Happy Thanksgiving 2025

I think most people these days recognize the fact that many Native Americans find the holiday of Thanksgiving objectionable. After all,  the Wampanoag, who legend has it dined with the Pilgrims at the Pilgrims' Thanksgiving celebration, suffered greatly for their contact with the British colonists. There are then those Native Americans who view Thanksgiving as a celebration of the genocide of Native Americans at the hands of European settlers and observe it as a day of mourning. As I see it, the problem with Thanksgiving is that its mythology has traditionally been tied to that of the Thanksgiving celebrated by the Pilgrims in Plymouth, Massachusetts. That mythology is false on many levels, the least of which is the fact that the Thanksgiving celebrated by the Pilgrims was not the first Thanksgiving celebration in North America by a long shot. Indeed, various Native American tribes had their own Thanksgivings. The Seneca have Thanksgiving rituals that last four days.

For me then, the answer is not to do away with the holiday of Thanksgiving, but to divorce it from the imagery of the Pilgrims. We should stop celebrating the Pilgrims, who ultimately brought grief to the Wampanoag. Ultimately, my point of view on the holiday is best expressed by Wilma Mankiller, the first woman to serve as Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, who said of the holiday, "We celebrate Thanksgiving along with the rest of America, maybe in different ways and for different reasons. Despite everything that's happened to us since we fed the Pilgrims, we still have our language, our culture, our distinct social system. Even in a nuclear age, we still have a tribal people." I think it is important to set aside a day to express gratitude. We just have to make sure that we are not celebrating genocide when we do so.

Keeping this in mind, I will observe Thanksgiving with the usual vintage Hollywood pictures I usually do on A Shroud of Thoughts

First up is Janet Leigh, who is preparing her turkey.

Anne Francis apparently prefers riding turkeys to cooking them!

Lena Horne is busy in the kitchen preparing her Thanksgiving dinner.

Fay Webb is serving her turkey. 

While Lucy Marlowe is walking a turkey!

 And it wouldn't be Thanksgiving without Ann Miller!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Chief Dan George: Indigenous Pioneer

Even into the Seventies it was not unusual for people of other ethnicities to play people Indigenous to North America.  For this and other reasons, when I was growing up, I would take notice when Chief Dan George was on-screen. Unlike Syrian-born Michael Ansara or German-born Henry Brandon, Chief Dan George actually was Indigenous. Indeed, he was  even a a chief of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation, a nation of Coast Salish peoples in Canada, from 1951 to 1963. 

What makes Chief Dan George even more remarkable is that he was 60 years old when he began his acting career. He was born  Geswanouth Slahoot in Tsleil-Waututh, North Vancouver, British Columbia on July 24, 1899. His original name in English was Dan Slaholt, but his surname was changed to George when he was enrolled in a residential school when he was 5 years old. Before going into acting, he worked a number of different jobs, including longshoreman, logger, school bus driver, and construction worker.

It was in 1960, when he was sixty years old, that Chief Dan George took his first acting job. It was on the CBC drama series Cariboo Country. On the show, the show he played Ol' Antoine, a chief of the  Chilcotin people. Cariboo Country would not be the the last time that Chief Dan George played Ol' Antoine. It was in 1965 that Paul St. Pierre, the creator of Cariboo Country, began adapting some the episodes he had written for the show as novels. The novel Breaking Smith's Quarter Horse was adapted by Walt Disney Productions as  the movie Smith! in 1969. The cast would be entirely different from that of the TV show Cariboo Country except for one actor, Chief Dan George as Ol' Antoine. 

Although he is now probably most familiar to audiences for his movies, Cariboo Country would not be the last work in television that Chief Dan George did. He made several guest appearances on Canadian and American TV shows. In the episode "Cougar Hunter" of The Littlest Hobo, he was one of a group of First Nations people who adopted the dog of the show's title. On The High Chaparral, in the episode "Apache Trust,"  he played  Chief Morales, a Apache chief anxious to prove that the Apache did not steal a shipment of Army rifles.  In the Bonanza episode "Warbonnet," he played Red Cloud, a Native American chief who want to get his stolen warbonnet back from a former U.S Calvary officer. Chief Dan George's last television role was as the recurring character Chief Moses Charlie on the comedy drama The Beachcombers, a show often counted among the greatest Canadian shows ever made.

While Chief Dan George did a good deal of television, he may be best known today for his movie roles. In fact, Chief Dan George was the first Indigenous North American actor to ever be nominated for an Academy Award. It was for his role as Old Lodge Skins in Little Big Man (1970). He won both the New York Film Critics Circle Award and National Society of Film Critics Award for Supporting Actor for the film, as well as the Laurel Award for Best Supporting Performance, Male. Beyond Little Big Man (1970), Chief Dan George's best-known role may be Lone Watie in The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976), a Cherokee man who finds himself travelling with Josey (Clint Eastwood). In the movie Harry and Tonto (1974), he played Sam Twofeathers, who is in prison for the first time in his life for having urinated in public. In the comedy Americathon (1979), Chief Dan George played Sam Birdwater, a billionaire and the leader of a Native American cartel who must bail a bankrupt United States government out. 

In addition to acting, Chief Dan George was also a poet. He wrote the poetry collection  My Heart Soars, published in 1974, and My Spirit Soars, posthumous published in 1983. Chief Dan George was also a musician, and played bass fiddle. 

Chief Dan George died on September 23, 1981, at the age of 82. He left behind s legacy that still being felt to this day. Chief Dan George eschewed playing stereotypes, and insisted on playing sympathetic roles. If we do not see such Indigenous stereotypes as the hostile Native American "savage," we owe a good deal to Chief Dan George. Chief Dan George used his position as an actor, public speaker, and poet to advocate for the Indigenous peoples of North America. Indeed, for the Centennial of Canada in 1967 he delivered the Lament of Confederation, a powerful attack on the effect colonization has had on the Native peoples of Canada. Chief Dan George was an enormous talent and an advocate for his fellow Indigenous people.

"The Carnival is Over" by The Seekers

I have felt under the weather the past few days. The fact that it has been cloudy and foggy for the past week has not helped. Anyway, it was 60 years ago today that The Seekers hit no. 1 on the UK singles chart with "The Carnival is Over." I will just leave you with a video of the song itself. I wish I could identify the source, but whoever posted it to YouTube didn't do so.

Ten of the Best Quotes from Film Noir

Gloria Grahame and Humphrey Bogart in In a Lonely Place (1950)

Film noir is known for its visual style and the cynicism that often pervades its plots. It is also known for its dialogue. Some of the greatest lines in movie history come from film noirs. With this being Noirvember, I thought that it would be a good time to list ten of what I considered the best quotes from film noirs. I limited myself to only one line per movie, as otherwise the whole list might be composed entirely of quotes from Double Indemnity (1944) and Sunset Boulevard (1950). Billy Wilder does have a bit of an unfair advantage when it comes to great lines! Also, the quotes are in no particularly except for the last one, which is my number one favourite movie line, period. Without further ado, there are ten of the best quotes from film noir. 

"My, my, my! Such a lot of guns around town and so few brains! You know, you're the second guy I've met today that seems to think a gat in the hand means the world by the tail." Humphrey Bogart as Philip Marlowe in The Big Sleep (1944) in response to yet another gun pointed at him.

"In my case, self-absorption is completely justified. I have never discovered any other subject quite so worthy of my attention." Clifton Webb as narcissistic newspaper columnist Waldo Lydecker in Laura (1944).

