Category: Trivia

“The Corpse Vanishes” (1942) starring Bela Lugosi / Z-View

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The Corpse Vanishes (1942)

Director: Wallace Fox

Screenplay: Harvey Gates; story by Sam Robins, Gerald Schnitzer

Stars: Bela Lugosi, Luana Walters, Tristram Coffin, Vince Barnett and Angelo Rossitto.

Tagline:  KIDNAPPED BRIDES Are The Victims Of His Terror! Prepare to shudder when you see the strange practices of this doctor who sacrificed beautiful women for the sake of a mad love!

The Plot…

Someone is killing young brides on their wedding day.  No one can figure out why they are dying. Or who is stealing their corpses.  Then Patricia Hunter (Walters), a young reporter, notices the brides are all wearing orchid corsages. She decides to investigate.

The clues lead Patricia to Dr. Lorenz (Lugosi).  Lorenz lives in a remote mansion with his younger wife.  Dr. Lorenz seems nice enough, but the wife is a bit cold.  When a terrible storm hits and washes out the bridge to town, Patricia is forced to spend the night.

What Patricia doesn’t know is…

  • …Dr. Lorenz has been behind the murders of the brides.  Lorenz takes their glandular fluids for injection into his wife.  These fluids make his elderly wife appear young for a brief time.
  •  …in the Doctor’s cellar laboratory a crazy old hag and her two sons live.  One of the sons is a cruel dwarf.  The other is a feebleminded hulk.  The three assist Dr. Lorenz with the murders.
  • …also in the cellar is a room with the bodies of the dead brides.

Patricia doesn’t know these things… but she is about to find out.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Beware of poor copies.  The movie is in the public domain.

Angelo Rossitto plays the dwarf son.  Mr. Rossitto is best known for his roles in Tod Browning’s Freaks and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome.  His career spanned 60 years and over 100 resume credits.

The Corpse Vanishes is a low-budget, quickly shot B picture and it plays like one.

The Corpse Vanishes (1942) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“White Zombie” (1932) starring Bela Lugosi / Z-View

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White Zombie (1932)

Director:  Victor Halperin

Screenplay: Garnett Weston based on THE MAGIC ISLAND by William Seabrook

Stars: Bela Lugosi, Madge Bellamy, Robert Frazer, John Harron, Brandon Hurst, Clarence Muse and Frederick Peters.

Tagline:  With These Zombie Eyes he rendered her powerless – With This Zombie Grip he made her perform his every desire!

The Plot…

Madeleine Short (Bellamy) and her fiancé Neil Parker (Harron) arrive in Haiti. They are guests of Charles Beaumont (Frazer) and staying on his huge plantation.  Charles secretly loves Madeleine and wishes she would marry him.  Desperate to have Madeline, Charles visits ‘Murder’ Legendre (Lugosi).

Murder is the owner of a huge plantation.  Everyone knows that Murder’s plantation is worked  by Haitian zombie slaves. Murder has the ability to turn people into mindless beings that follow his every command.  Charles wants Madeleine to love him.  He believes Murder can make this happen.

Murder agrees to help.  But the truth is he has other plans for Madeleine.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

White Zombie was filmed in less than two weeks on a budget of $50,000.00.  Reportedly up to 10% of the budget was Lugosi’s salary.

White Zombie was one of Bela Lugosi’s favorites of the films he made.

Beware of poor copies since the film went into public domain in 1960.

White Zombie (1932) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Tarzan and the She-Devil” (1953) starring Lex Barker, Joyce MacKenzie & Raymond Burr / Z-View

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Tarzan and the She-Devil (1953)

Director: Kurt Neumann

Screenplay: Karl Kamb, Carroll Young; based on characters created by Edgar Rice Burroughs

Stars: Lex Barker, Joyce Mackenzie, Raymond Burr, Monique van Vooren, Tom Conway, Michael Granger, Fred Aldrich, Ben Astar, Ben Astar, George Barrows, Robert Bice, Mara Corday and Henry Brandon.

Tagline: TARZAN FACES HIS GREATEST PERIL!… when he clashes with the ruthless, alluring Queen of the Ivory Thieves… in the BEST of all the Tarzans!

The Plot…

Vargo (Burr) convinces Lyra, the She-Devil (van Vooren) to take her “soldiers” and join him on an expedition to kill a large herd of elephants for their tusks.  Vargo isn’t worried about Tarzan.

