WEBVTT

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Well, well, well, hello everybody. Vincent here

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with Camp Kaiju. I'm going to turn the reins

00:00:04.759 --> 00:00:08.359
over to Mr. Peter and Lori here before you know

00:00:08.359 --> 00:00:11.759
it, but I just wanted to say a few things about

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our upcoming rest of the year, season five, part

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two. Here we go, folks. Hello and welcome to

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Camp Kaiju Monster Movie Podcast. We are your

00:00:37.359 --> 00:00:40.740
hosts, Vincent Hannum. And Matt Levine. And we

00:00:40.740 --> 00:00:42.719
are talking about all of our favorite monster

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movies. The good, the bad, and the downright

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campy and asking if they stand the test of time.

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Traditional kaiju, creature features, space invaders,

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the supernatural, and everything in between.

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All strange beasts welcome here. Yeah? Yeah,

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this is Peter Lorre speaking. I couldn't resist

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the temptation to call you. I just read of your

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new picture that you ought to make. Oh, that's

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very nice of you. Thanks for your interest. Oh,

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I thought you were magnificent in M. And just

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the other night I saw your new picture. It demanded

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you too much. What character are you going to

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play in it? Oh, it's a most unusual story. You

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know, it's a great love drama. I am to be a half

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-mad scientist. I, a poor peasant, have conquered

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science. Why can't I conquer love? He shall be

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shut up when it's I who am mad. But nobody knows

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that. Yes. Each man kills the thing he loves.

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For those of you who have not yet listened to

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our episode, Ibira Horror of the Deep, at the

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end of that episode, me and Matt do reveal our

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upcoming lineup. And what those are at first,

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I'll just give you a little teaser. Coming up

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next week already is Congo from 1995, based on

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a Michael Crichton novel about killer gorillas

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in Africa in the jungle. Um, it's an expedition

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pulpy adventure film. Ernie Hudson is in it and

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Laura Linney and Tim Curry and some talking gorillas.

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Yeah. You got to see it to believe it. Um, it's

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a wild time after that in August, later this

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month, we will continue our creature feature

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trend with jaws too. Um, which I am excited to

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talk about. I know Matt is too. The sequel to

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arguably one of the greatest movies of all time.

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How does Jaws 2 hold up? Well, we're going to

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watch it. We're going to discuss it. And then

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after that, we have some traditional kaiju. We

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have some King Kong movies. We have a Guillermo

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del Toro flick. We have some classic Universal

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monsters. So a lot of exciting things coming

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up. But again, I'm going to direct you to our

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episode on Abira, Horror of the Deep. You know

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what? Feel free to skip ahead to the last 15,

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20 minutes. I won't know if you do. So go ahead

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and do it and hear what's in store. You can also

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follow us on camp underscore kaiju underscore

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podcast on Instagram, where I will also be sharing

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information about the upcoming season. You can

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follow us on patreon .com slash camp kaiju. You're

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definitely going to get some insider baseball

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there about what's coming up. So lots of ways

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to support Camp Kaiju. We love you for that support.

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We got to shout out our patrons who contribute

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every month to keep this engine rolling. And

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that's not me just, you know, talking out my

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rear end there. Honestly, we appreciate everything

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you do. We have ads up at the Riverview theater

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in Minneapolis. We have a lot of overhead with

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editing software that you are able to provide

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and so much more. So honestly, thank you, Jason.

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Thank you. Beast drool. Thank you, Chris B. Thank

00:05:04.120 --> 00:05:06.959
you. Our anonymous patron. Thank you, Sean. Thank

00:05:06.959 --> 00:05:09.759
you, Peggy. We hope you enjoyed the magnets and

00:05:09.759 --> 00:05:12.899
we want to hear from you and all your favorites,

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monster movies, things you'd like to, have us

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cover on the show. And those of you who do chime

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in again, much appreciated. And we hope you're

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having a great summer. All right. Well, I'm going

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to turn it over to Peter Laurie. For those of

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you who don't know, this episode is kind of a

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compilation of these segments. Mr. Laurie has

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been recording about poverty row horror movies,

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which is the term for a number of. Studios in

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Hollywood in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s, right?

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You had the major studios, think about Universal,

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Warner Brothers, MGM. And then across town, you

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had the B -movies, the B -movie studios, just

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churning out kind of quantity over quality. Republic

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Pictures, PRC, and these studios, Monogram, how

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could I forget? But these studios really... Their

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forte were horror films and thrillers. And these

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horror films are so bare bones with their budget,

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their threadbare effects. Like when the bat flies

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on screen, you can see the strings type of stuff.

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But with that said, many of them are very charming

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films. Many of them are weird. And I mean strange

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pictures about mad scientists turning into gorillas.

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werewolves, zombie gangsters. And I mean, that's

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kind of the beauty of these poverty row studios

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where, you know, they didn't have the budget

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that Universal did, but they made up for it with

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some really outside the box imagination because

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they weren't hemmed in by all the other restraints

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that come with some of the major studios at the

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time. They ain't worried about the critics. Let

00:07:06.759 --> 00:07:12.370
me put it that way. So it's been a really enlightening,

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informative, entertaining series from Mr. Laurie,

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who gets to talk about Bela Lugosi and George

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Zuko and Dwight Frye and Boris Karloff, John

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Carradine, kind of a who's who rogues gallery

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of classic horror cinema. So if you haven't checked

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out any of these movies, do so. They're all in

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public domain, of course, all on YouTube. Tubi,

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that's where I'm watching. But give this episode

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a listen, get caught up to speed, and then stick

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around and listen to each of our other episodes,

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even if you've never seen, say, Congo. Well,

00:07:50.149 --> 00:07:53.850
tune in for the continuing adventures of Peter

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Lorre and all the hijinks he gets into. We hope

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you enjoy. I hope you enjoy. Matt hopes you enjoy.

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And until next time. Stay campy. Now we're going

00:08:07.389 --> 00:08:17.850
to turn it over to Peter Lorre. Welcome to Poverty

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Row Studios on the other side of Hollywood where

00:08:21.970 --> 00:08:25.110
the stars were dimmer and the red carpets dripped

00:08:25.110 --> 00:08:28.470
with blood. Together, we will watch the best

00:08:28.470 --> 00:08:31.069
of the worst. Movies known for their limited

00:08:31.069 --> 00:08:34.429
budgets, outlandish concepts, and questionable

00:08:34.429 --> 00:08:37.590
performances. But with enough ghosts, zombies,

00:08:37.789 --> 00:08:40.269
ape men, and devil bats to keep you up at night,

00:08:40.429 --> 00:08:44.070
this is the Poverty Row Picture Show, and I dare

00:08:44.070 --> 00:08:52.409
you to sleep through these nightmares. Hello,

00:08:52.629 --> 00:08:55.610
listeners. And thank you for joining me in this

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new segment as we scrape the bottom of the Hollywood

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barrel. What we find may be questionable, but

00:09:02.990 --> 00:09:06.450
keep an open mind. Some of our favorite monsters

00:09:06.450 --> 00:09:10.289
live in the quagmire of our psyches. If I may

00:09:10.289 --> 00:09:13.830
introduce myself, I am Peter Lorre. You may know

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me from such films as The Beast with Five Fingers

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and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. This week...

00:09:21.759 --> 00:09:26.259
On the Poverty Row Picture Show, I... Oh, yes,

00:09:26.600 --> 00:09:30.440
that is right, of course. Listeners, allow me

00:09:30.440 --> 00:09:34.879
to introduce my assistant. No, Pierre, you are

00:09:34.879 --> 00:09:38.360
not a co -host. I don't care what imaginations

00:09:38.360 --> 00:09:40.860
you harbor in that insignificant brain of yours.

00:09:41.960 --> 00:09:47.019
My apologies, listeners. This is Pierre, my little

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rodent friend and in one time would -be assassin.

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It is a tale of horror and bloodshed that I will

00:09:54.440 --> 00:09:57.059
share as we get to know each other a little better

00:09:57.059 --> 00:10:00.399
throughout the season. Now, as I was saying,

00:10:00.700 --> 00:10:04.320
this week on the Poverty Row Picture Show, I

00:10:04.320 --> 00:10:08.840
am discussing the 1940 horror comedy Boys of

00:10:08.840 --> 00:10:12.120
the City from Monogram Pictures. This dreadful

00:10:12.120 --> 00:10:14.919
affair stars the lovably dim -witted gang of

00:10:14.919 --> 00:10:17.879
orphans known as the East End Kids. they made

00:10:17.879 --> 00:10:20.279
dozens of screwball pictures throughout hollywood's

00:10:20.279 --> 00:10:23.340
golden age boys of the city finds the rascals

00:10:23.340 --> 00:10:25.559
solving a ghostly murder mystery in a mansion

00:10:25.559 --> 00:10:28.559
in the country hilarity ensues when gangsters

00:10:28.559 --> 00:10:31.759
arrive with their own schemes and desires for

00:10:31.759 --> 00:10:37.019
fame and desires for riches now the film is directed

00:10:37.019 --> 00:10:39.820
by joseph h lewis a director of later distinction

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and despite the overall technical deficiencies

00:10:42.700 --> 00:10:45.539
the ensemble offers enough charm for what it

00:10:45.539 --> 00:10:48.820
is worth however Where I cannot in good faith

00:10:48.820 --> 00:10:51.440
recommend this movie is in its portrayal of the

00:10:51.440 --> 00:10:54.460
one black character of the gang played by Sunshine

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Sammy Morrison. Oh, my friends, fellow listeners,

00:10:59.539 --> 00:11:02.360
there are some regrettable moments of racial

00:11:02.360 --> 00:11:05.299
caricature that are scarier than any of the ghostly

00:11:05.299 --> 00:11:08.860
goings -on. I can only hope that future East

00:11:08.860 --> 00:11:11.220
End Kid installments are more sensitive in this

00:11:11.220 --> 00:11:16.659
manner. But only time will tell! No, Pierre,

00:11:16.899 --> 00:11:19.379
you should not laugh at any of this. This was

00:11:19.379 --> 00:11:23.019
a terrible moment in the film. What you are referencing,

00:11:23.120 --> 00:11:26.240
don't ever do that again in my presence, please.

00:11:26.340 --> 00:11:29.480
What is the matter with you? Go do whatever it

00:11:29.480 --> 00:11:34.700
is that the little podcasting rats do. Anyways,

00:11:35.100 --> 00:11:38.299
next time on the Poverty Row Picture Show, we

00:11:38.299 --> 00:11:42.259
serve up our first mad scientist feature, a Boris

00:11:42.259 --> 00:11:46.200
Karloff movie known as The Ape. It promises to

00:11:46.200 --> 00:11:49.919
be some serious monkey business. You'll simply

00:11:49.919 --> 00:11:55.399
go bananas over this tale of crazed madness and

00:11:55.399 --> 00:12:09.799
monkeying around. Matt, is that someone by the

00:12:09.799 --> 00:12:12.980
door looking in your window? Is it like a little

00:12:12.980 --> 00:12:17.850
squat? German -looking fella with a bowl cut?

00:12:18.230 --> 00:12:22.710
I think it might be. I think so. Oh, he's in

00:12:22.710 --> 00:12:28.370
the room behind you. Hello, Matthew. Oh my god,

00:12:28.429 --> 00:12:33.509
Peter! Hi. Just don't mind me. I gotta get to

00:12:33.509 --> 00:12:36.309
the bucket of fish heads in the refrigerator.

00:12:38.269 --> 00:12:41.370
We forgot to feed you. I'm so sorry, man. That's

00:12:41.370 --> 00:12:44.480
okay. Now I can leave. the podcasting booth so

00:12:44.480 --> 00:12:47.419
i can just help myself come and go uh maybe in

00:12:47.419 --> 00:12:49.159
the middle of the night when you're when you're

00:12:49.159 --> 00:12:52.440
when you're fast asleep uh i'll try not to disturb

00:12:52.440 --> 00:12:55.940
you um but just know that i'll be creeping around

00:12:55.940 --> 00:12:59.840
well i'm probably not gonna sleep at all tonight

00:12:59.840 --> 00:13:01.639
if i think about you creeping around my bedroom

00:13:01.639 --> 00:13:03.299
in the middle of the night but you know it's

00:13:03.299 --> 00:13:06.419
cool you're welcome you can come in well believe

00:13:06.419 --> 00:13:09.299
me matthew i am not as scary as some of these

00:13:09.299 --> 00:13:12.919
poverty real picture show movies that that that

00:13:12.919 --> 00:13:15.559
I'll be talking about tonight or today, this

00:13:15.559 --> 00:13:18.620
week. I'll be talking about The Ape from Monogram,

00:13:18.940 --> 00:13:23.179
a truly fiendish film starring Boris Karloff

00:13:23.179 --> 00:13:26.220
from 1940. But I've got to get back to my booth

00:13:26.220 --> 00:13:29.460
now and get ready to record, and I've got to

00:13:29.460 --> 00:13:34.659
munch on these fish heads. Well, I can't wait

00:13:34.659 --> 00:13:36.740
to hear it, Peter. Good luck. It's going to be

00:13:36.740 --> 00:13:41.480
amazing as always. Okay, goodbye. Ausgezeichnet,

00:13:41.519 --> 00:13:45.250
goodbye. You got to meet him. There he was. Yeah,

00:13:45.250 --> 00:13:48.389
yeah. He kind of startled me a little bit, but,

00:13:48.429 --> 00:13:50.389
you know, it happens. So I didn't know you like

00:13:50.389 --> 00:13:53.769
you gave him a key or like what? I didn't know.

