#sam katzman

[rhetthammersmithhorror]

The Werewolf | 1956

[mariocki]

The Ape Man (1943)

"Six months ago, we made an astounding discovery. It was so far in advance of anything that's been done to date, but... Jim decided to be the guinea pig for this experiment himself. I tried to talk him out of it, but you know how stubborn he is when he gets an idea in his head. We made the experiment and... unfortunately it was a great success. So great, in fact, that we've been unable to counteract the results."

[moviesandmania]

THE WEREWOLF Reviews of '50s sci-fi horror

‘The horror of all mankind terrifies the screen!’ The Werewolf is a 1956 American sci-fi horror film produced by Sam Katzman and directed and narrated by Fred F. Sears (Earth vs. the Flying Saucers, The Giant Claw) from a screenplay written by Robert E. Kent (Diary of a Madman, Twice-Told Tales). The film’s soundtrack score was composed by noted composer Mischa Bakaleinikoff. Like the following…

[fuddlyduddly]

i desperately want to match with the person who's Bumble profile includes a pic of them with their Cold War Creatures: Four Films By Sam Katzman box set, we need to bond over enjoying The Giant Claw

[deke-rivers-1957]

Harum Scarum Review

The second Gene Nelson and Sam Katzman picture starring Elvis Presley. Inspired by Rudolph Valentino's The Sheik and filmed on the original Cecile B. DeMille's set of The King of Kings, Elvis had hope of finally getting a movie that allowed him to be more of an action hero. Given that Peter O'Toole's 1962 film, Lawrence of Arabia was a massive success for Columbia Pictures, MGM likely wanted to capitalize on that success by using a guaranteed money maker in Elvis.

Unfortunately, the hype Elvis had regarding the possibility of being a Rudolph Valentino figure was quickly squashed. He received the script and realized that his character wouldn't live up to the expectations he originally had. It's a pretty known story that even the Colonel thought the script was so weird, he thought it should include a talking camel. This of course is in reference to the Bing Crosby and Bob Hope movie, Road to Morocco. Ironically enough, the reference I make to Zanzibar in my announcement post was another movie that the duo made. With Kissin Cousins being described as the begin of Elvis' decline, this movie is typically described as being Elvis' rock bottom. Is it really as bad as people say, or is it over hated due to outdated elements? Let's find out.

"Harem Holiday" while it sounds great, is very confusing in the context of this movie. Why is this movie called Harum Scarum when it's called Harem Holiday elsewhere and even has a song with that name? I get that it's a term meaning someone acting reckless and without care, but it doesn't relate to the movie at all. Both titles completely gloss over the very important detail of how Johnny ended up in the position he will end up in.

We immediately open to a movie within a movie as Johnny Tyrone stars in an Arabian film where he saves a woman by killing a jaguar with his bare hands. He even sings to her "My Desert Serenade" while he has the weirdest sideburns I have ever seen. And then the movie just ends to a roaring applause in front of what's an unusually white crowd.

Apparently this is being screened in front of Arabian dignitaries as a diplomacy mission by the US State Department. Why is this specific actor's movie being chosen for this mission when just by what we're shown, would be the equivalent of going into the Soviet Union and screen a movie of Elvis fighting a polar bear in Siberia? Only 2 minutes in and I already have a lot of questions on why this is the set up. He sings "Go East Young Man" and again why is this the song that you're choosing to perform in front of dignitaries you're supposed to schmooze? Again it'd be the equivalent of going into the Soviet Union and singing a song about drinking vodka with Josef Stalin. It's just so stereotypical that if this was a real diplomatic mission, it would be an absolute disaster. Dignitaries that you're trying to establish a relationship with, wouldn't see this as honoring their culture. If anything, what this movie should be about, is Johnny being kidnapped because they found his performance insulting.

Johnny Tyrone in this picture above summarizes Elvis' acting throughout the entire movie. Sir, you are meeting actual royalty and this is how you act? I can understand wanting to make a good impression but for goodness sake crack a smile. Or at the very least show humility by bowing before the prince. For someone who's supposed to be an actor/stuntman that was given a golden opportunity to act as a diplomat of American culture on this mission, Johnny looks like if it wasn't for Aishah, he literally couldn't care less to be there. Even when the prince invites Johnny to the king's palace (making him the first American to ever do so) Johnny looks bored out of his skull.

After traveling with the prince to Lunarkand, Johnny stops at a camp. Johnny goes to flirt with Aishah and we get a Red West appearance as on of the attackers. I know Star Trek didn't come out yet, but what is up with these costumes? These men look like an alien race trying to disguise themselves as human. Also this is the worst depiction of drugging someone I have ever seen. It's obvious that Aishah drugged his drink, but what drug could possibly work that fast? Whatever plot they want to commit would be executed a lot faster if they simply used a little too much of the Brand X drug if it's truly that effective. Drinking something is the slowest method you could possibly use to drug someone. It doesn't go directly to the brain like inhaling a substance.

The prince is obviously behind this and any twist that comes from it, is gone. My reason why it's so obvious: the prince would be completely incompetent if he traveled without any type of security for himself. So the fact that these men were able to enter his camp with absolutely no resistance indicates that this was planned to happen. If this was truly just a plot by Aishah, he would've been a victim as well to get the King's attention or attempt to implicate Johnny for the crime so Lunarkand would go to war agains the US. But that didn't happen. The prince is conveniently resting in his tent while Johnny is kidnapped.

I have never laughed so hard at an Elvis movie as I did when Johnny starts singing "Mirage". You have Johnny who was just kidnapped waking up in a strange place and what does he do? He literally starts singing to the slave women thinking this is just a dream. How in the world are we supposed to take anything that happens in this movie seriously? Johnny is being held captive in a Middle Eastern country and nobody will even know about it until after a week when Johnny doesn't return from his vacation. But no we need to have a gag about how Johnny's horny for slave women.

