TWO ON A GUILLOTINE - The Condors - Max Steiner - Connie Stevens - "Scream Baby" (1965)

This Friday's special treat is still yet another incredible film that was not even near my radar, from 1965, entitled "Two On A Guillotine." Whatever you have to do, this movie must be searched out by any true lover of the genre, and 60's Pop Schtick in general for a number of reasons, so where do you want to start?

Not so weird a role for Cesar Romero as magician John Harley 'Duke' Duquesne! What a great guy and what a great Madman played to raised eyebrow perfection!

Okay, this movie stars one our favorite 60's blondes, Cricket from "Hawaiian Eye" and not a person you normally associate with terror, cute as a button, Connie Stevens as Duke's wife and daughter! Her Co-star is 'How many Disney movies did he make' Dean Jones, which is also a very strange out of context horror role for him too!

Now, I'm thinking Director William Conrad must have had quite a sense of humour, and he knew all about the best things big and small, because at the beginning of the film, he used Richard Kiel as an unnamed guy in a suit at a funeral. Like the man who played the awe-inspiring and almighty "Eegah" isn't going to stand out at 7 foot 2 inches tall in a small crowd!

So Cool! They have the reading of the will on the stage at The Hollywood Bowl!!

Actor/director extraordinaire William Conrad was born September 27, 1920, and moved on in 1994! He was a big man in more than one way, physically, although he was only 5' 7 1/2" tall, and the body of work he left behind is above reproach!! He had the best voice, and did so much narration work including "The Rocky & Bullwinkle Show" just as an example! Here's Bill in a cameo role as a guy in the mirrored rooms part of The Funhouse and the sounds of an era and a California left behind! "P.O.P."

Now, we're just starting to get warmed up, and here's the real reason why we're so excited about tonight's film! A couple of years ago the multi-facected and multi-talented Spike Priggen over at the Bedazzled blog, introduced me to the wonderful world of Scopitones. I bought a couple of DVD's from him as you all should too! The first Scopitone I ever saw was a song called "Ain't That Just Like Me" by The Condors. It's the 60's classic you never heard that should have been played on the radio in between Cannibal & The Headhunters and Sham The Sham over and over. Not only all that, The Condors are also a pair of the coolest looking and dancin' dudes to ever walk the planet, and I'm almost sure that Outkast lifted their "Uunnhh" for "Hey Ya" from this song, so, I searched and I searched to find more music by The Condors to no avail until last week. Tabonga had purchased some more movies for your pleasure and he told me after watching this one, that it had a band in it, something like The Isley Brothers. So.... In this film, after Connie and Dean have had a full day of fun at the long defunct P.O.P or Pacific Ocean Parkway, Dean suggests that they go someplace to have a nice quiet dinner and talk.

Uh Oh, William Conrad's in charge, so Bam, instead of a quiet diner, they end up in this rowdy club with this incredible band playing something that sounds like another classic, say, something like a cross between "What'd I Say?" & Bunker Hill's "Hide & Seek," and as the camera pans through the dancers and around the room, and finally stops on the band, I screamed, It's the freakin' Condors!!!!I couldn't believe it!! So here's where it was, for you unlucky late cats, it was The fabulous Condors with "Go Baby!!!" Hopefully somebody will release this fim so you can feel it yourself!!

And let me just say, This is probably the singular most funky piece of music in a film since damn near ever!! Period!

Connie and Dean were two of the chosen few to see these cats perform, and they look like they're diggin' it!!!!!!!

I don't know where The Condors came from & I don't know where they went, but if you were ever lucky enough to see them perform live, I envy you!!!

Back to big and small, here Bill Conrad uses the world famous midget actor Billy Curtis in the role of the owner and bartender of "Big Mike's" bar. Billy was in a zillion movies including "The Terror Of Tiny Town" and "The Wizard Of Oz" all the way into the 80's when he passed away!! Check out the sign on the wall for "Dwarf's Bourbon!"

In the end, Connie's Dad does come back to life, but he thinks she's her mother, his wife, well, you can imagine, it gets pretty weird! Here's Connie listening to her Mother sing the very familiar Cole Porter tune "What Is This Thing Called Love?" and a few more goodies!

I'm thinking Connie set some kind of record with the number of screams she did in this film! Find a decent copy if you can!! Go Baby!!

THE TERROR / Filmgroup - 1963 / Music by Ron Stein and Les Baxter

- THURSDAYS WITH TABONGA -

Ladies and gremlins, Dungeon Main Man... MR. BORIS KARLOFF!

This music by Ron Stein and Les Baxter (uncredited) sound pretty creepy, but flick is boring and contrived! Give listen to... The Terror, The Terror! Story by Leo Gordon and Jack Hill!

