Strait-Jacket (1964)

Lucy (Joan Crawford) is sent to an insane asylum after catching her younger husband in bed with another woman. She caught them with an axe. Twenty years later, she is released and stays with her daughter (Diane Baker), who witnessed the murder as a small child. Lucy has difficulties adjusting.

Baker is quite charming as Lucy’s daughter. She would appear in the Hitchcock film Marnie the same year. A young Lee Majors plays the philandering husband in his first credited role. His role was short and got shorter. Us oldies remember him fondly as Steve Austin, astronaut. A man barely alive. We can rebuild him, so long as we find the head. At 85, the dude is still acting. Maybe he really is bionic. George Kennedy pays a farm hand.

Two years after What Ever Happened to Baby Jane, Joan must have known she had no business being in this low budget schlocky thriller. But she had reinvented her career twice before by switching genres, so kudos to her for taking chances. Not sure it worked out all that well for her this time. She would appear in only four more feature films, ending with the amazing train wreck Trog.

And Crawford didn’t miss the opportunity to pitch product. A six-pack of Pepsi is conspicuously visible in one scene and the role of the asylum doctor went to Michael Cox, Vice President of Public Relations for Pepsi-Cola. It is his only screen credit.

Strait-Jacket is no better of a production than any other William Castle film, but lacks the playful nature of his earlier work. Crawford puts in a full effort, but the material lets her down. And if you didn’t guess the twist during the first act, you weren’t paying attention. AMRU 2.5.

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)

Chick and Wilbur (Bud and Lou) operate a shipping company and Lawrence Talbot (Lon Chaney Jr.) urges them not to deliver two crates. Why? Because Dracula and Frankenstein’s monster (Bela Lugosi and Glenn Strange) are inside them. Spoiler alert. There’s more going on involving an evil scientist and Dracula’s plan with the monster, but really this is an excuse for the boys to clown around and act scared.

I watched and enjoyed The Abbott and Costello Show after school at some point, but if you are unfamiliar, Bud would boss Lou around and Lou would act silly and screw up. Basically a Moe/Curly relationship. I started this film a couple years ago but was put off by the mean-spirited nature of the comedy. I didn’t have that objection this time but never found myself laughing.

I remember hearing that Chaney once said that Bud and Lou made a mockery of the horror genre, but I can’t find a source for that. Times had changed, though. The self serious gothic horror of the depression simply didn't play during post-war optimism. I’m sure Chaney didn’t mind cashing the check.

This was the second and last time Lugosi would play Dracula, although he would occasionally play the character in everything but name. This would also be his last project with Universal. Glenn Strange is sometimes thought of as the Shemp of Frankenstein, having replaced the icon Boris Karloff for House of Frankenstein. At 6’5”, he best fit the physique of an imposing monster. He will forever be identified by his three performances (the NY Times used his picture in monster makeup for Karloff’s obituary) but he appeared in 266 feature films, many of them westerns.

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein isn't at all scary, not particularly funny, and they don't meet Frankenstein. It's interesting mostly because of Lugosi’s performance, still at the top of his game. Perhaps I'm a little generous with a score of 3.0.

Witchfinder General (1968)

or The Conqueror Worm.

While civil war rages in England, Lawyer Matthew Hopkins (Vincent Price) travels around offering his services to extract confessions from people accused of witchcraft.

Hopkins is assisted by Stearne (Robert Russell) who does the tortuous dirty work while Hopkins concerns himself with securing payment and listening to the arguments of the accused back in his bedchambers, specifically the young ladies. It’s tough work.

Director Michael Reeves didn’t get along with Price, whose casting was insisted by AIP. They also changed the title in America to confuse it with the Corman/Poe films. This was Reeves third film and tragically his last. His trajectory went from poor, to middling, to pretty good. Some excellent films may have been in his future. He died of an accidental overdose at 25. And so it goes.

Very loosely based on the Historical Matthew Hopkins, this film serves as an excellent portrayal of the evil perpetrated by those convinced of their righteousness. Known for his theatrical, almost campy horror performances, Price was uncharacteristically menacing. Disturbingly so. He was, in a way, cast against type.

Witchfinder General’s use of mannered acting and dialog attempts to import a “Look, I’m a legit historical biopic” vibe when clearly it’s not. But this fair revenge story is elevated by Price’s performance and some story elements not seen in films of the time. AMRU 3.5.

Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)

Creepy Dr. Mirakle (Bela Lugosi) has a trained ape and a nefarious plan that involves a young, pretty woman.

Very loosely based on the Edgar Allan Poe story, it keeps many of the elements but replaces the narrative. Instead of a detective trying to solve a series of murders, it’s a boyfriend medical student trying to protect his love. And, in retrospect, I don’t think anyone figured out what Dr. Mirakle’s plan actually was, but it appeared to involve ape/lady sexy time.

Communicating who characters are and what their relationship is is a basic task of storytelling. This was not expertly accomplished here, not that it mattered much. The only purpose for any character outside of hero, villain, and damsel in distress is for them to have someone to talk to. A bigger annoyance was the complete lack of a score. Dracula had no score, so why not.

Erik the Ape was a chimp in close-ups and a man in a shabby gorilla suit in longer shots, which wasn't too convincing. I’ve noted before that early horror films were enamored with gorillas. And, like today, many of them were portrayed by old friend Charles Gemora. Also here in a “blink and you’ll miss him” role is our favorite non-Indian Iron Eyes Cody. Us old people remember him best as the Crying Indian.

