Happy Christmas, everyone!

Santa Claus (1898)

Starring: Laura Bayley, the Smith Children, and Santa Claus

Director: George.Albert Smith

Rating: Six of Ten Stars

Santa Claus (Himself) delivers toys to a good little girl and a good little boy.

If you ever doubted that Santa existed, this film--the earliest known film appearance of the Jolly Old Elf himself--will make you a believer! This piece of history shows that whether it's in the 19th century or in the 21st, Santa makes his rounds on Christmas Eve the same way.

All Christmas joking aside, this is a fun little film that, if it isn't already present, will spark a little Christmas joy in you. Check it out, right now!

 

  (It actually is also a bit of film history, in all seriousness. George Albert Smith was playing around with special effects in Great Britain at the same time that Georges Melies was doing it in France, and he was only one step removed from the cutting edge. This particular film was also so impressive that nearly ten years after its initial release, a review described audiences gasping in wonder at Santa's sudden disappearance from the screen. It's unclear if the reviewer was talking about kids or adults, though.)

Santa's Helpers are getting ready!

It's almost that time of year when Santa is roaming the globe, dropping off presents for all the good children. If he should fall behind, he has numerous helpers standing by to lend a hand. Ava Gardner, for example, is already suiting up in case she is called upon!

Meanwhile, Yvonne Craig is prepping the back-up sleigh.

The Avengers: Too Many Christmas Trees

Beginning in January 2021, we'll be featuring bi-weekly reviews of the final batch of episodes of "The Avengers" that were made in black-and white. As a sneak-peek--and because it's Christmas--we present this review!

Too Many Christmas Trees (1965)

Starring: Patrick Macnee, Diana Rigg, Mervyn Johns, Edwin Richfield, Alex Scott, Jeanette Sterke, Robert James, and Barry Warren
Director: Roy Ward Baker

Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

Top-troubleshooter for the secret services of Great Britain John Steed (Macnee) has been having strange Christmas-related nightmares. As he attends a holiday costume party with his partner Mrs. Emma Peel (Rigg), elements of his nightmares seem to be manifesting themselves in the real world.

"The Avengers" was a television series that generally focused on British secret agents working cases where other operatives had failed and been and been captured or worse. It began as a straight spy drama, but by the fifth batch of episodes debuted, with Patrick Macnee as the eccentric life-long soldier and spy for Britain John Steed; and Diana Rigg as the glamorous, multi-talented and independently wealthy Mrs. Emma Peel in the lead roles, the series had followed down the path of the James Bond films by adding more comedy and other fantastic elements into the mix. It was during 1965 - 1967 that the show was at its most popular, and it was also during this time where never quite knew what you would get. Sure--there'd be the witty banter between Steed ad Peel, but beyond that viewers might get a straight-up spy/Cold War story, a murder mystery, a sci-fi adventure, a screwball comedy, a horror-tinged thriller--or a combination of any or all of the above. 

"Too Many Christmas Trees" is part mystery and part supernatural thriller, as Steed and Peel must find the truth about why Steed's dreams seem to be prophetic... and to stop the death and mayhem they seem to predict (with their guillotines and killer Father Christmases). Eventually, the show ends up incorporating what at the time could have been viewed as science fiction: It's ultimately revealed that Steed is under mental attack by psychics working for an enemy power that are trying to weaken his defenses and literally pick his brain for the secrets he knows.

The comment about psychics being at the root of the problem in this episode could possibly be viewed as a spoiler, but it's a minor one at best. Although the enemy psychics are key to the storyline, they are revealed early on... and Steed and Peel (and the viewers) have many more mysteries to solve and threats to confront during this episode and it's virtually impossible to predict where it's going to end up. 

Highlights of "Too Many Christmas Trees" are the sequences showing Steed's nightmares; Peel's discovery of a murder victim under very spooky circumstances and the fight scene that follows shortly afterward; and just the over all flow of the plot that keeps viewers guessing until the end. (The chilling atmosphere in many scenes is not surprising when one considers this episode was directed by Roy Ward Baker, a gentleman who helmed a good number of chillers and thrillers from British production companies such as Hammer Films and Amicus. He directed a total of seven episodes of "The Avengers" with the Macnee and Riggs in the lead roles, and they are among the best of the batch.)