"Isn’t it a pity? The wrong people always have money.” Elsa Lanchester in Louise Patterson as The Big Clock (1948)

"Hate is a very exciting emotion. Haven't you noticed? Very exciting. I hate you too, Johnny. I hate you so much I think I'm going to die from it. Darling...I think I'm going to die from it." Rita Hayworth as Gilda in Gilda (1946) in conversation with Johnny Farrell (Glenn Ford)

"With my brains and your looks, we could go places.” John Garfield as Frank Chambers from The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946) commenting to Cora Smith (Lana Turner)

"Well, build my gallows high, baby." Robert Mitchum as Jeff in Out of the Past (1947) to  Kathie (Jane Greer)  

"I am big. It's the pictures that got small."  Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond in response to Joe Gillis's (William Holden) remark that she used to be big 

"That was only the first half of the speech. The rest of it goes like this: I hate their women, too - especially the "big league blondes". Beautiful, expensive babes who know what they've got... all bubble bath, and dewy morning, and moonlight. And inside: blue steel, cold - cold like that... only not that clean." Ann Shirley as Anne Grayle in Murder, My Sweet (1944) in response to Helen Grayle (Claire Trevor)

"I  picked you for the job, not because I think you're so darn smart, but because I thought you were a shade less dumb than the rest of the outfit. Guess I was wrong. You're not smarter, Walter... you're just a little taller." Edward G. Robinson as Barton Keyes in Double Indemnity (1944) in response to Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray)

"I was born when she kissed me. I died when she left me. I lived a few weeks while she loved me." A line from Dixon Steele's screenplay which he quotes in In a Lonely Place (1950).

Mildred Bailey, Al Rinker, Charles Rinker, and Miles Rinker: A Musical Native American Family

When people think of Native American musical artists, Kay Starr, Link Wray, or the rock group Redbone might come to mind, but earlier in the 20th Century four remarkable music artists emerged from one family. What is more, they were siblings. Mildred Bailey, Al Rinker, Charles Rinker, and Miles Rinker each left their own mark on jazz music. 

Their mother was Josephine Rinker, a citizen of the Skitswish, also known as the Coeur d'Alene Tribe. Music ran in her family. Josephine Rinker herself played piano. Her grandfather, Bazil Peone, had been a song leader and head speaker among the Skitswish. Their father, Charles Rinker, was also musically inclined. He played fiddle and called square dances as well. It was then natural that Mildred, Al, Charles, and Miles would take up music. Mildred went with her mother to traditional Skitswish ceremonies, and learned many of the traditional songs. The family would also host get-togethers on Saturday nights on their farm near rural Tekoa, Washington for the local ranchers and farmers, with the family members providing the music. Sadly, Josephine Rinker died at age 36 from tuberculosis. Their father eventually remarried, and their stepmother did not get along with the children at all.

Mildred then left home at 17. She married and divorced a man named Ted Bailey. Given her musical background, it was inevitable that she would become a singer. She established herself as a blues and jazz singer on the West Coast before her recording career. Although she made her first recordings in the late 1920s, her first real hist was her version of "For Sentimental Reasons," which peaked at no. 18 on the singles chart in 1936. She would follow it with many more hits, including "Trust in Me (which went to no. 4 in 1937), "Where Are You (which went to no. 5 the same year), and "I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart" (which went to no. 8 in 1938." Her biggest hit was "So Help Me," which peaked at no. 2 in 1938. Sadly, Mildred Bailey suffered from diabetes and had problems with her health throughout her life. She died when she was only 44 from heart failure.

Al Rinker was Mildred Bailey's eldest brother, and he had as notable a career as she did. It was in 1925 that Al Rinker began performing alongside Bing Crosby and Harry Barris as The Rhythm Boys. The group had a good deal of success and even appeared in the movie King of Jazz (1930) before breaking up due to Bing Crosby's desire for a solo career. Al Rinker later created the radio show The Saturday Night Swing Club with Bob Smith and produced the show as well. Al Rinker was not only a musical performer, but a song writer as well. He wrote "You Can't Do Wrong Doin' Right" and  "Everybody Wants to Be a Cat" from the movie The Aristocats (1970) with Floyd Huddleston.

Younger brother Charles Rinker would also become a songwriter. He co-wrote several songs with Gene de Paul. Miles Rinker was a saxophonist and clarinetist. He later became a booking agent. 

Although not particularly well-known today, Mildred Bailey, Al Rinker, Charles Rinker, and Miles Rinker had an impact on musical history in the early 20th Century. Indeed, without Al Rinker, Bing Crosby's career may have been very different. While their music did not draw a great deal upon Coeur d'Alene tradition, the fact that they were Native Americans at a time when there were only a few in the entertainment industry is significant. They certainly paved the way for others.

In a Lonely Place (1950) at 75

"I was born when she kissed me. I died when she left me. I lived a few weeks while she loved me." (Dixon Steele, In a Lonely Place)

In 1950 two films took somewhat scathing looks at Hollywood. The better known of the two movies was Sunset Boulevard (1950), which is still well-known even to the average person. While In a Lonely Place (1950) might not be as famous as Sunset Boulevard (1950), the film is also a somewhat critical examination of the film industry as it was at the time. And like, Sunset Boulevard (19500, it is also a classic film noir.

In a Lonely Place (1950) centres on screenwriter Dixon Steele (Humphrey Bogart), who hasn't had a hit since before World War II. He drinks a bit too much and he has a violent temper. Having been hired to adapt the novel Althea Bruce as a film, Dixon Steele takes hat check girl Mildred Atkinson (Martha Stewart) to his apartment so she can tell him the plot of the novel so he doesn't actually have to read it. Unfortunately, Mildred is murdered after having left Dix's apartment, and Dix is a suspect. It is at the police station that Dix meets his neighbour, Laurel Gray (Gloria Grahame), with whom he begins  relationship. 

It was in 1948 that Humphrey Bogart formed his own production company, Santana Productions. For Santanta's very first film, Knock on Any Door (1949), Humphrey Bogart hired director Nicholas Ray, fresh from his success with They Live By Night (1948). Humphrey Bogart and Nicholas Ray's next collaboration would be very loosely based the 1947novel In a Lonely Place by Dorothy B. Hughes. The novel differed a good deal from the film. While Dixon Steele served in World War II in both the novel and the film, in the novel he is not a screenwriter and, what is more, he is an outright serial killer who has been strangling women around Los Angeles. 

Edmund North, who had written such films as Dishonored Lady (1947) and Flamingo Road (1949), was hired to adapt the novel In a Lonely Place as a film. While Edmond North made some changes, his initial script stayed closer to the novel than the movie would ultimately be. Andrew Solt developed the screenplay based on Edmund North's previous adaptation into the film we now know. In turn, director Nicholas Ray rewrote Andrew Solt's work. In fact, Nicholas Ray reworked the original ending of the movie, in which Dixon Steele strangles Laurel Gray to death. Nicholas Ray couldn't bear to end the movie, and so he dismissed everyone from the set except Humphrey Bogart, Art Smith (who played Dixon Steele's agent Mel Lippman), and Gloria Grahame, and they extemporized the ending as we now know it. Ultimately,what had been an ex-airman turned killer in the novel In a Lonely Place became a Hollywood screenwriter with a violent temper in the movie In a Lonely Place (1950).  It is a bit of an in-joke in In the Lonely Place (1950) that the fictional screenplay Dixon Steele wrote for the fictional novel Althea Bruce departs from the book in much the way the movie In a Lonely Place (1950) departs from the novel. 

If it had been up to Humphrey Bogart and screenwriter Edmund North, In a Lonely Place (1950) might have had a slightly different cast. They wanted to cast Laurel Bacall, then married to Humphrey Bogart, as Laurel Gray. As it turned out, Jack Warner, Bogey's former boss, refused to loan her out for the film. The role of Laurel Gray then went to Gloria Grahame, who was married to director Nicholas Ray at the time. Gloria Grahame and Nicholas Ray's marriage was coming apart even as they were making In a Lonely Place (1950) and they actually separated during the production of the film. Gloria Grahame and Nicholas Ray eventually divorced in 1952. 

As to the remainder of the cast, Art Smith, who played Dixon Steele's agent Mel Lippman, had appeared in such films as Brute Force (1947), T-Men (1947), and Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid (1948). Frank Lovejoy, who played Dixon Steele's friend and police detective Brub Nicolai, was best known for his work in radio when he made In a Lonely Place (1950). He had worked on such radio shows as Gay Nineties Revue, Gang Busters, and This is Your FBI. Jeff Donnell (birth name Jean Marie Donnell) played Brub's wife Sylvia and had appeared in movies from My Sister Eileen (1942) to Roughshod (1949). 

