Showing posts sorted by relevance for query chuck connors. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query chuck connors. Sort by date Show all posts

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

THE MAD BOMBER - Michael Mention - "l'uomo Sputato Dall'inferno" (1973)

We dig Mr. B.I.G. down here in The Dungeon, and "The Mad Bomber" is just one more of the many reasons why! The music for tonight's WTF?! feature was composed by Michael Mention, who in later years would work as assistant to Maurice Jarre on some of his electronic compositions, and the hippie song, "Reaching Out" was written by Dan Yordan and sung by Nancy Honnold, who played "The Mad Bomber's daughter Anne Dorn in this movie!

Bert I. Gordon is known for his classic BIG monster movies, but the films he stuffed in between always seem to have some BIG elements too, like how about a normally likable BIG star like Chuck Connors, as a ruthless and mean spirited bastard, who doesn't like litterers or rude people!

Chuck Connors is William Dorn! He collects clocks! He keeps them in a cool spot similar to where Anton Diffring kept his medicine in "The Man Who Cheated Death!" He's mad at the world in a BIG way because he lost his daughter to drugs!

Chuck Connors was a BIG dude, at 6' foot 5 1/2" tall, and before acting, played center for the Boston Celtics from 1946 to 1947! He then became a minor league baseball player who finally moved up, and played with the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs for a short period of time, before deciding he was better suited towards acting!! He was elected to the "Cowboy Hall Of Fame" in 1991 for his classic roles as Lucas McCain in "The Rifleman," and later as Jason McCord in "Branded!"

"The Mad Bomber" is unmerciless, he even blows up schools, and mental hospitals, he's that pissed off at the world!

Here's another BIG star of the time, Vince Edwards as Geronimo Minneli, the cop who just won't give up! Look, he even had an iPad back in 1973! In the 1960's, while Vince was shooting 153 episodes of the TV series "Ben Casey," he also found time to make six MOR record albums.

"The Mad Bomber" strolls past the corner of Cattaraugus and Snuffleupagus! No wonder he's a lost soul!

The Los Angeles studios of "Kindness, Happiness, and Joy," aka KHJ the Boss 93, circa 1973!

In their heydey, back in the 60's, KHJ might have been Top 40, but look at the names of some of those bands, Them, The Sir Douglas Quintet, The Kingsmen, The Zombies! Top 40 good was good! Now 93KHJ is out in American Samoa somewhere, where listeners can lay on the beach and watch the "Southern Lights!"

Check out the high-tech computer the cops have, and the wealth of information it spews forth!!

Vince takes care of business, and disposes of a BIG shot wannabe!

The third BIG star in this film is that guy with the distinctive face and classic growly voice, Neville Brand!! Neville was one of THE most highly decorated soldiers of World War II, and had really planned on having a military career, but after doing a couple of Army training films, he got the bug and decided to become an actor! He was in one "Twilight Zone" episode, but is known more for his many iconic cowboy roles like Reese Bennett in the TV show "Laredo." He was also chosen for the role of Al Capone more than a couple of times! Why Neville Brand is not in the "Cowboy Hall Of Fame," I have no idea, probably the same reason Link Wray's not in the "Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame!!" Bad Boys!! Here he is as George Fromley, killer/rapist, and the only guy who can identify "The Mad Bomber!"

No Shit! He's going to blow up the Women's Lib luncheon! Now, that's really bad in a BIG way!

When he's not out getting into all kinds of trouble, George Fromley likes to hang out in his cool little poolside pad, where he likes to watch homemade movies that star his wife! Ilona Wilson is the sexpot with the glasses as Mrs. Fromley!

Geronimo is starting to get tired of "I don't know" and all of George's stupid games! He wants to find that bomber!

Hours and hours of the good old composite identification technique finally produces an image that George can identify! "That's him all right!!"

Still got time for one more BIG BOOM!!!

This last shot is the best, and it cracks me up! It's shot from the ground up, and Vince Edwards looks as BIG as "The Amazing Colossal Man!" That Bert I. Gordon is one wacky cat! Lucky for all of us, we've still got more B.I.G. stuff yet to come, so stay tuned in!!!

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

HOT-ROD GIRL - Alexander Courage "All Hopped Up" (1956)

Welcome to the Wednesday Night Drags! Tonight's real gone flick is "Hot-Rod Girl!" I didn't realize it when I rented it from Netflix, but this film can be downloaded for free at the good ole Internet Archive! Once again,  The Archive never ceases to amaze me!!

Lori (REVENGE OF THE CREATURE, DAY THE WORLD ENDED) Nelson IS Lisa Vernon, the "Hot-Rod Girl!" The funny thing is that this movie isn't really about her that much!!

"Hot-Rod Girl" literally screams 1956, and no matter what, I still like 1950's movies the best!!

Is that an MG  she's smoking on the line? I don't think that import stood a chance in the quarter mile versus her souped up Thunderbird!

For me, it's hard to tell since it's a convertible whether this is a 1952, 53, 54, or 55 T-Bird! I'm sure one of you purists will let me know! They didn't really change much through those years! Beautiful car no matter what the year!

Chuck (THE RIFLEMAN) Connors is the local cop in charge of trying to keep the crazy kids in line!

