HOLD BACK TOMORROW

John Agar and Cleo Moore

HOLD BACK TOMORROW (1955). Written, produced and directed by Hugo Haas. 

In an unspecified foreign country, a former hooker, Dora (Cleo Moore), is saved from drowning herself on the very eve that a prisoner named Joe Cardos (John Agar) -- who murdered three people -- is to be executed. Joe wants company for his final request, and since Dora needs money -- or hopes that Joe will strangle her -- she agrees to entertain him in his cell. Joe proves to be grumpy and hostile, and Dora is not certain she even wants to bother trying to make friends with him. But somehow these two dysfunctional individuals manage to form an unlikely romantic attachment to one another (sexual, maybe) ...

Even on Death Row Agar looks great!

Let me make it clear that I can hardly call the utterly-contrived Hold Back Tomorrow a good movie, but it also isn't worthless. Although I can't quite say that Agar is outstanding, he probably gives his best performance in this movie and gets his character across quite well. In her career Moore has rarely risen above mediocrity -- it's almost comical when she says "I haven't eaten for days" but is completely unable to get this across in her acting -- but she is also much better in this film than in others, possibly because her co-star was giving it his all. Agar also looks handsomer than usual.

Beautiful when wet: Cleo Moore

Haas' screenplay is a bit nutty and naive but it does have some good dialogue going for it. Although two of the people Joe strangled may have been rotters, there is virtually no mention of the innocent guard he shot during a robbery (the crime that first got him incarcerated) as this might have made him even less sympathetic. Of course Haas could have created more sympathy for Joe if he'd had him expressing some remorse for the dead man and his family. Joe blames everyone else for his misdeeds, and dopey Dora -- not the brightest bulb in the chandelier by any means, although she's certainly smarter and nicer than Joe -- goes right along with it, swallowing every word. 

Moore and Agar look to the heavens

I won't give away the ending except to say that I find it unlikely that Joe and Dora would ever have really made it as a couple. Whatever their struggles or problems early in life, one can tell that neither have the wherewithal to make much of anything work for them. One of the most amusing aspects of the flick is that Frank DeKova, of all people, plays the prison priest! Harry Guardino has an early role as a cop. The title tune for the picture is rather pleasant. Haas also teamed Moore and Agar up for his earlier film Bait, which is even worse than this! 

Verdict: Certainly an interesting idea and a truly odd romance, but the movie is half-baked and not really credible despite some decent performances. I didn't find it remotely moving. At least it is not an anti-capital punishment polemic. **.  

ON THE GOOD SHIP HOLLYWOOD: JOHN AGAR

ON THE GOOD SHIP HOLLYWOOD. John Agar, as told to L. C. Van Savage. BearManor Media; 2007.

There are actors who never quite attain the top rank of Hollywood stars yet become familiar due to the many roles they play over the years or the fact that they appear in certain beloved, or at least, popular movies or cult films. The late John Agar certainly fits into that category, because of the westerns he appeared in (for some movie fans) or the science fiction/monster movies he starred in (for others). To B movie lovers Agar is probably best-known for Tarantula, The Revenge of the Creature, and the zesty Brain from Planet Arous, in which he delivered a lively performance, among others. Agar also had featured roles in "A" productions directed by the likes of John Ford and Raoul Walsh (Along the Great Divide). Agar basically fell into acting (his family had been in the meat-packing business) because of people he met when he was married to Shirley Temple. (He was 22 when he started dating her at 15!) Agar was apparently never able to have any kind of relationship with the daughter that resulted from this union, which ended in divorce, but he did adopt two sons with his second wife, Loretta. (His great-aunt Edna was the lead character in Greer Garson's Blossoms in the Dust, and the foundation she began helped with these adoptions.) Agar developed a serious drinking problem and his occasional falls off the wagon got him fired from jobs both in and out of show business. Agar made out better than most supporting players/"B" movie stars in that he did develop a fan following that existed up until his old age instead of being forgotten. This is hardly an in-depth autobiography, but it does touch all the major bases and makes a good read.

