Joel McCrea , John Carradine, and Miroslava in "Stranger on Horseback", and "The Bounty Man" starring Clint Walker and Margot Kidder

Last night's movie was "Stranger on Horseback"(1955), a short-but-epic Western in which Joel McCrea stars as "Judge Richard Thorne", sent to audit the town of Bannerman in an unnamed state that looks like Arizona. He has a philosophy, voiced-over as he rides: "When you come out west, you need two things: your law book and a gun. And the closer you get, the more you hold tight to the latter." When he hits town, the first thing he notices is that everything is named "Bannerman": The Bannerman Hotel, Bannerman General Store, Bannerman Livery. Oh, there's a Kettering's Barber Shop, and a blacksmith named Taylor, but "They're Bannerman's cousins", a tall gent informs him. He's "Col. Buck Streeter" (John Carradine), a Federal prosecutor, but in name only, because he does no prosecuting unless the Bannermans allow him. The silver-tongued Colonel shows Judge Thorne around town, ever the country gentleman (as only John Carradine can play). After conducting a census, Thorne meets with "Sheriff Nat Bell" (Emile Meyer) to ask about crime, and gun violence. "Aww, we never have any of that around here."

Written into an early scene is an acknowledgement by author Louis L'Amour that the town boss "Josiah Bannerman" (John McIntire) is not a back-and-white villain. A Mexican man, an illegal immigrant, is brought by a deputy before the Sheriff. The man explains that his wife died and he's got three boys. "They have only me," he says in broken English, "so I come to America, the rich country". He, and all his small boys, signal a willingness to work, and Col. Streeter says, "there's four new hires for Josiah", indicating that Bannerman hires good men at fair wages. L'Amour's conflict - Judge vs. Land Baron - thus has ambiguities.

Continuing his conversation with the Sheriff, Thorne asks: "What was that funeral I saw when I rode in?" 

"Oh, that? Well, that in fact was a shooting, but an act of self defense. It don't count as a crime, so there's no need for me to make an arrest."

But the Judge is thorough. "Okay, well then can I have the name of the man who did the shooting? I need to interview him as part of the process." Sheriff Bell hems and haws, then coughs up: "It's Tom Bannerman, Josiah's son". Smelling a cover-up, Judge Thorne tracks Tom down; he's slamming shots at the Bannerman Saloon. Tom is played by Kevin McCarthy, in Big Grin Mode when he was young. Needless to say, he don't take kindly to being questioned. "You heard the Sheriff, it was self defense!" "Maybe so, but I still have to give you a trial. and until I do, the legal charge is murder."

When Josiah hears about this, he tries to mollify Judge Thorne with an invite to a fancy dinner. "Let's talk like reasonable men. I know my boy's a little wild. I can discipline him myself." 

But Thorne can't be swayed: "I can't allow that, Mr. Bannerman. That's not how the law works, I'm afraid".

There's a subplot involving "Amy Lee Bannerman" (Miroslava), Josiah's niece, where she's engaged to the nerdy town banker, also a cousin, but he's a drip and she's attracted to the Judge. Thorne likes her too; she's beautiful and she stands up to Josiah. She's fiery, knows that cousin Tom's a killer, and the plot may hinge on her loyalty to the extensive Bannerman clan. Meanwhile, the Judge has won the allegiance of the Sheriff, who's embarrassed at having been under the thumb of Josiah. Now, he's ready to die upholding the law, and when Judge Thorne decides they need to spirit Tom out of town in the middle of the night, to avoid a multi-Bannerman attack, Sheriff Bell willingly backs him, blowing several holes in the jail door when Josiah's henchmen break it down. The good guys are on the run now, riding over a mountain pass, taking Tom to the town of Cottonwood, where a fair trial can be held away from the Bannerman influence. And lo and behold, Amy Lee rides out to join them, bucking Josiah's orders. Also along are two witnesses who saw the shooting, in which Tom is claiming self-defense. They will testify they saw him try to rape the dead man's wife, and when the man intervened, Tom killed him: it was cold-blooded murdalization.

There's only one trail that leads out of town, so it's easy for Josiah to figure out where the Judge and his group have gone, and with many men to back him up, he tracks Judge Thorne and encircles him in the mountain pass. A gunfight ensues that will not only decide Tom's fate, but that of the Bannerman family going forward.

The movie is about how law and order ultimately settled the West. Before it arrived, in the form of Federal judges and the Army, bullies ran towns, like Trump. They glad-handed a few, paid henchmen well (and henchmen felt powerful by proxy). The citizens went along to get along, and kept their heads down to avoid trouble. And - like Tom Bannerman - the scions had their way, got drunk, or killed someone and called it self defense, and they got away with it because Donald Trump always owned the Sheriff as well as the town. But then the Federal government started sending Judges or creating Army outposts, and the day of the Western small town shot-callers slowly came to an end. Two Bigs verging on Two Huge for "Stranger on Horseback". You can't beat a Western with Joel McCrea, and you get John Carradine in the bargain. I hadn't heard of the actress Miroslava (single name), and was saddened to read that she committed suicide, at age 30, not long after this movie was completed. She's very beautiful and captivating in her role as Amy Lee, but was apparently heartbroken over the breakup of an engagement. The picture is color, slightly soft.  //// 

The previous night once again featured the combo of Clint Walker and Aaron Spelling, working out of what looked like the same location they used for "Yuma". It's another made-for-TV Western called "The Bounty Man"(1972). Maybe they shot 'em back to back. Walker plays "Kinkaid", a bounty hunter with a black beard that looks painted on. We see how good he is at his trade in the opening scene: two outlaws are celebrating with a drink from a mud puddle, believing they've outrun him after two days on horseback. They discover they're wrong when Kincaid pops up out of nowhere. One guy draws and gets blown in half.

The bounty on these men is 500 bucks, and when Kincaid brings them in to collect (one dead, one alive), another local bounty hunter named "Angus Keough" (Richard Basehart as a total dirtbag) doesn't appreciate the competition. With his scuzzball gang to back him up, he threatens the gigantic Kincaid. Basehart uses his renowned voice to great effect, issuing whiskey-and-cigar-smoked threats: "Listen here, Kincaid. We've been workin' this area since you wuz in short britches. Why don't you pack up and git?"

When Kincaid tells him to stick it, that he's now going after the notorious "Billy Riddle" (John Ericson), Keough tells him he's crazy. "Riddle's holed up in Battle Creek, which is hemmed in by mountains. That town's mostly outlaws who see Billy as a hero. You'll be walkin' into a trap and you'll never get out alive."

"5000 dollars says I will".

"Oh, so it's five now, is it? Just last month it was only three, and even that much wasn't enough for us to try takin' him, and I got five men. Like I'm saying; you go practice your trade somewhere else." When Kincaid refuses, one of Keough's men wants to shoot him, but Keough has a better idea. "Let that he-man go to Battle Creek. Either he gets killed, or he leaves with Riddle and we steal him. Either way, we win."

Kincaid does ride into Battle Creek, which is situated in a box canyon as described. He busts into a saloon, pulls Billy out like William Devane in "Rolling Thunder", and rousts Billy's girlfriend (Margot Kidder), but she's a handful: "I love Billy! You'll have to kill me to stop me from coming with you." Kincaid ties her up also, puts them both on horses, and they all ride off at his gunpoint. Prior to hunting Billy, Kincaid had stopped at Tom Brady's gun shop, where the one-armed Brady (who must've thrown so many passes that his arm fell off) gave him a riot gun, which he demonstrates during the escape from Battle Creek by blowing several tunnels in the door. But now, in the desert at night, it's our three against Keough and his lowlifes, who're aiming to ambush and kill Kincaid, then take Billy for themselves to collect the five grand bounty. God only knows what they'll do to Margot Kidder.

The Keough gang manages to shoot Margot's horse, so now she's riding double with Kincaid. They're also out of beef jerky and have just one canteen of water. Keough has plenty and offers Kincaid a deal. "I'll give ya food and water for Billy. You can keep  the girl and we'll let you live." But in between, Billy has talked Margot into seducing Kincaid, by using her wiles as a "saloon girl". Kincaid's a loner ("He's a lonely man", Billy says) whose wife left him for an outlaw. That's why he became a bounty hunter, to catch and kill the wife-stealer. Billy hopes that Margot can get Kincaid to sleep with her, so that when he's asleep, and she's still untied, she can get his gun and free Billy. But the plan backfires when she does sleep with Kincaid and falls in love. "He's a real man," she tells Billy, who's irate: "I thought you wuz gonna free me!"

And now, all three are gonna need each other, bounty hunter and prey or not, because Keough and his lowlifes have surrounded them during the night. And Billy is close to escaping. Kincaid has to come up with an ingenious plan to get out of this predicament. His rappelling prowess comes in handy.

Margot Kidder is only 24 here, and she's all heart, like her Lois Lane persona. She was such a sweetheart of an actress, and you feel bad about how her life broke down with mental illness and substance abuse. Like the tragic Miroslava, she too committed suicide, but she's a tough cookie in this role. John Ericson was amazingly 46 playing Billy Riddle, but supposed to be twenty years younger. He was actually a year older than Clint Walker in real life, but he looked like Billy the Kid. However, it's Richard Basehart who gets the acting honors, with long hair, filthy clothes, and an evil, envious grin. He looks like a real, backstabbing bounty hunter of the old West, who could only hunt his prey with a gang because he's really a wimp, like all gang members. Two Big Thumbs Up. The picture is good but dark in places; it's the color film, TV- movie-print-syndrome again. We're on a roll with Clint Walker.  //// 

And that's all I've got for a late September Friday. My blogging music is Klaus Schulze "La Vie Electronique #16", my late night is Wagner's "Die Walkure". I wish you a great weekend and a Rams win over Indy, and I send you Tons of Love as always.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)

Clint Walker, Morgan Woodward and Uncle Joe in "Yuma", and "The Monster and the Ape", a chapter serial starring Robert Lowery

Do you mind a TV movie? Sometimes we run short on theatrical releases, especially after going through 1250 movies in 3 1/2 years. But you can't go wrong with Clint Walker, who starred in two legendary made-for-TV flicks, "Killdozer"and "Scream of the Wolf" (both from 1974), and last night, we found him in another good one called "Yuma"(1971), a Western from Aaron Spelling Productions in which Walker plays "US Marshal Dave Harmon", sent to bring law and order to that Arizona town. From the looks of things, the job won't be easy. Two of the King brothers, "Sam" (Bruce Glover) and "Rol" (Bing Russell), from the King Cattle family, have stolen a stage and are riding into town drunk. They crash the wagon just as Marshal Harmon arrives; his very first order of business is to arrest them. Well, Sam King feels entitled to behave any way he wants, and has a temper to match his attitude. He's used to having his way with previous lawmen. He's like Donald Trump Jr - since his daddy's a big shot a-hole, he figures he can be an a-hole, too, free of charge. And he's been getting away with it; stealing stagecoaches, shooting up the town. That is, until Marshal Harmon shows up. Sam doesn't wanna go to jail, so he draws on the Marshal and Harmon shoots him. Then he locks up brother Rol.

