Forgotten Reels: The 3rd Alarm (1922)

Welcome back to Rotten Ink. As you can see, we are back at the Rotten Ink Theater for another Forgotten Reels update, celebrating the Silent Film era of cinema. As I am sure you all know Horror is my favorite genre of films as they have always captured my imagination and delivered chills, thrills and even blood spills. We will get to the Silent Age of Horror on Forgotten Reels, but before we do, I would like to take a look at other genres from the Silent era and that is why for today’s update I chose a film from 1922 that is a drama about an old firefighter. The film is called The 3^rd Alarm, and this will be a first time watch for me! So let’s grab some soda and popcorn and find our seats as it’s time to chat about some Silent Cinema!

The 3rd Alarm is a 1922 Drama film that was released by Film Booking Offices Of America and was the brainchild of the films director Emory Johnson who was with his mom at a Los Angeles street corner watching the Elk’s parade and see the LAPD’s fire horses in their final public appearance as they were being replaced by vehicles, and this trigged a story of how everything old has a passing down or a changing of the guard. And with this idea he had his mother Emilie Johnson write up the script as she had a history of working on Silent Films for Hollywood. Emory then went out and hired Ralph Lewis to play the lead character Dan McDowell, Lewis was an actor who had been working in Silent Films sense 1912 and was in such films as “The Birth Of A Nation (1915)”, “Macbeth (1916)”, “Dante’s Inferno (1924)” and “The Block Signal (1926)”. Also brought into the cast was Johnnie Walker, Ella Hall, Virginia True, Frankie Lee and Josephine Adair. Emory also bought a rundown five-story apartment building in Los Angeles in order to set it ablaze for the shots of fire in the film, and he even lived with the LA Firemen for a week just to see their life styles and get their actions down. And the film was originally going to be called “The Discard” before being called The 3^rd Alarm and released in movie houses. And once out the film got great promotion with Firemen help spreading the word and once in theaters it was meet with positive reviews from both critics and audience. The film was considered one of the best 40 films of 1922 and over the years it has been restored and released on DVD as well as on Digital Platforms, as the film has fallen into the Public Domain.

With The 3^rd Alarm being about firefighters and with fire being burning hot I decided that I needed a hot chip to cover with this review so I selected the “Ruffles Flamin’ Hot BBQ Potato Chips.” I have to say that growing up Ruffles was by favorite chips and I am looking forward to trying this flavor! And that’s the thing about choosing Potato Chips to go along with these Silent Films, the flavors to choose are many as are the brands. Check out the picture below to see what the chips look like in the freshly opened bag.

This will be a first time watch for me and one I am looking forward to watching and reviewing here for you friends and readers. And I will be grading both the film and the chips on a classic 1-4 star scale. I also want to say on my film ratings I am basing it on a scale that is for silent films of all budgets and eras. So sit back in your theater seat, grab some chips and a soda and let’s travel to the fire with Alpha Video.

The 3^rd Alarm
Starring: Ralph Lewis and Ella Hall       Directed: Emory Johnson
Not Rated     1922    58min    Alpha Video    DVD    Full Frame

A fire has broken out and a firebox is used to call in the firefighters who slide down the pole and get the horses hooked to the fire cart and are on their way as fast as the horses can run. Dan McDowell is the driver for engine seven and has been a firefighter for 20 years and has a bond with the horses, and even the neighborhood kids like to show up at the station to see the horses that pull the fire engines including his own daughter Alice and her friend Jimmy who is a newsboy for the city as today is his birthday and they let him ride Bullet the stations main horse. And the kids all have fun with the horses minus one little boy that’s candy apple was eaten by Bullet.

Mother McDowell is the wife of Dan and is at their home near the station making a birthday cake for Dan as it’s his birthday as well and the young girl comes home and watches as her mother ices the cake, as Dan takes the kids around the station all while they are ridding Bullet. Alice decides that she wants to make something for the cake. Meanwhile Johnny McDowell is Dan’s son who is away studying to become a doctor and it’s were he also meet his sweetheart June Rutherford as they are hanging around the lake and he shows her a horse charm that he bought as a birthday gift for his father, but she was hoping it was a engagement ring. And the happy couple head to the McDowell house for the celebration.

Back at the station the Fire Chief shows up in his motor car and is happy to tell them all that Engine Seven will be motorized soon and the horses will be retired, the firefighter are all happy and as Dan hitches Bullet on the post and says goodbye to the kids he enters the station and gets the news, his heart breaks as he knows that means the horses will be going away and he has a bond with them all. The rest of the department tries to cheer him up, as this is a good thing as the department is becoming modernized. June Rutherford returns home and her dad Dr. Rutherford and teases about leaving school forever, as back at the McDowell home Alice has made a cake topper of a horse that has Bullets names on it. Back at the Rutherford home her father is talking about no one being good enough to try and marry his daughter but promises that he will be nice to Johnny when he comes to dinner that night.

Johnny shows up at his father’s house and is greeted by Alice at the door, while at the station Dan is sitting outside feeling old and outdated as Bullet comes walking over to comfort his friend. Alice shows up at the station and tells her father its time to come home, and Dan fallows his daughter home and they run into Jimmy who gives Dan a free paper for his birthday, and Dan invites the youngster in to have some cake but he can not due to him having to sell papers. Johnny shows his mother the horse charm he bought his father and they hide it on his plate for him to find. Dan ends up buying all the papers so that Jimmy can come and celebrate his birthday along with his. Once inside Alice decides that she is going to help Jimmy wash his hair and causes a massive mess as water sprays all over the kitchen. Once they clean up the head into the dinning room and Dan’s eyes are covered and once he opens them he sees the room decorated and before he can see the cake the fire alarm goes off and Dan if off to do his job, and his family and Jimmy are upset that this special time was interrupted.

Nighttime falls and the McDowell family is standing at the window as off in the distance they can see something is on fire and the night sky is lit up by it. While Dan McDowell and his fellow firefighters have hoses in hand and are trying to get the blaze under control. And this lasts all night and his birthday was ruined and his family was left waiting for their father.

