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Friday's Favorite OTR

Destination Freedom: "Shakespeare of Harlem" 9/26/48

An excellent dramatization of the life of Langston Hughes which effectively incorporates a number of his poems into the story.

Click HERE to listen or download.

Charlie Chan at the Circus

Recently, I read a newly-published book reprinting the first year of a Charlie Chan comic strip originally published in 1938 & 39. The next day, Angela and I visited the Circus Museum located at the Ringling Museum of Art. So, the next step was obvious--we needed to watch the 1936 film Charlie Chan at the Circus. I believe this might actually have been required by law.

It's a Warner Oland/Keye Luke entry, which always gains a Chan movie a few extra points. The films starring Sidney Toler and Roland Winters are all tons of fun, but the Oland/Luke chemistry was never equaled.

In fact, Luke as "Number One Son" Lee Chan gave us the best of the Chan sons on several levels. His "look before you leap" enthusiasm (and, this time, his awkward romantic pursuit of a female contortionist) could generate sincerely funny moments, but Lee was smart and able to spot clues and make reasonable deductions. His dad might nearly always turn out to be one step ahead of him anyways, but Charlie is one step ahead of everyone.

And, though any of Charlie's kids would put their lives at risk to save their dad, it's Lee who never fails to jump without hesitation to put himself between Charlie and danger. This time around, though clearly terrified, grabs a pistol and pegs a cobra to save his father. Seriously, don't ever threaten Charlie Chan when Lee is around. It won't end well for you.

The movie itself starts strong, with a tracking shot of circus sideshow posters, that does a superb job of establishing both setting and atmosphere. Then we get to see Charlie's entire family--all twelve kids and his wife--for the first time (and one of the few times) in the series, as they visit the circus. Charlie was given free passes by one of the circus co-owners (played by Paul Stanton), who wants Charlie's advice about some threatening letters he's received.

And it's no wonder he's getting poison-pen letters. The guy is a jerk and we soon learn that at least a half-dozen circus workers and performers have reason to hate him. So it's really no surprise when he's found murdered, strangled while inside his locked-from-the-inside business wagon.

The body is found, by the way, when a sideshow midget climbs in through a ventilator. This part is played by George Brasno, who (with his sister Olive) had a popular music act and occasionally took roles in films. Brasno and Keye Luke later have an hilarious scene together when they are tailing a suspect, with Lee dressed as a mother and Brasno's character dressed as a baby (while smoking a cigar) while Lee pushed him around in a baby carriage.

Charlie agrees to help the local police, so he and Lee travel with the circus. Clues are uncovered, there's an attempt on Charlie's life, an attempt to murder someone else, and eventually a clever trap set to catch the killer.

The plot is solid and (within the confines of a B-movie universe) unfolds logically--yet another example that the B-movies of this era consistently provided us with straightforward, entertaining storytelling.

Also, Angela told me she was going to take a nap while I watched the movie, but ended up watching the whole thing with me. She's awesome.

Giant, Undead Brains and Three-Headed Dinosaurs

Auro, Lord of Jupiter, is a rather bizarre character. He first appeared in Planet Comics #41 (March 1946), ruling Jupiter with his consort Dorna. He's murdered by a rival.

About the same time, an American scientist named Chet Edson builds a prototype rocket ship, but a saboteur knocks him out, shoves him into the rocket and launches him into space. He crashes on Jupiter, but he can't survive in the atmosphere there.

So Dorna transfers Chet's mind into Auro's body. After a few adventures, Auro's personality reasserts itself and Chet is able to only subconsciously influence the big dope into taking intelligent action when in danger.

And there's a lot of danger on Jupiter. In Planet Comics #47 (March 1947), scientists are experimenting with the brain of a master criminal named Zago, King of the Underworlders. But Zago's brain is "struggling for freedom"and soon forces one of the scientists to drop him.

Soon, the brain has grown to gigantic proportions and is mind-controlling nearby people and animals. When Auro/Chet and Dorna fly in to investigate, they run into a gauntlet of various dangers.

It looks as if they are going to be overwhelmed, but Chet influences Auro to run from the fight and get to the nearby lab, even though this mean temporarily abandoning Dorna.

