THE SCI-FI And HORROR MOVIES Of Director HERBERT L. STROCK

It's time to pay some homage to the director who gave us some of our favorite sci-fi and horror movies from the fifties. Besides his work in movies, he also directed 19 episodes of SCIENCE FICTION THEATRE for TV and more..

Here's one they played a lot on local TV in the fifties, it always freaked me out near the end, and loved the magnetized lawnmower in the hardware store. Herb was uncredited for his work on this one as he was an up and coming director in 1953 for this Ivan Tors production.

A year later in 1954 Herb worked as assistant director ( directed by Richard Carlson ) on RIDERS TO THE STARS. This is another movie they played a lot on TV back then. What I remember most is this astronaut that gets toasted by a meteor! Really creepy part for a six year old.

Also in 1954 Herb was the director for GOG, filmed in 3-D, wow! They also played this movie a lot on local TV, soon after it's theatrical release. It had some crazy moments to be sure.

Then in 1957, Herman Cohen called on Herb to direct this all time classic horror flick, can't remember when it played on TV for the first time. Herb stated that he loved working with Whit Bissell, always on time, knew his lines and could play any character he was assigned. The amputated leg was almost considered too shocking for the kids!

The same year he worked on another Cohen movie, BLOOD OF DRACULA. This movie is one crazy murder fest featuring the song "Puppy Love" by Jerry Blaine, who also contributed the song "Eenie Meenie Miny Moe" for I WAS A TEENAGE WEREWOLF.

Cohen called on Herb once again in 1958 to direct one of my favorite movies, HOW TO MAKE A MONSTER. It starred Robert H. Harris as the bad guy, Pete, Paul Brinegar as his helper Rivero, Gary Conway as the Teenage Frankenstein and Gary Clarke as the Teenage Werewolf.

In 1962 Herb directed Lon Chaney in THE DEVIL'S MESSENGER, which has the devil using his rolodex where he has the names of all the souls assigned to Hell. This is one boring movie and comes across as some TWILIGHT ZONE episodes.

Herb even worked for Joseph F. Robertson by directing this insane little movie. Here's some awesome trivia... Burt Reynolds did two screen-tests for the role of the teen character, Paul Lawrence, but his acting was so wooden, Rod Lauren got the part!!! Wild.

In 1980, Herb was assistant director on MONSTROID, which starred James Mitchum, John Carradine, Philip Carey and Anthony Eisley. This cursed film was started in 1971 and it was up to Herb to finish it up. I think I read that Andrea Hartford, the love interest, committed suicide soon after wrapping up the production, over insecurity and being dumped by her lover, so sad!

Last on the list is this sexy horror film also from 1980, based on everyone's favorite novel "Conjure Wife" by Fritz Lieber. It stars Teri Garr, Richard Benjamin and Lana Turner. So, here's our little salute to the fifties monster movie director, Herbert L. Strock.

BIRDS IN A SUITCASE Part 02 (1967-1968)

   This week's Saturday Night Special is Part 02 of "Birds In A Suitcase," a tribute to all the talented and beautiful women who were in "Man In A Suitcase." 

Episode eleven was titled "Dead Man's Shoes," and featured Jayne (Tales From The Crypt) Sofiano as Juliette Crowther, the close friend of a man in deep trouble.

 

Jayne was born in Israel, but she did most of her acting in England, where I assume she still lives today.

 

 

Episode twelve was titled "Find The Lady," and had two international beauties in it. Norma (A Study In Terror) Foster as Angela was born in South Africa. It's really amazing how most of these gals are well into their seventies, and still alive. Norma is one of them.

 

The gal who got the most onscreen time though was Jeanne Roland as the double dealing Francesca. Jeanne was born in Burma, and was in "Curse Of The Mummy's Tomb," and was James Bond's masseuse in "You Only Live Twice," and yes, she's still around too.

Episode thirteen was simply titled "The Bridge," and had Jane Merrow as Annabelle Fenchurch.

 

Jane Merrow's career goes all the way back to the Herbert Lom version of "Phantom Of The Opera," where she played a showgirl, and besides a host of other things, was in the remake of "The Horror At 37,000 Feet" with William Shatner. Jane was still working as of last year, and hopefully will continue long into the future.

Episode fourteen was titled "The Man Who Stood Still," and highlighted the talents of Jeanna L'Esty as the lovely Leocadia Iglesias.
 

If you appear on one show fifty times, it only counts as one credit, so despite the fact that Jeanna has only five credits to her name, she was on "Man In A Suitcase" twice. Those cool spit curl sideburns make Jeanna look like she is from some exotic place, but she was born in Middlesex, England. She is also alive and kicking today at the age of 74.

Episode 15 was titled "Burden Of Proof," and co-stars Nicola Pagett as the wife of a diplomat in some deep, deep trouble!

