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Old 10-14-2007, 09:34 AM
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The Fox Horror Trilogy

Oh Hi!

It's Countess Marya, Your Hostess Of The Supernatural.

I'm here to tell you about a new trilogy of horror movies recently reissued on DVD.

The title of the trilogy is "The Fox Horror Classics"



The Trilogy consists of three movies made at Fox Studios during the 1940's.

The first is The Undying Monster (1942)

The film was directed by John Brahm

The princeple cast members are:

James Ellison as Robert Curtis
Heather Angel as Helga Hammond
John Howard as Oliver Hammond
Bramwell Fletcher as Dr. Jeff Colbert
Heather Thatcher as Christy Christopher
Aubrey Mather as Inspector Craig
Halliwell Hobbes as Walton, The Butler

The plot of the story of a werewolf around an English estate. The werewolf seems to want to kill the family members. There is a some attractive and interesting atmosphere. This really settles out as an OK chiller but nothing exceptional. The weree wolf tuns out to be a family member.

Leonard Maltin gives it 2 1/2 stars. The reviewer on the IMDB thinks it's a bomb. I agree with Leonard Maltin.

The second film of the trilogy is The Lodger (1944)

This film is also directed by John Brahm

The princeple cast members are:

Laird Cregar as Slade
George Sanders as Insp. John Warwick
Merle Oberon as Kitty Langley
Sara Allgood as Ellen Burton
Cedric Hardwicke as Robert Burton
Queenie Leonard as Daisy
Aubrey Mather as Supt. Sutherland

This story is a fictionalized account of Jack The Ripper. The Ripper was going around London and killing women who are or were actresses. The Burtons take on a new tenant named Slade who lives uptairs in the attic room and goes about seeking his vengeance.

The movie stars Laird Cregar, a tall and large man ( 300 plus lbs.), who played hulking villains. Unfortunately he was in films only about 5 years since he went on a crash diet to become a svelte leading man which caused his death of a heart attack at age 28.

This to me is an excellent film. Leonard Maltin gives it a three star rating in which I fully agree.

This is a very atmospheric chiller.

The third film in the trilogy is Hangover Square(1945)

Again the film is directed by John Brahm.

The princeple cast members are:

Laird Cregar as George Harvey Bone
Linda Darnell as Netta Longdon
George Sanders as Dr. Allan Middleton
Glenn Langen as Eddie Carstairs
Faye Marlowe as Barbara Chapman
Alan Napier as Sir Henry Chapman

This film again stars Laird Cregar as the princepal character, George Henry Bone. Bone is a classical composer who is working on his masterpiece. However, Bone has an illness. When he hears loud sounds, he goes temporarily out of his mind and kills women. He never remembers what he has done.

He is tricked by Netta to write popular music for her believing her to be his new girlfriend. When he finds out that she is only using him and after a loud noise he kills Netta and puts her body on top of a large bonfire.

When he is discovered and he knows what he has done ( though he is not really responsible) he goes to his death while playing his masterpiece in the burning theatre.

This also is a good atmospheric chiller. Again Leonard Maltin gives it three stars in which I again agree.

The performances are terrific and there is some great camera work in this film.

Overall, I am very happy with this trilogy. I recommend it as an addition to anyone for their horror film library.

These films are more chillers than out and out horror films, but they are well done and tend to be both atmospheric and thrilling.





Countess Marya, Your Hostess To The Supernatural
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