A Trailer a Day Keeps the Boogeyman Away! Halloween A-Z

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Horrors of the Black Museum 1959

Horrors of the Black Museum is 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.

Essentially a remake of The Curse of Frankenstein 1957, Sangster infused this film with a dose of black comedy. A gory reimagining of the Frankenstein mythos with Ralph Bates as the overly dour mad scientist. The film includes Hammer’s incessant provocation to highlight their scream queen’s grandiose cleavage, in this case, Kate O’Mara who plays the conniving housekeeper, and Veronica Carlson as Elizabeth Heiss, Victor’s fiancée. The monster who is merely a killing machine is played by Dave Prowse who certainly has the presence to pull it off, having revised the incarnation of the monster in the superior Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell in 1974. The fabulous Dennis Price plays a merry body snatcher, Jon Finch as the unrelenting police lieutenant.

House of Dark Shadows 1970

House of Dark Shadows is 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 Martín (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).

Horror Express is known for its atmospheric shivers and the chemistry between Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, titans of the institution that is Hammer and two legends of the horror genre. The eerie setting of the Trans-Siberian Express adds to the overall suspense, creating a claustrophobic and chilling atmosphere as the characters battle a force beyond their comprehension. Horror Express also co-stars Rasputin-like Father Pujardov Alberto de Mendoza, Telly Savalas as the hostile cossack Capt. Kazan, Silvia Tortosa as Countess Irina and Julio Pena as Inspector Mirov and Helga Liné as Natasha.

Tidbits:

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!

A Trailer a Day Keeps the Boogeyman Away! Halloween from A-Z

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Beast with Five Fingers 1946

Read my Andrea King tribute here:

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 Torment follows 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 Claw is 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 Claw is 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 Dead in 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!

🚀 Keep Watching the Skies! Science Fiction Cinema of the 1950s: The Year is 1955

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DON’T FORGET TO CHECK OUT! : THE YEAR IS 1954

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CREATURES, CONQUESTS AND CONQUERING MUTANTS

The Atomic Man aka Timeslip

the atomic man

They Called Him the HUMAN BOMB!

British Science Fiction/Thriller from writer/director Ken Hughes (Wicked as they Come 1956, The Trials of Oscar Wilde 1960, Cromwell 1970). From a story by Charles Eric Maine.

Stars actor/director Gene Nelson as Mike Delaney, Faith Domergue as Jill Rabowski, Peter Arne as Dr. Stephen Rayner/Jarvis, Joseph Tomelty as Detective Inspector Cleary, Donald Gray as Robert Maitland, Vic Perry as Emmanuel Vasquo, Paul Hardtmuth as Dr. Bressler, Martin Wyldek as Dr. Preston. The film is known as Timeslip in England, a mild British thriller using American stars to boost interest in the film, and was cut by almost seventeen minutes for it’s U.S. release!

The Atomic Man, poster, (aka TIMESLIP), from left: Faith Domergue, Gene Nelson, 1955. (Photo by LMPC via Getty Images)

A man (Peter Arne ) is fished out of the Thames, shot in the back, the x-rays show that he is radioactive and projects a glowing aura around his body. The man dies on the table and is clinically dead for over 7 seconds, when they perform surgery to remove the bullet. American reporter Mike Delaney (Gene Nelson) decides to interview the man who he bares a striking resemblance to Dr. Stephen Rayner is very cryptic about what happened to him. Dr. Rayner whose face is all bandaged up is however in his laboratory working on an artificial chemical element of atomic number 74, the hard steel-gray metal with a very high melting point. Delaney and photographer girlfriend Jill Rabowski (the intoxicatingley dark eyed Faith Domergue) are curious about what is going on and begin to investigate. While the strange man in the hospital continues to act mysterious Delaney’s investigation lead him to Emmanuel Vasquo (Vic Perry) who heads an organization in South America that produces Tungsten steel.

Delaney and Jilly learn that the man they found in the Thames is in fact the real Dr. Rayner, and since he was clinically dead for 7 1/2 seconds and is radioactive somehow he has fallen into a time shift where he is living that small percentage ahead of time. The reason his answers to questions are so quizzical is because he is responding 7 1/2 seconds before they are asked. Delaney with the help of the real Dr. Rayner try to stop the imposter in the lab who is a double hired by Vasquo to impersonate the scientist so they can blow up the lab and prevent any competition by Dr. Rayner to produce artificial steel and pose real competition from the South American suppliers.

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The Beast with a Million Eyes

Prepare for a close encounter of the terrifying kind! An unspeakable horror… Destroying… Terrifying!

After his debut with Monster From the Ocean Floor in 1954, The Beast with 1.000.000 Eyes was a great foray into the new market of teenage drive-in movie goes that Roger Corman’s production team tapped into. First through the company called American Releasing Corp. which eventually became American International Pictures a year later.

