasies. The lovely Juliet Mills gives a compelling performance as a woman caught in the grip of a malevolent entity. It remains a classic of 1970s horror cinema, offering a unique and memorable take on the possession subgenre that delivers some unsettling moments. The film also delves into unsettling 1970s sensibilities, including eerie and ambiguous elements such as a possessed Jessica in a scene with her young son that evokes the oddly fixated kiss between Deborah Kerr and Martin Stephens in Jack Clayton’s The Innocents 1961.
Bad Dreams 1988
Bad Dreams is a 1988 horror film directed by Andrew Fleming. The movie revolves around a young woman named Cynthia (played by Jennifer Rubin) who, as a child, survived a mass suicide at a cult led by a charismatic and sinister leader named Harris (played by Richard Lynch). Cynthia wakes up from a 13-year coma to find herself in a psychiatric hospital, haunted by disturbing nightmares of the cult’s traumatic events.
As Cynthia struggles to piece together her past and deal with her traumatic memories, she becomes increasingly convinced that Harris’ malevolent spirit is still pursuing her and the other surviving cult members. The film explores themes of psychological horror and the blurred lines between reality and the supernatural as Cynthia and the other patients in the hospital are plagued by terrifying visions and gruesome deaths.
Richard Lynch (read my piece The Premonition here:) is a prolific actor known for his distinctive appearance, psychological intensity, and commanding presence, often portraying intense villains and the primary antagonists throughout his career in movies and television shows. His acting style was characterized by a brooding intensity and a knack for playing menacing, enigmatic, and morally ambiguous roles conveying torment, obsession, and madness convincingly.
His tall stature, chiseled features, and deep, gravelly voice made him an ideal choice for roles such as sadistic criminals, menacing cult leaders, and power-hungry villains. He had a unique ability to convey a sense of malevolence through his physical presence and facial expressions. Lynch was also adept at portraying characters with layers and complexity, often driven by personal demons. He made a significant mark in the thriller, horror, science fiction, and fantasy genres.
This is your EverLovin’ Joey sayin’ B’EWARE the letter C is up next!
Directed by Frank Capra and adapted for the screen by Julius and Philip Epstein from Joseph Kesselring’s play, Arsenic and Old Lace is a whirlwind farce set in a cozy Brooklyn home. The home’s occupants are two charmingly batty elderly ladies, portrayed by Josephine Hull and Jean Adair, who have an unusual hobby: they poison lonely old men with elderberry wine, believing death to be a preferable fate for them. These deceased individuals are then discreetly interred in the basement with the assistance of their harmless and offbeat nephew, who envisions himself burying yellow fever victims in the Panama Canal.
The plot takes a humorous twist when the sisters’ less-than-amiable nephew, Jonathan, played by Raymond Massey, arrives on the scene with a few deceased individuals of his own. To complicate matters further, Massey’s character bears an uncanny resemblance to Boris Karloff, after having plastic surgeon Peter Lorre give him his new face. Karloff originally portrayed Jonathan in the Broadway play but was unavailable for the film. The script cleverly alludes to this likeness, provoking intense anger in Massey’s character whenever it’s remarked upon by the other characters.
Cary Grant assumes the role of Mortimer Brewster, the film’s romantic lead, who is attempting to enjoy his honeymoon with Priscilla Lane’s character, Elaine. The film also boasts the talents of Edward Everett Horton and Jack Carson in supporting roles.
Arsenic and Old Lace” is celebrated for its witty and chaotic humor and has secured its status as a classic in the realm of dark comedies, renowned for its unforgettable performances and enduring popularity.
The Amazing Colossal Man 1957
Directed by Bert I. Gordon, The Amazing Colossal Man 1957 is a story that revolves around Colonel Glenn Manning, a military officer who becomes the victim of a tragic accident involving a plutonium explosion during a test flight. As a result of the explosion, Manning begins to grow uncontrollably in size, becoming a colossal giant.
This transformation not only poses a threat to Manning’s own well-being but also becomes a matter of national security as the military tries to contain and study this astonishing phenomenon. As Manning’s condition worsens, he grapples with the physical and emotional toll of his transformation, while the military races against time to find a way to stop his relentless growth.
“The Amazing Colossal Man” is a beloved classic of 1950s science fiction cinema that ushers in the giant consequences of unchecked science that threatens man’s existence and his shoe size.
Attack of the Giant Leeches 1959
ATTACK OF THE GIANT LEECHES, (aka THE GIANT LEECHES), poster art, 1959.
Directed by Bernard L. Kowalski, Attack of the Giant Leeches 1959 is set in a remote swampland community that finds itself terrorized by enormous, monstrous blood-sucking leeches. The townspeople become victims of these grotesque creatures, while the police don’t believe the stories behind the disappearances of the locals. Ken Clark as game warden Steve Benton must investigate the strange occurrences in the swampland by himself and Jan Shepard as Nan Greyson gets caught up in the deadly threat of the leech-infested swamp. The film stars scream queen Yvette Vickers as Liz Walker, Bruno VeSota’s unfaithful wife, and also co-stars Michael Emmett and Gene Roth as Sheriff Kovis. The giant leech suits are hilarious and the atmosphere is suffocatingly schlocky considering Daniel Haller (The Dunwich Horror 1970, Die, Monster, Die! 1965) was the art director of the film.
Atom Age Vampire 1960
Atom Age Vampire aka Seddok 1961 is a vintage Italian horror film directed by Anton Giulio Majano. The movie tells the story of a lovesick, obsessed doctor who is determined to restore the beauty of a disfigured exotic dancer who was maimed in a car accident. In his desperate pursuit, the doctor resorts to a macabre method, extracting blood from dead women in an attempt to rejuvenate the object of his obsession. However, his gruesome experiments spiral out of control. The film stars Alberto Lupo as Prof. Alberto Levin and Suzanne Loret plays Jeanette Moreneau his beautiful fixation.
The Awful Dr. Orlof 1962
The Awful Dr. Orlofis a 1962 horror film directed by Jesús Franco, it marked the beginning of his prolific and distinctive career in the genre. The movie follows the chilling exploits of the enigmatic Dr. Orlof, a mad scientist who kidnaps and murders young women in order to harvest their skin for his disfigured and paralyzed sister, Melissa. Dr. Orlof’s sinister activities attract the attention of the police, and Inspector Tanner is determined to bring the mysterious doctor to justice.
As the investigation unfolds, it becomes apparent that Dr. Orlof is not acting alone. He has a henchman, the pop-eyed Morpho looking like a psychotic mannequin who helps him carry out his gruesome crimes. The film delves into themes of obsession, sadism, and the blurred lines between science and madness.
