To answer these trivia questions, please email me at scinema@earthlink.net.
Brain Teasers:
Which Italian crime movie was released in the U.S. with the ending cut off suggesting that the "hero" was killed?
I had seen UN DETECTIVE on the Japanese theatrical circuit with the title MAKE UP STAINS on the print. When it showed up at the U.S. theaters under the title DETECTIVE BELLI, I rushed to see it. Of course, I was shocked to find that the ending of the movie was gone. In the original version, Florinda Bolkan shoots Franco Nero, but he survives to denounce her over a pay phone to the police. In the U.S. version, Nero gets shot and the film freezes, suggesting that he was killed. When the film popped up on home video under the title RING OF DEATH, it still had the abrupt U.S. ending.
By what name is Carlo Pedersoli better known?
What future actor was the first Italian to swim the 100-meter freestyle in less than a minute?
Which actor was married to Maria Amato?
George Grimes, Angel Rivera and Bertrand van Wonterghem knew that the answer to all three questions was Bud Spencer.
And now for some new brain teasers:
Which Italian screenwriter, considered the father of the Italian sword & sandal cinema revival, also directed a movie starring Alec Guinness?
For what film did the above mentioned screenwriter win a Best Original Screenplay Academy Award?
Which two Italian Westerns is the above mentioned screenwriter credited on?
Name the movies from which these images came.
George Grimes identified last week's photo of Anthony Steffen in UNA BARA PER LO SCERIFFO, aka A COFFIN FOR A SHERIFF.
Above is a new photo.
Can you name from what movie it came?
Charles Gilbert and Bertrand van Wonterghem identified last week's frame grab of Sergio Fantoni in ERCOLE E LA REGINA DI LIDIA, aka HERCULES UNCHAINED.
Above is a new photo.
Can you name from what movie it came?
George Grimes, Bertrand van Wonterghem and Angel Rivera identified last week's photo of Barbara Steele in LA MASCHERA DEL DEMONIO, aka BLACK SUNDAY.
Above is a new photo.
Can you name from what movie it came?
No one has identified the above photo.
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:
Highly enjoyed:
Ellen DeGeneres: "Relatable" (2018) Among the subjects covered in this Netflix special is her being kicked out of show business after coming out.
Ellen DeGeneres: "For Your Approval" (2024) - Among the subjects covered in this Netflix special is her dealing with being kicked out of show business for a third time.
Enjoyed:
Investigating Tarzan (1997) - Canadian documentary writer and director Alain d'Aix put together this program which I saw on American Movie Classics - back when AMC actually played American Movie Classics. d'Aix focused more on the background of Edgar Rice Burroughs creation than on the movies made of the character. Interviewed is Danton Burrough (ERB's grandson), Denny Miller (actor), Gordon Scott (actor), Tanya Roberts (Sheena actor), France Zobda (Sheena actor), Johnny Weissmuller, Jr. (son), Peter Elliot (primate coach on GREYSTOKE) and Scott Tracy Griffin (Burroughs historian). This program actually attended the annual gathering of the "Dum Dum" convention of The Burrough's Bibliophiles.
TARZAN: SILVER SCREEN KING OF THE JUNGLE (2004) - Turner Classic Movies and Warner Bros. Home Video put out The Tarzan Collection on DVD and included this documentary about the first six MGM Tarzan flicks. Rudy Behlmer mostly recounts how these films came to be, but there are also interviews with Scott Tracy Griffin (Burroughs Historian), Geoff St. Andrews (Weissmuller Biographer), Johnny Weissmuller, Jr. (Author), John Naber (Olympic Gold Medalist), Maureen O'Sullivan (Actress), Robert Osborne (Author/Film Historian) and Dan Westfall (Cheeta Primate Foundation). Of particular interest is the story of what happened to the original version of TARZAN ESCAPES. Unlike the censored scenes in TARZAN AND HIS MATE, the original footage of ESCAPES still remains lost.