00:13:54.149 --> 00:13:57.509
Yeah, I'm a little unsettled right now. I don't

00:13:57.509 --> 00:13:59.370
know how he got into my apartment, but, you know,

00:13:59.409 --> 00:14:03.629
it's cool. He's I guess he's in. He's a welcome

00:14:03.629 --> 00:14:06.039
guest from now on. All right, that's it. You're

00:14:06.039 --> 00:14:09.539
living with Peter Lorre. Yeah, it's going to

00:14:09.539 --> 00:14:11.879
be the name of my autobiography, Living with

00:14:11.879 --> 00:14:15.500
Peter Lorre. That's good. Okay, well, you know,

00:14:15.500 --> 00:14:18.299
we got some more fun coming up, everybody. After

00:14:18.299 --> 00:14:20.600
Peter Lorre talks with the Poverty Row Picture

00:14:20.600 --> 00:14:23.179
Show, we're going to come up to my fun little

00:14:23.179 --> 00:14:29.200
game here. Welcome to Poverty Row Studios on

00:14:29.200 --> 00:14:32.399
the other side of Hollywood. where the stars

00:14:32.399 --> 00:14:35.580
were dimmer and the red carpets dripped with

00:14:35.580 --> 00:14:38.940
blood. Together we will watch the best of the

00:14:38.940 --> 00:14:42.179
worst. Movies known for their limited budgets,

00:14:42.620 --> 00:14:47.080
outlandish concepts, and questionable performances,

00:14:47.440 --> 00:14:50.980
but with enough haunted houses, zombies, ape

00:14:50.980 --> 00:14:53.840
men, and devil bats to keep you up at night.

00:14:54.299 --> 00:14:58.950
This is the Poverty Row Picture Show. And I dare

00:14:58.950 --> 00:15:12.409
you to sleep through these nightmares. Listeners,

00:15:12.409 --> 00:15:15.509
oh my goodness, if you've ever tasted Matthew's

00:15:15.509 --> 00:15:18.330
fish heads, you'd know what a delicacy I have

00:15:18.330 --> 00:15:24.090
here. He is really a swell guy for taking me

00:15:24.090 --> 00:15:27.860
in the way he has. I tell you, I have come a

00:15:27.860 --> 00:15:30.519
long way since the imprisonment I suffered last

00:15:30.519 --> 00:15:35.700
season. I tell you, these fish heads. All right,

00:15:35.720 --> 00:15:39.440
all right, enough monkey business. Let's get

00:15:39.440 --> 00:15:44.679
to The Ape starring Boris Karloff. This film

00:15:44.679 --> 00:15:48.259
from Monogram Pictures stars the legend in his

00:15:48.259 --> 00:15:52.789
only poverty road outing. Karloff had just starred

00:15:52.789 --> 00:15:55.830
in the previous year's Son of Frankenstein with

00:15:55.830 --> 00:15:58.809
Universal, and his star was bigger than ever.

00:15:59.049 --> 00:16:02.470
In The Ape, Karloff plays a seemingly innocent

00:16:02.470 --> 00:16:05.870
doctor who is searching for a cure for polio.

00:16:05.950 --> 00:16:09.710
However, a gorilla has recently escaped the circus

00:16:09.710 --> 00:16:13.129
and begins murdering the townsfolk. Karloff's

00:16:13.129 --> 00:16:16.950
doctor then uses the spinal fluid from these

00:16:16.950 --> 00:16:20.809
victims to complete the life -saving medicine.

00:16:22.230 --> 00:16:25.350
Karloff and the gorilla are truly a dastardly

00:16:25.350 --> 00:16:29.029
duo until the finale's shocking twist. It will

00:16:29.029 --> 00:16:32.950
put you over a barrel of monkeys, it is so bananas.

00:16:34.590 --> 00:16:38.269
Now, the ape is no King Kong, but it does offer

00:16:38.269 --> 00:16:40.950
plenty of campiness to make it worth your while.

00:16:41.950 --> 00:16:45.409
Karloff rises above the material with a subdued

00:16:45.409 --> 00:16:49.750
yet sincere performance. He leaves all the absurdity

00:16:49.750 --> 00:16:53.590
to the ape, here played by Ray Corrigan, an actor

00:16:53.590 --> 00:16:56.350
we will see again play the part of a fiendish

00:16:56.350 --> 00:16:59.789
killer gorilla, an entire genre popular with

00:16:59.789 --> 00:17:03.710
the Poverty Row Studios. The screenplay for The

00:17:03.710 --> 00:17:07.009
Ape was co -written by screenwriter Kurt Siodmak,

00:17:07.130 --> 00:17:10.160
who was just getting started in Hollywood. But

00:17:10.160 --> 00:17:12.480
after the ape, he would make a name for himself

00:17:12.480 --> 00:17:16.019
writing, The Wolfman, I Walked With a Zombie,

00:17:16.339 --> 00:17:20.759
Donovan's Brain, and all their classics. Well,

00:17:20.960 --> 00:17:23.660
as for the ape, I guess we all have to start

00:17:23.660 --> 00:17:28.420
somewhere. Next time on the Poverty Row Picture

00:17:28.420 --> 00:17:31.460
Show, we now turn our attention to the skies

00:17:31.460 --> 00:17:34.160
and cover our necks from the impending attack

00:17:34.160 --> 00:17:39.319
of the devil bat. A Bela Lugosi movie from PRC

00:17:39.319 --> 00:17:41.819
that makes the ape look like a nominee for Best

00:17:41.819 --> 00:17:45.779
Picture. Yes, yes, listeners, keep hanging in

00:17:45.779 --> 00:17:48.599
there and you will witness some truly batty filmmaking

00:17:48.599 --> 00:17:52.119
when a rat with wings is turned into a rampaging

00:17:52.119 --> 00:17:56.619
hellspawn of Satan. Speaking of, where has my

00:17:56.619 --> 00:18:00.859
own little vermin friend run off to? Oh, no,

00:18:00.920 --> 00:18:04.140
dear listeners, I do not like it when Pierre

00:18:04.140 --> 00:18:08.109
hides from me. He... He cannot be trusted. No,

00:18:08.250 --> 00:18:12.490
do not let your guard down. Not since the incident

00:18:12.490 --> 00:18:36.250
last season with the meat cleaver. Welcome to

00:18:36.250 --> 00:18:39.710
Poverty Row Studios on the other side of Hollywood.

00:18:39.930 --> 00:18:42.690
Where the stars were dimmer and the red carpets

00:18:42.690 --> 00:18:45.509
dripped with blood. Together we will watch the

00:18:45.509 --> 00:18:48.309
best of the worst. Movies known for their limited

00:18:48.309 --> 00:18:51.650
budgets, outlandish concepts, and questionable

00:18:51.650 --> 00:18:54.809
performances. But with enough haunted houses,

00:18:55.069 --> 00:18:58.170
zombies, ape men, and devil bats to keep you

00:18:58.170 --> 00:19:01.589
up at night. This is the Poverty Row Picture

00:19:01.589 --> 00:19:04.940
Show. I dare you to sleep through these nightmares.

00:19:08.779 --> 00:19:13.619
In season four of Camp Kaiju, I was unceremoniously

00:19:13.619 --> 00:19:16.519
resurrected from my grave by Matthew and Vincent,

00:19:16.740 --> 00:19:19.339
and I was forced into reviewing monster movies

00:19:19.339 --> 00:19:22.220
of the silent era in exchange for my eventual

00:19:22.220 --> 00:19:26.460
freedom. I lived, worked, and ate fish heads

00:19:26.460 --> 00:19:29.000
in this recording booth that soon became its

00:19:29.000 --> 00:19:32.890
own kind of eternal sarcophagus of hell. As I

00:19:32.890 --> 00:19:35.869
marked the days until my freedom, a little mouse

00:19:35.869 --> 00:19:39.549
burrowed its way into my prison. Sporting a friendly

00:19:39.549 --> 00:19:42.269
smile and an off -color sense of humor, this

00:19:42.269 --> 00:19:45.609
rodent, whose name was Pierre, soon became not

00:19:45.609 --> 00:19:48.529
only my bosom buddy, but my lifeline to the outside

00:19:48.529 --> 00:19:52.390
world. All this changed one fateful evening,

00:19:52.490 --> 00:19:55.150
when Pierre was overcome with murderous envy

00:19:55.150 --> 00:19:58.819
for my natural broadcasting abilities. He attacked

00:19:58.819 --> 00:20:01.079
me with a meat cleaver, and things have never

00:20:01.079 --> 00:20:06.019
been quite the same. And now, well, well, I suppose

00:20:06.019 --> 00:20:08.859
I better get back to the poverty row picture,

00:20:08.940 --> 00:20:12.720
but I have not seen Pierre around, and flashbacks

00:20:12.720 --> 00:20:15.400
to that terrible night flash before my eyes.

00:20:16.200 --> 00:20:20.000
Listeners, beware of little mousy feet scurrying

00:20:20.000 --> 00:20:24.339
in the night. Now, until the rat bastard shows

00:20:24.339 --> 00:20:27.799
his face, Let us enjoy the antics of a certain

00:20:27.799 --> 00:20:32.079
rat with wings known as The Devil Bat, starring

00:20:32.079 --> 00:20:35.759
Bela Lugosi from Poverty Row Studio Producers

00:20:35.759 --> 00:20:40.579
Releasing Corporation, better known as PRC. This

00:20:40.579 --> 00:20:43.359
studio was the poorest of the bunch, but that

00:20:43.359 --> 00:20:46.380
did not prevent Bela Lugosi from a string of

00:20:46.380 --> 00:20:49.680
leading roles in their horror endeavors. The

00:20:49.680 --> 00:20:52.579
Devil Bat may just be the best of the bunch.

00:20:53.349 --> 00:20:57.009
Logosi stars as an amiable scientist with a mad

00:20:57.009 --> 00:21:01.549
secret. He has been breeding enormous bats for

00:21:01.549 --> 00:21:04.190
the purpose of exacting revenge on those business

00:21:04.190 --> 00:21:06.910
associates who have cheated him out of a fortune.

00:21:07.289 --> 00:21:10.609
These bats have been conditioned to seek out

00:21:10.609 --> 00:21:13.930
the pungent odor of a certain aftershave that

00:21:13.930 --> 00:21:17.150
Logosi tricks his victims into applying onto

00:21:17.150 --> 00:21:20.960
their necks. Dracula move over. There's a new

00:21:20.960 --> 00:21:24.299
blood -sucking monster in town, and it is a giant

00:21:24.299 --> 00:21:27.279
rubber prop on strings screaming bloody murder.

00:21:28.440 --> 00:21:31.819
Truly, listeners, The Devil Bat is essential

00:21:31.819 --> 00:21:36.339
viewing for fans of classic horror movies. And

00:21:36.339 --> 00:21:39.259
while critically dismissed in its day, The Devil

00:21:39.259 --> 00:21:42.819
Bat nevertheless spawned rip -offs and its own

00:21:42.819 --> 00:21:47.200
sequel. The popular appeal is no doubt thanks

00:21:47.200 --> 00:21:50.720
to Lugosi. who delivers a signature deadpan performance

00:21:50.720 --> 00:21:54.019
in an otherwise campy picture where you'll find

00:21:54.019 --> 00:21:56.579
yourself laughing at the dramatic action and

00:21:56.579 --> 00:21:58.980
groaning through the attempts at comedic relief.

00:21:59.519 --> 00:22:02.579
It's really, really a joy of motion picture making

00:22:02.579 --> 00:22:05.579
and a breath of fresh air as we delve into the

00:22:05.579 --> 00:22:09.859
depths of classic schlock. Next time on the Poverty

00:22:09.859 --> 00:22:13.319
Row Picture Show, we will discuss another Lugosi

00:22:13.319 --> 00:22:17.480
film from PRC called The Invisible Ghost. in

00:22:17.480 --> 00:22:20.099
which Lugosi plays another friendly town leader

00:22:20.099 --> 00:22:24.140
beset with madness. This time, over the disappearance

00:22:24.140 --> 00:22:29.319
of his wife. But is she really gone? Stay tuned

00:22:29.319 --> 00:22:44.319
to find out! Of the dead. Hey you! What are you

00:22:44.319 --> 00:22:53.079
doing here? Now you see him. Now you don't. Hold

00:22:53.079 --> 00:22:57.500
your breath and save your laughs. When Bela Lugosi,

00:22:57.660 --> 00:23:00.680
that master of horror, meets those gloom -busting

00:23:00.680 --> 00:23:04.200
Eastside kids, even a respectable ghost gets

00:23:04.200 --> 00:23:10.279
a nervous breakdown. It says here that in the

00:23:10.279 --> 00:23:13.339
night he prowls about seeking new victims, and

00:23:13.339 --> 00:23:15.940
in the daytime he sleeps in a coffin. Well, let's

00:23:15.940 --> 00:23:17.500
wait till daytime. We ain't waiting for nothing.

