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I watched Night of the Demon and Curse of the Crimson Alter, both on TCM yesterday during their "cult" festival. I've seen the former many times and own the DVD. I haven't seen the latter film in many years. Night (aka Curse) of the Demon (1957) is a great film, and I believe TCM showed the longer, British version (UK and US versions are on my DVD). It's a well known movie with a great cast, directed by Jacques Tourneur, beautifully shot in glorious black-and-white. Although there are those who feel that the demon should not have been shown, I totally disagree. I think it is one of the best demons! And we see it depicted in the various demonology books that are shown anyway. The film also features one of my favorite English actresses: Athene Seyler, who plays Dr. Julian Karswell's mother. (Some might know her from her role as Lady Beatrice in Make Mine Mink.) One annoying aspect of the film: Dana Andrews, who gives a good performance, is just over-the-top rude at the seance. His skepticism goes too far, and he should have kept his mouth shut, out of politeness if nothing else. I do love that seance, and the amusing performance of "Cherry Ripe" which is sung to entice the spirit. The lyrics are by Robert Herrick, who gave us "Gather ye rosebuds..." All in all, a great story and film. Curse of the Crimson Alter aka The Crimson Cult (1968) is a good film, but not particularly special. It echoes themes that have been better presented in other films, e.g. City of the Dead/Horror Hotel, etc. A man goes to a village to look for his missing brother and finds witchcraft. He also finds T-and-A, up close and personal! The film has a great cast, including Boris Karloff in one of his final roles, Christopher Lee, Barbara Steele, and Michael Gough. The leads are Mark Eden and Virginia Wetherell (whose t-and-a are on view). There are loose ends, e.g. that wild party at the beginning, which is sort of a red herring, though I think the producer wanted to give us some titillation. (The Devil Rides Out was made the same year, and it's a more original film, also about demons and witchcraft in the English countryside.) Speaking of the producer, he's Tony Tenser, who produced many great British films, including two of the best British horror films: Witchfinder General and The Blood on Satan's Claw. Tigon Studios gave Hammer a run for its money. I think Witchfinder General is one of the best and perhaps the most tragic horror movie ever made, depicting as it does at the end, the total corruption of good (even the audience is corrupted). It's best seen in the UK print. Tigon's The Blood on Satan's Claw is my favorite of the horror in the English countryside genre. Terrifying at times, with one truly shocking scene. But a word about Disciple of Death (1972), a film I saw long ago but glimpsed briefly recently. It's the lowest of low budget films, it's poorly made, but it has something -- a "je ne sais quoi." It also has, out of the blue, one of the most peculiar (and hilarious) scenes in any horror movie, ever: in the middle of the rural 18th century English countryside, Nicholas Amer as Melchisidech the Cabalist: "Trinity, schminity. This is your kosher, Yiddisher magic." Here's a critic's comment about Disciple of Death: “Disciple of Death is the worst film I have ever seen. It is quite simply a stinker of remarkable ineptitude – featuring the worst performance by a leading man in the history of celluloid (Mike Raven), some truly pitiful special effects, a story which beggars belief and camerawork and direction which… well, I despair." -- Chris Wood Barbara Steele in Curse of the Crimson Alter

Another no vote for the intros/bumpers. Especially bad for Noir Alley. Those bright colors and silly techno muzak would go great with Adventures of Malibu Barbie however. Thoroughly enjoyed Drive a Crooked Mile. My experience with Mickey Rooney is limited to his Andy Hardy stuff and very little of that, so his portrayal of this unassuming, mild mannered mechanic is quite refreshing. It all worked with the possible exception of someone of Dianne Foster's looks making a play for scarface Rooney. She was trying too hard, but on the other hand, maybe she had to in order to crack Rooney's naive shell. The Southern Cal import shop was pure eye candy. MG, Porsche, Jag, all the primary food groups were represented. Then the familiar beach rental, it's still there.

D.O.A.

So, no comments yet on Drive a Crooked Mile? As for the new intro, it is pretty bad. They are joining in with those pushing graphics as a substitute for reality. I don't buy it. The old intro was totally appropriate for Noir Alley as it is about classic film noir, e.g. older movies. Trash the new intro TCM, please. As for Drive a Crooked Mile, I thought it was fairly good, but a little slow in the first half or so. Mickey Rooney did pretty good job in his role, though nothing great. Had a girlfriend in high school who drove a Hillman Minx. Her father was a mechanic at a Ford dealership and probably got a deal on it. Don't know how many times it died on her somewhere. Interesting that the garage in the movie specialized in foreign cars. If it had been set in the South, it would be American cars and the racers and mechanics would be ex-moonshine haulers.