"Wait until Arch hears about this", Rol says. "He'll kill ya." "Arch King" (Morgan Woodward) is the eldest of the King brothers, and he's mighty macho with three dozen ranch hands to back him up. Even Clint Walker will be outnumbered if Arch decides to retaliate.

But there's no trouble at the moment. Rol King seems safely locked away for the night, and Harmon needs a place to stay, so he checks into the Yuma Hotel, recommended to him by Uncle Joe, who runs the general store. After checking in, he has his hands full with a Mexican orphan named "Andres" (Miguel Alejandro), who pulls an unloaded gun on him in an effort to get some dinner. Andres fulfills the Cute Sidekick Kid role. Harmon feeds him and lets him sleep in the jail office. 

Late that night, Andres witnesses a break in at the jail. A henchman named "Sanders" (Robert Phillips) and a US Army Captain (John Kerr) liberate Rol King from his cell, then turn around and shoot him in the back, with the Marshal's rifle. This is deliberate attempt to frame Marshal Harmon, and make it look like he executed an escapee in cold blood. The idea is to make Arch King murderously angry, so he'll ride in with his men and kill Marshal Harmon. Then "Nels Decker" (Barry Sullivan), the town bigwig who runs a freight shipping business, will be able to continue his cattle smuggling operation without law enforcement interference.

The way it works is this: The Army has a recent treaty with the local Indians, in which they agree to stay on the Rez and not attack the white man, and in return, the Army brings them a monthly supply of cattle for food, and other necessities. But Decker acts as the middleman; the cattle are dropped off in his care and he's supposed to ship them to the Indians in the desert. But they haven't been delivered for two months, and the tribe is starving as a result. That's because Decker is instead shipping the livestock back east, and making a tidy profit. He's got his henchman Sanders helping him out, the very man who killed Rol King and set it up to look like Marshal Harmon did it. Sanders is in cahoots with the crooked Army Captain White, who's helping Decker cover his tracks, but he balks at being a party to murder. So now, Decker has Sanders rub out the Captain, while Harmon is out meeting with the Indians.

"We hungry!" says their Chief. "We make war if white man not bring beef!" Harmon tries explaining that it's not the Army's or the cattlemen's fault, that someone else is redistributing the herd. When Harmon gets back to Yuma, he has an idea who killed the Captain, as well as Rol King. Sanders sets up a diversion so he and Nels Decker can escape, by setting fire to Uncle Joe's store. While the fire brigade puts it out, as the townsfolk look on, the two bad guys ride out of town. Marshal Harmon goes looking for them in the desert, which leads to the exciting climax. And the Indians still haven't received their beef, and are even more hungry and warlike.

I was too young to remember Clint Walker from "Cheyenne", the show that made him a star in 1955 (it spun off from "Maverick"), but I liked him in the two aforementioned TV movie classics. He was a giant of a man, 6' 6" with the build of a linebacker. He was also handsome and soft spoken, the strong, silent type with a deep but calm (almost soothing) voice. Interestingly, he was the first famous Clint, born three years before Eastwood, though both men got their first gig in 1955. But Clint Walker was a star before the later-to-be-more famous CE. "Cheyenne" was apparently a huge hit show. Walker stayed almost exclusively in TV, though he was one of "The Dirty Dozen", and was also in "The Ten Commandments". Like Eastwood, he was a man's man all the way, and interestingly again, their birthdays are close: Walker on May 30th, CE the 31st. They both have that Laconic Tall Guy thing happening. Bruce Glover (who plays "Sam King") is Crispin Glover's Dad. Both are adept at playing psychos. "Yuma" is one of the well-paced, minimalist TV movies, 75 minutes long, that were so popular in the 1970s. I can name you a ship-ton of classic TV movies from that era: "The Neon Ceiling", "Bad Ronald", "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark", "Night Drive", many more. "Yuma" is above average, let's give it Two Bigs with a very high recommendation. However, as with most TV movies, the color print has blurred. I don't know if it's because they were shot on video (I don't think so), or just that color blurs more quickly than black and white. But when you watch a made-for-TV flick it's never razor sharp, whereas an 80 year old black and white film that's never been restored can be razor sharp. Go figure. ////

The previous night, again because the well was dry on motion pictures (a temporary condition, we hope), we began a new chapter serial, a sci-fi this time, called "The Monster and the Ape"(1945). At a research lab in Hollywood, "Professor Frank Arnold" (Ralph Morgan) is unveiling his new robot, The Metalogen Man. "Gentleman, the era of labor is over. He can do the work of fifty men." To demonstrate, he has The Metalogen Man lift a one-ton bock of granite. Then, he tears the door off a simulated bank vault. Yes, The Metalogen Man, at least in strength, is very powerful, and can be put to good use indeed. Professor Arnold's small audience applauds, then he leaves with his assistant. Big plans are in the works, but a plot's already been hatched to steal the robot, by the evil "Professor Ernst" (George Macready), and while Prof. Arnold and his assistant are driving, a gorilla pops up in the back seat of their car and headlocks them both unconcho. When they wake up, they're trapped in Prof. Ernst's basement.

Government Agent "Ken Morgan" (Robert Lowery) is called in to investigate, but after arriving at the Chatsworth train station. he too is kidnapped and taken to Ernst's mansion, which has hidden panels and a secret laboratory. Ernst controls the gorilla that does all his dirty work, and he also has two henchmen who act as the gorilla's handlers. Ernst has The Metalogen Man now stored in his lab, but he lacks the remote control interface that will allow him to control the robot. Torture is the only way to obtain it, and he's also got Prof. Arnold's daughter "Babs" (Carole Mathews) held hostage. Ray Corrigan of Corriganville fame plays the deadly gorilla. Willie Best provides comic relief as Prof. Arnold's driver. This one promises to be great: a gorilla vs. a gigantic robot, and so far, one episode in, the punchouts have been kept to a minimum. One of the reasons we took a month-long break from serials is that we got tired of watching endless punchouts. So far, so good on this rare science-fiction serial. It's a long one, five hours in fifteen chapters, and the picture is slightly soft.  ////

And that's all for tonight. Whataya think about Trump getting busted for fraud? It looks like the dominoes may be starting to fall. My blogging music is Klaus Schulze "La Vie Electronique Vol. 4", my late night is "Lohengrin" by Wagner. I just finished re-reading Stephen King's "The Stand" (the uncut version, 1200 pages). I first read it in 1978 when it was released, so it's been a 45-year interval. Some of the writing is phenomenal for sure, but man, is it wordy, and there are way too many community meetings. Also, I didn't like the character of Frannie Goldsmith, and I Googled "don't like Frannie Goldsmith" and found that I am not alone in my feelings. The bottom line? An incredible book with some of SK's best writing, but way too long at 1200 pages. The 800 page version was better. Most of all, I like how King's style has developed over the years. His books in the last 20 years are much more pared down. He gets to the point, and can say in 400 pages what used to take him 650. His sentences are more concise than they used to be. /////

Now I'm reading Paul Tremblay's book of short stories, "The Beast You Are". It's awesome like everything he writes.

I hope your week is going well and I send you Tons of Love as always.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):) 

The 1st Airborne Division of the British Army in "Theirs Was the Glory", and "The Panther's Claw" starring Byron Foulger and Sidney Blackmer (plus pizza)

Last night's movie was "Theirs is the Glory"(1946), an exceptional British quasi-documentary that recreates the tumultuous Battle of Arnhem in World War 2, which was later depicted in traditional, dramatic form in Sir Richard Attenborough's "A Bridge Too Far". In this film, stock footage from the battle is combined with re-enacted scenes using soldiers who fought there. The filmmakers explain, in voiceover and title cards, that they wanted to capture the definitive story, immediately after the war was over, while the soldier's memories were still fresh, that it never be dimmed by history. 

There are no stars to name, no plot to describe. Also, I'm not entirely sure we haven't seen it before. An image at the very end caused me to think that we have (overall, I'd say it's 40/60 in favor of "haven't seen it"), but if we have seen it, it had to have been in the Covid/Youtube era, because I know we've never seen it on DVD. The narrator explains that England's Ministry of Defense has come up with a strategy for their army to finally cross into Germany. One of the Germans' most brilliant accomplishments was to set up a ferocious perimeter line around their borders, with pillboxes and tanks, that until 1945 was impenetrable. Talk about defense. Those s.o.b.s invented it. And offense, too. There has never been a military like the Germans in WW2. Keep in mind that it took all of the US, Canada, Australia, England, and Russian forces to defeat them. Mostly, it was the British who got the job done, and the combined air power of England and the US, and we bombed them into the stone age, but there was no other way to stop the Nazis, and if ever a nation was diabolical, it was Nazi Germany just 85 years ago. That is why I believe they should never again be trusted to have a military. It's all very nice, very humanitarian and very NATO to let Germany back into the civilized world, but when you consider that they started World War One as well, and consider that that war was nearly as bloody and horrible as the second world war, you have to ask yourself why they deserve another chance militarily, even though none of today's Germans are responsible for the mayhem.

But still.

I also don't believe that other countries should be permitted to land on the Moon. Russia is one thing. We can't stop them, but we've at least partnered with them in the International Space Station and even before that with Soyuz. So, while Russia is nominally "the enemy", they're at least The Devil We Know. And, we've allied with them in the past, whereas we don't know the lunar objectives of China, et al. So I don't think they should land on the Moon. Just my two cents, don't get riled. 

In WW2, there was no doubt about the alliances or the purpose of the war for the Allies. While Hitler was certainly financed, in part, during his rise, by Wall St. and wealthy industrialists, once he got his ball rolling, there was no one to blame but the Germans. Something was wrong with that country in the early 20th century. But they were able to back up their aggression, and astoundingly, they built a Wermacht that almost took over the world. That medium-sized country, almost landlocked, nearly defeated huge international powers. And of course they had Japan's help. Another medium sized, ultra-aggressive country that would not throw in the towel and believed their emperor was God incarnate. So no, neither Germany nor Japan should allowed a military ever again (not for at least a millennia), and it's because they've proven they can't be trusted.

All you have to do is watch this movie for proof.

The firepower that is shown has never been duplicated since. It's unreal. But the courage surpasses the weaponry. World wars can be prevented from happening again, but not if folks don't know, or care, about history. Unfortunately, that seems to be the case with the younger generations nowdays, but I shant go on a tirade at the moment. This is a must watch, and God Bless England and Her Allies. They saved the world, sacrificing themselves in the process, to relentless German bombardment. The Germans are geniuses militarily. Fortunately for the world, they lacked enough personnel to achieve their aims, but they've tried twice in 110 years, and they should never have an army again. Having said that, God Bless the German people, The Scorpions, Uli Jon Roth, and the late Klaus Schulze. The picture is good-not-great.  ////   

The previous night, in PRC's "The Panther's Claw"(1942), veteran 1940s character actor Byron Foulger (who specialized in Fussbudget Milquetoasts) gets his chance in a starring role, as "Everett P. Digberry", a wigmaker who blackmails himself. This is creative stuff for PRC. As it opens, Digberry is caught creeping around in a cemetery at 1 a.m. Trying to explain his presence to a cop, he only digs himself deeper. Is he a grave robber? No, but he claims to be a victim of someone called The Black Panther, a mysterious extortionist who writes letters demanding money. The typed letters are ink-stamped with a paw print and the Panther's signature.

