From the Halls of Montezuma to the Shock Masters Who Shatter Your Senses (June, 1971)

 

 

 

 

For the Love of Science-Fiction :: He’ll Freeze You to Your Seat! Do You Dare See It Alone? (January, 1958)

 

 

 

 

This post is part of the For the Love of Film: The Film Preservation Blogathon hosted by Ferdy on Films, This Island Rod, and Wonders in the Dark. This year’s theme is science-fiction, and we’ll be leaning hard toward the “mad science” portion of the genre, here’s an exception. Hope you enjoy, and please click on the link above and donate to help restore the silent film, Cupid in Quarantine. The goal is to raise $10,000. Give what you can, won’t you? Thank you!

The Abominable Snowman of the Himalayas (1957) Hammer Films / EP: Michael Carreras / P: Aubrey Baring / AP: Anthony Nelson Keys / D: Val Guest / W: Nigel Kneale / C: Arthur Grant / E: Bill Lenny / M: Humphrey Searle / S: Forrest Tucker, Peter Cushing, Maureen Connell, Richard Wattis, Wolfe Morris

The Ghost Diver (1957) Regal Pictures / EP: E.J. Baumgarten / P: Richard Einfeld / AP: Ralph Slosser/ D: Richard Einfeld / W: Richard Einfeld, Merrill White / C: John Nickolaus Jr. / E: Merrill G. White / M: Paul Sawtell, Bert Shefter/ S: James Craig, Audrey Totter, Lowell Brown, Pira Louis, Nico Minardos

Random Drive-In Mash-Up :: They Don’t Make’Em Like Frankie any More! (Septembe, 1965)

 

 

Random Drive-In Mash-Up :: Come Early, Stay Late!!! (May, 1970)

 

 

 

Drive-n Mash-Up :: A Laugh-Filled, Tune-Filled, Fun-Filled, Fright-Filled, Four Film Marathon! (July, 1963)

 

 

 

 

Drive-In Mash-Up :: The Blood and Dinosaurs Edition (May, 1972)

 

 

The William Castle Blogathon :: The Kookiest and Spookiest Ghost Doesn’t Walk in this Family — It Runs Riot! (December, 1963)

 

 

 

 

 

Apparently, the original The Old Dark House (1932) helped inspire artist Charles Addams to untold heights of ghoulishness. And so, he was recruited to design the opening title credits for this Castle / Hammer co-produced remake. Alas, the film is kinda all downhill from there. Now, I like Tom Poston, and found Zotz oddly endearing, but this version of The Old Dark House kinda stinks, locked in a morass where tedious and insipid meet on the graph. All is not lost, however, as its co-feature, Maniac,  is another Hammer Castle cash-in that’s well worth your time.

 

 
This post is part of Goregirl’s Dungeon and The Last Drive-In’s The William Castle Blogathan, a week long tribute to the King of Schlock. Follow the linkage, Boils & Ghouls. It’s gonna be a great week. And stick around, as we’ll be showcasing Castle’s film career from its fairly normal beginnings through it psychotronic glory days. Stay tuned!

The Old Dark House (1963) William Castle Productions :: Hammer Film Productions :: Columbia Pictures / P: William Castle, Anthony Hinds / AP: Dona Holloway / D: William Castle / W: Robert Dillon, J.B. Priestley (novel) / C: Arthur Grant / E: James Needs / S: Tom Poston, Robert Morley, Janette Scott, Joyce Grenfell, Mervyn Johns, Fenella Fielding, Peter Bull

Maniac (1963) Hammer Film Productions :: Columbia Pictures / P: Jimmy Sangster / D: Michael Carreras / W: Jimmy Sangster / C: Wilkie Cooper / E: Tom Simpson / S: Kerwin Mathews, Nadia Gray, Liliane Brousse, Donald Houston, George Pastell

The William Castle Blogathon :: His Face Could Stop a Heart. You, the Audience, Decide His Fate! (January, 1962)

 

 

 

 
Despite assurances that the audience could decide the fate of our dastardly protagonist, no matter what rumor you’ve heard that out there, somewhere, an audience let Mr. Sardonicus off the hook, there is no evidence of an alternate, happy ending ever being shot let alone shown — except for that dramatic re-enactment on Wiseguy in what was perhaps the strangest TV season of episodic TV ever. Does anyone else remember that?
 

