Growing up, I wanted to look like Steve Reeves. Then I wanted to look like Gordon Scott. Then I gave up and just enjoyed watching their movies. You can, too (either looking like them or watching their peplum movies) Either would have made a superb Superman with muscle not built into their rubber suits.
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Crazy Gary here with part two of our Sword and Sandal extravaganza…(see part one).
Summer, 1959, was a turning point for a lot of monsterkids. A movie opened which fired our imaginations and introduced us to a new type of movie. I’m talking about the movie Hercules which got a lot of us interested in weight training and classical literature, especially Greek mythology.
Starring an unknown –at least to us–actor named Steve Reeves, the movie was complete with heroes, beautiful scantily-clad women, fighting, adventures at sea, ape men, a dinosaur that roared like Godzilla, and many feats of strength. The music was awe-inspiring. And Steve Reeves…wow, was he built. Every guy wanted to look like him. Turns out he was a former Mr. America, Mr. World, and Mr. Universe.
I was only nine when I first saw it, and by the time it had finished its run in the second-run theaters, I had seen it twelve times. I even received the Hercules soundtrack record for Christmas that year.
In the summer of 1960, Hercules Unchained was released and I saw it many times, too. By then, Steve Reeves was a worldwide star and both movies were box office hits. Articles on Steve Reeves and his training methods regularly appeared in the muscle magazines of the time.
Reeves went on to star in several more “Sword and Sandal” type films and his last one, A Long Ride From Hell, was a western. By the end of his career, the term “sword and sandal” referred to any movie set in antiquity, primarily Rome or Greece. Within that genre there were two types of movies: one where the hero possessed great strength and went about righting wrongs. He could be Hercules, Samson, Ursus, Maciste, Goliath (see last week’s article about the two “Goliath” movies), or one of the Sons of Hercules. The other type was where the hero was a regular guy, often a great warrior or Roman soldier, but possessing no exceptional strength. Two of Reeves’ movies stand out in the latter category: Duel of the Titans, with Gordon Scott, and The Slave. …
Here’s my review for Threshold by Murphy St. John that appeared in The Horror Zine.
Malcolm is having a rough night. First there is the suicide in the apartment next to his, smelling up the place, and then when he tries to wheelbarrow the body as far away from his nose as he can, his mouth suddenly tastes salt water and his feet are slipping on a sandy beach. The jungle nearby clues him in on the something-is-wrong possibility. Of course, he soon learns he is dead too, but that turns out to be the least of his problems.
Murphy St. John keeps pushing the threshold for Malcolm and his fellow bewildered travelers he meets in this self-published novel, aptly titled Threshold. I will state up front that the book is good, with a fast, pulp-style pace, is descriptively weird enough with ample monsters to beset them—especially if you are into religious-based nightmares—and certainly well worth your summer reading time spent alongside a nice cold glass of lemonade (or, if you prefer, in the fall, with a nice cup of hot tea). I felt I needed to say this now because self-publishing has a stigma attached to it for some readers, but Threshold is not problematic regarding editing or writing cred, not one bit.
But the problems Malcolm and his confused companions face are definitely a mix of unpleasant things, following one after the other. Ellis, Annette, Cameron, Doug, and Travis, each with a good reason bad enough to get them running room only in limbo, have to face various challenges orchestrated by Thalia, a mask-wearing demi-god, with demonic leanings and a tight schedule to keep. Winning each challenge, to work together to survive, gets them further up the celestial sphere so they can go back to the living, properly chastened. Losing means a fast trip to the hot basement of endless torment.
So, of course, they start fighting among themselves as much as they try to outlast Thalia’s dark minions, the frayed, and her wicked games of damnation. All of which provides the story’s momentum through dialog, puzzling solutions, and escalating fraying nerves and tempers. Interestingly, St. John set up Malcolm in the beginning—will he or won’t he survive, what’s his story anyway?—as something of a leader for the group, but then St. John twists Malcolm to a different direction; one decidedly more downward leaning. Another takes his leadership role to keep everything together (as in body parts) and moving forward. Bodies and minds begin to buckle under the strain of trying to stay alive, which paradoxically, in their cases, means less dead, and trying to figure out where each portal is to the next dire situation before the frayed gobble them up.
