ELVIS WITH MUSCLES!!! by Dave Goode

ELVIS WITH MUSCLES!!!  by Dave Goode

Kirk Morris has been one of my favorite sinew & sandal stars from the time I discovered the genre as a preteen back in the 60s. Years later it hit me that he bore a slight resemblance to Elvis Presley. I can imagine a movie producer seeing his screen test and saying " He looks like Elvis with muscles. The girls will love him. "  Not an American import from Muscle Beach like a lot of the other stars from these flicks. He was a home grown talent. Born Adriano Bellini he was the winner of the Mr. Italia competition in 1961. And was discovered while working as a gondolier. Standing 6' 1" Morris was one of those peplum movie heroes who might have made a good Tarzan. Physique wise at least. Muscular. But not overly bulky.

His first movie TRIUMPH OF MACISTE (1961) a.k.a TRIUMPH OF THE SON OF HERCULES was one of my favorites. It's the old hero saves kingdom and girl friend from evil queen story. What makes it stand out are two feats of strength scenes. In one Morris arm wrestles 5 men at once. And wins. In the other he does the "Hercules Hold" resisting the pull of two horse drawn chariots. This was one of the better versions of this particular feat of strength.

Another favorite from 1961 was HERCULES VS. MACISTE IN THE VALE OF WOE. Morris once again plays Maciste. And Frank Gordon portrays Hercules. The story has two time traveling 2oth century wrestling promoters in ancient Greece trying to set up a match between the two strength heroes.

Morris portrays Maciste again in THE WITCH'S CURSE (1962). This was more or less a remake of MACISTE IN HELL (1925) that starred the original screen Maciste , Bartolomeo Pagano. This flick has the seemingly immortal strongman saving a 17th century Scottish village from a witch's curse by entering through the gates of Hell and battling the forces of evil.

One of Morris' best known movies is HERCULES, SAMSON, & ULYSSES (1963). In this one, which is a favorite of fans of the genre, Morris portrays Hercules. It's famous for the fight between Hercules and Samson. The biblical strongman is played here by Richard Lloyd.

After the peplum movie cycle came to an end Morris would star in a number of other adventure flicks. But he would be better known as the star of a series fumettis.

This week's blog features a new Golden Adonis comic by Dave Goode & Vance Capley inspired by the gladiator movies of the 1960s.

Dave and Vance make comics and you can get these comics here:

http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/VanceCapley

Million Dollar Mermaid. No! Not Esther Williams! by Dave Goode

Diane Webber became a cult figure as one of the top pin - up models of the 1950s and early 1960s. She modeled for art study magazines , nudist mags (she was a nudist activist) and all the top men's magazines of the period. She was Playboy's Playmate of the Month twice. In May of 1955. And in February of 1956. The second photo shoot was by the legendary Russ Meyers. I first knew her from an episode of the television series VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA

(season 3 episode 19) in 1967 in which she played a mermaid. A role she also played in 1962 in the flick MERMAIDS OF TIBURON.

Born Marguerite Diane Theresa Emprey on July 29, 1932, she was the daughter of pulp and screenwriter Arthur Guy Emprey and the former Marguerite Andrus (a former Miss Long Beach beauty contest winner and actress). As a girl she would study ballet under Maria Bekefi. After graduating from Hollywood High, she took a job as a chorus girl in San Francisco. It was there that she began modeling for such noted photographers as Bunny Yeager. The camera loved her and her 39c-23-37 figure.

Diane would also appear on the covers of paperbacks and album covers. Among others she was the model on Nelson Riddle's SEA OF DREAMS and Les Baxter's JEWELS OF THE SEA. She was also featured on a number of popular television shows. A professional belly dancer Diane was also featured in such cult flicks as THE WITCHMAKER (1969) and THE TRIAL OF BILLY JACK (1974) as respectively a belly dancing witch and a belly dance instructor. But I'll always remember her as the beautiful mermaid with the Creature from the Black Lagoon-like mate that I first saw as a ten year old on VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA.

A VERY GUILTY PLEASURE! by Dave Goode

A VERY GUILTY PLEASURE! by Dave Goode

One of my favorite Grade Z "guilty pleasures" is SHE DEMONS (1958). Starring Irish Mc Calla, Todd Griffin, Victor Sen Yung, Rudolph Anders, Gene Roth, and the Diane Nellis Dancers this is a fun little time killer that I first caught on television during a rain-out theater.

Produced by Arthur A. Jacobs and Marc Frederic ,the flick was directed by Richard Cunha who co-wrote the story with H. E. Barrie. The 77 minute movie made for an estimated 65,000 dollars was the stuff of men's sweat magazines. Or with the story's sci-fi/horror slant it could have come from a 40s pulp magazine.

During a hurricane a pleasure yacht is shipwrecked on an uncharted tropical island populated by beautiful women (the Diane Nellis Dancers) who periodically change into deformed monsters.

The results of experiments conducted by mad scientist and Nazi war criminal Col. Karl Osler (Rudolph Anders). The stock survivors of the shipwreck beautiful spoiled rich girl  Jerrie Turner (Irish Mc Calla), wooden hero Fred Maklin (Tod Griffin), and ethnic comic relief sidekick Sammy Ching (Victor Sen Yung) struggle against Col. Osler, his Nazi minions and the "She Demons".