Zago rewards his underling for capturing Dorna by killing them, because he's decided that everyone ought to be dead just like he technically is. He doesn't kill Dorna right away, but rather begins tormenting her with the illusion of three-headed dinosaurs. Zago might be evil, but he comes up with some pretty cool illusions.

Fortunately, Chet has influenced Auro into inventing a device that destroys Zago, ending the threat and saving Dorna in the nick of time.

This is the first Auro, Lord of Jupiter story I've read and it is delightfully goofy, jumping wildly from one plot point to another with gleeful abandon. It might arguably have benefited from some more coherent world-building, but--then again--not every work of fiction needs to have strong internal logic. Sometimes, it's nice to just go with the flow and have fun.

You can read this story online HERE.

Next week, I think we'll return to Earth and visit with Swamp Thing.

Cover Cavalcade

Wonderful Black Mask cover from 1935.

Friday's Favorite OTR

Suspense: "The Long Night" 11/18/56

Frank Lovejoy is an air traffic controller who has to talk down a lost and inexperienced pilot during a bout of bad weather. It's a plot devise that has become cliched over the years, but here is used to generate incredible tension.

Click HERE to listen or download.

Make Sure She Loves You BEFORE Running Off with Her!--The Pusadian Tales, Part 4

Read/Watch 'em In Order #107

The fourth tale in L. Sprague de Camp's Pusadian Cycle appeared in the December 1953 issue of Universe Science Fiction, about a month after "The Stronger Spell" appeared in another magazine.

This one is called "The Hungry Hercynian" and it may be my personal favorite in the series. It brings back the young and ambitious Gezun of Lorsk, who debuted in "The Owl and the Ape," along with Derezong Taash, the wizard who was the protagonist of "The Eye of Tandyla." The two meet up in this story.

It's not a happy meeting, though. Gezun is now a free man, released from slavery and given a number of magic items when his master died. But things have not been going well for him and he is out of work, on the run from the angry father of a pregnant daughter and with only a single magic ring (a protector from charms) remaining in his possession.

He arrives in the Tartesian empire and immediately develops a crush on a pretty slave girl he sees on the auction block. Darazong buys the girl and, since Gezun and Darazong are both originally from the same country, the younger man manages to wheedle an invitation for room and board for the night. But, after drinking a little too much wine, he impulsively grabs the girl (named Yorida) and runs off with her, eventually hiding out in a cave outside the city, scrounging for enough food to keep the two of them fed.

In retrospect, it would have been wiser if he'd asked Yorida if she actually wanted to run off with him before taking any action.

What follows is both a well-constructed fantasy tale and an hilarious screwball-esque comedy. Another man, a local lord named Noish, had also been bidding on Yorida. This is because he's made a deal with a Hercynian wizard. The wizard wants to have a plump young girl for dinner. (And that should be taken literally--the Hercynians are cannibals), while Noish wants the wizard to dispose of a rival to the king's favors.

So Noish's men are still looking for the girl. When they manage to get hold of her, Gezun contacts a local magician for help in getting her back for himself. The magician, though, actually isn't very good at his job, so he sub-contracts Derezong Taash for help, unaware that Derezong also has a claim on the girl.

The various plot threads and character motivations come together beautifully at the end. Lord Noish, the guy who was willing to let a slave girl be eaten to get what he wanted, ends up getting eaten himself. Derezong gets Yorida back. Gezun at first seems to have lost both the girl and his magic ring, but after mugging the local magician, he at least gets his ring back, along with some money. He sets out for richer pastures, where we'll meet him again in the next tale in the Cycle.

I really enjoy the skill with which de Camp constructed this particular story, milking it for a lot of laugh-out-loud humor while still making sure it made internal sense in regards to its mythical Bronze-Age culture. His dry sense of humor is very much on display here. For instance, here's a scene in which Gezun first encounters Derezong's apprentice while still a guest in the wizard's home:

Zhamel set down the jug, looked at Gezun, pulled out a knife big enough to split kindling, and began trimming his fingernails with it.

"A fine bit of bronze," he said. "I keep it sharp in case some young springald should try to worm himself into my place with Derezong."

"I understand," said Gezun, wondering if there were not some way by which he could safely murder Zhamel.

A scene in which Lord Noish disposes of his rival by slipping him a drug that forces the rival to tell the truth when speaking to the king is equally hilarious.