When Digberry produces his letter, in trying to prove his story, the cops notice a typographic imperfection: the H is slightly crooked. Having already determined the chemical composition of the letter paper, they go looking for a typewriter with a crooked H. Meanwhile, they search for other recipients of The Black Panther Letter, all of whom turn out to work for an opera company. The tenor, "Enrico Lombardi" (Thornton Edwards), a histrionic man who refers to himself in the third person, is outraged to be named a suspect. "Yes-a, Lombardi is-a passionate! Lombardi-a love his leading ladies! Lombardi even-a kill if-a somebody provoke him. But Lombardi he's a-never-a crook." And if that's not enough ethnic caricature for you, Billy Mitchell is on hand as "Nicodemus J. Brown", aka "8-Ball", the elevator man at Everett Digberry's apartment building. 8-Ball proves valuable as a witness: "Yassuh! I done saw Mistah Digberry actin' mighty strange all that evenin'!" I have to cut in to say that I detest (absolutely detest) after-the-fact decriers who put down these characterizations and the actors who portray them. I always use Spike Lee as an example, because he wasn't even born when these kinds of movies were released, nor were all the woke Ultra Left Wing college professors who promote divisive cultural politics. C'mon: it's a movie, people. The actors were getting paid, and the Black actors in these films made them willingly, and most importantly: They Made People Laugh. As did the white actors parodying egotistical Italian Opera Tenors. Why do you think Don Rickles was so popular? And I didn't even like Rickles, because his style was obnoxious. But it's human nature to caricature, and in that way, we exaggerate and Celebrate The Difference! And what higher calling can there be than making people laugh?

So yes, Viva la Difference, I say. And "bravo" to humor. This movie is good because it laughs at human weirdness and foibles. Sidney Blackmer, who plays "Police Commisioner Thatcher".....wait a sec, let me turn the italics off.....beams throughout the movie, as if he's the director's best friend and is in on some joke, or as if he's letting the audience know it's a hilarious movie. 

But it's Byron Foullger's show, all told. His character is in outraged wimp, in spiteful competition with a rival wigmaker, both selling their wares to the opera company. The soprano turns up dead, and Digberry turns out to be the Black Panther letter writer, but he was only setting up the scheme to blackmail himself, so he would look like a victim, also. He did this because he loaned a thousand dollars to the opera diva, and if his Amazonian wife found out, she'll kill him. But he swears he's not the murderer.

Again, it's above-average stuff for Producer's Releasing Corporation, the kings of Poverty Row. Byron Foulger is a riot throughout, as evidenced by Sidney Blackmer's grin. Two Big Thumbs Up for "The Panther's Claw". The picture is very good.  ////

And that's all I know. Well, Joe Burrow did play tonight, and the Rams couldn't hang on. Matthew Stafford has got to stop throwing interceptions. Other than that, they've been competitive in both of their losses, so I'm not too worried. Do pizzas, you say? That's easy. In no particular order: Angela's Onion & Garlic, Morigi's Sausage & Pepperoni, Ravenelli's Hawaiian (Canadian Bacon & Pineapple), Chi Chi's Garden Veggie, and Donofrio's Cheese Pizza. What's Donofrio's? Donofrio's was a very small pizza joint (just a kitchen and a take-out windum, really) that was on Saticoy near Louise in the same building (or next to) what is now Mimi's Shampoodle. It was the first pizza I ever had, just cheese, no toppings, but boy was it ever good! It probably went out of business in the 1970s, but I've always remembered it. Honorable mention goes to Dugout Pizza for their garlic pizza (a white aeoli base instead of tomato sauce) with various toppings. And pizza is like ice cream, in that there's no such thing as a bad one, so Pizza Hut, Dominoes and all the chains should get their due, and even frozen pizzas like Celeste and Totino's. What are your favorites?

My blogging music is (yes, again) Klaus Schulze "La Vie Electronique #1", my late night is Wagner's "Gotterdammerung". I hope your week is off to a good start, I've got a cricket in my apartment and I hope I can catch him before I go to sleep, and I send you Tons of Love, as always.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)  

Ward Bond in "Hitler - Dead or Alive", and "The Locked Door" starring Barbara Stanwyck and Rod La Rocque (plus ice cream)

Okay, you've seen "They Saved Hitler's Brain", but have you ever heard of "Hitler - Dead or Alive"? I had not, but that 1942 release is just as wacky, and it seems that an effective way to deal with Hitler, at least cinematically, was to make him a buffoon. Witness Mel Brooks comedic Nazis. At any rate, in the movie, a wealthy industrialist named "Samuel Thornton" (Russell Hicks) has put out a bounty on Der Fuhrer's head, one million bucks, dead or alive. "That's nice in theory", says his Army General friend, "but who's gonna take you up on it? If we in the military can't get close to him, how will anyone else?"

But he hasn't counted on four mookish mobsters, just released from Alcatraz after serving 11 years for bank robbery. Led by "Steve Maschick" (Ward Bond), they've seen the reward offer (it headlined all the papers), and have made a beeline for Thornton's office. "We're just the men for the job," Maschick tells him. "I know something about taking down big shots."  Thornton's assistant thinks these guys are clowns (and they are, playing it over-eager: "Listen, seee..."), but Maschick lights a cigar and guarantees a result. "For a million big ones, I'll deliver you his mustache." Little does he know how insightful that is. Thornton waves off the doubters and hires the gang on the spot.

The first thing they've gotta do is get inside Nazi Germany, so they start by joining the Canadian Air Force to become paratroopers, in a sequence that's right out of The Three Stooges. Then, they hijack a plane and its pilot, making him fly to Berlin. Finally, they force him to jump along with them, and by the time they hit the ground, he's a convert to their cause and an accomplice. Next, they commandeer a German troop truck in Calabasas and don the soldiers' uniforms. The pilot questions Steve: "Okay great, we look like Krauts, but how are we gonna get past their checkpoints?" Maschick answers, "Listen, one of my past jobs was runnin' a beer joint in Milwaukee." Meaning, "I can speak German no problem". And he can, but with a Midwestern accent. And in fact, one of the Nazis, a radio operator, sounds like he's from Topanga Canyon, so it must be catching.

When the gang are pulled over by the Gestapo (driving sidecars) on Mulholland Drive, Steve makes up an excuse to deceive them: "Achtung! It was intended that you jail us, for I am to speak to no one but Der Fuhrer. I have a message for him and must be in protective custody!" After a few Heil Hitlers, the officer is sufficiently bluffed. He escorts Steve and the boys to the Dachau concentration camp in Agoura, where they are given a private cell. One night, while eating their cabbage and potatoes, gang member "Dutch" (Warren Hymer) notices a playing card in his gravy. "Looky here, fellas, the ace of spades". The card has a coded message from someone called "Rosebud", who is really a German countess named "Else von Brandt" (Dorothy Tree), who is part of the secret resistance. Her plan is to break the boys out of Dachau. She is also a dancer who has, upcoming, a private performance with Hitler. "You four will be my musicians. I will provide you with papers." Ward Bond plays it "sure thing, lady" all the way. He can't wait to get Hitler face to face and deck him for being such a jerk. Dutch is killed while protecting the gang during their escape, and a Dachau cook serves as his replacement. We learn that the cook once saved Adolph's life in World War 1. He knows an anatomical secret that will figure in the end of the movie.

They've done the "make fun of Hitler and/or Nazis" thing in many movies, but this one has to be seen to be believed. It's premise, i.e that "only some double-digit IQ hoodlums can take him down" is actually pretty inventive, and the plan just may work for the very fact of their cretinism: since they don't know they're in over their heads, they'll succeed for that very reason. But Steve Maschick is also earnest. He genuinely feels that Hitler is an evil bastard. "I'll tear that little shrimp to pieces!" This one goes beyond a Thumbs Rating. Just call it a must-see, in general. One fan at IMDB called it bad/good in the tradition of Ed Wood, but it's better than that, because it's deliberately played camp. And then at the end, there's a deadly serious message in the last two minutes. It's highly recommended for being so off-the-wall, and - yes - funny. The picture is good-not-great. //// 

The previous night, we had our very own Barbara Stanwyck, all of 22 years old, in "The Locked Door"(1929), her second film. Barbara plays "Ann Carter", who, as the movie opens, is attending a lavish party aboard a "drinking" ship, so called because it sails 12 miles out into international waters, so that it's wealthy patrons won't be breaking the law during Prohibition. Ann is on board with "Frank Devereaux" (Rod La Rocque), the playboy son of her employer. Frank's been courting her for a while now, and she's finally accepted his invitation for a date, but when he starts pounding the champagne and insists she match him drink for drink, she starts to feel uneasy. "I have to go to work in the morning, Frank. Your father won't like it if I'm hung over." "Yes, quite right, my dear," he agrees, disingenuously.

To assuage her, he requests a private, upstairs cabin, "where we can have some dinner. Would you like to try the Belugian caviar?" Frank likes to show off his money. Ann agrees that some food would be nice, but when they get up there, it's booze and more booze, brought by a "yes man" waiter. Frank orders him to leave, then locks the door (hence the title), and now he attempts what he's been waiting for all along, a chance to rape Ann. Of course, he tries to make it look like she "wants it". "C'mon, Ann, don't act so innocent." He corners her in the cabin, all the while maintaining his smarmy charm. He's twice her size, and rips her dress, but she's saved by the sound of speedboat engines, racing for the ship. It's a long row of cops. "Fix your dress, it's a raid!" Frank exclaims. As the police board the drinking ship, he "counsels" the terrified Ann. "It's your word against mine, and my father's a rich man. You came with me of your own free will. I'll say you threw yourself at me. We were drunk, things got a little wild. Sorry officer, we promise to go home now." The audience isn't shown how the night turns out (until later), but the ship was busted in an undercover scheme; its captain was a policeman who deliberately steered it inside the 12 mile line. It was thus in U.S waters, so everyone was liable for arrest.

Now, we cut to the near fyoochum. Ann is married to another wealthy man named "Lawrence Reagan" (William Stage Boyd), who adores her and knows nothing of her past. His sister "Helen" (Betty Bronson) lives with them. Lawrence adores her too, he's protective, so when a young man comes calling, he sticks around to greet him. And, heavens to Betsy, it's Frank Devereaux. Though Larry's never met him, he instantly dislikes him. But that's nothing compared to when Ann comes downstairs and sees Frank, whom she hasn't seen since the police raid over a year earlier. When, by coincidence, Larry and Helen leave the room, Ann takes the opportunity to threaten him: "You leave my sister in law alone, or I'll expose what you did to me." "Go right ahead," says Frank, "And I'll show your husband a photo I have of our arrest." Now we find out what happened in the aftermath of the police raid on the ship. Ann kept her mouth shut about the attempted rape. She and Frank were arrested with the rest of the revelers, but because of the potential scandal, they jumped bail and were never caught.

