Random Drive-In Mash-Up :: Into the Age of Awareness (June, 1970)

 

 

 

 

The William Castle Blogathon :: A Career that Ended in Fire and Ash… (September, 1975)

 

 

 

 
Here, we finally come to the ignominious end of William Castle’s career. After Rosemary’s Baby, Paramount kinda threw Castle under the bus, and, to add insult to injury, all the major studios finally wised up and started making the same B-pictures he was making only with an A-budget, evidenced by the teaser ads currently pushing our feature film right off the page. Yeah, JAWS absolutely buried BUG at the box-office, but this bizarre, fever dream of a flick is a lot better than you’ve heard. Trust me.
 

 
Alas, this is my last post for 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 been a great week with a ton of cool stuff to see and read and experience. Now get going!

Bug (1975) William Castle Productions :: Paramount Pictures / P: William Castle / D: Jeannot Szwarc / W: William Castle, Thomas Page (novel) / C: Michel Hugo / E: Allan Jacobs / M: Charles Fox / S: Bradford Dillman, Joanna Miles, Richard Gilliland, Jamie Smith-Jackson, Patty McCormack, Jesse Vint

The William Castle Blogathon :: Hell Up in Hollywood (July, 1975)

 

 
John Schlesinger’s The Day of the Locust is one ambitious, apocalyptic mind-f*ck of a movie that I both love and fear equally. Now, William Castle did not direct or produce this scathing look at old school Hollywood, but he has a magnificent, glorified cameo as the Cecil B. Demillian director of the ill-fated War and Peace knock-off, whose sound-stage collapsed out from under him. He also had a wonderful cameo in Shampoo. Both films are highly recommended, folks.
 

 

 

 
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 Day of the Locust (1975) Long Road :: Paramount Pictures / P: Jerome Hellman / AP: Sheldon Schrager / D: John Schlesinger / W: Waldo Salt, Nathanael West (novel) / C: Conrad Hall / E: Jim Clark / M: John Barry / S: William Atherton, Karen Black, Donald Sutherland, Burgess Meredith, Billy Barty, Richard Dysart, Bo Hopkins, Pepe Serna

The William Castle Blogathon :: The Dead Girl … The Neighbors … The Nightmare … The Doctor … The Truth … The Baby … Whose Baby? (July, 1968)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
I believe I was born with a defective gene that explains away my preference for the Tottenham stomp  of the Dave Clark Five over the Mersey beat of the Beatles. Perhaps this same mental defect explains my complete and total indifference to Rosemary’s Baby. Now, now. I don’t hate the movie. It has merit. It just, I don’t know, never really clicked for me. (My lifelong aversion to Mia Farrow probably isn’t helping matters, here, either. The old Beelzefudds were a hoot, though.) That’s me shrugging right now.
 

 
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!

Rosemary’s Baby (1968) William Castle Productions :: Paramount Pictures / P: William Castle / AP: Dona Holloway / D: Roman Polanski / W: Roman Polanski, Ira Levin (novel) / C: William A. Fraker / E: Sam O’Steen, Bob Wyman / M: Krzysztof Komeda / S: Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, Ruth Gordon, Maurice Evans, Ralph Bellamy, Patsy Kelly, Elisha Cook Jr.

The William Castle Blogathon :: Kiss-Hungry Girl Ghosts Looking for Live Lover in a Haunted House of Mayhem — At No Extra Cost! (June, 1968)

 

 

 

Other Points of Interest:

Full film review of The Spirit is Willing at the Brewery.

Poster campaign for The Spirit is Willing at the Archive.

 
The Spirit is Willing was my personal introduction to the kookie and ghoulish world of William Castle, seen many, many moons ago at the old Rivoli theater during some weekend matinee re-release in the early 1970’s. Before finally seeing it again, all I really remembered about it was a family moving into a haunted house, where a love-triangle-entangled trio of ghosts still lurk and cause all kinds of mischief; but the strongest and most impressionable image to four or five year old me was a slow-motion meat-cleaver massacre that explains the reason for the ghosts — and probably goes a long, long way in explaining my slightly bent taste in film. And for that, Mr. Castle, I am eternally grateful to you for properly corrupting my childhood.
 

