July 8 - 14, 2023

 

 

To answer these trivia questions, please email me at scinema@earthlink.net.

Brain Teasers:

Can you name two American actors who were needed to replace Klaus Kinski in two different Italian Westerns?

Tom Betts knew that Dan Vadis replaced Kinski on UN UOMO, UN CAVALLO, UNA PISTOLA, aka THE STRANGER RETURNS. Do you know who was the second actor to replace Kinski on a Western?

Which actor had been a Nazi soldier but spent most of his career working in Spain so is often thought of as a Spaniard?

Tom Betts and Bertrand van Wonterghem knew that it was Gerard Tichy.

Which German actor who made Italian Westerns spent time in a British P.O.W. camp during World War II?

Tom Betts, George Grimes and Angel Rivera knew that it was Klaus Kinski.

Which actor, born in Argentina, worked in France and Hollywood before settling in Spain and being thought of as a Spaniard?

Tom Betts and Bertrand van Wonterghem knew that it was George Rigaud.

And now for some new brain teasers:

Which French actress was under contract to Jean Pierre Melville, but asked out of the contract in order to work with other producers, including the makers of Italian Epic movies?

Which German actress made only one Italian Western, but is still working steady on German TV? 

Which Spanish actress worked with directors Don Siegel, Fernando Cerchio, John Berry, Nicholas Ray, Eloy de la Iglesia, Jose Antonio de la Loma and Charlton Heston?

Name the movies from which these images came.

Rick Garibaldi and George Grimes identified last week's photo of  Elisa Montes and Loredana Nusciak in 7 DOLLARI SUL ROSSO, aka SEVEN DOLLARS TO KILL.

Above is a new photo.

Can you name from what movie it came?

No one identified the above photo of Yvonne De Carlo and Jorge Mistral in LA SPADA E LA CROCE, aka THE SWORD AND THE CROSS, aka MARY MAGDALENE.

George Grimes and Bertrand van Wonterghem identified last week's photo of Suzy Kendall in L'UCCELLO DALLE PIUME DI CRISTALLO, aka THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMMAGE.

Above is a new photo.

Can you name from what movie it came?

No one has identified the above photo yet.

Can you name from what movie it came?

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I am interested in knowing what movies you have watched and what you enjoyed or not. So please send me an email at scinema@earthlink.net if you'd like to share. Here's what I watched last week:

Enjoyed:

THE SHAOLIN AVENGERS, aka THE INVINCIBLE KUNG FU BROTHERS (1976) - This was the third time Fu Sheng played Fang Shih Yu, but director Chang Cheh's Shaolin series was not made in chronological order, so the story line from film to film gets a little muddled. Here we get the final confrontation between the survivors of Shaolin and the Wu Dong (aka Wu Tang) Clan, led by White Browed, aka Priest Pai Mei, aka Bak Mei, played by Chen Hui-Lou. During the fight, there are a series of flashbacks in which we see the murder of Fang Shih Yu's father, Fang's training by his mother Miao Tsui-hua (played by Ma Chi-Chin), his swearing an oath for revenge with his adopted brother Fang Hsiao-yu (played by Tang Yen-Tsan), and his meeting with Hu Hui Chien (played by Chi Kuan-Chun). As with most Chang Cheh films, this gets so bloody that the Hong Kong censor had certain shots obscured by a red filter. And, with the knowledge that the Shaolin competition with Wu Dong was a Qing Dynasty conspiracy to rid China of both, the film ended tragically.