For the most part, In a Lonely Place (1950) was filmed on sound stages at Columbia/Sunset Gower Studios. Paul's Restaurant was not an actual location, but a set inspired by the real-life Beverly Hills restaurant Romanoff's. Similarly, the Beverly Patio Apartments of the film were based on Villa Primavera in West Hollywood, where director Nicholas Ray had lived at one time. While most of the scenes at the Beverly Patio Apartments were filmed on a sound stage, the exterior of Villa Primavera actually does appear in some scenes in the movie. Other real-life locations in the film include Beverly Hills City Hall and Will Rogers State Beach. 

In a Lonely Place (1950) premiered in New York City on May 17, 1950. Afterwards, it gradually opened throughout the United States over the next few months. For instance, it opened in New Jersey, Indiana, and elsewhere in June 1950 and in Missouri, Illinois, and elsewhere in July 1950.  It would be in August that In a Lonely Place (1950) would open in the city in which it was set, Los Angeles. Interestingly enough, some theatres other than those owned by Paramount and RKO decided to show In a Lonely Place (1950) together with another movie critical of Hollywood, Sunset Boulevard (1950), as a double feature. An example of this was the Lux Theatre in Oakland, California.

For the most part, In a Lonely Place (1950) received positive reviews. Jerry Cahill, writing in the Martinez News-Gazette from Martinez, California, wrote of the film, "The picture's over-all effect suffers a bit from the episodic nature of the script, and a moderately paced second half while the romance unfolds, but it winds up 100 per cent a Bogart vehicle, and that is the requirement. The Variety staff wrote, "ector Nicholas Ray maintains nice suspense. Bogart is excellent. Gloria Grahame, as his romance, also rates kudos." Even Bosley Crowther of The New York Times liked In a Lonely Place (1950), writing, "Humphrey Bogart is in top form in his latest independently made production, In a Lonely Place, and the picture itself is a superior cut of melodrama." 

While In a Lonely Place (1950) received mostly good notices from critics, it did not perform particularly well at the box office. It only made  $1.4 million. For the year 1950, this placed it at no. 85 of the 100 top grossing films of 1950 according to the Wednesday, January 3, 1951, issue of Variety. It seems possible that part of the blame for the film's poor performance at the box office may have been its promotional campaign. The film was promoted more or less as a mainstream suspense film, with such slogans as "The Bogart suspense film with the surprise finish," "Suspense! Intrigue! Suspicion!," and "Suspense...mounting to an exciting surprise finish!" While In a Lonely Place (1950) is most certainly what would come to be known as "film noir" and can certainly be counted in the crime, thriller, and suspense genres, the film is so much more than that. Indeed, audiences may have gone into theatres expecting a straightforward suspense film only to be confronted with a study of a complex character (Dixon Steele) and a critique of the film industry.

Indeed, in some ways In a Lonely Place (1950) is even more critical of the film industry than its contemporary Sunset Boulevard (1950). In In a Lonely Place (1950), a writer (or an actor or director) is truly only as good as his last picture. Early in the film director Lloyd Barnes (Morris Anktrum) makes not of the fact that Dix has not had a hit since before World War II, to which Dix replies that Barnes hasn't had a flop in twenty years "...because you've made and remade the same picture for the last twenty years. You know what you are? You're a popcorn salesman." Lloyd then informs Dix that he is pretty much a popcorn salesman as well. Alcoholic actor Charlie Waterman (Robert Warwick) is an even worse position than Dixon Steele is. At what time an idol of the silent matinee, Charlie now finds it hard to get jobs. While Dix still respects him, no one else does. It is clear that a producer/director nicknamed "Junior" (Lewis Howard) only has his position because he is the son-in-law of a studio executive. While there is some concern that Dix's adaptation of the novel Althea Bruce may depart too much for the source material for producer Brody's liking, it turns out the producer loves Dix's screenplay anyway. The general impression of Hollywood in In a Lonely Place (1950) is that it is a place where the emphasis is placed on making money, not making art.

Of course, even if Hollywood in In a Lonely Place (1950) wasn't a lonely place, chances are good that Dixon Steele might still have problems. Dix has a volatile temper, and he assaults more than one person throughout the film. Despite the fact that its most famous line (""I was born when she kissed me. I died when she left me. I lived a few weeks while she loved me.") is one of the most romantic lines in movie history, I suspect most people would be hesitant to describe Dix and Laurel's relationship as a romance. While Dix and Laurel appear to love each other (at the very least, they are very attracted to each other), Dix is often downright abusive to Laurel. Although the movie never explicitly states that Dix has a mental disorder, it seems obvious that he probably does. Dixon Steele's behaviour could fit either borderline personality disorder or bipolar II disorder. 

While In a Lonely Place (1950) did not perform particularly well at the box office, it has since grown in reputation to become considered one of the greatest film noirs of all time. It certainly has had an impact on pop culture. The Smithereens' song "In a Lonely Place" from their 1986 album Especially for You was inspired by the movie and even paraphrases its most famous line with its chorus, ", "I was born the day I met you, lived a while when you loved me, died a little when we broke apart." Electronic music duo Goldfrapp's song "Laurel," from their 2013 album Tales of Us, was inspired by Laurel Gray from In a Lonely Place (1950). In the Frasier episode, "Slow Tango in South Seattle,"  the opening lines of author Thomas Jay Fallow's book is a parody of the most famous lines from In a Lonely Place (1950), "I budded when you kissed me. I withered when you left me. I bloomed a few months while you loved me." The film has been referenced in movies from Barton Fink (1991) to L.A. Confidential (1997) to Mulholland Dr. (2001). 

In a Lonely Place (1950) was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 2007. It has also appeared on several lists of the greatest films of all time, including Time Magazine's  "Best Movies of All Time" and Slant Magazine's "100 Best Film Noirs," A very good argument can be made that it features one of Humphrey Bogart's best performances and one of Gloria Grahame's best performances. A critique of Hollywood as it was in 1950, a relationship drama between two damaged people, a crime film, In a Lonely Place (1950) is all of this and more.

A Pictorial Tribute to Rock Hudson on His Centennial

It was 100 years ago today that Rock Hudson was born Roy Harold Scherer Jr. in Winnetka, Illinois. Rock Hudson would go onto become one of the top leading men of the Fifties and Sixties. From 1957 to 1964, he ranked each year in th Quigley poll of the top ten money making stars. While no longer the major star he was in the Fifties and Sixties, in the Seventies, Rock Hudson found success on television on the TV series MacMillan & Wife, as well as TV movies and mini-series. Sadly, Rock Hudson contracted the HIV virus and died on October 2, 1985, at the age of 59. He was the first major American celebrity to die from an AIDS-related disease. 

In tribute to Rock Hudson, here are some photos from throughout his career.

Rock Hudson made his film debut in uncredited part in the movie Fighter Squadron in 1948. Here he is with Walter Reed in a still from the movie.

Rock Hudson's first starring role was as legendary Old West outlaw John Wesley Hardin in The Lawless Breed in 1953. Here he is with Julie Adams.

It would be with Douglas Sirk's remake of the 1935 melodrama Magnificent Seven (1954) that Rock Hudson would achieve stardom. Rock Hudson had worked with Douglas Sirk before and would work with him in further melodramas, such as All That Heaven Allows (1955), which also reunited him with his Magnificent Seven co-star Jane Wyman.

Giant (1956) would be the highest grossing film of Rock Hudson's career, grossing  $454 million when adjusted for inflation. The film was still being shown on network television and it may have well have been where I first saw Mr. Hudson (the other possibility was his TV show MacMillan & Wife, which I will get to shortly).

As much money as Giant (1956), many people may best know Rock Hudson for Pillow Talk (1959), the first of three sex comedies he made with Doris Day. The other two, Love Come Back (1961) and Send Me No Flowers (1964) also proved very successful, and established Rock Hudson as an actor firmly identified with the sex comedy genre. The two stars certainly got along, and Rock Hudson and Doris Day remained friends until he died.