Even when he's facing Sinan, the leader of assassins who wants him to kill the King of Lunarkand, he still doesn't seem to care. All he does is make a snarky remark about how stupid it is to believe he can actually kill a jaguar with his barehands. Even if it was actually true, that just makes him all the more boring. Why should I care about Johnny Tyrone, if he's shown to be physically invincible and doesn't even seem all that scared about the amount of danger he's in? That isn't relatable. It's especially worse when you get the racist stereotype that poor Arabians are thieves in the form of Zacha offering to help Johnny escape for 10,000 American dollars. He explains how this country is so isolated that there's airport. How would Zacha even know what an airport was if Lunarkand's been isolated for 2000 years? And how does he speak fluent English if Johnny's the first American to even be on palace grounds? I just don't get how this world is set up.

Johnny escapes and runs into Princess Shalimar who for literally no reason says she's a slave girl. This would absolutely never happen and if anything makes me even more suspicious of the prince. Shalimar is a princess so she should have guards everywhere. Johnny would've been immediately captured just by being near her. Shalimar wasn't there during Johnny's movie screening so she has no reason to believe that he isn't going to be a danger to her. Johnny being hot isn't enough of a reason to trust him.

It also makes Johnny's plight even more frustrating to watch. For someone who's supposed to be on the run he sure takes his sweet time escaping. He doesn't take his safety seriously as he stops by the lake and sings "Kismet" to a woman he literally just met. It's a good song but it the movie literally stops when Johnny is supposed to be running away. When he tells Shalimar about Sinan and she runs away, it becomes all the more dumb that he wasted that much time. The guards are right on their heels and only get lucky in their escape.

So Johnny decides to follow Zacha until they find some dancing girls in Bar Esalaam that are part of Zacha's Den of Thieves. The stereotypes don't get better as you have an element out of the 1920s in the form a little person playing the mute fool named Baba. We've seen Billy Barty before in Roustabout and it's nice to have him do more than just one gag. I just wish they could've treated Baba as a real person, given how progressive it was to even have little people (especially since Billy Barty was the founder of the non-profit organization, Little People of America). Heck you know things are bad when you have me praise this movie for having a token black person be on screen in a movie that's meant to be in the Middle East. Are there pale skinned people in the Middle East? Absolutely. I don't mind that the royal family and their servants have pale skin. My beef is that a movie meant to be in the Middle East shouldn't have only one noticeably black person. Especially when you consider that Lunarkand celebrates Ramadan, a holiday celebrated by Muslims, who are typically darker skinned.

"Shake That Tambourine" I guess is good but why on earth are we stopping everything just for this? All we're doing is pro-porting the stereotype that all poor Arabians are thieves. What exactly is this accomplishing when Johnny needs to escape and he's going to pay Zacha $10,000? Nothing. If anything Baba getting caught stealing only brings attention to them. The guards chase Johnny in what's the most ridiculous display of physics I've ever seen in a fight. Johnny might be an actor/stuntman, but that doesn't mean he's capable of taking on a group of soldiers. The fact that this is being treated like one of his movies destroys any possible conflict. Why should I be worried about him getting caught when I know he's just going to beat them up and get away? What's worse is that you have two orphan children throwing rocks at the guards and it knocks them out. These children are about 10 years old at the oldest. Even if they're using a slingshot of sort, I just don't see them as being strong enough to make it at all effective.

"Hey Little Girl" has the worst context I've ever seen. Johnny is singing this song while a barely 10 year old girl dances like a stereotypical adult dancing girl. This isn't me taking the song out of context when the girl literally says she dreams about growing up to be a beautiful slave woman. Not to mention that there's literally a lyric that goes "Hey little girl, I'd like to take you home. Come on, come on, come on I want you for my very own." and another that goes "I want you swing it to the left, and shake it to the right. Hey little girl, you know you're lookin' fine". This is not at all appropriate for a girl this young to be shown doing that.

If you were listening to this song as just the soundtrack version, then it's just fine. It's a different sound that breaks up the monotony of his other songs. But when you watch it in context, it just doesn't match the actual intent Johnny has of wanting to adopt this girl. I of course don't blame Elvis because he didn't choose to have this be included. I don't think he realized that, her even doing this would be inappropriate since the movie itself has associated those moves to an adult woman in a more sexual nature. Movie scenes aren't always filmed in the order the audience sees them in, so I can understand why Elvis wouldn't have made the connection the audience would make. Regardless, there were better ways to have Johnny bond with the children he plans on adopting than this.

Aishah arrives at the Den of Thieves because Zacha is still working for Sinan. Knowing Johnny isn't a complete villain, she intends on holding the slave women and children hostage so Johnny has no reason to chicken out. In what is a very jarring display of seriousness, Sinan's men arrives at the den too with a bunch of weapons. They fully intend to kill these orphans if Johnny doesn't do it. The plot to kill the King is on as the plan is to kill him during the final celebration of Ramadan.

Princess Shalimar meanwhile laments that Johnny doesn't know she's a princess. That was entirely her fault so I don't feel bad for her. I get that she probably only said she was a slave girl to keep herself safe, but once she kissed Johnny, she never told him the truth. She's so down bad for Johnny, that she hallucinates seeing his reflection in her pool. I actually don't mind this break in reality since we're obviously supposed to understand this is just her imagination. "Golden Coins" is probably the only song with a Middle Eastern sound that doesn't feel completely stereotypical. If anything it gives us an insight that Shalimar wants Johnny to worship her by giving her many gifts. Very appropriate given how she's a princess.

So Johnny goes to the palace with the flimsiest disguise I have ever seen and I severely question what Sinan's plan is. Why on earth would you have Johnny try to kill the King when he's surrounded by everyone? If Johnny is trying to warn the king why would he take his knife out before explaining the situation? Having the knife in your hand is obviously going to lead to a "shoot first, ask questions later" reaction. Why is Sinan using Aishah to hold hostages knowing good and well that Johnny would never be killed? Johnny is an American who has people knowing that he'll only be gone a week. If he never returns from Lunarkand, the State Department is going to know he was killed. This was meant to be a diplomatic mission built into his vacation so even if the prince succeeds in killing the King, having Johnny be killed would only lead to war.

