Bride of the Gorilla

Starring:Barbara Payton, Lon Chaney Jr., Raymond Burr, Tom Conway, Paul Cavanagh, Gisela Werbisek, Carol Varga, Paul Maxey, Woody Strode, Martin Garralaga, Felippa Rock, Moyna MacGill, Steve Calvert
Director: Curt Siodmak
Studio: Image Entertainment
Product Type: DVD

Description

Excitement and suspense abound in this rousing jungle thriller starring legendary Lon Chaney, Jr. (The Wolf Man), Raymond Burr (TV's "Perry Mason"), and tabloid sex goddess Barbara Payton as a seductive blonde bombshell. She marries a wealthy plantation owner in the South American jungle, where strange, hideous experiments are underway using ancient jungle curses and supernatural forces summoned from beyond!

Customer Reviews:

BARBARA PAYTON CAMP CLASSIC !.......2007-06-07

I'm not sure what it was, but when I first saw this film on TV in the early 1960's I was prepared to like it. At that time I was hooked on steamy studio jungle sets & lots of stock footage. All the local TV stations were playing Tarzan, Jungle Jim and Bomba movies in some sort of JUNGLE LARRY(?)THEATER type program. It was great & all the kids loved it!
Now BRIDE OF THE GORILLA comes along with much of the same mix but with a more adult/slanted agenda. Yes, the familar stock footage was there, the fear of a gorilla monster, a witch/voodoo woman, Lon Chaney Jr. and a deadly curse made this absolute viewing, but...this B-horror/thriller had something else going for it: BARBARA PAYTON!
Even as a kid I knew she was much much more.., than Maureen O'Sullivan (Jane/ June Cleaver of Tarzan fame)!
BRIDE OF THE GORILLA is probably Payton's most memorible camp classic, and she's very good in it. She draws sympathy in a role that twists and curves from cheating wife to loving, devoted wife. Raymond Burr (pre Godzilla & Perry Mason), Tom Conway & Lon Jr. are also very good as is Siodmak's pacing & direction. He directed Chaney 10 yrs. eariler in THE WOLFMAN!
Alas, poor Barbara...
Her life tumbled downhill...I won't dwell on all the sleaze, you can look it up.
However, this is just one fun chiller/thriller, a few curses, a monster thrown in, some good acting and even a bit part by a young Woody Strode.
As for the whole gorilla thing...
I believe it was all in Barney's head, always have, always will.
The ALPHA dvd is pretty good. Quite clear with good audio. Very watchable. I was happy with it.
So for a good time in the jungle you really can't go wrong here.
Recommended to all lovers of fake jungle sets!

Well, Barbara Payton's a hooker...I mean a looker.......2006-04-19

Yet another film from the Tree Line Sci-Fi package. Being from 1951, it's too early to fit into my cinematic quest to see every weird film made in the twenty years before my birth, but I gave it a shot anyway. Here, your honor, is Perry Mason, transmogrified by a jungle witch into a gorilla as punishment for pushing the plantation owner they work for into the path of a posionous snake of some variety. Now I'll state for the record that the sequences of transformation are not very convincing, but the deceased's wife is stunningly beautiful, so much so that I stayed awake for the entire movie. Sorry to hear she ended up a toothless hooker. I'm going to make it a point to read her book, not for any intellectual purpose, but rather so I can bring it up in conversation to make me seem more cultured in Hollywood kitsch that I truly am. Beats wearing a scarf and a pink beret, holding a Cruella DeVille style cigarette holder and pretending to be a [...] Frenchman doesn't it? Oui Oui

Yawn Of The Gorilla.......2006-03-04

I have seen worse films than "Bride of the Gorilla," but few that seem to drag on longer. Raymond Burr actually does a decent job as Barney Chavez, a plantation manager who decides he wants the wife of the plantation owner for himself. In fact the acting is fairly decent all the way around (especially for this era and genre) but the plot bogs down in a very slow romance subplot for the majority of the middle thirty minutes of the film.

In essence Barney commits murder with a giant poisonous snake, and is subsequently cursed by a witch for his unsavory behavior. The practical upshot of this is that we get to see Raymond Burr transmogrify into a gorilla, though it is mostly seen in reflection shots (mirrors, lakes, etc.) Ultimately everyone gets their just rewards, and after what seems like 66 very long minutes, you can try to forget you wasted an hour of your life on this bore.

Bottom line: it really isn't that bad, it's just boring.

Me Gorilla, You Blonde Bombshell.......2006-01-23

I have been watching old episodes of "Perry Mason" recently, and I had forgotten the Raymond Burr played a heavy frequently in his early film career. In this movie Burr takes the shortcut to winning the affections of Barbara Payton. Unfortunately, Burr ends up paying the price for being an expeditious amore.

Barney Chavez (Burr) is a foreman on the South American plantation of Klaas Van Gelder (Paul Cavanaugh, a veteran star who also appeared in an episode of Perry Mason). Van Gelder has a sumptuous blonde wife, Dina (Payton, playing this role after her career began to disintegrate). Rather than a threesome, this movie has sort of a foursome since Dr. Viet (Tom Conway) also professes to have the hots for Dina. Of course, Dina's husband is quite devoted to her and, being much older than her, he is also quite jealous.

