THIS JUST IN: SACH GIVES GHOSTS THE "SLIP!"

Just learned about an all-day Bowery Boys marathon being shown on Turner Classic Movies on Friday, July 23d. This marathon includes one bona fide horror-comedy plus two other films that will be of interest to "Scared Silly" fans.

At 11:00 AM, TCM unleashes the 1946 "Spook Busters." I've always thought Dan Aykroyd may have had a fondness for this title. Plenty of classic horror-comedy trappings, including a gorilla... and you'll love the climactic slow-motion ether fight!

12:15 PM brings "Mr. Hex." The "fantasy" element here is a hypnotist who hypnotizes Sach into believing he is an unbeatable prize fighter. A classic plot re-used to great effect by Sidney Poitier, Bill Cosby and Jimmie Walker in the 1970s laugh-fest, "Let's Do it Again."

At 1:30 PM get set for "Hard Boiled Mahoney." This one is more of a film noir spoof/homage, and a rather neat one at that. It does have one spooky touch - the fortune teller whose legitimacy is questionable at best (of course)!

Click here to check out the Turner Classic Movies site for more information and to see the rest of the schedule for the Bowery Boys marathon.

Here's the trailer for "Spook Busters" - enjoy!

HAPPY 25th YEAR IN HOLLYWOOD, DANIEL ROEBUCK!

Every now and then I have to “give props” to Daniel Roebuck, the noted character actor who has graciously agreed to write the foreword to the book version of “Scared Silly.” This year marks the 25th anniversary of the release of his first Hollywood film, “Cave Girl.”

Right from the start Roebuck showed a flair for comedy as the science geek student on a class field trip discovering some mysterious crystals that send him back to prehistoric times… and into the waiting arms of the gorgeous title character!

There’s more than a hint of Lou Costello in the trailer as Roebuck essays the same kind of naïve but girl-crazy character Costello perfected in such fantasy-themed films as “Abbott & Costello Go to Mars” and “The 30 Foot Bride of Candy Rock.”



Also like Costello, Roebuck even met Dracula in the short family comedy film “How My Dad Killed Dracula”:



Roebuck evoking classic actors like Costello is no surprise. Perhaps more than any other performer today, Roebuck, a huge fan of vintage comedy and horror movies is carrying the torch for the classics. His love for the old films is infectious and surely has an impact on those with whom he works.

To give you an idea of just how big a fan of classic horror films Dan is, just check out the “monster museum” he installed in his house:


Exclusive Halloween Tour Of Hollywod Actor's Monster Museum, Hau - Click here for the funniest movie of the week

Not convinced yet? Okay, how about a few minutes from the documentary, “The Happy Haunting of America” that Roebuck hosted?:


7 BEST Haunted Houses And Halloween Attractions - Click here for more amazing videos

Still not buying it? Well you’ll change your mind once you see Danny and Wally Wingert in this music video tribute to 1970s' Saturday morning cartoon superstars the Groovie Goolies:



Danny is definitely into the “fun side” of horror, happy to mix his scary bits with comedy and family entertainment whenever he’s offered the opportunity. This past Halloween he was a special guest on Disney TV’s “The Wizards of Waverly Place”:



Dan also recently appeared in director Larry Blamire’s tribute to/parody of classic “old dark house” comedies, “Dark & Stormy Night”:



In addition to his many film and TV roles, Daniel has also brought back the “spook show” – the special live performances that took place at movie theaters before the feature began (read all about spook shows by clicking here). Roebuck has delighted audiences with his comedic “Dr. Shocker” alter ego in a Halloween-themed act that combines magic and monster mayhem. Here’s a piece of it:



Dr. Shocker isn’t the only live stage horror-comedy character Daniel has played. Here he is in a scene from a January, 2009 Saint Francis Stage Company performance of “Arsenic & Old Lace” playing… who else?... Jonathan Brewster, the role originated on Broadway by his hero, Boris Karloff:



So what can I say other than “Here’s to you Dan – thanks for keeping horror hysterical!"

THE SPIRITS OF ‘76

Here’s a film that will be going into the “horror-onable mention” section of my book. It’s not a “horror-comedy” per se – it’s more of a fantasy-romance, but it does involve ghosts (albeit friendly ghosts) who take the opportunity to put a good scare in some folks as needed. For me, Abbott & Costello’s “The Time of Their Lives” is every bit as classic a movie as “Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein;” even if it has more in common with “Topper.”