This is probably the most amount of emotion Johnny shows in the entire movie. He felt betrayed that Shalimar lied to him about being a princess. He's additionally upset that he let everyone down by failing. "So Close, Yet So Far (From Paradise)" is the most relatable song in this movie. At this point in watching, I looked at the run time and saw that I was barely at the hour mark. This movie felt so long that I had to pause and walk away for a minute to contemplate how a movie could be so complicated plot wise, yet also give you nothing. After coming back to finish this movie, Baba manages to set them all free. I take back what I said earlier as in a way, he did have a genuine character moment by getting past the guards to save his friends as opposed to running away to save himself. Johnny decides to try to reason with the King knowing he would have diplomatic immunity anyway.

Sure enough, things are smoothed over once Johnny explains himself. I guess the King only believes him because Shalimar vouched for his honor. In her heart of hearts, she never believed he could do such a thing. I mean she technically shouldn't anyway since again, Johnny killing the King as the first American to step foot on this land would be an act of war. Johnny isn't that stupid to risk that. Johnny comes up with a plan to keep the King safe, and expose Sinan. Meanwhile, we get actual whippings and the potential murder of women and children at the Den of Thieves. The true mastermind is of course revealed as the prince. However, what I didn't expect is for Sinan to betray the prince so he can take the throne himself. Granted there's the very big issue of Princess Shalimar being the heir to the throne, but I appreciate the attempt to be unpredictable. Sinan does after all, plan on keeping the prince alive so the people don't grow suspicious.

Johnny of course, exposes Sinan and saves the hostages in what's a pretty clever way. Using the slave women's bells as a means of misdirecting Sinan's men is a great way to get to Sinan and make him vulnerable. After a complicated plot involving the King fighting his brother that ends with Sinan getting shot full of holes by a machine gun somehow. The King defeats his brother with Aishah's hands being binded and promises Shalimar's hand in marriage to Johnny despite knowing him for only less than a week. The King doesn't even have his brother executed and instead has him banished. Because I guess blood is thicker than water and having your brother knowingly commit an act of treason without coercion on his part isn't as bad as Johnny only pretending to try to kill you. Aishah was part of the conspiracy too so unless she goes with the prince as banishment she would absolutely be executed for her treason. But no, we just jump right over that as if the King's possible assassination doesn't even matter.

We get one final performance and what I think is a Joe cameo with Johnny's new act in a reprise of "Harem Holiday". It's nice that Johnny fulfilled his promise to adopt the slave children, but what did you expect? Johnny isn't a complete villain to just let orphan children remain in slavery. There's just no reason to even worry about them, when there's no sense of complex morals in this movie. I have no idea why Johnny would even want to call it a holiday either. Sure he was on vacation and got a bride out of this, but getting kidnapped and being asked to assassinate a monarch should be traumatizing. I get that this is an Elvis movie and we need to have an Elvis movie, but really? This is the best way you could think of ending it?

It just raises several questions on how the movie ends. Why is Johnny performing in Vegas during what's supposed to be his honeymoon? Why did Johnny even decide to go back to the US at all when he's married to a LITERAL PRINCESS? If this country is so isolated that it doesn't even have an airport, how did Shalimar and her father even get into the country without a passport? This isn't a diplomatic mission and Shalimar wouldn't automatically be a US citizen just because she married Johnny. I'm just so baffled on how the movie emphasizes Lunarkand's monarchy and isolation only to completely erase that when Johnny marrying Shalimar would be a huge deal. The unfortunate reality is that nothing in this movie that's supposed to be taken seriously is taken seriously. And when you have that happen, all you have left to do is sit there and care about as much as Johnny does about everything: very little.

This movie at times was painful to sit through. I have seen The Sheik and Son of the Sheik before watching this movie. Those were made about 40 years prior to this one and were both silent. I enjoyed those movies a lot more. Things didn't age well but at least they had cohesive stories, and actors that express real emotion. When Rudolph Valentino is angry, he can be explosive, or silently seething without hearing a word. Elvis in this movie is just flat the entire time. This is probably one of the only times where Elvis has visibly given up without having had a concussion only a couple weeks prior to filming. When the movie is supposed to be dramatic, he's just so blasé I lose all investment. If Johnny can't even care about the trouble he faced, why should I?

I have no idea how to rate this. It looks nice visually and most of the songs if listened to out of context actually sound decent. Everything else ranges from mid to bad to (in the case of "Hey Little Girl") cringe inducing. IMDB has a current rating of 4.6 which sounds about right. Since it's not even 50% good, I'm giving this a 4/10. I wouldn't recommend watching this since if you like songs, just listen to the soundtrack. If you're looking for movies in an Arabian setting, do not watch this. Just watch Rudolph Valentino's movies on YouTube since that was what Elvis specifically expected. And when you take those stories for what it was, you'll see why they were used as a source of inspiration and just how unfortunate it was that this didn't measure up.

AN: Happy Holidays everyone. I hope you have a better time than I did. If you want to be tagged in future reviews, please leave a note here: https://www.tumblr.com/deke-rivers-1957/743326835519176704/ecu-movie-taglist?source=share

Tagging: @searchingforgravity, @mercsandmonsters, @i-r-i-n-a-a, @50sexyshadesfashionista, @atleastpleasetelephone,

@iloveelvis2, @arianatheangel-girl, @eapep, @vintagepresley, @peaceloveelvis,

@arrolyn1114, @smokeymountainboy, @tacozebra051, @hooked-on-elvis, @littlejoecartwright1842,

and @xanatenshi.

[hooked-on-elvis]

Elvis defending co-star

— Behind the scenes: "Kissin' Cousins" (released in 1964)

PICTURE: Elvis and Cynthia Pepper in "Kissin' Cousins" (1964)

Producer of "Kissin' Cousins" (1964) and "Harum Scarum" (1965), Sam Katzman was a well-known "quickie" film producer and director, and apparently he was not a particular easy person to deal with.

NOTE: Beforehand, I'd like to say that with this post I do not intend attesting anything on Sam Katzman personality neither on his relationship with the full crew during Elvis' movie productions he was the producer, let alone during Mr. Katzman's career in Hollywood as a whole. This post is about the one incident in which Elvis was a nice guy to one of his female co-stars, using his influence and position to help them when needed. Whether the kind of behavior as told further on this post was typical for Mr. Katzman or not, or if he and Elvis got along well or not, I am not able to have a say on the matter for it is not of my knowledge in depth (I recommend you to read the comments to better understanding why my note seemed appropriate). Without further ado, let's read what happened in 1963 during the film production:

Cynthia Pepper, Elvis' co-star in "Kissin' Cousins", released her memoir book, "Pigtails, Presley & Pepper", in 2014. A significant part of the book is devoted to Elvis and the film production, which took place from October 13 to November 14, 1963. She mentions Sam Katzman as a joker who no one really took seriously.