00:23:17.539 --> 00:23:21.259
We're going right now. Go ahead. Open it. Why

00:23:21.259 --> 00:23:23.859
are you opening it? Maybe it ain't supposed to

00:23:23.859 --> 00:23:26.859
be open till Christmas. Who are you? You don't

00:23:26.859 --> 00:23:29.920
remember me. For 20 years ago in this very house,

00:23:30.140 --> 00:24:12.369
you scared the hell out of me. there's bound

00:24:12.369 --> 00:24:14.609
to be a lot of noise. But I, as a scientist,

00:24:14.730 --> 00:24:17.250
take many things into consideration a layman

00:24:17.250 --> 00:24:19.750
might overlook. Ever smell anything like this

00:24:19.750 --> 00:24:23.109
before? Found it in Don Morton's bathroom. Well,

00:24:23.130 --> 00:24:25.710
yes. That's the same stuff that's been on every

00:24:25.710 --> 00:24:28.130
one of the Devil Bat's victims. All four of the

00:24:28.130 --> 00:24:29.829
murdered people had this lotion on them when

00:24:29.829 --> 00:24:32.569
the Devil Bat struck. Layton, I'm afraid all

00:24:32.569 --> 00:24:35.849
these murders have affected your mind. Now, my

00:24:35.849 --> 00:24:38.210
plan is to sit in the garden, and when the killer

00:24:38.210 --> 00:24:40.670
makes one of those power dives, I'll blast him.

00:24:45.869 --> 00:24:48.369
Tonight you have work to do. It's time you were

00:24:48.369 --> 00:25:52.849
on your way. found new tracks up around Dr. Adrian's

00:25:52.849 --> 00:25:55.410
house. Maybe we men of science think different

00:25:55.410 --> 00:25:57.470
from other people, but if they ever find out

00:25:57.470 --> 00:25:58.630
in the village what you've been doing... You

00:25:58.630 --> 00:26:00.890
mean about the animals? Yes, some of the dogs

00:26:00.890 --> 00:26:02.829
have been missed. Well, that phase of the experiment

00:26:02.829 --> 00:26:06.109
is all over. That ape seems to take a fancy to

00:26:06.109 --> 00:26:08.089
your place. Now, don't take offense, Doctor.

00:26:08.170 --> 00:26:11.190
I'm just trying to clear up my mind. Them dogs

00:26:11.190 --> 00:26:13.470
of mine have been sniffing ape for days. It's

00:26:13.470 --> 00:26:16.210
made them foolish, I guess. That's why they snarl

00:26:16.210 --> 00:26:21.849
at you. Eh? No. What are you gonna do to me?

00:26:23.769 --> 00:26:25.849
I'm going to write you into medical history.

00:27:02.160 --> 00:27:05.720
Poverty Row Studios, on the other side of Hollywood,

00:27:05.940 --> 00:27:08.819
where the stars were dimmer and the red carpets

00:27:08.819 --> 00:27:12.400
dripped with blood. Together, we will watch the

00:27:12.400 --> 00:27:15.319
best of the worst. Movies known for their limited

00:27:15.319 --> 00:27:18.460
budgets, outlandish concepts, and questionable

00:27:18.460 --> 00:27:21.380
performances, but with enough haunted houses,

00:27:21.680 --> 00:27:24.539
zombies, ape men, and devil bats to keep you

00:27:24.539 --> 00:27:28.099
up at night. This is the Poverty Row Picture

00:27:28.099 --> 00:27:31.220
Show, and I dare you to sleep tonight. these

00:27:31.220 --> 00:27:39.859
nightmares. And perhaps this week's movie, Invisible

00:27:39.859 --> 00:27:42.839
Ghost, could be the first to challenge your droopy

00:27:42.839 --> 00:27:47.059
eyelids at the end of a hard day's work. This

00:27:47.059 --> 00:27:50.000
film is the second of nine pictures that Bela

00:27:50.000 --> 00:27:53.220
Lugosi made with quintessential poverty row studio

00:27:53.220 --> 00:27:59.410
PRC. By 1941, Bela Lugosi was relegated to minor

00:27:59.410 --> 00:28:02.390
supporting roles in the horror films at Universal

00:28:02.390 --> 00:28:06.470
Studios. But on Poverty Row, producers eager

00:28:06.470 --> 00:28:10.130
for even the dimmest of stars readily gave Lugosi

00:28:10.130 --> 00:28:13.710
top billing in their pictures. For Lugosi, it

00:28:13.710 --> 00:28:16.410
was truly better to be a king in hell than a

00:28:16.410 --> 00:28:19.069
servant in heaven. And while the devil bat was

00:28:19.069 --> 00:28:21.869
a hit, his follow -up project, Invisible Ghost,

00:28:22.109 --> 00:28:27.410
leaves much to be desired in the ways of... Oh,

00:28:27.450 --> 00:28:31.009
well, hello, Pierre. What is it you are holding

00:28:31.009 --> 00:28:39.109
behind your... Oh, a bouquet of flowers. Lilac's

00:28:39.109 --> 00:28:43.049
my favorite. No, no, Pierre, there is nothing

00:28:43.049 --> 00:28:47.130
wrong. I was just concerned about your whereabouts

00:28:47.130 --> 00:28:52.089
these several weeks. And how is your skin holding

00:28:52.089 --> 00:28:57.130
up? Ah, breaking it in, yes, yes, that makes

00:28:57.130 --> 00:29:01.950
sense, Pierre. Oh, all right, I will see you

00:29:01.950 --> 00:29:06.630
later. Yes, my place at Matthews. Oh, he will

00:29:06.630 --> 00:29:10.369
let you in, I am sure. Well, farewell. Farewell,

00:29:10.369 --> 00:29:14.430
Pierre, my little rodent friend. Listeners, listen

00:29:14.430 --> 00:29:17.730
closely. Pierre has returned with a peace offering,

00:29:17.950 --> 00:29:21.210
or so it would seem. Time will tell if he can

00:29:21.210 --> 00:29:23.950
be trusted since that fateful night with the

00:29:23.950 --> 00:29:27.190
meat cleaver. That night where I overpowered

00:29:27.190 --> 00:29:31.599
him and turned the cleaver on my friend. I thought

00:29:31.599 --> 00:29:34.779
that was the end until I returned to Camp Kaiju

00:29:34.779 --> 00:29:37.359
and discovered that my producers had stitched

00:29:37.359 --> 00:29:40.640
Pierre back together like a furry Humpty Dumpty

00:29:40.640 --> 00:29:44.180
from hell. And now Pierre's smile is forever

00:29:44.180 --> 00:29:47.480
fixed on his face and burned into my nightmares.

00:29:48.960 --> 00:29:52.500
Well, allow me to place these lilacs in a vase

00:29:52.500 --> 00:29:56.519
while I continue to review Invisible Ghost. The

00:29:56.519 --> 00:29:59.700
film was directed by Joseph H. Lewis. whom we

00:29:59.700 --> 00:30:03.299
discussed on Boys of the City. Here, too, Lewis

00:30:03.299 --> 00:30:06.599
valiantly imbues the picture with camera flourishes

00:30:06.599 --> 00:30:10.039
and dramatic lighting. However, the film cannot

00:30:10.039 --> 00:30:13.940
overcome its nonsensical story, whereby Lugosi

00:30:13.940 --> 00:30:16.720
mourns his wife, whom he thought had run away,

00:30:16.920 --> 00:30:20.099
but who secretly lives on the premises. And when

00:30:20.099 --> 00:30:22.940
Lugosi sees her, he is bewitched into a murderous

00:30:22.940 --> 00:30:26.359
fugue state. Night after night this happens and

00:30:26.359 --> 00:30:29.180
as the bodies mount, you are left wondering why

00:30:29.180 --> 00:30:32.799
A. folks are still living in the house and B.

00:30:32.960 --> 00:30:38.160
why the detective does not suspect Lugosi. Shamefully,

00:30:38.160 --> 00:30:41.400
the film takes on unintentional madness when

00:30:41.400 --> 00:30:43.880
the police are willing to apprehend the one black

00:30:43.880 --> 00:30:47.019
character for the crimes until Lugosi sees his

00:30:47.019 --> 00:30:49.759
wife and drops into his crazed somnambulance.

00:30:51.330 --> 00:30:53.910
Overall, invisible ghosts will leave you scratching

00:30:53.910 --> 00:30:58.009
your head. However, Lugosi and Clarence Muse,

00:30:58.150 --> 00:31:01.210
who plays Evans the butler, provide enough charm

00:31:01.210 --> 00:31:04.470
to endure this 60 -minute cavalcade of confusion

00:31:04.470 --> 00:31:07.690
that will leave you wanting to know what is next

00:31:07.690 --> 00:31:11.910
on the Poverty Row Picture Show. Well, well,

00:31:11.910 --> 00:31:15.930
listeners, it is our first zombie movie called

00:31:15.930 --> 00:31:30.980
Thing of the Zombies. Matt, have you heard of

00:31:30.980 --> 00:31:33.720
King of the Zombies? I've heard of it, but I've

00:31:33.720 --> 00:31:39.000
never seen it. This movie, Poverty Row, a horror

00:31:39.000 --> 00:31:42.839
film that Peter Lorre is going to dish on. This

00:31:42.839 --> 00:31:45.480
movie, King of the Zombies, let me tell you what,

00:31:45.599 --> 00:31:48.400
it has some problematic depictions of African

00:31:48.400 --> 00:31:53.119
-Americans as a zombie movie would from the 30s

00:31:53.119 --> 00:31:59.200
and 40s. With that said, there are some images.

00:31:59.839 --> 00:32:05.680
that make it an interesting watch. And this movie

00:32:05.680 --> 00:32:09.599
has a score that was nominated for an Academy

00:32:09.599 --> 00:32:14.059
Award. Wow. Is it a worthy nomination? Did you

00:32:14.059 --> 00:32:18.500
like the music? I did not notice the music. Okay.

00:32:18.819 --> 00:32:22.079
But then I did read that factoid about it. It's

00:32:22.079 --> 00:32:24.680
like a lot of jungle drums and rhythmic beatings.

00:32:27.980 --> 00:32:32.240
sounds highly questionable yeah you know like

00:32:32.240 --> 00:32:35.480
how much more do i have to say but yeah i think

00:32:35.480 --> 00:32:38.420
1941 is also the year that i walked with a zombie

00:32:38.420 --> 00:32:40.220
came out which we talked about on the podcast

00:32:40.220 --> 00:32:42.940
before and which i really love there's some questionable

00:32:42.940 --> 00:32:44.799
stuff in that movie too but i think the overall

00:32:44.799 --> 00:32:46.880
intention not to go on too much of a tangent

00:32:46.880 --> 00:32:51.960
uh is to you know condemn imperialism and slavery

00:32:51.960 --> 00:32:56.000
and kind of depict the white uh colonizers in

00:32:56.000 --> 00:32:58.200
that movie as totally messed up and just like

00:32:58.200 --> 00:33:02.980
uh like burdened with guilt and uh yeah that's

00:33:02.980 --> 00:33:04.700
that's a fascinating movie i would imagine that

00:33:04.700 --> 00:33:07.480
king of the zombies maybe is not quite as complex

00:33:07.480 --> 00:33:10.700
as i walked the zombie but i could be wrong maybe

00:33:10.700 --> 00:33:14.579
not but uh but mr laurie let us turn it over

00:33:14.579 --> 00:33:31.549
to you Welcome to Poverty Row Studios on the

00:33:31.549 --> 00:33:34.210
other side of Hollywood. Where the stars were

00:33:34.210 --> 00:33:36.730
dimmer and the red carpets dripped with blood.

00:33:36.970 --> 00:33:39.529
Together we will watch the best of the worst.

00:33:39.890 --> 00:33:43.109
Movies known for their limited budgets, outlandish

00:33:43.109 --> 00:33:46.690
concepts, and questionable performances. But

00:33:46.690 --> 00:33:49.710
with enough haunted houses, zombies, ape men,

00:33:49.809 --> 00:33:53.029
and devil bats to keep you up at night. This

00:33:53.029 --> 00:33:56.539
is the Poverty Row Picture Show. I dare you to

00:33:56.539 --> 00:34:03.000
sleep through these nightmares. I am your host,

00:34:03.119 --> 00:34:06.680
Peter Lorre. You may know me from such horror

00:34:06.680 --> 00:34:11.099
pictures as Mad Love and Roger Corman's The Raven.

