The Universal Monsters Mystery Games of 1963

Hasbro is one of the largest toy and game manufacturers in the world today, but when they first started (back when they were labeled the Hassenfeld Brothers) they were primarily known as a toy maker and barely dabbled in the gaming industry. The few games that they did release met with little success. 

However - just like today - the Hassenfeld Brothers knew that any game would sell if it had a popular Movie/TV theme linked with it. So what would be popular with children in the early 1960s? Monsters! And what kind of monsters? The good ol' Universal monsters: Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, etc, etc. So, in 1963, Hasbro released a board game for each of these famous monsters.... the only one that was missing was The Invisible Man. 

The Mummy Mystery Game

"Explore the Ancient Crypts of Egypt" teases the front box, but inside it is a simple spin-and-move game where you land on spaces marked "Take a Crypt Card" and must reach the end with 10 of these. Getting caught by the Mummy simply holds you back a little in this race game. The highlight of the game is the board itself with its marvelous painted mummy and the Egyptian desert scene. 

The Creature from the Black Lagoon Mystery Game

This game's object is "to escape from the Black Lagoon" but it appears that the fun part of the game is getting caught by the creature and being taken to its cave, so so much for wanting to escape....

Dracula Mystery Game

This one features some great early 1960s color schemes and once again is a simple roll-and-move race game. It appears that the players are attempting to escape Dracula's Castle and he has his own spinner as well, so he probably foils you if you are not lucky. Too bad he didn't "bite" your character and then you have to chase your opponents down and land on their space to turn them into vampires as well. That would be too imaginative a game for Hasbro. 

Frankenstein Mystery Game

This is another race game whose graphics are better than the game itself. Oddly enough, all of these games have the players using cardboard standees of the monsters as their own playing pieces and yet trying to escape from the monster via the board route. This one has little Monsters that are placed on a stylized German village. 

Wolfman Mystery Game

Another not-too-imaginative game involving the Wolf Man. Here players race to get from one camp to another and pass various dangers along the way, including a snake pit. Unfortunately, there are no gypsies and no Maria Ouspenskaya chanting the legend, "Even a man who is pure in heart and says his prayers at night....." featured in the game. Too bad....

The Phantom of the Opera Mystery Game

Lastly, there was The Phantom of the Opera and once again it features great art of the ghoulish organist. Sadly, it's pretty much the same game as the others with a simple spinner and playing pieces in the form of the phantom (why would players be dressed as the phantom and attempt to escape the phantom?), with the object being to - you guessed it! - escape the phantom's dungeon. 

Hasbro had the phan-tastic idea of making games themed around the famous Universal monsters - and they probably appealed to youngsters - but they are a little too simple for the 12-year old+ crowd... especially today's 12-year-olds! 

Today, these games are popular among collectors because of its monster theme. The Phantom of the Opera seems to be the rarest among the lot and most of these games fetch between $250-$400 a piece with better condition games topping $900. Now that's scary!

Note: All photos are courtesy of The Board Game Geek website. Check it out to read more about these games. 

The Not-So-Lonely Lighthouse Keeper (1967)

Off the southern coast of California is a rugged string of islands known as the Channel Islands. On one of these - Anacapa Island - stood a lighthouse built in 1932 that shone its light to warn passing ships of the jagged rocks surrounding the island. This island was manned by the not-so-lonely lighthouse keeper Captain Moses Haskell (portrayed by Clarence Hastings but voiced by actor Roy Barcroft) and his wife Miranda (Ingrid Niemela). 

Whether this couple really did tend to this lighthouse or were a fictional creation doesn't really matter for they were the stars of a fascinating one-hour episode of Walt Disney's The Wonderful World of Color television series called "The Not-So-Lonely Lighthouse Keeper," which was aired on September 17th, 1967. 

The Wonderful World of Color featured a number of documentaries focusing on nature and wildlife and this episode falls in that category as well. We get to see all of the wildlife of Anacapa Island in a short span of time - the seagulls, the wild goats, the seal colonies, and the pelicans. However, it is the story of Captain Haskell and his daily routine on the island that provides the heart to the story - and it has plenty of heart! You'll find your eyes welling with tears by the end of the program. 

Disney legend James Algar directed this sweet story of Captain Haskell and the animals he befriended on the island: the ornery goat Ajax, the playful seal Rosie, and the seagulls that he feeds. We get to see him visit the "supermarket of the sea" catching various fish and sealife for dinner, and the day he helped rescue the men in a ship that ran aground in the fog. But his peaceful life on the island abruptly comes to an end when the Coast Guard erect an automatic light tower and he and his wife are mandatorily retired from service. Thankfully, like most Disney programs (but not all), this little film has a happy ending. 