The Awful Dr. Orlofis known for its gothic atmosphere, eerie cinematography, and a memorable performance by Howard Vernon as Dr. Orlof whose portrayal of the mad scientist is chilling and charismatic. The film is considered a classic of Spanish horror cinema and has influenced subsequent horror films with its macabre, atmospheric, and visually captivating storytelling. It’s Gothic atmosphere creates a dark shadowy cobweb-filled landscape with a haunting score and creepy elements that contribute to the macabre tone of Franco’s signature style. Orlof explores disturbing themes of sadism, obsession, and dehumanization of female victims as Dr. Orlof seeks to restore his sister’s beauty.
The film’s approach to horror characterized by its psychological terror and the blurred line between science and madness, has left a lasting impact on the genre. It foreshadowed the emergence of early Spanish horror films and European horror cinema in the 1960s and 1970s, influencing directors like Jean Rollin and Dario Argento.
Jesús Franco’s direction and experimental filmmaking for The Awful Dr. Orlof illustrates his early penchant for innovative camera work and editing techniques that were considered unconventional for its time. Franco’s willingness to take risks and push boundaries and the film’s distinctive psychological horror and Gothic aesthetics continue to focus on Dr. Orlof as a compelling example of Gothic European/Spanish horror cinema, with both a hauntingly dark atmosphere and disturbing elements, making it a seminal work in the genre and its influence on subsequent horror cinema.
The Asphyx 1972
The Asphyx is a 1972 British horror film starring Robert Stephens and Robert Powell. The story is set in the Victorian era and centers around Sir Hugo Cunningham, played by Robert Stephens, a scientist who becomes obsessed with a mysterious and deadly force called the “Asphyx.” Sir Hugo discovers that the Asphyx is a supernatural entity that appears at the moment of death and can be trapped in a photograph or film, and placed in a contraption- effectively granting immortality to the person in the image.
As Sir Hugo becomes increasingly obsessed with the Asphyx and its power, he conducts a series of unethical experiments in an attempt to capture and control it. His actions lead to tragic consequences for himself and his family, including his adopted son, Giles, portrayed by Robert Powell. It also stars Jane Lapotaire, Alex Scott, and Ralph Arliss. I saw this upon its theatrical release and remember it causing more than a few shivers.
Directed by Roy Ward Baker and written by horror master Robert Bloch (Psycho) Asylum 1972 is one of the most unusual horror portmanteaus – a chilling and immersive horror anthology that takes viewers on a spine-tingling journey through the dark corridors of the nightmarish horror trope of the long-abandoned asylum. Set in the year 1972, the film weaves together five distinct and haunting tales, each exploring the themes of madness, supernatural terror, and the thin line between reality and the macabre. The film stars Barbara Parkins, Richard Todd, and Sylvia Syms in Frozen Fear, Peter Cushing in The Weird Tailor, Charlotte Rampling, Britt Ekland and Megs Jenkins in Lucy’s Come to Stay, and Patrick Magee and Herbert Lom in Mannikins of Horror. Asylum also stars Robert Powell as Dr. Martin.
Asylum 1972 combines atmospheric cinematography, haunting soundscapes, and a talented ensemble cast to create a cheeky yet truly terrifying and unforgettable early 70s horror experience.
Alabama’s Ghost 1973
Alabama’s Ghostis a 1973 psychedelic horror film directed by Fredric Hobbs.
The nightclub janitor (Christopher Brooks) discovers a secret room, finds an old magician’s belongings, tries on the costumes, and becomes Alabama, King of the Cosmos. The film features a bizarre assortment of characters, including credits for ‘groupies, Carter’s Ghost, Marilyn Midnight, Dr. Caligula, Granny, and Mama Bama.
Alabama’s Ghost is a campy and offbeat film known for its low-budget, cult appeal among fans of unconventional cinema.
Axe 1977
Axe 1977also known as “Lisa, Lisa,” is a cult classic thriller that tells the harrowing story of Lisa, a young woman who becomes the target of a sadistic killer’s obsession. Set in the eerie and remote countryside, the film is a suspenseful and psychologically disturbing journey as Leslie Lee is assaulted by three criminals on a murder spree after they arrive at her farmhouse, where she lives with her paralyzed grandfather.
As Lisa fights for her survival, the film takes audiences on a suspenseful rollercoaster ride, filled with tension, brutality, and psychological terror. Axeis a relentless thriller that explores themes of brutality and vulnerability, and an unflinching portrayal of isolation and terror, which has led to its cult status in the realm of exploitation cinema.
This is your EverLovin’ Joey sayin’ I’ll BE back with the letter B! So bring me an apple, without a razor blade in it, please!
Don Siegel’s Science-Fiction Shocker– The original nightmare that Threatened the World!
… there was nothing to hold onto – except each other.– They come from another world!
“I’ve been afraid a lot of times in my life-but I didn’t know the real meaning of fear until-until I’d kissed Becky.”
“The dark secret behind human nature used to be the upsurge of the animal”¦ The threat to man, his availability to dehumanization, lay in his own animality. Now the danger is understood as residing in man’s ability to be turned into a machine.” – Susan Sontag
Invasion of the Body Snatchers 1956 took an ambiguous turn for many who still endeavor to analyze the film directed by Don Siegel, which was inspired by a well-known series in Collier’s magazine printed in three parts in 1954 from Jack Finney’s novel released in 1955. Siegel’s iconic film included a screenplay by Daniel Mainwaring.
Producer Walter Wanger so impressed with Finney’s story, bought the film rights before the third part had been published. Wanger discovered Don Siegel through his 1954 prison noir Riot in Cell Block 11.
The director also considered Invasion of the Body Snatchers as his favorite among his notable films. Body Snatchers has attained its status as one of the most influential alien invasion films and a signature science fiction narrative of the 1950s, tapping into the cultural and historical zeitgeist of that decade. And although Siegel’s film can be seen as an intellectual film, “it derives its strength from a nightmare situation – the sort of nightmare which a child tearfully explains as ‘It was like you, only you were horrible!”(Raymond Durgnat -The Subconscious: From Pleasure Castle to Libido Motel, 1958)
Invasion of the Body Snatchers features a great ensemble of actors, including Kevin McCarthy, Dana Wynter, Carolyn Jones, King Donovan, Larry Gates, Jean Willes, Virginia Christine, Ralph Dumke, Tom Fadden, Everett Glass, and Dabs Greer.
Sam Peckinpah acted as dialogue coach and Carmen Dragon’s evocative film score has influenced both filmmakers and television directors alike. You can hear Dragon’s ethereal piano in such television shows as The X-Files and Buffy: The Vampire Slayer.