WICKER (2026) - Ursula Wills-Jones' short story "The Wicker Husband" was adapted to the screen by writers/directors Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson. It is labeled as a "fable" and the tone of the tale is exemplified by a wedding ceremony where the groom doesn't give the bride a ring, he fastens a metal collar around her throat. Olivia Colman is a smelly fisherwoman who lives alone and who faces ridicule from the village people every day that she comes around to sell her wares. She approaches the basket maker Peter Dinklage to make her a husband. How he fashions Alexander Skarsgard out of wicker is never explained, but Skarsgard makes Colman so happy, and sexually fulfilled, that most everyone in the village becomes envious. The film becomes a bit irritating when the beautiful Elizabeth Debicki, of the GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY movies, sets out to make Colman doubt Skarsgard's faithfulness, but the filmmakers' deftness prevents the charming spell of the film to be ruined. And how can you not love a movie that has John Cale's song "Big White Cloud" over the closing credits?
Mildly enjoyed:
Mary Beth Barone "Galaxy Brain" (2026) - Another Netflix comedy special.
Schnarzan the Conqueror - Also included in the Tarzan Collection on DVD is this short film featuring Jimmy Durante as a very hairy lord of the jungle in a spoof "coming attractions".
MGM on Location: Johnny Weissmulelr - The Tarzan Collection DVD also includes this short documentary made by Florida based M.C.H. Studios about the production of the underwater sequences for TARZAN FINDS A SON! shot at Silver Springs, Florida.
Rodeo Dough - Another short included in The Tarzan Collection DVD is mostly about the Palm Springs Rodeo featuring apearances by Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, Tom Mix, Tom Neal and Mickey Rooney. Johnny Weissmuller appears as himself, but talking like Tarzan, offering $500 to anyone who can ride his bull. Sally Payne and Mary Treen end up winning the prize in a ridiculous showing.
Did not enjoy:
TARZAN THE APE MAN (1932) - Ever since Europeans discovered the existence of gorillas, they imagined the large apes kidnapping white women for sexual purposes. The ultimate expression of this became KING KONG in 1933. In 1931, MGM had an huge success with their version of Alfred Aloysius Horn's book TRADER HORN, which involved the discovery of a lost daughter of a white missionary who grew up to be a blonde jungle queen. HORN was such a success that MGM decided that they should make another jungle picture. Movies based on the character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs had been made since 1918, but the continued popularity of the radio show and the comic books convinced MGM to get into the Tarzan business. Burroughs agreed, but stipulated that MGM could not base any of their movies on his books, nor could they use any elements of those stories except for name of Tarzan, for which Burroughs retained the trademark. So, rather than an adaptation of the novel TARZAN OF THE APES, MGM got Cyril Hume to concoct an original story, assisted by Ivor Novello, introducing Jane Parker, played by Maureen O'Sullivan, the daughter of explorer James Parker, played by C. Aubrey Smith, who with Neil Hamilton is seeking the fabled elephant's graveyard and its fortune in ivory. After a good half hour or so, Tarzan, played by Johnny Weissmuller, finally appears and becomes fascinated by the white woman. Not surprisingly, Weissmuller kidnaps O'Sullivan and takes her to his bird nest of an home in a tree. At first Weissmuller looks at O'Sullivan the same way that Rudolph Valentino looked at Vilma Banky in THE SON OF THE SHEIK, but he doesn't rape her. Eventually, she stops being afraid of the jungle creatures by which Weissmuller is surrounded, and becomes enamoured of the mostly non-verbal half naked man for whom she is a captive. A traditional "fade to black" suggests that their relationship becomes more physical, so that when Weissmuller allows her to return to her father and their safari, she seems to regret seeing him leave. Just as it seems that the romance is over, a tribe of diminutive natives - "Are they pygmies? No, dwarfs." - take the safari captive in order to indulge in their sport of dropping people into a pit inhabited by a killer gorilla. Jane tells Cheeta to go and get Tarzan. Tarzan tells Cheeta to alert the elephants. Both Hamilton and Smith are bashed about by the gorilla before Tarzan arrives and throws his knife into the gorilla's right eye. The natives seem to have some experience in being attacked by elephants, and have a giant bow and arrow defense weapon. Eventually, Weissmuller, O'Sullivan, Hamilton and Smith leave the village on top of elephants. Weissmuller pulls a giant arrow out of the elephant on which rides Smith, who figures that as the elephant is dying, it will take him to the elephant's