Boris Karloff, Christopher Lee: Fu Manchu The Movies

"The Yellow Peril Dr. Fu Manchu" was a representation of how the 'White" world looked upon "Oriental's".



In October 1912 the first part of Sax Rohmer's serialized "The Mystery of Fu Manchu" was published. The novel version would be first published in 1913 just after the serialization was completed.

The character of Fu Manchu was a Chinese master criminal and scientist who wanted to rule the world. He appears to have unlimited funds at his beckoning and is a high ranking member of the "Si-Fan" a secret society actually ruling China.

When Sax Rohmer, real name Arthur Henry Ward, published that first episode of "The Mystery of Fu Manchu" known in the United States as "The Insidious Dr, Fu Manchu". The fear of "The Yellow Peril" was still prevalent especially in England whose colonial history was a major factor in their life.

Chinese historian Wing Fai Leung wrote in his article ""Perceptions of an East-West Yellow Peril: An Archive of Anti-Asian Fear" published in "The Irish Times" on August 16, 2014:

"The phrase Yellow Peril (sometimes Yellow Terror or Yellow Spectre) — coined by Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, in the 1890s, after a dream in which he saw the Buddha riding a dragon, and threatening to invade Europe — blends Western anxieties about sex, racist fears of the alien Other. and the Spenglerian belief that the West will become outnumbered and enslaved by the East”.


Fighting Fun Manchu's every move is Dennis Nayland Smith and to a very large degree Rohmer's "Sherlock Holmes". In the first three novels of the series Smith is a Colonial Police Commissioner operating out of Burma and perfectly reflecting the British Colonial system. By today's standards Smith is extremely racist in those first three novels "The Mystery of Fu Manchu", "The Return of Fu Manchu" and "The Hand of Fu Manchu". All published between 1913 and 1917.

When Sax Rohmer restarted the series in 1931 with his fourth novel. He introduced his reading audience to "The Daughter of Fu Manchu". Nayland Smith was now a Knighted Assistant Commissioner of Scotland Yard. Rohmer passed away in 1959 at the time of the publication of the 13th book directly written by him "Emperor Fu Manchu". By this time Sir Dennis Nayland Smith was working for British Intelligence and at times with the American FBI in consultation.

Every Holmes must have his Watson. In the case of Smith there is Dr. Petrie who in many ways is Dr. John H. Watson's double. However, he is a chemist and in the novels we never know his first name. That would change with the motion pictures were he had several.

Over the 47 years between the first magazine appearance of Fu Manchu until the publication of "Emperor Fu Manchu". The popular character still represented the White Man's fear of the "Yellow" Oriental and their desire to be the dominant race. This fear was also seen reflected in the United States. In 1928  Philip Francis Nowlan wrote the novel "Armageddon 2419" which was followed by "The Airlords of Han" in 1929. In these two futuristic stories the "Han" are the Chinese who have conquered and enslaved the world, because of their advance science and technology. A group of "White" freedom fighters in North America are joined by a man from the 20th Century who has somehow been in a state of suspended animation. He is Anthony "Tony" Rodgers. Whose nickname would change from "Tony" when Nowlan started a newspaper comic strip to "Buck". My article on "Buck" Rodgers can be found at:

http://kinescopedreams.blogspot.com/2015/01/buck-rodgers-armageddon-2419-ad-from.html

January 7, 1934 would see the premier of another new comic strip "Flash Gordon" by Alex Raymond. It was very obvious to Raymond's readers that "Ming the Merciless " of Mongo was a take off on Fu Manchu. Even to his mustache and obvious Chinese style appearance and dress.

However, there were also counters to these stereo types in three Oriental Detectives. The first of them Chinese/American "Charlie Chan" was based in Honolulu, Hawaii and created by Earl Derr Biggers in 1919. Author John P. Marquand would create a Japanese/American detective "Mr. Moto" in 1935. Perhaps the major opposite of Fu Manchu was Yale Graduate and United States Treasury Agent James Lee Wong. This Chinese/American detective lived in San Francisco and is also wealthy. "Mr. Wong" as he was known was created in 1934 by Hugh Wiley.

All of the above characters would come to the motion picture screen played by Caucasian actors.

Ming by Charles Middleton.

Charlie Chan most notably by Warner Oland and Sidney Tolar.

Mr. Moto by Peter Lorre.

James Lee Wong by Boris Karloff.

So it's not a surprise that the head of "The Yellow Peril" Fu Manchu was also played by Caucasian actors. The first screen version was a 1923 15 episode silent serial made in the U.K. under the title of "The Mystery of Fu Manchu".

Playing the evil genius was actor Harry Agor Lyons.



Who looks more like his previous role as "Sherlock Holmes" than an oriental villain. The following year Lyons was back in the 23 part serial "The Further Mysteries of Dr. Fun Manchu".

In these two films not only does Dr. Fu Manchu not really look Chinese, but his famous mustache does not appear. On August 10,1929 the first motion picture with a shorter version of the mustache appeared in the United States. The film was a hybrid as originally it was being shot as a silent film, but then scenes were reworked with sound. The movie was "The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu".

Playing Fu Manchu was Swedish Actor Warner Oland. Oland would be known to fans of Werewolf movies as "Oriental" Dr. Yogami who bites Henry Hull in Universal Studio's 1935 "The Werewolf of London" and later  to detective fans, as I have mentioned, playing "Charlie Chan".



The story has Fu Manchu's wife and child killed by British colonials during the Boxer Rebellion and he seeks revenge years later on those responsible. In the film one of those on Fu Manchu's list is Claude King as Sir John Petrie the father of Dr. Jack Petrie played by Neil Hamilton. Dr. Petrie is a friend of Nayland Smith played by O.G. Heggie. This is the first movie to give Dr. Petrie a first name and that name, as I also mentioned above, will change in other features. Neil Hamilton is known to fan of the camp 1960's television series "Batman" for playing "Commissioner Gordon". Actress Jean Arthur played the damsel in distress Lia Eltham. Arthur would star in two of Frank Capra's classic motion pictures "Mr. Deeds Goes to Washington" with Gary Cooper and "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" with James Stewart. She also would play Van Hefin's wife in "Shane" starring Alan Ladd.


Neil Hamilton



Jean Arthur




Warner Oland, O.P. Heggie, Neil Hamilton and Jean Arthur were all back on May 2, 1930 for "The Return of Fu Manchu". Thought dead at the end of "The Mysterious Fu Manchu" the Chinese mastermind is back still seeking revenge on those who killed his wife and child.

Only Warner Oland returned from the original cast for "Daughter of the Dragon" released on September 5, 1931. Once more he was the insidious doctor and once more still after those who killed his wife and daughter.

As the above poster indicates the top star was Anna May Wong as Lin Moy. Her motion picture career ranged from 1919 to 1961 and she is considered the first true Chinese/American actress. By biography of the actress can be found at:

http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2021/08/anna-may-wong-first-chinese-american.html

Third billing went to Japanese actor Sessue Hayakawa who had become a silent screen matinee idol. Most of my readers know the actor as the cruel camp commander in 1957's "The Bridge On the River Kwai".

"Daughter of the Dragon" was loosely based upon Sax Rohmer's "The Daughter of Fu Manchu". The motion picture has the odd distinction of having two leading Oriental actors with star billing playing opposite a Caucasian actor made up to be Oriental. Had Wong and Hayakawa not be recognized by the public for their silent film performances their roles would have gone to non-Asian actors at the time the film was made.

To put this in perspective for producer Samuel Bronston's epic about the Boxer Rebellion "55 Days at Peking" released 32 years later in 1963. The part of Chinese Empress Tzu-His was played by British actress Flora Robson and Chinese General Jung-Lu by British actor Leo Glenn, because the idea of giving a leading role to an Oriental actor was still not concidered at the time. For those of my readers interested in Samuel Bronson who made such epics as "El Cid" and "The Fall of the Roman Empire". Along with John Wayne's "Circus World". Here is a link to my bio on him:

http://kinescopedreams.blogspot.com/2016/04/samuel-bronston-from-king-of-1960s-road.html

The same practice held for Native American roles and for a comparative look this link will take you to my article on the portrayal's of Indians in the motion picture industry.

http://kinescopedreams.blogspot.com/2015/08/native-americans-hollywood-style-i.html

Returning to "Daughter of the Dragon". In the story a Chinese Princes becomes entangled with the evil Fu Manchu, and a secret agent.

There are some changes to the main characters in this picture. For one Dr. Jack Petrie is now just Ronald Petrie played by Bramwell Fletcher and Nayland Smith is nowhere to be found. The story has the beautiful Lin Moy, Anna May Wong, unknowingly living next door to Dr. Fu Manchu, Warner Oland. Also unknown to the girl is that she is the daughter of Fu Manchu and her lover, Ah Kee, Sessue Hayakawa, is a secret agent after him.

Ronald Petrie is in love with Joan Marshall played by Francis Dade. So although the film was promoted as the third in a trilogy the character of Lia Eltham has also been dropped. Fu Manchu wants to kill both Ronald and his father and will use Joan as a means of getting to them.

This was the final motion picture with Warner Oland, but the next feature film in 1932 had some great casting if not major stereo types.



