Watch the clips, write a comment in the COMMENT section about William Castle, Roger Corman, Samuel Arkoff, or Ed Wood in the comment section below. Comments to consider: have you viewed any of these films? What draws your attention or what do you notice about the films of a particular director/producer? Consider the subject matter or targeted audience for these films--who is the target audience & how do you know? How might these films changed film history (for better or worse?), What is your personal reaction to learning about one of these filmmakers? Etc.
Ed Wood (Jr.) (10 October 1924 – 10 December 1978) was an American screenwriter, director, producer, actor, author, and editor, who often performed many of these functions simultaneously. In the 1950s, Wood made a run of cheap and poorly produced genre films, now humorously celebrated for their technical errors, unsophisticated special effects, large amounts of ill-fitting stock footage, idiosyncratic dialogue, eccentric casts and outlandish plot elements, although his flair for showmanship gave his projects at least a modicum of critical success.
Wood's popularity waned soon after his biggest 'name' star, Béla Lugosi, died. He was able to salvage a saleable feature from Lugosi's last moments on film, but his career declined thereafter. Toward the end of his life, Wood made pornographic movies and wrote pulp crime, horror, and sex novels. His posthumous fame began two years after his death, when he was awarded a Golden Turkey Award as Worst Director of All Time. The lack of conventional film making ability in his work has earned Wood and his films a considerable cult following.
Corman has apprenticed many now-famous directors, stressing the importance of budgeting and resourcefulness; Corman once joked he could make a film about the fall of the Roman Empire with two extras and a sagebush.
Samuel Z. Arkoff and American International Pictures (or AIP). The material below will help you understand this period of history as we move into the strange 1950's. Please take notes of key ideas and information. Read the handout for the exam next week.
From IMDB.com:
"By the early 1950's, Samuel Z. Arkoff was a brash lawyer scratching out a living by representing his in-laws and the Hollywood fringe, which included many of now-infamous director/angora-clad transvestite Edward D. Wood Jr.'s social circle. Arkoff was physically imposing and capable of scaring anyone who opposed him. One of his clients was Alex Gordon, a screenwriter who had submitted an unsolicited script to Realart Pictures, an outfit that was profitably re-releasing 20-year old movies, often under new titles conjured up by it's owner, Jack Broder.
One such film, Man Made Monster (1941), had just been re-issued as The Atomic Monster, coincidentally the same title of Gordon's screenplay. Zarkoff paid Mr. Broder a $500 settlement. Broder's sales manager, James H. Nicholson was dumbfounded by Zarkoff's ability to extract a dime out of his tightfisted boss and proposed a partnership. American Releasing Corporation was founded in 1954 and their first release was a low-budget feature by 29-year old producer Roger Corman. Made for less than $50,000, it netted $850,000 and Corman was brought into the fold as a silent partner.
By 1955 the company was renamed American International Pictures, or simply AIP within the industry. Initially focusing on westerns on the premise that locations came cheap, and although profitable, Arkoff was unhappy with the returns and solicited theater owners for advice on what types of films filled seats. By the mid-1950's, thanks to television, the audience numbers had dwindled considerably with the key demographic now teenagers and young adults, who craved horror movies and drive-ins. AIP jumped into the horror genre with both feet and made a fortune. Under Nicholson and Arkoff, the company survived in a constricting industry by catering to the whims of the teenage trade and adapting to trends.
AIP's long (350-plus) roster of kitsch classics, running the gamut from horror to rock'n'roll, from juvenile delinquency to Italian musclemen, and from Edgar Allan Poe to Annette Funicello, have formed their own unique niche in film history. His company became infamous for clever advertising schemes that were often more entertaining than AIP's movies. Arkoff never tolerated egos and his films were more often than not, profitable, thanks to tight budgets and a sharp understanding of the target market. After Nicholson's 1972 resignation, Arkoff assumed full control of the company and remained in charge until the 1979 merger with Filmways prompted his own departure. He then became the head of Arkoff International Pictures."
