Thursday, December 8, 2011

The Lesser-Known Poe


The Lesser-Known Poe
by Christina Sampson

Every year, particularly around Halloween, middle- and high-school students shuffle into English class and are force-fed one or several of Edgar Allan Poe’s stories (and possibly some of his poems.) The students struggle through The Tell-Tale Heart, The Fall of the House of Usher, The Raven, The Cask of Amantillado or, if their teacher is particularly ambitious, poems such as Lenore or Ulalume or maybe even Annabelle Lee.

Understandably, teachers tend to gravitate towards these selections because they are among the most accessible of Poe’s works to the modern reader.

Poe, despite his deliberately aborted stint at military school, was incredibly intelligent and his personal obsession with classic German philosophical texts and mythology does bleed into many of his literary works. This results in lots of Latin and Greek phrases (often not translated). The footnotes quickly multiply and that, combined with the dated syntax and Poe’s own penchant for using the archaic definition of words, can make reading his works a daunting undertaking.

Even those who love Poe’s writing can find wading through The Thousand-and-Second Tale of Scheherazade a bit tedious. The effort is rewarded, but one hardly expects the current flock of social-media savvy texters to have that kind of patience during a high-school AP English class.

The students are also told the usual true — but grossly oversimplified — facts, often with the same, trite phrases. Poe "invented" the mystery with Murders in the Rue Morgue, he was a "master of horror," his writings were renowned for their grotesque and macabre slant, etc. etc.

Ultima Thule
An admiral overview of the basics, true, but these factoids include none of the most interesting parts of the man’s life or writings.

For example, take the story behind the famous, doe-eyed portrait of him that undoubtedly accompanies his section in grade-school textbooks. This famous and most widely-published portrait of Poe — in which he appears somber, wearing a dark jacket and light scarf — was taken mere days after he attempted suicide by taking laudanum.

One wonders what the person who took him to get the daguerreotype was thinking — "Sorry that didn’t work out, old chap, but let’s get a snapshot taken! Won’t that be fun!"

Sarah Helen Whitman, Poe’s main love interest after the death of his wife Virginia Clemm, called the portrait "Ultima Thule," which essentially means the very outer limits of discovery and travel. Four days later, Poe had another picture taken, which he actually gave to Whitman. She claimed it, too, failed to capture his "noble" good looks, despite his being nearly recovered by that time. (Another interesting side note: the mustache Poe is sporting is a "new" look for him at the time the portrait was taken; although we picture him mustachioed for all his life, in fact, he made it a point to be clean-shaven most of the time).

Many teachers will also undoubtedly fail to mention Poe’s abilities as a literary critic or his efforts as a magazine publisher, magazine editor and painter.

Also unlikely to be mentioned is Poe’s history as a bit of a ladies’ man after Virginia Clemm died, and how he was embroiled in several socially dramatic episodes involving multiple ladies, rumor mongering and the questioning of his honor.

Instead, students are given the idea that Poe had only one great love, his very young cousin, Virginia Clemm.

And while Poe’s struggles with alcoholism are generally taught, the obvious effect it had on his narrative style and many of his first-person protagonists is not. (Really, comparisons with Hunter S. Thompson wouldn’t be far-fetched to some degree.)

That being said, by no means is Poe’s place in the annals of Horror undeserved.

Still, he often gets short shrift during Halloween and it is high time for some of his other horror writings to be highlighted.

There are more ways to send chills up someone’s spine than simply scaring them with beating dead hearts and repetitive ravens, and Poe deftly handled them all, particularly horror along a more subtle, disquieting vein.

So, if you’re as tired of the same old Poe on Halloween as I am, try reading one of the four following short stories. They’re all pretty easy reading and, although in some there are similarities to his more famous works, these tales are no less enjoyable.

All quotes taken from: Poe, Edgar Allan. The Collected Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe, Random House Modern Library Edition, 1992, United States and Canada. Editors unlisted.

Biographical information: Since I’ve been reading Poe and all about him since grade school, much of the information was taken off the top of my head, as it were. However, confirmation of facts was conducted using the introduction of the above book as well as one other. It was:

Poe, Harry Lee. Edgar Allan Poe: An Illustrated Companion to His Tell-Tale Stories, Metro Books, 2008, New York.


The Black Cat
In my opinion, no other story shows Poe’s mastery of conveying a mental instability using a nervous, psychotic-twitch like narrative style than this one. With very few overt signals and no dialogue at all, the reader becomes increasingly aware with each page turned that something is very wrong with the man penning these words…and it’s probably more than alcoholism, too.

The unnamed narrator starts out as an animal lover who animals naturally gravitate towards. His wife is the same way and the two quickly establish a homestead complete with birds, a dog, rabbits, a monkey and a black cat named Pluto.

Pluto, in particular, loves the narrator, who unfortunately falls into a spiral of alcoholism. As his "disease" increases, so does an almost inexplicable distaste for the cat, who piteously follows him around the house like a puppy. One night, in a burst of drunken disgust for the animal when it avoids him, the narrator grabs Pluto and cuts out one of his eyes. This solves the problem of the cat following him around (once healed, Pluto flees in terror from the man), but not the mental instability of the man himself.

At first relieved, and even a little saddened, by the animal’s terror of him, soon the narrator again begins to feel an irrational, burning "perverseness" for Pluto. And so, "in cold blood" the narrator grabs Pluto, puts a noose around his neck and hangs him from a tree in the garden.

That night, the narrator’s house burns down….except for the wall against which the narrator put his bed. And on that wall is the unmistakable bas-relief in char of a giant black cat.

This doesn’t stop the narrator from drinking, however, and one night at a bar he comes across another black cat curled up atop a barrel of alcohol. Upon petting it, he discovers it looks almost exactly like Pluto only it has a splotch of white fur on it’s chest. It follows the narrator home where the new pet and his wife become fast friends.

Yet again, an irrational hatred of the animal arises within the narrator. The cat, however, nearly suffocates the narrator with affection: when he sits, the cat is immediately upon his lap, when he walks, the cat is always underfoot.

The narrator has enough of a conscious to refrain from acting violently towards the new household pet, until one day when it almost trips him while he is going down the cellar steps. He grabs an axe and would’ve succeeded in killing the animal, but his wife interferes. This spurs the man into a rage that leads him to bury the ax in his wife’s brain. She dies instantly.

But of course, this does not mark the end of the tale. The narrator does successfully hide the body, and even the cat disappears, but a happy ending is not be had…


The Premature Burial
This is one of the very rare stories Poe has written that features a happy ending… after, of course, some deeply disturbing events.