One of the best impressionists of all time, Frank (THE RIDDLER) Gorshin is allowed to do some of his schtick in his role as Flat Top! One of the funniest things I ever saw on The Ed Sullivan Show was Frank Gorshin doing his impersonation of Frankenstein bowling!!

One of the gang, Del Erikson as Steve Northrup gets goaded into a street race! The final straw was when the guy in the white hot rod got in front of him and purposely backed his car into Steve's! Do people still do that kind of crap? I had a car full of weirdos run into me at a stoplight one time when I was in high school just looking for a fight, but that was back when we had metal bumpers!! Try that today, and you might total your car!

Steve dies in an accident and his brother Jeff is ruined since he was the mechanic responsible for hopping up his brother's rod! Jeff was played by John Smith who had a nice career in TV westerns as Deputy Lane Temple in 26 episodes of "Cimmaron City," and as Slim Sherman in 126 episodes of "Laramie!"

Speaking of hopped up, the killer music in "Hot-Rod Girl" was played by an all-star band of L.A. jazz and studio musicians that included names like Bud Shank, Dave Pell, Pete Candoli, Maynard Ferguson, Frank Rosolino, Barney Kessel, and Milt Holland!!! And speaking of stars, the music in "Hot-Rod Girl" was composed by the none other than Alexander Courage, the man who composed the theme for "Star Trek!!!"

And while we're on the subject of music, this gal was known as L.P. as in long-playing record, because every time she says something, she totally runs off at the mouth! The lovely L.P. was played by Roxanne (SON OF SINBAD, THE LOVED ONE) Arlen!

Every time L.P. comes up with some brilliant statement, it has this kind of effect on the other kids!

The new kid in town, Mark (CAPTAIN MIDNIGHT) Andrews as Bronc Talbott is a troublemaker! What is he, like 24?

Bronc immediately tries to make a play for Lisa, but she's holding out for Jeff to pull out of his blue funk!

So when Flat Top tries to tell Bronc to cool down, Bronc challenges him to a game of 'Chicken!'

Tough guy Bronc prevails and Flat Top gets the crap scared out of him, and swears he'll never play 'chicken' again, but the local authorities find out about the game and start putting pressure on the kids again!

In a fit of jealousy, Bronc runs Jeff and Lisa off the road, and a kid on a bicycle gets hit, and the blame goes on Jeff even though he's innocent!

When Chuck Connors presses Bronc for the truth after finding some paint off the kid's bicycle on Bronc's bumper, Bronc conks him on the head with a bottle and tries to escape, but Jeff shows up and kicks Bronc's ass, and saves his own in the process!! It's the perfect ending for a perfect movie!!

Saturday, March 10, 2018

1970's QUASI-SCARY TV MOVIES!

Here's a list of 13 TV movies made in the 1970's that either I, or Lord Litter, have found on the Internet Archive (And you could too for free) that I'm almost sure I'm never going to get around to watching, but should somehow be included here at least for historical significance! With that said........

....Here we go! In chronological order starting with...

"Weekend Of Terror" from 1970 with Robert Conrad, Carol Lynley, and Lee Majors!
"Three nuns on a weekend trip are held hostage by escaped convicts."
Sounds like a good time, how could you go wrong there?!?

 From 1971, "A Howling In The Woods" starring Larry Hagman and Barbara Eden who were both not only in "I Dream Of Jeannie," but also on "Dallas!!"

 The 1972 ghost story "The Stone Tape!"

 Barbara Eden is back in the 1972 movie, "The Woman Hunter" with two other Dungeon notables, Robert Vaughn and Stuart Whitman!
 "There's A Killer In Paradise!"

 Also in 1972 was "Night Of Terror" with Martin Balsam, Chuck Connors, Donna Mills, and Agnes Moorehead!
"He's Out There!"

 1973 delivered "A Cold Night's Death" with Robert Culp and Eli Wallach!

 Also in 1973 came "The Norliss Tapes" with Roy Thinnes and Angie Dickinson!!
"Once the demon is awakened he will be granted immortality!" 

 The cast of the 1974 movie "Scream Of The Werewolf" was a fairly all-star affair that included Peter Graves, Clint Walker, Jo Ann Pflug, and Don Megowan, who ironically enough or not, was the Sheriff in the 1956 classic, "The Werewolf!"

The 1974 movie "The Day The Earth Moved" also had a cast of immense pop culture proportions, that included Jackie Cooper, Clevon Little, Stella Stevens, and Beverly Garland, but I still doubt I'll ever watch it!

 "Curse Of The Black Widow" from 1977 also had a fairly all-star cast that included
Anthony Franciosa, Donna Mills, Patty Duke, June Lockhart and Sid Caesar!
Big Girl!!

"Night Terror" aka "Night Drive" also came out in 1977 with Valerie Harper! 
Housewife vs. Psycho!

By 1978, it was time for "Devil Dog:Hound Of Hell," with a killer cast that included Richard Crenna, Yvette Mimieux, and Martine Beswick! (Okay, I might have to watch it some day just for those two!)
"A Halloween Howler!"

"A teenage girl is harassed by a stalker" in another 1978 movie called "Are You In The House Alone?"
So, there you go! IF I've slighted your favourite movie, then by all means leave a comment, and I'll make sure and give it the treatment it deserves, but until then, Aloha, Auf Wiedersehen, & Buenos Noches!

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Monster Music
AAARRGGHHH!!!! Ya'll Come On Back Now, Y'Hear??