THE BAT In Color - 1959

Here's another recently colorized horror thriller movie, THE BAT, which stars Vincent Price, Agnes Moorehead, Gavin Gordon, John Sutton, Lenita Lane, Elaine Edwards, Darla Hood, John Bryant and more...

In this story, mystery writer Cornelia Van Gorder has rented a country house called 'The Oaks' which not long ago had been the scene of some murders committed by a criminal named The Bat. Meanwhile, the house's owner, bank president John Fleming, has embezzled one million dollars and has hidden the money in the house, but he's killed before he can retrieve it. This story is complicated as Hell, so, you'll have to watch it to get all the details.

We might as well kick things off with this warning: So like, Beware Of Bats! They could be rabid to boot.

So, embezzler John Fleming (hiding out) goes to see his physician Dr. Wells at his cabin located near his place. He has a wild story to tell him, all about how he has embezzled a million dollars and has it hidden. All he needs now is body to replace his to fake his death, mutilated. unrecognizable, and wants to use the doctor's friend and guide! Wells says he doesn't want anything to do with the plan, so, Fleming grabs a gun and threatens the doctor.

But as Fleming is leaving, there's a fire raging outside and he gets distracted.

That gives Wells a chance to grab his rifle, and he shoots Fleming dead!

At 'The Oaks' that night, Cornelia is playing solitaire when her girl Friday, Lizzie, comes in and reads her a newspaper article declaring that The Bat is back! They get a little spooked.

We find the doctor in his lab, he's seeing if the bat he has could have rabies. He gets a call and leaves to go see Cornelia and Lizzie, Lizzie was just bitten by a... BAT!

On top of that, police Lt. Anderson is on the case and has been snooping around Wells' home. After the doctor leaves, Lt. Anderson goes into the lab and finds some suspicious experiments. He sees a curtain on the wall and opens it up, revealing a glowing bat model. This is a point where a pile of red herrings take place, in this case, red bats!

The son of John Fleming goes to the house to look for the floor plans to the house, they may have a clue as to where the money has been hidden. But The Bat has different plans!

The girls get a good look at the slain Mark Fleming.

Lt. Anderson joins the women to try and get a handle on the situation, which ain't easy!

The girls go looking for The Bat, and strike out.

Then it happens, The Bat gets his claws on Judy, played by Darla (OUR GANG) Hood, and she dies!! Now he's killed a woman! What's next?

The Bat shows up at the doctor's place, and the doc has the upper hand, until The Bat causes a distraction and Wells ends up dead. So much for him being The Bat, the doctor was a pretty bad guy, so, he got what he deserved.

Back at The Oaks, the girls and Detective Davenport set a trap to catch The Bat, but it fails. The Bat draws his pistol and is ready to kill them all, when, a figure in the background fires first and The Bat gets his just desserts! He deserved to get shot in the back, little bitch!

Our gals can't believe what just happened!

Low and behold, our hero is Cornelia's faithful chauffeur Warner, who was also a suspect. He's my favorite character.

And wouldn't you know it, The Bat was police Lt. Anderson! Well, they found the money and things turned out okay, except for the dead bodies along the way.

TOPPER - "Second Honeymoon" (1954)

This week's Saturday Night Special is a TV show from 1953-54 called "Topper," that I loved as a kid. The idea of benevolent ghosts always appealed to me. I really wanted to tell you about the first episode, but it wasn't on one of these three DVD's I found in a dumpster. I'm not kidding!

 

 

"Topper" was a TV series based on the "Topper" characters written about by Thorne Smith in his novel "Topper." I liked the original 1936 movie so much, I had to read the book, and I was not disappointed.

So, instead of episode 01, we've got episode 014 called "Second Honeymoon," and here's the beautiful Black Swan Inn where Mr. and Mrs. Topper spent their first honeymoon!

 

Here are Mr. and Mrs. Topper on that fateful night 25 years earlier.

Topper's wife Henrietta is showing her friend Thelma Gibney the pictures from her and Cosmo's honeymoon. Thelma was played by Mary (Mighty Joe Young, To Hell And Back) Field. The Kerby ghosts are just hanging out, and observing.

Henrietta and Cosmo Topper, what a great couple. Henrietta was played by Lee (The Maltese Falcon, Vertigo) Patrick, and Cosmo was played by Dungeon Super Hero Leo G. Carroll. As a kid, it was tough to go from watching Leo as Cosmo Topper to having his face melted in "Tarantuala."

