Anyone a fan of the Monogram or (shudder) PRC horror movies? Last night I watched the PRC epic "Dead Men Walk" with George Zucco and Dwight Frye. It actually pleasantly suprised me in a couple of ways. First off, while Zucco is always fun to watch, he seemed to be having some real fun here playing a dual role as a vampire and his brother. Second, I was suprised to see actual "special effects" in this one, in the form of a couple of dissolves when the evil George left the scene. Third, it was fun to watch Dwight chew some scenery again. There was actually an effective scene where we see a close-up of Frye during a struggle, grinning insanely-he looked wonderfully grisly!! I'd have loved to see him play The Joker in a Batman serial!!
The first one that comes to mind is "Devil Bat" ...
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8b/Devilbatposter.jpg/220px-Devilbatposter.jpg)
I'd love to see these flicks again .. it's been too long but I do remember "Devil Bat" .. Zombie Cool
I love poverty row movies. Doesn't matter it they are horror/crime or mystery. They may be cheap with some bad dialog but there is something about them that catches my interest. Bring em on.
Quote from: Flower on April 28, 2011, 08:12:36 PM
The first one that comes to mind is "Devil Bat" ...
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8b/Devilbatposter.jpg/220px-Devilbatposter.jpg)
I'd love to see these flicks again .. it's been too long but I do remember "Devil Bat" .. Zombie Cool
Here you go..........lots more where this came from. Either watch it in their player, or download it to your computer or portable device for later playing. Completely safe, legal, and virus free.
http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=devil%20bat%20AND%20mediatype%3Amovies (http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=devil%20bat%20AND%20mediatype%3Amovies)
A local college access channel plays the heck out of them, much to my delight, as many are in the public domain.
Quote from: Scatter on April 29, 2011, 08:57:51 PM
Here you go..........lots more where this came from. Either watch it in their player, or download it to your computer or portable device for later playing. Completely safe, legal, and virus free.
http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=devil%20bat%20AND%20mediatype%3Amovies (http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=devil%20bat%20AND%20mediatype%3Amovies)
Thank you.
There are a few low-budget gems to be found in the Poverty Row horrors:
The Devil Bat(1940)
Dead Men Walk(1943)
The Corpse Vanishes(1942)..Bela Lugosi is a ghoul trying to return his dead wife to life while killing brides at the altar.
The Ape Man(1943)..Bela Lugosi as a half-man/half-ape hybrid seeking a cure for his affliction by killing people for their spinal fluid.
The Monster Maker(1944)..J.Caroll Naish as an obsessed scientist who turns a pianist into an acromegalic monster and tries to steal his daughter as well.
Strangler Of the Swamp(1946)..a wrongly accused man comes back from the dead to avenge himself on the men who hung him. Nice ghost story.
Fog Island(1945)...with both George Zucco and Lionel Atwill! How can you pass up the two maddest doctors ever going head to head?
Bluebeard(1944)..John Carradine as the notorious woman muderer in Paris.
Revenge Of the Zombies(1943)..John Carradine is creating undead soldiers for the Fuhrer down in the bayous.
The Mad Monster(1942)...George Zucco turns future Frankenstein Monster Glenn Strange into a werewolf.
The Ape(1940)..Boris Karloff is a mad scientist masquerading as an escaped gorilla(!) to obtain spinal fluid from victims in order to cure a girl's paralysis.
Not beng difficult here, but what constitutes "poverty row"? Was it just Monogram and PRC, or do Columbia and Hal Roach studios in the 40s count?
If Columbia and Hal Roach count, I love:
Topper Returns
If not, I am fond of:
The Ape Man
The Devl Bat
Matt
I love Topper Returns too, but was it kind of on the pricey side, with all the special effects and production value?
Quote from: neonnoodle on May 04, 2011, 04:30:11 AM
I love Topper Returns too, but was it kind of on the pricey side, with all the special effects and production value?
I might agree that this was more of a "B" picture than a "poverty row" picture, even though it was a Hal Roach production. I'm not even sure I would include Hal Roach under the "poverty row" heading, nor Columbia. I guess I was thinking strictly of the Monogram/ PRC stuff, which in my opinion made anything by Columbia look like solid gold. ;D
Quote from: Wicked Lester on April 29, 2011, 08:42:09 PM
I love poverty row movies. Doesn't matter it they are horror/crime or mystery. They may be cheap with some bad dialog but there is something about them that catches my interest. Bring em on.
Ditto.
I really like the Poverty Row. Being a big fan of Zucco, I particularly like The Flying Serpent, Dead Men Walk, The Mad Monster, The Black Raven, Fog Island and more, more, more...
