The Bloody Pit #174 - THE SPIDER WOMAN (1944)

We rejoin the Universal Sherlock Holmes series with the fifth entry, THE SPIDER WOMAN (1944). Long considered one of the best of the run Beth, Troy and I relate our opinions in this episode’s rambling discussion. Be aware that spoilers abound! Do we think it is one of the best of the Rathbone Holmes films? Maybe…..

We dig into this one enumerating our likes, loves and various concerns about the story. We point out the numerous elements taken from several of the classic Arthur Conan Doyle stories and revel in the reference to the giant rat of Sumatra! We discuss the logic behind Holmes faking his own death and the inherent cruelty of that move. Of course, THE SPIDER WOMAN is the first of the series to feature a female villain and the casting could not have been better. Gale Sondergaard is brilliant in the title role with her sly smile and her expert delivery of the sharp dialog putting her well above other baddies that have faced Holmes.  Fully half the fun of the movie is watching her glide her way through her evil schemes. The other actors get fine moments too with Nigel Bruce and Dennis Hoey especially given scenes that show their characters under emotional strain. This is a tight, well-made film but we do find some things in it that don’t work as well as we might wish.

If you have any comments on this film or any other we’ve covered thebloodypit@gmail.com is the place to send them. Thank you for listening and we’ll be back soon.

Brief Thoughts - LOLA COLT (1967) (a.k.a. The Black Tigress)

I’m not going to tell you that I think this Spaghetti Western is great. In fact, I don’t think it is actually very good at all, but I am glad that I was able to see it. The film has several points of interest starting (and almost stopping) with the American star Lola Falana in the title role. Miss Falana was a singer and dancer who got pulled before the camera to appear in a few movies and television shows over about twenty years. In the early 1960’s she was discovered by Sammy Davis Jr. and launched her successful musical career in 1965. Falana became a major star of Italian television in 1966 and cinema in 1967. In Italy, she learned to speak fluent Italian while starring in three movies and this is the first I’ve ever seen. The film is also known as The Black Tigress but that is a less effective title than Lola Colt, I think. Her character does serve to inspire reluctant townspeople to stand up to the local bad guy landowner but Tigress seems a little much.

 

Miss Falana is used in the film primarily for her beauty as she plays the leader of a troupe of showgirls on their way west. She also has three singing scenes which show off her vocal skills or at least her lip-synching ability. The songs in two cases are hilariously modern and out of place sounding like a couple of pop singles plucked right off the radio. As soon as the music started I laughed as the five members of the onstage band were missing at least four musical instruments audible on the soundtrack, unless there was a hidden drummer and horn section behind a barroom wall. Still, the songs were fun although I did begin to wonder what the other ladies she was travelling with actually did as part of the stage show.

 

The non-Lola parts of the film that I enjoyed were a couple of pretty well-done fistfights that felt surprisingly visceral. During these sequences the movie takes on a life it otherwise is missing. But other than that, the film is mostly a collection of standard western scenes scattered around the running time culminating in a gun battle that wraps things up happily. One small surprise is the fate of a barefoot urchin running around the town but that isn’t enough to make this more than a barely passable 77 minutes best left for the genre curious. 

Models Spotted at Wonderfest 2023

Blue Beetle Comic Book Covers - Charlton

Poster Art for Classic Serials

These beautiful pieces of art are glorious! How could any kid have refused plunking down their money to see these exciting adventures?

The Bloody Pit #173 - STUNT ROCK (1978)

I’m joined by Bobby Hazzard and John Hudson for our long-delayed discussion of STUNT ROCK (1978). Is it a movie with an actual narrative or is it an episodic mockumentary about stunts and rock & roll? And why is there a stage magic act happening at the same time? We go from the ‘shower thoughts’ genesis of the film all the way through a listing of our favorite moments. Since the film’s director has called it the worst film he ever made, we briefly talk about his other work for contrast and lament his inability to ever secure a big budget Hollywood project. But we also discover that he directed an almost completely hidden third sequel to a very popular 80’s teen comedy that none of us were aware existed. Some things might be better left unexplored.

 

STUNT ROCK can be called many things but it can’t be called boring. It feels like two different movies clumsily mashed together forcing each viewer to decide which half they prefer. Is it the hard rocking magic stage show of Los Angeles band Sorcery or watching Australian stuntman Grant Page defy death in about two dozen different ways? I know which way I lean but this movie is a bit of a Rorschach test so you end up seeing what your expectations lead you to see. And that is more philosophy than I ever thought I would attribute to STUNT ROCK. It has to be a mistake. But you should check it out for yourself.

 

If you have any comments or suggestions thebloodypit@gmail.com is the place to send them. Thank you for listening and we’ll be back soon.

 

Poster Art and Lobby Cards for THE SPIDER WOMAN (1944)