Granny Creech’s Radio Spot Crypt

Granny goes seaside this week! (or seasick, either one)

I was sitting on my bed the other night reading my old copy of Film Fantasy Scrapbook when I heard a tapping at my bedroom window. Looking over I saw a ghastly face peering in at me. At first I was startled, but then I realized what, or who, it was. Getting out of bed, I went over and opened the window.

“Reaper,” I said. “What are you doing out here at this late hour?”

“I have another set of spots for you,” he said.

I took the vinyl record from his cold, clammy hands and looked it over.

“Oh, ho, ho,” I said. “This is a good one!”

He smiled and shuffled away into the darkness. I took the record back to bed with me and examined it closely. To think, the spots on this record hadn’t been heard for almost seventy years and here I was holding them in my hand. I could only imagine what the listeners back then thought when they heard the spots, and how they reacted when they saw the film on the big screen with its magnificent special effects. And the title…..who could resist seeing a movie called It Came From Beneath The Sea?

Released in 1955, the Columbia Pictures movie starred Kenneth Tobey, Faith Domergue, and Donald Curtis. But, the real star was the giant radioactive octopus so skillfully brought to life by Ray Harryhausen. Using his unique split-screen “sandwich” technique he was able to create many exciting visuals, incorporating his animated model with live action plates in a most convincing way.

The spots capture the mystery and excitement of the movie and prepare the listener for the wonders they would see on the screen. I hope they grab you as well as they do me.

A wave of the tentacle goes to The Radio Reaper (ZC Note: OMG, there’s two of them now!) for providing this exciting look back at one of the greats of the 1950s. So, beware… and enjoy! Here are seven cool radio spots including 15, 30, and 60 second variations.

Do you have any radio spots you would like to share? Contact Granny (Gary Fox) at [email protected].

From Granny C…

My cousin Agatha recently sent me a bat-mail, telling me how much she is enjoying my series of radio spots on giant monsters. She told me she knew of one more giant monster from one of her favorite science fiction movies and wondered if I might consider including it.  I asked her which one and she said, “That giant colossus of metal, that energy-sucking ravager of planets…Kronos!”

Well, I suppose one could categorize Kronos as a giant monster of sorts, although not of skin and bones. But, it did cause a high level of terror among the populace, and a lot of anguish for the scientists tasked to find a way to destroy it. The theme was familiar, only this time the “monster” was a one hundred feet tall – and growing – giant made of metal. This was before Mogera of The Mysterians, Mechani-Kong of King Kong Escapes or Mechagodzilla.

Released in 1957, Kronos is acclaimed by fans as being a pretty good sci-fi thriller, with interesting visual effects. Most fans get a kick out of seeing Kronos stomping its way through the countryside with that creepy squeaking sound effect of its movement. Jeff Morrow, George O’Hanlon (the future voice of George Jetson), and Barbara Lawrence headline the cast with familiars John Emery and Morris Ankrum. It is interesting to see the wall-sized, tape-driven computer named S.U.S.I.E. How far we’ve come in 67 years!

The spots featured here are part of a double feature with She Devil, starring Mari Blanchard, Jack Kelly and Albert Dekker. It’s a quaint little story about a scientist (Kelly) who creates a serum based on the recuperative abilities of a fruit fly and uses it to cure injured animals. When he and his partner (Dekker) try it on a dying woman, she makes a miraculous recovery. As to be expected, serious side-effects occur, transforming her into a diabolical she-devil who will stop at nothing to fulfill her desires. She is able to regenerate any wound and even change the color of her hair at will. It is up to the two scientists to figure out a way to stop her.

Of the two, Kronos was the better movie, with top visuals blending a model Kronos with cartoon animation of its onslaught, trampling everything beneath its pounding feet. She Devil uses the old red make-up/red-blue filter effect to accomplish some nifty transformation scenes.

So, from 1957, for cousin Agatha and you, here’s Kronos…..and She Devil to assail you with 20, 30, and 60 second radio spots.

Do you have any radio spots you would like to share? Contact Granny (Gary Fox) at [email protected].

Cough… cough…wow…the air quality is especially bad today.  If only something could be done…

That’s exactly what the producers were considering when they were looking for their next Godzilla project. Pollution was bad everywhere in Japan as various factories continued to spew their by-products into bodies of water and into the atmosphere. People were getting sick on a grand scale.

