From the Archives: The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969)

Dexter Reiley and the Medfield College gang listen in to one of Dean Higgins' board meetings in this lobby card scene from the Walt Disney comedy The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969). This was the first of three Dexter Reiley films that Kurt Russell made and all of them are fun movies to watch. 

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 or on our website www.silverbankspictures.com

Night Monster (1942)

A gloomy old mansion, a fog-covered swamp, a household of suspicious servants, and a crippled millionaire with a grudge against his doctors.... what more could one ask for in a good old-fashioned murder mystery? Throw in a mysterious Hindu mystic who can materialize objects out of thin air and a hideous monster who roams the countryside at night, and you've got the makings of a first-rate Universal horror film!

Night Monster (1942) may not be as well remembered as Dracula, Frankenstein, or The Wolf Man, but it is certainly one of the more unusual little chillers to emerge from Universal Studios during the 1940s. Unlike the studio's other monster films, this one combines the traditional old-dark-house mystery with a dash of Eastern mysticism and a sprinkling of science fiction. The result is a surprisingly engrossing 73 minutes of entertainment.

The story begins at Ingston Towers, an old mansion situated in the middle of a lonely marshland. Its owner, Kurt Ingston (Ralph Morgan), is a wealthy recluse who has been confined to a wheelchair following a series of unsuccessful medical treatments. Bitter over his condition, he invites three of the physicians responsible for his care to spend a weekend at his estate. He claims that he wishes to discuss a substantial donation to medical research, but judging by the expression on his face, philanthropy is the last thing on his mind.

And what a household he keeps! There's Rolf (Bela Lugosi), the grim-faced butler who wandered in from Dracula's castle; Miss Judd (Doris Lloyd), a stern housekeeper; and Laurie (Leif Erikson), a burly chauffeur who spends most of his time bullying the servants and making unwelcome advances towards the ladies. 

Ingston's nervous sister Margaret (Fay Helm) believes that someone in the household is trying to drive her insane, and so she secretly summons Dr. Lynne Harper (Irene Hervey), a psychiatrist, to examine her and determine whether her fears are imaginary or well-founded.

On her way to the mansion, Dr. Harper encounters Dick Baldwin (Don Porter), a handsome young mystery writer who offers to accompany her to Ingston Towers after her car broke down. As she was heading there on foot she heard the frogs in the marsh suddenly stop croaking - and then a scream - followed by a flash of what appeared to be a monster. Harper was relieved to have an escort. 

Shortly after arriving, the guests begin disappearing, bodies are discovered in the marshes, and the local constable (Robert Homans) finds himself with more murders on his hands than he can comfortably manage. Someone, or something, is stalking the countryside at night strangling people and leaving behind a trail of peculiar footprints and a damning puddle of blood.

And then there's Agor Singh....

Nils Asther portrays this mysterious Hindu mystic who has been residing at Ingston Towers and teaching its master the extraordinary powers of the human mind. Asther, a Swedish-born actor who had been a popular leading man during the silent era, is almost unrecognizable beneath his dark makeup and turban. Unlike the other residents of the mansion, Agor Singh seems perfectly calm about the dreadful happenings taking place around him.

One of the most fascinating scenes in Night Monster occurs when Singh demonstrates his extraordinary ability to reconstruct matter through the power of thought. Before the astonished dinner guests, he causes a human skeleton to materialize out of thin air!

"All matter is really cosmic substance in vibration."

This is where Night Monster takes a rather unexpected turn. Instead of attributing Singh's powers to some supernatural mumbo-jumbo, the script introduces the idea that matter is composed of energy and that the human mind may possess the ability to manipulate that energy, reconstructing the molecular structure of physical objects. What an extraordinary subject to find tucked away in a low-budget horror film from 1942!

Today, the relationship between matter and energy is a familiar scientific concept, but the notion that concentrated thought could reorganize molecules and restore physical matter is something quite different. Whether one believes such a thing possible or not, it is fascinating to see a Hollywood screenwriter playing with these ideas over eighty years ago. Most Universal monsters were created through scientific experiments, ancient curses, or a jolt of electricity. This one has a much more unusual origin.

