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Mysterious Intruder
''Mysterious Intruder'' is a 1946 American mystery film noir based on the radio drama '' The Whistler''. Directed by William Castle, the production features Richard Dix, Barton MacLane and Nina Vale. It is the fifth of Columbia Pictures' eight " Whistler" films produced in the 1940s, the first seven starring Dix. Plot Edward Stillwell, the aged proprietor of a music store, hires private detective Don Gale (Dix) to find Elora Lund, who, after her mother died seven years before, vanished at the age of fourteen. Stillwell can only pay $100, but hints mysteriously that finding Lund could make Gale a rich man. A young woman claiming to be Elora Lund shows up at Stillwell's shop, supposedly in answer to his newspaper advertisement. Stillwell tells her that her mother gave him some "odds and ends" to sell; he discovered something very valuable among them, but refuses to give her any details until he telephones Gale. Meanwhile, Harry Pontos sneaks into the basement and finds a package ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
William Castle
William Castle (born William Schloss Jr.; April 24, 1914 – May 31, 1977) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. He is known for the horror film, horror and thriller film, thriller B movie, B-movies he directed during the 1950s and ‘60s, which utilized distinctive promotional film promotion, gimmicks. Born in New York City and orphaned at 11, Castle dropped out of high school at 15 to work in the theater. He came to the attention of Columbia Pictures for his talent for promotion and was hired. He learned the trade of filmmaking and became a director, acquiring a reputation for being able to churn out competent B-movies quickly and on budget. He eventually struck out on his own, producing and directing thrillers, which, despite their low budgets, he effectively promoted using gimmicks, a trademark for which he is best known. He was also the producer for ''Rosemary's Baby (film), Rosemary's Baby'' (1968). Personal life Castle was born in New York Cit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mike Mazurki
Mike Mazurki (December 25, 1907 – December 9, 1990, born Markiian Yulianovych Mazurkevych) was a Ukrainian-American actor and professional wrestler who appeared in more than 142 films. Although educated as an attorney, his hulking 6 ft 5 in (196 cm) presence, craggy face, and croaking voice had him often typecast as brainless athletes, tough guys, thugs, and gangsters. Memorable roles included Moose Malloy in ''Murder, My Sweet'' (1944), Splitface in ''Dick Tracy'' (1945), Yusuf in ''Sinbad the Sailor'' (1947), and "The Strangler" in '' Night and the City'' (1950). He was the founder and first president of the Cauliflower Alley Club. Early years Mazurki was born Markiian Yulianovych Mazurkevych in the village of Kupczyńce (in present-day Kupchyntsi, Ternopil Raion), near what was then Tarnopol, Galicia, Austria-Hungary (now Ternopil, Ukraine). Mazurki attended high school at the LaSalle Institute in Troy, New York. Upon graduation, he changed his name to "Mike". ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Columbia Pictures Films
Columbia most often refers to: * Columbia (personification), the historical personification of the United States * Columbia University, a private university in New York City * Columbia Pictures, an American film studio owned by Sony Pictures * Columbia Sportswear, an American clothing company * Columbia, South Carolina * Columbia, Missouri Columbia may also refer to: Places North America Natural features * Columbia Plateau, a geologic and geographic region in the U.S. Pacific Northwest * Columbia River, in Canada and the United States ** Columbia Bar, a sandbar in the estuary of the Columbia River ** Columbia Country, the region of British Columbia encompassing the northern portion of that river's upper reaches *** Columbia Valley, a region within the Columbia Country ** Columbia Lake, a lake at the head of the Columbia River *** Columbia Wetlands, a protected area near Columbia Lake ** Columbia Slough, along the Columbia watercourse near Portland, Oregon * Glacial La ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
American Black-and-white Films
American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, people who self-identify their ancestry as "American" ** American English, the set of varieties of the English language native to the United States ** Native Americans in the United States, indigenous peoples of the United States * American, something of, from, or related to the Americas, also known as "America" ** Indigenous peoples of the Americas * American (word), for analysis and history of the meanings in various contexts Organizations * American Airlines, U.S.-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas * American Athletic Conference, an American college athletic conference * American Recordings (record label), a record label that was previously known as Def American * American University, in Washington, D.C. Sports tea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1940s Crime Thriller Films
Year 194 (Roman numerals, CXCIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Septimius and Septimius (or, less frequently, year 947 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 194 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years. Events By place Roman Empire * Clodius Albinus, Decimus Clodius Septimius Albinus Caesar became a Roman Consul. * Battle of Issus (194), Battle of Issus: Septimius Severus marches with his army (12 Roman legion, legions) to Cilicia, and defeats Pescennius Niger, Roman governor of Syria. Pescennius retreats to Antioch, and is executed by Severus' troops. * Septimius Severus besieges Byzantium (194–196); the Defensive wall, city walls suffer extensive damage. Asia * Battle of Yan Province: Warlords Cao Cao and Lü Bu fight for control over Yan Province; the battle lasts f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1946 Films
