Charles W Jones

The Hidden Hand (1942) is one of those gems that make me glad for TCM. It’s a short film at sixty-three minutes, but each of those minutes is filled with delight. I think subconsciously it inspired me to write Hydrangeas on the Lanai as they share many of the same unpredictable elements that I love. This film is intertwined with mystery, too, and a treasure hunt within the walls of a mansion. The craziness and overacting of this classic movie is a rarity and should not be overlooked. However, due to the shortness of the film, I can’t say much because I don’t want to spoil the fun of it. I give The Hidden Hand 4 out of 5 Stars. Sadly, I couldn’t find a trailer for this one, but I did find the full version on Youtube for free. The Hidden Hand (1942) #1FromTheVaults #GothicHorror Click To Tweet 

Today is the first day of my 30 Days of Terror where I am spotlighting some of my favorite Horror Movies of all time. Since I love Edgar Allen Poe’s stories, I figured that I’d start the month with adaptations of the Tell-Tale Heart. These are two classics that are different in the way they tell the story, but equally good. 1941 The Tell-Tale Heart ( 1941 ) is a short film, starring Joseph Schildkraut as Young Man, and Roman Bohnen as Old Man. I love how closely this follows Poe’s story. Of course, it’s not an exact replica, but it still is amazing. An extremely uncomfortable feeling is present, as intended, with the phantom beating of the heart. If you come across this one, watch it; it’s worth the twenty minutes of your life. 1960 The Tell-Tale Heart ( 1960 ) cuts the story apart and puts it in a different order, and adds much to the original. I’m not saying it’s a bad adaptation, just different. This version adds a layer of sexual tension that is quite uncomfortable (as ...

Universal Monsters have always had an impact on me, I’ve seen most of the movies, but not all are as intriguing to me as The Wolf Man (1941). This movie isn’t the first werewolf movie, but the most memorable. In fact, I don’t think I saw Werewolf of London (1935), maybe, I’ll put it on the watch list. To me this movie also fits into the Gothic Romance genre, the sweetness of Larry meeting Gwen, well after he spied on her through a telescope, is a nice scene. Gwen is played by Evelyn Ankers, who is ravishing, stealing my eye in every scene she’s present. AND SHE SCREAMED, and what a delightful scream it is. I’m not sure what it is about these classics and the woman screaming, but there is something different than today’s scream queens. The effects are mesmerizing and fascinating. Where in today’s world CGI would be all over the place distorting the view, they used a stop-motion, fade-in effect for the feet transformation; sadly, in this film, they don’t show the face changing. The fog m...

I cannot tell you how many years it’s been since I’ve seen The Invisible Man (1932), and I’d forgotten how wonderful this adaptation is. The effects are ingenious. When he takes the bandages from his head, it’s breathtaking. If they were to do it today, it’d be all CGI and gross. I love Una O’Connor, she is an absolute delight to watch, I wish she was in more of the movie. Though when Gloria Stuart takes the spotlight, mesmerizing me with her beauty, I forgot all about Una. Claude Rains plays the Invisible Man, but we never see his face until the end. After taking the chemical, not only does he become invisible, but he changes mentally, and he’s physically stronger, and deranged. It is funny that when he walks out of the barn in the snow that it’s shoeprints not bare feet. The ending is so abrupt, I wonder if they didn’t know what else to do. And those are my only critical points in this movie. I can’t tell you enough to see this movie the first chance you get. I give The Invisible Man...

I have the knack of finding some of the strangest “horror” movies ever made and Dead of Night (1945) fits quite nicely into the slot. It’s a British anthology film with an Alfred Hitchcock/Twilight Zone feel. Not all the stories in this film are frightening, well, actually, none of them are, but that’s not to say they aren’t good, except for one. The movie revolves around Mr. Craig arriving at a country house, where he recognizes everyone inside because he’s dreamed them for years. He explains his predicament and the dread he feels for being there. Dr. Van Straaten says he’s experiencing d éjà vu , but Craig isn’t any more relaxed about it. When a few of the house guest begin telling stories, it becomes stranger. There’s one about a man who is in a racing accident, then while in the hospital sees a horse-drawn hearse and the hearse driver tells him there’s room for one more. Then a girl tells a haunted house story, followed by a haunted mirror tale. These and the last are the best of t...