It’s also tied into the American Revolution, hence this post falling on America’s Independence Day. The film’s script is very well written. It tells the tale of Horatio Prim (Costello), a bumbling but masterful New England tinker in 1780 who longs to marry Nora, the housemaid of wealthy estate owner Tom Danbury. To that end, Horatio procures a letter of commendation from General George Washington in hopes of obtaining permission to marry Nora from Tom. Unfortunately, Horatio has a rival for Nora in butler Cuthbert (Abbott), who causes him trouble no end. But the real trouble comes from Danbury himself, who is secretly a traitor out to aid Benedict Arnold. Both Nora and Danbury’s fiancé, Melody (the luminous Marjorie Reynolds) learn of Danbury’s plot. Nora is captured and Danbury confiscates the commendation letter from her (she had been holding it for Horatio) and hides it in the mantelpiece clock, but Melody manages to escape on horseback in an effort to warn George Washington. She soon encounters Horatio, and the two are framed as traitors, executed and dumped into a well.

It’s here that the fantasy element kicks in. Horatio and Melody are now ghosts who haunt the grounds of the estate and will continue to do so until they can prove their innocence. They just need to somehow get the letter into the hands of the authorities who can rewrite the history books so the truth can be known. This becomes a more hopeful quest 166 years later when the estate is restored to its original condition, and that includes the original furniture. When the restoration is complete, the new owner invites some guests for the weekend to celebrate. Among the guests are psychiatrist Dr. Ralph Greenway, a descendent of Cuthbert (also played by Abbott). Horatio and Melody decide to have some fun “scaring” the guests. Horatio takes particular delight in spooking Greenway. A séance is held wherein the identity of the ghosts and their plight is revealed, resulting in the living doing what they can to help set Horatio and Melody free.

The film has grown in status over the years and has quite a following (and may have even inspired a line in the classic Gordon Lightfoot song, "If You Could Read My Mind"). In fact, while embraced by many Bud & Lou fans, it’s also been touted as “the Abbott & Costello movie for people who hate Abbott & Costello movies.” This is due to the exceptional dramatic acting of both Lou and Bud that full-bloodedly brings their well-written roles to life. They are both so good in this that it’s hard to say whether one outshines the other (although I might give the slight edge to Abbott whose rarely used talent for character acting is on full display here). It stands out from the majority of the team’s other films which primarily feature a variation on their con man/patsy burlesque characters. It’s one of the few films where the team stretched beyond their usual archetypes and managed to pull it off (for examples where this departure from the norm didn’t work in my opinion, catch “Little Giant” and “Dance With Me Henry.” Or don’t). It also includes a wonderful supporting cast, including horror-comedy stalwart Gale Sondergaard as the maid of the restored estate who definitely believes in ghosts. And it features beautiful sets, wonderful costume designs and marvelous special effects - a top-notch production all around.

If you haven't guessed by now, I consider "The Time of Their Lives" a wonderful film to watch on Independence Day... or any day, for that matter! Here’s the trailer for your enjoyment:

RIP MAX E. "COCO" CAT - 1992-2010

This may seem like an odd post. What does a cat have to do with "horror-comedies?" Believe it or not, there is a connection.

Max was my wife Barbara's cat - she raised him from a kitten. I met Max in February, 2001 shortly after meeting Barb. I was not raised with cats, wasn't around cats much and didn't have much knowledge about them. Initially I thought it odd how much Barb interacted with and doted on this cat.

Then Barb and I got married in 2004 and Max moved in. Barb was worried that Max wouldn't take too well to having his "Mommy" share her affections with me (let alone the two other cats who came in the deal - Diva and the late Griffin).

But a wonderful thing happend... Max adopted me! We became the best of pals. He loved having a daddy he could take naps with and hang out with.

Max was a myth-buster. The #1 myth he dispelled for me was the idea I had that all cats were completely selfish and nasty. Max was not this way. He was very, very sweet and demonstrative about the love he gave - you didn't have to meet his needs to get his love. He would often just show his love out of nowhere (something I can't say for the other two cats).

Max had two cuter-than-cute pieces of schtick he performed. One was what Barb calls "cute boy" - where he would be laying down and just tilt his head while making the cutest face and covering his face with his paws. The other was a roll over... yes, this cat when in a state of sheer bliss (usually over being let outside to walk around the backyard or sometimes just because he was happy to be with us) would actually drop and roll to show his pleasure.



The other myth Max busted was the silly superstition that black cats are somehow "evil" or "scary." Max was anything but! He was sweet for starters, but he was also more prone to be the "scared" than the "scarer!" He was primarily afraid of small children and babies. Once we babysat the baby of a friend, and Max actually hid himself in the farthest room he could, using a shoebox for a litter box rather than the nearby litter box in the hall, for fear of seeing that baby!

