Cheesetastic Film Review: The Hypnotic Eye (1960)

Hypnotic Eye Poster

I just love films with a gimmick.  They are cheesetastic and fabulously campy, so I was thrilled to see The Hypnotic Eye on TCM.  The premise of the film is that women are finding themselves hideously deformed.  The catch - they deform themselves without being aware of it.  The opening scene alone was shocking - a woman sets her hair on fire.  Grotesque, yet absolutely no way I was turning the channel.  Jacques Bergerac plays hypnotist Desmond.  Through the course of the film we find out that the women who are disfiguring themselves have all been hypnotized by the enigmatic Desmond.  I won't spoil the ending, but cult icon Allison Hayes, who plays Desmond's assistant Justine plays heavily into it.

Hypnotic Eye Opening Sequence

What was so interesting about the film is Bergerac was really trained by a hypnotist and the segments of the film with the hypnotic elements really had actresses that were hypnotized.  I found the stage portions intriguing.  At home, I followed along with the film, and it really added to the experience.  I wish the main audience participation element was earlier in the film, because it totally took you out of the plot of the film.  The point of the participation segment occurred right before the climax of the film.  Taking the 10 minutes out at that point detracted from the plot itself.  It would have made much more sense near the start of the film.

Allison Hayes

I would have to give this film a 8 out of 10 on the Cheesetastic Film Scale.

Hypnotic Eye Lobby Card

WACs Working Wonders

These lovely WACs are getting beauty treatments at Fort Des Moines in 1942.  How fantastic is it that there was basically a beauty salon at the fort?  One thing I love about the 1940's is that even when they were busy saving the world, women always made time to look good.  How awesome is that?  I don't think I'd have enough energy to do anything more than throw my hair in a ponytail, yet these fantastic women slept in pincurls and made sure their makeup was perfect.  Amazing.

Posts of the Week: Glamour Daze

1940s Makeover

Glamour Daze has been on point this week.  It has some of my absolute favorite posts of the week.  Two of my favorites are a fun post about WAC exercise and a cool post about a 1940's makeover.  What I love about the WAC exercise, is that it seems entirely possible to perform today by a variety of fitness levels.  I could see myself doing it today.  The makeover is intriguing, and doesn't seem completely impossible.  No matter how easy a makeup tutorial seems, I never seem to be able to do it properly.

Fashion Friday: Martha Raye Shows Us Her Shoes

Martha Raye and her shoes

Martha Raye has cool shoe collection.  Even one of those pairs would be fabulous, let alone a full cupboard full.  I'm totally jealous!

Book Review: League of Frightened Men by Rex Stout

Sydney Greenstreet as Nero Wolfe

When I think Nero Wolfe, I envision Sydney Greenstreet, since the only exposure I've had to Nero Wolfe is the radio program he starred in. I wasn't sure I'd enjoy the books, so I've waited to give this one a try. Another case of should not judge a book by its cover. The book follows Paul Chapin and a group of men who had been responsible for his crippling when they went to college. The group has formed a league to try to make amends for their prank gone wrong, but begin to get scared when members of the league starts to turn up missing or dead. 

The League of Frightened Men by Rex Stout

What I found interesting about this book was from the very beginning, you were basically given the killer. The rest of the book involved trying to find ways in which to convict Paul Chapin. The journey was a fascinating exploration into human nature and psychology. I found the thought process of Wolfe, his helper Archie, and the surrounding characters intriguing. The characters were so fully developed that I found their eccentricities completely believable and endearing.  Stout has a real gift for language, and that became one of the great features of the book. I enjoyed Stout's voice immensely, and I can't wait until I have the chance to read another Nero Wolfe book. I found myself only reading a bit every day because it was a treat, a little morsel of mystery goodness I felt privileged to read.

The League of Frightened Men by Rex Stout

The League of Frightened Men
Rex Stout
Pyramid Books R-919
1935

Fashion Friday: Late 18th Century Gowns at American Duchess

Dames a la Mode, July 1798

American Duchess has a fantastic post about Late 18th Century Gowns.  Very informative and the illustrations corresponding to the descriptions were stunning.  She also has a wonderful post about panniers.  American Duchess has to be one of my favorite historical costume sites.  