00:34:11.739 --> 00:34:14.800
If only I had been cast in this week's feature

00:34:14.800 --> 00:34:19.039
entitled King of the Zombies. After the initial

00:34:19.039 --> 00:34:23.400
casting of Bela Lugosi fell through, Monogram

00:34:23.400 --> 00:34:26.440
Studios reached out to me to play the leading

00:34:26.440 --> 00:34:31.559
role. Alas, I had other obligations. Oh, what

00:34:31.559 --> 00:34:35.199
could have been? I've always wanted to play in

00:34:35.199 --> 00:34:39.219
a zombie picture, and the chance to play opposite

00:34:39.219 --> 00:34:43.099
the wonderfully talented Mandan Moreland would

00:34:43.099 --> 00:34:48.320
have been an honor. Oh, but listeners, I get

00:34:48.320 --> 00:34:51.739
ahead of myself. We must begin with a little

00:34:51.739 --> 00:34:58.099
plot synopsis and... And... Hmm... No, sorry,

00:34:58.300 --> 00:35:01.139
I don't mean to be distracted by those lilacs

00:35:01.139 --> 00:35:05.280
that Pierre had gifted me last time on the show,

00:35:05.420 --> 00:35:11.360
but... No, no, it couldn't be. Did they move?

00:35:12.840 --> 00:35:17.059
No, it must have been a shadow. A trick of the

00:35:17.059 --> 00:35:21.550
light. My rational brain clouded by paranoia.

00:35:22.110 --> 00:35:27.750
No. No, I am positive these are just your everyday

00:35:27.750 --> 00:35:33.889
Ronald O'Meal immobile flower cuttings. They

00:35:33.889 --> 00:35:39.789
smell wonderful. Okay, anyways. Thank you for

00:35:39.789 --> 00:35:43.780
bearing with me. So, King of the Zombies. tells

00:35:43.780 --> 00:35:46.820
the tale of three Americans who are piloting

00:35:46.820 --> 00:35:50.260
a reconnaissance plane over the Caribbean. The

00:35:50.260 --> 00:35:53.179
two pilots are clearly buddies, and the third

00:35:53.179 --> 00:35:56.519
is the valet, played by African -American comedian

00:35:56.519 --> 00:36:01.219
Mandan Moreland. Naturally, the trio get lost,

00:36:01.480 --> 00:36:06.260
crash land on an island, and run afoul of a mysterious

00:36:06.260 --> 00:36:11.000
Nazi agent practicing voodoo to control a population

00:36:11.000 --> 00:36:15.880
of native zombies for nefarious deeds. Along

00:36:15.880 --> 00:36:19.820
the way, Mandan Moreland provides comic relief

00:36:19.820 --> 00:36:23.119
that is problematic in its minstrel presentation,

00:36:23.460 --> 00:36:27.380
and yet, you can't help but appreciate the energy

00:36:27.380 --> 00:36:30.980
and the charm the actor brings to an otherwise

00:36:30.980 --> 00:36:35.550
lifeless picture. Did you know King of the Zombies

00:36:35.550 --> 00:36:39.309
was even nominated for an Academy Award? Yes,

00:36:39.309 --> 00:36:43.889
it's true, for Best Original Score. As dubious

00:36:43.889 --> 00:36:47.210
as it may seem, it adds an additional bit of

00:36:47.210 --> 00:36:51.030
novelty to this movie. King of the Zombies is

00:36:51.030 --> 00:36:53.550
a poverty row horror film that throws too many

00:36:53.550 --> 00:36:57.409
wild ideas into the mix to be ignored. Check

00:36:57.409 --> 00:36:59.969
this one out, friends, and let me know what you

00:36:59.969 --> 00:37:03.320
think of Mr. Moreland's performance. of the rhythmic

00:37:03.320 --> 00:37:06.500
beating of the drums, and if I should have been

00:37:06.500 --> 00:37:10.219
in this movie. You can be honest. I can take

00:37:10.219 --> 00:37:15.619
it. I swear to all that is unholy. Next time

00:37:15.619 --> 00:37:19.159
on the Poverty Row Picture Show, we will revisit

00:37:19.159 --> 00:37:22.739
those East End kids as they get mixed up in a

00:37:22.739 --> 00:37:25.539
haunted house stocked by none other than Bela

00:37:25.539 --> 00:37:29.840
Lugosi and a dwarf assistant in a film called

00:37:29.840 --> 00:37:45.730
Spooks Run Wild. Peter Lorre, you know, he's

00:37:45.730 --> 00:37:49.829
around here somewhere. Is he still crashing at

00:37:49.829 --> 00:37:52.929
your place, Matt? You know, he vanished, much

00:37:52.929 --> 00:37:55.250
like Richard Stanley at the airport in Australia.

00:37:55.590 --> 00:37:58.030
I don't know where he went. He's probably at

00:37:58.030 --> 00:38:00.369
a retreat somewhere around here. Who knows? Eating

00:38:00.369 --> 00:38:03.429
his bucket of fish heads, though, I'm sure. I

00:38:03.429 --> 00:38:05.289
would love to see what kind of retreat he's going

00:38:05.289 --> 00:38:12.300
to for long deceased. Horror stars. Probably

00:38:12.300 --> 00:38:14.099
just the bottom of a well somewhere. That's what

00:38:14.099 --> 00:38:17.880
he means by retreat. Well, wherever he's at,

00:38:18.059 --> 00:38:23.139
he has recorded a segment for us for the Poverty

00:38:23.139 --> 00:38:26.000
Row Picture Show, a movie called Spooks Run Wild

00:38:26.000 --> 00:38:30.440
from 1941. That sounds made up, but it's a it's

00:38:30.440 --> 00:38:33.179
it's a fun movie, actually, with Bela Lugosi

00:38:33.179 --> 00:38:35.880
and the East End kids. And there's another dwarf

00:38:35.880 --> 00:38:39.429
actor in that actually named Angelo Rosito. So

00:38:39.429 --> 00:38:41.289
just a coincidence there, we're featuring two

00:38:41.289 --> 00:38:45.309
movies with smaller, shorter than average actors.

00:38:46.489 --> 00:39:03.809
So, Peter, take it away. Welcome to Poverty Row

00:39:03.809 --> 00:39:07.119
Studios on the other side of Hollywood. Where

00:39:07.119 --> 00:39:09.820
the stars were dimmer and the red carpets dripped

00:39:09.820 --> 00:39:12.739
with blood. Together we will watch the best of

00:39:12.739 --> 00:39:15.599
the worst. Movies known for their limited budgets,

00:39:15.900 --> 00:39:19.179
outlandish concepts, and questionable performances.

00:39:19.719 --> 00:39:23.019
But with enough haunted houses, zombies, ape

00:39:23.019 --> 00:39:25.619
men, and devil bats to keep you up at night.

00:39:26.059 --> 00:39:29.760
This is the Poverty Row Picture Show. I dare

00:39:29.760 --> 00:39:36.360
you to sleep through these nightmares. I am your

00:39:36.360 --> 00:39:40.239
host, Peter Lorre. You may know me from such

00:39:40.239 --> 00:39:45.559
horror pictures as Arsenic and Old Lace and Tales

00:39:45.559 --> 00:39:51.360
of Terror, the latter of which I co -star with

00:39:51.360 --> 00:39:55.039
fellow creatures of the night, that villainous

00:39:55.039 --> 00:40:00.360
Vincent Price and Basil Scullend Crossbones Rathbone.

00:40:01.230 --> 00:40:04.449
I recently met up with my blood -curdling colleagues

00:40:04.449 --> 00:40:08.630
at a secret retreat for long -dead horror icons.

00:40:09.429 --> 00:40:13.909
No, I swore an oath to keep our antics under

00:40:13.909 --> 00:40:18.010
wraps, but I can tell you I have never seen anyone

00:40:18.010 --> 00:40:21.190
tear up a dance floor like Boris Karloff after

00:40:21.190 --> 00:40:25.570
one too many. But listeners, it is good to be

00:40:25.570 --> 00:40:30.940
back in my own room, in Matthew's home. He even

00:40:30.940 --> 00:40:34.679
had a bucket of fish heads waiting for me. He

00:40:34.679 --> 00:40:39.179
is a hell of a guy. Oh, as for Pierre, he is

00:40:39.179 --> 00:40:42.980
taking some time off, but remember those lilacs

00:40:42.980 --> 00:40:47.980
he so thoughtfully left me? Yes, they are thriving

00:40:47.980 --> 00:40:53.360
beyond my wildest dreams. I came home to find

00:40:53.360 --> 00:41:00.579
them as tall as I, and... Oh, what is this? Listeners,

00:41:00.579 --> 00:41:04.840
there is a strange light emanating from the leaves.

00:41:05.260 --> 00:41:08.719
I turn off the light and they glow in the dark.

00:41:09.119 --> 00:41:14.599
I do not know what this is all about, but I will

00:41:14.599 --> 00:41:17.420
put this out of my mind for now as I turn to

00:41:17.420 --> 00:41:21.619
reviewing this week's Poverty Row picture, Spooks

00:41:21.619 --> 00:41:26.050
Run Wild, starring Bela Lugosi. and that gang

00:41:26.050 --> 00:41:31.230
of grotesque teenagers, the East End Kids. Now

00:41:31.230 --> 00:41:34.489
this picture finds the kids solving the mystery

00:41:34.489 --> 00:41:38.690
of the, quote, monster killer as they spend the

00:41:38.690 --> 00:41:43.329
night in a countryside haunted house. Hijinks

00:41:43.329 --> 00:41:47.130
abound as the kids run into cobwebs, suits of

00:41:47.130 --> 00:41:53.070
armor and secret passageways. Lugosi plays the

00:41:53.070 --> 00:41:56.829
supposed monster, along with his dwarf sidekick.

00:41:57.530 --> 00:42:00.670
Now how does this story of hilarious suspense

00:42:00.670 --> 00:42:08.510
end? You will have to see for yourself. The last

00:42:08.510 --> 00:42:11.090
time we saw the East End kids on the Poverty

00:42:11.090 --> 00:42:14.989
Row Picture Show was the odious Boys of the City,

00:42:15.309 --> 00:42:19.630
rife with racist jabs at the lone black actor

00:42:19.630 --> 00:42:24.320
of the troupe, Sunshine Sammy Morrison. How does

00:42:24.320 --> 00:42:28.880
Mr. Morrison fare in this outing? I am pleased

00:42:28.880 --> 00:42:33.739
to say much, much better. The problematic jokes

00:42:33.739 --> 00:42:37.840
are still there, albeit turned down, and Mr.

00:42:38.039 --> 00:42:40.920
Morrison appears more confident in his presence

00:42:40.920 --> 00:42:44.780
in the gang, allowing such teasing to roll off

00:42:44.780 --> 00:42:48.340
his back. He even gets some good zingers back

00:42:48.340 --> 00:42:52.840
at his friends. The script is co -written. by

00:42:52.840 --> 00:42:55.840
Carl Foreman who would go on to write the classics

00:42:55.840 --> 00:43:00.559
High Noon and The Bridge on the River Kwai, believe

00:43:00.559 --> 00:43:06.000
it or not. Now as for Bela Lugosi, he holds his

00:43:06.000 --> 00:43:09.460
own and appears to enjoy spoofing his vampire

00:43:09.460 --> 00:43:14.179
image. The picture was a money maker despite

00:43:14.179 --> 00:43:18.599
mixed reviews and Monogram decided to reunite

00:43:19.099 --> 00:43:24.019
Legosi and the Kids in 1943's Ghosts on the Loose,

00:43:24.059 --> 00:43:28.340
which we will review at a later date. Next time,

00:43:28.340 --> 00:43:32.340
however, we will discuss a John Carradine picture

00:43:32.340 --> 00:43:38.320
from PRC entitled Bluebeard. Now, where did I

00:43:38.320 --> 00:43:54.400
put my planting shears? Yeah, so glad he's back,

00:43:54.480 --> 00:43:55.980
by the way. I kind of thought that ended at the

00:43:55.980 --> 00:43:58.139
end of last season, but I'm glad that he's back.

00:43:58.820 --> 00:44:03.320
We couldn't keep him away. Just when you think

00:44:03.320 --> 00:44:05.840
he's out. No, that quote doesn't work in this

00:44:05.840 --> 00:44:07.320
case. Sorry, never mind. You know what I'm getting

00:44:07.320 --> 00:44:09.460
at, though. When I was listening to the Beast

00:44:09.460 --> 00:44:12.880
from 20 ,000 Fathoms episode the other day, all

00:44:12.880 --> 00:44:15.920
the stuff about the fish heads and Matt's fridge

00:44:15.920 --> 00:44:21.019
was making me laugh pretty hard. And it's true.

00:44:21.159 --> 00:44:22.980
I cannot get the stench out of my apartment.

00:44:23.079 --> 00:44:27.679
It's terrible. Oh, gross. I love the Peter Lorre

00:44:27.679 --> 00:44:58.099
thing. I came to say goodbye, Jones. You never

00:44:58.099 --> 00:45:08.280
left me without saying goodbye. No clues, no

00:45:08.280 --> 00:45:10.920
fingerprints, no motive, nothing. But surely

00:45:10.920 --> 00:45:12.840
if a man was choked to death, there would be

00:45:12.840 --> 00:45:15.440
imprints on his throat. Why in the world do you

00:45:15.440 --> 00:45:24.119
stay in this place? We can't leave. Thank you.

00:45:57.869 --> 00:46:01.670
Matt, did you know Peter Lorre has a growing

00:46:01.670 --> 00:46:05.369
lilac in his room, which I think is across the

00:46:05.369 --> 00:46:08.409
hall from your room? Ah, I did not know that.