Boris Karloff dawned the Mandarin make-up as Dr. Fu Manchu. Lewis Stone, who starred in the 1925 Willis O'Brien classic "The Lost World" and would play Mickey Rooney's father in the "Andy Hardy" series, played Nayland Smith. Dr. Petrie is nowhere to be seen, but playing Karen Morley's love interest is Charles Starrett. In three more years he would become a major "B" Western star in a series as "The Durango Kid". However, it is the actress playing Fu Manchu's daughter Fah Lo See (the correct spelling should be Fah Lo Suee) which is of interest here. She is portrayed by Myrna Loy two years before Loy would play Nora Charles in the MGM series "The Thin Man" and also co-star with Clark Gable and her "Thin Man" co-star William Powell in "Manhattan Melodrama". A boring movie that will always be remembered as the one John Dillinger went to see with "The Lady in Red" and was killed by the FBI as he left  Chicago's "Biograph Theater".

Boris Karloff as Dr. Fu Manchu

Myrna Loy as Fah Lo See

Lewis Stone as Nayland Smith

The basic story has Nayland Smith attempting to stop Fu Manchu from locating the tomb of Genghis Khan and obtaining the Khan's mask and sword. Fu's plan is to proclaim himself the reincarnation of Genghis Khan and lead the people's of Asia against "the white man". Which brings me to the two reasons the film caused major controversy.

The Chinese Government through their Washington, D.C. Embassy protested the story line of the motion picture. In their formal protest the Chinese Government mentioned a line used by Boris Karloff  to inflame his followers:

Kill the white man and take his women!

Myrna Loy had a sequence, in this pre-code motion picture, were as Fah Lo See she orders a man tortured and whipped. It is obvious her character is having a sexual organism over what she witnesses.

When the movie was re-released in 1972 "The Japanese American Citizens League" protested those scenes and other elements as anti-Asian and degrading. Twenty-years later in 1992 the first VHS release of "The Mask of Fu Manchu" had these scenes and some others cut. However, the latest DVD releases have these scenes restored.

It would be eight years until 1940 before Sax Rohmer's character Fu Manchu would next be seen on the motion picture screen. "Drums of Fu Manchu" is considered one of the finest serials ever made and the 15 chapter adventure was filmed by Republic Studios.

Portraying Fu Manchu was German/American actor Henry Brandon. Sir Dennis Nayland Smith of the Secret Service was played by William Royle. Olaf Hyteen now played Dr. Flinders Petrie aand Gloria Franklin played Fah Lo Suee.

In the serial Fu Manchu wants to conqueror the world, what else, by finding "The Sceptre of Genghis Khan".

One interesting aspect of the serial is that Fu Manchu gets away at the end. Republic Pictures had to get permission from "The Hayes Office" which was in charge of administering the rules of "The Motion Picture Production Code" to end the serial that way. Under the code the villain is evil and must be destroyed. Permission was granted, but only because in the series of novels Fu Manchu always gets away. Although a second serial was never made. It is believed that Republic Pictures also told the Hayes Office that was their plan.

The next appearances by Fu Manchu were made in Mexico starting with "El espectro de la novia (The Spectre of the Bride)" released in 1943. This series of motion pictures starred British Magician David T. Bamberg who also co-wrote all the screenplays. The other films in the series were "El as negro (The Black Ace)" and "La mujer sin cabeza (The Headless Women)" both released in 1944, "El museo del crimen (The Museum of Crime) 1945, "Asesinato en los studios (Assassination studies) in 1946 and "La casa embrujada (The Bewitched House)" released in 1949.

It was after a performance of his magic in Argentina that David T. Bamberg was offered a World Tour. He agreed. but over time the audiences fell off and Bamberg drifted into the Mexican Motion Picture Industry. Although his character looked the part in at least the first movie. David T. Bamberg's Fu Manchu was a heroic character and a detective. Perhaps influenced by Charlie Chan, or James  Lee Wong. His on screen credit was interesting as his name was written as "Fu Man Chu".




On September 3, 1956 a television program "The Adventures of Fu Manchu" premiered. Originally the plan was to have Sir Cedric Hardwicke play the criminal genius, but the deal fell through with the sponsors. Actor Glenn Gordon would eventually be given the role.

What was supposed to be a total payment for the rights to Fu Manchu had been made, but Sax Rohmer wanted more and a court battle followed. The series was planned to be 78 episodes, but only 13 were filmed as a result of the lawsuit.

Each episode started out with Fu Manchu and Dennis Nayland Smith playing chess with Fu's being Black and Smith's White as a voice said:

"Black and white. Life and death. Good and evil. Two sides of a chess game. Two forces of the universe, one magnificent, the other sinister. It is said the Devil plays for men's souls. So does Dr. Fu Manchu, Satan himself, evil incarnate."

While each episode ended with Fu Manchu breaking a black chess piece after his latest plan has been defeated by Nayland Smith and Dr. Petrie.

Horror King Boris Karloff portrayed Sax Rohmer's master criminal once, but another King of Horror Christopher Lee played him five times. The first film was very good, but as Lee wrote the other four were not and got progressively worse.

The British motion picture company Halliam Productions joined with West German studio Constanin Film  to make the first movie "The Face of Fu Manchu"  in Dublin, Ireland released August 6, 1965. Playing Sir Nayland Smith was Nigel Green. Howard Marian-Crawford portrayed Dr. Petrie as he would for the entire series.





The picture opens with the execution of Fu Manchu as witnessed by Nayland Smith. However, back in London events take place that rise the suspension that he is still alive.

Playing Fu Manchu's daughter Lin Tang opposite Christopher Lee for the entire series was Chinese actress, director,teacher and author Tsai Chin. She was also a "Bond Girl" in 1967's "You Only Live Twice" as an MI-6 undercover agent and she played gambler "Madame Wu" in the 2006 "Casino Royale".

Fu Manchu's base of operations is under the River Thames and it is up to Nayland Smith and Dr. Petrie to stop him. The film ends with what appears to be his death, but his "Face" appears at the ending telling the audience he would be back.

On September 2, 1966 in "The Brides of Fu Manchu". Nigel Green was replaced by Douglas Wilmer as Sir Dennis Nayland Smith, The plot has been used before, but maybe not on such a scale. Fu Manchu and his daughter are kidnapping the daughters of scientists that he needs to construct his weapon to take over the world.



Wilmer would return for the 3rd film "The Vengeance of Fu Manchu" released May 25, 1967. At this point Hallaum Productions dropped out of producing the series and the German Constantin Film was joined by the Chinese film company of "The Shaw Brothers". Although the executive producer for the complete series was Sax Rohmer fan Harry Allan Towers.

There were two dubbed versions of "The Vengeance of Fu Manchu". One was in German and the other English.This was hold for the reminder of the series. As happened with several Foreign Language pictures starring the multi-language speaking Lee. His voice was dubbed back into English by another actor. See my article on Christopher Lee's other Foreign language motion pictures at:

https://kinescopedreams.blogspot.com/2016/08/christopher-lee-foreign-language-motion.html

The simplistic plot has Fu Manchu and his daughter in a remote hideaway in China plotting the death of Nayland Smith.

The fourth film in the series "The Blood of Fu Manchu" released August 23, 1968.The title of the film changed several times to "Fu Manchu and the Kiss of Death", "Kiss of Death", "Kiss and Kill" and "Against All Offs" depending on where it was released.

This time Richard Greene played Nayland Smith and would also repeat the role in the fifth and final film in the series.



There is an interesting bid of movie trivia connected with Shirley Eaton. The actress best remembered as the "Bond Girl" being painted gold at the start of "Goldfinger". The trivia is that she appeared in the picture in one scene without ever filming it, or for many years not knowing that she had appeared in a Fu Manchu picture.

The director Jesse Franco, who directed Christopher Lee in 1970's "Count Dracula", inserted a clip of Shirley Eaton from his motion picture "The Girl From  Rio". Note her name actually appears under Richard Greene's on the poster below. Also note that the poster has Greene's last name spelled "Green". One other bit of trivia is the Richard Greene and Christopher Lee both played the same role Sir Henry Baskerville in two productions of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Hound of the Baskervilles" separated by 20 years. Greene in 1939 with Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce as Holmes and Watson and Lee in 1959 with Peter Cushing and Andre Morell in the roles.




The plot had Fu Manchu at a secret base in the Amazon Jungle where he had developed a poison that kills only men. Using a form of mind control he has women deliver "The Kiss of Death" and targets Nayland Smith.

The final entry in this series was "The Castle of Fu Manchu" aka: "Assignment Istanbul" and "The Torture Chamber of Fu Manchu" released May 30, 1969.

In this picture Fu Manchu and his daughter plot to freeze the World's Oceans. Fu takes over the Castle of the Governor of Istanbul Turkey and uses it as his base of operations.





It wouldn't be until August 8, 1980 that Fu Manchu returned to the motion picture screen. The title of this entry was "The Fiendish Plot of Fu Manchu". The film was a comedy starring Peter Sellers in both the roles of Nayland Smith and a 168 year old Fu Manchu. Who is in search of the ingredients to keep him alive in a special elixir. The characters of Dr. Petrie and Fu Manchu's daughter are not in this motion picture.