Like in a video game with multi-levels, each win or loss brings with it a new terror-filled scenario to surmount. St. John creates his symbolic monsters based on the sins each person has committed, although they cannot remember those sins, as Thalia reminds them, “whether you remember or not, you’re in my domain for a reason. Rehabilitation.” She has a funny sense of rehabilitation.
In Greek mythology, Thalia was one of the Muses, presiding over comedy and idyllic poetry. Clearly, St. John’s Thalia is not in that family. She has none of that refinement, unless black comedy, and a penchant for deathtraps like you see in the Saw movie franchise could be called poetic. But that is not to say there is gore because the action is more sardonic than gratuitously bloody. St. John makes both monsters and victims players in a grander scheme involving redemption versus damnation, with both acting as pawns. His limbo is a dark landscape filled with trapped people looking for souls to leverage their escape, and a lot of doom and gloom to spice it all up. And always at Malcolm’s and the others’ heels are the frayed, dark things that devour everything in the wink of an eye, employed by Thalia to keep things lively.
Malcolm and the others also have a mystery to solve: what ties them altogether? Slowly, memories return and past deeds reveal themselves, but they are running out of time and as Thalia clarifies it for them, “You’re all on the express train to hell.” Lucky for us, St. John makes it one hell of a ride.
Here’s the exciting pressbook for The Lodger (1944) with Laird Cregar. It’s almost as big as he was. As David J. Hogan in his Film Noir FAQ notes, while some consider this a remake of Hitchcock’s The Lodger (1927), only the name and the Jack the Ripper storyline match to the previous film. Both, however, are based on the 1913 novel of the same name by Marie Belloc Lowndes. In this one, Cregar uses his immense stage presence (both figuratively and literally), and his piercing eyes, to create a multi-dimensional character that vacillates between sinister and innocuous, innocent and guilty, with a definitely male-gaze problem toward women and his dead brother. The last minutes of the chase through the catwalks of a theater provide a thrilling noir backdrop and pace. The fog-bound streets, darkly lit byways, and confined spaces filmed entirely on the Fox backlot give this noir a classic status. Unfortunately, Cregar’s body size kept him from being a leading man and he died from trying to lose enough weight to open up those roles for him. He was 31.
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I have a confession to make. I’m addicted to Peplum. That’s right. There’s nothing more exhilaratingly earthy than a super-strong brawny guy in loincloth kicking ass and tossing around large objects like they were wiffle balls. Whether he’s fighting mythological monsters, fighting his way out of Hades with a swooning woman tossed over his shoulder, or rippling his dew-dappled muscles against enemies and assorted monsters, I’m in Heaven. It’s a guilty pleasure.
Maciste Against the Vampire became Goliath and the Vampires for AIP to provide a sequel, of sorts, to their box office hit, Goliath and the Barbarians, starring Steve Reeves. Bringing sword and sandal movies over from Italy proved a profitable endeavor for AIP.
I grew up watching sword and sandal movies on television every Sunday. Steve Reeves and Gordon Scott were big, handsome, and always in command. Although they gave me one hell of an inferiority complex they still provided a lot of wholesome, he-man action against the supernatural and the bad guys.
Maybe I should confess…I have a weakness for Mexican masked wrestlers, too… …
Myths, muscles and movies.
That’s what I call ‘em. Others call them Sword and Sandal movies and some just call them “Peplum” movies – Italian-made spectacles dubbed into English and given new names. Whatever you call them, I venture to say that you know what I am talking about and have probably seen your fair share of them.
Crazy Gary, here, and Granny wanted me to be sure to feature these spots because she knows how much these movies mean to me.
Every monsterkid worth his or her salt grew up watching these movies either at the movie theater, the drive-in, or later on TV. And why not? It featured a muscular hero, gorgeous women and, usually, one or more monsters or beasts. The guys identified with the hero, and the women swooned over his body and wished they could be the damsel in distress that he rescues.
Although filmed in Italy and surrounding picturesque locations, the heroes were generally American bodybuilders or physique models, and just reading their names on the posters and seeing the spectacular artwork promised a grand adventure. Most popular were Gordon Scott, Brad Harris, Mark Forest, Ed Fury, Gordon Mitchell, Reg Lewis, Dan Vadis, and the all time favorite, Steve Reeves. Also included were Englishman Reg Park, and Italians Sergio Ciani (Alan Steel) and Adriano Bellini (Kirk Morris). The movies were colorful, epic, and full of feats of strength.