The year 1946 in film involved some significant events, with '' The Best Years of Our Lives'' winning seven Academy Awards. Top-grossing films (U.S.) The top ten 1946 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows: Events *February 14 - Charles Vidor's '' Gilda'' starring Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford shows audiences one of the most famous scenes of the 20th century: Rita Hayworth singing "Put The Blame On Mame". *November 21 – William Wyler's '' The Best Years of Our Lives'' premieres in New York featuring an ensemble cast including Fredric March, Myrna Loy, Dana Andrews, Teresa Wright, and Harold Russell. *December 20 – Frank Capra's '' It's a Wonderful Life'', featuring James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Henry Travers, and Thomas Mitchell opens in New York. Awards 1946 films releases Notable films released in 1946 United States unless stated A * '' Angel on My Shoulder'' * '' Anna and the King of Siam'', starring Ire ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shanks (film)
''Shanks'' is a 1974 American surrealist horror film about a puppeteer able to manipulate dead bodies like puppets. Mime Marcel Marceau, in his first major film role, plays the titular Malcolm Shanks. It was the last film directed by producer-director William Castle. Plot In a film that explicitly describes itself as "a grim fairy tale" (in intertitles), Malcolm Shanks (Marceau) is a deaf (but expert lip reader), mute puppeteer who lives with his cruel sister (Tsilla Chelton) and her alcoholic husband, Mr. Barton (Philippe Clay). His skill with puppets is noticed by Mr. Walker (also Marceau) who takes him on as a lab assistant at his gothic mansion. His sister and brother-in-law make him be the breadwinner, and are outraged when he keeps $50 of his own pay. The doctor's experiments involve reanimating the dead and controlling them like puppets. He begins with a frog and a chicken. When Mr. Walker dies unexpectedly, Malcolm comes home and cradles his puppet of Mr. Walker in his arm ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Strait-Jacket
''Strait-Jacket'' is a 1964 American psychological horror film directed and produced by William Castle, written by Robert Bloch and starring Joan Crawford. Its plot follows a woman who, having murdered her husband and his lover 20 years prior, is suspected of a series of axe murders following her release from a psychiatric hospital. Released by Columbia Pictures in January 1964, the film was the first of two written for Castle by Bloch, the second being '' The Night Walker'' (1964). It was promoted with the tagline "Keep saying to yourself - It's only a film... It's only a film... It's only a film...". Plot Lucy Harbin catches her husband Frank and his mistress, Stella, having sexual relations, and hacks them to death with an axe in front of their young daughter Carol. Lucy is confined to an asylum. Carol is sent to live with Lucy's brother Bill and his wife, Emily, on their farm. Twenty years later, Lucy is released by the hospital's board into the care of Bill and Emily. Car ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Tingler
''The Tingler'' is a 1959 American horror film produced and directed by William Castle. It is the third of five collaborations between Castle and writer Robb White, and starring Vincent Price. The film tells the story of a scientist who discovers a parasite in human beings, called a "tingler", which feeds on fear. The creature earned its name by making the spine of its host "tingle" when the host is frightened. In line with other Castle horror films, including ''Macabre'' (1958) and '' House on Haunted Hill'' (1959), Castle used gimmicks to sell the film. ''The Tingler'' remains most well known for a gimmick called "Percepto!", a vibrating device, in some of the theater chairs, which the onscreen action activated. Released in the United States on July 19, 1959, ''The Tingler'' received mixed reviews, but has since gone through some critical reevaluation and is now considered a camp cult film. A sequel novel, ''The Tingler Unleashed'' (), written by Gary J. Rose, was published ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Harlan Briggs
Harlan Briggs (August 17, 1879 – January 26, 1952) was an American actor and Vaudeville performer who was active from the 1930s until his death in 1952. During the course of his career he appeared on Broadway, in over 100 films, as well as appearing on television once towards the end of his career. Early life Briggs was born on August 17, 1879, in Blissfield, Michigan. Although he was a graduate of the University of Michigan Law School, he chose to go into acting rather than pursue a career in law. Career His acting career began in Vaudeville at around the beginning of the 20th century. He would make his Broadway debut in 1926, in the drama ''Up the Line''. He worked steadily on Broadway through 1935. On August 6, 1929, he began a successful run in the featured role of G. A. Appleby in ''It's a Wise Child'' at the Belasco Theatre. In 1934 he had another featured role in the successful play, '' Dodsworth'', as Tubby Pearson. The show opened at the Shubert Theatre on F ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kathleen Howard
Kathleen Howard (July 27, 1884 – April 15, 1956) was a Canadian-born American opera singer, magazine editor, and character actress from the mid-1930s through the 1940s. Biography Howard was born in Clifton Hill, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada on July 27, 1884. In 1906, Howard began her career in opera in Germany. Following eight years of singing in Berlin, she performed concerts in Belgium, England, Germany, Holland, and Scandinavia. She arrived in America in 1913 and joined the Metropolitan Opera in 1916. She remained a leading Met artist through 1928, taking major and secondary roles. Howard created the role of Zita in Giacomo Puccini's '' Gianni Schicchi'' at the Metropolitan Opera in 1918. Until World War I, Howard was part of the repertory system in the opera houses of Metz and Darmstadt. Beginning in 1918, for four years, Howard was the fashion editor of ''Harper's Bazaar'' magazine and while in that post was also president of Fashion Group International. She resign ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