graveyard. So, Smith sees the graveyard, with its wealth of ivory, before he expires. Hamilton realizes that his romantic intentions for O'Sullivan are hopeless and leaves on an elephant. O'Sullivan tells him that she is certain that he will return in order to get that fabulous booty of ivory - thus setting up the plot of TARZAN AND HIS MATE. I know that I've before seen this movie, but I did not remember that they established Tarzan's habitat as an escarpment that is taboo for natives to even look at. TRADER HORN director W.S. Van Dyke helmed this picture for which he was able to use a lot of footage shot in Africa for the earlier film but had not been included. While the main appeal of this film is O'Sullivan's sexual awakening, there is a tremendous amount of animal footage, and way too much of Cheeta's antics. Hugh Lofting didn't publish THE STORY OF DOCTOR DOLITTLE until 1920, but Tarzan was able to talk to the animals, at least in the movies, beginning in 1918. I'm surprised that law suits did not occur. It is painfully clear that much of the footage of Tarzan swinging on vines is actually a trapeze artist flying through the air. Some times it looks like the MGM technicians tried to optically obscure the trapeze bars, but that effort isn't fooling sharp eyed viewers. Rewatching this, I am struck by how much of it I didn't remember, and how lean Weissmuller looks, and how his long hair appears impeccably groomed.
TARZAN AND THE AMAZONS (1945) - Or CHEETA JOINS BOY IN MAKING BONEHEAD DECISIONS, or TARZAN IS INCAPABLE OF EXPLAINING WHY HE SAYS NO. The war is over and Jane is coming home to the jungle. Cheeta is too focused on trying to catch a certain fish with a traditional fishing rod that he doesn't want to join Johnny Weissmuller and Johnny Sheffield on the new raft to go and pick her up. Finally giving up on the fish, Cheeta joins the humans on the raft. A woman's scream catches Weissmuller's attention, and he soon leaves the raft in order to save amazon Shirley O'Hara from a Black Panther. As O'Hara's ankle is hurt, Weissmuller tells her that he will carry her back to the secret land of Palmyria in the mountains. Disobeying Weissmuller's orders to not follow, Sheffield and Cheeta see where Weissmuller is going. Meanwhile, Cheeta picks up a gold bracelet O'Hara dropped. Queen of the Amazons Maria Ouspenskaya reiterates the law of Palmyria that all outsiders are to be put to death, but Weissmuller is the exception because he can be trusted to keep their land a secret. No one mentions that Brenda Joyce as Jane looks completely different when she returns from England, but when Cheeta gives her the gold bracelet, she thinks that it is a gift from Weissmuller. Weissmuller is angry that the scientists who have arrived with Joyce take a keen interest in the bracelet, but won't explain why he doesn't approve. Henry Stephenson thinks that the bracelet could lead them to a discovery of a lost civilization, while Barton MacLane hopes it could lead to more gold. Weissmuller doesn't explain to either O'Hara or Sheffield why he won't help the scientists find from where the bracelet came, so they both try to change his mind about helping. Fascinated by the scientific equipment the white men have, Sheffield again disobeys Weissmuller and leads them to Palmyria. Unfortunately, the amazons don't kill the intruders on sight, and O'Hara vouches for Sheffield as a friend. Ouspenskaya prays to the Sun God, and says that the intruders will join the men who slave in their mines, but that they can never ever leave. Sheffield tells Cheeta to get O'Hara to let them escape. MacLane insists that they can't leave without their weapons, so they go to a room behind the altar to get them. Inside the room, the intruders find a wealth of gold and proceed to try and steal it. O'Hara goes to raise the alarm and MacLane throws a knife into her back. Stephenson tries to stop the thievery, and MacLane pushes him backward, where the man hits his head and dies. Fatally wounded, O'Hara is able to reach the gong to raise the alarm leading to amazon women with bows & arrows and spears attacking. While the women are able to kill some of the intruders, MacLane and Don Douglas get away with two golden objects that are sacred parts of the statue of the Sun God. Sheffield is the only prisoner taken before Ouspenskaya, who pronounces that he will die when the sun rises to cover the statue with light. Meanwhile, while Joyce was looking for the missing Sheffield, she is hit by a falling tree. Weissmuller takes Joyce home and is nursing her when Cheeta arrives to give him the lowdown on what's happened to Sheffield. Weissmuller finds MacLane and Douglas and takes away their stolen gold. They back away from our hero into a bog which quickly swallows them up. As MacLane had blown up a small bridge leading to Palmyria, Weissmuller has to push over a tree to span a ravine he needs to cross. But he makes