In the original Gojira (1954), Godzilla represented the dangers of atomic experimentation. Now, seventeen years later, Toho decided that Godzilla should tackle a new threat to humanity: world-wide pollution.

Godzilla vs. Hedorah was produced in 1971, and introduced a new menace: an alien which arrived on earth on a comet and fed on pollution, growing larger the more he ate. He could change shape, from a sea creature, to a land animal, to a flying stingray-looking thing. As a land animal, he could spew out acidic sludge and shoot a red laser from his eye, and as a flying creature, he could emit toxic exhaust.

The producers wanted a “darker” Godzilla movie in keeping with the dangers of pollution. Visuals were often graphic as victims of the “smog monster” were left sick, disfigured or dissolved.  Unlike before, dead bodies were often seen scattered about the landscape.

When Godzilla met Hedorah in the final battle, he seemed to have met his match. Blinded in one eye by the acidic sludge, it was only with the help of massive electrical discharge machines designed by the movie’s scientist that he was able to help dehydrate the monster and the world was saved. Or was it? …

Godzilla vs. The Smog Monster
Radio Spots!Read More »

The mayhem continues, courtesy of Granny…

After the success of Frankenstein Conquers the World, Toho began a sequel.  Hailed as one of the best kaiju movies, War of the Gargantuas (1966) sought to continue the Frankenstein storyline, developed to involve not one but two Frankensteins in combat with each other. The movie played on the good vs. evil theme, and was especially emotional since the brother giants were at odds with each other due to their opposing natures and thus drew sympathy from audiences despite their horrific appearance.

In the original Japanese movie, Sanda, the brown gargantua, was believed to be the Frankenstein from Frankenstein Conquers the World, although in flashbacks this young Frankenstein bore little resemblance to the feral boy found in the original movie. The green gargantua, Gaira, was believed to be Sanda’s cell offshoot. They were both referred to as “Frankenstein”  until given their names. When the movie was dubbed for American audiences, all references to Frankenstein were removed and the giants simply called gargantuas. The movie was well received by fans. The special effects are top notch and the miniatures well constructed. The final battle of the two gargantuas in Tokyo and around Tokyo Bay is especially awe inspiring.

The two radio spots featured here showcase the battle of these giants as well as the awesome spectacle of the twin feature, Invasion of Astro Monster (1965), released in America as Monster Zero (1970). Developed as a sequel to Ghidrah the Three-Headed Monster, Monster Zero depicts Godzilla and Rodan teaming up to fight King Ghidorah, known as Monster Zero, at the request of aliens from Planet X who seek Earth’s help to fight him off. As might be expected, the aliens turn out to be deceivers who want to take over the earth by mind controlling the three monsters. Their plot fails, they are defeated, and Godzilla and Rodan must team up to protect Earth from King Ghidorah.

The miniatures, the split-screen shots and the fight scenes are impressive. Altogether, this was a double feature not to be missed! So, sit back and listen as these two double-feature radio spots showcase all the action these movies brought to the big screen in 1970!

Do you have any radio spots you would like to share? Contact Granny (Gary Fox) at [email protected].

Incoming from Granny Creech…

Hmmm Hmmm…one scoop of this, one dash of that…one pinch of this…one smidgen of that…one shake of this….

Oh, hello. Your Old Granny is just making up a new batch of brew. A lot of ingredients go into my brew in order for it to taste just right…with that little extra kick at the end (hee hee). It’s sort of like this week’s special radio spot offering…a little of this, a little of that.

This week I offer a three-part series featuring a hodgepodge of radio spots from Toho’s monster collection reflecting a marketing trend that studios began adopting in later years.

I’ve been collecting radio spots for some time now, including the original vinyl records that the various-length radio spots were distributed on. At some point, studios began releasing records with only two spots, one for 30 seconds and one for 60 seconds, with fewer and fewer movies getting multiple, various-length spots.

…

Frankenstein Conquers the World
Radio Spots!Read More »

I was baking some wry bread ( yes, that’s correct, because it has some “unusual” ingredients in it) the other day when I heard a knock on my front door. I went to see who it was. It was Uncle Oscar, and he held a small record in his hand.

