Amazon.com

The long-awaited emergence of Nightmare Alley into the light of DVD should achieve two things: make a legendary film noir available to a new generation, and restore the horrific charge to the lately watered-down term geek, a concept that once had the power to give people very bad dreams indeed.

To his lasting credit, Tyrone Power--20th Century Fox's extraordinarily handsome but not terribly interesting star of the '30s and '40s--begged for the chance to play Stan Carlisle, the predatory charmer who snakes his way through this bracingly unwholesome story. A spieler for--and lover of--carnival mind reader Zeena (Joan Blondell), he displays uncanny skill at "reading" the susceptible rubes, including a tough sheriff who turns to jelly after Stan psychs him out. Once Stan's mastered the intricate code used in Zeena's act, he's set to dump her for the younger, sexier Molly (Coleen Gray) and go bigtime as nightclub psychic "Stanton the Great." After that, it's only a blasphemous bank shot to superstardom as a miracle worker with his own tabernacle and radio show.

Few '40s films ventured as deeply into cynicism as Nightmare Alley, or dealt so frankly with sexuality (with ripplings of polymorphous perversity yet) and power-tripping. The movie's rhythm is uncertain and Jules Furthman's screenplay telegraphs things, but the overall tone is remarkable, as are individual sequences: the freaky forced marriage of Stan and Molly in accordance with carny morality, and a creepy night scene in a park when Stanton the Great raises a ghost for a high-society client. Cinematographer Lee Garmes's chiaroscuro creates a relief map of the carnival world and what passes for life there. As for the geek... well, you'll find out what geek means. Stan does. --Richard T. Jameson ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The Greatest Film Noir You Never Saw!!
It's about time this amazing classic film is made available to the public!For years this movie has been withheld due to copyright disputes.I was fortunate enough to get an excellent VHS copy some years ago from a collector, and can attest firsthand that this movie is an absolute cinematic masterpiece.

Nightmare Alley is a twisted ride from the start in its depiction of the ugly side of carnival life. This movie is, hands down, Tyrone Power's finest hour in his acting career!He plays a heel with gritty realism as his character embarks upon his rise and fall, using everyone to further his own ambitions.His ambiguous performance leaves us sometimes sympathetic and sometimes with disgust.

And what an amazing supporting cast!!Joan Blondell plays a more evolved rendition of her 30's tough-mouthed, strong-shouldered, cynically-witted dames, and gives a very rounded performance.She has a dangerous edge despite her on-the-surface saintly devotion to her husband in the film.Joan's acting in this film is undeniably great, and worthy of recognition.

But my favorite performance in the film is that of Helen Walker, who also gives her finest and most memorable performance out of the many fine roles she's played in other significant film noirs.Her acting in the movie is wickedly fierce as she gives new meaning to the term 'femme fatale'.

Aside from the acting, the black and white cinematography is brilliant, and it has a perversely modern feel to it!And to say anything else would be to say too much! See for yourself. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Deanna Dubdin DVD's
Well finally some movies that I have waited for from those old years are coming out. I have Three Smart Girls, and Three Smart Girls Grow Up. I have 3 CD's of Deanna Durbin, and I do love to hear her sing..... Can not wait to get this Sweetheart Pack.....

At home I was always playing over and over Invitation to the Dance and Loch Lomond and the Last Rose of Summer.....WOW !!

At Last!!
Finally! We, devoted fans of Deanna Durbin, will be able to own her wonderful movies on DVD! I disagree, though, with the reviewer who stated that SOMETHING IN THE WIND was one of her worst. There are NO worst Deanna Durbin films; simply favorites. It happens that SOMETHING IN THE WIND is one of my favorites, and 100 MEN AND A GIRL is not. In this case I shall be pleased with the new choice, but others will be disappointed. Hopefully, we shall see ALL of her movies on DVD eventually; and all shall all be pleased!

Three cheers for Deanna Durbin
I am so happy to hear that these Deanna Durbin movies are coming to dvd.I have seen all of these movies. I agree with the viewer from Ventura California. Please transfer all of Deanna Durbin's movies on to dvd. My favorite Deanna Durbin movies are "His Butler's Sister" and "Spring Parade". I hope that they will come out on dvd, in the near future.

Note: "100 Men and a Girl" no longer in DVD set
Unlike what Amazon's page and another reviewer indicate, it seems that in this DVD set "100 Men and a Girl" has now been replaced by "Something in the Wind."

Since "100 Men and a Girl" is considered one of her best movies and the replacement is considered one of her worst, I assume that the DVD studio was unable to obtain the necessary rights and was forced to find another Durbin film to fill the slot.

Deanna durbin Sweetheart Pack
At last Universal Pictures is going to release six of Deanna Durbin's movies on DVD i am certinly looking forward to her movies, finaly coming to DVD, "Three Smart Girls", "100 Men and a Girl", "First Love", "It Started With Eve", and her only movie in Tecnicolor "Can't Help Singing", and "Lady On a Train". Let's have the rest of Deanna's movies released on DVD, Universal. ... Read more

Description

Fritz Lang's scathing critique of fifties America's hunger for bloodshed and scandal. Classic Hollywood film noir with a feminine twist, "The Blue Gardenia" stars Anne Baxter (All About Eve) as Norah Larkin, a working girl who wakes up a murderess after passing out in the apartment of brutish playboy Harry Prebble (Raymond Burr). Branded "The Blue Gardenia" by a sensational columnist (Richard Conte), Norah dodges dragnets, informants and the cruel hand of fate as she struggles to conceal her involvement with Prebble and to remember the details of her ill fated night. As her hopes for justice fade, she decides to gamble her future on the journalist who transformed her into such a notorious public figure. Enhancing the melancholy mood of the film is the haunting theme song arranged by Nelson Riddle and performed to perfection by Nat "King" Cole. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

THE THREE BLONDE SISTERS
In my opinion, a film noir DVD library never would be complete without the movies directed by german director Fritz Lang in Hollywood in the 1940-1950 period. They simply have to be in it. THE BLUE GARDENIA is the first of these Fritz Lang movies to hit the DVD market thanks to Image. Starring Richard Conte, Anne Baxter, Raymond Burr and Ann Sothern, THE BLUE GARDENIA is about murder, trust and guilt.

Anne Baxter thinks she has killed Raymond Burr, the police knows she has killed him because a lot of evidences have been found on the scene of the murder and we know that she's guilty because we have seen the scene with our very eyes. So what ? Where's the suspense ? Nowhere, because there isn't suspense in THE BLUE GARDENIA. Fritz Lang is more interested in describing the behaviour of Anne Baxter who really doesn't act as if she doesn't want to be rediscovered. The director has read the complete works of Freud and is playing with his heroine tortured by guilt.

No extra features with this Image presentation except for a scene access. Too bad.

A DVD for your library.