it in time to save Sheffield. Ever since Cheeta first saw MacLane, he has been fascinated by the man smoking a cigar. Mistaking a stick of dynamite for a cigar, the chimp lights the fuse of the dynamite. For the ending of the movie, Cheeta uses a magnifying glass to light another stick of dynamite, which Weissmuller quickly throws into the river. The explosion throws the fish Cheeta has been after into the chimp's arms. While these RKO pictures reuse the tree house MGM introduced, they don't use the elephant powered elevator. Soon after Joyce returns home, she puts on her jungle costume and Sheffield smiles approvingly as she joins Weissmuller in a vigorous swim. While we never see the male slaves that Ouspenskaya mentions, we do notice that most of the Amazons look like chorus girls, though there is a shot of a couple of older women doing some chores. German born Kurt Neumann did not come to Hollywood to escape the Nazis, but came to supervise Hollywood films for German audiences in the 1930s. In addition to directing TARZAN AND THE AMAZONS, he became a co-producer with Sol Lesser. His work is only notable for the lack of stock shots of Africa which had plagued so many of the previous TARZAN films. John Jacoby and Marjorie L. Pfaelzer get the writers' credit, but their efforts are just a irritatingly predictable as the previous writers.
TARZAN AND THE LEOPARD WOMAN (1946) - Or AFTER ALL THESE YEARS, JANE REMAINS SO GUILLBLE, or CHEETA SAVES THE DAY. In Zambezi, British commissioner Dennis Hoey tries to convince Dr. Edgar Barrier to join the effort to bring "civilization" to Bengazi. Unbeknownst to Hoey, who mostly seems concerned about his gout, Barrier is a half breed determined to destroy Western influence in this part of Africa. As everyone looks white, I'm guessing that they are supposed to be Arab, and no black natives appear in this film. Caravans sent from Zambezi to Bengazi never get there, but a dying man, aboard an elephant, wanders into Zambezi uttering the word "leopard". As Weissmuller, Joyce and Sheffield are in town shopping, Weissmuller says that the man shows no signs of having been attacked by a leopard. He may have claw marks, but leopards mostly bite their victims. Meanwhile, Cheeta becomes fascinated by a snake charmer, and ends up stealing his pungi. Surprisingly, Cheeta and the pungi do not figure into the climax of the film, but do provide some musical interludes, particularly with Sheffield on a drum. Weissmuller goes with Hoey to investigate what happened to the Caravan. Rushing to the secret caves of the Leopard cult, Barrier convinces Queen Acquanetta to provide some real leopards to attack the investigators. This, he hopes, will discredit Weissmuller's assertion that there are killers pretending to be leopards. Acquanetta's younger brother, Kimba, played by Tommy Cook, watches and sees that while Hoey is convinced that by killing three real leopards that the problem has been solved, Weissmuller isn't convinced. Knowing that he will not be accepted as a real warrior until he's cut out a victim's heart, Cook decides to spy on Weissmuller and family, becoming obsessed with getting Joyce's heart. When Cook stumbles out of the jungle while Weissmuller is fixing their jungle shower, Joyce immediately accepts his sob story about being lost and hungry. Weissmuller is skeptical, especially since Cook won't name to what tribe he belongs. Four "maiden" teachers from Zambezi are traveling by caravan to Bengazi. Barrier convinces Acquanetta to send her "leopard men" - men wearing a leopard cowl and cape with attached claws - to not only steal the goods on the caravan, but to bring the maidens alive to their altar so that they can become sacrifices to their Leopard God. These "leopard men" seem to go to the same grooming salon as Tarzan, and they are also completely lacking body hair. Carroll Young gets sole writing credit for the second Tarzan film executive produced and directed by Kurt Neumann, and, aside from some novel changes, sticks to the usual formula. So we know that our hero will rescue the "maidens", but will also end up being taken prisoner. Barrier sends warrior Anthony Caruso to capture Joyce and Sheffield, as well as to bring back Cook. Cheeta has unmasked Cook by finding his leopard skin, but as the leopard men attack the tree house, it soon becomes obvious that the family has no defensive weapons. While Barrier and Acquanetta tell their congregation that they will eventually invade Zambezi after they sacrifice all of their prisoners, Cheeta uses their being distracted by doing the sacrificial dance. He steals the Queen's back-scratcher looking claw scepter and cuts all of the bonds of the prisoners. Knocking over the support beams in the cave, Weissmuller kills almost all of the leopard people. Cook and Barrier continue their pre-cave in fight and kill each other. Traveling in the jungle to seek help for his gout, Hoey hears