Watch List for 4/6/2026

 

Watched: Agar Ugly Again, Invite to Ranch Party, and Muni Angel Does His Killing

HAND OF DEATH (1962) --- Fun of fundamental science-fiction is observing the experiment, waiting on it to somehow go wrong, then aboard for whatever monster results from the failed venture. Cheapness does not deter, in fact it enhances, like with Hand of Death where John Agar develops a sort of nerve gas to ease burden of war by subduing the enemy remotely, then going in to pick up pieces. That Agar will be a first victim is foregone conclusion, wanted as much as expected. Ritual is science-fiction’s friend, accepted wait to reveal a monster or whatever untoward event will threaten the world. Low enough budget will confine concern to an Agar swathed in mask or make-up, the actor’s ordeal as burdensome as that of the character he plays. Penny thrilling by 1962 was rare and becoming obsolete. Even children tired of what in any case was turning up on television, many barely out of theatres, in fact staying there to compete for dates with “new” product which could hardly be distinguished from the old. Science-fiction having taken nosedive with the sixties saw major companies fed up with it, cheaper outfits having also had their fill. Hand of Death was made by a Twentieth-Fox subsidiary and distributed on a bill with Cabinet of Caligari, a B/W combination at a time when B/W combinations were oldest hat and hardly wanted. Hand of Death had a negative cost of $116,000, took $130,000 in domestic rentals, with $62,000 foreign. Eventual loss of $28,000 probably surprised nobody. What did surprise fans was Fox releasing an “On-Demand” DVD, a passable transfer in scope as intended. Happy day when something long elusive turns up, even so minor a piece as Hand of Death.

RANCH PARTY (1959-61) --- George Ashwell of NC dealing fame had shelves filled with 16mm Ranch Party shows. Each was half an hour and to my then-estimation a lot of cornpone to never care less about. Wrong again! George respected Ranch Party and I certainly should have. It was among many things a foot bridge from country to cowboy boogie to rock and roll, biggest so far tent over every sort of down-home music folks could love or soon learn to love. Every inch of existing Ranch Parties are somewhere on You Tube, the series running from 1959 into 1961. Screen Gems syndicated it and that’s how George got his repeated hauls. Tex Ritter hosted the shows, him of avuncular mien, linking past and future as he quips with firecracker Larry Collins, age thirteen and holding, or being held by, a double-neck guitar itself building muscle just from hauling around. Larry’s act with sister Lori was called “The Collins Kids” and they, at least he, heralded a coming of R&R, Larry by later admission a “crazy kid” who had quit school at early age so he could practice his instrument eight hours a day. Ranch Party was a quilt re styles, Tex to sing, bring out Jim Reeves to sing more, then Smiley “Frog” Burnette to evoke thirties sidekicking, next might come Carl Perkins or sizzle songstress Wanda Jackson to show winds newly blowing. Era of cowboy and country was theirs to choose, stay with tradition, established form, or go a devil’s way and maybe lose more mainstream following. Some could do both for a while but sooner or later had to pick one to truly excel with either. I love porridge that is Ranch Party, none of sameness to any episode while artists bumped against ways known, ways to come, not a little frightening for them plus possibly their audience. When little Larry Collins goes wild strumming and moonwalks across barnyard backdrop, we know cows and corn are less long to dominate country culture, yet no one seems threatened, old Tex aboard for whatever revolution music cared to engage.

ANGEL ON MY SHOULDER plus CARTOON and SHORT (1946) --- VCI has put this PD feature as Blu-Ray right as I suppose is possible for guessing the negative lies somewhere on ocean bottom, theirs a compendium of 16 and 35mm elements, a mixed bag but fuller and more satisfying than what we had till now. Angel on My Shoulder was among postwar independents trying harder to do different and hopefully better than major companies given more to formula, thus story off well-trod paths and freelance casting to assure something out of entertainment ordinary. Greenbriar looked at Angel on My Shoulder before on TCM broadcast terms but this is revelatory for improved pic-and-sound, quality of content registering more than on mottled occasions past. Chief debate is whether up-from-Hell Paul Muni will avenge his gangland slaying in customary fashion, him advised to rely upon title Angel and not to get even on his own terms. Accommodating Angel relieves Paul of responsibility by backing killer Hardie Albright out a high story window, thus saving Muni further guilt and damnation. We should all have such guardian angels to get even for us, but what does such resolution say about angels? Ones on this occasion seem barely if at all operating within Code precepts. Watch Angel on My Shoulder and wonder why it was necessary for Muni to go back to Hell when this and other selfless gestures should have salvationed him. Independents suffered for lacking polish of studio making. You could recognize Warners or Metro or anybody’s product from blocks distant but ones like Angel on My Shoulder seemed alien but for Paul Muni and Claude Rains associated former with high profile projects. Plus what chance did outliers have where majors ran distribution tables?

Angel took but $1.7 million in worldwide rentals, deserved better, lapsed by mid-seventies into a Public Domain which was hell all its own. VCI on top of image sweetening adds a 1946 Paramount cartoon, Cheese Burglars, which I did not expect to like, but did. Called “Noveltoons” in their day, these misled me to thinking them novel-derived, as in “Based on the Best-Selling Herman and Katnip novel …,” particularly dumb conclusion when what they meant was Noveltoon in terms of Novelty. The things I learn in this life. Jack out of box that opened Paramount Noveltoons would be closer associated with Harvey cartoons making up weekly TV culled from Para’s back library of animation, Herman and Katnip a regular fixture there. Sameness pervaded most of these, so surprise was Cheese Burglars emerging good as it did, plus the print VCI found looks fine in High-Def. Situation is novel as in novelty, a dog and cat fast friends against a pesky mouse who argues it goes against nature for understood enemies to bond. Kept me in suspense for seven minutes, and there were laughs besides. The other short with Angel on My Shoulder was a Castle Films goodie called Wing, Claw, and Fang, which was actually a 1940 one-reeler Castle leased from Paramount called Not So Dumb, wherein we’re shown how a lion, raven, penguin, and kitten can be and often are smarter than us. Lion in question is “Jackie” of film fame who among other career highlights fought Victor Mature in Samson and Delilah. Castle made the short available in their catalogue between 1944 and 1953, meaning you could buy and then show same in your home and to anybody you chose. Transfer from 16mm was nicely done. I had never seen Wing, Claw, and Fang, so was delighted to find it among VCI extras. Miniatures can make a show when well picked, the cartoon plus Castle reel ideal appetizers for Angel on My Shoulder.