Mia Goth as Maxine & Elizabeth Debicki as Elizabeth Bender in Maxxxine (2024)
Ti West’s sequel to X is the third film in his X Trilogy and pretty much delivers as expected. Maxine takes on a seedy Hollywood on her own terms and fights her way through a maze of obstacles that includes a knife wielding psycho, a bizarre private detective, two persistent police officers, and a demanding director.
Kevin Bacon as John Labat in Maxxxine (2024)
Goth continues her role as Maxine with a bravado that becomes her. Kevin Bacon is dead on as the shifty detective who doesn’t know when to quit, Giancarlo Esposito is her smarmy and all business agent, and Elizabeth Dibicki is her no nonsense director, and they all push her forward in her quest to be a star.
Bobby Cannavale as Dt. Ben Torres & Michelle Monaghan as Dt. Marianne Williams in Maxxxine (2024
Everything is going smoothly until people she knows begin dying and suddenly she is getting more attention than she bargained for in the form of two detectives. As Cannavale and Monaghan play their own unique version of good cop/bad cop the mystery slowly unravels.
Mia Goth as Maxine & Giancarlo Esposito as Teddy Knight, Esq. in Maxxxine (2024)
And when it finally does, so does the plot. The final reel is rushed and ill planned. It plays as though it was filmed as an afterthought. Excellent cast, performances, and production. Deserved a better dénouement.
Above: Gene Tierney and Vincent Price in Laura (1944)
Above: Vincent Price, Basil Rathbone, and Ian Hunter in Tower of London (1939)
Very few Hollywood stars have had as long and varied a career as Vincent Price. A fine actor, he has made his mark in everything from Film Noir to period drama and of course horror. The type casting began early in his career though–after making, The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939), and Tower of London (1939) in which he co-starred with Boris Karloff, he was already on his way to becoming one of the foremost of the infamous monsters of film. In The Invisible Man Returns (1940) his unmistakable voice continued the terror in the sequel to the Universal film that starred Claude Raines. As in the original film, it is the actor’s voice that powers the performance.
Nan Gray & Vincent Price in The Invisible Man Returns (1940)
The Doctor goes to visit him in prison and after the Doctor leaves, Geoffrey is gone. The problem is that the Police inspector is aware that Doctor Griffin’s brother was the scientist that was the original Invisible Man. So Geoffrey not only has to prove his innocence but also evade the police while doing so. Price’s voice, like Raines’ in the original, is unmistakable and even more suited to mystery and suspense. Coming out as it did right after The Tower of London which starred Basil Rathbone and Boris Karloff with Price in a supporting role only added to the expectation of audiences.
Vincent Price & Gene Tierney in Dragonwyck (1946)
His appearance in Dragonwyck (1946) further ensconced Price into a figure of fright and mystery; unlike most actors, he embraced the genre and became one of its most enduring stars.
Nan Grey & Vincent Price in The Invisible Man Returns (1940)
Price’s next film title sounded like a horror film, but was not even though its director was known for horror. Green Hell (1940) was directed by James Whale (Frankenstein, The Invisible Man, Bride of Frankenstein), and had a cast of stars including Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Joan Bennett, George Sanders, and Alan Hale. The product of this assembly of talent was a muddled, often unintentionally comic, and tedious tale. Fortunately for Price, his character is killed early in the film.
Green Hell (1940)Price himself derided the film years later
In his next film, he’s reunited with Nan Grey (Invisible Man Returns) and George Sanders (Green Hell). Hawthorn’s novel, The House of the Seven Gables is brought to the screen successfully thanks in no small part to Price’s performance.
Nan Grey & Vincent Price in The House of the Seven Gables
In 1944 Price was in the classic noir, Laura with the beautiful Gene Tierney. This film was one of the most successful of the genre. It also played an pivotal part in Vincent Price’s career, showcasing his versatility.
Gene Tierney & Vincent Price in Laura (1944)
In 1945 he again appeared with Gene Tierney in the horrifying film noir, Leave Her to Heaven where Tierney was the monster. She plays a woman so cold that she can do the unspeakable without any sign of remorse. Another classic Noir and Price gives a poignant performance.
Cornell Wilde, Gene Tierney & Vincent Price in Leave Her to Heaven (1945)
In the 1947 Film Noir, The Web which starred Ella Raines and Edmond O’Brien, Price once again turned in a classic performance.
Vincent Price & Ella Raines in The Web (1947)
It wasn’t until 1953 that his career as the master of horror would begin with the 3D classic, House of Wax. NEXT: House on Haunted Hill, The Tingler, and House of Usher.
Phyllis Kirk & Vincent Price in House of Wax(1953)
Facts, Rumors & Hearsay
Laura
Vincent Price considers Laura to be the best of his films.
This movie is famous for the haunting Laura Theme. When asked why she had turned down the part of Laura, Hedy Lamar responded, “They sent me the script, not the score.”
Tower of London
The film was released on VHS through the Universal Monsters Classic Collection in September of 1992 even though it is not a horror film.
Price later admitted the wine he drank to drunkenness in the film was Coca Cola.
House of Wax
Vincent Price enjoyed attending screenings of the film incognito. As the actor once told biographer Joel Eisner, he’d regularly go out and see House of Wax during its run. The requisite 3D glasses usually concealed his identity as he sat back of a dimly lit theater. But one night, he decided to make his presence known. At a showing in New York City, Price quietly took a seat behind two teenagers. Right after a particularly frightening scene, he leaned forward and asked “Did you like it?” In Price’s words, “They went right into orbit!”
Phyllis Kirk tried to turn the film down. Since she was under contract with Warner Bros, she had no choice but to appear in this picture. That didn’t stop her from complaining about the gig. “I bitched and moaned .., and said that I wasn’t interested in becoming the Fay Wray of my time,” Kirk confessed. The other thing was the 3-D format, which she regarded as a gimmick. In the end she decided that making the film would be preferable to being suspended. She later said that she had a good deal of fun making House of Wax.
Maxxxine, both written & directed by Ti West opens today, July 5th. It is the third film in West’s X trilogy following X and Pearl which were both released in 2022.
Mia Goth in Maxxxine (2024)
Set in the 80’s, it is a bloody Valentine to Hollywood as it explores its excesses and its underbelly as a slasher terrorizes the town. Mia Goth continues her head-on performances from the first two films as Maxine stops at nothing to become a star.
Moses Sumney & Mia Goth in Maxxxine (2024)
Goth is supported by an impressive cast including: Elizabeth Dibicki, Giancarlo Esposito, Moses Sumney, Lily Collins, and Kevin Bacon.
Mia Goth&Elizabeth Debicki, Giancarlo Esposito, and Kevin Bacon in Maxxxine (2024)
Screenplay by Ted Sherdeman/Adapted by Russell Hughes based on the Story by George Worthing Yates
Cinematography by Sidney Hickox
Music by Bronislau Kaper
Warner Brothers / 1hr 34min
CAST: James Whitmore (Sgt. Ben Peterson), Edmund Gwenn (Dr. Harold Medford), Joan Weldon (Dr. Patricia Medford), James Arness (Robert Graham), Onslow Stevens (Brigadier General Robert O’Brien), Christian Drake (Trooper Ed Blackburn).