the commotion in time to be shown that Weissmuller was right all along about killers pretending to be leopards. This film was made a few years before Howard Hughes took over ownership of the studio, but I think he would have approved of how Acquanetta was costumed. Her white Roman styled dress provided a splendid opportunity for the viewer to enjoy her ample bosom. It was the highlight of the movie for me. Another plus for this movie, is that people fall into the river and aren't attacked by crocodiles. The only crocodiles seen are on shore, which momentarily prevent the escape of the four maidens. Fans of Syrian born wrestler "King Kong" Kashey may enjoy seeing him have a friendly match with Weissmuller. It is quite surprising to see caravans moving through thick jungle growth rather than across a desert.
TARZAN AND THE HUNTRESS (1947) Or BOY AND CHEETA GET GREEDY AND MAKE BONEHEAD DECISIONS. Leslie Charteris, the creator of The Saint, moved to the U.S. in 1932, but was unable to get permanent residency because of the Chinese Exclusion Act as his father was Chinese. He dabbled in writing for the movies, even getting a credit on this film, along with Jerry Gruskin and Rowland Leigh. What his contribution might have been is a mystery, though the script for this predictable time waster was probably bad. He seemed to have learned his lesson though, as he soon moved back to England. Weissmuller, Joyce and Sheffield are gathering the gifts they will give to King Charles Trowbridge at his birthday across the river. With no explanation, Tarzan no long lives on an escarpment, though he's still has the tree house from the MGM days. Hearing an airplane above, Weissmuller hopes that they continue their trip far away. Unfortunately, they land in Trowbridge's kingdom where animal procurer Patricia Morison hopes to gather many animals to sell to zoos around the world. Villainous foreman Barton MacLane - playing a different character than he played in TARZAN AND THE AMAZONS - and John Warburton convey the disappointing message to Morison that Trowbridge will only allow them to catch two of every species. The hunters attend Trowbridge's birthday celebration hoping to change his mind. At a feast, also attended by Weissmuller, Joyce and Sheffield, Trowbridge reaffirms his edict saying that he wants to preserve the animals in his kingdom. Weissmuller agrees with Trobridge's plan, and tells the hunters to not cross the river to go after the animals on his side. Not surprising, Trowbridge has a greedy nephew, Prince Ted Hecht, who conspires with MacLane and Warburton. With Trowbridge dead, Hecht will take the throne and allow the hunters free reign. Trowbridge's son, Prince Maurice Tauzin, tries to chase after the assassins, but falls over a cliff. While everyone accepts that he fell into a pond full of crocodiles, Tauzin lies unconscious for most of the film's running time. Hunter Wallace Scott tries to get Sheffeild to trade Cheeta for a flashlight, but he says no. Later, Sheffield finds two lion cubs - these two lion cubs would seem to have been popular with someone as they have appeared in a number of previous films - which he takes from their mother to trade for the flashlight. Not surprising, Cheeta plays with the flashlight and Sheffield has to confess his dirty deed. Weissmuller goes to the hunters' camp to return the flashlight and to get back the two cubs. There he learns that Prince Hecht is not following the dead king's orders, so he lets out his jungle roar which convinces all of the animals to cross the river to safety on his side. Pissed, the hunters decide to invade Weissmuller's side of the river to gather animals. Weissmuller isn't aware of this invasion until Scott captures the lion cubs and MacLane shoots the mother lion dead. Knowing that without guns the hunters are like bees without their sting, Weissmuller, Sheffield and Cheeta sneak into their camp and steals all of the firearms. They hide the guns in a cave behind a waterfall, but Cheeta thinks that he can trade the guns for Morison's make-up compact. After the hunters get back their guns, Morison won't give up her makeup and Scott asks if Cheeta hadn't learned that woman never make good on their promises. Eventually, Weissmuller finds Prince Tauzin and has to kill a few of MacLane's men before he finally summons an elephant herd to take care of the rest of the hunters and Prince Hecht. Morison and Scott escape to their airplane with Cheeta in hot pursuit. In the air, Morison finds Cheeta in the backseat. The chimp parachutes out of the plane with his prize makeup kit. I don't much care about the fact that this movie features deer, which you don't find in Africa, or the fact that the elephants shown are Asian, not African. What bothers me is that this is a story about how those collecting animals for zoos are villains, but the movie is made entirely in California and only uses animals on loan from zoos.