Beginning innocuously enough, the narrator begins with what appears to be an academic monograph considering the fact that people really enjoy reading about human tragedies — ("…the Plague at London… the Massacre of St. Bartholomew, or the stifling of the hundred and twenty-three prisoners in the Black Hole of Calcutta."). He maintains that these are acceptable to people only because they are true, and that if similar stories were to be told in fiction, well, that would "disgust" the reader.

This brings him to reflect that when it comes to something horrid happening to the individual, there can be nothing more terrible than to be buried alive. Fair enough, but it soon becomes apparent that the author has an unsettling obsession with the idea of mistaken burials.

He even goes on to give us four mini-macabre tales (which honestly, make this story worth reading in and of themselves).

In the first, the wife of a respected Congressman appeared to have been struck dead by an unknown malady and was thus interred in the family vault for three years. When the vault is opened again to receive a sarcophagus, the chaotic remnants in the tomb tell a ghastly story of a fight against a horrific fate.

The woman, awakening in a coffin, apparently manages to break it open by moving around enough that if falls off the shelf it was on and breaks open. An empty lamp on the floor tells us that, for a little while at least, she had some light.

Using a piece of her coffin, the woman apparently struck against the iron door at the top of the vault’s stairs to attract someone’s attention. She died, but instead of falling down the stairs, her shroud catches on some iron work and she instead rots standing up, a grim hostess greeting those who opened the vault’s door.

The second story is a romantic tragedy with a suitably morbid twist but happy ending nonetheless.

In it, the beautiful daughter of a wealthy family rejects the love a poor Parisian journalist, instead marrying a diplomat. The decision results in forcing her to endure several years of a terrible marriage during which her husbands is horrible to her. One day, she appears to die and is buried in the village cemetery.

The Parisian journalist, ever the romantic, journeys to the grave in hopes of exhuming her body and cutting off her hair so he can keep it. While cutting off the "luxuriant tresses," the woman opens her eyes! Using "certain powerful restoratives suggested by no little medical learning," he manages to restore her to full health.

Saving her from dying in an early grave wins the woman’s heart over to the journalist and the two flee to America. Twenty years later, the couple returns to France, thinking the woman will no longer be recognized by anyone they know. Sure enough, her first husband immediately recognizes her and claims her as his. The issue goes to court and the judges decide that enough time has passed that her first husband has neither equitable or legal claim to her.

Finally, the reader is told about an artillery officer "of gigantic stature and robust health" who is thrown from a horse and fractures his skull. Eventually falling into a coma — despite being bled — he is deemed dead and buried with "indecent haste" in a public cemetery.

A passing villager, insisting that he felt the soil moving beneath him as he sat on the grave, rushes to the village to tell him. Finally, the villagers, persuaded by his insistent terror, dig up his "shamefully shallow" grave and find him alive. He is taken to the hospital and, after recovery, is even able to explain how he heard people walking on his grave and as such tried to make a commotion from within his coffin. (Poe does account for the one hole in this tale, explain that air was admitted to the "loosely filled" grave through the "excessively porous soil."

Ironically, the poor officer is then subjected to the "galvanic battery" (which, from what I can gather from this and other stories, is kind of like the pads used to shock a person’s heart back into beating… only, without either the knowledge, technology, or voltage control we have today), which kills him.

The galvanic battery plays a role in the next mini-horror story, but that one I will leave to be read by you. Trust me, it’s worth it.

Moving on to our narrator, we soon discover he has "catalepsy," a condition which essentially causes him to fall into mini-comas. We also learn that his obsession with being buried alive has taken over his life. He needs to be around people all the time, he thinks of nothing else all day and dreams of it at night. He makes his friends literally swear they will never allow him to be buried until or unless his body has actually begun to decompose.

And then, one day, he awakens to find himself surrounded by a structure on all sides, no more than six inches above his face… surely, a coffin. He either hallucinates in his terror or perhaps really does glimpse the horrors of a Hell in which every grave in the world is simultaneously flung open and millions of souls were buried too early and rustle in misery.

The ending is rather surprising, given that this is a Poe story. However, it is not unwelcome and does nothing to detract from the disquieting thoughts reading this story may lead one to have, the vivid horror imagery, or the signature way in which Poe leads the reader slowly led into the ruffled mind of his narrator.


The Man of the Crowd
Translation of opening quote: "The great misfortune of not being alone." – La Bruyere

Some of Poe’s short stories do little more than simply envision various ways one might experience hell on earth, and this is one of them. There is no real plot arc, or character development as such, but simply the horrid realization of another’s condition.

Don’t let the French, German, and possibly Hebrew — or perhaps ancient Greek or Arabic — sprinkled throughout the beginning of this story scare you away. After all, Poe even translates the German for you (a courtesy not often extended by him to the reader).

The pompous, over-educated narrator of this story is sitting in a hotel café after recovering from an illness. He is reading a paper and smoking a cigar and generally basking in the mere pleasure of being alive (despite some pain) that often follows a serious illness or injury.

As evening falls, he becomes absorbed in watching the throngs of people outside the window, at first just watching them as a group, and then slowly classifying them into classes (clerks, gentry, pickpockets, etc.). Fittingly, as the day grows late, the less genteel, more harsh-featured working class citizens begin to appear while making their way home.

Then, just as a fog envelops the street, the narrator’s attention is arrested by a face of a man so fiendish, so devilish, our friend is immediately captivated by him. So much so, in fact, that he grabs his coat and hat and rushes after him.

He notices the mysterious man is dressed in dirty, but beautiful, clothes and that he is carrying both a diamond and a dagger.

The man goes to a street that is slightly less crowded and seems to aimless cross the street and change direction for no apparent reason, at one time even almost catching the narrator in the act of following him.

After following the man for a while, it becomes apparent that the man prefers to be immersed in a crowd and that; actually, being apart from a throng of people seems to cause him almost physical pain.

Our narrator follows and follows the man, finally realizing that the man literally cannot be left alone. He must be within the midst of people to be spared an agonizing pain. Having realized the horrible, personal, eternal torture of the man, he abandons his quest to follow the man.


The Man That Was Used Up: A Tale of the Late Bugaboo and Kickapoo Campaign
The Corneille quote that begins this story translates to: "Weep, weep, my eyes water and melt you! Half of my life put the other to the grave."

I have a confession to make: this particular tale isn’t all that frightening, or even that disturbing by modern standards. In fact, it can also serve as an example of one of Poe’s more humorous stories, as much of the narrative is decidedly tongue-in-cheek and the action does have a vaguely comic, almost Abbott and Costello feel about it.

Or so I thought, when I first read it in sixth grade. But somehow, I kept thinking back to it, images from the ending lingering in my brain, and the more I thought of it, the more I became aware of being a little disturbed. After all, it was possible, wasn’t it…?

