He was a radio personality.
A welcome heavy in any film noir.
The narrator of one of the best cartoon series known to man or moose!
A TV star.
And a director.
It is this field that William Conrad seemed to find a quirky, sinister voice that deserves a cult following. He did a lot of directing of TV shows throughout the 50s and 60s, but it is his five full-length features that deserve a look by any viewer who digs a bit of darkness. His first, The Man from Galveston (1963), is a fast paced courtroom drama dressed in cowboy duds. It is in the four films that came after that Conrad chose to wander down darker alleys. It is these that we will concern ourselves with during this scary time of year.
He was also the producer of the earliest three, so we can assume he had more control.
Two on a Guillotine (1965)
Based on a story by Henry Slesar, Two on a Guillotine is a spooky ride! Coffins, Morgues, Lunatic Magicians, Cemeteries. What more can you ask for? It is Halloween after all.
My Blood Runs Cold (1965)
More insanity here as Troy Donahue thinks Joey Heatherton is a long dead ancestor....
Brainstorm (1965)
Mr. Conrad seems to really love using insanity as a plot device. Jeffrey Hunter fakes insanity to get out of a murder charge in this excellent film noir which is probably the best of the three films he made in the 1960s.
All four of the films he directed in the 60s are available on DVD via the Warner Brothers Archive Collection.
The most obscure (meaning you can only find it on VHS) of the William Conrad directed oddities is the film Side Show (1981). It was produced by Sid and Marty Krofft (?) and it is probably the weirdest of all his full-length films. I own it, but it has been years since I have viewed it. I hesitated to comment much on any of the films listed here, because I have not seen them in a LONG time. They all sit upon my shelf, so I will get to it one of these days!!
You see...I was too busy ripping a copy of William Conrad's Halloween Record for all of you to enjoy.
Spirits and Spooks For Halloween summoned up by William Conrad (1973 - Caedmon Records)
Side one - The Merry Night of Halloween / The Ghost's Song / Fereyel and Debbo Engal the Witch
Side two - The Hag / The Secret Commonwealth / The Horny-goloch / How a Witch Tried to Kill a King / Suppose You Met a Witch / The Strange Visitor
Get it HERE!!
No comments:
Post a Comment