Ken and Freddie

[BoyScoutKevin]

Of course, there are differences between Ken and Freddie, but here is another similiarity between the films of the two directors.

"Vampire Happenings" is one of Freddie's least favorite films, if only because of the difficulty he had in making it. Yet, it is one of my favorites, because--if only on paper--it is one of the funniest films I've ever seen. Maybe, because much of the humor is leavened with British music hall shtick of the 1930's.

For example, this scene from the film. Dracula (Ferdy Mayne) lounges on a bed with four beauties, declares: "Let us play." then pulls out a large hunting horn. (p. 273) Classic British music hall shtick.

Now compare that scene with this scene from Ken's "Lair of the White Worm." "Let us have some music," declares Lady Sylvia Marsh (Amanda Donohoe) pulling out a music cd. Kevin (Chris Pitt) the boy scout in the film, lounging on pillows on the floor, with the beauty, then pulls out his harmonica and begins to play.

And this scene from "Vamprie Happenings." Shortly after her arrival, Betty (Pia Degermark) decides to seduce a non-too-appealing monk . . . Subtlety is not her strong point, so she bares her breast at her window.

With his scene from "Lair of the White Worm." Substitute boy scout for monk, thigh for breast, and in her car for at her window, and you have the same scene.

Which would seem to indicate that Ken, too, was influenced in this writing of "Lair of the White Worm," by the British music hall.

Next time: "Ken, Thy Name Is Erotica."

[Iain Fisher]

I'm less convinced about Ken and Freddie than with Ken and Terence Fisher. But maybe it is because I really like lots of Terence Fisher's work, whereas Freddie Francis always seemed second rate to me.  But I only really know his Hammer horror films.

As a cinematographer he did the remake of Cape Fear which was pretty classy- I didn't know he did this I just found it on www.imdb.com.  Something else from imdb and a Ken Russell connection- he won an Oscar for his photography of the D.H. Lawrence story Sons and Lovers.

[BoyScoutKevin]

Freddie Franics was too much of a individualistic director to make any blanket statements about him, but just as there were certain similiarities between Terence Fisher and Ken Russell, so there were certain similiarities between Freddie Francis and Ken Russell.

There again the similiarities coming from the book "The Men Who Made the Movies" by Paul M. Jensen.

If a film is named, the film left of the equal sign is one of Ken's films, and the film right of the equal sign is one of Freddie's films.

Altered States = Pick a film. Any film.
Ignore the instructions of a screenwriter  on how to make a movie, when making a movie.

The Devils = Dracula Has Risen
"Strongly sexual and religious material." (p. 266)

Pick a film. Any film = Mumsy, Nanny, Sonny, and Girly
What the critics cannot understand. They attack.

Mahler = The Ghoul
A conflict of cultures. In the former, it is Jewish and Catholic, and in the latter, it is Western and Eastern.

Lisztomania - The Doctor and the Devils
Personal failure at the box office. It is interesting to note the author's reason.
"It is this harshness, as seen in the film's throughly bleak world, that probably kept if from being popular with audiences." (p. 293)

To be continued with one of my favorite films, if one of Freddie's least favorites.