The story is available to read online HERE.

Enter The Dragon Lady

For the first couple of years of its existence, Milt Caniff's Terry and the Pirates ran separate story lines in daily and Sunday strips. The first daily strip ran on October 22, 1934, with Terry and his guardian Pat Ryan arriving in China in search of a gold mine left to Terry by his grandfather.

That initial story arc ran through January 1935. But, in the meantime, Terry and Pat began to have a completely different adventure in the Sunday strip, which began on December 6, 1934.

For those of us who are obsessed with continuity (probably due to a refusal to completely admit that such adventures aren't actually happening in real life), you can line all this up with a coherent internal chronology. If you own the superb reprint volumes that were published a decade ago, then you read the first daily adventure through the January 25, 1935 strip. Then read all the Sunday adventures that were independent of the daily strips. Then jump back to the January 26, 1935 strip and read chronologically from there. With only a few minor continuity issues, it all lines up nicely.

So you see? Terry IS real! It's all real! I KNEW IT!

Anyway, it's that first Sunday story arc that we're looking at today. Terry and Pat book passage on a freighter to Shanghai. But the it's pretty much impossible for those two to go anywhere without running into trouble. That first evening, the ship is stalked by pirates.

There's a brief fight when the pirates attack, but Terry and Pat are soon overwhelmed and captured. We saw the helmsman of the freighter gunned down by a pirate and presumably the rest of the crew are killed as well.

The person responsible for this carnage is the most memorable of the many reoccurring characters that Caniff will eventually introduce into Terry's universe. This is the Dragon Lady, the beautiful but ruthless pirate and bandit chief who will pop up again and again, often as a enemy and sometimes (especially when fighting the Japanese) as an ally.

At this early point in the strip, Caniff's art was still maturing, so the Dragon Lady doesn't quite generate the "Hubba Hubba" vibe she and most of the rest of Caniff's ladies soon will, but she's still pretty darn close. He also has her speaking in a stereotypical "Chinese" accent, though this started to fade away even before this initial adventure was complete.

But even so, the Dragon Lady is a striking, memorable character right from the start, with the potential romantic tension between her and Pat building almost immediately.  In fact, it's not long before she's trying to seduce Pat into joining up with her, though Terry manages to run interference for his buddy.

The situation changes rapidly when a rival pirate captain named Fang attacks the Dragon Lady's ship. This nearly gets Terry and Pat killed, but quick action on Terry's part saves their lives, though they (along with the Dragon Lady) are captured by Fang.

Fang keeps the Dragon Lady alive because he wants to find out where her hidden loot is kept. He keeps Pat and Terry around because he plans to force them to pretend to be in distress and lure a British passenger ship in close enough to capture it. This forces a reluctant team-up. In return for a promise to help her escape, she slips the boys a mirror, which they then use to secretly send a Morse code message to the British ship. This warns off the ship before it can be attacked and sets the American Navy on Fang's trail.

A Navy gunboat soon arrives, resulting in a desperate fight, with Terry getting a chance to take care of Fang personally.

So the pirates are dead or captured. And the Dragon Lady? Well, Terry and Pat did promise to help her escape. So they tell a fib to the Navy, identifying the Dragon Lady as an innocent hostage. She goes free to continue her own career looting and pillaging.

It's actually an interesting moral dilemma. Pat and Terry do what they think is right to keep their promise. I get that. On the other hand, the crew of the freighter they had been on--one of whom was an old friend of Pat's--were all ruthlessly killed on her orders. Now she escapes justice and is free to commit more murders. So we can legitimately argue that the boys dropped the ball here.

But I suspect the primary motivation for their decision was Caniff's desire to keep the Dragon Lady available for future appearances. He was already building a vibrant and exciting universe in which Terry would battle pirates, bandits, spies and (eventually) the Japanese. It's likely he had recognized the Dragon Lady's potential for future adventures and simply needed a way of keeping her out of the hangman's noose.

But what am I saying? Didn't we establish earlier that Terry and the Pirates are real? Isn't Caniff merely an historian recounting their adventures? So I guess my last paragraph is just so much gibberish. Sorry about that.

Next week, we fly off to Jupiter to meet and giant, evil brain and a disembodied Earthman.

