LAND OF THE LOST / Season 1 Episode 13 "Follow That Dinosaur" - 1974

Here's one for those Saturday morning kids of the seventies. In this wacky Sid & Marty Krofft episode, the Marshall's find half a diary of a former human resident of the Land of the Lost! And, the diary may hold the key to them returning to the real world, nut don't count on it, this is only the thirteenth episode of season one!

This was Wesley Eure's first acting role and he used the name 'Wesley' as a gimmick, something he regrets to this day. He took 21 years off between 1992 to 2013 but is back and already has three acting credits in 2020.

Kathy Coleman has second billing in the series as Holly, she quit Hollywood after Land Of The Lost but like Wesley, she's working again, but after 44 years away from show biz! Spencer Milligan plays the dad, he stepped away from from Hollywood in 1987 (played Jeb Hrmthmg in SLEEPER in 1973) and is back in 2020! What's up with these actors?

So, the family is woken up by old Grumpy, the trouble making T-Rex that loves to pick on them! But this time, Holly figures out that it's after some of a plant she calls 'dinosaur-nip' because dinosaurs seem to love it like cats do with cat-nip. The first time I heard Holly say it, I thought she said... 'Dino-Hemp!' So, after seeing how Grumpy tore the crap out of their curtain, Holly comes up with the idea of ridding their area of the plant and tossing it off a cliff.

It's off to the cliffs they go to dump the plants. Then while searching for something, Holly discovers what seems to be a person under some rocks. It's a dummy made by a human, and it has part of a diary in its pocket.

In the meantime, Grumpy and Big Alice (an Allosaurus) argue with each other across a ravine.

In the diary, it says where the entrance to the way home is, so the gang has to cross a narrow rock walkway over to Big Alice's side of the world...

Grumpy barely makes it across the walkway in pursuit of the three and falls flat on it's face!

As the two dinosaurs duke it out, the guys find the entrance... Oh and, Beware of Sleestak!

They find another segment of the diary and have to tippy-toe through some hibernating Sleestaks in order to get to the next place the diary says to go.

As dad, Will and Holly waste their time, Alice and Grumpy are in a painful, biting stalemate!!

Everything's cool until they find the bones of the guy who wrote the diary... Game over, pick up your marbles and head on home!

But of course the Sleestaks wake up just as our gang is leaving, making for a scary moment...

Dad, Holly and Will talk about the crazy day they've had just before they turn the lights out on this episode, so, good night ya'll... Here at The Dungeon!!..

THE FAT MAN - "Radio's Great Detective...Now The Screen's Super Sleuth" (1951)

 This week's Saturday Night Special is an interesting film on multiple levels, one being that it was directed by future horror gimmick-meister William Castle!

 The gimmick here is that the lead role is really a fat man, a character created by Dashiell Hammett, the author of "The Maltese Falcon."

"Let's see, who shall I kill today?"

The poor unsuspecting dentist is then murdered........

.....And unceremoniously dumped out the window!

All because of some stupid dental records!

So, now we have to backtrack to find out what's going on!

The joke was making chefs look like surgeons in the middle of some serious operation!

Jayne (Undercurrent) Meadows is Jane Adams. She worked for the Doctor when he was alive.

Jayne was married to the extremely funny Steve Allen and was older sister to actress Audrey (Alice Kramden) Meadows.

J. Scott Smart is "The Fat Man," Detective Brad Runyon. He played the role on radio for five years before they decided to make it into a movie.

"The Fat Man" has a great cast that includes Rock Hudson as Roy Clark, a down and out guy who needs some dental work real bad!

A couple days later, he's rolling in the dough, and a few more days after that, he comes up missing!

"The Fat Man's" rather strange partner is Clinton Sundberg as Bill Norton!

The stunning Julie London has the role of Pat Boyd, Roy Clark's future wife!

Actually my favorite part of the whole movie is this scene where "The Fat Man" asks Pat Boyd if she'd like to dance, and the big guy goes out and cuts a mean rug! He's pretty light on his feet!

It wasn't exactly love at first sight for Pat and Roy!

 

But they warm up to each other pretty fast, and the next thing you know......

.........They get married, and he disppears!

The million dollar caper includes heisting an armored car, and making off with the daily receipts from the track!

Sure guys you don't look the least bit suspicious!

The world famous clown Emmett Kelly plays a clown named Deets using a different makeup from his normal routine!

Yeah, it's a little slow in places, and at times, it feels real odd, and then you remember,

Oh, Yeah, William Castle!

LIGHTS OUT / "The Deal" Some Deals Are Made To Be Broken - 1951

Hello der!!.. Today we have a crazy little story from early TV, it's all about a man who makes a deal with a mysterious businessman in order to rid himself of his high maintenance wife, and to set her up with a rich gentleman that will be able to make her happy!..

This thing stars Tom Ewell as Charlie Drome, Anne Bancroft (as Anne Marno) as Helen Drome, Martin Gabel as the Agent and Joseph Wiseman as the Croupier/Devil. Really nice job on the title card!

Of course our narrator pal Frank Gallop pops in to say... Turn out them got-dang lights!..

Here're Charlie and Helen Drome, all Helen can talk about is the fact that Charlie promised they'd soar like eagles after they got married but it's like they're holed up in a chicken coop! She needs material things to make her happy... Anne was 20 years old at this time, what a beautiful lady she was.

The couple live above Charlie's book store, there, he meets up with an agent for a wealthy client who will pay Charlie $50,000 for Helen! Because of course he's very attracted to her and can give her everything she ever wanted. And Charlie knows that he could never make her happy, so, he signs the contract. But, he wants a $10,000 advance to take Helen out for a night on the town, which he's given.

They end up at the roulette wheel in a casino, Charlie wants to see if he's lucky at gambling tonight since he gots some loot in his pocket... And of all things, Charlies wins every freaking time, what the Hell!

The next morning Charlie tells Helen the whole story about the arrangement he made for her, because that's how much he loves her!!

But now, Charlie wants out of the contract, he's changed his mind!.. The agent leaves to tell his client about the situation.

Charlie goes up to tell Helen what has happened when someone enters the book store. Sensing possible trouble, Charlie grabs his revolver...

It's the damn croupier (dealer at roulette wheel) from the casino!! He informs Charlie that he let him win the money, how else could he win like that! Charlie feels threatened so he pulls out his gun and empties it on the guy to no effect. Charlie's really confused when the 'man' tells him that the deal is off. It's like this... He knows Helen has fallen back in love with Charlie, and after all, the Devil has his pride too. He won't take a back seat to a loser like Charlie, so, farewell... Join us tomorrow for more kuhl junk, here at The Dungeon!!..