THE INVISIBLE MAN / Catch Me If You Can! - 1933

We start this week with the Universal production of, The Invisible Man... Working in Dr. Cranley's laboratory, scientist Jack Griffin was always given the latitude to conduct some of his own experiments. His sudden departure, however, has Cranley's daughter Flora worried about him. The scientist has taken a room at the nearby Lion's Head Inn, hoping to reverse an experiment he conducted on himself that made him invisible. Unfortunately, the drug he used has also warped his mind, making him aggressive and dangerous.

It stars Claude (PHANTOM OF THE OPERA) Rains, Gloria (THE OLD DARK HOUSE) Stuart, William (FRANCIS COVERS THE BIG TOWN) Harrigan, Henry (DEATH TAKES A HOLIDAY) Travers, Una (BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN) O'Connor and Forrester (THE INVISIBLE MAN RETURNS) Harvey.

A mysterious man (Griffin) shows up at The Lion's Head Inn, he wants a room... As he's taken to his room, the other people at the inn begin to try and figure out what's going on. Is this person a criminal running from the law, is he ill, etc.

Mrs. Hall takes some mustard up to the guest, unannounced, and sees something very weird that she cannot understand. Griffin had part of his face unwrapped when she popped in...

At the lab where Griffin works, Dr. Cranley speaks with his assistant, Dr. Kemp, and his daughter, Flora, about the absence of Griffiin. Has he taken one of his experiments too far?..

Some time has passed now and Griffin seems to be losing it. He pushes Mrs. Hall out of his room and causes her to spill her tray. She tells her hubby to tell him to leave, he's late on the rent and is acting like a maniac. He then tosses Mr. Hall down the stairs after getting upset!

So, a policeman and some locals go to Griffin's room to get some answers...

And boy do they get a big surprise!!

Invisible, Griffin leaves the inn and goes to Dr, Kemp's place and forces him to help. Griffin plans a few murders and has Kemp drive him around from place to place... Or, else!!

Flora, who loves Griffin, pays him a visit at Kemp's place and tries to talk some sense into him. But when the police arrive, all bets are off.

Griffin knows that Kemp ratted him out, so, the maniac chokes and ties up the frightened man. He then pushes the car off a cliff with Kemp inside! Jeez, Kemp was a totally innocent victim!

Anyway, a farmer finds Griffin asleep in his barn and calls the cops. They surround the barn and set it on fire. Griffin escapes but is shot by a gunman...

At the hospital, Dr. Cranley and Flora are at his bedside, he doesn't have much time left, he's been shot in the lungs but they cannot operate on an invisible man! And after he tells Flora of his folly, he passes away...

This was only Claude's second movie role! So, check back Wednesday for more, from The Dungeon!!..

UNA SULLl'ALTRA - "One On Top Of The Other" (1969)

It's a Stack 'Em Up Saturday Night Special down here in The Dungeon, and a wild and crazy film directed by Horrormeister Lucio Fulci called "One On Top Of The Other."

I thought it was a pretty stoopid title, but "One On Top Of The Other" is actually a direct translation of the Italian title "Una Sull'altra." In an effort to sell it to as many audiences as possible, it has also been released as "Perversion Story," and "Hot To Trot," none of which make any sense!

Although it's an Italian movie, the exterior shots were mostly all done in California, in San Francisco, and the general bay area.

I thought this looked familiar, the "Dumurrier Clinic" is actually Pebble Beach Golf Resort!

Today, it would cost the entire film budget just to use this place!

Here's the deal! Dr. Dumurrier has a very sick wife, and even though he has this fancysmancy clinic, he can't seem to make her better!

Instead the good Doctor prefers to go spend the night with his girlfriend!

Next thing you know, his wife is dead, and she has left her husband two million dollars. It's more than enough to get his clinic out of hock!

 Normally glamorous Dungeon Queen Faith Domergue has the dour role of Matha/Marta.

Just to make it absolutely clear that this is San Francisco, they hit some of the main local attractions like the crazy curvy Lombard Street......

..........And what would San Francisco be without The Golden Gate Bridge?

At first I kind of doubted it was really San Franciso, but the trolley car and just the fact that all the cars were U.S. makes, made me realize it was true. The interior scenes were shot at Cinecittà Studios in Rome.

The Doctor follows his girlfriend down to the cool little central coast town of San Luis Obispo, and they used the actual train station there.

Before they head back to San Francisco, they go to this casino, and since I used to live in beautiful that area, I can guarantee you that in the 60's, there was not a casino any where near there.

These scenes were shot in Reno, Nevada!

