An interesting and under-appreciated horror movie, with a noirish opening and its ostensibly homosexual relationship undertones, The Werewolf plays as low-budget, but Fred F. Sears (The Giant Claw, Earth vs. the Flying Saucers) does a competent job for Sam Katzman. Here's the pressbook.
Jungle Jim deals with a missing Woman's Army Corps captain (Ann Savage) and a pigmy chief (Billy Curtis). And that's only half the story. The rest is the usual tangle with natives, animals, overgrown jungle scenery, and foreign agents after a mysterious plant. This Mexican lobby card is eye-catching and well executed: note how the captain is looking at Jungle Jim but Jungle Jim is busy listening to his monkey pal. And boy, those chimps can chatter. That pretty sums up the romantic heat in this one. Considered camp today, with the stock footage, fake animals, and gorilla-suited stuntmen, nonetheless it's still fun for a matinee showing.
Here are some Hammer movie Mexican lobby cards for you to savor.
Prehistoric Women 1967
This Mexican lobby card for Sherlock Holmes is a bit of a mystery in itself. The Return of Sherlock Holmes in the title refers to the Clive Brook 1929 Holmes' movie, which was the first sound appearance of the great fictional detective on film. However, Arthur Wontner played Sherlock Holmes in five movies beginning in the 1930s. None of them have "Return" in the title. He is shown in the inset scene for The Triumph of Sherlock Holmes (1935). Co-stars included Ian Fleming and Lyn Harding, as noted on the card. Otherwise, the lobby card is somewhat effective. The Death's Head in the top left corner is beautifully subtle.
I don't think the Mexican lobby card for Carnival of Souls captures the eerie and creepy of the movie. I'll assume the artist didn't see it and went with the "Carnival" in the title instead, making the card more color-festive than dancing-zombies-dreamlike. And of course, her bosom gets more attention than the horrorish parts. Still, the card is a standout. If you haven't seen Carnival of Souls, get thee hence to a DVR! I recommend the Criterion Collection's Blu-ray edition (I paid for my copy and enjoyed it).
Continue reading "Carnival of Souls (1962)
Mexican Lobby Card" »
Wally Veevers, who did the special effects for this movie, Satellite in the Sky, went on to 2001: A Space Odyssey and Superman. Here's the pressbook. The Mexican lobby card is colorful but slapdash, and while somewhat stylish, doesn't do much for the actual storyline in the movie.
Cornel Wilde was a very good director as well as an actor. In The Naked Prey he uses minimal dialog and relies on the tension of the chase. In the science fiction movie, No Blade of Grass, he again explores the struggle for survival, but on a larger social scale.
Comic reader version: Download Naked Prey Pressbook
See more movie pressbooks From Zombos' Closet.
Here's the Mexican lobby card for Black Sunday, director Tim Burton's favorite horror movie. Mario Bava was inspired by the horror story Viy.
A few bats, a blood-red dripping rose, and a silent scream lend much atmosphere to this Mexican lobby card for Roger Vadim's Blood and Roses. The inset scene does lessen the tension for horror, but overall, this card uses only a few elements that manage to convey a lot.
I can't help but find this Mexican lobby card for The Vampire and the Ballerina rather humorous. That look on the vampire's face and the somewhat distracted gaze of the bosomy victim is not horrific at all.
Republic Studios produced a lot of B movies and serials up until the 1950s. While you can consider them one of the Poverty Row outfits (and I don't use that term pejoratively), their movies may be cheap, but they were action-packed, fun cliff-hangers that filled the theaters week after week. One of the earliest studios to provide the burgeoning television market with their movies, the shift from theater to television viewing eventually shut down its feature film production. Here are some Mexican lobby cards to savor.
Trader Tom of the China Seas (1954)