There were three major problems with the film. For one the attitudes toward stereo typical roles especially played by Caucasian actors of other races had changed greatly in the post Vietnam Era.
The second was Peter Sellers health in this his last film appearance. Critics noted he was very subdued in what should have been two of his typical over the top roles. The third problem was between Sellers and his directors. The film started pre-production under Richard Quine. He was replaced by Piers Haggard for the actual shoot, but there were arguments between him and Sellers Haggard left and Peter Sellers handled the re-shoots and oversaw the film's editing.






The character of Fu Manchu would make a cameo appearance on April 6, 2007 in "Grindhouse". The role was portrayed by non-screen credited Nicolas Cage.




I can not end this look at Fu Manchu without an old style joke that goes back well before I was born.

"CONFUCIUS SAY: ALL MEN EAT, BUT FEW MANCHU!"

My Neighbors Actors Barbara Luddy and Kenneth Tobey

"WHAT'S A BABY?" was a question the cocker spaniel "Lady" asked in Walt Disney's animated classic "Lady and the Tramp".

The kids on our block asked Barbara Luddy LeFevre to say those words over and over again, but wait I am ahead of my memory.

I was seven years old in 1954 when my parents moved me from the City of Los Angeles to our first home in the San Fernando Valley. For those familiar with those areas today. Such a move doesn't seem earthshattering. However, in 1954 there were only five ways into the San Fernando Valley on winding two lane roads through narrow passes. By name they are Benedict Canyon, the Cahuenga Pass, Coldwater Canyon, Laurel Canyon and Sepulveda Boulevard. All are there should you want to drive them rather than the Freeway System.

In Los Angeles, before that move. We lived in the bottom half of a duplex owned by my mother's parents. The two story building was on Mansfield Street which touched Wilshire Boulevard at the North End and curved into La Brea Boulevard on the South End. A trip today from that location to my 1954 home one block North of the corner of Burbank and Sepulveda Boulevards should take about 30 minutes, or less. In 1954 you were looking at an hour and half to a full two hours depending on the traffic. Not to mention the added time stopping for me to throw up on the side of the road from those winding turns one on top of another in quick succession.

Our first real house was located in the Los Angeles suburb of Van Nuys at 15144 Martha Street. It is strange how 62 years later I can still remember the address. I can also remember the phone number we had STate-6-9075. This was pre-area codes, all numerical phone numbers and a very less populated Los Angeles County.

On our block of Martha Street I had two neighbors. Their names were the aforementioned Barbara Luddy LeFevre and Kenneth Tobey. This is a short memory of those two neighbors.

I was seven years old when we arrived on Martha Street and one of my first new friend's was Barbara Luddy's son Chris. Like the other kids we attended Kester Avenue Elementary School. My memory may be a little faulty, but this picture of Barbara is the closest to the way I remember her at the time.



Look for information on line for my neighbor Barbara and you will only find out that she was born May 25, 1908 in Great Falls, Montana to Will and Molly Luddy. There is mention about her marriage to Ned LeFavre on September 18, 1942. There is no mention of their son Chris, or that he had a younger sister. I'm sorry, but I forget her name.

Writing this I looked at Barbara's background and discovered she started in silent motion pictures in a 1925 film entitled "An Enemy of Man" playing Janet. What this picture was about I couldn't find a mention. Between 1925 and 1933 Barbara appeared in nine short subjects and seven other feature films.
Below is a still from the Bob Steele, singing cowboy, 1930 "B" Western "Headin' North".




Above, Perry Murdock as "Snicker Kimball", Bob Steele as "Jim Curtis", and Barbara Luddy as "Mary Jackson".  


 All of them forgotten today. It would be twenty-two years later before Barbara Luddy would return to the motion picture industry. Her career was in radio as a major star and voice.

Two radio programs occupied Barbara Luddy's talents more than any others. From 1936 through 1953 Barbara was heard by radio audiences on the program "The First Nighter". The show was performed before a live audience and she wore a formal gown and her co-star, "Mr. First Nighter", wore a formal tuxedo. 

Above, Barbara Luddy with her "First Nighter" co-star, Les Tremayne, known to fans of 1950's science fiction movies for 1953's, "War of the Worlds", and 1959's, "Angry Red Planet".

The second radio program originated in Chicago and Barbara would be associated with it from its start in 1940 until it's end in 1954. The title was "Chicago Theater of the Air" and the program presented Operettas. Apparently my neighbor was an accomplished singer and her voice would be heard later on in an episode of Walt Disney's "Wonderful World of Color" singing "There's A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" in the 1964 "Disneyland Goes to the World's Fair".

I remember Barbara Luddy as having almost a Grandmotherly personality to the kids on the block. I wonder how Chris and his sister felt about sharing her with all of us? As I started out this memory I was surprised, as where many of my fellow Cub Scouts in our small troop, that Barbara was the voice of "Lady" in Walt Disney's "Lady and the Tramp". She immediately became a celebrity to a group of eight year olds. Finding herself repeating over and over again the line "What's a Baby" "Lady" asks when she hears her owners are expecting a new member to the family.

The picture was the first animated film in CinemaScope and Walt Disney was faced with the problem that not all theaters in June of 1955 could show it that way. So he released two versions. One in the widescreen process and another in the normal aspect ratio at the time.

Before Barbara's next screen voice in 1959 I was no longer her neighbor. The problem that unfortunately effects many families occurred. My parents separated and would divorce. The house on Martha Street was put up for sale and my mother and I moved into her parents new home also in Van Nuys. I would never see her again, but I did get the surprise of not only hearing her voice, but looking at an animated character that was her spitting image as the saying goes.

As with the first animated motion picture in CinemaScope. Walt Disney pushed the limits of animation and released a feature in Super 70mm and 6 channel stereo. The picture was "Sleeping Beauty" and Walt four years after "Lady and the Tramp" still had to release two versions of the picture. Indicative of a problem facing all studios converting to widescreen film making.

In "Sleeping Beauty" Barbara Luddy voiced the Blue Fairy Merryweather.

After some forgotten appearances on television Barbara created several more voices for Walt Disney that my readers can still enjoy. She was the voice of "Rover" in the original "101 Dalmatians", the voice of Kanga in "Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree" and would repeat the role in three more Winnie the Pooh features as well as several episodes of the original cartoon series. Also her voice is heard in both the roles of the Mother Church Mouse and Mother Rabbit in Walt Disney's animated "Robin Hood".

My neighbor Barbara Luddy LeFavre passed away on April 1, 1979. I will always hold fond memories of her.





Just before Barbara's house was another with a movie actor living there. From time to time I would see him, but I really never had the interaction as I had with Chris' mother. Actually none of the kids on the block did. At this time the actor was married to his first wife Violet M. Coglan. His name was Kenneth Tobey.

I first recognized him when I saw the third episode of the original Davy Crockett mini-series on the television show "Disneyland". Kenneth Tobey was playing Jim Bowie at the Alamo. After that I tried to see him, but I remember Tobey as somewhat reclusive to his neighbors, but he was openly friendly with Barbara Luddy. This may have just been the impression of a young boy at the time.

I next saw my neighbor once more on Disneyland in the two part mini-series based upon Davy Crockett and Mike Fink. Tobey was playing Jocko one of the crew of Mike Fink's keelboat. That's Kenneth Toby immediately to the right of Jeff York in the picture below.



Prior to leaving Martha Street again saw Kenneth Tobey in a Walt Disney production. This time a feature length movie starring Fess Parker who had played Davy Crockett. The picture was based upon the story of the first winners of "The Congressional Medal of Honor" in 1956's "The Great Locomotive Chase". Tobey played a Confederate engineer that helped Jeffrey Hunter chase the Union spy's lead by Parker. Other than these Walt Disney appearances I had no idea of his other work.

Briefly Kenneth Tobey was born on March 23, 1917 in Oakland, California. He would attend college at UC Berkeley for law, but the acting bug, as they say, bite him. He studied acting at the New York Playhouse with fellow Berkeley alumni Gregory Peck and Eli Wallach. During the 1940's Kenneth Tobey appeared mainly in stock company productions and on the Broadway stage. It is his start in motion pictures that is kind of weird according to the on line sources.

One website shows Tobey having an non-screen credit role in Todd Browning's 1935 picture "Mark of the Vampire" made on the MGM lot. The problem here is MGM was located in Culver City a suburb of Los Angeles, but Kenneth Tobey would have been 18 at the time and entering college in Oakland in Northern California. It's possible, but I doubt it actually happened. Another on line bio of Tobey states his first feature was a Hopalong Cassidy movie. That would be "Dangerous Adventure" where he played the character of "Red" in 1947.

However, IMDb shows a 1945 made for television movie version of Ben Hecht's "The Front Page" as Kenneth Tobey's first film appearance. This seems possible, because he was working on the New York stage that year. Also early television was being broadcast in New York City since before at least 1940. We could be playing with semantics here, if you consider a movie studio picture over what is classified as a television feature length movie. Then "Dangerous Adventure" was Kenneth Tobey's first movie, but "The Front Page" is his first non-stage on screen appearance.

