…It just kind of turned out that way.
The Black Sleep (1956), in which Le Borg is just a little too early to take advantage of the late-50’s resurgence of gothic horror…
Calling Dr. Death (1943), in which Le Borg’s most determinedly noir-ish efforts are simply not enough to overcome one of the dumbest ostensible mystery scripts in creation…
Things to Come (1936), in which H. G. Wells embarrasses progressively inclined admirers everywhere by trumpeting the virtues of Science Fascism…
The 3 Worlds of Gulliver (1960), in which Charles Schneer hires Ray Harryhausen to do Bert I. Gordon’s job…
and…
Trader Horn (1931), in which nearly everything you’ve ever seen go wrong in an old-school jungle movie stubbornly refuses to put in an appearance.
#1 by lyzard on March 30, 2008 - 7:09 pm
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Re: a realistic white jungle goddess, I’d like to anti-recommend the 1935 serial QUEEN OF THE JUNGLE, which charmingly has its heroine [sic.] doing terrible and cruel things (having been raised by black people, dontcha know), but stopping when she suddenly, um, “feels white” (I don’t know how else to put it). It really is the most appalling bit of tosh.
#2 by Luke Blanchard on March 31, 2008 - 4:26 pm
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If you’ll pardon me, F.P. 1 Doesn’t Answer and Transatlantic Tunnel were both made in German, English and French versions. According to the IMDB, the German original of the former appeared in 1932 (screenplay by Curt Siodmak, from his own novel ) and the French and English versions followed the following year. Transatlantic Tunnel (originally The Tunnel) was based on a 1913 German novel by Bernhard Kellermann. The first film version appeared in 1915, and German and French versions appeared in 1933.
#3 by El Santo on March 31, 2008 - 6:48 pm
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I knew about the parallel versions of F.P. 1 Doesn’t Answer. I was under the impression that the French and German versions were export productions, like the French and English versions of Mistress of Atlantis, but evidently I was mistaken; instead it seems that Gaumont British went halvsies with UFA on the English-language version. The situation with Transatlantic Tunnel appears to be something else again. So far as I can tell, the English version of that movie was made with no involvement at all from the company that produced the French and German versions (which I really hadn’t known of until you mentioned them), making it a very early example of the Ringu/The Ring phenomenon. In any case, a little rewriting is in order.
#4 by lyzard on March 31, 2008 - 7:24 pm
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There’s a DVD available of the French version of The Tunnel, which stars Jean Gabin, but it’s hideously expensive. I keep looking and then baulking.
#5 by Luke Blanchard on March 31, 2008 - 8:21 pm
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The English version shows up on ABC Australia’s overnight schedule every now and again.
#6 by lyzard on March 31, 2008 - 8:40 pm
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Yup; that one’s safely tucked away.
#7 by El Santo on March 31, 2008 - 9:41 pm
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“The English version shows up on ABC Australia’s overnight schedule every now and again.”
And I just noticed that I missed it on Turner Classic Movies about a week ago. Damn it.
#8 by lyzard on March 31, 2008 - 9:44 pm
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DVD-R copy?? If I ever remember to send you those other freebies, I can slip that in, too – it’s no trouble.
#9 by KeithA on April 1, 2008 - 3:28 pm
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Oddly, Netflix only has Trader Hornee.
#10 by Blake Matthews on April 2, 2008 - 3:27 pm
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I found the relationship between Gulliver and Elizabeth rather compelling when I watched it as a pre-teen. I think the whole Laputa chapter would’ve been a neat inclusion (we had to wait for a Miyazaki film to get anything close to that one).
Had they gone for a stop-motion alligator with a fin on its back, that would’ve been something special.
#11 by Tom Meade on April 4, 2008 - 12:02 am
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I didn’t think the tv movie with Ted Danson did that bad a job.
#12 by HP on April 5, 2008 - 6:25 pm
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Re. Cranky old H. G. Welles — I have a 1940 interview with H. G. Wells and Orson Welles discussing War of the Worlds (both the novel and the radio panic), the nature of science fiction, and this new motion picture that Orson is about to release. Let’s just say that H.G. Wells may have been a bitter old Science Fascist, but the old futurist’s last correct prediction may have been the inanity of AM radio. He certainly shows a firmer grasp of the future of the medium than Orson.
I can send you a copy (I.8M .mp3) if you’re interested — email me at howard dot peirce at gmail dot com.
#13 by maggiesmith on May 19, 2022 - 7:24 pm
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If Lon Chaney has a moustache, he is supposed to be (a) intelligent and (b) sexy. Mind you, In Son Of Dracula he has one, but the script makes it clear that Kay, far from being under his thrall, is planning to use him to become a vampire, then stake him so she can live happily ever after – really ever after – with her boyfriend. Alucard (sic) doesn’t have a clue. This movie has a bad reputation, but I like it. Of course the big lunk is painfully miscast as an aristocratic vampire, but he tries hard to project suave menace, and at least succeeds in not making a total fool of himself.
#14 by El Santo on May 21, 2022 - 11:38 am
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“This movie has a bad reputation, but I like it.”
Son of Dracula is hands-down my favorite Universal Dracula movie, and Chaney’s miscasting is a big part of the reason why. It’s basically a film noir where the fool who follows his prick straight to Hell happens to be a vampire, so it’s important that Alucard be someone whom Kay can believably run rings around.