Time passes and the new motorcar engine is at the station and is there to retire the horses on Engine Seven, as the firefighters and neighborhood kids are all looking the vehicle over Dan is cleaning the horse straps and bits. And once the Engine fires up the animals around hate the sound and even a stray cat runs away in terror as the fireman laugh at the scaredy cat. And then someone comes to take the horses away, and Dan is heartbroken as he looks at his friends that he has taken care of for so long now and gives them hugs and stands in the street as he watches the horses be taken away, Jimmy joins him for their final farewell. The fellow firefighters notice how sad Dan is so they go to him and try and cheer him up. And they get him to get into the drivers seat of the Engine Seven and they cheer for him.

The following days Dan McDowell is not feeling the motorcar and is being forced to learn how to drive it, and he is not doing well with driving as he is hitting curbs and is awkward behind the wheel, and Dan realizes that he just can not drive the car. Dan comes home a defeated man and he has to tell his wife that he has been places into forced retirement due to not being able to drive the car, his time has passed and he fills down and out. He feels that he has failed his son Johnny who he is putting through medical school, his wife tries to lift his spirit by telling him there are other jobs he can do and that the Fire Department was not everything. As she leaves the room Dan starts crying as she does in the kitchen when Johnny comes over for a visit, and his mother informs him of his fathers discharge. Johnny enters the room to cheer up his father and tells him that not to worry as his girlfriends father is one of the top surgeons and that he only has one more year of school and he will be a full doctor himself! Dan then alerts his son that they have taken everything from him his horses, his job and now they have taken his son!

We then show a flashback to the McDowell home and a doctor informs Dan that his infant son is very sick and that the youngster’s only hope is Dr. Rutherford! And Dan rushes to get to Rutherford’s office and once inside a nurse tell him that the Doctor can not see him, but in the hallway the Doctor passes and Dan begs him for help to save his son. But Dr. Rutherford refuses to leave his office as in another room a patient is indeed of surgery to save their life, and he claims he cannot trade one life for another. And Dr. Rutherford leaves Dan in the hallway and closes the door to help save another life.

Johnny is shocked at what he has heard and asks if his father can look past this as he is in love with June, and Dan says he will never forget and forgive this action and that Johnny must do what he thinks is right. Johnny is now heartbroken and torn between the love of his life and his fathers anger. While at the Rutherford home June is talking to her father and showing him pictures of her and Johnny together. While back at the McDowell Home Johnny is in his room in distress and his haunted by his fathers disapproval of his girlfriend June, and almost writes her a breakup letter but crumples it up and hangs his head in sadness and thought.

The next morning Dan McDowell is checking the paper for job listings as its clear the fire fighters as well as the stations pet dog are missing him. Across the town the old retired fire horse Bullet is sold to a man for only $150.00, and back at the station the fire alarm rings and Dan even hears it and starts to leap from his chair, but the remembers that he sadly no longer is a fire fighter. And he watches as Engine Seven rushes off to the site of the fire. As Dan is sitting sad in his chair the fire house dog gets into the McDowell Home and comes to Dan’s side and even brings him his old fire hat. And Dan goes deep into thought and wants to figure out what to do for a job.

Dan the next morning applies for a driving job and all looks good, but he soon finds that its not for wagon driving its for a motor car and does not get the job. As he leaves the job interview feeling defeated he sees a sign for labor work and looks at his hands. We then join Johnny who is walking June to her car and she tells him that her father would like to see him tonight about maybe hiring him at his clinic. We then go back to Dan who has gotten the labor job and he and other men are digging holes, and the boss of the dig site shows up and Bullet is the horse pulling his wagon and when Bullet sees Dan he walks over to his old friend. The Boss gets mad and walks over and starts getting rough with Bullet, and Dan tries to stop him and take up for his old animal friend and ends up punching the man in the face! Dan and then man then get into a full fist fight and just in time Johnny is walking by and as Dan is knocked down Johnny and the man get into a fight! And Johnny drops the man with a good hit and then goes to check on his dad, and Johnny tells the man he will get Bullet away from him if it’s the last thing he ever does! Johnny then stops his father from going back to digging and Dan quiets the job.

That night the man who owns Bullet puts him into a stale and is still being mean to him, but as fire engines drive by Bullet hears the sounds of the fire bells and goes into action and breaks free from the stale and heads toward the fire. Johnny meanwhile goes and visits the office of Chief Andrews who is in control of the cities Police and Fire Departments and informs him that he has quit medical school and would like a job and he is given one. While back at the McDowell home the police have shown up with the Horse abusing man and they are questioning Dan and his wife about Bullet missing and they think Johnny might have stolen him. And as Dan walks them around his property Dan is shocked as Bullet is in his garage. And as the man takes Bullet back the police let Dan know that they want his son for the theft, but Dan tells them that he is the one who stole Bullet and he is put under arrest. Dan thinks he is protecting his son, but really no one is to blame as Bullet just escaped and went to the home that he knew he was loved at. Johnny shows up a very short time later dressed in his new uniform and sees his mom and sister crying on the porch and finds out why and rushes off to the police station.

At the police station Dan is being booked in for horse theft, and Johnny comes in and is told that the police cannot help him with the situation. While back at the Rutherford’s apartment home June gets a call from her father that he will be late home tonight and for dinner. But as June is talking to her father the housemaid comes in and alerts her that the home is on fire! June gets the servants to safety and then goes back to get her little dog and is now stuck inside a building that is on fire, and she is in panic as there is no way out of the inferno and she passes out from the smoke and heat. The fire department are on their way and from his jail cell window Dan can see the blaze at the Rutherford apartments.

At the Rutherford Apartments people are rushing out of the burning building as the fire department has shown up and start hooking up their hoses in order to fight the fire. While at the street corner selling his papers young Jimmy sees the story of Dan being arrested over Bullet and heads to the station and talks to Chief Andrews and tells him that he is the one who found Bullet wondering the streets and placed him in the old McDowell woodshed so the horse would not get lost, Chief Andrews tells Jimmy that they are going to get Dan out of jail. While back at the fire they are doing their best to put out the fire that is now out of control and they call in Engine Seven for help and on this engine is Johnny McDowell who is heading to his girlfriends house. While back at the fire June wakes up and gets the window and is spotted by the fire fighters bellow. And they send the ladder up and Johnny rushes up it to save his love from a burning death. As Johnny is up their trying to save June the building starts to collapse and the order goes out for Johnny to come down with our without June! But Johnny is able to get to June who he has climb on his back and together they climb down, just then Dr. Rutherford gets home and is scared as part of the building crumbles at the spot of June and Johnny! Dan McDowell is now out of jail and has rushed to the fire and has suited up to help get the blaze under control and to save lives. But the water pressure drops and the fighters are not able to combat the fire without water, but they find June and Johnny who are alive but cannot be saved just yet as a massive safe is on the rubble they are trapped in and the men are pulling but are not able to move it!

