Wednesday, September 15, 2010

THE MAD BOMBER - Michael Mention - "l'uomo Sputato Dall'inferno" (1973)

We dig Mr. B.I.G. down here in The Dungeon, and "The Mad Bomber" is just one more of the many reasons why! The music for tonight's WTF?! feature was composed by Michael Mention, who in later years would work as assistant to Maurice Jarre on some of his electronic compositions, and the hippie song, "Reaching Out" was written by Dan Yordan and sung by Nancy Honnold, who played "The Mad Bomber's daughter Anne Dorn in this movie!

Bert I. Gordon is known for his classic BIG monster movies, but the films he stuffed in between always seem to have some BIG elements too, like how about a normally likable BIG star like Chuck Connors, as a ruthless and mean spirited bastard, who doesn't like litterers or rude people!

Chuck Connors is William Dorn! He collects clocks! He keeps them in a cool spot similar to where Anton Diffring kept his medicine in "The Man Who Cheated Death!" He's mad at the world in a BIG way because he lost his daughter to drugs!

Chuck Connors was a BIG dude, at 6' foot 5 1/2" tall, and before acting, played center for the Boston Celtics from 1946 to 1947! He then became a minor league baseball player who finally moved up, and played with the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs for a short period of time, before deciding he was better suited towards acting!! He was elected to the "Cowboy Hall Of Fame" in 1991 for his classic roles as Lucas McCain in "The Rifleman," and later as Jason McCord in "Branded!"

"The Mad Bomber" is unmerciless, he even blows up schools, and mental hospitals, he's that pissed off at the world!

Here's another BIG star of the time, Vince Edwards as Geronimo Minneli, the cop who just won't give up! Look, he even had an iPad back in 1973! In the 1960's, while Vince was shooting 153 episodes of the TV series "Ben Casey," he also found time to make six MOR record albums.

"The Mad Bomber" strolls past the corner of Cattaraugus and Snuffleupagus! No wonder he's a lost soul!

The Los Angeles studios of "Kindness, Happiness, and Joy," aka KHJ the Boss 93, circa 1973!

In their heydey, back in the 60's, KHJ might have been Top 40, but look at the names of some of those bands, Them, The Sir Douglas Quintet, The Kingsmen, The Zombies! Top 40 good was good! Now 93KHJ is out in American Samoa somewhere, where listeners can lay on the beach and watch the "Southern Lights!"

Check out the high-tech computer the cops have, and the wealth of information it spews forth!!

Vince takes care of business, and disposes of a BIG shot wannabe!

The third BIG star in this film is that guy with the distinctive face and classic growly voice, Neville Brand!! Neville was one of THE most highly decorated soldiers of World War II, and had really planned on having a military career, but after doing a couple of Army training films, he got the bug and decided to become an actor! He was in one "Twilight Zone" episode, but is known more for his many iconic cowboy roles like Reese Bennett in the TV show "Laredo." He was also chosen for the role of Al Capone more than a couple of times! Why Neville Brand is not in the "Cowboy Hall Of Fame," I have no idea, probably the same reason Link Wray's not in the "Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame!!" Bad Boys!! Here he is as George Fromley, killer/rapist, and the only guy who can identify "The Mad Bomber!"

No Shit! He's going to blow up the Women's Lib luncheon! Now, that's really bad in a BIG way!

When he's not out getting into all kinds of trouble, George Fromley likes to hang out in his cool little poolside pad, where he likes to watch homemade movies that star his wife! Ilona Wilson is the sexpot with the glasses as Mrs. Fromley!

Geronimo is starting to get tired of "I don't know" and all of George's stupid games! He wants to find that bomber!

Hours and hours of the good old composite identification technique finally produces an image that George can identify! "That's him all right!!"

Still got time for one more BIG BOOM!!!

This last shot is the best, and it cracks me up! It's shot from the ground up, and Vince Edwards looks as BIG as "The Amazing Colossal Man!" That Bert I. Gordon is one wacky cat! Lucky for all of us, we've still got more B.I.G. stuff yet to come, so stay tuned in!!!

5 comments:

Christopher said...

they blowed up real good!
LOL-those 2 pics of the society of women's liberation and the bomb in the luncheon pan!.oohh they baaad!
2 great guys Lucas McCain and REESE!and lots of fading local color.

Prof. Grewbeard said...

wow, i had no idea Bert made movies like this. bet this would make a great double feature with Tourist Trap!

Ivan said...

The scene where Chuck chews out the litterer is classic!

It's too bad Netflix only has the PG "good stuff edited out" version.

BTW, I the font used for the title.

Thanks,
Ivan

Anonymous said...

As I always said on a radio show, Link Wray was the King of Rock n' Roll.

Eegah!! and Tabonga! said...

One of the things I'm grateful for in my life was that I got to see Link Wray perform. It was just a few months before his demise, but he still proved he was the King once and forever!

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