TARZAN AND THE MERMAIDS (1948) - Or AFRICA BECOMES POLYNESIA IN A TARZAN MUSICAL SHOT IN MEXICO. The filmmakers decided that Johnny Sheffield had aged out of the role of Boy, but Monogram Pictures soon hired him in as a faux Tarzan for eleven movies as BOMBA: THE JUNGLE BOY. In this film, his absence is explained that he is away at school in England, and like the two movies in which Jane did not appear, he is mentioned in letters received. The letters are delivered by a guitar playing John Laurenz, who narrates much of the movie in song, written by the celebrated calypso musician Sir. Lancelot. Even though Cheeta steals his guitar and breaks a string, that doesn't stop Laurenz, but we never see him replace the broken string. On the forbidden island of Aquatania, which sports an Aztec temple, con man Fernando Wagner dons a costume and pretends to be the god Balu. George Zucco is his high priest and does all the speaking for him. For some unexplained reason, Wagner wants island beauty Linda Christian to be his bride. However, Christian is in love with the exiled Gustavo Rojo and is able to escape by swimming away from the island. Later, while fishing with a net, Weissmuller captures Christian, who faints from exhaustion. At first Joyce isn't pleased to see Weissmuller coming home with a beautiful brunette, but Laurenz immediately proclaims her to be a "mermaid". Recovering, Christian wants to repay our heroes for their kindness by giving them a black pearl. Laurenz takes the pearl back to the office of British Inspector General Matthew Boulton, who assigns Edward Ashley to investigate Laurenz's fantastic story. Meanwhile, Zuddo's minions attack Weissmuller's home and kidnap Christian. Weissmuller swings and swims in hot pursuit and so finds the route to Aquatania. Joyce is soon visited by Rojo, who had heard that Christian was there. Joined by Laurenz and Ashley, the four of them set off to rescue Christian. Not surprising, the four are taken prisoner and brought before Zucco for judgement. However, Weissmuller has found the Balu costume and silently indicates that the captives should be set free, much to Zucco's displeasure. Zucco sees Weissmuller slip away and understands what happened. Meanwhile, Wagner is informed by Boulton about the investigation into the black pearl, so he quickly takes off to return to Aquatania. I first became aware of the high dive off the cliffs in FUN IN ACAPULCO starring Elvis Presley, which director Robert Florey seemed unable to resist including in this flick. Reportedly, Angel Garcia, the stunt man who doubled for Weissmuller for the cliff dive, ending up being caught in a current and dashed to death on the rocks. Anyway, Wagner puts on his Balu costume and condemns our heroes to death. Even though Wagner sent four men to drown Weissmuller after the cliff dive, and an unfriendly octopus made a grab for him, Weissmuller arrives in time to unmask Wagner as a false Balu and the populace takes revenge on the phony religious leaders. As everyone heads home, Laurenz is interrupted from a final song by Cheeta strumming a second guitar. Carroll Young gets sole on-screen credit as the writer of this, but sources report Albert DePina did some uncredited work too. In collaboration with Mexico's Churubusco Studios, RKO decided to make TARZAN AND THE MERMAIDS in Mexico. No black Africans appear, and no one tries to pretend that the Mexican extras are Arabs. Interestingly, Weissmuller has a bit of a "five o'clock shadow" in this. Perhaps that is one reason he quit the series and went on to a long career as JUNGLE JIM.