Cover Cavalcade

A very effective Irv Novick cover from 1965.

Friday's Favorite OTR

Gunsmoke: "Ex-Urbanites" 5/30/61

We think of Chester as Matt Dillon's not-so-bright sidekick. But when he stands in front of a friend who is in danger... well, Chester can be someone you simply don't want to mess with.

Click HERE to listen or download.

Those Darn Escaped Convicts Ruin it for Everyone

Godzilla Raids Again (1955) was rushed out pretty quickly after the success of Godzilla. As a consequence, it's a flawed movie. The first Godzilla (especially the unchanged Japanese release) is a true horror film, with the monster's destruction of Tokyo working as a brutal and heartbreaking metaphor for the atomic bombings that ending World War II.

The sequel has the city of Osaka destroyed, but this is rather casually shrugged off by the human characters, who often act like they are in a romantic comedy. The monster stuff is great, while the human stuff is a bit sub par.

But, despite this, the movie's strengths outweigh its weaknesses. It's the only other film aside from Godzilla in the series that was filmed in black-and-white, which helps give it a more appropriately serious ambiance. The special effects are excellent. And it introduced another monster to what would soon be a very crowed Kaiju universe. 

The movie begins with two pilots stranded on a remote island, where they spotted Godzilla and Anguirus fighting each other. The two monsters fall into the ocean, vanishing for the time being.

This isn't, by the way, the same Godzilla that appeared in the first film. That guy was clearly dead after getting hit by an oxygen destroyer. So this Godzilla (the one who will appear in all the remaining Showa films) is Godzilla #2. But the first film also set this up, with a character musing at the climax that continued atomic testing might awaken another Godzilla.

Godzilla is soon approaching Osaka. The Japanese Defense Force comes up with a pretty nifty plan. The city is blacked out and planes begin dropping parachute flares, slowly leading the monster back towards the sea. It's a wonderfully atmospheric moment. 

But then a group of convicts being transported in a truck jump their guards and make a break for it. Several of them steal a gas truck, but then end up smashing it into some gas tanks. The resultant fire brings Godzilla back to the city. Who thought it was a good idea to transport dangerous criminals while the city is blacked out and threatened by a giant monster is not explained.

At the same time, Anguirus shows up and the two are soon fighting, leaving a trail of destroyed buildings behind them.

                                     

The fight is the highlight of the film. It's exciting and well-choreographed. Eventually, the Showa universe would give us many, many monster vs. monster battles, but this one still stands out as one of the best.

Anguirus is killed,with Godzilla using his atomic breath to disintegrate the body. Which, I guess, means Anguirus' future appearances are actually a second Anguirus. And, despite the two monsters being mortal enemies here, they will be the best of friends in future movie appearances. Maybe Godzilla #2 felt guilty about killing Anguirus #1, so made friends with Anguirus #2.

With Osaka trashed, Godzilla returns to that remote island. The Japanese come up with a plan of setting off an avalanche and burying Godzilla in ice, but accomplishing this plan will first require one of the main characters to sacrifice himself. It's a great ending, representing the only moment in the film in which the human characters generate any real emotion.

Godzilla Raids Again can be said to point the fledgling film series away from serious themes & meaningful metaphors, turning it towards the spectacle of giant monsters slugging it out. In a way, that's too bad. As entertaining as the Showa film are, the original is the only one that is a true classic, with a clear message and a sincere sense of tragedy. But, at the same time, the sequel set the stage for monsters like King Ghidorah, Mecha-Godzilla and Gigan. The world would be a sadder place without them. And, despite its flaws, Godzilla Raids Again is a fun film when taken on its own. If you get a chance to watch it, though, make sure its the Japanese cut. The American cut, titled Gigantis, the Fire Monster, is poorly done and only adds to the movie's existing flaws.

Being a Genius Despite a Lack of Resources

Gyro Gearloose, created by Carl Barks in 1952, was a wonderful addition to the Duck Universe. A genius inventor, his many gadgets could be used to further the plot, provide a solution to a problem, or go awry and cause a problem that needed to be solved.

Usually, Gyro had access to his workshop and his tools, allowing him to design pretty much anything that Scrooge or Donald might need. But a really fun story from Four Color #1184 (June 1961) deprives Gyro of all his usual resources, which in turn allowed Carl Barks to highlight just how inventive Gyro can be.