But he should be.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The fifth and final Tarzan film starring Lex Barker.

I wish the movie was a nice as the poster.

Tarzan and the She-Devil (1953) rates 2 of 5 stars.

RIP: Ron Ely

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Yesterday it was announced that Ron Ely died of natural causes on on September 29, 2024, at the age of 86.

Mr. Ely was best known for his role as Tarzan on the NBC series of the same name.  The series ran for 57 episodes over the course of two seasons.  Mr. Ely performed most of his stunts throughout the series and suffered multiple injuries.

Prior to Tarzan, Ron Ely appeared in supporting feature film roles and guest spots on television series.  After the series ended Mr. Ely continued acting on television and feature films for the rest of his career. Although Ron Ely retired from acting in 2001, he came back to appear in the television movie Expecting Amish in 2014.

Ron Ely also authored two excellent detective novels, NIGHT SHADOWS and EAST BEACH.

Television projects that feature Ron Ely include: Father Knows Best; Steve Canyon; Playhouse 90; How to Marry a Millionaire; The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis; The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp; The Aquanauts (18 episodes); Thriller; Tarzan (57 episodes); The Courtship of Eddie’s Father; Ironside; Marcus Welby, MD; Wonder Woman; Face the Music; The Love Boat (3 episodes); Matt Houston; Hotel; Fantasy Island (5 episodes); Blacke’s Magic; Sea Hunt (22 episodes); Superboy; The Hat Squad; LA Law; Hawkeye; Renegade (2 episodes); Sheena and Expecting Amish.

Feature films that Ron Ely appeared in include: South Pacific; The Fiend Who Walked the West; Night of the Grizzly and Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze.

I probably first saw Ron Ely in Tarzan.  I loved that Mr. Ely’s Tarzan was not only physical but also intelligent.  I have great memories of watching the series with my grandfather.  Then going out to play Tarzan with my other friends.  After the series ended I enjoyed seeing Mr. Ely in television roles and movies.

Mr. Ely was also an excellent writer.  I own his two detective novels and always hoped there would be more.

Out thoughts and prayers go out to Rob Ely’s family, friends and fans.

“Man on Fire” (2004) written by Brian Helgeland, directed by Tony Scott, starring Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning & Christopher Walken / Z-View

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Man on Fire (2004)

Director: Tony Scott

Screenplay: Brian Helgeland based on MAN ON FIRE by A. J. Quinnell

Stars: Denzel Washington, Christopher Walken, Dakota Fanning, Radha Mitchell, Marc Anthony, Giancarlo Giannini, Rachel Ticotin, Jesús Ochoa and Mickey Rourke.

Tagline:  You don’t need a saint… You need a savior.

The Plot…

Ex-CIA operative John Creasey (Washington) is in a bad way.  He’s burnt out, out of shape and drinks too much.  Creasey’s guilt over past missions makes him question living.  Then an old CIA buddy, Paul Rayburn (Walken) throws Creasey a lifeline.

Samuel Ramos (Anthony), a wealthy Mexican, needs protection for his young daughter Pita (Fanning). Kidnappings in Mexico are on the rise.  Ramos’ insurance policy requires a full time bodyguard.  Creasey is reluctant to take the job, but needs the work.  Initially cold and professional to Pita, she slowly wins him over.  Creasey stops drinking as much.  His attitude towards life improves.

Then the unthinkable happens.

As two crooked Mexican Federales block the street kidnappers come for Pita.  Creasey kills four but is shot repeatedly as Pita is kidnapped.  Negotiations for Pita’s return go on as Creasey recovers.  Ten million dollars is the demand for Pita’s return.  When the ransom drop goes sideways, the money is taken, but Pita isn’t returned.

The family gets a call from the kidnappers.  Because of the ambush, Pita will be lost forever.

Still not fully recovered, Creasey promises to kill everyone involved in Pita’s kidnapping.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Screenwriter Brian “LA Confidential” Helgeland was in a video store.  He asked the clerk to recommend a good movie. “Man on Fire” (1987) was suggested.  The clerk who suggested the film was Quentin Tarantino.

For filming in Mexico, bodyguards were provided for the stars.  Tony Scott had been warned his production had been targeted.  Several crew members ended up being robbed at gunpoint.  Mexico City’s Chief of Police served as a consultant.  It was his hope the movie would raise awareness about the rash of kidnappings.