Competing with a growing television audience, filmmakers in the 1950's had to entice viewers into seeing their films. Trailers were the ticket! The worse the film, the greater need for an effective trailer. Of the best promoters of his directing and producing work, William Castle looms over all others.
"William Schloss was born in New York City. Schloss means "castle" in German, and William Castle probably chose to translate his surname into English to avoid the discrimination often encountered by Jewish entertainers of his time. He spent most of his teenage years working on Broadway in a number of jobs. He left for Hollywood at the age of 23, going on to direct his first film when he was 29. He also worked an as assistant to Orson Welles, doing much of the location work for Welles' noir film, The Lady from Shanghai."
Castle was famous for directing low budget B-films with many overly promoted gimmicks. Five of these were scripted by adventure novelist Robb White. William Castle was called the Master of Movie Horror.
After a long career, William Castle died of a heart attack in Los Angeles in 1977.
His films include:
Macabre (1958): A certificate for a $1,000 life insurance policy from Lloyd's of London was given to each customer in case he/she should die of fright during the film. Showings also had fake nurses stationed in the lobbies and hearses parked outside the theater. Utube clip: Macabre:
House on Haunted Hill (1959): Filmed in "Emergo". An inflatable glow in the dark skeleton attached to a wire floated over the audience during the final moments of some showings of the film to parallel the action on the screen when a skeleton arose from a vat of acid and pursued the villainous wife of Vincent Price. The gimmick did not always instill fright; sometimes the skeleton became a target for some audience members who hurled candy boxes, soda cups or any other objects at hand at the skeleton.
The Tingler (1959): Filmed in "Percepto". Some seats in theatres showing the Tingler were equipped with larger versions of the hand-held joy buzzers attached to the underside of the seats. When the Tingler in the film attacked the audience the buzzers were activated as a voice encouraged the real audience to "Scream - scream for your lives."
13 Ghosts (1960): Filmed in "Illusion-O". A hand held ghost viewer/remover with strips of red and blue cellophane was given out to use during certain segments of the film. By looking through either the red or blue cellophane the audience was able to either see or remove the ghosts if they were too frightening. 13 Ghosts.
Homicidal (1961): This film contained a "Fright break" with a 45 second timer overlaid over the film's climax as the heroine approached a house harboring a sadistic killer. A voiceover advised the audience of the time remaining in which they could leave the theatre and receive a full refund if they were too frightened to see the remainder of the film. About 1% demanded refunds, but were subjected to demasculation and called "cowards". Homicidal clip.
Mr. Sardonicus (1961): The audiences were allowed to vote in a "punishment poll" during the climax of the film - Castle appears on screen to explain to the audience their options. Each member of the audience was given a card with a glow in the dark thumb they could hold either up or down to decide if Mr. Sardonicus would be cured or die during the end of the film. Supposedly, no audience ever offered mercy so the alternate ending was never screened.
Zotz! (1962): Each patron was given a "Magic" (gold colored plastic) coin which looked nice, but did absolutely nothing.
Strait-Jacket (1964): Castle had cardboard axes made and handed out to patrons. This film, by the way, starred Oscar winner (not for this film) Joan Crawford - Mommy Dearest herself.
I Saw What You Did (1965): Seat belts were installed to keep patrons from being jolted from their chairs in fright.
Other film trailers from William Castle:
HOMEWORK: Make sure you have commented about these directors/producers in the comment section today. Work on your film project.
Work on your film project after viewing/observing/commenting on this material. During 2nd period we will continue watching Psycho.
Ed Wood (Jr.) (10 October 1924 – 10 December 1978) was an American screenwriter, director, producer, actor, author, and editor, who often performed many of these functions simultaneously. In the 1950s, Wood made a run of cheap and poorly produced genre films, now humorously celebrated for their technical errors, unsophisticated special effects, large amounts of ill-fitting stock footage, idiosyncratic dialogue, eccentric casts and outlandish plot elements, although his flair for showmanship gave his projects at least a modicum of critical success.
