That's mostly because I wasn't in London.
The Clash were, though and, to prove it, they released their seminal Post-Punk LP London Calling.
And it wasn't only calling to us, it was calling to the lord of all vampires too because, on this night in 1979, BBC One was airing its two-part adaptation of Count Dracula, starring Louis Jourdan and Susan Penhaligon. How well I remember watching it.
Admittedly, when I say I remember watching it, I remember watching but don't actually recall anything that happened in it. I've no doubt, however, that it followed the tried-and-tested route of estate agents, sea crossings, Whitby wanderings and stakings we all love and fear.
The big mystery is in the credits. According to them, it also featured Gareth Hunt in a role billed as, "Small Boy." Surely Gareth Hunt was about thirty when this was made. How, exactly, did he manage to play a small boy?
Quick! Get the space police! Some sort of Wookie fight seems to have broken out!
My razor-sharp senses tell me the cover image is set on the Wookie home world.
I can say that because I recognise those background tree buildings from the Star Wars Holiday Special which came up in conversation on this site, the other day.
Beyond that, I can say nothing of this tale.
Elsewhere, I believe the Guardians of the Galaxy are still trying to defeat the Reavers of Arcturus.
They're taking their time about it. How hard can it be?
An injured Deathlok goes to see his wife who's been, up until now, totally oblivious to his science-spawned transformation. I believe that, when she finds out, she doesn't take the news well.
In this week's Tales of the Watcher, a bunch of space travellers get kidnapped by trees and have to be rescued by the one member of their party who recommended caution when it came to exploring this brave new world.
At the old folks' home, Mysterio finally reveals the truth of who he is, to the burglar who killed Uncle Ben.
As there's a whole bucketful of Mysterioes on the cover, I suspect the reader won't be as shocked by the revelation as the burglar is.
Goldbug's making his dastardly plans to kidnap the Hulk so he can get to the Andes and, presumably, lay his hands on all the lovely gold Eldorado has to offer.
Ant-Man and the Wasp are still stuck at insect size and still trying to defeat the alcoholic android that's holding them captive.
The Black Knight and Merlin are trying to get to the root of why Captain Britain's lost his memory.
The Silver Surfer's finally come face-to-face with Mephisto. Can he possibly hope to defeat the mighty master of evil?
The Defenders are squaring up to the Red Rajah while, back at Dr Strange's house, Hellcat's teaming up with the Valkyrie and Red Guardian.
Hooray! Davros has made the front cover! I'm such a saddo that I've noticed they've reversed the image because he's got his wrong hand working.
However, in the main strip, the Doctor's still having trouble with the City of the Damned.
There's also the chance to win a hundred annuals.
I assume that doesn't mean each.
Marvel's adaptation of War of the Worlds is still going.
We get a text adaptation of whichever William Hartnell story it was that featured the French Revolution. Was it The Reign of Terror?
And we get more of the picture strip which details the story of the stolen TARDIS.
It was a different time forty years ago Steve; these days us metropolitan elitists in the capital are dry - even if we live by the river - and its the faraway towns like Sheffield that are drowning (well, Meadowhall shopping centre).
ReplyDeleteHope you keep your head above water in 2020.
Not least because 2020 marks *drum roll* ten years of SteveDoesComics! Well done.
That is a bit sad that you knew the Davros image was reversed though.
Mind you, I know that stolen Tardis story was drawn by (then) teen-age wonder Steve Dillon, so who am I to judge?
-sean
Ten years. It's positively terrifying.
ReplyDeleteThe presentation of Dracula featuring Louis Jourdan was shown on PBS here in the states. I liked it enough to pick-up the DVD when it was released.
ReplyDeleteThe scene I remember most is when he hands a baby to his brides, they momentarily coddle him, then it cuts to their faces drenched in blood!
That was high-impact for TV back then.
I still think the Dan Curtis production, with Jack Palance, was a better made-for-tv Dracula.
IIRC last week's Star Wars cover, Hans was shooting a Wookie in the back and one was in chains. This issue two wookies are fighting. Are they the same two wooks? I demand to know! Steve, you can’t build up suspense like this! I’m not your play thing!
ReplyDeleteAlso, it seems as if Harpo’s Face… oops I man Dr. Who’s face… has been shrinking with each cover! Less and less face time for that face. What gives? Was his mug not a seller?
Clash – Were they 4-hit wonders? London Calling, Train in Vain, Rock the Casbah, Should I Stay or Go… Did they have any other hits that punctured the top of the charts? To me, everyone talks about the Clash like they talk about having read “Democracy in America” by de Tocqueville, but in reality most have never given them much of a listen/read?