FANG SHIH YU AND HUNG HSI KUAN, aka HEROES TWO, aka KUNG FU INVADERS (1974) - This was the first time Fu Sheng played Fang Shih Yu and the first time Hung Hsi Kuan had been portrayed on film by Chen Kuan Tai. With martial arts choreography by Liu Chia Liang and Tang Chia, HEROES TWO begins with an illustrated history lesson about Hung Gar, one of the most famous martial arts. The plot is pretty simple - the Manchus have destroyed the Shaolin Temple and a wounded Hung Hsi Kuan is on the run. Manchu fighters wounded by Hung convince the newly arrived Fang Shih Yu that Hung is a cold-blooded killer, so Fang helps to capture him. It is not until Fang finds other Shaolin patriots that he realizes his mistake. Fang ends up digging a tunnel to the basement wall to which Hung has been shackled. Freed, Fang and Hung join forces to take on evil General Kang Che (played by Chu Mu) and his four Tibetan Lama collegues (played by Chen Chuan, Huang Pei-Chi, Li Hai Sheng and Liu Chia-Yung) - in addition to an horde of lackeys. In addition to gory shots with a red filter, Chang uses red frames to accentuate bits of violence. There is no mention of the Wu Dong Clan and the film ends with our surviving heroes vowing to continue the fight.

MEN FROM THE MONASTERY, aka DISCIPLES OF DEATH (1974) - For Fu Sheng's second effort as Fang Shih Yu, he is reunited with Chen Kuan Tai as Hung Hsi Kuan and joined by Chi Kuan Chun as Hu Hui Chien. Wu Tang comes into the story, but the main enemies are Manchus again. Much of this movie seems like an early draft of the flashback sequences to be seen in THE SHAOLIN AVENGERS with Hu Hui Chien getting a sister this time. During the final battle, red frames appear before the film goes black and white. For particularly gory bits, we see red filtered action before going back to black and white. While our main heroes die in a similar way to their deaths in SHAOLIN AVENGERS, the location is completely different. Of course, Hung Hsi Kuan survives, as he does in history, while all around him are dead. The film begins with Fang Shih Yu leaving Shaolin early thus having to face the "Alley of Death". So far, there have been no bald headed monks or priests in robes in these films. We later see another pupil leave Shaolin early by climbing over a wall. 

SHAOLIN MARTIAL ARTS (1974) - Almost a direct sequel to MEN FROM THE MONASTERY, SHAOLIN MARTIAL ARTS concerns the Manchu continuing effort to destroy all of the Chinese martial arts. Fang Shih Yu, Hung Hsi Kuan and the White Browed Priest are mentioned, but not shown, and counted as dead. Fu Sheng now plays Li Yao, one of many followers of Shaolin Kung Fu in danger from the villains. Of course Chen Kuan Tai is right by his side. Their teacher is too old to teach them the techniques they will need to defeat two "invincible body" experts brought in to wipe out the Shaolin men, so he sends them off to other retired teachers to be taught how to defeat Chia-Jen Liang's "Steel Skin" and Wang Lung-Wei's "Inner Strength". Fu and Chen are sometimes distracted by their old teacher's daughters Chen Yi-ling and Yuan Man-Tzu, but after they hear of the old teacher's death, they redouble their efforts before the final showdown. Plotwise, SHAOLIN MARTIAL ARTS is fairly standard and is mostly a chance for martial arts choreographers Liu Chia-Liang and Tang Chia to showcase a variety of Shaolin martial arts during long training sequences. Black and white is mostly used only for flashbacks, but there is one gory sequence in which action alternates between red filter and black and white footage. It is rather rare for director Chang to end a film not only with the heroes surviving, but also romantically paired. Liu Chia-Hui is also in the film as a student who learns Eagle Claw, but is unable to defeat Chia-Jen Liang because the villain is able to retract his genitals into his body for protection.

