Saturday, September 10, 2016

HOKUS POKUS - The Three Stooges - (1949)

Where does the time go? I can't believe it's already Saturday again!
Welcome to The Dungeon and tonight's special featurette!
I've been watching a lot of "Three Stooges" lately, and why not?  In today's krazy world, they make as much sense as anything else, and more sense than a lot of things!

This short is called "Hokus Pokus" and was made in 1949, a couple of years after Curly had to leave the trio and they were rejoined by Shemp after his years of going it alone!

 The Three Stooges are brothers, so it's acceptable that three middle aged men might sleep together, and generally have no relationships with women, but aren't gay!

 The pajamas are worth the price of admission alone!

 These guys took a beating day in and day out, but on screen, it never seemed to wear them out!!

 If you don't have a mirror, it's easier to shave somebody else!

 This is one of the rare times that you'll ever get to see a good shot of Moe's forehead!!

Classic!!

Fried eggs over easy for breakfast at Nick's Cafe where the manager is championship boxing super featherweight contender Carlos Morales!

 I'm pretty sure that Cassius Clay learned some of his defensive posturing by watching olde footage of Shemp! What amazing footwork!

 Shemp discovers that the hypotenuse of a right angle is approximately 31 degrees Centigrade to the left when trying to set up a card table!

 I've forgot what Moe was actually doing in this scene, but it doesn't take a lot of imagination to know what it looks like!

Killer play on words with my favourite food! 
I could not live without garlic, and I have yet to be attacked by a vampire, thank goodness!

Moe gets thrown into prison!!

Oh, gee whiz, he was just looking through the back of a chair!

Via hypnosis, Svengarlic turns Larry into a cat, and Shemp into a monkey

To showcase his skills, Svengarlic makes the boys walk out onto a flagpole some umpteen stories high!

Under the weight of three stooges, the flagpole snaps like a number 2 pencil!

I'm moving the last of my stuff today and tomorrow, and after three months, I feel pretty hypnotized myself right about now!!
Have a great weekend!

Friday, September 9, 2016

THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN / Season 2, Episode 20 - Beware The Wrecker - 1954

Welcome to your Friday Fix, here's a Superman episode from 1954, I was 6 in first grade... Ahh, the good old days! Anyway, the story goes like this... A steamship, an airliner and a train have all been destroyed over the past year, then, Perry White receives a telephone call from someone calling himself the Wrecker. He claims responsibility for the incidents and wants $100,000 or else more targets will be destroyed! Superman prevents another ship from being destroyed and intercepts a small model plane carrying a powerful explosive. Clark Kent, Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen investigate further, checking out the possible source of a mysterious noise that can be heard in the background when the Wrecker calls the editor again. So, the Wrecker says he'll blow up multiple targets simultaneously if he doesn't get the $100,000 he demands!!

Our super hero looks great standing with the flag over the title card, you must agree!

So, Perry White gets a call from The Wrecker with the Inspector there, and, wouldn't you know it, Clark and Lois listen in on the conversation. They have a lead now from noticing the noises in the background.

Then, Superman chases down a deadly model jet full of super explosives. They couldn't use stock footage here, so, they had to shoot this scene just for the show.

Here's a cozy shot of our pals in Kent's Rambler sports car, such great cars from the fifties.

They go to the carnival because Clark thinks that's the sound he heard on the phone. While there, our hero knocks the bell completely off the High Striker!.. Whotta (super) man!!!

After Clark ditches them, Jimmy and Lois (holding the rifle!) track down this model airplane builder. Is this the clue they've been looking for?

No, not completely. Superman isn't that easily fooled. Perry White arranges a meeting with these three businessmen, but, why?

Well, because, Superman has set a trap with his own radio controlled jet. The reaction of the real criminal gives him away and the day is saved once again by our great pal... Superman!!.. Hurray!!

So, like, tune in again tomorrow for another special post, here at... The Dungeon!!

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

SHERLOCK HOLMES TV Show - Season 01, Episode 01 - "The Case Of The Cunningham Heritage" (1954)

This incarnation of the man known as Sherlock Holmes ran from 1954 through 1955, and only lasted for one season, but when you're cranking out three or four episodes a month, it adds up to 39 episodes all together!

About 91.3 % of the episodes started with

This is not the same Ron Howard who played Opie on the "Andy Griffith Show," but this Ron Howard was in "Curse Of The Mummy's Tomb," among other things!

