Meet Frances Carroll & The Coquettes

On this Musical Monday, we bring you not just one song, but a full set along with with a floorshow! Check out the Girl Band 1940s-style, along with some really interesting dancing that's a cross between ballet and tap!

Bandleader Frances Carroll is like the female version of Cab Calloway--she's good-looking, she's charismatic, and she can sing and dance while swinging her baton!

Frances Carroll & 'The Coquettes' (1940)
Starring: Frances Carroll, Viola Smith, Eunice Healey, and the Coquettes Big Band

Director: Roy Mack

Rating: Eight of Ten Stars

Frances Carroll and the Coquettes was a popular all-woman big band during early 1940s and through the end of WW2. The short film we're presenting today is the only time Carroll appeared on screen

'The Fatal Note' is a lot of fun

The Fatal Note (1933)

Starring: Anonymous Singers

Director: Vernon Stallings

Rating: Eight of Ten Stars

An anarchist tries to assassinate the Little King by rigging a bomb to a grand piano, but the miniscule monarch and his pet dog turn the tables on the would-be killer.

In 1933, the Van Beuren Corporation licensed Otto Soglow's "The Little King" comic strip (and associated characters) for adaptation to animated shorts. The result was two "pilot" installments under the "Aesop's Fables" banner and 10 branded "Little King", all of which can be counted among the best items to ever come out of Van Beuren's animation department. The credit for this can largely be attributed to Jim Tyer, the lead animator on projects related to "The Little King"; he was reportedly firmly committed to never cutting corners or otherwise not produce the best possible product his talent and resources would allow. (And while his dedication to his art can easily be seen on "The Little King" series because he received screen credit, it is also evident in cartoons he worked on anonymously, such as some of the best Tom & Jerry cartoons, such as "Magic Mummy" and "The Tuba Tooter".

 
"The Fatal Note" was the first of ten "The Little King" episodes. While it's not exactly a faithful adaptation of the comic strip--while it gets the character designs right, the nature of the story and how it unfolds is far from what one would expect--it is seven minutes of non-stop action and humorous hijinx. The animation here is also among the best you'll find in a Van Beuren produciton, with detailed backgrounds, crowd scenes where almost each character has been given a unique characteristic, and very little looping of footage. (There's some of it during a series of fights up and down a staircase, but the foreground action is so varied that it's not noticeable unless you're the sort of jerk who watches cartoons in order to pick them apart for review fodder.).

Parts I'm sure you'll enjoy include the Little King frolicking and playing the piano with this dog, and the Little King's running battle with his would-be assassin (including the aforementioned action on the staircase). One thing I'm sure you wish you'd seen was the Queen somehow getting caught in the crossfire between the Little King and the assassin; she's an even greater villain than the murderous anarchist.

Why don't you take a few minutes to see if I'm right by clicking below  and sitting back to enjoy yourself with some of the best the Van Beuren Corporation had to offer?

The Avengers Dossier, Page Twelve

With the Year of the Avengers at the halfway point, we present another look at a supporting cast member from the fourth season.

ATHENE SEYLER
In "Man-Eater of Surrey Green", Athene Seyler plays a botanist who joins Steed and Peel in a battle to save Earth.

Born 1889, Athene Seyler dreamed of being an actress from a young age, and by 1909, she had already made a name for herself in British theatre. With the coming of film, she pursued the new horizons and once again found success--first in early movies and then in early television as a character actress who could be relied upon to deliver quirky performances that were always as British as British could be. 

Seyler was at her busiest during the mid-1930s, but her less-frequent screen appearances as the years wore on were not because she wanted for work, but because she was very picky about the roles she accepted and also because she turned her attention back toward theatre work.

Throughout her eight decades as a working actress, Seyler appeared in every mainstream genre of film and television show, from screwball comedies to dark horror films. She is perhaps best remembered for her roles in "Night of the Demon" (1957) and "The Inn of the Sixth Happiness" (1958), as well as her numerous turns as matronly characters in screen adaptations of Charles Dickens stories. 

Seyler literally worked as an actress her entire adult life. She make her final stage appearance in 1990, at the age of 101, mere weeks before she passed away.

Aside from her role in "Man-Eater of Surrey Green", she played a different character in an episode that aired in 1964, "Build a Better Mouse Trap".

Silent Movie Magic Fun

The Living Playing Cards (aka "Card Tricks") (1905)
Starring: Georges Méliès
Director: Georges Méliès

Rating: Eight of Ten Stars

A stage magician (Méliès) performs some extreme card tricks.

A number of the short films by special effects pioneer Georges Méliès simply take a stage illusionist and transfer him and his stage performance onto the screeen, with the illusions augmented and taken up a notch through trick photography. Typically, they fall among my least favorites of Méliès's efforts--some I've felt so indifferent toward that I didn't even feel motivated to write a post.

"The Living Playing Cards" is one of the exceptions to that general rule. It stars out like it's going to be just another "illusionist performs" film--even to the point where the magician is shown engages the audience in chatter while setting up his trick--but it then goes in a spectacularly over-the-top direction. What's more, it's very technically accomplished, with Méliès' in-camera effects and double-exposures being pulled off in such a smooth fashion that they're hardly noticeable. 

This is one of those films that demonstrate what a shame it was that Méliès became so imbittered at the film industry he walked away and turned to toymaking... but not before burning the original prints and negatives of his films. (We should could ourselves fortunate to have even the fraction of his work that has survived to the present day.)

Take a couple minutes (literally) to check out a fun bit of foundation for the movies we know and love today by clicking below.

The Swank Quarterly

 No mask. No pants. Hilary is celebrating the end of Covid-19 restrictions in her own way!

