CHILDREN OF THE DAMNED

Beware Their Stare!

CHILDREN OF THE DAMNED (1964). Director: Anton Leader. Colorized.  

Psychologist Dr. Tom Llewellyn (Ian Hendry) and geneticist Dr. David Neville (Alan Badel) are amazed at the incredible intelligence of a young boy named Paul (Clive Powell). They discover that Paul is only one of a half dozen special and unemotional children from around the world, all of whom have come to London for testing. In each case the mother is unstable and there is no sign of a father. Eventually the telepathic children -- what one knows they all know -- band together, holing up in an abandoned church, and use their mind-control powers to kill anyone they perceive as a threat. Although at first the children are seen as a separate species, it is later theorized that they are about a million years ahead of ordinary humans in development. Tom and David literally come to blows arguing about the children, with David convinced they are a menace that must be destroyed and Tom hoping to fully communicate with them. It is a question who will be decimated first: the children, or the forces who come to kill them. 

Ian Hendry and Alan Badel

Children of the Damned is not really a sequel to Village of the Damned, but a completely different movie that uses some of the same concepts of the original picture while creating many of its own. In Village the children were essentially the vanguard of an alien invasion, but there's absolutely no mention of extraterrestrials in Children. Instead these six urchins are mutants with special powers but apparently no special purpose. However, they are not about to lay down and die, building a weapon utilizing the vibratory power of an organ to destroy the minds of armed invaders in the church in a very unnerving  sequence. Another good sequence is a triple murder by three men who are under mind-control, and the entire climax, a breathlessly edited standoff between the military and the children that ends in utter disaster. 

The kids and Barbara Ferris

Unfortunately, Children of the Damned has perhaps too many ideas percolating in its screenplay by John Briley. There's the carry over from Village with its dichotomy of little monsters with sweet, angelic faces, the need for mankind to protect itself versus the loathsome notion of killing children. The church setting, and especially the resurrection of one of the children after being shot, summons up thoughts of religious martyrdom and the like, even the Second Coming. The children seem to be praying at one point but we don't know to whom. One critic felt that Hendry and Badel are playing a gay couple, and the latter's hostile attitude toward the children is because Hendry seems to be drawing closer to Paul's aunt, Susan (Barbara Ferris), but I think this is a mighty big stretch. 

Clive Powell as Paul

The acting in the film is generally excellent, with especially nice work from Sheila Allen as the neurotic virgin mother of Paul. Alfred Burke is Colin Webster, a government man who decides to insert himself into the situation. Bessie Love is briefly seen as the grandmother of one of the children. Hendry and Badel play with real conviction, and Ferris manages to convey some anguish and confusion as the woman who spends half her time being controlled by her nephew and the others. One has to say that this film, including its predecessor and the novel, "Midwich Cuckoos" upon which it was derived, were highly influential: Stephen King's "Carrie," John Farris' "The Furies," and Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's X-Men all come to mind.

Verdict: Slow in spots, much too obtuse and muddled, but with an undeniably effective and powerful climax. **3/4. 

THE HORROR OF PARTY BEACH

THE HORROR OF PARTY BEACH (`964). Produced and directed by Del Tenney. 

After a ship wreck, some dumped atomic waste combines with skeletal remains to form bloodthirsty radioactive creatures that resemble sea horses and attack humans. The first victim is Tina (Marilyn Clarke), the plain girl who acts sluttish to get attention. Her boyfriend, Hank Green (John Lyon), works with Dr. Gavin (Allan Laurel), to come up with a way to defeat the monsters while drawing closer to Gavin's daughter, Elaine (Alice Lyon, John's sister). Meanwhile the attacks continue, including a "slumber party massacre" in which twenty young women are slaughtered. A trio of women are attacked at the quarry where the monsters have relocated, and two drunk men become victims as well. Gavin's housekeeper Eulabelle (Eulabelle Moore) -- simple-minded perhaps but feisty -- is gently mocked by the doctor for suggesting "zombies" are responsible, but as the creatures are, in a sense, living dead men, (giant protozoas) she's more on target than she realizes. 

