Retro TV: Irwin Allen's Land of the Giants

Before he was the producer of disaster epics like The Poseidon Adventure, Irwin Allen was the pre-eminent purveyor of prime-time TV sci-fi in the mid to late 1960s, with several shows running throughout the latter half of the decade. Recently, I've been celebrating Allen's work here at Eclectic Avenue, and this week, I'm shining the spotlight on an episode of Land of the Giants. The series was Allen's fourth and final out of this world adventure series of the 1960s. Land of the Giants ran for two seasons, from 1968-70. The show featured the adventures of the crew and passengers of the Spindrift, a sub-orbital craft which passed through a strange spatial disturbance on its way to London. The space warp transports them to a world where they're mini-sized, and everything else is well....gigantic. The cast included Gary Conway, Don Matheson, Deanna Lund, Don Marshall, Stefan Arngrim, Kurt Kaznar and Heather Young.

 

Each week our heroes would try to evade capture by the giants, while trying to repair their damaged ship and return home. In the first season entry "On A Clear Night You Can See Earth," the captain of the Spindrift, Steve Burton, is captured by a scientist named Murtrah, who's trying to create a special set of glasses that will allow him to see our miniature heroes in the dark. In the series, the giants are aware of the existence of Earth and its superior technology, and rewards are posted for the capture of the "little people."  Murtrah is a particularly mean-spirited and sadistic individual, and he's also jealous of a fellow scientist who he believes is trying to steal his work. 

Steve plays on Murtrah's insecurities, while the rest of the Spindrift crew try to rescue him. "On A Clear Night You Can See Earth" is an action-packed and exciting episode. It's somewhat unique in the canon of Irwin Allen's series, which were generally family-oriented entertainment. The denouement features our heroes rigging an explosive device to kill Murtrah and destroy his lab. They take this drastic step in order to prevent him from completing the creation of his device, so that it can't be used to reveal the Earth crew's location to the giant authorities. Rarely on any of Allen's series, including Lost In Space, Voyage To The Bottom of the Sea, and The Time Tunnel, did the heroes kill someone in cold blood, even if that person or alien being was an outright villain.

Murtrah is played by Michael Ansara, who specialized in playing villains in a plethora of television series and films from the 1960s through the 1990s. He guest starred in all of Irwin Allen's series, and had a featured role in the 1961 big-screen version of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, a film in which he appeared with his then wife Barbara Eden. Ansara is also well known for his portrayal of the Klingon Kang on Star Trek: The Original Series and Deep Space Nine, as well as his role as "Killer" Kane on the 1980s series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. 

 

"On A Clear Night You Can See Earth" was directed by Sobey Martin, who was frequently behind the camera for episodes of Allen's shows. The episode was written by Sheldon Stark and Anthony Wilson. The memorable theme music for Land of the Giants was composed by none other than John Williams of Star Wars and Superman fame, who also wrote the themes for Lost In Space and The Time Tunnel. Land of the Giants, like the rest of Allen's series and movies is entertaining, well-produced and a lot of fun. Here's a trailer for the Season One DVD release of the series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oint3j4HlA.

Searching for True "Evil" in the World

Mike Colter in Evil

Does true supernatural evil exist in the world, and if it does, what form does it take? What can be done to combat it? These are some of the questions and themes explored in Evil, a thought-provoking, chilling and entertaining series from Robert and Michelle King, who also created The Good Wife. The series stars Mike Colter (aka Marvel's Luke Cage) as David Acosta, a man who's studying to be a priest. David is trying to reconcile his belief in God with some doubts he has about his faith based on his personal experiences. He's been assigned by the Vatican to investigate supernatural occurrences, such as possible cases of demonic possession, to determine if they are real, and can be verified.

Helping David in his task are Ben Shakir, portrayed by Aasif Mandvi, an avowed atheist who's the team's technical and scientific expert, and their newest member, Dr. Kristen Bouchard, a forensic psychologist who's testified as an expert witness at a number of high profile murder trials. David initially asks Kristen to help out with the case of Orson LeRoux, a man who's committed several brutal murders. His wife claims he's possessed by a demon, but the prosecution believes he's a serial killer.

