KONGA - Gerard Schurmann - "I Was A Teenage Gorilla" (1961)

Welcome to redux Wednesday, and a movie I wrote about the first year I did this blog back in 2007!! I usually leave these up to Tabonga, but his "Konga" DVD wouldn't play, and since I had just recently scored one at Big Lots for $3.00, I volunteered for the job! Back in 2007 I wrote: "Michael Gough can be a devilish soul, &  in "Konga" he probably plays his best role of a really 'not nice' guy. His assistant Margaret loves him; she's so lowly, she doesn't even have a last name and he treats her like crap. Sandra Banks adores his intellect, but has no clue that he's just a dirty old pervert after her bod, not her mind. He has his big monkey kill anybody that pisses him off, and he's growing giant phallic-looking, meat-eating plants in his greenhouse." And that pretty much sums it up!

So where do you suppose they possibly derived that name from?

Michael Gough is Dr. Charles Decker!

First question, why is Konga such a goober? He looks like he could have been the fourth stooge!

The Doctor is completely mad, but his assistant loves him dearly! This ain't exactly a love story!

Michael Gough's character is such a two-face slime dog, I thought this transition shot captured him perfectly!

The Dean of the school that Dr. Decker works at should have kept some of those uncomplimentary remarks he made about Dr. Decker's research to himself!

This famed scientist wanted to collaborate with Dr. Decker, but finds out too late that Decker doesn't like any competition!

Now we get to the fun part! There's a guy here who is named Bob Kenton, and he is Sandra Banks' boy friend. Bob knows that there's something dishonorable how the professor is acting just a little too friendly with his girlfriend, and he doesn't like it!

Bob Kenton was played by a popular singer of the day, Jess Conrad! Although the

little bit of jazzy music written by Gerard Schurmann they have in "Konga" is very cool, it would have been a lot neater if they would have had Jess perform a tune or two! That would have catapulted this movie into the cult hall of fame!

As you can see, Jess was no slouch, sharing the bill with the ever popular Brenda Lee! Jess Conrad also has the distinction of having at least 7 songs like "This Pullover," "Why Am I Living," and "Cherry Pie" on The World's Worst Records list compiled by DJ Kenny Everett, but you can take that with a grain of salt, because also on that list is one of my personal favourite songs of all time, "Transfusion" by Nervous Norvus!!

Not a very nice way to treat an innocent teenager back in 1961, Dr. Decker has Konga dispatch poor Bob! He never even saw it coming!

Dr. Decker can't seem to keep it together, it's no wonder his scientific experiments are going haywire, he obviously has his mind on something a little more primitive!

Sandra Banks tries to get through to the Doctor that she's not interested in him, but he doesn't get it, and the fact that you might say she's just a little dense doesn't help matters either!

Oh, My! This lobby card doesn't appear to be doctored up at all! That's exactly how the movie looks!

I don't know how much Herman Cohen spent on special effects, and I guess it was okay back in the 60's when you only saw a scene like this for a couple of seconds in a theatre, but these days when you can stop a DVD on any given frame, it's so bad, I think the movie would have been a lot better without this doll scene!

This effect didn't come across much better, and Konga actually looks dumbfounded by the whole thing!

In this shot, Konga does his best impersonation of Barney Google, the man with the goo-goo-googley eyes!

It's doubtful that anybody could do a better job than Michael Gough at pretending they were getting squished by a giant gorilla hand! I love this shot!

Talk about timing, it just so happens that this coming weekend is the Annual Fundraising Ball for The Grand Order Of Water Rats of which Jess Conrad is currently The King Rat! If you'd like to become a friend of The Rats, then head on over to HERE and join up! Good people, they raise money for everything from "The British Theatre For The Disabled" to The Multiple Sclerosis Society!!!

HORRORS OF THE BLACK MUSEUM - Gerard Schurmann - "Fear Beyond Belief" (1959)

Tabonga has been getting to do all the redux around here lately, but tonight it's my turn! "Horrors Of The Black Museum" was one of the first films I did back in 2007 when the focus was almost strictly on the music, but now it's time for the full monte! I like this version of the poster, it's totally nutzoid, and it has all the right elements!! Big Thanx to Greg Goodsell for providing the disc!!

"Horrors Of The Black Museum" is a 1959 Michael Gough classic without a doubt!

Pretty weird, they waste 13 minutes at the beginning of the movie to explain Dr. Franchel's theories on Hypnotism because supposedly Michael Gough has his assistant hypnotized in order to do his evil bidding, but in reality, he was shooting him up with some kind of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde fluid! Maybe I missed something, but then maybe it's because I almost fell asleep! Do yourself a favour and fast forward through  the first 13 minutes, and just skip to the chase!

It all starts off innocently enuf once it gets started, when a beautiful young gal receives a gift from an anonymous admirer, binoculars that when focused shoot spikes into the unwitting victim's eyes and right into the brain causing instant death! It's just the next victim in an ongoing series of copycat events from Scotland Yard's Black Museum!

The rogue Michael Gouge is the author and celebrated journalist Edmond Bancroft whose writings document the current ghastly wave of murders! He's a real pain in Scotland Yard's ass with his investigative reporting!

Edmond Bancroft also has his own personal Black Museum of horror, but of course it's all in the name of research!