Fritz Lang Lite -- more murder mystery than noir
No doubt hoping that a title reminiscent of the Alan Ladd/Veronica Lake hit The Blue Dahlia (itself a knockoff of the notorious 1946 Black Dahlia murder in L.A.), the minds behind this movie set Fritz Lang to directing Anne Baxter, Raymond Burr and Ann Sothern in this tame but stylish and watchable thriller. Baxter, on the rebound, agrees to date the boorish Burr. Having drunk lagoons of Zombies at the Polynesian palace that gives the film its name, Baxter tries to fend off Burr. When he's found dead, she remembers nothing.... Fans who know how shocking Lang's The Big Heat still is will find this entry rather tepid, but it's an effective murder story, with half a dozen moments of stunning noir photography and, better yet, with Ann Sothern as Baxter's roommate, smoking a cigarette with rubber gloves while she scrubs the dishes.

"Sudden death sells papers."
In "The Blue Gardenia" Norah Larkin (Anne Baxter) is a naive telephone operator who sits at home most evenings. Her fiance is stationed in Korea, so while Norah's two roommates enjoy their social lives, Norah turns down offers and stays home to read letters from Korea. Artist/playboy Harry Prebble (Raymond Burr) telephones one evening--he thinks he's calling one of Norah's roommates, but he gets a distraught Norah instead. Norah accepts Prebble's invitation to meet for dinner at the Blue Gardenia. After downing half a dozen Polynesian Pearl Divers, a very inebriated Norah accompanies Prebble to his home. The next day, Norah can't remember a thing, but newspaper headlines announce Prebble's murder--and a hunt begins for the mysterious blonde murderess now known as "the Blue Gardenia."

"The Blue Gardenia"--directed by Fritz Lang--is film noir, but it is also considered an entry in the sub-genre of newspaper noir. A great deal of the plot focuses on newspaperman Casey Mayo's unethical attempts to contact the murderess and get an exclusive story. Mayo (Richard Conte) will stop at nothing to sell the paper, and he capitalizes on sensationalism and the sleazy aspects of the murder. "The Blue Gardenia" is an interesting film as it has a few twists on some familiar themes--for example, the killer is a woman, and a male offers comfort (although it's a false offer). Plus Norah's reputation is at risk by even admitting she's stepped into a man's apartment--anyone who downs 6 Polynesian Pearl Divers is a real floozy in everyone's eyes. There's also an appearance of Nat King Cole singing Blue Gardenia. The initial set-up with Norah and her roommates was refreshingly original, and Anne Baxter gave a credible performance as the naive Norah. Unfortunately the plot denouement was contrived, hasty and far too simplistic. Film noir fans will enjoy the film for its novelties, but it's not one of the greats--displacedhuman

Classic Film Noir With A Feminine Twist
The acting by both Anne Baxter and Raymond Burr is exceptional and elevates this to one of my favorite film noirs. Baxter is the young innocent Norah Larkin who is crushed when she receives a 'Dear Jane' letter from her boyfriend in Korea. Devastated and alone, she is easy prey for the slimey Harry Prebble portrayed by Raymond Burr in his pre-Perry Mason period. After a drunken night, Norah can't remember anything except that she was fighting off advances from Prebble. The newspapers are filled with the story of his murder and the mysterious blonde who left a blue gardenia behind. Viewers watch Norah slip deeper and deeper into paraonia as she frantically tries to conceal her involvement yet remember the details of her ill-fated night. Adding to the outstanding cast are Ann Sothern and Jeff Donnell as her roommates and Richard Conte as the newspaper reporter who makes an open appeal for the Blue Gardenia killer to come forward and trust him. As the police web (led by TV's Superman George Reeves) tightens around her, Norah turns to the reporter to help her, but....suffice it to say the happy-ever-after ending is a little too quick and easy. However, this is definitely worth watching and as an added plus you will be treated to the melodic voice of Nat "King" Cole singing the title song throughout the movie.

Be Forewarned.
Having seen and enjoyed most of Fritz Lang's movies from his Berlin period, I bought this highly recommended DVD sight unseen. It was a great disappointment. Where to begin? The story is weak and predictable; the dialogue is very cliched; the acting--excepting Raymond Burr's wonderful performance as a sleazy artist--is unconvincing. Don't expect what the DVD label tells you--this is no "noir thriller" and it doesn't do anything to expose McCarthyism, despite Lang's pretentious comments. One nice touch: there is a brief 5 minute scene with Nat King Cole singing "Blue Gardenia" in what was becoming a new trend in early 1950's America: a Chinese restaurant. As a period piece, this film has some merit, but don't expect a well crafted noir film like the "Maltese Falcon", "Sunset Boulevard", or even "M" or "Dr Mabuse". ... Read more

Amazon.com

John Wayne stars as a 19th-century sea captain out for revenge against awealthy shipping magnate in this interesting and unlikely 1948 offering fromRepublic Pictures. Wayne plays the wronged Captain Ralls with a convincingbitterness that foreshadows his later work in the John Ford classic TheSearchers, and his grim portrayal of Ralls hits a high point when Rallspurposely wrecks his enemy's prize treasure ship. The painfully beautiful GailRussell costarred with Wayne only the year before in The Angel and theBadman and delivers a memorable performance as the tragic Angelique. GigYoung also stands out as a crewman who eventually learns the truth about Ralls.Wake of the Red Witch shares similarities in both character and climax toan earlier Wayne picture, C.B. DeMille's Reap the Wild Wind, but thisfilm has a more direct approach in exploring the complex motivations of itscharacters. --Mark Savary ... Read more

Reviews (9)

An old sea yarn
This tale is narrated from the perspective of the first mate of "The Red Witch" when the incidents at the beginning of the film occur. Of all the characters in this tale, the narrator seems to have the most dignity. None of the characters are lacking in pride, and all but the women are greedy.

For a sea yarn set in the late 1800s, the sea captain has to be a bit of a rogue and a rascal, but still possess heart. This is difficult, in my opinion, for John Wayne. I have seen him in too many movies where he is the gallant working to save the day here. In this movie, he is trying to play a conniving sea captain, and I can't get past my image of him. This will make it difficult to understand his character.

To look at the story, the box is a little off. It places the focus where the movie does not focus its attention. The attention is on the relationship between Captain Ralls (Wayne) and Sidneye (Adler). Both are greedy, but have to have the other to give life some meaning. Parts of the story seem add a love story to bring in a wider audience, but it really doesn't flow, nor does it fit the story.

I would not go out of my way to see this movie, but if it happened to be on, I would give it a view.

Widescreen????
People are wondering why this movie is presented in Full-Screen format. The answer is simple...Widescreen movies weren't made until 1953. This movie was made in 1949. All movies made until 1953 were filmed in the 4:3 ratio. When TV came along, and used the same ratio for picture tubes, the movie execs came up with a wide format to lure back moviegoers.

So, if you see a movie release on DVD, and it was made before 1953, don't look for it in wide screen...

