CLARK GABLE: TORMENTED STAR

CLARK GABLE Tormented Star. David Bret. Carroll and Graf; 2007.

It shouldn't be any secret today that many of Hollywood's most famous stars were privately homosexual, and while this may bother some people, a biographer has the right and obligation to be honest about his subject's sexuality. It's the 21st century, after all, and homophobic reactions are dated, to say the least. But there is a big difference between books like Andre Soare's bio of Ramon Navarro and James Robert Parish's tome on Katharine Hepburn and books like this one. Clark Gable may well have been bisexual (as Bret claims) or even a Don Juan homosexual with one sham marriage after another, but as this bio has no source notes or interviews with those in the know, it won't convince anybody of anything. According to Bret virtually everyone in Hollywood is bisexual. While this should be a juicy read, its rag tag collection of unsubstantiated gossip eventually becomes annoying and even tedious. A good book may yet be written about Gable and Hollywood hypocrisy over homosexuality, but this isn't it. There are some good passages, but the whole project has a sensational-at-any-cost feel and is a far cry from serious journalism. Too bad.

Verdict: Don't bother. *1/2.

WAY OUT WEST

WAY OUT WEST (1937). Director: James W. Horne.

Laurel and Hardy arrive in a small western town to deliver a deed to a gold mine to a young lady, Mary (Rosina Lawrence), whose father has died. Bar owner Mickey Finn (James Finlayson) has his wife Lola (Sharon Lynne/Lynn) pretend to be Mary so they can steal away the deed. Although initially fooled, the boys eventually get wise and do their best to get the deed back and do right by Mary. There's a lot of very funny stuff in Way Out West but many sequences go on much too long and the music is much too obtrusive. Doing a parody of It Happened One Night, Stan hitches a ride on a passing coach by lifting his pants leg! The best moments in the film are when the boys dance and sing (generally with The Avalon Boys) such numbers as "The Trail of the Lonesome Pine" and "Commence to Dancin'." Their charming rendition of "We're Going to Go (to Dixie)" is the film's highlight.

Verdict: A lot of fun if very imperfect. **1/2.

PARDON MY SARONG

PARDON MY SARONG (1942). Director: Erle C. Kenton.

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello are city bus drivers who wind up driving their bus out of town for a wealthy yachtsman (Robert Paige) in a hurry, then -- wanted by the police -- become his crew, only to become lost in a gale. Along for the ride is a pretty gal played by a snappy Virginia Bruce. On a small uncharted island the group runs into natives and comes afoul of Lionel Atwill, who is trying to get his hands on a sacred ruby and brooks no interference from anyone. Pardon My Sarong starts out promisingly, with some funny routines by the boys, but once they go to sea the story becomes uninvolving and the gags are silly even by A&C standards. Bruce tries to liven things up but hasn't enough to do, and Lionel Atwill is completely wasted in a nothing part. Leif Ericson does a fine job as a native who's in love with a gal who falls for Lou, and Irving Bacon (Ethel's father on the classic "Ethel's Hometown" episode of I Love Lucy) is great as an exasperated gas station attendant. William Demarest is also good as a detective who tries to nab Bud and Lou. A nightclub scene features some talented Black entertainers: The Four Inkspots and Tip, Tap and Toe. Nan Wynn is the native girl who inexplicably falls for Costello. The film ends with Costello acting heroically in a way that is somewhat out of character for him.

Verdict: Some amusing bits but painfully stupid at times. **.

DRACULA (1931)

DRACULA (1931). Director: Tod Browning. Adapted from the Hamilton Deane play taken from Bram Stoker's novel. Photographed by Karl Freund.

77 years after its release Dracula seems a bit stately and campy, but it does have its eerie moments courtesy of the basic premise, Karl Freund's atmospheric photography, and some great (if somewhat overdone) sets, such as the great castle with its cavernous, crumbling entrance hall (complete with armadillos, no less!) and the staircase with its huge, almost comical spider web. At first the great Bela Lugosi seems mannered and slow, but he remains a fascinating performer, and his interpretation of the vampire will probably remain definitive. The movie is rather slow-moving and cries out for music. Helen Chandler, David Manners, Edward Van Sloan (as Van Helsing) and the other actors are competent, but don't really make that much of an impression. Dwight Frye's maniacal performance as the likable lad, Renfield, whom Dracula turns into a blithering mad man is certainly inescapable, however -- and more or less effective. Followed by Dracula's Daughter.