The novel takes place in Italy, but when this version was being made, Mexico had become infamous for kidnappings.  So the location was changed.

If you enjoy noir, then Man on Fire is for you.

Dakota Fanning is amazing in this role.  Watching her and Denzel Washington in their scenes is like viewing a masterclass of acting.

Christopher Walken has a great line when he says about Denzel’s character: “A man can be an artist… in anything, food, whatever. It depends on how good he is at it. Creasy’s art is death. He’s about to paint his masterpiece.”

Man on Fire (2004) rates 5 of 5 stars.

“The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald” (1964) / Z-View

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The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald (1964)

Director: Larry Buchanan

Screenplay: Larry Buchanan

Stars: George R. Russell, George Edgley, Arthur Nations and Bill Thurman.

Tagline:  Not a Newsreel…A Full Length Motion Picture, Filmed Secretly in Dallas

The Plot…

This low budget film simulates/speculates how the trial of Lee Harvey Oswald would have went down had he not been murdered.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

With a running time of 98 minutes we get an abridgement of the “Cliff Notes” version of the trial.

It’s hard to believe that the trial for the murder of the century could be so boring.

The actors who appeared in this film didn’t go on to become big stars.  Bill Thurman appears as a witness.  The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald is the first credit on his resume.  Thurman would go on to appear in films such as The Last Picture Show; The Sugarland Express; Close Encounters of the Third Kind; Places in the Heart and Silverado.

The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald (1964) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“Love Lies Bleeding” (2024) directed by Rose Glass, starring Kristen Stewart, Katy O’Brian & Ed Harris / Z-View

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Love Lies Bleeding (2024)

Director: Rose Glass

Screenplay: Rose Glass, Weronika Tofilska

Stars: Kristen Stewart, Katy O’Brian, Ed Harris, Jena Malone, Anna Baryshnikov, Matthew Blood-Smyth, Tait Fletcher and Keith Jardine.

Tagline: Revenge gets ripped.

The Plot…

Lou’s (Stewart) life sucks.

Lou and her dad, Lou Sr. (Harris) don’t talk. He’s a major drug dealer and a killer.  Lou Sr. appears to be a business man that owns a gun range and a warehouse gym.  They’re just fronts.  Lou manages the gym.  FBI agents have tried to get Lou to turn against her dad.  As much as she hates him, Lou refuses to cooperate. The only reason Lou sticks around is her sister Beth.  Beth’s in a terrible marriage.  Her husband is physically and mentally abusive.

So yeah, Lou’s life sucks.

Then one night Jackie (O’Brient) comes into the gym.  Jackie is a bodybuilder on her way to Vegas for a competition.  Lou and Jackie hit it off.  One thing leads to another and Lou invites Jackie to stay at her place.  In no time, Lou and Jackie fall in love… or at least a volatile relationship.

Who would guess it would lead to murder and reveal her father’s buried secrets?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Katy O’Brien used to be a competitive body builder and is a former three time champion.  She exudes charisma.

There are a couple of times where what we see on screen isn’t actually happening but is instead a metaphor for changes the character is feeling.  It’s a bold move.

Love Lies Bleeding (2024) rates 4 of 5 stars.

Variety Picks the 100 Greatest (Best?) Horror Movies of All-Time!

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Variety came up with their list of The 100 Best Horror Movies of All Time.  Before we get into that, how about the sweet cover by Franco Francavilla?  You know he loved that assignment.

I’ve seen 69 of the 100 films that they chose. 

The cover says Variety chose the 100 Greatest, while the article says the 100 Best.  To me there’s a difference.  The greatest, in my mind, refers to the film’s quality and the impact it had on the genre.  The best would take into account, just the film’s quality.  With that said, here in alphabetical order are my top ten choices for the greatest horror movies of all time.

