Monday, November 17, 2008

I WAS A TEENAGE WEREWOLF - Ken Miller/Paul Dunlap - "Well, People Bug Me Too" (1957)

"I Was A Teenage Werewolf" is the definitive reason we started this blog; it was low budget films like this one, "How To Make A Monster," "Blood Of Dracula," and "Frankenstein's Daughter" that featured at least one complete song that defined the era, and this particular flick is the epitome of what we're talkin' bout here!!! We've been saving this one for awhile now, and I didn't think we were ever going to get to it, so before the world implodes, you've still got a chance to see this movie. Well, kinda, why in the heck is it almost impossibly hard to find any Herman Cohen produced films in distribution. Who'd Herman piss off? I'd like to see how many hits Netflix gets for people looking for this movie, and it just ain't hardly out there. I really think it's weird!!!!

Rockin, Rebel, and Scary!! What else could you possibly want?? Eat this psycho pretty boy!!! More weirdness, Tony on Tony! Michael Landon is Tony Rivers, his Foe Jimmy, is played by Tony Marshall!!

Oh, Wow!! Man, is this not like the ultimate 50's home scene, with the uptight beer-drinkin', solitaire-playin' Dad, and the snooty, just sittin' there doing nuthin but knittin' and bitchin' Mom!! How are you doing, Son?? Uh, Swell!! Actually, even though, they really do want to get out of there and go to their club, Arlene played by Yvonne Fedderson, and Tony are really good kids, they get good grades and they don't drink or smoke or fornicate, it's just that, well, Tony has a temper!!!

Kenny Miller as Vic gets the honor of performing the Jerry Blaine and Paul Dunlap classic "Eeny Meeny Miney Moe," and does a great job!! You might remember Ken in his role as one of the little people in "Attack Of The Puppet People," and he also had a part in the Sal Mineo JD classic, "Dino!" If you're lucky, you might still catch him at some movie convention one of these days!! The rest of the cool soundtrack was composed by the amazing Paul Dunlap, who we've written about too many times already!!! "Eeny Meeny Miney and a whole lot Moe"

SOUNDCLIP NOT AVAILABLE

Here, Kenny and Cynthia Chenault as his girlfriend Pearl, break into an almost vaudeville dance routine during the song's instrumental break!! Cynthia was also in "Dino!"

It's a Halloween party, and everybody's having fun scaring each other, then after his song, Ken is guided to go into the door with the bucket of water over it!! He's looking pretty manic himself right here!!

So in return, Vic innocently goes over and blows a noisemaker horn into Tony's ear...........

Pow! I told you Tony had a temper, probably really was a good thing he didn't drink!!!

So, finally, after losing it a number of times, Tony gives in and goes to see the local hypnotist Doctor, who just happens to also be the meanest S.O.B. on the planet!! Whit Bissell does such a fantastic job as the evil bastard doctor in this film, and in "I was A Teenage Frankenstein" that it's really hard to believe that it's not true!! He's that convincing!!! So, just in case you don't know the story, the good Doctor Brandon starts shooting Tony up with crap that turns him into a werewolf, in a effort to make some kind of stupid scientific breakthrough! Right!!

At first the attacks only happen at night, but after leaving the Principal's office, where Tony was congratulated by The Principal for turning his life around since he's been seeing Dr. Brandon, he happens to notice Jimmy's girlfiend Theresa hanging around after school!

A little too much testosterone, and Tony should have never stood that close to that bell..

Director Gene Fowler Jr. shows us the first good clear look at the werewolf, but it's upside down from Theresa's viewpoint!!

Theresa was played by May 1957 Playmate Of The Month, Dawn Richard!

Another classic shot of Whit Bissell, in Herman Cohen's UK features, it was Michael Gough who always got the call as the seemingly nice, but truly inherently cunning and evil character!! They're both very good at it!! To top it all off, this film also included class performances from more great names like Barney Phillps, Joseph Mell and Louise Lewis!!

The Teenage Werewolf has got the biggest and fuzziest pompadour combover ever, only to be outdone by singer, "The White Knight Of Soul", Wayne Cochran!! Find a copy somewhere if you can! When's somebody going to release the definative Herman Collection anyhow??? It's long overdue!!!!!

4 comments:

Prof. Grewbeard said...

Whit Bissell!

sorry, i just like saying...

Whit Bissell!

Greg Goodsell said...

The late Herman Cohen's "proclivities" have been circulating in some circles recently .......

Anonymous said...

I remember watching this when it came on one Saturday afternoon as part of a double feature with I Was A Teenage Frankenstein when I was a kid.Firstly,I was just starting to discover girls,so Dawn Richard got my testosterone going too.Recently I saw pics of her online ftom her Miss May 1957.Well,who wouldn't want to chase that around a gym!

EEGAH!! said...

Yep, she could make any guy howl!

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