Vintage Signage 51

Snow Man ice cream, in the Lansingburgh section of Troy, NY.

Vintage Signage 50

Lou Simon's Wine and Liquor, Latham, NY. Was recently forced to close by the nearby Albany Airport after 43 years.

Vintage Signage 49

Body King, Latham, NY.

Vintage Signage 48

Admiral Dry Cleaning, Watervliet , NY.

Fanny Hill Festival

Raleigh's great Center Drive-in screened this Fanny Hill triple-feature in July, 1971. THE YOUNG, EROTIC FANNY HILL (1971) was a strange Joe Sarno film featuring Tallie Cochrane in the lead role; available on VHS and DVD-R from Something Weird. FANNY HILL MEETS THE RED BARON (1968) is a lost Barry Mahon film. THE NOTORIOUS DAUGHTER OF FANNY HILL (1966) was from producer Dave Friedman, and featured Stacey Walker and William Rotsler, and cinematography by the late, great László Kovács.

This will be the last ad for a while (but rest assured they'll be back later; I have thousands). Look for more surprises soon, I have some cool stuff planned.

THE YOUNG GRADUATES / SWINGING SUMMER

The New Forest Drive-in screened this double-feature in July, 1971. THE YOUNG GRADUATES (1971) was a Crown release starring Patricia Wymer; was released on VHS by Academy, but no DVD release. A SWINGIN' SUMMER (1965) was a beach party musical with Lori Williams, William Wellman Jr., and Raquel Welch; no official release, but available on the grey market.

WANDA (THE SADISTIC HYPNOTIST) / THE SKIN GAME

The Wak-Art screened this adult double-feature in January, 1969. WANDA (THE SADISTIC HYPNOTIST) (1969) was a weird sexploiter from Greg Corarito, featuring Lynn Harris and director Richard Compton. Not sure what the THE SKIN GAME is; anyone have any clues?

THE VELVET TRAP / THE FICKLE FINGER OF FATE

Here's an amazing ad for a double-feature at the Center Drive-in, from February, 1968. THE VELVET TRAP (1966) was a Craddock Film release directed by Ken Kennedy; no known video release. THE FICKLE FINGER OF FATE (1967) was an obscure Spanish/US comedy directed by Richard Rush and starring Tab Hunter; it had a video release on the Burbank label, but no DVD.

YOURS, MINE AND OURS, etc.

The Tri-City Twin screened these triple-features back in July, 1968. YOURS, MINE AND OURS (1968) was the Lucille Ball/Henry Fonda family comedy. FITZWILLEY (1967) was a romantic comedy with Dick Van Dyke and Barbara Feldon; no DVD release. DUEL AT DIABLO (1966) was a western with James Garner and Sidney Poitier. THE GRADUATE (1967) must have made record money as it was playing for a couple years after its release. THE GAME IS OVER (1966) was a French/Italian Roger Vadim film starring Jane Fonda, aka La Curée. LUV (1967) was a comedy starring Jack Lemmon and Peter Falk; no DVD release.

YOURS, MINE AND OURS

YOURS, MINE AND OURS (1968), directed by Melville Shavelson, played the Branche in May, 1968.

YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE / THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY

This big, manly double-feature played the Riverview Drive-in back in July, 1968. YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE (1967) was the fifth of the Connery Bonds. THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY (1966) was Leone's Eli Wallach tour de force.

January Desktop Calendar

Here's a desktop calendar I designed; feel free to use and forward to friends. I'll be doing one for every month this year.

WINNING, etc.

The Tri-City Twin screened this diverse pair of triple-features in January, 1970. WINNING (1969) was a Paul Newman race car flick. THE LOST MAN (1969) was an updated remake of ODD MAN OUT with Sidney Poiter; no DVD yet. EYE OF THE CAT (1969) was a Universal horror film written by Joseph Stefano; no home video release. THE UNDEFEATED (1969) was a John Wayne/Rock Hudson western. 100 RIFLES (1969) was a 20th Century Fox western featuring Raquel Welch and Jim Brown. FIVE MILLION YEARS TO EARTH was the US title for QUATERMASS AND THE PIT (1967), the Hammer science fiction classic.

