BLOOD AND ROSES: ROGER VADIM'S: CAMILLA LITE. REVIEW AND GALLERY

CAST:

Annette Vadim (Carmilla Von Karnstein), Mel Ferrer (Count Leopoldo Von Karnstein), Elsa Martinelli (Georgia Monteverdi), Serge Marquand (Giuseppe), Jacques-Rene Chauffard (Dr Verari)

PRODUCTION:

Director – Roger Vadim, Screenplay – Roger Vadim & Roger Vailland, Story – Claude Brule & Claude Martin, English Language Version Written by Peter Viertel, Based on the Short Story Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu, Producer – Raymond Eger, Photography – Claude Renoir, Music – Jean Prodromides, Art Direction – Jean Andre & Robert Guisgand. Production Company – Les Films EGE/Documento Films. 

SYNOPSIS:
At the ancestral home of the Von Karnstein family in Rome, a masque is held to celebrate the latest descendant Count Leopoldo’s engagement. However, a fireworks display triggers off an unexploded WWII bomb, unearthing the tomb of the Von Karnstein’s vampire ancestor Mircalla. Mircalla emerges and now draws to her and possesses the mind of Leopoldo’s cousin Carmilla.

COMMENTARY

This was the second film made from J. Sheridan Le Fanu’s oft-filmed short story Carmilla (1872). (The first was claimedly Carl Dreyer’s Vampyr (1932), although the connection there is very slim). Blood and Roses comes from Roger Vadim, the French director of various softcore features in the 1960s such as the Brigitte Bardot breakthrough, And God Created Woman (1957) and the great softcore space opera Barbarella (1968). 

Hammer Films had spurred off a substantial revival of Gothic horror with their twin successes The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) and Dracula/The Horror of Dracula (1958) and it seems almost certain that Blood and Roses was intended to ride that wave of success. Hammer Films themselves later spun off a series of Carmilla films, beginning with The Vampire Lovers (1970), with which inevitable comparisons arise. (See below for the Hammer films). The one thing that the Hammer comparison makes one realise is how much Terence Fisher et al tied Hammer’s vision of the Gothic to a specific period and time – when Blood and Roses updates the Le Fanu story in a modern setting one has to consciously jolt themselves to realise that the presence of planes, sports-cars and stereos is not anachronistic.

Opposing the rich, flamboyance of Hammer’s treatment, Roger Vadim’s vampirism is a lot more soft-focus and softcore in intent. There is more eroticism than horror to the film (and British censors cut out much of the softcore lesbianism anyway). In fact, there is very little vampirism going on – there is a ludicrously tame scene where Annette Vadim pursues a servant girl that fades out just as Vadim closes in on her. Nor does the plot do much with the possession/vampirism themes. The atmosphere Roger Vadim creates is occasionally compulsive – there are undeniably striking shots, like the lake lit up by fireworks, and, in particular, the surrealistic fevre dream that turns black-and-white with bodies swimming upside down outside French windows and an operation where the surgeon’s gloves are all tinted blood red. The beautiful photography, classy music, elaborate costumes and ornately layed-out gardens make for a sumptuously assembled film – but alas little more than that.

Other adaptations of Carmilla include:– Terror in the Crypt (1963); Hammer’s trilogy consisting of The Vampire Lovers (1970), Lust for a Vampire (1971) and Twins of Evil (1972); The Blood-Spattered Bride (1972) and Carmilla (tv movie, 1987).