After an argument with Chavez, Mr. Van Gelder decides that Chavez has to go, and fires him. The pair has heated words a short time later. Chavez sees a poisonous snake on the ground nearby and deliberately throws Van Gelder near the snake with predictable results (I doubt there was a real snake that near Cavanaugh, the poor snake would have been petrified).

Unfortunately for Chavez, servant Al-Long (Gisela Werbisek, in her last role) saw the whole sordid snake activity, and she decides to take direct action rather than telling the police after they are summoned. Being a witch, she pulls out the rare, illegal plant and makes a potion of it that she tricks Chavez into drinking.

The police are summoned and Police Commissioner Taro (Lon Chaney, who is no stranger to weird events) appears. You would think that Lon Chaney would recognize a were-person when he sees one, and he does, sort of. As the movie unfolds Taro suspects a weird monster is roaming about killing critters, and he figures it is only a matter of time before the monster kills people.

There are the stereotypical scenes of Chavez as he nears changing into the creature, ending in his full-fledged appearance as (think the title is a clue?) a gorilla! I have to admit to wondering why the scriptwriter chose a gorilla, given they are not native to South America. However, some of the stock footage and the sound affects used to show the jungle appeared to be from off-continent as well, so perhaps the director assumed a bit of artistic license.

There are a few dramatic scenes in the jungle, and for a few brief moments it appears as though Chavez and Mrs. Chavez, because they quickly tied the knot, might actually leave the jungle. Of course, this movie would not have a nice moral ending unless Chavez gets his, so Al-Long keeps up the pressure until Chavez wants to swing from the trees on a regular basis.

This movie has a great cast, and had a lot of potential. As a monster movie, it follows too much in the path of such greats as "The Wolf Man" and others of the genre and brings little new to that genre. I was impressed that the director tried to play the movie more as a psychological thriller, but he was insufficiently focused on Chavez and too focused on Chavez's interactions with Dina to bring real believability to the movie. The result is that the movie never becomes a convincing horror movie or a convincing psychological thriller, and a viewer is left unsatisfied.

I recommend this movie to aficionados of were-creatures, Lon Chaney, Raymond Burr, Woody Strode or Barbara Payton. Everyone else should probably avoid it.

Another good flick by the great Kurt Siodmak!!.......2005-04-16

This was actually a pretty enjoyable B movie. Lon Chaney is a bit out of place here and not given much to do. Raymond Burr gives a great over the top chauvenistic style performance delivering some super quotable lines. It sports a very nice script and great job on direction by Kurt Siodmak. I always felt he was among the best of the B movie directors of the 50's who always paid great attention to the smaller details that add to the realistic telling of absurd stories. Check out his film Magnetic Monster with Richard Carlson if you can find it. I wish they would have given Kurt larger budgets/projects throughout the 50's.

The Alpha DVD is relatively cheap, has great sound and a nice crisp clear transfer. Also includes the original trailer. Recommended for fans of 50's B grade fun.

The Bride & The Beast / The White Gorilla

Average customer rating:

"Loads of Fun Cult Favorites ... The Bride & The Beast (1958) & The White Gorilla (1947) ... VCI Home Video"

The Bride & The Beast / The White Gorilla
Starring: Charlotte Austin , Lance Fuller , Johnny Roth , William Justine , and Gil Frye
Director: Adrian Weiss , and Harry L. Fraser
Manufacturer: Vci Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Cult Camp Classics 4 - Historical Epics (The Colossus of Rhodes / Land of the Pharaohs / The Prodigal)
Cult Camp Classics 2 - Women in Peril (The Big Cube / Caged / Trog)
Classic Western Round-Up, Vol. 1 (The Texas Rangers / Canyon Passage / Kansas Raiders / The Lawless Breed)

ASIN: B000MV8AFE
Release Date: 2007-02-27

Description

"The Bride and the Beast" (1958) is a supernatural drama of terror and scientific fiction produced and directed by Adrian Weiss. The script was written by none other than Edward D. Wood Jr. When Laura (Charlotte Austin) and Dan (Lance Fuller) get married, she appears to be more interested in Dan's gorilla. It's revealed through hypnosis that she was Queen of the Gorillas in a previous incarnation. "White Gorilla" (1945) A white gorilla is snubbed by black gorillas because he is the wrong color. Cut off from his tribe he becomes lonely and angry. After troubling hunters and natives, the white gorilla fights the king of the black gorillas while we are told by a narrator that the fate of Africa hangs in the balance. The movie was made by editing some 40s acting into footage from a 1927 silent serial, Perils of the Jungle, starring Frank Merrill the fifth screen Tarzan. Bonus Features: Advertising Galleries for both| Enhanced for 16x9| White Gorilla: Photo Gallery of Bob Burns| Bride and the Beast: "Ballyhoo"| Bios| Trailers| Tom Weaver and his works| Bride and the Beast Commentary with Charlotte Austin, Bob Burns, Slick Slavin (Trustin Howard) and Tom Weaver| White Gorilla Commentary with Bob Burns and Tom Weaver| Bonus Video: Surviving footage from "Perils of the Jungle" serial (1927) - Source for the stock footage used in "The White Gorilla" Specs: DVD9; Dolby Digital; 142 minutes; B&W; 1.66:1 / 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio; MPAA - NR; Year - 1958, 1945; SRP - $14.99.