A Spanish version with different actors was made on the same sets at the same time.

NOTE: A version of Lugosi's Dracula with a new score by Philip Glass is available on DVD. Glass' score is uneven, sometimes adding tension and other times inappropriate and distracting. It is performed by the Kronos Quartet and is not a symphonic score, which would have made more sense but also been much more expensive. NOTE: Photographer Freund later directed The Mummy.

Verdict: Creaky but somewhat memorable. **1/2.

DRACULA (1931) Spanish Version

DRACULA (1931). Director: George Melford.

Shot concurrently on the same sets as the Bela Lugosi version, this Spanish version has a completely different cast. While certain long shots from the Lugosi version (shot by Karl Freund) are used, most of this Spanish version was shot by George Robinson. Carlos Villar (pictured) isn't bad in the title role but has unfortunately hammy facial expressions when he is supposed to be at his most frightening. Lupita Tovar is a bit more animated as "Eva" than Helen Chandler was as Mina. Barry Norton is about on the same level as David Manners, charming and competent if little else. As Renfield, Pablo Alvarez Rubio is very effective and not quite as overblown as Dwight Frye. Some of the scene stagings are different from the Lugosi version, but this version also cries out for music and is rather slow-moving (as well as almost half an hour longer!)

Other differences: Renfield accidentally cuts himself with a knife while slicing chicken instead of with a paper clip, which makes more sense (and delivers more blood). When this happens Dracula is not all the way across the room but is only a couple of feet from Renfield. The vampire women (different actresses from those seen in the earlier long shot, taken from the Lugosi film) get at Renfield instead of Dracula. In the Spanish version Dracula does not approach a beggar girl in the street and attack her. At the concert hall, the dialogue between Dracula, Mina and the others occurs while the concert is still going on, a stupid variation. The most important difference is in the staging of the final scene underground, including the murder of Renfield (which is a bit more exciting) and everything that happens afterward. Everything is better than in the Lugosi version, especially the last shot as the survivors ascend the stairs. It's a bit odd, however, that Dracula leaves his coffin open (it's closed in the other version), but then we have to wonder how in either version he could ever have imagined that Van Helsing wouldn't be able to come upon him in his coffin easily, and why he didn't therefore retreat into the darkest corners of the cellar and plan a counter-attack?

Verdict: Interesting variation on a Hollywood classic. **1/2.

THE MUMMY

THE MUMMY (1932). Director: Karl Freund.

Boris Karloff plays "Ardath Bey," actually a mummy (High Priest Im-ho-tep) who awakened after 3700 years and wants to be reunited with the reincarnation of his beloved, Princess Anck-es-en-Amon or Helen Grosvenor (Zita Johann). Aside from the first scene, Karloff is never seen in mummy wrappings, and doesn't stalk around -- he uses psychic powers to draw people to him or give them heart attacks. None of the modern-day characters ever ask this ancient figure a single question about his fascinating life centuries before; they only think of him as "evil" even before he kills anyone. [Im-ho-tep had committed sacrilege by trying to bring his beloved back to life and was buried alive.] Karloff gives an intense performance, and Zita Johann, while rather unusual-looking, is quite good as well. Edward Van Sloan and David Manners are about the same as ever. Universal gets credit for an interesting idea and a new "monster," but The Mummy is slow and unexciting. Atmospheric photography and music by Charles Stumar and James Dietrich respectively. Karl Freund was a famous German cinematographer before emigrating to America -- this was his first directorial assignment (after photographing the Bela Lugosi Dracula) and he wasn't up to the challenge.

V

erdict: Classic, perhaps, but still not that great. **.

FRANKENSTEIN

FRANKENSTEIN (1931). Director: James Whale.