One very funny fourth wall inside joke happens when Steed is going through his Christmas cards and happily remarks on one from his former partner, Kathy Gale, that was sent from Fort Knox, U.S.A.. The character had been played by Honor Blackman, who, at the time this show originally aired had just co-starred in the smash-hit James Bond film "Goldfinger" which featured an attempt to rob the gold depository at Fort Knox.

This is just one of the many very funny moments that exist along side the very dramatic, very high-stakes action of this episode... but this easy co-existence of the goofy and self-referential  or satirical material alongside deadly serious plot elements is among the things that makes "The Avengers" episodes with Macnee and Rigg so much fun. 

Pre-Christmas Wonder Woman Wednesday

Every year, the lovely ladies at Shades of Gray help Santa Claus with making his rounds, ensuring that all the good boys and girls out there get their gifts. This year is extra special, because Wonder Woman is also lending a hand!

Christmas is almost here...

... and Bebe Daniels has an innovative idea for those of you who haven't gotten your Chirstmas Tree decorated yet: Just dress yourself like one. It's even more festive!

Nat King Cole brings 'The Christmas Song'

Christmas is almost here. Here's a performance of "The Christmas Song" from Nat King Cole in 1961 that even fills Krampus and the Grinch with the Spirit of the Season when they hear it.

And this year, everyone can all use a little extra Christmas cheer, so we at Shades of Gray hope this classic will bring you some.

This Swiss Trick is no Swiss Miss

A Swiss Trick (1931)

Starring: Anonymous Voice Actors

Directors: John Foster and George Stallings

Rating: Eight of Ten Stars

World-travelers Tom and Jerry are stranded in Switzerland, where learn about the strange local culture and discover the side effects of eating too much Swiss cheese.

"A Swiss Trick" is one of handful of entries in the "Tom and Jerry" series that see our heroes traveling to faraway lands and meeting the people and creatures that dwell there. This one starts a bit weak--with an extended Alps-related train gag that is more repetitive than amusing--but gets funnier and more surreal as it goes. By the time we get to the end, with our heroes having angered the Swiss villagers and having learned an unpleasant secret about their much-celebrated cheese, this emerges as one of the best entries in the series. The catchy music throughout and the nutty musical routines add greatly to the entertainment value.

This is another of those Tom and Jerry cartoons that needs to be experienced, and the longer I go on the greater the chance of me spoiling something. So... why don't you grab a soda, click on the embedded video below, and lean back for seven minutes of Swiss-inspired weirdness? 

Trivia: On the day this review was originally posted--December 19, 2020--it was exactly 89 years since "A Swiss Trick" originally appeared in theatres.

The Growing-Up of Emma Peel: Part Seven

Click on the panels for larger, more easily read versions.

Before the next episode of this serial, swing by on December 24 to read a review of "The Avengers: Too Many Christmas Trees", one of the strange cases the future Emma will work as a secret agent for the British government..

'The False Magistrate' is silent end for Fantomas

The False Magistrate (1914)
Starring: René Navarre, Germaine Pelisse, Mesnery, Suzanne Le Bret, Laurent Morleas, Georges Melchior, and Edmond Breon

Director: Louis Feuillade

Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

A scheme concocted by Inspector Juve (Breon) to make sure the evil mastermind Fantomas (Navarre) is executed for his many crimes and murders goes awry, and Fantomas instead escapes the grasp of law enforcement yet again. Through a series of lucky breaks, Fantomas manages to take over the identity of an investigating magistrate and sets about committing more crimes, now under the cover of law. 

"The False Magistrate" was the last entry in the original silent movie "Fantomas" series. Sadly, it survives only in a degraded and fragmented state. Even the best available restoration features several severely damaged sequences and relies on several added intertitles that provide summaries of what happened in sections of the film that don't even exist anymore. Normally, I would not write a review of a film in this state, but there are a couple of reasons why I make an exception here.

First, I'd already declared I was going to review all five films in this series, without knowing the actual state of the final one. It was included in a set of DVDs that held all the films, and I was so impressed with the first entry in the Louis Feuillade that I couldn't imagine a reason why I wouldn't want to cover all of them.