James Nicholson, who was the maestro of promotion, changed the name of the film from The Unseen to The Beast with a Million Eyes, because it just had better shock value for selling more tickets. Nicholson was famous for coming up with the title first, telling the marketing department to design an eye-popping nifty poster, and then actually working a script around that vision. Though there was already a working script Nicholson had a poster made up of a beast with a million… well about 7 eyes tormenting a scantily clad beauty.

Directed by David Kramarsky and Corman with a script by Tom Filer. This cult B classic stars Paul Birch as Allan Kelley, Lorna Thayer as Carol Kelley, Dona Cole as Sandra Kelley, Dick Sargent as Deputy Larry Brewster, Leonard Tarver as Him/Carl, Chester Conklin the silent film comedian plays Ben and Bruce Whitmore is The metaphorically million eyed Beast. A million eyes refer to all the animals in ‘nature’ that would run amok and destroy mankind!

The beastly slave of the alien is a hand puppet created by the cheesy greatness that was Paul Blaisdell. (link to my tribute The Tacky Magnetism of Paul Blaisdell)

Interesting side note: Corman needed someone to design the alien who originally was supposed to be an invisible force marauding through the galaxy hitching rides on various life forms and taking over their consciousness, like the animals in this film. In Bill Warren’s informative book Keep Watching the Skies, Corman contacted friend collector/historian Forrest Ackerman suggesting stop animation genius Ray Harryhausen (who obviously was way out of Corman’s league and price range) Warren-“Corman recoiled in economic in shock.” Then Forrest recommended Jacques Fresco a futuristic eco-conscious architect and designer who had created the space station and rockets for Project Moon Base (1953)

But Fresco wanted too much money for his work, so Ackerman came up with another idea. There was an illustrator who drew covers and did illustrations for his magazines, named Paul Blaisdell. It wasn’t like Blaisdell had the experience building movie models but the young guy did build model kits (the Aurora kind I used to spend the days gluing and painting) and did some sculpting. Blaisdell said he would try it for $200 for the job and another $200 for materials. Still more than Corman wanted to invest, it seemed the last resort if he wanted a creature in his film. Corman sent the poster to Blaisdell as a composite and informed him that it didn’t have to do much more than show itself on screen for a few moments, then collapse. Blaisdell could then make it on a small scale, using only the upper torso since the rest would be hidden by the ship’s hatch. And so he made a hand puppet which was a dragon-like creature with wings he molded from clay and placed a simple latex mold over it. Paul’s wife Jackie modeled its hands. The Blaisdell’s nicknamed him “Little Hercules”

Blaisdell made him a leather jacket, a custom-made eight-starred medallion, and a toy gun and finally added manacles and chains to its arms to point out his slave status. According to Randy Palmer’s book, Paul Blaisdell: Monster Maker he was happy with his work, and so were the crew.

Corman and American Releasing Corp must have been satisfied enough with Blaisdell’s skill and his price, he went on to become the go-to monster-maker for the studio during the 1950s. Including The busty She-Creature (1956), the cucumber alien in It Conquered the World (1956), The fanged umbrella bat in Not of This Earth (1957), The alcoholic google eyed brain invaders in Invasion of the Saucer Men (1957), my personal favorite Tobanga the walking tree spirit in From Hell it Came 1957 and the alien stow away in It! The Terror from Beyond Space 1957 inspired Ridley Scott’s Alien (1979).

He also acted inside the suits he designed, created special effects and did his own dangerous stunts in Corman’s movies. However, the 60s were not kind to Blaisdell and he decided to retire. He did co-publish a monster movie magazine with fellow collector and friend Bob Burns, but walked away from the industry entirely. Blaisdell passed away in 1983 suffering from stomach cancer at the age of 55.

Roger Corman has a singular touch all his own and it’s not just that he can create cult classics with a shoestring budget. Though filmed on the cheap, his work and so many American International Pictures releases will always be beloved because they possess a dynamism that is pure muddled non-logical magic. Beast with a Million Eyes is no exception. It takes place in the Southwestern desert where Allan Kelley (Paul Birch), his wife Carol (Lorna Thayer), and their daughter Sandy (Dona Cole) live on a dude ranch struggling to keep the weary family together. Carol feels isolated from the world and takes out her dissatisfaction with her marriage on her teenage daughter Sandy and resents the presence of the mute farmhand ‘Him’ who lives in a shack reading porn magazines and stalking Sandy quietly as she takes her daily dips in the lake. Trying to live a normal wholesome life on a desolate farm isn’t easy for Carol, as she burns Sandy’s birthday cake and is unnerved by the jet flying overhead that has shattered her good china. Life in the desert certainly isn’t the good life in suburbia.

