THE MAN AND THE MONSTER - Gustavo César Carrión - "El Hombre Y El Monstruo" (1959)

"The Man And The Monster" is an English language version of a Mexican Jekyll & Hyde like motion picture originally titled "El Hombre Y El Monstruo" but instead of chemistry, Satan and music are responsible for the transformation, you know, kind of like Rock N Roll!!!

This movie barely has a chance to get going, and already, you're got Mari Carmen Vela as your first victim!!

Producer, writer, star, and perennial Dungeon Fave, Abel Salazar as Ricardo Souto can't stand to see a perfectly good blond wasted, so he decides to hang around and figure out what's going on!

Enrique Rambal as Samuel Magno, and Martha Roth both give Abel, or as he is known in this English version, Dick Isall, an extra chilly shoulder!!

Enrique/Samuel has some very bad dreams and sells in soul to The Devil in exchange for becoming the 'world's greatest concert pianist!'

There is a price to be paid that he didn't really figure into the deal, one of those tricky little details, like in "Bedazzled!"

Whoa!! Even Mama wasn't expecting that!!

So, WTF? I look like this?? Kind of like a cross between Fredrick March era Mr. Hyde and W.C. Fields, man they must drink a lot of gin in Hell to get a snozz like that!!

He makes another nightly visit! They kept him locked up at first, but that never lasts! What a fantastic look of panic on that gal's face!!

So it's the big finale, everything's cool cause Enrique/Samuel is normal and still almost in the spotlight, and he's not playing the piano, so everything should be fine!!

But then, Uh, Oh, she starts playing the song that affects him and it's all over but the ending credits!

But there's always time for one more of these!!!

Esta Pelicula es muy loco! Composer Gustavo César Carrión, who we've written about many times before is not used that much because the plot is centered around piano music! Catch one if you can, it's a pretty good ride!!!

DESTINATION MOON / George Pal - 1950 / Music by Leith Stevens

Although ROCKETSHIP X-M was first into space in 1950, and was supposed to end up on the Moon, George Pal beat everyone there with the help of his little 'pal,' Woody Woodpecker! Get ready for lots of great stills tonight on Sunday Classics...

One thing different about this space opera... NO WOMEN!

Before getting into the Monster Music part of these Movies and becoming more familiar with the composers, there was one piece that I always thought captured the perfect 'space feel' for me the best, and, Leith Stevens is that composer!

In the late forties, there was only one way to get such an elite project off the ground!.. WOODY WOODPECKER!!

Considering that Woody was part of the Universal family, its hard to believe that, basically, nobody even knows who he is anymore! By the way, LIFE Magazine did an article on DESTINATION MOON.

Woody shows all the viewers just exactly how space travel works!.. Yes, its that simple!!

Before you go to the Moon, well, you have to make the rocket!

There are b/w clips of the different stages of construction of The Spaceship Luna used in the 1960 Mexican flick, CONQUISTADOR DE LA LUNA!

HELP, MR. WIZARD!!

I wish I had one of those in my living room!

Perfect spot for a little levity!

Astronaut trainees get out on the wrong side of the ship!!

The Luna, the greatest spaceship design of the fifties!!

We totally love Chesley Bonestell, too. When I was five, we got some encyclopedias that had a number of his pieces in the 'ASTRONOMY' volume. Next week we have an interesting Bonestell story for another Pal movie.

Classic issue!

Ironic!

Okay, Atlas, hold that pose!!

"We made it all the way back home!"

And, some bonus album covers!!