FIVE SHAOLIN MASTERS, aka FIVE MASTERS OF DEATH (1974) - Fu Sheng now plays Ma Chao-Hsing with Chen Kuan Tai as Li Shih-kai. They are joined by director Chang Cheh's previous pair of stars, David Chiag and Ti Lung plus Meng Fei to make up FIVE SHAOLIN MASTERS. This time the traitor is not White Browed, but Ma Fui-Yi, played by Wang Lung Wei. The other four villains are Liang Chia Jen as Chien San, Feng Ko An as Chang Chin-Chu, Chiang Tao as Chen Wen-Yao and Tsai Hung as Pao Yu-Lung. Again no monks are seen and the film only goes Black & White during flashbcks - so no particularly gory bits. The footage of Shaolin burning is the same footage used in previous films. This time the Shaolin survivors decide to go to Central China to convince an anti-Machu patriot, who leads a gang of bandits, to join the cause to re-establish the Ming Dynasty. Fu Sheng gets captured, but when our heroes go to rescue him, they discover that they even though they succeed in freeing Fu, they are no match for the skills of the bad guys. So, the five Shaolin Masters aren't Masters at all. They decide to return to the ruins of Shaolin Temple inorder to practice. One year later they return for battle. Tang Chia is replaced by Liu Chia-Yung as martial arts choreographer with Liu Chia-Liang. Both Liu Chia-Yung and adopted brother Liu Chia Hui (aka Gordon Hui),appear in the movie and have spectacular death scenes. More so than most Chinese diectors, Chang Cheh expertly builds suspense before the final battle, with viewers wondering who will survive in the end. For the next film, SHAOLIN AVENGERS, director Chang returns to the legend of Fang Shih Yu and Hung Hsi Kuan with a different take on their story.

SHAOLIN TEMPLE (1976) - For this film, director Chang Cheh goes back to the beginning of the story starting with Fu Sheng as Fang Shih Yu trying to be accepted into Shaolin Temple to study kung fu. Chi Kuan-Chun is by his side, but as Hu Hui Chien not Hung Hsi Kuan. Wang Lung-Wei also returns as Ma Fu Yi, but he is not the main traitor. That is Master Heixien, or Hai Hsien, played by Shan Mao. Neither White Brow or the Wu Tang factor into this version of the story which is mostly concerned with the obscure training methods forced on the students. Forseeing the destruction of Shaolin Temple by the Manchu government, the old abbot decides that more "outsiders" - those who do not want to become monks - need to be trained so that Shaolin Kung Fu does not die out. Fu Sheng quickly antagonizes Wang Lung-Wei so that they meet once a month to fight. As Wang as Ma Fu Yi is killed by Fu in FIVE SHAOLIN MASTERS, one thought that this antagonism would end with Fu killing Wang again - or that Wang would escape to be killed later, but no. Here, Ma Fu Yi is killed during the fall of Shaolin by Tsai Te-Cheng, played by Ti Lung, and Hu De Di, played by David Chiang. Anyone trying to get these movies to mesh into a single story line are going to be disappointed, because they don't. Unlike in HEROES TWO where Fang Shih Yu is away from the Temple and learns about its destruction from others, here Fang Shih Yu and Hu Hui Chien have left the temple, but hurry back when they see Manchu soldiers on the march. So, in this film they are part of the failed effort to save the Temple. Even Fang Shih Yu's exit from the Temple is different. In MEN FROM THE MONASTERY, Fang Shih Yu has to go down the "Alley of Death". Here Fang and Hu have to brave "Wooden Man Alley". Is it just a coincidence that 1976 also saw SHAOLIN WOODEN MEN starring Jacky Chan? There is a mention of the "Golden Tripod" with which those exiting the Temple are branded with a Green Dragon on the left arm and a White Tiger on the right - as seen on the U.S. TV series Kung Fu, but we don't see it. Martial arts director Liu Chia-Liang had become a full director by this time, so Hsieh Hsing and Chen Hsin-I became director Chang's action choreographers for this film. SHAOLIN TEMPLE is remarkable for not only having Chang's first pair of stars - David Chiang and Ti Lung, his second pair of stars - Fu Sheng and Chi Kuan-Chun, but also the actors who would star in Chang's future films and become known as the "Venoms" - Chiang Sheng, Kuo Chui, Mang Lo, Wei Pai and Lu Feng. If you want monks in robes, this is the movie for you. The movie has no red filter violence and black and white is only used for flashbacks.

