PaladinNites   Posted at 2020-04-27 00:21:30(242Wks ago) Report Permalink URL | ||
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| Heavy, iron gray clouds overhead and wind picking up, flashes of lightning in the distance. Perfect night to host the next flick at The Mystery Cafe  The First Nighter tugs down the fedora and makes his way through the alleys toward the Cafe, pauses at the street to gaze at a remarkable site  Shaking his head, he starts to step off to cross the road to the Cafe and pulls up again. The marquee signage has been modified "Due to procedures in place, all ticket holders must pass through Thermal Scan" And below this hangs  Under the marquee the normally empty ticket booth is manned by a figure in black  "Greets First Nighter" Tips fedora, "umm Miok..." miok  "I've established ticket holder admission security. Per request of the Libation Staff"The exit door opens, and out comes another one of those robot like things. This one is dragging a body by the ankle.  Glances at Miok and holds hands out in question miok "Some user, think it was Pal or GrayNite or something like that sent Sherb a funny video of a Dalek. I've built several and have improved them.Thermal forehead scanners, Viper stun gun and grapple hook. They are now....efficient." As the robot thing drags the body around the corner, Miok presses a button, the body is placed on a belt system under a tent, a funnel of soapy foam covers it. Then a deluge shower hoses it off. The Dalek whips around and returns to the Cafe. miok "His admission ticket has been...DECLINED" " Alrighty then. Do you need anything? miok "Tea...Chamomile""I'll have the Libation gang get you some" miok "First Nighter, be careful entering. They staff have made their own....Improvements"I slowly open the door and peer around, the sound of singing comes from the lounge area... "More for us, more for us! Yer bloody right more for us"...In two part harmony (of sorts)  On the floor are red stripes paced off to around 2 meters apart, and a single file way boarded by velvet theater rope. Following this into the lounge I come to a halt before two signs. And a small podium with an iPad. The sign on the left is topped with 2 small Canadian flags and reads; "Pense meme pas a traverser la ligne rouge." The sign on the right is topped with the Saltire flags and it reads; "Dinny even hink aboot crossin this red line o'er here" The Libation Bar hosts bigboy12  and sherb       look up and smile"Hey First Nighter" Holding up my hands in question, they take turns in answering sherb "Canna be too careful these days'bigboy12 "Best to keep the distance from us, they order by the iPad"Ok, so how do they get their drinks? bigboy12 "Oh your going to love this" "Just watch FN" and sherb hit a switch and out comes a scale model train, with drinks on flat cars. The engine reads "Flying Scotsman II" Curiously the train only circles the bar between them. I didn't ask.... "Not bad, so what happens if they cross the line?' bigboy12 and sherb smile at each other. bigboy12 reaches under the counter and...from the floor a spring loaded hockey stick slashes up. bigboy12 smilessherb "An if that don't get their attention" and he reaches under his counterFrom above, like something out of Poe's Pit & the Pendulum comes 3 swinging shillelaghs, at various heights. sherb smilesEach hold their hands up and at the same time say "Problem solved!" I turn and look towards where the butter popcorn machine ... was. It's now encased in heavy plastic and hazard tape Looking back at the Libation staff.... sherb "Ach, some rat bastard millenial ticket holder tried doin one of those self recorded 'cough challenges"[/i]bigboy12 "[i]all we had to do was hit this"On the wall is a large red button with a simple name on it. Miok bigboy12 "He took the liberty of parking one of the Dalek's in there. Miok runs it by joystick."sherb " The stun gun lit him up like bloody Guy Fawkes night"bigboy12 "and was drug out just before you came in"So...have any ticket holders made it to the viewing lounge? bigboy12 / sherb "Nope"So, why man the lounge? bigboy12 " counter clean up"sherb "make sure the glasses are sanitized"bigboy12 "cooler temperature check"sherb "inventory"bigboy12 "secure the beer"sherb "make sure the wine is safe"bigboy12 "just in case of civil unrest" sherb "times being what they are you know"OK, OK. Would one of you kindly get Miok some tea-chamomile please bigboy12 "we're on it!" sherb "and we've already chucked the darts"First Nighter turns to the viewing readers; "One simply must admire the ingenuity of the staff here" Looking at the dart boards, one dart has hit the year 1944, and the other dart actor Basil Rathbone. Heading towards the film vault, the bar ques up Bee Gees "Stayin Alive". And sherb / bigboy12 go back to their song.... Welcome to the Mystery Theater Cafe, tonight's offering is from a Universal series. So sit back and enjoy Basil Rathbone in;  A fog shrouded night in the French Canadian village of La Mort Rouge. All locals are gathered in Journet's Pub-Hotel, and all are silent. Because the church bells peeling. But since everyone is at the pub, who is tolling the bells? Postman Potts enters, shaken and pale. Telling all that he was on his way to Penrose Manor to deliver an important post when he came across a 'glowing apparition'.  