  • 28 Days Later (2002) – reinvigorated zombie films (although many argue the monsters aren’t zombies) and let them run fast. 
  • Alien (1979) – a haunted house movie in space, but instead of a ghost we got a new kind of alien.  Spawned a franchise.
  • Dracula (1931) – one of Universal’s classic horror monsters. 
  • Exorcist (1973) – based on the best selling novel of the same name.  The Exorcist is a film that will stay with you and provide scares even when the film is over. 
  • Frankenstein (1931) – another of Universal’s classic horror monsters.
  • Halloween (1978) – John Carpenter’s low budget film spawned a new type of horror film.  Most focused not on the suspense but on the big, brainless killer that cannot be stopped.
  • Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) – One of the best horror films from the 1950s and an all-time great.
  • Night of the Living Dead (1968) – If George Romero made a dime from every zombie movie, tv, comic book, or novel his film influenced, he’d have been a multi-millionaire.
  • Psycho (1960) – Groundbreaking.  I love how Hitchcock morphs a crime movie into a horror film.
  • Thing, The (1981) – Considered a box office failure on its release, it is now considered a classic.

“Murder by Death” (1976) written by Neil Simon, starring Peter Falk, Alec Guinness, Peter Sellers, Eileen Brennan, Truman Capote, James Coco, Elsa Lanchester,David Niven, Maggie Smith, Nancy Walker, Estelle Winwood and James Cromwell / Z-View

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Murder by Death (1976)

Director: Robert Moore

Screenplay: Neil Simon

Stars: Peter Falk, Alec Guinness, Peter Sellers, Eileen Brennan, Truman Capote, James Coco, Elsa Lanchester,
David Niven, Maggie Smith, Nancy Walker, Estelle Winwood and James Cromwell.

Tagline: By the time Eileen Brennan, Truman Capote, James Coco, Peter Falk, Alec Guinness, Elsa Lanchester, David Niven, Peter Sellers, Maggie Smith, Nancy Walker and Estelle Winwood figure out whodunnit, you’ll die laughing.

The Plot…

The eccentric and wealthy Lionel Twain (Capote) invites the five greatest detectives in the world for dinner. The guests include…

  • Sam Diamond (Falk) and his sexy assistant Tess Skeffington (Brennan)
  • Sidney Wang (Sellers) and his son Willie Wang
  • Monsieur Milo Perrier (Coco) and his chauffeur, Marcel (Cromwell)
  • Jessica Marbles (Elsa Lanchester) and her nurse, Miss Withers (Winwood)
  • Dick (Niven) & Dora Charleston (Smith) and their pet pooch, Myron

The guests arrive to Twain’s remote creepy old mansion.  They are  unaware that others were invited.  When everyone sits down for dinner, Twain pushes a button that locks all doors and windows.  He then announces that someone will be murdered at midnight.  Twain says that he will give one million dollars to the detective that solves the crime.

Slightly before midnight the butler is found dead.  Then right after midnight, Twain’s body is discovered.  He’s dead from twelve stab wounds.

Let the game begin.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Murder by Death is a parody of the great “old dark house” and movie detective whodunits of the past.  Sam Diamond is a hardboiled dick from the mold of Sam Spade.  Sidney Wang and his son is based on Charlie Chan and his #1 son.  Monsieur Milo Perrier is modeled on Hercule Poirot.  Jessica Marbles was inspired by Miss Marple. Dick & Dora Charleston are stand-ins for Nick and Nora Charles.

The theatrical film debut of James Cromwell.  It is also the final theatrical film of Nancy Walker.

The animated cartoon drawings of the detectives at the start  of the film were created by Charles Addams, the creator of The Addams Family.

The doorbell screams are Fay Wray’s from King Kong.

If you’re a fan of the type of movies parodied, you should enjoy this.  Everyone gets a moment to shine.

Murder by Death (1976) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Tarzan’s Revenge” (1938) / Z-View

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Tarzan’s Revenge (1938)

Director: D. Ross Lederman

Screenplay: Robert Lee Johnson, Jay Vann, based on characters created by Edgar Rice Burroughs

Stars: Glenn Morris, C. Henry Gordon, Hedda Hopper, Joe Sawyer, George Meeker, Howard Hickman and Al Thompson.

Tagline: TARZAN CALLS AGAIN…and new thrills sweep the jungle wilds!

The Plot…

An expedition into the jungles of Africa runs into trouble with a dangerous tribe.  Tarzan to the rescue.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Tarzan’s Revenge is really bad.  Poor acting equal to the poor story and direction.  Tarzan’s yell will make you laugh.

Glenn Morris gets the least amount of screen time of any actor who has played Tarzan.  For that you’ll be thankful.

Tarzan’s Revenge (1938) rates 1 of 5 stars.