Ultimately, in 1994, Invasion of the Body Snatchers was among the 25 “˜culturally, historically or aesthetically significant films’ that are annually anointed as part of the US National Film Registry at the Library of Congress under the terms of the National Film Preservation Act of 1988.
The film plants the seed for the theme of paranoia, fear of “˜the other’, and invisible invaders who can swiftly replace individualism and individuals and transport them into a hive mind, a collective of unemotional, hollow pod people. The essence of this truly resonated with the sweeping anxieties of 1950s American culture.
On the set of Invasion of the Body Snatchers 1956.
Siegel’s protean “˜Invasion’ film sparked a range of political and social analyses of the alien “˜infiltration’ sub-genre of Science Fiction films, one that emphasizes the ‘takeover’ where ‘we’ would no longer have a soul or any spark of humanity. It triggers for us… the fear of the death of ‘self,’ and the death of the ‘soul.’
Other classic Science Fiction with alien “˜infiltration’ themes of being “˜taken over’ is the most notably Invaders from Mars (1953), It Came from Outer Space (1953), I Married a Monster from Outer Space (1958) and The Day Mars Invaded Earth (1963).
“Made in 1956 in the middle of the decade, peopled by men in gray flannel suits, the silent generation, the status seekers, Senator McCarthy, and the lonely crowd, Siegel’s science fiction thriller was a cry of frustrated warning against the conformity and uniformity of a society that was blissfully living in the best of all possible worlds.” (Vivian Sobchack cites Charles Gregory)
Don Siegel completed the film’s shooting within a tight schedule of just 19 days. To enhance authenticity, all the exterior scenes were filmed in natural locations around Los Angeles, specifically selected to resemble the small Northern California suburban town of Santa Mira. The city square featured in the film was located in Sierra Madre, east of Pasadena, while the chase sequence up the hill and staircase took place in a section of Hollywood known as Beachwood.
The 1950s witnessed a significant surge in mass migration to newly developed suburban areas, which in turn only strengthened the process of conformity, unrestrained by a vampirism of the soul, creating an atmosphere that ‘bred apathy’ (Kier-La Janisse), which writer Bernice M. Murphy called ‘Suburban Gothic.’
Invasion of the Body Snatchers thrives on its ability to skew what is ordinary about American life in the 1950s and impregnate the screen with an unsettling narrative of paranoia and fear.
Paranoia was symptomatic of the late 40s and 50s postwar American science fiction “˜invasion’ films. We saw the perceptible tropes of the internal invasion of our human bodies that were transformed into imperceptibly altered bodies in a world plagued with suspicion, distrust, and paranoia.
“The imperceptibility of the altered body is a staple of the paranoiac world. Daniel Paul Schreber’s Memoirs of My Nervous Illness 1903 became the most famous paranoiac text, due to Freud’s analysis of it in his 1911 essay “Psychoanalytical notes Upon an Autobiographical Account of a Case of Paranoia (Dementia Paranoides) Within Schreber’s paranoiac system he perceives himself surrounded by replicant humans he terms “˜fleeting improvised men.’ Creatures resembling ordinary humans but who, in his view, are souls put down temporarily on earth by divine miracle.” (From Cindy Hendershot’s article From the Invaded Body: Paranoia and Radiation Anxiety in Invaders From Mars, It Came From Outer Space and Invasion of the Body Snatchers)
Siegel manages to make the tedious, hint at the terrifying, which reverberates in a seemingly normal scene; for instance, when Miles and Becky go to visit her cousin Wilma, played by Virginia Christine. “Memories or not, he isn’t my Uncle Ira.” Uncle Ira is missing ”a special look in his eye.”
Becky is haunted by the sense that her Uncle Ira (Tom Fadden) is not really her Uncle anymore. His performance is unremarkable, as he plays the role of a suburban everyman mowing the lawn, mouth straddling his pipe as he leisurely remarks about the weather.
“But Miles, there’s no emotion,” ”none. Just the pretense of it. The words, gestures, the tone of voice, everything else is the same, but not the feeling.”
“This is the way of television”¦ Half-hour shows were becoming one-hour shows, so it was decided that ours was to become a one-hour show. I don’t recall whose idea it was. I cannot say I know how the arrangements were made. In television the problem is to maintain a standard (especially after seven years). We were always pretty offbeat, but people get used to us being offbeat.” “”Alfred Hitchcock (as quoted in “The Alfred Hitchcock Presents Companion,” 2001)
“TV has done more for old movie stars than plastic surgery,” -Popular TV critic for the LA Mirror Hal Humphrey wrote his articles based on network and press agent publicity, defended television’s stars in comparison to films during the time in the period when big screen actors were transitioning to television.
The Anne Sothern Show began in 1958.
Citing the examples of Joan Blondell, Ann Sothern, and Joan Crawford, Hal Humphrey claimed that these actresses were not “has-beens.” It might be more apt to describe them as mistakes made by the movie industry and rectified by television.”
During the 1950s, after decades of escaping the world and its worries within the vastness of the darkened movie theater, television delivered the actors we imagined vividly on the big screen and altered the illusion by fitting them inside a little box in our homes.
Television of the 1950s brought the big screen stars into the inner sanctum of our living rooms.
The emergence of television in the 1950s and 60s transformed the entertainment industry, leading many iconic Hollywood actresses to transition from film to TV.
In the 1950s, the transition from film to television was still a relatively new concept, and many Hollywood actresses were hesitant to make the switch.
“The dominant tendency in star studies has been to denigrate the stature of television stardom, to argue that television does not actually produce stars of the complexity, depth, and cultural value that film does, largely because of the medium’s lesser cultural status and its essential familiarity and intimacy…
Television studies scholar Susan Murray rightly comments suspiciously on these theories:
“. . . it would appear as though, while the cinema’s star system was delineated by a complicated aesthetic, industrial and economic history, the television star is simply a fall from grace.”
Therefore, it would seem essential for television to boost the images of such marginal stars by drawing on authenticity as a value superior to the artificiality of constructed glamour and by underscoring television’s ability to rediscover or uncover the genuine talents of the film world’s castoffs and supporting players.”
While some actors perceived TV work as an abdication of their star power, others recognized it as an avenue to sustain their careers and connect with a fresh audience.
Early television frequently recruited performers from various entertainment media, enlisting film actors, radio personalities, and Broadway/stage performers to provide programming talent for the burgeoning medium. Radio had previously offered such a space for Hollywood stars to supplement their film work, but television increasingly took over this role. (Becker)
Until the mid-1950s, studios purposefully kept their stars away from television. However, this claim overlooks the significant number of actors who were no longer bound by contracts with major studios due to the upheaval in the industry.