Interestingly, if you read about Anacapa Island on the National Park Service's website, you will find that this documentary was rather accurate and prophetic: an automatic light tower did indeed replace the lighthouse and the keeper's position in 1966. The buildings on the island were slated to be destroyed in 1968 but a last-minute counter-order preserved the lighthouse and its outbuildings and, in the 1970s, they became the living quarters for the U.S. National Park Service rangers.

You can watch The Not-So-Lonely Lighthouse Keeper on Youtube and be sure you do as it is well-worth seeing. 

From the Archives: Murder at the Gallop (1963)

Margaret Rutherford made four wonderful Miss Marple mysteries in the 1960s and, of them all, Murder at the Gallop (1963) is the best. This one takes place at a riding establishment and features a delightfully eccentric lot of suspects including Robert Morley, Flora Robson, and Katya Douglas. 

In this scene from a UK lobby card, Miss Marple is conversing in a whisper with police inspector Craddock, played by Charles Tingwell.

From the Archives is our latest series of posts where we share photos from the Silverbanks Pictures collection. Some of these may have been sold in the past, and others may still be available for purchase at our eBay store: http://stores.ebay.com/Silverbanks-Pictures  

Film Albums: Pete's Dragon (1977)

This month's Film Album is the soundtrack from the classic Walt Disney film Pete's Dragon, released in 1977. This family musical was notable for combining an animated Elliott the Dragon into a live-action film and the result was truly lovely and memorable. It was, and still is, a childhood favorite for many. 

Walt Disney's resident songwriting team of Robert and Richard Sherman had long since left the Disney Studios so this picture's songs were composed by Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn. This duo is probably best remembered today for penning the songs to two popular Irwin Allen disaster pictures, "The Morning After" from The Poseidon Adventure (1973) and "We May Never Love Like This Again" from The Towering Inferno (1975), both of which earned them Academy Awards for Best Original Song. "Candle on the Water" was the standout song from Pete's Dragon, and this tune earned the team another Best Original Song nomination (Helen Reddy also had a hit with this song as a single recording). 

There's lot of things to like about this album, the best of which is the Irwin Kostal arrangements. This talented man did many many records for Walt Disney and he put his stamp of excellence on every recording he made. You can hear his signature composing style in the "Main Title" overture. 

Ready to listen to Pete's Dragon? Click here to listen to the full album on Youtube. 

Track Listings

Main Title

The Happiest Home in These Hills

Boo Bop Bopbop Bop

I Saw a Dragon!

It's Not Easy

Passamashloddy

Candle on the Water

There's Room for Everyone

Every Little Piece

Brazzle Dazzle Day

Bill of Sale

Candle on the Water (Reprise)

Top Picks: Main Title, It's Not Easy, Passamashloddy, There's Room for Everyone, Brazzle Dazzle Day

The Impossibly Difficult Name that Movie Game

I've heard of money growing on trees, but never shoes! This little boy evidently found the motherload - although I doubt he would want to wear heels!

As always, if you are not familiar with the rules to the Impossibly Difficult Name that Movie game or the prize, click here.

Chartroose Caboose (1960)

A young couple (Molly Bee, Ben Cooper) planning to elope get picked up by Woody Watts, a retired train conductor (Edgar Buchanen), and spend the morning in his chartreuse-colored caboose which is his home. The couple are enroute to Denton, where the soon-to-be bride's sister is waiting with the preacher. However, her father issued a missing person's report and they find that police are searching for them, so they return to the safety of the caboose. Meanwhile, Woody's caboose ends up being moved down the track when another conductor tells Woody that a new company took over the line and all parked cabooses are to be cleared off the tracks! 

A few weeks ago, I was watching The Young Swingers (featuring Molly Bee) and this film came up as a suggestion in my Youtube feed. I'm so glad that it did because it was a delightful film to watch and one that I will definitely return to. 

The plot to Chartroose Caboose may sound overly simple but the movie holds your attention, in no small part due to the fine performances of Miss Molly Bee and Edgar Buchanen. I grew up watching Edgar Buchanen as Uncle Joe in Petticoat Junction and never thought much about him as a character actor until I saw his performance as Sheriff Edwards in Edge of Eternity (1959). That completely changed my view of him as an actor and I have come to appreciate all of his work now. 

Molly Bee is best known as a country-music singer. She was a regular on Tennessee Ernie Ford's Hometown Jamboree but is most fondly-remembered for singing the Christmas classic "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" which she recorded when she was only 13 years old. She has a wonderful personality, lovely voice, and a beautiful smile. Many of her television appearances are available on Youtube (be sure to check out her rendition of "You Don't Know Me") as are most of her films (she only made five). 