“Curse of the Demon” (1957) directed by Jacques Tourneur, starring Dana Andrews, Peggy Cummins and Niall MacGinnis / Z-View

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Curse of the Demon (1957)

Director: Jacques Tourneur

Screenplay: Charles Bennett, Hal E. Chester based on Casting the Runes in MORE GHOST STORIES OF AN ANTIQUARY By M. R. James

Stars: Dana Andrews, Peggy Cummins, Niall MacGinnis, Maurice Denham, Reginald Beckwith.

Tagline: Who will be the next in line to defy the curse?

The Plot…

Dr. John Holden (Andrews) arrives in London to attend a paranormal and psychic phenomena convention.  Holden’s friend, Professor Harrington is set to expose  Dr. Julian Karswell (MccGinnis) as a fraud.  Shortly before the convention is to begin Professor Harrington is found dead in his car on a remote road.  The cause of death is listed as electrocution.

Dr. Holden is approached by colleagues of Professor Harrington.  They believe that Karswell was behind Harrington’s death.  Holden is skeptical.  At Professor Harrington’s funeral, he meets the Professor’s niece, Joanna (Cummins).  Joanna shares her uncles’s diary with Holden.  It describes Karswell’s power over the black arts.  Holden is skeptical.

Holden is openly skeptical when he meets Karswell.  Even after Karswell gives a demonstration of his power, Holden brushes it off.  Karswell is insulted and tells Holden he will die within three days.

When Holden learns the truth it is too late.  Someone will face the curse of the demon, but how can Holden make sure it’s not him?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I’ve always liked Curse of the Demon.  I’ve found that I enjoy it more with each viewing.  It’s a smart, psychological thriller with a great payoff.

Niall MacGinnis steals the show as Dr. Julian Karswell.

Kudos to director Jacques Tourneur for creating a stylish thriller in what could have been a 1950s drive-in monster movie.

In England, the country where the film was made, it was titled Night of the Demon and the running time was 13 minutes longer.

Martin Scorsese has listed Curse of the Demon as one of his favorite films.

Curse of the Demon (1957) rates 5 of 5 stars.

“The Bikeriders” (2023) starring Jodie Comer, Austin Butler and Tom Hardy / Z-View

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The Bikeriders (2023)

Director: Jeff Nichols

Screenplay: Jeff Nichols, based on THE BIKERIDERS by Danny Lyon

Stars: Austin Butler, Jodie Comer, Tom Hardy, Michael Shannon, Mike Faist, Boyd Holbrook, Damon Herriman, Beau Knapp, Emory Cohen, Toby Wallace, Happy Anderson, Paul Sparks, Paul Dillon and Norman Reedus.

Tagline: Freedom belongs to the fearless.

The Plot…

The history of the Vandals Motorcycle Club laid out through stories told by Kathy Bauer (Comer) to a photographer planning a book.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

It’s interesting to see how the Vandals Motorcycle Club morphed from a small bikeriders outfit into a motorcycle gang with chapters throughout the country.  It became so big that those that started the club could no longer control it.

The Vandals are a real motorcycle club.

Tom Hardy and Judy Comer are standouts in an excellent cast.

The Bikeriders (2023) rates 3 of 5 stars.

Scandals! Then & Now (1998) / Z-View

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Scandal! Then & Now (1998) 

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Scandal! Then & Now explores six scandals that shocked the world…

  • Resurrection in LA: The Disappearance of Aimee Semple McPherson.  Aimee Semple McPherson, founder of the Foursquare Church and one of the first evangelists to use radio to spread the word was world famous.  Her sermons and faith healing drew thousands.  When McPherson went swimming one day and disappeared, it was thought she drowned.  The world mourned. Then weeks later, McPherson reappeared saying she had been kidnapped.  But the facts didn’t add up…
    Written and directed by Simcha Jacobovici and David Harel.
  • Silenced Star: The Rise and Fall of Fatty Arbuckle.
    Written and directed by Tim Wolochatiuk
  • Unspoken Lies: George and Viola McMillan and the Windfall Mine Fraud.
    Written and directed by Simcha Jacobovici
  • Brothers in Blood: Leopold and Loeb.
    Written and directed by Tim Wolochatiuk
  • Southern Knights: The Murder of Mary Phagan and the Lynching of Leo Frank.
    Written and directed by Yuval Daniel
  • Crossing the Line: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson, the First Black Champion Boxer
    Written and directed by Roger Pyke

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I enjoyed the series.  I was aware of the Aimee Semple McPherson, Fatty Arbuckle, Leopold and Loeb and Jack Johnson scandals.  Still it was interesting to revisit them.  The Viola McMillan and the Windfall Mine Fraud and the  Murder of Mary Phagan and the Lynching of Leo Frank scandals were new to me.

