THE SPACE CHILDREN - Van Cleave - "The Theme" (1958)

What a great movie "The Space Children" is, and it's definitely at the top of the list of 'films I need to watch again real soon,' and should also be on yours, and here's the reasons why!!!! 

 

Director Jack Arnold put out an unprecedented and amazing array of films in the 50's with titles like "It Came From Outer Space", "This Island Earth", "Tarantula" and "The Amazing Shrinking Man" to name a few before becoming a major TV director who, among other things produced and directed a large number of "Gilligan's Island" episodes. Sadly Jack left this planet back in 1992, but his legacy will be forever remembered through his massive body of work!!! 

 

"The Space Children" is a veritable pile of acting talent too big to detail, but here's a few choice tidbits! Just to start off with, we have Peggy Webber of "Screaming Skull" fame, and veteran heavy Adam Williams! 

 

In the backseat, on the left there's Johnny Crawford of "The Rifleman" as Ken Brewster, here in a very early role, and on the right, child actor Michel Ray who quit acting in 1964, was a member of the 1968 UK Olympic Ski Team, and in 2002 inherited over 50% of the Heineken Beer empire worth over 4 billion dollars! Hey Mike, we love your work, man, if you ever need any help with anything!!! 

 

The set is sparse but ingenious, set up some trailers on the coast! Sweet!! 

 

And to round out this cast of wonders, first off, smoking a cigarette, you've got the Professor from "Gilligan's Island" Russell Johnson in the weird role as the abusive stepfather. Then, you've got Uncle Fester Jackie Coogan in a straight role as Hank Johnson! There's Ty Hardin as 'The Sentry' who would go on to have his own cowboy TV show as "Bronco Layne," and child star Sandy Descher discovered at the age of 3! The list goes on and on! What a cast!! 

 

The excellent theme is the product of the Maestro Van Cleave!

(Ikarie XB 1) aka VOYAGE TO THE END OF THE UNIVERSE / Czechoslovia - 1963 / Music by Zdenek Liska

Tabonga in Town!!.. Wow, great noise tonight! Real 'outta space' style. End part, excellent!.. Czech dude Liska, out there! So, here is theme and other unearthly sounds!.. UNIVERSE NEVER END!!

 Tabonga calculate that Hollywood today have to spend $500,000,000 to make same flick as this!! 

 

Not really need drugs in future!! 

 

Stupidest robot Tabonga ever meet! One time, we get in big argument over who smarter, metal or wood! He insult Tabonga, and, so, he end up broken in dumpster!! 

 

Hey, Ralphie, look, they're purifying our urine!!.. Man, that's gross!!

 Kids, eat SPACE CHEX for breakfast, and you, too, can fly a rocket, like me! 

 

Hey, what going on here?!.. Hmmm... Tabonga think they probably scheduling hair appointment! 

 

Uh, help, Mr. Wizard!.. I don't wanna be space dude no more!!!

THE GHOST IN THE INVISIBLE BIKINI - Les Baxter - "Ending Credits" (1966)

I used to think that when we got down to the last of these movies and posts that we'd end it with all 'ending credits' music, but now this thing has gone so much further than expected, I'm just going to interject them as it winds down. So, tonight is the ending credits from "The Ghost In The Invisible Bikini," a nifty little instrumental pop number from one of the masters, Les Baxter!!

 Hit it Boys!!!

 Just ask almost anyone, and they will all give you the same story, Mr. Karloff was always a gentleman and a scholar, no matter what they asked him to do!! 

 

So, the movie might suck, but is this a cool room, or what?? 

 

Okay, everybody, you're all professionals, so let's get this group photo done, everyone say Cheese!! 

 

These crazy guys are on their way over to the next surf movie!! 

 

Proof postive once again, that ghosts really do exist!!

THE BLACK SCORPION / Amex Productions 1957 / Music by Paul Sawtell

"HE'LL GET YOU SCARED STIFF!!"

 Rodan here... Music conductor, Paul Sawtell, had done it all by the time he did THE BLACK SCORPION. His career would end 10 years later in 1967. He has already contributed to many of our postings, do a search on him!.. So, here's the theme, followed by some romantic mood music with clever banter, and, even more! Now...BIG, UGLY SCORPIONS!! 

 

Mara Corday looks great, especially with that cig! In fact, she'll be featured again soon in another Sunday classic... TARANTULA!

 Richard Denning, looking suave... One time at a Hollywood party, Richard was there with his wife, Evelyn Ankers. She was almost always paired with Lon, Jr. as the studio (Universal) thought they were a good match on screen. Well, Lon intensly hated her, so, at this party, Lon threw his drink in Richard's face! It was doubtful that Rich would have retaliated against a big, snockered dude like Lon!!.. I know I wouldn't! Daaammnn!!