Regarding one incident during "Kissin' Cousins" production time, Ms. Pepper told the following:

Mr. Katzman did one particular thing to me that I didn't find amusing at all. One morning on the set in front of everyone he said to me, in a loud enough voice for all to hear: "Cynthia, why didn't you wake me up when the alarm went off this morning?" ... They (the crew) knew that he was a kidder and didn't take Mr. Katzman seriously but he was the guy paying the bills, so they laughed. Elvis, bless his heart, quickly took Mr. Katzman aside and quietly told him: "Knock it off. You're embarrassing her." Needless to say, the incident never happened again.

Source: elvisinfonet.com

Elvis and Cynthia Pepper in "Kissin' Cousins" (1964)

[bitter69uk]

“Hot Rods to Hell, from MGM, is a good example of how the studios reacted to “youth culture”; it was produced by 66-year-old Sam Katzman (who also made that year’s Riot on Sunset Strip), was directed by 72-year-old German refugee John Brahm, and starred, as was often the case, a couple of past-their-prime stalwarts, Dana Andrews and Jeanne Crain (poignantly referred to in the New York Times review as “postwar favourites”). Andrews is an all-American dad who, after a back injury, decides to restart his life by moving his family to a new town and running a motel. On the way, they encounter hot-rodders. “Maybe the police won’t think that running people off the road with those souped-up sardine cans of yours is such a joke!” Andrews barks to one young tough who threatens him at a service station. “What is it with kids today?” sighs the attendant. “You know what kind of people those kids come from? Honest, God-fearing for the most part…They work hard for a living. Nobody knows what kids want these days! Nobody in God’s creation!””

/ From the article “Cinema ‘67 Revisited: The Born Losers, Hot Rods to Hell and The Trip” by Mark Harris in the August 2017 issue of Film Comment /

YES! Final call for the FREE monthly Lobotomy Room film club’s presentation of fast, cheap’n’lurid exploitation flick Hot Rods to Hell at Fontaine’s on Thursday 19 December! As the poster threatened: “Hotter than Hell’s Angels! The motorcycle gangs take a back seat as these young animals clear the road for excitement!” As an added bonus: watch for a fleeting guest star appearance from burlesque queen Liz Renay (aka Muffy St Jacques from John Waters’ Desperate Living (1977))! And thrill to the garage punk sounds of Mickey Rooney Jr and His Combo performing “Do the Chicken Walk” (it shoulda been a hit!). Pictured: Mimsy Farmer as Gloria. Email bookings@fontaines.bar NOW to reserve your seat. Info.

[chernobog13]

Superman ready to jump up so he can turn into a cartoon to fly.

Oh, ya think I'm kidding', do ya? Foist yer peepers on this:

Sad, but true. Producer Sam Katzman had a reputation of being cheap (I'm sure he'd've preferred the term "frugal"), and boy does it show with this animation.

To think: if Republic Pictures had been able to make a Superman serial back in 1941 when they wanted (but were thwarted by licensing issues, so they made The Adventures of Captain Marvel instead) we might've gotten flying sequences with Superman like this:

[jpbjazz]

LÉGENDES DU JAZZ

FREDDIE HUBBARD, UN GÉNIE MÉCONNU

‘’From the moment he played one note, you knew that was Freddie Hubbard. So he had a sound that was distinctive as Miles Davis, as Louis Armstrong, as Clifford Brown. I mean, he’s one of those trumpet players. He’s also an extraordinary powerful player - great stamina, great range. He swung very hard, was a beautiful ballad player {...}. He was quite a musician.’’

- Stanley Crouch

Né le 7 avril 1938 à Indianapolis en Indiana, Freddie Hubbard a commencé sa carrière musicale comme membre du groupe du Arsenal Technical High School à Indianapolis, où il a appris à jouer du tuba, du cor français et du mellaphone (une sorte de trompette), avant de fixer son choix sur la trompette et le flugelhorn. Freddie avait été initié au jazz par son frère Earmon Jr., un pianiste qui était un grand admirateur de Bud Powell.

Après avoir constaté son grand talent, le trompettiste Lee Katzman, qui avait joué dans l’orchestre de Stan Kenton, lui avait conseillé d’aller étudier au Arthur Jordan Conservatory of Music (devenu de nos jours le Jordan College of the Arts de l’Université Butler) avec Max Woodbury, le trompettiste principal de l’Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. À l’adolescence, Hubbard avait participé à sa première session d’enregistrement en accompagnant les frères Wes et Montgomery. Il avait aussi collaboré avec le bassiste Larry Ridley et le saxophoniste James Spaulding. À la même époque où Hubbard participait à son premier enregistrement avec les frères Montgomery, il avait fondé un premier groupe nommé ‘’The Jazz Contemporaries’’ avec le bassiste Larry Ridley, le saxophoniste et flutiste James Spaulding, le pianiste Walt Miller et le batteur Paul Parker. Le groupe se produisait souvent au George’s Bar, un club très populaire sur l’Indiana Avenue.

UNE ASCENSION RAPIDE

En 1958, à l’âge de vingt ans, Hubbard s’était installé à New York. Hubbard avait connu un succès instantané en accompagnant les meilleurs musiciens de jazz de l’époque, dont Philly Joe Jones, Sonny Rollins, Slide Hampton, Eric Dolphy, J.J. Johnson et Quincy Jones. À la même période, Hubbard avait aussi partagé un appartement avec le multi-insrumentiste Eric Dolphy.

