YOUR VICE IS A LOCKED ROOM AND ONLY I HAVE THE KEY

Luigi Pistilli and Anita Strindberg

YOUR VICE IS A LOCKED ROOM AND ONLY I HAVE THE KEY (aka Il tuo vizio e una stanza chiusa e solo io ne ho la chiave/1972). Director: Sergio Martino. 

Dissipated author Oliverio Rouvigny (Luigi Pistilli of The Case of the Scorpion's Tail), who has writer's block and is supposedly impotent, spends his time in his crumbling mansion being cruel to his wife, Irina (Anita Strindberg) and maid, Brenda (Angela La Vorgna). Oliverio instantly becomes a suspect when one of his mistresses, Fausta (Daniela Giordano of The Night of the Scorpion), is found slashed to death. More murders follow as the killer is seemingly unmasked. If this family weren't dysfunctional and toxic enough, along comes the Rouvigny's niece, Floriana (Edwige Fenech), a free spirit who sleeps with both aunt and uncle, and picks up an attractive boyfriend along the way. As a nasty cat named Satan runs around attacking Irina's doves and Irina herself, Floriana suggests a way she can rid herself of Oliverio ... 

Fenech and Strindberg

Your Vice is a wild giallo -- often ridiculous and illogical but always amusing -- that combines a mad slasher or two with marital discord, sadomasochism (of an emotional kind), and even a dollop of Edgar Allan Poe what with that black cat and its activities. Pistilli offers a virile portrait of an obnoxious monster, while Strindberg gives one of her best performances as his put-upon, dissatisfied wife. Fenech, despite her obvious assets, looks almost plain and boyish in this, especially compared to the gorgeous Strindberg. (Fenech only bares her breasts with male lovers, but is more modest when she gets it on with Strindberg. The lesbian aspects are clearly meant for titillation and not any insight into homosexual relationships. Director Martino probably couldn't resist putting two sex symbols of giallo films into bed together.)  Ivan Rassimov of The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardj -- also directed by Martino and starring Fenech -- has a small but pivotal role. 

Verdict: One strange household -- and lots of twists. ***. 

FEAR

Peter Cookson

FEAR (1946). Director: Alfred Zeisler.  

Medical student Larry Crain (Peter Cookson) is weeks behind in his rent when he learns that he will no longer be able to get a scholarship. Feeling that a person should be allowed to be above the law if the situation warrants it, he murders Professor Stanley (Francis Pierlot), a miserly unlicensed pawnbroker, for his money, although things don't go quite as planned. As his relationship with a young lady named Eileen (Anne Gwynne) deepens, he is followed and interrogated by two policemen, Schaefer (Nestor Paiva) and Captain Burke (Warren William). Will guilt begin eating away at Larry? When another man is arrested for the crime, Larry may think he's gotten away with murder ... 

Anne Gwynne with Cookson

Who would have ever thought that Monogram studios would dare attempt their own version of Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment" or that it would be as credible as it is? Now let me make it clear from the first that this is by no means on the level of the book or of such previous film versions as Crime and Punishment with Peter Lorre in the lead, but it is also not the disaster that you might imagine it would be. Although the notion that guilt is eating away at Larry does not quite come across -- not because of any insufficiency in Cookson's acting but because of the very short running time -- Cookson delivers in a role that generally doesn't call for his usual charm or suavity. Anne Gwynne is not quite up to her more dramatic moments, but William and Paiva are perfect as the police officers. Without giving too much away, the film has two endings: one is more or less tragic, and the other -- well, let's just say it's rather "dreamy" and leave it at that. With another half hour of character development, this really might have amounted to something, but it's still interesting as it is. Jackson Rose's cinematography is an asset, as is the score by Edward J. Kay. 

Verdict: Crime and Punishment with a happy ending? ***.   

barebones 18

barebones 18. Edited by Peter Enfantino and John Scoleri.

This issue is chock full of interesting stuff, including an article on mystery and suspense stories on the TV war show Combat; the pre-code Atlas horror comic Adventures into Terror; a look at the noir film The Big Caper with Corey Allen; my piece on Science Fiction Theatre; a look at Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine; plus Curt Siodmak, David J. Schow, Matthew R. Bradley, and more! You can easily order a copy from Amazon. Highly recommended. 

THE POLICE ARE BLUNDERING IN THE DARK

Francisco Cortez eyes the spy camera

THE POLICE ARE BLUNDERING IN THE DARK/La polizia brancola nel buio/1975). Director: Helia Columbo. 

When his girlfriend, Enrichetta (Margaret Rose Keil), asks him to come pick her up when her car breaks down, journalist Giorgio (Joseph Arkim) is in bed with another woman. When he goes to find Enrichetta at an inn where she spent the night, he discovers she has disappeared. Is she the latest in a line of women who have vanished? Giorgio's investigation -- if that's even what it can be called -- takes him to the villa of crippled photographer Edmondo Parrisi (Francisco Cortez), who has a bust in his dining room that takes photos of his guests. Parrisi has invented a camera that supposedly takes pictures of human thoughts (an interesting idea that really goes nowhere). When the attacks on women continue, suspicion falls upon both Parrisi and his doctor, Stefanelli (Richard Fielding). Other characters include the weird porter Alberto, the horny maid Lucia, who tries to get it on with Giorgio, and a mentally deficient man who is the son of the inn owner.  