The radio spots were colorful too, promising the viewer sights never before seen. Surprisingly, despite Granny’s best collecting efforts and those of The Radio Reaper, few are available. Even so, what we do have will be broken down into two parts.
The two movies I want to highlight this week represent the best, in my opinion, of capturing the spirit of the genre, and are two of my personal favorites, both released by American International.
First up is Steve Reeves’ fourth movie, Goliath and the Barbarians, released in late 1959. The most memorable scene in the movie is when Emiliano (called “Goliath” because of his strength) is tied between two horses going in opposite directions in an attempt to pull him apart. No such success, however, as Emiliano exerts his strength in an impressive double-biceps shot. He passes this “Test of Truth” and is released, only to later return and lead a revolt against the barbarians. Chelo Alonzo is the barbarian beauty he falls for and who complicates things with his people. Les Baxter added a new music score and his “Goliath March” added a sense of grandeur and spectacle.
The second, and my personal favorite of all the sword and sandal movies, is Goliath and the Vampires (1961) starring Gordon Scott. It has everything: feats of strength , an evil vampire creature, giant bugs, atmospheric scenery, creepy sound effects, blue men, faceless humanoids and the inspiring “Goliath March” music theme. It also features an awesome battle between Goliath and Kobrak the vampire who has assumed Goliath’s form. Muscular stuntman Giovanni Cianfriglia doubles Gordon Scott as he fights himself. Thanks to The Radio Reaper for furnishing these four classic spots.
These movies inspired many young moviegoers to take up the weights and embrace the fitness lifestyle, myself included. Today, they are still fun to watch.
So, sit back and enjoy these spots which reflect back to a time when men were men and women were glad of it. See you next time with Part Two…
Goliath and the Barbarians Radio Spots
Goliath and the Vampires Radio Spots
Embracing the Halloween spirit (and dollars) well before the frost is on the pumpkin, Michaels unveils its oodles of oddities for Halloween 2024. This year there’s a decidedly wilder color scheme, a lot of white gothic to even out the black, and monstrous (some monsterkids may say blasphemous) humor to be found in the old standbys, Frankenstein and Dracula.
One of these days I’m going to set up a huge Lemax Spooky Town village, I swear it. The smoke and mirrors magic shop is awesome! Put it next to the Phantom Castle and you’ll want to keep it out all year. A walk through the Halloween aisles at Michaels is always rewarding.
Nice to see they are continuing with the blow molds, and the black cat with pumpkin is always a good bet to light up your living room.
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“How do you do, ladies and gentlemen. Once again this is the ghost of Alfred Hitchcock welcoming you back to Granny Creech’s Radio Spot Crypt and Part Two of The Birds. I was thinking that Granny’s nephew, Crazy Gary, would be here to help me introduce these radio spots, but he is over in the corner, cowering in fear after listening to last week’s spots and the ones you are about to hear. He keeps mumbling incoherently and is just a pile of mush at the moment.
“As promised last week, we are now going to feature the radio spots for The Birds that aired on local radio stations prior to and up to the arrival of the movie at the theater. The lobby spots from last week whetted the appetites of theater goers who heard them while they stood in line at the theater. Now, The Birds was here to be seen.
“I hope you enjoy them and that they don’t cause you too much mental anguish. From now on, when you see these little feathered friends of ours flitting past you in the parks or in the streets, just keep telling yourself, ‘It was only a movie, it was only a movie.’ It may help.
“And so, until we meet again, may all your nightmares be pleasant. With that, I bid you adieu.”
Do you have any radio spots you would like to share? Contact Gary (Granny’s nephew) at [email protected].
This double bill pressbook, well, It Came From Hollywood. The Horror of Party Beach kicks some sand into the faces of those wacky beach party movies, having some fun while doing so. In The Curse of the Living Corpse, rich grandpa (okay, I’m taking a bit of license here) comes back from the dead to kill off his relatives who apparently didn’t read the fine print in his will.
Both movies were double billed for balcony-minded teens (or the drive-in types too). In the early days of movies, when the studio system was still viable, you had your A movie usually paired with a B movie, a cartoon, a live stage show, and a newsreel, along with trailers. So double billing wasn’t new. American International Pictures (AIP) took the practice and revived it, and changed it. They made both movies on the double bill equal. They came as a complete package. There was no A or B movie, just two movies advertised equally. That came about more as a defense against television, which was stealing away the audience and locking them up at home. But the pricing scheme and distribution idea worked very well, for both the theaters and AIP.