More fire engines with more firefighters are on the way, and Bullet once more hears the bells ringing and rushes off to the fire! While back at the fire Dr. Rutherford begs Dan McDowell to save his daughter and he tells him she is all he has in life, and Dan remembers back to the day he begged the Dr. to save his son. Meanwhile Bullet is now on the scene of the fire, and he and Dan work together and with Bullet they are able to move the safe and save the lives of June and Johnny! The other fire trucks are now on the scene and they have more water and are able to clear a path for all the heroes stuck to get out of the inferno safe. Dan McDowell learns to forgive Dr. Rutherford who in turn is very grateful for the rescue of his daughter. In the end The McDowell Family along with the Rutherford Family, Jimmy and even Chief Andrews are at a ranch and they have a surprise for Dan, and it’s all the old Fire Horses are now at this farm that Dr. Rutherford bought in order for Dan to be able to care and look after all his old friends. We also see that Johnny is now a Doctor and has cured Jimmy who no longer needs a crutch! And all ends well for everyone.

Review: The 3^rd Alarm was a silent film that really surprised me as this was a first time watch for me and at the start I was not fully sure what to expect as it was clearly a drama film and it started off a little show, but by the less then half way mark I was hooked and found myself drawn into this world and felt a bond with Dan McDowell and his family and extended family. As Dan was a hard working man who was working a tough job and was saving peoples lives as well as their homes all the while bonding with the horses that worked hard to pull the fire wagons to get them to the sites to fight the fires, and with technology coming in Dan and his horses were discarded as things of the past. The movie really brings to light how the work force views employees that have been loyal to them for decades but are getting older and are forced to retire or are fired as they think the newer and younger is better. But I do need to stress that Dan was loved by the fire department but could not get down how to drive the new motorcar and that’s why he was given his pink slip. And you have to give this film major credit as they really did set a massive apartment building ablaze and they told a great story of change, respect and the importance of family. And that’s the thing you as a viewer get to see is not only the change of times with more modern technology coming in to make things easier, but you also see a change of a man who had a grudge and learns to let it go and by doing so he changes as a person. I also like that the horse Bullet has a personality of his own and feels like he really is apart of the McDowell family, and when he escaped his abusive owner I cheered for him to get away and was glad that he and his fellow retired Fire Station Horses have a nice ranch to retire at. The love between Johnny and June is also a great layer as Johnny loves her very much but is also torn over his fathers hatred for her father, and in the end the true love between the two bring them together. I really enjoyed this drama film as I found all the characters interesting and likable and this one really did surprise me on how well I liked it.

Now let’s talk briefly about the chips and I have to say that it I was really surprised as I found myself liking these chips as well! The BBQ flavor was good and strong and had a bold flavor, and the Flamin’ Hot aspect brought some heat, but it was not as over baring like the taste can be such on the Cheetos. The burn of the chip sticks around a little after eating them, but it’s not too bad and does not feel like its coating your mouth like many of the Flamin’ Hot snacks do. And besides Ruffles just making a good basic chip the BBQ flavor is really what pushes this chip into the very tasty realm and made me buy more bags after eating them for this review.

Movie: ***
Chips: ***

The 3^rd Alarm is a great silent film and it nearly almost got three and a half stars from me as even days after watching it I found myself thinking about moments in the film and the characters themselves. I like the idea that Dan, his wife and young daughter lived on this ranch and took care of the horses while Johnny and June would end up married and have kids making Dan a grandpa and they lived out their lives as a very happy family…or at least that is what I think happened after the events of the film. But grab your bag of Ruffles as the Rotten Ink Theater has turned up the house lights letting us know that the film is over and that our time looking at Silent Films is over for now. So while we head out, let’s take a moment and chat about what our next update will be about as I am happy to say that we will be walking across the street to the Rotten Ink Stadium as I will be ranking Ohio’s Best Collegiate, Softball and Minor League Baseball Team Mascots! So until then, watch a Silent Movie or Three, read a comic or two and as always support your local Cinema. See you next update for some good old Baseball talk!

Forgotten Reels: The Lost World (1925)

Forgotten Reels is a new update theme here at Rotten Ink and will take us to the Rotten Ink Theater to sit around and talk about Silent Cinema! As I am sure you all know by now, I am a major fan of all types of films and genres, but did you know that I am a huge fan of Silent Films? And when it comes to Silent Horror Films as well as Silent Science Fiction films, I am a major geek for them and have been trying to figure out a way to cover them here on Rotten Ink and thanks to the success of the “Wild West Round Up” updates I have found the formatting that would work to share my love for them! When covering the Silent Films, I am also going to cover a different bag of my favorite kind of snack food and I am talking about potato chips! And like before, I will be given a star rating to both the film and the chips. For these Forgotten Reels updates I will be covering releases from companies like Alpha Video, Grapevine Video, Creature Feature Video and Madacy Entertainment. And yes, I know that Kino Lorber and Criterion a lot of the times has the way better prints that have been restored and re-mastered, I just feel that the companies above have the look and quality I remember seeing these types of films for the first time as a kid. I also want to give my friend and amazing artist Jason Gilmore a big thank you for the Forgotten Reels logo that will be used for these Silent Film themed updates. Oh, I almost forgot the first film we will be covering for Forgotten Reels is a real classic in cinema as it’s the 1925 film The Lost World! So let’s find our seats and get ready to talk some Silent Cinema!

