DADDY-O - Dick Contino - "Meet The Beat" (1958)

Since we're starting to run out of real monster movie titles down here in The Dungeon, 2013 is going to be a year that features more rock and roll films from the 50's and 60's, like "Shake, Rattle & Rock!," "Carnival Rock," "Hootenanny Hoot," "Hold On," and tonight's special feature, oh, yeah, it's "Daddy-O!" So put your dancing shoes on, it's time to rock!

"Daddy-O" is an unfairly maligned film about hot cars, hot chicks, hot music, murder, mayhem, drug running, and drag racing! It's been ridiculed by the MST crew and only has a 1.6 rating on IMDB, but I'd watch it again instead of 99% of the drivel that is produced today, and the music is better than 100% of any rap music I've ever heard, so what's that tell you? I say it's a conspiracy put together by historians to sell you the garbage produced today, but for me, I'm going to get back inside my time machine, and set the date for 1958 when life was simpler and better! (Side Note: Check out that tagline "Meet The Beat" - Now if that's wasn't groundbreaking, I don't know what is! It would be 6 years later that the Fab Four would add a mere three letters, and have one of the most popular albums of all time with "Meet The Beatles!)

The music is smokin' and the joint is jumpin' down at the Rainbow Gardens!

This is the shining star of "Daddy-O!" From the "raisin capital of the world," Fresno, California, here's world famous accordionist Dick Contino as truck drivin' man Phil Sandifer! As far as I know, Dick is still rockin' it to this day!

The red-hot blonde Jana Ryan all up in Daddy-O's business is Sandra (Lost, Lonely And Vicious) Giles from where else would you be from if you looked like that, but Hooker, Oklahoma!

Daddy-O is asked to come up on stage and join the band to sing a rousin' little number called "Rock Candy Baby!" To this day, it remains a mystery why Dick wore his pants up around his mid section, a look nobody else has ever decided to capitalize on!

Two of the sleazier minions of the bar are the incredible Bruno VeSota as Sidney Chillas, and his nearly blind bodyguard, Jack McClure as Bruce Green!

Daddy-O gets suckered into a race with Jana that sets the scene for all kinds of bad things to happen to him!

If you've got access to a cool location like the "Tail Of The Pup" hot dog stand, use it!!

How about some credit for the under appreciated people responsible for dressing out this scene? A watering can, a couple of poles, a mop, a can of paint, and a lawn chair! Wow!!

Bruce could probably see a lot better if he would just open his eyes!

I know of at least one other film besides this one where Bruno VeSota gets a rub down, maybe it was something in his contract!  Bruno VeSota possibly has the coolest list of credits of any actor on record, having appeared in "The Wild One," "Dementia," "Carnival Rock," "The Undead," "Rock All Night," "Hot Car Girl," "A Bucket Of Blood," "The Wasp Woman," "Attack Of The Giant Leeches," "The Devil's Hand," "Invasion Of The Star Creatures," etc. The list goes on and on, and Bruno only lived to be 54! Simply amazing!!

Sidney Chillas is opening up his own club, and makes Daddy-O an offer he can't resist, if he will perform there for him on a regular basis!!

Daddy-O performs another hot number called "Wait Til I Get You Home!"

The room is filled to it's maximum capacity, and the crowd goes wild!!! There wouldn't be this much musical excitement in a movie again until one year later when Don Sullivan performs "I Ain't Made That Way"  in "The Giant Gila Monster!"

No money was spared in order to bring you action scenes like this!!

Daddy-O has a run-in with a couple of Sidney's henchmen when things start turning sour! The one little guy looks like he's about 14 years old!

Sandra sure looks extra hot when her hair's all mussed up and she's got that hair over one eye, Veronica Lake look!

Everybody but Jana had lost faith in Daddy-O including the cops, but he proves to them all what a solid cat he really is!!