Pillow Talk (1959) established Rock Hudson as a star of romantic comedies. One of favourites is Come September (1961) with Gina Lollobrigida. 

Rock Hudson appeared in more than melodramas and sex comedies. Seconds (1966) was a science fiction psychological horror movie directed by John Frankenheimer. 

Rock Hudson also appeared in an espionage thriller. Ice Station Zebra (1968) remains one of his most popular films among men of a certain age.

Rock Hudson's movie carer having declined, in the Seventies he turned to television. McMillan & Wife debuted in 1971 as part of the wheel show NBC Mystery Movie. It starred Rock Hudson as Police Commissioner Stuart "Mac" McMillan and Susan Saint James as his wife Sally. It proved to be one of the most popular parts of the NBC Mystery Movie. Susan Saint James left in 1976 due to a contract dispute, and the series continued as simply McMillan, but it wasn't the same.

Following the cancellation of McMillan, Rock Hudson appeared in TV movies and miniseries such as The Martian Chronicles. It was in 1982 that he starred in another series, albeit one that was short-lived The Devlin Connection starred Rock Hudson as Brian Devlin, a former military intelligence officer and private eye who finds himself assisting his long lost son, private eye Nick Corsello (Jack Scalia). It only lasted 13 episodes.

Rock Hudson's last role was on the night-time soap opera Dynasty, where he played Daniel Reece, a wealthy horse breeder and a love interest for Krystle (Linda Evans). He appeared in nine episodes before having to drop out due to his declining health.

The Rez: A Nineties Canadian Drama TV Series

Darrell Dennis, Ryan Rajendra Black, and Jennifer Podemski

It has only been the past few years, with the debuts of such shows as Rutherford Falls, Reservation Dogs, and Dark Winds that there have shows centered on Native Americans in any number on American television, and even then Native Americans are still underrepresented. Canadian television has been a bit better with regards to its Indigenous population, although even then First Nations peoples have been underrepresented on Canadian television. That having been said, while American television featured no shows centred on Native Americans, a short-lived show called The Rez, set in an  in an Ojibwe community, aired on CBC Television.

The Rez centred on a group of teenagers living on an Ojibwe reservation in Ottawa. Ryan Rajendra Black starred as Silas Crow, who wants to be a writer. His best friend was Frank Fencepost (Darrell Dennis), who spends most of  his time playing table hockey at the bar and chasing women. Silas's girlfriend  Sadie Maracle (Jennifer Podemski) was something of an Indigenous activist. Frank had an on again/off again relationship with Lucy Pegahmagabow (Tamara Podemski), who wanted to sing on Broadway. 

The origins of The Rez go back to the short story collection Dance Outside Me by  W. P. Kinsella, which was published in 1977. The short stories were narrated by eighteen year-old Silas Ermineskin and are set on a Cree reservation in Alberta. Dance Outside Me was adapted as the 1995 movie of the same name, starring Ryan Black as Silas Crow, Adam Beach as Frank Fencepost, and Jennifer Podemski as Sadie Maracle. The movie saw a a major change from the short stories in the anthology. While the short stories are set in Alberta, the movie is set in Northern Ontario. Dance with Me (1995) premiered at the Toronto Film Festival on September 9, 1994. It was released in Canada and the United States on March 10, 1995. Legendary director Norman Jewison was an executive producer on the film.

The Rez was essentially a spinoff from Dance Outside Me. It retained Ryan Rajedra Black as Silas Crow and Jennifer Podemski as Sadie Maracle, but Darrell Dennis took over the role of Frank Fencepost. As to Adam Beach, he was cast in the recurring role of the chief's son, Charlie. It debuted in 1996 and had a first season of six episodes. The Rez returned for a second season in 1997 of 13 episodes. The Rez ended its run after two seasons and 19 episodes. I was unable to find out if CBC cancelled the show or its producers simply decided to bring it to an end.

Regardless, while The Rez did not run long, some of its cast would go onto other things. Adam Beach went onto play Jim Chee in The Navajo Mysteries, a three-episode series based on Tony Hillerman's novels that aired on PBS's show Mystery, as well as Law & Order: SVU. Kari Matchett would go onto be part of the cast of A&E's Nero Wolfe, and appear on the shows Leverage, Covert Affairs, and The Good Doctor. The show also featured already established actors Gary Farmer and Elaine Miles.

In 1997, Jennifer Podemski was nominated for the Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role. The following year,  Ryan Rajendra Black was nominated for the Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role, while guest star Patricia Collins was nominated for Actress in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Series.

While the complete series of The Rez was released on DVD in 2009, the show is widely available. It is not on any streaming services. Even on YouTube, there are no complete episodes, only a few collections of clips from the show. This is regrettable, as The Rez is one of the earliest shows to deal with Indigenous characters in Canada, and it aired at a time when shows centred on Indigenous characters were unknown in the United States as well. 

Powwow Highway (1989)

Even with such TV shows as Reservation Dogs and Dark Winds and movies such as Prey (2022) and Killers of the Flower Moon (2023), Native Americans are severely underrepresented. As hard as it is to believe, the situation was even worse in the Eighties. During that decade, for the most part the only time a Native American character might appear on the big screen or the television screen might be a Western. This was why the independent feature Powwow Highway (1989) was so remarkable at the time of its release. Not only did have it a primarily Native American cast, but it was set in the present day.

In Powwow Highway (1989), Buddy Red Bow (A Martinez), a member of the Northern Cheyenne of Lane Deer, Montana, must make it to Santa Fe, New Mexico, as his sister, Bonnie Red Bow (Joanelle Romero), has been framed for drug trafficking. To get there, he enlists the aid of an acquaintance, Philbert Bono (Gary Farmer), who has just acquired a beat-up 1964 Buick Wildcat, which he refers as his "pony" and has named "Protector." Together the two take a circuitous trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico to free Red Bow's sister. The two travelling companions could not be more different. Buddy Red Bow is practical, if quick-tempered, and does not think the old stories can answer today's problems. Philbert Bono not only has faith in the old stories, but has sacred visions and aspires to find his medicine.

Powwow Highway (1989) was based on the 1979, self-published novel of the same name by David Seals. Actor Carl Kraines, who would serve as an associate producer on the film, read the novel and brought it to the attention of screenwriters Janet Heaney and Jean Stawarz. According to a Variety article from May 29, 1989, David Seals sold the screen rights to the novel in 1985  for $10,000. Once they had completed the screenplay, Janet Heaney and Jean Starwartz approached, Jonathan Wacks, who had produced the cult classic Repo Man (1984). Powwow Highway (1989) would mark Jonathan Wacks's feature film directorial debut. Ultimately, the film would be produced by HandMade Films, a company founded by former Beatle George Harrison and his business partner Denis O'Brien. At this point, HandMade Films had already produced such films as Life of Brian (1979), Time Bandits (1981), and Runaway Train (1985).

Powwow Highway (1989) was made on a budget of only $3 million. An August 12, 1987 article in Variety, shooting was underway in Sheridan, Wyoming. Powwow Highway (1989) was shot at the Northern Cheyenne Reservation in Montana, the Nambe Reservation in New Mexico, and Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in North Dakota, as well as other locations in New Mexico, Wyoming, and Montana. The filmmakers spent 10 days shooting at the Northern Cheyenne Reservation in Lame Deer, Montana where members of the Northern Cheyenne Tribal Council even served as extras. The famous Jimtown Bar was used as a location in the film. 

Powwow Highway (1989) premiered at the Montreal World Film Festival on August 26, 1988. The movie did well on the film festival circuit. It won the awards for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor at the 1988 (for Gary Farmer) American Indian Film Festival in San Francisco. At the 1989 Sundance Film Festival, Jonathan Wacks took the Filmmakers Trophy for Powwow Highway (1989). Powwow Highway (1989) was released in the United States on February 24, 1989. 