The movie is a lot of fun. especially for a preteen who was a reader of comics and Famous Monsters of Filmland. Over the years this flick has gained a cult status. But over the years I've also started to think how this low-budget movie production would have made a great vehicle for Steve Holland and Eva Lynd who posed as the hero and heroine on numerous men's sweat mag covers.

 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

NOW...DIM THE LIGHTS.....IT'S SHOWTIME!!

 1950s TV sci-fi hero returns in a brand new 92 page graphic novel by Vance Capley...read more here: https://captainzro.blogspot.com/

THROUGH NO FAULT OF HIS OWN by Dave Goode

THROUGH NO FAULT OF HIS OWN by Dave Goode

Let's give a shout out to the late, great Dick Beyers (1930-2019). The former Syracuse University football and wrestling standout who under the mask of the Destroyer out wrestled the best. And out brawled the rest. But not only that he was a top wrestler grappling as Dr. X as well.

Beyers, a black belt judoka, Eagle scout and former gym teacher would also serve as a partial inspiration for the comic book character Dr. Judo.

I always imagine some American movie producer making masked wrestler flicks. Usually starring a Gordon Scott or Dan Vadis. In America a masked wrestler is usually a "heel". So maybe that's why we never had any of them playing superheroes on screen. But imagine if you will a team of name-taking, butt-kicking masked grapplers whupping mummies, vampires, and werewolves. Or just imagine the Destroyer by himself doing the same.

That cover was fun to do... but we do make comics and more: http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/VanceCapley

Pop Culture's No.1 Villains by Dave Goode

POP CULTURE'S NO.1 VILLAINS by Dave Goode

I remember discovering "men's sweat magazines" at thirteen. The perfect age. The attraction to these mags ,with their covers that looked like posters for B-Movie action flicks was immediate. Illustrated by artists like Norman Eastman, Norman Saunders, Al Rossi, Mort Kunstler, and James Bama they were like Sgt. Rock and Sgt. Fury comics on steroids. But with the added ingredient of sex. These covers and the illustrations inside showed vivid examples of Nazi brutality. To be sure there were plenty of examples of villainous Japanese. But it turns out the ones with Nazis are the most collectable. Nazis have been pop culture's No.1 villains for over 80 years. They've appeared in movies, television series, and comic books. For years they were "heels" in wrestling arenas across America.

The covers for these mags were the inspiration for grind house flicks like ILSA, SHE-WOLF OF THE SS (1975) starring Dyanne Thorne. Captured American GIs were stripped to the waist and tortured by sadistic Nazi she-wolves. Other covers featured damsels in distress at the mercy of brutal Nazi torturers and deranged doctors. Steve Holland and Eva Lynd are the two best known models for the characters on the cover of these mags. Both were equally adept at playing the hero/heroine or villain/villainess. Sometimes they would appear in the same illustration as both. But of course there were other actors and models who appeared in these illustrations. In her auto-biogaphy Sleeping With Bad Boys (2007) Alice Denham mentions posing for such illustrations.

When I created the character Miss Ginger Snaps with Vance Capley, I had the idea that "America's Foremost Burlesque Queen" would have posed for a few of these illustrations too.

You can order your printed edition (92 pages $7.99) here: http://www.lulu.com/shop/vance-capley/captain-z-ro-no1/paperback/product-24266934.html
You can order a digital edition ($3.99) here: https://www.drivethrucomics.com/product/290721/Captain-Zro

TARZAN UNCHAINED!!! by Dave Goode

 TARZAN UNCHAINED!!! by Dave Goode

It's a funny thing. I know Mike Henry only made three Tarzan movies. TARZAN AND THE VALLEY OF GOLD ( 1966 ) , TARZAN AND THE GREAT RIVER (1967 ) and TARZAN AND THE JUNGLE BOY ( 1968 ). But in my mind it seems like he made four. It doesn't matter how many times I look it up and see he made only these three. I still think he made four. If there had been fourth Tarzan movie starring Henry I would have liked to have seen it feature one or two characters from the Edgar Rice Burroughs' books. Specifically Jane and La of Opar. I'd  also liked to have seen the untamed ape - man of Burroughs.

Henry, the former NFL linebacker, comes close to matching the primal ferocity of Tarzan in his fights with Rafer Johnson in TARZAN AND THE GREAT RIVER and TARZAN AND THE JUNGLE BOY. And the climatic battle between his Tarzan and the cyclopean martial arts master played by Don Megowan in TARZAN AND THE VALLEY OF GOLD is another standout. In that one he break's his opponent's neck with a full-nelson. Tarzan's signature wrestling hold. But if you really want to see Henry cut loose check him out in THE GREEN BERETS (1968).

Okay we have Mike Henry cast as Tarzan again. But who to cast as Tarzan's mate Jane and La? Well for Jane I'd go with either Barbara Bouchet or Celeste Yarnall. And for La , the high priestess of the lost city of Opar, Hammer scream queen Martine Beswick.