Welcome back to the House of Franklin-Stein, for the Maddest Story Ever Told! Chris and Cindy discuss 1967’s Spider Baby, starring horror legend Lon Chaney, Jr. as the caretaker of a loving but incredibly disturbed family with a penchant for playful murder and a taste for human flesh!
Equally disturbed is “The Evil Three” who Perry White and Jimmy Olsen stumble across on a simple fishing trip. Will they escape this horror hotel on their own, or is this a job for Superman? George Reeves stars in this spooky episode of his classic Adventures of Superman TV series.
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Clip credits:
Spider Baby (1967) directed by Jack Hill, music by Ronald Stein
The Adventures of Superman: “The Evil Three” directed by Tommy Carr, theme music by Leon Klatzkin
“The House of Franklinstein” by Terry O’Malley, of Stop Calling Me Frank https://www.facebook.com/rockSCMF
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Great discussion! The Evil Three is definitely a creepy episode of Adventures of Superman. The first season is my favorite, with the noirish and adult tone. It’s fun to see Perry and Jimmy on vacation together, including the early character-development scenes you mentioned (and yeah, if I was Jimmy, I don’t think I’d want to spend my vacation with Perry as he’s portrayed in this series!). I like how athletic George Reeves is in this first season, and how Superman will sometimes beat up the bad guys or threaten them like he does here. And as you alluded to, it seemed like in the first season, people away from Metropolis sometimes didn’t know who Superman was. I hope you decide to cover more AOS episodes.
Thanks for listening Mike! Good news, we have “The Haunted Lighthouse” locked in for next season to pair with The Ghost and Mrs. Muir!
I had somehow never seen Spider Baby so when I was looking for something short to watch last night, knowing you guys were covering it put the, ug, bug in me to finally check it out.
I think I up ended enjoying your review of it just as much, if not more, than the movie itself. I didn’t find it scary or even creepy in any way, just mostly weird. It was nice to see Lon give one last good performance, though. And as you guys mentioned, boy howdy do the goofy opening credits not match the tone of the subsequent film.
I didn’t know that Moreland came close to being a Stooge! Very progressive, sort of.
Advs of Superman was a staple of my TV viewing as a kid as well. I haven’t seen an episode in many, many years, but when you played the intro I knew every word by heart.
Can’t believe HOF has only one episode left. Time flies!
Glad you gave it a shot. I don’t think it’s scary either, but I do find aspects of it creepy, especially involving Ralph and his “aunt” Emily, and to a lesser extent Virgina and Peter. I don’t think this aired in syndication much, but I can imagine a kid seeing the opening credits and expecting a Munsters/Addams Family type film…and getting…this!
The Adventures of Superman opening narration and theme live rent free in my brain, and have since before it was fully developed (if it ever did).
Yes, only one HoF left! And the next one is probably a more traditional choice than my personal cult pick of Spider Baby.
I think that woman in the wheelchair in the Adventures of Superman episode would have been more of a villain now. At least the CW Flash did it a lot. I also think that Jimmy and Perry would have dragged Clark along on the fishing trip,
You’re probably right on both accounts.
Well, I enjoyed the show as usual, but I have to say, even after your entertaining rundown, I can’t say I’m in a hurry to see Spider Boy – much as I’m intrigued by the young Sid Haig appearing in it. And yes, regardless of how many roles he’s had in horror, action and other films, for me he’ll always be Dragos from Jason of Star Command…
And yes, while there may not be any wolves in California, esp. So-Cal, there are coyotes – many of them living well within the limits of large cities like LA. Maybe since they’re known for being tricksters, maybe it was mimicking a wolf-howl…
As for the Superman TV show, I don’t recall that particular episode, but then again, I wasn’t the biggest fan of the show. Sure, I dutifully watched it in my preteen years (where I was growing up in Oregon, it was aired on late Sunday mornings), but I found it a bit dull. My main memories of it are that it’s mainly stocky guys in suits doing a lot of talking. I think my favorite aspect was the deceptively alluring Noel Neill.
p.s. I’ve never heard of the phrase ‘having a double-duck fit’, but now I feel the need to work it into my daily vocabulary.
We have coyotes here too. I heard a pack of them about a week ago when I walked our dog for her late night potty break. They tend to yip more than howl, but sure, I guess it could have been California coyotes.
Adventures of Superman was replete with gangsters in baggy suits for sure. With Ellsworth involved and plots coming from the comics to tv, and tv to comics at the same time, it is odd they didn’t at least give us Lex Luthor at some point! But I still love it.
Let’s bring back Double-Duck Fit into the vernacular!
you guys are cazy liver’s great
I tell you what Robert, you can have all of my share. More power to you.
I like chicken livers on occasion, but livers from anything larger, esp. cows, sheep or hogs, are a hard pass for me (my parents, though, being of Balkan peasant stock, loved all of those offal – very apropos name – organs).
My Dad still likes chicken livers. Our local Lee’s Famous Recipe carries them. No thanks from me!
btw i mean COW!
I got to meet Beverly Washburn and Jack Hill at the Monsterama convention in Atlanta last year; they had a very entertaining panel talking about the movie, as well as a special screening. I got them both to sign my DVD of “Spider Baby,” as well as the critical essay of the movie in the book “Incredibly Strange Films.” (I had also gotten the book signed by Sid Haig when he was a guest at DragonCon a few years before he passed.)
That’s awesome Erich! I would have loved to have been there!