 

 
Also, somewhat coincidentally, as far as Mr. Sardonicus’ excellent co-feature is concerned, Jimmy Sangster might have been shooting for the same fearful beats as Alfred Hitchcock and Henri-Georges Clouzot, but, Scream of Fear (and Nightmare, and The Snorkel, and Maniac), I think, hews a helluva lot closer to the five-car contrivance twist-pile-ups of William Castle. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, mind you. Just giving credit where credit is due.
 

 
This post is part of Goregirl’s Dungeon and The Last Drive-In’s The William Castle Blogathan, a week long tribute to the King of Schlock. Follow the linkage, Boils & Ghouls. It’s gonna be a great week. And stick around, as we’ll be showcasing Castle’s film career from its fairly normal beginnings through it psychotronic glory days. Stay tuned!

Mr. Sardonicus (1961) William Castle Productions :: Columbia Pictures / P: William Castle / AP: Dona Holloway / D: William Castle / W: Ray Russell / C: Burnett Guffey / E: Edwin H. Bryant / M: Von Dexter / S: Ronald Lewis, Audrey Dalton, Guy Rolfe, Oskar Homolka, Erika Peters, Lorna Hanson

Scream of Fear (1961) Hammer Film Productions :: Columbia Pictures / EP: Michael Carreras / P: Jimmy Sangster / D: Seth Holt / W: Jimmy Sangster / E: Eric Boyd-Perkins / M: Clifton Parker / S: Susan Strasberg, Ronald Lewis, Ann Todd, Christopher Lee, John Serret

Remembering Ray :: Travel Back Through Time and Space to the Edge of Man’s Beginnings … Discover a Savage World Whose Only Law Was Lust! (July, 1967)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
“I’m very happy that so many young fans have told me that my films have changed their lives. That’s a great compliment. It means I did more than just make entertaining films. I actually touched people’s lives — and, I hope, changed them for the better.”

Ray Harryhausen
(1920-2013)

Other Points of Interest:

More ads for Harryhausen’s films.

One Million Years B.C. (1966) Associated British-Pathé :: Hammer Films :: Seven Arts Productions :: 20th Century Fox / P: Michael Carreras / AP: Aida Young / D: Don Chaffey / W: Michael Carreras / C: Wilkie Cooper / E: Tom Simpson / M: Mario Nascimbene / S: Raquel Welch, John Richardson, Percy Herbert, Robert Brown, Martine Beswick, Lisa Thomas

The Devil’s Own a/k/a The Witches (1966) Hammer Films :: 20th Century Fox / P: Anthony Nelson Keys / D: Cyril Frankel / W: Nigel Kneale, Norah Lofts (novel) / C: Arthur Grant / E: Chris Barnes, James Needs / M: Richard Rodney Bennett / S: Joan Fontaine, Kay Walsh, Alec McCowen, Ann Bell, Ingrid Boulting

The Greatest Blood-Show Ever! (September, 1973)

 

 

 

 
Vampire Circus (1972) Hammer Films :: The Rank Organization :: 20th Century Fox / EP: Michael Carreras / P: Wilbur Stark / D: Robert Young / W: Judson Kinberg / C: Moray Grant E: Peter Musgrave / M: David Whitaker / S: Adrienne Corri, Thorley Walters, Anthony Higgins, John Moulder-Brown, Laurence Payne

Countess Dracula (1971) Hammer Films :: The Rank Organization :: 20th Century Fox / P: Alexander Paal / D: Peter Sasdy / W: Jeremy Paul / C: Ken Talbot / E: Henry Richardson / M: Harry Robertson / S: Ingrid Pitt, Nigel Green, Sandor Elès, Lesley-Anne Down