Steve – I am truly sorry Sheffield did not have its own TV station. I have no doubt that, trapped between the past and the future as Sheffield was, given free bus rides, Sheffield would have done to TV what it did to music.
ReplyDeleteYou UK guys didn’t have any xMas favs in the UK like we did here for the kids? E.g., Charlie Brown Christmas, Little Drummer Boy, Frosty, Rudolph, Cat in the Hat? Maybe an Andy Capp Holiday Sing-a-Long or something?
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of Christmas, did you know Dicken’s “A Christmas Carol” was released on this day in 1843? Yep! 19 Dec 1843!
Also, did you know that the Ballet for the Nut Crackere was first performed on this day in 1892?
B.t.w. Steve - It's Dec 19 and you didn't mention anything about Christmas in your blog today!
Do you wonder if Mysterio has to wash out that bowl a lot?
ReplyDeleteIt must get kinda gamey in there after a while.
M.P.
The Clash were bigger than de Tocqueville Charlie, and had more hits than that, at least in the UK. Heres a clip of Bankrobber - which they recorded with Mikey Dread - from Top of the Pops, with a routine by not very punk rock (at all!) tv dance troupe Legs & Co:
ReplyDeletewww.youtube.com/watch?v=MebZ3FgbSHs
-sean
* Er, sorry - had to fix the end of that link and messed it up. Heres the right one (I hope):
ReplyDeletewww.youtube.com/watch?v=MebZ3FgpSHs
-sean
Sean - I loved the video! I confess I never heard the Bank Robber song. And, I have not read de Tocqueville either, LOL! And that's my premise for my theory!
ReplyDeleteMay I gently suggest that Robert Palmer's use of Legs and Co. in Addicted to Love, a few years later, is more enjoyable. lol!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcATvu5f9vE
Hey - I notice Hulk is no longer the "UK's Hit Smash TV show"? What happened? Hulkey go off the air in the UK?
ReplyDeleteKD, there was also a Dracula movie starring Frank Langella released around the same time as the BBC version. I always get the Louis Jourdan and Frank Langella versions mixed up.
ReplyDeleteCharlie, I can only assume Marvel had decided that everyone knew the Hulk was a, "TV sensation," by this point, and didn't need telling.
I can't think of any British shows that were comparable to the Charlie Brown Christmas Special or Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. The UK companies seemed to be happy to just show Charlie Brown and Rudolph.
I can shed no light on the identities of the various Wookies.
I suspect Dez Skinn quickly realised the big selling point for Doctor Who has always been the monsters.
Sean, thanks for the Clash link. I must confess that Bank Robber and London Calling are the only Clash songs I've ever liked.
MP, I've always wondered how Mysterio can actually see where he's going.
Steve, 'Count Dracula' was originally broadcast uninterrupted on BBC Two on December 22nd 1977 - that's the version I recall watching. I don't remember it appearing in 1979 at all but I just checked on Genome and the 1979 broadcast was in 3 parts, not two. I do remember it was broadcast again on BBC 2 around 1993, in two parts on that occasion.
ReplyDeleteSteve - will you be providing up to date Snookers and Darts and Konkers coverage in 2020?
ReplyDeleteJust a heads up on Premier League Darts in Sheffield: Thursday April 9 Fly DSA Arena, Sheffield TV Channel: Sky Sports (1900 GMT)
Steve - would you be able to post a photo montage of SHeffield at Xmas like you did some months back where you gave us a tour of SHeffield in photos?
ReplyDeleteColin, thanks for the Count Dracula info. As well as the Frank Langella version, I also tend to get that TV adaptation mixed up with Frankenstein, the True Story.
ReplyDeleteCharlie, I shall do what I can to maintain the high quality coverage of the snooker, darts and conkers the world has become accustomed to.
I don't think I'll be venturing into the centre of town between now and Christmas Day, so a photo montage of its Christmassyness may not be possible. If not, I shall post links to photos taken by others.
Just like when getting a new pair of glasses, Mysterio doesn’t realise how scratched up his bowl is until he replaces it with a new one.
ReplyDeleteI've always liked Frank Langella, Steve, but that Dracula movie he did was a real turkey.
ReplyDeleteI have mixed feelings about the Gary Oldman version. Sometimes when these American actors try to do English accents, like in that film, it's kinda painful. Is it easier for an actor from the U.K., Ireland, or Australia to do an American accent (from whatever region) than it is for one of us to do the reverse? I dunno.
M.P.
Surely Gary Oldman would have been doing a Transylvanian accent, M.P.?
ReplyDeleteAnd anyway, he is British, as is Anthony Hopkins (admittedly Keanu Reeves sounds odd, but then he does in all his films even when he's being American).
For all its flaws, there was something about the look of that version of Dracula that I liked, although it was hard to say what exactly. Then a while later I read that it was designed and storyboarded by Jim Steranko...