Good Duke, good DVD, but are we missing wider format?
Here's a Duke movie to like. This DVD, which has been previoulsy released, is full screen. Whether or not widescreen was in regular use, it seens obvious to me there's more information on the sides. I saw a wider version on, I think, TCM, also colorized. I don't think it's just a matter of chopping the top and bottom off the full screen version and making it look wider. I think there is more information out there. So given the excellent movie at its heart, it would be nice to have whatever extra picture there is. This is a story that can take advantage of wideness. Apart from that, it's a Duke DVD for every collection, a good story, nice effects and the video transfer and sound are very good. You'll like it. But watch for the wider, colorized version to be broadcast and tape it.

Good John Wayne
It's in full screen instead of widescreen. As a result this good, fun movie loses some of its visual spendor. Also, it's the original BW version. Still, right now it's the only version available. The picture and sound are fine on DVD but look elsewhere for the widescreen and the computer colorized version, which shows up on satellite TV now and then.

The DUKE and Gail, together again!
After the classic "Angel and the Badman", DUKE and Gail Russell paired again for this effort, "Wake of the Red Witch".

A tale of the effects revenge, greed, and bittnerness can have on people, the story traces the duel of words and intrigue between two men; Captain Ralls (The DUKE), and shipping magnate Mayrant Sidneye.

DUKE skippers Sidneye's prize ship, the Red Witch, and purposely wrecks her in a plan to cheat Sidneye out of a cargo of gold. Turns out that Sidneye had plotted to steal away DUKE's girl, Angelique Desaix (played by the lovely and angelic Gail Russell).

Tricking DUKE into a fatal confrontation with the girl's father, Sidneye is able to marry Angelique before The DUKE can set things right. This leads to her unhappiness, and The DUKE takes revenge on Sidneye by wrecking the Red Witch.

A wonderful study of greed, revenge, and redmption, we see the tale through the eyes of a young seaman (Gig Young), who Ralls sees as his younger self.

Familiar faces in the cast include Paul Fix, Henry Daniell, Jeff Corey, Erskine Sanford, and Grant Withers.

Gail is gorgeous, as usual. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

The screwball comedy was the definitive genre of the Depression, but as America edged toward war in the early '40s, it suffered some strange and wonderful mutations--none stranger than The Talk of the Town, directed by George Stevens from a script by novelist Irwin Shaw and frequent Capra collaborator (and future blacklist victim) Sidney Buchman. Cary Grant, awkwardly cast, is a small-town political agitator who is framed for the burning of a local factory; he takes refuge in the attic of a country cottage that landlady Jean Arthur is preparing to rent out to a celebrated law professor (silver-tongued Ronald Colman, perhaps the only actor in Hollywood who could make Grant look like a proletarian). Stevens, suspended between his light '30s style (Swing Time) and his heavy postwar manner (A Place in the Sun), struggles to balance a charming, surprisingly suspenseful romantic triangle with the heavy, debating-society tone of the screenplay, which pits Grant, the representative of a compassionate, emotional sense of justice, against the cool, abstract application of the law advocated by Colman. Caught between these two highly verbal characters, Jean Arthur doesn't have much to do but be adorable and provide the occasional quizzical reaction shot--two things she does with exquisite skill. Stevens and Arthur teamed up again one year later for another strange-bedfellows farce, the marvelous The More the Merrier; in 1953 Arthur made her final film appearance in Stevens's Shane. --Dave Kehr ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Pretty good mix of a serious topic and comedy...
Sometimes I am tempted to describe this movie as having split personality disorder. On one level, it seems to be a lighthearted comedy with a love triangle between Cary Grant, Ronald Coleman, and Jean Arthur. And on another level, it aims to deal with deeper issues like the role of the law in society, etc, etc. But, actually, I think a more accurate way to describe this movie would be as a late screwball comedy. During the WWII years, screwball comedy, which had been so carefree in the depression, began to take on more serious issues, leading to movies like this one - strange mixes of the screwball spirit and deeper concerns.

Regardless of its strange synthesis of screwball and serious issues, however, The Talk of the Town is a classic, and a great movie! Essentially, it is about a small town rebel (Cary Grant, in an uncharacteristic role) who escapes from prision after being wrongly accused of arson and murder. He comes across a former friend (Jean Arthur) and stays with her, posing as the gardener when a law professor (Ronald Coleman) comes to rent her house. There are many hilarious situations in the house, but the movie also discussed the role of the law in society and whether law should be interpreted coldly and to the letter or have a more personal application.

The acting is very good. Cary Grant, though in a strange role, proves his talent as a more dramatic actor (and also shows off his incredible comedic skills). Even though he was ignored by the Oscars for years, Grant really was a spectacular actor - he just wasn't given enough credit because he tended to make it all look so easy. Ronald Coleman is also good as his urbane, cold rival, and Jean Arthur is great - her reactions steal scene after scene!

Anyhow, this movie is very good. Although it is somewhat of a strange mix, it is quite enjoyable and typical of the semi-screwball comedies from the war years. Get this and enjoy!

VINTAGE HOLLYWOOD COMEDY
THE TALK OF THE TOWN manages with equal ease to deal with love and law. As the principal object of love, Jean Arthur unexpectedly finds herself hiding an escaped arsonist in her attic. As the principal object of the law, Cary Grant plays the alleged arsonist. On neutral ground, at the start, stands Ronald Colman as a distinguished dean of a law school. But before the film is over, the dean loses his detatched academic attitude towards both love and law, and even gets involved with a blonde manicurist. Grant meets his comeuppance throught his peculiar taste for a Polish soup made with eggs and beets. Jean Arthur had the unique distinction of playing her final love scenes in the U.S. Supreme Court Building! Bright and literate, this Columbia comedy from 1942 has its head in the clouds & its feet on the ground. According to a 1942 report done in VARIETY, Grade "A" movies were beating box-office records since 1927. This was partly due to the fact that better movies were now being made and a natural wartime desire for escapist entertainment (in the thirties, the reason being the Great Depression, naturally). Most of Hollywood's extra profits, however, were going up the river in extra war taxes.

Great Stars, Great movie!
This movie includes three of my very favourite movie stars, Cary Grant, Jean Arthur and Ronald Colman.

The basic story is that Cary Grant is an innocent prisoner who escapes from prison. He hides out at his friends house (Jean Arthur) because he has been hurt from his escape. He then has to hide from Ronald Colman who is renting the house for the summer. Colman is a Supreme Court candidate. Cary wants to prove his innocence, but instead of hiding away from Colman forever, he pretends he is the gardener. I wont give away the rest.

It really is a fantastic movie. One of the best. The acting is brilliant and with three top stars like these, you couldnt ask for much more. But you do get more! Its directed by one of the greatest, George Stevens.

The print on this DVD is nice too and it has very clear sound throughout the film.

A perfect combination of stars here, and a really great story. Well directed, well written, and one you can watch over and over again.

Highly recommended to anybody who has any taste in movies at all. Brilliant!

PLEASE NOTE: Owner of the Region 2 DVD. However, this one appears to be no different.