Customer Reviews:

"Loads of Fun Cult Favorites ... The Bride & The Beast (1958) & The White Gorilla (1947) ... VCI Home Video".......2007-02-21

VCI Entertainment and Kit Parker Films presents "POSITIVELY NO REFUNDS DOUBLE FEATURE Vol 1" (The Bride & The Beast (1958) & The White Gorilla (1947) --- (Dolby digitally remastered) --- both releases have become cult favorites and classics ... featuring top performances from the '40s and '50s with outstanding drama and screenplays, along with a wonderful cast and supporting actors to bring it all together ... another winner from the vaults of almost forgotten Hollywood gems.

First up we have Allied Artist Pictures feature "THE BRIDE & THE BEAST" (1958) (78 mins/B&W) --- Under Adrian Weiss (Director/Producer), Louis Weiss (Producer), Adrian Weiss (Screenplay), Edward D. Wood Jr. (Screenplay), Les Baxter (Original Score), Roland Price (Cinematographer), George M. Merrick (Editor), Samuel Weiss (Editor), Harry Thomas (Makeup Artists), George Endler (Special Effects) ------ the cast includes Charlotte Austin (Laura Carson Fuller), Lance Fuller (Dan Fuller), Johnny Roth (Taro, Houseboy-Guide), William Justine (Dr. Carl Reiner), Gil Frye (Capt. Cameron), Jeanne Gerson (Marka, Cook), Steve Calvert (Gorillas), Trustin Howard (Soldier-Messenger (as Slick Slavin), Eve Brent (Stewardess (as Jean Ann Lewis), Bhogwan Singh (Man in Hut Killed by Tiger) ------ the story line Dan Fuller (Lance Fuller) who is the big game hunter takes his new bride Laura (Laura Carson) to his secluded country home on their wedding night ... He keeps a pet gorilla in a cage in the cellar ... Laura is entranced instead of fearful, and allows the dangerous ape to hold her hand and stroke her hair. During the night, the amorous gorilla breaks free of its cage, goes upstairs and practically starts petting with the captivated Laura, until Dan wakes up and shoots it dead. A hypnotherapy session with a country doctor (who entertains Bridie Murphy-style regression theories) produces an instantaneous reason for Laura's mad love - she was a great ape in an earlier life! ... soon they'll be on safari in Africa, which will put Laura back in contact with her gorilla clan - seems she's more interested in gorilla's ... It's revealed through hypnosis that she was Queen of the Gorillas in a previous incarnation, against whom Bwana Dan doesn't stand a ghost of a chance ... will Dan save and rescue Laura, don't leave the theater, you're in for a big surprise.

BIOS:
1. Charlotte Austin
Date of birth: 2 November 1933 - Charlotte, North Carolina
Date of death: Still Living
2. Lance Fuller
Date of birth: 6 December 1928 - Somerset, Kentucky
Date of death: 22 December 2001 - Los Angeles, California
3. Adrian Weiss (Director)
Date of birth: 1 May 1918 - New York, New York
Date of death: 27 October 2001 - Oxnard, California
4. Edward D. Wood Jr. (Director/Writer/Producer/Actor)
Date of birth: 10 October 1924 - Poughkeepsie, New York
Date of death: 10 December 1978 - North Hollywood, California

Second produced by Frase and Merrick Pictures on the double bill is "THE WHITE GORILLA" (1947) (62 min/B/W) --- Under Harry L. Fraser (Director), Louis Weiss (Executive Producer), Harry L. Fraser (Producer), George M. Merrick (Producer), Harry L. Fraser (Screenplay), Lee Zahler (Original Score), Robert E. Cline (Cinematographer), Bert Longenecker (Serial Footage), Adrian Weiss (Editor), Thomas Connoly (Set Decoration), George M. Merrick (Production Supervisor), Adrian Weiss (Production Manager), Glen Glenn (Sound Engineer), Wally West (Stuntman) ------ the cast includes Ray Corrigan (Steve Collins/Konga, the White Gorilla/Narrator), Charles King (J. Morgan, the Trader), Francis Ford (Mr. Stacey), George J. Lewis (Hutton), Lorraine Miller (Ruth Stacey), Harry Belmour (Alexander Marley), Budd Buster (Carter),Eugenia Gilbert (Phyllis Marley), Will Herman (Moto), Frank D. Hutter (Renee), Walter Maly (Stephens), Frank Merrill (Ed Bradford), Milburn Morante (Joe Marks), Bobby Nelson (Kimpo, The White Jungle Boy), Albert Smith ('Brute' Lou Hanley) ------ the story line with some clever editing from a 1927 silent serial, "Perils of the Jungle", starring Frank Merrill the fifth screen Tarzan and a 1947 drama footage ... the narrator Ray "Crash" Corrigan tells of his adventures to his trading post friends, of the dangers in the jungle with a White Gorilla ... our film has elephants, lions, tigers, black gorilla and of course the white gorilla thrashing around in just about every scene ... through many trials and tribulations our hero if we can call him that arrives at the trading post just bearly alive ... will the White Gorilla find him or can he elude this savage beast and keep the picture going for another reel ... don't touch that dial until the final chapter --- all courtesy of VCI Entertainment, who in my humble opinion is the best there is in restoring early serials and film noir features like this one.