"The Front Page" and "Dangerous Adventure" were followed by 16 performances in movies and early television in parts so small the actor received no screen credit. On July 4, 1950 Kenneth Tobey received his second, or should that be third screen credit in the movie "My Friend Irma Goes West". The picture was part of a series of popular films that would become am early 1950 television series right after it's release. Tobey's part was described simply as "Pilot". HIs next screen appearance was in "Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye" starring James Cagney. Tobey was billed 13th as "Detective Fowler".

The actor stayed in 13th billing in the June Allison, Dick Powell film "Right Cross" playing "Ken the third reporter" and billed appropriately as "Ken" Tobey. Four more uncredited roles and 12th billing in the Glenn Ford picture "The Flying Missile" would bring Kenneth Tobey to the first of three motion pictures that would turn the actor into a 1950's Science Fiction Icon of sorts.

At one time there was a movie theater on Van Nuys Boulevard at the present location of the Civic Center called "The Ritz". "The Ritz" wasn't one of those second run, or third run movie houses. It was at the minimal a 200th run theater showing pictures years old. What was great for a young movie buff like myself was that "The Ritz" ran one double feature program from Sunday through Tuesday and a second double feature program Wednesday through Saturday. So I could see four movies on a weekend.

It was at "The Ritz" that I saw 1951's "The Thing from Another World" in 1958.



Notice the above original poster does not mention one member of the cast. Although clearly on the poster are the faces of the major leads. Released April 27, 1951 the low budgeted Science Fiction film has influenced audiences for the last 65 years and inspired two sequels. Although the first really isn't a true sequel.

The picture is a combination of a very solid script with finely drawn characters and solid acting. The direction is credited to Howard Hawks' cameraman Christian Nyby, but the story has always remained that Hawks', himself, really directed the film. As there are scenes so obvious in his style and an example is the poker game at the beginning. The characters talk over each other's lines giving the impression of an actual conversation taking place. A trademark of Hawks. Although some argue that Nyby having worked for the director for so long just copied his style.

The screenplay was based upon the first 31 pages of John W. Campbell, Jr's novella "Who Goes There". I highly recommend reading the original story available as an E-book. The sequel I consider a non-sequel to the original picture was released in 1982. This was director John Carpenter's "The Thing". The reason this sequel is not a true sequel is that Carpenter filmed the last 38 pages of Campbell's novella. So these two motion pictures together with slight cinematic changes complete the original written work.

Kenneth Tobey played the no nonsense Army pilot who takes his crew and a reporter to the North Pole. The flight is ordered because of the nature of the reports coming from a scientific station located there. They seem to imply a strange aircraft has crashed. Is it Russian?

After the introduction of the reporter to the scientists at the station. We meet the lead scientist Dr. Arthur Carrington played by Robert Cornthwaite. His secretary Nikki Nicholson is portrayed by Howard Hawks' discovery Margaret Sheridan. Sheridan was offered the lead in Hawks' "Red River" starring John Wayne and Montgomery Cliff, but turned it down because she was pregnant at the time. This was her first motion picture and she had the number one spot in billing.

Above Kenneth Tobey and Margaret Sheridan

Above Robert Cornthwaite, Kenneth Tobey, and George Fenneman portraying the uncredited Dr. Redding.

Speaking of "The Thing from Another World", below is James Arness in all his "Intelligent Carrot" glory.

There are some wonderful comic sequences within all the suspense and thrills between Kenneth Tobey's Captain Patrick Hendry and Sheridan's Nikki. Before we ever see her Hendry's crew was teasing the Captain to the reporter about Hawaii and Nikki.

Carrington becomes the model of the Atomic Age scientist who is blinded to the potential dangers of the scientific discovery he sees before him. In this case a humanoid vegetable played by unknown James Arness. This becomes even stronger when "The Thing" turns out to be alive and escapes confinement.

Dr. Carrington only sees what science can learn from the alien without really seeing "The Thing" as the means of an invasion of the Earth, because it can multiply with seedlings being a plant and not a animal. In fact Carrington conducts an experiment starting to help the invader reproduce. All in the name of scientific progress.



It is Kenneth Tobey's straight thinking Captain Hendry that puts a stop to Dr. Carrington's experiment and organizes the defense and final destruction of "The Thing from  Another World". That complete title was dropped to just "The Thing" until John Carpenter released his motion picture.

The movie ends with the now classic words from the reporter:

"TELL THE WORLD. TELL THIS TO EVERYBODY. WHEREVER THEY ARE. WATCH THE SKIES EVERYWHERE. KEEP LOOKING. KEEP WATCHING THE SKIES."

American's at the time knew "WHO" and "WHAT" those words were really referring too. "The Thing from Another World" was perfect Cold War propaganda disguised as Science Fiction.

At the time of the movie's release Kenneth Tobey probably had no idea he would become the model Military Hero of 1950's Science Fiction. However, two years after "The Thing from Another World" the second part of what would become the Kenneth Tobey Science Fiction Trilogy was released June 13, 1953.

The image below was not a poster for the motion picture, but a publicity promotion for local television and radio stations and newspapers. It makes interesting reading on the right side. Also note the expected release date was June 18th, but Warner Brothers released the picture five days earlier.




Below is one of the films original posters.



A point about the original release prints had them tinted red. I saw the film that way and again at "The Ritz" in 1958, or 1959. The picture is recognized not for Kenneth Tobey, but as the first stop motion picture completely animated by Ray Harryhausen.

Once more my ex-neighbor was playing a Military Man. His fourth billed role was as Army Colonel Jack Evans who had been in charge of "Operation Experiment". Which was a test of an Atomic Bomb just north of the Artic Circle.

The star of the picture was Paul Christian as Professor Tom Nesbitt. It just be noted that the actor's name was created for American audiences. In actuality Paul Christian was Swiss Actor Paul Hubschmid. In the following picture Christian (Hubschmid) is shown with second billed Paula Raymond as Paleontologist Lee Hunter Portraying Dr. Thurgood Elson was third billed Cecil Kellaway.Perhaps the real star was Ray Harryhausen's "Rhedosaurus".

Professor Nesbitt after being rescued from an avalanche and loosing his scientist associate claims to have seen a monster. Kenneth Tobey's Colonel Jack Evans tells him he ordered a search of the area, but no monster was found. Nesbitt is sent to a hospital to recover from exhaustion. It is there that he reads an article about a fishing boat in the Grand Banks seeing a Sea Serpent.

Against Doctor's orders he leaves his hospital room and goes to see Dr. Elson and meets Lee Hunter. Dr. Elson tells him it is impossible for such a creature to exist today. Returning to his hospital room he is eventually released and reads of other attacks.

Nesbitt asks Evans to see if he can locate anymore such sightings and reluctantly Tobey's Evan's contacts his friend Navy Captain Phil Jackson played by Donald Woods. Lee Hunter shows up with drawings of "Known" dinosaurs at Nesbitt's apartment. He identifies the "Rhedosaurus" and with Lee's help convince Dr. Elson that there is a creature at loose heading for New York City.

Elson is killed in a diving bell after confirming the creature is lurking in New York harbor. Then it strikes and the reminder of the motion picture deals with that and Kenneth Tobey's Colonel Jack Evan's attempts to capture the beast. A beast that has brought a million year old disease to the residents of New York City.

The climax of the film comes at Coney Island where an isotope is shot into the bleeding wound on the "Rhedosaurus'" head.

The movie has the distinction of being the first motion picture about a monster being awaken by Atomic Bomb tests. The Toho classic "Gojira" aka: "Godzilla" did not come out until November 3, 1954 the following year. The classic about mutated Giant Ants "THEM!" was released June 19th also in 1954.

Two more years later Kenneth Tobey was seen in his third Science Fiction feature with effects once again provided by Ray Harryhausen. Released on July 1, 1955 was "It Came from Beneath the Sea". I would see the picture not at "The Ritz", but another long forgotten San Fernando Valley movie theater "The Sherman" on Ventura Boulevard in Sherman Oaks. It was a Saturday Kid's matinee and around 1956 or 1957.

This time Tobey was not in the Army, but the Navy and the captain of a new nuclear submarine. It played Commander Pete Mathews and after a shack down cruise. The sub is seemingly attacked by something from the sea and a portion of the sea creature is found trapped in the submarine's rudder.

To save money producer Charles H. Schneer had the script written in a documentary style narrated by William Woodson. This actually added a realistic tone to the story of a giant octopus that eventually attacks San Francisco.

Kenneth Tobey, middle below, was first billing and playing his love interest and Professor Lesley Joyce was Faith Domergue, right below. One month earlier to the day June 1, 1955 she co-starred in another Science Fiction classic "This Island Earth".




The third billed actor was Donald Curtis, left above. Curtis played Dr. John Carter a fellow scientist that Joyce admires and for awhile Commander Mathews thinks is competition over her. Curtis would be seen the following year in Ray Harryhausen's "Earth vs the Flying Saucers".

The octopus attacks San Francisco as the three figure out a way to stop the creature. A means similar to the one used to kill the "Rhedosaurs" is discovered and in a mini-sub Kenneth Tobey and Donald Woods go after the octopus.

Although my one time neighbor would be seen in other productions such as director John Sturges' "Gunfight at the OK Corral" playing Bat Masterson, or on television in the 111 episode series he starred in "Whirlybirds". It was the above three feature films that have become Kenneth Tobey's legacy.