Sur la recommandation de Miles Davis, Hubbard avait signé un contrat avec Blue Note avec qui il avait  enregistré son premier album comme leader en novembre 1960, intitulé ‘’Open Sesame.’’ Participaient à l’enregistrement le saxophoniste Tina Brooks, le pianiste McCoy Tyner, le bassiste Sam Jones et le batteur Clifford Jarvis. Six jours plus tard, Hubbard avait renvoyé l’ascenseur à Brooks en collaborant à son album True Blue. En l’espace d’un an, Hubbard avait enregistré deux autres albums, ‘’Going Up’’, avec McCoy Tyner et Hank Mobley, ainsi que ‘’Hub Cap’’, avec Julian Priester et Jimmy Heath.

Après avoir entendu Hubbard jouer avec le trompettiste Don Cherry, le saxophoniste Ornette Coleman l’avait invité à participer à son album ‘’Free Jazz.’’ En 1960-1961, Hubbard s’était également joint à Quincy Jones dans le cadre d’une tournée en Europe. Il avait aussi travaillé avec le batteur Max Roach.

En mai 1961, Hubbard avait collaboré avec John Coltrane sur son dernier enregistrement pour Atlantic, intitulé ‘’Olé Coltrane’’. Avec Eric Dolphy et Art Davis, Hubbard avait aussi été invité à participer au premier album de Coltrane pour Impulse, intitulé ‘’Africa-Brass.’’ En août 1961, Hubbard avait enregistré ‘’Ready for Freddy’’, sa première collaboration avec le saxophoniste Wayne Shorter, qui est considéré comme un des sommets de sa carrière. À la fin de la même année, Hubbard était devenu un partenaire régulier de Shorter lorsqu’il avait remplacé Lee Morgan avec les Jazz Messengers d’Art Blakey. Hubbard avait enregistré plus de dix albums live et en studio avec Blakey durant la période la plus productive du groupe. Les années 1960 avaient aussi été une période faste pour Hubbard, qui avait enregistré huit albums comme leader pour Blue Note, et plus d’une vingtaine comme membre d’autres formations. Hubbard était demeuré avec Blakey jusqu’en 1966, alors qu’il avait décidé de former l’un des nombreux petits groupes sous son nom. Faisaient également partie de la formation son ancien associé de Blue Note, James Spaulding, le pianiste Kenny Barron et le batteur Louis Hayes. Le groupe avait enregistré avec Atlantic.

C’est à cette époque que Hubbard avait commencé à se libérer des influences de Clifford  Brown et de Lee Morgan et à développer son propre son. Il avait aussi remporté le prix du meilleur trompettiste de jazz décerné par le magazine DownBeat.

Pendant les années 1960, Hubbard avait aussi participé comme accompagnateur aux plus importants albums de l’époque, dont ‘’The Blues and Abstract Truth’’ d’Oliver Nelson, ‘’Out of Lunch!’’ d’Eric Dolphy, ‘’Maiden Voyage’’ d’Herbie Hancock, et ‘’Speak No Evil’’ de Wayne Shorter. Même s’il n’avait pas ouvertement adopté le free jazz, Hubbard avait participé à deux de ses albums-phares : ‘’Free Jazz’’ d’Ornette Coleman et ‘’Ascension’’ de John Coltrane, en plus de collaborer à l’enregistrement d’une des compositions les plus avant-gardistes de Sonny Rollins, intitulée ‘’East Broadway Run Down’’ (tirée de l’album du même nom), avec Elvin Jones et Jimmy Garrison, deux membres du célèbre quartet de John Coltrane.

‘’I don’t know how I met all these people’’, avait plus tard expliqué Hubbard. ‘’But a lot of them came to get me, too. They sought me out because they saw I wanted to experiment, and during that period, I was changing my style of the trumpet. I was trying to play the trumpet like a saxophone.’’

Le style de Hubbard avait changé après qu’il se soit établi à Hollywood dans les années 1970. En Californie, les trompettistes jouaient un rôle plus effacé et plus discret, et Hubbard avait dû s’adapter. Il racontait : ‘’You know, lifestyle out there is different from mine than in New York. I was in the Hollywood Hills, above the Bowl. I could look at the ocean on this side. I can hear the concerts free at the Bowl. And I had a big swimming pool. I had parties all the time, and the trumpet just was in the corner a lot of the time, when it should have been on my lips.’’

Hubbard avait connu son plus grand succès commercial dans les années 1970 lorsqu’il avait participé à une série d’albums pour la compagnie CTI Records de Creed Taylor, ce qui lui avait permis d’éclipser Stanley Turrentine, Hubert Laws et même George Benson. Même si ses premiers disques des années 1970, ‘’Red Clay’’, ‘’First Light’’ (qui avait remporté un prix Grammy en 1972 comme meilleure performance instrumentale par un artiste de jazz) et ‘’Sky Dive’’ avaient été plutôt bien reçus et étaient considérés comme ses meilleurs, les albums que Hubbard avait enregistrés plus tard (il avait même flirté avec le jazz-fusion en collaborant avec Red Clay dans le cadre de l’enregistrement des albums ‘’Straight Life’’, ‘’Sky Dive’’ et ‘’First Light’’) avaient été critiqués en raison de leur approche trop commerciale. L’album ‘’First Light’’ mettait en vedette les pianistes Herbie Hancock et Richard Wyands, les guitaristes Eric Gale et George Benson, le contrebassiste Ron Carter, le batteur Jack DeJohnette et le percussionniste Airto Moreira. En 1994, Hubbard avait renoué avec la chanteuse et compositrice Catherine Whitney, qui avait également collaboré à l’album ‘’First Light.’’

Après avoir signé avec Columbia, en 1977, Hubbard s’était joint au groupe tout-étoile V.S.O.P., aux côtés d’Herbie Hancock, de Tony Williams, de Ron Carter et de Wayne Shorter. Tous les membres du groupe à l’exception d’Hubbard avaient fait partie du quintet de Miles Davis au milieu des années 1960. Plusieurs des enregistrements en concert du groupe avaient été publiés plus tard. En 1978, Hubbard avait également collaboré à la pièce ‘’Zanzibar’’ du chanteur Billy Joel. La pièce était tirée de l’album ‘’52nd Street’’ qui avait remporté un prix Grammy l’année suivante comme meilleur disque de jazz.