Chartroose Caboose is unlike a lot of films from this era in that it doesn't feature much drama or tension. It is just a simple story of two lovebirds and the little adventure they have on the railway tracks. What makes their adventure special is the people they encounter along the way. At first, they adore Woody and his little caboose and then they meet little Joey (Michael McGreevey in his debut film) and come to love him, too. Joey is another runaway. He wants to join the Air Force and become a pilot so he cares nothing about railroads or cabooses... until he stays in Woody's caboose. Then they meet Mr. J.B. King (O.Z. Whitehead), a hobo, who also joins the happy vagabond family for the night. Each of these characters have their own story and their own minor drama that all gets resolved neatly by the end of the film's 75-minute runtime. 

Chartroose Caboose chugs along at a leisurely pace, features some nice railyard scenery (if you like rail scenery), and also has some pleasant tunes sprinkled throughout - including the catchy title tune "Chartroose Caboose" performed by Molly Bee at the end of the film. 

Also in the cast is Slim Pickens, Winslow Cuthbert (you know him when you see him) and Kay Bartels. 

Chartroose Caboose is available to buy or rent via Youtube. 

Rewind Review: Bachelor in Paradise (1961)

Bob Hope stars as AJ Niles, a world-renowned author of a series of books examining the lifestyle, eating habits, and sex life of the Europeans. His research keeps him busy all across the continent and his books have made him over a million in revenue. However, when he returns to the States after a 14- year absence, he finds his business manager has skedaddled to Mexico and left him with the IRS hounding him for over $600,000 in unpaid income taxes. His publisher suggests he write another book to help pay off this debt, this time about the Americans. Niles reluctantly goes undercover in a typical modern pre-planned housing development in California's San Fernando Valley to examine men, women, and their lifestyle for his latest tell-all book, "How the Americans Live". 

Niles rents one of the last available homes from Rosemary Howard, played by the glamorous Lana Turner, whom he also hires as a secretary to help with his writing. As a bachelor, his presence in the family-oriented community of Paradise Village causes intrigue and arouses excitement in some of the housewives - notably Dolores (Janis Paige), the neglected wife of Paradise's developer Mr. Jynson (Don Porter). Niles decides that what Paradise needs is passion and begins educating the baby-saddled housewives in the language of l'amour. His advice to add spice to their marriages works well in some households but downright terrible in others. Jim Hutton and Paula Prentiss play one of these young married couples in their third on-screen teaming, after the two lanky stars made a splash in Where the Boys Are (1960). 

The housewives are happy to get a little romance back into their lives, but some of the husbands believe that Niles is out to wreck their marriages instead. In truth, he only has eyes for Rosemary, and it's obvious that the world's most famous bachelor won't remain single for long. 

"I came out here to tell you what a despicable person you are" - Rosemary
"You might get an argument, I'm very fond of me" - A.J

Lana Turner was making a number of lush Ross Hunter soap operas (Imitation of Life, By Love Possessed) when she returned to MGM after a five-year absence to make Bachelor in Paradise, released in November 1961. The breezy comedy offered her a welcome change of pace from her turbulent home life. At the time, her daughter, Cheryl Crane, had been acquitted for killing Turner's gangster boyfriend Johnny Stampanato, and had recently been committed to a psychiatric institute. 

Bob Hope enjoyed a change of pace as well.... for a Hope vehicle, Bachelor in Paradise offered him a meatier plot line than his prat-filled comedies of the 1950s. The Facts of Life and Paradise revamped the comedy formula Hope was tied to in the previous decade and created a new style that he would eventually wear out as well. 

"It would be pink" - A.J, looking at the new house

"That's not pink! It's California Coral" - Rosemary

Bachelor in Paraidse is an amusing comedy and, like two other films of the era - Good Neighbor Sam (1964) and Send Me No Flowers (1964) - it offers a nostalgic slice of suburban American life in the early 1960s. Happily, the picture is not confined to indoor sets and we get to follow A.J. Niles as he visits a shopping center (eggs were 42 cents a dozen!), a bowling alley, drive-thru hamburger stand, and the Pig Pit BBQ restaurant, where a tipsy Rosemary displays her hula movements, much to the delight of Niles. Alas, in the final court sequences, the film flounders and not even Agnes Moorehead - appearing as the court judge- can keep the audience from emitting some mouth-stretching yawns at this point. 

The talented Henry Mancini penned a wonderfully light and fluffy score for Bachelor in Paradise and the theme song - with lyrics by Mack David - went on to earn a nomination for Best Song at the 1962 Academy Awards. During the ceremony, Ann-Margaret performed a scintillating rendition of the song and her performance turned her into an overnight sensation and launched her image as a sex kitten. 

For an afternoon's amusement, the chuckles Bachelor in Paradise bring can't be topped and spotting the myriads of familiar faces to be seen in the film (John McGiver, Reta Shaw, Roberts Shore, to name a few) only adds to the entertainment. 

Be sure to check out Robby Cress' great post on Paradise Village and how the area looks like today, over at his blog Dear Old Hollywood. Also, stay tuned for our own look at the floor plan to Rosemary Howard's home in Paradise.