Even dead, the Kerby couple are also just great in this series.

Anne (Tess Trueheart) Jeffreys was the delightful Marion Kerby, and Robert (Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea) Sterling had the role of George Kerby. The ever-present Saint Bernard ghost Neil was played by Buck. Robert Sterling was also in "The Twilight Episode" titled "Printer's Devil."

Guy (The Haunted Palace) Wilkerson plays Luke, the odd character working the counter at the The Black Swan.

Things have changed in the 25 years since the last time the Toppers were here. Guy was 6'2" and towers over Cosmo after he stands up. Guy (Panhandle Perkins) Wilkerson was also in "The Twilight Zone" episode "Nick Of Time."

 

Juney (The Magnetic Monster) Ellis is Miss Loomis, the creepy and current proprietor of The Black Swan. Juney has that rare distinction of being in two episodes of "The Twilight Zone," "What You Need," and "The Midnight Sun!"

There's a whole lot of noise keeping Cosmo and Henrietta from getting any sleep, but Miss Loomis assures Cosmo that everything is all right, and even though they'd like to leave, there's no trains running!

Despite Cosmo telling George and Marion to leave him alone for this special trip, they still show up when they sense something is wrong.

 

Well here's what all the racket was about!

It's not ghosts or goblins, it's just Luke down in the basement enjoying his record collection!

Being as "Sh Boom" by The Crew Cuts was probably the rockinest hit on the charts in 1954, you can't really blame Luke for digging his Sound Effects records!

THE BRAHMIN AND THE BUTTERFLY / Silent Short - 1901

Here's a little fun for a Friday from 121 years ago, it was produced and written by the amazing Georges Méliès, who also stars as the Brahmin. A Brahmin is a member of the highest caste in Hinduism, and are responsible for teaching and maintaining sacred knowledge. It starts with the Brahmin showing us a large empty container...

He hangs the container and uses his flute to entice a giant caterpillar into the scene.

The caterpillar raises its head up to the Brahmin and he gives it a big kiss on the nose!

Then he lifts and puts the caterpillar into the container, and we realize that he has put the thing into a giant cocoon! I know, it's a little challenging to distinguish things in such a busy background but that's just the way it is. 

And behold, a beautiful butterfly babe flies out of the cocoon and the Brahmin holds her with his hand as she stretches her wings.

Then she flutters around, butterfly style, this short is nothing but surreal. Love that inventive master Georges Méliès!

After she lands, the Brahmin covers her with a blanket, when, two women approach.

The women remove the blanket, revealing a beautiful babe. The Brahmin wants to court the butterfly lady, but...

She declines his advances.

He bows to her and she places her foot on his head...

And he changes into a caterpillar himself!

All the women exit the scene, stage left even!

And the worm follows... Wow, what you can do with one set when you're an artistic wizard!! Have a decent weekend, y'all.

DEEP IN THE FOREST - "Coming May 31, 2022"

 

 I just got an email that on May 31, 2022, a new movie by my favorite modern filmmaker, Jeremy Dylan Lanni, is going to be released in digital and on demand formats by Saban Films.

 

 

The movie is titled "Deep In The Forest," and if it's like any of Jeremy's other works, then it's something to be very excited about!

 

If you happen not to know who Jeremy is, he's the guy that brought us the amazing "Conjuring Orson" in 2014.

Jeremy is also responsible for the brilliant film "Anywhere, U.S.A." made in 2017.

 "Deep In The Forest" is a tense, taut political thriller about a future nobody wants to believe will ever happen, but seems more plausible by the day.

It was written and directed by Jeremy Dylan Lanni, and features the talents of Ursula Brooks, Derwin Jordan, Stuart Pankin, Peter Jason, P.J. Ochlan, Wendy Worthington, Eva Abramian, Will Bradley, Jedidia Dyer, Larry Cedar, Keith Stevenson, Spencer Martin, Cela Scott, Ross Frasier, Duane Johnson, and Roger M. Maye.

If you want to get a good taste of what it's all about, then 

 Go Watch The Trailer!

It's not like we weren't warned! Back in the 70's The Firesign Theatre tried to tell us, but few listened,

"The Future Is Now!"