This episode is the second part of my discussion of the
films of Richard Cuhna with author Mark Clark. We focus on FRANKENSTEIN’S
DAUGHTER and MISSILE TO THE MOON (1958) before we ramble off into talking about
the Planet of the Apes franchise. Staying on topic is difficult for both of us!
The cast of FRANKENSTEIN’S DAUGHTER (1958) is examined with
lots of love directed at the amazingly villainous Donald Murphy as a descendant
of grand-daddy Frankenstein. One could only imagine what his character might have
accomplished if he could gain some control over his libido. We look at the
various funding methods used by mad scientists and the ways that suburban
homeowners can somehow forget entire areas of their house exist! We also lament
the lack of Jack Pierce’s contributions to the monster makeup and wish he could
have returned after his work on GIANT FROM THE UNKNOWN as the film’s monster look
is oddly non-gender specific. As a science fiction/horror tale, the movie actually
has a very rare pair of competent police officers, although their detective
skills don’t mean they will live through the investigation.
When our conversation turns to MISSILE TO THE MOON (1958) we
praise the excellent rock monsters and a few of the performances but struggle
to find more to love. Perhaps shifting from original screenplays to remaking a
not very good film wasn’t the best idea for Cunha and his collaborators. Still,
there are things to enjoy in the movie, especially if you have a soft-spot for
50’s science fiction tales told with more enthusiasm than fidelity to reality.
If you have any thoughts about the four genre films directed
by Richard Cunha thebloodypit@gmail.com
is where to send them. We both love these movies and return to them regularly.
With some luck the missing two can be rescued from YouTube by an enterprising
Blu-Ray company soon.
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