I would have given it five, but for one little detail...
If you don't want to know the ending, read no further.

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, at least the first hour and fifty-seven minutes of it. The last minute was the most tragic thing I've seen since A Tale of Two Cities. Why, why, why did Nora go off with a loser like Dilg? Obviously, he was not a man to settle down and behave himself. He didn't even have a vision or dream that made his strangeness admirable. I thought he looked very dark and sinister most of the time and there was absolutely nothing about him that made me want her to end up with him.

Ronald, on the other hand, was everything she needed, and if she was smart, she would have snapped him up. I certainly would have. He was intelligent, stable, and madly in love with her.

Anyway, you get the idea of my feelings about the two main fellers - Nora Shelley was cute, if a little silly at times (and very idiotic in the last couple minutes of the film).

As for the film itself: It was full of great moments. The egg-falling-on-the-newspaper scene was hilarious. The borscht with egg in it was also amusing. It was over all good story, filmed well, told well. I also enjoyed the part when Lightcap was trying to get information out of Miss Bush. He was so artless about it, as well he might be - he probably never went out with a woman before in his life. Which is why he was an awfully stiff dancer, too.

So anyway, I'm sure by now you've figured the little detail that cost my rating of this film one star - JEAN WENT OFF WITH THE WRONG MAN IN THE END!!

I expect this probably isn't the best review ever and that I'll receive lots of flak from Cary Grant fans, and that is O-K. I still like Ronnie better.

The Talk of The Town!
I saw this movie on TCM, it was on very late and I wound up staying up really late to watch it. It is a good movie and I think Cary Grant, Ronald Colman and Jean Arthur were very good. The Talk of the Town is definitely a classic movie I could buy for my DVD collection and I highly recommend it to any fans of these actors! ... Read more

Description

Four men and a girl crash-land on the red planet Mars after suffering severe damage in a meteor storm enroute. Finding an advanced and seemingly benevolent civilization living in underground cities, help is given in the repair of the rocketship--however, a sinister plot is discovered that could mean the annihilation of Earth by an invading Martian army. Tense, terrifying action on a planet of forbidden dangers. Produced by Academy Award-winning producer Walter Mirisch in other-worldly hues of two-color Cinecolor, "Flight to Mars" is '50s nostalgia at its imaginative best and is a must for science fiction and adventure lovers. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Bad Original Print
I collect 1950s era Sci-Fi and I have been replacing my VHS versions with DVDs. Unfortunately, I need to keep my VHS version for this movie because the print that Image Entertainment made this from was in such poor shape. The VHS version by UAV Entertainment (The Wade Williams Collection) is MUCH better. Hopefully, UAV will come out with a DVD version soon.

Great movie -- bad transfer.
This is yet another great SciFi classic that I first saw as a kid way back in the mid 20th century. I've seen it since on TV and VHS and I was very excited when I heard it was to be realeased on DVD. That excitement was soon dampened when I viewed this DVD. The original image used for transfer is absolutely horrible. There is fading, graining, and many splices that make the film jump and in some spots causes choppy dialog - and those are the minor faults. Almost immediatly after the film begins there appears a very distracting brown smuge directly in the middle of the screen. A very anoying blemish that changes shape and contorts for nearly a third of the movie.
Unfortunately, this is the only DVD copy of this film available so I whole-heartedly recommend it as a buy for collectors. Most of the movie looks pretty good, but the defaults really make it a dissapointment. Too bad they couldn't find a better print to copy from. Guess I'll have to keep my VHS edition as a back-up.

Not a bad Fifties science fiction film, but rather boring
"Flight to Mars" is not really a bad 1950s science fiction film, it just happens to be a rather boring film with what is probably the most abrupt ending in the genre's history. It is not that the script is so awful (there are philosophical discussions on whether each corpuscle is an entire universe) or that the acting is bad (it is actual decent for this sort of movie). But the film just does not seem to click. Maybe it is because a half-century later we have seen every bit of this plot in a dozen other films. "Flight to Mars" clearly divides into two parts. The first focuses on the flight to Mars and is fairly scientific in its approach to the proceedings (somewhat reminiscent of Herge's classic two-part comic book of Tintin going to the Moon, but not even half as god).. The second, once the crew arrives on Mars, turns into a sort of Flash Gordon-type space opera (with specific effects on about the same level).

The first rocket of exploration launched by the United States decides to bypass the moon and head straight for Mars (the reasoning for this curious choice is clearly cinematic; we know there is nothing on the moon in 1951 but who knows what we might find on Mars). The crew for this monumental expedition consists of Dr. Jim Barker (Arthur Franz), who created the rocket, his assistant Carol Stafford (Virginia Huston), a pair of older scientists, Dr. Lane (John Litel) and Professor Jackson (Richard Gaines), and a war reporter, Steve Abbott (Cameron Mitchell). At first I was wondering why these were letting too older guys go on this dangerous mission and I thought it might be because they were old and wise, but it turns out to be because this way only Jim and Steve join Carol in the film's love triangle.

Once they arrive on Mars they discover a complex underground civilization. There are delights to be seen and offers of help from the ruling council, but it turns out to be a sham. The Martians want to use the rocket to get off their dying planet and colonize earth. But that is okay. The Martians might want to take over the earth but Jim gets them back: he teaches the natives how to play bridge ("They will never forgive you," warns one of the professors). Meanwhile, Steve is interested in Carol, but Carol has been pining for Jim for three years. Jim has been too busy being a scientist to notice Carol, but he falls for local gal Alita once they get on Mars. When Carol finally adds up the score she dissolves into tears while Steve spends an hour playing solitaire waiting for her to wise up. Amazingly enough when the rocket was sabotaged and they were all going to die in space or on Mars Carol never shed a tear.

"Flight to Mars" is directed by Lesley Selander, who primarily made Westerns and directed eight other films in 1951. The film is made in color, which matters little except for the red costumes of the Martian's ruling council, which are kind of neat looking. Made during the Cold War there is an inclination to see an appropriate sub-text to "Flight to Mars," especially with those red outfits, but that seems to be a bit of a reach in this case. Again, this film ultimately reminds me more of a Flash Gordon serial than anything else. Besides, it proves once again that not even an advanced civilization on a distant planet can stand up to a small group of Americans with a plan and a strong right hook.

Good movie Bad transfer
This is a fun piece of cheese from the time when not a lot was known about space or space travel. Well acted, just plain enjoyable for those of us who love our 50's sci-fi. Now the down side. The source material for the transfer is pretty poor. Image usually does a great job on their DVD's and perhaps the print used was the best available, after all this movie is over 50 years old. No matter, a movie about a trip to Mars which is inhabited by beautiful women and coniving men cant be all bad. And watch out for those meteors.