Doc Martin season five (2004)

NOT JUST A GIRL (2022) - Few biographical documentaries address everything you've heard about a person, but this one mentions everything I've heard about Shania Twain as well as much that I haven't. Full of clips and stories, this program is very satisfying.

Tegan and Sara GET ALONG (2011) - A combination live album CD and DVD, GET ALONG featured three movies: States, India and For The Most Part. The last one was a live performance staged in an intimate setting for family and friends.

Mildly enjoyed:

 SHANIA: STILL THE ONE (2014) - This video record of Shania Twain's show at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas is visually impressive, featuring the most talented horse imaginable. I'm not a big fan of Twain's music, but I always enjoy looking at her.

LA TIGRE DEI SETTE MARI, aka TIGER OF THE SEVEN SEAS (1962) - Veteran director Luigi Capuano began his career in 1948. TIGER OF THE SEVEN SEAS was his 27th and another in a long line of swashbucklers. Here he got to reuse footage from MORGAN IL PIRATA to give his film better production value, but the best production value came from star Gianna Maria Canale. Proving that she can wave a sword with confidence while still looking great, Canale is the best reason to watch this movie, though young Nazzareno Zamperla was also fun to watch as he threw himself into the action. Male lead Anthony Steel was a bit stiff and being left-handed made his sword play look a bit awkward, but he carried his part acceptably. Another plus for the film was John Kitzmiller as a mute man servant to Canale, who even got a death scene in Canale's arms. Carlo Ninchi played the celebrated pirate called "The Tiger of the Seven Seas". Deciding to retire and enjoy his buried treasure - with the hope of setting up his daughter as a real lady, Ninchi offered the captainship of the Santa Maria to whomever won a duel. Steel bested all male challengers, but was surprised when challenged by his lady love, Ninchi's daughter played by Canale. As the Captain's only child, she felt that being a woman shouldn't prevent her from being her father's successor. Canale won the duel and Steel left humiliated. In the night, Ninchi was found murdered by Steel's knife. Of course Steel didn't do it, but the coniving Andrea Aureli convinced a jury of pirates to condemn Steel to be hanged. Just as Canale was about to be forced to order her lover's death, Spanish soldiers attacked. Steel got away on the Santa Maria, and Canale swore revenge for her father's murder and the theft of her ship. Setting out to sea on a life boat, Canale was able to pretend to be a shipwrecked noble woman to a rescuing Spanish war ship. Naturally, her pirates took command of the ship, and she shortly established herself as the new "Tiger of the Seven Seas". Meanwhile, Aureli was revealed to be in cahoots with the Spanish Governor's wife, played by Maria Grazia Spina, to capture Ninchi's buried treasure. Learning that the traitor was living in the Governor's castle, Steel surrendered to Canale and convinced her that he would capture the man who actually killed her father. Not surprisingly, Steel was caught, forcing Canale to plan his rescue. Luckily, the Governor decided to throw a masked ball, for which he attended dressed as a pirate. Canale also attended, dressed as a pirate, but the Govenor was so entranced by her beautiful green eyes that he gave into her request to visit the pirates in the dungeon. As in MORGAN IL PIRATA, the castle was attacked by forces both on land and on sea. However, the climax of the movie occurred in a grotto where Steel lied Aureli could find the treasure. After killing the villains, Steel and Canale were captured by Spina and her soldiers, who bargained to let our heroes go if they let her have the treasure. The film ended with Spina placating her husband that having the treasure was better than having the pirates, while on the Santa Maria, Canale and Steel bicker over who wore the pants in their family. Old Carlo Pisacane, best remembered by many for offering to kiss John Philip Law in DA UOMO A UOMO, aka DEATH RIDES A HORSE, got to be unnecessary comedy relief.

