THE VAMPIRE'S COFFIN (El Ataúd del Vampiro) - Gustavo César Carrión - "From The Depths Of Evil" (1958)

The 1958 Mexican film,"El Ataúd del Vampiro" or "The Vampire's Coffin" was Abel Salazar's follow-up to 1957's "The Vampire," and preceded his acting and production work in "Brainiac" by four years!

Now you don't have to be some kind of genius to figure out this next series of events. Fine actor Germán Robles as Count Karol de Lavud is decked out in all his Vampire duds staring in the almost empty cafe' window.

This gal looks out at him, basically doesn't think anything about it and leaves the place, strolling down the dark and empty alley with a smile. The jukebox plays on in the background!

Now what did you think was going to happen??

Ariadna Welter stars as entertainer Marta González!

Count Karol de Lavud thinks she is hot!!

We've written about the music of Gustavo César Carrión before, because of his work on the "Blue Demon" films and "El Baron Del Terror!" In this film his dramatic pieces are great and the swingin' arrangements are even better!

Abel Salazar had an unmistakable look for sure, and he sits here and looks at the show for quite a while in this film!

Nice guy vampire Count tries to kidnap Marta during the show and then blame the whole thing on his henchman sidekick Baraza played by Yerye Beirute, who ain't going for it!!!

The Baron gets what's coming to him in the end, just like some dirty little fly on the wall!! Oh, too bad!!! It's okay, he really had it coming!! Mexican Shish-Ka-Bat! It's what's for dinner!!

TWO ON A GUILLOTINE - The Condors - Max Steiner - Connie Stevens - "Scream Baby" (1965)

This Friday's special treat is still yet another incredible film that was not even near my radar, from 1965, entitled "Two On A Guillotine." Whatever you have to do, this movie must be searched out by any true lover of the genre, and 60's Pop Schtick in general for a number of reasons, so where do you want to start?

Not so weird a role for Cesar Romero as magician John Harley 'Duke' Duquesne! What a great guy and what a great Madman played to raised eyebrow perfection!

Okay, this movie stars one our favorite 60's blondes, Cricket from "Hawaiian Eye" and not a person you normally associate with terror, cute as a button, Connie Stevens as Duke's wife and daughter! Her Co-star is 'How many Disney movies did he make' Dean Jones, which is also a very strange out of context horror role for him too!

Now, I'm thinking Director William Conrad must have had quite a sense of humour, and he knew all about the best things big and small, because at the beginning of the film, he used Richard Kiel as an unnamed guy in a suit at a funeral. Like the man who played the awe-inspiring and almighty "Eegah" isn't going to stand out at 7 foot 2 inches tall in a small crowd!

So Cool! They have the reading of the will on the stage at The Hollywood Bowl!!

Actor/director extraordinaire William Conrad was born September 27, 1920, and moved on in 1994! He was a big man in more than one way, physically, although he was only 5' 7 1/2" tall, and the body of work he left behind is above reproach!! He had the best voice, and did so much narration work including "The Rocky & Bullwinkle Show" just as an example! Here's Bill in a cameo role as a guy in the mirrored rooms part of The Funhouse and the sounds of an era and a California left behind! "P.O.P."

Now, we're just starting to get warmed up, and here's the real reason why we're so excited about tonight's film! A couple of years ago the multi-facected and multi-talented Spike Priggen over at the Bedazzled blog, introduced me to the wonderful world of Scopitones. I bought a couple of DVD's from him as you all should too! The first Scopitone I ever saw was a song called "Ain't That Just Like Me" by The Condors. It's the 60's classic you never heard that should have been played on the radio in between Cannibal & The Headhunters and Sham The Sham over and over. Not only all that, The Condors are also a pair of the coolest looking and dancin' dudes to ever walk the planet, and I'm almost sure that Outkast lifted their "Uunnhh" for "Hey Ya" from this song, so, I searched and I searched to find more music by The Condors to no avail until last week. Tabonga had purchased some more movies for your pleasure and he told me after watching this one, that it had a band in it, something like The Isley Brothers. So.... In this film, after Connie and Dean have had a full day of fun at the long defunct P.O.P or Pacific Ocean Parkway, Dean suggests that they go someplace to have a nice quiet dinner and talk.