CHRISTOPHER LEE MELISSA STRIBLING: DRACULA 1958

HAMMER FILM PRODUCTIONS:  DRACULA 1958

BARBARA SHELLEY: BLOOD OF THE VAMPIRE: VINTAGE LOBBY CARDS GALLERY

FULL REVIEW AND PRESS STILLS GALLERY CLICK HERE:  HERE

THE LIFE CAREER AND DISAPPEARANCE OF MILTON REID

Sometimes you’ll be watching a film and a minor supporting player will suddenly appear and command your attention in a way that is more powerful and immediate than the leading actors. It could a physical gesture they make or a line of dialogue uttered in an unusual way or simply the look of their face or body or both. Milton Reid is one of those actors. His credit is likely to be down toward the bottom of the cast list with the designated role of “The Executioner” or “The Bodyguard” or “The Club Bouncer” or “The Big Pirate” but it’s his mug that will stick in your memory long after the film fades. He appears to be of Asian descent though one biographical reference intimated that his ususual features were the result of Turner syndrome which is incorrect because that rare genetic disorder only affects about 1 out of every 2,500 FEMALE births. But it’s possible that his exotic look was the result of something other than being the son of an Irish father and Indian (as in Bombay) mother.

Strangely enough, my introduction to this imposing character actor wasn’t in a movie but in a series of trading cards issued by Universal in 1963 known as “Spook Stories” which stuck silly captions on stills from the studio’s horror films (here’s a link to an article on Monster trading cards –There were two images of Mr. Reid from the 1962 Hammer film NIGHT CREATURES that conjured up all kinds of crazy scenarios in my mind of who this character was. (The original British title of NIGHT CREATURES was CAPTAIN CLEGG which was a remake of the 1937 British feature; Walt Disney remade it in 1963 for television where it was broadcast in three parts on “The Wonderful World of Disney” as “The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh” and Patrick McGoohan played “The Scarecrow” aka Dr. Syn.)

When I finally caught up with NIGHT CREATURES years later Mr. Reid does indeed pop out of the screen during his brief scenes as “The Mulatto,” a huge mountain of a man whose tongue is cut out because of his treachery to the pirate Captain Clegg. He is later used by the relentless Captain Collier (Patrick Allen) to sniff out the incognito Clegg who is behind a smuggling operation in the village of Dymchurch. The film is a rousing and highly atmospheric period thriller with some wonderful visuals (the appearance of the marsh phantoms), and spirited performances (Peter Cushing, Patrick Allen and Oliver Reed have fun with their roles). But Milton Reid’s larger than life presence is mesmerizing. He’s like a caged wild animal here, grunting, growling and desperate, and though his part is relatively small, it’s of crucial importance to the story and leads to Clegg’s undoing.

NIGHT CREATURES, however, is probably an exception to most of the films Reid made where his on-screen time was barely more than that of an extra. And he rarely had dialogue because with a face and body like that who needs it? But even in one scene appearances or minor supporting roles you couldn’t miss the guy. He stands out the way Tor Johnson does in the Ed Wood films. You can’t look at anything else. You might not have known his name but you’ve probably seen him many times – he was the Japanese executioner in THE CAMP ON BLOOD ISLAND (1958), the big pirate in Walt Disney’s SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON (1960), a guard working for DR. NO (1962), the strong man in BERSERK! (1967), the mute dog handler in THE BLOOD ON SATAN’S CLAW (1971) which will be shown on TCM’s Underground franchise on 3/28, Biederbeck’s man servant in DR. PHIBES RISES AGAIN (1972), he played Sabbala in THE PEOPLE THAT TIME FORGOT (1977) and Sandor in THE SPY WHO LOVED ME (1977). 

According to a biography for Reid posted on IMDB by Jim Marshall, Reid was born in Bombay, India in 1917. He moved to London in 1936, married fashion illustrator Bertha Lilian Guyett in 1939 and made his first film appearance in the British propaganda film THE WAY AHEAD in 1944. Then the bio gets extremely interesting: “After the war he trained as a wrestler, turning professional in 1952, firstly as a Tarzan-like character called Jungle Boy wearing leopard skin trunks. He also continued to play small parts in films, usually as a tough guy or bodyguard, often as a cruel henchman such as the Japanese executioner in THE CAMP ON BLOOD ISLAND (1958). His break-through came in 1959 when he was required to shave his head for the role of Yen the pirate in FERRY TO HONG KONG. He remained shaven-headed for the rest of his career, also changing his wrestling image to that of “The Mighty Chang,” an oriental giant. On stage he played in pantomime at the London Palladium as the Slave of the Lamp…However, most people remember Milton Reid as the bodyguard sorting out pretty girls for his boss in a long-running pipe tobacco commercial. In 1964 Milton challenged “The Great Togo” (aka Harold Sakata) to a wrestling contest to decide who would play the coveted role of Odd-Job in G0LDFINGER. Unfortunately, Milton had already been killed off in the first Bond movie Dr No (1962), so the producers were forced to pick Sakata and the “eliminator contest” wasn’t needed.”

