scsu1975

(the restoration of this thread continues) The Atomic Submarine (1959) Directed by Spencer G. Bennet (originally posted here: http://forums.tcm.com/index.php?/topic/23828-the-atomic-submarine/) Not horrible, just not good. Might be subtitled Voyage to the Bottom of the Barrel, although this sub doesn't rock nearly as much as the "Seaview" did. Mysterious disasters are occurring in the Arctic, so the Navy sends their best sub, led by Dick Foran, to investigate. The cast is a cross-section of stereotypes - Arthur Franz as the ladies' man, Brett Halsey as the pacifist scientist, Tom Conway as a Nobel Prize winner, and an all-too-brief bit by the lovely Joi Lansing as a blonde chick. The source of the problem? A flying saucer, with a one-eyed pilot. Here, Arthur Franz is about to "fire one" at Joi Lansing, but duty will call in a few moments. Bob Steele looks over Sid Melton, and wonders, as I did, how the hell Melton ever got in the Navy. Brett Halsey and Arthur Franz exchange pleasantries. Take a good look at Halsey's expression. It never changes throughout the film (nor did it change throughout his career). Tom Conway, reminiscing about his days playing The Falcon. Those bags under his eyes are real. Still, I have to hand it to the guy. He spent his entire career delivering his lines without moving his lips. The route taken by the submarine to track down the source of the disasters. This is standard naval procedure. Steam around until you make a pretty bow pattern. Tom Conway, Paul Dubov, Victor Varconi, and Dick Foran watch their careers sink.

I believe these events occurred during a disruption in the space-time continuum.

Ouch, that's tough. Roller Boogie is available on youtube. "I used to haaaaaaaaaaaaate to skate, now I can't wait."

Five Gates to Hell (1959) FXM Retro Well, at least the setting is unique – Vietnam, 1950. A band of Vietnamese guerillas invade a French hospital camp and carry off the nurses and doctors to perform an operation on some old geezer who is gonna croak anyway. The nurses are subjected to various atrocities (the worst of which is being cast in this film) before the inevitable breakout. This is about as close to an exploitation film as you can get from a major studio (20th Century Fox) considering the time period. The movie was shot in Cinemascope, although the print I saw was cropped. Neville Brand, as the guerilla leader, looks as Asian as Mantan Moreland. His slicked-down hair doesn’t help, either. He speaks in broken English. He yells out commands in what I assume is supposed to be Vietnamese, although I suspect he was really saying “get my ****ing agent!” Dolores Michaels plays a nurse that Brand has the hots for. Nancy Kulp plays an ugly nurse that no one has the hots for. Ken Scott plays a doctor. Shirley Knight plays a nun. Benson Fong plays an Asian. Audience plays with their cell phones. The climax isn’t half bad, nor is it half good. I am no military strategist, but I’m pretty sure if the enemy is firing at you, you don’t stand out in the open. Also, there is another lesson to be learned here. Never let Nancy Kulp anywhere near a hand grenade.

