RIP, Roger Corman.

Roger William Corman
 (April 5, 1926 – May 9, 2024) 

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The great producer/director/cultural icon Roger Corman has passed away at 98. It might take us months to fully comprehend what a big deal that is.

As for me, I can remember exactly when Mr. Corman became part (a big fat part) of my Movie Life.

Every summer growing up, we’d head to Strawn, Texas, and stay a few weeks with my grandparents. Being a movie-collecting family, and this being the pre-home video 1970s, we would pack a 16mm projector and a stack of prints for the trip. One particular summer, when I was 10 or 11, one of the films that made the trek (in a Chevrolet station wagon) was Roger Corman’s Pit And The Pendulum (1961). (Budd Boetticher’s Buchanan Rides Alone was there, too.)

Strawn is a tiny town of about 850 people — a couple hours West of Dallas. My grandfather, AG “Flint” McCullough, was a real cowboy — he trained cutting horses. My grandmother, Zelma McCullough, worked in Strawn’s lone grocery store. They were wonderful people.

Summers in Strawn get really, really hot. And sitting under the window-unit air conditioner at my grandparents’ house, watching Pit And The Pendulum projected onto the bright white living room wall, was a nice way to beat the heat.

I ran that print of Pit And The Pendulum several times over those three weeks — on one of those green Bell & Howell projectors some of us remember from high school. I can still hear its clicky purr mixed with the hum of the A/C. Can recall the brownish color of the slightly-faded ‘Scope print. (No telling what it looks like now.) And can still recite a lot of its dialogue.

Watching that film so many times, I started to get a sense of how movies work. The power of cutting to a closeup. How the lack of light can be more impactful than the presence of it. Just what music can do. How widescreen (Panavision, in this case) can be used to startling effect. And on and on. 

This sent me digging for any Corman movie I could find, which in those days meant learning his filmography and scouring the TV Guide, hoping to happen upon something. I read Ed Naha’s book on Corman over and over.

Roger Corman not only taught me about movies, he taught me to love them. I really owe him an awful lot.

DVD Review: The Las Vegas Story (1952).

Directed by Robert Stevenson
Produced by Robert Sparks
Executive Producer: Samuel Bischoff
Screen Play by Earl Felton & Harry Essex (& Paul Jarrico)
Based on a story by Jay Dratler
Director Of Photography: Harry J. Wild, ASC
Film Editors: George Shrader & Frederic Knudtson
Music by Leigh Harline

Cast: Jane Russell (Linda Rollins), Victor Mature (Dave Andrews), Vincent Price (Lloyd Rollins), Hoagy Carmichael (Happy), Brad Dexter (Tom Hubler), Gordon Oliver (Mr. Drucker), Jay C. Flippen (Captain Harris), Will Wright (Mike Fogarty), Bill Welsh (Mr. Martin), Ray Montgomery (Desk Clerk), Colleen Miller (Mary), Robert Wilke (Clayton), Paul Frees (DA)

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Miss Jennifer and I marked the anniversary of our Las Vegas nuptials by taking a look at the Warner Archive DVD of The Las Vegas Story (1952). I’m a sucker for movies shot in Las Vegas, from this one to Ocean’s 11 (1960) to The Gauntlet (1977).

The picture was originally going to be The Miami Story starring Robert Ryan. Moving the locale to Las Vegas and incorporating the casino/gambling backdrop must’ve required a huge amount of work (0r re-work) — but that kind of tampering was a fairly common occurrence at Howard Hughes’ RKO. Of course, by the time shooting started in Vegas, Ryan was out and Victor Mature and Jane Russell were in.

The Las Vegas Story was shot in the Spring of 1951, with plenty of location work around Las Vegas, the Hoover Dam, Union Station, McCarran Field, the Naval Air base and the desert outside town. The Flamingo Hotel (where Jennifer and I stayed when we got hitched) doubles as The Fabulous here, where much of the action takes place. (The Flamingo’s full name back then was The Fabulous Flamingo.) Of course, they find a way to get Jane Russell in a bathing suit by the Flamingo pool. 

Linda Rollins (Jane Russell) and her husband Lloyd (Vincent Price) get off the train in Las Vegas, a town where she once lived.

A few things quickly become obvious: Lloyd is in financial trouble, an insurance agent (Brad Dexter) is keeping an eye on Linda’s Cartier necklace, and Linda has a real history in Vegas — much of it centered around her old flame Dave Andrews (Victor Mature), who’s now a cop. You also wonder why in the world Price and Russell are married in the first place (something Price had trouble with during shooting).