00:46:08.449 --> 00:46:11.050
I thought I could detect a faint whiff of floral

00:46:11.050 --> 00:46:15.550
bouquet coming from his, you know, his tiny little

00:46:15.550 --> 00:46:18.550
dungeon there, but I did not know that, no. Yeah,

00:46:18.570 --> 00:46:20.230
I mean, next time, like, he's out of the house,

00:46:20.369 --> 00:46:23.349
don't tell him I said this, but check on it.

00:46:23.960 --> 00:46:26.539
He says it's starting to emanate like a glow,

00:46:26.760 --> 00:46:29.539
like a radioactive glow. It might be getting

00:46:29.539 --> 00:46:33.639
bigger for all the wrong reasons. I don't know.

00:46:33.679 --> 00:46:36.260
Just check in on him. All right. I'm a little

00:46:36.260 --> 00:46:38.099
scared. It might be like a little shop of horrors

00:46:38.099 --> 00:46:40.880
scenario, I think. I think so, but he's never

00:46:40.880 --> 00:46:43.659
seen that movie, so I don't know if he knows

00:46:43.659 --> 00:46:46.739
what he's getting into. Yeah. Oh, man. Poor Peter.

00:46:46.840 --> 00:46:49.480
All right. I'll check on his safety as well as

00:46:49.480 --> 00:46:52.539
the lilac as soon as I can. Okay. Thank you.

00:46:53.389 --> 00:46:55.449
We look out for each other here, listeners, at

00:46:55.449 --> 00:46:58.250
Camp Kaiju. But Peter Lorre's going to talk about

00:46:58.250 --> 00:47:05.230
the 1944 movie called Bluebeard from PRC, or

00:47:05.230 --> 00:47:07.489
Monogram Pictures. Don't remember which. But

00:47:07.489 --> 00:47:09.849
it stars John Carradine. He's a serial killer

00:47:09.849 --> 00:47:14.730
slash puppeteer. And this movie actually has

00:47:14.730 --> 00:47:17.750
quite a reputation. Have you heard of Edgar G.

00:47:17.789 --> 00:47:21.570
Ulmer? Yeah. Yeah, he directed this movie. That

00:47:21.570 --> 00:47:23.289
sounds great. I'm very excited to hear Peter's

00:47:23.289 --> 00:47:25.550
thoughts about that. Edgar G. Elmer also directed

00:47:25.550 --> 00:47:28.530
Detour, which is a great film noir. Yeah, so

00:47:28.530 --> 00:47:32.710
I'll let Mr. Laurie dish on all that. But yeah,

00:47:32.809 --> 00:47:35.510
interesting stuff coming up. Cool. Thank you,

00:47:35.510 --> 00:47:54.289
Peter, as always. Danke, Shane. Welcome to Poverty

00:47:54.289 --> 00:47:57.750
Row Studios on the other side of Hollywood, where

00:47:57.750 --> 00:48:00.449
the stars were dimmer and the red carpets dripped

00:48:00.449 --> 00:48:03.389
with blood. Together we will watch the best of

00:48:03.389 --> 00:48:06.170
the worst, movies known for their limited budgets,

00:48:06.570 --> 00:48:09.829
outlandish concepts, and questionable performances.

00:48:10.349 --> 00:48:13.670
But with enough haunted houses, zombies, ape

00:48:13.670 --> 00:48:16.269
men, and devil bats to keep you up at night,

00:48:16.510 --> 00:48:20.400
this is the Poverty Row Picture Show. I dare

00:48:20.400 --> 00:48:26.400
you to sleep through these nightmares. I am your

00:48:26.400 --> 00:48:30.659
host, Peter Lorre. You may remember me and my

00:48:30.659 --> 00:48:34.860
sultry voice from such pictures as The Maltese

00:48:34.860 --> 00:48:38.699
Falcon with Humphrey Bogart and The Invisible

00:48:38.699 --> 00:48:44.480
Agent, where I played a Japanese agent for Universal.

00:48:44.900 --> 00:48:48.599
Well, I'm going to move on from that one. This

00:48:48.599 --> 00:48:51.800
week on the Poverty World Pictures Show, we review

00:48:51.800 --> 00:48:56.840
a film called Bluebeard from PRC, starring John

00:48:56.840 --> 00:49:01.360
Carradine as a traveling puppet master who abducts

00:49:01.360 --> 00:49:05.099
and murders unsuspecting women in the streets

00:49:05.099 --> 00:49:10.480
of Victorian Paris. Oh yes, this is some sundry

00:49:10.480 --> 00:49:14.900
escapades this week, my friends. In the same

00:49:14.900 --> 00:49:18.719
vein as Hitchcock's The Lodger, which of course

00:49:18.719 --> 00:49:21.960
was based on the Jack the Ripper murders in the

00:49:21.960 --> 00:49:27.519
1880s in London. But I digress. Bluebeard is

00:49:27.519 --> 00:49:31.840
a film directed by Edgar G. Ulmer, a fellow Austrian

00:49:31.840 --> 00:49:35.579
and a film director with a now -renowned legacy

00:49:35.579 --> 00:49:39.559
for shooting dark mysteries on unlimited budgets.

00:49:40.360 --> 00:49:44.239
He directed 1934's The Black Cat for Universal

00:49:44.239 --> 00:49:48.309
and allegedly worked on the classics. The Golem,

00:49:48.449 --> 00:49:54.949
Metropolis, and M. Now, I starred in the latter

00:49:54.949 --> 00:50:01.750
picture, and these rumors are unconfirmed. Sorry

00:50:01.750 --> 00:50:07.449
to disappoint, but this Frank Capra PRC turns

00:50:07.449 --> 00:50:11.210
in a slick historical noir in Bluebeard, with

00:50:11.210 --> 00:50:14.590
John Carradine in the lead. Now, Carradine at

00:50:14.590 --> 00:50:17.190
this time was known for his powerfully intimidating

00:50:17.190 --> 00:50:21.489
screen presence in horror films. And in this

00:50:21.489 --> 00:50:25.150
one, he looms over his co -stars with a steely

00:50:25.150 --> 00:50:29.510
glare. And when he laughs, you are deeply unsettled,

00:50:29.530 --> 00:50:32.030
for you know his character is merely playing

00:50:32.030 --> 00:50:35.090
a part, and that the young ladies do not stand

00:50:35.090 --> 00:50:39.909
a chance. Bluebeard was actually a film ten years

00:50:39.909 --> 00:50:43.559
in development. originally a script to follow

00:50:43.559 --> 00:50:48.539
up with Ulmer's The Black Cat. Eventually, Universal

00:50:48.539 --> 00:50:51.559
passed on the project, and with it, the chance

00:50:51.559 --> 00:50:54.900
for Ulmer to work again with Karloff. But now

00:50:54.900 --> 00:50:58.659
with PRC, this film is as much of an A -picture

00:50:58.659 --> 00:51:02.179
as the studio would ever release. And its reviews

00:51:02.179 --> 00:51:06.400
were good, and it did prove a moneymaker. Today

00:51:06.400 --> 00:51:09.639
it is often considered Ulmer's second best outing,

00:51:10.960 --> 00:51:16.039
Detour, the 1944 film noir classic, which established

00:51:16.039 --> 00:51:21.139
the director's reputation as an auteur. Now,

00:51:21.179 --> 00:51:24.139
the most amazing aspect of Bluebeard, and which

00:51:24.139 --> 00:51:27.739
speaks to Ulmer's talents, is that Ulmer shot

00:51:27.739 --> 00:51:31.860
the picture in a mere six days. Now that is the

00:51:31.860 --> 00:51:36.079
mark of a master. Next time on the Poverty Row

00:51:36.079 --> 00:51:39.750
Picture Show, we review a film entitled... Black

00:51:39.750 --> 00:51:44.050
Dragons, starring Bela Lugosi in a sinister movie

00:51:44.050 --> 00:51:48.809
about Japanese and Nazi mad scientists. No, I

00:51:48.809 --> 00:51:52.590
do not play one of either of those types of people.

00:51:52.789 --> 00:51:55.650
I have learned my lesson looking back on some

00:51:55.650 --> 00:51:58.010
of the roles I have played in my filmography.

00:51:58.389 --> 00:52:01.289
I'll let you look into those titles at your own

00:52:01.289 --> 00:52:05.789
risk. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must trim the

00:52:05.789 --> 00:52:09.460
leaves of my glowing lilacs. They have grown

00:52:09.460 --> 00:52:12.420
to the size of palm fronds, and I am doing my

00:52:12.420 --> 00:52:15.219
best to keep these monster plants hidden from

00:52:15.219 --> 00:52:19.679
Matthew. I fear he would prefer to get rid of

00:52:19.679 --> 00:52:22.780
them, these plants from Pierre. They, oh, how

00:52:22.780 --> 00:52:39.369
they baffle me so. Well, we are going to turn

00:52:39.369 --> 00:52:42.809
it over to Peter Lorre. He's somewhere trimming

00:52:42.809 --> 00:52:45.650
his lilacs. He's dealing with some kind of crazy

00:52:45.650 --> 00:52:48.070
thing. I haven't talked to him in a while, but

00:52:48.070 --> 00:52:51.849
he is going to talk about the 1942 Poverty Row

00:52:51.849 --> 00:52:55.530
movie called Black Dragons. Whoa. It's a World

00:52:55.530 --> 00:53:01.250
War II horror film starring Bela Lugosi. It involves

00:53:01.250 --> 00:53:05.949
mad scientists, Japanese scientists, Nazi scientists.

00:53:06.909 --> 00:53:09.710
I don't know anything about it, but I'm going

00:53:09.710 --> 00:53:11.530
to learn something. And I always learn something

00:53:11.530 --> 00:53:14.409
on the poverty row picture show. Yeah. Peter's

00:53:14.409 --> 00:53:16.829
very knowledgeable about film history. Always

00:53:16.829 --> 00:53:19.610
learn a lot from him. He was there. Yeah. Yeah.

00:53:19.989 --> 00:53:23.690
True. Firsthand knowledge. Yep. I hope he's doing

00:53:23.690 --> 00:53:25.849
all right. Is it trimming his lilacs? Is that

00:53:25.849 --> 00:53:27.489
a euphemism for something? It sounds kind of

00:53:27.489 --> 00:53:30.690
dirty. No, he has a, he has a lilac bush. Okay.

00:53:30.769 --> 00:53:32.750
It's growing to monstrous proportions. Get your

00:53:32.750 --> 00:53:34.130
head out of the gutter. What are you talking

00:53:34.130 --> 00:53:37.070
about? It just sounded like it. Maybe I've been,

00:53:37.090 --> 00:53:39.269
I watched Species 2 recently. That's probably

00:53:39.269 --> 00:53:42.050
why. My mind's still in the gutter. No, I mean,

00:53:42.090 --> 00:53:46.949
I know what I said. Yeah. I'm going to have to

00:53:46.949 --> 00:53:49.150
research that phrase now. It has a hidden meaning

00:53:49.150 --> 00:53:51.230
of some kind. You're just going to find a picture

00:53:51.230 --> 00:53:54.750
of Peter Lorre. That'd be okay. I would not be

00:53:54.750 --> 00:53:58.369
disappointed in that at all. Okay, before we

00:53:58.369 --> 00:54:18.820
conjure up any other dubious images. Yeah. Welcome

00:54:18.820 --> 00:54:22.340
to the Poverty Row Studios on the other side

00:54:22.340 --> 00:54:25.539
of Hollywood, where the stars were dimmer and

00:54:25.539 --> 00:54:28.360
the red carpets dripped with blood. Together

00:54:28.360 --> 00:54:31.579
we will watch the best of the worst. Movies known

00:54:31.579 --> 00:54:35.019
for their limited budgets. outlandish concepts,

00:54:35.440 --> 00:54:38.760
and questionable performances. But with enough

00:54:38.760 --> 00:54:42.460
haunted houses, zombies, ape men, and devil bats

00:54:42.460 --> 00:54:46.280
to keep you up at night, this is the Poverty

00:54:46.280 --> 00:54:50.159
Row Picture Show. And I, I, I dare you to sleep

00:54:50.159 --> 00:54:57.780
through these nightmares. I am your host, Peter

00:54:57.780 --> 00:55:02.239
Lorre. You may remember me from such motion pictures

00:55:02.239 --> 00:55:06.539
as the Mr. Moto series I did for 20th Century

00:55:06.539 --> 00:55:11.079
Fox. Yes, in eight pictures, I played the hard

00:55:11.079 --> 00:55:15.360
-boiled Japanese secret agent, Mr. Moto. And

00:55:15.360 --> 00:55:18.539
if you are thinking to yourself, but wait, Peter

00:55:18.539 --> 00:55:22.119
Lorre is not Japanese, then you are correct.

00:55:22.889 --> 00:55:25.630
It was a different time when cowardly Hollywood

00:55:25.630 --> 00:55:29.130
executives would not cast Asians as such heroic

00:55:29.130 --> 00:55:32.889
characters. And this prejudice would be cemented

00:55:32.889 --> 00:55:35.610
with the outbreak of war between the Empire of

00:55:35.610 --> 00:55:40.650
Japan and the United States in 1941. Another

00:55:40.650 --> 00:55:44.130
consequence of the war, understandably, was the

00:55:44.130 --> 00:55:47.530
proliferation of propaganda in Hollywood pictures.