The title of The Police are Blundering in the Dark comes from a headline in a newspaper, as the authorities have little to do with the plot of this movie. The matter-of-fact murder scenes are not that gruesome or exciting, and have only minimal suspense. A bizarre aspect of the movie is that Parrisi is impotent so his wife, Eleonora (Halina Zalewska) forces (?) their niece, Sarah (Elena Veronese), to give her sexual pleasure, something that is never shown but only referred to by Sarah -- and then Eleonora, to her husband -- who seems desperate to get away from the villa with Giorgio. Aside from being yelled and lunged at by Parissi, Eleonora gets no particular comeuppance, and the whole business just seems dragged in to make the woman a possible suspect (it can hardly be considered a serious examination of homosexuality). In any case, Police are Blundering may hold your attention, but as giallo films go it doesn't amount to much. 

Verdict: Lots of breasts flashing and not that much else. **.   

KILLERS FROM SPACE

Peter Graves and John Frederick (Merrick)

KILLERS FROM SPACE (1954). Produced and directed by W. Lee Wilder. Colorized.

 After disappearing in the desert after a plane crash, atomic scientist Dr. Doug Martin (Peter Graves of Beginning of the End), suffering memory loss, is viewed with suspicion by his colleagues. Under the ministration of sodium pentothal, Doug remembers being held prisoner by aliens from Astron-Delta with ping pong eyeballs. The claim they brought him back from death, and need his help in their plans to take over the earth, which they need after their own sun expired. Deneb (John Frederick) and his buddies plan to unleash monstrously enlarged animals and insects upon earth's helpless inhabitants. Will Doug's desperate plans be enough to save the world and destroy the creatures and would-be invaders? 

Man meets Lizard!

Killers from Space is about on the level of one of those sci-fi serials from Republic that played in theaters during this period, if not quite as much fun. Graves gives as little extra as possible to his performance in this, but the supporting cast is a bit more enthusiastic: James Seay of Heartaches as Colonel Banks, Steve Pendleton as Investigator Briggs, Frank Gerstle as Dr. Kruger, Shepard Menken as Major Clift, the base doctor, and Barbara Bestar as Doug's wife. The best scene in the movie has Doug trying to escape via huge caverns and encountering gigantic spiders, grasshoppers, horned toads, lizards, roaches, beetles, and the like, all via back projection. (As usual the unnerving sound FX make this sequence work.) The notion that the aliens want to use outsized carnivorous beasties to devour all of mankind is a trifle unsettling. 

Verdict: Passable comic book sci fi. **1/2. 

FULLER REPORT

Lincoln Tate and Ken Clark

FULLER REPORT (aka Rapporto Fuller, base Stoccolma/1968). Director: Sergio Grieco.  

American race car driver Dick Worth (Ken Clark of Attack of the Giant Leeches) is in Stockholm when he becomes innocently embroiled in espionage, suddenly mixed up with CIA agents like Pearson (Lincoln Tate) and Clay (Gianni Brezza), Russian agents like Bonjasky (Serge Marquand), and a defecting ballerina named Svetlana (Beba Loncar), as well as other duplicitous females who are murdered. Despite all the different factions and their confusing schemes -- everyone wants to get their hands on something called the Fuller Report -- Dick doesn't realize that the true architect behind his problems may be much closer to home, and that there is a right wing conspiracy afoot to assassinate a certain world leader. 

Clark with Beba Loncar

Ken Clark appeared in a number of eurospy features playing super-spies, but in this he's an ordinary man, as such, thrown into intrigue. Fuller Report doesn't have that bad a plot but the pacing is slow, and it may not be long before you find that you couldn't care less about what's really going on. Clark looks the part of the hero, and the dubbed supporting cast all seem more than adequate for the task. The movie has an imitation James Bond type theme, sung by a lady who tries to imitate Shirley Bassey, and it wears out its welcome pretty quickly. Shot in Stockholm, Zurich, and London, with interiors in Rome. Clark also did Mission Bloody Mary for director Grieco. 

Verdict: Watching this on fast-forward might improve it. **. 

WHO SAW HER DIE?

George Lazenby

WHO SAW HER DIE? (aka Chi l'ha vista morire/1972). Director: Aldo Lado. 

Sculptor Franco Serpieri (George Lazenby) and his estranged wife, Elizabeth (Anita Strindberg of The Case of the Scorpion's Tail), are horrified when their young daughter, Roberta (Nicoletta Elmi) is the latest victim of a deranged child murderer. Meanwhile the unknown killer, who may or may not be female, begins obliterating anyone who knows the truth about his or her identity. As the body count rises, Franco begins to eye a number of suspects, including wealthy Serafian (Adolfo Celi of Ten Little Indians), his secretary and mistress Ginevra (Dominique Boschero of Secret Agent Fireball), her lover Philip (Peter Chatel), and others. It is no surprise when the maniac then targets Franco and his wife ... 