The LeRoux case brings the team into conflict with Dr. Leland Townsend, a clever psychologist who seems to know more about the LeRoux case than he's telling. The sinister Townsend appears to possess otherworldly powers, and definitely has malicious intent. He undermines Kristen's professional standing, and sabotages her testimony. Meanwhile, the team tries to determine if LeRoux actually is possessed, or faking the symptoms as part of an insanity plea. It's just the first of many cases that the team will study together, many of them bringing them into conflict with the manipulative Dr. Townsend.

Evil has a bit of an X-Files vibe, combined with the horror content of films like The Exorcist and The Omen. David is the Mulder-esque believer of the group, while Ben and Kristen are the more skeptical, Scully style members of the trio. What's refreshing about the series is that while there's a lot of eerie content, and some truly terrifying scenes, there are no easy or concrete answers to the mysteries the group investigates. The conclusions about what really happened are often left up to the viewer. 

Mike Colter is terrific as the troubled David, and Katja Herbers is fantastic as Kristen, who's propelled into a world she doesn't understand, and haunted by forces that threaten her life, and the safety of her family. Aasif Mandvi is wonderful as Ben, imbuing the tech expert with a sly wit that belies the character's own doubts regarding the veracity of the team's odd experiences. Michael Emerson is superb as the diabolical Dr. Townsend, who just might be something more than just a wicked human being. The talented supporting cast includes Christine Lahti, Boris Ingster and Peter Scolari, as well as many other familiar faces.

The direction and cinematography for Evil are excellent, and the writing is superb. The series features some truly frightening moments, but also takes time to get into the hearts and minds of the characters, and offer some thoughtful examinations on the nature of faith, and the notions of good and evil. If you're looking for something a little different in your horror television diet, Evil is worth seeking out. In fact, Stephen King, the Master of Horror himself, recommended the series in a recent interview. Evil just completed its fourth and final season on Paramount +, where it's currently streaming. You can also find the first two seasons on Netflix. Here's a trailer for the first season of the series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpB5t1ku--4.

Spelling Blogathon: Satan's School For Girls

Pamela Franklin and Kate Jackson

If you were a television viewer from the mid 1960s and on through into the1970s, 1980s and 1990s, chances are you watched weekly series such as The Mod Squad, The Rookies, Starsky & Hutch and The Love Boat, or checked out made for TV movies like The Ballad of Andy Crocker, Murder on Flight 502 and The Boy In The Plastic Bubble. All of these projects (and many, many more) were produced by the one and only Aaron Spelling, who had a long, prolific, and much celebrated career in the entertainment business.

Spelling produced series and films that sprawled across many genres, including comedies, romance, action-adventure tales, thrillers, detective stories, and science-fiction and horror. One of his most fondly remembered telefilms is the 1973 terror tale Satan’s School For Girls, which first aired on ABC in 1973. When her sister Martha’s mysterious death is ruled a suicide, Elizabeth Sayers enrolls in the exclusive Salem Academy For Women, where Martha was a student. She’s determined to find out what really happened to her sibling. Elizabeth is befriended by several of the students, but as she settles into her surroundings, it becomes crystal clear there are a lot of odd things going on at this very private school. 

As Elizabeth’s investigation continues, eerie occurrences and further deaths occur. Who’s behind it all? Is it Mrs. Williams, the quirky and ineffectual headmistress? Perhaps it’s the acerbic Professor Delacroix, who verbally torments the students in his classes? Surely it can’t be the handsome Dr. Joseph Campbell, the well-liked teacher who regularly holds all the students in his class spellbound? Well, this is of course, the Salem Academy For Women, so it’s just possible that that some of the students and the staff know a lot more more than they’re telling. When Elizabeth discovers the frightening truth lurking behind the doors of the school, it all leads to a hellish finale.

Satan’s School For Girls features a superb cast, filled to the brim with faces that are quite familiar to fans of classic television and film. Horror veteran Pamela Franklin (The Legend of Hell House) is excellent as Elizabeth and Roy Thinnes (best known as David Vincent on The Invaders) is fantastic as Dr. Campbell. Lloyd Bochner (who was often cast as a villain on 1960s and 70s TV series) is delightfully over the top as the ill-fated Delacroix. The cast also includes Kate Jackson (The Rookies) and Cheryl Stopplemoor (aka Cheryl Ladd) who would later team up on Aaron Spelling’s hit series, Charlie’s Angels. 