Verdict: From planet Earth, not Arous. ***.

TARANTULA

The big spider advances on the town!

TARANTULA (1955). Director: Jack Arnold.

Professor Deemer (a disinterested Leo G. Carroll) is experimenting on food nutrients with animals and has inexplicably created some economy-sized creatures, including a dog-sized spider. During a battle with a crazed assistant who experimented on himself, a fire breaks out and the animals are destroyed -- or so Deemer thinks. The spider actually walked out into the desert and [although it's no longer receiving the nutrient] continues to grow and grow, finding another food supply in cattle, horses and humans. The local doctor, Matt Hastings (John Agar of Brain from Planet Arous), Deemer's new assistant Stephanie Clayton (Mara Corday of The Giant Claw), the sheriff (Nestor Paiva) and newspaper man Joe Burch (Ross Elliott) all do their best to wipe out the big spider and stay out of its jaws. The special effects are variable but shots of the huge tarantula roaming the desert and sneaking up on victims are creepy, and there's a great scene when it peeks in at Corday at Deemer's mansion and then completely demolishes the house. Ross Elliott played the director on the classic "Lucy Does a Commercial" episode of I Love Lucy, and also played Ricky's publicity man when the series went to Hollywood under his own name. He was a busy actor, also appearing in a number of fantastic genre films. For more on this and similar films see Creature Features: Nature Turned Nasty in the Movies.

Verdict: Lots of fun and quite ghoulish at times. ***. 

THE BRAIN FROM PLANET AROUS

THE BRAIN FROM PLANET AROUS (1957). Director: Nathan Juran [as Nathan Hertz].

"A very exciting female -- she appeals to me."

Scientist Steve March (John Agar) goes with associate Dan Murphy (Robert Fuller) to Mystery Mountain for some experiments and discovers a hitherto unknown tunnel -- and exploring it encounters the evil Gor from planet Arous. Gor is an intergalactic criminal as well as a ghostly disembodied brain of substantial size who takes over March's mind and then tries to take over the world. Although Gor terrorizes the military and several representatives of world governments by frying enemies and bringing down airliners, there are some compensations: March's girlfriend, Sally (Joyce Meadows), notices that Steve has become a much more passionate kisser. The Brain from Planet Arous is like a fifties horror/sci fi comic book story and just as silly. But it's also extremely entertaining and features a whopping good lead performance from John Agar, who really seems to be having a ball threatening everyone with his evil eye beams. There are also solid performances from the supporting cast, including Meadows and Fuller, as well as old stand-bys Thomas Browne Henry and Ken Terrell. Meadows was primarily a television actor, as was Fuller, although he also appeared in What Ever Happened to Aunt Alice? with Geraldine Page and Ruth Gordon in 1969. 

Verdict: As evil brain movies go, this one is a winner. ***.

WOMEN OF THE PREHISTORIC PLANET

WOMEN OF THE PREHISTORIC PLANET (1966 ) Writer/director: Arthur Pierce.

"My superior officer asked for volunteers for an important expedition -- I thought he said exhibition."