The Horror of Party Beach combines a creature feature with a typical beach party movie, with scenes of bathing belles, lame jokes, and songs by a group called the Del-Aires. There's also a brief rumble on the beach and other stock elements of the Beach Party genre. Actually the idea for the monsters and some of the sequences are interesting enough that this might have worked much better as a straight horror picture -- it's the beach scenes and music that give it that campy, schlocky aspect. Another problem is that the mimes who play the monsters in their costumes walk more like dancers than a new species of creature. Still, you might get a bit of a frisson when the monsters creep out of their quarry at night and prowl through the forest. A gangling score and sound FX also help. Del Tenny also directed The Curse of the Living Corpse. 

Verdict: Atomic skulls on the rampage! **1/2. 

THE FLESH EATERS

Martin Kosleck, Barbara Wilkin, Rita Morley 

THE FLESH EATERS (1964). Director: Jack Curtis. Written by Arnold Drake. Colorized version.  

Drunken actress Laura Winters (Rita Morley) simply must get to Provincetown to perform, and she hires pilot Grant Murdoch (Byron Sanders) to get her there, dragging along her secretary Jan Letterman (Barbara Wilkin). Unfortunately engine trouble forces them down on a deserted island inhabited by former Nazi scientist Peter Bartell (Martin Kosleck of Agent for H.A.R.M), who is still experimenting with a microscopic lifeform he refers to as "flesh eaters." And he ain't kidding! For unspecified reasons Bartell wants to use electricity to super-energize the little darlings, but this has an unexpected result, causing the creatures to form a conglomerate that is positively huge. 

Byron Sanders and Martin Kosleck

The Flesh Eaters is a wild, gruesome, uninhibited horror story that may not have much internal logic but provides ample opportunity for thrills, amusement and horror. The cast, led by the sinisterly charming Kosleck, is certainly game, and Rita Morley scores as the somewhat overbearing dipsomaniac actress. Although at first he's quite irritating, Ray Tudor is notable as the ill-fated beatnik Omar, whose death figures in the movie's grisliest sequences. There's a splendid scene when Murdoch helps Laura -- trying to grab a suitcase of booze where it got caught in some rocks -- make her way over a pool of sizzling flesh-eaters on a treacherous jetty. The giant flesh eater has mottled, bumpy skin as well as humongous pincers. The score by Julian Stein is not very impressive initially, but eventually it becomes quite effective. Aside from Kosleck, most of the actors had few credits, although Sanders and Morley did work in soap operas. 

Verdict: A clever and inventive monster flick. ***

THE MYSTERIOUS MAGICIAN

Bad guys: Brockmann, Lange, John, Waitzmann

THE MYSTERIOUS MAGICIAN (aka Der Hexer/1964). Director: Alfred Vohrer. In "Ultrascope." 

Gwenda Milton (Petra von der Linde), the secretary to a corpulent man named Messer (Jochen Brockmann), is strangled and her body dumped in the Thames. Realizing that Gwenda was the sister of criminal mastermind Arthur Milton, popularly known as the "Ringer," Inspector Bryan Edgar Higgins (Joachim Fuchsberger of The Fellowship of the Frog) figures that his adversary is bound to come to London for the funeral and to get even with the people who killed Gwenda. Joining him in his quest for the Ringer is veteran cop Inspector Warren (Siegfried Lowitz), as well as a mysterious man named Wesby (Heinz Drache of The Brides of Fu Manchu), who shows up at opportune moments and may even be the Ringer. Meanwhile Milton's wife, Cora Ann (Margot Trooger), has arrived in London and is in obvious communication with her unseen husband. Higgins promises his girlfriend, Elise (Sophie Hardy), that he will marry her if he captures the Ringer. As for the Ringer, he is going about taking care of the members of Messer's white slavery racket, including Reverend Hopkins (Carl Lange of Death in a Red Jaguar),  Shelby (Karl John), and Reddingwood (Kurt Waitzmann), who guides the gang's mini-sub.

