Saturday, April 24, 2021

THE KILLER THAT STALKED NEW YORK - "It Ain't Who You Think It Is" (1950)

 Tonight's Saturday Night Special is a scary movie that was made seventy-one years ago, and should have been mandatory prime time TV viewing last year. The killer is question is not a person, but a seriously contagious virus known as smallpox, and this is a tale of how fast infectious disease can spread!
 
By means of vaccination, small pox was eradicated in 1949, and declared gone forever in the year 1980, but not before it wiped out over 500 million people in 100 years of the not so distant past.
 
 
It all starts with this woman named Sheila Bennet as played by Evelyn Keyes. Not exactly a household name, but Evelyn was in some big movies like "Gone With The Wind," and "The Seven Year Itch."
Sheila has just returned to New York from Cuba where she had picked up some stolen jewels for her boyfriend, but what she doesn't know is that she also picked up a nice ripe case of smallpox, and every person who comes in contact with her is going to get it too!

Sheila's boyfriend is a first-class jerk! The whole time Sheila has been gone, he's been making it with her younger sister Francie Bennet. Francie is played by lovely Lola (The Monolith Monsters) Albright. The sleazebag artist boyfriend's name is Matt Krane and was played by Charles (Tarzan's Savage Fury) Korvin.

 
The bellhop named Danny helps sneak Sheila out of the hotel because the Feds are on her tail, not because of the disease, but because of the diamonds. The actor who plays Danny has a face you can't forget and played in many an odd character over the years. His name is Walter Burke, and he was in two episodes of "The Outer Limits," "The Invisibles," and "The Mutant," and he was also in an episode of "The Twilight Zone" titled "The Big Tall Wish."

 
Okay, here we go.....................No hugs!!! 
This little girl who was a stranger will later die from the disease!

 
Sheila finally makes it back to Matt's arms, and she's a lot more thrilled about it than he is! The funny thing is, the disease acts in strange ways, and a lot of people die from exposure to Sheila before she does, and for some reason, Matt's not getting it either.

 
Wash those freakin' filthy hands! 
Some things have not changed in 70 years!!

 
This guy is more concerned about the spread of the disease than most, because as you can see, he was a survivor, but paid the price with a pock marked face!
Smallpox was an absolutely horrible disease!

 
Jim Backus aka Thurston Howell III or the voice of Mr. Magoo, is the owner of a bar called Willies. He tries to put the make on Sheila, and will end up paying the highest price possible, a tortuous and miserable death from smallpox.

 
Sheila is a one woman wrecking ball, and she doesn't even have a clue. In the meantime, the authorities are in search of whoever started this whole mess, and they don't know where to start! 
 
These two drinking fountain shots just say it all!!
 
 
"The Killer That Stalked New York" has got a great supporting cast that also includes Whit Bissell as Sheila's brother, Sid Bennet. Whit was in some of the most classic monster movies ever, like "Creature From The Black Lagoon," "I Was A Teenage Werewolf," "I Was A Teenage Frankenstein," "Monster On The Campus," and more. He was also in "The Outer Limits" episode  called "Nightmare."

 
This is one incredible shot of a "Frightened City," which was an alternative name for this film.

There are a few differences between this plague and the one we are experiencing today, the biggest being they already had a vaccination since they had been fighting the disease for years. So every time a new case pops up, they immediately send a mobile team in to vaccinate everybody and anybody in the vicinity, but of course, there are doubters!

The breakout swells to a large proportion in a short amount of time, and so the inevitable occurs, and they run out of shots. Not bullshitting around in any way, the Mayor of New York steps in and tells the manufacturing companies to step up the program and get their asses to work 24/7, because they have no time to lose!
 

When they finally figure out who the person is who is spreading the disease, they go all out to find her!

 
Sometimes profiling is necessary and justified...............
 
...........And the police question every blonde in the whole damn city looking for Sheila!