The priest has Potts drive him to the church to investigate, Potts continues on to Penrose manor. The priest finds Lady Penrose her throat ripped open. Hand still clutching the rope, she had been desperately ringing the bells in alarm as her life slips away. He has arrived too late to help her.  Quebec Royal Canadian Occult Society is meeting, and a clash between Lord Penrose & Holmes erupts over a 100 y.o. legend of glowing marsh phantom who tore throats out. Lord Penrose, receives a message that his wife is dead, throat torn out . Penrose is convinced that his wife was killed by supernatural forces. He is convinced that his small, Canadian town is beset by an evil spirit--and is why he is giving a lecture on psychic phenomena. Firmly entrenched in the belief that it is the work of an otherworldly being, and he does not welcome the suggestion of Sherlock Holmes, who is convinced that there is nothing ghostly about the matter in the least.  Next morning - ready to leave back to London, Holmes gets letter from Lady Penrose, requesting help from unseen menace that she cannot fully describe.As Holmes tells Watson "For the first time, we've been retained by a corpse". They get directions to the village of La Mort Rouge. Once there they go directly to and enter Penrose Manor unannounced. They make their way to an inner room and find Lord Penrose praying over his wife. Holmes shows the letter from Lady Penrose. Exam of body shows the claw-like wounds on Lady Penrose could be supernatural, animal or man-made. Holmes recognizes Lady Penrose as the former actress Lillian Gentry. .Drake the butler tells of "another who wanted harm to her". Lord Penrose demands they leave before he calls the Police  Holmes and Watson return to the village and secure lodging at Journet's Hotel - Marie Journet, the owners daughter registers them in. Emil looks at the register as Postman Potts arrives with mail. Pott's brushes off Holmes & Watson being there because "You can't arrest ghosts and monsters can you?" Holmes and Watson question Emile Journet in his office, He relates he came to la Mort Rougue 2 years ago with his daughter Marie, after working as a prison guard. But it's around the same time the monster appeared. He believes in the monster, Journet admits to wanting to run away. He has a terrible premonition of threat to him. Much the same as Lady Penrose described in her letter to Holmes.   Later that night Holmes has Watson mingle with the people in the pub. Watson finds Potts is talking with Drake the butler on the supernatural elements of the murders. And soon Watson has everyone's attention by telling tales of his adventures with Holmes. Meanwhile Journet creeps into Holmes room, to talk with him. But finds it empty as the bed has been make up to look like someone is sleeping.  Holmes has slipped out to the police station. Sgt Thompson shows Holmes a map with the area of Penrose murder circled, and gives him directions.  Holmes leaves to investigate the area. Back at the pub Watson, Potts and pretty much all in the pub are pretty drunk. Seeing this Emile Journet sneaks off into the fog shrouded night. Heading out of town.  Holmes out on the path searching for clues, hears the church bells ring. The pub grows silent as all hears the bells.  Out on the marsh road Holmes encounters an impossible glowing apparation in humanoid form.  Firing shots at it without success. But on a tree branch he finds a piece of glowing material.  Later Lord Penrose comes to Holmes room, still persisting in a supernatural element. He is fishing for information. Holmes returns to the police station as Sgt Thomson's calls in the local clothing merchant. Looking at the torn part Holmes has found, the merchant says only one person in the area buys those shirts. A Judge Brisson, retired magistrate and cripple. Who, curiously also came to village around the same time as Journet. The Sgt tells Holmes that not only is the Judge a recluse but the Judges house is a fortress, a savage dog guards the inside. Only one housekeeper Nora, who is fiercely protective of the Judge.  