For the most part, Powwow Highway (1989) received positive reviews from critics. Roger Ebert gave the movie three stars and commented, "The plot is not the point. What Powwow Highway does best is to create two unforgettable characters and give them some time together."Sheila Benson of The Los Angeles Times also gave Powwow Highway (1989) marks, calling it, "..a little zinger of a comedy with a rare backbone of intelligence." Like many other critics, Janet Maslin of The New York Times praised Gary Farmer's performance. Powwow Highway (1989) was nominated for the awards for Best First Feature, Best Cinematography, and Best Supporting Male (for Gary Farmer) at the Independent Spirit Awards.

For the most part, Powwow Highway (1989) was positively received by Native Americans upon its release. Not only did Powwow Highway (1989) avoid common stereotypes, but it also addressed issues of concern to Native Americans, including poverty, unemployment, and the eagerness of white corporate interests to exploit natural resources on reservations. At the same time, the film places importance on the past and tradition.

Aside from being one of the earliest movies to centre on Native Americans in the present day and one of the earliest to achieve some modicum of mainstream success, Powwow Highway (1989) would prove to be a launching pad for various indigenous actors. Both Wes Studi and Graham Greene appear in supporting roles. The film's leads  also went onto successful career. A Martinez would be part of the main cast of L.A. Law and had recurring roles on the shows Profiler, General Hospital, One Life to Live, and Longmire. Gary Farmer appeared in the Native American cult classic Smoke Signals (1998) and appeared on the show Reservation Dogs. 

Powwow Highway (1989) was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress last year, 2024. It was a honour that the film well-deserved. Powwow Highway (1989) would pave the way for other Native American films released in the Nineties and Naughts, including Smoke Signals (1998), ;Naturally Native (1998), Skins (2002), and others. The impact of Powwow Highway (1989) can still be felt to this day in such TV shows as Rutherford Falls, Reservation Dogs, and Dark Winds. While it might not be a perfect film, it is one that certainly had an impact. 

The Narrow Margin (1952)

During the classic film noir era passenger trains were still a popular form of mass transportation. For that reason, trains often figure not only in the plot of film noirs, but many movies in other genres from the 1940s to 1950s. Among the film noirs in which a train plays prominent role is The Narrow Margin (1952), directed by Richard Fleischer and starring Charles McGraw and Marie Windsor. 

In The Narrow Margin (1952), Detective Sergeant Walter Brown (Charles McGraw) and Detective Sergeant Gus Forbes (Don Beddoe) are assigned to protect Mrs. Frankie Neall (Mrs. Marie Windsor), a mobster's widow who is testifying before a grand jury against the mob. Quite naturally, the mob wants to stop them as they are travelling on a train from Los Angeles to Chicago 

The Narrow Margin (1952) was based on an unpublished story titled "Target" by Mark Goldsmith and Jack Leonard. RKO bought the rights to the story and production began on the film under that title. The Narrow Margin (1952) was produced as a B-movie, with a budget of $230,000. It was shot in only 13 days. Given most of the movie is set aboard a train, the majority of The Narrow Margin (1952) was shot on sets at RKO, with exteriors shot at Union Station in Los Angeles and Santa Fe Railroad Depot in San Bernadino, California. Stock footage was also used in a good deal of the movie (the backgrounds seen through the train's windows). The film used extensive use of hand-held cameras, which was somewhat revolutionary at the time.

Director Richard Fleischer has said that RKO owner Howard Hughes was so enamoured with The Narrow Margin (1952), that he considered reshooting the film with  with Robert Mitchum and Jane Russell so that it could be released as an A picture. For whatever reason, this never happened. , William Cameron Menzies did shoot additional scenes to add to the movie's length. For reasons that are none too clear today, The Narrow Margin (1952) was delayed for two years before it was released. 

The Narrow Margin (1952) received largely positive reviews. Howard Thompson of The New York Times wrote in his review, "Using a small cast of comparative unknowns, headed by Charles McGraw, Marie Windsor and Jacqueline White, this inexpensive Stanley Rubin production for R. K. O. is almost a model of electric tension that, at least technically, nudges some of the screen's thriller milestones." The Narrow Margin (1952) was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Motion Picture Story. The movie has maintained its reputation ever since. It boasts a 100% rating at Rotten Tomatoes, and it is still highly regarded by film historians.

The Narrow Margin (1952) would be a turning point in director Richard Fleischer's career. Prior to The Narrow Margin (1952), he had worked on B-movies, all the while wanting to move to directing A-pictures. When Howard Hughes was unhappy with John Farrow's handling of the A-picture His Kind of Woman (1952), Howard Hughes hired Richard Fleischer to re-write and re-shoot portions of the movie. It was because he was happy with Richard Flesicher's work on His Kind of Woman (1952) that Howard Hughes loaned him to Stanley Kramer to direct The Happy Time (1952). Stanley Kramer would go onto direct such films as 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954), The Vikings (1958), and Fantastic Voyage (1966). 

The Narrow Margin was remade in 1990 as Narrow Margin, starring Gene Hackman and Anne Archer. Narrow Margin (1990) received mixed reviews upon its release. Since then reviews have grown a bit more positive, although it has never matched the reputation of the original.

Although The Narrow Margin (1950) may not be as well-known as Double Indemnity (1944) or The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946), it is certainly one of the quintessential noirs. The train setting with its narrow corridors gives the film a sense of claustrophobia that director Richard Fleischer and cinematographer George E. Diskant both exploited. The characters (cop Brown and gangster's widow Frankie Neall) don't particularly like each other and their dialogue can be particularly "hard-boiled." It is certainly one of the best noirs set on a train and one of the best noirs ever made.

Godspeed Sally Kirkland

Sally Kirkland, who appeared in such movies as The Way We Were (1973), Private Benjamin (1980), and Anna (1987), died on November 11, 2025, at the age of 84. She had been suffering from dementia and had entered hospice care only two days earlier.

Sally Kirkland was born in New York City on October 31, 1941. Her mother was a fashion editor at Vogue and Life. Her father came from a wealthy family. Sally Kirkland studied at the Actors Studio with Lee Strasberg and Uta Hagen. She later studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. 

She made her movie debut in a bit part in Crack in the Mirror in 1960. On Broadway, she was an understudy in the productions Step on a Crack and Bicycle Ride to Nevada. In the Sixties, she appeared in Andy Warhol's The 13 Most Beautiful Woman (1964). She also appeared in the movies Hey, Let's Twist! (1961), Prison (1965), Blue (1968), Coming Apart (1969), Futz (1969), and Brand X (1970). She made her television debut in an episode of New York Television Theatre in 1965.

In the Seventies, Sally Kirkland appeared in the movies Jump (1971), Going Home (1971), Blume in Love (1973), The Young Nurses (1973), The Way We Were (1973), Cinderella Liberty (1973), The Sting (1973), Blazing Saddles (1974), Big Bad Mama (1974), Candy Stripe Nurses (1974), The Noah (1975), Bite the Bullet (1975), Crazy Mama (1975), Breakheart Pass (1975), Tracks (1976), Pipe Dreams (1976), A Star is Born (1976), Hometown U.S.A. (1979), La ilegal (1979), and Private Benjamin (1980).  On television she guest-starred on the shows Hawaii Five-O, Police Story, Toma, Bronk, Petrocelli, Baretta, The Rookies, Three's Company, Kojak, Starsky and Hutch, The Incredible Hulk, Visions, Supertrain, Charlie's Angels, and Lou Grant. She appeared in the mini-series Captain and the Kings.

In the Eighties, she guest starred on the shows Charlie's Angels, Lou Grant, General Hospital, Insight, Falcon Crest,Trying Times, and Heat Wave. She appeared in the movies The Incredible Shrinking Woman (1981), Human Highway (1982), Double Exposure (1982), Flush (1982), Love Letters (1983), Fatal Games (1983), Anna (1987), Talking Walls (1987), White Hot (1988), High Stakes (1989), Cold Fleet (1989), Paint It Black (1989), Best of the Best (1989), Two Evil Eyes (1990), Revenge (1990), and Bullseye! (1990). 