I read it again. I realized that, yes, this was definitely Poe using a very wry sense of humor. It was almost like Mark Twain in the way it poked a bit of fun at the tightly regulated social rules and rituals of the gentry (I didn’t know it in sixth grade, but that makes sense: Poe was a southern gentleman, and took that station very seriously). But the image in my head at the end of the book, of that lump by the door… that wasn’t really funny at all when you thought about it. Actually, it was pretty creepy, at least to me.

But I digress.

Our narrator here is named Smith, and, by his own admission, simply can’t stand an unanswered question. One night, while at a party, Smith is introduced to Brevet Brigadier-General John A.B.C. Smith is so struck by the general’s perfect good looks and fine, refined manner that he can’t even remember who introduced them.

The two men enjoy a wonderful conversation during which the general rhapsodizes about the "mechanical age" in which they live and all the convenience machines offer.

But something nags at Smith. He can’t quite put his finger on it, but something is simply different about the general. It’s not his extraordinary good looks, right down to "the most entirely even, and the most brilliantly white of all conceivable teeth." Nor is it the general’s impeccable manners and precise way of moving (if he weren’t so obviously of high breeding, Smith muses, the general’s movements would seem cold; instead, this quality seems to reflect a natural, aristocratic aloofness).

Smith quickly sets about finding the answer the way most gentry would — by seeking out any gossip about the general from his friends. He attempts to whisper with a friend in church but the pastor — Dr. Drummummupp (get it? Drum ‘em up?) — gets so angry he almost breaks the pulpit in half by banging on it.

Smith goes to the theater to ask a couple of girls he knows but, again, is shushed by an actor (whom Smith subsequently beats up after the show). He then attends a party and asks someone who would know, but again is interrupted. He visits a friend, but the friends makes a sarcastic comment causing Smith to stalk off.

Everyone seems to agree on one thing: something positively horrid happened to the general while he was fighting against the Bugaboos and the Kickapoos (who we know only as "Indians"), the general was extraordinarily brave, and for some reason everyone also tends to starts babbling about modern times and technology.

Finally, Smith decides that he’s just going to go and ask the general himself. He is totally and utterly unprepared for who — or what? — greets him there. All his questions are answered without any real explication from the general… at least, not verbal explication.

--- Christina Sampson


SP is proud to have THE Christina Sampson as a guest writer. Because of her wonderful interest in macabre literature and enthusiasm for strange and surreal nostalgia, SP has given her an open and unlimited invitation to drop into the crypt anytime she pleases. (Hopefully, a few venomous spiders and rotting zombies lurking about won't discourage her from returning.) The Daring Damsel has worked as a journalist for the Pahrump Valley Times, Las Vegas Tribune, Courthouse News Service, and numerous other entities. To learn more about Christina Sampson, check out her website at Sampson CopyWrite or on Facebook.


The artwork featured above the article was done by the talented illustrator Abigail Larson. You can view (and purchase) some of her incredible work on her website at Abigail Larson Illustration.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Lon Chaney: Film List


He was the Man of a Thousand Faces, giving life to an array of deformed and grotesque characters like no other actor or makeup artist before him. So impressive was Lon Chaney at his craft that he not only made spectating movie audiences scream from his shocking and frightening appearances, he also had them sympathizing with the tragic figures that gave those same patrons nightmares! Born on April Fool's Day of 1883 to def and mute parents, Chaney quickly learned to skillfully use his hands, body, and facial expressions to communicate with them. This invaluable tool also served to amplify his ability to reach his audience throughout his career on the theatrical stage and up on the silver screen. Chaney had great respect for those with physical limitations and imperfections, which society usually shunned. Crew members and fellow actors admired and adored him for his kindness and generosity -- including the great Boris Karloff. In fact, the dedicated silent era actor allowed himself to suffer greatly under the extreme body contortions and harsh makeup he applied on himself when playing certain memorable roles. Chaney was additionally blessed with the talents for signing, dancing, comedy, and voices -- the latter of which is evident in The Unholy Three (1930), his last film and the only "talkie" he ever appeared in before his untimely death. Unfortunately, most of Lon Chaney's films are currently lost, but several have managed to resurface with time. Today, we are fortunate to have a few examples of some of his greatest work, including The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Phantom of the Opera, and West of Zanzibar, to name a few.