Made the same year as Dracula, this is a much more successful and entertaining film, although, like Dracula, it takes great liberties with its source material. The performances are all good, with Colin Clive properly manic and intense as the obsessed Henry Frankenstein, and Mae Clarke appealing as his troubled fiancee. Although his performance mostly consists of pantomime, Boris Karloff is superb as the monster. Dwight Frye is perhaps more effective as the helpful if psychotic hunchback Fritz than he was as Renfield in Dracula. John Boles, Edward Van Sloan, and Frederick Kerr are all good as, respectively, family friend Victor Moritz, Dr. Waldman, and Baron Frankenstein, who serves as a bit of comedy relief (mercifully there isn't too much of it in the film).The scenic design is excellent and atmospheric, and the movie is very fast-paced. Bernhard Kaun's music for the opening and closing credits is good; one wishes there had been music all through the film, which cries out for it. An interesting aspect of the picture is that Henry Frankenstein goes completely unpunished for his grave-robbing and assorted malfeasances as well as the deaths caused by his rampaging monster! Followed by Bride of Frankenstein.

Verdict: Classic Universal horror. ***.

ATOM MAN VS. SUPERMAN

ATOM MAN VS. SUPERMAN (1950). 15 Chapter Columbia serial. Director: Spencer Bennet.

Superman not only has to contend with the villainy of Lex Luthor, but Luthor's “ally” Atom Man who wears a silly concealing helmet. Even the kids had no trouble figuring out who Atom Man really was. Luthor has mastered a teleportation device that sends his henchmen back to his cave hide out before they can be captured, and can also speed any of his enemies, Superman included, into a vast space Luthor calls “the empty doom.” Luthor also uses an explosive ray gun and an earthquake device to try to bring down the Daily Planet building and Metropolis itself. Superman is shown to fly via cartoon animation [aside from in close ups] but this is more effective than expected. At one point the “real” Superman is shown riding a missile that is aimed for the Daily Planet building. Lex Luthor is played by a comparatively bland Lyle Talbot, but Kirk Alyn isn't bad at all as Clark Kent and Superman. Noel Neill is a perfect Lois Lane, both sweet and spunky and never a bitch. Pierre Watkin is fine as a very petulant Perry White.

Verdict: Moderately entertaining serial is not one of the best but there have certainly been worse. **1/2.

THE PHANTOM (1943)

THE PHANTOM (1943). 15 chapter Columbia serial. Director: B. Reeves Eason.

Tom Tyler (Adventures of Captain Marvel) stars as The Phantom, or more accurately, the son of the aged original Phantom who has him take over when he's downed by a poison blow dart. In addition to some scientists searching for a lost city containing a treasure – the map has been divided into seven sections – The Phantom has to contend with a bunch of murderous gunrunners, not to mention the usual native uprisings. The Phantom leaves a skull mark on the cheeks of those he defeats in battle and can create illusions in the minds of his foes. We are also introduced to the most unprepossessing jungle “goddess” --actually a fire princess – ever seen in the movies; it turns out that she's a phony and is actually a cheap dancer. There are some more than acceptable cliffhangers – an alligator approaches The Phantom as he struggles to escape quicksand, and there's a battle high on a rope bridge which snaps – and some intriguing cinematic interplay between a quick-killing gunsel and his very angry – and equally homicidal – employer. All in all, however, The Phantom is a bit disappointing and is only a fair-to-middling serial. Jeanne Bates is the heroine. Tyler is not bad at all as The Phantom. He also played the mummy in The Mummy's Hand.

Verdict: Has its moments. **1/2.

THE GREEN ARCHER

THE GREEN ARCHER (1940). 15 chapter Columbia serial. Director: James W. Horne.

Victor Jory adds a little class as the star of this cliffhanger, but The Green Archer can in no way be compared to the far superior Shadow, which also starred Jory. Jory doesn't play the title role this time, which is another problem. The story revolves around an old castle full of secret passages and trapdoors where a smooth villain named Abel Bellamy (James Craven) has framed his brother and taken over the place as headquarters for his nefarious activities. He even goes so far as to wreck the train taking his brother to prison in order to kill him. Bellamy imprisons his sister-in-law and spends the next fourteen chapters trying to outwit, confound or murder his brother's friend Spike Holland (Jory), an insurance investigator. In the meantime there are not one but two masked archers who are up to mischief. One, whose identity we know, is working for the bad guys. The other, whose identity is secret [although anyone over the age of five can figure out who it is] mysteriously shows up on the side of the angels now and then. There are some good scenes in The Green Archer, but it never quite recovers from the fact that the title character – unlike Batman, Superman, The Shadow etc. -- is a complete and rather colorless cypher. Highlights include a very well-done sequence featuring a most uncomfortable-looking Jory trying to stay well beneath some descending spikes; his fall out of a high window, which is broken by an awning; and an underground trap that rapidly fills with water. The exciting conclusion has most of the good guys trapped on a slowly crumbling shelf atop a fiery pit! There's a feisty lady gang member who doubles as a housekeeper, and a likable gunsel named Dinky. [In fact The Green Archer benefits from a large cast of talented character actors; Iris Meredith is the heroine.] Based on a novel by Edgar Wallace.