Holmes and Watson go to the house, and Nora reluctantly allows them in. The Judge greets them with a rifle in hand. And tells Holmes he has no use for him, and trusts in his own defenses. Using a trick of dropping a letter and leaving the room, Holmes finds the Judge is not a cripple. The Judge admits to being frightened of everything and everybody. But cannot really say why, but feels it's presence all around. He's wearing the same type of shirt as the cloth found on the tree. He had the old ones given to a handy man who worked for him at times, Tanner who had a slight limp. As they leave the clock strikes a distinct set of chimes in the judges office.  Sgt Thompson takes them to the abandoned De Laporte hotel, where the trapper/handyman Tanner resides.   Tanner slips up under questioning and says Lady Penrose was murdered which Holmes jumps on. He then blows out the lamp and in Tanner's room hangs a shirt that glows.  Tanner makes a break and jumps out the window into the river as the Sgt and Watson fire after him. Holmes searches Tanner's room and finds a partially torn photograph with the words "To Alister Ranson from Lillian".  Holmes breaks into Lord Penrose' house and opening the safe finds the other portion of the photo. [img]  [/img]Lord Penrose finding him, tells Holmes that Ranson murdered a fellow actor in a jealous rage, and his Lillian retired early and married him. In Quebec 5 yrs ago, Ranson tried to escape and was supposedly shot, but no body was ever found. Holmes deduces that Ransom being an actor has established several characters in the village. Lord Penrose tells that Judge Brisson was the magistrate who tried and sentenced Ranson. Holmes immediately phones the Judge,only to hear him say" I've chained up the dog as you asked"...Holmes fears that Judge is next on the list and tells him that he didn't call are request that. And to secure the house as he is on the way. Once he gets to the Judges house, he can see Nora closing the storm shutters, He knocks. The Judge tells Nora to show him in. But as Nora comes behind the Judge she attacks with a 5 prong weeder and rips his throat. Nora then opens the door, hiding in the shadows behind it and as Holmes rushes in, she rushes out. To his shock he finds the real Nora bound and gagged in the closet. And she didn't see who attacked her. He phones the Sgt and tells him to have Watson meet him at the De LaPorte, as he figures the killer will return there to assume another disguise. Holmes returns to the De La Porte hotel, and on ascending the stairs trips a signal. In a hidden room Tanner/Nora is changing disguise again. He holds Holmes at gunpoint and here the tale emerges.  Yes he is Ranson and Lady Penrose died because he couldn't stand to see her with another man, the Judge because he sentenced him. And if Holmes hadn't interfered the last on the list would be dead already, the 'monster' to blame and he could slip back into another role already played out and accepted by the townsfolk. As he is about to name the third person to be killed, Watson appears and is creeping up the stairs, they break, he falls and Ranson distracted flees thru the secret door. Holmes and Watson discover it and there they find the disguises of Nora, Tanner. A complete actors make up table. Holmes decides the only person who can be left on Ransom list is Journet, as he was a former guard at the prison Ranson was held. Watson tells him that he has gone into hiding or so says the daughter Marie.  Back at Journet's the crowd is boisterous and singing, celebrating the death of the so called monster. Marie is no where to be found, Holmes goes to Jorunet's office and makes the terrible discovery of her body. Later at the hotel Watson and the Sgt await. Holmes finally shows up, having searched the entire area for Journet. The Sgt has had all roads blocked into and out of the area, so they know he hasn't been able to leave the area. The phone rings, Holmes answers and hears only dead air, except for the chiming of a clock. He now knows where Journet is hiding. In the last place the monster has killed, the Judges house. After breaking the news to Jounet of his daughter's death, Holmes convinces him to return with them to the hotel, as he has a plan to finally trap the killer Later that night Watson announces that he and Holmes are leaving for London immediately. Sorry that the case didn't turn out more successful for them. The Sgt tells all gathered it's possible that the killer has slipped across the border into the US and it might be years to catch. Journet offers to forward the bill to Holmes and Watson as he is on his way to the church to pray for his daughter. As Jorunet makes his way through the foggy night, Potts comes up to him and remarks "Three deaths in three days, and yet one more to come" that is when Journet spins around and rips the mask from Potts face, it's Holmes in disguise as Journet. Ranson runs off  but Holmes and the Sgt have deputized many and as the police whistle blows a cordon surrounds the area. Potts/Ranson runs hither and yon trying to find a way out. Then he spies