WILD IN THE STREETS, etc.

Here are a couple of ads for the caustic counterculture satire WILD IN THE STREETS (1968), both from July, 1968. The Super 50 paired it logically with its trippy AIP peer PSYCH-OUT (1968), while Proctor's teamed it with THE COBRA, AIP's release of the Italian/Spanish spy thriller Il Cobra (1967); no official video release known, but it is available on the gray market.

Western Aires

The Western Aires played Schenectady's Maxwell House Restaurant (now an Eckerd Drugs) in February, 1962.

THE VAMPIRE LOVERS / THE CRIMSON CULT

Proctor's screened this British horror double-feature in January, 1971. THE VAMPIRE LOVERS (1970) was a Hammer lesbian vampire tale with Ingrid Pitt. THE CRIMSON CULT was AIP's release of the Lovecraftian Tigon production CURSE OF THE CRIMSON ALTAR (1968); no R1 DVD yet.

VENUS / COOL IT BABY

This double-feature played the Cinema Art in June, 1968. Not sure what VENUS this could be; any suggestions? COOL IT, BABY (1967) was a sleazy Lou Campa sexploiter with writer Bhob Stewart (!).

UNWED MOTHER

Here's a November, 1961 ad for the Allied Artists release UNWED MOTHER (1958), playing the Turnpike Drive-in.

TWO GIRLS FOR A MADMAN / JUDITH

The Center Drive-in screened this weird double-feature back in January, 1969. TWO GIRLS FOR A MADMAN (1968) was a Distribpix release starring Arlene Farber. JUDITH (1966) was an Israeli/UK/US drama starring Sophia Loren; no home video release.

THE TWELVE CHAIRS

Mel Brooks' THE TWELVE CHAIRS (1970) played the Cinema Delaware in January, 1971.

TUCK ME IN / SALVATION AND TEMPTATION

This killer ad appeared in April, 1971, for the Center Drive-in. TUCK ME IN (1970) was a Jerand Film Distributors release with Kim Pope; on VHS and DVD-R from Something Weird. Not sure what SALVATION AND TEMPTATION is. Anyone have a clue?

TO SIR, WITH LOVE, etc.

Another weird pair of triple-features at the Tri-City Drive-in, from March, 1968. TO SIR, WITH LOVE (1967) featured Sidney Poitier in the swingin' slums of London. IS PARIS BURNING (1966) was a French/US historical WWII drama from Paramount. WATERHOLE #3 (1967) was a comedy western with James Coburn and Carroll O'Connor. ROOM 43 was the Cory Film Corp. release of the British PASSPORT TO SHAME (1958), with Diana Dors, Herbert Lom, and Eddie Constantine; available on VHS from budget and gray market dealers. NOT WITH MY WIFE, YOU DON'T! (1966) was a Warner Bros. comedy with Tony Curtis, Virna Lis, and George C. Scott; not on DVD. SECRET FILE: HOLLYWOOD (1962) was a low-budget drama from Crown International; no DVD as of yet.

TOMB OF TORTURE / CAVE OF THE LIVING DEAD

Classic Trans-Lux Eurohorror double-feature at Raleigh's Tower Drive-in, from April, 1968. TOMB OF TORTURE was the US dub for the Italian Metempsycho (1963). CAVE OF THE LIVING DEAD was the German Der Fluch der grünen Augen (1964), with Adrian Hoven.

TO BE A WOMAN, etc.

Here's a Cinema Art triple-feature from May, 1968. TO BE A WOMAN was a British documentary from 1951; no video release. LOLLIPOP was Times Films Corp.'s release of the 1964 Brazilian drama Asfalto Selvagem; no video release. THE SECRET DREAM MODELS OF OLIVER NIBBLE (1967) was a nudie short with a pseudonymous Dick Van Patten; on VHS and DVD-R from Something Weird.

THUNDER ALLEY, etc.

