























Jack Clayton’s The Innocents 1961 starring Deborah Kerr.
I’ll be heading back up the ‘steps’ here at the drive-in, be well- MonsterGirl!
Directed by Frank Wisbar from his own story, also co-written for the screen by Leo J. McCarthy. Make-up by Bud Westmore. Also co-starring Effie Laird as Martina Sanders, Nolan Leary as Pete Jeffers, Frank Conlan as Joseph Hart, Therese Lyon and Virginia Farmer.
This is a hauntingly beautiful re-make of director Frank Wisbar’s own 1936 German film Faehrmann Maria a retelling of the legend of Death and The Maiden. Which started Sybille Schmitz, the memorable victim of Carl Dreyer’s Vampyr (1931).
It’s an effectively creepy story from the Poverty Row Film Company PRC who brought us The Devil Bat and The Flying Serpent. While this is a low budget B movie, it is quite effective to watch as the ghost of Douglas seems to dissolve in and out of the darkness.
There is an essence of the slow and dreamlike stylization that is similar to Dreyer’s work, at work here in Strangler of The Swamp. The setting is a lonely backwoods swamplands where the villagers live under a terrible curse left by a wrongly accused man hung for a crime he did not commit.
Three women from the village including Martina Sanders glide down the bayou on the ferryboat with Joseph Hart, evoking a mythical quality as if used as augury like that of The Furies designating Joseph’s ill fated path for his sins of false witness and murder.
A mad, disfigured composer seeks love with a lovely young opera singer. Starring the man of a thousand faces Lon Chaney as Erik The Phantom and the lovely Mary Philbin as Christine Daae.
Here I’ve taken beautiful scenes from Phantom and edited them together with my song Bulldozer from my album Fools and Orphans.
For tragic love runs between both the song and the eternal story of undying and unrequited love!
the lovely Mary Philbin.
A tragic love…!
JoGabriel the girl behind the mask of MonsterGirl!
Here’s to Beauty and Here’s to the Beasts!!!!!! Jo Gabriel (MonsterGirl)
I use a mixed film mash up this time to tell my story…
Here’s to all of us ‘wild childs’ be free and continue to dance to your own song….
Dedicated to my mother, Arleen Gottfried September 8, 1928 – September 19th 2011
Film Footage Credits
Special Nod to an extraordinary found gem : A short film by Rich Ragsdale called “The Sandman” (2007) based on ETA Hoffman http://www.knr-productions.com/ This is Rich Ragsdale’s Production Company!
Legend by Ridley Scott 1985
The Passion of Joan of Arc by Carl Theodor Dreyer 1928
1920 Cabinet of Dr Caligari starring Conrad Veidt
Louise Brooks in 1929 Pandora’s Box by GW Pabst
March of the Wooden Soldiers or Babes In Toyland 1934
Lord of The Flies 1963 based on William Golding’s novel
Vintage Footage 1940s Alyce Bryce ” Jungle Drums”
From the short film ‘The Sandman’ by Rich Ragsdale…
http://www.knr-productions.com/Â -Rich Ragsdale’s Production Company!
Gwynplaine is one of my favorite characters in literature, one of Hugo’s more obscure works, Leni captured his soul in his film with the help of Veidt, perfectly!
Based on Victor Hugo’s novel “L’Homme Qui Rit”
Jo Gabriel’s song “Hold My Breath” appears on my album ISLAND through Kalinkaland Records world wide.
MonsterGirl (JoGabriel)
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