TALES OF TOMORROW / "The Dune Roller" - 1952

Here's a wild little tale from early sci-fi TV, it's all about events on Lightning Island, where, a rock collected by scientists mysteriously crashes through the front door after the pebbles combine and quickly grow in size. The men discover that the rocks consist of an unknown mineral, and could possibly be from space. But, long-time resident Cap Zanse believes it's an Ouroboros, or, hoop snake, a legendary creature which rolls with tail in mouth, and blames the mysterious extermination of local animals on the Lake Michigan isle on them...

This episode stars Bruce (CAT BALLOU) Cabot, Nancy (THAT MAN FROM TANGIER) Coleman, Nelson (MOON PILOT) Olmsted, Lee (THE ROCKET) Graham and Truman (PRETTY BOY FLOYD) Smith.

Here's old coot Cap Zanser, he's telling Sally the tale of the Dune Rollers aka Hoop Snakes or the Ouroboros. He's all animated and says that he seen them with his own two eyeballs!!

Sam Thorne and Dr. Carl Burgess are studying some strange rocks collected on Lightning Island. After two small samples are placed together and a little heat is added, well, they change into one larger rock!

After another experiment, the combined rock books out the door after burning a hole through it... Hey, great conversation piece!

So, old Cap is at home during a lightning storm and he calls the doc to tell him that there are weird lights outside his place and he's going out and see what they are...

Well, it ain't hoop snakes, I'll tell you that... Stupid old men!

The doctor and Sam come across Cap, just laying there, all dead-like!

The boys go home to tell the girls about Cap. Knowing of the danger, Jean, the doc's wife, sneaks out and goes to Cap's place! What's wrong with her brain isn't exactly clear, but, she calls her husband and says there are some strange lights outside, and, she's scared shitless!!

Back at the ranch, Jean, who needs to be tied to her chair, watches her husband make a bomb, something he thinks will destroy the energy in the rocks.

Sam takes the rocks, tosses them on the shore and blows the Hell out of them with the bomb!

They really need to keep an eye on Jean!.. Anyway, the doc and Sam are happy with the results of the explosion and claim, all clear!

But, after they leave the scene, the rocks start glowing and change into this very weird thingie that seems to be crawling around!! Kinda creepy, really!

We end with this uncredited guy telling us about how the producers of the series are really into sci-fi and love bringing it to us! So, check in on Wednesday when we continue down the old XMAS trail, here, at The Dungeon!!..

THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN - "A Hit and Miss Affair" (1974)

The Saturday Night Special of the hour is the classic James Bond movie titled "The Man With The Golden Gun," so don't expect a whole lot that you don't already know!

 I usually watch movies right before I do this, but this time I watched this particular movie in October, and since there was no way to use it as part of the Countdown To Halloween, I waited until now!

 "The Man With The Golden Gun" was Roger Moore's second outing as James Bond.

 You probably know Roger Moore also as "The Saint" but before that, he had a starring role in three other TV shows.

 From 1958 to 1959 Roger starred in 39 episodes of "Ivanhoe" in the lead role, from 1959 to 1960, he starred in a show Called "The Alaskans" as Silky Harris for 37 episodes, and he was also Beauregarde Maverick on "Maverick"for 16 episodes from 1959 to 1961.

 From 1962 to 1969 he was "The Saint" for 118 episodes!

 I think Roger deserves to take a rest after all that, but he was really just getting started!

 His foil in this film is the iconic Sir Christopher Lee as Scaramanga, the hit-man who possesses the golden gun!

 Believe it or not, but Chris Lee and Roger Moore had worked together before in 1958, when Chris played Sir Otto from the Rhine in an episode of "Ivanhoe" called "The German Knight!"

 Who wears it better? Christopher Lee or Maud (Octopussy) Adams?

Besides the giant talents of Roger Moore and Christopher Lee, the cast also includes a giant of a man in a 3'11" frame, Hervé Villechaize!

Everybody knows Hervé for his roles on "Fantasy Island," and in "Forbidden Zone,"
but I didn't know until right now about an 80's music video!

Here's Hervé Villechaize doing his part in a very amazingly "Ambitious" music video by Jeff Beck from 1985.

Here's the whole video! Not a bad song, and I thought it was kinda funny!

All James Bond movies have to have beautiful women in them, and in this one, it's the always alluring and still kicking, Britt (Stiletto, Asylum, The Wicker Man) Ekland!

The same company put out another wine that same year called Uckphay Ooyay.

 If you have never seen it, yes, they are going to drive (If you want to call it driving) across this bridge!


You're probably asking yourself, how many golden things can a man actually have, and I'm here to answer that question! Over the years in movies and TV, besides a golden gun, there have been all these things!

 Starting in 1955, there's been "The Man With The Golden Arm," "The Man With The Golden Nose," "The Man With The Golden Bum," "The Man With The Golden Wrist," "The Man With The Golden Hand," "The Man With The Golden Tongue," "The Man With The Golden Ears," "The Man With The Golden Feet," "The Man With The Golden Guts," and "The Man With The Golden Brain!"

  Besides all those body parts, there's also been "The Man With The Golden Charm," "The Man With The Golden Cells," "The Man With The Golden Spring," "The Man With The Golden Egg," "The Man With The Golden Gloves," "The Man With The Golden Winchester," "The Man With The Golden Hat," "The Man With The Golden Touch," "The Man With The Golden Retriever," and "The Man With The Golden Voice!"

 
 Since everything's all topsy turvy around here, we might as well end at the beginning!

 
 Cheers!
Bottoms Up!
Here's looking at you!

Literally in the end, the master switch meets it's master!

THE LIGHTHOUSE / Frank Dietz: Monster Kid Home Movies - 1976

You know, XMAS is really about the kids, so, here at The Dungeon, it's all about those crazy Monster Kids!! Here's a little movie by Frank Dietz from 1976, looks like these kids are doing their own version of the famous lighthouse scene from THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS, which I saw in 1953, the first monster movie I saw at the theater as a kid!

We start with a shot of the lighthouse, just another night of keeping the ships safe on the bounding seas... Right!

Here are the lighthouse keepers like in the movie. One's playing the concertina while the other kid is smoking his pipe, making for a perfect night in...

Then, out of the water appears a huge dinosaur, curious about the lighthouse. And, the guys inside are unaware of the impending situation about to take place! What's up with that head gear, too clean and way too white! Probably his mom's.

Anyway, the keepers looks out the window and see the monster lookin' back at them!

The beast take a bite out of the lighthouse and all Hell breaks loose!!

The keepers are knocked around inside the building, bringing on fraught terror!

Then, the damn thing nudges the lighthouse and in comes tumbling down!!

So, the monster goes ashore to cause a giant pile of trouble for us puny humans... Join us tomorrow when Eegah!! brings on the pain with more XMAS stocking stuffers!!