(the restoration of this thread continues) Teenage Zombies (1959) (originally posted here: http://forums.tcm.com/index.php?/topic/25695-teenage-zombies-1959/) The title apparently refers to the acting by the leads. Jerry Warren, known for low-budget horror, directed, and also is credited as Music Supervisor, under the name Erich Bromberg. The opening theme is ripped off from Kronos. Several of the "actors" were also involved in the production end, which usually means the film is in trouble. Four teenagers, led by Don ( The Giant Gila Monster ) Sullivan decide to go water skiing and end up on an island. Before long, they are imprisoned by a female mad scientist, played by Katherine Victor. Victor is cast in a role usually taken by Rudolph Anders; he was probably busy rehearsing for his role as the Nazi scientist in She Demons. At least Victor is better-looking than Anders, but her acting smells. It seems Victor is doing experiments with gas, hoping to turn humans into mindless slaves. Today, we achieve the same result through higher education. The dialogue goes something like this: Sullivan: "Look, what kind of a creep joint is this?" Victor: "A place of research and discovery ... a place where science is free from the interference of stupid politicians." It's all a communist plot. There is a gorilla who wreaks some minor havoc, a crooked sheriff, characters named "Skip" and "Morrie," and some of the most ridiculous fight scenes ever staged. At least we are spared the agony of hearing Don ( The Giant Gila Monster ) Sullivan sing. Who could ever forget him strumming the ukulele and warbling "and the Lord said laugh, children, laugh..." in The Giant Gila Monster ? Don Sullivan and Paul Pepper check out the new arrivals at the zoo. "Okay fellas, Routine 6!" Wally Cox tells his commanding officer that there are two UFOs outside the window. "Okay fellas, Routine 9!" "Morrie" tells Charles Bickford that Jane Wyman is pregnant. "Okay fellas, Routine 28!" Despite having been dead for almost 15 years, Dwight Frye came out of retirement for this role. "Okay fellas, Routine - what the hell number are we up to?" "Okay ladies, Routine - " "And cut! Print it! That's a wrap!" (Thank God)

I share the same birthday with soon-to-be ex-Senator from New Jersey Bob Menendez. If anyone wants to make some quick cash, try this. If you are in a group of 23 people, the probability is slightly over 50% that at least two of them share the same birthday (month and year). If there are 30 people, the probability is around 70%. If there are 60 people, bet the farm! A former colleague shares the same birthday with her two kids. Not even the stats people in our department could figure out the chance of that happening.

Hedda Hopper, who has a bit in Dracula's Daughter, reported that Gloria Holden "looked spooky" but knitted between scenes. Marguerite Churchill (speaking about Orin) said "can you imagine my daughter's surprise when she grows up to find that I took a day off from Dracula's Daughter to have her christened?" As for Harold Winston, Gloria Holden sued him for desertion, claiming he would rather sleep with his dog than her. Edit: What Holden actually said was "he had more affection for a dog than any woman."

This appears to be a scene cut out of Dracula's Daughter (no pun intended ... that white space at left occurred when I cut out an overlapping photo).

Anyone notice Bob Hope's cameo as Count Dracula?

(the restoration of this thread continues) The Saga of the Viking Women and Their Voyage to the Waters of the Great Sea Serpent (1957) (originally posted here: http://forums.tcm.com/index.php?/topic/24500-the-saga-of-the-viking-women/) Roger Corman's high school production featuring Norwegian Wooden performances. Viking women (Abby Dalton, Susan Cabot, Betsy-Jones Moreland, June Kenney, ex-Playmate Sally Todd and a few other chicks I've never heard of) pine for their Viking men, who have been gone for a few years. After voting against civil unions, the women decide to set sail from Scandinavia (which looks suspiciously like the California coastline) and immediately run into trouble. Their ship is hit by lightning, and they are swept into a vortex controlled by the title creature. (You may need to re-read the title again.) They, along with stowaway Jonathan Haze, wash up onshore where they are quickly whipped by Michael Forest, leading the Norse chapter of the Hell's Angels. Forest delivers the prisoners to his leader, Richard Devon. Devon has a wimpy son, played by Jay Sayer. Sayer does a bad impersonation of Jay Robinson impersonating Caligula. He arm-wrestles Abby Dalton. Put your money on Dalton. If you are still reading this, the ladies discover their men are held hostage by Devon. Hunk alert: Gary Conway, sporting blonde hair, plays one of the hostages. Meanwhile, in what passes for plot development, Susan Cabot wants Abby Dalton's man, played listlessly by Brad Jackson. So whom will Jackson end up with? Dalton? Cabot? Jay Sayer? Haze plays a miniature Steve Reeves, bouncing around and fighting at every chance. Unfortunately, he keeps getting his a** whipped (figuratively and literally) by Michael Forest. The worst thing about this film is that there are no make-out scenes. At the very least, they could have had Sally Todd swimming in a lake. What a waste. Susan Cabot, doing her Harry Carey impersonation, admires Richard Devon's hairy chest Moe Howard about to tell Richard Devon and Michael Forest to "spread out." Abby Dalton lays the smackdown on Jay Sayer. Michael Forest lays the smackdown on Jonathan Haze. Jay Sayer discovers the principle of electricity. In the rousing finale, the entire cast recreates the end credits to "Hawaii Five-0."