“Another delivery from The Radio Reaper,” he said. “Another entry for your giant monster series.”

Good heavens, I thought. What started out as a five-part series has now grown to seven parts with no end in sight. But, that’s OK, because the spots that have been coming in to me are some really great and rare ones – Rodan, for example. In my years of collecting, I have never seen that vinyl record offered for sale, and I have never heard any spots anywhere! So, it is indeed a treasure, and I thank The Radio Reaper for giving the spots to me to share with you all.

And now, Ghidrah! I had one spot, not the whole complement of five spots, so I feel equally blessed now with all of them. The Reaper is indeed generous!

Ghidrah, The Three-Headed Monster came out in 1965, another Toho production which featured Godzilla, Mothra, Rodan, and a new monster threat, one that came from outer space. Ghidorah, as he was called in the 1964 Japanese release, was a formidable opponent who would later appear in other films. Technically he was a challenge for the film crew’s wire specialists who had to deal with a large body, three heads, two tails, two wings and legs! Plus, there was Rodan on wires, too! The coordination of all the wire systems must have been very taxing! As usual, the film included many great fight scenes with great visual effects and intricate miniatures. Cartoon animation provided Ghidrah’s gravity beams that emanated from each of his three mouths.

Here, then, are all the 20, 30, and 60 seconds Ghidrah movie radio spots heard in late 1965 on U.S. airwaves. Enjoy!

Do you have any radio spots you would like to share? Contact Granny (Gary Fox) at [email protected].

Granny Creech has something important to share from The Radio Reaper…

I was sleeping in my cozy little bed the other night while visions of ghouls and ghosts danced in my head when suddenly I was awakened by my phone ringing feverishly off the wall.

“Granny…this is Uncle Oscar over at Witchwood Cemetery. One of our new tenants is in a tizzy and says he must see you right away!”

Well, if Uncle Oscar says it’s important, it usually is. I got dressed and flew over to the cemetery. I met him in the front office.

“What in tarnation is going on?” I asked.

“I was making my rounds when I heard an awful commotion coming from the old section of the cemetery,” Uncle Oscar said. “I went over and discovered there was noise coming from one of the tombs we just gave to our newest tenant. I looked in and the occupant said he needed to see you immediately.”

We made our way to the old section and, sure enough, there was something going on in the tomb. We went inside and there was a ghastly apparition busying about, running hither and thither, while sorting through an ancient chest of some sort.

“What is going on here?” I asked.

“Are you Granny Creech?” The specter asked.

“I am. What do you want?”

“Thank heavens I found you in time,” he said. “I have something for you that’s very important.”

…

Rodan!
The Flying Monster Radio SpotsRead More »

Eekmail just in from Granny!

I was sitting at my little writing table the other night working away on Part Five of my series of giant monsters radio spots when I heard a knock on my door. Answering it, I saw my uncle Thaddeus standing there, a gleam in his sunken eyes set deep into his gaunt face.

“I have something for you,” he said with a sly grin . He held up a small sack, held tightly between his bony fingers.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Open it,” he said.

I quickly opened the sack and found two 7” vinyl records containing radio spots for Godzilla vs The Thing (1964) and King Kong Escapes (1967). I shrieked. “Where did you find these?”

“I found them in an antique shop over in Spooky Hollow,” he said. “I knew you would want them.”

I thanked him over and over again. I offered to pay him, but he declined.

“But, I will take a bottle of your brew,” he said.

Done! And with that, he left. I was thrilled, but I had work to do. My five-part series had now turned into a six-part series and there was a new Part Five to write. Godzilla vs The Thing! Ahh, what was “The Thing”? The one-sheet poster had a giant question mark with Godzilla, and the half-sheet depicted a tentacled beast which was censored in its entirety, being too horrible to see. What was it? The scary, horrible monster turned out to be….Mothra! What? Cute little (big) Mothra? Hmmm. Okay, it was a reworking of Toho’s Mothra vs Godzilla, but the gang at American International Pictures decided to take a different approach in their marketing campaign and played up the “what is it?” angle. But no matter: It was a fun movie with the usual good effects.

King Kong Escapes was equally fun with Haruo Nakajima portraying King Kong and Hiroshi Sekita playing Mechani-Kong and Gorosaurus. There are many similarities to the original King Kong (1933), and the effects and battles are especially good. The new King Kong suit was an improvement over the one used in King Kong vs Godzilla.