As a result, these actors were able to seek employment wherever opportunities arose. With labor changes in Hollywood and a decline in overall film production, television became an attractive and viable option for Hollywood actors who were out of work. Studios relented, provided the stars received the opportunity to plug the studio and its recent releases. Variety also cited the decision to allow the 1953 Academy Awards to be aired on NBC as a sign of the film industry’s acceptance of television’s credibility.
Television, desperately trying to establish itself as a big Hollywood name, became an incredibly exploitable asset as famous actors discovered a new outlet that eagerly sought their skills and their drawing power. Hollywood actors played a crucial role in contributing the nuance of prestige to their anthology shows and dramatic teleplays.
Early television strategically leveraged the fame of numerous Hollywood film actors to generate publicity for specific shows, attracting viewers and driving the sales of television sets. Simultaneously, television presented a convenient new job market, offering a fresh lease on life for supporting actors and former stars who needed to revitalize their careers, maintain their popularity, and make money from the emerging medium of television.
Several iconic actresses from classic Hollywood successfully made the swift transition including Joan Crawford, Loretta Young, Bette Davis, and Barbara Stanwyck, all made the leap to television during this period. One of the most notable actresses was Lucille Ball, who starred in the popular sitcom I Love Lucy from 1951 to 1957. Television actually made Lucille Ball a household name.
There were obstacles these actresses encountered, such as adapting to the demands of the smaller screen and managing the more accelerated production schedules of TV shows.
Their performances retained every ounce of their impact, if not enhanced, as they continued to evoke profound emotions and captivate us with the same level of skill, quality, and substance.
In fact, given the advent of dramatic teleplays featuring exciting directors and writers who either adapted classic stories, challenging content, or groundbreaking camerawork, the live format enhanced many performances.
The assumption that only displaced film stars would agree to appear on television is challenged by a diverse array of stars who wound up making a foray into that medium. So what precipitated the union between Hollywood movie stars and television programming during the first commercial decade of TV? And how did television showcase the abundance of screen royalty that ran the gamut of beloved character actors to the reigning stars on the big screen? They were able to transfigure stardom and draw audiences with the same desire to see their iconic stars continue to shine, but on a more intimate level.
Joan Crawford and The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse on ABC from 1953-1955.
“It is commonly assumed that only dethroned film stars would ever consent to appear on television, but the wide range of stars listed above certainly complicates this hypothesis and raises myriad questions. What industrial circumstances made possible this substantial marriage between Hollywood film talent and television programming in TV’s first commercial decade, and how did early television present this plethora of film talent, from the character actor to the reigning star? What can we learn about concepts of stardom by closely analyzing the activities of film stars at the discrete historical moment when television began as a mass medium, borrowing programming formats, corporate methods, and talent from radio and theater, while simultaneously trying to forge a unique institutional and cultural identity?”
…despite an avowed stigma attached to film stars appearing on television, a significant number did appear on the infant medium”¦ and television’s presentations of these stars, along with the public discourse that surrounded them, helped to expose and even alter the parameters of the filmic star system as it was developed to that point, an aspect which audiences surely perceived.”– Christine Becker: Televising Film Stardom in the 1950s
Alfred Hitchcock’s anthology television series, which aired from 1955 to 1965, was a popular show that featured a variety of Hollywood actresses in its episodes.
These actresses had already made a name for themselves in classic Hollywood films but found a new audience and a showcase for their talents. Anthology series typically featured a new story and cast of characters in each episode, allowing actresses to take on a variety of roles.
One of the more regular actresses to appear in Alfred Hitchcock Presents was Barbara Bel Geddes, who starred in the episode “Lamb to the Slaughter” in 1958. Barbara Bel Geddes’ performance in “Lamb to the Slaughter” episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents has also received acclaim, with critics noting her ability to shift between a sweet and innocent demeanor to a more understated sinister one as her character’s composed homicidal streak are revealed.
Bel Geddes previously starred in films such as “I Remember Mama” and “Vertigo,” and her appearance in Alfred Hitchcock Presents helped cement her status as a talented actress with a range of skills.
Another actress who appeared in the series was Vera Miles, who starred in the iconic episode “The Perfect Crime” in 1957 and Alfred Hitchcock Presents, the very first episode, Revenge. And the episode that I will cover here is ” Don’t Look Behind You. and in Part 4 of my series, Death Scene co-starring John Carradine.
Teresa Wright appeared in perhaps two of the most enthralling episodes, one darkly disturbing and one darkly humorous. Mildred Dunnock appeared in three episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents and one episode of TheAlfred Hitchcock Hour. Jeannette Nolan appeared in five of the series, and Jessica Tandy appeared in three. That’s a lot of star power in a small box.
Miles had previously worked with Hitchcock in the film “The Wrong Man,” and her appearance in Alfred Hitchcock Presents helped establish her as a talented actress who could hold her own in a variety of roles.
In addition to Bel Geddes and Miles, several other classic Hollywood actresses appeared in the series, including Joan Fontaine, Teresa Wright, Lillian Gish, Mary Astor (who also appeared in the Boris Karloff Anthology series Thriller), Gladys Cooper, Anne Sothern, Gloria Swanson, Anne Baxter, and Bette Davis, just to name a few.
Bette Davis in Out There-Darkness for Alfred Hitchcock Presents S4E16 1959.
Gloria Swanson in Behind the Locked Door S2E22 1964.
Lillian Gish in The Alfred Hitchcock Hour episode Body in the Barn S2E32 1964.
These actresses brought their star power and talent to the Hitchcock series and helped establish it as one of the most popular anthology shows of the era. When Hollywood wasn’t giving them the scripts and not renewing their contracts, they found a chance to continue showcasing their versatility and kept themselves a familiar face with their fans, new and old.
The success of Alfred Hitchcock Presents helped pave the way for more classic Hollywood actresses to transition to television in the 1950s and 1960s. It also helped establish television as a legitimate platform for entertainment and blurred the lines between film and television.
Other actresses who appeared in anthology series in the 1950s include Barbara Stanwyck in “The Barbara Stanwyck Show,” Bette Davis in “The Bette Davis Show,” and Joan Crawford in “The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse.”
These shows allowed actresses to showcase their versatility and reach audiences on a regular basis, helping to solidify their status as Hollywood legends, and both critics and fans have praised these actresses’ abilities to transition from film to television
Acting in front of the camera wasn’t the only transition powerful Hollywood actresses made, Ida Lupino – pioneering actress, director, and producer, known for her trailblazing work in the male-dominated Hollywood industry of the 1940s and 1950s stepped into the episode of The Twilight Zone with its scathing mediation on the Hollywood system that chewed up actresses and spits them out as they aged out of their perceivably viable roles. In The Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine starring Lupino, the opening narration goes as follows:
The Twilight Zone S1E4 1959 Ida Lupino The Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine.