Dr. Harper herself makes an interesting observation, "My study of the mind has convinced me how little we know of its powers."

And that, in a nutshell, is what makes the film's central mystery so intriguing. The script takes a subject that might ordinarily belong in a philosophical discussion and turns it into the basis for a rather gruesome series of murders. 

Of course, all this metaphysical speculation does not prevent the characters from indulging in the sort of snappy dialogue that made 1940s films such a delight. The screenplay, written by Clarence Upson Young, is filled with witty remarks and amusing exchanges that keep the story from becoming too solemn. Even when the bodies are piling up, somebody manages to find time for a wisecrack.

"Why don't you measure the other guys shoes? They have feet, too."

Don Porter and Irene Hervey make an agreeable pair and add a little dash of romance to the film. Ralph Morgan, the older brother of The Wizard of Oz star Frank Morgan, plays the embittered Kurt Ingston. Morgan had a wonderfully expressive face, and here he uses it to convey a man whose physical suffering has gradually turned into resentment and hatred. 

Bela Lugosi and Lionel Atwill, two veterans of Universal's horror department, receive prominent billing, although neither has a particularly large role. Lugosi spends much of his screen time glowering at the guests and looking appropriately sinister, while Atwill portrays Dr. King, one of the physicians summoned to the estate. Both are welcome additions to the cast, even if they are not given quite as much to do as one might wish.

Night Monster was directed by Ford Beebe, a veteran of serials and adventure pictures who had worked on Universal's popular Flash Gordon chapterplays. Beebe knew how to keep a story moving, and he wastes little time in establishing the mystery and introducing his collection of suspicious characters.

The film was originally developed under the title House of Mystery, an equally appropriate name. Universal made good use of existing studio sets, including scenery previously seen in The Wolf Man (1941). In fact, the foggy woodland featured behind the opening credits is the very same eerie landscape that helped establish the atmosphere of that earlier classic. 

What makes Night Monster so enjoyable is that it never relies entirely upon its monster to hold the audience's attention. There is a genuinely intriguing mystery at the heart of the story, a colorful assortment of suspects, some excellent performances, and enough amusing dialogue to keep the proceedings lively. Even the more far-fetched elements of the plot are presented with such conviction that one is willing to accept them, at least until the final reel.

Universal made dozens of horror pictures during the 1930s and 1940s, and while the famous monsters continue to receive most of the attention, there are quite a few forgotten gems lurking in the studio's vaults. Night Monster is one of them. It may not have the prestige of Frankenstein or the tragic romance of The Wolf Man, but it has something those pictures do not: a monster whose very existence raises some rather interesting questions about the nature of matter, energy, and the human mind.

And that's quite an accomplishment for a little B-picture whose chief purpose was to give moviegoers a few good shivers on a Saturday night!

Rewind Review: The Stately Ghosts of England (1965)

Margaret Rutherford, the intrepid actress best known for portraying the medium Madame Arcati in Blithe Spirit and Jane Marple in the Murder She Said series had, in 1967, earned an Academy Award for her performance in The V.I.P.s and was awarded the title Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire that same year. Prior to this crowning achievement she had an even more exciting experience.... she was thrust among the living and the dead in a one-hour television special The Stately Ghosts of England. 

In this program, which aired in 1965, the stout dame guided us on a tour of some of the oldest and grandest castles of Great Britain. However, their architecture and interior decor were not the highlight of the tour - instead, she attempted to beckon the spirits to make an appearance for NBC's audience in Great Britain and the United States, where eager ectoplasm enthusiasts gathered around their teles to see what they could not see. 

Within the one-hour timespan, Margaret Rutherford, her husband Stringer Davis, and Tom Corbett, one of England's most famous clairvoyants, traveled in a 1909 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost to visit three stately homes of England. 