This movie is Amazing! 
Seventy years, and it doesn't feel like we have learned a damn thing!

Friday, April 23, 2021

COLONEL HEEZA LIAR AT THE BAT / J. R. Bray Studios - 1915

So, here's one from one hundred six years ago by one of the pioneers in the new medium, cartoons, the J. R. Bray Studios located in New York City.

The story starts with Colonel Heeza Liar heading out to the baseball game, but of course his auto is giving him problems getting started.

To make up for lost time, he plows through a traffic cop at an intersection.

And what the heck, might as well knock this guy holding a barrel over too, you need to get to that baseball game pronto!

I guess baseball in 1915 had different rules than they do today. Love the term, cuss.

I don't know what else to add, sez it all...

The little guy is up, the pitcher throws the ball and the catcher leans forward and catches it before it reaches Heeza.

The umpire calls a strike and gets knocked out of the stadium when Heeza punches him after the call is made. But, he's back in the next scene.

Heeza bunts and outruns the ball as it's tossed from base to base trying to catch him. I still don't know where him being a Liar comes into play!

So that I don't have to say it...

Heeza lets the first two balls let pass by as strikes, then on the third pitch, he knocks the ball high into the air and it lands in a pelican's mouth, and it flies away. Heeza runs around the bases three times before he stops.

And, he has won the day, adored by his avid fans!!.. Huh?

Wednesday, April 21, 2021

DR DANGER - "Do Not Try This At Home" (2021)

I've got an extra special Weird Wednesday for you this week, and it's all about a guy named Dr Danger, and they call him Dr Danger for a dang good reason!

Dr Danger is a master of 'live' for real drama, a stunt man who puts his life on the line time after time, all in the name of entertainment, and it's been pretty well documented over the last few years!

We first met Greg Carpenter, aka Dr Danger back in the year 2000, when he volunteered to be the Assistant Director on our first film, "The Creep." He also did a terrific job in the role of the police officer who had "The Creep," but let him slip through his fingers, and get away!
This was probably the last time he ever drove a Chevy II.

Since that time Greg has been a very busy cat, taking his Dr Danger stunts to places like MTV and The History Channel just to name a couple!

In 2012, Dr Danger and Stunt Pro James Smith met up at the Hazzard County Reunion in VA to do a stunt!!

In 2015, Dr Danger's Daredevil All Stars appeared on "America's Got Talent!"

The Daredevil All Stars all piled into a bus with Dr D behind the wheel, and went up a ramp and plowed into two other buses standing up in a vertical position. You can watch whole segment 
 
To say the judges were wowed would be an understatement!

Here's the thing about Dr Danger............................

............................This shit IS real, and he's gotten hurt multiple times and his body is full of broken bones, but that doesn't stop him, because he's a badass, and this is just what he does!

Does this look like the face of a man you'd trust to set you on fire?
 
A few years ago, Dr Danger appeared on this Sunday Morning show in a segment titled "Dr Danger's Daredevil Legends Show," and you can watch it RIGHT HERE!

What a show that must have been, the other people featured besides Dr Danger, were Oliver Stone, Jamie Lee Curtis, and The Pope!

No matter where Dr Danger goes, there are going to be ambulances, and usually more than one!

Dr Danger is also a big supporter of the cause "Surplus Americans," an organization "Helping Veterans To Help Themselves," and you can be an 'action hero' too by going HERE and donating something! 
 Why not "Get Involved?"

"What could possibly go wrong?"
There are 42 videos on the "Dr Danger Stunts" page, so grab yourself a beer and be prepared to be amazed!

Dr Danger and his buddy Texas Trash are like some dynamic duo who save people's lives by taking it out on themselves!
 
 
Trash was the star of a dark comedy called "Candy Apple," made by filmmaker Dean Dempsey in 2015.

Texas Trash and the Trainwrecks tear up a tune called "Loose Devils."
You can hear that tune and a whole lot more at my
 

"Hey, you there...............Are you all right???"

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