Verdict: Not one of the all-time great serials but not entirely without merit, either. **1/2.

SECRET AGENT X-9 (1945)

SECRET AGENT X-9 (1945). 13 chapter Universal serial. Directed by Ray Taylor and Lewis D. Collins.

This is the second serial adapted from the comic strip "Secret Agent X-9." The action takes place mostly on Shadow Island, “the only neutral territory in Asia,” during World War 2. The villainess is not some sexy Asian doll, but is made up to be a plain-faced, skulking, matronly type named Nabura [Victoria Horne, who is at least a good actress]; the heroine, Jan Wiley, is rather luscious, however. (Wiley was also in Dick Tracy vs. Crime Inc. and She-Wolf of London.) Lloyd Bridges was never much of an actor, and he makes one of the least memorable serial heroes of all time. Smirking his way through all thirteen chapters, he seems less dashing than disinterested, and is simply not cut from the heroic mold. Keye Luke, however, is notable as a suitably brave Chinese agent. A scene with a moving floor is more comical than thrilling; in fact, the serial on a whole is rather dull, slow and almost pitiful in spots, definitely not a high point in chapterplay history. Universal may have turned out some of the worst cliffhanger serials of all (although there were exceptions). This one just lacks punch, although the theme music is gripping and terrific.

Verdict: Too bad everything else is so blah. *1/2.

THE DEVIL'S BROTHER

THE DEVIL'S BROTHER (1933). Director: Hal Roach.

Auber's 1830 opera has been turned into an amusing semi-musical romp with Laurel and Hardy stepping in for two bumpkins in the original work. After being robbed of their life savings, the boys decide to become thieves themselves, but make the mistake of trying to hold up Fra Diavolo (The Devil's Brother), the most infamous bandit in the land. Sparing their lives, Diavolo turns the two into his servants as -- in disguise as the somewhat fopposh Marquis de San Marco -- he attempts to discover where Lady Pamela (Thelma Todd) has hidden her husband's fortune. This leads to many complications at the Inn where all the principals are gathered. Laurel and Hardy are as wonderful as ever, Todd is amusing, and Dennis King outstanding as the sinister singing bandit. Very little of Auber's music is actually used.

Verdict: Very pleasant L&H feature. ***.

MORAN OF THE LADY LETTY

MORAN OF THE LADY LETTY (1922); Director: George Melford.

"Moran" ( Dorothy Dalton) is the tomboy daughter of a sea captain and Ramon Laredo (Rudolph Valentino) is a rich boy who's tiring of his aimless life of booze and cotillions. When Ramon is shanghaied by a group of pirates led by Kitchell (Walter Long), they come upon Moran's father's boat, where everyone has been killed by coal gas except for her. Naturally Moran and Ramon fall in love. The life of pirates is rather sanitized in this fairly stupid and somewhat boring silent movie. The performances by Dalton, Valentino and Long are excellent and natural, however.

Verdict: Not a particularly convincing nor compelling romance. *1/2.

BEYOND PARADISE The Life of RAMON NAVARRO

BEYOND PARADISE: The Life of RAMON NAVARRO. Andre Soares. St. Martin's Press; 2002.

A solid, well-researched, exhaustive look into the life of Ramon Navarro, who became a star during the silent era (Ben-Hur), made a few memorable and unmemorable movies throughout the sound era, then had career and alcohol problems for the rest of his life. Soares wants to make sure that the details of his murder (which were grossly sensationalized) don't overshadow the man's life and art. Although it is clear that in many ways Novarro was the typical egotistical, self-absorbed Movie Star, Soares also sympathetically explores the likable aspects of Novarro's character, as well as his romantic and sexual life, and his unlikely attempts to be taken seriously as a singer. Navarro, while homosexual, did not marry a woman as many other gay male stars did, but due to his Catholic upbringing was conflicted over his orientation. Soares also provides details about his death, including comments from his killers.

