Blu-Ray News #385: Dick Tracy RKO Pictures Collection (1945-47).

RKO’s four Dick Tracy films are just wonderful. Produced between 1945 and ’47, the first two star Morgan Conway as the detective, while the second two saw the return of Ralph Byrd, who’d starred in four Dick Tracy serials at Republic. They’re more faithful to the comic strip than the serials, and they do a great job of bringing common Tracy characters to the screen. In some ways they seem geared to kids, but the violence and darker themes will make you wonder. A friend calls them “kid noir.”

While these Tracy pictures have been languishing in PD Hell for years, VCI had the best-looking set by far. And now they’re bringing them to Blu-Ray, which is a reason to celebrate. (I absolutely adore these movies.)

Dick Tracy (1945)
Directed by William A. Berke
Starring Morgan Conway, Anne Jeffreys, Mike Mazurki, Lyle Latell

Morgan Conway is Dick Tracy and Mike Mazurki is an escaped convict, Splitface, who’s out for revenge. He ends up kidnapping Tracy’s girl, Tess (Anne Jeffreys).

Dick Tracy Vs. Cueball (1946)
Directed by Gordon Douglas
Starring Morgan Conway, Anne Jeffreys, Lyle Latell, Rita Corday, Ian Keith

Cueball (Dick Wessel) starts taking out some of his partners in crime, then figures it might be a good idea to get rid of Dick Tracy, too. Gordon Douglas’s direction is typically solid and economical.

Dick Tracy’s Dilemma (1947)
Directed by John Rawlins
Starring Ralph Byrd, Kay Christopher, Lyle Latell, Jack Lambert, Ian Keith

The Claw (Jack Lambert) is part of a gang responsible for stealing a fortune in furs from a warehouse and killing the night watchman. Dick Tracy (Ralph Byrd) and his partner Pat Patton (Lyle Latell) go from suspecting insurance fraud to wondering if there’s a serial killer on the loose. The Claw is creepy, the killings are pretty brutal and the film has a more shadowy, noir-ish look than the other three. Probably the best of the series.

Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome (1947)
Directed by John Rawlins
Starring Boris Karloff, Ralph Byrd, Anne Gwynne, Lyle Latell, Skelton Knaggs 

While Dick’s Tracy’s Dilemma might be the best, Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome boasts the most star power. Here, Byrd takes second billing behind the great Boris Karloff. This time, Gruesome (Karloff, naturally) uses a paralyzing gas to pull off a bank heist, while Tess Truehart (Anne Gwynne) is there! Karloff looks like he’s having a good time making this one.

From introductions to galleries to commentaries, there are all sorts of extras on the way for this new Blu-Ray set. I’m doing commentaries for the two Byrd films. Judging from the work-in-progress files I was sent to work with, this is going to be quite nice. Highly recommended.

 

Blu-Ray Review: The Terror (1963) & Little Shop Of Horrors (1960).

Film Masters continues their Filmgroup releases with a stunning Blu-Ray of The Terror — with The Little Shop Of Horrors along for the high-definition ride. Both get a Cadillac 4K scan from nice 35mm material.

The Terror (1963)
Produced & Directed by Roger Corman (& Francis Ford Coppola, Monte Hellman, Jack Hill)
Starring Boris Karloff, Jack Nicholson, Sandra Knight, Dick Miller, Dorothy Neumann, Jonathan Haze

Roger Corman’s The Terror is a patchwork quilt of a Gothic horror movie, done in bits and pieces — beginning with Boris Karloff walking around the sets for AIP’s The Raven as they were being torn down. A busload of writers and directors messed around with it for about a year. As you’d expect, the results don’t make a whole lot of sense (Leo Gordon’s original script was altered each time it was passed from one director to another), but there’s something oddly fascinating about the whole thing.

Jack Nicholson is a French officer who winds up at the castle of Baron von Leppe (Boris Karloff) after trying to locate a mysterious young woman he met on the beach (Sandra Knight). Things get convoluted and confusing from there, with a witch and her son, a deal with the devil, a ghost and a flooded crypt added to the mix. It was not based on a Poe story, but if someone thought it was part of Corman’s successful Poe Cycle, that was fine!