Alas and Alack (1915) -- final minutes of film are missing
Almost an Actress (1913) -- lost film
Back to Life (1913) -- lost film
The Blood Red Tape of Charity (1913) -- lost film
Bloodhounds of the North (1913) -- lost film
An Elephant on His Hands (1913) -- lost film
Poor Jake's Demise (1913)
Red Margaret, Moonshiner (1913; a.k.a. Moonshine Blood) -- lost film
The Restless Spirit (1913) -- lost film
The Sea Urchin (1913) -- lost film
Shon the Piper (1913) -- lost film
Suspense (1913) -- most likely played one of the tramps
The Trap (1913) -- lost film
The Ways of Fate (1913) -- lost film
By the Sun's Rays (1914)
Discord and Harmony (1914) -- lost film
The Embezzler (1914) -- lost film
The End of the Feud (1914) -- lost film
The Forbidden Room (1914) -- lost film
Her Bounty (1914) -- lost film
Her Escape (1914) -- lost film
Her Grave Mistake (1914) -- lost film
Her Life's Story (1914) -- lost film
The Higher Law (1914) -- lost film
The Honor of the Mounted (1914) -- lost film
The Hopes of Blind Alley (1914) -- lost film
The Lamb, the Woman, the Wolf (1914) -- lost film
The Lie (1914) -- lost film
Lights and Shadows (1914) -- lost film
The Lion, the Lamb, the Man (1914) -- lost film
The Menace to Carlotta (1914; a.k.a. Carlotta, the Bead Stringer) -- lost film
A Miner's Romance (1914) -- lost film
A Night of Thrills (1914) -- lost film
The Old Cobbler (1914) -- lost film
The Oubliette (1914)
The Pipes o' Pan (1914) -- lost film
A Ranch Romance (1914) -- lost film
Remember Mary Magdalen (1914) -- lost film
Richelieu (1914) -- lost film
The Tragedy of Whispering Creek (1914) -- lost film
The Unlawful Trade (1914) -- lost film
Virtue Is Its Own Reward (1914) -- lost film
All for Peggy (1915) -- lost film
Bound on the Wheel (1915) -- lost film
The Chimney's Secret (1915) -- lost film
The Desert Breed (1915) -- lost film
The Fascination of the Fleur de Lis (1915) -- only a fragment survives
Father and the Boys (1915) -- lost film
For Cash (1915) -- lost film
The Girl of the Night (1915; a.k.a. Her Chance) -- lost film
The Grind (1915; a.k.a. On the Verge of Sin) -- lost film
An Idyll of the Hills (1915) -- lost film
Lon of Lone Mountain (1915) -- lost film
Maid of the Mist (1915) -- lost film
The Measure of a Man (1915) -- lost film
The Millionaire Paupers (1915) -- only a fragment of the film survives
A Mother's Atonement (1915) -- only part of the film survives
Mountain Justice (1915) -- lost film
Outside the Gates (1915) -- lost film
The Oyster Dredger (1915) -- lost film
The Pine's Revenge (1915) -- lost film
Quits (1915) -- lost film
The Sin of Olga Brandt (1915) -- lost film
A Small Town Girl (1915) -- lost film
The Star of the Sea (1915) -- lost film
Steady Company (1915) -- lost film
The Stool Pigeon (1915) -- lost film
The Stronger Mind (1915) -- lost film
Stronger Than Death (1915) -- lost film
Such Is Life (1915) -- lost film
The Threads of Fate (1915) -- lost film
The Trust (1915) -- lost film
Under a Shadow (1915) -- lost film
The Violin Maker (1915) -- lost film
When the Gods Played a Badger Game (1915; a.k.a. The Girl Who Couldn't Go Wrong) -- lost film
Where the Forest Ends (1915) -- lost film
Accusing Evidence (1916) -- re-edited version of earlier film(s)
Bobbie of the Ballet (1916) -- lost film
Dolly's Scoop (1916)
Felix on the Job (1916) -- lost film
The Gilded Spider (1916; a.k.a. The Full Cup) -- lost film
The Grasp of Greed (1916; a.k.a. Mr. Meeson's Will) -- only part of the film survives
The Grip of Jealousy (1916) -- lost film
If My Country Should Call (1916) -- only parts of the film survive
The Mark of Cain (1916; a.k.a. By Fate's Degree) -- lost film
The Place Beyond the Winds (1916) -- most of the film survives
The Price of Silence (1916) -- lost film
Tangled Hearts (1916) -- only a few minutes of footage exist
Anything Once (1917) -- lost film
Bondage (1917) -- lost film
A Doll's House (1917)
The Empty Gun (1917) -- lost film
Fires of Rebellion (1917) -- lost film
The Flashlight (1917; a.k.a. The Flashlight Girl) -- lost film
The Girl in the Checkered Coat (1917) -- lost film
Hell Morgan's Girl (1917) -- lost film
The Mask of Love (1917) -- lost film, retitled & re-release of an unknown earlier film
Pay Me! (1917; a.k.a. Pay Day/The Vengeance of the West) -- lost film
The Piper's Price (1917) -- lost film
The Rescue (1917) -- lost film
The Scarlet Car (1917)
Triumph (1917) -- only part of the film survives
Broadway Love (1918)
A Broadway Scandal (1918) -- lost film
Danger, Go Slow (1918) -- lost film
Fast Company (1918) -- lost film
The Grand Passion (1918) -- lost film
The Kaiser, the Beast of Berlin (1918; a.k.a. The Kaiser) -- lost film
Riddle Gawne (1918) -- only part of the film survives
The Talk of the Town (1918) -- lost film
That Devil, Bateese (1918) -- lost film
False Faces (1919)
A Man's Country (1919) -- lost film
The Miracle Man (1919) -- only a fragment of the film survives
Paid in Advance (1919)
Victory (1919)
When Bearcat Went Dry (1919)
The Wicked Darling (1919)
Daredevil Jack (1920) -- only parts of the film survive, 15-chapter serial
The Gift Supreme (1920) -- only part of the film survives
Nomads of the North (1920)
Outside the Law (1920)
The Penalty (1920)
Treasure Island (1920) -- lost film
The Ace of Hearts (1921)
Bits of Life (1921) -- lost film
For Those We Love (1921) -- lost film
Voices of the City (1921; a.k.a. The Night Rose) -- lost film
A Blind Bargain (1922; a.k.a. The Octave of Claudius) -- lost film
Flesh and Blood (1922)
The Light in the Dark (1922; a.k.a. The Light of Faith)
Oliver Twist (1922)
Quincy Adams Sawyer (1922)
Shadows (1922)
The Trap (1922; a.k.a. Heart of a Wolf)
All the Brothers Were Valiant (1923) -- lost film
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923)
The Shock (1923)
While Paris Sleeps (1923) -- lost film
He Who Gets Slapped (1924)
The Next Corner (1924) -- lost film
The Monster (1925)
1925 Studio Tour (1925) -- documentary
The Phantom of the Opera (1925)
The Tower of Lies (1925) -- lost film
The Unholy Three (1925)
The Blackbird (1926)
The Road to Mandalay (1926) -- film survives incomplete
Tell It to the Marines (1926)
London After Midnight (1927) -- only a 2002 reconstruction exists
Mockery (1927)
Mr. Wu (1927)
The Unknown (1927)
The Big City (1928) -- lost film
Laugh, Clown, Laugh (1928)
West of Zanzibar (1928)
While the City Sleeps (1928)
Thunder (1929) -- only a small fragment survives
Where East Is East (1929)
The Unholy Three (1930)
 




Saturday, November 19, 2011

Killer Plants: Film & TV List


As evident in the numerous films and television programs that they have appeared in, homicidal and carnivorous vegetation have always been a strange fascination for many fantasy, horror, and sci-fi fans. Interest in these wondrous and deadly creatures continue to stay strong and blogs dedicated to them are sprouting like weeds all over the Internet. As part of SP's cryptozoological film & TV listing series, yours gruelly has not only included giant carnivorous plants, but also killer fruits, dangerous fungi, and humanoid plant-creatures, which should satisfy the web-exploring masses looking for a good SPew... or simply, unique ideas for backyard landscaping? So, whithout further adieu, grab your popcorn and green candy vines and check out these botanical nightmares.... 


