The FIFTIES SPECIAL EFFECTS WORK Of RAY HARRYHAUSEN

Today we take a look at the movies Ray Harryhausen worked his magic on in the fifties, and boy, what a great time it was!!.. So, sit back and enjoy the awesome monsters he helped create for us! Ray went on to make many more movies, but, I think the ones from the fifties had the most impact...

After working as an uncredited technician on MIGHTY JOE YOUNG in 1949, Ray assumes the role as lead effects technician on THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS in 1953, all about a dinosaur bought back to life by atomic bomb tests in the Arctic. Unbelievably, I saw this movie in 1953 at age five! What I remembered the most were the scenes with the roller coaster at the amusement park during the climax.

Up next is IT CAME FROM BENEATH THE SEA from 1955, a tale about a giant pentapuss that appears in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Francisco. At the time, I had a huge crush on Faith Domergue, which made it all the more watchable for me!

In 1956, Ray brings us EARTH vs. THE FLYING SAUCERS and blows the competition out of the water!! This is what we were waiting for, an invasion by monsters from outer space!! You get classic flying saucers, awesome robots, death rays, spying orbs and a trip into space!

Then, we get a giant Ymir monster from Venus in 20 MILLION MILES TO EARTH from 1957. I was lucky again to get to see this thrilling movie at the theater at the time, it definitely left a big impression on me! Ray had the best creatures around!

In 1958, Ray goes to England to work on special effects for THE STRANGE WORLD OF PLANET X aka COSMIC MONSTERS starring Forrest Tucker! This flick is so damned whacked out that I love it to pieces!!.. The creepy giant insect scenes are something to behold!

Also in 1958, Ray kicks royal ass with THE 7th VOYAGE OF SINBAD! Holy crap, this movie had it all, an evil sorcerer, a cyclops, a giant bird, a skeleton warrior and other great critters, making for a ton of fun for kids like me! Yeah, I got to see this great movie at the theater at the time too! In other words, I saw three of Ray's fifties movies, what a freakin' lucky kid I was!!

We're back on Wednesday with even more Wild 'n' Weird Dungeon Cargo, just for you!

HOUSE OF DRACULA and Other Scary Real Estate (1945)

Tonight's Saturday Night Special is "House Of Dracula," a Universal classic from 1945! 

Welcome to The Dungeon! Make yourself at home!

Since "House Of Dracula" is such a classic, I'm just assuming you've probably already seen it three or four times or more, so I don't see any good reason to explain much!

"House Of Dracula" literally screams Universal Studios!

At this point in time, one monster wasn't good enough anymore, so you've got Lon Chaney Jr. as The Wolfman!

Glenn Strange as the Frankenstein monster!

And looking quite dapper, John Carradine as Dracula!

But my favourite without a doubt is Jane Adams as the best looking hunchback nurse on the planet!

Jane was also in "The Brute Man" with Rondo Hatton, and played Vicki Vale in the 1949 version of "Batman and Robin!"

And don't forget El Medico Loco himself, the REAL monster, the mad doctor as played by Onslow (The Monster and the Girl, Them!) Stevens!

So as it turns out there have been a whole slew of "House Of..." scary/horror/mystery movies from 1934 to 1976, and even more since then, and it really does turn into a cluster, so here's what I've come up with. I've not included any movies with "The" as the first word or any other descriptive adjectives, just "House Of...." and even that gets a little obscure because so many of these movies have been released and re-released under different titles.

The first "House Of...." movie I could find came out in 1934, and was called "House Of Mystery!" I know it says "The" on the poster, but supposedly the real title was just "House Of Mystery!"

Next was "House Of Frankenstein" in 1944, followed by "House Of Dracula" in 1945! 

 

Next was "House Of Horrors" with Rondo Hatton in 1946! What a krazy poster!

In 1953 we got the classic 3D movie "House Of Wax, and next was "The Two Faces Of Dr. Jekyll" that came out in 1960, and was later released as "House Of Fright!" Also in 1960 was the Roger Corman version of "House Of Usher." In 1963 there was a Mexican movie that translated as "House Of Frights!" Also in 1963, "House Of The Damned" featuring Dungeon hero Richard Kiel came out. This movie also had Lon Chaney Jr. and John Carradine in it together again some 28 years later! In 1965, Jerry Warren released his next P.O.S. titled "House of Black Death!" Then there was "House Of 1000 Dolls" in 1967. Pretty amazing how many of these films have Vincent Price in them! In 1968 there was "House Of Evil" with Boris Karloff!

Then in the 70's, it gets weird, and the bottom drops out of the whole real estate market! Here are some of the reasons I never want to be a landlord! In 1970, the Barnabas Collins feature "House Of Dark Shadows," in 1971 "House Of Insane Women" and I know it says "The" on that handbill,  but it really didn't have "The" in the title! It was also released as "House Of Doom!"