I actually liked DRIVE A CROOKED ROAD. I haven't seen many of Rooney's movies, but I thought he gave a good performance as a lonely naïve average Joe with big dreams. It was predictable. However Kelly and McCarthy were both great as villains and Dianne Foster was the perfect, though reluctant; femme fatale. It won't make my top twenty even though it was entertaining. I too, miss the old intro. It kind of set the mood for Eddie's comments and what is usually a dark movie.

Out of the Past (1947) Woman Without a Face (1947) Sunset Blvd. (1950)

Imagine walking along an inner city street and turning a corner to have some guy whisper, "Pssst. Hey, bud." He looks from one side to the other. "Innarested in a little ... memrobeelya?" He opens his overcoat. "Darraty's slippuhs. $500. Dey're you-ahs."

A Woman's Face 1941 The Big Shot 1942 Laura 1944 Double Indemnity 1944 Spellbound 1945 The Killers 1946 Sorry, Wrong Number 1948

I see that TCM is showing ACTION IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC tomorrow at 5:45pm (EST). This made me think of how this Warner Bros. film benefits from, among other things, lovely character support from one of the studio's great stalwart performers, Alan Hale. In view of that I thought it might be time to revive this old thread devoted to one of the best character actors Hollywood ever had.

LuckyDan: My knowledge of Svengoolie is really only over the last couple of years. I have seen lots of comments here and there about how things were better on the show back in the old days. I assume that's true, but as a vestige of the late night horror show genre, I still find him dopily enjoyable. To tell you the truth, the most off-the-wall bonkers, absolutely insane horror movie show guy was Ron Sweed, known as "The Ghoul." He was out of Cleveland, Ohio; and when I lived in Port Huron, Michigan in the mid-1970's the Ghoul was on our cable line-up. I can't even begin to do justice to this freakshow; you'll just have to look it up and see what you can find out. Simply insane stuff. (Hint: there was a rumor that he was kicked off the air for blowing up a live frog with a firecracker!). Holy Cow! I miss the guy! In the meantime, times being what they are, Svengoolie will do.

When I first glanced at that picture of Olivia I thought momentarily that the topic had turned to Debbie Does Dallas.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan 1982

Related to those red ruby slippers: The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Hollywood will open on Sept. 30th. Today's Sunday L.A. Times has a entire section devote to it. There is an interview with Jacqueline Stewart, Chief Artistic and Programming officer. She calls the slippers the "Mona Lisa" of the museum.

Eddie was right -- Dianne Foster really looked and sounded like Rita Hayworth in DRIVE A CROOKED ROAD, so her appearance sort of dovetails appropriately in a nostalgically noir way with Columbia's tony production values (along with that haunting, modern score) and her role as femme fatale; unfortunately this lushness doesn't mesh with the "low-budget" air of the particular story and Rooney's schlemiel-like character.

You are quite right to chastise me for not mentioning that guy in his thong! Here's a photo that doesn't quite do him justice. Btw, the woman holding what I thought was a chicken is billed as "Girl with Cockerel."

I used to communicate daily with a business associate in Cleveland. Contrary to what many believe there IS a Cleveland accent. Notable tells are the words "mom" and "pizza." Not sure I can relate it with phonetic spellings but it's also in the duration of time for which the vowels are held. Like an extra half-beat. Mahhm. PEET-zaaah. Super long and deep E in pizza.

I wished it would happen and it is! Scott Eyman will be a guest in early October to promote his new book on Darryl F Zanuck and the Fox studio,i have the book on pre-order since early july, out in 2-3 weeks.Zanuck was by far the best mogul of the film era,he could do everything,he was a great editor among other things.Also the most 'vigorous' of the Studio System...😉

I have a schedule overview that lists many of the themes for the month. You can find a summary for October at http://escapepress.com/tcmsched/tcm_overview.html TCM is slowly populating the schedule information. The first 3 weeks are fairly solid now but the rest is still spotty. In addition to horror and Lucy there are also repeating themes for ‘Big Country’ and New Wave films.

Just to say i heard the new 'intro' for Noir Alley again I,.I'am not happy,They removed the original intro,removing the uniqueness of the segment,it was replaced by a generic intro good for ANYTHING...I will check Silent Sundays as the previous one was not as good as the one 2 years ago but i will check what it is tonight. I do not like much in the new look in general sorry.

