Tuesdays in October | 5 Films
Whether it is a story of mystery, intrigue, suspense or outright horror, all cinephiles love watching a movie that can give us the heebie-jeebies. Between the candy, haunted houses, costume parties and corn mazes, we all make time in the month of October to watch some of our favorite Creepy Cinema. Every Tuesday this month, TCM will be presenting a double feature of films to induce some fear and fun. Fear is so much more fun with friends and who better to show us that than our pal Mario Cantone. Mario will be bringing his hilarious commentary to this series of films as only he can.
No program of suspense movies would be complete without at least one entry from Mr. Alfred Hitchcock. In his long filmography of some of the most acclaimed movies of all time, the Master of Suspense claimed his personal favorite of all his films was Shadow of a Doubt (1943). Teresa Wright plays Charlotte “Charlie” Newton, a young woman in a seemingly idyllic neighborhood in Santa Rosa, CA who is happily awaiting the visit of her favorite Uncle Charles “Charlie” Oakley (Joseph Cotten). Unfortunately, Charlie discovers that her uncle may be the suspected “Merry Widow” killer who has murdered several wealthy women. This was the first top-billed role and only the fourth film for Teresa Wright, who was fresh off a Best Supporting Oscar win for Mrs. Miniver (1942). The actress was so eager to work with Alfred Hitchcock she accepted the role without even reading the script. The director cast Wright after Joan Fontaine, his leading lady in Rebecca (1940) and Suspicion (1941), was unavailable. Though a box office disappointment upon release, Shadow of a Doubt is now regarded as one of Hitchcock’s masterpieces.
There is no underestimating the influence Alfred Hitchcock had on the new age filmmakers of the 1970s. Peter Bogdanovich, William Friedkin and Brian De Palma all mentioned Hitchcock as one of, or even their number one favorite filmmaker. Where Hitchcock was described as the Master of Suspense, writer/director Brian De Palma emerged as the Master of the Macabre after a number of successful thrillers he made in the 1970s and 80s. Perhaps the most deliberately Hitchcockian of these was Dressed to Kill (1980). In her most daring performance, Angie Dickinson plays Kate Miller, a sexually repressed housewife who is killed by a mysterious stranger after she embarks on a one-night stand. The only witness to the murder is a Manhattan call girl named Liz (Nancy Allen). Liz and Kate’s inventive son Peter (Keith Gordon) form an unlikely alliance and try to find Kate’s murderer.
Meanwhile, Kate’s psychiatrist Dr. Robert Elliott (Michael Caine) is receiving mysterious phone calls from a former patient named “Bobbi” who is seeking gender-affirming surgery and seems to know much about the series of killings that have been happening. This film was a particularly personal project for De Palma. The story is reportedly partially inspired by real experiences the filmmaker had as a young man when his own mother convinced him to follow his father around with recording equipment hoping to prove infidelity. De Palma wrote the role of Liz specifically for his then-wife Nancy Allen and refused any studio interference on casting alterations. Some of the direct Hitchcock references in the film include the female protagonists both being mysterious blondes, an extended sequence without dialogue which shows Kate and her lover following each other in an art gallery, and even a violent shower scene directly taken from Psycho (1960). Though respected as a creative and stylistic thriller, the film has also received criticism from both feminist and transgender circles.
If a menacing madman is what keeps you up at night, some of the best were memorably played by actor Robert Mitchum. Mitchum is generally remembered for playing the rugged anti-hero in Westerns and films noir, but the underrated actor bravely took on the roles of several frightening villains. In The Night of the Hunter (1955), Mitchum plays Harry Powell, a serial killer who poses as a preacher to try and con Willa, the widow of his former prison mate who told him he had secretly buried $10,000. The merciless Powell endangers not only Willa, but her young children who are the only ones who know where the money is hidden. This film marked the only directorial effort of English character actor Charles Laughton. After falling in love with the original novel by Davis Grubb, Laughton and producer Paul Gregory set out to adapt the challenging novel for film. Laughton originally considered playing Powell himself, but Gregory insisted on casting a box office name. Mitchum beat out such noted actors as Gary Cooper and Laurence Olivier for the lead role. This film also marked something of a comeback for silent movie actress Lillian Gish who had mostly moved to working in television. Laughton explained that he wanted to bring back the intense focus that silent film audiences had had and that casting a silent film legend would help. All these efforts initially proved worthless when the film became both a critical and commercial disappointment. Though now regarded by many as a masterpiece, Charles Laughton was so devastated by this film’s failure he never attempted to direct another movie.
After playing a serial killing preacher, Robert Mitchum topped himself by playing a sadistic ex-con out for revenge in Cape Fear (1962). Eight years ago, clean-cut family lawyer Sam Bowden (Gregory Peck) helped put the evil Max Cady (Mitchum) behind bars for rape. Upon his parole, Max sets out for revenge on Sam and his family. The film is ahead of its time in its depictions of violence and rage. Gregory Peck’s production company Melville Productions originally purchased the film rights to the John D. MacDonald novel “The Executioners” for $30,000. As a producer on the film, Peck had creative control, beginning with the casting. Both Peck and director J. Lee Thompson wanted Robert Mitchum for the role of Max and teamed up to convince the hesitant actor to accept. Peck later confessed he wished he had taken the role for himself. Thompson took several techniques from Alfred Hitchcock including angular lighting, hinted rather than blatant violence and even Hitchcock’s famed film composer Bernard Herrmann. The film was well received critically. Several major filmmakers have spoken of their love of this film, including Martin Scorsese who remade it with Robert De Niro in 1991. Peck, Mitchum and Martin Balsam all made cameo appearances in the remake and Scorsese even reused Herrmann’s musical score.
In the 1960s, a sub-genre of horror films now vulgarly (but perhaps appropriately) referred to as “Hagsploitation” came out starring former screen sirens of the 1930s and 40s. The quintessential movie of this sub-genre was Robert Aldrich’s What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962). In their only screen pairing, legends Bette Davis and Joan Crawford play sisters Jane and Blanche Hudson. Where Blanche was a bonafide movie star, Jane was only a child star in vaudeville. Jane falls into madness and delusions by pursuing an impossible comeback and tormenting her now disabled sister. Crawford was instrumental in convincing Davis to take on the role. While the legendary feud between the two actresses was very real, the two were also career savvy enough to know that starring in a movie together would be beneficial to their then lagging careers. The film was a blockbuster hit and Davis received her 10th Oscar nomination for Best Actress.
Davis, Crawford and director Robert Aldrich were all initially going to team up again for Hush…Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964), about an aging southern belle who is gaslit and conned out of her valuable Louisiana property by her scheming cousin Miriam. Early filming on the production was suspended when Crawford claimed illness for over a month. After Loretta Young and Vivien Leigh declined the role of Miriam, Davis’ Warner Bros friend Olivia de Havilland came to the rescue and completed the film. Crawford instead chose to make the horror film Straight-Jacket (1964), about a woman released from a mental asylum 20 years after axing her cheating husband and his mistress. Both of these films were critically mixed and only moderate box office successes.
No matter how you like your Creepy Cinema, the classic era has an endless supply of thrills, chills, screams, laughs and fun.
