NABONGA - "Weird Loves" (1944)

I think it's about time for another Gorilla Suit Saturday Night Special in The Dungeon, so tonight I've got one of the true classic gorilla suit movies, from 1944, it's Tabonga's third cousin on the primate side......

......"NABONGA" also known as "GORILLA."

An  African Airways plane full of stolen Jewelry has gone down in the jungle! The only passengers are a man and his young daughter.

After the plane crashes, the devious man shoots the pilot, and the girl is whisked off into the deep dark depths of the jungle by a large gorilla!

 The next thing you know it must be about eight years later, and all the local people know about the white witch of the jungle who has powers over some of the animals, especially one gorilla in particular!

A few days ago he was drinking martinis with Ray Danton, and now he's back in the jungle where he belongs! Barton MacLane is Carl Hurst, but he reminds me a lot of George Bush!

Buster (Flash Gordon) Crabbe as Ray Gorman needs to find that treasure, and Prince (South of Suez) Modupe as Tobo is more than happy to help him, since Ray just stopped another man from stabbing him.

Fifi D'Orsay as Marie was actually Canadian but you'd never guess it from the her accent or this outfit!

She's Carl's little henchwoman!

Tobo draws this very detailed map that shows how to get to the downed plane wreckage!

Ray Gorman has no idea what he's getting himself into!

Julie London was only 18 when this film was made!

If you spent as much time in thrift stores as I have looking at records, you would have seen Julie London's whole catalogue of music at some point. The smokey, sultry, sexy singer was probably only outdone by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass in the 'donated to charity' department!

Buster does a good job of looking genuinely terrified by Ray Corrigan, the man inside the gorilla suit!

Ray Gorman and the white witch have a tentative relationship. He kind of likes her, but he really only wants the jewels, and she kind of likes him, but she's not giving them up because they're hers!

Somebody should have remade this film a few years ago, and used Drew Barrymore as the white witch! Asking who does her hair or where she gets her clothes would almost make as much sense as asking.......

......How Ray and Marie put this gorilla trap together in about 15 minutes!

Carl and Marie end up getting their just rewards!

Dig deep folks! We still needs it!!

More not truth in advertising! Her picture isn't even in this one, and in all the other posters Julie London has the smallest credits, but then Ray Corrigan has no poster credits, and is known only as Nbonga, so I guess it all works out!!

HONEY WEST - Anne Francis - "The Swingin' Mrs. Jones" (1965)

I do believe it's about time we had a "Honey West" Wednesday in The Dungeon, and so finally, tonight is that time! In 1965 the TV show "Honey West" starring the incredible Anne Francis, featured the first female detective in a prime time series ever, and that was just for starters!

"Honey West" was a trailblazer. The people who produced it were smart, and my guess is they had been watching some German Krimi movies, because it's all there, the swingin' music and the smart ass wit, and wry humor! If not, either way, the bottom line is, "Honey West" rocks!

I might be a bit prejudiced in my adulation, but I've been in love with Anne Francis since she was Altaira Morbius in 1956, and for good reason, as you will soon find out!

Anne's very talented co-star was German born John Ericson, who was in some cool movies like "7 Faces Of Dr. Lao," and "The Bamboo Saucer!" John just turned 92 last September!

"The Swingin' Mrs. Jones" was the first episode of "Honey West" and aired on September 17, 1965!

Anne Francis was rockin' the mole a couple of decades before Cindy Crawford!

These shots are just from the opening credits!

This shot reminds me of one of those 'what do you see' puzzles, a couple about to kiss, or a skinny version of the "Venus Of Willendorf?"

"Honey West" was on for two seasons in 1965 and 1966. I'm bummed! I've only got the first season!

Here are two more reasons to love Anne Francis.........

.......She was one of those rare people that were in more than one episode of "The Twilight Zone!"

In 1960, Anne played Marsha White in the episode titled "The After Hours!"

And in 1963, she played Jess-Belle Stone in the episode called "Jesse-Belle!"

Too much information about Anne Francis and not enough about "Honey West?"

"That's Life, That's Tough!"- Gabriel and the Angels (1962)

Sadly, but inevitable for all of us, Anne Francis passed away in 2011 at the age of 80! Kind of strange but on the same day, 7 people were killed by lightning in South Africa, in the Philippines, a bus wreck killed 7 people, and a Chinese fishing boat capsized and killed 7 more!

 This is not only my favorite shot of Anne Francis, it's also my favorite shot of anybody! Do what you want in the course of your life, but you're gonna be hard pressed to ever find an image any cuter than this!

The epitome of cool, Dungeon hero Ray Danton is in this first episode too!!

 Ray Danton and Barton Mclane in a martini scene together? This is the kind of stuff that made the 60's so great!

Those were the days! "Honey West" has been around for quite a while, and I don't know who they're going to get to play her next time, but I think it's time for another round!
Drinks are on the house!! Let's get buzzing!!

CORRIDA POUR UN ESPION - Ray Danton - "Code Name: Jaguar" (1965)

 

It's time to dig back into The Dungeon vault of spy and secret agent flicks for tonight's feature, "Corrida Pour Un Espion" released in the U.S. as "Code Name: Jaguar!"

To set the mood, here's just the smallest taste of the music in "Code Name: Jaguar" written by the brilliant French composer Michel Legrand! Three years later, Michel would win the Academy Award for 'Best Original Song' for the tune "The Windmills Of Your Mind" from "The Thomas Crown Affair" starring one of my favourite actors, Steve McQueen, who we haven't had a chance to talk about since "The Blob!"

 This is a film about sneaky cameras, big and small!

 And the star is Ray Danton as Jeff Larson! If you're not a big Ray Danton fan like me, then don't waste your time on this movie, because it's nothing but a showcase for Ray! He just does his thing, and if you and anybody else doesn't like it, then that's just tough!

 The Russians have a big hidden spy camera that is creating lots of problems, and it's up to Jeff to sort it all out!

German tough guy Horst Frank is in there causing all kinds of havoc!

Jeff Larson is not shy, so when he gets out of the shower and is told to hold his hands up, that's exactly what he does!

There's nothing politically correct about Jeff Larson! If he's not pulling a woman's skirt up over her head in scuffle, then he's burning guys with cigarettes to get them to answer questions!

As it turns out, she was on his side anyway! The woman in question is Pascale Petit! I used to always have a penchant for blondes, but the more Euro spy movies I watch, the more I find brunette women provocative! The other female lead in the film is the equally gorgeous Helga Sommerfield! Pascale and Helga spend quite a bit of time bickering over Jeff! My favourite dark haired actress today is Annet Mahendru in "The Americans," as Nina Krilova! She's got a look I really like!

No matter what he does, it's still always hard to take Ray Danton serious!

 This whole scene looks pretty science fiction!

There's a landmine hooked up to the Russian spy camera to keep anybody from messing with it!

Even though the mine itself is booby-trapped, that's not enough to stop the likes of Jeff Larson!

 Now if this shot doesn't convey lonely, I don't know what does!

Nice Mustang convertible!

 Awww! Poor little Jeffy is tired!

Too bad for her that the maid opened the cigarette case triggered to send poison gas into Jeff Larson's face before he did!

The Russians try to brainwash Jeff Larson after they finally capture him, but they're going to need some strong detergent to launder a whacked out brain like that!

And you're right, they ran out of quarters!
Tabonga will be back on Friday with Lord knows what, and I'll be back on Saturday with yet another Jaguar adventure featuring the other most irreverent secret agent of all time, and Dungeon fave, Jerry Cotton! Until then.................