Anita Strindberg

George Lazenby had starred as James Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service three years earlier, but it was his decision not to do any more 007 adventures, a decision he apparently regretted later on. Initially he is unrecognizable with his mustache and long hair, but he is also quite skinny, having lost a lot of weight since playing Bond. As most of the cast are dubbed in this it's impossible to truly judge the acting, but everyone seems credible and effective. Celi, of course, was the villain in Thunderball with Sean Connery. 

Adolfo Celi

Who Saw Her Die? has a very interesting and absorbing screenplay, although perhaps it's more convoluted and confusing than it needs to be. Filmed almost entirely in Venice, it benefits from great location shooting. Ennio Morricone's musical score consists of children's choruses, two of which are quite pretty, but the chorus he uses for murder sequences and the like quickly becomes intensely irritating. Despite its disjointed quality, Who Saw Her Die?  is suspenseful, and the identity of the killer may come as a surprise (although there's hardly anyone left at the end). 

Verdict: Intriguing giallo film with a very interesting cast. **3/4. 

I'LL BE DAMNED: HOW MY YOUNG AND RESTLESS LIFE LED ME TO AMERICA'S # 1 DAYTIME DRAMA

I'LL BE DAMNED: HOW MY YOUNG AND RESTLESS LIFE LED ME TO AMERICA'S # 1 DAYTIME DRAMA. Eric Braeden with Lindsay Harrison. New York: William Morrow; 2017. 

Years ago when I saw a movie called Colossus: The Forbin Project I thought to myself that the star, Eric Braeden, didn't really have that all-important big-screen presence. So it's perfectly understandable that Braeden -- born Hans Gudegast in Germany -- would have his greatest success on the small screen, playing the rather fascinating character of Victor Newman (and playing it quite well) on the CBS soap The Young and the Restless for decades. Braeden discusses his childhood at length, not shying away from his German background. He grew up to deplore anti-Semitism and prejudice of any kind (he is silent about LGBT issues, however). I'll Be Damned covers Braeden's recurring role on The Rat Pack, his frequent guest-starring roles, his long-term marriage to the love of his life, his love of sports, and his son -- and of course his experiences, good and bad, on Y&R. (It's hard to believe that he ever would have been seriously considered for the role of 007, however.) Reading the book, one suspects that Braden can be just as autocratic off-screen as he is onscreen as Victor Newman. Braeden is now 82-years-old and still going strong! Good for him!

Verdict: A good read about a very interesting fellow. ***. 

THE ELECTRONIC MONSTER

Peter Illing and Mary Murphy

THE ELECTRONIC MONSTER (aka Escapement/1958). Director: Montgomery Tully.  

Insurance investigator Jeff Keenan (Rod Cameron of G-Men vs the Black Dragon) is looking into a movie star's strange death, when he comes across a clinic that is doing new work in mental health. Dr, Maxwell (Meredith Edwards) and his wife, Laura (Kay Callard of A Woman Possessed), are helping patients "escape" via a device that plays soothing tapes -- including ballets that seem rather erotic -- directly into the brain. However, Paul Zakon (Peter Illing), who owns a movie studio -- and is engaged to Keenan's former girlfriend Ruth (Mary Murphy of Finger of Guilt) -- as well as the aforementioned clinic, has less benign uses for the Maxwells' experiments. Anyone who takes too close a look at the goings-on at the clinic winds up dead. 

Rod Cameron and Mary Murphy

The Electronic Monster has some interesting ideas in it, but in general the picture lacks suspense and thrills. The presence of lead Rod Cameron makes this British production seem even more like a lackluster TV show. It is very hard to believe that Ruth would have ever gotten engaged to Zakon. Zakon's colleagues include Dr. Hoff, a nasty Nazi (Carl Jaffe), and the nerdy hit man, Blore (Carl Duerling). Montgomery Tully also directed The Third Alibi.  

Verdict: One you can miss **.

PASSKEY TO DANGER

Kane Richmond and Stephanie Bachelor

PASSKEY TO DANGER (1946). Director: Lesley Selander.

Tex Hanlon (Kane Richmond) and his fiancee Gwen (Stephanie Bachelor) are an advertising team who have come up with a fashion campaign called "Three Springs." Unfortunately three hoods, formerly known as the Spring Brothers, who committed embezzlement and escaped from jail, think the Three Springs campaign has to do with them. Therefore Tex finds himself being offered huge amounts of money for what he thinks are dresses. Other complications include a blonde, Renee (Adele Mara), who may or may not be a designer with designs on Tex, and the sinister Mr. Warren (Gregory Gaye of Flying Disc Man from Mars) and his thuggish assistant, Bert (Fred Graham of The Giant Gila Monster). 