Even though he didn't have the career that his father had, and will forever be known as the Skipper of TV's GILLIGAN'S ISLAND, I do think that Alan Hale Jr. inherited a lot of his father's charm and charisma. I mean even when he was yelling at Gilligan (which was most of the time and usually with good reason) you just had to love the Skipper because you could tell that he had much affection and devotion to his 'little buddy' even if he did drive him crazy every episode.

Peter O'Toole Next: Garden

A really memorable moviegoing experience took place not in the theater but in the waiting line outside. The movie was Wait Until Dark and, without being a spoiler, there's a famous moment which usually scares the bejeesus out of audiences. It was one of those cases where they weren't letting people in while the movie was in progress and, since the theater was soundproofed, we were all just blissfully chatting and hanging out in line, totally unaware of anything inside. Then came the moment and from that soundproofed theater there came a huge collective scream of fright. Everyone in line went completely stiff with our eyes bugging out of our heads. We all then looked at each other, wondering what the hell we were in for with this movie. I don't think I've ever entered a theater with such trepidation.

Hale didn't seem to come out of his shell until he repeated his role of Little John in Curtiz' ROBIN HOOD. Up until then he was mostly seen as either villainous or pseudo-brutish. Even in OUR RELATIONS with Laurel and Hardy he played it mostly straight. But after ROBIN HOOD all bets were off and his natural charm and gregariousness made him a favorite of co-workers and audiences alike.

I think this one is my favorite of A&C's 1950s films. Boris Karloff is a big part of why I feel that way. His Dr Jekyll is not a very nice guy in this, he is all too happy to change into Mr Hyde to kill his rivals. The Hyde character does not speak and is more animalistic than other portrayals. A&C still take time for some funny bits. I liked the giant mouse scene and where Costello is reunited with Frankenstein's Monster and Dracula in a wax museum. Lou also gets turned into a chubby comedy version of Mr Hyde. The final gag is very funny too. Sven had a funny bit where he plays both Bud and Lou. He had some trivia on the cast, I wish he would have mentioned John Dierkes, who plays Jekyll's menacing lab assistant. He was In Shane that same year, as another menacing character. He was also the preacher in the final shocking scene of X The Man With The Xray Eyes (1963).

Yeah! There are several typical threads that pop up regularly here such as "Movie Memorabilia" you own. I remember one poster here has one of Bowman's 2001 A Space Odyssey space suits. Most impressive. I am in the antiques business & can confidently say they are not desirable to any thief. Values are at an all time low, kids don't "collect" and no one knows how/where to sell the stuff. I have files full of second tier vintage movie posters, lobby cards, etc. collected through the years from dealers at rare film festivals. I've collected formal publicity shots (some autographed) for years and am currently thinning out all my "stuff" on ebay. You can only display so much. I use discarded 35mm trailers to decorate gifts & in collage art. My favorite pieces are props & costuming like a replica Maltese Falcon, an Enterprise plate from a Star Trek movie & a Fedora worn in Seabiscuit. But my vintage film equipment is dearest to my heart- film cans, film reels of all sizes and my coveted Mole Richardson baby spots.

On the old SCTV there was a regular segment called Farm Film Celebrity Blowup with John Candy and Joe Flaherty as hick movie hosts who'd invite a celebrity and blow them up mid-interview. Totally stupid but fun. Also, Flaherty had his own segments as Count Floyd on Monster Chiller Horror Theater and the running joke was his trying to make very mundane plots and characters sound horrifying, because he was stuck showing whatever the station provided to him.

For some reason I expect her to take off that headdress and have bright orange hair like Joan Crawford in Torch Song.

Most of the time, showing the "demon" or "ghost" is deadly to a movie, often it pulls you out of "belief" all you see is a man in a rubber costume or special effect. But something about this movie creates the most startling, memorable reveal of a monster. For years all I could remember is "the monster in the fog on the railroad tracks at the end" of some movie. Rewatching, it still has the same impact. Must be the build-up of pace & editing. I credit Tourneur.

Friendly Fire (1979) An Emmy winning TV movie aired on ABC staring Carol Burnett (in a very convincing dramatic role) and Ned Beatty as an Iowa farm family who learns that their son was killed in Vietnam by friendly fire, based on a real life story.