Nicola was born in Cairo, Egypt, and is very elegant looking, so it's no wonder she was chosen for the starring role in a 1977 TV mini series called "Anna Karenina." Sadly, I have to tell you that Nicola passed away just six months ago at the age of 75.

Explosive episode sixteen was called "The Whisper" and had Sheila (The Curse Of The Werewolf) Brennan in it as the wife of an African plantation owner with some personality problems.

Sheila is of Irish descent, and should be about 90 years old these days.

 

Episode seventeen was titled "Why They Killed Nolan," and features Nike Arrighi as Angela Cunliffe, the young girlfriend of a married man.
 

Nike was born in France, and was in  some cool flicks like "The Devil Rides Out," "Day For Night," "Countess Dracula," and "The Perfume Of The Lady In Black." She just turned 74 a couple of months ago.

Episode eighteen titled "The Boston Square" is almost entirely devoid of female characters, although at the beginning there is a brief appearance by Alexandra (Prehistoric Women) Stevenson, as a secretary. An internet search for Alexandra comes up with zero biographical information unless you think she was a former professional tennis player born in 1980, or twelve years after this show was made.

Later on there is an even briefer appearance by Jeanna L'Esty as a stewardess. As you'll recall, Jeanna also appeared in episode number fourteen, but in a much larger role.

 

 Episode nineteen brings back a couple of  actresses who were in other episodes. Jacqueline Pearce who had a very small part in episode seven is back in a major role as a spy and ex-girlfriend of McGill's.

Wendy Hall who had a fairly big role in episode eight is back in a minuscule role as a hotel receptionist.

Episode twenty titled "Blind Spot" had Felicity Kendal in it as a blind woman.

Felicity Kendal has had a fabulous career, and has had many continuing roles in TV shows like "The Good Life," and "Rosemary And Thyme." She'll be 75 years young today, and I can't think of a better place to end this Part 02 than that! 

Happy Birthday Felicity!

THE THREE STOOGES In "The Three Troubledoers" - 1946

Here's a wild little short with our best pals, The Stooges! Christine McIntyre and Dick Curtis are also there to make the thing even funnier. When you see Dick, he hovers way above the guys, because, he was 6' 3" and played mainly bad guys in westerns, he had 241 acting credits.

The boys, who look like they've been mining, come to the town of Dead Man's Gulch, looks like the population just went down three souls, the Sheriff and his two deputies, all shot by the notorious Badlands Blackie.

The boys go to the blacksmith shop and find Nell there, crying as she works on a horse shoe. She tells them that Blackie has kidnapped her father and is going to kill him unless she accepts Blackie's hand in marriage!

The big guy shows up and starts pushing the boys around because they're not being respectful to him. He grabs Curly's gun belt and tosses it aside, right into the furnace!

The bullets start going off like a firecracker, Blackie gets so confused by the action that he backs out of the shop and falls into a water trough, and runs away.

Curly's holding a smoking pistol when the actual Sheriff shows up and make the knucklehead the acting Sheriff because he's so brave, and Moe and Larry get Deputy badges.

Now that's he's getting $100 a month as Sheriff, Curly asks Nell to marry him, and, she says she will if he can rescue her father!

So, it's time for Curly to bone up on his shooting skills... 'Nuf said?

And, Moe makes a life-sized dummy of Blackie so that Curly can test out his fighting skills. At one point, the dummy stabs Curly in the head with a knife, so he shoots it.

Curly's doing something, and when he turns around, the big dummy is standing there!

Moe and Larry have been in the back room making a bazooka to even the score but it fails, so, Larry decides to hit Blackie in the head before he pulls the trigger. Of course it's a two for one sale today.

Blackie wins this round and Nell wants to get ready for the big day and will come to Blackie's place in Skull Bone Pass before sunset. Before the boys can leave though they have to get that horse collar off of Curly's neck!

The boys ride their 3-seat tandem bike to Blackie's place, a saloon.

Blackie takes Nell to the justice of the peace but the Stooges grab the preacher and takes his clothes and wig, which Curly adorns... To no avail. Curly gets away just before he's shot.

The wedding must go on and one of Blackie's lackeys will perform the ceremony. Blackie needs a ring so he takes it off the finger of one of the dancers. 

The boys get their TNT shooting bazooka ready but it fails again!

Blackie and his pals run outside to find the disrupters, Moe tosses the bazooka down because it still won't work, and it goes off!! The bad guys run into the explosives storage room with a bundle of boom following them!!

The place blows sky high! Then Nell's dad digs himself out of the wreckage (that's where they were hiding him) and she tells him that she's going to marry Curly for saving the day. The blacksmith gets a look at Curly and picks up a stick of dynamite, lights it and says that he'd rather be dead than have her marry that guy! Nell get the stick away from him and tosses it aside, right at the boys, who all run away. Here's something cool, Nell's dad is played by Elmo Lincoln, the very first TARZAN! Funny!