After a career of 219 motion picture and television appearance and many legitimate stage appearances to add to that. Kenneth Tobey passed away at the age of 85 on December 22, 2002.

Childhood memories are wonderful to have especially when I can watch Barbara and Ken's films over and over again to relive them.

Jeff Morrow An Icon of 1950's Science Fiction: This Island Earth, KRONOS and The Giant Claw

Sometimes an actor's presence on screen just holds your attention. So, it was with Jeff Morrow in even the smallest role he portrayed. Although he is remembered fondly by fans of 1950's Science Fiction with the features mentioned in this article's title and others. His acting career was more complex and covered several genres.




Irving Morrow was born on January 13, 1907 in New York City. He was educated at the Pratt Institute considered one of the top 25 percent of all United States Colleges. Irving would graduate as a commercial artist, but had been taking acting lessons as well. By 1927 he was appearing on stage in Pennsylvania.

After Irving completed his army service during the Second World War. He returned to the stage and began to appear on radio with his distinctive voice. I could not exactly locate when Irving became Jeff, but it appears it started with his first role after returning from the army.

It has been misreported that Jeff Morrow got the title role of radio's "Dick Tracy" in the late 1940's. How this story started I don't know for sure. However, I found several different Internet Websites that have the exact same copied word for word biography of the actor stating that as fact. Possibly proving what you write on the Worldwide Web becomes truth.

As for "Dick Tracy" on radio. The character was first played by Bob Burlen starting in 1934 and after he left Barry Thompson took over. Thompson was followed by Ned Wever and Matt Crowley. Crowley took the role of "Dick Tracy" to the programs end in 1948. Looking at all the listed "Dick Tracy" radio shows between 1945 and 1948. I found the name of Jeff Morrow as the narrator on one episode "The Case of the Crooked Finger" July 14, 1947. It is possible, but I could not locate documentation, that Morrow may have had at times had to substitute for Crowley, if the actor been ill. More probable though is that he narrated more than the one show in July 1947 and biographers mixed up Jeff Morrow's role in the radio program with Crowley.

Morrow also appeared on Broadway in many productions after the Second World War. Among them where two major Shakespearean plays. "MacBeth" was directed by Maurice Evans, the original Dr. Zaius in the "Planet of the Apes" series and Samantha Stevens' father on "Bewitched" and "Romeo and Juliet" directed by and starring "the First Lady of the Theater" Katharine Cornell. Both prestigious productions to be associated with.

During his radio and stage period in 1947 Jeff Morrow married actress Ann Karen. The two would have one daughter Lissa and stay married through the actor's death.

Running on very early television starting October 3, 1948 was "The Philco Television Playhouse". This anthology series picked up a second sponsor besides the electronics and television maker in the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. So by 1950 the Peabody winning show was now called "The Philco-Goodyear Playhouse". It was at this time on March 5, 1950 that Jeff Morrow appeared in his first televised role in "The Life of Vincent Van Gogh". Of the six cast members only actor Everett Sloane, who played Van Gogh, is listed beside the part they played.

17 days later on March 22, 1950 Jeff Morrow was seen in an episode of the television anthology series "The Clock" entitled "The Hypnotist". Once more this was a six actor cast and this one included an actor named Charlton Heston. What the story was about, or the role's they played I could not locate.

One of the best radio horror shows ever was "Lights Out". The radio program was created by Wyllis Cooper and Arch Obler took over after he left. Obler would take the program to the televised air waves and on May 15, 1950 Jeff Morrow appeared in an episode entitled "The House That Time Forgot". I could give you the entire cast, but the names of their roles is another matter. The story was about a young couple who purchase a long abandoned house and discover why nobody wants to stay there. The house's occupants from 1939 still reside as ghosts.

Jeff Morrow's fourth television appearance was on a mystery anthology series entitled "Sure As Fate". The title of his episode was "The Vanishing Lady" first shown October 17, 1950. All we know of this episode is that it starred Jeff Morrow and actress Kim Stanley.

Morrow returned to the stage for the next two years and appeared in productions of Herman Melville's "Billy Budd" and a musical "Three Wishes for Jamie" The 1952 musical production starred  Anne Jeffreys, John Ratt and Bert Wheeler. It featured comedian Charlotte Rae.

On August 24, 1952 Jeff Morrow appeared in the first episode of Season 2 of "The Hallmark Hall of Fame". Today we considered the show's product as "made for television" motion pictures, but there was no such category back in the 1950's. The program was entitled "The Crabapple Saint" and told the story of Johnny Appleseed. It is possible this was either a live broadcast, or a kinescope recording. Either way it appears lost. "The Hallmark Hall of Fame" had first aired the previous year, 1951, and it's still running as of this writing in 2016.

I now come to 20th Century Fox's biblical epic "The Robe" based upon author Lloyd C. Douglas' novel about what happened to the robe worn by Jesus at his crucifixion. The World Premiere was September 16, 1953.



"The Robe" was the first motion picture released in the widescreen process known as CinemaScope using 60mm film stock. The process under it's original name of "Grandeur", part of this blogs title, was first used in 1930 for the Western "The Big Trail". Grandeur was 10mm's larger using 70mm film stock. Below is a link to my article on "Grandeur" and the motion picture that first saw the name John Wayne on the marquee.

http://kinescopedreams.blogspot.com/2015_10_01_archive.html

"The Robe" starred relatively unknown Welsh actor Richard Burton as Marcellus Gallo. He would become a major star as a result of the picture. Playing Diana the Christian women Burton's Roman Centurion falls in love with was Jean Simmons. She had only just portrayed Queen Elizabeth the First as a young women in "Young Bess" and would appear later with Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra in the musical "Guys and Dolls". Playing the Greek slave Demetrius was Victor Mature. Mature had been seen in such varied movies as 1940's "One Million B.C." and as Doc Holliday in John Ford's "My Darling Clementine". He would reprise his role of Demetrius in the sequel to "The Robe" entitled "Demetrius and the Gladiators". Michael Rennie so imposing as Klaatu in Robert Wise's 1951 original "The Day the Earth Stood Still" portrayed Jesus' disciple Peter in both movies.

In the tenth position of on screen credited roles was Jeff Morrow as the Centurion Paulus. Other screen credited acting roles included Dean Jagger, Ernest Thesiger (Dr. Pretorius in "The Bride of Frankenstein) and Richard Boone as Pontius Pilate.

After the crucifixion several Roman's gamble for "The Robe" worn by Jesus. Marcellus Gallo wins it and there starts his story meeting both Peter and Diana. Diana is secretly a Christian and the story will end in the arena as both stand side by side to die for his new found faith.

"The Robe" was part of a series of motion pictures Hollywood was turning out with Biblical themes brought on from the hearings of "The House Committee on Un-American Activities" and "The Black Listings" of members of the motion picture community for being either in the Communist Party, or a sympathizer. The idea was to show that anyone associate with a "Biblical" motion picture couldn't possibly be a Communist.

The following link is to my blog article on the history of Hollywood and the Bible. It covers from Cecil B. DeMilles' 1925 "The Ten Commandments" to Ridley Scott's 2014 "Exodus: Gods and Kings".

http://kinescopedreams.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-bible-according-to-hollywood-from.html

Next Jeff Morrow was seen as Col. C.W. Wier in "Flight to Tangier" released November 21, 1953. The motion picture starred Joan Fontaine, Jack Palance, Corinne Calvet and Robert Douglas. Morrow was billed sixth as the Chief Police Inspector attempting to solve the mystery of a plane crash with no one on it and missing money.




May 1, 1954 saw Van Johnson and Joanne Dru starring in "The Siege at Red River". Johnson plays a Confederate officer traveling through Ohio with a hidden Gatling Gun. He is smuggling the weapon into the South. Milburn Stone (Doc on "Gunsmoke) is his Sergeant accompanying him. Fifth billed Jeff Morrow played Pinkerton Detective Frank Kelso.

"Tanganyika" was released on July 3, 1954 and found Jeff Morrow billed fourth as a murderer being tracked by Colonist/Safari guide Van Heffin in East Africa. In the group tracking Morrow's Abel MacCraken is his brother played by Howard Duff and a former teacher played by Ruth Roman.

The next motion picture featuring Jeff Morrow is one of my favorites. Jack Palance portrays Attila the Hun in " Sign of the Pagan" released December 18, 1954 and filmed on the back lot of Universal Studios in North Hollywood.



The movie is great Hollywood, but it also does a very good job with its story. Although we have Jeff Chandler's Roman Centurion Marcian at the center of a love triangle with two women. One of them Attila's daughter and the other a Princess. The real Marcian would become Roman Emperor and fight Attila after Theodosius the Second died. Marcian reversed Theodosius' agreements with the Hun leader turning him once more into an enemy of Rome.

Jeff Morrow in fifth billing played Roman General Paulinus.



