THE HYPNOTIC EYE

THE HYPNOTIC EYE (1960). Director: George Blair.

In this sick but entertaining movie, a series of women are horribly disfiguring themselves and then claiming they were completely unaware they were doing so. Could these terrible accidents have something to do with hypnotism? Naturally a detective on the case (Joe Patridge) takes his spunky girlfriend Marcia (Marcia Henderson) to see the act of the sensational Desmond (Jacques Bergerac), who hypnotizes, among others, Marcia's friend, Dodie (Merry Anders), who winds up washing her face in acid later that evening. Brave Marcia decides to find out exactly what happened between Dodie and Desmond, and does a lot more to solve the mystery than her boyfriend. Desmond's assistant is zestily played by Allison Hayes of Attack of the 50 Foot Woman, although her portrayal here makes her giantess seem positively benign. Ghoulish and a bit ugly at times, but an undeniably effective shocker. See if you can spot Henry Aldrich himself, Jimmy Lydon [Corky of Gasoline Alley], in the role of an emergency room doctor; I completely missed him. George Blair also directed The Adventures of Superboy pilot and many B movies. 

Verdict: Compelling shocker. ***. 

UNMASKED

Raymond Burr may need Perry Mason 

UNMASKED (1950). Director: George Blair. 

Roger Lewis (Raymond Burr of Abandoned) is a ruthless man who publishes a rag exposing the peccadilloes of prominent citizens. His main backer is actress Doris King (Hillary Brooke of Confidence Girl), a barracuda who wants to divorce her husband -- down on his luck producer Harry Jackson (Paul Harvey) -- and marry Roger, although he's much more interested in his secretary, Mona (Grace Albertson). Early in the film Roger gets rid of the annoyingly insistent Doris and manages to pin the murder on her estranged husband. As detective Jim Webster (Robert Rockwell) tracks down Jackson, his devoted daughter, Linda (Barbra Fuller), tries to get him to turn himself in. Meanwhile both Jim and Linda are determined to prove that the reptilian Roger Lewis is actually behind the murder, but Lewis may be too clever for them ... 

Barbra Fuller

Unmasked is a minor suspense film that is bolstered by a terrific lead performance by Raymond Burr, who seemed to specialize in bad guys (a la Rear Window) before landing the plum assignment of Perry Mason. Rockwell, most famous as the principal on Our Miss Brooks, is pleasant but unexciting as the detective, Brooke is snappy in her customary fashion, Harvey is suitably desperate, and Fuller offers a good, intense performance as Linda. Norman Budd also makes an impression as "Biggie," a character who unwittingly and unwisely pits Lewis against his main enemy, the mobster Johnny Rocco (John Eldredge, who is also excellent). Barbra Fuller figured that taking an "a" out of her first name would be more distinctive, and she did it years before Barbra Streisand did the same thing. George Blair also directed Insurance Investigator with Eldredge and Brooke.

Verdict: Despite several good performances, this doesn't really make the grade. **. 

INSURANCE INVESTIGATOR

Audrey Long and Richard Denning

INSURANCE INVESTIGATOR (1951). Director: George Blair. Colorized.

Insurance investigator Tom Davison (Richard Denning) is called in when the head of a real estate company, Sullivan (Roy Gordon), is found dead on the staircase outside his office. His associate, Hammond (John Eldredge), suspects that Sullivan was drinking heavily and had a tragic fall, but Sullivan's daughter, Nancy (Audrey Long), doesn't find this credible. Davison decides to pretend to be Nancy's cousin, and she gets him a job at the real estate office, where he can spy on Hammond and another agent, Addie (Hillary Brooke), who's having an affair with Hammond. Then someone inadvertently steps into an elevator shaft and has a deadly fall ...

