I Just Watched...

[TomJH]

The River Wild (1994)

Meryl Streep wants to take her family (husband, son, dog - DOG?) white water rafting in God's Country. There's some tension within the family, of course, (Dad's into his work more than home) but we know in advance that this trip will bring them all more tightly together by the end. Along their ride in the river, however, there is another raft constantly nearby with three somewhat suspicious looking guys in it, so we know, as long time film goers, they will turn out to be bad guys. And up ahead in the river is what is called "The Gauntlet," a convergence of three rivers with rapids so high they turn into mini waterfalls. Few have survived it. Streep, experienced as a rafter in these waters and once, indeed, having somehow survived The Gauntlet, says there is no way they are going there. So, naturally, of course, we know that eventually they will.

Look, this somewhat Deliverance derived outdoors adventure is predictable in its final outcome. But, thanks to the strength of its lead performances, Streep, who is really terrific with her amusing and intelligent portrayal, and charming bad guy Kevin Bacon, as well as the outstanding cinematography of its wild river setting, it was a solid enjoyable time waster for me. And, unlike Streep and company, I was able to go along on this trip and stay dry.

The film's climax, when Steep and her son, along with the bad guys, are forced to face The Gauntlet, is excitingly directed by Curtis Hanson and beautifully photographed by Robert Elswit. The only problem is a lack of real suspense because, well, with that comforting familiarity we have with a film of this kind, we know it's the bad guys that may have a serious problem in the end. It won't be the family. Still, if you ignore that knowledge and just go along for a very wet ride, it's fun.

One more thing, the film's river setting (shot on location in Montana and Oregon) is so gob smackingly beautiful than some viewers are bound to want to travel to these wilderness paradises. As for myself, being among the less adventurous and athletic members of a viewing audience, I might just settle for a hike along a local stream and a re-view of this film some time.

3 out of 4

[Janet0312]

On 3/15/2022 at 12:59 PM, Dargo said:

Just watched this one a month or so again when TCM showed it. Hadn't watched it in years. I thought Grant was great in it, and especially loved the interactions between him and Trevor Howard. 

Gotta say this bit of info surprises me a bit. 

(...would've thought it had done better in this regard)

Father Goose was feature number two when Dad took me to see The Ghost and Mr. Chicken. We didn't stay long for the second feature.

[SansFin]

Meanings change over time. 

I am continuing to have difficulty understanding the subtle differences between: 'toy boy' and 'boy toy'. The available definitions are quite plain but usage seems to be all over the map.

[Tikisoo]

17 hours ago, TomJH said:

One more thing, the film's river setting (shot on location in Montana and Oregon) is so gob smackingly beautiful than some viewers are bound to want to travel to these wilderness paradises.

My favorite part of the US-more like paradise than Hawaii (fewer bugs) 

[Fading Fast]

 

Five Came Back from 1939 with Chester Morris, Lucille Ball, Alan Jenkins, Wendy Barrie and C. Aubrey Smith

 

 

Sometimes being a B movie works in a picture's favor. In Five Came Back, RKO put out a solid B movie that tells a good entertaining story without any extra flourishes or "artistic" aspirations. Its fast, straightforward approach keeps the action moving along and the audience engaged.

 

Two pilots, a steward and nine passengers leave on a flight from Los Angeles to Panama City. It's a Hollywood-created mix of people - a wealthy older couple, a gangster and his boss' toddler son, an eloping society couple, a formerly escaped death-row inmate and his captor and a young woman with a disreputable past. 

 

They all play to type until the plane is forced to crash land in a jungle in Panama, with no real hope of rescue. Now it's a race for survival as they work to repair the plane before the "lurking out there" hostile natives attack.

 

Stripped of civilization's comforts and protection, real personalities and character come through and presumptions and prejudices are refuted. You don't care if a young woman has a "reputation" if she is more than pulling her weight keeping your makeshift camp running and the "gentleman" doesn't seem so superior when he becomes a selfish drunk now that his money can't protect him.

 

For some, the challenge is invigorating as the older couple finds renewed energy since their work and life experience is valuable again. The death-row inmate - who acknowledges he has nothing to lose - proves to be a man of courage and morals refreshingly not claiming (as is Hollywood's modern wont) that he is innocent of his crime. 

 

Like the rest of them, he's in this life and death situation and all that matters is how he responds today. There is no past or future for any of them right now. 