The atmospheric direction by David Lowell Rich, the enjoyably creepy script by Arthur Ross, and the top notch cast explain why Satan’s School For Girls is fondly remembered by many of us who saw it on its first run, or subsequent rebroadcasts during afternoon and late movie showcases later in the decade. Lowell Rich was also behind the camera for another classic small screen tale of of the supernatural, The Horror at 37,000 Feet, which featured William Shatner, Tammy Grimes and Salem Academy's favorite teacher, Roy Thinnes.

Satan’s School for Girls was remade (also as a TV movie) in 2000. This version of the story starred Shannon Doherty in the central role and featured Kate Jackson in the role of the headmistress, played by Jo Van Fleet in the 1973 version. The cast also includes Taraji P. Henson and Julie Benz. Executive produced by Spelling, the remake lacks some of the retro charm and old school fun of the original, but is still worth a look for fans of the macabre. You might might be a fan of his glitzy series like Dynasty and Melrose Place, but when Aaron Spelling set out to scare us, he did a really good job. Other spooky tales of Spelling-branded television terror include The House That Would Not Die, Crowhaven Farm and Home For The Holidays.

This post is part of the (Aaron) Spellingverse Blogathon, hosted by Gil over at his blog, Reelweegiemidget reviews. I’d like to thank him inviting me to participate! Follow this link for more info: https://weegiemidget.wordpress.com/blogathons/blogathons-2024/news-whos-doing-what-in-aaron-spellingverse-blogathon-2024/.

Join Dillard & Clark on a "Fantastic Expedition"

Country rock flourished in the late 1960s and on into the mid 1970s, thanks to the work of artists such as Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Gram Parsons, Poco, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Neil Young, Linda Ronstadt, The Eagles and even ex-Monkee Mike Nesmith, all of contributed to the success of the genre. One of the best albums to come out of this era is Dillard & Clark’s 1968 release The Fantastic Expedition of Dillard & Clark. The group was founded by Gene Clark, a former member of The Byrds (no strangers themselves to the country rock sound) and Doug Dillard, who had just left his family’s bluegrass outfit, The Dillards. They recorded the album with some talented collaborators, including guitarist Bernie Leadon, who later went on to join The Eagles, and bassist Chris Hillman, who had also been a member of The Byrds. Hillman and Leadon would help to form The Flying Burrito Brothers, another well regarded and highly influential country rock band.

The album is awash with the sounds of banjo, fiddle and organ, and includes some incredible songs, such as the opening track “Out On The Side,” and “Train Leaves Here This Morning,” which was later covered by The Eagles during Leadon's stint with that group. Other notable tunes include the haunting “She Darked The Sun,” and Clark's melancholy “Why Not Your Baby?” (later covered by Velvet Crush)
included as a bonus track on the CD edition. The inspired songwriting by Clark, Dillard and Leadon, their stellar playing and those achingly beautiful harmonies combine to make this album a high watermark for the genre. 

 

The group recorded just one more record together, 1969's Through The Morning, Through The Night. That sophomore release leans even more towards the country and bluegrass side of the road. It wasn’t as well-received as their debut, but there are still some great songs to be found, including the title track and outstanding covers of The Everly Brothers classic “So Sad” and The Beatles “Don’t Let Me Down.” On both of these albums, you can hear the lasting influences these incredible musicians would have on modern artists who have visited these wide-ranging soundscapes in their own careers.

Gene Clark died in 1991, and Doug Dillard passed away in 2012. But they left behind a musical legacy that still enchants listeners and fans to this day. I first discovered The Fantastic Expedition of Dillard & Clark in the 1990s when I was going through a major Byrds phase, and it has remained a favorite of mine. If you’re a fan of country-flavored rock, which has seen a resurgence in recent years with the success of groups like The Avett Brothers, Fleet Foxes, Mumford & Sons and The Nude Party, you owe it to yourself to check out this terrific record. It’s truly an aural journey worth taking. Both Dillard & Clark albums are available on a "two-fer" CD which can be found on Amazon and other online sites. Here are links to the songs “Why Not Your Baby?” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JqEuUEHxCk and "She Darked The Sun" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_O9QENNNPwQ.

