The HORROR And SCI-FI MOVIES Of JOHN AGAR 1954-67

So, let's take a look at the horror and sci-fi movies of Dungeon Hero, John Agar. He did other things after his prime, but, I'm going to concentrate on his starring roles from 1954-67...

THE ROCKET MAN from 1954 has John playing the love interest in this weird little sci-fi comedy about a little boy who comes into possession of a ray gun that compels anyone caught in its beam to tell the truth, and, John falls in love with the kid's sister.

John then starred as Professor Clete (weird name) Ferguson in REVENGE OF THE CREATURE from 1955. He gets to chase The Creature around in the murky Floridian swamps.

Looks like Universal liked John, he then starred in TARANTULA! also in 1955, possibly the best of the Universal flicks from the fifties. Saw this one whaen it came out, a really thrilling experience for a 7 year old with a fertile imagination!

John returns for his third and final Universal movie in THE MOLE PEOPLE from 1956. This is not one of my favorites, besides the Mole People, there wasn't much to like for me...

DAUGHTER OF DR. JEKYLL from 1957 is one nutty flick, John plays the daughter's love interest and wears one of the stupidest jackets in the history of B-Movies!!

It was a treat to see THE BRAIN FROM PLANET AROUS back in 1957, John was great. You have to realize that stuff like this was amazing at the time for us kids, you had to be there!

I also saw ATTACK OF THE PUPPET PEOPLE in 1958, John plays a doll salesman! The special effects were terrific and very convincing, another nice treat for the kiddies!

Love this poster for INVISIBLE INVADERS from 1959, John plays Major Jay in a movie that I always enjoy watching. It has lots of action and thrills and keeps your attention!

Damn, I love HAND OF DEATH from 1962 a lot, the make up is truly mind boggling and startling, especially in the doctor's house when John's going through the change.

Eegah!! and I saw JOURNEY TO THE SEVENTH PLANET in 1962 and really dug it, even if it was a little hokey at times. They made up for it with whacked out monsters and weird situations!

Things were going down hill for John, he then appeared in WOMEN OF THE PREHISTORIC PLANET in 1966. I never realized it, but, this damn movie's hard to find, what the Hell!!

Looks like ZONTAR THE THING FROM VENUS from 1966 hit the drive-in circuit since there's an actual poster for it! Man, this movie sucks, Zontar looks like something thrown up!! Poor John.

John's back to help Larry out again in 1966 with CURSE OF THE SWAMP CREATURE, this time, good old Bill Thurman gets to play the goofy looking SWAMP CREATURE! This one also apparently made the drive-in circuit.

NIGHT FRIGHT from 1967 was direct to video since no poster for this weirdie seems to exist. John plays a Sheriff in this one, a good role for him. There you have it, a nice post for John and the horror and sci-fi movies he starred in...

DUEL - Stephen Spielberg (1971)

Stephen Spielberg directed his first full length movie in 1964 at the age of eighteen for a budget of $400.00. It was titled "Firelight," and I don't think any full copies even exist. He made a few shorts, and worked on some TV shows, but his first full budget real movie was tonight's Saturday Night Special made for TV movie called "DUEL" in 1971! Three years after that it was "Sugarland Express," and then over the course of the next four years, it was "JAWS," and "Close Encounters Of The Third Kind," The rest is history!

A duel is defined by Merriam-Webster as "a conflict between antagonistic persons, ideas, or forces, and/or, a hard-fought contest between two opponents!

And while I guess that pertains, this "Duel" is really just one gigantic chase scene, almost non-stop from start to finish, and it's pretty much a one-sided affair!

Dennis (Chester) Weaver is the roadrunner in this cartoon! Dennis's 6'2" frame looks really scrunched into that driver's seat!

He drives a Plymouth Valiant! Good cars, I've owned two, a '59, and a '62. This is a late 60's model!

Here is the coyote, trying to give new meaning to the term 'monster truck!'

This is about as much as you ever get to see of the driver of the truck!

So here's what's happening! Dennis is out on the road, and for no reason at all, this big ugly souped up tanker first blocks his way, and then when he gets past the truck, the guy runs up his ass. Really, just as far as driving around, it could be your worst nightmare. Anyway, the truck is relentless, so Dennis calls home! Great laundromat shot Stephen!

This shot screams 1971!

So he stop's at Chuck's Cafe figuring the trucker will just go on, but nope, the truck stops too!

Everybody in the place looks suspicious, but the truck finally pulls out without Dennis seeing who was the actual driver!

Here's a great shot of the kids in the back of a school bus that Dennis stops and tries to help!

He catches back up to the truck and passes it only to get cornered in between a train and the truck which is now trying to push him into the train!

Next stop, the Snake-o-Rama gas station to try and call the cops, and the truck tries to run over the phone booth with Dennis in it, and busts up a bunch of snake cages in the process!

Like I said, one long chase scene, and Dennis is getting worn out!

The car is not even feeling so valiant any more!

I still don't think it's a duel as much as it is a tale of David and Goliath!

"Duel" is a historical piece of film making no doubt, and it finishes right where it started, and that is nowhere!

I'm assuming the great Richard (Last Man On Earth) Matheson wrote this simple story for some complicated reason, but I'm just too lazy to try and find out why, so as Dale and Grace said in 1963, "That's Why I'm Leaving It Up To You!"

EL FANTASMA DE LA OPERETA / Producciones Brooks - 1960

Time to head back to 1960 for a little Mexican horror comedy, the story goes... Aldo and his girlfriend Lucy reopen an abandoned opera house, but find out that the place is inhabited by a group of Phantoms wearing the Claude Rains 1943 Phantom of the Opera costume!

The movie stars Germán (TRIP TO THE MOON) Valdés aka Tin-Tan, Ana Luisa (TARZAN AND THE MERMAIDS) Peluffo and Famie (THE SUPER HE-MAN) Kaufman. By the way, Ana Luisa has a whopping 211 acting credits and is still around today!!

Tin-Tan plays Aldo, he's a frustrated, bumbling waiter with big dreams...

He convinces his girlfriend Lucy to go in with him on an old opera house. Here's the taxi, a cool looking 1958 Chevy, dropping them off in front of their new acquisition,

Once inside, Aldo, Lucy and her helper, Vitola, encounter this old worried dude in the basement... What in the Hell's he doing here, and, what time is it?! Interesting shot.

Anyway, things get hoppin' as they start packing the house with the locals! I love these two shots, eye catching is how I'd describe them!

Then, Aldo and Vitola do their thang, they have a comedy act where Vitola is the aggressor!

Here's a good look at what It'd be like to work the ticket window at the opera house when a bunch of people want their money back because a Phantom showed up and ruined the show!!

Vitola catches a suspicious looking character snooping around, so, follows and corners him only to get a glimpse the Phantom's ugly puss!!

Vitola gives Aldo a little something to hold on to that she found, a freakin' time bomb!! And, of course, Vitola has no idea what it even is!

Okay, so, there are a big pile of Phantoms... Love the bottom shot, Kitscha-Roonie!!

Back to the bomb!.. It gets thrown in a room by a copper and it goes off, causing a ton of mayhem during the performance that's going on...

The cops get the bad guys and the day is saved! You're goin' to jail, sucker!!

The ending is just plain weird and kind of embarrasing! The chandelier starts swaying, the Phantom suddenly appears inside it, he takes the mask off, we get a close up and then he simply goes... Poof! and he's gone! He looks like a child riding a kiddie ride at the carnival...