Verdict: Absorbing read. ***1/2.

THE LAW OF THE TROPICS

THE LAW OF THE TROPICS (1941). Director: Ray Enright.

Jim Conwoy (Jeffrey Lynn, pictured) works for a rubber company in the Amazon and is anxiously awaiting the arrival of the woman he's to marry. When she changes her mind and never arrives, he winds up married to woman-on-the-run Joan Madison (Constance Bennett), an entertainer in a nightclub, who accompanies him back to his stomping grounds and pretends to be the original fiancee. But a lawman is poking around asking questions... Lynn and Bennett make a good team and give good performances in a very entertaining light romance and drama which has some mild suspense to it as well. Regis Toomey is a married co-worker's of Lynn's, and Craig Stevens plays the boss' obnoxious son. Paul Harvey is the equally obnoxious father, who finds he's no match for Bennett.

Verdict: Minor but snappy. ***.

SCREAM OF FEAR aka TASTE OF FEAR

SCREAM OF FEAR (1961). Also known as Taste of Fear. Director: Seth Holt.

Penny (Susan Strasberg) arrives in France to live with her stepmother Jane (Ann Todd) and her father, whom she hasn't seen in ten years. She is befriended by the handsome chauffeur, Bob (Ronald Lewis), who kindly listens to her tales of strange goings on in the villa, including sightings-by-night of her father's dead body. Could her stepmother be cooking something up with the doctor (Christopher Lee) who frequently comes to dinner? This is a nice, suspenseful thriller with several neat twists, courtesy of screenwriter Jimmy Sangster, and good acting from the leads. While the story may not hold up under close scrutiny, it makes for an effective mystery, with a nifty sequence in a pool.

Verdict: You may not scream but it is entertaining nevertheless. ***.

WALK SOFTLY STRANGER

WALK SOFTLY STRANGER (1950). Director: Robert Stevenson.

Chris Hale (Joseph Cotten) is a small time gambler and hood who enters into a relationship with crippled beauty Elaine Corelli (Alida Valli) in a small midwestern town. He becomes a surrogate son for his kindly landlady, Mrs. Brentman (Spring Byington), and holds up a casino with a buddy, Whitey Lake (Paul Stewart). This character study of redemption through love holds the attention and has interesting facets, but it doesn't quite work as either drama or thriller, and the romance between the two leads is never quite convincing. However the acting is, for the most part, quite good -- Byington and Stewart come off best, in fact -- and there's a suspenseful car ride sequence near the end. Adroitly directed by Stevenson, and with a pleasing score by Friedrich Hollaender. Although Valli is not Ingrid Bergman and isn't exactly passionate in her playing, her performance in this is decent and Cotton is as solid as ever. Future talk show host Jack Paar is pleasant as a co-worker of Cotten's. 

Verdict: At least it's different. **1/2.

BEYOND THE ROCKS

BEYOND THE ROCKS (1922). Director: Sam Wood.

Theodora Fitzgerald (Gloria Swanson) is married off to a much older man, Josiah Brown (Robert Bolder). He's kind to her, she's a good wife, but along comes Lord Bracondale (Rudolph Valentino, pictured) who falls for her and awakens in her strong feelings of romantic passion. Bracondale had saved Theodora's life on two previous occasions, making him not just romantic in her eyes but downright heroic. This triangle situation (based on a novel by Elinor Glyn) was probably nothing new even in 1922, but Beyond the Rocks is touching, beautifully acted by the three leads, especially Swanson, and has many memorable sequences, particularly the suspenseful scene when Theodora nearly falls off a cliff. Call it hokey and sentimental it you like, but it works. A new score by Henry Vrienten (as well as a few sound FX) adds immeasurably to the drama's emotional impact. Well photographed and directed as well.

Verdict: Good (mostly) silent show! ***1/2.

THE ATOMIC SUBMARINE

THE ATOMIC SUBMARINE (1959). Director Spencer G. Bennet. 

