Let the experiment begin!
Experiment #103 ~ THE MAD MONSTER (1942) with short
Commando Cody and the Radar Men From the Moon (1952) ~ (Ch. 2)
Original Air Date: approx. 12/89
Genre: Horror/SciFi
Studio: Producers Releasing Corporation Pictures
Starring: Johnny Downs, George Zucco, Anne Nagel, Glenn Strange
Directed By: Sam Newfield
Theatrical Running Time: 72 Minutes
Tagline: N/A
... but FIRST! ...
Short:
Title: (Chapter Two) ~
MOLTEN TERROR
Genre: Action/SciFi
Studio: A Republic Picture
Starring: George Wallace, Aline Towne, Roy Barcroft, William Bakewell, Clayton Moore
Directed By: Fred C. Brannon
Chapter Running Time: 14 Minutes
Tagline: N/A
Shorts Chapter Synopsis: After strategic targets on earth are destroyed, the government suspects it's an "atomic ray" whose location is based on the Moon. Commando Cody (with his rocket-powered jet pack and bullet-shaped helmet), and his team (Joan, Ted and Hank) are dispatched to the Moon to discover the source of the weapon and destroy it. After stealing one of the alien "ray-guns", Cody and Ted find themselves trapped in a cave on the lunar surface, as alien commander Retik orders that the cave entrance be sealed by melting the rock surrounding it, assuring Cody's fate!
...and now... OUR FEATURE PRESENTATION!
Film Synopsis: University professor Dr. Cameron (
George Zucco) seeks to create an invincible army of men with wolf-like characteristics. After being denounced and discredited by his peers in the scientific community, Dr. Cameron continues his experiments on his unwitting gardener, Petro (
Glenn Strange). Achieving success upon converting and reverting Petro into/out of a wolfman, Dr. Cameron seeks revenge on his former colleagues.
Intro: N/A
Invention Exchange: Joel presents an anti-theft device, "Hell-in-a-Handbag", a clutch purse that if stolen, erupts into flame when the thief opens it. The Mads offer the "Acetylene Powered Thunder-Lizard", a Godzilla toy that actually spits real fire. (A great way to melt your 100 piece plastic army man play set!).
Host Segments:
Host 1: Tom Servo uses his best pick-up lines to try to score with what turns out to be a kitchen blender.
Host 2: Crow and Tom have many questions about werewolves. For example,,,
(
Tom): "Joel, is the wolfman actually eating his victims in this movie, or is he just simply mauling them?"
(
Joel): Well, a human being can't eat a whole other human being. At least not in one setting." (
Crow): "Especially if he fills up on bread sticks first."
(
Tom): "What if he goes into this thing a vegetarian? Does he start rampaging victory gardens? Does he become the 'terror of the produce aisle'?"
(
Crow): "Yeah, and say a guy changes back into normal before swallowing a mouthful of townsfolk. Does that make him a cannibal or just a 'meat and potatoes' werewolf?"
(
Tom): "What if he orders a hoagie in a restaurant and there's a hair in it?" (
Joel): "Oh, he probably wouldn't send it back, unless it was a pony-tail or something." (
Bots): "EWWWWW!!!"
Host 3: Joel switches the Bots' heads. (
Crow): "Oh, great! So... you look like an erector set with a goiter, and I've got a body that dogs can't resist!" It's, as Joel puts it, "Servo-Crow-ation!"
End: A 'Good Thing/Bad Thing' (say a good thing about the movie, and a bad thing) session with the Bots for a Ramchip reward. The Mads grieve over the death of one of their own in today's experiment. Dr. E. "files this".
Items of Note:
~ The Host 1 segment is repeated here almost word for word, from the Host 2 segment in
'Experiment #K11' ~ HUMANOID WOMAN.
~ The "Hell-in-a-Handbag" gag is a recycled bit from Joel's stand-up act, and was also seen in the Host 2 segment of
'Experiment #K16' ~ CITY ON FIRE.
~ So is the "acetylene powered thunder-lizard".
Personal Notes:
~ Apparently, "File this" will become the precursor to "Push the Button" in seasons to follow.
~ Joel calls Tom "Crow" at one point during the first film segment. Everyone seems a little confused.
~ The filmmakers must have only had enough money to shoot the "transformation" sequence once, as they use it again and again.
~ Producers Releasing Corporation was one of the many "Poverty Row" B-movie studios in the Gower Gulch section of Los Angeles, clustered near Gower street and Sunset Boulevard during the 1920's thru the 1950's
~ Actor Glenn Strange portrayed the 'Frankenstein Monster' character in various films after Boris Karloff's death.
~ Actor Clayton Moore is probably best known as TV's 'The Lone Ranger'.
The 'Riffs':
~ (
Cody): "We brought some nitrous oxide with us, didn't we?" (
Ted): "Yes. There's a small tank of it." (
Crow): "Who's gonna be first!?" (
Joel): "They got it from Dennis Hopper, I think!"
~ (singing) - (
Crow): "Rock-a-bye monster, on your little bed..." (
Tom): "When you wake up, some townsfolk will be dead."
~ (
Farmer): "All the animals are terrible nervous tonight, for some reason or 'nuther. The ole' plow mule like'd to've kicked my head off." (
Crow): "I'd like to do the same thing!"
~ (
Joel): "Neutering often helps to ease a bad temper."
~ (
Professor Fitzgerald): "You seem to be excellently equipped." (
Tom): "Thank you. I didn't think you could tell through these trousers."
~ (
Crow): "I'm impressed that the wolfman has been able to keep his sportscoat buttoned throughout the whole thing!"
Pop culture references to such noteables as Fred Travelena, Isaac Asimov and Shemp Howard as well as Dr. Zira, Tom Waite, Doonesbury and Scotchguard(?). The fellas are all over the board here, and the episode clearly has a "seat of the pants" feel of the old KTMA days. Not a lot of scripted material, and most of the improvised riffs just don't make it. However, the host segments are pretty strong.
Rating: 1-1/2 "Bad Doggies" out of 5.
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