In the beginning, it didn't seem like they were much suited for each other at all, but in the end, what a happy couple Phil and Jana turn out to be!!

If you want to see  Dick Contino doing  his amazing accordion thing, be sure to check out some of the various clips you can watch on Youtube like this performance at The Cotati Accordian Festival in 2008! Go, Dick, Go!!!

TERROR OF THE BLOODHUNTERS / Warren Productions - 1962

It's the first post of 2013 with Tabonga, here at The Dungeon!.. There comes a time with Jerry Warren flicks when one just finally blows your head gasket, this seems to be what happened to Eegah!! after he viewed this little Jerry gem! My moment came with CURSE OF THE STONE HAND...

Eegah!! sent us over a soundclip that sez pretty much how he feels about this movie, soooo, let's check it out! Push the big red 'GO' button over there, NOW, Rufus The Gnat! Here's the weirdest soundclip we've ever put up... TERROR OF THE BLOODHUNTERS!

It all starts with boring dialogue with lame jungle dancing and drums, what else, it's Jerry Warren...

The story's about two new prisoners, played by Robert (THE MAN FROM PLANET X) Clarke and William (THE HIDEOUS SUN DEMON) White, on Devil's Island, who make their escape with the help of the commandant's daughter played by Dorothy Haney. Their plans are ruined when they have to make their way through deep jungles and fight off snakes, big spiders, disease and bloodhunters! Robert plays artist Steve Duval.

Okay, now hold that pose!.. This was Dorothy's only role, ever, probably for good reason.

I dig this stock footage shot!

They make their escape and head for the main port, then find out that everything has to be cleared by a friend of her dad. The shot of the official behind the off kilter panel has an eerie resemblance to the scene in the Sheriff's office in TEENAGE ZOMBIES!

So, they end up hoofing it through the jungle to reach their destination...

The Commandant's lackeys go out looking for the three escapees. Here they are on the river in some action shots as they search the countryside! Just think crickets!..

It seems like wherever they turn, they're being assulted by jungle Hell! Where are the cops when you really need 'em?!

Jerry was a super-genius when it came to blending his shots with the stock footage!

An easy way to create chaos with the natives is to burn their shacks to the ground!

We'll end the fun with these last two action shots from the Warren pitcher factory!..

CARRY ON SCREAMING - Ray Pilgrim - "Cause When You're Screaming, I Know You're Dreaming Of Me" (1966)

So what say we bid adieu to 2012, and set the stage for 2013 with a film that fits this dank dungeun to a tee! It's not exactly a great movie, but it's plenty weird, and it's got an amazingly cool theme song, so what more do you want for nothing? From the year of 1966, here's "Carry On Screaming!"

That theme for "Carry On Screaming" was written by Myles Rudge and Ted Dicks, and was performed by Ray Pilgrim, and if you don't know who Ray Pilgrim is, you're missing out on some rich musical history! According to Ray's website, he was one of the most prolific big band singers of the late 50's and early 60's in the UK, and around 1958, he was the lead singer in a band called, "The Earthquakers!" He was also in a few other groups like the Typhoons, The Starlings, The Jaybirds and Beatmen, and guys today like Richard Cheese would be nowhere without him! Ray only became a singer to make enough money to be able to go to school and get a degree in economics! After he accomplished that goal, he gave up show business and became a money-making suit in the upper management of a large company! He came out of retirement once to sing the theme to "Carry On Screaming!" Go to Ray's site to read the whole story, and see some neat pictures too!

"Carry On Screaming " is just one in a series of 31 "Carry On" parody flicks made between the years 1959 and 1992 by Producer Peter Rogers and Director Gerald Thomas!  The first one was titled "Carry On Sergeant" and the last one was called "Carry On Columbus" with titles like "Carry On Up The Jungle," Carry On Teacher," Carry On Cowboy," and Carry On Spying," and a couple of "Carry On Christmas" TV specials in between! Each and every Carry On film was made to satirize something, and "Carry On Screaming" was intended to be a satire of Hammer films!