Reid’s film career began to wind down in the late seventies and some of his last roles were in such sleazy softcore features as CONFESSIONS FROM THE DAVID GALAXY AFFAIR (1979) and QUEEN OF THE BLUES (1979), his final credited screen appearance. According to a poster on the britmovie.co.uk forums, there is an article on Reid in the book KEEPING THE BRITISH END UP, a survey of British softcore sex comedies. However, Reid’s story becomes much more unusual after 1979. Jim Marshall’s IMDB bio states that “Milton decided to try his luck in “Bollywood” and in 1980 returned to India. However, various problems arose and in 1981 he was arrested by Indian police for “trespassing, damaging furniture and disconnecting a telephone.” The trouble started when he visited his mother and sister in Bangalore, and there was a dispute with tenants at his sister’s bungalow. Police also complained of violence and abuse when they tried to detain him, and there were accusations of a manservant being assaulted. The following year Milton was stated by some reference works to have died from a heart attack, but that was incorrect. The actor’s son (same name) was still receiving correspondence sent by his father from Bangalore up to December 1986. Significantly, nothing was heard after that date, and the present assumption is that Milton Reid died in obscurity somewhere in India during the early part of 1987, although no death certificate or confirmation has been received by the family. Sadly, Bertha died in England in 1997, at the age of 90, still not knowing what had become of her husband. However, research continues.”

Despite the above information, some internet biographical sources have maintained that Reid died of a heart attack in London in 1982 but offer no explanation or evidence of their research. Reid’s grandson, Ian Reid, in fact, has challenged this fact in a web posting that read “I would be very interested to find out where the information about his death came from as this does not agree with how my family and I believe his life came to an end. His death and the location of his death are in fact a mystery. Therefore I would be interested to hear about any proof that backs up the claim that he died in London of a heart attack in 1982.”

We may never know what happened to “The Mighty Chang” but at least we can marvel at his unique presence in more than fifty films. 

FEATURE:HERE 
IMAGES: Marcus Brooks 

2013 CENTENARY YEAR FOR PETER CUSHING: THE GENTLEMAN OF FANTASY CINEMA

Although this site gets it's fair share of Peter Cushing material the UK Peter Cushing Appreciation Society Facebook Fan Page and Website petercushing.org.uk, is really where the action is! Here's the society's banner for January, featuring a vintage photograph from a TV MIRROR AND DISC NEWS front cover, July 13th 1957, with Peter posing with a few model solders from his vast collection. If you have a facebook account, why not take a look, click like and join in the next tweleve months of celebration?

YVONNE ROMAIN IN HAMMER FILMS CAPTAIN CLEGG GALLERY : VINTAGE LOBBY CARDS

SIX GREAT FULL SIZE SCANS OF THE LOVELY YVONNE ROMAIN FROM 'CAPTAIN CLEGG' STARRING PETER CUSHING, OLIVER REED, PATRICK ALLEN AND MICHAEL RIPPER. BE SURE TO CATCH ANOTHER FULL GALLERY AND REVIEW OF CAPTAIN CLEGG AT PETERCUSHING.ORG.UK

THEBLACKBOXCLUB ON FACEBOOK: CLICK LIKE AND DON'T MISS A THING!

IF YOU HAVE A FACEBOOK ACCOUNT AND WANT TO CATCH UP ON WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THEBLACKBOXCLUB.COM, VISIT THE 'HAMMER HORROR AMICUS TIGON: AND ANYTHING ELSE WE LIKE!' GROUP AT FACEBOOK. JUST CLICK 'LIKE' ON THE GROUP FOR UPDATES, NEWS AND EXTRA GALLERIES.