00:55:48.489 --> 00:55:51.690
This week's movie, Black Dragons, is perhaps

00:55:51.690 --> 00:55:55.070
the first major movie to capitalize on the rah

00:55:55.070 --> 00:55:59.309
-rah wartime spirit. It is about the real -life,

00:55:59.369 --> 00:56:03.130
notorious society known as the Black Dragons

00:56:03.130 --> 00:56:07.590
of Japan, a ruthless criminal organization, as

00:56:07.590 --> 00:56:10.389
they concoct a devilish scheme with the Nazis.

00:56:10.949 --> 00:56:14.329
The Black Dragons instruct a brilliant scientist,

00:56:14.730 --> 00:56:18.619
Dr. Melcher, played by Bela Lugosi, to travel

00:56:18.619 --> 00:56:22.880
to Japan on a secret mission. There, he operates

00:56:22.880 --> 00:56:26.679
on six Japanese conspirators, transforming them

00:56:26.679 --> 00:56:30.800
to resemble six American leaders. The actual

00:56:30.800 --> 00:56:33.840
Americans are then murdered and replaced with

00:56:33.840 --> 00:56:36.860
their likenesses. Treachery and espionage ensue.

00:56:37.599 --> 00:56:42.079
Now, this film was rushed into production only

00:56:42.079 --> 00:56:45.440
a month after Pearl Harbor, and the finished

00:56:45.440 --> 00:56:49.940
product does reflect this hurried schedule. Dear

00:56:49.940 --> 00:56:53.099
listeners, I do not exaggerate when I tell you

00:56:53.099 --> 00:56:57.659
how poorly executed this movie is. Lack of budget

00:56:57.659 --> 00:57:00.300
can hardly be blamed for the sloppiness on screen.

00:57:00.679 --> 00:57:04.039
Plot points are contradictory, actors are lifeless,

00:57:04.119 --> 00:57:07.159
and the camera work doesn't do anything to heighten

00:57:07.159 --> 00:57:10.340
the would -be tension or clear up any confusion.

00:57:11.579 --> 00:57:15.239
But you know what? This movie literally ends

00:57:15.239 --> 00:57:18.619
with a big ol' American flag waving triumphantly

00:57:18.619 --> 00:57:23.380
over the nefarious Japanese agents. It is a heck

00:57:23.380 --> 00:57:26.460
of an exclamation point and somehow the most

00:57:26.460 --> 00:57:29.219
memorable part of a film with so much potential.

00:57:29.699 --> 00:57:33.400
To watch Black Dragons, you will either be a

00:57:33.400 --> 00:57:36.699
die -hard horror fan or die trying to make sense

00:57:36.699 --> 00:57:44.550
of it all. Hello, my lovely giant lilac. Is it

00:57:44.550 --> 00:57:49.630
feeding time already? Well, dear listeners, if

00:57:49.630 --> 00:57:52.210
you'll excuse me, I must take care of my plant.

00:57:52.449 --> 00:57:56.230
It is growing remarkably well here in the apartment.

00:57:56.750 --> 00:58:00.630
No, no, Matthew doesn't need to know. I have

00:58:00.630 --> 00:58:04.550
everything entirely under my control. Until next

00:58:04.550 --> 00:58:08.590
time, when we will be watching yet another bellicosey

00:58:08.590 --> 00:58:17.329
picture called... The corpse vanishes. Vincent,

00:58:24.610 --> 00:58:28.730
how's Peter Lorre doing these days? Last I heard,

00:58:28.969 --> 00:58:33.690
he watched a terribly boring movie called Black

00:58:33.690 --> 00:58:37.239
Dragons. But, you know. I'll let Mr. Laurie talk

00:58:37.239 --> 00:58:39.420
about that. He did so in our last episode. This

00:58:39.420 --> 00:58:42.960
week, he's talking about a movie with another

00:58:42.960 --> 00:58:46.340
great title, but I don't know how it's going

00:58:46.340 --> 00:58:48.639
to turn out. It's called The Corpse Vanishes

00:58:48.639 --> 00:58:52.699
from 1942. Ooh, that is a great title. Yeah.

00:58:52.840 --> 00:58:58.780
Where did it go? Yeah. Good question. Hopefully

00:58:58.780 --> 00:59:01.460
Peter can tell us. I hope it's, and of course,

00:59:01.460 --> 00:59:03.619
Bela Lugosi's in this movie. He's in all of these

00:59:03.619 --> 00:59:06.880
Poverty Row films. But I hope it's just Bela

00:59:06.880 --> 00:59:10.179
Lugosi around a haunted house yelling, where

00:59:10.179 --> 00:59:16.300
did it go? It'd be sort of like an art movie

00:59:16.300 --> 00:59:19.980
from Poverty Row, you know? Like, it's Bela Lugosi

00:59:19.980 --> 00:59:22.659
in one room for an hour and a half. Actually,

00:59:22.679 --> 00:59:24.599
it'd probably be like 58 minutes knowing these

00:59:24.599 --> 00:59:28.199
Poverty Row movies. Oh, yeah, at max, yeah. But

00:59:28.199 --> 00:59:30.920
Peter's good, you know? He's doing things in

00:59:30.920 --> 00:59:35.820
his room that... You know, I hope he's doing

00:59:35.820 --> 00:59:39.679
okay. There's glowing radiation coming from his

00:59:39.679 --> 00:59:42.320
room. I could see it right now behind you. Whoa.

00:59:42.519 --> 00:59:44.800
Down the hallway. Yeah, radiation. There's the

00:59:44.800 --> 00:59:49.920
smell of lilacs. Maybe he's going to turn into

00:59:49.920 --> 00:59:55.960
Gamera. He's unleashed from the Arctic ice. That

00:59:55.960 --> 01:00:00.500
would take a turn. I did. I'm sorry. I didn't

01:00:00.500 --> 01:00:02.360
mean to cut you off there. No, Hey, we're just,

01:00:02.440 --> 01:00:07.820
we're riffing here. So, uh, you know, poor Peter,

01:00:07.860 --> 01:00:12.019
man, keep the fish heads a common. Yeah. They're

01:00:12.019 --> 01:00:13.539
going to start mutating though, with all that

01:00:13.539 --> 01:00:17.539
radiation coming out of there, start flopping

01:00:17.539 --> 01:00:21.179
around on their own. All right. Well, on that

01:00:21.179 --> 01:00:39.840
note, Welcome to Poverty Row Studios on the other

01:00:39.840 --> 01:00:43.639
side of Hollywood, where the stars were dimmer

01:00:43.639 --> 01:00:47.440
and the red carpets dripped with blood. Together

01:00:47.440 --> 01:00:51.360
we will watch the best of the worst. Movies known

01:00:51.360 --> 01:00:55.199
for their limited budgets, outlandish concepts,

01:00:55.559 --> 01:00:59.079
and questionable performances. But with enough

01:00:59.079 --> 01:01:03.039
haunted houses, zombies, ape men, and devil bats

01:01:03.039 --> 01:01:10.750
to keep you up at night. I am your host, Peter

01:01:10.750 --> 01:01:14.710
Lorre. You may remember me from such films as

01:01:14.710 --> 01:01:18.530
The Beast with Five Fingers and Voyage to the

01:01:18.530 --> 01:01:22.929
Bottom of the Sea. This week, I am bringing to

01:01:22.929 --> 01:01:26.969
you a wonderfully campy picture called The Corpse

01:01:26.969 --> 01:01:30.789
Vanishes. Where did it go? You will have to see

01:01:30.789 --> 01:01:34.789
for yourself. But rest assured, this movie delivers

01:01:34.789 --> 01:01:39.420
the goods. My blood -sucking contemporary, Bela

01:01:39.420 --> 01:01:41.980
Lugosi, but devil's a wise -cracking reporter

01:01:41.980 --> 01:01:45.559
who is investigating a rash of murders involving

01:01:45.559 --> 01:01:49.599
would -be brides on their wedding days. The common

01:01:49.599 --> 01:01:53.300
clue linking the deaths is a dubious orchid that

01:01:53.300 --> 01:01:56.539
we come to understand was grown by Lugosi's mad,

01:01:56.699 --> 01:02:00.639
horticulturist character. But it is not just

01:02:00.639 --> 01:02:03.800
the chemical compositions of flowers he is meddling

01:02:03.800 --> 01:02:07.800
with. but also his ancient wife, whose youthful

01:02:07.800 --> 01:02:10.820
complexion is rejuvenated with the blood of the

01:02:10.820 --> 01:02:15.440
murdered brides. The film is altogether diabolical,

01:02:15.440 --> 01:02:18.980
and yet it does not know just how silly it is

01:02:18.980 --> 01:02:23.960
all presented. The Corpse Vanishes was produced

01:02:23.960 --> 01:02:28.519
by Monogram Pictures in 1942. It co -stars Elizabeth

01:02:28.519 --> 01:02:32.639
Russell as Lagos' wife. desperate for the anti

01:02:32.639 --> 01:02:37.780
-aging serum. Now, Russell had a reputation in

01:02:37.780 --> 01:02:41.440
the 40s for playing strong characters with nefarious

01:02:41.440 --> 01:02:45.280
intent. Her brief appearance in Van Luton's Cat

01:02:45.280 --> 01:02:48.119
People, for instance, remains a highlight of

01:02:48.119 --> 01:02:51.960
that film. Now, the corpse vanishes as no Cat

01:02:51.960 --> 01:02:55.239
People, but it remains worth your time if only

01:02:55.239 --> 01:02:58.489
to witness a mystery that leaves your... that

01:02:58.489 --> 01:03:01.869
leaves characters and audiences alike in stitches

01:03:01.869 --> 01:03:10.349
yes my lovely lilac of course the real star of

01:03:10.349 --> 01:03:13.929
the corpse vanishes is the orchid i did not mean

01:03:13.929 --> 01:03:18.929
to presume otherwise hey whoa whoa hey now when

01:03:18.929 --> 01:03:22.889
when did you grow such such fangs here have a

01:03:22.889 --> 01:03:28.019
fish head Yikes! Listeners, this lilac is certainly

01:03:28.019 --> 01:03:31.780
testing its limits. If you'll excuse me, it is

01:03:31.780 --> 01:03:35.380
feeding time now, and I have learned that this

01:03:35.380 --> 01:03:39.960
hour in the moonlight, my not -so -little lilac

01:03:39.960 --> 01:03:44.980
tends to have a mind of its own. But I will return

01:03:44.980 --> 01:03:48.239
next time with a picture called Mad Monster.

01:03:49.900 --> 01:04:11.099
Back, lilac! Back! Get back! Until death do you

01:04:11.099 --> 01:04:18.239
part? I do. Shall I telephone for the ambulance?

01:04:18.599 --> 01:04:23.559
No. The undertaker. She's dead. Mysterious murder

01:04:23.559 --> 01:04:26.539
strikes at the altar, and the maniac monster

01:04:26.539 --> 01:04:29.840
creeps from his domicile of death to claim the

01:04:29.840 --> 01:04:34.760
lifeless form of his latest bride. Police baffled.

01:04:35.070 --> 01:04:38.230
a publican terror but nothing can stop this fiend

01:04:38.230 --> 01:04:41.449
on his hideous trail except a girl reporter who

01:04:41.449 --> 01:04:45.309
wages a brave foolhardy fight against the blackest

01:04:45.309 --> 01:04:48.710
art this side of the grave why have you a mausoleum

01:04:48.710 --> 01:04:51.090
in the basement all those dead girls and that

01:04:51.090 --> 01:04:54.650
horrible dead creature my dear you must have

01:04:54.650 --> 01:04:58.349
had a bad dream now look professor this was no

01:04:58.349 --> 01:05:36.039
dream you wanted to see me reverend Suicide or

01:05:36.039 --> 01:05:40.119
murder in the shadow of a nation's capital. The

01:05:40.119 --> 01:05:43.800
screen's master of horror, Bela Lugosi, has the

01:05:43.800 --> 01:05:48.500
answer to this mysterious death. Lugosi as the

01:05:48.500 --> 01:05:51.780
madman on a mission of vengeance. Vengeance against

01:05:51.780 --> 01:05:56.039
six men who plot destruction, country at war.

01:05:57.519 --> 01:06:00.780
You've turned weakling, Van Dyke. We can't afford

01:06:00.780 --> 01:06:11.460
to take any chances with you. You were both very

01:06:11.460 --> 01:06:19.900
accommodating, Mr. Ryder. Thank you. When a young

01:06:19.900 --> 01:06:22.639
woman's nerves commenced to give way, this time

01:06:22.639 --> 01:06:26.420
she sought refuge in a strong man's arms. I just

01:06:26.420 --> 01:06:30.900
ran into yours. Mine might be dangerous. Alice,

01:06:30.940 --> 01:06:32.739
you were right. There was a body in the cellar

01:06:32.739 --> 01:06:35.880
last night. You know that? I'm positive of it.

01:06:35.960 --> 01:07:23.440
Only there were two bodies. Call you. Matt, how's

01:07:23.440 --> 01:07:25.920
life with Peter? Oh, it's a little bit rough

01:07:25.920 --> 01:07:28.019
sometimes. Let me tell you, there's some friction.