The first, Longleat in Wiltshire, belonging to Lord Henry Thynne, the Marquess of Bath, was the setting of a duel provoked by the most ancient of sins - adultery. In the dark dismal hall leading to the upstairs chambers, Sir Thomas Thynne, with a flash of steel, slew his wife's lover. Lady Louisa Thynne died shortly after and joined her darling in the afterlife. However, she didn't quite make it... judging from the moans that are resounding in the corridors.  

"Lord Thynne, have you ever seen the ghost?"
"No, I never actually myself, seen or heard the supernatural" 

And so they carried themselves upstairs to have a chat with a woman who had seen the ghost. "Well, I didn't actually quite really see the ghost myself, it was more like a sinister presence that I felt." 

Tom Corbett, being a clairvoyant (one who sees ghosts) had no trouble seeing her, of course, but for the viewers benefit, our team arranged to have a ghost camera - that wonder of the ages - set up to capture her fleeting presence on celluloid. To their satisfaction (but hardly ours), they did capture a shaft of light which appeared for a few seconds. 

Off they whisked themselves away to their second destination, the home of Mr. and Mrs. Goldsmith, owners of the charming cottage once belonging to Nell Gwynne, the famous stage actress and mistress of King Charles II. Unlike most ghosts, this lovely lady walks the floors of her dwelling in peace, choosing to remain to cherish the happy moments she spent in her home. Upstairs, however, is a more tempestuous spirit. The footsteps of a suicidal cavalier can be heard roaming the wooden passages leading to the bedrooms. The poor man is lost in limbo, still searching for the missing wing of his manor. Honestly, the current owners should have notified him of the change in the house's structure. 

More startling than these spirits, however, is when Tom Corbett actually speaks! 

"Do you know you have a third ghost?" he quietly announces before promptly pursing his lips once again. The rest of the cast wander off to the bridge to not see the lady standing there, while Dame Margaret Rutherford chooses to snoop inside the Goldsmith's barn. Here, she points out an airplane belonging to Sir Geoffrey de Havilland, who once worked on the property. 

On their third and final visit, the ghostbusters are off to Beaulieu, an abbey in Hampshire. This crumbling ruin was built by hand by the monks of the Cistercian order in the thirteenth century, and rudely repossessed by King Henry VIII, a despiser of the church, to be given as a gift to Thomas Wriothesley, Earl of Southampton. Though the monks peacefully allowed their physical property to be taken from them, in spirit, they refused to budge. Spunky monks they be! 

The current owner, a descendant of the Earl, cordially conveys the story of the ancestral ghosts of the former abbey. Once again, he utters those profound words echoed throughout the special, "I, myself, have not seen the ghosts," but, he explains, his sister heard their rhythmic musical chanting... as had a number of other townsfolk. The Earl's sister, surely a relative of Margaret Thatcher, relays her account of hearing the sounds of a primitive radio which was sending out easy-listening signals of comfort and peace. Our trio, anxious to tune into this station, sit outside the walls of the abbey with tape recorder in hand, ready to document these songs for posterity. 

Margaret Rutherford sums up the program and her personal feelings succinctly with the words, "Let those deny who will, I for one choose to believe in them."

This program perfectly suited the talents of Margaret Rutherford, not only because she had a flair for the dramatic, but because she, herself, was a believer in the spiritual and the occult. Indeed, she was the ideal host to the ghosts. 

The Stately Ghosts of England is available for viewing here. 

The Impossibly Difficult Name that Movie Game

Now this looks like a dark and eerie scene from a dark and eerie picture... or are we just throwing you off the trail? 

If you want some more difficult screenshots to identify, check out our post from 7 years ago (!!) of the Halloween edition of The Impossibly Difficult Name that Movie Game which still has four of the five screenshots unidentified.

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

Film Albums: The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh (1964) - A Disneyland Record

On February 1964, Walt Disney's The Wonderful World of Color aired the first of their three-part series titled "The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh" based on the story of Dr. Syn (Patrick MacGoohan), the English pastor who masqueraded as the fearsome Scarecrow at night to lead a band of smugglers and, like Robin Hood, share his spoils with the poor people of his parish. 

