THE CAVES OF FEAR (1951) Book Review

Between 1947 and 1968, Grosset & Dunlap published a series of 24 novels in the Rick Brandt series, adventure stories that were more adult in nature than the counterparts: Tom Swift, Jr., Hardy Boys, Tom Quest, etc. Many suspect the series (especially the first two novels) were the inspiration for the Jonny Quest television program, and the comparisons are uncanny. Rick Brant is the central character in a series of 24 adventure and mystery novels by John Blaine, a pseudonym for authors Harold L. Goodwin (all 24 titles) and Peter J. Harkins (co-author of the first three). Harkins left as a result of a supposed dispute, but this did not handicap the stories.

 

Known as “Electronic Adventures” and “Science-Adventure Stories,” Rick Brant lives on Spindrift Island off the coast of New Jersey, where his father heads the Spindrift Foundation, a group of scientists that work for the Federal Government. The series is divided between stories that take place in the United States and in foreign countries. The Spindrift Foundation sends scientific expeditions to various foreign locations, with Rick sent along as an assistant. Goodwin was a popular science writer with a strong technical background and a sense of style unusual in the juvenile adventure-series field, which he would incorporate into the stories such as infra-red devices and Geiger counters. The books are suspenseful, well-plotted, atmospheric, and enriched by humor and acute characterization as well as personal experience. Exotic locales such as tropical islands, the Philippine jungles, and the Himalayas are given vivid and well-researched depictions, as are a variety of specialized hobbies and professions, such as scuba diving, infrared photography, home rocketry, and the inevitable espionage work. Like the Ken Holt mystery series, the tales appeal to a slightly older audience than do comparable Grosset & Dunlap series. (Ken Holt had a crossover cameo in The Flying Stingaree, and Rick lent some of his gadgets to Ken in The Mystery of the Plumed Serpent, by agreement of the two authors.)

 

In The Whispering Box Mystery (1948), Rick and Scotty race against time to stop a ring of spies from using a paralyzing weapon to steal government secrets. In Stairway to Danger (1952), Rick and Scotty battle a hardened and desperate criminal in an abandoned amusement park. In The Pirates of Shan (1958), Rick and Scotty search for Spindrift scientists kidnapped by pirates in the Philippines. In other adventures they travel to Egypt, encounter a Civil War ghost, discover spies are masquerading as space aliens with an experimental UFO, and are kidnapped by hostile natives in Nigeria. You can tell how enjoyable these novels are – and collecting them is half the fun, not just reading them. 

 

I recently read The Caves of Fear (1951) and found it to be a tad unique. The first third was slow for the proper (and necessary build up and introduction of characters), the second third was intriguing and the final third action-packed and exciting. In this novel, Rick, Scotty, and Dr. Zircon (who also doubles as their bodyguard) travel to the Himalayas at the request of U.S. Agent Steve Ames, and are reunited with Chahda, the Hindu boy who is a friend of theirs. Their goal is to discover the location of where nuclear materials are being mined, and to keep the nuclear materials out of the wrong hands. Their travels take them to Singapore, then seek out something referred to as “The Golden Mouse,” while avoiding a Chinese man with a glass eye, and the mysterious and dangerous figure known as “Long Shadow.”

 

As with any series that I enjoy reading, I take my time and spread them out. I have been reading a novel or two a year from this series, usually as I come across them at affordable prices at conventions. For many of the books in this series, they can be purchased for about $10, more if graded upon condition. The final four in the series did not go into multiple reprints like the earlier volumes, so those do fetch a higher price. The dust jackets are more difficult to find due to their frail nature so if you find one with the dust jacket, be prepared to pay a few more dollars. I recently struck gold with The Caves of Fear (1951) for $10 with dust jacket.

 

If you have watched all the Jonny Quest television adventures and seek additional adventures in the same vein, I recommend the Rick Brandt Electronic Adventures. The first two combined are a fantastic read. The Caves of Fear became my second favorite having read the first seven.

HE RAN ALL THE WAY (1951) Film Noir review

In 1951, United Artists released a crime thriller, He Ran All the Way, co-starring John Garfield and Shelley Winters. The story tells of petty thief Nick Robey who botches a robbery, shooting and killing a policeman, and leaving his partner Al severely wounded. Nick escapes with over $10,000 and goes to a local swimming pool. At the pool, he meets bakery worker Peg Dobbs, and accompanies her home to her family's apartment. Peg's mother, father and young brother leave to see a movie. When they return, Robey takes the family hostage until he can escape.