Flawed print can¿t dampen fun of 1950s SF camp classic
Fans of cheesy 1950s space operas will no doubt be pleased that this is out on DVD, although unfortunately the quality of the source print leaves a bit to be desired. Flight to Mars was rushed out by Monogram to capitalize on the success of Destination Moon, and really has no grounding in serious science fiction. Not yet famous and powerful, producer Walter Mirisch (Magnificent Seven, In the Heat of the Night) was still making Bomba the Jungle Boy movies, scripter Arthur Strawn had penned Karloff's The Black Room and a handful of potboilers, while director Lesley Selander (Vampire's Ghost, Catman of Paris) and associate producer/editor Richard Heermance cranked out mostly lotsa cheap westerns before and after Flight to Mars, everyone's sole SF credit. Genre fans will appreciate the presence of Cameron Mitchell (Gorilla at Large, Nightmare in Wax) as glib "newspaperman" Steve Abbott, Arthur Franz (Invaders from Mars, Monster on the Campus, Atomic Submarine) as bland, pipe-smoking Dr. Barker, and John Litel (perhaps most recognizable as Henry Aldrich's perpetually exasperated father) as Dr. Lane. Ubiquitous genre icon Morris Ankrum gets probably his meatiest SF role as Martian leader Ikron (he looks quite ludicrous in his 'Captain Marvel' costume and cape), while Virginia Huston and Marguerite Chapman fill out the parts of brainy lady scientist (pining for the oblivious Dr. Barker) and brainy Martian babe Alita, respectively. Apparently they could only afford one set of space suits (for the Martians) so everyone just wears bomber jackets and aviator's caps on the takeoff and spaceflight. All the requisite elements of cheap 50s space epics are here: the threatening (animated) meteor shower; patronizing, sexist dialogue; technical inaccuracies (e.g. the Martian surface is covered with snow; no zero-G effect in-flight); quaintly obvious miniatures and model work; pseudophilosophical discussions that go nowhere; and of course the whirlwind love quadrangle of Mitchell, Huston, Franz, and Chapman. Somehow they survive a point-blank crash into a Martian mountain without injury (!), and of course [spoiler alert] the "friendly" Martians are really plotting against Earth and plan to use the repaired ship to attack us. Mitchell makes his play for Huston as Franz and Chapman get hot and heavy, the Earth people forge a secret plan (with Alita) to escape, and all is saved in a rather hasty and abrupt conclusion. While Flight to Mars gets a little talky at times (it's really not a hysterical knee-slapper on the order of Queen of Outer Space or Missile to the Moon) it will nonetheless appeal to any fan of campy low-budget space flicks such as Cat-Women of the Moon, Rocketship X-M, Project Moon Base (highly, highly recommended!!), Fire Maidens of Outer Space, etc. Serious SF aficionados beware.
This is another in Image's Wade Williams Collection and while probably the best print to be had suffers in comparison to most of its peers. There is light to medium speckling, spotting, and sporadic lining throughout (noticeably heavier around a couple of reel changes), although some stretches of the film are reasonably clean. There is also a very small but noticeable flickering emulsion 'ding' at the lower center of the frame that comes and goes through nearly the entire movie. More annoying are a half-dozen or so jump-cuts scattered throughout the film; a couple show up at reel changes, and several are clustered in a climactic dialogue scene. Ouch! Purists who whined about the quality of Image's Destination Moon DVD will be similarly distressed by this release. That said, the brightness, contrast, and detail are fine; resolution is not razor-sharp but quite acceptable; and the bargain-basement Cinecolor looks as good as it probably ever did: heavy on the blue-greens and oranges in the palette, but well saturated, with reasonably accurate fleshtones. Not a stellar print, but a crisp, clean transfer; no doubt an improvement over any VHS version, and probably the best we'll see for the forseeable future. (Apparently Warner Bros. owns the old Monogram and Allied Artists catalogs and is sitting tight on them. And who knows if they even have a better print at this point?) The disc also includes two approximately 25-minute episodes of an early-80s Santa Monica, CA cable TV show, hosted by Scarlet Street contributor David Del Valle, with guest Cameron Mitchell. The interview is light in tone but informative and wide-ranging, covering Flight to Mars, Gorilla at Large, Death of a Salesman, Nightmare in Wax, the six (!) films Mitchell made for Mario Bava, and numerous other topics. The only downside is that the video quality on these segments is poor, like a mid-grade videotape (apparently the hi-def masters were lost). Still a nice extra, especially for Cameron Mitchell fans. A very-good-to-excellent-quality, lightly speckled trailer (with the same fluttering emulsion ding!) for Flight to Mars and five 'bonus' trailers for other Wade Williams titles are included. The photo gallery promised on the box was nowhere to be found on my copy. With the flaws in the feature source print, the unfortunately mediocre picture quality of the interview segments, and missing photo gallery, objectively would I have to give the disc three stars, but this is still an essential (four-star) buy for fans of low-budget 1950s SF or Cameron Mitchell. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

"You cannot escape the person you are."
In the film, "Strange Impersonation" chemist Nora Goodrich (Brenda Marshall) is close to perfecting a new form of anesthesia, and she's also fending off fiance and fellow chemist, Dr Lindstrom. Lindstrom is pushing for a wedding date, but Nora's ambition dictates the conclusion of her experiments before moving on to personal business. Nora decides to accelerate product testing by experimenting with the anesthetic at home. She enlists the help of lab assistant Arline Cole. The experiment, however, goes horribly wrong, and Nora's face is scarred beyond recognition.

Following a bizarre encounter with female blackmailer Jane Karaski, Nora seizes the opportunity to assume Jane's identity. Nora--as Jane--goes into hiding and then undergoes over a year's worth of intense plastic surgery to restore her face.

Director Anthony Mann is considered one of the great film noir directors. So for those interested in the genre, "Strange Impersonation" is a must-see. However, that said, viewers should be aware that the film is seeped in 1940s technology and science (Nora's lab--Nora's experiments, etc), and so much of the film seems extremely dated. There are literally beakers full of smoking concoctions. Also, the film has a very high camp quality. The fights between females, a hideously scarred face hidden by veils, and the nonsensical inability to identify a body because the face is damaged beyond recognition, all add up to a good laugh. While the performances of the main actors are up-to-standard, some of the minor characters are definitely bad actors.

"Strange Impersonation" is absolutely not in the same league as "The Postman Always Rings Twice," "Double Indemnity" or "The Strange Love of Martha Ivers." It's just too campy for that. However, I was extremely interested in Mann's portrayal of females in this film. Nora is a brilliant scientist, Arline is the wicked schemer, and Jane Karaski is a female thug. This is a film about strong women (not necessarily nice) who take fate into their own hands. The characters of the females are fascinating--whereas the males play only dull minor roles on the periphery of the film. "Strange Impersonation" is relatively short--68 minutes long, and if you want to see a "B" cult classic from the 40s, then this film--with all its flaws--is worth your while. This is a restored version of the film, and both the picture and sound were excellent quality--displacedhuman.

A NOTE TO CUSTOMER REVIEWERS...
Please warn readers about potential spoilers at the beginning of your reviews. The ending is revealed in one of the previous critiques. Thanks and happy viewing!