Richmond with Adele Mara

Frankly, the screenplay for this dog doesn't make a lot of sense. Richmond and Bachelor are perfectly swell for the more insouciant romantic scenes, but are only passable when it comes to anything slightly more dramatic -- not that there's too much of that in this. Gregory Gaye has trouble tossing off vicious bon mots with the kind of skill that came so easily to such as George Sanders. Adele Mara is okay in another of her perky blonde portrayals. Others in the cast include Gerald Mohr of  The Angry Red Planet, John Eldredge of Insurance Investigator and George J. Lewis of Federal Operator 99. The best scene in the movie is the terrific furniture-smashing fist fight between Tex and Bert at the very end. From Republic studios, but you might think it's Monogram. 

Verdict: Features a trio of very dumb "master" criminals. **. 

STRIP NUDE FOR YOUR KILLER

STRIP NUDE FOR YOUR KILLER (aka Nude per l'assassino/1975). Director: Andrea Bianchi. 

After a woman dies during an abortion, the doctor (Gianni Airo) covers it up by having an unseen assistant dump her body in her bathtub. Not much later there are a series of murders tied to the Albatross modeling agency. Initial victims include a photographer's assistant, Mario (Claudio Pelligrini), hopeful model Lucia (Femi Benussi), and others. Among the chief suspects are the agency's owners, Gisella (Amanda) and her obese, impotent husband, Maurizio (Franco Diogene), not to mention gal-happy photographer Carlo (Nino Castelnuovo). Magda (Edwige Fenech) is a photographer's assistant who isn't certain if she wants to pursue a career with a camera or as a model. Meanwhile the killer stalks his victims while dressed in a black leather motorcycle outfit complete with helmet and butcher knife. Fenech and the other ladies in the film take off their clothing as much as possible, and a couple of the men, including Diogene, do the same. 

Edwige Fenech and Nino Castelnuovo

While not on the level of the best of Dario Argento, Strip Nude for Your Killer is an intriguing giallo film with plenty of murders and some suspense over the identity of the killer and his or her motives. The murder sequences, while not distressingly graphic, are nevertheless tense and creepy. The softcore sex scenes are rather more graphic and seem to go on forever. Although the film is sub-titled, some of the actors -- particularly French star Fenech -- seem dubbed. The acting is more than adequate, and the director keeps things moving at a good pace. Ten years earlier Castelnuovo starred in The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. 

Verdict: One of your better giallo films. ***.  

THE WALLS CAME TUMBLING DOWN

Lee Bowman and Marguerite Chapman

THE WALLS CAME TUMBLING DOWN (1946). Director: Lothar Mendes. 

"There's something wrong with that man!"

New York newspaper columnist Gilbert Archer (Lee Bowman) is shocked to learn that an old friend of his, a priest, has supposedly committed suicide. He believes the man was murdered, and is soon surrounded by a host of suspicious characters. There is an attractive lady named Laura Brown (Marguerite Chapman); a weird character who claims to be her father, Ernst (J., Edward Bromberg); a highly sinister "reverend" who carries guns (George Macready) and his equally unpleasant better half (Katherine Emery); a nasty creature named Rausch (Noel Cravat); the shifty lawyer George Bradford (Edgar Buchanan) and others. Most of these people seem to be after a pair of bibles that have been secreted somewhere and contain the location of a lost painting depicting the Walls of Jericho -- done by no less than Leonardo da Vinci. People would kill to get such a priceless painting, and indeed there are soon more murders ... 

Bowman with J. Edgar Bromberg

The Walls Came Tumbling Down boasts an absorbing and convoluted plot, several good performances from an interesting cast, an attractive credits theme by Martin Skiles, and a pretty fast pace to boot. Yet ... the whole thing is somehow second-rate. Maybe it's that Lee Bowman, while competent, isn't the most thrilling leading man, or that there are other directors who could have done more with the material. But while you're enjoying the plot twists and turns you're not quite believing any of it. Lee Patrick is also in the cast as Bowman's put-upon secretary, and she's as snappy as ever, and Elisabeth Risdon is fine as the dead priest's sister and another murder victim. Bowman never quite seems to evince enough rage over the terrible deaths of people he cares about. Marguerite Chapman is excellent as the mysterious woman who could be a heroine or a femme fatale.

Verdict: Fair-to-middling film noir. **1/2.  

WHAT THE PEEPER SAW

Mark Lester and Britt Ekland

WHAT THE PEEPER SAW (aka La tua prezenza nuda!/1972. Directors: James Kelley; Andrea Bianchi.

12-year-old Marcus (Mark Lester) comes home from school -- supposedly because of a chicken pox outbreak -- and meets his new stepmother, Elise (Britt Ekland of King Solomon's Treasure), for the first time. Initially they seem to hit it off, but Elise accuses Marcus of lying about some missing money. Her husband, Paul (Hardy Kruger), takes the boy's side. She goes to Marcus' school to speak to the headmaster (Harry Andrews) and discovers that Marcus was actually expelled from school for bizarre behavior, which includes peeping on couples in the local lover's lane and torturing and killing a cat! But Elise begins to suspect that Marcus may be guilty of even worse things, especially when she learns his mother's death might not have been an accident. Is the boy a sociopathic murderer, or is Elise herself in need of psychiatric help?