Book Review: Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind: A Bestseller's Odyssey from Atlanta to Hollywood

Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind: a Bestseller's Odyssey from Atlanta to Hollywood
Ellen F. Brown and John Wiley, Jr.
Taylor Trade Publishing
2012
1589796926

This book was amazing! I wished I wouldn't have waited so long to read it. This is the engrossing story of how a national bestseller was made. I adore Gone With the Wind, and I found the process of how it was created enthralling. I never would have guessed that a book about the publishing and management of a book's copyright could keep me up until 3 in the morning. Margaret Mitchell created an American classic in Gone With the Wind, a book that if not everyone has read, most nearly everyone knows the reference or has seen the film. Mitchell did not publish any other books, and after reading this I understand why.

Margaret Mitchell wanted desperately to remain a private person in the midst of a bestselling juggernaut. She and her husband went to great lengths to insure her privacy and the protection of her literary masterpiece. Having unwillingly been thrust into the public spotlight at one time myself, I felt a great empathy and kinship with the Margaret Mitchell of this book. She and her husband suffered poor health, yet were the subject of gossip, intellectual theft, and the machinations of greedy people through the wonderful story she created.

One of the aspects of the book I found particularly intriguing was the problems of international copyright - especially during World War II. I was troubled by how little an author's intellectual property is respected in other countries. Mitchell and her husband's efforts to protect her novel were fascinating, yet troubling. I've seen some foreign covers for famous books which appear to be poorly made and the cover having absolutely nothing to do with the novel, and it all makes sense after reading this book. She and her husband were definitely ahead of their time in trying to protect their property.

Mitchell also was ahead of her time when fighting for quality printing. She fought for better bindings and paper on several occasions. I find this admirable, being a book collector myself. Granted, she had the clout to do so, but this is a very pressing problem. I imagine many don't see it since we apparently are supposed to read only e-books, but I adore the paper book for many reasons and for a play on a famous Charlton Heston quote "you have to pry it from my cold, dead hands."

Having not heard of Mitchell's tragic end and the fallout from it, I found it particularly distressing after I felt so much a part of their world during the reading of this book. After Mitchell and her husband's deaths, the path of the rights of the novel was fascinating and disturbing at the same time. The quest for a sequel and commercialization were fairly recent additions to the Gone With the Wind story. I read Alexandra Ripley's Scarlett, which I found out of character with the original book and coarse. I couldn't bring myself to read Rhett's People, having been so disappointed with Scarlett. The rights were supposed to travel through the family, but Mitchell's brother gave them to his law partners. In the past 20 years or so, Gone With the Wind has been so highly commercialized, I find it sad. Mitchell clearly did not want sequels or film adaptations, yet that is clearly what the estate is doing today. They seem more interested in making money than protecting the story Margaret Mitchell and her husband fought so hard for so many years to protect.

I found this book a wonderful tale of a surprise bestseller as well as a tale about what happens to someone who becomes an unwitting celebrity. Brown and Wiley created a very readable book that was very well researched and plotted out to perfection. I was drawn into Mitchell's world and followed her along the path from relative unknown reporter to superstar author. This is the best book I've read in a while, and I never thought I would find such delight in a book about a book. This one is definitely staying in my library, for it is a fascinating tale of love, money, war, and intrigue. What more could you ask from a classic American success story?

An Andrews Winter Vacation

Mary, Dana, and children

Dana Andrews is one of my favorite actors.  His voice is amazing!  Not only was he great on film, but he was amazing on the radio.  As you all know, I'm addicted to Old Time Radio, and he stars in I Was a Communist for the F.B.I., a fantastic show with definite insight into the times.  He also starred in the noir classic Laura, which one of my favorite films.  

Dana, Mary, and daughter Katharine

These photographs are from a 1947 winter vacation he took with his family.  It looks very fun.  On a side note, I love the winter posters on the walls in the above picture.  I wish advertisement today even half that beautiful today.

Family Roughhousing

Dana, his wife Mary, sons David and Stephen, and daughter Katharine, look like they are having a wonderful time.  I wish I could have that much fun in this cold weather.  I guess I'd rather burrow under the covers and wait until spring.

Buster Keaton at home

Buster enjoying a good book

I love pictures of stars reading.  Not the beach reads you often see stars reading today, but actual literature.  And how cool is the fireplace in Buster's home?  You don't often think of a comedian as an intellectual, so I find this photo particularly interesting.

Buster and his dog

And who could resist these two?  Definitely another case of a dog and his owner looking alike.  Kindred spirits.

A Few Burlesque Beauties

Sally Rand 1938

Rita Boss