Back to reality, "Varni's Roaring 20's Club" was a real place in San Francisco.

Fun place, lots of balloons and topless girls on swings!

Uh, Oh! What the heck's going on now? A Woman who looks just like the Doctor's dead wife is the main attraction in this strip club. Her hair and eyes are a different color, but other than that........

The Doctor and his girlfriend are seriously dumbfounded by the sight.

The stripper's name is Monica, and she is played by the amazing Marisa (Danger: Diabolik, Super Dragon Secret Agent) Mell.

I  guess I should introduce you to the Doctor and his girlfriend Jane.

Dr. D. was played by Jean (Disorder, Hypnosis, I Spit On Your Grave) Sorel.

Jane Bleeker is played by elegant Elsa ( Blood and Roses, Hatari!) Martinelli.

Monica is also a whore, so the Doctor buys himself a good time while pursuing the mystery. After they're done, she plays solitaire!

You know back in 1969, you couldn't have a studio without at least five bean bag or inflated chairs!

John Ireland's the Detective trying to untangle the whole damn mess!

John's a familiar face around here, having been in "I Saw What You Did," "Satan's Cheerleaders," 

and "Day Of The Nightmare." 

"Una Sull'altra" is a pretty cool movie and one of the taglines is "This film begins where Hitchcock ends," for it's supposed influence from "Vertigo." It's not gory like many of Fulci's films, but it does have it's fair share of sex, if you need something to complain about.

And more than anything else, "Una Sull'altra" has got an excellent, super cool and swingin' soundtrack created by one of my favourite composers, Maestro Riz Ortolani, and if you don't believe me, then listen for yourself! You won't regret it, I guarantee!
A Big Thanx to the Pop Up Sounds.Over-Blog for making the music available!

FLIP THE FROG In "Room Runners" - 1932

Here's a Flip The Frog cartoon where he's trying to sneak out of an hotel without paying the bill. This one is special for one reason, and you'll see why as you scroll down this review!..

Here's the Grand Slam Hotel where Flip is staying... You can see the security cop on his beat.

Flip has packed his bag and is trying to sneak out of the place in the cover of darkness. On his way out, he gets a sneak peek at this gal in a see through nightie going back to her room!

The desk clerk, an old biddy, is sleeping, but Flip makes a bunch of noise and conks her on the head with a spittoon that he gets his foot stuck in. She gets furious when she sees who it is, and reminds him that he still owes the hotel $42! He runs back to his room...

He comes up with plan B and ties his bed sheets together, then tosses them out the window. Then he drops his bag, which lands directly on the cop's head!!

The desk clerk looks through the keyhole to see what Flip's up to. She flips out (ha-ha) and tries to get the door open. When that fails, she resorts to running at the door to break through but the door opens up and she streaks into the room!..

And busts her head through a painting of a nude!!.. Oh, how embarrassing!

The old biddy is at his window, screaming, and the cop is on the sidewalk below, just waiting for him to come down. Looks like he's caught between a rock and a hard place!

So, Flip simply goes through an open window on the middle floor!.. This blows my mind a little, but, Flip decides to see who's in the shower, and just walks right on in!

As short as Flip is, I'm sure he got a good look at her.... Anyway, I'd say that it was well worth a little embarrassment, right Flip?

The cop's looking for Flip, but he seems to be easily distracted from his job. Flip tells him to look through the keyhole, which he does...

Heaven through a keyhole! But, after the gal figures out what's going on, she pokes the cop's eye with a long nail and he makes a hasty retreat!

While chasing Flip, the cop ends up riding a banister down a flight of stairs. He rams the girl's big butt with his feet and it transfers into big boobs, which makes her very happy!

Flip decides to duck out of the hotel during the mayhem. But, he gets hit in the head by a flying telephone, falls onto the arm of the slot machine, and hits the jackpot!

Check out that walk, looks like lots of comic artists later copied that move!

Before he can leave though, the desk clerk wants the money for the bill. So, Flip gives her a spittoon full of coins. She gladly accepts!

Then the cop steps in, he wants a coin too. Flip has no more coins so he does a little magic trick and produces a cigar instead. Flip lights it for him and after a few seconds, the place blows sky high!!

We end with Flip and a guy who needs a tooth pulled (from earlier in the toon) in that gal's room yet again! She gets pissed and takes a swing at Flip, he ducks, and she hits the guy with dental problem in the mouth, knocking the tooth out...

This was obviously made before the censors stepped in. Tune in tomorrow when we'll have something special for you'se... Here, at The Dungeon!..