ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS: "The Cheney Vase" (1955)

I keep thinking that we're running out of material, and then I realized how many episodes of different TV shows we still can do, like "The Twilight Zone, "Night Gallery," "Tales Of Tomorrow," "One Step Beyond," "Science Fiction Theater ," yadda, yadda, yadda, and/or tonight's presentation, another episode of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents!"

I have yet to see anything connected to Alfred Hitchcock that wasn't worth watching, and I think my favourite element is always that wonderful dry and droll sense of humor! I was lucky enough in my life to be able to buy Forrest J. Ackerman's lunch, I wish I could say the same about Alfred Hitchcock!

Okay, so here's a sweet one for you, and even though "The Cheney Vase" might not be the most exciting title in the world, it's sure a damn fine tale of deceit, deception, and despair!!

 Darren (Mike Hammer) McGavin is sleazeball Lyle Endicott! He just got fired from his job at the museum because he's a slacker and a dick!

 If  Lyle's girlfriend Pamela looks vaguely familiar, it's because she is none other than Carolyn (Morticia Addams) Jones!

 I just had to throw this shot in because his eyes are so wide open, and her eyes are closed!

Here she is, Patricia Collinge as Mrs. Cheney, the lady who owns the special antique vase! There's not a lot in her résumé, but she was in three other episodes of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," and also in two episodes of "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour!"

 Supposedly, the eight inch high "Cheney Vase" is worth $45,000.00, and it seems like everybody wants to get their stinkin' hands on it, especially Lyle, so he tells Mrs. Cheney he'd love to have a job taking care of her. and she decides she'll take him on temporarily! So the wheels are in motion!

This is Kathryn Card as Mrs. Cheney's maid Bella! For all you Lucy fans, Kathryn was Mrs. McGillicuddy on the "I Love Lucy" show! I just like saying McGillicuddy!

The first thing Lyle does is drive off Bella and replace her with a plant of his own, ravishing Ruta Lee as Ruby Boyenton! Besides 88 episodes of "The Hollywood Squares," Ruta was also in some great films like "Hootenanny Hoot," and "The Doomsday Machine!" Ruta was also in "The Twilight Zone" episode titled "A Short Drink From A Certain Fountain!"

 I think it's amazing how much Darren McGavin looks like Richard Nixon from this angle!

Mrs. Cheney has the vase hidden somewhere and Lyle doesn't even know what it looks like so he does some investigating!

And then he spots it on a shelf in Mrs. Cheney's pottery room, but she's there too, so he has to come up with a plan!

The plan is pretty simple, steal the vase and sell it to Max Reisenweber, and run away with Pamela, but Pamela doesn't want to have anything to do with it, so he slaps her!

Mrs. Cheney has been busy! While Lyle had her trapped in her own home, she had plenty of time to work in her studio, and make many exact duplications of the vase! He's pissed!

And Mrs. Cheney gets the deserved last laugh!

In the end, Alfred offers up souvenirs for the viewers! All you had to do to get one of the duplicated vases was to send him a check for $45,000.00! What a card!

If you enjoy Mr. Hitchcock's work as well as I, then you're in luck, because the IMDB streams it for Free right here! Enjoy!

THE SLAUGHTER OF THE VAMPIRES / Mercurfilm - 1962

Here we go with a new week of fun at The Dungeon, we'll start with this Italian production from the early sixties about a newlywed couple finding themselves menaced by a bloodthirsty vampire. The alternate US title is CURSE OF THE BLOOD GHOULS as seen in the double bill poster above. The top billed movie in this poster is better known as THE BLOOD BEAST TERROR starring Peter Cushing.

This cute little fanged gal is getting ready for...

We have a screaming little sound clip from this vintage flick, sooooo, you can push the big red 'GO' button located there by our bloody vampire stake, NOW, Ralphie The Tarantula!.. Here's... THE SLAUGHTER OF THE VAMPIRES!

Like any Euro vampire movie, there are plenty of women for old Drac to sink his fangs into.

