ALL SCI-FI

[Bud Brewster]

Despite the title, this is not a sequel to "Dr. X" (1932). In this one we get to see Humphrey Bogart as a vampire!

A doctor (John Litel) uses a new procedure to revive the infamous Dr. Xavier (Bogart), executed for murdering a child. To stay alive, Dr. Xavier requires fresh blood, which he goes after with fiendish determination.

Bogart was compelled to accept the role by contract obligations. Reportedly he hated it, but it's still worth seeing for curiosity sake if nothing else. Directed by Vincent Sherman. Co-starring Rosemany Lane, Dennis Morgan, John Litel, Huntz Hall, and Wayne Morris.

The poster for this film doesn't look overly impressive until you zoom in on a hi-def version of it and notice that the portrait of Bogart is actually quite good.

The pale dots in the dark areas are actually the high spots of the canvas weave catching the light.



This shows us that the artist didn't just paint over a photo of Bogart to make it look like a work of art -- he actually painted this portrait on canvas!

By the way, this is the jpeg I started with. It needed some serious color adjustment and restoration.


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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Pow]

Interesting to see Bogart play such a sf role. Of course he wasn't at the top of his career as of then, so they were able to force him to take on such a role.

Looking at his career he appears to be one of the few top actors of his era who never portrayed a real life person in any of his films. Gary Cooper, Jimmy Stewart, Fonda, Wayne, Flynn all played real people in some of their films.

Speaking of Flynn, one of my favs, always wondered how he might have done in the role of Dr.Jekyll & Mr.Hyde instead of Tracy in the 1941 version of that character?

[Bud Brewster]

Nobody is a bigger fan of Flynn than me, but I can't quite see Errol Flynn being able to handle a role as complex as Jekyll and Hyde. Errol played many different characters, but every performance had an underlying "Flynn-ness" that kept kept him from seeming like a drastically different person — and the Jekyll and Hyde role is the ultimate challenge in that respect.
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Pow]

I don't think you are giving Flynn enough credit, Bud.

If you look at his performances in Too Much, Too Soon as John Barrymore, as well as The Sun Also Rises, I think you would see a man who could tackle complex roles.

The problems for Errol were always twofold.

Warner Brothers relegated him to action adventure roles because that's what brought in the $$$ for the studio. They rarely let him essay other parts.

I always thought he was as funny as Cary Grant & could have done many of the Grant comedic parts with ease.

The other problem was Flynn himself.

Alcoholic, drug user, burning the candle at both ends. That all severely interfered with him being taken as a serious actor & striving for stronger roles in film.

[Bud Brewster]

Well, every actor has her/her strengths and weaknesses. Flynn is a wonderful actor, but the Jekyll & Hyde role is something very few performers can do justice to. It requires the actor to completely change the way they talk, walk, stand, move, and react to their surroundings.

In the Hyde character, the actor needs to be so different from the Jekyll character that the audience is almost convinced it isn't the same man playing him anymore.

I just can't see Flynn pulling that off, despite his awesome talent.

In fact, the actors who have a very distinctive and recognizable style which underscores almost every role they play are the ones who would have the most difficulty -- actors like Tyrone Power and Burt Lancaster. They have such a well-developed personae that I don't think they could completely change it to the degree the Hyde role would require.
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Pow]

Guess we'll have to agree to disagree regarding Errol's talent, Bud. Like you I am a huge fan of him.

I would submit that if you have never seen his performance in the remarkable WW II film "Uncertain Glory,"you would be deeply impressed by his talent

He was more than a swashbuckler or western hero when he was allowed to be.

[Phantom]

I like Flynn enormously, too. After watching him go sword to sword against the likes of Rathbone and ship to ship against a horde of pirates, it was a revelation to see him singing and dancing (very well) to "That's What You Jolly Well Get" in Thank Your Lucky Stars.

I'll have to reserve my judgement about him taking on Jekyll/Hyde, however.

[Krel]

I believe it was Errol Flynn, who said about Basil Rathbone: Poor Basil, the best swordsman in Hollywood, and he has to lose every time.

Before becoming a star, Basil Rathbone taught fencing for the studios in Hollywood.

David.

[Pow]

Basil also said that Tyrone Power could fence Errol Flynn into a corner.

[Bud Brewster]

I read somewhere that the wonderful fencing duel between Basil and Tyrone in The Mark of Zorro was mostly performed by someone other than Tyrone!

That seems impossible. So many of the shots were close enough for you to tell it was Tyrone, but far enough back to see the dazzling fencing moves he was doing.

Where were the shots of this so-called other guy?
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[orzel-w]

[Bud Brewster]

[tmlindsey]

I just watched this last night....what an odd film.

The idea was interesting but the reporter was a little too goofy (or something) for me to take seriously. Also, I must have missed what Bogart was doing with all of the blood he drained; transfusions? Drinking?
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"Have you never wondered what it would be like to walk between the ticks and tocks of Time?"

[Bud Brewster]

[tmlindsey]