hollywwood Reviews

The Return of Dracula (1958)

Eerie updating of Dracula legend makes a memorable thriller!

[10/10 · 2 October 2007]

Getting away from Filmland's Gothic scene for awhile (after relentless use), Hollywood decided to go modern and bring Dracula to a small California town (of the 1950's) in this low-budget, but well-made shocker. Francis Lederer is the personification of underlying evil as Count Dracula. His character makes an escape from Europe to America while a host of vampire slayers are following hot on his trail. Under the guise of a visiting cousin, he is the house guest of a small family in a quiet little town. He seems to have an extremely intense feeling towards his pretty young "cousin", Rachel, played by Norma Ebehardt. There are many moments of pure fright and eeriness throughout the film. Many nice touches are evident too in spite of the picture's small budget. Well-worth viewing and most definitely one of the better Dracula films of its decade.

Harlow (II) (1965)

"Harlow": Rare and enjoyable!

[10/10 · 2 October 2007]

This version of "Harlow" used to be a staple on local television until the mid-1970's. Then it suddenly vanished. It was nice to finally catch up with this film again. It has generally been acknowledged as a slipshod filmization of the life of Hollywood's Blonde Bombshell, Jean Harlow. Apart from the film mixing fact with fiction, it's really not a bad movie. It was shot in just eight days, and it looks like a live TV show. But that's fine! The inexpensive process used for filming the movie ultimately creates an appropriate atmosphere for the film. Carol Lynley is good as Jean Harlow. Had she been given more than three weeks rehearsal, she might have given a stronger performance. Ginger Rogers (who had only a couple of days rehearsal after being chosen as a fast replacement when Judy Garland quit the production) simultaneously gives a bravado performance and shows her unmistakable star quality as Mama Jean. Hurd Hatfield, ever a fine actor, is very moody as producer Paul Bern. Lloyd Bochner has an ongoing role throughout the film as a Hollywood big shot. Undeniably low-budget, this production of "Harlow" is much more enjoyable than the alternate version made the same year. I'd seek this one out. It works better as entertainment on all levels.

Trilby (1915)

British constable not out of place!

[8/10 · 2 October 2007]

I have read several times (including on this board) that a mistake was made by having a British constable walk down a street in Paris in this version of "Trilby". Not so! In keeping with the plot of the story, Taffy and The Laird go to visit Billie after his return to England. When they are seen meeting Billie in front of the docked ship, it is meant to represent their crossing of the channel and their arrival in England. The actor portraying the British constable (in this scene) was put there to remind audiences that the setting had now changed from France to England. This scene was probably shot on location at New York's old docking slip in Manhattan. I'm sure that the abrupt editing in many of these older silent films causes confusion to some modern viewers. "Trilby" (like many other silent films made in the 'teens) does seem to be lacking in clarity at times. However, it is a condensed yet reasonably faithful adaptation of the tale and the actors give good interpretations in their roles. If followed correctly, "Trilby" can be a most enjoyable silent film!

Spook Chasers (1957)

A-Haunting We Will Go!

[10/10 · 29 September 2007]

I really enjoyed this Bowery Boys caper "Spook Chasers". In it, Sach (Huntz Hall), Duke (Stanley Clements) and the rest of the boys accompany sweet shop owner Mike Calncy (Percey Hilton) to his newly acquired country home "Cedarcrest". Upon arriving, they discover that the dwelling is nothing more than a ramshackled old farmhouse. Furthermore, it's haunted! Or is it? Gangsters start to figure prominently in the proceedings (sort of like in Abbott and Costello's "Hold That Ghost"). I must say that Stanley Clements was likable as Leo Gorcey's replacement in the series. He had appeared in one of the early East Side Kids movies "Ghosts on the Loose" (1943) and then stayed away from the gang until 1957 (when Leo Gorcey left the series). Gorcey's brother, David, is here as Chuck. He had been one of "the boys" since the East Side Kids series (featuring Leo Gorcey) had commenced at Monogram in 1940. It's too bad that the film "Spook Chasers" is rarely seen. It would be nice to see these later Bowery Boys films, which were made by Allied Artists, get released on DVD.

