RING OF TERROR - James Cairncross - "Opus" (1962)

Just like in that song, what day of X-Mas was it when they gave away the 5 rings of terror? Must have been a Friday or Saturday night cause the joint, I mean the cafeteria is jumpin', and the "Campus Cool Cats" are wailing. It's 1962, and you have "Ring Of Terror," with super swinging music by James Cairncross, his only credit ever, by the way. You got rattlesnakes, sick jokes, 23 cents, and let's not forget about Ragdoll & Tiny!!! Whew!!!!! They just don't make movies like this anymore, & that's not really a good thing now is it?? Dorky and cool all at the same time. Ring-A-Ding

  Can you say Aaah-TOP-sy????????? 

Can you say "Aaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!?????

THE ASTRO-ZOMBIES - Nico Karaski - "Opening Credits" (1968)

Okay All You Misfits! This one's for you! Keepin' in the holiday spirit, this here's the cool & groovy music from the opening scene of "The Astro-Zombies." This music composed by Nico Karaski aka Nicholas Carras just screams 1968!! Nicholas was the composer for "She Demons", "Missile To The Moon", "Frankenstein's Daughter" & also some early cool JD flicks. 

The Gorgeous Jean Pirie was in this one scene, gets killed in the garage & her acting career is over!

This movie's worth watching just to see this ultra-exotic couple, Tura Satana & Rafael Campos as Satana & Juan. You'll probably remember Tura from her earlier work in "Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!", & the Dominican born Rafael had been around since 1955 playing characters like Angel Chavez, Carlos, Hussein, Half Arrow, Pachito, Swift Cloud, Valdez, Paco, Alonzo, Luis, Felipe, Pee Wee, Nacho, Chico, Santo, et cetera, etc. What an amazing talent, and so very well schooled in the use of a switchblade.

 

Barabara Richards only other roles were as a waitress in "Spirit Of The Wind" in 1979 & "Backsteet Dreams" in 1990. I guess she was able to live off the royalties she got over the years for appearing as 'the girl strapped to the table' in The Astro-Zombies

 

13 GHOSTS - Von Dexter - "Opening Credits" (1960)

Today is December 13! It's 13 days til X-Mas, if you count today! On the 13th day of X-Mas my true love gave to me, William Castle's 1960 "13 Ghosts" DVD! Here's the opening credits, How lucky can you get? It's a true classic, & the careers of the actors involved reads like a Who's Who of TV and movies. The music was composed by Von Dexter, who had himself quite a run with "House On Haunted Hill", "The Tingler", "13 Ghosts" & "Mr. Sardonicus," then he didn't seem to resurface until 1999! This isn't as much about music as it is about a lot of cool screaming and scary sound effects! 

 13 Burn!

 

13 Book!

 

Martin Milner who was especially creepy in this role went on to do 175 episodes of "Adam-12" among a host of other things. 

 

"13 Ghosts!" SOUNDCLIP NOT AVAILABLE

LAST WOMAN ON EARTH - Ron Stein - "Craps Radio Hotel" (1960)

"Last Woman On Earth" is an interesting film in many aspects, it's just not real interesting to watch. Basically made with only 3 actors in Puerto Rico, why? Because they were there! The extraordinary acting skills of Betsy Jones-Moreland & Anthony Carbone just aren't enough, because there's just something missing in this one, but the swinging sounds supplied by Ron Stein play on mostly in the background, setting the scene in the casino & on the island to good effect! 

In The Casino Island Radio

 Betsy Jones-Moreland is undoubtedly a great choice, if you had to make one, to be the "Last Woman On Earth!" At least that part works for us!!

IL MOSTRO DI VENEZIA (The Embalmer) - Marcello Gigante - "Embalmer Jam" (1965)

Well, nothing quite says X-mas like the words "The Embalmer", so in the true spirit of the holiday season, here's a couple of final pieces from that movie, a long jam of different scenes & another smokin' short piece at the club. You're in for a real treat! This stuff starts off like "Guzanos", just wait til you hear that extra grubby guitar, bass & drums, followed by all those cool horns & strings coming in from different angles, and then...."Hi!" 

 

Embalmed Jam

 ..."Why don't you dance with that pretty girl?" Wow, would we like to hear about a 5 minute version of that song! Sheeesh! You know, some of these composers are so incredible, and at the same time virtually unknown, it really is a shame! So, now that you're informed, lift your glasses high, & let's all have one giant toast to the absolute genius of Marcello Gigante! Ciao!