Lloyd thinks he’s gonna get himself out of hot water at the dice table, and Linda’s necklace is quickly hocked to Clayton (Robert J. Wilke), owner of the casino where Linda once sang (accompanied by Hoagy Carmichael).

The next morning, Price is still broke, Wilke is dead and Russell’s diamond necklace is gone.

As things play out, there are a few songs, some terrific locations (Mature’s apartment is awesome), Jane Russell in an ultra-swank shower and a terrific supporting cast: Jay C. Flippen, Will Wright, Milton Kibbee, Paul Frees and Colleen Miller in her first film.

It’s all capped off with a crazy chase involving a helicopter and a 1941 Ford De Luxe station wagon (with the wood on the side). There’ve been several such sequences over the years (Shaft’s Big Score!, for instance), but this one was the first — and it must’ve been really something back in ’52. I’m sure Howard Hughes was really stoked about it.

RKO got maximum publicity out of the $150,000 Cartier diamond necklace. According to RKO’s PR folks,  it had 500 diamonds, weighed 200 carats and cost the studio $100 a day to insure. It was watched over by Sheriff Glen Jones.

The world premier of The Las Vegas Story was held at the Fremont Theater (on Fremont, naturally). Almost a decade later, Ocean’s 11 would have its premier in the same spot.

During Hollywood’s “Red Scare,” writer Paul Jarrico refused to testify before the HUAC (The House Un-American Activities Committee) gang, so Howard Hughes had Jarrico’s name dropped from the credits of The Las Vegas Story. Jarrico sued (a civil suit), but because of the morals clause in his contract, he lost. Jarrico eventually headed to Europe, and Hollywood started hiring blacklisted writers without giving them credit for their work.

The Las Vegas Story is a cool movie — a bit mystery, a bit noir. The Vegas locales are a treat — the city looks nothing like this now. It moves at a quick pace and looks terrific thanks to DP Harry J. Wild.

Warner Archive’s DVD looks good. Not great, but I had no complaints with it. It’s easy to recommend a movie like this, and I wish there were a hundred more just like it.

Happy Birthday, Roger Corman.

Roger William Corman
(April 5, 1926)

The great director/producer Roger Corman turns 97 today. Here he is directing Elizabeth Shepherd and Vincent Price in The Tomb Of Ligeia (1964), one of his best films. His Poe series shows that he is one of the very best at using the wide CinemaScope or Panavision frame.

A Night At The Movies, Halloween ’64.

This is a good one. First, this would’ve been a great night in Vineland, New Jersey — Vincent Price, twice!, and a cool Gordon Scott peplum. I’m going to assume the Laurence Harvey picture is actually The Ceremony (1963); not sure where “OF DEATH” came from.

Second, I’m so happy to report that the Delsea Drive-In is still in business!

Hope y’all are enjoying these old Halloween movie ads. They’ve been a lot of fun to track down.

Blu-Ray Review: The Bat (1959).

Directed by Crane Wilbur
Produced by C.J. Tevlin
Screen Story & Screenplay by Crane Wilbur
Based on the play by Mary Roberts Rinehart & Avery Hopwood
Director Of Photography: Joseph F. Biroc, ASC
Film Editor: William Austin, ACE
Musical Score by Louis Forbes

Cast: Vincent Price (Dr. Malcolm Wells), Agnes Moorehead (Cornelia van Gorder), Gavin Gordon (Lt. Andy Anderson), John Sutton (Warner), Lenita Lane (Lizzie Allen), Elaine Edwards (Dale Bailey), Darla Hood (Judy Hollander), John Bryant (Mark Fleming), Harvey Stephens (John Fleming)

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As a monster movie-loving kid growing up in the 1970s, as Halloween approached, I’d go through the TV Guide and newspaper with a fine-tooth comb, looking for the treats that would be running on the local TV stations (and if lucky, an area theater). Then with my roster all planned out, and armed with a plastic pumpkin full of candy, I’d sit down to watch as much of it as I could take in. (Bet I wasn’t the only one doing this.) 

Of course, it works nothing like that now. Tons of old monster movies can be plucked out of thin air through streaming services and YouTube. But for us hardcore collector nerds, who want to own something physical, and for those of us who demand that these things look as good (or better) than they did when they came out, Halloween works a tiny bit like it did back in the day — who’s putting out what on DVD and Blu-Ray as October 31st rolls around?

One of this year’s treats is The Bat (1959), now on Blu-Ray from The Film Detective. This is actually a picture I first caught during one of those Halloween movie marathons. And if only for the simple reason that it stars Vincent Price and Agnes Moorehead, it’s wonderful.