VAMPIRE CIRCUS: HAMMER FILMS MINI STILLS GALLERY

A CIRCUS OF DELIGHTS! HAMMER FILM PRODUCTIONS 'VAMPIRE CIRCUS' FOR  A FULL REVIEW AND BEHIND THE SCENES GALLERY PLEASE CLICK ON HERE: VAMPIRE CIRCUS

VERONICA CARLSON AND KATE O'MARA: HAMMER GLAMOUR BLACKBOXCLUB PIN UPS NUMBER 36

BLACKBOXCLUB PIN UPS NUMBER 36 VERONICA CARLSON AND KATE OMARA FROM HAMMER FILMS THE HORROR OF FRANKENSTEIN 1970

VINCENT PRICE BARBARA STEELE: PIT AND THE PENDULUM: HORROR THAT SWINGS WITH STYLE TO SPARE

CAST:

Vincent Price (Nicholas Medina/Sebastian Medina), John Kerr (Francis Barnard), Luana Anders (Catherine Medina), Anthony Carbone (Dr Charles Leon), Barbara Steele (Elizabeth Barnard Medina)

PRODUCTION:

Director/Producer – Roger Corman, Screenplay – Richard Matheson, Based on the Short Story by Edgar Allan Poe, Photography – Floyd Crosby, Music – Les Baxter, Photographic Effects – Butler-Glouner Inc & Ray Mercer, Special Effects – Pat Dinga, Makeup – Ted Coodley, Production Design – Daniel Haller. Production Company – AIP.

SYNOPSIS:
Spain in the year 1546. Upon the news of his sister Elizabeth’s death, Francis Barnard goes to pay respects to her husband, nobleman Nicholas Medina. Once there, Francis decides to stay on, dissatisfied with Medina’s lack of explanations about what happened to Elizabeth. As a child, Medina watched his grandfather, a member of the Spanish Inquisition, torture his mother and uncle to death. He is verging on madness, believing that he buried Elizabeth while she was still alive. Things happen to suggest that Elizabeth may still be alive and/or haunting the castle. Francis must decide whether the hauntings are real or the result of Medina’s tormented mind. When the ghost of Elizabeth reappears, Medina snaps and goes over the edge. Believing that he is now his grandfather, Medina imprisons Francis in a bladed pendulum torture device.

COMMENTARY:

The Pit and the Pendulum was the second of Roger Corman’s Edgar Allan Poe adaptations, following The House of Usher (1960). (See below for Roger Corman’s other Edgar Allan Poe titles and films). Corman has reunited most of the creative team behind The House of Usher, including Vincent Price, screenwriter Richard Matheson, photographer Floyd Crosby, production designer Daniel Haller and musician Les Baxter. This time he has also recruited Barbara Steele, who made a striking appearance as the reincarnated witch in Mario Bava’s Black Sunday (1960) around the same time that The House of Usher came out.

  

Along with The Masque of the Red Death (1964), Pit and the Pendulum is usually the fan favourite among Roger Corman’s Edgar Allan Poe films. However, it does feel overshadowed by the success of The House of Usher, as though Corman and Richard Matheson felt like they were under pressure to make another Usher. The plot draws heavily draws upon The House of Usher – again an ordinary man travels to Vincent Price’s foreboding house in search of a woman who is close to him and has to force his way into the household against the unwelcome he encounters; the house and sanity of its owner is interwound and clearly crumbling; there is talk of the physical presence of the house where the depravities of the past have created a physical evil that affects the inhabitants/descendants in the present day; Vincent Price is cast as a tormented character crushed by the weight of his fears; and there is another premature burial plot. (Not that this is any different from the rest of the films in the Poe series – at times, it seemed as though Roger Corman and Richard Matheson merely shuffled around the themes and gave the characters different names). 

