Hey, What About Those 'Puppet People??????????????????'

                                       I forgot to write about last week's Svengoolie feature, "Attack Of The People."  One reason was it has been a busy week, while the other is the film was not that good.

                                        It was funny seeing John Agar reduced to miniature.  His ex-wife, Shirley Temple (yes, darlings, THE Shirley Temple!) must have laughed her head off, when she saw this, wishing she could smash him between her hands!

                                         Despite this, the film was really not campy, and it tried to humanize the antagonist as in the case of "How To Make A Monster" (also made in 1958), but it didn't work.  'Monster' has a well thought out screenplay; 'Puppet People' seemed to be making it up as they went along.  A case of improvisation NOT working. The dog, pictured above, was the film's best moment, and performer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                              John Hoyt plays a lonely former European puppeteer named Mr. Franz.  He now runs a doll shop in a large city (I think the film references St. Louis, but this is a LONG way from 1944's "Meet Me In St. Louis," darlings!  Instead of Margaret O'Brien, here one gets Susan Gordon, the producer's daughter, and it is a good thing she was, as can be seen by her career not going anywhere.  But then, neither did anyone else in this film!) called "Dolls Incorporated."  Attractive secretaries keep going missing, because the traumatized Franz, after his wife walked out on him years before, was beset with chronic loneliness--here is where the viewer should be sympathetic--but then, in addition to running a doll shop, he manages to become a physical scientist where he can electronically shrink people to small size, and play with them at will, so he will always have "company."  It is amazing how some wardrobes shrink, and others don't.

                                                 The only real "attack" in the film is when John Agar tosses some objects at Franz, and he and June Kenney (mature looking her as secretary Sally Reynolds, who is, like Agar, victimized by Franz, as well as four others, and who (Kenney) played teenaged Carol in "Earth Vs. The Spider."  She did a better job there.)  By the way, Sally's puppet dress is the best one in the film.  A forerunner of Dorothy Collins' 1971 dress in "Follies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                                                   Agar and Kenney escape, face off with the dog, and manage to get back to Franz' factory, and, while neither are trained scientists, not to mention small sized, are able to operate the mechanism that brings them back to their true size.  Franz bursts in on them, a fight ensues, but he is turned over to the authorities.  As for the other four shrunken dupes?  It's like no one cares, because this is how the film ends.  To hell with them!

                                                     I told you it was made up as it went along.  But there is a minor quality character performance by actor Michael Mark (best known as the father of drowned Maria in the original, 1931 "Frankenstein") as Franz' friend, Emil.  I have to confess there were several moments where I thought Emil would either be turned into a puppet.  Or knocked off.  Fortunately, he lives.

                                                        As did all of us, who stayed awake during this viewing.  I have talked about films where the poster is better.  Well, this is one where the title was better!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                          If it is puppetry you want, darlings, stick to "The Lonely Goatherd," from "The Sound Of Music!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"