PROBLÈMES DE SANTÉ ET DÉCÈS

Dans les années 1980, Hubbard avait fondé un nouveau groupe, cette fois avec Billy Childs et Larry Klein. Accueilli chaleureusement par la critique, le groupe avait présenté plusieurs concerts aux États-Unis et en Europe, souvent en compagnie du saxophoniste ténor Joe Henderson, avec un répertoire composé de pièces de hard bop et de jazz modal. Hubbard s’était également produit au festival de jazz de Monterey en 1980 et en 1989 (cette fois avec le vibraphoniste Bobby Hutcherson). Avec Woody Shaw, Hubbard avait enregistré deux albums pour Blue Note. Les deux hommes ont aussi joué en concert en duo de 1985 à 1987. Toujours en 1987, Hubbard avait co-dirigé l’enregistrement de l’album ‘’Stardust’’ avec Buddy Golson. L’année suivante, Hubbard avait de nouveau équipe fait avec Art Blakey à l’occasion d’un concert en Hollande, ce qui avait donné lieu à l’enregistrement de l’album ‘’Free the Wind.’’ La même année, Hubbard avait joué des solos de flugelhorn et de trompette sur deux pièces de l’album ‘’Reg Strikes Back’’ d’Elton John. En 1990, Hubbard avait fait une apparition au Japon dans le cadre d’un concert mettant en vedette le batteur Elvin Jones, le saxophoniste Sonny Fortune, les pianistes George Duke et Benny Green, les contrebassistes Ron Carter et Rufus Reid, et la chanteuse Salena Jones. Hubbard a également joué au festival de jazz de Varsovie, dans le cadre d’une performance qui avait été immortalisée sur l’album ‘’Live at the the Warsaw Jazz Festival’’, publié en 1992 par les disques Jazzmen.

Au début des années 1990, Hubbard, qui était déterminé à recommencer à jouer ce qu’il qualifiait de ‘’vrai jazz’’, s’était installé à Philadelphie et avait contribué à l’émergence de nouveaux talents en intégrant à sa nouvelle formation le contrebassiste Christian McBride, le saxophoniste Javon Jackson, le batteur Carl Allen et le pianiste Benny Green. Hubbard a également collaboré avec le New Jazz Composers Octet, avec lequel il avait joué et enregistré un album collectif dirigé par le trompettiste David Weiss.

En dépit de plusieurs problèmes de santé dont une blessure à la lèvre supérieure qui avait dégénéré en infection en 1992, Hubbard avait continué de jouer et d’enregistrer à l’occasion, même s’il n’était plus au sommet de son art comme il l’avait été au début de sa carrière. Découragé, Hubbard s’était mia à boire et avait contracté un ulcère qui avait failli causer sa mort. Hubbard expliquait: ‘’I started drinking Jack Daniel’s to feel good, you know ? Jack Daniel’s and Coca Cola. And I had an ulcer. I went over in London and I fell out. I’ve never passed out, but I lost four pints of blood. And the doctor said, ‘You’re going o clean up your body, because otherwise you’re looking to go.’ So I said, ‘Well, I’m not ready to go, so let me cool out.’’’

Refusant de se laisser abattre, Hubbard avait contribué à garder vivant le flambeau du jazz en contribuant à des cliniques et à des résidences dans de nombreux collèges américains.

Incarnation vivante du hard bop, Hubbard avait remporté plusieurs honneurs au cours de sa carrière. En 2006, la National Endowmnent for the Arts lui avait accordé la plus importante distinction remise à un musicien de jazz aux États-Unis, le NEA Jazz Masters Award. Au début des années 1970, il avait même supplanté Miles Davis dans les sondages organisés afin de désigner le meilleur trompettiste du monde du jazz.  

Freddie Hubbard est mort le 29 décembre 2008 à Sherman Oaks, en Californie, à la suite de complications dues à une attaque cardiaque survenue le 26 novembre précédent. Il était âgé de soixante-dix ans. Peu avant son décès, Hubbard avait enregistré un dernier album intitulé ‘’On the Real Side.’’

À la fin de sa vie, Hubbard avait développé des liens étroits avec la Jazz Foundation of America. Hubbard expliquait: ‘’When I had congestive heart failure and couldn't work, The Jazz Foundation paid my mortgage for several months and saved my home! Thank God for those people." À la fin de sa vie, la Fondation avait d’ailleurs assuré les soins de Hubbard par l’entremise de son fonds d’urgence. Après sa mort, les héritiers du trompettiste avaient demandé que des dons admissibles pour fins d’impôt soient faits en son nom à la Jazz Foundation of America.

Considéré comme un des trompettistes les plus importants et les plus innovateurs du bop, du hard bop et du post-bop, Freddie Hubbard s’était progressivement affranchi de l’influence de géants comme Miles Davis et Clifford Brown qui avaient été ses modèles au début de sa carrière pour forger sa propre personnalité musicale. Au cours de sa longue carrière, Hubbard a enregistré plus de cinquante albums sous son nom en plus de collaborer avec les plus importants artistes de jazz de son époque. Peu après sa mort en 2008, le magazine Down Beat avait qualifié Hubbard de ‘’trompettiste le plus puissant et prolifique’’ de l’histoire du jazz (il avait enregistré plus de 300 albums en tout et pour tout, tant comme leader que comme collaborateur). Le critique de jazz Stanley Crouch  le considérait comme le trompettiste le plus important et le plus original des quarante dernières années. Crouch précisait: ‘’From the moment he played one note, you knew that was Freddie Hubbard. So he had a sound that was distinctive as Miles Davis, as Louis Armstrong, as Clifford Brown. I mean, he’s one of those trumpet players. He’s also an extraordinary powerful player - great stamina, great range. He swung very hard, was a beautiful ballad player and seemed to have very few limitations in terms of getting through material, whether the material was very simple material or very complex material. He was quite a musician.’’

Le trompettiste Wynton Marsalis considérait Hubbard comme une des principales influences. Il expliquait: ‘’All the trumpet players in the ‘70’s, you can hear Freddie Hubbard’s sound and everything worth playing. He’s such a phenomenal trumpet player - just the largeness of his sound, the velocity and the swing.’’

©-2023-2024, tous droits réservés, Les Productions de l’Imaginaire historique

SOURCES :

‘’Freddie Hubbard.’’ Wikipedia, 2022.

