Ok, Kiddies, let's get this one straight from the start. I know we've talked before about films like Jesse James meets Frankenstein's Daughter and Billy the Kid versus Dracula, but I'm sorry to report that, though Billy is shot and killed by Pat Garrett at the very first of this flick, despite what the title might lead you to believe, he does not actually return as a zombie. Instead, he doesn't so much "return" as he is replaced by Roy Rogers who, it just so happens, turns out to be a *ahem* dead ringer for the Kid. Quickly convincing Garrett to let him masquerade as the infamous killer in order to thwart a brand of villainous ranchers who are threatening the local homesteaders. Promising that, unlike Billy, he won't actually do any killing, (though with a total of seven songs in this less-than-an-hour b-reeler he might well sing them to death) Roy, of course, saves the day.
This was actually Roy's second leading role in a film. Earlier in the year he had taken over the lead in Under Western Stars when the original lead, Gene Autry, walked out on his contract. Roy had already been building popularity both as a singing cowboy film star under his original name Leonard Slye, and with his western musical group The Sons of the Pioneers. When the opportunity presented itself, Roy quickly stepped into the role, and through numerous movie roles and his own TV show (in which he appeared alongside his wife, Dale Evans) he quickly became Autry's number one competitor for the title of America's favorite singing cowboy.
Rather than a trailer for this flick, here's a short tribute to Roy's group The Sons of the Pioneers which features them singing one of their biggest hits, "Tumbling Tumbleeeds":
And now, the Skinny:
Title: Billy the Kid Returns
Release Date: 1938
Running Time: 53min
Black and White
Starring: Roy Rogers
Directed by: Joseph Kane
Produced by: Charles E. Ford
Released by: Republic Pictures
Billy the Kid Returns id available to watch or download for free here.
It's also available for purchase on DVD from Amazon: Billy The Kid Returns.
It appears to be out of stock at Netflix, but you can reserve it: Billy the Kid Returns.
Until next time, Happy Treasure Hunting, -Professor Damian
Hiya, Kiddies! So, your ol' Professor has decided to do something a little different this week. Instead of the usual western on Monday, horror/scifi on Tuesday, etc., this week we're going to take a look at movies that cross the boundaries of genre. Today, for instance we're going to take a look at a movie that is a cross between a western and a horror flick, 1966's Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter.
The film opens in the small town of SomewhereintheSouthwest. The town has been suffering from unexplained death and disease ever since the new tenants moved into the castle at the top of the hill that overlooks the town. It seems that (despite what the title says) Baron Frankenstein's Grandson (Steven Geray) and Granddaughter (Narda Onyx) have moved in and are carrying on their grandfather's experiments on the townspeople. They have come to America because of the extreme number of electrical storms which they need to power their experiments. Posing as doctors, they have been kidnapping the local children, but so far they have had no luck in their attemps to bring the dead back to life. And as more and more children have turned up missing or dead, the townspeople have simply been moving away from what they see as a cursed town until only the Lopez family is left. Family daughter Juanita (Estelita Rodriguez) has visited the castle because her brother went up there and never returned, only to be told that he, too, has been taken ill.
Just an aside: the accents are played so thick and heavy in this film that it actually took me a moment to realixw that the Lopez family was blaming the town's misfortunes on "God's Will", and not on a "Cod's Wheel". Whatever that might be.
Anyway, after about 15 minutes of the baroness and her brother it's time to get to the western part of the movie. Now if you had just joined in at this point, you might have no idea that nothing odd was going on, as this part is played just as straight as any oater of the time. We first meet Jesse (John Lupton) and his travelling buddy Hank (Cal Bolder) as they are trying to raise some money by betting on a fist fight between Hank and a man named Stacey. After they win, we cut to the hideout of the remaining members of the Wild Bunch (the film obviously couldn't afford an entire bunch, so we are left with leader Butch Curry, his brother Lonny, and their partner Pete Ketchum) who are eagerly awaiting the arrival of Jesse and Hank. When the pair finally arrive at the hideout, Butch lays out his plan to steal $100,000 from a coach that will be transporting the money from the town bank to a nearby fort. Lonny, unfortunately wants nothing to do with having to split his take with Jesse and Hank, so he arranges with the town's sheriff (played by Jim Davis, immediately recognizable to Dallas fans as patriarch Jock Ewing) to betray his partners for the reward money and being named a deputy.