TARZAN'S MAGIC FOUNTAIN (1949) - Or TARZAN UNCHAINED, or TARZAN WANTS TO TEACH JANE A LESSON SO HE ALLOWS HER TO MAKE ANOTHER BONEHEAD DECISION. Reportedly producer Sol Lesser felt that Johnny Weissmuller was getting to old to play Tarzan anymore, and so an hunt was made for a new guy. Lex Barker fit the bill after being shorn of all body hair. Still, his hair looks amazingly coiffed. There's no mention of Boy, but Cheeta and the tree house still remain. In fact, the movie pretty much opens with Cheeta and another chimp throwing stuff at each other. The other chimp hits Cheeta in the head with what turns out to be a cigarette case. Jane, played by Brenda Joyce, and Tarzan, played by Lex Barker, open the case and find an inscription. Barker tells Cheeta to get the other chimp to take him to where he got the case. It turns out to be a crashed airplane, from which Cheeta finds a diary. The diary turns out to have belonged to an Amelia Earhart like woman pilot who went missing 20 years previously. Joyce asks Barker to take the diary to the trading post run by Albert Dekker and Charles Drake so that they could send it to the woman's relatives in Britain, but Barker refuses. "Sometimes better left alone." Of course, Barker doesn't explain his reasons, but after Joyce goes to bed unhappy, Barker takes the diary and gives it to Dekker and Drake. The two guys figure that there is reward money to be had for turning in the diary to the British, but also there was a reward, if the pilot was still alive, for her to give evidence to prove the innocence of a man sentenced to prison 20 years ago. Cryptically, Barker says that pilot might not be dead. It turns out that the pilot, Evelyn Ankers, has been living in the lost civilization of the Blue Valley. Anyone trying to enter the valley is to be killed by the armed guards protecting the way in. That is, anyone except Tarzan - kind of like in TARZAN AND THE HUNTRESS. Barker goes to the Blue Valley and finds Ankers. She agrees to return to Britain to help get the man out of prison, knowing that leaving the valley will end the eternal youth she gets from drinking the water there. Joyce is pleased at this turn of events, but frustrated that neither Barker or Ankers will reveal how the woman who should be in her 50s looks like a woman in her 20s. However Blue Valley hot head, Ted Hecht, is convinced that Barker will not keep their secret, and his associate, Henry Brandon volunteers to murder Barker. Figuring that the only way that Ankers can look so young is that she has access to a "fountain of youth", Dekker and Drake and Drake plot villainy. They send out a group, led by one-eyed bully Henry Kulky, to find Blue Valley, but the group is all killed as they approach the way in. After a bit, Ankers arrives back in Africa with her new husband, Alan Napier, who got out of prison thanks to her testimony. Dekker and Drake bring them to Barker's home in an airplane. The newlyweds want to go to Blue Valley, but Barker says no. Frustrated with her mate, Joyce figures that she can take them there and they set off. Cheeta goes along to keep an eye on Joyce, while Barker follows at a distance figuring that this faulty effort will teach Joyce a lesson. The group ends up in a ravine when a tremendous rain storm hits and they are soon in danger of drowning. Of course, Barker saves them. In the morning, Dekker and Drake discover that Barker has left with Ankers and Napier, so they threaten to kill Cheeta if Joyce doesn't taken them to Blue Valley. With some hesitation, Barker is able to enter Blue Valley with his guests, which The High One, played by David Bond, agrees to allow residency as long as they don't try to leave. Hecht and Brandon are incensed and kidnap Barker in order to blind him. The villains fasten Barker to the walls of a cave with chains, which, our hero, with effort, pulls out of the wall and rolls a boulder down to upset his captors. Dekker and Drake are killed by the armed guards at the entrance to the valley, where Joyce is pinned down. Of course, Barker arrives to save her just as Cheeta pulls out a bush, which causes a landslide that kills Hecht and Brandon. Noted German born Science Fiction writer Curt Siodmak and Harry Chandlee are the credited writers on this, while this was Lee Sholem's directorial debut.