Secondly, and far more importantly, "The False Magistrate" may actually end up as a better film for its missing pieces. Clearly, some of the elements would have been nice to have--such as the summarized scenes that establish Rose the Maid (Suzanne Le Bret) as being connected with Fantomas's gang, and just more of the gang members in general--but I am almost 100 percent certain that we're better off not having anything but highlights remaining from the plot-threads involving Juve and Fandor, because what we're left with is some of the dumbest stuff in the entire series.

While I complained about the absolutely mind-numbingly silly ending to "Fantomas vs. Fantomas" (1914), this opens with Juve embarking on something even dumber. And it isn't even silly--just dumb--and a prime example of bad writing every way you look at.

Basically, Juve lets Fantomas escape from prison by taking his place. The scheme is clever and even more cleverly executed (through the return of the fat suit used in "Juve vs. Fantomas" (1913)), but what isn't so clever is that no one notices that the party of visiting dignitaries that Juve snuck in with has one less member leaving than when they arrived; nor does any of the guards notice for weeks that someone else is in Fantomas' cell. It gets even worse, because by letting Fantomas back out into the world, Juve should be held accountable for the three murders he commits and the numerous lives he ruins during the course of this film. The less we see of Juve and Fandor in this film, the better off we probably are--although Fandor is the focus of one of the better scenes when he works with a pair of police detectives to trick and capture members of Fantomas' gang.

Setting aside the fact that the only reason there even is a story in this film beyond Fantomas's escape from prison is a series of tremendous coincidences, the fact that we get to see Fantomas engaging in a scheme that is both utterly evil and that also seems realistic. The way he uses his stolen identity as a powerful member of law enforcement to both extort the wealthy and bring renegade members of his gang firmly under his control is very fitting of is supposed criminal genius (unlike some of his activities in previous films). The gruesome way in which he punishes a disloyal gang member, and, for that matter, every murder he commits during the course of the film, also chillingly shows what a psychopath he is. 

Another strong part of "The False Magistrate" is the ending, both how Fantomas is captured and how he escapes (and, no, I don't consider it a spoiler to say that Fantomas escapes yet again... it's part of the genre). Unlike the previous three films, the ending here is nearly perfect.  

This post marks the end of "Fantomas Fridays" at Shades of Gray. But, since we have the DVD collection of Louis Feuillade's other legendary thriller series, "Les Vampires", in the To Be Watched pile, you can expect them to be replaced with "Feuillade Fridays" in the new year. We hope you'll be back!

Grampy cures the 'House Cleaning Blues'

House Cleaning Blues (1937)

Starring: Mae Questel (as the voice of Betty Boop) and Jack Mercer (as the voice of Grampy)

Directors: Dave Fleischer and Dave Tendlar

Rating: Six of Ten Stars

The day after hosting a wild birthday party, Betty Boop is hung-over, short-tempered, and she very quickly becomes frustrated with trying to clean up the mess. Grampy comes to her rescue by creating and make-shift cleaning machines.

In "House Cleaning Blues", Professor Grampy once again Does His Thing and saves Betty from house-cleaning... but in the process he pretty destroys a number of expensive household items, such as a record player, a player piano, and clock, and a bicycle. There isn't anything we haven't seen in other Betty & Grampy cartoons, but unlike those, the thought of how much property was being damaged to help Betty get out of house-cleaning kept popping into my head and so maybe I didn't enjoy this one as much as I should have.

While this may not be the most innovative of Betty & Grampy outings, there's still a lot to like about it. Betty has one of the cutest melt-downs ever put into animation--a bit the folks at Fleischer liked so much they recycled some of it in "Service with a Smile" (1937). Everything about Grampy driving his roadster is hilarious--especially the way one has to wonder what it is he has on tap when he serves Betty her drink as they drive off at the end of the episode. Finally, there is plenty of high-quality animation to enjoy--with a pan-shot across the wreckage of Betty's home before Grampy goes to work that has a 3D quality to it standing out in particular. And, despite my very joy-killing cringing at the property Grampy converts, the bits with his machines operating are as well done as they always are. 

If you have a few minutes, go ahead and check out "House Cleaning Blues" by clicking below.