Showing posts sorted by relevance for query shirley eaton. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query shirley eaton. Sort by date Show all posts

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

WHAT A CARVE UP! - “No Place Like Homicide!” (1961)

Greg Goodsell here after a very long absence -- So! Are you up for an "Old Dark House” comedy from ol' Blighty? No?

 TOO BAD, as we here are stuck with this abject stinker whose original title was NO PLACE LIKE HOMICIDE!

Here is our "hero" Kenneth Connor in the role of Ernie Broughton, a milquetoast whose job is copy editing horror novels. In truth this turkey is based on the book "The Ghoul" by Frank King, the same source novel for the rare Boris Karloff vehicle THE GHOUL in 1933. While that film was a surprisingly grim slice of pre-code horror, this film is strictly a comedy. Kind of, sort of.

Here is Ernie's flat mate Sid Butler, played by Sid James. These middle-aged gents live together -- and I kid you not, sometimes share the same bed together! Homophobes need not worry - Ernie has a female love interest later on.

Here we go, one of the few reasons to see this thing -- DONALD PLEASANCE. Hailed by my father as the "greatest actor in the English language," Pleasance is best known as Sam Loomis in the HALLOWEEN film series. You should check out the Australian shocker WAKE IN FRIGHT, which stars Pleasance at his most slimy! Here, he plays sinister lawyer Everett Sloane, who informs Ernie that his Uncle Gabriel has died and must hie himself to his gloomy ancestral mansion for a reading of the will!

Here's a de rigueur spooky moment in all of these films -- a spooky train conductor who warns the guys not to venture out to the spooky old mansion. This cliché is sacrosanct as it's been included in virtually every Brit horror flick, as recently as THE LADY IN BLACK as recently as last year!

So we arrive at the mansion, and who should one of Ernie's relatives be but venerable actor DENNIS PRICE! Price started off his film career with classic Ealing Studio comedies like KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS, and was something of a romantic male lead until alcoholism and closeted homosexuality -- in spite of marriage and children, got the better of him. He would end his career performing in the films of JESUS (Focus! Focus! FOCUS!) FRANCO before passing away at the age of 58 in 1973. Franco himself began playing a harp earlier this year....

My! This tired ol' thang has an unusually strong cast! It's horror movie fave Michael Gough as the butler, long before he began essaying the role of Alfred the Butler in the recent BATMAN series. Gough would act in many of the British horror films of producer Herman Cohen, such as KONGA, HORRORS OF THE BLACK MUSEUM and THE BLACK ZOO. His last film work was providing the voice of the Dodo bird in Tim Burton's ALICE IN WONDERLAND before passing in 2011 at the ripe old age of 94. Trivia note: Both Gough and Price would appear in the cheap-o horror classic HORROR HOSPITAL in 1973.

YET ANOTHER celebrated British actor, ESMA CANNON plays the dotty Aunt Emily, stuck in the Edwardian age and still campaigning for women's suffrage! Cannon was from Australia and enlivened many a CARRY ON comedy! While she plays an old lady, Cannon was only 56 when she made this film. Sadly, she would end her acting career in 1963 and pass away in 1972 at the age of 66.

There is the reading of the will -- and Pleasance informs the gathered relatives that they have been left with nothing, nothing and more nothing.

Guy Broughton (Price) and sister Janet (Valerie Taylor) are understandably perturbed! Taylor likewise had a lengthy acting career on the silver screen. Her most noteworthy genre credit is as the loathsome Madame Denise in director Roman Polanski’s horror classic REPULSION in 1965.

Blustery character actor George Woodbridge plays Dr. Edward Broughton. He figures larger in the film later on … I don’t like him, but I don’t think we’re supposed to.

Now we're talking -- the chief draw for movie cultists -- Shirley Eaton as the comely nurse! You may not remember Eaton without several coats of gold spray paint. That's right -- she was the victim of James Bond baddie Goldfinger in GOLDFINGER (1964)! As we try to drive that Shirley Bassey theme song out of our heads, Eaton is still very much alive and well and making the rounds of the James Bond movie memorabilia conventions!

Michael Gwynne stars as Malcolm Broughton, foreboding and yet fey Cousin Malcolm! He's given very little to do here other than provide to the body count. Gwynne played Hermes in Ray Harryhausen's JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS as well as VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED. He played the prosecutor in Hammer Studios' most horrifying non-horror film, NEVER TAKES SWEETS FROM A STRANGER, a daring drama on the sexual abuse of children. The fact that he's given so little to do here verifies my belief this was a big waste of time for everyone involved! Gwynne was only 56 when he died.

People begin to drop off at the isolated mansion and Shirley Eaton finds an excuse to get semi-naked.

Ernie gets a clandestine peek -- the voyeur!

Ernie prepares for bed, and I don't think anyone in the history of the world EVER wore pajamas like that, no not ever!

.... and Ernie sleeps in the same bed with Sid! AAAAAAaaaaahhhhhh! Bickering like an old married couple only to retire in the same bed at night, one wonders what was going on here. Ernie hears a noise –

Here is the film's only real semi-scary or semi-funny scene. Ernie is occupied as the towering Malcolm sneaks up upon him –

And it’s a case of “Roses are red, Violets are Black, You Look Your best With a Knife in Your BACK!” for poor old Malcolm!

