JOAN CRAWFORD'S FINAL FILM ROLE
“Trog” is a good
movie. I like it!
The working script was first known as “The Missing Link”. A much better title for a movie.
After watching the September, 1970 film recently, I have reevaluated my opinions strongly and decided to put pen to paper to express why I think this is a decent movie.
As the titles appear onscreen, we follow three grad students working at a science center who are in search of cave dwellings. They explore one very well hidden hole-in-the-ground to find typical cavern fare when after a bit of a hike, one of the students encounters and is severely beaten by a “monster”. The local police are called to The Brockton Research Centre to investigate the accident when they discover that the female administrator, Dr. Brockton wants further research performed at this cavern. Against their authority, Brockton and her team revisit the underground dwelling and she comes face to face with an animal that stands upright and resembles a man.
With much police and television ballyho surrounding her cavern safari, Brockton photographs the man-animal and leaves the hole-in-the-ground- unaware that “it” is following; the monster emerges from under the earth into the startling world above the ground - on live television. The Doctor tranquilizes the monster and has him dispatched to her laboratory.
From here, the drama shifts from exploration to a political posture of courts, neighbors, scientists and police.
Crawford is a delight to watch in the lab as she evaluates what she refers to as a troglodyte, and nicknames him TROG in front of a press conference. Using music, toys and the human touch, Crawford befriends TROG and gains his trust. Unfortunately, an backyard ball toss draws a dog to the yard and TROG reacts viciously causing chaos to spread among the townspeople. Long-story-short, Gough sneaks into the laboratory and unlocks the animal’s chains, unleashing him upon the community he so wished to protect.
In “Frankenstein” fashion, TROG wreaks some minimal havoc on the business community and then kidnaps a little girl (who resembles the doll in the lab) and retrieves to his home base at cavern-central. You can guess the outcome.
Looking trim and vigorous, Academy Award winner Joan Crawford brings a proper poise, restraint and class to the role of the scientist; She plays Dr. Brockton, an anthropologist-teacher who manages a research center outside of London. She does not attempt to hide her age, but with her styled hair and her own handsome wardrobe, she cuts quite a figure for a woman in her 60’s. Every inch of this woman is dedicated to the research her center represents. When an associate disagrees with her theories and joins forces with the angry citizens led by Michael Gough, Dr. Brockton is initially shocked by the affront but immediately terminates the doctor’s employment.
A particular highlight of Crawford’s performance occurs in a courtroom where Dr. Brockton must defend the means of scientific discovery and the importance of the evidence at hand. She is compelling to watch.
At a conclave of world known scientists gathered to evaluate TROG’s significance, and to perform testing on his memory and vocal capabilities, Crawford shines as she did in the movies of the 1940’s. She has not lost her touch, her posture, her delivery of a good line. And the interaction between Crawford and the others is meant as a showcase of her abilities to still carry a scene some 45 years after she started acting in that place called Hollywood, in that studio called MGM. This scene captures the essence of the film’s message: finding the missing link and giving it the ability to share its’ memories with the world and correct, if necessary, any historical blunders.
Joan Crawford is a capable artist bringing believability to every scene. Michael Gough is sturdy in his role as a political foe and Kim Braden is apt as Crawford’s daughter, assisting in the lab with TROG. Robert Hutton appears as an American scientist, inspired by the find and interesting in working with TROG.Producer Herman Cohen (of “Berserk!”, too) appears as a bartender and several Cohen regulars appear in small roles like the bearded lady from “Berserk!” who plays a scientist here. Now, that’s unbelievable!
Aben Kandel fashioned a good script, not a great one, one with only a few clichés but strong dialogue and a story that could have been fashioned more as an A product film, eliminating some of the lower points mentioned below. Cinematographer Freddie Francis directs the film adroitly, but as a B movie. Had this story been handed to a better director or a science buff like Spielberg, greater things might have happened. This story if produced in today’s Hollywood environment would offer strikingly different possibilities.
The 4 major mistakes with Trog”:
1) The budget for this film did not allow for any extra effects, or more importantly, personal effects such as what TROG would appear like. TROG looks like he just got out of the bath, clean arms and legs, no blotches. He’s wearing furry slippers (!) and bikini underwear - aw, c’mon! More attention to detail would have added to the appeal of the monster’s believability. As it stands, it appears hokey and almost laughable.
2) Poor advertising by the people at Warner Bros. hurt the marketing of this film. Certainly Joan Crawford fans were not about to go to see it. It was a) thrown out as the top half of a horror double feature with a Christopher Lee “Dracula” film, a bad move that limits potential serious customers not to mention the blow it must have been to Crawford’s ego and b) the missed opportunity of promoting the Joan Crawford film as a science fiction possibility, rather than a prehistoric monster movie. But TROG’s puss was seen everywhere as well as some poorer elements of the film. With this said, the double feature was a one week wonder and then disappeared into oblivion. (I like the Hammer “Dracula” films..understand I am not knocking them.)
3) The lengthy footage used from Herman Cohen’s 1956 claymation monster film, “The Animal World”.
The sequence was designed to demonstrate TROG’s capabilities of remembering things long ago. But the footage is sopohomoric and out of place entirely. It may also have been inserted to give extra length to the feature’s running time.
4) The music score is lacking in its depth.
“TROG” deserved a chance. It should be seen. It offers an opportunity to see a wonderful, latter-day Crawford timepiece as well as view a movie that challenges the scientific community to further investigate our past’s history. Dr. Leakey in East Africa was the type of person who could have promoted the movie with an endorsement. But sadly, it was not to be.