‘’Freddie Hubbard, Trumpeter born.’’ National Endowment for the Arts, 2022.

VITALE, Tom. ‘’Freddie Hubbard : A Jazz Icon Remembered.’’ All Things Considered, 11 août 2001,

[smither-scenes]

Miami Exposé (1956)

Miami Exposé (1956), directed by Fred F. Sears, is a compact, atmospheric slice of American film noir that brings crime and corruption in the sunshine state to life. Clocking in at just 75 minutes, this gritty black-and-white thriller offers an engaging mix of hard-boiled action, stellar performances, and a smattering of Everglades intrigue.

The Plot

The film stars Lee J. Cobb as Lt. Barton “Bart” Scott, a relentless Miami police lieutenant on a mission to dismantle rival Florida gambling rings run by gangster Louis Ascot (Michael Granger) and corrupt attorney Raymond Sheridan (Alan Napier). When Bart’s police captain is murdered, the case takes a darker turn, with Patricia Medina’s character, Lila Hodges—the wife of the gunman—becoming a crucial witness.

In true noir fashion, Lila is both a liability and a key to the case. Bart whisks her away to the Everglades, where tensions mount as the mob closes in. Cobb’s commanding performance as a tough yet morally grounded officer anchors the film, while Medina delivers a memorable portrayal of a squealing turncoat moll caught in the crossfire.

Standout Elements

Lee J. Cobb’s performance is the film’s standout feature, giving depth to a role that could have easily felt routine. His presence elevates the material, bringing a sense of gravitas and intensity that’s a hallmark of noir protagonists.

Edward Arnold shines in his role as the blackmailer Oliver Tubbs, though tragically, this was his final performance before his untimely death. The supporting cast—including Eleanore Tanin, Harry Lauter, and a brief appearance by boxing legend Jake LaMotta—further enrich the film’s gritty ambiance.

The Everglades setting adds an unusual backdrop for the genre, heightening the tension during a climactic chase scene where natural elements become as threatening as the mobsters themselves.

Behind the Scenes

Fred F. Sears directs with a steady hand, keeping the pacing brisk and the tone consistently tense. The film is written by Robert E. Kent and James B. Gordon, based on a story by Sam Katzman. Benjamin H. Kline’s cinematography captures the moody black-and-white aesthetic that defines classic noir, while Mischa Bakaleinikoff’s score underscores the suspense.

Final Thoughts

Miami Exposé might not be a heavyweight in the film noir canon, but it delivers an entertaining and well-acted story that fans of the genre will appreciate. Cobb’s magnetic performance, combined with the film’s lean storytelling and evocative atmosphere, makes it a hidden gem worth revisiting.

[docrotten]

THE WEREWOLF (1956) – Episode 186 – Decades of Horror: The Classic Era

“When the rest of the world has been destroyed, we will be the only normal thinking persons left.” Heck, that’s already true. Right, Grue-Believers? Join this episode’s Grue-Crew – Daphne Monary-Ernsdorff, Chad Hunt, Doc Rotten, and Jeff Mohr – as they check out an underappreciated low-budget horror, The Werewolf (1956).

Decades of Horror: The Classic Era Episode 186 – The Werewolf (1956)

Join the Crew on the Gruesome Magazine YouTube channel! Subscribe today! And click the alert to get notified of new content! https://youtube.com/gruesomemagazine

ANNOUNCEMENT Decades of Horror The Classic Era is partnering with THE CLASSIC SCI-FI MOVIE CHANNEL, THE CLASSIC HORROR MOVIE CHANNEL, and WICKED HORROR TV CHANNEL Which all now include video episodes of The Classic Era! Available on Roku, AppleTV, Amazon FireTV, AndroidTV, Online Website. Across All OTT platforms, as well as mobile, tablet, and desktop. https://classicscifichannel.com/; https://classichorrorchannel.com/; https://wickedhorrortv.com/

Two scientists receive an unconscious man who has been in a car accident. In their lab, they inject him with a serum they’ve been working with. Sadly, the serum turns the man into a murderous werewolf.

Directed by: Fred F. Sears

Writing Credits: Robert E. Kent & James B. Gordon

Produced by: Sam Katzman

Cinematography by: Edward Linden (director of photography)

Makeup Dept: Clay Campbell (makeup artist) (uncredited)

Selected Cast:

Steven Ritch as The Werewolf / Duncan Marsh

Don Megowan as Sheriff Jack Haines

Joyce Holden as Amy Standish

Eleanore Tanin as Mrs. Helen Marsh

Kim Charney as Chris Marsh

Harry Lauter as Deputy Ben Clovey

Larry J. Blake as Hank Durgis

Ken Christy as Dr. Jonas Gilcrist

James Gavin as Mack Fanning

S. John Launer as Dr. Emery Forrest

George Lynn as Dr. Morgan Chambers (credited as George M. Lynn)

George Cisar as Hoxie

Don C. Harvey as Deputy (uncredited)

Jean Harvey as Ma Everett (uncredited)

Charles Horvath as Joe Mitchell (uncredited)

Fred F. Sears as Narrator (voice) (uncredited)

Low-budget films driven by fads were the forte of producer Sam Katzman (Rock Around the Clock, 1956). Pair that with director Fred F. Sears (Earth vs. the Flying Saucers, 1956), who is known for bringing films in on time and under budget. Now add Clay Campbell, makeup artist for The Return of the Vampire (1943); Don Megowan, the on-land Gill-Man in The Creature Walks Among Us (1956); and a cast filled with extraordinary character actors, and you get The Werewolf (1956), a surprisingly good science fiction version of lycanthropy! The Grue-Crew had great fun in their talkabout of this lesser-known werewolf film that preceded I Was a Teenage Werewolf (1957).

At the time of this writing, The Werewolf (1956) is available to stream from Tubi and PPV from Amazon and AppleTV. It’s also available on physical media as one of 4 films included in Cold War Creatures: Four Films from Sam Katzman (4-Disc Standard Special Edition) [Blu-ray] from Arrow Video. The other films included are Creature with the Atom Brain (1955), Zombies of Mora Tau (1957), and The Giant Claw (1957).