Them! opens with a shot of the desert and Bronislau Kaper’s ominous score as a plane appears in the distance and slowly pulls us into the action. We then meet police Sargent Ben Peterson (James Whitmore) as the plane’s pilot leads Peterson and his partner Ed Blackburn (Christian Drake) to a child (Sandy Descher) that is roaming through the desert as if in a trance. Parking their squad car, they call out to the child, but she does not respond. Obviously in shock, she just keeps walking.
The pilot than contacts them about an abandon car and trailer further down the road. They take the girl and head down the highway. At first it looks normal. Until they walk around to the side of the trailer that has been smashed open. It’s a mess inside, everything even money is scattered inside the vehicle. There is a bloody cloth, but no real clue as to what happened. There is a mysterious print in the sand that neither officer can identify.
When the specialist from the Department of Agriculture arrives in response to the print lifted from the sand at the trailer site, he is taken to see the girl who has not yet snapped out of her shock. He holds a vial of formic acid under her nose and she bursts out of her impingement, jumping up with a scream and shouting, “Them! Them! Them!”
Sandy Descher in Them!
The power of the film emits from director Gordon Douglas’ (They Call Me Mister Tibbs!) direction that keeps a serious demeanor never allowing camp to set in, but he doesn’t forget to include humor. Much of it is centered on Edmund Gwenn’s (The Trouble with Harry) Dr. Medford. From the moment he and his daughter Patricia get off the plane, he contributes the needed comic relief within the bounds of his hyper serious character. He comes down out of the plane’s hatch, but his daughter gets stuck and all that can be seen of her are her legs. Both Sargent Peterson and Agent Graham take note of her predicament while Dr. Medford remains oblivious.
Joan Weldon, James Arness & James Whitmore in Them!
Both Dr. Medfords suspect the truth, giant ants, but they refuse to tell even the FBI agent until they are certain. Special AgentRobert Graham is not used to waiting and quickly loses patience with the doctors.
Them!
Simply one of the best and most enduring of the creature features from the 1950’s. The ants are really frightening and the action is exuberantly real. A fine cast plays it with deadpan chagrin and terror.
Forbidden Planet(1956)
Directed by Fred McLeod Wilcox
Screenplay by Cyril Hume based on a Story by Irving Block & Allen Adlerloosely based on William Shakespeare’s The Tempest (Uncredited)
Cinematography by George J. Folsey
Music Department: Bebe Barron & Louis Barron composers of electronic tonalities
CAST: Walter Pidgeon (Dr. Morbius), Anne Francis (Altaira Morbius), Leslie Nielson (Commander Adams), Warren Stevens (Lt. ‘Doc’ Ostrow), Jack Kelly (Lt. Farman), Richard Anderson ( Chief Quinn), Earl Holliman (Cook).
MGM / 1hr 38min
Forbidden Planet was not the first film to have its screenplay based on a Shakespeare play, but it certainly was the most unusual. The film that was influenced by the world of Prospero and Miranda became an influence in the world of science fiction. The excellent script’s original story foreshadowed many science fiction tales to come. Many of the TV shows and films that came later borrowed freely from Forbidden Planet, from the story telling to the uniforms to the use of robots and even the names of weapons.
LEFT:Leslie Nielson, Warren Stevens, Jack Kelley, Anne Francis &Walter Pidgeon inForbidden Planet (1956) RIGHT: William Shatner, DeForest Kelley & Walter Konig in Star Trek: The Original Series (1966)
In addition, the cast was exceptional including: Walter Pidgeon, Leslie Nielson, and Anne Francis. The film looks like the blue print for the soon to be popular, Star Trek: The Original Series (1966) right down to the landing party of three (in Star Trek usually the Captain, Spock & Bones), and the Captain getting the girl. More blatantly, Forbidden Planet’s, United Planets Starship C-57D is reflected in Star Trek’s Federation of Planets Starship USS Enterprise.
LEFT: Anne Francis & Leslie Nielson in Forbidden Planet (1956) RIGHT: Nancy Kovack & William Shatner in Star Trek (1966) Season 2 Episode 19
The decompression chambers on the United Planets Starship C-57D look like a prototype for the USS Enterprise’s transporter.
LEFT: Decompression Chambers in Forbidden Planet RIGHT: Transporter in Star Trek: the Original Series
Set design in subsequent science fiction films echo the long before its time set design displayed when Morbius takes Adams on a tour of the Krell’s astonishing complex. Star Wars (1977), Blade Runner (1982), and Total Recall (1990) come to mind. In Total Recall it was a machine that was built by ancient Martians to create air on the planet.
Forbidden Planet (1956)Total Recall (1990)
Robby the Robot not only influenced both television shows and films, but the robot in the 1966 television series, Lost in Space was designed by Robert Kinoshita who had also designed Robby for Forbidden Planet.
LEFT: Anne Francis & Robby the Robotin Forbidden Planet (1956)RIGHT: Robot (B-9 class) & Jonathan Harris in Lost in Space (1965)Publicity photo
LEFT: R2D2 in Star Wars (1977)RIGHT:The Robot & Maxwell Jenkins in Lost in Space (2018-2021)
Forbidden Planet is a classic of the genre and remains a must see film for both science fiction fans as well as the casual film viewer.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
Directed by Don Siegel
Screenplay by Daniel Mainwaring & (Richard Collins/Uncredited due to being blacklisted) based on story by Jack Finneyserialized in Collier’s Magazine
Cinematography by Ellsworth Fredericks
Music by Carmen Dragon
Allied Artists Pictures / 1hr 20min
CAST: Kevin McCarthy (Dr. Miles J. Bennell), Dana Wynter (Becky Driscoll), Larry Gates (Dr. Dan Kauffman),King Donovan (Jack Belicec), Carolyn Jones (Theodora Bellicec), Jean Willes (Nurse Sally Withers), Ralph Dumke (Police Chief Nick Grivett).
The undeniable high point in 50’s Science Fiction, Invasion of the Body Snatchers has so much going for it that it will never go out of date. The opening is unforgettable as Kevin McCarthy tries to convince disbelieving doctors and authorities that the world is in danger of being invaded by interstellar plant life! Just the extreme yet subtle manner in which the aliens supplant the humans in their own bodies defies rational thought.
Larry Gates, King Donovan, andKevin McCarthy in Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Once the doctor calms Dr. Bennell (Kevin McCarthy) down getting him to calmly tell his tale, the action begins. As the good doctor returns home from a trip, we are introduced to the characters as he finds that something odd has been going on during his absence. Many of the townspeople have tried to make appointments while he was away, but on his return, most of those that seemed panicked to see him, cancel without explanation! At the same time, there are a number of people that are under the delusion that someone they are close to is not really that person anymore.
Dana Wynter in Invasion of the BodySnatchers
Once Bennell realizes what is actually going on, the clock begins to tick as he and Becky Driscoll are aided by Belicec’s in plotting to escape and expose the alien plot.
