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| 2 lost Lugosi's | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Sep 1 2007, 04:43 PM (703 Views) | |
| Inspector Carr | Sep 1 2007, 04:43 PM Post #1 |
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back in the days when publishers like citadel were putting out those oversized "the Films of (fill in the blank) which I always felt were a great easy reference guide and alas are no longer made to the best of my knowledge. I remembered in the Films of Bela Lugosi there was a still of Lugosi and Duncan Renaldo in a silent short film "Puccini" (or Puchinello) I wonder if this has ever been found or if it is in a private collection or whatever. The Other Interesting Lugosi item was the mention of an early Television version (quite possible pre 1950) of "the Cask of the Amontillado" however in the show it was updated to the second world war, Lugosi was a shopkeeper and his eventual victim was a Nazi Officer with a penchant for rare wine...anyone ever hear of these before |
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| Inspector Carr | Oct 11 2007, 11:20 AM Post #2 |
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In another stranger than fiction moment. the second volume of Suspense the TV series is coming to DVD on October 30th included in this set is none other than Lugosi's TV version of Cask of the Amontillado....as well as a Karloff treat..... here is the link below http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Suspense-...ss-Release/8212 |
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| The Batman | Oct 11 2007, 06:02 PM Post #3 |
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I am hoping to pick up both volumes of Suspense, as I like anthology series and have never seen this one (or heard of it) before. |
| Always be yourself! Unless you can be Batman...then always be Batman! | |
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| rodney | Oct 11 2007, 06:23 PM Post #4 |
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It's pretty primitive, considering when it was produced. Many scripts were originally used on the radio series, which is frankly one of the best radio programs ever. The TV series is sometimes good, but is generally more interesting as a curio of the very early days of TV. |
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| The Batman | Oct 11 2007, 07:28 PM Post #5 |
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Thanks for the review, Rodney. It's historical interest is another reason for my interest. Should be interesting at least. |
| Always be yourself! Unless you can be Batman...then always be Batman! | |
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| panzer the great & terrible | Oct 12 2007, 08:02 AM Post #6 |
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Mouth Breather
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Back in the day, Climax was the must-see show. We never, ever missed it. |
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| Inspector Carr | Oct 12 2007, 03:16 PM Post #7 |
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Years back when I first read the "films of Bela Lugosi" and when I was first exposed to the two films I started in this thread. I had always viewed these two appeances as "holy grail type things" due to their rarity (then again I was a Lugosi fan from way back) However in retrospect this release of the suspense videos is more of a historic curio (due to the kinescope quality as well as primitive television style of the time) . However if I view this Lugosi appearance in the same vein as let's say "London after Midnight" I will not be dissapointed.( being that Although London after midnight is viewed (ironically) as a classic it is far less a rates more value as a historic footnote than anything else. |
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| Inspector Carr | Nov 29 2007, 04:57 PM Post #8 |
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Well I recieved my two volumes of Suspense (the Lost Episodes) and after ripping volume 2 open like a pitbull (live one) in Michael Vicks backyard. I popped in the disc to finally see this "lost" Lugosi performance..... I think as stated earlier by Rodney...It is more of a curio considering the quality generally of early Television... The episodes are fully kinoscopes with commercials intact (Autolite) who also I believe sponsored the Radio show in the 40's as well.. The Lugosi Episode "Cask of the Amontillado" was shown in 1949 (real primitive stuff) and updates the Poe tale to World War 2 and as a flashback story... It is VE day in Italy and two american Officers are sitting in thier office finishing up last minute details as well as drinking some bottles of wine from a local winery.. in strolls an Italian Count, who has been in hiding for the past few years and wants to get something off his chest...he is reporting a murder that he committed a few years back....as one of the officers starts to take his statement it flashes back to the Count's home where the husband of his late sister (brother in law) is visiting. Bela Lugosi plays the counts brother in law...an officer in the Italian Army who bought very heavily into the Nazi power thing...collaborating to an almost heinous level...along the way..his wife had died....The Count not only despises him for his loyalty to the Nazis but also blames him for his sister's death. As they drink wine he tells Bela of his fine bottle of Amontillado in the catacombs beneath the family estate....and we know where this ends up...when we return to the present day the officers decide to tear up the report, considering the circumstances.... I was not disapointed.....it was what I would expect from early Kinoscope TV.... however I had always thought Lugosi played the "good guy" entombing a Nazi Officer in the wall....I was wrong but none the less still enjoyed it... Lugosi actually looks good in the episode he is not the bloated Bela of Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein. Nor the rather emaciated Bela of Glen or Glenda....he is slimmed down. I gather it was a point where his drug usage was actually agreeing with him... He moves about quite well (considering he is 67 at the time) and shows an energy that was absent from much of his mid to late 40's work.... then again he may have been high...Or maybe he felt Television would offer him a renewed career, if that is the case it shows... I am happy I finally saw this..... and actually thankful that apparently 90 of these episodes have been discovered. a real treasure trove of early genre television..A wonderful historic find... |
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| The Batman | Nov 29 2007, 07:41 PM Post #9 |
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Thanks for the mini-review, Inspector. Apparently one of the producers of the show had those 90 episodes tucked away. Good for us! |
| Always be yourself! Unless you can be Batman...then always be Batman! | |
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| Inspector Carr | Nov 30 2007, 03:34 AM Post #10 |
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Just makes you wonder just how many things are tucked away in peoples attics or better yet abandoned storage units.... |
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| rodney | Nov 30 2007, 05:27 AM Post #11 |
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I think I read somewhere that CBS had these. I know they retain the rights to them. |
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| Inspector Carr | Nov 30 2007, 03:47 PM Post #12 |
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Even the opening music is the same from the Radio show.....however the real mystery is whatever happened to those 60,000 Autolite dealers? |
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| The Batman | Dec 1 2007, 06:06 PM Post #13 |
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That may be true, Rodney. I had read from at least two different sources that it was a producer from the show that had these, but that may just be someone romanticizing the story. |
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