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Angel Rivera Highly enjoyed:
"GHIDORAH, THE THREE HEADED MONSTER" (1964)
While checking the schedules for movies on my TV. I came across TCM showing "Ghidorah, the Three Headed Monster". This was the movie I knew as "Ghidrah, the Three Headed Monster". This version was the original Japanese version with English sub-titles. Interesting with the main difference that the princess who will claim to be from Venus; in the English dub, she claims to be from Mars. The original version was interesting, but not what I remembered from watching the English dub version.
"GODZILLA VS. THE THING" (1964)
After watching "Ghidorah, the Three Headed Monster" I decided to watch my copies. "Godzilla Vs. The Thing" Is the film now shown under its original Japanese title, "Mothra Vs. Godzilla". (Mothra is listed as the Thing in the title and in some of the scenes. This is because I believe AIP, which released the film in the US, thought Colombia Pictures owned the rights to the title, Mothra or they thought releasing it under the Thing title would add some mystery to the sale of the film and generate more sales.) Still enjoyable as "Mothra" is my favorite kaiju.
"GHIDRAH, THE THREE HEADED MONSTER" (1965)
This is the version I know. One of the main differences in the English dubbed version is in the scene where Mothra's little twins are interpreting the monsters' conversation, as they exclaim, "Godzilla, What language!" No such humorous exchange is in the original Japanese version.
"MONSTER ZERO" (1965/70)
This was the original release version shown in the US. The version now released and known as "Invasion of Astro-Monster" is what is called the International version and was originally shown in English speaking countries outside of the US. This is the one that features American actor, Nick Adams. Well done with great special effects and fine performances by Adams and the rest of the cast.
"MOTHRA" (1961/2)
The English dubbed version released by Colombia and one of my favorite kaiju movies.
"KING KONG" (1933) (Colorized version-1993)
One of my all-time favorite films. The colorized version is alright to watch and had color technology not been so expensive and had been perfected at the time of the original release of "King Kong" it probably would have been made in color. Great film! Great music. Great special effects. Great performances. Just, "GREAT!"
Mildly enjoyed:
"THE VIRGINIAN" S2, E14 "Man of Violence" (1963)
"The Virginian" was my mother's favorite show. (She liked serious men like the way James Drury was portrayed on the show. I never really cared for the show and would sometimes lie and tell her it was not on so I could watch "Batman" which was on at the same time on Wednesdays.) I would then switch on the show after the "Batman" episode was over, so she could watch the last hour of "The Virginian" because it was a 90 minute program. But sometimes she didn't believe me, so I was kind of lost when I saw the continued episode on Thursday and had missed the Wednesday episode.
Any way this episode is interesting because both Leonard Nimoy and Deforest Kelley were guest stars in this episode.before they were on "Star Trek". Slightly enjoyable. Nimoy plays a villain and Kelley portrays an alcoholic army doctor. "Trampas" played by Doug McClure was the featured star of this episode. Never was a big fan of McClure, but he is okay in this episode. Slightly interesting, especially for Kelley's performance. (Nimoy doesn't have much screen time as he is seen mostly as a wounded criminal and is killed off-screen.)
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David Deal Enjoyed:
THE WOMAN IN GREEN (45)
JOY HOUSE (64) - Jane Fonda shines while Alain Delon tries to keep up.
THE FANTASTIC MR. FOX (09) - Still makes me chuckle.
3 SECONDS BEFORE EXPLOSION (67) - Not the best of the Nikkatsu crime entries but definitely worth the time.
THE INVISIBLE MAN (33)
NORM (26) - The Tale of Norm MacDonald. There were times I laughed my ass off and times I didn't, which I guess sums up the career of Norm MacDonald.
PURSUIT TO ALGIERS (45)
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Bertrand van Wonterghem Enjoyed:
Fargo (2013, season 1) – episodes 7 to 10
Fargo (2014, season 2 – 10 episodes)
Normal (2025, Ben Wheatley)
Mildly enjoyed:
Il mostro (1977, Luigi Zampa)
the fantastic four (1994, Oley Sassone)
Did not enjoy:
In the grey (2025, Guy Ritchie)
Box 234 (2023, Andy Tennant)
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