Something in the Arctic circle is destroying ships and submarines, so the atomic sub Tiger Shark is sent to investigate. Dick Foran is the captain of the ship, upon which we also find Commander "Reef" Holloway (Arthur Franz) and Dr. Carl Neilson (Brett Halsey), who operates a new "depth explorer" that figures in the action. Reef can't stand Carl, whom he sees as a peacenik whose attitudes caused strain for his father, Reef's friend. The film makes the point that one doesn't have to be militaristic or a war-mongerer to be brave. However, the real point of the film is the underwater flying saucer they dub "cyclops" -- it turns out the spaceship is a living being, in fact -- that contains a huge, one-eyed monstrous alien with telepathic powers and several wriggling tentacles. The sets are sparse, economical, and clever, and the music (possibly Alexander Laszlo) suitably weird and eerie. Joi Lansing plays Reef's sexy date and Tom Conway is a scientist. Jack Mulhall, who plays the Secretary of Defense, was in serials The Clutching Hand and The Three Musketeers. 

Verdict: Cheap and irresistible. **1/2.

MARIHUANA

MARIHUANA (1936). Director: Dwain Esper. NOTE: Marijuana is spelled with an "h" in the film's title.

Burma Roberts (Harley Wood) is a young woman with sibling rivalry issues and a horny boyfriend, Dick (Hugh McArthur). When older men pass around marijuana joints, it starts Burma down the road to self-destruction. Marijuana seems the least of Burma's problems, frankly, but the movie blames weed on virtually every social ill of the century and overstates the problem in an effort to make a clear exploitation film seem socially responsible. Meanwhile word of mouth probably got a lot of guys to go see the scene when high-on-maryjane gals doff their clothes and run into the surf buck naked (we see their naked breasts from the front, and their completely nude bodies from behind). Without the pretentious anti-drug aspects and with a stronger script this might have amounted to a decent enough melodrama. There are a couple of interesting plot twists, and Wood gives a not-bad performance, which is also true of Hugh McArthur and other supporting players. Wood appeared in a number of movies after this, but McArthur had few other credits.

Verdict: Minor-league on all counts, but more entertaining than it has any right to be. **1/2.

THE ADVENTURES OF DR. FU MANCHU -- TV

THE ADVENTURES OF DR. FU MANCHU (1956). Television series.

Only 13 episodes of this series. produced by the TV division of Republic Pictures, aired in 1956, which is too bad because the show is a lot of fun. William Witney, who also directed Republic's serial Drums of Fu Manchu, directed about half of the episodes, which probably have more action in them than usual. Glen Gordon is quite good as the evil doctor, a rather handsome Fu Manchu, even if he doesn't look especially Oriental. Lester Matthews is an effective Sir Denis Nayland Smith, Fu's greatest adversary, but Clark Howat, who plays John Petrie (of the Surgeon General's office) is bland and forgettable. Carla Balenda is better as his assistant, Betty Leonard, and Laurette Luez adds a little spice as Fu's sexy mistress and helpmate Karamaneh. John George rounds out the weekly cast as Kolb, an evil midget who works for Fu.

As with the serial and films, Fu Manchu is not presented as the more dimensional and fascinating character of Sax Rohmer's novels, but simply as a comic book villain. Four of the series' episodes are available on DVD. In "The Prisoner of Dr. Fu Manchu" (the first episode) a peace delegate (Leonard Strong) from the Far East in town for a conference is replaced by a double, and Betty is mesmerized into trying to kill the original. Morris Ankrum plays an inventor who is to demonstrate his new device at the conference. In episode 2, "The Golden God of Dr. Fu Manchu," Fu steals gold bullion from a wrecked train, and orders a court-martialed soldier who's working with him (Rick Vallin) to murder a woman who turns out to be the wife he abandoned. Vallin and Jean Willes as the wife give solid performances. At one point Fu tortures another man with a red hot bar of gold. Keye Luke appears in this episode.

In episode 9, "The Death Ships of Dr. Fu Manchu," the doctor injects deadly germ cultures into melons in the hopes of having the U.S. accused of bacteriological warfare. In episode 11, "The Master Plan of Dr. Fu Manchu," Fu kidnaps a plastic surgeon and forces him to change the features of a man who turns out to be Adolph Hitler. Much of the action takes place on Der Fuhrer's island hideout and has to do with a cyclotron that will made America's atomic weapons ineffective. Steven Geray, who appeared in episode 1 as another character, is excellent as Hitler-with-a-New-Face. Fu kills one guy with a nasty "Tarantula Magda" spider. It's hard to believe, however, that Fu Manchu would be especially interested in an alliance with Hitler.