However, it the actress whose name does not appear on any posters for the film that is of interest to fans of 1950's Science Fiction. Portraying the killer of Attila, the Hun, see still with a knife in Jack Palance's chest, was a one-time ballerina name Allison Hayes. Hayes would become a low budget Sicence Fiction/Horror 1950's icon in "The Attack of the 50 Foot Women" and other features such as "The Disembodied" and "The Undead". For my readers interested in her story. Along with those of Peggie Castle and Gloria Talbot. The following link takes you to my blog article on the "Three Sisters of 1950's Science Fiction and Horror":

http://kinescopedreams.blogspot.com/2015/04/three-sisters-of-1950s-science-fiction.html



Jeff Morrow's next five roles included four on television where he played among other roles Chief Supreme Court Justice William Marshall and Edward Teach aka: "Blackbeard the Pirate". The one non-television role was third billing after Rock Hudson and Barbara Rush in the motion picture "Captain Lightfoot". A minor swashbuckler about two Irish rebels in 1815 Ireland.

The poster proclaimed "2 1/2 YEARS IN THE MAKING!". The motion picture was "This Island Earth" and Jeff Morrow would create a role he would forever be connected with.




















Released June 1, 1955 Morrow finally had top billing, even for a little while, with his performance as the Alien "Exeter".

"This Island Earth" was loosely based upon Science Fiction writer Raymond F. Jones' story of the same name. The movie is still considered one of the best examples of Science Fiction film making from the decade of the 1950's.

The feature received critical praise. The New York Times wrote at the time of the picture's release:

"The technical effects of This Island Earth, Universal's first science-fiction excursion in color, are  
so superlatively bizarre and beautiful that some serious shortcomings can be excused, if not overlooked."

While according to "Variety":

"Special effects of the most realistic type rival the story and characterizations in capturing the interest in this exciting science-fiction chiller, one of the most imaginative, fantastic and cleverly-conceived entries to date in the outer-space film field. "

The story opens as Dr. Cal Meacham's, Rex Reason not to be confused with his brother Rhodes Reason, jet develops a problem causing it to loose power. Meacham is heading for a crash when the plane suddenly turns green and the controls work on there on resulting in a safe landing.

Meacham's assistant ads to the mystery when he presents him with tiny beads instead of the large and cumbersome condensers he ordered. After being amazed by the power of the beads he receives a catalogue made of some unknown alloy that speaks of several variations of something called an "Interocitor". His curiosity peaked he orders one.

Several crates of parts arrive with only a schematic without instructions. There is also a warning that no part of the "Interocitor" can be replaced. Somehow he succeeds in building the machine and then hears a voice speaking out of it: "Please clear the screen". Then the voice instructs Dr. Meacham to place a disk in a certain spot and suddenly Jeff Morrow's "Exeter" is looking at him and his assistant.

Meacham is congratulated upon completing his test by building the machine. Exeter tells him that he represents a group of scientists working together for "Peace" and would like Dr. Meacham to join their group. A plane will be waiting at the local airfield for only a certain amount of time and if Cal Meacham is not on it. The plane will leave. Next Dr. Meacham and his assistant are told to step back and suddenly the machine starts to make weird sounds and color changes. Cal pulls the power cord and the machine implodes on itself leaving a lump of hot metal.

The morning at the airfield is foggy and there is no way a plane can land there to pick Dr. Meacham up. His assistant is concerned over the secrecy of Exeter's group and the advance tech being used by them. Next the sounds of airplane engines are heard and a plane with blackout windows lands. Dr. Meacham enters the passenger section to find a single seat and ahead of him a pilotless control panel. Exeter's voice is heard telling him to buckle his seatbelt. The door closes automatically and the controls start to work by themselves.

When Dr. Meacham arrives in Georgia waiting for him are two other scientists. One is Dr. Ruth Adams, portrayed by Faith Domergue. The other is Dr. Steve Carlson played by Russell Johnson. Cal Meacham immediately says a friendly hello to Ruth whom he has met before, but she says he must be mistaken. Then Ruth and Steve drive Cal to a Civil War style colonial home where there are other scientists from around the world he recognizes.

Dr. Meacham meets with Exeter and his assistant Brack portrayed by actor Lance Fuller.

Meacham is shown to his room and after diner with all the scientists. Ruth and Steve ask him to accompany them to his new laboratory. There is a large thick lead plate hanging in this lab. The other two scientists move it in front of another "Interocitor" and a cat is placed on top of the lead plate to drink some milk.

Ruth admits to being the girl Cal met before. Then she explains the strange events that have been occurring and that she and Steve believe Brack has been spying upon the scientists. Both Steve and Ruth asked Cal what he thinks about the large foreheads on both Exeter and Brack? The cat suddenly reacts to something and the three know they are being spied upon.

Becoming aware that there is a strange purpose behind Exeter whose seems very outgoing and friendly. Maybe a little too much of both. Cal, Ruth and Steve decide to leave. The three take one of the cars and as they go toward the small airport Cal originally landed at. The car is attacked by some form of ray. The three get out of the car, but suddenly Steve gets back in and heads away from the other two. The car is hit and destroyed, but Steve's action has saved Cal and Ruth.

The remaining two scientists make it to the airport and find a plane Meacham can pilot. They take off and head away. Near the home being used by Exeter and Brack is a lovely rolling hill. Suddenly the secret of the hill is revealed as it contains a giant flying saucer which lifts off. The saucer next destroys the house with the other scientist in it and starts to pursue Cal and Ruth.

Their plane becomes surrounded by the same green light that save Meacham before, but this time the plane and the two scientists are taken inside the craft. Escorted by Brack to Exeter. Ruth and Cal are astonished to see the Earth below them.

It is explained that they are leaving their solar system for Exeter and Brack's planet "Metaluna". Both Earth scientists start to feel very hot and are taken to tubes that will adjust their bodies to deep space and the planet they are heading for.

Exeter ever the good host explains everything to Ruth and Cal. There has been a war going on between Metaluna and Zagon. The people of Metaluna needed Earth scientists to help with certain problems their own scientists face. Ruth and Cal are to work alongside Metalunian's to restore peace to their planet.

However, when the saucer arrives on Metaluna. Exeter is ordered to take his "friends" to a machine that will enslave their minds. At the entrance to that facility is a Mutant creature that is part insect as a guard.

At that moment a bomb from a Zagon ship hits the facility killing the creature. Exeter uses the opportunity to take Ruth and Cal back to the flying saucer. He realizes his world is doomed and there is no hope. The three reach the saucer and as the hatch is closing another, but wounded Mutant is able to enter the craft.

When the three are in the tubes to adjust their bodies to Earth's atmosphere the Mutant appears, but Ruth's chamber is also almost completely open and the Mutant goes for her.

Cal and Exeter are freed and Exeter attempts to stop the Mutant who has been trained to obey Metalunian's.

In the process Exeter is injured, but just then the difference in the pressure effects the Mutant and it disintegrates. With Exeter at the controls the flying saucer enters the Earth's atmosphere, and he tells Cal and Ruth to get back in their plane. After they object to leaving him. Exeter tells them he has no planet anymore but will become a Space traveler. The plane is released from the craft and Exeter with his fatal wound dies as the saucer crashes into the Atlantic Ocean.

The movie was cut and parodied as the "Mystery Science 3000 Movie" released in theaters. The re-edit received large amounts of complaints over the editing of this classic 50's Science Fiction picture.

The screenplay for "This Island Earth" is very different than the original Raymond F. Jones short story "The Alien Machine". Which the author expanded into his novel "This Island Earth". My reader may be confused over what the title means as that is never explained in the motion picture. Without revealing the different story of the 1952 novel which I highly recommend. I will say that there is a certain allegory going on equating the war between the two outer space races with World War 2 America and Japan. "This Island Earth" is like the Philippine Islands and their importance as a defense against Japan reaching the United States.

After the release of "This Island Earth" Jeff Morrow was seen in five television appearances including one on the then popular children's series "My Friend Flicka" and another in a television production of "Billy Budd". He also appeared in a short and a boxing motion picture "World in My Corner" starring World War 2 Medal of Honor winner Audie Murphy and Barbara Rush.



On April 26,1956 Jeff Morrow starred in the third and final installment of Universal Studio's "The Creature from the Black Lagoon' trilogy. The first two installments had been in 3-D, but the craze was over and "The Creature Walks Among Us" wasn't in that process.



Once more Morrow was playing opposite Rex Reason.

Wealthy Dr. William Barton, Morrow, leads a group to the Florida everglades in search of the Gill Man who was last seen there at the end of "The Revenge of the Creature". Barton appears abusive to his wife Marcia, Leigh Snowden, and this is apparent to Dr. Thomas Morgan, Reason. As the hunt for the Gill Man proceeds Morgan becomes convinced Barton may also be mentally unstable.

The Gill Man is finally located, but during the creature's capture a fire erupts burning it.

As a result of the Gill Man's burns an operation is performed turning it into an air breathing humanoid.

The creature now is larger in body mass and his facial features have morphed as a result of the operation.


The new creature is taken back to Dr. Barton's compound and placed within an electrified fenced in area.

Being at Dr. Barton's compound is the only time the title "The Creature Walks Among Us" means anything and it certainly doesn't equate with the posters for the film of it rampaging in a city.




It is obvious that the humanoid Gill Man longs for the ocean which it can smell as Barton's home is on the beach. The creature may have been turned into an air breather by surgery, but it's instincts have not been altered.