 

Not only was this John Garfield’s final film. He was “greylisted” following accusations of his involvement with the Communist Party. Testifying before the House Committee on Un-American Activities, he repudiated communism, denied party membership, and claimed that he did not know any members of the Communist Party during his entire time in Hollywood, “because I was not a party member or associated in any shape, way, or form.” He testified on April 23, 1951, just two months before He Ran All the Way was scheduled to open, on June 19. Garfield died less than a year later, on May 21, 1952, at age 39.

 

Shelley Winters, who I always felt the studios wasted because they gave her good-girl roles early in her career and looked at her as nothing but a pretty face, proves she can truly act and put on a hell of a performance in this movie. Many praise the acting job of John Garfield but, to me, Shelley Winters steals the movie.

 

I make it a tradition of watching at least one film noir a month, simply because I love the genre and there are so many that I can see over the years. This one, in particular, was the best I have seen in the last year and would rank among my top ten. Highly recommended.

DOCTOR WHO Returns to Form on Disney Plus (review)

When Doctor Who made a revival in 2005, with Christopher Eccleston in the lead, the program returned in top-notch form. The series (including the David Tennant seasons that followed) were remnant to the Tom Baker jovial fun that I grew up with. (Thank you, PBS.) To be fair, the original series had a charm of their own -- cheaply produced, limited sets and props, silly one-liners... but with a larger budget the BBC was able to revive the series in a manner it never accomplished since the series premiered in 1963.

When the Disney+ platform struck a deal with the BBC, there were skeptics who spoke out against the series. After all, the last few seasons were lackluster. That last word I used politely. They plots sucked. There, I said it. I feel sorry for Capaldi and Whittaker because they were great in the roles -- it was the plots that sucked. 

Having watched the first half dozen of the new season, starring Ncuti Gatwa, I am pleased to report the program has returned to form. Whether The Doctor is battling a powerful villain named The Maestro, participating in a ghost story that spans decades, or fails in his attempt to save a colony of spoiled rich brats, the plots are a notch above. The series has become fun again. 

If you jumped the shark some time ago, I encourage you to revisit the series with the start of Ncuti Gatwa in the role and enjoy what made Doctor Who a fun program.  

BOOK REVIEWS: LAWMAN, HITCHCOCK, SHEENA AND SHANE

A box of books arrived on my doorstep from Bear Manor Media, a publishing house that is cranking out a number of great books, almost the equivalent of one a week. With so many books being published, a few of them in the box warrant mention just in case these books slip under the radar. 

LAWMAN: A Companion to the Classic TV Western Series

By Bill Levy

The Warner Bros. western series Lawman starring John Russell, Peter Brown, and Peggie Castle was originally broadcast on ABC-TV for four seasons, between September 1958 and June 1962. As played by steel-eyed John Russell, Dan Troop is a no-nonsense marshal who has little patience for outlaws or hypocrites but will stand up for underdogs and outsiders. He also displays a warmer side with his mentoring of his young deputy (Peter Brown) and, beginning in the second season, in his relation- ship with Peggie Castle’s beautiful Lily Merrill.

 

Lawman: A Companion to the Classic TV Western Series is the first book to focus fully on this television western, re-familiarizes veteran viewers and introduces new fans to this exceptional television western and its three-dimensional leads. It features a Foreword by Will “Sugarfoot” Hutchins, a discussion of why Lawmanstands out from other television westerns, a history of its creation, episode summary capsules, a “Recollections” chapter with recent interviews of Lawman alumni, and photos covering the show’s four years.

 

I have a policy not to write a negative book review, instead choosing not to do a review at all and avoid the uncomfortable position of “warning” people and insulting the author. This is a good book as the subtitle aptly describes what you get: a companion piece and not historical documentation. There are no dates of production, budgets, complete cast lists, and very few behind-the-scenes details for every episode. I say this only because I was privy to the Warner archive many years ago and gathered such immaculate details for such TV westerns as Cheyenne and Maverick. Even newspaper archives online provide thorough search engines that allow anyone the ability to seek out trivia from press releases, reprinted in the newspapers, for various episodes. When I first saw this book being advertised, I expected to see that type of material within the pages. Instead, the book appears to be a review of each episode, having watched the series on DVD. If you idea of behind-the-scenes trivia is “Robert Wilke was a great western villain” or “Mickey Simpson and Fred Graham took part in the classic donnybrook against Victor McLaglen’s Sergeant Quincannon in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949),” then this is a book for you. If you are a fan of the TV series, you should have a copy of this book. Otherwise, just be aware in advance what is contained within the pages.