A classic example of a dusk-to-dawn southern exploitation drive-in night, from January, 1968 at North Carolina's New Forest. Richard Rush directed the AIP stock car action flick THUNDER ALLEY (1967), with Fabian and Annette Funicello. AIP also released the hippie exploiter RIOT ON SUNSET STRIP (1967), which still hasn't gotten an official video release. BANG! BANG! YOU'RE DEAD was AIP's release of the UK spy thriller OUR MAN IN MARRAKASH (1966), with Tony Randall and Senta Berger; no DVD release. IT'S A BIKINI WORLD (1967), from AIP subsidiary Trans-American, was a Stephanie Rothman beach romp, notable for its many rock band sequences; never had a video release, but you can get it from me here. WHAT'S UP, TIGER LILY? (1966) was Woody Allen's directorial debut.

THREE INTO TWO WON'T GO, etc.

The eternal Tri-City Twin Drive-in screened this pair of triple-features back in March, 1970. Rod Steiger starred in the British drama THREE INTO TWO WON'T GO (1969). ARABELLA (1967) was an Italian comedy with James Fox and Giancarlo Giannini. A MAN CALLED GANNON (1968) was a forgotten Universal western with Anthony Franciosa, Michael Sarrazin, and Susan Oliver. None of these three ever had a video release that I know of. HELL'S ANGELS '69 (1969) was a fairly tepid biker flick with Jeremy Slate, Tom Stern, and Steve Sandor. SPIRITS OF THE DEAD (1968) was AIP's release of the famous Euro-horror anthology Histoires extraordinaires. THE DEVIL'S 8 (1969) was an AIP answer to THE DIRTY DOZEN; no DVD release.

THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR

THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR (1968) played the Branche in Latham, NY (later called the Circle Twin Cinemas) in July, 1968.

THIS IS MY ALASKA

Both the Colony and Oxford screened THIS IS MY ALASKA (1969) back in March of 1970. IMDb doesn't list it, but here's a page with some details and ordering info.

THE THIEF OF BAGDAD / THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

The Spa Summer Theatre in Saratoga Springs screened these silent classics back in July, 1968. THE THIEF OF BAGDAD (1924) was directed by Raoul Walsh. Lon Chaney was an uncredited director on THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (1925).

THEY SHOOT HORSES, DON'T THEY?

Sydney Pollack's THEY SHOOT HORSES, DON'T THEY? (1969) played the Madison in March, 1970.

THERE'S A GIRL IN MY SOUP

The Fox-Colonie screened the British Roy Boulting comedy THERE'S A GIRL IN MY SOUP (1970) in January, 1971.

TEENAGE MOTHER / GIRL ON A CHAIN GANG

This Jerry Gross double-feature played the Mohawk and Riverview Drive-ins back in May, 1968. TEENAGE MOTHER (1967) featured Arlene Farber and Fred Willard. GIRL ON A CHAIN GANG (1965) was a southern civil rights exploitation piece. Both films are available on VHS and DVD-R from Something Weird.

TEENIE TULIP / THE MASTER

The immortal Center Drive-in screened this double-feature in February, 1971. TEENIE TULIP (1970) was a Cinex International Film Distributors release directed by Gerard Damiano; no home release known. Not sure exactly which film entitled THE MASTER was shown.

TEENAGE MOTHER / DEADLIER THAN THE MALE

The Center Drive-in screened this double-feature in March of 1968. TEENAGE MOTHER (1967) was directed by a pre-Cinemation Jerry Gross; available on VHS and DVD-R from Something Weird. The British spy thriller DEADLIER THAN THE MALE (1967) featured Richard Johnson as Bulldog Drummond.

HOW TO SUCCEED WITH SEX / BRICK DOLL HOUSE

The Center Drive-in screened this double-feature in January, 1971. HOW TO SUCCEED WITH SEX (1970) was a Bert I. Gordon adult comedy that had foreign VHS releases, but no domestic home release. BRICK DOLL HOUSE (1967) was a sexploiter released by Entertainment Ventures.

THE STRAWBERRY STATEMENT, etc.

A pair of Nam-era dramas and an man-on-a-mission war flick make up this January, 1971 triple-feature at the Latham Drive-in. THE STRAWBERRY STATEMENT (1970) was a student activist drama with Bruce Davison and Kim Darby; no DVD release. THE MAGIC GARDEN OF STANLEY SWEETHEART (1970) starred Don Johnson in the title role; no home release known. WHERE EAGLES DARE (1968) was a British-American production directed by Brian G. Hutton.