BLONDE ICE 1948 B movie original film studio is Films Classics (for real!) Directed by Jack Bernhard Leslie Brooks James Griffith. Very good film Noir considered lost for a long time,my print was ok but not the remastered one done in the early 2000's. So i can not compare. Leslie Brooks is a sultry, gorgeous femme fatale.I liked the film but i was not satisfied with the ending. Brooks married one of the actors and stayed married with him for more than 50 years. She was in The Scar with Paul Henreid and Secret of the Whistler.She quit the industry after the Scar in 1948 the same year as Blonde Ice. 7/10

Svengoolie was more fun before he got super big and started attracting higher-end advertisers. He used to have Dr. Jason Buchwald, the pocket hose, all kinds of crap friendly operators were standing by to take your orders for. The full tv kitsch experience.

(1938)

(1940)

I finished watched a 2004 cable mini-series version of FRANKENSTEIN, starring Alec Newman as Victor Frankenstein and Luke Goss as the man-made creation. It's actually quite a good movie. The monster commits a lot of foul deeds, yet he derives no pleasure from it. His acts of vengeance more or less are nothing more than striking out against his creator (or as he puts it, his 'father') for having rejected him. Can't help but pity the creature even if you can't really condone his horrific acts. This version is certainly a lot more faithful to Mary Shelley's original novel than either of James Whale's 2 FRANKENSTEIN movies in the 30's. Though in all fairness, I don't think a faithful adaptation to the story would have worked at the time, they did come out in the midst of the aftermath of the Depression, when folks went to the movies merely to be entertained and forget their troubles. I give it a 9. It also features Donald Sutherland and William Hurt in small, but important roles.

Sounds like my older brother. He thinks he knows everything about everything and has the right to tell us what we should do or not do. Love him, but sheesh he can be too much at times.

Sun., 9-12 SOTM: Paul Robeson.......... times ET 11:45 pm Big Fella (1937) 1h 13m | Drama Big Fella is set on the docks and streets of Marseilles. Paul Robeson stars in the leading role, as a street-wise but honest dockworker who struggles with deep issues of integrity and human values. Elisabeth Welch plays opposite him as a café singer in love with him. Robeson's wife, Eslanda Robeson, appears as the café owner. Director J. Elder Wills Cast Eldon Grant, James Hayter, Paul Robeson ======================================================== Late Sun., 9-12 TCM Imports............ 3:15 am Blind Chance (1981) 2h 2m | Drama The act of catching or missing trains and planes carries our hero into possible futures, in this probe of the elusive mysteries of character and fate. Director Krzysztof Kieslowski Cast Boguslaw Linda, Tadeusz Lomnicki, Zbigniew Zapasie...

Back in the '60s I was able to purchase quite a few '30s and '40s original film lobby cards (as well as a few posters) for next to no money. They weren't considered to have any real value then, unlike the skyrocketing prices some would fetch at auctions today. I still have them. Here are a couple of reproductions of some of the originals I have: In addition, if this also counts, I have dozens of autographs of Golden Era film stars, as well as a recent acquisition of BEAM ENDS, a 1937 novel written by Errol Flynn and signed on its title page by its author. I also have another book, reputedly once owned by Tyrone Power (it has an inscription, dated 1939, to Power on an inside cover by a 20th Century Fox dialogue director who gave it to him, as well as a sticker saying "Property of Tyrone Power." The book is in excellent condition. I have to wonder if it was ever read),

First of all, nobody (with any taste) wears ruby red slippers at night. They send the wrong message. Also it's frightfully infra dig after Labor Day. Second of all, w-h-y are you implying that LuckyDan is a cross-dresser?

The Two Mrs Carrolls

THE EX-MRS. BRADFORD (1936)

I have quite a bit of memorabilia but since she was honored this week by TCM. I have this fantastic photo of EleanorParker by George Hurrell for Esquire magazine issue of May 1942.I have the magazine and the printing proof.I have it in a frame -museum quality etc.I spent good money on special photos in my collection.Parker was 20 years old and just started in film,the display was trifold.It is the most beautiful photo I have ever seen of her.