I mentioned at the top of this post that Max did have a connection to horror-comedies, beyond the obvious lark that he was a black cat. We used to joke that the Hugh Herbert movie, "The Black Cat" (you can read my review when you click here) was named after Max. We built up this scenario that it was initially one of Max's favorite films, but ultimately wore thin with him as I would often put it on (it was a Netflix "instant view" selection after all) only to fall asleep within moments of the film's credits! I was just so familiar with the film that I found it something fun to nap to. In the way we so often did, my wife and I had a "voice" for Max E. that we would use (like ersatz ventriloquists) to have "him" express his feelings. We'd often have him saying, "you fell asleep to that movie again, daddy? I'm sick of it!" :)

Max was nearly 18. The past few days of humidity were tough on him. We did all we could - we kept the a/c going, always had a dish of ice cubes and cold water nearby, used cold compresses, etc. But the humidity wasn't the actual problem - it just served to bring to light a grave internal condition that Max's feline instincts did a great job of masking. He had a tough evening, and was suffering. We just had to let him go. This came just a few minutes after midnight on Barb's birthday of all days. But we have our cherished memories and will never forget this special little life that brightened our world for so many years. While I was only truly involved with Max for the past 6 of his nearly 18 years, I can honestly say that I was mightily blessed to have him in my life, and to call him my "son." Goodbye Max - we love you & miss you forever!

RIP JOE MESSERLI

This is a quick mention, but I mean no disrespect. Due to schedule commitments I didn't have the opportunity to write a up a proper obituary for this fine comic book artist.

However, my friend Brent Seguine, Three Stooges historian posted a really nice remembrance which you can read by clicking here.

You may ask why a blog about classic horror-comedy films from Hollywood's Golden Age features so many posts about comic books and their creators. The answer is simple: I think the funny fright films we know and love have a lot in common with the freewheeling humor and thrills of comic books.

I'm also willing to guess that Mr. Messerli drew more than one horror spoof in his lifetime... and that the majority of those probably appeared in the Three Stooges comic book issues he drew for Western Publishing (distributed under the Dell and Gold Key imprints).

Of course, Brent, fount of Stooge knowledge that he is will surely set this knucklehead straight if I'm mistaken... just as long as he doesn't give me a Moe Poke!

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL HORROR-COMEDY BROADCAST!

First a note to all the faithful Scared Silly fans out there - I haven't forgotten about you. I'm just in a busy season - between unexpected home and car repairs, a heavier-than-usual workload and several family events my time has been fragmented at best. Just note that I am determined to get some new reviews up soon...

In the meantime, I want to give you a head's up to a great classic horror-comedy you won't want to miss. This Saturday (June 26th) Turner Classic Movies is running The Bowery Boys and Glenn Strange in "Master Minds!" It's running at 10:30 AM eastern time - you'll want to check your local listings for times in your area as well as for where TCM resides on your cable/satellite dish/FIOS, etc. TV service.

So what's so great about this film? Well, it takes the time-tested "mad scientist switches brains" concept to new heights as dippy Huntz "Sach Jones" Hall's brain is transferred into monstrous Glenn "Atlas" Strange's cranium... and vice-ee verse-ee! What ensues are two wonderful performances as Hall acts all growly and monster-like while Strange has a field day mimicking Hall's goofy body language and facial expressions (with Hall's voice dubbed in).

In addition to Strange, Hall and some other classic Bowery Boys (including Leo "Slip Mahoney" Gorcey, Gabriel Dell and Billy Benedict) you get the inimitable Bernard Gorcey as soda shop owner Louie Dumbrowsky plus such stalwarts as Jane Adams (from "House of Dracula" plus Rondo Hatton's "The Brute Man," Jack Webb's Dragnet-esque "He Walked By Night," the "Batman & Robin" movie serial and "Adventures of Superman" TV show), Alan Napier (Alfred from the Batman TV show, plus roles in the original "Cat People," Roger Corman's "Premature Burial," Danny Kaye's "The Court Jester," Tarzan movies and more) and Skelton Knaggs (also from "House of Dracula" as well as a trio of films Karloff made for Columbia Pictures, the Sherlock Holmes film "Terror by Night," Bob Hope's "Paleface" and various Dick Tracy movies and TV episodes).

Here's the trailer... do what you can to tune in!

HAPPY 120th BIRTHDAY STAN LAUREL!

In my opinion, Stan Laurel was the single greatest comedy artist who ever lived. His mind was always at work devising comic delights.



If I can finally clear my schedule a bit and get back to writing and posting reviews, I just may devote one whole week to Laurel & Hardy's horror-comedies sometime - we'll see.


Laurel and Hardy - Bump in the Night - Allstars - More amazing video clips are a click away