Heinz Drache and Joachim Fuchsberger

Another Edgar Wallace adaptation from West Germany, this is a fast-paced, entertaining, fun movie featuring both of the "heroes" from the series, Fuchsberger and Drache. Elements from sixties spy movies had crept into the krimi movies and Fuchsberger sometimes comes off more like a spy than a police inspector, but that's not a problem in this picture. The Ringer had also appeared in a couple of earlier British films. You may think you have figured out who the Ringer is but you might be wrong. Siegfried Schurenberg appears as Higgins' boss, Sir John, but is not so buffoonish in this. The name Bryan Edgar Higgins is an in-joke referring to Bryan Edgar Wallace, the son of the famous author and a writer himself.  

Verdict: One of the better West German Wallace adaptations. ***. 

THE CURSE OF THE HIDDEN VAULT

Ernst Fritz Furbringer and Harald Leipnitz

THE CURSE OF THE HIDDEN VAULT (aka Die Gruft mit dem Ratselschloss/1964.) Director: Franz Josef Gottlieb.  

An old gangster named Real (Rudolf Roster) has amassed a fortune -- mostly from others -- and placed it in a booby-trapped vault on his estate. Real wants to leave his fortune to Kathleen Kent (Judith Dornys), the daughter of a man he cheated years ago, but all of Real's associates want their cut first and will kidnap and murder anyone they can to get it. Kathleen is accompanied by her nerdy, officious lawyer, Ferry Westlake (Eddi Arent) and is befriended by the mysterious Jimmy Flynn (Harald Leipnitz), who seems to be playing both sides against the other. Meanwhile Inspector Angel (Harry Meyen), egged on by Sir John (Siegfried Schurenberg), tries to get enough on everyone to make an arrest. 

Klaus Kinski

The main problem with Hidden Vault is that it can't make up its mind if its a serious thriller or a parody of one. The presence of Eddi Arent, playing his usual role of comedy relief, doesn't help at all, although he does get the last laugh at the very end. While much of the film is tedious, there are a couple of good scenes set in an old mill, and a gruesome business where one character falls in front of a grindstone. Klaus Kinski [Schizoid] plays a sinister mute character who slithers about causing mischief and worse. The movie has just a few James Bond-like touches and there are some surprises to boot. For the record the vault in this movie is hardly "hidden" as lots of characters find it with ease. Franz Josef Gottlieb also directed the eurospy feature Die Slowly, You'll Enjoy it More with Lex Barker.   

Verdict: Another Edgar Wallace adaptation from West Germany. **1/4.

THE CURSE OF THE LIVING CORPSE

"He's after us -- one by one!"

THE CURSE OF THE LIVING CORPSE (1964). Written, produced and directed by Del Tenney. 

When Rufus Sinclair, the miserable patriarch of a 19th century family finally dies, everyone remembers how he was always afraid he'd be buried alive. In spite of that, son Bruce (Robert Milli) has the funeral as soon as possible. When people start dying in gruesome ways -- the maid, Letty (Linda Donovan), winds up with her severed head on a serving platter -- and the patriarch's coffin is found empty, the assumption is that he is still alive and out for revenge. "He's after us -- one by one," exclaims his "widow," Abigail (Helen Waren). Other potential victims include son Philip (Roy Scheider of Jaws), his wife, Vivian (Margot Hartman), lawyer James Benson (Hugh Franklin), nephew Robert (Dino Narizzano) and his girlfriend Deborah (Candace Hilligoss of Carnival of Souls), and others. Who will survive? 

Roy Scheider with Helen Waren in background

The Curse of the Living Corpse reminds one a bit of those "old dark house" movies as we have a cloaked, gloved figure moving through hidden panels and the like. The acting is pretty good, with Robert Milli getting into the Gothic atmosphere of the piece a bit more than the others even if he's a little hammy at times. (He played Horatio in Richard Burton's Broadway production of Hamlet.) Scheider is amusingly  flamboyant in a role quite different from the everyman he essayed in Jaws, and Helen Waren and Hugh Franklin are perhaps the most professional in the rest of the cast, although no one is that bad. Jane Bruce is also amusing as the disapproving and horrified cook, who just wants to hand in her notice even though one boss after another is quickly murdered. George Cotton is also fun as the constable who gets drunk when he should be watching the house and its inhabitants. Margot Hartman was married to the director, Del Tenney. This is low-budget but not badly made in spite of it. 