The Lost World is a 1925 film that was based on the novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and was released by First National Pictures and had a budget of $700,000.  Harry O. Hoyt was brought on the production to direct as he was the man in the director chair for such films as “The Moth (1917)”, “The Rider Of The King Log (1921)” and “Sundown (1924)” to name a few, and they had screenwriter Marion Fairfax in to adapt the novel for screen as she had a long history of being behind the pen for many classic silent films. The film brought in classic actors like Wallace Beery, Bessie Love, Arthur Hoyt and Bull Montana to fill roles, and the film is considered one of the first in cinema to use stop motion special effects.  Willis O’Brien, the godfather of this style, was the man behind these amazing dinosaur effects, and he is one of the all time great effects masters and would go on to work on the 1933 King Kong among many other iconic films of cinema. The dinosaurs of the film were based on the artwork of Charles R. Knight and decades after the film, it’s said that Forrest J. Ackerman had many of the O’Brien models in his private collection. Ackerman was a true lover of classic Horror and Sci-Fi cinema and saved many items like them from being lost to time. The river scenes of the film were said to be shot behind MGM studios in an open sewer area, or so the Hollywood story goes. Another great story about The Lost World is that in 1922 Conan Doyle showed a ton of magicians including Harry Houdini test footage of O’Brien’s dinosaurs and would not tell the origins of the footage while they all viewed it and they as well as the press was said to have been blown away by the effects. The film over the years is said to have made $1.3 million dollars and was the first film to be shown on a flight in 1925 via a nitrate film reels and is as well what kicked off the dinosaur movie craze that is still going to this day. Over the years some prints of the film have fallen into the Public Domain and have been shown on many Horror Host programs as well can be found on many budget VHS, DVD and on YouTube. And over the years Lost World has had some lost footage found as well as has been re-mastered.

The chips I chose to pair with this film are “Grippo’s Bar-B-Q,” a chip that I have loved since I was a young kid and a potato chip company from the great state of Ohio. Growing up as a kid, popcorn, Andy Capp’s Hot Fries and potato chips were the snacks of choice for my brother and I as we watched USA Saturday Nightmares or WWF Monday Night Raw, and one of our favorites hands down when it came to chips was always Grippo’s! You see my father has always worked in the grocery business and he would from time to time bring home different styles of snack food for not only him to eat but also for my brother and I to try, and Grippo’s was always a popular eat at our house during movie and TV watching. Grippo’s started in 1919 and is based out of Cincinnati, Ohio and was founded by Angelo Grippo.  The company over the years has made all types of snack foods from Pretzels, Sugar Cones and their most popular item is Potato Chips that comes in many flavors from the overly popular BBQ as well as Cheddar, Salt & Vinegar as well as a few others. Grippo’s is still going strong to this day and so many of my friends love these chips. Below is a shot of a freshly opened bag so that you can see these BBQ Grippo’s in their natural habitat.

Forgotten Reels is a themed update that will be sticking around for a very long time here on Rotten Ink as being able to share my thought and the wonders of Silent Films is something that I really like to do! And I will be grading both the film and the chips on a classic 1-4 star scale. I also want to say on my film rating, I am basing it on a scale that is for silent films of all budgets and eras. So sit back in your theater seat, grab some chips and a soda and let’s travel to The Lost World with Alpha Video. And yes, the stills used in this review update are indeed taken from the Alpha Video print and the DVD that I own.

Lost World
Starring: Wallace Beery and Bessie Love      Directed: Harry O. Hoyt
Not Rated     1925   63min   Alpha Video   DVD   Full Frame

We open in the office of the London Record Journal, and the Editor is upset as he has just gotten word that Professor Challenger is going to sue them over the paper doubting his story of living dinosaurs, and they are also worried, as Challenger has attacked three reporters just that day! In order to get the interview with Challenger, they send eager reporter Edward Malone who stumbles into the editor’s office and has to hurry to Zoological Hall to cover a lecture that Challenger is giving and try to score the sit down interview for the paper, as well as sneak in as reporters are banned from the lecture. At the Hall many people are in line for the lecture including Sir John Roxton who is an explorer and hunter who wants to disprove Challenger’s claim of dinosaurs. And it seems like many of those attending are there to mock Challenger and his claims. Malone is able to easily get into the lecture thanks to Roxton who brings him in on his pass. As he starts the crowd mocks Challenger, who in turn wants to get a committee and a group together to head to the Amazon and to this Lost World with him! And some in the crowd who believe and disbelieve take him up on this chance to see the Dinosaurs and they are Professor Summerlee, John Roxton and Edward Malone. But when Malone alerts Challenger of his profession, the Professor goes into a rage and tries to attack the young man and chaos breaks out. And Challenger, mad that a reporter got in, returns to his home.

As Professor Challenger gets home for the night, still mad over the lecture, he soon finds that Edward Malone has entered his home via a window, as he would like to talk to the Professor and says that he really needs to go on the expedition in order to impress his fiancé who will not marry him until he faces a major challenge, and this means nothing to Challenger who attacks Malone and they two fight and struggle so much that they end up in the street! A Police Cop witnesses the fight and when Malone refuses to press charges and even takes blame for the fight, Challenger ends up listening to Malone when he finds out that he is also close friends with Sir John Roxton. Once inside the parlor, Challenger has his butler call upon Miss Paula White, and also Roxton comes to the house and they talk about the diary of Maple White and as Paula shows up the story of the Lost World that is populated with Dinosaurs is discussed.  Paula explains how her father discovered a plateau in the Amazon alone as she was back at camp sick from a fever, and as she speaks Malone flips through the pages of the diary and sees the explorers drawings of Dinosaurs that he said he saw! And then Paula claims that she has seen them herself and that her father is lost on that plateau as his crew left him behind in fear of the beasts. And as they talk, Mrs. Challenger enters the parlor and is upset that her husband has kicked out everyone up to this point has come to the house to help. Edward Malone then comes up with the idea to get the paper to pay for the rescue mission as he can pass it off as a good human-interest story as they might think that the talk of Dinosaurs is fake but saving an explorer in a exclusive story they would bite on. Challenger agrees to this pitch and everyone is happy. Malone asks Roxton to go talk to the editor with him, and before they leave Roxton tells Paula that he is going on this mission for her. Paula looks both happy and taken back by this, but is happy they help is on its way for her father.