70 years ago in hisTORy October 4, 1947, Bryan, Texas: The Super Swedish Angel (aka Tor Johnson), billed as the "World's Ugliest Wrestler" (notwithstanding the typo in the ad), takes on the original "Nature Boy," Buddy Rogers. During the match, the Angel's leg is fractured, thus forcing him to bow out of a match with Al Lovelock in Galveston a few days later.

Mailchimp? The name does not inspire confidence.

Perhaps the solution is for the History Channel and Food Network to produce a joint series entitled "World's Most Famous Food Fights."

TCM may be holding back 1968's Head as part of a future tribute to Tor Johnson, who sparkles in his cameo:

I think most of us know that it was that great French philosopher/mathematician Descartes who said "I think, therefore I am." But what most people don't know was that there was more to the quote. He actually said "I think, therefore I am ... afraid of Tor Johnson."

(the restoration of this thread continues) They Saved Hitler's Brain (originally posted here: http://forums.tcm.com/index.php?/topic/26597-they-saved-hitlers-brain/) I suppose film historians can sort through this mess to determine what actually happened. As far as I can tell, some imbeciles took a 1950s semi-entertaining piece of trash called The Madmen of Mandoras, then added about 20 minutes of footage from either the late 60s or early 70s, which was *total* trash. The result is a high body count, no continuity, night turning into day and vice-versa, a lot of bad acting, and Hitler's head in a jar. The film opens with a scientist being followed by the Blues Brothers. His car explodes, so the boss at CID Headquarters assigns his top agent, Vic, to investigate. This is part of the CID's new policy: "Walk softly and carry a big Vic." I don't know what CID stands for, but the "I" definitely does not stand for intelligence. Vic is an idiot, and so is his new partner, played by a chick who looks bad in a miniskirt (this is the new footage, if you haven't guessed). In short order, the boss, Vic, and the chick buy the farm, leaving only the Blues Brothers. Then the 1950s movie starts, with film of an elephant collapsing from the effects of "G-gas." Must be the peanuts. Another scientist is kidnapped, so the entire (original) cast moves to Mandoras. At this point, I got lost trying to figure out who was who and who was a Nazi and who was not. I'm pretty sure this Hitler dude was not a nice guy, although at times, he rolled his eyes like Jerry Colonna. Hitler has a line of dialogue, so his vocal cords are still intact. There are a few familiar faces in the cast (the old footage, not the new footage). Nestor Paiva shows up as a Police Chief who may or may not be on the level. Carlos Rivas plays a dual role, and seems to mysteriously appear from nowhere in almost every scene. John Holland, best known for playing Alice Kramden's boss on one episode of "The Honeymooners," appears as the scientist ... that is, the scientist in the old footage. The guy playing the scientist in the new footage is a nobody, along with the boss, Vic, and the chick. This film had me on the edge of my seat ... my toilet seat, that is. Carlos Rivas has an attack of gastritis. Dennis Farina, without his platform shoes. Carlos Rivas has another attack of gastritis. The other actors are not thrilled. Carmen Miranda stars in I was a Mambo Dancer for the Third Reich. Totie Fields waits to make a phone call, unaware that Carlos Rivas has been put on hold - forever. Is it just me, or are there only two people in this bar who realize there is a dead guy on the floor? This is what happens when the set painters are dyslexic. Adolf goes trick-or-treating. Adolf's meat gets tenderized. The producer's reaction when the three screenwriters pitch the idea for this film.

