Wednesday, 12 April 2017

#TOOCOOLTUESDAY: THE LIFE AND CAREER OF MILTON REID


SOMETIMES you’ll be watching a film and a minor supporting player will suddenly appear and command your attention in a way that is more powerful and immediate than the leading actors. It could a physical gesture they make or a line of dialogue uttered in an unusual way or simply the look of their face or body or both. Milton Reid is one of those actors. His credit is likely to be down toward the bottom of the cast list with the designated role of “The Executioner” or “The Bodyguard” or “The Club Bouncer” or “The Big Pirate” but it’s his mug that will stick in your memory long after the film fades. He appears to be of Asian descent though one biographical reference intimated that his unusual features were the result of Turner syndrome which is incorrect because that rare genetic disorder only affects about 1 out of every 2,500 FEMALE births. But it’s possible that his exotic look was the result of something other than being the son of an Irish father and Indian (as in Bombay) mother.



STRANGELY enough, my introduction to this imposing character actor wasn’t in a movie but in a series of trading cards issued by Universal in 1963 known as “Spook Stories” which stuck silly captions on stills from the studio’s horror films . There were two images of Reid from the 1962 Hammer film NIGHT CREATURES that conjured up all kinds of crazy scenarios in my mind of who this character was. (The original British title of NIGHT CREATURES was CAPTAIN CLEGG which was a remake of the 1937 British feature; Walt Disney remade it in 1963 for television where it was broadcast in three parts on “The Wonderful World of Disney” as “The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh” and Patrick McGoohan played “The Scarecrow” aka Dr. Syn.)


WHEN I finally caught up with NIGHT CREATURES years later Mr. Reid does indeed pop out of the screen during his brief scenes as “The Mulatto,” a huge mountain of a man whose tongue is cut out because of his treachery to the pirate Captain Clegg. He is later used by the relentless Captain Collier (Patrick Allen) to sniff out the incognito Clegg who is behind a smuggling operation in the village of Dymchurch. The film is a rousing and highly atmospheric period thriller with some wonderful visuals (the appearance of the marsh phantoms), and spirited performances (Peter Cushing, Patrick Allen and Oliver Reed have fun with their roles). But Milton Reid’s larger than life presence is mesmerizing. He’s like a caged wild animal here, grunting, growling and desperate, and though his part is relatively small, it’s of crucial importance to the story and leads to Clegg’s undoing.


NIGHT CREATURES / CAPTAIN CLEGG, however, is probably an exception to most of the films Reid made where his on-screen time was barely more than that of an extra. And he rarely had dialogue because with a face and body like that who needs it? But even in one scene appearances or minor supporting roles you couldn’t miss the guy. He stands out the way Tor Johnson does in the Ed Wood films. You can’t look at anything else. You might not have known his name but you’ve probably seen him many times – he was the Japanese executioner in THE CAMP ON BLOOD ISLAND (1958), the big pirate in Walt Disney’s SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON (1960), a guard working for DR. NO (1962), the strong man in BERSERK! (1967), the mute dog handler in THE BLOOD ON SATAN’S CLAW (1971) which will be shown on TCM’s Underground franchise on 3/28, Biederbeck’s man servant in DR. PHIBES RISES AGAIN (1972), he played Sabbala in THE PEOPLE THAT TIME FORGOT (1977) and Sandor in THE SPY WHO LOVED ME (1977).



ACCORDING to a biography for Reid posted on IMDB by Jim Marshall, Reid was born in Bombay, India in 1917. He moved to London in 1936, married fashion illustrator Bertha Lilian Guyett in 1939 and made his first film appearance in the British propaganda film THE WAY AHEAD in 1944. Then the bio gets extremely interesting: “After the war he trained as a wrestler, turning professional in 1952, firstly as a Tarzan-like character called Jungle Boy wearing leopard skin trunks. He also continued to play small parts in films, usually as a tough guy or bodyguard, often as a cruel henchman such as the Japanese executioner in THE CAMP ON BLOOD ISLAND (1958). 



HIS BREAK-THROUGH came in 1959 when he was required to shave his head for the role of Yen the pirate in FERRY TO HONG KONG. He remained shaven-headed for the rest of his career, also changing his wrestling image to that of “The Mighty Chang,” an oriental giant. On stage he played in pantomime at the London Palladium as the Slave of the Lamp…However, most people remember Milton Reid as the bodyguard sorting out pretty girls for his boss in a long-running pipe tobacco commercial.


