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Dark Intruder (1965)

 
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Pow
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PostPosted: Sun Aug 22, 2021 12:30 pm    Post subject: Dark Intruder (1965) Reply with quote



Dark Intruder was a made-for-television movie first shown on July 21, 1965.

It was produced by Alfred Hitchcock's television company Shamley Productions.

Written by Barre Lyndon (The Lodger-1944, The Night Has a Thousand Eyes-1948, The War of the Worlds-1953, Man in the Attic-1953).
Produced by Jack Laird (writer, producer, director, and actor for Night Gallery from 1970 to 1973).

In San Francisco in 1890, a series of horrific murders of woman have taken place that are remarkably similar to ones committed in London, England in 1888 by the infamous Jack the Ripper.

Playboy sleuth and occult expert Brett Kingsford (Leslie Nielson) decides he must investigate these gruesome homicides.

The DI movie was on Youtube some years ago but no longer. A trailer does still exist on YT for it.

This TV-movie also served as a pilot for a weekly series which was titled The Black Cloak.

Movie and TV critic Leonard Maltin gave DI three out of four stars and called it "A nearly flawless supernatural thriller."

I know that I enjoyed it on YT and definitely found it frightening and very atmospheric.

Nielson plays the Kingsford character as a bon vivant. He is lighthearted, charming, and doesn't appear to take things too seriously which can annoy people.

In reality Brett is also a serious and determined private investigator and can be quite serious when the situation warrants him to be.

In his San Francisco mansion with him is his dwarf assistant and friend Nikola. Secreted behind a bookcase is Brett's laboratory used for his criminal investigations.

Brett also resorts to disguises when necessary for any of his cases.

A shame this was not picked up by a network as it was done so well and clearly had more potential for further creepy supernatural stories for Brett to delve into.

It was reported that networks also found it a very fine production, but feared it was too scary to put on TV as a weekly show in 1965.
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 07, 2022 5:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

Based on the trailer and you post, this looks interesting!
Very Happy

Pow wrote:
It was reported that networks also found it a very fine production, but feared it was too scary to put on TV as a weekly show in 1965.

Isn't it odd that back in 1965 this was consider "too scary", and yet today this would be considered "too tame"? Confused

____Dark Intruder Trailer - Leslie Nielsen (1965)


__________

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Pow
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 09, 2022 11:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

It's interesting how television programs can reflect their respective eras, Bud.

This was considered too scary in 1965, but now it would be either perfectly acceptable, or as you say, too tame.

I grew up with all those wonderful westerns series that always tried to make a point about morals, honesty, keeping your word and so forth.

Now, some of these shows are considered quaint, cornball and unrealistic regarding how the real world works.

I recall reading that when The Fugitive TV show was being proposed that there were a number of discussions between the creators and the network. The network was really worried.

Seems that since we are informed by narrator William Conrad that convicted killer Dr. Richard Kimble was an "innocent victim of justice," this would impugn the American justice system, police departments, lawyers, judges, courts and juries.

The network felt that this fictional TV series would give American justice a big ol' black eye. That was just not right.

And it was well known that there was no better justice than what we had right here in the U.S. Right?

Now we laugh at the concern of the network over such issues because we have witnessed SO many failings of the lauded American justice system over the decades.

Nowadays, if you want to see how real justice works, watch shows like Law & Order. And it ain't pretty and God help you if you get mixed up in any of it.
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 09, 2022 5:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Pow wrote:
I grew up with all those wonderful westerns series that always tried to make a point about morals, honesty, keeping your word and so forth.

Now, some of these shows are considered quaint, cornball and unrealistic regarding how the real world works.

Great point, Mike! Cool

I've known since I was very young that movies and TV shows weren't always suppose to be showing us what people were really like, or how our society actually operated.

I knew that one of the functions of fiction was to illustrate what we should be — not what we really are.

When people scoff at older movies and television series because they think they're "unrealistic and corny" they're missing an important point. Confused

The purpose of fiction which portrays heroic deeds, noble people, and admirable behavior is not to show us what the world is actually like — it's to show us how the world could be if we allow ourselves to be inspired by the examples we see on the screen.

The characters in fiction who portray the worst aspects of human nature aren't meant to show us that "we're all flawed, so don't blame yourself for making mistakes." Those characters are demonstrating the consequences of bad decisions and poor moral values. Shocked

Conversely, the characters who portray the best aspects of human nature are meant to inspire us to be more like those "bigger than life" individuals.

Of course, I'm not saying that every movie has to have an upbeat ending, or that every good character will live happily ever after. Tragedies do happen, and people do make terrible mistakes. A good movie includes these elements of the real world — but the story should include lessons from which we can learn how to handle life's tragedies, as well as how to avoid the terrible mistakes which can ruin our lives.

In short, good fiction is NOT supposed to simply be a mirror which reflects reality.

It's supposed to give hope and provide inspiration. It's supposed to point the way to a better world — one with better people who aren't content to accept their limitations and excuse their failings because they believe that "everybody does it, and people are just that way."

That's what's wrong with our society today. We used to have big dreams for the future, and we used to believe that mankind was basically good! Very Happy

Now we're convinced that those dreams where "unrealistic and corny". We scoff at the fiction which portrays those high ideals, and we forgive ourselves for not believing we could be better.

Well, dammit, I don't believe those ideals are unrealistic, and I don't believe I can't be better tomorrow than I was yesterday! Furthermore, I do believe that the people who excuse their failings because they think "it's just human nature" are too lazy to hold themselves to a higher standard!

I guess that's why I'm proud of the members of All Sci-Fi, because I don't think any of you guys do that.

So, keep up the good work, folks! And remember, you're among friends. Cool

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


Last edited by Bud Brewster on Wed Mar 15, 2023 4:33 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Pow
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 09, 2022 11:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Excellent points, Bruce.

Gene Roddenberry wanted his Star Trek series to show humans what they could aspire to be, what they should aspire to be.

In his quest to do that he made his characters too perfect and that became a real problem for the writers for Trek.
But that's another matter.

J. Michael Straczynski did a very good job on his epic Babylon 5 TV series of showing characters that had their strengths and weaknesses.

Rod Serling liked to put the spotlight on people's flaws as well as their nobility.

The lessons from Gunsmoke, Bonanza, and Leave it To Beaver aren't wrong. They reflect what we can be and should strive to be in a world where we have those who don't play by the rules and want to cheat & con their way to achievements.

Someone once said to me that those kind of TV shows were not realistic regarding moral codes and ethics and fairness because they don't deal in the real world issues.

My response was that the mess of the real world by those that laughed at any kind of moral code is indeed present.
And how's that working for you? My friend had no reply.
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