Quote from: Ghoul-Aid on May 04, 2011, 06:44:45 PM
I really like the Poverty Row. Being a big fan of Zucco, I particularly like The Flying Serpent, Dead Men Walk, The Mad Monster, The Black Raven, Fog Island and more, more, more...
Zucco was always great in these. He also had a hilarious role in a Sidney Toler Charlie Chan film (I can't remember the title right now) where he was a "red herring" suspect (of course!) who was a "brain" researcher. At one point he askes #2 son "would you like to see my brains????" which he keeps in a chest. He must have LOVED doing that one ;D
I absolutely love Poverty Row movies-horror, mystery, comedy even westerns-love em all!!
I love George Zucco! I'll watch him in ANYTHING, and I think I'd even listen to him read a phone directory for that beautiful voice.
"E" 8) 8) 8)
Does The Brute Man fall into this category?
Quote from: TJLamb0518 on May 09, 2011, 11:17:50 AM
Does The Brute Man fall into this category?
Interesting! Universal made the film (so I'd say no) but PRC distributed it (so I'd say yes). Actually I think I'd still classify it as a Universal film, though a B film. I'd say it isn't specifically "poverty row" then.
Poverty Row movies are always entertaining and well done for what they are because they respect their own limits.
I am a great admirer of George Zucco, probably one of the most underrated actor of the genre.
The Mad Monster (1942)
Dead Men Walk (1943)
The Black Raven (1943)
Watching a Poverty Row flick is like eating comfort food. It's not necessarily that great but it sure goes down good, and you feel a lot better afterward.
Even better is watching one with your friends, or one getting the MST3K treatment, which is kind of the same. When Joel & co. ripped into Mad Monster it was classic. I have to watch that one periodically. ;D
Anybody want a copy of "The Black Raven" (Alpha)? I made a booboo while ordering some DVDs from oldies.com (as in, I already had that one).
First guy that PMs me (with address) gets it. No charge and I'll pay shipping.
Quote from: Mike Scott on August 27, 2013, 09:29:26 PM
Anybody want a copy of "The Black Raven" (Alpha)? I made a booboo while ordering some DVDs from oldies.com (as in, I already had that one).
First guy that PMs me (with address) gets it. No charge and I'll pay shipping.
Wow! Twas the months before Christmas...
There is just something about these Poverty Row films that have a certain charm to them. Yes, some of them are terrible, but some of them, especially the Lugosi and Zucco films are just absolutely fun.
Quote from: Mike Scott on August 27, 2013, 09:29:26 PM
Anybody want a copy of "The Black Raven" (Alpha)? I made a booboo while ordering some DVDs from oldies.com (as in, I already had that one).
First guy that PMs me (with address) gets it. No charge and I'll pay shipping.
That is a fun film. Not a great film, but very atmospheric. Some truly
great rain effects.
Poor Glenn must have been waterlogged for a week after shooting!
Nothing special on the agenda today. It seems to be colder outside, It's raining, the fridge is full.
I selected The Ape Man (1943) and Return of the Ape Man (1944).
I'm in a state of grace. Have a good day! ;)
Quote from: Evermonster on August 30, 2013, 06:42:24 AM
I selected The Ape Man (1943) and Return of the Ape Man (1944).
I've been looking for a good DVD of RETURN. What do you have?
Quote from: Mike Scott on August 30, 2013, 10:28:13 AM
I've been looking for a good DVD of RETURN. What do you have?
An old (I mean OLD) recording from TV, transfer to disk. Nothing more. :(
I was hoping somebody like ROAN or LEGEND would put it out. As for now, I can watch it on YouTube.
Quote from: Mike Scott on August 30, 2013, 10:49:50 AM
I was hoping somebody like ROAN or LEGEND would put it out. As for now, I can watch it on YouTube.
Even ALPHA could print one of their barely adequate legendary copy.
Quote from: Evermonster on August 30, 2013, 11:10:21 AM
Even ALPHA could print one of their barely adequate legendary copy.
They have 7 of the "Monogram 9". Don't know why they don't have RETURN OF THE APEMAN and VOODOO MAN? They seem to be as PD as the rest.
I LOVE The Devil Bat. I think that film is good enough to be a classic Universal horror film. I own a DVD that has a colorized version and a digitally remastered black and white version. That is a great film.
The Ape man was a great film. As is White Pongo.
Quote from: Rich on September 01, 2013, 11:32:31 AM
I own a DVD that has a colorized version and a digitally remastered black and white version.
How is the Legend re-mastered B/W version?