ABC Weekend Specials: "The Bunjee Venture" (1984) -- animated TV episode
The Addams Family (1964-1966) -- TV series, Motricia's carnivorous pet Cleopatra
The Addams Family (1973-1975) -- animated TV series
The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (2002-2006) -- animated TV series
Aladdin: "Garden of Evil" (1994) -- animated TV episode
At the Earth's Core (1976)
Attack of the Killer Tomatoes! (1978)
Attack of the Killer Tomatoes (1990-1992) -- animated TV series
Attack of the Mushroom People (1963; a.k.a. Matango)
The Avengers: "Man-Eater of Surrey Green" (1965) -- TV episode
Batman & Robin (1997)
Batman: The Animated Series: "Pretty Poison" (1992) -- animated TV episode
Batman: The Brave and the Bold: "Sidekicks Assemble!" (2010) -- animated TV episode
Batman: The Brave and the Bold: "The Mask of Matches Malone!" (2010) -- animated TV episode
Blood (1974) -- starring Hope Stansbury
Body of the Prey (1970; a.k.a. Venus Flytrap)
Body Snatchers (1993)
Creepshow (1982)
Creepshow 2 (1987)
Darkwing Duck (1991) -- animated TV series, recurring villain Bushroot
The Day of the Triffids (1962)
The Day of the Triffids (1981)
The Day of the Triffids (2009)
Die, Monster, Die! (1965)
Dinner for Adela (1978; a.k.a. Adéla Jeste Nevecerela)
Doctor Who: "The Seeds of Doom, Parts 1-6" (1976) -- TV episodes
Doctor Who: "The Trial of a Time Lord, Part 9" (1986; a.k.a. "Terror of the Vervoids") -- TV episode
The Double Garden (1970; a.k.a. The Venus Flytrap)
Dr. Terror's House of Horrors (1965)
Emperor's New Grove (2000)
Flash Gordon (1979-1982) -- animated TV series
Friday the 13th the Series: "A Cup of Time" (1987) -- TV episode
Garfield and Friends: "One Good Fern Deserves Another" (1989) -- animated TV episode
Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989)
George of the Jungle (1967-1970) -- animated TV series, closing credits
The Green Slime (1968)
Hank Danger and the Space Mummy's Tomb! (2009) -- animation
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
The Headless Terror (1967; a.k.a. Penanggalan)
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: "title unknown" (2002-2004) -- animated TV episode
The Hilarious House of Frightenstein (1971) -- TV series
Holocausto Porno (1981) -- porno
H.R. Pufnstuf (1969-1970) -- TV series with poison mushrooms that turn any living creature they touch into fungus
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009)
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
It Conquered the World (1956)
Jimmy Two-Shoes (2009-) -- animated TV series
Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008)
Jumanji (1995)
Kaiba: "title unknown" (2008) -- animated TV episode
Killer Tomatoes Eat France (1991)
Killer Tomatoes Strike Back (1990)
Kim Possible: "title unknown" (2002-2007) -- animated TV episode
Konga (1961)
The Land Unknown (1957)
Lexx (1997-2002) -- TV series
Little Shop of Horrors (1960)
Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
Loonatics Unleashed: "Apocalypso" (2007) -- animated TV episode
The Lost Continent (1968)
Lost Girl: "(Dis)Members Only" (2010) -- TV episode
Lost in Space: "Attack of the Monster Plants" (1965) -- TV episode
The Lost World (1960)
The Lost World: "The Guardians" (2001) -- TV episode
Luana (1968)
Man Eater of Hydra (1967; a.k.a. Island of the Doomed/La Isla de la Muerte) -- also features a bloodsucking tree!
Milton the Monster: "The Goofy Doctor Goo Fee/From Riches to Rags/The Pot Thickens" (1965) -- animated TV episode
Milton the Monster: "Throne for a Loss/Missin' Masters/Monster Mutiny" (1965) -- animated TV episode
Milton the Monster: "Boo to You/Under Waterloo/Kid Stuff" (1965-1967) -- animated TV series episode
Minority Report (2000)
Mortuary (2005)
Mothra (1961)
The Mutations (1973; a.k.a. The Freakmaker)
Mutiny in Outer Space (1965)
Naruto (2002-2007) -- animated TV series
Naruto: Shippûden (2007-) -- animated TV series
The New Addams Family (1998-1999) -- TV series
The New Scooby-Doo Movies: "Wednesday Is Missing" (1972) -- animated TV episode
Ninja Nonsense: "title unknown" (2004; a.k.a. Ninin ga shinobuden) -- animated TV episode
The Outer Limits: "Flower Child" (2001) -- TV episode
Please Don't Eat My Mother! (1973)
Poltergeist Report: Yuu Yuu Hakusho (1992-1995) -- animated TV series
The Quartermass Xperiment (1955; a.k.a. The Creeping Unknown)
The Red Skelton Show "Episode #20.7" (1970) -- TV episode
Return of the Killer Tomatoes! (1988)
The Revenge of Doctor X (1970)
Rocky and His Friends: "The Pottsylvania Permanent or I've Grown Accustomed to the Place" (1960) -- TV episode
Rosario to Vampire (2008-2009) -- animated TV series
Rosario to Vampire Capu2 (2008) -- animated TV series
The Ruins (2008)
Sabrina and the Groovie Goolies (1970-1971; a.k.a. The Groovie Goolies and Friends) -- animated TV series
Scary Movie 2 (2001)
Seedpeople (1992)
Seeds of Evil (1974)
The Seven Vampires (1987; a.k.a. As Sete Vampiras)
The Simpsons: "Simpson Safari" (2001) -- animated TV episode
The Simpsons: "Moe Baby Blues" (2003) -- animated TV episode
Star Trek - Voyager "Bliss" (1999) -- TV episode
Swamp Devil (2008)
Tarzan's Desert Mystery (1943)
The Tender Trap (1974) -- documentary about carnivorous plants; with Vincent Price
The Thing from Another World (1951)
Toyota ECHO commercial (20??) --- might have premiered in 2003, woman feeds grocery boy to giant Venus flytrap in the back of her vehicle
Transformers: Cybertron (2005) -- animated TV series
Transformers: The Headmasters: "title unknown" (1987-1988) -- animated TV episode
Tremors: "Flora or Fauna?" (2003) -- TV episode
Ultraman: "Miroganda no Himitsu" (1966) -- TV episode
The Unknown Terror (1957)
Untamed Women (1952)
Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light (1987) -- animated TV series
Voodoo Island (1957)
Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet (1965)
Werewolf of London (1935)
When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth (1970)
The Woman Eater (1958)
The X-Files: "El Mundo Gira" (1997) -- TV episode
Yog, Monster from Space (1971)
Yû yû Hakusho (1993-2006) -- animated TV series

see also film & TV lists of... EVIL TREES!


The Addams Family (1964-1966)

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes! (1978)

The Day of the Triffids (1962)

H.R. Pufnstuf (1969-1070)

Little Shop of Horrors (1986)

Batman: The Animated Series: "Pretty Poison" (1992)

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Evil Trees: Film & TV List


Bloodoak, Ya-te-veo, and the man-eating Madagascar tree -- these and other malicious trees have haunted us throughout the ages in folklore and in the pages of literature. Tales and images of evil trees are especially effective in disturbing the imagination and terrifying many... especially at campfires and on Halloween night. Despite popular interest in them, it is odd that very few films and television programs have placed these nightmare-inducing monsters in the spotlight where they deserve to be. Most often, cinematic evil trees have been displayed as secondary antagonists or reduced to simply being minions of other villains. However, whenever the sentient creatures DO appear, they make quite an impact on audiences. Only a handful of films have dared to make these characters the stars of the horror picture, but SP feels there ought to be more and, therefore, dedicates this post to our tree fiends who continue to fascinate and frighten us shitless!!!!