You can read our write-up on this great historical-adventure series here, but for this post we are featuring the thrilling theme song sung by none other than the Wellingtons who were best known for singing the "Three-hour tour" theme to Gilligan's Island. Terry Gilkyson wrote the lyrics and music to this memorable ballad of Dr. Syn. Gilkyson was an excellent writer of folk music and had a number of popular hits ("Greenfields", "Memories are Made of This") but is best known for his work with the Walt Disney Studios in the 1960s where he composed music for The Moon-Spinners, The Three Lives of Thomasina, The Jungle Book ("The Bare Necessities"), and The Aristocats ("Thomas O'Malley Cat").

The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh was one of the many Disneyland records released by The Walt Disney Music Company. This one is number LG-774. 

You can listen to the ballad of The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh here.

Bonus 45 rpm: Another great Halloween ballad is "Demons and Witches" recorded in 1963 by The Four Preps. It features a great guitar strum and wonderful harmonies by the Prep boys. 

Fury at Smuggler's Bay (1961)

Squire Trevenyan (Peter Cushing), a magistrate in 18th century Cornwall becomes entangled with a dangerous gang of shipwreckers led by the brutal Black John (Bernard Lee). In attempting to stop the wreckers one evening, his son Christopher (John Fraser) kills one of the men. He feels that his testimony to their actions is enough to put the whole gang in chains, yet his father is reluctant to do so and instead ushers his son away to London. Black John has a hold over the squire that he is reluctant to admit and it takes a dashing highwayman known as the Captain (William Franklyn) to finally set things right and stop the wreckers. 

Fury at Smugglers' Bay was a British production released in 1961. Swashbuckling films were not too common in the early 1960s, especially British-made ones, so this film was well-received upon its release. Director John Gilling did an excellent job of keeping the story engaging with taut direction, beautiful location shooting (with Wales taking the place of Cornwall), and populating the film with a very capable cast of actors. 

John Fraser was one of the most underrated young actors of British films of the 1960s. He is best known today for his performance of Lord Alfred Douglas in The Trials of Oscar Wilde (1963) but he made a number of light dramas and comedies as well (The Horsemasters, Tunes of Glory, Tamahine, A Study in Terror) and was just an overall well-rounded actor who could tackle any role with conviction. In Fury, he plays the heroic son of the squire who loves the daughter of a tavern keeper known to be involved in smuggling activities... not the ideal match for a man in his noble position so this puts him in a upsetting relationship with his father.

Michèle Mercier plays this lucky lass named Louise. Mercier was the French version of Gina Lollobrigida and was often cast in parts owing to her shapely figure and not her acting ability, not that it was second-rate. June Thorburn also has a small part in the film as the squire's daughter Jenny. This lovely English actress is best known for her roles in Tom Thumb (1960) and The Three Worlds of Gulliver (1963) but she also did a number of interesting television productions including an adaptation of Wuthering Heights in 1962. John Gilling later used her in another of his swashbucklers, The Crimson Blade (1963). 

William Franklyn was a prolific film and television actor who played a similar glamourized highwayman in Walt Disney's The Legend of Young Dick Turpin (1965). Liz Fraser, of the Carry On series, plays a barmaid, and George Coulouris plays Louise's "papa" who is involved in the smuggling. Bernard Lee takes the spotlight as the ruffian Black John. This was a far cry from his later dignified role as the head of MI6 in the James Bond series. Lastly, the star of the film, Peter Cushing does a good job as Squire Trevenyan, although he could have given off a little more emotion, which would have made the character less dutifully dull.

One associates Peter Cushing with Hammer Film Productions, so much so that even when he switches studios the film takes on the appearance of a Hammer Production. Fury at Smugglers' Bay was produced by John Gilling Enterprises and distributed by Regal Films International, yet it has all the earmarks of a Hammer film production - Eastmancolor, lush photography by Harry Waxman (The Family Way, Beast in the Cellar), roguish heroes, buxom barmaids, and a historical period setting. All that was missing was Christopher Lee and some additional splattering of blood...but thankfully, neither appeared in this production. 