African killer bees are on their busy little way to Texas. This Irwin Allen schlockfest cannot be ignored, try as one might. Pipe the cast: Richard Widmark, Henry Fonda, Olivia de Havilland, Jose Ferrer, Fred MacMurray, Michael Caine, Ben Johnson, Richard Chamberlain, Brad Dillman, Katherine Ross, Patty Duke Astin, Slim Pickens, Lee Grant. Listen to Widmark ring the changes on "What the HELL is going on?" See Jose Ferrer covered in bees! Watch Fred MacMurray (as Clarence the pharmacist, complete with bow tie) and Ben Johnson vie for the affections of schoolteacher Olivia de Havilland! Rejoice as scientist Henry Fonda (also with bow tie) makes the ultimate sacrifice for humanity! Have your eardrums reverberate with the sound of Michael Caine shouting his way towards a paycheck! Behold lovely Katherine Ross, who as always lets her hair do the acting! Thrill when pregnant Patty Duke Astin experiences labor cramps! Shudder as engineer Slim Pickens threatens to cut off the town's water supply! ("You all are a-gonna not be able to flush your toilets!") Enjoy intrepid news reporter Lee Grant as she endeavors to expose The Truth!

Yes I agree! I am now going through heartbreaking moments with my wife Annie. We have been married for almost 24 years now and out of those 24 years she has had 21 years of major health issues. Diagnosed with Lupus three years after we were married, she had to medically retire from doing the one job she loved the most... being a Hospice Case Manager. She had been in nursing for many years but the last ten as part of Hospice really allowed her to grow and prosper as a medical professional. What followed was many hospitalizations including knee, shoulder and both ankle replacement surgeries. She has had to deal with Osteonecrosis which is a painful and debilitating bone condition, a paralyzed diaphragm brought on by Lupus, Sjögren syndrome which causes the body to loose moisture and drys up skins and glands. Since childhood, she has had epilepsy although through years of medication that has been pretty much abated. Because of her collapsed diaphragm she is on oxygen 24/7. So she has had many health related hospitalizations and has had to endure months away from home in physical rehab. It is really weird that out of five children, and she is the middle child, she has had all of these medical issues while her older brother and sister and two younger sisters have never had any medical issues at all.

Thank you!!! Yes she was lovely. One of the nice things to happen after her passing was that I was able to communicate regularly with her mother. I still am in contact with her to this day, usually on FaceBook. At the time of my first visit on my first spring break in college (spring of 1979) Nancy was engaged to a fellow four years older than she was. At that time and I am sure in different parts of the country even today, many young women get married just out of high school and start having children. I remember telling Nancy during that first visit that she had some very good years ahead of her and that she should try and go to college and see what if anything she could find as far as some sort of career path and not to get married right away. After coming home, a few weeks later I received a letter from her telling me she had broken off her engagement and had enrolled in a junior college near her home. I must have had some influence over her. And what was really funny was that during that visit in a quiet moment with her mother, she told me that she wished that parents could select their daughter's husbands for them. And that if given the chance she would have selected me. The poem from Robert Frost has real meaning to me as far as Nancy was concerned... “I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.” Although in my case had I taken the other road, I would have ended up with Nancy. Ah well, maybe in my next lifetime....

Like, I'm thinking, people who are being conned WANT to believe the con. That's how they get hooked. Maybe Jimmy's character wants so badly to believe, he - and we, seeing through his eyes - overlooks the flaws in the con job and believes what he wants. That also relieves the writer of having to plug plot holes. It's the perfect, convoluted, nonsensical answer.

Orry Kelly and Paul Henreid can do wonders for any woman!

Yes. Loretta is quite good in comedy too. But I grew up watching her on TV with that fabulous Jean Louis wardrobe. Swith, Your turn to keep up the momentum.

Gosh, how I admire you. Oh, but you left us too soon! There is a permanent ache in my heart. Can a fire be quenched and stoked at the same time? That is what happens when I watch recordings of you. I am soothed and hunger for more. And it would be comforting to see you become Emily Latella.--But wait, she's just a character. No relation to reality. Never mind. Gilda Live (1980). Tonight 10:30 p. m., Pacific Time.

Well, Wallach -- the runt, least imposing, and least intimidating of the trio -- had to do something to stand out. For my money, he steals the movie from his rugged, iconic co-stars. He, arguably, has the best line in Leone's epic: "When you have to shoot, shoot. Don't talk." I agree about Lee Van Cleef. He didn't need dialogue to make an impression, stand out, or call attention to himself. His steely eyes and accipitrine features were his claim to fame and fortune. But, when he needed to act, he delivered. For me, Van Cleef's best acting was in El Condor. He invested his character (the wily Jaroo) with humor, sensitivity, craftiness, and murderous villainy -- a laudable, multi-dimensional performance. As for Eastwood: Meh! I was never a fan and never got his popularity.