 When they break this little critter out of this rock, it sounds like it needs some oil! 

 

Great, my wife leaves me, and, now... THIS!!

 The special effects guys used crab shells, parts and pieces to make this very scary face for close-ups! Also, it drooled!!

 Wow, who knew Mexico had such a futuristic look in the '50s?! 

 

TIME TO START SCREAMING!!!

 One hell of a stunt!.. I wonder if they got a 'bump?' 

 

Instead of fighting, they should just split it!! 

 

Eyeballs twitch and jaws move on this slobbering monstrosity! 

 

Yep, believe it or not, that gizmo there is all it takes to bring down old 'grandaddy' scorpion!.. Unfortunately, the 'I'm with stupid' dummy in the middle grabs it while its electrified and does a pretty shocking dying act!.. What a maroon!!

  Oh, yeah, keeping with the theme, here's a drawing of THE BLACK SCORPION by our pal, Gary Wray. He thinks that some girl in New Jersey bought it!

QUEEN OF OUTER SPACE - Marlin Skiles - "You Heard What The Babe Said" (1958)

Director Edward Bernds was such an amazing cat, having directed all those Stooges, Bowery Boys, and Blondie features and shorts, and also crossing over to give us some most interesting films in the Science Fiction genre too, like "Spacemaster X-7","World Without End", and "Queen Of Outer Space"!!!  

 Composer Marlin Skiles is all over the place as is appropriate, having worked with Edward Bernds on many a Bowery Boys film, and much more! 

 

Another picturesque postcard from space, having a wonderful time here on Venus, it's like Nirvana, wish you were here! 

 

Character actor Dave Willock gets all the good lines in this film, and this shot gives you a good taste of where this movie is going! 

 

Captain Eric Fleming thinks the mask is pretty sexy at this point, but doesn't realize it has a dual purpose! They say Laurie Mitchell as the Queen was quite the good sport in this role! 

 

That dual purpose would be to hide her ugly radioactive burnt mug, and what does he have to say, "Sorry!" Nice going Captain!! "For that you will die!" 

 

Beauty queens were cast for the Queen's posse for their amazon qualities! 

 

If any country on earth has a nuclear facility that looks like this, we're all really in trouble!!! 

 

Recently, it dawned on me how much this movie actually looks and moves like a "Three Stooges" episode. This crazy fight scene might have come from Jerry Warren's "Batwoman," it's that silly!! 

 

In Tom Weaver's interview with Edward Bernds, Ed tells him how Zsa Zsa almost gave him ulcers she was so hard to work with, and that he couldn't watch the film, because he could never understand why Zsa Zsa would be the only one on the planet with an accent! I also read that she had a hard time even delivering her lines because she thought she was too good to to talk to anyone, even on the set!

DEMENTIA (Daughter Of Horror) - George Antheil - Shorty Rogers - "Wig City" and more (1955)

"Dementia" or "Daughter Of Horror" or whatever you want to call it, is the coolest beat-noir film ever, and it is so full of music, we've written about it twice already, so check the archives for a ton of more info, and in case you missed it the first time, here's a link to a great review written in 2004 from our buddy over at the now defunct flickhead blog..

"Dementia" The Flickhead Film Review! 

 

The medallion is where it all starts!! 

 

The first club they take you too has this dancer and some Cool Exotic Jazz to go with it!

 

I have no doubt that someday the Bruno Vesota bio movie will be made with Jack Black in the lead role! 

 

This is Bruno VeSota's wife Jebbie as the flower girl! Who they get to play her in his bio is going to be anybody's guess! How about Jessica Alba? 

 

So, you're watching this movie, and you have no idea how you got here, and now it's time for a rehearsal! 

 

Shorty Rogers and The Giants, the name alone lets you know these were the guys who understood the tongue in cheek humour of the whole deal! 

 

As The Chambers Brothers would later say, "Now the time has come", so here you go, Shorty Rogers and The Giants with "Wig City", one of, if not, the coolest tunes ever used in a movie!! Period!!! 

 

The hands really do tell the whole story!!! 

 

So, here's the deal! If you are hip enough to know what's happening in this film, then you are really, really going to dig it! If you watch this movie and don't have a clue what's going on, then you're going to hate it! It's that simple!! Mandatory viewing for all true jazz aficionados and artistes! For once in your life, experience the real thing, for this is truly untarnished Art! 

 

The original master of stand up comedy, Shelley Berman is one wacked out cool Daddy-O!!!