 

Amping up the tension as this fast-moving movie races to a climax, the natives kill two of the passengers. Another problem is the plane, now as repaired as it is ever going to be, only has enough fuel and lift capability to take five of the remaining nine back. 

 

Being a B movie, it doesn't spend endless amounts of time on this moral conundrum as some overwrought efforts might. Instead, the group quickly and refreshingly amends the women-and-children-first tenet to one of children first (the one child, in this case) with the rest chosen by logic and reason.

 

Here, their shaky ad-hoc democracy plays out, not by voting on each person, but on, kinda sorta, voting in a leader to make the decisions and then abiding his call. It's a ninety-second lesson in direct versus indirect democracy.

 

(Spoiler alert) After that, the five get on the plane and go. With the plane disappearing over the horizon, the natives move in on those left behind as the credits start to roll.

 

It's B-movie entertainment at its best: fun, engaging, quick and with a brief moral challenge, but without much brouhaha or fuss about any of it. The small budget, obvious sets and rudimentary special effects only add to its kitchy appeal. Five Came Back is a better movie than RKO probably intended. It's what a "Sunday afternoon movie" should be.  

 

 

N.B. Also rising above its humble B movie status is an outstanding cast that includes fading-but-talented star Chester Morris, a young Lucille Ball, ubiquitous character actor Alan Jenkins in one of his best rolls, pretty and engaging Wendy Barrie and amazingly versatile octogenarian C. Aubrey Smith who adds gravitas to any role or movie he's in. 

 

 

 (Just a note for transparency: I was posting as "mkahn22" and am now posting as "Fading Fast."  When I joined TCM, I mistakenly used part of my email address for my "display name" and have now updated it to a name I use on two other sites. )

[TomJH]

29 minutes ago, TikiSoo said:

My favorite part of the US-more like paradise than Hawaii (fewer bugs) 

I can believe that. The scenery in The River Wild is devastatingly beautiful, absolutely gorgeous.

[Tikisoo]

I just watched 1976's THE DUCHESS & DIRTWATER FOX starring Goldie Hawn & George Segal, two comedians I really like....a lot. Good thing because it's a thin caper chase story but their strong performances save it.

Goldie Hawn is great as a barroom stage performing trollop, although quickly tired of seeing her bloomers in attempt of evoking titillating hilarity. Her stage costume was evocative of Marlene Dietrich's bawdy chanteuse-wear but continued to be worn through the film when she was no longer performing. Re this unfortunate video cover photo:

Embarassing. She is far more talented than that- Goldie is a natural, charismatic comedienne and she is absolutely gorgeous. She holds her own with super talent George Segal who completely surprised me in this "western".

Segal made the western his element by being a sly, overconfident rogue, exactly the type he's best at. But his chemistry works well with Goldie and this is a cute romp of a movie. Predictable? Sure, but who cares, sometimes all you want is a lighthearted movie. 

I did find it funny the couple tries to hide among a traditional Jewish wedding, since both are Jewish! I also loved his slick "Card Sharp" ploy shown twice, both fails! And a scene with secret wordplay in a stagecoach did make me LOL.

The real notable performance to me was the stunt work, mostly "horse" stunts. As some of you know, I'm a trick rider and several of the stunts were so incredible I had to slo-mo them to see the rider's prowess. One in particular, where the horse slides to a fall was done by a horse trained to fall-but that sure wasn't Segal on him! Amazing. Also, the scenes where the two are riding a horse "double" was deftly done-I suspect a special saddle was made for security & safety for the horse's kidneys. I love how Black Jack the horse was a "charactor".

I'm amazed the end credits only list "stunt coordinator". I have a feeling the desperado gangs chasing the Duchess & Dirtwater Fox were comprised of the "stunt" riders.

The music was horrific, all songs sung by Bobby Vinton, I'm surprised that guy was ever popular he sounds like a trained child.  I also noticed several dubbed lines, you could clearly see their lip movement & words were different. (!) Overall, this is a period piece, not because of the setting, but just how times have changed, not unlike Blazing Saddles.

[Sepiatone]

You might notice that in many Mexican restaurants there's a menu item called a "Mexican sandwich".  

They're actually very good, but I still get a kick out of the name.   

Sepiatone

[SansFin]

2 hours ago, TikiSoo said:

Her stage costume was evocative of Marlene Dietrich's bawdy chanteuse-wear but continued to be worn through the film when she was no longer performing.