In the Nineties, Sally Kirkland starred on the syndicated soap opera Valley of the Dolls. She had a recurring roles on Felicity and on the soap opera Days of Our Lives. She appeared in the TV movie Brave New World. She guest starred on the shows The Ray Bradbury Theatre; Roseanne; Raven; Jack's Place; Picture Windows; Murder, She Wrote; High Tide; Goode Behavior; The Nanny; Women: Stories of Passion; The Hunger; Chicken Soup for the Soul; and Wasteland. She appeared in the movies JFK(1991), In the Heat of Passion (1992), The Player (1992), Forever (1992), Hit the Dutchmen (1992), Primary Motive (1992), Double Threat (1992), Stringer (1992), Eye of the Stranger (1993), Gunmen (1993), Paper Hearts(1993), Guns and Lipstick (1995), Amnesia (1996), Excess Baggage (1997), The Westing Game (1997), Little Ghost (1997), Paranoia (1997), Wilbur Falls (1998), The Island (1998), EdTV (1999), and Starry Night (1999).

In the Naughts, she had a recurring role on The Agency. She guest starred on the TV shows Strong Medicine (2001), Resurrection Blvd. (2001), Wanted (2005), Head Case (2008), and Criminal Minds (2010). She appeared in the movies Circuit (2001), Out of the Black (2001), A Month of Sundays (2001), Wish You Were Dead (2001), The Rose Technique (2002), Thank You, Good Night (2002), Bruce Almighty (2003), Mango Kiss (2004), Bloodlines (2004), Neo Ned (2005), Adam & Steve (2005), What's Up, Scarlet? (2005),Chandler Hall (2005), Off the Black (2006), Hollywood Dreams (2006), A-List (2006), Fingerprints (2006),Mothers and Daughters (2006), Factory Girl(2006), Richard III (2007), Resurrection Mary (2007), Big Stan (2007), Spiritual Warriors (2007), Mollie and Friends (2008), Bald (2009), Remembering Nigel (2009), House Under Siege (2010), and Lights Out (2010). 

In the Teens, Sally Kirkland appeared in the movies Urgency (2011), The Last Gamble (2011), A Bag of Hammers (2011), The Wayshower (2011), The Wish Makers of Hollywood (2011), Division III: Football's Finest (2011), Jack the Reaper (2011), Archaeology of a Woman (2011), Broken Roads (2012), Awakened (2013), The Visitor from Planet Omicron (2013), Ron and Laura Take Back America (2014), The Bride fro Vegas (2014),. Suburban Vegas (2014), Buddy Hutchins (2015), The Code of Cain (2015), Courting Des Moines (2016), Trash Fire (2016), Buddy Solitaire (2016), Nerdland (2016), The Most Hated Woman in America (2017), Price for Freedom (2017), Gnaw (2017), Get Married or Die (2018), Making a Killing (2018), The Second Coming of Christ (2018), Los Angeles Overnight (2018), Wally Got Wasted (2018), Sarah Q (2018), Cuck (2019), Paint It Red (2019), Acceleration (2019), Invincible (2020), Magic Max (2020), Canaan Land (2020), and Hope for the Holidays (2020). She guest starred on Paul Cruz: Latin Actor (A Mockuseries), Actor Anonymous, Bennington Gothique, Theatre Fantastique, 40's and Falling, Good Samaritans, and Conversations in L.A.

In the 2020s, she guest starred on the show Nobody Wrote It Down: Tales of the Black Pioneers. She appeared in the movie The Final Code (2021), The Magic (2021), The Legend of Resurrection Mary (2021), The Walk (2022), Bobcat Moretti (2022), Murder, Anyone? (2023), 80s for Brady (2022), All of It Happened on Thursday (2023), Altered Perceptions (2023), The Haunting of Hell Hole Mine (2023), When It Rings (2023), Woods Witch (2023), Holiday Boyfriend (2024), Skeletons in the Closet \(2024), Aftermath (2024), and Sallywood (2024). 

Sally Kirkland was an enormously talented actress. She was incredible as the title character in Anna (1987), an actress who had been famous in Czechoslovakia at one time. The role earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. While Miss Kirkland played other lead roles, it was perhaps her character roles for which she was best known. In The Way We Were, she played Pony, the Communist friend of Kate Morosky (Barbara Streisand). In The Sting, she played Cyrstal, a former gangster's moll turned legitimate. In EDtv she played the doting mother of the Ed of the title (Matthew McConaughey). Her television appearances could be no less impressive. On Hawaii Five-O, she played one half of a vacationing couple who find a bag of stolen money (Sally Kirkland's character had serious doubts about keeping the money). On Roseanne, she played Barbara Healy, the abusive, alcoholic mother of Becky's boyfriend. Throughout her career, Sally Kirkland played roles ranging from photographers to a martial arts coach to a college professor. And she did all of them well. 

Godspeed Toymaker Burt Meyer

Burt Meyer, the inventor responsible in part for such toys as Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots and Lite-Brite, died on October 30, 2025, at the age of 99.

Burt Meyer was born in Hinsdale, Illinois. He spent many of his early years in Massachusetts. During World War II, he served in the Navy as an aircraft mechanic. After his service he studied art at West Georgia College on the G.I. Bill and then the Institute of Design at the Illinois Institute of Technology. For a time, he taught at the Atlanta Art Institute, but he decided that teaching was not for him. 

It was in the late Fifties that he went to work for Marvin Glass & Associates, a toy design and engineering firm in Chicago. The firm made toys for such companies as Ideal, Marx, Mattel, and Hasbro. Mr. Machine, conceived by Marvin Glass himself, was one of the first toys on which Burt Meyer worked. He was later part of the team that worked on Mouse Trap, one of the first mass-produced three-dimensional board games. It was in 1963, after the death of boxer Davey Moore in the ring, that Marvin Glass cancelled a boxing toy upon which the firm had been working. Burt Meyer felt that the toy was too good of an opportunity to pass up, and suggested that they make the boxers robots whose heads would pop off rather than humans who fell down. The result was Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots.

It was Burt Meyer, Dalia Verbickas, and Joseph M. Burck who invented Lite-Brite, a toy introduced in 1967. The toy proved to be a success for Hasbro. Burt Meyer became a partner at Marvin Glass & Associates. He retired when he was 99.

Many of the toys upon which Burt Meyer worked proved to have staying power. Their appeal often cut across several generations, and in some cases the toys outlived the companies who originally manufactured them. Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots, Lite Brite, and Mouse Trap are all still being sold. Burt Meyer and his fellow employees at Marvin Glass & Associates certainly had a talent for making toys.

The House That Dripped Blood (1971)

(This post is part of the Hammer and Amicus Blogathon V, hosted by Cinematic Catharsis and Realweegiemidget Reviews)

If Amicus Productions was known for one thing, it was their portmanteau horror movies. Starting with  Dr. Terror's House of Horrors in 1965, Amicus produced several of these films, each with framework that served primarily to tell horror stories. The House That Dripped Blood (1971) was the third of Amicus's horror anthologies. As you might be able to tell from the title, the framing story of The House That Dripped Blood (1971) involved an old country house whose inhabitants often meet mysterious fates.

To be more specific, the framing story of The House That Dripped Blood (1971) involves Detective Inspector Holloway (John Bennett) investigating the mysterious disappearance of horror movie star Paul Henderson (Jon Pertwee) shortly after he bought the house. As Detective Holloway continues his investigation, he is told various stories concerning the house's owners. The first concerns hack horror writer Charles Hillyer (Denholm Elliott), who is convinced he is seeing his latest creation, a murderous psychopath named Dominic (Tom Adams). The second centred on retired stockbroker Philip Grayson (Peter Cushing), who becomes obsessed with a waxwork of Salome who resembles a long lost love. The third involves widower John Reid (Christopher Lee), whose young daughter Jane (Chloe Franks) is morbidly afraid. The fourth story concerns horror actor Paul Henderson, who is starring in a vampire movie while living in the house. When he complains about the cloak being used in the movie, he buys a rather more special one from shopkeeper Theo von Hartmann (Geoffrey Bayldon). 