The Adventures of Sinbad: "title unknown" (1996-1998) -- TV series episode
Angkerbatu (2007)
Babes in Toyland (1961)
Ben 10: Alien Force: "title unknown" (2008-2010) -- animated TV series
Ben 10: Ultimate Alien: "title unknown" (2010-) -- animated TV series episode
The Big O: "title unknown" (1999-2003) -- animated TV series episode
Brides of Blood (1968; a.k.a. Brides of the Beast/The Island of Living Horror)
Ching nu yu Hun (1960; a.k.a. The Enchanting Shadow)
Cthulhu (2007)
Doctor Who: "The Keys of Marinus" (1964) -- TV series episode
DuckTales: "Much Ado About Scrooge" (1987) -- animated TV series
Eden Log (2007)
The Evil Dead (1981)
Evil Dead II (1987)
Family Guy: "Petergeist" (2006) -- animated TV series episode
Felix in Fairyland (1923)
Friday the 13th - The Series: "Doorway to Hell" (1988) -- TV series episode featuring attacking tree vines.
Friday the 13th the Series: "The Tree of Life" (1990) -- TV series episode
From Hell It Came (1957)
The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy: "The Taking Tree" (2005) -- animated TV series episode
The Guardian (1990)
The Happening (2008)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) -- the vicious Whomping Willow first appears in this film
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)
H.R. Pufnstuf (1969-1970) -- TV series featuring Evil Trees in haunted forest alongside Poison Mushrooms!
InuYasha: "title unknown" (2000-2005) -- animated TV series episode
Jack Frost (1965; a.k.a. Morozko)
Jimmy Two-Shoes: "title unknown" (2009-) -- animated TV series episode
Kuntilanak (2006)
The Last Unicorn (1982) -- animation
Lidsville: "Show Me the Way to Go Home" (1971) -- TV series episode
The Little Prince (1974) -- opera featuring evil Baobab Trees
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) -- not evil, but impressive
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) -- more heroic trees, but creepy-looking
Lost Girl: "(Dis)Members Only" (2010) -- TV series episode
Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha: "title unknown" (2004) -- animated TV series episode
The Mighty Boosh: "Fountain of Youth" (2005) -- TV series episode
My Little Pony: The Movie (1986) -- animation
The Navy vs. the Night Monsters (1966)
Negima!: "title unknown" (????) -- animated TV series episode
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) -- animation
Origin: Spirits of the Past (2006; a.k.a. Gin-iro no Kami no Agito) -- animation
Poltergeist (1982)
Pufnstuf (1970) -- film based on live animation TV series
Robot Chicken: "title unknown" (2005-) -- animated TV series episode
Sailor Moon: "title unknown" (????) -- animated TV series episode
Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town (1970) -- animation
Saturday Night Live: "The Killer Christmas Tree" (1975) -- TV series episode
Sealab 2021: "Isla de las Chupacabras" (2004) -- animated TV series episode
Shrek 2 (2004)
Shrek the Third (2007)
Sien nui Yau Wan (1987; a.k.a. A Chinese Ghost Story)
Sien lui Yau Wan III: Do Do Do (1991; a.k.a. A Chinese Ghost Story III)
The Simpsons Movie (2007) -- animation
Sleepy Hollow (1999)
The Thief of Bagdad (1924) -- although not evil, it features a creepy living tree that walks
Trees (2000)
The Root of All Evil (2004)
Treevenge (2008) -- short film, evil Christmas trees
Trollz (2005-2006) -- animated TV series
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Womaneater (1958)
The X-Files: "title unknown" (1993-2002) -- TV series episode
Yû yû Hakusho: "title unknown" (????) -- animated TV series episode

Treevenge (2008)

Family Guy

From Hell It Came (1957)

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1949)

The Evil Dead (1981)

H.R. Pufnstuf 

The Guardian (1990)

The Whomping Willow

The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Poltergeist (1982)


SEE ALSO... Killer Plants!

Friday, October 28, 2011

Boris Karloff: Film & TV List


Karloff the Uncanny! His voice sent chills down people's spines and his horror pictures terrified millions. The dedicated actor had appeared in hundreds of stage productions, numerous radio and television programs, and a phenomenal number of films from 1919 until his unfortunate death in 1969. His portrayals of the Frankenstein Monster, The Mummy, and Fu Manchu are legendary and his classic narration of How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966) is an old-time holiday favorite. In contrast to the villainous roles he is most often remembered for, Boris Karloff was a kindhearted and intelligent man, making him one of the most beloved actors in show business. The British-born actor took particular delight in putting smiles on children's faces and his generosity was especially evident with his regular contributions to charities for disabled children and children's literacy programs. What separated Karloff from many other horror film stars of the time, was his ability to make the villains he played seem tragic and even sympathetic for the audience. The following is a listing of the brilliant actor's impressively long film and television credits.