“Trog” is a good
movie. I like it!The working script was first known as “The Missing Link”. A much better title for a movie.
After watching the September, 1970 film recently, I have reevaluated my opinions strongly and decided to put pen to paper to express why I think this is a decent movie.
As the titles appear onscreen, we follow three grad students working at a science center who are in search of cave dwellings. They explore one very well hidden hole-in-the-ground to find typical cavern fare when after a bit of a hike, one of the students encounters and is severely beaten by a “monster”. The local police are called to The Brockton Research Centre to investigate the accident when they discover that the female administrator, Dr. Brockton wants further research performed at this cavern. Against their authority, Brockton and her team revisit the underground dwelling and she comes face to face with an animal that stands upright and resembles a man.
With much police and television ballyho surrounding her cavern safari, Brockton photographs the man-animal and leaves the hole-in-the-ground- unaware that “it” is following; the monster emerges from under the earth into the startling world above the ground - on live television. The Doctor tranquilizes the monster and has him dispatched to her laboratory.
From here, the drama shifts from exploration to a political posture of courts, neighbors, scientists and police.
Crawford is a delight to watch in the lab as she evaluates what she refers to as a troglodyte, and nicknames him TROG in front of a press conference. Using music, toys and the human touch, Crawford befriends TROG and gains his trust. Unfortunately, an backyard ball toss draws a dog to the yard and TROG reacts viciously causing chaos to spread among the townspeople. Long-story-short, Gough sneaks into the laboratory and unlocks the animal’s chains, unleashing him upon the community he so wished to protect.
In “Frankenstein” fashion, TROG wreaks some minimal havoc on the business community and then kidnaps a little girl (who resembles the doll in the lab) and retrieves to his home base at cavern-central. You can guess the outcome.
Looking trim and vigorous, Academy Award winner Joan Crawford brings a proper poise, restraint and class to the role of the scientist; She plays Dr. Brockton, an anthropologist-teacher who manages a research center outside of London. She does not attempt to hide her age, but with her styled hair and her own handsome wardrobe, she cuts quite a figure for a woman in her 60’s. Every inch of this woman is dedicated to the research her center represents. When an associate disagrees with her theories and joins forces with the angry citizens led by Michael Gough, Dr. Brockton is initially shocked by the affront but immediately terminates the doctor’s employment.
A particular highlight of Crawford’s performance occurs in a courtroom where Dr. Brockton must defend the means of scientific discovery and the importance of the evidence at hand. She is compelling to watch.
At a conclave of world known scientists gathered to evaluate TROG’s significance, and to perform testing on his memory and vocal capabilities, Crawford shines as she did in the movies of the 1940’s. She has not lost her touch, her posture, her delivery of a good line. And the interaction between Crawford and the others is meant as a showcase of her abilities to still carry a scene some 45 years after she started acting in that place called Hollywood, in that studio called MGM. This scene captures the essence of the film’s message: finding the missing link and giving it the ability to share its’ memories with the world and correct, if necessary, any historical blunders.
Joan Crawford is a capable artist bringing believability to every scene. Michael Gough is sturdy in his role as a political foe and Kim Braden is apt as Crawford’s daughter, assisting in the lab with TROG. Robert Hutton appears as an American scientist, inspired by the find and interesting in working with TROG.Producer Herman Cohen (of “Berserk!”, too) appears as a bartender and several Cohen regulars appear in small roles like the bearded lady from “Berserk!” who plays a scientist here. Now, that’s unbelievable!
Aben Kandel fashioned a good script, not a great one, one with only a few clichés but strong dialogue and a story that could have been fashioned more as an A product film, eliminating some of the lower points mentioned below. Cinematographer Freddie Francis directs the film adroitly, but as a B movie. Had this story been handed to a better director or a science buff like Spielberg, greater things might have happened. This story if produced in today’s Hollywood environment would offer strikingly different possibilities.
The 4 major mistakes with Trog”:
1) The budget for this film did not allow for any extra effects, or more importantly, personal effects such as what TROG would appear like. TROG looks like he just got out of the bath, clean arms and legs, no blotches. He’s wearing furry slippers (!) and bikini underwear - aw, c’mon! More attention to detail would have added to the appeal of the monster’s believability. As it stands, it appears hokey and almost laughable.
2) Poor advertising by the people at Warner Bros. hurt the marketing of this film. Certainly Joan Crawford fans were not about to go to see it. It was a) thrown out as the top half of a horror double feature with a Christopher Lee “Dracula” film, a bad move that limits potential serious customers not to mention the blow it must have been to Crawford’s ego and b) the missed opportunity of promoting the Joan Crawford film as a science fiction possibility, rather than a prehistoric monster movie. But TROG’s puss was seen everywhere as well as some poorer elements of the film. With this said, the double feature was a one week wonder and then disappeared into oblivion. (I like the Hammer “Dracula” films..understand I am not knocking them.)
3) The lengthy footage used from Herman Cohen’s 1956 claymation monster film, “The Animal World”.
The sequence was designed to demonstrate TROG’s capabilities of remembering things long ago. But the footage is sopohomoric and out of place entirely. It may also have been inserted to give extra length to the feature’s running time.
4) The music score is lacking in its depth.
“TROG” deserved a chance. It should be seen. It offers an opportunity to see a wonderful, latter-day Crawford timepiece as well as view a movie that challenges the scientific community to further investigate our past’s history. Dr. Leakey in East Africa was the type of person who could have promoted the movie with an endorsement. But sadly, it was not to be.