“Picture of a woman looking at a picture. Movie great of another time, a once-brilliant star in a firmament no longer a part of the sky, eclipsed by the movement of earth and time. Barbara Jean Trenton, whose world is a projection room, whose dreams are made out of celluloid. Barbara Jean Trenton, struck down by hit-and-run years and lying on the unhappy pavement, trying desperately to get the license number of fleeting fame.”
Lupino plays aging film star Barbara Jean Trenton, a recluse who lives in her private screening room, reliving her old movie roles from the 1930s over and over. When she is offered a part in a new movie playing the mother, insulted by the callous film mogul who tells her she’s living in the past, all the while Martin Balsam tells her she’s wishing for things that are dead”¦ Barbara vanishes into a movie reel with her old co-stars descends the stairs and blows Balsam a kiss goodbye throwing down a scarf toward the camera and vanishes.
Lupino, who worked avidly with the camera not just on screen but behind the scenes, directed several of the Hitchcock episodes. Another influential woman in the technical side of Hollywood, Joan Harrison, made the transition from film to television. She came on board to produce the show and create the legacy that both series became in American Television.
“Seeing a murder on television… can help work off one’s antagonisms. And if you haven’t any antagonisms, the commercials will give you some.”
“T.V. has brought murder back into the home where it belongs.”
“It seems to me that television is exactly like a gun. Your enjoyment of it is determined by which end of it you’re on.”
“Blondes make the best victims. They’re like virgin snow that shows up the bloody footprints.”
“A glimpse into the world proves that horror is nothing other than reality.”
“What is drama but life with the dull bits cut out.“
“I’m sure anyone who likes a good crime, provided it is not the victim.”
“Suspense is when the spectator knows more than the characters in the movie.”
“Always make the audience suffer as much as possible.”
“I can’t read fiction without visualizing every scene. The result is it becomes a series of pictures rather than a book.”
“I’m a writer and, therefore, automatically a suspicious character.”
“Dialogue should simply be a sound among other sounds, just something that comes out of the mouths of people whose eyes tell the story in visual terms.”
“You think she’s pretty, you ought to see my slingshot!”
Promotional portrait of British-born American film and television director Alfred Hitchcock (1899 – 1980) as he sits on a stool inside an open steamer trunk, next to an unidentified woman in a top hat, short, satin outfit, and fishnet stockings, for his anthology program ‘The Alfred Hitchcock Hour,’ August 10, 1962. (Photo by CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images)
“… I never said all actors are cattle; what I said was all actors should be treated like cattle.” – Hitchcock according to designer Edith Head who dressed Grace Kelly, Doris Day, and Ingrid Bergman in Hitchcock’s movies. The two reportedly clashed heavily over wardrobe ensembles.
“” Alfred Hitchcock
“No one is writing good suspense stories these days”¦ I don’t know what has happened to the great story tellers “” people like Kipling and Stevenson. We have to take stories and shape them to our needs. Meanwhile, we must go on. We can’t wait for the great ones to show up. I must take the scripts as they land on my desk. I’m responsible for sixteen programs, and I have only seven properties on hand. [Lloyd and Harrison produced all but four episodes from the first season] I’ve managed to get several fine stories, I believe. One is a gambling tale, A Piece of the Action, starring Gig Young and Martha Hyer. It has bitter irony in it. Another is The Final Yow, in which Carol Lynley plays a nun involved in a search for a stolen statue. It has a delicious twist.” Norman Lloyd (The Newark Evening News, August 26, 1962)
Here are a few quotes from classic actresses who starred in The Alfred Hitchcock Hour and Alfred Hitchcock Presents:
Joan Fontaine & Gary Merrill in The Alfred Hitchcock Hour episode The Paragon S1E20 1963.
Fontaine and Hitchcock on the set of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour.
“Working with Alfred Hitchcock was a great honor and an unforgettable experience. He was a master of suspense and a true genius of filmmaking.”– Vera Miles
“Appearing in Alfred Hitchcock Presents was a unique challenge as an actress, as each episode was its own story and character. But it was also a great opportunity to showcase my range as an actress.”– Barbara Bel Geddes
“Alfred Hitchcock had a way of bringing out the best in his actors and actresses. He knew how to create tension and drama on screen, and he trusted his performers to deliver their best work.” – Joan Fontaine
“Alfred Hitchcock Presents was an exciting and innovative show, and I was thrilled to be a part of it. It allowed me to work with some of the best actors and directors in the business.” – Anne Baxter
Vera Miles and Hitchcock on the set of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour.
Hitchcock made the shift from a half-hour show to an hour format without much issue. “When we had a half-hour show, we could do short stories { } Now, in an hour, we have to go to novels.”His staff read through thousands of crime novels to find the right script. Yet frequently it became necessary to utilize a short story and expand it, in order to fill out the hour.
In the opening set of each episode, the fabulist Hitchcock is given props against an empty stage. At times, he himself becomes the prop or main focal point where he imparts either sage elucidation, comical warning, or sardonic advice. A witty prelude to the evening’s tale or just a frivolous bit of shenanigans to put one in the mood for the evening’s program. As he drolly introduces the night’s story, his monologues were conceived of by James B Allardice.
Jessica Tandy in Alfred Hitchcock Presents episode The Glass Eye s3e1 1959.
THE ALFRED HITCHCOCK HOUR — “The Trap” Episode 18 — Aired 02/22/1965 — Pictured: (l-r) Anne Francis as Peg Beale, Donnelly Rhodes as John Cochran (Photo by NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)The Alfred Hitchcock Hour Triumph Episode 9 Aired 12/14/1964 Pictured: Ed Begley as Brother Thomas Fitzgibbons, Jeanette Nolan as Mary Fitzgibbons (Photo by NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
Patricia Collinge in The Alfred Hitchcock Hour episode The Ordeal of Mrs. Snow -S2E25 1964
Repeat Performances:
*Jessica Tandy 3 episodes Alfred Hitchcock Presents – The Glass Eye and not included Toby S2e6 and The Canary Sedan S3e37.
*Patricia Collinge 4 episodes Alfred Hitchcock Presents –The Cheney Vase, The Rose Garden, Across the Threshold, and The Landlady-Â The Alfred Hitchcock Hour – 2 episodes Bonfire – and not included The Ordeal of Mrs. Snow April 17, 1964.
*Anne Francis 2 episodes Alfred Hitchcock Presents – Hooked and not Included Keep Me Company and The Trap S7e5 Feb 22, 1965, aired Nov.7, 1961.
*Mildred Dunnock 3 episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents – None Are So Blind, Heart of Gold and not inlcuded The West Warlock Time Capsule S2e35 and 1 episode of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour – Beyond the Sea of Death.