Footage from The Terror turns up in Peter Bagdanovich’s Targets

I once had a fairly-decent 16mm dupe print of The Terror, and have tried out several of its previous video releases, so I’m very familiar with the movie and what it looks like. NEVER thought it would look at good as it does here. The color is vivid and consistent, and the picture is surprisingly sharp — with allowances for the crazy way it was shot. The framing is perfect (Vistascope is just the standard 1.85.) and the sound is crystal clear. Film Masters has done a terrific job with The Terror.

The Little Shop Of Horrors (1960)
Produced & Directed by Roger Corman
Starring Jonathan Haze, Jackie Joseph, Mel Welles, Dick Miller, Myrtle Vail, Jack Nicholson

Everybody knows the backstory on The Little Shop Of Horrors — another Corman movie shot on leftover sets (this time, from Corman’s own A Bucket Of Blood). Interiors were shot in a couple days (after a few days of rehearsal) with a budget of just $28,000. To keep things moving quickly, multiple cameras and fixed lighting were used, sitcom style.

Seymour Krelboined (Jonathan Haze) develops a man-eating plant he names Audrey, after a coworker he’s sweet on (Jackie Joseph). The plant becomes an attraction at the little flower shop where Seymour works, so his boss looks the other way when Seymour feeds it a bum who was hit by a train. Things escalate from there. Oh, and it’s all played for laughs. The picture is known for Jack Nicholson’s scene, but Mel Welles is terrific as Haze’s boss. (Of course, it spawned a musical play and a film based on that play.) 

The Little Shop Of Horrors went out in a double feature with Mario Bava’s Black Sunday, then again with Corman’s Last Woman On Earth (both 1960). Then it became a staple on the late show and cheap VHS tapes. Again, Film Masters has come through with a small miracle — though it doesn’t glow quite like The Terror, this is the best I’ve ever seen The Little Shop Of Horrors look. It’s clean and sharp with nice, solid blacks. I saw things I’ve never noticed before, giving new life to a film I’ve seen a couple dozens times. And the proper framing makes a huge difference.

Film Masters has given us some nice extras, with the prize going to the second part of Ballyhoo’s documentary on Corman’s Filmgroup, his independent production company he operated while he was doing the Poe pictures for AIP. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I’ve written this a thousand times: an upgraded transfer can transform an old film. Film Masters proves that here, twice, showing that The Terror and The Little Shop Of Horrors weren’t as raggedy-looking as we once thought. I was blown away. This two-disc set comes highly, highly recommended.

Happy Birthday, Boris Karloff.

Boris Karloff (William Henry Pratt)
(November 23, 1887 – February 2, 1969)

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Here in the States today is Thanksgiving, AND Boris Karloff’s birthday — which, as I see it, makes perfect sense.

So let’s celebrate Mr. Karloff and be thankful for all the joy he gave us, from Frankenstein to the Grinch. Here, he’s having some tea while working on a Mr. Wong picture at Monogram.

Blu-Ray News #368: Bikini Beach (1964).

Directed by William Asher
Starring Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello, Martha Hyer, Don Rickles, Harvey Lembeck, John Ashley, Jody McCrea, Candy Johnson, Danielle Aubry, Meredith MacRae, Delores Wells, Donna Loren, Little Stevie Wonder, The Pyramids, Timothy Carey, Keenan Wynn, Mary Hughes, Boris Karloff

I’ve admitted my undying love for this film before. Back then, I wrote that when Bikini Beach made it to Blu-Ray, all would be right with the world. Well, the world’s a big fat mess, so the timing of this couldn’t be better. 

As I see it, this is the absolute apex of the Beach Party series, and it’s on the way to Blu-Ray from MGM’s MOD program. I’m not sure how it works, but this one comes recommended big time!

In the ad above, note that Bikini Beach was paired with A Hard Day’s Night (1964) in some places!

Thanks to Mr. Richard Vincent for the tip!

Horrorama Week! January, 1956.

