Here's one of my all time favorite AIP movies. This is the second posting of this great film, the previous featured John Ashley doing his teen idol thing, "You Gotta Have Ee-Ooo," so, search the Dungeon archives to hear that one!
Paul Dunlap has been featured here many times for his musical mastery. Besides this film, he also did the music for both I WAS A TEENAGE WEREWOLF and I WAS A TEENAGE FRANKENSTEIN besides BLOOD OF DRACULA, FRANKENSTEIN 1970, INVISIBLE INVADERS, ANGRY RED PLANET, BLACK ZOO and CASTLE OF EVIL, all of which we've already posted!!
WOW!!.. Look at all that talent there! First is Robert H. Harris as Pete, the studio make-up artist, and, he's definitely a master as you can see! Then, there's Paul Brinegar as Rivero, Pete's assistant. Harris was in INVISIBLE BOY and Brinegar was in THE VAMPIRE!
Gary Conway and Gary Clarke play the monsters.
Two Garys!!.. Conway was the original TEENAGE FRANKENSTEIN and Clarke was in MISSILE TO THE MOON. And, the great Thomas Browne Henry plays the director of the movie they're filming, and, he was in BRAIN FROM PLANET AROUS!
Pete gets the word from the new owners of the studio that the monster cycle is over and they're letting him and Rivero go after their movie finishes shooting. The execs want to do teen romance musicals, after all, that's what everyone wants to see nowadays!
Pete reminences over his creations, then, comes up with a devilish plan for revenge!
Just had to show the shot with that AIP studio arch! Inside, Pete prepares Gary (Larry) with his special zombifying make-up base for the first attack.
What's funny here is that the werewolf's on the screen too!
Security guard Monahan seems to know a little too much, and, he let's Pete know it!..
Bad poker face!!
So, Pete works a little 'movie magic' and surprises Monahan on his rounds and beats him to a pulp with a club, then, retrieves his little black book with all the evidence!
The cops come snooping around, asking about monsters some poeple have seen...
Gary (Tony) gives a small interview to the local press club before Pete sends him out for more murder and mayhem!
The cops zero in on Rivero to Pete's chagrin. Oh, that's Morris Ankrum there doing some of the grilling.
Pete gets paranoid that Rivero is going to spill the beans, so, he puts a blade into him!! The place goes up in flames, killing Pete as the cops arrive.
My big beef with this movie, though, is that they burned up priceless monster heads from Paul Blaisdell's personal collection without his knowledge, knowing that he would have refused lending them out... An unconscienceable act!
Blaisdell was the Man. i'm sure it would have been impressive if he'd been given lots of money to create his effects, but the fact he did what he did with what he had is what's so admirable. better to wish that he'd had more luck...
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