01:07:28.840 --> 01:07:33.139
Oh, no. Yeah. Like the odd couple here. Trouble

01:07:33.139 --> 01:07:36.340
in paradise. That's all I'll say. It's tough

01:07:36.340 --> 01:07:39.320
cohabitating with somebody, especially diminutive

01:07:39.320 --> 01:07:43.000
German fiend. I'll just say that. Yeah. Diminutive

01:07:43.000 --> 01:07:46.900
German fiends. Well, I hope he doesn't hear you

01:07:46.900 --> 01:07:50.940
call him that. I heard like a shriek from the

01:07:50.940 --> 01:07:53.019
room behind me. So I think he is listening in

01:07:53.019 --> 01:07:55.940
right now. He's not very happy. And I think things

01:07:55.940 --> 01:07:58.159
are about to get even worse. So I will bear the

01:07:58.159 --> 01:07:59.960
brunt of that. Well, I don't think I told you.

01:08:00.400 --> 01:08:03.099
I mean, I should. You're privy to this. You're

01:08:03.099 --> 01:08:06.920
his roommate, for goodness sake. So this lilac,

01:08:06.920 --> 01:08:11.400
he's growing. He got word out to me that it is

01:08:11.400 --> 01:08:16.439
reaching the ceiling now. And it's grown fangs.

01:08:17.229 --> 01:08:20.770
and it's squawking, and it demands fish heads.

01:08:21.430 --> 01:08:27.149
Oh. And I try to get through to Peter, but I

01:08:27.149 --> 01:08:29.350
don't live with the guy, so maybe you have his

01:08:29.350 --> 01:08:32.210
ear a little bit more, and you could really kind

01:08:32.210 --> 01:08:35.050
of talk him down from this. I don't think this

01:08:35.050 --> 01:08:38.409
lilac is good for him. Yeah, that makes a lot

01:08:38.409 --> 01:08:40.449
of sense. That could be what the shrieking is

01:08:40.449 --> 01:08:43.510
right now. I, yeah, it might not, it might be

01:08:43.510 --> 01:08:45.810
totally unrelated to me and more about the fanged

01:08:45.810 --> 01:08:49.010
lilac in his tiny closet. That could be, well,

01:08:49.090 --> 01:08:51.609
I'll try to talk him down. I'll try to like produce

01:08:51.609 --> 01:08:53.909
some more fish heads. Let me tell you, it does

01:08:53.909 --> 01:08:56.890
not feel good to decapitate dozens of fish every

01:08:56.890 --> 01:08:59.470
week. I didn't know. I didn't know you prepared

01:08:59.470 --> 01:09:02.350
them. Oh yeah. Lovingly. I mean, I, I try to

01:09:02.350 --> 01:09:04.369
make sure they're the best fish that I can possibly

01:09:04.369 --> 01:09:07.529
find. So, you know, I mean, I'm doing what I

01:09:07.529 --> 01:09:09.270
can for Peter and he's not appreciative. I'll

01:09:09.270 --> 01:09:11.439
tell you that much. You're very kind. At this

01:09:11.439 --> 01:09:14.859
point, I would tell a grown man to cut his own

01:09:14.859 --> 01:09:18.119
fish heads. Oh, well, I keep them under lock

01:09:18.119 --> 01:09:22.300
and key in his closet. What? Yeah. He's just

01:09:22.300 --> 01:09:25.939
too intrusive otherwise. Wow. Well, he seems

01:09:25.939 --> 01:09:27.819
to be okay with that arrangement because I haven't

01:09:27.819 --> 01:09:30.180
heard that. But whatever works for you two, I'm

01:09:30.180 --> 01:09:31.720
not going to get into your personal business

01:09:31.720 --> 01:09:34.439
as long as he's paying his half of the rent,

01:09:34.479 --> 01:09:39.130
right? Well, sometimes. Yeah. When I threaten

01:09:39.130 --> 01:09:41.569
him. The more I talk about it, the more I understand

01:09:41.569 --> 01:09:43.729
why our relationship is a little bit, a little

01:09:43.729 --> 01:09:45.970
rough right now. I think I understand. Yeah.

01:09:46.029 --> 01:09:48.689
Well, he's dealing with some things, so, you

01:09:48.689 --> 01:09:51.229
know, we'll look for some improvements. Yeah.

01:09:51.350 --> 01:09:53.430
You know, I'll talk to him. We'll sit down with

01:09:53.430 --> 01:09:55.310
a domestic counselor. We'll figure things out.

01:09:55.409 --> 01:09:59.430
It'll be okay. Okay. More to come on that soon.

01:09:59.630 --> 01:10:01.689
I should check out that lilac, though. I'm a

01:10:01.689 --> 01:10:03.470
little scared of that. Yeah, you might want to

01:10:03.470 --> 01:10:06.439
stay on top of that. In the meantime. Check out

01:10:06.439 --> 01:10:10.539
a movie called The Mad Monster from 1942. I think

01:10:10.539 --> 01:10:12.600
it's about a mad scientist turning people into

01:10:12.600 --> 01:10:17.640
wolfmen. Okay. I haven't seen it yet, but I cannot

01:10:17.640 --> 01:10:20.920
wait to watch The Mad Monster and hear Peter

01:10:20.920 --> 01:10:23.880
Lorre talk all about it. I feel like that title

01:10:23.880 --> 01:10:26.079
could apply to Swamp Thing and many, many other

01:10:26.079 --> 01:10:29.539
monster movies. Many others. Yeah. The vast majority,

01:10:29.680 --> 01:10:33.079
perhaps. Well, I can't wait to hear more about

01:10:33.079 --> 01:10:50.829
it. Welcome to Poverty Row Studios on the other

01:10:50.829 --> 01:10:53.770
side of Hollywood. The stars were dimmer and

01:10:53.770 --> 01:10:56.510
the red carpets dripped with blood. Together

01:10:56.510 --> 01:10:59.569
we will watch the best of the worst. Movies known

01:10:59.569 --> 01:11:02.569
for their limited budgets, outlandish concepts,

01:11:02.829 --> 01:11:06.029
and questionable performances. But with enough

01:11:06.029 --> 01:11:09.630
haunted houses, zombies, ape men, and devil bats

01:11:09.630 --> 01:11:13.090
to keep you up at night. This is the Poverty

01:11:13.090 --> 01:11:16.170
Row Picture Show. I dare you to sleep through

01:11:16.170 --> 01:11:26.289
these nightmares. Hello there, I am Peter Rory.

01:11:26.449 --> 01:11:29.930
You may remember me from such hard -boiled classics

01:11:29.930 --> 01:11:36.270
as The Maltese Falcon and Casablanca. No? You

01:11:36.270 --> 01:11:40.989
don't remember me? Yes, yes, with Humphrey Bogart.

01:11:41.430 --> 01:11:45.529
Yes, the Casablanca. No, no, not with the Marx

01:11:45.529 --> 01:11:47.909
Brothers, you know, forget it. See, this is what

01:11:47.909 --> 01:11:50.590
I get for doing something outside the horror

01:11:50.590 --> 01:11:54.470
genre. Fine, you want monsters, is it? Spooks,

01:11:54.489 --> 01:11:57.479
specters, and ghosts? All right. then here is

01:11:57.479 --> 01:12:01.079
a doozy for you this week. From PRC comes The

01:12:01.079 --> 01:12:05.659
Mad Monster, starring fellow horror icon George

01:12:05.659 --> 01:12:09.199
Zuko as a mad scientist who concocts a scheme

01:12:09.199 --> 01:12:12.560
to transfer a wolf's blood into the hulking,

01:12:12.560 --> 01:12:16.659
dim -witted gardener. The madman's aim is to

01:12:16.659 --> 01:12:20.640
sic the genetically engineered wolfman on those

01:12:20.640 --> 01:12:23.880
colleagues who spurned his experiments. And if

01:12:23.880 --> 01:12:26.840
that wasn't enough, perhaps these wolfmen will

01:12:26.840 --> 01:12:30.520
be unleashed upon Hitler's German army. A little

01:12:30.520 --> 01:12:34.520
Frankenstein, a little wolfman, a little devil

01:12:34.520 --> 01:12:38.300
bat. This is a million dollar idea that simply

01:12:38.300 --> 01:12:43.800
cannot meet its own lofty aspirations. The direction

01:12:43.800 --> 01:12:48.600
by Sam Newfield is sadly void of suspense, terror,

01:12:48.840 --> 01:12:53.140
and mystery. Compounding this is an inexplicable

01:12:53.140 --> 01:12:57.159
lack of scoring in such moments. The Wolfman,

01:12:57.399 --> 01:13:00.819
played by Glenn Strange, is a decent screen monster

01:13:00.819 --> 01:13:04.199
if you can look past his dopey overalls and bucket

01:13:04.199 --> 01:13:08.270
hat. But Mr. Strange proved worthy of inheriting

01:13:08.270 --> 01:13:11.369
the Frankenstein monster, as he did in the final

01:13:11.369 --> 01:13:15.949
three pictures of Universal's famed series. As

01:13:15.949 --> 01:13:18.850
the mentally impaired gardener, however, Mr.

01:13:19.090 --> 01:13:21.810
Strange is tasked with a characterization that

01:13:21.810 --> 01:13:24.989
is embarrassing at best and offensive at worst.

01:13:25.149 --> 01:13:27.750
We will let you consider the long history of

01:13:27.750 --> 01:13:32.989
medical abuse among our disabled brethren. Oh!

01:13:33.579 --> 01:13:36.979
That must be Matthew, home from the market. Oh,

01:13:37.460 --> 01:13:42.159
I can smell the salty stench of the herring from

01:13:42.159 --> 01:13:46.420
here. What do you think, Lilac? Ready to have

01:13:46.420 --> 01:13:50.640
some din -din? Oh, yes, I'll scratch your belly.

01:13:50.779 --> 01:13:54.850
Oh, there's a good girl. Good girl. Alright,

01:13:54.970 --> 01:13:57.869
alright, listeners, please check out Mad Monster

01:13:57.869 --> 01:14:01.590
for yourself. It is no Casablanca, but it might

01:14:01.590 --> 01:14:05.909
be so bad it's good. As for next time, we will

01:14:05.909 --> 01:14:09.750
review Bowery at Midnight, where Bela Lugosi

01:14:09.750 --> 01:14:12.449
plays a gangster with a basement full of zombies.

01:14:12.750 --> 01:14:15.789
By Satan's beard with a premise like that, it

01:14:15.789 --> 01:14:45.600
better be a masterpiece of the macabre. Welcome

01:14:45.600 --> 01:14:49.359
to Poverty Row Studios on the other side of Hollywood.

01:14:49.560 --> 01:14:52.319
Where the stars were dimmer and the red carpets

01:14:52.319 --> 01:14:55.140
dripped with blood. Together we will watch the

01:14:55.140 --> 01:14:57.939
best of the worst. Movies known for their limited

01:14:57.939 --> 01:15:01.279
budgets, outlandish concepts, and questionable

01:15:01.279 --> 01:15:04.439
performances. But with enough haunted houses,

01:15:04.680 --> 01:15:07.819
zombies, ape men, and devil bats to keep you

01:15:07.819 --> 01:15:11.220
up at night. This is the Poverty Row Picture

01:15:11.220 --> 01:15:14.529
Show. I dare you to sleep from these nightmares.

01:15:19.930 --> 01:15:24.270
I am Peter Lorre. You may remember me from such

01:15:24.270 --> 01:15:28.850
films as Arsenic and Old Lace and The Face Behind

01:15:28.850 --> 01:15:32.689
the Mask. This week on the Poverty Road Picture

01:15:32.689 --> 01:15:36.189
Show, we will bring you another Bela Lugosi outing

01:15:36.189 --> 01:15:40.340
from Monogram entitled Bowery at Midnight. Starring

01:15:40.340 --> 01:15:43.319
Lugosi and that zany cast of delinquents. Whoa,

01:15:43.420 --> 01:15:46.479
whoa, whoa, whoa. Let me check my notes here.

01:15:47.079 --> 01:15:49.659
Believe it or not, but Bowery at Midnight does

01:15:49.659 --> 01:15:53.020
not feature the Bowery Boys. In fact, well, yes,

01:15:53.859 --> 01:15:57.020
yes, it features an equally groan -worthy pack

01:15:57.020 --> 01:16:01.359
of the undead. That is right. Zombies, ladies

01:16:01.359 --> 01:16:04.100
and gentlemen, we have another zombie movie.

01:16:04.199 --> 01:16:06.689
But before you get... too excited about this

01:16:06.689 --> 01:16:09.609
61 -minute film, know that these flesh -eating

01:16:09.609 --> 01:16:12.949
ghouls are saved for literally the final two

01:16:12.949 --> 01:16:16.569
minutes of screen time. Nevertheless, there may

01:16:16.569 --> 01:16:19.789
be some sadomasochist pleasure to derive from

01:16:19.789 --> 01:16:22.449
the rest of the film. So let me tell you about

01:16:22.449 --> 01:16:25.909
Bela Lugosi cutting a devilish figure playing

01:16:25.909 --> 01:16:29.729
two parts. That of a nice guy professor by day

01:16:29.729 --> 01:16:34.090
and his evil alter ego by night. It is this character.