BIOS:
1. Ray Corrigan
Date of birth: 14 February 1902 - Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Date of death: 10 August 1976 - Brookings Harbor, Oregon
2. Harry L. Fraser (Director)
Date of birth: 31 March 1889 - San Francisco, California
Date of death: 8 April 1974 - Pomona, California,

BONUS FEATURES:
1. Advertising Galleries for both
2. White Gorilla: Photo Gallery of Bob Burns
3. Bride and the Beast: "Ballyhoo"
4. Bios
5. Tom Weaver And His Works
6. Bride and the Beast Commentary with Charlotte Austin, Bob Burns, Slick Slavin (Trustin Howard) and Tom Weaver.
7. White Gorilla Commentary with Bob Burns and Tom Weaver
8. Bonus Video: Surviving footage from "Perils of the Jungle" serial (1927) - Source for the stock footage used in "The White Gorilla"

Hats off and thanks to Les Adams (collector/guideslines for character identification), Chuck Anderson (Webmaster: The Old Corral/B-Westerns.Com), Boyd Magers (Western Clippings), Bobby J. Copeland (author of "Trail Talk"), Rhonda Lemons (Empire Publishing Inc), Bob Nareau (author of "The Real Bob Steele"), Trevor Scott (Down Under Com) and VCI Entertaiment as they have rekindled my interest once again for B-Westerns and Serials --- looking forward to more high quality releases from the vintage serial era of the '20s, '30s & '40s and B-Westerns ... order your copy now from Amazon or VCI Entertainment where there are plenty of copies available on DVD, stay tuned once again for top notch action mixed with deadly adventure --- if you enjoyed this set, why not check out VCI Entertainment where they are experts in releasing B-Westerns and Serials --- all my heroes have been cowboys!

Total Time: 141 mins on DVD ~ VCI Home Video KPF-564 ~ (2/27/2007)

Bride of the Gorilla (1951) DVD [Remastered Edition]

Average customer rating:

Cute Guy Turned Into A Gorilla
Campy Funny Silly Fun!!!!
Barney goes ape

Bride of the Gorilla (1951) DVD [Remastered Edition]
Director: A2ZCDS.com
Manufacturer: A2ZCDS.com
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000A0LAMC
Release Date: 2005-10-03

Description

When brawny hunk Barney Chavez kills plantation owner Klaas Van Gelder and marries his beautiful wife Dina, the jungle is not an impotent witness - a witch sees the deed and places a curse on Barney that will rob him of all vestiges of humanness. Soon, the Amazon basin becomes a slaughterhouse. Dina's secret admirer, Dr. Viet, warns her in vain that there is something seriously wrong with her husband. As Police Commissioner Taro - who also narrates this unfolding nightmare - launches a futile investigation, matters rapidly deteriorate at Van Gelder Manor.

In a last-ditch attempt to salvage his sanity, Barney decides to sell the plantation. But too late - his bestial nature now takes complete hold of him and he takes to the jungle. As this nightmare of witchcraft and pure evil reaches a shattering conclusion, you will hold your breath to keep from screaming!

Customer Reviews:

Cute Guy Turned Into A Gorilla.......2006-05-24

First off, the guy who becomes the gorilla is hot. Very, very hot. Yummy hot. Second off, this film is really, really funny. The plot is that the cute boy kills a guy and then is cursed so he slowly turns into a monkey and ends up a beast of the jungle. This is so not King Kong. I love the fact that it's a comedy and I've watched it three times and still laugh. He's still cute as the gorilla, by the way.

Campy Funny Silly Fun!!!!.......2006-04-26

Dude, I love my 1950s bad horror films. The worse they are the more I can laugh a them.

I was freaking rolling on the floor laughing at this. It's the most fun I've had with my DVD player in years. I've seen it about 10 times now and it just gets better and better.

This is exactly what you would expect from a "Bride of Anything" movie. Silly cosutumes, a ridiculous plot and the diologue of the doomed.

Just try to not have fun with this puppy! I bet you can't do it!

Barney goes ape.......2005-12-13

Klaas Van Gelder plantation owner loves his wife Dina (Barbra Payton). She is also loved from afar by the family doctor, Dr. Viet (Tom Conway). Yes and she is loved by the hired hand, Barney Chavez.

Barney seizes an opportunity to bump off old Klaas and take Dina for him self. In the process he jilts the daughter of a sorceress. Yes, the same sorceress that observed Barney's treachery from the bushes. This is too much so the sorceress cursed Barney and turns him into a gorilla by night.