Murders in the Rue Morgue contains some serious pre-code violence and themes, nineteen minutes of which were cut, which I presume are lost. It's remarkable for that and a classic Lugosi performance, but stretches of it were quite dull. Luckily it was barely an hour long. AMRU 3.

Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972)

Dr. Phibes (Vincent Price) returns with a plan to revive his departed Victoria (Caroline Munro) that involves Egypt and the River of Life. Unfortunately he discovers that his mansion was destroyed and his precious Egyptian papyrus stolen. So, he recalls faithful assistant Vulnavia and heads to Egypt. Voice-over narration retcons the first film so that this one could happen.

Did you want more Phibes? Because you got more Phibes. Lots of him. You even have his lair, replete with organ and clockwork musicians, slightly dressed up to appear like it’s inside an Egyptian tomb. And Phibes now has a nemesis but they share very little screen time. They mostly follow parallel stories that converge in the end.

Valli Kemp substitutes in for the pregnant Virginia North as Vulnavia, and if it were more than a while since you saw the first film, you might not notice. Let’s for a moment appreciate the name Vulnavia. So evocative. Caroline Munro returns as Victoria, again uncredited. She spends most of her time in a box. Peter Cushing and Terry-Thomas make cameos.

The way Phibes repeatedly says her name (and Victoria’s) was both irritating and opens the question as to the nature of their relationship. Studio in-fighting caused scenes to be deleted, which required Price to record additional dialog to explain the story (even though he wasn’t hooked up to his Victrola).

Dr. Phibes Rises Again is dragged down by the added exposition. This and the lack of someone for Phibes to directly interact with spoils the film's better moments. And the principal conflict just isn’t as compelling. It has the bones of a worthy sequel, but still a half step below. AMRU 3.

South Pacific (1958)

On an island in the South Pacific during World War II, pretty nurse Nellie (Mitzi Gaynor) falls in love with a rich French expatriate. He would be instrumental in a dangerous mission that could turn the tide of the war. I hope he agrees to help.

But this is a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical so there is a whole lot more going on, not limited to tedious musical numbers. There’s sexy lieu-tellen (John Kerr, no relation) who’s not on a mission, who says he is? And my favorite maritimer Billis (Ray Walston) who wants to visit the island Bali Ha’i for, you know, women. Jersey girl Juanita Hall reprised her role from the stage as Islander Bloody Mary. Figuring she was too old to sing, they dubbed her singing voice. In fact many of the actors had their singing voices dubbed, sounding comically different than their speaking voice.

The theme here is prejudice, highlighted by the song “You've Got To Be Carefully Taught”. The film features references to two interracial relationships, quite progressive for the fifties. Unfortunately, the depiction of south pacific natives was very 1950’s. You win some, you lose some.

Silly and dated, South Pacific is a somewhat amusing romp that holds your interest, particularly if you are a fan of musicals. It was as huge a success on the screen as it was on the stage. I found it a bit tedious at times, but it was nice to learn the origin of the songs my mom used to sing when she was being silly. AMRU 3.5.

What Else I Watched, 2024Q3

Catch me If You Can (2002)
Con man (Leonardo DiCaprio) masquerades as a pilot, surgeon, lawyer, and more while the feds try to track him down. Very entertaining movie and I should have seen it sooner. The story is complete fiction, but that doesn’t matter. It’s a wonderfully fanciful tale craftily done. AMRU 4.

Past Lives (2023)
I rewatched it with friends and they were underwhelmed, to say the least. I had modest expectations when I first saw it and I apparently oversold it to them. I gave it a 4.5 last time. Might need to downgrade that a bit.

The Angels' Share (2012)
Scottish hood finds a mentor and learns to appreciate scotch. Tough watch and sometimes hard to understand even with subtitles on. Still, it's worth the effort. AMRU 3.5.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024)
Amusing and predictable addition to the franchise with somehow even more fan service than the previous. I appreciate the Bill Murray cameo and small roles by Annie Potts and Ernie Hudson, but bringing back Walter Peck and even the library administrator was a bit much. The film focuses primarily on Phoebe (Mckenna Grace) which is a good decision. Including Podcast and Lucky felt unnecessary. Patton Oswalt and Kumail Nanjiani appear because they must appear in every nerd franchise on earth. Silly, amusing, and loaded with plot holes. AMRU 3.

Gilda (1946)
Holds up to a second viewing but doesn’t rise to the top of the genre. Interesting story but the characters are unlikable. That’s not necessarily a flaw, but I think we should at least like Rita’s Gilda. The ending is surprisingly abrupt and, man, talk about a red flag relationship.

Film: The Living Record of our Memory (2021)
Long and rambling documentary about film preservation and restoration. For the uninitiated, film degrades over time, particularly if it isn’t stored in ideal conditions. Also, most early films were lost because they weren’t valued after they had their run. What could have been done in 90 minutes was stretched to two hours. Glad I watched, but had to split it up over a couple sessions.

Wild Mountain Tyme (2022)
Irish farmer (Christopher Walken) doesn’t want his son to inherit the family farm because he isn’t married. Son (Jamie Dornan) likes his longtime neighbor (Emily Blunt), but is too damaged to ask her. Based on a stage play and the pretentious dialog sounds it, which contrasts with the beautiful photography. There are several “what the hell are they talking about?” moments, and Walken’s Irish accent borders on a hate crime. Weird and somewhat interesting, but I can't recommend it. AMRU 2.5.

I managed seven "off-brand" films this quarter, but I am finding it hard to find time to watch anything. We'll see how Q4 goes.