"Oh yes," Frank says now, "your hubby doesn't know all this, does he? I didn't think so. So I'll tell you what; you let me and Helen decide about ourselves. She fancies me. I think we'll be married." Indeed, he plans just that, a wedding in Hawaii, and when Helen enthusiastically agrees to go, Ann steps in to stop them, knowing that Frank's a rapist. On the eve of their departure, she goes unannounced to his hotel, to threaten him again. "Go ahead and show Larry your picture. My life doesn't matter, but I'll not let you attack Helen." Unbeknownst to her, Frank has changed their destination to Havana, presumably so no one will know where Helen is.

While Frank and Ann are arguing, a knock at the door signals Lawrence. He's taken it upon himself to stop the marriage, independently of Ann, knowing nothing of the attempted rape, but on the news of a friend, an older man whose marriage was also broken up by Frank, and who is threatening to kill him. Larry has come to confront Frank about his womanizing ways, but has no idea that his wife Ann is there too, at Frank's hotel. She's hiding now in a spare room, mortified to be discovered with Frank. Downstairs, a struggle ensues and a gunshot is heard. Ann finds Frank near death.

Now comes the crux of the plot, in which Ann (a violated woman who doesn't care anymore) tries to take the blame for her husband, who's fled the scene after the shooting. When the cops arrive, Ann says, "I did it. I shot Frank," but the Inspector believes she's lying. Barbara Stanwyck's acting here is emotionally genuine. It's been said that she tapped into youthful experiences for inspiration, not necessarily rape, but she had a very rough childhood. She's phenomenal throughout, in just her second motion picture (though she'd done stage work), and you can bet that producers were saying "get me Barbara Stanwyck" after that. It took her a long time to get her due as a great actress. Now, she's regarded as being up there with Bette Davis, Joan Crawford and the top ladies.

And, in a funny way, Rod La Rocque (yes, his real name) was very good too. not as a great actor, but in playing The Smarmy Slimeball using silent movie technique, with exaggerated voicings and mannerisms, and eye makeup. This flick was released in the first year of sound and has been restored (check credits for film library), and is as direct in its portrayal of taboo subject matter as any pre-Code movie we've seen. It's about date rape, and it's tackled head-on. A woman (Ann) puts her life on the line, not only to protect another young woman (Helen) from a rapist, but then covers for his murder for her husband. It's hard core stuff, taken from a stage play. Two Huge Thumbs Up, and Two Gigantic for Barbara Stanwyck's performance. The picture is very good on this soon-to-be 95 year old movie.  //// 

And that's all for tonight. Top ice creams? Have we done that one? No? Okay. Well, I think we have to exclude chocolate and vanilla, simply because they're like The Beatles of ice cream, and we already know they'd be two of everyone's favorites. Also, brand names are hard, because they're all so good. I mean, Thrifty, Dreyer's, Breyer's, Haagen Dazs, Ben & Jerry's, Baskin Robbins, Blue Bunny, Carnation (name some more). Have you ever had a bad brand of ice cream? Answer: no you haven't. So let's do favorite flavors, instead (excluding chocolate and vanilla, remember), and you can do 'em by brand if you want to. I'm gonna start with Thrifty, because we got so many cones there in the '70s. I've gotta say Strawberry Cheesecake was my favorite, followed by Mint 'n Chip, then Rocky Road. Breyer's Chocolate Chip is doggone good. Then, there's Carnation's Neopolitan Ice Cream Sandwiches, which technically have chocolate and vanilla but it's part of the threesome with strawberry and thus forms a hybrid, tripartite flavor. And finally, Dreyer's Butter Pecan. Yeah, I know: what about all those custom Ben & Jerry's flavors like Cherry Garcia, and Moose Tracks (or whatever it's called by whoever makes it), and all those ones that have chunks of chocolate in dark chocolate ice creams, or swirls of this'n'that? What about all those? Yeah, they're good, too. As noted, there's no such thing as bad ice cream. But we're talkin' favorites, and those are mine. What are yours?

My blogging music is "Moondawn" by Klaus Schulze (he makes good blogging music), and my late night is "Siegfried" by Wagner. I think the Rams have a chance against the Bengals because Joe Burrow is out. I wish you a happy Sunday and I send you Tons of Love, as always. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):) 

Dan Duryea in "World for Ransom", and "Cosmo Jones, Crime Smasher" starring Frank Graham and Mantan Moreland (plus burgers)

Last night's movie was a hard-boiled espionage Noir entitled "World for Ransom"(1954), starring one of our favorite actors, the great Dan Duryea, as "Mike Callahan", a mercenary-turned-private-eye who's in Singapore working for his old flame "Frennessey March" (Marian Carr). Her husband (Callahan's war buddy) may be mixed up with a British gang operating in the country, except it's a whole lot worse than that: "Julian March" (Patrick Knowles), a travel agent, is not only working with the gang, which is headed up by a ruthless older chap named "Alexis Pederas" (Gene Lockhart), but they're planning to kidnap a nuclear physicist, one of only four men in the world who can trigger a hydrogen bomb.

Singapore, in those days, is portrayed as a nation of sin. On any street, prostitutes solicit you, and everything can be had for a price. Julian March is an easy mark for Pederas, who reels him into the scheme. His job will be to impersonate the British colonel who's supposed to escort "Dr. Sean O'Connor" (the physicist) to the city of Jurong, where he's scheduled to speak at a conference. The embassy driver will also be replaced, and the gang will hijack O'Connor to the warehouse district, where he'll be drugged and held hostage. But during the kidnapping, there's a screwup. While driving through a slum, the embassy car is spotted by a news photographer named "Lee Wong" (our buddy Keye Luke). Hungry for a scoop ("what's the embassy car doing in the whorehouse district?"), he snaps a picture, develops it, and sees his friend Julian in uniform. Knowing he can't possibly be with the embassy (Julian is a travel agent, remember), Lee goes to the cops to report a possible crime. "But," he adds, "Julian can't be in on it. He must have been coerced."

Back at his photography lab, Lee is killed by "Guzik" (Lou Nova), the behemoth enforcer for Pederas. Fearing he might be next, Mike Callahan hides out at the apartment of Julian's wife Fennessey, who used to be his girl before the war. He reports what he's found out (keep in mind that she hired him to tail her hubby): Julian is part of a kidnap plot involving nuclear weapons. "That's some husband you married," he laments, though Julian was once his pal. Mike's hoping, with the bad news, that Fennessey will ditch Julian and take him back, and it looks like she might. However, she says, "Look, Mike. I do still love you, and the truth is I never loved Julian. I only married him because we thought you were killed in the war. Now that he's involved with kidnapping, I want nothing to do with him, but, he's a good man at heart. I think he was forced into this, so we've got to get him out. Then it'll be us from now on."

Mike agrees to help, but he's gonna live to regret it. After hooking up with the real "Colonel Bone" (Reginald Denny from the hit show "Florence & Normandy"), who miraculously survived the kidnapping switch, the two of them set out to rescue O'Connor the physicist, who's been moved to a jungle location. In the bargain, Mike hopes to save Julian also, as he promised Fennessey March. Mike and Col. Bone ask for military assistance from the embassy chief (Nigel Bruce, aka Sherlock's Watson), who refuses. Indeed, he wants to arrest Mike for the murder of Lee Wong, on which the gangsters have framed him. The plot is more convoluted than it needs to be, and the movie would benefit from a 10 to 15 minute cut, down to around 66 minutes.

The bossman Pederas then barges into Bruce's office to announce his demand for five million lbs., in exchange for the return of Dr. O'Connor. "And if you don't want to pay it, I know several Eastern Bloc "shoppers" who will gladly hand over the money." Bruce calls him a maniac to his face. And now that Mike Callahan and Col. Bone have discovered the jungle hideout, they're gonna do a two-Irishmen rescue, Rambo style, with pin-pulled grenades. Mike's about to find out just what kind of friends he has, when Julian thanks him for the rescue by trying to kill him, saying "I cant let you steal my wife!" When Mike succeeds in getting free, Frennessey March turns out to be even worse than Julian. It turns out she was leading Mike on all along. "Go home Jake, it's Chinatown, forget it."

The same could be said about Singapore, is the message. Nowdays, though, it's a the opposite. Now they arrest you for spitting on the sidewalk, literally. It's become the most puritanical country on earth.

Two Huge Thumbs Up for "World for Ransom". You can't miss with Dan Duryea, whose theater training shows in this role. He's one of my ten favorite actors. Director Robert Aldrich was known for his brawny, two-fisted movies (and Baby Jane). This one's a tad long, with too much romance, but a little trimming up would make it a minor gem. The camerawork is by Joseph Biroc, one of cinema's greatest Black and White photographers, and the picture is razor sharp.  ////

The previous night, we watched "Cosmo Jones, Crime Smasher"(1943), in which "Cosmo" (Ben Stiller lookalike Frank Graham), a self-appointed "mail-order criminologist" steps in to help the police solve a big city gang war. Two chieftains are battling over turf. The more violent one makes the rules - "Stay below 36th street, got it?" - and when his boys see the other guy striking it rich, with a 20K win at a casino, he sets up an excuse to rob that guy, abducting him on his way home, and then "borrowing" his twenty thousand. "See? I play nice," he says. "I'm not stealing your money, I'm borrowing it." Maybe so, but good luck getting it back. Then one of the Alpha Guy's henchmen turns up dead. It looks to the cops like the other boss did it, in retaliation for the 20K rip off. But he swears he's innocent, and "Sergeant Pat Flanagan" (Richard Cromwell), who let the shooter get away, is demoted to foot patrol by "Chief Murphy" (Edgar Kennedy), a buffoonish Irish giant.

The police commissioner castigates Murphy for letting the gang war escalate. "We need an arrest in that shooting!" In walks Cosmo Jones, with his PhD vocabulary. Chief Murphy can't stand him. When he promises to solve the case, Murphy throws him out, and provides no police assistance when the commissioner appoints him. So Cosmo enlists a janitor at the club where the gang shooting happened. He's played by Mantan Moreland, doing his usual bug-eyed thing, hilarious as always. "Sho 'nuff!" mixed with malaprops and superstition.

Now, in retaliation for the shooting, Segeant Flanagan's girlfriend has been kidnapped. She just happens to be the daughter of the biggest newspaper publisher in the city. The kidnappers want a shipload of ransom. Chief Murphy is up in arms. Only Cosmo and Mantan can solve the case, which they do by deception, when Cosmo impersonates several of the gangster's voices on the phone, to set up a meeting between them.

Compared to what we've been watching lately (90 minute pictures from Lippert and the bigger studios, with brand-name stars), this flick's more a reversion to last year, when we pounded the Poverty Row beat. It's from Monogram and runs 61 minutes, like many of last year's Westerns, but as you'll remember, both Poverty Row and Short Movies rule. Yeah, it's static, and has no soundtrack, but it's funny, and only cost 26 bucks and change to make, so Two Bigs. If you don't like it I'll give you a free popcorn at the next one. The picture is slightly aged.  //// 

And that's all I know. Let's do some burgers real quick. What are your favorites? I'll go with In-N-Out's Double Double w/Cheese, then a Big Mac. A Western Bacon Cheeseburger from Carl's Jr. and then the Athletic Club again. Their triple cheeseburgers in the 3rd floor restaurant are off-the-charts good. Habit's Char Burger and Avocado Burger are huge and delicious. And maybe best of all is the classic Bob's Big Boy. 