Retro Chiller: The Return of Dracula

Francis Lederer

There have been a number of cinematic variations on the story of Dracula, but do you recall the vampire tale whose story echoed that of a classic film by Alfred Hitchcock? That film is The Return of Dracula, an entertaining low budget chiller released in 1958. In order to elude a group of vampire hunters in Europe, the legendary vampire kills an artist named Bellac Gordal, and assumes his identity. Dracula visits Bellac’s family, who live in California, posing as their distant relative. The family consists of Bellac’s cousin, Cora, a widow who hasn’t seen him since they were much younger, and her two children; Rachel, a teenager who has ambitions to become an artist, and her younger brother, Mickey. Rachel is particularly intrigued and dazzled by Bellac's tales of his exotic life in Europe, much to the consternation of her boyfriend, Tim, who's pretty sure there is something odd about him.

Bellac has some strange habits; he sleeps all day, keeps his room locked, and only comes out at night. Of course, he’s got a coffin stashed in an abandoned mine shaft outside of town, and that’s where he’s really spending the daylight hours. Any self-respecting vampire needs his sustenance, so Bellac/Dracula slakes his thirst with the family cat, then hunts for bigger game. He feeds on Jenny, a young blind girl who lives at a parish house, which is run by the kindly Reverend Whitfield. Rachel volunteers there, and is distressed to see her friend’s failing health. No one can explain her strange condition. She tells Rachel she’s having eerie dreams and dark visions of her death. Jenny is later transformed into a vampire by Bellac.

Rachel (Norma Eberhardt) and her family continue to be charmed by Bellac, despite his eccentric behavior. Bellac wants Rachel to become his bride, and spend eternity with him. Meanwhile, the vampire hunters, posing as immigration agents, track Dracula to California, and try to locate his hiding place. Bellac discovers their presence, and dispatches Jenny to take care of them. Will Bellac’s true nature be revealed? Can Tim keep Rachel from becoming Bellac’s next victim? The Return of Dracula is a well-crafted B-movie that offers a slightly different spin on the story of the world’s most famous vampire. While the film is most definitely a low budget affair, it does have some interesting moments. In fact, Rachel’s fascination with her cousin is a neat parallel to a similar situation in the Hitchcock classic Shadow of a Doubt, where another young woman's charming uncle is later revealed to be a notorious killer.

Francis Lederer does a nice job in the role of Bellac/Dracula, radiating old world charm, touched up with an undercurrent of quiet menace. It’s not as florid as the performances by actors like Bela Lugosi, Christopher Lee or Frank Langella, but it suits the film’s understated style. Lederer actually reprised the role in an episode of Night Gallery in 1971. The rest of the cast is solid; you may recognize character actor Gage Clark, who plays Reverend Whitfield. Clark also appeared in films such as The Bad Seed and The Absent Minded Professor, as well as TV series like Maverick and The Twilight Zone. The excellent black and white cinematography by Jack McKenzie includes a brief (and surprising) splash of color during a key sequence. The Return of Dracula is an effective chiller, and worth a look for B-movie fans, and those with a particular taste for vampire tales. Here’s a link to the film’s trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ULuL07ptuY.

Retro Thriller: Pakula's "The Parallax View"

Warren Beatty in The Parallax View

The 1970s were the decade in which the conspiracy thriller film came into its own. In the wake of the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr., the optimism of the 1960s gave way to feelings of distrust and paranoid thoughts. Theses negative thoughts escalated further when the United States was propelled into the aftermath of events such as the Manson murders and the Watergate scandal. Films like Executive Action, The Conversation, Night Moves, Three Days of the Condor, Winter Kills and Capricorn One focused on conspiracies, real or imagined, which exposed the dark underside of the American dream. No movie illustrates these ideas and concepts in a more chilling, effective and believable manner than The Parallax View, director Alan J. Pakula's terrific 1974 thriller.

Warren Beatty plays Joe Frady, a down on his luck (though talented and resourceful) reporter who, as the film opens, is nearby when a popular presidential candidate is assassinated. An investigative committee formed by the government finds that the murder was the act of a disturbed individual who acted alone. Lee Carter, a newswoman who witnessed the murder firsthand, visits Frady several years after the killing. She tells him that that something odd is going on, as a number of witnesses to the shooting have died, seemingly under accidental circumstances. Carter, a former flame of Frady's, is herself found dead of a drug overdose shortly after her visit to him. A shaken Frady decides to look into her claims.