Okay, so Jack is fancy French officer and he get lost and fall down in ocean!.. (?) Later he wake up looking at big face of witch Dorothy Neumann who in also THE UNDEAD and THE GHOST OF DRAGSTRIP HOLLOW. Anyway, scare Jack and make him jump! Then she bring out big bird (Helene) and scare his ass 'gain!! After that he look over at Jonathan (Seymour Krelboin) Haze and Jonathan do that to him!!!

For reason nobody know, ghost Helene (big bird) like to flirt with Jack. In real life, Jack married to Sandra Knight when make this flick.

Jack finally find his way to castle of Boris... Boris not really like him. Other Dungeon favorite Dick (Walter Paisley) Miller there as Boris dapper butler! Boris tell him to keep eye on Jack, he too nosy. Helene is ghost wife of Boris and things gettin' all tangled up!

Dick not happy camper here!..
Hmmm, maybe Tabonga look pretty cool with scarf too!

This part too weird for even Tabonga!! Okay, Jonathan get eye claw out by Helene as big bird, then he stumble off side of cliff and plummet onto rocks! Jack run down to check and guess what?!!!... Jonathan still alive and he mumbling to Jack!!!!... WHAT IN HELL GIVES?!!!

Dummy look sooo bad!!

Tabonga guess he kinda see why Jack like Sandra!

This great, she beating up Boris!

But... Then... This!!!

Goodnight everbloody!!

PHARAOH'S CURSE - Les Baxter - "The Curse" (1957)

Well, "The Curse" seems to be working pretty dang good around these parts, right about now.

Just in case there is the slightest possibility you didn't notice, this is a "Bel-Air" production!!!!

The DVD of "Pharaoh's Curse" that Tabonga scored from a street vendor in Cairo, wouldn't play much past the five minute mark, so we can't give you all the musical thrills and pictures you and this picture deserve!

No thanx to modern technology, the Internet connection in my cave is intermittent at best until I can get some help out here, so what that all adds up to, is this quick post of the theme from the classic 1957 film, "Pharaoh's Curse!" It stands alone with an excellent soundtrack by the almighty Les Baxter! I can't imagine, what would these movies have done without him??

The real wild west, except for the fact that it's in the east, where still to this day, in certain areas, you shoot first and ask questions later!

AAAAAAAaaaaaahhhhhh!!!! Saw this for the first time in "Famous Monsters Of Filmland" magazine!!!!

What's sad is, if you search for "Pharaoh's Curse" today on the mighty Internet that can provide essential details to each and every subject available, you get this!!! Now that, my friends, is SCARY!!!

THE HYPNOTIC EYE / Allied Artists 1960 / Music by Marlin Skiles

~ TABONGA TUESDAY ~

Marlin Skiles on our previous post THE BOWERY BOYS MEET THE MONSTERS. Here more flicks and serials he work on... BATMAN AND ROBIN '49, KING OF THE ROCKET MEN '49, ATOM MAN vs SUPERMAN '50, LOST PLANET AIRMEN '51, JALOPY '53, SPOOK CHASERS, THE GIANT CLAW, 20 MILLION MILES TO EARTH!.. DANG!! Hypno-Babes & Beatniks!

So, this how flick start, pretty gurl put something in hair and go over to stove and turn burner on high. Then she put face close and catch her hair on fire! Gurl freakin' crazy!!

Or, maybe she... Hypnotized!!

Weirdo newspaper dude throw darts to pick stories from wall of possibilities!

AYE!!!!

Okay, now you have to take a crap! A big one!!! (So sorry everbloody, Tabonga have twisted funnybone!)

Sometime Desmond make audience act like Curly, and they cannot stop til he say so... STUPID!!

Detective Steve agree with Tabonga... STUPID!!

Oh, so here is irrestible 'Hypnotic Eye' that make gurlz act so damn crazy?!.. Give Tabonga a break!!

OOPS!..

Tabonga never pass up chance to show nice '59 Ford!

This dude name is Lawrence Lipton, "King of the Beatniks." Tabonga pretty sure he just make that up (he have only one acing job, this one!). Two guy that totally blow Larry out of water are Julian Burton from Dungeon favorite BUCKET OF BLOOD, which we already post, and Go Man Van Gogh from Bob Clampett's BEANY & CECIL!!!

Allison mean bitch here! She getting water super hot so detective gurlfriend can take shower in it!!

Okay, here why Allison so mean and make Desmond make pretty gurl ugly! She all messed up TOO!! So, she get revenge on unsuspecting victim!! At end, Allison fall off scaffold and land on Desmond!! Oh, flick banned in Finland!