Who's the crazy one? Lilli Palmer, Britt Ekland

What the Peeper Saw has an interesting premise, but despite a decent screenplay it lacks the tension and skill that could have turned it into a nail-biter. Instead it meanders along at a deliberate, even dull, pace with the occasional startling moment, such as when Elise agrees to strip for the boy in exchange for his confessing to certain malfeasances. This certainly gets the attention of psychiatrist Dr. Viorne (Lilli Palmer) in a well-played sequence in her office that is by far the best scene in the movie. All of the actors are quite good in this, with Palmer a stand-out as she realizes Elise may need more help than the child. The ending packs a small wallop. 

Verdict: Too bad. This one had distinct possibilities, but ...  **1/4. 

KILLDOZER

The killer bulldozer about to squash an unfortunate

KILLDOZER (1974 telefilm). Director: Jerry London.

A group of construction workers are putting in an air field on an isolated island in the Pacific when an ancient, extraterrestrial lifeform is unleashed from some ruins. This lifeform then inhabits the hulking, metallic form of the project's special bulldozer, coming to life at unexpected times and whenever it chooses. At first the group think the dozer must be remote-controlled, but this is not the case. The driverless machine proves quite formidable as several victims are unable to get out of its way, and at least one is squashed inside his jeep. Finally the survivors try to concoct a way to stop the killer bulldozer for good. 

Clint Walker

Killdozer is based on a story by Theodore Sturgeon. The telefilm has some eerie, suspenseful, and exciting scenes, but never really turns into a thrilling or nail-biting experience. Clint Walker has given some good performances elsewhere -- such as in Scream of the Wolf -- but in this his mind seems to be on something else. Robert Urich is killed off early on, James A. Watson Jr., Carl Betz and Neville Brand [Adventures of Nick Carter] are more than okay, and James Wainwright arguably offers the best performance as the ill-fated Dutch. If nothing else, the picture is absorbing. 

Verdict: Stay away from construction sites. **1/2.

MYSTERY IN MEXICO

Jacqueline White and William Lundigan

MYSTERY IN MEXICO (1948). Directed by Robert Wise.

When one of his colleagues, Glenn Ames (Walter Reed), disappears, insurance investigator Steve Hastings (William Lundigan) flies down to Mexico to try to find him. He isn't certain if Glenn might be involved in dirty business concerning a stolen necklace, so he attaches himself to Ames' sister, Vicky (Jacqueline White), to see what she knows -- he's also not certain about her. Vicky is a nightclub singer who goes to work for club owner John Norcross (Ricardo Cortez), who has a jealous girlfriend named Delores (Jacqueline Dalya) --she makes a play for Steve even as Vicky is fighting her attraction to him. When a bartender (Armando Silvestre) who may have information regarding Glenn is killed in a suspicious accident, Steve realizes he is on the right track and there may well be danger involved. 

Lundigan looks for clues

An early film directed by Robert Wise, Mystery in Mexico is pleasant, well-acted, and moves swiftly at a little over an hour's running time. It is also extremely minor-league. Lundigan could do this type of material in his sleep, Cortez is suitably oily and makes a rather loathsome villain, and Jacqueline White is  perfectly adept as the heroine. White was a pleasing leading lady who had a handful of credits and whose most famous film is Narrow Margin. Released by RKO.

Verdict: Acceptable if decidedly minor mystery. **1/2. 

THE CASE OF THE SCORPION'S TAIL

George Hilton

THE CASE OF THE SCORPION'S TAIL (aka La coda dello scorpione/1971). Director: Sergio Martino. 

Lisa Baumer (Ida Galli) discovers that her wealthy husband has died in a plane crash, and flies from London to Athens to claim a one million dollar insurance policy. Insurance investigator Peter Lynch (George Hilton) rescues her when her late husband's former mistress, Lara (Janine Reynaud), and a hulking associate, threaten her it she doesn't turn over half the money. Peter is confused to learn that Lisa cashed the insurance check and has booked a flight out of the country. Meanwhile a figure in a black mask, outfit and gloves, is attacking assorted people involved in the case with knives. Peter teams up with reporter Cleo Dupont (Anita Strindberg) to get to the bottom of things. 

Anita Strindberg

The Case of the Scorpion's Tail is a pleasant surprise, one of the few giallo films that has a truly interesting and twisty plot along with a few surprises. In that way it reminds one of a Dario Argento film except for the fact that Sergio Martino's direction is nowhere near as stylish as Argento's. However, there are still some good scenes in this, such as a suspenseful attack upon Lara in her gothic-like townhouse, and an exciting finale that reveals the true perpetrator. George Hilton, an attractive actor from Uruguay who appeared in a number of giallo films such as The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh, gives a strong performance, as does the quite beautiful Swedish actress Anita Strindberg, as well as Reynaud as the bitchy Lara, Luigi Pistilli as Inspector Stavros, Alberto de Mendoza as an Interpol agent; and others. The title has to do with a pair of cufflinks found at a crime scene. If this movie only had somewhat better characterization and a much better musical score, it really would have been a contender, but it's quite entertaining as it is. NOTE: Not to be confused with The Night of the Scorpion or The Black Scorpion!

