This is the last shot in Bedazzled (1967), the very funny Peter Cook/Dudley Moore film. Presley and I watched it recently, and I noticed the theater marquee on the right. John Wayne’s The Alamo (1960) is playing.
I reached out to some of our UK division, and as you’d expect, John Knight came through: “The cinema in question was The London Pavilion. It mainly served as a West End showcase for United Artists releases. They showed lots of United Artists horror double bills like The Monster That Challenged The World and The Vampire (both 1957). My first solo visit to a West End cinema was to the London Pavilion to see Phantom Of The Opera with Captain Clegg (both 1962).”
After hearing from John, I can’t decide what I’m the most excited about — the thought of Wayne’s epic or The Monster That Challenged The World on the Pavilion’s huge screen.
50 Westerns From The 50s. 
As someone who loves London, this was great stuff. Thanks to you and John!
Best wishes,
Laura
FWOTF…UK Division….that really cracked me up!!
For the last few days I have been suffering with (as we say in the UK)
“The Dreaded Lurgi” but I’m back now and was delighted to see my
beloved and lamented London Pavilion at this threads header,.
My Dear Laura, I don’t know if you would love London so much these days
the London murder rate has now exceeded New York and our totally useless
government just seem to pretend it’s not happening.
Kids are getting knifed and shot on London’s streets on a daily basis
50 so far this year and counting.
A far cry from the days of The London Pavilion where law & order was
upheld,and more importantly enforced.
Came across a press cutting where The London Pavilion was showing
STREET OF SINNERS-George Montgomery’s only foray into the
J.D. Crime genre.
It’s a pretty gritty urban drama and was tough enough to gain an “X”
certificate (over 16’s only) The London Pavilion loved showing exploitation
and horror fare,many Hammer films made their debut there.
STREET OF SINNERS was a trio of tough thrillers which more or less
closed the career of legendary B director William Berke.
The other two were THE MUGGER and COP HATER the latter in the UK
was top billed over TROOPER HOOK.
When Budd Boetticher was literally at the “last chance saloon” after his
now legendary bust up with Harry Cohn the Columbia head honcho
decided to give Budd one last chance-he put him under the wing of
William Berke-who he considered the best B movie director in the business.
Luckily Budd and Berke really hit it off and the rest was history.
It might not have worked out that way as Budd has often stated his dislike
for fellow B directors Ray Nazarro and Lew Landers,.
Sidonis,France continue their love affair with George Montgomery and
Sam Katzman,they have just announced LAST OF THE REDMEN and
SEMINOLE UPRISING.
LAST OF THE REDMEN is arguably George Sherman’s worst Western-
you know you are in trouble when Buster Crabbe gives the best
performance in a movie. Still it would be nice to see it in all of it’s
Cinecolor glory.
SEMINOLE UPRISING is without a doubt the worst Katzman/
Montgomery picture but I understand it will be in widescreen,which is nice.
I do wish Mill Creek would pick up on this sort of fare.
Street Of Sinners sounds just wonderful!
Totally unrelated, but a couple of nice Blu-Rays turned up this week — The Black Scorpion from Warner Archive and A Study In Terror from Mill Creek. Both very nice, and both movies I love.
Laura,
I was delighted to read that you will be reviewing SINGING GUNS.
I also note that Import CD’s have the Blu Ray for $14,seems like a good
deal to me. I simply cannot wait to hear Toby’s take on this obscure Republic
Western.with his commentary.
R.G.Springsteen was an interesting director-with weak material
he has an almost “throwaway” style i.e. TRACK THE MAN DOWN,
COLE YOUNGER GUNFIGHTER and indeed his A.C.Lyles pictures
JOHNNY RENO in particular.
When the material is more challenging Springsteen more than raises to the
occasion the two Vaughn Monroe Westerns being a point in case.
Out of the two I think,I prefer THE TOUGHEST MAN IN ARIZONA
with it’s harrowing Indian attack at the start of the picture and a great climatic
gunfight during a thunderstorm.
All this made me re-watch Toby’s favorite HELLFIRE.
Spoiler alert…..!!!