STRANGE "MOVIE".....
A chemist (Brenda Marshall) working on a new anesthetic takes the product home and tries it out. Her assistant (Hilary Brooke), who may be after Marshalls' husband, arranges an "accident" that reults in Marshalls' face being disfigured. Marshall then murders a woman trying to blackmail her over a previous car accident and has to go on the lam with the dead womans' identity. She plots to take revenge and everything snowballs into a nightmare worse than before. The finale sees it all as just a weird hallucination she experienced from the drug. Huh? All this mumbo jumbo is played out in a very short running time. I wouldn't call this a "movie" so much as a cheap experimental student project. There are no production values at all. The sets are cardboard and the acting is dull and at times amateurish. I know that Anthony Mann has a reputation as a low budget film noirist but this is the cheapest attempt at telling a story I've seen in a while. Ulmer's "Detour" is pretty cheap but at least it's interesting. This was interesting at first but the ending just left me flat. Low budget is one thing but out and out cheap is another. I will not fault this films' defenders. To each his or her own. But it's just too cheap for me to see more than once. So it's recommended for Manns' fans and others with their curiosity meter turned WAY up.

SKIN DEEP AND DEEPER
Skin deep is not deep enough.

Jealousy, murder, plastic surgery and revenge in a Hitchcockian tour de force from Director Anthony Mann ("El Cid," "Desperate," "Bamboo Blond," "God's Little Acre").

Mann was widely praised for his meticulous eye for detail and his instinctive sense of mise en scene which he prominently shows in "Strange Impersonation."

The radiant and beautiful Brenda Marshall is a scientist who spurns marriage for her pioneering breakthroughs in the science of anesthetics. That's right, anesthetics. But YOU won't fall asleep watching this very surreal, sly, primitive, artful but low budget tale with a stunning, surprise ending. (Full Screen, B&W, 68 minutes, Not Rated)...

A FEMINIST "DARK PASSAGE"
This cool movie has the production values of a Three Stooges short (Shemp-era), but the writing and acting more than make up for it. The story recalls the best stories by Cornell Woolrich (The Bride Wore Black) and David Goodis (Dark Passage). It's gratifying to see a noir film from the 40's that has so many strong female characters in it. This is an undiscovered gem. Kudos to Kino. ... Read more

Description

Hands Across the Border(Uncut) New Masters, Uncut for the first time! Double Feature. Rogers is appointed a special deputy and goes undercover to help prevent a range war1943 - USA - 72 min - B&W

Billy the Kid Returns--Roy helps Terry solve the murder of her ranger father. Climactic horse race. 1938 - USA - 54 min. - B&W ... Read more

Reviews (2)

GOOD OL ROY
Wonderful, Pure nostalgia, I wrote to Roy as a young lad in the early 50`s. Never had a reply. Never got over it. This certainly makes up for it...I am still the front row kid thrilling to Roy and Triggers adventures even though i am now 60 years of age..For anyone who wants to be transported back 50 odd years or so this is for you. As the Lone Ranger intro used to say. Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear
The only thing that i can never understand and i hope one day to find out. George Gabby Hayes was in most of the early ones and he was nearly always Gabby Whitaker..WHY.

Roy at his digital best!
Roy fans know these films. They have been available for years on tape. If you like Roy, you will love the films.

What makes this and the other Roan Group release special is the care that went into the restoration and DVD transfer. There are loads of bad transfers of films with a limited audience being issued, but this is NOT one of them. These discs are beautiful! In addition, the menus are coded with a musical note to indicate that a song starts at that point.

Can it GET any better than that?!? It sure can! The bonus items on Volume One are very, very cool.

I hope there is more of this catalog to come, but I have tried every way possible to contact the Roan Group. It looks like they are out of business. I suggest you get these two DVDs while you still can. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

"I find a coffin much more comfortable than a bed"
This fun horror classic stars the great Bela Lugosi in one of his best roles! Don't expect the plot to make much sense since nothing is ever really explained. Bela plays a creepy doctor who raises orchids and gives them to virgin girls who are about to be married. When the brides smell them, they go into a comatose state and seem to be dead to everyone. Bela and his henchmen (which includes a dwarf played by Angelo Rossitti from the classic film "Freaks") then steal the bodies by posing as morgue workers with a hearse. Once Bela has the brides at his laboratory he removes some of their 'fluids', which he uses to keep his sick aging wife youthful looking (his wife is played by the great 40s scream queen Elizabeth Russell). Soon a spunky female 'Louis Lane' type reporter played by Luana Walters is on to Bela, and when she tries to investigate (with the help of a hapless doctor), she discovers that Bela and his wife like to sleep in coffins and other odd things. When she confronts Bela about the coffin beds, he calmly replies in one of his most memorable lines ever: "I find a coffin much more comfortable than a bed". Classic 1940s b-movie fun. See it!

Vintage Bela Lugosi doing what he does best
The only thing worse than being left standing at the altar is having your bride fall over dead in the middle of the service. As The Corpse Vanishes opens, that is exactly what is happening; even worse, the bride's corpses keep getting stolen. The cops are baffled, but hard-nosed female reporter Pat Hunter is determined to solve the mystery and make a name for herself in journalism. She follows her leads to the home of Dr. Lorenz (Lugosi) and winds up having the most terrifying night of her life. Lorenz has a peculiar staff-a rather annoying older servant and her two sons, one a midget and the other a seemingly mute and obviously dim-witted stooped-over fellow. Most strange of all, though, is Lorenz's ill-tempered wife. Of course, the Countess has reason to complain because she is constantly fighting old age and death. Lorenz has come up with a way to maintain his wife's youth and beauty; the only catch is that it requires the regular extraction of a certain amount of the essence of life from young girls. Why blushing brides are the specimens of choice is never really made clear. In any event, Pat struggles to find a way to trap the good doctor and convince her boss that she is telling the truth about the things she has discovered.

Interestingly, there are some definite similarities between this 1942 film and 1931's Dracula: Lugosi plays an evil man who must steal the life essence from beautiful young women in order to hold mortality at bay; Lorenz secretly enters the rooms of his guests during the night and stares down at them with the look Lugosi is famous for; Lorenz and his wife sleep in coffins; and the dim-witted, eternally slump-backed assistant (called Angel of all things) can be compared with Dracula's Renfield. The plot is rather weak in spots, but I love the nostalgic campiness of it (and, apparently, the Mystery Science Theater 3000 gang did too). I would rank this movie among the better horror movies of that golden era of cinematic fright. Lugosi fans will surely want to have The Corpse Vanishes in their video libraries as it features one of his best performances.

Please note that this review if for The Corpse Vanishes only, even though you may see it linked to a double feature release featuring a second Lugosi movie.