*Vera Miles 1 episode of Alfred Hithcock Presents – Revenge and 1 episode of TheAlfred Hitchcock Hour– Death Scene.
*Margaret Leighton 1 episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents – Tea Time and 1 episode of The Alfred Hitchcock HourWhere the Woodbine Twineth.
*Barbara Bel Geddes – 4 episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents – Lamb to the Slaughter, The Morning of the Bride and not included The Foghorn s3e24, and Sybilla S6e10 aired Dec. 6, 1960.
*Gena Rowlands – 1 episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents – The Doubtful Doctor and 3 episodes of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour – Ride the Nightmare, The Lonely Hours, and Murder Case.
*Doris lloyd 5 epsiodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents – The Impromptu Murder, and not included Dip in the Pool, Safety for the Witness, The Shartz-Metterklume Method and The Silk Petticoat. And 4 episodes of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour – One of the Family, Thou Still Unravished Bride and not included The Dark Pool s1e29, and Isabel s2e31.
*Gia Scala – 2 episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents -Deathmate and not included Mother, May I Go Out and Swim? s5e26 and 1 episode of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour not included The Sign of Satan s2e27
*Jeannette Nolan –4 episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents – The Right Kind of House, The Morning After, and not included The Young One s3e9 and Coming Home s6e35. 1 episode of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour – Triumph.
*Teresa Wright – 2 episodes of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour – Three Wives Too Many and Lonely Place.
Mildred Dunnock in The Alfred Hitchcock Hour – Beyond the Sea of Death -S2E14 1964.
Teresa Wright and Bruce Dern in Lonely Place, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour S3E6 1964
Married American actors Gena Rowlands and John Cassavetes (1929 – 1989) in an episode of the television anthology series ‘The Alfred Hitchcock Hour’ entitled ‘Murder Case,’ January 24, 1964. The episode, directed by John Brahm, was originally broadcast on March 6, 1964. (Photo by CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images)
Alfred Hitchcock Presents renamed The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (between 1962-1965), is a classic American television anthology series hosted by preeminent filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock, the show was also an Alfred Hitchcock Production produced by Joan Harrison and Norman Lloyd, airing on CBS and NBC between 1955 and 1965. The series premiered on CBS in October 1955 and went through several changes during its long run. It switched over to NBC for the 1960-61 season. It then returned to CBS with its hour-long format from 1962 to 1963. Getting whiplash, it turned back to NBC once again to finish out its final season.
“One must remember that in the early half-hour days, we were getting the cream of the crop”¦ Some of the best stories of their type in English literature, such as The Glass Eye. In the latter days of the hour show, however, we occasionally had to develop stories from scratch, and the results didn’t always measure up. The half-hour show, which ran twenty-two and a fraction minutes, was sometimes a delight in its brevity and its point, but that doesn’t mean it was a better format.” “”Norman Lloyd (as quoted in “The Alfred Hitchcock Presents Companion,” 2001)
Both series have become seminal works in television history, known for their unique blend of suspense, mystery, and dark humor. The show often revolved around murder plots, mind games, gaslighting, and visceral intrigue, featuring psychological dramas, suspenseful thrillers, and crime-oriented stories often framed through a noir lens and written by celebrated authors featuring a far-reaching cast of Hollywood stars and electrifying performances by beloved character actors.
Both series’ earned a fistful of Emmy, Look Magazine, Golden Globe, and Television Champion awards for the best anthology and/or mystery program during their decade-long run.
Known for its suspenseful and thrilling stories that often revolve around murder, mystery, and psychological intrigue, which often frame crime-oriented stories through a noir lens.
“I much preferred writing for the half-hour show. There was always the possibility of doing what I call “˜gems.’ The half-hours were compact and full of sharp point-breaking, bringing the audience in at the middle and then hitting them with the climax. Very clean. This got a little difficult to achieve in the hour shows, which were more like features except that they weren’t, not really. They were actually more like extended half-hours. More was told about the same thing. I think the show suffered because of it, and I think the Hitchcock people felt so, too.” writer Henry Slesar (as quoted in “The Alfred Hitchcock Presents Companion,” 2001)
Initially, a variety of the stories adapted for the show appeared to be written with the implication that crime does pay if you’re clever and lucky enough to get away with it – clincher. But this did not sit right with the network censors, not to mention Hitchcock’s regular derogatory indictment of their commercials, which put him at odds with the sponsors. So by the postscript, he would update us on the fate of the villains, evildoers, and culprits to assure us that there was a moral code that existed on the show, and ultimately, these malefactors paid a price for their immorality.
In other stories, not all the players were inherently malicious, wicked, twisted, greedy, or conniving. Innocent bystanders and some protagonists were set down in a story that challenged them to come out on the other end of their unnerving or sinister circumstances, and ultimately either found redemption or were delivered from their ordeal. Instead of fate’s unwavering day of retribution, anyone who deserved a break got one, and the sympathetic characters found a silver lining to their storm cloud. Many of the show’s stories revealed their humanity.
Alfred Hitchcock Presents’ episodes cover a wide range of genres, including crime drama, mystery, suspense, psychological thriller, and the occasional horror story. Many of the episodes are adaptations of short stories and novels by famous authors, such as Roald Dahl, Ray Bradbury, and Cornell Woolrich, among other notable novelists and screenwriters.
One of the trademarks of the series is its surprising turnaround of events and twist endings, which are often unique, cleverly crafted, and carefully calculated plots that keep viewers on the edge of their seats. The show’s stories often explore the darker aspects of human nature, delving into the characters’ psychology and motivations. Themes of guilt, paranoia, revenge, and moral ambiguity are often explored, creating a thought-provoking viewing experience, framed with masterful understatement all wrapped up with Hitch’s deliciously droll commentaries, dramatic musical flourishes, and palpable fade-outs.
“Alfred Hitchcock Presents” has been highly acclaimed for its innovative storytelling, compelling performances, and Hitchcock’s masterful direction.
Hitchcock’s strictly British sense of humor, the deliciously wicked tone of the series, and his attitude toward directing television had carried over from his big-screen work in a similar vein for small-screen audiences.
At first, Hitchcock was hesitant about the idea of appearing on TV as his primary interest rested with film. Hitchcock biographer John Russell Taylor wrote that the revelation that Alfred Hitchcock Presentscould work came from MCA’s Lew Wasserman, who had been Hitchcock’s former agent and friend. In 1955, Wasserman was putting his mind to potential programming during the early days of television. “We ought to put Hitch on air.” The idea of putting the master of suspense hosting a weekly show had a great deal of good sense.”
