Last night, in "The Depraved"(1957), U.S. Army "Captain Dave Dillon" (Robert Arden) runs out of gas on his way back to base. It's past midnight; you'd think he'd have filled up at the motor pool, but then we'd have a two minute movie. As it is, he has to hoof it to the nearest English country mansion where "Laura Wilton" (Anne Heywood) answers his knock. We've just watched her being verbally abused by her drunk, provoking husband, a wealthy entrepreneur. "Tom Wilton" (Basil Dignam) is one of those borderline personality drunks whose conversation is reactive. He explodes then retreats: "Oh c'mon, Laura. Have a drink and let's talk about old times." She seems to have the routine down pat, and when Captain Dillion knocks she lets him use the phone. But wouldn't ya know it, right then, the electricity goes out because Tom has pulled the stereo out of the wall, and in the process he's gotten a shock which has knocked him unconcho. Captain Dillon helps him to bed before leaving in Laura's car that she's loaned him for the night.
At the door, he asks if he can see her again, sensing all is not well in paradise. She turns him down, but she's hot so he's hooked, just like Fred MacMurray in "Double Indemnity," to which this film bears no small resemblance. When Dillon returns her car the next day, husband Tom invites him in. "So you're the chap who saw me to bed? Ah, the big American hero. Army, are you? The local U.S. base? You lot put up quite a racket. Here, have a drink." Captain Dillion is non-plussed by the man. "I'm just returning your wife's car, Sir." "Oh. Are you sure that's all you're returning? Have you ever killed a man, Captain? Me, I'm a pacifist." Dillon manages to excuse himself and leaves in his own car (now refueled). But he cant wait to see Laura again, and he's in luck because the base Colonel wants to throw a party for the local English residents to make up for the noisy maneuvers the Army has been carrying out. Dillon volunteers to deliver the invitations, which gives him a chance to once more visit Laura Wilton.
This time when he rings the bell she's home alone. She's been tanning with a sunlamp, naked of course, and before answering the door she throws on a loose robe that leaves little to the imagination. This drives Dillon crazy, and the postman always rings twice. If Dillion had watched more movies he would recognize he's in a jam, but he's busy in the Army, and the dame's got him pegged. Therefore, lust ensues. The next thing you know, she's asking him to help get rid of husband Tom. Dillon storms out: "Sorry Laura, I draw the line at murder!" Yeah, sure you do, Captain.
Because of course he reconsiders, because after all, any idiot will commit murdalization in order to get laid. And, Dillon has just discovered the perfect method! The same road he ran out of gas on has a dead man's curve, right next to a lake. Several accidents have recently happened there. It's just right for killing Tom.
Dillon and Laura schedule it for the night of the residents' party at the base. Dillion has to make sure and "be seen" (for an alibi) but he also has to sneak out to set up the roadkill. Drunken husband Tom is at the party, getting drunker, but you start to feel sorry for him. By now, Laura has admitted she only married him for his money. He's actually the most nuanced character in the movie, an a-hole to be sure, but a sympathetic one and you'll see why.
He ends up in the lake in his car, as planned, but then a Dogged Police Inspector with an Unrelenting Hairline (which has to be seen to be believed and may be a wig) arrives at the base and starts asking questions. Captain Dillon, who's been acting shifty ever since the party, is counting on his office mate, "Major Kellaway" (Carroll Levis), to cover for him, but the Major will only bend so far. He knows Dillon is having an affair, but not that he's committed murder. It plays out as you'd expect for cheating killers, and Captain Dillon is in for a big surprise. Two Huge Thumbs Up because it's expertly done, even if the plot is familiar. The picture is very good. ////
The previous night's film was "Barbados Quest"(1955), a title I've been avoiding for awhile because I thought it was a Bahamian adventure story, not that there would be anything wrong with that, it's just that we're on a British crime flick binge, and.....well anyhow, I was left with little choice because the pickins' were slim, and I should've known that, just as you can't judge a book by its cover, you also cannot judge a movie by its title. For proof, just look at "The Hornet's Nest" from our last blog: 'twas a jewel theft farce. It took place on a barge, had nothing but goofy characters, with nary a hornet, nest, or anything that menacing in sight.
Likewise, but only partially, "Barbados Quest" did have a quest, and it did have a Barbados, but the Barbados was a rare stamp, not a city, and the quest was to acquire it. And once acquired, to make sure it wasn't counterfeit.
Tom Conway stars, playing a variation of his Falcon character (we love The Falcon film series), a suave private eye, looking not unlike a slightly smaller Errol Flynn. He's hired by philatelist "J.D. Everleigh" (Launce Maraschal) after Everleigh learns of a rare Barbados stamp when there's only supposed to be three in existence. Conway has to fly to England to investigate, and when he gets there, the plot begins. He contacts an old reliable source "Barney Wilson" (Michael Balfour), an expert in all things counterfeit, and together they make an investigative team for the rest of the movie, which features style over substance, but there's plenty of style. It soon becomes apparent there's indeed a stamp counterfeiting ring at work, with a preference for printing the valuable Barbados. Canadian Pompadour star Ronan O' Casey (seen the other night in "Cross-Up") is a printer/engraver working at a local shop. He wants 2000 lbs to keep his mouth shut, otherwise he's gonna cop to Conway about the fakes.