 

 

MY ADVENTURE WITH SHEENA, QUEEN OF THE JUNGLE

By Yoram Ben-Ami

To some, she was the female Tarzan. To others, she was the sexiest pin-up of their teenage years. She was Sheena, Queen of the Jungle. The making of the 1984 movie Sheena was an adventure worthy of a behind-the-scenes book, and that's what the film's executive producer, Yoram Ben-Ami, has written in My Adventure with Sheena, Queen of the Jungle.

 

Completed days before actress Tanya Roberts's tragic death, My Adventure with Sheena, Queen of the Jungle is a tribute not only to its hard-working star but to the scores of technicians who made the first major studio film shot entirely in Africa. Ben-Ami was there for all of it and writes about working with Roberts, dealing with a director who wouldn't take "no" for an answer, and a rhinoceros that wouldn't take direction.

 

Sheena was controversial for its portrayal of a white heroine who rises to "save" African culture. The film could not be made today, but it was made, and it offers historical perspective of how far we have come and how far we have yet to go. 

 

Israeli-born American producer Yoram Ben-Ami had just scored a hit with Lone Wolf McQuade when he embarked with director John Guillermin, stars Tanya Roberts and Ted Wass, and a menagerie of trained animals to mix with the wild animals of Africa and make what everyone thought was going to be the box office smash of 1984. Ben-Ami's behind-the-scenes tales make for exciting, informative, funny, and sometimes touching reading.  

 

Yoram Ben-Ami has produced more than a dozen films including Lone Wolf McQuade, Jury Duty, The Lion of Africa, and Stone Cold. All the more worthwhile to read this book if you loved the movie. Who better to tell the behind-the-scenes story than the producer himself?

 

 

SHANE: Paramount’s Classic Western

By Aubrey Malone

Shane has often been described as the most perfect sagebrush exemplification of Hollywood’s Golden Age. A masterpiece of tone and technique, it was George Stevens’ atmospheric valentine to an era if not a genre. Alan Ladd gave an emblematic performance in it. Jean Arthur excelled as the woman he falls in love with but cannot have. Van Heflin was pitch perfect as her decent, rough-hewn husband. Jack Palance won an Oscar nomination for playing the Luciferean villain Jack Wilson and so did Brandon De Wilde as the tow-headed Joey Starrett who idolizes the mysterious stranger riding into the valley to purge it of evil. The film, like the much-loved novel upon which it was based, was largely seen from Joey’s eyes. In his odyssey from child to man, mirroring Shane’s cathartic journey from gunfighter to farmhand and back to gunfighter again, we see two separate dramas playing themselves out. They do so against the backdrop of the majestic Teton peaks, and a range war that pits venal cattle barons against primitive farmers trying to eke out a living on Wyoming’s hard soil. 

 

Aubrey Malone analyses every aspect of this groundbreaking film in the present book. It draws on a multiplicity of sources, many of them rare. He studies the day-to-day events of the shoot as well as the symbolic import of the film in a book that’s as detailed as it’s wide-ranging. Copiously illustrated both with stills from the film and candid shots of the stars between takes and off the set, this is a thorough study of Hollywood’s definitive western.

 

 

Hitchocock’s NORTH BY NORTHWEST: The Man Who Had Too Much

By James Stratton

Possibly Alfred Hitchcock's most popular and elaborate film, North by Northwest follows advertising executive Roger Thornhill's frantic cross-country race to free himself from a false murder charge and a mistaken identity pursuit by foreign spies. To me, this is the quintessential Hitchcock movie, and a perfect example of how to craft a story for cinema.

 

In a series of lively, self-contained chapters geared to both film buffs and casual viewers, the book explores all of the structural and thematic elements that combine to make this one of the master of suspense's most remarkable achievements. This is not a making-of book but rather a number of essays analyzing the movie from all ends of the spectrum. As a fan of Hitchcock, and a subscriber to bi-monthly newsletters consisting of essays, this book is a feast for a movie that can never have enough essays.