ROCKET ATTACK U.S.A. - Unknown Musicians - "In A Russian Club" (1961)

Wow!! And I mean it!! Barry Mahon made three movies in 1961, a Dungeon fave, "The Dead One", "Pagan Island", and this film "Rocket Attack U.S.A.!" This one might just be the weirdest of the three, even the music credits only say "RFT Music Pub. Co."

Now why would Bakersfield born Barry Mahon write, direct, and produce a movie that was basically a strategically released cold war propaganda film, and then have to turn to making soft core porn for most of the rest of his career? It's not that difficult to understand when you know that Barry was a World War II fighter pilot for the British Royal Air Force before being shot down and taken prisoner. Not all P.O.W.'s go on to have glorious careers, but Barry was a very patriotic American, just the same, & I'm sure he thought this story needed to be told because he probably thought it was a very real threat, what was going on with Sputnik & ICBM's etc, but then, after that, it was probably psychologically, a whole hell of a lot easier, to just make cheesy little sex movies!

Here, John McKay waits in the little Russian club, not looking the least bit suspicious, but wondering what he's going to do after they finish this movie!

This "KACE" Klub has loads of entertainment with a rockin' band that plays all night long, and lovely dancers like this!!! I have to admit, the girl in the background, looks pretty bored, like she's seen this act a few times before!

I think that's the girl you're supposed to make kontact with John, and she's also the only one in the whole place paying any attention to you!

Oh, Great, bring on the dancing fire eater, this is turning into a regular Russian luau, and the band plays on with even more vigor!!

Is this place really worth guarding??

Well, I don't know what else you would want it to be!!!! Marge!! Get out the entrenching tool and the tequila, it's time to start working on the fallout shelter again!!!

NIGHT OF THE DEMON aka CURSE OF THE DEMON / Sabre Film Productions - 1957 / Music by Clifton Parker

Well, here's another Sunday evening, time for another CLASSIC movie from the fantastic '50s! I outta know, I was there!.. In fact, I saw this gem when it came out and its still one of the best!!

NIGHT OF THE DEMON is the original British title, the movie was made in Britain. When released in the USA, 12 minutes was trimmed off and the title was changed to CURSE OF THE DEMON. Columbia video released the 95 minute uncut British print as 'CURSE' in the '80s either as a new 'longer' version or out of stupidity!! Take your choice...

This will be a first and last time we feature Mr. Clifton Parker for music in a monster movie!.. This is the only one he did!! But, he did work on 6 episodes of WALT DISNEY and did some cool movies like THE HELLFIRE CLUB and MYSTERY SUBMARINE!! So, here's something we like to call around here... Curse Of Night Of The Demon! Funny thing, there are no runes at Stonehenge!!

This film starts out with a wallop!! Then, you don't really see the demon in all it's glory again until the end, but, who cares?! You do get a glimpse, though, half way through, as our unbelieving hero is chased through the woods at night by a ball of smoke and light!.. It totally scares the bejeezers out of him, too!! Anyway, the message is clear, beware the ancient runes, and, whatever you do, do not make fun of the devil!!

Also, The Demon was on the cover of Eegah!! and Tabonga's 1964 self published Monster Magazine, DWRAYGER DUNGEON #1!!

Here's one for you!.. Did you know that Howard Hughes designed The Constellation airliner for TWA?!.. So, in the plane, on his way to England, Dana Andrews acts like a typical American ass and gets the attention and ire of Peggy Cummins! They find out later that he was on the way to England to see her uncle!.. You know, the guy with the car that gets killed at the beginning!! Once he gets into town, Dana gets the scoop on local demons and devil worship!

Here are two great stills of the fireball as it harrasses Dana in those creepy old woods!

Okay, here's why the American version is 12 minutes shorter! They cut the entire seance scene!!.. No wonder, its freaking embarrassing!! Anyway, I totally prefer the American version without that!! YOW!!.. See if you agree, its part of the sound clip tonight!!

Dana cleverly hands back the parchment to bad guy Karswell at the end, and, then, Karswell really gets it good!! The last still shows the demon literally tearing him to shreads as the train flies by!!

...AWESOME!!!

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!!