Notedly in contrast to the film here, the Edgar Allan Poe short story The Pit and the Pendulum (1850) is a mood piece in which the unnamed narrator finds himself in a cell after sentence by The Inquisition where he is slowly tortured by a descending bladed pendulum. The story consists of little more than the narrator’s fear and terror as the blade scrapes closer to his body over a matter of days. There is little background to the original story, no explanation of how the narrator came to be there, while the end of the story delivers an abrupt deus ex machina salvation that occurs in a single paragraph. All the rest of the plot that takes place in the film has been invented by Richard Matheson. To such extent, the title of the film feels like a cheat – all that corresponds to the short story has been crammed into about the last twenty minutes of the film; and even there it is largely removed from much of the slim context that Poe gave in the story. 

There is no torturer in the original, just the narrator being tortured in the cell as the pendulum descends. Much of the story also takes place with the cell in total darkness, which has necessarily been changed here due to the uncinematic problems that this presents. The Poe story is a masterpiece in terms of conjuring fear, terror and impending dread. Most of the film adaptations of The Pit and the Pendulum make it solely about a unique torture instrument and fail to discover any of the internal psychological torment that is the essence of the story. In fact, the big story twist in Pit and the Pendulum feels as though Corman and Matheson were attempting to graft Poe onto a Les Diaboliques (1955)-styled psycho-thriller. The plot of Les Diaboliques with its elaborately staged contrivations to drive someone mad was just starting to be imitated by the likes of William Castle and Hammer Films. However, incorporated here, such a plot sits somewhat at odds with Poe’s brooding, tortured mood.  

 

On the directorial front, Roger Corman drums up a good deal of thunderous atmosphere. The sets are expectedly lush – the doom-laden labyrinthine house interiors and the massive dungeon are good, the colour and set dressings are so drenched in midnight blue that the colour almost seems to be running down the screen. Despite this, Pit and the Pendulum is often slow moving – it takes three-quarters of the running time before it fully gets going. Nevertheless, when Corman finally plays his hand in the last quarter, the film works well – Barbara Steele’s emergence from the tomb and pursuit of Vincent Price is good. The pendulum makes for a good climax and the darkly ironic final shot holds a sting. Barbara Steele is certainly an interesting casting choice, her Romantic looks and alabaster beauty hide a nice otherworldly chill – unfortunately, Roger Corman fails to make substantial use of her here in the way that the Italian directors who turned her into a cult figure during the 1960s managed to.

Other versions of the Edgar Allan Poe story have been Alice Guy-Blache’s French lost silent short The Pit and the Pendulum (1913); The Pit (1962), a British short film adaptation; Stuart Gordon’s campy The Pit and the Pendulum (1991), which was also set during The Inquisition; and The Pit & the Pendulum (2009) from low-budget hack David DeCoteau.

Roger Corman’s other Edgar Allan Poe films are The House of Usher/The Fall of the House of Usher (1960), Premature Burial (1962), Tales of Terror (1962), The Raven (1963), the Poe-titled but H.P. Lovecraft adapted The Haunted Palace (1963), The Masque of the Red Death (1964) and The Tomb of Ligeia (1964).  

Roger Corman’s other genre films as director are:– Day the World Ended (1955), It Conquered the World (1956), Not Of This Earth (1956), War of the Satellites (1956), Attack of the Crab Monsters (1957), The Saga of the Viking Women and Their Journey to the Waters of the Great Sea Serpent (1957), The Undead (1957), Teenage Caveman (1958), A Bucket of Blood (1959), The Wasp Woman (1959), Last Woman on Earth (1960), The Little Shop of Horrors (1960), Creature from the Haunted Sea (1961), Tower of London (1962), The Terror (1963), X – The Man with X-Ray Eyes (1963), The Trip (1967), Gas; or It Became Necessary to Destroy the World in Order to Save It (1970) and Frankenstein Unbound (1990). Corman’s World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel (2011) is a documentary about Corman’s career.
 
Review: Richard Scheib
Images: Marcus Brooks