IN 1964 Milton challenged “The Great Togo” (aka Harold Sakata) to a wrestling contest to decide who would play the coveted role of Odd-Job in G0LDFINGER. Unfortunately, Milton had already been killed off in the first Bond movie Dr No (1962), so the producers were forced to pick Sakata and the “eliminator contest” wasn’t needed.”


REID'S film career began to wind down in the late seventies and some of his last roles were in such sleazy softcore features as CONFESSIONS FROM THE DAVID GALAXY AFFAIR (1979) and QUEEN OF THE BLUES (1979), his final credited screen appearance. According to a poster on the britmovie.co.uk forums, there is an article on Reid in the book KEEPING THE BRITISH END UP, a survey of British softcore sex comedies. However, Reid’s story becomes much more unusual after 1979. Jim Marshall’s IMDB bio states that “Milton decided to try his luck in “Bollywood” and in 1980 returned to India. However, various problems arose and in 1981 he was arrested by Indian police for “trespassing, damaging furniture and disconnecting a telephone.” The trouble started when he visited his mother and sister in Bangalore, and there was a dispute with tenants at his sister’s bungalow. Police also complained of violence and abuse when they tried to detain him, and there were accusations of a manservant being assaulted.


THE FOLLOWING YEAR Milton was stated by some reference works to have died from a heart attack, but that was incorrect. The actor’s son (same name) was still receiving correspondence sent by his father from Bangalore up to December 1986. Significantly, nothing was heard after that date, and the present assumption is that Milton Reid died in obscurity somewhere in India during the early part of 1987, although no death certificate or confirmation has been received by the family. Sadly, Bertha died in England in 1997, at the age of 90, still not knowing what had become of her husband. However, research continues.”


DESPITE the above information, some internet biographical sources have maintained that Reid died of a heart attack in London in 1982 but offer no explanation or evidence of their research. Reid’s grandson, Ian Reid, in fact, has challenged this fact in a web posting that read “I would be very interested to find out where the information about his death came from as this does not agree with how my family and I believe his life came to an end. His death and the location of his death are in fact a mystery. Therefore I would be interested to hear about any proof that backs up the claim that he died in London of a heart attack in 1982.”


WE MAY NEVER know what happened to “The Mighty Chang” but at least we can marvel at his unique presence in more than fifty films.



Jeff Stafford
Marcus Brooks

FOOT NOTE: The following was received in a message: I met Milton Reid on one of my extended visits to Bangalore in the 80′s when he was being photographed in a studio which I used for some photographic work. He became quite friendly and seeing me in the distance, would call out my name on the busy Brigade Road, attracting the attention of the public not only because of his powerful voice but also because of his habit of dressing wearing an open leather waistcoat edged with tassels, exposing his massive chest, and a sort of gladiator like kilt. His sandals with leather straps were wound round his calves and he carried a whip. He wore white rimmed dark glasses and a white plastic dot stuck on his temple.


Over the course of months we met on occasions and even drank together. He would carry a bag in which among other things was his own cut-glass tumbler double the normal size, more like a vase. He would order a half bottle of rum and a bottle of soda. He then poured half of the rum into the glass and as a concession a quick dash of soda and finish it in two gulps. Outside the hotel he would have a cycle rickshaw wait as he wouldn’t take a taxi back to his home where he stayed with his sister whom he claimed had been in a mental institution in England which was making her worse not better, so he brought her back to Bangalore where his parents had lived for the past 40 years and set her up as a beautician. This job gave her direction and she improved enough to handle the business herself. However he had also come to get a settlement from the landlord who wanted them out of the house so he could develop the property. Altercations took place and one memorable time the police were called and he knocked out two and a dozen were needed to restrain him. He claimed they had attacked him and he had every right to defend himself.


In his bag he also carried some trinkets and stuff to make himself up to look oriental, like two flattened tubes which he inserted into his nose to widen the nostrils and false buck teeth which he slipped on over his perfect set of natural ones. He would then put on a goofy expression and wave his arms about much to my amusement and anyone else who saw him, though we usually sat in a semi enclosed booth. He would regale me and friends who were aware of the film characters he gossiped about, though a number were British and less well known to the Bangalorean, so he enjoyed talking about them to me as I lived in London and knew where he hung out and could relate to things he spoke about. He told me that I didn’t look or speak like a ‘Mohan” – his way of saying I looked and talked more English than Indian!