Dieter Eppler plays the vampire that has come back to cause more mayhem. Dieter was also in THE TORTURE CHAMPER OF DR. SADISM, DEATH AND DIAMONDS and DEEP END.

It's not long before our vampire creep is tasting the warm blood of mesmerized women.

At one point, he's caught lurking around outside by the hubby of this gal taking a bath!

Now it's time for the vampire girlies to return the favor. I've said this before, but, one of my greatest dreams was when I was being chased around by some teenage vampire girls in nightgowns in a dark old 2-story house!

Here's a great shot of Drac climbing stairs trying to get away while being pursued.

During the climax, Drac has these two potential victims in his sights.

But, unfortunately during a fight with our hero, Drac gets a metal gate spike through his evil beating heart, bringing our tale to an abrupt end! We will be back on Wednesday with another Dungeon lollipop of terror!!

WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH HELEN? - Malneck & Mercer "Goody Goody" (1971)

Time for another Saturday Night At The Movies Special in The Dungeon! The poster for "What's The Matter With Helen?" doesn't leave much to the imagination, no matter what language it is in! Shelley Winters as Helen looks crazy as Hell, and Debbie Reynolds as Adelle looks equally dead!

So what the F is the matter with Helen? She's a 100% bonifide nut case!

Pretty simple concept really!

Here's a rare shot of Adelle and Helen without much makeup on! 

After both their sons are convicted of a grisly murder, Adelle and Helen move to Los Angeles to open a dance studio!

Debbie Reynolds is both beautiful and talented, and this is probably the freakiest movie she has ever been in! It's definitely not a sequel to "Tammy And The Bachelor!"

Speaking of freaky, am I the only one who gets creeped out by weird dolls like this?

In an effort to perk Helen up a bit, Adelle cuts her long hair!

Since this movie is about a couple of women, there's more than a few scenes of weird guys hanging out in the shadows!

"What's The Matter With Helen" could just also almost be considered a musical! It's the 1930's and Shirley Temple is all the rage! One of the songs that is strung throughout the film is the 1936 hit "Goody Goody" written by Matty Malneck and Johnny Mercer. This song has been recorded by countless artists, and went to #20 on the Billboard charts as a recording by Frankie Lymon in 1957! If you really want to do yourself a favor, go check out this version by Marie Adams & The Three Tons of Joy recorded live on The Johnny Otis Show! Whoa!!!

Dennis Weaver is Linc Palmer, the super wealthy Father of one of those little girls! To me, he comes across as a sleazy weasel, but he really turns out to be a nice guy! No matter what Dennis did in his career, in my book he'll always be remembered as Chester on "Gunsmoke!" I don't know why, it only ran for 290 episodes!

Here's another shot of a massive and mysterious shadow of a man!

"What's The Matter With Helen?" has got a pretty star-studded cast! Dungeon hero Timothy Carey even makes a brief appearance as an annoying bum, the figure that was at the door!

Linc takes Adelle out to a floating casino, and she gets a chance to show off her Tango skills!

Helen is a stay at home Christian, but Adelle wants to, and does enjoy some of the finer things in life!

Time for a recital, and since Linc's daughter is one of the stars of the show, he doesn't have a problem paying for a theatre and some sets like this! Pretty wild for a small dance studio! This performance was titled "Animal Crackers In My Soup!"

The Mother of the little girl doing the bawdiest of the acts, "Oh You Nasty Man," goes through the motions backstage!

What do you think about this stage setup? Debbie gets to show off her tap dancing skills!

Wow! What an outfit!!

One of the guys hanging out in the shadows was this dude who was just trying to let Helen know she had inherited some money! He walks up the stairs to tell her the good news and she gives him a shove, and down the stairs he goes, and cracks his head wide open! The bottom still is a quick flash hidden horror rearing it's ugly little head from Helen's past!

Always awesome Agnes (Endora) Moorehead is great as the evangelist Sister Alma that Helen is always listening to on the radio!

"What's The Matter With Helen" is an MGM Shelly Winters twofer that also includes another questionable film "Whoever Slew Auntie Roo?" and it's available from Amazon Prime for $4.48 with free shipping! You wanna talk about a deal?