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Tarzan’s Deadly Silence (1970) Pressbook

I vaguely remember watching this two-episodes (1966) Tarzan story on television when it originally aired. This pressbook is for the movie that was made combining the two episodes (sans all those commercials of course). It was released in the U.S., then UK, Italy, Greece, Yugoslavia, Brazil, Denmark, France, and Finland, to give you an idea how just two episodes from a television series can generate more residual money, though I don’t think Ron Ely saw much of it. He was a perfect fit in Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze, but that film was near unwatchable due to a bizarre and failed attempt at camp humor, a too-low budget, and poorly directed acting; dealing the pulp superhero, who preceded Superman, a bum deal. Ironically, with a finer touch and adult but smart script, Pal would have neatly presaged Raiders of the Lost Ark. Numerous attempts to reignite a Doc Savage movie have occurred over the years, with names like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Dwayne ‘the Rock’ Johnson associated with playing the lead. (Pressbook courtesy of It Came From Hollywood.)

Tarzan played by Ron Ely pressbook

Tap Dancing to Hell and a Pot o’Gold Part 1
The Living and the Dead
Castle of Blood (1964)

Castle_of_blood.jpg

Do to an issue with Google still showing my older posts after I removed my typepad blog, I will be reposting some posts through wordpress to kick the search engine in the ass a bit. 

 

Zombos Says: Very Good

“More hot chocolate please,” I said to Chef Machiavelli.

He put down the large and very sharp looking knife he was using to fillet the eel for his incredible eel livornese and refilled my cup. His hot chocolate is exquisite; filled with little lumps of white vanilla, a little anisette, and lots of dark, sweet
chocolate. It’s the perfect warmer-upper. I was sitting in the kitchen waiting for the plumber to find the problem with our recalcitrant boiler. He was sure taking his time.

“I will take a cup, too,” said Zombos joining us to bask in the warmth coming from the brick oven. “I wonder what’s taking the plumber so long.”

“You did give him the map?” I asked.

“Yes, of course. I do not want to lose another plumber down there. They are skittish as it is. Lucky for us this fellow is new.” He sipped his hot chocolate.

It was so hard trying to get plumbers to come out to the mansion; even harder keeping them once they saw our basement. The labyrinthine passages and rooms below us would give even Erik, the poor suffering Phantom of the Paris Opera, a run for his money.

While we waited, I looked at the long, gleaming knife Chef Machiavelli was using. I found it fascinating that a sharp implement can slice through atoms and molecules, severing their tenuous connections so easily—and the whole concept of self-sharpening was beyond me.

“How is the time doing?” asked Zombos.

We looked at our watches.

“Merda!” cursed Chef Machiavelli. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his eel-skin wallet. He handed Zombos five dollars.

“I’m still good,” I said as Zombos tucked the fiver into his shirt pocket with a grin.

“We will see about that,” he said.

We had placed bets on when the plumber would be done and Chef Machiavelli’s chosen time had passed. I was still on target, though. I crossed my fingers. I really hate losing a bet to Zombos: he was rich enough.

“This wagering reminds me of that horror movie, Castle of Blood, where the journalist bets he can stay in a haunted castle for the night,” I said.

“I remember that movie.” Zombos sipped his hot chocolate. “Barbara Steele is in it.”

“Yes, and gamboling fog as the journalist enters the Poor Devil Inn—how apropos,” I continued. “When he comes upon the table where Edgar Allan Poe (Silvano Tranquilli) and the owner of the haunted castle are discussing the reality of the supernatural, he can’t help but listen and take the wager of staying overnight in that place where no one has survived the stay. Soon they’re off to the castle and the journalist’s misadventure with the undead begins.”

Harry Thomas the Monster Maker

On a recent visit to Professor Kinema‘s archives, I pulled out a folder labelled ‘Harry Thomas’. We tend to love the monsters makeup and special effects artists make, but forget to show the love for the artists just as much. So here’s the Prof’s photos and an interview excerpt (the first three pages) from Filmfax magazine (issue 21) with Harry Thomas. Any monsterkid will recognize the movies that Thomas worked on, which include Superman vs the Mole Men, Cat-Women of the Moon, Killers from Space, The Little Shop of Horrors, and the list goes on. Head over to the Movie Monster Museum ( https://moviemonstermuseum.com/harry_thomas_web_page.htm) to learn more about him.

Harry Thomas makeup man holding photograph of alien from Killers from Space.

The Mind Benders (1963) Pressbook

Another AIP pressbook courtesy of It Came From Hollywood, The Mind Benders was released on a double-bill with Operation Bikini. The movie fit the 1960s zeitgeist with elements of the Soviet Union, brainwashing, sensory deprivation, and spy secrets. TV Guide‘s review, dated 2014 (cited in Wikipedia’s article) noted: “a strange movie that leaves a deeper impression than one might expect due to the originality of the plot and the tense direction. It is the direct predecessor of Altered States.” On the seat-selling slants page they recommend suspending a mannequin from the theater marquee, dressed in a scuba diver’s outfit. Ah, the fun creative days of movie promotion without memes and social machines.