1956 got off to a great start in Los Angeles, thanks to the RKO Hillstreet Theater. Maybe even better than the weeklong monster rally in Boston the previous month.

The Olive Films, The Non-Westerns Checklist.

A few days ago, over on 50 Westerns From The 50s, I posted a list of the Westerns released on DVD and Blu-Rays by Olive Films. Turns out a number of us are looking to fill some gaps in our collections — before they’re either gone or going for crazy collectors’ prices. And now, here’s a list of some of their other titles. This is by no means everything — just the stuff that falls within the scope of this blog.

Some of these titles have already been re-issued (or are on the way) by other companies. But some may never see the light of day again, given the current state of physical media. From a couple of Republic serials to a handful of Regalscope pictures, there are some real jewels here.

As very special thanks (again) to Laura from Laura’s Miscellaneous Musings, who was a HUGE help with bringing this together. 

Betty Boop, Vols. 1-4
Sabotage (1939)
S.O.S. Tidal Wave (1939)
Lady From Louisiana (1941)
A Man Betrayed (1941)
One Of Our Aircraft Is Missing (1942)
Flying Tigers (1942)
Lady For A Night (1942)
Johnny Come Lately (1943)
Strangers In The Night (1944)
Voodoo Man (1944)
Fighting Seabees (1944)

The Return Of The Ape Man (1944)
The Strange Affair Of Uncle Harry (1945)
Flame Of Barbary Coast (1945)
The Vampire’s Ghost (1945)
The Dark Mirror (1946)
The Private Affairs Of Bel Ami (1946)
Appointment With Crime (1946)
Copacabana (1947)
Ruthless (1948)
So This Is New York (1948)
Force Of Evil (1948)
Mr. Peabody And The Mermaid (1948)
Wake Of The Red Witch (1948)
Sands Of Iwo Jima (1949)
The Red Menace (1949)
The Kid From Cleveland (1949)
Love Happy (1949)
The File On Thelma Jordon (1950)
Appointment With Danger (1950)
No Man of Her Own (1950)
The Lawless (1950)
Captain Carey U.S.A. (1950)
Union Station (1950)
Three Secrets (1950)
Dark City (1950)

Flying Disc Man From Mars (1950, serial)
The Invisible Monster (1950)
Cry Danger (1951)
My Favorite Spy (1951)
Flat Top (1952)
Hoodlum Empire (1952)
The Atomic City (1952)
The Quiet Man (1952)
Retreat, Hell! (1952)
City That Never Sleeps (1953)
Commando Cody: Sky Marshal Of The Universe (1953, serial)
The Sun Shines Bright (1953)
Hell’s Half Acre (1954)
Private Hell 36 (1954)
Panther Girl Of The Kongo (1954, serial)
The Shanghai Story (1954)
Cry Vengeance (1954)
Dragonfly Squadron (1954)
Young At Heart (1955)
The Big Combo (1955)
Shack Out On 101 (1955)
The Eternal Sea (1955)
No Man’s Woman (1955)
The Americano (1955)
Strategic Air Command (1955)
The Weapon (1956)
Fire Maidens Of Outer Space (1956)
Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1956)
China Gate (1957)
Plunder Road (1957)
She Devil (1957)

High School Confidential! (1958)
Indiscreet (1958)
Hell’s Five Hours (1958)
The Colossus Of New York (1958)
The Space Children (1958)
It! The Terror From Beyond Space (1958)
The Return Of Dracula (1958)
The Beat Generation (1959)
Operation Petticoat (1959)
Pork Chop Hill (1959)
The Big Operator (1959)
Odds Against Tomorrow (1959)
The Monster Of Piedras Blancas (1959)
A Bucket Of Blood (1959)

The Horrible Dr. Hichcock (1962)
That Touch Of Mink (1962)
Father Goose (1964)
Muscle Beach Party (1964)
Beach Blanket Bingo (1965)
How To Stuff A Wild Bikini (1965)
Crack In The World (1965)
Dr. Terror’s House Of Horrors (1965)
The Wild Angels (1966)
The Trip (1967)
Cauldron Of Blood (1967)
The Spirit Is Willing (1967)
Project X (1968)
Little Fauss And Big Halsey (1970)
Badge 373 (1973)

Take a glance at this list. Olive Films put some terrific movies in our hot little hands. It’s a shame they didn’t make it. This proves the point that’s been made over and over on this blog — if we don’t support the companies that put these things out, they won’t be putting them out anymore. Okay, now I’ll climb down from my soapbox and put The Return Of Dracula back on.