                                                        

Did not enjoy:

CHARMING THE HEARTS OF MEN (2021) - The writer, producer and director of CHARMING THE HEARTS OF MEN uses the name S.E. DeRose, probably because of the old perspective that women have to adopt a gender neutral non-de-plume in order to be taken seriously. However, Susan DeRose is the President of the Liberty House Restaurant Corp. in Atlanta, Georgia and is a serious person who reportedly financed her first movie effort herself. It is a good looking film telling the story of a woman in 1963 who returns to the South after her father dies to find she will probably lose the family home because he left no money in the bank. It is the run up to the passage of the Civil Rights Act which will grant equal rights under the law to all men. Finding herself being unable to get a loan because she's a woman, and finding job prospects poor as well, the woman, played by Anna Friel, is told that what she needs to do is find an husband with money. She gives the dating scene a try, and seems to find Congressman Kelsey Grammer the best bet. However, it turns out that Grammer may be a Washington politician, but he has no money and was hoping that Friel would improve his financial status. However, Friel convinces Grammer to push for Title VII of the act granting Equal Employment Opportunity to include women - or as the closing narrative title puts it: add "sex" to the list prohibiting discrimination based on. In her efforts to find a job, Friel starts selling Avon and meets Tina Ivley, who is a prostitute unable to open a bank account because she's a woman. After giving Ivley her Avon stuff, Friel convinces her to invest her money in turning an old Juke Joint into a roadside restaurant. She attends the opening of the restaurant with the local businessman who kindly loaned Friel money, played by Sean Astin. Reportedly the film is inspired by "true events" which makes me wonder if this has something to do with DeRose's start in business. Many sites on the internet refer to this film as a "Romantic Drama", but there is little romance in it. Mostly it is just a reminder how the early 1960s were a miserable time for a lot of people.

OVERLAND RIDERS (1946) - Do any PRC Westerns begin with a shot of a stagecoach that doesn't become a chase scene? Al "Fuzzy" St. John is in the stagecoach trying to brag to fellow passenger Patti McCarthy about the secret big business deal he's going to make. Feeling full of himself, Fuzzy asks McCarthy if his smoking a cigar would bother her. She says no, but it soon obviously does, and a wide shot outside the coach shows that Fuzzy is making quite a trail of smoke. The smoking becomes a past problem when three gunmen start chasing after the stagecoach with guns blazing. Is the idea that if they start shooting as they approach the coach, that the driver will immediately pull over? Well, the driver speeds up, and Fuzzy nearly falls out of the coach window trying to return fire. Luckily, Buster Crabbe - in his 24th outing after his character was renamed Billy Carson from Billy the Kid - hears the shooting and rides to the rescue. One robber is killed, but Crabbe captures two. Fuzzy accuses Crabbe of spying on him hoping to hone-in on his secret deal, and they agree to avoid each other for the time being. Later, it is revealed that Fuzzy has heard about the railroad planning to build in Devil's Gulch, so he wants to buy that land from Slim Whitaker, McCarthy's father. It turns out that the evil Jack O'Shea also wants to get his hands on that land, and holds a note that he may soon foreclose on Whitaker to get it. To pay the note, Whitaker plans to sell his cattle, and Crabbe arrives with the money to buy them. When Fuzzy also turns up at the ranch, he again accuses Crabbe of following him. Fuzzy rides away and O'Shea and John Cason are ready to ambush him to prevent his testifying against the two robbers in jail awaiting trial. Luckily, Crabbe follows Fuzzy in order to assure him that he's not following him, and scares away the bad guys. Of course, the next morning as Whitaker starts to ride into town to pay his note, O'Shea's men murder Whitaker and steal the money. As Fuzzy is found nearby, he gets arrested on suspicion for the murder and put in jail. Eventually, Crabbe figures out what the villain's plot is, prevents McCarthy from selling her property, identifies the money found in O'Shea's safe as the money he gave to Whitaker and all of the bad guys are locked up. In the end, Fuzzy joins Crabbe "eating trail dust" taking the cattle to Crabbe's boss. Director Sam Newfield was cranking out these cheap Westerns so fast that no one cared that the doors on the buildings on location didn't match the doors they walk through on the interior sets. Oddly, the unimposing O'Shea puts up quite a fist fight against Crabbe during the film's climax. This would seem to be only the second screenplay Ellen Coyle did in her career.