Max Rosenberg of Amicus Productions came up with the title The House That Dripped Blood long before production began. The title was not universally popular with the filmmakers. Director Peter Duffel hated the title and has said that Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee agreed with him. Max Rosenberg's partner at Amicus, Milton Subotsky had wanted to call the movie Death and the Maiden, which arguably wasn't nearly as lurid as The House That Dripped Blood.

 Like Amicus Productions' previous horror anthology movie, Torture Garden (1967), The House That Dripped Blood (1971) was based on short stories by legendary horror writer Robert Bloch. According to Max Rosenberg, he spent an entire year reading Robert Bloch short stories before he settled on the ones that would be used for The House That Dripped Blood (1971). Milton Subotsky of Amicus Productions was also a voracious reader who was always on the look out for horror stories that could be adapted for their movies. Robert Bloch adapted his own stories for The House That Dripped Blood (1971),  with Russ Jones, best known as the creator of the magazine Creepy, doing some work on the "Waxworks" segment.

The House That Dripped Blood(1971) was budgeted at £500,000. Like Dr. Terror's House of Horrors (1965) and Torture Garden (1967), it was filmed at Shepperton Studios in Surrey. Unlike Dr. Terror's House of Horrors (1965) and Torture Garden (1967), it would not be directed by Freddie Francis. Freddie Francis was not available at the time, and to top it off he and Max Rosenberg did not get along very well during the making of Torture Garden (1967). Peter Duffell was then hired to direct The House That Dripped Blood (1971). It would be Peter Duffell's first feature film credit,but he was experienced in directing television shows, including The Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre and The Avengers. Peter Duffell thought that Milton Subotsky liked to hire young directors and had probably seen some of the work he had done on television.  

The role of horror movie star Paul Henderson was offered to Vincent Price, who had to turn it down because he was currently under contract to American International Pictures. The role then went to Jon Pertwee, who was playing the Third Doctor on Doctor Who at the time. Jon Pertwee said that he based his portrayal of Paul Henderson on Christopher Lee, who did not even realize Jon Pertwee was parodying him. Peter Cushing tried to get out of his contract to do The House That Dripped Blood (1971) as his beloved wife Helen was ill at the time. She would die in 1971, around a month before the movie was released. At the time Ingrid Pitt appeared in The House That Dripped Blood (1971), she was already an experienced horror actress. She had already appeared in the movies El sonido de la muerte (1966), The Vampire Lovers (1971), and Countess Dracula (1971). 

The House That Dripped Blood (1971) was shot in about a month, from June 29, 1970, to July 28, 1970. The "House That Dripped Blood" itself was Littleton House Lodge at Shepperton Studios. Weybridge Hall in Weybridge, Surrey served as the wax museum in the film. 

Despite its title, no blood appears in The House That Dripped Blood (1971), In fact, when Amicus submitted the film to the British Board of Film Censors, the BBFC wanted to give The House That Dripped Blood (1971) an "A" certificate, which meant that children under 5 could not see the film and it was not recommended for children under 14 (in other words, more or less the equivalent of the American 'PG" rating). Amicus feared that an "A" certificate could hurt the film at the box office, and pressured the BBFC to give it an "X" certificate. At the time, an "X" certificate meant no one under 18 could be admitted. Also at that time, the BBFC gave most of rival Hammer Film Productions' movies "X" certificates.

The House That Dripped Blood (1971) was released on February 21, 1971, in the United Kingdom. In the United States, it premiered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on March 10, 1971. For the most part, it received positive reviews. The Variety staff  called it "one of the most entertaining of its genre to come along in several years." In The Los Angeles Times, Kevin Thomas wrote, " "Richly atmospheric settings, muted color photography, an outstanding cast and competent direction (by Peter Duffell) do justice to Bloch's fine script, which deals with psychological terror rather than relying on the typical blood-and-guts formula." The New York Times' Roger Greenspun gave The House That Dripped Blood (1971) a more mixed review, writing, "Such failure, however, may be more or less interesting. And it is in terms of the esthetics of failure that I am of several minds about Peter Duffell's The House That Dripped Blood, which moves in many directions, but never too far from the mechanics of the high school play." With regards to the box office, The House That Dripped Blood (1971) did moderately well in both the United Kingdom and the United States.

Indeed, it was successful enough that Amicus would produce more portmanteau horror movies. It was followed by Tales from the Crypt (1972), based on the old E.C. Comics; Asylum (1972); The Vault of Horror (1973), also based on E.C. Comics; and From Beyond the Grave (1974).  Although The House That Dripped Blood (1971) was milder than some of Amicus's output and certain than Hammer's output, it as still a good blend of classic horror and psychological horror that remains entertaining to this day. 

Hammer Film Productions' The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959)

(This post is part of the Hammer and Amicus Blogathon V, hosted by Cinematic Catharsis and Realweegiemidget Reviews)

Hammer Film Productions is best known for their Gothic horror movies, but among their most films is The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959), starring Peter Cushing as Sherlock Holmes, André Morell as Dr. Watson, and Christopher Lee as Sir Henry Baskerville and based on the novel by Arthur Conan Doyle. While it strays a bit from the novel, it remains one of the most respected adaptations of the novel, as well as a favourite of Hammer fans.

In The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959), Sherlock Holmes (Peter Cushing) is hired to investigate the strange death of Sir Charles Baskerville by his friend and physician Dr. Richard Mortimer (Francis de Wolff), and in doing so  tells Holmes the legend of the hound of the Baskervilles, a hellhound who had killed Sir Hugo Baskerville (David Oxley) centuries earlier. Although skeptical, Holmes agrees to investigate and soon encounters deaths attributed to the legendary hound.

As mentioned earlier, The Hound of the Baskervilles was based on the novel of the same name by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It was in 1893 that Conan Doyle killed off his most famous creation, Sherlock Holmes, in "The Final Solution."  Nonetheless, the character remained phenomenally popular. It was then that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote the novel The Hound of the Baskervilles, which takes place earlier than "The Final Solution." The novel was based on legends surrounding Squire Richard Cabell. Following Squire Richard Cabell's death on July 5, 1677, there were claims of a pack of hounds howling at his tomb. Some inspiration may have also come from Black Shuck, a ghostly dog in Surrey, as well as legends of other hellhounds elsewhere in England. The novel had been adapted several times before Hammer's version, the most notable being 20th Century Fox's 1939 version starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce.

Eliot Hyman, the head of Associated Artis Productions (a.a.p.), was responsible for financing Hammer's hit movie The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) as well as Dracula. His son Kenneth Hyman had acquired the film rights to The Hound of the Baskervilles with plans of mounting his own production. Kenneth Hyman worked as a sales officer for his father's company, a.a.p., but really wanted to become a producer. He met James and Michael Carreras of Hammer Film Productions by chance in New York City. They made an offer to him, not entirely serious, to come to the United Kingdom where he could learn film production. Kenneth Hyman then went to United Kingdom with the film rights to The Hound of the Baskervilles in hand, as well as financing. Even with the film rights in hand, as well as £102,000 in financing, there would be come difficulties with regards to The Hounds of the Baskervilles (1959). Because of union rules, any work Kenneth Hyman did on the film would have to be uncredited. The Doyle estate required that Arthur Conan Doyle's son Adrian be hired as a technical consultant.

Jimmy Sangster, who had written the screenplays for The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) and Dracula (1958), was busy writing the script to Jack the Ripper (1959), so former camera operator Peter Bryan was charged with writing the screenplay. The director on The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959) is a name familiar to Hammer Film Productions. Terence Fisher had directed The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), Dracula (1958), and The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958). The cinematographer would be familiar to Hammer fans as well. Jack Asher had shot The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) and Dracula(1958), among other movies. 