Now, I've gotta ask: where can I buy a box of Hydrox cookies? I mean, ya go in the store and it's lousy with Oreos. Oreo this, Oreo that. But not a Hydrox to be found. I know that Leaf Co. makes 'em these days, and you can buy them on Amazon, but I'm looking for a store. Sure, Oreos had more filling, but Hydrox were crunchier and had a darker chocolate taste. I want a box of Hydrox, and I also want a bottle of Diet Rite. Anyone know where to get those? I just found braunschweiger at Ralph's. I didn't buy it yet, but I'm going to. I loved braunschweiger sandwiches on white bread as a kid. Just don't call it liverwurst and I'm fine.

My blogging music is Klaus Schulze's "Irrlicht" and "Blackdance". My late night is "Tristan und Isolde" by Wagner. I hope you had a nice day (the last day of Summer), and I send you Tons of Love, as always.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)   

Diana Dors and Patrick Holt in "Miss Tulip Stays the Night", and "Rawhide" starring Tyrone Power and Susan Hayward (plus Delicious Dogs)

Last night's movie was "Miss Tulip Stays the Night"(1955), one of those Veddy Brrrittish farces where everyone runs around speaking in exclamation points, and the police inspector is always in a state of High Dudgeon. Diana Dors and Patrick Holt star as "Kate" and "Andrew Dax", he a crime writer who needs a country setting to finish his latest novel. He promises Kate will love it when they get there with their adorable dachshund Archie.

The house itself is cozy enough, two story and semi-secluded, but there's supposed to be a housekeeper and she's nowhere to be found. The kitchen faucet springs a leak, there's barely any food in the pantry, but at least there's plenty of gin, so Andrew mixes drinks, and just when he thinks it's gonna turn out okay after all, there's a knock at the door from a fussy, middle-aged woman. Thinking she's the missing housekeeper, he lets her in, but she isn't. "My name is Miss Millicent Tulip. I'm lost on this godforsaken road and I need a room for the night." Before Dax can explain that the house is not an Inn, she's barged into the living room, sat down and is ordering the couple around. "Take my suitcase upstairs! Make some tea! Put this infernal canine outside where it belongs!" She's a real peach. When she asks who the Dax's are, Andrew replies, "I'm a writer and this is my wife." Miss Tulip then cowers. Her mood shifts instantly. "Did you say 'a writer'?" She cringes. "Then you're the one who....oh my, I've been reading your work! It gets worse with each installment!" Kate Dax interrupts: "See here, my good woman! I'll have you know my husband is quite talented, and very popular!" "Very popular? You mean he writes to other ladies besides me?!"

it seems there's a mix-up (and it wouldn't be a British farce with out one, or several). Miss Tulip is referring to a writer of salacious, anonymous letters, of which she's received several. Dax, of course, is referring to his books. Miss Tulip shrugs: "Oh, novels eh? Never heard of ya." When she finally deigns to go upstairs to bed (after asking if Dax is coming along too, naughty naughty) they are glad to be rid of her. "My concentration's shot. I cant write now," he says. "I need another gin."

In the morning, all seems better. Kate is making breakfast. Miss Tulip is not around. "I don't know where she went," says Dax, until they look in the living room and find Miss Tulip sitting in a chair, dead as a bloody doornail.

After much Fussing About, concerning how a person can die sitting up, and other morbid ripostes, Kate throws a blanket over Miss Tulip, while Dax goes in search of a police officer.

Coincidentally, one shows up while he's gone, a patrol cop asking for Miss Tulip, with whom he's acquainted. "It's nothing, really. Her car's too far in the road. Is she here?" This leads to Kate making excuses that aren't lies, exactly: "Well, she's here but she... isn't." "We'll, could you tell me where she went?" "I'm not sure." (could be heaven, could be hell). This back-and-forth also goes on for a while, and the cop could've been played by John Cleese if you dumbed him down quite a bit and made him less pompous. Dax reappears at about this time, just as the Chief Inspector arrives. He doesn't trust Dax's excuse for leaving. "If you wanted an officer, why didn't you just use the telephone?" "Well, because nothing else works in this house, why should the blower?"

But it's when the Inspector finds Miss Tulip's pistol in Dax's coat that Dax becomes suspect #1. "So, you left before the police got here, and you have her gun in your pocket." Dax tries explaining that Miss Tulip gave it to him before she turned in, "to protect myself from that letter writer she was so afraid of."

It's a continuous roundabout of misunderstandings, misspoken excuses, and Britspeak sarcasm, combined with "I'm all right, Jack" nod-and--grin humor. Diana Dors provides eye candy, though she's a top comedienne who does capital-I "Indignance" with the best of them, giving the inspector What For. Late in the game, Miss Tulip's companion, "Miss Gale" (Ida Patlanski), comes looking for her. "I can't imagine why she ran out on me." Dax thinks Miss Gale might be the anonymous letter writer, and goes to their house in search of clues. His wife Kate is half nuts by then, having to deal with the Inspector and the John Cleese cop by herself. Then, toward the end, with Archie barking his head off, the door opens, and in walks......

Miss Tulip? "It cant be!" But it seems that it is. Just as Dax returns from her house with a clue that solves the case.

Two Bigs, verging on Two Huge for "Miss Tulip Stays the Night". If you're British, it's probably Two Gigantic. You've gotta pay attention to keep up. We saw Diana Dors recently in "The Long Haul", that ultra depressing trucking Noir with Victor Mature, in which she played a tragic Femme Fatale. Here, she's the polar opposite, a cheery, Smart Wife who ends up playing detective, decidedly against her Blond Bombshell image. Dors was promoted as England's answer to Marilyn Monroe, and like MM, there was more to her than sex appeal. However, though MM specialized in comedic roles, her range was otherwise limited, whereas Dors had a fair amount of real acting talent. This movie is as crazy as British farce comedy gets. if you're in the mood, you will absolutely love it, but you'll have to be ready for zany on top of wacky, with nutty thrown in for good measure. The picture is razor sharp.  ////

The previous night, we found a hostage drama Western from 20th Century Fox, called "Rawhide"(1951), starring Tyrone Power as a Wells Fargo driver-in-training and Susan Hayward as the passenger with whom he's held captive. As it opens, Uncle Joe is yelling at Ty: "What're ya shavin' for? Tryin' to look pretty for yer horses? C'mon, c'mon. You've already wasted time in the bath. A man should stay dry on the outside and wet on the inside. Now get out there n' hitch up yer team." If Uncle Joe is moving a little faster at the junction than usual, that shouldn't seem strange: it's 1951, so he's 18 years younger.

Power is waiting for the incoming stage, to hitch his fresh horses and take over. Besides mail, there will be passengers who've paid 200 bucks in gold per head. For that, they get a ride from San Francisco to St. Looie or the reverse, with stops in between and free meals. One of the passengers on the incoming stage is "Vinnie Holt" (Susan Hayward, the diva's Diva but we love her because she was so talented. All divas should worship Susan Hayward). Vinnie has a baby with her, named Callie (for California, and thank goodness she didn't spell it Cali). She's headed to SF with a ton of luggage: "Everything I own". At supper, she's very bossy, but it gets a whole lot worse when the passengers learn that a gang has just robbed a different stage. "Sorry, ma'am," she's told, "but company policy prohibits children riding when bandits are on the loose." This doesn't sit well with Vinnie; she feels she can protect Callie, but she's forced to stay in the small brick ranch house in the Alabammy Hills that serves as a waystation, until the next day's stagecoach arrives.

Ty Power doesn't wanna deal with such a brassy broad, so he remains out front, watering and feeding his team. That's when "Rafe Zimmerman" (Hugh Marlowe) rides up, passing himself off as a Southern sheriff. "Just rode out from Louisiana. I'm after those gunmen who robbed the stage. Word has it they also killed the driver." Ty wasn't aware of that part. He's glad a Sheriff is on hand. "Sure thing. you can stay the night here." But when Zimmerman gets inside, he pulls a gun, just as you were suspecting. Then he whistles for his honchos, who've been hiding in the rocks. One of them is Jack Elam, when he was young, thin and wide eyed, with bad teeth. He could've played Jim Sideow's role in "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre", as well as that of "The Hitchhiker". Jack Elam was a fantastic actor, but he should've been arrested for this movie.

Now, everyone in the house is a hostage to Zimmerman and his gang, which includes Elam and two other men: one whose heart isn't in it, and one who's a a big German brute, not too brite. The other male passengers have all departed earlier on the evening stage. Only Vinnie Holt was forced by the rules to stay behind, so she's trapped with Ty and Uncle Joe, who Zimmerman beats up for lying about the gold on the stage. He finally shoots Joe, which leaves Ty, Vinnie, and Callie as the remaining hostages. Zimmerman needs Ty, as a Wells Fargo driver, to make the morning transition go smoothly, to avoid a shootout, which Zimmerman might lose because the Wells teams always have a shotgun rider and often a third gunman, like a Brinks truck. He figures it's better to have Ty take the reins, then offload the gold in the desert.

To save Vinnie Holt, Ty's pretending she's his wife. Since the gang needs him, they won't hurt her or Callie for the time being, But Jack Elam is a sleazebag who's always hinting what he'd like to do to Vinnie, until Zimmerman tells him to can it. This creates a rivalry in which the Simpering Psycho resents the Aggressive Bossman, who's always telling him what to do. "You think yer better 'n me, doncha, with yer college edjication?" Elam's just waiting for the chance to catch Rafe off guard, which he does later on.

During the long night, while waiting for the morning gold stage, Ty and Vinnie try to dig their way out of the room Zimmerman has locked them in, using a butcher knife found earlier by Ty in the kitchen. They've also written SOS notes to hand to the Wells driver in the morning, knowing that if they are seen by one of the gang, it's Goodbye Charlie. "But they're gonna kill us anyway," Ty reasons, "because we saw Rafe shoot Uncle Joe. We have to try to escape before morning."

Tension is the name of the game, as they have to ask permission for everything they do, from getting a pitcher of drinking water, to taking Callie to the bathroom, and always with a gunman watching over them.