Harry H. Corbett in his only Carry On film, as Detective Sergeant Sidney Bung, and his wife Joan (22 other Carry On Flicks and TV shows such as "Carry On Doctor") Sims as Emily Bung, have less than a stellar marriage! In fact, he'll do almost anything just to get away from her and her chronic annoying bitching!

Doris, The woman screaming in the top picture was kidnapped as her boyfriend and her were spooning in the woods, and some kind of broken off finger was left behind as a clue for Detective Bung and his cohort, Peter (at least 17 other Carry On features like "Carry On Camping") Butterworth, as Detective Constable Slobotham, to try and decipher!

The two detectives and Doris's boyfriend Jim (10 other Carry On films like "Carry On Cabby") Dale as Albert Potter, follow the clues to this rest home!

The eyes behind that hollow painting that are watching the boys, belong to the lovely Fenella Fielding as Valeria Watt! Fenella was only in one other Carry on movie, "Carry On Regardless," but of course you'll also remember Fenella for her memorable role as Morgana Femm in "The Old Dark House" with Tom Poston!!

Valeria's charms curl the toes of even the strongest of men, including the 6'7" man servant  Sockett, as played by Bernard Bresslaw, who was in 17 other Carry On flicks including "Carry On In The Legion!"

Valeria's brother Dr. Orlando Watt has to be brought back to life to deal with the situation! Dr. Watt was played by Kenneth Williams who was in at least 23 other Carry On features including "Carry On Jack," "Carry On Loving," and "Carry On Behind!!!"

Tom Clegg as the monster Oddbod was in another five Carry On shows like "Carry On Cleo!" He is also smitten by Valeria's beauty! I still haven't figured out why he doesn't have a neck!

Charles Hawtrey as the character Dan Dann lives in a basement like dwelling and knows all his neighbors by their undergarments!  Charles was also in 24 other Carry On motion pictures including "Carry On Constable," and "Carry On Nurse!"

By examining the severed finger, it is determined by a Dr. Fettle that the creature is of the mythical  species Homo Gargantuas!

Using electric current, Dr. Fettle accidently reconstitutes a naked and mangy looking Oddbod Junior! Billy Cornelius in the role of Junior was in nine other Carry On movies like "Carry On Dick," and "Carry On Henry The VIII!"

The plot thickens like figgy pudding when the detectives determine that Doris has been turned into a mannequin, after being identified by a mark on her derriere! Angela Douglas as Doris was in three other Carry On flicks, one of them being "Carry On...Up The Khyber!"

Valeria is so smoking hot that when she asks Detective Bung if he minds if she smokes, she literally does!!

Valeria cons Detective Bung into drinking some potion that turns him into a Hyde-like creature temporarily!

When he returns home to Mrs. Bung, she doesn't even really notice that he's now a monster, and just gives him a ration of shit for not combing his hair and taking care of his teeth properly!

In order to lure Oddbod out into the open, they dress up Detective Slobotham as a woman, and take him out into the woods, but Detective Bung's wife, who is now very suspicious of his activities, follows them and gets kidnapped and turned into a mannequin herself!

It's a big mess at the end when Slobotham also gets kidnapped and almost  gets waxed too! Doris gets rescued and brought back to life before the whole operation falls apart, and Dr. Watt and Valeria's evil operation is finally discombuberated!

Valeria is rehabilitated and given a second chance in Detective Bung's home!

As luck would have it, Mrs. Bung accidentally never gets revived and remains a mannequin much to Detective Bung's chagrin! Right!! It's not horrible, it's not hilarious, it's not really good, but it's not too bad, and you can get "Carry On Screaming" from Sinister Cinema for a reasonable price! 2013 is going to be fraught with weirdness down here in the Dungeon, so stick around,  I assure you, it's only going to get worse!! Carry On...2013!!