Verdict: Fun little horror flick with some good performances and a sense of dark humor. **3/4.  

SHADOW OF TREASON

John Bentley and Anita West

SHADOW OF TREASON (1964). Director: George P. Breakston. 

When Steve (John Bentley of Salute the Toff) saves the life of singer and club owner Tina (Anita West) in Trieste, she hires him as her bodyguard. Apparently her late father was blackmailing certain traitors and one of them is afraid that his daughter has knowledge of their activities. Steve tracks down some of these people, including Nadia (Faten Hamamah) and her crippled father; Mario (Ferdy Mayne), and former Nazi Michel Duval (John Gabriel), who tries to form an alliance with Nadia. This whole bunch wind up on a trek through East Africa, searching through a cave for incriminating documents and blackmail money. 

Ferdy Mayne and Faten Hamamah

Shadow of Treason throws together war criminals, rampaging elephants, large, sinister snakes and big spiders and still manages to be one of the duller movies to come out of Britain. The two women become jealous of each other but the dissipated-looking Bentley hardly seems the type to inspire that much lust, not that the ladies are such raving beauties. Much of the story is confusing in any case. The liveliest scene has a hit man being stabbed by Nadia's father, who comes rushing at the man, knife in hand, in his wheelchair -- both wind up dead. Shadow of Treason tries very hard to be exciting and sexy but it's a losing battle. It has decent performances, a poor musical score, a flaccid pace, and insufficient direction. Hamamah appeared in a great many Arabic films while West had only a few credits in Brit pictures. 

Verdict: Makes the worst eurospy picture seem like the best of Bond. *1/2. 
 

STRAIT-JACKET

Joan Crawford

STRAIT-JACKET (1964). Produced and directed by William Castle. Screenplay by Robert Bloch.

Lucy Harbin (Joan Crawford) comes home unexpectedly, discovers her handsome husband Frank (Lee Majors) in bed with a local trollop, and takes the ax to both of them. Twenty years later Lucy is released from an asylum, and comes to her brother, Bill's (Leif Erickson) farm, where he lives with his wife, Emily (Rochelle Hudson), and Lucy's daughter, Carol (Diane Baker). Carol seems anxious to help her mother, dolling her up with a new dress and a visit to a wig maker, but when Lucy's Dr. Anderson (Mitchell Cox) comes a callin', he thinks Lucy might have to return to the hospital with him. Before he can do so however, Anderson is dispatched with an ax by a shadowy figure. More beheadings follow ... 

Crawford comes on to John Anthony Hayes

You can certainly pick apart Strait-Jacket in any number of ways, but it's actually one of William Castle's better and more entertaining movies. Crawford is terrific, on top of every emotion that Lucy has to display, be she humble and confused or overwrought and angry, and in general the rest of the cast follows suit: Diane Baker [The Ghost of Sierra de Cobre] as the daughter; John Michael Hayes as her suitor (his first film); Erickson and Hudson as the concerned, somewhat frightened brother and sister-in-law; Howard St. John and especially Edith Atwater (of Die Sister, Die!) as Hayes' upper-crust, disapproving parents. And let's not forget George Kennedy as Leo Krause, the blackmailing handyman who comes to a nasty end in the movie's best and most suspenseful sequence. 

Joan Crawford and Diane Baker

Robert Bloch wasn't crafting any kind of serious drama when he wrote Strait-Jacket -- it has the gimmicky, somewhat far-fetched twists that you associate with the writer -- but it's amazing how well he (and the actors) delineate the fears and concerns of those in Lucy's orbit, all of them trying to be as solid and compassionate as possible while also trying to avoid the elephant in the room: the grisly facts of Lucy's actions years ago. That dreary farm setting and the black and white cinematography (Arthur E. Arling) work well with this infinitely depressing storyline. As if acknowledging that, the film has a very funny final gag. 