The Mind Benders 1963 Movie Pressbook page

Darkest Africa (1936) Pressbook

Norma Desmond got it wrong. It wasn’t the pictures that got smaller, the pressbooks did. Clyde Beatty’s Darkest Africa serial pressbook measures 12 inches by 24 inches, with stiff cardstock for the covers that are in gorgeous color. At 16 pages it isn’t the longest pressbook out there page-wise, but boy, it does pack a wallop to promote the serial to the theater managers. Clyde Beatty liked getting lost in the jungle and this was Republic Pictures first serial. The Bat-Men were the first to use the special flying effects that Republic would continue to improve in future serials, notably 1941’s The Adventures of Captain Marvel. Stock footage of Clyde Beatty’s Lost in the Jungle made it into this serial. Beatty’s name was sellable enough that he, along with Crash Corrigan (Undersea Kingdom) and Ray Mala (Robinson Crusoe of Clipper Island) played under his own name. One of six jungle pics for Republic, an envisioned sequence would have had our hero dealing with giant centipedes and arachnids in the Cavern of the Scaly Ones, in episode two (cited from Valley of the Cliffhangers by Jack Mathis). Also from the Mathis book, see the rundown on Beatty’s animal bits for the serial, below. Download larger images: Darkest Africa Pressbook

Darkest Africa 1936 movie pressbook cover

Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959)
Movie Radio Spots

Journey to the Center of the Earth movie showing characters.

 

Hello, lovers of old movie radio spots…

The Witchwood Cemetery had a rummage sale the other day to raise money to purchase additional land (people are just dying to get in there!). Anyways, I was just browsing the tables when I came across an old Dell movie comic for a film I hadn’t thought of in a long time. It was December, 1959, when 20th Century Fox offered something different to movie goers. Up until then, science fiction movies had been concentrating on things “out there” in the vastness of space: where we could go, or who – or what – could come to visit or invade us. So, it was a nice change to turn our vision inward as Fox released Jules Verne’s 1864 epic thriller, Journey to the Center of the Earth.

Journey to the Center of the Earth movie showing dinosaursAs I remember it was quite a cinematic adventure, with great special effects, grand sets and vistas, and what many call the most realistic use of  fin-backed lizards representing dinosaurs to be pictured on the screen. The music, by famed composer Bernard Herrmann, was awesome, too. Featuring a great cast, including James Mason, Arlene Dahl, teen heartthrob Pat Boone (minus his white bucks), Diane Baker, Peter Ronson, Thayer David (who can forget him in Dark Shadows?),  and Gertrude the duck,  moviegoers were believably transported to an underground world where sights hitherto unseen by man were presented. It was pure escapist adventure.

I went digging through my musty boxes and found the old record that was sent to theaters to promote the movie on the radio. The ten spots included here are excellent and capture the excitement of the film.

Are you ready…to don your spelunking gear and begin your Journey to the Center of the Earth?

Hollywood Thrill-Makers (1954) Pressbook

Robert L. Lippert went for the cheaper productions and at a good time too. Hollywood was producing fewer movies overall due to television’s growing downward pull on box office receipts, as well as the population shifting to the suburbs, which left city theaters with more unfilled seats. Lippert’s movies played the drive-ins and lesser theaters and were cheap enough to turn a good profit. In 1951, Lippert released Superman and the Mole Men, the first feature film (there were the Kirk Allen serials) to star George Reeves, kicked off the successful television series. Allen regretted turning down the role for the tv series that made Reeves America’s Superman of the 1950s and 60s. Lippert became the U.S. distributor for Exclusive Films, which later became Hammer Films. He had a lucrative run up until Hammer moved the distribution to major studios. Lippert’s pressbooks were usually not many pages and contained poster art and some promotional information. Thanks to It Came From Hollywood for this copy.

Hollywood Thrill-Makers 1954 Pressbook

Dante’s Inferno (1935) Pressbook

TCM, in their notes section for Dante’s Inferno (1935), states that Spencer Tracy “agreed to have his name eliminated from advertising and publicity regarding the film and from the opening screen credits.” He said it was the worst picture made anywhere, anytime. Variety did like the ten minutes of Hell, though. I haven’t seen the movie so can’t say either way, but this pressbook is awesome and cost a lot of money to print. It is 15.5 inches by 21.5 inches and lots of pages crammed with promotional information. There’s also a translucent red plastic sheet that was inserted into the pressbook, but not sure what that was for. (You will need a large screen to view this beauty online.) One other note from TCM citing the Hollywood Reporter: the movie was delayed due to the need to manufacture small articles of clothing for thousands of devils so the “purity squad’ wouldn’t be offended. Download the pressbook images here: Dante’s Inferno 1935 Pressbook

Dante's Inferno 1935 movie pressbook

La Jungle en Feu (1945) Pressbook

I recently picked this pressbook (more like two-sided large sheet) for La Jungle en Feu. The poster art is gorgeous and has that propaganda-style of idealized imagery.  Luciano (Arturo de Córdova) has a strong dislike of women. Guess where that goes when Estrella (Dolores del Rio) enters the part of the jungle the guys hang out in. Click the images to enlarge or download.

La Jungle en Feu movie poster art.

La Jungle en Feu movie poster art.

La Jungle en Feu movie poster art.

Dorian Gray (1970) Pressbook

Oscar Wilde’s novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, has been made into many movies. The earliest surviving version, according to IMDb, is one from 1915, where the sins of Dorian center mostly on cocaine use. This updated 1970 version by AIP amps up the sexual aspects of Wilde’s novel, with Dorian’s descent reflecting the more daring social and cinematic atmosphere of the 1970s as influenced by the sexual revolution that began in the 1960s.  AIP’s pressbooks tended to focus on ad mats for newspapers, posters and lobbies for theaters, then maybe a page or two devoted to exploitation and movie and actor details. They also printed on one side of the sheet, so contained blank pages. The teaser ads are especially psychedelic even without color. (courtesy of It Came From Hollywood)

AIP Dorian Gray 1970 movie pressbook page