In 1972 "House Of Crazies" escaped the "Asylum!" In 1973, there was "House Of The Living Dead! In 1974 there was "House Of Exorcism," and "House Of Whipcord!"

And just in case "House Of Insane Women" wasn't bad enough for you, the Spaniards came out with "House Of Psychotic Women" in 1976!!

This is a killer poster for "House Of Dracula!

I made you some wallpaper of what you get if you search for Dwrayger Dungeon House! There are also buttloads of movies from the same period out there with names like "House On Bare Mountain," "The House That Would Not Die," "House On The Edge Of The Park," "House On Haunted Hill," "The Haunted House Of Horror," and "Terror In The Haunted House" etc. etc. The list is almost endless if you really need a place to stay!

TABONGA! LAFFS AGAIN!!

It's another rainy Friday, here at The Dungeon! And, what better time for some more Laffs around here, so, I'll turn the microphone over to our Monster Pals...

Well, there you have it, hope you enjoyed the Laffs from our plugged in Monster Pals, check in again tomorrow where Eegah!! will definitely have something special for us...

THE 3D SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY/HORROR MOVIES OF 1953 - 1955

There were eleven Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror films that were released from 1953 to 1955 in 3D. It was probably 3D's finest hour! After you see these titles, I think you'll agree!

In Alpha-Chronological order they are as follows:

CAT-WOMEN OF THE MOON (1953) 

 

  HOUSE OF WAX (1953)
"It Comes Off The Screen Right At You!"

 

IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE (1953)
 Richard Carlson is in three of the eleven 3D movies!
 Most of these cool International posters came from The Wrong Side of the Art, which is probably the best poster resource guide available!

ROBOT MONSTER (1953)  
Seriously, can it get much more electrically thrilling than "Robot Monster?"

THE MAZE (1953)
She really looks like she's about to leap from the screen all right! I believe it!

 

CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON (1954)
This "Creature From The Black Lagoon" poster is totally bizarre!!

 

GOG (1954)
Going backwards or forwards, this "Mechanical Frankenstein"is going to get you!

GORILLA AT LARGE (1954)
"From the highest point of the carnival midway...he unleashes a terror never known by mortal man before!" 

 

MAD MAGICIAN (1954)
Besides Richard Carlson, Vincent Price was the only star in more than one of these 3D movies! He was in two!
This is the coolest poster I've seen in a long time!

 

PHANTOM OF THE RUE MORGUE (1954)
This is the only movie on the list that we have never given a treatment I think. I've even lost track and our search engine doesn't always work correctly unfortunately, but it's free, so I'm not gonna complain!

REVENGE OF THE CREATURE (1955)
The tagline was "ALL-NEW 3-D THRILLS"

The HORROR And SCI-FI MOVIES Of PAUL DUBOV

Today we take a look at the Horror and Sci-fi Movies of one of my favorite character actors, Mr. Paul Dubov. He was also a writer for TV with 16 credits that includes HONEY WEST, THE GREEN HORNET, LOVE, AMERICAN STYLE, MY THREE SONS, MOD SQUAD, THE BRADY BUNCH, WONDER WOMAN, EIGHT IS ENOUGH and BACKSTAIRS AT THE WHITE HOUSE. He also appeared in SCIENCE FICTION THEATRE, ONE STEP BEYOND and THE TWILIGHT ZONE...

We start with THE ATOMIC KID from 1954, Paul only had a small part in this one. Mickey Rooney stars as a uranium prospector in the desert where atom bombs are being tested. He becomes radioactive, and helps the FBI break up an enemy spy ring.

Then, in 1955, Paul scores the role as the radiation infected human, Radek, in Roger Corman's DAY THE WORLD ENDED. The Mutant deep sixes Radek for stealing his meat!

Paul is back in 1956 in the role of Johnny, the arcade guy, in THE SHE-CREATURE. Unfortunately, Paul gets killed by the monster in this one too!

Then, he gets the role of Marcel the greasy owner of the bar in VOODOO WOMAN from 1957. This time, he avoids being killed, but, his partners in crime, Marla English and Lance Fuller, become the victims instead!

Okay, check it out... Paul appears in three movies in a row that have Paul Blaisdell's rubber monsters in them, how many people can make that claim?!!

Then, wow, Paul plays Lt. Milburn in one of my all time favorites, THE ATOMIC SUBMARINE from 1959. And, wouldn't you know it, Paul gets melted by a heat ray inside the saucer and becomes a fortune of war along with the two guys behind Arthur Franz!

Last on the list is SHOCK CORRIDOR from 1963, Paul plays Dr. Menkin in this super weird flick that also stars Peter Breck, Constance Towers, Gene Evans and James Best. Paul appeared in some of the best monster movies from the fifties, he'll always be one of my favorites! Join us again on Wednesday as we continue down the old bloody Dungeon trail...