Actor Gregg Palmer was cast as Jed Grant the guide for the everglade search. Grant has been making advances toward Dr. Barton's wife throughout the picture. However Marcia will have nothing to do with Jed, but Barton is thinking otherwise and won't believe her.

Dr. Barton sees Jed enter his wife's room and in a rage kills him. Becoming calm once more he realizes what has happened and takes Jed's body to the fenced area containing the humanoid creature. Barton turns off the power to the electric fence, enters the area to put the blame of Jed's death on the Gill Man, but the creature had observed the murder and that has become a stimulant for it. Dr. Barton is attacked by the humanoid and is killed.

The picture ends with the creature walking toward the ocean. The original release of "The Creature Walks Among Us" ended with a "Question Mark" on the movie screen not the normal words "The End". The purpose was twofold. The first to have the audience wonder if the changed Gill Man will now drown. The second, as there was talk of a fourth picture, using the new form of  "The Creature from the Black Lagoon" in a new series.

Jeff Morrow would next be seen in "The First Texan" playing Jim Bowie. The motion picture starred Joel McCrea as Sam Houston. Released June 19, 1956 the 82 minute motion picture covered Sam Houston's life from going to Texas, raising troops to "Remember the Alamo" and the battle of San Jacinto.



After an appearance on the television series "Climax". Released on August 1,1956 Jeff Morrow found himself in the comedy western "Pardners" starring the team of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.

The two stars played double roles. First as the owners of a ranch where they are murdered by masked men lead by another rancher Sam Hollis. The two before being killed vow their son's will avenge them. Enter Martin and Lewis once more as the sons.

Jeff Morrow portrayed the cowboy henchman "Rio" working for the son of Sam Hollis and a foil for Jerry Lewis' antics.

"Pardners" also features Lee Van Cleef, Bob Steele and Jack Elam. Along with Lon Chaney, Jr.

Next for the actor were eight television appearances going into 1957. These included his third appearance every year on the television series "You Are There" from 1954 to 1956. The program recreated famous events in American history. In all three of those episodes Jeff Morrow had been cast as Abraham Lincoln at different stages of his life.

Sometimes you appear in a motion picture that have the critics at odds with each other. Such were the reviews of "KRONOS" aka: "KRONOS: Conqueror of the Universe" aka: "KRONOS: Destroyer of the Universe".

According to Variety: "Kronos is a well-made, moderate budget science-fictioner which boasts quality special effects that would do credit to a much higher-budgeted film ... John Emery is convincing as the lab head forced by the outer-space intelligence to direct the monster. Barbara Lawrence is in strictly for distaff interest, but pretty".
While film critic Dennis Schwartz took that opposite point of view writing: "German emigre to Hollywood, Kurt Neumann, directs this b/w shot, dull, so-so sci-fi film, that's played straight-forward, is humorless and all the thespians are wooden. It's based on the story by Irving Block and the weak script is written by Lawrence Louis Goldman".


Nine year old Lloyd enjoyed the science fiction feature and 69 year old Lloyd still does. One objection to Variety's "quality special effects" some people have is that when "KRONOS" moves it's done with animation. I would remind my reader that "The monster from the ID" in "Forbidden Planet" the year before "KRONOS" was also animated.

Jeff Morrow portrayed Dr. Leslie Gaskell, the above mentioned Barbara Lawrence was his girl friend and photographer Vera Hunter and John Emery, lower picture, was project manager Dr. Hubbell Eliot. Emery was not new to Science Fiction and starred in 1950's "Rocketship X-M". Playing Gaskell's assistant was character actor George O'Hanlon as Dr. Arnold Culver. O'Hanlon although not seen his voice would become well known to viewers of Hanna-Barbera's prime time cartoon programing as "George Jetson".


"KRONOS" also featured two well known faces in 1950's Science Fiction. The first was Morris Ankrum  as Dr. Albert Stern. Among his film credits are "Flight To Mars", "Invaders from Mars", "Earth vs the Flying Saucers" and another I will mention shortly. For those interested in this actors career. The following link will take you to my blog biography of Ankrum.

http://kinescopedreams.blogspot.com/2016_02_01_archive.html

The second well known face that my reader may not be able to connect with an actor's name belonged to Robert Shayne. Shayne had the title role of  "The Neanderthal Man" in 1953, played Inspector Henderson on "The Adventures of Superman", the mad scientist in "The Indestructible Man" with Lon Chaney, Jr., was in Rodger Corman's "Teenage Cave Man" and AIP's "How to Make a Monster" and appeared in that same motion picture with Morris Ankrum I have yet to name. In "KRONOS" Robert Shayne played an Air Force General.

The movie opens up with what is supposed to have been an asteroid heading for Earth. The "asteroid" is under observation by Jeff Morrow and his team at a top secret government project. Of course the object makes a sudden change in trajectory which defies logic. It is in reality a space vehicle from which an unobserved small object detaches itself and heads for the Earth ahead of the larger craft.



The object lands as a glowing mass of electricity that enters a passing truck driver through his eyes. The driver proceeds to the project and dies, but not before passing the electrical mass to the head of the project Dr. Eliot. While the thought to be "asteroid" crashes into the Pacific Ocean off of Mexico.

Dr. Gaskell, Vera  and Dr. Culver are at a Mexican village which is at the exact spot of the asteroid's crash. However, there is nothing to be seen and the three spend the night as the guests of a local family. The next morning standing in the ocean is a robotic device that will be dubbed "KRONOS".

While the three stare in amazement at "KRONOS". At the project Dr. Eliot's  eyes start to glow and as he opens a report containing the list of all the major energy producers on the West Coast from Mexico into Canada. He then reads aloud the name and location of the closes one in the robot.

Return to Mexico as the three American's are discussing "KRONOS" it begins to move.



So what is "KRONOS"? The robotic device is actually a gigantic storage battery sent to drain the Earth of energy. While it moves from location to another Dr. Eliot has short lucid moments. In one of these he explains what the robotic device is to Doctor's Gaskell and Culver. Dr. Eliot is put under the care of psychiatrist Dr.Stern, but he comes back under the alien control and kills Stern.

Meanwhile taking a helicopter the two scientists and Vera actually land on top of "KRONOS" in the hope of discovering a way to stop it. The robot opens and the three see it's inner workings.



The Air Force becomes involved in stopping the invader and decides to drop an Atomic Bomb to destroy it. Too late Dr. Gaskell hears about it and tells the General in charge that all they are doing is giving it a large boast of energy to store. Before the General can stop the bomb it is dropped and as predicted "KRONOS" absorbs the nuclear energy. The walking storage battery heads for Los Angeles.



From their visit to the top of "KRONOS" Dr. Gaskell speculates that if they can cause a reversal of the robotic battery's polarity it would feed on itself. This is accomplished in typical 1950's Science Fiction style and the Earth is saved for the time being.

Jeff Morrow's next motion picture is the forgotten "Hour of Decision" made in the U.K. The feature was released in April 1957 in the United States and May in the U.K. He played a journalist who clears his wife of a murder charge. Playing Morrow's wife was British actress Hazel Court. Court would become known first for playing Elizabeth in Hammer Films' "The Curse of Frankenstein" starring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. The first color Frankenstein picture was released the same month as "Hour of Decision" in the U.K. and June, when I would see it, in the United States. Court would become a fixture in several of Roger Corman's Edgar Allan Poe features and appear on many American television series episodes.

"Hour of Decision" also featured Lionel Jeffries, Robert Shaw and Anthony Dawson.

Morrow was back on television in his fifth production of the religious series "Crosswords". Which he first appeared on the previous year.  The show was about the lives of different clergymen. That fifth appearance was immediately followed by the motion picture featuring both Morris Ankrum and Robert Shayne. Whom along with the other cast members all wanted to forget being associated with.

Columbia Pictures producer Sam Katzman was given the assignment of making "The Giant Claw".

Anyone who has ever seen this turkey, pun very much intended, knows the bird is not from "17,000 B.C.", but outer space. As extremely terrible as this feature turned out to be. It has obtained "Cult Status" probably because of how extemely terrible it is. Before I describe the story let Jeff Morrow speak:

"We shot the film before we ever got a look at this monster that was supposed to be so terrifying. The producers promised us that the special effects would be first class. The director - Fred F. Sears- just told us, "All right, now you see the bird up there, and you're scared to death! Use your imagination." But the first time we actually got to see it was the night of the premiere. The audience couldn't stop laughing. We were up there on screen looking like idiots, treating this silly buzzard like it was the scariest thing in the world. We felt cheated, that's for sure, but they told us afterward that they just ran out of money. They couldn't afford anything but this stupid puppet. But it was just terrible. I was never so embarrassed in my whole life."

Co-Starring with Morrow was Mara Corday. Fans of Science Fiction knew the actress from Universal Studio's excellent  "Tarantula" and would see her again in the Willis O'Brien special effects picture "The Black Scorpion" among her other roles.



The story starts at the North Pole were Civil Engineer Mitch MacAfee, Morrow, is flying a jet in a test of a new type of radar. He claims to have seen "something" strange flying near him, but even this new radar only shows MacAfee's jet. The Air Force per UFO procedure sends three jets to investigate and one is lost. Those in charge of the project and the Air Force base blame the Civil Engineer for a UFO hoax that caused the death of one pilot. At the test site conducting her own experiment is mathematician Sally Caldwell, Corday. She also does not believe the story MacAfee is telling.