Uh Oh, William Conrad's in charge, so Bam, instead of a quiet diner, they end up in this rowdy club with this incredible band playing something that sounds like another classic, say, something like a cross between "What'd I Say?" & Bunker Hill's "Hide & Seek," and as the camera pans through the dancers and around the room, and finally stops on the band, I screamed, It's the freakin' Condors!!!!I couldn't believe it!! So here's where it was, for you unlucky late cats, it was The fabulous Condors with "Go Baby!!!" Hopefully somebody will release this fim so you can feel it yourself!!

And let me just say, This is probably the singular most funky piece of music in a film since damn near ever!! Period!

Connie and Dean were two of the chosen few to see these cats perform, and they look like they're diggin' it!!!!!!!

I don't know where The Condors came from & I don't know where they went, but if you were ever lucky enough to see them perform live, I envy you!!!

Back to big and small, here Bill Conrad uses the world famous midget actor Billy Curtis in the role of the owner and bartender of "Big Mike's" bar. Billy was in a zillion movies including "The Terror Of Tiny Town" and "The Wizard Of Oz" all the way into the 80's when he passed away!! Check out the sign on the wall for "Dwarf's Bourbon!"

In the end, Connie's Dad does come back to life, but he thinks she's her mother, his wife, well, you can imagine, it gets pretty weird! Here's Connie listening to her Mother sing the very familiar Cole Porter tune "What Is This Thing Called Love?" and a few more goodies!

I'm thinking Connie set some kind of record with the number of screams she did in this film! Find a decent copy if you can!! Go Baby!!

THE TERROR / Filmgroup - 1963 / Music by Ron Stein and Les Baxter

- THURSDAYS WITH TABONGA -

Ladies and gremlins, Dungeon Main Man... MR. BORIS KARLOFF!

This music by Ron Stein and Les Baxter (uncredited) sound pretty creepy, but flick is boring and contrived! Give listen to... The Terror, The Terror! Story by Leo Gordon and Jack Hill!

Okay, so Jack is fancy French officer and he get lost and fall down in ocean!.. (?) Later he wake up looking at big face of witch Dorothy Neumann who in also THE UNDEAD and THE GHOST OF DRAGSTRIP HOLLOW. Anyway, scare Jack and make him jump! Then she bring out big bird (Helene) and scare his ass 'gain!! After that he look over at Jonathan (Seymour Krelboin) Haze and Jonathan do that to him!!!

For reason nobody know, ghost Helene (big bird) like to flirt with Jack. In real life, Jack married to Sandra Knight when make this flick.

Jack finally find his way to castle of Boris... Boris not really like him. Other Dungeon favorite Dick (Walter Paisley) Miller there as Boris dapper butler! Boris tell him to keep eye on Jack, he too nosy. Helene is ghost wife of Boris and things gettin' all tangled up!

Dick not happy camper here!..
Hmmm, maybe Tabonga look pretty cool with scarf too!

This part too weird for even Tabonga!! Okay, Jonathan get eye claw out by Helene as big bird, then he stumble off side of cliff and plummet onto rocks! Jack run down to check and guess what?!!!... Jonathan still alive and he mumbling to Jack!!!!... WHAT IN HELL GIVES?!!!

Dummy look sooo bad!!

Tabonga guess he kinda see why Jack like Sandra!

This great, she beating up Boris!

But... Then... This!!!

Goodnight everbloody!!

PHARAOH'S CURSE - Les Baxter - "The Curse" (1957)

Well, "The Curse" seems to be working pretty dang good around these parts, right about now.

Just in case there is the slightest possibility you didn't notice, this is a "Bel-Air" production!!!!

The DVD of "Pharaoh's Curse" that Tabonga scored from a street vendor in Cairo, wouldn't play much past the five minute mark, so we can't give you all the musical thrills and pictures you and this picture deserve!

No thanx to modern technology, the Internet connection in my cave is intermittent at best until I can get some help out here, so what that all adds up to, is this quick post of the theme from the classic 1957 film, "Pharaoh's Curse!" It stands alone with an excellent soundtrack by the almighty Les Baxter! I can't imagine, what would these movies have done without him??

The real wild west, except for the fact that it's in the east, where still to this day, in certain areas, you shoot first and ask questions later!

AAAAAAAaaaaaahhhhhh!!!! Saw this for the first time in "Famous Monsters Of Filmland" magazine!!!!

What's sad is, if you search for "Pharaoh's Curse" today on the mighty Internet that can provide essential details to each and every subject available, you get this!!! Now that, my friends, is SCARY!!!