Will Barney survive?
Does Dina love hairy leading men?

This 1951 movie may have been inspired in part by "The Cat People" (1942), as it is just as much a psychological thriller as a revenge monster movie.

This film has many major actors such as [Raymond Burr as Barney Chavez] (From "Godzilla" 1956); he was not bad looking in his youth. Then there is [Paul Cavanagh as Klaas Van Gelder] (from "The Kennel Murder Case" (1933); he is barley recognizable after 20 years. We even have the master at conversion [Lon Chaney Jr. as Commissioner Taro] (our favorite wolfy); this time he plays a perfectly normal person who is torn between two cultures.

Average customer rating:

BARBARA PAYTON CAMP CLASSIC !
Well, Barbara Payton's a hooker...I mean a looker
Yawn Of The Gorilla
Me Gorilla, You Blonde Bombshell
Another good flick by the great Kurt Siodmak!!

Bride of the Gorilla
Starring: Barbara Payton , Lon Chaney Jr. , Raymond Burr , Tom Conway , and Paul Cavanagh
Director: Curt Siodmak
Manufacturer: Alpha Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00008AOV3
Release Date: 2003-02-18

Customer Reviews:

BARBARA PAYTON CAMP CLASSIC !.......2007-06-07

Well, Barbara Payton's a hooker...I mean a looker.......2006-04-19

Yawn Of The Gorilla.......2006-03-04

Me Gorilla, You Blonde Bombshell.......2006-01-23

Another good flick by the great Kurt Siodmak!!.......2005-04-16

The Beast Box (Bride of the Gorilla / Bella Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla / The Beach Girls and the Monster ) (1952)

Average customer rating:

The Beast Box (Bride of the Gorilla / Bella Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla / The Beach Girls and the Monster ) (1952)
Starring: Beast Box
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
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Missile to the Moon
Cult Classics: Earth vs. the Spider/War of the Colossal Beast
Conquest of Space
Project Moonbase

ASIN: B000A59Q1O
Release Date: 2005-09-06

Description

No man, woman or teenager is safe with these gigantic fiends on the loose! First, scaly creatures from the depths rise in THE BEACH GIRLS AND THE GORILLA and the Monster to attack a bunch of party-happy hipsters trying to catch a few waves, turning their hopping shindig into a beach blanket scream-o! Then newly married plantation owner Raymond Burr finds wedded bliss turning into the ultimate domestic nightmare when a voodoo curse turns him into a savage beast, leaving his poor confused spouse a RIDE OF THE GORILLA! Finally, nightclub comedians Duke and Sammy plummet from the air and land on an island where humans are being transformed into big, raucous apes in the wild monster comedy BELA LUGOSI MEETS A BROOKLYN GORILLA. This collection of three king-sized hits packs in too much fun for just one disc!

Bride of the Gorilla/The Invisible Avenger

Average customer rating:

Bride of the Gorilla/The Invisible Avenger
Starring: Bride of Thegorilla , and Invisible Avenger
Manufacturer: Vidtape
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000AMQRXC
Release Date: 2005-10-25

Bride of the Monster/Bride of the Gorilla

Average customer rating:

"15 Frightful Horror Films ... Bela Lugosi ... Passport Video"
Which "Bride of..." movie is worse? You decide. Have fun.

Bride of the Monster/Bride of the Gorilla
Starring: Image 2pak
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
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Customer Reviews:

"15 Frightful Horror Films ... Bela Lugosi ... Passport Video".......2006-10-15

Passport Video presents "The Bela Lugosi Box - 15 Frightful Films" (1942) --- (Dolby digitally remastered) --- Béla Lugosi was the stage name of actor Béla Ferenc Dezs Blaskó (October 20, 1882 - August 16, 1956) --- Lugosi was born in Lugos, Hungary, at the time part of Austria-Hungary (now Lugoj, Romania), the youngest of four children of a baker --- best known for his portrayal of "Dracula" in the American Broadway stage production, and subsequent film, of Bram Stoker's classic vampire story.

Late in his life, he again received star billing in movies when filmmaker Edward D. Wood, Jr., a fan of Lugosi, found him living in obscurity and near-poverty and offered him roles in his films, such as "GLEN OR GLENDA?" (1953) (in which his role made no more sense than the rest of the movie) and as a Dr. Frankenstein-like mad scientist in "BRIDE OF THE MONSTER" (1955), during post-production of the latter, Lugosi entered treatment for his addiction, and the premier of the film was ostensibly intended to help pay for his treatment expenses. The extras on an early DVD release of "PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE" (1959) include an impromptu interview with Lugosi upon his exit from the treatment center, which provide some rare personal insights into the man --- this was one of Lugosi's most infamous roles was released after he was dead. Ed Wood (Director) features footage of Lugosi interspersed with a double --- Wood had taken a few minutes of silent footage of Lugosi, in his Dracula cape, for a planned vampire picture but was unable to find financing for the project --- Wood later conceived of Plan 9, Wood wrote the script to incorporate the Lugosi footage and hired his wife's chiropractor to double for Lugosi in additional shots --- notice however the "double" is thinner than Lugosi, and covers the lower half of his face with his cape in every shot --- Leonard Maltin (Famous Film Critic) was quoted - "Lugosi died during production, and it shows."