 
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 Spirit is Willing (1967) William Castle Productions :: Paramount Pictures / P: William Castle / AP: Dona Holloway / D: William Castle / W: Ben Starr, Nathaniel Benchley (Novel) / C: Harold E. Stine / E: Edwin H. Bryant / M: Vic Mizzy / S: Sid Caesar, Vera Miles, Barry Gordon, Jill Townsend, John McGiver, John Astin, Robert Donner, Cass Daley

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

The William Castle Blogathon :: 13 Times the Thrills! 13 Times the Screams! 13 Times the Ectoplasmic Fun! (February, 1961)

 

 

 

 

How about we just let the man speak for himself this round:

Video courtesy of videojaxx.

 

As Rowdy Roddy Piper once said, “Just put on the damned glasses!”

 

 

“I see dead people. AAAAAAUUUGGGGHHHH!”

 

 
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!

13 Ghosts (1960) William Castle Productions :: Columbia Pictures / P: William Castle / D: William Castle / W: Robb White / C: Joseph F. Biroc / E: Edwin H. Bryant / M: Von Dexter / S: Donald Woods, Charles Herbert, Jo Morrow, Martin Milner, Rosemary DeCamp, Margaret Hamilton

Stop! Look! And Laugh! (1960) Harry Romm Productions :: Columbia Pictures / P: Harry A. Romm, Martha Vera Romm / D: Don Appell / W: Saul Ward, Monte Collins / C: William O. Steiner / E: Jerome Thoms / M: Mischa Bakaleinikoff / S: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard, Paul Winchell,

The William Castle Blogathon :: When the Screen Screams You’ll Scream Too — If You Value Your Life! (September, 1960)

 

 

 

 
Not since the four repeaters for King Kong vs. Godzilla have I been more disappointed in an unearthed ad campaign than what I found for The Tingler, perhaps William Castle’s most gonzoidal film of all time, relegated to second feature status to an also-ran Yul Brynner romantic comedy. However, unlike Emergo, looks like the Grand Theater took the plunge on Percepto and wired up a few seats.
 

 

And that, my friends, is awesome covered in awesome sauce.

 

 
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!

Once More, With Feeling! (1960) Stanley Donen Films :: Columbia Pictures / P: Stanley Donen / D: Stanley Donen / W: Harry Kurnitz / C: Georges Périnal / E: Jack Harris / S: Yul Brynner, Kay Kendall, Geoffrey Toone, Maxwell Shaw, Shirley Anne Field

The Tingler (1959) William Castle Productions :: Columbia Pictures / P: William Castle / D: William Castle / W: Robb White / C: Wilfred M. Cline / E: Chester W. Schaeffer / M: Von Dexter / S: Vincent Price, Judith Evelyn, Darryl Hickman, Patricia Cutts, Pamela Lincoln, Philip Coolidge

The William Castle Blogathon :: Not Valid for People with Known Heart or Nervous Conditions! (May, 1958)

 

 

Sometimes the gutter giveth…

 

 

… and sometimes the gutter taketh away. Pfeh.

 

 

Other Points of Interest:

The poster campaign for Macabre at the Archive.

 
And now, finally, we get to the meat. The ballyhoo. The bullshit. The Castle raison d’etre. By no means great, but, when considering it’s lackluster reputation, even among William Castle’s fans, Macabre wasn’t nearly as bad as I’d anticipated. In fact, I found it to be pretty good. (Who knew Jim Backus had that kind of a heavy in him?) A bit clumsy, structurally, sure (–there might have been a flashback inside a flashback), and though this tale of kidnapping and buried secrets threatens to derail itself, the ending twist works and those closing credits are simply ADOREABLE! You’ll never get to cash in your Fright Insurance policy, but definitely worth a spin.
 

An official Beneficiary Agreement for Macabre:

And as a public service announcement for the IMDB, who list Macabre’s release as October, 1958, for the sake of accuracy, it played in the Island in May, 1958:

 

 
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!

Macabre (1958) William Castle Productions :: Allied Artists / P: William Castle, Howard W. Koch, Aubrey Schenck / D: William Castle / W: Robb White, Anthony Boucher (novel) / C: Carl E. Guthrie / E: John F. Schreyer / M: Les Baxter / S: William Prince, Jim Backus, Christine White, Jacqueline Scott, Susan Morrow, Ellen Corby

Hell’s Five Hours (1958) Muriel Corporation :: Allied Artists / P: Jack L. Copeland / AP: Walter Hannemann / D: Jack L. Copeland / W: Jack L. Copeland / C: Ernest Haller / E: Walter Hannemann / M: Nicholas Carras / S: Stephen McNally, Coleen Gray, Vic Morrow, Maurice Manson, Robert Foulk