The radio spots for these two movies are excellent, with both playing up the spectacle of the conflicts. Exciting narrations with lots of sound effects add to the appeal of these spots. So sit back, get comfortable, and listen as the giant monsters attack! Let’s start with Godzilla vs. The Thing Radio Spots!

And here are the King Kong Escapes Radio Spots

Don’t touch that dial, this just in from Granny…

Greetings, my children…

Here’s a question for you: What’s better than one or two giant monsters in one movie? The answer? Eleven!!

Yesireebob, Toho really outdid itself when it released its all-out monster spectacle Destroy All Monsters in 1968. Developed as a kind of finale to the whole Godzilla series due to declining box office receipts, the producers thought, “Why not?” and decided to go out with a bang, and developed a story that would feature most of their famous giant monsters.

What a collection! The monsters featured include Godzilla, Anguirus, Rodan, Manda, Kumonga, Varan, Baragon, King Ghidorah, Minilla, Mothra, and Gorosaurus. The final battle of the good-guy monsters against King Ghidorah set at the base of Mount Fuji tasked the costumed performers and the wire-specialists to the hilt. It was spectacular and every monsterkid’s dream.

Aside from the giant monsters, the movie featured spaceships, flying saucers, female aliens, mind control, a moon base, and great miniature and special effects work. You all know my appreciation for Toho’s great miniature department, and the scene of Gorosaurus rising up from underneath the Arc de Triomphe in Paris is one of the best anywhere! The way the miniature breaks apart and topples amazes me every time I see it!
American International Pictures released only four radio spots for the American release and they are really good, although they only highlight four monsters, not the eleven fans get to eventually see. Each of the four destroys a city before teaming up against Tokyo and the radio spots reflect the excitement.

So, while you are listening, visualize the chaos and destruction, and let your battle-cry be, “DESTROY ALL MONSTERS!”

Destroy All Monsters 30 and 60 seconds radio spots!

Do you have any radio spots you would like to share? Contact Granny (Gary Fox) at [email protected].

REPTILICUS! “Like nothing you’ve ever seen before!”

Nope, that is not a comment about my kitchen after a round of cooking up some witch’s brew. But many people do say that very thing about the Danish movie Reptilicus: “I’ve never seen anything like that before!”

Reptilicus has always received a bad rap from monster movie fans ever since its release in 1962. From over acting to unnecessary comedic relief, to a phony-looking monster to poor special effects, the movie doesn’t fare too well on the popularity scale. And yet, it still has a certain charm about it, and most monsterkids are inclined to cut it some slack.

I called my grandson, Big Abner, and asked him if he knew about Reptilicus. He said he did, and I asked him what he thought was the best part of the movie.

“Ann Smyrner,” he said.

Hmmm. Boys will be boys, I guess.

Was the movie so bad? Well, the story itself was ok, it was just how it was presented that got it into trouble. The most criticism goes to the design of the marionette/puppet used to portray Reptilicus. Although the head was pretty good, the way it moved and flopped around was rather pitiful. The small wings and useless feet were also subjects of derision. No wonder the scene of Reptilicus flying was cut from the Danish version for the American release. Also, the added use of acid saliva that Reptilicus spewed at various times was not convincing.

Apart from a few process shots, some double exposures, and one obvious paste-up of a farmer being swallowed alive by Reptilicus, no grand visual effects were used. The Reptilicus model was always combined with realistic miniatures. The live-action scenes of the military firing on Reptilicus were well done, however.

If one can suspend disbelief just long enough to sit through the movie, it does prove to be somewhat entertaining. The visuals aren’t all that bad if one can overlook the shortcomings.

The radio spots are pretty good, using the same general pattern Konga used the year before. Paul Frees does an excellent job of selling the highpoints of the movie, although I still snicker when he says, “See …and you still won’t believe what you saw.” Hype or sarcasm? You be the judge. So, sit back, remember Ann Smyrner, and listen to Reptilicus!

Here are the 20, 30, and 60 seconds radio spots to terrorize you!

Do you have any radio spots you would like to share? Contact Granny (Gary Fox) at [email protected]. You can also read the comic book!