Hitchcock had signed a contract with Richard Decker allowing his name to be the image of a monthly magazine Decker published, featuring short stories with a mystery theme written by established or up-and-coming authors. In return for allowing his name to be used, Decker hired Hitch’s daughter Patricia as assistant editor. The publication would be called Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine.
In the mid-fifties, very few of Hollywood’s major studios were actively involved in producing series for television. In 1959 MCA under President Lew Wasserman’s leadership added Universal Pictures to its growing list of subsidiaries, and MCA/Revue was changed to Universal Television which then released Alfred Hitchcock Presents.
According to biographer John Russell Taylor, Hitchcock was not pretentious about his success in the motion picture business; however, the iconic director was aware that not many filmmakers who had maintained visibility on his level were actively working in that industry’s medium. While other directors wouldn’t want to be associated with television, Hitchcock had faith in his friend Lew Wasserman and agreed to delve into the world of the small screen, and the series was born.
Alfred Hitchcock named the new telefilm company Shamley Productions after the summer home he and Alma owned in a small village in Shamley Green south of London.
*For most in Hollywood, TV was considered a spurious and unauthentic medium, a commercial junkyard suitable only for unknowns and has-beens.” – (from John McCarty and Brian Kelleher from Alfred Hitchcock Presents – An Illustrated Guide to The Ten-Year Television Career of the Master of Suspense)
Wasserman viewed the show and Hitchcock’s hosting of it as a logical, intuitive outgrowth of the very successful Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine. In fact, many of the series’ episodes were adapted from stories that first appeared in the magazine.
And Hitchcock’s attitude toward directing television was that it was a bit of jolly devilry and fooling about from directing feature-length films, as it was far less a painstaking endeavor.
Though Hitchcock still brought his methodical work ethic to the table-
“He took enormous pride in doing these things very fast on a tight TV schedule without going a moment over. I remember when he did Lamb to the Slaughter” and he finished on the nose at six o clock quitting time, he turned around and said “there’s your picture” Then he looked at everybody as if to say, “So don’t comet o me with any ideas that you need an extra hour or two for something else. “It was all in fun, but the message was clear: all of you had better be able to finish at six too.” – Norman Lloyd
Vera Miles in the premier episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents ‘Revenge’ S1E1 in 1955.
After its debut on October 2 1955 with the first episode “Revenge” directed by Hitchcock himself, each week gained devoted viewers who were thrilled with the show’s sense of the macabre.
Hitchock’s well-known public persona, while considered the archetype of genius over collaboration, boldly moved into the realm of television and was part of a team that created an anthology series with a team of extraordinary writers & directors who were perceptive, literate, and witty.
Above are two images of Jessica Tandy and Tom Conway in The Glass Eye S3E1 1957.
Robert Stevens who directed 145 episodes of a similar theme show Suspense which ran between 1949-1954 directed over thirty episodes in Hitchcock’s series more than any other director overall, including some of the most memorable like the chilling installment – The Glass Eye starring Jessica Tandy which is a ghoulish adaptation of the classic theme of the ventriloquist who is bedeviled by his dummy. This installment of the show’s second season earned Stevens an Emmy as best director of a half-hour show. He was the only director ever to win an award for Alfred Hitchcock Presents.
In 1959, Stevens took time to direct the pilot for Rod Sterling’s Twilight Zone with Earl Holliman in Where Is Everybody. He did another of the show’s most memorable episodes, Walking Distance.
They helped establish Alfred Hitchcock Presents and The Alfred Hitchcock Hour as one of the great classics of American television – distinctive for their sardonic prologues with Hitchcock as the master of ceremonies conducting the series of sketches, and macabre tableaus that invited you into the evening’s story. Hitchcock intoning impish incentives by writer Jimmy Allardice. The show offered a collection of Mephistophlean teleplays, infused with suspenseful, often darkly humorous masquerades.
The series also features a collection of impressive directors: Ida Lupino, Paul Henreid, Herschel Daugherty, John Brahm, Arthur Hiller, Alan Crosland Jr., Leo Penn, Joseph Pevney, Robert Stevenson, Stuart Rosenberg, Bernard Girard, Robert Florey, John Newland, Don Medford, Francis Cockrell, Boris Sagal, Alf Kjellin and George Stevens Jr.
Hitchcock, Joan Harrison, and actor/producer/director Norman Lloyd preferred stories about unextraordinary people, their lives outwardly not illicit or taboo, however they become involved in dubious, unlucky, or dangerous situations like murder, blackmail, or misguided schemes that descend into a darkly ironic conclusion.
Norman Lloyd, whose speech and singularity carved out a niche as typically British and thoroughly sardonically impish, appeared in several of Hitchcock’s films, most notably Saboteur 1942as the menacing Frank Fry who meets a spectacular cinematic end.
Norman Lloyd in Alfred Hitchcock’s Saboteur 1942.
“Around 1955 they got Hitchcock to say he’d do television which was a big thing. And in ’57 the order for the half hour show was amplified, with a new series called Suspicion. I think Suspicion had many shows. Hour shows. And MCA took ten of them. New York took ten and so forth. And with the ten he was adding on they used to do 39 half hour shows a series. It was his producer Joan Harrison, is how I really learned how to be a producer. Divine. She was beautiful, exquisitely dressed, in perfect taste for the set. She was divine. She was a writer for him, and she was now his producer. And they needed someone else to come in an help her because of the quantity of the work not for the half hours, but now the hour. So she and Hitch decided, they wanted me to do it. Cause I also knew Joan very well. And so they presented my name”¦ however”¦ And this was told to me by Alan Miller who headed television at MCA, he came back, Alan Miller from the network and says ‘there seems to be a problem about Lloyd’ and Hitch said, ‘I want him!’ that was the end of the blacklist!” -Norman Lloyd
The television series also consisted of several episodes that featured both Hitchcock and Lloyd’s daughters, Patricia and Josie.
The show is characterized by its Aesopean host- “Televisions jovial undertaker”(McCarty and Kelleher)”¦ offering his solemn “˜Good Night.’
Alfred Hitchcock’s cheeky little teasers featured their iconic musical initiation with Gounod’s “Funeral March of a Marionette” as Hitch’s silhouetted kisser merged with the quirky little line drawing, which was led into one of Allardice’s offbeat fun-size segues.
Hitchcock emerges mischievously at the beginning and end of each episode, delivering satirical introductions and conclusions, with his signature tongue-in-cheek reaction to that evening’s stories. His dry and sardonic presence effectively complements the show’s featured parable and displaces any tension from the seriousness of the episode with Hitch’s comic relief.
The show was ravenous for stories, trying to compete with its rivals, The Twilight Zone and Boris Karloff’s Thriller. The insistence on only published stories.