Dana Wynter & Kevin McCarthy in Invasion of the Body Snatchers
A well honed script based on a serialization that ran in Collier’s magazine is transformed into a masterpiece of science fiction, horror, and suspense. Don Siegel’s direction employs economy and pacing to keep the beat as it gradually quickens with every scene. The cast is as memorable as the story itself, and each character is fully realized as the horror slowly engulfs them. The exceptionally shot black and white adds to the feeling of isolation and fear.
The film has been re-made three times: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), Body Snatchers (1993), The Invasion (2007) with varying degrees of success; although none have surpassed the original, they stand as a testament to it’s influence.
Facts, Rumors, and Hearsay
Them!
“Sharp, slightly vinegary formic acid is the one-carbon volatile acid, a chemical weapon found in ants and other insects but turned against them by the anteater, which relies on it to help digest them.” Harold Mcgee WSJ – 10/24/2020, What Does Outer Space Smell Like?
Forbidden Planet
The Robinson’s (Lost in Space – 1966) robot was created by Robert Kinoshita, who also designed Robby the Robot for Forbidden Planet (1956).
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Don Siegel directed two episodes of the original Twilight Zone. One of the episodes featured Robby the Robot from Forbidden Planet. The episode aired November 15th, 1963 and was titled, Uncle Simon.
The last sequence was not filmed on the Hollywood Freeway, but on an out of the way cross-bridge. The cars were actually manned by stunt drivers. Don Siegel admitted that Kevin McCarthy was in real danger of getting hit, because the sequence was shot at dawn and the actor was nearing complete exhaustion.
Years after the film, Dana Wynter received a message on her answering machine from Kevin McCarthy and he said: “Hi Becky, this is Miles. Stay awake won’t you!”
Ken Russell’s pyrotechnic and more than a little hallucinatory biopic focuses on a night spent at Lord Byron’s Villa Diodati in Switzerland, and the antics of Percy Bysshe Shelley, Mary Godwin, Claire Clairmont, Dr. John Polidori , and their host, the enigmatic, Lord Byron. This was the night that a horror story contest was suggested which in time led to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818) and Polidori’s Vampyre (1819). It is interesting to note that both the Frankenstein monster and the fictional vampire were born of the same night. Out of one night of revel, two horror tales were brought to life.
Natasha Richardson & Julian Sands in Gothic (1986)
It is a fictionalized telling, but much of it is based on the known facts and speculation about what went on at Villa Diodati on that singular night. The cast is well up to the task of portraying Byron and his guests. Byrne is both ingratiating and sinister; Shelley is nearly mad, and drinking laudanum during the proceedings with spectacular results; Mary is the rational yet jealous wife; Claire is entirely the mad mistress and spurned woman. Dr. Polodori is the very wild card. Certainly, much of it had to be imagined and that is where screenwriter Volk’s and director Russell’s own creative madness takes hold and spins a tale of lust, jealousy, guilt, and regret.
Polidori’s story was the first fictional vampire story; although vampires were mentioned in non-fiction writing as far back as 1718 in the Treaty of Passarowitz, where the local practice in Serbia and Ottenia of exhuming bodies and “killing vampires,” was mentioned. The first appearance of the word vampyre in English would be in 1732 in news reports about epidemics of vampirism in eastern Europe.
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT:Julian Sands & Natasha Richardson / Myriam Cyr / Myriam Cyr & Natasha Richardson in in Gothic (1986)
The next vampire tale to be published would be Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu’s 1872 novella, Carmilla. It would be part of the influence for the German film, Vampyre (1932) which came out a year after Tod Browning’s, Dracula (1931). Bram Stoker’s novel, Dracula was published in 1897 twenty-five years after Carmilla. It is certain that the creator of Dracula was influenced by his predecessors in terror.
Illustration from Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu (1872)
Frankenstein is the more famous of the two tales that gestated on that strange evening where a contest for the best horror story powered a kind of chilling paranoia that brought out the worst and the best from all in attendance. All of it is gleefully imagined and brought to life in Gothic.
This is an excellent film for anyone interested in the legend of George Gordon, Lord Byron as well as those curious about the influences that spurned such a young woman to create so imaginatively terrifying a novel in that particular time and place.
Facts, Rumors & Hearsay
Director Cameo: Ken Russell and his family are on the tour boat at the end of the film.
When Shelly comes down from the roof and expresses his obsession with lightning, Byron calls him “Shelly, The Modern Prometheus,” which would become part of the original title for Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus.
“Mad, bad, and dangerous to know,” Lady Caroline Lamb on Lord Byron.
I just read an article in a wonderful publication called Scary Monsters: Castle of Frankenstein2021 Annual about how Universal never brought The Bride back in any of the many Frankenstein sequels. Further, the writer pointed out that The Bride was never even mentioned in those sequels. He further lamented that since Frankenstein’s Monster was indestructible, shouldn’t The Bride be as well? I’ve idly wondered why The Bride’s tenure was so short myself, but never with the sense of humor and acumen displayed by George Humenik in his article. It got me thinking about the aborted Universal Dark Universe and what a let down it was for fans of the Universal horror films. Then, Leigh Whannell’s The Invisible Man came out to good reviews and box office, and the idea of freestanding reboots could be embraced. Any event that could lead to such a well written and produced film couldn’t be all bad.
Boris Karloff & Elsa Lanchester and Elizabeth Hobson & Colin Clive in The Bride of Frankenstein
The thing is, the film that I was most anxious to see was the sequel or reboot or remake or whatever of The Bride of Frankenstein. I’d read that Scarlett Johansson was a possible candidate for The Bride in the Dark Universe. Although I am a fan of hers, she didn’t seem like the right choice. Let me just add that being part of what was planned as the Universal Dark Universe would not have been a good thing for Mrs. Jost or anyone else. The problem now is–is there anyone interested in making a free standing Bride of Frankenstein update? I am aware that it sounds crazy to some, but it is one of those things that is just begging to be resurrected. Just take a moment and consider the possibilities while I tell you what I think would lead to a perfect creation.
I’ve given this a lot of thought (some would say too much), and I think I’ve come up with the ultimate formula for success! First, you would need all the right parts: Producer(s), Writer, Director, and of course actors. Please note that only Producers, and of course actors, are plural. The last thing a project like this needs is to be stitched together by various writers. As far as Directors go, the Duff Brothers would be an exception, but I don’t want to see the Bride stuck in the 80’s. As Producers I’m seeing Blumhouse with James Gunn co-producing, writing, and directing. So far, so good.
James Gunn (producer/writer/director) & Elizabeth Banks as The Bride
Now, the cast. That leads me straight to Elizabeth Banks who has worked with Gunn in the past (Slither) and is as quirky as Elsa Lanchester and as talented as well: she will bring the needed lightning to the revived Bride! For the great great great grandson or whatever of Dr. Frankenstein (plug in a Germanic first name as below),
Bruce Dern as Dr. Henrik Frankenstein V
I can think of no actor who would do the part more justice than Bruce Dern. His assistant? Steve Buscemi of course! Who else?
Steve Buscemi as Dr. Willem Pretorious
Now, you recall that I didn’t think Scarlett Johansson would be the right choice for the Bride, but she would be the perfect choice for the fiance of the Doctor’s son, Dr. Elmore Frankenstein. Elmore, a psychotic psychiatrist is in love with Elizabeth Von Hooten, heiress to the Von Hooten fortune and unknowing funder of the revival of The Bride project.
