Tuesday, April 27, 2021

Grayson Hall Steals The Show In "Gargoyles!" But, When She Disappears, So Does The Movie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

              
                                               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!


                                                    

           

2 comments:

  1. The costumes were actually pretty good for a low budget made for tv!!

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  2. Victoria,

    You are right. I was quite surprised.

    ReplyDelete