SING BOY SING

Tommy Sands and Nick Adams

SING BOY SING (1958). Producer/Director: Henry Ephron. Colorized. 

Singer Virgil Walker (Tommy Sands) is becoming a big star with the teenybopper set and his manager, Joseph Sharkey (Edmond O'Brien of The Bigamist), is doing his best to run his career -- and his life. Sharkey is especially concerned that Virgil's revivalist grandfather (John McIntire) will be a bad influence on him, as the old man thinks Virgil's singing and shaking makes him a "sinner." Sharkey's employee, Arnold (Jerry Paris of The Glass Wall), does his best to run interference, but Sharkey really can't tolerate former delivery boy C.K. (Nick Adams), whom a lonely Virgil puts on his payroll and turns into a buddy. When the grandfather has a heart attack, Sharkey tries to prevent Virgil from going home, but the whole gang, including C.K. gets on a plane ... 

Edmond O'Brien and Jerry Paris

It would be easy to assume that Sing Boy Sing is the story of Elvis Presley and manager Colonel Tom Parker, except that Tommy Sands was also a client of Parker's and many of these rags to riches show biz stories have similar elements. Sing Boy Sing is entertaining and its mostly due to the performances. As an actor Sands is better than a singer, and I found his vocal style -- at least in this flick -- to be severely off-putting. O'Brien and Paris are both excellent, and Nick Adams nearly walks off with the movie in his colorful turn as the amiable, Hillbilly-like C.K. Although top-billed with Sands, Lili Gentle makes little impression as his sort-of girlfriend in her brief scenes with him; she made one more movie then retired. (Gentle made a much better impression in the previous year's Young and Dangerous.) 

Tommy Sands as Virgil

Regis Toomey of Burke's Law shows up as Rev. Easton, and Josephine Hutchinson is another cast stand-out as Virgil's aunt, who has a great speech talking of how her father pretty much ruined her life with all his talk of "sin" and won't allow the same thing to happen to Virgil. There are several song numbers in the movie, but they are all pretty much forgettable. Sing Boy Sing was not a "B" movie but a Twentieth-century Fox release in CinemaScope (albeit in black and white). 

Verdict: Despite its flaws and an uneven lead performance, this is an entertaining flick. ***. 

TWILIGHT OF HONOR

Claude Rains and Richard Chamberlain

TWILIGHT OF HONOR (1963). Director: Boris Sagal.  

David Mitchell (Richard Chamberlain) is stunned when Judge Tucker (Edgar Stehli) insists he defend an Army vet, Ben Brown (Nick Adams), accused of murdering the beloved citizen and cop, Cole Clinton (Pat Buttram). David hasn't been in a courtroom in years, and then he was a prosecutor! Forced to take on the case, he consults with his aged mentor, Art Harper (Claude Rains), who agrees to help him. A widower, David draws closer to Harper's smitten daughter, Susan (Joan Blackman), as he prepares his case. He is convinced that even if Brown killed Clinton, it might be a justifiable homicide under New Mexico law if Clinton was sleeping with Brown's wife, Laura (Joey Heatherton). But the question of adultery -- and prostitution -- might test the limits of the angry town's patience, not to mention Clinton's widow, Amy (Jeanette Nolan). But David might be surprised by what Amy tells him outside of court ... but will she repeat it under oath?

Heatherton, Buttram, Adams

Twilight of Honor is a very good and absorbing courtroom drama that benefits from a swift pace, sharp direction, interesting twists, a certain sixties-style frankness, and some excellent performances. Taking time off from his hit medical series, Dr. Kildare, Chamberlain certainly delivers as the impassioned and intelligent, no-nonsense defense attorney. Nick Adams fought hard and spent much money to get a supporting Oscar, and while he was nominated -- and is quite good as well -- his screen time may have simply been too limited, and he lost to Melvyn Douglas. Rains is as good as ever, but perhaps the most impressive performance is from James Gregory (of A Distant Trumpet) as the special prosecutor -- he has a superb turn as a rather slimy character who's out to win at all costs, and makes no bones about it. Joey Heatherton -- introduced in this, her first movie -- proves that she had more than sexiness going for her, and Jeanette Nolan also scores as the widow who knew her husband's peccadilloes all too well. 

Chamberlain with Jeanette Nolan

There are also smaller roles played well by Paul Langton, Pat Buttram (as the victim), Don Barry, Arch Johnson, Edgar Stehli (as the judge), Bert Freed as the sheriff, and George Mitchell as the D.A. Linda Evans, later famous for Big Valley and Dynasty, plays the victim's angry daughter -- her first film as well. The only player who really doesn't impress is Joan Blackman; most of her credits were on television although she also did a couple of films with Elvis and was Jerry Lewis' leading lady in Visit to a Small Planet. Boris Sagal did most of his work for television, but also helmed such features as The Omega Man. 

Verdict: Solid courtroom drama with generally excellent performances. ***1/4. 

DIE, MONSTER, DIE! [SECOND LOOK]

Boris Karloff

DIE, MONSTER, DIE! (aka Monster of Terror/1965). Director: Daniel Haller.

Stephen Reinhardt (Nick Adams) comes to the town of Arkham to see his fiancee, Susan Witley (Suzan Farmer), and discovers that she and her parents, who live on a large, foreboding estate, are shunned by the unfriendly townspeople.  Nahum Witley (Boris Karloff) rolls around in a wheelchair scowling, even though he is capable of walking. His wife, Letitia (Freda Jackson) stays in bed where she hides her face and urges Stephen to take her daughter by the hand and get her the hell out of there ... Did, Monster, Die! is the first adaptation of H. P. Lovecraft's masterful novella The Colour Out of Space, and they essentially make a mess of it. The story has been transplanted from a New England farmhouse, and all that really remains is the meteor that fell to Earth and turned the heath into a no-man's land while simultaneously mutating plants, animals and people, including most of the Witley family. The special effects are uneven, the widescreen cinematography [Paul Beeson] is good, and Karloff gives his customary solid performance in material that is beneath him. Adams [Pillow Talk] plays it in such a gruff manner that you expect him to come out with "dese" and "dem" any minute, and Farmer [Dracula Prince of Darkness] , who was introduced in the picture even though she had many earlier credits, makes little impression. Director Haller, who was originally an art director, handles a few scenes with some suspense and excitement, but the picture on a whole is kind of shoddy and unconvincing. There is a glowing greenhouse, some peculiar-looking animals in cages, and a killer plant that tries to squeeze Susan to death. Later adaptations of the story include The Curse and The Colour Out of Space.

NOTE: I have already reviewed this film once on Great Old Movies, but watched it again after re-reading the Lovecraft story that inspired it; I didn't like the film any better. The original review is here.

Verdict: Lovecraft deserves much better. **. 

DIE, MONSTER, DIE

DIE, MONSTER, DIE (1965). Director: Daniel Haller. 

An extremely disappointing adaptation of H. P. Lovecraft's creepy novella, The Colour Out of Space, this has to do with a man named Stephen Reinhart (Nick Adams) coming to call on his girlfriend Susan (Suzan Farmer) at the isolated English country estate of her father Nahum Witley (Boris Karloff). The movie is very handsomely appointed, and not badly acted, but no amount of CinemaScope and attractive sets can cover up the lack of a decent script. A meteorite has landed near the Witley estate [a shot of the burned out area where it hit the earth and withered everything in the surrounding area is quite effective] and its radiation has mutated animals, plants, and even members of the Witley family, some of whom go bonkers at the climax. The movie is very short but it has a meandering quality that makes it seem longer. Too bad. 

Verdict: Read Lovecraft's original instead. **.