When Cosmos 3, the sister ship of Cosmos 1, crash lands on the planet Solarius, Admiral King (Wendell Corey) disobeys orders and lands on Solarius to search for survivors. Not to be confused with Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women, Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet or Queen of Outer Space (not to mention Prehistoric Women and Untamed Women, for that matter, and other space movies with sexy long-legged aliens), there are no savage groups of space babes or cave gals in the movie. Instead some characters search the planet while encountering assorted dangers -- including a pitiful gecko that is supposed to be a monster [but is at least referred to as a "giant lizard" instead of a dinosaur], and a toy tarantula about the size of a dinner plate -- while in the meantime pretty Linda (Irene Tsu) encounters Tang (Robert Ito) and begins a romance that has a mild touch of charming lyricism to it (as well as a cute chimpanzee). You feel sorry for the actors because the entire cast gives the film a lot more than it deserves. Wendell Corey of Desert Fury certainly deserves a better fate, as does Paul Gilbert, who basically plays the same girl-crazy comedy relief that he did in So This is Paris. "I've been on a diet for seven days and so far all I've lost is a week," he says. John Agar is cast as Dr. Farrell and Glenn Langan of The Amazing Colossal Man appears briefly as the captain of the crashing ship. Keith Larsen is Commander Scott, who doesn't trust Centaurians such as Linda. The music is lifted from a variety of Universal's science fiction films and others. The ending employs the absolutely hoariest of science fiction cliches.

Verdict: Like a bad episode of sixties Star Trek. *1/2.

REVENGE OF THE CREATURE

REVENGE OF THE CREATURE (1955). Director: Jack Arnold.

In this sequel to Creature from the Black Lagoon, the Gill Man is captured at his lagoon in the Amazon and brought to an Oceanarium in Florida where he becomes a star attraction. Professor Clete Ferguson (John Agar) is a scientist who takes a leave of absence from his school just so he can study the creature, while Joe Hayes, (John Bromfield) is one of the men who captured the monster. Helen Dobson (Lori Nelson) is a pretty student who's along for the ride, and gets more than she bargained for when the creature runs off with her. Frankly, Revenge is not nearly as good as the original, although it holds the attention. Nestor Paiva, Neil the adorable chimp, and a young Clint Eastwood all make brief appearances. Taken out of his native habitat, the creature is truly a fish out of water, although the latter half of the film has him undewater for a couple of sequences. The acting is okay for the most part but Lori Nelson seems devoid of any genuine talent. Bromfield also appeared in Three Bad Sisters.

Verdict: Not quite a revenge on the audience. **.

THE MOLE PEOPLE

THE MOLE PEOPLE (1956). Director: Virgil Vogel. 

Explorers and scientists Roger Bentley (John Agar), Jud Bellamin (Hugh Beaumont from Leave it to Beaver) and Etienne LaFarge (Nestor Paiva) wind up in giant caverns which hold the lost civilization of Sumeria. At first they are considered gods by the high priest (Alan Napier of Batman fame), who worships Ishtar, but eventually he realizes the truth and there's trouble. The Sumerians use ugly-looking mole creatures [see photo] as their brutalized slaves, who can dig through the layers of the cavern and who eventually rebel. This is Saturday matinee fare hokum, but it's also entertaining, with atmospheric underground sequences and fine matte paintings. There's no evil queen, but a few babes, including Cynthia Patrick as the sympathetic Adad. Dr. Frank Baxter introduces the movie and is a bore. Agar isn't bad, Paiva is better, and Napier is just swell. Effective musical score [cobbled together from different sources] as well. 

Verdict: More fun that you might expect. ***.

SHIELD FOR MURDER

SHIELD FOR MURDER (1954). Directors: Howard W. Koch; Edmond O'Brien.  

Cop Barney Nolan (Edmond O'Brien, who co-directed) has been on the straight and narrow for most of his career, but when an opportunity comes he takes it, shooting a crook and hiding away the cash that the dead man had on him. He claims the killing was in the line of duty, but a deaf-mute witness says otherwise. Nolan's girlfriend, Patty (Marla English) and Mark Brewster (John Agar), the cop he mentored, have faith in Nolan's innocence but as evidence piles up against him even that faith is tested. Okay crime thriller is kind of weak on characterization, and while the acting is okay, it's not exactly on the subtle side. O'Brien comes off best, as expected, Agar is Agar (although even he has his moments), English makes very little impression, and Emile Meyer as the police captain is so busy chewing the scenery that it hurts just to look at him. Carolyn Jones appears briefly as a slightly drunk gal that Nolan meets in a bar and completely takes over the movie for five minutes. A fast-pace doesn't hurt, but you've seen this all before. Marla English was also in Three Bad Sisters and The She-Creature. 