HELLFIRE is the sort of Western where most of the leading characters
end up getting gunned down. Jim Davis and his cronies are dispatched
with bullets but at least their demise is swift..these cats are beyond redemption.
In the cast of “Frontier Hellcat” Marie Windsor Springsteen’s approach is
more disturbing,bearing in mind Marie has already beaten two mean hombres
to the draw.Marie is shot several times and at the end she is riddled with
“Messiah” type wounds only to find redemption in the arms of gambler turned
preacher William Elliott.
Springsteen’s two later Tony Young/Dan Duryea Westerns are equally
disturbing,while no classics they have enough offbeat elements to offer more
than passing interest.
HE RIDES TALL has a very hard to watch scene where Jo Morrow
is “offered” to the Indians by the bad guys. The Indians in question are more interested in Morrow’s blonde locks..she is dragged off and scalped.
This scene alone granted HE RIDES TALL an “X” certificate in the UK.
TAGGART though not as disturbing as HE RIDES TALL again has
Elsa Cardenas as the younger woman out to “rinse” an older guy,.(Dick Foran)
Cardenas,unwisely decides to get Dan Duryea to run off with Foran’s
gold stash and then in the safety of a wagon train decides to terminate
her relationship with Duryea. Dan being Dan is having none of it he throttles
Elsa and leaves her in a blazing wagon.It does not end there Elsa somehow
survives only to be finally finished off by a blazing arrow in the back.
John, I hope my ramblings on Singing Guns aren’t a letdown. The transfer certainly won’t be — it’s beautiful. The upcoming Trigger Jr is even better.
I’m a real sucker for Hellfire. Thanks for mentioning it. Always love the redemption angle in 50s Westerns, especially when it comes with a little religion and plenty of gunplay. I think if I went to the cowboy movie salad bar and hand-picked all the particular things I wanted — Bill Elliott, Marie Windsor, Paul Fix, Hank Worden, Jack Marta, etc., I’d end up with a movie very much like Hellfire.
Toby,your commentaries are NEVER a let down you hone in on all
the important stuff-it’s a feast of nuggets that would amaze any movie buff.
Don’t take my word for it Cinesavant’s Glenn and DVD Beaver’s Gary
totally agree.
Thanks for those kind words.
I go into the recording of each of these feeling like I haven’t found enough good stuff — and never listen to the finished thing.
John K ,I was wondering what THE TOUGHEST MAN IN ARIZONA was like .Is the German release the only one available on DVD.Also I could only find one film with the title FRONTIER HELLCAT and that starred Stewart Granger from 1964 .
Totally agree regarding THE BLACK SCORPION..well worth
the upgrade.
gcwe1
As far as I know THE TOUGHEST MAN IN ARIZONA is only
available from Filmjuwelen Germany.
I’ve given up on that label due to the often bad quality.
I hope Kino release the film eventually,although I guess that will depend
on how many copies of SINGING GUNS that they sell.
I have seen a pretty good off air copy of the film,and as mentioned before
I consider “Arizona” to be the superior film.
My term “Frontier Hellcat” was a reference to the type of character
Marie Windsor plays in HELLFIRE.
FRONTIER HELLCAT was an alternative title to the Euro Western
AMONG VULTURES.,which in turn was one of three “Winnetou” Westerns
Stewart Granger made.
The “Winnetou” films were very popular-Lex Barker started the cycle
playing Old Shatterhand.
Stewart Granger took over playing Old Surehand.
Rod Cameron clocked in with one final entry playing Old Firehand.
The best of the whole bunch was OLD SHATTERHAND (aka APACHE’s
LAST BATTLE) which featured Lex Barker and Guy Madison-a pretty big budget affair and was directed by Hugo Fregonese.
John K ,hopefully Kino will release THE TOUGHEST MAN IN ARIZONA .
I do have a Karl May collection with Winnetou 1, 2 and 3 .1 and 2 have English but 3 does not.I would like to get the films you mentioned with Lex Barker ,Stewart Granger ,Rod Cameron and Guy Madison but of course they would have to have English and it’s a bit hard trying to find the ones that do include English.A German contact of mine is working on a compilation of Indian films because he said the Germans like those kind of films.