He told me he had tried getting a role in a South Indian movie and met the popular actor who promised him a part but in the midst of talking to him the ‘matinee idol’ saw some female fans waving and got up abruptly to sign their autograph books and didn’t return. On one of my subsequent trips back, a couple of years later, I learned from a lawyer who I was consulting and who had also handled some work for Milton Reid, that he had passed away. So he died in the country of his birth : Yours Padman



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Tuesday, 11 April 2017

#TOOCOOLTUESDAY: THE GREAT £26,000 DRACULA CLOAK CAPER


#TOOCOOLTUESDAY: Keep your eyes peeled for our feature in the next few days... the discovery of Christopher Lee's original Dracula cloak used in Hammer's first Dracula film, 'Dracula / Horror of Dracula' staring Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, caused quite a stir back in 2007. It went to auction and sold for an amazing £26,400 (about $28,000 today). But what if I were to tell you...it wasn't the 1958 Dracula cloak? Using extensive library images, documents and expert insight, we will present the case, for 'The Great £26,000 Dracula Cloak Caper!' soon. Join us




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Monday, 10 April 2017

#MONSTERMONDAY : DR LAWRENCE AND A SEPIA TRIBUTE


#MONSTERMONDAY: Peter Cushing's performance as Dr Lawrence in Tyburn films, 'The Ghoul' is exceptional, on many levels. I can't help wondering whenever I watch him in this role, how he manages to be involved in such bizarre and ruthless acts, and yet... I feel such pity for the character. Watching the story unfold, as Lawrence reveals his past, all skirts very closely to 'Art imitating Life', as both the Doctor and Peter Cushing emotionally crumple before our eyes. It could be called, a masterclass in using 'emotive memories' ...if it wasn't for the fact that, for Cushing like Lawrence, it wasn't about recalling the past...it was living with the loss and pain today....

ABOVE A FIRST for our YOUTUBE CHANNEL! As part of this week's #MONSTERMONDAY we present a film, made in the tradition of 'The Old Dark House', 'Psycho' and many many other 'thing in the attic' movies. 'The Ghoul' stands as one of three films that Peter Cushing made with Tyburn films. 'Legend of the Werewolf' and 'The Masks of Death' being the other two. All three films have a quality and pace that very much bucked the trend of the time, and producer Kevin Francis, should be acknowledged for having the back-bone, to present these films, in a style, standard and production value, that would have been considered, out of step by many. 


It is that style, that gives comfort and a quality, that was vanishing quicker than a vamp down a rat hole, at the first glimmer of sun-rise! Soon, all would be lost and stab, slash, scream and dismember would become the replacement for tension, suspense and a quality control hold on the body count. Having said that, many could and do site The Ghoul, as one of the very early slasher movies. Maybe so, but with the presence of Peter Cushing, the ageless beauty of Carlson and Bastedo and the bumpkin weirdness of the late, John Hurt.... things never slip so far as to become blood-lusty and just bad taste. The Ghoul is Kevin Francis homage to all those classics, where, just the THOUGHT of what could be in that room, out-strips the reveal of a million masked, chopper swinging, chain-saw buzzing, yawn fests, parts one, two, nine and TEN! It's a great shame that Tyburn had to leave us so soon, we were on the edge of our seats and just getting comfy! 







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THE BURST WATER-PIPE SCENE : GETTHECUSHIONSUNDAY!



#GETTHECUSHIONSUNDAY! THE BURST WATER PIPE SCENE: 'Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed' (1969)  In this week's scene, we have Veronica Carlson, who plays ANNA the keeper of a boarding house where Frankenstein decides to hide out and perform his experiments. Veronica Carlson has never been better.


It is without doubt, one of the best scenes, in a film, packed with tension and moments. - It's a simple premise, but very effective. It features Anna having to haul a body out of a makeshift grave in a flower garden after a water main has burst.... But talk about bad timing! This happens, as the local police are running a check on the house, after tip offs, that THE BARON, maybe staying there.  Under Fisher's masterful direction, the scene is as tense as anything in a Hitchcock film, and Anna ends up completely drenched, but successful in transferring the corpse to another hiding place so the police can't find it. It's an extraordinary scene and Carlson is exceptional in it.