The London Record Journal funds the rescue mission and Professor Challenger, Sir John Roxton, Professor Summerlee, Paula White, Austin and Edward Malone meet up with some natives and boat down the river to the secret location deep in the Amazon. Once they reach the plateau they all make camp and Malone is writing to his editor as everyone else is enjoying the rest and wildlife around the area. But watching them is a strange apeman who is monstrous in nature and watches and Roxton talks of how Paula said her father used a fallen tree in order to get to the plateau and Challenger says in the morning they will knock down another tree and get across. The apeman then pushes a bolder off the cliff and tries to crush the rescue party, his attack fails and causes the men to look around and they see a massive Pterodactyl flying around and then landing and eating, and Challenger then declares that everything in Maple’s diary is true.

The next morning Challenger leads them to the top of the plateau and chops down another tree to make a bridge across a cliff and while doing all this dinosaurs start to pay attention to the noises being made by these human invaders. One by one they cross the fallen tree and then watch as a Brontosaurus feeds on leaves. They are scared and yet also so amazed by this sight. The massive creature then does the unthinkable and knocks their tree bridge off the cliff and causing them all to be stuck now. All the while back at the camp native Zambo with his pet monkey Jocko and Austin, the butler of Challenger watch on and are helpless to save them from being stranded.

As night falls, the group starts a fire to stay warm and try and come up with a plan, and unknown to them the apeman once more is watching them this time from the trees. Malone heads to Paula and tries to find out what is on her mind. She tells of the worry she has that something bad has happened to her father as she feels he would have made his way to the fire if he was still alive. Malone tries to comfort her as Roxton watches on and is not pleased that someone else talking to the woman he loves. But before anything else can be said, the whole group gets a scare as a T-Rex appears and attacks and kills another dinosaur before their eyes. They then watch as the T-Rex’s path of murder doesn’t stop as it goes after a Tyrannosaurus and its baby. He fails in his attempt to kill and gets a horn would to his side that makes him even more mad as he heads out into the jungle and into the camp! Challenger and Roxton armed with rifles open fire on the T-Rex and Malone throws a lit torch at it scaring it off and back into a battle with a Tyrannosaurus. As the group then finally spots the apeman and Roxton shoots him in the arm scaring him away. Meanwhile the T-Rex kills the Tyrannosaurus as well as then kills a Pterodactyl. Meanwhile at the base camp, Zambo and Jocko are drinking water when Austin has an idea that they can make a giant rope from the hammocks and have Jocko climb the mountain plateau to give it to them.

After all the excitement of the T-Rex attack, Challenger and the group find a cave to seek shelter in from the craziness of the jungle. They decided that this cave would be their home until they are saved or for the rest of their lives and then Challenger tries to design a catapult weapon out of bent down trees in order to fight off dinosaurs. While in the cave Roxton is looking around and finds a skeleton of a human that has a locket, and inside that locket is a picture of Paula…the hunter thinks he has found the remains of her father Maple White, he then also finds an open at the back of the cave that leads straight down the mountain and fires his gun and gets the attention of Austin and Zambo who yell back and fourth with Raxton that they will be turning the rope into a ladder and will send Jacko up with it in the morning, but the monkey needs to see Paula to make the climb. Meanwhile alone in a part of the cave Malone tells Paula that he loves her, and is breaking his promise to his fiancé as he wants to be with her. Roxton walks in on the two embracing and sharing loving words, Malone informs his friend that he and Paula are going to marry each other in the cave as Summerlee was once a minister before he was a professor and goes off to find him. As Roxton says he needs to tell Paula something very important.

In the jungle Challenger and Summerlee are watching a Brontosaurus feed and are following it, as back in the cave Raxton gives Paula the locket and tells her the bad news of her father’s death. The T-Rex shows up once again and this time goes after the Brontosaurus and knocks the massive creature over the cliff, the T-Rex is mad that he did not get to eat his victim and wonders off into the jungle. Meanwhile in another cave the apeman along with his chimpanzee friend sulk over the humans being around and him being wounded by a bullet. Paula and Raxon are waiting for the others to return as they have been gone for hours now and they are worried, but Raxton tells her they must wait for them in order to lead them to the cave opening so they can all escape. And also a volcano on the plateau is about to erupt adding more danger for Challenger and his crew as the lava starts to flow the dinosaurs start to stampede and it’s making it hard for Challenger, Summerlee and Malone to get back to the cave for shelter. The T-Rex is attacking his fellow fleeing dinosaurs as fire is breaking out all around in the jungle! And they are finally able to make their way to the cave as the volcano calms down and the fires stop and the dinosaurs go back to their normal lives.

Back in the cave Raxton shows Paula the opening as she calls for Jocko, the little monkey, who with the ladder makes his way up the mountain to get to her, and does so delivering their way to escape the Lost World. The Brontosaurus who fell from the cliff is shown to be alive and stuck in mud, and it’s the mud that spared its life and cushioned the landing. With the ladder now in place Paula White starts making her way down the mountain, Jocko the monkey is next, then Professor Summerlee, Professor Challenger, Edward Malone and lastly Sir John Roxton gets on the ladder. But the apeman and his chimpanzee friend and a score to settle with Roxton and they start to pull the ladder up with him still on it as his friends below try to pull it back down, but the apeman is just too strong. They fire a rifle up at the mountain and hit apeman in the chest and Roxton makes it down to land safe. As they are heading away from the mountain, Challenger spots the wounded Brontosaurus and with the help of Major Hiddard of Brazilian Geodetic they get the dinosaur out of the mud in a month’s time with a one-way ticket to London.

In London Professor Challenger is giving another lecture to a roomful of people and he tells them that they are brining a living Brontosaurus to London and that reporter Edward Malone is on the ship that is bringing the creature to them in mere moments. Challenger then gets a phone call from Malone who informs the professor that during unloading at the dock the straps on the cage broke and now the Brontosaurus is loose in the streets and causing panic and chaos. In the streets people are running and driving away in fear as the dinosaur is on a rampage. Challenger tells the crowd at the lecture to stay inside as his dinosaur is free in the streets, and the crowd starts to think that this is a scam and begin to boo and turn on Challenger who they think is a liar. All the while the Brontosaurus is stomping around the city causing destruction and ends up on the London Bridge and it ends up breaking under its weight and it falls into the water and swims away. After the dinosaur is gone Paula and Malone come together and Roxton pushes his feelings for her aside and is happy for the couple. And Professor Challenger sits on the bridge and watches as his dinosaur fades away into the horizon.