Because it's Tom Conway (brother of the more famous George Sanders but we like Conway better), there's gotta be a romance, and of course it "comes at first chance" when, in investigating the Barbados, he meets the attractive "Jean Larson" (Delphi Lawrence), the female assistant to "Lady Hawksley" (Grace Arnold), owner of one of the three legit Barbados stamps in existence. I gauged where things were going after this; it's fairly well-telegraphed, but, as noted, this movie is all about style, character, and the actors, mainly Conway and Michael Balfour, a terrific supporting player who we've seen in several of these Brit flicks (but they still don't have a British Charles King, nobody tops him). The Thames is part of the plot in this one too, making it three in a row. Two Bigs. The picture is razor sharp. ////
Now, regarding the notice in the last blog about Lillian and Gary Patterson, we have an interesting new theory to report. One of the stranger appearances of the entire Event was Gary's, in the aftermath of the Rappaport kidnapping incident. That situation went on long into the night, on Sunday, September 3rd 1989, and as I was standing around in the area of Rappaport's front porch, along the sidewalk between 9032 and Etiwanda Avenue, I saw Gary Patterson actually drive up in his BMW, on Sunburst Street, which runs between Rathburn and Etiwanda and fronts both Rappaport's and my house. I can remember Gary pulling up and rolling down his window, and he said: "I'm looking for Lillian (last name)." And he had a piece of paper with him, like he'd written her name down or something. And in considering Gary's arrival over the years, I always thought of it as "Gary was some kind of chess piece for the bad guys", like he was "sent in" on a treasure hunt of sorts, to "look for Lillian". I thought this because initially Sean Young's participation also seemed like part of a game, like a ritual from "Eyes Wide Shut." But the other night, on my CSUN walk, a whole new possibility occurred to me. What if Gary, in reading from his piece of paper, had written down not Lillian's name (which he wouldn't need to write because he already knew it) but an address? What if he had written down Rappaport's address and was attempting to make a coke delivery? You've gotta keep in mind. "man, do these dipshits love cocaine." And so what if he was originally scheduled to make this delivery for the "orgy" but didn't know the orgy got called off, and when he showed up at the address, he saw people milling about out front, wondered WTF was going on, and asked "Does anyone know a Lillian (last name)?" And he'd unknowingly just driven into a Federal black-op situation. It seems more plausible that he drove up unknowingly, perhaps on a pre-scheduled coke run, only to find himself in one hell of an unusual situation. Then he would've been both scared and pissed off like Howard Schaller was, so he sent the evil David Friedman to bring me to his drop house the following Saturday, which was of course the Wilbur Wash house. Now it all makes more sense! Also, Lillian might've owed Gary money.
It is established beyond any shadow of a doubt that Lillian was dealing with not one but two coke merchants: Howard Schaller and Gary "Skull" Patterson. Now, I am guessing she was doing business with them mainly through go-betweens (Dave Small in Howard's case; The evil David Friedman and Dennis in Gary's case), but the real question is this: what did Lilly need all that coke for? I mean, we're talking two dealers, both of whom came looking for her after the situation blew up. Howard unfortunately found her at the Northridge Hospital parking lot, and Gary (using a written-down address) came looking for her at Rappaport's house (or even possibly my house) having no idea he'd just driven into the aftermath of a kidnap situation (what a fucking idiot, serves him right, haha, hope he's dead).
But again, why did Lillian need two coke suppliers? She didn't do drugs (I mean, I don't think she did. Maybe the occasional line.) And I can't imagine she'd need ounces and ounces for Rappaport's and Marshal's stupid parties. So why all the coke, and why all of a sudden? Why in 1989? I've traced a change in her behavior and demeanor (around me at the time), and I first began noticing an "aloofness" in Lilly around mid-1988. She even remarked on it in her "ultimatum" letter to me in June 1989 (see previous blogs). In that letter, she said, verbatim: "and if I seem distant or aloof right now, please understand I'm just scared of what's to come." What had she gotten herself into? Why the two dealers? And why Howard and Gary? That means that Lillian didn't know anyone in her own circle who could acquire cocaine (or she wanted to keep it a secret) so she used my friends Dave Small, and Dennis and Friedman as contacts to get introduced to their dealers. But why? It seems like a lot of coke for the whole "sex party/swinger" consortium, yet Howard wouldn't have become enraged over just a few grams or a couple hundred bucks of owed money. Ditto Gary, who wouldn't have come looking for Lillian unless he'd just suffered a significant loss of some kind.
So what was going on? Did it have to do with Cheap Trick? But why would they need Lilly for that? Of course, she was their friend, and she loved Tom Petersson, but still, couldn't they just have their roadies get their coke? Did it by any chance have to do with Priority Records? Seems unlikely (as shady of a character as her boss was, he'd do his own dealings, I imagine). I used to think it had something to do with her friends Joanie and Lanny (fellow Cheap Trick fans). They kept shuttling up to Vancouver in 1988/89. But Joanie is a well-respected teacher in Los Angeles, and Lanny works for the airlines. I don't really suspect them any more as having anything to do with The Event.
Well anyhow, it's worth pondering. Why two dealers, which seems to mean Lots of Coke? And what the hell was she thinking, dealing with lowlifes like that?
Anyhow, God Bless, and that's all for tonight. My blogging music is "In Camera" by Peter Hamill, my late night is Handel's Fernando, King of Castile Opera. I wish you a good weekend and I send you Tons of Love, as always. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
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