Obviously, these two strands are eventually going to intersect, and when Hank is wounded in the resulting ambush, Jesse takes him to the village and the pair find respite at the Lopez house. Juanita then takes them to the castle so that the doctors can patch up Hank's wounds. Upon seeing the strongman, Maria Frankenstein realizes that he is just the specimen that she has been looking for. After a bit of surgery, Hank is rechristened Igor and becomes Maria's undead slave. Will he now follow her orders and kill his former partner? Or will Jesse be able to overcome the newly-made monster?
Ok, let's be honest. We're not talking about a great work of art here. We're not even talking about a stunning piece of filmmaking. What we are talking about is an interesting cross-section of genres that actually plays out pretty well, definitely an entertaining enough way to pass an hour and a half or so.
Alright, so how about a trailer?
And, as an extra bonus, here's another trailer for the movie along with its equally genre-bending co-feature (but that's a film for another day, once i'm certain that it, too, has passed into the public domain.):
Ok, time for the skinny:
Title: Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter
Release Date: 1966
Running Time: 83 min
Color
Starring: John Lupton and Nardna Onyx
Director: William Beaudine
Producer: Carol Case
Distributed by: Sam Manners
Hiya, kiddies! Your ol' host with the most Professor Damian here. Y'know, when you've got a western that features Billy the Kid, Doc Holliday and Pat Garrett, you've most likely got a winner. But, when you've got a western where all three of those gunslingers are overshadowed by their love interest's outrageous endowments well, then you've not only got a winner, but you've got a lot of controversy. And that's the story of today's feature.
Produced in 1941 by famed recluse Howard Hughes, on paper, The Outlaw is actually a fairly typical B-grade western. In the movie, Pat Garrett (Thomas Mitchell) is the newly appointed sheriff of the town of Lincoln, New Mexico. One day he is visited by his old friend Doc Holliday (Walter Huston) who is tracking down a stolen horse. It turns out that the horse was stolen by none other than Billy the Kid (Jack Buetel). When they meet up, the two become fast friends, and when Billy is subsequently shot Doc decides to take him to recover at the home of his (Doc's) girlfriend Rio (Jane Russell). Unfortunately, that's where the real trouble begins, both for the characters and for the production itself.
Rio, you see, is played by Jane Russell. Now, Hughes, realising where the real draw of the picture was decided not only to feature Ms Russell, but to do so in the most provocative ways that he thought he could at the time. Therefore we see the definitely full-figured Ms. Russell in a number of low-cut or open-necked blouses. and in a number of "damsel in distress" type situations, including at one point being bound between two trees. Unfortunately, this envelope-pushing by Hughes and Russell was more than those in charge of enforcing the Hays Code could tolerate. They insisted on Hughes cutting at a number of scenes, most of which featured Ms. Russell's bosom. Even with the cuts, however, Hughes had trouble finding distributors willing to handle the film. Finally Hughes decided to stoke the flames of controversy himself, and the resultant outcry caused the film to finally be booked in New York. It only played for one week, however, before the censorship board exerted more pressure on the theaters and it was withdrawn. Finally given a wide release in 1946, the film, likely due in large part to its scandalous reputation, went on to be a box-office success.
For viewers today, of course, considering some of the images that are projected onto the silver screen in our local multiplexes, it may be hard to see what all the fuss was about. However, there is one thing that definitely stands the test of time in this film, and that is Ms. Russell's beauty.
Once again, I wasn't able to track down a proper trailer for the movie online, but the six or so minutes of clips embedded below should give you a good feel for the movie:
Ok, I guess it's time for the skinny:
Title: The Outlaw
Release Date: 1943
Running Time: 116 min.
Black and White
Stars: Jane Russell
Directors: Howard Hughes, Howard Hawks (uncredited)
Producer: Howard Hughes
The Outlaw is available for viewing or download here
It's also available on DVD from Amazon: The Outlaw . This is a two-disk set which comtains both the black-and-white and what i understand is a very well done colorized version.
It's also available for rental from Netflix: The Outlaw
Until next time, Happy Treasure Hunting,
-Professor Damian
Welcome to Professor Damian's Public Domain Treasure Chest. Each day I, your humble host, will post information on a movie or T.V. show in the public domain along with links to where you can watch them online (for free) or purchase them on DVD. For more information on the public domain check out my public domain primer (to be posted soon, keep watching this spot for a link) or the public domain entry at wikipedia. Also be sure to check out the great resources available at The Internet Archive. Also each week I'll update The Master List of Public Domain movies and shows I've discussed so you can easily find them. Also, you can contact me with comments, suggestion, complaints or praise by clicking here.
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. This is a two-disk set which comtains both the black-and-white and what i understand is a very well done colorized version.