Overall, Fury at Smugglers' Bay is an engrossing swashbuckler and a great film to watch on a rainy afternoon, but it could have used a touch of humor and a bit more of Universal Studios' "swash" added into the mix to make it more rousing and memorable. Nevertheless, if it appears on television, it is worth a watch. 

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. 

From the Archives: The Blue Veil (1951)

Is that Vivian Vance?? It certainly is! And she is standing besides none other than Charles Laughton. Jane Wyman has an expectant look on her face which, if you have seen the film, you probably know why.... personally, I have not watched the film yet, so I don't know what this scene is about but it looks like an interesting movie. 

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 

The Girl Most Likely (1958)

In The Girl Most Likely, Jane Powell stars as Dodie, a young woman who dreams of marrying a millionaire and living "the life." Her current steady Buzz (Tommy Noonan) loves her dearly and vows to give her the high life as soon as he makes it big in real estate so Dodie accepts his proposal of marriage even though kissing him doesn't set her on a "pink cloud" like she thought it would. 

The next day she meets handsome Pete (Cliff Robertson) whom she thinks is yacht-owner and millionaire Neil Patterson Jr. He's not.... he's simply Pete, the mechanic. However, kissing him puts her on the pink cloud so when he proposes to her the next night, she accepts! 

The following day she finds herself in a greater pickle when she actually does meet the Neil Patterson Jr. (Keith Andes) and he takes her on a whirlwind trip to Mexico and proposes to her as well. She caught the millionaire she always wanted! Dodie's got three fiancées now and one big decision to make. 

The Girl Most Likely (1957) is not likely to be a title you've heard of because it is rarely shown on television and is not written up as one of the great 1950s musicals - probably because it isn't. The film starts off pleasantly, slowly climbs up the roller coaster in the middle, and then quickly takes a big dip before it ends with a slight jerk. The story is amusing, Jane Powell and Kaye Ballard (as her friend Marge) are fantastic, as are all the fellas, and the musical numbers are fun too, it is just the script that took a dive 2/3 of the way in. Keith Andes entrance as Neil Patterson Jr. could have been better and his whole segment on the yacht and in Mexico pulled the film down. Keith Andes was a great actor but this was just poor material to work with. 

Does that mean the film isn't worth watching? Certainly not! It's great fun to watch and the music, beginning with the Hi-Lo's fantastic opening song "The Girl Most Likely," compliments each scene nicely. Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane penned most of the songs while Gower Champion created some clever choreography (that it seems inspired Onna White's dances for Bye Bye Birdie in 1963). 

Jane Powell elevates the picture immensely. She brought a touch of the MGM class to the RKO studios. Also in the cast is Una Merkel and Frank Cady as Dodie's parents, Judy Nugent (from Disney's Annette serial) as Dodie's sister, and Kelly Brown, who should have become another Russ Tamblyn. 

The Girl Most Likely was filmed on location in Balboa Island, California, and at RKO's Hollywood studio at 780 Gower Street, where it was the last picture made before the studio was demolished. Filming completed in 1957, but the picture was not released until 1958 (by Universal-International) where it failed to make a dent in the box-office. Jane Powell once quipped (in a 1987 "Films in Review" profile) that Universal-International didn't release the film, they simply allowed it to "escape". Ouch! 

Film Albums: Rene Touzet Goes to the Movies (1962)

This is a fun album! It not only boasts that great album cover with the director's clapboard and all the titles listed, but the sound is fantastic - Rene Touzet mixes the musical style of Les Baxter with Peter Nero to get a uniquely Touzet sound. 

Rene Touzet was a Cuban bandleader and pianist so these covers of popular movie themes of the early 1960s definitely have a Latin rhythm to them. Can you imagine "Small World" in the style of Perez Prado's "Patricia"? That's what it does sound like. "Maria" is delightfully Spanish-sounding, "Exodus" becomes danceable, and "Moon River" was turned into a bossa nova - neato! Best of all - "Till There Was You" was transformed into a cha-cha!