Reed Hadley and Roy Barcroft

Insurance Investigator is a $1.99 item from Republic studios, and plays, like many of these B productions, like a TV show. Denning is, as always, a likable player, but he adds absolutely no nuances to his performance and his Tom Davison is no different from his Michael Shayne, Mr. North, or other characters that he's portrayed. Audrey Long is appealing and professional as the (supposedly) grieving daughter who carries on a romance with Davison, or at least tries to. Reed Hadley and Roy Barcroft add a bit of tension to their scenes as the resident bad guys behind a nasty insurance scheme. We're supposed to believe that an unsuspecting person can open the door to the elevator even though the car is on another floor. Well, maybe ... George Blair also directed Exposed. 

Verdict: Even color doesn't add much to this cheapie. *1/2. 

THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERBOY

John Rockwell as Superboy

THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERBOY (1961 TV pilot). Director: George Blair. 

In Smallville, Clark Kent goes to school with friends Lana Lang (Bunny Henning) and Jimmy Drake (Jimmy Bates). Jimmy is embarrassed to tell the class that his father, Mr. Drake (Ross Elliott), is only the doorman at the local bijou. No one is aware that the mild-mannered Clark, who keeps disappearing, is secretly the dynamic Superboy. For a movie premiere in Smallville (one of the cast members comes from there), some real diamonds worth $200,000 are exhibited in front of the theater, and stolen. Superboy asks for Mr. Drake's help in capturing the criminals and getting the jewels back, and his son develops an even greater appreciation of his dad. 

John Rockwell and Ross Elliott

Produced, I believe, by the same people who did George Reeves' The Adventures of Superman, this series -- had it gone beyond the pilot episode -- is similarly earthbound, with few of the elements that made the Superboy comic book run for so many years. Instead we have a human interest story with some mild special effects and a heart-warming quality that is typical of fifties television. John Rockwell is handsome and reasonably impressive as Superboy, and seems uncomfortable playing his alter ego. Bunny Henning doesn't really have much of a chance to get across the somewhat obnoxious qualities of Lana Lang. Bates is fine as young Jimmy and Ross Elliott, forgoing his hairpiece, also makes an impression as his likable and admirable father. George Blair also directed Exposed. Decades later, when FX capabilities had greatly improved, Superboy finally became a series. 

Verdict: Probably would have made a pleasant if unmemorable series. **1/2. 

EXPOSED (1947)

Adele Mara and Mark Roberts

EXPOSED (1947). Director: George Blair. 

"He probably got admitted to the bar too often." -- referring to attorney-turned-drunk Severance. 

Lady private eye Belinda Prentice (Adele Mara) is hired by Colonel Bentry (Russell Hicks) to investigate the doings of stepson William Foresman (Mark Roberts of The Brothers Brannigan), who has supposedly been acting strangely. Belinda and associate Iggy (William Haade) have barely gotten started when the client is found dead in his study. Suspects include William, his sister Judy (Lorna Gray), the attorney turned drunken butler Severance (Harry Shannon), the lawyer Lowell (Charles Evans), seedy gunsel Chicago (Bob Steele), Dr. Richard (Colin Campbell of The Lost World) and the odd Professor Ordson (Paul E. Burns). Belinda's father, Inspector Prentice (Robert Armstrong), just happens to be the lead cop on the case, and he doesn't appreciate his daughter's interference. 

Robert Armstrong and Adele Mara

The notion of a female private eye was still unusual enough in the forties, but while Exposed starts out in snappy enough fashion, it soon bogs down into a very routine Republic studios programmer that lasts less than an hour and is much less entertaining than the average episode of Perry Mason (Mark Roberts appeared eight times on that series). There are no clever murder schemes nor any surprises whatsoever. In fact, the only memorable sequence is a protracted and explosive fight between Iggy and Chicago that reminds one of the kind of fisticuffs you would see in one of Republic's serials. The actors are all professional enough although none of them especially distinguish themselves. Mara seems over-rehearsed throughout. 

Verdict: Except for the lively fight scene, this is pretty dull. *1/2.