Verdict: A gruesome black comedy with fascinating aspects and a fine Crawford performance. ***. 

SURF PARTY

Bobby Vinton and Patricia Morrow

SURF PARTY (1964). Director: Maury Dexter. 

Terry (Patricia Morrow) and her friends Sylvia (Lory Patrick) and Junior (Jackie DeShannon) drive out to California and the surf district in their camper and encounter the friendly shop owner, Len (Bobby Vinton), who teaches them about surfing. Terry's brother Skeets (Jerry Summers) lives in a ritzy beach house that is actually owned by his paramour Pauline (Martha Stewart). While Terry is getting closer to Len and Junior is cuddling up to the nerdy Milo (Ken Miller) -- who is injured surfing near pilings -- Sylvia is falling for Skeets, not knowing that he is kept by a cougar. Sgt. Neal (Richard Crane) casts a suspicious eye on all of them. 

Jerry Summers and Lory Patrick

DeShannon and Vinton were both very popular pop singers of the sixties and later. Vinton doesn't just sing a song or two in this, he is the full-fledged male lead, and I have to say I think I like his very credible acting a bit more than his singing. One wishes he had had a bigger acting career although he did appear in a couple of westerns, as well as TV shows, sometimes playing himself. (His son played Vinton in Goodfellas.) Jerry Summers is also notable as the aging gigolo; Summers started out as a stunt double then became an actor with a long list of credits. Starting out as a child actress, Morrow eventually appeared on more than one Peyton Place TV series. Martha Stewart had appeared in a few well-known movies but had only one more television credit after this movie. Jimmie Haskell's surprisingly somber score (for the dramatic scenes) is good and there are some bouncy song numbers: "Never Comin' Back;" "Pearly Shells;" and "If I Were an Artist." Maury Dexter also directed The Young Swingers. Released by 20th-Century Fox. 

Verdict: Not as bad as I expected although there are a couple of dull stretches. **1/2. 

THE GHOST OF SIERRA DE COBRE

A ghost confronts Judith Anderson and Martin Landau

THE GHOST OF SIERRA DE COBRE (1964 telefilm), Produced, directed and written by Joseph Stefano. 

"Psychical" investigator Nelson Orion (Martin Landau) -- who makes most of his money as an architect -- is called in when blind, wealthy Henry Mandore (Tom Simcox) starts receiving disturbing phone calls that are supposedly from his dead mother. Afraid of being buried alive, she had a phone installed in her crypt, and the calls are coming from this line. Accompanied by Henry's wife, Vivia (Diane Baker), Orion investigates the crypt and Vivia encounters a scary and bloody female spirit. Orion's no-nonsense housekeeper, Mrs. Finch (Nellie Burt) doesn't believe in ghosts, and neither does the Mandore's housekeeper, Paulina (Dame Judith Anderson), but the latter seems to know a lot more about what's going on than anyone else does. 

Diane Baker and Martin Landau

The Ghost of Sierra de Cobre was the pilot for what was supposed to be a follow-up series to The Outer Limits, with the focus on horror and the supernatural instead of science fiction. I assume that Nelson Orion was to be a continuing character from week to week. It's too bad that that didn't work out for one reason or another, as it might have made a compelling series. Stefano's plot has some interesting twists and turns to it -- although it never seems quite real --  and skillfully blends the supernatural with other sinister events that have natural explanations. Stefano's direction -- he replaced the original director -- although good, isn't quite as assured, but Conrad Hall's expert cinematography helps smooth over the rough edges. 