Finally, something happens with the hole they've dug in their wall, but I can't tell you what it is, and it leads to the climax of the movie, where Elam goes full-bore psycho. This one gets Two Huge. Man what a cast: Tyrone Power, Susan Hayward, Uncle Joe, Hugh Marlowe, Jack Elam, Dean Jagger (Mick's Dad), Jeff Corey, and George Tobias. Hugh Marlowe uses his Noir chops to play a college-educated bad guy. The picture is razor sharp. Man, we've been on a roll with our Westerns.  ////   

And that's all for tonight. Before we go, let's do some Dogs real quick, in honor of Cupid's. What are some of the best Hot Dogs you've ever had? My #1 would have to be Cupid's, which I first had when we moved to Northridge in 1968. My second favorite was the Dogs they served at the Los Angeles Athletic Club. They were similar to Cupid's in weiner and bun (the Dog itself was a snap-skin Vienna, the bun steamed). The only difference was that they didn't have chili, so, me and my brother would get 'em with mustard or plain, after a game of basketball or elevator races to the 12th floor and back. Dad had an account at the Club, so we'd just sign for 'em. Another good Dog comes from Downtown, as well. That would be the Hot Dog Sandwich served at Clifton's Cafeteria. Dad took us there a few times, and that's what I always ordered. The Dog was split in half and grilled on a griddle, so it had slightly burnt edges and a nice, greasy edge (slightly flayed). It was served in two halved sections between two slices of toasted white bread, smeared with a mayonnaise/ketchup spread. I have to cut in to say: Yes! Ketchup (or Catsup, or however you want to spell it) is okay on Hot Dogs. In fact, it's not only okay, it's delicious! And while you might think a mayo/ketchup mixture sounds questionable, trust me -it isn't. Not on those split Dogs on toast. Boy was that sammich good! Another good one (#4) would of course be the Dodger Dog. Everybody's had one. Make mine with mustard, relish, and chopped white onions, please. Finally, there's Der Weinerschnitzel (#5). It ain't Cupid's, but if it's the only Dog around, it'll do. And, they have chili. Der Weinerschnitzel is pretty good, if not great. They actually outlasted Taco Bell here in Northridge, and they've been there since 1977. 

We had a Dog Place down the street called My QT, that was in business for many years. They served Chicago-style Dogs, which were expensive but very good. But I only ate there once, because of Cupid's. I've lived within walking distance of our Cupid's for 55 of the 59 years it's been in business.

For store-bought Dogs, you've gotta go with Oscar Mayer (every kid's First Dog), and Hoffy, and Farmer John, then Hebrew National and Nathan's. We never had chicken Dogs when we were kids; it was always beef. But I suppose chicken Dogs are okay in a pinch, if your kids are hungry of if you've got a bunch of 'em and are on a budget. Kids can eat Dogs cold, too. So can adults, for that matter.

Brats are a whole 'nuther subject (and I'm talking about the sausages, not the obnoxious children). Brats would be the go-to in cities like Detroit or Cleveland. In Cincinnati they have Coneys, which were invented by the same guys who gave us 5-Way Cincinnati Chili. One of my bucket list things is to eat at Skyline in Cincy, and have me some 5-Way and a couple Coneys. Well, now I've made myself hungry. So what are your favorite Dogs?

And hey, wait a sec! We forgot to mention Corn Dogs! Do they count as Hot Dogs? Man, they're good.

My blogging music was "Shades of Deep Purple" and "The House of Blue Light" by DP. My late night is "The Flying Dutchman" by Wagner. I hope you had a nice day, and I send you Tons of Love, as always.

xoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):) 

Lon Chaney Jr., Berry Kroeger and Lex Barker in "Battles of Chief Pontiac", and "Frontier Uprising" starring Jim Davis and Nancy Hadley

Last night, we found yet another tremendous historical Western, "Battles of Chief Pontiac"(1952), starring Lon Chaney Jr. as the legendary Ottawa leader who organised a multi-tribe resistance against British rule in the Great Lakes region, pre-Revolution. The alliances at the time were murky. French trappers were making a financial killing in the North, and didn't want to cede the land to the Brits, who had the superior forces, so the French partnered with the area Indians, namely the Ottawas, to keep the British at bay, and the Brits responded by hiring professional German soldiers known as Hessians. It would've been better if they hired Heshers. Heavy Metal would've saved everyone a lot of trouble.

As the movie opens, a Hessian named "Colonel von Weber" (Berry Kroeger) has gained notoriety for his method of dealing with the Indians, which is basically a scorched earth policy. He burns their villages, killing their woman and children. Von Weber is a monster, and it's said that his fury is a result of being tortured by a different tribe, but he probably had it coming and considers all Indians "beasts". His tactics win him favor with the Army generals in the East, but at Fort Detroit (that city was just a fort and nothing else in 1756), "Major Gladwin" (Roy Roberts) is trying to arrange a treaty with Chief Pontiac, who believes that the white man and the Indians can live in peace together. I have to cut in to say: can you imagine the amazing culture we could've had if we'd combined the Native American way of life with our own? 

Frontiersman "Kent McIntire" (Lex Barker) is a personal friend of Pontiac, who considers him a White Brother. After some of his braves capture a wagon train passing through, one of them wants a "white squaw" for himself. But McIntire saves her by saying that she's his wife, and Pontiac makes the brave let her go. This creates a subplot in which the brave despises McIntire and eventually challenges him to a fight to the death. But the rest of the tribe loves him and "White Squaw", whose name is "Winifred Lancaster" (Helen Westcott). The little Indian boys are fascinated with her, and peek in her teepee when her matron "Chia" (Katherine Warren) gives her a bath.

This comic relief is short-lived, however, because Colonel von Weber has ridden East to speak to the generals in New York. He doesn't want the peace treaty, and makes his feelings known. Given his record, the generals support him, and give him command of Fort Detroit. When he returns, he informs Major Gladwin that he's now in charge: "You will answer to me from now on." Kent McIntire has done everything possible to arrange a peace treaty, but now it is all for naught. 

Von Weber has learned of a smallpox outbreak at a nearby military hospital, which gives him an especially evil idea. "So they want a peace treaty, do they?" he asks rhetorically. "I will send them gifts in advance." And he does, having the smallpox blankets bundled up and sent to the unsuspecting tribe as a present. Soon, many are dying in a horrible way as von Weber revels in his genius. "There's a peace treaty for them!" Then he viciously insults Pontiac, who has come to the fort at McIntire's invitation and still doesn't know about the smallpox.

Now, there is all-out war. McIntire and Major Gladwin both try to tell von Weber that he's stirred up a hornet's nest, but being a proud Hessian (a Nazi precursor) he ignores all advice, takes his men on the offensive, and proceeds to get slaughtered. His own demise is poetic justice. Berry Kroeger is excellent as the repulsive von Weber.

At the end, Pontiac again agrees to peace, when Major Gladwin, now back in charge, rides into the Ottawa camp carrying a white flag. They smoke a peace pipe, but Pontiac laments, "Great Spirit has spoken. Many white man will come across the sea, and the Indian will be no more." Kent McIntire recovers from a gunshot wound (von Weber tried to kill him), and marries White Squaw, but the ending is sad because of Pontiac's prediction. It should never have been that way.

I have to cut in again to ask: where have 275 years of so called "technological progress" gotten us, really, after the Indians lived their way for 8000 years (at least)? Do you think that our way of life, constantly pushing, pushing, pushing, will last us 8000 years? Get back to me on that one. How many versions of a cell phone will we have gone through in that time? How many man buns will be left? Two Huge Thumbs Up for "The Battles of Chief Pontiac". Lon Chaney knocks it out of the park. One thing is for certain, however: young people will still be listening to Rap in 8000 years. It's the sonic equivalent of cockroaches, the "music" that will never die off. The picture is soft but watchable.  ////

The previous night, we had Northridge's own Jim Davis starring in, and narrating, "Frontier Uprising"(1961), yet another top notch Western, this time about the run-up to the Mexican-American war. In 1846, California is run by the Spanish "General Torena" (John Marshall). There is a nominal Spanish government, but he controls the territory with his army, and has formed an alliance with the Shoshone chief to keep white man out of the area. "I will give your braves Spanish rifles to fight with." The Chief figures this will even the playing field, and agrees to assist the Spaniards. Others in Mexico, including the old Spanish gentry, consider themselves Californians now, not part of America as yet, but heading in that direction. "Don Carlos Montalvo" (Nestor Paiva) tells General Torena his allegiance is to California first, then to Spain, his homeland. But for him, California means the United States, who are civilizing the territory.

Davis plays "Jim Stockton" a fur trapper working the West and North with his pals "Beaver McBride" (Ken Mayer) and "Lopez" (David Renard). On their travels, they make cash on the side by leading wagon trains over the Oregon Trail. Now that California is close to statehood, some eastern travelers have mortgaged everything to buy land in the Golden State. Stockton tries warning them that it's still Shoshone country. "You should've checked before you laid down your money." Above the Oregon Trail line, California is safe, but not below. and now, the Shoshone have guns, per their pact with General Torena.

Stockton, Beaver and Lopez know the landscape well enough to avoid most of the Indians, which leaves time for a developing romance and a rivalry. In the wagon train is Don Carlos' beautiful daughter, "Consuela" (Nancy Hadley). Her mother puts out word that she's looking for a husband, but Stockton sets the record straight: "Naw, I want me an Indian gal, who can chew my moccasins to soft leather." (Yes, he actually says that). He's a man's man who doesn't cotton to no fragile white gals, and no proud Spanish debutantes, either. Really, he can take or leave women. "They're a strange breed," Beaver tells him. "You can't figure 'em out." Consuela then shifts her attention to the Army's "Lieutenant Kilpatrick" (Don Kelly), a handsome officer whose troop has joined the wagon train on their way to Fort Klamath. Kilpatrick is by-the-book, so when Stockton, who knows Indians and the area like the back of his hand, suggests a different route, because he's spotted Shoshones with rifles, Kilpatrick overrules him: "We're staying on the Oregon Trail". Meanwhile, Don Carlos has been put under house arrest by his "old friend" General Toreno, who wants Mexico for himself as a dictator.

Historically, the fur trappers and frontiersmen, guys like Jim Bowie, Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett, were the best Indian fighters because they knew the Indians, knew their ways, and could even make peace with the reasonable tribes. This is shown in Jim Stockton's conversion of Lt. Kilpatrick, who comes to realize that - on the frontier trail - strict rules of standard operation don't always apply. The Mexican-American war starts shortly before the wagon train arrives at the California border. Once they cross it, it's a free for all, and they're attacked on all sides by Shoshones and Spanish fighting for a Mexican dictatorship, not the independent state of California that had been proposed. 

Two Huge for "Frontier Uprising", from UA this time, instead of Lippert. The picture is razor sharp. And no, we didn't "steal" California from Mexico. It was really a Spanish-American war, as the Spaniards had long since conquered the Mexican people after destroying their ancient civilizations, the Mayans and Aztecs who (while culturally and spiritually fascinating) weren't exactly pacifists themselves (see human sacrifice), their amazing astrological calendars notwithstanding. But Cortes, of course, was worse. ////

And that's all for tonight. My blogging music was "Cyborg" by Klaus Schulze. My late night is Parcifal by Wagner. Rams put up a good fight against the 9ers, and that O-line is looking pretty solid, despite the loss. I hope you had a nice weekend and I send you Tons of Love, as always.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)  

Lloyd Bridges and John Ireland in "Little Big Horn", and "The Racketeer" starring Robert Armstrong and Carol Lombard

Is there a better producer than Robert J. Lippert? I'm starting to think the answer is "no", especially after our second classic Lippert Western in three days, "Little Big Horn"(1952), not the Custer story this time, but that of a troop who were sent to warn him of the impending massacre. Lloyd Bridges stars as "Capt. Phillip Donlin", who, as the movie opens, is about to lose his wife to a retiring officer, "Lt. John Haywood" (John Ireland). Donlin's wife "Celie" (Marie Windsor) hates that he is always away on patrol,  telling friends, "I didn't marry him, I married a uniform." But Haywood is set to remedy her loneliness. He's completed his Army commitment and now, though his fellow officers and their wives think he's a scoundrel, he's about to retire, become a civilian, and take Celie back East. He loves her and that's all there is to it. This subplot only exists to create initial tension between the two men, because Captain Donlin knows Lt. Haywood is stealing his wife and is resigned to it, but he still hates Haywood's guts. And now, before Haywood can retire, he's sent by the General on one final mission, to call Donlin's troop back to camp, because scouts have discovered that 4000 Sioux are headed for Little Big Horn, and it's gonna be a massacre if they go there. We never see Celie Donlin again. As noted, the character is only used to create a rivalry. 

