Stumbled on this while looking for something else. The sequel to this thing was filmed in my home town of Jacksonville, and environs. A classic Beauty and the Beast tale. I vaguely remember my grandfather taking me to watch part of the filming. If you are familiar with it, you'll remember the scene where the monster grabs the girl in a restaurant, runs out carrying her (she fainted, of course), breaks through a chain and dives into the river (St. Johns). I was quite disappointed to realized that the prop guys sawed the chain so that it just barely held. So much for the suspension of disbelief...and at such an early age.
Funky to the extreme. I particularly love the girl's melodramatic gestures when confronted by the rubber-suited creature on the boat. Lots of scenes of Richard Denning and Richard Carlson sans shirts, ladies, or guys, if you are so inclined, for that matter.
Not sure this is worth a post, but here it is.
13 comments:
Ah, yes, I remember that film. We refer to it often, when talking about old movies that were popular when we were kids. Thanks for the chuckle. How dramatic. lol. Hugs.
The music is way scary. I kept waiting for Dick Cheney
The Brits attempted to compete with this sort of thing with the Hammer Horror films, but Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing stood no chance against this kind of production.
I know i trembled at the "Stark realism of 3 dimension" LOL @ the lurching monster The monsters they make nowadays don't tend to lurch. I gotta say though, if i had seen it without having seen the moder stuff i would have been terrified.
Xanadu---Tell the truth now, did the two Richards have anything to do with your fond memories?
PE---Dick was the torture consultant on this film. He didn't actually have a speaking part.
Simon---You are spot on and I tend to think it was because Chris and Pete just couldn't get the hang of the no shirt thing.
u---yes he was terrifying, but I kinda felt sorry for him. I mean, he only wanted the girl, no different than King Kong, but she rejected him out of hand. The bitch! Lurching is important...in all things.
I remember. It was almost as scary as The Thing from Outer Space. One was a lizard, the other, a vegetable.
Damn, I'm busted, aren't I? Seriously, I was about 6 years old!!! lol. Hugs.
Watdefuk---The 50s were obsessed with veggies, big bugs, reptiles and Communists, methinks.
X---ok, you're absolved...except...how many times have you watched it today? hmmmmmm.
But who was the actor that played that sad and soggy part? Or is it the sad and soggy actor who played the part...?
Jadedj, having grown up in Jville too, i can remember driving over the 'old bridge' to get to church every sunday morning. The Lobster House was a resturant that sat just beside that bridge. The scene you describe was filmed there. I always wanted to eat there on my way to church (couldn't see driving home) but after seeing the movie (not in 3d) i was glad when they torn it down. Still love lobster, don't go to church though.
Oh by the way, Barton Film Company, a Jacksonville group, produced the movie.
Can we look forward to a remake starring Johnny Depp any time soon?
Doug---glad you asked that. It was in fact a real person from J'ville. That is, it wasn't a costume.
Shortly after making this film, he moved to south Florida where he got a job wrestling Seminole Indians. I lost track of him from that point.
Punch---You are correct. I had forgotten about the Barton Film part though. I saw a photo of the Lobster House somewhere recently, and thought about that damn film. That's it's local legacy I suppose.
intell---Depp as the monster? I just don't see the creature wearing mascara. Maybe the shirtless guy...times HAVE changed, you know.
Post a Comment