THE UNKNOWN / Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer - 1927

Welp, it's time to pay a little visit with Mister Monster himself in a wild and crazy silent movie directed by Tod Browning, who doesn't do anything that isn't complicated. It also stars 22 year old Joan Crawford as the love interest.

I got this copy off TCM, it looks like they redid the title and dialogue cards as the best print available isn't that great, they look too modern to me though.

Lon Chaney is showman Alonzo The Armless, knife throwing ace for the circus.

After using a pistol with his feet to shoot beautiful Nanon's dress off, he then tosses knives around her while the stage spins!

Alonzo is in love with Nanon but sees her with the handsome strongman, Malabar.

Then, Alonzo hears her ranting about...

Uh-oh, things aren't what they seem! Alonzo's little pal Cojo helps him out of his harness after a show, revealing his arms.

It also comes out that Alonzo is hiding from the police from some earlier crime, and, he has a deformity of his thumb. A little detail in the story Lon probably had fun creating.

Great shot as Alonzo relaxes in his room, he's still using his feet while smoking! It's amazing to watch Lon effortlessly use his skills in this scene.

Alonzo wants Nanon bad! He knows how she feels about men's hands, so, he figures out a shocking plan to win her over!.. He blackmails a surgeon into... REMOVING HIS ARMS!!! What guys won't do for love, jeez!

After some time has passed, Alonzo has returned to the circus, Nanon updates him on her love life. Her and Malabar are madly in love, she has finally matured and is now all woman!

Put yourself in Alonzo's shoes, whoa, the look on his face says it all...

Rich people always love a good show when someone might lose their life in a death defying event like this one...

Malabar is holding back two horses on tread mills while the crowd goes wild.

There is a lever that will stop the tread mills in case of emergency, so, Alonzo's plan is to pull the lever and have the horses rip Malabar's arms off. There is a weird theme about arms going on here...

All Hell breaks loose and Nanon tries to help her lover while nearly being trampled.

Alonzo flips out and pushes Nanon out of the way only to be the one to get trampled! It makes you flinch when the horse comes down on Alonzo, it looks real...

A TRIBUTE TO CARL HEINZ JAFFÉ - Part Two - The Science Fiction Films

Welcome to the Dungeon Saturday Night Special, and The Films Of Carl Jaffé Part Deux! Tonight's segment focuses on Carl's Sci-Fi films, and is once again brought to you courtesy of his Grandson Michael! But before we delve into the films, here are a couple of shots from The Spotlight Casting Directory!

 

Here's Carl as a suave but mysterious character from his listing in the 1939 Directory!

 

And here's the photo from his listing in the 1963 directory in the category of Character Men and Comedians! 

Two of Carl Jaffé's earliest excursions into Science Fiction films were "The Atomic Man," in  1955, and .....

......"Satellite In The Sky" in 1956!!

Next was "The Electronic Monster," aka "Escapement," from 1958, where Carl has the role of the strange Dr. Hoff. This original scan is courtesy of the Jaffé archive owned by Michael  Jaffé'!

"This image is a scan of the ORIGINAL bromide photo, not a printed repro as used in "The Electronic Monster" poster!" - Michael Jaffé

Next up is the classic "First Man Into Space" from 1959!

"Sometimes Carl did get a credit!"

"And sometimes his image just got used!"

Michael says "Here's a great still from "First Man Into Space,"... there are others similar to this around online (most of which I also have) but you won't find THIS one!"

"You're not likely to have seen this iconic still before either!"

"In Germany "First Man Into Space" was released as "Rakete 510" and this is the film programme for it."

"Curiously enough, an extreme likeness of Carl appears to have been used on the front cover of a 20 film DVD compilation set...!"

In 1967, Carl was in "Battle Beneath The Earth" as a Dr. Galissi.

Lastly, here is a great production still of Carl as Dr. Galissi, with Kerwin Mathews as Commander Jonathan Shaw!

 I'll just wrap this up with this nice double portrait of Michael Jaffé holding a portrait taken of Carl by Carl's friend, the German modernist photographer Mr. Hans Casparius! Keep your eyes open for the whole story as written by Michael some time soon, because it will surely be a fascinating tale! I'll keep you posted!!

LEGACY OF BLOOD / Studio West Film Distributors - 1971

I'll end the week with this little horror flick with a pile of stars, The story goes like this.. In order to qualify to inherit the family fortune, four heirs must spend the night in the family estate. But, you know, someone starts killing them off one by one.

I've got a little sound clip for your approval, sooooo, you can push the big red 'GO' button over by our Turkish Gremlin, NOW, Rufus The Gnat!.. Here's a taste of... LEGACY OF BLOOD!

Here's Jeff Morrow as alcoholic Gregory Dean and his wife Leslie played by Brooke Mills as they await the others to show up for the reading of the will. Of course, Jeff is a Dungeon Hero for his work in films like THIS ISLAND EARTH, THE CREATURE WALKS AMONG US, KRONOS and THE GIANT CLAW.

Then, there's John Russell as Frank Mantee, a handsome, well dressed guy with a neckerchief. John is best known as Marshal Dan Troop in LAWMAN and was also in FIREBALL JUNGLE.

John Smith plays Dr. Carl Isenburg. We remember him from ISLAND OF LOST WOMEN, his last work was for PROJECT U.F.O. in 1978.

Here's Faith Domergue as Veronica Dean, boy, did I ever have a huge crush on her! Faith was in these many movies... VENDETTA, CULT OF THE COBRA, THIS ISLAND EARTH, IT CAME FROM BENEATH THE SEA, THE ATOMIC MAN, VOYAGE TO THE PREHISTORIC PLANET and THE HOUSE OF SEVEN CORPSES.

Well, time to go to the cemetery and bury Christopher Dean whose estate is in the will. He's played by John Carradine, someone we don't even need to list his films as there are way to many, a real Dungeon God!

Hey! Nice tie!!..

Rodolfo Acosta is the sheriff, he gets an ax in the head for his effort.

After the murder, everyone's a little weirded out about the news.

Then, Gregory and Leslie's sleep is interrupted by their death. Wonder what they're dreaming about now?

Guess who drops in on the fun?! The old codger isn't dead at all, he's just playing games.

That's right, Frank is a card carrying Nazi enthusiast surrounded with his memorabilia.

Bet the doc wishes he would have brought his stethoscope along with him!

At one point everyone believes that the doctor may be the killer so they tie him to a chair and lock him in a closet. When they hear him screaming, they go to the closet to find that he has spilled his oatmeal with raisins all over his head. He was having trouble eating it because his hands were tied.

Christopher shows his face at the end but gets it good by the real killers...

Ha-ha, the servants have had it with this nutty family and get the inheritance in the end... Eegah!! is back tomorrow to share more cool junk!