Edmond has a hot girlfriend in red, known as Joan, who is fed up with all his phony bullshit! Joan was played by June (Part-Time Wife) Cunningham!

I will never give up an opportunity to show a picture of a classic jukebox!! This one is a ROCK-OLA!

Joan/June has a chance to entertain the locals with a little exotic dance number! Put a dime in the jukebox, put down that martini, and enjoy the swingin' sounds of Gerard (KONGA, THE HEADLESS GHOST) Schurmann!!

Joan/June goes back to her flat after her night out, but after she undresses and goes to bed.......

.......This is what she's faced with when she looks up!

Some crazy mofo confesses to all the murders! That just helps screw everything up since he has nothing to do with any of them!

All the time people tell me to smile, and I tell them to F off! Would you rather I put on a phony face like this? I didn't think so!

Edmond's doctor senses something is amiss! Every time there's a murder, his patient comes to see him and his blood pressure is 200 over 110, and he assumes something isn't kosher! When he confronts Edmond with the fact that as his doctor, he thinks he should get some help, this is what he gets for his concern, followed by an acid bath!

Meanwhile Edmond goes to a book signing for his latest work! I love how almost every book in the store is his!

Back at the lab, Edmond's assistant Rick as played by Graham Curnow is busted by Edmond with his girlfriend Angela played by Shirley Anne (These Are The Damned) Field!

The happy couple go to the carnival, but not before Edmond shoots up Rick with some more of that Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde juice!

Angela is thrilled to no end to ride on the Tunnel Of Love with the man of her dreams!

In real life, Graham Curnow was gay! His lifelong partner was Victor Spinetti, a gifted actor who was in all of the first three Beatles' movies!  After this little incident, Rick and Angela's marriage plans are put on permanent hold!

Stupid kids never understand anything and taunt Rick even further to what will be his inevitable demise! "Horrors Of The Black Museum" scared the crap out of me as a kid, and is still pretty dang creepy to this day! If you've got 95 minutes to literally kill, this is a good place to go!

KONGA - Gerard Schurmann - "Radio Music" (1961)

Man, that Michael Gough can be a devilish soul, & in "Konga" he probably plays his best role of a really 'not nice' guy. His assistant Margaret loves him; she's so lowly, she doesn't even have a last name and he treats her like crap. Sandra Banks adores his intellect, but has no clue that he's just a dirty old pervert after her bod, not her mind. He has his big monkey kill anybody that pisses him off, and he's growing giant phallic-looking, meat-eating plants in his greenhouse. Does that sound like a nice guy to you? Well, maybe by today's standards, but not back in 1961! Still, it makes for a great movie & should be riding high on your 'to do' list! Gerard Schurmann does a swingin' job on the music, just like he did on the other Michael Gough evil classic, "Horrors Of The Black Museum." Konga

 Having a casual conversation with the boss, Hey Mike, watch out, or you'll bust a blood vessel! 

 

Stuck in the back of the truck, might as well break out the radio & listen to some cool tunes! 

 

How bout that? Sandra Banks gets to ride up front! 

 

Getting out of the rain, dancing, everyone's having a great time except, Sandra Banks' boyfriend Bob Kenton, who if Sandra had listened to, would still be alive, & she'd still have two arms! 

 

Bob can't take it anymore!!

THE AVENGERS - "The Cybernauts" (1966)

Right now, nothing appeals to me any better than "The Avengers," so that's what you're going to get on this fine Wednesday, March 2021! 

"The Cybernauts" was the third episode from the fourth season of "The Avengers," and aired March 28, 1966, almost exactly 55 years ago, and it's still just as good as the day they made it!

 

People are getting killed and there always seems to be an ink pen involved!

Not even a shotgun can stop the mayhem!

Steed remarks that this would be a good shotgun for shooting chandeliers!

Something big is at the door!

And after the death and destruction, another pen is at the scene of the crime!

This gal is supposed to be pretty tough, but Mrs. Peel disposes of her easily!

 

 This is a pretty funny moment that made me wonder if it was in the script or impromptu. Mrs. Peel is dusting the room, and then she dusts off Steed a little bit too.

 

Try and wrap your brain around this fact. KISS have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, but neither Patrick Macnee or Diana Rigg do!!

 

The guy in charge of all the mayhem is Dungeon Hero Michael Gough, as mean Dr. Armstrong! Shame, shame, Michael Gough also does not have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame!

 

The big Cybernaut robots under Dr. Armstrong's control are tuned in to anyone who has one of his guidance pens on them, so he kindly gives one to Steed!

 

Boy, would I like to have this table full of toys!

Steed finally gets to meet the big guy while he's in his dormant state, but that doesn't last for long!

 

As it turns out, Dr. Armstrong has another Cybernaut working for him too, but this one is not a hit man, he's a maintenance man.
 

 

I love all the monitors in Dr. Armstrong's lab!

 

They plant the homing device pen meant for Steed on the maintenance man robot, and the two Cybernauts duke it out!

 

Dr. Armstrong loses his shit! He can't believe he's been foiled by John Steed and Mrs. Peel!

The two robots beat each other senseless, and become comepletely non-functional, and Mrs. Peel can't believe she was able to push the hit man robot over with one finger!

I'll be back on Saturday with the followup episode they did in 1967 that's in colour, that was called "Return Of The Cybernauts," so stay tuned