Gruesome Magazine’s Decades of Horror: The Classic Era records a new episode every two weeks. Next in their very flexible schedule – this one chosen by Doc – is The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini (1966)! Yes, the last of the Beach Party movies starring Deborah Walley, Tommy Kirk, and a bit of Basil Rathbone and Boris Karloff. Eric von Zipper, anyone? 

Please let them know how they’re doing! They want to hear from you – the coolest, grooviest fans: leave them a message or leave a comment on the Gruesome Magazine YouTube channel, the site, or email the Decades of Horror: The Classic Era podcast hosts at feedback@gruesomemagazine.com

To each of you from each of them, “Thank you so much for watching and listening!”

Check out this episode!

[rhetthammersmithhorror]

The Werewolf | 1956

[mariocki]

Zombies of Mora Tau (1957)

"We all die in good time, Mrs. Harrison. There's a grave waiting for all of us."

"You old hag! You're dead already, you just don't have sense enough to lie down!"

[moviesandmania]

INVISIBLE GHOST Bela Lugosi - reviews and free online

Invisible Ghost is a 1941 horror film in which a town’s leading citizen becomes a homicidal maniac after his wife deserts him. The movie was directed by Joseph H. Lewis (The Mad Doctor of Market Street) from a story and screenplay by Helen and Alan Martin (Invasion of the Saucer Men; The Eye Creatures). Sam Katzman (Spooks Run Wild; The Corpse Vanishes; Bowery at Midnight) produced. The Sam…

[wahwealth]

🗽Bowery Boys | Bowery Blitzkrieg (1941) | Comedy Full Movie English

Bowery Blitzkrieg is a 1941 US comedy film directed by Sam Katzman. It is the sixth film of the East Side Kids series. The film "introduced" Huntz Hall in his first of the East Side Kids film series.  While Hall's character would be called "Glimpy" for the remainder of the series, here he's called "Limpy". The East Side Kids Leo Gorcey as Muggs McGinnis Bobby Jordan as Danny Breslin Huntz Hall as Limpy Donald Haines as Skinny Ernie "Sunshine Sammy" Morrison as Scruno David Gorcey as Peewee Additional cast Bobby Stone as Monk Martin Keye Luke (billed as Key Luke) as Clancy Warren Hull as Tom Brady Charlotte Henry as Mary Breslin Martha Wentworth as Mrs. Brady Jack Mulhall as Officer Sherrill Eddie Foster as Slats Morrison Dennis Moore as Dorgan Tony Carson as Dutch Pat Costello as Fight Coach Dick Ryan as The Precinct Lieutenant Jack Carr (uncredited) as George, Truck Driver Never miss a video. Join the channel so that Mr. P can notify you when new videos are uploaded: https://www.youtube.com/@nrpsmovieclassics

[project1939]

200 Films of 1952

Film number 178: Jungle Jim in the Forbidden Land

Release date: March 17th, 1952 

Studio: Katzman Corp, Columbia 

Genre: adventure 

Director: Lew Landers 

Producer: Sam Katzman 

Actors: Johnny Weissmuller, Angela Greene 

Plot Summary: Anthropologist Dr. Linda Roberts goes to a Southeast Asian (?) jungle looking for a race of “Giant People,” who can provide a missing link to humans. Her guide on the journey is Jungle Jim, a man who has spent years living in wild. On the way they encounter unscrupulous ivory hunters, hippos, panthers, and all manner of dangers. 

My Rating (out of five stars): *¾  

Wheew, where can I start with this one? First, it must be made clear that this is a short and cheap “programmer” meant to play before the feature film. Everything about it is low grade. It’s baaad. But it’s also one of the more entertaining bad films I’ve seen for the project. Would I recommend watching it? No, unless you just fast forward until you get to some of the insane special effects! (minor spoilers)

The Good: 

Angela Greene as Dr. Roberts. She was by far the best actor in the ensemble- everyone else made her look like Bette Davis or Ethel Barrymore. She was very lovely to look at as well, and they put her in jodhpurs, which always make me weak in the knees! 

It wasn’t boring at least! 

The special effects! OMG, they were so bad they were hilarious. I had to pause the film more than once because I couldn’t stop laughing. When I was in high school, my friends and I made movies, and I kid you not, some of our special effects on a budget of less than $50 looked comparable. 

The fictional name of the location in the film was Wasabi. I’m sure most Americans in 1952 would have had no other association with the word, but it made me laugh. 

The Bad: 

Weissmuller’s acting. When he played Tarzan, his stiffness wasn’t as noticeable because he spoke few words in very broken English. Here, it was painfully obvious that he just could not act. It sounded like he was reading a textbook in front of a class. It was kind of charming at times, though. 

The Giant People! Oh my gawd, what a letdown! The film spent a large portion of its running time building up these mysterious beings, so when they finally appeared I was like, “Wait, WHAT?” They were barely more than 6 feet tall, and they were clearly just people draped in fur wearing werewolf/sasquatch masks!  

You could tell the poor elephants in this were forced to wear fake ivory tusks. It was sad. 

The native people looked and acted like the worst stereotypes of "jungle savages." Some of them were clearly white as well. 

The plot started out ok, but it became a cluttered mess as it went on. There were too many different crossing plots and different groups of bad guys. It didn’t ever get confusing, but it got frustratingly muddled. 

There was a little too much stock footage of jungle animals. It reminded me of The Jungle, because it lost its effectiveness quickly. 

The black panther wrestling scene! This is at least the third 1952 movie I’ve seen where a man wrestles and wins a fight with a panther or mountain lion. (The Black Castle and Desperate Search are the others that come to mind.) In all of these movies the hero is obviously rolling around on the ground with a big stuffed animal. No amount of editing can hide it, and no amount of restraint can stop you from laughing! 

The hippo fighting scene! Here I literally had to pause the film to catch my breath and stop laughing. I even rewound it to watch it again. Our brave Jungle Jim swims under water and stabs a “hippo,” but I bet I could make one out of paper mache that would look just as convincing! 

The sound effects were as hilariously bad as the visual ones. The growls and screams were especially over the top. 

A clueless chimp running around with a gun is so funny, isn’t it? When he accidently shoots it and runs off screaming with it, that’s a great way to end a movie with a joke, right? Right?