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Before The Vampire Queen Double Horror Films 1936-1940

Page history last edited by Archer844 14 years, 2 months ago

 

BEFORE THE VAMPIRE QUEEN: DOUBLE-ACTION HORROR 1936-40.

 

 

DOUBLE-ACTION PICTURES was best-known in the 1930’s for its action-packed Westerns and crime dramas. Yet, these years did see early efforts in the horror genre, though without much success. Generally these early efforts were marred by sluggish pacing, faltering scripting (there was a tendency to avoid a supernatural explanation for bizarre events even when the “rational explanations” seemed strained and implausible) and a lack of the sort of stalwart female characters that was D-A’s trademark. All too often the heroines seemed to simply be there to get into menaces, scream a lot and be rescued. This was no reflection on the actresses; they were in no position to fight the scripts or the directors. It is not surprising that many D-A actresses omit or quickly pass over this period in their careers. It was only late in the period, roughly 1939 on that the elements that made THE VAMPIRE QUEEN series so successful began to come together, but it had been a long and bumpy road.

 

 

D-A’s inaugural 1936-37 season (in those years, movie seasons began after Labor Day and ended around Memorial Day, summer was not a prime movie going time) did include to mystery-horror pics: THE CURSE OF THE WOLF (1937), a man thinks he has inherited a family curse towards lycanthropy, but he’s really being drugged by a relative out to gain control of the family fortune. D-A ingénue CYNTHIA CRAWFORD plays the man’s oft-imperiled love interest. (She does look good running around in a filmy negligee, but her acting skills were sadly lacking). The other was  THE WATCHER, about a lovely girl (again CYNTHIA CRAWFORD looking good in various stages of undress) being stalked by a crazed maniac whose identity is revealed in the last act (assuming anyone was still awake at that point).

 

 

The curious formula of hapless heroine-in-as-less-as-possible wardrobe continued in HAUNTED SANDS (1937) (about a beach resort apparently haunted by a murderous ghost, but who turns out to be a real estate developer trying to bankrupt the resort owner). Lots of mid-1930’s bathing suits on display. One of those suits is worn by JENNIFER GARNETT as one of the victims of the “ghost”, a role the pre-dates her “official” D-A debut in 1939’s DEADLINE.

 

 

1938’s GHOST SQUADRON at least offered some startlingly effective optical effects as former World`War I air commander turned airline owner is haunted by the ghostly aircraft of his former buddies. In this case, it turns out to be an elaborate revenge scheme hatched by one of the former buddies coupled with a competitor’s plan for taking over the intended victim’s business. HEATHER LANGE played the intended victim’s daughter who uncovers the plot.

 

AT THE STROKE OF MIDNIGHT (1938) was another revenge/murder in-an-old-dark house whodunit with a Hooded Killer lurking around secret passages. It was notable for the debut of JAMIE LEE and for the first D-A horror fem fight as Miss Lee, in the film’s climax battles it out hand-to-hand with HEATHER LANGE, who proved an impressive surprise villainess.

 

 

1939 saw the advent of an actual supernatural horror film: THE SEALED ROOM in which the opening of a bricked off room in an ancient tomb releases the spirit of an evil queen who takes over the body of a female archeologist and causes all manner of havoc before she is returned to her grave. English actress ANNE DOWNS played the role with JAMIE LEE as the daughter of a colleague threatened the evil Queen Theramis.

 

LAIR OF THE UNDEAD (1939) seemed to be a dry run for the later Vampire Queen films, though the vampire in this case was male, a certain Baron Volkmar, but he had a strong female assistant played by REBECCA RAYMOND, who clashed with the hero’s girlfriend JAMIE LEE in another memorable tussle. Also glimpsed in the cast are young KATIE DAWSON, CAMILLA BELLAMY and KRYSTAL KRAMER as vampire maidens who perish in the final reel.

 

 

The horror unit seemed to be gaining confidence and worked with two-a-year schedule.  The first 1940 offering was THE HOUSE ON DARKOAK ROAD, a variation on the novel JANE EYRE—a young woman  (JAMIE LEE) becomes a governess of a little girl (JUDY FIELDER) and who discovers the child’s insane mother (ANNE DOWNS) is being hidden in the attic. No word if the spirits of the Bronte sisters haunted anyone at D-A for this well-done, but rather obvious plagiarism.

 

 

The second 1940 feature was IT CAME FROM THE SEA. This one was an out-and-out monster picture, Double-Action’s first real attempt at the genre. Basically, an underwater explorer accidentally awakens a sea creature who lumbers ashore on a nearby resort island  every so often to maim, kill and chase beautiful women who aren’t wearing many clothes. Audiences ate up the nonsense which starred JAMIE LEE, HEATHER LANGE and ANNE DOWNS.  And although they usually don’t list it among their films: REGINA ADAMS, SARAH MAY GREGORY and JANE BARRETT were among the Sea Creature’s frightened prey.

 

 

1941 saw the horror unit now hitting its stride. First up was an ambitious film called CURSE OF THE RED PEARL, in which rival groups of people try to locate a fabulous rare red `pearl that turns out to have the telepathic power to drive people to evil deeds.

One group includes REBECCA RAYMOND, JAMIE LEE and HEATHER LANGE with ANN DOWNS (her last D-A film, she insisted on returning to England after end of her American contract), KATIE DAWSON and KRYSTAL KRAMER as members of the Bad Guys. In the end, after causing much mayhem, the good guys destroy the red pearl and the evildoers perish with it.

 

 

The second 1941 feature was, of course, THE VAMPIRE QUEEN….

 

 

6/10/07.

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