Landau with Tom Simcox

Ghost features a generally excellent cast. Landau proves he could certainly handle the lead on any TV show, and Anderson, cast as yet another creepy housekeeper, rises above the stereotype and offers a highly proficient and intense performance as Paulina. Diane Baker isn't quite on the same level and seems a bit "off" at times, but is effective. Tom Simcox certainly gets into the mood as the handsome, haunted husband who is afraid he is going out of his mind. Nellie Burt is a burst of fresh air as the other, happier housekeeper. Orion makes a hasty date with a blonde on the beach -- nothing ever comes of this -- and the blonde is billed as Delores Starr, but I swear she looks just like Diane McBain. Simcox studied meditation with the Beatles in India!

Verdict: Creepy if flawed telefilm with good performances and a very interesting plot. ***. 

THE GLASS CAGE

John Hoyt

THE GLASS CAGE (1964) Writer-director: Antonio Santean.

The police are called when Ellen (Arlene Martel appearing as Arline Sax) shoots a burglar who has, according to her, burst into her apartment. Responding to the call are Lt. Max Westerman (John Hoyt) and Sgt. Jeff Bradley (Bob Kelljan). Jeff develops a romantic yet for Ellen, but has very different emotions towards Ellen's haughty and much more sophisticated twin sister, Ruth. Jeff finds out that Ruth was actually dating the victim, and fears that Ellen is covering up for her sister.  Jeff begins dating Ellen but may get an unpleasant surprise or two even as Ellen fends off advances from an overly amorous neighbor, artist Tox Milner (King Moody). 

Arlene Martel

The Glass Cage offered a rare starring role for actor John Hoyt -- who was also co-screenwriter and co-executive producer -- but his part still amounts to support for Martel and Kelljan. In this he is his fine and usual kind of dyspeptic self. Kelljan, who later became a director, overacts a bit as the love-smitten Jeff, but Martel -- best known for playing Spock's Vulcan bride on Star Trek -- successfully and effectively limns two separate characterizations as identical twin sisters. King Moody offers a terrific performance as the intense and menacing Milner, and Elisha Cook shows up for a few moments as the twins' abusive father. The low-budget and rather lurid production has a modicum of style but gets too artsy fartsy for its own good and there are some minor plot holes as well. The twist at the end will not surprise anyone. This was the only directorial credit for Santean, who did three other screenplays. 

Verdict: Oddball B movie with some very good performances. **1/2. 

MURDER MOST FOUL

Ron Moody and Margaret Rutherford

MURDER MOST FOUL (1964). Director: George Pollock.

"It may upset you, Inspector, that women sometimes have superior minds -- you just have to accept it." -- Miss Marple.

Miss Marple is a hold-out on a jury because she's convinced of the defendant's innocence, and she sets out to prove it by joining a theatrical troupe where she believes the true murderer is ensconced. The troupe is run by H. Driffold Cosgood (Ron Moody), who has little interest in signing up Marple as an actress until she intimates that she has money. (She auditions by reciting "The Murder of Dan McGrew.") Other members of the group include psychic Eva (Alison Seebohm); Sheila Upward (Francesca Annis), who is engaged to Bill (James Bolam); Ralph Summers (Ralph Michael) and his wife Maureen (Pauline Jameson); and others. But as more murders occur, Inspector Craddock (Charles Tingwell) has to wonder if Miss Marple will finish her sleuthing before she herself is bumped off?

Margaret Rutherford and Charles Tingwell

Murder Most Foul is very loosely based on Agatha Christie's novel "Mrs. McGinty's Dead," which actually featured her Belgian detective Hercule Poirot and not Miss Marple. While the novel is much better than this film, I must say the movie is still a delight, with a wonderfully plucky Rutherford and many other talented cast members, such as Ron Moody. Stringer Davis appears, as does Dennis Price as agent Harris Tumbrill and Megs Jenkins as Mrs. Thomas. This was the third of the four Miss Marple films that Rutherford starred in. As usual composer Ron Goodwin just repeats the same theme music for each movie. Smoothly directed by George Pollock, who also helmed the other three films. The conclusion is unexpected. 

Verdict: A well-done combination of laughs and suspense. ***. 
 

OSS 117 -- PANIC IN BANGKOK

Kerwin Mathews 

OSS 117 -- PANIC IN BANGKOK (aka Shadow of Evil aka /Banco a Bangkok pour OSS 117/1964). Director:  Andre Hunebelle.