 

I doubt that I would notice. I have known cabaret performers in several cities who owned a respectable dress for court and church and the rest of their wardrobe was taken home from work when the act/décor/staging changed so the costumes were no longer needed. I found it perversely amusing at all times when I recognized that the odd drape of their good dress was due to the ruffles of the kick squad corset they wore underneath it.

[EricJ]

6 hours ago, Sepiatone said:

You might notice that in many Mexican restaurants there's a menu item called a "Mexican sandwich".  

They're actually very good, but I still get a kick out of the name.   

Actually, most Mexicans consider the torta sandwich (a big, big bun, with grilled meat and veggies) "true" Mexican food, while all that stuff about tortilla chips and salsa was more the cultural influence of hybrid Tex-Mex border cuisine.

I used to live near a tasty Vietnamese banh-mi restaurant, and it's surprising how many cultures have their own just-plain sandwiches with a twist.

[txfilmfan]

1 hour ago, EricJ said:

Actually, most Mexicans consider the torta sandwich (a big, big bun, with grilled meat and veggies) "true" Mexican food, while all that stuff about tortilla chips and salsa was more the cultural influence of hybrid Tex-Mex border cuisine.

I used to live near a tasty Vietnamese banh-mi restaurant, and it's surprising how many cultures have their own just-plain sandwiches with a twist.

There was a restaurant just down the street from me that served almost exclusively tortas.  They did quite well until they moved into a larger space with higher rents.  They only lasted about a year after the move.

[Grumpytoad]

A week ago I asked for Rosalind Russell recommendations. I went with His Girl Friday.

Terrific fun! Not perfect (but almost).  I will no doubt view again in the future.

Here's the imperfect.

First, although hilariously written and performed, the speed of the dialogue grew less enjoyable as the movie went on.

Second, Hildy's first hat was 😖. I swear it inspired this:

Speaking of wardrobe, I thought everyone looked great otherwise.

I'm under the the impression that most folks here know the plot, so on to other things.

Cary Grant must have made a bad movie. I just haven't  seen it yet. Has that hard to define charm thing. He is not a good guy here, and that's OK. Even when doing wrong its hard not to like the character. His ad-libs were cool.

Rosalind Russell. Wow. Hangs with the boys and matches or exceeds them every time! Excellent acting skills. After watching her in this, I already have another one of her movies lined up.

Oh-in one scene when she was in profile, she looked remarkably like a young  Susan Sarandon.

Ralph Bellamy. Second movie of his that I have seen. The Secret Six was the other. Nice job in this one playing a character that's hard to cheer for, at least for me. 

Minor characters were also good. Especially Cary Grant's money supplier.

 

 

 

 

[speedracer5]

23 minutes ago, Grumpytoad said:

Cary Grant must have made a bad movie. I just haven't  seen it yet

I am personally not a fan of “The Howards of Virginia.” Cary Grant, for me, does not belong in period films. 

A lot of his pre-The Awful Truth movies are very hit or miss. 

[Roy Cronin]

And no Joan Crawford in hoop skirts and crinoline.  Ever.

[TomJH]

12 hours ago, speedracer5 said:

I am personally not a fan of “The Howards of Virginia.” Cary Grant, for me, does not belong in period films. 

 

Grant didn't play in costume films often but, when he did, he was miscast in The Howards of Virginia as well as The Pride and the Passion. It worked supremely well for him, however, in Gunga Din because he played a scallywag and was allowed to perform a lot of rambunctious, physical comedy in his role.

[TomJH]

The Invisible Man's Revenge (1944)

The last of the Invisible Man films from Universal (unless you count a later encounter the studio had with Abbott and Costello), Jon Hall (having played the role two years before in Invisible Agent) returns to the title role, this time as a murderer escaped from a South African lunatic asylum who is out for revenge against two people in England who ripped him out of a fortune.

This entry is not a sequel to the previous films in the series, though Hall's last name is Griffin, the name used by the previous Invisible Man characters. The story this time is a completely new one and it serves its purpose in allowing us to once again view John P. Fulton's impressive special effects. Some may question the fact that it takes the 77 minute film a good half hour or so before the invisible stuff starts to happen. That occurs after a bitter Hall comes to the house of crackpot scientist John Carradine, who has an invisible dog as well as an invisible parrot in his home after some experiments. Take a guess who he hopes will soon become his first human experiment with his serum.