'THE BURST PIPE SCENE' : There were many scenes in films from Cushing's career that were complex  to set up or were quite a spectacle. The drama of the preparation of the execution, has been in many cases lost. However, not in this case! We are fortunate that the studio stills photographer, was on hand and caught it all!









#GETTHECUSHIONSUNDAY! ABOVE A SHORT compilation of behind the scenes images of Peter Cushing, cast and crew during the making of this week's #GETTHECUSHION! theme : Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed'



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Sunday, 9 April 2017

#HAMMERFILMSSATURDAY: DRACULA'S FLASH BANG WALLOP MAKES CHAOS 5 YEARS LATER AT HAMMER


#HAMMERFILMSSATURDAY: ONE of the great things about us having one of our seven THEMED DAYS here at PCAS on #HAMMERFILMS is we can have fun and cast our net further, to take in some of other classics you may have missed, or enjoy This is Christopher Lee going out in style in Hammer films, 'SCARS OF DRACULA' (1970). 


RARE COLOUR IMAGES AND MUCH MORE: FOLLOW THE LINK TO READ BRUCE HALLENBECK'S FEATURE ON 'SCARS OF DRACULA' AT OUR SUPPLEMENT WEBSITE, THEBLACKBOXCLUB.COM: HERE!


REFERRING BACK to our previous post today, on the subject of salaries and profits, it wasn't common knowledge until very recently that SCARS was the most profitable Dracula film for Lee. His contract stipulated that he was to receive a percentage of the film's profits, making it not only his most profitable Dracula film, but quite likely his most profitable Hammer film of them all! The death scene unfortunately, scuppered the spectacular planned death of another Hammer Lee character many years later, when Lee played Father Michael in the 1976, 'To The Devil A Daughter'..last minute changes to his death scene resulted in a duff anti climax to the film, and still many years later, Hammer fans are scratching their heads in confusion at the improvised ending of what would be Hammer's last Horror film, for quite sometime.




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Saturday, 8 April 2017

CHRISTOPHER LEE ON PLAYING MONSTERS AND THE FRIGHTENING SALARY!


#HAMMERFILMSSATURDAY: ANYONE who knows anything about Christopher Lee will already familiar with this story of how Dracula SAVED Universal Studio's from losing their shirt and just about everything else in the lot! I think Lee's £750 salary was only £200 MORE than the fee he was paid for 'The Curse of Frankenstein'!


PETER CUSHING AT HIS SURPRISE 80TH BIRTHDAY PARTY! IF YOU LIKE what you see here at our website, you'll  love our daily themed posts at our PCAS FACEBOOK FAN PAGE.  Just click that blue LINK and click LIKE when you get there, and help us reach our 30K following total for Peter Cushing BIRTHDAY on MAY 26th 2017 AND Help Keep The Memory Alive!
 




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Friday, 7 April 2017

THE GREATEST PUT DOWN MOST REQUESTED FRANKENSTEIN CLIP!


#FrankensteinFriday: Our most requested Peter Cushing 'Frankenstein' clip by a long chalk! Cushing timing and delivery is quite magical...and certainly puts the stuffy gossips in their place.




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BLOOPER: TECHIE IN THE HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN!


#FRANKENSTEINFRIDAY.. OOPS! Here's something that rarely ever happened in a Cushing Frankenstein film... a blooper and one that MADE IT into the final edit! Something tells me that 20th Century studio crew technician, really shouldn't have been in Veronica Carlson's Edwardian house?? 😉 See if YOU can SPOT HIM . . .



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Thursday, 6 April 2017

A DOUBLE BILL OF COULD HAVE SHOULD HAVE BUT DIDN'T!


#THROWBACKTHURSDAY: A DOUBLE-BILL of films from the 1970's that Peter Cushing Could have, Should have...But didn't!


IF YOU WANT to learn more about the near-misses and should have happened films, that Peter Cushing almost appeared in, we have a whole feature, an archive of titles and  a library of 'wishful-thinking' dummy blu ray covers, for you to sigh over and weep, elsewhere at this website. Just CLICK and follow THIS LINK! 


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