Verdict: Superior giallo. ***.  

THE GOLDEN VOYAGE OF SINBAD

The goddess Kali vs. Sinbad

THE GOLDEN VOYAGE OF SINBAD (1973). Director: Gordon Hessler. 

In the mythical kingdom of Marabia, Sinbad (John Phillip Law of Miner's Massacre) encounters the evil wizard Koura (Tom Baker). The disfigured Vizier (Douglas Wilmer), who always wears a mask and is now the ruler of Marabia, warns Sinbad that Koura is out to take over the kingdom any way he can. Accompanied by the Vizier, young Haroun (Kurt Christian), whose father pays Sinbad to take him along, and the beautiful former slave Margiana (Caroline Munro), among others, Sinbad sets sail for the lost world of Lemuria, an island that is all that's left of the mythical sunken continent. There Sinbad hopes to find the third part of a fabulous necklace or tablet with a map on it, as well as a great treasure. But he will face many challenges and monsters ... 

Caroline Munro and John Phillip Law

The Golden Voyage of Sinbad, with stop-motion FX work by Ray Harryhausen, may not be in the same league as such Harryhausen masterpieces as 7th Voyage of Sinbad and Jason and the Argonauts, but it is still an exciting, entertaining and very colorful fantasy flick. Law gives a personable and amusing performance as Sinbad, even if he may not be as beloved in the role as Kerwin Mathews. Tom Baker is good as Koura, but he lacks that certain flair and sinister charisma of such actors as, say, Torin Thatcher or Christopher Lee. Munro is decorative and adept enough and Christian displays a certain gauche charm. Takis Emmanuel scores as Achmed, Koura's uncertain assistant. An uncredited Robert Shaw plays the Oracle of All Knowledge who appears, unrecognizable, in a burst of fire. 

homunculus, Takis Emmanuel, Tom Baker,

As usual Harryhausen's creations steal the show: the tiny, winged homunculus that spies on the group for Koura; the wooden lady figurehead who pulls free of the ship and barrels across the deck; the slavering horror of the one-eyed centaur, who either wants Munro for his mate or dinner. The griffin is a slight disappointment, but the six-armed Kali statue who comes to life to dance and then battle Sinbad and his crew, is simply magnificent. Another plus is Miklos Rozsa's excellent score. One of the best scenes has nothing to do with monsters but is a suspenseful bit with Sinbad climbing out of a cavern through a hole in the ceiling as he dangles high in the air and nearly falls to his death. 

Verdict: Highly enjoyable adventure-fantasy film with some great FX work. ***.  

SWORD OF VENUS

"catfight" at the Black Cat tavern: Clarke, Stapp, De Marco

SWORD OF VENUS (1953). Director: Harold Daniels.

Robert Dantes (Robert Clarke) is the gal-and-life loving son of Alexander Dumas' famous Count of Monte Cristo, who got revenge on those who had him falsely convicted and confined. Now some of these enemies, especially Baron Danglars (Dan O'Herlihy), want to get even with the Count via a diabolical plot to frame his son and steal the family fortune. At first Claire (Catherine McLeod) goes along with the scheme to entrap Robert, but later her conscience gets the better of her. Nevertheless Danglars forces her to continue, along with certain associates, such as the drunken lawyer Valmont (William Schallert). Sentenced to hard labor in a rock quarry, how can Robert get his life back?  

Robert Clarke and Marjorie Stapp

Robert Clarke is best-known for a number of low-budget sci fi films, but he did work in other genres, including this sequel to "The Count of Monte Cristo." It has many of the diabolical twists and turns of Dumas' original book, but the film itself is only moderately successful. Both Clarke and especially Dan O'Herlihy, marvelously underplaying in a most sinister fashion, give good performances, along with the rest of the cast, but a certain intensity and panache is missing. The liveliest sequence is when Robert takes the married Countess Lily (Marjorie Stapp) to the notorious Black Cat tavern, where she gets into a catfight with the dancer Suzette (Renee De Marco). The two really give each other some good whacks! 

Verdict: Minor-league historical melodrama with some good performances and a zesty "catfight." **1/2. 

THE INCREDIBLE PETRIFIED WORLD

Clarke, Noonan, Coates, Windsor

THE INCREDIBLE PETRIFIED WORLD (1959). Produced and directed by Jerry Warren. Colorized.

Professor Millard Wyman (John Carradine of Female Jungle) has invented a diving bell through which he hopes to reach uncharted depths. Inside the bell on its first dive are Craig Randell (Robert Clark of The Man from Planet X), Paul (Allen Windsor), Lauri (Sheila Noonan), and no-nonsense reporter Dale (Phyllis Coates of Panther Girl of the Kongo), whose fiance has just told her to get lost. Something goes wrong with the bell and the foursome wind up stuck on the ocean bottom, but are able to swim out -- where they somehow find themselves inside empty caverns and discover a grizzled old man (Maurice Bernard) who has been stuck there for fourteen years! With chance of rescue unlikely, will they ever be able to reach the surface? 