 Dance With That Pretty Girl

 

CASTLE OF EVIL - Virginia Mayo - "Frankie & Johnny" (1966)

In this eerie little 1966 production, "Castle Of Evil", there's a small segment where Virginia Mayo, the mistress of the dead guy sings "Frankie & Johnny" acappella as kind of an icebreaker. That's followed with an organ piece leading up to the viewing of the body with some interesting dialogue! The music for this film is once again by the amazing Paul Dunlap, who we've talked about here before because of his work on titles like "Angry Red Planet", " I Was A Teenage Frankenstein", "Blood Of Dracula" etc, etc, etc!!! Paul is without a doubt, one of the best! Thanks for the good times! Frankie & Johnny

 Don't know why, but this dead guy Kovic, played by William Thourlby, the original Marlboro Man, sure looks an awful lot like Bill Clinton! 

 

This organ plays itself.

THE GHOST IN THE INVISIBLE BIKINI - Bobby Fuller Four - "The Swing A-Ma Thing" (1966)

The Bobby Fuller Four are really rockin' out on this number, with it's great distorted guitar buzz and smokin' sax! The whole gang is just having SO much fun, it's beyond belief!

 It's The Swing A-Ma Thing!! 

 

What at first glance apparently seems like one big advertisement for Wham-O's next new toy, something that's obviously going to be more popular than the Frisbee or the Hula Hoop in 1966, is in reality a song about the "Swing A-Ma Thing", a toy has never existed outside of this movie. It's an interesting concept, have the kids leave the theatre and want a new toy that doesn't exist. Daddy, I want a "Swing A-ma Thing" for X-mas!!! Wah, Wah!! 

Great, Thanx!! 

 

Functional on any and all parts of the body as evidenced by these photos.

  What the heck is this girl thinking??!!!

IN THE YEAR 2889 - Quinn O'Hara - "The Clincher" (1967)

Larry, Larry, Rah, Rah, Rah!! This creepy little movie is one of Larry's Buchanan's better efforts, I'd say. You've got some real great characters with Mr. Clean Paul Peterson as the chain smoking hero, Hugh Feagin as Mickey, a real believable psycho & Quinn O'Hara, who went from from Sinistra to Jada with Cathy in between in about a year's time, as a stripper. Most of the music in this film is orchestral, but after Jada gets drunk, she decides to show off a little for everyone, but the Captain breaks the record, literally. With rebel Larry's vision, 2889 looks the same as 1967! Way Cool!

 Here's...Jada

 

DEMENTIA - George Antheil - "Opening Credits" (1955)

Surprise, Surprise! Here's the most incredible gift of the season for all you Art Fiends!! There's no place to begin or end when writing about the film "Dementia." It just crosses too many boundaries with the story, the characters, the actors, the musicians & everyone else having anything to do with it! Since there is no dialogue, this movie is 113% music, from the orchestrated theme by George Antheil, combined with the soaring vocals of Marni Nixon, to the super hip jazzy contributions from trumpeter supreme Shorty Rogers and His Giants, all thrown together by Musical Director genius Ernest Gold! For now, here's the music from the opening credits. Seriously consider getting this movie, it is readily available, and you will have the happiest depressing time of your life and your collection won't be complete without it! 

 

DEMENTIA

CONQUISTADOR DE LA LUNA - Raúl Lavista - "Main Theme" (1960)

Raúl Lavista not only did the original music for this film, but a mass of others, including in 1962, "Caperucita y Pulgarcito Contra Los Monstruos" or in English, "Little Red Riding Hood Versus The Monsters," which I really think sums it all up! "Conquistadors Of The Moon" is what we like to endearingly refer to as silly! This is real romp thru space, as it were, Mexican style with the wit and charm of clown Antonio Espino `Clavillazo', & the beauty & brains of Ana Luisa Peluffo, who has stayed very active & was in a film called "Corazón De Tequila" just a couple of years ago. Anything by any of these people is highly recommended for anybody wanting to have a good time! 5 thumbs up! Feliz Año Nuevo!!!!!!! 

 

Pretty cool! A real multi-functional leader as Master Of The Universe & also a high quality lawn sprinkler!! 

 

CONQUISTADOR DE LA LUNA

PROJECT MOONBASE - Herschel Burke Gilbert - "Theme Song" (1953)

Herschel Burke Gilbert was another one of those amazing musical talents whose career in film & TV as composer or music supervisor just goes on and on and on! Besides all the movies he worked on, the list of 1960's television shows is mind boggling. "Rawhide", "Gunsmoke", Perry Mason", 38 episodes of "Assignment: Underwater", and 32 episodes of "Gilligan's Island," just to name a few. This music from "Project Moonbase" is very orchestrated, but also very spacey! Here's...Project Moonbase