Scarlett Johansson as Elizabeth Von Hooten
Colin Jost as Dr. Elmore Frankenstein
Okay Universal, now, it’s up to you to decide what the next updated Universal horror film should be! I’m trying to give you a jump start here; attach those electrodes and get this party started already. Myself, I’m going to see about renting a tux, because this is one, or maybe two, weddings I don’t want to miss.
LAST MINUTEUPDATE!
Oops, looks like I was wrong again! According to IMDB, Universal is planning a film called Bride that is in pre-production and lists Scarlett Johansson in the titular part. Here’s hoping it all comes together, but honestly–just imagine what a wild ride a James Gunn written & directed Bride of Frankenstein would be!
An American Werewolf in London (1981) is easily one of the most frightening films of its kind, yet manages to keep a dark sense of humor amid the slaughter. Fortified by an original and well crafted script & tight direction by John Landis, groundbreaking make-up/special effects (which brought Rick Baker his first Oscar), and an excellent cast that includes our scream queen, Jenny Agutter, the film is the high water mark in 80’s horror.
David Naughton & Jenny Agutter in An American Werewolf in London (1981)
Although Jenny Agutter’s character utters nothing close to a scream, she deserves her place in the Scream Queen hall of fame due to an exceptional performance as Nurse Alex Price. Not only does she bring a strong character to life, but does it with a sincerity that brings true pathos to the final shot. She would not return to the horror genre until 1987.
Jenny Agutter in An American Werewolf in London (1981)
One of the wonderful things about writing Scream Queens is the number of Screen Queens you run into. An Army brat born in Taunton, Somerset, England on 20 December 1952, she began acting in films early. At age 12 she appeared in East of Sudan (1964) which starred Anthony Quayle and Sylvia Sims. Here, she began a career that spans over 50 years and 114 screen credits to date, it is impossible to cover all of them, but the most important and unusual are well worth mentioning.
Jenny Agutter in East of Sudan (1964)
After East of Sudan, she appeared in a number of Television shows including, The Magical World of Disney (1966), Boy Meets Girl (1967), The Newcomers (1967-68) and The Railway Children Mini Series in a role that she reprized in a film version in 1970 (currently available on the Criterion Channel).
Jenny Agutter in Walkabout (1971)
In 1971 she appeared in Walkabout before doing more TV work from 1971 to 1975 including the TV movie Shelly (1972) where she played Mary Shelly before appearing in Logan’sRun (1976) with Michael York and Farrah Fawcett. Walkabout follows two children lost in the Australian outback who are aided by an Aboriginal boy on his ritual separation from his tribe, his walkabout. A moving film directed by Nicolas Roeg (Criterion Collection #10 & currently available on the Criterion Channel). This is one of her best early performances especially considering the original script was only 14 pages long and much of the film was improvised.
Logan’s Run had great box office but is a bit of a mixed bag and was not well received by the critics.
Michael York & Jenny Agutter in Logan’s Run (1976)
The fight between Jessica (Jenny Agutter) and Holly (Farrah Fawcett) was originally written to be longer, but was changed when the actresses pulled each others hair too violently. Fearing that if allowed to continue the women would end up in a real fight, director Michael Anderson cut the scene short.
Jenny Agutter & Farrah Fawcett fighting / Jenny Agutter and the hated green outfit
Agutter hated the green outfit that she had to wear in the film, and much later admitted that the reason she didn’t do Science Fiction conventions was because she feared someone would show up wearing that revealing garment.
Jenny Agutter & Donald Sutherland in The Eagle Has Landed (1976)
TheEagle Has Landed, also released in 1976 starred Michael Caine, Donald Sutherland, Robert Duvall, and Jenny Agutter. The film boasted a stellar cast, but its director, John Sturges was at the end of his career and according to Michael Caine only took the job to fund his expensive fishing habit. Indeed, once shooting was done, Sturges left and did not return to supervise the editing to the possible detriment of the finished film. The film was edited by 5 time Oscar nominee, Anne V. Coates who won the Oscar in 1962 for Lawrence of Arabia and applied her skills to complete shaping the suspenseful, well written and performed script.
Agutter then did more TV work, including a movie and a two part guest shot on The Six Million Dollar Man (1977) before landing the role in Anthony Shaffer’s Equus directed by Sidney Lumet and featuring Richard Burton and Peter Firth. It was a difficult play to bring to the screen that tested Lumet’s brilliance, and he was aided by a seasoned cast that included Joan Plowwright, and Jenny Agutter. In spite of all the talent involved and a cinematic treatment of the source material, the film was a box office failure.
Peter Firth & Jenny Agutter in Equus (1977)
I will not dwell on the irony of going from Equus to a spaghetti western, but this is indeed what happened. Agutter starred with Fabio Testi and Warren Oats in the oddly titled China 8, Liberty 37 (1978).
Warren Oates & Jenny Agutter in China 9, Liberty 37 (1978)
In the same year as An American Werewolf in London (1981), Agutter appeared in a Disney film about a woman that teaches a deaf child after her own hearing impaired son dies. (Amy is available on Vudu to buy or rent).
Brian Frishman & Jenny Agutter in Amy (1981)
For the remainder of the 80’s, Agutter appeared in many TV shows including, Magnum, P.I. (1985), The Two Ronnies (1986), Murder, She Wrote (1986), The Twilight Zone (1986 & 87), and a number of TV movies. In 1987 she made a return to horror in director Freddie Francis’ (known as both a talented cinematographer & director as well of winner of 2 Oscars in cinematography for Sons and Lovers 1960 and Glory 1989), Dark Tower which was not released until 1989, and was an unfortunate waste of talent in spite of a cast including Michael Moriarty, Carol Lynley, and Kevin McCarthy.
Christine Elise & Jenny Agutter in Child’s Play 2 (1990)
Agutter fared slightly better in the sequel to the successful Child’s Play, but this would be her last foray into horror. She has said that Child’s Play 2 was one of the worst film production experiences she ever encountered.
Turning back to TV work, Agutter continued working through the 1990’s & 2000’s including Poirot in 2006 and a Midsomer Murders episode in 2009. In 2012 the actress made an appearance in The Avengers, and in 2014, Captain America: The Winter Soldier. In 2018 she was part of a wonderful ensemble cast let by the enigmatic Bill Nighy in Sometimes Always Never (available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime).
Bill Nighy, Sam Riley, Jenny Agutter, Tim McInnerny, Alice Lowe, Louis Healy & Ella-grace Gregoire in Sometimes Always Never (2018)
Currently she is still working as a regular on the popular Call the Midwife (Netflix, 2012-Present/The show has been renewed for the 10th & 11th seasons). From the opening episode in season one, Agutter claims the role of Sister Julienne and all that goes with it as though she has lived it. As Sister Julienne, she is the head of Nonnatus House overseeing both the nuns and the midwives as they navigate the poverty of the East End. She is part of an ensemble cast that delivers flawless performances in a well developed, written, and produced series. It is truly a crown on a long and eventful ongoing career.