80 years ago in hisTORy September 28, 1937 Tor Johnson’s famous expression “time for go to bed” may have originated during a wrestling match in Montreal. Johnson, at 365 pounds, is tossed out of the wrestling ring by Felix Miquet of France. Johnson then inexplicably runs down the aisle and out into the street, with five constables running after him. Tor runs through a park and directly into Western Hospital where attendants put him to bed.

(the restoration of this thread continues) The Phantom from 10,000 Leagues (1955) Directed by Dan Milner (originally posted here: http://forums.tcm.com/index.php?/topic/24046-the-phantom-from-10000-leagues-1955/) Perhaps the producers of this dud thought the title might suck in fans of Jules Verne. However, since a league can be a land measure or a marine measure, it is not even clear what the title means. Nor is it clear why anyone would be associated with this film. Kent Taylor stars as a government investigator, working undercover. When first we meet him, he says his name is Ted Baxter (no relation to the pompous anchorman). Then, he claims his name is Ted Stevens (no relation to the disgraced Alaska senator). Fortunately, the film ends before he claims his name is Ted Bundy. But on to the plot. Something is killing people in the water. The source of the problem seems to be a radiation beam, created by Dr. King (Michael Whalen). The radiation has also created a creature - a shocking development. King's daughter is played by Cathy Downs, a lovely actress who had a good career start in the 1940s, then fell into crap like this. Ms. Downs is around 31 in this film; unfortunately, she looks at least 40. Philip Pine plays a spy who spends much of the film hiding in the bushes with a speargun. Helene Stanton appears briefly as a blonde in a bathing suit. By this time, you'll be asleep anyway. Cathy Downs shows off her darling clementines, while Kent Taylor informs her he once played Doc Holiday. Taylor and Down's makeout session is interrupted by two rude people who wash ashore dead. Philip Pine about to give someone the shaft. Philip Pine shows Vivi Janiss his speargun collection. This does not end well. Philip Pine asks Helene Stanton if she has seen his career lying around somewhere. In the only scene where the Phantom actually kills someone, you can see the Phantom's right hand slipping out of the costume. This explains why this is the only scene where the Phantom actually kills someone.

And she looked fantastic in her white outfit.

In Jail Bait, he is credited as Hoyt Kurtain - must have been an attempt to try to hide his name. I have to give the guy props, though. He served in the Navy during World War II and was wounded at Okinawa. He did write successful cartoon themes, including The Flintstones. But it's hard to believe he studied music composition for motion pictures at USC under Miklos Rozsa. Here is Ensign Hoyt Curtin, in 1944:

The film "score," if you want too call it that, was by Hoyt Curtin, who used the same music in Mesa of Lost Women. Herbert Rawlinson, once a leading man of the silents, died shortly after the film was made. He looks very sickly in this. This is a rare chance to hear Steve Reeves using his own voice instead of somebody dubbing him in those Italian flicks he made. As you can see, no expense was spared in this production:

80 years ago in hisTORy October 21, 1937 In the “crowd-thrilling melodrama of the night,” a melee ensues at Foot Guard Hall in Hartford, CT. Tor Johnson, tipping the scales at 365 pounds, grapples with Sammy Cohen, described as a “228-pound New York Hebrew.” Tor tosses Cohen around the right with ease, but Cohen lands a few slaps to Tor’s mug. After Tor falls on Cohen to win the match in five minutes and 38 seconds, Cohen refuses to shake hands with the Swede and slaps him again. A free-for-all follows, with the referee trying to restore order. Tor leaves the ring, lies in wait near the door leading to the dressing rooms, and jumps Cohen. Police and spectators participate in the fracas.

Well, they look so remarkably alike: And what the hell was Ralph Byrd doing at the South Pole anyway? I must have missed that Dick Tracy film.

Try right-clicking on the black screen. If you get some options for settings like "allow Adobe flash player," try that. I use Firefox and recently I started getting a dark grey screen. When I right-clicked and allowed Adobe flash player, the problem disappeared. I also use Internet Explorer from time to time, and have no problem with that browser.