This film is a bit unusual inasmuch as it's the only time I can recall in which Jon Hall, a handsome, if wooden, leading man (later to be TV's Ramar of the Jungle) played a bad guy. While he doesn't act like a lunatic, in particular, he is ruthless when it comes to taking the lives of innocents from whom he needs a blood transfusion to return himself back to the world of the visible once again. That visibility is only temporary and he will soon need a complete body blood transfusion from another victim or he fades from view.

The supporting cast is a good one, including comedian Leon Errol, who pretty well steals every scene he's in with some fairly amusing comic bits, John Carradine (who hilariously launches into a speech comparing himself to the immortals of science within seconds of seeing his invisibility formula work on Hall), Alan Curtis and Lester Matthews. The ladies don't fare so well in this film, however. Evelyn Ankers is in the film so little I don't even know if she qualifies as a leading lady (it's more like a guest appearance) while, exasperatingly, Gale Sondergaard, once of the great character actresses, disappears from view after a few early scenes (and her disappearance isn't because she's on Carradine's invisibility formula either).

One of the most impressive special effects moments in the film comes when the invisible man dips his hand into a bowl of water and splashes it on his face. It has the decidedly eerie effect of seeing a mask-like shiny half face briefly appear in the room, producing quite a scream from Sondergaard. The film would have benefited to have had more moments as effective as this.

A side note: the year of this film's release Hall was in a violent altercation with band leader Tommy Dorsey at Dorsey's apartment. The facts have never been completely explained despite the fact that there were dozens of party goer witnesses, all of who seemed to be struck dumb afterward. But it involved a drunken Dorsey taking offence at Hall's attention paid to his wife and a gangster neighbour (who was Bugsy Siegel's right hand man) getting involved in the fight with a knife.

In what became known as the Battle of the Balcony Dorsey almost threw Hall off it, the actor getting the worst of the fight, requiring 50 stitches to his face, neck and chest. One nostril was badly sliced and for a while Hall wore a nose guard that years later inspired a similar look that Jack Nicholson's character had in Chinatown. Hall refused to lay charges, though the DA did. The case would be dismissed by a judge after conflicting testimony was given.

The reason I mention this is that at one point in The Invisible Man's Revenge I thought I detected a line or small scar along the left side of Hall's nose near the tip. It really isn't too obvious and it could be my imagination but sighting that line on a nose that was apparently badly damaged made me think of the Dorsey fight. However, according to IMDb, this film was released before the fight occurred that same year. Still, that line on the actor's nostril had me wondering about the accuracy of IMDb's production dates for the film.

2.5 out of 4

[Cigarjoe cellph]

On 3/16/2022 at 1:46 PM, TomJH said:

The River Wild (1994)

Meryl Streep wants to take her family (husband, son, dog - DOG?) white water rafting in God's Country. There's some tension within the family, of course, (Dad's into his work more than home) but we know in advance that this trip will bring them all more tightly together by the end. Along their ride in the river, however, there is another raft constantly nearby with three somewhat suspicious looking guys in it, so we know, as long time film goers, they will turn out to be bad guys. And up ahead in the river is what is called "The Gauntlet," a convergence of three rivers with rapids so high they turn into mini waterfalls. Few have survived it. Streep, experienced as a rafter in these waters and once, indeed, having somehow survived The Gauntlet, says there is no way they are going there. So, naturally, of course, we know that eventually they will.

Look, this somewhat Deliverance derived outdoors adventure is predictable in its final outcome. But, thanks to the strength of its lead performances, Streep, who is really terrific with her amusing and intelligent portrayal, and charming bad guy Kevin Bacon, as well as the outstanding cinematography of its wild river setting, it was a solid enjoyable time waster for me. And, unlike Streep and company, I was able to go along on this trip and stay dry.

The film's climax, when Steep and her son, along with the bad guys, are forced to face The Gauntlet, is excitingly directed by Curtis Hanson and beautifully photographed by Robert Elswit. The only problem is a lack of real suspense because, well, with that comforting familiarity we have with a film of this kind, we know it's the bad guys that may have a serious problem in the end. It won't be the family. Still, if you ignore that knowledge and just go along for a very wet ride, it's fun.

One more thing, the film's river setting (shot on location in Montana and Oregon) is so gob smackingly beautiful than some viewers are bound to want to travel to these wilderness paradises. As for myself, being among the less adventurous and athletic members of a viewing audience, I might just settle for a hike along a local stream and a re-view of this film some time.