His Majesty the American (1919)
The Lightning Raider (1919)
The Masked Raider (1919) -- 15-chapter serial
The Courage of Marge O'Doone (1920)
The Deadlier Sex (1920)
The Last of the Mohicans (1920)
The Prince and the Betty (1920)
The Cave Girl (1921)
Cheated Hearts (1921)
The Hope Diamond Mystery (1921) -- 15-chapter serial
Without Benefit of Clergy (1921)
The Altar Stairs (1922)
The Infidel (1922)
The Man from Downing Street (1922)
Omar the Tentmaker (1922)
The Woman Conquers (1922)
The Gentleman from America (1923)
The Prisoner (1923)
Dynamite Dan (1924)
The Hellion (1924)
Parisian Nights (1924)
Riders in the Plains (1924)
Forbidden Cargo (1925)
Lady Robin Hood (1925)
Never the Twain Shall Meet (1925)
Perils of the Wind (1925) -- 15-chapter serial
The Prairie Wife (1925)
Without Mercy (1925)
The Bells (1926)
The Eagle of the Sea (1926)
Flames (1926)
Flaming Fury (1926)
The Golden Web (1926)
The Greater Glory (1926)
Her Honor the Governor (1926)
The Man in the Saddle (1926)
The Nickel Hopper (1926)
Old Ironsides (1926)
Valencia (1926)
Let It Rain (1927)
The Love Mart (1927)
The Meddlin' Stranger (1927)
The Phantom Buster (1927)
The Princess from Hoboken (1927)
Soft Cushions (1927)
Tarzan and the Golden Lion (1927)
Two Arabian Knights (1927)
Burning the Wind (1928)
The Fatal Warning (1928) -- 10-chapter serial
The Little Wild Girl (1928)
Sharp Shooters (1928)
Vanishing Rider (1928) -- 10-chapter serial
Vulrures of the Sea (1928) -- 10-chapter serial
Anne Against the World (1929)
Behind That Curtain (1929)
The Devil's Chaplain (1929)
King of the Kongo (1929)
The Phantom of the North (1929)
Two Sisters (1929)
The Unholy Night (1929)
The Bad One (1930)
King of the Wild (1930) -- 12-chapter serial
The Sea Bat (1930)
The Utah Kid (1930)
Cracked Nuts (1931)
The Criminal Code (1931)
Dirigible (1931)
Five Star Final (1931)
Frankenstein (1931)
Graft (1931)
The Guilty Generation (1931)
I Like Your Nerve (1931)
The Mad Genius (1931)
Pardon Us (1931)
The Public Defender (1931)
Smart Money (1931)
Tonight or Never (1931)
The Vanishing Legion (1931) -- 12-chapter serial
The Yellow Ticket (1931)
Young Donovan's Kid (1931)
Behind the Mask (1932)
Business and Pleasure (1932)
The Cohens and the Kellys in Hollywood (1932)
The Mask of Fu Manchu (1932)
The Miracle Man (1932)
The Mummy (1932)
Night World (1932)
The Old Dark House (1932)
Scarface (1932)
The Ghoul (1933)
The Black Cat (1934)
Gift of Gab (1934)
The House of Rothschild (1934)
The Lost Patrol (1934)
The Black Room (1935)
Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
The Raven (1935)
Charlie Chan at the Opera (1936)
The Invisible Ray (1936)
Juggernaut (1936)
The Man Who Changed His Mind (1936; a.k.a. The Man Who Lived Again)
The Walking Dead (1936)
Night Key (1937)
West of Shanghai (1937)
The Invisible Menace (1938)
Mr. Wong, Detective (1938)
The Man They Could Not Hang (1939)
The Mystery of Mr. Wong (1939)
Mr. Wong in Chinatown (1939)
Son of Frankenstein (1939)
Tower of London (1939)
The Ape (1940)
Before I Hang (1940)
Black Friday (1940)
British Intelligence (1940)
Devil's Island (1940)
The Fatal Hour (1940)
Doomed to Die (1940)
The Man with Nine Lives (1940)
You'll Find Out (1940)
The Devil Commands (1941)
The Boogie Man Will Get You (1942)
The Climax (1944)
House of Frankenstein (1944)
The Body Snatcher (1945)
Isle of the Dead (1945)
Bedlam (1946)
Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome (1947)
Lured (1947)
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947)
Unconquered (1947)
Tap Roots (1948)
We, the People: "Episode #1.9" (1948) -- TV series episode
Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff (1949)
Celebrity Time: "September 4" (1949; a.k.a. The Eyes Have It) -- TV game-show episode
The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre: "Expert Opinion" (1949) -- TV series episode
The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre: "A Passenger to Bali" (1949) -- TV series episode
The Ford Theatre Hour: "Arsenic and Old Lace" (1949) -- TV series episode
Starring Boris Karloff (1949; a.k.a. The Boris Karloff Mystery Playhouse) -- TV series
Suspense!: "A Night at an Inn" (1949) -- TV series episode
Suspense!: "The Monkey's Paw" (1949) -- TV series episode
Suspense!: "The Yellow Scarf" (1949) -- TV series episode
Texaco Star Theater: "Episode #1.45" (1949; a.k.a. The Milton Berle Show/The Buick-Berle Show) -- TV series episode
Inside U.S.A. with Chevrolet: "Episode #1.12" (1950) -- TV series episode
Lights Out: "The Leopard Lady" (1950) -- TV series episode
Masterpiece Playhouse: "Uncle Vanya" (1950) -- TV series episode
The Paul Whiteman's Goodyear Revue: "Episode #2.4" (1950) -- TV series episode
The Perry Como Show: "February 19" (1950; a.k.a. Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall) -- TV series episode
The Saturday Night Revue with Jack Carter: "Episode #2.17" (1950) -- TV series episode
Texaco Star Theater: "Episode #3.13" (1950; a.k.a. The Milton Berle Show/The Buick-Berle Show) -- TV series episode
Celebrity Time: "November 25" (1951; a.k.a. The Eyes Have It) -- TV game-show episode
Don McNeill's TV Club: "April 11" (1951) -- TV series episode
The Emperor's Nightingale (1951)
The Fred Waring General Electric Show: "October 21" (1951) -- TV series episode
Lux Video Theatre: "The Jest of Hahalaba" (1951) -- TV series episode
Robert Montgomery Presents: "The Kimballs" (1951) -- TV series episode
The Strange Door (1951)
Studio One: "Mutiny on the Nicolette" (1951; a.k.a. Studio One in Hollywood) -- TV series episode
Suspense!: "The Lonely Place" (1951) -- TV series episode
Texaco Star Theater: "Episode #4.4" (1951; a.k.a. The Milton Berle Show/The Buick-Berle Show) -- TV series episode
What's My Line?: "January 21" (1951) -- TV game-show episode
All Star Revue: "January 17" (1952; a.k.a. Four Star Revue) -- TV series episode, with Peter Lorre & Martha Raye
The Black Castle (1952)
CBS Television Workshop: "Don Quixote" (1952) -- TV series episode
Celebrity Time: "May 25" (1952; a.k.a. The Eyes Have It) -- TV game-show episode
Curtain Call: "The Soul of the Great Bell" (1952) -- TV series episode
I've Got a Secret: "June 19" (1952) -- TV game-show episode
Lux Video Theatre: "Fear" (1952) -- TV series episode
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars: "The House of Death" (1952) -- TV series episode
Studio One: "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" (1952; a.k.a. Studio One in Hollywood) -- TV series episode
Tales of Tomorrow: "Memento" (1952) -- TV series episode