Operative Hubert Bonisseur (Kerwin Mathews of The Boy Who Cried Werewolf) -- a lover boy with a real line -- is assigned to replace a murdered agent who was investigating a series of plague outbreaks in Thailand. In Bangkok Hubert works with a man named Leacock (Henri Virlojeux) and gains an enthusiastic and helpful assistant in Sonsak (Akom Mokramond). After interviewing Professor Hogby (Jacques Hilling) and his pretty blond secretary, Eva (Dominique Wilms), Hubert set his sights on a charismatic character named Dr. Sinn (Robert Hossein) -- or rather Sinn's lovely sister, Lila (Pier Angeli). Hubert is unaware that Eva is Sinn's lover. Sooner or later, Hubert hopes to uncover exactly who is unleashing the deadly plague -- and why.

Robert Hossein as Dr. Sinn

Well, with one character named "Dr. Sinn" you may not be too surprised at the identity of the villain in this, but you may be surprised that OSS 117 is as (modestly) entertaining as it is. Mathews makes an effective leading man, and Hossein is equally good as his adversary, A group called the Elected People have decided to wipe out most of the world's population and start over again, or something like that. There's a nifty fight scene in a hotel, some nice photography and music, and the Bangkok settings are well chosen. However, while the movie holds the attention it utterly lacks the big scale action and excitement of the best of the Bond films, so some viewers may find this a snooze. OSS 117 was a character in French spy novels, and after the success of Dr. No, OSS 117 is Unleashed  -- also starring Kerwin Mathews -- was released. with Panic in Bangkok being the sequel. Since then there has been a whole series of foreign eurospy OSS 117 movies from the sixties until today with the part being played by John Gavin, Frederick Stafford and others. Kerwin Mathews and Pier Angeli reteamed for Octaman. (In French with subtitles.)  

Verdict: So-so spy film with Mathews making like a lower-key Bond. **1/2. 

THE HORROR OF IT ALL

Erica Rogers and Pat Boone

THE HORROR OF IT ALL (1964). Director: Terence Fisher. 

American Jack Robinson (Pat Boone) comes to the isolated mansion of his British fiancee, Cynthia (Erica Rogers), only to discover that his timing is off. It seems that cousin Creighton has passed away and is laid out in the parlor. Soon Jack learns that one of Cynthia's relatives -- spirited Cornwallis (Dennis Price); spooky Natalia (Andree Melly); somber Reginald (Valentine Dyall); mad inventor Percival (Jack Blight); senile Grandpa (Eric Chitty); and crazy Muldoon (Archie Duncan) -- has begun murdering off the others for an inheritance. 

Dennis Price and Pat Boone

The Horror of It All is a silly black comedy that bears a striking and suspicious resemblance to William Castle's remake of The Old Dark House, which came out the year before. There are so many similarities that I've no doubt many viewers have confused the two pictures over the years. (Adding to the confusion is that a later film, No Place Like Homicide aka What a Carve Up! also has a similar plot.) The Horror of It All was written by Ray Russell, who worked with Castle on Mr. Sardonicus (from Russell's novel). The Old Dark House was written by Robert Dillon, and both Dillon and Russell worked on the screenplay for the Ray Milland film, X: The Man with X-Ray Eyes. 

Boone in a death trap

In any case, The Old Dark House is somewhat better than Horror. Although no one would ever confuse him with Cary Grant, Boone gives a perfectly good comic performance in this. Dennis Price and the other cast members play with enthusiasm as well. This will never go down as one of Hammer horror specialist Terence Fisher's [The Gorgon] more memorable movies, unfortunately. A scene when Boone is nearly crushed in a locked room with a descending ceiling is only mildly exciting for instance. Boone sings the acceptable title tune halfway through the movie. The best scene has Price describing to Boone the various awful ways in which his ancestors died. "A blighted people, a family accursed," says he. Interestingly, The Addams Family TV showed debuted this same year. 

Verdict: Watchable sort-of remake of Old Dark House. **1/4. 