3 out of 4

l was a fly fishing guide on the River where "The Gauntlet" was, it's actually Kootenai Falls the largest free flowing waterfall in the Pacific Northwest.

[Sepiatone]

17 hours ago, EricJ said:

Actually, most Mexicans consider the torta sandwich (a big, big bun, with grilled meat and veggies) "true" Mexican food, while all that stuff about tortilla chips and salsa was more the cultural influence of hybrid Tex-Mex border cuisine.

I used to live near a tasty Vietnamese banh-mi restaurant, and it's surprising how many cultures have their own just-plain sandwiches with a twist.

Yeah, they're good.  And I noticed a huge difference between the flautas served in Mexico and the ones here in Detroit's Mexicantown eateries.  And other ethnic cuisines suffer the influence of "Americanism" on their menus.  For example...

Go to most restaurants extolling Polish cuisine and you'll find "Pierogies" on the menu.  When really(and according to my Polish grandmother, who made them excellently) -----

It's "Pierogi"   like, ONE of those filled dumplings is just a "pierog"  and two or more are "pierogi".  NOT "pierogies" (ack!)  It's the hippopotamus/hippopotami type of thing.

Same with PACZKI.  Two or more are paczki.  One is a paczek.   

But because most Americans insist, polish restaurants grudgingly offer "pierogies".  

Sepiatoczyc

[TomJH]

4 hours ago, Cigarjoe cellph said:

l was a fly fishing guide on the River where "The Gauntlet" was, it's actually Kootenai Falls the largest free flowing waterfall in the Pacific Northwest.

Thanks for the info, cigarjoe. So it's Montana that that part of the film was done in. Possibly other river scenes in The River Wild were filmed elsewhere, I suppose, as I saw Oregon also listed for location work. Magnificent scenery. I have a friend who is an avid fisherman, trout, salmon, etc., but he always returns the fish to the water after catching them. He doesn't care to eat the fish, just the excitement of catching them (and some of the big ones give him quite a struggle) and, of course, being outdoors and walking along a river bank or pulling on the wellies to wade through a deep stream or shallow river in the summer and fall (though he fishes into early winter, as well).

[Fedya]

17 hours ago, Grumpytoad said:

Cary Grant must have made a bad movie. I just haven't  seen it yet.

Once Upon a Time is terrible.

And although Grant was badly miscast in The Pride and the Passion, as was Frank Sinatra , it's also the movie that launched Don Rickles' career.  Rickles was doing stand-up in Miami at one of the times Sinatra was also in Miami, and Sinatra showed up at the club one evening.  Rickles spotted him and said something to the effect of, "I just saw The Pride and the Passion, and thought the cannon gave a marvelous performance!"  Sinatra, like everyone else, knew the movie was a dud, and told his friends to go to the club and let Rickles zing them for the PR value of showing what good sports they were, and it made Rickles a star.

[Bronxgirl48]

3 hours ago, TomJH said:

The Invisible Man's Revenge (1944)

The last of the Invisible Man films from Universal (unless you count a later encounter the studio had with Abbott and Costello), Jon Hall (having played the role two years before in Invisible Agent) returns to the title role, this time as a murderer escaped from a South African lunatic asylum who is out for revenge against two people in England who ripped him out of a fortune.

This entry is not a sequel to the previous films in the series, though Hall's last name is Griffin, the name used by the previous Invisible Man characters. The story this time is a completely new one and it serves its purpose in allowing us to once again view John P. Fulton's impressive special effects. Some may question the fact that it takes the 77 minute film a good half hour or so before the invisible stuff starts to happen. That occurs after a bitter Hall comes to the house of crackpot scientist John Carradine, who has an invisible dog as well as an invisible parrot in his home after some experiments. Take a guess who he hopes will soon become his first human experiment with his serum.

This film is a bit unusual inasmuch as it's the only time I can recall in which Jon Hall, a handsome, if wooden, leading man (later to be TV's Ramar of the Jungle) played a bad guy. While he doesn't act like a lunatic, in particular, he is ruthless when it comes to taking the lives of innocents from whom he needs a blood transfusion to return himself back to the world of the visible once again. That visibility is only temporary and he will soon need a complete body blood transfusion from another victim or he fades from view.