Have we seen this type of scene before in horror movies? I stumble to think? Have we seen this image before?

I’ve just gone over my pictorial allotment for this entry so this means I can get on with my life now! HOO-ray! An excellent cast in a stale, unfunny film (folks on the IMDB Like it a lot, though), you’re probably just better seeking out other “old dark house” thrillers like – like, THE OLD DARK HOUSE (1932) instead! This is Greg Goodsell and I’m outta here – for now!

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

TEN LITTLE INDIANS - Malcolm Lockyer - "And Then There Were None" (1965)

Well, it seems Wednesdays have kind of morphed into Thriller, Spy, Mystery, Secret Agent, Giallo, Film Noir nights, but that just means more cool music and people, and tonight's feature, "Ten Little Indians" is a right fine example!

Based on the best selling book by Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller Christie, the "Queen of Crime" whose book sales are only surpassed by William Shakespeare and The Bible, "Ten Little Indians" is a fetching tale with a superlative iconic cast, and here they are.....the "Ten Little Indians"

For many, manly man Hugh O'Brian will always be remembered as Wyatt Earp in 225 episodes of "The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp" that ran from 1955 to 1961! He was also Daniel Slade Hardy in one of my favourite titles, the 1958 film "The Fiend Who Walked the West." To my knowledge, Hugh is still kickin' it somewhere today!

The ravishing Shirley Eaton will live on forever for her role as the golden girl Jill Masterson, in "Goldfinger!" Shirley was in some other interesting flicks like "Life Is A Circus" and "The Million Eyes of Sumuru" too. She hasn't acted in years, but I'm sure Shirley's still hanging around somewhere too!

Born Fabiano Anthony Forte, Fabian is one of the founders of the of "So Cool You Only Need One Name" club that has gone on to include Sting, Prince, Madonna, Bono, and Simon & Garfunkel! Fabian was a lot cooler than all of them!! Fabian's still going strong today!

This brings us to the part of the cast that isn't around anymore! Leo Genn was in "Moby Dick," "Playgirl After Dark," "The Secret Of Dr. Mabuse," and "Psycho-Circus!" Leo lived the good life til the age of 72!

Stanley Holloway was in some strange films like "Bikini Baby," "Meet Mr. Lucifer," "An Alligator Named Daisy," and was Mr. Brown in "Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter," that was based on the Herman's Hermits song of the same name! Stanley lived to be 91!

Next up is Wilfrid Hyde White, a gentleman who had 157 acting roles that included some good stuff like "Teenage Bad Girls"(Is that not like the ultimate title or what?), "Chamber Of Horrors," and he was Martin Peyton in 13 episodes of the popular sleazy 1967 TV show called "Peyton Place!"

Back to the living, the spectacular Daliah Lavi did some good work in "The Return Of Dr. Mabuse," "The Demon," "The Whip And The Body," and Dino's "The Silencers!"

Dennis Price also had an amazing career with 141 titles under his belt, with some real horror classics like "The Horror Of Frankenstein, "Vampiros Lesbos," "Twins Of Evil," and "Drácula Contra Frankenstein!" Dennis was one of the less fortunate of the cast, he only lived to be 58!

Well, that's the main cast, the two that are left are the hired help! Marianne Hoppe's career consisted of mostly German films with titles like "13 Kleine Esel Und Der Sonnenhof!" Marianne lived to the ripe old age of 93!!!

The last but not even close to least of this 10 member dramatis personae is the living legend Mario Adorf, who has 203 titles to his credit, and has two films coming out this year, "Gegengerade - 20359 St. Pauli," and The Invention Of Love!"

I lived in Alaska for 2 1/2 years, but this still looks awfully freakin' cold to me!!

Pretty damn odd place to get invited to for a weekend of fun and games by somebody you don't even know!

Hugh's not only a peeper, he's also getting peeped on!

I love the contrast in this shot of Hugh and Shirley with him decked out in black, and her all in white!

Fabian sings a chorus of "10 Little Indians" to a less than delighted crowd!

That's the great thing about screen capture, it allows you to relive those surprising moments you don't normally remember!

One little, two little, three little Indians, too bad, but Fabian's the first one to go!!

Guess what? Nobody gets to leave because this is the cable to the buggy that brought them there, and it's about to snap through no fault of it's own!!

The music is by a name that should be pretty familiar to you by now, since we've been talking about him a lot around here lately because of his awesome contributions to films like "Dr. Who And The Daleks," "Deadlier Than The Male," and "Island Of The Burning Damned," Malcolm Lockyer!!

"And then there were seven!"

How can you go wrong, Shirley Eaton gets undressed two or three times!!

Then there's the big musical number, where the guys do 'The Twist' together!

The composition of this fight scene shot is great!!

This shot just screams Agatha Christie!"

"Ten Little Indians" is a fun movie to watch, but as far as mysteries go, even though he didn't sell as many books, I'll stick with Edgar Wallace! Agatha Christie just never had the cajones to write something as wild as "King Kong!"

Monster Music

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