SPY IN THE SKY! / SATELLITE IN THE SKY

This cold war double-feature played the Turnpike Drive-in back in June of 1960. SPY IN THE SKY! (1958) was a UK/US co-production starring Steve Brodie and Andrea Domburg; Allied Artists distributed, but it saw no home release. SATELLITE IN THE SKY (1956) was a British production from Warner Bros., with Kieron Moore and Lois Maxwell; no DVD release but available on VHS from public domain labels.

The Spokesmen

Jazz band The Spokesmen played McLane's Log Room in Burnt Hills back in February, 1962. The band featured Wimpy Shoemaker, John Park, Mike Pascarella, and Lyle Warner.

SPEEDWAY, etc.

This triple-feature, with something for the whole family, screened at the Carman Drive-in in July, 1968. Elvis' race car feature SPEEDWAY (1968) co-starred Nancy Sinatra. WHERE ANGELS GO, TROUBLE FOLLOWS (1968) was a nun comedy with Rosalind Russell and Stella Stevens. DAY OF THE EVIL GUN (1968) was a western with Paul Fix, Harry Dean Stanton, and Royal Dano; no DVD release.

THE SPEED LOVERS, etc.

The New Forest Drive-in screened this diverse triple-feature in April, 1968. THE SPEED LOVERS (1968) was a southern racing flick. DONOVAN'S REEF (1963) was a John Ford/John Wayne comedy. NIGHTMARE (1964) was a Freddie Francis thriller from Hammer.

THE SOUND OF MUSIC / ARIZONA SHEEPDOG

The Carman Drive-in screened this family-friendly package in July, 1968. THE SOUND OF MUSIC (1965) played for years, even after this. ARIZONA SHEEPDOG was a segment from "The Best Doggoned Dog in the World," the 11/20/57 episode of Disneyland, narrated by Rex Allen.

SON OF BLOB / EQUINOX

The Mohawk Drive-in screened this Jack H. Harris-distributed double-feature in January, 1973. Larry Hagman's SON OF BLOB (1972), aka BEWARE! THE BLOB was a local TV perrenial for years, into the 1980s. The immortal home movie horror classic EQUINOX (1970) was, unbelievably, given the deluxe Critereon treatment on DVD.

SONG OF NORWAY

The Madison screened the musical SONG OF NORWAY (1970) in January, 1971.

Soma

The band Soma played the Steak & Brew in Colonie back in January, 1975.

SIGN OF THE GLADIATOR / MAN ON THE PROWL

Awesome ad for a double-bill at Proctor's, from December, 1959. SIGN OF THE GLADIATOR was AIP's dubbed version of Nel segno di Roma (1959), a French/Italian/West German/Yugoslavian co-production starring Anita Ekberg and Georges Marchal; no DVD release known. MAN ON THE PROWL (1957) was a United Artists thriller with James Best and Mala Powers; doesn't seem to have gotten even a VHS release.

The Sights and Sounds

"All girl trio" The Sights and Sounds played the Cabaret on Central Ave. in Albany back in March, 1970.

SERGEANT RYKER

The Turnpike Drive-in screened this triple-feature in June, 1968. The courtroom drama SERGEANT RYKER (1968) was directed by Buzz Kulick; no DVD release. The comedy-western THE SHAKIEST GUN IN THE WEST (1968) was directed by Alan Rafkin. THE NAKED RUNNER (1967) was a UK spy thriller; no DVD release.

SEXUAL PRACTICES IN SWEDEN / I NEED

Here's a January, 1971 double-feature at the Cinema Art. SEXUAL PRACTICES IN SWEDEN (1970) was a US-lensed white-coater released by William Mishkin; on VHS and DVD-R from Something Weird. I NEED was Ferd Sebastian's roughie I NEED A MAN (1967), released by Paul Mart Productions; no home release known.

THE SEXTERMINATORS / MAROONED

This strange double-feature played the Center Drive-in back in April, 1971. Emerson Film Enterprises released the obscure THE SEXTERMINATORS (1970), which has some sci-fi angles; on VHS and DVD-R from Something Weird. John Sturges' MAROONED (1969) starred Gregory Peck.