The show is decidedly atmospheric, basically well-written and well-acted, and has an excellent (uncredited) musical score as well. Hopefully the remaining episodes will be available on DVD one day. In the meantime, Rohmer's novels, generally creepier and more chilling than the series, are worth looking for on ebay and elsewhere.

Verdict: Lots of fun. ***.

HUNGRY HILL

HUNGRY HILL (1947). Director: Brian Desmond Hurst.

Episodic family saga based on a novel by Daphne Du Maurier. The Brodricks and the Donovans have been feuding for years over a piece of property and matters aren't helped when the patriarch of the former family builds a copper mine on the very spot. The rivalry over the Brodrick brothers (primarily over Fanny Rose, played by Margaret Lockwood, pictured) is taken up by the next generation when the two sons of Fanny and John Brodrick also come to blows over a woman. Jean Simmons plays Jane Brodrick with her customary charm. Despite mine floods, riots, explosions, fires, love triangles and fights, the movie is slow and dull, dull, dull. It's like a Hollywood epic without the big names, charismatic stars, and that certain panache, although a few scenes are well-staged and its not badly acted. It seems to run three hours long, however.

Verdict: Could replace your sleeping pills.*1/2.

THE AMAZING TRANSPARENT MAN

THE AMAZING TRANSPARENT MAN (1960). Director: Edgar G. Ulmer.

Sinister Major Krenner (James Griffith) and tough moll Laura Matson( Marguerite Chapman) break Joey Faust (Douglas Kennedy) out of prison so he can steal nuclear material for them after being turned invisible. Krenner forces old Dr. Ulof (Ivan Triesault) to work for him by holding his daughter Maria (Carmel Daniel) captive. Krenner hopes to eventually build an army of invisible soldiers. Faust has other ideas of what to do with his new-found ability. Short, fast-paced and well-acted, with good FX work, The Amazing Transparent Man is fun and unpredictable with some suspenseful and exciting sequences. NOTE: Chapman did a lot of television work, appeared in a few movies, and was also in the serial Spy Smasher. Kennedy, who's very effective in the film, was also in The Alligator People and Invaders from Mars. Griffith also appeared in The Vampire (1957). Triesault played the dead Professor Göteborg in Journey to the Center of the Earth.

Verdict: Cheap but snappy. ***.

A STOLEN LIFE

A STOLEN LIFE (1946). Director: Curtis Bernhardt.

Kate Bosworth (Bette Davis) falls for a handsome lighthouse keeper named Bill (Glenn Ford) but he finds that her twin sister Pat has a little more "frosting" on her and marries the latter, devastating Kate. This is an interesting study of unrequited love with a little melodrama thrown in for good measure. Despite some trenchant dialogue, this is essentially a pure soap opera and it's perfectly swell on that level. Davis is fine and successfully limns two separate personalities as Kate and Pat. Ford merely has to look cute and be pleasant and this he does adroitly. Walter Brennan is his usual peppery self as the other "elderly" lighthouse keeper (Brennan was only 52 at the time!) and Charlie Ruggles scores as the twins' wise and compassionate cousin. Dane Clark is okay as the bitter starving artist Karnock but frankly it would have been wiser to forget about him and show us scenes of domestic discord with Bill and Pat -- that certainly would have been more fun. Bruce Bennett has a small role as one of Pat's extracurricular interests. A bit on the slow side at times, but the photography by Sol Polito and Ernest Haller is excellent, as is Max Steiner's score. The FX blending the two sisters together -- Davis acting with herself (and doing very well!) -- are very well executed and seamless.

Verdict: Handsomely produced soaper. ***.

FLYING DEUCES

FLYING DEUCES (1939). Director: A. Edward Sutherland.