'The Howling Wind' became even more impactful because of Covid-19 paranoia

The Howling Wind (2020)
Starring: Anthony Arkin, Nicky Boulos, and Mark Silverman
Directors: Lorian Gish and Justin Knoepffel
Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

A strange storm carrying a dust cloud that drives people insane has engulfed a rural county. A gruff farmer (Arkin) allows a young stranger (Boulos) to take shelter with him in his house... but soon discovers he may have made a deadly mistake.

"The Howling Wind" is an interesting little chiller that effectively captures not only the look and feel of a 1960s horror film, but it's got a storyline that resonates very strongly due to the way Covid-19 shook up everyone's lives and some of the hysteria that came with it. The film is further lifted by excellent performances from Anthony Arkin (as a gruff but ultimately good-hearted farmer) and Nicky Boulos (as a mysterious young man who may or may not be carrying the deadly plague sweeping through the area).

Of course, the actors were aided by excellent dialog and a clever storyline. One thing that was especially effective was how the film was moved toward its climax by how Arkin's character trusted the media reports about how the plague was being spread through the county and how lethal it was

Also impressive about this short film is the cinematography and lighting. The filmmakers clearly knew how to use the black-and-white media to its full dramatic advantage, something that's not seen often enough in films like this. (That's the second time in recent weeks I've said that; either my trawling through YouTube short films has been yielding better pay-offs of late, or there's a generation of up-and-coming filmmakers who have absorbed what the great black-and-white films of the past had to teach them.)

I recommend you take a few minutes of your day to check out this moody, well-executed film. (If I steered your wrong, let the world know in the comments section. The same is true if there's something great about the film I didn't mention and you want to call attention to!)

Musical Monday with Hot Butter

Nearly 50 years ago, in 1972, Hot Butter (keyboardist Stan Free) released his cover of Gershon Kingsley's immortal, history-making tune "Popcorn." This is the version that everyone from lone keyboardists to death-metal bands to symphony orchestras have covered rather than Kingsley's original.

Here it is, along with an interpretative dance which should give all of your budding dancers and choreographers hope. If these people couple make it on some French television show in the early 1970s, then you can make your dreams a reality, no matter how insecure you feel!

The Avengers: Two's a Crowd

Two's a Crowd (1965)
Starring: Patrick Macnee, Diana Rigg, Warren Mitchell, Julian Glover, Wolf Morris, Maria Machado, and Alec Mango
Director: Roy Ward Baker
Rating: Eight of Ten Stars

Super-spies John Steed (Macnee) and Emma Peel (Rigg) are on the verge of unmasking a mysterious Russian agent, but his crafty assistants (Glover, Mango, Machado, and Morris) stymie their efforts by replacing Steed with a lookalike (Macnee) in their employ.

"Two's a Crowd" got off to a really fun start for me. I watch so many old films with cheap and pathetic effects that I thought I was in for another "treat" in that department--but then the model turned out to be a model. (The foe of the Avengers loves model airplanes and he uses remote controlled model planes to committ assassinations.)

This bit of trickery/playing on perception sets the theme for the entire episode where many things aren't what they seem and models take the place of the real thing... but can be just as lethal. John Steed's double is literally a model: The man is a male fashion model, and while he may not be a trained combatant, like Steed, his completely lack of morals and regard for other human beings makes him every deadly to those who think he's Steed.

Storywise, this is a fast-paced episode that's as full of twists and turns as one would expect a tale involving a "faceless" assassin whose identity is kept secret by a cadre of ruthless assistants, traitorous dopplegangers, and elaborate assassination schemes. The balance between humor and suspense is expertly maintained throughout, with lots of witty banter, quirky characters, and lots of fun situations. The best scenes involved Steed's evil double--with the fashion show where he is first introduced being absolutely hilarious, and the scene where Emma Peel has to decide if Steed is himself or the double and whether she should kill or not is quite suspenseful.

The best thing about the episode is the performances by Patrick Macnee--and yes, I did say "performances". Not only does he play two characters in the episode, but the fake Steed goes in and out of the character of Steed... so Macnee is playing a character who is playing John Steed. It's lots of fun to watch a talented actor getting show off!

Wonder Woman Wednesday

Legend has it that Wonder Woman's personal presence is so powerful that she causes some people to see stars by just showing up. Today, we test that theory. Please let us know if any of the featured portraits cause you to see stars (other than the ones on her outfit).

Part homage, part spoof, all good

Miss Barton's Famous Cakes (2019)
Starring: Lauren LaVera, Michael Doherty, and Charlie McElveen
Directors: Jared Hirsch and Nelson Vicens

Rating: Eight of Ten Stars

On a rainy night, Miss Barton (LaVera) learns that a pair of homicidal maniacs are searching for her in order to sate their hunger for her award-winning cake.

"Miss Barton's Famous Cakes" captures the look and feel of 1950s film noir, slanted more in the direction of the British manifestation of the genre than the American one. It has fun with the style and conventions of the genre, but it's also obvious that the filmmakers have love and respect for the material they drew inspiration from. Viewers are treated to about 15 minutes of excellent cinematography and lighting (that takes full advantage of the black-and-white medium); tight dialogue and fine acting (that is equal parts dramatic and the delivery vehicle for several moments of hilarity you won't see coming); and nicely done period costumes and hair styles (which is where many films that this usually fail).

The only complaint I have is that Miss Barton's visitors are slightly miscast. Both actors (Charles Doherety and Michael McElveen) give fine performances, but they both seem a little young and/or fresh-faced for homicide squad detectives in a film noir bit. This might be an unfair and nitpicky complaint, but it's the only thing about the whole film that didn't quite work for me.

Take a few minutes to check out "Miss Barton's Famous Cakes" by clicking below. I'm sure you'll find it time well spent.