In the mind of Michael Carreras, there was no doubt as to who should play Sherlock Holmes, although for some time Hammer Film Productions stayed mum on casting for some time after the film had been announced. It was on August 1, 1958, that Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee were signed, with Mr. Cushing playing Holmes and Christopher Lee playing Sir Henry Baskerville. Peter Cushing had been a fan of Sherlock Holmes as a lad, and already had extensive knowledge of the famous detective even before he was signed to to the movie. André Morell was cast as Dr. Watson. He had appeared in Hammer's movie The Camp on Blood Island (1958) and would later appear in such Hammer movies as Shadow of the Cat (1961), Cash on Demand (1961), and The Plague of the Zombies (1966).  Just as Peter Cushing strove for an accurate portrayal of Sherlock Holmes, so was André Morell eager that his Dr. Watson be nearer to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's original from the Canon than Nigel Bruce's somewhat bumbling portrayal in the American "Sherlock Holmes" movie series.

Although it is one of the most respected versions of the novel, The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959) would depart from the novel in several ways. Among the most notable were changes to the legend of the hound of the Baskervilles itself. Among the other changes were ones made to Sir Henry Baskerville, the character of Cecile Stapleton, and Dr. Mortimer. Some of the changes were made from the novel to make the film more like Hammer's horror movies. This did not sit well with the Conan Doyle estate. Peter Cushing, a Sherlock Holmes super-fan if ever there was one, had no objections to the changes. 

The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959) premiered in London on March 28, 1959 and it went into general release in Britain on May 4, 1959. It was released in the United States on May 4, 1959. For the most part, the film was received positively by critics. The review in The Daily Express referred to it as "a merry little romp." The Daily Cinema wrote that it was a "Beautifully made, gripping, product." The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959) received good reviews in the United States too. Variety's staff wrote, ""It is difficult to fault the performance of Peter Cushing." Unfortunately, while did better than most films, The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959) did not perform as well at the box office as Hammer had hoped, and a series of Sherlock Holmes movies produced by Hammer never emerged. 

Despite this, Peter Cushing would play Sherlock Holmes again. In 1968, he starred in a BBC television series Sherlock Holmes that included a two-part adaptation of The Hound of the Baskervilles. He played Sherlock Holmes again in the 1984 TV movie The Masks of Death. 

The Hammer version of The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959) was historic as not only the first colour version of the novel, but the first Sherlock Holmes movie ever shot in colour. Upon its release, the Sherlock Holmes Society deemed it "the greatest Sherlock Holmes movie ever made." The Sherlock Holmes Society of London are not alone in their evaluation of The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959). Time Out counted it as one of the best Hammer films ever made. Peter Cushing is often counted as one of the best ever Sherlock Holmes on screen. The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959) is both one of Hammer's best films and one of the greatest, if not the greatest, Sherlock Holmes movie ever made. It is disappointing that Hammer chose not to make more Sherlock Holmes movies. 

The Late Great Diane Ladd

Diane Ladd, who played Flo in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974) and Marietta Fortune in Wild at Heart (1990), died on November 3, 2025, at the age of 89.

Diane Ladd was born Rose Diane Lanier on November 29, 1935, in Laurel, Mississippi. She graduated from high school when she was only 16, and then attended finishing school in New Orleans. On weekends, she sang with a jazz band called  Dixie Hi De Ho Jo. She was offered a scholarship to the Louisiana State University law school. She chose to go into acting instead, and was cast in Room Service at the Gallery Circle Theater.in New Orleans. 

John Carradine took notice of her in Room Service and he made her part of the touring company for Tobacco Road. Afterwards, she danced as a Copa Girl at the Copacabana in New York City. It was in 1958 that she met Bruce Dern while they were in an off-Broadway production of Orpheus Descending. The two married and would have three children, including actor Laura Dern. They divorced in 1969. She made her television debut in an episode of Stanley . In the late Fifties, she guest-starred on the shows Decoy, The Big Story, The Walter Winchell File, Naked City, and Deadline. 

In the Sixties, Diane Ladd guest-starred on the shows The Detectives, Wide Country, Armstrong Circle Theatre, 77 Sunset Strip, Perry Mason, Mr. Novak, Hazel, The Fugitive, The Great Adventure,. Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre, Gunsmoke, Daniel Boone, Shane, The Big Valley, Ironside, and Then Came Bronson. She made her Broadway debut in  Carry Me Back to Morningside Heights in 1968. She made her film debut in a bit part in Something Wild in 1961. She appeared in the movies 4o Pounds of Trouble (1962), The Wild Angels (1966), The Reivers (1969), The Rebel Rousers (1970), Macho Callahan (1970), and WUSA (1970).

Diane Ladd began the Seventies playing the role of Kitty Styles on the daytime soap opera The Secret Storm from 1971 to 1972. In 1980, she joined the cast of Alice, the sitcom inspired by Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, playing Belle Dupree.  She guest starred on the shows Movin' On and City of Angels, and appeared in several TV movies. She appeared on Broadway in A Texas Trilogy: Lu Ann Hampton Laverty Oberlander. It was in 1974 that Diane Ladd originated the role of Flo in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. She was nominated for the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for the role and won the BAFTA for Best Supporting Actress. She also appeared in the movies The Steagle (1971), White Lightning (1973), Chinatown (1974), and Embryo (1976).

In 1990, Diane Ladd played opposite her daughter, Laura Dern, in the David Lynch movie Wild at Heart. During the Eighties, she appeared in the movies All Night Long (1981), Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983), Black Widow (1987), Plain Clothes (1988), and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989). On television, she continued to appear on Alice early in the decade. She guest starred on Faerie Tale Theatre, The Love Boat, Father Dowling Mysteries, Heartland, and In the Heat of the Night. 

In the Nineties, she guest starred on the shows Middle Ages; L. A. Law; Harts of the West; Sisters; Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman; Touched by an Angel; Grace Under Fire; and Strong Medicine. She appeared in the mini-series Cold Lazarus. In 1991, she played opposite her daughter again in the movie Rambling Rose. She appeared in the movies Forever (1992), Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me (1992), The Cemetery Club (1993), Carnosaur (1993), Father Hood (1993), Mrs. Munck (1995), Raging Angels (1995), Citizen Ruth (1996), Ghosts of Mississippi (1996), James Dean: Live Fast, Die Young (1997), The Westing Game (1997), Primary Colors (1998), Can't Be Heaven (1999), 28 Days (2000), and The Law of Enclosures (2000).

In the Naughts, Diane Ladd was a regular on Kingdom Hospital. She appeared in the mini-series Living with the Dead. She guest starred on Cold Case and ER.She appeared in the movies Rain (2001), Redemption of the Ghost (2002), More Than Puppy Love (2002), Charlie's War (2003), The World's Fastest Indian (2005), When I Find the Ocean (2006), Inland Empire (2006), Jake's Corner (2008), and American Cowslip (2009).

In the Teens, Diane Ladd had recurring roles on the shows Enlightened and Chesapeake Shores. She guest starred on the show Ray Donovan and appeared in the mini-series Deadtime Stories She appeared in the movies Grave Secrets (2013), Just Before I Go (2014), I Dream Too Much (2015), Joy (2015), Sophie and the Rising Sun (2015), AmeriGeddon (2016),. The Last Full Measure (2019), Boonville Redemption (2019), and Charlie's Christmas Wish (2020). 

In the 2020, Diane Ladd continued to appear on Chesapeake Shores. She guest starred on Young Sheldon. She appeared in the movies Charming the Hearts of Men (2021), Gigi & Nate (2022), and Isle of Hope (2022). 

Diane Ladd was an incredible actress. I suspect she will always be best remembered as Flo, the wisecracking, brassy waitress at Mel and Ruby's Cafe in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. She certainly gave a great performance, and I personally think she deserved the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Of course, Diane Ladd played many other roles as well. In Wild at Heart (1990), she played Marietta Fortune, the domineering, deranged mother of Lula (Laura Dern). Even when a movie wasn't particularly good, Diane Ladd often was. In the movie Father Hood (1993), she played Rita, the grifter mother of petty crook Jack Charles (Patrick Swayze), who has a whole wardrobe of disguises. Diane Ladd appeared on several television shows. In the Big Valley episode "Boy Into Man," she played a mother who deserts her children. In The Fugitive episode "Come Watch Me Die," she played opposite her husband Bruce Dern at the time. She played a diner waitress, while Bruce Dern played a member of a posse. Diane Ladd had an incredible amount of talent and could play a wide variety of roles.