Lugosi died of a heart attack on August 16, 1956 while lying in bed in his Los Angeles home. He was 73 --- Bela Lugosi was buried wearing one of the many capes from the Dracula stageplay, as per the request of his son and fifth wife, in the Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California --- Contrary to popular belief, Lugosi never requested to be buried in his famous cloak; Bela Lugosi, Jr. has confirmed on numerous occasions that he and his mother, Lillian, arrived at their decision independently.

BIOS:
1. Bela Lugosi (aka: Béla Ferenc Dezsõ Blaskó)
Date of birth: 20 October 1882 - Lugos, Austria-Hungary. [now Lugoj, Romania]
Date of death: 16 August 1956 - Los Angeles, California
2. Edward D. Wood Jr. (Director, Writer and Producer)
Date of birth: 10 October 1924 - Poughkeepsie, New York
Date of death: 10 December 1978 - North Hollywood, California

This collection of "The Bela Lugosi Box - 15 Frightful Films" (1942) --- still has the magic that we remember from those bygone years --- but as long as we have the labels and networks who play and show these wonderful films of yesteryear, they will never be forgotten ... Plus the half-hour tribute "100 Years of Horror: Bela Lugosi", hosted by Christopher Lee --- and a great job by Passport Video for this release --- looking forward to more of the same from the '20s and '50s vintage...order your copy now from Amazon or Passport Video, stay tuned once again for more remarkable films from the vaults of classic television and Hollywood during the Golden Era of Entertaiment.

Total Time: 1034 mins on DVD ~ Passport Video #5260 ~ (9/05/2006)

Which "Bride of..." movie is worse? You decide. Have fun........2005-04-29

"Bride of Frankenstein" is the best horro movie of all-time that is a "Bride of" one monster or another. Everybody would agree with that summation since most people think James Whale's film was better than his original "Frankenstein." But what is at the other end of this continuum? With this DVD you can check out the two prime contenders for the honor of being the worst "Bride of" movie.

If only "Bride of the Gorilla" was a much fun as the tagline: "A Blonde Beauty and a Savage Beast... alone in the Jungle!" But "Bride of the Gorilla" is more of a psychological horror story than you might expect from that declaration. Raymond Burr, still in his hey day as a stock villain in B-movies, is Barney Chavez, the foreman who introduces the owner of a South American plantation (Paul Cavanaugh) to a poisonous snake so he can marry the beautiful window Dina (Barbara Payton, the most famous actress to come out of Cloquet, Minnesota before Jessica Lange). However, the local witch woman knows the truth and hits Barney with a drug-aided voodoo curse that makes him roam the jungle at night as a gorilla. Not that gorilla's are indigenous to South America, but why be picky? There are lots of African animals in this film, courtesy of the stock footage that abounds in this low budget film.

This 1951 film is written and directed by Curt Siodmak. "Bride of the Gorilla" was his first American film as a director after one film in pre-war Germany, but his name was really made in both countries as a screenwriter. On this side of the ocean Siodmak did the screenplays for "Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman," "Earth vs. the Flying Saucers" and "Creature with the Atom Brain." However, there really is not much of a story here, which is this film's biggest problem. The big question is whether Barney is really turning into a gorilla or does he only think he is turning into a gorilla? Burr is more than competent in his role and the only real reason to watch "Bride of the Gorilla," but the rest of the cast are little better than the stock footage, although Lon Chaney, Jr. and Woody Strode have bit parts. This one grades out at 3 stars.

It is more likely you remember "Bride of the Monster," also known as "Bride of the Atom," as the 1956 Ed Wood film where Bela Lugosi wrestles with a giant fake octopus (oh, THAT Ed Wood film). The argument here is not that this is a good movie, but we are talking Ed Wood, which means a whole different criteria for evaluating a film and your enjoyment in viewing same. Yes, this is a bad film, but there is such an earnestness to Wood's efforts that he is obviously oblivious to it all, which makes the film equally endearing and depressing. The man got his movies made, so I just do not see this as sad as those people who finally get the opportunity to make a film and make some dreadful splatter flick. So, now, Ed Wood is not in the lowest circle of the cinematic inferno. This is not a four-star film, just a four-star experience. Big difference.

Lugosi is the evil mad scientist Dr. Eric Vornoff, who uses his dumb assistant, Lobo (Tor Johnson) to capture the locals so he can use atomic energy to transform them into supermen back as his laboratory in an abandoned house in the middle of a swamp where the pet rubber octopus out back is used to dispose of the mistakes. Intrepid girl reporter Janet Lawton (Loretta King) investigates the disappearances, although her fiance, Detective Lt. Dick Craig (Tony McCoy) tries to warn her off. Janet is captured by Lobo and (horrors) forced to wear a wedding dress (thereby justifying if not explaining the title). Can Dick and the other cops rescue her in time? This is a two star movie providing four star entertainment.