POOR OLD BELA
Horror icon Bela Lugosi kills virgin brides to extract gland fluids to keep his ancient wife alive. Sounds spooky! It's not. Lugosi plays a mad scientist who heads a burly gang that includes an ugly old hag, a malicious dwarf, and two goons. They shuffle around in this 1942 boring travesty. Midget actor Angelo Rossitto(a favorite in many John Barrymore classics) follows Lugosi around. To appreciate the "Great One", see 1932's "White Zombie(excellent DVD) or "The Black Cat". This minor cheapie will put you fast asleep....

The mad doctor is at it again.
Any number of Bela Lugosi's poverty row films would qualify for "The Best of the Worst" award. "The Corpse Vanishes" is better than average, but just slightly. The story is the typical lurid horror-comics stuff of the mad doctor gone berserk, again and again. The character names change, but Bela essentially plays the same role in the same manner in each film. This entry has the advantage of a good supporting cast. Beautiful ice queen Elizabeth Russell, Simone Simon's feline compatriot in "The Cat People," is the cruel Countess Lorenz. She requires frequent transfusions of body fluid from healthy young women to survive. Dr. Lorenz (Bela) concocts a bizarre plan to keep the fluid supply coming by murdering young brides at the altar. Lugosi's familiar dwarf costar, Angelo Rossitto, is Dr. Lorenz's homunculus partner in crime. The "stormy night in the terrible house" segment, as trite as it sounds, is the best part of this little thriller. People sneak around and creep the night away through secret passages to the strains of a plodding musical score. Check out the Lorenz's sleeping arrangements, and try to keep a straight face. If you feel deprived because you don't have a representative poverty row Bela Lugosi film in your personal video collection this movie is for you. The rest should quietly pass by. ;-)

The Corpse is disguised as a plot
Bela does his best to breathe some life into this film but unfortunately, it's dead on arrival! There is an occassional redeeming scene but the story line is just too weak for the film to stay afloat. Unless you're looking for a cure for insomnia avoid this stinker at all costs! ... Read more

Description

The Corpse Vanishes--Lorenz (Bela Lugosi) kills innocent women to keep his wife young by pumping their blood into her body. Perhaps the most horrific of Bela Lugosi's Monogram series, it is also the silliest in many ways, especially when the audience finds Bela sleeping in a coffin for no discernable reason. 1942 - USA - 64 min

The Devil Bat--Features Bela Lugosi as a chemist who plots an elaborate revenge scheme on his business partners, whom he feels have cheated him out of his share. To this end he creates giant mutant bats to kill rip them into shreds. 1941 - USA - 67 min - B&W ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Corpse and a Bat
In the Devil Bat, Dr. Carruthers (played by Bela Lugosi) raises oversize bats that are enlarged by a special electrical machine. When the company he works for becomes rich because of the perfumes and colognes he has developed, he seeks revenge with these large bats that he has trained to "hate" a particular shaving cologne. His revenge is against his employer and family but a reporter puts together the bats and cologne and douses it on Carruthers. One of the last scenes is a giant bat going after Carruthers.

In The Corpse Vanishes, Dr. Lorenz (played by Bela Lugosi) keeps his wife young by kidnapping young females brides and extracting glandular fluid from them and then uses the fluid for his wife. He does this by kidnapping young brides, using a special orchid that puts them in suspended animation. He keeps the brides in an underground vault until their "fluids" run out.

The Devil Bat and The Corpse Vanishes are not Bela's best work but I think most Bela Lugosi fans will enjoy these two.

The quality of the pictures on the DVD are not crisp - but there are times where some of the old movies need a little less quality to give them their flair.

Lugosi's best Poverty Row films on one disc!
First of all, you know whether or not these are "your" type of movies. They're cheap, short and have Bela Lugosi just as his star was beginning to fade. THE CORPSE VANISHES is a typical Mongram 40's programmer, but Bela's really pretty good in it. The real attraction here is THE DEVIL BAT. An unexpected dose of humor is sprinkled throughout the macabre events. Lugosi is perfect as Dr. Carruthers, fiendlishly plotting deaths with his giant mutated bats. And surely no other film in history has used shaving lotion for such a sinister purpose! Naturally, one wishes for more supplemental materials. But the picture quality (and for the most part, the sound) is up to the usual Roan standard of excellence. There are several other povery row Lugosi films available from Roan (The Invisible Ghost, Bowery at Midnight, etc.) but if you only buy ONE, this is the one to get.

Bela never looked better!
I must admit, I was sweating bullets when I brought this DVD home, I was convinced that there would be something wrong with it, either bad audio, bad video or both. I have both of these films on the digitally remastered versions of the "Bela Lugosi Collection" VHS tapes whose manufacturers name escapes me at the moment. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the picture and sound. And after seeing this DVD, I think it looks even better than the tapes, as well it should! No extras though, I was never big into the "extras" anyway, besides you can't expect many with films like these, but I still love 'em! My hat is off to the Roan Group...I know they've released quite a number of these films on DVD that the bigger studios won't touch, and I've passed them up a number of times, until now. So take my word for it, If you've held off on this DVD waiting for some sucker to "jump in" and write a crappy review, I hate to disappoint you. This is a pleasant surprise. So come on in, Bela fans, the water's fine!

Creaky old low-budget horror movie.
"Vampire Bat" is a Dracula movie without Dracula. Lionel Atwill plays the role of the resident good doctor/mad scientist who sends his mesmerized servant out for victims. The victims are drained of blood Atwill uses in his obscure experiments. Melvyn Douglas, in spite of his obvious American demeanor and manner of expression, has a German sounding name in the movie and plays the local inspector of police. Dwight Frye does well portraying a "Renfield" type madman who gets blamed initially for the mysterious vampire-like killings. Fay Wray is wasted as Atwill's lab assistant. There is a weak attempt at comedy relief via a goofy old woman who likes to pretend she's "doctor for a day" by diagnosing herself and others until she gets her just reward by means of a strong laxative. The atmosphere of the film is spooky; nice and dark and gloomy. Aside from the main characters the villagers all look and talk as authentic mid-Europeans (circa 1930). The real identity of the fiend is kept secret until later in the film. The film does a good job of creating an air of terror and suspense. All things considered, this little film is a good movie for Halloween or anytime when the winds howl in the mountains by night, the clock strikes midnight, and there is something scratching at your bedroom window. Well....we warned you! ... Read more

Description

An engrossing tale of horror and suspense. They say you can't go home again, and this time it might be for a very good reason. After a bus accident, Lorna Webster (Nancy Kelly) returns to her New England hometown, convinced she is a witch, the target of a 300-year-old curse. Strange happenings soon persuade the townsfolk that she's right as Lorna cannot shake the evil that seems to follow her. Caught up in a wave of hysteria, the entire town is driven to extremes. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