Howard Marion Crawford as Watson, was also in five Fu Manchu movies as Dr. Petrie, he was in three episodes of  "The Avengers," and three episodes of  "Secret Agent!"

 Sherlock Holmes is so freakin' smart, but he doesn't know basic stuff like the fact that the earth gravitates around the sun, because his mind has no room for knowledge that is of no use to him!
He's a different kind of thinker!

 Watson and Holmes cruisin'!

 They probably would have believed the wife of the dead man who was caught with a knife in her hand that she wasn't the killer, if she didn't look so much like "The Joker!"
Born in 1925, Lise Bourdin only had 16 acting credits, and last time I checked, she was still around!

Always looking for clues!!

Every time I see a still or a poster from an old Sherlock Holmes' movie, I'm always flabbergasted by the fact that Sherlock has been portrayed on TV and in the movies approximately 169 times!
And you thought there were a lot of "Batman" movies!
So rather than give you the direct link, I think I'll just give all you amateur sleuths a clue, and let you find it for yourselves!
The clue is:

Monday, September 5, 2016

MONSTER MOVIES ROGER CORMAN PRODUCED IN THE FIFTIES!

Welcome, I'm laborin' away for you today, here are the 16 monster movies produced by Dungeon god, Roger Corman, between 1954-9. You have to admit, these flicks are a full ton of fun! And, the posters are super nice too!!

MONSTER FROM THE OCEAN FLOOR from 1954 is a slow moving story, but, they make up for it in the last five minutes of the film when the animated monster shows its ugly cyclops puss.

BEAST WITH A MILLION EYES from 1955 is the weakest movie of the lot, I think it was based on an EC Comic, and, they wasted Paul Blaisdell's talents. Great looking monster though!

Blaisdell created and wore the rubber monster suit in DAY THE WORLD ENDED in 1955. Now, this movie kicks some ass as Corman bumps up the creativity and eeriness!

Paul Blaisdell is brought back with his most famous monster creation in IT CONQUERED THE WORLD in 1956. The movie starred Peter Graves, Beverly (hubba hubba) Garland and Lee Van Cleef, so, the acting is solid!

I was lucky enough to catch NOT OF THIS EARTH in 1957, loved it! Blaisdell's Umbrella Monster freaked me out pretty good because I dug the weird stuff the most!

I also got to see ATTACK OF THE CRAB MONSTERS in 1957, even though the movie isn't that great, at the time, it was pretty damn weird and my horror bone got satisfied!

THE UNDEAD from 1957, in my opinion, is a bad movie. Paul Blaisdell has a cameo role as the corpse in the funeral wagon and his little flying parasites are reused from IT CONQUERED THE WORLD. Eegah!! either has or had this poster!

I saw THE VIKING WOMEN AND THE SEA SERPENT in 1957, the only parts I remembered were the ones with the sea serpent in them, not a great flick...

Then, I got to see WAR OF THE SATELLITES in 1958, I really liked it, some good old sci-fi hit the spot. The part I remembered the most was when Richard Devon burned his hand and then rubbed off the residue, creepy! And, Dick Miller kicks ass in the acting department!

Corman scored Robert Vaughn for TEENAGE CAVEMAN in 1958, a flick that's just plain whack!! This one I can't take, it's totally unwatchable for me.

NIGHT OF THE BLOOD BEAST from 1958 is another less than satisfying flick. There are a few good scenes, but, all in all, petty much a dud. The beast is a mess of a monster!

Eegah!! and I saw THE BRAIN EATERS from 1958 at the theater, I think we laughed most of the time. Roger let Bruno VeSoto direct this thing starring Dungeon Favorite, Ed Nelson.

We also saw THE GIANT LEECHES in 1959, it was okay, some of the scenes in the Leeches' lair were fairly terrifying and we were satisfied with the movie.

Another flick we saw when it came out was A BUCKET OF BLOOD in 1959. I swear, this movie was so cool, Dick Miller, Barboura Morris and Anthony Carbone make for a true horror comedy classic. Man, Dick Miller was one very talented guy!

We also saw THE WASP WOMAN in 1959, we really liked it! There was plenty of action and it kept our interest the whole time, and, it's still fun to watch!

Our last movie is BEAST FROM HAUNTED CAVE from 1959. This is a strange little movie with a very strange looking monster. Not a great effort... Tune in again Wednesday when we'll be back with more... From the Dungeon!

Monster Music

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