Facts, Rumors & Hearsay
WALKABOUT: Although Girl is 14 years old in the movie, Jenny Agutter was 16 years old when the film was in production.
Jenny Agutter’s initial interest in participating in the film was sparked by a desire to meet the Beatles, who were considered as potential financiers for it.
CHILD’S PLAY 2: Veronica Cartwright was considered for the part of Joanne before Jenny Agutter was chosen.
EQUUS: Peter Firth and Jenny Agutter would star together in the English TV series Spooks, but in the United States was called MI 5
SOMETIMES ALWAYS NEVER: The title refers to the Sometimes, Always, Never Three-Button Rule. When wearing a suit with three buttons a man should sometimes button the top button, depending on the style of the suit, always button the middle button, and never button the bottom button.
Screenplay by James Clavell based on a story by George Langelaan
1hr 34min / Not Rated
CAST: David Hedison (Andre Delambre), Patricia Owens (Helene Delambre), Vincent Price (Francois Delambre), Herbert Marshall (Inspector Charas), Kathleen Freeman (Emma), Betty Lou Gerson (Nurse Andersone), Charles Herbert (Philippe Delambre).
In Patricia Owens’ forty-nine film credits, The Fly is the only horror film. Yet she has earned her Scream Queen status if only for this shot:
Patricia Owns (1925-2000)
This 50’s Science Fiction horror story looked at teleportation before anyone was beamed up on the Enterprise. Andre Delambre (David Hedison) searches for the secret to teleporting matter and finds only the fly in the ointment of success. Instead of creating a usable teleportation device, he turns himself into part man part fly and the fly is slowly taking over his mind. A classic that sometimes strays from logic (not a Star Trek reference), but manages to convey the horror and pathos of good intentions gone wrong with credible performances from all and Vincent Price brings his special brand of suave to the proceedings.
The Fly (1958)
Betty Lou Gerson & Patricia Owens in The Fly (1958)
Patricia Owens & David Hedison in The Fly (1958)
Although she began her film career when she was 18 years old in Miss London Ltd., it wasn’t until she starred in The Fly that she gained notoriety. It is the film that she is best remembered for in a career that spanned twenty-five years and included forty-nine screen credits including feature films and television appearances. It was her only horror film with the exception of 1952’s Ghost Ship where she had a small part and was billed as, Joyce/Party Girl. Nevertheless, she holds a special place in the hearts of Scream Queen fans as the unfortunate wife of Andre Delambre in 1958’s The Fly.
In spite of her many screen appearances (a selection is pictured in the gallery below) co-starring with such luminaries as Marlon Brando, Joanne Woodward, Richard Widmark, Neville Brand, James Mason, Joan Fontaine, Lee Remick, Mary Tyler Moore, and Dan Duryea, she never achieved the stardom she deserved.
Mystery Junction (1951)
Island in the Sun (1957)
Sayonara (1957)
Martha Scott, Marlon Brando, & Patricia Ownes in Sayonara (1957)
No Down Payment (1957)
Jeffrey Hunter & Patricia Owens in No Down Payment (1957)
The Law and Jake Wade (1958)
Five Gates to Hell (1959)
These Thousand Hills (1959)
Patricia Owens in Hell to Eternity (1960)
Denise Darce, Margia Dean, Patricia Owens in 7 Women from Hell (1961)
X-15 an early Richard Donner film (1961)
Walk a Tightrope (1964)
The Destructors (1668)
Facts, Rumors & Hearsay
Patricia Owens had a fear of insects. Director Kurt Neumann took advantage of that by not letting her see the Fly makeup until the unmasking.
The vision of a fly is not comprised of multiple images as in the film, but it makes for a great effect.
Michael Rennie (The Day the Earth Stood Still) was considered for the part of the Fly but turned it down because his head would be covered for a large portion of the film.
Charles Herbert was a well known child actor of the time and was also in William Castle’s 13 Ghosts as well as Houseboat with Cary Grant and Please Don’t Eat the Daisies with Doris Day.
House on Haunted Hill (1959) Allied Artists
Directed by William Castle
Screenplay by Robb White
1hr 15min / Not Rated
CAST: Vincent Price (Fredrick Loren), Carol Ohmart (Annabelle Loren), Richard Long (Lance Schroeder), Alan Marshal (Dr. David Trent), Carolyn Craig (Nora Manning), Elisha Cook Jr. (Watson Pritchard), Julie Mitchum (Ruth Bridgers), Leona Anderson (Mrs. Slydes), Howard Hoffman (Jonas), Skeleton (Himself).
Carol Ohmart (1927-2002)
Vincent Price is at center of this wonderfully hokey haunted house mystery. Carol Ohmart (Annabelle Loren) who worked mainly in television made a perfect foil for the sinister Fredrick Loren (Vincent Price) in their marital game of cat and mouse. Having invited five guests who agree to be locked in a haunted house overnight to receive $10,000 each if they are alive in the morning.
Carol Ohmart in House on Haunted Hill (1959)
Scriptwriter Robb White was no stranger to horror having written Macabre (1958). He also wrote The Tingler (1959), and would go on to write 13 Ghosts (1960), and Homicidal (1961).
Carol Ohmart and Carolyn Craig in House on HauntedHill (1959)
Carolyn Craig (1934 -1970)
Carolyn Craig also worked mainly in television and this was her only outing in a horror film, but she did a wonderfully fright filled job. She was also in a small supporting role in Giant (1956) with James Dean & Elizabeth Taylor. She is constantly terrified in House on Haunted Hill and truly earned her scream queen crown as she is targeted as part of a sinister murder plot.
Carolyn Craig in House on Haunted Hill (1959) & Carolyn Craig and Elizabeth Taylor in Giant (1956) & Carolyn Craig in Portland Expose (1957)
Facts, Rumors & Hearsay
Exterior shots of the haunted house were filmed at The Ennis Brown House in Los Angeles. The house was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. It was built in 1924 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Alfred Hitchcock noticed this films large grosses and was inspired to make his own low-budget horror film, Psycho (1960).
House on Haunted Hill was one of Allied Artist’s most profitable films, and yet it was allowed to fall into public domain.
Dementia 13(1963) AIP
Directed by Frances Ford Coppola
Written by Frances Ford Coppola, and 2nd Unit written by Jack Hill
1hr 15min / Not Rated
CAST: William Campbell (Richard Haloran), Luana Anders (Louise Haloran), Bart Patton (Billy Haloran), Mary Mitchel (Kane), Patrick Magee (Justin Caleb), Barbara Dowling (Kathleen Haloran)
This Roger Corman produced horror film was directed by a young Frances Coppola, later to be known as Frances Ford Coppola. Like many others, Coppola received his early opportunities from Corman. Corman had been shooting The Young Racers (1963) in Ireland with Coppola assisting and he let Coppola film Dementia 13 using the same set, crew, and actors providing Coppola could shoot around Corman’s schedule. Coppola did not finish the film, he was replaced on Corman’s directive by the co-writer, Jack Hill.
ABOVE: Luana Anders in Dementia 13
Luana Anders plays Louise who loses her husband to a heart attack while in a row boat, but is more concerned with his family’s money than alarmed by his death and reacts by dumping his body into the water. Anders worked in both movies and television. Her additional scream queen performances include: The Pit and the Pendulum (1961), the best forgotten, The Manipulator which starred a miscast Mickey Rooney (1971), and The Killing Kind (1972).