They believe it is a plane that flies overhead but it turns out to be an alien ship landed in the hot sun-seared desert landscape. First Sandy’s dog Duke discovers the blinking lights of the spaceship, and when he returns home, he becomes violent and attacks Carol so viciously that she must shoot the poor animal.

Then black birds attack Allan, a docile old milking cow that tramples their neighbor Ben (Chester Conklin) then wanders onto Allan’s ranch and must be shot before it stomps Allan to death. And yes even chickens become menacing when they assail Carol in fury of clucking madness! Some force is causing the animals to go berserk… Later birds fly into the electrical box and cut off the ranch’s source of power.

Oddly enough what ever is effecting God’s simple creatures has also taken control of Allan’s mute handyman Carl (Leonard Tarver) who was Allan’s commanding officer during WWII, wounded during the war because of a mistake he made, Allan feels responsible for what Carl/Him losing a portion of his brain. He is what his nasty wife calls the poor mute. Carl is lured by what ever has piloted the spaceship, most likely because he is most impressionable due to his brain injury. Dick Sargent (yes! the second Darrin Stephens) who plays Sandy’s boyfriend is attacked by Carl who then lumbers off into the desert.

Larry-“That Loony of yours has gone mad!”

Later Carl kidnaps Sandy and delivers her to the craft in an effort to put her under its psychic control. Allan and Carol follow them to the ship and Allan tries to persuade him to let Carol go. Allan discovers that the evil alien is frightened by love, it is the creature’s weakness. The million-eyed alien imparts to us earthlings in voice-over that it has no material form but inhabits the minds of other living creatures, feeding off of them and controlling them. “Hate and malice are the keys to power in my world.” When the family confronts the intruder in its spaceship for a brief moment it materializes and then dies, the spaceship takes off leaving the bodiless creature behind in the form of a rat. The cycle of normal life resumes as an eagle (the representation of American strength and democracy) swoops down and carries the rat off with it. Allan philosophizes in his lugubrious manner “Why do men have souls? If I could answer that I’d be more than human.”

Carol Kelley: out there… all that wasteland and mountains. We might as well be on another planet. Oh, Alan without Sandy I don’t know what would happen to me. It’d be just you and me and… Him

[she sees Him looking at them]

Carol Kelley: . Always watching. Why doesn’t he ever go away on his day off? Always watching us. Heaven knows thinking what thoughts.

Allan Kelley: We’ve been over this before. You must know by now, he’s harmless.

Carol Kelley: I’ve never been sure.

 

IMDb Trivia:

According to American International Pictures head Samuel Z. Arkoff, Roger Corman‘s contract called for four films at a budget of $100,000 each. By the time it came to “The Beast with a Million Eyes,” the fourth film in the series, there was only $29,000 to $30,000 left, so Arkoff signed off on shooting the picture non-union in Palm Springs.

Producer Roger Corman was unsatisfied with the way the film was progressing and took over from director David Kramarsky, without credit.

When Samuel Z. Arkoff of ARC received The Beast with a Million Eyes he was unhappy that it did not even feature “the beast” that was implicit in the title. Paul Blaisdell, responsible for the film’s special effects, was hired to create a three-foot-tall spaceship (with “beast” alien) for a meager $200. Notably, the Art Director was Albert S. Ruddy, who would later win two “Best Picture” Academy Awards for The Godfather (1972) and Million Dollar Baby (2004).

The tiny budget meant music, credited to “John Bickford”, is actually a collection of public-domain record library cues by classical composers Richard Wagner, Dimitri Shostakovich, Giuseppe Verdi, Sergei Prokofiev, and others, used to defray the cost of an original score or copyrighted cues.

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Continue reading “🚀 Keep Watching the Skies! Science Fiction Cinema of the 1950s: The Year is 1955”

The Clip Joint: Bait (1954) “What a pair of…”

Bait_(1954_film)_poster

BAIT 1954

Hugo Haas yet again plays the downtrodden man, Marko who is in search of his lost gold mine. He hires Ray (John Agar) to help locate the gold, and filling out the triangle is the cherub-cheeked blonde Cleo Moore as Peggy who winds up marrying the Balkan blowhard for his gold while tantalizing the younger and desiring Ray.

Marko tries to figure out various ways of getting rid of his partner in order to keep all the loot! He even uses Peggy as bait, as part of his tricks to arouse their attraction giving him a reason to shoot Ray. Great prologue delivered by Sir Cedric Hardwick as the Devil… in this ironic light mystery directed by Haas.

Peggy (talking about Ray’s dog“Oh Mike… Isn’t he beautiful? Ooh, what a pair of eyes!”

Ray Brighton-(staring at Peggy like a sirloin steak) “Yeah… what a pair of…(pause) eyes…”

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Your Everlovin’ Joey Monstergirl