Pic of the Day: “Revolt in the Big House” revisited

Posted by Marisa on July 8, 2014

Our pic today takes another look at Revolt in the Big House (1958), the low-budget prison yarn directed by R.G. Springsteen. Big man on campus Bugsy Kyle holds forth while his lackeys Red (John Dennis, in the back) and Al (Sam Edwards) look on in approval.

My MSTie pals will recognize Edwards from Paul Frees‘ The Beatniks (1960). “Send up some more booze! You know, gas water! Laugh juice!” He spent pretty much his entire life in show business, making his stage debut as an infant in the arms of his mother, actress Edna Park, in a production of Tess of the Storm Country. He was a dependable character player in films and on television for decades, and also did lots of character voice work for Disney, among many others.

Videos of the Week: Happy Halloween!

Posted by Marisa on October 31, 2012

Halloween greetings to one and all! I’ve posted both of these before, but they’re the scariest ones I could come up with for today. First up is the trailer for Francis in the Haunted House (1956), the closest thing to a horror film that Timothy ever appeared in (unless you count Chesty Anderson U.S. Navy, heh heh). Tim can briefly be glimpsed here as Hugo, hulking castle minion. Narration by the great Frank Nelson of “Yyyyyeeeeeessssss???” fame; the voice of Francis and of the ghost by the equally great, if not legendary, Paul Frees, who would go on to provide the voice of The Snake in The World’s Greatest Sinner (1962).

Next we have the infamous “Atta boy Mike” scene from Head (1968). It’s weird, it’s creepy, it’s ridiculous, it makes absolutely no sense whatsoever! Enjoy!

Tim as Frankenstein’s monster, from the long-lost Sambo’s commercial of the early 1980s

Video of the Week: “Francis in the Haunted House” trailer

Posted by Marisa on March 21, 2012

Our video for this week is the trailer for Francis in the Haunted House (1956), directed by Charles Lamont. See Tim as as Hugo, silent lumbering servant of the castle, literally getting his butt kicked by Francis the Talking Mule! Francis is voiced by the great Paul Frees, whom Timothy would later hire to provide the silky smooth seductive tones of The Snake in The World’s Greatest Sinner (1962).

Timothy’s IMDb filmography also has him listed as appearing in another Francis film, Francis in the Navy (1955), as “Auctioneer’s Helper (uncredited).” I have seen the film several times, watched the one auction scene carefully, and I do not see him anywhere. Unless there is compelling evidence that he is indeed in the film, I believe it should be removed from Tim’s filmography until such evidence, if any, can be presented.