"Plan 9 From Outer Space" remains the apex of bad Ed Wood films, but all things considered "Bride of the Monster" probably comes in second. The acting is probably worse, but so is the script, so I do not find as many memorably lines that force you to howl in laughter. Much is made of Lugosi's participation in these Ed Wood flicks and this is the one where the old actor has the most to do as he goes tampering with God's domain. He gives it his all despite the problems with the script and the fact there is no budget for making this movie. "Night of the Ghouls" is considered a sequel to this film because Tor Johnson again plays "Lobo," but do not expect any more continuity between the two than that if you bother to track it down, but then there is not reason for you to do so. After "Plan 9 From Outer Space" this is the Ed Wood film to check out and on this DVD you get "Bride of the Gorilla" too, so this would be the way to go, which is why we round up.

Hollywood Monsters (Boxset) The Wasp Woman / Bowery At Midnight / The Ape / Night Of The Living Dead / The Devil Bat / Nabonga / The Bride Of The Gorilla

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Hollywood Monsters (Boxset) The Wasp Woman / Bowery At Midnight / The Ape / Night Of The Living Dead / The Devil Bat / Nabonga / The Bride Of The Gorilla

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Cult Movies | Genres | DVD | Video

Product Description

Hollywood Monsters: Before the dawn of cinema, monsters and evil creatures existed merely in our imaginations. Filmmakers brought these scary fantasies to life. Horror movies aim to terrify, shock and disgust, and to awaken our deepest, darkest fears. Focusing on the dark side of life, on the forbidden, and on supernatural events, they deal with our primal fears of the irrational and the unknown. Grusome zombies, gore and apocalyptic themes are key ingredients in the monster movie genre. Often cheesy, these classic thrill, captivate and entertain us, letting us have fun being scared while enjoying the fantasy. 7 early horror classics reunited in one DEADLY collecter's set -The Wasp Woman (1960) -Bowery At Midnight (1942) -The Ape (1940) -Night Of The Living Dead (1968) -The Devil Bat (1940) -Nabonga (1944) -The Bride Of The Gorilla (1951) -BONUS DVD: Hollywood Monsters - The Documentary

Sci-Fi Classics: King of Kong Island/Bride of the Gorilla/Attack of the Monsters/Gammera the Invinc

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Mixed Bag of Schlock

Sci-Fi Classics: King of Kong Island/Bride of the Gorilla/Attack of the Monsters/Gammera the Invinc
Starring: Sci-Fi Classics 4pak
Manufacturer: Mill Creek Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

Classic Sci-Fi | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Science Fiction & Fantasy | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Sci-Fi Classics 4-Movie Pack (Horrors of Spider Island; The Wasp Woman; Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet; Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women)
Sci-Fi Classics: The Astral Factor/The Galaxy Invader/Battle of the Worlds/Unknown World
Sci-Fi Classics: Assignment Outer Space; Laser Mission; Blood Tide; Brain Machine [4-Movie Pack]
King Kong Vs Godzilla/King Kong Escapes
King Kong Lives

ASIN: B000BBOUJA
Release Date: 2005-11-08

Customer Reviews:

Mixed Bag of Schlock.......2006-02-26

This collection of four 50s/60s schlock films might be worth buying if you like watching movies that verge on being awful. If you have ever wandered how bad movies can be, here is a good selection of to find out. However, there are, sad to say, even worse movies than these. I will also point out that you can find these movies in "SciFi Classics Collection: 50 Movie Pack," which includes many more schlock movies at a bargain price.

"King of Kong Island"

There is no king, no kong and no island in this piece of junk. This movie was originally titled "Eve, the Wild Woman," which makes far more sense than the title on the case, which disagrees with the title on the film itself, which says "Kong Island." For an added bit of humor, the movie makes it clear that they are in Africa. I never figured out the island connection.

At this heart of this movie it is a mad scientist movie. The mad scientist is trying to come up with an implant that makes critters do what he wants, with the goal of making people do what he wants. How he plans to implant the world with these devices is unclear. Perhaps that detail awaits a sequel, which we can only hope will never be made. Albert, our mad scientist, is doing this nefarious work deep in the jungle of Africa. Eva, sort of a female Tarzan, wanders around being nice to the animals. She is distressed that the mad scientist has transformed the gorillas into zombies.

Ultimately, the main characters meet in a showdown that is exciting beyond belief (yawn), and the movie resolves itself unsatisfactorily, er, satisfactorily. I guess.

"Bride of the Gorilla"

In this movie Raymond Burr takes the shortcut to winning the affections of Barbara Payton. Unfortunately, Burr ends up paying the price for being an expeditious amore.

Barney Chavez (Burr) is a foreman on the South American plantation of Klaas Van Gelder (Paul Cavanaugh, a veteran star who also appeared in an episode of Perry Mason). Van Gelder has a sumptuous blonde wife, Dina (Payton, playing this role after her career began to disintegrate).