The supporting cast is a good one, including comedian Leon Errol, who pretty well steals every scene he's in with some fairly amusing comic bits, John Carradine (who hilariously launches into a speech comparing himself to the immortals of science within seconds of seeing his invisibility formula work on Hall), Alan Curtis and Lester Matthews. The ladies don't fare so well in this film, however. Evelyn Ankers is in the film so little I don't even know if she qualifies as a leading lady (it's more like a guest appearance) while, exasperatingly, Gale Sondergaard, once of the great character actresses, disappears from view after a few early scenes (and her disappearance isn't because she's on Carradine's invisibility formula either).

One of the most impressive special effects moments in the film comes when the invisible man dips his hand into a bowl of water and splashes it on his face. It has the decidedly eerie effect of seeing a mask-like shiny half face briefly appear in the room, producing quite a scream from Sondergaard. The film would have benefited to have had more moments as effective as this.

A side note: the year of this film's release Hall was in a violent altercation with band leader Tommy Dorsey at Dorsey's apartment. The facts have never been completely explained despite the fact that there were dozens of party goer witnesses, all of who seemed to be struck dumb afterward. But it involved a drunken Dorsey taking offence at Hall's attention paid to his wife and a gangster neighbour (who was Bugsy Siegel's right hand man) getting involved in the fight with a knife.

In what became known as the Battle of the Balcony Dorsey almost threw Hall off it, the actor getting the worst of the fight, requiring 50 stitches to his face, neck and chest. One nostril was badly sliced and for a while Hall wore a nose guard that years later inspired a similar look that Jack Nicholson's character had in Chinatown. Hall refused to lay charges, though the DA did. The case would be dismissed by a judge after conflicting testimony was given.

The reason I mention this is that at one point in The Invisible Man's Revenge I thought I detected a line or small scar along the left side of Hall's nose near the tip. It really isn't too obvious and it could be my imagination but sighting that line on a nose that was apparently badly damaged made me think of the Dorsey fight. However, according to IMDb, this film was released before the fight occurred that same year. Still, that line on the actor's nostril had me wondering about the accuracy of IMDb's production dates for the film.

2.5 out of 4

Love your post, Tom!

I don't remember this one.

Sounds like Evelyn has even less screen time here than in SON OF DRACULA.

[LornaHansonForbes]

16 hours ago, Roy Cronin said:

And no Joan Crawford in hoop skirts and crinoline.  Ever.

AND NO MORE GD SHOPGIRLS!!!!!!!!

[Bronxgirl48]

27 minutes ago, Fedya said:

Once Upon a Time is terrible.

 

Is that the one with the dancing caterpillar?

I'm a Grant fan.   Saw this decades ago but, mercifully or not, cannot remember anything else about it, or even Cary's performance.   

[Cigarjoe cellph]

2 hours ago, TomJH said:

Thanks for the info, cigarjoe. So it's Montana that that part of the film was done in. Possibly other river scenes in The River Wild were filmed elsewhere, I suppose, as I saw Oregon also listed for location work. Magnificent scenery. I have a friend was is an avid fisherman, trout, salmon, etc., but he always returns the fish to the water after catching them. He doesn't care to eat the fish, just the excitement of catching them (and some of the big ones give him quite a struggle) and, of course, being outdoors and walking along a river bank or pulling on the wellies to wade through a deep stream or shallow river in the summer and fall (though he fishes into early winter, as well).

yea some was shot in Oregon, some on Middle Fork of the Flathead, also in Montana. The Kootenai is mainly a British Columbia River with a small loop swinging into Montana and then back out through the Idaho Panhandle into Kootenay Lake

[TomJH]

30 minutes ago, Bronxgirl48 said:

Love your post, Tom!

I don't remember this one.

Sounds like Evelyn has even less screen time here than in SON OF DRACULA.

The period in which Universal gave Evelyn Ankers substantial screen time in their horror vehicles was very short. The Wolf Man in 1941 was probably the highlight for her and then, just a couple of years later, her screen time was severely limited, such as in Son of Dracula, which you mentioned, and The Invisible Man's Revenge. She was a lovely looking woman and a good screen screamer but the studio appeared to lose interest in her quite quickly.

One of the highlights of her career, though, was when she appeared in Weird Woman (1944), one of the Inner Sanctums co-starring with Lon Chaney Jr. once again. This might be the only time that Ankers had the chance to play a manipulative schemer and she made the most of her villainy opportunity, stealing the film in the process.