Ready to listen to Touzet? Click here to hear the entire album on Youtube. 

Track Listing

Side One:

Theme from The Wonderful World of Brothers Grimm

Tender is the Night

Small World

Maria (West Side Story)

Baby Elephant Walk (Hatari)

Moon River (Breakfast at Tiffanys)

Follow Me (Mutiny on the Bounty)


Side Two: 

El Cid

My Romance (Jumbo)

Never on Sunday

Till There was You (The Music Man)

Tonight (West Side Story)

Invitation

Exodus

Top Picks: Brothers Grimm Theme, Small World, My Romance, Till There Was You, Exodus

The Impossibly Difficult Name that Movie Game

This man talked so fast, it was hard to get a non-blurry image of him - but here he is! Doesn't he look familiar? Possibly....possibly not, depending on if you saw this movie...

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

Rewind Review: Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961)

"Dive! Dive!"

Film producer/director Irwin Allen let audiences dive deep into the waters of adventure with Voyage of the Bottom of the Sea, his second of three feature films that he made at 20th Century Fox studios in the early 1960s. Prior to gaining a reputation as "The Master of Disaster" because of his disaster-themed films of the 1970s, Allen tried his hand at writing, producing and directing adventure pictures. His first production for Fox - Lost World (1960) - was co-written by Charles Bennett and its success at the box-office led to the two men collaborating on another Jules Vernes-like story. They took some inspiration from "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" and created a clever story about a modern era atomic submarine 

Walter Pidgeon stars as the cigar-chomping Admiral Nelson, inventor and commander of the newly built atomic sub Seaview. The Seaview is on diving trials in the Arctic Ocean when they discover boulder-size pieces of ice crashing into the sea around them. They surface and find that temperatures are over 100 degrees and the sky is aflame. A meteor shower had pierced the Van Allen radiation belt and caused it to catch on fire. Admiral Nelson and his right-hand man, Commodore Emery (Peter Lorre) believe that the Earth can be saved from burn-up if a missile were to be shot into the Van Allen belt to create an explosion. According to their calculations, this missile can only be launched from the Mariana Islands, and so the Seaview races to the south to reach the islands before the entire world burns. 

Along for the ride is Dr. Susan Hiller (Joan Fontaine), a psychologist who is studying crews for their reaction to stress, Vice-Admiral B.J. Crawford (John Litel), and Congressman Parker (Howard McNear). The voyage progresses smoothly until doubts begin to arise in the mind of Captain Lee Crane (Robert Sterling) as to whether the admiral is making a sound and safe decision. Lt. Connors (Barbara Eden) has complete faith in the admiral but cannot explain the unusual happenings onboard the Seaview... acts of sabotage that appear to be of Admiral Nelson's doing. 

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea is a fun adventure flick packed with action. The race-against-time element makes the story exciting enough, but Allen threw in a touch of mystery with the added story of the saboteur. There are also two octopus attacks and a great mine-field sequence. 

The Van Allen radiation belts had only recently been discovered when Irwin Allen began writing Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, and so much about them was still unknown. The idea of the Van Allen belt catching on fire was later proven to be impossible, but at the time, it probably sent shivers down audiences thinking about it being an actual possibility. 

Even though most of the film takes place within the confines of the Seaview, the film never feels stagebound. The sets, created by Herman Blumenthal, were very imaginative (they were later reused for the television series). The Seaview itself is an especially good design. 

Irwin Allen plunged $1.5 million dollars into the making of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and it paid off handsomely. Critics gave the picture mixed reviews but audiences loved it and the movie raked in over $8 million dollars. 

Teen singing-sensation Frankie Avalon helped to lure in the young female audience. His part was not very dramatic and, surprisingly, he didn't sing in the film but you can hear his voice crooning the opening credits. 

Also in the cast was Michael Ansara (who fell in love with and married Eden after making the movie), Regis Toomey, Henry Daniell, Skip Ward and Mark Slade.