What he discovers is that a mysterious organization called The Parallax Corporation is recruiting people who are on the fringe of society, that don't fit the accepted behavioral norm. These antisocial outsiders are given training, and new jobs, and are ultimately used as assassins, taking out politicians that don't fit the shadowy group's world view. The oddball loners are then framed for the crimes, taking the fall for the killings as a "lone gunman." Frady convinces his editor that he wants to go undercover in the organization, allowing them to recruit him. He hopes to ultimately expose their activities to the world. It's a choice that will prove to be Frady's undoing. 

In The Parallax View, nothing is quite what it seems. There are multiple layers of secrets, lies and misdirection at the center of this shadowy organization. As Frady digs deeper, he becomes caught in the middle of a deadly conspiracy. Just how far do the tendrils of Parallax reach? The sense of unease and impending doom is palpable in this cynical thriller. The moody cinematography by Gordon Willis is superb, as is Pakula's tense direction, especially in the chilling sequence where Frady watches the Parallax training film. There's always something happening just outside the frame in this movie, and you're often unsure of exactly what's going on right before your eyes. The X-Files may have popularized the term "Trust No One" but in The Parallax View, there's a true feeling of dread throughout the story. You really can't trust anyone.

The cast is superb. Beatty delivers a solid, low key performance as Frady. The fine supporting cast includes Paula Prentiss, Hume Cronyn, William Daniels, Kenneth Mars, Walter McGinn and Anthony Zerbe. The intelligent, layered script is by David Giler and Lorenzo Semple, Jr. (with an uncredited assist by Robert Towne) and is based on the book by Loren Singer. Michael Small provides an offbeat score, which adds to the sense of unease throughout the film. Along with Klute and All The President's Men, which were also directed by Alan J. Pakula, this film is often referred to as part of his unofficial "paranoia" trilogy. The Parallax View seems even more relevant in our current environment, and is definitely worth a look. Here's a link to the trailer for the film, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzQRp0Fjpjg, and for an insightful look at the life and career of Alan J. Pakula, check out the 2019 documentary, Alan Pakula: Going For Truth.

 

Retro TV Episode: The Phantom Family

Lemnoc keeps an eye on Dr. Smith & The Robot

I've been doing a re-watch of selected episodes of all of Irwin Allen's classic TV series, and recently posted about "Visitors From Beyond The Stars," an episode of The Time Tunnel. It's been having a lot of fun seeing these shows again, and this time out it's a brief look at a selection from another one of Allen's iconic shows. "The Phantom Family" is of the better episodes in the second season of Lost In Space, the show which featured the Robinson family, whose ship, the Jupiter 2, is sent off course by a saboteur, Dr. Smith, causing them to become....Lost In Space! In its second year, the series switched from black and white to color, and the tone of the show veered wildly from outer space adventure to fairy tale themed outings, and other campy, comical stories which often focused on Will Robinson, Dr. Smith and the Robot. 

"The Phantom Family" concerns an alien named Lemnoc (played by Alan Hewitt) whose race has lost the will to live. He creates android duplicates of Dr. Smith, Don West, and Judy and Penny Robinson. Lemnoc wants Will to teach the androids about being human, and all about our strengths and emotions, especially our survival instinct. Lemnoc gives Will a 24 hour deadline, explaining that Will's family and friends will be destroyed, unless the alien transports the duplicates to his world within that time frame.

This enjoyable outing features much of the main cast having fun playing the stoic, emotionless androids. Jonathan Harris, who could often be theatrical and over the top as Dr. Smith, does a great job in a couple of low key scenes with Bill Mumy's Will, as the Smith android does indeed learn about being human from the youngest Robinson. Guy Williams and June Lockhart are absent for most of this entry, but they return for the final portion of the story, so that John and Don West, played by Mark Goddard, can do their action hero bit at the end of the episode.

There's are some fun easter eggs for Allen devotees, as Lemnoc's lab is filled with equipment and props which appeared previously on Lost In Space, as well as other Allen series, including The Time Tunnel and Voyage To The Bottom of the Sea. "The Phantom Family" was written by Peter Packer, who wrote the lion's share of Lost In Space episodes throughout the series run, and helmed by veteran actor and director Ezra Stone. You might also notice some similarities to a third season episode entitled "Target Earth," in which another alien race creates duplicates of the Robinsons, as part of a plot to invade the Earth. If you're a Lost In Space fan, "The Phantom Family" is definitely worthy of a re-watch.