Ollie proposes to French waitress Georgette (Jean Parker), unaware that she already has a husband, Francois (Reginald Gardiner). Broken-hearted, he decides to commit suicide, and Stan -- who'd be lost without him -- has to take the plunge into the Seine (where a shark is somehow on the loose) with him. But they wind up in the foreign legion instead, where they have to deal with a jealous Francois and a stern commandant (Charles Middleton, better-known as Ming the Merciless). Not a classic by any means, but this does have many amusing moments, especially the mountain of laundry! Stan makes like Harpo Marx and plays the bed springs of a mattress like a harp at one point. Amusing wind-up.

Verdict: Mostly for L & H enthusiasts; all others beware. **1/2.

ABBOTT AND COSTELLO IN HOLLYWOOD

ABBOTT AND COSTELLO IN HOLLYWOOD (1945). Director: S. Sylvan Simon.

Some great gags and funny sequences tied to a plot in which barbers Bud and Lou decide to become agents when they see a Hollywood hopeful, Jeff Parker (Robert Stanton), being treated miserably by the system. Frances Rafferty is an actress who also wants to help Jeff, and Jean Parker a manicurist who hopes to become a star even as Lou hopes she'll give him a date. Carleton G. Young is the established star who's threatened by Jeff's abilities, and Donald MacBride is the bristling head of the studio. Lucille Ball appears briefly as herself. Highlights include a protracted scene wherein Lou is mistaken for a movie dummy; a bit where he tries to beat insomnia by listening to a soothing voice on a record; and the climactic chase on a roller coaster. Bud Abbott, an excellent straight man, has a nice scene where he gets all cracked up when he thinks his buddy Lou is dead.

Verdict: Not a classic, but entertaining and amusing. **1/2.

S.O.S. COAST GUARD

S.O.S. COAST GUARD (1937). 12-chapter Republic Serial. Directed by William Witney and Alan Jones.

Ralph Byrd is Lt. Terry Kent of the Coast Guard, whose younger brother is murdered while trying to capture the sinister Boroff (Bela Lugosi), who has come to the United States with a formula for a deadly disintegration gas. Maxine Doyle is the intrepid female reporter Jean Norman and Lee Ford is her photographer, Snapper McGee. The music and the pacing help keep things lively in this otherwise second-tier serial with Byrd outwitting the efforts of Lugosi and his gang for chapter after chapter. In one amusing scene Boroff directs his muscular henchman Thorg to shave his master's beard off. Instead of first using a scissors to snip off most of the hair, Thorg covers the entire beard with shaving cream! To his men's incredulity Boroff seems to think the loss of his beard will be a suitable disguise, but naturally neither Byrd nor anyone else recognizes the evil figure. Boroff's henchmen seem smarter than he is. Boroff has no problem with anyone photographing crates full of his disintegration gas, but one of his men reminds him that the radioactive properties of the gas will fog the film, giving away the game. Despite its fairly standard quality, S.O.S. Coast Guard does have some exciting sequences, such as an underwater battle between Byrd and Thorg, and a scene when Byrd rapidly trails a truck which itself is trailing a vapor of disintegration gas. Snapper McGee is meant to be comedy relief but he just isn't particularly funny. Thorg has a great reaction when he's shot by a terribly ungrateful Boroff at the end.

Verdict: Some fun with Byrd and Bela! **1/2.

THE WASP WOMAN (1959)

THE WASP WOMAN (1959). Director: Roger Corman.

Very entertaining low-budget horror pic with a terrific lead performance from Susan Cabot as Janice Starling, the head of a troubled cosmetics empire. 40-year-old Starling, who was spokeswoman and chief model when she was younger, figures the answer to sagging sales is to get her youth back, which she does by employing wasp enzymes cultivated by Eric Zinthrop (Michael Mark, who appeared in everything from the original Frankenstein and sequels to Letter from an Unknown Woman). Unfortunately, the injections have the unforeseen side effect of turning her into a hideous, clawed monstrosity with a thirst for blood. Bruno VeSota of Attack of the Giant Leeches fame is one of the victims, and there's a nifty scene when The Wasp Woman attacks a screaming nurse. Anthony (Fred) Eisley is one of the board members and Barboura Morris is appealing as Starlin's secretary. Lynn Cartwright is fun as a receptionist named Maureen who is always bitching about her boyfriend, Irving (she was one of the Venusian gals in Queen of Outer Space). When Janice starts losing her youth you almost start to feel sorry for her. Fred Katz's musical score is effectively jangling.

Verdict: Cheap but zesty. ***.