The Black Room (1935)

"The Black Room": Creepy Karloff - Marvelous Marsh!

[10/10 · 26 September 2007]

This well-known 1935 Boris Karloff thriller, "The Black Room", is simply one of Boris Karloff's greatest films of the 1930's. The chance to see Karloff in a dual role in this movie is a treat in itself. He plays twins: one good and the other evil. Needless to say, Karloff is effectively creepy as the latter. Lovely Marian Marsh, who was menaced by John Barrymore in "Svengali" (1931), is a picture pretty heroine. She adds a marvelous touch of glamor and sincerity to her role. It's so nice to see that this film has finally been put onto DVD. The print used in the transfer is indeed as pristine a print as possible. Well-worth adding to your DVD collection!

Strange Illusion (1945)

"Are ya missin' my kissin'?"

[4/10 · 12 June 2007]

I've recently seen "Strange Illusion". It's a film that I had been wanting to see for a while. Considering it came from the low-budget studio PRC, I didn't know if it would be one of their better, mediocre or worst films. It's not one of their worst, but it just about reaches the PRC level of mediocrity. It seemed like it had an interesting plot. Jimmy Lydon plays a young man who is convinced that his mother's new beau is a killer. He's enlists the aid of a doctor friend to help him solve the mystery which surrounds the household. Jimmy Lydon has had a memorable career as "Henry Aldrich" in the popular 1940's series. He was seen in many other films and in the classic "Life With Father". However, he is served with a somewhat juvenile script here and, at one point in the film, is given a few lines of 1940's teenage vernacular to speak! It is very strange to see him suddenly break away from his normal way of speaking and start using this vernacular on his girlfriend. He says things like "Hello, vixen. What's mixin'?" and "Are ya missin' my kissin'?"! Strange, indeed! I wonder what PRC was thinking! Warren William is good, as usual, portraying the mother's sinister new beau. It's unfortunate that a little more thought about plot, suspense and dialog didn't go into this film. It could have been a much better film. For it's brief length, it seems overlong and much too uneventful. I would suggest seeing this film only if you must, but you can certainly find much better low-budget thrillers out there!

Drácula (1931)

Carlos Villar who?

[4/10 · 12 June 2007]

I didn't know what to expect of the Spanish-language version of "Dracula". But it was on my "Dracula" DVD so I decided to watch it. I must admit that I found the language tedious and I fell asleep after the first 20 minutes. Another day, I decided to watch it again and I psyched myself into staying awake. I realized the second time, that the sleep-inducing effect that the film had on me was not just the language. It was also the casting of non-Anglo-Saxon people in Anglo-Saxon roles. It was extremely dull and offbeat to see Spanish-speaking people acting in a story that takes place in London. It just doesn't work. It winds up being a huge detriment to both story and film. It just isn't British! Carlos Villar wasn't really a bad actor, but I can see why he never made it in American films. Thankfully, Bela Lugosi's career flourished with his version of "Dracula" and we have many classic Lugosi films as a result. As the heroine, Lupita Tovar adds nothing to the film. She's not a great beauty and she's on the stocky side. It was jarring to see her in the role because I kept comparing her to the elegant 1930's Vogue model-type Helen Chandler. Miss Chandler was a striking woman! Her orange-blonde hair, beautifully chiselled features and tall, leggy body made her the personification of the Vogue Magazine covers of the early 1930's. She looks great in the gown that she wore in the scene where she attempts to bite David Manners. She couldn't act her way out of a paper bag, but neither could Lupita Tovar! As the hero of the Spanish-language version, Barry Norton is vapid like David Manners was in the English-language version. Manners was more believable in his role though. Pablo Alverez Rubio has nothing on Dwight Frye's madman Renfield, although Alverez is obviously trying hard. To sum up, this version of "Dracula" is interesting as a curio only. It's never going to be considered a classic like Lugosi's well-loved version. It's too little, too late!