Verdict: Watch D.O.A. instead. **.

ATTACK OF THE PUPPET PEOPLE

ATTACK OF THE PUPPET PEOPLE (1958). Director: Bert I. Gordon. 

"He turned your fiance into a doll!" 

Gordon, who had already helmed The Amazing Colossal Man and its sequel War of the Colossal Beast -- not to mention The Cyclops -- switched from gigantism to miniaturization in this very lower-case Incredible Shrinking Man. A lonely, dotty toy maker, Mr. Franz (John Hoyt), doesn't like anyone -- even his secretaries -- to leave him, and shrinks them down to doll-size, where they stay in suspended animation in cases until he decides to revive them for parties and the like. [There are hints that Franz has shrunken the old mail man, but we never see the guy thereafter.] Franz' latest victims include receptionist Sally (June Kenny), salesman Bob (John Agar), and Laurie Mitchell, the Queen of Outer Space herself. Franz has an old friend, Emile (Michael Mark), who is a puppeteer, and the climax takes place in a theater where Emile is performing. [Emile is also a bit batty. He suggests that he and Franz have a night cap and says "I'll pick you up at noon." The cinematographer is Ernest Laszlo (!) and the score is by the ever-reliable Albert Glasser. There are a couple of mediocre songs, and an strange little girl who shows up at the toy maker's without any parents in sight. There's some suspense, the pic is watchable, and the effects are typically fair-to-middling. 

Verdict: For those who think small. **1/2.

THE MAGIC CARPET

THE MAGIC CARPET (1951). Director: Lew Landers.

Caliph Ali (Gregory Gaye) is a malevolent ruler and a phony. The real caliph, Abdullah (John Agar), infiltrates Ali's camp by posing as a doctor and curing Ali's hiccups. He also takes on the identity of "The Scarlet Falcon." And we mustn't forget the flying carpet that Abdullah uses now and then just so this mediocre Arabian nights fantasy can have some special effects. The only fun moments in the movie are provided by Lucille Ball as Ali's sister, Princess Narah. "I've been wracked with pain since my accident," she tells the doctor in the inimitable Lucy style. Raymond Burr plays a colleague of Ali's who's hopelessly in love with Lucy. Lucy's encounters with Patricia Medina, who loves Abdullah (whom Lucy merely lusts for) never erupt into out and out cat fights, although Lucy does give Medina a pretty fair slap at one point. Agar is adequate.

Verdict: Watch 7th Voyage of Sinbad instead. *1/2.

DAUGHTER OF DR. JEKYLL

DAUGHTER OF DR. JEKYLL (1957). Director: Edgar G. Ulmer.

On her 21st birthday Janet Smith (Gloria Talbott) brings her fiance George (John Agar) to meet her guardian Dr. Lomas (Arthur Shields) on the latter's spooky estate. There Lomas tells the woman that she is not only a wealthy heiress, but that her father was the notorious Dr. Jekyll (the film takes place in the early part of the 20th century). The film, via Dr. Lomas, posits the theory that Mr. Hyde was actually a werewolf. Does the tendency for lycanthropy exist in Jekyll's daughter? Soon she's having dreams of attacking young women in the woods, waking up bloodied and dirty only to discover that the maid or somebody else got slaughtered. Daughter of Dr. Jekyll seems to have borrowed its basic premise from She-Wolf of London, but on its own terms it's creepy and atmospheric, bolstered by very good performances from Talbott and Shields, who strikes just the right note as the doctor. Even stalwart John Agar isn't bad and Martha Wentworth is memorable as the housekeeper, Mrs. Merchant. One of the murder scenes, of a sexy blond in her home, is inventively staged.

Verdict: Good, absorbing fun. ***.