After an argument with Chavez, Mr. Van Gelder decides that Chavez has to go, and fires him. The pair has heated words a short time later. Chavez sees a poisonous snake on the ground nearby and deliberately throws Van Gelder near the snake with predictable results. Unfortunately for Chavez, servant Al-Long (Gisela Werbisek, in her last role) saw the whole sordid snake activity, and she decides to take direct action rather than telling the police. Being a witch, she pulls out the rare, illegal plant and makes a potion of it that she tricks Chavez into drinking.

This movie has a great cast, and had a lot of potential. As a monster movie, it follows too much in the path of such greats as "The Wolf Man" and others of the genre and brings little new to that genre. I was impressed that the director tried to play the movie more as a psychological thriller, but he was insufficiently focused on Chavez and too focused on Chavez's interactions with Dina to bring real believability to the movie. The result is that the movie never becomes a convincing horror movie or a convincing psychological thriller, and a viewer is left unsatisfied.

"Attack of the Monsters"

We have three children looking through a low-power telescope when an alien spacecraft lands nearly in their backyard. The obvious choices for the children would seem to be, a) tell their mother, b) call the police, or c) climb aboard the spacecraft and journey to another planet populated by brain-sucking babes. You can guess which answer wins.

Once on the planet, Tom and Akio (Akio's little sister had to stay behind because she was too little) immediately encounter Guiron and Gaos. Unfortunately, this early scene generates a huge laugh when Gaos's foot is lasered off. Seriously, this scene is unintentionally funny. The movie continues a downhill slide from here.

The boys soon encounter the only two inhabitants of planet Terra, two females hungry for boy brain. The movie never explains why boy brain is a delicacy on Terra. Through a variety of machinations and Gamera, who clearly was preparing for the summer Olympics (in yet another hilarious scene) the boys and Gamera are able to escape back to the earth and the end of this film, thereby ending their movie career.

"Gammera the Invincible"

A flight of Soviet bombers "accidentally" flies over Alaska. U.S. interceptors shoot one of the planes down, causing a low-yield nuclear explosion. The nuclear explosion wakes a giant prehistoric turtle called Gammera by the local Inuit. Gammera attacks a model ship, flaming it with bad breath for good measure. Fortunately, the crew abandoned ship just in time. What excitement! Did I tell you that this turtle is so cool that it walks on two legs? Clever trick for a turtle.

The excitement builds as Gammera lands at a totally cool model airport and then begins to stomp around an excellent model of Tokyo. We catch a bit of a song titled "Gammera" that sounds suspiciously (to me) like the theme from the 1960s television series "Batman." It could be coincidence, or not.

Of course there has to be a plan to deal with Gammera, since all attempts to stop him have failed. Enter Plan Z! Before Plan Z we see model trains and a model laboratory and more models of other stuff, and then we see the Plan Z model. Woo hoo! This stuff is great! Of course, I have to leave the suspense of Plan Z to the viewer to discover.

They just don't make movies like this any more. Thank goodness for that!

Bride of the Gorilla/The Amazing Transparent Man

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One movie with legs the other with hair

Bride of the Gorilla/The Amazing Transparent Man
Starring: DVD Cult 2 Movies Classics
Manufacturer: DVD Cult Classics
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

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Killers from Space/Last Woman on Earth

ASIN: B0002Q9VC0
Release Date: 2004-07-27

Customer Reviews:

One movie with legs the other with hair.......2005-06-19

Bride of the Gorilla

Klaas Van Gelder plantation owner loves his wife Dina (Barbra Payton). She is also loved from afar by the family doctor, Dr. Viet (Tom Conway). Yes and she is loved by the hired hand, Barney Chavez.

Barney seizes an opportunity to bump off old Klaas and take Dina for him self. In the process he jilts the daughter of a sorceress. Yes, the same sorceress that observed Barney's treachery from the bushes. This is too much so the sorceress cursed Barney and turns him into a gorilla by night.

Will Barney survive?
Does Dina love hairy leading men?

This 1951 movie may have been inspired in part by "The Cat People" (1942), as it is just as much a psychological thriller as a revenge monster movie.

This film has many major actors such as [Raymond Burr as Barney Chavez] (From "Godzilla" 1956); he was not bad looking in his youth. Then there is [Paul Cavanagh as Klaas Van Gelder] (from "The Kennel Murder Case" (1933); he is barley recognizable after 20 years. We even have the master at conversion [Lon Chaney Jr. as Commissioner Taro] (our favorite wolfy); this time he plays a perfectly normal person who is torn between two cultures.
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The Amazing Transparent Man

We start out with sirens, searchlights, and dogs. Yep Joey Faust (Douglas Kennedy) appropriately named is back from prison. Laura Matson (Marguerite Chapman) [who is constantly showing off her legs] sprang him to do the bidding of her employer, the megalomaniac Maj. Paul Krenner. Also captive by the Major is a nuclear scientist Dr. Peter Ulof (Ivan Tries Ault). The Major intends to add the safecracking talents of Faust and the invention of Ulof to accomplish his evil plan.
Will he get away with it or will greed put an end to it?

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