John-Savage and Luana Anders in The Killing Kind (1973)
She appeared in a number of other films including The Last Detail (1973), Shampoo (1975), The Missouri Breaks (1976), Goin’ South (1978), and Personal Best (1982). On television she appeared in everything from The Andy Griffith Show (1967) to Santa Barbara (1992).
Luana Anders in Reform School Girl (1957), The Andy Griffith Show (1960) TV, Easy Rider (1966), & Adam 12 (1968) TV
Circus of Horrors (1960) AIP
Directed by Sidney Hayers
Screenplay by George Baxt
1hr 28min / Not Rated
CAST: Anton Diffring (Dr. Schuler), Erika Remberg (Elissa Caro), Yvonne Monlaur (Nicole Vanet), Donald Pleasence (Vanet), Jane Hylton (Angela), Kenneth Griffith (Martin), Conrad Phillips (Inspector Arthur Ames), Jack Gwillim), Vanda Hudson (Magda von Meck), Yvonne Romain (Melina), Colette (Evelyn Morley Finsbury).
Erika Remberg in Circus of Horrors (1960)
A plastic surgeon flees from London to France after a botched surgery. In France, he performs a surgery on a circus owner’s daughter whose face has been disfigured in the blitz. Eventually he becomes the owner of the circus and continues to operate on women to make them into beauties and in return expects them to work as performers. The trouble begins when some of them wish to leave the circus. Anton Diffring’s performance powers the story as his character becomes more and more determined to keep the women against their will. The women start dying in horrible accidents staged in horrifying Grand Guignol circus scenes.
ABOVE: Yvonne Romaine & Anton Diffring, Vanda Hudson, and Erika Remberg in Circus of Horrors (1960)
Black Sunday (1960)AIP
Directed by Mario Bava
Screenplay by Ennio De Concini & Mario Serandrei based on the Short Story by Nikolay Gogal
English dialogue written by Geoge Higgins
Screenplay: Mario Bava, Marcello Coscia, and Dino De Palmauncredited
1hr 27min / Not Rated
CAST: Barbara Steele (Princess Asa Vajda/Katia Vajda), John Richardson ) Dr. Andrej Gorobec/Dr. Andreas Gorobec), Andrea Checchi (Dr. Choma Kruvajan/Dr. Thomas Kruvajan), Ivo Garrani (Prince Vajda), Arturo Dominici (Igor Javutich / Javuto)
One of the most influential of all of the Italian horror films is Mario Bava’s, La maschera del demonio (1960) (English title: Black Sunday). Not only is this Bava’s first film as a director, but it is also Barbara Steele’s first horror film as well as her first leading role.
ABOVE: Barbara Steele in Black Sunday (1960), Nightmare Castle (1965), The Long Hair of Death (1965), & Curse of the Crimson Altar (1968).
Quickly becoming the first lady of horror, Barbara Steele became so well known that she appeared in Fellini’s 8 1/2 (1963). Prior to her lead role in Black Sunday she was playing supporting and even unbilled roles. She gave a star making performance in Black Sunday and then went on to star in The Pit and the Pendulum (1961) with Vincent Price and Luana Anders. Produced and directed by Roger Corman, it was only the second in a series of films he would produce based on stories by Edgar Allen Poe.
Vincent Price & Barbara Steele in The Pit and the Pendulum (1961)
Followed in 1962 byThe Horrible Dr. Hitchcock (left), an Italian gothic horror film with plenty of atmosphere, and a study in terror as the new bride of a respected doctor begins to suspect that there is something amiss in the manor.
In 1964 Danze Macabre (right/AKACastle of Blood) featured Steele as the ghost of Elizabeth Blackwood in a haunted castle. Alan Foster, a journalist is trying to get an interview with Edgar Allen Poe and he finds the writer in a shadowy pub telling one of his stories to Lord Thomas Blackwood. They discuss Poe’s stories and Poe advises that all of his tales are true. When the conversation turns to the afterlife, the journalist expresses his disbelief. Since it is All Hollow’s Eve,
Lord Thomas invites him to spend a night in his castle. A one hundred pound bet is offered, if he can stay the night. He agrees to the wager after the amount is lowered to ten pounds (he is just a poor journalist). He dismisses the warning that no one has ever survived to collect. What follows is a bizarre haunting that is atmospheric and has the feel of a story by Poe (certainly as much as any Roger Corman vehicle). The pacing is measured, but suits this gothic tale of infidelity, rage, and revenge. Steele is both seductive and unsettling as the object of Alan’s desire.
Facts, Rumors & Hearsay
Tim Burton told TV Guide that Black Sunday is his favorite horror film.
Included in the book, 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, edited by Steven Schneider.
Blood from the Mummy’s Tomb(1971) Hammer
Directed by Seth Holt
Screenplay by Christopher Wicking based on the Novel by Bram Stoker
1h 34min / PG
CAST: Andrew Keir (Fuchs), Valerie Leon (Margaret/Tara), James Villers (Corbeck), Hugh Burden (Dandridge), George Coulouris (Berigan), Mark Edwards (Tod Browning), Rosalie Crutchley (Helen Dickerson), Aubrey Morris (Doctor Putnum), David Markham (Doctor Burgess), Joan Young (Mrs. Caporal), Tamara Ustinov (Veronica)
Valerie Leon in Blood From the Mummy’s Tomb (1971)
Valerie Leon’s single claim to Scream Queen rests firmly on Hammer’s Blood from the Mummy’s Tomb (1971). It being the last and arguably the weakest entry in the Hammer Mummy series spotlights Leon’s contribution.
Valerie Leon & Jim Dale in Carry on Again Doctor (1969)
That and the simple fact that it was her only Hammer film, and yet she is still recalled with fondness by horror fans almost fifty years later! In interviews Leon has admitted that she would not do nudity and felt that alienated the producers at Hammer. By the seventies they were looking to update with the times, and they did so with films like The Vampire Lovers (1970)which starred Peter Cushing, Ingrid Pitt, and Madeline ‘Maddy’ Smith.
Malcome Farquhar & Valerie Leon in The Baron (1966),Valerie Leon & Roger Moore in The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), Peter Sellers, Anthony Chinn, Burt-Kwouk, Valerie Leon, and Elisabeth Welch in Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978), Sean Connery & Valerie Leon in Never Say Never Again (1983),
She felt that she missed opportunities because of her refusal to do as she was asked. Be that as it may, she still had work in film and television including two Bond films, Return of the Pink Panther and seven appearances in the popular ‘Carry On…” series of English comedies.
Facts, Rumors & Hearsay
Anthony Head (best known for his role of Rupert Giles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997) makes a brief appearance in an uncredited role.
Based on Bram Stoker’s novel “The Jewel of Seven Stars”, the seven stars can be seen (the Big Dipper) in many scenes throughout the film, either in crystal balls or ruby rings.
Trespassing Bergman (2013 / documentary) reflects that Ingmar Bergman had a tape copy of Blood From the Mummy’s Tomb at his home on Faro Island.