THE MASKS: TWILIGHT ZONE

Robert Keith

THE TWILIGHT ZONE Season Five, Episode twenty-five. The Masks (1964). Written by Rod Serling. Directed by Ida Lupino. 

Although "The Masks," written by Rod Serling, is hardly one of the best episodes of The Twilight Zone, it does have several points of interest. The plot has to do with a wealthy and grumpy man named Jason Foster (Robert Keith) who is on his death bed. His greedy, unloving relatives -- daughter Emily (Virginia Gregg), her husband Wilfred (Milton Selzer) and their adult children Paula (Brooke Hayward) and Wilfred Jr. (Alan Sues) -- arrive in Jason's New Orleans mansion during Mardi Gras, and he insists that all four of them put on and wear these grotesque masks until midnight -- or they will be cut out of the will. 

Brooke Hayward as the vain Paula

Okay, let's assume that this will and Jason's edict is enforceable, which is extremely unlikely, or that a dying man would even have time to change his will in the first place, I have always had other problems with this episode. Even an eight-year-old will realize that when the relatives take off their masks at midnight, their faces will be as hideous as the masks. But do these people, as greedy and frivolous as they may be, really deserve permanent disfigurement? They aren't child murderers, for heaven's sake. And one has to wonder exactly what kind of father Jason was in the first place, as he seems distinctly unpleasant from the beginning (admittedly, people on their death beds will probably not be happy campers, but still ... ) One can't imagine any kind of loving father wanting to impose such a cruel fate on his own daughter and grandchildren; disinheriting them would have been more than enough. Serling's teleplay lacks any kind of final twist that would give the nasty old fart his due. 

The masks come off at midnight

Still, whatever its obvious flaws, The Masks features excellent ensemble acting from the entire cast. Keith was a fine actor who never quite became famous but graced many productions with his talent, as did Virginia Gregg and Milton Selzer. Although I was never a particular fan of Alan Sues of Laugh-In, in this he is nearly unrecognizable and gives a very good account of himself. Brooke Hayward was the daughter of the great Margaret Sullavan and proves that she inherited a lot of her mother's ability. There are people who think this is one of the best episodes of The Twilight Zone, but with its stereotypes and lopsided morality I would have to rank it as a well-acted failure. As she does with this episode, Ida Lupino generally proved a better director of TV episodes than she did of feature films. 

Verdict: Stay away from awful old men with money. **1/4. 

THE GORGON

Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing

THE GORGON (1964). Director: Terence Fisher. 

Near the turn of the century, a village is bedeviled by a series of bizarre murders where the victims are turned to stone. Dr. Namaroff (Peter Cushing) seems to know more about what is going on than he is willing to tell Professor Jules Heitz (Michael Goodliffe), whose son, Bruno (Jeremy Longhurst) was one of the victims. When the professor himself succumbs to the strange ailment, his other son Paul (Richard Pasco), comes to investigate. There he begins a romance with Namaroff's lovely associate, Carla (Barbara Shelley), which greatly complicates matters. But does she have anything to do with this weird legend about the spirit of one of the three gorgons of mythology inhabiting a human female ... ? 

Barbara Shelly and Richard Pasco

On one level, The Gorgon is somewhat ridiculous -- one has to assume there are good reasons why those in charge recognized these were actual petrified corpses and not just statues put in place of the victims --  but despite the viewer's foreknowledge the movie manages to be absorbing and suspenseful for the most part, almost with the bittersweet quality of a fairy tale. One thing that helps tremendously are the performances by the entire cast. As usual, Christopher Lee -- playing an associate of Paul's -- and Cushing perform very well together, and Pascoe, Shelley, Goodliffe and the others also play with absolute conviction. The film also has an eerie atmosphere and good art direction, and moves at a fairly good pace thanks to director Terence Fisher. The gorgon's brief appearances are always creepy although one might quibble about aspects of her make up. James Bernard's score is also a decided plus. 

Verdict: Medusa herself might have enjoyed this look at one of her sisters. ***.