NEVER TAKE CANDY FROM A STRANGER - Elisabeth Lutyens - "No Jean, It Wasn't Right" (1960)

I've been on a Hammer Thriller jag here lately, and why not? Hammer Horror has always been out front, while the Hammer Thrillers quietly go about their dirty little business in the background!

Tonight's Saturday Shocker is no exception, because what kind of monster is more hideous than a sexually perverted child killer? That's pretty shockingly off for 1960 or damn near any year for that matter!

It's called "Never Take Candy From A Stranger," except on Halloween, but even then, anymore, you have to watch out for all The Freakin' Creeps!

Alas, I must say that this is not a movie with any cool music, even though it's written by one of our fave composers, Elisabeth Lutyens. It's just dramatically creepy! Elisabeth wrote the music for a bevy of great flicks like "Paranoiac," "The Earth Dies Screaming," "The Skull," "The Psychopath, "Blood Fiend," and more!

It's really a straightforward tale, this bust and the perv in the window are the same guy, the town's founding father, and because who he is, they've been covering up his behaviour for years!!

Patrick Allen and Gwen Watford are Peter and Sally Carter, and Janina Faye is their daughter Jean Carter. Patrick went on to do a bunch of TV, and even was in 18 episodes of a 1971 TV show called "Brett" where he was the character in the title! Gwen was Martha Hargood in "Taste the Blood of Dracula," and her very first role was Lady Usher in the 1949 release of Poe's "The Fall Of The House Of Usher!" Janina played a child in a host of cool films like "Horror Of Dracula," "The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll," "The Hands Of Orlac," and "Day Of The Triffids" before going on to do a ton of TV herself!

Now, they're just going through the motions! The film conveys the feeling that this is all happening in some little backwards burg, but you can tell by the size of the city hall, that this is a fairly sizable community!

Bill Nagy does an excellent job as the A-hole son Clarence Olderberry Jr, which in essence makes him the "Younger Berry!" Bill managed to be in over 100 features like "First Man Into Space," "Goldfinger," and "Battle Beneath The Earth" before departing this planet for good at the age of 51! "Stick that in my face one more time, and I'll break it off!!" Clarence Jr's choice of transportation was a pretty nice Caddy!!

"Never Take Candy From A Stranger" has a fantastic look to it for one obvious reason, the cinematography was done by the master, Freddie Francis! Nice sunny day in Canada, somebody fetch me a Molsen's!(The film was really shot in the UK!)

Despite everybody in town trying to make it not happen, they bring the weird and creepy old man Clarence Olderberry Sr. up on charges of child molestation! Clarence was played by Felix Aylmer who had been acting since 1930, usually in more respectable roles like Governor, President, Colonel, Judge, Lord, Earl, or Priest!

Judged by a jury of guys who probably are all employed by the Olderberry family, is it any wonder Clarence is going to get off again?

It's only a short amount of time after the trial is over, that Clarence has another run in with the girls, and this time he's got more than candy for them!!

Tell me this isn't a horror story, it's just that the monster is in a genuine human form!!

Beautiful shot in an ugly movie, thanx Freddie!!

Is it any wonder that Frances Green as Jean's playmate Lucille, never acted again!

Clarence pursues the girls, and they look for a number of places to hide! This joint looks like a horror unto itself!

The chase goes on!!!

Wow, I would have never known that the Canadian Police had Rambler station wagons as patrol cars!! Awesome!!

So now, how do you feel Clarence, the old fart actually killed one of the girls! Good going buddy! What a jerk!

BIRDS IN A SUITCASE - "Part 03" (1968)

 

Tonight's Wild Wednesday is the finale of Birds In A Suitcase, and the ladies of the final ten episodes of "Man In A Suitcase." Episode twenty-one was titled "No Friend of Mine" and featured Phillipa Gail as the wife of a wealthy saboteur in Africa.

In 1971 Phillipa was in a film called "She'll Follow You Anywhere," or as it was released in the U.S., "Passion Potion." Phillipa passed away in 1999, a victim of cancer, at the age of 56.

 

Episode number twenty-two titled "Jigsaw Man" had more than it's share of female characters in it that included Nike Arrighi, who was also in episode seventeen in a larger role.

Shivaun (The Prisoner) O'Casey as Francine just turned 82 yesterday!
 

Bridget (Horse In The House) Armstrong is Louise. Bridget is now 84 years old.

Last but not least is Brenda Lawrence as Marcia. Brenda also had a very small role in Episode three.

Episode twenty-three titled "Web With Four Spiders" starred Jacqueline (Gutter Girls) Ellis as the wife of a lawyer in big trouble.

Episode 24 was called "Which Way Did He Go, McGill?" and featured Rachelle (Son Of Dracula) in one of her only two credits.

The main actress is this episode was Jennifer Jayne as Joy Howells. Jennifer will always be remembered for her parts in "The Crawling Eye," and especially....

 

 .......... "They Came From Beyond Space." Jennifer passed away in 2006 at the age of 74.

 A few of these episodes were directed by Dungeon Hero Freddie Francis, who also directed "They Came From Beyond Space."

 

Episode twenty-five titled "Property Of A Gentleman" has Justine Lord in it as Jane Farson, the daughter of a very wealthy man!

Justine was in the screen classics "Maniac," and "Deadlier Than The Male." Born in 1937, Justine is now 84 years young!

 

Episode number twenty-six titled "The Revolutionaries," has Sonia (Never Take Candy From A Stranger) Fox as Chantal Maza, the daughter of an exiled Swedish Doctor.

Marga Roche as Toni Olsson has only one other credit to her name, the classic "Some Girls Do."

Episode 27 was "Who's Mad Now," and had Austrailian born Audine (Alien Visitor) Leith as an ex old girlfriend of McGill's who is in trouble.

Luanshya Greer has the role of the mad Diana. Luanshya was also in the very last episode of "Man In A Suitcase." Besides that, she was also in "They Came From Beyond Space," and two episodes of "Dr. Who" as Lizan. Very versatile, Luanshya also has seventeen credits as a writer.

Episode twenty-eight named "Three Blinks Of The Eyes" features Faith (The Curse Of King Tut's Tomb) Brook as Eleanor Duzac, an older woman with an unfaithful younger husband. Faith died in 2012 at the age of 90.

The girlfriend of Eleanor's aforementioned unfaithful husband is Bulgarian born Dora (The Dirty Dozen) Reisser, as Janine Dufont. A well known British fashion designer, Dora is now 79 years of age.

Episode twenty-nine was called "Castle In The Clouds," and has Gay Hamilton as Magda, the mistress of a British big shot. In episode five, Gay had a smaller part as a Brunette.

 

Gay was the star of the show, but there was also a short scene that had Jan Williams in it as a cleaning lady. James Bond fans will remember Jan as Red Grant's masseuse in "From Russia With Love."

The last episode of "Man In A Suitcase" is called "Night Flight To Andorra" and has Luanshya Greer, who we just saw in episode twenty-seven, as a tourist in the wrong place at the completely wrong time!

 

I'll round this out with the provacative Nita (The Crimson Cult, The Love Factor) Lorraine, and a toast to the the rest of the lovely birds who graced this show. Nita is now 79. 

That's it for the birds, and now it's time for the bats, and the "Countdown To Halloween 2021."