Directed by Paul Landres
Starring Francis Lederer, Norman Eberhardt, Ray Strickland
Paul Landres directed three cool little horror pictures for Gramercy Pictures in 1957-58: The Vampire, The Return Of Dracula and The Flame Barrier. Each was done in week on a shoestring budget.
Olive Films has announced an October Blu-ray release for The Return Of Dracula (1958). Jack MacKenzie’s moody photography will be a real treat in high definition.
The Hannibal 8 
I remember first watching THE RETURN OF DRACULA and THE VAMPIRE on local television as a kid in the 60s and being somewhat disappointed because Bela Lugosi was not the star of either. The Shock Theater package had already been released and Bela was the Dracula vampire I expected to see, so I felt a little cheated. However, I do remember liking both films very much and have since always updated them in current video format to my collection. I’d just like to point out that the always excellent composer Gerald Fried did the soundtrack for both films and that the 2-cd disc from FSM SILVER SCREEN CLASSICS is still available from Screen Archives and AMAZON as well. Also on this set are scores from Fried’s excellent I BURY THE LIVING and THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI. I often enjoy listening to this music because it’s so identifiable to the genre and recommend this cd set to fans of such stuff. Fried’s soundtrack music for television shows like the original STAR TREK and THE MAN FROM UNCLE can also be found currently on cd.
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I LOVE this Landres fix Toby’s on at the moment.
I too am very fond of his Fifties low budgeters
especially the Western THE TALL TROUBLE
Never seen FRONTIER GUN and THE LONE TEXAN
but would really love to…in RegalScope
Never seen THE FLAME BARRIER which seems to be
on the missing list.
RETURN OF DRACULA is wonderful with The Count
down on his luck trying to blend into Fifties Mid America.
Levy-Gardner Laven had made some nifty thrillers
(DOWN THREE DARK STREETS,WITHOUT WARNING)
and tried to tap into the Fifties drive in craze.
Secretary/Production Assistant Pat Fielder convinced the guys that
she could write so they let her loose on their drive in
projects. Pat also wrote Levy Gardner Laven’s much higher
budgeted GERONIMO and had a host of interesting TV credits.
It’s funny Toby,but every time my finances get back on
track someone throws a curved ball into them.
This time it’s those Germans.
Anolis Entertainment are about to release THE TINGLER
on Blu Ray with a raft of extras. Don’t know if the extras will
have English subs (they might actually be in English!)
THE TINGLER is a two disc Blu Ray/DVD combo set and it ain’t
cheap.
I have,in the past purchased several Anolis Blu Rays and
they are of the very highest quality.
You can’t take it with you is what I always say!
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Joh, are Anolis titles region-locked — or can we all get the hi-def tingle down our spines?
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I’m pretty sure they are Region B but I’ll
check this out.
Anolis stuff has the habit of going OOP pretty
quick so I’m gonna advance order my copy.
Full report-regarding extras and stuff in a few weeks.
I was hoping Mill Creek were going to release this
on Blu but they say it’s not licensed to them.
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The three Anolis Universal Fifties Sci-Fi
that I have on Blu Ray are noted as Region B on
the packaging but are,in fact Region free.
Anolis product appears to go OOP pretty quick in some
cases or ends up on Amazon fetching outrageous
prices… THE MONOLITH MONSTERS 120 Euros.
I understand Sony.Germany insist in region coding
but this is not always the case I have several Sony
DVD’s issued in Germany that are in fact region free.
One things for sure THE TINGLER should not be in print
too long and will fetch a King’s ransom a year or so from now.
I had to get a multi region player because of product from
Criterion,Kino Lorber,Olive and Mill Creek among others.
Of the USA independent labels Twilight Time and Blue Underground
are region free.
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Whoops….Sorry I meant to say Sony BLU RAY’s
Toby,
I’ve advanced ordered my copy of THE TINGLER
full report on the region coding and the many extras
when I receive it.
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Whoops! just noticed….THE TALL TROUBLE
was the UK title for Paul Landres’ very fine
HELL CANYON OUTLAWS.
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I’m working on a post on Hell Canyon Outlaws for 50s Westerns. I’d love to have a nice-looking copy of this one — I love Floyd Crosby’s work.
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Great! Glad you are keeping the Landres thing
going. I’d love to track down a pristine copy of
HELL CANYON OUTLAWS such a cool little movie.
I wish someone would REALLY get on Kino Lorber’s case
and get them to release THE LONE TEXAN and FRONTIER
GUN in the correct ratio before Fox give us horrible 4×3
versions of these. I may be wrong but the two Landres’
are the only RegalScopes still owned by Fox.
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Toby,Have you caught up with the William Castle/Mill Creek
Blu Ray doubles yet?
I thought HOMICIDAL/MR SARDONICUS was sensational.
HOMICIDAL stands up really well and what an interesting
person (in real life) Jean Arless was-never knew much about
her but loads of stuff about her online.
Very,very interesting the SHAMPOO connection.
MR SARDONICUS very interesting and unusual as well,
great to see Castle approach Gothic Horror.
The other double bill (13 GHOSTS/13 FRIGHTENED GIRLS)
not so good with latter looking like a very bad TV movie pilot-
certainly Castle operating outside of his comfort zone.
Great value from Mill Creek and awesome picture quality.
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