Wood's popularity waned soon after his biggest 'name' star, Béla Lugosi, died. He was able to salvage a saleable feature from Lugosi's last moments on film, but his career declined thereafter. Toward the end of his life, Wood made pornographic movies and wrote pulp crime, horror, and sex novels. His posthumous fame began two years after his death, when he was awarded a Golden Turkey Award as Worst Director of All Time. The lack of conventional film making ability in his work has earned Wood and his films a considerable cult following.
- Glen or Glenda (1953)
- Jail Bait (1954)
- Bride of the Monster(1955)
- Plan Nine from Outer Space (1956) Written and shot in 5 days! (and it shows!)
Corman has apprenticed many now-famous directors, stressing the importance of budgeting and resourcefulness; Corman once joked he could make a film about the fall of the Roman Empire with two extras and a sagebush.
- It Conquered the World (1956)
From IMDB.com:
"By the early 1950's, Samuel Z. Arkoff was a brash lawyer scratching out a living by representing his in-laws and the Hollywood fringe, which included many of now-infamous director/angora-clad transvestite Edward D. Wood Jr.'s social circle. Arkoff was physically imposing and capable of scaring anyone who opposed him. One of his clients was Alex Gordon, a screenwriter who had submitted an unsolicited script to Realart Pictures, an outfit that was profitably re-releasing 20-year old movies, often under new titles conjured up by it's owner, Jack Broder.
One such film, Man Made Monster (1941), had just been re-issued as The Atomic Monster, coincidentally the same title of Gordon's screenplay. Zarkoff paid Mr. Broder a $500 settlement. Broder's sales manager, James H. Nicholson was dumbfounded by Zarkoff's ability to extract a dime out of his tightfisted boss and proposed a partnership. American Releasing Corporation was founded in 1954 and their first release was a low-budget feature by 29-year old producer Roger Corman. Made for less than $50,000, it netted $850,000 and Corman was brought into the fold as a silent partner.
By 1955 the company was renamed American International Pictures, or simply AIP within the industry. Initially focusing on westerns on the premise that locations came cheap, and although profitable, Arkoff was unhappy with the returns and solicited theater owners for advice on what types of films filled seats. By the mid-1950's, thanks to television, the audience numbers had dwindled considerably with the key demographic now teenagers and young adults, who craved horror movies and drive-ins. AIP jumped into the horror genre with both feet and made a fortune. Under Nicholson and Arkoff, the company survived in a constricting industry by catering to the whims of the teenage trade and adapting to trends.
AIP's long (350-plus) roster of kitsch classics, running the gamut from horror to rock'n'roll, from juvenile delinquency to Italian musclemen, and from Edgar Allan Poe to Annette Funicello, have formed their own unique niche in film history. His company became infamous for clever advertising schemes that were often more entertaining than AIP's movies. Arkoff never tolerated egos and his films were more often than not, profitable, thanks to tight budgets and a sharp understanding of the target market. After Nicholson's 1972 resignation, Arkoff assumed full control of the company and remained in charge until the 1979 merger with Filmways prompted his own departure. He then became the head of Arkoff International Pictures."
- Them (1954)
- I was a Teenage Werewolf (1957)
- Teenage Caveman (1958)
- High School Hellcats (1958)
- Attack of the Puppet People (1958)
- War of the Colossal Beast (1958)
- Two of my personal favorite Vincent Price films (which never really were horrifying, but fun, nonetheless): The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971, with Joseph Cotten) and the Abominable Dr. Phibes Rises Again. (1972)
William Castle: The Wonderful World of William Castle
Competing with a growing television audience, filmmakers in the 1950's had to entice viewers into seeing their films. Trailers were the ticket! The worse the film, the greater need for an effective trailer. Of the best promoters of his directing and producing work, William Castle looms over all others.