Texaco Star Theater: "Episode #4.33" (1952; a.k.a. The Milton Berle Show/The Buick-Berle Show) -- TV series episode
Texaco Star Theater: "Episode #5.11" (1952; a.k.a. The Milton Berle Show/The Buick-Berle Show) -- TV series episode
That Reminds Me: "February 27" (1952) -- Tv game-show episode
The Stork Club: "January 30" (1952) -- TV series episode
Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1953)
ABC Album: "The Chase" (1953; a.k.a. The Plymouth Playhouse) -- TV series episode
The Hindu (1953)
Hollywood Opening Night: "The Invited Seven" (1953) -- TV series episode
Il Mostro dell'Isola (1953; a.k.a. The Monster of the Island)
Rheingold Theatre "" (1953) -- TV series episode
Robert Montgomery Presents: "Burden of Proof" (1953) -- TV series episode
Suspense!: "The Black Prophet" (1953) -- TV series episode
Suspense!: "The Signal Man" (1953) -- TV series episode
Tales of Tomorrow: "Past Tense" (1953) -- TV series episode
Who Said That?: "April 30" (1953) -- TV game-show episode
Climax!: "The White Carnation" (1954) -- TV series episode
The George Gobel Show: "Episode #1.5" (1954) -- TV series episode
I've Got a Secret: "October 13" (1954) -- TV game-show episode
Sabaka (1954)
Truth or Consequences: "November 7" (1954; a.k.a. The New Truth and Consequences) -- TV game-show episode
Down You Go (1954-1955) -- TV game-show
Colonel March of Scotland Yard (1954-1956) -- TV series
The Best of Broadway: "Arsenic and Old Lace" (1955) -- TV series episode, with Peter Lorre
The Donald O'Connor Show: "Episode #1.8" (1955) -- TV series episode
The Elgin Hour: "Sting of Death" (1955) -- TV series episode
General Electric Theater: "Mr. Blue Ocean" (1955) -- TV series episode
I've Got a Secret: "August 24" (1955) -- TV game-show episode
Max Liebman Presents: A Connecticut Yankee (1955) -- TV movie
The United States Steel Hour: "Counterfeit" (1955) -- TV series episode
The Alcoa Hour: "Even the Weariest River" (1956) -- TV series episode
The Amazing Dunninger: "July 18" (1956) -- TV series episode
Climax!: "Bury Me Later" (1956) -- TV series episode
The Ernie Kovacs Show: "August 13" (1956) -- TV series episode
Frankie Laine Time: "Episode #2.2" (1956) -- TV series episode
Playhouse 90: "Rendezvous in Black" (1956) -- TV series episode
The Red Skelton Show: "Episode #6.8" (1956) -- TV series episode
The $64,000 Challenge: "Dec. 11; Dec. 18; Dec. 25" (1956) -- TV game-show episodes
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show: "Episode #1.9" (1957) -- TV series episode
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show: "Episode #2.2" (1957) -- TV series episode
The Gisele MacKenzie Show: "Episode #1.8" (1957) -- TV series episode
Hallmark Hall of Fame: "The Lark" (1957) -- TV series episode
The Kate Smith Show: "April 28" (1957) -- TV series episode
Lux Video Theatre: "The Man Who Played God" (1957) -- TV series episode
The Rosemary Clooney Show: "Wolf-Grandmother" (1957) -- TV series episode
The Rosemary Clooney Show: "October 31" (1957) -- TV series episode
Suspicion: "The Deadly Game" (1957) -- TV series episode
This Is Your Life : "Boris Karloff" (1957) -- TV series episode
Voodoo Island (1957)
The Betty White Show: "February 12" (1958) -- TV series episode
Corridors of Blood (1958)
Frankenstein 1970 (1958)
The Haunted Strangler (1958)
Lux Video Theatre: "January 8" (1958) -- TV series episode
Playhouse 90: "Heart of Darkness" (1958) -- TV series episode
The Rosemary Clooney Show: "January 8" (1958) -- TV series episode
Shirley Temple's Storybook: "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" (1958) -- TV series episode
Studio One: "The Shadow of a Genius" (1958; a.k.a. Studio One in Hollywood) -- TV series episode
Telephone Time: "The Vestris" (1958) -- TV series episode
Tonight Starring Jack Paar: "April 22" (1958; a.k.a. The Jack Paar Tonight Show) -- TV series episode
The Veil (1958) -- TV series, never aired
The Gale Storm Show: "It's Murder My Dear" (1959) -- TV series episode
General Electric Theater: "The Indian Giver" (1959) -- TV series episode
The DuPont Show of the Month: "Treasure Island" (1960) -- TV series episode
Playhouse 90: "To the Sound of Trumpets" (1960) -- TV series episode
The Secret World of Eddie Hodges (1960)
Sunday Showcase: "Hollywood Sings" (1960) -- TV series episode
Thriller (1960-1962) -- TV series
The Dickie Henderson Show: "The Gangster" (1962) -- TV series episode
Hallmark Hall of Fame: "Arsenic & Old Lace" (1962) -- TV series episode
Out of This World (1962) -- TV series
PM East: "February 12" (1962) -- TV series episode
Route 66: "Lizard's Leg and Owlet's Wing" (1962) -- TV series episode, with Lon Chaney Jr. & Peter Lorre
Theatre '62: "The Paradine Case" (1962) -- TV series episode
Black Sabbath (1963)
Chronicle: "A Danish Fairy Tale" (1963) -- TV series episode
The Hy Gardner Show: "March 3" (1963) -- TV series episode, with Peter Lorre
I've Got a Secret: "January 28" (1963) -- TV game-show episode
Mondo Balordo (1963; a.k.a. A Fool's World) -- documentary
The Raven (1963)
The Terror (1963)
Bikini Beach (1964)
The Comedy of Terrors (1964)
The Garry Moore Show: "Episode #6.28" (1964) -- TV series episode
Hollywood and the Stars: "Monsters We've Known and Loved" (1964) -- TV series episode
The Tonight Show: "June ?" (1964) -- TV series episode
Die Monster Die! (1965)
The Entertainers: "January 16" (1965) -- TV series episode
Shindig!: "Episode #2.14" (1965) -- TV series episode
Butternut Coffee Commercial (1966) -- TV commercial
The Daydreamer (1966)
Ghost in the Invisible Bikini (1966)
The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.: "The Mother Muffin Affair" (1966) -- TV series episode
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966)
Schaeffer Pens Commercial (1966) -- TV commercial
The Venetian Affair (1966)
The Wild Wild West: "The Night of the Golden Cobra" (1966) -- TV series episode
Blind Man's Bluff (1967; a.k.a. Cauldron of Blood)
I Spy: "Mainly on the Plains" (1967) -- TV series episode
Mad Monster Party (1967)
Mondo Balordo (1967)
The Sorcerers (1967)
Volkswagen Commercial (1967) -- TV commercial
A-1 Steak Sauce Commercial (1968) -- TV commercial
Curse of the Crimson Altar (1968; a.k.a. The Crimson Cult)
The Fear Chamber (1968)
House of Evil (1968)
The Incredible Invasion (1968; a.k.a. Alien Terror)
Isle of the Snake People (1968)
The Jonathan Winters Show: "Episode #2.6" (1968) -- TV series episode
The Name of the Game: "The White Birch" (1968) -- TV series episode
The Red Skelton Show: "Episode #18.1" (1968) -- TV series episode, with Vincent Price
Targets (1968)