Other sightings and incidents point to Mitch MacAfee having told the truth. Mitch and Sally join forces, while falling in love, with Lieutenant General Edward Considine, Ankrum, and General Van Buskirk, Shayne. The group must find a way to stop what is now known to be a giant bird from an anti-matter Universe.

Above Robert Shayne and Morris Ankrum


Apparently the bird has a protective shield around itself so it is able to exist in our matter Universe without destroying it. The bird is on a rampage of destruction around the globe, but Mitch and Sally discover it's secret. This space turkey has come to the Earth to reproduce and has a nest. The two destroy it.

The film's climax comes over New York City involving attacks on both the Empire State building and the United Nations by the ant-matter "Buzzard".



Jeff Morrow's Mitch MacAfee finally discovers a way to drop the protective shield so that a missile can get to the bird. The bird is shot down and falls into the Atlantic. What is ignored in typical 1950's Science Fiction style is that with the shield down. The bird's anti-matter should have come in contact with the Earth positive matter and the world destroyed.

Executive producer Sam Katzman originally planned to have Stop Motion  Animator Ray Harryhausen create "The Giant Claw". Harryhausen had made preliminary sketches for the feature. Katzman had been  executive producer on both "It Came from Beneath the Sea" and "Earth vs the Flying Saucers" and knew Ray Harryhausen's work very well. However, Columbia Pictures was founded and owned by Harry "KING" Cohan and he ordered the budget cut. As a result Harryhausen was out and Katzman was forced to send the special effects work to a small studio in Mexico. Instead of quality Stop Motion Animation we had a Marionette with very visible strings.

Sam Katzman was a genius when it came to working with low budgets for Columbia Pictures. When he knew from the start how much it was going to be. For those unfamiliar with his Horror and Science Fiction films. I recommend this DVD set:

Not only does it have "The Giant Claw". There are three other excellent mid-1950's low budget horror entries. Richard Denning stars in "The Creature with the Atom Brain". Allison Hayes stars in an interesting Voodoo Zombie picture "The Zombies of Mora Tau" and Steven Rich stars as "The Werewolf". In an outstanding picture which was I originally saw on a double bill with "Earth vs the Flying Saucers" in 1956, but is forgotten by most movie buffs. Rich's performance rivals Lon Chaney, Jr's original Larry Talbott in 1940's "The Wolfman".

The very next feature for Jeff Morrow was the western "Cooper Sky" released in September 1957. Morrow played Hack Williams who comes into the town of Occidental for the first time. He see's an Indian shoot and kill another one. Hack shoots at the killer, but misses. However, this causes the towns people to come out and they won't believe his story and want to hang him. Williams in put in Jail where he convinces a deputy to get him a bottle of whiskey.



When he awakes the next morning still drunk the entire town has been attacked and the people killed by the Indian tribe in revenge for the killing the previous night, because they didn't know the truth and blamed "the white man". Enter very proper "Boston" school teacher Nora Hayes played by Colleen Gray. Gray had just appeared in "The Vampire" an  interesting twist of the tale set in a small 1957 California community. Among her other features Gray had portrayed both the wife of Tyrone Power in the very dark movie "Nightmare Alley" and the wife of Victor Mature in the excellent film noir with a classic psychotic played by Richard Widmark "Kiss of Death". She was also John Wayne's love interest in Howard Hawks' "Red River".

Nora arrived on a wagon with a man named Charlie Martin who is immediately killed by an Indian before he dies. The schoolteacher is now alone in Occidental when from around the corner appears the drunken Hack Williams. He agrees to take her to a local settlement and the film is about the two getting their alive and also falling in love.



"Cooper Sky" is a very good little movie and was followed by three more television  appearances and a starring role on the television series "Union Pacific".




1957 and 1958 saw many westerns on television, again the result of "The House Committee on Un-American Activities" hearings, and "Union Pacific" was one of those trying to have the staying power of new entries "The Life and Times of Wyatt Earp" starring Hugh O'Brien, "Bat Masterson" starring Gene Barry and "The Rebel" starring Nick Adams. Like many the show only lasted one season and was cancelled. Back at the time that one season totaled 38 episodes.

Jeff Morrow portrayed Bart McClelland an ex-Union Officer charged with the task of connecting the Union Pacific railroad from Omaha, Nebraska to Promontory, located just east of Salt Lake City, Utah. The idea of the series came from  Cecil B. DeMille's 1939 western also named "Union Pacific" starring Barbara Stanwyck and Joel McCrea.

The series was followed by two other television appearances including one of the classic "Twilight Zone" episodes called "Elegy" one February 19, 1960. Jeff Morrow played one of three astronauts that land on a planet to find all the people frozen until a strange man seems to spring to life played by Cecil Kellaway. Kellaway is known to fans of Ray Harryhausen as Professor Thurgood Elson in 1953's "The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms".

In 1959 Charlton Heston starred in "Ben Hur: A Tale of the Christ". The same year Yul Bryner and Gina Lollobrigida starred as "Solomon and Sheba". Orson Wells was Saul in 1960's  "David and Goliath" as the bible made a motion picture comeback. Even Joan  Collins starred in "Esther and the King" in 1960. So Jeff Morrow playing "Tob" in "The Story of Ruth" released June 17, 1960 was a logical choice for the actor at the time. The film deals almost literally with the Old Testament story as written. That was both a plus and a minus for the audience depending on what part of the country you were from.

"The Story of Ruth" would be followed by another western "Five Bold Women" released August 1, 1960. Although some sites say the film came out in 1959. It may have been made that year, but kept on the shelf, as they say, until late 1960.

The story has Jeff Morrow's Marshall Kirk Reed escorting five murderesses to prison.

This was the fifth film made by Cinematographer Haskell Wexler. His future pictures would include "Medium Cool" that started out as a story about a television reporter in Chicago and ended up documenting the riots at the 1968 Democratic Convention that became Wexler's backdrop, "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", "American Graffiti" and "Whose Afraid of Virginia Wolf".

The names of the women in this western are great "B" Hollywood. The five are "The Missouri Lady" Downs, "Big Pearl" Jackson, "Faro Kitty" Brewster, Maria "The Knife" Garcia and "Crazy Hannah" Gates. Morrow not only has to put up with these women, but Indians and Downs' husband known as "The Missouri Kid" naturally.

Jeff Morrow from the end of 1960 into 1963 appeared only on television programs in guest appearances. These included "Bonanza", "The Rifleman" and "Tales of Wells Fargo". The episode of "Bonanza" airing October 8, 1961 was entitled "The Honor of Cochise" with Morrow playing the Indian leader.

Shot in Puerto Rico was "Harbor Lights" without every having even one in the picture according to the New York Times reviewer.

In fact I'll let the New York Times describe the 1963 picture at this link:

http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9406E2D6113AE13ABC4B52DFB466838F679EDE

Back to television with appearances on "Perry Mason", "Daniel Boone" and even "Gomer Pyle:USMC" among others. In 1969 Jeff Morrow appeared in a motion picture comedy made in Italy entitled "il giovanne normale (Normal Young Man)". The actor had seventh billing as "Professor Sid".  The movie is described as the escapades of a young Italian hitchhiker picked up by a group of American tourists.



The Italian comedy was a signal as to the direction Jeff Morrow's career was taking at this time. In fact he joined a group of 1950's movie and television stars in a 1971 quickie film originally entitled "Blood Legacy" aka: "Legacy of Blood" aka: "Will to Die". The film is described on the website "Rotton Tomatoes" this way:

"Legacy of Blood is also known as Blood Legacy, as if it matters. Yes, friends: in AD 1971 we still have the old saw about a family of greedy relatives gathered in a mysterious, possibly haunted house. Whoever survives the night will get the legacy. Dollars to donuts that many of them won't be around at sun-up. John Carradine is well accustomed to the tawdry surroundings of Legacy of Blood; Carradine's costars Faith Domergue, Merry Anders, John Russell wander aimlessly about, perhaps in search of their lost careers."

It is notable that in this review Jeff Morrow doesn't even receive mention.




How does an actor follow such a classic? Why with another one "Octoman" released November 3, 1971. This is another film filled with actors looking for income. Besides Jeff Morrow "Octoman" had Kerwin Matthews, "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad", Pier Angeli, "Somebody Up There Likes Me" co-starring with Paul Newman and "Sodom and Gomorrah" directed by Robert Aldrich and starring Stewart Granger.




"Octoman" was followed by appearances on five more television shows and fittingly Jeff Morrow ended his career on April 11, 1986 in the new "Twilight Zone" television series episode "A Day in Beaumont". It was about a young couple who are out driving when they see a flying saucer land by the town of Beaumont. However, no resident of the town will believe them until they discover the residents are all aliens.

On December 26, 1993 Jeff Morrow passed away in Canoga Park, California. The actor was cremated and his ashes scattered across the Pacific Ocean on the Palos Verdes peninsula. Exeter had once more crashed into the ocean and will always be remembered by lovers of Science Fiction.