Robert Clarke and Allen Windsor

Although Incredible Petrified World is almost universally excoriated, I find the premise intriguing and the film itself, aside from some tedious padded stretches, absorbing. True, this is not a grand adventure film with a big budget, but it has genuine suspense as you wonder how on earth the principals will get out of this depressing predicament. John W. Steiner's script presents characters with some dimension to them (with typical fifties attitudes), although it can't overcome the sheer illogic of the film. There doesn't appear to be an air lock in the diving bell, so it makes no sense that it wouldn't get flooded when the participants emerge. Exactly where in hell the caverns are in  relation to the bell and the surface is never made clear. Why don't they just swim to the surface? (One can only imagine that the diving bell is stuck in some crevice under the caverns, but this is never made clear.) The scene when Craig confesses his love to Lauri and says that they can be happy with each other -- stuck Lord knows where in endless caverns for the rest of eternity! -- hardly comes off as especially realistic. 

John Carradine (behind ladder) with the cast

The actors do the best they can with the material, with Carradine as professional and adept as ever as the professor. Windsor, Noonan, and Bernard had very few other credits, although Clarke and Coates had busy careers. Coates, almost as bitchy in this as her Lois Lane in The Adventures of Superman, makes a good impression in the movie, which she did as a favor to old boyfriend Jerry Warren; she never got paid for it! The film has atmosphere, due to the settings in Tucson Arizona's Colossal Cave, and the colorizing process works well. 

Verdict: Hardly for every taste, but not as awful as its reputation. ***. 

THE CRAWLING HAND

The hand runs amok

THE CRAWLING HAND (1963). Director: Herbert L. Strock. Colorized.

Captain Lockhart (Ashley Cowan) is the latest in a line of astronauts who are taken over by some strange kind of force while out in space. Lockhart's ship explodes, but his severed arm is found on a beach by Paul (Rod Lauren of The Young Swingers) and his girlfriend, Marta (Sirry Steffen), who freaks out. Inexplicably, Paul takes the arm home, where the hand strangles his landlady, Mrs. Hotchkiss (Arline Judge). Then whatever affected Lockhart in space begins affecting Paul. Will Sheriff Townsend (Alan Hale Jr. of Thunder in Carolina) be able to get Paul under control after he attacks Marta or will he have to shoot him? 

Sirry Steffen and Rod Lauren

The Crawling Hand has some interesting elements and could have been turned into a fairly good movie, but it goes in all the wrong directions and is never as creepy as intended. Probably the most interesting thing about it is the cast, which includes the Skipper from Gilligan's Island, former star Richard Arlen, old-time actress Arline Judge, Kent Taylor [The Crimson Key] and Peter Breck as scientists, and Allison Hayes of 50 Foot Woman fame, criminally wasted as a secretary with only a couple of scenes. Tristram Coffin of King of the Rocket Men also shows up for one sequence as a security chief. Rod Lauren gives an uneven performance, but Steffen showed promise; she only had six other credits, though. Herbert L. Strock also directed Gog.

Verdict: Had possibilities, but this doesn't really work. **. 

THE POSSESSED

Peter Baldwin

THE POSSESSED (aka La donna del lago/1965). Directors: Luigi Bazzoni; Franco Rossellini.  

A novelist named Bernard (Peter Baldwin) tells his unseen girlfriend that he is obsessed with a young woman he met some months ago and has to go see her. Arriving at the village where this lady, Tilde (Virna Lisi), worked at the Lakeside Hotel, he takes a room there and tries to find out what happened to her. Speaking to the hotel's proprietor, Enrico (Salvo Randone), he learns that Tilde supposedly committed suicide. However, a photographer named Francesco (Pier Giovanni Anchisi) tells him that Tilde was actually murdered, but that this was covered up. There are rumors that she was pregnant and either Enrico or his son, Mario (Philippe Leroy), may be responsible. Bernard determines to find out the truth, whatever it may be ... 

striking photography

The Possessed is a moody, strikingly photographed (Leonida Barboni) picture but I'm at a loss as to what genre it belongs to. It's not a horror film, and as a suspense film or murder mystery it falls short. Deliberately-paced, to put it mildly, the film offers some wonderful images as well as close-ups of the poetically handsome Peter Baldwin, but the story is only mildly intriguing and the denouement -- if you can even call it that -- is completely unsatisfying. Pia Lindstrom, the daughter of Ingrid Bergman -- who later became a television journalist -- appears in a small role as Mario's wife. Valentina Cortese is cast as Enrico's daughter, Irma. Both ladies make a positive impression in this. Virna Lisi has too little to do and although Baldwin is credible -- it's hard to judge his dubbed performance -- his chief asset seems to be his looks. He later became a director. 

Verdict: Very good to look at, but it's too "arty" for its own good and never catches fire. **. 

