13 GHOSTS - Von Dexter - "Opening Credits" (1960)

Today is December 13! It's 13 days til X-Mas, if you count today! On the 13th day of X-Mas my true love gave to me, William Castle's 1960 "13 Ghosts" DVD! Here's the opening credits, How lucky can you get? It's a true classic, & the careers of the actors involved reads like a Who's Who of TV and movies. The music was composed by Von Dexter, who had himself quite a run with "House On Haunted Hill", "The Tingler", "13 Ghosts" & "Mr. Sardonicus," then he didn't seem to resurface until 1999! This isn't as much about music as it is about a lot of cool screaming and scary sound effects! 

 13 Burn!

 

13 Book!

 

Martin Milner who was especially creepy in this role went on to do 175 episodes of "Adam-12" among a host of other things. 

 

"13 Ghosts!" SOUNDCLIP NOT AVAILABLE

LAST WOMAN ON EARTH - Ron Stein - "Craps Radio Hotel" (1960)

"Last Woman On Earth" is an interesting film in many aspects, it's just not real interesting to watch. Basically made with only 3 actors in Puerto Rico, why? Because they were there! The extraordinary acting skills of Betsy Jones-Moreland & Anthony Carbone just aren't enough, because there's just something missing in this one, but the swinging sounds supplied by Ron Stein play on mostly in the background, setting the scene in the casino & on the island to good effect! 

In The Casino Island Radio

 Betsy Jones-Moreland is undoubtedly a great choice, if you had to make one, to be the "Last Woman On Earth!" At least that part works for us!!

IL MOSTRO DI VENEZIA (The Embalmer) - Marcello Gigante - "Embalmer Jam" (1965)

Well, nothing quite says X-mas like the words "The Embalmer", so in the true spirit of the holiday season, here's a couple of final pieces from that movie, a long jam of different scenes & another smokin' short piece at the club. You're in for a real treat! This stuff starts off like "Guzanos", just wait til you hear that extra grubby guitar, bass & drums, followed by all those cool horns & strings coming in from different angles, and then...."Hi!" 

 

Embalmed Jam

 ..."Why don't you dance with that pretty girl?" Wow, would we like to hear about a 5 minute version of that song! Sheeesh! You know, some of these composers are so incredible, and at the same time virtually unknown, it really is a shame! So, now that you're informed, lift your glasses high, & let's all have one giant toast to the absolute genius of Marcello Gigante! Ciao!

 Dance With That Pretty Girl

 

CASTLE OF EVIL - Virginia Mayo - "Frankie & Johnny" (1966)

In this eerie little 1966 production, "Castle Of Evil", there's a small segment where Virginia Mayo, the mistress of the dead guy sings "Frankie & Johnny" acappella as kind of an icebreaker. That's followed with an organ piece leading up to the viewing of the body with some interesting dialogue! The music for this film is once again by the amazing Paul Dunlap, who we've talked about here before because of his work on titles like "Angry Red Planet", " I Was A Teenage Frankenstein", "Blood Of Dracula" etc, etc, etc!!! Paul is without a doubt, one of the best! Thanks for the good times! Frankie & Johnny

 Don't know why, but this dead guy Kovic, played by William Thourlby, the original Marlboro Man, sure looks an awful lot like Bill Clinton! 

 

This organ plays itself.

THE GHOST IN THE INVISIBLE BIKINI - Bobby Fuller Four - "The Swing A-Ma Thing" (1966)

The Bobby Fuller Four are really rockin' out on this number, with it's great distorted guitar buzz and smokin' sax! The whole gang is just having SO much fun, it's beyond belief!

 It's The Swing A-Ma Thing!! 

 

What at first glance apparently seems like one big advertisement for Wham-O's next new toy, something that's obviously going to be more popular than the Frisbee or the Hula Hoop in 1966, is in reality a song about the "Swing A-Ma Thing", a toy has never existed outside of this movie. It's an interesting concept, have the kids leave the theatre and want a new toy that doesn't exist. Daddy, I want a "Swing A-ma Thing" for X-mas!!! Wah, Wah!! 

Great, Thanx!! 

 

Functional on any and all parts of the body as evidenced by these photos.

  What the heck is this girl thinking??!!!

IN THE YEAR 2889 - Quinn O'Hara - "The Clincher" (1967)

Larry, Larry, Rah, Rah, Rah!! This creepy little movie is one of Larry's Buchanan's better efforts, I'd say. You've got some real great characters with Mr. Clean Paul Peterson as the chain smoking hero, Hugh Feagin as Mickey, a real believable psycho & Quinn O'Hara, who went from from Sinistra to Jada with Cathy in between in about a year's time, as a stripper. Most of the music in this film is orchestral, but after Jada gets drunk, she decides to show off a little for everyone, but the Captain breaks the record, literally. With rebel Larry's vision, 2889 looks the same as 1967! Way Cool!

 Here's...Jada

 

DEMENTIA - George Antheil - "Opening Credits" (1955)

Surprise, Surprise! Here's the most incredible gift of the season for all you Art Fiends!! There's no place to begin or end when writing about the film "Dementia." It just crosses too many boundaries with the story, the characters, the actors, the musicians & everyone else having anything to do with it! Since there is no dialogue, this movie is 113% music, from the orchestrated theme by George Antheil, combined with the soaring vocals of Marni Nixon, to the super hip jazzy contributions from trumpeter supreme Shorty Rogers and His Giants, all thrown together by Musical Director genius Ernest Gold! For now, here's the music from the opening credits. Seriously consider getting this movie, it is readily available, and you will have the happiest depressing time of your life and your collection won't be complete without it! 

 

DEMENTIA