Blu-Ray News #357: The Terror (1963).

Directed by Roger Corman (& Francis Ford Coppola, Monte Hellman, Jack Hill)
Starring Boris Karloff, Jack Nicholson, Sandra Knight, Dick Miller, Jonathan Haze

Roger Corman’s The Terror (1963) is a patchwork quilt of a Gothic horror movie, done in bits and pieces — beginning with Boris Karloff walking around the sets for AIP’s The Raven as they were being torn down — by a busload of writers and directors over about a year. The results don’t make a lot of sense (Leo Gordon’s original script was altered each time it was passed from one director to another), but there’s something oddly fascinating about the whole thing. And with it coming to Blu-Ray from Film Masters in December, we can count on it looking terrific.

Film Masters is promising a dungeon full of extras, including another Corman/Nicholson/Haze feature, The Little Shop Of Horrors (1960). This is gonna be a great package. Can’t wait.

Blu-Ray News #354: Black Sabbath (1963).

Directed by Mario Bava
Starring Boris Karloff, Mark Damon, Michèle Mercier, Susy Andersen

Kino Lorber has announced their upcoming 60th anniversary edition of Mario Bava’s Black Sabbath (1963) on Blu-Ray. This is the American version released by American International — a different cut with a new score by Les Baxter. While it’s not quite as good as the Italian version, it’s still one of the best anthology horror films ever made, has a stunning use of color by Bava and still packs the power to really creep you out. It did a number on me when I caught it on the late show in the mid-70s.

This edition will have an audio commentary by Tim Lucas, who knows all about this stuff. It’ll be cool to get his rundown on the differences between the various versions. Coming in October. Highly, highly recommended.

Blu-Ray News #343: The Mr. Wong Collection (1938-1940).

It’s a good day when a Monogram picture makes its way to Blu-Ray. When there’s five of them, and they all star Boris Karloff, well, that’s as good as it gets. The five Karloff Wong films are coming to Blu-Ray from the fine folks at Kino Lorber.

Mr. Wong, Detective (1938)
Directed by William Nigh
Starring Boris Karloff, Grant Withers, Maxine Jennings

Mr. Wong (Boris Karloff) discovers that a glass globe is the key to the death of the head of a giant chemical company.

The Mystery Of Mr. Wong (1939)
Directed by William Nigh
Starring Boris Karloff, Grant Withers, Dorothy Tree

Mr. Wong gets to the bottom a series of murders linked to a large sapphire, the Eye of the Daughter of the Moon. 

Mr. Wong In Chinatown (1939)
Directed by William Nigh
Starring Boris Karloff, Grant Withers, Marjorie Reynolds

Princess Lin Hwa comes to Mr. Wong, but is killed before she can tell him why she needs his help.

The Fatal Hour (1940)
Directed by William Nigh
Starring Boris Karloff, Grant Withers, Marjorie Reynolds

Mr. Wong helps the police solve the murder of one of their own, which leads to stolen jewels.

Doomed To Die (1940, AKA Mystery Of The Wentworth Castle)
Directed by William Nigh
Starring Boris Karloff, Grant Withers, Marjorie Reynolds

Mr. Wong ends up in the middle of murder, romance, the Chinese tongs and a sunken ocean liner.

These are really cool little movies, running about 70 minutes each. (So are the “mad scientist” movies Karloff made for Columbia around the same time.) Recommended!

Merry Christmas, Again!

Here’s Dr. Seuss, Boris Karloff and Chuck Jones during production of the animated How The Grinch Stole Christmas (1966).

Along with today’s earlier post, we’ve pulled off another pairing of Karloff and Lugosi. Can’t go wrong with that!