The best screen Drac was obviously Christopher Lee, an impressive achievement given how bad those Hammer films were.
-sean
No, Gary Oldman was great in that movie. I know he and Hopkins are British, I was talking about the Americans Keanu Reeves (who otherwise I like) and Winona Rider.
ReplyDeleteIt was a weird movie, and somewhat kinda cool. (particularly those three vampire chicks climbing down the walls)
Christopher Lee, on the other hand, could be genuinely scary. And given his war record, that's understandable. He did a very good Rasputin! And put out a couple heavy metal albums in his nineties.
Didn't he also do the Mummy and Frankenstein? Unless I'm mistaken, in addition to Dracula that's a trifecta of horror never duplicated.
M.P.
...my original point was, actors from the Commonwealth, and hell, about every where else, can manage a (somewhat generic) American accent.
ReplyDeleteTwo very great English actors who can't, and who have played Americans, are Jeremy Irons and Michael Caine.
I never met anybody who sounds like that!
M.P.
He did do the three of them, but I think Lon Chaney Jr just edged in there by playing the monster in Ghost of Frankenstein, as well as the Wolfman and the Mummy.
ReplyDeleteBut he was never the villain in a superhero film, unlike Lee who was in Captain America well before most actors did Marvel stuff.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbszyIQ_TMg
-sean
There's this thing on You Tube (and you guys from the U.K. probably know about this) where Lee plays this old professor in some English college where the students meet at Christmas to hear him tell a ghost story. There are several episodes of it, and apparently it was some sort of holiday tradition at these schools.
ReplyDeleteMan, it's worth watching just to see a master of the macabre at work. He holds your attention just by sitting in a chair and talking. Not a lotta guys can do that.
M.P.
Its kind of amazing how many terrible films Lee's in - you can count the good ones on the fingers of one hand. Theres the Wicker Man and... er,...
ReplyDeleteWell, the point is that even so, he's always watchable.
Don't know about listenable though - you got me looking up "Christoper Lee metal" on the youtubes M.P., and I have to say Massacre Of The Saxons from Charlemagne: Omens Of Death isn't really my cup of tea.
And as for his version of The Little Drummer Boy...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiRjmD9h-YY
-sean
Sean, the point isn't whether it was any good or not, it probably wasn't. The point is that he did it. Personally, I plan to be dead in my nineties.
ReplyDeleteMy Ma is 76 and she would be hard pressed to release a heavy metal album at this point.
Maybe in her twenties, or even her thirties, she could be pretty hardcore...
M.P.
To be fair, its not aimed at me anyway.
ReplyDeleteAnd, as you say, there were extenuating circumstances.
-sean
I was just thinking, what are the odds that Shatner does a version of the Little Drummer Boy? And sure enough...
ReplyDelete-sean
I'd listen to Shatner doing Little Drummer Boy. That would be a gas.
ReplyDeleteFrank Langella's Dracula is the only version I don't have in my collection. I found it a little on the sappy side.
As far as I know, the only actor that played more "Universal" monsters than Lon Chaney Jr. was Paul Naschy.
Jess Franco's Dracula, while a little low budget, is highly entertaining. Christopher Lee had stated it was the best Dracula film he was ever in.
It was packed with international stars. Herbert Lom, Klaus Kinski, the ever beautiful Soledad Miranda, and recognizable Spanish character actors.
Gotta disagree with you, Sean (imagine that. Lol.) While he was in quite a few films that were beneath him, Chris Lee has a healthy list of good ones. Even the lesser movies are upgraded just by his pressence. Kinda like Sean Connery.
Guess it's just a matter of taste.
Lee certainly did a good job as a terrifying force in The Mummy.
Ha! Since it looks like we're going to have some warm weather here in Western Pennsylvania for Christmas, I'll pop in Roman Polanski's Fearless Vampire Killers that day.
ReplyDeleteIt's not exceedly bloody, a comedy, and my mom & her boyfriend may enjoy it. Plus it's really "snowy".
You gotta love a film they has a hunchback sled-riding in a coffin!
It'll be a nice break from all the touchy/feely Hallmark holiday shows she likes to watch. So much sap & sugar that I have to brush my teeth every 15 minutes.
Nothing says "Christmas" like vampires in the snow. Lol.
ReplyDeleteThe movie Thirty Days of Night was actually kinda cool, if we're talking about vampires in snow. There's this little town up in Alaska or Canada somewhere way up north where it gets dark for a month, (which would be around now...happy Winter Solstice, all! Yippee..) so this pack of vampires come in figuring they got a whole month to feed without interruption.
ReplyDeleteIt's not a bad B-type movie.
M.P.