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Charles Gilbert Watched:

THE CAR (1977) A black Lincoln Continental on steroids terrorizes a Southwestern town for no apparent reason other than possible demon possession.  R. G. Armstrong plays a wife beater, yet proves to be a hero in the end. James Brolin stars.

SHOCK TREATMENT (1964) B&W. Stuart Whitman plays an actor hired to surreptitiously enter a state hospital after a gardener (Roddy McDowell) has murdered a wealthy client. A million dollars was also stolen  and remains unrecovered. Within the walls of the mental institution the redoubtable director (Lauren Bacall) treats her patients with a kind hand, but takes a special avaricious interest in the gardener.

FANTASTIC VOYAGE (1966) Stephen Boyd joins a team of scientists embarking on a surgical task to save the life of a distinguished scientist important to national defense. The means of invasive surgery is to shrink the specialists and convey them in a miniaturized submarine.

SWINGING SUMMER (1965) James Stacy, William Wellmam, and Quinn O'Hara plan a beach festival despite lack of funds. Gary Lewis and the Playboys, show up to help out. The Righteous Brothers wrap up the ending. Early feature for Raquel Welch.

MUSCLE BEACH PARTY (1964) Annette and Frankie with Luciana Paluzza. Musclemen include Larry Scott, shortest of the group, but winner of first and second Mr. Olympia contests.1965 and 66.

LIBIDO (1965) B&W. Mara Maryl,, costar and wife of director Ernesto Gastzldi, wrote the screenplay about a young man Christian ((Giancarlo Giannini) who had witnessed the murder/suicide of his father's mistress and his father when a small boy. Now he's returned to the seaside mansion juxtaposed with cliffs along side his wife Helene (Dominique Boschero)  and another couple. The rather innocuous giallo storyline belies the provocative title.

Thriller with Boris Karloff 'Man of Mystery' S2E27 B&W. Mary Tyler Moore guests with John van Dreelin

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Angel Rivera Enjoyed:

"The Silencers" (1966) Cinema Retro magazine is publishing a special edition, all about the "Matt Helm" movies from the sixties which starred Dean Martin as Helm. This is the first one. Dean plays Matt Helm as if he were Matt Helm with quips, dry humor, and songs (snippets of songs Martin tries to make part of the scene.) The lovely Stella Stevens is the love interest and she shows up here in various forms of undress. Saw this in the theatres and as corny as it is, it still has a charm. Dino is saving the world from a terrorist organization run by Victor Buono trying to take over the world.

"Murderers' Row (1966) This one has Ann-Margret as the daughter of a scientist who creates a death ray sought after by Karl Malden and his organization. Dino has to save Ann-Margret's father, as well as romance Ann-Margret. Oh and stop Karl Malden. Both films have the requisite gadgets and gizmos one expects from a sixties spy film. Plus if you like Dino's schtick, the films could be mildly entertaining as they definitely are a document of their time.

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Bertrand van Wonterghem Enjoyed:

L’emmerdeur (1973, Edouard Molinaro)

Silencio… si uccide (1967, Guido Zurli)

Red ball express (1952, Budd Boetticher)

In this our life (1942, John Huston)

Mildly enjoyed

Silo – season 1 – episode 10

Long ma jing shen / Ride on (2022, Larry Yang)

Vier Brüder, fünf Schwestern. Die Kennedys (doc) (2023, André Schäffer & Anna Steuber)

Fubar – season 1 – episode 1

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