Yesterday I went to Warner Park to see The Surf City All-Stars play a concert of Beach Boys music. As I've mentioned, I've really been getting into the BBs this Summer after buying several of their albums on CD ("Sunflower", "Surf's Up", "Holland" & "Pet Sounds"). Those albums all come from their late '60s/early '70s period, after they'd changed their sound to incorporate styles besides the Surf Rock they're best known for. Of course I love that music, too. I mean, how many great songs do The Beach Boys have, right? They certainly add up after you see The Surf City All-Stars in concert. They stick to the hits, and they must've played 25 songs last night over the course of their 90 minute show. Every song's a classic! Boy are these guys great. It says on their website that each member has toured with The Beach Boys at one time or another, and one guy was hand picked by Carl Wilson himself to start this tribute band. They nail the music and especially the four part harmonies. If you ever have the chance to see them, don't miss it. I'm freaking out on The Beach Boys right now, lol, and I'll put Brian Wilson up there with Lennon/McCartney.
Anyway, that's why the blog is late (shoulda been posted yesterday). I also went back to church yesterday morning, for the first time since March 2020. We didn't sing - and probably won't be singing for quite a while, due to ongoing Covid concerns - but it was nice to see everybody after all this time. Our new pastor is great, too.
Well, I'm back at Pearl's, so I have to adjust my writing schedule (pronun.) I should be able to get the blog back on track by tomorrow, but what I'm gonna do today is just synopsize our last two movies, starting with Saturday night's film. Here's what I wrote to begin with :
Last night we were sent to the "Island of Doomed Men"(1940). Probably should've known better than to search Peter Lorre, but anyway, once we got there, we had to find a way out. Luckily for us, undercover agent "Mark Sheldon" was on the island too, except there he was known as "John Smith", ex-convict. Better let me explain.
As the movie opens, Sheldon (Robert Wilcox) enters an office and signs on with a super Top Secret agency, tasked with taking down the world's most dangerous criminals. The Supervisor gives him the lowdown on Lorre and his private island in the Pacific. "He owns a diamond mine that he mans with slave labor. You should know the risks, you might not return alive, and if you're caught we'll deny your existence".
Before he can finish his spiel, an assassin pokes a gun through the windum and fires. Bang! The Supervisor is wounded. Before he dies, he exhorts Sheldon to flee down the fire escape. "No one can know your identity, not even the police"! Sheldon can't explain the situation to the coppers because he'll expose the op. As he's fleeing he gets caught on the sidewalk. He refuses to identify himself, except as "John Smith". The police know it's an alias and he gets blamed for his bosses' murder. Then he is tried and convicted, and sentenced to 20 years in prison! (Great Googley Moogley!)
But Peter Lorre gets him out after serving just one year. Lorre's a "legitimate businessman" (oh no, not one of those again) who sponsors a program to employ parolees on his island. He's "rehabilitating" the convicts to live honest lives. All they have to do is work hard (in Bronson Cave) until they're ready to re-enter society. In reality though, it's a slave labor camp from which no one's ever escaped. I mean, c'mon.....what'dja expect? It's Peter Lorre. Did you really think he suddenly became an altruist?
Well anyhow, yeah he's running a prison camp with forced labor, staffed by prisoner guards just like at Auschwitz. His stunning wife is a prisoner, too, though she isn't made to work. She stays at home in the jungle, wearing slinky gowns. He orders her to play piano. Man, does she hate him. Once "John Smith" arrives, she seeks him as an ally.
Lorre employs a slow burn delivery. He never raises his voice, but don't let his even keel fool you. He's beyond merciless and knows everything you're doing to scheme against him. He's always one step ahead and in his mind he's planning the worst possible demise for you that he can conjure. In the 1980s, my friends and I would argue who would win a cage match between Brian Dennehy and Wilford Brimley, but now, I'd take Peter Lorre over both of them. He wouldn't even have to get in the cage; he'd just figure out a Sinister Plan to entrap them.
The main thing in the plot is that he doesn't want to lose his wife (and you wouldn't either if your wife was Rochelle Hudson). He knows she hates his guts, but that's okay as long as he can still possess her. By this time he's lost interest in persecuting "John Smith", who he finds rather dreary. "I know that you work for the government. That's why I brought you here, to control you". He says this causally as he checks his fingernails. It's the ultimate Peter Lorre role.
Two Big Thumbs Up for "Island of Doomed Men".
The previous night we walked over to Poverty Row for a goodie from Monogram Pictures : "The Sphinx"(1933), starring Lionel Atwill as a deaf mute accused of murder. As the movie opens, we see him leaving a stockbroker's office late at night. The only other guy in the building is a janitor who's taking a swig. He sees Atwill, who nods and tips his hat. The next morning a body is discovered; the stockbroker from the office. The janitor is questioned but not believed, after all he's a lush. He's also a humorous Italian, who "a-swears-a", that he "a-saw-a", the "silent man-a" in the building. "But he couldn't-a notta do it. He a seem-a like a nice guy". I paraphrase, but the accent is the character's. Remember, this is 1933.
Back at his home, Atwood's butler runs interference. He's played by the Joker-faced Lucien Prival, who looks like The Man Who Laughed. He acts as Atwill's interpreter, and when a reporter shows up, he answers all his questions. ("Mr. Breen says this, Mr. Breen says that"). The scribe thinks Prival is covering something up and you would too; the scene takes place in one of those old Hollywood mansions where the walls are made of stone and bookcases rotate to reveal hidden rooms.
You'll never guess what (or whom!) Atwill is hiding in order to get away with murder. The movie succeeds on his turn as the deaf mute. Though the camerawork is static and the production values low, I loved "The Sphinx" because of it's clever plot. It runs just 64 minutes, and this time I strongly recommend you watch it as a double feature with "Island of Doomed Men". Atwill's performance plays in tandem with that of Peter Lorre. Both are eccentric and the movies seem to go together. Two Big Thumbs Up for "The Sphinx". Watch 'em both and have fun! ////
That's all for the moment. Sorry for the short reviews, but we'll adjust back to normal. Hope you have a great evening, I send you tons of love as always.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
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