Review: The Lost World is a truly amazing early cinema film that allowed the team of Harry O. Hoyt and Marion Fairfax to truly bring the novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to life on the big screen and offered thrills, chills to movie goers who left the theater wondering if they had just seen footage of real dinosaurs! The film really focuses on reporter Edward Malone and his quest to cover the big story of the lost world as well as him falling in love with Paula White who his own friend famed hunter Sir John Roxton also is crushing on. And all three of these characters are great and their story is interesting and helps add more drama to the story and also adds a good amount on tension to a group that is already stuck in a land of dinosaurs who want to eat them for dinner. But I think like most people who have read the book as well would agree that the real star of the film is the eccentric Professor Challenger whose anger, passion and personality sets him apart from the rest of the cast of characters and Wallace Beery was the perfect actor to cast in that role. The Dinosaur effects were done by the true legend and godfather of early day special effects Willis O’Brien and this film was a great warm up for him as in 1933 he would bring us the masterpiece of cinema King Kong. And the T-Rex in this movie is such a jerk and gets his jollies in just killing other dinosaurs as well as trying to kill our heroes. And let’s not forget to point out the awesome Brontosaurus rampage in London, a scene that influenced many Kaiju and Giant Monster movies over the decades. One thing I have to point out is that actor Bull Montana played the Apeman on the Lost Planet and he is one of cinema’s early creature actors as he would wear that suit or one just like it in the 1920 Horror Comedy Film “Go And Get It” and had the movements of creatures down, but that I am sure this is due to his years of being a Pro Wrestler. This film is also very much the inspiration for the Jurassic Park book and film series, and The Lost World is one of the world’s best Silent Films from that era as it brings so many emotions with it and best of all its super entertaining from start to finish. If you have not seen this film, do yourself a favor and get yourself a copy from Alpha Video or another home media copy and give it a watch.

Now let’s briefly talk about the Grippo’s Bar-B-Q Potato Chips, a snack food that has always been a favorite in my family’s household growing up. When eating this bag I can see why I loved them as a kid. The BBQ seasoning on these chips is very flavorful and have a nice spice taste that makes it so easy to eat a full bag in one sitting. They have a taste like no other BBQ chip and that is why those who have tried Grippo’s always put them at the top of their shopping list for snack food. And they are not afraid to coat the chip in the seasoning and hands down these are some amazingly good potato chips!

Movie: ****
Chips: ****

The Lost World really is a fantastic Silent Film. The effects that they pulled off in 1925 are amazing and set the guidelines for special effects to come in Hollywood, and really the film is a mix of Adventure, Sci-Fi and Horror and really was one of the early versions of a Giant Monster movie as the end of the film has a Dinosaur running wild in a big city that would go on to be a staple of the kind of films. And as you can see, this first Forgotten Reels update starts off with a perfect Silent Film as well as a perfect bag of chips. But the house lights have been turned on and that is our cue to head out, but before we do, I would like to let you all know that our next update will take us to New York and the time that Dracula visited it as the topic is the 1979 film Love At First Bite and the photo comic book based on it! So until next time, read a comic or three, watch a Silent Film or two and as always support your local Horror Host. See you soon as we continue our countdown to Halloween 2022 and spend some time with Count Dracula.

The Bright Colored Fur Balls Known As The Popples!

Welcome back to Rotten Ink, my place on the World Wide Web that brings my past and present together and allows me to chat about things I enjoy from comic books, movies, video games, music and Horror Hosts. It’s crazy to think that it’s already 2019 and 2018 is in the history books. Before we start our look at Popples, I am going to answer a few questions that I get asked by readers and friends about what are some of the most popular posts on this blog! I will break them down and share the top two posts for some of the most popular update themes, “Horror Host Icon” and “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic,” the ones you readers seem to love the most and the ones I get the most requests to cover. The “Horror Host Icon” updates are hands down one of my most popular themes as they hit home for many of you readers who grew up watching Hosts on TV and even modern viewers who catch their favorite’s on the internet. The top three most read Horror Hosts I have covered as of this posting are: Morgus The Magnificent being the most read Icon update followed very closely by both Commander USA and USA Saturday Nightmares! As for the From Horror Movie To Horror Comic update that has been the most read, that honor goes to Phantasm and is followed by I, Frankenstein and The Willies! So there you have it and with more updates in both of those themes, who knows what updates will be the top in 2020! So with that out of the way, I think it’s time we once more visit that magical world of Star Comics and chat about their mini series based on the popular 80’s plush dolls The Popples. So get your cool 80’s gear on and let’s travel back to when plush dolls were cool and no one had a smart phone glued to their face.

Popples were stuffed dolls that were weird looking animal creatures who could roll up into a ball and were a craze for a short time in he 80’s. So let’s take a look at Popples: the doll, cartoon and comics! American Greetings company Those Characters From Cleveland (TCFC) was the company behind the creation of Popples as their employee Susan Trentel was the designer who invented the roll up action of the dolls as she drew inspiration from rolling up socks! Susan was also the designer who brought to life Care Bears and Strawberry Shortcake showing that she was a pioneer of 80’s toys and characters. She along with Thomas Schneider created the first Popples prototype. They went to toy company Mattel, and in 1986, these stuffed dolls were unleashed in toy aisles as well in the world of cartoons thanks to DIC Entertainment and comic books thanks to Star Comics. The dolls would last until 1988 and would have many waves and styles released during this short run including Pocket Popples, a line that was almost like action figures. The cartoon would run for 44 episodes and would go off the air in 1987 with three episodes never airing. The comic series would last for 4 issues and would come to an end in 1987. This sadly is much like many of Star Comics releases based on toys and cartoons. But while the Popples did not make their way into the 90’s and the toy industry moved on, they had two short lived comebacks with the first being in 2007 when Playmates released new Popples figures that only lasted four releases and in 2015 Netflix did a new cartoon series for their streaming service and toy company Spin Master ended up doing a toy line based on this new show. What does the future have in store for the Popples? In 2018 they were sold to Hasbro leaving them open to be made into more toys, cartoons, comics and even video games!