CAT PEOPLE made how much???!!!!!!!
It goes without saying that horror films were aplenty in
first half of the 1940's. What with the war raging on two
fronts the general public, god bless 'em, needed that good old
commodity, Escapism! And boy oh boy, did Hollywood do its
best to deliver. Universal gave us its stock in trade with
the Frankenstein's, Mummy's, Invisible men, and even an
occasional Dracula. But respectability was not Universal's
forte and they liked to cut to the chase, something for which
we were all very grateful. Love stories were kept to a minimum
and the monsters prevailed, sending scores of youngsters under
their seats to the crashing cords of Hans Salter's thundering
symphonies. Other studios tried their hands, albeit awkwardly,
at frightening the masses but couldn't seem to find a formula
to call their own. The die had been cast. Universal's stamp
seemed irrevocable until RKO Studios threw a title to a former
Selznick man named Val Lewton. If the audiences would flock
to see a Wolfman... why not Cat People? One can only imagine
what went through Lewton's mind at the thought of producing
this "epic". And yet, it is sometimes the most adverse
elements that produce the most intriguing results. Thus it
was that a whole new body of work found its mark in horrordom.
The pychological, poetic terror that comprises Val Lewton's
efforts almost succeeded in giving the horror market a measure
of respectability, that up until that time, was unheard of.
Critics had tolerated the public's indulgence in "spook shows"
but now eyebrows were being raised. Gone were the boogey men,
the monsters, and the mad scientists. This was the real McCoy!
Deft performances,offbeat stories, and intelligent screenwriting
moved these efforts up a notch. One could actually watch these
films and not feel guilty. Though there were a number of
attempts to duplicate Universal's take on horror, the Val
Lewton approach seemed more elusive. Oddly enough, it was
Universal's WEIRD WOMAN that probably came closest to imitating
Lewton's stock in trade. Curiously, and quite late in the
cycle, Republic Pictures decided to jump on the merry-go-round
and churn out some Universal-style programmers. Again the
formula proved elusive and their oddball efforts like VALLEY
OF THE ZOMBIES and THE PHANTOM SPEAKS remain novelties at
best. But somehow, this poverty row wonder, know for its
riproaring serials and numerous oaters, achieved a much higher
rate of success with its Lewtonesque imitations. THE WOMAN WHO
CAME BACK, along with WHISPERING FOOTSTEPS and STRANGERS IN THE
NIGHT score high marks for attempting to do what other "more
respectable" studios dared not touch. After all, what did
Republic have to lose. They made shoot-em-ups, cornpone
comedies, and ersatz programmers, why not take a stab at
something different? Couldn't hurt? Perhaps that philosophy
allowed a free hand to weave this interesting tale. THE WOMAN
WHO CAME BACK spins an intriguing web. The opening is
exceptional and sets a tone that is never quite matched but
serves its story well. Witchcraft, reincarnation, curses
and mysterioso dominate this Salemesque tale. Nancy Kelley
is sometimes over-the-top but effective nonetheless, John
Loder's leading man seems as much a steal of Kent Smith's
character from CAT PEOPLE as should be expected, right down to
his stoic performance. By far, the most consistenly interesting
character is Otto Kruger, the cleric who serves as the voice
of reason. This production, though released by Republic, was
apparently an independently produced effort. What is odd, is
that Republic would choose to release such an uncharacteristic
item, especially so late in the horror cycle. As a guilty
pleasure, it ranks as a rather polished example of just how
good the poverty row fare could be. But alas, the ending is
a definite mishmash of how not to end a supernatural thriller.
Some things are best left unexplained, especially as in the case
of this minor gem. Unfortunately, no strings are left dangling
here, and every fantastic element is rationalized and refuted.
Still, for the most part, save for the ending, the story plays
fair and delivers what it promises, a stylish tale that merits
a sincere look. This film definitely deserves more attention
then it has received and makes one wish that Republic would have
pursued this type of chiller more often. If your tastes lean
toward atmospheric B-movies then this one is for you.

You Should Stay Away
A contrived B-movie chiller about a woman who returns to her small New England hometown, and becomes convinced that she is possessed by the spirit of a witch who was burned 300 years before. The implausible coincidences of the storyline are almost made acceptable by the earnest performances of a fine cast (including Nancy Kelly, who would leave Hollywood the year after this film was released and return a decade later to win an Oscar nomination for recreating her Tony-award winning role in "The Bad Seed"), as well as some occasionally interesting cinematography and set decorations.

The Image Entertainment film-to-DVD transfer is unacceptably poor compared to the Fox Lorber-Sony VHS edition released in the early 1990's. The DVD source print is severely speckled (particularly in the first reels), has a couple of distracting jumps, and even freezes at one point (no, it's not dual-layered); none of these defects were present on the VHS edition. The movie itself might be a minor "guilty pleasure" that you would enjoy, but Image's substandard DVD transfer should not be supported with your money. ... Read more

Description

128 minute double feature film DVD. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Good value DVD has varying quality.
I don't know that I would recomend Marengo as a quality DVD company, but this double feature from them is pretty good.
First one must consider that MONOGRAM PICTURES was a poverty row studio that rarely kept many negatives around. Most prints existing today were made from negatives struck from the studio's 1940s release prints. This means they are another generation away from the original negatives.

THE CORPSE VANISHES is the weaker of the two picture wise. It is soft and people's faces are a bit washed out. There are always film scratch lines present, but they are not very distracting. The film is clean of splices and the sound is clear. As of 2003, this is the best quality transfer available for this title, about the same as the ROAN copy.

THE INVISIBLE GHOST is much better. It is quite sharp with good contrast, and almost no scratches. The sound is even better. The title card is from a 1950s re-issue by Astor Pictures and that part looks grainy & dark. But don't let that dismay you, the actual movie is good. It is also similar to the ROAN copy.

If you are a fan of these low budget, erie atmosphere films, you will thoroughly enjoy this DVD!

Low-Budget Bela
Marengo Films has done a nice job with its Bela Lugosi double feature -- pairing two of the horror icon's better Monogram efforts, "The Invisible Ghost" (1941) and "The Corpse Vanishes" (1942). Though the print quality of "Corpse" is a notch below the sharpness of "Ghost," it remains superior to most public-domain dupes. Decent sound quality to boot. Neither Lugosi film is a classic, but you could do a lot worse when it comes to low-budget horror.

Invisible Ghost / Corpse Vanishes (DVD)
Bela Lugosi brought class even to second rate productions, and these are 2 of his best B movies. For lovers of "old-fashioned" horror, this dvd makes for a fun evening. Get it.

Bela Lugosi Classics
Being a huge fan of the work of the great Bela Lugosi, I was pleased to see this new arrival from Marengo Films, a new company to this genre. The Invisable Ghost from 1941 and The Corpse Vanishes from 1942 were films Bela made after his famous role in Dracula. In Ghost he is under the spell of his insane and domineering wife. Bela carries out a series of stranglings and is as always, super creepy. The Corpse Vanishes is another classic Lugosi film, Bela plays a crazy scientist that uses human blood to keep his dying wife alive. These two films are a great pairing and a must for Lugosi fans. I look forward to see other films released in this genre from Marengo. ... Read more