YOU ASKED FOR IT - "Episode Six" (1951)

Well, you didn't really ask for it, but you're gonna get it anyway!

Time for another journey down the dusty trail of TV history on this Weird Wednesday in The Dungeon!

 "Television's Greatest All Time Request Show!"

And I believe it's true. I know one thing, I sure looked forward to watching it when I was a kid!

 Lot of puns and lots of funs!

The host of the show from 1951 to 1958 was actor Art Baker. Art's last appearance on the silver screen was as a mortician in "The Wild Angels."

 And all brought to you courtesy of Skippy Peanut Butter, creamy and crunchy!

 "You Ask For It" was just what the name implies. Viewers would mail in questions, and the show would try and give answers. The first question on this particular show was what was faster, an Abacus, also known as a Chinese adding machine dating back centurues, or a modern electric adding machine!

 These were the equations presented to the contestants!

 The modern adding machine that looks antique by today's standards won the contest by a mere six seconds!

 The next question posed was if the show would expose the faker spiritualist mediums that were bilking the public out of 125 million dollars a year!

The old "switcheroo" like with this blackboard was one of several things exposed!

Another was this horn-like device that could make the medium's disguised voice sound like it was coming from different parts of the room!

 Life used to be so simple!!

The next question was "I have heard of calypso singers and dancers from Tinidad who can make up a song or a dance about any subject at all, but I'm never seen them, are there any in this country?"

 So out come Calypso Joe and Coco-Te, who the host says introduced American theatre to Calypso!

 Coco-Te sings a song with lyrics like "Oh, the atom bomb make big explosion, let's hope it's not for world destruction, we've got to have peace and harmony, so our children have peace and prosperity!"

 Believe it or not, but it is total coincidence that Tabonga just wrote up a calypso movie!

 "If you like peanuts, you'll love Skippy!"

 Virginia Hull from Salt Lake City sent in the last question for this show, and it's a good one!

"My husband says that wrestlers are just big gorillas with a lot of muscles and no brains, but I just think he's just plain jealous and I tell him so, but I'm asking to see one of my favorites do something on your show that takes brains outside of the ring"

 So for this segment, they bring out one of the most famous wrestlers of all time, Gorgeous George to do some card tricks, and he's pretty good!

 Years ago I read that in the 50's, Gorgeous George was the main reason that people bought TV sets!

That's how popular or unpopular, however you want to look at it, that he was!

You can find lots of episodes like this one on the always cool Internet Archive,

and there are also episodes that have Bela Lugosi and Lon Chaney Jr. on them, and it's all free!

You can't lose!!

CALYPSO HEAT WAVE / From The Producers Of ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK! - 1957

Here's a wild little movie produced by Sam Katzman that goes like this... It's going well at Disco Records, their singer Johnny Conroy is popular and publicity chief Marty Collins does a great job, and, Marty's in love with company boss Mack Adams. Everything changes though when Barney Pearl shows up.

Sam katzman produced 421 movies that include A FACE IN THE FOG, EAST SIDE KIDS, INVISIBLE GHOST, SPOOKS RUN WILD, THE CORPSE VANISHES, THE APE MAN, VOODOO MAN, RETURN OF THE APE MAN, SUPERMAN (1948), MARK OF THE GORILLA, ATOM MAN vs, SUPERMAN, CAPTAIN VIDEO, MASTER OF THE STRATOSPHERE, VOODOO TIGER, THE LOST PLANET, CANNIBAL ATTACK, JUNGLE MOON MEN, IT CAME FROM BENEATH THE SEA, CREATURE WITH THE ATOM BRAIN, ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK, THE WEREWOLF, EARTH vs, THE FLYING SAUCERS, ZOMBIES OF MORA TAU, THE MAN WHO TURNED TO STONE, THE NIGHT THE WORLD EXPLODED, THE GIANT CLAW, TWIST AROUND THE CLOCK, HARUM SCARUM, HOT RODS TO HELL, RIOT ON SUNSET STRIP and many more, whew!!

This one stars Johnny Desmond, who was a singer, song writer, author and actor, Merry (THE HYPNOTIC EYE) Anders, Meg (SATAN IN HIGH HEELS) Myles, Paul (THE SNOW CREATURE) Langton and Joel (THE OUTER LIMITS) Grey.

Here are some of the acts appearing in the flick...

What the Hell's a Tarrier, should be The Terriers, mon!