One of Hitchcock’s primary producers was a British-American film producer, screenwriter, and casting director, Joan Harrison. She met Hitchcock in 1935 after answering his ad in a London newspaper for a secretary. She may have begun her career as a secretary to Alfred Hitchcock in 1939. Harrison gained momentum, forging ahead with her career, and by 1940 she was Hitchcock’s associate producer.
But it was her ultra-motivated astuteness and keen administrative proficiency that helped advance herself until in 1939 she became his closest collaborator co-writing several screenplays for Jamaica Inn, Rebecca 1940, Foreign Correspondent Suspicion 1941, and Saboteur. Additionally working with Hitchcock on several films, including Shadow of a Doubt (1943), Rope 1948 and Strangers on a Train (1951).
In 1942 she pursued her own career as an independent producer, a position not held by many women, then. Much of her films fall under the influence of a mystery bent, with one of her finest films being They Won’t Believe Me 1947 a psychological film noir directed by Irving Pichel and starring Robert Young, Susan Hayward, and Jane Greer.
Joan Harrison produced one of the most underrated film noirs, Phantom Lady 1944, directed by Robert Siodmak, based on a novel by Cornell Woolrich, author of Rear Window, and scripted by Bernard C. Schoenfeld, who would later write many of the show’s episodes. Another highly effective and sorely underrated noir Harrison directed is Ride the Pink Horse 1947.
In 1944, she left Hitchcock’s production company to start her own, producing several films, including The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946) and The Locket (1946).
One of the aspects of both the half-hour and full-hour series’ magic was the brilliant cast, borrowing from some of television’s outstanding dramatic character actors of that period, but notably, the stars who made the transition from the big screen to television’s more intimate venue.
Working with Hitchcock on The Trouble with Harry clearly foreshadowed the direction Hitch’s show was going to take. In 1955 Joan Harrison rejoined him as an associate producer both knowledgeable about mystery and suspense literature – she became actively involved in the story selections.
In 1955, Harrison not only produced the show but also served as the casting director for Alfred Hitchcock Presents for its entire run from 1955 to 1965.
She helped cast some of the show’s most famous episodes, including Back For Christmas, Lamb to the Slaughter, and “Hitch Hike.”
Isobel Elsom and John Williams in Alfred Hitchcock Presents – Back for Christmas s1e23 1956.
Alfred Hitchcock Presents Hitch Hike S5E21 1960 starring Suzanne Pleshette, John McIntire, and Robert Morse.
Joan Harrison lends the show its engaging charm, which credits Harrison’s keen eye for selecting the best possible actors to fit the archetypal characters for the compelling, ironic murder mysteries, nail-biters, and crime-driven stories.
Harrison, who progressed from secretary to screenwriter to independent producer, signed onto the show where she was fully able to materialize her vision of some of the most suspenseful dramatizations. She retired from the film industry in 1965.
Norman Lloyd started producing and directing a limited number of episodes each season. At this same time, Gordon Hessler was elevated to associate producer.
Gordon Hessler, who had a TV background that included a period where he was enlisted as a story editor, director, and production associate, also joined the show as a producer. Once Harrison started to phase out her involvement on the show and move back to England with her husband, British mystery writer Eric Ambler, she passed it on to Lloyd while he continued to assist as an associate producer.
“At the end of this time, there was a rearrangement at Shamley and I was made a producer equally with Joan Harrison. It was also around this time that the show went to an hour. We both produced alternately. Then, for the final two years, I was made the show’s executive producer alone.”
Eventually, he moved on to directing horror features- The Oblong Box 1969, Scream and Scream Again 1970, Cry of the Banshee 1970, Murders in the Rue Morgue 1971, and The Golden Voyage of Sinbad 1974.
The series often used writer Robert Bloch, who began working on the show in 1959 in the middle of its ten-year run. The writer hadn’t met with Hitchcock while filming the adaptation of his novel Psycho 1960. Two of Bloch’s published stories had been bought for the series and adapted by others before his arrival in Hollywood later that year.
He began adapting his own published stories, and his work was dramatized for the series. He was heavily involved in the show and mutually committed to writing screenplays and contributing to Boris Karloff’s similar anthology series Thriller both programs produced at Universal Studios.
“Shortly after I began my own work as a novice television writer for a little-esteemed syndication series, I was summoned to Hitchcock’s Shamley Production office and offered an assignment to do a script based on Frank Mace’s story ‘The Cuckoo Clock.’– Robert Bloch
“Give them pleasure. The same pleasure they have when they wake up from a nightmare.” – Alfred Hitchcock
The role Barbara Steele plays in the legacy of Italian Gothic cinema of the 1960s achieving cult status, is arguably her most recognizable contribution to the sub-genre of the horror film. She’s been christened The High Priestess of Horror, Queen of Horror, and The Dark Goddess, the latter, the implication being her prowess is proof there’s a link between beauty (a woman’s power) and evil. Steele’s persona is suitable as a femme fatale, and the sum of her work is extremely feminist.
According to journalist Maitland McDonagh, she is The Face that Launched a Thousand Screams. She is the sadomasochistic Madonna of the “cinefantastique”; the queen of the wild, the beautiful, and the damned.”
“Of all the stars of horror cinema, Barbara Steele may have come the closest to pure myth {“¦} she suggests a kinky and irresistible sexual allure” – (David J Hogan)
“With goldfish-bowl eyes radiating depraved elfin beauty, and what she calls her ‘old, suspicious Celtic soul burning blackly within, Steele played the princess in a dark fairytale.” ‘They sense something in me’ she once said of her fans, but surely it was true of her directors also. Steele followed with ‘Maybe some kind of psychic pain. The diva Dolorosa of the 1910s, reincarnated as a voluptuous revenant.’ – (from David Cairns and Daniel Riccuito for Sight and Sound)
“Angel Carter (1982) named the three surrealist love goddesses as Louise Brooks first and foremost followed by Dietrich and third Barbara Steele. With regards to Steele however, not all the following descriptions emanate from surrealists caught in the grip of amour fou”(obsessive passion).- (The Other Face of Death: Barbara Steele and La Maschera Del Demonio by Carol Jenks from NECRONOMICON edited by Andy Black)
“The very symbol of Woman as vengeful, alien and “˜other’.” (Nicholls 1984)
“Steele perfectly embodies both the dread and the desire necessary to imply alluring and transgressive sexuality.”(Lampley-Women in the Horror films of Vincent Price)
“It’s not me they’re seeing. They’re casting some projection of themselves, some aspect that I somehow symbolizes. It can’t possibly be me.” Barbara Steele quoted-(Warren 1991)
“You can’t live off being a cult.” Barbara Steele
