I was motivated to start this topic by some spontaneous memory regurgitation. The really odd thing about it is that both films were released in 1953: One on my actual birthday the other toward the end of the year. Both received terrible reviews from the critics, the later one ran for barely a week.
I find it somewhat strange to remember both these films in the same recollection, for I did not see either the year they were released, but somewhat later in my childhood. It could be the connection of having Hans Conreid in both films (in one he is the lead, in the other he is the title character.
Okay, so after I waffle on about these films, I thought it would be somewhat interesting if --- A: others recall having seen either of the films (not expecting many here to have seen either) and B: sharing an equally strange and obscure film that you have retained in your core memory.
Okay, I will do this in the order of release, although I am quite certain I saw the latter film first and the earlier film some years after.
Has anyone seen: "The 5,000 Fingers of Dr, T". and original Screen musical from Dr. Seuss, Starring the husband and wife team of Peter Lind Hayes and Mary Healy, along with the afore mentioned Hans Conreid and Tommy Rettig (child star of the 50s who was best known for the TV series Lassie). It is a Technicolor musical and is very Seussian visually, probably more than any adaptation since, given that it was an original story for the screen. You will not find this anywhere for easy viewing, which is a shame. This is one very odd film indeed, but I remember it fondly.
The second film is "The Twonky". It is an odd sci-fi satire/commentary written by Arch Oboler from a short story written by Henry Kuttner with an assist from his wife C. L. Moore (both of them published science fiction authors) with a screenplay by Arch Oboler (he wrote many scripts for the radio drama Lights Out which I would listen to on very low volume, under the covers, when I was supposed to be sleeping, from the ages of 5 to 9. The film is an odd story about a TV possessed by some entity from the future and bedevils the character played by Hans Conreid. I have a clear core memory of the TV set stalking Conreid's character across the floor of the living room. I'd like to see it again because of the scrambled imagery in my head, but that is extremely unlikely as it is now 72 years old and its original run in a paltry number of theaters was extremely short. Still....
Okay, I am finished here and the thread is now open if anyone has anything to share. Keep in mind that I have seen so many films in my 79+ years that I doubt you will find something I have not seen, but I can always hope.
I find it somewhat strange to remember both these films in the same recollection, for I did not see either the year they were released, but somewhat later in my childhood. It could be the connection of having Hans Conreid in both films (in one he is the lead, in the other he is the title character.
Okay, so after I waffle on about these films, I thought it would be somewhat interesting if --- A: others recall having seen either of the films (not expecting many here to have seen either) and B: sharing an equally strange and obscure film that you have retained in your core memory.
Okay, I will do this in the order of release, although I am quite certain I saw the latter film first and the earlier film some years after.
Has anyone seen: "The 5,000 Fingers of Dr, T". and original Screen musical from Dr. Seuss, Starring the husband and wife team of Peter Lind Hayes and Mary Healy, along with the afore mentioned Hans Conreid and Tommy Rettig (child star of the 50s who was best known for the TV series Lassie). It is a Technicolor musical and is very Seussian visually, probably more than any adaptation since, given that it was an original story for the screen. You will not find this anywhere for easy viewing, which is a shame. This is one very odd film indeed, but I remember it fondly.
The second film is "The Twonky". It is an odd sci-fi satire/commentary written by Arch Oboler from a short story written by Henry Kuttner with an assist from his wife C. L. Moore (both of them published science fiction authors) with a screenplay by Arch Oboler (he wrote many scripts for the radio drama Lights Out which I would listen to on very low volume, under the covers, when I was supposed to be sleeping, from the ages of 5 to 9. The film is an odd story about a TV possessed by some entity from the future and bedevils the character played by Hans Conreid. I have a clear core memory of the TV set stalking Conreid's character across the floor of the living room. I'd like to see it again because of the scrambled imagery in my head, but that is extremely unlikely as it is now 72 years old and its original run in a paltry number of theaters was extremely short. Still....
Okay, I am finished here and the thread is now open if anyone has anything to share. Keep in mind that I have seen so many films in my 79+ years that I doubt you will find something I have not seen, but I can always hope.
6.9 | Drama