Here's Johnny Conroy, primo singer at Disco Records. He's belting out another hit for the company at the recording studio. notice the teenage fans watching there in the back.

This is Mona DeLuce, she's the girlfriend of mobbed-up jukebox operator, Barney Pearl. She wants to sing and make records, but Barney just wants her to shut up about her dreams.

Johnny shows off his dancing chops in the hallway. Looks like he punched himself in the face!

Then, Mona goes to Disco Records and tells the talent scout, Alex, that she wants to make records for the company... Alex is captivated by this exotic lady!

Night clubs are starting to book increasingly popular Calypso bands like The Treniers..

But, things get a little rocky when Barney Pearl decides he wants to get into the recording business. He talks with his new partner, Mack Adams, about changing things around at his studio. And, he wants to change the name to Pearl Records. Barney's accountant gives out his figures on the deal.

In the meantime, Mona and Alex have been making recordings at Mona's flat. They invite Mack to come and listen as they record yet another hit...

Mona belts out a sultry song as Alex holds the mic for her. Mack is totally amazed at the lady's talent and agrees to produce her album for the company.

Then it happens, Mack and Barney have a falling out. Barney tells Mack that he will make sure that NONE of their tunes will ever be played on any of his juke boxes, and storms away!

Mack has been producing Calypso songs for his company, and Barney gets hot under the collar when he reads about the increasing popularity of Calypso.

So, the Calypso gang hold a carnival of music at Bixby Hall for their avid fans.

Barney shows up to cause more trouble. But, the tables are turned when Mack plays a recording of Barney threatening him about his juke boxes. In fact they tell him that they are ready to contact the FCC and the FBI if he doesn't back off! Barney leaves the room with his tail between his legs...

Well then, it's time to celebrate! Instead of 'The End' it says... "DAT'S ALL, MON!"

Here's the album on Coral Records of the tunes from the movie, Eegah!! could tell us what's it's worth since vinyl is in his wheel house! And, Eegah!! will be here on Wednesday with our first post in September. Hopefully we'll all survive until then, here at The Dungeon!!..

ETOILE - "Ballet" (1989)

 It was"Opera" on Wednesday and to round out my week of classical horror, tonight's Saturday Night Special is "Ballet," so dig out your best duds, have a couple or martinis or break out a good bottle of champagne, and let's get this show rolling!

 The original title was "Etoile" but in the UK and the U.S.A. it was released as "Ballet."

 Whatever you want to call it, this movie might as well be called Jennifer Connelly, because to me, that's what it's really about, and that's just fine with me!

In this film Jennifer is a dancer named Claire Hamilton who has come to Europe to audition for a show!

The auditions are really tough, and when her name gets called, she gets cold feet, and decides to not even show up!

While mulling over the whole situation.....

.......She meets a young man who is in the business of helping his Uncle buy antique clocks cheap, and then resell them to make a buck!

Jennifer was only fifteen when she appeared in Dario Argento's "Phenomena."
She was only sixteen when she appeared with David Bowie in my favourite fantasy film, "Labyrinth," and she was only nineteen when "Etoile" was made!
All that and she still wasn't even old enough to drink a beer yet!

There is a lot of strange energy in the air, and Claire is about to find herself in the middle of it!

The young man that she has met that has taken a fancy to her is Gary McCleery as Jason Forrest! Gary wouldn't act again for twenty-one years!
After this role, I don't blame him!

After getting some weird flowers delivered to her room with a card that says "To Natalie," Claire decides to check out and go back home to New York where it's not so creepy!

But instead of her real name, she signs a ledger as Natalie Horvath. The next thing you know a car is there to take her away........and she goes!

In between time, Jason is trying to figure out just what in the Hell is going on!

He spots Claire, but when he catches up with her, she doesn't know who he is, and she doesn't know who Claire is!

Natalie has taken over full time now!

Natalie and Jason make love, and she's just about to dispose of him when......

Finally, there's a grand performance of "Swan Lake" in a rundown theatre with nobody there, and a full house at the same time!

So just what in the Hell is going on here, because I watched the movie, and I sure don't know.
See, this is the reason I watch cartoons and wrasslin', or something that makes sense!

I guess if you want to call it that, there IS a monster in this movie. It's a gigantic black swan that is pissed off about something, like it's not getting it's cut!

After a battle royale with a gigantic swan, it's pretty easy to identify with Jason's confusion!

Draw the curtain! Show's over kids!