Lt. Haywood rides out to give Donlin the message, but the Captain decides on the spot to disobey it. "We aren't going to leave General Custer and the 7th to get slaughtered." "But Captain, it's an order, and your dozen men won't make a difference anyway." "We will if we can get there first and warn Custer off."

That's the plan, and Donlin, being Haywood's superior, orders him to come along. "I see," muses Haywood, "It's your perfect chance to do me in." Donlin denies it, "If I wanted you dead, I'd have you riding point. You make my blood boil, I'll admit that, but right now I need you in the back, pushing the stragglers." Haywood had asked that his troops be free to leave, since it's gonna be a turkey shoot for the Sioux, but all of his men volunteered to stick around, so Donlin tasks him with keeping them in line. Donlin's as hard of a hard-ass as they come, because he subscribes 100% to the Army's maxim that it's better to lose a few lives to save many. In this case, it's gonna be his men's lives, and Haywood's, but he's determined to reach the Little Big Horn river, 400 miles away, before General Custer can get there, in order to to warn him off. Four thousand Sioux will trump Custer's force. Better to sacrifice some of his own men if he can arrive first, Donlin thinks, but it's gonna be a tough crawl, over rocky and desolate Corriganville terrain, speckled with plots of smoke-signaling Indians, knife-armed and savage as all get-out.

The troops are the varied group you'd expect, though none are at first disgruntled. There's "Peter Grierson" (Reed Hadley), a former Civil War Major who had to accept a demotion to Sergeant to remain in the post-war Army. Once a ranking officer, he's now at Donlin's beck and call. Wally Cassell (Oscar caliber in the boxing movie "Breakdown" a couple weeks ago) plays "Pvt. Danny Zecca", who's under arrest for going awol. He keeps getting sent on point as a result, and has to fight Indians alone. You could call this a 23rd Psalm movie, all about walking through hell with the Lord as your shepherd, only in this case, the shepherd is not benevolent. Captain Donlin has only one goal, warning Custer and his 7th cavalry away from Little Big Horn, and thereby saving hundreds of troops, even if it means sacrificing his own. Lloyd Bridges plays it ultra cold blooded, and his men finally disobey. If it was "Platoon", they'd have fragged him, but things hadn't gotten that bad in 1876. Lt. Haywood meanwhile, has volunteered to ride point as penance, having realized that he did wrong by stealing Donlin's wife, while Donlin was out in the wilderness fighting Indians. Different characters save the troop's bacon at different stages of the trail. Their horses are so fatigued that they won't lie down, knowing by instinct that if they do, they won't be able to get back up.

Captain Donlin leaves one wounded man to die alone, with his skin scraped off after being dragged by his horse. "Sorry Moylan, but we've gotta keep pushing forward." He allows Moylan to be placed in the shade (to die), but doesn't even give him a gun to protect or kill himself until it's suggested by another soldier. The portrayal of Donlin is very close to evil, as played by Bridges. He has absolutely zero compassion. 

He pushes the troops past the breaking point, and for all their trouble several of the men are killed, one in an Indian torture that looks straight out of David Lynch. Think of the Man in the Yellow Suit in "Blue Velvet", who died standing up, only this is a lot more horrific. From a distance, he looks like a scarecrow. The troop (what's left of them) finally reaches the Little Big Horn river, but of course we all know the history, and Custer got his ass kicked anyway. I won't get into the politics. In school, of course, we were taught that Custer was an evil bastard who got what his arrogant ass deserved. The truth may lie somewhere in between, as it often does, because the Sioux were not exactly nice people, either. Here's a comparison: where I live, the Native American predecessors were Tataviam and Chumash. Have you ever heard one bad thing about either of those two tribes? No you haven't. They were peaceful hunter-gatherers who lived here for 8000 years. So, like every civilization, there were peaceful Indians and warlike ones, and we've already talked about how the warlike picked on the peaceful, before the white man even got here. So while Custer may have been ruthless, the truth is always somewhere in between, because the Sioux were every bit as violent, killing wagon train civilians.

I have to bring up my great grandmother again, and I'm gonna start using her as a measuring stick, because she was a seventeen year old girl when the Little Big Horn massacre happened. In high school history class, the story of Custer's Last Stand seems like a million years ago, but it can't be, because my great grandma was in high school when it happened!

At any rate, Two Huge Thumbs Up for "Little Big Horn", which has a 6.7 rating on IMDB (very high). Lippert delivers again, and the picture is razor sharp.  ////     

The previous night, we had an excellent pre-Coder, almost like a Greek tragedy, from the first year of sound pictures. "The Racketeer"(1929) stars Robert Armstrong as "Mahlon Keane", a hood with a heart of gold. It must be the Irish in him. In the opening scene, some kids are mocking a down-on-his-luck street violinist. The guy is drunk (wasted is more accurate) and can barely carry a tune. Keane happens to be walking by, just as a cop is rousting the musician. "C'mon, pal. tell me your name. Where do you live? Let's get you home."

"Hello there, Officer Murphy," says Keane, smiling. "Why, I know this gent." He slips a 50 spot in the violinist's pocket. "He can't be a vagrant if he's got 50 bucks on him, right? In fact, I happen to know he lives at the Ritz. Or is it the YMCA? Better make it the Y, Murphy, at least for today. I wouldn't want his friends at the Ritz to see him in this condition." Keane doesn't know the violinist, of course, has no idea who he is. He just likes being gallant and flashing his money around. And it's not entirely for show. He's one of those rare gangsters who really does like helping people. He just happens to have a talent for making money the crooked way (how he does it is never shown), and he likes to spread the wealth in certain cases.

After he departs, a taxi pulls up and a well-dressed blonde gets out, shocked. "Oh, Tony!" She knows the violinist, whose full name is "Tony Vaughan" (Roland Drew). He's now passed out on the sidewalk. The cop gave up and left him lying there.

After some scenes where we see Keane instructing his henchmen to deal with a rival gangster, we cut to a casino, where he's now playing high stakes poker. In walks the blonde, "Rhoda Philbrooke" (Carol Lombard) and the gossip begins. The gist of it is this: she was once married to a millionaire who divorced her because she ran off with a nudist! Super pre-Code alert! She was left penniless (her husband made sure she got nothing), and the message is that she did it all for love. In fact, the gossiping women admire her. She sits down at the poker table, next to Mahlon Keane, and because she's broke she proceeds to cheat. She's good at it, and is raking in the chips, when another woman notices something amiss: "I played an ace of clubs. Now there's an ace of spades in the discard. What's going on here?" Keane, already having seen his own fifty dollar bill (the one he slipped to the violinist) being put by Rhoda Philbrooke into the kitty, realizes now she's a grifter, but he feels sorry for her, so he covers her cheating. The game then ends, and Keane follows Rhoda out the door, fascinated.

He's attracted to her, but at her hotel, he sees she's with Tony the violinist, whom she's trying to get sober. He struggles from his bed for a drink. "Please Rhoda, just one glass of gin!" She says no. "I love you, and I'm going to make you well." He even tries to call a hooch merchant who sells gin passing as soda pop. Keane is present for all of this. He sees that Rhoda loves Tony Vaughan, and accepts it. Now, he just wants to help, because he loves her, so he offers to sponsor Tony, no strings attached. Together, Keane and Rhoda rehab Tony until he's ready to resume his career. His first concert is scheduled for a Paris cruise ship. By now, he's back to the shredding form that made him famous. Rhoda feels left out. "He doesn't need me anymore." So she goes back to Keane, who does need her, because he's now trying to clean up his own life. "No more illegal rackets," tells her. "From now on, I am living for you." Their wedding is scheduled for the night of Tony's concert on the cruise ship. He's accepted, sort of, that he's lost Rhoda to his reinstated career, but at the last minute, pre-concert, he says, "please don't leave me!" That's all she needed to hear, because she wanted him to need her. Now, she calls off the wedding to Keane at the very last minute.

In a perfectly paced subplot, all throughout the movie, the policeman Murphy, who likes Keane but knows he's a gangster, has been leaning on Keane's chauffeur, a guy named "Squid" (Al Hill), telling him, while he's parked in Keane's fancy car: "Y'know Squid, I'm trying for a promotion, and we've got a lot of unsolved murders on my beat. Like that one....who was that fella who got his neck sliced open by a bottle? Y'know, Squid, I was the one who found that broken bottle neck, and it has fingerprints. But you know something, Squid? That victim was a hoodlum himself. I could forget about him, if you were to help me solve murders down the road. Of course, if you don't want to, there's a chair up at Sing Sing that hasn't been used in a while. I imagine they're getting itchy to turn it on, if you get my drift."

Murphy keeps leaning on Squid, until he finally breaks. Now Mahlon Keane's in the hot seat. His good-guy side wins out aboard the cruise ship, as he sacrifices himself for Tony Vaughan. The sound is very good here, considering it's 1929, but there's that "paused" dialogue thing again, with long gaps this time, and we now have a clue why that is: A reviewer on IMDB says that the "dead-air" pauses are due to "the limitations of the (early sound era) microphones". I knew it was a technical issue. Carole Lombard is so great in this movie, pure class as always. She and Clark Gable lived in Encino for a while, and raced their horses at Devonshire Downs. Two Big Thumbs Up for "The Racketeer". The picture is somewhat aged, but watchable.  ////    

And that's all I know. Did you see the rocket trail in the sky last night? It was launched from Vandenberg at around 7:30. I must've missed the launch, and the soaring rocket, by about ten minutes, but when I went on my CSUN walk, the trail's corkscrew was still fresh in the sky. Turns out it was a test of a "national security satellite" by the U.S. Space Force. No other details were forthcoming. 

In other news, absolutely tragic, I just learned on Facebook, just an hour ago, that Cupid's is going out of business. The post said it will "close in a couple months." That's such awful news that I can't even process it yet. When I do, I will try to comment.