"William Schloss was born in New York City. Schloss means "castle" in German, and William Castle probably chose to translate his surname into English to avoid the discrimination often encountered by Jewish entertainers of his time. He spent most of his teenage years working on Broadway in a number of jobs. He left for Hollywood at the age of 23, going on to direct his first film when he was 29. He also worked an as assistant to Orson Welles, doing much of the location work for Welles' noir film, The Lady from Shanghai."
Castle was famous for directing low budget B-films with many overly promoted gimmicks. Five of these were scripted by adventure novelist Robb White. William Castle was called the Master of Movie Horror.
After a long career, William Castle died of a heart attack in Los Angeles in 1977.
His films include:
Macabre (1958): A certificate for a $1,000 life insurance policy from Lloyd's of London was given to each customer in case he/she should die of fright during the film. Showings also had fake nurses stationed in the lobbies and hearses parked outside the theater. Utube clip: Macabre:
House on Haunted Hill (1959): Filmed in "Emergo". An inflatable glow in the dark skeleton attached to a wire floated over the audience during the final moments of some showings of the film to parallel the action on the screen when a skeleton arose from a vat of acid and pursued the villainous wife of Vincent Price. The gimmick did not always instill fright; sometimes the skeleton became a target for some audience members who hurled candy boxes, soda cups or any other objects at hand at the skeleton.
The Tingler (1959): Filmed in "Percepto". Some seats in theatres showing the Tingler were equipped with larger versions of the hand-held joy buzzers attached to the underside of the seats. When the Tingler in the film attacked the audience the buzzers were activated as a voice encouraged the real audience to "Scream - scream for your lives."
13 Ghosts (1960): Filmed in "Illusion-O". A hand held ghost viewer/remover with strips of red and blue cellophane was given out to use during certain segments of the film. By looking through either the red or blue cellophane the audience was able to either see or remove the ghosts if they were too frightening. 13 Ghosts.
Homicidal (1961): This film contained a "Fright break" with a 45 second timer overlaid over the film's climax as the heroine approached a house harboring a sadistic killer. A voiceover advised the audience of the time remaining in which they could leave the theatre and receive a full refund if they were too frightened to see the remainder of the film. About 1% demanded refunds, but were subjected to demasculation and called "cowards". Homicidal clip.
Mr. Sardonicus (1961): The audiences were allowed to vote in a "punishment poll" during the climax of the film - Castle appears on screen to explain to the audience their options. Each member of the audience was given a card with a glow in the dark thumb they could hold either up or down to decide if Mr. Sardonicus would be cured or die during the end of the film. Supposedly, no audience ever offered mercy so the alternate ending was never screened.
Zotz! (1962): Each patron was given a "Magic" (gold colored plastic) coin which looked nice, but did absolutely nothing.
Strait-Jacket (1964): Castle had cardboard axes made and handed out to patrons. This film, by the way, starred Oscar winner (not for this film) Joan Crawford - Mommy Dearest herself.
I Saw What You Did (1965): Seat belts were installed to keep patrons from being jolted from their chairs in fright.
Other film trailers from William Castle:
- The Old Dark House (designed by Charles Addams: the illustrator/writer who created "The Addams Family")
- The Night Walker
- Let's Kill Uncle
- Thirteen Frightened Girls
HOMEWORK: Make sure you have commented about these directors/producers in the comment section today. Work on your film project.
8 comments:
I've seen a good chunk of Arkoff/AIP's films because me being a big horror movie fan kind of makes that a requirement. He served as the executive producer on The Amityville Horror, a movie which I love a lot. I Was a Teenage Werewolf also is also super fun to watch because of how incredibly campy it is. It's also been parodied a lot in cartoons and films a numerous amount of times, having the characters go to drive in theaters to see "I was A Teenage (Insert Monster Here)". As a film itself, it's definitely a product of its time, but that only makes it all the more enjoyable to watch in the modern era.
