tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061398142362448372.post6308153326575607128..comments2023-11-25T09:34:32.294-08:00Comments on It Couldn't Happen Here...: Universal TV's Supernatural Sleuths: Part 1John Scolerihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15830334036783163702noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061398142362448372.post-8317425875230780782013-09-02T21:50:46.647-07:002013-09-02T21:50:46.647-07:00I just now saw Mike Doran's answer to my quest...I just now saw Mike Doran's answer to my question, and it was very helpful. CHAMBER OF HORRORS is very entertaining, and it really walks a line between "campiness" and a genuine morbid streak. It also has one of the oddest cameos that you'll see in a horror film.Granthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09603892208775996594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061398142362448372.post-80958934200030599322012-11-29T14:13:20.467-08:002012-11-29T14:13:20.467-08:00The show you refer to was indeed a pilot, and actu...The show you refer to was indeed a pilot, and actually announced for ABC's 1966 fall schedule.<br />But it was a Warner Bros production, titled HOUSE OF WAX, after the Vincent Price pic of the same name.<br />The series would have starred Cesare Danova and Wilfrid Hyde-White as the proprietors of the eponymous HOUSE, who would solve murders in 1890s Baltimore between museum tours; nothing supernatural, just good old fashioned violence.<br />The little person sidekick was played by Tun Tun, a popular Mexican comedian who bore a disquieting facial resemblance to William Shatner. At least, I think it's disquieting (I've got this one on DVD).<br /><br />As I said above, HOUSE OF WAX was announced for Fridays at 10 (9 central), but was dropped suddenly when ABC had one of their frequent executive shakeups; a number of planned series were yanked at literally the last minute.<br />The Warner Bros Brass decided to shoot a little extra footage and pass off the retitled CHAMBER OF HORRORS as a theatrical feature. It got some surprisingly favorable reviews and did business, but not enough to merit a followup in either theaters or TV.<br /><br />Why I didn't notice this coment before .. but hey, I noticed it now.Mike Dorannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061398142362448372.post-49902371186098839862012-10-05T20:12:41.558-07:002012-10-05T20:12:41.558-07:00That comment of Norman Lloyd's has had me wond...That comment of Norman Lloyd's has had me wondering about something since I read it months ago. I'm not sure whether or not he was referring to the half-hour show alone, but there are two episodes of The Alfred Hicthcock HOUR that have always looked to me like SOMEONE mean them as pilots. <br />One is called "Diagnosis : Danger" and is about a heroic doctor played by Michael Parks, and when you see it, it looks like he was being set up to be one of those early ' 60s "young doctor" characters like Dr. Kildare and Ben Casey.<br />The other is called "Nothing Ever Happens In Linvale." It has a regular Hitchcock type crime story, but it also has a homespun small town sheriff (who solves the crime at the end) and his comical nervous deputy. Of course, most people would say "Andy Griffith Show rip-off!" after reading that, but they were played by Fess Parker and George Furth, so they gave the characters their own personalities.<br />Again, I don't know whether Lloyd's comment was meant to include the hour show or not, but does ayone know whether these two were meant as pilots?Grantnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061398142362448372.post-8069502021483502812012-01-11T09:19:41.946-08:002012-01-11T09:19:41.946-08:00I'm sure someone here can describe it, but the...I'm sure someone here can describe it, but there has to be a connection between this and "Chamber of Horrors" with Cesar Danova and Patrick O'Neal. It was also a period movie with a character a little like a supernatural detective, who has a little person assistant. And I've heard that it was meant as a TV movie and even a pilot, before it became a theatrical one instead.Grantnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061398142362448372.post-82955670101101733242012-01-08T10:23:14.215-08:002012-01-08T10:23:14.215-08:00Actually, I was going to include a chapter in FANT...Actually, I was going to include a chapter in FANTASTIC TELEVISION about proposed series that never saw the light of day; unfortunately, my editor considered that frivolous ("If the show wasn't good enough to sell, why would anyone care?"). I was always aware that DARK INTRUDER was a theatrically-released TV pilot, and, as mentioned in the essay, I was lucky enough to see it when it was first released with I SAW WHAT YOU DID. I kinda picked up bits and pieces of background data over the years, chatting with Leslie Nielsen and Mark Richman at conventions, etc. I just recently asked TV historian extraordinaire Stephen Bowie about CLOAK, as he had interviewed Norman Lloyd a few times; those comments about Lloyd having little use for Laird's pilot, despite the fact that Lloyd himself provided the demon's voice, were derived from Bowie's research. Anyway... glad you found all this interesting!Gary Geraninoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061398142362448372.post-19494189222544174882012-01-08T07:35:35.730-08:002012-01-08T07:35:35.730-08:00Gary, bravo on this heavy research! Did you discus...Gary, bravo on this heavy research! Did you discuss this in Fantastic Television, or is it something you discovered later?Jack Seabrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02216640325305820140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061398142362448372.post-46064942496938238762012-01-07T02:21:56.429-08:002012-01-07T02:21:56.429-08:00Thanks, guys! It's been A LONG time since I t...Thanks, guys! It's been A LONG time since I thought about this little gem. I really hope the missing 35mm negative will reappear at some point, so we can all enjoy a quality version... no reason why this shouldn't look as good as Image's THRILLER episodes. Coincidentally, Universal's FEAR NO EVIL, the subject of Part 2, is also something of a missing film; it hasn't been presented in its original 35mm format since 1970!Gary Geraninoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061398142362448372.post-10563272800912446102012-01-06T22:31:10.399-08:002012-01-06T22:31:10.399-08:00Really enjoyed this, Gary. Terrific reading.Really enjoyed this, Gary. Terrific reading.Mark Dawidziakhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17535425789954062022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061398142362448372.post-77500193211827179322012-01-06T17:55:10.725-08:002012-01-06T17:55:10.725-08:00Thanks, Gary - I really wish this had gone forward...Thanks, Gary - I really wish this had gone forward as a series. Even though the quality isn't great, the gray-market tapes/DVDs that circulate are something I'd heartily recommend that people check out. I was very impressed.grgstv338https://www.blogger.com/profile/03532739459643834686noreply@blogger.com