Growing up a kid of the 80’s and 90’s was glorious. As you have heard me say before, we had so many amazing movies, video games, comics and toys and it really was a great time growing up! In these times before the internet was all the rage, many of the big deals that were the talk on the playgrounds was stuff like video games, wrestling, comic books and the newest toys that were on everyone’s must own list…and I can safely say that while I heard them mentioned from time to time and even saw some of the girls have them, the Popples were never a major deal at my school. I remember my neighbor Joanna had some and that’s how I got to first interact with one, and while it was cool that they could turn into a ball, I never did want one as by the time they were released so many other toys, games, comics, horror movies and one special girl were on my radar. Now I need to stress I had nothing against the Popples, they were just clearly more geared toward girls and they were just not something many boys were flocking to. In fact I can remember many toy ads for these plush dolls showing up in comic books I was reading at the time, showing that the toymakers were really trying to make youngsters pay attention to them and help create the demand for them to be on every child’s Christmas and Birthday list. So while Popples were around and a part of my youth, I never really had a major connection to them and by all accounts they just were viewed by my friends and I as girl toys.

So like all good 80’s toys at the time Popples were just not dolls and action figures as these little puffballs have graced all types of other merchandise! The Popples also had the cartoons released on VHS. They had their own vinyl records, books, coloring books, lunch box, board game, shirts, cake pan, bowls, TV tray, stickers, valentine cards and much more. In other words the Popples were everywhere, and they were being pushed to really be a powerhouse in the kids market. While they had a good run, they never did capture the market like Care Bears, Smurfs and Strawberry Shortcake did before them.

Stuffed Dolls in the 80’s and early 90’s were very popular among the youth as besides Popples ones like Pound Puppies, Care Bears, My Pet Monster, Rainbow Brite, My Buddy and Teddy Ruxpin were all on kids must have lists and many of my friends as well as myself had many of these plush. So let’s now dive into the world of Star Comics who made a very short lived comic series based on the cartoon version of the Popples and see how well they were as kid comic stars. I want to think both Lone Star Comics and Bell Book And Comic for having these issues in stock and making this review possible. I must also say that I am very shocked and yet really not that Star Comics decided to do a comic series based on Popples in 1986 as they ignored some vey popular toys from the time like Teddy Ruxpin, Jem And The Holograms, My Pet Monster, Nerfuls and so many others. Plus I still really wished that they would have done a comic series based on one of my childhood heroes and icons Commander USA, who was a Horror Host that would have made an amazing kids comic book hero. But let’s not talk about would could have been and instead, let’s focus on what was, as we take some fun adventures with the Popples. Oh and what would an update be without me reminding you all that I grade these issues on a star scale of 1 to 4 and you are looking for how well the comic stays to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story.

Popples # 1   *1/2
Released in 1986      Cove Price .75       Star Comics      # 1 of 4

Youngsters Billy and Bonnie have gone into New York to go shopping, and after some time passes, the Popples decide to follow them and wind up wandering the city. While walking the streets they come across a dog who has stolen an orange from a stand and follow it back to a limo where they find Alice the young daughter of the ambassador, who has decided to run away from home and hide in her father’s car. Some of the Popples follow the dog into the mansion and find out the young girl’s babysitter is really Madam Spy who is looking for top-secret information! When Alice decides to go back home, the Popples warn her of Madam Spy and they all escape in the limo as a Popple uses magic to drive and Madam Spy puts on jogging shoes and gives chase! Madam Spy wants to get to the Ambassador first so she can take him hostage and find out the big secret, and Alice with the Popples want to get to him to warn of the spying! In the end the Popples and Alice warn her father of the danger and Madam Spy and her helper are arrested with Alice learning the big secret is she is going to be a big sister! In the end the Popples find Bonnie and Billy who hide them in their shopping bags and set out for home.

This Star Comic first issue based on an 80’s toyline is not very good and is so far the weakest I have read from Star to date as I found this kids comic very boring and the characters of the Popples really annoying! The plot of this issue has the Popples going to New York and helping a sad young girl to warn her father of the evil Madam Spy who wants to steal all the secrets he has. The Popples who are the heroes of this comic are riddle talking, bouncing around little fuzzy goofballs who just want to have fun and help capture a spy by accident by stumbling in on the crime. Plus I need to say the Popples also all have weird names like Potato Chip, Party and Puffball to name a few. Madam Spy is the main baddy in the issue and she is by no means dangerous, she just really wants to steal secrets and bring them to the league of spies. Alice, Billy and Bonnie are all just goofy kids who enjoy shopping, oranges and having fun. The thing about this kids comic is that it really is kind of dull and never once did I feel like Alice, her father or the Popples had any danger around them. The cover is pretty eye catching and has that true 80’s kid comic charm, and the interior art is good and done by John Costanza and has that Star Comics style. Over all I don’t have much to say about this issue besides it was a below average read, and it makes me hope the rest of this series is not this bland.

Popples # 2   **
Released in 1987      Cove Price .75       Star Comics      # 2 of 4

Bonnie and Billy come home from school super sad, and the Popples find out that they have both lost their positions on the sports teams and are down in the dumps over it. Some of the Popples stay home to try and cheer up the kids while the others go to the school to see who replaced their friends on the teams. And while there, they meet Tina Terrific a young lady who never jokes and laughs and is good at everything and have replaced Bonnie as head cheerleader and Billy as quarterback. All the other kids fear and dislike her as she shows them all that she is the best and likes to rub it in their faces. After practice a Popple tries to make Tina laugh and find himself being kidnapped by her, and as the others find out the all give chase to get their friend back and that includes Billy and Bonnie. Finally the Popples are able to get their friend back and try to make Tina laugh, and even inform her that people dislike her over her behavior and attitude. This upsets the young girl who runs away and into Billy and Bonnie who end up inviting her to a party at their house and find a new friend in her as she also changes her way of thinking and becomes a fun person.

