"Dark Vengeance" Was Such Fun, Girls! Now We Know Why Kim Darby No Longer Has A Career!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                               Poor Kim Darby!  A pretty, more feminine looking version of Kristy McNichol, though lacking that youngster's  compelling quality as an actress, she was the ingenue lead in the 1969 "True Grit," which won John Wayne an Oscar, and scored a Top Ten hit for Glenn Campbell, with its title song.

                                 But, then, alas, Kim went the TV route, where the work was, and guesting on everything that was out there, during the 70's, but it was her performances in horror trash like this, and "Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark," that endears her to viewers, like us!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                   Monsieur and I both wanted a different kind of television experience last night, and, boy, did we get it, with "Circle Of Fear"/"Ghost Story."  This was a short lived anthology series, in the Seventies--I barely remember it--and some episodes were introduced by Sebastian Cabot, post Mr. French from "Family Affair," and doing something of a Hitchcock impersonation.  Now, Sabby, as he was known, had a great voice, and some style, himself, but a Hitchcock????????  Never!  I loved, during his talks, how, behind him, a head (a crew member?????) would pop up!  What a hoot!

                                     And speaking of hoots, darlings, "Dark Vengeance, " from 1972, is one!  You have got to see a baby faced Martin Sheen, dressed so tight his balls would burst, doing a James Dean knockoff, while Kim plays the petulant ingenue, and the two attack this script, acting wise, like they were performing for Lee Strasberg!  Come on!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                      Sheen is a construction worker!  While digging, he finds a mysterious box, which is extremely difficult to open! When he does, he finds inside, an old fashioned child's toy horse, the kind on a stand, that would be pulled with a string!  Before you know it, this horse has taken over the couple's lives!!!!!!!!!!

                                         I am telling you, you have to see the surreal dream sequences, where Kim is chased by the horse, its eyes glaring, its neigh guaranteed to drive one crazy.  How the censors allowed a scene of almost bestiality I will never understand; guess they were too naive, but you have to see the scene, where, in another dream, the horse bends over Kim, as though he were going to French kiss her, and she begins to writhe in bed, almost orgiastically!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                            Talk about high camp! I have not had so much fun in ages!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                              And, in the end (I won't say anything else) it all turns out to have been a touching love story!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                               One for which I am thankful we are safe at home, with our stuffed animals!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                 What Kim must think today! Holy crap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                  It sure ain't "National Velvet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"