"Brain-Strain" starts with a shipwreck, caused because Donald didn't think things through and build his new boat using thumb tacks to hold it together. In the confusion of abandoning ship, Donald floats off in a raft while Gyro is floating helplessly with the paddle.

So Gyro has to deal with a desperate situation without any resources to speak of. Well, actually he has that paddle, doesn't he? He uses this to enhance his swimming ability and he soon reaches a small island.

Donald has made it to the same island. He's still in "just wasn't thinking" mode and soon lets the raft float away while burning the paddle as firewood. So now the two are trapped on the island without any resources at all. 

Except Gyro is able to find resources even on that barren landscape. I suppose it shows how much of a Trekkie I am in that the above scene, in which Gyro gathers up the stuff he needs to make gunpowder, makes me think about the Star Trek episode "The Arena," in which Captain Kirk did the same thing.

You know, a version of Star Trek in which Gryo serves as the Enterprise's science officer rather than Spock would be... illogical, but a lot of fun. 

Gyro's first effort to signal passing airplanes with a gunpowder explosion can't be seen through the flocks of birds that hover over the island. So, with Donald's reluctant (and hypnotised) help, he gathers up enough feathers to fill the cone of the small extinct volcano that tops the island. Setting this off with gunpowder causes a rain of feathers, which does catch the attention of a passing airplane. A rescue boat soon arrives.

The story brilliantly highlights just how brilliant Gyro Gearloose is, as well as showing off Barks' usual skill in smoothly combining slapstick comedy with a real sense of adventure. But Gyro's genius does fail him for the story's final gag. Tired of Donald "just not thinking," he makes the grouchy duck a thinking cap. But his results in Donald soon running a competing invention business!

Next week, we'll visit with Terry and the Pirates during Terry and Pat's first encounter with the Dragon Lady.

Cover Cavalcade

From 1973. The art is by Larry Lieber, with John Romita doing some alterations to the Dakota Kid's face.

Friday's Favorite OTR

Suspense: "Fragile Contents: Death" 2/1/51

A postal inspector and his men have only a few hours to track down a package containing a time bomb.

Click HERE to listen or download.

The Stronger Spell--The Pusadian Tales, Part 3

Read/Watch 'em in Order #106

I'm visiting L. Sprague de Camp's Pusadian Tales in publication order, because the internal chronology of the short stories isn't set. de Camp himself, I believe, never provided such a chronology and I don't think he was concerned about that. And it is the sort of series in which the "real-life" order in which the stories take place doesn't make a great deal of difference.

At least one commentator, though, has placed "The Stronger Spell" (Fantasy Fiction, November 1953) chronologically last, because the story's Macguffin is a primitive musket and the introduction of that technology to this Bronze Age world would be a major game changer.

But, since the one guy who knows the ingrediants of gunpowder is dead by the end of the story, it can be argued that this new weapon does not have a chance to change the world. Also, the guy carrying the weapon refers to it as magic. It's likely that this simply how the character interprets the combustibility of gunpowder, its not impossible that it really was a magic substance.

Anyway, the story begins at the waterfront of a city when a poet/minstrel named Suer Peial rescues a man from bandits. This man was wielding a strange looking club during the fight, but is at first reluctant to explain what it is.

The man's name is Ghw Gleokh (Suer later quips that if you can't pronounce this name, just clear your throat and you'll come close), who is a druid from a far-away land. The two men end up sharing food and wine in a local tavern where Suer hopes to earn a few coins by singing. They are joined by a blacksmith friend of Suer's and a pair of local wizards.

After a few too many drinks, Gleokh's tongue is loosened enough to explain that his strange club is essentially a musket (though this word is not used in the story) and get into a "my magic is better than yours" contest with the wizards. It's established that only Gleokh knows the secret of gunpowder--the senoir druid who taught it to him having since died.

When the older wizard decides he wants the musket, the arguement turns violent. This brings up the question of who would win a fight between a man with a firearm and a giant, invisible snake.

The fate of the musket itself is sealed by the blacksmith, who dislikes the idea of a weapon that would make the shields and armor he sells obsolete. So the musket goes into the bay and it can be confidentally stated that "Yes, sir, armor is here to stay!"