01:16:34.600 --> 01:16:38.199
named Carl Wagner, who runs a criminal enterprise

01:16:38.199 --> 01:16:41.680
from a soup kitchen in the slums with more secret

01:16:41.680 --> 01:16:46.340
passageways than an escape room from hell. Dwelling

01:16:46.340 --> 01:16:49.079
in the cellar of this hideout is a drug -addicted,

01:16:49.239 --> 01:16:53.239
maniacal doctor who, unbeknownst to Wagner, has

01:16:53.239 --> 01:16:56.600
been turning the victims of gangland into undead

01:16:56.600 --> 01:17:01.039
fiends. In the end, with the police closing in,

01:17:01.500 --> 01:17:04.159
It is Wagner who becomes the final victim of

01:17:04.159 --> 01:17:08.380
these zombies. It is a juicy ending to an otherwise

01:17:08.380 --> 01:17:13.060
bland outing. Fans of Lugosi will no doubt relish

01:17:13.060 --> 01:17:15.739
the performance, but even for a monogram picture,

01:17:16.239 --> 01:17:19.020
Bowery at Midnight struggles to make sense of

01:17:19.020 --> 01:17:23.199
characters, relationships, or plot points. Now

01:17:23.199 --> 01:17:26.239
if none of these things matter to you, Bowery

01:17:26.239 --> 01:17:30.060
at Midnight may be a guilty pleasure. In one

01:17:30.060 --> 01:17:34.739
scene, There is an Easter egg, a film poster

01:17:34.739 --> 01:17:38.079
for the corpse vanishes that can be seen hanging

01:17:38.079 --> 01:17:41.760
in the background. All this does is remind you

01:17:41.760 --> 01:17:44.100
that you might rather be watching that cinematic

01:17:44.100 --> 01:17:49.479
car crash. It does feature a deadly botanical

01:17:49.479 --> 01:17:54.659
plot device. An orchid. But never mind Matthew

01:17:54.659 --> 01:17:57.119
and Vincent. Never mind what they have been telling

01:17:57.119 --> 01:18:00.949
you. My own pleasant plant pet. has been nothing

01:18:00.949 --> 01:18:04.210
but kind. Oh, she may be a little protective

01:18:04.210 --> 01:18:08.550
now and then. What good pet isn't? Isn't that

01:18:08.550 --> 01:18:13.329
right, Lila? Yes. You must, you just be you.

01:18:13.550 --> 01:18:18.069
Spread your roots as wide as you please. Matthew,

01:18:18.210 --> 01:18:22.869
he is, he is only jealous of your companionship.

01:18:23.689 --> 01:18:26.750
Anyway, next time on the Poverty Row Picture

01:18:26.750 --> 01:18:30.130
Show. We will discuss our second George Zuko

01:18:30.130 --> 01:18:36.149
picture, a film entitled Dead Men Walk for PRC.

01:18:36.310 --> 01:18:39.770
By George, dead men will walk if they ever come

01:18:39.770 --> 01:18:42.670
near you, Lilac, with trimming on their minds.

01:18:59.470 --> 01:19:01.970
In a forgotten mansion deep in abysmal swampland,

01:19:02.109 --> 01:19:05.590
a scientist, crazed by his lust for revenge,

01:19:05.869 --> 01:19:09.510
repairs the last detail of a diabolical death

01:19:09.510 --> 01:19:15.189
plan. A few moments ago, Plato was a man, a harmless,

01:19:15.310 --> 01:19:19.550
good -natured man. Look at him now. He's no longer

01:19:19.550 --> 01:19:24.550
human. He's a wolf, snarling, ferocious, lusting

01:19:24.550 --> 01:19:28.069
for the kill. The beast strikes swiftly, the

01:19:28.069 --> 01:19:35.189
first. of four violent fiendish murders. Into

01:19:35.189 --> 01:19:37.970
this crime -ridden situation, a reporter finds

01:19:37.970 --> 01:19:46.189
the biggest story of his career. This is more

01:19:46.189 --> 01:19:49.789
than just a story to me. He was my friend. Joined

01:19:49.789 --> 01:19:53.829
by the girl he loves, these two follow the gruesome

01:19:53.829 --> 01:19:58.130
trail of the mad monster. Every lead proves false.

01:19:58.760 --> 01:20:03.159
Then, one night, a strange, ominous power draws

01:20:03.159 --> 01:20:11.180
this girl to a rendezvous with death. And...

01:20:28.460 --> 01:20:31.060
Yeah, and then we're going to hear from Peter

01:20:31.060 --> 01:20:33.979
Lorre here. He's doing all right. So I hear.

01:20:34.060 --> 01:20:36.220
I don't know. Matt, you live with the guy, but...

01:20:36.220 --> 01:20:39.359
Does not sound like he's doing all right. Yeah.

01:20:39.460 --> 01:20:41.939
From my perspective, yeah. Right. There's some

01:20:41.939 --> 01:20:44.119
weird noises in there sometimes. Have you talked

01:20:44.119 --> 01:20:47.220
to him? No. Things are a little strained right

01:20:47.220 --> 01:20:50.680
now between us. So, you know, I maybe knock on

01:20:50.680 --> 01:20:52.300
the door a couple times just to make sure he's

01:20:52.300 --> 01:20:54.979
still alive, but that's about it. You're a pal.

01:20:55.159 --> 01:20:59.479
You're a pal. And roommate. Well, he's also not

01:20:59.479 --> 01:21:00.880
the best roommate in the room. I'm just going

01:21:00.880 --> 01:21:05.020
to throw that out there. What does he do? Oh,

01:21:05.100 --> 01:21:07.600
what doesn't he do? There's the stench of fish

01:21:07.600 --> 01:21:10.340
heads all over the place. There are weird stains

01:21:10.340 --> 01:21:13.279
all over his room, which no human body can emit.

01:21:14.939 --> 01:21:17.680
I mean, just weird mutterings in his high -pitched

01:21:17.680 --> 01:21:20.500
German voice. I think he has some bad nightmares

01:21:20.500 --> 01:21:22.460
because I hear him tossing and turning all the

01:21:22.460 --> 01:21:25.420
time. I can't get a moment's rest around here,

01:21:25.500 --> 01:21:28.869
you know? Well, I hope you figure that out soon.

01:21:28.970 --> 01:21:33.210
In the meantime, join him as he watches the 1943

01:21:33.210 --> 01:21:38.569
Poverty Row picture known as Dead Men Walk. And

01:21:38.569 --> 01:21:41.869
I have not seen this film, but I would love to.

01:21:41.949 --> 01:21:45.729
It is about a small town doctor's twin returning

01:21:45.729 --> 01:21:51.869
from the grave to seek vengeance. Wow. I really

01:21:51.869 --> 01:21:55.789
hope it's as good as it sounds. There was a remake

01:21:55.789 --> 01:21:58.930
with Sean Penn and Susan Sarandon, right? Oh,

01:21:58.949 --> 01:22:01.670
that was that? Yeah. That's the same story, I

01:22:01.670 --> 01:22:06.170
think. I need new twin movies, though. You know,

01:22:06.210 --> 01:22:08.350
I was thinking about that with like Sinners and

01:22:08.350 --> 01:22:11.789
stuff. Like, I want to do like a twin marathon.

01:22:11.989 --> 01:22:14.449
I'm going to throw that one into the mix. Would

01:22:14.449 --> 01:22:18.470
you include doppelgangers in that? Yes, I would

01:22:18.470 --> 01:22:22.590
include. Yeah. Yeah, I would include doppelgangers,

01:22:22.710 --> 01:22:27.779
I think. yeah um what is that one film uh the

01:22:27.779 --> 01:22:32.199
prestige that's kind of a doppelganger uh yeah

01:22:32.199 --> 01:22:36.800
that's a fascinating subgenre yeah yeah a lot

01:22:36.800 --> 01:22:39.319
to be said there i think yeah there's an older

01:22:39.319 --> 01:22:41.880
one called dead ringer not the cronenberg movie

01:22:41.880 --> 01:22:43.760
but the older one with betty davis i think where

01:22:43.760 --> 01:22:46.060
she plays twins that movie's fantastic love that

01:22:46.060 --> 01:22:50.220
one i gotta add that cool lots of good ones out

01:22:50.220 --> 01:23:08.119
there Welcome to Poverty Row Studios on the other

01:23:08.119 --> 01:23:10.939
side of Hollywood. Where the stars were dimmer

01:23:10.939 --> 01:23:13.779
and the red carpets dripped with blood. Together

01:23:13.779 --> 01:23:16.840
we will watch the best of the worst. Movies known

01:23:16.840 --> 01:23:19.840
for their limited budgets, outlandish concepts,

01:23:20.079 --> 01:23:23.300
and questionable performances. But with enough

01:23:23.300 --> 01:23:26.880
haunted houses, zombies, ape men, and devil bats

01:23:26.880 --> 01:23:30.380
to keep you up at night. This is the Poverty

01:23:30.380 --> 01:23:33.439
Row Picture Show. I dare you to sleep through

01:23:33.439 --> 01:23:43.279
these nightmares. Hello there. I am Peter Lorre.

01:23:43.420 --> 01:23:46.880
You may remember me from such cinematic classics

01:23:46.880 --> 01:23:52.720
as Quicksand and My Favorite Brunette. Truly

01:23:52.720 --> 01:23:56.939
standouts in my long and varied career. But never

01:23:56.939 --> 01:23:59.899
did I have the pleasure of playing in a poverty

01:23:59.899 --> 01:24:05.239
row horror film. Lugosi, George Zuko, John Carradine,

01:24:05.239 --> 01:24:09.720
sure. But did they ever call Mr. Lorry? Well,

01:24:09.760 --> 01:24:12.359
they did as a matter of fact, but alas, I was

01:24:12.359 --> 01:24:15.619
a busy bee elsewhere. Little did I know that

01:24:15.619 --> 01:24:19.239
some 60 years after my one -way ticket to Terminal

01:24:19.239 --> 01:24:22.880
Dreamland, I would be resurrected by two podcasters

01:24:22.880 --> 01:24:26.020
in Minnesota. Oh, they would force me to review

01:24:26.020 --> 01:24:28.840
classic monster movies in exchange for my eternal

01:24:28.840 --> 01:24:32.500
soul. But the gig was too good to pass up. And

01:24:32.500 --> 01:24:36.359
so, in the end, here I remain. A willing player

01:24:36.359 --> 01:24:41.060
in the sums of Hollywood infamy. And as a bonus,

01:24:41.260 --> 01:24:44.779
Matthew has opened up his home to me. He feeds

01:24:44.779 --> 01:24:48.460
me, irons my clothes. and generally worship the

01:24:48.460 --> 01:24:52.060
ground I float above. But whatever he tells you,

01:24:52.100 --> 01:24:55.579
I am an outstanding roommate. Oh, sure, I may

01:24:55.579 --> 01:24:59.399
be growing a large carnivorous lilac. It may

01:24:59.399 --> 01:25:02.119
be our collective doom, but that is second banana

01:25:02.119 --> 01:25:05.340
to tonight's poverty row horror film, Dead Men

01:25:05.340 --> 01:25:09.520
Walk, about a doctor who battles his twin brother,

01:25:09.720 --> 01:25:13.579
now returned from the grave as a vampire. helping

01:25:13.579 --> 01:25:17.079
the vampire twin feast on the innocent, his horror

01:25:17.079 --> 01:25:20.880
icon, the one and only Dwight Frye, essentially

01:25:20.880 --> 01:25:24.300
reprising his Renfield from a decade prior. But

01:25:24.300 --> 01:25:27.279
this one in Dead Man Walk would be among Mr.

01:25:27.460 --> 01:25:31.899
Frye's last roles, and he delivers a sensationally

01:25:31.899 --> 01:25:37.399
sadistic performance. As a whole, however, it

01:25:37.399 --> 01:25:40.300
is as if the director took the title Dead Man

01:25:40.300 --> 01:25:44.479
Walk too literally. Most of the cast sleepwalks

01:25:44.479 --> 01:25:46.800
through the picture with little visual excitement

01:25:46.800 --> 01:25:51.000
to keep your attention. Now again, Dwight Frye.

01:25:52.119 --> 01:25:55.000
That man could act, and I will pour one out for

01:25:55.000 --> 01:26:00.279
him. Oh, no, no, no, Lilac. It is only leftover

01:26:00.279 --> 01:26:04.060
fish head juice that I pour out. I did not know

01:26:04.060 --> 01:26:08.500
you were saving that. Lilac, stay down. Easy,

01:26:08.640 --> 01:26:18.640
girl, easy. No. Lilac. You are... You are crushing

01:26:18.640 --> 01:26:23.319
my bones. Please, for the love of Zuko, put me

01:26:23.319 --> 01:26:28.819
down. You are... You are too powerful. Listeners,

01:26:28.840 --> 01:26:35.300
help me. Help. It is not my time. I must review

01:26:35.300 --> 01:26:41.220
our next film. A ditty called The Ape Man about...

01:26:42.439 --> 01:26:44.960
Nogosi turning into a gorilla.