the real Journet and attacks, during the struggle Journet is able to take the 5 prong weeder away and so ends Ransom's life. [img]  [/img]Trailer; Best Paladin **************** Production Notes This is quite a gruesome entry in the series, as atmospheric as "The Hound of the Baskervilles", but with an even more reckless and cunning murderer. This entry bears a significant resemblance to The Hound. Alan Barnes, in his book Sherlock Holmes On Screen, describes The Scarlet Claw as "owing much" to Hound, listing their similarities: a remote marshland setting; a painted-phosphorescent but thought-supernatural terror, an escaped convict on the loose, a cold killer ingratiating himself with everyone in the vicinity; a subplot involving cast-off clothing; plus Holmes' method of unmasking the murderer, making to return home but actually remaining behind to catch the villain red-handed. Atmosphere is established right from the beginning with a great image of a fog enshrouded landscape, the location of the drama taking place in the small Canadian town of La Mort Rouge, ominously translated as 'The Red Death'. The plot intriguingly involves the use of disguises not only by Holmes, but the resourceful murderer who is revealed via some clever writing and the film director's sleight of hand. Universal films counted a great deal on the chemistry between Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce as Holmes and sidekick Dr. Watson, and indeed that chemistry is on full display in this particular title. The overall cast is remarkably fine, but most particularly Gerald Hammer, who frequently appeared in these films and here offers a uniquely memorable turn as the fearful postmaster Potts/Tanner/Nora & ultimately Ransom. Running ten minutes longer than the usual standard 65 minutes, THE SCARLET CLAW, strictly a feature "B" production, but is pure "A" murder mystery material with entire cast in fine form. Paul Cavanagh as the occult-studying peer; Ian Wolfe as his alcoholic butler; Arthur Hohl as the brutal innkeeper; Kay Harding as his unfortunate young daughter; Gerald Hamer as a nervous postman/Tanner/Nora; Miles Mander as a terrified old judge and Victoria Horne as his disquieted housekeeper. All repertoire cast members, all assuming different roles from earlier to latter "Holmes" installments, Generally considered by critics and fans of the series to be the best of the twelve Holmes films made by Universal. Throughout the film, the actors pronounce correctly the name of the village as "La Mort Rouge", but in one short moment a map is shown in the Constable's office with the name spelled "La Morte Rouge". The map's spelling seems to me to be a typo not caught by the set decorators Listed in Journet's inn-register is Tom McKnight of New York. McKnight was an adviser on Universal's Holmes series The great make-up artist Jack Pierce was responsible for Gerald Hamer's diverse characters, Tanner, Potts, Nora. The "Glowing Phantom" effect was by John R Fulton special photography  | |
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Post liked by - Ange1  , Janor, SweetSkunk , GodAndUlster, miok, bigboy12, sherb, RedBaron58 | ||
| bigboy12Posted at 2020-04-27 00:49:29(242Wks ago) Report Permalink URL | ||
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| Another great piece of work PaladinNites !!Many thanks for a nice read . :) 👍 | |
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| Post liked by - Ange1, Janor, miok | ||
| miokPosted at 2020-04-27 00:54:42(242Wks ago) Report Permalink URL | ||
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| Awesome job Paladin but you made me seem a lot nicer than I really am :-@ Thanks for another great adventure! | |
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| Post liked by - Ange1, Janor, RedBaron58, GodAndUlster | ||
| JanorPosted at 2020-04-27 20:27:52(242Wks ago) Report Permalink URL | ||
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| Fantastic as usual and I consider you quite the accomplished writer... you are definitely on my list of favourite authors and only reviewer. :-):-):-) Can't wait for the next one. hugs and love always, Janor :love:love:love | |
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| Post liked by - Ange1, miok | ||
| sherbPosted at 2020-04-28 06:19:57(242Wks ago) Report Permalink URL | ||
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| A most excellent read and a great review Paladin :-):-) | |
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| Post liked by - Ange1, Janor | ||
| Ange1Posted at 2020-04-29 07:16:34(242Wks ago) Report Permalink URL | ||
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| Wow this is amazing thank you so much hunni for keeping us all thoroughly entertained :) :love:love | |
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