Friday, December 24, 2010

HOMICIDAL - Hugo Friedhofer - "Emily, William or Warren" (1961)

Seems like Tabonga has got some kind of satan bug from trying to be a nice guy, right! I told him not to go there, but since when does anyone listen to me? SO, instead it's me, yer pal, Eegah!! again, and since it's Christmas Eve, I brought along my little buddy, Mickey the Worm to push that big red button thing, since neither Ralphie or Rufus showed up for work either! So, hit it Mickey......Ok, he's on his way, it'll just be a second or two longer, please just hang on,..... Ok, he's almost there.........

Confound it, I can't wait any longer, I'll do it myself! Here's your early freakin' X-Mas present, William Castle presents: "HOMICIDAL"! How's that for a needlepoint and stogie smug mug??

Here's a good spot to tell you that the music was composed by cellist Hugo Friedhofer, who played in live orchestras during silent films, and scored his first film, "Seven Faces" in 1929. He went on to compose, orchestrate, and musically direct hundreds of films over the years!

"Homicidal" begins right here, the year Tabonga was born, in the little village of Solvang, California, just a few miles down the road from the happiest place in the world, and just a couple of hours away from where the stupidest people in California live, if you believe what you read on the internet!

Wow, they've got a lot of classic cars in Ventura!!

Seems like Jean Arless, I mean Joan Marshall, here as Emily, is hot to trot! She checks into the Hotel and says, go on ahead and send up the bellhop too!! The older guy gets a little disappointed! Joan was a strange bird, she was a Las Vegas Show Girl at the age of 16, the movie "Shampoo" was based on her life, and when she had enough of Hollyweird, she moved to Jamaica, where her ashes were scattered in 1992!

Richard Rust is Jim Nesbitt, the Hotel clerk about to get suckered into turning his whole life around. Richard was in almost every cowboy TV show during the 50's and 60's from "Lawman" to Bonanza!"

I doubt it's an accident that the money Emily is offereing Jim is laying on Gideon's Bible!

Emily has offered Jim a large sum of money to marry her on the spot, so what's a fellah sposed to do, he gets in the car and goes!!

The Justice of the Peace Alfred S. Adrims portrayed by classic actor James Westerfield, and his wife played by Hope Summers are fairly annoyed by Emily's late hour demands!

You can now kiss the bride, Uh, Oh, I think I'll pass!!

Sometimes a person just needs to give in to the fact that there are Psychos in the world!

Emily's new husband watches on in disbelief and horror, this wasn't part of the deal!

Emily splits the scene post haste, leaving Jim to do the explaining!

Later, in the flower shop, Emily reacts to the cute little bride and groom figurines just about how you would expect!!

You just can't go wrong with gauges, clocks, and meters!

So, basically, I've told you nothing about "Homicidal," and I don't care if it has been 50 years, I can't give away all of William Castle's gimmicks, but I will leave you with this William Castle "Fright Meter," that gives you 45 seconds to get the Hell out of the room, by warning you when something truly horrible is going to happen.........and, trust me, it will!

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great write-up for a great movie! I truly love this one. But I'm a sucker for William Castle.

--J/Metro

My review (if you're interested)

Anonymous said...

Joan Marshall's ashes were scattered in 1922 and the movie was shot in 1961?????????

TABONGA! said...

I don't know what spear Eegah's trying to dodge, but the caveman was also born in good old 19 and 48!

Prof. Grewbeard said...

seen 13 Ghosts & The Tingler & House On Haunted Hill but not this, need to! i love gimmicks!

Merry Xmascidal!

Eegah!! and Tabonga! said...

It's a double feature with "Strait Jacket" and it's available on Netflix, you can't lose!

Greg Goodsell said...

That Justice of the Peace .... died ---- SCREAMING!

Fun fact: You can spot director William Castle with Joan Marshall in the restaurant scene in SHAMPOO (1975).

Monster Music

Monster Music
AAARRGGHHH!!!! Ya'll Come On Back Now, Y'Hear??