Scandal! Then & Now (1998)  rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Hypnotic” (2023) directed by Robert Rodriguez, starring Ben Affleck, Alice Braga & William Fichtner / Z-View

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Hypnotic (2023)

Director: Robert Rodriguez

Screenplay: Robert Rodriguez, Max Borenstein

Stars: Ben Affleck, Alice Braga, JD Pardo, Jeff Fahey, William Fichtner, Zane Holtz, Ruben Javier Caballero, Ryan Ryusaki and Jackie Earle Haley.

Tagline: Control is an illusion.

The Plot…

Detective Danny Rourke (Affleck) is on a stakeout with a response team.  They had received a tip on the robbery of bank safe deposit boxes.  Through their monitors they see a suspicious well dressed man.  They will learn later his name is Lev Dellrayne (Fichtner).  Dellrayne speaks to a woman waiting for a bus.  As he walks away the woman begins stripping.  The disrobing woman causes a commotion including vehicles crashing into each other.

Dellrayne then speaks to two police officers.  They turn and walk into the bank following Dellrayne’s commands.  Within seconds, Dellrayne gets into the safe deposit box area, opens the targeted box and escapes.  He appears to just disappear.

Detective Rourke checks out the open safe deposit box.  The only thing left inside is a photo of Rourke’s daughter Minnie.  Minnie has been missing for three years since she was kidnapped.  “Find Lev Dellrayne” is written on the photo.

Obviously his daughter’s kidnapping and the robbery are linked.  If Rourke can capture Dellrayne, there is a chance he will find his daughter alive.

Rourke has no idea what he is about to learn.  Nothing is as it seems.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Rouke visits a BBQ joint called The Bone Shack.  The restaurant has the same name and logo of a BBQ eatery featured in Planet Terror (also directed by Robert Rodriguez).  In Planet Terror, Jeff Fahey played the owner of The Bone Shack.  Although Fahey appears in Hypnotic, he isn’t the owner of this Bone Shack.

Be sure to watch the credits, there is a scene that changes the ending!

I could see Hypnotic as a limited or on-going television series.

Hypnotic (2023) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Darker Than Amber” (1970) starring Rod Taylor and William Smith / Z-View

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Darker Than Amber (1970)

Director: Robert Clouse

Screenplay: John D. MacDonald, Ed Waters based on DARKER THAN AMBER by John D. MacDonald

Stars: Rod Taylor, Theodore Bikel, Suzy Kendall, William Smith, Janet MacLachlan, Robert Phillips, James Booth and Jane Russell.

Tagline: Travis McGee is having a conference with one of his clients. Business as usual.

The Plot…

Late one night Travis McGee (Taylor) and his buddy are quietly fishing under a bridge.  Suddenly a woman is thrown off the bridge and quickly sinks below the water.  McGee jumps in.  He is shocked to find the woman’s hands and feet are bound.  A dumbell tied to her ankles is pulling her down.  McGee frees her and gets her to the surface.  She’s in bad shape.

McGee takes her home.  Her name is Vangie.  She refuses to go to the police.  McGee learns that Vangie was almost killed by cold-blooded body builder named Terry (Smith).  Terry uses women to drug lonely men.  Terry then robs and sometimes kills them.  Vangie became a target when she discovered Terry was a killer.  As the days pass, McGee and Vangie fall in love.

Despite McGee’s objections Vangie heads to her apartment to get some things.  Terry has been watching and kills her.

McGee is going to get revenge even if it kills him.  It just might.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The final extended fight scene is considered a brutal classic.  Reportedly it was the reason that Bruce Lee wanted Robert Clause to direct Enter the Dragon.

Darker Than Amber is the last time Jane Russell appeared in a feature film.

Darker Than Amber was scheduled to kick off a franchise.  The plan was for Taylor to star in a series of Travis McGee films based on John D. MacDonald’s novels.  Poor box office for this film killed the idea.

Filmed in 1970, the film is a product of it’s time.  It probably felt hip and cool when it was released.  Now it feels dated.

Darker Than Amber (1970) rates 2 of 5 stars.