I haven't seen any of these films before and I don't think I would watch them because I don't like horror films. That's one thing in common I noticed; the rising popularity of horror films in the 50's because the targeted audience changed as TV's came around. Directors had to start catering more to teenagers and the younger population as drive-ins also became popular. All these directors seemed pretty desperate in making sure each one of their movies was popular.
I have never seen any of these films since I am not much of a horror genre fan. Out of all the little clips, I think I enjoyed Ed Wood's films the most, especially "Plan Nine from Outer Space." The color in this film called my attention since the genre seemed sci-fi and it was interesting seeing a clip of how sci-fi was made. In parentheses next to that film, it said that it was written and shot in five days. That was interesting to me because nowadays it takes months for it to be written and months for the film to be shot. Arkoff's "Dr. Phibes" also seemed interesting. I like how they used a little animation in the beginning and editing it. Then, the film brought the real actors. The audience should be adults or teenagers. "Teenage Caveman" showed two wild creatures fighting. They did not seem real, which called my attention. It seemed like Kong's clay-made. The most interesting film was "Attack of the Puppet People." It was interesting because in a particular scene it seemed like they had a screen as the background and the actors were at front of it, while the background showed moving things. Teenagers like scary movies, so they would be the perfect audience for these things because they would take it as a joke. These directors and producers have changed history for the better as they set new ways to make backgrounds and added edited animation. Out of the three, my favorite one was Arkoff because his films seemed more interesting and more playful.
I haven't seen any of the films besides Dr.Phibes (which at this point is just a distant memory at this point). The film direction fills out the stereotypical 50's movie that is parodied in popular culture. The Directors seem to have certain passion projects while others are more for a paycheck. Most of the films presented have become dated like the "Radical too cool 90's" era of film, though they seem like they would be somewhat of a guilty pleasure. Of course, not many people at the time were really watching the movie as they were made for drive-in theaters where people were to busy trying to get busy. For those who did watch the movie and wore purity rings probably found solace in them being about teenagers like them.
Justice
I have not watched any of these films, but I might have to because I love bad films. After watching the trailers of Ed Wood's films I don't understand how he kept getting funded. One thing that draws my attention is how annoying those damn police sirens were, does every B movie director have the same loud police car? I feel like the target audience was pretty much anyone, considering how low budget these movies are they can't afford to be picky with their audience. That being said everyone older the age of 13 is probably what they were aiming for. I don't think these films have had that big of an impact on film history, but it did bring bad horror films as a genre to light. I found it interesting that we are studying the bad films when this whole unit we have been focusing on the good films that impacted society and Hollywood.
I have not really seen any of these movies. Horror movies do interest me, but I don't watch many of them. I found the plot and the stories very interesting. Glen or Glenda was very interesting to see because since it was the 1950's and cross dressing or being transgender was not as common as it is now. To see that type of content is very different and i'm sure that it brought some change to the world of film. It's interesting to see how much more different movies are now. Movies today specialize in the correct lighting, the acting seems a lot better and more believable.
I haven't seen really any of these movies because I don't really like horror movies and I don't watch many 50s movies. Ed Wood's films looked the most interesting to me especially "Plan Nine from Outer Space" but Roger William Corman's "It Conquered the World" also seemed interesting. By interesting though I really mean amusing. I think the fact that these are dated would make them a bit a bit humorous but I'd still enjoy the overall story.
I haven't really seen any of the films that were mentioned in the blog post. Although Ed Wood was named the worst director, I would probably watch one or two of his films out of curiosity. The one that was terrible was Jail Bait. The characters randomly shot at each other when they layed eyes on one other. We didn't get any context or anything so it looked weird and the part where the narrator said something about liking to be abusive and he slaps his wife, that was also weird. Given his reputation, Wood has a lot of admirers. In 1996, Reverand Steve Galindo created a legally recognized religion with Wood as its savior as a joke but over time it gained a lot of actually baptized members who celebrate him on 'Woodmas'which is his birthday.
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