THE LIVING IDOL

James Robertson Justice, Liliane Montevecchi. Steve Forrest

THE LIVING IDOL (1957). Written and directed by Albert Lewin.

Down in Mexico Dr. Alfred Stoner (James Robertson Justice) leads Terry, a photographer (Steve Forrest), and Juanita (Liliane Montevecchi), the daughter of a colleague, up an inner staircase into a recess of a pyramid to see the idol of a jaguar god. Juanita is badly frightened, and Alfred wonders if she might be the reincarnation of a young lady who centuries ago was sacrificed to the god. When Juanita's father, Manuel (Eduardo Noriega), is crushed by a stone with a jaguar representation on it, she is even more freaked out. Alfred and his wife, Elena (Sara Garcia), take the orphaned Juanita under their wing, but Alfred develops an insane plan to get her out from under the alleged influence of the jaguar god. 

Beautiful beast: a stalking jaguar 

I had never heard of The Living Idol but hoped this might be a lost gem when I saw some familiar names in the cast, saw that it was in CinemaScope and Technicolor, and that it was photographed by Jack Hildyard. But my hopes started to fade the minute I saw the phony-looking and not very frightening jaguar-idol, which Alfred brings back with him to Mexico City. Forget about Juanita, the only one who seems to have an odd relationship with a jaguar is Alfred, who lets the beautiful beast out of a zoo in his crazy, senseless scheme to let it have an encounter with the poor young lady. Lest you mistakenly think that this all sounds interesting, be forewarned that The Living Idol is deadly slow and dull, with very little happening during a nearly two hour running time. At times the film almost seems more like a romance than a horror film, if that's what it even is. The shame of if is it could have gone off in so many different, much more fascinating and frightening directions, but it basically goes nowhere ... slowly. Manuel's death scene occurs off-screen and is poorly handled. Some nice scenery can't save this. You would never know that director Lewin had actually helmed a couple of pretty good pictures. This was his last one. 

Verdict: A major disappointment and pretty terrible movie. *1/2. 

THE NIGHT OF THE SCORPION

Jose Antonio Amor and Nuria Torray

THE NIGHT OF THE SCORPION (aka La casa de las muertas vivientes/1972). Director: Alfonso Blacazar.

"Your father has been dead a long time now and I consider you part of my inheritance." -- Sara. 

Oliver (Jose Antonio Amor) believes that he was responsible for the falling death of his wife, Helen (Gioia Desideri), during an argument when he was drunk. A year later he arrives back at his castle-like home with a new wife, Ruth (Daniela Giordano), whom he barely knows. The household now consists of the newlyweds; Oliver's sister, Jenny (Teresa Gimpera of The Black Box Affair), who was in love with Helen; and Oliver's stepmother Sara (Nuria Torray), who is hopelessly in love  -- and lust -- with him.  At night Sara becomes a peeping Thomasina, peering at Oliver and Ruth -- as she did Oliver and Helen -- through a hole as they make love. Ruth decides to bring a private detective  (Osvaldo Genazzini) into this twisted situation so that he can get at the truth, but things may not work out quite the way the young woman intended ... 

Amor with Teresa Gimpera 

The Night of the Scorpion -- there's no explanation for the title -- takes a good while to build up any steam. The first murder doesn't occur for a full hour. The dubbed actors all seem more than competent, but when the action finally starts it occurs at a comically fast pace. We're asked to believe that Ruth would go down into a dark cellar by herself  right after she's found two corpses! The best scene is a violent and erotic fantasy of Sara's in which she murders Ruth and then has sex with her stepson. A dubbed Spanish-Italian co-production. 

Verdict:  Delightfully sick at times but ultimately third-rate. **1/2. 

THE LIE

Lee Bowman

THE LIE (1954). Director: Harold Young.

John Hamilton (Lee Bowman) has a night on the town with his friends, an aerialist called "The Great Wilhelm"(Harald Maresch), and Philip (Joachim Brennecke), who is the brother of John's girlfriend, Marlene (Ramsay Ames of G-Men Never Forget). While drunk and nearly passed out, he is confronted by a threatening man who is later found murdered. John is arrested for the murder, and during the trial is astounded when both Wilhelm and Philip lie about going with him to the apartment where the murder took place -- they claim to know nothing even though he knows they were there. John is convicted and the only one who goes to bat for him, eventually getting him out of prison, is Margot (Eva Probst), Philip's former fiancee, who knows something is rotten in Germany. Now John decides to confront his former friends, as well as Marlene, and discover who the real killer is.

Brennecke and Maresch

If The Lie seems like a TV production, it's because it is, filmed in a studio in Germany with mostly German actors. The acting is good, with Ramsay Ames, surprisingly, being more of a stand-out than usual with her unsympathetic role. Viennese Maresch appeared in a number of international productions while Brennecke appeared primarily in German productions. The Lie has a very slight degree of suspense, but there isn't much surprise when it comes to the identity of the murderer, and the whole thing is relatively routine. 

Verdict: Doesn't amount to much. **