By 1967 the American theater newsreel was dead since television had the handle on more timely news, and kid shows on the boob tube (I vaguely recall watching Howdy Doody) forced theater cartoons off the screen by the early 1980s. I recall my dad taking me to see a single feature movie (don’t remember which one) and a cartoon popped up, which was a nice surprise. At the end of the cartoon he turned to me and said “I don’t get it. What’s the moral message.” I looked at him. Growing up, for me, and every other kid on the block, moral messages were not a primary goal for watching cartoons. I shrugged my shoulders and we watched the main feature. Sadly, I grew up too. It happens.
Due to the pressbook page sizing, two pages were scanned twice to show tops and bottoms. So no, you’re not seeing double.
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The Horror of Party Beach
and The Curse of the Living Corpse
Double Bill PressbookRead More »
Hitchcock had mentioned the birds rise up against humans because they are fed up with us. Given how badly we’ve messed up the planet, I’m expecting The Birds to become a reality any day now. Much of nature seems to be gunning for us these days. Back in the the 1970s there were a slew of movies depicting how mother nature turned into a mean bitch. From Frogs to Long Weekend to Soylent Green, we’ve been told this story again and again. But Hitchcock makes it pretty terrifying indeed. This 40-plus page pressbook for The Birds is a showman’s dream. Like William Castle, Alfred Hitchcock liked to play pitchman to his movies, and appeared to have fun doing so. The 6 foot standee of Hitchcock in a bird cage is awesome. Now my life won’t be complete until I find one.
ComicRack reader version: Download The Birds Pressbook
Before you fly away, see more pressbooks from Zombos’ Closet.
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Greetings once again…
Crazy Gary here filling in for Granny Creech.
I was working in the Dead Letter Office when I had a brainstorm. Now, Granny would say anything in my brain is a storm, but that’s not what I meant. She had given me a list of the spots she wanted to include during her absence, so I decided to invite an old friend of the Radio Spot Crypt to come and help out. He has had many letters pile up here in the post office so I thought it was time for him to come pick them up and help me out while he was here…sort of killing two birds with one stone, so to speak.
He agreed, and so, I will turn over this week’s introduction to him…
“Hello, ladies and gentlemen, this is the ghost of Alfred Hitchcock. I am delighted to be here once again at Granny Creech’s Radio Spot Crypt. It has been awhile since I was last here, and I am humbled to see the mail response to my last visit when I presented the radio spots to Psycho. This time I shall attempt to go one step further and present spots to what I believe could be the most terrifying motion picture I have ever made: The Birds.
“At the request of Granny Creech’s most capable and somewhat neurotic nephew, Crazy Gary, I have broken down these spots into two offerings: This week I will feature advance and current lobby spots, those delightful little tidbits designed to fill waiting theater patrons with uncontrolled excitement over the arrival of my movie at the theater; the second installment for next week will feature the spots designed to play on various radio stations in the area to alert the theater-going public that The Birds is here.
“And so, without further ado, I, and Crazy Gary, encourage you to check your doors and windows and ensure that your chimney flue is closed as we present the lobby spots for the 1963 release of The Birds. We hope you get a kick out of them.”
Do you have any radio spots you would like to share? Contact Gary (Granny’s nephew) at [email protected].
As noted in The Hammer Vault: Treasures From the Archives of Hammer Films by Marcus Hearn, the Kinematograph Weekly stated “the principal ingredients are sex, revenge, mystery and murder and a talented and attractive cast vigorously churns them into exciting screen chop suey.” Hearn goes on to describe Christopher Lee’s return from a sunny vacation on the first day of shooting causing issues for the makeup team: he had a nice tan. Hammer’s board of directors also delayed the film’s opening date “considering the film to be below par.”
But I like it. I find Lee’s Fu Manchu-like performance (The Face of Fu Manchu followed in 1965), while rightfully questionable today, is still quite fear-inducing.
The film’s U.S. release, care of Columbia, for which it was again billed with Homicidal, had occurred a few months earlier on 15 March (though for some Stateside dates, Tongs played with The Warrior Empress [1960] or Hammer’s Sword of Sherwood Forest [1960], the latter of which must have made for a curious double bill). Hammer Complete: The Films, the Personnel, the Company, Howard Maxford, McFarland
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