It was so easy to tell "Gargoyles" was a made-for TV movie. Those California desert locales, with the film equipment all but visible, plus a cast that barely made it. Cornell Wilde was on his last lap; had Jennifer Salt not landed Eunice in "SOAP," no one would remember her at all. Same with Scott Glenn, who lucked out, three years later, by appearing in one of the greatest movies ever made--Robert Altman's 1975 masterpiece, "Nashville."
Then there was Grayson Hall, here a long way from being nominated for an Academy Award. As Mrs.Parks, owner of the "Cactus Motel"--a place I have just GOT to stay at, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!--she is such a good sport, over being hanged upside down, and plays every scene with a bottle or glass of liquor in her hand, guzzling it, that one has to hand it to her.
I had been really looking forward to seeing her play the Head Gargoyle; with that costume, make-up and wings, imagine what Grayson might have done! Alas, the role was enacted by some erstwhile football player, named Bernie Casey, whose voice was dubbed by former "Outer Space" announcer Vic Perrin.
The best set piece, next to the motel, was "Uncle Willy's Desert Museum," which I have got to visit. And those caves! How many were real, and how many were sets?
What about the Literary Gargoyle, constnatly reading, and musing on language? Was he reading Jane Austen? Why not just find a book group in Los Angeles, or nearby????????????????
All those elaborate wings, and no one flies, till a scene at the end, that looked similar to Margaret Hamilton, flying out of her castle, in "The Wizard Of Oz," which was in silhouette. But that was art, and this was trash!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A sequel was never made. One look at this tells you why!
The costumes were actually pretty good for a low budget made for tv!!
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ReplyDeleteVictoria,
You are right. I was quite surprised.