John Carpenter’s House of Horror
Hammer had been losing ground for some time in the US horror market. The results of some of their latest efforts were just plain bad. Night of the Living Dead (1968) and Rosemary’s Baby (1968) were both huge hits. Gothic horror, which Hammer had built its reputation on, had fallen out of fashion.
Christopher Lee & Peter Cushing in The Satanic Rites of Dracula
An attempt to bring Dracula into the present was dismal and even their most famous player thought it ludicrous, “I’m doing it under protest… I think it is fatuous. I can think of twenty adjectives – fatuous, pointless, absurd. It’s not a comedy, but it’s got a comic title. I don’t see the point,” Christopher Lee speaking at a press conference promoting The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973), which at the time was called Dracula is Dead… and Well and Living in London. Lee would not don the cape and fangs again.
Christopher Lee & Joanna Lumley in The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973)
To further drive in the stake, The Exorcist was also released in 1973. William Peter Blatty’s tale of a possessed child directed by William Friedkin had movie goers lining up for blocks when it opened. What happened next was John Carpenter.
Jamie Lee Curtis and Brian Andrews in Halloween (1978)
Halloween (1978) CIP
Directed by John Carpenter
Screenplay by John Carpenter and Debra Hill
1hr 31min / Rated R
CAST: Donald Pleasence (Loomis), Jamie Lee Curtis (Laurie), Nancy Kyes (Annie), P. J. Soles (Lynda), Charles Cyphers (Brackett), Kyle Richards (Lindsey), Brian Andrews (Tommy), John Michael Graham (Bob), Nancy Stephens (Marion)
From the first notes of the haunting score on black screen, audiences knew they were seeing something special. Halloween opened to good reviews and success at the box office. From a total budget of $350,000.00 the film went on to gross $47 million. It proved to be a major influence kick starting the slasher genre full force, but few if any of its imatators come anywhere near Carpenter & Hill’s level. Like the film that inspired it, Halloween changed viewer’s expectations forever. Simply said, it is economical in narrative and as purely cinematic as possible.
Jamie Lee Curtis & P. J. Soles in Halloween (1978)
The nod’s to Hitchcock were not subtle. Donald Pleasance’s character, Dr. Loomis was named after Marion’s lover in Psycho, Sam Loomis. Nancy Kyes was billed in the credits as Nancy Loomis. The most obvious of course was the casting of Janet Leigh’s daughter, Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie. John Carpenter’s score was not as complex as Bernard Herrmann’s, but it was used to full effect. Like Herrmann’s score, it was at least a third of the reason for the film’s success.
P. J. Soles &Nancy Kyes in Halloween (1978)
The casting of Curtis was perhaps the single most important decision made by Carpenter. If ever an actor made a role theirs, Curtis had as Laurie Strode. P. J. Soles and Nancy Kyes’ characters are as different from Laura as they are from each other. Their fully developed characters draw empathy from us effortlessly. They are not the standard fodder for the blade that will follow in the wake of Halloween.
Of course this film also launched the career of Jamie Lee Curtis who holds a special place in the annals of horror’s Scream Queens. She was the first Scream Queen to really fight back in spite of her fear, foreshadowing Scream’s (1996) Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell).
P. J. Soles
P. J. Soles had already played supporting roles in two horror films. The first in the forgettable horror anthology, Blood Bath (1975), and more notably as one of the mean girls in Carrie (1976) along with Nancy Allen. A seasoned Scream Queen from one of 1970’s biggest hits, she turned in as memorable a performance in Halloween as she had in Carrie.
Nancy Allen & P. J. Soles in Carrie (1976)
John Carpenter wrote the part of Lynda for P. J. Soles after seeing her in Carrie because he liked the way she said, “totally.” Her talent for the word earned her the nickname of ‘Totally girl’ for its many utterances in Halloween. Like her red baseball cap in Carrie, it had been sought out by the director. To date, Soles has 67 screen credits including 13 Girls which is in pre-production. The gallery below highlights some of her films. Always delivering an energetic performance in any role, Soles is a solid, talented, and versatile actor.
P.J. Soles & Dee Dee Ramone in Rock n Roll Hight School (1979)
P. J. Soles, Marla Rosenfield, and Chris Somma in Rock n Roll Hight School (1979)
P. J. Soles in Private Benjamin (1980)
P. J. Soles & Eileen Brennan in Private Benjamin (1980)
Bill Murray & P. J. Soles in Stripes (1981)
Bill Murray & P. J. Soles in Stripes (1981)
Stripes (1981)
Nancy Kyes (AKA Nancy Loomis)
Nancy Kyes’ first screen appearance was in John Carpenter’s cult classic, Assault on Precinct 13; she was also the wardrobe mistress for the film. Unfortunately, Kyes had a short film career in which she appeared in four John Carpenter productions.
Nancy Kyes in Assult on Precinct 13 (1976)
Nancy Keys, Austin Stoker, and Laurie Zimmer in Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)
NEXT: Scream Queens 1980 – 1990
Janet Leigh & Nancy Kyes in The Fog (1980)
Jamie Lee Curtis, Hal Holbrook, Janet Leigh, Tom Atkins, Nancy Kyes, and Ty Mitchell in The Fog (1980)
Halloween II (1981)
Tawny Moyor in Halloween (1981)
Nancy Kyes in Halloween II (1981)
Belinda Balaski in The Howling (1981)
Dee Wallace in The Howling (1981)
Betsy Baker, Bruce Campbell, Richard DeManicore, Ellen Sandweiss, and Theresa Tilly in The Evil Dead (1981)
Written by Joseph Stefano based on the Novel by Robert Bloch
CAST: Anthony Perkins (Norman Bates), Janet Leigh (Marion Crane), John Gavin (Sam Loomis), Vera Miles (Lila Crane), Martin Balsam (Detective Milton Arbogast), Vaughn Taylor (George Lowery), Frank Albertson (Tom Cassidy), John McIntire ( Sheriff Al Chambers), Patricia Hitchcock (Caroline), John Anderson (California Charlie), Mort Mills (Highway Patrol Officer).
1hr 49min / Rated R
Part 4:The Investigation
After Marion’s disappearance, her sister arrives at Sam Loomis’ store only moments before the arrival of a private investigator. Detective Milton Arbogast is sarcastically officious to the point of rudeness. Sam demands an explanation to the questions that he’s being asked, and the answers he receives mystify him. There is no question that he is telling the truth when he denies knowing anything about Marion and the forty-thousand dollars. Sam’s innocence, along with Lila’s confusion slowly brings the abrasive Arbogast around, but he has to satisfy his own suspicions first.
Arbogast sets out checking one motel after another until he finally stumbles onto the out of the way motel run by Norman Bates. His questioning of Norman starts off slowly, but it isn’t long before Arbogast’s aggressive insistence escalates Norman’s uneasiness and causes him to stumble and give the detective an answer that contradicts one of his previous responses. He is no match for the practiced detective, and Norman’s nerves unravel undermining his concentration to the point of mentioning his mother. He then refuses to continue the conversation and let’s Arbogast know he is no longer willing to speak to him. The sometimes subtle, sometimes sudden changes in mood and personality that Perkins brings to the character of Norman Bates rises to a level that makes it difficult for the viewer not to emphasize with him.
