This 12-page, large format, pressbook for Stairway to Heaven, 1946 (the American title), is heavenly. Lots of promotion, articles, and theater lobby eye-candy to bring in the romantic couples. You can thank director Joe Dante (Gremlins, Piranha, The Howling, need I continue?) for sending along this beauty to ZC. This movie is a fantasy romance and stands at 20 in the British Film Institutes’ 100 Best British Movies list. Operation Ethel, the massive escalator built for the titular stairway between here and there, cost a lot of money at the time, but was noteworthy onscreen. Bosley Crowther, the persnickety film critic for the New York Times liked it–a miracle right there.
Courtesy of It Came From Hollywood, and through the peregrinations of one Granny Creech, come these hot radio spots for movies from a time when women were eye-candy and men were drooling idiots oggling and dreaming about them as they appeared in various states of distress and undress on the silver screen (story, what story?) We’ve come a long way, baby, as Loretta Lynn sang in her song (which was based on an advertising slogan to entice women to smoke Virginia Slims and get cancer like the men: equal rights for all!) Now you can enjoy these racy radio spots in the privacy of your own computer space. Lucky you.
And now a word from Granny…
I was cleaning up the kitchen the other day after an all-nighter of cooking up some of my famous brew when I heard an awful noise coming from the front of my house. It sounded like something was being dragged, creating a loud screeching sound. I hurried to the front door and opened it, and my eyes fell upon a creepy sight. Coming up my sidewalk were two ghastly figures, both wearing worn black suits with top hats, and dragging what appeared to be a large coffin-shaped wooden box. I approached them and asked what in the world they were doing.
“Are you Granny Creech?” the one on the left asked in a creaky old voice.
“I am. What are you two doing here?”
“My name is Paul McShroud. This is my business associate Robert O’Graves. We have something for you.”
I went and looked at the large wooden box, the top fastened to the bottom with a large rusty lock.
“What is this? What’s in it?”, I asked.
“This is a collection of a lifetime,” Mr. O’Graves said. “We need to pass all of this along and we knew it would be safe and cared for in your hands.” he added. (ZC Note: I found out later the stuff was HOT! They had to ditch it fast and Granny is such a pushover.)
Mr. McShroud reached in his pocket and pulled out an old key. He unlocked the rusty old lock and together he and Mr. O’Graves opened it. I peered in and couldn’t believe my eyes. It was full of musty old radio spots and all sorts of promotional audio material. I stood there with my mouth wide open and glanced at the two cadaverous persons in front of me. …
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