Issue two brings this kids comic in the right direction as it offers a lesson as well as a fun and goofy adventure for our heroes the Popples. This time around the Popples meet a young girl who pushes herself to be the best at everything and has an ego about herself that drives her peers away, and our fuzzy little friends must show her the error of her ways. This comic has a message and that’s make sure to have a little fun in your life and don’t treat all other around you as if you’re better than them, it also has a message of don’t judge people before you really get to know them. The Popples in this issue are the same fun loving, cheesy joke spewing fuzz balls who just seem to be wandering through life spreading joy and laughter. Tina Terrific is a lonely young girl who has no friends and is so good at everything she walks around school like she’s pro wrestling icon Ric Flair! The thing is she is just a sad youngster who would love to have friends but doesn’t know how to make them. I want to also point out that Puzzle Popple is a jerk as he with no thought tells a young kid that nobody likes her, I mean my gosh I was surprised he didn’t just tell her to kill herself! Puzzle Popple, you’re a terrible little creature with no respect. The pacing of this issue is better than the first issue and while better is still about and average kids comic based on toys. The cover on this issue is just okay and nothing special and this time around again John Costanza does the interior artwork. Over all not a terrible issue and was entreating for the most part, so let’s see what issue three has in store for us.

Popples # 3   **1/2
Released in 1987     Cove Price .75      Star Comics      # 3 of 4

The Popples are on a camping trip with Billy and Bonnie and have decided that they wanted to explore the wilderness for awhile and have fun by building a campfire and telling stories. Meanwhile at one of the nearby cabins, a young man named Seth who only watches TV that features aliens is forced to go outside by his mother and freaks out when he sees the Popples in the woods as he thinks they are aliens! As the youngster runs for his life he runs into real aliens Yuckle, Buckle and Clive of the Kelvin Empire who look like normal people and decide to investigate these fuzzy aliens the youth is telling them about. And once the aliens find them the Popples welcome their new friends to spend time around the campfire and play and this scares the aliens out of their minds! The aliens think that the Popples are bloodthirsty war machines and run for their lives as the Popples chase them thinking they are playing chase, the aliens make it to Seth and them have themselves beamed back up to their mother ship. With the aliens gone the Popples end up talking and playing with Seth who learns they are not aliens and has made new friends.

Issue three of the Popples this far is the best in the series as it really captures the true fun and silly nature of a kid’s comic and brings more personality to them. The plot has the Popples on a camping trip were they meet a new friend who is a fan of Sci-Fi films and as well unknowingly save the Earth from an alien invasion as their fun ways chase them off. The Popples in this issue are in nature and enjoying life by playing and telling stories by a fire, and thanks to their good nature attitudes they are able to scare off aliens who wished to do us all harm. The Aliens who look like little kids start off as war focused and fearsome on wanting to take down Earth and soon turn into cowards when they come face to face with the Popples magic. What makes this issue work for me is the fact it’s a camping issue as I feel that kids comic based around doing this activity always makes for a good atmosphere and brings back so many memories of being a kid running around the woods. The cover is pretty good and is eye catching with the use of the color yellow that always makes a cover stand out. The interior art once more is done by John Costanza who really does great work in the world of kids comics done by Star as it has a really cartoonish look. Over all this is a solid and fun read and mixes Kids comics with Sci-Fi comics and this far is the best issue in the series, I wonder if the next and final issue will be as good or better…so let’s not wait and find out.

Popples # 4  **1/2
Released in 1987     Cove Price .75      Star Comics     # 4 of 4

Bonnie and Billy are down in the dumps as they do not have enough money to buy their mother a gift for her birthday, and this even has the Popples a little down. But when Billy comes home with a flyer for a pet show that pays $50.00 to the winner the Popples are go out into the world and is going to find a pet for their friends they think could win. While across town at the mansion of the Van Ritz their pet French Poodle Prince who is sick and tired of being treated like a puppy by his owners and escapes the house via the fireplace that turns his fur black and while on the streets he is being chased by a dog catcher and is saved by the Popples who take him to Billy and Bonnie as their new pet they name Champion! But things look rough as Champion due to being babied his whole life does not know any tricks or the ones he does he completes them all wrong. But the Popples and the kids don’t give up and end up training Champion so well that he becomes the winner of the contest! But during his award ceremony Champion has an itch and by scratching he knocks off the black color and the Van Ritz come alive when they see their lost dog Prince is in fact Champion! So the Van Ritz’s get their dog back and Billy and Bonnie win the money and end up buying a puppy for their mom for her birthday.

The fourth and final issue in the Popples comic series from Star Comics is a pretty good read for fans of these fluffy plush dolls and those who love 80’s kids comics. This issue’s plot has the Popples and their human friends finding a stray runaway dog and training him to win a dog show so they can get the prize money and buy the mom a great birthday gift. This one is fun as it really felt like a cartoon episode that you would have seen on Saturday Morning Cartoons back in the 80’s and as well had a little Harvey Comics feel. That’s the one thing that for me always set Star Comics apart from the other Kids comics being made in the 80’s and even early 90’s is they always delivered entertaining adventures for home grown characters as well as others that came from toys and cartoons. And while I do think that the Popples is one of the weakest series they released, it still holds lots of nostalgic fun for a reader like me who grew up in the 80’s and know what the Popples are. The Popples not only in this issue but in the whole series are silly, happy go lucky fuzz balls who enjoy pranking, partying and laughing and its clear P.C. Popple is the leader of this group as he has the true magic touch and can do what ever he wants just by snapping his fingers. Billy and Bonnie are just good kids who enjoy as well having a good time but also show they focus on being active and doing the right thing. This ones cover is ok and is eye catching for fans of these guys and once more John Costanza does the interior art and shows that he has true talent for drawing kids comics. Over all this comic series was just ok and this could be one of the cheesiest and lowest rated from me this far on Rotten Ink, but I still had lots of fun reading it and revisiting the 80’s and when Popples originated no matter how little they impacted my youth. Check out the art below to see the style of Costanza and see what I mean that his style really does fit for kid’s comics.

So now that we have had a fun time with the Popples and shared some flashback memories with many of you readers, I think my next update will be something cool from my past that did mean something to me and impacted my youth and that’s the original Star Trek and the film Wrath Of Khan! As I promised back on my update for the Marvel Comic Star Trek series, I think it’s time to start the adaptations of the films and our next update will do just that. So until next time, read a comic or three, buy a 80’s toy or two and as always support your local Horror Host! See you next time for another space adventure with Captain Kirk.