It’s not really a horror picture, but a murder mystery complete with all the necessary ingredients — a million bucks in stolen money, a murder or two, a shadowy figure called The Bat, Vincent Price in a laboratory (studying bats, ironically) and a mystery-writer-turned-sleuth (Agnes Moorehead) trying to get the bottom of it all. This was the fourth film adaptation of Mary Roberts Rinehart’s novel, which had also been turned into a play.

The Bat comes from a real sweet spot in Vincent Price’s career, as he became a true horror icon. He’d already done The Fly and its sequel, House On Haunted Hill and The Tingler. He’d soon kick off the Corman/Poe “cycle” with House Of Usher (1960). Price is a hoot in films like this, rarely taking himself too seriously. Agnes Moorehead is always a joy to watch, and she’s terrific here.

Crane Wilbur’s screenplay and direction are pretty good, keeping things moving and letting the leads do their thing. As an actor, Wilbur is known for 1914 serial The Perils Of Pauline. As a writer, he gave us some really cool stuff, pictures like He Walked By Night (1949), House Of Wax (1953), Crime Wave (1954) and The Phenix City Story (1955). 

One of the film’s biggest assets is the camerawork of Joseph Biroc — whose black and white work is always incredible, in pictures ranging from Sam Fuller’s Forty Guns (1957) to William Castle’s 13 Ghosts (1960) to Robert Aldrich’s Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964, he worked with Aldrich a lot). Biroc won an Oscar for The Towering Inferno (1974).

The Film Detective has done Biroc proud with this new DVD and Blu-Ray. Working from original 35mm elements, this thing looks gorgeous. I don’t know that the sharpness and contrast could be any better, and the 1.85:1 framing is perfect. Any lines and dirt have been cleaned up without any noticeable manipulation, and the audio is as clear as a bell.

Along with the spectacular transfer of the film itself, we’re treated to plenty of extras. The booklet contains an essay, “The Case Of The Forgotten Author,” about author Mary Roberts Rinehart and her source material for The Bat. There’s a featurette from Ballyhoo, “The Case For Crane Wilbur,” covering his long, varied career. Then there are nine radio shows featuring Price. They sound terrific and they’re very, very cool. Finally, there’s a feature-length commentary by Jason A. Ney.

Overall, this is a fabulous package. The movie’s a lot of fun, and it’s presented flawlessly. The extras are top-notch, with the radio shows being a real bonus. The Film Detective folks are on a real roll these days. Highly, highly recommended. 

A Night At The Movies, Halloween 1959.

You could see The Bat (1959) at The Uptown Theatre in Sedalia, Missouri, back in October of 1959. Today, we can see it looking splendid on DVD and Blu-Ray from The Film Detective. Watch for my review, coming real soon.

Blu-Ray News #392: The Bat (1959).

Directed by Crane Wilbur
Starring Vincent Price, Agnes Moorehead, Gavin Gordon, John Sutton

The Film Detective comes through with another one. Coming in September is The Bat (1959), a mystery thriller that Allied Artists promoted much like House On Haunted Hill (1959). People expected horror and didn’t get it, and that has hurt the picture’s reputation over the years. 

Price is as good as ever and Agnes Moorehead is terrific. This The Bat was the fourth film based on the stageplay by Mary Roberts Rinehart and Avery Hopwood, based on a novel by Rinehart.

The Film Detective has done incredible work over the last couple years, dragging cool movies like this from the depths of PD, dollar-bin DVD hell— and giving them new life on Blu-Ray. This one is easy to recommend.

Blu-Ray News #380: The Films Of Michael Reeves (1964-68).

Screenbound in the UK has announced a cool Blu-Ray set: The Films Of Michael Reeves. Many see Reeves’ death at just 25 as a huge blow to British cinema. His last film, Witchfinder General (1968, AKA The Conqueror Worm in the States), was terrific and showed that he had incredible potential.

From the press release: “This ultimate Blu-Ray collection includes both of his iconic works (Witchfinder General and 1967’s The Sorcerers), along with the first-ever Blu-Ray release of The Castle Of The Living Dead, where he was part of the scriptwriting team… completing this stunning collection is the brand new feature-length documentary The Young General, featuring Ian Ogilvy.”

Reeves’ The She-Beast (1966) is already available on Blu-Ray 

Happy Birthday, Vincent Price.

Vincent Price
(May 27, 1911 – October 25, 1993)

Here’s the great Vincent Price having a drink during the shooting of Roger Corman’s Pit And The Pendulum (1961). You get so thirsty in those crypts!

62 Years Ago Today.

These guys knew what they were doing, and were clearly using the William Castle playbook, when they promoted the hell out of his House On Haunted Hill (1959).

If I’d happened upon this display as a kid, my mom couldn’t have drug me away from that spot.