Arbogast leaves the motel and goes to a phone booth and calls Lila. He tells her that he is sure that Marion was at the Bates Motel, but feels that something is not right. Although Norman says she left the next morning, he thinks maybe Norman’s mother knows something that could help them locate Marion. He advises Lila that he is going back to try to speak to the mother. He also tells her that he believes that Sam did not know that Marion had come to see him. He assures her that he won’t be more than a hour. Up to this point, Arbogast has annoyed the viewer almost as much as he did Sam, Lila, and Norman, but when he talks to Lila he seems a different person, kind and comforting. Like the shot of him talking to Norman as his back is reflected in the mirror, it is a reverse reflection of what we see as he grills Norman. One more clue to the paradox that is being unfolded.
Much has been written about Hitchcock’s use of mirrors in Psycho to reflect the idea of a split personality. It is a reflection of Arbogast’s back because he is an unknown, like Norman. We don’t know what to think of him at this point. Arbogast’s is the most telling because the change in his personality is shown and happens right before the second murder.
Returning to the motel, he does not see any sign of Norman. He goes into the house. He starts up the stairs slowly. When he gets to the top of the landing we are startled as Mrs. Bates appears suddenly and stabs him violently. Arbogast staggers backward down the staircase and is followed by the deranged old woman. The scene culminates in a continuation of the vicious stabbing. Like the shower scene, this comes out of nowhere and the shock sends us reeling as we watch helplessly.
Back at Sam Loomis’ store, Lila begins to worry after more than two hours passes and there is no sign of Arbogast. She is convinced that something must have happened to the detective or they would have heard from him. They go to see the Sheriff at his home in the middle of the night, and in the course of trying to convince the Sheriff and his wife that there is something amiss are informed that Mrs. Bates has been dead for ten years. They are more confused than ever as their investigation enters its final stage. They decide to see for themselves what is going on at the Bates Motel.
The next day after seeing the sheriff and his wife at church, they drive to the motel and pretend that they are a married couple wanting to rent a cabin. Lila decides that she wants to go into the house to talk to Norman’s mother. Once they are sure Norman has returned to the house, they go to cabin 1 and examine it. Finding the scrap of paper in the toilet, Lila sees as proof that Marion has been there. Sam reminds her that Norman has never denied that Marion was there. Lila believes that the figures on the paper prove that her sister was going to return the money. It is then that Lila decides to try to find and talk to the old woman. She suggests that Sam be the decoy and she go to the house.
The plan is for Sam to keep Norman busy talking. This turns out to be more difficult than expected. Sam’s questions anger and then bore him. After the ordeal with Arbogast, Norman grows impatient quickly and realizes that he’s being stalled. Hitting Sam in the head with a heavy vase, he then runs to the house.
Lila has been investigating the house. She goes up the stairs to the mother’s room, but finds it empty except for her own reflections in the mirrors that startle her. She is only further confused by what she finds in the empty room. She then heads down stairs and is in the entryway just as Norman is coming up the stairs, and she runs and hides behind the stair case. She sees him come in as she hides in the little stairwell that leads down to the fruit cellar doors. Bates looks in that direction, but chooses to run up the stairs. Of course, he thinks, she’s gone to mother’s room.
Meanwhile, Lila goes down the stairs, unable to resist the lure of the beckoning doors of the fruit cellar. Coming through the door, she immediately sees Norman’s mother sitting with her back to the door as if asleep in the chair. Saying, “Mrs. Bates,” she walks toward her. Then she gently touches the woman’s shoulder, but instead of a response the chair slowly turns to reveal a hideous cadaver and Lila screams. Her up swung hand hits a hanging light as Norman bursts through the door wearing a wig and his mother’s clothes and is closely followed by Sam. Sam grabs and restrains him.
Denouement
This is the only place Psycho falters. It is a scene that has been inserted solely to explain what happened. Aside from being unnecessary, it is clumsy and serves only to pull the audience out of the spell that the film has so carefully cast. The explanation that the psychiatrist gives is overblown and his presentation is both hammy and stagey. All this is moot, because Hitchcock only included it because he had to due to executive pressure. In spite of bringing the incredible flow of the narrative to a jolting halt, it is not enough to ruin the film. Even the noted Hitchcock scholar, Donald Spoto only has this to say about this scene in his excellent, The Art of Alfred Hitchcock:
“The verbal explanation offered later by the psychiatrist at the courthouse adds nothing more…(than what is seen in the last shot as Sam restrains Norman)…The attempt to provide neat psychoanalytic maps to the contours of Norman’s twisted mind seems jejune.”
Donald Spoto The Art of Alfred Hitchcock: Fifty Years of His Motion Pictures
Spoto calls it boring. He was being kind. I would like to see a director’s cut with the scene eradicated from the film. Then the film would end like this…
then to here..
and finally…
The Film Score
No other film score has had such an impact on its audience. It is impossible to imagine Psycho without Bernard Herrmann’s score. The two are joined as with no other film and score. The ‘all strings’ choice that Herrmann made was so perfect for the subject and theme of the film that it is as important as all of the other elements combined. Though partly necessitated by budget limitations: he created a score for what is essentially a low budget black and white film that transcends its limitations in part due to the magnificent score. Herrmann called it a ‘black and white’ score which is perfect, because the sound so reflects what is happening on the screen that just hearing the music takes the listener back to the scenes as they flash in the mind as if projected on the air. In this case, the freedom Hitchcock gave the composer did have a immense impact on the finished film. Herrmann has said that director’s don’t know music and that Hitchcock wanted a ‘jazz score’ with no music in the famous shower scene but Herrmann knew better and had written a piece for that key scene instinctively. When Hitchcock finally admitted that the scene did need music, Herrmann had just what the director desired. Hitchcock reinforced the importance of this when he doubled Herrmann’s fee for the film. See Note by Note: Bernard Herrmann (F&TVRArchives/September) for more on Herrmann’s film scores.
F&TVR is proud to have as a contributor, John Harbourne whose art speaks for itself, below he explains how he works:
“When I’m approaching a new drawing I’ll watch the film a few times, make sketches, read the source novel and research online, looking for that angle that will give me the essence of the story.“John Harbourne from his site: https://johnharbourneartist.com
Facts, Rumors & Hearsay
Alfred Hitchcock doubled Barnard Herrmann’s salary to $34,501. Hitchcock later said, “Thirty-three percent of the effect of Psycho was due to the music.”
Bernard Herrmann has said, “Alfred Hitchcock only finishes a picture 60 percent, I have to finish it for him.”
The shower scene made Janet Leigh realize how vulnerable a woman was in a shower. To the end of her life, she always took baths.
Hitchcock received an angry letter from a man whose daughter stopped taking baths after seeing Diabolique (1955), and now was refusing to take showers after seeing Psycho. Hitchcock responded with a letter saying, “Send her to the dry cleaners.”
To enhance the voyeuristic feel of the film Hitchcock used a 50 mm lens on his 35 mm camera which most closely approximates human vision. In the scenes where Norman is spying on Marion, this effect is realized.
