Showing posts with label Paul Frees. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Paul Frees. Show all posts

Friday, January 17, 2014

The Monolith Monsters: Now That's What I Call ROCK 'n Roll!



The Monolith Monsters: Now That's What I Call ROCK 'n Roll!


From time immemorial ... the Earth has been bombarded by objects from outer space. Bits and pieces of the universe, piercing our atmosphere in an invasion that never ends: Meteors ... the shooting stars on which so many earthly wishes have been borne.

Of the thousands that plummet toward us, the greater part are destroyed in a fiery flash as they strike the layers of air that encircle us. Only a small percentage survives. Most of these fall into the water which covers two thirds of our world.

But from time to time ... From the beginning of time ... A very few meteors have struck the crust of the Earth and formed craters. Craters of all sizes ... Sought after and pored over by scientists of all nations for the priceless knowledge buried within them.

In every moment of every day they come ... From planets belonging to stars whose dying light is too far away to be seen.

From infinity ... they come ... meteors ...

Another strange calling card from the limitless reaches of space ... Its' substance unknown ... Its' secrets unexplored.

The meteor lies dormant in the night ... waiting ...

- Opening narrative as read by Paul Frees from the film: The Monolith Monsters (Universal International, 1957.).


Was looking for something to write about when I got wind of a film review by Michael Wolff on the Aardvarks' Plumbline blog. By coincidence I was watching this very film that morning! An ending excerpt from the article below:

Despite the apocalyptic feel of the film, "The Monolith Monsters" is actually rather intimate in scope. As usual the idea of setting the action in a small town not only keeps costs down, but helps to reduce the drama to a few faces the audience can quickly identify with. We easily accept the idea that a small California desert community is perhaps the only bulwark between humanity and a viciously unstoppable threat. The American Monster Movie has become something of a lost art (films such as "Predator", "Alien" and "Tremors" being the only positive blips in a wasteland that used to thunder to the tread of giants). But the films of people such as Arnold, Gordon Douglas, Nathan Juran and others remain as blueprints showing to any and all interested parties how it should be done. "The Monolith Monsters" followed the blueprint to diamond perfection, and no one claiming familiarity with the genre should be ignorant of this production.

- From, The Monolith Monsters: Yes I'm Turnin' I'm Turnin' I'm Turnin' to Stone movie review by Michael Wolff, Charleston Examiner, January 12, 2014.

Michael Wolff (The one in the fur coat.) and friend off to the movies.

For the entire article click here.

Michael Wolff profile here.

Charleston Examiner main page here.

Wikipedia article on the film The Monolith Monsters here.

You Tube clip of Paul Frees opening narration to The Monolith Monsters here.

The Monolith Monsters movie trailer (With small passage read by Marvin Miller!) here.

Wikipedia article on Paul Frees here.

Wikipedia article on Marvin Miller here.

Strange little Paul Frees encounter here.

Aardvarks Plumbline blog main page here.


Go to Jays' Tee Vee blog main page here.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Spooky Little non-Encounter

                                                    Spooky Little non-Encounter
                                                                              
                                                                         by
                                                                                    
                                                                            Jay Agan

    To many cartoon fans, the voice, if not the name, of Paul Frees is familiar. A veteran of quite a few shows, he's best known  as Boris Badenov (Jay Wards' Rocky & Bullwinkle) and the Burgermeister Meister Burger (Rankin/Bass' Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town).

    Not only a voice over in toons, he also did many bit parts in a number of films, (War of the Worlds, The Thing From Another World, Jet Pilot, Suddenly, etc.) and dubbed foriegn films, sometimes as more than one character. In some English language movies, he was called on when an actors voice was unintelligable or didn't come over well. (Flight From Aishiya, Taras Bulba.) Commercials (Raid!) were also a staple of his.

    I was living in New Jersey at the time of his death (66) in 1986. It was with some sadness as I read the news of his passing in the Bergen Record.Two Weeks later, I was pulling out the factory gate after a long night as computer operator, and more than ready to turn in. Radio was tuned to WABC when a new Diamond Walnuts ad came on. Concluding with a familiar voice emoting that companys' slogan:

    "NOW WOULDN'T THAT BE NICE!"

    The guy was dead two weeks and still working! Hats off to ya sir. You're still missed.

                                                    Article copyright © Jay Agan

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