The interior illustraton for the story is by Roy Krenkel.

The story is yet another delight, with de Camp's dry wit on display throughout. As is usual with his stories, little details, both in the setting and in the dialogue, gives the tale a feeling of authenticity.

For instance, there is a very human moment when Suer and Gloekh enter the tavern and trade gossip with the owner. It both feels real in character terms, while simultaneously helping to establish the fantasy setting:

Derende replied, "The Senate has hired a new wizard, a Tartassian named Barik.

"What happened to the old one?"

"They had him impaled because of that sandstorm."

"What is this?" ask Ghw with interest.

Derende explained. "He conjured up a sandstorm to overwhelm a camel-raid of desert-dwelling Lixitans, but by misdirection buried a score of our own warriors instead."

All this juicy gossip--and the rest of "The Stronger Spell"--can be found online HERE.

In the Days of King Arthur

Last week, we looked at Iron Man #149, which ended with the title character and Doctor Doom getting thrown back in time.


Iron Man #150 (September 1981) shows us where (and when) they ended up. As with the previous issue, this one was co-plotted by David Michelinie and Bob Layton, with Michelinie writing the final script. John Romita, Jr. did the breakdowns and Layton finished the art.

The two find themselves standing outside King Arthur's castle at Camelot. It's actually a foreshadowing to Doom's later actions that he immediately recognizes the place. As we'll soon discover, he'd been planning on visiting this time and place anyways.

Two guys in powered armor are attention-getters, so they're soon confronted by a squad of knights. Doom briefly tussles with them until Tony points out that they are currently stranded here, so it might be a good idea to calm down until they figure out what's going on.

 There's a well-written scene in which the two are brought before King Arthur, where they use Standard Time Traveler Ploy #32, claiming to be from faraway lands and using their technology to build up credibility as magicians. Within that context, characterizations remain consistent. Tony acts respectfully towards Arthur, where Doom arrogantly announces himself as co-royalty.

The Arthurian characters all speak an ornate style of English, by the way--a language that didn't even exist at that time. But, as is the case with so many stories about time travel or alien contact, ignoring language issues keeps the story from being bogged down in details. Besides, it's entirely possible that both Tony and Doom have translation devices built into their respective suits of armor.

The two are given rooms for the night while Arthur tries to figure out what to do about them. Tony spends his time sweet talking a pretty maiden. Doom, on the other hand, hypnotises a pretty maiden to find out where evil sorceress Morgana Le Fey hangs out, then busts out of Camelot to pay her a visit.

Doom has to figure out how to bypass a couple of magical booby traps, but is soon cutting a deal with Morgana (who dresses in the sexy-evil style that seems to be required of all evil sorceresses). Doom has been time traveling to learn from powerful magicians of the past to figure out how to rescue his mother's soul from hell. Morgana promises to teach him how to do this if he leads an army of zombies against Camelot--she's magically imprisoned in her castle at the moment, so can't lead the undead soldiers herself.

Doom's all on-board with this plan, while Tony volunteers to fight for Arthur. During the ensuing battle, though, Tony realizes that it must be Morgana--not Doom--who raised up the undead.

So he flies off to her castle, using technology to figure out how to punch past various magical threats, all the while complaining that he really hates magic.

When Morgana realizes the jig is up, she teleports away. This is a bit of a plot hole, since she's supposed to be magically tied to her castle. But perhaps she's moving through time rather than space.

In any case, once she's gone, the zombies simply collapse. Doom realizes what happened and is quite ticked off.

But he also realizes that he and Iron Man must work together to cannibalize parts of their armor and make a time machine to get them home. So a truce is called and they are soon able to zap themselves back to the 20th Century.

Like the previous issue, this is a solidly written adventure story, with a strong plot and great action. Michelinie keeps his characterizations of Tony and Doom consistant, once again counterpointing their attitudes towards life and other human beings to effectively  highlight their respective natures. I mentioned last week that this was published at the tale-end of the time when Marvel superhero comics were consistantly fun for me to read, but this two-issue story arc hit all the right notes to produce a really fun yarn.

Next week, we'll move on from two Marvel Universe geniuses to visit with a Duck Universe genius.