My blogging music was "Space Shanty" by Khan, my late night was Handel's Scipione Opera. I wish you a nice weekend, and I send you Tons of Love, as always.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):) 

Sterling Hayden and Ward Bond in "Hellgate", and "Shadow Man" starring Cesar Romero and Kay Kendall

Last night, we struck gold again with Robert J. Lippert's "Hellgate"(1952), a tremendous Western written and directed by Charles Marquis Warren, the creator of "Rawhide". Sterling Hayden stars as "Gilman Hanley", an ex-Confederate soldier turned veterinarian, settled now in Kansas with his wife. The year is 1867. A title card informs us that Kansas is a lawless state, with guerilla terrorists running rampant, bands of outlaw former Rebs who've taken to raiding rather than face defeat and surrender.

As the movie opens, Hanley is tending to a pregnant mare. His wife answers the door to a trio of unknown men who claim to be travelers, just passing through. One has been thrown from his horse, or so he says. "My ribs might be busted. We saw your vet'n'arian sign out front. I ain't got time to look for a doctor and I'm hurt bad. Can ya fix me?" Hanley wraps the guy's ribs, suggests a town doctor, and the men leave. He never questions their story, though they looked pretty rough 'n ready.

The next day, a US Army patrol comes knocking. "Did you treat a Vernon Brechene last night?" "Well, I treated a man, bandaged his ribcage, but I don't know his name." "Then can you explain this?" The Captain shows him a saddlebag found in his yard with five thousand dollars in the pouch. "And the horses in your corral have a stolen brand on their hides." This Captain knows that Hanley fought for the South during the war, and even though he's settled now, and assimilated into the Union in a respectable profession, old hatreds die hard. The circumstantial evidence is against him: treating a guerilla (though he didn't know it), and a dropped satchel with 5K inside (which looks like an escape payment). All of a sudden, Hanley is under Federal arrest for aiding and abetting a terrorist.

He gets sent to a barren desert prison known as Hellgate, in New Mexico near the Mexican border. The joint is medieval, with underground cells cut out of rock, and a sunken-into-the-ground, coffin-like bunker with cast iron doors called The Bakehouse, which does what it's name implies. The warden, an Army Lieutenant named "Voorhees" (Ward Bond) has a special dislike for guerillas: his wife and child were killed in a terrorist raid. Needless to say, once you reach such a prison camp, no one cares that you're innocent. The place is almost as brutal on the captors as the captives.

A giant named "Redfield" (James Arness) runs the six-man cell in which Hanley is placed. James Arness was a big morefrencher, and you can tell how big when compared to Sterling Hayden, himself quite sizeable but small compared to big James. But, as Hanley, he holds his own in the dungeon-like cave, and a peace is brokered. Everyone in the cell assumes he's guilty as charged. Redfield has discovered a hole in the top that leads to ground level outside, and a possible escape. But besides the armed guards, Lt. Voorhees also has a team of Pima Indians who are paid fifty bucks a head to hunt and kill escapees, and they know the desert, whereas the prisoners do not. "You don't wanna meet up with them Pimas," says a guard. "They make Apaches look like pussycats." Still, Redfield wants to chance it, but another cellmate named "Jumper" (Peter Coe) rats the plan out, to gain favor with Lieutenant Voorhees.

In between all of this, there are fistfights for supremacy, whipping-post lashings for insubordination, and plenty of trips to The Bakehouse. Did you you ever see the Civil War prison movie "Andersonville"? It came out in the late '90s. Man, was it grim, and this is nearly as bad. It shows that the Union was just as capable of war crimes (in this case, post-war) as the South. in fact, the Union was ruthless, which you have to be in war. Sherman burned Atlanta to the ground. But in the movie, even though the war is over, the guerilla bands are continuing to commit atrocities, not sparing women and children. and as a result, the retaliation against them is barbaric, which forces the viewer to consider the fact that the barbarous Lt.Voorhees lost his wife and child to guerilla terror. Thus, the movie is really about barbaric justice when used against an innocent man, Gil Hanley, and director Warren shows a quote from Oliver Wendell Holmes at the beginning of the movie about Hanley's case, which indicates it's a true story.

Toward the end, disease hits the prison and the small town nearby. Fresh water is badly needed. Hanley is given one chance to redeem himself, though it's really the prison that needs redemption, and the criminals. I can't tell you what happens in the final fifteen minutes, but Sterling Hayden knocks it out of the park, and so does Ward Bond, in a horrible way. 

What blows me away about this movie, and it's subject matter, is that it happened when my great-grandmother was an 8 year old girl. I have a photo from when my Dad was about three or for years old, sitting on great grandma's lap (his grandmother). She is about 65 by then (my age now, almost), and she looks entirely modern, in clothing, hairdo, expression, everything. She's a full-on Modern Woman in the photo, which was taken around 1923, and yet, when she was an 8 year old little girl, the Civil War had just ended, and lawless terrorism and medieval underground prisons were still around in this country. Which means that we were very close to anarchy just 160 years ago, at least in certain states and territories. The weird part is that 160 years seems like a long time, and it is, but then again....it isn't. Because my great grandma was born 164 years ago, and she was a Modern Lady.

Two Gigantic Thumbs Up for "Hellgate". It earns our highest rating and the picture is razor sharp.  //// 

The previous night's movie was "Shadow Man"(1953) another Hammer noir that is rich in atmosphere, thin in plot, and packed with red herring characters, but still very entertaining. You can't help but entertain when Cesar Romero is your star. He plays "Luigi" (no last name), the owner of a London pinball parlor. As the movie opens, a burglary is being investigated at the house of a wealthy man. Scotland Yard (pron.) "Inspector Johnstone" (Edward Overundersidewaysdown) seems to think it was staged by the man himself. Back at Luigi's joint, an old woman has fainted in the street. It's a hot day in merry old Londontown (must be all of 74 degrees), and Luigi's floor manager, a gent known as "Limpy" (Victor Maddern), helps the woman inside and sits her down. She's a fortune teller. Luigi knows her well. A police officer enters his office to ask how she's doing, just as a local thief is trying to sell Luigi some stolen trinkets for his parlor. Limpy hustles the thief outside. The script is based on a novel, but onscreen, it doesn't pan out. The whole setup amounts to nothing, except to introduce us to many characters, most of whom won't figure into the plot. The opening impression is that Luigi is a shady guy running a burglary ring out of his pinball joint, but that's not the case at all.

Next, we meet "Mrs. Barbara Gale" (Kay Kendall), the stunning, Sean Young-in-'No Way Out'-looking, wife of the wealthy robbery "victim". Her husband is really an in-debt gambler, she's his much younger trophy who's neglected and bored. She has a big, buff, butt-chinned boy-toy who has caused a ruckus at Luigi's place by calling Limpy a "cripple". Luigi has rightly roughed the big boy up for that, and now he's contrite. He asks to borrow Luigi's fortune-telling marionette box for a party, to be thrown by his girlfriend, Mrs. Gale (whose hubby knows she cheats and doesn't care). So, Luigi brings the marionette box over, and now Mrs. Gale falls for him, because Cesar Romero out-suaves a young buck any day of the week. The boy toy disappears, and we never see him for the remainder of the movie.

Now, Luigi and Mrs. Gale are in love, and he's met her husband and his gambling pals, but has no respect for them and feels no guilt for stealing her. But then, in front of his pinball parlor, he sees a sailor assaulting a woman who appears to be drunk. He decks the guy, then runs the woman off. "Leave now! Go home!" he yells. Why is he so vehement?

We learn that she's a local good time gal named "Angeli" (Simone Silva). A fellow Italian, she seems to know Luigi, as well as Limpy, who's never had a girlfriend and who keeps portraits of beautiful women pinned to the wall of his shabby apartment. Mrs. Gale is one of them. This drunken Angeli is another. Although Luigi deplores her, she treats Limpy with something approaching respect. She even offers to go to the movies with him, for which he shows up at the theater with flowers and a box of chocolates. But she never arrives.

Back at Luigi's, Limpy is sweeping up after closing time, when a phantasmagorical sequence takes place. All of a sudden, the parlor comes alive, like in "The Twilight Zone", with jukeboxes blaring, Jack-in-the-Boxes laughing, pinballs pinging, and here comes Angeli again, dancing through the aisle. She beckons to Limpy, but is she real or a dream? How did she turn on all the machines at once?

Well, it's that kind of movie; all atmosphere and little sense. In fact, we have no idea that a plot even exists until Angeli turns up dead at the 55 minute mark. Non-horror Hammer is all about atmosphere.

It's pretty clear by now that Luigi isn't the murderer, but he carries the body out, in his arms ala Frankenstein, in broad midnight, where anyone could see him. He calls Limpy to pick him up to dispose of Angeli, but the cops see them and bring them to the station, where Edward Overundersidewaysdown gives them both the 3rd degree.

In between all of this is a love affair between Luigi and Mrs. Gale. Luigi uses a ruse to escape police custody, and hides out in an upstairs room of the European jeweler next door. Now, he's a fugitive. Limpy, meanwhile, is trying to lay the blame for Angeli's murder on Mrs. Gale, and it will all come down to ten minutes of exposition in this strangely executed but well-done movie (if you ignore the supposed plot).

Sometimes, when you know the studio, and the time period, you can throw off initial expectations: "Okay, it's Hammer 1954. Forget the plot, just watch it for fun." And in that way, "Shadow Man" earns it's 6.0 IMDB rating. Cesar Romero is a big reason for that high number. It must have been in his contract never to play a bad guy, until he got to The Joker. No one else can hold a candle to Cesar in that role, but we like him in his suave form better. Two Bigs. If it had a plot it would be Two Huge. The picture is razor sharp.  //// 

And that's all for tonight. My blogging music was "Houses of the Holy" by The Four Zeppelini Brothers. Speaking of them, and especially Jimmy Page, have you ever noticed how the solo to "Stairway to Heaven" follows the same descending chord pattern as Jimi's solo on "All Along the Watchtower"? In fact, you could overlay Page's solo in place of Jimi's, and vice-versa. A guy on Youtube has done the former, but the comparison occurred to me before I saw it. I was listening to "Watchtower", and when the solo came up, I thought: "That reminds me of something." A day or two later, I knew what it was. I'll bet you Page deliberately used that chord pattern, and Jimi's solo, as a marker, then did his own (admittedly great) version. So that makes "Stairway" a double-plagiarism song: first for the opening (borrowed from Spirit), then for the solo (from Jimi). Here's another one that occurred to me: "Highway Star", as borrowed (or ripped-off, take your pick) from "Born To Be Wild". Think about it: the chugga-chugga opening riff, and then the title. Steppenwolf: "Get your motor runnin'....head out to the highway." Deep Purple: (chugga-chugga) "I'm a Highway Star!"

So, there you have it. And Ritchie has even admitted taking the bassline from Ricky Nelson's "Summertime" and turning it into the riff for "Black Night". And to bring things full circle, he demonstrates, in a video available on Youtube, how Jimi also borrowed from "Summertime", for his opening riff to "Hey Joe."

So Jimmy Page borrowed from Jimi who borrowed from Ricky Nelson, and Ritchie borrowed from Ricky and Mars Bonfire.

Finally, John Kay, in an interview, says that Mars Bonfire has made between $150,000 and $250,000, every year since 1969, for "Born To Be Wild". A quarter million a year, for more than half a century, for one song.

I hope your week is going well, and I send you Tons of Love as always.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)